AN: I finally got to put the new chapters up. Hope you guys like it.
Only 10 000 more words before finishing the challenge. I'm beat but the deadline is the 30th of November. Wish me luck. ^^
Chapter 7: The Mechanic/Flying club, first friend, reunion.
Anakin skipped ahead to what he assumed was the Hangar Bays directions. Obi-Wan trailed behind him quite amused. The boy was unconsciously using the Force to navigate in the Temple.
They arrived in front of two big doors that were simply but attractively decorated. Impatient, Anakin put his two hands across one of them before his previous doubts flooded him. He felt Obi-Wan place a hand on his shoulder and a sense of reassurance washed over him.
"Would you like me to enter first?" The gentle question was asked.
"Please." Came the hesitant reply.
Obi-Wan opened a smaller door that was cut inside the bigger one. He entered while keeping a hand on Anakin's shoulder. "Siri? Are you there?" He called out in the hanger.
The head of a blonde women with a small tomboyish appearance popped out from a doorway that was on the side. Once she registered who the caller was, her face held a giant smile. "Obi-Wan!" The rest of the body joined the head through the rest of the doorway. She went towards them, a helmet in one hand, windy blond hair around her face and she wore a pilot suit. "You came just in time. I was just about to test a modified Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor. She is this monthly project."
"It's good to see you too, Siri. This is Anakin Skywalker. He is a great mechanic and also a good podracing pilot. It is thanks to him that Master Qui-Gon and I were able to come back to the Temple. He won us a hyperdrive in the Boonta Eve Classic."
"That I ow you my thanks, Anakin Skywalker." Siri said without missing a beat. "Would you like to come see the test of out little jewel?"
"A Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor? What sort of ship is that?" Anakin asked curiously.
"One of the best ships in the galaxy if we finish our modifications to it. A Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor is a ship that the Jedis are currently use but they have poor shielding capabilities as well as limited firepower. Their speed, however, is one of the best. Light-speed is also at the best of its abilities for this class-type of ship. Me and the other members of are group that were at the Temple spent six month on modifying it to be better in defense and offense while trying to not loose its speed. I am going to test that today. So, want to come?"
"Yes please!" Anakin's happiness singed through the Force.
The brightness and happiness that the boy was releasing was intoxicating, lifting Obi-Wan's spirit, bringing an involuntary grin to his face. Siri looked at him quizzingly, but ignored it as it if it was a normal thing around the normally (in his previous past) law-abiding Senior Padawan. Maybe he had somehow changed a bit more than he had remembered from before. Had Xanatos' voyage to the past changed so much?
He had found himself on the side, watching Siri climb into the cockpit, not remembering the small walk to the Hanger Bays. He could see Anakin, leaning on the ramps, watching with extreme fascination. The joy and elation were like a balm to Obi-Wan's wounded heart from Darth Vader's betrayal. Maybe he could pull this off.
He watched at the beautiful flight pattern that Siri was taking the Irisia on. He had worked on this particular project for five months. The last one was the one he went to Naboo and all the mess that came with it. Obi-Wan was glad that Siri was the one piloting it.
Although Gavin was a good pilot himself, he had a tendency to crash land anything he flies. Privately, when he was flying with Anakin, Obi-Wan just knew Gavin was teaching his Padawan how to land any of his ships. He had no proof whatsoever, but he just knew it was to be true.
Siri maneuvered the ship into doing complicated flight patterns that alternated between firing at certain modified targets — these targets gave the readout of the energy output of the attack and said if it was effective or not — or being fired upon.
When landing the Irisia, Siri climbed out of the cockpit. She was met by a wave of small younglings, older Initiates, followed by slighter less-excited couple of Senior Padawans, Knights and the Master that was in charge of the Hangar Bays that day. Anakin, of course, was one of the first ones to reach Siri.
"That was so wizard." He said. "When can I pilot a ship like that too?"
Laughing in good humor, Sir replied. "Once one of the older members allow you too and if you prove yourself to be good in the simulation. That is the only conditions we impose for pilots."
Turning around to find the older boy that had taken him under his wing, Anakin started to panic slightly when he couldn't find Obi-Wan. He wiggled out of the throng of Jedis or Jedis-in-training, hoping that he would see him.
