19/01/06 - edited version
Chapter 11
Slowly Obi-Wan woke up, carefully trying to take in his surroundings. He sensed the remains of the sedative which he had already metabolized. His plan had worked well enough; he ly had felt Jango from behind but had ignored him to get captured, and while his captors had presumed him unconscious, he had fought the drug in his bloodstream. Carefully, he tried to access the Force and, despite the Force inhibitor around his neck, he felt it faintly. He examined the collar and sighed with relief; this was one of the older models, not comparable with the ones used during the Clone Wars, so it shouldn't be too difficult to open its lock when he was ready to make his escape.
He was in a cave, secured with his wrists behind his back which gave him a sufficient angle to move; they had underestimated his capabilities. Behind his him, he heard someone pacing back and forth, and simulating a state of delirium; he cautiously turned around with his eyes closed and moaned as if in pain. The figure moved beside him, touching his forehead to check on him when another man entered.
"He will be out for at least two more hours," he heard the latter say and recognized Jango Fett's voice. "I have to contact our client to ask him what we're supposed to do with him."
Obi-Wan heard the comm-unit beeping and establishing a connection. It seemed as if this plan was working brilliantly; he was convinced to hear Palpatine's voice next. Although he had reminded Qui-Gon not to assume anything, he was sure that the Dark Lord had to be behind this plot, yet he was all the more astonished at hearing an unknown voice answering the call.
"What is it, Jango?"
"We've been able to capture one of the Jedi, My Lord," Jango replied. "What are we supposed to do with him?"
"Is it the Master or the apprentice?" the voice asked.
"He has this laughable braid tangling around his ear, so I assume he is the apprentice," Jango answered.
The voice laughed maliciously. "Yes, that's right; I'd say you wouldn't have been able to capture a fully trained Jedi Master anyway. So secure this one; we'll need him later, and find his Master."
"And what shall we do with the other one after we have found him?"
"Kill him; we don't need Qui-Gon Jinn, so find a solution to wipe him out. But be cautious, it won't be as easy as capturing the apprentice was. And don't let Padawan Kenobi escape; we want to interrogate him later. Perhaps he has vital information, and. . ." Obi-wan almost saw the smug face of the client. "It should be fun to break him, or even turn him."
"And what about our other orders concerning the election?"
"After you've killed the Master, you shall proceed with the original plan. But don't forget, you have to wait until the election is finished, and don't do anything which could lead to Governor Palpatine's entourage."
Obi-Wan frowned; who was this man? He had to be a Sith, because, in the transmission, Obi-Wan was able to sense the darkness. He was sure that Governor Palpatine was behind this plot, but the information wasn't enough to prove it, and why should Jango wait until after the elections to take action? What was the Dark Lord planning to do?
Another thought came into Obi-Wan's mind; what if in this reality the Master wasn't Palpatine but someone in his entourage, as there was no proof that the Governor himself was involved?
But the information had to be sufficient; he couldn't risk meeting the Sith Lord himself because, in interrogation, it would be almost impossible to maintain his Padawan facade. Even if the Sith Lord wouldn't arrive soon, he needed to warn Qui-Gon. He knew Jango's astonishing abilities all too well, and he wouldn't let Qui-Gon get killed even sooner than the last time.
Jango had finished the transmission and turned towards the other bounty hunter.
"You heard what he said; you will keep an eye on this apprentice here, and we will look after the Master. You shouldn't have a problem with this task, as he will sleep at least two more hours. But be wary; he is a Jedi, and they're unpredictable."
Obi-Wan heard him leaving the cave. He didn't have much time. Once more moaning, he shoved himself around, facing the wall and opened his eyes.
With an immense amount of effort, he reached into the Force, accessing it albeit the collar, and almost immediately the lock sprang open. Silently panting, he let the Force flow through him, for a moment basking in it relieved to have the connection back. He sensed the bounty hunter standing at the entrance with his back to him. Good, everything is going according to plan; they hadn't expected to meet a Jedi who had experience in freeing himself out of desperate situations. Once more, he turned around with his eyes closed, and the binders around his wrists snapped open.
Then he carefully took in his surroundings with the help of the Force, and he felt his lightsaber lying on a table near the entrance. 'One more mistake, never leave a Jedi's lightsaber in his reach,' he thought.
"Master, it's time, I'll come out, now!" He almost shouted over the bond, and in the samemoment, he stood in front of his guard calling his lightsaber to his hand and igniting it. The bounty hunter couldn't get fast enough over his initial shock to react, and when he fired the first shot out of his blaster, Obi-Wan deflected it directly into his right arm, incapacitating him.
Jango Fett had heard the blaster and raced back into the cave.
"How?" He asked stunned.
Obi-Wan moved with Force-enhanced speed toward him and held his lightsaber at the bounty hunter's throat.
