"Very good, my young Padawan. Very good."
Barriss Offee straightened from her training stance, breathing hard but smiling. "Thank you, Master Unduli. I couldn't have progressed this far without your guidance."
Luminara placed a gentle hand on her Padawan's shoulder—the gesture almost maternal despite the Jedi Order's teachings against attachment. "Every achievement is yours, Barriss. Your dedication. Your discipline. You will be one of the finest Jedi Knights of your generation."
Barriss felt something shift in her chest—pride mixed with uncertainty. "I hope I'm ready for whatever comes next."
"You will be," Luminara said with quiet confidence. "When the time comes, you'll know."
They parted ways then. Luminara had other responsibilities—briefings with the Council, coordination with clone commanders. And Barriss had something she'd rarely experienced during her Padawan training: freedom.
Not complete freedom, of course. She was still a Jedi, still bound by the Code and the Order's expectations. But Luminara had been granting her more autonomy lately—permission to undertake missions with other Jedi, to work alongside the Avengers, to make her own tactical decisions in the field.
It was both exhilarating and terrifying.
Barriss made her way through the Senate building, looking for Ahsoka and Peter. She felt oddly self-conscious in her new attire—or rather, the lack of her old one. The blue hooded cloak she'd worn since becoming a Padawan was gone, finally retired after one too many battles left it tattered and cumbersome.
Without it, her short-cropped hair was fully visible, held back by her traditional headband. Her Padawan braid draped over her right shoulder—the only remaining symbol of her student status. And without the cloak's concealing bulk, the physical changes of the past months were more apparent. She'd grown taller. Stronger. The war had shaped her body the same way it had shaped her understanding of the Force.
"Hey, Barriss!"
She looked up to find Ahsoka waving at her. The Togruta Padawan had changed too—now wearing a crimson and gray outfit that was far more practical than her previous tube top and skirt. Ahsoka's montral had grown, her lekku were longer, and she'd gained at least two inches in height.
They were both growing up. The war wasn't giving them a choice.
Peter hung upside-down from a ceiling support nearby, mask pushed up to expose his face. "What brings you to this exciting corner of bureaucratic hell?"
"I was looking for you two, actually." Barriss nodded respectfully to Anakin and Padmé, who stood with them. "Master Skywalker. Senator Amidala. I just finished training with Master Luminara. She gave me some time to... explore other learning opportunities."
Anakin raised an eyebrow. "You sure you don't want to rest first? You look like you've been training hard."
"Spending time with friends is more valuable than meditation," Barriss said, surprising herself with how easily the words came. The old Barriss—the one who'd arrived on Geonosis two years ago—would never have said that.
Anakin's smile suggested he approved.
"Then perhaps you'd like to join us," Padmé said. "We could use a calm Jedi perspective right now."
"Hey!" Ahsoka and Anakin protested simultaneously.
Barriss felt a smile tug at her lips. "What happened at the Senate meeting?"
"We'll explain later," Ahsoka said, glancing at Padmé. "But the short version is: politics is complicated and nobody agrees on anything."
"The Chancellor needs to hear from the Jedi Council," Padmé said, her tone suggesting this was a continuation of an earlier argument. "About pursuing peace negotiations."
"Don't drag me into this," Anakin said immediately.
Barriss sighed. "I have a feeling I'm about to get involved in something above my pay grade."
Peter snorted. "We don't get paid."
"Exactly my point."
"Peace is the only path forward," Padmé insisted. "Someone needs to make Palpatine understand that."
"That's not my job," Anakin said. "I'm a general, not a diplomat."
Ahsoka frowned at her Master. "Why not? Aren't Jedi supposed to advise the Chancellor?"
"Yeah," Peter added. "Isn't that kind of your whole thing? Keeping the Republic on the right path?"
Barriss decided to save Anakin from the teenage interrogation. "The Jedi Council has limits on what they can do regarding the Chancellor. We advise, but we don't command. And the Chancellor has significant autonomy during wartime."
Anakin shot her a grateful look. "Maybe you should teach these three about politics, Padmé."
Padmé's expression suggested she found this both annoying and amusing. "I hope Ahsoka and Peter at least learned something from today's session."
"What about Barriss?" Peter asked.
"Barriss seems to already understand how things work." Padmé smiled. "Which makes her the smartest person in this conversation."
"Hey!" Peter protested. "I resent that implication."
"You should," Barriss said with a small smile. "But since I wasn't at the Senate meeting, I'm missing context. What exactly happened?"
Ahsoka groaned. "Banking deregulation. Military funding. A lot of yelling."
"Not much that made sense," Peter added.
"I understand the Separatists are our enemies," Ahsoka said, frustration bleeding into her voice. "But everyone at that meeting was talking about interest rates and credit lines. Nobody mentioned why we're actually fighting. What we're trying to accomplish beyond just winning."
