THALIA

As the banquet continued, Thalia and Padme continued deep in conversation, discussing a plot the Queen was hatching.

"I do believe that this tension between the Separatists and Republic will soon reach boiling point and break out into a full blown war if it hasn't already." Padme continued, shaking her head. "I believe in democracy. I have to believe that there is still hope in preventing this war. If the leaders of the Republic were to meet with the leaders of the Separatists I'm sure we could work out some sort of peace treaty."

"It would be the most ideal solution, but do you really think the leaders on both sides would be willing to meet with their opposition, not to mention welcome them to their home planets?" Asked Thalia skeptically. She wanted to believe that this could work, but it was a long shot.

"Well, I have had an idea about that." Padme said hesitantly. "You're the leader of the Council of Neutral Systems, if anyone has a chance of promoting peace it's you. If both sides were to meet on neutral ground in Troska it could help to convince them." Padme finished and looked hopefully at Thalia who was working through all the scenarios in her head. "Thalia, I know I am asking a lot of you, especially during this time of uncertainty for you, but I must be blunt. The future of this war depends on it."

"Well, when you put it like that…" Thalia smiled but thought for a moment before giving her opinion. "…Yes, I will organise for the talks to take place on Troska. If I can help people find peace, then I am willing to face the risks." She finished and couldn't help but smile as she saw Padme's shoulders relax and a brilliant smile spread across her face.

"Thank you, my friend." She said, taking Thalia's hand.

As she looked back across the crowd, Thalia suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her. It had been a long day and she hadn't had a moment to herself in what felt like weeks.

"I am grateful for your hospitality, Padme. But I feel I must retire before I fall asleep in my seat." She said. So, after bidding farewell to the Queen, she left the table and made her way to the archway she'd walked through hours earlier.

"Princess." Thalia turned as she heard someone call out behind her and she watched as Obi-Wan jogged up to her through the archway. "Let me walk you back to your chambers."

They walked in a rather awkward silence through the long corridors before Thalia couldn't bare the quiet any longer.

"What is it? You're conflicted about something." She said and tried to hide a smile as Obi-Wan looked at her in slight surprise.

"It's nothing." He said quickly and she raised an eyebrow.

"Okay." She shrugged. "I don't need you to tell me."

She quietened her mind and concentrated on Obi-Wan's thoughts. He was very conflicted about something. Something he was assigned to do… protect her, but there was something else, something that would stop him from doing so.

Thalia glanced across at the Apprentice who was so deep in thought, he hadn't even realized what she was doing, so she closed off her mind. It wasn't right.

It was still silent when they reached the door to her chambers. She slowly turned to face him with a smile.

"Thank you." She offered.

"I do apologise for my rudeness, Princess." Obi-Wan said, finally looking her in the eye. "Qui-Gonn always reminds me to focus on the here and now, and I have failed to do that."

"My Father used to tell me that if you look too far into the future or the past you miss what's happening right in front of you." Thalia said and was relieved to see his face soften. His blue eyes seemed to look right through her, and yet they made her feel like she could trust him with her life.

"I uh…" Obi-Wan began but looked away from her as he faltered. "I'll bid you goodnight, Princess." Obi-Wan said, changing his mind about what he was going to say.

"Goodnight." Thalia replied, disappointed that he didn't say what was on his mind and she watched him leave before turning to place her key in the door.

"You look beautiful." Thalia heard Obi-Wan's voice in her mind and she looked over her shoulder to see him watching her before he disappeared back down the corridor.

. . .

The next morning, the two Jedi explained, rather embarrassedly, to Thalia about the missing holocron. They had tried to locate the child on Naboo themselves but even combined their Midichlorian count wasn't strong enough, so they had enlisted Thalia's help to trace the child's force sensitivity.

But Thalia had another pressing matter on her mind.

"This holocron, it wouldn't happen to be the one that holds my Midichlorian count? I can only assume that these holocrons would be under the tightest of security in the Council." She challenged, glaring at both Qui-Gonn and Obi-Wan.

"No, I can assure you, your highness, that it is safe." Qui-Gonn said earnestly, and Thalia nodded. Little did she know, she had just been lied to.

"Excellent. Now, the child is here on Naboo?" She asked and Qui-Gonn nodded.

Thalia closed her eyes and focused her mind of the flow of the living force around her. She felt it wash over her in waves and followed their direction.

"It's a house in Theed, with a blue roof. The child is older, three, her parents didn't want her to be trained." Obi-Wan and Qui-Gonn listened closely as Thalia spoke. "She's in danger. We have to hurry."

"It would be wise if you stay here." Qui-Gonn decided, walking towards the door.

"I have a feeling you'll need my help." She insisted, and when the Jedi didn't argue, Thalia followed them out.

