Bound

An Imperfect Process

Some spoilers from Jedi Apprentice.
No betas, therefore the mistakes are all mine.
See chapter one for disclaimers.

"Master Jinn, this is the Chief Executive Officer of Offworld Mining Corporation, Xa,"

"Xanatos," the master whispered. One of the two men stepped forward with an elegant bow.

"Master."

Ilia glanced quickly between the two men, her eyes wide in unguarded shock.

"You know each other?" she asked somewhat hesitantly. Instantly her own burgeoning irritation regarding the Offworld representative evaporated with the appearance of the unexpected tension between the Jedi and the business man. Ilia looked to the man at her side. The expressionless mask the administrator had grown accustomed to seeing on the master's face wavered for a moment displaying an emotion she was unable to label and then it was gone all together. The flicker was so quick, Ilia wondered if she hadn't imagined it. All four had remained uneasily silent after the brief exchange, but when it became clear the Jedi was not going to answer the administrator's question Xanatos spoke instead.

"Yes, Administrator Voluk," Xanatos began as he relaxed into a comfortable stance, his arms crossed casually over his chest. "Master Jinn and I go way back, don't we, Master Jinn?" he questioned with a smirk and a mocking tilt of his head. Qui-Gon folded his hands into the sleeves of his cloak.

"What is your purpose here, Xanatos?" he intoned. The younger man's smirking grin dimmed a little, but he refrained from showing any further reaction to the Jedi's cool tones.

"I am engaging in free and legitimate business. I think the better question is what you are doing here? Surely the Order hasn't put you out to pasture already."

"I would not be overly concerned about my days of future leisure, Xanatos. It is your days that are numbered," the master replied. The business man grinned widely, his eyes bright with amusement.

"If I didn't know better I would think you were threatening me, Qui-Gon," Xanatos canted, a hand resting absently on one hip. The Jedi master surged forward until only the short width of the table separated the two men. Gyter, who had remained both silent and still as stone, suddenly moved forward in response to the perceived challenge to his employer, but Xanatos raised an elegant, yet clearly restraining hand before the Codru-ji's broad chest. Ilia found herself taking a step back at the sudden escalation, but if the master was intimidated by the Codru-ji's movements he made no outward show of it. If anything, his voice was lower and more coldly measured than before.

"When I choose to threaten you, Xanatos you will not need to question," Qui-Gon growled. "As for your business here, you will explain yourself."

Mostly certain that no one was going to come to blows, Ilia cleared her throat and took a step forward. All eyes turned to her as she smoothed out non-existent wrinkles in her tunic.

"Ser Du Crion, Master Jinn, since introductions are out of the way," she began with a sardonic smile, "I'm guessing we can begin?" Ilia gestured to seats on opposite sides of the table. Xanatos slid into his seat with a well rehearsed indolence while Qui-Gon took the seat across from him with the graceful stoicism that made the Jedi a people both admired and feared. Gyter chose not to sit, but instead stood slightly behind and to the left of his employer; the look on his face one of professional malevolence. Ilia glanced at Xanatos who sat completely relaxed, idly tapping the fingers of one hand on the table. She then glanced at Qui-Gon, a plea in her eyes. With a mental sigh, Qui-Gon forced himself into a calm that until that moment he was only projecting to the others.