Open or Closed
Allie Helms
Chapter three:
A Senator and Lady Jedi
Love makes bridges where there are none.
As we were waiting in the elevator to take us up to the Senator's apartment I sensed Anakin was a little tense.
"You seem a little on edge," Obi-wan noted.
Anakin shrugged, "No not at all."
I rolled my eyes at Anakin's answer. Then right when I was going to say something I felt a sharp pain in my gut from Obi-wan's elbow. I shut my mouth.
Obi-wan looked at Anakin, "o haven't felt you this tense since we fell into that nest of gundarks." Obi-wan smiled at the memory.
Anakin looked at his master and smiled, "you fell into that nightmare, Master, and I rescued you, remember?"
"Oh yeah," Obi-wan chuckled, and Anakin followed suite. "You're sweating. Relax. Take a deep breath," Obi-wan coaxed.
Anakin shook his head, "o haven't seen her in ten years Master."
The rest of our journey was quiet. When the doors opened a creature was standing there. His eyes were yellow and he was sort of frog – like. "A trait Colleen would love," I thought with a smile.
"Obi? Obi!" the creature wailed. "Meesa so smilin to be seein yousa," the creature said shaking Obi-Wan's hand.
"It's good to see you too Jar Jar. Now let me introduce Lady Jedi November," I stepped forward.
"Nice to meet you," he said bowing.
I smiled," Same here."
Jar Jar then looked passed me, "Annie? Is that really you?"
"Hi Jar Jar," Anakin replied.
We then followed Jar Jar into a room where three people were talking. "Meesa here," Jar Jar announced. "Lookie . . . lookie . . . Senator. Desa Jedi arrived."
Obi-wan came forward, "It's a pleasure to see you again M'Lady. " Obi-wan then extended his hand and the Senator took it.
"It has been far too long, Master Kenobi. Who is this?" the Senator indicated to me.
"This is the newest member of the Jedi Temple. Lady Jedi November please meet Senator Padme Amidala," I looked at her and shook her hand.
She then stared behind me, "Annie?" she questioned. "My goodness you've grown!"
"So have you," he said looking at her a little goo – goo eyed.
Padme then turned to Obi-wan "Our presence will be invisible M'Lady I can assure you."
We all went to sit down on the couches. I sat next to Obi-wan not wanting to start anything with Anakin.
Just then a man I a uniform began to speak, "I'm very glad you are here, Master Kenobi. I'm Captain Typho, head of Her Majesty's security service. Queen Jamilla had been informed of your assignment. The situation is more dangerous than the Senator will admit."
"I don't need more security, I need answers. I want to know who is trying to kill me," Padme said.
Obi-wan frowned, "We're here to protect you Senator, not start an investigation."
"We can't make any promises," I said politely.
Anakin then spoke, "We will find out who is trying to kill you Padme, I promise you."
"Anakin, remember our assignment," I said, but he ignored me.
"We will not exceed our mandate, my young Padawan," Obi-wan said trying to put Anakin in his place.
Anakin quickly tried to cover himself up, "I meant in the interest of protecting her, Master, of course."
"We will not go over this exercise again, Anakin. And you will pay attention to our lead," Obi-wan said throwing me in there. I wish he hadn't had done that.
Anakin then tried to reason, "Why else do you think we were assigned to protect her, if not to find the killer? Protection is a job for local security not Jedi. It's overkill, Master. Investigation is implied in our mandate."
Obi-wan sighed, "We will do exactly as the Council has instructed, and you will learn your place, young one."
"Perhaps with merely your presence, the mysteries surrounding this threat will be revealed. Now if you will excuse me, I will retire," Padme said getting up.
We al gave her a small bow, and her handmaiden followed her to her room.
Just then Captain Typho spoke, "I'll have an officer stationed on every floor, and I'll be in the control center downstairs." Obi-wan and I nodded.
"Meesa busten with happiness seein yousa again Annie," Jar Jar said as Anakin.
Anakin looked down then over to Padme's room, "She hardly recognized me Jar Jar. I've thought about her everyday since we parted, and she's forgotten me completely."
"Shesa happy. Happier den mesa seein her in a long long time," Jar Jar said in hopes of picking Anakin's spirits up.