A flash of auburn hair appeared in the corner of his eye, launching on the sleeve of Obi-Wan's robes, he cried out. "Obi-Wan. I couldn't find you. Were you outside the crowd? Wasn't it beautiful the way your friend flew that ship? Do you think I will be able to do that that too?" He looked up at the face, only to freeze his babble in fear as he realized that the person whom he was holding the sleeve wasn't Obi-Wan.
The stranger chuckled slightly, fast Jedi reflexes catching the wrist of the blond boy before it would slip away. "I'm sorry, but I am not Obi-Wan despite the close resembles. My name is Padawan Garen Muln. Who might you be?"
"My name is Anakin Skywalker. I'm sorry for mistaking you with Obi-Wan. Can you please let me go?" Anakin was anxious. On Tatooine, if he had latched on the wrong individual, he would have received a strong beating. But this man had not done it yet. It could be because he was a Jedi, but Anakin didn't want to rely on that.
"Will you promise not to run away from me?" Garen spoke serenely. Seeing the visual confirmation, he gently let go of the wrist. "Now, I understand that you thought I was Obi-Wan. May I ask why you are looking for him?"
"He is taking care of me. I think I lost him in the crowd when I went to talk to the pilot. Her name is Siri, I think."
"Well, young Skywalker, you are in luck. Obi-Wan and I are great friends. Anyone that is under the protection of Obi-Wan is under my own. Come, let us search the disappearing Padawan called Obi-Wan." The last sentence was said in a dramatic voice.
Anakin felt the real Obi-Wan before he could hear him. "Have you forgotten your medication again, Gavin?" Came the cultured accented voice that Obi-Wan had registered and engraved in his mind.
"Who? Me? What makes you think that?" Gavin playfully voiced.
Anakin ran towards Obi-Wan to tug on his hand and keep it safely imprisoned in his own two. Obi-Wan curled his hand before replying. "Oh I don't know. The fact that you are acting like a Master Jedi when we both know that you would have to be either sick or drunk to keep that calm facade of yours." He used his free hand to stroke his chin slightly. "And there is the fact that you cried out dramatically that last phrase. What was it? Come, let us search the disappearing Padawan called Obi-Wan? What have you been reading?"
"Oh, the usual Padawan Kenobi. Somehow, Padawan Muln has gotten his hands on my secret stash of mystery novels. He has been reading them non-stop for the past month now." Came the amused voice of Jedi Master Clee Rhara, the Jedi in charge of the Hangar Bay today.
"Master!" Exclaimed/whined Garen. "You weren't suppose to know or tell anyone." At the raised eyebrow he received in tandem of Obi-Wan and of Master Clee, he tried a different tactic to divert attention. "Besides, if you really wanted to hide them, the secret cache behind the third level of the fourth bookcase in the living room is definitely not the one you should put them."
Sighing while pinching her nose with two fingers, the red-headed Jedi Master voiced tiredly. "And how would you know where they were if they were so easy to access?"
"I was bored and it took me only four hours to find them." Fired back Garen.
Anakin stifled a laughter at the comical duo in front of him. Obi-Wan, feeling the vibrations, shot him a smile. "I think you have met all of my friends in the Temple, Anakin. Now, what did you think of the ship?"
Anakin lunched into a very descriptive description that could be basically resumed as "Wizard!". He started to speculate on the engine designs or other modifications that could have been made based on what he saw. "Do you think that I could take a peek at the blueprints Obi-Wan?"
"If you want to help us design it better, I don't see why not." Obi-Wan told him. "But you have to know that each task that is given depends on the skill of the mechanic and of the age of that person. Unlike on Tatooine, I, or any other person in charge, won't allow you to take care of the most dangerous tasks. We do not want you to be hurt, maimer, or even worse, killed. Will you swear to me Anakin that you will obey this rule?"
"I swear." The boy responded gravely. He would keep up that word, not wanting to disappoint Obi-Wan after everything he had done for him.
"Good. Garen?" He turned to see a very amused look on his friend's face. Giving a pointing stare that that meant he would talk later, he continued on. "Is the blueprint of the Irisia still in the workshop n°5?"
