Chapter 5

I entered the familiar apartment and saw Anakin reading a book on one of the red, wine colored arm chairs.

"Since when do you read?" I asked.

"Oh, you know, master, just trying to keep up with my studies." He replied.

"Since when do you wear my reading glasses?"

"Your reading glasses?" He asked, pulling them off. "I had no idea these were your glasses. Besides, I was um, you know, hoping some of your wit would rub off on me I guess."

"Really?" I asked, almost feeling flattered. "Well, let's get to training then. Have you meditated yet?"

"No."

"Well, we can go sit on the balcony then. The weather is nice." I offered.

"I can do it right here."

"You can't properly meditate in an armchair." I replied.

"I can."

"Come on, I'll meet you on the balcony." I replied.

About ten minutes later, I felt Anakin's presence on the gated balcony.

"That took awhile." I said, opening my right eye and watching him sit down.

"I wasn't really in the mood."

This agitated me, but soon, I was again relaxed and calm. I was beginning to breathe in a normal, slow rhythm, then, the visions again.

"Master, please wake up!"

Kyra started coughing, over and over.

"Someone will help you, don't worry. Someone will save you."

"Please, master, don't leave me." Kyra whispered. "Don't. I can't make it. I can't do it."

Another scream.

"Master!" Anakin said quickly, breaking my thoughts. "I can't stand meditating!"

"Why not?" I asked shakily.

"Because it's... boring."

"It's alright. You don't fully understand it yet. Soon, it will become relaxing. It will help you concentrate and focus your strengths." I said, giving him the speech we both knew so well by now. I stood up, today was not a good day for meditating. "Keep going, you need it more than I do."

Anakin stood up anyway.

"Master, aren't you going to stay?"

"No, I need to clean up."

"Well, maybe we should meditate a bit longer."

"Are you stalling?" I asked.

"Me? Stalling? No. Why would I be stalling?" Anakin asked quickly. "I didn't do anything while you were out."

I walked in, and looked around. Everything seemed in order. The chairs were in the same place, the table still had it's legs, the counter tops were fine, and the armchair still had the duct tape on it. Wait!

"Anakin, why is there duct tape on my armchair?"

"Because I kept missing when I was doing lightsaber throwing practice." He winced a bit.

"I told you not to use your lightsaber!" I exclaimed.

"What was I supposed to do? Use the lamp?"

"Well, not the lamp, but I see that's broken to, so you could have!"

"I tried to tell you it was a bad idea for me to practice!"

"When?" I snapped. "You don't talk to me at all anymore, only when you're trying to be lazy and get out of practicing."

"YOU don't listen!"

I stopped. It was exactly what Master Yoda had warned me about. He told me I wasn't listening.

"Anakin, have you been having nightmares?"

"Why should I tell you?" He said, crossing his arms defiantly. He plopped onto the navy suede sofa and put his booted feet on the glass table I cleaned, sending small chunks of mud everywhere.

"Because you said I don't listen, well I haven't exactly been talking to you either." I replied, sitting on the destroyed chair. The tape made an odd squeaking noise under my weight.

"Jedi don't have nightmares."

"Ah, the usual excuse." I replied. "I would have said the exact same thing when I was your age. Only a real Jedi realizes weakness."

"Weakness is a problem. It should be eliminated."

"That's a very absolute way of looking at it. I think weakness should be helped. It should be changed into strength, it should be developed."

"It takes time to develop it, and time could be better used training the strong."

"Well, I have been having nightmares." I finally said.

"About what?"

"Do you remember Kyra?"

"Yeah. Of course. She was my best friend!" Anakin said, still a bit touchy and sore about the whole thing.

"Well, I've been having nightmares about her, and I have talked to Master Yoda, and he says that I should be paying more attention to your studies than my nightmares."

"What's been happening to her?" He asked quietly, looking down.

"She's being tortured. I think Adi Gallia is dead."

He looked up.

"We have to go help her!"

"Anakin, we don't even know where she is!" I replied. "Be reasonable about this. It can't work out. We have things to do, and we can't go chasing her around the galaxy, no matter how much I would like to."

"I can ask her friends where she went. I really can!" Anakin said. "You know, the other padawans. I know that Skye Blintze knows."

"Skye?" I asked quickly. "Not that little blond girl you got drunk and, well, you know..."

"Made love to?"

"Yeah." I replied quickly. "I'll ask her. Tell me where to find her."

"Fine. Everyone knows you're in no danger of getting laid." Anakin replied haughtily.

"Just because she wasn't a Jedi doesn't mean... never mind, just tell me where to find her."