Hospitality
Part 1
On the viewscreen of the small ship, Obi-Wan Kenobi could see that they were passing over a large city as they descended for a landing, but to his surprise, the tarmac was situated inside a huge enclosed estate of rolling lawns and wooded areas, with several small lakes that glittered in the morning sun. Standing up from the co-pilot�s seat as soon as Obi-Wan had set the ship down, Qui-Gon Jinn went back through the lounge and knocked on the door of one of the two tiny cabins. There was a sound from inside, and he took it as permission to enter.Raising her head from the pillow, Teokhian Harjis blinked up at him in confusion.
"We�ve landed,�he reported.
"Already?�she croaked.
"You�ve been asleep for several hours.�
"I have?�She rubbed her hand over her eyes.�Yes, I suppose I have. Can you give me a few minutes? I don�t want my father to see me like this.�
"Of course.�Smiling, Qui-Gon went out again, and almost ran into Obi-Wan.�She�ll need a few minutes, Padawan. Why don�t you run on ahead and tell them we�re coming?�
"Yes, master.�As it was an official occasion, Obi-Wan pulled on his brown robe, then opened the loading ramp and walked down. A group of men who had been waiting at the edge of the tarmac now moved closer, and he saw that the leader was wearing a thin gold circlet around his head. This must be Khian�s father. Smiling, he bowed.�Governor Harjis. I am Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi apprentice. Teokhian and my master, Qui-Gon Jinn, will be out in just a few minutes.�
"Splendid, splendid,�smiled the man.�How is she?�
"Fine. A little tired, I think, but otherwise fine.�
"How was the journey?�
"Quiet.�
"Good. Things have been quiet here, too. We�ve achieved a cease-fire and now, with the Jedi here, we hope to have the peace treaty signed within a few days.�There was genuine hope in the man�s voice.
"Master Jinn is very good at arranging fair treaties,�Obi-Wan remarked.
"Then we are doubly lucky to have him. Tell me, young Kenobi, did the Jedi Council pick him especially for this mission?�
"Well...in a way...�
"Or were you two just closest to Aldaraan at the time?�
"Yes.�Obi-Wan smiled apologetically. Khian had been attending school on Aldaraan, away from the turmoil on her home world of Eathmettu, and he and Qui-Gon had had to make an emergency landing on a barely civilized planet in a nearby system. Immediately after they had been rescued and their ship repaired, the Council had asked them to collect Teokhian and take her home, at her father�s request.
There was movement at the top of the ramp, and Obi-Wan turned to see Khian come racing down, Qui-Gon following at a more sedate pace. Halfway towards the group of men, however, she stopped, the expression on her face changing from eagerness to sudden anger, and then she whirled and launched herself at Qui-Gon.�You lied! You lied to me! You said you were taking me home, and now you�re handing me over to the Betwiohs!�
Qui-Gon caught her wrists before she could strike him and asked,�Isn�t that your father?�
"No, that is not my father! That is my father�s enemy! Laisian Betwioh!�
Obi-Wan had been so mesmerized by this drama that he was taken unawares. A hand gripped his wrist and twisted his arm behind his back, and the person behind him pushed the muzzle of a blaster under his chin, forcing his head up a bit. Another man pulled his light saber away.
"These are the coordinates we were given,�said Qui-Gon, glancing around to size up the situation. He caught sight of Obi-Wan, and slowly let go of Khian. One of the men ran forward and grabbed her arm, pulling her to one side and poking a blaster into her neck.
"That�s right, Master Jinn,�said Laisian Betwioh.�You�ve landed at the right coordinates.�
"The message was faked,�Qui-Gon said.
