Author's Note: Finally! Another chapter – sorry for the delay, real life is crazy at the moment. Zan189 – I think EU stands for expanded universe; it includes books and the cartoon series and stuff like that. Unfortunately, my only brushes with it are through fan fiction. And don't worry, Mace will turn up soon enough! Thank you for your comments – they are delightful, as always. Hellish Red Devil – Hee! I'm so glad you like TX-306! I tried to make her unique. I'm thrilled by your comments on Obi-wan and Siri; I'm having fun with them. Stay tuned! Hopeless4Life – Aw, I'm so happy you liked the last chapter – hope you like this one too! Meandmysharpie – I hope you are feeling better! Glad I was able to make you laugh at least a little bit! Hope this chapter does the same!

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PRACTICE RINK, THREE HOURS LATER

Anakin smiled as he sailed by Padme, relishing his newfound ability to make it from one side of the rink to the other without wiping out completely. Watching the illuminated clock count down the last few seconds of practice, he aimed for the small gate at the far end of the ice, eager to exit. Suddenly, his stomach plummeted as he realized he didn't exactly know how to stop.

This is not good!

Scrambling, he began to swing his arms wildly and somehow steered himself away from the gaping exit. With a thud, he rammed his knees into the wall and grasped onto the glass desperately, not caring that he was in clear violation of TX-306's afternoon practice rules.

"Ow!" he spat. This is more embarrassing than my first light saber training session!

A loud horn blared through the arena, signaling the end of their practice session. He turned his head at the sound of a pair of skates zipping over and smiled, trying to ease the tension on Padme's anxious face.

"Are you all right?" she asked, coming to a perfect stop.

"I'm fine," he assured her, frowning as another wave of embarrassment washed over him. With the little dignity he had left, he pushed off the wall and this time, managed to make it through the exit gate easily. Pausing outside the opening, he toed off his iceblades and waited for the rest of the group to join him.

Obi-wan wasn't too far behind him. Similarly disgusted, he sank onto the bench next to Anakin and merely put his head in his hands. Although their form had improved significantly, the idea of performing an actual routine in front of countless Galactic viewers was causing the Jedi a tremendous case of heartburn.

Meanwhile, Padme and Siri came skating behind Threepio and TX-306, sharing their thoughts about music for the upcoming program.

"I was thinking something haunting and wistful," Siri was suggesting dreamily and Padme nodded excitedly. Threepio's head jerked as his internal database tried to process what kind of music might capture that. Catching the droid's bewildered expression, Siri explained, "Slow and quiet."

"More like, put-you-to-sleep boring," Obi-wan muttered. Anakin grinned, in full agreement... and then tried to look innocent when he saw Padme shooting him a suspicious look. He was saved, however, as TX-306 began to speak:

"Tomorrow's objective: teams will be separated to begin learning next week's routines. Required elements: synchronized movements, one simultaneous spin, and a backwards footwork segment."

"Backwards?" Anakin sputtered, coming out of this seat. Ignoring his outburst, the former housekeeping droid continued the endless drone of instructions.

"Practice will resume tomorrow at 7:00 AM, Standard Time. Liri and Kaide are to report to Rink B, as assigned. Dake and Kahla, you will report to Rink C. Good evening. Teams dismissed."

"Dismissed?" Obi-wan croaked, looking pained. "Who programmed this droid?"

"Master Windu," Siri replied, her tone cheerful as she threw a dark cloak over her shoulders.

"Figures!" Anakin snorted. Sinking back to the bench, he watched Padme begin to ascend the stairs, her disheveled braid trailing down her back. Siri bounded up behind her and called to the two remaining Jedi:

"Get cleaned up and meet us in the suites in one hour!"

Obi-wan was confused, but intrigued by her excited tone as he wondered, "May I ask why?"

"Because I'm making dinner for everyone tonight, darling."

Anakin felt his stomach growl in anticipation. The long, stressful afternoon had left him famished and he hadn't had a home-cooked meal in ages. Suddenly, the assignment was looking up.

