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"You're stuck with me, Skyguy."

"Don't get snippy with me, little one."

Beneath the table, her left foot bounced as if electricity was running through it and her other leg sat crossed over the shaking limb in hopes to silence it. By all cost, it didn't work. Tap, tap, tap. Foot against the tile flooring, too quiet for Master Skywalker or Kenobi to hear yet the perfect frequency for her nerves to catch while her eyes are focus on Anakin.

Tap, tap, tap.

He did not look happy.

Tap, tap, tap.

Why wasn't he happy?

Tap, tap, t-

"Have you ever been in space young one?"

Obi wan's voice brought her back from the long and twisted caverns of her mind. She found herself sliding her half cleared tray to the empty side of her. "Oh no," She breathes out, her fingers crawling through the bangs of her hair. "I mean…" She slows with thought and pauses. "Yes." Kairi eyes shifted to meet with Obi Wan's and suddenly she realizes all she had just said and feels her cheeks rise with heat at her mistakes. "I have. I wasn't up there for long though," Kairi rushes, feeling Obi wan's and now Anakin's eyes on her while all her previous confidence begins to turn into weights that sit on her shoulders. "During my transfer to the temple." She didn't know when she lost her eye contact, when possibly their glazes became to much but she sat tracing one of her many scars on her thighs.

Obi wan hummed in response, a hand stroking the hair across his jaw and chin. "I take it, you were discovered late by the jedi then? Not during the normal time such an infant, or toddler." His tone is by far one of the most calm and polite sounds that have ever touched her ears. It washes across her nerves, coming them one by one.

She lifts her eyes once more, they connect with Anakin's. It only lasts a second, but a second too long because she swears the only thing she sees in them is weariness. Or maybe it was the lack of sleep that is also shown within the bags under his eyes. "Yes, Mister Kenobi." She does not bat an eye, nor leaves her direction of attention while witnessing the two older Jedi share looks. She can only assume it was from her manners of how she addresses her elders but she had gone long use to stranged eyed stares and questioning glances.

Anakin's studying her. They both are and she can feel it. The way their eyes weave over her, taking turns to look at certain parts of her. "How old are you?" Anakin voice wasn't sharp but still swiped at her in a way of shock. To say the least, she was expecting silence and only orders from him due to his unpredictable demeanor in the halls.

Kairi reaches forward and pulls a mug across the surface of the table. The faint smell of hot chocolate eases her senses and she knows-because it was her third cup-that the drink tastes far more watered down then it should ever be allowed. She drinks it anyways and lets the depressing taste that's almost sweet but not, ride her taste buds and give her a reason to smile. With the curve of her lips she thinks of her answer and laughs. "I don't know." She meets Skywalker's eyes once more, shrugging her shoulders contently. "No one knows my age." She glances down; green eyes meeting with the murky brown liquid inside her mug. "If I find out, I'll let you know." A smile takes over her features. She flashes it to Anakin and only watches his lips slightly tug upward in return

"I'll be waiting." He smirks and her heart jumps inside her chest with hope. That Maybe the tense feeling that hung between them was already beginning to fade.

Obi wan stands from the table, catching both Kairi's and Anakin's attention. "I suggest we get going."
They set away their trays and leave the mess hall. Kairi feels thumping of her heart in her ears and she doesn't realize her hands are growing clammy. "Snow," The loud whisper escape her while cocking her head up towards her master. His lips part and he tilts his head for a response but the blonde continues. "It sticks together, right? Because it's cold?"

He felt an actual urge to answer her. Childlike wonder shines in her eyes and he feels as if he's nine years old again, seeing that the galaxy contains far more than planets made up of sand. "Yeah, it sticks." Anakin answered with dip of his of his head as they walk the halls of the temple and head towards the landing pads. "Kids build things out of it, because of it." He adds simply because the conversation is struggling and he made a promise to Obi wan that he would give the girl a chance. That meant getting to know her right?

A hitch of breath is heard from padawan beside him and he snaps from his short train of thought. "Like the men created by snow!"

Obi wan chuckles, his shoulders move with the laugh. He looks down at the girl, sending a glance to his former apprentice. "I believe you mean a snowman." He corrects, his hand gesturing towards her.

"Snow man?" The term dances off her tongue leaving her face looking confuse before it quickly repealed with a sense of clarity. "Oh! Yes! Of course! A snowman!" Kairi laugh followed with a content sigh. She looks up at Anakin, grinning. "I'm guessing we will not have time for such, huh?"

The young jedi knight walks beside the girl who has yet to prove herself to him. "Build a snowman?" And she losing her chances of winning him over with such a question. He may have been a child once however this was war and what kind of question was that? "We'll see." A scoff of disbelief rattles off of him, sounding harsher then he means.

