Obi-Wan Kenobi was walking around the Garden of Meditation. It felt good to leave his padawan days behind him. Not that he didn't miss Qui-Gon, it just felt good to be independent. He had spent the last few days catching up with old friends, Bant Eerin, Garen Muln and Quinlan Vos, all of whom were still padawan learners. But there was one person he hadn't counted on seeing. As he rounded a corner, he stopped dead.
"Siri," he gasped.
The slender, blonde women blushed as much as he did and avoided his eyes. Long ago they had decided to avoid each other ever since confirming their feelings for each other. But as soon as Obi-Wan laid eyes on her again he couldn't remember why.
"Obi-Wan, I heard the Council had made you a Jedi Knight," Siri said quickly steering the conversation towards a neutral area.
"Yes," Obi-Wan sighed wistfully, "Bant told me that you were to take the trials soon,"
"Yes, Adi Gallia, believes that I am ready,"
The stood in silence for a moment, just as he was about to speak Siri interrupted.
"Obi-Wan please don't say anything; we promised that we wouldn't talk about it,"
"But Siri," Obi-Wan whispered, "We can't avoid each other for ever," He stepped closer to her so their lips were almost touching.
"No," Siri turned away quickly, "I have to go."
Obi-Wan sat down by a trickling fountain and sighed deeply.
"What's wrong," a small voice piped up from nowhere. Obi-Wan jumped he hadn't seen or sensed anyone in the garden before. Anakin emerged from behind a bush holding an electronic reading tablet.
"What are you doing here?" Obi-Wan asked surprised.
"Reading," Anakin said simply, "Who was she?"
"Siri," Obi-Wan sighed again.
"She's pretty," Anakin asked, "Do you like her?"
"No," Obi-Wan said briskly.
"Alright," Anakin looked at him knowingly.
It was late, the Jedi Archive was empty but for a few archivists. Qui-Gon searched in-between the shelves and under the tables receiving strange looks from the Chief Librarian Jocasta Nu.
"Master Qui-Gon, are you looking for something?" she asked shrewdly.
"Yes, but I don't think it's in the archives," he said checking under a desk, "Anakin! Are you in here?" he called loudly. Every librarian shushed him angrily.
"Yes Master," Anakin emerged from behind a large bronzium sculpture.
"Anakin, you're supposed to be in the dormitory with the others," Qui-Gon said exasperatedly.
"I know Master, but I was studying," Anakin was still clutching an electronic tablet.
"What could possibly be so urgent?" Qui-Gon took the tablet out of Anakin's hands, "Introduction to Basic? Can you not read, Anakin?"
"Well, not very well," Anakin said quietly.
"Well then, we'd better get to work," Qui-Gon said sitting at one of the tables, "Come on," he motioned to Anakin to sit down.
"You won't tell anyone, will you?" Anakin said.
"Of course not"
The next day Anakin again sat next to Tru as a particularly dull archivist lectured the Younglings on Jedi History. Tru was absentmindedly chewing on his braid while Anakin's forehead was furrowed with concentration as he read. Ferus leant over towards him.
"What are you reading?" he whispered.
"Nothing," Anakin said covering the words but Ferus had seen.
"Introduction to Basic?" Ferus said incredulously. Aayla who was sitting next to Ferus was listening in.
"Leave him alone Ferus," she chided poking him in the ribs. But the damage was done, Anakin blushed bright red.
"For goodness sake, Tru Veld stop chewing on your braid!" their lecture exclaimed.
Again Anakin's day consisted of dozing during meditation and being beaten during lightsabre practice, this time by Aayla who looked more sorry about it than Ferus did. As they went back to their dorm, Tru sensed that Anakin was upset.
"It doesn't matter that she beat you, I get beaten all the time and it doesn't upset me," Anakin appreciated that Tru was trying to make him feel better but Tru was very clumsy and not very good with a lightsabre at all.
"Hey, what's that?" Tru asked scooping something up from under Anakin's bed. It was a model pod racer that Anakin had constructed "Wow, a pod racer. I heard that they race in the under-city, but we're not allowed there,"
Anakin looked up and beamed, "Pod racing, I used to race on Tatooine," he said excitedly, "Where do they race?"
"In the under-city, Anakin why are putting your boots on? Where are you going?" Tru said beginning to panic.
"I want to have a look," Anakin said.
"But we're not allowed," Tru whined as he followed Anakin out of the dormitory.
