THE EARLY DAYS DUET:

BOOK TWO: THE WILL OF THE FORCE

Chapter Four- Diligence and Dalliance


At first, I was not sure whether to bow in reverence or run for my life. My feet staggered back with indecision. Was she an enemy? A spirit guide? Or just an apparition? She was the very quintessence of ethereality; that much was clear. She floated almost effortlessly whilst dapples of orange light continued to emanate from her in lazy swirling patterns. But the imperium of her figure seemed to contradict a certain melancholy that hid behind her brown eyes. She looked serene, sad, and arresting all at once. The complexity of her countenance left me feeling both awed and intimidated.

"Is this real?" My voice came out breathy and apprehensive. It was a foolish question, really, since even reality seemed to be a very subjective concept as of late. A better question might have been: "Am I losing my mind?" Or, "What do you want with me?" Or even "How in the seven star systems do I get out of here?" Unfortunately, it was as if my usual sardonicism had been wrested from me. But admittedly, despite my encroaching fear, I discovered that I also felt deeply humbled by her presence. And that, I think, was the reason I seemed unable to run away.

"It is as real as you make it," Minrota replied. Her lips never moved, but it was evident that it was she who spoke. Her words rang clear enough that all of my senses felt keenly attuned to her every word.

Of course she would be cryptic. Why wouldn't she be? She was an inhabitation of my dreams. And dreams were hardly reputable for practicality.

I engaged her with inquiries all the same. She was the strongest recurrent aspect of my dreams, and she had attempted to make contact with me in the waking world, and managed to interact with me while I was lucid in a dream that I had literally been dragged into. All indicators pointed to her being the cause of my debacle.

"Why are you doing this? What do you want?" I was surprised at the calmness in my tone. I wanted to demand answers, but something seemed to be holding me back.

"There is a growing darkness, Sabé," she said. I wasn't sure if it was a metaphoric response or a literal warning. "The Heart of the Guardian must return to its former glory."

"What do you mean?"

"Shadows lurk beneath the light. The warriors of night have lost their way. The Guardian must guide them home."

I felt a vague frustration begin to tug at me somewhere in the back of my mind, but my peevishness remained shrouded by the thrall of Minrota's mysticism. I desperately wanted to harangue her for being so evasive after the lengths she went through to get my attention. And I wasn't exactly appreciative of having my natural emotions being forcibly detained.

"I don't understand," I replied, wishing I could exclaim the extent of my exasperation. As if in answer, I suddenly felt the jewel of Zenda levitate away from its resting place around my neck. It emitted a glow similar to the color that enveloped Minrota.

The memory of Padmé's voice resounded in my mind, ricocheting in softened whispers. "The Zenda stone was crafted from a rare crystal known as Heart of the Guardian," she had said, "It was always a symbol of protection for Naboo's leaders."

The legends. The stories…were they all true?

I shook my head, beginning to understand what Minrota was implying. "N-no," I stammered. Clumsily, my fingers reached for the clasp of the necklace, desperate to remove the blasted thing. "The Zenda was given to me simply as a gift—a mere trifle."

"You are protector of the Heart," Minrota said, undeterred. "And now you are called to manifest its true purpose."

"I'm only a bodyguard," I insisted, holding the pendent before her as if it were an offering. "You've got the wrong girl. This is a royal gem—it belongs to the monarch. Whatever it is you think I'm destined for, I'm not."

"You must guide the warriors of the night," she continued. It was as if she didn't even hear me. "Bind the darkness, bend the light. Heed the call."

This was making increasingly less sense. I could feel my frustration roiling inside me, desperate to break free from whatever calming spell Minrota was using on me. Who were the warriors of the night? Why was she speaking in metaphors and riddles? It's not like that was going to encourage me to accept her call to action.

"I want no part of this," I said, hoping she could feel every ounce of my stifled exacerbation. "I don't even know what you're talking about. Who are the warriors of the night? What is the Heart of the Guardian supposed to do?"

