"Thank you, Chancellor, I'm glad the situation was taken care of to your satisfaction." Ashanti bowed respectfully to the Republic Senate's Supreme Chancellor with all the dignity she could muster. When the viewscreen shut off, she relaxed again, exhaustion seeping through her. "That," she informed a medic droid who could have cared less, "is the last time I am a bodyguard to a lunatic." The droid continued patching her wounds.

She leaped from the medical bed when the droid finished it's care and strode out the door with a murmured thanks. The droid momentarily buzzed with appreciation at being recognized by a great knight like Ashanti Vende.

Ashanti waited impatiently for the public transport she rode on to stop at her intended destination, the Jedi Temple, and walked into the cool and peaceful building of the ancient order. For over a century now, it was the only place where the gash in her soul ever partially faded and left her with a small measure of relief.

Using her amazing memory of the Temple, which seemed to be in a state constant repair, redesign and construction, Ashanti strode through the myriad of corridors, looking for Yoda or Qui-Gon. She was less than thrilled when she ran into a familiar Drolian and his pack of mischief makers. Trudell bowed low to her in respect and began to speak. Ashanti was impatient to view Qui-Gon's progress but paused out of politeness.

"Welcome back, Knight Ashanti," the Drolian greeted with ill-disguised eagerness. "Do you return to view the padawan candidates? I fight tomorrow morning and would be pleased if you would watch."

Ashanti eyed the boy, her focus brought back to him fully and then shook her head. "No, thank you, I have a padawan learner," she informed the group, noting the Drolian's disappointment and growing anger at the obvious cut. Feeling the urge to deliver a set down for Qui-Gon, she asked, "Have any of you seen Qui-Gon Jinn or Master Yoda?"

"They are at the blaster range," sniveled a small Jawa-sized alien with no teeth and nose. His fur stood on end and his smell left much to be desired. "Obviously, Master Yoda thinks the human needs all the weapons practice he can get for guarding miners. No doubt that's what he will be assigned now that you have a padawan learner." The group stifled a few laughs and jabbing, unmindful that they spoke to a knight known for her sharp tongue.

Ashanti's eyes narrowed and her tail corkscrewed in consternation. "I'm glad Master Yoda followed my orders in further training Qui-Gon. My padawan learner will need more skills than an average student for the missions he and I will be going on." The group froze and Ashanti, satisfied that it had been made clear that Qui-Gon was her apprentice and she considered them average at best, continued her path, altering it to take her to the outdoor blaster range. She gave them not another thought.

"Good, now shut eyes and place on blindfold," Yoda called to Qui-Gon as the youth finished massacring various targets on the range. Yoda motioned for Ashanti to stay out of sight until the youth's eyes were covered, then she joined the small troll-like master.

As Qui-Gon used his tie with the Force to turn every last target, moving or unmoving, into melted slag, Ashanti watched with approval. Yoda handed her a light-dagger for her inspection and she switched it on, pleased at the soft heat from it's blue blade and the low, quiet hum it emitted. "Excellent," she murmured. "You do good work, Master, as always." Yoda grunted and called out more encouragement as Qui-Gon dodged and bounded around the range with youthful skill and enthusiasm.

The last target was sizzling when Qui-Gon pulled of his blindfold. He took note of his lack of targets and turned to Yoda for praise and more instruction. He was startled to see Ashanti standing with the old master and bowed low to them both once he recovered his equilibrium.

"Very nice," approved Ashanti. "May I say you thoroughly toasted the enemy and we can call the droid army a dud?" Qui-Gon felt ridiculously pleased at the obvious praise and grinned lop-sidedly.

"You may," the boy told her, still grinning and bowed again to cover any embarrassment.

"Finished all training you require he has," Yoda informed her, his green eyes even sleepier looking than normal.

Ashanti recognized that look and grew immediately wary. The sleepier Yoda looked, the worse it was for whomever the look was intended for. "And you have a mission for us to prove it, don't you, Yoda?" she groused, her tail wrapping around the human boy's wrist protectively.

"The Council does," confirmed Yoda with a small nod of his head. "A missing Jedi you will find. Apprentice came back dead. Master did not come back at all. Find him you will." Yoda began to make his way back inside the Temple's huge structure, the spiked architecture casting gray shadows in the fading sunlight.

