"I remember it every moment," Obi-Wan said. "But this is not the time.

This is not the way."

"You don't know what I can do," Anakin said, and there was an ominous tone in his voice. "My connection to the Force is stronger than yours.

I'm telling you I can do it! No matter what you say."

Obi-Wan was shocked. "You are still my apprentice," he said sharply.

"I am your Master. You must obey." The set of Anakin's mouth was sullen.

"Anakin, you must trust me," Obi-Wan said forcefully. "There will be another time to face Dooku. This is not the time.

Anakin looked at him. The sullen look was gone. His gaze was clear and cool. Obi-Wan could almost read contempt in it. But as the thought occurred to him, the look was gone. Had he really seen it?

"Look below," Obi-Wan said. "What do you think is in that transport?

Super battle droids. We would be dead before we took two steps on that platform. They're being unloaded now."

Anakin looked down at the platform. Lines of droids clicked into formation as they rolled off the transport. Obi-Wan could see the way Anakin's mind focused on the immediate problem. He could almost feel Anakin's anger drain away.

But why had it been there in the first place? Obi-Wan had a feeling he had seen a flash of something much deeper than he'd ever known before.

"He is taking no chances," Obi-Wan guessed. "If things do not go his way at the meeting, he will use force."

Reluctantly, Anakin tore his gaze away. "We should warn them."

"Yes," Obi-Wan said. "But who? Any one of them could be secretly in league with Dooku. We must consider our next step carefully. We must figure out who to talk to first."

"I say we talk to Floria," Anakin said.

"Why Floria?" Obi-Wan asked, puzzled. He didn't know what Anakin was thinking. He rarely did, anymore. But at least he was glad they were talking.

"I sense she is not telling all she knows," Anakin said. Obi-Wan thought back. He realized that he had picked up something from Floria, too. But he had been too focused on Lorian to consider it.

Your mind must be everywhere at once, Padawan. The truth has many sides.

Yes, Qui-Gon.

"There is more going on here than the Force can sense," Anakin said, repeating Lorian's words. "Feelings, he said. What did he mean?"

"I don't know," Obi-Wan said.

"That is why we must talk to Floria," Anakin said. He rose to his feet in one quick movement and began to run. Obi-Wan had to put on a burst of speed to catch up.

"Do you remember," Anakin said, "how upset she was when the body of Samish Kash was found?"

"She had failed in her mission to protect him," Obi-Wan said.

"I think the loss was more personal," Anakin said. "And later she called him 'Samish.' Dane always calls him 'Kash.' I think she's in love with him."

"How is that relevant to our mission?"

Anakin shot him a sidelong look. Amazing that they were running hard down a mountain, and Anakin could still have the energy for a healthy dose of scorn.

"Love is always relevant, Master," he said.

Another bribe got them access to the cell.

"Take your time," the villager said, waving a hand as the door slid open. "We've decided to kill them at dawn."

The rest of the villagers roared and pounded the table. They had been drinking grog for some time now. The door slid shut, drowning out their laughter.

"Did you hear that?" Dane hissed at Floria.

"She's not afraid," Anakin said. "Why is that, Floria?" "I am not panicking like my brother, it's true," Floria said.

"And you are no longer grieving," Anakin said. "Why is that?"

Floria turned her extraordinary sky-blue eyes on Anakin. They looked at each other for a long moment. "You love him," Anakin said.

"Of course she loves me," Dane said. "I'm her brother." Another long silence. Anakin waited her out. Obi-Wan kept very still.

"I love Samish," Floria admitted. Her chin lifted and her eyes flashed, as though to say the words out loud had given her great pleasure.

"You love who?" Dane shouted.

"And he is still alive," Anakin said.

Floria nodded.

"What?" Dane cried, leaping in front of Floria. "You love Samish Kash, and he's still alive?"

"Dane, stop. He was shot, but he survived," Floria said. "He decided to let everyone think he was dead after the attempt on his life. He wanted to find out who had put a price on his head and why. The alliance is very important to him, and he doesn't trust Dooku."

"He was our employer!" Dane said. "We worked for him. You were his bodyguard. You went against all professional standards — "

"Be quiet," Anakin ordered, turning on Dane. "Floria couldn't help her feelings."

"You can always help your feelings," Dane said. "Feelings need help.

Otherwise they get completely out of control!"

Obi-Wan ignored Dane. "When we first saw you, you thought Samish Kash was dead." At Floria's nod, he continued. "How did you find out he was alive?"

"You let me think I was going to be executed!" Dane cried, as a fresh wave of indignation swept over him.

"Lorian told me," Floria said. "He had brought Kash to the clinic. He, too, had thought he was dead. Kash revived on the med table. Lorian bribed the doctor and he and Samish came up with the plan. The first thing Samish asked Lorian to do was tell me. Right after that, we were arrested."

"Did you ever think of mentioning that the person we supposedly killed wasn't dead?" Dane asked.

"I couldn't say anything. Not until the meeting," Floria said. "If Dooku has a plan, it will take place there. Lorian and Samish decided that Samish should show up at the meeting. If Dooku had arranged his assassination, it might be enough to foil his plans."

"So Lorian told the truth," Obi-Wan said. "He didn't hire the assassin. He could have gotten off the hook by telling us Samish was alive, and he didn't."

"He had sworn to keep the secret," Floria said. "Samish always said Lorian had come both early and late to honor. I wasn't sure what he meant."