I'm sorry I've taken so long to update…between school, apartment hunting, a family illness and a whole slew of other things I haven't had the time or the energy to write. But finally I have returned! Here it is, the next installment.

Usual disclaimers apply.

Anakin returned to the motel room that night laden down with old, immense books. The temple archives had been impressive and much more interesting than the cryptic sayings the troll…uh, Yoda, had spouted at him continually. The little green creature seemed to finally give up on him and had simply begun heaping books into his arms. They were all covered in some sort of clear sealant but apparently weren't dust repellant, and it was his sneezing that alerted Layana to his presence.

"Anakin! Where have you been? I got back from the diner forever ago…was your meeting with the council that long?"

Before answering he dumped the books and data pads on the bed and took a deep breath of dust-free air. Then he said, "Not really. It was a really…strange day."

Looking over the pile of books, Layana murmured, "Seems like it."

"I don't know how I'm ever going to get through these, but I'm meeting with the council again in a week and I'm supposed to have gone through all this stuff." He sat on the corner of the bed and picked up a particularly hefty volume and flipped through the sealed pages.

"Good luck with that. You're going to need it."

"Thank the stars some of those smugglers I worked with taught me to read and write…I'd never get through any of this with the education I got from the Tuskens and Hutts."

Layana lay back on her own bed. "Which was?"

"Uh…how to fight. And fight. And some more fighting."

"Not exactly higher learning, huh?"

"No, not exactly." He placed the book back in the pile and picked up a slimmer looking tome, then sat back against the headboard and turned on the table light. "They gave me some data pads with information, but I bet they access the network, too…you're welcome to surf around if you want."

"Thanks!" Layana practically squealed, and grabbed one off the bed.

"No problem," he mumbled, already absorbed in a story about the great sith wars over a thousand years before.

He showed up early the next week for his appointment with the council. There were some things he wanted to check out first…

The temple archives were as massive and impressive as he remembered. He looked around for a place he could dump the books: the main corridor of the archives more easily accessed the electronically kept information, data chips and such, while the old hard copy books were kept way in the back and Anakin wasn't too keen on walking all the way there to return the books to their rightful shelves.

Luckily, the force seemed to be on his side that day as he found someone who looked like she might work there. Her robes were unlike those of the other Jedi milling about, though there were few of them considering the early hour. This particular Jedi had some sort of geometric pattern all over her long cloth tabards, and her hair was back in a tight bun with some sort of sticks wedged in it.

She sensed his approach, but didn't look up from the cataloguing she was doing. "Can I help you?" she asked the approaching young man.

"Actually, yes. I wanted to return these, but I was also hoping that I might find another book, this one on prophecies that kept being referenced in a few of these…"

She looked up then, gave him a long up and down glance. "Are you a Jedi?"

"No, but Master Yoda lent me these, and said that if I needed anything else I should look for a…Master Nu?"

"I am master Nu," she said curtly. "Place those down here and follow me."

She led him not back towards the hard copy books as he expected by closer by to one of the gigantic shelves of data chips. She pulled out one drawer and quickly scanned through them. "I know just what it is you are looking for. Ah, here we are," and she pulled out one slender data chip. "This should be what you're looking for."

Anakin took the data chip and pocketed it. "Thanks," he said. Then he paused for a moment, and when Master Nu raised an eyebrow in question he screwed up his courage and asked, "Do you have anything else interesting? I…don't get to read much, and it was nice having all those books…"

Something seemed to spark with pleasure behind the Jedi's eyes. "Well, what are your interests?"

The two of them spent the next hour perusing the shelves, Master Nu making recommendations and picking out things here and there to lend to the young man. Anakin thought to himself, she must not get many people in here who are interested in reading just for the sake of it; after he'd made his request and showed genuine interest in exploring she had opened up, and they had already established quite a rapport.

Unfortunately, the time had come for Anakin to go meet with the council. "This was fun," Anakin admitted shyly. "Would it be alright if I came back again some time?"

"You are more than welcome to do so: I would be happy to provide further assistance…." She trailed off, obviously indicating a desire to know his name.

"Anakin. Anakin Skywalker."

There it was again! The weird silence, the strange, distant look…this was getting all too familiar. Master Nu, however, seemed to snap out of whatever trance she was in quickly enough and smiled. "Nice to meet you, Anakin. I look forward to seeing you again."

Anakin bowed and said, "Thank you Master Nu. I appreciate all your help."

"May the force be with you, young Skywalker."

Not knowing what else to do, he repeated back to her, "May the force be with you." Then he bowed and left the archives, making his way to the lift that would take him to the council chamber.

Obi-Wan was there outside the chamber awaiting his arrival. "Right on time, Anakin," he greeted. "The council is ready for you whenever you are."

Anakin took a deep breath and said, "Okay, let's do this."

Inside the chamber Obi-Wan took his seat and Anakin moved to the center as he did before, bowed, and said, "Good morning, Masters."

"Good morning, Anakin," Master Windu replied. "The council has considered your plea for assistance, and has agreed to send a contingent of knights to Tattooine to make a further investigation."

Anakin lit up inside. "Thank you, masters. I am most grateful."

"There is something else we wish to discuss with you," Hett said, caution in his tone.

Warily, Anakin asked, "And that is?"

"We have been happy to have you working in the temple hangars," Windu told him, "but we would like to assign you an additional task."

Curious, Anakin said, "Whatever the council asks of me I will do my best to accomplish."

Windu smiled, which looked strangely odd on his face. "We would like you to begin a program of light training with Master Kenobi. Each afternoon you will meet him here and the two of you will practice meditation and use of the force. We are interested in learning more about you capabilities and this…light power you posses."

"We are also curious as to your lack of dreams," Kenobi added. "If it would be alright, I'd like to explore this through our meditations."

Anakin was silent a moment, mulling over their proposal. He was still fearful of his powers, but perhaps if he learned how to use them in a controlled environment…surely a Jedi Master could keep him from accidentally hurting anyone.

With that thought, he said, "I will train with Master Kenobi. But I have a condition, if your honors will accept."

"And that is?" Master Windu inquired with raised eyebrows.

"That I also be allotted time to meet with Master Nu each day to explore the temple archives. There is so much information there, and so much I wish to learn…I've had no formal academic education, and would like to expand upon what little knowledge I have."

"Wish to learn, you do," Yoda said. "An admirable trait, this is."

After a moment of silence, during which Anakin assumed they were communicating telepathically, Windu said, "The council grants your request. There will be a time allotted after your sessions with Master Kenobi during which you may meet with Mistress Nu. We will contact her and make the necessary arrangements."

Anakin bowed, glowing inside with gladness. "Thank you, Masters."

Due to his coverings, Anakin couldn't see the smile on Hett's face, but he could feel it in his force signature. "You are most welcome, Skywalker."

"I will meet you at the temple hanger at noon tomorrow," Obi-Wan said. "Will this allow you enough time to finish your work?"

"I'm used to early mornings," Anakin replied. "That should be no problem."

"Wonderful," Windu said. "Anakin, thank you for coming. You are dismissed."

Anakin bowed and left the chambers. His head was buzzing with excitement as he traveled down the lift towards the hangar. He was going to get a chance to learn something, really learn, both about the galaxy and about himself.

And maybe, just maybe, he would learn how to dream again…