Luke and Leia were working on their telekinesis in the garden. "Are you nervous about the tournament next week?" Luke asked.
"No, it's just to prove where we are, Luke, there's no reason to be nervous." Leia replied.
"Of course it must be easy for you two as you are the Chosen One's children." Marcus Antilles scoffed.
"Easy? It's not easy at all!" Luke yelled.
"Sure it is! We all know who your father is, Lukey, he's not only the almighty powerful Chosen One' he is also a Jedi Master and council member and don't forget he is also the "hero with no fear." Marcus was intensely jealous of both Luke and Leia; he knew that they got special privileges and got their pick of the top masters.
"I've told you before Marcus, not to call me Lukey."
"What are you going to do about it, Lukey? I'm bigger and smarter than you'll ever be."
Leia saw her brother's eyes flick over to a dark grayish blue an indication that he was getting very angry.
"Luke, don't. He isn't worth it. What would father say?" Leia telepathically sent to her brother.
"Lukey, Lukey he is all pukey." Marcus taunted him the way an immature eight year old would do.
"You better stop, I will not tell you again." Luke threatened.
"Ooo, what are you going to do about it? Remember anger leads to the dark side, Lukey." Marcus was caught off guard as he was thrown to the ground and Luke started to punch him and beat him senseless.
"Luke, please stop! Please!" Leia cried out. Obi-Wan, Mace Windu and Yoda came upon the scene and Marcus' nose was bleeding profusely and Luke had a satisfied look on his face, until he saw the great disappointment in the Jedi Master's faces.
"Padawan Skywalker, what's this all about?" Mace Windu bellowed.
"He was taunting me."
"Calling you names was he?" Yoda replied.
"Yes, Master Yoda."
"Feel you had to beat Padawan Antilles to pulp was justified do you?" Yoda asked.
"No, probably not; but when I asked him to stop he wouldn't."
"Master Kenobi, take Luke home." Master Windu ordered.
Luke felt a sharp tug of his padawan braid and yelped as Obi-Wan led him out.
"Please don't tell my father, Master Kenobi." Luke cried.
"I won't; but you will my young apprentice."
Luke began to cry harder. "Please, don't make me." Luke sobbed.
Obi-Wan sighed; the boy was scared and possibly rightfully so to a seven year old child, Anakin was a formidable Jedi, Obi-Wan knew that most of the younglings would rather deal with Master Windu even on his very worse day than deal with Master Skywalker. Even though his anger didn't control him, it still caused most to be incredibly fearful. It didn't help that Anakin wore mostly black robes and cloaks. He could never get Anakin to choose lighter colors either, he complained that the amount of dirt and grime he was normally chest up in while working on ships would just turn black anyway.
After about an hour, Obi-Wan and Luke were summoned to the council chambers along with Marcus and his Master. It was decided that the padawans needed to spend some time working through their differences together and while supervised. The next morning they were assigned to work the outside gardens. Both padawans protested loudly and incessantly, that is until their masters gently tugged on their braids.
"Report to the gardens at 0500 and do not be late padawans Skywalker and Antilles."
Luke glared at his nemesis and the favor was returned. After dinner, Luke was sent to bed. "Master?"
"Yes?"
"What do you think father is going to do to me?"
"I honestly don't know Luke. We have a council meeting tomorrow and I think he is bringing Mara Jade to the temple to go over some more lessons."
"I wish I could see Mara, without having to face down my father."
"Good night, Luke."
Luke jumped into Obi-Wan's arms and hugged him fiercely; Anakin used to be like this too especially when he was frightened.
"It's going to be okay, Luke. Anakin used to get into fights too, but advice I can give you, my young apprentice is to be honest."
"Boy you don't have to tell me to be honest; he has zero tolerance for liars."
