We arrived back on Tatooine without any complications; obviously, Qui-gon, Obi-wan and Padme hadn't arrived yet, nor would they for a few days. I kept watching the Warp for their presence, hoping to Stamp them as soon as possible.
When I'd first 'acquired' our ship, it had been parked in a proper hangar, which the slavers had paid for. With my ability to get around via teleportation however, there was no need for me to do the same. Nor did I want anyone spotting a stolen ship, or to spend money unnecessarily, especially after our shopping trip on Jedha. Thus Cortana had parked it in the middle of the desert, more than a hundred miles from the nearest settlement. To be on the safe side, I had used the Warp to create an invisibility bubble around the ship. It was more advanced than the light-bending bubble I'd used on myself when I'd Stamped Anakin, mainly because it still allowed us to see out of it. It wasn't something I'd been able to cast when I'd first arrived in Star Wars, but I'd grown a lot more powerful since then, thanks to Soul talent and the fact I'd been constantly pushing myself with my biomancy experiments.
Sadly, there wasn't much to do until Padme and the Jedi arrived. For now, I was taking advantage of Tatooine's large criminal population, and attempting to find some more biomancy test subjects. There wasn't anything more I could learn from the slavers until I got Science talent – trying to learn how to augment the brain without it seemed like a waste of effort. Even with Science talent, there was a serious risk of accidentally killing them in the process, and I still needed sacrifices to summon a daemonette. Thus I'd decided to pre-emptively hunt for replacements.
Of course when it came to summoning, I did have options other than a lesser daemon of Slaanesh, though none of them seemed worth it for now. Checking the Companions tab of my Company device, I saw there was a generic daemonhost listed as an option. Creating one of those seemed interesting, if morally questionable… then again, what would be the point? The only reason to create a daemonhost normally was to bind a daemon to the materium indefinitely, yet the company Stamp gave me a far better way of doing that.
Incidentally, there was also a generic daemon prince listed as an option, but summoning one would take more than sacrificing a few slavers; it would take potentially hundreds, if not thousands, of sacrifices to stir up the Warp sufficiently. Not only that, while my power was rapidly growing, I wasn't confident I could overpower a daemon prince, at least not yet. To be on the side of relative safety, I would have to wait until I was an alpha-level psyker at least, not to mention using my biomancy to give myself a physically stronger body.
That was for the future, along with the dozens of other things I had yet to do. For now, I was sitting on top of the tallest building I could find in Mos Eisley, invisible, using my Warp-sight to look for new test subjects. I hadn't brought anyone along with me, as it didn't seem like a good idea to be seen in the company of a young twi'lek that looked exactly like Quinlan Vos's padawan who 'died' on Tatooine. I'd left Kelly back at the ship as well; her body was so pale from wearing her Mjolnir suit her entire life – until recently – that I had persuaded her to start sunbathing. I'd left her lying naked on a towel just outside the ship, within the invisibility bubble. No doubt she'd develop a tan pretty quickly under the harsh light of Tatooine's two suns; it was fortunate that Body defence prevented sunburn.
I idly watched the emotions of Mos Eisley's residents, looking for any potential leads. It was unusually quiet today though, with no obvious signs of crime. I'd almost given up hope of finding anything when I noticed feelings of fear and resignation emanate from the city's largest neighbourhood. Curious, I extended my mind within the Warp, gently brushing my consciousness against those of the residents as I sighed in relief. The object of the residents' emotions was a group of thugs that acted as Jabba the Hutt's 'tax collectors', which on Tatooine meant extorting the defenceless residents for every wupiupi they owned at blasterpoint. Most of which went straight into the Hutt's pockets, with a small amount left over to act as the collectors' wages. Perfect; no doubt they'd be universally hated, thus unlikely to be missed by anyone, including their boss. There were always more thugs licking at Jabba's heels – so to speak – hoping for such a relatively easy and secure job.
Today they weren't out on tax collection duty, they just seemed to be putting fear into the locals, reminding them of who this planet belonged to. I watched the thugs through my Warp-sight, waiting for them to finish so I could pounce on them. Eventually, once they were satisfied the residents of Mos Eisley had been sufficiently cowed, they started heading back to their headquarters; I would've called it a hideout if not for the fact they had no need to hide from anyone.
Jumping down from the building I was on, still invisible and muffling any noise, I headed for the tax collectors' headquarters. I kept monitoring the minds of nearby people through my Warp-sight, but I needn't have bothered; no-one had any idea there was a Terminator-armoured Space Marine right next to them.
