Thwack!
The wooden stick in his hand was solid, and the connection it made between the polished wood and the training dummy sent spikes of pain up his arm. His feet danced to the left, and he jabbed the butt of his staff again at the training dummy. There were no lightsaber resistant dummies around to practice on, and his Master had been brooding too much to tell him where the training droids were kept. Obi-Wan flicked a concerned glance at his Master, who was seated on a bench, his chin in his hands, either meditating or simply staring into space. He had been acting strangely all of last evening and into this morning – he said little, and what he said was brusque and taut with unresolved tension. It had something to do with that black-haired woman – Ana – Obi-Wan could tell. At breakfast (or Morning Meal, as the Daals called it), there had been a stiff, frosty exchange between them, and Ana's voice had been hurt and raw. Obi-Wan wondered if Zeijkk was that cruel of a Charge, or the woman had something else tugging at her spirits. Whatever was troubling them, they were interconnected, and Obi-Wan was determined to find out how they knew each other. He needed to talk to Ana, the sooner the better.
"Master?" Obi-Wan called out, and Qui-Gon started. He had been completely enveloped in his own thoughts, and he cursed himself for this outward display of inattentiveness; he should be training his Padawan, not mulling over past mistakes and stirring up the pains of old scars. He glanced up, and then ran his hands over his cheeks, trying to wake himself up.
"Yes, Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon answered, swiftly getting to his feet and picking up Obi-Wan's outer robe. Obi-Wan shrugged himself into the robe and offered a funny little grin which was one of his trademarks – a slanted, halfway grin which made him seem like a small, curious cat.
"What are our plans for the day, Master? If I have your permission, I would like to explore the palace and perhaps find out some gossip about this Mockingbird." Obi-Wan said.
Qui-Gon nodded once, slowly, his dark blue eyes shaking off the gauzy remnants of his old memories, seeming fresh and interested in his mission for the first time in hours. "Indeed. You have my permission, but keep your mind open and your comlink handy. I am going to take a speeder and investigate these Northern Slopes. Stay near the Guardians, and try not to get into any trouble."
"I always try," Obi-Wan said calmly, his mischief streak lighting up in his eyes. "But I somehow always fail. I must practice harder at getting into trouble."
"I would prefer you showing other people how to get out of trouble," Qui-Gon said dryly. "Instead of me showing you how to do it."
"Doesn't that involve getting people trouble in the first place?" Obi-Wan countered, looking up at his Master with a delighted gleam in his eyes.
"In that case, wait for my supervision," Qui-Gon said, a rare smile tugging at his lips, "But today, you shall avoid trouble at all costs and simply stick to getting information. All right?" Qui-Gon said, and then patted Obi-Wan on the back in a display of affection which warmed Obi-Wan's heart. "May the Force be with you, Padawan."
Obi-Wan waited until his Master's long, confident strides had carried him around the corner, and then he promptly turned around and followed the path back up to the training grounds. He wasn't lying to his Master – he did want to gather information about the Mockingbird, but he wanted to talk to Ana first. He crossed the training arena and entered a long, cool hallway carpeted with purple rugs. His footsteps silent and wary, he padded down the hallway until it joined another larger corridor, this one containing a steady stream of servants and chattels passing back and forth, carrying items and suchlike for dignitaries. His quick eyes scanned the crowds, but he saw nobody he recognized, and he then he reached out to the Force, probing the corridor for anyone with Force-sensitivity. There was something, like a pull of warm water, but farther up, and Obi-Wan quickly found an elevator to take him to the next level. Just before he entered, however, he saw a boy with tousled blonde hair and alert green eyes step in front of him.
"Only Guardians and their Charges are allowed up there," The boy said, frowning seriously. "And I do not think you are a Guardian or a Charge."
"No, I am one of the visiting Jedi," Obi-Wan said, allowing a bit of Force-suggestion to creep into his tones. "I need to speak with the Crown Princess Zeijkk about the Mockingbird."
The blonde boy appeared to struggle with himself for a moment, and then said, "She's not up there, anyway. Zeijkk never stays in her room any more." The boy said, and then eyed him curiously. "So you're a Jedi?" He asked interestedly.
