Jonjon sits quietly as the two jedi talk, practically ignored. It was fine, since he usually his natural inclination was towards hiding his presence. Closing his eyes, Jonjon felt the mystical energies as he had learned it in the swamplands of Naboo.
These masters had learned how to use the same powers as he, but they were... different. Stronger, in some ways, and their weapons were formidable. So for now, he would sit, watch, and listen, and perhaps he would learn something about their powers. When hunting, he would learn the creature's habits and moves. These 'jedi' had some moves he could actually use.
As everyone settles into hyperspace, Sabe and the Queen (switched) emerge from their bunk room. Sabe makes an effort to thank each of you for your actions on Tatooine.
"Ralk, is it possible that you have some sort of beverage that we could use to toast our escape. Friends, your bravery on the planet's surface warms my heart. Facing those fierce Mandalorians and whatever that red faced demon was. Of course, the Jedi will say that they were simply doing their duty, but that is no excuse for ignoring their valor. The support of the Gungans in our mutual struggle and that of our new friends, Kyra and Ralk brings us confidence that we can face all threats. And of course, I would be remiss were I to ignore the actions of my own guards, Sabe and Panaka."
Laying it on pretty thick, there, Sabe, but we need to make sure these folks don't waver in their support. We are certain to face more threats on Coruscant.
"I see wisdom in doing so. Hopefully it will not be long before I am given the time to do so - every moment wasted means more of our people could die," Padme says, a look of fierce determination on her face.
"Just shorted the circuit? What if he'd shorted more than just that!? What if that motivator blows up while we're hurtling through hyperspace? Who knows where we'd end up - we could fly into a star or a black hole."
Upon Anakin's realization they weren't going back to Tatooine, Ralk's face softens a little bit. "No, kid, we aren't - at least not right now. We've gotta deliver our passengers to Coruscant. After that, we'll see if we can bring you back once we arrive, but we may have other jobs waiting for us. I don't know if we'll be able to."
Qui-Gon seems to consider a moment before saying to Obi-Wan, "I sensed his strength in the Force myself when he arrived with you. The Council will prove...reticent, but he must be trained. We will discuss that later, however."
Turning to JonJon, Qui-Gon says, "JonJon, I'm curious - were you trained to use the Force in the way you do, or did you figure it out on your own?"
At the "Queen's" request, Ralk says, "I should have something. Give me a moment to find it."
Now that you aren't frantically running around, even with the sudden realization you aren't going back to Tatooine, you finally have a moment to look at the other person with the...you guess Queen of some kind you met back in Watto's shop. Looking at her, she's identical to the other, but this one you absolutely recognize. Everything about her fits the woman you've seen in your dreams. There isn't anything to seem slightly off like with the other one. She is the one.
Emerging from the galley, Ralk says, "Here. I've got a bottle of Whyren's Reserve. It's a few years old, so it should be good for toasting."
In short order he has a mismatched assortment of short glasses on the table and is pouring some into each of them, handing one to each of those on the ship. "So, what are we toasting to?"
Jonjon opens his eyes. Looking up to master Qui-Gon. "I learned from the land. From the places in Naboo that people on the surface have forgotten..."He seems to be lost in memory. "Its mostly scratches on stone. But I slept there, had dreams. Dreams taught me to read scratches. I wake, things seem different. Learn secrets from the earth."
He sits forward. "I could see that there was death. And Life. I could feel that flowing through me."
Obi-wan turns with his master to listen to the Gungan, suppressing his curiosity about the newcomer to the ship and his importance. In due time then... The subtle surge of irritation melts away as he listens to JonJon. He had felt the Gungan's use of the Force, but the insistent demands of the present had kept him from pondering it. Two beings, strong in the Force, converging with each other amidst such upheaval? This cannot be coincidence.
"The interconnection you felt, that is what we call the Force. It surrounds us, and all things honestly, binding and connecting them. Through it we can reach out and touch the world around us. Have you felt master Gui-gon and I, directing the flow of the Force through and around us?"
