Naboo was, he had to admit, a beautiful planet. Soft clouds tantalized with glimpses of verdant green as the ship broke orbit and angled down to the designated landing spot. The capital came into sight – the broad boulevards and ribbons of silver water interlaced – the magnificent palace he had wandered alone in his grief.

He had never meant to return, but here he was once more, one more being with one more piece of grief to add to the grief of the thousands he would face tomorrow.

Obi-Wan's hands tightened just a little on the control yoke of the small interplanetary craft and he glanced over at the almost-bouncing boy who had leaned so far forward in his seat that his nose smudged the windshield. He needn't have worried; his padawan's focus was out there, seeking the presence of another and oblivious to his master beside him.

"Anakin, strap in, we're landing shortly." A slim hand gently urged his padawan back into his seat. That got the boy's attention. Pleading eyes looked at him.

"May I land, Master? May I?"

Inwardly shuddering at the thought of an anxious boy barreling towards the landing pad -and Obi-Wan hurtling along with him - the young man merely said softly, "This planet does not need to witness another tragedy, my padawan."

"Master!" The boy's eyes reflected his hurt at the statement, but Obi-Wan continued on as if he had not been interrupted, "And it would be a tragedy if I should stagger out of this ship and promptly throw up in the midst of our welcome."

What he saw as a possible tragedy was apparently a source of amusement to the boy at his side.

"Yeah, my landings make you just as green as Master Yoda." Anakin giggled and after a moment, Obi-Wan grinned as well. He could see the humor in the situation after all, from his padawan's viewpoint. From the viewpoint of their welcoming committee, now - .

A low chuckle escaped him. Never in the annals of recorded Jedi history had a Jedi sprawled on the ground before a head of state during a formal welcome.

"I would hate to tarnish Master Yoda's reputation, and a green Jedi low to the ground, bent over on hands and knees, might be mistaken in the first few seconds for our esteemed master. Not to mention I have no desire to have my ankle get reacquainted with his gimer stick."

"He hits Jedi? I won't let him hit you, Master." Anakin was all indignation now, and belatedly Obi-Wan remembered that Anakin had not grown up with either those jokes or little taps.

He tousled the boy's hair. "A joke, Padawan. I tug your braid, he taps ankles."

"O-kay."

The young man grinned. Anakin wasn't quite persuaded, but he was willing to take his master's word for it. That in itself was a miracle of the Force.

His grin faded to a frown as he turned his attention on his final approach. They cleared the Royal Hangar and Obi-Wan let out a breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding. He had thought the landing coordinates would guide them there, not close by. It was another miracle of the Force – two in one day.

"You're pale, Master. Master? Coruscant to Master?" After a short minute, a bellowed "Obi-Wan" followed, and the young Jedi winced and rubbed at his ears.

"You know, you have been looking a little queasy the last day or two. You should have told Master Yoda you were getting sick – "

"I'm not sick," Obi-Wan interrupted as a small hand reached over to touch his forehead. One hand came up and caught the boy's hand and lightly squeezed. He looked out the window and his hand tightened further. He came back to himself and patted the boy's hand at the small yelp.

"I'm not sick; I'm just – I'm not sick," he repeated gently.

"You're sad."

"I am sad," Obi-Wan agreed after a moment's hesitation. It had been a year after all; he hadn't realized the sadness was still there. Until Anakin called it to his attention, he hadn't really tried to identify the emotion, merely to accept it and let it flow from him.

"It will pass, Anakin, it will pass. 'There is no emotion' is something to strive for, not a state of being. And you, are you sad as well?"

He could see Anakin taking just a moment to mull it over in his mind before admitting, "If I think about it, I'm sad, but I'm really excited about this being my first mission and getting to see Padme again. Do you think she kept the japor snippet I carved for her – do you think she remembers me? I think about her all the time, especially when I'm, uh, when I'm…."

"Lonely?" Obi-Wan filled in. Anakin nodded. The young Jedi knew the feeling well. The last year had been intensive work, spent mostly in his padawan's company as he tried to catch the boy's training up to the level of his age mates. Dealing with the occasional temper tantrums and all too frequent mischief making of a boy trying inexpertly to cope with the upheaval in his life gave him little time to socialize with his friends – or any adults, really.

"I know it's hard, Padawan, but you are making friends."

"I'd make them faster if I wasn't stuck in classes with kids," Anakin suggested hopefully.

"Keep working hard and your skills will soon be up to your age mates." Anakin's rebellious expression expressed his padawan's perception that he was already at their level – or beyond.

Overlooking the scowl, Obi-Wan offered gently, "You have worked very hard and learned much in a short time. It won't be long, I promise, before I will ask the Council to reconsider which classes you should attend."

The scowl turned into a smile. "Thank you, Master!"

The delighted grin usually preceded a big hug. Obi-Wan placed a hand on Anakin's head, a warning not to unbuckle himself and interfere with the final landing approach.

"There's Padme!" Anakin pointed out the window, an even bigger grin splitting his face.

"Maybe it's her decoy," Obi-Wan said with a sly grin, but Anakin merely shook his head as if he had no doubt.

The ship settled with only the slightest of bumps.

"Umm, Master?"

"Yes, Padawan." He decided to adopt the patiently bemused tone he was working on perfecting. Learning to throw in a twist of sorely abused patience would come later, and no doubt quite naturally, considering his padawan's normal exuberance.

"Not bad, but you really should have kicked in the retros one second sooner."

"We landed in one piece and no bumps. That is sufficient, Padawan."

"Yes, Master." A dutiful murmur that meant "No, Master."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. Out of the corner of one, he could see Anakin doing the same. At least we're in synch with something, he snickered to himself.

Post-flight checks completed, Anakin's tunics straightened and cowlick partially tamed, Obi-Wan reached for the ramp release switch – and hesitated. He looked at Anakin and decided a reminder was most definitely not out of place. Force knew the boy was all too easily distracted at times, and he was already bubbling with excitement.

So before opening the ramp, he cautioned his padawan, "Remember this is not a social visit. This is a ceremonial visit and your first mission. Be mindful of your duties, no matter how excited you are." When Anakin merely nodded, half-listening, Obi-Wan knelt and took the boy by the shoulders and made sure to have the boy's full attention.

"Remember we are here to honor those who died and suffered under the occupation. It is a very solemn observance. That is the Queen who waits to greet us. That is not Padme. You will see Padme at the Palace."

And you, Kenobi, who will you see? Will you see ghosts or have you laid the past to rest?

He shook off that thought - he would welcome Qui-Gon's ghost if such appeared, but ghosts did not exist. Ghosts were nothing but memories of the heart.

I did not want to come, but I came for you, Qui-Gon. I did not want to come, but I could not say no.

A sad smile graced the knight's face as he prepared to step forth on the planet that had changed his life. Not just his own life, either.

Far too many lives had been altered on Naboo, a year ago. In a few days they would recognize that and honor those who walked under the warm Naboo sun no more. The dead would finally be laid to rest, and their memory honored.

Naboo's first anniversary of freedom – Naboo's first Memorial Day in recognition of the cost paid to achieve that.

"If you honor what they fight for..." The words echoed in the young Jedi's mind.

And suddenly there was no place Obi-Wan Kenobi would rather be, than dedicating the following days to those who had fallen and those who had lived to rebuild.

The dead lived on, in those who were left behind.

The Jedi knight squared his shoulders and raised his head high. Naboo awaited.