-----------------------------------------------
The ship streaked quickly and silently away from the hilly plains of Ansion to the Capital. The Jedi had successfully completed their mission on Ansion and had settled the border dispute. It would take some to get to Coruscant, and the Jedi were resting. Obi-Wan and Anakin had fallen fast asleep, but Sarah lay awake.
She touched the pendant that lay on her neck. She had not taken it off since the day that Anakin had given it to her. She could feel fear coming from Anakin's cabin in waves. She did not need to hear him mutter "Mom- Mom...please...Mom!" to know that he was having another nightmare.
Their discussion on Ansion had unnerved her. Anakin had never been very good at hiding his emotions, but he was rarely afraid. In the years that she had known him, she knew him to act rashly and impulsively, lead by his emotions. He would give his life for anyone that he felt loyal to, and she loved him for it.
But something had changed. There had been something in his voice when they had spoken. Fear was a natural emotion, but it had seemed engrained in his words, and it had hung thickly in the air. She knew that he often worried and thought about his mother, and she knew better than to disregard his dreams, but the atmosphere was so unsteady.
Over the recent years, the Senate had become more and more mired in inner-politics and bribes. Measures were taking longer and longer to pass, and often were denied if they did not meet the best interests of the Republic's most powerful. The threat of the Separatists was growing every day, led by the former Jedi, Count Dooku. The Jedi were slowly becoming more and more overwhelmed by cries of help from those that the Senate chose to ignore.
While Anakin did not have the patience, nor the curiosity for politics, Sarah knew that the changing political atmosphere of the Republic presented great dangers. She knew that Obi-Wan and the Jedi Council were deeply concerned, and Chancellor Palpatine had certainly been gaining power as well, and it made Sarah feel uneasy.
She had never trusted the Supreme Chancellor, but then, she had never trusted any politician. There was something about the man...something that she could not put her finger on, but in the few times that she had been around him, the thing that made her most troubled was the way that the Chancellor looked at Anakin. Something would stir in the man's eyes, though his face would remain stony, when he looked at the young Jedi Padawan.
Sarah dug her palms into her eyes, trying to sort it all out in her mind, but even the Force felt muddled and unclear, and the concern that she felt for Anakin was only adding to her confusion. Eventually, she gave up and fell into an uneasy sleep. Her last thoughts before drifting off were of pain and suffering. She could feel them, for they were not far into the future.
The ship descended later that day into Coruscant, and the Jedi made their way to the Temple, looking forward to some good food and baths, for the smell of the suubatars, grand creatures though they were, still lingered on their bodies.
-----------------------------------------------
On a landing platform on Coruscant, an explosion rocked a sleek Nubian cruiser. The young senator from Naboo raced to the side of her loyal handmaiden as she took her last breath. Tears slipped down the senator's cheeks as she was pulled away from her friend and decoy by her captain to a meeting with the Supreme Chancellor.
Hours later at the Jedi Temple, Obi-Wan's comlink signaled, and the next thing he knew, he was gathering his Padawans, and they were making their way to the apartment of Padme Amidala.
-----------------------------------------------
When Obi-Wan had heard the news, new emotions had risen inside of him. Her name stirred something inside of himself whenever he heard it. That was the mission on which Qui-Gon had died. But there was something else. An odd feeling in the pit of his stomach when he had heard that they were the Jedi team assigned to protect the Senator.
Anakin had long held a boyish infatuation with the senator, and though it had never given Obi-Wan much reason to worry before, there was something different this time. Perhaps it was because ten years had passed, and Anakin was no longer a boy.
And there was some feeling in Sarah that Obi-Wan could not discern. There had been only the smallest of changes on her face when he had briefed his Padawans on what had happened. Obi-Wan decided that perhaps he was simply imagining things, but when he glanced at her again, something in her eyes haddefinitely changed.
They made their way into the turbolift that would take them to her apartment. When Obi-Wan glanced at Anakin, he saw that there were small beads of sweat forming on his Padawan's forehead. "You're sweating. Relax."
"I haven't seen her in ten years Master."
Obi-Wan noticed that Sarah's shoulders stiffen just the tiniest bit when he said these words. But when he looked again, he once more felt as though it may have simply been a trick of the light, for his Padawan's shoulders were perfectly relaxed.
She finally spoke. "Don't worry Master, I don't think it's who the Senator is that makes him nervous, just the fact that he's always been afraid of politicians."
"Hey!" Anakin replied indignantly.
Sarah smirked, but Obi-Wan could tell that it was a bit forced.
They finally arrived in Padme's apartment, where they were greeted by...oh Force, thought Obi-Wan...Jar-Jar Binks. The Gungan threw himself into Obi-Wan's arms, almost knocking him over, and crying out in his strange sounds. Obi-Wan had seen Jar-Jar from time to time when he had to go to the Senate for one thing or another, and every time that he had seen the Gungan walking down a hall, Obi-Wan had quickly walked in the other direction or vaulted through the first door he came to, which had once resulted in a very awkward moment in which he had intruded on an important peace conference between delegates from two warring planets. Obi-Wan knew that it was entirely immature to hide from the Gungan, but he could not seem to help it.
He patted Jar-Jar on the back a few times, and eased the Gungan off of him. He was grateful when he heard, "Ani? Little Ani?" and Jar-Jar launched himself onto Anakin instead. He glanced at Sarah and she gave him a smile that clearly said that she would not forget to later tell everyone that they knew the story of how Obi-Wan was assaulted by a Gungan.
He felt his face turn a bit red, and he thanked the stars when Padme appeared. The three Jedi gave her respectful bows, and she nodded in response. She spoke, "It is good to see you Master Kenobi." Obi-Wan returned the greeting and then she turned to Anakin. "Ani! My how you've grown!"
Sarah had to refrain from rolling his eyes, and she almost lost it when she heard him reply, "So have you." Then he paused and he added, "Grown more beautiful, I mean." Sarah coughed and cleared her throat, and Anakin's cheeks turned scarlet.
Finally, Padme acknowledged Sarah's presence. "I don't think I know you."
Obi-Wan saw that brief change in Sarah's eyes once again, but she replied in a neutral tone. "Sarah...Walterr," and the Jedi Padawan continued to gaze at the senator with an intense stare. Obi-Wan knew the look. It was the one that his Padawan would get when she would try to see into someone's heart and find their faults and their fears. And as Obi-Wan knew well, she had an unnatural talent for succeeding.
Padme shifted under the intense look from the Padawan. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Sarah inclined her head only briefly in response. Obi-Wan was surprised at the lack of courtesy. Even if Sarah did not like someone, she had never failed to be polite and remain a very calm and Jedi-like composure, this was most unusual.
Padme still felt very intimidated. Though she knew Obi-Wan and Anakin, Anakin's comment had made her feel uncomfortable, and so had Sarah. Padme Amidala was not an easily intimidated person, but for some reason, these three Jedi made her feel as though she was under great scrutiny. It did not help either that all three Jedi were taller than her.
The senator decided not to dwell on this, and the Jedi, Captain Typho, and Padme all proceeded to the sitting room to discuss what would happen next.
-----------------------------------------------