AN: Thank you everyone for your kind reviews!
Chapter 5: A Working Relationship
The journey to the senate building was a silent one and Lyyr was content to let it remain silent. She wanted to establish that although she was willing to do as Obi-Wan asked she was not going to be completely obedient. She had made the first move towards establishing that back at the temple.
She still was not completely sold on this switch and she was not above letting Obi-Wan know that. Although I'm certain he's no fan of it either, Lyyr thought with a covert glance at the older Jedi. He was deliberately avoiding looking at her. Lyyr stifled the urge to sigh.
They reached the senate just in time to witness Anakin escort Padmé out to a nearby waiting shuttle. Obi-Wan disembarked from their current shuttle and went to his padawan's side; Lyyr followed just a step behind him. She fell into step alongside the Senator's handmaiden. Lyyr was content to just follow along in silence – she did not need to be brought to Padmé's attention but apparently the head of her security felt differently about matters.
"Excuse me Master Jedi, but who is this?" The captain asked causing everyone to stop. Padmé provided the answer to his question. She took one look at Lyyr and broke out in a smile.
"Lyyr," she exclaimed and before Lyyr knew what was happening the woman had engulfed her in a friendly embrace. Lyyr stood there stiffly, completely taken by surprise. Padmé released the Jedi as swiftly as she had captured her. She held Lyyr out at arm's length studying her face.
"You have changed," the younger woman announced.
"Yes, well, Master Windu has tried to teach me some manners." Lyyr said wirily trying to regain her mental balance after Padmé's surprisingly affectionate greeting.
"Tell me Lyyr; are you here to protect me as well?"
"Protect you, me? No, I am certain that you have more than enough adequate protection already."
"Then why are you here Lyyr?" She asked.
"I am helping Obi-Wan with his investigation." Lyyr answered. "Don't you think we have lingered here a little too long Milady?" Lyyr asked pointedly and gestured Padmé towards the shuttle. With a small little grimace Padmé got onto the shuttle, everyone else followed.
"Knowing that you will have a hand in this gives me great comfort." Padmé pronounced even as the transport took off. Lyyr did not make a verbal reply to that; instead she tried relentlessly to become one with the hull of the transport.
The trip to the spaceport freighter docks passed in silence after that. Lyyr enjoyed the silence; she had been taken aback by Padmé's warm greeting. Although she had more chances to see the Senator than Anakin these past ten years, she had not expected the girl to remember her. To sense that Padmé would gladly re-forge the fragile friendship they had shared during the siege of Naboo unnerved Lyyr. She did not understand how she could have possibly managed to make a lasting impression.
Lyyr continued to meld with the hull as Anakin and the Senator prepared to leave. She watched Padmé say farewell to her faithful handmaiden and Captain Typho. Lyyr had to admire the girl, she reinforced her companion's confidence for her continued safety even though Lyyr could sense that not even Padmé felt that confident. Though she could not help but wish that the girl's words did not have the effect of inflating her brother's already out of control ego.
She knew Anakin and even before she was fully aware of the Force and her affinity to it, she had been able to sense Anakin's every mood. It would take more than ten years of separation for her to loose her familiarity and the automatic synchronization to Anakin's feelings she had acquired throughout his lifetime.
She could, when near him, sense every shift in his emotions before he could name them. If she focused upon him while meditating she could feel him as a physical presence even if he was half the galaxy away. Lyyr was not surprised to know he still harbored the infatuation he had felt for the girl. Lyyr wondered if Padmé possessed the same feelings, all she could sense was that the Senator felt a certain friendship towards Anakin.
"Do you have any advice for me Lyyr?" Anakin's voice drew her out of her musings. She smiled up at her too tall younger brother, recognizing the irony implied in his question.
"Yes," she responded aware that Obi-Wan was wondering what she could possibly have to tell Anakin. "Don't do anything I would do."
Anakin smiled at that. It was an old jest between them but she had meant it as a warning as well and he knew it. She wondered if he would heed it.
"Lyyr," Padmé said surprising the older woman by hugging her again , "any parting words for me?"
