Chapter 9

A little while after Shmi and Depa's conversation Anakin looks up at his big sister.

"Arlie, I don't understand. My dream was right coz you showed up but it was wrong coz we weren't attacked." He says, she smiles kindly at him.

"Visions of a possible future are not uncommon amongst force-sensitive beings like you. But that's what they are, possible futures. The future is always in motion, that means that even if you see it, it may not happen." Arlie replies, she thinks Yoda would be proud of her for that one.

"So I shouldn't listen to them, but what if they are right? What if something bad is gonna happen, shouldn't I stop it?"

"And what if in trying to stop it you make it happen?" Anakin looks stumped. "Do you know what instincts are?" He nods, "I always think of it like that. The force's instincts tell it that something may go bad so it shows you to warn you just like Mum may warn you when her instincts tell her the same thing. How you react to that warning is up to you, it is wise to take it into consideration and remember the warning, but it is not wise to allow the vision to dictate your every move."

"So you havta find a middle?" Anakin asks her, she nods.

"Many Jedi struggle to find a balance, but there will always be those to help guide you as you work it out for yourself."

"I think I understand now." He replies happily.

"Please go on teaching rotation." Depa requests, Arlie laughs just as Obi-Wan exits the cockpit, why he was even in there Arl has no idea given the autopilot is on.

"So, it wasn't the connection that was the problem. Something is wrong with the midichlorian metre itself." He tells them.

"What do you mean?" Arlie asks, Obi shuffles awkwardly on his feet.

"Well the readings were just a bunch of zeros but we know you are not force null, no one is that force null. So, either the metre is broken or your count is too high for it to count." Obi says.

"Well then, we'll get it fixed when we get back, it's not like I need to know my count anyway." Arlie reminds him, he perks up a bit.

"What are you doing Ani?" Obi asks the child who immediately restarts the explanation he had been giving Arlie.

The next two days were interesting.

Finally they landed on Coruscant, but true to sibling form, Arlie and Ani were arguing.

"I didn't do it!" Anakin says as they walk off of the ship, Mace, Micah, Garen, Yoda, Qui-Gon and Xanatos waiting for them.

"Well no one else would have and you were playing with it."

"Was not."

"Were too."

"Was not."

"Were too."

"Children! Separate." Shmi orders as she stands at the top of the ramp with her arms crossed, Arlie and Anakin both immediately step away from each other. Depa walks out next smirking as she carries Anakin's bag.

"Hey kid, instead of arguing with your sister come help with your droid." Obi yells from inside the ship, Anakin goes running back in.

"Arlie are you tormenting your brother already?" Micah asks teasingly, Arl glares at him.

"He started it." She mutters but quickly stops pouting when her Mother sends her a disapproving look. "Right, Mum this is Masters Yoda, Windu, Giiett, and Jinn and Padawans Du Crion and Muln. Masters, this is my mother, Shmi Skywalker."

"Lady Skywalker, it's an honour to finally meet you." Mace says bowing to her, she looks a little uncomfortable, certainly not used to this treatment but she smiles and awkwardly bows back.

"And you Master Windu, I have heard quite a bit about you, all of you actually, over the last two days. I really appreciate everything you have done for Arleia." Shmi says earning confused looks from everyone but Garen.

"Arleia?" Micah asks Arlie who has the decency to look mildly sheepish at least.

"Arlieeeeeeee." Two voices call from inside the ship.

"I got this, you go find out what they broke." Depa says, she smiles in thanks before running in.

"Well you two are getting along well." Mace says earning a wicked smile from his former Padawan.

"Yes, we've been exchanging Padawan stories." She replies innocently, Mace's hand twitches as he fights off the urge to run a hand over his face. "I am glad to see you are doing better Xan, where is your Master?"

"He and Master Tahl have been buried under books and research papers since you left. If not for Bant and Master Windu I doubt they'd have eaten." Xanatos replies.

