Chapter 3

The rendezvous that Obi Wan was to keep was an inn on the outside of Mos Espa. Commander Typho was to secure two rooms from the locals, and had chosen a small motel owned by a Lady Valarian, a Whiphid who seemed only slightly less shady to deal with than Jabba the Hutt. Obi Wan made the rendezvous slightly sooner than the time he had claimed he would. The meeting with the Masters had taken up much less time than he had thought. Upon arrival, he found that Typho was still securing the defenses of the two rooms.

In passing, Obi Wan bid him silently into the room with a touch of his shoulder. The Queen, having removed her facial makeup, now sat on the only bed in the room, three of her handmaidens sat with her. The others were in the next room, fully armed and only a comm-click away from being the appropriate backup if the locals should get wind of the royalty in their midst. With obvious command of their attention he put his thumbs in his belt and addressed them.

"With my Master's passing and the kidnapping of the handmaiden, I have been given new orders from the Jedi Council. The Senate will see the death of a Jedi as an attack on the Republic and therefore your presence would be of better use back on Naboo. We are to organize a resistance."

The tension in the room was only growing as he spoke. Obi Wan looked from the Queen to her handmaidens and then to her security. Something was amiss.

Obi Wan was in no mood for games.

"What am I missing?"

The Queen opened her mouth to speak, but Obi Wan interrupted.

"I am a Jedi, please, don't disrespect me by attempting to lie to me. You are all hiding something, and as the person trying to keep you safe from not only the Trade Federation, but also some assassin, I believe that now would be the appropriate time to enlighten me as to your secrets, wouldn't you agree?" Everyone grew still.

Typho stepped forward. "She wasn't a handmaiden."

"Excuse me?" Obi Wan was starting to piece it together now.

Typho let out a sigh. "Each one of the Queen's handmaidens is specially trained in combat and disguise. At any time that the Queen's life is at all in danger, a handmaiden will step forward as a decoy." The tension in the room dissapated with those words. Obi Wan picked it up from there.

"And Padme is the actual Queen." He turned fully towards Typho, now the highest ranking person in the room. "Then it is even more urgent that we get back to Naboo and form a resistance effort. We need to stop her from signing the treaty."

It was Typho's turn to be confused. "Why would the assassin tell us to come to Naboo? It doesn't make sense. He has the Queen, us being there would only be a thorn in his side."

Jar Jar walked in at that moment carrying a bundle of food. Obi Wan walked closer to the Gungan and looked at him intently.

"He carried a lightsaber...of red..." Obi Wan mumbled. "Impossible..."
Typho was eying him suspiciously.

Obi Wan spoke again, but this time they were not his words, but the Force speaking through him. "He's a Sith. He wants us to go to Naboo for a confrontation. He wants to kill another Jedi."

The "Queen" stepped forward. "Whatever you need, we are at your command. We will not quit until the Queen is out of harm's way."

Obi Wan broke from his mental displacement and snapped back to the present.

Be thinking of the future Obi Wan, but not at the expencse of the moment.

Qui Gon! Obi Wan suddenly couldn't think straight.

Center yourself, Obi Wan. Save the Queen.

Obi Wan turned slowly towards Typho.

He was smiling.

"We have two days before the assault shuttle arrives to take us to Naboo. We should start coordinating strategy. Also, I want to know every detail of your palace in Theed. We're going to get the Queen back and stop the Federation." Obi Wan turned back to Jar Jar. "But first, I'd like a drink. Jar Jar Binks, would you mind joining me at the local Cantina?"

Jar Jar almost dropped the bag of food he was carrying. "Mesa?"

Obi Wan, elated for reasons others couldn't understand, laughed. "Yes, you. I have reason to believe that you could be of great use in the next few days. I would like to treat you to a drink while we discuss this."

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