Chapter 29: The Queen of Naboo
It was a few months later that Obi-Wan saw her again. He was lounging in Senator Palpatine's booth, his feet on the railing and casually looking over his datapad while Senators debated and argued. The translations were going well. His Sith studies were going much better. He felt a stirring in the Force, and his eyes snapped up, glaring about the room to find the source, and there she was. He was suspicious, cautious before, but it all melted away when he saw the lithe, elegant form of Padmé Amidala enter the box housing the representatives of Alderaan, a dark haired man in his thirties smiling at her side. He dropped his feet off the railing and leaned over, peering down at her, and the Chancellor looked back at him.
"Is everything alright, Master Jedi?"
"Yes, I..." He swallowed hard, the Jedi's mouth suddenly very dry. "I didn't think I'd ever see her again.."
The Chancellor smiled. "Are you pleased you were incorrect?"
"Oh yes..." Obi-Wan breathed deeply, looking around restlessly and seeing if the Senate was anywhere close to a recess. It didn't appear so. "I have been thinking of her quite a bit lately. Maybe this is why, maybe the Force was telling me we'd meet again."
"She is still Queen, so she is not usually here. You are fortunate. Would you like to see her?"
"I would."
The Chancellor nodded, moving the floating platform to the center of the massive chamber, and he declared a recess of proceedings. The Senators began milling about, leaving their booths and conversing with each other, and Palpatine moved his platform back to its place. "Go get her, bring her back here." He smiled. "She is of Naboo, after all."
Obi-Wan didn't need to be told twice. He leapt out of his seat and dashed into the hallways, weaving between Senators and delegates and sliding down the railing of a long staircase to bring him down to the lower levels where he knew Alderaan's place to be. He was breathing hard when he placed his hand on the wall beside the booth, his blue eyes raking over the woman he thought he'd never see again.
"Padmé." He was breathless, the name sounding more desperate than he felt, and the woman turned, her brown eyes lighting up when she saw him, looking at the Jedi for only a moment before her eyes brightened in recognition and she threw her arms around him, gripping him tightly and burying her face in the dark folds of his robe. He pulled her in closer, planting a kiss on her cheek. "I thought I'd never see you again..." he purred softly, pulling away from her and looking the smiling woman over. "Force, but look at you, you're almost a woman now!"
"Almost?" She placed her hands on her hips, a pout on her lips that she could only hold for a moment before she smiled widely. "Obi-Wan, look at you!" She put her hands on his cheeks, thumbs gently stroking the fine, blond hair of his beard. "You grew up too."
"That is how time works." He was blushing furiously and he had no idea why, but there was no hiding it. She couldn't hide how flushed she was either.
The black haired man came to stand beside her, arms crossed and looking very suspicious. "Padmé, who is this?" His voice was hard, cold, and it made Kenobi bristle, head raised and drawing to his full height, which was still half a head shorter than the strong, well-dressed man. The tension between the two men was lost of the young Queen.
"Bail, this is Obi-Wan Kenobi. He's a Jedi, and he's one of the men responsible for saving Naboo."
The man relaxed instantly, his expression suddenly both grateful and impressed. "Oh, you're a Jedi! She did talk about two who helped her." He grasped Kenobi's hand in his large, strong ones and shook vigorously. "You have my respect, Master Jedi. Padmé may not be alive if it wasn't for you."
"W-well, you know...duty of the Jedi and all..."
"Obi-Wan, this is Bail Organa, Prince of Alderaan," Padmé proudly announced, and Obi-Wan eyed the royal suspiciously.
"I see. Is he your...boyfriend?"
Both the royals reddened considerably, and Padmé reflexively hit the Jedi on the chest. "No! No, Obi-Wan, he's helping me learn politics! I won't be Queen forever, and when my term is up, I'm going to try to be a Senator."
"Ah, I see."
She smiled again, taking the Jedi's hand in her own. "Why are you here?"
"The Jedi work closely with the Republic. It is necessary for us to keep an eye on the proceedings here so we can better serve the needs of the Republic. And, since I have been given a rather...tedious task, I have been doing it here to do two duties at once." He shrugged. "I am actually here as the Chancellor's personal guest, and since you're from Naboo as well, I thought maybe you'd like to come sit with me."
