You and Bard and Zanita are all I have left of my precious husband, Rutin.

I realize that I need to hold on to the family I have, now more than ever.

Where will I be if I drive you away? No matter what has happened in the past, we will always be family. And family is more important to me than anything."

"How wise," Solan replied, chuckling. He shoved Zanita toward Bard, who caught her with one hand. He held a blaster in the other.

"I'm touched that you still want to be a part of the family," he continued, taking a step closer. "And I'm grateful that you came together,"

he continued, walking closer still. "It will make cleaning up the mess you've made that much easier."

Solan dived toward Lena and Mica as the two droids closed in on either side.

Up on the roof, Obi-Wan knew it was time. Qui-Gon was at his side as he leaped off the roof and sprinted toward the helpless cousins.

Mica was caught in Solan's grasp, but Lena pulled away just in time.

She turned to run and found herself face-to-face with a lanky but potentially lethal droid.

The one-eyed droid's arms shot out from its sides and began to wrap themselves around her. Lena ducked at the same moment Obi-Wan's lightsaber blade severed one arm, and with a mighty backswing separated the droid's head from its body.

Obi-Wan pushed Lena behind him and rushed to meet the other droid.

Beside him, Qui-Gon deflected a bolt from Bard's blaster, sending it toward Solan's feet. Solan struggled to hold on to Mica and train his blaster on the Jedi. He did not notice Lena sneaking up behind him.

Lena grabbed Solan's blaster. Mica whipped her body back and forth, delivering a sharp blow with her elbow to Solan's jaw. He lost his grip on both Mica and the weapon.

The second droid fired rapid bolts at Obi-Wan, who deflected them easily. Though the bolts turned and rained back on the droid, it did not show any damage. It continued to spray the pad with fire while rapidly extending a long arm to grab Mica.

Qui-Gon dispatched the arm with an elegant sweep of his lightsaber and stepped forward to finish the job. A slashing blow to the machine's midsection finally brought the droid down.

While Qui-Gon took care of the droid, Obi-Wan quickly surveyed the scene. Behind him Mica appeared to be in shock. She lay on the ground, staring into the darkness. Lena bravely held her blaster on Solan.

Suddenly, Obi-Wan leaped high in the air over Lena's head. He knew what was going to happen before it happened, but still was not in time to deflect the blast. From his spot deep in the shadows, still holding the bound-and gagged Zanita, Bard fired his blaster straight at Lena.

Mica dived Lena screamed. And the bolt found flesh.

While Obi-Wan hurried toward the two women, Qui-Gon hit the ground running. He rushed toward Bard and his hostage, but could not see where they had gone in the darkness. He could merely hear the muffled sounds of the footsteps fleeing ahead of him.

Qui-Gon raced behind a building in time to see Solan climb into a repulsorlift vehicle. Bard shoved his mother in behind his brother, and the engine gunned.

Qui-Gon stopped short, his breath catching in his throat. The Cobrals had a vehicle waiting. It was useless to pursue them on foot. Besides, Qui- Gon was anxious to return to the dock. He had a terrible feeling about what he would find there.

Qui-Gon rounded the corner of the building. In the orange square of light he saw two figures kneeling. A third figure lay in his Padawan's arms. There was no life emanating from the body.

Mica was dead.

Lena threw herself onto her cousin's body, sobbing. "No, Mica," she cried, begging. "Not you. Don't leave me."

Qui-Gon stared at the scene before him, frozen. His mind flashed back to Tahl's last words to him. A horrible ache clenched his chest.

"Wherever I am headed, I will wait for you, Qui-Gon," she had said.

"I've always been a solitary traveler"

"Not anymore," Qui-Gon had teased. "We will go on together. You promised, and you can't back out now. I'll never let you forget it."

Tahl had smiled slightly, and the effort drained her. Qui-Gon had known then that she was in grave danger. That she was going to die. He'd called on the Force, on the Jedi, on his great love for her. Nothing had been able to save the woman he loved.

Qui-Gon had rested his forehead against Tahl's. Their breath mingled.

"Let my last moment be this one," she had said.

And it was.

"Master," Obi-Wan said quietly, and Qui-Gon was suddenly brought back to the moment. Lena was crumpled over Mica in front of him, wallowing in her pain. There was no trace of the strong, resolved woman Qui-Gon had met when he arrived on Frego. He did not see the woman who he thought might be deceiving them. He only saw a woman bent over a dead body, unable to cope with her agony.

He knew exactly how that felt. But he had survived, had gone on. And he believed that Lena could as well.

Qui-Gon bent down next to Lena. "I am so sorry," he said softly. "I know I cannot share your pain. But I do understand it."

With a shudder, Lena let go of Mica's body. "I would like to wrap the body," she said, wiping her eyes. "It is the custom here."

Obi-Wan found an old tarp outside a nearby ship, and Lena showed the Jedi the traditional way to enclose the body in it.

"Mica always looked out for me," Lena said as she lay the wrapped body gently on the ground. "She always tried to guide me in the right direction."

The three stood quietly together for a moment, silently saying good- bye. Then they left Mica lying in the pool of orange light.

"The park," Lena said as they slowly moved away from the body. "Mica said you'd searched it for hours."

"We did," Obi-Wan confirmed.

Lena's shoulders straightened and her eyes cleared. "I know what Rutin was trying to tell me," she said with sudden certainty. "We have to get to the park immediately."

Qui-Gon was amazed at Lena's ability to change her focus back to finding the necessary evidence. Her face was full of deep sadness, but she carried herself upright as she led them to the Tubal Park.

Once inside, Lena headed directly for a spot at the rear of the park.