"Anakin, there's only a week left before your final ceremony!"
The blue glow of dueling lightsabers reflected against the sheen of sweat across the two sparring Jedi's brows.
"I know that Master." Anakin grunted in reply as he blocked a series of back-handed swings.
"Then why are you avoiding her? You've barely seen Padmé over the past two weeks. This is highly unusual, padawan." Obi-Wan twisted to the right, his head coming up as he watched the young man perform an aerial maneuver that reminded him of his own padawan days.
"She's been busy, Master! Even though the council gave us an extended leave for the Shidoki, the senate however, did not. " Anakin answered once his feet had landed on the training mat.
The younger Jedi then backed up in defense, blocking a rapid series of attacks called the sun djem, designed to disarm an opponent. He smiled as the volley ended, but abruptly found his 'saber trapped between his Master's and the floor.
"Your left guard is weak." Obi-Wan said in his ear. "You'll need to focus on strengthening it if you want to win the competition this evening."
"Yes Master." Anakin conceded the match and bowed respectfully to the older Jedi, who bowed in return and then clapped the young man on the back.
"Why don't you ask Padmé to come to the lightsaber competition tonight?" Obi-Wan suggested as he threw a towel toward his apprentice.
"I don't know Master. She probably wouldn't be interested." Anakin caught the towel and wiped down his forehead and chest.
"Wouldn't be interested? It's the senior padawan competition! You're favored to win. Of course she'd be interested."
"It's too late notice. The first match is in an hour." Anakin continued to argue as he tried to find some excuse not to ask Padmé to come. They had avoided being together as much as they possibly could since Anakin's talk with Master Yoda. At first, they had planned on continuing the courtship as recommended, but it was Padmé who had busied herself and made the necessary excuses. She had found it too discomforting to be in Obi-Wan's presence.
But as Anakin had informed Padmé just recently, his Master was stubborn, and it appeared that he wasn't going to take no for an answer.
"And I think she has a late meeting tonight." Anakin tried again, moving toward the exit, hoping that the subject would be dropped.
"Her meeting was cancelled. I already checked."
Anakin stopped and turned to see a broad smile on Obi-Wan's face.
"We pick her up in forty-five minutes."
Why had he insisted upon this date?
He knew why. His padawan's final ceremony was in one week. Five days.
He had allowed too many excuses to be made for their courtship to be interrupted already. Although he had to admit, it had made things easier on him. When they weren't with her, the discomfort he had been experiencing was practically non existent.
Obi-Wan sat in the private transport across from his apprentice that was taking them to pick up Senator Amidala. He smiled and then turned back to the window, lost in his thoughts.
His comfort wasn't the priority here. Assuring his padawan established his bond with Padmé was.
The mystery of his various health issues had led him to do some research. In the extremely lengthy Shidoki manual that he hated to admit he had never actually read all the way through, it was documented that there had been an occasional, although rare circumstance of a transference of emotions across a training bond, from an apprentice to their master. This transference could be the reason his body was reacting the way it was. His Force self was basically rejecting the invasion of these foreign emotions. Infecting his spirit, so to speak. Thus, affecting his body as well.
Satisified with the findings of his research, Obi-Wan was determined to fulfill his duties, cast aside his worries and doubts, and ensure that Anakin and Padmé completed their Shidoki bonding.
Besides, it would be over in a week, and then everything would be back to normal.
Well, almost everything.
His padawan would soon have a wife. That in itself would take some adjusting to.