"Tell me who hired you Jango!" He said with a strained voice, trying to keep his emotions in check.
Jango swallowed deeply; he hadn't expected a situation like this. "I don't know his name. He gave us the orders, but he hasn't revealed his identity. It's not uncommon in our business, you know. . . ." his voice trailed off, and Obi-Wan felt his fear.
"What orders? What are you to do after the elections, Jango?" the Jedi asked, his tone icy.
But before Jango was able to answer, Obi-Wan felt his Master's distress; Qui-Gon needed his help. The moment of distraction was enough for the experienced bounty hunter to ignite the rockets attached to his suite, and flee toward his ship.
Obi-Wan followed outside and saw Qui-Gon struggle against the remaining two men; one of them had hit him in his arm, so he had problems fighting them with his saber.
The moment they saw Obi-Wan approaching, they opened their fire, which the Jedi deflected easily and disabled both of them in between seconds.
However, it was too late to reach Jango, who already had started his fighter.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan looked up into the sky, where the ship with Jango Fett had disappeared.
"That was close, Padawan," Qui-Gon stated, "I don't think, that I'm fond of your new style."
Obi-Wan smiled. "But we were successful, don't you agree? Three of the bounty hunters are disabled, only one escaped, so our task is almost complete."
"Assuming these are the only bounty hunters on this planet, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon dampened his enthusiasm.
Obi-Wan nodded. "I gathered interesting information; they are to Governor Palpatine's candidature. But I wasn't able to find out if he hired them or someone in his entourage, so I suggest we take one of these fighters. I'm sure we'll find some bacta for your arm there. Then we need to deliver our prisoners to Theed, and perhaps one of them is ready to share some information with us, and it's also time to investigate in the Palace."
"And how do you think you will be able to get any information in the Palace? Do I need to prepare myself for another stunt like this?" Qui-Gon replied with sarcasm in his voice.
Obi-Wan's face took on a grin. "No, I think we have to rely on diplomacy there, Master."
Qui-Gon had to shake his head; diplomacy? He couldn't imagine this bold Jedi before him being able to exchange courtesies with the officials.
Obi-Wan felt his doubt, and the humor of the situation almost made him laugh. "Don't panic, Master. I was called the Negotiator in my former life, and I can assure you, negotiating conflicts is much more my style than what you've seen before."
Qui-Gon heaved a deep sigh of relief. "So, I can at least claim to have a part in that, because the last few hours I haven't seen anything of what you've learned from me."
They mounted into the ship, taking the three injured and unconscious bounty hunters with them, and Obi-Wan set course to the capital of Naboo.
As they arrived in Theed, a delegation of officials awaited them on the landing platform, accompanied by the security of Naboo, who immediately took care of the three prisoners.
"Greetings Master Jedi," one of the group said towards Qui-Gon.
Politely the Master bowed to him, at the same time pointing to Obi-Wan. "Sir, we are honored to obey the Queen's wish to have Jedi survey during your important election. May I introduce you to Jedi Kenobi; he will be the Jedi in command during our mission here."
The middle-aged man took Obi-Wan's hand and shook it. "I'm pleased to meet you Jedi Kenobi. My name is Ruwee Naberrie. I'm the supervisor for the elections. May I introduce you to Governor Palpatine, who is our most hopeful candidate?"
Obi-Wan bowed towards the Governor, who stood behind Supervisor Naberrie. Qui-Gon could sense the suppressed feelings coming over their bond, but Obi-Wan hid them perfectly, showing his calm and serene Jedi facade.
Ruwee Naberrie inclined his head, too. "I must apologize, but Queen Arandiala has an important meeting presently. Would you mind accompanying me to my office first so that I can give you the important details concerning the elections? The Queen will be with you for dinner."
"Thank you, Supervisor, we are very interested in going over the details as soon as possible," Obi-Wan replied politely, and the two Jedi followed the Supervisor.
As they entered the office, they were greeted by a young girl at the age of about twelve. Qui-Gon was startled when he felt happiness radiating from his apprentice in waves at seeing her.
"Obi-Wan? Do you care to explain?" He asked over the bond.
"I know her, Master," Obi-Wan replied.
With new interest, Qui-Gon scrutinized her. Despite her age, she seemed quite mature. He asked himself what role this girl, who would be a lovely woman in a few years, had played in his Padawan's life.
"Master Jedi, Jedi Kenobi, this is my daughter Padmé; she's currently helping me with the preparations for the elections."
Padmé bowed to both of them, and Qui-Gon saw a glimpse of adornment as she looked in the eyes of his Padawan. Who could mind her; he was a stunning good-looking young man who could feed well to the dreams of an adolescent girl.
"Master!" The indignant cry came over the bond.