Minrota lifted her long, delicate fingers, and pressed two of them on the center of my forehead. "All will become clear. This is my gift unto you."

In an instant, everything changed. My mind was a whirl-wind of activity; a kaleidoscope of sounds, smells, and images. I felt nearly nauseous from the onslaught of visions. My entire body thrummed with the sheer magnitude of what I was sensing.

I could see…everything. Some things in reverse, some things spinning into an abstract abyss, other things suspended in the breath of a moment. Time had no bearing, but I stood on the outside of it. I could see it all:

A vast explosion of space debris reformed into the shape of a lush planet.

A young man cried out in anguish, ensnared by the relentless grip of fire and ash.

Sounds of battle cries, blaster fire, choruses of political objections and public outcries. I could see lightsabers clashing, I could feel the synchronized clanks of machinery as they exerted their force against their opponents…I smelled the rotting stench of death. My head throbbed mercilessly in response to the sensory overload.

Then all went silent. And all that remained was the darkness.

After a moment, a solitary girl emerged from the black. She stood bravely in the dark of night. Her lip was split down the middle, leaving a thin trail of blood that dripped down to her chin. The wound was fresh and angry. The mark upon her face was the scar that shaped our history. It was Minrota, during the Battle of the Nine. She looked younger here, perhaps no older than fourteen or fifteen. But her eyes carried the weight of decades.

Behind her stood a silent collective of men and women veiled in dark grey cloaks.

Something else lurked under the shrouds of night: A multitude of shapeless shadows. They appeared as nothing more than silhouettes, but they seemed to coagulate into something almost corporeal. The girl withdrew something from the underside of her cloak.

The shadows swelled into an engorged mass, preparing to swallow the girl whole.

From her hand, a searing light interceded the darkness, emitting the color of a ruddy bronze with a darkened center. The light's ignition gave off its familiar hum as a lightsaber.

This is your calling, Sabé. Minrota's voice spoke over the vision. She was tranquil; distant and far-reaching, like the final fade of an echo.


"Sabé, are you all right?"

My eyes refused to open at first. I dreaded the idea of discovering more horrific visions. But the owner of the voice managed to draw me out of my stupor. It was Obi-Wan. Somehow, whether by my own design or that of Minrota's, I was relinquished from my dream. A wave of relief washed over me as I reopened my eyes and ascertained my surroundings.

I was lying down on the soft soil of the ground next to the tree, with Obi-Wan cradling my head in his arms. My body was reacting as if I had just slept for three days straight: My tongue felt swollen as it cleaved to the roof of my mouth, and my body felt weighed down, confirming my existence within the confines of reality.

"I feel heavy," I managed to say, drowsily.

"You took quite a tumble there," Obi-Wan said, gentle and concerned.

I raised my hand to the back of my head, already sensitive to the blossoming of a brand new bruise. "How long was I out?"

Obi-Wan carefully eased me upright, keeping his arm behind my back for support. "For hardly more than a minute," he said, appearing confused.

I froze. "You're sure?"

"I'm quite positive," he assured me. "I didn't even have long enough to alert anyone for help before you came to."

That couldn't be right. My vision with Minrota…it had felt like it had lasted for hours. She had said that all would become clear, but the entire exchange had left me feeling overwhelmed with even more questions than I'd had to begin with. Glimmers of my visions criss-crossed through my mind, refracting against each other in frantic perpetuity.

I clamored back to my feet, newly determined to push my added anxieties aside. Given my current dishevelment, it was difficult to mask how truly shaken I was by everything that had just transpired. My panic was being tethered by a very thin leash. I could feel it pulsating through every fiber of my being, despite my efforts to squander the feeling.

"Sabé, tell me truly, are you all right?" To my dismay, Obi-Wan could see right through my pretense. Or, more likely, his Jedi senses had detected the magnitude of my internal panic.

"I'm fine…just lightheaded. From…all the walking. And the lack of food," I insisted, scrounging for excuses that I could barely recall. "I'm sure that's it." It was the worst lie I had ever managed to tell.

