Chapter One
The streaking blue of hyperspace filled every viewport of Anakin's ship. Senator Amidala sat to Anakin's right, finishing a comm call with Chancellor Palpatine. Ahsoka sat to Obi-Wan's left, directly behind Anakin in the captain's chair. The young Padawan swung her feet back and forth, skimming the soles of her boots on the floor.
"Not that I'm not glad you're here, Senator Amidala, but is it really safe for you to be coming with us?" Ahsoka's query barely spilled out of her mouth before Padme finished her call with Chancellor Palpatine.
"I want to know how I got sent into that battlefield in the first place," said Padme. "If someone wants me dead, I have a right to know who and why."
"And they're sending all three of us with you?" Ahsoka swiveled her chair toward Obi-Wan.
"Aw, Snips, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were disappointed to be spending all of this quality time together," Anakin said before Obi-Wan could offer any sort of comment.
"It does seem a bit excessive," allowed Padme.
"I believe the Council thought it would be wise to send at least one Jedi escort with you since you were directed into a battlefield, but since the three of us were already so close in the vicinity, it was thought best we all accompany you." Obi-Wan stroked his beard.
"So, how do we even know where the wrong coordinates came from?" Ahsoka leaned forward.
"The transmission pinged off a moon called Raria in the Azyrion System."
Obi-Wan tilted his head at the mention of Azyrion. He had not heard of that place in a very long time.
"They're not Republic, are they?" Ahsoka guessed.
"No, they're a neutral system," Obi-Wan answered. He offered Ahsoka a reassuring half-smile. "Not to worry, young one. I don't believe the queen there is our enemy."
"Well that doesn't sound very reassuring."
"Wait, you know this system?" Padme turned to look back at Obi-Wan.
"You know the queen?" Anakin demanded. "Why didn't I know this? Have I met her?"
"It was before you joined the Order, Anakin," Obi-Wan sighed. "I knew her a long time ago. I'm not even sure if this is the same queen or not."
"Well, we're about to find out," said Anakin. "Dropping out of hyperspace."
Obi-Wan curled his hands around the armrests of his seat as his stomach lurched with the sudden exit out of hyperspace. The planet of Azyrion welcomed them in the viewport. A few moons circulated the blue planet.
"Which one's Raria?"
"Wait, we have to request permission to land on the moon," said Padme. "We'll have to talk to someone on Azyrion first."
"Right. Not Republic space. Different rules. Got it." Anakin steered toward the planet. Obi-Wan leaned forward and furrowed his brow. Was the queen of Azyrion still here? There didn't seem to be a reason why she wouldn't be here, but politics always posed some sort of danger in Obi-Wan's experience.
"Wow," Ahsoka breathed, peering out the viewport. Obi-Wan had never visited Azyrion before, but he knew descriptions of it. Pristine coasts, turquoise oceans, and cities built on cliffs overlooking the seas or with canals instead of streets stapled Azyrion's surface. Its oceans provided a number of different valuable resources. He had to admit, the descriptions did not do Azyrion justice.
"Now, where to land… Kriff!"
The ship rocked violently from a blast on the ground. Obi-Wan's head jerked to the side, straining his neck. Alarms blared and lights flashed as Anakin tried to steady the ship.
"Buckle in and brace yourselves, it's gonna be a rough landing!" Anakin shouted.
Obi-Wan waited for Ahsoka to buckle in first before following suit. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, tensing as the ship's descent felt more like a plummet to certain death rather than a "rough landing." His stomach dropped with every bit of atmosphere they lost.
"Why is that when you fly, we almost always crash?" Obi-Wan groaned, his hands tightening around the armrests.
"Do you wanna fly the ship?" Anakin snapped.
"Oh no, you're doing a brilliant job."
"It's not my fault this not-our-enemy planet just shot us down!"
"Anakin! Can you please focus on landing?" Padme cried.
"I am!"
The ship crashed into several trees, flinging Obi-Wan around in his seat with the impact. When it hit the ground, Obi-Wan lurched forward, though his seat restraint kept him from launching straight through the viewport. He would definitely have a bruise on his chest in the morning.
