Author's Note: Hello, dear readers! Thank you for the reviews – Niraha Skywalker and Hopeless4Life, I'm so glad you've joined us for the sequel! Welcome! Anakin's Girl and meandmysharpie – you continue to be great reviewers and I appreciate it! Thanks for reading everyone, here's another chapter – hope you enjoy!

FIRST DESTINATION, KOJAH CASTLE - TWO HOURS LATER

Feeling substantially refreshed, Anakin popped a piece of fruit in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. Running a hand down his arm, he admired the new clothes they'd won, the material soft to his touch. Looking up, he saw Padme sweep into the room, also looking comfortable in her new garments. As she took a seat next to him, she ran a hand through his still-damp hair and playfully swiped the soft piece of bread he was getting ready to eat.

"Hey!" he cried, laughing. "Get your own!"

Before he could exact revenge, they heard the distinctive chime that indicated a visitor. Reaching into the Force, he immediately sensed his Masters standing outside. Quickly, he punched in the code to open the door and welcomed them inside.

"Milady," they greeted Padme. With a warm smile, she inclined her head in response. Taking the seats across from her, they gingerly lowered themselves to the cushion, the strain of the rock hauling evident in their careful movements. Raising an amused brow at Obi-wan, Anakin settled himself next to Padme.

"We've received notice that some of the Guardian ships are moving towards Plauu. It seems we'll have to wait until the race takes us a bit closer before we can make a move," Master Windu explained. "If we were to try to go there now, we would be discovered too easily."

Nodding, Anakin agreed. He knew this mission was extremely important and didn't want to jeopardize it in any way. He called to mind his Master's many lessons on patience and realized this was going to be a true test.

"There's one more thing we need to discuss," Obi-wan said gently. "I have spoken with Master Yoda. He's found some ancient writings on Force bonds..."

"Yes?" Padme prompted.

"Well, he wanted me to emphasize how important it is to continue your meditations. Apparently, he found a lesson that speaks of the joy that can come from such a connection - and the pain..."

"Pain?" Anakin interrupted sharply.

"In some cases, the Bond becomes so ingrained that it is almost taken for granted. If that happens, it can be manipulated to cause suffering and false illusions. You must be careful," Obi-wan said emphatically, giving them both a concerned look.

"We will, Master," Anakin promised, as Padme nodded.

"If you'll excuse us," Mace stated. "We should retire to our quarters. We plan to run a much cleaner race tomorrow and have some studying to do in preparation."

Noting Obi-wan's pained look, Anakin merely smiled and said, "Yes, my Masters. Have a good evening."

QUARTERS OF DAKE AND TARV - FOUR HOURS LATER

"Of course, it is possible that they will send us to Yerta, the planet of fire," Mace mused, rubbing a hand over his goatee. "Yerta is well known for the precious metals they produce; perhaps we would be sent into a mine to find some sort of gem... Obi-wan, are you paying attention?"

Bringing his eyes open with a snap, the Jedi Master stumbled, "Yes, or course. Yerta, fire, mining. I've got it."

Giving him a skeptical look, Mace continued to strategize until Obi-wan finally stood up, "Master, please. We've got to get some sleep and I need to catch up on my meditation exercises."

After a pause, Mace reluctantly agreed and Obi-wan made a hasty escape, but not before hearing, "We'll review the rest of the System in the morning."

Blast!

QUARTERS OF LIRI AND KAIDE - SAME TIME

Finishing up the meditation exercises, Padme stretched her body and rolled her head from side-to-side, stifling a yawn. It had been a nice, peaceful evening and she was looking forward to the morning, which was sure to bring another fascinating day of racing.

Smiling, she looked over at Anakin and saw him stretched out on the bed, sleeping soundly. With some effort, she managed to roll him to the side and slipped in beside him. Wrapping her arms around his chest, she snuggled into his shoulder and fell into a deep slumber.

OUTSIDE KOJAH CASTLE - 24 HOURS AFTER ARRIVAL

As the hologram came to life, Anakin and Padme tensed, ready to sprint for their ship as soon as the clue was recited. Hearing Artoo issue a quiet beep of excitement from his place behind them, they knew they weren't the only ones.

"Welcome to the second leg of Racing Through the Stars! From here, you will travel to Ginper, a planet known for its chilly climate. Once you enter the atmosphere, put your ship down in Sector 4T. Your next clue will be waiting."

Immediately, they headed for the ship, happy to see it had been moved to higher ground so they didn't have to figure out a way to get back down the cliff. A few minutes after boarding, they had the ship streaking for the sky, the scene below them becoming smaller and smaller.

