Sorry chapter 3 has taken so long, we've had the end of school term (I'm now a year 10, or tenth grade depending on where you're from, and I've been awarded a scholarship go me!) Ahem...anyway, this story is starting off very slow, but don't worry it'll get better.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEEEEEASE read and review! It's only fun when people review (I don't mind constructive criticism just aslong as it's not rude or unjustly offensive.)
Enjoy, and send your reviews.
Sophie xox.
P.S: Thank you to anyone and everyone who has reviewed!
"I said three thousand; Jedi boy I won't take less!
"C'mon two will do you plenty my friend."
"No."
"It'll be fine, the galaxy's at war, prices have dropped, this is fine!" Anakin was getting more than exasperated as he indicated the credits in his hand, haggling wasn't a tactic exercised at the temple, Obi-Wan wouldn't be too appreciative if Anakin had failed to get their ship repaired due to stingy prices.
"I'll take two, and refuel you, but that generator is screamin' for another thousand."
" Two fifty, and I'll help you with the generator." The huttese owner of this particular repair yard, squirmed uncomfortably, and wiped his greasy hands on his oil stained trousers. He squinted up through the sunlight back at Anakin, who happened to be almost 4 feet taller than the creature, dressed in a dark, black, Jedi tunic, lightsaber hanging casually from his utility belt, and arms folded impatiently across his chest, this, the creature mused, was not a man to cross.
"Look, you've obviously never priced with a huttese businessman before, but even still, who offers to help with repairs eh? You're paying me to do it for star's sake! It's embarrassing to have a paying customer doing all the work."
"Then you'll take the two thousand?" Anakin supposed he could use a mind trick on this man, but as Obi-Wan had always taught him, it was often more effective to let a being comply on their own accord, made the job easier. Again the creature squirmed, rubbed his hands once again, he seemed reluctant to answer.
"Look, more and more of us are being killed by the day trying to keep you, your family, and everyone else in this force forsaken galaxy alive and free. The least you could do is let me have a working ship!" The creature sighed and shook his head submissively.
"My young friend, yes there is a war on, how could I not know, but I need to keep my family fed, I have kids, I need the money, I'm not just gonna drop prices to anyone." Anakin kept his arms folded, he could wait this fellow out.
"Yeah yeah fine, alright, stop staring at me like that kid…sheesh! I thought you Jedi were the friendly types." The huttese snatched the two thousand credits out of Anakin's hand, pocketed it warily, then bent to fiddle and inspect the shiftily repaired generator. Anakin watched over the short creature's shoulder.
"I thought you salesmen were the co-operative types." Anakin muttered the sarcastic insult under his breath, but the stocky creature seemed to overhear, in mock despair, it lunged a hand at his chest, placing one hand over his heart.
"You wound me with your cynicism Jedi, how do you expect to win a war with an attitude like that? Now shut up and let me work!" Anakin raised his hands in defeat, laughed and stood, he'd be of no use sitting around narking at the workman if he was to get any work done. He fumbled in his cloak for his comm. device as he heard the thing blink and whirr, someone was trying to contact him. He found it, pulled it out, and in a swift gesture, activated it.
"Anakin? It's Obi-Wan do you copy?"
"I hear you master what's going on?"
"Bad news I'm afraid, the council has been informed of a small, separatist territory base lodged somewhere in the underground tunnels of the Dantooine badlands, we've been sent to investigate." Anakin couldn't hide the disappointment and upset in his voice.
"Oh, so, we're here for how long now?"
"I'm not sure Anakin, hopefully this rumour will remain just a rumour, and we'll be released of duty for a while." There was a pause, Anakin couldn't take this much longer, he'd been away too long, he missed Padme, he missed being at home, for too long now he'd spent fighting a war on planets he'd never heard of, for reasons he didn't understand. He shook his head to himself, disturbed when his former master's voice broke through the transmission once more.
"I'm sorry Anakin I know how anxious you were to return home."
"Ours is a life of service master."
"It is, and that is true, but hollow words mean nothing where a dangerous mission is concerned Anakin, take this time off you have to recollect yourself, no doubt our impending task will be strenuous to say the least." Anakin nodded sullenly, but upon realizing that Obi-Wan could not actually see him, he responded verbally.
"Alright master," He sighed."The repairs were a little slow starting," Hespoke,casting a meaningful look towards the Dantooinian workman, who replied with a rude gesture, before returning his focus to the generator. Anakin chuckled quietly,and quickly finished his sentence.
"But they are well underway, I should be with you in approximately 4 hours."
"Good, that's quicker than I expected, at least I won't be stuck here for long."
"Not like you to complain master?" Anakin couldn't keep the amusement from his voice.
"No, perhaps not,but I suggest you give this whole 'senate's poster boy' thing a try, it's not the most rewarding or gratifying of tasks to say the least, if it were you in my position, we'd be sending in shrinks to come and talk you down." Anakin laughed.
"Glad to see you still have so much faith in me."
"You can fix and fly ships,but that's about all your good for." Anakin heard the smile in his master's tone, and decided to end the friendly yet worn banter there.
"Shouldn't you be getting back to your friends then?" Anakin laughed.
"I suppose so." came the laborious and tiredresponse.
"Right then, Skywalker ou-"
"Anakin?"
"Yes master?"
"Remember what I said, you should find some time for yourself to meditate a while, I'm sensing some very clouded emotion from you, you must not let it effect your judgment or the job we have to do."
"I'm just tired master." Obi-Wan didn't sound too sure, but let the problem lie, knowing that Anakin would sort himself out one way or another, without his intervention.
"Try at least."
"I will."
"Good, Kenobi out."
Anakin switched off his comlink, breathing a sigh of relief, the Jedi master meant well, but he had the awful knack of picking up the slightest tremble or disturbance in Anakin, no matter how hard Anakin tried to shield it, it was an attribute of Obi-Wan's that Anakin would have considered to be a caring one, but now, when he had so much to hide, and so much to lose, it was never a good thing. A sharp zapping sound of a fried generator ejected a high squeal from the workman behind Anakin, startling him from his daze.
"Hey, be careful with that, I'm not paying you to make it worse!" The workman glowered and sucked his burnt fingers, muttering:
"If someone hadn't been tinkering with the connection leads…"
Anakin ignored the man's angered comments, he decided it was time to call upon Obi-Wan's advice and meditate for a while, it was not a pass-time he enjoyed, not at all, but, like all things, there came times when sometimes things that you didn't even know you liked to do, you will feel the want of doing. He had no explanation for this, but he just did, in four hours or so, himself and Obi-Wan would be making their way into one of the most feared and dangerous zones in the galaxy, and as Kenobi had quite rightly said, Anakin could not let his boiling emotions and fears cloud his judgment in anyway. He would envision all thoughts of Padme, his mother, all things he'd lost, all things he missed, slipping away from him, as if being stored away in a box, to be released to him at a later time, when the happy and soothing memories would serve him purpose, and until then, his entire being would be focused on the task at hand, it would be best for him, forObi-Wan, and the Jedi.
He only wished he could believe ithimself.