At first Lyyr shook her head, her mind filled with a flimsy image of what could happen. Her tongue was tied and she could not bring herself to say the things she thought she should. Instead – in a gesture that was not completely out of character – Lyyr returned the girl's embrace fiercely.
As she watched them go she wondered what would come of pairing them together. She had a brief glimpse, barely an inkling of what could happen and she wondered if that would be such a bad thing.
"I hope he doesn't try anything foolish." Obi-Wan murmured. Lyyr could not help the ironic twist that came to her lips nor stop it from deepening when Typho voiced his own concerns.
Obi-Wan decided that they should walk to their next destination. Obi-Wan had the suspicion that Dexter Jettster might know something about the toxic dart. He had met Dex back when he was still a padawan. Back then Dex had owned a bar on the mining world Ord Sigatt, Obi-Wan later found out that Dex's bar was mainly a cover for running guns. Therefore it stood to reason that Dex would know something about the dart and its strange markings. Obi-Wan had used his help in the past to identify weapons he did not recognize.
Lyyr had fallen into step behind him so smoothly that if Obi-Wan had not been painfully aware of her presence he would not even know that she was there. In fact, he could almost trick himself that it was Anakin with him, except her breathing was different and she was shorter.
"You puzzle me Lyyr," he said not really meaning to say it out loud. But once it was out he figured that it was a means of making conversation. He did want to know more about her, understand her better if he was to mentor her even for such a brief time. Though if he had thought about it he would have picked a better way to start the conversation, regardless he was certain that his statement would invite her to talk about herself. He should have known better than to think that anything concerning Lyyr could be certain.
"Is that such a bad thing?" She responded, managing to somehow turn his statement into a debate.
"To be puzzled by you? No I guess not," he conceded.
"Besides in what way could I puzzle you?" She asked.
"In what way" he repeated astonished that she did not know what he was referring too, "how about your interaction with Senator Amidala today? I had not thought you were that close to her and then you allowed her to hug you, twice."
"Are you going to lecture me on how the Jedi frown upon the practice of giving hugs?" She asked, he could hear the amusement in her voice and out of the corner of his eye he could see the ironic lift to her eyebrows. "I have lived at the temple long enough to know such is not the case. I have seen many Knights and a few Masters embrace friends after long absences."
"No I was not going to lecture," he admitted sheepishly.
"Then why would you find it puzzling that I allowed her to hug me?"
"Well, that you let her. It does not seem in character for you.' She shrugged at that and Obi-Wan noticed that it was a fluid, graceful gesture.
"Well why not? The girl was looking for comfort and she sought it from me, who am I to deny her that small bit of compassion? I was doing nothing more than supporting a frightened child."
"She could have gotten comfort from her own people," Obi-Wan pointed out.
"Perhaps," was all Lyyr said.
After that helpful response Obi-Wan decided to let the matter drop. Besides they had reached the dinner and he had more important things to focus on than Lyyr's particularities. Obi-Wan entered the dinner trusting Lyyr to follow him.
The waitress droid alerted Dex to Obi-Wan's appearance and then directed him to take a seat. Obi-Wan directed Lyyr to sit in the booth before he joined her. Lyyr gave him a look but moved over so that they could share the bench.
"You want a cup of ardees?" The waitress droid asked. Obi-Wan responded with a yes just to be polite, Lyyr made no response. He had just gotten settled when Dex came out from the kitchen.
"Hey, ol' buddy!" The besalisk cook greeted Obi-Wan enthusiastically. Obi-Wan stood up and hugged Dex a little self-conscious because of the conversation he had just had with Lyyr. He indulged in a little ironic smile as he watched Dex try to squeeze himself into the opposite booth. Obi-Wan spared a glance at Lyyr and he could see her amusement.
"So, my friend, what can I do for ya?"
"Can you tell me what this is," Obi-Wan asked pulling the mysterious dart out of his robes and handing it to Dex.
"Well, whaddya know…" Dex nearly whispered recognizing the dart. "I ain't seen one of these since I was prospecting on Subterrel beyond the Outer Rim."
