Some time the next day, Anakin and Obi-Wan were back at the Jedi Temple, where they stood before the Jedi Council.

"Track down this bounty hunter you must, Obi-Wan." Yoda said.

"Most importantly, find out who he's working for." said Mace Windu

"What about Senator and Princess Amidala?" Obi-Wan asked as Gabby was innocently crawling around, playing with Teddy. "They will both still need protecting."

"Handle that your Padawan will." said Yoda.

"Anakin," said Mace as Gabby crawled closer to his chair. "escort the senator and princess back to their home planet of Naboo."

Mace picked up the child and sat her in his lap.

"They'll be safer there. And don't use registered transport. Travel as refugees."

"As the leader of the opposition, it will be very difficult to get Senator Amidala to leave the capital." Anakin said, noting Gabby missing from Mace's lap. "And it's near impossible to keep track of her daughter."

"Where'd she go?" Mace wondered, standing up.

All the Jedi began looking behind their chairs and under the cushions.

"That little rascal could be an escape artist if she so chose." said Master Tinn.

"Did you get a bell for her yet, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Hi." Gabby smiled, hanging upside down from a find, startling Obi-Wan.

"Agh!" Obi-Wan fell on his butt when Gabby surprised him, making her laugh.

Anakin grabbed Gabby and held her in his arms.

"Until caught this killer is, our judgement she must respect." said Yoda. "On a leash, perhaps keep the child."

"Have you seen how many times she's escaped the nursery?" Anakin said. "Why would a leash be any better?"

"Anakin," said Mace. "Go to the senate and ask Chancellor Palpatine to speak with Senator Amidala about this matter."

So, Anakin did talk to Chancellor Palpatine about the matter of Padme's protection for herself and her daughter.

"I will talk with her." Palpatine promised. "Senator Amidala will not refuse an executive order. I know her well enough to assure you of that."

"Thank you, Your Excellency." said Anakin.

"And so, they've finally given you an assignment."

Anakin nodded.

"Your patience had paid off."

"Your guidance more than my patience."

Palpatine was silent for a moment. He took a few steps toward his desk and told Anakin,

"You don't need guidance, Anakin. In time, you will learn to trust your feelings. Then you will be invincible."

Anakin walked with Palpatine as the older man continued to talk to him.

"I have said it many times: You are the most gifted Jedi I have ever met."

"Thank you, Your Excellency." Anakin said.

"I see you becoming the greatest of all the Jedi, Anakin, even more powerful than Master Yoda.

Meanwhile, Obi-Wan was walking through the halls of the Temple with Master Windu and Master Yoda, who was floating on a small platform.

"I am concerned for my Padawan. He is not ready to be given this assignment on his own yet." Obi-Wan said.

"The council is confident in its decision, Obi-Wan." Yoda said, floating closer to Obi-Wan.

"The boy has exceptional skills." Mace said. "And not just babysitting-wise."

"But he still has much to learn, Master. His abilities have made him, well, arrogant."

"Yes, yes." Yoda said. "A flaw more and more common among Jedi. Hmm. Too sure of themselves they are. Even the older, more experienced ones."

Obi-Wan looked at Mace, who said, "Remember, Obi-Wan, if the prophecy is true, your apprentice is the only one who can bring the Force back into balance. And at the moment, looking after the princess does seem to make him think more seriously about becoming more... mature."

In the Senate apartment...

"I'm taking an extended leave of absence." said Padme. "It will be your responsibility to take my place in the Senate. Representative Binks, I know I can count on you."

"Hmm?" Jar Jar looked at Padme. "Mesa honored to be taking on dissa heavy burden."

Gabby hugged the Gungan's leg and said, "You'll do good job, Uncle Jar Jar."

"Mesa accept this with muy, muy humility an, uh-"

"Jar Jar, I don't wish to hold you up." Padme interrupted. "I'm sure you have a great deal to do."

"Of course, Milady." Jar Jar said, bowing to the two royal ladies and then leaving.

But, Padme was far from pleased with this leave of absence.

"I do not like this idea of hiding," said Padme, clearly unhappy.

"Don't worry." Anakin said. "Now that the council has ordered an investigation, it won't take Obi-Wan long to find this bounty hunter."

"I haven't worked for a year to defeat the Military Creation Act to not be here when its fate is decided."

