Part II

Amidala tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and gazed out at the Coruscant skyline. Anakin slipped an arm around her waist as he pointed to the Galactic Senate Building in the distance.

"Looks so innocent from the outside, doesn't it?" he said.

"Yes, you'd never know the chaos it conceals within." she replied.

"Amidala?" Anakin asked.

"Mmmm?" she said, distracted.

"I..." he began.

"It's quite beautiful in the morning, isn't it?" she said, interrupting his line of conversation.

Anakin turned to look at her. "Yes, yes it is."

She met his gaze for a second, and then turned back to the skyline, laying her head on his shoulder as she did so. He smiled.

Obi-Wan rolled over and managed to get one of his legs tangled in his cloak. It was going to be one of those days, he could tell. He wondered briefly what time it was, but some internal clock told him it was almost lunchtime. He'd slept long enough. He stood, and looked in the mirror. He'd never got undressed this morning, so there wasn't much he needed to do. This morning. Right. No, don't think about this morning. Think about today. So much to do, with the arrival of the Queen and all. The Queen. Amidala. Anakin. Damn. He straightened his cloak, ran a hand through his hair, and set off down the corridor towards the guest quarters.

There was only an empty chair outside of Amidala's quarters when he arrived. Not good. He stepped up to the door, and pressed the chime. He waited ten seconds, and pressed it again. The door slid open.

"Master Jedi, what can we help you with?"

"Sabe', is Queen Amidala here?" he asked.

"No, Master Jedi. She left a short while ago with young Anakin."

"Did they say where they were going?"

"No, but I believe they were headed in that direction." She pointed right.

"Thank-you, Sabe'," he said. "I'm going to see if I can find them. If they turn up back here, would you please tell Anakin I'm looking for him?"

"Of course, Master Jedi."

Obi-Wan set off down the corridor. He knew it had been a mistake to leave Anakin alone to guard Amidala. And if he hadn't be so distracted by...other matters...he'd have realized it at the time. So, where were they? Where was he most likely to have taken her? Outside the Temple? Not likely. Anakin knew perfectly well that sooner or later they'd be missed. He probably just wasn't counting on sooner. So, where would they be?

Obi-Wan moved swiftly through the corridors, taking long strides and ignoring the few odd looks he got from padawan learners heading to the dining hall as he wove through and past them. No sign of them yet. They could be anywhere. Maybe Anakin had taken her outside the Temple. He realized he was quickly approaching the northside balcony. He could get a good view of the surrounding area from there.

He turned, and stepped through the archway and out onto the long balcony that ran along the entire north side of the Temple. There seemed to be a couple standing further down the balcony, looking out over Coruscant. With a start, he realized who he was looking at. He was right. It was going to be one of those days. He frowned.

"Anakin," he said sharply.

Anakin turned and found himself face to face with his Master. His Master wasn't in a very good mood. He quickly withdrew his arm from Amidala's waist.

"Master...I..." he began.

"Anakin, you look hungry. Go. Eat. Now."

"I...erm...yes, Master." Anakin glanced back at Amidala one last time, as he hurriedly left the balcony.

Obi-Wan turned to study Amidala, who was once again facing out towards the Coruscant skyline. She seemed faintly bemused Obi-Wan took a deep calming breath before addressing her. "Good morning, Your Highness," he said, bowing slightly.

"Good morning, Master Jedi."

"Did you find your quarters comfortable?" he asked.

"Most comfortable, thank you," she replied in a civil tone.

"Have you had lunch yet?" he inquired.

Amidala didn't answer. She turned and examined Obi-Wan's face. "Why did you do that just now?" she asked curiously.

"Your Highness?"

"You know what I'm talking about. Just now, with Anakin."

"With respect, it's a Jedi matter, Your Highness."

"I believe it concerns me, also," she said.

"Your Highness, this is not a game."

"And who said I was treating it as one?" she wanted to know.

Obi-Wan sighed and looked at the resolute young woman standing before him. This was going to be harder than he thought.

"Your Highness...Amidala...please try to understand, I'm not trying to stand between you and Anakin, but he must learn that there is a danger for him in the feelings he has for you. A Jedi cannot allow his emotions to take him over the way Anakin does when he's around you." He paused, and softened his expression. He reached out and put his hand on her shoulder as he searched her eyes to see if she understood. "I'm only trying to do what's best for Anakin - what's best for both of you."

