Chapter Four: Doubts and Dread
TO/RepublicSpace/Naboo/TheedPalace/Amidala,Queen
/214961/
FROM/RepublicSpace/Coruscant/JediTemple/Skywalker,Padawan
Dear Padmé:
Master Obi-Wan is letting me use his commpad and stuff so that I can send you a letter and let you know how I'm doing. I hope you are doing okay.
The Temple is big and there are so many Jedi here. I haven't made many friends yet, but Master says I will, and that I should be patient. It's hard sometimes. When I'm not training, I'm in classes and there's not a lot of time to have any fun. Not that doing Jedi stuff isn't fun. It is. It's just that I don't have anybody to talk to except Master Obi-Wan and he don't say much.
That's all for now. Except maybe that I think it would be wizard if you could come to Coruscant and see me. If you can't, then please write me soon.
That's all. Bye Padmé.
SIGNED: Anakin
Satisfied with the letter, Anakin smiles as Obi-Wan helps him send it. The Jedi gently claps his apprentice's back. "I'm sure she'll reply in no time, padawan. You'd better get ready for morning classes."
The much happier lad literally skips to his rooms as Obi-Wan watches him with a smile. Obivously, the boy hasn't read his correspondences. Maybe luck is with him after all.
Maybe,Padmé hasn't read them either.
Although he doubts it. His luck isn't that good.
She surely would have read them by now. Was she going to respond? And if so, what would she say?
One more check of his incoming messages reveals nothing new and his frown of concern deepens as he considers something he hadn't thought of yet.
What if Padmé isn't going to respond? What if she doesn't share his feelings? What if he embarrassed her with his sentiments!
Why, oh why couldn't he have just kept things in his head? Why this incessant need to write everything down?
Blue-green eyes drift across the common room to the shelves that line the far wall; the top one storing numerous volumes of a variety of sizes and colors; Qui-Gon's personal journals. And the young knight suddenly understands, although he has never read them and doubts he ever will. But the habit is his now, and he comes by it naturally.
Too bad he prefers technology, Obi-Wan realizes. If he had fully adopted his Master's hobby of handwritten journals, he wouldn't be in the predicament he is in today.
Obi-Wan's eyes move back to the technological device on the desk, which he now blames for all his problems, almost willing the thing to malfunction, but it doesn't. It performs its duty to perfection, relaying Anakin's message which has entered Bothan Space, will soon be received by the Naboo communications system, and promptly delivered to its intended recipient.
However, the message will not be read as quickly as its sender hopes it will be. The young woman and her escort are on their way to Coruscant and should be entering the orbit within the next couple of hours.