powerful Jedi. He wanted to be the best. With a lightsaber, in the old style of fencing, he had no match. His knowledge of the Force was… unique. In the end, I think he left because he lost faith in the Republic. He believed that politics were corrupt…'
Jocasta Nu paused for a moment and looked at Obi-Wan, a very revealing expression that showed she did not think Dooku as out of step as many of the others apparently did.
'And he felt that the Jedi betrayed themselves by serving the politicians,' the Archivist stated.
Obi-Wan blinked, soaking in the words. He knew that many, Qui-Gon included- even himself included, at times-often felt the same way.
'He always had very high expectations of government,' Jocasta Nu went on.
'He disappeared for nine or ten years, then just showed up recently as the head of the separatist movement.'
'Interesting,' Obi-Wan remarked, looking from the bust to the Archivist.
'I'm still not sure I understand.'
'None of us does,' Jocasta Nu replied, her serious expression melting into a warm smile. 'Well, I'm sure you didn't call me over here for a history lesson. Are you having a problem, Master Kenobi?'
'Yes, I'm trying to find a planet system called Kamino. It doesn't seem to show up on any of the archive charts.'
'Kamino?' Jocasta Nu looked around, as if she was searching for the system right then and there. 'It's not a system I'm familiar with. Let me see.'
A few steps brought them to the computer screen where Obi-Wan had been searching. She bent low, and pressed a couple of commands. 'Are you sure you have the right coordinates?'
'According to my information, it should be in this quadrant somewhere,' said Obi-Wan 'Just south of the Rishi Maze.'
A few more taps of the keyboard brought nothing more than a frown to Jocasta Nu's old and weathered face. 'But what are the exact coordinates?'
'I only know the quadrant,' Obi-Wan admitted, and Jocasta Nu turned up to regard him.
'No coordinates? It sounds like the sort of directions you'd get from a street tout-some old miner or furbog trader.'
'All three, actually,' Obi-Wan admitted with a grin.
'Are you sure it exists?'
'Absolutely.'
Jocasta Nu sat back and rubbed a hand pensively over her chin. 'Let me do a gravitational scan,' she said, as much to herself as to Obi-Wan. The star map hologram of the target quadrant went into motion after a few more keystrokes, and the pair studied the movements. 'There are some inconsistencies here,' the sharp Archivist noted. 'Maybe the planet you're seeking was destroyed.'
'Wouldn't that be on record?'
'It ought to be, unless it was very recent,' Jocasta Nu replied, but she was shaking her head even as she spoke the words, not even convincing herself. 'I hate to say it, but it looks like the system you're searching for doesn't exist.'
'That's impossible-perhaps the Archives are incomplete.'
'The Archives are comprehensive and totally secure, my young Jedi,' came the imposing response, the Archivist stepping back from her familiarity with Obi-Wan and assuming again the demeanor of archive kingdom ruler. 'One thing you may be absolutely sure of: If an item does not appear in our records, it does not exist.'
The two stared at each other for a long moment, Obi-Wan taking note that there wasn't the slightest tremor of doubt in Jocasta Nu's declaration. He looked back to the map, perplexed, caught within a seemingly unanswerable question. He knew that no one in the galaxy was more reliable for information that Dexter Jettster, unless that person was Jocasta Nu, and yet the two were obviously at odds here concerning their information. Dexter had seemed every bit as certain of the origins of the saberdart as Jocasta Nu was now. Both couldn't be right.
The puzzle of finding Senator Amidala's would-be assassin would not be easily solved, it seemed, and that troubled Obi-Wan Kenobi for many, many reasons. With Jocasta Nu's permission, the Jedi punched a few buttons on the keyboard, downloading the archive information on that region of the quadrant to a small hologlobe. Then, the item in hand, he left the area. But not without one long, last look at the imposing bust of Count Dooku.
Later on that day, Obi-Wan turned away from the Archives and the analysis droids and turned within, to his own insights, instead. He found a small, comfortable room along the Temple's grand balcony, one of many such rooms designed for quiet moments of Jedi reflection. A small fountain bubbled off to the side of him as he settled on a soft but firm mat and crossed his legs. The water trickled down to a bed of polished stones, making a delicate sound, a background noise natural in its beauty and in the simplicity of its song.
Before Obi-Wan, a painting of reds, shifting and darkening to a deep crimson and then to black, a liberal representation of a cooling lava field, hung on the wall, inviting him not to look into it, but to surround himself with it, both its image and the soft warmth and hissing sound helping him to fall far away from his corporeal surroundings.
There, in his trance, Obi-Wan Kenobi sought his answers. He focused on the mystery of Kamino first, expecting that Dexter's analysis was correct. But why hadn't the system shown up in the Archives?
Another image invaded Obi-Wan's meditations as he tried to sort through that puzzle, an image of Anakin and Padme together on Naboo. The Jedi Knight started, suddenly afraid that this was a premonition, and that some danger would visit his Padawan and the young Senator…
But no, he realized, settling back. No danger was about; the two were relaxed and at play.
