Chapter 4
Gaining New Skills
Life changed for the three girls very rapidly as they got settled into Yavin Four. They always left some time to hang out with each other during the week but mostly they had gone off in different directions. Kerri was often seen with Jacen and Jaina and Tenal Ka. Melissa sometimes hung out with them but was seen by herself too. Stacy on the other hand hung out with Anakin and Brandon. She also spent a lot of time looking for Luke and excuses to talk to him. Kerri, Melissa and Stacy had been given dorm rooms and so had Kerri's handmaiden from Naboo. Kerri and Stacy and of course Kerri's handmaiden from Naboo were on the first floor and on the second floor was Melissa's room.
Kerri heard a knock on her door one morning and opened it. She had her hair up in a complicated bun that Leia had taught her how to do before she left and was wearing a white scoop neck shirt with black pants. Standing outside her door was Melissa, Jaina, Jacen, Tenal Ka, Stacy and her handmaiden. Kerri groaned inwardly. She knew it was Tael's job to protect her but really she was like having an extremely annoying shadow. "Well I have a morning committee I see you shouldn't have bothered I get up at dawn so that I can fix my hair and do my meditation." Kerri joked. "Well we didn't want to leave a lady like yourself so unattended." Jacen said. Kerri shook her head and smiled as she closed the door of her dorm room and followed them down the hall.
"Hey guys wait up!" A voice called as they were about to enter the cafeteria. Kerri froze and the group turned around to face who had called to them. It was Anakin and Brandon they caught up to the group by running. "Mind if we join you?" Anakin asked. "Actually yes we do." Kerri snapped. "Excuse me miss but I was here first." Anakin retorted. "Yeah well I didn't ASK to be thrown on the back of you're dad's ship or to be Queen of SOME STUPID PLANET!? I was planning to go to college a different kind of school. I was planning to be a writer NOT a Jedi." Kerri got into the line first and the others silently followed. Anakin looked at Stacy who shrugged.
Kerri saved them all seats however while the others got their food. Life at the Jedi Temple was different all right. Truth was she'd finally gotten used to the routine. Breakfast was generally served from nine to ten a.m. That gave the students plenty of time in the morning to get ready for the day and have at least a half an hour of Meditation. After breakfast you were supposed to go somewhere quiet to build the body of your own Lightsaber before you went hunting for the special crystals that were placed inside. Jaina had helped Kerri's with hers a little bit. She didn't do anything for her but gave her helpful hints that if Kerri tried she usually got it right. After lunch the students had lessons in Geography, Math and Science. Then they would practice with the school Lightsaber's for an hour under Danieth's supervision
As soon as Anakin sat down a girl with short blonde hair and blue eyes came walking over. She wore a blue dress with a Lightsaber tucked in the side. She shot a glare at Kerri but leaned over the table to where she could see Anakin. "Nice robe is that new?" She asked. Anakin turned beet red and looked to Kerri as if asking for her help which was not possible. "Alicia he's had the robe since last year." Brandon said warningly. "Thanks for your help big brother. Anakin Luke's been talking about having a dance for all the students to get to know one another. If you don't have a date yet which you should consider going with me." Alicia walked off. "And we're seeing red folks." Kerri couldn't help saying. "No thanks to you." Anakin slammed down his fork and headed out to enjoy the rest of the morning.
Kerri decided to work on her Lightsaber alone that morning she didn't feel much like entertaining anybody else that morning. She was extremely homesick and irritated. Kerri chose what looked like an unused path with over grown bushes and plants in her way. It was a lot of work but Kerri didn't mind until she bumped into somebody.
"What are you doing here?" Kerri snapped when she saw Anakin right in front of her. "This is a path I've taken every day since I'm eleven." Anakin replied. "Oh really I thought you were eleven." A broke branch behind them. Anakin's head snapped up. "Was that you?" Kerri asked. Anakin rolled his eyes and handed her his blaster gun that Han bought him when he had turned seventeen. "I'm hoping that was you." A storm trooper came out of the bushes and pointed his weapon at them.
"Freeze and we'll let you live." The storm trooper snarled. "There's one of you and two of us." "Actually there's more." A female voice said coolly she had a Lightsaber in hand and ten more storm troopers came out of the bushes. "Um Anakin I think we're out numbered." Kerri said moving closer to him. "Take them." Kerri shot a few shots out of her blaster sometimes hitting her target. "Anakin if we get out of this alive remind me to thank you." "You're actually going to be nice to me?" Anakin asked deflecting the shots of the other storm troopers and trying to keep her protected too. "Polite not nice." Kerri muttered darkly. A laser hit the hand that was holding the gun. And very soon it was clear they were going to be taken.
"Should I kill him he is young and of no use to me." The woman said in a harsh laughed as the storm troopers came in close. "No!" Kerri cried out. "On the other hand he could be of some value to us since the lady highly favors him she might be willing to cooperate." "Who are you!?" Kerri demanded. "Do not cooperate no matter what!" Anakin shouted as they took him first. "Never you mind this way if you please." Kerri was led to a small ship that obviously needed repairs. A campfire had been set up. On one side of it Anakin was tied. He caught Kerri's eye and nodded as if to say everything would work out just fine. Kerri looked away her hands were bound and she was kept that way all night.
In the early morning hours somebody tapped her feet. Their captors were fast asleep so she wondered who it could be. She turned around and saw Anakin standing free of his bonds. "Sssh." Anakin whispered. "I killed half of them to get over here. Be still because I'm cutting your bonds with my Lightsaber. It feels so good to have it back." Anakin told her. Kerri nodded. "How many are left?" Kerri asked struggling to get to her feet. "About fifteen and I have no idea how they fit into that thing they call a spaceship. Come on let's get back to the school. We're about a few days walk ahead of us to get back and with them on our tail it won't be easy." Anakin murmured.
They ran all day the first day not speaking much but when the sun came up both were exhausted. "They sleep at night to pursue us during the day we sleep at day and wake up late to get a head start." Anakin said. He found a patch of grass to lie on. Kerri sat up for awhile and half an hour sleep finally came to her as well.
"We've got to keep going what's wrong?" Anakin asked. "I think I broke my ankle on those rocks back there in that river we just passed I couldn't see them." Kerri said wincing as she took a step forward. "Sit down and let me take a look at it." Anakin said. Kerri did as she was told. Anakin pulled of her shoe and with the aid of the Force was able to mend it. "Come on we've lost time." Anakin said pulling her up on her feet. They hurried on that night they didn't bother to stop.
"You know what's interesting?" Kerri asked as they slowed to a walk on the third day as they were nearing the school. "What?" Anakin asked. "We're actually getting along." Kerri pointed out smiling. "Yeah well when you're forced to work together you do strange things." Anakin paused looking at her. Kerri shifted her gaze. "On the other hand it might be a good idea to call a truce while still can before we drive the others crazy." "You're crazy." "I am." A smile crept over both their faces. "I'm Anakin." Anakin said extending a hand. "Kerri." Snap. "Um we stayed still to long." Kerri said after shaking his hand. "Uh yeah definitely and you don't have a gun any more do you." "Nope."
This time they were surrounded by only fifteen storm troopers and the dark haired woman.
"Do you give up yet?" She snarled. "Over my dead body." Anakin said. "We can arrange that." "But we won't let you." A voice said behind her they all stared. Luke, Jaina, Jacen, Tenal Ka, Melissa, and Stacy were all there surrounding the Storm Troopers Luke was right behind the woman. "Let the games begin." The woman smirked in a cocky way. Jacen tossed Kerri a blaster and when Kerri caught it the storm troopers began firing.