Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any related characters. Now, on with the story.
__________________
Anakin Skywalker sat down in the Dining Hall located inside the grand Jedi Temple.
Jedis sat on one side of the large hall, Padawans on the other. It was an unwritten rule that everyone followed.
Anakin prodded the food on his plate with his fork, turning it into nothing more than a colorful mix of edibles. Obviously not hungry, he sighed and pushed the plate away. A Padawan sitting across from him took notice of this and raised a quizzical eyebrow.
"Don't eat too much," he said sarcastically.
Anakin simply looked up at him with no sign of amusement in his expression. His voice was the same.
"Whatever."
Meals at the Jedi academy were less than spectacular. It seemed another unwritten rule was that unappetizing food made you a better Jedi somehow. Every meal had that same gray cast to it and the only texture you felt in your mouth was mushy. Jedi are not unlike Trappist monks who seclude themselves away from the world and survive on roots and berries. All day you study and at night you sleep on a slab and meditate on the day's studies. To Anakin it seemed like you had to go through this narrow existence in order to be rewarded with have the power of a Jedi. Today seemed especially narrow, particularly where dinner was concerned.
Recreation is another area that seems rather restricted. Jedi have be dignified, he knew, but a romp through the forest or a carefree ship ride through the stars was harmless enough. Why couldn't these guys loosen up a bit?
And THE CLOTHES.....Anakin thought the longs robes were kind of scary with all that swishing around and walking around with that hood on your head...I mean, really.
"Something the matter?"
"No," Anakin said. "Well, maybe. I mean, don't you ever find the life of a Padawan a bit boring?"
The Padawan in front of him widened his eyes as if Anakin had just said he was a Sith Lord.
"W-what do you mean?!" he stuttered rather loudly.
All eyes were on Anakin and his companion for an awkward moment, and Anakin hushed him.
"Quiet!" Anakin then regained his composure (something he usually had a hard time doing) and obeyed his own command.
"What I mean is that everyday we do the same things, never once breaking our habitual routines. I know a Jedi isn't supposed to crave action and adventure, but...."
He stopped in mid-sentence. He couldn't say such things, even if he knew it to be true.
"Nevermind."
The Padawan seated in front of him relaxed a little, and continued to eat.
"You keep thinking like that," he whispered to Anakin, "and you'll be sorry you ever did. Especially when the Jedi Council finds out. And you of all people should know that they find out EVERYTHING."
A fact Anakin was ashamed of. The Jedi Council knew him like a favorite book, from front cover to back.
No, scratch that. They were to busy lecturing Anakin about every little thing he did wrong that they never got to hear his side of the story. So how could they possibly know him?
"So," the Padawan said to Anakin, "Nice weather, huh?"
"Whatever."
*~*~*~*~*
Obi-wan sat at the other side of the Dining Hall. The Jedi Council was talking about the progress with all the Padawans, like they did everyday. This conversation just happened to be about Anakin and Obi-wan wasn't sure if he wanted he hear this.
"Young Skywalker, struggles he with the ways of the Jedi," said the little green man.
"Yes, Master Yoda, he does, but you yourself have said that something is worthless that costs you nothing," replied Obi-Wan.
"Acquainted with the dark side, he is."
Obi-wan was shocked. How could Master Yoda say such a thing?
"Anakin struggles to keep on the right path, Master, can we not cut him some slack?" Obi-wan retorted as respectfully as possible.
Yoda opened his mouth to give another one of his speeches about the dark side, when a unidentified piece of meat went sailing by and landed with a disturbing "squish" on a wall nearby.
"Totally missed me, Anakin!"
"Yeah, well, try this one on for size!"
With a simple gesture of the hand, Anakin sent a green vegetable over to attack the younger Padawan. It landed on his face with a smack as Anakin let out a hysterical laugh.
"The color green looks good on you!" Anakin finally managed.
"Anakin Skywalker, this isn't funny anymore," the Padawan said mock-seriously trying to hold back his own laughter as he threw the leafy plant back in retaliation.
Anakin avoided it and rolled his eyes, and in the process, he noticed the entire Dining Hall staring at him.
"Like a child, Skywalker is. Innocence is virtue, but immature he is. Must learn he control over entire self or slave become he to the dark side," commented Yoda from the other half of the Dining Hall.
"Ah, Master, don't you remember being a child?" asked Obi-wan.
