Guess what? I have finished my SM fic and have decided to write more of
this while I wait for inspiration on something else. Yay! I like this
story, thus far, although second chapters with me aren't always as good
as the first (it usually picks up by the third). And I must admit, its
unusual being in the minority as far as the romance goes. Oh well, read
on...
Chapter 2: Beginning Again
Anakin moaned softly as a bright light snatched him away from slumber's
warm grasp. He turned and tried to bury his head in a pillow, but
strong hands pulled at him and forced him back to the glow. His mouth
pouted, and his eyes shut tighter. "I can't race to day. I'm too
tired."
From his place beside the bed, Obi-wan sighed. Training Anakin would
surely test his patience; the boy lacked the rigid conditioning of most
Jedis. Any normal padawan would have met his master at the door, ready
and eager to learn more about the Force.
But then again, most padawans didn't test off the charts.
Obi shook him gently, supporting him with one arm and moving him with
the other. "Come on Anakin, we have to begin training today."
The boy responded slowly, a great contrast to the lightning reflexes
that had made him the focus of attention. One blue eye peeked open,
then the next. Finally he sat up on his own and ran a hand through
phantom hair. "What time is it?"
"Its late. Come along, Anakin. We must begin now."
"But...I haven't had a meal yet."
"You don't need it. The Force will sustain you. Get dressed and meet me
in the hall in two minutes." He ignored the groan that followed and
stepped outside.
He leaned against the doorframe, tucking his hands inside his long
cloak. Meditation, Obi decided, would be the first lesson, if only
because the Jedi needed it. The distance between them did nothing to
hide the boy's mental complaints.
"You know its funny, Anakin was standing just like that last night." A
soft, feminine voice called out. "But he looked nothing like you."
Obi-wan turned around and bowed before the queen. "Good morining
mi'lady."
She stood before him in full costume, her face a pure white, lips
differing only with a streak of crimson down the center. An orange-red
gown draped around her, hiding the slender figure that lay beneath.
"Good morning Obi-wan."
"Out for a walk, your majesty?"
"Actually, I wanted to say hello to Ani. Where is he?"
Obi tilted his head back to indicate the bedroom. "Getting ready."
"And will you two be joining us for a morning meal?"
"I'm afraid not, mi'lady."
"Why not?"
He smiled, ruefully. "A little indulgence is all right some of the
time, but a lot of indulgence all of the time is never safe."
She raised an eyebrow, questioningly. "And have you indulged lately?"
"We have, your majesty."
Amidala sighed, her disappointment obvious. She supposed he meant the
celebration feast, which had been held in Qui-gin Jinn's honor. "I'm
very sorry to hear that." Now she might never have to chance to get
better accquainted with the young Jedi.
With that disparaging thought, Amidala muttered a farewell, her reason
for coming forgotten, and retreated back down the hall. As Obi-wan
watched her go, something curved his lips.
Some would say it was a smile for the queen, a symbol of his growing
affection.
Some would be right.
A thought occured to Obi-wan as he heard the door to the room opening.
If he hadn't known for a fact the indulgence in question was food, he
very well might have thought they were discussing the queen herself.
How funny.
**************
A universe existed inside the mind of every man. Worlds, and stars,
and people, all created with a mere thought. Ages and eras, good and
evil, miracles and myths, raised and razed in the blink of an eye. Such
was the power of the mind. Naturally, such an important tool is
difficult to master.
The Jedis, as Obi-wan explained, did it through meditation. They sat on
the grass, far from the palace, eyes closed. The trick was to focus on
something perfectly tranquil, like the bluest sky, or the lake beside a
medow. The Force was in all these things, ready to help you balance
your inner self.
"Why do we close our eyes? Wouldn't it be better for us to see the
world that the Force has created and draw our power from that?"
"It isn't about power, Anakin. It's about control. While the world is
wonderful to behold, it provides far too many distractions. Remember,
control is the key."
"Control," repeated Anakin, squirming a little in his seat. A bug flew
past them, buzzing loudly. It passed them once, then twice, then again.
Anakin reached out with his hand and grabbed it by a tiny wing. His
eyes shot open with excitement. "Look what I caught!"
Obi took the bug away and gave the boy a stern look. Control wasn't as
easy as it seemed.
**************
They returned hours later, only to find that the Jedi council wished to
speak with Obi-wan. He sent Anakin off with instructions to practice.