He watched her smile widen, and she quickly kissed Prince Organa on the cheek. "I'll meet you here after the proceedings, alright?"
"Of course." The Prince bowed, and went to stand with an older man in the booth, and Padmé linked her arm with the Jedi and the two walked out into the hall together.
"So, where is Qui-Gon?" she asked softly, smiling up at him.
"Back at the Temple. He is no longer my Master." He watched her face light up, and couldn't help but think of how much he missed that.
"Oh, you're a real Jedi now!"
"I was Knighted after the battle on Naboo, yes."
"That's fantastic! Have you seen Anakin?"
Obi-Wan tensed. He couldn't help it. "No, I haven't. Qui-Gon was given permission to train him, though, so that should please you."
It did, he could see it in how her face let up. "I'm glad they changed their minds. Anakin deserves to be happy." The Jedi said nothing. "Do you think I could see him?"
"No." The answer was immediate, sharp, and he didn't mean to sound as harsh as he did. Kenobi sighed when she looked at him with her big, brown eyes that seemed almost hurt. "...he is too old to train, Padmé. If he will be a successful Jedi, he can have no outside influences, or his training will fail. He cannot have any attachments, and he was especially attached to you."
She looked at him as they began to climb the stairs to the upper levels. "Yes, I understand..." She wanted to see him, Obi-Wan could feel it. She was disappointed, terribly so.
"Don't be upset, Padmé. You may see him again."
"I do hope so." She smiled softly. "You can tell me more about being a Jedi!"
Kenobi shook his head. "Not today." Her eyes narrowed, and Obi-Wan laughed, pulling her closer to him. "Last time, you said you would tell me about what you do. I spend a lot of time here, I feel that expert instruction would be useful."
"I'm not an expert."
They reached the Chancellor's booth, and when they walked in, Palpatine bowed deeply. "Your Highness," he said reverently, and Padmé embraced him quickly.
"It's good to see you again, Chancellor," the Queen said softly, her voice warm and friendly. "I hear you have been spending time with my Jedi."
The Chancellor smiled, looking over Kenobi carefully. "I have had the pleasure of getting to know him better, yes. He is quite pleasant to have around."
"Isn't he?" she chirped sweetly, sitting in the back of the booth by the railing and dragging the Jedi down to sit beside her, his hands clasped tightly in her own, and Palpatine looked at the two knowingly before calling the Senate back into session. "I'm afraid there isn't much for me to tell you," she said softly as the Senators and delegates began to talk and squabble again. "I'm still learning, and I don't get to be here much."
"Good thing you're clever then," Kenobi purred, scooting closer to her. He searched her with the Force and found her heart rate elevated, excitement rushing through her, and, while it could simply be from the reunion of two friends, Obi-Wan suspected it was something more. "Has ruling been easy? Got yourself a King yet?"
She laughed melodically. "No, no, nothing like that. I have no time for things like that. Learning the politics of the Senate is taking up all my time, and if I do get elected, I will be busy trying to make a difference. But yes, ruling is uneventful." She smiled brightly, picking at the hem of his robe. "It's much nicer without the threat of death."
"I wish I could understand what that's like. I'm nearly bored to death every time I come here."
She laughed softly, laying her hand on his chest. "I find it fascinating. The things that happen here influence the entire galaxy!" It was dim in the room, but Obi-Wan could see how bright her eyes shown, how full of hope and idealism her entire being was, and it was infectious. He looked at her and truly believed she could change things here.
"...tell me about them."
"Them?"
The Jedi pointed out to the vast Senate chamber. "Them. Tell me everything you have learned about all of them." He kissed her hand, and even in the low light, he could see her fair features flush, smile shyly, and she began to speak, softly at first, uncertain, and then with greater enthusiasm and interest as she went on. Kenobi just leaned back in his chair and watched her, listening to her melodic voice, soothing in its passion, and a relaxed smile settled on his face as he gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb and listened to the young Queen.
She was being modest before when she said she didn't know much, Obi-Wan realized as he listened to her speak for a long while. She knew everything. Every Senator, every delegate, the world they represented, what they believed, who they were aligned with. While Obi-Wan intensified his studies in the Force, Padmé Amidala was studying to become a master in her own right, and her field was the Galactic Senate.
