DISCLAIMER: Star Wars and all publicly recognisable characters, names and references, etc are the sole property of George Lucas, Lucasfilm Ltd, Lucasarts Inc and 20th Century Fox. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment and no money was made from it. Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author.
Qui-Gon was still standing with is arms folded, several minutes after he had ended his conversation with Obi-Wan. He had woken that morning with an unsettled feeling and now it had been deepened by this talk.
He liked Callisto, no mistake there. He even admired her strength and character to some extent, but he did not approve of her behavior. When she had begun seeing Obi-Wan on a more personal level, he had hoped this would help to stop her impulsiveness. It did to some extent, but she continued. It was so much her actions that scared him, it was that none of them knew why. She had loyalties he knew, but to whom he did not know. After all this time, she still did not trust them enough. That hurt somewhat.
Shmi came up behind him and wrapped her delicate arms around his shoulders in a warm embrace. that helped to ease him, somewhat. He placed a light kiss on one of her hands.
"What's wrong?" Shmi asked, her voice filled with an interesting mix of love and concern.
"It is Callisto, she is gone again," Qui-Gon replied.
He heard Shmi sigh. "What for?"
"It is not known, but something about this time has both Obi-Wan and myself disturbed. We are going to go find her."
Shmi sighed again, this time with some frustration. "You know that will not be an easy thing. I have known her longer than you. when she doesn't want to be found, she isn't found."
"There is something else behind this, something that I can't quite put my finger on. It is this unknown factor that I want to see resolved. We must find her, and we will.," he said, his voice saturated with determination.
"Well," Shmi said, turning her husband around to face her. "If you're that confident that you will, then you will." They kissed softly.
As Qui-Gon pulled away, his face was serious. "I will be taking Anakin with me." His voice caught in his throat as he saw that familiar worry cross her worn features. "I will watch over him, he will be quite safe, Shmi, I promise you."
Shmi smiled. "It is not that. I know what he is now and I know I can't protect him as well as you can. Even you can't completely protect him, I understand that. I'm his mother, I can't help but to worry for him...and for you. I love you both."
Qui-Gon embraced her strongly. "We will come back. I promise."
"I'm holding you to that."
Anakin sat on top of the balcony overlooking some nearby woods in the Theed palace. His young face with bright and hopeful as always, but there was some concern mixed in. Since he began his training he could understand the Force more. He could even know feel disturbances when they came. He was feeling one now. since he was only a novice at this practice, he didn't what it was. He would have to ask Qui-Gon later when they left if he felt it to.
"Ani, what is wrong?" Amidala asked as she stepped out, her face painted in that theatrical ensemble that she just seemed to adore. The tall light blue feathers on her headdress fluttered in the light breeze.
"I'm just worried is all. nothing big," he said with a shrug.
"I hope not," she said, taking a seat beside him.
"Nah. you know if it was, I would tell you."
Amidala smiled. "I know you would."
"I'm going to go in a few minutes. I just wanted to say goodbye."
"I wish you could stay longer. There is an exposition some artisan's of my people and the Gungans tomorrow that I was hoping I could show you, but I know you have to go for something important. I completely understand that."
"I'm sure there will be another one."
"I'm sure there will be, yes."
"That's good."
"Yeah."
"Yeah."
"Well," he said, getting up. "I really should go now. Qui-Gon gets annoyed when I'm late."
"I wouldn't want you to get in trouble," she said, edging closer. "That would not be a good thing."
"Not at all. It would not be a good thing."
"No, I don't think it would be."
"I'm going to miss you," Amidala said, looking somewhat meeker, if such a thing was possible with the strong leader.
"I'm going to miss you too."
Amidala nodded, looking almost sad.
"I'm going to be back as soon as I can."
"Anakin," Qui-gon's voice said from down the hall, unseen.
"I got to go," Anakin said, dashing off. He quickly turned back and pecked Amidala lightly on the cheek. "Bye."
