Chapter 1: Into the Jedi Temple

***1***

Padme Amidala stood in front of the window, looking in the direction of the Jedi Temple. The Jedi Council notified her that they would send a pair of Jedi to protect her and investigate the assassination against her. She was unharmed, but her handmaiden Cordé was killed.

Amidala was no stranger to death and destruction. It did not surprise her that she was targeted after becoming a voice against the Military Creation Act. A decade ago, Naboo was devastated by the Trade Federation's six-month occupation. She hated that the war-mongering politicians used her world's suffering as the reason for militarization. She disagreed with them completely.

The Confederacy of Independent Systems should be talked with, not dealt with using arms. These Outer Rim systems indeed had been neglected by the Republic and wanted a better economic future. It was an understandable cause.

She also trusted the CIS leader Count Dooku. He had visited Naboo after the Occupation to show his support and offer his condolences. Dooku was a charismatic person with high ideals. He was once a highly regarded Jedi Master before he resigned from the Order. In Padme's view, he was the right type of person for the Republic to negotiate with. Atrocities like the Occupation probably were less likely to happen under his leadership.

Neither Republic and CIS's leadership wanted violence. A standing army would send the wrong message. It would only mean more death.

Like Cordé's death. Padme shivered as her blood boiled. Her devoted bodyguard's death would be meaningless if the Military Creation Act passed.

Padme forced herself to attend to her senatorial duties. Many constituents called her office to check whether she was okay and demand justice for Corde. She had to respond quickly.

The automatic door opened. Captain Gregar Typho, Amidala's head of security, entered with two people following him.

Two Jedi.

Obi-Wan Kenobi and a young human lady with bright red hair, his Padawan "Red" Palis. Former Padawan. Her Padawan braid was gone now. During Padme's years as senator, the pair had been assigned to protect her a couple of times.

"Good to see you safe, Senator Amidala," said Obi-Wan. Both the Jedi bowed.

Padme and her staff returned the same gesture. "Good to see you, Master Kenobi and Master Athia."

"I am a Knight now, but still Red," the woman gestured at her red hair. "We've come here to protect you, again."

Padme invited the Jedi to the conference room, where it was quieter and the heavy traffic outside would not distract them.

"So, they did not know that there was a decoy," Obi-Wan mused. "They did not do their homework."

"They used explosives in an open space with heavy traffic. It was a show of force. They not only wanted to neutralize an elected official, but also to create chaos on Coruscant." Palis tapped her fingers on the desk. "Who do you think your enemy is?"

"The warmongers," Padme hissed. "I am aware that there are several new bounties on my head after I openly opposed the Military Creation Act. I will not be intimidated or silenced. I am going to talk to more colleagues to swing them to our side, the side of peace."

"Of course. We all want peace," Obi-wan nodded, "but your safety is the reason that the council sent us here."

The conference room's door slid open. A tall young man in a dark blue uniform strode into the room. "Padme, are you okay?"

Padme stood up immediately.

He went right to her, holding her shoulders tightly. "I was so worried."

"Anakin," Padme cleared her throat, "You should be in the Judiciary building, working in front of your computer, right?" She felt embarrassed but delighted to see him come to her. She looked into his blue eyes and smiled. She pushed him away, reluctantly.

"I must protect you," Anakin Skywalker declared. "Nothing else matters."

"Hey, want to compete for my client? Take a seat." Palis pointed to the empty chair beside her.

Anakin winked at her. Grabbing the chair, he dragged it next to Padme's before sitting down. He favored Palis with a triumphant smirk before suddenly whipping his head around to stare at the window.

Time seemed to slow and yet everything happened faster than Padme could follow. The Jedi sprang to their feet just as something smashed through the window. Anakin pulled her towards him as something exploded. The force of the blast knocked them both down with Anakin on top of her. Her head struck the floor and, for a second, Padme blacked out.

She awoke to the shrieking of the security alarm. Anakin was still on top of her, covered in debris. Slowly, he sat up, shaking off his cloak. His uniform was ruined, but he did not seem to be injured. Padme breathed a sigh of relief.

The two Jedi standing, lightsabers in hand. Obi-Wan's was a familiar blue color while Palis used a purple saber.

"It is a small missile. Master Kenobi and I force pushed it to the wall." Palis gestured at the damage. "You need to call a maintenance person. It would be expensive work. We are pretty lucky. None of us seem to be badly hurt."

"Anakin, you reacted quite fast. It was impressive," Obi-Wan commented as he helped Anakin up from the floor.

"After you survive months of bombing, there is an instinct in you. It never goes away." Anakin bent down to offer Padme a hand. She took it, still feeling shaky.

The whole building's security guards were now all gathering in Padme's apartment. They fanned out into surrounding rooms, presumably looking for the bomber.

