Qui-Gon's fingers drummed on the desk. He did not have the patience to search the Temple. There were only a few places Tahl could be where she would turn off her comlink. She was either meditating or swimming in the lake or…

Or in the Jedi Council Room.

Qui-Gon hurried to the turbolift and took it straight to the Council Room. The doors were closed. The Council was in session. Qui-Gon broke a revered Temple rule and accessed the doors without requesting entrance. He strode in.

Tahl stood in the middle of the circle. She turned at the sound of the opening door. Even without her sight she knew his presence immediately.

Qui-Gon was so glad to see her he did not mind her frown.

Yoda blinked at him impassively, but Mace Windu's eyebrows lowered.

"To what do we owe this… intrusion, Qui-Gon?" Mace Windu asked.

"I apologize to all the Jedi Masters," Qui-Gon said, bowing. "I knew Tahl was here, and I felt I had to be present."

To his surprise, Mace Windu nodded, as though Qui-Gon's reason was logical.

"We will allow you to remain, seeing that you have a connection to this mission," he said. "We would have requested your presence had we known you had returned."

Qui-Gon hid his surprise. Tahl clasped her hands in front of her for a moment. Beneath the folds of her long robe, he saw her long fingers clench and unclench. She was not happy he had interfered, that was clear.

Her voice was calm when she spoke, however. "I will resume the briefing," she said, angling her body slightly so that Qui-Gon was now slightly behind her. It effectively demonstrated to the Masters her desire to remain the focus of the meeting. "I received a distress call this morning from the twin sisters Alani and Eritha from the planet New Apsolon.

" Now Qui-Gon understood Mace Windu's reaction to his presence. Years ago, Tahl and Qui-Gon had been sent on a mission to Apsolon. They had been sent as Jedi observers to ensure a peaceful transition of government.