The Queen's quarters were swarming with security guards. Amidala was on her portable throne, her attention directed to the men before her. "The Chancellor will meet you at your summer residence," Panaka said.

"That is a comfort, Captain. Do you have any clue as to who was behind this attempt on my life?"

"It is too early to tell."

"What do you say, Obi-Wan?" Amidala asked him.

"I don't know. But of this I am certain: their intent was to kill you."

"Have you any idea why?" Panaka asked Amidala

"Assassination attempts are not uncommon for a monarch." Amidala said in her deep Queen's voice, "there are many people who could wish me dead. The King I defeated in the elections, members of the Trade Federation, or someone I have not even heard of, in a plot of which I am at present unaware."

"I know of what I am aware," Anakin broke in, "Once we get to your summer residence, you will stay until we get to the bottom of this!" Obi-Wan sensed the annoyance from Amidala. "On such matters I will of course defer to my chief of security," She said evenly, referring to Panaka, hoping the needed rebuke would not make her friend too angry.

---------------------

Amidala sat on a couch in the Queen's office of her summer residence. The Chancellor was walking evenly before her.

"But you were careless, my Queen," Palpatine's face showed fatherly concern.

"I know." Amidala had been ashamed of herself from the moment the attackers came upon her.

"I understand, my dear, that you want to occasionally be as other young people are, but . . ."

"I gave up that right when I became Queen." "As you say, your Highness." Sighing he stopped in front of her, "I am sorry if I sound harsh. I am only speaking as I am because your safety is something that I hold very close to my heart."

"I am grateful for your concern, Chancellor. Many politicians do not care as you do."

"I thank you for the compliment. And my dear, I would suggest that from now on you must be watched. At all times."

The Queen nodded in agreement.

----------------------

The drink gurgled as Palpatine poured the blue liquid into Anakin's glass. "Fortunate indeed that Obi-Wan was with the Queen."

"I was there too, Chancellor," Anakin said with annoyance. "Why must Obi-Wan always be the hero?"

Palpatine ignored the reference to Obi-Wan, and said kindly, "I am sorry that this unfortunate incident has interrupted your celebration. You may be pleased that your first mission will be to transport me to Alderaan."

"What mission?"

"I am sorry, I thought you knew. Of course, the Queen had not the time to inform you."

"Not had time? She's been with me two days!"

Palpatine did not comment on the boy's statement and said simply, "You are to be the pilot of my personal transport."

"I ..... pilot?" The words raced through Anakin's mind. For the Chancellor! That would mean endless possibilities of places he could see, experiences flying, opportunities to inquire about his mother . . . .

"How? I mean, it is indeed a great honor, but to be given this opportunity just coming out of the Academy?"

"You are fortunate in your friends."

Anakin looked confused. Palpatine clarified, "Why, Queen Amidala of course."

Anakin bit his lips. He could already hear the gossip, the snide comments coming from other pilots who had worked years, but had yet to be given such a prestigious post. But this friend, this handsome `pet ` of Queen Amidala is made chief pilot to the Supreme Chancellor!

Palpatine seemed pleasantly unaware of the boy's thoughts and smiled, "Yes, the Queen has been very generous to you."

----------------------

Amidala, draped in a red velvet gown, sat alone in her quarters. They were quite impressive, though she only used them for vacations. Not only did they have the most elegant furniture and decorations, but a small, indoor swimming pool glimmered in the center of her rooms.

She did not hear Obi-Wan enter at first, and was more startled when she saw his padawan, Geog, with him.

"We have been searching the area, Your Highness. Frightful though the situation is, I do not believe you are in danger."

"I put myself into that danger by following you outside the palace," Amidala said.

Obi-Wan nodded. Geog was fascinated by the emotions that seemed to be bouncing off the walls of the Queen's chamber.

With a swish, the doors opened and Anakin entered. He stopped short, not expecting Amidala to have visitors.

"Ani, you remember my padawan learner, Geog," Obi-Wan said.

Anakin scanned Geog with disdain. Weak, so weak, in the Force. "I remember him, but I came to speak with Amidala," he said rudely.

Obi-Wan questioned, "You will meet me later for refreshments?"

"Yes," he replied and saw Amidala cringe at the harshness in his voice. "See you later," he said more congenially.

Obi-Wan, after all, was supposed to be his friend.

-----------------------

The moment the Jedi swept from the room Anakin went over to his friend and gripped her in his arms, needing to bend down to embrace her much shorter form.

"Don't you ever scare me like that!" He held her out at arms length and shook her gently, but with a curbed passion that frightened him. "What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't, obviously," Amidala looked sorrowful, rings circled under her young eyes. Her mask was coming down. She was never good at being `the Queen' around Anakin.

