VI.
Mari was in a decent mood as she left the Council Chambers. Qui-Gon was talking to Anakin in a low voice and Obi-Wan was watching them with a blank look on his face. She couldn't help but feel for him a bit. Mari had never approved of how Qui-Gon had announced he would take on Anakin as a Padawan without thinking about how his own Padawan would feel about it. It had seemed so thoughtless. Especially considering how Obi-Wan had been initially rejected as a Padawan. It must have felt like another rejection.
She shook her head. Focus.
Qui-Gon looked up and noticed her.
"The Council wants to speak with Anakin now." She said. Anakin looked up at the mention of his name. Mari could see the apprehension on his face.
"What's gonna happen?"
"They are going to ask you questions, Anakin. There is nothing to fear." Qui-Gon said.
"You'll be ok, bud." Mari said, trying to be reassuring. "They just want to talk."
"Ok, if you say so."
As soon as Anakin left, Mari turned to Qui-Gon.
"The Council has allowed me to accompany you on your mission, Master Qui-Gon." Mari said. She was still relieved at that fact. If they had said no, Mari probably would have wigged out. Which, of course, would have done nothing to endear her to the Council.
The three of them made their way toward the balcony.
"So they have," Qui-Gon stroked his beard. "That is interesting news."
A cool breeze chilled her skin as they stepped outdoors. Mari looked at him.
"Not as interesting as the Chosen One you've stumbled upon."
Obi-Wan looked sharply at her while Qui-Gon nodded, as if he expected her to bring it up.
"He is important to the story, isn't he?"
Mari looked out toward the skyways and nodded. She wrapped her arms around her. The morning air was chilly, and Mari was not a fan of cool temperatures. Belatedly she realized that this scene originally occurred much later. She had a vague memory of there being a sunset when Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had their talk on the balcony. And hadn't Anakin been at the Senate building in the film before meeting with the Council?
Things were changing.
She shivered.
"He will become a Jedi." Qui-Gon said with complete certainty.
"If it is the will of the Force, then I'm sure he will." Mari said.
Obi-Wan remained silent.
"Master Qui-Gon," Mari started. "Is there any way we can help Shmi Skywalker?"
He turned to look at her. It seemed he didn't expect the question.
"You wish to free her from slavery?"
Mari nodded. If she could find a way to save Shmi from her fate, and get the Council to allow Anakin to visit her, then maybe that would help with the anxieties centered around his mother. It was mind boggling to her that the Council wouldn't allow him to visit his mom, yet allowed Ki-Adi-Mundi to have children and family. Sure, he was a Jedi Master and had much more emotional control than young Anakin, but it was still attachment. It was hypocritical.
Qui-Gon looked thoughtful. "We would need permission from the Council to go back to Tatooine."
"Hmph." Mari couldn't hold back her harrumph of annoyance. It earned her a sour look from Obi-Wan. "If I had money, and if I weren't under house arrest, I'd free her myself." And would probably get immediately killed or sold into slavery myself, but never mind that.
"That is noble of you. However, we must be mindful of the present."
The conversation died down and Mari eventually went back inside the Temple. It was much too cold for her outside, and she wanted to give Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan their space. She felt like she was crowding them a bit.
They waited patiently - impatiently in Mari's case - for the Council to finish testing Anakin. He left the Council Chambers looking unsure of himself. Mari's heart went out to him. Anakin was far from home, away from his only loved one, on a planet that was far colder than he was used to, and in a Temple much more extravagant than he'd probably ever been in. To say he was probably uncomfortable was an understatement.
While they waited for the Council to make its decision, the four went down to one of the refectories to get a bite to eat. It was cute seeing Anakin look at everything in amazement and delight. He had been fascinated by the food and wolfed it down as quickly as he could. The thought that he'd probably spent his whole life unsure if he'd have enough food to eat made her heart ache. God, she hated slavery.
If the Council wasn't going to train him, then Mari was taking him in. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if she didn't help him.
But if you get taken back to Earth, how will Anakin react to your disappearance?
Mari pushed the thought away. As Qui-Gon said, she had to focus on the present.
"-on your planet, Mari?" Anakin said from her right side.
She blinked. "Sorry Anakin, I didn't catch the first part."
"Oh. I said if there are any droids on your planet. I know you said it wasn't very advanced, but…" Anakin trailed off and looked at her in curiosity.
A quick glance forward revealed where the question had come from. A cleaning droid was emptying the garbage container.
"Well, we definitely don't have droids like that." She said. "There are robots used in industry, surgery, and the military among other things, but overall humans do a majority of the work on my home planet." Mari sighed. "I wish we had droids though, some of them are adorable."
"I'm building a protocol droid called C-3PO. He's definitely not adorable, though."
Mari couldn't help but laugh a bit.
After the quick meal they were summoned back to the Council Chambers. Well, everyone except Mari. While she wasn't particularly surprised, she was disappointed. Even so, she followed the other three and waited outside the Chambers. Before they entered, Mari heard Qui-Gon reassure Anakin in a soft voice.
