Aegis

Chapter 1: The Journey Before Us

"Got ya!"

The bunny tumbled down the lively green hill; her attacker fell with her. His hands moved from her shoulders to her head and waist as both mammals began laughing and rolling. As his hands grasped her protectively, Judy felt completely at ease.

The last six months of her life should have been the most infuriating time of her existence. After the assignation attempt on her life, she had been put under the protection of two Jedi from her past, however, when the attempts continued, the chancellor had ordered her to hide completely. Judy's passion was her people and her policies as Senator made her seek the same kindness and compassion for all individuals, yet little could be done as she jumped from planet to planet seeking refuge with a crumbling Republic. Away from her passion, sneaking in the shadows, and lacking stability had all taken their tolls on her demeanor, but none more so than her protector Nicholas Wilde.

It had been ten years since their last interaction, but almost none of the grown Fox's mannerisms had changed. Since being Queen, Judy had grown in experience, yet she still looked down on him as if he were the same 13-year-old pilot from her childhood. On their first day together following the protection plan briefing, Nick had chosen a dark, grimy dinner to rest at before heading to their first refuge planet. The meals bordered on ghastly for the senator, but Nick had no trouble scarfing down the food in an unbecoming manner. Nick had finished before her, but as she looked down her eyes widened with disgust at the sight of an apple floating right in front of her with no hand holding it up, only the sly cheeky smirk of her protector.

Judy quickly grabbed the apple and glared at Nick in frustration, "Do you want us to be discovered before we've even begun hiding!"

"Apologizes Carrots," he began with a raised eyebrow "I just thought you would have liked the extra fruit before we run away together."

Her ears flared with heat as she calmly began, "We aren't running away together I'm being put under Republic protection against my will," Nick responded with an amused humph his eyebrow still raised, "and please refrain from calling me 'carrots' while you are serving me, Padawn Wilde."

" Judy please" Nick lazily responded while leaning back "we've known each other since we were kids! Besides I've not only saved your planet, but you're technically my oldest friend next to Jack."

"While I acknowledge your assistance I will not tolerate any reckless disregard for…."

"Judy, I've got..." Their eyes linked. Nick's eyes had widened his happy demeanor had transformed into a far more thoughtful one. Judy's eyes were not full, but her cheeks felt a rush of blood. She stared down at her paw and saw the fox had softly grabbed it. His paw pads had rubbed against her fur before she recoiled her hand grabbing her arm. Nick saw she was pulling back, but it was after he felt the brush of fuzz in his hands that re realized he had grabbed her paw. Her head turned away looking down on the floor. Her heart was pumping, her breathing oddly paced.

"Nick...don't..." the fox's hand pulled back against the Bunny's controlled anger. How could he do that, how dare he do that. She was being hunted, they barely knew each other, and he had grabbed her hand with longing eyes as if he was about to confess some unacceptable desire.

The bunny's nose twitched her brow furrowed. Nick recognized his mistake had angered the senator. He was looking forward to the time with his old friend, but he understood that his mind had prevented him from controlling the impulse he possessed. "Carrots I didn't mean to…" Her scowl had deepened "Judy I shouldn't have….." No use he had angered the bunny too much.

"My apologies senator," Nick said averting his gaze through a hushed voice," I forget my place." What would his Master say? What else would she say?"

"Yes." Judy saw the confident Fox shirk with shame. "... we need to go now." The air was filled with tension, but both continued onto the ship. Not a word was spoken between the two the entire journey. Judy knew what Nick's eyes had wanted to say, yet she knew her feelings did not reciprocate his longing. Principal alone separated the two into their respective roles, Judy knew the feelings her protector had were eating at his mind. All she could do was focus on the traveling ahead of her.

The first week on the planet Cerean was uncomfortably quiet. The two stayed in the peaceful citadel with one of Judy's old friends, a long retired senator named Montague. The decrepit sitatunga was a warm individual who greeted Nick as an old friend, though he had never met him. Judy and Montague shared stories all through the afternoon, but once he had left to attend business, Judy found herself staring at the seated Nick. He was watching a prerecorded holocron of Jedi meditations his face was stoic his stare intense. She took a step towards him about to speak, but he hadn't noticed her. It's not my place to say anything, she thought, nor do I know what to say. She retired to her room feeling regretful, but of what she did not know.