"Yes, I am," Obi-Wan said, and bowed politely. "Padawan Obi-Wan, at your service. Could you tell me where I might find Zeijkk and her Guardian, Ana?"
The blonde boy curled his lip. "Huh. They're probably in the library. I can show you, if you like." He shrugged tersely, and began leading Obi-Wan down the opposite hallway. "Guardian Ana is always trying to make Zeijkk learn new scrolls and languages."
"It doesn't sound like a bad thing," Obi-Wan said, reaching out a tentative probe into the boy's mind. To his surprise, he felt jealousy simmering beneath the blonde-haired boy's cold indifference. "But what does Zeijkk think?"
"I don't know," The boy said tightly, sounding frustrated and annoyed. "I don't know what she thinks anymore. She won't talk to me." He then glanced at Obi-Wan, as if remembering whom he was speaking to, and changed the subject. "I'm Aja, a friend of the Princess's. I can tell you a few things about the Mockingbird, if you wish."
Obi-Wan was interested. Besides, he could hear a few things about the Mockingbird on their way to the library, and despite his thirst for knowing how Ana knew Qui-Gon, he wanted to complete this mission as well. With the Mockingbird out of the way, this mission would be bordering on boring for the remainder of the trip. "The High King mentioned last night that you were actually kidnapped by the Mockingbird," Obi-Wan probed delicately. Aja tensed, his straight posture condensing until he seemed much smaller than he actually was.
"Not really," He said, his voice thin. "It was a misunderstanding. The Mockingbird doesn't want to hurt anyone. He told me. He just wanted to kidnap me to make a point."
"Oh?" Obi-Wan said in an offhand way. "What does the Mockingbird look like?" He inquired.
"I don't know. He wears a cowl all the time," Aja said, a bit too quickly. "Here's the library. Zeijkk and her Guardian will probably be inside." He gestured at the door. "Shall I see you at lunch, then?" He asked. Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows and offered his slanted, catlike grin.
"Of course. I wish to ask a few more questions about this Mockingbird, and I believe my Master will want to as well," Obi-Wan said, and pushed open the library door.
It was nothing like the library in the Jedi Temple, where learning and scrolls had been the main focus. Instead of sagging, dusty shelves and thick, ancient tomes, there were bright bars of warm sunlight pouring through crescent shaped windows. A still pool, disturbed only by the constant rippling of a fountain in the very center, dominated the room, and Obi-Wan noted the brilliant display of fish which swam lazily about in the bottom, their bright colors accenting the calm water perfectly. Thick couches and divans were grouped in sections of twos and threes, all covered with satin pillows and a few covered with blankets. There were books, yes, but there seemed to be more holo-files than scrolls, and there were several screens around the room for easy viewing. Leafy green plants, contained by rustic terra cotta containers, encircled the room. The whole place had a lush, tropical feel, instead of a serious place of learning. He spotted the Crown Princess first – it was almost impossible not to notice her, what with her beautiful golden hair and silver-green eyes. She was dressed in an elegant gown of pale purple, long sleeves looping over her thumb and the neckline sliding off her shoulders. It looked odd, and almost comical, to see a girl looking his own age wearing something like that, but he had to remind himself that they were all adults. Still, the resulting image was slightly disturbing.
Dressed in a far less noticeable outfit, was her Guardian, Ana Walker. Her tunic was beige and plain, while her leggings were dark brown and loose, secured at the waist by a fine belt. Her long dark hair had been pulled behind her in a braid, falling down her back in a thick rope, and Obi-Wan noticed there was a slender walking cane next to her. An expression of mild discomfort was creasing Ana's face, and her hand was flexing soothingly over her left hip, massaging it as she tried to explain the finer points of Ryl to an unreceptive Obi-Wan. As soon as he was spotted, Zeijkk sat up straighter and smiled becomingly. "Ah! Padawan!" She cried out, in a far louder tone than would have been permitted in any other library. However, seeing as Obi-Wan didn't actually see any other patrons around to disturb, he felt relaxed enough to greet her in the same tone of voice.
