Chapter 3: What Happens in Naboo

Dooku arrived early. A man of his prestige never came late nor ruffled. He stepped off the ramp looking poised and controlled as ever, striding across the hanger. His dark cape billowed behind him, the guards saluting as he passed. He walked inside the compound and went directly to his old padawan.

Qui-Gon sat at a large table, gazing out the window in deep contemplation. Dooku withheld his instinct to sigh at the sight. His old padawan was in a somber mood. Dooku was well aware of Qui-Gon's encounter with his former wards and of their escape as well. A big blow to the disheveled man in front of him.

"Pinning won't bring them here," Dooku said, making his formal announcement of his arrival to Qui-Gon.

Qui-Gon merely turned his head in acknowledgement. "I'm not pinning," he corrected. "I'm assessing what went wrong."

"What went wrong is that you had incompetent men and you grossly underestimated them," Dooku said, taking the seat next to Qui-Gon. "Granted—you were right about the boy."

"Anakin."

"I beg your pardon?"

A faint smile hid amongst Qui-Gon's beard. "His name. Obi-Wan told me the boy's name is Anakin."

Dooku made a dismissive hand gesture. "It is all the same," he said. "The boy did come back for your old padawan. That will be useful."

Qui-Gon frowned, understanding the hidden meaning behind the statement. "My padawan is not to be harmed."

"Obi-Wan picked his side," Dooku reminded him. "He made his choice."

"He's not to be harmed."

Dooku now sighed exasperatedly. "Qui-Gon. I know this is hard for you. It is for me too. He's my grandpadawan after all. I was fond of him."

That was the truth. He was fond of the young padawan. On Obi-Wan's last life day they spent together, Dooku gifted him the latest model of a speeder bike. He remembered how rounded Obi-Wan's eyes got upon seeing the speeder. But that was many years ago and he betrayed Dooku by using that same speeder bike to run away with the boy.

Dooku straightened back his shoulders, removing all hints of emotion. "But, these past years have proven that he has no interest in joining us," he said to his disheartened, yet determined padawan. "He'll only be a hindrance."

"He will not be harmed."

"Really Qui-Gon—"

"Excuse me, Master," Qui-Gon cut off Dooku and the Master glowered coldly at his old padawan for interrupting him. But Qui-Gon continued speaking, "Obi-Wan is one of us. He's just a boy."

"Obi-Wan is no longer a boy, Qui-Gon. He's twenty-five and powerful enough to evade capture after all these years."

"He's still one of us, Master," Qui-Gon proclaimed. "All those years ago, he was lost and confused. He did what he believed he had to do. If we only paid attention…"

Dooku gravely shook his head. "If we had paid attention, we would have seen his betrayal coming parsecs away—"

"If we had paid attention," Qui-Gon said louder and with more emphasis, taking command of the conversation again, "then I would have devoted more time in instructing Obi-Wan. Opening his mind and explaining the truths that we both know. Instead, I left him on his own."

Dooku tapped his fingers against his chair's arm. "He's not your fault, Qui-Gon."

"Of course he is," Qui-Gon countered, scornful of himself. "He was my responsibility. I failed him. I lost him… and Anakin."

Dooku realized there was no way to reason with his old padawan. Qui-Gon's heart was sometimes too big and Dooku often worried it may interfere with their plans. Yet, Dooku understood Qui-Gon's heartbreak. A lost padawan is not something one could easily get over. Even Dooku was saddened when he learned of Obi-Wan's betrayal. He often pictured the three of them leading the charge, but it changed the minute Obi-Wan ran away. Plans were disabled or postponed. There was so much cleaning up to do after the mess Obi-Wan left behind that Dooku's fondness for the boy deteriorated quicker than Qui-Gon's.

Yet, Dooku allowed Qui-Gon to pursue the wayward padawan. He had hope the mission would take less than a year, but Obi-Wan proved to be an apt fighter. Obi-Wan and the boy narrowly missed them every single time. And when Qui-Gon finally had them in his grasps, they miraculously slipped away. It's gotten to the point Qui-Gon should cut ties with the padawan and only focus on the boy.