Obi, meanwhile, walked to a viewing room. When Obi entered, Yoda's
image was already projected onto the air. The small but powerful Jedi
watched him with tired eyes. "Late, you are. A Jedi trait that is not."
Obi knelt down onto the ground, a sign of respect for the Council's
senior member, and bowed his head. "I apologize, Master Yoda. I was out
with Anakin and we only just got back."
"Alone now, is the child?"
"Yes, Master Yoda. I have taught him to mediate and have left him to
practice. He's a very fast learner."
The little green being nodded, as if he had already known of the boy's
knack for quick lessons. "Very strong, the Force in him is. And pleased
with your progress, is the council. But lacks the basic knowledge of
our kind, Skywalker does."
"I am teaching him-"
"Interrupt me, you shall not." Yoda sighed. Every generation of
talented warriors seemed to grow a little too powerful and too
impatient. For all his training, Obi-wan was still a young man trying
to tame the boundless energy of the Force inside him. "Teach him these
things, the council will. Stay with us, Skywalker must."
"But I thought he was *my* apprentice."
"Listen to your elders, you do not. Your apprentice Skywalker is, but
not ready to learn, is he. The Council's job that is. Return to you, he
shall, after that is through."
Obi-wan fell silent. Were the situation any different, he might have
been insulted with Council's decision. He could have protested,
claiming he was more than capable of taking on an apprentice. But so
much more was at stake than his own pride and as things stood, ninety
percent of the lessons were rendered sluggish by the need for
rudimentery drabble. If Anakin was the Chosen One, then he would better
spend his time under the guidance of the best Jedis around, then return
when he understood the Force a little better. Obi conceded. "Very well.
I shall inform the boy immediately. He'll be on the next shuttle over,
tomorow morning. But...um...what about me, Master Yoda? Am I to journey
back with him?"
"No. Another mission, the Council grants you. Escorting the Naboo
diplotmat, your task is. Leave soon, do you." Obi-wan nodded and bowed
one more time as the transparent picture dissappeared.
He remained on his knees long after it was required of him,
contemplating the sudden change. It really was in the best interest of
everyone.
But who was this diplomat he'd have to babysit? Politicians were
generally difficult for him to mingle with, unless he pretended not to
notice their lies and shameless self-promoting propaganda. Would he
have to spend his time watching another old bureaucrat shmooze the
locals?
Somewhere down the hall, he heard voices, those of Anakin's, Amidala's
and Palpatine's. Standing, Obi-wan clicked off the viewer and followed
the sounds to their owners. Palpatine was pointing to the picture of a
plane, while his younger audience listened somewhat attentively.
"Anakin," Obi called. "I thought I left you to study."
The boy spun around, shocked that he'd been caught. His mouth trembled,
like any child spotted with his hand stuck in the cookie jar. He
stepped back, as if trying to hide in the folds of the queen's dress.
"I'm sorry, but they were talking about droids and I wanted to hear."
"Everything has a time, padawan."
"I know. I'm really sorry."
"Oh come on," Palpatine chimed in. "So the child had a culture lesson
instead of studying all that mumbo jumbo. I hardly think that it was
any great loss. He should understand the world around him at least as
much as the Force, whatever that is."
The Jedi swallowed a rude remark; his patience had to extend past his
peers. Looking at the ground, he addressed the boy only. "Anakin, go
along to the room, I have to speak with you." The boy's shoulders
drooped and his feet seemed to gain so much weight lifting even one
took a great effort.
"Yes sir." He walked down the hall, with as much energy as a sleeping
Hutt. Obi-wan looked back at the Senator and for a moment their eyes
clashed, a rivalry formed on mutual recognition of power and a feircely
different outlook on life. Finally, Palpatine spun his heels and exited
the scene.
Amaidala, who'd been silent, offered the Jedi a small smile. "I'm sorry
we distracted Ani. He just seemed so fascinated in machines..."
"Avoiding temptation is a key component in the Jedi code. He must learn
that." And he too walked away.
The queen simply exhaled, slowly and purposely. Something wasn't quite
whenever Palpatine and Obi were in the same room. It should be the
Jedi's fault, she reasoned, since he was the new piece in the old
puzzle. But somehow, it was impossible to blame Obi-wan.
She felt as though she must trust him, for something greater was
depending on it.
But would the confusion never clear?