Obi-Wan's eyebrows twitched downward in scorn. "The truth, Sabé," he pressed. "I felt an overpowering presence of the Force being exerted on you. This is far from a trivial matter."

I eyed him warily. He had sensed far more than my own fear. The severity of his concern revealed as much. He must have felt the degree in which my dreams had seized me.

"The truth is…I've been having visions." I hardly knew how else to explain it.

I watched as Obi-Wan processed this new bit of information.

"Visions?" he echoed. "As in premonitions?"

"Yes. Well…no. Not exactly." I faltered, unsure of how to put it into words. "More like visitations."

"Visitations?"

I nodded. A budding thought began to emerge. "Obi-Wan…is it…possible for someone to reach out from beyond the grave?"

I recalled having this same conversation with Master Yoda years prior, when I had been hearing the voice of Obi-Wan's newly deceased Jedi Master, Qui-Gon Jinn. Was I some kind of clairvoyant, able to operate as a conduit for the dead? Or was my connection due to my ownership of the Zenda stone? It seemed to be the only direct correlation between what happened with Qui-Gon and what had been happening with Minrota.

Obi-Wan bore his trepidation with a masterful ease. "I've not heard of the existence of such a thing. Though I suppose it is not beyond the realm of possibility."

"I keep hearing voices, and seeing images…I came to realize that the person who had been trying to contact me was the first Queen of Naboo." I paused, recalling the final image of her wielding the bronze lightsaber. "I think…she might have been force-sensitive."

"That would explain why I felt such a strong insurgence in the Force."

I shot my eyes back up at Obi-Wan. "Did you feel her presence?"

"I felt…something," Obi-Wan said. I could tell that he too was flummoxed by the bizarreness of my situation. "I'm not quite sure what to make of it."

"I might have a few ideas…" I considered.

"Sabé? Is that you?"

It was Jaina.

I gave Obi-Wan a look that I hoped he would interpret as one that promised that we'd discuss more later. But he seemed to assert as much on his own already. At the mere utterance of my sister's voice, Obi-Wan's expression had altered into a placid kind of pleasantry.

I turned around just in time to watch my sister approach from around the front porch. With an elated gasp, she halted in her tracks as she took in the sight of the two of us.

Oh gods…I could already tell where her mind had gone. Out of firsthand embarrassment, I was suddenly beginning to regret my decision to invite Obi-Wan.

"Oh my goodness, Sabé!" Jaina gushed, hastening toward us with revitalized excitement. "When you told me you were bringing someone with you, I had no idea that it would be Jedi Kenobi!"

"It's good to see you again, Miss Jaina," Obi-Wan said amiably.

"Stars above, it's so good to see you!" Jaina said, reaching to shake his hand eagerly. "Why in the world are the two of you loitering out here? Come on inside!" With the swish of her deep blue dress, she turned and led us into the house.

I gave Obi-Wan a helpless shrug as we followed my older sister.

Jaina yelled across the front foyer of the house. "Mother! You won't believe who Sabé brought with her!"

I wanted to die. The mortification was too much.

My mother walked out from the kitchen, located across the way from the entrance. Her hands were otherwise occupied in a wrestling match against a sealed jar. Her ministrations ceased at the sight of us.

"Oh my," she exclaimed. "If it isn't Obi-Wan Kenobi!"

Obi-Wan gave a respectful bow. "A pleasure to see you, Milady Evoria."

My mother chuckled at this, raising a hand to her cheek in mild embarrassment. "Oh there's no need for such formalities. We're out in the country. Narene will do fine."

My mother always appeared meek and fragile due to her petite stature, but she had a quiet assertiveness that revealed that she was the secret strength of our family. Her demure physique merely understated how authoritative she could be. I took after her in appearance, but my own personality came off as far more forceful. We both had lithe and angular features, with squared jaws, deep brown eyes, and small upturned noses; but the similarities ended there. I was brash and impulsive whereas she was anchored and subdued.