Anakin moves his eyes forward, facing nothing but what's ahead of him but he's ninety percent sure he may see a pout on Kairi's face. He ignores it. Just as he tries to ignore the low mumble of her voice, "It was just a question-not even such, Mister Skywalker." And there it is again.

Mister.

Not master. Of all his years he spent in the temple, not once had he ever heard a youngling address a Master Jedi or a knight as Mister. Children that been recuse by jedi from battlefield, sure. But never a youngling and especially not a padawan. In fact it unnerved him. Not completely in a way he would mention it but in a way it question her thought of respect. Did she respect the council, the elders? ...It went farther than the idea of respect, because it reminded him of Barris and how she had lost hope for the jedi and saw them as corrupted. Because of it, Ahsoka had left. Was Kairi a follower of Barris? Did She believe in the corruption?

His head felt as if it was beginning to spin off of his shoulders and he felt relief run through him as he saw the transport up ahead. It would only be a matter time till they were on a galactic cruiser and heading to their mission destination. He could figure out how to keep his thoughts occupied till then. Maybe look over reports and create battle plans. Yeah, that would do it. He could manage. All he could ever do these days was manage.

Kairi stared at the large cruiser as they boarded it. Her eyes would dance from Anakin to Obi wan to over her shoulder as if someone was going to drag her back into the temple. Yet no one did. She stepped into the cruiser and allowed herself to be swallowed by the large ship with many halls and rooms. She stuck close to Anakin, her lips pressed together as her eyes roamed and she began to feel the cruiser to lift off the ground and head towards Coruscant's atmosphere.

"General Skywalker," A clones voice led her to turn her head and lift her eyes upwards to a helmet painted with blue. It tilted down, staring at her and though she couldn't see his eyes, she knew for a fact they were on her.

Anakin crossed his arms and looked at the clone captain. "Yes, Rex?" He gestured with his robotic hand towards him, taking a step forward, almost as if he were trying to hide the padawan.

Kairi narrowed her eyes slightly and moved to Anakin's side, her hands moving to the end of her scarf. "I wanted to inform you that it should take us four stranded hours till we reach Hoth's astompere." His head turned back to Anakin with a stern nod.

Anakin gave a small smile in return. "Sounds good, get some rest and get your men ready." Rex's head bobbed slowly in understanding to the command yet he stood planted where he was. Kairi stood still near her master, eyeing the clone in the same silence. Anakin cocked a brow, wondering why Rex hasn't left yet but soon the sound of his 'padawan's' throat clearing caught his attention. Right. "Rex, this is Kairi Remex." He tried to keep his voice calm instead bitter to how it sounded within the walls of his own mind.
The youngling bowed her head, "It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Mister Skywalker's Padawan learner and I look forward to fighting with you." She couldn't help it. The way a smile broke through her lips at the word, 'padawan'.

"O-oh." Rex nearly choked on his words. His head jerking to face Anakin who gave the smallest shrug in return. "Ahh, you too kid…" He stared trans-like at Kairi before giving a final nod to Anakin and leaving to head to his men.

Kairi cocked her head upward, "MIster Skywalker, is he okay?" A questioning glint in her eyes mix with worry.

A silent sigh held in the back of Anakin's throat. How could he be so selfish? Kairi's presence wouldn't only affect him but his men as well. Ahsoka was like a sister to those men, especially towards Rex. Adjustment was going to be challenging for all of them if this did work out. Ahsoka couldn't be replaced. Maybe the council thought otherwise but Anakin would not allow this to happen even if it wasn't the blonde's fault. "He's fine." He mumbled and began to strode down the hall. "We have four hours to kill,' He waved for her to follow. "Lets see your skills, little one."

Kairi stared at him and shook her head, skipping after him. "Little one? I'm not a child!" She huffed at him.

Anakin swallowed the gulp that formed in his throat. One similarity she held so far to did not want to be thought of as children. Why was he being torture like this? "Considering we don't know your age. You are in my mind. You look like one…. You look no less than twelve." He retorted, peering down at her. "No more then fourteen." She fell silent, tucking a piecing of her bangs behind her ear and showing off the scar on her cheek because of it.

"If I am a child then," She hummed with a smirk tugging on her lips. "Then I must be special right? Advanced with my skills then other younglings." She held her head high.

Anakin rolled his eyes. "Don't get too cocky." He led her toward the training grounds inside the ship. "We'll see just how 'advance' you may think you are."
"Oh," Kairi chuckled playfully, and grabbed a training saber as they entered the large room. "You're on, Mister Skywalker."

Anakin rose an eyebrow, and held a small smile himself. Sparring was something he found fun, even if it was with a person he was more or less, not to happy about. "Bring it."

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