Hiiii doods! I'm back from the road trip, thank the Force! And I also have my laptop back, so my A/Ns will be easier to write! WHOO! :D Anyways, I thought that the trip away would be ten days, but something came up and we had to cut it short. It was a little disappointing but I'm glad to be back home and writing with an actual keyboard and go super crazy with my fingers as I write down the words. :) *sigh* There's no place like home! It was also pretty awesome 'cause I was actually in Vermont, and it already feels like autumn over there. It well...SMELLS like autumn. (Sorry, I seem to always smell almost...smoke, I guess whenever autumn is near. Don't call me a freak, but seriously, that's what I smell. :P) And some trees were actually already turning red...which I found a little weird, since it's AUGUST, but I guess autumn is coming earlier in Vermont. OH, and another thing! You guys already know this, but I loved the movie Star Trek Into Darkness, and the DVD came out two days ago, I think and I saw it in my hotel room and it's SO awesome! I actually began fangirling in the middle of the night! :D So if you guys liked the movie, get it NOW, and if you guys have no IDEA what I'm talking about, just watchthe movie, it's awesome! And...I modeled Jim off of Jim Kirk from Into Darkness...! *blush* So basically, I always visualize Chris Pine whenever I'm writing about Jim. (Well, Chris in Star Trek Into Darkness.) Akep, my rambling and fangirling has come to an end, and I've wasted enough of your time, so read on for the first chapter! :D
Chapter 1.
Anakin—
"Successful together, you have been." Master Yoda says to Cadena and me in the center of the Council chamber.
"Yes…Padawan Cadena, you have improved much since you were first appointed as Skywalker's apprentice." Master Windu adds.
Cadena nods and bows at the compliment given. I smiled at her and she looked up at me, a faint twinkle of impishness in her eyes that she never lost, no matter how much time went by.
"Every victory we have brings us closer to the end of this war." Master Mundi says gently, clasping his hands together. I nodded and said, "Cadena has been learning more everyday…she rarely needs my advice now." Cadena looked up at me, slightly surprised and then grinned. "I'm very proud of her." I added, giving her a small smirk back.
"As are the rest of us." Master Ti says, giving Cadena a small nod of recognition.
Cadena practically glowed with pride. It wasn't every day the Council actually praised us for being successful.
"You two are dismissed." Master Koon states warmly and we both bowed, exiting the room.
I grinned at Cadena and nudged her shoulder. "Look at you, Miss Mature and everything." I said teasingly and Cadena rolled her eyes. "I want to say that I learned from the best, but…that wouldn't be the truth now, would it?" She shoots back, laughing.
I chuckled and said, "Honesty is the best policy, right?" Cadena smirked and replied, "It would be a problem if you were a little too honest, though…"
We both began laughing and Obi-wan met us in the hall.
"Good job, you two." Obi-wan says cheerfully, his mood just as high as ours. "I didn't think that you would be successful taking down that factory."
I smirked. "Don't be so doubtful in us, Master." I said, punching him lightly on the shoulder. Cadena sighs happily and says, "It feels good to be back home again."
I nodded in agreement and Cadena stretched out her arms. "You want to go dueling?" Cadena asks me. I chuckled softly under my breath. "Already wanting to show off in front of Obi-wan, Padawan?" I asked. Cadena shrugged and grinned. "I'm up for it." She said and skipped off into the training room.
Obi-wan smiles and asks, "How old is she now?"
"She's eighteen." I replied.
Obi-wan nods and says, "She's grown much…it's amazing." I nodded and said, "She still acts like a fourteen year old, though."
Obi-wan smirks and says, "Justice does come, Anakin." I rolled my eyes and we walked into the training room.
Recently, Cadena's outfit has been changing due to the fact that she had been growing quicker and her body had been developing.
Needless to say, it was a bit awkward at first, since Cadena was a human girl, and had…well, human girl problems.
However, we managed to fit her into a new uniform and she had been comfortable with it ever since.
Of course, there were some problems with the jewelry issue of Cadena's outfit…Cadena hadn't been one to be attracted to wearing gemstones and shiny, flashy things, but she insisted on wearing the necklace that I gave her on her sixteenth birthday.
At first, it seemed like a safety hazard, but Cadena was improving her fighting skills by the day and the tension over the jewelry quickly died away.