Kayla reached out with her mind, searching for any trace of Sah-Jen's. Nothing. Terrific. She could be at this all day. She sighed. It seemed like Master Sah-Jen's training techniques became stranger every year. His latest ingenious scheme involved playing mental hide-and-seek. He'd tuck himself away in some obscure corner somewhere in the Temple, and she was supposed to reach out with her mind and find him. All good and well in theory, but in practice it was proving to be a pain in the neck. Or at least in the head. Normally, it'd be easy. Just look for a mind that was strong in the Force. But this...this was like...well...this was like looking for a Jedi in a Jedi Temple. She smiled. She closed her eyes. Let go of your feelings, Kayla. Right. So many minds...but...yes, he was this way. Erm, maybe. Yes, he was definitely somewhere in this direction. She opened her eyes, and set off down the northside corridor.

With a slight frown she realized that if she kept going the direction in which she was going, she'd be walking off the northside balcony. Hmm...the balcony. Maybe the crazy old wizard had decided that she'd never think to look outside... She walked towards the balcony, but stopped dead in her tracks before she got there. Obi-Wan. His hand on the shoulder of a young woman, his eyes looking deeply into hers. She stood there, staring at the couple, momentarily too shocked to move.

She turned and walked off slowly.

Obi-Wan faced Amidala. "I need you to understand that," he said.

Amidala studied Obi-Wan for a second, realized he needed her to reply.

"Yes...yes, I understand that," she said softly, gently pulling away from him. She turned, and left the balcony. As she stepped through the archway, she noticed a young Jedi walking slowly away. She seemed to be upset. Amidala decided she knew how she felt.

Kayla turned the corner and began sobbing softly as she walked down the corridor. She didn’t really care if anyone saw her. Up until now, she’d always thought that Obi-Wan wasn’t the type of man to fall in love, which is why he never showed any interest in her. But now, now she knew that the problem lay with her. He just wasn’t attracted to her. She supposed he couldn’t really be blamed for that. After all, she never believed she was beautiful. She actually considered herself rather plain to look at. But she was hoping he’d have looked past that, and maybe would have seen something in her worth loving. But why should he? She wasn’t even a very good Jedi. Certainly not around him. She was always dropping things around him. Always making stupid mistakes. Like toppling a stack of dishes in the dining hall when he walked in, and then landing in an undignified heap the moment he made eye contact with her in the courtyard the next day.

Face it, Kayla, she thought, you just aren’t cut out to be a Jedi. She stopped in the hall, and leaned against the wall. She was sobbing almost uncontrollably now.

Anakin had never really wished he'd learnt to stomp. Until now. Because he really, really wanted to be stomping down this corridor. It just didn't seem to be working out terribly well. Master Obi-Wan seemed set in keeping him away from Amidala. But why? What harm was he doing? She liked him, he felt sure. So, if she wanted him around, and he wanted to be around her, why was his Master trying so hard to keep them apart?

"Good day to you, Anakin."

"Whaaaa...?" Anakin turned a 360 in his tracks, but didn't see anyone in sight. He heard gentle laughter from above him and looked up.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," said Sah-Jen, smiling.

"Ah, Master Sah-Jen. Good afternoon. Um, if you don't mind me asking..."

"What am I doing up here?"

"Um, yes..."

"Training exercise for Kayla. I'm hiding, you see."

"Ah, I see," said Anakin, though he didn't.

"You seem disturbed today, my young friend. What's troubling you?"

"Oh, it's...it's nothing, Master Sah-Jen," he said.

Sah-Jen put on his best wisdom-of-the-ages expression. "Young man, I've seen enough men with nothing troubling them in my day to know that at the moment you are not one of them."

Anakin sighed. "It's Master Obi-Wan."

"Ah, and what about him, young man?" he inquired.

"He seems determined to keep me away from...my friend," he finished reluctantly.

"This friend of yours, is he another padawan?"

"Um, well, no...she's not."

"Ahhhhh...I think we're getting to the heart of the problem now. This girl friend of yours...she's not just a friend, is she?" Sah-Jen asked with inquiring eyebrows.

"No, Master, not exactly," Anakin admitted.

"Ah, well, I wouldn't worry about it too much...your master seems to be having woman problems of his own lately..." Sah-Jen said mysteriously.

"Master?" Anakin asked.

Sah-Jen suddenly seemed distracted. He cocked his head to the side as if listening to something. "If you'll excuse me, Anakin, I rather think I'd better go have a word with my padawan..." he said, gently floating himself down to the ground.

"Of course, Master," Anakin said, bewildered.

He watched Sah-Jen as he quickly made his way down the corridor, wondering what had distracted him so, and wishing that he'd stayed long enough to explain what he meant by "woman problems"...

Kayla let herself slide slowly down the wall, until she was sitting on the floor. She’d leave the Academy. That’s what she’d do. But where would she go? She had no family to speak of. She was told that she had parents, but she was picked for training at such an early age that she had no memory of them. Master Sah-Jen was really the only family that she had. And if she left the Academy, she’d lose him, too. But what choice did she have?

