Star Wars Episode ii:

Remain A Mystery

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Author: Marina Kenobi
Summary: 10 years after TPM, Obi-Wan and Anakin go back to Naboo...AU
Spoilers: TPM
Feedback: If you want more, you give me some.  E-mail me at marina_kenobi@yahoo.com.
Rating: PG, for now.
Category: AU/ Action/ Adventure/ Angst/ Humor/ Romance
Archive: My site, Corra's site, any others, please contact me.
Note: All words between "//" and "//" are spoken through a Jedi link.
Disclaimer: I don't own these guys, though I really want Obi-Wan...All recognizable characters belong to Lucas and LucasFilm.  Marina is my character.

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From space, it was obvious where Coruscant got its name. The never-ending city lights made the planet sparkle like a Corusca gem. When visitors saw the capital of the Galactic Republic for the first time, they were often amazed at how the capital city, Galactic City, never slept. There was always something going on in the city, and sunrises and sunsets often went unnoticed.

Just as the sunrise was unnoticed this morning in the Jedi Council chamber.

The twelve members of the Jedi Council were in this room, which was located at the peak of the Jedi Temple. The round room had glass walls that were interrupted only by the pillars that supported the spire on top. The Council members were seated in their places around the circular chamber debating a matter of utmost importance. The Supreme Chancellor of the Senate, Chancellor Palpatine, had contacted the Council. He requester that they send their most highly qualified Jedi to the planet of Naboo. This morning the Council was debating over which Jedi to send.

“We should send a Jedi Master and their Padawan,” Master Depa Billaba advised.

“If you will recall, that’s what we sent to Naboo last time,” commented Master Eeth Koth.

“Perhaps we should send Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan,” Master Mace Windu said. “Jedi Kenobi did go last time, and his Padawan was there as well.”

The rest of the Council unanimously agreed with this, however normally reserved Master Yarael Poof suggested that another Jedi Knight be sent as well, to make up for the fact that Kenobi was not a Master. The Council silently pondered an accomplished third member of the team. Finally, Master Adi Gallia spoke up.

“What about my former Padawan, Marina Qwin? She has been a Knight for a year now, and she would balance out Kenobi and Skywalker.”

After a moment of silent consideration, the Council members agreed, and the three Jedi were summoned to appear before the Council sometime later.

* * *

Obi-Wan Kenobi stood patiently outside the Jedi Council chamber. He had been summoned, along with his Padawan Learner, Anakin Skywalker, to appear before the Council. However, they were still waiting to be invited inside the chamber.

Out of the corner of his eye, Obi-Wan noticed Anakin shift his stance. Obi-Wan could tell that he was growing impatient. He hid a smile. He remembered doing the same thing when he too was a young Padawan.

“Patience, my young apprentice,” Obi-Wan told Anakin. “It shouldn’t be much longer now.”

Anakin nodded. Obi-Wan thought for a moment on how much Anakin had changed in just the past ten years of training. And not just mentally and emotionally, either. Anakin had grown to be quite a handsome nineteen year old as he neared the end of his training, for Obi-Wan often caught Anakin attracting the eye of more than a few young female Jedi as he wandered the corridors of the Temple.

Obi-Wan shifted his attention from his Padawan as he realized another Jedi Knight was waiting with them now. The human female was short, maybe 1.55 meters tall. She had light brown hair that she was wearing in a long braid. She had green eyes set among a delicately featured face. Obi-Wan thought she looked quite attractive overall. He wondered how old she was and what she was waiting for. He was going to ask her what her name was when the door to the Council chambers coolly swooshed open. From the chamber, a voice emanated, “Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Marina Qwin, please enter.” Obi-Wan was slightly surprised when she moved to enter the room, but let the female Jedi enter ahead of him. Obi-Wan, all the more curious now, followed her in.