"Do you know where it's from?" Lyyr asked just as Obi-Wan was about to ask the same question. He shot her a condescending look for butting in and she seemed just as unaffected by it as Anakin would have been.
"Belongs to them cloners," Dex responded giving Lyyr a quizzical once over before returning his attention to Obi-Wan. "What you got here is a Kamino saberdart."
"I wonder why it didn't show up in our analysis archive." Obi-Wan murmured almost to himself. Both Lyyr and Dex had an answer for him.
"Just because we have an archive does not mean we've managed to analyze everything that's ever or does exist in the galaxy." Lyyr answered him rather flippantly.
"It's these funny little cuts on the side give it away…" Dex explained chuckling at Lyyr's remark and the expression on Obi-Wan's face. "Those analysis droids you've got over there only focus on symbols, you know. I should think you Jedi would have more respect for the difference between knowledge and wisdom."
"Well, if droids could think, we wouldn't be here, would we?" Obi-Wan quipped with a laugh. "Kamino, it doesn't sound familiar. Is it part of the Republic?"
"No, it's beyond the Outer Rim. I'd say about twelve parsecs outside the Rishi Maze. It should be easy to find, even for those droids in your archive. These Kaminoans keep to themselves; they're cloners, damned good ones too."
"Cloners? I think I've heard about them," Lyyr commented no longer content to remain a silent observer.
"Are they friendly?"
"It depends."
"On what, Dex?" Obi-Wan pressed him.
"On how good your manners are," Dex began with a grin, "and how big your pocket book is."
"Well I'm certain that Master Kenobi can persuade the Council to allow him to have a very big pocket book." Lyyr quipped giving Dex a wink. The alien cook laughed out loud at the padawan's cheek slapped two of his hands down on the table top before announcing;
"I like this gel; she's got quite the charm."
"I assure you Dex that wears thin very quickly." Obi-Wan told him dryly.
After learning all they could from Dex Obi-Wan had insisted that they go examine the Jedi Archives immediately for any mention of Kamino. Lyyr was agreeable to that plan and she sensed Obi-Wan's misgivings at how quickly she had agreed. They were not going to have much of a working relationship if he insisted on harboring suspicions at everything she did. Lyyr willingly admitted that she wasn't going out of her way to make this easy on Obi-Wan but she certainly wasn't deliberately making things difficult either. As for her eagerness to search the Archives, in her mind it was fully justifiable since the Archives had become her second home here on Coursant.
Lyyr loved the Archives and the minute they entered the room she found herself meandering towards her customary table unaware of what Obi-Wan was doing. She seated and had already brought up her last search before she realized that Obi-Wan was not with her.
She hadn't lost him; he was just a few rows away studying one of the busts of a Jedi in a long line of them. Lyyr left the table to go stand near him, she paused when she saw Jocasta Nu join Obi-Wan in his contemplation of the bronze bust. Although Lyyr usually got along with the Archivist the last time she was here she had rather tactlessly interrupted one of Jocasta's lectures to the younglings and to add insult to injury Lyyr proved that the Archivist's argument was wrong on fundamental grounds. Lyyr did not expect the elderly Jedi to have recovered her composure already, and she really would not blame Jocasta if she revoked Lyyr's access to the Archives.
"Did you call for assistance?" Jocasta asked Obi-Wan. Lyyr busied herself with studying some of the old paper scrolls trying to hide the fact that she was listening.
"Yes..yes, I did…" he answered distractedly. Jocasta spared a passing glance at the bust before speaking again.
"He has a powerful face, doesn't he? He was one of the most brilliant Jedi I have had the privilege of knowing."
"I never understood why he quit. Only twenty Jedi have ever left the Order."
"The Lost Twenty…," Jocasta said with a sigh. "Count Dooku was the most recent and the most painful. No one likes to talk about it, his leaving was a great loss to the Order.
"What happened?"
"Count Dooku was always a bit out of step with the decisions of the Council…much like your old Master."
"Really?"