'Oh, mind your shielding, Qui-Gon, he needn't hear all of your thoughts,' Qui-Gon scoldedhimself about his lack of control.
"Padmé, could you please explain the election-procedure to the Jedi, while I prepare the daily report for our Queen?" Ruwee Naberrie asked.
Padmé answered with a bright smile and nodded. "Yes, father! Please, follow me, Masters!"
She turned to the two men and led them into the next room, where she began to explain how elections on Naboo were organized and at which point of the preparations they were at the moment.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan listened carefully, scanning the report for important details. From time to time, Obi-Wan stepped in and asked for further information, and Qui-Gon observed their interaction, stunned about the maturity this girl showed.
After one hour of pondering the subject back and forth, he couldn't resist the urge to ask the question, which was nagging at his mind.
"Padmé, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask why you decided to help your father on a subject as serious as the elections. It's quite unlikely being interested in politics at your age, isn't it?"
He earned an indulgent smile from both his apprentice and the young girl.
"Did I miss something, Padawan?" He asked, looking incredulously at Obi-Wan.
Innocently Obi-Wan looked from Padmé to Qui-Gon. "No Master, but haven't you read the mission-details about the Naboo traditions?"
"Master Jinn, on Naboo we believe that children have a pure heart and because of that fact, they should have a responsibility in politics. Our Queen, for example, was elected at the age of thirteen. So if you want to pursue a career in politics, you have to start early."
Qui-Gon scolded himself for his lack of preparation; being caught with a mistake like this by his Padawan was quite humiliating.
"So. . . I assume, you are willing to pursue such a career then!" he stuttered, seeing a bright smile from Obi-Wan confirming his assumption.
The young girl looked at him and stated plainly. "Yes, I will be the next Queen of Naboo, Master Jinn! So it's logical to become acquainted with the procedures of elections."
After this statement, Qui-Gon didn't have any doubt that he stood across from the future Queen of Naboo, so he merely nodded in acceptance.
"Padawan, I'm impressed, was she like this in your former life?" he asked over thebond.
"More so, Master. Always stubborn and keenly intelligent," Qui-Gon felt this statementaccompanied by a slight sadness.
Before he was able to ask about it, Obi-Wan spoke up. "I'd be interested in your opinion about the presence of the bounty hunters, Padmé."
Padmé looked at them and seemed to contemplate her words carefully. "My father assumes they are here to make an assassination attempt on Governor Palpatine, perhaps engaged by his adversaries since they wouldn't be able to defeat him legally in the elections."
Obi-Wan placed his hand on her shoulder. "And your opinion, Padmé?"
Padme swallowed deeply, and Qui-Gon could feel the tension in the room. She seemed being torn between her loyalty to her father and her thoughts.
"I. . . I have another feeling, but it is not confirmed and too bizarre to mention it, Jedi Kenobi," she said, her tone cautious. Qui-Gon could feel his Padawan sending soothing energy to her.
'He can establish a connection with her effortlessly,' he thought to himself.
"I'm interested in what you feel, Padmé," Obi-Wan said in a calm and caring voice. "You can leave it to us what weight we'll give these thoughts, and be assured you won't break any loyalty in voicing your own opinion. We'll have to look for all the possibilities, even the unlikely ones."
Qui-Gon saw his apprentice looking deep into Padme's eyes, giving her the courage to speak.
"I. . . My father will be furious at me if he hears what I tell you. I have a feeling that Governor Palpatine is involved with those bounty hunters, perhaps to ensure his election.
Even if there seems no possibility to defeat him, an election always has a particular risk, and the last weeks there were rumors. . . ."
Qui-Gon had to smile; this fitted to the information they had, and Padmé seemed to have a keen instinct.
"What rumors, Padmé?" Obi-Wan asked gently, not taking his eyes away from her.
"People talk, you know; they say that despite his good-natured performance, he seeks out power, and since the Naboo look for a pure heart in their politicians, this could be a point to not vote for him. The bounty hunters seem to take track of Palpatine's adversaries, not of him. But my father says I shouldn't pursue this line of thought, since the Governor is one of the most respectable inhabitants of this planet, and his critics only want to weaken him by spreading these rumors."
Obi-Wan gave her a grateful nod, and then he said in a serious and solemn tone, "Never shove aside what you feel, Padmé. I can sense your instinct is leading you well. Please remember to trust it now and in your future!"
Qui-Gon swallowed deeply against the lump forming in his throat; Obi-Wan hadn't spoken about the present situation, and he could sense a warning in these words. He saw Padmé swallowing like him; the tension in the room was evident for all of them.
To break it, Qui-Gon said, "Jedi Kenobi is right, Padmé; you have a keen mind, and it would be best if you remembered what he said." To ease his words he winked at her, receiving a grateful smile.