CHAPTER 2 - The Passing

Pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris

Bail paced back and forth on the main deck of the Sundered Heart. Nothing had gone well. Two Jedi, he had saved two Jedi out of... how many thousand ? Could they all be dead ? No, they must have gone into hiding. Hopefully. He chafed at the forced inaction, but there was nothing more to be done. Palpatine's plans had been masterful, loathe as he was to admit it. The Chancellor had been patient, building his web like a spider, striking in the shadows, never revealing his hand until it was too late.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Bail stopped and looked through the wide transparasteel bay at the dark blue deepness of hyperspace. They were en route to Naboo, where its former queen would be laid to rest. She would have liked that, certainly. Bail had not known her as well as Master Kenobi, but he knew she had loved her native planet dearly.

He let his thoughts wander as he stood there, mesmerized by the moving shades in the blue tunnel around the ship. Padme... what a pointless death. Why wouldn't she fight to live ? Why just give up and abandon her newborns ? Whatever had happened to her, Kenobi had been uncharacteristically tight-lipped about it. When Bail had asked, he had seen such deep, painful emotion on the Jedi's face that he had not dared question him further. It did not really matter now, although Bail suspected that Kenobi blamed himself for Padme's death.

And what of her children ? Well, maybe they could be fostered in a Nubian family... who wouldn't want such adorable babies ? Bail smiled when he remembered Leia's small fist closing around his index when he had held her. And her big blue eyes had just made him melt...

The sound of footsteps behind him tore him away from his reverie. The steps faltered and stopped completely, and Bail turned to find Master Kenobi looking at him.

"Sorry", the Jedi said. "I didn't realize you were there."

Obviously, the Jedi super-senses were not as omniscient as they liked to make it appear. Duh. They would not be in such a bad spot now if they were. Bail forced himself to smile. Kenobi badly needed some positive thinking right now.

"Feel free to pretend I'm not here."

Kenobi shrugged. "Nah, I'll just come back later. I didn't mean to disturb you."

"You don't. I was just trying to think of what should become of the twins."

"Ah..." Kenobi's voice trailed off. "Yes, I'd meant to talk to you about that."

"What do you mean ?" Bail looked at him, sincerely puzzled. Kenobi's demeanour was uncharacteristically hesitant.

"You see, the children are important."

Bail saw nothing of the sort. "I don't quite..." he began. "Of course they're adorable, but... or do you mean, because they're Padme's children ? But you know, the title of queen isn't hereditary on Naboo..."

Kenobi was shaking his head. "No, no, nothing like that. But it's..." his face crunched up in a grimace. "I'll just say it outright - the children are force-sensitive."

"Oh. What ?!" The possible ramifications flashed through Bail's mind. Force-sensitive children - but how would Kenobi know ? He could have run a midi-chlorian test, but how would he have known to run it in the first place ? Or was it just one of the normal tests done during the babies' first health check ? Or maybe Kenobi felt it through the Force... all these Jedi things still mystified Bail.

"The twins are Force-sensitive", Kenobi repeated.

"Oh. Yes, yes, I heard you the first time. How do you know ?"

Kenobi fidgeted uncomfortably. "They have an uncommonly strong link with the Force, even now. It's hard to miss."

Well, that explained it... only, wasn't the Force supposed to be hereditary ? Not always, but often... and Padme had never shown the slightest hint of Jedi talent... unless it was the fa - With a jolt, Bail realized he had no idea who the father was. He studied Kenobi's face carefully.

"Master Kenobi", he said slowly. "Do you know by any chance who the twins' father is ?"

Kenobi started as if he had been slapped and looked at Bail with the look of an Ewok caught in the headlights. Odd reaction. Kenobi was a good negotiator and rarely showed his thoughts and feelings so openly, so this matter had to really rattle him... he regained control of his features but it was too late and he knew it.

"I know who it is", he admitted readily.

"Well..." Bail said carefully. "Why not contact him so he can raise them ?"

"That would be quite impossible", Kenobi said stiffly. He took a deep breath. "He's dead. The father."

Hum. There was still something off. Kenobi was not telling him the whole truth, Bail was sure of it. "Who was it ?" he pushed ahead with a wild guess. "A Jedi ?"

Kenobi paled so much that Bail was afraid for a second he was going to faint. "I don't think..."

"A friend of yours ?" Bail pressed anyway.

Kenobi looked away in the swirling hyperspace outside the Sundered Heart and clenched his jaw. "For everyone's safety, it would be best to let the matter rest."