Anakin groaned. "Is everyone okay?"
"Define okay," coughed Ahsoka, arching her back and unbuckling her safety restraint.
"What sort of planet just shoots down a random ship?" Padme removed her restraint, too.
Obi-Wan unbuckled and straightened from his seat. "The kind who doesn't view our ship as random."
"I think its safe to say that Azyrion's queen is our enemy," grumbled Anakin, jumping up from his seat. He shot a particularly dark glower at Obi-Wan.
"I don't think we have all the pieces to the puzzle yet, Anakin," Obi-Wan retorted, following Ahsoka out of the ship. "All we know is that someone wants Senator Amidala dead, and whoever does is on this planet."
"The queen probably knows nothing about it," said Padme, "or I hope whoever rules this system doesn't. If they attack Republic ships without warning, they aren't neutral."
Obi-Wan dropped from the ship onto the ground. As soon as his boots touched the earth, the Force seemed to hum under them. It seemed as if a crackle of electricity surged underneath his skin, or as if his limbs fell asleep. Ahsoka looked at Obi-Wan.
"Do you… feel that?"
"This place feels strong with the Force," murmured Anakin. He clenched his fists and then flexed his fingers.
"It feels muted at the same time," said Obi-Wan, the initial intensity of the Force ebbing with each step he took.
"Wait," Padme stopped. "Do you hear that?"
A faint buzzing in the distance grew closer and closer. Speeders. Anakin, and Ahsoka drew their lightsabers. Whoever rode those speeders could be responsible for shooting them down. Four speeders circled around them, and eight soldiers dismounted and aimed their weapons at Obi-Wan and his companions. The soldiers wore the same insignia on their armor.
"We just want to talk," Obi-Wan stepped forward. "We were just shot down and seek an audience with your queen."
The two closest soldiers exchanged a glance. "You're trespassing on our planet."
"Are you the ones who did this?" Anakin's voice edged at the hint of a snarl, and he gestured at his damaged ship, which left a wake of destroyed trees and landscape behind it.
"No," said the first soldier. He relaxed. "We will take you to King Callan and Queen Vespera."
Obi-Wan's stomach knotted. So it was her. He sucked in a sharp breath and held it for a moment, his muscles tense. No logical reason existed to be apprehensive of seeing Vespera—except for the fact that someone on her planet shot their ship down—yet Obi-Wan still found himself bracing himself. He rode on the back of one of the soldiers' speeders to the palace. The closer they got, the more Obi-Wan tensed. He rolled his shoulders as he dismounted the speeder and sighed, allowing the Force to soothe him.
He supposed part of the reason he dreaded seeing Vespera was that he had not spoken to her since… Well, since before Qui-Gon died. In fact, the last time he saw her was just before going to Naboo to help free Padme's people from the clutches of the Trade Federation. He doubted Vespera even remembered him or would recognize him.
The soldiers escorted Obi-Wan, Padme, Anakin, and Ahsoka into a large room with two thrones. The soldiers withdrew to guard the exits of the room. Obi-Wan exchanged a glance with Anakin, sensing the unease roiling off of him in waves. From the side door entered a tall, shrewd-looking man. His hair was shoulder-length and mousy brown. He narrowed his eyes and peered down his long, thin nose at Obi-Wan and his companions as he took his seat upon his throne. The woman who entered behind him looked almost exactly the same as and yet entirely different from the woman Obi-Wan once knew.
Vespera Stellavis had always been pretty, but being queen certainly suited her. She styled her hair in an elegant updo and wore a delicate crown. Her gown was nothing short of regal, though she seemed considerably less elaborate than the king. Vespera's green eyes flicked over her audience, and then settled on Obi-Wan. Her lips parted. She did remember him. She looked away quickly as she sat upon her throne.
"Would anyone care to explain why three Jedi and a Republic Senator are in our neutral system?" The king curled his thin lips. "We don't want your presence here on our planet. You'll bring your war with you."
