Thanks Kit9888 and Katie Ladmoore for your reviews!
Author's Note: From now on, I'm going to just put dashes (like what I do for major scene changes) for the p.o.v. changes. Thank you for Kit9888 for the idea!
Separation and Anxiety
"I'm taking an extended leave of absence," Padme was saying to the ecstatic Gungan in the anteroom of her quarters while Anakin and Kelly stared out the window in the senator's bedroom. "It will be your responsibility to take my place in the Senate. Representative Binks, I know I can count on you."
"Mesa honored to accept this-a heavy burden," Jar-Jar humbly replied. "Mesa accept this with moi-moi humility and, uh…"
"Jar-Jar, I do not wish to hold you up. I'm sure you have a great deal to do."
"Of course," he concluded, bowing, "me lady."
As the Gungan departed, Padme briskly walked back to her room to finish packing.
"I do not like this idea of hiding."
"Don't worry," Anakin responded as his Jedi companion, leaning against the doorway, whisked a small metal ornamental ball away from near the window, using the Force, and twirling it around in the air. "Now that the Council has ordered an investigation, it won't take Master Obi-Wan and Elaina long to find this bounty hunter."
"I haven't worked for a year to defeat the Military Creation Act to not be here when its fate is decided."
"Sometimes we have to let go of our pride and do what is requested of us."
"Anakin…you've grown up."
"Master Obi-Wan manages not to see it," the padawan stated, going back towards his temporarily abandoned post by the window. Kelly-Fyn made a point of simply observing the conversation. She noticed that, in their separate ways, all three of the people present were somehow similar. "Don't get me wrong," he continued, using the Force to snatch the ball away from Kelly, receiving a death glare for the steal, "Obi-Wan is a great mentor…as wise as Master Yoda and as powerful as Master Windu…probably equal to Elaina in both. I am truly thankful to be his apprentice. In some ways…allot of ways…I'm really ahead of him. I'm ready for the trials, but he feels that I'm too unpredictable. He won't let me move on."
Somewhere in the middle of this speech, Kelly snatched back the ball.
"That must be frustrating…"
"It's worse! He's overly critical, he never listens. He doesn't understand! It's not fair!"
Though she tried to stay neutral in every way possible, the girl noted that she was perfectly able to relate to the boy's problems.
"All mentors have a way of seeing more of our faults than we would like," the senator was replying as she continued going back and forth in her effort to pack her things. "It's the only way we grow."
Sighing and sitting on the bed, Anakin replied,
"I know."
Suddenly, the politician was once again the meek and understanding girl that had seemed to disappear for a while.
"Anakin, don't try to grow up too fast."
At that, the Knight slipped out of the room and into the foyer. Even though they tried to deny it, mainly Padme of course, a relationship was blooming between those two beyond friendship. It hurt to think of love when it involved Jedi. They were pathetically forbidden to fall in love and yet…love was what consumed her, fed her…she lived in the hope that one day love would visit her. And it had: in the form of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the man of her dreams…but she was not the only one in love with him. Her sister loved him as well and it would feel wrong to not give her an equal chance for that emotion to reach its full potential. But, if given that chance, she would defy the Council and any other force standing in her way to grasp the single thing she wanted more than anything…however, she wouldn't leave her sister behind to do it. They were a team and nothing, even the man they both loved, would get in their way.
She only hoped that Elaina felt the same. With this comment, she snorted at the speeders in the city below. Of course Elaina thought the same, if not more so. Didn't she know her sister well enough to at least guess that? Maybe she didn't. Maybe Elaina would take advantage of her chance. Wait. If she did, it would be what she herself suggested: first to the finish. At the moment, the older twin had that advantage. But Kelly loved him; there was no denying it any more. And certain circumstances gave her an advantage. The next time she had the chance, she would tell him.
"Kelly," Padme suddenly addressed her from the bedroom doorway. She was hefting a large suitcase in an unspoken plea for help, which the Knight willingly gave. "What's wrong?"