"Bye," she echoed, holding her hand to her cheek, watching him leave in a happy kind of shock. She stood there for several moments after he had gone. Only the giggles from her handmaiden's shook her out of the moment. she turned and glared at them, before whisking herself back into the palace, the other women, still giggling to themselves.
There was a feeling of deja vu as Callisto sat inside the tiny space which Erju called his home. Deep beneath the city of Terek on Rodia he had built a makeshift compound in which he kept all of his equipment. From there, he controlled anything that could be traced, tapped, or otherwise taken advantage of. she wondered if he had ever made any kind of a decent living in any of his years. Of course she had no right to criticize. Her means of income in the past had been far from honest.
"This is it," Erju said, holding out a fragment of a read out.
"Well I'll be damned. It's the same thing. The same damn thing!" Callisto exclaimed.
"I know. And believe me, I was careful about it. there is no way this can be traced back to me. not even the gods could," Erju said, beaming with self-confidence.
"Don't get too cocky. it'll just get you killed."
"I know. I'm just proud of myself is all."
"Nothing wrong with that," she said, holding her hand up. "Just don't overdo it. I have few enough friends as it is."
"Speaking of which," he said, folding through some data. "How is the kid?"
"Last time I talked to him, good. You would not believe how much he's grown. He's about fourteen now."
Erju looked up suddenly. "Fourteen? Fourteen! how the hell did that happen? Last time I saw him he was no taller than a Jawa! Now you're telling me he's fourteen?"
"I know, I know. We're getting old."
"Maybe you are, but I'm staying young and pretty forever."
Callisto kicked him.
Erju rubbed his shoulder. "I have mentioned that I don't like this."
"Yeah, I imagine me kicking your ass must hurt."
"Not that. I meant the game plan."
"You have a better idea?"
"No."
"Than don't tell me what to do. Look, I know this is not the best of ideas." she heard him snort at that. "Hey, if you want to back out and let me handle this, I understand."
"No, I'm not going to do that."
"Good, cause I need you man. This is a multiple person operation. We need all the help we can get."
"We're calling in favors now?"
"Not unless we have to. The fewer people involved the better. It starts getting complicated then and you know how I hate complications."
"Oh yeah. So I take it you're not calling up that Jedi of yours."
"Obi-Wan doesn't need to know."
Erju nodded. "Look, maybe we really should drop this. I mean, your starting to have a real life, you're finally getting of the shadow business. I don't want this to wreck it."
"It's not," she said sharply. "Erju, this is the moment we have been waiting to come for seven years. Do you think Alu, Rekeme, Bail, or Susim would want to go on avenged?"
"No, they wouldn't."
"We owe them."
"Yes, we do, but not at the expense of life. they gave us everything, they wouldn't want us destroyed."
"We're not going to die."
Erju stood up and placed his hands on the shoulder of his friend. "Kid, I just don't want to see anything happen to you. I'm getting old, it's okay if I bite the dust, even though I plan on living forever. You on the other hand, you're twenty five. You got many, many good years ahead of you. You could get married, have kids, have a real life. That's what Rekeme would have wanted for you, not to obsess on revenge."
"I'm not obsessing. Something not right is going on here and I want whatever it is to be stopped. Revenge is just a fringe benefit."
"I don't want you getting carried away."
"I won't. I'm more careful than that and you know it," she said, angrily."
"I know that," he said stepping away. "But I also know you have a price on your head. you got a couple of prices on your head. Me...No one know about me. As far as the world is concerned, I don't exist. But you, the whole universe knows about you. and this new guy, from what I hear, is nothing short of merciless. He gets his hands on you and you're gone."
"Which is why we must be careful. Have you got a trace on who is holding this particular project of the Black Sun?"
"Yeah, a fellow by the name of Xizor. He's becoming some what of the heavy hitter in the organization. I wouldn't be too surprised if in a few years he ended up running the shebang."
"Whatever. Anything on who's paying them to do this?"
"Nothing. There's a pretty tight lid on it."
Callisto folded her arms in front of her, her eyes cold and her voice a wintry calm. "Then I guess we're going to have to blow if off then."