Obi-wan suppressed a sigh of boredom as he listened to the monotone voice of the Grand Duke of Phalsavar droll on about what an honor it was to receive Jedi to their planet.
He and Qui-gon had arrived on the small, jungle-infested planet only a handful of hours before, and had barely been allowed to settle before getting whisked away to the grand feast dedicated to them.
"They can be long winded at times, but they mean well," a voice behind him whispered. Without turning around, Obi-wan knew it was her Grace, the Countess of Geratin, who spoke to him. He gave the smallest of nods to acknowledge her statement, but he had a suspicion she already knew he had heard her. The Countess seemed to know a great many things.
With nothing else to relieve his boredom, Obi-wan let his mind drift to the strange creature who had just spoken to him. The Countess had greeted the two Jedi as they had landed, and had been with them ever since. She was tall by Obi-wan's standards - taller even than Qui-gon - and was feline in appearance. She walked on her hind legs, and had humanoid limbs covered in fur, but moved with the grace of a cat. Her features were a harmonious blend between human and feline, her fur short but luxurious, and she was breathtakingly beautiful. What had captured Obi-wan's attention the most however, was that she seemed to have knowledge and use of the Force. It was subtle, and at first Obi-wan was not even sure of it, but now he was positive.
The air around her sang from it, and her slit-pupiled eyes were wise and kind, filled with a kind of light he had only ever seen in Jedi.
"Pay attention Padawan," Qui-gon whispered, breaking Obi-wan's train of thought and bringing his awareness back to his surroundings. The Grand Duke had finally stopped talking, and the crowd around them was murmuring in expectancy.
"Yes master," Obi-wan responded automatically, trying to keep his obvious confusion at what was going on from showing on his face.
"We accept your gracious hospitality," Qui-gon told the Grand Duke politely with the practiced air of one who has delt with these kind of situations many times before, "and are glad to do anything of help during the course of these negotiations."
Obi-wan snorted quietly through his nostrils. He and his master were here only as a formality, and there was little chance of them actually being of any use. For once, Qui-gon and himself were on a fairly routine mission and Obi-wan was sincerely glad of that fact. Too many of their latest missions had involved danger and fighting for their lives, as well as live of others. Maybe now they finally had a chance to relax.
The Grand Duke had seemed to swell with self-importance at Qui-gon's words, as though he was solely responsible for the Jedi's formal gratitude.
"Her Grace will return you to your quarters, if that is what pleases you," he declared. "The negotiations will begin on the morrow. You may fill the time in between however you wish."
The Countess smiled as the two Jedi looked at her expectantly, and turned to lead them through the maze of corridors on the other side of the throne room.
"I must apologise for our Grand Duke," she told them as soon as they were out of earshot of the throne room, her tone soft and gentle even by her species standard of voice. "He often gets caught up with his own importance, and forgets that not everyone else is as enthralling as he."
Obi-wan chuckled, and even Qui-gon looked amused as he answered carefully, "It is rare to hear such a statement from a member of a monarch to virtual strangers, Your Grace."
"Call me Napula please," the Countess said, as she stopped and turned around. Obi-wan noticed that they stood outside their guest's quarters once more. "And you are not virtual strangers. You are Jedi." She smiled again, revealing pointed teeth and reminding Obi-wan that despite their kind nature, her species were predators.
Qui-gon bowed politely, and Obi-wan copied his movements. "We thank you for accompanying us back to our quarters, Your Grace - Napula," he quickly corrected himself.
Napula regarded them silently for a moment, then said, "There are training rooms nearby, to allow you to exercise your body before descending sun," referring to the Phalsavian term for night. "I have noticed that the Jedi before you seem to enjoy making use of it."
Qui-gon nodded his thanks. "Then I believe that we shall like to as well."
Napula's plumed, curved tail lowered and she bowed her head slightly - a gesture of farewell among her species - and left.
As soon as they were inside their quarters, Obi-wan flopped down on the couch. "I think my mind has gone numb," he declared, closing his eyes and trying to will away the stiffness that came from standing for a long period of time.