"Born old, Yoda was," sighed the little green wise man.
*~*~*~*~*
Anakin scrapped the rest of his meal off his face before leaving the great hall and scaling the stairs to his room. As the automatic door opened, an odd wind blew out and before he could do anything a flash of a blue lightsaber could be seen inches away from Anakin's face. The sudden blade of blue light made him close his eyes in surprise and due to the unexpected brightness.
"I'M DEAD" was all he could think. But, when nothing had happened, Anakin opened his eyes and looked around.
He saw the familiar rug beneath him and the faces of the ancient Jedi staring down at him from the portraits on the wall.
Anakin wandered further into the room, only to find the same peacefulness he had been living with for the past ten years.
This Jedi training must really be getting to me, he thought.
Just to be sure, the Padawan strays around the room, inspecting his plain furnishings. He glanced into his tiny closet and found nothing.
"Oh, well."
Calming himself, Anakin turns to open a window, when all of a sudden . . .
"BOO!"
Startled, Anakin turned around only to face a small red-haired girl named Callantra.
Callantra may only be ten years old, but she has a kind heart and an equally kind smile. Although at times she may find herself falling into trouble, her innocence is the key to escaping such a thing. Anakin envied her at times.
"Ha! Scared you!" said Callantra valiantly, while swinging around the light-blue lightsaber in glee.
"Callantra! Don't touch that! Turn it off!!!"
The small girl blinks innocently and does as she is told. She throws Anakin's lightsaber on his cot and looks at him curiously.
"Why do you have food on your face?" she questioned.
"Why do you sneak into other people's rooms?" he returned.
After a silent moment, Callantra blinks and starts to wander out of the room.
"Bye, Ani! I'm going to see what Master Obi-wan has stored up in his messy little chamber."
"Messy?"
"Yap! Bye!"
Anakin grinned as the small girl ran out of the room and next door.
He was simply glad to have her out of his way . . . even though he knew it was temporary.
*~*~*~*~*
At this juncture in the story, it would be best, gentle reader, to explain to you who the blazes Callantra is and just what a girl is doing at the renown Jedi academy for budding young knights. Callantra, a very precocious lass, is the daughter of the housekeeper, Madam Levra and her husband, the groundskeeper, Nam. Being precocious as well as darling will get you a long ways in an institution full of males and she does use this to her advantage. Callantra is very smart and has assimilated more of the academy curriculum than anybody could guess. She may appear clumsy with a lightsaber but looks are deceiving, for the she makes up for it with her wit and craftiness.
So, after raiding Obi-wan's room and finding nothing of interest, Callantra bounds back into Anakin's room, with a huge grin on her freckled face.
Anakin was busy looking over a holo-letter to Padmé when he noticed Callantra hurry in. He was laying down on his cot, facing the ceiling with holo-letter in hand.
Callantra jumped onto the cot and landed right beside Anakin, peering over the letter.
"Watcha doin'?" she asked.
"Writing a letter," Anakin answered.
"To who?"
"Padmé."
"Paddy-who?"
Anakin smiled at the innocence of the girl.
"A friend," Anakin responded.
"Is she pretty?"
"Very."
"Do you like her?"
"She's a friend."
"Do you hate her?" she asked.
"Why would I hate her if she's a FRIEND?"
"Well then, do you love her?"
"What?"
"Do you love her?" Callantra repeated.
Anakin's face colored with sudden embarrassment. "What kind of question is that?!"
"One that you don't want to answer."
This girl was much too smart for Anakin's comfort.
"I don't love her -" but Anakin was cut off.
"Oh," Callantra said with a much-too-innocent twinkle in her eyes, "I believe you. Reeaally."
She started to back away to the open doors behind her after hopping off the cot.
"Don't you dare, Callantra," Anakin warned.
"Too late!"
Callantra ran out of Anakin's room and zoomed across the somewhat crowded hallway, zigging and zagging out of everyone's way and shouting at the top of her lungs:
"ANAKIN LOVES PADME! ANAKIN LOVES PADME!!!!!!!!!!!!"
*~*~*~*~*
Anakin took off after her, running around corners and down staircases. Callantra, he knew was particularly good at hiding, so he knew he was in for it.
He scampered across the now empty hallway just getting a glimpse of her long skirt and red pigtails. Just as he as catching up to her, to his surprise and to his terror, he saw Master Yoda, his back towards Anakin, reading a book the Padawan was unfamiliar with.