"Oh, yes. They were alike in many ways. Very individual thinkers…idealists…" Jocasta began and Lyyr bristled at the way the Archivist compared her father to the Count. "He was always striving to become a more powerful Jedi, he wanted to be the best. His knowledge of the Force was…unique. In the end, I think he left because he lost faith in the Republic. He believed that politics were corrupt, and he felt the Jedi betrayed themselves by serving the politicians. He always had very high expectations of government." She stopped for a moment to stare at the bronze bust some more, sensing that their conversation was nearing an end Lyyr went back to her computer screen. Sure enough Jocasta reminded the Jedi Master that he had called her over for some assistance and not a history lesson.
"Yes, I'm trying to find a planet system called Kamino. It doesn't seem to show up on any of the archive charts."
"Kamino? It's not a system I'm familiar with…Let me see." As Jocasta Nu leaned over his shoulder to look at the screen, Obi-Wan caught Lyyr's gaze and silently beckoned her to join them.
"Are you sure you have the right coordinates?" The Archivist asked ignoring Lyyr's presence.
"According to my information, it should be in this quadrant somewhere…just south of the Rishi Maze."
"No coordinates? It sounds like the sort of directions you'd get from a street tout…some old miner or Furbog trader."
"All three, actually." Obi-Wan admitted with a faint smile.
"Are you sure it exists?" Jocasta asked her voice full of doubt. She frowned slightly at Obi-Wan's insistence. "Let me do a gravitational scan," she offered the tone of her voice suggesting that she doubted it would help.
"There are some inconsistencies here; maybe the planet you're seeking was destroyed."
"Wouldn't that be on record?"
"It ought to be, unless it was very recent." She explained shaking her head. "I hate to say it, but it looks like the system you're searching for doesn't exist."
"That's impossible…" Obi-Wan began and Lyyr tried to catch his eye to warn him not to say what she thought he was about to say. "Perhaps the archives are incomplete."
"The archives are comprehensive and totally secure, my young Jedi," Jocasta Nu bite back living up to her reputation as a stern woman. "One thing you may be absolutely sure of – if an item does not appear in our records, it does not exist."
"They are cloners and Lyyr has claimed to have come across them in the Archives before." Obi-Wan informed the Archivist. Lyyr winced even as Jocasta looked at her for the first time.
"Well then if Padawan Dysar says that the system exists then it must." Jocasta began scathingly, Lyyr wisely kept her mouth shut. "But did Padawan Dysar take into consideration that there are many cloner societies in the galaxy not just this one."
"I understand that Master Nu," Lyyr responded as demurely as she could.
"Are you sure that you do padawan? For it seems lately that you believe you known the Archives better than anyone else."
"I am sorry if any thing I did gave you that impression Master." Lyyr apologized.
"Did you know Master Kenobi that Jedi Knight Veira Dysar was almost voted out of the Order due to her pregnancy? It was rumored that she had seduced one of her fellow Knights. Many of us would have voted to cast her out based on the strength of those accusations."
"I remember. I was an initiate at the time." Obi-Wan answered wondering what the Archivist was driving at.
"Yes well she was not cast out despite her obvious disregard to the tenants of the Jedi's Code." Jocasta declared. Lyyr bit her tongue to keep from replying. She knew, just as Jocasta knew that the tenants of the code were open to interpretation. To claim that any one Jedi failed to follow them was a flimsily argument at best.
"Do you think Veira Dysar should have been cast out?" Obi-Wan asked pointedly, taking the Archivist by surprise with his question.
"No, the Order suffered at her death. There was no denying that Veira was a talented Jedi and there is no doubt that her daughter will prove to be just as talented."
"Thank you for all of your help Master Nu," Obi-Wan dismissed her and with a stiff bow of her head the Archivist went to help another.
AN: The conversation between Obi-Wan and Jocasta Nu about Dooku is taken right from the original draft of the script so George Lucas get's the credit for that. It wasn't included in the movie but I added it into the fic because I felt it contained some important information for where I want to take this little story. Thanks again for your reviews and for your paitence with me, I'll try not to take to long between updates in the future.