Luke hugged Obi-Wan once again and ran to his room. He knew that his father would be disappointed, but hopefully not to the degree that he would incur his wrath. Marcus thought Luke had it easy; but in reality it was quite different, his father was stricter than all the Jedi Masters put together, including Master Yoda. He didn't expect perfection, merely excellence and for his children to be well behaved, which most of the time Luke and Leia were.
Mara Jade was meditating that evening about her trial that Anakin had set up with her, she felt his presence though he was walking softer than a breeze. He sat across from her, crossing his long legs, she was beating herself up about the Jar Jar incident.
"Padawan, a trial is to help you prepare you for your next step as a Jedi Knight; it does little good to beat yourself up over your mistakes. Learn from them, Mara, they will give you the strength."
"Master, I feel that I have failed you." Mara lowered her head.
"No, you haven't failed me at all; I actually thought you did quite well with Jar Jar and even he thinks the same. These mini-trials are neither pass nor fail, it is to help you to grow and learn and even if mistakes are made, it is still a learning experience. If you never make another mistake again, it will make you a lesser Jedi and one that is more arrogant. We learn everyday, more through our mistakes than our successes. You will one day become a very powerful Jedi, young Mara. I'm certain of it, learn from your mistakes, Force knows I've made a ton of them in my youth and even as a Jedi, but as long as we admit our mistakes and learn from them, we will never stop growing. I'm very proud of you. If it had been me on this trial with Jar Jar, I would have probably put him in a choke hold."
Mara laughed at that and opened her eyes and saw the bright blue eyes gazing back at her, "One thing I did learn from Jar Jar was a certain little nickname."
"Oh really?" Anakin sat back.
"Yes."
"What might that be Mara Jade?"
"Little Ani, yousa are so big, meesa scared of yousa." Mara Jade mimicked Jar Jar's voice perfectly.
"Do not call me Ani; Mara Jade." Anakin ordered as he shook his finger at her.
"Oh, come on, Master Ani." Mara Jade stood to run out of the meditation chamber. A dark scowl appeared on Anakin's face a clear indication that he was starting to get angry. "Darth Ani! Oh, no, look out!" Mara Jade ran through the house and out to the grounds laughing the entire time. "It's the Sith Lord Ani! Bantha poodoo, save me Milady."
"What's this all about Mara Jade?"
"Darth Ani is coming to get me."
"Isn't it a Jedi responsibility to defeat the Sith, Mara Jade?"
Anakin opened the door and found Mara Jade with Padmé, more like cowering behind her.
"Good night, Mara Jade." Anakin ordered.
"Good night, Darth Ani." Mara Jade force leapt over the table to avoid the heavy whack that she knew was coming unfortunately she found herself over his shoulder being carried to bed.
"Good night, milady." Mara Jade was still laughing as her master carried her to bed.
Anakin was slightly amused but he wasn't about to let on to Mara Jade he tossed her on the bed. "We leave for Coruscant in the morning. If word of this gets out about you calling me Ani in any form you will scrub the council floors on your hands and knees with a toothbrush."
Mara sighed deeply, defeated.
"Good night, Master."
"Sweet dreams, Mara."
Mara lay on the bed giggling, "Darth Ani, I think it has a nice ring to it."
"Good night, Mara Jade. Do not make me come in there to put you to sleep."
"How are you going to do that with another boring lecture on engines?" Mara Jade sarcastically retorted.
"You would be wise to stop while you are ahead, Mara Jade." The threat in his voice was very clear. Mara Jade curled up on her side and went to sleep.
Luke awoke the next morning at 0400 to eat breakfast and to put on his work clothes, he met up with Marcus and the two of them glared at each other. Master Yoda who was the keeper of the garden approached the young padawans and leaned on his gimer cane.
"Work together you will. Luke will plant the seeds and Marcus will cover them with dirt, should be done in approximately six hours if you two cooperate, longer if you do not."
Luke grabbed the bag of seeds and Marcus grabbed the hoe.
"I hate gardening!" Marcus announced as soon as Yoda was seemingly out of earshot.
"Could be worse."
"What's worse than this, farm boy?"
