Jedi Apprentice : The Ties That Bind The Ties That Bind by Jude Watson is the fourteenth in a series of young reader novels called Jedi Apprentice . All the books in the series are written by Jude Watson , except for the first book , " " , which was written by Dave Wolverton . The series explores the adventures of Qui - Gon Jinn and Obi - Wan Kenobi prior to . Publisher ' s summary . " Six years ago , Qui - Gon Jinn and Tahl helped the people of the planet Apsolon choose their first free leader . It seemed that peace had arrived at last . " " Now the leader has been killed . His daughters have been kidnapped . And Qui - Gon and Tahl have returned to Apsolon with Qui - Gon ' s apprentice Obi - Wan — against the wishes of the Jedi Council . " " The ties that bind Qui - Gon and Tahl are about to experience their most powerful test yet . " Plot summary . Qui - Gon Jinn and his Padawan Obi - Wan Kenobi are on a training mission on the planet Ragoon VI . They are following a trail left behind by another Jedi , Rana . But before they can complete their tracking exercise they are attacked by a pack of Malia . After defeating several of the creatures , one of them suddenly drops dead and the rest of the pack flees . Then a group of Ragoon hunters , using poisonous blow - darts , reveal themselves and tell the Jedi that their deaths will be less painful at their hands . Qui - Gon , however , realizes that the hunters merely want the dead Malia . He offers them to the hunters and they are free to leave . When they return to their exercise Qui - Gon suddenly stops as he receives a vision . He informs his Padawan that they should return to the Jedi Temple immediately . In his vision Tahl was in great distress . Qui - Gon and Obi - Wan rush back toward their transport , although it still takes them three days to reach it , and hurry back to Coruscant . When they reach the temple Qui - Gon asks the Jedi Knight stationed at the security checkpoint to contact Tahl . He informs Qui - Gon that she is still in the Jedi Temple , but is not answering her comlink . Qui - Gon deduces that she then must be at the Jedi Council Room and hurries to it . He rushes in , not bothering to request entrance , and sees Tahl reporting to the Jedi Council . Despite his breach of protocol Qui - Gon is allowed to stay and Tahl continues with her report . She first relates her mission with Qui - Gon to New Apsolon six years earlier . Now she has been contacted by two girls she had met then , they are in terrible danger and request help . Tahl proposes that she retrieve the girls . Qui - Gon insists on coming along , but his offer is turned down by the Jedi Council . Outside the Council Room , Tahl gets angry with Qui - Gon , thinking he has doubts about her abilities now that she is blind . Tahl had told her Padawan Bant Eerin about what had happened in the Council Room , and she in turn informed Obi - Wan . Bant was upset as Tahl had left for a mission without her again Bant was afraid Tahl did not trust her yet . Obi - Wan tries to console her , but he cannot take away the fact that Tahl ' s mission is taking longer than expected , she has already been gone for two weeks , while the mission should not have lasted more than three days . Meanwhile , Qui - Gon is trying to lose himself in training , but that night he has a nightmare of a dying Tahl . He decides to finally act upon his vision . He informs the Council of his decision to follow Tahl to New Apsolon , and despite their advice , he stubbornly goes on with his plans . Obi - Wan joins him , even though Qui - Gon tries to have him stay in the Temple . Arriving in the capital city of New Apsolon Qui - Gon and Obi - Wan dress themselves as common travelers . They make their way from the Workers sector to the Civilized sector , there they discover several pieces of graffiti opposing Roan . They continue their path towards the Administration Services Building for a mandatory security check . They are greeted by Balog , the head of security , who warns them that the planet soon could be very dangerous for offworlders , as there is some political unrest . Qui - Gon asks the man if he believes if the planet ' s leader , Roan , is in danger of being assassinated as his predecessor was . Balog tells them it is unlikely , as Roan is popular with most of the inhabitants of both the Workers and the Civilized sectors . He even informs them that the two girls Tahl had been sent to rescue , Alani and Eritha , are safely living two blocks away and have been adopted by Roan . Qui - Gon and Obi - Wan make their way to the house and inside Qui - Gon is warmly greeted by the two girls . When Qui - Gon informs if they had contacted Tahl for help , they tell him they did not . Qui - Gon and Obi - Wan leave to solve this mystery . First they decide observe the city and happen upon the Museum of the Absolutes , the former secret police . Their guide is Irini , a former prisoner of the Absolutes . She tells them about the time before the revolution six years earlier . She also tells them that many of the Absolutes are still free and have gone underground or were protected by the Civilized . Recently , records of the Absolutes had been discovered , but the government sealed them , angering many of the Workers . Outside the museum Qui - Gon alerts Obi - Wan that they are being followed by a probe droid , even though they are illegal on New Apsolon . They enter an alley and quickly hide , there Qui - Gon confronts the droid and cuts it in two with his lightsaber . Immediately after blaster fire erupts from above them . Unable to move freely in the narrow alley they move up to an adjoining roof . The blaster fire stops , but they see no trace of their assailant . They only find a transmitter for the probe droid and an ammunition pack branded with the same symbol as Irini