When Montague was there, Judy did not have to address the discomfort brought upon by her interactions with Nick. He kept his distance as all three took strolls through the agriculturally driven city. However, silence loomed over the two when alone. The tension was infuriating Judy, but it showed no signs of ending soon. After a week on Cerean, the old sitatunga started to pick up on the discomfort felt by his guests.

While on a walk atop the city's wall Montague saw Judy's eyes looking down at her fidgety hands, " My my Judith that is something I have not seen in quite awhile."

"What?" Judy looked up unaware of what was said.

"Padawan Wilde?" Montague said turning around to the Jedi.

"Sir?"

"I'm so sorry to bother you my new friend, but I'm rather tired, would you mind getting some drinks for us at the little shop down there?" Nick looked towards the direction Montague was pointing. "Tell them I sent you, they will know what drink to give you."

"Of course sir. Senator" Nick looked above Judy's head never meeting her eyes, "would you mind if I accomplished this task for you?"

"Yes Nick, you may go." The first words they had spoken to each other allowed the tension to settle back into its discomforting air. Nick began heading towards the stairs of the city wall.

When he was far enough away, Montague put his hoof on Judy's shoulder "It pains me to see you like this my dear."

"Monty," she looked up at his sunken face,"I'm fine I promise."

"You're lying through your teeth." Monty said lifting her head and taking her paws in his hoof. The anxiety running through her mind the last several days had made her self-control over her quirks nonexistent. There was no use avoiding the inevitable conversation.

"Nick and I are stuck here because the Chancellor thinks I can't protect myself from some assassins! I've handled assassination attempts before. And Nick won't leave me alone he shouldn't have grabbed my paw at the dinner, now of all times! He's just so….ughrr" she gave a slight growl."

"I was almost convinced you were just missing the Senate; I had no idea your guard had made advances to you."

"You should have seen the way he looked at me Monty! His eyes were staring at me so intensely; it's as if he wanted to possess me! He grabbed my paw, my paw!" She shouted at her friend who listened intently. "Sure we were friends years ago, but now he's acting as if nothing's changed. I'm a senator. He's a Jedi" Judy exhaled in frustration walking to the edge of the walls setting her hand against the stone edge of the wall.

"The Jedi confessed his feelings for you, as I live and breath."

"No," she blushed, "He just stared at me and grabbed my paw." The words coming from her stuck in her mind. He hadn't said anything to suggest deeper feelings, and he seemed as shocked as she was that their paws had met."This is not the time or place for any misplaced feelings, the Republic is breaking, and I'm stuck here away from the Senate with some lovesick kit." Her anger had calmed down a bit now that she was telling her friend what she was thinking. Her temper prevented her from sharing what she was truly feeling; the calming tone eased her mind allowing her to recognize what she wanted to say

"Judy talks of secession never truly lead anywhere, besides I'm more concerned with the pain I see in the eyes of you and my new friend. Do you return his 'feelings'?'

"What? No, no of course not it's not practical. It's unbecoming of our statuses. We shouldn't even…."

"I didn't ask if it's proper Judith," he said stepping closer the flustered bunny. "I asked if you returned those feelings?"

Judy started composing her thoughts. What did she feel about the Jedi? They had history years ago. Ten years was a long time to grow apart from one another. Perhaps it was possible to, 'No' she responded cutting off the train of thought. "No Monty, he's just my friend."

Montague could see Judy did not want to talk about her feelings any longer. The discomforting air meant he had reached the limit of discussions in this manner, "I see" bit of silence leveled the discomfort

" You told me that you two meet while you were queen, was he the Jedi that protected you against the trade federation?"

"No that was Nick's master Jack Savage and his former master." Judy's memory flashed with the image of her first encounter with the honorable Jedi.

"Nick was a slave boy from Tatooine who rescued us when we were stranded." Judy hadn't thought of her past in years. Her mind was so focused on political service to her people this was the only time she casually spoke of the ordeal.

"When we first meet I was in disguise as a handmaiden, I had convinced Master Jin that I should join the search for a new hyperdrive, and in that first store I saw him there." Judy couldn't help but give a small smile as she recalled the scruffy young Todd who stopped in his tracks at the sight of her. The boy was dressed in tattered rags his tail a tangled mess, but his strong brow and soft emerald eyes caught the young queen by surprise. She replayed their first conversation...

"Sorry cutie didn't mean to stare."

"Don't call me cutie." Her foot stamped as he returned to his work. She was stubborn, and in no mode for chatting, she had a mission she needed to follow. After a brief pause, she continued, "I'm looking for a Nubian hyperspace drive, do you have it?"

