VII.

It was with great trepidation that Mari followed the Jedi out of the Temple. Night was upon them and she shivered as they walked down the steps. They were going to take a shuttle to the Senate landing platform where they were going to meet the Queen. She could only hope that Palpatine would not be there to see the Queen off. If he did…

Mari crossed her arms as she took her seat. She couldn't help but feel like things were going to take a turn for the worse. Without Anakin along with them, would they still succeed on Naboo? Would Qui-Gon survive or would he die anyway? Or - her breath hitched - what if Obi-Wan died instead?

What if Maul killed both of them?

Oh God, oh God…

If that happened, Mari had no clue what she would do. She didn't think that the Jedi Council would be too hospitable to her if that happened. Especially after she asked them if she could go with Qui-Gon for that purpose alone: to prevent certain events from occurring. If she failed, then the Council had no reason to keep her around. To them, she was probably another one of Qui-Gon's pathetic lifeforms of the month, and nothing more.

Her mind drifted to Anakin. What would become of him if the worst possible scenario occurred? Would he fall to the dark side without them? Was his fall inevitable? Would she be able to do anything at all to help prevent it?

She was absolutely useless.

"Do not center on your anxieties, Mari." Said Qui-Gon from the front seat. "Be at ease."

Mari flushed and nodded. She took a few calming breaths and stared out the window as the shuttle flew them into the skyway. It was a good time to practice clearing her mind. She wondered if Qui-Gon would continue to help her with meditation while they traveled to Naboo, or if the lesson was a one-time thing. With a small sigh, she closed her eyes and tried to refrain from thinking. She tried to focus on the sound of her breathing. A few moments passed and her stomach turned. Mari wanted to groan, and opened her eyes. It seemed her car-sickness extended to flying vehicles.

The Rodian driver landed on the Senate Platform. As the vehicle stopped her heart started galloping behind her ribs. Despite her attempts to relax, Mari found that she couldn't. She had a terrible feeling about all of this. Mari saw Obi-Wan look at her from the corner of her eye. They exited the shuttle and Mari almost tripped over her own feet while getting out of the vehicle.

She shivered and rubbed her upper arms as she gazed around the platform. Mari tried not to think about the fact that they were ridiculously high up and that if she tripped off the ledge she would be done for. How many people have fallen off these platforms…or have been pushed off…? Her nails dug into her skin.

"Master Qui Gon," Mari said, turning to look at the Jedi. She realized she had interrupted him and Obi-Wan. The Padawan's lips pursed. But she could not hesitate.

"Yes, Mari?" He was ever so patient with her.

An image popped into her mind. Qui-Gon fallen on his knees with a cauterized lightsaber wound in the center of his abdomen. She could almost hear Obi-Wan's scream ringing in her ears. The scene made her chest ache. The ever-present weight on her shoulders seemed heavier than usual. Mari tried her best to keep her emotions in check.

"This mission is dangerous. The Sith apprentice is assigned t-t-to" Seriously? Surely Sidious had already given Maul the order to kill the Queen. Her stomach swooped. She grimaced. "He is trained to kill Jedi." She hoped he understood what she was trying to insinuate.

"It is our duty to protect the Queen, Mari."

She swallowed. "I know. I understand that. But-"

"You must not focus on the possibilities of what could be." He softened his voice. "I understand your situation is unique, and that you are burdened by the knowledge you carry, however dwelling on the future will do nothing to quell your anxieties. You must keep your mind on the-"

"The here and now," she nodded. "I know."

"Remember Mari," Qui-Gon placed his hands on her shoulders in a gentle fashion. "Everything that happens is the will of the Force. There are no accidents, there are no coincidences, there is only the Force."

That did absolutely nothing to comfort her, but she didn't voice her thoughts. She didn't want to disappointment Qui-Gon. Not when time with him was so limited, if all went the same way as canon. Qui-Gon removed his hands from her shoulders and walked over to Obi-Wan, who stood several feet away facing the skyscrapers of Coruscant.

She sighed and crossed her arms against her chest. All Mari wanted was for everyone to live and Sidious to die. Why couldn't that be the will of the Force?

When she turned away from the Jedi, her jaw dropped. Next to the spacecraft they would be taking to Naboo was none other than the astromech R2-D2. Despite the poor mood she was in, Mari couldn't help but smile and march toward the droid. R2 turned his head as she approached. He beeped at her in question.