"Scrubbing the council chambers with a toothbrush would be a lot worse."
"Oh yea like you would ever have to do that, you're special I'm surprised that you got gardening duty at all. Of course your father will probably get you reassigned to some more pleasant task inside!"
"Is that what you really think, Marcus? That my father spoils his children?"
"Yes it's what I know!"
"I don't know where you get your delusions, laser brain. My father is stricter than you can even imagine! He makes Master Yoda and Master Windu to be carefree and more liberal in their application of punishment."
"You still get special privileges you can't deny that?"
"Give me specifics, Marcus! Please I'm just dying to know."
"You got to pick your own Jedi Master!"
"Actually, no, he was asked and then it was confirmed in the Jedi Council. I had nothing to do with it; I would have preferred Master Yoda, actually."
"He hasn't taken a padawan in eons, Luke."
"Well there you have it! Do you really think its easy being the Chosen One's son? It isn't, I always feel like I have to live up to his example, Marcus, that's why I sometimes do stupid stuff so the council will let me be my own person. You are so lucky; you won't have to face down your father this afternoon, like I will. He can be as intimidating as a Sith Lord."
"I guess you're right, Luke. I'm sorry that I called you those names."
"It's okay; I guess now you understand, I love my father very much and most of the time he's pretty cool, but don't disappoint him or worse lie to him."
"What happens when you lie?"
Luke told Marcus and he was somewhat shocked, but then he realized that even his own master was quite unforgiving when it came to deceitfulness. It was as much as a path to the dark side as much as fear, anger and hatred, probably even more so. Marcus and Luke eventually finished their garden chores and came out of the experience as good friends. Marcus now understood Luke a bit more and even felt empathy for him. His own Master Kit Fitso would probably assign him laps in the pool or do more research on various water-linked planets, but since Kit was a on a mission, he had to answer to Yoda.
Luke returned to the apartment, tired, hungry and absolutely filthy. He and Marcus had a mud slinging contest and managed to get each other pretty filthy Master Yoda had to spray them down with ice cold water. Both boys were laughing and returned to the apartments. He really did hope he would see Mara Jade today, he was pretty sure she would spending time in the archives studying. Luke saw a note from Obi-Wan telling him to get cleaned up and to meet him in the sparring room. Luke still had to practice his forms for the tournament next week. Anakin arrived to the Jedi Council meeting with only five minutes to spare; he left Mara in the archives and ran to the meeting. Luke sensed his father's presence in the temple; thankfully he was running late for his meeting. Luke left for the archive, he saw Mara Jade blankly looking at a holo screen and not really concentrating. "Hi." Luke offered a pretty rose to Mara.
"Oh, Luke it's so good to see you." Mara hugged him.
"Father late again?"
"Yes, what else is new?"
"The tournament is next week."
Mara smiled at Luke, "Come I want to see the gardens. I hate all this studying."
"What will father say?"
"Oh, I'll get the standard procrastination lecture."
Luke laughed nervously, "I hope that's all I get is a lecture."
"What do you mean? What did you do now?"
"I got into a fight with Marcus Antilles; we had to work in the garden and for fun we started slinging mud at each other. Master Yoda turned the water hose on us and was laughing as he ordered us to our apartments to get clean."
Mara told him about her trial and including the little nickname that Jar Jar had told her.
"Do you know what he calls Master Skywalker?"
"No."
"Ani; Do you believe it?"
"Ani? Isn't that a girl's name?"
"I don't know; but you can't tell anyone or else he will kill me."
Luke had a most wicked thought; two of most delicious pranks he could pull on his father, but he would need help.
"How long are you going to be on Coruscant?"
"Why?"
Luke whispered into Mara Jade's ear what he was planning. "Oh, no, Luke you will get us both killed." Mara then laughed. "Okay, let's do it."
Author's Note:Hoped you enjoyed this chapter, thank you for all your reviews. I really do appreciate them.--DarthGladiator45