TW for a panic attack at the end of the chapter.

-

"It sounds like bait to establish a connection trace." The voice of Qui-Gon came through Kenobi's comlink.

"What if it is true and the people are dying?" Kenobi asked.

He and Melinoe had just finished watching a distress transmission from Sio Bibble, begging the Queen to return to Naboo at once. The transmission had claimed that there was a rising death toll, and the only way to stop it was by giving in to the enemy's demands.

"Either way, we're running out of time." Qui-Gon then turned off the comlink.

Melinoe internally rolled her eyes. She had been tracing their location to her masters since they left Naboo. So the Jedi's concerns had long come to pass.

Kenobi let out a sign and sat down in the chair next to Melinoe. The two had moved to the cockpit so as not to concern the Queen with more news of delays.

"I still don't understand why we must go about it this way," Melinoe told Kenobi.

"We can't just take what we want," Kenobi replied. Knowing that Melinoe was referring to her previous statement about taking the hyperdrive from the slaver.

Melinoe scrunched her nose in disgust. "The lives of millions of people may be in danger, but your master is more concerned with wasting time doing business with some dirty slaver."

"We need to trust in the force," Kenobi told her.

"Your master says that when he wants you to shut up, doesn't he?" Melinoe asked. Kenobi gave her another incredulous look. Melinoe could tell that she was starting to get on Kenobi's nerves, even if he tried his hardest never to show it. While Melinoe was trying to rile the padawan up, she still believed that it wouldn't be much of a loss if the slaver did die.

The two of them sat in silence for a while. Not really knowing what else to do at that point. Melinoe stared out at the dusty wasteland outside of the ship. She tucked her legs in. She started absently thinking about Eglantine. Hoping she was doing alright back on Byss.

"Why did you join the guard?" Kenobi asked. Causing Melinoe to snap back to reality.

"You mean how did I join the guard?" Melinoe said. Knowing that he was wondering how someone with her attitude had such a high rank.

"I fell into it," Melinoe answered. Continuing to stare out into the night. "I needed work and happened to make my way through the ranks quickly... What about you?" Melinoe asked quickly to stop Kenobi asking for more details. "How did you become a Jedi?"

Kenobi paused before answering. "I was taken in by Order as a child, like most Jedi."

"What was that like?"

"It was... fine," Kenobi answered. Not really knowing what else to say.

"You're not a very good storyteller."

"I wasn't aware I was meant to be entertaining to you."

"You are, just not the way you think." Melinoe smiled. There was something cathartic about watching the Jedi awkwardly answer her silly questions.

"Have you always lived on Naboo?" Kenobi asked.

"For about... eleven years, but father was always moving around for work. It hardly felt like home."

Melinoe could tell that Kenobi didn't trust her. He was trying to get more information out of her under the guise of friendly conversation. This wasn't the first time Melinoe had met someone who didn't completely believe she was who she said she was. Hopefully, Kenobi would be meeting a similar end to them.

As their conversation continued, something strange happened. Without even realising it, the two twenty-somethings stopped trying to get information out of each other and started asking questions out of genuine curiosity.

"Have you ever been in love?" Melinoe asked.

Kenobi didn't answer right away. "No... No, I haven't."

"You have. I can tell by the look on your face." Melinoe gave him a cheeky smile.

"I don't have a look on my face," Kenobi replied. Trying not to react to Melinoe's childish comments.

"Were they a brunette? No, that's not it." Melinoe pretended to think for a second. "Blonde-"

Kenobi's face went a bit red.

"Yes, definitely blonde."

Kenobi just looked away from her. Seeing that caused Melinoe to decide that she had badgered the man long enough for the night and got up to leave.

"Thank you for entertaining me, Master Jedi." Melinoe gave him a small bow and left the cockpit. Leaving Kenobi with a confused look on his face.

Melinoe didn't realise it at the time, but this was the first time in years that she had a conversation with someone other than Eglantine where there wasn't any malice. She would later realise how strange it felt to her. She had been so conditioned to act a certain way but forgot it almost instantly when she was shown genuine kindness.

Why?

The next day Melinoe was instructed to patrol the outside of the ship. Just to make sure no tusken raiders got any funny ideas about attacking them.

Some of the other crew members were starting to get a bit restless. With Kenobi being the only one to have a way to communicate with Jinn and the others, most of the crew didn't know what was going on. Causing their anxiety to grow stronger by the hour. While Kenobi definitely wasn't as anxious as the rest of the people on the ship, Melinoe could still sense his worry and a small amount of frustration. Especially after another update from his master, telling him about a boy, he planned to use to get the hyperdrive.

Melinoe happened to walk into the room during another of Kenobi and Jinn's conversations. When the communicator cut off, Kenobi had an annoyed look on his face. He let out a breath through his nose.

"My, my. Rather sensitive, aren't we?" Melinoe joked.

"I wasn't-" Kenobi stopped himself. "I trust my master."

"Of course you do. I have no doubts about that." Melinoe said. "But that doesn't change that I have my doubts about his plans."

Melinoe was starting to think nothing would come of this mission. The more time, the older Jedi wasted, the more likely it was that Maul would arrive and kill him. Melinoe knew she was sent to be a fail-safe if Maul ended up being bested by the Jedi. But at this point, she would most likely end up being stuck patrolling a ship for days. She was proven wrong when she and Kenobi were checking the status of the cockpit the next night. Melinoe and Kenboi were sitting around when Kenobi's comlink lit up. Indicating that his master was calling again.

"Obi-Wan..." The familiar voice of Jinn said. Melinoe got up and moved to the other side of the room.