"Your Highness," said Padme, stepping forward, "we wanted to request permission to land on one of your moons—"
"And yet you didn't ask permission! You sent a wave of destruction through one of our forests."
Obi-Wan's gaze flicked to Vespera. She lowered her eyes, instead staring at her hands in her lap.
"With all due respect, we were attacked by someone on Azyrion. Someone shot our ship down. Anakin doesn't normally crash-land," said Obi-Wan. Vespera's mouth twitched.
"Impossible," scoffed King Callan. "We are a peaceful planet and want no part in this war. We wouldn't risk shooting down a Republic ship."
"Evidently someone here does want to take the risk because they did," Anakin insisted.
Obi-Wan stared at Vespera, trying to understand why she seemed so cold. No, cold was the wrong word. Subdued. Something about her seemed subdued. She cut her eyes toward Callan and then met Obi-Wan's gaze.
"Why were you in our system to request landing access?" she queried. King Callan cast her a cold, sidelong glance. Vespera tensed under his stare but continued gazing at Obi-Wan and his companions. There was something gentle and kind about her expression, which prompted Obi-Wan forward.
"Senator Amidala was sent to negotiate with a different system, but someone sent her the wrong coordinates, which sent her directly into a battlefield. The signal that sent the wrong coordinates came from one of Azyrion's moons."
Vespera's gaze hardened and her brow puckered. "Which moon?"
"Raria, your majesty," said Padme.
Vespera and Callan looked at one another.
"We should see their evidence of this," Vespera urged.
"No. Just negotiating with them puts at risk!" Callan's lip curled.
"If Raria is dealing with the Separatists, we are already at risk." Vespera faced Obi-Wan and his friends. "We'd like to see your evidence of this signal."
Callan glared at Vespera, but she ignored him.
"It's back on our ship," said Ahsoka.
Vespera stood. "Your ship has been transported to one of our hangars. It is currently being repaired. I will take you to it."
"My queen, would you like a guard?" asked one of the soldiers.
"That won't be necessary," said Vespera as she descended the steps from her throne. She walked straight past Obi-Wan without even looking at him. He lifted his eyebrows. Anakin and Padme followed Queen Vespera, while Obi-Wan fell in step with Ahsoka.
"Master Kenobi? Is everything all right?" Ahsoka kept her voice quiet, thank the Force.
"Of course," said Obi-Wan, offering her a small smile.
"That wasn't exactly the welcome you were expecting, huh?" Ahsoka eyed him.
Obi-Wan snorted softly. Oh, Ahsoka was so much like Anakin. "No, not exactly. When do things ever go as expected, though?"
Ahsoka shrugged. "Good point."
Silence lapsed between them and Obi-Wan frowned, focusing his attention on Vespera's back. Why act like she had no idea who he was? Reaching out with the Force, Obi-Wan felt Anakin and Ahsoka's Signatures. He felt Padme's life force, too. Obi-Wan stretched even further to Vespera. Instead of a Signature or life force, he found a cold wall. Vespera glanced over her shoulder at him, but continued walking.
Obi-Wan withdrew. Why would Vespera mask her Force Signature?
They arrived in a hangar, where Anakin's ship sat, scraped and damaged from their crash. A large, blackened hole marred the left wing. Some Azyrionians worked on it, even examining areas of the hull that needed fixing. Anakin strode toward it and entered his ship to retrieve their datapad. When he returned, he handed it to the queen.
"This is disconcerting." Her lips flattened into a thin line. She handed the datapad back to Anakin and seemed to force a smile. "Well, while your ship is being repaired, you are my honored guests. In the meantime, I will find who shot your ship down."
"We could help," offered Ahsoka. "We're good at this sort of thing."
Vespera's lips twitched. "Oh, I have no doubts that you are. However, this is a case Azyrion must investigate, not three Jedi and a Republic Senator. People might get the wrong idea, since there are so many of you."
"We came directly from our last mission," explained Anakin.
Vespera's brow furrowed. "Was it close to here?"
"Er, kind of," said Anakin, exchanging a glance with Padme.
Vespera toyed with her wedding ring. "So close to here… This war draws nearer every day. I'm afraid there will be a time when we can no longer remain neutral."