*********************
Anakin Skywalker tugged on his thin ponytail, remembering with slight
envy his new Master's former braid. Long enough, it had looked, to tie
around one's waist. The boy sighed. He wanted to be a good jedi, more
than anything else. He *needed* to be a good jedi, so that he could
free his mother from slavery. But despite what they said about him, no
matter how many times they compared him to that little green guy,
regardless of his racing abilities, he always felt sadly inadequate.
The door behind him swished open and Anakin shook his head, using the
bits of knowledge he'd managed to retain to clear his mind. A forced
look of obliviousness masked his features.
Anakin Skywalker was again just another young boy.
****************
The talk had gone well, Obi reasoned. His apprentice had accepted his
orders with gratitude and relief, confiding in him a yearning to
understand just what he was trying to accomplish. The boy was,
naturally, saddened that he would say goodbye to the wonderful world of
Naboo so soon. But there was nothing unreasonable, and nothing too
strong.
Obi had left, spirits high, and headed straight for the throne room,
where he'd be given the details of his next task. On the way, he saw
Amidala and her handmadien, Sabe.
Except that they weren't Amidala and Sabe, not in appearance. Instead,
the loyal maid was dressed as the queen, in full regalia. Amidala had
become Padme, the paint making way for the clear, creamy color of her
natural skin.
"It is good to see you again," the pseudo queen remarked in her cool,
formal tone. "Will you join our walk?"
"I'd be honored," Obi-wan answered, not taking his eyes off of Amidala
-the real one. It was not until she blushed under his gaze that he
realized its intensity. Silently reprimanding himself, he scolded his
actions. That was absolutely *not* Jedi behavior. What would Master
Yoda think?
It never occurred to Obi-wan that it didn't matter at all.
To be continued...
So, I wanna know what you think. Puleaze? BTW, after I wrote this, I
started reading Stranded, also an Obi-wan/Amidala story. I was a bit
disturbed to see that it started off a little too similar to the path
that this was going to take (no, they weren't going to get stranded). I
don't like my stories to be too much like other stories. There aren't
enough Obi/Ami stories around to have the ones that exist being that
similar. So, in the next chapter, something different is going to
happen. Something I haven't seen yet in a story featuring Obi Ami and
Ani...are you dying of suspense yet?
Read Stranded, its good!
Oooh, a side note: I get to see Star Wars: Episode II on Opening night!
Yayayay! See ya all next time.
this while I wait for inspiration on something else. Yay! I like this
story, thus far, although second chapters with me aren't always as good
as the first (it usually picks up by the third). And I must admit, its
unusual being in the minority as far as the romance goes. Oh well, read
on...
Chapter 2: Beginning Again
Anakin moaned softly as a bright light snatched him away from slumber's
warm grasp. He turned and tried to bury his head in a pillow, but
strong hands pulled at him and forced him back to the glow. His mouth
pouted, and his eyes shut tighter. "I can't race to day. I'm too
tired."
From his place beside the bed, Obi-wan sighed. Training Anakin would
surely test his patience; the boy lacked the rigid conditioning of most
Jedis. Any normal padawan would have met his master at the door, ready
and eager to learn more about the Force.
But then again, most padawans didn't test off the charts.
Obi shook him gently, supporting him with one arm and moving him with
the other. "Come on Anakin, we have to begin training today."
The boy responded slowly, a great contrast to the lightning reflexes
that had made him the focus of attention. One blue eye peeked open,
then the next. Finally he sat up on his own and ran a hand through
phantom hair. "What time is it?"
"Its late. Come along, Anakin. We must begin now."
"But...I haven't had a meal yet."
"You don't need it. The Force will sustain you. Get dressed and meet me
in the hall in two minutes." He ignored the groan that followed and
stepped outside.
He leaned against the doorframe, tucking his hands inside his long
cloak. Meditation, Obi decided, would be the first lesson, if only
because the Jedi needed it. The distance between them did nothing to
hide the boy's mental complaints.
"You know its funny, Anakin was standing just like that last night." A
soft, feminine voice called out. "But he looked nothing like you."
Obi-wan turned around and bowed before the queen. "Good morining
mi'lady."
She stood before him in full costume, her face a pure white, lips
differing only with a streak of crimson down the center. An orange-red
gown draped around her, hiding the slender figure that lay beneath.
"Good morning Obi-wan."
"Out for a walk, your majesty?"
"Actually, I wanted to say hello to Ani. Where is he?"
Obi tilted his head back to indicate the bedroom. "Getting ready."
"And will you two be joining us for a morning meal?"
"I'm afraid not, mi'lady."
