Happy New Year, peoples of the earth! Here's to another wonderful year on FanFiction! And another year of fandoms and broken hearts...*clears throat* Happy thoughts!
Without further ado, I now present the third chapter of I Know Places! Hope y'all enjoy! :)
The next morning, Kira, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan and Anakin were preparing to go to the Senate building to observe the debate. Obi-Wan had volunteered to drive, but when Anakin had insisted he drive, Kira could've sworn she saw her Master's face turn the slightest shade of green.
"Yeah, we're not going down that road, Master," Ahsoka said as she clambered into the back seat. Kira was close behind.
"Why not? I always drive," Anakin protested.
"Because the last time you drove a speeder, you used your fancy flying that should be used in space instead of a public highway," said Obi-Wan. He slid in behind the controls.
"That and Obi-Wan nearly threw up," Ahsoka added gleefully.
"But that only happened once!" Anakin whined as Obi-Wan started the engines. The younger man climbed into the front passenger seat.
"No buts, Master," Ahsoka joked. With that, Obi-Wan pushed the thrusters, and the speeder was off.
The ride to the Senate building took only a few minutes, and soon the four Jedi were climbing out of the speeder, Ahsoka teasing Anakin mercilessly. "'That's why you should buckle up, Ahsoka!'" she mimicked in a terrible imitation of Anakin's voice. "But no, you had to go and nearly fall out of the speeder because you didn't follow your own rule!"
"There was a reason I didn't!"
"Yeah, it's called you forgot."
Obi-Wan and Kira exchanged glances, and Kira rolled her eyes while Obi-Wan shook his head as they listened to Anakin and Ahsoka tease. Kira was so busy watching them pick at each other that she almost didn't notice Senator Amidala standing nearby, looking quite amused.
Stepping out from behind the speeder, Kira cleared her throat to alert the others to the senator's presence. Anakin was the one to end the teasing. "Hello, Padme," he said warmly. Kira could tell from Anakin's greeting that he and the senator were close friends. Probably a little too close for the Council's liking, if they were ever to find out.
"Hello, Master Skywalker, Master Kenobi, Ahsoka," the senator said, nodding to each person in turn as she said their name. She stopped when she got to Kira, who felt her face heat up under Senator Amidala's gaze.
Obi-Wan stepped forward. "Senator, this is my Padawan, Kira Narro," he said by way of introduction. Kira bowed respectfully when he finished.
Senator Amidala held out a hand. "It's a pleasure, Kira," she said, smiling.
Kira shook the senator's hand. "It's nice to meet you, Senator Amidala," she replied shyly.
Senator Amidala turned to Obi-Wan. "Thank you so much for arriving early. With Anakin in your group, I was worried you'd be late."
"One more reason we didn't let Anakin drive," Ahsoka said cheerily, "so he wouldn't make us late." She was rewarded for her remark with an elbow in the ribs.
"All right, come along, you two," Obi-Wan scolded. "No reason to make ourselves and the senator late." Kira simply shrugged at Anakin and Ahsoka over her shoulder as the three followed Obi-Wan and Senator Amidala into the Senate building.
Inside, Anakin and Ahsoka chattered a bit while they walked. Kira stayed beside Obi-Wan and admired the lovely interior. The velvet carpet under her feet was a nice change from concrete, and she gawked at some of the paintings as they passed. She wasn't too obvious about her interest on the outside, though, although she was certain Obi-Wan could feel her awe through the Force.
When the group reached Senator Amidala's pod in the Senate room, the four Jedi stayed in the viewing gallery while the senator entered the pod and took her place next to a Gungan, Representative Jar Jar Binks. He waved cheerfully at Anakin, who subtly grimaced in response.
Finally it was time for the debate to begin, and debate the Senators did. Vice Chair Mas Amedda had barely called the session to order when Senator Halle Burtoni of Kamino spoke out against "wasting clone troopers on the Humbarine system when it so obviously cannot be rescued." Senator Amidala and Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan defended Humbarine and objected to this notion. They made their opinions known through speeches that, once finished, inspired every politician in the room to begin debating with each other.
Kira watched, fascinated, as Senator Bana Breemu of Humbarine made a valiant attempt to explain why Humbarine needed the Republic's help without delay. However, though the senator justified her reasons and was not lacking in words, she was unfortunately lacking in a commanding manner. Kira could see that the Senate was having a hard time taking the young senator seriously.
"I feel bad for Senator Breemu," Ahsoka whispered to Kira. "She can't be much older than I am, and here she is trying and failing to secure help for her home."
Kira couldn't help but agree.
A few other senators came forward to speak before Chancellor Palpatine concluded the session. Kira thought Senator Amidala looked horribly discouraged as she stepped out of the pod. "It's horrible," she said. Kira believed the senator was thinking out loud. "Humbarine has sacrificed so much for this war, and now in their time of need, the Senate is turning their back on them. It's so unfair!"
