INT. HYPERSPACE - AKKADIAN - CORRIDOR

Qui-Gon walks past Amidala’s sealed chambers, stopping as he hears muted sobbing from behind the door. The Padawan steps back, pressing a button at the side of the door, activating the intercom system.

QUI-GON : Amidala? Princess?

AMIDALA : (O.S.) Huh? What?

QUI-GON : Is there ... Can I help you with anything?

AMIDALA : (O.S.) No! Go away!

Qui-Gon takes his finger away, and prepares to leave before a rush of static comes through the speaker.

AMIDALA : (O.S.) No ... wait ... come in.

INT. HYPERSPACE - AKKADIAN - AMIDALA’S CHAMBERS

The chamber door swishes open and the Jedi steps inside. Amidala is seated on the floor beside the door, tears running down her face. Qui-Gon closes the door for privacy.

QUI-GON : I’m ... sorry for what I said earlier. You are going through a lot right now, and ... I was ... it was ...

AMIDALA : Never mind. Just forget about it.

QUI-GON : Maybe I ... maybe I should go.

AMIDALA : You wanted to help me, so help me.

QUI-GON : (crouching down beside Amidala) What can I do for you?

AMIDALA : Tell me ... will it always be like this?

QUI-GON : What?

AMIDALA : (angry) This pain! (calming down) The pain ... is it going to stay with me like this? Will ... will it always hurt like this?

QUI-GON : I ... I don’t know what to say. I’ve ... I’ve never had to feel what you feel ... I don’t know what it’s like to lose a family.

AMIDALA : Weren’t you taken from your parents, like all Jedi?

QUI-GON : Yes, but I was so young ... it was so long ago ... I wasn’t with them long enough to form any attachments.

AMIDALA : I see ... and I see there’s nothing you give me but empty platitudes.

QUI-GON : I haven’t -

AMIDALA : No, but you will. You Jedi like to pretend that you know everything, that you know the heart, that you know how it works and how to fix it ... heal it. All-wise, all-knowing philosopher-priests ... (angry) And you don’t know anything! You shut yourselves away in your temples and your academies, away from all human contact, away from all human emotion ... (cont’d) What is it that you can do for me, Jedi? How can you ease my pain when you’ve never felt any of your own?

QUI-GON : I ... I ... I can’t. Force help me, but I can’t.

AMIDALA : No, you can’t ... but maybe you can learn.

QUI-GON : (grinning slightly) Can I? A Jedi?

AMIDALA : With some help ...

Amidala reaches out to Qui-Gon, and pulls him to her. Digging her nails into his back she buries her face into his chest, and begins to sob heavily. The Jedi gingerly returns the hug, his face softened with sympathy as he cradles her like a child.