Blue Eyes - Obi-Wan Kenobi

Ch.4: The Mission.

A year had passed since Obi-Wan had turned 12, which meant he was old enough to become a Padawan Learner.

So for 1 year, an 11-year-old Zara had been left alone, bored, without her best friend for company. 

Then, on her 12th birthday, Master Windu finally took her as his Padawan.

It wasn't easy, but she'd excelled under Master Windu's teachings: he'd proven himself a wise and competent teacher, and, while she was sometimes hard to deal with, he'd grown fairly fond of her. They'd gone on multiple missions, and most proved to be a success.

Many years passed and Zara was now 24. 

Today, she was at the Jedi Temple, relaxing after some exhausting morning training.

"Come along Zara," Mace Windu said, "the council wishes to speak with you."

Zara stared up at him. She'd been eating her lunch when he found her. Her cheeks were filled with soup and she didn't exactly appear to be the most elegant lady in the cafeteria.

She quickly gulped down her soup.

"Um...can they wait?"

Windu shook his head. "They request your presence... immediately."

"What did I do this time?" she huffed.

"Nothing. Now, hurry up."

She let out a huff and begrudgingly abandoned her food.

"Alright, alright," she mumbled, standing up.

Windu stared at her face for a moment.

"... Zara, you've got some food on your chin," he said, sighing.

"Oh," she quickly wiped the soup off her face with a napkin, "is it gone?"

"Yes. Follow me, we're already late, we have to walk quickly."

"It's fine, I'm basically known as "she-who-is-always-late", or the"late-ee"," Zara grumbled.

"Which is why I want you to not to be late again," Windu said.

- - -

"We're here, Master Yoda," Windu said, as he entered the council-room, Zara at his heels.

She bowed. "It's an honour to be in your presence, masters," she said.

She went to stand in the centre of the room next to Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon.

She smiled when she saw them. She gently elbowed Obi-Wan's arm as a greeting and he sent her a quick smile.

"Times are grave," Windu said, sitting down in his seat beside Master Yoda, "the Trade Federation has set up a blockade around the planet Naboo in order to invade it," he explained, "Supreme Chancellor Valorum has requested that we send a small team of Jedi to negotiate peace with the Trade Federation's Viceroy, Nute Gunray."

He eyed his apprentice and saw her eyes darken. It wasn't their first encounter with the Viceroy, and their last meeting certainly hadn't ended with flowers and chocolates.

"Send Master Qui-Gon Jinn, his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padawan Learner Zara Lamar, we will," Yoda said.

"Are you not coming, Master?" Zara asked, frowning.

Then, she realized she'd spoken out of turn.

"Uh...pardon me for asking," she added sheepishly.

This would be her first mission without her master. It was an unexpected change.

"I have an urgent mission to attend to," Windu said, "I'm certain you can hold your own. You'll have Master Jinn to watch over you."

She nodded. She couldn't say "no" to a mission with both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.