"Light in the Shadow"
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Chapter 9
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Lexxa slipped quietly into one of the larger training rooms that were usually used by masters or experieced Knights. It was rather late in the evening and only some of the bright lights in the room were lit, leaving the corners in shadows. With her master still on his mission she felt much freer to go where she wanted without being interrogated. The only comfort she had was that things between her and her master were seeming to get better now. Not much, but at least they were finally forming a real bond, a bond she felt that she had lacked before. But she still felt intimidated by him. He was not someone you wanted to be on the wrong side of.
Lexi settled into a shadowy corner out of sight of the two pair of dueling knights. She had no interest in the pair on the opposite side of the room. She focused on the pair that was in perfect view though they would have a hard time noticing her. She eyed one of the duelists, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and nodded to herself. He was predictably using Soresu, his favored form. Lexxa noted with satisfaction that the green skinned Jedi that Kenobi was sparing with was using Ataru, her favored form.
She had been doing this for the last three nights. She had already seen him dueling with a Soresu user as himself and a Djem-So user. Tonight was in her favoras she sawthat he wasfighting an Ataru practitioner. She was determined to spy on the Knight. The tournament was in four days and she would practice relentlessly so that she would get into the tournament finals. And of course she would challenge none other than Knight Kenobi.
Anakin had barely spoken to her since that day in the training rooms when Kenobi had walked in on them. Anakin had reacted very harshly to what had happened. He spent all his time practicing anything physical. He was wearing himself out and Lexxa didn't like it. It was like Anakin to exhaust himself when something was bothering him. He avoided speaking to her about it and his shields always were strongest when he was around Ana.
Ana was another puzzle to solve. Lexi never thought she was much of a moody person, but lately she was that and she was distant. Of course asking Anakin about Ana was useless.
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( Flashback. )
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"Anakin, can I talk to you?" Lexxa asked taking a seat next to him. She had found him in a isolated part of the temple gardens.
"Sure," Anakin replied, not looking up at her.
"It's about Ana. She seems really distant lately. Do you know if she's ok? I mean, I don't think it has anything to do with me, but she's anxious about something, I feel it!"
"I'm not surprised," Anakin scoffed, "Her perfect Master probably told her to keep away from us because we're Jedi Rebels."
"Anakin!" Lexi chided softly, "Don't say that. I know you and Master Kenobi are at odds, but I'm sure he doesn't think-"
"You just think he's perfect like everyone else does!" Anakin said scowling as he got up.
Lexxa jumped up as well. "Anakin, I don't think that."
Anakin shook his head with a sad smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Sure you don't," he muttered sarcastically before walking away.
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( End Flashback. )
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After a couple of hours of watching, Lexxa gathered her holovid recorder and slipped out of the training room. She made her way to her apartment and slipped the holovid chip into the holoprojector and started to study the recording.
She would face Obi-Wan Kenobi and she would beat him.
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( 2 Days to the Tournament... )
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It was almost dinner time when Lexi entered one of the smaller training rooms in the temple. Her eyes were set on a certain fifteen year old padawan named Anakin. She slowly walked over to stand in his general vicinity as he was busy preforming a series of very complicated level 3 katas. It would be unfortunate to anyone who happened to get in his way.
He stopped after a few minutes, breathing swiftly. He brought his burning blue eyes to rest on Lexi, sweat sliding down his brow. "...what's the matter?" he asked edgily.
Lexi felt her insides wither a little. What was wrong with him?
She closed her eyes, sucking in a deep breath, sudden courage filling up all that hurt space. Words needed to be said, and things needed to be worked out. "I need to talk to you, Anakin," she continued on, not waiting for a reply, "Your recent behavior toward me has been rude and unjust, and I'm tired of you training so much. I'm sick with worry and all I can do is pace my room at night, and it's really, really causing me problems." Her mustered strength ran out and right into a well of despair. "I care about you so much, and I don't care about what anyone else says. It hurts when you walk around with a frown all day. I miss seeing your smile and I'm so frustrated," she went on, not even realizing the tears that were rushing down her face as she started to pace five feet back and forth, her hands moving rapidly in front of her, "I just want things to be like they used to be...and I wish -- I wish I hadn't gone on so many missions! We've been apart for so long..."
