Here is the next chapter, and it will be much better than the last one, I think. The last chapter seemed kind of like a filler chapter to me, but oh well. The next few weeks will be really busy for me, so I don't know if I'll have time to update, if I have time I will. Here is the next chapter, please R&R!
Disclaimer: See previous chapters.
Forbidden
Chapter 21
Being A Grown Up
The next morning Obi-Wan and Anakin went to the Jedi temple to tell the council about what they had learned also Obi-Wan had informed them about Amidala's theory that both she and Calleah were the targets.
"Track down this bounty hunter you must, Obi-Wan," Yoda said.
"Most importantly, find out who he's working for," Mace Windu added.
"What about Senator Amidala and the Queen?" Obi-Wan asked, "They will still need protecting." They didn't propose that he and Anakin would just abandon them.
"Protecting the Queen, your Padawan will," Yoda said.
"She must return to Naboo, being on Coruscant now is no longer safe for her," Mace Windu explained, "it is for the best if the Queen and the Senator are separated so the Senator she will stay here, at the Jedi Temple, she will have all the protection she needs." He paused as he turned to address Anakin, "Anakin, do not use registered transport. Travel as refugees." Anakin was still upset with Calleah for the night before and did not want to be stuck with her for who knows how long,
"As one of the leaders of the opposition, it will be very difficult to get Queen Calleah to leave the capital."
"Until caught this killer is," Yoda said, "our judgment she must respect. Hmm."
"You should speak to Senator Amidala about this, perhaps she can speak to the Queen about this matter." The two Jedis bowed then left the room.
When Anakin went to go speak to the Senator, Obi-Wan took this chance to speak with Master Windu and Master Yoda. He voiced his concerns about Anakin taking on a mission by himself. He cared about Anakin and thought he was very skilled, but Anakin's arrogance worried him. Then Yoda teased him by making it sound like he had been arrogant in his youth. Then Mace Windu reminded him of the prophecy and Obi-Wan decided that the council knew what they were doing.
Amidala managed to convince Calleah to go, so Anakin now waited for Calleah in the hallway while she spoke to Jar Jar.
"I'm taking an extended leave of absence. It will be your responsibility to take my place to support Amidala in the senate. Representative Binks, I know I can count on you," Calleah said.
"Mesa honored to be taking on dissa heavy burden," Jar Jar replied trying to sound eloquent, "Mesa accept this with muy, muy humility and, uh…"
"Jar Jar," Calleah cut him off, "I don't wish to hold you up. I'm sure you have a great deal to do."
"Of course," Jar Jar paused the bowed slightly, "Milady." She gave him a small smile as he turned and left. She turned to see Anakin in the hallway and marched towards him with an angry expression,
"I do not like this idea of hiding." She briskly walked past him towards her room and he slowly followed her. He didn't like this idea anymore than she did.
"Don't worry," Anakin said, "now that the council has ordered an investigation it won't take Master Obi-Wan long to find this bounty hunter." Calleah went to her closet and began to pack her clothes,
"Amidala and I haven't worked for a year to defeat the Military Creation Act to not be here when its fate is decided." She put one of her dresses in the suitcase. Anakin locked his hands behind him as he walked forward slightly,
"Sometimes we must let go of our pride and do what is requested of us." He locked eyes with her. She looked at him surprised.
"Anakin," she paused as she straightened, "you've grown up." He was about to make a joke about it but he then realized that he knew what she meant. He went towards her window as she continued to pack,
"Master Obi-Wan manages not to see it." He paused as he picked up a round metal ball. "Don't get me wrong. Obi-Wan is a great mentor." Calleah looked up and saw Anakin floating the metal ball in front of him. She tried to hide a smile as she realized it was very similar to what she did with her blocks on their first meeting. "He's as wise as Master Yoda," Anakin continued, "and as powerful as Master Windu," the metal ball landed back in his hand and he turned to look at Calleah, "I am truly thankful to be his apprentice," Calleah turned back to her closet as Anakin set the ball down and approached Calleah suitcase, "In some ways—a lot of ways—I'm really ahead of him. I'm ready for the trials," Calleah turned back to him, "but he feels that I'm too unpredictable. He won't let me move on." Anakin didn't understand how he could be so mad at Calleah last night and now he was dumping all his private thoughts on her.
"That must be frustrating," Calleah replied truthfully. Being a Padawan learner herself she could understand exactly what he was feeling.
"It's worse," Anakin said, "He's overly critical. He never listens. He—He doesn't understand. It's not fair." He looked up at her. She folded a dress in her arms as she looked at him with a small smiled recounting her memories of times when she was just as angry at Amidala as Anakin was at Obi-Wan.
