Chapter 27
Discoveries

Vader had no idea where he'd walked in the Palace. He just stormed around the halls, not really seeing his surroundings. If he ran into any of the Palace staff, he simply didn't see them.

But somehow at some point he ended up leaving the Palace entirely and found his way into the Royal Gardens. He wandered aimlessly, blindly, through the winding paths lined with elegant-looking native plants. Only when he almost walked into a stone pillar did he stop moving and really look around at where he was.

It was a shady, secluded area. Tall trees blocked out most of the sunlight, leaving only slender rays and beams to illuminate the place. The path he'd been following had dead-ended here in a rough circle of tall evergreen bushes. At the center of that circle was the stone pillar thing he'd almost crashed face-first into.

What the heck is this thing doing out here? He wondered sourly as he examined it. A closer inspection revealed that it wasn't a pillar exactly. It was more like a small monument, a tall slender pyramid carved from pure white stone. The base and lower third of it was swathed in a thick, leafy, creeping vine of some sort.

Vader scowled at the white stone spire and turned to leave the little corner of the garden, but then stopped. He'd been halted long enough by his near collision to have calmed down slightly. And in that slightly calmer state he thought he'd felt a ripple in the Force. It didn't signify danger, just something different, special.

Puzzled, he glanced back at the hidden monument. A light mental nudge at the area confirmed it. The white stone and the area around was unusually strong in the Force. It shone to him like an especially bright star in a clear night sky. It was almost familiar in a way.

Curious now, Vader walked over to crouch in front of the obelisk. Carefully he pulled away the leafy vines that wrapped around the base to try and see if anything was hidden underneath. There was.

The monument bore an elaborate inscription in a flowing script that was difficult to read. It was certainly very pretty, just like everything else he'd seen on Naboo. But when he finally deciphered what it said, he felt a lump of ice form in his stomach. It looked an awful lot like a grave marker and the person it seemed to be dedicated to was someone he knew.

"Are you alright?" A soft voice asked.

Vader almost jumped out of his skin, he hadn't heard anyone approach. He twisted around and looked behind him to see one of the Royal Handmaidens standing there. She peered out from under her cloak at him with concern.

"I'm fine," Vader frowned, turning away to stare at the disconcerting monument. "What…what is this place?"

"This is a section of the Royal Gardens that Queen Amidala dedicated in memory of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn." The Handmaiden replied.

Vader went from crouching to sitting cross-legged in front of the memorial. His head was spinning and he felt a little bit disconnected. "Oh," he mumbled.

There was the sound of swishing fabric and the Handmaiden was kneeling beside him. "Are you sure you are alright?"

"I'll be okay," Vader mumbled, dazed. Judging by the dates etched into the white stone, Master Jinn had fallen sometime shortly after leaving Tatooine.

"But are you okay now?" She asked.

"I…don't know." He shrugged. "What happened?"

"You don't know?" The Handmaiden asked. "Knight Kenobi did not tell you?"

"Why would he tell me?" Vader blinked. I never asked about Master Jinn, so why would he tell me anything?

"Well, Master Jinn was his master. Obi-Wan was there when it happened." She replied.

Vader stared at her, dumbfounded. …Say what?

"You didn't know that?" She frowned.

"No," Vader managed after a long pause. "He never said anything about his former Master."

"I suppose the wounds are still too fresh for him then," she remarked quietly. "He was devastated when Master Jinn died. Some of us worried he'd never recover."

"Who…are you?" Vader blinked.

"I am Sabé. I have served as a Royal Handmaiden since Amidala's reign." Sabé answered. She studied him for a moment before asking him a question. "Have you eaten anything today?"

"No," Vader shrugged. What does that have to do with anything?

"Well then," she stood up and dusted her skirt off, "come with me and I will get you some lunch."

"But…I'm not hungry." Vader mumbled.

"I don't want to hear it. You haven't eaten anything in several days. I will not be responsible for a Jedi Padawan keeling over because he didn't have the sense to eat his lunch." She declared sternly. "Now come on," she commanded, holding out her hand to help him up.

Vader lacked the strength or desire to argue with her so he caved. He reached up to take her hand, but too late realized he'd used his right hand. The creepy golden thing made him shiver and hesitate. Sabé paused only slightly before taking him by his metal wrist and half-pulling him to his feet.

"Come, I'll get the cooks to whip something up for you." Sabé smiled slightly and led him back towards the Palace.

"Yes ma'am," Vader replied meekly as he trailed after her.

