A/N: There are spoilers in this story for the Jedi Apprentice books 1,2, and 5-8. You don't have to have read them; if you haven't you'll be surprised like Anakin to find out what happened on Melida/Daan.
Chapter Two: The News
Anakin blinked. "You're…"
Padme stood. "You know what this means. We can't keep it secret anymore, Anakin. In about two months, people are going to know."
His head was spinning. If people found out, if they were discovered… It would all be over. Her career, possibly. His definitely. He had broken a sacred oath to the Jedi. Attachment was forbidden. A wife, a family, they were attachments of the greatest kind. He would be expelled from the Jedi order before even attaining the rank of Knighthood. "Padme… What can we do?"
She shook her head. "We have to come out with it. There's no other choice."
"I'll lose everything, Padme."
She put her hand over his gently. "You'll have me. You'll have our daughter."
He cocked his head, tried to smile. "So sure it's a girl already?"
Padme beamed. "Of course it will be a girl."
"Beautiful, like her mother?"
"I am more concerned with her being strong and brave, like her mother." Padme grinned wickedly.
Anakin pulled his wife onto his lap. "I am leaving tomorrow, Padme. On a mission to Melida/Daan." His face darkened. "With Obi-Wan."
She read his emotions well, as she always had. "What happened, Ani?"
"The council decided I am ready to be knighted." Padme smiled, her happiness for her husband tainted by the knowledge that he might lose it before it had even been granted. "But Obi-Wan disagreed."
"Are you sure?" she asked, shocked.
"He told me so to my face! I hate him sometimes, Padme! He's just jealous! I'm stronger than him, and smarter, and better with a lightsaber!"
"Anakin, there must be a reason…"
"I am *ready*, Padme! I see it. The Council sees it. That Obi-Wan cannot is only because he is blinded by resentment and greed. I will overshadow him, and he knows it. I will be the greatest Jedi ever and he will only be known as the one that trained me. That's what he fears."
Padme stroked his hair, twirled his braid around her fingers. "Obi-Wan may object, Ani, but he will never stand in your way. He loves you. You must know it."
Anakin set his jaw stubbornly. "I know no such thing."
Padme knew there was no use arguing with him when he got like this. So she kissed him and smiled. "You have to leave tomorrow. So let's spend tonight speaking of more pleasant things."
He grinned wickedly and tightened his arms around her. "Speaking?"
She returned the grin and kissed him hard, hoping that everything would be alright, yet knowing it would not.
*
The transport to Melida/Daan was to leave at dawn. Obi-Wan beat Anakin there. His apprentice arrived exactly on time, looking composed- until he saw his master. His face darkened then, and Obi-Wan knew he was battling with the anger that filled him so easily.
"Anakin," he said cautiously, not wanting Anakin to hide behind the walls he was rapidly putting up.
"Master," Anakin said, a tinge of contempt in his voice.
"Have you had time to review the data pad that was sent to your quarters last night?" Obi-Wan asked, studying his apprentice.
Anakin shook his head. "No, Master. I was… training until late last night and did not have time this morning."
Obi-Wan noted the slight waver in Anakin's voice when he said where he had been the night before, but didn't bother to question him on it. "I understand," he replied, not reprovingly. "There will be time on the voyage to do so."
"Yes, Master." Anakin was silent as the ship lifted off. But his curiosity won out over his anger at his master and he asked, "When have you been to Melida/Daan before?"
Obi-Wan stared down at the map of Melida/Daan that covered the screen on his data pad. "I was thirteen and apprenticed to Qui-Gon. There was a war going on between the Melida and the Daan. We were sent on a rescue mission to retrieve a fellow Jedi who had been captured by the Melida."
"Is that all?" Anakin asked, brow furrowed. "From the way Master Windu spoke of it…"
Obi-Wan stood, cutting Anakin off. "The information you need to know is in your data pad, Anakin. You should use this time to study it, as should I. After all, I haven't been to Melida/Daan for close to thirty years. Many things have changed since then." He smiled sadly at his apprentice and in a show of affection that had grown unusual as Anakin grew up, he reached out to touch his cheek. "And many things will continue to."
Anakin let Obi-Wan walk away, let him reach the door and open it before he called out, "Why don't you believe in me? Why is nothing I do ever enough?"
Obi-Wan looked over at him. "It is enough. Sometimes its too much. You're powerful, Anakin. A fool would know that. But power not tempered with wisdom is dangerous. You don't think. You act. Balance must be found between the two." Obi-Wan turned toward the door again, but before he left, he said over his shoulder, "And I do believe in you, Anakin. I just think you need more time."
