As soon as they came out of hyperspace Perigilliam knew something was wrong. She knew not to center on her anxiety, though. It accomplished nothing. The boy continued to remain silent, though he watched her intently as she worked the controls. She picked up her commlink and opened a line of communication to her Master.

"I'm glad you are here Padawan. Just in time I would say." Qui-Gon Jinn's voice crackled out of the commlink. Se was relieved to hear it. She looked over at Obi-Wan and figured she had better tell her Master about him and get it over with.

"Master, I…"

"Perigilliam," he interrupted "things have not progressed here as I would have hoped. Both sides are entrenched. I have come to believe that a larger contingent of Jedi will be very useful. However, communications from the planet's surface have been unpredictable at best. I cannot contact the council. I have information I need you to get to Master Yoda and the council. Tell them…" The transmission broke up.

Although she tried over and over again, Perigilliam could not get through to either her master or the Jedi Council. She centered herself and opened herself to all of the options. The two choices that kept coming back to her were to either head away from the planet and try to contact the council or land and reunite with her master. Finally, she decided that while she was very worried about Qui-Gon, it would be more prudent to notify the council. She pulled out of orbit as far as she felt time would allow and tried again to contact the Jedi Council. And yet again she failed. In frustration she headed back to Demetrus. She began to descend down to the planet's surface. She would pick up her master and they would get far enough from Demetrus to escape this damnable interference.

After making all of the appropriate post flight checks, she opened the door and lowered the ramp. However nothing was as it should have been when she descended that ramp. Her master was nowhere in sight. A large group of very nervous Demetrians was, however.

"We honestly did not expect them to go this far." The woman who appeared to be in charge of the group said, wringing her hands forcefully. "I don't even know how so many of them got into the hanger. We…we just aren't as strong as them anymore I suppose and now they know it!"

"Calm down Foll." Perigilliam did her best to calm the woman with both her words and with the force. She could sense waves of fear coming from all around her. What kind of place was this and, more importantly, where was Qui-Gon? "Can you please tell me where Master Qui-Gon Jinn is?"

"That is what I have been trying to tell you! They have taken him."

"Who? Who took him?" Worry was creeping up her spine like a spider up its thread.

"The Kell Si' Dar. About thirty of them. They overpowered him. When they were gone, we received a transmission. They will kill him unless the Republic completely withdraws its presence in this system and we, the Demetrian government, abdicate to a Kell Si' Dar appointed government."

"I must be allowed to find my master and you must contact the Jedi Council, as well as the Republic Senate and tell them what has happened. We must have more Jedi. This situation is out of hand. I couldn't make any contact from my ship or I would have already don so." Perigilliam was completely surprised at how calm and commanding ding her voice sounded. In her own mind she was fighting the knot of fear that had settled at the base of her neck. She did'nt have a good feeling about this.

"That's just the problem young Jedi. A not too distant quasar periodically disturbs communications. We are at the height of the cycle right now. We will not have reliable communication for another two to three days. And those filthy terrorists know it. I don't know what game they are playing at. They'll be sorry…"

"Okay!" Perigilliam rudely cut the woman off. She was intent on not being sucked into petty hatreds. If she was going to see her master alive again, she was going to have to take command of the situation. "I'm going to need to speak with anyone who saw anything. Then I need someone who me about the Kell Si' Dar and their methods ." When they just stood and stared at her, she added, "Now please." Though she had spoken sweetly and politely, the Demetrians cowered and scattered.

"Peri… Peri…" Obi-Wan struggled to get his lips and tongue around the multi-syllabic name.

She was ashamed to say that she had forgotten about her little stowaway. "Peri will be fine Obi-Wan."

"Peri what is going to happen?" The look of worry on the boy's face mirrored her own heart. The boy had become even more of a liability.

"What we can't do is focus on our anxiety. We will wait and we will act or react only when the moment is right." When Obi-Wan opened his mouth to speak again, Perigilliam knew his question and answered it without waiting. "The force will guide us."

She wanted to focus on her master now. She had sensed him all along, but the connection was not strong and she didn't get anything back from him. She tried to center herself. She would have to be content with the knowledge that her master was alive. She sent comforting feelings via the force to Qui-Gon. When Obi-Wan opened his mouth again, she simply held up her hand. She didn't want to interrupt her connection. She held onto it like the edge of a cliff, knowing that if she lost it, it would be like plummeting into the abyss.