"Yes, Master."

"I need an analysis of this blood sample I'm sending you."

Melinoe looked out of the corner of her eye in surprise when hearing that. What was the old man up to?

"Wait a minute..." Kenobi told him.

"I need a midi-chlorian count."

Melinoe turned her head forward. Trying not to let Kenobi sense her confusion.

Kenobi turned to a small machine next to him and started reading through the data on it. "The reading's off the chart... over twenty thousand. Even Master Yoda doesn't have a midi-chlorian count that high!"

Melinoe felt her whole body freeze. She couldn't be hearing that right. What or who had Jinn found out there that over twenty thousand midi-chlorian. She didn't know how long she sat there in shock. She hardly even noticed Kenobi trying to tell her something before leaving the room. Melinoe stared into space for a while. Processing this new information. What would this mean? What could have Jinn possibly found. She didn't like this. Something about this situation unnerved her. She eventually decided that she would just have to wait until Jinn returned. There was nothing she could until that point.

Thankfully she only had to wait another day to get some of her questions answered. The next day Jinn and Padmé returned along with the droid, the Gungan and the hyperdrive generator. With no sign of any newcomers. Melinoe looked over curiously when Jinn explained to his padawan that he would be returning to town for unfinished business. Mostly likely going to get the source of midi-chlorians. She started moving the hyperdrive generator onto the ship, wanting to get off the planet as soon as possible.

About an hour later, they got the hyperdrive into the ship. Kenobi and a pilot by the name of Ric moved to the cockpit to see if everything was functioning as it should.

Melinoe moved to check the outside of the ship one last time. At some point, Melinoe looked up to see three figures in the distance. Wait... Three?

The third was on a hoverbike and was moving towards the second person at an alarming speed. The young boy narrowly avoided death by dropping to the ground. The third figure jumped towards the remaining person, pulling out a familiar lightsaber.

Maul.

Jinn shouted something at the boy, and he started running toward the ship.

"Qui-Gon says we need to take off!" The boy shouted to Melinoe.

"Follow me!" Melinoe said. Taking the boy's hand and rushing up to the cockpit.

Kenobi's head turned towards them in surprise as they entered the cockpit.

"Jinn's in trouble!" Melinoe told him quickly.

Kenobi turned his head in the opposite direction to see his master fighting a dark clothed man. "Take off. Over there! Fly low!" He told Ric.

As the ship floated over to the two warriors, Melinoe couldn't help but wonder who would have won if Jinn didn't have Kenobi to rescue him. From what she could see, the two seemed matched in terms of skills. But from Melinoe's experience, there was always an eventual victor. Even if the two were both highly skilled. Sadly for Melinoe, she wouldn't get her answer that day as Jinn was able to escape Maul by jumping up to the ship. Melinoe followed the boy and Kenobi down to Jinn. The dirt-covered man was lying on the floor. Trying to catch his breath.

"Are you alright?" The boy asked, worried.

"I think so," Jinn answered.

"What was that thing?" Melinoe questioned. Feigning ignorance to keep up her cover.

"I'm not sure... but he was well trained in the Jedi arts. My guess is he was after the Queen..."

"What are we going to do?" The boy asked next.

Melinoe and Kenobi both looked towards the boy curiously. The boy stared back with an innocent look.

Jinn let out another breath. "We will be patient. Anakin Skywalker, meet Obi-Wan Kenobi." Jinn gestured to his apprentice.

Anakin smiled at Kenobi. "Hi." Anakin and Kenobi shook hands. "You're a Jedi too? Pleased to meet you."

Melinoe stood up and made her way out of the room. Wanting to check in on the Queen.

Melinoe later made her way into a room after an audience with the Queen ended. Only to find the shivering boy in the corner. She looked around the room to see if anyone was with him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm cold," he answered.

Melinoe made her way over to a storage unit and pulled out a blanket. She headed over to Anakin. He had tears in his eyes and his hands wrapped around himself.

"Your body is used to warmth. Due to growing up on such a hot planet." Melinoe told him as she threw the blanket over his shoulders. "You'll get used to changing temperatures eventually. Trust me."

"Did you grow up on a warm planet?" Anakin asked.

"The opposite, actually. The place I grew up snowed all the time." Melinoe told him with a smile.

Anakin's face lit up. "I've heard about snow."

"And soon, you'll get to experience it."

Anakin's smile dimmed a little. The boy didn't say anything for a minute or so. Just tightened the blanket around himself. "I miss my mom. Do you ever see your parents?" The boy desperately asked. Reaching out to grab Melinoe's arm. Hoping the woman would give him some advice that would ease the pain he was feeling.

"I...I don't-" Melinoe felt her throat go tight. Melinoe looked away awkwardly. When was the last time she interacted with someone so young? When seeing Padmé walking into the room. Melinoe got up to leave. Giving Padmé a nod as she walked out of the room.

Melinoe walked down the hall. Trying to slow her breathing down and calm her thoughts. What had the boy done to her? She let her guard down around the kid, and now he must have done something! It had been years since she thought about her mother. Now she couldn't stop. Just because of one question! Her heart wouldn't stop beating so fast. What was she doing again? Where was she? Who was she?

"Melinoe?"

She looked up in shock to see Kenobi giving her a strange look.

No... what had she done?

Oh goddd, I'm sorry this chapter took so long.

To be honest The Phantom Menace is the least interesting part of Melinoe's story to me. So it took me forever to get something out for it.

As always comments are loved and hopefully they will keep me motivated for a while.