Chapter 10

/

Anakin carried Arik through the Jedi Temple on his way to the Combat Training Room to meet Tristan, Luke and Leia. He watched in bittersweet amusement as Arik's dark-haired head turned from side to side in rapid succession as he took in all the sights and sounds of the Temple, knowing he only had a short time left to spend with his youngest son before he too began his formal training. Squeezing Arik tightly to him, he vowed to enjoy the time they had left.

He arrived at the training room to find various Jedi Knights milling about while several sparring exhibitions were taking place. Anakin quickly spotted Tristan and the twins standing at the back of the room studying the various plaques showcasing the winners of the Padawan and Knight lightsaber tournaments throughout the years.

He approached them quietly as Luke's head jerked up. "Look Tristan, it's our dads!"

He pointed excitedly to a plaque on the center of the wall. "They won at the same time. Wizard!"

Tristan starred at the plaque silently, a wistful smile on his face. He'd seen numerous holographs of his father in his short time at the Temple, but never one where he looked so happy and proud.

"Maybe Master Anakin and I can win in the same year," he whispered softly.

"We'll both win," Luke gushed. "I can already block all the other younglings in Master Fisto's class," he boasted, demonstrating various defensive stances.

"Daddy, I gonna be a Jedi too!" Arik announced, squirming to be put down.

"Yes, you will," Anakin replied kissing the top of his head. "Someday."

He set Arik down and placed a hand on Luke's shoulder. "Already planning your victory, Son?" he teased.

"I'm gonna win just like you, Daddy," Luke beamed up at him.

"I know you will," Anakin replied ruffling his hair.

His eyes met Tristan's. "What about you Tris?"

"I don't know," he replied with a shrug of his small shoulders. "Maybe when I'm older."

Anakin smiled. "Well, you're ten years old now. That's just old enough to begin competing in the annual lightsaber tournament. You could compete if you chose."

Tristan smiled at the praise. "I guess."

/

Arik looked around the room, his eyes lighting up when he spotted the back of a small, green figure about his height. He rubbed his little hands together in youthful anticipation.

"I be a Jedi now!" he declared charging at the figure. "Eeeeeeeeeeeeyaaaaaaaa!" he screamed at the top of his lungs as his arm shot forward catching the figure just below its shoulder.

Anakin whirled around in horror as Yoda turned to face his tiny attacker. Yoda looked the youngest Skywalker up and down, stuck out his tongue and made a face.

Tristan and Luke both broke into hysterics that nearly had them both on the floor. Tears of laughter poured down their cheeks.

"Arik!" Anakin yelled at his son.

The boy forgot all about his attack.

"You funny," he laughed, sticking out his tongue out at Yoda as Anakin arrived, scooping him up in his arms.

"Arik, this is Master Yoda," he introduced. "Master, I…"

"Master Woda," Arik repeated, frowning in disbelief that the small green being could be the same wise Jedi that he'd heard Anakin speak of so often. "How old aw you?"

"Arik!" Anakin scolded.

Yoda chuckled. "Inherited your sense of adventure young Skywalker has, hmm?"

"Yes, Master," Anakin flushed in total embarrassment.

"Strong Jedi he will be. More careful, I will have to be," Yoda replied, winking at Arik as he hobbled away.

/

Leia watched her brother's exchange with Master Yoda with mild amusement before turning away and wandering over to an empty corner of the room where sat quietly. She didn't share Luke or Tristan's love of all things combat, though she was very proud of her father's accomplishments, as well as mildly curious about Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"Hey Leia, what's wrong?" Tristan sat down beside the five year-old who seemed much more mature than her years.

"Nothing," she shrugged, hugging her knees to her chest.

Tristan studied her silently for a moment. He could feel her discontent. "You don't like fighting much, huh?"

Leia sighed, nodding her head. Her dark eyes took on sadness then that Tristan knew a child her age shouldn't feel.

"I don't wanna fight," she admitted softly. "Mama says talking is better than fighting."

"Master Anakin says we'll have to do a lot of talking as Jedi," he replied patting her hand. "We just have to be prepared to fight."

"I guess," she said glumly.

"I'll help you if you want," he offered with a gentle smile.

"Okay," Leia agreed. "But I'm still not gonna wanna fight."

/

"I don't recall ever having felt that embarrassed in my life," Anakin said as he took a bite of the nerf-steak Padme had prepared for dinner.

Padme could only laugh at the story of Arik's adventure in the Temple. She had known from nearly the moment he was born that he was going to be the adventurer of the family. He was wild and untamed and unafraid. Arik was going to conquer the galaxy when he grew up.

She shifted her eyes to her oldest son. Luke was a quiet, serious child that had moments of wild, untamed exuberance like his younger brother, but the majority of the time he managed to keep it contained. Mostly, Luke was a dreamer. He spent hours upon hours on Naboo just staring up at the stars, questioning Anakin endlessly about the places he'd been and the things he'd seen with Obi-Wan. Luke wanted to travel the stars and Padme knew his inborn wanderlust would one day spirit him away from her.

Leia was her analytical, argumentative child. The girl questioned everything and never took no for an answer. She had not only to know how things worked, but also why. She wanted to help the people in need she saw on the HoloNet. She wanted to be a friend to children she knew had none. Padme knew in her heart that someday Leia would most likely follow her into the galactic political arena. When that time came, Padme knew her little girl would be a force to be reckoned with.

Finally, she shifted her gaze back to her husband. "The Jedi are going to have their hands full with these three."

Anakin nodded in agreement. "I sure hope they don't bring us to our knees."

The family continued speaking softly as they finished their meal. Tristan and Luke regaled Anakin and Padme with tales of meeting new friends and discovering which classes they liked and didn't like. Arik babbled to himself; caught up in his own little world, marching as usual, to the beat of a drum only he could hear. Leia ate quietly, speaking only when she had something important to add to the conversation.

Later, after the evening meal had been cleaned up, Anakin gathered everyone on one of the plush sofas in the sitting room.

"Story time," he announced as Leia curled up on one side of him and Luke on the other.

"Master, I'm too old for stories," Tristan protested even as he took his seat.

"You'll like this one," Anakin replied, smiling when Arik crawled from Padme's lap into Tristan's.

"Daddy tells good stowies," he announced before sticking his thumb in his mouth and laying his head on Tristan's chest.

"You won't be bored," Padme whispered patting Tristan's shoulders. "I promise."

Anakin gazed at her gratefully before launching into his tale of a slave boy on Tatooine and the two heroic Jedi who saved him.