Chapter 3

Padme's POV

I sighed as Master Windu left. I looked over to the newly apprenticed Padawan in my care. Poor girl must have been exhausted as she was fast asleep on my couch.

I went over to wake her up, I gently shook her awake. She woke up with a start, fear very obvious in her eyes. "You didn't do anything wrong. You'll hurt yourself sleeping on the couch. I'll show you where the bed is."

She looked at me with a bit of distrust but followed me to the bedroom. When we got there, I'm almost positive she's never seen a bed before, at least outside of a warship setting and the temple, guessing by her reaction at least.

Her eyes were huge, and she looked at me not sure how to handle all the pillows and blankets. I smiled. "You'll be staying with me until your Master can come back from his mission. That means I'm going to be bringing you with me on any diplomatic trips I have to make. I'll contact him to let him know."

Alycee's POV

I nodded in understanding. The woman left, seemingly satisfied with my response. I tested the bed, making sure that it wouldn't swallow me whole.

I let out a small yelp of surprise when the mattress caved in. I wondered if I was safer sleeping on the couch.

I felt stiff in this bed. The sheer amount of material made it uncomfortable for me. I didn't dare to move to try to get comfortable as I was afraid of making too much noise and disrupting the senators' work.

I wish Master Windu had found a different Jedi to watch me until Master Kenobi came back for me if he ever did. Heck, I'd have been okay with staying in the Creshé that I overheard being talked about.

But, I remember asking about it on the way here. And master Windu said that I was too old.

I sighed in defeat. Was this what my new life would look like? Being passed around from one person to the next once the previous person was done with me?

I let out a choked sob. I had hoped that once I got away from mom and dad, I would finally be treated like a person. No longer a play toy for the bored adults in my life.

Had Emma finally gotten bored of me? And passed me off to Master Kenobi? Did Master Kenobi no longer want me as his apprentice? Did he regret taking on a broken Padawan?

Was I just pathetic in front of the Jedi council that they kicked me out of the order and then gave me to Amadalla so that I was off the streets?

Padme's POV

I had been reading through the latest reports from Obi-Wan's campaign against the separatists. When I heard Alycee crying from her room.

My heart fell. Poor girl probably felt abandoned, so I rushed to her room and embraced her in a hug. "Alycee, what's wrong?" I asked softly.

The girl only sobbed harder. There was never a moment in my life I wished to be Force-sensitive, now I wished it more than ever.

I combed my hand through her hair, rocking her back and forth hoping that would calm her down enough for her to be able to talk.

It took about twenty minutes for her sobbing to quiet down to soft sniffles. "I'm sorry I interrupted your work." She said in between sniffing

"Alycee, you have nothing to be sorry about. Whatever you felt was completely valid."

She sniffled again and replied, "… Dose Master Kenobi not want me?"

My heart sank even further. "I'm sure he does, Alycee."

"Then why did he send me off?"

"Most likely to keep you safe. You don't have any training. Most missions Obi-Wan goes on are extremely dangerous for someone without any combat training."

"Oh, what about Master Windu?"

"Again, you have no combat training. Master Windu often goes on the front lines."

She nodded in understanding, then my com-link rang. It was Ashoka.

"Looks like someone wants to make sure you're okay," I said, but Alycee had fallen asleep again. I smiled and answered.

"Hey, Obi-Wan said to call you and check in on his new Padawan. He felt her pain through the Force. Is Alycee okay?" Ashoka asked.

"She's okay now. The poor girl felt like she had been abandoned by everyone."

Ashoka's eyes went wide. "I hope she knows that Master Obi-Wan would never abandon her."

"She does now, Ashoka," I assured my husband's apprentice.

"Okay, I'm going to go now. We're getting ready to attack the weapon that the separatists built."

My comm-link turned off. I layed Alycee back down on the bed. I called over C-3PO.

"Would you grab the rest of my paperwork for me? I'm not going to leave Alycee for a while."

"Of course, Mistress Padame." He replied, and left to go get my paperwork.

My com-link rang again. This time it was the Chancellor. "I do hope I've not rang at a poor time?" He asked.

"Not at all, what can I help with?"

He told me the trade federation was willing to make a treaty and wanted me as the negotiator. And gave me the coordinates. "And, Padame, please, hurry."

I nodded and hang up. I woke up Alycee. "Hey, I going on a diplomatic mission-"

Her eyes went wide with fear. "You're not going to leave me, are you?"

"No. It's a simple negotiation mission and I already told you're Master that I'd be taking you with me."

She sighed in relief. "When are we leaving?" Alycee asked.

"As soon as I'm packed."