"We must leave now and go to the Temple's Hall of Healing. You two need to have a scan for internal bleeding," Obi-Wan demanded.

***2***

The visit to the Hall of Healing was short. At first, Anakin strongly argued that he did not need a medical scan, saying that if Obi-wan and Palis did not need it, then neither did he.

"We have the Force. You do not," Palis ended this argument swiftly.

Obi-Wan appreciated her blunt way of ending nonsense. It had been a headache to reason with these headstrong young invincibles. He had heard that the youngsters of high society shared this common trait. Anakin was the son of Chancellor Palpatine, an adopted son, to be more accurate, but another spoiled child none the less.

They had met a handful of times since the end of the Occupation of Naboo. None of these encounters had been more than a couple of hours. Obi-Wan didn't remember the boy being anywhere near this argumentative.

He and Palis briefed the Council on the new development, leaving Padme and Anakin in the library area.

"I think they are dating." Palis looked back at them, smiling.

"Since when did you start this new hobby of gossiping?" Obi-wan rolled his eyes.

"A decade ago, I guess? Anakin and I have been friends since he came to Coruscant. He told me that he liked Padme, right in front of the Jedi Temple." She gestured at the temple entrance. "It has been ten years! He is so persistent. Good for him."

"I did not know you knew each other," he commented mildly.

"There are many things that you do not know, Master Jedi." His former student grinned at him.

Later, the Council ordered Palis to escort the Senator to her homeworld Naboo, where she could find a secure place to hide. Obi-Wan, meanwhile, would track down the assassin. It would be a difficult task since Padme wanted a strong presence on Coruscant to swing the votes. Palis suggested that she talk to Senator Bail Organa to persuade Padme to put her own safety first. Obi-Wan did not envy her the task. Studying the scenes of the explosions for clues would be easy by comparison.

"Hiding on Naboo?" Anakin challenged them when they told him and Padme of the Council's plan. "Why did your Council think it was safe? One Jedi and an unarmed civilian journeying half-way across the galaxy? Anything could happen. The moment you step out of the building, you will be tracked. These criminals never act alone. A high-profile assassination always uses sophisticated techniques to track down the target."

"What would you suggest?" Obi-Wan found that he had a good point. He vaguely remembered that the boy went to an elite military school. It seemed that he learned something there.

"Stay on Coruscant. Hide in the most heavily guarded place." Anakin paused as if for dramatic effect before plowing ahead. "Here. The Jedi Temple. How could anyone get her when so many people here have the Force?"

"And lightsabers." Palis clapped her hands lightly. "I agree with him, as long as the Council approves this plan."

"None of you have asked my opinion." All the eyes were on Padme now. "I do not like the idea of hiding, one way or another. I have to talk to my colleagues. Every minute is critical."

"How about sending your surrogates? You have a team of handmaidens," Obi-Wan suggested.

Padme pressed her lips in a thin line as she considered. After a few seconds, she relented.

"Time to go back to your work, Judicial Skywalker?" Obi-Wan gestured to the temple entrance.

"I will stay with Padme." The young man stood firm and held his head high. "I can spend some time in the Temple library and read a couple of books. That area is open to scholars, researchers, and-"

"But not open to love birds," Palis teased.

Obi-Wan threw a hard look at her.

"We are not dating." Padme looked away.

"Not formally," Anakin added.

Padme cleared her throat, breaking the embarrassing moment. "Anakin, you need to attend to your duties. No more fooling around." She raised her hand to silence his protest. "We will have lunch together. Then you go back to work."

"We will bring Anakin's plan to the Council and see what they think. You enjoy your nice little lunch. May the Force be with you." Palis waved goodbye to them.

***3***

The Jedi dining hall was located a few levels above the library level. Padme asked a youngling to give them directions. Anakin suggested that they walk there instead of taking a lift.

Both of them walked slowly to appreciate the massive hallways, colossal pillars, and solemn statues.

"The Jedi Temple is a wonder." Padme marveled at the surroundings.

"Yes, it truly is. I have been wondering how a reclusive religious Order found this place at the heart of galactic politics. They have been here four thousand years and become the symbol of the Republic. I find it fascinating," he commented while looking at the statues.

"Anakin, I didn't know you are interested in history." Padme laughed.

"Jedi history. The Judicial Forces were under the Order's supervision. I am just a Judiciary Department's lowly new recruit," he added dramatically. "I need to understand my overlords better. I do not want their wrath to fall on me."

He looked into Padme's warm brown eyes.

She blinked. "You are teasing me!" Then both burst into laughter.

They arrived at the spacious dining hall. It was almost as large as the one in the Senate, but much less crowded. The customers had only a handful of options. He got himself a bantha steak, while Padme chose a vegetarian burger. When they inquired how to pay for the meal, the service person in civilian clothes told them the Order did not use credits in the Temple. The food was free for the visitors.

