Chapter 10

Naboo's sun was directly overhead and that with the combination of blue skies and fluffy white clouds made it yet another spectacular day on the planet. The streets of Theed were lined with local vendors and people buying from them.

Some vendors were selling crafts and homemade pottery, while others were selling fresh meat and fish. Still others were selling their specialty fruits and nuts.

Zafii Pel was among these vendors and assisting her was R7-Z3, her trusty astromech. She couldn't believe how busy she was. Everyone who passed seemed to want to buy some of the gorgeous, red bingerberries she had grown. She was scooping them into large brown sacks and handing them out and taking back a small amount of credits in return. She was also selling an assortment of large melons which were nearly as popular as the berries.

The young padawan was filled with pride. She now felt like she had some sort of otherworldly bond with her parents; parents she couldn't remember. This was how they had made their living, provided for themselves, and had planned on providing for her.

The sun wore on and eventually dusk began to settle. It had been a couple of hours since the streets of Theed had been bustling, but Zafii didn't want to bring anything back with her to the house. While her parents would have undoubtedly seen this as a very successful day, she still had a few bags of berries left and two melons that were destined to go unsold.

"I think it's time to start cleaning up, R7." Zafii sighed.

She sat the fruit aside and began to fold the tables up which had been displaying the fruit.

"Come on, hurry up." A young boy said to his even younger sister as they walked by Zafii's stand. "This is when you can get stuff for cheap."

"I'm tired," the young girl whined.

"That's because you haven't eaten," the boy pointed out, holding a single, small credit in his hand.

Zafii immediately stopped what they were doing and motioned for R7 to stay put. She began to follow the young children from a distance. They finally stopped at a stand where a middle aged man was cleaning up.

"Hey Mister, how much for those fish?" The boy asked.

"7 credits a piece," the man said, without looking at him.

"7? That's the normal rate isn't it? It's the end of the day, they'll just go bad." The boy pointed out.

The man stopped what he was doing and looked at the two of them, "I have a freezer you know. I'll be back out tomorrow and sell it for 7 credits then if I don't tonight. Or maybe I will eat it for dinner myself."

"Come on," the young boy said, frustration in his tone.

Zafii followed them once again and listened in on their conversation. Again, they had no luck. When they had reached the end of the street, the two children turned around with their heads down and began to walk home.

"You kids need something to eat?" Zafii asked.

They looked at Zafii very suspiciously.

"We've never seen you here before." The boy said.

Zafii smiled, "That's because I just had my first harvest come in. I have some left over fruit if you want it."

"I only have this," the boy said, holding out a single credit.

"Keep it," Zafii said, showing them the way back to her little nook.

Zafii hadn't realized how far they had walked but finally she could see R7 in the distance.

"R7, where is the fruit?" Zafii asked.

R7 bleeped and blooped happily and showed her some credits.

"Oh… you sold the rest of it?" Zafii sighed.

The young girl began to cry and her brother wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"It's okay, we are used to it." The boy reassured Zafii and began to lead his sister away.

"No!" Zafii exclaimed. "Wait… do you have a home close by?"

"We live just outside the walls here," the boy answered.

"Are your mother and father waiting for you to bring back dinner?"

The boy nodded, "Well just our mom. Dad died on Ennth before the ships took off."

"Oh," Zafii paused. "You are some of the refugees from Ennth?"

The only thing Zafii could think about was little Kyra starving on the streets of Theed, her face hollow and her eyes void of any energy.

"I might be able to help you out, could I perhaps meet your mother?" Zafii asked. "Don't worry, I'm not really a stranger. I'm actually a Jedi Knight, I'm doing a little undercover work here on Naboo."

Zafii flashed them her lightsaber from under her cloak.

They both looked excited, yet lethargic and they beckoned Zafii and R7 to follow them. It was a rather short walk but Zafii could immediately see why the mother had sent two small children to find food. She was in no condition to walk. It was obvious she had been sacrificing for her children so they could eat more.

"Hello," Zafii said hesitantly.

The woman smiled weakly but did not answer. Zafii had to wonder how this could happen, right under the Queen's nose. Perhaps this family had been left out in the cold from the legislation the Queen had passed before the refugee's arrival. It had been one year since the refugees had arrived from Ennth and all reports seemed to be good but it obviously was not for this particular family.