"All mentors have a way of seeing more of our faults than we would like," Calleah said as she put the dress in her suitcase, "It's the only way we grow." Anakin sat down on the bed with a sigh,
"I know." Calleah looked over at him and realized that he was lucky to not have the pressure of being completely grown up yet. Being a Queen, Calleah had to act almost twice her age at all times. She never got to act like an ordinary teenager, it was one of her dreams, but she knew it could never be.
"Anakin," she said, "don't try to grow up too fast." He looked at her then stood up towering over her.
"But I am grown up," he said, "you said it yourself." His height had never scared her before, but at that moment standing so close to him and the way he was looking at her made Calleah almost tremble. She remembered that look from when he said that she had grown more beautiful…when he thought she was Amidala.
"Please don't look at me like that," she said. He lowed his head slightly challenging her,
"Why not?" Her anger flared slightly as she realized all he was thinking was how much she looked like Amidala again.
"It makes me feel uncomfortable," she snapped and turned to her closet. He smiled slightly seeing the Calleah he knew flare back to life,
"Sorry milady." She finished packing in silence.
A transport took Obi-Wan, Anakin, Amidala, Calleah, and Captain Typho to the place where the ship that Calleah and Anakin were going to take was going to depart from. Calleah stood in a fairly simple outfit so that she could blend in with the other refugees and went to the door.
"Be safe, milady," Captain Typho said.
"Thank you, Captain," she replied, "take good care of Amidala. The threat's on you two now." Amidala looked over at the Captain with a smile,
"He'll be safe with me." She met Calleah's eyes again then looked down as a tear made it's way down her cheek. She knew that it might be the last time she sees her. Calleah was like a sister and a daughter to her and she could bare the thought of losing her.
"You'll be fine," Calleah said, misinterpreting Amidala's tear.
"It's not me Calle. I'm worried about you. What if they realize you've left the capital? Even though on Naboo you'll be safer, they could still track you there." Calleah smiled as she cast a look over her shoulder at Anakin who smiled back.
"Well, then my Jedi protector will have to prove how good he is," Calleah said smiling. Anakin turned to leave before Obi-Wan called him back,
"Anakin," Obi-Wan paused, "don't do anything without first consulting either myself or the council." Obi-Wan had already told him that over a hundred times that morning, but he decided just to listen. It seemed like Obi-Wan was more nervous than he was.
"Yes, Master," Anakin said. Obi-Wan stepped forward to speak to Calleah,
"I'll get to the bottom of this plot quickly, milady," he gave her a smile, "you'll be back here in no time." She bowed her head slightly,
"I'll be most grateful for your speed, Master Jedi." He returned the bow. Anakin picked up two of the bags and stepped out of the transport,
"It's time to go."
"I know," Calleah replied. She turned back to Amidala and they hugged each other tightly.
"Anakin," Obi-Wan said causing Anakin to look back at him, "may the Force be with you." Obi-Wan smiled and Anakin smiled back,
"May the Force be with you, Master." When Calleah let Amidala go she had to hold her own tears back. She then picked up her own bag and followed Anakin off the transport. Calleah cast one look back at Amidala as R2 made his way down the stairs. She looked forward,
"Suddenly I'm afraid."
"This is my first assignment on my own," Anakin said, "I am too." They locked eyes and then their eyes drifted to R2 who was behind them. Calleah looked forward and Anakin smiled.
"Don't worry we have R2 with us," he said. She laughed as R2 beeped happily and Anakin added his own laugh satisfied that he had put her fears to ease for the moment.
Amidala and Obi-Wan stood at the door and looked out at the two teenagers retreating figures. They felt somewhat like they were watching their children go off to school for the first time, a feeling that they tried to brush off quickly.
"I do hope he doesn't try anything foolish," Obi-Wan said.
"I'd be more concerned about her doing something," Amidala paused as she smiled and looked at Obi-Wan, "than him." Obi-Wan met her gaze and smiled then they turned to look back at the ship now taking off.
Obi-Wan then went straight to work, he had the dart analyzed by the droids at the Temple, but they couldn't find anything. He then took it to an old friend who told him everything he wanted to know. He informed that it was a Kamino saberdart and that the Kaminoans were very secretive and that they were cloners, 'damn good ones too,' Dex had said. He now was sitting at the computers in the library looking for the system with the coordinates that Dex had gave him. Nothing was there.
"What have you found?" A voice said causing Obi-Wan to jump slightly he turned to see Amidala standing behind him dressed in what looked somewhat like a Jedi robe, but it was made of velvet.
"What are you doing here?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I'm staying here remember," Amidala replied.
"Are you sure you should be wandering around?" Obi-Wan said.