Kyra takes a glass from Ralk and downs the aged liquor, then sighs. "I'm gonna leave these lot to talk about their mystic bullsh*t on their own. Let's just be happy we made it off that sand-infested backwater rock they call a planet." She winces as she looks over at Anakin. "No offense, kid. I'm sure you've got some fond memories of that place, somewhere. Ralk and I will get you home if we can, but that might not be for a while now; we're likely to be busy with these 'acts of aggression' flaring up."
Jonjon nods to Obi-Wan's question. "Yes. You are confident in this power, certain in all it does. I... know I could do more, but that would make waves. Splashing? I would be a big fish, like you are. The problem is... there's always a bigger fish." his eyes flick in the direction of the young Anakin. "Some big enough to swallow your ship whole."
He sighs. "So I learn to hide myself, and my abilities, from the bigger fish. When you can't be bigger, be the clever one, yes?"
"We are toasting our daring escape from the desert planet, of course.That such a mismatched band as a Gungan, a Bothan, and a bunch of humans from different worlds could face off against a force devil and a clan of Mandalorians speaks well for our cause. Obviously the Force was with us."
Obi-wan smiles as he listens to the Gungan's analogy. The first time I've heard the Jedi compared to fish, but it is apt. He replies, "To learn to control the Force is to learn to swim calmly, serenely. Then there is less 'splashing' as you call it. I think you'll find that the biggest fish is the one that hides inside you. Your emotions: fear and anger - they can betray you. Even come to control you. To be centered and calm, to be at peace with the universe, like a fish in its watery home, is to become Jedi. I'm sure the council will be interested to speak with you."
He glances at Anakin, "And not just you..."
After several days, the Intrigue emerges from hyperspace above the Republic capital world of Coruscant. Even from space, the lights of the city-wide planet are clearly visible, tracing a maze of lines upon the surface. As one would expect from such an important planet, there is a great deal of ship traffic, but Ralk enters a special transmission code and the ship is given special coordinates towards a diplomatic landing platform, along a special route that bypasses much of the prolonged wait. After a short while, the crew finds themselves entering the atmosphere, breaking through the crowds to give an up close look at the massive spires and buildings of the city.
Flying past the tops of buildings that stretch down far beyond eyesight, you eventually see your landing platform ahead, in the Senatorial district. As Ralk brings the ship in for a landing, you see several beings disembark from several airspeeders that have docked with the platform.
The most noticeable is a white-haired gentleman dressed in official looking robes, accompanied by a Chagrian wielding a a rod of office and flanked by several Senate bodyguards. There was another older gentleman, also in offical robes, as well as a pair of Nemoidians, accompanied by several tan, skeletal droids wielding blasters. Finally, there are two others, dressed in plain Jedi robes. One is a dark-skinned human male with a bald head, and the other a short, green-skinned alien who looks quite old with wisps of white hair about his head and pointy ears who walks with a cane.
The first white-haired gentleman is Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum. He is accompanied by the Vice Chair of the Senate, Mas Amedda.
The other white-haired gentleman is Sheev Palpatine, the Senator from Naboo. He was close to Padme's father and has watched her grow up - though he knows Padme is close to a girl who looks similar to her, he knows nothing about the decoy protocol.
The other white-haired gentleman is Sheev Palpatine, the Senator from Naboo. He has never met with any Gungans, and you do not know his feelings towards them.
The two Nemoidians are Nute Gunray, Viceroy and de facto leader of the Trade Federation, and Lot Dodd, who represents the Federation in the Senate. They are considered to rank very far above you - a chance to get in good with them could mean excellent advancement opportunities.
The two Jedi are members of the Jedi Council - Jedi Master Mace Windu and Jedi Grandmaster Yoda. Master Yoda takes a definite interest in teaching younglings, and was responsible for much of your early training - and Qui-Gon's. It is said he is several hundred years old, and you definitely believe it.
Jonjon has neither the understanding nor the caring to really understand who they're meeting. Important people, nonetheless.
"Thank you again, friends, for shepherding us here. It would be most appropriate to for you to descend the ramp first. Panaka and Sabe will ensure the area is secure, Ralk and Kyra, I would appreciate it if you would also continue to appear to be my guardians. Jonjon, you will walk to my right as my honored guest. Anakin at my left. Jedi, I will not deign to give you orders, but perhaps you should be 1st down the ramp so that you can rejoin your fellows."
