Claustrophobia was stifling Anakin. Although the hospital's atrium was lovely, it didn't feel right. He stood up and shook off the odd discomfort, much as one would shake off an old ill-fitting coat. Pausing, he sought an exit to the outside, trusting the Force to guide him where it would.
After finding a door, exiting, and walking a few blocks, Anakin spotted the body of a small feline creature that had been hit by a passing speeder. As the image of the recent incident with Sabé came to mind, he suppressed an involuntary shudder. After reminding himself to focus on the moment at hand, he thought he'd find a way to wrap the animal up and remove it from the street.
Theed was kept so clean it took him a few minutes to find some discarded pieces of fabric that would be large enough to cover the creature. After he wrapped it well, he went across the street to one of the small parks and found a piece of ground in an unused corner. Activating his lightsaber, he carved a hole big enough for the enshrouded animal, placed the body in it, and covered it with earth and leaves.
Finishing the job, he brushed the dirt off his hands and prepared to continue on his way when he heard mewing cries coming from near the place he had found the body.
He followed the sounds and spotted a pair of tiny kits huddled in fear under a parked speeder. Reaching out to them and drawing on the Living Force, he coaxed them out, and into his grasp. The two of them could almost fit in one of his hands. Folded ears that were tight against their rounded heads were almost cap-like in appearance. The impressive large dark eyes seemed too deep for such tiny juveniles. Blue tabby coats still had most of their baby fuzz, but Anakin judged that they might have started eating solid food.
Shaking his head, Anakin positioned his arm and stuck the kittens under his robe. He hoped he could find a place for the creatures before Obi-Wan found them and fussed at him about being as bad as Qui-Gon over pathetic life forms.
He was only a block away from the Palace when he heard a soft feminine voice call out to him.
"Anakin...Ani?"
He whirled around and felt his heart skip. It was the Queen in street clothes. With her was Rabé, who smiled in a knowing way.
Anakin moved closer to the ladies. "Your Highness, what are you doing out here? Not that I'm not glad to see you! Between the accident and your schedule, we've had no time to visit. But I thought security was tighter, what with the Faction incident."
"We snuck out. Captain Panaka doesn't know. I was going a bit stir crazy. Anyway, the threat is over. Your master determined that this was an isolated incident, and the police have found the suspect."
Anakin nodded. "Still, best not to take chances. Let's get to a more private area." He jumped a bit as a wriggling started around his midsection. Loud mewing began to emanate from the same area. His face turning red, he walked quickly to a small alley off the main street.
Rabé and Padmé were right behind him, stifling giggles. "Padawan Skywalker, what have you got?" asked Rabé, amusement in her tones.
The youngster sighed heavily. "Like I didn't have enough of a problem with Meira hating me, I got into this. I found these two orphaned little animals. Would one of you know where I can take them? I couldn't leave them on the street, they'd have no chance there."
"Let's see them," Padmé urged. As the boy pulled the kittens out, the ladies cooed over the adorable babies.
"They're tuft-kits," Padmé explained. "When they get older, they'll have a big soft tuft of fur on their chests. They're sort of a bred down domesticated version of a tusk-cat. These are valuable too, because of the folded ears. It's rare to find them out on the street."
Anakin told the story of how he acquired the two little kits while Rabé and Padmé nodded in sympathy.
"Of course you did the right thing, Anakin," Padmé said, her pride in him obvious, which brought another blush to the padawan's face. She looked at Rabé and continued. "We can't keep them in the Palace and I hate to hand them over to the shelter. What shall we do with these little ones?"
"Padawan Skywalker, I have an idea that might help you with both of your problems," Rabé began.
The next afternoon, as soon as Meira woke from her nap, Sabé dressed her in one one of her nicer outfits.
"We're going to the Palace to see Aunties Padmé and Saché. Won't that be fun?" Sabé gushed. Meira clapped her hands in response.
As they got near the recreation room, the sound of laughter and mewing spilled out into the hallway. Meira wriggled to get out her stroller and join in the fun.
"Kitties?" the child asked. She barely contained her excitement.
"Yes, I do think I hear kitties," Sabé answered as Obi-Wan unhooked the straps. "Go with Jedi Obi-Wan and see."
Meira charged ahead to find the kitties, but stopped in dismay when she saw that they were with Anakin. Padmé and Saché were there too, dangling strings that the kittens batted around. The little girl desperately wanted to join her "aunts" and the kittens, but she still couldn't bring herself to trust the Jedi boy.
Turning to Obi-Wan, she pointed at the furballs and gave him her best longing gaze. "Kitties?" she asked, hoping he would get them and bring them over to her.
Obi-Wan sat in a chair midway between the door and the group. "Those are Ani's kittens, Meira. If you want to play with them, you'll have to play with Ani as well. Go on, I'm here. It's all right."
Sabé was now entering the room and making her way to a seat next to Obi-Wan. Before she got there, Meira toddled over to her mother and beseeched her for the same thing. "Kitties, Ma?"