Zafii pulled out the fistful of credits she had earned that day and set it on the ground in front of them.

"We can't take all that." The boy said, astonished.

"You can and you will. It is not mine anyway." Zafii reassured them.

"You stole it?" The girl asked.

Zafii shook her head, "No I did not steal it. But I have no use for it. Jedi have no possessions, especially possessions that would do others well."

Zafii then crouched down and put her hand on the forehead of their mother. She closed her eyes and drew upon the Force to aide her.

It was like a shot of adrenaline to the woman and she was able to get to her feet on her own.

"Now, please go with your children and find some food. You need to eat as well." Zafii instructed.

The woman looked at her, awestruck. She nodded and hustled her children back within the walls of Theed to find something to eat.

Kyn stepped outside and covered his eyes from the Coruscant sun. School had just been let out and he was waiting for Kyra to join him so they could board the school's transport bus together for a ride home.

"You're a hard kid to find." A familiar female voice purred in Kyn's ear.

Kyn looked at some of his classmates pass by him with odd looks on their faces and he knew that Salue must be behind him. He turned to face her and noticed that she was dressed in expensive clothes and was wearing what looked like designer makeup.

"Wow," Kyn said. "You look good."

"Haven't I always, Kyn?" Salue laughed, drawing unnecessary attention to herself.

She had once again dyed her natural blue hair, this time she had crimson red highlights in it.

"It's been a while, you quit showing up to our little get-together's ." Salue pointed out.

"I've been busy." Kyn noted, readjusting his school supplies in his arms.

Salue noticed this and smirked, "I can see that. But for six months? I know you have to be missing the action."

"I'm fine," Kyn said.

"AHHH!" Kyra yelled from behind Kyn. "HELP, HELP, HELP!"

"What is her problem?" Salue asked.

"You beat her up and tried to rob her, remember?" Kyn sighed. "Kyra, it's okay. It's not the same lady."

"YES IT IS!" Kyra screamed, now many school age children were gathering around.

A school administrator then ran into the middle of the ruckus.

"What's going on here?"

"This lady tried to rob us before, now she's back." Kyra explained.

"Excuse me," the administrator started in. "Who are you?"

"None of your damn business." Salue growled.

"You are on school district property, so unless you have business here I would advise you to leave."

Salue glared at him for several seconds before looking back to Kyn. She began to walk backwards and blew a kiss to him.

"Big race tonight… You'll know where to find me." Salue winked.

The school administrator then tugged at Kyn's arm, "What was that all about? Who is that woman?"

"She's no one." Kyn said irritably, pulling his arm away violently.

"I'm sure," the administrator shot back. "If I see her here again on your account, I'll be contacting your parents."

"You won't," Kyn snapped back.

"Excuse me?"

"You won't see her again… Sir!" Kyn said.

The administrator did not respond and walked away, motioning for the students to break up.

"What was she doing here, Kyn?" Kyra asked.

"I don't know. I think she's stalking me." Kyn lied.

"She wants to find where we live and try to rob us again." Kyra said, overdramatically.

"Stop," Kyn said, beginning to walk towards the transport. "Don't be dumb."

"You're the one being dumb if you're talking to her. Zafii saved us from her and her goons once. But she's not been around for a year for all we know. I don't think she will be there to save you again."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

Kyra snorted in laughter as she walked beside him, they were now boarding the transport and looking for a seat.

"You want to see her just as badly as I do. Do you think her Jedi senses will tell her when you are trouble and you are trying to do just that… Hoping she will come and save your skin again?" Kyra made up wild accusations.

"Where do you get this stuff? Honestly!" Kyn muttered, sitting down next to her.

"Zafii Fuller," Kyra said, covering her mouth up.

"What did you say?" Kyn asked, turning beet red.

"You really should empty your datachip's trash better. I found your little love note to her when I was trying to play a game a few weeks ago."

Kyn was angry, very angry.

"Sounds like you were snooping around, more like it!" Kyn accused.