The woman raised a thin, arched, dark eyebrow before replying,
"Nothing's wrong. Just thinking…"
"Something serious by how intently you were staring out the window."
"No, I'm fine," she answered, grabbing her cloak from the couch, where it had been since the night before.
--
Most of the trip to the refugee transport was spent mainly with the sisters, Padme, and Anakin teasing each other; and, however hard he apparently tried to stay out of it, Obi-Wan became the target of some of these musings. The older girl found it amusing that she and the handsome Knight were picked on for many of the same things, consequently teaming up together against the other three with more serious offences prepared: for instance, when Anakin's "team" chose to verbally throw fear of flying at the duo, they retaliated with irrationality. Captain Typho and Dorme, Padme's decoy, simply sat on the sidelines and thoughtfully observed the entertainment. Once at the transport station, the revelry was forced to cease as the door opened and the departing group hefted the Senator's three bags. As Padme was concluding her farewells to her two friends, Obi-Wan, standing beside Elaina, addressed his padawan.
"Anakin, don't do anything without first contacting either myself or the Council."
"Yes, Master," the boy replied. He then moved to speak with the senator.
"Elaina and I will get to the bottom of this plot quickly, m'Lady. You'll be back here in no time."
"I will be most grateful for your speed, Master Jedi."
While the two male Jedi exchanged "Force-be-with-you's", as Kelly always called them, the twins simply held eye contact for a moment. Probably both of them knew that prolonging the departure would simply make it harder. They had hardly seen each other for five years after being practically inseparable for over twenty. Life wasn't fair…but, then again, it never was. She was stuck with the man she cared for more than anything (except her sister), but she still had to hold true to the Jedi laws. Only the most extraordinary of circumstances could change that, however much she wanted it. She watched as the trio, along with R2-D2, walked away. Anakin said something that made them all smile, but it was Kelly who sent them laughing.
Obi-Wan and Captain Typho then flanked Elaina on either side in the doorway of the transport.
"I do hope he doesn't try anything foolish," the Jedi worried.
"I'd be more concerned about her doing something," Typho countered, "than him."
Having one of her extremely sarcastic moments, the girl added,
"Three of the most unpredictable people in the galaxy together on one mission…some unforeseeable things are bound to happen!" As the men, plus Padme's handmaid, went back to their seats, she continued to muse. "I wonder if the Council did that on purpose."
"Elaina," Obi-Wan addressed her. Turning to him, the woman studied his features for at least the hundredth time since they were reunited. He seemed to notice and cleared his throat, though she simply continued her survey, shifting the potential embarrassment to the other Jedi. Shockingly, it worked and he cleared his throat again, but for a slightly different reason.
"What is it, Obi-Wan?"
"After we arrive at the temple, I was thinking that we could split up for a while, cover more ground."
"Alright, what are you going to do?"
"Check on the origin of the dart used to kill that Changeling assassin. What about you?"
"I have some of my own research to do. It may take a while."
"Very well…I'll meet you back at the archive terminals."
"That is where I will be, anyway."
"Really?"
--
About half an hour later, the Jedi was sitting in a diner, confiding in an old friend of his concerning the dart.
"Cloners? Are they friendly?"
"Well, that depends," the grimy, four-armed alien replied.
"Depends on what, Dex?"
"On how good your manners are…how big your pocketbook is…" With this, he chuckled for a moment with an almost wicked air before he spoke again. "So, I hear that you've been coupled up with your equal. About time!"
"Sometimes you utterly confuse me, Dex. What are you talking about?"
"You didn't think you were the only one who seeks information from me now and then, did you?"
"You still have not answered my question."
"About five years ago, a pretty little female human Jedi came to me…said she had tracked me down, but refused to say how. Anyway, she was on a mission and needed my help. I can't divulge exactly what the mission was…you know how that works…I helped her and we became good friends since then. A little push in that direction may have been when she single-handedly threw a bunch of drunks out of my diner. They were ready to cause all sorts of trouble."