"Come on, Master!" Cadena says cheerfully, snapping me out of my thoughts. Her light saber was already ignited and at the ready, her stance firm and radiating confidence.
I grinned and whipped out my own blade. "Don't get cocky, Cadena!" I called over to her and we locked ourselves into a duel. Cadena leapt onto a wall and did a quick roundhouse kick to my chest.
I ducked but even with the throw-off, Cadena landed on her feet and turned, blocking my strike. She parried off, following through her offensive blows effortlessly and I inwardly smiled at how calm her nature seemed when she was in a light saber duel.
I Force-pushed Cadena into a wall and she got quickly up to her feet. She jumped straight at me and began to go for an opening at my side. However, as soon as I moved to block the strike, Cadena slid under my legs and kicked my back, bringing her 'saber to my neck.
I grinned and she deactivated her light saber. "You're getting stronger every day, Cadena." I said, giving her a quick bow. Cadena bowed back and we turned to Obi-wan, who was watching us with a small smile.
"What are you so impressed about, Master Kenobi?" Cadena asks, laughing as we walked out of the training room. Obi-wan shrugs and looked over to me. "I can't believe that you have actually managed to teach her this long. She'll be knighted soon." He says.
I nodded and Cadena said, "According to Master Skywalker, I still have a couple more things to learn and perfect, but…I guess I can catch up." I smirked at her and we walked into our quarters.
"Get some rest you two." Obi-wan says gently and walked away.
"I call the refresher first!" Cadena called over her shoulder and I smirked, sitting down on the couch.
Some things never changed.
•◊•
I laid myself out in bed after a quick shower and was asleep when I heard the soft sound of feet padding across the room.
I sat up and squinted into the darkness. "Cadena, where are you going?" I asked sleepily. I felt Cadena wincing through the Force in embarrassment of being caught and whispered, "I'm going for a walk around the streets…I'll be back."
I blinked and rubbed my eyes. "Cadena…it's late. I don't think it's safe for you to go off on your own." I said slowly, searching for the light switch.
"Go back to sleep, Master. I'll be fine…I have my comlink if something bad happens." Cadena whispered reassuringly. I found the light switch and I flicked it on, revealing Cadena standing next to the door, her boots already slipped on and wearing her tunic and leggings.
"Cadena…what could be so important that you need to go walk out like this?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at her. Cadena smiled and says smoothly, "I just want to get some fresh air, that's all."
"We've had plenty of fresh air on our mission." I said, refusing to relent. Cadena gave me a smirk and lifted a shoulder. "If you call smelling droid oil and blood everywhere as 'fresh air', then of course, I've had tons." She says sarcastically and shook her head. "No, Master, I just need a little time to myself for now. Can you understand that?" She asks.
I bit my lip, trying to understand her meanings.
"After all, I'm older now…more responsible." Cadena pressed on. I sighed and stood up. "Cadena, you're hiding something…" I said in a low voice. "I know that you're not telling me something."
Cadena blew out some air and said, "Fine, I was going to visit a couple of troopers on the street patrol. Happy?"
I tilted my head, confused and then slapped my forehead in realization. "Cadena, if you wanted to see Jim, just tell me!" I snapped.
Cadena winced and crossed her arms defiantly. "I was just going to say hello to him, that's all! It's been ages since I've seen him!" She protested.
I sighed and said, "Cadena, I understand it and everything, but is it really necessary to visit him tonight? Especially at this time?"
Cadena glared at me and says, "You sneak out sometimes, too!"
Blast. She has ammo against me as well. I swallowed, hoping that my guilt wouldn't be detected.
"That's to…get R2, though!" I replied, looking for an answer. Cadena narrowed her eyes at me and says, "Does R2 really need to be checked on nearly three times a week? I don't think so."
Blast again…how much does she know? Does she know about my visits to Padmé? Oh, for the love of Force, please no…
I cleared my throat and managed to keep my composure and said, "This is about you, not me!" Cadena scuffed the ground with her boot and asks, "Please, Master? Can't I see him? Please?" I sighed and flicked her arm.
"If anything goes wrong and if you're not here in the morning, I'll—" I started and Cadena squealed, jumping up and down. She gave me a quick hug and stood back, bowing.
"Thank you, Master!" She says happily and ran out the door.
I sighed and watched her become smaller and smaller in the halls and went back into our quarters.