"Go play with the kitties and Anakin now, my girl. See how Padmé and Saché are having a good time. If they can feel safe, you know you can too. Jedi Obi-Wan and I will be here the whole time to watch over you, I promise," Sabé said reassuringly.
Saché and Padmé smiled at Meira and beckoned her to cross the room and join them, but she was still hesitant. She tried to reach out and will the kittens over to her side of the room, but Obi-Wan subtly blocked her efforts.
Obi-Wan moved a bit closer to Anakin. Taking a small ball from a pouch under his robes, he tossed it to the kittens and watched as the larger one grabbed onto the toy, and rolled on its side, hanging on and raking with its hind feet.
"Do those ferocious beasts have names?" Obi-Wan asked, a twinkle in his eye.
"The one who got the ball is Max; that's the boy. The smaller one who's setting up to pounce him is a female; we decided to call her Mana," Anakin replied.
Mana crouched low to the floor, waving her tail. She made a couple of rear end wriggles, then shot towards her sibling, and landed on him, then jumped away.
Meira called out to Padmé and Saché. "'D'may! 'Che!" She inched a bit closer, keeping an eye on Anakin.
Saché held out her arms. Usually Meira would have run to her for a hug, but this time she was too cautious. It was clear she wanted the ladies to leave Ani's side and come to her. She shook her head and tried calling again. "'Che!" She pointed at the animals. "Kitties!"
"My, she is stubborn! Wonder where she gets that from?" Padmé noted dryly, a grin on her face as she glanced at Sabé and Obi-Wan.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Sabé said, matching her friend's tone. "Must be from her father's side."
Obi-Wan folded his arms and grunted, but his smile betrayed his amusement. He sent a wave of confidence to Meira, hoping to inspire her. She felt it and moved a little closer to the group.
For the next twenty minutes, it went in that manner. Obi-Wan stopped the encouragement and soon Meira made the moves on her own. Finally, they achieved a victory of sorts. She joined the ladies, but was careful to stay opposite of Anakin, where she could see him at all times.
Saché took Meira's hand and moved it over Mana's back. "See, it's soft. Want to pet the kitty nicely?"
Meira touched Mana's back and laughed. The sudden noise startled the kitten, causing her to fluff her tail, but Saché got her soothed after a moment.
Sabé turned to Obi-Wan. "Well, it's a start. I suppose by the time you return, she'll have forgotten the fear. I hope so. At least she's started a truce, if not a friendship."
Taking her hand, Obi-Wan smiled reassuringly. "She's on the right track. When we return, she'll be ready."
After finding a door, exiting, and walking a few blocks, Anakin spotted the body of a small feline creature that had been hit by a passing speeder. As the image of the recent incident with Sabé came to mind, he suppressed an involuntary shudder. After reminding himself to focus on the moment at hand, he thought he'd find a way to wrap the animal up and remove it from the street.
Theed was kept so clean it took him a few minutes to find some discarded pieces of fabric that would be large enough to cover the creature. After he wrapped it well, he went across the street to one of the small parks and found a piece of ground in an unused corner. Activating his lightsaber, he carved a hole big enough for the enshrouded animal, placed the body in it, and covered it with earth and leaves.
Finishing the job, he brushed the dirt off his hands and prepared to continue on his way when he heard mewing cries coming from near the place he had found the body.
He followed the sounds and spotted a pair of tiny kits huddled in fear under a parked speeder. Reaching out to them and drawing on the Living Force, he coaxed them out, and into his grasp. The two of them could almost fit in one of his hands. Folded ears that were tight against their rounded heads were almost cap-like in appearance. The impressive large dark eyes seemed too deep for such tiny juveniles. Blue tabby coats still had most of their baby fuzz, but Anakin judged that they might have started eating solid food.
Shaking his head, Anakin positioned his arm and stuck the kittens under his robe. He hoped he could find a place for the creatures before Obi-Wan found them and fussed at him about being as bad as Qui-Gon over pathetic life forms.
He was only a block away from the Palace when he heard a soft feminine voice call out to him.
"Anakin...Ani?"
He whirled around and felt his heart skip. It was the Queen in street clothes. With her was Rabé, who smiled in a knowing way.
Anakin moved closer to the ladies. "Your Highness, what are you doing out here? Not that I'm not glad to see you! Between the accident and your schedule, we've had no time to visit. But I thought security was tighter, what with the Faction incident."
"We snuck out. Captain Panaka doesn't know. I was going a bit stir crazy. Anyway, the threat is over. Your master determined that this was an isolated incident, and the police have found the suspect."
Anakin nodded. "Still, best not to take chances. Let's get to a more private area." He jumped a bit as a wriggling started around his midsection. Loud mewing began to emanate from the same area. His face turning red, he walked quickly to a small alley off the main street.
Rabé and Padmé were right behind him, stifling giggles. "Padawan Skywalker, what have you got?" asked Rabé, amusement in her tones.