Too late to slow down, he started a skid that landed him on his bottom. Gaining momentum now (since the hall was on a slant) he caught the little green man around his little stubby feet and both he and Anakin crashed into the silver tea set a great Jedi Knight had given to the academy eons ago. Such a clatter and commotion commenced that surely it roused the whole house.
And to Anakin's dismay . . .it did.
*~*~*~*~*
It took awhile for Anakin to come to his senses.
Suddenly angry with Callantra, he stood shakily to his feet when he noticed that there was about a hundred sets of eyes on him, and Master Yoda had just started to get up from his treacherous fall.
When he finally did, the little Jedi Master pointed his walking stick at Anakin, who was so surprised by this turn of events that he had no idea what to say.
"Young Anakin Skywalker! So reckless are you! So immature! For ten years have you been with us at the Temple of the Jedi, and learned maturity and mindfulness you have not!"
The words stung. But Anakin could not help but plead innocent.
"But Master! It was this . . . this . . . monster!!" He pointed at Callantra, who now had a look of naiveté on her soft features.
"Blame her do not! Your fault this is!" he pointed his walking stick to the shattered tea set.
Anakin conceded defeat.
"I'm sorry, Master. I'll clean it up right away."
*~*~*~*~*
After a long scolding and an equally long clean-up session, Anakin retreated back to his room, only to find Callantra there, pressing the "send" button on his letter to Padmé.
Eyes widened, he ran over to Callantra and swiped it from her.
"What did you just do . . .?!" he managed through clenched teeth. Anakin had to control his anger, but when being around this girl, it was not an easy task.
"Nothing," she said and ran out of the room giggling.
Anakin pressed a few buttons on the letter pad and accessed "sent messages". He selected the letter Callantra had sent and took a look at what dramatically large changes she had made to his letter:
My dear love,
I weep for you every night and my every thought is of you and your beauty and grace. I long to be with you and to call you mine. Please say you will marry me and we will live so happily ever after in Coruscant. My heart is aching to hear your enchanting voice and gaze into your dazzling eyes. Oh, my love . . .
Anakin felt sick. The blood in his head and suddenly vacated and he felt greatly lightheaded. How in the ways of the Force was he going to get himself out of this predicament?!
He couldn't take back all that mushy stuff he said . . . he risked a chance of offending her. And he can't MARRY her. Yes, she was beautiful beyond imagination and yes, he had planned on keeping his promise of marrying her someday, but this was WAY too soon!
He definitely felt faint. He had decided that he would just have to KILL Callantra. Yes, that would make him feel much better, indeed . . .
"O, Callantra!" he called sweetly.
Callantra, as was said, was a smart girl. She knew that she was dead meat if ever Anakin caught sight of her in the next 24 hours or so. She rationalized that she had done a good deed. Anakin loved Padmé and she was sure Padmé loved Anakin. What's not to love? He plays games and does really funny things. He was most entertaining. Callantra pondered in her precocious little mind that maybe she would grow up to be a matchmaker.
"Callantra, darling, please come here . . ." said Anakin as pleasantly as was possible at the moment.
No answer.
"CALLANTRA!!! GET YOUR BUTT IN HERE NOW!!!!"
Callantra creeped in.
"Hi Anakin," she squeaked.
"Come here."
Callantra shook her head "no."
"I SAID . . . come here."
Callantra started to creep away.
"Callantra!!!!"
She headed down stairs at a quicker pace than what Anakin felt like following.
As a result of this, Anakin went to seek Obi-wan.
*~*~*~*~*
Entering the Dining Hall, with holo-letter clutched in hand, he trotted up to Obi-wan who was now getting ready to make his way to his quarters.
"Master Obi-wan, kill me now."
"Anakin?"
Anakin shoved the holo-letter in Obi-wan's face and let him read it.
"Well, when is the happy day, Anakin?" he said with a smile after skimming over the letter.
"Please, Master, don't joke at a time like this. What am I to do?" the anguished Anakin replied.
"You do the only thing you CAN do. Wait. Wait for her to reply. She will know that something is wrong because you have never sent a letter like that to her before. Padmé is ruler of Naboo, give her a little credit."
"Yes, yes, you are absolutely right, Master." He was feeling better already. He was envious again of Obi-Wan and the way he conducted his life and how wise he was.