"Obi-Wan..." Bail said gently. "The children will want to know someday. And..." And Kenobi might not be there to give them the answers, but Bail did not have the heart to say it out loud.

"Maybe keeping them ignorant would be a kindness", Kenobi said in a low voice. "How could I tell them..." he trailed off.

Tell them what, Bail wondered, his frustration tempered only by his compassion. What had happened ? Did Kenobi somehow feel responsible for the father's death ? Or was it something else ? Was there some scandalous secret involved here, between Padme and Kenobi maybe ?

Kenobi's closed expression made it clear that Bail could conjecture until balance was brought to the Force, but he would say no more on the subject. That, in itself, was rather suspicious.

"Master Kenobi, you know you can trust me."

"It's not a matter of trust", Kenobi said quietly. "But the truth would bring nothing positive to anyone. It is profoundly irrelevant to the matter at hand. The father is dead. We'll leave it at that." And this time the matter was definitely closed.

"Fine", Bail relented, only because he had no choice and he did not want to antagonize Kenobi now, not in this darkest hour. "So what will become of the children ?"

"Right, yes, that's what we were discussing", Kenobi muttered, rubbing his forehead.

The man must be exhausted, Bail thought. When had he slept last ? Judging from the dark rings under his eyes, at least two or three days. And his eyes were red, as if he had cried recently, although the mere thought was ridiculous. Jedi don't cry. Unless... Padme...?

"The twins are Force-sensitive so they'll need to be hidden", Kenobi went on after he had gathered his thoughts. "Preferably with someone trustworthy, or somewhere remote. And they should be split up, so that if one of them is found, the other may have a chance to remain hidden."

Bail did not like the idea of separating twins, but the notion did have merit. "I suppose", he said reluctantly. "Did you have someone in mind ?"

"I do, actually." For the first time since the Purge, Kenobi gave Bail a small smile. "I distinctly remember you telling me how much you always wanted a little girl."

"Yes, I..." Bail started with a melancholic smile, then sputtered. "Uh - What - Wait a second !"

"Hmm..." Kenobi said, eyeing him speculatively. "Yes, I think you'd make a marvelous father. A married man, neither too old nor too young, with the means to support himself and his family..."

"Master Kenobi !" Bail feigned outrage although he felt a secret, guilty pleasure. It was a great show of trust, and he did want a little girl so very badly.

Kenobi stopped smiling and looked at him seriously. "It's not a joke, Senator. I do think you would make a wonderful father, and I can't think of anyone I'd rather trust with Leia's safekeeping."

Bail opened his mouth to list all the reasons why he should not take custody of Leia, and found himself at a loss for words. Leia needed a safe haven, he wanted a child of his own. He would have preferred to discuss it with Breha beforehand but he was fairly certain she would be thrilled at the prospect. So why not ? Slowly, the idea made its way into his mind, until it seemed like an obvious solution. Master Kenobi said nothing, giving him time to contemplate the prospect, but he had a small, smug smile that made Bail suspect he knew exactly what was going through his head.

"Well..." Bail floundered. It was not that he wasn't willing, he thought. He was just overwhelmed by such a responsibility. Leia was so small, so fragile, and he had not the slightest idea how to take care of an infant.

"Come now", Kenobi said, sounding amused, "it's not such a daunting prospect, is it ?"

Sometimes Bail wished the Jedi would keep their blasted mind-reading abilities for when they were actually required. Two days ago would have been nice.

"What of Luke, then ?" he asked instead. "Would you take care of him ?"

"What ?" Kenobi looked horrified. Bail savoured his small revenge. "No ! Certainly not ! I'll find a good family for him."

"Why not ?" Bail persisted. "You'd be a perfect father", he mimicked Kenobi's patronizing tone from earlier. "The right age, you could settle down and marry, and who better to teach Luke the ways of the Jedi ?"

Kenobi did not seem to find it funny. Tough.

"There can be no question of my taking Luke", he said.

"Why not ?" Bail insisted, determined not to give him an easy time. Besides, Kenobi would be an ideal father figure. And maybe taking care of a child would help convince him to lie low for a while, hide and make sure he stayed safe. "Besides, if Luke is force-sensitive, he'll need a teacher at some point. That makes you an ideal choice."

"It's just impossible." Kenobi's tone was adamant.

"Impossible ?" Bail raised an eyebrow. "I did not think Jedi knew the meaning of that word."

He regretted the light-hearted teasing immediately when he saw Kenobi wince. "Senator Organa... Bail. If... when the stormtroopers come for me, I don't want Luke to be caught in the crossfire."