"And on this day, no one was surprised." Arl says walking back out from the ship, Obi and Ani in tow and threepio along with his loose parts floating in front of them in a purple hue. "Hello Saviour." Arl says with a smile as she runs forth and hugs him, he laughs and hugs her back.

"I feel as though I should be calling you that." He says with a smile.

"Maybe wait til I actually save you first." She replies with a sad smile. Arlie's comm begins chiming, she apologises to her company as she answers it seeing it is Dooku. "Master Dooku, we've arrived back."

"Brilliant, we need your help. Any chance you speak a rare variant of what is either the Ancient Language of the Jedi or Old Sith." The Jedi present look interested and confused at the statement.

"Those two are really quite different Doo." Arl replies looking just confused as the others.

"Yes, I realise that thank you Arl, would you just get down here assuming your sass level is not currently too great to fit through a doorway?" Dooku replies sassily, Mace looks like he's about to piss himself laughing at Arlie's dumbfounded but amused expression as she regards her comm.

"Yes of course my dear thoroughly disciplined and esteemed diplomatic Jedi partner." Arlie says still amusedly shocked.

"If you two are done would you get her down here before I shred this force forsaken page?" Tahl asks in the back ground followed by, "Bant, that's not your food, that is the ancient text we are studying that has been protected in these archives for hundreds of years, do. Not. Bite it!" Mace loses his shit laughing, very unlike him and so earns him some shocked looks but really how else was one supposed to respond to such a statement being said so seriously?

"Okay, I will come down assuming Bant goes and naps." Arlie says ending the call. "So, I am going to go find out what in all the bleeding hells those three have found, will you two be okay? I will come by as soon as I can." She says looking to her mother, her brother grumpily runs up to her.

"Can I come with you?" He asks latching onto her waist and putting his head on her chest.

"Anakin, you and mum are going to get a tour and settle in and…" Arlie begins to say when Yoda shakes his head.

"Go with you perhaps he should. Much to discuss we have with Lady Skywalker." Yoda says, Arlie fights the urge to narrow her eyes at him though does regard him with an unhappy kind of aura.

"Garen, you and Obi-Wan collectively know about as much as I do of the situation, how about the two of you sit in on these discussions to help out?" She suggests knowing the two will not allow her Mother to be needlessly interrogated about subjects she'd rather not be.

"I may know more." Xanatos adds but Arlie shakes her head.

"I do not wish to put you through that Xan."

"I'll be fine, plus I would like a chance to get to know the woman who raised such an amazing young lady." Xanatos says all innocent grins, Arl mock glares at him.

"You are just hoping she has embarrassing stories of me."

"Would I do that?"

"Yes, mainly because I did the same by asking Qui."

"Sounds like you may deserve it then Arleia." Shmi adds with a smile. "I would prefer Ani stay with me if that is all right." Yoda bows his consent and Arlie smiles, happy the troll was accepting her choice.

"You know Lady Skywalker, Xanatos and I have a lot we could share with you as well." Garen adds holding his arm out for her to take, she does with a smile as she recognises this boy as her daughter's best friend she had spoken about, and Xanatos as her other close friend.

"There is very little you could tell each other, it's fine." Arlie says walking away to the library.

When she arrives, she finds Bant asleep slumped on the table, Tahl leaning back in her chair with her hands over her eyes and Dooku staring defeatedly at the ancient script he mentioned. Arl smiles at the picture the three give and takes a holo with her comm, very glad she gave the suggestion for such a thing to be added. She then heads straight over to the material Dooku is now glaring at like it offended the entirety of his lineage, she does not bother with introductions before subjecting it to her scrutiny.

ndị nwere nke a aru

nwere e outlawed kemgbe e kere anyị hụrụ n'anya ka. Onye Okike, ọ si mesoo ya na ya na ị na chere na ọ obi na nnọọ erubeghị uche nke ike na usoro ebumpụta ụwa nke ihe. lasasịa a nwere spirit onye nanị nwere adọwa ya site mmadụ bi ahu. mgbe dispersion mkpụrụ obi nwere ike ma na-rekasịrị ma ọ bụ na ọ nwere ike dị. mkpụrụ obi dsintegration bụ naanị a completable feat maka kere Otú ọ dị ka nwere a spirit niile otu ga-eme bụ uche ya na na collection, anyị na-achọ gị chi gị ego.