Though Dooku could not fault Qui-Gon on his desperate need to have both of them. If Qui-Gon was like Obi-Wan and ran away, Dooku wouldn't know what to do. Luckily, Qui-Gon was more agreeable and understanding than Obi-Wan.

"Well, if you insist," Dooku finally decided to skip over their talk of lost padawans. No matter what he said, Qui-Gon would not listen. He wanted both Obi-Wan and the boy. Not just one or the other. "We'll capture both, but I warn you Qui-Gon. If Obi-Wan won't listen to reason then I expect him to be dealt with accordingly."

Qui-Gon gave him his word. "Yes Master."

Qui-Gon's promise was all Dooku needed before he changed the subject. "I didn't come here to simply discuss that disaster on Ithor. Our plans are slowly coming together. In a couple of months, the Trade Federation will make their move on Naboo."

Qui-Gon's brows lifted in surprise at the announcement. "That soon already?"

"Indeed," Dooku said, greedily. "I foresee a great change in the coming years, my old padawan."

Their future was finally in their reach and that rotten Republic will fall alongside the corrupted Jedi Order.

Naboo was a very pleasant planet.

After selling the ship on one of the moons and gaining transport to Naboo's surface, Obi-Wan and Anakin fled up to one of the mountain villages. Their new home was more spacious than the previous three homes they stayed and Anakin wondered at the view of the rolling hills and snowy mountain caps. Obi-Wan obtained a job as a mechanic, working on basic engines that weren't too complicated that he would require Anakin's assistance.

Meanwhile, Anakin attended school. A requirement by law in Naboo. Obi-Wan didn't mind. They falsified their documents so no one would recognize Anakin. Anyway, Anakin enjoyed school enough. He struggled on a few subjects due to their constant changing of environments, but Anakin was a quick study. Once he understood, he knew and remembered. Obi-Wan wasn't concerned about Anakin's school lessons. He was more concerned about Anakin's loneliness.

He was surrounded by children of his own age almost every day, yet Anakin chose to stay distant. When the other younglings asked for him to come and play, Anakin opted out, choosing to spend his free time with either machines or Obi-Wan. It worried Obi-Wan that Anakin might never develop the social skills needed to engage with society or other people in general. Obi-Wan grew up in a Temple full of like-minded younglings, befriending a few close ones like Garen and Bant. But Anakin… it seemed he only needed Obi-Wan's company to be happy.

And that greatly worried Obi-Wan.

It was late one night. Obi-Wan was finishing up on some last repairs on a speeder while Anakin read over schoolbooks, trying to finish up on some lessons before the small break. As Obi-Wan dusted himself off and rinsed his hands cleaned, he called out to Anakin. "So… anyone doing anything fun over the break?"

Anakin merely shrugged. "Don't know."

"None of the students said anything?"

"Maybe, but I wasn't listening."

Obi-Wan drew out a long sigh. "Anakin—"

Anakin turned off the holobook. "Please, Obi-Wan. Not another lecture. Not tonight."

"I'm afraid I have to," Obi-Wan said. "I'm concerned."

"About what? I'm doing fine in my studies. I'm all caught up… somewhat," Anakin added as a second thought, glancing down at his mathematics lessons.

"It's not your studies I'm worried about," Obi-Wan said. "I'm worried that you may be lonely."

Anakin furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Lonely? I'm not lonely. I have you."

Obi-Wan put away his toolkit. "That's what I mean," he said. "I shouldn't be your only friend. You should have others. Friends around your age."

The Force surrounding them shuddered and Obi-Wan turned around to see Anakin's face screwed up in fright. "A-Are you saying you don't—"

"No! No, no, no," Obi-Wan assured immediately, crossing the shop and taking a knee in front of Anakin. "I'm not saying anything of that sort. I'll always be your friend Anakin. I only bring it up because… I want you to have friends other than myself."

"But I don't need anyone else!"

"Yes you did. You just don't realize it," Obi-Wan said quietly. "It's good to make friends. To have people who will care and love you."

"That's why I have you."

Obi-Wan inwardly sighed. It was a much harder discussion than he previously thought. "Yes, but I think you need more than just me. You'll get tired of me, especially when you are much older and you'll want someone your own age to talk to."

Anakin shook his head. "No! I'll never get bored of you. I swear!"