Why are we landing on an open platform when they know the Queen is in danger? And who are our allies here?
She signs to Padme, "Here goes...
"Damn, Gunray and Dodd are both here? These are some high rollers, if we can get in good with them... well, let's just say we won't be wanting for credits. We won't have to rely on random kids from the desert to fix our ship. No offense, kid." Kyra looks down at her armor, the small craters from the blaster bolts still scorched and blackened. She scratches at it for a moment with her finger, then shrugs. "Maybe battle-scarred is a good look for this... whatever. Look sharp, everyone. We've got a real important welcoming party."
Jonjon nods, and will take the solemn position of guest... it had, after all, been the best position he had ever had among humans in his whole life.
Anakin cautiously takes one of the glasses from Ralk, half-expecting someone to make a comment about him being too young. But he did help, and it isn't like he hadn't had something similar before. Downing the shot, he grimaces and coughs a few times. Alright, so maybe it was a bit different from what he'd been able to scrounge up on Tatooine.
Kyra takes a glass from Ralk and downs the aged liquor, then sighs. "I'm gonna leave these lot to talk about their mystic bullsh*t on their own. Let's just be happy we made it off that sand-infested backwater rock they call a planet." She winces as she looks over at Anakin. "No offense, kid. I'm sure you've got some fond memories of that place, somewhere. Ralk and I will get you home if we can, but that might not be for a while now; we're likely to be busy with these 'acts of aggression' flaring up."
At Kyra's mention of getting him back home someday, Anakin nods, feeling more sick than he had from taking the shot. "It's not... I mean, it's not like I didn't have dreams of leaving. But they were just dreams, you know? I never expected..."
Unsure of how to continue, and already uncomfortable with the older humans and fish-person looking at him, Anakin shuts up.Over the next couple of days, he largely tries to stay out of the way, making some continued repairs to the ship where he can. The Queen - or her sister? He's not sure anymore - occupies a lot of his mind. Being trapped in a spaceship should have been the perfect time to talk to her, but what would he say? Kyra was right - the planet he was from was a backwater rock. Even if she wasn't really royalty, she must have seen the galaxy.
He spends some time pooling through the galactic databanks about Coruscant, trying to make himself seem smarter by knowing more about where they're going. Of particular interest to him is the seedy underground - and Anakin wonders how similar it is to his home planet. Slavery and Hutts and racing and bets. Perhaps he could be useful after all. Less interesting to him is the mass of political information, but knowing that that's what would be more likely to impress her, he forces himself through it. Still, no amount of reading prepares him for the sights - not the brightness that can be seen from space, nor the sheer number of ships and people that dominate even the portion of the planet they see as they're landing.
Noticing the white-haired gentlemen, and finally feeling like he can prove his smarts, he moves up alongside Sabe and the other girl. "I never thought I'd see the Supreme Chancellor or Vice Chair." He says quietly. "Do you know them?"
Obi-wan politely declines the Whyren's Reserve, "I apologize, but Padawan's are... discouraged... from consumption of mind-effecting beverages. I've not a taste for it anyway, and a Jedi spluttering at a sip of whiskey would rather spoil our image. I'll happily toast to our successful rescue of her Majesty with you, however." He inclines his head to Queen Amidala with a smile.
Obi-wan, though outwardly calm, was expending significant mental effort to stop himself from nervously pacing. He'd been watching Anakin, sure that it was not his place to broach the young man's force sensitivity (or, more appropriately, thunderous potential), but unable to ignore the raging torrent of the Force constantly swirling around him. With the hour of his return to Coruscant at hand, he found himself eager to be away and to the relative calm of the Jedi Temple.
Gathering as they make their final descent, Obi-wan bows his head to the Queen . "I appreciate your kind gesture, your Majesty, but your safety is still our foremost concern. If Captain Panaka feels it appropriate, we would be happy to act as a proceed ahead as a guard until you are safe."
Any of his own nervousness is quickly calmed when he spots Masters Windu and Yoda waiting of their arrival. "Of course, with Masters Windu, Yoda, and Gui-gon at hand, I would not envy anyone wishing you harm."
"Yeah, short of an entire army, I don't think we're going to have any trouble. I still might put money on the three Jedi Masters, at that point."