wears on a necklace . They wait outside the museum until Irini appears , they follow her into an airbus . They get off at the same stop as Irini and continue to shadow her . Irini enters a building slated for demolition , Qui - Gon and Obi - Wan enter the building next door . They make their way up , following sounds they hear in the other house . They eventually manage to find a way into Irini ' s building and move toward the source of the sound . They overhear Irini discussing with a group of Workers . They see Roan as Ewane ' s murderer and plan to overthrow him , also because they believe that Roan is behind the re - formation of the Absolutes . Lenz informs the group of new leadership within the Absolutes , but he does not know who they are . Then Lenz ' s comlink goes off , he is informed that the Absolutes are raiding the building . The group flees to the roof , but before the two Jedi can escape the Absolutes discover them . Rather than fight Qui - Gon orders Obi - Wan to submit . They were blindfolded and bound , then they were transported to another building . Qui - Gon tried to get some information from one of their captors , but he did not learn much except that the captors knew they were Jedi and did not support the current government . After an hour they were again moved to another room where Qui - Gon heard Tahl speaking . Apparently Tahl had managed to infiltrate the Absolutes . They were questioned by another person in the room . After Qui - Gon did not answer their question to their satisfaction they discuss what to do with the Qui - Gon and Obi - Wan . Tahl suggest letting them go as their deaths surely would send an investigation by the Jedi and the Senate , and they also would lose any hope of gaining backing from the Senate . The others left and Tahl took off Obi - Wan and Qui - Gon ' s blindfolds and bounds . Obi - Wan watches as Qui - Gon and Tahl seem to forget the whole world around them . Then Tahl leads them to the exit , in a large warehouse owned by the Absolute , on the edge of the Civilized sector . As they are about to part ways with Tahl , Qui - Gon asks her her plan . She tells them that Alani and Eritha did contact her , but lied to Qui - Gon to protect Tahl . The twins were quite informed about the situation on New Apsolon and realized that they could not leave the planet as they were symbols for the new government . The Absolutes , however posed a threat against them and the government so Tahl had agreed to go under cover and find out how strong the Absolutes actually were . She discovered that they were not that powerful , but they had important backing and were amassing weapons . She asks Qui - Gon to find the backer , but Qui - Gon cannot help her , as there has been no official request by any party in the government . After some arguing Tahl proposes a compromise , she will remain under cover for one more week while Qui - Gon and Obi - Wan will investigate Ewane ' s murder . Qui - Gon accepts reluctantly and Tahl suggests they start by questioning Manex , Roan ' s brother . Qui - Gon and Obi - Wan spend the night in a guesthouse , but Qui - Gon can not get to sleep as the gnawing feeling he has had since his vision still has not gone , even though he now is on a path to help Tahl . The next morning they head to Manex ' s palace - like mansion . They are heartily welcomed by Manex , but their conversation does not leave them much wiser . Manex denies that he was behind Ewane ' s murder , nor does he believe that his brother Roan is behind it as Ewane was like a brother to Roan . Next Qui - Gon decides the Supreme Governor , Roan . As they neared Roan ' s residence Obi - Wan alerts him to a tracking droid hovering in front of the house . Qui - Gon soon noticed another . Apparently , Roan or someone else had reason to improve surveillance of the house . As they near the house Qui - Gon senses a disturbance in the Force . They ring the security button , but no one answers . Obi - Wan suggests they try entering the house through the gardens . They jump over the wall and Qui - Gon searches for a way in , when Obi - Wan suddenly alerts him to a few masked people carrying a large black package over the garden wall . When he sees a blond strand of hair sticking out , Qui - Gon quickly realizes the twins are being kidnapped . The intruders spot them and one of them activates a transmitter , calling probe droids that attack the Jedi . The kidnappers flee while they have the advantage , Qui - Gon and Obi - Wan ignore the probe droids and pursue . On the other side of the wall the intruders have loaded the twins on swoops and take off . Then a secret door opens and Balog and security forces emerge . Qui - Gon quickly explains the situation and Balog calls for air support to follow the kidnappers . Balog moves away to inform Roan what happened . Qui - Gon remarks to Obi - Wan that he might already know and be behind the kidnapping . They meet with Tahl to discuss the situation . She does not believe that the Absolutes are behind the kidnapping , because then she would probably know of the kidnapping . She suggest that Irini and her group might have taken the twins to keep them away from Roan . Obi - Wan suggests they try to meet with Roan again , but just at that moment Qui - Gon ' s comlink signals . Roan is asking the Jedi to meet with him . Qui - Gon and Obi - Wan discuss the situation with him when Roan ' s comlink signals . It is the kidnappers , in exchange for the twins ' safe return Roan has to resign without mentioning the kidnapping . Roan agrees to their terms , he will be contacted when and where to pick up the twins . Qui - Gon warns him not to go alone , when he is contacted he must ask if he can take the Jedi as escorts . They have just left Roan ' s office when Tahl contacts them . The Absolutes have found out she is a