THALIA

"We cannot become complacent. The threat is still very much at large. You said they had a second plan?" Master Windu asked as the three Jedi and Thalia sat around the small room they'd met in only the day before. Beth sat beside her, making sure she was drinking the calming tea she'd prepared.

"Your highness?" Windu prompted her again, and Thalia just nodded, her eyes staring into the empty space in front of her.

She was numb. She just couldn't believe that Obi-Wan was really gone. And it was her fault. She'd held his life in her hands, and she'd chosen to let him die. Beth had tried to reason with her and told her that she would have regretted it if she had chosen differently, and Obi-Wan wouldn't have forgiven her if she'd chosen him over her planet. Deep down she thought this could be true, but that just made her feel even guiltier.

"The Peace Talks will go ahead, which means you are still in danger." Qui-Gonn began.

"Where were you?" Thalia interrupted angrily. "You said you had a plan."

"We did not anticipate this first attack." Qui-Gonn admitted before he sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes with his knuckles. "We have to do our best to… move on for now. There will be time to grieve later."

When Qui-Gonn looked up at her she realised that in her grief, Qui-Gonn had known Obi-Wan since he was a child. He was in as much pain, if not more so that she was.

"Okay." Thalia sighed, nodding in understanding and not wanting to press Qui-Gonn any more.

. . .

"How many lives on both sides will be lost in this war?! We cannot allow this to happen to our planets, our people, our families." Senator Bonteri cried across the table in the palace courtroom.

"You only say that because your planet is weak in both resources and man-power." A Republic Senator retorted.

"Surely there's room in the galaxy for both Confederate and Republic planets to coexist." Padme insisted and looked desperately round at her Republic companions.

Thalia sat on her throne watching the arguing Senators battle with their words to win each other over. For a moment she considered weighing in on their, as Padme put it, 'aggressive negotiations', but didn't see the point. It didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered anymore.

All she wanted was for these squabbling delegates to leave so she could be with her people. Her peaceful people. The ones she had sacrificed everything for.

"You have nothing to say, Princess?" Senator Onaconda asked and suddenly all eyes were on her.

Thalia dragged her eyes away from the spot she'd been staring at so intensely and looked distantly around the table.

"What do you want?" Thalia asked bluntly, gesturing to a member of the Confederacy.

"I want my planet to be safe." He replied.

"And what do you want?" She asked one of the Republic senators.

"The same." She replied and Thalia threw her arms out in front of her.

"You all want what's best for your planet, yes? Safety, jobs, schools, livelihoods?" Thalia asked the room and she received a collection of nods. "You all want the same things! Work together, make trade, be forgiving, help each other. United the galaxy will stand but divided every one of your systems will fall. Today, you have the power to bring peace, safety, and security to all your planets, but if war is to be the outcome, no one will benefit. Everyone loses."

To their credit, they tried. But as the sun began to set, no progress had been made.

"I should be more enthusiastic because it's so important, but I just don't care." Thalia confided in Beth as they sat together on the sofa beside the open fire.

"I know, my love. Grief is cruel, but it won't last forever." Beth replied, stroking the side of Thalia's head as she rested against her shoulder.

"Promise you'll never leave." Thalia almost pleaded. "You're the only one I have left."

"Never." Beth smiled, pulling her Princess closer to her person.

. . .

"Having second thoughts, Master Yoda?" Qui-Gonn asked as he walked with Mace Windu towards the private wing of the city's hospital.

"Hmm. Heading down a dark path, we are." Yoda nodded.

"We've gone over the plan hundreds of times. It will work. Killing a Jedi was the best move we had, especially one so close to the Princess. I'm sure it was her reaction that convinced the Bounty Hunters." Qui-Gonn assured the old Jedi.

A nursing droid led the trio through to a long corridor, and they made their way down to the last room on the right. The door slid open, and even though he knew the truth, Qui-Gonn was still relieved to see his Padawan sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Well done." He said, placing a reassuring hand on the young apprentice's shoulder. "That was quite the performance."

"I took the vital suppressor as you instructed." Obi-Wan replied before holding up the blast-proof vest he'd been wearing. "I'm glad this thing worked."

"What is it?" Qui-Gonn asked seeing the uncertainty in his face.

"How is Thalia? I assume she's still under the impression that she killed me." Obi-Wan asked, sounding almost accusatory.

"We're already this far in. It would be a waste not to go through with it. She'll understand when this is all over." Qui-Gonn assured him. "You were the perfect Jedi for this mission. You were closest to the Princess so you know her security, her routine, the ins and outs of the palace. Out of everyone, you're the best person to keep her safe. That's why it had to be you."

"We need to get your transformation underway." Windu said and Obi-Wan swallowed nervously before lying back onto the bed as the droid beside him prepared an alarmingly large needle.

"Tell me about my target." The young Jedi said.

"His name's Taj Osandar. He and Eval did a job together a few years back. We've chosen him because he has the specific skills Eval and Bain don't have, so he should be the ideal addition to their team." Qui-Gonn began. "Once you reacquaint yourself with Eval, you have to get yourself on the inside of this assassination attempt. Once you know their plan, contact us."

"And are we sure I won't accidently bump into the real Taj Osandar?" Obi-Wan asked.

"We've locked him up in the Temple cells for the time being." Windu assured him and the Padawan nodded.

Beside him, the droid moved to insert the needle into Obi-Wan's arm and Qui-Gonn stepped forward to hold him down. This wasn't going to be a comfortable process. As the yellow serum was pumped into his system, Obi-Wan began to convulse violently. His hands turned into fists and he fought against Qui-Gonn's grip.

After a few more painstaking seconds, Obi-Wan stilled. But it wasn't Obi-Wan staring back at him. The face that looked back at him had brown eyes, dark skin and a bald head. A tattoo snaked up the side of his neck. His cheeks were hollow and he had bags under his eyes. It was a horrible face to look at and was so far from Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"How do I look?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Like a criminal." Windu answered bluntly.

"Time to waste, there isn't." Yoda said. "Find Eval, you must."