"I don't know how long I'm going to be staying here and if you think I'm going to stay in my room all that time you have got another thing coming," Amidala replied. Obi-Wan smiled and shook his head as he turned back to the computer. Amidala smiled at him, "what no snappy comeback?" Obi-Wan had his eyes still locked on the screen as he tried to coordinates again,
"No, unlike my Padawan I don't find joy in arguing with female politicians." Amidala smiled then sat down in a chair next to him,
"Oh, Anakin and Calleah and their flirting." Obi-Wan's head shot over to meet her eyes,
"Flirting? I don't think Anakin thinks of her that way, I thought you of all people would know who Anakin's heart has belonged to all these years." She examined her fingernails with a smile,
"I know," she paused as Obi-Wan looked back at the computer screen, "he'll grow out of it eventually. Besides I could never return his affection," she paused as she looked at Obi-Wan's profile, "my heart already belongs to someone else," he turned to meet her eyes, "always has." Their eyes bored into the others as silence hung in the air.
"Amidala…" Obi-Wan started. Amidala broke out of her thoughts and said with a smile,
"So are you going to tell me what you found or will I have to beat it out of you." Obi-Wan proceeded to explain what he had learned also his problem with the archive.
The refugee transport raced towards the planet of Naboo while the refugees were getting their meals and it gave Anakin and Calleah a chance to talk. They had been eating in silence when Calleah decided to speak,
"I'm sorry Anakin," she paused as he met her gaze, "about last night, I should have told you." Anakin was shocked that she was apologizing,
"No, it's alright, I shouldn't have gotten so angry. I probably would have done the same thing if I was in your shoes."
"I don't care how powerful you think you are I don't think you could pull off my shoes, I don't think you could even fit in them." She lifted her foot to show him her small boot. He laughed as she smiled. R2 then came over with drinks, "thank you R2." Anakin finished eating and just watched Calleah eat. Calleah was thinking about how even though keeping her powers a secret was sometimes a drag at least she didn't have to follow the strict rules of the Jedi Order, like Anakin. She stirred her soup slightly,
"Must be difficult, having sworn your life to the Jedi not being able to visit the places you like or do the things you like…"
"Or be with the people I love," Anakin said. She met his eyes with a teasing smile,
"Are you allowed to love? I thought that was forbidden for a Jedi." She raised her spoon to her lips and took a sip of her soup. He smiled and looked down at his hands,
"Attachment is forbidden. Possession is forbidden. Compassion, which I would define as unconditional love is central to a Jedi's life," she smiled and he smiled back as he met her eyes, "so you might say that we are encouraged to love." Calleah shook her head in astonishment,
"You've changed so much, you're no longer that little boy who pulled my hair and got me wet, thus ruining my favorite dress I'll have you know." He smiled,
"Ah, you haven't changed a bit. You still are that spoiled little brat who proper titles were way too important to." She flicked a bit of her soup at him and he laughed then looked off to the side. "Amidala, she also hasn't changed," he said in a dreamy tone, "she's exactly the way I remember her in my dreams." Anakin looked back to meet Calleah eyes. She looked hurt. "Calleah, what's wrong?" She shook her head,
"Nothing, I just miss her already," she paused as she lifted her spoon, "and it's Queen Calleah." Her eyes darted down to her soup and Anakin nodded.
"It ought to be here," Obi-Wan said pointing to the screen where the planet should be, "but it isn't. Gravity is pulling all the stars in the area towards this spot." Amidala gazed at the screen and then leaned back into her chair. Then she began slowly,
"Is it at all possible, that someone could have deleted it from the archive's memory?" Obi-Wan met her eyes,
"I suppose, but I thought it was impossible to erase information from the archives." Amidala bit her lip,
"Could a Jedi have?" Obi-Wan's eyes widened and he remembered Master Yoda once telling him that only Jedi's could add and erase information from the archives.
"Yes," Obi-Wan said slightly dazed.
"But why?" Amidala asked completely confused.
"I don't know," Obi-Wan said shaking his head. Amidala bit her lip,
"I know one thing for sure," she paused as Obi-Wan met her eyes, "this situation is a whole lot bigger than we originally thought." She stood up and Obi-Wan, being the gentleman he was, stood up as well. "The only thing I can suggest to you is to fly to the center of gravity's pull and you'll find your planet."
"Thank you," Obi-Wan said. He bowed as she bowed her head then turned and left the library.
Well there was some Obi-Wan and Amidala alone time, but there is more I promise. Also the line where Calleah says about love, 'are you allowed to love I thought that was forbidden for a Jedi.' That is where the title of this story comes from. Also I know many of you are thinking that I'm just going to plop Calleah into Amidala's place in Episode 2 but I won't, some of the stuff will be similar, but some stuff will be different and what parts are different might surprise you. I hope you enjoyed it, please R&R!
PR1