"All we have to do is walk in and take back our weapons," the Daan leader said, rasping through a breath mask."Candy from a baby."

"I warn you," Qui-Gon said, turning to catch the eye of everyone in the room. "Do not underestimate the Young. They have learned how to fight from you. They have learned determination from you. And they have their own ideas."

"Is this what you brought us here to hear?" the Daan leader growled."If so, I have heard enough."

"For once, I agree with Gueni," Wehutti said, referring to the Daan in the breath mask. "This is a waste of time."

"I must urge you to reconsider," Qui-Gon said. "If you form a coalition government, you might be able to take control of Zehava, and thus of Melida/Daan. If not, the Young will win this war. They will end up ruling their elders. And though their aims are pure, I fear for the cost that will bring."

Wehutti started from the room, followed by the Melida leaders. "Join with the Daan? You're dreaming!"

Quickly, Gueni followed suit, as though he did not want the Melida to be the first to leave. The other Daan followed on his heels. "Unthinkable!"

Suddenly, the sound of an explosion caused the remaining windows to vibrate. The Daan and Melida looked at each other.

"This is a trick!" Wehutti roared. "The foul Daan are attacking us!"

"The detestable Melida are attacking!" Gueni cried at the same time."Fiends!"

Qui-Gon strode to the window. He looked out, but could see nothing. As he scanned the area, another explosion ripped through the silence. It had come from the Daan sector, he calculated. But what could it have been?

In the next second, Gueni's comlink began to beep. The Elder Daan hurried to a corner to take the message in private. While Gueni listened, his back to the room, Qui-Gon began to worry. Obi-Wan had disappeared that morning. He hoped his Padawan wasn't involved in whatever was going on. Using the Force, he tried to establish a connection with Obi-Wan. But he could feel nothing. No distress, no confusion, no assurance. Only… a void.

When Gueni turned back to the group, he looked shaken. "Reports have come in that two deflection towers have been blown in the Daan sector."

One of the Daan warriors went for his weapon. "I knew it! The filthy Melida-"

"No!" Gueni cried hoarsely. "It was the Young."

Slowly, the Daan's hand fell to his side. The Melida who had begun to reach for his weapon stopped as well. A babble of conversation rose.

"Those children could not do iton their own! The deplorable Melida are behind this!" one of the Daan council members shouted.

"The lying Daan are always quick to accuse without facts!" a Melida roared back.

Qui-Gon leaned against the sill and waited out the argument. Sometimes, it was better to sit back and wait for events to unfold.

Comlinks began to beep. Melida and Daan alike spoke into them, their faces registering shock. Reports flooded in from both sides. One by one, the deflection towers went down. First on the perimeter, then in the center. The explosions got closer as the last towers were blown.

"The Young are pouring in from the countryside," Gueni reported, a look of amazement on his face. "The city is now open. Defenseless. And they are armed."

Melida and Daan faced each other. Now they knew the threat that faced them was serious.

"Do you see now that you must join. together?" Qui-Gon asked quietly. "The Young only want peace. You can give it to them. Don't you want to rebuild your city?"

"They say they want peace, but they wage war," Wehutti said contemptuously. "Well, we can give them a war to make our ancestors proud. We may have lost some weapons, but we are not defenseless."

"And we have weapons remaining as well," a Daan said quickly. "Shipments are arriving this very afternoon from our stores outside the city."

"They will collapse at any sign of resistance," a Melida woman chimed in. "We can fight them."

"But not together," Wehutti said. "The glorious Melida can defeat them without Daan help."

"For once, do not overestimate yourselves!" Qui-Gon spoke sharply. "You don't have weapons. You don't have air support. You have an army made of Elders and the wounded. Think of what you're saying. There are thousands of them!"

Both sides of the room grew silent. Wehutti and Gueni exchanged a glance. Qui-Gon glimpsed surrender underneath the sizzling distrust.

"Perhaps the Jedi is right," Gueni said reluctantly. "I see only one way to defeat them. We must join our armies and weapons. But the Jedi must lead us."

Wehutti nodded slowly. "It's the only way we can be sure that the Daan will not turn on us once the battle is won."

"It is our only assurance also," Gueni said. "We cannot trust the word of the Melida."

Qui-Gon shook his head. "I did not come here to lead you into battle. I came here to urge you to find a way toward peace."

"But there is no peace!" Wehutti cried. "The Young have drawn the battle lines!"

"These are your children!" Qui-Gon cried out. He had lost his patience in the face of the cruel obstinacy of both sides. He controlled his voice and went on. "I, for one, will not kill children. Why are you so willing to do so?" He turned to Wehutti. "What about Cerasi? Are you willing to march into battle against your own daughter?"

Wehutti paled. His clenched fist uncurled.

"My grandson Rica is underground," Gueni said.

"I have not seen my Deila in two years," a woman Melida said quietly.

Other Daan and Melida looked uncertain. There was a long pause.

"All right," Wehutti said at last. "If you will be our emissary, we will open talks with the Young."

Gueni nodded. "The Daan agree. You are right, Qui-Gon. We cannot wage war against our children."

"We will not meet with them," Nield told Qui-Gon furiously. "I know what their promises are worth. They agree to meet as a diversion. They will tell us we must disarm. And then the fighting will begin again. This surrender is too soon. If we relent, they'll think we're weak."

"They know you have backed them into a corner," Qui-Gon argued. "They're willing to talk. You succeeded, Nield. Now take your victory."

Cerasi crossed her arms. "We did not succeed by being fools, Qui-Gon."

Qui-Gon turned away with a sigh. He had been arguing with Cerasi and Nield since he'd returned. It had done no good. It was out of his hands, anyway.