"Yes, time is elusive," Qui-Gon said, unmoved. "But it is best to track it down. Come, the pilot is waiting."

Obi-Wan trailed after Qui-Gon, fighting off a feeling of hopelessness. Would he ever please his new Master? Just when he felt Qui-Gon had given him the strong base of his trust, he found himself hanging free. Now he realized that the only thing Qui-Gon had ever truly given him was a rock.

"Two minutes," the pilot called out to them as they approached. "I finish loading."

"I am Qui-Gon Jinn and this is Obi-Wan Kenobi," Qui-Gon introduced them.

"Yes, big surprise, Jedi are not hard to spot," the pilot mumbled, picking up a loading carton.

"And you are…" Qui-Gon waited.

"Pilot. I am what I do." He had the red-streaked yellow eyes of a Phindian, as well as hands that dangled near his ankles.

"You're a Phindian," Obi-Wan said. "I have a friend… someone I know is a Phindian. His name is Guerra." Guerra had been a fellow mining slave on the platform where Obi-Wan had been held captive. He had almost lost his life in order to save Obi-Wan.

"So I know him?" Pilot answered gruffly. "I am expected to know every Phindian in the galaxy!"

"No, of course not," Obi-Wan said, confused. The pilot's rudeness surprised him. It was almost as though Obi-Wan had offended him in some way.

"Then let me load, and you board," Pilot answered brusquely.

"Come, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon directed.

Obi-Wan trailed after Qui-Gon into the cockpit, where they took their seats.

"For our first mission together, Yoda has chosen something he thinks will be routine," Qui-Gon told him. "Of course, Yoda also says,?If routine you count on, disappointed your hopes will be.'"

Obi-Wan grinned. "It is better to expect nothing, and let each moment surprise you," he said. It was something he had been taught at the Temple.

Qui-Gon nodded. "The planet of Gala has been ruled for many years by the Beju-Tallah dynasty. They were successful in uniting a world with deep tribal hatreds. There are three tribes on Gala? the city people, the hill people, and the sea people. Over the years the Tallah rulers grew corrupt. They plundered the planet of wealth, and the people are close to revolt. The old Queen knows this. Instead of giving the throne to her son, Prince Beju, she has agreed to elections. The people will choose among three candidates. The Prince is among them. He has lived in seclusion for mush of his life. The Queen feared for his safety. Yet he was trained as a ruler, and is anxious to gain the throne."

"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!"