Marie woke up with a groan. It seemed the monster headache from the day before had evolved into a migraine. It didn't help that her mission with Master Windu was starting today. She fell back onto her pillow and closed her eyes.
She knew she would have to get up and ready for her mission soon, and it came as no surprise to her when she heard a knock on the door. "Marie, are you ready for the mission yet?" Her master's voice was barely audible through the door and the blanket the she had thrown over her head in frustration when she heard the knock.
"No. I only just woke up, Master." She replied.
"You only just woke up! It's oh-nine hundred hours Marie." She heard the door 'whoosh' open as he entered his entry code.
"What? I slept through my alarm!" She threw of the covers and jumped up, hurriedly preparing for the day ahead.
He laughed at the comical sight of his normally well prepared and completely calm apprentice rushing around. "Slow down Padawan. I'll help you pack."
"Thank you Master. It seems that I have a lot to thank you for lately. Like having faith in me." She stopped what she was doing and looked at him. "Thank you so much. And thank you for choosing me to be your Padawan. I don't think that I've told you that since you first did."
"No problem, Marie. Thank you for accepting me as your Master, and putting up my practical jokes." He abandoned his normally flippant nature for the purpose of the conversation.
"One question Master. Do you know how everyone else found out about our little situation?" She asked him.
"Um... well the thing is, um... I sort of told Masters Rivkah and Cythera. I guess their Padawan's were there as well, and I guess that it sort of, um... spread." He was too busy examining his shoelaces to look her in the eye.
"Don't worry Master. They would've found out eventually, you know the way that Yaeb and Sirian have, ferreting out your every secret." She smiled. "I don't hold you responsible for all the stares that I got in the cafeteria yesterday, the whispers and finger pointing, the-"
"I get the picture Padawan. I understand. I'm sorry." He smiled in return. "At least you're famous. Isn't that what people your age normally want?"
"That's what non-Jedi my age normally want. A Jedi doesn't long for possession." She smiled once more. "When did Master Windu say that we'd be leaving?"
"About ten hundred hours." He looked at his chronometer. "Wow! We'd better get moving."
"That's okay, I'm packed already." She hefted the bag to see how heavy it was.
When Saesee Tinn saw her do this he said, a playful tone in his voice, "What's wrong? Is it too heavy? I'll carry it for you if you want."
"Master," She began, "What makes you think it'd be too heavy for me? C'mon let's go." With that they walked out of the door.
When they arrived at the landing pad they weren't surprised to see Marie's friends, along with their Masters waiting to see them off. "What happened to you, you look like-" Yaeb began before Marie cut him off.
"I slept past my alarm. Pretty bad start for today huh?" She raised an eyebrow, not expecting a response to her rhetorical question.
Heedless of that fact, Sirian said, "Yeah, yeah it is. Maybe you shouldn't go on this mission. I'll go in your place."
Cythera elbowed her in the ribs and scolded her, "It was a rhetorical question, Sirian. You weren't supposed to answer that."
"I should report you to the healers for abuse. That elbow reeaally hurt." She whined.
"No it didn't. I would've felt it. Now hurry up and say goodbye to Marie. Master Windu's waiting to leave." She let herself a smile victory smile for successfully tamping down on her Padawan's dramatizations.
"I knew about that rhetoric thing." She mumbled as she stepped towards her best friend. "Hey, good luck on your mission. Don't do anything I would do. That's if you want to pass the trials."
Marie laughed as she heard this. "Don't worry. If I'm in danger I'll think 'now what wouldn't Sirian do' and I'll be okay."
"Was that just a joke? Wow, she has benefited from being my apprentice." Saesee Tinn looked awe struck.
"Ahem. I hope that you do well on your mission, but I know that you will. You've always been the most talented of our age group." Yaeb Ginn said. "I know that you'll pass with flying colors."
"Thanks, Yaeb. Your faith means a lot to me."
Just as she was about to leave, Master Cythera and Rivkah bowed to her in a symbol of respect. She returned the bow, feeling better about this mission than she had since she heard about it. 'Come to think about it, I haven't read what the mission is about yet. I'll do that as soon as I get aboard.'
She turned around and started walking to the boarding ramp with her master in tow, and when she reached it she turned around and waved to her friends. When they returned the wave, she entered the ship fully and sat down in the copilot's seat. Mace Windu buckled his crash webbing beside her. As he was doing so, she was doing an abbreviated form of hyperventilation. He smiled in remembrance of his trials. He had been much, much worse.