Qui-gon chuckled as he took off his cloak and hung it behind the door. "It is improper to complain in such a way Padawan," he chided gently, but his tone said he didn't really mind.
"Yes Master," Obi-wan replied, opening his eyes to regard Qui-gon's large form cross the room towards his bedchamber. "Do you think we should use the training rooms, like Napula suggested?" he asked as his master disappeared into the other room.
"I don't see why we should pass on this opportunity to enhance your training, Padawan," Qui-gon's voice drifted back, and Obi-wan couldn't help but grin. He loved to train with his master, to pitch lightsaber and skill against lightsaber and skill. To run through routine after grueling routine, to feel his muscles flex and strain�not that he'd ever admit it. Then what would he have to complain about? Obi-wan suspected that Qui-gon saw through all his groans and complaints during training, but was grateful that his master allowed him his indulgences.
Besides, Obi-wan knew that he was far from average in the physical skills department. He'd had far too many people tell him how well he handled weapons to believe any different. And he was glad that his master not only recognised this attribute, but fought to enhance it as he did.
Qui-gon re-emerged from his bedchamber with two stout wooden sticks. Noticing Obi-wan's curious expression, he explained, "Whilst on a strange planet, you should learn to fight with the same weapons as the locals. The Phalsavians duel with sticks, or clubs."
"Sticks?" Obi-wan repeated as he took the offered item from his master.
"They're usually dipped in poison," Qui-gon elaborated.
"Oh." That made sense. A slight nick from a Phalsavian's claws, then a tap of a stick laced with poison would be a formidable defense.
With a groan Obi-wan stood, and followed his master out of the room and down the hall Napula had directed them towards. Obi-wan decided to ask Qui-gon about the strength of the force he felt about Napula, and whether his master felt it too.
"Master, what do you-" He broke off as a panting servant rushed up to them.
"Excuse me Jedi Master Qui-gon," the servant gasped, "But His Grace, Lord of Cowfisian, seeks your company."
Qui-gon was too polite to let out the heavy sigh that threatened to overwhelm him, but he could not help letting Obi-wan feel his extreme weariness through their training bond.
"Tell his Grace that my Padawan and I will be right there," he told the servant, who hesitated. Obi-wan didn't like the hesitation.
"Forgive me, Jedi Master, sir, but His Grace was very specific about meeting you�um, alone," the servant blurted, as though afraid the two Jedi would become angry and turn him into a pile of dust. Obi-wan noticed that his pointed ears were flattened against his skull, and he wondered if it was a sign of fear amongst his species.
Gui-gon's eyes narrowed slightly. "Is that so?" he asked. The servant gulped and nodded. Qui-gon attempted a brief smile for the sake of the petrified Phalsavian, before turning to Obi-wan. "It looks as though your training with have to wait Padawan. I trust you will find yourself something to do - that won't get you in trouble." Before Obi-wan could retort, Qui-gon turned and followed the servant back down the hallway they had come down.
Obi-wan glared at his master's back for a moment then sighed. He briefly considered continuing on to the training room by himself, but decided against it. It wouldn't be the same without his master. Obi-wan had found himself craving Qui-gon's company more and more lately, and he wasn't sure why. Well, not that he cared to admit to anyway.
Obi-wan turned around to head back to their quarters, and spotted Napula heading towards him. He bowed politely as she neared, tucking the stick he still carried behind his back.
"Your Grace," he greeted her.
"Napula," she corrected with a smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. "I was informed that Master Jinn was asked to visit the Lord of Cowfisian, and that you were to remain behind."
Obi-wan nodded, not seeing any reason to conceal the truth from her. "He has."
"I feel a great sympathy for your master then," Napula informed him, laughing at his astonished expression. "Forgive me my indulgences, but few if any of my people possess a sense of humor and it is a novelty to meet a Jedi with one as well." Before Obi-wan could ask how she knew he had a sense of humor when he had barely said a full sentence to her, she continued.
"With your permission I'd like to show you something."
