Part 2

Sola's Planet was one of the first members of the Republic when it was started thousands of years ago. Who the original race was became lost to time, but it was now the first place a visitor in the Republic headed if they wanted to do some dirty dealings. A Jedi was also the first individual anyone would take notice of, and people on Sola's Planet could smell a Jedi a mile away. Therefore, Qui-Gon wasn't worried about hiding what he was. Everyone would know in record time anyway. He'd just save himself the trouble.

Sola's Planet was where Dorman had located Si'Haad's transmission. Si'Haad said he was currently working for someone else, which meant a theft was going to occur here soon. Qui-Gon just had to figure out what was important enough to get a thief of Si'Haad's calibre hired.

After a day of digging, Qui-Gon thought he had it. Well, two actually. The local Hutt gangster, Jarmma the Hutt had just acquired a rare Iconastic artifact, legally for once, and was proudly showing it off to visitors in a high security, shoot-on-sight-if-they-get-too-close facility. That was Qui-Gon's first bet. His second was a little more risky and challenging, more for someone of Si'Haad's skills. A microchip that was able to totally scan retinal tissue and identically copy it was being auctioned to the highest bidder. Security in most Republic facilities went by fingerprint, DNA or retinal scans. A lot of doors would be opened to someone with this technology.

His gut instinct told him it would be the microchip and so that was the place he staked out. The auctioning began in the morning, meaning the thief had to get the chip that night. Qui-Gon intended to be within 50 feet of that chip until morning. The auctioneers were easily persuaded, with some Jedi mind tricks, in allowing Qui-Gon to remain inside when the security doors closed that evening.

Qui-Gon esconsed himself in a corner, using a concealer that disguised his body heat and heartbeat from any scanners. He wore clothes that blended him into the surrounding and made sure he was totally out of sight of the security cameras and laser detection beams. In short, he was on a platform in a corner of the room, trying not to bang his head on the ceiling everytime he shifted his weight. It wasn't comfortable, but he didn't care.

He needed this thief and blackmail was probably the only way he was going to get Si'Haad's help. Qui-Gon was uncomfortable with the idea. This was no-holds barred, though, and whatever worked was going to have to be what he used. Time was running against him.

All night he sat there, long legs scrunched against his chest. Using techniques learned in the Temple, he flexed his muscles without moving his legs and arms. He was positive he was going to have a permanent crick in his neck. He meditated, hoping it would pass the time, but nothing seemed to help. His senses were on constant alert, to no avail.

Si'Haad never showed.

Dawn's fingers crept through the window, glinting off the window pane and Qui-Gon figured he had an hour before the guards arrived to let him out. He was discouraged, but determined there had to be a way to get Si'Haad. Obviously the thief had gone after the artifact.

Damn.

His senses went on sudden alert. Something within him, within the Force told him to look down. There, walking as if on a stroll in a park, was a black-clothed figure. There was no other color anywhere. No metal showed on the small form. Qui-Gon flexed his muscles again, readying himself.

The detection beams didn't seem to faze the thief at all. Qui-Gon wondered if the suit controlled body temperature and therefore didn't set off the alarm as he passed through the lasers. The thief opened up the case containing the microchip with the code that had locked the case tight. Qui-Gon raised his eyebrow. A leak in the company gave that information out, no doubt.

The microchip went into a special pouch and into a belt container on the thief's hip. Qui-Gon readied himself to tackle when that eerie, disembodied machanical voice echoed through the chamber. "You might as well come down. I've been watching you all evening. I must admire your perserverance and determination. After I make this delivery, we will talk. I must insist that if you want my help, you saw nothing of what happened to the microchip."

"I can't do that," he told the figure below him.

The thief turned to look up and Qui-Gon's mouth dropped open.

Si'Haad was a she.

The thief's hand raised and Qui-Gon saw the blaster a moment before she pulled the trigger. He tried to dodge, but his position didn't give him much room to move. He fell from his perch, the blast hitting him in the left shoulder. He cried out just before he hit the floor.

He raised up to fend off the attack but the thief stood there, still as a statue. "Clever, Jedi. Now come. Your quickness restores my faith in you, but I do not trust you. Jedi are not what I was told they are. You do not respect wishes of others and cannot be held accountable to keep your word."

"I never promised not to find you," he ground out, rubbing the stun blast on his shoulder.

Si'Haad's masked head tilted to one side. "Do you not have a Code? Even thieves have a code." This verbal shot made Qui-Gon flinch. She had a point. "Do not follow me. I know where you are staying and will contact you later today. I suggest you sleep. You do not inspire any more confidence with your appearance."

"You inspire me with yours," he said. "I am relieved at your skill. You're going to need it."

The thief laughed, a sound that came out as a huffing sound through the vocal disrupter. "I am pleased you think so, Jedi, but you do not mix pleasure with business. I steal for both. I have yet to decide what you ask will be."

"You'll take the job?"

"We will discuss this later today. I must go. Um'bayana." Si'Haad vanished, as if she had never been there. She was walking in front of him, he blinked and she was gone.

He searched for clues until the guards arrived. Feeling uncomfortable about lying about the incident, Qui-Gon sensed he had no choice. He had a feeling his every word would be relayed to Si'Haad to tell her exactly how trustworthy he was.

So he lied and hoped he could live with it.