Theed's graceful stone architecture stood in stark contrast to Coruscant's cold industrial skyscrapers and Tatooine's mud hovels. While nothing about Coruscant appeared natural, Theed seemed to grow up from the ground as a natural extension of the environment. Everything about Theed spoke to a reverence to nature and honor for the past. Theed was a city of peace and prosperity – terribly marred by the battle droids that freely roamed the streets, blasters at the ready.
The Queen's small band rushed quietly along alleys and foot paths in Theed, sticking close to walls and large vegetation. Adrina's heart pounded when they stopped suddenly. Padmé – the Queen, Adrina reminded herself – pointed a small metal disk at a small alcove nearby. Adrina waited for the walls to fall down or burst into flames or something equally dramatic and spectacular, but nothing happened. Instead, brief blips of blue light answered the Queen. Adrina caught a brief glimpse of Panaka in the alcove, gesturing with his arm.
Clearly a prearranged signal, Padmé pressed her back into the wall. Adrina wondered what they communicated. Qui-Gon knelt in front of Anakin. "Once we get inside, find a safe place to hide and stay there."
Anakin nodded. "Sure!" Adrina laid her hand on his shoulder.
Qui-Gon raised a finger. "Stay there," he reminded. Qui-Gon stood and turned serious eyes on Adrina.
"We'll be alright," Adrina said. Without a blaster and being unfamiliar with the palace, she knew she would be of more a hindrance than help. A hindrance was the last thing Padmé needed.
Not one minute after the words left her mouth, Captain Panaka and his men rushed into the plaza, opening fire on the battle droids. Taking advantage of the diversion, Padmé led her team towards the hangar bay. The Jedi were the first to enter, lightsabers drawn, but Padmé and her security forces demonstrated their prowess with their blasters. She may be a queen, but it was obvious to Adrina that Padmé was a trained fighter. Adrina's respect for the woman grew. She watched the Jedi deflect blaster shots with their lightsabers in amazement.
Safety claimed first priority. Adrina and Anakin dashed for cover as soon as they could, escaping the cross-hairs. Adrina snatched up a fallen droid's blaster as they ran. Anakin took shelter in the cockpit of a fighter; its pilot lay dead a few yards away, killed after the cluster of pilots had been freed. Adrina hid behind a large grouping of containers near Anakin.
After what seemed an eternity but what Adrina knew was only minutes, shots ceased. Footsteps echoed in the hangar. The droids no longer plagued the hangar bay. Strange metallic rolling sounds punctuated the thought. Cautiously, Adrina peered over the top of the containers. Her eyes bulged. Three strange gray droids rolled into the hangar. Unfolding when they stopped, small self-generated energy fields ensconced them. She swallowed hard.
More terrifying than the newly arrived droids, however, was Anakin. His fighter moved suddenly, blasting the droids to pieces before shooting out of the hangar and into the sky. Adrina's heart plummeted to the floor. There was no other ship available for her to follow him in, even if she figured out the controls. Adrina worked to stave her rising panic.
Adrina's chocolate eyes flew to the Jedi. They should have long left the hangar, but the group remained rooted by the door. She stood to have a better view of the obstacle. A tall, dark man blocked their path. Even from a distance, he was menacing with his red and black tattooed face and black robes. His stance spoke of aggression; this man was there to fight. The shadow in her mind that she felt on Tatooine was back, stronger than before. Something very bad was going to happen.
Padmé wasted little time in leading the security forces away, leaving Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan to deal with the intruder. Adrina swallowed hard when the two Jedi shed their cloaks and ignited their lightsabers once again. The Jedi did not have sole claim to the weapons, though, as the intruder revealed a double-bladed lightsaber. The angry hiss of clashing blades could be heard even from a distance.
Adrina lowered herself so that her eyes were just above the yellow box. She wanted to look away, but couldn't. Her heart hammered and her palms were slick against the metal. The blades twirled magnificently as the battle raged across the hanger. The Jedi handled their weapons with skill and grace, but their opponent was equally skilled in his aggression. It was terrifying to know that with a single flick of the wrist, a body part could be severed as if it was air.
The dark man landed a heavy kick to Obi-Wan's chest and Adrina gasped. The blow hardly slowed Obi-Wan and he was quickly in the fight again. They were moving into another room; Adrina didn't dare to follow. She sank to the floor, back to the crates, and clutched the blaster to her chest, listening to the fading sounds of battle. The hanger bay fell eerily silent, save the quiet hum of the lights.