"Dooku, you've no idea what you have found. This text, I believe it to be the language used when the Jedi and the Sith were one force worshipping cult." Arlie tells him, he and Tahl listen closely, both moving closer in to listen to her.

"I did not know we had artefacts dating back that far." Dooku says, Tahl shakes her head.

"We do not, this is not that old, a few hundred years maximum."

"Indeed, so how did someone a few hundred years ago know a language that would have been outdated fifteen thousand years before they were born?" Arlie asks, the three stare intently at the paper before them, honest to god PAPER, not flimsiplast.

"Can you read it?" Tahl questions her, Arl bites her lip in uncertainty, a habit that always seems to return in childhood no matter how many times she loses it throughout her teenaged years.

(That should not be a sentence that makes sense, what is my life?) she thinks amusedly, "No, well, I can't understand the language fluently but if you look at the similarities between Old Sith and Ancient Jedi those first two words would mean Body possession. Or more accurately something along the lines of 'the possessing of a body' but I'd have to work with it closely. To tell you the truth, mastering ancient languages is not something I have put a lot of effort into, much as I love historical research, I've not had a lot of time for it in recent years." Arl admits, Dooku looks thoughtful.

"I may be able to, I have worked a lot with both languages. It is an odd mix but I do see how Arlie translated the beginning. Unfortunately, we've that trip to Telos IV to complete so this may have to wait until we return." Dooku says looking positively heartbroken at the concept of this being left untranslated for possibly a few weeks.

"If you delay for a few days, give me a starting point on this I may be able to complete the translation while the two of you investigate the bombings." Tahl tells them, Dooku looks to Arlie like a child who had requested five more minutes before bed time.

"Okay first of all, that is adorable. Second, having a few days to help settle my family in and work on this would be ideal, but the longer we wait the more likely news of our impending reinvestigation could get back to Wrath and he can destroy any evidence. Tahl, try your hand at translating it while we are away however we all need to leave it alone tonight. You'll get nowhere if you are tired and hungry. Dooku, you, Vos, and I will leave at 7th hour tomorrow so I suggest you spend some time with your Padawan. We'll puzzle it out when we get back, however if there is anything in particular you cannot get or need clarification on, you can always comm us." Arl says to Tahl who nods in agreement, Dooku looks unhappy but seems to agree.

Arlie invites Dooku to the dinner that was planned in her absence in Mace's quarters with Micah, Garen, Shmi, Ani, Xanatos, Depa, Qui-Gon, Obi and now Dooku.

Arlie and Dooku both head to her quarters as Arlie pesters Dooku for information regarding his date.

"How was it? Did you find the book? Did she like it?" Arlie asks smirking, he rolls his eyes and lets loose a long-suffering sigh.

"It was good, yes I found the book, and she loved it. Thank you for the suggestion, now quit pestering me." She laughs excitedly.

"But it is so much fun! Plus, either this didn't happen last time or you did not share it with me so it is one of the few things I know nothing about with everyone here." Arl complains, Dooku's expression softens fractionally, not that anyone but her, Qui-Gon, and perhaps Xan would be able to notice.

"I'll admit, I had not thought of that, but I could just as easily pester you about your love life."

"I have no love life for you to pester me about."

"Oh, I don't know about that, Garen, Xanatos, plus your weirdness around Padawan's Bellan and Reeft." Dooku says with a mocking grin rarely seen by others, she knew it well. He mocked her often, the bastard.

"I do not know what you mean." She replies, he smirks.

"Sure you don't." He says as they walk in through the open door.