"Now, Padme," Anakin said, putting his hand on the senator's shoulder. Kira could tell Obi-Wan didn't like the level of familiarity Anakin was using with Senator Amidala. "I'm sure everything will get sorted out soon."
Senator Amidala harrumphed. "I certainly hope so. This sort of conduct is outrageous!"
"Yes, it is," Anakin agreed. "Yes, it is."
The senator led the group out of the viewing gallery and back into the corridor, where she turned to face Kira and Obi-Wan. "My apologies for my outburst, Master Jedi," she said politely.
"That's perfectly all right," Obi-Wan replied graciously.
Senator Amidala smiled. "Thank you."
Anakin and Ahsoka started up their playful banter on the way back to the speeder, leaving Obi-Wan to do his best to keep them under control and Kira and Senator Amidala to laugh at their antics. Suffice to say that everyone was in stitches by the time they reached the landing docks.
"Yes, well," said the senator as the four Jedi climbed back into the speeder. "Thank you all for coming. I hope the Padawans learned something today." She nodded toward Ahsoka and Kira.
"I'm sure they did," said Obi-Wan. "Thank you for hosting us."
"It was a pleasure."
"The pleasure was all ours, my lady," Anakin said, giving Senator Amidala a wink before Obi-Wan started the speeder and drove into the Coruscant traffic.
The Masters talked quietly in low tones up front and left Ahsoka and Kira to chatter in the back. "What'd you think?" Ahsoka asked.
Kira shrugged. "It wasn't as horrible as you made it sound. I actually thought it was pretty interesting."
"Yeah?"
"Well, Senator Breemu could've done better. I would've used a guilt trip on the Senate if I were her."
That sent Ahsoka into laughter. "That's about the only way to get the Senate to get something done these days!"
Kira smiled. "What'd you think, Ahsoka?"
"Well, it was boring as always. I'd rather go lightsaber sparring."
The mention of sparring was a favorable idea to Kira. "Maybe we can spar this afternoon and invite Cadena and Caleb to join us."
Ahsoka shook her head. "I can't do it this afternoon. I could do it tomorrow if you want."
"Time and place?"
"1600 in the Bergruutfa training hall."
"You're on."
The next morning, Kira was given free time for the day (unless some urgent mission came up, of course). She spent the morning reading in her quarters, then headed to the Bergruutfa sector after a late lunch to give her invitation to Cadena and Caleb. Both eagerly accepted.
"Guess I'd better get practicing," Caleb said, standing from the bench on which the three were seated. "I wouldn't want to embarrass myself in front of Ahsoka, would I?"
"Well, you could certainly use some work on your form," Cadena teased. Caleb stuck out his tongue at her before heading to the rack to grab a training saber.
Kira sighed and leaned forward a little. Cadena shifted so they could see each other's faces. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing," Kira answered. "I'm just a little tired."
Cadena looked concerned. "That mission on Geonosis really beat you up, didn't it? Maybe you shouldn't spar today."
That got Kira's attention, and she sat up a little straighter. "I'll be fine. It always takes a day or two to recover from a mission, Cadena."
Cadena didn't appear convinced, but she backed off. "Okay."
The door opened, and Ahsoka stepped into the room. "Hey," she greeted the students inside. Cadena and Kira waved back.
Caleb shut down the training saber. "Is it really 1600 already?"
Kira checked the chrono on the wall. "A few minutes before the hour, but we should go ahead and figure out who's going first."
Ahsoka looked around. "Is there anything we can use to flip?"
Cadena searched her tunic. "I've got a credit chip," she offered, handing it to Ahsoka.
"Okay. Kira and I will go first." Ahsoka flipped the credit. "Kira, stamp or blank?"
"Blank."
Ahsoka peered at the credit. "It's blank." Kira beamed as Ahsoka flipped the credit again. "Cadena, stamp or blank?"
Cadena shrugged. "Blank."
Ahsoka handed the credit back to Cadena after inspecting it. "It was the stamped side. So Kira will fight Caleb, then we'll flip the credit again to see who fights the winner."
"Sounds good." Kira activated her lightsaber and turned the power down to low so she wouldn't injure Caleb, who did the same with his training saber. She glanced at the boy as she did this. "And let me get my bearings before you start, Caleb," she said, referring to a time he'd started too early and nearly knocked her out with the blade.
Caleb only laughed. "Yeah, you're going to want to focus, because I'm going to whip your tail."
Kira rolled her eyes and got into position.
Ahsoka got comfortable on the bench. "And...go!" she said, starting the match.
Kira lunged first, aiming for Caleb's left side. He blocked, parried the blow, and ducked to throw Kira off balance. His tactic left her wobbling for a second, but she got back on track when he struck at her arm. She barely had to think about the fight, for the training Obi-Wan had given her was drilled into her memory and ingrained into her muscles. Left, sidestep, jump - watch your side! - right, down, left again - you can do better than that - parry, side, and right.