"Hi there," Mari said and crouched before the droid. "You must be R2-D2."

He beeped at her in what she suspected was surprise.

"Anakin told me about you. Little blond boy about this high up?" She held her hand up in the air.

R2 made a motion that resembled nodding and chirped.

"I'm Mari, it's nice to meet you, R2." She set a tentative hand on the dome that was his head. R2 whistled and Mari couldn't help but grin. Aww, he is so adorable.

Behind her a spacecraft was landing. Mari stood and turned to see two shuttles settle onto the dock. A breeze chilled her skin as the Queen of Naboo exited the shuttle. Among the group of people with her were her trusted handmaidens, guards, officers, and Captain Panaka. Mari couldn't help but cringe when she spotted Jar Jar following after them.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were standing and facing the entourage. The Queen approached them, her handmaidens following diligently after. Mari was a little too far away to properly hear what they were saying, but she had a good idea of what their discussion entailed. The conversation was short and within moments the Queen soon turned away and entered the transport.

As soon as the group had disappeared into the ship, Jar Jar hurried over to them. He jumped and shouted "Wesa goen home!"

My first time travelling in space and I have the share the shuttle with Jar Jar. Perfect.

"Come along, Mari."

She followed the Jedi into the spacecraft. Mari stayed close to them, not wanting to bump into anyone else and disturb them. Despite the gnawing feeling in her gut she couldn't help her burning curiosity. She was in a real spaceship. And they were going to go into freaking space. The more she thought about it the more excited she became. Mari had always dreamed of going to space as a child. And now it was actually going to come true.

"Whosa are yousa?"

Mari nearly jumped out of her skin at Jar Jar's sudden appearance behind her. She put a hand to her chest and turned to look up at him.

"I'm Mari." She said.

"Yousa Jedi too?"

"Uh, no. I'm a guest of the Jedi. What's your name?"

"Meesa Jar Jar Binks."

"It's nice to meet you, Jar Jar." She tried to smile, but she knew it fell flat.

Luckily for her, Jar Jar decided there were other people he would rather disturb, and took off. Mari couldn't help the sigh of relief. She wandered the halls of the ship until she found herself near a window. They were still in Coruscant's atmosphere, but were quickly approaching space. Her breath hitched.

She stared in awe and partial disbelief as they entered space. Her eyes widened. To think that she was gazing at a completely different set of stars was hard to comprehend. Out there were several planets inhabited by millions of lifeforms unlike anything she had ever seen. There was so much life in this galaxy. So many lives that will be snuffed out, so many Jedi that will be killed.

The pinpricks of light stretched as they entered hyperspace.

"Wow."

After a few minutes of staring aimlessly at hyperspace, Mari wandered the ship in search of a place to have a rest. She hadn't seen the Jedi or the handmaidens or guards since they entered the ship. It made her a bit uneasy. Intellectually she knew she wasn't alone on the transport but she felt like she was by herself.

A clanking sound made her pause. Mari frowned and turned to look behind her. There was no one there. She was frozen to the spot. Her eyes darted about, but nothing appeared out of place. Then again, she'd never been in a ship before, so how could she be sure?

Thud! Her eyes flickered over to what appeared to be a door. Mari's heart thumped in a wild rhythm as she approached it. Without thought, she raised her hand and gripped the cool handle. She pulled it open and stepped back.

She stared in disbelief.

Blue eyes looked up at her, fear and defiance clear from his body language. Still, Mari was having a hard time understanding how the hell Anakin Skywalker was in their ship.

"Anakin?!" She blurted out.

"I'm in trouble, aren't I?" He said from within what had to be a supply closet.

Mari gave him an incredulous look. She had to actively bite her lip to keep herself from speaking. The last thing she needed to do was say something that would push Anakin further toward the path of darkness and hatred. Instead she closed her eyes and sighed.

"Come on out, Anakin. I'm sure the supply closet isn't a comfortable place to be in."

He hurried out into the hall and she was able to get a better look at him. Anakin was dressed in a tan tunic and pair of pants with a leather belt and matching boots. His hair was much shorter than it had been earlier in the day.

"I have to tell Master Qui-Gon that you're here, Anakin." She said gently as they walked through the hall. "He's going to have to contact the Temple so that they know where you are."

Anakin sighed and pouted. "Okay."