"Oh dear," Obi-wan fretted, his face growing pale. "That's... really not necessary."

Anakin wanted to elbow him in the ribs, but knew he couldn't without being noticed so he forced himself to sit still.

Her grin never wavering, Siri replied, "Sure it is! Besides, Liri is going to help me."

At that, Anakin crinkled up his nose. Padme was skilled in a great many things, but cooking was not one of them. On the other hand, Siri was going to be there too so she could put out any sudden fires... Relaxing, he smiled charmingly and ignored the death glare Obi-wan was sending his way.

"I think it's a wonderful idea, Kahla," he enthused. "Dinner sounds wonderful. You and Liri are very kind to offer."

With that, the women headed back up the stairs and disappeared into the hallway. Anakin turned to Obi-wan, raising his eyebrows curiously.

"Master, I must say - I am appalled by your manners," he mocked, having received that very speech countless times.

To his surprise, the normally calm Jedi Master stood and raked a hand through his hair, leaving the short pieces standing up randomly. His clean shaven face was flushed and shone brightly with worry.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" he asked dramatically, starting to pace.

"No," Anakin said slowly. "I simply agreed to a nice dinner. What's wrong with that?"

At that, Obi-wan turned to him and looked hopeful. Relieved, he stated, "Padme must be a wonderful cook."

Quickly, Anakin shook his head, dismayed as his Master once again began to storm around, agitated.

"Oh, we're in for it now," Obi-wan murmured. Glancing back at Anakin, he quietly asked, "Do you know what we used to secretly call Siri's food when she was assigned to kitchen duty back at the Temple?"

At Anakin's blank look, he continued, "Siri's Dreadful Edibles."

"Oh."

"Yes, exactly. Now, do you see what I was trying to do? I was trying to save us. Oh Force!"

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Several floors above them, Siri and Padme put a hand over their mouths to suppress their laughter as they watched the two men agonize over the upcoming meal. Ducking back into the hallway, they hurried towards the suites and entered silently.

"Artoo?" Padme whispered loudly. An answering beep came from the kitchen. Entering the spacious area, they saw an array of food spread out on the silver countertops.

"Oh, it looks delicious!" Siri cried. "Padme, your droid is amazing!"

Patting his domed head, Padme quickly agreed. "He's quite handy - especially in a crisis." With a shiver, she remembered his daring rescue at Jarrick's compound on Plauu.

"Well, anything that involves cooking is a crisis for me," Siri admitted. "Obi-wan always thought he was so smooth teasing me behind my back, but I was on to him. Do you know what nickname he invented for the food I cooked when we were living at the Temple?" As Padme shook her head, she continued, "Siri's Dreadful Edibles. I mean, how unoriginal is that?"

Despite her best efforts to put on her blank politician's face, Padme let out a giggle that soon developed into a full fledged fit of laughter. Siri soon found herself grinning and joined the amusement in spite of the decades-old insult.

"Oh, I haven't laughed so much in years," Siri confessed, wiping a tear from her eye. Not since I left Obi-wan behind... She quickly put that thought aside.

"Well, having Obi-wan and Anakin around will do that to a girl," Padme teased.

"They certainly are a great team. Their bond is amazing."

Padme nodded. "They would do anything for each other. Speaking of which, I heard you and Obi-wan have been on a few adventures together. Rumor has it that you were quite a team as well."

A faraway look come into Siri's eyes as the Jedi drifted through her memories. Suddenly, she seemed to get a grip on her emotions as she straightened her shoulders and casually replied, "I suppose. Although, it was more of our Masters going on these journeys and dragging their Padawans with them."

Letting the subject drop, Padme began to move towards the door. "I'd better get cleaned up before Anakin gets up enough nerve to come up here. He'll hog the 'fresher if I don't beat him there. I'll see you in about forty-five minutes?"

"That sounds about right. Remember, not a word to the boys about where the food came from, okay?"

Padme grinned at her new friend as she promised, "My lips are sealed."