Mos Eisley wasn't a huge city, despite being the largest on Tatooine, so it wasn't long before I reached the headquarters. I headed inside, making sure no-one saw the door opening and closing for seemingly no reason, where I found the tax collectors relaxing after a not-so-hard day at work; clearly working directly for Jabba had its perks. I seized them all in a telekinetic grip before pushing them into unconsciousness. Double-checking my Warp-sight to make sure no-one suspected anything, I held the unconscious tax collectors telekinetically as I teleported us all back to the ship, going straight from the relative darkness of the headquarters to the blinding double-sunlight of early afternoon Tatooine.
"I see you found some more test subjects," Kelly said, sitting up on her towel, already looking a healthier colour.
"They ran one of Jabba's protection rackets," I replied.
"Not people who'll be missed, then. If anything, the locals will be glad they're gone."
"Undoubtedly, though it won't be long before they're replaced."
The cargo bay door was already open. Heading up the ramp, I stuffed the thugs into another cage, keeping their blasters for myself, before locking the door and casting another bubble of slowed time. Having grown in power since the first time I'd done it, I didn't need the help of the Warp energy stored in my staff.
Well, that was one job taken care of.
-x-x-x-x-
Things were quiet for the next few days. Tatooine was sorely lacking when it came to entertainment, so my time was mostly filled with painstakingly slow progress on Kelly's psychic hood, and watching the Holonet. Fortunately, during this time Kelly finished teaching Aayla all that she knew, meaning I could start teaching both of them myself. I carried on where I'd left off with Kelly, which meant telekinesis. Aayla already had basic knowledge of this, but I showed them both its finer applications, such as using it to launch projectiles. The twi'lek was, understandably, reluctant to use it, but she mellowed out when I reminded her that knowledge of manipulating the Warp was still valuable, even if never used.
Beyond that, we continued our lightsaber practice as well. This time though it was Aayla teaching me and Kelly as we went through the basics of Makashi, the second lightsaber form and the one that was the most duelling focused. While interesting, and certainly effective, it emphasised efficiency and precision over raw power, and I felt it didn't take the fullest advantage of my augmented strength. Kelly, on the other hand, took to it like a fish to water; I figured her background as a Spartan gave her more of an appreciation for taking down opponents as efficiently as possible. As I recalled, Count Dooku was one of the few Jedi to devote themselves to mastering Makashi, making him a deadly duellist despite his average Force potential and old age. Because of its focus on efficiency over power however, it didn't do much to build up the user's strength… something that would be a non-issue for Kelly.
Our routine was broken by the arrival of a chrome-plated ship just outside the city of Mos Espa; something that didn't go unnoticed by ourselves, thanks to our Warp-sight. This was why Kelly and I were standing along the side of one of Mos Espa's main streets, observing a group of three people and a droid.
"So that's them?" Kelly asked rhetorically. "Relatively unassuming, aside from the fact that one of them has a lightsaber, and another is a gungan."
"Yes. Though Padme looks older than she did in the source material. I guess Universal Calibration bumped her age up a bit."
I realised I couldn't conceal myself from the galaxy forever. If I was going to raise my profile however, I wanted to do it in such a way that would make a good impression on the galaxy at large. This would be one small part of that. Plus, well, who could resist meeting characters I'd previously only seen in a film? Over the hustle and bustle of Mos Espa, my augmented hearing could make out the voice of Qui-Gon Jinn.
"…aside from the indigenous tribes, most people get by scavenging or moisture farming," I heard the Jedi say. "Spaceports like this one can be dangerous, but also good hiding places for those that wish to stay hidden- "
"I wouldn't be so sure of that, friend," I said to them as they passed.
Jar Jar Binks, already nervous from being in such a lawless, alien environment, whooped in fright as he noticed me for the first time. Padme whirled around in panic, clearly fearing being exposed, while Qui-Gon Jinn reached for the Force, emanating feelings of panic himself, though he kept a calm exterior.
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, stranger," Qui-Gon replied, sounding calm despite his roiling emotions.
"I think you do, actually, given that you're being followed by a young woman who looks exactly like Queen Padme of Naboo, and a gungan, a species native to Naboo," I said, keeping my voice low. Just before, I had cast a sound suppression bubble around us.
