A/N: I decided to post two chapters today. The others will follow, approximatively once a week, unless I finish book one earlier than scheduled (and it shall be, I'm writing it in a daze).


2. Hiding in plain sight


Irri slept for about two hours. When she woke up, her Master was fidgeting with her light-sabre, pulling something out of its debts and replacing it with a round object.

Aayla Secura needn't look up to know Irri was awake.

Her voice echoed in the large yet not much furnished room.

"Are you ready, now, young one?"

Irri sat up. "Ready for what, Master?"

Aayla stood, and went to look through the window. "I've had a vision this night, before we landed. Something bad is about to happen to this planet, and we can't intervene."

"Why can't we?" Irri stood too and put her padawan tunic on.

"Because Master Jinn and his own padawan have been commissioned in our state.

"Oh." Irri's lips formed a smile. She loved Master Jinn. He was always kind to her and smiled and laughed when she was making jokes.

As for Obi-Wan...well, he was less funny, more serious, but still kind.

"What are we to do, then, Master?"

Aayla's eyes met her padawan's. "Hide. Make sure any foe of Naboo is unable to find us until we find a way to escape discreetly."

"I know of a place then." Irri took her cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders. "The forest."

"Irri, child, the forest might not prove secure enough."

Irri smirked. "Believe me, Master, it is secure enough. Especially if we stumble across a Gungan's path."

Aayla's eyes widened. "What on Earth is a Gungan?"

"You shall see. Oh, and, don't forget to take your breather, we might need it."

And with those words, Irri escaped the room and trotted right towards the Queen's office.

Her Master took quite a time to follow.

!-!-!-!-!

"Your Majesty, I am sorry, but my Master and I have to go."

Queen Amidala tilted her head to the side. "Why such a hurry?"

"We...we have been summoned back to Coruscant."

Master Secura arrived, not in a hurry at all, and stood beside her padawan. "Whatever this one just told you, it is a truth."

"A truth? Not the truth?" Irri cleared her throat, but there was no need. "Jedis won't ever cease to amaze me. I bid you farewell then, Master Secura, Padawan Nabié. Shall your trip be agreeable."

"Thank you, your Majesty."

Irri trotted behind her Master.

Aayla reached her in mind in no time. "This was a dangerous move, Irri. What if she had pried it off us?"

Irri smirked to herself. "Naboo don't pry things off their guests. Ever."

"Then you have Corusci blood, young one."

Irri chuckled, and followed.

!-!-!-!-!

Once they were out of Theed, though, things started to move.

The invasion of Naboo had begun.

Warships were landing everywhere around the forest.

Irri pushed her hood off her face. She felt confused with her own display of emotions. She felt the pain of her people amongst everything, and still, a strong feeling of revenge clouded most of it.

The loss of her family was still fresh, she would not survive the loss of her home-planet on top of it.

She looked over her shoulder at her master, who had taken her light-sabre, though not lighting it. "This way."

She was running then, running and praying to whomever was above that she would remember the way well.

They had to hide behind bushes more than once.

Droids. It was droids that were invading them.

Irri's hatred for the Federation grew even more.

"Young one, we can't stay here much longer."

"We're not far, master." She resumed her running, making sure, using the Force, that no droid could ever get a glimpse of them.

Until she heard the characteristic buzz of a light-sabre lit behind her.

"Irri, hide! Someone powerful is coming!"

But instead of doing what she was told, Irri stayed where she was, and closed her eyes to open her mind to the Force.

Scanning the area for any soul she might recognize.

Once she touched one she knew, a smile formed onto her lips.

And she opened her eyes, speaking up.

"You can come forth, Master Jinn, it's only us."

!-!-!-!-!

Master Secura made an annoyed noise before killing off her sabre. "Stop doing that."

Irri smiled while trying to hear anyone coming their way.

When Obi-Wan and his master appeared to her left, her smile only widened.

Her eyes and Master Jinn's met at once, and the older man smiled kindly down at her.

"Irri Nabié. What a surprise."

She chuckled. "It is nice to see you, Master Jinn."

He bowed his head, then turned to Aayla. "Master Secura."

And Obi-Wan went to stand by Irri. "I suppose this encounter is a coincidence?" But his smirk and eyes told another story.

Irri nudged him playfully in the ribs, which she could reach, surprisingly. "Nah, it isn't."

"Should have guessed." He lit his sabre and stayed put for any kind of aggression.

That is when Irri noticed the Gungan staying behind.

She advanced and outstretched a hand. "Hello, I'm Irri. I'm a Naboo."

The creature seemed unsure of what to do with her hand, but he took it anyway. "Missa Jar-Jar Binks. Nice meeting youssa."

