Jin-Woo ran through the streets of Theed, his pace relaxed, like a man casually jogging in circles — but he had been doing it every day for twenty-nine days straight. To the public, he was just eccentric. To Padmé's guards, he was simply that strange merchant who liked morning routines. But to Jin-Woo, every step had a purpose.
As he jogged past the same fountain near the Royal Palace, he reviewed everything that had unfolded recently.
Padmé, Rey, and Morgan… finally getting along.
But despite the outward peace, Padmé still refused to believe Morgan's claim of being six thousand years old. Not that Morgan had ever gone into detail — not yet. She never even told them she was the Fairy Queen of England's Lostbelt… now my Monarch of Transfiguration.
A soft ding echoed inside his mind.
[Notification: Padmé Amidala's Affinity toward Jin-Woo: 70]
Jin-Woo smirked mid-stride.
Seventy. Only thirty more points until she decides if she'll fall in love with me or not . But I won't push it..
His pace never wavered, his footfalls rhythmic and even — but his mind wandered deeper.
He knew the consequences of his earlier delay. The day Palpatine sent him to Malachor — a day he hadn't factored into his personal operation timeline — had thrown off the progress of the underground bunker. The sentinel drone, while autonomous, still relied on his energy as an anchor and amplifier. Losing even a single day slowed construction.
So now he ran, pretending it was for fitness or routine — but in truth, it was a cover for something else .
As his feet touched the ground with each stride, Jin-Woo channeled Projective Telepathy — but not the Jedi kind. No, this was the version passed down from Naga Sadow himself. A battle meditation wrapped in the darkness of the Force, cloaked by subtlety. Every pulse of energy from his core flowed downward, down to his legs, and into the earth with each step.
He projected his will into the subterranean depths, his meditative command guiding the sentinel drone's progress. accelerating their construction work beneath Theed.
The drone couldn't be seen. The energy could not be sensed. But the results would be undeniable.
I distribute the telepathy downward… keep it low, keep it subtle. Every step, a Will to accelerate.
The Jedi and sith like palpatine who on naboo sometimes wouldn't detect this kind of dark-side power. The intention was hidden beneath the mundane. But it was working.
Jin-Woo's expression remained blank as ever, his pace steady. A normal man running in circles.
The Jedi — even the Sith like Palpatine lurking quietly on Naboo — wouldn't detect this kind of dark-side power.
The intention was too mundane, too buried. But it was working.
Jin-Woo's expression stayed calm, blank as ever, his steady pace cutting smooth arcs through Theed's morning streets. Just a man, jogging in circles. Nothing suspicious.
Until. Suddenly, a loud Gungan voice echoed from the side market.
"Ey! Ey! Lookie, lookie! Da crazy man still runnin'! Ho-ho — twenty-nine days straight, twelve hoursss-a-day, wahoo!"
Jin-Woo flicked his eyes sideways, deadpan, but didn't break pace. Great…
He kept moving, heading closer to the Theed Palace square — only to notice, on his left, a line of benches forming like an audience.
To the left: the gathered Gungans.
To the right: the curious Naboo citizens.
And seated right in the middle, Boss Nass thumped his large, meaty hands against the stone armrests, shaking with laughter.
"Ho-ho-HOO! Binks! Da crazy man keeps-a runnin'! Show me, show me, General of da Gungans — can you run, too, eh? Ha-ha-ha!"
Next to him, Roos Tarpals patted Jar Jar Binks sharply on the shoulder, handing him a runner's sash.
"Yousa got dis, Binks! Goooooo!"
Jar Jar bounced up, wide-eyed, flapping his arms dramatically.
"Okie-day! MEEEESA GONNA RUNNNNN! WOOOOOO!!"
Jin-Woo's eye twitched faintly as he heard the loud flapping footsteps beside him — he turned, only to see Jar Jar sprinting alongside him, flailing with all the wild enthusiasm of a maniac.
"What the fuck… is going on?!" Jin-Woo muttered under his breath, deadpan.