Padme started packing her bag, and one for Gabby too.

"Don't forget your teddy, Baby." Padme said.

"Yes, Mommy." Gabby said.

"Sometimes we must let go of our pride and do what is requested of us." Anakin said, then knelt down to Gabby. "Just like little ones must remember to listen to Mommy and Daddy because they love them."

"Anakin, you've grown up." Padme said, managing a little smile.

"Master Obi-Wan manages not to see it." Anakin said.

"Maybe he doesn't want you to grow up, Daddy." Gabby said. "You and Mommy always say you wanna keep me little forever."

Anakin chuckled.

"That is true. Don't get me wrong. Obi-Wan is a great mentor. As wise as Master Yoda and as powerful as Master Windu. I am truly thankful to be his apprentice." Anakin floated a little ball around with the Force. "In some ways- a lot of ways- I'm really ahead of him. I'm ready for the trials, but he feels that I'm too unpredictable. He won't let me move on. Clearly, he doesn't remember how many times Gabby's Tigger tagged a bunch of the Jedi master already, including him."

"Hey!" Gabby said, slightly offended.

"That must be frustrating." said Padme.

"It's worse." said Anakin. "He's overly critical. He never listens. He- He doesn't understand. It's not fair!"

"Did you try asking nicely?" Gabby asked. "You always tell me saying please and thank you makes what you want come faster."

Padme sighed and said, "All mentors have a way of seeing more of our faults than we would like. It's the only way we grow."

"What that mean, Mommy?" Gabby asked.

"It means, mentors have a very different way of making us want to do better." Padme said. "Some are more encouraging, others take a stricter approach. Like how you get stickers for being a good girl. Some other kids get rewarded in different ways."

Anakin sat on the bed and sighed.

"Anakin..." said Padme. "Don't try to grow up too fast."

"But I am grown up." Anakin said, standing up. "You said it yourself."

Anakin looked at Padme, having a certain hunger and gleam in his blue eyes.

"Ani, don't look at me like that." Padme said.

"Why not?" Anakin asked.

"It makes me feel uncomfortable." And with that, Padme left.

"Sorry, milady." said Anakin. He looked at Gabby then. "Do I ever make you feel uncomfortable when I look at you like this, Princess?"

"No, Daddy." Gabby said, reaching up to her father. And he picked her up and started gently tossing her up and down, making the child laugh.

Padme eventually came back and saw Anakin playing around with their baby. Padme started to recall when Gabby started talking using sentences, Gabby asked why her parents didn't live together like the parents of most of the other kids she'd seen out in the streets and in their neighborhood. How exactly were you supposed to explain to a two-year-old that her parents had her because they drank spiked punch, made love in their sleep, and then got pregnant?

Later, Padme and some of her friends were riding on a shuttle to take them to another part of town.

"Be safe, Milady." said Captain Typho.

"Thank you, Captain." said Padme. "Take good care of Dorme. The threat's on you two now."

"He'll be safe with me." said Dorme.

That was when a tear fell from Dorme's eye.

"You'll be fine." said Padme.

"It's not me, milady." said Dorme. "I worry about you. What if they realize you've left the capital?"

"Well, then my Jedi protector will have to prove how good he is."

Anakin smiled, glad to hear Padme had faith in him. But before he could step out of the shuttle, Obi-Wan spoke to him.

"Anakin. Don't do anything without consulting either myself or the council."

"Yes, Master." said Anakin.

"I will get to the bottom of this plot quickly, milady." Obi-Wan promised. "You and your daughter will be back here in no time."

"I'll be most grateful for your speed, Master Jedi." said Padme.

"It's time to go." said Anakin, carrying Gabby in his arms as she was yawning, just waking up from sleeping on the shuttle.

"I know."

"Anakin," said Obi-Wan. "May the Force be with you."

"May the Force be with you, Master." said Anakin, and he exited the shuttle with Padme and R2.

"Suddenly, I'm afraid." Padme said.

"This is my first assignment on my own." Anakin said. "I am too. Don't worry. We have R2 with us."

Gabby held up her teddy bear.

"And Teddy too." Anakin chuckled.

Padme and Anakin laughed together for the first time in a long time.

