Chapter 14. Pomp and Celebration
The occasional cloud obscured the sun, throwing shadows over the otherwise brightly lit plaza. The shadows were all external; the internal ones had been all but banished. Naboo was free, the camps empty and the liberated had resumed their lives.
Gungans and Naboo alike stood, sat, and craned their necks around the perimeter of the plaza. Spirits were high; the parade and celebration would soon begin.
The Queen, in full formal regalia, surrounded by her advisors and a few guardsmen, backed by her handmaidens, stood front and center with Master Yoda and Anakin Skywalker off to one side. The captured Trade Federation prisoners stood cuffed and ready to be remanded into the Republic's custody.
The average Naboo considered it a high honor that such powerful representatives had come, though the Gungans were less impressed, having had next to no contact to the greater galactic government. What they lacked in genuine interest was made up in enthusiasm and curiosity. Their leader, Boss Nass, had taken quite a delighted interest in the young Queen and the two groups were determined to seek closer cooperation after years of cultural isolation.
Anakin's eyes were darting all over the place, taking in all the sights and sounds. He had rarely been around such jubilant folks and he was enjoying himself immensely. Life on Tatooine was rarely placid, but most folks tried to keep a low profile what with the abundance of Hutts, freelance pilots and the anonymity-seekers who were fleeing from trouble.
Such open gaiety and cheer accompanied the Boonta Eve races, and only the Boonta Eve races, in Anakin's up to now limited experience.
Because Qui-Gon Jinn had been informal, friendly and relaxed with all beings that he had encountered – even Watto – Anakin had expected the rest of the Jedi to be little different.
It had not been an unreasonable expectation, he had thought.
Instead, he had found the atmosphere in the Jedi Temple to be unbearably stuffy, not just low profile. The Jedi were quiet and serene, courteous but not effusive with their welcome. They had acknowledged but not celebrated his victory in the Boonta Eve pod race.
They had not gone out of their way to befriend him and make him feel unique and special, as Qui-Gon did. He resented them for that.
Here, here on Naboo, he was one of the heroes: "the young hero" of Naboo.
Anakin did not care why the newly elected Chancellor and the balance of the Jedi Council had come to Naboo – one to celebrate with his people and the other to seek answers to a greater mystery – why here had the Sith shown themselves and to what end? That death had been the end of one did not matter. Lore had told the Jedi there were two, always two.
Anakin cared only that he was by Power – and Padmé.
Anakin fidgeted next to Yoda, lightly scuffing his toe against the hard surface, for he found it hard to be still. He had always been a doer: talking or working with his hands. Stillness was for the old and infirm, the boring and scholarly.
However, Qui-Gon had told him to be here, that this was his chance. He had balked only until he realized Padmé would be there as well - the Chancellor, the Jedi Council and Padmé.
The most powerful entities in the galaxy, and he would stand with them. They had knowledge he did not, power he aspired to. He even had power enough to take the knowledge from them, should he choose, but he was willing to bide his time for the consequence of disobedience was far too familiar in memory.
Patience. It was what he had been taught, in that part of himself that was hidden away; a patience that no one could see lurked beneath the always-moving body.
The part of him that was still pure boy, untamed and enthused, grinned in pure excitement as the ship slowly settled to the ground and the ramp opened. First to disembark were the Chancellor's guards, identically robed and masked, anonymous almost to invisibility as mere background spectacle, even their solemn march of little interest except to one wide-eyed boy.
Two took custody of the prisoners and retreated without fanfare.
Next to come was a richly clad man, Chancellor of the Republic Palpatine, formerly Senator from Naboo, a look of genial delight on his distinguished face at stepping forth on his native planet, its people – his people - free at last from the perfidy of the Trade Federation. Strength and kindness radiated from his presence.
"Master Jedi." Palpatine nodded to Yoda, who inclined his head in stately greeting. A genuine smile crossed his face as he turned his gaze to Anakin; his eyes twinkled impishly.