"You should keep your nose out of other people's business." She says unhappily, he laughs outright.

"Coming from you that is rich my dear fellow Jedi Master."

"Oh, shut it." She replies playfully shoving him and laughing.

"That's still weird." Garen mutters, Arlie turns and sees everyone already sitting around the dining room table she had honestly forgotten they owned. "Master Dooku has a laugh." Micah hides a laugh behind his hand, Dooku smiles indulgently at the boy.

"Brat." He says with no malice, Garen grins happily.

"So how did the weird language go?" Depa asks in an attempt to change the subject, Dooku pouts, Arl rolls her eyes.

"You are honestly a child." She tells him, he whines.

"But you are making me wait weeks possibly months to translate such a beautiful text!" He complains.

"Oh stop exaggerating, it's a few days, possibly a week or two. Tell you what, finish the investigation quickly and you can translate to your little hearts content." Dooku huffs and takes a seat between Qui-Gon and Xanatos. Arl chuckles at him, "It appears to be some odd mix of The Ancient Language and Old Sith. It's definitely about body possession but it will take a while to fully translate. Tahl is going to work on it while we are gone but there will likely be little process until we return." She explains.

"But if you know both languages, can't you just smush them together and read it?" Garen asks looking confused, this was really not his strong point.

"Is smush the technical term?" Obi asks earning a bread roll thrown at him.

"Padawan, do not start a food war again or you will be cleaning this entire apartment top to bottom with a tooth brush." Mace tells him, everyone besides Mic, Arlie, Shmi, and Ani look slightly worried between Micah and Mace at the words. The two worked closely with each other's students but such a reprimand was another level usually frowned upon by other Masters. Micah just looks unimpressed at his Padawan who ducks his head under the disapproving look from both Masters.

"Sorry Masters." Garen says chastised, Arlie hides her laugh with a cough, badly.

"No, we can't do that. It mixes the words together but there are also others we do not know at all." Arlie tells him.

"That and words change meaning over time or could mean two things. It can be a complicated process, we are lucky to have a good grounding in the two other languages or it could take months or even years to get a fluent understanding of the base language. It still might but luckily we do not need fluency to translate the document." Dooku adds, Garen and Obi look thoughtful.

"Well languages sound boring to learn. Especially old ones." Obi says, Arl chokes on her food as Qui-Gon admonishes his Padawan. Arlie just laughs, hard, as she thinks of the wizard at languages he became in the other timeline and wonders if he will again. Garen seems to agree with Obi-Wan's statement but wisely does not say so.

"Obi, Garen, would you be willing to let me teach you another language? Guaranteed fluency in three months for Obi-Wan, gods know with Garen but I promise it'll be interesting?" Arl says, both boys exchange looks and look uneasy.

"Which language?" Garen asks cautiously, the others look interested in what she might say.

"I was thinking one of the native languages of Naboo? Whether Nubian or Gungan it would be your choice. Or another language, I know many. Or I could teach you a language no one else in the order will know but you'll have little basis for it." Arlie offers, Obi-s eyes light up momentarily.

"You could teach me Nubian?" Obi-Wan asks feigning a lack of interest, Garen has caught his hidden enthusiasm and rolls his eyes before looking to Arlie.

"Oh! I really want to learn Nubian, can we Arls?" Garen asks faking excitement knowing his friend won't make the request he clearly wants to, Arl smiles glad he caught on.

"Yeah, soon as I get back and we've translated the text. Oh, speaking of teaching people things, some of the younglings from the creche asked if I could teach them how to spar. I said I would ask and that should their Teaching Masters be all right with it I'd be happy to, seeing as we are working closely now, would that bother you?" Arl asks Dooku who smiles at her, Mace and Micah exchange looks, happy that she's working well with Dooku. Arl could, on occasion, be not so great at the whole 'team player' thing.

"Not at all, however I would be interested in sitting in on those lessons, if you would not mind that is?" Dooku asks, Arl smiles blindingly.