"Not if diplomacy has anything to say about it," Padme placed a hand on Vespera's arm. "The Republic truly wants to honor the neutral systems and their desire to stay out of the war."
Vespera frowned but did not argue. A sharpness replaced the kindness in her eyes. Vespera doubted Padme's words and it was obvious. But she did not argue with Padme, nor did she try to belittle her. Instead, Vespera squared her shoulders. "I'll send one of my handmaidens to show you to the guest quarters. If you'll excuse me, I have an investigation that needs solving."
Dipping her head, Vespera turned and left them in the hangar. Her stride, despite her small frame, was powerful. Urgent, too—something about Raria being involved in this whole mess unnerved her, and Obi-Wan sensed it despite the cold wall around her.
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm not just gonna stand around and wait." Anakin lifted a brow, as if daring anyone to challenge him.
Obi-Wan sighed. "I suppose I'll distract the queen. Just don't get caught."
While Anakin, Padme, and Ahsoka figured out their next move, Obi-Wan exited the hangar and slipped into the corridor. He expected to catch Vespera at one end or the other, but there was no on in sight. She moved faster than he thought. He reached out with the Force, trying to sense which way she could have possibly gone. He sensed the cold wall nearby and toward the right, so Obi-Wan trusted the Force and followed it. He turned a corner, but still, Obi-Wan found it empty. He reached out with the Force again, and sensed something akin to danger—
Someone grabbed him and pulled him into a sitting room. The person placed a hand over his mouth.
"Are you trying to get me killed?" Vespera hissed. "Reaching out with the Force, following me around? What part of 'stay out of this' don't you understand?"
Obi-Wan lifted an eyebrow. "May I speak?"
His voice sounded muffled under Vespera's palm. She removed her hand.
"I was beginning to wonder if you didn't actually recognize me at all."
Vespera scowled. "Of course I recognized you. I was hoping I was wrong when I sensed you, but here you are."
"It's good to see you too, Vez." Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes at her.
She froze, staring up at him with wide eyes. "No one has called me that since—"
"Since you were a Jedi?" Obi-Wan guessed.
Vespera's cheeks drained of color. "Do you want me dead?"
"That depends. Do you want us dead?" Obi-Wan inclined his head, as if indicating the hangar a corridor away.
"I did not order your ship shot down," Vespera insisted. Her glare softened. "You should know me better than that, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan furrowed his brow. "Let me help you. If someone is defying your rule, Azyrion could very well be pulled into the war. I know you don't want that."
"My rule is easy to defy these days."
"What do you mean?"
Vespera stared at him, as if deciding whether or not to trust him. "It is of no concern of yours, or the Republic's. Please, Obi-Wan. Keep out of this."
With that, Vespera exited the room. Obi-Wan frowned. Why would it endanger Vespera's life for him to get involved, or to speak of her past as a Jedi?
…
Eventually, one of Vespera's handmaidens found Obi-Wan on his return to the hangar and led him to the guest quarters, where Anakin, Ahsoka, and Padme waited in the sitting room.
"I see distracting the queen went well," Anakin said, raising an eyebrow.
Obi-Wan mimicked the expression. "I see not getting caught went well."
Anakin shrugged. "The people here really don't want us getting involved."
"Yes… I'm afraid it'll be harder to deceive Vespera. Sneaking up on a former Jedi is not as easy as you might think." Obi-Wan stroked his beard.
"Wait, what?" Ahsoka's attention snapped to Obi-Wan. Padme and Anakin gaped at him, too.
"You failed to mention that Vespera was a former Jedi." Anakin's brow shadowed with a scowl.
"I did not think it was important at the time," said Obi-Wan, sitting heavily in an armchair. He propped his elbow on his knee. "I wasn't even sure if she would still be here. She left the Order the same time Anakin joined it."
"She left the Order? Jedi do that?" Anakin demanded.
"It is not an occurrence that happens often, but yes, it does happen."
"Why did she leave? What about the commitment?" Ahsoka stared at Obi-Wan with a furrowed brow.