Jedi . They have sent probe droids to hunt and kill her , and because she cannot see or sense the droids she cannot destroy them . She is hiding in a memorial in the Workers sector . Qui - Gon and Obi - Wan hurry toward her . Qui - Gon worries if his vision of Tahl ' s death is about to come true . As they near Tahl ' s location Obi - Wan urges him to be careful as the probe droids might be looking for them as well . They find Tahl where she said she was and they decide to return with her to Roan ' s house . The Workers on the street seem to be heading to a demonstration , but in stead of hiding in the crowd , they move on toward the Civilized sector . Then a probe droid appears , Qui - Gon quickly slashes it out the sky , but soon three more arrive . While Qui - Gon protects Tahl , Obi - Wan uses his liquid - cable launcher to reach a higher ledge , meanwhile taking out one of the probe droids . The two other droids divide their attention between Tahl and Obi - Wan . Obi - Wan takes out the one attacking him , but Qui - Gon has trouble defending Tahl . He pushes her behind some garbage bins where she will be safe . Obi - Wan jumps off the roof , while Qui - Gon also jumps at the last droid , they take it out together . They run toward the crowded streets of the Civilized sector , and into Institute of Government Service where Roan ' s office is located . But Roan is not there , his assistant informs them he has gone to meet with the kidnappers . After waiting for hours in Roan ' s office , Bolag arranges accommodations for them in Roan ' s residence . When they move to the residence Qui - Gon spots a large package near the house . When they near it , they discover it is Roan , he is dead . They carry the body inside . Bolag thinks it best to not reveal Roan ' s death yet , they first need to find the twins . Qui - Gon remarks it will be hard to conceal the death , as Roan ' s killers will want it to become known . Bolag goes to inform Manex of his brother ' s death , before he finds out in another way . Not much later Manex arrives in distress , he goes to sit with his brother ' s body . Later that night , Qui - Gon hears a noise outside , when the three Jedi reach the door it just opens and the twins enter . They immediately ask where Roan is , they had heard rumors of his death on the street after their kidnappers had let them go . When they hear the rumor confirmed they blame themselves for his death , but Tahl consoles them by telling them it was Roan ' s own choice to find them . She suggest the twins go back to Coruscant with her in the morning and the twins agree . When the twins have gone to see Roan , Bolag informs the Jedi that a peace meeting is being set up between the Civilized , the Workers , the Absolutes and him to stabilize the government . But most parties have asked for a Jedi to attend the meeting . Qui - Gon consents to go , but Tahl insists that she go instead , because she knows the most about the Absolutes . Then , Qui - gon realizes something very important that he feels he must tell Tahl as soon as possible . He requests to speak with Tahl alone in another room . Tahl expects another argument , but Qui - Gon just wishes to tell her something . First , he agrees that she should attend the meeting , but he will not leave New Apsolon before she returns from the meeting . He tells her he believes that if he does he will not see her again and has felt this way since his vision . The second thing he wants to tell is of a more personal nature . He reveals to her that he has fallen in love with her . After a while she speaks , she actually feels the same way . Then they pledge themselves to each other . They acknowledge that their lives will be full of separations from each other , but they still decide to be together . When Qui - Gon and Tahl leave the room , Qui - Gon informs Obi - Wan of their decision . Tahl will go to the peace meeting , while they wait with the twins for her return . Then they will return to the Jedi Temple , unless the government officially asks them to stay . Obi - Wan notices a change in the look on his Master ' s face , he no longer looks haunted . Tahl and Balog leave for the meeting . In the morning Qui - Gon and Obi - Wan start packing for their return to Coruscant when they hear a scuffle outside . When they go to look they find Irini in the grip of a security guard . She asks them why they need security , as they are Jedi . Qui - Gon tells her of the probe droids , carrying ammunition with the same insignia as the one on Irini ' s necklace . She informs them that it is the Workers logo , but she does not believe the Workers have attacked the Jedi , instead she believes someone is misusing the logo . She then tells them she has some useful information for the Jedi , if they are really present to guard the peace . They reassure her and she tells them that the Workers have found it was not one of them that kidnapped the girls . She also informs them that the girls could be kidnapped because someone at the highest levels of security had changed the security procedures . Qui - Gon and Obi - Wan reach the same conclusion , Balog was behind the kidnapping and the death of Roan . They warn Irini that Bolag has a hidden agenda and that she should be careful at the peace meeting , but she has no idea what meeting they are talking about . Qui - Gon and Obi - Wan rush toward the Institute of Government Service , and there they force Bolag ' s assistant to take them to the secret meeting room where the meeting was to take place . Outside they see a bin with several blasters and Tahl ' s lightsaber inside it . The room itself was empty . Qui - Gon is frustrated and afraid his vision of Tahl in danger will come true . Cover gallery . This is a gallery of the different cover variations of " Jedi Apprentice : The Ties That Bind " .