"That would be awesome!" Arl says excitedly, no one is quite sure what landmine Dooku just hit but it seemed to be a good one.

"If you are interested in teaching Arlie, I believe some of the Masters directly in the whole Sith situation could benefit from your instruction. I fear the Sith's abilities may be beyond ours." Depa suggests, Mace and Micah nod in agreement as does Qui-Gon.

"And the Padawans involved." Qui adds looking between Garen, Obi, and Xanatos the latter of which shakes his head.

"Not me, bad idea. The last thing we need is me holding my own in a fight against Arl let alone beating the pants off the average Jedi." Xanatos says, Anakin looks confused.

"Why?" He asks, Xanatos falters slightly.

"My apologies, my son is not the greatest at reading the room." Shmi says immediately ducking her head. Somewhere, Garen thinks he recognises the action.

"No, it is fine really, a valid question. Jedi should always question things." Xanatos says uncomfortably but smiles reassuringly at both mother and child.

"You do make a good point though. Shielding you should get instruction on from Arlie." Micah suggests.

"Something again that Masters involved with Sith should learn." Depa adds then looks thoughtful, "Actually all should. Okay I will sort out a plan but if you are willing Master Aa, you could teach the shielding to the core group that needs it desperately, preferably you do one on one with Xanatos for obvious reasons but general instruction for the rest of us. From there those Masters can be put on a teaching rotation to teach others." Arlie nods.

"Sounds like a good plan."

"Any other wisdom you feel the need to pass on?" Garen asks, Arlie nods.

"Yes actually, I would like to try and teach a hand full of healers to heal using force-magic. I realise that a few on the council may have an issue with others in the order using that but it would only be healing and only because it works a lot better than your standard force-enhanced healing." Arlie says.

"We can bring it up with the council but ultimately the decision on that will be the entire councils prerogative." Mace tells her, she nods.

"I do not know much about the situation but, there are those in slavery who are force-sensitive as Anakin is. I know some who have come across odd contraptions that they say blocks their abilities. If such a thing exists, perhaps your fellow Jedi should all learn the basics of healing without the force as well should they ever find themselves in such a situation." Shmi suggests looking apprehensive at suggesting it.

"That is actually a brilliant idea, force-inhibitors are a bitch." Arl says a sentiment a few others agree on.

"Hold on, 1, how do you know that and 2, how did slavers get force inhibitors?" Mace asks looking severely bothered by both.

"An old owner of mine somehow got his hands on one. I never found out how, he went missing." Arlie tells them, they all exchange looks.

"When you say went missing…" Micah hesitantly asks, Arl looks conflicted.

"Well, he had a hand on my wrist and a blaster pointed at a friend of mine, I transported him elsewhere and…I actually do not remember what happened next but he never turned up again." Arlie tells them with a pointed look to her Masters that they should ask her about what really happened later.

"When exactly did this happen?" Mace asks looking to be getting a headache, Arl hesitates, Mace freezes realising his mistake. "I just mean, which owner did you have at the time? We should make sure there are no others with the people he worked around or any associates." Arl glanced worriedly at her mother.

"Um, well he owns a freighter so there are a lot of associates. I do not know a name." Arlie says clinically as her mother's breath catches momentarily. "He may not have them yet. I mean anymore but like he may get them again but for now he may not have them yet." Arlie stutters dumbly.

"We can deal with this later, for now Shmi's suggestion is a good one however, our healers are not well versed in non-force healing." Micah tells them, Arl perks up.

"Mum is though, she was bought and given medical training so that she could be sold as a healer to remote areas. Good money in that area for slavers." Arl says the last part offhandedly earning a reprimanding look from both her former Masters, her sister-padawan, and her mother. "Sorry." She says.

"The point stands though, the previous one that is." Dooku says, Mace nods.

"Would you be willing to instruct a few of us? We would compensate you of course." Mace requests Shmi who looks delighted at not sitting around idly.