For a brief moment, his sharp gaze flicked to the right, where the Naboo citizens were gathered.
There, among the elegant crowd, stood Padmé — dressed as Queen Amidala this time, Sabé dutifully at her side.
Padmé raised one delicate eyebrow, her lips curling with hint of mischief.
This is your idea, huh, Jin-Woo thought dryly, exhaling softly through his nose.
Without slowing, he kept his steady pace, weaving away from the palace and heading toward his usual jogging circuit outside the Theed capital, looping smoothly toward the grand fountain near the Royal Palace.
Suddenly, the echo of Governor Sio Bibble's amplified voice rolled out across the plaza:
"The Queen will grant a kiss on the cheek — or a prize of fifty thousand credits — to anyone who can catch Jin-Woo's hand! Anyone may participate!"
Jin-Woo's blank expression didn't flinch.
But the roar of excitement behind him? That was unmistakable.
Dozens of Naboo civilians and eager Gungans surged forward, feet pounding the streets, racing in a mad dash to claim the prize.
Jin-Woo calmly switched pace — shifting smoothly into a light skate over the stone roads, his feet gliding effortlessly as he peeked back over his shoulder.
Behind him, Jar Jar gasped, wide-eyed.
"Da crazy man just… SKATE on da flooooor?!"
Captain Panaka, sprinting near the front of the crowd, let out a low curse under his breath.
"He can skate on this damn floor?! Damnnnn…"
And Jin-Woo? He skated on, his face perfectly composed, a faint, taunting flicker in his eyes — the kind of expression that practically dared them.
Come on, then.
With a subtle flick of his fingers, Jin-Woo gave the hidden signal to Offensive Bias. Instantly, small hacking pulses shot out, and every street speaker across Theed near his path lit up — hijacked, rewired.
Suddenly, blaring from every corner, from every lamp post, from every vendor stall, came the pounding, high-energy beat of "Catch Me If You Can" — the theme song from Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V33Der2j71s : the song Catch Me If You Can
As Jin-Woo pushed off, skating even faster, the music chased after him like a living soundtrack.
The crowd of participants — Naboo civilians, guards, even Gungans — stared in disbelief.
"Did… did this Jin-Woo just make a theme song follow him every time he moves?" one murmured, wide-eyed.
Captain Panaka narrowed his eyes, letting out a slow exhale.
"Nah… this man just wants to provoke us."
Jin-Woo, glancing back with that razor-edged smirk, took a deep breath — and then,, he surged forward, the pulse of Catch Me If You Can pounding behind him, shaking the very streets.
Without missing a beat, his voice shot out, rapping fast over the music, almost blending with the song itself:
[ note 2.10 song on youtube]
"Chaos in the emeralds
Life is ephemeral
What'cha gonna do?
Nothing's perpetual
World domination
Advanced technology
Haven't got the interest
In that form of glory
Put me in the air
And my speed will leave
All in a shine
Like a miracle weave
I just won't stop
The treasure's with me
I said it before
I was born to be—"
The crowd roared, surging in behind him.
This is it. The moment was on.
Across the packed streets, civilians cheered or gasped, some joining in, others simply stunned at the escalating madness. But among the participants? Things were heating up — fast.
Panaka snapped his hand down sharply.
"Ready the stun guns! Bring up the Gian speeder cannons — NOW!"
Gungan warriors bumbled through the crowd, hoisting up their clumsy stun slingshot . Jar Jar Binks, utterly clueless, flailed wildly as he sprinted alongside the pack.
"Meesa gonna caaaaatch da crazy man—whooooo!" he bellowed, limbs flying everywhere.
But Jin-Woo?
He dodged left, then right — faster, sharper, smoother — skating through the tightening ambush like a phantom, like a shadow.
And when the Gian speeder cannons fired, sending shimmering arcs of stun bursts lancing through the air, Jin-Woo leaned low, twisting with impossible speed, slipping under the blasts like they were moving in slow motion.
To the crowd, it was like watching Shadow the Hedgehog himself tear through the chaos — untouchable, unstoppable.
