Disclaimer: Star Wars does not belong to me. If I own Star Wars, I wouldn't
be writing fanfictions to fulfil my fantasy, would I?
A/N: ^ means flashback/thoughts.
A knock on the thick wooden door with ornate carvings woke Padmé, senator of Naboo, up. She blinked tiredly, before cursing herself for falling asleep when she had so much work to do. The knock came again, meek but insistent. Padmé gave a an annoyed sound, but walked over to open the door. She nodded at her handmaidens, Dormé and Sabé.
"Milady, the Jedi Masters will be arriving soon," Sabé announced. Padmé furrowed her eyebrows and glanced at her chrono, before giving a soft cry. "Hurry," she urged her handmaidens. "It wouldn't do to give a bad first impression to the Jedi Masters." Sabé and Dormé nodded and hurried to dress their senator up.
"Milady, would you like your formal wear?" Dormé asked. Padmé stared at the thick clothing before shaking her head. "Just give me something simple, but modest," she ordered.
***
"Master Anakin? Master Anakin?" Carl asked meekly. His master gave him a kind smile and tilted his head slightly, in question. "I was wondering, when will I get a mission of my own?" At Anakin's raised eyebrows, Carl hurried to explain. "Not that it's bad going on missions with you, master. I am truly glad to be your apprentice, but I would like some experience on my own."
"My young padawan learner, be patient. You are still not up to the standard set for you. One day, you will. But for now, be mindful of your thoughts," Anakin chided. Carl nodded meekly. Obi-wan, who had been watching from the side, gave a small smile. Not so many years ago, he had repeated the same thing to Anakin himself.
^Master? How come I don't get to go on missions on my own?" A twelve years old blond haired boy, apprentice of Obi-wan, asked, his midnight blue eyes honest and sincere. Obi-wan smiled kindly. "Anakin, be patient. You are still not up to standard. One day you will, my young apprentice. But for now, be mindful of your thoughts, and learn." Anakin nodded.^
"We are touching down on Naboo," a droid proclaimed, entering the room and waking Obi-wan from his reverie. He stood up and bowed at the pilot that followed behind the droid.
"Here we go," he heard Anakin mutter, and Obi-wan smiled. No matter how much Anakin had protested of his secret crush on Padmé, Obi-wan knew that Anakin was eager and anxious to finally meet her again, after ten years.
***
Padmé stood at the foot of aircraft, and watched as three Jedi walked down the slope to the ground. "Three?" she muttered. "Don't you think that's too much?" A fellow politician, Bail Organo, heard her. With an appalled look, he turned to Padmé. "My dear, that's too little. Your life is very precious, to the senate, to Naboo," he paused and glanced away almost shyly. "And to me." Padmé smiled awkwardly and turned away, pretending not to have heard his last statement.
She walked forward and greeted the Jedi protectors. As she walked closer, the Jedi leading seemed to spark a distant memory, buried deep in her mind. Her smiled widened into a genuine smile. "Master Kenobi," she greeted. Obi- wan bowed and shook her hand.
"It is good to see you again, milady," Obi-wan greeted. "You are well, are you not?"
"Very well," Padmé replied. Her eyes met the deep blue eyes of the taller, quieter Jedi behind him, who had been standing stiffly with his hands clasped. Even slightly hunched, he towered over Obi-wan. Padmé returned his intense stare, before something in his eyes flashed across. A flash that she saw once in the eyes of a little boy in Tattooine when he asked her if she was an angel. A quick-witted, intelligent boy who promised that he would marry her one day.
"Ani? Ani, is that you?" She asked, incredulously. Anakin stepped forward and bowed formally. "Hello, milady," he greeted. "It is good to see you again," he said, repeating Obi-wan's words.
Padmé shook her head as she surveyed the handsome young man in front of her. He had improved a lot as far as physical attributes were concern, and yet he was so different from the cheerful boy she once knew. His full lips were formed in a straight line and the muscle in his clean-shaven jaw was tightened, giving him a serious and grim look. Padmé would have like to survey Anakin longer, when a movement caught her eye. She turned and lowered her head slightly, to meet the eyes of a brown-eyed boy. He gave a grin and bowed. "I'm Carl-Juan Shepherd. Call me Carl, almost everyone does, except Master Yoda. Do you know Master Yoda? He's weird and bad- tempered and he speaks funny." Carl was cut short by Anakin, who gave his padawan a glare.
