Since people aren't reviewing, I'm thinking that maybe I'll just delete this story. Anyone want to keep it, will have to review it! (blackmail I know)
Chapter 3
2 years later.
An 11 year old Anakin rushed down the corridor. 2 years at the palace and already he had reduced lessons. But considering the amount he had before, Anakin could only be relieved that he had time for study and practice. It wouldn't be too long before he could go on a mission. He walked into a free room, Padu and Gaina were already there limbering up. As Anakin stretched he looked at his newly made light sabre. He had finally found time in all the lessons to build it. It was based on Obi Wan's and even had blue crystals in it. Taking it off and picking up one of the practice sabre Anakin walked onto the matt. "Now Anakin, are you sure your ready?" Gaina asked.
"Sure," Anakin said igniting the sabre. "Ready?" The fight was quick, Anakin with one sabre against Padu and Gaina, both having been sparring longer than him. Anakin used several moves and disabled Padu from the match, in a few more Gaina ended up with a sabre at her neck.
"Phew, Anakin," Padu said, "That was quick!"
"Yeah," Gaina added, "Amazing, two year and your already an expert swordsman."
"Still not good enough to beat Obi Wan yet," Anakin said, squinting up at the lights. "Again?"
They sparred for the rest of the lesson, Anakin continually beat them both, and didn't seem to tire. They always used this time to spar since they no longer needed to do politics, now they were expected to keep up with various legislation on their own. Next time others were coming to join them. Padu and Gaina thought maybe they might have a chance against Anakin's lightening reflexes if he faced more than two Padawans. After the matches, Padu, Gaina and Anakin went to combat training which replaced acrobatics, they were now expected to keep limber on their own. Everyone always wanted Anakin on their team for combat training. Anakin was a good leader and knew loads of tactics from his lessons. But he also managed to come up with several of his own manoeuvres. Anakin's team always managed to win, even when he was placed with the youngest, most inexperienced and most inept Padawans. He saw their unique talents and adapted and amalgamated various moves to suit the group he was with. The teachers were impresses at how he managed to combine lesson knowledge and adapt it. As usual, he managed to beat the other team, and managed to get to the flag before the others. The teachers were no longer surprised a this, and decided that lesson, that next time he would work alone, or with one other to see how well he managed.
His next lesson was with Master poof, searching for fears. Anakin was already adept, so Master Poof decided that he would have a test next time and then no more. Anakin couldn't say he was sad about that. Mind manipulation was too close to the dark side for his taste.
His last lesson before lunch was with Master Rancisis. Anakin loved these lessons. It was tactical manoeuvres. They were in the middle of a battle, Master Rancisis had the upper hand, but Anakin used a tactic he had developed and switched the tables, winning the battle. "Well done Anakin," Master Rancisis said, "Soon we'll have to come to you for tactical information." Anakin knew that even though he had nothing else to learn from Master Rancisis the lessons would not stop. They both had too much fun developing moves to outwit the other.
Lunch was the same as always, Anakin sat with Padu and Gaina, Obi Wan was away on a mission, his first on his own, and several younger Padawans sat with them. They asked advice from the three older ones on subjects. The three smiled at each other and patiently answered any questions. They were getting a reputation in the palace. All three of them were well known. Anakin for his tactical knowledge, his ability to lead and see things, predict things as well as his growing sabre skills. He was an all round person, good at everything and always patient with the younger people, and he never made people feel useless. He was well liked by everyone, and no one was jealous about the extra lessons with the council anymore, everyone could see he was special. Padu was famous for his growing medical skills. He could heal anything, and was the best person to go to with a problem because he had an instinct to getting to the heart of a matter and always managed to reassure someone. He had an amazing bedside manner. Gaina was also famous in the temple. She could square away any argument. She could understand both sides of an argument and resolve both issues satisfactorily. All three were a bit away from the others. They still talked and managed to have laughs with the other Padawans, but they always treated them with some kind of awe. Anakin managed to ignore it, but the other two had always thought it would be Anakin that would be the one awed, they never thought that they would be awed as well. It was discomforting.
"How do you manage to ignore it?" Gaina once asked.
"I don't," Anakin replied, "I see the way they look at me, and talk about me with hushed whispers, but that kind of thing will leave them once we are all Knights and working side by side," Anakin looked upwards, "I hope."
The three had computer studies next. A very boring lesson about hacking, which Anakin grasped in five seconds. Gaina and Padu smiled wryly at him.
His next lesson was mental disciplining with Master Koth. He was doing well in this lesson and would be able to finish soon.
His lessons with Master Yaddle he would never give up. The usually quiet little green alien could be very vocal in a debate about books or history. Today it was a continuation of whether the development of the Sith was inevitable. Anakin thought it was, while Master Yaddle thought it was not. These discussions weren't to learn anything anymore, but to give Anakin a mental view of the Sith, and to give him a moral view, and understand why they were evil.
After dinner with Master Yoda they had a sabre fight, (to all those of you out there thinking, they shouldn't exercise after eating, I'm using poetic licence, deal with it) Anakin felt rather proud as now he could last for several minutes now and get some moves in before he was defeated. That was a major improvement and not many Knights could manage that let alone Padawans.
