The festivities had mostly drawn to a close, enough so that Obi-Wan felt that he could make a discrete exit back to his assigned quarters and then to his ship so that he could head off planet.
After packing up his meager belongings, he slung his duffel over his shoulder and palmed open the door. However, he was unable to move any further due to the presence of the Captain of Security, who happened to be blocking his way. Obi-Wan looked perplexed as he glanced about the room. Did they have a hidden holorecorder in here or something?
After a short bow, Panaka's hands clasped behind his back and he immediately began his report. "I have come to inform you that there will be a slight delay in your departure, Knight Kenobi."
Obi-Wan regarded the man quite seriously for a moment and then snorted a chuckle through his nostrils. Perhaps the man had a sense of humor after all. There was nothing on Naboo that was going to stop him from leaving.
But then the knight noticed that the Captain wasn't smiling, and he began to tense up.
"What do you mean, 'slight delay?'"
"I'm afraid our sensors have detected a large meteor shower moving into Naboo's orbit. All incoming and outgoing flights will need to be rescheduled."
Obi-Wan stood rigidly still, attempting to somehow comprehend the Captain's news, although he was finding it extremely difficult to digest. Much like an overcooked piece of nerf steak served at the Temple.
"Rescheduled for when?"
"The disturbance should clear the system by 0700 tomorrow morning." Panaka replied.
"Tomorrow morning." The knight repeated numbly.
"That's what I said." The man eyed the young knight suspiciously. Weren't Jedi Knights supposed to be perceptive?
Wait just a click! "That meteor shower isn't suppose to be in this system for another three days!" Obi-Wan blurted out, not exactly disguising his disbelief.
The captain's forehead creased upward toward the rim of his hat at the knight's outburst. "Follow me" He stated boldly as he turned and moved confidently down the corridor.
Obi-Wan had no choice but to do as the man had suggested and he traced his steps, eventually finding himself in the security monitoring station.
Panaka led him to a large viewscreen which revealed the current astronavigational readings of Naboo's orbit as well as its peripheral moon.
"See those multiple green blips on that screen?" Panaka asked, pointing his finger toward the monitor.
Obi-Wan noted therethey wereof various sizes and densities, and indeed there appeared to be thousands of them.
"I can read a astronav sensor, Captain." He replied arrogantly, his disappointment however, coloring his words. "Is there no way off this Force forsaken planet?" Obi-Wan murmured, mistakenly giving his thoughts an audible voice.
"Not if you want your ship and yourself to make it back to Coruscant in one piece. Some of those rocks are at least three meters wide, and moving at incredible speed. It's not like an asteroid field, you know. Even with your Jedi training, I don't think you'd make it through."
Neither did Obi-Wan, but he wasn't about to admit that out loud. The young knight wearily ran a hand over his features, shot an aggravated glance toward the Captain and then turned and left the room.
His plan was to spend the rest of the day and evening in his somewhat cramped quarters until the meteor shower had passed and he could finally get off this humid rock.
But he was stopped along the way by a group of parade watchers apparently returning for second meal. The Queen was among them.
"Knight Kenobi." She addressed him sweetly. "I thought you would have left already."
Believe me, I tried, he moaned inwardly, but outwardly said, "Captain Panaka has informed me there is a meteor shower entering your orbit that will delay my departure."
"I thought that wasn't supposed to get here for another two or three days." She noted, turning toward one of her handmaidens, who shrugged in response.
"Neither did I."
Silence passed between them as the queen regarded the young man solemnly.
"Would you care to join us for second meal, knight?" She asked politely.
"No thank you. I think I'll return to my quarters for….meditation." Obi-Wan lamely responded. There was no way he was going to submit his nerves to another round of Gungan diplomacy.
"As you wish." The queen responded with a quick nod of her head before she proceeded down the corridor.
"I don't understand why you are so courteous to that Jedi. He's quite rude." Sabé pointed out as they walked.
The young queen paused and turned her head to look back over her shoulder at the slumped posture of the Jedi Knight as he moved along in the opposite direction. "I feel sorry for him. He is obviously an unhappy and lonely young man."
On the way back to his room, Obi-Wan's fists clenched and unclenched in aggravation. Nineteen more hours on planet. Nineteen more hours that he hoped would pass as quickly as possible. Although he had never meditated that long before, he supposed it was possible. And probably wouldn't be such a bad idea.
He needed to meditate. He needed to focus on the Force and try and figure out what in the hell it was trying to do to him!