"Carl! Where are your manners? Master Yoda is a remarkable Jedi." Anakin bent slightly and glared at Carl. "You will know your place, my young padawan. And you will listen to my lead, do you understand me, Carl?" His padawan blushed a deep red and nodded, looking down at the floor.
Padmé glanced at Anakin, surprised. "You're a Jedi knight?"
"Yes milady, for four years now." Anakin straightened his back proudly. Padmé studied him. "I'm sure you're a very good Jedi knight," she finally commented.
Anakin didn't lose his grim expression, although one end of his lips did quirk up a little. "I do only what is of my duty, milady." He bowed. "Rest assure I will do my best to protect you."
"Then I am glad, Ani," Padmé replied. Turning on her heels, she led them into her huge mansion. "The servants will show you your rooms, Master Jedi," she said. Turning, she gave a regal nod of her head. "I will retire. I will be honoured if you accept my invitation for dinner," she said. Obi- wan nodded. "Of course, milady." Padmé nodded and walked off.
"I like her, she's pretty. How old is she master?" Carl asked. Anakin glanced at his padawan.
"A Jedi will not give in to temptation, Carl. I've told you before." "Yes master," Carl replied, scowling a little. Walking in front of both masters, even though it was rude, he ran into the rooms. Anakin opened his mouth to call him back when Obi-wan gave a chuckle.
"Master Obi-wan?" Anakin asked, surprised. "Are you laughing at me?"
Obi-wan nodded. "Cut him a little slack, Anakin. Your padawan is trying his best. Relax. Carl is still young and will have many experiences while growing up." Anakin merely nodded.
"Obi-wan, I believe a Jedi should never even be cut a little slack. They should never even think of NOT keeping to the three golden rules. Master, you taught me those rules, remember?"
Obi-wan sighed, and nodded. ^I'm beginning to regret it, Anakin^ he thought as Anakin walked into the room. Within moments, he could hear Carl getting lectured. ^I'm beginning to regret it.^
A/N: Sorry… My dog's making a lot of noise, so I'm gonna bring him for a walk. Hence, I'm stopping here for now. R/R please!
A/N: ^ means flashback/thoughts.
A knock on the thick wooden door with ornate carvings woke Padmé, senator of Naboo, up. She blinked tiredly, before cursing herself for falling asleep when she had so much work to do. The knock came again, meek but insistent. Padmé gave a an annoyed sound, but walked over to open the door. She nodded at her handmaidens, Dormé and Sabé.
"Milady, the Jedi Masters will be arriving soon," Sabé announced. Padmé furrowed her eyebrows and glanced at her chrono, before giving a soft cry. "Hurry," she urged her handmaidens. "It wouldn't do to give a bad first impression to the Jedi Masters." Sabé and Dormé nodded and hurried to dress their senator up.
"Milady, would you like your formal wear?" Dormé asked. Padmé stared at the thick clothing before shaking her head. "Just give me something simple, but modest," she ordered.
***
"Master Anakin? Master Anakin?" Carl asked meekly. His master gave him a kind smile and tilted his head slightly, in question. "I was wondering, when will I get a mission of my own?" At Anakin's raised eyebrows, Carl hurried to explain. "Not that it's bad going on missions with you, master. I am truly glad to be your apprentice, but I would like some experience on my own."
"My young padawan learner, be patient. You are still not up to the standard set for you. One day, you will. But for now, be mindful of your thoughts," Anakin chided. Carl nodded meekly. Obi-wan, who had been watching from the side, gave a small smile. Not so many years ago, he had repeated the same thing to Anakin himself.
^Master? How come I don't get to go on missions on my own?" A twelve years old blond haired boy, apprentice of Obi-wan, asked, his midnight blue eyes honest and sincere. Obi-wan smiled kindly. "Anakin, be patient. You are still not up to standard. One day you will, my young apprentice. But for now, be mindful of your thoughts, and learn." Anakin nodded.^
"We are touching down on Naboo," a droid proclaimed, entering the room and waking Obi-wan from his reverie. He stood up and bowed at the pilot that followed behind the droid.