The meeting was long. Mari wondered what was taking so much time. Was it because they had spoken with Anakin earlier and thus had more time to spare to discuss things in length? Or had something else come up that Mari was not aware of?
Moments later the doors of the Council chambers opened up. Anakin was leading the group, a smile on his face. That in itself unnerved her. Something different had happened. She stood slowly. Anakin met her eyes and grinned.
"Mari! I'm gonna be a Jedi!" He said, hurrying over to her.
"Really? Anakin, that's great!" Mari said.
Qui-Gon approached them and Mari turned to face him.
"I heard the news." She looked at him expectantly. Spill.
"The Council has agreed to take Anakin on as an Initiate until they determine that Obi-Wan is ready for the trials. Then I will take Anakin on as my Padawan learner." Qui-Gon placed a hand on Anakin's shoulder. The boy beamed, blue eyes shining with excitement.
Mari couldn't help but feel vaguely concerned about this. Not that she wasn't happy for Anakin. She was. But if the Council decided to take their sweet time in deciding when Obi-Wan was ready, and someone else took Anakin as a Padawan… That would change things, all right.
"How do you feel about this, Padawan Kenobi?" Mari said. She didn't know what happened during the Council meeting, but she really hoped he felt alright with the decisions that were being made, as they concerned him as well. Sure, she would never really understand how it felt to be in such a position, but if it were her, Mari would definitely feel rejected and hurt.
There was a brief look of surprise on his face at being addressed. "I trust in the Council and their decision."
She pursed her lips. That was not what she wanted to hear. In fact, it was the exact opposite of what Mari wanted to know. But she let it slide. Only this time, Kenobi.
Instead she turned back to Anakin. "I'm truly really happy for you, Anakin." She said. "I bet you're really excited."
"Yeah! Though I wish I could be Master Qui-Gon's Padawan now."
Mari mentally cringed and glanced at Obi-Wan. He didn't appear to be upset, but that didn't mean he wasn't.
"Patience, Anakin." Qui-Gon said. "All in due time."
"So, what happens now?" Mari said. She couldn't quite dispel the worry over this change. After all, Anakin had been the one to successfully destroy the Droid Command Center during the Battle of Naboo. And, he had only been there because the Council had decided not to train him. She resisted the urge to bite her lip. How was she going to fix this?
"Anakin will be taken to his new Initiate Clan. Afterwards we will prepare to depart. The Queen will soon be ready to return to Naboo, and we are tasked with protecting her."
"The Council won't let me say goodbye to Padme." Anakin told her.
"Well, I can say goodbye for you if you want." Mari said.
"If it's not much trouble…"
"Of course not."
They left Anakin with his new clan. Mari waved goodbye to him. She was surprised by how easily the boy had wormed his way into her heart. While she had been sympathetic to his character, she hadn't cared too much for him in the Phantom Menace. Jar Jar definitely had him beat for worst character. But meeting him, a real child who'd been a slave just days before… Mari just wanted to shower him in affection and hugs. Especially knowing he would be receiving little of that with the Jedi.
Hours passed while they waited for the Queen to be ready to depart to Naboo. During their wait at Qui-Gon's quarters she had been informed of the vote for the new Chancellor. Mari wanted to slap herself. How could she have forgotten? This was when Palpatine manipulated Padme into calling a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum. There was no way he wouldn't win. He would succeed in becoming Supreme Chancellor and continue playing the galaxy like a giant chessboard.
It made her sick to her stomach. She had one damn job here and she was screwing it up.
Then there was the fact that Mari was pretty sure Palpatine was going to travel to Naboo. She remembered he was present at the end of the film after the battle on Naboo ended. But she couldn't recall certain details of the films. Would he be traveling with them? If that was the case… she didn't know what she was going to do. The fact that she was still alive worried her. Why wasn't he actively trying to get rid of her? Was he somehow unaware that she knew who he was? If that was the case, then why would he attempt to access her knowledge in the first place? It didn't make sense. Or maybe he had some other plan in store for her? The thought made her shiver.
If only she could tell someone about Palpatine!
Perhaps if she broadcasted her distrust of him it would make the Jedi suspicious? But then Palpatine would one hundred percent know about her. Her heart started pounding as her anxiety built. There was no way this was going to end well. And she wasn't going to stay on Coruscant. How could she live with herself if Qui-Gon died on Naboo and she did nothing to stop it?
Obi-Wan entered the room with a datapad in hand. His presence reminded her to try and calm herself, lest she disturb everyone with her emotions. There was a frown on his face and he stopped a few feet away from her. Obi-Wan met her eyes.
"I can only assume you were responsible for this." He turned the datapad around to show her the screen. Mari instantly cringed. She swore that she had erased her note and set it back to the application it had been on. It was just one screw up after another with her.