Kyra shrugged, "All this time I thought I was being silly… hoping a Jedi would be my friend. But you actually want a Jedi to be your girlfriend!"

Other students now began to gaze over at them, overhearing their conversation.

"Shut it!" Kyn warned under his breath.

"Okay, I won't talk about it anymore. I'll just tell mom and dad you were talking to that lady. Maybe she's your girlfriend. I must say Kyn, you could do better. Not much better, but better." Kyra said.

"You are turning into a little brat, just like those girls you hang out with." Kyn fired back.

"Those kinds of comments won't get you anywhere. I want to know the truth about that woman, or I will tell." Kyra demanded.

Kyn shook his head; he couldn't believe his ten year old sister was blackmailing him.

"Fine, but not here."

Zafii was standing in the smaller bedroom of the two that were in her parent's old house. This was to be her room. There were things in here for girls of all ages. It was almost as though they had decorated this room with new things that Zafii might have liked in different stages of her life if she would have just been a normal kid. There were stuffed animals and plastic dolls. There were posters on the wall of superstar musicians from around the galaxy, as well as an assortment of clothes.

One piece of clothing in particular had caught Zafii's eye the very first time she had stepped foot in the house. She had washed it in the spring nearby, along with many of the other clothes in the house.

It was a bright red dress, one that would fit below the shoulder with no strap. It was the type of gown that an elegant woman might wear to a sophisticated party or ball. Although she had no way to prove it, Zafii was sure that her mother had made this gown.

Zafii turned and looked in a full-length mirror that was on the backside of the bedroom door. She saw a conservative, well mannered Jedi Knight staring back at her. Her face was pretty with youth but it was obvious that good looks and style were not an important part of her life.

She closed her eyes as a tear trickled down her left cheek.

"Zafii, Zafii, get out here." Josia Pel urged her.

"No dad," Zafii said embarrassed. "I look ridiculous."

"I'm sure that can't be true. You are beautiful and so is that dress your mother made. That's a match made in Heaven if you ask me. Come on sweetie, your mother is dying to see."

Zafii finally opened the door to her room and her beauty was radiant. She was wearing the elegant red gown her mother had made by hand for her. She was wearing just the right amount of makeup and her sandy blond hair was tied up in beautiful braids.

"Well?" Zafii blushed.

Josia ushered her into the living area of the house and Zenni gasped.

"My baby, my baby, my baby!" Zenni ran over to her and hugged her. "Oh, I'm sorry I'm going to ruin your dress."

"You won't ruin it," Zafii said, pulling her mother back and hugging her. "You could never ruin anything."

"Looks like you'll be the luckiest guy at the dance," Josia said to Zafii's date.

"Yes sir," the date answered in a garbled, unidentifiable voice.

Zafii had not even realized her date had arrived; nor did she care. She was looking into her mother's eyes.

"Thank you for this beautiful dress," Zafii said. "Thank you for everything."

Zenni shook her head, "No, thank you for being my daughter. I love you."

Zafii's date took her by the arm, but she couldn't take her eyes off her parents. He was leading her out the door to a carriage.

"Take good care of her," Josia called out.

Zenni blew her daughter a kiss as Josia wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulder.

Zafii opened her eyes and was once again looking at the Jedi in the mirror. She had been fantasizing about what it would have been like to have a night like that with her parents, one night.

With tears running down her cheeks, Zafii pulled her brown Jedi cloak over her head and threw it on the floor. Next she opened her tunic and disregarded it to the floor with her cloak. She sighed and looked at herself in the mirror. She then kicked off her boots and slipped out of her pants, again onto the pile on the floor.

She shivered a bit from her skin being completely exposed to air and she reached for the red dress that was lying in the bed. She slipped it over and found that it fit perfectly.

"How did she know?"

Once again, Zafii looked at herself in the mirror. She did not look anything like a Jedi now. She looked like she should be on a politician's arm at an opera or fancy dinner restaurant.

"It's beautiful, mom."

Zafii slipped the dress off and delicately folded it to take back to Coruscant with her. She slipped her Jedi robes back on and held the folded dress in her hands. She took one last look in the mirror before leaving the bedroom.

She did not look like a Jedi Knight…

She was one.