The sleek spaceliner Leviathan was jammed with passengers. Every stateroom was full. The lounges and seating areas swirled with color and noise as people from many worlds conversed, ate, argued, laughed, and played games of chance to pass the time.

Obi-Wan Kenobi sat and observed it all. As a Jedi on missions to other worlds, he sometimes got a glimpse of lavish surroundings, but this was his first trip on a luxury spaceliner. He longed to explore the many amusements on board? the game room, the interactive hologram suite, the eating areas with their array of foods and sweets. There was no reason he could not. His companion and former Jedi Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, had told him to feel free to explore. But Obi-Wan did not want to leave his side.

Next to him, Qui-Gon seemed not to notice his surroundings. The Jedi Knight had picked a corner seat in the spacious lounge. His chair faced outward toward the throng. It was a position the Jedi often chose, for it allowed observation without interaction. But Qui-Gon Jinn only made obligatory sweeps of the crowd in order to ascertain potential danger or disturbance before returning his attention to the data-pad in his lap. He spent his time studying the information about the mission ahead that Jedi Knight Tahl had managed to gather back at the Temple on Coruscant.

Their mission was unofficial. Against the wishes of the Jedi Council, they were heading to the home planet of Xanatos, the enemy who had tried to destroy the Jedi Temple.

Qui-Gon was still brooding about the escape of Xanatos, Obi-Wan knew. Anger was not an appropriate emotion for a Jedi, but Obi-Wan sensed Qui-Gon's taut frustration. He had faced Xanatos in battle, and had been forced to let his opponent escape in order to save the Temple.