"I remember that incident. The men were arrested and the person responsible for alerting the authorities was never found…but you said then that you didn't know who helped you."
"Well, in a sense, I didn't, in a manner of speaking. I probably would have helped her anyway, though…she didn't seem like the type you wanted to cross when she's that determined."
"Dex, you never cease to surprise me."
"Good thing, too. Otherwise, you would eventually have no reason to ask me for help."
"Now, back to my original question: who were you talking about?"
"Didn't you get the hint? The single person who seems to equal you in every possible way…" Obi-Wan was simply more confused, but he made a wild guess at the risk of seeming foolish.
"Elaina Kalonya?"
"I knew you would eventually get it! You're lucky for a human, I'll give you that," Dex finalized with a wink.
"Oh, you don't mean…we aren't…"
"You want my advice?" the alien went on confidentially. "Don't waste your chance and, for once, forget about those laws you seem so worried about."
"Dex, Elaina and I are not…"
"Save your breath! I've got customers to serve!"
--
"Hello, Elaina," Obi-Wan addressed the girl a little while later in the Jedi temple library. The supposedly great and knowledgeable Enduring Warrior was hunched over, seated in front of a computer terminal with her eyebrows knit together in deep thought and worry. She did not seem to be paying attention to him even as he sat down at the opposite terminal to research Kamino. A minute later, she stirred and hit a few buttons, muttering,
"No, this can't be right…"
"What is the matter?" He still couldn't believe Dex's assumption. Yes, they were similar, and yes, she was pretty…but what else made his friend think such things?
"…nothing," the woman absentmindedly replied, punching a few more buttons with deliberate fortitude and continuing to whisper under her breath. "…how did this get here?"
"Have you found anything?"
"I have found evidence that the Sith somehow has or had access to the archive. There is some information that should not be here."
"What sort of…" Obi-Wan cut his question off as the terminal showed no records of Kamino. Several minutes of widening his range of searching went by, but nothing came up. With that, he hit a com button nearby and asked for assistance. Standing, he turned to study the bronze bust of Count Dooku close to the terminals, hoping to find some answer in the lifeless eyes of the renegade. "What do you think he is really like?"
Not looking away from her work (whatever it was), Elaina raised her voice a bit to answer.
"A fugitive, like all the others who abandoned their responsibilities and defied the Council."
"You're more dedicated than I first thought, Elaina."
"What made you think otherwise?"
"Well, you can't be around your sister all the time and not be affected." At that, Elaina hit a button a little harder than normal and stood.
"Here we go again. Obi-Wan, I am not my sister, no matter what you, the Council, or any of the other Jedi may think. From the way the Council keeps shoving promotions onto my already-full plate, you would think that they knew that by now, but no. Just because Kelly and I are twins and practically inseparable up until the time we took padawans, does not mean we are the same. You just don't get it, do you? You want to more about Enduring Warriors? I'll tell you. Ever since my kind, as you could call it, was discovered, it was noticed that while one would be serious and more focused with the Force, the next would be more flippant and capable with the lightsaber. Whatever you may be thinking, it was not reincarnation or any of that nonsense; however, they always seemed to alternate between those two personalities. It also turned out that while the former type always seemed to side with the order, the latter was more vulnerable to being turned to the Dark Side….so, don't mind if I am a bit protective over my sister and the only person anywhere who can fully understand me."
After the rant, she simply sat back down and continued her "research." Obi-Wan was in shock. Yes, he had heard her spit out her opinion with somewhat surprising fervor, but never had she seemed so irritated, yet composed at the same time. Not once in that speech had she raised her volume or displayed outward anger; however, the intensity of her sing-song voice was enough to get the message across.
Suddenly, the elderly Archivist was standing next to him.
"Did you call for assistance?" she asked.
"Yes," the man replied, "…yes, I did…"
"Are you having a problem, Master Kenobi?"