The youngster sighed heavily. "Like I didn't have enough of a problem with Meira hating me, I got into this. I found these two orphaned little animals. Would one of you know where I can take them? I couldn't leave them on the street, they'd have no chance there."
"Let's see them," Padmé urged. As the boy pulled the kittens out, the ladies cooed over the adorable babies.
"They're tuft-kits," Padmé explained. "When they get older, they'll have a big soft tuft of fur on their chests. They're sort of a bred down domesticated version of a tusk-cat. These are valuable too, because of the folded ears. It's rare to find them out on the street."
Anakin told the story of how he acquired the two little kits while Rabé and Padmé nodded in sympathy.
"Of course you did the right thing, Anakin," Padmé said, her pride in him obvious, which brought another blush to the padawan's face. She looked at Rabé and continued. "We can't keep them in the Palace and I hate to hand them over to the shelter. What shall we do with these little ones?"
"Padawan Skywalker, I have an idea that might help you with both of your problems," Rabé began.
The next afternoon, as soon as Meira woke from her nap, Sabé dressed her in one one of her nicer outfits.
"We're going to the Palace to see Aunties Padmé and Saché. Won't that be fun?" Sabé gushed. Meira clapped her hands in response.
As they got near the recreation room, the sound of laughter and mewing spilled out into the hallway. Meira wriggled to get out her stroller and join in the fun.
"Kitties?" the child asked. She barely contained her excitement.
"Yes, I do think I hear kitties," Sabé answered as Obi-Wan unhooked the straps. "Go with Jedi Obi-Wan and see."
Meira charged ahead to find the kitties, but stopped in dismay when she saw that they were with Anakin. Padmé and Saché were there too, dangling strings that the kittens batted around. The little girl desperately wanted to join her "aunts" and the kittens, but she still couldn't bring herself to trust the Jedi boy.
Turning to Obi-Wan, she pointed at the furballs and gave him her best longing gaze. "Kitties?" she asked, hoping he would get them and bring them over to her.
Obi-Wan sat in a chair midway between the door and the group. "Those are Ani's kittens, Meira. If you want to play with them, you'll have to play with Ani as well. Go on, I'm here. It's all right."
Sabé was now entering the room and making her way to a seat next to Obi-Wan. Before she got there, Meira toddled over to her mother and beseeched her for the same thing. "Kitties, Ma?"
"Go play with the kitties and Anakin now, my girl. See how Padmé and Saché are having a good time. If they can feel safe, you know you can too. Jedi Obi-Wan and I will be here the whole time to watch over you, I promise," Sabé said reassuringly.
Saché and Padmé smiled at Meira and beckoned her to cross the room and join them, but she was still hesitant. She tried to reach out and will the kittens over to her side of the room, but Obi-Wan subtly blocked her efforts.
Obi-Wan moved a bit closer to Anakin. Taking a small ball from a pouch under his robes, he tossed it to the kittens and watched as the larger one grabbed onto the toy, and rolled on its side, hanging on and raking with its hind feet.
"Do those ferocious beasts have names?" Obi-Wan asked, a twinkle in his eye.
"The one who got the ball is Max; that's the boy. The smaller one who's setting up to pounce him is a female; we decided to call her Mana," Anakin replied.
Mana crouched low to the floor, waving her tail. She made a couple of rear end wriggles, then shot towards her sibling, and landed on him, then jumped away.
Meira called out to Padmé and Saché. "'D'may! 'Che!" She inched a bit closer, keeping an eye on Anakin.
Saché held out her arms. Usually Meira would have run to her for a hug, but this time she was too cautious. It was clear she wanted the ladies to leave Ani's side and come to her. She shook her head and tried calling again. "'Che!" She pointed at the animals. "Kitties!"
"My, she is stubborn! Wonder where she gets that from?" Padmé noted dryly, a grin on her face as she glanced at Sabé and Obi-Wan.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Sabé said, matching her friend's tone. "Must be from her father's side."
Obi-Wan folded his arms and grunted, but his smile betrayed his amusement. He sent a wave of confidence to Meira, hoping to inspire her. She felt it and moved a little closer to the group.
For the next twenty minutes, it went in that manner. Obi-Wan stopped the encouragement and soon Meira made the moves on her own. Finally, they achieved a victory of sorts. She joined the ladies, but was careful to stay opposite of Anakin, where she could see him at all times.
Saché took Meira's hand and moved it over Mana's back. "See, it's soft. Want to pet the kitty nicely?"
Meira touched Mana's back and laughed. The sudden noise startled the kitten, causing her to fluff her tail, but Saché got her soothed after a moment.
Sabé turned to Obi-Wan. "Well, it's a start. I suppose by the time you return, she'll have forgotten the fear. I hope so. At least she's started a truce, if not a friendship."
Taking her hand, Obi-Wan smiled reassuringly. "She's on the right track. When we return, she'll be ready."