"It sure is. How old are you, Anakin?"
"I'm nine years standard age." The boy answered proudly.
"Then talk to Ferus Olin. He is the one in charge for your age-group."
"Thank you Garen, we will be seeing you tonight. Come on Anakin, let's go see what the others modified on my personal project."
"You mean you were the one who started the modifications?"
"Perks of being older. I started to work on the Irisia about six months ago, but had to leave to help the situation in Naboo about a month from today. Every six months, the club does a lottery to see which project they would all work together for a month or try testing it. It seems that I was lucky to arrive in time to see the ship being flown by Siri."
"Do you think that she would teach me how to pilot other ships?"
That was a trick question. On one hand, Obi-Wan desperately wanted to make the boy happy and let him be taught how to fly other ships safely. On the other, Siri was recently knighted and was unable to keep a regular schedule. Which meant that Garen would be the one to teach Anakin how to fly. This in turn meant that Anakin would be learning how to make more death-defying stunts with Obi-Wan's permission. He decided to settle for a neutral answer. "We will see. You first have to be accepted to be trained." Seeing Anakin's face fell, he pressed on. "But that doesn't mean that you won't be allowed to come here. The club was also opened to all non-Jedi living on Coruscant. It would just be more difficult to find you a teacher. I can tell you that I will try my best to find you a teacher, but I give you no guarantees. Ah, here we are. The Irisia's personal room."
They entered a relatively bared room. Obi-Wan called out. "Initiate Ferus? Are you there?"
A small, muffled curse was heard from under the table. A small boy of seven or eight that had brown hair with golden streaks popped up. "How can I help you?" He questioned bewildered. He was unaware that the test-flight was already over.
"My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi and this is my friend, Anakin Skywalker. He wanted to see the blueprints of the Irisia."
"Of course. Are you interested in mechanics, Anakin?"
"You bet. Back at home, I would fix droids with no problem. I even started to built one to help my mom."
"That is fantastic. We don't usually have people with good mechanical skills that are our age. Here is the schematics of the Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor, otherwise known as the Irisia. We started to modify the …" The rest of the conversation was dissolved into a technician babble that both Ferus and Anakin could understand.
Obi-Wan watched amused at the blossoming friendship between this two Initiates (which was the case for Anakin even if it was not official.). He remembered that before, they were rivals. Anakin not liking the stuck-up attitude that Ferus exhumed while Ferus despised Anakin's rashness. They never had the chance to bond over something like this.
Pushing the thought a bit more, he didn't remember a Mechanic and Flying Club that was open both to Jedis and certain non-sensitive beings. He could recall that the Temple played a lot of money for modifying the ships by professionals. This club was a great opportunity to promote unity in the midst of the Jedis. He would have to look up in the Archives to see when it was created. Although he said to Anakin he and Garen founded the club, in truth, the club had already existed and they had just re-opened it.
The trio stayed there for the whole afternoon. It was around five before Obi-Wan could drag Anakin away from the conversation. He had to meet Yoda in did not know how long it would take.
Knowing that it would make Anakin happy, he invited Ferus for tonight's gathering at his friends. "You should be back before the curfew." He stated.
"Of course, where should I meet you?" Ferus wondered.
"In front of Master Jinn's apartment. Either Master Jinn or I will be bringing you back home."
"Then I shall meet there at what time?"
"How about seven? You won't have to eat since Bant will be cooking. You don't have a problem with seafood I hope?"
"None whatsoever." He guided them to the door. "See you Anakin. Try to think of more ideas on to modify the Irisia. They are novel and unorthodox."
"Not to worry Ferus. I will. Can you bring a copy of the blueprints? We could pour over it tonight."
"No problem. See you tonight."
"See you tonight."
Obi-Wan started to guide Anakin towards the apartment. The boy's previous doubts were now nonexistent, but still a slight underline was there. "What are you afraid of now?"
Anakin looked up to his face. "I'm just scared that I won't be able to stay. I don't know where I would go."
"That's not all, is there?" Obi-Wan pressed on. He knew his padawan after raising him for quite a while. He could sense when Anakin was omitting some truths.
The boy's eyes widened slightly. "Can the Force read my mind?"