"Your Highness, how nice to make your formal acquaintance," Obi-Wan said, and glanced at the seat next to them. "May I sit?" He asked respectfully. Zeijkk beamed and patted the seat next to her, and Obi-Wan took it, sitting a good distance away. He looked up and saw the pained expression on Ana's face melt into one of distaste and subtle loathing.
Inwardly, Ana was fuming. She knew she had no right to, that she was being petty, selfish, and that her actions were unwarranted and her emotions were gaining control. She knew that she had no right to stake out Qui-Gon as her personal Master, seeing as she had deserted him almost a decade ago and hadn't even looked back or made contact with him. She knew all these things, and didn't care in the slightest. In a heroic effort to calm her temper, Ana dug her finger into her hip with unnecessary force and said between tight jaws, "Pardon, Padawan Kenobi, but the Princess and I do not wish to be disturbed. We are having a lesson on Ryl at the moment, and it is proving very difficult."
Zeijkk waved a hand imperiously at her Guardian. "Oh, shush, you old stick in the mud," Zeijkk said, her lips tightening. "The Jedi can talk all they want. Ryl is a silly language, anyway." She turned her bright green-silver eyes on Obi-Wan and smiled again. "You wish to question me about the Mockingbird, is that it?"
"Yes, your Majesty," Obi-Wan said, with an imperceptible look at Ana. He could feel ripples of jealousy coming off the woman, and he couldn't understand it. Her emotions were jumbled and hard to pick apart, and he wasn't confident enough to carry on a conversation and untwist the woman's thoughts. "Has he ever threatened you personally, Princess? About the wedding?" He asked, trying to ignore the death-glare Ana was giving him.
"Oh, of course," Zeijkk said, twining a long curl of blonde hair around her finger prettily. "I'm not frightened, though," She reflected dispassionately. "The Mockingbird is just someone who threatens and threatens and never does anything. I'm not worried about the wedding – after all, nothing can stop true love." She gifted Obi-Wan with a bright, sunny smile which exposed plenty of teeth but no heart.
"I see," Obi-Wan said, "And what of your friend Aja? Wasn't he kidnapped by this Mockingbird?"
"No," Zeijkk snapped tightly, "but it was through his own stupidity. He almost threw himself at the Mockingbird, trying to get captured." Zeijkk said, but then recovered quickly. "Aja has always been a ... creative little boy. He went exploring through the old ruins on the foothills of the Northern Slopes and apparently bumped into the Mockingbird. Nothing else. They talked, and he came back after a few hours. He won't tell anyone what he said, though, except that the Mockingbird wants to stop the wedding but doesn't want to hurt me." She flicked the curl of hair over her shoulder.
"That's enough," Ana said, getting to her feet. For a split second, a dart of pain flickered up her hip, and her anger seared hotly against Obi-Wan. Am I stooping this low? She thought to herself. I am jealous of a young child. Grow up, Ana! She chided herself. She supported herself lightly with her walking stick, and gestured to Zeijkk. "Come, Princess, we really must be getting your Language Arts done, or your mother shall be after me again," She said, sheparding her Charge out the door. "And, Padawan Kenobi?" She asked, turning slightly, her green eyes cold.
"Yes, Miss Walker?" Obi-Wan asked, trying to unravel the jealousy which was twisting through the Force.
"Tell your Master to conduct this mission as quickly as possible. I don't want any Jedi hanging around this planet longer than they should be." Ana said icily. Obi-Wan got to his feet in a flash.
"Actually, I wished to speak with you about my Master," He said, his eyes focused intently on Ana's reaction. "Master Qui-Gon Jinn seems to know you."
"He his mistaken," Ana said coldly. "Your Master and I have never met."
A/N: Gah. Never read Eragon Sporkings just before you go to write a chapter. Now I'm second guessing all of my sentences. And WOW! Only one review! Seriously, guys, I need feedback! Even if you leave me a negative review! You will get showered with kisses and hugs!
Questions: Will Obi-Wan and Ana ever come to a reconciliation? What is Zeijkk planning to do with the Jedi? What will happen when Obi-Wan finds out about Ana and Qui-Gon's relationship all those years ago?