Obi-wan hesitated. His master had told him to find something to do, and it would be rude to refuse Napula's invitation, but he wasn't sure if he should accompany her. She always had a slight smile on her face as though she was continuously sharing a private joke, and something told him that she was definitely going to get him in trouble.
"I assure you that you will enjoy the experience," Napula added, sensing his indecision. Obi-wan took a deep breath.
"Very well," he agreed. It wasn't like Qui-gon being mad at him would be anything new anyway. Napula grinned, flashing her white teeth, and grabbed his hand.
"Wise decision," she laughed and began pulling him down the hall, forcing him to run to catch up. Obi-wan laughed in spite of himself and followed her through the maze of corridors.
In what seemed next to no time, they burst through a final door and suddenly found themselves outside. Thanks to his Jedi training, Obi-wan was barely out of breath, but the awe-inspiring site before him left him speechless. A dark blue grass hid the earth at his feet, growing thick and long all through the gardens. Flowers and blossoms of every colour he could name, and even some he couldn't, seemed everywhere he looked. Massive trees reached for the sky, their rough bark contrasting with their dark leaves.
"Wow," he said finally. Napula laughed and grabbed his hand again, dragging him towards one of the trees.
"We're going to have a little fun," she whispered to him, even though there was no one around. A slightly worried frown appeared on Obi-wan's face.
"What are we going to do?" he asked, a bit apprehensive. Napula just grinned at him, and began to strip off her many formal robes. Obi-wan blushed furiously and turned around, facing determinedly away from her. Napula burst out laughing, even as she finished stripping.
"What a delight you are!" she cried, turning him around. Her surprising strength caught Obi-wan off guard, and he suddenly found himself facing her. Still bright red from embarrassment, he quickly found his boots very fascinating, refusing to lift his gaze.
Napula sighed, the smile never leaving her face. "Such a prude at such a young age," she teased. "Don't worry - I'm not going to seduce you, or force myself on you in any way. It's just a lot easier to move without garments, and where we're going we're going to require all the free movement we can get." Obi-wan finally raised his eyes.
Napula stood barely a foot away, towering over him despite being slightly bent over so she could see his face. Her fur covered her entire body, and although he would never admit it, Obi-wan was relieved to see that she had the chest of a cat - no breasts. He was sure he would never have stopped blushing if she did. She was watching him expectantly.
"Sorry if I stare, but I've never seen a Phalsavian�um, naked before," he said, trying to force himself to return to his normal colour. Napula just grinned.
"It's your turn."
Obi-wan blinked. "Excuse me?"
"It's your turn," Napula repeated patiently. "There's no way you'll be able to move fast enough to keep up in all the layers you're wearing."
All Obi-wan's attempts at stopping blushing failed. He spluttered, trying to come up with an argument but was too embarrassed to form a coherent sentence. Napula sighed in exasperation.
"Do those Jedi masters teach you nothing?" she asked, her amusement evident in her voice. "You must always be comfortable with yourself and your body, Padawan Kenobi. Only through your own confidence can you help others with theirs."
And before Obi-wan could react to these words, she had reached over and removed his Jedi robe and top. He stopped her as she reached for his belt.
"Your words may be true Napula, but I value my modesty also," he told her firmly, although slightly worried he'd hurt her feelings. But she just laughed again. Obi found that he was coming to enjoy hearing her laugh - she sounded so carefree that it was infectious.
"Very well Padawan Kenobi," she said with a formal air. "You may keep your modesty if you wish. But the boots have to go!" And almost too quick for Obi's eyes to follow, she bent down and whipped one of his boots off, throwing him off balance. His Jedi training - and a little help from the force - were the only things that kept Obi upright as before he even had a chance to recover, she whipped off the other one. He now stood before her bare footed, bare-chested and wearing only his leggings.
"Much better," Napula nodded in satisfaction. "Now you are ready to follow me into the Phalsavian's true home." And in the blink of an eye, she had turned and leapt up the tree behind her, her long sharp claws digging deep into the rough bark and pulling her out of Obi-wan's sight almost instantly. Obi-wan stared in amazement up the tree where she had disappeared, before glancing around at his surroundings once more to check that no one was watching. He took a deep breath.
