Chapter 4
In the center of Coruscant, two figures wandered through the streets wearing thick Jedi cloaks, one the color of ebony, the other of ivory. The speeder was docked nearby as the pair explored the city.
"I must confess, in terms of entertainment, Coruscant isn't far ahead of Tatooine; and that's only because the constant sand storms make it difficult to enjoy the outdoors. Unless you're flying, of course," Anakin grinned.
"Tatooine, is that your home?" Anakin simply nodded in reply. "My home is so much farther away than that," Costia continued wistfully, with a glance towards the sky. "Gambosia is nothing like Coruscant."
"Do you ever miss it? What's it like?"
With a shake of her head, Costia replied. "No, I can't say I really miss it. I'm content here. And safe. But it is a beautiful planet."
"Like Naboo?"
"In some places, yes. We have lots of lakes and rivers and mountains. The planet has one vast desert that covers about half of the planet."
Anakin shook his head. "I hate the desert. Growing up in one wasn't much fun. I like this much better…most of the time…traveling around from planet to planet, getting to see many different types of life forms and civilizations."
"Mmmmm…" Costia signaled her agreement. "I love traveling. I have yet to see a planet quite like my home planet, but there are so many beautiful planets out there." She raised her eyes to the sky as she spoke. Instinctively, Anakin did so as well.
After a moment of quietly gazing up at the infinite number of stars and planets, he turned his attention back to his companion. "Is it true what they say about you?"
"That's not very specific," she pointed out. "And if you mean about me being Sith, no it's not true." Her face grew dark as she spoke.
"No, I mean, are you a candidate for The Chosen One? Master Qui-Gon seemed very certain that I was the chosen one when he met me almost twelve years ago. I hadn't realized that there were other Padawans that were believed to be The One as well…" Anakin's expression showed that he was perplexed and not simply trying to maintain the heroic title.
"I am, it's true. But to my knowledge, you and I are the only two that have been presented to the council as possibles. As far as I'm concerned, it can be you, I don't want the job…" she laughed.
"Why wouldn't you want to be the Jedi who restores the Balance? It's certainly an important job…"
"Because I don't want who I am to be defined by a title…"
"And yet you want to be a 'Jedi'?" he retorted, his emphasis of the word 'Jedi' not going unnoticed.
"It's different… 'The Chosen One' is such a select and important title. I don't wish to be defined like that…" Costia responded quickly.
Anakin laughed. "You're very strange, do you real-…"
"…OH!" Costia suddenly cried out, her attention suddenly focused in the distance. She quickened her pace and approached an old woman who was selling something that Anakin thought looked like goo on a stick. "It's moshes! Bee tiem Gambosia eie?" she asked the woman. The woman nodded as she glanced up and saw her customers.
"Kienvehh! Kienvehh et Gambosia! Bee nefe! Elu...Bee Jedi eie!" The woman exclaimed excitedly in her native language.
For the second time that day, Costia's face glowed red with embarrassment. She shook her head emphatically as she responded. "E Etieeu em greg me refe megheoel tei hemeyeub enhe. E le Kienvehh em, hemknb e Jedi tiem Gambosia. Ue bee hkeeo Yehev?" Anakin stood and listened to the exchange in utter confusion. He didn't understand a word of the coarse language that Costia spoke fluently. As he listened so intently, he hardly noticed the slight movement of Costia's hand and the gravity in her voice, clearly showing that she was using her knowledge of the force to calm the excited woman.
"Yes, I speak this language as well," the old woman smiled. "It's very rare to meet a native speaker of Gambosian in these parts," Costia nodded her agreement as the woman continued. "My apologies, young one, for my mistake, but you look the spitting image of what I would imagine her to look like today."
"It's quite alright. We would like to buy some moshes from you, if you please," the girl replied as she pulled her hood up. She exchanged coins for the treats, and promptly handed one to Anakin. "Grelo bee," she called to the old woman as they turned to leave. "That means 'thank you,'" she explained to Anakin.
"What did that old woman get so excited about?" Anakin asked as he looked at the goo on a stick and wrinkled his nose.
"She mistook me for someone, that's all…now try it, you'll like it!"
