Caibideil 27

Anakin straightened his shirt and hair before walking into the restaurant. He had shown up about twenty minutes early to get everything ready for his blind date. Informing the hostess that he would be having someone join him later, he was shown to his table and ordered two waters. Continuing to fidget he twirled the flower around in his hand; a pink, blue, and yellow bloom, its purpose was to let his date know who he was. Patience was never his strong suit and as the minutes ticked slowly by, he considered bailing. Despite his boasts to the contrary, he didn't have any real experience when it came to dating: Padmé was really just a fluke that fell into his lap, literally and figuratively. Would it be rude to go ahead and order an appetizer? What if she had an extreme food allergy and couldn't be anywhere near it? He grabbed a breadstick and munched on it to try and calm his nerves, it didn't but it at least gave him something to do while waiting. Should he go ahead and call Ahsoka? Check to see how the twins were doing? Surely if something was wrong then she'd call him, right? Right?

Luminara and Shaak entered the restaurant ten minutes early, after all they had to get ready for the mystery man to arrive, right? "Hello," Shaak smiled to the hostess, a skinny blonde woman about Barriss's height and age, "She has a date that's supposed to meet her and-"

"Oh you must be the blind date! He's already here!"

"What!" Luminara started to panic. Quickly composing herself, she corrected, "Um, no, no, no, see I showed up early to try and get a feel for the place first."

"So did he! Follow me I'll take you to your table. Will your friend be joining you or…"

"Uhm, no," Shaak answered, trying to regain control of the situation as Luminara glared at her, "I'll be dining in view of them though."

"Ok! Follow me then!"

As Luminara followed the bubbly hostess she scanned the restaurant for a tri-colored flower, as far as she could tell there were no men here holding flowers though.

"Here you are!"

Luminara broke from her scanning the room and absent-mindedly thanked the hostess before taking her seat and a menu. Looking across the table, she was greeted by the sight of Anakin Skywalker, holding a tri-colored flower, with a look of utter terror on his face, which she promptly returned. "Oh… I didn't realize it would be you."

"Same," was all Anakin managed to stutter. Well, at least he could skip the "getting to know her" part. Clearing his throat and taking a sip of his water, "So… how's Teth been treating you?"

"I appreciate the change of scenery for sure. Coruscant may be a bit more convenient for finding things but the crowded hustle and bustle of an ecumenopolis is exhausting."

"That's nice. Uhm, do you like what we've done with the new Temple?"

"So far," Luminara answered truthfully, "I've heard that you're planning on some new constructions though?"

"Yep, just need to get the permits in order. Well, that and build more droids."

"Not enough space as there is?"

"Nowhere near. Especially if more than half of those expelled join the Reformed Order. Considering that, well, you did, we're expecting at least that many."

Luminara chuckled nervously, "About that… I only joined to have a roof over my head."

Anakin shrugged, "No shame in that. You know if you don't want to be here-"

"Oh no, it's not that! I just, well, erm, I don't really know how to go about this."

"Neither do I." Both Jedi sat quietly for a moment, the woman nibbling on some bread as Anakin twiddled his thumbs awkwardly… "I don't like sand?"

"Not this again!"

"What do you mean again?"

"Barriss told me to say that if I don't have anything to talk about."

"Huh… she must have really liked my advice."

"Apparently."

"So… anything interesting happen so far?"

"Well… I was convinced to try dating."

"Evidenced by you being here."

" Yeah."

Anakin cleared his throat, "Any luck so far?"

"Well this is the first one that seems to be doing ok… I think."

He chuckled somewhat smugly, "Well I'll take that as a compliment."

Luminara rolled her eyes, "Still Skywalker," she paused for a moment, "How are your kids?"

"Leia's starting to crawl!" Anakin replied excitedly, pulling out his commlink to show a recording of the infants, "Jinn is still trying to figure it out though. Ha! Look at him scoot trying to catch his sister."

Luminara smiled at the babies and even moreso at the beaming father as the waitress arrived to take their orders. "So sorry for the wait!" she apologized, "We've been slammed, what can I get you?"

Snapping her attention back to her surroundings, Luminara replied, "Uhm, actually I haven't decided yet."

"Ok then! I'll give you another minute!" she replied before speeding off to the next table, a middle-aged couple who looked to be a pleasure (sarcasm) for any servers or retailers they have ever encountered.

"I should probably look at the menu."

"Right. Uhm, I wasn't sure if I should have ordered any appetizers or…"

"Well if you want anything we can-"

"I mean, I'm not too hungry I just wanted to see if you wanted anything."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep."

"The Alderaanian crayfish seems like something you'd like."

"I'm allergic to it," Anakin admitted.

"Nevermind then. Let's just look at the entrees."

A few minutes later the waitress arrived back, "Have you decided?"

"I think I have," Luminara answered, "You?"

"Yep."

"Great! What'll it be?"

Placing their orders, the poor girl ran back to the kitchen at full speed and the pair turned back to their conversation. "Master Kenobi offered me a place on the Council," Luminara quipped, "I'm not sure if I'll take it though."

"That'd be disappointing, I was the one who suggested you."

"Really?"

"Of course. Wise as Master Yoda, and more than Obi-Wan's equal in the Force. You'd be perfect for it, especially since you advised the Coruscant Council for so long."

She smiled and brushed her hair behind her ear, "I wouldn't call myself 'wise as Master Yoda.'"

"Regardless, we could use someone like you on the Council."

"In that case," Luminara replied, lifting her glass of water, "I'll accept."

"Here are your entrees!" the waitress replied, placing their plates on the table, "Will there be anything else?"

"Not for the moment, thank you," Anakin replied, with the poor girl bolting off. This place was severely understaffed. "Well, Ahsoka can really pick a place, I must say."

"Ahsoka? I thought Master Ti picked it?"

"Hmm… wait a minute."

"They worked together on this?"

"That would certainly explain why Ahsoka had no idea who I was being set up with."

"Oh?"

"Not that it was a bad thing we were set up!" Anakin quickly corrected himself, "Just that, well, normally I'd assume somebody setting up a blind date knows both parties."

"I get what you're saying Anakin," Luminara chuckled. She lifted her fork to take a bite of her food, that was when the crash happened.

The two Jedi on a date and the one semi-distant chaperone leapt to their feet, seeing a speeder wrap around a lamppost. Anakin threw the credits for the food on the table and together he and Luminara ran out the door to try and save whoever was driving that now burning speeder. Anakin narrowly beat her across the street and quickly tore the door off its hinges with the Force before he and Luminara both pulled a miraculously almost unharmed man out of the wreckage. Luminara instantly recognized the smell of booze coming off the man and from his vehicle.

"Well that certainly explains why he's still alive," she remarked sternly, trying to avoid getting angry until the imbecile was at least safe.

"Huh?"

"Drunk driver," Shaak replied, looking at the idiot's pupils and smelling how his breathe reeked of beer. "People get floppy when they're intoxicated; it's tensing up in crashes that kills people nine times out of ten."

"Better that he ran into a poll and not another speeder then," Anakin noted.

"Mmhmm," Luminara responded while the trio waited on the authorities to arrive.