The minutes seemed like agonizing hours. Her thoughts twisted and raced, dwelling on the same repetitive fears. How could Anakin survive in the fighter? He had never flown anything but a podracer – and even those flights were fraught with peril. Anakin was reckless, but he wasn't so reckless that he would intentionally fly a fighter out of the hangar. That meant either Anakin hit the wrong buttons when trying to destroy the droids or the fighter was on some sort of auto-pilot. R2-D2 was with Anakin, though, Adrina reminded herself, and R2-D2 was a reliable astro droid. She hoped he would see her brother safely home. But the uncertainty was excruciating.
Adrina worried for the Jedi, too. Their attacker was clearly skilled, perhaps even more skilled than the Jedi, although they did seem to be holding their own. It was very likely that the dark man was the same man who attacked Qui-Gon and Anakin on Tatooine. Qui-Gon struggled alone against him. Adrina hoped Obi-Wan would help turn the tide. It only took one misstep, however, for the Jedi to fail, and should the Jedi fail, Padmé and the others stood no chance. If Padmé failed, they would never survive on Naboo.
Victory was their only option.
A dark shroud fell over Adrina's heart. Adrina froze. She knew that feeling. Death. Standing slowly, tears welled in her eyes. She stared down the hallway the Jedi had disappeared down. Anakin was alive. She was certain of that. Adrina's knuckles turned white as they gripped the blaster.
Adrina didn't think twice. Ground disappeared behind her as she flew down the corridor.
0
Hot tears fell on his Master's cheek as Obi-Wan cradled his Master's head. What Obi-Wan had once thought impossible had come to pass.
Qui-Gon Jinn had died.
His master and friend, always so strong and steady, had died. He was unconventional and even defiant at times, but he was one of the best in the Jedi Order. How could he have succeeded where his Master could not? It was terribly wrong.
Obi-Wan bowed his head. His own feelings didn't matter. No matter how wrong it felt, it was real. His chest ached – a deep ache, as if a large part of his heart had been viciously ripped from his chest. Despite everything they had been through together, Obi-Wan had never imagined he would be forced to watch his Master die.
He whipped his head around when he heard footsteps rapidly approaching. Adrina was barreling down the hallway with a look of determination and terror. She had found a blaster somewhere – a droid, by the look of it. Adrina skidded to a halt feet away. Her lips parted in shock when she saw Qui-Gon in his arms. Her eyes darted around, doubtless, looking for their assailant.
"He's dead," Obi-Wan croaked. Adrina looked back at him. "The Sith. I killed him."
Adrina swallowed. She seemed frozen in place until she took slow steps forward. Obi-Wan looked back down at Qui-Gon's unnaturally peaceful face. Adrina knelt down beside him. Gently, she reached out and touched Qui-Gon's neck. But Obi-Wan knew she wouldn't find the pulse she was looking for. Adrina slowly withdrew her hand and turned sympathetic eyes to Obi-Wan. He expected to see harsh judgment or pity, but found only tender understanding.
A light weight settled on his arm. He looked down to see Adrina's small hand. Obi-Wan's shoulders trembled as he tried to hold his tears at bay. Adrina didn't say anything, but Obi-Wan knew that somehow she understood. She wrapped her left arm around his shoulders as if he was her brother and held him tight.
Obi-Wan insisted on carrying Qui-Gon himself, refusing Adrina's offer of assistance. She walked quietly behind, allowing him to bear his grief in his own fashion. His steps faltered when they neared the hangar bay, but he forged ahead. Silently, Adrina stepped around Obi-Wan and quickly arranged cargo containers. Obi-Wan's heart wept anew as he laid Qui-Gon on the bed of containers.
Obi-Wan took a heavy step backwards and stared at Qui-Gon. Adrina moved to stand next to him. She squeezed his shoulder gently. They stood in silence.
"I almost didn't become an apprentice," Obi-Wan said suddenly. Adrina blinked and looked at him. "I was going to be put in the AcriCorp with some of the others who weren't chosen by a Jedi Knight. I begged Qui-Gon to take me as an apprentice." He smiled sadly. A tear slid down Obi-Wan's cheek, joining the salty trail. "He always believed in me. And now he's gone." Obi-Wan brushed the tears away. Qui-Gon wouldn't have wanted him to weep over him.
