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Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan caught up, and the four jumped to the next roof. There was a structure on top of this roof, a small power shield. They darted behind it. The four stood for a moment, listening, hoping their pursuer hadn't followed this far.
But they heard something leap onto the roof. Their pursuer was out of their line of sight, but gaining. Paxxi let out a soft groan. They moved quietly and quickly to the end of the roof. Guerra reached it first. He grabbed the edge of the roof and coiled his fingers around it, ready to leap.
Suddenly a hand reached out and grabbed him by the neck. Guerra made a strangling noise. Qui-Gon whirled, ready the strike at the Phindian female who held Guerra.
"Guerra, it's me! Kaadi!" the female said.
"K-K-aaa?" Guerra answered.
"Oh. So sorry." She dropped her hand from around Guerra's neck. "Just trying to stop you. You run so fast!"
"Not fast enough, I see!" Paxxi said joyfully. "Lucky for us! We missed you, Kaadi."
Guerra, Paxxi, and Kaadi entwined their long arms around each other in a Phindian hug, squeezing three times to show their great affection. They pushed their faces close to each other and beamed smiles for a long moment.
Rubbing his neck, Guerra turned to the Jedi. "Good friends to us Jedi-Gon and Obawan, meet Kaadi, good friend also."
"Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon corrected.
"That is what I say," Guerra agreed. "Kaadi's father owns the caf? where we almost got captured. It has long been a meeting place for rebels. She fights the Syndicat, too."
Kaadi gri
"No, thank you," Qui-Gon said politely. He seemed to be constantly surrounded by thieves on this planet.
"And any word of your good father Nuuta?" Paxxi asked sympathetically, ducking his head as that he could look at her directly.
Kaadi's smile faded, and she shook her head. "We will hear if he is no more, we think. News will reach us."
Guerra and Paxxi were silent for a moment. Both of them reached out and wrapped one long arm around Kaadi's slender frame
"Her father is one of the renewed," Guerra explained to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. "He was sent to Alba."
Qui-Gon nodded sympathetically. Alba was a world in the midst of a bloody, chaotic civil war.
She gazed at him with her clear yellow-green eyes. "Yes, it is bad there. But to be Phindian is to hope."
"Yes," Qui-Gon said quietly. "You must always hope."
"But let me talk of why I chased you," Kaadi said. "I must tell the Derida brothers that you have been spotted. The Syndicat knows you have returned. Efforts have been redoubled to capture you."
"We are not afraid," Guerra said. "Not so, I lie!"
"Do you mean all that activity down there had to do with Guerra and Paxxi?" Qui-Gon asked.
Kaadi shook her head. "Not only. They are looking for the Jedi, too. But also, anyone they know to be a rebel. Terra and Baftu are begi
"Who is arriving?" Qui-Gon asked curiously.
"Prince Beju from the planet Gala," Kaadi answered.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan glanced at each other.
"Out spies tell us that an alliance is pla
"That's an awful thing to do," Obi-Wan said.
Qui-Gon had to agree? bacta was a medical miracle, healing even the most serious of wounds. "The injured on Gala will suffer needlessly," he observed.
"Yes, the Prince had no conscience, just like Baftu and Terra," Kaadi said. She pressed Guerra's hand for a moment. "I am sorry to say this. Now the Prince will return to Gala with the bacta from Phindar. He will be a hero to his people. The Syndicat will move in. They will control Gala as they control Phindar. It is pla
"And then they will take over the star system, one planet at a time, yes?" Guerra said softly. "Using fake shortages of what the people need. Wiping their memories. Assassin droids will kill opposition and others will be renewed." He blinked at Qui-Gon. "We have seen how quickly this method can work."
It was a cold-blooded plan. Qui-Gon knew that Guerra was most likely right when he said Gala would be only the first step.
He had tried to keep his distance from Paxxi and Guerra's schemes. Now he saw that there was more at stake than he'd thought. If they could destroy the Syndicat's grip on Phindar, his mission on Gala would be easier. He and Obi-Wan had to ensure that free elections would take place.
But there was more. Qui-Gon felt a deep stirring of anger. Kaadi's bravery in the face of her distress about her father had touched him. Even Guerra and Paxxi had moved him. Behind their clownish behavior was deep suffering. He could feel it. The living Force pulsed in the brothers, strong and pure. He didn't know if he could trust them completely, but he knew they deserved his help.
Sometimes, Qui-Gon reminded himself, fate finds you.
"We'll help you," Qui-Gon said to Paxxi and Guerra. Before the brother's could speak, he held up a hand to stop them. "But you must promise me something."
"Anything, Jedi-Gon," Guerra vowed.
"You will tell me the complete truth always," Qui-Gon ordered the sternly. "You will not withhold information, or shade it, or twist it. You will obey the Jedi rule to tell the clear, solid truth."
"Yes so, Jedi-Gon!" Guerra rushed to assure him while Paxxi nodded energetically. "For a hundred moons I would not lie to you again!"
"Never mind the hundred moons," Qui-Gon said. "Just do as I say."
Obi-Wan shot his Master a questioning glance. Qui-Gon could see that the boy didn't understand his decision. His interpretation of the rules was too strict. But he would follow his Master nonetheless.
"It is better to act quickly," Guerra said. "We should break into Syndicat headquarters tonight."
Kaadi looked pale. "Break into headquarters when you have price on your head? Who thought of that?"