"Don't make such promises," Obi-Wan gently chided. "My point is it would be good for you to hang out with people your own age. Be a kid, Anakin. By the Force, you deserve some normalcy."

Anakin frowned and turned away from Obi-Wan, shoving his holobooks and lessons in his bag. Obi-Wan didn't need the Force to sense Anakin's anger. "Anakin, don't be like that."

Anakin snapped around. "Why do you keep trying to push me away from you? Huh? First it was me rescuing you and now it's this. I don't understand!"

Obi-Wan took Anakin's hand to stop him from running off. He held them tight, but not in a strong grip. Not the way Qui-Gon grabbed him. "Calm down. Just calm down. I'm not pushing you away," he whispered, smoothly. He noticed the tears welling in Anakin's eyes. "Look—after what happened in Ithor, I realized that if anything was to happen to me, you would be alone."

"And I don't want to leave you alone, Anakin," Obi-Wan continued, bending his head down to keep looking Anakin in the eyes. "I want some comfort knowing that there will be others there for you."

"B-But you'll always be around, right?" Anakin sniffled. The tears have yet to fall, but the tide was rising.

It ached to know that may not always be true. "Not always," Obi-Wan mumbled. "But I will do my very best to be with you. In the meanwhile, I think it's a good thing for you to at least be acquainted with your fellow classmates. It's good to make friends Anakin. Healthy even."

Anakin rubbed his nose with the sleeve of his arms. "I… I don't see the point though," he said. "We're going to leave anyway. Why make friends if I'm just going to go?"

"Because it's good to connect with others," Obi-Wan answered. "Even if it is only for a few moments, it's good to have people who you can talk to and listen. Swap ideas. It'll keep you aware of the galaxy around us. But, more importantly, it'll be fun to have someone to talk who is not an old man."

A little twist of a smile rose up from Anakin's face. "You do know I really don't think you're an old man."

"I know," Obi-Wan said, affectionately. "But I often feel like one." Obi-Wan looked at the time. "Come on, we better head home or it may be too late to practice."

Anakin threw his bag over his shoulder and Obi-Wan locked up the shop. They strolled quietly down the paved road, politely greeting those who walked passed them. As they neared their front door, Anakin stopped and faced Obi-Wan. "Obi-Wan? Do you have friends?"

He wanted to say yes. He wanted to sit Anakin down and tell him long tales of the days when he was a mere youngling, playing games with his good friends, Garen and Bant and Reeft. He wanted to tell Anakin how blessed he was to have them. He desperately wanted to tell Anakin all of that.

Unfortunately, he could not. He hadn't communicated to them for a very long time. At one point, Garen and Bant and he were inseparable. Always had each other's backs and were often seen in together studying or practicing with their lightsabers. Obi-Wan enjoyed his friends' company, but it dwindled when he became a padawan. Then it became even less when Qui-Gon joined Dooku. Obi-Wan tried his best to stay in contact. Every time he returned to the Temple, he would immediately excuse himself to see his friends. It was during one of these meet-ups that he confided to his friends his worries about his master. When Qui-Gon heard of it, he effectively ended Obi-Wan's meet-ups. He kept Obi-Wan busy and away from the Temple. He "accidentally" broke Obi-Wan's comlink and; therefore, Obi-Wan could only use Qui-Gon's to make calls. When missions were completed and they had breaks, they always went to Serenno and stayed at Dooku's estate that the rest of the Temple didn't know. They never returned to the Temple. And getting messages out of the palace was harder than building a droid from scrap metal. Soon, Obi-Wan lost touch with his long ago friends and all he had for company was Dooku and Qui-Gon.

Obi-Wan pushed his hair back, eyes sliding over Anakin. "I did," Obi-Wan replied quietly. "It was long ago, but I had friends."

"What happened to them?"

"Nothing. It was me."

That baffled Anakin. "What do you mean?"

"Remember what I told you about those bad people?" Obi-Wan asked and Anakin nodded. "Well, they kept me away from them. They didn't want me to have friends except them."

Anakin confusion melted into one of pity. "I'm sorry… I didn't know."

"It's okay," Obi-Wan assured the boy. Obi-Wan didn't mean to upset or make Anakin feel guilty. It was how life went with him. "Let's get inside and—"

"My classmates are going to Theed."