"Give me the report and we'll get Qui-Gon ready for immediate travel." She looked over at the stunned boy and raised an eyebrow. "Is there a problem, Qui-Gon?"

"You are taking me now?" he strangled out.

Ashanti smiled and shot Yoda a look of glee. "A lesson to you, Qui-Gon Jinn. Never try to second-guess any action your master might make, because half the time, she's surprised at any move she makes." Qui-Gon nodded once and followed the elders through the corridors. "Go to your quarters and grab one clean tunic, any survival equipment you need and a minimum of personal belongings. You might also want to say farewell to your group of hanger-ons and friends as well," she added.

Qui-Gon strode away and Ashanti followed Yoda.

"You are leaving now?" exclaimed Gemma Comatara, a tall, willowy beauty who had been Qui-Gon's sweetheart from almost the moment they met. Fleph Kewic and Wilse Kosyr, two other of his good friends, stood dejectedly as they watched him pack his few meager belongings.

"We are going to hunt for a lost Jedi knight," he informed his group of friends, excitement barely tamped down.

Fleph, a small teddy bear looking creature, scuffed his feet on the shiny tile and then grinned. "You know what I overheard? It should be a good going away present for you, Qui-Gon. Master Ashanti slammed Trudell and his gang. Pretty much told them that she considered you special and them no more than average. The Drolian invited her to watch him fight tomorrow morning."

Qui-Gon sighed in dismay. "They will cause you trouble without me there to even the odds."

Fleph grinned a cocky grin and nudged Wilse Kosyr, a huge hulking monster similar in build and looks to Trudell. "I've already talked with Yaddle, who told me not to worry. I guess the droids have been tattling on them anyway. One more screw up and they get the Agriculture Corp duty next year. Besides," he added, "it's about time Wilse started defending us anyway."

The group of friends snickered and smiled at each other at the sight of the tusked Drolian, from a proud warrior race, tilling soil and harvesting crops. Wilse seemed unimpressed with the idea that he would be the new group protector. Everyone knew Wilse couldn't hurt a fly if he tried.

Qui-Gon closed his pack and turned to face his friends squarely. Sadness filled his heart and his enthusiasm waned momentarily. "Good luck everyone. Maybe we'll run into each other again someday." The group assembled in a huge group hug, some tears from the younger students and brave faces from the older. He gently kissed Gemma's lips in farewell.

Gemma followed him out. "What about our time together before you left?" she asked softly.

Qui-Gon hugged her, not wanting to leave her but knowing he had to go his own path. "I'll be back and we'll spend time then. Master Ashanti and I have to leave quickly. The life of the lost knight depends upon our haste."

The two sweethearts' lips met in a chaste kiss and Qui-Gon left her standing there. Both were saddened at their parting.

Qui-Gon left the dormitory area without a backward glance and headed for the upper main chambers of the Jedi Council. Ashanti called to him from the balcony area right outside the Council Chamber door. "Qui-Gon, did you get everything in order?"

The boy nodded, squaring his shoulders. "I'm ready," he told her. She studied him closely for a moment and then gave a nod.

"Careful you will be, Ashanti," Yoda called to them as they made their way from the Temple. The two looked up to see Yoda standing on a lower balcony with two other Jedi masters. "Come back to us you will."

Ashanti bowed with a jaunty jerk to the movement. "We'll bring him back, Master, dead or alive, and make sure all know, you step on the toes of one Jedi, you step on them all." Yoda's grunt could be heard all the way to the ground.

Qui-Gon managed a hasty bow before having to scamper after the smaller form of his master. "Master Ashanti, I have a question..." he began, but stopped when Ashanti stopped her progress toward the waiting transport vessel and turned to him.

"Qui-Gon, let me tell you my philosophy concerning masters and apprentices. You are my apprentice, my padawan learner. I am your teacher, a one-on-one tutor, if you like. But I am not, nor will I ever be, your master. That has always implied a slave attitude, and while I adopt a subservient way for the most part with the Jedi Council out of respect, I will not tolerate it from you. My parents named me Ashanti, and that is what you will call me." Qui-Gon nodded mutely. "Your parents called you Qui-Gon, and that is what I shall call you, unless I call you padawan or whelp instead. Got it?" Qui-Gon nodded again. "Good. Now let's get this show on the road." She ushered the youth into the transport and nodded to the crewman. "Tell the captain we're ready to leave when you are."

"Yes, ma'am, I'll let him know right away."