"That�s right,�said Betwioh again.�Except for our plea for Jedi intervention at the peace treaties. That was real. We were losing the war before. We had to surrender. But now that we�ve got Teokhian, we will come out the winner. We will negotiate terms that will not cripple us, and we will take back all the territory that belongs to us.�
"We can do that without hostages,�said Qui-Gon.�Let them go, both of them.�
"Harjis is a hard man, Master Jinn. Without sufficient persuasion, he will not even compromise.�Betwioh came forward, holding out a data pad.�Here are the coordinates of his palace, and our terms for peace. You will take them to him immediately. Teokhian and Obi-Wan will be guests of honour at my estate until the treaty has been signed.�
Qui-Gon took the data pad, glancing at Obi-Wan, and Betwioh said,�Or would you like me to have Obi-Wan executed here and now?�
"That won�t be necessary,�said Qui-Gon.
"Tell Harjis I�ll contact him later.�
"I will do that.�Qui-Gon looked at Obi-Wan and said,�Do what they tell you, Padawan. No heroics.�
"Yes, master.�
With a bow, Qui-Gon turned and went up the ramp, shutting it behind him. Obi-Wan repressed a sigh of dismay as they stepped back far enough to let the ship take off. He�d just barely got out of a hostage situation and now here he was in another one! Still, he told himself, it wouldn�t be as bad as last time. They wouldn�t torture him for information this time. Qui-Gon really was the best at difficult negotiations like this, and would make the treaty acceptable to both partners. Betwioh would release them within a few days; all they had to do now was wait.
Betwioh came around in front of him and said,�Jedi apprentices always obey their masters implicitly, don�t they?�
"Yes,�he replied warily.
"So you�ll agree to be my guest without trying to escape?�
"Yes,�he sighed.
"Let go of him.�
The man let go, and Obi-Wan pulled his arm back where it belonged as Betwioh went over to Khian. �What about you, Teokhian?�
Arrogantly, she lifted her head.�What about me?�
"Will you be my guest, or will you try to escape?�
She was about to give him a haughty answer, but Obi-Wan managed to catch her eye and shake his head, and after a moment, Khian glanced down.�I�ll be your guest.�
"You�ll find I�m not as inhumane as your father.�
"My father is not inhumane!�
"No. Of course not. All right, come on.�
They walked to the waiting speeders and Betwioh motioned for Khian to sit next to Obi-Wan in the back seat of his. The guards divided themselves up among the remaining two, and they whizzed down the road, turned left at a crossroads, and then went through the arched gateway of what appeared to be an ancient castle. The speeder stopped in the inner bailey, and as Obi-Wan got out, he could see water over the walls. The castle had been built on an island in the middle of a lake.
At the sound of the speeders, four people came tumbling out of the main door of the castle. The oldest one, a boy about twenty, got there first, quickly followed by two other boys, both younger. The middle aged woman came at a more sedate pace.
"Here are our guests. This is Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi apprentice, and Teokhian Harjis. This is my wife, Yrnan, and my three sons, Arun, Eald, and Iorn.�
Arun, the oldest boy, reached out his hand and took Khian�s, turning it over and kissing the back of it with a little bow. Then they both spoke at the same time.�Haven�t we seen each other before?�
They laughed, and Arun indicated that Khian should speak first. With a little giggle, she said,�I remember you from before the war! We met at a sort of reception, wasn�t it? You�ve certainly grown up since then!�
"So have you, Teo.�Arun sounded very admiring.
"Khian,�she corrected him.�Never Teo.�
"I�ll remember.�Smiling, Arun turned to Obi-Wan and reached out his hand. Obi-Wan hesitated, then extended his own, and was relieved when Arun only shook it.�Hello, Obi-Wan, pleased to meet you.�
"I�m pleased to meet you,�he replied.
He then shook Eald�s hand, who was just about his own age, and finally Iorn�s. Iorn looked to be about twelve years old and was staring up at him in wide-eyed wonder.�Wow, a real Jedi!�
"An apprentice, not a Knight,�Obi-Wan corrected him with a smile.