Obi-Wan stopped, hand frozen on the door knob. "Beg pardon?"

Anakin shyly looked away. "Most of my classmates are going to Theed for the weekend. There's a big festival there and the school set up a trip," he paused, tipping his chin up so that he could look up at Obi-Wan. "You asked me what they were doing for the break. That's what they're doing."

"Oh… okay," Obi-Wan said and he unlocked the door. He allowed Anakin to step inside first and the lights flickered to life, revealing their cozy abode. "I see. How come I didn't hear about the trip?"

Anakin dropped his bag in the hallway. "Because we can't go," he said. "Theed is a city. The capital of Naboo. You'd say it's too dangerous."

He was accurate about that. Going into Theed was indeed a dangerous adventure for the two of them. If anyone recognized them from the posters and alert the Jedi, then it would be another hectic day. But, with a festival, it would be pack and their faces would easily blend in with the crowd. And it would be good for Anakin to converse with his classmates outside of school.

"Let's go," Obi-Wan decided, causing Anakin to do a double-look at him.

"Are you ill?" Anakin questioned, reaching up to Obi-Wan's forehead. Obi-Wan batted the boy's hands aside. Anakin still looked unsure if Obi-Wan really meant what he said. He restated, "We can't go to Theed."

"Why not?"

"Because the bad people might find us."

"It's a festival, Anakin," Obi-Wan reminded him. "There's going to be a lot of people there. Our faces will blend in with the crowds. Also, we'll be a part of the school. No one would think of us to mingle with a school."

Anakin's blue eyes brightened. A shiny sea of blue looking right at him in hope. "Do you mean it?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "I'll contact your teacher tomorrow morning and rearrange my work schedule."

Anakin let out a childish squeal. "Yippie!" Then he darted down the hallway and around the corner into the kitchen, leaving his belongings scattered in the hallway.

Obi-Wan frowned at the discarded items that cluttered the hallway. "Anakin! Get back here and clean up your mess!"

"I'm Rosmé."

Obi-Wan looked over to see one of the mothers standing next to him, hand stretched out to bridge their acquaintance. Obi-Wan gladly took hers and gave it a firm handshake. "Ben," Obi-Wan easily lied. "Ani's guardian."

Rosmé's brown hair rippled as she nodded in acknowledgement. "He's an energetic young boy," she complimented before she pointed to a group of younglings who were trying to catch the flying confetti. "My son is Errol."

Obi-Wan had no idea which one was Errol. "I've only heard good things about him."

Rosmé beamed. "You're too kind," she said. "You say your Ani's guardian? Are you related or…"

"He's my younger brother," Obi-Wan answered. It was the lie they decided on upon arriving in Naboo. Anakin was Obi Wan's younger brother. Parents died last year and they moved to escape those painful memories.

"You don't look alike," Rosmé commented, studying Obi-Wan's face before flicking a glance to Anakin's face. "Maybe the eyes…"

"He takes after our mother," Obi-Wan replied, surprised by the nosiness of the woman.

"Oh, yes," Rosmé said, growing somewhat quiet. "I'm sorry to upset you. It's just—we are all curious about the two of you. We often spoke about inviting you and young Anakin over for dinner. But, you two seemed so quiet and secluded."

"We don't mean to be," Obi-Wan said, truthfully. "It's just been a difficult time for us. We are trying to adjust."

Rosmé smiled sweetly. "That's good. We are quite happy that you and Anakin joined us on this trip. It's not often the younglings get a chance to explore and go into cities. Especially Theed."

Yes, Theed was quite an exotic city. It was picturesque. The dome buildings of architectural phenomenon sat right on the cliffs overlooking multiple waterfalls. Anakin was wowed and excitedly counted every single waterfall. Like Anakin, Obi-Wan was amazed by the design of Theed. It gave an ancient city vibe, a renaissance image of poise, dignity and color. Everything was bright. Civilians wore vibrant colors, hairs done in extravagant up-dos and men laughed rambunctiously. It was quite the crowd and it was a gorgeous festival. Obi-Wan had to remind himself to keep check on Anakin, who kept darting off with the other younglings to different stalls. Obi-Wan told Anakin to keep his bond open at all times and if they were ever separated, to go to Guido's Tower and wait.

