This was low..

The next morning came way too quickly for me. I was as comfortable and peaceful as I had been in a very long time. Godfrey's chin was resting on my shoulder, a leg wrapped around both of mine. The morning air was cool, blowing in from the slightly opened windows. Lisette hopped up on the bed and started rubbing my hand purring anxiously with her trade mark" feed me stupid" look on her face.


A part of me wanted to just float the can out from the cupboard open it and dump it in her bowl so I could stay in bed. But I knew if I did that someone was BOUND to call needing one of us in minutes and the peace would be ruined. Grumbling the whole way I edged myself away from Godfrey and slid out of bed, wrapping a robe around me padding out to the kitchen.Suprisingly


Belda was already out there praticing kata over in the corner. She was comming along with Heian Shodon quite nicely, just a little work on the knifehand blocks and it would be perfect. I knew Godfrey would be happy with her progress. " Oh! good morning master! I hope I didn't wake you two" she said smiling sheepishly.


I went over to the cupboard and opened Lisette's food , spooning some into the dish before setting it down to the purring monster. " No you were fine Belda, , this one" I jerked my thumb towards the cat who was munching contentedly face first in the dish" woke me up. if it hadn't have been her someone else would've . I know too well by now."


I set the table for breakfast and started pulling things from the cupboards for us and got the bacon going while Belda pulled out the orange juice from the fridge. " Master you said last night about something to make sure Marasha doesn't come here again.. What are you planning to do?"
I placed breakfast on the table for Belda and Godfrey who came out into the kitchen robe trailing a little and the cutest sleepy expression on his face. " That you will see after breakfast"


After breakfast I dressed and went to the center living area and after moving some things around so we had a clear area, I started setting things into place.Tapping my spirit powers I could see the black dustclouds Marasha had left in her wake. Godfrey brought me a smaller chest that I kept for occasions such as this. These tools had been given to me as a gift from Master Paradox. I removed the old oakhandle brrom and began sweeping away the negative energy . The broom being empowered by light each time it touched a black tumbleweedish dustcloud it simply vanished. Replacing The broom in the chest next came the salt. Belda was peering curiously into the chest." What's all this master?"


Smiling as I walked around the circle I explained" My master and I were attacked by a sith in our quaters,much like last night. My master brought this out and told me we neded to clean away the negative energy so she could not draw on it, like a fish to bait." I stopped in the center of the circle. On the floor was a five pointed star surounded by a circle. A symbol of my master's people .A grin of relazation crept across my brain. I remembered that day. My master had told me" Someday you will have to explain all this to YOUR padawan."


Never at that time did I ever think I'd have a padawan. Nor did I think I would be married, pregnant and training the child of light. But I digress


" Belda will you please hand me the blue, white, green and red candles as well as the two white taper candles. Godfrey, the silver miror please?"


Godfrey passed me the miror and I called a black candle to my hand and lit it.


" We are immune to their malice, their hate.We will not accept their guilt, or their intolernace. their words and thoughts are no bane to us!" I clutched the candle tightly in my right hand and brought the flame close to the glass.


I gathered all the spiritual energy present in the room and used it to back my own. The black wax dripped on the miror and hissed harshly like acid before it became just wax. "Neither master nor apprentice will hold sway over us any longer. The chains are cast away. Darkness be gone you have no place here!!"


For a moment the black candle flared lighting the other six candles which Belda had placed correctly. I snuffed the black candle and broke it in half before grinding it under my foot.


" Pho why does it feel like that some dark cloud has been lifted from the temple?"Godfrey asked as I handed him the miror wrapped in black cloth.


" Because it has been. Now the door is closed. It must be locked"
I picked up a moonstone that was resting near the bottom of the trunk. The whole thing was littered with stones of various assortments. Walking around to each of the candles i held the stone above until it glowed bright hot in my hand . Clutching it tightly I repeated the rhyme my master taught me to keep evil away from my dreams.. I hoped it still worked for someone, but I was going to add something to it.

" Pain given pain returned, thrice around the circle's bound evil sink into the ground. Shed my tears and lock thedoor Evil come into this place nevermore! Protect those of light seen and unseen gather us all in quiet harmony"


I let the moonstone drop to the floor holding my hand.Normally even under such intesne heat it would've held up. But it smashed into a million pieces. I could hear the force clear as a bell. It screamed" DANGER!" in my head like nails on a chalkboard and I could hear people shouting down the hall. A few movements and the apartment looked like it's normal self. All three of us ran out to see what was going on.


There was a small crowd around the room of a thousand fountains. I slipped in the side door and ran to where several council members were standing with grave looks on their faces. I saw master yoda and I bowed quickly before speaking" Please masters, what has happened?" then I saw it. there was a place of honor where Master Qui Gon's urn, one of two rested. the second was on Naboo hidden well in the capital city of Theed, under lock and key in the queen's private apartments in a small zen shrine.


The urn was gone


A chill of cold fear dropped into my stomach before Yoda answered " Stolen Master Qui Gon's remains have been. To Naboo we must send a capable pair of knights to bring back the second urn where it can be safeguarded. Unpunished this travesty will not be." Master Yoda was as upset as I had ever seen him. His hands shook as he clutched his grimer stick . "Not many there are who I would trust with such a task. Qui Gon was a good man. He does not deserve this now after so long.. To be taken away from the place he called home!"

Tears welled in the ancient masters eyes, and I did the only thing sensible. I dropped down onto my knees and hugged him close, letting him know that he was not alone.. that someone WAS there, though it might not seem like it.


Moments seemed to pass slowly but I didn't move an inch. Finally he let go and stepped back, seemingly better for the hug. But before he let go entirely he mumured only loud enough that I could hear" A fine mother you'll make"


I nearly fell over. Was he saying he KNEW?


He stepped back and cleared his throat" To Naboo I will send you and Godfrey. With the hope that you two can avoid any further potential crisis before others find out " I had a good idea what he meant. If Anakin found out , or Obi Wan for that matter, the temple would be in chaos. Between the three of us, I was the one with the level head here.


" Make haste you must, for in a few short days Anakin is due back from his mission. Go to Naboo and check on the second urn you will . Make sure security is strong. Then wait there. Whoever took the urn will strike again, this I am sure"

I bowed and quickly hurried out, meeting Belda and Godfrey in the hall.


" Belda run back to your room and pack a fast bag. We leave for Naboo in 10 minutes"
She took off quick as she could, picking up on my urgency. Godfrey and I pratically ran back behind her and threw some things together and were on the ship within 5 minutes.When we were in orbit I turned to the others and sat down in a chair to calm my racing heartrate. This was going to sicken me for even the words passing my lips." The reason we are going to Naboo is that, the urn in the room of a thousand fountains was stolen. Qui Gon's urn."


Godfrey broke out in a cold sweat and Belda's eyes pratically bugged out of her head." They fear whoever stole the first urn will try for the second.In fact I know they will.. There were void pockets all around the pedastal. " Godfrey and I exchanged a look. We both knew what that meant.

Marasha had stolen the urn, for Catia.

The question was why?

TBC

Pho