"Anakin you're focusing on the negative. Be mindful of you thoughts. She was pleased to see us," Obi-wan said with a smile.
Obi-wan left the room to go and check the security. An hour later I decided to check on the Senator. When I entered the room was dark except a lamp lit in the corner. The Senator seemed to be reading. She looked up, "Sorry. I just thought I'd come check on you," I said with sincerity.
I turned to leave, and heard her call me, "Lady Jedi." I turned around. "I could use some company."
I smiled and walked in shutting the door behind me. I went and sat on the edge of her bed. "My pleasure," I smiled.
"Is it hard being a Lady Jedi?" she asked.
"I don't know," she looked confused. "I have only been one for a day. I haven't been in much danger. So, I don't really know."
"I've heard of you," she said. "You're the Lost Prophecy. They say you come from a different world."
I nodded. "What did you do back on your home planet?" she asked.
"Well," I began. "I read. I wrote stories. I sang."
She smiled, "Will you sing a song for me from your home planet. It's been a long time since I heard a song."
I nodded then I began.
"I couldn't tell you
Why she felt that way
She felt it everyday
And I couldn't help her
I just watched her make
The same mistakes again
What's wrong what's wrong now
Too many too many problems
Don't know where she belongs
Where she belongs
She wants to go home
But nobody's home
That's where she lies
Broken inside
With no place to go
No place to go
To dry her eyes
Broken inside
Open your eyes
And look outside
Find the reason why
You've been rejected
Now you can't find
What you've left behind
Be strong be strong now
Too many too many problems
Don't know where she belongs
Where she belongs
She wants to go home
But nobody's home
That's where she lies
Broken inside
With no place to go
No place to go
To dry her eyes
Broken inside
Her feelings she hides
Her dreams she can't find
She's losing her mind
She's falling behind she can't find her place
She's losing her faith
She's falling from grace
She's all over the place
She wants to go home
And nobody's home
That's where she lies
Broken inside
With no place to go
No place to go
To dry her eyes
Broken inside
She's lost inside lost inside
She's lost inside lost inside"
"That was beautiful," she praised.
I smiled, "Thank you. Now will you excuse me Senator."
She cut me off, "Please call me Padme."
"Padme. I will go check on Anakin," she smiled and I walked out of the room.
Anakin was standing outside on the balcony. I went to go stand with him. "I heard you singing," he said when I approached.
"Oh," I said.
He turned to me, "It was entrancing."
"Thank you," I said and we sat a couple minutes in silence. "Anakin talk to me. Tell me what your feeling," I said.
He looked at me, "I'm scared for my mother. I'm having dreams about her suffering . . . dying." He looked scared.
"Don't," I said. "Everything will be okay, and if it isn't then fat has a reason for it to be that way." I then hugged him and we stayed that way for a minute or so.
The he pulled me away to arms length to look at me, "Tell me what's wrong with you. I told you my problem."
"It's only fair," I said while breaking away from him. "When I was being tested by the Council you know. They asked me questions. One of them was 'What has happen to you in the past?' So, I told them about how my parents split apart, about how my friend died, but I didn't tell them one thing."
"What was that?" he said putting his hands on my shoulders.
I looked out across Courscant. I saw the Jedi Temple in the distance, and a tear raced down my face. "Anakin when I was sixteen I tried to kill myself," he started to ask me how, but I got there first. "The reason why my friend died was because I killed her. We got in an accident, and she died in my arms. I hated myself, and its my fault," I was crying freely now.
He turned me around and began to wipe to tears away. "Shh. It's alright. It's not your fault. It just happened. Remember what you told me about death?" he asked.
"That's its just another path one that we all must take," he nodded. "I should really try to practice what I preach huh?" I chuckled.
"You know what?" he asked.
I looked at him, "What?"
"I should teach you how to meditate. It will help you get rid of all these thoughts," he smiled. "How about it?"
I nodded and we walked back tot he couches to meditate.
A/N: Sorry for the depression. Just thought I'd spice it up a bit. Next chapter by Wednesday or maybe sooner! The song: Nobody's Home By: Avril Lavigne.