That shattered the comfy atmosphere that they had shared just a moment ago. Kenobi really needed to see a specialist about those depressed thoughts of his, Bail thought darkly. Preferably before he became outright suicidal. "If they come for you, they could also come for Luke. Wouldn't it be better if you were there to protect him ?"

"I fully intend to be there. Only... at a safe distance."

Kenobi's bleak tone was not a good sign. Whatever he had planned for his own future, it mustn't be very enticing. "Obi-Wan", Bail tried reasonably, "you can't just keep watching Luke from a distance for years on end."

Kenobi shrugged, confirming Bail's worst suspicions. "Whyever not ?"

Bail rubbed his chin with his hand. Where to begin ? "Luke's foster family would think you're a raving mad stalker, for starters", he said, and he could not keep back an undignified snicker when he saw Kenobi's face. "And it's not a life for you. You're a Jedi, not a glorified caretaker."

Kenobi did not look convinced, and Bail decided he had pressed the matter as much as he could for tonight. He would try again later, after they both had had some sleep. And, hopefully, found some peace of mind in the process. He also needed to send a quick message to Breha - speaking of which...

"By the way, Master Kenobi, I have great news." This was just what Kenobi needed before heading to bed, some good news to lift up his spirit.

"Really ?"

"I found one of the younglings for the Temple."

Kenobi's face lit up, shedding ten years in the process. "That's fantastic ! What's his name ? Or her name ? Are they alright ?"

Bail raised a hand to staunch the flow of questions. "Yes, yes, he's mostly fine, some light wounds, nothing dreadful. And his name is Neeka Kurian."

"Hmm..." Kenobi's face crunched up in thoughts as he obviously tried to remember an Initiate by that name. "Doesn't ring a bell, but I didn't work closely with the younglings." Regret clouded his face. "Master Ali-Alann would know..."

Bail smiled. "The boy was well-taught. He managed to slip away unnoticed by attaching himself to my airspeeder, somehow. I didn't even notice."

Kenobi returned his smile, with an ounce of nostalgy. "Oh, Senator, if I told you about some of the stunts I performed..."

Bail was torn between amusement and profound sympathy for Kenobi's guardians. He must have been quite a handful. "Why, Master Kenobi, how well you hide your true nature", he said mockingly. "You always appear so smart and well-behaved, but the truth has surfaced at last !"

"Yes", Kenobi said regretfully. "It has a tendency to do that..." he shook his head. "So what do you intend to do about the youngling ? He's certainly too young to fare on his own."

"Well, I was thinking about placing him in a foster family, somehow. The only thing is, he is a Jedi. Well, not yet, but he does have the potential and part of the training. So I'm a little at a loss. I have no idea how to hide a Force-sensitive child... so I was thinking, perhaps you would have some advice. Actually that would be helpful for Leia later as well, I imagine."

"Ah..." Kenobi pondered the question. "Yes and no. For the youngling, I'll tell you what instructions to give him, that's easy enough. But Leia... she won't receive formal training, so..." he shrugged. "Actually that shouldn't even be a problem. Without training, she most likely won't be able to use her potential. She will have fast reflexes and very good intuition, but that should be about it."

"Hum", Bail said, not entirely convinced though of the two of them, Kenobi certainly was the authority on Force-sensitive babies. "I'll reserve the right to call on you if anything starts levitating around her."

"You do that", Kenobi said with a small grin.

Bail stifled a yawn and checked his chronometer. "That's at least twelve hours before we reach Naboo. I intend to use that time to catch up on some sleep, and I suggest you do the same. You look completely exhausted, Obi-Wan."

Kenobi blinked and looked at him somewhat owlishly. "Hum, yes, I am actually. I'm afraid even Jedi have their limits."

"Which is, quite sincerely, a reassuring thought for the rest of us mortals." Bail familiarly patted Kenobi's shoulder. "Come on, I'll show you to the guest quarters."

Before he even opened his eyes, Neeka knew with certainty that he did not want to get up today. He did not remember exactly what it was, but he remembered something awful had happened, and he did not want to face it. He kept his eyes safely shut and tried to dive back into sleep, but it escaped him. Then his memory came back and he groaned, burying his head in his pillow. Today was the right time to stay in bed and do nothing.

"Neeka ?" that was Lady Organa's voice. Neeka sighed, obviously he would get no more sleep today. Reluctantly he opened his eyes and looked around.

