"You live here?!"

Obi-Wan smiled at her. "Of course. Where did you think the Jedi lived?"

"I don't know, but not here! No one lives here, it's a temple."

"It is. The Jedi Temple, Berja. This is where all the Jedi live." Finda answered, her hand wrapped around Berja's elbow.

"Why didn't you tell me that before I opened my big mouth and sounded like an idiot?" The green-haired girl hissed.

"I just did."

"Ha! You're funny."

Obi-Wan shook his head as he led the two girls to the quarters he shared with his master. He noticed a few of his fellow Jedi do a double take at the bickering women. They were now insulting each other, but the argument didn't seem too heated…yet.

"Here we are." Obi-Wan announced as the door slipped open.

"Hey nice!" Berja whistled as she entered. "This is WAY better than the dorms. Where do I sign up?"

"You can't. They only take little tots." Finda retorted.

"How little is little?"

"Hello."

Berja and Finda both turned at the sound of this new voice.

"Oh! Hey! I'm Berja Lawau, and this is my bud Finda Cobel. Obi-Wan offered us the floor tonight, because he was worried about us sleeping in the spaceport, even though we can handle ourselves. And we had to stay in the port since we had nowhere else to go. Since the University's shut down and all."

"Berja, you're babbling." Finda whispered.

"I see. I'm Master Qui-Gon Jinn. Padawan, I'd like a word."

"Of course, Master. I'll be right back."

Qui-Gon led the teen into the kitchen. "I thought I had allowed you to find something from your meditations, Obi-Wan. Explain."

"I did, Master! Honest! I saw this intense aura in the Force during my meditation. I tracked it back, and I found Berja and Finda. I'm not sure which one it is, but I just knew that I had to bring them back to the Temple. Plus, they really didn't have anywhere else to go, and I didn't like the idea of them spending the night in the spaceport."

"The spaceport is perfectly safe, Padawan." Qui-Gon told him, although he was glad to see his padawan take an interest in something other than his training. His young apprentice could be quite...single minded to the exclusion of almost everything else.

"Yes, I know Master, but well, I wanted to find out more about the strange Force aura I got from one of them, and well, I don't have the experience to find out about it. I was hoping you could help me. They're going on the same transport we are and well...there is one other thing Master."

The boy looked around quickly, giving Qui-Gon the impression that he was about to hear something that he probably shouldn't. "And that would be, Obi-Wan?"

"Well, Berja...she said mentioned that she was...going to...well, that she was going to blow up the center of government on Ashwabedon."

Qui-Gon stared at his apprentice. He must have heard wrong. There was no other explanation for it.

"Are you sure, Padawan? That is a serious charge."

"I'm sure. She told me they were going to Ashwabedon to blow up the Blue House. She was quite adamant about that. They were doing it because they had nothing else to do while they were on break."

"Padawan, I'm sure it is simply a slang phrase. However," He said quickly as Obi-Wan made to object, "we will keep an eye on them and give them shelter for the night. I want to know more about this Force aura you witnessed."

"Yes, Master. I...I don't know how to describe it exactly. It was...focused, concentrated, but in a way wholly different from a Jedi's aura. When I meditate and see a Jedi, their aura is bright; they can use the Force and interact with it. A normal being's aura is usually a faint blue. The Force recognizes them even if they don't acknowledge the Force. This wasn't either of the two. It was as if, this person uses the Force, but without their knowledge or control. As if they should have been a Jedi but aren't for some reason. I'm afraid I'm not explaining this well, Master."

"No, Padawan, you're explaining something that can't be put into words remarkably well. It is entirely possible that this person is someone that was denied to the Crèche. However, we do not keep records of children that do not join the crèche. We would not their families to feel as if we are stalking them."

"So how do we find out about the Force aura surrounding them? Could it be something else Master? Perhaps the Force is singling them out for something?"

Both master and apprentice turned and glanced at the two girls sitting quietly in the front room. Berja quirked a smile in their direction and nudged her companion, who then waved.

"I hope not, Obi-Wan, for their sakes. The Force is not always a kind taskmaster." Qui-Gon trailed off, before forcibly shaking himself back to the recent troubles. "For now, we will offer them shelter and a safe place to sleep."

Obi-Wan smiled. "Yes, master."

The end

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