"Force help me," he muttered as he made his decision and leapt up into the tree after Napula before he could change his mind. He couldn't spot her through the foliage, but he could hear her delighted laughter beckoning him on. No matter how he raced to keep up though, he could not catch sight of her - she was simply moving too fast.
As he dodged and swung from tree to tree in the direction of her voice, Obi-wan remembered something Qui-gon had told him just before they had landed on the planet.
"The Phalsavians used to be a tree dwelling species before they discovered cities Obi-wan, and they prize nature above nearly all else. We must remember this during the negotiations." He had asked his master what this meant in terms of their behavior. Qui-gon had just chuckled lightly.
"Never give chase to a Phalsavian through the trees - even with your Jedi Training they will outrun you tired, injured or drugged any day of the week."
Well, that was certainly the case here. Suddenly the Force sent him a warning ripple, and without even thinking he braked as hard as he could. He found Napula's paw held up inches from his face in a stop sign.
"Well done, Padawan Kenobi," she said, a friendly smile on her face. "I must admit that I am impressed - few Jedi can keep with up with a Phalsavian as fit as I am." Her face betrayed no hint of self-consciousness or false modesty. She was also not even breathing heavily.
Obi-wan himself was winded, despite his athletic ability. Napula flashed him a grin, before suddenly dropping without a trace through the trees. Obi-wan shook his head in disbelief even as he followed her. He landed with a slight thud on the ground, nearly twenty feet below.
Napula was seated on the grass, looking quite regal as she sat poised as a cat would, her eyes fixed on Obi-wan.
"Sit with me Padawan Kenobi," she implored, all traces of humor gone from her face. Wondering what had caused her sudden change in mood, Obi-wan did as he was asked. Napula smiled, but with gentleness and not amusement. She took Obi-wan's hands in her own, and slowly closed her eyes. Her padded stubby fingers felt strange against his skin, and her fur tickled his palms. Slightly confused as to what was going on, Obi-wan mimicked her movements.
Instantly he found himself bombarded by a sea of images he didn't understand, and could never hope to comprehend - the world through the eyes of a creature with eyesight ten times as good as his own, hearing that was nearly as great, and a sense of smell that he could never hope to match. He quickly threw up his defense shield to protect himself from the images.
Then, so quietly at first he thought he imagined it, he heard a whisper of apology. It was Napula - she was in his mind. Obi-wan felt slightly panicked; the only ones to have ever been in his mind were himself and Qui-gon.
"Do not panic Padawan Kenobi," Napula's caressing voice was so soft that he couldn't be sure whether she spoke out loud or in his head. "I do not wish to see anything you do not want me to see. I am merely seeking answers to a curiosity that has burned in me nearly my entire life."
Obi-wan took a deep breath, forcing himself to relax. Then he did something that he had never done before - he willingly let a virtual stranger into his mind.
Napula's gentle mind caresses were so slight that if Obi-wan had not known what she was doing, he doubted he would even have felt her at all. Finally she released a breath that he had not been aware she was holding, and let go of his hands. They both opened their eyes.
"How can creatures so in one with the force, misunderstand it so completely?" Napula asked, a hint of amusement and sincere confusion in her voice. Obi-wan blinked.
"I'm not sure I know what you mean," he confessed. Napula sighed.
"That's just what I mean," she said. Obi-wan just looked more confused. She paused, searching for a way to explain it in terms he could understand.
"You know that I am force sensitive," she began. At his nod she continued. "Yet you do not know the smallest thing about me." This just confused Obi-wan even more.
"How can I?" he asked, bewildered. Napula tried a different line of approach.
"Look around you," she said. "Tell me what you see."