He stared at her, an expectant look on his face. It was clear he wanted an explanation, and Mari didn't blame him. Damn it, why do I keep making so many mistakes!
"Okay." Mari blushed. "So, I was trying to see if I could write down the name of the Sith Lord without fainting. I obviously didn't succeed."
"How do you know how to write in Aurebesh? Was there a guide included in your story?" He said. His voice was slightly sarcastic.
"Well, not in the films, but there is a guide on the internet - that's our version of the holonet…"
When he didn't respond, Mari sighed.
"The Council gave me a holobook on how to read and write Aurebesh after I suggested the idea to them. I… kind of broke the datapad they gave me, so I borrowed yours." Mari felt like sinking into the floor at the blank look he gave her. "I'm sorry. That was wrong of me to take your things without permission. I was too ashamed to ask the Council for a new datapad, but I didn't want to give up on informing the Council of the Sith Lord." She lifted her chin up.
"You passed out again, didn't you?"
Mari nodded. "I had been so certain it would work…" She felt her frustration rise. "I can only say what I know once the events come to pass, which makes what I know useless! How can I prevent the Sith from des-d-" Mari growled in annoyance as the words failed to leave her mouth. Her head throbbed in warning.
"The Council said that the Sith Lord reached out to you, and that's why you lost consciousness the last time."
She looked up at him. Was that a hint of compassion on his face?
"Yes. And the fact that he hasn't killed me yet has me worried that he has something worse in store for me." Mari shivered. "I almost wish he would just kill me and get it over with."
That made him frown.
"I still don't understand how the Sith could reach out to you without anyone sensing it. For him to do such a thing he would have to be somewhere nearby on Coruscant."
"He is one of the strongest Force-users in the galaxy." Mari said. She was vaguely surprised that she had been able to say anything about Palpatine. So, she could describe things in general but couldn't speak of the future. Was that the rule? That was irritating.
"Stronger than Master Yoda?" His doubt was evident.
"Master Yoda cou-could-" She bit back her irritation. "He is just as strong."
"Forgive me for finding that hard to believe."
Later, after Obi-Wan left their quarters, Qui-Gon approached Mari with a cup of tea. She took it gratefully, as it helped rid her of the perpetual cold. Mari waited for the Jedi to speak; she doubted he just wanted to have tea and chat. His reason became clear in moments.
"It has come to my attention that you are incredibly adept at projecting your feelings through the Force."
Mari felt her cheeks heat in embarrassment. That seemed to be an understatement. She nodded and looked at her tea. There was a long silence.
"Despite the Council's request that you not be trained, I feel it would be unwise for your mind to remain unguarded. I wish to give you a brief lesson."
She looked up at him in surprise and then gratitude. He set his cup of tea down and she did the same. Mari paid him complete attention as he explained what a mental shield was, and its importance in keeping one's thoughts from being read.
"It requires a strong will, concentration, and the deepest focus. With time, this skill will become second nature, and you may be able to raise and lower the shield as you see fit." Qui-Gon said. "We will begin with basic meditation to give you focus."
Mari felt her heart drop. Meditation? The last time she meditated, everything had gone down the tubes. She was trash at it, and would never be able to-
"I sense your unease. Do you not wish to proceed?"
Eyes widening, she nodded emphatically. "Of course I do, Master Qui-Gon."
His lips quirked a bit. "Then, shall we carry on?"
Qui-Gon led her to a pair of cushions in the living space where they sat. As she crossed her legs into a meditative pose, she could feel her stress levels crank up to a nine. It seemed she was physically incapable of worrying, but it was not as if there was no reason to. Was Sidious waiting for the right moment to strike again, or was he too busy trying to move the pieces on his chessboard? If Qui-Gon sensed her nervousness he did not show it.
"I will guide you into a meditative state," he held out his hands. "Keep a clear mind, and stay focused."
She took his hands. Their warmth gave her a sense of security. Mari felt a good portion of her anxiety fade away. Still feeling a bit silly, she closed her eyes and forced all thoughts out of her head. She took a few steadying breaths.
Mari felt a calm she didn't think she had ever felt before. She allowed the feeling to sweep her away. Belatedly, she remembered that she was supposed to keep focused. Mari tried, but it kept escaping her. All of a sudden, the world around her reappeared. A chill went up her spine. Her hands felt frigid. She looked to Qui-Gon.
"That was fine for a second attempt at meditation. Next time, maintain your focus." There was a trace of a smile on his face. He stood from the cushions.
"That was it?" Mari blurted out. Immediately she flushed in embarrassment as Qui-Gon turned to face her. One of his eyebrows quirked upward.
"You have been meditating for nearly an hour."
"Oh."
"Obi-Wan will be returning shortly. I feel it will be best if he is not aware of what transpired. As you may know, he does not appreciate it when I go against the Council."
Mari nodded in agreement. Somehow, she didn't think Obi-Wan would take the news well at all. Part of her felt bad for being trained by his Master behind his back, but surely nothing bad would come from bending the rules?