"Anakin, I have to ask - why are you here? And how on Earth did you get here?"

He stopped in the middle of the hall and Mari turned to look at him.

"I just - I had to say goodbye to Padme. I didn't mean to stow away - not really. But when I was on the platform I couldn't find her!"

Mari frowned. "Where on the platform were you? I didn't see you… and how did you get there?"

"I was hiding." He said, as if this was obvious. Mari could almost hear the implied duh. "And, well - I was kind of on the back of the shuttle."

"You were WHAT?" How had no one seen him on the back of the shuttle? Had he used some aspect of the Force to not be noticed? What if he had fallen off? He could have killed himself! All of this to see Padme one more time? He hadn't done anything remotely stupid like that in the Phantom Menace. Although technically she supposed he had said goodbye to Padme even if he didn't know it. But what made him risk his life to see her this time? What had changed?

"I didn't get hurt!" Anakin said. As if that was supposed to make her feel any better.

Take a deep breath.

"Okay. You're right. You didn't get hurt. But what on Earth were you planning on doing after saying goodbye to Padme? How were you going to get back to the Temple?"

"I didn't think about that."

That much was obvious to Mari.

"Okay, okay. Let's go find Qui-Gon and tell him you're here."

To say that people were surprised about Anakin's presence was an understatement. Both Jedi had been surprised, eyebrows nearly to their hairline, and had given one another a significant look. Mari explained the situation to the Jedi and tried to hint that this was entirely unanticipated. She hoped they understood that she had no clue this was going to happen. But Mari couldn't talk about future events and timeline changes with Anakin in the room.

"You should not have come here, Anakin." Qui-Gon said. Mari saw Anakin visibly deflate. "I will have to inform the Council of your presence here."

"I'm sorry Master Qui-Gon." Anakin looked down at the floor. The Jedi placed a hand on Anakin's shoulder.

"It is in the past, Anakin. However, in the future, I advise that you do not ride on the back of vehicles on your own." Anakin nodded and Qui-Gon stepped away.

"I will have to inform the Queen and her guards that you are here. I do not anticipate they will be pleased with this news."

Mari noticed Anakin's head was still down and she set a gentle hand on his shoulder. She wasn't the best at comforting people, but she tried with all her might to exude comfort and warmth for his sake.

"Master Qui-Gon," she said. "Anakin would like to speak with Padme. Can we come along?"

At the sound of her name Anakin immediately perked up. He looked up at Qui-Gon, his eyes pleading. Qui-Gon stroked his beard, but Mari swore he was trying to hide a smile.

"I suppose there is no harm in that. Come along."

The four of them travelled down one level and approached what had to be the Queen's quarters. There were guards posted by the door. Qui-Gon informed them of their situation and that he wished the Queen to be informed prior to their meeting. The guards looked at Anakin, who seemed to shrink by Mari's side.

"The boy wishes to speak with the handmaiden Padme." Qui Gon said, taking their attention away from Anakin for the moment.

"We will have to ask the Queen if the handmaiden is available to speak." Said the guard. They waited outside the Queen's chambers for the guard to return. If Mari was remembering things right, the meeting Qui-Gon was to attend was with Padme and not the decoy. Which meant that Padme was probably busy getting into her royal garb. Unless the butterfly effect is in place.

"The handmaiden Padme is not available at this time." The guard said as he returned from the chambers. Anakin deflated further. Qui-Gon gave him a sympathetic look and then faced the guards again.

"Is the Queen ready for our meeting?"

"Yes."

Qui-Gon turned to Mari and Anakin. "We must attend this meeting. Mari, I trust you will keep Anakin company."

"Of course, Master Qui-Gon." Mari said.

He offered them a quick smile before entering the Queen's quarters with Obi-Wan by his side. The doors closed and they were left on their own. Mari looked to Anakin.

"Want to explore?"

Anakin gave a small smile and nodded.

She was exhausted. Mari shouldn't have been surprised. After their conversation with Qui-Gon, Anakin and Mari had gone exploring, with Anakin telling her about the model of the ship as they wandered. The boy had a ridiculous amount of energy. It didn't help that Mari was out of shape.

Mari was grateful for the distraction. She had been on edge since they left the Temple. But now that Anakin had gone to rest in one of the rooms, Mari was left alone with her thoughts. She was slumped in a seat and stretched her tired limbs. All attempts to sleep had failed. Her brain simply refused to power down and allow her any rest. There was nothing to do in hyperspace other than avoiding Jar Jar at all costs. Mari looked down at her hands.

