Disclaimer: not mine

Glad people like this so far. So Riku kept his hair colour and Sora kept his eye colour, their facial features also look a lot like their KH looks, though Riku's skin is obviously a different colour. And Sora is a year older than Riku.

I finally got a replacement computer so stories may be updated quicker, though I've still got papers to write as well, plus working to finish of The Crown of Tannenley for publishing.

Chapter 2

It was rare that he returned to the Temple anymore…ever since the disaster his mission to Galidraan. The Jedi had tied themselves too closely to the Senate, if they hadn't then that mess never would have happened. It was obvious to him that both sides had been set up, but the question remained, who had done it and why? No one seemed very interested in finding out or stopping it from happening again. That was simply another reason for him to withdraw first from the Council and then slowly from the Order as a whole.

He only remained a Jedi for his old Padawan, not that they had seen each other in years. He did not like the distance that had grown between them but did not know what he could do to fix it. He'd never even met his latest Grandpadawan, though he had managed to keep a distant eye on the pair. He had not thought Qui-Gon ready to take on another Padawan, not after Xanatos, but Yoda had manipulated things to his liking. Yan honestly did not believe the two to be a good pairing. They had become a better partnership but that was the problem, they worked as partners, not as Master and Padawan. He honestly wasn't sure what the Council had been thinking to allow the boy to remain with Qui-Gon after the mess on Melida/Daan. For all he preached no attachments; Qui-Gon had proven his own to Master Tahl by abandoning his Padawan to save her, even worse he had abandoned all the other children on that planet. If he had known what was going on…but he hadn't, he had been away on his own missions and then Galidraan.

He knew they were both in the Temple and was hoping to at least get a look at Obi-Wan, to make sure he was doing well for himself. It had been a decade since then, but he still heard whispers about the two that worried him. The main reason for his return though was his old friend, Sifo-Dyas.

He turned the corner and rocked back on his heels slightly, looking down to see a youngling sprawled at his feet. Startled, bright blue eyes blinked up at him, messy dark hair almost falling into them even as the boy quickly scrambled to his feet.

"Are you injured young one?" He asked, forcing himself to soften his tone. He knew he appeared intimidating, but he did not wish to scare a child.

The boy seemed to consider it before shaking his head. "Sowwy Masster," the youngling told him, and Yan noticed the missing front tooth. There was no blood though so likely not lost from their impact.

"Where is your clan little one?"

The boy shrugged slight, fidgeting with the bottom of his tunic.

"Well then, we should find them." He might not spend time around children, by choice, but he could not leave the boy to wander the Temple alone. Who knew what the youngling could get into? He would offer his hand, but there was too large a height difference between them, so he lifted the startled boy up and settled him against his hip, changing his course to head for the Crèche and Initiative dorms. "What is your name?"

"Sssora!" He chirped, seeming to be happy with his suddenly elevated view of the world. "Masster?"

"Master Dooku," he introduced himself. The boy was light, too light? And he wasn't crying or leaking either, so he was already far more tolerable than most younglings. And the Force…the Light was strong within him. He wasn't as powerful as some, but the strength of the Lightside within him was amazing.

"Sora," a voice called in relief, and Yan looked up to see a young, rather frazzled looking Knight. "My apologies Master Dooku," the Knight bowed. "We only just noticed Sora wasn't with the others."

"Quite alright, he was no bother."

Sora pouted as he was handed over but then waved enthusiastically. "Bye!"

"Goodbye youngling."

Yan watched them leave and then turned to head back to the route to the Archives. He had come to speak with Jocasta after all. And perhaps…he would see what there was in a youngling's file. He had thought that Komari would be his last Padawan but perhaps there was time and energy for one more?

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Padmé smiled softly as the people cheered, her face hidden behind the ceremonial makeup of her new position. She was now the Princess of Theed, but she couldn't quite believe it. Ahead of her was Queen Sanandrassa, wearing the even more concealing makeup and gowns required by her position. When her term was up, Padmé would run to replace her as Queen. She was excited for her new role, to do her best for the people of Theed and to learn what she needed to run for Queen. She doubted very much she would win, most served two terms as Queen or King after all, unless they did something very unpopular, but it would be good experience.

