Whatever makeup they had put on Anakin made his strong jaw stand out. Padme could not help but trace the smooth outline of scruff on his chin in the bright stage with her eyes. Her hands were busy gently rinsing the plate in her hand. On her right, Sentara and Tilda were giggling madly, pleased by Obi-wan's look of sheepish embarrassment. The news anchor was flirting with the elder Jedi, shamelessly.
Anakin looked as if he were enjoying it immensely. He watched Obi-wan's rapidly blushing face with eyes twinkling with amusement. It made a strand of his curly chocolate hair fall into his face. Padme could have sighed. How did he manage to look so damned cute? He was nearly thirty years old.
"Rumors have it you two have the longest friendship in the Jedi Order," Anayel Einna was saying, her long pink legs crossed just so that her skirt rode up a bit higher than was normally polite. Her cat-like ears twitched as diamond shaped eyes watched Obi-wan squirm with amused adoration. Padme had to admit that Obi-wan's flustering was funny.
"Well, I wouldn't say the longest," Anakin replied, smiling. He did not seem at all uncomfortable, which was probably one of the reasons the Council sent him to these sort of interviews, allowing the galaxy to glimpse the Jedi family through the friendly face of their favorite hero.
Anayel, thankfully, did not try flirting with him, probably because he was furthest away. Only three seats resided on the stage. In the rows beyond, an audience of several thousand watched the interview with fascination. It was rare that Jedi conceded to talking about their lifestyles unless strictly necessary.
Obi-wan, pointedly, never thought it was necessary.
"We're coming up on the… What is it now, master? Twenty years since we met?" He wondered. Obi-wan turned his attention from trying to escape Anayel's flirtatious wink to give his partner a dry look.
"I try not to think about age, Anakin, thank you," he drawled.
Padme tittered with Sentara and Tilda. "He's not the only one! If the Council would allow it, Qui-gon would mind trick the galaxy into believing he was twenty-five!" Xanatos called from the living room where he and his former master were having their mid-afternoon tea together in Kennor's quarters. Qui-gon said nothing, but suddenly a dish rag soaked with cleansing liquid flew from Sentara's hand to slap Xanatos behind the ear.
"Ow! Frivolous use of the Force!"
The rag floated back to Sentara's hand politely. "Thanks, master!" Sentara called over her shoulder without looking away from the holovision.
"However, I believe twenty years is… Close," the audience snickered. Obi-wan smiled charmingly, winking at the camera. Padme snorted. Such a tease! "That is not an odd occurrence, mind you," Obi-wan told Anayel matter of factly. "Remember, the Jedi Order is raised together. I've known many of my friends my entire life. Most Master and apprentice teams stay together for ten years or more…"
"Though my Padawan might send me into an early grave first," Anakin interrupted. The audience laughed and applauded. Obi-wan shook his head.
"That being said, Anakin and I had an interesting start to our friendship," Anakin snorted
"You thought I was annoying!" He accused his best friend. Obi-wan gave him a look that clearly read 'I still think you're annoying,' but did not deny the allegation.
"You were nine when you two met, weren't you Master Skywalker?" Anayel asked, watching them with a grin of amusement. In the two years she had been married to Anakin Skywalker, Padme had learned that most everyone saw these two in a similar light.
"Yes I was," Anakin admitted, smiling softly. "I was the youngest initiate ever to be apprenticed in the Jedi order. Most are chosen when they turn thirteen. Obi-wan raised me…"
"Which may account for why I think you're annoying," Anakin jabbed an elbow into his teacher's ribs.
"And apparently well, because we're still getting assigned to missions together to this day, even though I was Knighted nearly eight years ago," he glanced at Obi-wan suspiciously. Padme assumed they were communicating through The Force again. Obi-wan had probably expressed dubiety at Anakin's Knightly maturity.
"I see. Master Kenobi, what is it like to work with a former student?" Obi-wan shrugged.
"Much the same, actually. I give an order, he ignores me. He delegates the most difficult tasks to me, I do them out of exasperation," Anakin scoffed a laugh in time with the audience, though his was sarcastic. He must have expressed his derision in the Force, because Obi-wan chuckled softly.
"I jest. It's as much an honor as it's always been, though heightened. Just when I think I know my old student, he surprises me again. I wish every teacher in the galaxy could feel the pride I do when I work with Anakin Skywalker." The audience applauded loud enough so that it drowned out Anayel's delighted exclamation at the shade of red Anakin's face bled.
"Ahhh!" Padme and Sentara cried together, hearts contracting at the simple honesty. Tilda wiped away an imaginary tear exaggeratedly.
"Attachment! I call code breaker!" Xanatos joked, though he sounded just as touched.
Anakin cleared his throat, trying to dislodge the lump Padme knew was probably sitting in his chest. "Ah, he's just saying that because he knows I'm the pilot on our next mission," he mock growled, though he laid a hand on Obi-wan's arm discreetly. "He hates flying, and our journey to Jabiim will be long," Obi-wan looked ready to face palm as Anakin's eyes widened imperceptibly. He had realized his mistake too late. Anayel's face brightened.
"Ah! The council will not forgive that anytime soon!" Qui-gon growled in sympathy. Padme shook her head as her comm. link chimed. She sighed and answered it.
"Captain Typho?" she asked.
"Yes, ma'am. I just wanted to let you know that the Senator from Alderran is in your office," ah yes. Bail was coming over to discuss trading policies from the planets in the inner rim to the smaller planets orbiting between mid and inner rim planets, like Mandalore.
"Thank you, Captain. Tell him to hold tight. I'm on my way," she disconnected the call and finished scraping the last plate in the pile. Sentara took it with a smile and jerk of her head.
"Go save the galaxy, senator," she laughed. Padme grinned and kissed her sister in law on the cheek, squeezing Tilda's shoulder in farewell.
"I've not heard about that! Secret mission, huh?" Anayel was asking on the holovision, insufferable now. Obi-wan took her curiosity in stride.
"Well it was secret a minute ago," he sighed. Anakin grinned back sheepishly.
"You know I was never good at discretion, master," he chirped, and the audience applauded and laughed.
"That's how liberty dies, you know," Sentara was joking as Padme rushed out of the kitchen. She kissed Qui-gon on the temple, playfully slapped Xanatos upside the head and raced to grab her jacket from where it hung by the door. "With thunderous applause."
Hey! For all my readers of The New Galaxy, that story is coming along with more difficulty than its predecessors, so I give you this fic in compensation (and apology) for the long wait. It will have a tooth-rotting fluffiness... In some parts. Otherwise, the end will be a happy one... Kind of. Anyway, love you all tons!
~QueenYoda