She sat down on her sofa, he beside her, holding both her hands

"Now what we can do to prevent such a thing?"

"Ani, I already spoke with the Chancellor, Panaka, and Obi-Wan about my security."

"But don't you trust me to look after you?" His voice was testy.

"No, that is not the case, but those men are responsible for me. You are not."

"Because I am just a kid, too young," Anakin's voice was bitter.

"Yes," Amidala said simply, "I will not say things that will give you a false confidence and feed your ego." Anakin bristled. "I must tell you the truth," Amidala continued, "You are young, inexperienced, and I would look to Obi-Wan before you to protect me any day."

"Obi-Wan, the perfect Jedi," Anakin spat the word and began to pace angrily, "As I would be if the Council was not too afraid of my power to train me."

"Afraid? Ani, you are talking nonsense."

"Oh, you know what I mean!"

"No, I don't. Or rather, I don't agree with your assessment of the situation. You must respect the Council. They are a guardian, a way to keep, to keep . . ."

"Upstarts like me from unbalancing the Force?"

"Perhaps," Amidala's mask was returning. She was getting cooler by the minute. She watched the restless Anakin who was trying to control his temper, and decided to steer the subject in a different direction, "You should not have such trouble accepting what you have: a very promising career."

"Which you set up nicely for me," Anakin quickly replied. Amidala looked a little confused. "Arranged for me to pilot the Supreme Chancellor's transport," he explained.

"Yes, I recommended you. I am your most loyal friend."

"I could do with a little less friendship then," Anakin's face was becoming ominous. He pointed his finger at her, voice rising in volume, "Now everyone will be saying that it was you and not my skills that made me get this post."

Amidala was hurt and a little afraid of what she was seeing in her friend. But she wasn't going to play cowering victim to his temper. She cared for him too much to do so. Rather she stood up to him, "And if they do, what does it matter? You and I know that you are qualified. Isn't that all that is important? What do you care what others think?"

"I care a lot," Anakin returned, hotly thinking how little Amidala knew about men and their need to feel in control. But before he could become more resentful, he saw that his friend, now on her feet, had eyes that were not sad or cold, but rather were beginning to snap fire. He backed down, "Enough of this," Anakin muttered looking at the pool glimmering in the room, "I want to dip my feet." He turned his back and started taking off his pants entirely.

"Ani!"

"What?" he said, oh so innocently, pleased to see her face become more friendly.

"You're wicked!" She knew it was some sort of childish thing men always had to do around girls to try to shock them. And perhaps try to make up for a quarrel . . .

"A regular barbarian." He replied, smiling as he leaned over as though to roll up his pants, but instead threw Amidala, velvet and all, into the pool.

------------------------

"Where's Amidala?" Obi-Wan asked Anakin.

"Drying off. She took quite a swim."

Obi-Wan's face was sober. "Her attackers will be found. It would be a comfort to know for certain the motivation for the attack."

"I'll find out, Obi," Anakin said with confidence and a manner of saying `back off.' Obi-Wan did not have time to reply for Geog entered and Anakin impulsively used the Force to grab the padawan's lightsaber, allow it to fly across the room, and clutch it in a tight grip, before turning it off and handing it back to him.

-------------------------

Anakin's jaw was tight as he steered the Chancellor's transport into deep space, "I thought that Obi-Wan's lecture would never end. Qui-Gon once said he was headstrong, a little rebellious. Why then does he have no sympathy for me? Always coming down on me as hard as he can?"

"But of course he had to rebuke you, Young Skywalker. Only a Jedi should use a lightsaber. Or the Force for that manner."

"I know. I couldn't help it sir." He laughed, "It was fun to unnerve Geog like that . . . and easy. He is so weak in the Force!"

"Yet the Council approved him for training," Palpatine commented.

"Yes, they did." There was a slight jar in the course as Ani's hand jerked left. Palpatine noticed this with pleasure, and waited until Anakin corrected the ship before he made his next comment, "It seems to me a certain arrogance that select individuals presume to decide whether or not one is called to a career as a Jedi."

"The Council?" Anakin asked.

"Yes."

"They know that I am stronger than many of them put together. But they sensed something, so we accepted it."

"Obi-Wan did."

"Yes."

"But did you?"

Anakin replied a little uneasily, "This is a subject that I don't think is a good idea to discuss."

Palpatine didn't seem to hear him, "Perhaps they were a little afraid of what might happen if you became a trained Jedi, or rather what would happen to them. Maybe one of them would have to step down, or yield their power." Palpatine mused, "Yoda is the strongest now, but you would have been more powerful than he, given the chance. Wasn't he the one who objected most strenuously to your training?"