"Have you ever been tortured?�
There was a sudden, shocked silence around them, as though they were all waiting for Obi-Wan�s answer. He froze, not wanting to admit the truth, and was grateful when Betwioh said firmly,�Iorn, that is not a suitable subject for conversation. Would you really like to spend the day in your room until you can find one that is?�
"No, father.�
"Apologise.�
"I�m sorry, Obi-Wan. I was just--curious. See, I�ve been reading all these stories about Jedi Knights and--�Iorn caught his mother�s eye next and gulped.�I�m sorry.�
"It�s all right,�said Obi-Wan, forcing himself to relax and smile. Turning to Yrnan Betwioh, he shook her hand and said,�It�s a pleasure to meet you, Mistress Betwioh.�
"Oh, please, call me Yrnan. You�re a guest, not a protocoll droid. Now come, Obi-Wan, Khian, I�ll show you to your rooms.�
As they went inside and up a grand stone staircase, Iorn bounced to Obi-Wan�s side and asked,�Can I see your light saber? I won�t touch it, I just want to look at it.�
"I--your father took it away from me,�Obi-Wan said.
"He did? Why?�
"Because,�Obi-Wan said, searching for the right words,�I am a guest in your house.�
"And guests don�t need to carry weapons,�Betwioh reprimanded his son.
"But he�s a Jedi, Father! He can�t be separated from his light saber!�
"Iorn!�
"This will be your room, Khian.�Yrnan threw open a door on the left hand side of the corridor, then walked around a corner and indicated a door on the right hand side.�And this will be yours, Obi-Wan.�
"Thank you,�said Obi-Wan. It was luxuriously large and surprisingly modern, with a comfortable-looking bed on one side, and a living area on the other.
"You�ll have to share the refresher with Eald, but I don�t think you�ll mind, do you?�
"No, of course not.�Obi-Wan pulled off his brown cloak and hung it up. Eald and Iorn were hanging about the doorway, obviously waiting for him, so he came back out, and they joined up again with Arun and Khian to tour the rest of the house. When they got outside again, the brothers showed them around the grounds of the estate. There was a lot to see, but the most delightful thing was a living labyrinth, made of carefully trimmed hedges. It took most of the rest of the morning just to get through it, and Obi-Wan was delighted to see that the end of the maze led them below ground to a beautiful grotto, filled with sculptures and mosaics, and intricately carved fountains. When they emerged again into the bright sunlight, it was lunchtime.
*****
After lunch, Eald said,�How about a game of heorlan?�
"Heorlan?�asked Khian in astonished delight.�You have heorlan here?�
"That�s our national game!�Eald declared passionately.
"Do you play?�asked Arun.
"Play!�Khian�s eyes shone.�No, Arun, I think the question is, can you keep up with me?�
Arun�s eyes twinkled as well.�Try me.�
"What about you, Obi-Wan?�
"I don�t know what heorlan is,�he had to admit.�But if you�d care to teach me, I�m a fast learner.�
It�s very simple,�said Eald.�You just try to hit the ball into the goal with a heorlan stick.�
"Yes, but if he plays, that means we have a team of three and a team of two and that wouldn�t be fair,�said Iorn plaintively.
"Who said you had to play, Iorn?�
"Eald!�
"No, it�s all right,�said Obi-Wan.�I�ll just...meditate or something.�
He�d wanted to say drill, but remembered he didn�t have his light saber anymore.
"It�s not all right,�said Arun.�But you could be on Iorn�s side, with Eald. And Khian and I will be the winning--I mean, the other team.�
He and Khian grinned at each other, and then they went to the side entrance of the castle, to a room filled to bursting with everything that three boys might need to amuse themselves, and sorted out several wooden sticks, each with a broad curve at the end, and a ball about the size of a fist.
"Last one to the pitch gets thrown in the lake!�Eald challenged, and they all raced off, through the inner bailey, through the archway, and down the path that led around the lake. The pitch was almost exactly opposite the castle, and Iorn was the last one there.
"That�s not fair,�he pouted.�You�ve all got longer legs than I have.�
"You just have to run faster,�Eald teased him. Then he placed the ball in the middle of the pitch and stood to one side, his stick ready. Arun made a motion to take the other side, but Khian pushed him out of the way and got there first, her green eyes flashing a challenge. They stamped their sticks three times on the ground, counting out loud, and then both lunged for the ball.