Sah-Jen walked quickly down the corridor, searching for Kayla. She seemed very distressed. He wondered what could have happened. Lost in his concerned thoughts as he was, he almost ran straight into a young woman coming from the opposite direction. She, too, seemed to have a lot on her mind. He smiled in apology, and continued down the hall.

This way led to the balcony, he noted. He hoped Kayla wasn't doing anything desperate - like flinging herself off of said balcony, for instance. No, he thought, even distressed as she seemed to be, melodrama wasn't her style. But still, he _should_ check the balcony, just in case - it definitely felt like she had been here recently. Sah-Jen paused when he reached the balcony archways. Obi-Wan. He should have known it would have something to do with _him_. If he'd hurt her...

"Master Sah-Jen..." said Obi-Wan in way of greeting.

"Master Obi-Wan," Sah-Jen said curtly.

"You seem distressed," Obi-Wan noted.

"I was looking for Kayla," he replied.

"Why? Has something happened?" Obi-Wan asked quickly.

Sah-Jen paused a second to study Obi-Wan's face. He seemed concerned. "I was wondering if you might know," he said carefully.

"Me? I haven't seen her all day - well, I mean, not since this morning," he added.

"I see... If you'll excuse me, I really must find her," Sah-Jen said in a dismissive fashion.

"Of course."

Obi-Wan watched as Sah-Jen turned abruptly and continued down the corridor. What had happened to Kayla? And why did Sah-Jen think he'd know something about it?He sighed, and looked around the empty balcony. He'd had too many confusing conversations today. And he hadn't even had lunch yet. Lunch. What a good idea.

Sah-Jen came to a fork in the corridor. He reached out, trying to sense Kayla. His concern for her was clouding his concentration, he couldn’t tell which direction he should go. He chose right on a whim, and ran into Master Yoda.

"Mmm...much distress I sense in you," Master Yoda said.

Sah-Jen sighed impatiently. He didn’t have time for one of Yoda’s little talks. "Yes, yes, it’s my padawan. I sense she’s upset."

"Ah, go to her you must."

Sah-Jen sighed again. "That was the plan, yes," he said, walking past Yoda.

Yoda watched Sah-Jen go. He shook his head sadly. "Too impatient are you. Too easily led by your emotions," he said quietly.

Obi-Wan left the balcony and headed towards the dining hall. He nearly fell over Kayla along the way.

Kayla? Is that you?" He looked at the girl sitting on the floor, back against the wall, knees hugged to her chest. She was staring straight ahead, and her eyes had a slightly wild look in them.

"Kayla? Are you all right?"He crouched down next to her, and brushed a wet lock of hair from her eyes. She seemed to recoil at his touch. She still wouldn't look at him.

"Kayla..." he said softly.

"Get away from her." Sah-Jen’s angry voice came floating down the corridor.

Obi-Wan turned to find Sah-Jen striding up the passage from behind. "I don't think she's hurt, but I don't know what's wrong..."

"I said get away from her."

"What? Why?"

"Because you've done enough damage as it is. Can't you see that?" Sah-Jen roughly moved Obi-Wan aside, and he kneeled next to Kayla, taking her by the arms. She looked into his eyes. Her own eyes were wet and red. "Come with me now, Kayla," he said softly. "It's all right."

She stood, as if in a trance, and he held her close to him. She put her head on his shoulder, and he led her away.

Obi-Wan stood in the passage, staring at the space Sah-Jen and Kayla had occupied only moments before. He forced himself to close his mouth."...done enough damage as it is..." he said softly.

What had he done? The only thing that leapt immediately to mind was the fact that he'd left her asleep in the courtyard that morning. But she woke up just before he left, didn't she? She couldn't have come to any harm from that. She certainly shouldn't have been in the state she was in over that. She wouldn't even look at him. Wouldn't even acknowledge his presence, except to pull away from him. Why did she do that? And why did it bother him so much that she did?

Sah-Jen keyed in Kayla's entry code and led her to her bed. He sat her down, and wiped her face with the corner of his cloak.

"There now, that's better, my dear, isn't it?"

Kayla nodded. Sah-Jen sighed. "He's a damn fool, if you ask me. You're better off, you know."

He looked at her tear-stained face, and shook his head sadly. "You should get some rest," he said. He lifted her feet and swung them around so they were resting on the bed, and he pulled her blanket over them. He sat down next to her. "Things always look better after a good nap. That's what I say." He reached out and rested his hand on her forehead. "Sleep," he said, simply. She closed her eyes and drifted into darkness.

Sah-Jen took one last look at his young padawan before getting up to leave. "Ah, to be young again..." he said, as he turned out the lights, and the door slid shut.