"We were all on Naboo when she left," Obi-Wan gestured to Anakin and Padme. "She didn't tell me why she left. Though from what I understand from Master Plo, Vespera chose to leave for her people."
"She was Master Plo's—"
"Padawan, yes." Obi-Wan offered Ahsoka a small smile. He returned to staring ahead, his brow creasing. "She was a skilled Jedi. She took the trials and became a Knight before me, though she never had the opportunity to train a Padawan herself."
"And now she's the ruler of a possible Separatist system." The disgust in Anakin's voice brought Obi-Wan out of his reverie.
"I don't think so. Vespera said something rather odd to me: that her rule is easy to defy these days. I believe there could be radicals working against her."
"So, she could be in danger?"
"Possibly, but that's not what we're here for. We have a duty to uncover who endangered Senator Amidala's life." Obi-Wan turned to Padme, who remained remarkably quiet. Something roiled in her mind, but she did not speak it for once.
"But if Vespera used to be a Jedi, shouldn't we help her?" Ahsoka queried.
Obi-Wan's stomach twisted. As much as he would like to help his old friend, they had a duty. "Vespera is more than capable of taking care of herself."
"Obi-Wan's right," said Padme. "Azyrion is a neutral system. Unless the situation becomes dire or the rulers request aid, the Republic shouldn't interfere."
"So, what do we do?" Anakin asked.
"We should keep investigating on our own," said Padme. Her mouth twisted with a smirk. "But let's try not to get caught this time."
…
Obi-Wan wandered around the palace, allowing the Force to guide him. Anakin, Ahsoka, and Padme split up to find either a security room or to the hangar to see if anything about the blast that took them down could reveal anything about their attacker. As much as Obi-Wan tried to focus on his duties, his mind kept drifting to Vespera. He couldn't help but think of the last time he saw her, before he departed for Naboo.
She had passed the trials a few months ago, a fresh Jedi Knight. He still had yet to take the trials, but it seemed that with Qui-Gon wanting to take young Anakin Skywalker as an apprentice, Obi-Wan would soon achieve Jedi Knight status like Vespera. Normally, whenever Vespera and Obi-Wan passed one another in the halls of the Jedi Temple, she greeted him with a smile. This time, however, her lips barely twitched. Dark circles rounded her eyes, and her hair hung haggardly from her braid.
"Vez?" Obi-Wan paused in his stride. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Vespera croaked. Obi-Wan sensed her lie through the Force, but chose not to comment on it. She seemed to force a smile. "I heard you are going to Naboo."
Obi-Wan dipped his head. "I am. I might be taking the trials soon as well."
A genuine smile warmed Vespera's face. "Congratulations. I know you'll do well."
"Thank you. Next time we go on a mission together, it'll be as Jedi Knights."
Vespera's smile faltered. "Perhaps."
"Or not," Obi-Wan joked. "Is the thought of going on a mission with me so terrible?"
A ghost of Vespera's humor glinted in her eyes. "Yes. You're absolutely insufferable."
Obi-Wan grinned, but he sensed a deep sorrow within his friend. "I, er, should be going."
"Yes, of course," Vespera shook her head and smiled again. "May the Force be with you, Obi."
"May the Force be with you."
When Obi-Wan returned from his mission, grieving Qui-Gon's death, he sought out Vespera, but found that during his mission on Naboo, Vespera Stellavis had left the Jedi Order. Obi-Wan's chest stung with a dull ache at the memory. She had chosen to leave without even saying goodbye. In the same week, Obi-Wan lost his Master and one of his best friends.
Voices jolted Obi-Wan from his thoughts. He ducked around a corner.
"It's best for the queen not to know. She likes to get into things that she shouldn't."
"And what about our uninvited guests? They're proving to be just as troublesome as the queen."
"They'll be gone in a rotation once their ship is repaired. I don't see them being a problem, even if they are Jedi."
Their voices faded as they moved further down the hall. Obi-Wan frowned. Was Vez actually in danger? Who were those men, and what were they hiding from the queen?