After the explosion, Padme changed into a grey handmaiden style dress, perfectly fitted into the Jedi theme. Leaving his ruined uniform in her apartment, Anakin only had a plain shirt on. He felt cold and out of place. Carrying the tray for both of them, he found them a table next to a window covered in bright sunlight, far away from Jedi or other visitors.

He wanted to have the moment with her to himself.

In the past ten years, they had met several times at various social gatherings. He would say hello and Padme would proclaim that he had grown so much taller than last time they met. He would smile awkwardly. Then other guests would interrupt and lead Padme away.

He could only watch her from a distance. He had watched her interacting with dignitaries, first as Queen and later as Senator. He memorized every word of her coronation speech and the speeches addressing the devastated Naboo citizens during the war.

He had been in despair as she dated other men. It was infuriating that he could not compete with them. She saw him as just a boy. Being away from Coruscant for his studies had been agony.

Now, he was back. A friend of Palpatine had thrown him a small graduation party to welcome him back from Carida Academy. Most of the attendees had been Palpatine's close allies. Padme had come, but not stayed long.

They'd had a drink and a polite conversation. Padme had asked for his opinion about the galactic security issues. He'd briefed her on the expansion of the crime syndicates from Outer Rim into Mid Rim, the increased pirate activities, and, of course, the growing separatist movement. Padme had seemed impressed, like she'd finally seen him as grown-up.

They started to message each other. The topics had grown from strictly professional to become more and more personal. Padme told him about the worlds that she visited as a senator, the food she liked, and the culture she found interesting.

There were so many things that he wanted to tell her, so many feelings to share, but these words and memories had to be buried. The galaxy was on the verge of a change. It would end the thousands of years of decay and transform it into something more significant. His Master had foreseen it. Anakin had faith in his words.

He and Palpatine looked like an average father and son, a loving parent with a reckless youngster, but they were far more than that. Anakin had pledged his loyalty to Palpatine and learned the way of the Force from him. But he had to keep his identity a secret.

He had combated brutal adversaries, sustained grave injuries, and prevailed. He mastered many abilities that were considered unnatural on the training ground of the lawless Outer Rim worlds. He had assassinated crime lords and slavers. He had burned their dens of corruption down to the ground where the Jedi had chosen to look away.

When Palpatine called him back to Coruscant, he gladly obeyed. It surprised many people that he had landed himself a job in the Judicial Force, a law enforcement team doing the work under the command of the mighty Jedi Order. Ironically, it was what he had been doing in the past few years-doing dirty jobs that Jedi thought beneath themselves.

Now he was here, at this cursed place, with her. It was thrilling.

"So, your graduation ceremony will be in a month on Coruscant," Padme said as she was cutting her burger into smaller pieces. "Tell me more about your years at the Academy. Did you make a lot of friends?"

"Only a few. You know, I am not a very social person."

His academy years were like a re-introduction to Core World society. Carida Academy was the most prestigious military academy, dating back to the Republic's formation. However, its influence had waned after the Republic disbanded its military and the Jedi Order ascended to power.

Many of his classmates were from a privileged background with an ambition to quickly climb the career ladder in their planetary defense forces. He did not feel very connected with his classmates. He did not talk much, nor make trouble. He did not market himself as a member of the House of Palpatine. Skywalker was a common Outer Rim name. He never fully got rid of his Tatooine accent despite his Naboo friends and Galactic Basic tutors' great efforts. Some of his classmates simply assumed he was just another welfare case from a backwater planet. Of course, the instructors knew the truth, but they were wise enough not to mention it.

Using this slow time, he'd picked up a few useful skills, such as fighter and weaponry designing, and spent some time on painting and drawing skills. He found drawing schematics an effective way of meditating and connecting to the Force.

Eventually, he found some belonging during his final semester, when the Military Creation Act started to gain traction. Some of his instructors and classmates openly lobbied for it, hoping the Academy could regain the prestige it once held. The nostalgic feeling was relatable. He contemplated joining them. Palpatine instead ordered him to stay away from the spotlight.

After they finished their food, he showed Padme the schematic of a new fighter he designed. He was very sure Padme had little interest in it, but her pretended interests made him happy.

"How do you feel about your new job?"

"Do you want to know my true feeling?" He smiled mischievously and Padme grinned back

"Very boring dead-end desk job." He sighed exaggeratedly. "But I can spend time with you-"

The Force shivered.

"Senator Amidala, the High Council approved the plan that you will remain in the Jedi Temple during the investigation," a bold human Jedi with dark skin interrupted them. Anakin felt chills. Mace Windu, one of the most powerful Jedi on the High Council, the Jedi Order's Swordmaster.

"We will prepare a personal quarter for your stay, and you have been assigned an assistant. She will come here to get you. " Windu turned to Anakin sharply, "Judicial Skywalker, you must return to your duty."