She chuckled. "It's the first time I actually meet a Gungan."

"Wessa going to Gungancity. Youssa coming?"

She looked over at her master, but by the way she was deep in conversation with Master Jinn, she guessed what the answer would be. "Yes, I think we are."

"Nice it is, moi moi nice."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes.

!-!-!-!-!

Aayla indeed agreed to accompany her fellow Jedi, thinking it wiser to escape in group rather than alone.

Jar-Jar showed them the way, although Irri would have recognized the path without help. Her brother had taken her to the Gungan lake once, and they had been heavily grounded for that once they had been home. It was little before she was taken as padawan by the Order.

They reached the lake when dusk arose.

Irri was chilling even under her cloak, while her master, although lightly dressed, seemed to rather enjoy the chill.

"How much further?" Irri looked at Master Jinn, who had spoken uncharacteristically with a little impatience in his voice.

"Wessa going under water, okiday? I my warning you, Gungans no linking outsiders, so respect 'em, no wreck 'em."

"Don't worry, this hasn't been our day for warm welcomes..."

Obi-Wan and his master took their breathers and advanced into the water.

Aayla did the very same, wincing a little as she entered the cold liquid – Irri knew she hated water.

Irri smiled widely, and as Obi-Wan looked over his shoulder for the youngest of their party, she launched herself into the lake and disappeared into its depths at the same time as Jar-Jar.

!-!-!-!-!

Gungancity was, as Irri suspected, a huge agglomeration of bubbles, inside which one big house laid.

Jar-Jar brought them to the biggest of them all.

As soon as she had passed the thin cover of the bubble, Irri could tell there was air. She took the breather off her mouth, then turned around when she heard her name.

It was her master. She hurried at her side.

"Stop trying to lose me, child!"

Irri cast her eyes down. "Sorry Master."

"It's alright. But stop all the same."

"I'll try."

Aayla sighed. "Try, yes, that's what I thought."

!-!-!-!-!

The four humans soon discovered the Gungans were a little frightened of their appearance. They all were making stunned sounds and walked out of their way when Jar-Jar brought them in front of the leader of his species.

Irri was marvelling. All her childhood she had wished to come back to this place and discover why her parents had never wanted her to.

She was in her dream.

And didn't care whatsoever if the Gungans killed them or not.

The aforementioned leader was an oversized Gungan with an enormous belly and double-chin. Irri stood beside her master and tried to make any water left in her clothes leave it, until Aayla patted her on the shoulder so she paid attention.

The Gungan leader cackled twice or thrice. "You cannot bes here. This army of mechanics up there is new, we saw."

Master Jinn spoke up. "A droid army is about to attack the Naboo. We must warn them."

"Wessa no like the Naboo." He cackled. "The Naboo think they're so smarty. They think their brain so big."

Obi-Wan took a pace forward. "Once the droids take control of the surface, they'll take control of you."

"Missa no think so. They not know of ussa."

Obi-Wan seemed at a loss.

Irri took several paces forward and stood beside her fellow padawan. Although still a child, she knew some things. "You and the Naboo form a symbiosis circle. What happens to one will affect the other, you must understand this." Obi-Wan smiled down at her in agreement.

The leader, at first, paused. Irri knew he was not pleased that a child addressed him like that. Then, after a long minute, he answered. "Wessa not care," he wriggled his chin, "about the Naboo."

Qui-Gon took the lead once again. "And speeders are on our way?"

"We gonna speed youssa away."

"We could use a transport."

"Wessa give youssa uno bongo. The speedest way to the Naboo is going through...the planet core. Now...go..."

"Thank you for your help, we leave in peace." All four bowed before him, then retreated.

Jar-Jar, who had been restrained, then couldn't wait a minute longer. As they passed him, he spoke up. "Going to the planet core? Bad moment! Any help would be welcome..."

Qui-Gon turned to him, against Obi-Wan's judgement. "Master, we are short on time."

"We need a navigator to take us through the planet's core. This Gungan may be of help." Then he walked back to the leader. "What is to become of Jar-Jar Binks here?"

"He's to be punished."

"I saved his life. He owes me what you call a life debt. Your gods demand that his life belongs to me now."

"Binks? Youssa did a life play with this and this, hum?" Jar-Jar nodded. The leader wriggled his chin again. "Be gone with him!"

Qui-Gon bowed again and went back to the group waiting for him.

Irri smiled as she watched Jar-Jar being pulled off his chains.

The Gungan didn't seem quite as enthusiastic for a reason. "Count me out of this one. Better dead here than dead into core..."

Irri took his arm and pulled him towards the exit. "Don't speak nonsense. You'll be fine."