"This is definitely it?" Obi-Wan asked as the trio arrived outside the house in Theed.

"Yes, we should be wary." Thalia replied, watching Qui-Gonn closely as he and Obi-Wan stepped forward and knocked on the door.

After a few moments, the brown door was wrenched inwards by a very angry looking woman.

"If you're looking for my daughter, she's not here." She growled, slamming the door shut, but not before Qui-Gonn could grab it.

"We just want to talk." He said calmly.

"You look like Jedi. There's already been a Jedi here today." She muttered and tried to pull the door away from the Jedi Master.

Obi-Wan felt a hand on his shoulder, and Thalia appeared behind him.

"Look at her eyes." She whispered and he looked closely at the woman. Her brown eyes seemed to have tiny stars swirling around her pupils.

"I said go…!" The woman began, but Thalia stepped forward, her hand outstretched and a gentle smile on her face.

"It's alright. We're just here to speak with you." She said softly, and when she was close enough, put her hand on the mother's shoulder. She looked up at the younger woman and the stars faded from her eyes.

"Who are you?" She asked suddenly, stumbling away from Thalia.

"It's alright. We've come to help. Your daughter is in danger, is she here?" Thalia asked gently.

"She…a Jedi was here. He said he needed to take her to the Temple for her safety." The woman said in a shaky voice.

"When was he here?" Qui-Gonn asked.

"Only a few minutes ago." The woman stammered.

"Did he say anything else?" Obi Wan asked.

"He-he asked where the closest shuttle depot was." The woman remembered.

"Come on. This way." Qui-Gonn urged and leapt back into the speeder they'd arrived in.

"What about the holocron?" Obi-Wan asked as they flew through the streets at an alarming pace.

"Hopefully Moralo Eval will still have it." His Master replied as he swerved out of the way of a fruit stall.

"Over there." Obi-Wan pointed to an empty space in the middle of the depot. "He could be in any one of those ships."

He watched as Qui-Gonn closed his eyes and stood still, focusing the force on the missing child.

"There. That one." He said suddenly, pointing over his shoulder at a junker that was pulling away from the dock. The black smoke from the engines laid a fine coating of particles over everyone and everything in the depot.

"We're too late." Obi-Wan sighed.

"What do you mean? Bring the ship back." Thalia urged.

"Bringing a ship back to a safe landing and fighting against it's engines is very dangerous. We can't risk it." He explained and Thalia looked defeated, but only for a moment before she turned to the Jedi, an eager look on her face.

"I have an idea. I don't know if it'll work, but it's worth a shot. Can you just hold the ship in place?" She asked and Obi-Wan hesitated before reaching out with the force. The ship shuddered in midair, coughing out more plumes of black smoke.

Beside him, Thalia also reached out her hand, her eyes closed and her brow furrowed. Suddenly, a rumbling sound began in his ears and he looked across at Thalia, who's face was scrunched in concentration.

She focused on the beings inside the ship, there were at least forty, too many to search for at once, so she focused the force around the sounds of the ship. Under the loud chugging of the ship's engines, Thalia heard the faint cries of a child and she locked the force onto that being. Just like she'd done with the Kyber Crystals back on Coruscant, she focused the force within the child and willed it to bring the child to her. The sound of the engines rumbled in her ears and the power behind the force was shaking the rest of the ships in the hanger.

Then, just as the rumbling became almost unbearable, a small, crying child materialized in Thalia's arms and the rumbling died away.

Obi-Wan's hand dropped as he stared in amazement and the ship spluttered back to life, hovering for a moment, before shooting into hyperspace.

"How did you do that?" Qui-Gonn asked.

"I can't explain it. I just hoped it would work." Thalia replied, setting the child down.

"Hello. What's your name?" She asked gently and the girl looked up at her, with big teary eyes.

"Korna." She sniffled.

"Hello, Korna. My name's Thalia. We're going to take you back to you Moth, okay?" Thalia said and the girl nodded slowly.

"It would be wiser if we take her to the palace first. We've received a lot of attention, and I don't want anyone here following us or the girl back to the home." Qui-Gonn said, and Thalia nodded, before taking the girl's hand and leading her back to their speeder.

A/N: REVIEW RESPONSES

D4ni3l: I'm so glad you're enjoying it so far, and it felt important to establish a strong friendship between the two before alluding to anything else, but it will definitely be interesting when they meet again in fifteen years time.

Mr.E: Yes, I know what you mean about waiting and waiting for some action, but I didn't want to rush anything because any form of attachment is so forbidden for the Jedi, and I felt that because Obi-Wan is still young, these rules are at the forefront of his mind, but I promise the wait will be worth it!