"It's possible" he coyly responded while sorting through a box of metallic bits his back turned." But what does a girl from Iego want with a hyperdrive like that?"

"What makes you think I'm from Iego?"

"All the passing pilots say Iego is the home of the angels, and you look like one."

The confused rabbit tried to grasp his comment "An angel?"

"Yeah" he responded heading towards the girl with his most devilish smolder, "the most gorgeous creatures in the galaxy just like you and very obviously like me."

…

"Buahahahahaha" she bellowed loudly, the Fox had never seen someone laugh as wholly or as joyfully as she had. The tears were swelling in her eyes from the sheer tenacity this boy had used to woe her. He grinned sheepishly watching his failed attempt at charm bring joy to the bunny. He was almost grateful that his line had failed so miserably.

"Well if you can't win 'em the next best thing you can do is make them laugh," he said through his building giggles, her laugh was infectious to him. As the two teens had begun to calm down, they only had to look at each other to start the laughing fits again in a harmonious chortle. Finally, as the laughing simmered away, the Todd outstretched his hand offering a bright, optimistic smile to the bunny. "Nicholas Wilde, future pilot extraordinaire".

She stared at his hand for a moment; she had forgotten something, something important. She had been devastated before entering the shop but the brief moment with the boy had washed away the weight she had been carrying on her shoulders. "Judy, Judy Hopps." She grabbed his extended paw shaking it. "I'm the mammal who doesn't use corny pick up lines on people they just meet like a little kit."

Both laughed in unison, " Noted, but I'm not a kit" he smirked coyly. "I'd say I'm older than you."

"In your dreams dumb fox!" She grinned

" What are you short-stack 11?"

"I'm 15 thank you very much."

"An older woman grrrrowl" the fox's eyebrows lifted and fell in quick succession causing Judy to give a quick burst of laughter while punching his arms "Ok I deserved that".

"Well aren't you a confident ball of fluff."

"Hard not to be." He said stretching his arms to the back of his head. "Not many devilishly handsome foxes can sneak their way into the Boonta Eve pod race and end up in 12th place."

It was evident to Judy that he was trying to show off again. Judy had never met a mammal so cheeky and cocky while bursting with an aura of complete genuineness. She had to admit his radiant confidence had made him an attractive individual.

"Sorry, but I only go for mammals that have won the Boonta Eve or higher," the joke had turned his smirk into a calmer grin.

"Guess I have to win it this year."

"Seriously?"

" Yeah, can't let you wind up with some sleemo like Tommy Bulbas"

" Nick, you know I was only kidding right?"

His eyes flashed triumphantly, "Maybe you were, but I've got a new reason to win now." He winked

The young bunny blushed into a small laugh "Sounds like a deal slick, just make sure you..."

"Judy!" A deep stern voice came from the shop door. In came a large lion in brown robes and an almost ominous presence.

"Master Jin!"

"He won that race. He won his freedom from his owner, and he spent quite a bit of time with me traveling to Coruscant. Always the overconfident flirt,"

Monty happily watched the bunny recount her tale never letting her know that she had been lost in the happy daydreams of her past. A peaceful sigh from Judy ensured the sitatunga of his suspicions.

"Judy, you've been talking about that fox for the last 15 minutes, Nick must mean a great deal to you." Judy's ears drooped at the suggestion from her friend.

"He made me forget about all my failings as Queen; I got to be a regular kit not some model of political properness. I hadn't laughed like that since my parents..." Judy's demeanor had calmed for a moment before staring up at the sky taking in a deep breath. The breath had grounded the senator stealing her from the nostalgic past she had been trapped in. Her speech was now a bit colder, "If our paths had gone different ways, I wouldn't hesitate to at least reconnect with him, but things are too complicated."

" No one is saying you need to abandon your perspective roles" Judy was relieved to hear the agreement she was receiving, " however" her heart sank afraid of what her old friend would say. "the road you're currently traveling would be much easier with a friend who lets you be yourself. You obviously still care for him as a friend, perhaps it's not too late to retrieve that friendship."

Judy knew he was right. She cared for the Fox. The bunny knew that she mirrored some care for him. Judy could tell that she wanted to regain some of the lost years of their friendship, she now had the opportunity to reestablish. She knew what she wanted to do to salvage the friendship of the Jedi knight approaching her.

Author's Notes:

Well here is the first attempt at fanfiction-esque something . If you like, it great! If not, great too. One way or another thank you for your time and hope to hear from you very soon.

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