"Look, there," she said swiftly, shaking his shoulder and pointing to a man that had just entered the booth a little ways to their left. "That's Prime Minister Almec of Mandalore." The Jedi's eyes shot to the man, tall and thin and shockingly blond, and Kenobi couldn't help but wonder if that fine, pale, beautiful shade was common among the Mandalorians. "They are allies of the Republic, but they aren't a part of it. Since their civil war had ended, their Duchess likes to keep a presence here, but she doesn't usually send Almec. From what I understand, she likes to keep him by her side."
Kenobi couldn't help the surge of jealousy within him, and his whole being tightened in fury, the Dark Side rolling off of him in waves, and the Chancellor quietly observed the Jedi out of the corner of his eye. Padmé was leaning over the rail, so she noticed nothing. "Why."
"Excuse me?"
"Why. Why does she keep him with her?"
"Oh." She looked toward the domed ceiling of the chamber, so high above them she could not see anything but inky blackness, holding her breath as she thought and absent-mindedly stroking the Jedi's thigh. "I don't know a terrible amount about the Mandalorians. They don't say much. They ask for nothing, and their Duchess Satine is not known for having a public personal life. But I can guess what she'd be doing with a man like that."
The cold blue eyes raked over the Prime Minister, and Kenobi silently swore to himself that he'd have to find a reason to travel to Mandalore in the very near future.
Padmé didn't have the Force, but she did have a keen insight into people, and she noticed something off about the Jedi as his clear blue eyes focused on Almec. "Obi-Wan? Are you alright?"
The Jedi's eyes snapped back to her, and for a moment they were cold, hard, almost hateful, before they softened back into their previous gentle ease. "Yes, I'm fine." She wasn't swayed, and he smiled softly and kissed her hand. "I know Satine. Or, I knew her."
The Queen smiled mischievously and leaned closer to Kenobi. "Oh, Obi-Wan, I thought a Jedi wasn't supposed to know love."
"Don't be ridiculous, I don't love Satine. She and I were just...close."
"Mhmm, I bet."
"...I mean it!"
"I think," she purred, tracing her finger over his chest, leaning closer until the Jedi flushed deeply, "that you might just have a thing for royalty."
"Well..." He clear his throat, tugging his robe away from his neck. It suddenly felt far too tight. "I have always had sophisticated tastes. Not that it matters, since I'm a Jedi, and I can't have any of that."
"Do you regret it?" She studied him carefully, watching conflict play over his fine features, and she felt her heart ache for him. She understood the struggle of duty before self. Padmé gripped his hand tighter.
"I don't regret it, no," he said carefully, his eyes drifting to the Mandalorian Prime Minister. "There are things I want. Things I will always want, but there is sacrifice on every path."
She nodded. "I understand. It's important to put others before yourself."
"Is it?" The Senators began moving about the chamber, packing up their things as the session was called to an end for the day, but neither the Jedi nor the Queen moved. "I don't think it's wrong to want things for yourself," he said softly, just above a whisper, and the Queen leaned in closer.
"No, it isn't..."
"You just need to be strong enough to take it."
"And to still handle all your responsibilities."
"Exactly." He felt his pules quicken, the Force within him surge as he watched inner fire and passion and desire burn in the young woman's eyes, and he knew she could see the same in him. Kenobi cupped her face, thumb gently stroking the high, angular arches of her cheek bones, and she laid her hand over his, holding her breath as she held the Jedi's gaze. "You're going to make a powerful ally, Padmé. Being here in the Senate for so long has made me lose hope in this system, but I believe you can help change it. We can change it."
"I think so too." She closed her eyes, shook her head. "No, I know we can."
Someone cleared their throat behind them, loud and sharp, and the Jedi and the Queen pushed away from each other, both of them flushed. Obi-Wan stared intently at the floor, tightly gripping the hem of his robe, and Padmé's wide brown eyes fell on the tall and handsome figure of Prince Bail Organa.
"I do hope I'm not interrupting," he drawled, glaring at the Jedi as Padmé swiftly rose.
"Not at all!" she said quickly, brushing the notion away. "We were just about to leave."
"Really. It didn't look like-"
"Obi-Wan. I do hope to see you again very soon." The Jedi stood, facing the small, blushing queen, and bowed deeply.
