The rest of the trip to Courscant was full of an anxious anticipation for all on the ship, the fates of all on board were about to be determined at their destination. Callera's dread only matched by her weariness from her conversation with Anakin last night. Callera had convinced Qui-Gon to talk with both Obi-Wan and Anakin about his plans and goals for talking with the Council.
"I can be a Jedi?' His eyes bright-eyed and hopeful as he looks between Callera, Qui-Gon, and Obi-Wan.
"Yes, you can." Qui-Gon's voice steady and firm as he smiles slightly at the boy's exuberance. "I intend to ask the council for permission to teach you. Obi-Wan has been ready to become a Jedi Knight for a while," the frank confession stunning the young man in question, "I have been meaning to bring it up with the Council before this and I have faith in you, my Padawan."
"Can't Callera be my teacher? She's a Jedi, right?"
"I've been taught by those outside the Jedi Order Anakin. They might not want me to teach you."
"But, But..." Anakin's eyes fill with unshed tears.
Callera's smile bittersweet, "We will see you trained Anakin. Just because I can't be your teacher right now, doesn't mean you can't learn from me."
"What do you mean?" Confusion evident in Anakin's voice
"If the Council lets Qui-Gon teach you, I will be involved. If they take you as youngling, I will be trying to stay close to the temple to help you." Her steady voice calming the anxious boy.
"Why can't you teach me now?" The plaintive plea echoing in the room.
"I can't teach you the basics like either Temple or Qui-Gon can. I was taught the basics in ways that could be harmful to you Anakin, my foundation in the Force is shaky." Pausing to gather herself. " Think of it like your podracer. If I built the podracer's frame, it would be slightly out of alignment. What would happen if you tried to build your podracer on a bad frame?"
His eyes widen briefly as pout forms on his lips, "Parts might not fit right or at all, more risk of the podracer blowing up at a crucial moment."
Callera nods, "That's right. To keep the example going; while I might not be good at building the frame, I will be better at helping you tune that podracer to truly be yours, help you find the parts to tweak your engines and sensors, or help you scout race tracks to find paths that make sense for you."
"What about my mother?"
Qui-Gon picks up the conversation, "The Queen has offered her shelter for the time being Anakin."
"Will I ever get to see her again if I become a Jedi?"
Before Qui-Gon can answer, Callera cuts in. "It might be several years before you can see her if you are taken in by the temple, but I promise you that you will be able to communicate with her."
Anakin's watery smile could power the ship at that answer.
"Now go get some rest kid, tomorrow's going to be a long day for us all."
Anakin nods and dashes off to his mother.
"You shouldn't have given him false hope, Callera." Qui-Gon's rebuke soft in the evening hours of the ship.
"It's not false hope, I'll deliver the messages myself if I have to." Her sincerity draws both Jedi's attention.
"Why is it so important to you?" Obi-Wan rejoining the conversation after the stunning revelation at the beginning.
"He's a nine-year-old boy who's only attachment, and best thing in the world, is his mother. Arbitrarily cutting that off, will damage him."
"Was that one of the 'problems'?"
"Possibly. Regardless, letting his attachment and love for his mother evolve and change naturally will serve him and the order better than just taking a lightsaber to that bond. He's not a toddler or an infant, he knows his mother."
"But attachment is forbidden for Jedi." Obi-Wan's rote response brings a soft chuckle to Callera.
"Every Jedi is attached to the Order. Every Master is attached to their Padawan and Padawan to their Master. It's more that our attachment to the Force and Order should come before any other attachment we form."
Her words bring the Jedi to silence, unable to come up with an adequate reply.
The rest of the night passed quietly after that. As morning and arrival approached, Anakin was up in the cockpit watching the pilots at work. Callera, on the other hand, was in the back with the Queen, her Handmaidens, and Captain Panaka. "Do you all have copies of the sensor data and the message?" Nods of agreement from the assembled woman. "Captain Panaka, what about you?"
His stiff nod and words answer, "Yes, I do."
Amidala looks at him from under her white-painted face, "You have one of the harder tasks in this effort Captain Panaka."
He shakes his head in the negative. "Talking to the Judicial Forces will be far easier than standing in front o the Senate, your highness."
"Don't forget the Treasury Audit Division either Captain. The Judicial Forces might destroy ships, but the TAD can destroy the Trade Federation as a whole." Callera soft smirk is answered by his own. "Don't wait, don't pause, head to them right as we disembark if the Senator or anyone else meeting us tries to stop you, claim that Queen Amidala wants your tasks taken care of as fast as possible and hope to get them rolling before the Senate is in session."
"Shouldn't we tell the Senator of this?" The Queen's voice curious.
"Not till after the bureaucratic levers have been pulled. Let him focus on helping you sway the Senate to possibly make the rest of this unnecessary, that's the best use of his position right now. If you need the extra leverage after everything else, then bring him in on the rest."
"Understood." Amidala tilts her head. "I do wish I could bring you with me to the Senate, your counsel has been inventive and on point since this crisis began."
Bowing slightly, "You honor me with such praise, but the vaunted halls of power are not where I can do the most good." 'I also do not know what would happen if Palpatine and I were in such close quarters for an extended period of time.' "And the Jedi Council needs to hear of my story with alacrity."
"Your story is more important the Trade Federation trying to take Naboo?" Panaka's incredulous voice fills the meeting room.
"Yes and no." That brings Panaka up short. "Something drastic happened in the Force that brought me into your crisis, so my news is of great import. Especially of the hunter."
"You knew him." Panaka's tone bordering on accusatory.
"I know of him Captain and he's trained in the Force. Something about your conflict has drawn several power Force wielders into it. That makes it an important Jedi issue." Callera's eyes bore into the Captain's, his nod reluctant but acknowledging.
"The Force, Jedi, you, it's all above my paygrade. All I want is my planet free and my Queen and people safe."
"I understand Captain. The Force can complicate matters when it gets involved in situations, but those dataslates you are now carrying are going to make strides in helping your people."
The intercom chimes and Anakin's voice echoes. 'We are five minutes from the landing pad. I repeat five minutes. Did I say it right?' 'Yes, you did kid. Good job.' The intercom clicks off.
"Sounds like it's showtime, your highness." Callera's voice steady and reassuring.
"Indeed it does Callera, indeed it does."