Anakin did not answer but continued to feed the directions to Coruscant into the computer. Palpatine peeked over the young pilot's shoulders and gently observed, "Have a care, Young Skywalker. You just entered the wrong coordinates!"

--------------------------

Geog moved left, then right, then swiftly about the room as his master watched him fight the imaginary opponent, pose after pose, till he became a blinding streak. The imaginary opponent, like Darth Maul, had a double lightsaber. Obi-Wan was looking for an opportunity to slip into the fight. It came. Geog had just jumped into the air in a somersault. When he landed, faster than lightning Obi-Wan was before him. The hums of the weapons were deafening. It was a few seconds before Geog realized that his opponent was real. As their sabers clashed and buzzed, Obi-Wan seemed to come from every direction. He was moving too fast, Geog couldn't see him. He began to slash blindly. He was afraid. For a moment he forgot who Obi-Wan was and that he was merely in a training session.

"Enough," Obi-Wan's voice stopped the fight. The lightsabers disappeared. Geog was panting, sweat streaming down his face. Obi-Wan hadn't even broken a sweat.

"You allowed your focus to shift." Master Obi-Wan circled his padawan pointing at him with his finger, "you allowed confusion to control your actions. A Jedi is never out of control with the present. That was your undoing,"

"Yes, Master."

"Again," Obi-Wan commanded.

"Just a moment's rest."

"Do you think an opponent would give you rest?"

Before Geog could answer, Obi-Wan was attacking again, this time using the double lightsaber that Jedi's used only for training. Darth Maul had made that a necessity.

Slash after slash Obi-Wan fought Geog, stopping only when the padawan passed out from exhaustion.

-----------------------

Amidala tried not to cry out as her hair was twisted into its formal style. The door to her quarters opened with a swish.

Without looking, Amidala told Obi-Wan, "You may speak, do not let my handmaiden's concern you."

"No news on your attempted assassins."

"As I supposed. Perhaps we will never know. Is it really so important that we find out?"

Obi-Wan pulled up a chair opposite the Queen, hands folded and pensive, "At the risk of sounding careless, I would answer, `no.' I do not believe that this attack is any different than other routine attempts on sovereigns' lives."

"Except that I put myself in that vulnerable position by leaving the palace grounds so late at night."

Both blushed at the memory of that night, but neither mentioned what happened while they were looking at the waterfall. Somehow she knew that they never would.

Obi-Wan went on with the subject at hand, "Your Highness cannot allow herself free movement. That is a responsibility all rulers must face." Amidala nodded. Palpatine had told her the same thing.

"This matter is for your security force, not the Jedi. The Council has informed me that I am to go on a diplomatic mission with Geog to Alderaan. It seems that there is an internal matter that Bail Antilles wishes for me to mediate."

Amidala's hair was done. "That will be all," she dismissed her handmaidens. She turned to Obi-Wan, "Once again, we take different paths."

"Yes, your Highness."

"You may call me by my name. We are not in state now!" Amidala snapped, then immediately regretted her tone, "Forgive me, dear friend."

"Of course," Obi-Wan's steady voice replied, betraying emotion tightly bridled. In an uncharacteristic show of affection he leaned over Amidala and kissed her on the forehead, "'Dear friend' you will always be. If you ever need me . . ."

"I know that I can depend on you," Amidala finished for him. Obi-Wan nodded. With a bow, he lifted his hood over his head and resolutely left the room.

----------------------

"A message from Supreme Chancellor Palpatine," a handmaiden informed Amidala.

"Chancellor," Amidala addressed him from her throne room, in her red dress, full make-up, "And how go the negotiations?"

"Very well. They are sending Jedi ambassadors to help."

"Yes, you are fortunate. Obi-Wan Kenobi and his padawan are coming."

"How pleasant! Time to renew old acquaintances, as well as be certain that the best men are coming to our aid." "Indeed. I am happy that your influence is spreading. Corruption seems to melt away in the presence of your congenial personality."

"Your Highness is flattering."

"Not at all. I am also pleased that Anakin will be at your side as you continue to work toward the goals of peace and harmony in our democracy."

"Yes, young Queen. I will be sure to keep an eye on Young Skywalker."

-------------------------

Amidala took off her last piece of jewelry by herself, dismissed her handmaidens, and sat in front of her vanity, brushing her hair. She still saw Obi-Wan's eyes, heard his calm voice, felt the warmth of knowing she was safe around him. But in these nights alone, after a difficult day, she knew who she missed, with whom she wished to relax, discuss the day's events, with whom she could merely sit on her couch and talk.

She pressed a buzzer by her vanity. "Yes," a voice immediately replied.

"I would like to send a transmission to Alderaan, personal."

"And to whom?"

"Anakin Skywalker."