* * *

Marina Qwin walked into the Jedi Council chamber and went directly to the middle of the room, to the spot that served as a sort of speaking platform. She waited until the males joined her, and the Jedi trio bowed. Then the male with the Padawan braid stepped back a step, behind his Master. Marina wondered briefly which one was Obi-Wan Kenobi and which one was Anakin Skywalker. The male who was a Jedi Knight like herself was fairly tall, about 1.78 meters if she was right. He had longish light brown hair that had a hint of red-gold in it and a complementing beard. She had seen that he had blue-green eyes. His Padawan was even taller, maybe 1.9 meters tall. He had short blond hair cut in the Padawan style along with a Padawan braid and ice-blue eyes. He looked to be about eight years younger than her 27 years, while his Master had to be a little older than she was. He had to be at least 31, if his Padawan was 19, like she suspected. She stopped trying to figure out his age when Mace Windu spoke.

“We have a mission for the three of you,” he said.

That caught Marina’s attention. A mission? With two people she didn’t know? Great, she thought sarcastically. This whole Knight status keeps getting better and better…

Mace continued to speak. “You’re going to travel to Naboo to aid the Queen and escort the Naboo Senator back to Coruscant.”

Naboo? Marina thought. Wasn’t that where Master Adi went ten years ago without me? She noticed the two different reactions of the other Jedi: the Knight, looking like he was dreading it, while his Padawan looked like he couldn’t wait. Knowing that they probably wouldn’t speak up, she did. “Naboo?” she asked cautiously, watching her former Master carefully.

Mace nodded, and Adi Gallia, her former Master, explained, noticing Marina’s look. “It’s a world near the Outer Rim territories. Jedi Kenobi went there with his Master several years ago.”

Several? As in ten? Marina thought. She knew her Master was leaving something unsaid. She glanced at her fellow Jedi Knight, whom she now knew to be Obi-Wan Kenobi. What happened to you there? she wondered. And what happened that made Master Adi go there as well? She knew that she probably wouldn’t find out for a while, but that didn’t stop her curiosity from asking the questions in her mind.

The Jedi Council quickly told Marina, Obi-Wan, and his Padawan of the current situation on Naboo. Apparently, the Mandolorian Warriors struck Naboo rather quickly and took the planet by surprise. This part didn’t surprise Marina any. The Mandolorian Warriors, mercenaries from the planet of Mandolore, had started to bother the galaxy about four standard years ago. They were using cloning technology to increase their numbers. Considering how unstable clones were, Marina thought they were stupid for attempting to increase their numbers through clones. Marina wondered what would happen if they discovered a way to create stable clones, but immediately she knew the answer. Another Clone War would break out. She shuddered. There had already been one War, four years ago. Luckily, the clones were so unstable, they were easily defeated. However, the Mandolorian Warriors had still been causing havoc ever since. Marina refocused on what the Council was telling them.

When the Mandolorian Warriors had attacked Naboo, Queen Jamilla of the Naboo sealed off the Theed Royal Palace with everyone that was inside. That included the Naboo’s governors and officials, the visiting Senator of Naboo, and a special envoy from the Gungans sent by Boss Nass, the leader of the Gungans, before he had gone to Coruscant to discuss a matter in the Senate.

The Council continued by saying that they wished for them to join the Queen in her palace and protect her. They would also need to escort the Senator back to Coruscant in a timely matter, but the Jedi should evacuate the Queen only if it became absolutely necessary. They wrapped up the Council meeting by showing the Jedi a hologram of Queen Jamilla’s current appearance. Marina noticed immediately how the Queen seemed to favor ornamental robes and makeup. It would be very easy to fade into the background without that stuff on, Marina thought. She mentally frowned at herself. She wasn’t sure why she thought that. Before she could ponder it any further, Master Yoda dismissed them by saying, “May the Force be with you.” She bowed to the Council and followed Jedi Kenobi and his Padawan out the door.

* * *

The minute the Jedi left the Council chamber, Obi-Wan slowed down, as did his Padawan. The female Jedi—he thought her name was Marina—slowed down as well. Obi-Wan flashed her a smile and extended his hand out to her.

“Seeing that we’re going to be working together, I might as well introduce myself. I’m the Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, and this is my Padawan –”

“Anakin Skywalker,” Anakin said, picking up on his cue and bowing.

