Chapter 18

Padme sensed Jar Jar coming up behind her.

"Yousa tinking yousa people ganna die?"

"I don't know." 'I need my Master's help. She has more experience. But she's not here. I have to work this out on my own.'

"Gungans get pasted too, eh?"

'I hadn't thought about that…'

"Gungans no dyin' without a fight. Wesa warriors."

'I'm a warrior too, Jar Jar. But I prefer negotiation.'

"Wesa got a grand army!"

'What? This is the first I've heard of this!'

"Dat's why you no liken us, mesa tinks."

'A Gungan army, huh? Well…'

"Your Highness?" Panaka entered the room, followed by Palpatine. "Senator Palpatine has been nominated to succeed Valorum!"

"A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one," said Palpatine, stepping forward with what would normally be called a smug expression. "Your Majesty, if I am elected, I promise to put an end to the corruption."

'I'm not voting. If you want to test your campaign, go find someone else. I've got bigger worries. But my master will want to hear about this…'

"Who else has been nominated?" she asked.

"Bail Antilles of Alderaan and Ainlee Teem of Malastare," answered Panaka.

'Hm. Alderaan would help us. Malastare wouldn't.'

"I feel confident our situation will create a strong sympathy vote for us. I will be chancellor."

Padme felt a shiver run down her spine. There was something about the way he said that… Never mind now, she'd ask Jessica about it.

"I fear that by the time you have control of the bureaucrats, there will be nothing left of our people, our way of life."

"I understand your concern, Your Majesty. Unfortunately, the Federation has possession of our planet."

'Yes, I do think I noticed that.'

Padme made a decision.

"Senator, this is your arena. I feel I must return to mine."

She sensed no change in Palpatine's feelings. She realised she couldn't sense anything about Palpatine. He was like a blur in the Force. She dismissed it. 'Just a strong mental shield. Quite normal; rather expectable, in a politician.'

But when she turned, she could see the surprise on his face. "I've decided to go back to Naboo."

"Go back? But, Your Majesty, be realistic. They- they'll force you to sign the treaty."

"I will sign no treaty, Senator. My fate will be no different than that of our people." She turned away from Palpatine.

"Panaka."

"Your Highness."

"Ready my ship."

"Please, Your Majesty, stay here where it's safe."

"It is clear to me now that the Republic no longer functions. I pray that there will soon be sanity and compassion in the Senate once more."

She walked out of the room. At the same time, she reached out with her mind. 'Master, I need you. I've decided to go back to Naboo.'

'What sparked this decision?'

'Something Jar Jar told me.' Padme shared what she had learnt from the Gungan, and explained her plan.

'It's a good idea; there's a good chance it'll work. Anakin's test is complete. The Jedi are going to give us their decision soon.' Jessica paused. 'Actually, I think you should come here.'

'Why?'

She paused again. 'Oh, never mind. It won't really be that much longer. I just thought, maybe you should hear what the Jedi Council had to say about me training Anakin. I mean, you have been my apprentice for eleven years.'

Padme's smiled as she corrected Jessica. Fancy getting a thing like that wrong! 'Twelve years, Master.'

'No, eleven. Now, I've got to go; Shmi's trying to talk to me.'

Padme frowned. Jessica had trained her since she was two. She was fourteen now. That was twelve years. She recalled the conversation, recalled Jessica's exact words. You have been my apprentice for eleven years.

Padme felt her eyes widen slightly. You have been my apprentice for eleven years. She thought back to what Jessica had told her about Knightings in the Grey Order, back when she was eight.

"You'll be a Knight when I decide you're ready."

"But how will I know when I'm a Knight? The Jedi have a ceremony; they have their Padawan Braids cut off, and they take an oath. Do we have anything like that?"

"Not in quite the same way, but we do have a – not so much a ceremony as a tradition. I'll mark your lightsabre in the Force. It's called a blessing of your lightsabre."

"So, I'll be a Knight when you bless my lightsabre?"

"Technically, yes. But really, not until you realise that it's been blessed. I'll do it in secret, when I think you're ready."

"How will I know?"

"You'll know. You'll be able to sense it."

Padme had checked her lightsabre every day for a month after that. But she had realised it was useless. Jessica wasn't going to bless it when she was expecting it. So she had put it out of mind, and eventually forgotten about it.

But now… 'Have I been a Knight? For a year?'

She reached into the Force, running her mind alongthe length ofherlightsabre. Not finding anything, she ran her mind along the inside. There! On the crystal bracket! It was, indeed, marked in the Force. She could feel a subtle difference. She moved her focus closer, trying to discover what it was, how Jessica had done it.

She triggered the blessing. Suddenly, her mind was filled with the warm feelings of love, hope, pride… 'Jessica's feelings towards me,' she realised. 'She loves me, she has great hopes for me, and she's proud of me!'

She couldn't help but smile.

'I'm a Knight!'

-

A/N: That's platonic love, ok. I've got my brother here making snide comments, so just to clear that up.