Well, there was something she could try to do…

It was something she had been afraid to even attempt. She had only used the Force once. That was a moment she had been unprepared for. It didn't even seem possible that she would be able to catch Obi-Wan off guard and Force push him to the ground. Yet, it happened. In that moment she had no control. She had been so lost and confused.

Now was her last chance. Mari shut her eyes as regret built within her. When she left the Halls of Healing, she could have prepared herself for the inevitable confrontation with Maul. Instead what had she done? Mari did what she always did. She wasted her damn time. Precious minutes that could have been used to - to…

To what?

Staring down at her hands she scoffed. She was being an idiot. Even if she had several days to prepare, it would be unlikely that she could teach herself to do more than another weak Force push.

Focus on the present. Let go of the past. It's not like I can change it anyway. I can only move forward.

She let out a long breath and attempted to relax. To let go.

I can do this.

Mari opened her eyes again, this time feeling determined. This time she wasn't going to mope around. She wasn't going to allow herself to get trapped in an endless loop of what-ifs. This was her moment to act. She obviously couldn't become a Jedi overnight. That was ridiculous. But, if she could at least teach herself something that would allow Qui-Gon an extra moment against Maul, then in her mind she will have succeeded.

She glanced around the room. All it contained were seats and a dejarik table. So, she took off her shoe and tossed it a few feet away. Despite the room being empty, she took a quick look around anyway to make sure she was alone. Mari lifted her arm and reached toward the shoe. She felt slightly ridiculous, but pushed those thoughts away. This is serious. I have to do something. She tried to will the object into her hands. Her brows furrowed and lips thinned in concentration.

Please.

Her hand trembled in the air. She wanted it to fly into her hand. No, she needed it to. Not out of a childish desire to live out a fantasy, no. Mari refused to stand by and do nothing if the others needed help.

Imagine the shoe is Maul's lightsaber. He is about to strike down Qui-Gon. Focus.

She could see him in her mind's eye. His irises seething yellow and double-ended lightsaber poised to strike. The fact that he was a real person, an actual being that existed, made her stomach lurch. Her arm grew tired. She stared hard at the shoe, willing it to move.

Nothing. She dropped her arm. The shoe remained in place. Mari tried to squash down her frustration and disappointment. She had to be positive and believe in herself. It wasn't impossible. She couldn't give up.

An hour later and Mari was still in the same position. Arm raised, eyes squeezed shut, and brows furrowed. She was beyond tired. But she couldn't give up. Mari could visualize the shoe in her mind. It was there, so close, in the same position it had been in. Her body swayed a bit. She took in a deep breath.

"What are you doing?"

Mari flinched and yelped in fear. Her eyes shot open. Obi-Wan stood before her. His arms were crossed and there was a disapproving look on his face. She felt her cheeks heat up. The last thing she had wanted was to be caught, especially by Kenobi.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" She said, crossing her own arms.

His eyes flickered down to the shoe, then to her foot, and back to her face.

"I had thought it was made clear that you are not to be trained."

"Well, technically I'm not being trained." She couldn't keep the bitterness from her voice. "Just attempting to make a childhood fantasy come true."

She looked down at the shoe in disappointment and froze. Obi-Wan spoke, but she didn't hear him.

It had moved. Her shoe had flopped to its side. Mari felt a wave of unease. It hadn't been in that position before Obi-Wan showed up. It wasn't until he scared her with his presence that -

Her stomach dropped. The world around her grew fuzzy.

She had only succeeded when she felt fear.

Fear leads to the dark side.

"Maria?"

The static in her ears faded as she looked up at Obi-Wan. Her heart refused to stop rattling her rib cage.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

He gave her a look she couldn't decipher and then shook his head. "You ought to get some rest while you still can. We will soon reach Naboo."

Obi-Wan left Mari alone in the room with only her shoe and her thoughts. What had Obi-Wan said? Mari hoped it hadn't been important. She slumped back in the chair and stared at the fallen shoe. Worry rose to the surface once more, and she gnawed at her bottom lip. I have a bad feeling about this.

Thanks to everyone who has followed and favorited! I'm anticipating the next update will be next month. Let me know what you think. Take care!

-notfrosen