"I do hope he doesn't try anything foolish," said Obi-Wan, watching his Padawan and the senator leave.

"I'd be more concerned about her doing something than him." Captain Typho said.

Obi-Wan said nothing, but he wondered if Padme getting pregnant at a party had anything to do with Typho's remark. He and the other Jedi still had no clue who the father was or if Padme even knew herself. All she would tell them was that what mattered most to her was that her daughter grew up loved and cared for properly.

Meanwhile, in a diner somewhere downtown...

"Someone to see ya, honey!" said a waitress droid. "Jedi, by the looks of him."

"Obi-Wan!" said a Besalisk male, whose name was Dex.

"Hello, Dex." Obi-Wan smiled.

"Take a seat. I'll be right with ya." Dex said.

"You wanna cup o' jawa juice?" asked the same waitress.

"Oh, yes. Thank you." Obi-Wan said, taking a seat at a booth.

And then in came Dex.

"Hey, old buddy!" Dex said.

The two friends shared a big hug and sat down at the table together to talk.

"So, my friend, what can I do for ya?" asked Dex.

"You can tell me what this is." said Obi-Wan, holding a familiar dart.

Dex took a look at it and was astonished.

"Well, whattaya know! I ain't seen one of these since I was prospectin' on Subterrel, beyond the outer rim."

"Can you tell me where it came from?" Obi-Wan asked as the waitress brought his juice. "Thank you."

"This baby belongs to them cloners. What you got here is a Kamino saberdart."

"I wonder why it didn't show up in the analysis archives."

"It's these funny little cuts on the side that give it away." Dex said, taking a better look at the dart. "Those analysis droids only focus on symbols. Huh! I should think that you Jedi would have more respect for the difference between knowledge and..." Dex laughed for a bit. "... wisdom."

"Well, if droids could think, there'd be none of us here, would there?" Obi-Wan remarked. He took the dart back and took another look at it with some thoughts. "Kamino. I'm not familiar with it. Is it in the Republic?"

"No, no. It's beyond the outer rim." said Dex. "I'd say about, uh, 12 parsecs outside the Rishi Maze. Should be easy to find, even for those droids in your archives. These, uh, Kaminoans keep to themselves. They're cloners. Damn good ones too."

"Cloners. Are they friendly?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Oh, depends."

"Depends on what, Dex?"

"On how good your manners are, and how big your uh, pocketbook is."

Later that same day, Obi-Wan arrived in the Temple library, and he was met by Madame Jocasta Nu.

"Did you call for assistance?" asked the librarian.

"Yes, yes, I did." said Obi-Wan.

"Are you have a problem, Master Kenobi?"

"Yes, um, I'm looking for a planetary system called Kamino. It doesn't show up on the archive charts."

"Kamino..." said Jocasta, thinking. "It's not a system I'm familiar with. Are you sure you have the right coordinates?"

Obi-Wan logged into one of the computers and typed in the coordinates he had.

"According to my information," Obi-Wan pointed to part of the screen. "It should appear in this quadrant here, just south of the Rishi Maze."

Jocasta pressed a button to search, but nothing showed up.

"I hate to say it," said the librarian, "but it looks like the system you're searching for doesn't exist."

"Impossible. Perhaps the archives are incomplete."

"If an item does not appear in our records, it does not exist." said Jocasta.

But that made Obi-Wan stop and think. The Jedi records didn't know quite everything. The Enchantra system wasn't part of the records before, and yet the Republic accepted an alliance with them. The royal families of the many kingdoms had magical powers of various kinds. If any of them had the power to help him find Kamino, he had to take a chance and ask them for any information they had regarding the coordinates and world of Kamino.

On the travel shuttle, Padme, Anakin and their daughter were having a meal together.

"Must be difficult, having sworn your life to the Jedi," said Padme. "Not being able to visit the places you like or do the things you like."

"Or be with the people I love." Anakin said.

"Are you allowed to love? I thought that was forbidden for a Jedi."

"Attachment is forbidden. Possession is forbidden. Compassion, which I would define as unconditional love, is central to a Jedi's life. So you might say that we are encouraged to love. And I'd say the way the other Jedi look at our princess serves as proof of that."

"You've changed so much." Padme smiled.

"Ah, you haven't changed a bit. You're exactly the way I remember you in my dreams."