"Here we go," he heard Anakin mutter, and Obi-wan smiled. No matter how much Anakin had protested of his secret crush on Padmé, Obi-wan knew that Anakin was eager and anxious to finally meet her again, after ten years.
***
Padmé stood at the foot of aircraft, and watched as three Jedi walked down the slope to the ground. "Three?" she muttered. "Don't you think that's too much?" A fellow politician, Bail Organo, heard her. With an appalled look, he turned to Padmé. "My dear, that's too little. Your life is very precious, to the senate, to Naboo," he paused and glanced away almost shyly. "And to me." Padmé smiled awkwardly and turned away, pretending not to have heard his last statement.
She walked forward and greeted the Jedi protectors. As she walked closer, the Jedi leading seemed to spark a distant memory, buried deep in her mind. Her smiled widened into a genuine smile. "Master Kenobi," she greeted. Obi- wan bowed and shook her hand.
"It is good to see you again, milady," Obi-wan greeted. "You are well, are you not?"
"Very well," Padmé replied. Her eyes met the deep blue eyes of the taller, quieter Jedi behind him, who had been standing stiffly with his hands clasped. Even slightly hunched, he towered over Obi-wan. Padmé returned his intense stare, before something in his eyes flashed across. A flash that she saw once in the eyes of a little boy in Tattooine when he asked her if she was an angel. A quick-witted, intelligent boy who promised that he would marry her one day.
"Ani? Ani, is that you?" She asked, incredulously. Anakin stepped forward and bowed formally. "Hello, milady," he greeted. "It is good to see you again," he said, repeating Obi-wan's words.
Padmé shook her head as she surveyed the handsome young man in front of her. He had improved a lot as far as physical attributes were concern, and yet he was so different from the cheerful boy she once knew. His full lips were formed in a straight line and the muscle in his clean-shaven jaw was tightened, giving him a serious and grim look. Padmé would have like to survey Anakin longer, when a movement caught her eye. She turned and lowered her head slightly, to meet the eyes of a brown-eyed boy. He gave a grin and bowed. "I'm Carl-Juan Shepherd. Call me Carl, almost everyone does, except Master Yoda. Do you know Master Yoda? He's weird and bad- tempered and he speaks funny." Carl was cut short by Anakin, who gave his padawan a glare.
"Carl! Where are your manners? Master Yoda is a remarkable Jedi." Anakin bent slightly and glared at Carl. "You will know your place, my young padawan. And you will listen to my lead, do you understand me, Carl?" His padawan blushed a deep red and nodded, looking down at the floor.
Padmé glanced at Anakin, surprised. "You're a Jedi knight?"
"Yes milady, for four years now." Anakin straightened his back proudly. Padmé studied him. "I'm sure you're a very good Jedi knight," she finally commented.
Anakin didn't lose his grim expression, although one end of his lips did quirk up a little. "I do only what is of my duty, milady." He bowed. "Rest assure I will do my best to protect you."
"Then I am glad, Ani," Padmé replied. Turning on her heels, she led them into her huge mansion. "The servants will show you your rooms, Master Jedi," she said. Turning, she gave a regal nod of her head. "I will retire. I will be honoured if you accept my invitation for dinner," she said. Obi- wan nodded. "Of course, milady." Padmé nodded and walked off.
"I like her, she's pretty. How old is she master?" Carl asked. Anakin glanced at his padawan.
"A Jedi will not give in to temptation, Carl. I've told you before." "Yes master," Carl replied, scowling a little. Walking in front of both masters, even though it was rude, he ran into the rooms. Anakin opened his mouth to call him back when Obi-wan gave a chuckle.
"Master Obi-wan?" Anakin asked, surprised. "Are you laughing at me?"
Obi-wan nodded. "Cut him a little slack, Anakin. Your padawan is trying his best. Relax. Carl is still young and will have many experiences while growing up." Anakin merely nodded.
"Obi-wan, I believe a Jedi should never even be cut a little slack. They should never even think of NOT keeping to the three golden rules. Master, you taught me those rules, remember?"
Obi-wan sighed, and nodded. ^I'm beginning to regret it, Anakin^ he thought as Anakin walked into the room. Within moments, he could hear Carl getting lectured. ^I'm beginning to regret it.^
A/N: Sorry… My dog's making a lot of noise, so I'm gonna bring him for a walk. Hence, I'm stopping here for now. R/R please!