Going to the terminal, his focus back where it needed to be, he brought his failed search back to the light.
"Yes, I'm trying to find a planet system called Kamino. It doesn't seem to show up on any of the archive charts."
"Kamino…it's not a system I am familiar with…Are you sure you have the right coordinates?"
"According to my information, it should be in this quadrant here, just south of the Rishi Maze."
"I hate to say it, but it looks like the system you're searching for doesn't exist."
"That's impossible…perhaps the archives are incomplete."
"If an item does not appear in our records, it does not exist!" the woman haughtily stated before walking away.
Leaning back in his seat, Obi-Wan half-despairingly asked,
"Anything useful, Elaina?"
Prior to any real reply, a few more buttons were quickly pressed along with a couple of muttered and indecipherable words from the other side of the terminal. Elaina then stood and walked over to Obi-Wan's side.
"Nothing of consequence to our mission…having problems?"
"Is an answer really necessary?"
"No, not really…maybe Master Yoda can help us."
The man internally growled. For some reason, his companion's use of the word "us" brought back the nagging question of why his friend would suspect him and the talented young woman being…romantically involved.
--
"It must be difficult having sworn your life to the Jedi," Padme was saying to Anakin. The two denying lovers sat across from each other with a makeshift box/table between them, while Kelly sat on the floor behind the senator, leaning against one of the boxes with her eyes closed, yet altogether failing to get any sleep. Meanwhile, the younger girl continued. "…not being able to visit the places you like…or do the things you like…"
"Or be with the people I love?" Anakin interrupted.
"Are you allowed to love? I thought that was forbidden for a Jedi."
Kelly-Fyn was about to put her opinion up for examination, but the man beat her to it.
"Attachment is forbidden. Possession is forbidden. Compassion, which I would define as unconditional love, is central to a Jedi's life…so, you might say we're encouraged to love."
The pretending-to-sleep Jedi softly clapped at the statement.
"You've changed so much."
"You haven't changed a bit. You're exactly the way I remember you in my dreams."
~Ooh…that might be pushing it a bit~
Sure enough, there was an awkward moment until Kelly rose and sat on top of the crate beside Padme. The politician did a double take before settling for staring at her hair.
"I've been meaning to ask you, Kelly. What happened to your hair? Wasn't it brown and somewhat long the last time I saw you…ten years ago, that is?"
A smile tugged at Anakin's lips. He had heard the story before. After satisfactorily glaring at the boy, Kelly decided to go ahead and narrate the little incident.
"About six years ago, Ahsoka, my padawan, and I were on a mission to sift out these scientists who were doing a little illegal experimentation that had something to do with luckily minor gene manipulation. We caught them in the act, but one of the scientists was stupid enough to try poking Ahsoka with a needle (a pitiful defense). I used the Force to get him away from her, but then, when I was busy trying to properly rig the door of the main lab to blow open and Ahsoka was not looking, he grabbed another one and caught me off guard. Luckily for me, he didn't grab the one he wanted and all it did, as far as our physicians can tell, was change my hair color. I simply got used to it and styled it to better fit the new look."
"Tell her what went wrong with the mission," Anakin mischievously urged.
"I was going to leave that out…While I was distracted, the previously perfectly set charge went off at the wrong time and place. Within an hour, the whole building had collapsed…with no one in it, of course."
"You have such an adventurous and fun life," Padme said. "I almost feel jealous."
Kelly paused. Did the senator and former queen of Naboo just say that she was jealous?
"Why? Every sentence in the Code is one of the hardest laws to live up to…most of us just forget about some of them, with good consequences most of the time."
"On the way to the transport, you all seemed so happy and carefree."
"Only on the outside, Padme. Being a Jedi is not as easy as it sounds."
With that, she shared an understanding look with Anakin. Both of them knew what a Jedi had to go against for even minimal happiness…at least when they were rebellious and independent like Anakin or herself.
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