"It would be my pleasure Master Jedi." She says, Mace gives her an unimpressed look that makes Shmi smile sheepishly, "Mace." She corrects. Arlie thinks they must have had this discussion while she was in the library. "So, Arlie, where are you going? A trip of yours has been mentioned a few times."

"Yes, Master Dooku and I are going to investigate some bombings." Arlie tells her mother.

"When was this decided, I mean we talked about you guys going back but I was not aware you were officially being sent?" Xanatos says having not heard about this before.

"While you were…not feeling like yourself." Arl says lamely, Xan ducks his head awkwardly.

"Anyway, the investigation is half over so we should not be long." Dooku tells both Xanatos and Shmi. "However, Knight Vos will be with her so should I need to, I can be back in a few hours." Xan smiles at his Master.

"Investigations, ancient texts, teaching several different things. You seem to be on high demand sweetheart." Shmi says smiling at her, face filled with pride.

"I just try to help out however I can." Arlie replies with a smile she uses to placate politicians and press when forced to.

"That and you are just about the most useful person in this order." Garen says, Arl glares at him.

"Now that is just simply not true."

"Name one person more useful."

"Jale Terza."

"…Name two."

"Jey-Sahl Penn."

"…"

"Both of you stop. I swear to gods you are both acting like children, now we have guests, behave." Mace tells them both in the voice they know means they are embarrassing him in front of important people.

"Sorry Master." They both reply chastised.

"What do you do when you aren't workin?" Ani asks curiously.

"Well, Padawans have classes as well as the training their Master sets, but otherwise just spending time relaxing or with friends." Obi-Wan tells the little boy.

"Padawans relaxing when not working, now that's something Mace never learnt." Qui-Gon says with an amused look directed to the beforementioned Jedi Master, Mace ducks his head.

"What do you mean?" Depa asks interestedly.

"Well when your former Master was a Padawan, I was a young Knight." Qui begins.

"Wow that was a long time ago." Xanatos says before his eyes widen and he slaps a hand over his mouth now blushing, Dooku chuckles.

"I think I should be more offended than you Qui-Gon." Dooku says with a smile, Qui is just smiling like he doesn't know whether to be annoyed or amused. "Master Windu did not like being idle." He adds retuning to the topic at hand.

"Oh my gods, I completely forgot about that. When he was a teenager, about fifteen I think, Yoda was just about pulling out hair he doesn't have trying to wrangle him." Micah says thinking back.

"You know I forget sometimes that you aren't all the same age. Winni is what, like a couple of decades younger than you and Qui?" Arlie asks smiling, Mic nods.

"Twenty years yes." Qui-Gon tells her.

"That would have been the year of the great prank war wouldn't it?" Dooku questions, Mic nods.

"Right which was a year or two after the water fight in the palace on Mandalore." Qui-Gon adds.

"And a year before the food war in the mess which was within a week I think, or maybe it was a month, of the paint war in the senate dome." Micah comments, Arlie, Garen and Depa look with wide and in Garen's case impressed, in Depa's scandalized eyes.

"Master?" All three ask at the exact same time, Mace stays quite for a moment before blurting out…

"Adi started the food fight!" All Padawans present piss themselves laughing just as said Master enters the room, seeing her being what reminded Mace of that.

"What? The one in the mess when we were…sixteenish?" Adi asks they nod, "Yeah that was me." She says with a proud smile.

"Oh yeah, now you admit it." Mace complains emphasising the now.

"Sorry I am so late, there was a fire in the hanger bay and my ship could not land." Adi says having been invited to the dinner.

"That's all right, no one has really gotten around to eating yet." Micah says prompting everyone to realise their full plates are still in front of them, except Anakin and Garen, they ate it all quickly and have both been picking food off of Arlie since she was sat between them.