He wasn't hungry. But he really didn't feel like arguing anymore. So he just followed along like a good little boy. Best to go with the flow…

Obi-Wan stared up at the ceiling of his room and sighed. Painted above him was an intricate mural of some Naboo landscape, probably centuries old. In fact everything around him was probably that old. From the finely crafted furniture to the art the hung on the walls, everything was very beautiful and very old. And it all made Obi-Wan feel rather uncomfortable.

His missed his small, comfortable quarters in the Jedi Temple. While the décor of his home was dull in comparison to this room that the Queen had granted him for his stay in the Palace, his own apartment didn't give him the feeling of sleeping in a museum exhibit. Everything was so opulent and expensive-looking, Obi-Wan almost feared his more humble simple presence would tarnish the place somehow.

But at the moment, he was more concerned with Vader than his overly-fancy accommodations. The young man had suffered a devastating injury at the hands of the man he'd been trying to hide from for years. And from what Obi-Wan had seen so far today, Vader wasn't coping very well with it.

At least he's not curled up in a dark corner somewhere babbling gibberish, Obi-Wan tried to console himself. It didn't work so well. In fact, it didn't work at all.

Earlier he'd felt the young man's distress and had almost disregarded his doctor's orders to stay in bed today to go to him. But Vader, it seemed, had managed to pull himself together long enough to go through most of his morning routine, despite the fact that it was closer to noon than dawn.

Then there was the trouble Vader had had with his hair. The boy had always been mostly self-sufficient. He very rarely asked for help, and was always very embarrassed when he did have to seek assistance. And to ask for help braiding his hair, a simple task that he had done every day unaided for years, had to be utterly humiliating for him.

And then there was an unknown. Did Vader know that he had slipped past the barriers of his mind while he had been incapacitated? Ever since the incident in the lift before meeting with the Council all those years ago, Obi-Wan had been careful not to do more than lightly brush against Vader's outer shields. He had respected the bounds of the younger man's mind, never violating it once. But if he remembered–

"Good afternoon Obi-Wan," Padmé greeted, breezing into the room with a tray. "I brought you some lunch."

"Thank you Milady," Obi-Wan blinked in surprise. He'd been so lost in thought he hadn't felt her coming.

"It is no problem Obi-Wan. And you don't have to call me 'Milady' right now. You're on break and we're both friend here, aren't we?" Padmé smiled, depositing the lunch tray beside the Jedi on the bed.

"Yes, we are," Obi-Wan nodded with a faint smile.

"Good, so it's just 'Padmé' for the rest of your stay." The Senator declared. "Now enjoy your lunch."

"I shall," Obi-Wan replied agreeably, but he paused before he ate anything. "What about my Padawan?"

Padmé's lips thinned in obvious distaste. "Don't worry Obi-Wan, Sabé is taking care of him. Last I heard, she'd dragged him off to the kitchens to get something to eat."

Reassured that Vader was being looked after, Obi-Wan nodded his thanks and began consuming his lunch. As he ate, he sensed Padmé watching him. It seemed she had a thing or two to ask him.

Just as Obi-Wan was finishing up, Padmé started the questioning. "So when did Vader become you Padawan?" She asked curiously. "I didn't even know you had a Padawan."

"About four years ago he was in need of a Master and I accepted the position." Obi-Wan replied, aiming for a vague sort of truthfulness.

"Why?" Padmé asked.

"Why did I accept?" Obi-Wan wondered. When she nodded 'yes', he looked off to the side thoughtfully before answering. "It's hard to say," he sighed finally. "He needed someone to look after him and I had no pressing assignments at the time. He requested me and I had no real reason to refuse him."

"He chose you?" Padmé blinked.

"Yes. It's uncommon but not unheard of for a Youngling or orphaned Padawan to request a Knight or Master to take them on as an apprentice." Obi-Wan explained. "I myself asked Qui-Gon on several separate occasions to take me on as a Padawan before he relented."

"Really?" Padmé almost gasped, shocked that such a talented Jedi had had to beg his Master to take him on and train him.

"Yes, really. Most of the Knights and Masters who were looking to take on a Padawan saw me as too hard-headed or otherwise unsuitable to continue training." Obi-Wan explained, almost chuckling at her growing shock.

"But…you're one of the best Knights in the Order!" She sputtered.

"Back then my potential was not very apparent, I'm afraid." Obi-Wan shrugged stiffly, his right arm giving a slight twinge.

"So what were you like back then?" Padmé asked, clearly curious.

"Well," Obi-Wan mused, setting the lunch tray aside. "I was younger, for one." He began seriously, causing Padmé to giggle slightly and roll her eyes. "Less disciplined, less obedient, more outspoken…" Obi-Wan trailed off. "Basically I think a very watered down version of Vader without the explicit vocabulary." He decided finally.