"No it cannot. I can just sense your feelings. Now, do you want to tell me what else is bothering you?" He hoped that this time, Anakin would trust him enough to confide in him. It would show that he had made a bit of progress.
Anakin stopped walking and tugging the older boy on the sleeve, forcing Obi-Wan to stop in mid-stride and to crouch down to be as the same eye-lever. "Promise that you won't think it is ridiculous?"
"I promise, Anakin, on my word as a Jedi. Would you like to go somewhere a bit more private than in the hallway?" Seeing the boy nod, he moved them towards a small alcove that gave them a some sort of privacy. He crouched back down. "Now, tell me what else is bothering you."
"I am afraid to be separated from you and all the other people who are so nice here."
Obi-Wan noticed that it was him first that Anakin was afraid to be separated from. His grey-blue eyes looked squarely in Anakin's blue ones. "Anakin." He began. "I can not say what the Council will decide. All that I know if that if you are not allowed to be trained, we won't be separated without any contact. I will make sure that you are taken of and that we will be still in contact. Besides, the Temple is open for everyone so you can come visit anytime. So you won't be separated from me or anyone else in the same way you are separated from your mother."
Seeing that Anakin wasn't truly convinced, Obi-Wan sent as many waves of sincerity that he could at the same time. "Believe me Anakin. Believe in me. Have I ever lied to you ever since we met?"
"No." was whispered. The youth's face was very solemn, no sparks of happiness could be seen, a look of commitment could be seen lying in his eyes. He realized that Obi-Wan had not lie to him and had always talked to him as an equal not like a child. He had also never lied to Anakin.
"Then you have nothing to worry about. Besides, I think that I have already told you that my master, Qui-Gon is very stubborn. It would be foolhardy for the Council to go against him." An idea suddenly popped into his head. "Listen Anakin, I was about to go meet one of the Jedi Council Members, for something that happened to me during this mission. Would you like to meet him with me? Master Yoda may seem harsh, he actually likes children and would always be there for them. I think you can talk to him about your fears."
Anakin only focused on piece of information. "What happened to you? Were you hurt while freeing the queen of Naboo?"
"Nothing physical. I would have been in that room you saw in the Healer's Hall if that was the case." Obi-Wan winked at the last statement. "I actually suffered a massive amounts of visions and I am having a bit of trouble to distinguish what is real and what is not. Master Yoda is one of the most knowledgeable Masters, being about 800 years of age or so and he was my mentor when I was young."
"You mean Jedis can have visions?" Anakin was curious at that fact. He sometimes dreamed of things that would happen in the next couple of days. He thought that he was just imagining it.
"Yes, but you should not try look to much in it. Nothing tells you if you can change something in the future or if you would make it worse." 'Like I am currently trying to do. Force, give me strength.' "So, do you want to come meet Master Yoda? I think that if you chat with a Council Master, you will feel less afraid of what will happen."
"Yes please." Anakin trusted Obi-Wan a lot. If he said that it would help him to meet this Master Yoda, then Anakin would do so.
"Great, let's just pass by the apartment so that I can leave a note for my master and then we will go see if Master Yoda is free for us."
Obi-Wan not only left a holonote for his master but also took the chance to set up a meeting with Granta Omega while leaving a small encrypted note to Ran telling him he was back on planet side. A small mental was made to ask Granta why his father decided to stop working being that he was still quite young.
"Let's go Anakin." They set off to meet Master Yoda.
Master Yoda's meditation was not the usual one he had past received. For one thing, the lingering darkness that he was seeing started to retreat itself from the Force, chased back by three or four beings — he wasn't to sure since one being wasn't there in the Force.
The chime of his bell roused him from where he currently was. With a wave of his hand, he opened the door. "Come in, come in." Yoda was very glad to see that it was Obi-Wan who was coming in. Besides him was a smaller boy — Anakin Skywalker, he recalled from Qui-Gon's initial report.
"Help you, I may? Or in need, are you?" He smiled internally at the surprise he could feel from Anakin at his figure of speech.
"Good evening Master Yoda. Anakin and I are need of your help." Obi-Wan bowed.
"Good evening Master Yoda." Anakin mimicked the Senior Padawan's mouvement.