Chapter Two: The News
Anakin blinked. "You're…"
Padme stood. "You know what this means. We can't keep it secret anymore, Anakin. In about two months, people are going to know."
His head was spinning. If people found out, if they were discovered… It would all be over. Her career, possibly. His definitely. He had broken a sacred oath to the Jedi. Attachment was forbidden. A wife, a family, they were attachments of the greatest kind. He would be expelled from the Jedi order before even attaining the rank of Knighthood. "Padme… What can we do?"
She shook her head. "We have to come out with it. There's no other choice."
"I'll lose everything, Padme."
She put her hand over his gently. "You'll have me. You'll have our daughter."
He cocked his head, tried to smile. "So sure it's a girl already?"
Padme beamed. "Of course it will be a girl."
"Beautiful, like her mother?"
"I am more concerned with her being strong and brave, like her mother." Padme grinned wickedly.
Anakin pulled his wife onto his lap. "I am leaving tomorrow, Padme. On a mission to Melida/Daan." His face darkened. "With Obi-Wan."
She read his emotions well, as she always had. "What happened, Ani?"
"The council decided I am ready to be knighted." Padme smiled, her happiness for her husband tainted by the knowledge that he might lose it before it had even been granted. "But Obi-Wan disagreed."
"Are you sure?" she asked, shocked.
"He told me so to my face! I hate him sometimes, Padme! He's just jealous! I'm stronger than him, and smarter, and better with a lightsaber!"
"Anakin, there must be a reason…"
"I am *ready*, Padme! I see it. The Council sees it. That Obi-Wan cannot is only because he is blinded by resentment and greed. I will overshadow him, and he knows it. I will be the greatest Jedi ever and he will only be known as the one that trained me. That's what he fears."
Padme stroked his hair, twirled his braid around her fingers. "Obi-Wan may object, Ani, but he will never stand in your way. He loves you. You must know it."
Anakin set his jaw stubbornly. "I know no such thing."
Padme knew there was no use arguing with him when he got like this. So she kissed him and smiled. "You have to leave tomorrow. So let's spend tonight speaking of more pleasant things."
He grinned wickedly and tightened his arms around her. "Speaking?"
She returned the grin and kissed him hard, hoping that everything would be alright, yet knowing it would not.
*
The transport to Melida/Daan was to leave at dawn. Obi-Wan beat Anakin there. His apprentice arrived exactly on time, looking composed- until he saw his master. His face darkened then, and Obi-Wan knew he was battling with the anger that filled him so easily.
"Anakin," he said cautiously, not wanting Anakin to hide behind the walls he was rapidly putting up.
"Master," Anakin said, a tinge of contempt in his voice.
"Have you had time to review the data pad that was sent to your quarters last night?" Obi-Wan asked, studying his apprentice.
Anakin shook his head. "No, Master. I was… training until late last night and did not have time this morning."
Obi-Wan noted the slight waver in Anakin's voice when he said where he had been the night before, but didn't bother to question him on it. "I understand," he replied, not reprovingly. "There will be time on the voyage to do so."
"Yes, Master." Anakin was silent as the ship lifted off. But his curiosity won out over his anger at his master and he asked, "When have you been to Melida/Daan before?"
Obi-Wan stared down at the map of Melida/Daan that covered the screen on his data pad. "I was thirteen and apprenticed to Qui-Gon. There was a war going on between the Melida and the Daan. We were sent on a rescue mission to retrieve a fellow Jedi who had been captured by the Melida."
"Is that all?" Anakin asked, brow furrowed. "From the way Master Windu spoke of it…"
Obi-Wan stood, cutting Anakin off. "The information you need to know is in your data pad, Anakin. You should use this time to study it, as should I. After all, I haven't been to Melida/Daan for close to thirty years. Many things have changed since then." He smiled sadly at his apprentice and in a show of affection that had grown unusual as Anakin grew up, he reached out to touch his cheek. "And many things will continue to."
Anakin let Obi-Wan walk away, let him reach the door and open it before he called out, "Why don't you believe in me? Why is nothing I do ever enough?"
Obi-Wan looked over at him. "It is enough. Sometimes its too much. You're powerful, Anakin. A fool would know that. But power not tempered with wisdom is dangerous. You don't think. You act. Balance must be found between the two." Obi-Wan turned toward the door again, but before he left, he said over his shoulder, "And I do believe in you, Anakin. I just think you need more time."