"Okay, Prank war, water fight, food fight, paint war, stories?" Arlie requests as she fends off her brother-padawan from stealing her vegetables since he already took the meat. "You know you could just get seconds." Arlie tells Garen already refilling Anakin's plate. The little boy looked around the table shocked at having a second plate of food. "It's all right Ani, we have plenty more." She reassures him cursing herself for forgetting he only left Tatooine a few days ago and spent all but a few hours of that on a tiny ship. Anakin got a nod from his mother before saying thank you and smiling wide as he began devouring that plate as well.

"But it is so much more fun to annoy you." Garen whinges, Arlie pokes him with her knife, he blocks it with his own and then a knife/sword fight ensued. Xanatos, who was next to Garen, grabbed his fork and used the prongs to trap both blades.

"Not at the table." He tells them, they retract their knives and go back to eating, Garen happily returning to his plate and thanking Mic who had refilled it from across the table when he wasn't looking. "So, stories." He says with a mischievous look that no one had seen since before he fell.

"Oh he was so embarrassing to have been affiliated with." Adi tells them, Mace glares at her.

"You were right there along with me."

"Because you dragged me! Remember before the senate dome when I said, we shouldn't do this Mace and you said, it'll be fine, we won't get caught. Then I said, how do you even know how to make paint guns and you said you and your brother have paint wars every time you visit and I said well bring him then I don't want to, to which you picked me up and carried me in?" Adi reminds him, he smiles and chuckles.

"Oh yeah." He says, Arlie squeal laughs in a way only Dooku has heard in this timeline.

"Ugh not the squealing again." He complained but she had lost it and sounded like a squirrel who was watching bloopers of clown school.

"She used to do this at the littlest of things when she was little." Shmi reveals as they all watch the usually stoic or annoyed Jedi knight squeak laughing and rocking in her chair while struggling to breath and going red in the face.

"So while that happens, did you get caught?" Obi asks curiously.

"Of course we did we drowned a bunch of senators in paint, had to clean the entire senate dome on our own. Secretly though I think both our Masters thought it hilarious though they would never admit it and were rightfully furious. I think the part they thought was funny wasn't so much us dropping paint from the ceiling as it was having left balloons of paint and paint guns in the circles so the senators themselves started firing on each other." Mace says with a chuckle, Arl, who had just calmed down, held her breath to keep from laughing again, it did not work.

"And she's off again." Garen says smiling wide.

"What happened with the water fight?" Xanatos asks smiling just as much.

"Ah, well, Master Yoda was under the impression that I was a tad insubordinate at times but a well behaved Padawan none the less and sent me with the newly knighted Qui-Gon, just a routine catch up to ensure relations between Mandalore and the Republic were to their satisfaction as was done in those days." Mace begins to say.

"We are not supposed to talk about what happened but as it turns out, water on Mandalore has some kind of contaminate that is not harmful to anyone who is not expressly allergic to it in which case their water must be filtered. The Duchess of Mandalore at the time, was allergic." Qui tells them, Mace smiles sheepishly. "I wish I could say Mace didn't know that." He adds, everyone looks shocked at Mace.

"It wasn't my fault! You said sometimes people lie about stuff in politics, I thought it was weird that the ruler would be allergic to water, why would you stay there? So I wanted to check. Turns out, not lying. Also, nearly killing the Duchess is enough to get yourself a life time banishment from the planet." Mace tells them all looking like he deeply regrets the last part.

"On the bright side, due to his stellar recovering of those events, Qui-Gon is well respected on the planet." Dooku adds having been told by Qui-Gon a long time ago.

"Well, this has been fun but I should get the little one to bed." Shmi says after a few moments of impressed silence follows Dooku's statement. Anakin had fallen asleep against Arlie who was cradling her little brother.

The whole dinner broke up soon after, Depa promising to work out some kind of scheduling for lessons on things and also that Arlie could still teach the younglings from the creche to spar.

Arlie lays in bed that night, Garen snoring on the cot now set up in her room beside her bed, and she smiles as she begins to fall asleep. Then she frowns, then groans and gets up, heading down to the library to begin translating the ancient text.