Obi-Wan didn't sense any danger, but he knew better than to let his guard down. Anakin even stayed alert, but was more relaxed than Obi-Wan. He seemed to be really enjoying the trip. He began having conversations with his classmates, telling them all about how he's going to build a protocol droid from scratch. Obi-Wan smiled at seeing Anakin engage with the other younglings, happy at the prospect of Anakin gaining new friends.

"Errol is most excited about seeing the young queen," Rosmé kept speaking, drawing Obi-Wan's attention back to her. "He's very fascinated by our queen. What does Ani think?"

Obi-Wan had no clue. They both knew her name was Padmé Amidala, but other than that, neither really discussed politics. They had no interest in getting involved in government duties. "He seems to like her enough," Obi-Wan said. "Nothing to complain about."

"Not yet anyway," Rosmé added with a small chuckle. "She was inaugurated not too long ago. We'll have to see if she'll be a fine queen. I'm concern in her capability. The Trade Federation have been so greedy with our plasma."

Obi-Wan heard whispers of the grievances of the Trade Federation. It was a common conversation in their village. Many families in their little village are miners, who work in the nearby plasma mine. Obi-Wan was aware of the situation and it did seem quite serious. But, he wasn't too worried. The Republic would handle the tense situation if the Naboo and the Trade Federation could not come to terms.

"Hey!"

Obi-Wan felt a jerk on his arm and saw Anakin standing next to him. "Can I have some money to buy a snack?"

"You had lunch about half an hour ago."

"But I'm hungry."

Obi-Wan knew Anakin wasn't actually hungry. He spied his young charge hungrily eyeing those delectable treats at the booth in the corner. Obi-Wan knew of Anakin's tricks, so he came prepared. He pulled out an apple from his bag and gave it to Anakin. "Here you go," he said. "That should keep you full until dinner."

Anakin scrunched up his face, squinting questionably and disappointingly at the apple.

Then, in a surprise that Obi-Wan didn't expect, Rosmé handed Anakin a few coins. "There you go, Ani."

Anakin didn't know what to do at first. No one has ever challenged Obi-Wan on his parenting skills. But, before Obi-Wan could refuse the money, Anakin accepted it. "Thank you!" He returned the apple to Obi-Wan and ran to the corner booth to get his treat.

Obi-Wan shoved the apple back in his bag. "That wasn't necessary."

"It was unfair the other children got sweets and Ani can't," Rosmé said to defend her actions. "Besides, it's nothing really. Just a few coins."

"Yes, but—"

"Just say thank you Ben."

Obi-Wan realized he wasn't going to win and surrendered. "Thank you," he said. "It was kind of you."

Rosmé's smile widened. "No problem. And, honestly, you and Ani should come over for dinner. I know a friend you might get along with."

By friend, Obi-Wan knew she meant a girl. He wasn't quite sure why she took a sudden interest in his and Anakin's well-being and it made him feel uncomfortable. The last time anyone took an interest in either of them was… well, he didn't want to think about those days. "We'll be more than happy to attend dinners," he said as that was what the social norms called for. But he definitely was not going to look forward to it.

"Good! Next week then."

Obi-Wan bowed his head in agreement. "Next week then."

Rosmé was quite pleased with herself. Her pride shone in the Force and Obi-Wan wanted to side-step and move to another area to avoid more discussion on his and Anakin's personal and private life.

She turned her head to the massive palace, raising a hand over her eyes. "Where's our Queen? She should be coming out any moment."

It was that exact moment. Right when Rosmé finished speaking that Obi-Wan felt a deep surge of darkness clouding the Force. A tremor rippled the gentle waves of the Force. A warning. Something bad was about to happen. Obi-Wan scanned the area, head snapping from one direction to the next. Anakin was still at the sweet shop booth, talking to the owner and picking out the right treat. He wasn't in any danger. Not that Obi-Wan could see or sense. But, something was wrong. Very wrong.

"What is it?"

Obi-Wan looked back to Rosmé. She looked concerned for him. "You look scared," she observed.

"It's nothing," Obi-Wan said, trying to form his face into a neutral expression.

"That doesn't look like nothing. You seem terrified."

