Chapter Five

Anakin looked up from studying the data pad as Obi Wan strode into the room.

"Gather our things. The ship is dropping into sublight engines now. In a short time, we'll be docking in Theed."

Anakin turned off the pad and rose slowly. He yawned and stretched stiffly. "I didn't sleep well last night," Anakin explained. "I kept having strange dreams."

Obi Wan started to reply but was distracted by Anakin's belt. "Where is your lightsaber? Why isn't it on your belt?"

Anakin gestured innocently at the bed he had used last night. "It's right there."

Obi Wan frowned. "Anakin, always keep your lightsaber on you. You never know when you might need it. Sometimes, even the most innocent-looking situations are the ones in which you suddenly find yourself in real danger."

"Yes Master," Anakin replied dutifully and crossed the room to retrieve the lightsaber. Obi Wan intercepted him by laying a hand on his chest.

"Call it to you," he instructed.

Anakin met his master's eyes with a skeptical look. "I haven't quite mastered that yet."

Obi Wan merely smiled. "All the more reason you should want to practice." He stepped aside. "Concentrate. Feel the Force between you and your weapon. Feel the distance separating you from it. Know its size and weight. Now, reach towards it and pull it to you, as surely as you would pull it to you if it was within your reach."

Anakin took a deep breath. He closed his eyes momentarily and stretched out his hand.

Obi Wan turned to look at the lightsaber on the bed. It jerked and rolled, then suddenly flew up towards Obi Wan's face. The jedi ducked, narrowly avoiding being struck on the nose. Anakin had to jump to the left to catch it before it crashed into the back wall. He reluctantly faced Obi Wan and offered him an apologetic look.

"I see what you mean," the older jedi noted. He walked over to Anakin and held out his hand. Anakin gave him the lightsaber. "You'll do it again," Obi Wan continued, "but this time, call it to your hand. Not just to you, but your hand." He placed the lightsaber back on the bed. "In the event you should find yourself disarmed for some reason, you can always rely on this method of retrieval."

Anakin was determined this time. He could feel the lightsaber. He knew exactly where it was. This time, when he stretched out his hand, he did so as if to merely pick the weapon up and in an instant, he felt the hilt of it in his palm. He smiled triumphantly and closed his fingers around it.

"Good," Obi Wan breathed, a little surprised by the boy's success. "Very good." In this simple exercise, Obi Wan had felt Anakin summon an incredible amount of power, focusing his mind and energy with an enviable precision. The lightsaber had no other choice but to do Anakin's bidding. "I'd say you have now mastered that technique," Obi Wan added. "I sense when you truly want to succeed, you do."

Anakin activated his lightsaber and twirled it around a few times before deactivating it and attaching it to his belt. "I always want to succeed. I hate to fail." He walked passed Obi Wan to pick up the bag on the floor.

"Then why didn't you succeed the first time?"

Anakin faced him. "I'm not sure. I don't feel very good this morning. I feel...out of sorts."

Obi Wan looked both concerned and annoyed. "Distracted, perhaps?" he suggested.

Anakin frowned. "It's not what you're thinking. Something's not right. I can feel it. It's a disturbance." He studied Obi Wan and wondered at his perfectly calm demeanor. Why couldn't he sense it too?

"I feel it," the older jedi stated as if to answer Anakin's silent accusation. "Or rather 'her.' "

Anakin's eyes narrowed. "You mean Tamerlane?" He looked skeptical. "Master, I've felt the Force in other jedi before. It never has affected me like this. Surely there is something else. Something's wrong, I tell you."

Obi Wan conceded. "Maybe." He paused, thinking. "We've no way to know for sure until the situation presents itself. You must realize, Tamerlane is a very negative presence at the moment. More than likely, it is her energy disturbing you. But we won't dismiss what you are feeling as just that. Stayed tuned into your feelings and use them to guide your actions. Remember what I said about the most innocent-looking situations."

Anakin nodded. He was more than a little pleased that Obi Wan didn't ridicule the disturbances he felt.

"Come," Obi Wan said and turned towards the door in a whirl of cloak. "It's time."

For the first time this morning, Anakin appeared enthusiastic. He snatched up the data pad on the table and stuffed it into the bag, slinging it over his shoulder all in one fluid motion.

Obi Wan started down the ship's passageways and Anakin hurried after him. Once they had disembarked, Anakin looked around hopefully. He sighed.

"I half expected Amidala to meet us," he confessed. "You did say she knew we were coming right?"

Obi Wan shook his head. "First of all, she's only been made aware that two jedi are coming. Secondly, she is the queen, Anakin. Royalty hardly wait for ships to dock in hanger bays. Don't be disappointed. We'll go see her as soon as we get settled in.

Once outside the bay, the two jedi started walking briskly towards the heart of the city.