Jin-Woo's voice cracked through the air once more, sharp and clear, slicing through the roaring music:
"Catch me if you can!
There's no turning back!
Reach — but never catch!"
The Naboo civilians scrambled, fumbling to ready their stun blaster — but they were too slow.
Jin-Woo, his body already heating up, flashed them a teasing wink… and then?
WHOOSH.
In a blur, he shot past at Mach 1 skating speed, slicing through the streets like a shadowy bolt , leaving wind-tossed hair, rattled clothes, and wide-eyed stares in his wake.
Behind him, all the participants — Gungans, Naboo civilians, and soldiers alike — skidded to halting stops, their jaws slack.
Captain Panaka slammed a boot down, panting slightly as he watched the blur vanish into the distance.
"Did… did that guy just move… at a speed normally only vehicles can hit?" he gasped.
Jar Jar Binks flailed up beside him, his tongue half-lolling out.
"Meesa… meesa don't understand what's goin' on…" Jar Jar mumbled, eyes rolling.
Suddenly, Panaka's holocommunicator flared to life, glowing faint blue.
"Captain," came the familiar voice of Governor Sio Bibble, sharp and urgent. "The Jedi — Padawan Obi-Wan and Master Qui-Gon — they want to enter."
Panaka snapped up straight.
"Wait. I'm heading back to the seats right now — I'll meet them personally."
There was a brief pause, then Sio Bibble's voice lowered just a touch, a sly tone slipping in.
"Captain… we're going to lay a trap for Jin-Woo."
Panaka's lips slowly curled into a thin, satisfied smile.
"Yes…" he murmured darkly, narrowing his eyes. "Payback… for making me unconscious that day…"
And in that moment, the captain's heart surged with grim satisfaction.
This time… he thought coldly, we'll see how that crazy merchant dodges this.
Jin-Woo glided smoothly into the Theed Palace square, his speed slowing, his expression calm — but the faintest glint of amusement danced in his eyes.
He could feel it. The air shifted slightly — the tiniest disturbance.
And in that instant, like a soft, effortless blur, Jin-Woo sidestepped just enough to dodge the incoming Force pull from Obi-Wan.
He stood there, motionless, hands casually at his sides, already gazing directly toward where the Jedi were hiding.
Qui-Gon let out a low, knowing breath.
"Told you, Obi-Wan…" he murmured, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Jin-Woo is not your ordinary merchant running without purpose."
Obi-Wan frowned slightly, his eyes narrowing.
"Master, he saw the trajectory of the Force ability — even we couldn't track that. That's… not normal. I have to admit… I really want to catch this guy now."
Off to the side, Padmé — in her regal Queen Amidala attire, seated among the gathered audience — leaned slightly forward, cupping her hands as she called out with playful curiosity,
"Jin-Woo! Got another song besides shouting 'Catch me if you can'?"
Jin-Woo gave a small, sly smile, his eyes half-lidded with quiet confidence.
"Any traps you've got…" he murmured smoothly, his voice light, almost teasing.
"I'll allow you five minutes of preparation."
He gave a faint shrug, his smirk widening just a touch more. "Come on, thennnnn."
Obi-Wan leaned in, whispering quietly,
"Master Qui-Gon… we can't catch him once he speeds up even more — not to mention, he can see the trajectory of the Force itself."
Qui-Gon gave a calm nod, eyes narrowing slightly.
"That's why we need to make it an instant win, Obi-Wan. Even he needs some kind of buildup before he pushes into that unknown speed."
Five minutes passed.
With a snap of his fingers, Jin-Woo activated the holoscreens across Naboo — the unmistakable surge of Crush 40 – Live & Learn blasted into the streets, the lyrics building like a war drum.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQak222RrEg : the song link
Jin-Woo smirked, fully aware of the many traps waiting behind him.
Padmé, her eyes bright and mischievous, leaned forward and called,
"And… start your engines, everyone!"