"Provided duty doesn't keep us away, I would very much like that." She smiled at him, bright and shy and wanting, all at once, and Kenobi wondered how one person could show such a wide range of emotion on her expressive face. How one person could invoke similar emotions in others, and he couldn't help but think that when she grew to be a bit older, she would be a very dangerous woman to the right man. He watched her as she left and he knew she could make a man forget his duty, that much was obvious, and if he had been a different man, a different Jedi, Obi-Wan felt that she could make someone fall, and fall hard.
"Do you have feelings for her?" Obi-Wan's blue eyes snapped to the Chancellor, standing with his hands behind his back, his shoulders slumped, his face understanding. Palpatine was a meek, if kindly old man, and it was a welcome relief to be in the presence of one who listened, understood, instead of passing swift judgement like the Jedi were prone to do.
"Don't be ridiculous," Kenobi scoffed, dropping back into his seat and putting his boots up on the railing, arms crossed over his chest. "Padme and I are friends, nothing more."
"It seemed like more than that." The Jedi's glare did not deter the older man. "You are clearly attracted to one another."
"I can't speak for her, but she's..." He growled, his blue eyes darting away to look at the quickly emptying Senate, only a few hundred left milling around when before there were thousands. "I admire her passion. It is difficult not to find that...alluring, I suppose." And it wasn't. Obi-Wan was finding him increasingly drawn to passion, in all its forms. He supposed that's what initially drew him to Satine as well. She was cool, logical, intelligent, but her very core burned with a fire that, as a younger man, Obi-Wan found both dangerous and captivating to look upon, so bright that it threatened to burn the very heart out of him.
And it did, he supposed. He had loved her then, a dark, deep secret that he held close and personal, like something that he was not allowed to have, which, he supposed, he wasn't. But now, the very thought of her sent him burning, the memory of her deep inside him, and Obi-Wan had no way to cleanse himself of her, especially not when his newfound beliefs screamed for passion, decried the cold Code of the Jedi for keeping this from him, forcing him to deny feeling that were real, present, and tangible. He would not deny his nature. He would meet it head on, embrace it, accept it. If it was the will of the Force that he should love this woman, than who was he to deny that?
The Chancellor smiled softly, laying a hand on the Jedi's shoulder. "Passion is admirable, yes. One cannot make real change without it."
"I agree."
"Padmé Amidala will have her part to play here some day. As will you." Obi-Wan looked at the Chancellor, gauging his thoughts, his feelings as he looked out over the empty Senate, his gaze far away, like he was imagining the future, the change that he hoped would occur, the state of the galaxy when it did. He was...hopeful. Naive, perhaps, but Kenobi found him trustworthy and honest, which was much more than he could say for the others in the Senate.
"...I don't have feelings for her," Kenobi said softly, the Senator's dark blue eyes drifting toward his Jedi companion. "Not for Padmé. She just...her passion reminds me of another."
Palpatine's head tilted, his eyes lighting up in interest. "Aren't Jedi not to-"
"Yes, yes, Jedi aren't supposed to do lots of things, no fear, no hatred, no anger, no love, but we are still people, and we still feel things." He was shaking, and he felt the dark rolling off of him, just barely contained. "We are taught," he began again, calmer, more measured, "to control these urges. Mastery of oneself is our goal, to not allow emotion and attachment rule us."
"But you are struggling?" Kenobi's eyes met the Chancellor's knowing one. It was said as a question, but it wasn't. He knew. He had seen the world, seen the struggle of the people, and the Jedi's own struggle was not so different from anyone else.
"...yes. With many things."
"With a girl?"
Kenobi laughed at that. "That is the absolute least of my concerns, but yes. Padmé had said something that made me...jealous, I suppose."
"About Prime Minister Almec?" Palpatine smiled softly as he watched anger, intense jealousy, rage darken the Jedi's features. "I overheard you two talking, and I couldn't help but listen. I apologize if I was intruding."
"It's fine..."
"I knew the Jedi had aided the Mandalorian Civil War, but I didn't know it was you. It was you, wasn't it?" The Jedi nodded. "My poor boy," the Chancellor drawled softly, sitting beside the silently fuming Kenobi. "I had no idea the Duchess had stolen your heart. This must be painful for you, then, to know she has taken another lover." The bright blue eyes seemed to flash in the low lighting, and Kenobi looked at Palpatine, his expression both hurt and betrayed. "...I'm sorry, I thought Padmé told you."
