AL: Mission Prep (Jul-11)
Title: Mission Prep
Prompt: 001. Research ( FF100-#66: Rain)
Character: Obi-Wan Kenobi
Fandom: Star Wars
Word Count: 678
Rating: PG
Warnings None.
Disclaimer George Lucas owns Star Wars. Lucas is King. If he doesn't like me pilfering his characters, he can have his merchandise back.
Summary: Obi-Wan does some pre-mission prep after he finds out about the uber-sekrit trip to Naboo...
Author's Notes: I wrote this waaaaaaaaaay back in 2006 for FF100. Figured it could be dusted off for this. Blame me for associating "rain" with "being inside doing homework."
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The thick silence within the Jedi Archives bordered on reverence. The soft glow from the stacks and terminals added an ethereal feel to the vast chamber, a testament to the diligence of the Jedi in collecting information from all over the galaxy. Obi-Wan loved spending time here, wandering through the aisles, randomly picking up datadisks and viewing them. It always seemed that whenever he was feeling down, a trip to the archives would always help him. It was a different kind of peace that he felt here. Unlike the tranquil and calm peace of the Room of a Thousand Fountains, or the vibrant and energizing peace of the Meditation Gardens, the Archives held peace with a sense of quiet, yet tenacious, purpose.
Like an ant gathering food for the cold snows of winter, so too did the Jedi that sought knowledge gather it to his or her bosom as tests, trials and missions came and went. Obi-Wan could almost imagine the evolution of the Archives over the centuries, as the Jedi collected every scrap of data imaginable. He thanked them silently for their dedication to such a task, as having more than a millennium worth of history was no mean feat, and one that he truly appreciated, especially at times like these, as he skimmed the rows of datadisks, running his finger lightly over each.
He closed his eyes and let the Force guide his touch. Slowly, so very slowly, he walked through the stacks, and finally pulled three disks from different parts of the Archives. He found an empty terminal and popped the first disk into the drive. Immediately, information on the recent blockade of Naboo from the HoloNet flashed on the screen, and he skimmed each relevant article. It was the same old story that had been told a hundred times in a hundred ways: the greedy exploiting the defenseless for profit and the fall of morality before the stampede of invasion and annexation.
He replaced that disk with the next, and the files on the Trade Federation popped up. He read about the Neimoidians and their love of everything shiny and profitable. He also noted their cowardice in the face of danger, and something struck him as odd about that. It didn't mesh with the current situation. He tucked these scraps away for future use and then moved on to the last disk. Soon, he was soaring over the rolling plains of Naboo, taking in the planet and wondering once more why the Trade Federation would go through such trouble for such a small, out-of-the-way planet.
There was no point for them to first tax the trade routes (save for pure profit) and there was no precedent for blockading and prohibiting all trade. Obi-Wan sighed and sat back in his seat. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, as he contemplated the screen. He reached out and pushed a button bringing up the political structures. The elected monarchy was hardly worth noting, and the Senator was one that was wholly unremarkable. He was truly puzzled by the Neimoidian interest in the planet on such a large and aggressive scale. He would have to talk to Qui-Gon about it.
Just as he moved to pop the disk out, a picture caught his eye. It was of a young girl during her recent inauguration as Queen. She couldn't have been more than fourteen. Amidala, the newly elected Queen, stood regally amongst the planetary officials. He read the biography of the young ruler, but all information about who she had been before was missing. There were no images, no information, no anything. He skimmed the names of her handmaidens and their pictures. He paused on one, Padme Naberrie, and brought up her file.
Minimalist was the best word he could come up with, but something niggled at the back of his brain. She looked like a headstrong troublemaker, he thought with a frown. He memorized the face and the name.
Padme Naberrie, Handmaiden to the Queen of Naboo.
Oh yes, she would be trouble. He could sense it.
Prompt: 001. Research ( FF100-#66: Rain)
Character: Obi-Wan Kenobi
Fandom: Star Wars
Word Count: 678
Rating: PG
Warnings None.
Disclaimer George Lucas owns Star Wars. Lucas is King. If he doesn't like me pilfering his characters, he can have his merchandise back.
Summary: Obi-Wan does some pre-mission prep after he finds out about the uber-sekrit trip to Naboo...
Author's Notes: I wrote this waaaaaaaaaay back in 2006 for FF100. Figured it could be dusted off for this. Blame me for associating "rain" with "being inside doing homework."
----------
The thick silence within the Jedi Archives bordered on reverence. The soft glow from the stacks and terminals added an ethereal feel to the vast chamber, a testament to the diligence of the Jedi in collecting information from all over the galaxy. Obi-Wan loved spending time here, wandering through the aisles, randomly picking up datadisks and viewing them. It always seemed that whenever he was feeling down, a trip to the archives would always help him. It was a different kind of peace that he felt here. Unlike the tranquil and calm peace of the Room of a Thousand Fountains, or the vibrant and energizing peace of the Meditation Gardens, the Archives held peace with a sense of quiet, yet tenacious, purpose.
Like an ant gathering food for the cold snows of winter, so too did the Jedi that sought knowledge gather it to his or her bosom as tests, trials and missions came and went. Obi-Wan could almost imagine the evolution of the Archives over the centuries, as the Jedi collected every scrap of data imaginable. He thanked them silently for their dedication to such a task, as having more than a millennium worth of history was no mean feat, and one that he truly appreciated, especially at times like these, as he skimmed the rows of datadisks, running his finger lightly over each.
He closed his eyes and let the Force guide his touch. Slowly, so very slowly, he walked through the stacks, and finally pulled three disks from different parts of the Archives. He found an empty terminal and popped the first disk into the drive. Immediately, information on the recent blockade of Naboo from the HoloNet flashed on the screen, and he skimmed each relevant article. It was the same old story that had been told a hundred times in a hundred ways: the greedy exploiting the defenseless for profit and the fall of morality before the stampede of invasion and annexation.
He replaced that disk with the next, and the files on the Trade Federation popped up. He read about the Neimoidians and their love of everything shiny and profitable. He also noted their cowardice in the face of danger, and something struck him as odd about that. It didn't mesh with the current situation. He tucked these scraps away for future use and then moved on to the last disk. Soon, he was soaring over the rolling plains of Naboo, taking in the planet and wondering once more why the Trade Federation would go through such trouble for such a small, out-of-the-way planet.
There was no point for them to first tax the trade routes (save for pure profit) and there was no precedent for blockading and prohibiting all trade. Obi-Wan sighed and sat back in his seat. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, as he contemplated the screen. He reached out and pushed a button bringing up the political structures. The elected monarchy was hardly worth noting, and the Senator was one that was wholly unremarkable. He was truly puzzled by the Neimoidian interest in the planet on such a large and aggressive scale. He would have to talk to Qui-Gon about it.
Just as he moved to pop the disk out, a picture caught his eye. It was of a young girl during her recent inauguration as Queen. She couldn't have been more than fourteen. Amidala, the newly elected Queen, stood regally amongst the planetary officials. He read the biography of the young ruler, but all information about who she had been before was missing. There were no images, no information, no anything. He skimmed the names of her handmaidens and their pictures. He paused on one, Padme Naberrie, and brought up her file.
Minimalist was the best word he could come up with, but something niggled at the back of his brain. She looked like a headstrong troublemaker, he thought with a frown. He memorized the face and the name.
Padme Naberrie, Handmaiden to the Queen of Naboo.
Oh yes, she would be trouble. He could sense it.