On and on the students sparred, both obviously getting rather tired. Caleb was beginning to have trouble blocking Kira's swings, and Kira was feeling ready to collapse. Still she pressed on, and with one last burst of adrenaline-charged energy, she hit Caleb's training saber so hard he fell to the ground. He raised his hands in reluctant surrender as she smugly pointed her blade at his throat.
Kira was startled to hear clapping coming from the door and looked up to see Obi-Wan standing in the doorway, watching as Cadena and Ahsoka cheered. She felt a little sheepish as she deactivated her lightsaber and bowed. "Hello, Master," she said, approaching the little group by the doorway. "What brings you here?"
"I thought I might find you here," Obi-Wan said. "I just received a transmission from the Council. They have another mission for us."
"Another one?" Kira couldn't hide the disappointment in her tone.
"Yes, another one," Obi-Wan replied. He turned to the two girls on the bench. "Youngling Cadena, the Council wants to see you, too."
Kira's gaze flicked over to her friend as the older girl stood up, then back to her Master. "When do we leave?" she asked.
"I'm not sure, but we need to hurry. It is urgent."
Cadena turned to shrug at Caleb and Ahsoka as she and Kira followed Obi-Wan out of the room. Kira could understand her friend's confusion. She didn't know what was going on, either.
At the Council chambers, Cadena stepped back to let Obi-Wan and Kira go first. Plo Koon was the first to speak. "We have a situation in the Senate," he said.
"Yes," Mace Windu continued. "As you know, Humbarine is one of many core worlds the Separatists have targeted. This alone should be a cause of concern. However, the Senate has been debating whether or not to stop sending clones to defend it."
Kira frowned. They knew all this already, so why was Mace telling them again?
"Last night, the senator from Humbarine disappeared. Her security doesn't know who could've taken her and why. We are sending Obi-Wan to find the senator and her captor." Obi-Wan nodded to show his understanding of the situation.
"Despite our counsel, Chancellor Palpatine has refused to cancel the debate," Mace said. "Since he has also refused to send a Jedi to protect this core world, the only hope for Humbarine is the senator, and now she, too, has disappeared." Mace turned to Kira. "So we are sending you, Padawan Narro, to take her place."
Kira had to speak. "I'm sorry, Master Windu, but I believe the Senate will notice if I try to take Senator Breemu's place."
"They won't. A nanotechnology procedure has already been scheduled." Mace offered a half smile. "You may remember that your Master was once given a similar mission and also went through this procedure. You will be fine."
Kira wished Mace hadn't brought that up, because remembering only added to her displeasure. They want me, she thought, to act as a senator? A senator who probably cares only about staying in power and what to wear at debates? Ugh! The mere thought of playing a senator was enough to make Kira feel sick.
"So where do I come into the picture?" Cadena asked, crossing her arms.
Mace raised an eyebrow but said nothing about the breach of protocol. "You, Youngling Cadena, are also to go undercover as Senator Breemu's handmaiden. You will relay any information that you or Padawan Narro see fit to give us, as she will most likely be busy fulfilling the role of a senator and have next to no time away from other servants and guards."
"So I'm basically a link from Kira to you."
"In so many words." Kira was tempted to make a slashing motion across her throat to discourage any further comment from Cadena. Mace looked as if his patience was being tested.
"It should not be a long mission," Mace continued, "but concerns have been raised about your ability to complete it so soon after the incident on Geonosis, Padawan Narro. Do you feel you are up to the task?"
Kira licked her lips nervously. She didn't like the idea of playing a senator, but if it kept the Republic and the people depending on it safe, she would do it. At least she was helping to save Humbarine. "Yes, Master Windu."
"Good. You are to report to the infirmary immediately, Padawan Narro." Mace glanced at all three of them. "May the Force be with you all."
Me: I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake...
Kira, Ahsoka and Cadena: *joins in* SHAKE IT OFF! SHAKE IT OFF!
Anakin: *facepalm* Do they ever stop?
Ahsoka: Oh, yeah, Anakin's here now! Welcome to the show, Skyguy!
Anakin: *yawns* Thanks, Snips. Can I go back to bed now? Not everyone wants to stay up late to see a giant ball drop.
Cadena: But it's a tradition!
Ahsoka: And it's fun to stay up late!
Kira: And you get to eat late night snacks!
Me: And the ball's really colorful and sparkly!
Obi-Wan: I'm sorry, young ones, but I'm taking Anakin's side on this one. A man needs his sleep.
Me: -_- Spoilsport.
Cadena: That's fine. We can just have fun without you two!
Anakin: So can I go back to bed?
Me: *singsong voice* After you do the review notice!
Anakin: *facepalm* Are you kidding me?
Obi-Wan: I suggest you do it. Amy can come up with some very creative punishments.
Anakin: *sigh* If you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn, review and let Amy know. Personally, I'm waiting to watch this story crash and burn.
Me: That's rude.
Anakin: Too bad. I'm going to bed.
Ahsoka: *facepalm*
Me: Never mind him. *throws confetti* Happy New Year, peoples of the earth!