"Sabé, your gown is dirtied," my mother observed with a frown.

I gave a reactionary glance down at my skirts. Sure enough, my dress was now mottled with dirt stains. It must have been when I'd collapsed earlier.

"Oh." I said lamely. "That."

I didn't want to digress on how it had gotten to its soiled state. Luckily, it seemed hardly out of character, as mother waved a dismissive hand and said "Jaina, why don't you go with Sabé into the attic; see if you can't find some of her old clothes."

"Your wish, my command." Jaina obeyed, hooking her arm through mine.

Mother continued her facilitations. "Obi-Wan, why don't you help me in the kitchen? I'll take the muja fruit from your hands, if you're willing to prevail against this jar for me."

I was struck by my mother's informal use of Obi-Wan's name. It wasn't unexpected for her to do such a thing, but I was unused to hearing his first name uttered so casually from someone other than myself or the immediate members of his Jedi Order.

"I accept your challenge, Narene," Obi-Wan said, following her dutifully into the kitchen.

"You have worlds of explaining to do, Sabé," Jaina whispered, her eyes gleaming.

I sighed, submitting to her will as I was dragged upstairs, deeper into the familiarity of home.

"Start from the beginning," she commanded, plopping me onto a footstool located near the window of the attic.

"There's not much to tell," I admitted. "He was assigned to a diplomatic mission on Ohma-D'un, and upon his return to the Palace, we were able to catch up on lost time. I figured the family would appreciate having an opportunity to thank him for all he'd done for us during the reclamation."

"Okay, but, there's got to be more to it than that," she insisted. "This man has saved your life on multiple occasions, reunited our family, and took special care to spend time with you after a mission. There's got to be something there."

"I hate to disappoint," I said with a shrug.

"I'm not disappointed," Jaina denied. Her pursed lips told me another story.

"It's your turn," I said, switching gears.

"My turn?"

"My surprise was pretty self-evident. What's new in your world? You'd said it was something about a job?"

"Oh," Jaina replied. She sat down next to me. "Wellll…"

I poked her in the ribs. "Don't you dare hold back on me now!"

Jaina tried to suppress a grin with no avail. "I just got a big-time promotion," she said. "You know that seminar on trade exportation that I told you about? The one I spent months slaving to prepare for?"

"I remember the stress leading up to it," I said. "I'm presuming it went well?"

"Better than I imagined," Jaina gushed. "I got to talking about Naboo's history of trade—from our early transactions with the native Gungans, to our celebrated relations with Alderaan and Coruscant, and everything that transpired with the Trade Federation since the reign of Ars Veruna." I flinched at Veruna's name, remembering my meeting with his niece from this morning.

Jaina continued her explanation, ignorant of my momentary distraction. "The long and short of it is, my presentation on Naboo's foreign policies caught the interest of the Corellian Trade Spine. In fact, their chief executive officer came up to me afterward and offered me a position within his public relations faction."

"No way!" I gasped. "So you're taking the job?"

Jaina nodded. "It'll mean I'm going to be moving to Corellia," she said. "Far from the Chommell sector, and even farther from Naboo…"

"But closer the Core planets," I finished her sentence for her. "Jaina, this is huge!"

Jaina heaved a contented sigh. "This is huge for Naboo as well," she said. "With me representing the face of Naboo's trade relations on Corellia, I will be able to be a voice for the people in a way that will enact better trade alliances. And from there? Who knows! Maybe the Chommell sector will get to share a few parsecs of Corellia's expanding trade route!"

"I'm sure when it comes to that point, I'll be hearing all about it in the Palace," I laughed. "Nothing would give the Queen more pleasure than to be cahoots with the Trade Federation's biggest economic rival."

"I'm really excited," Jaina said, her tone growing hushed as she daydreamed about her very real future. I leaned over and gave her a celebratory hug, which she reciprocated.

"I'm so proud of you, Jaina," I said. "When do you leave?"