*****
"My name is Qui-Gon Jinn, I am a Jedi Master. I have some important news for Governor Sceatt Harjis about his daughter,�Qui-Gon repeated patiently over the comlink.
"Do not deviate from your present course. We will send starfighters to accompany you.�
The starfighters appeared within seconds, guiding the small shuttle over the landscape, occasionally giving directions, until they landed on an airstrip outside a large city. Qui-Gon exited the ship and stood on the tarmac, waiting patiently as the Harjis guards surrounded him and showed him into a closed speeder. They drove around the city to a large palace set in extensive grounds. In the evening light, he could see one bomb crater in the middle of what had been an ornamental lawn, but the palace itself seemed to have gotten off lightly. He was led to a room on the ground floor obviously furnished for waiting in.
Several minutes later, a man appeared, middle-aged, shorter and stouter than Qui-Gon, with hair once brown but now streaked with grey. He was followed by another man, younger and leaner, who stayed in the background but eagerly followed every word, and two bodyguards, who lounged around in the background, obviously bored.�Jedi Master Jinn? I am Sceatt Harjis, Governor of this Territory. You have important news about my daughter?�
Qui-Gon bowed.�Yes, Governor. May I explain? The Jedi Council received a request that Teokhian Harjis should be picked up from her school on Aldaraan and brought back here.�
"I gave no such request! Where is she? What have you done with her?�
"We had no reason to doubt the authenticity of the request, Governor. My apprentice and I picked her up and and took her to the coordinates that were given us.�
"And you landed smack in the middle of Betwioh Territory,�Harjis guessed.
"Yes, Governor, we did. It was an honest mistake, I assure you, but I offer my humblest apologies.�
"And now that monster has my daughter.�
"Governor Betwioh is also keeping my apprentice, though I realise that is no comfort to you.�Qui-Gon handed over the data pad.�These are his terms for peace. He asked me to inform you that he will be in contact with you later.�
Harjis scanned the requirements and his face turned pale and angry.�Betwioh is a harsh man. He knows I cannot refuse him anything, now that he has my daughter.�
"We could try to negotiate with him--�Qui-Gon began.
"What if he tortures her?�
"He said nothing of torture, Governor. He did say that they would be honoured guests at his estate.�
"Honoured guests, indeed! No, I won�t negotiate. He knows I�d do anything to keep her safe, and he�s taking shameless advantage of the situation, but I will let him. I haven�t seen my daughter for more than three years. I want her to come home safe and sound, as soon as possible. Cyning, open a frequency to Betwioh. We�ll tell him that I accept his terms.�
They moved out of the reception room down the hall to the com center, but although they tried until midnight, there was no response from Betwioh, and Cyning finally said,�He�s doing this on purpose, Governor, letting you worry about her. He might even be planning to demand more, taking advantage of your love for her.�
"Blast the man,�Harjis growled, and then he sighed.�How did he find out where she was? How did he get that information? We took so many precautions!�
"Perhaps there is a traitor among us,�Cyning suggested.�Information like this is too complicated to slip out by accident.�
"It must be a traitor!�Harjis leaped to his feet.�Master Jinn, you had no difficulties in persuading her to come with you. You knew all our passwords.�
"That is true, Governor. She was completely convinced that the request had come from you.�Qui-Gon kept his face impassive, but couldn�t help remembering how excited Khian had been at the prospect of going home at last. She had liked it on Aldaraan, but had apparantly been homesick at times. She�d been so happy, in fact, that she had scarcely been patient enough to let them go through the complicated indentification procedure.
"That proves it. It was deliberate. Master Jinn, a Jedi can always tell when a person is telling the truth, right?�
"We can sense strong emotions,�Qui-Gon said, not willing to commit himself too deeply.�And the Force often warns us if something is just plain wrong.�
"That�s good enough. Cyning, find a room for Master Jinn for the night. In the morning, take him and interview everybody who knew where Khian was. Then talk to everybody who might have had access to the information. Check the transmission logs as well, and see what you can come up with. I will not have a traitor in my house!�
"Yes, Governor.�Cyning bowed, then motioned for Qui-Gon to follow him.