"Why not?"
He smiled, ruefully. "A little indulgence is all right some of the
time, but a lot of indulgence all of the time is never safe."
She raised an eyebrow, questioningly. "And have you indulged lately?"
"We have, your majesty."
Amidala sighed, her disappointment obvious. She supposed he meant the
celebration feast, which had been held in Qui-gin Jinn's honor. "I'm
very sorry to hear that." Now she might never have to chance to get
better accquainted with the young Jedi.
With that disparaging thought, Amidala muttered a farewell, her reason
for coming forgotten, and retreated back down the hall. As Obi-wan
watched her go, something curved his lips.
Some would say it was a smile for the queen, a symbol of his growing
affection.
Some would be right.
A thought occured to Obi-wan as he heard the door to the room opening.
If he hadn't known for a fact the indulgence in question was food, he
very well might have thought they were discussing the queen herself.
How funny.
**************
A universe existed inside the mind of every man. Worlds, and stars,
and people, all created with a mere thought. Ages and eras, good and
evil, miracles and myths, raised and razed in the blink of an eye. Such
was the power of the mind. Naturally, such an important tool is
difficult to master.
The Jedis, as Obi-wan explained, did it through meditation. They sat on
the grass, far from the palace, eyes closed. The trick was to focus on
something perfectly tranquil, like the bluest sky, or the lake beside a
medow. The Force was in all these things, ready to help you balance
your inner self.
"Why do we close our eyes? Wouldn't it be better for us to see the
world that the Force has created and draw our power from that?"
"It isn't about power, Anakin. It's about control. While the world is
wonderful to behold, it provides far too many distractions. Remember,
control is the key."
"Control," repeated Anakin, squirming a little in his seat. A bug flew
past them, buzzing loudly. It passed them once, then twice, then again.
Anakin reached out with his hand and grabbed it by a tiny wing. His
eyes shot open with excitement. "Look what I caught!"
Obi took the bug away and gave the boy a stern look. Control wasn't as
easy as it seemed.
**************
They returned hours later, only to find that the Jedi council wished to
speak with Obi-wan. He sent Anakin off with instructions to practice.
Obi, meanwhile, walked to a viewing room. When Obi entered, Yoda's
image was already projected onto the air. The small but powerful Jedi
watched him with tired eyes. "Late, you are. A Jedi trait that is not."
Obi knelt down onto the ground, a sign of respect for the Council's
senior member, and bowed his head. "I apologize, Master Yoda. I was out
with Anakin and we only just got back."
"Alone now, is the child?"
"Yes, Master Yoda. I have taught him to mediate and have left him to
practice. He's a very fast learner."
The little green being nodded, as if he had already known of the boy's
knack for quick lessons. "Very strong, the Force in him is. And pleased
with your progress, is the council. But lacks the basic knowledge of
our kind, Skywalker does."
"I am teaching him-"
"Interrupt me, you shall not." Yoda sighed. Every generation of
talented warriors seemed to grow a little too powerful and too
impatient. For all his training, Obi-wan was still a young man trying
to tame the boundless energy of the Force inside him. "Teach him these
things, the council will. Stay with us, Skywalker must."
"But I thought he was *my* apprentice."
"Listen to your elders, you do not. Your apprentice Skywalker is, but
not ready to learn, is he. The Council's job that is. Return to you, he
shall, after that is through."
Obi-wan fell silent. Were the situation any different, he might have
been insulted with Council's decision. He could have protested,
claiming he was more than capable of taking on an apprentice. But so
much more was at stake than his own pride and as things stood, ninety
percent of the lessons were rendered sluggish by the need for
rudimentery drabble. If Anakin was the Chosen One, then he would better
spend his time under the guidance of the best Jedis around, then return
when he understood the Force a little better. Obi conceded. "Very well.
I shall inform the boy immediately. He'll be on the next shuttle over,
tomorow morning. But...um...what about me, Master Yoda? Am I to journey
back with him?"
"No. Another mission, the Council grants you. Escorting the Naboo
diplotmat, your task is. Leave soon, do you." Obi-wan nodded and bowed
one more time as the transparent picture dissappeared.
He remained on his knees long after it was required of him,
contemplating the sudden change. It really was in the best interest of
everyone.
But who was this diplomat he'd have to babysit? Politicians were
generally difficult for him to mingle with, unless he pretended not to
notice their lies and shameless self-promoting propaganda. Would he
have to spend his time watching another old bureaucrat shmooze the
locals?