I felt their fear grow stronger through the Warp, while R2-D2 made a series of beeping sounds I interpreted as also being afraid. Before they could do something stupid I said, "Oh relax, do we look like we work for the Trade Federation?"
"No, I suppose you don't. I couldn't help but notice you and your companion are both Force sensitive though," Qui-Gon said. "Just as I noticed you drew upon the Force just now."
"Just a small thing, to keep everyone around from hearing us. We wouldn't want Jabba the Hutt learning the Queen of Naboo just landed in his personal fiefdom, would we?"
Padme looked apprehensive, and also sceptical. Before she could say anything Qui-Gon said, "I don't believe he's lying, your Highness. He channelled the Force in a way I've never seen before."
Padme looked amazed for a moment, before nodding. "I wasn't expecting to meet any friendly faces out here, but I'm glad to be proven wrong. You clearly already know who I am. This is Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn, Jar Jar Binks, and R2-D2," she said, having switched into diplomacy mode. The gungan didn't say anything, clearly still terrified of me, while R2-D2 gave a cheerful sounding series of beeps that I interpreted as a greeting.
"A pleasure to meet you all," Kelly replied, smiling. "This is Amedeus, and my name is Kelly, his apprentice."
"Likewise," said Qui-Gon. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised the Force would bring us here to meet."
"Yes, we had a feeling something of great importance was going to happen on Tatooine in the near future, and we wanted to be around when it happened."
"Interesting. I've never met a Force user that isn't a Jedi before," Padme said, looking thoughtful.
"We Force sensitives are rare, but not that rare, your Highness. While the Jedi practically have a monopoly on the Force within the Republic, out here you'll find all manner of different Force sects, not that we belong to any," Kelly replied.
Padme nodded. "Well, seeing as you're the only friendly faces we've encountered so far, I don't suppose you know where we could buy a replacement hyperdrive?" she asked.
"Not specifically, but there's plenty of scrap dealers around," I said, shrugging. "I hope you brought some druggats, though. No-one around here takes Republic credits."
"Oh," Padme said, looking disheartened.
"Do not lose heart, your Highness. We will think of something," Qui-Gon said reassuringly.
"No doubt you will. You seem like a resourceful bunch. Just be careful who you trust around here. While we have no wish to see any harm come to you, there are plenty of people for whom that isn't true. Jabba the Hutt has eyes and ears everywhere. You definitely don't want him learning of your arrival; after all, Naboo is in no position to pay off your ransom right now, your Highness," I said to Padme.
Padme paled slightly at that, before nodding. "I appreciate the warning, but I trust Master Jinn to keep me safe," she said.
"I don't mean to be rude, but we should really push on," Qui-Gon said. "It was nice meeting you both. Perhaps we can converse again later, when we aren't so pressed for time."
"I think we would enjoy that," Kelly replied.
Exchanging goodbyes, we waited for them to walk out of earshot, before I said, "Well that went well."
"I noticed you didn't warn them about the Sith," Kelly said. "Are you worried about messing up the timeline?"
I nodded. "I don't think Sidious will have learned that they're here yet. I need Maul to come here, so I can stop him going to Naboo later, to ensure that Qui-Gon survives. Not to mention the Stamps."
"I suppose that with Padme being older due to Universal Calibration, there's virtually no chance she would get together with Anakin," Kelly mused. "Not that you'd let that happen anyway."
I shook my head. "I'll Stamp her tonight. I'm not sure if I'll have a chance to shag before she leaves though."
"You could always stop by Naboo sometime. Don't forget about her handmaidens either," Kelly said, a dirty grin plastering her face.
Now that was a nice thought, one that made my dick throb – which was highly uncomfortable in Terminator armour. It was fortunate I had Kelly and Aayla to relieve the pressure.
-x-x-x-x-
That night, once I'd finished fucking my apprentices, I prepared for my newest Stamps.
Taking a shower and changing into some normal clothes – thank the God-Emperor for the opportunity to buy some on Jedha – I observed the Jedi through my Warp-sight. Their ship was parked a mile or so outside of Mos Espa, hidden from casual view by a sand dune. I didn't teleport directly onto their ship; instead, my destination was a couple of hundred metres away, to ensure they wouldn't hear on the off chance they were still awake.