In the center of Coruscant, two figures wandered through the streets wearing thick Jedi cloaks, one the color of ebony, the other of ivory. The speeder was docked nearby as the pair explored the city.
"I must confess, in terms of entertainment, Coruscant isn't far ahead of Tatooine; and that's only because the constant sand storms make it difficult to enjoy the outdoors. Unless you're flying, of course," Anakin grinned.
"Tatooine, is that your home?" Anakin simply nodded in reply. "My home is so much farther away than that," Costia continued wistfully, with a glance towards the sky. "Gambosia is nothing like Coruscant."
"Do you ever miss it? What's it like?"
With a shake of her head, Costia replied. "No, I can't say I really miss it. I'm content here. And safe. But it is a beautiful planet."
"Like Naboo?"
"In some places, yes. We have lots of lakes and rivers and mountains. The planet has one vast desert that covers about half of the planet."
Anakin shook his head. "I hate the desert. Growing up in one wasn't much fun. I like this much better…most of the time…traveling around from planet to planet, getting to see many different types of life forms and civilizations."
"Mmmmm…" Costia signaled her agreement. "I love traveling. I have yet to see a planet quite like my home planet, but there are so many beautiful planets out there." She raised her eyes to the sky as she spoke. Instinctively, Anakin did so as well.
After a moment of quietly gazing up at the infinite number of stars and planets, he turned his attention back to his companion. "Is it true what they say about you?"
"That's not very specific," she pointed out. "And if you mean about me being Sith, no it's not true." Her face grew dark as she spoke.
"No, I mean, are you a candidate for The Chosen One? Master Qui-Gon seemed very certain that I was the chosen one when he met me almost twelve years ago. I hadn't realized that there were other Padawans that were believed to be The One as well…" Anakin's expression showed that he was perplexed and not simply trying to maintain the heroic title.
"I am, it's true. But to my knowledge, you and I are the only two that have been presented to the council as possibles. As far as I'm concerned, it can be you, I don't want the job…" she laughed.
"Why wouldn't you want to be the Jedi who restores the Balance? It's certainly an important job…"
"Because I don't want who I am to be defined by a title…"
"And yet you want to be a 'Jedi'?" he retorted, his emphasis of the word 'Jedi' not going unnoticed.
"It's different… 'The Chosen One' is such a select and important title. I don't wish to be defined like that…" Costia responded quickly.
Anakin laughed. "You're very strange, do you real-…"
"…OH!" Costia suddenly cried out, her attention suddenly focused in the distance. She quickened her pace and approached an old woman who was selling something that Anakin thought looked like goo on a stick. "It's moshes! Bee tiem Gambosia eie?" she asked the woman. The woman nodded as she glanced up and saw her customers.
"Kienvehh! Kienvehh et Gambosia! Bee nefe! Elu...Bee Jedi eie!" The woman exclaimed excitedly in her native language.
For the second time that day, Costia's face glowed red with embarrassment. She shook her head emphatically as she responded. "E Etieeu em greg me refe megheoel tei hemeyeub enhe. E le Kienvehh em, hemknb e Jedi tiem Gambosia. Ue bee hkeeo Yehev?" Anakin stood and listened to the exchange in utter confusion. He didn't understand a word of the coarse language that Costia spoke fluently. As he listened so intently, he hardly noticed the slight movement of Costia's hand and the gravity in her voice, clearly showing that she was using her knowledge of the force to calm the excited woman.
"Yes, I speak this language as well," the old woman smiled. "It's very rare to meet a native speaker of Gambosian in these parts," Costia nodded her agreement as the woman continued. "My apologies, young one, for my mistake, but you look the spitting image of what I would imagine her to look like today."
"It's quite alright. We would like to buy some moshes from you, if you please," the girl replied as she pulled her hood up. She exchanged coins for the treats, and promptly handed one to Anakin. "Grelo bee," she called to the old woman as they turned to leave. "That means 'thank you,'" she explained to Anakin.
"What did that old woman get so excited about?" Anakin asked as he looked at the goo on a stick and wrinkled his nose.
"She mistook me for someone, that's all…now try it, you'll like it!"