"Within the month," she replied. "My boss, Yura, wants me to complete my seminary cycle before heading out. My prospective employer was all too happy to oblige the stipulation."

"As well he should be," I regaled. "Corellia's about to get one of the galaxy's best foreign policy experts on their payroll!"

"I refuse to see Naboo fall under the strife of another trade dispute," Jaina said. "I really think I'm going to make a positive and lasting difference for the planet. And I'll be acting on that desire, rather than simply talking about it to the masses."

"I have the upmost faith in you," I said. "Just…promise me you'll stay in contact?"

"Don't be silly! Of course I'll keep in touch. I'll be downright annoying with my influx of holograms. I'll have no shortage of things to tell you."

"Good," I smiled.

"But in the meantime," Jaina rose, then made three strides across the way to a stack of old cargo units. "Let's see if we can't find a dress that will turn the head of your handsome Jedi."


I had successfully tempered Jaina's overzealous desire to have me dress ostentatiously for a simple dinner. We sent off my handmaiden gown to be cleaned and pressed while we dined. Because of Jaina's flair for the dramatic, I still felt like a spectacle by the time we had returned downstairs. I was donned in a modest, floor length dress. The mauve of the fabric was contrasted by a light layer of beige lace that danced around the bodice and sleeves. It had a high neckline that ran parallel to my collarbones, and the sleeves hugged at my elbows, but the gown permitted both comfort and the ease of movement. Jaina pleaded to do my hair, and I only obliged her if she agreed to do something simple. After all, I told her, the whole point of coming home was to avoid the constancy of fashion and presentation.

By the time we had reconvened in the kitchen, my father had already joined in on the preparations with Mother and Obi-Wan. They seemed to be maintaining a comfortable rapport between each other. My father, a man who usually preferred to be stand-offish and quietly observant, had instead engaged himself in a hearty conversation with Obi-Wan while they assorted the place settings for the table.

"Welcome home, Sabé," Father greeted me with a hug and a smile.

"It's good to see you, father." I always felt so small in his big arms. He was a tall, broad man with a strong jaw and imposing posture. Both Jaina and my father were big boned and sturdy looking. Their physique was ideal for a life of farming. Which worked as an advantage for my father's line of work, and had always been an area of insecurity for my sister's vanity. But both were absolutely stunning to look at, as far as I was concerned. Jaina and my father both had thick hair; about three shades darker than the brown hair that I shared with my mother. And their eyes had a cool grey gaze that reminded me of the shorelines of the Solleu River's inland deltas. They also exuded a certain kind of confidence that further elaborated their distinguishment.

"Handel was just telling me about your experience with the litter of tookes," Obi-Wan informed me. There was a devious twinkle in his eye.

"Oh no," I groaned. "Not that story." I cast a mortified look at my mother, who was busying herself on the far counter. "Father didn't exploit anything too embarrassing, did he?"

"No more or less than would be expected," my mother said unhelpfully. She threw me a wink while she continued preparing beverages and appetizers.

"Did you really have five baby tookes trapped in your hair?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Six, actually," I confirmed, submitting to my humiliation.

Jaina erupted in laughter. "I'd forgotten all about that!" she exclaimed.

"How could you forget when you were the one who put me up to it?" I demanded, sparing her no escape from my accusatory glare.

"I hadn't heard this side of the story," Obi-Wan said, his curiosity piqued.

I sighed resignedly. If he was going to hear the embarrassing account of my childhood trauma, it was better that it came from me. "When I was four, Jaina and I had found an abandoned litter of baby tookes hidden in our front garden. Jaina insisted we bring them home to take care of them, even though we knew mother wouldn't approve of it. I told her we'd be caught and get in trouble. But for some reason, Jaina had me convinced that if I hid them in my hair, then mother would be none the wiser. 'After all,' she'd said, 'your hair basically matches their fur.'"

Obi-Wan covered his hand with his mouth—a desperate attempt to hide his amused reaction to my plight.

