Thanks for the review Guest! I thought the characters (and probably the readers too) deserved a fun chapter before things get more serious so this is it.
Disclaimer: Once again, I own nothing!
The end of the rainy season brought with it a heat Amaya hadn't felt since she'd left Alfazine. Suddenly, training became harder, as the heat drained their energy quicker than usual. Amaya found herself falling into bed more exhausted each day than the day before as she struggled with the seemingly impossible task of catching up to her fellow padawans.
"Do you know what day it is?" Voe asked Amaya one morning as she struggled to keep herself from falling asleep at the breakfast table.
"No, why?" Amaya asked, attempting to feign interest.
"It's your four-month anniversary!" Voe replied excitedly.
Amaya frowned, "My what?"
"It's been four months since you arrived at the Temple!" Voe explained, as if it was obvious. "We need to celebrate!"
Amaya looked at Voe in surprise, "How do you even know that?"
Voe gave Amaya a strange look, "How do you not know that?"
"I haven't been counting." Amaya replied with a shrug.
"Well now that you know," Voe said, leaning forward across the table excitedly, "What do you want to do to celebrate?"
Amaya instinctively pulled away, taken aback by Voe's enthusiasm, "Um, well I don't-"
"Clearly you have something in mind." Ben interjected, looking pointedly at Voe, "Or you wouldn't have asked. So why don't you just spit it out."
Voe's smile dimmed as she turned to look to Ben. "I want to know what Amaya wants to do. It's her special day."
"I'm open to suggestions." Amaya said, looking around the table at the other padawans.
Silence fell over the table for a moment as no one responded. Ben turned to Voe, a sardonic smile on his face. "Voe?" He asked. "Any ideas?"
Voe shot him a withering look before turning back to Amaya. "Actually, if you are open to this, we could go to Tag'lik. There's an art show happening right now with artists from all over the galaxy."
"And there it is." Ben said smugly.
"Okay, what is your problem?" Voe snapped, finally losing her cool. "I'm trying to find something we can all do to celebrate Amaya's four-month anniversary at the Temple. What's the issue here?"
"I never said there was an issue." Ben replied, raising an eyebrow.
Voe stared at him, anger rolling off of her in waves, until Amaya spoke, directing Voe's attention back to herself.
"I'd love to go to the art show in Tag'lik." Amaya said, in an attempt to diffuse the situation. "Will Master Luke be okay with it?"
Voe turned back to face her, forcing a smile back onto her face. "Of course. As long as it doesn't interfere with our training schedule. We can go after evening meditation tonight. Does that work for everyone?"
Hennix and Tai replied affirmatively and Voe turned to look pointedly at Ben. "Does that work for you, Ben?" Voe asked caustically.
"Of course." Ben said, forcing a fake smile before standing up to put away his empty plate.
Voe let out a low growl under her breath as she picked up her own empty plate and followed him. Amaya exchanged a bewildered look with Hennix and Tai.
"Your guess is as good as mine." Hennix said, shrugging as the three of them got up to follow Ben and Voe.
"After all these years, I've stopped trying to understand it." Tai replied.
As they reached the training course, Amaya walked over to stand next to Ben, shooting him a look out of the corner of her eye.
Care to explain what just happened? Amaya asked silently as Tai began the obstacle course and the others lined up to wait their turn.
Ben looked down at her out of the corner of his eye. Voe just wanted an excuse to go to the art show. She's wanted to go for years but no one would go with her and so this year, she decided to use you as an excuse to get us to go with her. She doesn't actually care about celebrating your four-month anniversary here. If you don't believe me, then tell me why she never even mentioned your first, second or third-month anniversaries? What's so special about four months? Nothing. She just wanted an excuse to get her way.
Amaya found herself looking over at Voe, a mild feeling of betrayal settling over her.
Don't take it personally. She does this all the time. She's manipulative. Ben said, noticing the effect his words had had on her mood.
Maybe I should suggest we do something different then. Amaya said, looking up at Ben. Just to spite her.
Like what? Ben asked and Amaya sighed out loud.