Did the woman ever stay quiet for a moment? "I just got an odd feeling, that's all."

"Of what?"

Here. Obi-Wan thought. He felt something bad was going to happen right here. Dead center in the middle of Theed.

Rosmé still looked at him strangely, unsure of his words. "You shouldn't worry. Ani is still right over there. And the festival is going on and the skies are—"

Her voice was cut off by an alarming sonic boom. The rambunctious festival suddenly grew still and quiet for a brief second. Then, chaos broke loose. Rosmé vanished from Obi-Wan's side as the crowd surged in different directions. Scream after scream pierced Obi-Wan's ears. Obi-Wan whipped around, hand resting on his hidden lightsaber as he took in the scene behind him.

There are another sonic boom and a nearby building's roof was shot up, the pieces crumbling down. Obi-Wan looked past the panic crowd and saw a massive droid army marching into the street, firing into the crowd.

Obi-Wan's heart clenched at the sight. The last time he saw battle droids…

Obi-Wan spun around and sprinted to the last place he saw Anakin.

The booths were all upturned and the sweets that Anakin debated upon buying littered the plaza. Anakin was nowhere to be found. "ANAKIN!" Obi-Wan cried out, his heart drumming erratically that he didn't think the rest of his body could handle it. He sprinted around terrified civilians, ducking from blaster fire and checking every young boy for any sign of Anakin.

Then he remembered.

Guido's Tower.

Obi-Wan took off, arms pumping as he ran around debris and panicked people. Blasters shots narrowly missed him. He pulled out his lightsaber, the metal picking his palm as he gripped it. One shot came near him and he deflected it with a quick reflect of blue sword. He heard the excitement chatter of the droids and knew he suddenly became a main target. He ran across two droids and sliced them in half as he proceeded his race to the tower. He silently hoped Anakin went directly there and that he wasn't captured or worse, dead.

He constantly checked his bond with Anakin, sensing Anakin was alive, but panicked like the rest of the people. He was running and Obi-Wan sensed that Anakin was heading in the correct destination.

There were more flying debris as bombs collided into the historic buildings of Theed, topping great masterpieces and turning them into rubble. Civilians rushed to shelters as Obi-Wan continued his long sprint to the tower. Many people called out to him, pleading with him to come with them for safety, but Obi-Wan ignored them. Anakin was out there and he needed him.

The Guido's Tower came into view and Obi-Wan deflected a few more blaster shots with his lightsaber. He jumped over a toppled statue and nearly fell into the bushes upon landing. But, he kept his balance and finished his run to the tower. He didn't see Anakin.

He ran in a circle, but Anakin was not in sight.

Ice pierced his body, stabbing right through his center. This could not be happening. Anakin should have been here. He felt him through the Force. Anakin should have been right here!

"Obi-Wan!"

Obi-Wan jolted at hearing his name and twisted his legs to turn when he spotted Anakin running up to him. Obi-Wan opened his arms wide open and caught Anakin in his arms. "You're okay," he said mostly to himself in confirmation that Anakin was indeed alive.

"Sorry! I tried to get here as soon as I could but—"

"No worries," Obi-Wan said quickly and he released Anakin from his embrace. They had no time to talk. "We have to get out of the city."

"We can't!"

Obi-Wan blinked in surprise by Anakin's insistence. "What?"

"I heard the droids saying something about the queen."

"Anakin—"

"No! Obi-Wan!" Anakin said, urgently. His little fists grabbed Obi-Wan's tunics. "They're going to kill her!"

Obi-Wan, his breathing ragged from his sprint, pulled Anakin into the safety of a shelter. "Anakin, you must listen carefully," he said. "These droids work for the same people we've been running from. If they capture us—"

"But we have to help them," Anakin claimed, pleading. "They're going to kill her!"

Obi-Wan found himself in a dilemma. If they exposed their whereabouts, how much good could they do if Qui-Gon or Dooku captured them and imprison them in the depths of Serenno? Yet, Obi-Wan's Jedi past made it difficult for him to not come to the aid of those in need. And the city of Theed needed help. If Anakin was correct in what he overheard, then the queen was in terrible danger.

The Force stroked his mind and Obi-Wan understood. He knew what he needed to do. "All right," he said with finality. "Let's go save the Queen."