'She's getting older every day…for better and for worse.' I thought somewhat sadly to myself and slipped under the covers of my bed.
I had a hard time sleeping, wondering if Cadena would be safe alone. She had Jim, true, but…I didn't really count him.
I sighed and closed my eyes.
•◊•
Flashes of images and different sounds bounced around everywhere, and I had a hard time focusing on each new experience.
Finally, my mind settled on one image and I caught sight of an infant with dark hair and blue eyes being carried by a young man. With a shock, I realized that I was looking at the familiar face of Jim, his eyes filled with sadness but also with quiet joy.
The image flashed again and I caught sight of a young boy with the same dark hair and blue eyes, staring up at the sky. Jim came up from behind him and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.
They watched together as explosions lit the sky and the boy walked back into the house silently. I watched as he went to his room and he slammed the door, kicking everything furiously.
Everything went black and then I heard a baby crying and a worn out, female voice whispering, "I'll see you when I wake…"
•◊•
I gasped, sitting up and felt sweat dripping down my face. I turned my head slowly and spotted Cadena in her bed, as she had promised and could see the faint glimmers of dawn peeking through the window.
I breathed heavily, my heart pounding loudly in my ears and my eyes focusing in and out on objects. I closed my eyes, recalling the vision and could still hear that tired voice whispering, "I'll see you when I wake…"
I reopened my eyes and turned to Cadena.
That voice had been hers.
A/N: YES, I have bold on my laptop and it's WORKING, thank the Force! And anyways, YES, we are going straight to the point, right off the bat. :) So...in this story, you get to see a more rebellious side of Cadena as she gets older. Of course, she's mature and wiser, but still, she...well, she can be crazy at times. :D
Anakin: You've got that right...-_-
Cadena: Well, what can you say? I'm a girl...I need some time to be a little wild. :P
Anakin: You're wild enough.
Cadena: You're only saying that 'cause on the road trip back home, I couldn't stop singing.
Anakin: HOW MANY TIMES DID I NEED TO HEAR YOU SINGING '22'?!
Cadena: Hey, I wasn't the only one!
Me: *smiles sheepishly* Guilty as charged.
Cadena: See? I state my case!
Anakin: *rolls eyes* Of course you do.
Cadena: *sticks tongue out* You were bored the entire trip back, so what did you expect us to do?
Anakin: You should have been doing I don't know...daydreaming?
Cadena: -_- Not funny, Master.
Me: Besides, Anakin, you spent the entire trip playing around with your arm! Do you have ANY idea how many sparks flew? ANY idea?! One almost landed on my face, for Force's sake!
Anakin: *shrug* Well, you shouldn't have sat next to me.
Me: There wasn't any more room! Obi-wan had to sit in the front!
Anakin: Yeah, why is that? I probably know more about cars than Obi-wan.
Obi-wan: It's because the last time we left you in charge of driving, you almost ran us into a tree! That was NOT a short-cut, Anakin! It led into a FOREST!
Anakin: What happened to your sense of adventure?
Me: Anakin, Vermont is filled with mountains...trust me, you don't wanna be 'adventuring' with a car. -_-
Anakin: You guys are no fun.
Me: Asking for a death wish is not fun, Anakin.
Anakin: We take risks all the time!
Obi-wan: *mutters under breath* And look how well that's been...
Anakin: What?
Obi-wan: What? I didn't say anything...*wanders away*
Anakin: You know, I get the feeling that Obi-wan says things about me all the time.
Cadena: *rolls eyes* You think? -_-
Anakin: Yeah.
Cadena: *mutters under breath* That's a shocker.
Anakin: What?
Cadena: What? I didn't say anything...*begins to wander away*
Me: Cadena, before you leave, do the review notice.
Cadena: *mutters* Drat!
Me: Now.
Cadena: Fine...please review, give feedback, no hate comments on this first chapter!
Me: Akep! :D
Anakin: Quick question-why is it that all of the stories in this series are Taylor Swift songs?
Me: 'Cause there's a couple lyrics in those songs that seems to fit those stories perfectly.
Anakin: What? *blinks*
Me: Eh...don't look up the song 'All Too Well' until the end, Anakin. -_-
Anakin: I have a baaaaad feeling about this.
Me: *smiles sweetly* You always do, Anakin. See you guys later! :D