The female Jedi accepted Obi-Wan’s hand. “Pleased to meet you, Jedi Kenobi, Padawan Skywalker. I’m the Jedi Knight Marina Qwin.”

Obi-Wan knew from the tone of Jedi Qwin’s voice that she wasn’t very pleased at all. That didn’t surprise him very much. She was a Knight without a Padawan, sent on a mission with two complete strangers. If he were in her situation, he would also be displeased.

Jedi Qwin interrupted his thoughts as they started to walk down the corridor, passing other Jedi of the Temple. “So, you have been to Naboo before, Jedi Kenobi?”

Obi-Wan nodded. “Yes, I have.”

Jedi Qwin spoke up once again. “And your Padawan has been there as well?”

Obi-Wan tried unsuccessfully to not look surprised. How could she know that?

“I apologize for my presumptive nature, Jedi Kenobi,” Jedi Qwin said. She didn’t sound very apologetic. “When Master Windu told us we were going to Naboo I could see your Padawan’s anticipation with the thought of returning to Naboo, so he must have been there before, correct?”

“Ah, yes,” said Obi-Wan. So she noticed expressions. He filed this information away for later use.

“On the other hand,” Jedi Qwin continued, knowing she was treading into unwanted territory, “you reacted like you were dreading it.”

Obi-Wan didn’t respond. He didn’t want to be reminded of what had happened ten years ago. And I was powerless to stop it… His hands clenched into fists, then he released them, letting go of his brief moment of hate aroused by the thought of his Master’s death at the hands of the evil Sith Lord.

Anakin had been quietly following behind the two Jedi Knights. Now he said quietly, “Master…”

“Yes, Padawan?” said Obi-Wan a little sharper than he had intended.

“We need to…take this turbolift to get to our transport,” Anakin said quickly. He was going to say, ‘We need to tell her about what happened,’ but had changed it in the middle of his sentence when he saw his Master glare at him. Anakin wouldn’t concede the point however. //Master, Jedi Qwin deserves to know.//

//Anakin, we’ll tell her once we’re on our way.//

//If you say so, Master.//

Obi-Wan shifted his attention back outward. The turbolift they had gotten in had almost reached its destination. It slowed down and came to a stop. The door slid open.

“Are you two gonna stand there all day or can we get going?” Jedi Qwin asked.

Anakin snorted. Obi-Wan gestured to Jedi Qwin. “After you, Jedi Qwin.”

“Thanks,” she said dryly. “You’re far too kind.”

“Master Obi-Wan believes in the lost art of chivalry,” Anakin said, the first time he had spoken to Jedi Qwin.

Jedi Qwin flashed him a little smile—but then again, it was more than Obi-Wan had received from her. Obi-Wan felt a pang of something. Was it…jealousy? Could he really be jealous of his own Padawan just because Anakin received a smile from an attractive female Knight? And, for that matter, an attractive female Knight with an unpleasant disposition and one that they were going to have to work with indefinitely.

Obi-Wan snapped himself out of his reverie when he saw that they had arrived at the landing platform. There, waiting for them, was a Republic transport. The pilot and copilot were waiting outside beside it.

“Welcome to the Lucky Chance, honored Jedi,” the pilot said. “I am Captain Siya Vené, and this is my copilot, Genna Nirré. Please, come on board,” she said, motioning for the three Jedi to follow. Her copilot followed them up the ramp.

“We appreciate the risk you are taking, Captain Vené,” Jedi Qwin said sincerely. “My name is Marina Qwin, and this is Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.”

Captain Vené shook her head. “Genna and I are both from Naboo. We are taking no risk, only what we should rightfully do for our homeplanet.”

Jedi Qwin smiled. “Thank you, then.”

Captain Vené glanced at her copilot, Nirré. “We are the ones who harbor the utmost gratitude for the three of you and what you are doing for Naboo and its inhabitants, Jedi Qwin.” With this, Captain Vené pressed a button and the engines hummed to life. “Now, if you all will be please be seated, we’ll be off in no time.”

Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Jedi Qwin all sat down and strapped in. Before they knew it Coruscant was behind them and the Lucky Chance bolted into hyperspace, heading for Naboo.

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