Obi-wan took proper note of his surroundings for the first time. Phalsavar's single sun was streaming light through the dark canopy of trees high overhead, giving everything a serene like quality. The grass beneath them was a paler blue than that back at the gardens, but was just as lush although not as long. Tiny flowers peeked out from beneath sparse scrub on the forest floor, whilst larger flowers blushed from behind leaves higher up. Small birdlike creatures and butterflies hovered around them, helping add even more colour to the scene. He related all this to Napula, and she shook her head.
"Close your eyes, and look again," she told him. Obi-wan frowned slightly, but closed his eyes. He had done this exercise with Qui-gon during training - listen to the Force telling you where things were.
"No, no, no!" Napula scolded. "Not like that; like this." Again she took his hands in her own, and reached into his mind. Obi-wan suddenly found he was sinking deep within himself, twisting as he fell. But as he twisted, he felt tendrils of Force gathering themselves around him. Then he was being lifted up again, back into awareness, the Force a tight blanket around him. Napula then threw that blanket out to their surroundings, as though it was a great net.
Obi-wan gasped. Everything that the net encountered echoed back to him in the form of a picture. He saw every single thing around him - from the tiny flowers to the half-hidden forest creatures peering from behind the trees. And not only did he see them, he saw inside of them. Their life energy flowed before him as though a river, the heartbeats of the animals a steady thumping in his ears. And what amazed him most was that he saw the Force in all of them - in some no more than a speck, while in others it shone like a great beacon. He had always known that the Force was in all living things, but he hadn't realised that it was everywhere, nor that he could actually see it if he knew how. He slowly opened his eyes to find Napula watching him.
"What�how�?" Obi-wan wasn't sure what he was even trying to ask.
"It is the living Force," she said quietly. "I am one of only two people in my entire species that know how to truly see it in it's simplest form." She smiled. "And today I showed you."
Obi-wan looked at her intently, and for the first time he saw her for what she truly was. The Force showed him the tiny signs of age, the overly-bright eyes and the wisdom buried there. It showed him the suppressed sadness of time in the corners of her mouth, and the eternal joy she found in life, and in living.
"You're nearly 400 years old," he whispered in shock. Napula laughed softly.
"Don't tell me - I don't look a day over 150," she grinned. "Didn't I tell you that you didn't know the first thing about me?" Obi-wan shook his head in disbelief.
"But I thought Phalsavians only lived for eighty years or so?"
"They do," Napula smiled. "I'm just special. Come, close your eyes. There's one more thing I want you to know." Obediently Obi-wan closed his eyes.
Again he felt himself sinking, although this time Napula had no control - she was simply there. There was no twisting or gathering of tendrils; only falling. Obi stopped when Napula stopped, and found himself suspended over a great chasm of pulsing light.
You have an amazing amount of Force within you Padawan Kenobi
Her voice seemed to echo within the very depths of his soul, filling him with warmth that he had only ever before felt when in presence of his master.
The Force is more than just there Obi-wan. It knows. It may not be able to think as we do, but it is aware. Listen to it, and it will tell you the answers that you already know to questions that you never thought to ask.
A small furrow appeared on Obi-wan's brow. What did she mean? He cast the question into the light below, just like he had cast the net on his surroundings. And the answer that floated up to him made him gasp. Realisation hit him like a lightsaber through the ribs - he already knew. Napula was right. He had known all along.
He opened his eyes. Napula smiled gently.
"Go to him," she whispered. Obi-wan didn't need to be told twice - he was on his feet and back in the trees in a matter of moments, racing back to the Phalsavian palace in a blur of movement.

Qui-gon frowned as he looked around the apartment he shared with his Padawan - Obi-wan was not here. He sighed. He had not been able to find his apprentice since he had left the Lord of Cofisian's rooms nearly an hour before. What a bore that Phalsavian had been! And Qui-gon still wasn't sure why Obi-wan had not been allowed to attend.
It just didn't make sense. It was almost as though the Duke had been stalling; keeping Qui-gone occupied while something else happened. And now that he couldn't find his Padawan, Qui-gon was growing concerned. Could it be that this mission wasn't going to be as peaceful as they had thought? Had he abandoned Obi-wan and thrown him straight into the midst of danger?