-------------------------

Anakin was dangling his feet in the clear pools of Alderaan. He was trying not to think of Amidala. Perhaps he was being silly for his jealousy, she was indeed older than he. And Obi-Wan, his friend for years, seemed to bear Anakin's behavior with the patience of a . . . Jedi! Well he is one! (And I'm not) a dangerous echo came into his head. Anakin shook his head. Dwelling on that did no good, either. Amidala was right. Better to accept what is. He had a good mentor in Palpatine and two loyal friends. That's more than most men get in a life-time. Anakin felt a pang in his conscience. He had not been a very good friend to Obi-Wan and Amidala lately. It seems that he was always taking from them, and they were willing to accept that. But could he ever give?

Obi-Wan sensed Anakin's inner turmoil as he watched his friend by the pools of Alderaan. The boy is very insecure. One wouldn't know it by looking at his tall frame and cocky mannerisms, but often the greatest bravado hides the greatest vulnerability. To make matters worse, Anakin was the youngest in their circle of friends. Trying to make up for this would be impossible and a mistake. If only Anakin could see that! One's greatest strength comes from accepting how one is created, male or female, Jedi or follower, ruler or subject, each equal in dignity. The greatest of unrest seems always to begin when people chose to believe that their lives are inferior unless they are explicitly in leadership positions. How they forget that the greatest of people are usually the smallest in the limited eyes of the galaxy.

Anakin finally sensed his old friend watching him. He turned and smiled. The events and resentments of the past few days seemed to melt away the moment the friends saw each other.

Anakin called out, "Come on, Obi, throw off those robes and hang out with me for awhile." Obi-Wan laughed and complied.

Anakin picked up his fishing rod, paused, and said hesitantly, "It is good to see you, old friend."

"And you, Ani."

It felt good, for both men meant what they said.

-----------------------

"A personal message, Skywalker"

"Personal?"

He smiled and pushed on the screen. "Ami!" His voice lighted up and a grin spread across his handsome face, then, a shadow, "Nothing's wrong is it?"

"Nothing . . .wrong," the low voice answered.

Anakin sensed what she wanted and took it as great compliment. She wanted to vent. Women only did so to people with whom they felt close.

He gave her a leading question, "So, what have you been up to?"

"You don't know the half of it! Can I begin to tell you how this day straight from the pits has begun . . . ?"

"Go right ahead, sweetheart!" Anakin grinned and sat down to talk to his best friend.

------------------------

Palpatine sat smugly in his dimly-lit room, thinking of the events of the past few days. Obi-Wan had been there at every moment, thwarting the atmosphere of fear and mistrust that he was trying to build. Not for the first time did he wish that Darth Maul had not killed Qui-Gon. How he needed that Jedi's weakness in his plans now! Qui-Gon's pride in his own judgment had clouded his reason, made him lose objectivity, and thereby unity with the Council. Palpatine wanted that. The Jedi out alone, confused, mistrustful of each other. A man must divide, before he can conquer. And how Palpatine wanted to divide and conquer the Jedi. The only way he saw to do so was to weaken the Council.

Obi-Wan had been promising. His misguided compassion almost tempted him to disobey the Code, defy the Council, and they nearly took the bait--the ultimate bait--to act against their judgment and cave in to the defiant ones. But something stopped Obi-Wan from accepting their concession. His small act of obedience set Palpatine's plans back for years . . . perhaps permanently.

Palpatine shook his head. No, he would not accept that. He did have something promising: Young Skywalker. The pilot's insecurity was his weakness. It was this young man, strong in the Force, who would be a powerful ally in building his Empire once he defeated the Jedi. He was therefore glad to have Anakin as his pilot. It was easy to persuade the Queen that it would be good for the boy. How she listened when he calmed her fears that her interference would hurt his manhood and his confidence, as Palpatine knew it would. He did not need to outright confront Skywalker, not yet at least, but little by little, he would chip away the good that was in the boy, damage his discernment, and then bring him over to the Dark Side.

Palpatine was pleased with his progress in this area. He knew of the boy's fear, and anyone, even without the Force, dark or light, could tell where the boy's heart lay. Putting Amidala in danger was a work of genius. And to have Obi-Wan present during the attack to spark more fear, insecurity, jealousy, feelings of inadequacy . . . How perfect it was! Yes, Skywalker's career was going nicely. He did not think of the men who died in that futile attempt on Amidala's life. It would have been nice if they had succeeded. Imagine the guilt that Obi-Wan would have felt, the resentment that could have been built between himself and Anakin! But alas, it was not to be. Despite this, all turned out right in the end. These pawns in his power play continued to move elusively, but surely in his direction.

Power. Palpatine sighed. It never comes cheap, but a Sith makes sure that the price is paid by somebody else.

He grinned and turned out the light