With a sigh, Obi-Wan stepped out from around the corner. He paused in the hall, standing the in the light of the sun, which beamed through an opening that fanned into a balcony. As much as Obi-Wan wanted to help Vespera, he reminded himself of his duty. But, those two men might be involved with whoever shot down Anakin's ship…
"You have a habit of being in places you shouldn't," said Vespera. Obi-Wan wheeled. She stepped out from behind a pillar on the balcony.
Obi-Wan smirked. "And you have a habit of appearing out of nowhere."
"Well, I do know this palace pretty well."
"I imagine so."
Vespera leaned against the pillar and folded her arms. "You and your friends aren't going to leave this alone."
"We don't follow the rules very well."
"Isn't that an essential aspect to being a Jedi Master?" Vespera raised a brow.
"Well, if you were to ask my former Padawan, it's about how you follow the rules."
Vespera snorted softly and walked past Obi-Wan and stepped toward a doorway. "Come on. If you're not going to keep away, you might as well come with me."
"So you can keep an eye on me?" Obi-Wan guessed, following Vespera into the room.
"Exactly," Vespera winked. She pressed her hands against the paneling of the left wall. It slid open to reveal a staircase leading upward. "There are secret passages all over the palace. Apparently, the king who built this palace used them to hide his affairs."
She walked up the staircase, which was quite narrow and steep. Obi-Wan followed, pressing a button that shut the paneling in the wall behind him. He climbed the stairs and exited the passageway. They stood in a corridor that felt abandoned. Dust coated the surfaces of the floor and window sills. Vespera entered a room at the end of the hallway. Inside was a sitting room, but Vespera walked past it and entered the bedchamber. The canopy bed looked untouched. The intricate designs of the bedframe told Obi-Wan that this room used to belong to someone of royalty, though it certainly was not Vespera's bedroom. Something about the room felt sacred or preserved. Through the Force, Obi-Wan sensed a lingering sorrow in the dust.
"There are no surveillance cameras in here. This side of the palace, as you can see, is untouched. We can speak in peace here."
Obi-Wan folded his arms. "Do people listen in on you?"
"Unfortunately," said Vespera, withdrawing a datacard from a pocket within her wrap gown. She held it out to Obi-Wan. "I saved the files that could lead us to whoever shot down your ship."
Obi-Wan accepted the datacard and placed it in a pocket. "Us?"
Vespera lifted a brow. "Well, if you and your friends are going to snoop anyway, you might as well do it with my help."
"That won't be necessary. Wouldn't it be complicated if you got involved?"
"It would be more complicated if I weren't," said Vespera. "I'm afraid my husband has bred a lot of mistrust of the Republic, and people will be more likely to speak with me than with you. Besides, if you're worried about me, I know how to handle myself." She placed her hands on her hips and dared him to challenge her with a blazing look in her eyes.
Obi-Wan managed a smile. "I suppose I can't argue with that."
Vespera returned the gesture, but it faltered after a moment. An awkward, tense silence blossomed between them. Vespera huffed and moved to walk past him. "Well, we should go—"
Obi-Wan caught her gently by the wrist. Vespera wheeled to face him, her eyes glinting fiercely and her hands curled into fists. She jerked out of his grasp. Obi-Wan widened his eyes as Vespera rubbed her wrist. He hadn't grabbed her that rough.
"My apologies, your highness," he said, allowing an edge to his voice.
Vespera softened. "No, I'm sorry. I overreacted."
"We haven't seen each other in years and you left the Order without saying goodbye. What happened? Why is it dangerous for me to talk to you?" Obi-Wan stared at her, pleading with his eyes for her to talk to him. He had lost her and Qui-Gon within the same week, and Siri Tachi years later. Qui-Gon and Siri could no longer speak with Obi-Wan, but Vespera could.
She stared at him for a long time. Her creased brow and parted lips betrayed her mistrust. Finally, she said quietly, "No one here knows I used to be a Jedi."
…
Whelp, that's the first chapter! I hope you guys liked it!
To the Guest who reviewed on January 10, 2020: Thank you so much! Your kind words helped inspire me to get writing again.