(1) Chaos (O. Kenobi)

Chapter Six

In the Queen's quarter on the ship, Seja is lounging on a couch as she keeps an eye on the Queen and her handmaidens, but right now, there is not much of a threat unless they are attacked during their journey which is very unlikely to happen. Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Panaka join the four women as they fuss over a little blue droid that stands in the centre of them. Seja doesn't know what happened with him, but it is clear that they seem to be crediting it with their successful escape so that makes it a very important and helpful little droid.

"An extremely well-put-together little droid. Without a doubt, it saved the ship, as well as our lives" Panaka comments.

"It is to be commended...what is its number?" Amidala asks. The blue droid lets out a series of beeps at CeeTee's canine form. Padme turns to Seja who tilts her head, listening to the droids.

"Its name is R2-D2" She offers, translating for them. CeeTee moves towards Seja with a little bark. 

"Thank you, Artoo Detoo," Amidala tells the droid. "You have proven to be very loyal...Padme!" Padme bows in front of Amidala. "Clean this droid up the best you can. It deserves our gratitude" Amidala then turns to Panaka. "Continue, Captain" Panaka looks nervously across at Seja clearly unhappy with the plan for the queen. She's not exactly thrilled about it either but it might just be their best plan to protect the queen. None of the other options they might have are not valid options for keeping her safe.

"We are heading for a remote planet called Tatooine" Seja voices the plan. "It is a system far beyond the reach of the Trade Federation. There we will

be able to make needed repairs, then travel on to Coruscant"

"Your Highness, Tatooine is very dangerous" Panaka argues. "It's controlled by an alliance of gangs called the Hutts. I do not agree with Seja on this" Seja pushes herself to her feet as Qui-Gon goes to make a comment to Panaka.

"Then it is a good thing that I am here for the Queen" Seja gets there first though. "And it is up to her" She draws her hand over CeeTee's head as she passes the droid and approaches Panaka. Amidala and Padme exchange looks with Padme giving a slight nod. Amidala turns to Panaka.

"I trust Seja's judgement and if she says that this is our best option, then it is our best option" Amidala announces and Panaka nods, backing down.

..............

Seja pulls her headpiece off and sets it down on the side table as she passes it heading to the couch close by. It's just a guest room on the ship, nothing special, but it will do the job. She needs to contact Windu and find out what he wants her to do. Now that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are here, she really doesn't feel like they need a third Jedi looking out for the queen, not that Seja hasn't come to feel connected to her. There is a bond there. She really likes her and walking away is going to be hard, but if she has to go, she has to go. She's loyal to the Order first, that's how it is meant to be now. The holographic image of Windu stands in the center of the room watching her, talking to her. Informing her of her next orders, which are basically the same, stay with the Queen until Coruscant then go and find him. She assumes that means that she'll have something new once she gets there. Behind her, Qui-Gon is lingering in the doorway as Seja hangs up the call. She lets out a breath and closes her eyes. Part of her though he was going to recall her straight away, but he's allowing her to stay with Qui-Gon until Coruscant at least. That they will re-evaluate when she arrives. She assumes that means she will either go back to her old training or maybe finally graduate into master. She hopes. She knows she came into the Order at a later date, but she has worked hard to prove that she is a capable member of the Order. She's worked hard to prove herself. She's seen younger padawans promoted and she thinks she's earned it. Perhaps that is why it hasn't been given to her. She thinks she deserves it, and she needs to not think that. She doesn't know. She just knows that she is sick of being a padawan, a child in their eyes. The Nightsisters would have promoted her in their ranks years ago.

"So you are to join us?" He asks, she glances back at him.

"Until you escort the Queen to Coruscant at least" She answers. "I assume transport from Tatooine is hard to come by" He nods in agreement. She turns and moves towards him. "This is the first time we're to be working together" She reminds him, but he knows. He's hiding his excitement. He has been hoping to work with her for a while, it's part of why he brought her into the Order, a chance to see what she can do. He wants to see what the Nightsisters taught her and how she incorporates that into her Jedi training. She's so unique in her training and her approach that he has been dying to see just what she is capable of. Almost as soon as he brought her to the Order, she was swept up by Windu and then it was months before he was allowed to see her again. He has no idea what she can do.

"You seem to have quite a bond with the queen" She gives him a look, almost sensing that he sees through the ruse at play and she would expect nothing else. He's an intelligent man, if he hadn't seen through it it would undermine him.

"I have spent months with her and her handmaids" She offers. "Learning from her and those around her. She's my friend and I don't have many of them" She admits as she drops onto the couch, leaning back and crossing one leg over the other. "This...career path.....hardly offers chances for friendships" She mumbles and flicks fluff from her trouser leg.

"You miss the Nightsisters" He realises and he moves to sit next to her.

"It's hard not to miss people that you spend your entire life with" She counters and looks at him. The Nightsisters were a major part of her life. A community. Every single day there was contact with them, for a long, long time, for the majority of her life. And when she joined the Order, that all stopped. Even contact with her mother stopped and she misses her brothers. But out of it, she did get her father, so apples and oranges and all that. "It's fine" She states and motions with her hand. "I knew that joining the Order wasn't going to be easy, I just..."

"Didn't consider this aspect" He realises, she shrugs a little. He's right, she considered everything else except how much she would miss her family. Qui-Gon reaches over and brushes his fingers over her cheek, clearing away a stray tear that she had no idea had fallen. She clears her throat and tries to hide it, to mask it, to push it deep down inside of her where it will never come out. He shakes his head. "We're not emotionless or heartless, Seja" He whispers softly. "We are allowed to feel....missing your family, means you love them, and that's never a bad emotion" She looks at him and smiles a little.