"So of course, I fell for it. The baby tookes adorned my hair, and upon entering the house, my mother had noticed right away. She was horrified. Father was keeled over in laughter, and I was suddenly panicking, because these little tookes kept squirming awkwardly in my hair—keep in mind, Tookes don't really have arms, just stubby hands and long, bowed legs—and by the time I had made it inside the house, these tookes had gotten inescapably snarled into my hair."

"Sabé was crying, the tookes were squeaking…" Jaina supplied. "It was a real mess."

"Mother had to end up cutting my hair just to free the little beasts," I said. "To this day, I don't care for the creatures."

"It gets better," my father interrupted. "After we had tucked the girls in for the night, Sabé took it upon herself to retaliate against Jaina."

"What did she do?" Obi-Wan gave me a wry glance.

I leaned forward and intoned theatrically: "I took my hair—the hair that mother had shorn off—and put lumps of it all around Jaina's bed…and started imitating their evil little squeaks."

"You didn't!"

"Unfortunately, I did," I said. "My revenge worked at first, when she was still not-quite-awake enough to recognize that she was surrounded by hair clumps as opposed to baby tookes. After that, of course, I was in for it."

I was met with more laughter. Even I couldn't help smiling just a little bit.


Late Evening

Outskirts of Ferentina; Near the Docks of Solleu River

Night had fallen hours after our dinner had finished. Obi-Wan and I departed from the Evoria homestead with lots of hugs, thank-yous and come agains to last us a lifetime. Before I had us return to Theed Palace, I wanted to show him one more place in Ferentina. A place where I knew we wouldn't be interrupted like we had been repeatedly throughout the day. There was much we needed to discuss before he was to depart from my life again.

There was an old bridge that overlooked the Solleu River. The view was such that we could see the distant cliffsides and waterfalls that bordered the capital city of Theed. The waterfall that cascaded into the Solleu River was located between the Theed spaceport and the Royal Palace. I pointed out the landmarks to Obi-Wan.

"That's where our secret passage was when we sneaked into Theed during the occupation," I said. "And further back is the Livet Tower and funeral dome."

"I think I see it," Obi-Wan said. "Is the Livet Tower the narrower building with the light emitting from the dome?"

I nodded. "We call that the Eternal Flame," I explained. "It's a visual reminder of our mortality, and a reverence to the deceased. It also serves as a form of encouragement, entreating everyone to live their days in harmony."

"We stood there shortly after Qui-Gon's funeral," Obi-Wan recalled.

"That's right." I felt the sympathy come upon me like the gentle spray of a misted ocean breeze. I was surprised at how casual he sounded in reference to his old Master. Nearly three years had elapsed since he had witnessed Qui-Gon's murder, but if I didn't know better, I would have assumed the event had happened a decade ago.

Obi-Wan looked back on me. Reactively, I looked away, staring at the rucksack my father had provided for us. Inside it contained my clean handmaiden gown, and assorted leftovers for us to bring back with us to Theed. It also held the Zenda stone, which peeked out from beneath the lip of the rucksack's hood. After my latest interaction with the talisman, I was less than excited about the possibility of wearing it and potentially passing out in the presence of my family.

"There's more you need to tell me, isn't there?" Obi-Wan asked, already knowing the answer to his question.

"Yes," I replied. "But it's not about my visions…It's about something else." I told him about my exchange with Kasaré, about the assassination attempt on Padmé. I told him about Zam Wesell's recurring appearances on political assaults against Amidala. I told him about the Advisory Council and their connections with Ars Veruna, the Order of Sanctuary, and how they manipulated Kasaré's handmaidens into framing her for the attempt on Padmé's life. I told him about the list of names that Kasaré decrypted, and how they were all from the royal advisory council. And then I informed him of what information I needed in order to legitimize Kasaré's claim.

Obi-Wan remained silent and attentive throughout, crossing his arms and nodding occasionally.

"So…you need me to investigate on this matter?"

"I just need you to see what information you can dig up about the Advisory Council, and see if you can correlate any communications with the Order of Sanctuary."