"Ginper, Ginper," Padme mumbled, studying the starmap. "It's known to be 'chilly.' That means it's probably an outlying planet... Hmmm... Ah, yes, here it is," she stated, punching in the coordinates. The ship responded instantly and she sat back in the seat, smiling at Anakin.

"Nice work," he complimented. "Now, we should-"

His statement was cut off as a loud racket filled the air. Anakin jumped out of his seat and ran to the engine room, dismayed to see the main engine sparking and sputtering.

"Oh no!" Padme cried, peeking over his shoulder. "Can you fix it?"

"Yes, but it will take some time," he replied. A look of intense concentration came over his face as he shut off the main power, causing the emergency lights to flicker to life and casting an eerie glow throughout the ship. Intently, he probed the wires in an attempt to identify the problem.

Sensing he was fully absorbed in the repairs, Padme started for the door, calling over her shoulder, "I'm going to see what we have in the way of warm clothes. Let me know if you need anything - I have my comlink."

Nodding absently, he went to work on the damaged engine.

SHIP OF DAKE AND TARV - FORTY MINUTES LATER

Mace clenched his jaw as the ship left the Kojahian atmosphere and headed into the inky blackness of space. Calling up his starmap, his mind raced as he tried to recall just where he had seen Ginper. After a few moments of frustration, he swiveled his gaze towards Obi-wan to see if he was searching. Thankfully, he was - but not as intently as Mace would have liked.

Just as he opened his mouth to point out that fact, Obi-wan let out a triumphant cry, "There it is!"

Frowning, Mace followed his finger and realized he was right. He sat back in his chair as Obi-wan entered the coordinates and the ship sprang to life.

Watching the stars begin to race by the window, he caught sight of a dim ship as it floated in nothingness, obviously broken down. Immediately, he recognized it as belonging to Anakin and Padme. Reaching out through the Force, he sensed that Anakin almost had the repairs completed and they would be racing again in moments.

Putting some pressure on the throttle, he smiled as he felt the ship lunge forward, speeding for Ginper.

GINPER - THREE HOURS LATER

Reluctantly, Anakin left the warmth of their ship and joined Padme on the cold planet, pulling his cloak tighter around him. Looking around at the other ships, he realized the engine malfunction has caused them to drop to the bottom of the pack. With a renewed sense of determination, he quickened his pace as he saw the hologram come into view.

"You've reached a divergence," the voiceover stated cheerfully. "You must choose your path - Ride or Glide. In Ride, teams will take a snowcraft through an unmarked trail to Lake Icesier. The snowcraft is easy to use, but teams may get lost and fall behind. In Glide, teams will don a pair of iceblades and follow a well marked path to the Lake. The trail will be easy to follow, but maneuvering on iceblades could get tricky."

Sensing Padme's preference – Iceblades - he followed her to the small outbuilding, skidding to a stop on the slick surface. Seeing several pairs scattered on the floor, they stepped into the contraptions, clicking the lock closed where it stretched across the top of their boots. Tentatively, they started out across the marked trail, holding onto each other as Artoo rolled along behind them. After a few moments, Padme discovered why it was called "glide" as she pushed off with one foot and then the other and felt her movements smooth out. Anakin quickly mastered the technique and soon they were going at a fairly high rate of speed, only wobbling occasionally.

Hearing voices up ahead, Anakin recognized them immediately as belonging to the two Jedi Masters. Reaching out for Padme's hand, he pulled her tight to him and grinned as the men came into view, their camera droid hovering behind them noiselessly. Sensing his former Padawan's presence, Obi-wan turned and widened his eyes as he saw the pair careening towards him. "Ferrrrooooooooo!" Artoo shrieked.

"Look out!" Anakin cried, a little too late as he smacked into his Master. The sudden motion sent Padme spinning and her arms flailed helplessly as she glided by Master Windu, missing his face by inches. Finally, she gave up and simply sat down.

Bad idea! she realized, as Obi-wan and Anakin tumbled into her and collapsed in a heap.

"Liri! Are you okay?" Obi-wan said finally, as the commotion died down.

"Mmphff," was all he heard. Anakin must have understood because he muttered a quick "sorry" before jumping to his feet, only to fall down again as his feet went out from under him. His face was bright red as he looked up to see Mace extending a hand towards him, looking mildly annoyed. Moments later, the foursome struggled onto Lake Icesier - VERY happy to see the next clue shimmering in the distance.

But that joy was quickly diminished as they saw the other contestants completing what was obviously the next challenge.

All Padme could do was turn to Anakin with a sweet smile and say, "You're doing this one."