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The next day, Anakin's first lesson was biology, going through the various plants and their properties. It was deadly dull, but Anakin had to do it. After that was combat training. Anakin was with Padawan against all the others. He had to get the defend the area against them all. The Padawan, Dertet, was fairly young, but average skills. Seeing in him the ability to move silently and quickly, Anakin used that to his advantage. The opposite was big, but highly skilled and good sensors. He needed to sneak in there. Looking at the ceiling, he had an idea. Using the force to rustle branches at various places, distracting them, Anakin and Dertet moved silently along the ceiling. The teachers could see the movement, but gave nothing away. Dertet reached down to get the artefact, but Anakin shook his head. All around were Padawans watching it and outside. A huge distraction was called for. Seeing a lake in the simulation, Anakin managed to dump a load of it on them. When they were complaining about the water and looking to see where it came from, Anakin quickly took the object. On the way out, Dertet held it while Anakin covered his back. They nearly got away, when the Padawan's noticed them. "Time for plan B," Anakin said. Anakin kept the Padawan's distracted as Dertet hid the artefact and then joined in. looking as if they were retreating, the two boys returned later and picked the object up and headed back to command, dissolving the false image at the base when they got there. The teachers were very impressed. And several of the defenders were soaked.
Anakin then went to his next lesson with Master Windu. They had moved up to sparring with each other, determining the focus and maintaining it. Though Anakin lost every time, he managed to put in a good effort, and stayed focused.
His last lesson before lunch was To Pi in the med lab. Anakin could heal basic wounds now, and ran tests on patients for the healers. Today Anakin was healing a youngling girl with a broken leg. He teased her as he healed it. She was a little angel. When he was finished she gave him a little kiss on the cheek and ran off. "Nicest thank you I've ever seen," Padu teased. Padu was often there as he trained to become a healer.
At lunch they laughed with each other, and teased each other as usual. Obi Wan was there as well, having just that minute returned from his mission. He struck awe with the others as well. Padu and Gaina nearly held him up to a pedestal when they realised, that's exactly what others did to them and so stopped and became friends with them. Obi Wan had many friends his own age, but he occasionally had lunch with them and he often had dinner with Anakin and Master Yoda. Qui gon also came for those dinners. The four were very close.
After lunch, Anakin went for private study in the library, searching the planets, trying to figure out which was the location for many of his dreams. The wars, the battles, the fights, the deaths. Over the past few years Anakin had seen many things. Some had already happened, most were going to. Yoda tried to help Anakin with dealing with the images, some very graphic. Anakin often woke in the middle of the night sweating. Something big was going to happen, and he was in the middle of it.
Fir his next lesson he went on a drive with Master Saesee Tiin. They often parked their speeder and went to a bar, Anakin trying to understand what people in various dialects were saying. He was already proficient, but Anakin and Master Tiin weren't going to give up their flying time any time soon. They had gotten close over fast flying and reckless steering.
His next lesson when he got back he had a lesson with Master Even Piell on defeating the dark side. Anakin thought it more of a lecture. For the moment he suffered the lessons, he did actually pick up useful information, but the delivery left a lot to be desired.
Dinner was amusing, all his friends and mentors came into the tiny apartment. They were celebrating his birthday. Obi Wan of course knew the date. It was a fairly usual dinner, except that everyone gave him a piece of wisdom, or a data pad. It was a Jedi custom and by the end, Anakin was looking at Obi Wan with murder in is eyes. Obi Wan just looked smugly back at him.
After dinner, Yoda and Anakin sat down to meditate, searching the future. Fir once Anakin saw something good. A child, who would be one of the greatest Jedi in history. It was the child of two Jedi though, and when Anakin told Yoda this, he looked puzzled. "Many changes will obviously occur," was all he said.
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A new day, a new chance at learning. Anakin's first lesson was hand combat. Faced with several opponents Anakin managed to beat them all. It took 6 much older and experienced Padawan to defeat him when he was tired, and Anakin had not been fighting by hand for long, so was not that experienced.
After hand combat, Anakin sparred with several people at once in his free period. He managed to beat them all singly and together. His skills were growing in enormous rates and he was only 13.
His next lesson was with Master Ki Adi Mundi. It was basically discussing what made great leaders great and how Anakin lead in the combat exercises.
With Master Pepa Billaba, they just walked through the streets, Anakin blindfolded, he had to guess the species with out looking at them. He was getting better all the time with that.
Next he had a free lesson, which he used to continue his search into the planets in his visions.
When he next went with Master Adi Gallia to the senate, they watched a debate. Anakin managed to guess what each politician was about to say and why he said it, ie, what political motivation he had. Master Adi Gallia was impressed. They met the Chancellor afterwards who had often asked to see Ani in the past. Anakin saw through his false professions of friendship. Anakin could see that the Chancellor saw an opportunity for using Anakin in the future. For the moment Anakin was going to be wary about anything the Chancellor said.
His last lesson before dinner was his last in force sensing as Anakin was already as proficient as Master Plo Koon could make him.
After dinner, Yoda told Ani that Qui gon wanted to see him about something. When he arrived, Qui gon sat nervously in a chair, Obi Wan was smirking in the background. He had an idea about what this was all about. "Anakin, have a seat. Umm, because I'm human, Master Yoda has asked me to explain some things to you." Qui gon cleared his throat, "Now you know men and women are different…" Qui gon started, gradually growing more red as he went further into detail. Anakin sat there looking completely innocent and unfazed by the new knowledge. Obi Wan was I the background, a fist stuck in his mouth, practically rolling around on the floor listening to the explanation. All the time Anakin looked like an innocent young babe. Qui gon then looked at Anakin, "You already know all this," he said looking at Obi Wan, who had finally given up the struggle and was laughing so hard tears were streaming down his face.
Anakin had a broad grin on his face now, "Yeah, hanging around all those pilots with graphic knowledge of their conquests kinda does that to you. Obi Wan explained it to me ages ago." Qui gon looked from the hysterical Obi Wan to the giggling Anakin and finally gave up and laughed as well.
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