I own Ayame and Kamuro. Everything else belongs to its respectful owner.
The shuttle arrived just as Obi-Wan and Ayame did. As the pilot opened the door, Ayame took in what she saw.
Anakin, Kamuro, and Padmé were all dressed as refugees, simple and subtle. There were only three small suitcases, all of them belonging to the Senator. Dormé, Captain Typho, and R2-D2 were there as well. Kamuro and Anakin bowed as their masters boarded the shuttle. Ayame could sense the nervous tension from everyone, including Obi-Wan. As they sat down, Padmé immediately launched into pleasant conversation.
"I'm sorry that you two couldn't celebrate yesterday like you wanted to," she said. "I hope I was able to make up for it."
"You more than made up for it, my lady," Ayame replied. "To tell the truth, Obi-Wan and I have only gotten to celebrate four anniversaries. Yesterday was the first one in three years."
"That sounds horrible!" Dormé commented.
"We're Jedi first. Most of the time, at least one of us was off-world," Obi-Wan said. "We came to terms with that the day we got married."
"What did your parents think, Master Ayame?" Anakin asked Ayame.
"That's right, you've never met my parents," Ayame said, grinning. "Well, my father is just happy that I'd found someone, and that the council allowed us to marry. My mother is still sore that we aren't allowed to have children. My older sister has yet to marry, and my younger brother is too young yet."
"She wants to be a grandmother before too long," Obi-Wan added. "I told her that it was better for us not to have children, but she kept insisting on us having them in secret and them staying there."
"It took me three years and a conversation with Master Yoda to convince her that the Council would have found out sooner or later, and that both of us would have been expelled," Ayame said, grimacing at the memory. "I hated to even ask him, but he handled her better than anyone in my family ever could."
"Surely there have been Jedi who have had children," Padmé said.
"Well, Master Mundi has been allowed, but there are so few of his race that are male, it's important enough that the Council had to allow it," Obi-Wan said thoughtfully. "Other than that, I can't say that any living Jedi have."
"I suppose your Padawans become more like your children," Captain Typho said.
"You would think so, and for some masters, they do," Ayame said. "However, that isn't what the relationship is supposed to be. In order for us to truly be one with the Force, we have to let go of everything that we are afraid to lose. Emotional attachment can lead to fear, fear of losing what means so much to us. This is the shadow of greed."
"We both know that anything can happen on missions. While we show concern for each other, and our pupils, we know that we cannot prevent everything bad from happening. Otherwise, how can they learn?" Obi-Wan added. There was a general silence for a few minutes. Ayame shifted her thoughts to her Padawan. Kamuro was meditating, preparing himself. She couldn't help but feel a bit of fear, but she immediately came to terms with it and made it vanish. How can they learn? Obi-Wans words echoed in her mind. Then, the shuttle pulled into the spaceport. Everyone rose, and Kamuro and Anakin gathered the Senators bags.
"Be safe, Milady," Captain Typho said.
"Thank you, Captain. Take care of Dormé The threat's on you two now," Padmé replied.
"He'll be safe with me," Dormé joked. Her smile quickly turned to tears.
"You'll be fine," Padmé gently reassured her.
"It's not me, milady," Dormé said. "I worry about you. What if they realize that you've left the Capital?" Padmé smiled and looked at Anakin and Kamuro.
"Well, then my Jedi protectors will have to prove how good they are," she said.
"Anakin, Kamuro," Obi-Wan said to the two Padawans. "Don't do anything without first consulting either myself, Ayame, or the Council."
"Yes, Master," the two boys said in unison. Ayame and Obi-Wan turned to Padmé
"We'll get to the bottom of this plot quickly, milady," she said. "You'll be back here in no time."
"I will be most grateful for your speed, Master Jedi," Padmé replied, ever formal.
"It's time to go," Anakin said, stepping out of the transport with Kamuro.
"I know," Padmé said, following them.
"Boys," Ayame called. They stopped and looked at her. "May the Force be with you."
"May the Force be with you, Master," they replied in unison. As they walked away, Captain Typho, Obi-Wan, and Ayame looked on.
"I hope he doesn't try anything foolish," Obi-Wan said to no one in particular.
"I'd be more worried about her doing something than him," Typho said, and went to sit down. The Jedi sighed, realizing that he may be right.
Dormé and Typho returned to the Senators apartment, and Ayame and Obi-Wan returned to the Temple. Their first stop was the analysis droids. They had to find out where that toxic dart came from.
