Disclaimer: Star Wars does not belong to me. blah blah blah.
A/N: Carl's Anakin's padawan, by the way.
"Anakin, the Separatists and Count Dooku has been captured and dwelt with. We have also found out that the Dark Lord is none other then Palpatine." Obi-wan calmly informed his friend through the hologram.
Anakin snorted, shaking his head. "I knew that politicians weren't to be trusted. To think that Palpatine would be the one who is disrupting the force." As if an afterthought, Anakin added. "How are you, Master Obi-wan, and my padawan?"
"We are both fine, Anakin. It was a tough battle. It would have been better if you were there. But you had to protect the Senator of Naboo, and you had to stick to your mandate." Obi-wan paused for breath, his hand stroking his beard unconsciously. "Which reminds me, Anakin. The danger is over. You can come home now." Obi-wan expected Anakin to jump for joy; after all, he hates politicians. Instead, Anakin's face fell. "What is it, Anakin?"
"Oh, its nothing, Master Obi-wan. It's just that I have gotten use the senator's company. That's all," he assured his friend. Obi-wan nodded.
"Well, you must come back sooner or later. Anakin, the council has decided to give you the rank of Jedi Master. You shall be on the Jedi Council." Obi- wan related this piece of good news to his padawan.
Anakin stared at the hologram, his hands rubbing his ears violently. "Master?"
"Oh no, Anakin. It is I who would be calling you master soon," Obi-wan teased. He turned to face someone outside the range of the hologram. Obi- wan nodded to the unseen person, before turning back to Anakin. "Anakin. You must come back now. The council will give you a day."
Anakin wanted to protest, to demand an extra day, but years of Jedi training had gave him self-control. He knew that his orders were to be obeyed, and he respected that. "Yes, master." His heart heavy with lead, Anakin switched off the hologram, and turned, only find Padmé standing behind. In the swirl of his feelings after Obi-wan had given him his orders, he had not noticed her presence.
"You're going," Padmé stated, her voice a soft monotone. Anakin nodded, knowing that there was nothing else he could do or say. "I see," this time, her tone was resigned and tight with sadness.
"Padmé, you know that if I could stay, I would," Anakin pleaded, begging for her to understand. She did. But not in the way he would like.
"But you're a Jedi. You're going to be on the Council. You can't stay. Not even for me." At the last point, Padmé's voice broke. Her honey-brown eyes were wet and glistening with unshed tears, but she lifted her chin, trying to regain a little bit of her dignity. "I understand. Perfectly." She nodded her head at Anakin regally, and even though her tears were falling down her face, she said, "Have a safe journey, Master Jedi."
"Padmé, don't do this. Please." Anakin reached for her hand, but she snatched it away. With a mumbled 'excuse me', she ran out of his room, leaving Anakin alone. From afar, Anakin looked like a typical grim and solemn Jedi Knight. His eyes however, were the window to the soul, and right now, his soul was in terrible pain. ***
Two weeks later.
"So Carl, how are you doing with Master Obi-wan as your master?" Anakin asked, as he walked side by side with Carl-Juan, who was his ex-padawan. After Anakin became a true Jedi Master and became one of the privilege few to be on the Jedi council, he had given his padawan to the care of Master Obi-wan, Anakin's ex-master, and good friend.
"Master Obi-wan's a good man," Carl replied. "But I do miss you master," he said, looking up at Anakin, who smiled kindly at him.
"Aren't you glad that Obi-wan's not as uptight as me?" Anakin teased, ruffling Carl's short crew cut.
"You were uptight master," Carl allowed. "But you did it for the good of me. I am grateful, master. You chose me to be your padawan, and it was a great honour. I'm just upset that I can no longer fulfil that position."
"Carl, you can't be my padawan. But you can be my little brother," Anakin said with an easy grin. "I would be greatly pleased to have you as my little brother. So what do you say?" Even before Carl answered, Anakin knew what the answer would be. A huge, resounding yes.
Carl glanced up at Anakin as they walked the rest of the way in silence. Anakin sure has changed since the last time Carl saw him. He was laughing and joking and giving witty, sarcastic comments much more now. He looked more his age, than the old uptight dude he had been. Just a couple of months ago, Carl wouldn't have walked with Anakin and joked and teased like brothers; Anakin would have lectured him about respect.
"We've reached," Anakin announced, as they stood on the welcome mat outside Carl's quarters. "Give me regards to Obi-wan, yes?" Carl nodded and entered, leaving Anakin to wander around again. As he entered HIS own very huge quarters, he couldn't help but feel alone, even though all the Jedi in the temple knew him, some personally, some not so. After all, the chosen one does get some fame around.
Anakin walked towards the window and glanced out at the dark sky, his force- attuned eyes studying the stars. His eyes focused on a distant star, a planet. Naboo. "Goodnight, Padmé," he whispered, like what he always did since he returned to Coruscant. ***
Padmé got ready for bed. She looked out the window as she did every night since Anakin left, as if hoping he would suddenly appear and take her in his arms. Nope. Just a dark sky. She sighed and closed her eyes, and as she fell into a dreamless state, she seemed to hear Anakin's voice, travelling through space and time, as she had heard every night since the fateful day he left.
"Goodnight, Padmé." ***
A/N: I'll try to write sooner. But how's this, 50 reviews, and I'll write a super long chapter. Deal? . =P R/R please.
P/S: I don't really know about the ranks of the Jedi, so pardon me if I got any thing wrong. After all, this IS AU. So I can afford a little mistake here and there, yeah?
