Disclaimer: George Lucas owns all the characters, except Keturah Jade. No profit is being made by the publishing/posting of this story. Chapter Three title c/o Amanda Marshall.
Rating: PG-13
Love's Dress Rehearsal
Chapter Three: Ride
With the lights dimmed in the Jedi compound, Anakin slipped easily between the shadows, resting periodically in the safety of the pillars. The Force was always at his beck and call, but if he used it for too long, it began to tire him. He would need all the strength within him to make it through the plans he had for the evening.
Anakin heard the night chaperone walk by the pillar he was standing behind. Holding his breath, the padawan willed himself into a Force-void, hoping whoever was pacing the dormitories did not notice him. He would not like having to explain to Master Obi-Wan, or Master Windu, why he was sneaking over to the females' quarters.
With his mind, Anakin quietly disengaged the lock on the doors. The Force had served him in his youth to avoid physical reprimands from Watto; now it saved him the hassle of having to physically pick the lock. Anakin made it inside the long hallway without a sound and he smiled at his own cleverness.
Anakin took a deep cleansing breath and then sent her name out into the Force. When she did not respond instantly, he feared that she had not heard him, or that perhaps he was doing it wrong. Obi-Wan had told him repeatedly not to skip ahead in the lesson books. Anakin was about to try again when he felt a pull in his heart towards the third door on the left.
He walked slowly, toe to heel, down the hallway; each creak made him fear the arrival of the hall matron. When he reached the door, he found it unlocked. He took another deep breath before entering the room and locking the door behind him.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, the whisper so soft he almost hadn't heard it.
He grinned. She had pulled the blankets up around her body, but one beam of light had silouhetted her. She looked lovely. "Trying to have you feel some excitement."
Her hair whipped behind them, the brightest mark in the middle of Coruscant's night. Not even the glowing signs of the taverns and houses of ill repute could compete with her. Anakin Skywalker had made her smile.
"I told you this would be fun," he screamed over the wind, nosing the speeder down. They were nearly perpendicular to the ground, the g-forces pulling their faces taught. Her hands were gripped tightly on the door and center console, turning her knuckles white. He looked over when the wave of excitement and fear rushed through her. Anakin laughed.
"We are going to get into a great deal of trouble for this," she reminded him when he had evened out the speeder. They traveled at a more leisurely pace now, enjoying the relative anonymity and quiet of the airways. She suddenly became self-conscious; prying her fingers off the speeder's interior, she smoothed out her hair and then decided to re-braid it.
"We will only get in trouble if we get caught," he reminded her, turning briefly to smile. Her fingers worked quickly, gathering up her hair like strings of red silk. He almost forgot that he had to pay attention to the airways, until a fellow joy rider honked her horn angrily.
He swerved the car back into its own lane; this time, Keturah did not even flinch. Has the excitement worn off? Or is she finally enjoying herself? "We will be back before morning bed check and the speeder will be ridiculously clean." He patted her hand, surprised at how smooth her skin was. "No one will ever know."
The braid finally secured, she squeezed his hand a bit as he took a leisurely turn between two buildings. Anakin wasn't sure if it was affectionate, or reassuring, but he welcomed the extended touch of her hand on his. When she pulled her fingers away, he frowned.
"Let us return quickly," she suggested, looking at her wrist-chrono. "I have many tests to conquer tomorrow; Master Windu will know if I have not had enough time to reflect and meditate." Surprisingly, she smiled. "This was definitely exciting, Anakin Skywalker."