"Place the subject for analysis on the sensor tray, please," the droid said as Obi-Wan and Ayame walked in to a small room.
"It's a toxic dart. I need to know where it came from and who made it," Obi-Wan said as Ayame placed the dart in the tray that the droid indicated. It slid shut, and the droid on the other side of the wall picked it up.
"One moment, please," it said. It gestured to another droid, who came over, took the dart, and placed it in a machine that started scanning for identifying symbols. "As you can see on your screen, subject weapon does not exist in any known culture. Markings cannot be identified. Probably self-made by a warrior not associated with any known society. Stand away from the sensor tray, please." The droid placed the dart back in the tray, and it slid open into the cubicle. Ayame sighed. If the droids in their archives couldn't figure it out, they were in trouble. Obi-Wan however, looked thoughtful.
"Thank you for your assistance," Ayame said to the droid, who nodded and went about his business. Suddenly, Obi-Wan perked up.
"I know who could identify this!" he said, and left the cubicle in a hurry. Ayame hurried after him.
"Obi-Wan, where are we going?" she asked as she tried to keep up with him.
"Hungry?" he asked, going straight for the speeder bay.
"I guess I could eat," Ayame replied. "But that doesn't answer my question."
"We're going to see a friend of mine," Obi-Wan said. They jumped into a speeder, and Obi-Wan took off, heading for a small neighborhood known as CoCo Town, just outside of the Senate District.
"Which friend, Obi-Wan? Or is it one that you haven't mentioned yet?" Ayame said, suspicious.
"You'll see," was the answer. They flew the rest of the short trip in silence. When they landed outside of a small diner, Ayame realized who they were going to see, and she nodded. He would probably know what we're looking for, she thought. They walked in to the diner and were greeted by a droid.
"What can I do for ya?" she asked, her accent and mannerisms very human.
"We're here to see Dex," Obi-Wan said. "He's not in trouble. This is personal," he added when the droid didn't answer.
"Someone to see ya, honey!" she called towards the kitchen. "Jedi by the looks of 'em," she added, her tone a little lower. From behind the pickup window, a four-armed Besalisk turned, and his eyes lit up when he saw the Jedi.
"Obi-Wan! Ayame!" he called happily.
"Hello, Dex," Obi-Wan laughed.
"Take a seat! I'll be right with ya," he said, and started waddling out of the kitchen. The two Jedi found an open booth and took a seat.
"You wanna cup o' Jawa Juice?" the droid called from behind the counter.
"Yes, thank you," Ayame replied. A few minutes later, Dexter Jettster walked toward them.
"Hey old buddy," he laughed, giving Obi-Wan a huge hug. "And hello to your lovely lady friend," he said, giving Ayame a hug as well.
"It's good to see you, Dex," Ayame said. The three sat down and got to business.
"So, what can I do for ya?" Dex asked.
"You can tell us what this is," Obi-Wan said, pulling the dart out from a pouch in his belt and setting it on the table in front of Dex.
"Well, whaddya know? I haven't seen one of these babies since I was prospecting on Subterrel, beyond the Outer Rim," he said, looking at the dart with interest.
"Can you tell us where it came from?" Ayame asked. Both Jedi thanked the droid as she brought their drinks.
"This baby belongs to them cloners," Dex said, pointing to it. "What you got here is Kamino Saberdart." Obi-Wan looked thoughtful.
"I wonder why it didn't show up in the analysis archive," he wondered aloud.
"It's these funny little cuts on the side that give it away," Dex pointed out. "Those analysis droids only focus on symbols. I should think that you Jedi would have more respect for the difference between knowledge and...hahaha...wisdom," he added, laughing. Both Jedi couldn't help but smile.
"Well, if droids could think, there'd be none of us here, would there?" Obi-Wan pointed out.
"Kamino," Ayame said, picking up the dart and looking at it. "I'm not familiar with it. Is it in the Republic?"
"No, no, it's beyond the Outer Rim. I'd say about 12 parsecs outside the Rishi Maze, to the south. It should be easy to find, even for those droids in your archives," Dex replied, showing clear dissent for the 'droids in the archives'. He then leaned forward, and got serious. "These, uh, Kaminoans keep to themselves. They're cloners. Damn good ones, too."
"Cloners?" Obi-Wan said. "Are they friendly?"
"Oh, depends," Dex said. Ayame looked at Dex with a suspicious smile on her face.
"Depends on what, Dex?" she asked.
"On how good your manners are," he replied. "And how big your, uh...pocket book is." He started laughing, and the two Jedi pondered the dart in Ayames hands.