A/N: Carl's Anakin's padawan, by the way.
"Anakin, the Separatists and Count Dooku has been captured and dwelt with. We have also found out that the Dark Lord is none other then Palpatine." Obi-wan calmly informed his friend through the hologram.
Anakin snorted, shaking his head. "I knew that politicians weren't to be trusted. To think that Palpatine would be the one who is disrupting the force." As if an afterthought, Anakin added. "How are you, Master Obi-wan, and my padawan?"
"We are both fine, Anakin. It was a tough battle. It would have been better if you were there. But you had to protect the Senator of Naboo, and you had to stick to your mandate." Obi-wan paused for breath, his hand stroking his beard unconsciously. "Which reminds me, Anakin. The danger is over. You can come home now." Obi-wan expected Anakin to jump for joy; after all, he hates politicians. Instead, Anakin's face fell. "What is it, Anakin?"
"Oh, its nothing, Master Obi-wan. It's just that I have gotten use the senator's company. That's all," he assured his friend. Obi-wan nodded.
"Well, you must come back sooner or later. Anakin, the council has decided to give you the rank of Jedi Master. You shall be on the Jedi Council." Obi- wan related this piece of good news to his padawan.
Anakin stared at the hologram, his hands rubbing his ears violently. "Master?"
"Oh no, Anakin. It is I who would be calling you master soon," Obi-wan teased. He turned to face someone outside the range of the hologram. Obi- wan nodded to the unseen person, before turning back to Anakin. "Anakin. You must come back now. The council will give you a day."
Anakin wanted to protest, to demand an extra day, but years of Jedi training had gave him self-control. He knew that his orders were to be obeyed, and he respected that. "Yes, master." His heart heavy with lead, Anakin switched off the hologram, and turned, only find Padmé standing behind. In the swirl of his feelings after Obi-wan had given him his orders, he had not noticed her presence.
"You're going," Padmé stated, her voice a soft monotone. Anakin nodded, knowing that there was nothing else he could do or say. "I see," this time, her tone was resigned and tight with sadness.
"Padmé, you know that if I could stay, I would," Anakin pleaded, begging for her to understand. She did. But not in the way he would like.
"But you're a Jedi. You're going to be on the Council. You can't stay. Not even for me." At the last point, Padmé's voice broke. Her honey-brown eyes were wet and glistening with unshed tears, but she lifted her chin, trying to regain a little bit of her dignity. "I understand. Perfectly." She nodded her head at Anakin regally, and even though her tears were falling down her face, she said, "Have a safe journey, Master Jedi."
"Padmé, don't do this. Please." Anakin reached for her hand, but she snatched it away. With a mumbled 'excuse me', she ran out of his room, leaving Anakin alone. From afar, Anakin looked like a typical grim and solemn Jedi Knight. His eyes however, were the window to the soul, and right now, his soul was in terrible pain. ***
Two weeks later.
"So Carl, how are you doing with Master Obi-wan as your master?" Anakin asked, as he walked side by side with Carl-Juan, who was his ex-padawan. After Anakin became a true Jedi Master and became one of the privilege few to be on the Jedi council, he had given his padawan to the care of Master Obi-wan, Anakin's ex-master, and good friend.
"Master Obi-wan's a good man," Carl replied. "But I do miss you master," he said, looking up at Anakin, who smiled kindly at him.
"Aren't you glad that Obi-wan's not as uptight as me?" Anakin teased, ruffling Carl's short crew cut.
"You were uptight master," Carl allowed. "But you did it for the good of me. I am grateful, master. You chose me to be your padawan, and it was a great honour. I'm just upset that I can no longer fulfil that position."
"Carl, you can't be my padawan. But you can be my little brother," Anakin said with an easy grin. "I would be greatly pleased to have you as my little brother. So what do you say?" Even before Carl answered, Anakin knew what the answer would be. A huge, resounding yes.
Carl glanced up at Anakin as they walked the rest of the way in silence. Anakin sure has changed since the last time Carl saw him. He was laughing and joking and giving witty, sarcastic comments much more now. He looked more his age, than the old uptight dude he had been. Just a couple of months ago, Carl wouldn't have walked with Anakin and joked and teased like brothers; Anakin would have lectured him about respect.
"We've reached," Anakin announced, as they stood on the welcome mat outside Carl's quarters. "Give me regards to Obi-wan, yes?" Carl nodded and entered, leaving Anakin to wander around again. As he entered HIS own very huge quarters, he couldn't help but feel alone, even though all the Jedi in the temple knew him, some personally, some not so. After all, the chosen one does get some fame around.
Anakin walked towards the window and glanced out at the dark sky, his force- attuned eyes studying the stars. His eyes focused on a distant star, a planet. Naboo. "Goodnight, Padmé," he whispered, like what he always did since he returned to Coruscant. ***
Padmé got ready for bed. She looked out the window as she did every night since Anakin left, as if hoping he would suddenly appear and take her in his arms. Nope. Just a dark sky. She sighed and closed her eyes, and as she fell into a dreamless state, she seemed to hear Anakin's voice, travelling through space and time, as she had heard every night since the fateful day he left.
"Goodnight, Padmé." ***
A/N: I'll try to write sooner. But how's this, 50 reviews, and I'll write a super long chapter. Deal? . =P R/R please.
P/S: I don't really know about the ranks of the Jedi, so pardon me if I got any thing wrong. After all, this IS AU. So I can afford a little mistake here and there, yeah?