"Oh?" Padmé arched an eyebrow. "A Jedi troublemaker?"

Obi-Wan sighed and ran a hand over his face to cover his light embarrassment. "Could we please discuss something other than my misspent youth?" He asked hopefully. Her amused, yet determined expression dashed his hopes. Oh Blast…

Vader felt like he was going to snap. Again. He'd lost his hand. He was mad at Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon was suddenly dead, and had been dead for years. And now he had a headache, he was being babysat by a Royal Handmaiden, and he was having serious issues getting the food she pressed on him to his mouth.

He felt pulled in several opposing directions at once. Frustration and the discomfort brought on by his ugly, clumsy prosthetic hand burned in his stomach. His head throbbed and once or twice he felt swamped by odd waves of dizzying exhaustion. And, while he knew she meant well, Sabé's attempts at engaging him in conversation made him want to throttle her. He was in no mood for idle chatter.

As much as he despised to admit it, he needed some help. If he didn't manage to get his head in check he could end up doing or saying something that he'd really regret later. Vader knew he needed to do some meditation and he also knew that in his current state there was no way he'd be able to do it. Obi-Wan could help him though.

Stuffing the last slice of some fruit Sabé had given him in his mouth he made up his mind. Before she could try and feed him more, he got up from the small table in the servants' dining room and headed back towards the Palace's guest wing where Obi-Wan was. Sabé did her best to keep him right where he was.

"Where are you going?" She asked, gliding to his side.

"To talk to Obi-Wan." Vader replied tensely.

"Are you sure you've gotten enough to eat?" The Handmaiden inquired, concerned.

"Yes," Vader almost growled. Stop following me!

Sabé followed him silently for a few minutes before slowing her pace. "Unfortunately I have other duties to attend to Padawan Vader," she apologized. "If you require my assistance at any time all you need do is ask."

"Don't worry I will," Vader sighed, grateful when the Handmaiden drifted off elsewhere in the Palace to do whatever it was that Royal Handmaidens did all day.

Vader strode on towards Obi-Wan's room. He was half-guided by memory and half-guided by the Jedi's presence in the Force. As he drew nearer to his goal, he heard the indistinct buzz of two very different voices conversing. It seemed Obi-Wan had a visitor.

Just before reaching the doorway and still out of sight of the occupants of the room, Vader paused briefly to listen and see just who was chatting with Obi-Wan. His visitor just happened to be Senator Padmé Amidala. And they seemed to be having an almost cheerful conversation together.

A tight sour sensation knotted up in his stomach and his jaw clenched tightly. What the heck was she doing in there cheering Obi-Wan up? He was the one who'd lost his right hand and part of his arm! Obi-Wan just got a few measly cuts on his arm and leg. That was nothing! Certainly nothing compared to actually losing a limb!

But she doesn't like me, Vader recalled, swallowing hard. She's probably scared of me, especially after that Dark Side episode… The tension in his muscles eased and the beginnings of despair seeped in. Obi-Wan's her friend, not me. Not anymore…

"Oh? A Jedi troublemaker?" He heard Padmé remark in an odd tone of voice.

Are they talking about me? Vader wondered dully as he leaned against the hallway wall.

"Could we please discuss something other than my misspent youth?" Obi-Wan asked, sounding part hopeful, part desperate.

Wait…'Jedi troublemaker'…Obi-Wan…'misspent youth'…? Vader blinked, struggling to wrap his head around this information. Slowly, cautiously, Vader edged along the wall the peer through the doorway at Padmé and Obi-Wan. Poor Obi-Wan seemed to be silently pleading Padmé to not discuss this 'misspent youth' and Padmé wasn't letting him off.

Vader found himself smirking at Obi-Wan's misfortune. He silently padded into the room and took a seat at the end of Obi-Wan's bed. Neither Obi-Wan nor Padmé noticed his entrance, both still locked in a mute staring contest.

Obi-Wan looked rather pathetic as he lay half-upright in his large comfy bed silently begging the Senator to not inquire further. Padmé just stared back at him, amused but determined, as she sat regally in a chair pulled up to the bedside. They probably would've stared for hours, but Vader lacked the patience to wait for them to continue on their own. So he kick-started things.

"'Misspent youth', Master?" Vader asked innocently. Both of them flinched and spun to face him in surprise. Vader grinned rather wickedly. The look on poor Knight Kenobi's face was priceless as he sensed that his 'Padawan' had turned against him. "Do tell!"