Adrina allowed Obi-Wan a moment of reflection before speaking. "The ones that love us never really leave us." She nudged him with a small smile. "I often hear them in my head. You'll hear Qui-Gon, too. Trust me." Her attempt at humor elicited a strangled chuckle from Obi-Wan.
"Who did you lose?" Obi-Wan asked. He immediately regretted his question when she winced and looked away with a clouded face. "I'm sorry. You don't have to answer that."
Her expression cleared with a shake of the head. Adrina exhaled. Her eyes and voice were distant as she began, "When I was eleven, I was still owned by Jabba the Hutt. I had a friend – best friend. Aralyn. She was three years older than me, but we looked so much alike that we could pass for twins. We were frequently mistaken for the other, sometimes even being beaten in the place of the other." Adrina swallowed hard. "Jabba's Palace was not a nice place for slaves. One day, Aralyn was in the wrong place at the wrong time. There was an explosion." She exhaled a slow, shuddering breath before looking at Obi-Wan. "When her body was recovered from the rubble, it was unrecognizable." Obi-Wan sensed her guilt and grief. She looked down.
"I'm sorry."
Adrina managed a small smile, blinking back the tears that had pooled unnoticed in her eyes. She hitched a shoulder. "That was six years ago." The fact that Adrina was only seventeen surprised him. She seemed to be older in many ways.
Desperate for a distraction, Obi-Wan was grateful for Adrina's surprising openness and vulnerability. "How did you come to the junkyard?"
Adrina shrugged. "Jabba lost a podracing bet. Slaves are frequently used as currency. Thankfully the slime Jabba gave me to lost a bet to Watto not long after he acquired me."
"I'm sure your family was relieved to have you back." Obi-Wan commented with a faint smile.
Adrina looked at him strangely. She was silent for several long moments and Obi-Wan wondered what he had said. Finally, she said, "Shmi Skywalker adopted me after I was sold to Watto. Not legally, of course, but we became our own family." Adrina's shuttered eyes told Obi-Wan there was a good deal more that she wasn't comfortable sharing. The topic was closed.
"Why did you come after us?" Obi-Wan asked suddenly. "Qui-Gon told you to stay put."
Adrina pursed her lips. "He did."
"It was dangerous."
Silence.
"Rash."
Silence.
Obi-Wan frowned. She continued to gaze impassively at him, wholly unapologetic. "You could have been killed."
"Yes." Her whisper was so soft, Obi-Wan almost imagined she had spoken.
He blinked.
Adrina sighed. "I..." She winced and looked away. "I felt it. I felt someone die."
"You felt it?" Obi-Wan echoed. He began to wonder if Qui-Gon had realized the potential within Adrina. Sensing danger, as she had on Tatooine, and death demonstrated a surprising oneness with the Force. Her own disbelief in the Force made it doubly surprising. It also demonstrated, however, a surprising awareness of her own emotions – something he had not expected from the stoic young woman.
"I didn't know it was Master Jinn."
"You thought it was me." Obi-Wan swallowed hard.
Adrina bit her lip, pained. "I didn't know whether it was you or Master Jinn," She insisted. "But I had to try to help. The Queen must succeed."
A bitter smile twisted Obi-Wan's lips. "I would have thought I had died, too."
"You cannot blame yourself, Obi-Wan," Adrina told him with narrowed eyes. "Blaming yourself for what you cannot control will only hinder the grieving process. Remember the Jedi Code. Remember the happy times with Master Jinn. Don't feed the dark side."
Adrina's stern admonishment struck Obi-Wan. He straightened suddenly, looking around the hangar. "Where is Anakin?"
Adrina hugged her middle and looked down. Her hands clutched her tunic. "I don't know," Adrina whispered raggedly. "He hasn't come back yet."
"Back?"
"He was in the fighter that destroyed the rolling droids. He hit the wrong buttons, or it was on auto-pilot… He wouldn't have blasted off like that intentionally," Adrina said. She looked out of the hangar opening into the clear blue sky. "I don't know where he is or what is happening."
"I'm sure he'll be fine." Obi-Wan's assurance fell on deaf ears.
Adrina didn't think she could handle it if Anakin died.