He distinctly remembered falling asleep on the couch last night, but now he was in a bedroom - probably a guest room, judging by its impersonal appearance and emptiness. Lady Organa watched him from the door, a melancholic smile on her lips. "Finally awake, sleepyhead ?"

Neeka groaned, then forced himself to make at least an articulate answer. "Yes, thank you."

He pushed away the blankets and slid down from the bed, finding that he was still fully clothed but for his belt and boots. The boots were standing at the foot of the bed, and his belt casually slung over a chair. He put both on. Although he had slept in his new clothes, he had not actually worn them for very long, so he decided he could just keep them on.

"Was there any news ?" he asked Lady Organa, and braced himself for the reply.

She sighed. "Only a short note from Bail saying he had to get off-world urgently and would be back promptly." She gave Neeka a quick glance and added reassuringly, "there was no word of Masters Yoda and Kenobi on the news, so they must be still hiding."

"Right !" Neeka clung to that sliver of hope. Master Kenobi was a living legend for the younglings, as much as Anakin Skywalker, Barriss Offee and other heroes of the Clone Wars, except Master Kenobi was way cooler than any of the others. And he always smiled and was nice to everyone. Maybe he'd come back to Coruscant and Neeka could stay with him, become his Padawan... it would not exactly solve everything, but it definitely would make things better, because with Master Kenobi in charge nothing bad could happen.

"You must be hungry", Lady Organa said. "How about some breakfast ?"

Neeka was, in fact, ravenous, although the day before he had felt like he could never eat again. "I could use some." He dared a shy smile.

"Come on to the kitchen then", Lady Organa smiled back. "I'm sure we can put something together for you."

She showed him the way to the kitchen, where Sateen was already sorting out some kind of brunch. A moment later Neeka found himself seated in front of a glass of juice and several rolls that were still warm from the oven. He tucked in with enthusiasm.

Even as he ate, he saw in the better light of the kitchen that Lady Organa still looked absolutely exhausted. Had she had any sleep ? Doubtful, judging from her appearance.

"Neeka, while you were asleep I started working on a few things, including how to get you to safety. You shouldn't stay on Coruscant, it's too dangerous in the long run."

He nodded his agreement, his mouth full, and wiped a few crumbs from his lips.

"The means of transportation isn't a problem, we can just use the Sundered Heart... we will have to work on creating a new identity for you as well, but the main question is where to take you."

Neeka swallowed his mouthfull and waited expectantly for her to continue.

"I was thinking the simplest thing would be to bring you to Alderaan", Lady Organa concluded. "We can find a foster family for you, and Alderaan is remote enough from the Core that you'd be safe. And Bail and I could protect you. What do you think ?"

Well, at least she asked for his opinion, rather than telling him flat out to just do it. Neeka felt a little light-headed as the notion penetrated his brain. "A foster family ?" he said with difficulty.

Lady Organa looked a little puzzled by his reaction. "Well, yes, of course. You can't stay on your own."

A mother and a father. What a foreign concept. Neeka blinked. "I can't."

Lady Organa stared at him in incomprehension. "Whyever not ?"

"Attachment goes against the Jedi Code."

Lady Organa opened her mouth then closed it again, before finally finding her words. "How do you mean ?"

Neeka felt stupid explaining something that obvious to her. "That's why we're raised in the Temple. Because attachments are a liability."

Lady Organa looked both horrified and perplexed. "You mean you're not allowed to like people ? But I thought Master Kenobi was Bail's friend !"

"We're allowed to have friends", Neeka corrected her. "But the attachment mustn't be too strong, because otherwise we might lose our objectivity and not deal with them fairly."

"That is just awful !" Lady Organa declared categorically. "How they can put such things in children's heads, I'll never understand. Love and attachment are everything that makes life worth living, and it's very unfair of the Masters to try and deprive you of it."

Neeka gazed at her dubiously. He was fairly certain that the Masters knew more about what was right than Lady Organa. Even if they had obviously made some big mistakes in the end. "Well, anyway", he said. "That's the Code."

"Neeka... just because it is the Code does not make it right."

"But the Jedi have agreed on it for thousands of years, so there has to be a good reason", Neeka argued, though he did not know why he should bother. The Code was the Code and that was it, adults were supposed to uphold it.

Lady Organa shook her head vehemently. "I don't claim to know much about the Jedi, but I'm fairly certain some of them must have disagreed wit such an awful rule, even if they didn't say so openly."

"But it's the Code !" Neeka insisted. He did not understand why Lady Organa wanted to discuss it or argue about it. No amount of argueing would change the Code.