"Where will we be staying?" Anakin asked, looking around him at the lush greenery and colorful flowers that were so abundant here, even in the midst of a capital city like Theed. It was so very different from Coruscant.

"I was told quarters would be made available at the palace," Obi Wan informed.

Anakin smiled. His large blue eyes glittered knowingly in the sunshine. "I'm sure Amidala had something to do with that."

Obi Wan nodded. "Most certainly. Our instructions are to ask for the Gungan ambassador once we reach the palace," he continued. Anakin noticed the strange look on Obi Wan's face.

"Hey...you don't think it could be....?

Obi Wan was trying hard not to smile. "Stranger things have happened."

Jar Jar was late and he knew it. He deliberately tried not to hurry because that always seemed to make matters worse. His assistant, an older Naboo woman named Terza, had informed him that the jedi he was to receive had already arrived. In fact, they were waiting just down the hall from his offices in the south parlor. Lunch would have to wait.

Struggling to don the garments and trappings of his official status, he started to trot down the hall, then stopped short.

"No hurry. No hurry," he chanted to himself and proceeded at what he considered an appropriately safe pace.

People in the palace halls were passing by him at a normal walk and giving him curious looks.

Jar Jar stopped again to consider this.

"Mmm. Mebbe mesa goin too slow. Mmm, too carafull?"

One of the courtiers came up behind him. When she was beside him, Jar Jar started walking again, matching her pace. Surely she knew how fast to walk.

"Are you walking with me for a purpose, Ambassador Binks?" she asked, after they had walked together for quite awhile in silence.

"No reeson," Jar Jar stated. "Walken too slow and mesa never make it to da parlors. Haff ta meet wit da jedi." It was then he realized he had walked with the courtier right past the parlor. He suddenly skidded to a halt, whirled around, and began stalking back up the hall. "Bye now." He pointed up the hall. "Gotta go meet wit da jedi, you know." He turned around again, temporarily losing his sense of direction and almost hit his assitant with one of his long ears.

"Where have you been? I told you they had arrived," Terza chided him in a loud whisper. She took his hand and pulled him quickly up the hall and into the parlor.

Jar Jar peered over the top of her head at the two uncomfortable looking jedi knights who were both seated awkwardly on one sofa.

"Mesa here!" he announced in a booming and excited voice. Both jedi jumped, startled. "Inna case yous habn't guessed, mesa da Gungan embassy-a-dor to da Naboo. Mesa Jar Jar Binks!"

The two jedi slowly turned towards each other and exchanged wary looks. Somewhat reluctantly, they stood up. The tall human female extended her hand in greeting.

Terza gestured at her as Jar Jar shook her hand enthusiastically.

"This is Tamerlane Merl," she introduced.

"Ooh, mesa lova da jedi. Welcomb to Naboo!"

Tamerlane tried to smile. "Please let me introduce my apprentice, Skya DiArta."

The second jedi stepped forward. She bowed deeply.

"Ambassador, we are most honored, " she began.

Jar Jar studied the creature bowing repeatedly before him. He'd never seen one of her kind before. She seemed to have odd mannerisms for a jedi, he decided, since he was very nearly an authority on what made a good jedi. This one's eyes shifted constantly around the room and she kept grinding her teeth together distractedly. Jar Jar reached the conclusion she must seem strange because she was only a jedi-in-learning. Jar Jar also noticed how the master jedi kept giving the learning jedi dirty looks.

"Ambassador Binks' life was saved by a jedi once," Terza offered, to break the ensuing silence. "He loves to tell the story."

Both jedi turned to Jar Jar expectantly. He smiled widely and looked a little shy suddenly.

"Coulda no hepp but be saved!" he began excitedly. "Big bombad jedi, runnin right atta mesa. Ten of tousans of macaneeks ever where. No where to go so jumped on da jedi." He paused, remembering his friend fondly. "Biggess jedi yousa ever see."

Everyone waited but he didn't continue. He stood motionless, lost in memories. Finally Terza cleared her throat.

"Perhaps, you should escort our guests to their quarters now?" she prompted.

"Oh! Butta course! Yousa all muss be plenny beat. Quarters thes way."

The two jedi looked at each other again in silent communication. Tamerlane suddenly spoke up.

"We wish an audience with Her Majesty. Will she receive us?"

Jar Jar slung his arm around her shoulders.

"Quinn Padmee is bery closs fren of mine. Terzaha will tell da quinn. Yousa follo me now, okeday? Muss be plenny beat."

DiArta faced Terza. "I thought the queen's name was Amidala."

Terza hid a smile. "He calls her Padme. It's a long story. Don't ask."

As they came to a branching corridor, Terza turned into it.

"I'll inform Her Majesty that you have arrived and request an audience. The ambassador will be happy to take you to her once you are settled in."

Jar Jar smiled widely. "Oooh! Yess. Mesa bery happe. Bery happe."