"It is the meditation hour, Anakin. Go, get ready."
"Yes, Master Obi-wan.....thank you." Anakin padded off to get his cloak and to prepare himself. Obi-wan, meanwhile, made a small change of plans and found himself looking for Callantra.
It was a simple enough task. Callantra could almost always be found in Anakin's room or the Gardens. He had an idea of where she might be.
*~*~*~*~*
"Callie, how are you today? Would you like talk?" Obi-wan asked gently after locating Callantra in the Gardens.
Callantra was always impressed with Obi-wan's togetherness and the way he always made you feel important even if you were a child. Thus, she agreed.
As they conversed, Obi-wan ever so gently brought to her attention how mean it was to put Anakin in that embarrassing situation with Padmé . She had never thought of it like that. She liked to tease Anakin, but she would never hurt him. Besides, she thought she was helping him get his girl.
Men, she thought to herself in defeat, what are you gonna do with them?
*~*~*~*~*
The holo-projector hummed loudly while playing a program that was, no doubt, boring.
Anakin rubbed his eyes as he continued to watch the late-night holo-program. He was sleepy and needed to rest. But he couldn't help thinking of what Padmé 's reaction might be. He didn't dare think about what he DIDN'T want it to be.
So, hours dragged on, and Anakin reluctantly decided to take a walk in the gardens.
The moonlight shown on his face and made Anakin look like a sort of angelic ghost. He continued to walk, thinking. Suddenly, he heard a sound.
"RAAAAAAAAAHHHRRR!"
Without blinking or even turning around, he said, "Hello, Callantra."
Callantra seemed a little disappointed, but managed to keep a joyful smile.
"Hi, Ani."
"Anakin."
"Anakin. Sorry."
Silence.
"Are you mad at me?"
More silence.
"Why would I be mad? Only because you sent the ruler of Naboo a LOVE LETTER that was supposedly from me? Oh, no. I'm not mad," he said, sarcasm coating his every word.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to . . . to embarrass you like that. I'm really sorry. And I mean it this time."
Anakin turned to face Callantra . . . with a smile.
"I forgive you."
Callantra smiled brightly and ran to Anakin, wrapping her arms around his legs.
"Yay!"
Anakin smiled. How could he possibly stay mad at her?
"I just don't know how I'll explain this to Padmé , though," he half-whispered.
"I'm sure you'll find some way."
* * *
Morning. Sun spilled into Anakin's small chambers. He opened his eyes and looked at the chronometer. Time to get up. Wonderful.
He checked his holo-pad. 3 new letters.
The first one was an advertisement claiming he could win million Republic Credits.
In a million years, maybe, he thought as he deleted the letter.
The second was another advertisement about a new Speeder. He read it with interest, but when he saw the price, well, it was gone in a flash.
The third letter was from Padmé .
Anakin gulped, prepared himself for anything, and read the letter:
Dear Anakin
Yes, I'll marry you.
Love, Padmé
Almost anything.
Anakin nearly lost consciousness. His legs felt like rubber and he had to hold onto the side of his bed in order to keep balance.
This was nuts. How was he going to get out of THIS one? So much for the wisdom of Obi-wan.
"Just wait", he said. Yeah, right.
He knew what he had to do. He had to come clean with her. He would just have to make a comm-call and set things right even though it would be awkward. Surely she would understand. Surely. . .
But . . .
What if she gets mad? Worse, what if she CRIES? Yikes, the thought made his stomach knot up.
Well, he thought, let's get it over with.
Anakin reached over and turned on his comm-link. The little device turned on with a beep and lit up, signaling that it was on.
"Computer, link up with Padmé."
"That is a secured line. Authorization code required," it replied in a monotone voice.
"Authorization code: two-seven-zero-three Skywalker," he said, pausing in some spots trying to remember the almost-never-used code.
"Authorization code accepted."
Followed by a lengthy string of beeps and buzzes, a familiar voice answered, making Anakin more nervous than ever before.
"Hello?"
She sounds just like an Angel . . .he thought, dazed.
"Hello?" she repeated again, snapping him out of his trance.
"Padmé," he croaked, "it's Anakin."
Pause.
Anakin didn't like pauses. He never did. And he very much didn't like this one.
"Padmé," he said a little loudly, trying not to screw up his courage. "That letter that I sent you . . . ."