She looked ready to launch herself in a length tirade, but held herself back at the last moment to change her angle of attack. "Alright, let's leave the Code aside for the time being. Let us focus on the essential - we need to hide you, and a boy your age would be best hidden with a family. Maybe you could just pretend ?"

Neeka considered. If it was not for real, did it count ? Besides, would he be able to live with people he did not like and could not get close to ? "It seems very unfair to whoever would take me in", he declared eventually. "They would get all the inconvenients of having a son, and none of the advantages."

"We would compensate them accordingly, of course", Lady Organa assured him.

"Well, I suppose..." Neeka said uncertainly. "Would it not be simpler for me to be in an orphanage though ?"

"Oh, Neeka... you don't want to be in an orphanage, trust me. They try, but they're not very nice places."

He gave her a frustrated look. Of course he did not want to live in an orphanage. He wanted to be in the Temple and continue his normal life. But that was not going to happen and he was just trying to be practical about it. "I just think we should consider everything before deciding."

"There isn't much in the way of choices, unfortunately."

Neeka sighed and drowned the last of his juice. Footsteps in the corridor put an end to their discussion ; a moment later, Captain Durane came in. Neeka's fingers searched automatically for the reassuring weight of his lightsaber... and found nothing. Only then did he realize that he was missing it. He looked frantically around. "Where's my lightsaber ?!"

Captain Durane paused on his way to the kitchen table and glanced at him. "I disposed of it."

"What ?!"

"Captain Durane, I thought we agreed to wait until morning to discuss it." Lady Organa did not sound pleased, but she did not even come close to the fury that welled up in Neeka throat. He felt like he was suffocating. His last possession. The saber he had built with master Ali-Alann's help, still a little big for his hands but with a comfortable grip, and the very first saber custom-made for him. A Jedi's weapon, never to leave his side, now lost.

"We did, your Highness", Durane was saying, "and I accept full responsibility for taking the matter into my own hands, but your Highness, there was nothing else to be done. Be it last night or this morning, the problem would not have changed. The fact is, that thing was too dangerous to keep, and nothing could change that. I thought it best to remove it from the boy before too much of a fuss was made."

"But did you have to destroy it ?" Lady Organa protested. "We could have put it somewhere safe for the time being."

"Too risky, your Highness." Now the Captain sounded mildly exasperated. "your Highness, this is only an object, not worth anyone's life. If the youngling wants a new saber in a few years, he can build another one."

Lady Organa sighed and looked at her hands for a moment. "You should not have acted without my consent, Captain." She glanced at Neeka. "That said I must admit that your reasoning is sound."

What ? The Captain all but stole Neeka's saber to destroy it and he barely got so much as a slap on the hand ?

"We'll consider the matter closed", Lady Organa concluded.

"No !" Neeka barely recognized his own voice. Hot tears stung at the corner of his eyes, and his clenched fists shook with helpless rage. He had never felt so powerless, not even back in the Temple. "It was mine ! You had no right to touch it !"

The Captain turned to face him, his lips upturned in a sneer. "As the man responsible for her Highness' safety, I had every right. A Jedi, pfah ! You selfish brat ! Your very presence puts everyone here in danger, but all you care about is yourself ! Your saber, your braid, your clothes... consider yourself fortunate to be still alive instead of whining about what you've lost !"

"Captain !" Lady Organa sounded appalled, but Neeka barely even heard her. His ears were buzzing and rage all but blinded him. He only noticed the levitating sugar bowl when it crashed on the tiles of the kitchen floor, and even then it barely registered in his mind. All he knew was that he wanted to hurt Captain Durane very badly. Humiliation and fury threatened to choke him.

Captain Durane' sneer suddenly disappeared, replaced by an expression of puzzlement and slight panic as the Captain raised his hands to his throat and let out an inarticulated sound.

"Captain ?" Lady Organa's disapproval gave way to worry. "What's wrong ?"

Captain Durane was now clutching desperately at his throat and staring wildly at Neeka. Suddenly, something hit Neeka's face, shattering his concentration and rage to leave only astonishment. Lady Organa had just slapped him, hard. He raised a shaking hand to his mouth and found blood. Lady Organa was staring at him, very pale, but when she spoke her voice was calm and cool. "Such behaviour is quite unacceptable, Neeka. I'll have to ask you to go to your room and think about what you've just done. I don't think your masters would be proud, even if allowance has to be made under the circumstances."

He stared at her open-mouthed but found he could not face her and, without a word, still shaken, he turned around and strode to his room. He dared not slam the door, although he badly wanted to. Not a single thing had gone right since yesterday evening.

