"Still Learning"
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to George Lucas.
Obi-Wan patiently stood next to his Master as he waited for Queen Amidala to decide if she would go to Coruscant or not.
"Either choice presents great danger…to us all," the monarch said, looking at her handmaidens.
"We are brave, Your Highness," the girl closest to Amidala assured her.
Obi-Wan looked a little more closely at the handmaiden who had spoken. Her voice reminded him of someone…a young girl he had met the last time he had come to Naboo. What was her name?
He had no time to remember as the Queen agreed to leave with them, and he had to concentrate on keeping up with Qui-Gon as his Master began leading their group into the hangar. They then had to deal with the Trade Federation's droids and get past the blockade. The latter event resulted in damage to their ship and caused Obi-Wan to focus on looking for a planet they could land on to make repairs. It wasn't until they had landed on Tatooine, in fact, and he was removing the ship's damaged hyperdrive, when he finally had the time to remember who the Queen's handmaiden had reminded him of.
"Padmé…" he said suddenly, smiling because he had been able to recall the name.
"Yes?"
He looked up.
A girl was standing in the doorway, looking curiously at him. She was dressed in simple peasant clothes, her long brown hair in a thick braid down her back.
Obi-Wan realized with a start that she was the same handmaiden the Queen had spoken to before outside of the hangar.
"Are you Padmé Naberrie?" he asked slowly.
She nodded. "I am. How did you know my name?"
His smile grew wider. "I know it's been three years since we met, but I've been told I make an impression on people. Is that not true in your case, Miss Naberrie?"
His form of address made recognition dawn on her. "Padawan Kenobi…" she breathed. She covered her mouth with one hand in shock. "I should have recognized you and your Master sooner."
"It's all right. You've had good reason to be preoccupied," he said sympathetically.
They were both silent for a moment as they thought of what was happening back on Naboo, and then Obi-Wan turned the conversation to the reason for Padmé's new outfit.
"Are you going somewhere?" he asked.
"Oh, yes," she said, looking down at her clothes. "I'm—Her Highness has asked me to accompany your Master on his trip to the city."
Obi-Wan suddenly smiled. "From Apprentice Legislator to handmaiden. Not exactly the direction you wanted your career to go in, is it?"
She blinked, as if she had expected him to say something else, but then she collected herself and smiled. "Oh, you'd be surprised," she said mysteriously.
Assuming she was teasing him, the Padawan only replied, "And you'd better hurry. Qui-Gon and Jar Jar have already left the ship."
She nodded. "I'll leave you to your work then," she said in farewell, and then joined Panaka, who would hail Qui-Gon for her.
Obi-Wan wondered for a brief moment how a bright girl like Padmé had gone from being an Apprentice Legislator to only a handmaiden for the Queen, but then the task of dismantling the hyperdrive took over his attention, and he forgot about the matter.
Later, as the Naboo were trying to make an alliance with the Gungans, Padmé suddenly stepped out of their group and presented herself to Boss Nass. "Your Honor," she called.
"Who is dis?" the Gungan wondered, seemingly annoyed at her interruption.
"I am Queen Amidala," Padmé said.
A murmur went through the crowd of Gungans. They were surprised by her revelation, as was Obi-Wan. The young man thought back to the conversation he had had with Padmé back on the ship, the pieces all falling into place. How could he not have known who she really was?
His surprise was quickly followed by hurt. Why had she not told him the truth in the first place? He saw Padmé look back at the crowd of humans, ostensibly telling the Gungans about her decoy Sabé, but she caught his eye and silently begged him for forgiveness with her own eyes. He then heard the brunette apologize for her deception and explain that it had been done for her safety, which made him feel bad for having thought less of her.
Sensing Kenobi's emotion through their training bond, Qui-Gon turned and gave him a knowing smile, to which Obi-Wan could only reply with an embarrassed smile of his own. As he watched Padmé make her plea to Boss Nass on behalf of her people, admiration for her filled him. The girl he remembered reassuring on the dance floor of a Coruscant ballroom had grown up into a capable ruler. Obi-Wan held his breath as the Queen and the rest of her group all knelt before Boss Nass, awaiting his decision on the alliance. When the Gungan suddenly burst into laughter and announced that he thought they could be friends, Obi-Wan couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face as he exchanged a look with Qui-Gon. He didn't smile only because he was amused by Boss Nass' behavior, though. He smiled because he was proud of how far Padmé had come. She was no longer an apprentice in politics, while he realized that Qui-Gon's words about him to the Council had been right. He still had much to learn about the Living Force. He still had much to learn period.