"To help you, what must I do?"
"Anakin, would you like to go first or shall I?" Obi-Wan asked gently. He sat down cross-legged in front of the small green master. Anakin followed shortly after.
"May I talk to you first, Master Yoda?" Anakin was trying hard to be polite. If this little green troll had Obi-Wan's respect, than he must be very important.
"Go, you may. Help, I will do."
"Well, Master Jinn freed me on Tatooine and he promised me that I will be a Jedi if the Council allows it. I would like to be a Jedi, but I am afraid of what the future would bring."
Closing his eyes, Yoda tried to talk to the Force to see a possible future. But this time, he was not greeted by dark clouds, but rather by an escort of grey ones that led him towards a bright star. It seemed that somehow, the Balance in the Force has changed compared to what was happening during the past month. "Hmm, clouded, your future is. Yet no darkness I see. Meditate on this I will, but possibility for you to be a Jedi, should. Your age, an obstacle it is. Overcome it, you may, but uncertain, that is."
Yoda paused for a second, listening at to what the Force was telling him. Obi-Wan could practically see the outline of Myriam, mischievous as ever, whispering small things in the aged Master's ears.
"Fear in you, I sense. The reason, you know?"
Anakin pondered deeply. He felt as if Yoda expected an answer that was thought upon. "I fear many things, I think. My main fear is to be separated from Obi-Wan and Master Qui-Gon and any other people that I have met who have shown me kindness. I am also afraid of what the future would bring. If I am not allowed to train, what will happen to me?"
"Reassurance, Padawan Kenobi has given. Trust in his word, you should. Taken care of, we will. My word of a Jedi Council Master, I give."
"Then I trust your word, Master Yoda." Anakin acknowledged calmly. Somehow, he felt calm, tranquil. He had the word of both Obi-Wan and of someone he trusts, a Jedi Council Member. No matter what the future would bring, Anakin felt as if he could face it with no problem. Especially if he had Obi-Wan to help him and guide him. "Thank you Master."
Yoda saw the light grow brighter in the Force. He would have usual talked about not letting fear control yourself or it would lead to the Dark Side. But something restrained him from talking about that. A small childish voice of a young female youngling who rang the Force of light and scintillating.
He turned towards Obi-Wan. "Seek me, you did. Tormenting visions, Qui-Gon has told me. About them, tell me."
"I'm sorry Master, they are to raw for me to tell. May I show them to you through the Force?" Obi-Wan didn't trust himself to act well enough to fool Master Yoda. If he showed those 'visions' through the Force then he may have a chance to hide his 'awakening' with the aid of Myriam. He could feel Her everywhere in the Temple. How could he have missed her before? Anakin was still a fraction of Her Brightness but he was by far the first to be at Her Level.
"Meditate, we shall." Yoda ordered.
Anakin looked at Obi-Wan in a silent question. Seeing the look of the Youth, the green troll cut in the silent communication. "Join us, you may." He had not missed the silent link between the two of them. Something he would have to warn the Council. It seemed that the Force has already accepted young Anakin as part of Its Chosen. It had already started the first layer of the bound between a Master and a Padawan.
He watched with great interest as the Senior Padawan guided the young untrained boy into a simple meditation exercise. One that all new Padawans were taught, not Younglings. Only a Master, once he starts to train a young Padawan, was allowed to see the Archive in order to teach his student. By all means, Obi-Wan should not have been aware on how to do it, not should he have the permission to access to such knowledge.
The agin Master sank to into the Force to see these so-called visions.
Yoda laughed internally at what Padawan Kenobi was trying to pull. Even with the aid of the Force, it would be very difficult to fool a Jedi Master who has lived for more than 850 years. For now he would accept this feeble excuse, but he will be having a deeper chat with Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.
These two hours of meditations were quite informative. He will have many to discuss with the Council concerning young Skywalker's future.
He saw the two boys leave his humble abode. If he remembered correctly, it was the bi-monthly reunion for Obi-Wan and his friends. He was safe to assume that Obi-Wan has already started to assimilate Anakin to Temple life.
Much like Qui-Gon he was. The same traits they share with balanced personalities that made them a formidable duo. He had done well by pushing them together.