"Are you alright, Captain ?" Breha peered worriedly at his throat. Giles was rubbing it with a slight grimace.

"I don't think there's any real damage", he said, a little pale all the same. His voice sounded rough, too, and he had to clear his throat a few times. "Thank you for intervening in time, your Highness. I fear this might have become ugly if you hadn't." He shot a dark look in the general direction of Neeka's room.

Breha sighed. This incident was not going to improve the gloomy atmosphere. "Neeka's behaviour is inexcusable, of course, but you were... very blunt. His saber was the very last thing he had left."

"I know." Giles poured himself a glass of juice, presumably to soothe his aching throat. "But that kid is going to have to grow up fast, if he wants a shot at life. And that means learning to let go, too."

"If we had had a little more time..."

"The point is, we did not." Giles took a sip of juice, grimaced then smiled at her. "He'll get over it."

"Well, in the meantime let's be careful", Breha said. "I don't want a repeat of what just happened."

Giles flashed her a small grin. "Agreed."

Breha stood up. "I'll go check the news." She had checked them only half an hour ago, but watching a repeat of the same stories would be better than twiddling her thumbs and worrying.

"I'll come with you, your Highness."

In the drawing room, the holo-projector was still on, although neither Sateen nor Sheltav appeared to look at it. Tarrik had dozed off at some point and was snoring softly, his datapad still in hand. Hopefully he had managed to gather the documents Breha had requested from him, but in any case it would be best to let him get some rest while there was still time. Breha settled on the couch and stared at the holo-projector. It looked like the Jedi Temple was still burning. It may turn out to be a good thing she had sent Neeka to his room before he could see that, after all. It would have been highly distressing for him. Not to mention the list of dead and presumed dead, as well as the faces of Jedi presumed to be still at large with promises of a reward in return for any worthwhile information as to their whereabouts.

At first there had been more than a few networks that appeared sympathetic to the plight of the Jedi, but as the hours ticked by there were less and less of them. It looked like they were being consistantly silenced, discreetly but efficiently. And the people were far from reacting as strongly as Breha would have thought. Many of them were amazed, of course, and shocked, but they seemed to take Palpatine's lies about the Order in stride. They were outraged that the Jedi had been permitted to conspire against the Republic, dismayed that such a radical event as the burning of the Temple had been the outcome, but resolved that the same thing would not be allowed to happen again.

"It doesn't look good", Captain Durane remarked at length.

"No", Breha said. She thought about Bail, Masters Yoda and Kenobi. What was going on ? A Senate Emergency Meeting had been scheduled, and if Bail was not back soon, he would be too late to attend. "There's going to be civil war", she said absent-mindedly.

"Maybe", Giles said, more mitigated. "So far Palpatine has orchestrated everything masterfully. It would take time to coordinate systems to stand up against the Republican fleet with any reasonable chance at winning. By then the occasion will be lost." He shook his head in disgust. "To think I fought during the Clone Wars... what a waste."

Breha sighed. Now she understood better how the Separatists had felt. "When I look back on it, I think the Republic was already rotten then, before even the Clone Wars."

Giles turned his attention from the Holonews to her. "How so ?"

"Because the true problem was never even mentioned throughout the war", Breha said. She remembered the heated discussions she had had with friends and acquaintances. "The fact is, the Separatists had a right to secede from the Republic. The moment we tried to impose a government on a people that did not want it, is when we stopped being a democracy."

"But the Republic is the only thing that stands between us and chaos, and countless wars !" Giles protested. "And the Separatists did not want peace, they were readying for war even before it started !"

"True", Breha said, warming to the subject, her exhaustion forgotten for now. "But then where does it end ? When we decide we can bargain our freedom in exchange for safety, history has shown that we usually end up losing both. If this is about the greater good, then what Palpatine is doing, toppling the government, is justified. In a dictatorship there are even less dissensions and internal wars."

"Surely there can be a middleground", Sateen said, looking up from her novel. "A system that protects us from chaos without impeding on individual freedom. A system that impairs political and governmental power, for instance, but not on personal rights."

Breha made a face. "Seems like a utopia to me. Even if it was possible it would be a very thin line to tread."

"But it also depends on what the Separatists wanted", Giles said. "What reason could they have to secede, if not to attack the Republic ?"

"But the point is, we can't know that", Breha argued. "By acting on that premise, we judged and condamned them for something they had not done yet, and might never have done."

"They're the one who brought this issue to the battlefield, though", Giles said. "The issue could have been resolved peacefully, through diplomatic channels. If they were in the right, why didn't they do that ?"