"Based on what you've told me, the most obvious correlation between the two groups is tethered by Captain Panaka," Obi-Wan said.

"Well, he needed the Council's approval in order to reinstate the Order," I explained.

"I'm aware," Obi-Wan said patiently. "What I'm saying is that he might be the easiest window to peek through."

"I don't want to risk trusting him yet," I said. "I don't know how deep the corruption goes; whether they have something on him or if he's somehow he's directly involved."

"Either way," Obi-Wan said, "He was in active communication with both parties. There may be a direction to go off from whatever information you manage to glean from him."

"But how can I do that without arousing suspicion?" I asked.

"Given the nature of Panaka's position, I can guarantee that his comlink will have a secure channel with a record of transmission history. You could hack into that device and locate the signal from the encrypted information vault. It would be your best shot at finding evidence to support your cause."

"I'm embarrassed to say that I hadn't thought of that."

Obi-Wan shrugged. "I've done my fair share of this kind of work," he said. "But given your convenient proximity to Panaka, you will have better chances of procuring that kind of information instead of me."

My mind began to whir with new ideas and plans to enable that idea to spring into reality. "At the very least I should be able to get the names of Kasaré's handmaiden roster," I said. "Including the ones who had been removed from the rotation. Once I question them, I'll have evidence that stems within my jurisdiction without raising immediate questions about how I obtained their information."

"I advise you to tread carefully in this matter, my friend," Obi-Wan cautioned. "I understand you require expediency to ensure an all clear from the Queen. But if you get too hasty, your investigation may end before it can even begin."

I pursed my lips, stewing over my new scheme.

"If in the event I find information that extends beyond the reach of my capabilities, might I be able to contact you?" I asked. "I'd feel better knowing I have outside support in this."

"Of course," Obi-Wan said.

"Thank you."

We sat in silence for a while, neither of us wanting to bring up the inevitable topic of his next departure.

Then, Obi-Wan raked his fingers through his hair, heaved a sigh, and stood up from our seat on the dock. "I should head back," he said. "I have an apprentice to get back to."

"Of course," I replied. "Do you need anything from your quarters at the palace?"

"I travel light," Obi-Wan said. "There's no need for me to return to the Palace."

I nodded. "All right. I'll get you to the hangar and see you off."

This departure was strangely easier for me. There was no residual tension like last time. Obi-Wan was no longer harrowed with grief, and I no longer felt eclipsed by torrents of trauma. We had both grown up, and both had regained a sense of purpose. He would continue to train the young Anakin Skywalker, and I would continue on my path to protect my queen.

Of course, I now had the added mystery of trying to control and interpret these newfound dreams, but even that gave me a strange sense of fulfillment. It was diverting of the attention I might have otherwise spent pining over a man I could never have. And after spending time with him again after all these years, I could take comfort in knowing that our friendship was still a valuable one.

I watched from within the hangar as Obi-Wan sped away on his Delta-7 Aethersprite Starfighter. Within moments, his ship had telescoped into a small beacon in the night sky before disappearing from sight completely. I took in the night sky for a few additional moments, savoring my final moments of free time before retreating back towards the Palace.

Theed Plaza was dimly illuminated, warmed by the plasma lanterns and nighttime bustle of activity. The palace was still about a ten-minute walk from my current position. I hoisted my rucksack onto my other shoulder, and retrieved my comlink from my pocket.

"Rabé, it's Sabé. I think I have a hunch for how to proceed with operation Status Quo."

"Finally, there you are," came Rabé's reply.

I was confused at her urgency. "Is something the matter? You know you could have contacted me at any time. My comlink never left my side."

"I wasn't about to interrupt your time with Obi-Wan," Rabé said. "As it is, your excursion is going to be the last time you'll be happy in a long time."

My stomach sank in dread. "What do you mean?"

"The Advisory Council is onto you, Sabé. As of tomorrow, you will officially be relieved of your duty as a royal decoy."