"Elections sound wise for the planet," Obi-Wan remarked.

"Yes, it is always better to adapt to change," Qui-Gon agreed. "Still, some continue to resist. Prince Beju for example. We are told that he not happy that he has to submit to a vote by the people. He considers the rule of Gala to be his birthright. We will be there as guardians of the peace, to make sure the elections go smoothly."

Is there any sign that the Prince is planning something?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Yoda says not," Qui-Gon answered. "But he also said that we should not rely on that." Qui-Gon sighed. "It was a typical conversation with Yoda. So we should be prepared for anything."

Pilot climbed into the cockpit and sat down in the seat. He leaned over to set a course into the navi-computer. "I'll drop you on Gala and go on," he said. "Now sit tight and don't talk much."

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan exchanged an amused glance. Were they being transported by the rudest pilot in the galaxy?

The ship took off, and within moments Bandomeer was just another planet, a grayish world in deep blue space. Obi-Wan stared out the viewscreen at it. Below him, friends he had made would go on with their lives.

"I wonder what Si Treemba is doing." He said softly.

"Putting his nose where it doesn't belong, most likely," Qui-Gon said. But Obi-Wan knew that the Jedi was just as fond of Si Treemba as he was. His Arconan friend had been loyal and brave.

"He and Clat'Ha will have their hands full on Bandomeer," Qui-Gon remarked, naming another friend. "The planet has a long way to go to reclaim their natural resources."

"I'll miss Guerra, too," Obi-Wan said with a sigh. "He was a loyal friend."

"Loyal?" Qui-Gon frowned. "He betrayed you to the guards. You almost died because of Guerra."

"But he saved me in the end," Obi-Wan reminded him. "Sure, the guards threw me off the mining tower. But Guerra made sure there was a sling for me to fall into."

"You were lucky, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said. "The Force helped you to land safely. No, I can't agree with you about your friend. If someone claims that he is not to be trusted, it is generally a good idea to take note of it. I'm not saying that Guerra is bad, but I'd certainly be wary of such a character."

Suddenly, the ship veered and dipped alarmingly.

"Oops, sorry, very strange space shear," Pilot said. "Too much distracting talking behind me. Time for hyperspace."

The ship shot into hyperspace. Bandomeer disappeared in a rush of stars. Obi-Wan felt a thrill of excitement. He was off on his first official mission.

They were halfway to Gala when a warning light began to blink and beep insistently on the control panel.

"Don't worry," Pilot said. "Just a small fuel leak."

"Fuel leak?" Qui-Gon asked. The beeping suddenly shifted to a loud siren.

"Oops, worry," Pilot said. He shut off the indicator. "I must exit hyperspace and land on the nearest planet to our location." Swiftly, he entered information into the navi-computer. "Not a problem," he continued, whistling through his teeth.

The ship shuddered as it reentered normal space. Immediately, the comm unit came alive.

"Identify yourself!" a loud voice demanded.

"Ah," Pilot muttered. "This world is unfriendly."

"What planet is it?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Closed to outside ships," Pilot muttered.

"Identify or be destroyed!" the voice thundered.

"So find another planet!" Qui-Gun suggested sharply, beginning to lose his patience.

"emergency." Pilot leaned into the comm unit. "we have an emergency on board. And Jedi! It is a Jedi emergency! Asking permission to land?"

"Permission not granted! Repeat: permission not granted!"

Qui-Gon peered through the viewscreen. "Were are we, Pilot? We must be close to Gala. This should be a populated system. There has to be somewhere else to land!"

"Not so!" Pilot cried as he maneuvered the ship with a lurch to the right.