Somewhere down the hall, he heard voices, those of Anakin's, Amidala's
and Palpatine's. Standing, Obi-wan clicked off the viewer and followed
the sounds to their owners. Palpatine was pointing to the picture of a
plane, while his younger audience listened somewhat attentively.
"Anakin," Obi called. "I thought I left you to study."
The boy spun around, shocked that he'd been caught. His mouth trembled,
like any child spotted with his hand stuck in the cookie jar. He
stepped back, as if trying to hide in the folds of the queen's dress.
"I'm sorry, but they were talking about droids and I wanted to hear."
"Everything has a time, padawan."
"I know. I'm really sorry."
"Oh come on," Palpatine chimed in. "So the child had a culture lesson
instead of studying all that mumbo jumbo. I hardly think that it was
any great loss. He should understand the world around him at least as
much as the Force, whatever that is."
The Jedi swallowed a rude remark; his patience had to extend past his
peers. Looking at the ground, he addressed the boy only. "Anakin, go
along to the room, I have to speak with you." The boy's shoulders
drooped and his feet seemed to gain so much weight lifting even one
took a great effort.
"Yes sir." He walked down the hall, with as much energy as a sleeping
Hutt. Obi-wan looked back at the Senator and for a moment their eyes
clashed, a rivalry formed on mutual recognition of power and a feircely
different outlook on life. Finally, Palpatine spun his heels and exited
the scene.
Amaidala, who'd been silent, offered the Jedi a small smile. "I'm sorry
we distracted Ani. He just seemed so fascinated in machines..."
"Avoiding temptation is a key component in the Jedi code. He must learn
that." And he too walked away.
The queen simply exhaled, slowly and purposely. Something wasn't quite
whenever Palpatine and Obi were in the same room. It should be the
Jedi's fault, she reasoned, since he was the new piece in the old
puzzle. But somehow, it was impossible to blame Obi-wan.
She felt as though she must trust him, for something greater was
depending on it.
But would the confusion never clear?
*********************
Anakin Skywalker tugged on his thin ponytail, remembering with slight
envy his new Master's former braid. Long enough, it had looked, to tie
around one's waist. The boy sighed. He wanted to be a good jedi, more
than anything else. He *needed* to be a good jedi, so that he could
free his mother from slavery. But despite what they said about him, no
matter how many times they compared him to that little green guy,
regardless of his racing abilities, he always felt sadly inadequate.
The door behind him swished open and Anakin shook his head, using the
bits of knowledge he'd managed to retain to clear his mind. A forced
look of obliviousness masked his features.
Anakin Skywalker was again just another young boy.
****************
The talk had gone well, Obi reasoned. His apprentice had accepted his
orders with gratitude and relief, confiding in him a yearning to
understand just what he was trying to accomplish. The boy was,
naturally, saddened that he would say goodbye to the wonderful world of
Naboo so soon. But there was nothing unreasonable, and nothing too
strong.
Obi had left, spirits high, and headed straight for the throne room,
where he'd be given the details of his next task. On the way, he saw
Amidala and her handmadien, Sabe.
Except that they weren't Amidala and Sabe, not in appearance. Instead,
the loyal maid was dressed as the queen, in full regalia. Amidala had
become Padme, the paint making way for the clear, creamy color of her
natural skin.
"It is good to see you again," the pseudo queen remarked in her cool,
formal tone. "Will you join our walk?"
"I'd be honored," Obi-wan answered, not taking his eyes off of Amidala
-the real one. It was not until she blushed under his gaze that he
realized its intensity. Silently reprimanding himself, he scolded his
actions. That was absolutely *not* Jedi behavior. What would Master
Yoda think?
It never occurred to Obi-wan that it didn't matter at all.
To be continued...
So, I wanna know what you think. Puleaze? BTW, after I wrote this, I
started reading Stranded, also an Obi-wan/Amidala story. I was a bit
disturbed to see that it started off a little too similar to the path
that this was going to take (no, they weren't going to get stranded). I
don't like my stories to be too much like other stories. There aren't
enough Obi/Ami stories around to have the ones that exist being that
similar. So, in the next chapter, something different is going to
happen. Something I haven't seen yet in a story featuring Obi Ami and
Ani...are you dying of suspense yet?
Read Stranded, its good!
Oooh, a side note: I get to see Star Wars: Episode II on Opening night!
Yayayay! See ya all next time.