a.n. Yay! It's only been a month or so since I last updated, which isn't so bad. I know that this chapter is kind of short, but it is more of a filler chapter anyway. Besides, I'm posting the next chapter tonight as well. So Read, Review, and Enjoy!

Chapter 13: Waiting

Luca waited patiently in Senator Amidala's sitting room, though a wary observer could see that he was indeed nervous. While he did want to get his assignment started and over with, he was very anxious about this next meeting. He did want to change the future for the better, but he knew that there would be problems when he was face-to-face with Anakin. He knew that Anakin would react very strongly and very negatively to his presence here and he would probably be aloof and not very willing to listen to him or to take his advice. He could only hope that he would be able to get through to Anakin and get his trust, hopefully without revealing too much about his true motives. He knew it would be hard, but he hoped for the best.

Luca's musings were interrupted by the entrance of Senator Amidala, Captain Typho, Jar Jar Binks, and the Senator's handmaiden. One glance at the security officer and he knew that he would have his work cut out for him due to Typho's insecurities over him. The Senator and her handmaiden seemed to have the same attitude towards him; they were both unsure about his motives and reasons for being there as part of her security. From Dormé, he got a sense of fierce protectiveness; similar to that he was getting from Typho. He knew she would do anything for her lady and would use all her power to protect her from him should he prove untrustworthy. Padmé was more of an enigma to him. He could sense that she didn't implicitly trust him, like the others, but she was more curious about him than unsure. While she didn't know what he was up to, she did want to find out more about him. He knew that she would be undeterred in this pursuit, so he would have to be careful about what he did and said around her so he wouldn't reveal too much to her.

Jar Jar was a different story. He knew the Gungan's gentle and trusting nature would allow him to trust just about anybody, including strangers like Luca himself. Luca was grateful for this fact because it gave him the luxury of at least one ally on this quest, but he knew that it was that very trait that would soon prove to be very disastrous. Jar Jar, he knew, would want to do anything that would be helpful to Senator Amidala's cause. As such, he would put all his faith and trust in the one thing he believed would coincide with the Senator's wish of preventing a war by helping to instill powers in the one person he felt could get the job done: Chancellor Palpatine. Though well-meaning, Luca knew that Jar Jar would have no knowledge of how catastrophic this action would prove to be. He also knew that he wouldn't be able to stop Jar Jar from following this same path, not if he hoped to be successful in his quest. His only hope was to prevent Anakin from falling into darkness so that one day he would be able to rise up and stop the galaxy from being ruled by evil.

Captain Typho stepped over to Luca, eyeing him warily.

"I hope you will be dedicated to this job, Mister Redenov. Protecting the Senator is a very important job that I highly value. If you do not believe that, I will have to ask you to please resign your post. I cannot afford to take chances with Senator Amidala's life."

Luca looked Typho in the eye and nodded his head in acquiescence.

"I assure you, Captain, that I am quite dedicated to this job. I will be able to acceptably perform my duty as well as you ask. I know how important the Senator is to Naboo, as well as to the Republic, and I will not belittle this position on any way."

That seemed to appease Typho as he turned away from Luca and went to stand by the Senator and Dormé to wait for Master Kenobi.

It wasn't much later that they heard the turbolift doors open and Jar Jar's boisterous voice greeting the arrivals. Luca tensed as he heard footsteps approach the sitting room. This is it, he thought. Soon, I will come face-to-face with destiny and come what may, change history for the better.