Whoo hoo next chapter, sorry its taken so long, again thanx for the comments heather wan, if anyone else
anyone else has been drawn into my little tale plz r&R.
The door opened slowly, no one was really sure how much time had passed least of all Kyia. Valorum raised his head from his hands, Anakin looked up inquisitively, Obi Wan just looked at her, he was the only one who had been standing, dimly she wondered how whether he had taken the time to sit down at all.
"Senator" She swallowed, finding her voice, this was not going to be easy. "I'm afraid it must fall to you to arrange Elphora's extraction from the Republic."
Both men looked at her, stunned.
Valorum stood briskly "But Your Royalness! You can not, we need the Republic, and outside of it we are weak…"
Kyia slammed her fist against the wall "I will not sit back and watch while he sucks the life out of my home, nor will I let it rot and decay whilst Palpatine tries to turn the Republic into a legitimate dictatorship!"
Obi Wan caught her eye, trying to calm her down "Don't you think you might be taking it a little too far?"
It did not work, "No, I don't, damn it! Any benefits that we have as part of the Republic are going to get fewer and fewer. Any influence we had in the senate has gone, and the Supreme Chancellor is a corrupt individual out for his own gain with a hatred of Elphora. If he wants us, he'll have to take us by force, I won't make it easy for him." She caught the glance she received from Obi Wan, although she had not said it directly she knew he knew that this was partly due to her belief that Palpatine was a Sith Lord. "Don't look at me like that, this isn't easy. I do not want to be part of the separatist movement, relations will be kept good and hopefully we'll still be able to keep up trade with a few systems. If I'm wrong then as soon as everything settles down again I'll re-apply for membership"
"Your Royalness, it is not that easy, re-applying for membership will displace any power we have in the senate, not only that but we will be distancing ourselves from our real allies. And there is also the problem of building new alliances, making new trade routes to bring in the income"
"That problem, I may have an idea of how to solve that problem" She turned to Valorum "Look me in the eye and tell me you don't think that it will get worse under Palpatine if we stay in the Republic and I won't do it"
He turned away "I can't. He has betrayed us once; I believe he will do it again if it suits his purposes. You are right, we can not be a part of whatever he has planned".
The Quelena smiled, a hint of black humour in her voice, "Well he sure as the Force won't be expecting this".
Valorum returned the smile but it did not reach his eyes "At least one good thing will come of all this". He interlocked his hands and placed them over his chest in a gesture she recognised well. "Then will all due respect I ask to be excused to go and inform the sector Governers"
She nodded once and he left.
Anakin looked up at her "I don't really understand much of this but I don't think they are going to be happy"
"They'll be fine eventually" Kyia looked over towards Obi Wan noticing his grimace, "The other Governors will only be concerned on how it effects internal matters, as long as I can keep the disruption to a minimum. If Senator Valorum had objected I would have rethought it"
"But you don't have to do as they say?" Anakin questioned.
"No, I don't but a good Quelena would never force something upon them like that."
"That is why politics is about the arts of coercion and persuasion" Obi Wan added.
Anakin sensing the mounting tension left.
"You don't agree?" It wasn't really a question.
"I think you are being rash," he corrected
"It's damage limitation the only way I know how" Kyia countered
The Jedi continued to glare "I doubt Master Yoda will see it that way".
"Then I will tell him that a Jedi must follow her instincts just as I must follow mine now"
Obi Wan crossed his arms not really knowing how to answer her use of Jedi doctrine.
Kyia smiled "You're sulking"
"I am not"
Her smile grew wider "You picked up that gesture from your Master, I saw him use it many times in the council chambers when he was being chastised, but Qui Gon was better at it than you are".
"I am not sulking!"
"Yes you are, because not only have I shown up cracks in a supposedly perfect system but I didn't go to you for help with making your decision"
He looked away stubbornly "You make me sound like a control freak" Her arms began to slip around his neck. "You cannot get around me that way"
"Oh but we both know I can" She whispered slyly.
"I still don't agree"
"Then you have full permission to gloat if I'm wrong"
He smiled at that briefly then let it fade "They will not take this lying down".
"I know, but it's done now, the Governors will know in a matter of diacts then not even killing me change it"
"Unless you change your mind"
She gave him an amused look then kissed him. Obi Wan pulled her in closer and she laughed against his lips "Thought I couldn't get around you that way"
"Unless I want to be gotten around"
Eventually she wrenched herself free, "I hate to put a dampener on this but if someone walks past it might be a little difficult to explain, plus…"
"Yes I know" he took a step back and smiled wryly "You have work to do. And I had better report this to the Jedi Council"
She turned round walking to her rooms, " Traitor" It was not until she was almost there that the smile disappeared and the familiar sense of tragedy began to encroach on her feelings. The Quelena opened the door to her room and went straight to the balcony. In the near distance she could see the large forest green mountains. The air was cooler now and she breathed it in. The Palace was getting to her again.
Kyia shook her head trying to move the mist from her brain. She stepped over to the inter-com predicting its buzz.
"Yes?"
"Sorry to disturb you, Your Royalness. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine is on the secure channel".
Kyia stifled at the voice saying that name. "Put him through" She replied hoarsely, "I'll receive it in the throne room".
"As you desire it"
The com buzzed off.
The Quelena took a deep breath started towards the throne room, "Good news sure travels fast" she muttered. She was taking the call in the throne room to allow the grandeur to give her a greater sense of control, of sturdiness. She would need it for his particular conversation.
Kyia sat down and turned the holoimager on.
Anice was waiting for her when she returned. "Master Yoda sent a message while you were gone. He will be arriving in four rotations and urges you not to make anymore harsh decisions until he gets here, his words not mine".
"I've really stirred up the Roverine nest" Kyia replied sarcastically.
"Threatening to leave the Republic is hardly the quiet path" Anice retorted.
"So you know as well"
The old woman shrugged "The whole palace is talking about it. How's the Supreme Chancellor taking the news?"
"Oh he's visiting, I've got two rotations. By the way, its more than a threat"
She nodded "I thought so, you were never the type not to follow through. You need to be strong Kyia, standing against the multitude is never easy".
"Wanna swap?"
She laughed "I wouldn't have your job for all the wealth in the Republic. Where do you want me to put our first visitor?"
"As far away from my room as possible" Kyia breathed out slowly, reaching for her Jedi control.. "At least you don't think I'm going mad".
"You'll do what you think is right" She put a motherly hand round her shoulder "that's all anyone can ask of you".
The Quelena closed her eyes briefly "I've got to get out of here".
Anice looked at her strangely "You'll be fine" She patted her on the shoulder one last time and left the room.
On impulse she took a blank data card, leaving instructions for the next two days and threw it on the bed.
Yes that's what I need. She had been cooped up in Palace for far too long. As mushc as she loved her ancestral home she needed space. On second thoughts she grabbed a second data to be read only by Anice and Obi Wan.

Sorry, I need some space, I'll be back before Palpatine arrives, don't worry. Kyia.

At the back of her wardrobe was a black jumpsuit with a large zip at the front with black flat boots. She changed quickly and under her bed she took out her travelling case. In a secret compartment she found her miniature survival kit. She added it to her belt complete with her lightsabre. The sun was setting, casting long shadows, and with her Quelena's Guard training and Jedi abilities it was not hard to climb out the window and down the wall towards those jaded mountains she had been gazing at. She looked back at the cream structure and disappeared into the forest.