Peter nodded. "It's like sitting through a lecture on economics when what you really need to know is how to stop the building from burning down."
"Senator Syndulla proposed something interesting, though," Ahsoka added. "About recruiting volunteers to fight alongside the clones. Taking pressure off them."
Barriss's eyes widened. "Cham Syndulla suggested that?"
Padmé's expression tightened. "Yes. Unfortunately."
Anakin stepped in, trying to provide context. "The war started because the Separatists believe the Republic is corrupt. But they're wrong. We need to restore order, protect the systems that want to remain part of the Republic—"
"That sounds too simple," Peter interrupted. "We've seen corrupt senators. We know Hydra infiltrated Republic institutions. You can't just ignore that the Separatists have some legitimate grievances."
"I'm not saying ignore it," Anakin said. "I'm saying the solution isn't letting the galaxy fracture. It's fixing what's broken."
Padmé moved past Anakin toward the door. "Clearly, having you speak to the Jedi Council isn't the right approach. Thank you for your help, Anakin. Come on, you three."
Anakin blinked. "Wait, what about me?"
Padmé looked back with a smile that managed to be both affectionate and pointed. "You said I should teach them about politics. So that's what I'm doing."
She led the three teenagers toward her office. Anakin watched them go, looking like he'd just been outmaneuvered and wasn't quite sure how.
Padmé's office in the Senate building was spacious but utilitarian—decorated with artifacts from Naboo but dominated by a large desk and holographic display systems. The viewport offered a view of Coruscant's skyline, currently marred by ongoing cleanup from Ultron's attack. Construction droids still worked to clear debris from damaged buildings.
"So, Senator Padmé," Ahsoka said as they settled into chairs, "what's your plan?"
"You can call me Padmé, Ahsoka. As Anakin's Padawan and my friend, you've earned that right." She smiled mischievously. "Barriss too, of course. But you, Peter—you still need to remember your manners."
The girls laughed. Peter rolled his eyes good-naturedly.
Padmé's expression turned wistful. "I wish I could speak with Senator Bonteri."
"Who's that?" Ahsoka asked.
"An old friend. A mentor, actually." Padmé sighed. "She's a senator in the Separatist Parliament now."
All three teenagers stared.
"Your friend joined the Separatists?" Peter asked carefully.
"One of Dooku's people?" Ahsoka added.
"The Separatists were part of the Republic once," Padmé reminded them. "Many of the senators who left were friends of mine. I don't agree with their choice, but I understand it. They're not evil—they're frustrated with a system that stopped working for them."
Ahsoka leaned forward. "This senator who was your mentor—do you think she'd talk to you? About peace?"
Barriss frowned. "Communication with Separatist worlds is illegal. After Kamino, it's even more restricted."
Padmé nodded. "The Senate believes any formal communication legitimizes the Separatist government. And the Separatists feel the same about us. Both sides are so entrenched that even suggesting dialogue is seen as treason."
"But you and Master Skywalker negotiate all the time," Ahsoka pointed out. "With your lightsabers."
That earned a genuine laugh from Padmé. "He said something similar when he was my bodyguard, before the war. Before everything changed." Her expression grew distant, remembering better times.
"It's a shame you can't pursue real negotiations," Barriss said quietly.
Padmé's eyes lit up—the expression of someone who'd just had an idea. "Unless..."
"Unless what?" all three teenagers asked simultaneously.
"You're Jedi," Padmé said slowly, thinking it through. "That gives you certain privileges. You can travel to neutral systems that senators can't visit openly."
Ahsoka and Barriss exchanged glances. "Yes...?"
"Mandalore, for instance. It's neutral territory. And from Mandalore, civilian transports travel to Separatist worlds regularly." Padmé's smile grew. "If I happened to be aboard such a transport, and if I happened to have Jedi protection..."
Understanding dawned on Ahsoka's face. "You want us to smuggle you into Separatist space."
"That's incredibly risky," Barriss said.
"I know." Padmé looked between them. "But you're the only ones who can help me reach Mina. I haven't seen her or her family in years. If there's any chance for peace talks—real talks, not posturing—she's the person to start with."
Ahsoka didn't hesitate. "I'll help you."
Padmé blinked, surprised by the immediate agreement. "You will?"
"We all will," Ahsoka said, looking to Barriss and Peter.
"Wait, we will?" Peter asked.
"We will?" Barriss echoed.
"Remember what Master Skywalker said?" Ahsoka grinned. "Padmé should teach us about politics. This seems pretty educational to me."
Padmé's smile was genuine now—warm and grateful. "Thank you."
"You know," Ahsoka said thoughtfully, "you and my Master have a lot in common. You both bend the rules when you think it's necessary."
Padmé's expression flickered—something between amusement and nervousness. "I suppose we do."
Peter dropped from his wall-crawling position, landing in a chair. "So, where exactly is this field trip taking us?"
"Raxus," Padmé said.