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"Why are you crying, Ani?" Tara twisted her head so that she could see Anakin's sobbing face that was hanging low.
"I miss my mother." He told her.
Mother. She thought about the word very carefully. She knew what it was, but she didn't necessarily know what it meant to people. "She only birthed you, why is she important?"
"She raised me." Anakin shot Tara a confused look, as if she were heartless— which she wasn't.
"Kryzta raised me." "Is she not important to you?" "I suppose she is..."
Tara sighed, her brain was beginning to hurt as she thought of who could be her mother and if she had ever met her. "Well, Ani, I don't like to see you cry."
"I wouldn't like to see you cry either, T." Anakin admitted. This was their own nine year old way of telling each other that they cared for one another and wouldn't want harm coming their way.
* * *
"Coruscant... the entire planet is one big city. There's Chancellor Valorum's shuttle. And look over there, Senator Palpatine is waiting for us." Ric Olie was familiarizing Anakin and Tara with Naboo. Tara already knew much about Naboo because she and Kryzta had been there before, but Anakin was quite intrigued.
The ship hastily landed on a platform on a building that charged into the sky. Everyone quickly exited the ship and greeted the Senator with a bow of their heads. Padame was accompanying the Queen who was dressed is an excessive costume, one with feathers and jewels decorating it. The Queen had only just joined them and Padame was placed as her servant.
"It is a great gift to see you alive, Your Majesty. With the communications breakdown, we've become very concerned. I'm anxious to hear your report on the situation. May I present Supreme Chancellor Valorum." Tara was a smart child and quickly picked up on the fact that Padame had been listening so very carefully to the politicians' conversations; as if she had the proper education to understand the meaning of their conversations.
"Welcome, Your Highness. It's an honor to finally meet you in person." Valorum, another high ranking official, greeted the Queen.
"Thank you, Supreme Chancellor." Queen Amidala responded to the chancellor, then continued to walk and talk with him.
* * *
Days passed and Tara was allowed, along with Anakin, to train as a Jedi despite their old ages. However, they were to be trained by Qui Gon and no one else. "Hmm... how feel you?" Master Yoda asked the two children after a series of questions.
"Cold, sir." Anakin responded. Tara only shrugged in her usual quiet and observation manner.
"Afraid are you?" Yoda interrogated the two.
"No, sir." "See through you, we can."
"Be mindful of your feelings..." Master Windu spoke directly to Anakin, he was seeming to— along with the old masters— have trouble reading Tara's mind.
"Your thoughts dwell on your mother." Master Ki-Adi noted.
"I miss her." Anakin told.
"Afraid to lose her... I think, hmm?" Yoda asked.
Anakin was a bit frustrated with all the questioning. "What's that got to do with anything?"
"Everything. Fear is the path to the dark side... fear leads to anger... anger leads to hate.. hate leads to suffering... I sense much fear in you." Yoda explained.
* * *
"The Queen is returning to Naboo. Qui Gon and I must go with her. The council is weary of Qui Gon's ability to train two children as Jedi. For now, the childrens' fate has not been decided and Qui Gon cannot begin training them." Obi Wan explained to Kryzta who had been anxiously waiting for the news.
"Tara must follow him to Naboo? Did they say much about me?" Kryzta fumbled her fingers over each other.
"Yes. And no. They spoke not one word of you." Obi Wan answered her.
"What am I to do then?" She asked Obi Wan.
"Stay here. Move on somewhere else." "That's not fair." "I promise I will take care of Tara."
"That's not what I'm talking about." Kryzta huffed.
"You're still angry at me?" Obi Wan questioned.
She sighed, holding back the angry tears wanting to steam down her face. "I'm just frustrated that I got kicked from the order and you didn't, yet it was both of us that broke the rules. We fell in love together, Obi Wan." Kryzta clenched her fists.
"It was a mistake we should never have made." Obi Wan spoke before leaving her be.
* * *
"Your Majesty, it is our pleasure to continue to serve and protect you." Qui Gon told Amidala as he, she, Tara, Anakin and Obi Wan boarded the ship.
"I welcome your help. Senator Palpatine fears the Federation means to destroy me." Amidala smiled small at him.
"I assure you, I will not let that happen." Qui Gon reassured her.
* * *
Naboo had many more trees than Tara imagined. She was lost in thought as she scanned the greenery. Every planet that she and Kryzta visited had a city with little or no plants to view. So, seeing humongous tree trunks stretching up past her head made her feel like she was in an alternate universe. Amidala asked Jar Jar to stop at him home tribe in Naboo to ask for military help by his people to take back Naboo over the political turmoil— from the Federation— in which Tara knew nothing about. The Gungans agreed and Padmé revealed she was the real queen while the decoy was one of her trusted handmaidens all that time. Anakin and Tara were in shock to find out that little peasant girl was the queen the whole time. Tara was pretty impressed.
Once the queen got the Gungans' support, they all set off to the outskirts of the city to prepare for incoming battle. Tara and Anakin lallygagged around the camp until someone came around asking them to deliver messages or objects to others.