"It will be okay, Padawan. You'll do fine." Mace Windu couldn't help but laugh. "I can't believe you're hyperventilating."
"Okay. Are we ready to go now?" She asked after she recovered.
"We certainly are, Marie. Will you do the honor of taking us out?" Mace Windu asked.
"Yes Master Windu. It would be my pleasure." She replied. She knew she had to calm down if she was going to pilot the ship, and if she was going to pass the trials.
Marie's mouth hung open, amazed and dismayed. The mission report stated that their job was to mediate a civil war, on some backwater planet. Reading further, she saw each side's demands. The Cornalus faction, the more powerful side, was demanding the complete amalgamation of the weaker side, the Delmarus faction. Named for their founders, the Delmarus faction only wanted a chance to form their own government, away from the oppression of the highly discriminate politicians that suppressed all alien and female advancement.
The Cornalus faction had state of the art weaponry, and the troops to wield it. The Delmarus faction had pure grit and determination. So far they were evenly matched. Marie shook her head at the injustice of the situation, of the mind that the Delmarus side should be left to their own devices. Master Windu found her sitting, scowling at the mission report some time later.
Watching her carefully, assessing her reaction, he asked, "What is wrong, Padawan Marie?"
She shook her head, ridding her face of the scowl in the process. "I'm just a little hesitant Master. I'm not very good at diplomacy, and I have no skill in politics. Then there's the factions' demands…"
He looked upon her, curious. "What about their demands, Padawan?"
Carefully, so as she seemed like she wasn't taking sides, she said slowly, "It seems that one faction is a little… extreme, in their demands."
He shook his head disapprovingly. "You know, as mediators, we can't take sides." He looked thoughtful. "However, in this particular case, it will be hard not to."
She nodded slowly, deep in thought, and quietly excused herself as she headed to her quarters for meditation.
He watched her leave, wondering whether or not she was trying to impress him with her dedication to her meditations. Deciding that that's not the kind of person she is, he settled in for a long flight, meditating in the pilot's chair.
When they entered the system, they were instructed to land on the middle of the neutral zone, which lay between the two faction's territories. As they disembarked, Marie noticed two imposing figures, flanked by guards and separated from each other. They had scowls on their faces every time they glanced at each other. Marie gave a slight shake of her head. This is going to be a long trip. She thought.
When they introduced themselves, both shook hands with Master Windu, but only the Delmarus representative acknowledged Marie, flashing her a warm smile as he shook her hand. "My name is Mulfar. It is an honor to meet you, Padawan Marie. Tell me, is that your first, or last name?"
"Neither. I have only the one." She replied.
Nodding his head in understanding, they all turned and made their way inside, safely away from the grey sky, which threatened rain.
Making their way straight to the negotiation chambers, the representatives immediately started arguing. Master Windu just stared, quiet, and allowed the bickering to continue. Marie looked at the accomplished Jedi in shock, not understanding why he was allowing such things to be said to each other, when both were slinging insults that could potentially jeopardize the negotiations before they even began.
Clearing her throat, she tried to intercede, only to be completely ignored. Trying louder, she grew annoyed as they ignored her once more, preferring instead to argue amongst themselves. Finally, she yelled, "Quiet!" and they both stared at her in shock.
The Cornalus representative, who had been introduced as Quinn, recovered first and sneered, "How dare you talk-"
She cut him off with a sharp look and a raised hand. "We're here as mediators. If you're just going to sit and bicker all day, then we are wasted here. Now, let's get on with business." She looked at Mulfar first, as she studied the data pad in front of her. "You want to be allowed to form your own nation, free of interference from the Cornalus group, and keep the land in your possession as it stands today. And you-" She looked to Quinn. "Want the Delmarus group to completely amalgamate themselves with your nation, and surrender to your laws, correct?"
He nodded, grudgingly accepting that he was going to have to deal with a female. "Alright then. Let's start with the issue of becoming your own nation." She looked back to Mulfar, who had a twinkle in his eyes. "Can you tell me why you want to form your own nation?"
Listening to his reply, Master Windu sat back and watched the padawan in action. He nodded his head slightly, approving of the way she was handling the situation.