She spotted her parents in the crowd, security subtly keeping them safe, and wanted to wave but couldn't. Padmé Naberrie wasn't here after all, she was simply the Princess of Theed. She would need a regnal name if she was eventually elected Queen, but she had some time to decide what it would be.

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He stared at the dead pirate and sighed, holstering his blaster. That…had not gone at all to plan. So now what? Well, the bounty was a bust so he might as well see what he could find to make up for the loss. He carefully explored the ship, watching out for possible traps or crew he might have missed. The HUD in his helmet wouldn't give as much warning as normal thanks to the various heat signals from the ship itself. He found a few things worth keeping and stashed them in various pouches but then hesitated in the engine room, there was an anomalous reading near the engine…

His hand dropped to his blaster as he caught the slightest hint of movement, but then he moved his hands away from his weapons, holding them out and open. "Hey there ad'ika," he called softly. "It's okay, I won't hurt you." He hesitated but then reached up, undoing the seals to remove his helmet.

Silas smiled at the barely visible form hiding in amongst the machinery. The child of one of the pirates, a captive…or worse? "It's alright," he called. "Please come out." There was some movement, but the child didn't emerge. He slowly reached into a pouch and pulled out a ration bar, holding it towards the child. "Hungry?"

It was obvious the kid wanted the food but was terrified to come out, not that h blamed them. And of course, there was the chance the poor thing couldn't even understand him.

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Sidious smirked as he read the report, Nute Gunray had taken control of the Trade Federation as planned. He would be far easier to use and control than his predecessor and he had plans for the Federation. Everything was going to plan, just as Master Plagueis had said. Though if Sidious' own plans came to fruition, then his Master would soon be dead. His own apprentice was coming along nicely but he wasn't who Sidious wanted as his legacy. He would have much preferred a human apprentice but had yet to find an appropriate one. Though, he had been carefully sounding out a certain disenchanted Master Jedi. Dooku's position and connections could be very useful.

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Obi-Wan folded down into a meditation position on the grass, enjoying the peace of the Room of a Thousand Fountains. He needed the rest and space from his Master, which then made him feel bad. There were times…he wondered the path his life would have taken if Master Jinn had never been convinced to take him as his Padawan, or if Obi-Wan had chosen not to return to the Order after the Young…or if Satine… sometimes it made him wonder if he was really meant to be a Jedi or not.

It didn't help that many of his crechemates had already been Knighted but Qui-Gon had given no indication he would be putting Obi-Wan forward for the Trials anytime soon. He knew how lucky he'd been that Qui-Gon had agreed to take him on but sometimes Obi-Wan just got tired of all the various lifeforms he'd take on, many left to Obi-Wan's care and often dangerous to him. He'd long stopped going to him about his visions and they had lessened as Obi-Wan got older, but Qui-Gon would even ignore his feelings of something about to go wrong. He knew he was meant to focus on the present, but when the feeling was for the present? He loved his Master, he did, but something told him he was going to be let down again, soon. Maybe if he was a better Padawan…

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Silas smiled at the boy sitting beside him. It had taken longer than he would have liked, but the kid had finally emerged from the engine. He was a Mirialan with very unique looks, which was likely how he'd ended up on the ship, it was a good thing he'd killed the crew fast before they could detonate the kid's chip. He'd have to get the boy to a medic who could fins and remove it quick, just to be safe.

He hadn't been looking to take on a foundling, an ad, but…there was just something about the small child. He got the feeling he was small for his age, hopefully information on his background was stored in his sale data, if they'd kept it. He hadn't said a word yet, but that was fine, if he was mute then Silas would just have to teach him how to sign. If his sales data was available, his family might be traceable and then Silas would attempt to free them if they were slaves too. Mirialan's weren't known for selling their ad into slavery, though he didn't know a lot about them other than most had facial tattoos which the ad lacked.

"Can you tell me how old you are?" he asked when the boy had finished eating.

