Still Life with a Nubian Mirror
I. Anakin
Anakin Skywalker, Jedi apprentice of slightly more than a year, bounded down the ship's ramp with a triumphant hoot, his short padawan braid flapping. A brief glance over his shoulder told him that his master had stopped at the top of the ramp, squinting in the Nubian sunshine, watching him, a half-aloof, half-disapproving expression on his face, as he wore often these days. The knight shook his head, and Anakin felt a familiar pinprick of remorse for having disappointed his master.
It had not been easy to sweet-talk Obi-Wan into coming to Naboo for a brief visit. The Knight had seemed reluctant, but Anakin had persisted, and finally even Yoda had agreed that the boy needed to get away from the artificial transparisteel and duracrete environment of Coruscant. Standing behind a half-closed door with bated breath, Anakin had eavesdropped upon the ancient master argue with Obi-Wan. He had mentioned things like the burden of high expectations and distrust; but mostly, the young padawan suspected, Yoda somehow knew about his fears that came to him in nightmares.
Anakin was aware of Obi-Wan's reluctance. He felt guilty for disappointing his master his master yet again—but the guilt could not entirely mask his excitement. So he squared his shoulders and, once again making sure that Obi-Wan was indeed following, skipped towards the group of Nubian high officials and Queen's handmaidens who had gathered to welcome them.
As they approached and Anakin could see their faces, his feet slowed down to a hesitant walk. Neither of the two handmaidens was Padmé. And to the boy's dismay, he discovered that they were not just any visitors, they were Jedi, very high representatives of the Republic even when not on a Senate mission of saving the Galaxy, and so their arrival inevitably involved some pomp and formality. Even though the two handmaidens and a guard of honour winked at Anakin and greeted Obi-Wan in a very friendly manner, they were exactly that — a symbol of a free world recognising the authority of the Senate and the Republic. Anakin hated it from the very first moment.
It seemed as if nothing during this visit would turn out right, after all. The Queen received them in the throne room, expressed hopes of their well-being in a cool royal voice, and then there was a rather formal welcoming dinner. Anakin had been looking forward to some real food, not some substance from a synthfood processor, but sitting at the long table together with dignitaries, politicians, ministers, his appetite wilted. As a Jedi and hero of the Naboo people, he found himself at the centre of somewhat uncomfortable attention and suddenly the thought of everybody staring at every mouthful made him too nervous to enjoy it properly. Besides, he still hadn't been able to talk to Padmé. A Padawan should not speak to a planetary ruler unless addressed. Padmé, in her Queen's persona, did not speak to him, and so he had only managed to exchange a brief smile with her in the throne room. And at the dinner his constant spinning and craning his head towards the Queen's table earned him a fairly sharp mental reprimand from the Master. Anakin scrunched up his nose, wondering if a Jedi could really ever have a time off, just to be himself.
He breathed a sigh of relief when the day's official functions were finally over for the pair of Jedi, and Master Obi-Wan said Anakin was free to do what he wanted for the evening. Unfortunately the Queen was still busy at a late-night meeting somewhere. Disappointed, the Padawan shambled after his Master to their appointed rooms. He alternately sulked and fidgeted restlessly until he finally got on Obi-Wan's nerves. The knight in his turn wished for nothing but a little quiet, to laze away the evening in his luxurious bed (yes, a royal's life seemed much more comfortable than a Jedi's, in this respect!) with a good book; so he finally warned Anakin not to stay up long and not to get into any mischief, and told him without further ado to get lost.
Paradoxically, Anakin felt another sting of disappointment at that. For some reason he had hoped that Obi-Wan would share his enthusiasm at being back on Naboo. Oh well — he could understand his master too. It was not like Anakin had forgotten.
And yet...
He liked the palace. It was just what it had to be, for Padmé to live in. The marble floors were highly polished, reflecting him in shades of red, grey and white. Statues stood in their niches tall and dignified; people walked about, calm and businesslike.
Anakin looked around and, finding no one in immediate vicinity, hopped onto the banisters and rode down. And grinned, as one of the palace guards shook a finger at him. Through the hallway, a short but wide and stately flight of stairs took him up again past the huge statue of some philosopher, whose name escaped him right now — Messala? Menestheos? — and he peered up the stairs to his right, which led to long, brightly lit hallways. This was the wing of the palace where council chambers, press centre, various senatorial and liaison offices were situated. Padmé would most likely be here.
But Padmé had not invited him. Padmé had no need for him. Of course, why would she? A fifteen-year-old beautiful queen, what would she do with a lowly ex-slave Padawan? In the temple, fifteen-year-olds were so high above his level that they only ever noticed Anakin and his peers barely enough not to run them down in the hallways. Why would Padmé be different? She was a woman. (Anakin suspected that Master Obi-Wan would have smirked and said, "Almost, Padawan. Almost." Well, she was, to a ten-year-old.) Much as Anakin hated this, at moments like these he felt most painfully that he was still a child, at least in the eyes of those who mattered.
So, instead of turning to the right, he chose the stairway on his left. This led to a palace wing that he had never been in before.
Wondering, he looked around. As he walked further and further down the hallways, the sounds from the main parts of the palace gradually died down. And then suddenly he realized how quiet it was around him. Even the lamps were not lit in this part of the palace, so the only light he had was from street lanterns that shone through the tall windows, throwing eerie splashes of light on the floor. It was not exactly deserted, it was just... dark and quiet. For a moment he thought he heard heavy footsteps — probably a palace guard — but then the sounds died down. Whoever it was must have gone another way.
Anakin found he liked it that way. It was almost like an adventure. His former chagrin forgotten, he traipsed along the corridors, seeing Krayt dragons and Mandalorian blue tigers in every shadow.
TBC