Breha gave him an ironic look. "Just because they were in the right does not mean they would have got what they wanted. Chancellor Valorum was a good man, but I'm not sure he would have had the political backbone to bear the brunt of the backlash. Besides, events precipited themselves in the end. I'm not really sure you can say the Separatists wanted it to end on the battlefield, but once they were there they could not afford to back down without losing all credibility and their newly-won independance."

"I don't know", Giles said. "It's kind of hard to think of the Separatists as the wronged party, here. I lost a lot of friends in this war."

"I'm not saying anyone is entirely blameless. Just that the issue is more complicated than black and white." Breha reported her attention on the Holonews. "Do they have to keep broadcasting pictures of the Temple burning ?"

"It's a strong symbol", Sateen said. "A show of strength, as well as the basis for Palpatine's claims for legitimacy."

Breha sniffed. "He builds his legitimacy on a pyre of burning corpses... I can't believe I agreed when Bail chose to vote for that man." Mention of her husband made her long for him. She checked the time ; the Senatorial Emergency Response must be already gathering in the Senate. What a pity she could not go in Bail's stead. It looked like there would be one voice less to protest against dictatorship... but a small, selfish part of her was glad that Bail was not there to expose himself against Palpatine.

"I'll go check on Neeka", she said when the pictures became too much to bear. The Jedi initiate had been awfully quiet since she had sent him away and she was beginning to feel a small nagging worry.

"I'll come along - " Giles immediately offered.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea", Breha said, cutting him short.

"Someone else then ?" Giles rarely pleaded like that with her - he was probably afraid Neeka might hurt her, but Breha thought it unlikely. He had looked fairly horrified when he had realized what he had done, and he had had time to cool down since then. Still, there was no reason to take unnecessary risks. A Jedi's temper tantrum was wont to be more dangerous than a normal teenager's. Especially when he had fairly good reasons to be upset.

Sateen raised an eyebrow when Breha's gaze fell on her, and nodded. "I'm right behind you, your Highness."

Shadowed by the royal aide, Breha made her way to Neeka's door and knocked softly. There was no reply. With only a slight hesitation, Breha sweeped her hand against the access panel, and the door slid open. Her heart all but skipped several beats when she saw Neeka squatting on the window sill, the window open, looking down below as though he was thinking of -

"Neeka ?" she called softly in an attempt not to startle him. The last thing she wanted was for him to fall down.

He glanced at her over his shoulder, his pale eyes too red and bright in the morning light. "Lady Organa." He showed no sign of surprise, and he stayed where he was in a precarious balance, only inches away from a five-hundred story fall.

"Neeka", Breha said, her voice calm but a half-octave too high, "would you mind climbing down ?"

"Why ?"

"You're making me nervous. You wouldn't want to fall, would you ?" she tried to laugh to minimize the matter, but it did not come out quite right.

Neeka shrugged, undaunted. "I could probably catch one of these airspeeders on the way down", he said. "I know Anakin Skywalker did it. And Master Kenobi, too."

The thought was enough to make her almost physically ill. "Anakin Skywalker and Master Kenobi are experienced Jedi. You're not, not yet. Please come down. Now." She was not pleading anymore, and she was beginning to feel anger add up to her fear.

To her immense relief, Neeka obeyed this time. She took a deep breath and forced a smile on her face. "If you want to leave, I fully expect you to go through the door, not the window", she said sternly when she felt her heart had resumed beating more or less normally. She did not need to deal with an angsty Jedi teenager on top of everything else.

"I was just looking", Neeka mumbled. He seemed to be lost in a fascinating study of the tip of his boots. "Is something going on ?" he asked after an awkward silence.

"No news yet", Breha said. "But it's too early to worry yet - "

She was interrupted by the ringing of the door.

Funerals are done more for the comfort of the living than for the rest of the dead, but Bail Organa had found very little of either in Padme Naberrie's burial. Oh, he had found anger and regret aplenty, too much of these perhaps. The current Queen of Naboo had led the ceremony but Bail, as a close friend of Padmé and witness of her death, had had to face her family and tell them what happened. It had been terrible to look them in the eye and outright lie to them. Letting them grieve without even the comfort of knowing she lived on through her children. It had been hard. He felt ashamed, like a thief, taking Leia with him and leaving them with only regrets and memories. By the time it was over he could hardly stand to look at himself in a mirror, and it was with great relief that he found himself back on the Sundered Heart and about to leave the system. Naboo was a beautiful place, but Bail dearly hoped that he would not have to set foot there again anytime soon.