"Lexi!"
"And right when we reestablish our bond, that...thing happens, and then you rush off..."
"Lexi!"
"And you won't tell me anything, not even when I ask you..."
"Lexi!"
She jumped at his loud exclamation, freezing in everything she was doing, whatever she was going to say next only leaving her mouth in the form of a shaky exhale. Anakin stood a few feet away, staring at her, and biting his bottom lip. Lexi frowned, bringing a hand up to her cheek. She blinked, taking her hand away to look at it when she felt the liquid of tears. "Oh..." she uttered for no particular reason.
Anakin's arms dropped to his sides in hopelessness, his head shaking gently. "I'm sorry, Lexi..."
Lexi turned her gaze on him, sniffing some. "What?"
Anakin let his blue orbs dart around momentarily before he closed the rest of the distance between them and eneveloped her in a firm hug. "I'm sorry...for everything. For ignoring you, for not telling you anything...for making you worry. I let my feelings get out of control...way out of control..."
Lexi closed her eyes sadly, her fingers wrapping around the folds on the chest of his tunic, her forehead resting against his shoulder. "It's okay...just promise me...no more of this...I just want to help you...because-"
"Don't," Anakin warned forlornly.
A sob escaped Lexi's lips, rattling her shoulders, and Anakin's hug became even tighter.
"I promise, Lexi...from now on, all my thoughts are your thoughts," he whispered in her ear softly, "Okay?"
Lexi nodded, sniffling some more. She gathered herself from her emotional collapse and stepped back a bit so that she could look up at Anakin. She decided that it was time to change the subject. Wiping at her eyes with her biege cloak, she spoke softly, "Who are you planning to take on, of the older Jedi, I mean?"
Anakin sighed, letting his hands fall from her shoulders reluctantly. They didn't want to have another repeat of last week. "I'm going to face your Master..."
"But why?" Lexi asked in mild confusion.
"We can face whoever we want, Lexi...and I choose your Master..." he gazed at her warmly for the first time in nearly two weeks, "He made the mistake of messing with you...and now he's going to pay for it."
Lexi gazed at him in wonder. This whole time? Had he only been training to face her Master?
"You're going to face Kenobi, aren't you?"
Lexi's eyes widened a bit. "Uhm...yes..."
"Well good," Anakin said with a curt nod, "we'll fight in this tournament for each other. To heal our wounds..." He ambled away, picking up his fallen lightsaber and twirling the handle in his fingers. "I know it sounds corny..."
"No." Lexi assured him. "I agree...to heal our wounds..."
Anakin stopped in the middle of the spongy training platform, staring at her thoughtfully. "Then we need to practice...practice everyday..."
Lexi nodded solemnly, taking her lightsaber into her own hand. "Together."
She walked out to meet him on the platform.
This isn't about a game, she thought, this is about us...about the people who keep us apart. This is our only way of fighting back, of rebelling for our own cause. I know it's selfish, but I'll do anything for him. We can't let them split us apart...so all we can do, while they're shoving us farther and farther away, is push...push and push...even if the distance is getting wider, at least the pace is lethargic.....
I'll go wherever you will go, Anakin...
Wherever...
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TBC...
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Ohh, interesting, eh? I hope I haven't lost you guys with that barren period of no updating...that would make me and Alley very sad. -sniff-
Anyway, if you find yourself confused, the bottom line is that Lexi and Anakin's relationship has always been in there, for some years now, they've always secretly liked each other, and the distance that they were forced to live in with Lexi beingoff worldas well as Anakin, it strengthened their bond and let's say the secret buds of caring blossomed! Lol, yay for metaphors.
Thank you for reading, and please review! Any questions, include them in your review or e-mail us.
-Aryll & Alley.