Jin-Woo gave a small, taunting grin — then bolted off, skating forward while keeping his sharp gaze on Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.
The Gian speeder cannons behind the main audience blasted wide stun nets and charged energy bursts, aiming to cut off his escape. At the very last second, Jin-Woo ducked low, skating under the belly of the speeder with hair-thin precision — or, when the angle tightened, he launched himself off a nearby bench, flipping smoothly over the shot in a flash, landing light as air.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's invisible Force barriers surged up, designed to block him cold. But Jin-Woo's eyes caught the telltale flicker — the faintest small window, a sliver-thin gap in the weaving Force. With a butterfly-style twist, he dove through the narrow hole, twisting his body midair and slipping cleanly past before their senses could react.
Behind the pillars and fountains, hidden Gungan warriors let loose paralyzing stun orbs from their slingshots, the goopy projectiles arcing toward him. Jin-Woo grinned faintly, darting sideways up the fountain wall in a sleek wall run, the sprayed water mist cloaking his silhouette just enough to blur their aim. Only a faint afterimage remained as he shot out of range.
From the balconies above, Panaka's precision marksmen aimed down wide-area stun rifles, all set for maximum coverage. But Jin-Woo sharply increased his speed in a sudden, razor-fast burst, his body weaving through the beams just a breath before they fired — their shots rained down only where he had been, not where he was heading.
Then came the hidden Techno Union device, secretly installed under the plaza — a ground-activated electromagnetic snare. Just as the pressure plates clicked beneath him, Jin-Woo's eyes flashed. With perfect timing, he launched himself upward, using his ruler authority to make it seem like he was walking over the air itself, his feet never even touching the active snare as he glided cleanly past.
Jin-Woo shot through the square like a black bolt of lightning, a streak so fast it left only stunned gasps, wide eyes, and the pulsing roar of Live & Learn echoing through the air.
But just as he was about to sweep clean past the main line, Morgan — standing beside Padmé in the royal gallery — calmly raised her hand, her voice light yet commanding.
"Stop, Jin-Woo."
Jin-Woo, ever the mischievous one, skidded slightly and grinned.
"Yes, my wife," he teased smoothly —
right as Rey lunged from the nearby wall, swinging down with a wooden staff she'd hidden for the ambush. Jin-Woo tilted his head casually, letting the stick swipe past by a hair's breadth.
Rey huffed, a playful scowl crossing her face.
"Hey! No second-guessing everything — that's cheating!"
Jin-Woo chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming.
"My mind… is an enigma."
Rey leaned back against the wall with a little smirk, but Jin-Woo's sharp gaze didn't leave her — not even for a second.
And that's when it came.
Qui-Gon Jinn, his green saber clipped at his side, surged forward in a flash of motion — Obi-Wan right behind him, using the Force to amplify his master's speed, the two Jedi vaulting together in a perfect, blinding burst. They slammed into Mach 1 speed, their robes snapping sharply in the wind, the Force bending faintly around them.
But Jin-Woo? He smiled .
He kicked his skates harder, pushing his momentum, his shadow-lined body blurring — until his own speed twisted clean past the Jedi surge, hitting Mach 1.1.
And as the music thundered louder, Jin-Woo's voice rose, sharp and wild, with the chorus:
"Live and learn! Hanging on the edge of tomorrow!
Live and learn! From the works of yesterday!
Live and learn! If you beg or if you borrow!
Live and learn! You may never find your way—!*"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa… oh yeeeeaaah!"
In that heartbeat, Qui-Gon's hand stretched out, almost grazing the fabric of Jin-Woo's coat — just a whisper, just a ghost of contact.
Jin-Woo's grin sharpened, his body flickering, and with a crackling snap, he vaulted forward — breaking into Mach 2 speed, leaving a faint afterimage of himself and blasting a trail of dust and blurred air behind him.
"Live and learn, Master Qui-Gon!" Jin-Woo called back with a smooth, taunting laugh.
And then he bolted off, disappearing down the avenue, a black streak of energy vanishing into the roaring chorus.