Arguing with Windu would be playing with fire. "Yes, Sir." He stood up.

He smiled at Padme sadly. Surprisingly, Padme stood up to hug him.

Anakin walked toward the entrance of the hall with Windu walking beside him.

"Skywalker, you seem very uncomfortable." Windu looked at him with a frown.

"Master Windu, you are a quite unnerving person." Anakin finally let it slip through. The last time he had intensive interaction with the Jedi was a decade ago. It was before he became Sidious' student.

Everything was different now.

***4***

After a long walk in the Coruscant lower level, Rackeli Loo finally arrived home. The air conditioning in her room had stopped working, but she did not have the funds to fix it. To her relief, the hot and humid season was ending soon.

Rackeli was a Twi'lek from a small world, Tethla, which sat at the boundary of the Mid and Outer Rim. Her world had joined the Republic 20 years ago, and she had been born in the same year.

Today, she had an important task: find a way to get into the Jedi Temple. One week ago, she had made a promise to a pair of parents who had surrendered their force-sensitive youngling to the Order. The parents, Mr. and Mrs. Sha, were her old neighbors. After hearing some rumors claiming the Jedi "emotionally abused" the younglings, they entered into panic mode. They wanted to check in with their baby girl to see whether she was okay.

Rackeli had a reputation for being a helpful person. As one of the handful of Tethla citizens on Coruscant, the Shas immediately contacted her. They all agreed that it would be for the best that the Shas could have a Holonet call with the child so they could know how she was doing.

She remembered the sweet little girl Ludi. People in her town threw a party when the Jedi Master came to take Ludi to the Order. At the party, Racheli had taken many pictures with the child.

"There is no emotion," said the parents, "the Jedi Order promotes that! Isn't that abusive?"

To be honest, she did not see that statement as abusive. The idea of Jedi being abusive was absurd. But weren't all parents very devoted to their children? Any rumors could hit a nerve.

She had toured the Temple district before, but had never actually been inside the Jedi Temple itself. The Jedi Order was not open to visitors without an appointment. Checking in with a youngling should be a good enough reason for a visit, so she went ahead.

The temple guard explained that "there is no emotion" was part of the order's fundamental philosophy. The Jedi younglings had been raised in the same way for thousands of years and they were not open to visitors.

Rackeli was persistent. The next day she had visited again, hoping another guard may give a different answer. Maybe she would be lucky enough to meet a Jedi Knight who knew the girl. She got the same responses.

Now she was back home. The Sha family's message already sat in her mailbox. She replied:

"I visited the Temple today again. I was turned away by a different temple guard. I know you are worried. My parents worry about me all the time. I am sure that there is a way to make contact, and I will try again and keep you posted."

She finished her message with a sign of a smiling face. Then she closed off her messenger and started to do her research.

The Jedi Order's presence on the Holonet was weak. A short paragraph on the Galactic Senate site mentioned Jedi answering to the Senate. Another page on the Judicial Department said the Jedi supervised judicial business. Other information was mostly the public talking about the Order. Most of the stories and comments show a great deal of admiration, which was reassuring for her. She felt better after reading them.

She noticed that she still had her work outfit on. She wore a tight business suit, a little more formal than average for an entry-level lawyer at a distinguished law firm.

She had always dreamed of traveling to Coruscant to see the amazing things she saw on the Holonet. Her working-class family could not afford a trip, but they had afforded her a good education. She figured out her own way to Coruscant.

As one of the best students in her college, she was accepted into an exchange program on Coruscant. Then she got herself into the law firm as an intern and stayed, becoming the first Twi'lek employee in the firm's hundred-year history. She had made her parents and younger brother proud.

She took off her plain gray business suit and hung it in her small closet, next to several other suits.

When she first started her job, some colleagues mistook her as a janitor. After that, she always wore a very formal business suit and pinned her name badge right in front of her chest. It was not easy for her to find a dress that suited her green skin, and these clothes were expensive. Fortunately, this type of mistake never happened again. All the efforts paid off well.

She shared a small apartment with two roommates to save money so she could send some back to her family. Moving to an apartment on the surface was one of her goals, a smaller part of her big plan. She wanted to be a judge in a Republic High Court one day, a dream that people laughed at, but she was convinced that she would make it here as well.

She closed the closet door and returned to her computer to do some lazy browsing.

A breaking news alert flashed across her screen. Senator Amidala of Naboo would stay in the Jedi Temple after the failed assassination attempt since the Temple was the best-guarded place on Coruscant.

Rackeli sighed. It was well-guarded indeed, and she needed to find a way to get in.

Notes:

The story will update once or twice a week. If you like the story, I encourage you to leave a comment.
The story title is inspired by "The Prince of Egypt"