"She didn't. She didn't know." The Chancellor patted the Jedi's hand.
"I'm sorry, my boy. But it has been a long time. The world isn't full of Jedi. There are passions and emotions, and men and women have needs. You can't expect a young, beautiful woman to wait for the Jedi Knight that will never come."
Obi-Wan trembled, his hand shaking under the Chancellor's. "...you're right. I know you're right..." He laughed bitterly. "I had thought I put this behind me long ago. But knowing that she's...with him!"
"Could you leave the Order?"
"No, not for her. Not for that." He didn't even need to think on it. Despite everything, Kenobi wouldn't leave the Jedi for Satine, not even if she asked him to. Once, perhaps, but now, he was not so swayed by the idealism the surrounded love. It was simple, common, and it would take something more, something complex to make him leave the Jedi.
Something like betrayal.
Like what Qui-Gon had done. Like the Council's refusal to listen to him. Like...everything. The Jedi had betrayed him. There were those in the Order he liked, counted many of them friends, even respected many, but the Jedi had shattered his trust in them. They were his family, his loved ones, the only home he had ever known, and he was tossed aside by his Master for a younger, greater talent, and the Council refused to listen to him when he insisted he was not ready for knighthood. He gave them everything he had, and it wasn't enough. They doubted him, called him into question on everything, refused to take action on the matter of the Sith. It was...maddening, infuriating, so much so that the frustration and rage was causing him nightmares and visions, so much so that he had to turn to the Dark Side just to feel balanced.
So much so that he began to doubt the Jedi Way.
There was emotion and ignorance and passion and chaos and death. Not within the walls of the Jedi Temple, but right here in the Senate, all day, every day. Obi-Wan watched it nearly every day, growing worse and worse as each month passed, and it filled him with disgust. Things needed to change. They had to change. But nothing would so long as the Jedi accepted this mire of corruption and greed. Chaos was all around them, and yet the Jedi did nothing.
Peace is a lie. There is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall set me free.
He could do it. He would do it. He would obtain the power to fix this chaos and greed and corruption. The Jedi Code chained him to complacency, but Kenobi would break free. Things would change. He would make them...
"Wonoksh Qyâsik nun..."
"Excuse me?"
Obi-Wan looked slowly at the Chancellor, the older man looking simply confused. "...it's nothing."
"Are you quite alright? It was like you were lost within yourself for a moment."
"...I was." Kenobi chuckled softly, rising from his seat, and the Chancellor stood as well, a concerned hand on the Jedi's shoulder. "I apologize. I'm more tired than I thought, there have been a lot of sleepless nights for me the past few months."
"Perhaps this will lift your mood, Master Jedi." Obi-Wan looked at him, and he struggled to keep his eyes open. He was exhausted. "It took a very long time, I apologize, but we finally tracked down the truth about Dooku and the Viceroy, and you were right. They did see each other. I have already forwarded the information to the Council."
The Chancellor held out a datapad to the Jedi, and Obi-Wan quickly snatched it from his hands, fatigue forgotten as his sharp blue eyes swiftly ran over the prison logs, the security footage, everything he needed to show the Council that Dooku had done exactly as the Viceroy had said. He said nothing. He could barely breathe. It felt like his heart had stopped beating. The Sith were in reach.
"I apologize for the delay. All the records had been cleared, I had to go through several different channels to recover it."
"It must have been the Sith Master, he had to be responsible for deleting the information! This is perfect!" Obi-Wan quickly grabbed the Chancellor, lifting him off the ground as he crushingly hugged the man. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is...everything." He put the breathless man down and Palpatine coughed, wheezing as he caught his breath, but Obi-Wan had dashed from the room before he could recover, sprinting at full speed down the hallways and leaping down entire flights of stairs. The Council would have to send him to find Dooku now, there would be no other option. With Dooku would come the Sith, and finally, Obi-Wan would learn of their plans, what they were doing in the Senate, what their ultimate goals were, everything. And he desperately wanted to know. He needed to know. After all, when Kenobi destroyed the Sith, he needed an idea of how to fix the chaos of the Republic, and he was fairly certain that the Sith Lords had ideas about that.
