Obi Wan slowly stood up. He had been meditating rather peacefully in the gardens when he heard the noise. It sounded like someone had broken something. He sighed inwardly and decided he had better go have a look, it was probably one of the children, playing too rough with some various toy. Surely the child would be in need of assistance if he had broken something.

Obi Wan wandered toward where the sound had come from near the edge of the courtyard. He hadn't been doing anything all that important anyway, just taking some time to relax while his Master was at a meeting with the Council.

As Obi Wan approached the edge of the Garden Courtyard, he saw that it wasn't one of the little ones, but a young girl about the same age as him, 20. She was attempting to pick up the shattered pieces of what appeared to have once been an elaborately decorated jar. She appeared more annoyed with the entire situation then anything else.

Obi Wan didn't recognize her from the temple, and although it was impossible for him to know everyone, he was certain that she had not grown up there. Surely he would have seen her in all the years he had been there if she had. So, he figured her to be some visitor who had merely gotten lost on a tour of the temple and wandered out into the garden, which, all things considered, wasn't the worst place to end up. Obi Wan got fairly close to her, but did not reveal himself. He was intently watching her, not really knowing what was peaking his interests. Treading lightly, he walked to about ten meters away and simply stood, watching her. Assuming that she was just a normal girl, he didn't think she could possibly have known that he was there. There were still some shrubs between them, and he had been blocking all signals that he was present.

"Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to help me pick this up before some poor child comes running out here and steps on it?" The girl asked as politely as possible, without ever once looking up or acknowledging his presence in any other way.

Obi Wan was shocked that she had know he was there, but not wishing her to see that, he approached her and bent down to help pick up the glass. Being this close to her, without any obstructions, he took her in. She was blond with sharp green eyes, that looked at him with a deep curiosity. She wore a tan tunic, much like his own, except hers had a blue border around all the edges. Her dark brown pants were smudged with dirt that had been in what Obi Wan could now see, had been a beautiful pot for flowers. And a few streaks of blood.

"You've cut yourself," Obi Wan pointed out, touching her hurt hand.

"It's not bad" The girl said, looking down at her still bleeding finger.

"You should go up to the healers, they can help it." Obi Wan said quietly.

"No need." She replied, picking up the last of the broken shards of glass. "I can do it on my own." She stood up, the glass in the edge of her tunic that she was holding up. "I've got to get going, I was supposed to be in there a half an hour ago. I just lost track of time out here." She hurried off into the building.

Who was this girl? Obi Wan was entranced.

She didn't need help healing, she said she could do it herself. That implied that she had at least some mastery of the Force, but he was POSITIVE that he had never seen her in the temple before. He realized belatedly that, despite her gratitude, he hadn't helped her pick anything up. Obi Wan felt his face flush.

you fool, you were kneeling here with her for a good five minutes watching her pick up broken glass and you didn't even bother to help he chided himself, annoyed that he had lost himself that deeply in her.

It was about an hour later when Obi Wan walked into the quarters that he shared with his master Qui Gon Jinn. Qui Gon was standing near the window, looking out onto the city covered planet. He looked deep in thought. Obi Wan didn't wish to disturb him, but he wanted to know what the meeting had been about, it was so last minute, that not even Qui Gon had seemed to know what it was going to be about.

"You are wondering about the meeting with the Jedi Council, young Padawan." It wasn't a question, a simple statement, nothing more.

"Yes, master. I was wondering what it was about, and why you were not informed of it until the last moment." Obi Wan said, striding over to the window to stand next to his Master.

Qui Gon was silent for a while. Thinking. As if he was not sure how to start the conversation. Then he spoke. "I never told you Obi Wan, about the young woman in my life." It was also a statement.

Obi Wan answered anyway, "No Master, you haven't." He was confused, completely and utterly confused.

"Ah, well, that is not what matters now. Remind me sometime to tell you of her." Qui Gon seemed to brighten a little. "Tak Sae, Could you come out here please."

Once again Qui Gon didn't bother voicing it as a question, and the first thing that popped into Obi Wan's head was that his master sure was awfully demanding today Then the boy turned, as he realized someone had just emerged from the sleeping quarters. Obi Wan was shocked to be facing the girl that he had stood with in the Courtyard, not an hour and a half before.

Qui Gon moved over to her side and spoke, "Obi Wan, I would like you to meet my daughter, Tak Sae."

Obi Wan could almost hear his lower jaw hitting the floor, but he contained the astonishment, and his composer never wavered for even the briefest of moments.

"We've met" He managed to get out without stammering.

"I am surprised father, to learn that your Padawan is the same boy that helped me in the Garden. I suppose I thought that I would have recognized him. I was wrong apparently." Tak Sae walked up to Obi Wan and extended her hand. She was equal in height to Obi Wan so he had to look her straight in the eye or look nervous and let his eyes wander. "It is good to meet you Obi Wan Kenobi. My father speaks very highly of you."

Obi Wan took the offered hand and shook it firmly, looking at her directly.

She doesn't look a THING like her father. Was the first thought that popped into his head before he answered. "It is good to meet you too Tak Sae. And I am afraid you praise me too lightly, I didn't really help at all in the Garden. I am sorry."

Tak Sae just smiled lightly at him, the first time he had seen her with such an expression. "You meant well, in any case."

She briefly held out the hand that he had just been holding, so that he caught a good look at it. Qui Gon did not seem to notice the gesture, and it was so fast that Obi Wan almost didn't realize the significance, then it hit him. That had been the had she had cut, and not even a scar remained. It had been a fairly deep cut. He doubted that she had gone to the healers, which meant that she was an accomplished it herself.

"I have another little surprise, and this one pertains more to what the Jedi Council wanted. We have a mission Obi Wan, and it is to Tak Sae's home planet. She is to help us." Qui Gon said, walking toward the door. "You had better pack some things, it looks like it might be quite a long mission."

With that Qui Gon walked out the door and left Obi Wan and Tak Sae standing there, facing each other, with no idea what to say...

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