He cleared his throat, and continued on.
"It was. . . . a . . . . misunderstanding . . . ." he voiced slowly.
Anakin suddenly felt like physically hurting himself. "Misunderstanding"? Was that really the best he could do?
"Oh, that letter," Padmé said, with exuberance. "Anakin, you're so funny. But please, next time you send a prank letter like that, don't make it so mushy. I thought I would die from too-much-sappy-love-letters-sickness." She laughed brightly over the comm link.
Anakin didn't know what to say, except, to go along with it.
"Uh, yeah! Well, um, you know me! Always pulling those little pranks . . . !" he said, forcing a tense laugh.
"Yes, well," Padmé proceeded, "I thought I would just send that little "love letter" back. You know, just for fun."
"Yeah, just for fun!" Anakin heartily agreed.
"Well, then, I'm glad it was just a joke . . . and that you really didn't mean any of those things you wrote."
Pause . . .
"Yeah, right, it was all just a little joke . . ."
Pause.
"So, Anakin, what have you been up to lately?
"Uh, listen, Padmé, for what it's worth, not all of that letter, you know, was a joke." (Anakin could hardly believe he had said that).
"Really?" she said teasingly. "Exactly which parts?"
"You are making this so hard for me, Padmé. Surely you know I think of you as more that just a . . . friend."
"Well, we will keep on like we are and see what happens," she responded softly.
"Of course. Anything for you . . ."
This was followed by the most prolonged period of silence ever.
" . . . Listen, I gotta go. Obi-wan doesn't like for me to use his comm line. Racks up on the Credits, ya know?"
"Okay. So . . . I'll see you soon then?"
"Always."
Padmé's voice was switched back to its cheerful self. "That's good. Don't go getting into any trouble until we see each other again, O.K.?"
"That may be a little hard, but I'll try," Anakin replied, smiling.
Padmé giggled. "Bye, Anakin."
"Good-bye, Padmé."
Anakin Skywalker turned off the comm link with a tiny beep and turned around with a hazy look on his face. What had just happened?
Well, who cares? It just . . . happened.
Smiling with a goofy grin, he turned around to exit his room. The doors slid open with a whoosh, and there stood Callantra, obviously trying to look like she wasn't doing anything wrong. (Such as, maybe, eavesdropping?)
"Hiiiii . . . ." she greeted all too innocently.
Anakin returned the greeting with a stern look.
"She loves you," Callantra said suddenly.
"What.....what are you talking about, Callie?"
"I want to be the flower girl at the wedding. And I'll wear a pink dress with puffy sleeves and a big skirt and I'll throw flower petals around and stuff. I take good photographs, you know. "
"G0 AWAY, Callantra Navaro, or I'll tell your mother on you."
"She thinks me being around you and the other Padawans is intolectally stimulating."
"Intellectually stimulating, you idiot."
Callie grinned.
"Race you to Obi-wan's room.."
Callie bolted, getting a headstart and got to her destination much sooner Anakin.
"Hey, Obi-wan!"
Obi-wan looked up from his meditating stance to find Callantra there standing in his room. She had a habit of doing that.
"Hello there, Callantra."
"Hey, guess what? Padmé loves Anakin and Anakin loves Padmé and they're going to get married someday and I'm going to be the flower girl and I'm going to wear a pink dress and . . . and . . . !!"
"Woah, slow down, Callantra. When did you -"
Just at that very moment, Anakin Skywalker stumbled into the room.
"Callantra? Where do you think you're going?" he said after catching his breath.
"So, Anakin, are you planning to participate in matrimony soon?" Obi-wan inquired.
"Say, what?" Anakin asked, all out of breath.
"Callie told me you are planning a marriage."
"I need to EXTERMINATE a little bug. Excuse me, Master."
Ani ran after that little scoundrel out into the hall and finally caught her when she stumbled over the game she left in the middle of the corridor. He tickled her until she cried uncle. She had such a gleeful, uninhibited laugh that soon Anakin was holding his stomach with laughter. And with that, he forgot all about why he was mad at her.
The fact was, he wasn't mad at Callie at all because he did care for Padmé.
And one day, when he pops the question to her and they make plans for the future, Callie will look so cute in her pink dress strolling down the aisle throwing flower petals at everyone. He could see it now.
Anakin Skywalker, Padawan learner, smiled at the thought.
~The End~