"So this is the young hero of Naboo to whom we are indebted; I'll speak to you later, son." He winked as Anakin stood just a bit taller at being acknowledged.
The Jedi Council silently followed in his footsteps; Yoda joined them off to the side as the Chancellor strode up to the Queen and bowed, assuming his formal manner as easily as he had before ignored it to first greet those nearest to him.
"Chancellor Palpatine." She extended her hand in a formal gesture of greeting.
"Milady." He bowed over her hand.
One might have thought they had not met before, that Senator Palpatine had not stood by the Queen's side in the Senate as she called for the vote of no confidence that toppled Chancellor Valorum from power. This, however, was the first time the Chancellor and Queen had met in their respective roles and as such formality ruled.
"Your Excellency, I present Boss Nass, the leader of the Gungan who played an instrumental role in liberating Naboo and Anakin Skywalker who is responsible for destroying the Trade Federation droid control ship thus saving many Gungan lives."
Anakin beamed and took a step forward to stand beside the portly Gungan.
"It is my honor, Milady, Boss Nass, Anakin Skywalker." The Chancellor reached out and rested a hand on the boy's shoulder and studied him, as if their earlier exchange had not happened. "I intend to keep a close eye on you in the future. The Republic owes you a great debt."
Anakin wiggled with joy. He needed no one to tell him that here was someone who appreciated him, even as Qui-Gon did. He would go far with two such powerful allies. He was destined, after all.
"Shall we adjourn to the parade steps, Milady?" Palpatine offered his arm and the two led the party to the Palace Steps for the victory parade as the crowd cheered and waved arms, hands and banners.
Relief and joy, delight and excitement swirled in the air, intoxicating and seductive.
This was what Anakin wanted from life – he wanted power, not such much for its own sake, but for its rewards. He would do great things and be acknowledged a great man: the deeds and the person intertwined.
He had been promised all this all his life.
So Anakin drank in the adulation, overjoyed to be one of the central figures. He stood next to the Chancellor and Padmé – all eyes and acclaim upon them for the moment. It mattered not at all to him that the absence of the two Jedi went publicly unacknowledged, even Qui-Gon Jinn, for few outside the Queen's retinue even knew of their role in events.
It might well remain that way.
Some within the government had already gone so far as to suggest that the former Chancellor had exceeded his authority in dispatching Jedi to oversee a trade dispute, even if just as his personal representatives. Technical authority over the Jedi Order resided within the Senate, not the Chancellor's Office.
The Jedi Order could not be perceived to have violated neutrality and impartiality.
Even if the two Jedi had merely protected the Queen, it could easily be spun by the unscrupulous into a taking of sides – with the Naboo against the Trade Federation.
Mace sat alone at the side of the ailing padawan, eyes closed and tilted back in his seat, meditating. The two Jedi masters had discussed, argued, and debated much in the long hours past. The Sith had reemerged, on that they no longer doubted. But why? Why now?
Were Jinn and Kenobi caught by mere happenstance in some yet unknown plot - or targets?
Certainly Qui-Gon Jinn might be considered a threat to the Sith with his deep connection to the Living Force. Young Kenobi, potentially so as well; his "bad feelings" often arose from his ability to sense discord or disharmony rippling in the Force.
Sediment had muddied the clear eddies, so slowly and invidiously that only now in hindsight was it apparent.
"Do you remember the crystal clarity of the Force, Obi-Wan?" Mace spoke softly so as not to disturb the young man, lying so passively on the bed. "Were your 'bad feelings' a sense of wrongness you were too young to identify and name, feelings too easily dismissed on our parts as mere worrying?"
They would never know now.
Mace sighed and settled back in his seat. For the moment he had nothing to do but keep his solitary vigil.
Yoda had already left to greet the arriving Council and the newly elected Chancellor who accompanied them, with one last look at Obi-Wan and a firmly voiced, "Our youngling you watch and protect."
Mace had only nodded and smoothed the hair back from the boy's closed eyes. Only now did he wonder at Yoda's choice of words.
Protect.
And he was uneasy.