Wary violet eyes blinked up at him, he was so adorable! Well, now that Silas had gotten all the grease off his face and hands. First thing to do once he got him back to his own ship was a trip to the sonic for a proper clean up. But then the boy shyly lifted three fingers and Silas grinned at him, reaching out very slowly to ruffle short silver hair.

"Three huh?" he fought back a growl; he must have only just been separated from his family. Silas knew that children were only sold separately after they turned three so hopefully, he hadn't been with the pirates very long at all.

It also meant he hopefully hadn't had his growth permanently stunted yet; he was way too skinny so likely malnourished. He really needed to get him to a baar'ur as soon as possible, he might not have any visible injuries beyond some scrapes, but who knew what was hidden. Now he just needed to reassure the ad that it was safe to go to Silas' ship.

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Sheev Palpatine smiled and applauded as Padmé Amidala was crowned as Queen Amidala of Naboo. The girl was barely fourteen, young and naïve, easy to manipulate. She would be perfect for what was coming in a few short months, let her enjoy her rule until then. She would never know that he had arranged for her to win the election against Sanandrassa who was older and did not listen to his suggestions enough. She was also too much an isolationist for what was coming, that agenda had served its purpose already.

Sheev smiled as he approached the heavily made-up girl, bowing to her. "Congratulations, your Majesty. I look forward to working with you."

"Thank you, Senator," she intoned robotically. It was a tone easily copied, he knew of her and Captain Panaka's plans for handmaidens who could play decoy. It was a good idea for security, but it would never fool a Force sensitive.

He moved on to allow others to give their congratulations, watching them all. He cared nothing for the planet of his birth and so he had no issues using it to get what he wanted, no matter how many of the inhabitants died in the process.

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Silas smiled as Riku played in the dirt, a few other ade around him. He'd finally come back to Mandalore to register Riku as his ad and part of his aliit. He also needed to arrange for the beginner education modules suitable for his age. He felt bad that it had taken almost a year to bring him to his new home but it had taken time to track back where Riku had come from. He'd traced his sale to Tatooine but hadn't been able to get any further as it had been a general sale. He had no idea if Riku still had living blood family or not and no way to trace them if he did.

He was happy that Riku seemed to trust him now, that he hadn't been too badly scarred by his time as a slave. Hopefully he was young enough that he wouldn't remember it at all by the time he was grown. Silas had taken the time to speak with some Mirialan Mando'ade, yes, he was raising Riku as a Mandalorian but he also wanted his ad to know his birth culture. Which was why he would be taking Riku for his first tattoo, one that would mark his adoption as Silas' ad. He was happy to have learned the process was painless. Other tattoos would come as Riku grew up, to mark various milestones and skills.

Riku looked up at him and smiled, showing he'd lost a tooth while Silas had been on a job. He couldn't just leave him on Mandalore all of the time but sometimes it was just too risky to leave him on the ship. If he had a proper clan…but so many of them had dies at Galidraan. Silas had been a teen himself, barely past his verd'goten, and had only survived because he'd been away from the main camp, scouting. He'd been part of House Mereel, but his clan had been a small one. Jango had been his best friend, despite the age gap between them. He wanted Riku to have that kind of friendship but it would be difficult, he didn't want him to risk being exposed to Kyr'tsad at all but Kryze's pacifists weren't better by much. But the Haat Mando'ade had all been wiped out between Korda Six and Galidraan, they had no Mand'alor. Most said Jango was dead, but Silas didn't believe it.

"Hey ad'ika," he smiled at his ad, and Riku scrambled towards him.

"Buir!" he cried out happily, and Silas scooped him up.

"Having fun?"

"'lek!" he cheered, so different to when Silas had found him. He'd probably never be a chatter box but he was always happy when with Silas.

Silas settled the boy on his hip, careful of the angles of his beskar'gam, not that Riku ever complained it was sharp or cold. "Let's get you cleaned up, fed, then to bed. We've got an early start tomorrow."

"Ship?" Riku asked, and Silas nodded.

"Elek, we've got a nice, easy, job." And the pay was nice too.