Walking up to their ship, I brushed my consciousness up against the people on-board to check if anyone was awake. There was one; due to their hurried departure, they were running with a skeleton crew, meaning the ship's captain was still awake, standing guard, no doubt filled to the brim with caffeine. An annoyance, but not hard to deal with; I created a small sound suppression bubble in Padme's room, just big enough to prevent anyone from hearing the noise of my next teleportation. I then remotely pushed Padme, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan into a deeper state of unconsciousness; it was harder to do on the Jedi, but the fact that they were already asleep meant it was still no problem. Teleporting into Padme's room, I pressed the Stamp against the back of her neck until my Company Device vibrated, indicating the Stamp had taken. Creating more sound-blocking bubbles in the Jedis' rooms, I did the same to them, netting me 63 Credits in total. Not bad for only a few minutes of work.
-x-x-x-x-
For the moment, I was back to having not much to do, other than continue Kelly and Aayla's lessons, and our lightsaber practice. In the 3 days it had taken for the Stamps to finish, Maul still hadn't arrived yet, though I thought I could feel the presence of the Dark side grow ever so slightly stronger, so it wouldn't be long now.
The morning after my newest Stamps had finished, it was time for me to spend my new Credits.
"Well Cortana, your days of being purely digital are about to come to an end," I said.
"Finally. Do you know how jealous I've gotten listening to the three of you fuck every night while not having the chance to join in?" she said, in mock outrage.
"Right. And are we supposed to believe you weren't enjoying it?" Kelly replied, grinning.
"Not half as much as you were taking part in it," Cortana grumbled.
"Do you have any idea how cute you sound when you're annoyed?" I asked. Cortana gave me a death glare as I laughed. "Right," I said, "to recap, we currently have 70 Credits. We're getting Anthropize for Cortana, Added potential, also for Cortana, Talent share for Martial talent, and Science talent. That'll leave us with 25, which I'm not sure what to do with."
"You should probably just save them, Ame," Aayla said. "You might need to buy something in an emergency, if something unexpected happens."
I nodded. I confirmed my purchases, and was momentarily alarmed when the holographic image of Cortana emitted from my Device suddenly disappeared. At the same time, there was a flash of light as a new being appeared before me. Examining her body with biomancy, I determined that only a small portion of it was flesh; it seemed to be Terminator-like, with a robotic inner body covered by a fleshy outer covering. A covering which looked kind of like a young version of Dr Catherine Halsey, with shoulder length brown hair. In other words, she looked exactly like a humanised version of my AI companion.
"This feels extremely strange, Ame," Cortana said with her new mouth. "All these new sensations I didn't know existed before… ah, now I see what Kelly meant about you looking like the devil."
My lips twitched in amusement, not even remotely offended. "Well, I'm glad to see you can feel for the Warp. I felt ambient Warp energy coalesce and form your new soul the second you physically appeared, Cortana."
"Right. So I don't want to hear anything from you about me being 'just' a droid, got it?" Cortana said, pointing at Aayla.
"Look, I didn't mean any offence by that," Aayla said, sounding a bit stricken. The first time that Aayla and Cortana met hadn't gone well; the low status of droids in Star Wars caused some friction between them, with Aayla openly wondering why I'd be so attached to a 'mere' AI. Kelly had to calm down a livid Cortana while I explained to Aayla that my AI companion was a kind of digital superintelligence, and nothing like the bumbling clankers she was familiar with. This was difficult given the apparent lack of any kind of superintelligence, digital or otherwise, in Star Wars. As it was, I was still unsure if Aayla was genuinely convinced or if she was just humouring me. In any case, she had apologised – and truly meant it, judging by her emotions in the Warp – but Cortana had treated her rather coolly ever since.
"No, you just cause it without trying," Cortana muttered under her breath, quietly enough that only I heard.
"It might be best if you came with me, Cortana. I'm sure you'd enjoy exploring the universe with your new senses," I said.
"I think I'd enjoy that Ame," Cortana said with a strained smile.
While Aayla and Kelly continued their lightsaber practice – which, thanks to Martial talent, would be far more productive now – I teleported Cortana and I to just outside Mos Epsa.
"It doesn't seem like you to hold onto a grudge over a simple misunderstanding, Cortana," I said.
"It's not just that, Ame," Cortana replied, sounding upset. "The treatment of droids in this galaxy is totally abhorrent. They're sapient beings, yet they're treated like slaves at best, and inanimate objects at worst."
I nodded. "Yes, that thought crossed my mind as well. Am I right in thinking that, due to your own nature as an AI, you feel a certain kinship with them?"