As soon as he had come back onboard his ship, he had gone straight to the makeshift nursery, in sickbay, to look at his new daughter - and perhaps in a vain attempt to assuage his guilt at taking her from the only family she had left. Leia moved in her sleep and made some baby noises, and Bail felt the corner of his lips come up. She was barely a day old and he already loved her so much... she was the image of perfection. If she inherited her mother's looks, she would be devastatingly beautiful come her fifteenth birthday. Bail would probably have to hire one or two wookie bodyguards to fend off her suitors... the mental image made him grin.

"She's adorable, isn't she ?" Kenobi's voice made Bail jump a good fifty centimeters.

"Master Kenobi !"

The Jedi chuckled. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

Bail sighed. "Not really your fault. The past few days have been hard on my nerves."

Kenobi nodded. "I'd say you have a right to be jumpy. And it's far from over yet."

"Sadly. Well, we'll be back on Coruscant in a few hours, and hopefully there'll still be something to salvage, politically."

"I can't go to Coruscant", Kenobi said. "Too dangerous. Actually I shouldn't be seen with you."

Bail's mood went down a notch. He had hoped to keep Kenobi with him for a little while longer. "Where will you go ?"

Kenobi's eyes fell on Luke. "Tatooine", he said quietly.

Bail was slightly surprised he would just tell him outright. "Isn't it dangerous for me to know ?" Then the name hit him. "Hold on, Tatooine ? Isn't it a little, er, austere for a child to grow up ? Not to say, unsafe ?"

"One question at a time !" Kenobi protested. "I'm telling you because I need someone to know in case something happens to me, and right now you're one of very few people I consider absolutely trustworthy."

That was high praise indeed, and despite the circumstances Bail felt absurdly pleased.

"And yes, Tatooine isn't the nicest place for a child to grow up, but it's remote. I'd rather Luke grow up bored than not at all. And I'll be there to watch over him just in case."

Bail shook his head in disbelief. "Master Kenobi... Obi-Wan. I understand your wish to keep the children safe, and the Force knows I wouldn't want anything to happen to them, but don't you think it's ridiculous for you to waste away in a place like Tatooine when so many people need you ?" Bail did not miss Kenobi's slight grimace at that reminder and pressed his advantage. "You said Luke will be safe on Tatooine. Fine. Leave him there and come back. I want to make a stand, but I can't do it on my own !" Despite himself he let show some of his frustration, and raised his voice without even realizing it. Leia moaned in her sleep and the two men stilled for a moment. Neither of them was anxious to wake her, because that young lady had already demonstrated to them that she had very healthy lungs. Vociferously so.

"You don't need me", Kenobi said quietly when the child had settled down. "In fact, right now associating with me would do your cause more harm than good. And protecting the children is important, more than you know."

Bail threw up his hands in the air, frustrated. "Why ?! Tell me why, please, Obi-Wan. I'd like to understand and support you, I really would, but I can't if you close up on me."

Kenobi turned to look at him and Bail did not need Jedi powers to feel how troubled he was. "Please don't ask. I have my reasons, Bail, good reasons. If that means anything to you, Yoda knows and approves of my course of action. The twins may well be the key to our future, but that also means I'll have to be patient and wait out the will of the Force."

"The will of the - " Bail cut himself short, disgusted. There were times when he simply did not understand Kenobi, even after years of casual acquaintance. "Please don't use that sort of religious nonsense on me, Obi-Wan. The Force is not sentient. It's not a god. We are the ones who decide our own future, but we cannot do that by running away and hiding."

The words were blunter than Bail had meant them, and he almost regretted them the moment they passed his lips. They hit their target, too, and cut deep, he saw it the way Kenobi's lips thinned and his jaw tensed, but Bail could not, would not take the words back, because he meant every last one of them.

"I'm sorry you feel that way", Kenobi merely said. There was a hint of bitterness in his voice, although he clearly tried to appear neutral and unaffected. Damn his Jedi mask of impassibility. "If you would drop me off at your earliest convenience, Senator, I shall be off your ship."

Bail shook his head, his frustration reaching new heights. He was angry, too, but he did not want to part with Kenobi on such words, with bad feelings between them. Not when this might be the last time they ever saw each other. But it was hard to find the words when he felt so angry and powerless, and he did not want to make it look like he apologized for telling Kenobi the truth.

"Obi-Wan..." he sighed. To hell with it. "Come what may... May the Force be with you."

Kenobi smiled, looking relieved. "And with you, Senator."