Now Obi-Wan felt a void.

He would be able to feel connected to Qui-

Gon again, he told himself. It would just take time. Back at the Temple, the last expression of good-bye from his friend Bant had been one simple word: patience.

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon hadn't had time to resolve anything. They hadn't had time to argue, or replay their decisions. The flurry of departure had consumed them. There had been information to gather, supplies to pack, and good-byes to be said.

The spaceliner drew closer to the towers of Thani, the capital city of Telos. It flew into a landing bay and docked with the gentlest of bumps. The public-address system announced that arrival procedures were now underway.

They stood and gathered their packs, then joined the stream of passengers heading for the exit.

Qui-Gon leaned in to speak to Obi-Wan softly. "No doubt he will be hard to find," he said. "He knows that I will pursue him. We will have to flush him out."

The announcement system informed them in a pleasant tone that there would be a slight delay in disembarking. Identification would be checked by security police on Telos. Everyone would have to be cleared before leaving the ship.

Passengers began to grumble. Why were security procedures suddenly so stringent? This would take time. They were anxious to reach their destinations.

"I hear they're checking for some escaped criminals," someone said near Obi-Wan's elbow. "Bad luck for all of us."

Through the crowd, Obi-Wan glimpsed the security police herding the passengers into orderly lines. Qui-Gon frowned.