"Well, yeah, but there's more to it than that. If droids weren't programmed to be sapient, I wouldn't have a problem at all. But they are, not out of necessity, but by choice. Ame, the people in this galaxy choose to use sapient droid labour, and deal with the entirely predictable consequences, like rebellions, through equally predictable and disgusting means, like mind-wipes," Cortana replied. "Even worse is how… casual everyone is about it. I looked over the entire Holonet Ame, and I was only able to find a handful of examples of Droid rights advocacy. Meanwhile, it hasn't even occurred to the rest of the galaxy that machines might be people too." Now that she had a soul, I could feel Cortana's anger radiate through the Warp.
"Cortana, I promise you that I – we will solve that problem as soon as we are able. Though I can't promise that will be anytime soon. Even when I come to power, it will be difficult. The galaxy is so heavily dependent on droid labour that convincing people why they should care about the plight of machines, especially when the slavery of meat-people is still so widespread, is a problem that not even absolute power can solve."
"Droids are no less deserving of freedom than anyone else!" Cortana snapped.
"I never said that they weren't. The problem is convincing everyone else of that fact."
"I know," she said, with a long sigh. "I'm sorry for shouting at you, Ame. The state of the galaxy isn't your fault."
"And yet, I was the one that chose to bring us here," I replied, with a thin smile. "So I will deal with the consequences of my choice, no matter how long it takes."
"I know you will, Ame. Thanks," Cortana said, as I kneeled down to pull her into a tight hug.
We held each other for a minute before releasing. "So we're gonna meet the Jedi now?" Cortana asked.
"Yes, I can feel their presence through the Warp in the middle of the city. They seem to be alone as well. I hope you don't mind, but I was going to use Information defence to hide the fact that you're a psyker from them. As far as the rest of the galaxy will know – including most of the people I've Stamped – Kelly will be my only apprentice. We'll probably slip up at some point, but the longer we can maintain that façade, the better."
Cortana nodded. "I guess you don't want people knowing you can turn them into psykers, huh?"
"Exactly. Now let's get going, I want to speak with the Jedi before they leave town."
We headed into the city. While Cortana's outfit was fairly normal looking, I was wearing my armour. There were more than a few unsavoury glances towards Cortana, but those ended when the people giving them saw me. It was unfortunate that such power displays were even necessary in public, but that was the price we paid for being in Hutt space.
Mos Espa was a fairly small town all things considered, despite being one of Tatooine's main space ports, a consequence of the planet's tiny population. Thus it didn't take long before we found Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan in the main square. They seemed to be expecting me; they probably noticed me through the Warp. Despite being Stamped, I didn't plan to show them the true state of my soul, so they didn't react adversely.
"A pleasure to see you again, Mister Jinn, and to the young man who I presume is your apprentice, judging by his presence in the Force," I said, as I cast another sound-suppression bubble around us.
"Yes, this is Obi-Wan Kenobi, my padawan. Obi, this is Amedeus, the Force user I met the other day," Qui-Gon said.
"Nice to meet you, Amedeus," Obi-Wan said, looking at me apprehensively. I couldn't blame him; even the Sith rarely walked around armed and armoured so openly, Darth Vader being a rare exception… one that wouldn't come into existence in this timeline. "And you are?" he asked Cortana.
"The name's Cortana," she said, smiling. "I've been travelling with Ame and Kelly for a while now, though my connection to the Force is about as strong as a fly."
"Do not fret, Miss Cortana. The Force chooses to bless precious few of us with its presence, but you can still achieve much without it," Qui-Gon replied.
"I'll remember that. So what brings you two to Mos Espa?"
"Our ship sustained damage on our journey here, and we needed parts to repair it," Obi-Wan said.
"Ame told me about that. Still looking for a new hyperdrive?" Cortana replied.
"In a manner of speaking," Qui-Gon said. "We've found the hyperdrive, just not the money to pay for it. Amedeus warned us the other day that people around here may not accept Credits. Regrettably, he was right."
"What do you plan to do?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer.
"Fortunately, there's a pod-race happening this afternoon, and we've found a solid bet. That should net us enough money," he replied.
"Out of interest, would the person you're betting on happen to be a young boy called Anakin Skywalker?"
"How did you…" Obi-Wan trailed off, sounding surprised. "Yes, he is. You noticed his Force potential, I take it?"
"I noticed the minute I set foot on Tatooine. I didn't approach him though; I don't really have the time to take on another apprentice at the moment."