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Padmé looked at the group of girls, all of similar ages to her…and all able to pass as her with a little makeup. It was a little eerie to see when they did, but it was also very useful. She'd managed to slip away and visit her family because of one of her handmaidens taking her place for a few days. Captain Panaka insisted that they all train in weapons to protect themselves in case of an assassination attempt. It seemed very farfetched but there was historical precedence, it'd just been a very long time since anyone had attempted to kill the King or Queen.

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Sora sat on the bed, legs swinging, as he waited. He didn't really like the Healer's but he'd spent a lot of time there. His eyes were weird and he couldn't see like his crechemates could, Healer Che said it was because of where he had been born and that they could fix it. They just had to wait until he was big enough and they thought he was now. Which meant lots of scans to make sure they did it right.

But at the moment he was bored, though it wasn't as boring as meditating which was what the rest of his clan should be doing at the moment. He liked his clan, they were nice mostly, but he didn't really have friends. Some of the other boys teased him, said he was too pretty, and it hurt. Jedi weren't meant to be mean, so why were they?

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Sabé stood to the side of her Queen, staring at the sight of the massive Trade Federation ships blockading their planet. How could this be happening? Why Naboo? Did they think no one would care, that they were an easy target? She supposed they were right; they had no armies with which to defend their people. Their only hope was that the Republic would send help, thankfully communications hadn't been cut off, yet.

She hated to admit it, even to herself, but she was scared. If they invaded…she would do her duty no matter what.

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Palpatine nodded as the Governor explained the situation. "Of course, Governor, I shall petition the Senate for aide immediately. Perhaps the Jedi could be sent to negotiate on our behalf as it is much too dangerous to allow the Queen to do so, who knows what this Viceroy may try."

"Thank you, Senator."

He sat back once the comm was over, smirking slightly. Right on schedule. He had no intention of truly asking for help, no, he needed Amidala to sign the treaty the Trade Federation would present to her, but for now they needed to think he was doing everything he could to help. And if Valorum did send the Jedi, he was friends with at least one of them after all, well, the Queen would believe it was Palpatine who had arranged it. He would need to warn the Viceroy he may have Jedi guests; they could not be allowed to interfere.

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Qui-Gon side stepped a group of initiates, watching them scurry towards the Archives, hopefully to study and not play pranks. They had barely arrived back in the Temple and the Council had summoned him. He'd sent Obi-Wan to their quarters to clean up and eat, hopefully get some sleep too. As much as he preferred to be away from the Temple, on missions, they could use a break. Obi-Wan at least didn't have to try and schedule exams around missions anymore.

He knew the gossip, that he was holding Obi-Wan back, but they weren't true. His Padawan was not ready for the Trials, not yet. He still hadn't fully grasped remaining in the present, he let his feelings distract him too much, though at least his visions had stopped. And he'd like him to be a bit better with Ataru before sending him off as a Knight.

He stepped into the turbolift and folded his hands inside his sleeves as he waited to ascend the tower, alone within it. He emerged on the upper level and stood before the Council room doors while the Padawan on duty announced his presence.

Qui-Gon moved to the middle of the room and bowed. "You summoned me?"

"Chancellor Valorum has requested your presence at Naboo to negotiate between them and the Trade Federation," Mace informed him.

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Anakin sat staring up at the stars, he ached from a hard day at the shop. He wasn't big enough to carry so much! Something was coming, he didn't know what, but he knew something big was coming and everything would change. Was someone coming to free them? He still dreamt of that, of himself but older and with a laser sword, freeing all the slaves.

TBC…

So, I decided to give Riku some happiness and as a Mandalorian. I chose Silas because when I looked him and Myles up, it said he was still around at this point. I wanted to pick someone I've read about in other fics. All Mando'a comes from online sources and other fics so sorry if there are errors. I couldn't find some of the words I wanted either.

Ad – kid

Ad'ika – little kid

baar'ur – medic

Ade – children

Aliit – family/clan

verd'goten – Mandalorian coming of age

Kyr'tsad – Death Watch (terrorist group)

Haat Mando'ade – True Mandalorians

Buir – parent

Mand'alor – sole ruler

Elek - yes