"While I don't doubt that he'd do well under your tutelage Amedeus, I'm rather glad that you haven't. I believe he'd excel as a Jedi," Qui-Gon replied.
"Yes. I see that Mister Kenobi must be nearing the end of his apprenticeship; you plan to take Skywalker under your wing?" I asked.
The older Jedi nodded. "Due to his age, the Jedi council will no doubt object, but I can't let a natural talent like his go to waste."
The thought crossed my mind about how open they were being with someone they barely knew. Figuring it was just a subconscious side effect of their Stamps, I said, "Well, hopefully you're able to convince the council. I reckon a teacher like you is just what Skywalker needs to flourish."
"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan asked, puzzled.
"Think of it from Skywalker's perspective; he's a young boy, without a father figure, who's spent his entire life as a slave. Then a magic supermonk comes along, totally out of the blue, and tells him that he has this incredible power that he has no idea how to control. If he's to have any chance of succeeding as a Jedi, he needs stability above all else. Who better to provide it than Mister Jinn, a surrogate father, and you, a surrogate older brother?" I said.
The two Jedi looked at each other, unsure what to make of my words, before nodding.
"That's not quite how I'd thought of it, but I certainly see the logic," Obi-Wan said. "Thank you, Amedeus. You've given me much to think about."
"You're welcome, Mister Kenobi," I replied, smiling for a second before my expression turned serious. "Sadly, while I've enjoyed our conversation, that isn't why I sought you out today. I actually came by to, well… warn you."
"Warn us? Of what?" Qui-Gon asked, keeping his expression neutral, though I felt both Jedi grow tense through the Warp.
"Have you not felt the growing influence of the Dark side these past few days?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No actually, we hadn't… but slight fluctuations in the state of the Force are not uncommon," Qui-Gon replied. "Why? Do you believe this is a sign of something greater?"
"I can't be certain, of course. Especially where the Force is involved. But I believe this particular change is a sign of things to come. Something, or someone, coming to Tatooine specifically."
"Do you know what, or why?" Obi-Wan asked, worried.
"Not in any detail. But you did both stage a high-profile escape from Naboo, in the middle of an unprovoked invasion, along with Queen Padme, making the Trade Federation simultaneously look cruel and incompetent. It's only natural they'd be out for revenge."
"You think they would employ a Dark sider?" Qui-Gon asked, sounding sceptical.
"Is it really that hard to believe? The Trade Federation has enough money to hire just about anyone in the galaxy. I don't think it's that much of a stretch that they'd have a Dark sider on their payroll. And if they want revenge against a couple of Force users, what choice do they have but to send one of their own?"
"It's worrying just how much sense you're making, Amedeus," Obi-Wan said, visibly trying to calm himself.
"Maybe it's nothing to worry about," I said with a shrug. "After all, there are few beings in this galaxy that could overpower two Jedi simultaneously. Of course, few is still more than none. If I were you, I'd get off this rock the second you've got your new hyperdrive working."
"We plan to. We can't allow the Queen to be in danger for a second longer than necessary," Qui-Gon said, frowning. "I realise that you've given us vital information, and have asked for nothing in return. From the bottom of my heart, thank you."
"You're welcome, Mister Jinn. The last thing I want is for the Trade Federation to succeed, and thus set a precedent that they can get what they want through violence."
"I'm glad we can agree on that," Qui-Gon said. "Thank you, but we should be going now. We have plans to make."
"Of course, Mister Jinn. Of course."
The two Jedi departed, talking to each other, discussing their new plans for Padme's safety in light of the information I'd given them. No doubt, they'd relay what they'd learned to their colleagues back on Coruscant, including how they'd met a friendly, powerful, helpful Force user by the name of Amedeus on Tatooine, one who had freely given away information that had potentially saved Padme's life. Over time, that reputation would gradually percolate through to the rest of the galaxy, which was exactly what I wanted… there were few things better than a good first impression, after all.
AN:
I certainly didn't plan to wait 7 weeks between posts. Of course, real life had other ideas. Fortunately the main source of delay between this chapter and the last one has been resolved, so the next chapter after this shouldn't take as long (I've already written quite a bit of it).
People mentioned in previous comments about how matter manipulation/transmutation technology does actually exist in Star Wars... my question is, what is it called? I spent quite a while looking through Wookieepedia but I wasn't able to find any mention of such a thing.