Well that's the problem. I don't know what else is going on in Tag'lik right now. Amaya replied.
Ben fell silent for moment before Amaya felt his mood brighten. Do you like fairs?
I don't know. I've never been to one. Amaya replied.
There's a famous one going on in Tag'lik right now. They have vendors, live music, acrobats, competitions, lots of food-
Let's go to that. Amaya said, a smile breaking out on her face.
"Are you sure you don't want to stop by the art show for just a moment before we go to the fair?" Voe asked as they settled into the largest of the Jedi Academy's planes.
"I would love to, I'm just worried we'll miss the tightrope walkers if we do." Amaya replied. "If you or anyone else wants to go though, feel free to go. I can meet up with you later."
"No, no." Voe said, shaking her head. "This is your day, let's go to the fair."
"You can always change your mind." Amaya said, as Ben started the ship's engine and they exited the hangar.
Voe made no reply, falling into silence behind Amaya. Amaya turned back to face the front, watching the blue ocean extend below her on all sides. It looked different now that they were flying at night. Instead of sparkling in the sun, now it looked dark and bottomless.
I actually feel bad about this. Amaya said silently to Ben.
Why? She used you. She deserves it. Ben replied.
She really wants to go to the art show. Amaya replied. It wouldn't hurt to stop by for a short time and then go to the fair.
Ben sighed out loud and Amaya turned to look at him. Voe really wants a lot of things. It's not our job to cater to her desires.
But if it doesn't cause us any difficulty to accommodate her then why shouldn't we? Amaya shot back, feeling her words elicit a flicker of annoyance in Ben.
Fine. You're the one that wanted to spite her. If you've changed your mind we can go to the art show. Just let me know before we get there where I should be landing. Ben replied somewhat irritably.
Amaya fell silent, staring out the window at the dark blue sea below them. Just go to the fair. Hennix and Tai seemed excited about it. She said after a moment.
Amaya caught Ben rolling his eyes out of the corner of her eye and sighed. They fell into silence for the rest of the ride, each lost in their own thoughts. Behind them, Hennix and Voe teamed up against Tai in a game of Dejarik that, unsurprisingly, ended up being won by Tai.
"We're here." Ben said, landing the ship in a crowded part of the city. Giant gates rose up across the road from where they had landed and, beyond the gates, Amaya could see puffs of colored smoke, a ferris wheel, and some other rides she'd never seen before.
The padawans descended from the ship, locking it before crossing the street to the fair grounds. They stopped at the entrance to pay their fares before entering. Inside, the fair grounds were packed, full of people of all different species and from all over the galaxy. Food vendors were parked in tents at every corner and in between them were vendors of jewelry, clothes, and other goods from across the galaxy. Amaya found herself overwhelmed and entirely unsure where to start. Fortunately, it seemed Voe and Hennix did not suffer from the same problem.
"You have to try this!" Voe cried, coming up beside Amaya and pulling her towards one of the food stands.
"What is it?" Amaya asked, but Voe ignored her, ordering something Amaya didn't recognize from the man behind the counter. Moments later, the man produced two cups filled with small round pastries. Voe took them both, handing one to Amaya and keeping the other for herself.
"They're called 'moon cakes'. They're a specialty of my planet." Voe said, picking up one small pastry and eating it. She closed her eyes dramatically, savoring the flavor.
Amaya picked up one and took a bite, realizing immediately why Voe loved them so much. "This is amazing." Amaya breathed.
"Isn't it!" Voe agreed.
Hearing Hennix shout excitedly, Amaya turned around to see the Quarren holding a giant plush animal he had apparently won in a dart game.
"Okay that is so not fair." Amaya said, walking over to Hennix. "Jedi should be banned from playing games like this."
"What do you mean?" Hennix asked, laughing. "I won it fair and square."
"Of course you did." Amaya replied, rolling her eyes.
"Hey!" Hennix called, and Amaya turned to see who he was talking to. A small Twi'lek child looked over at them, eyeing the stuffed toy in Hennix's arms.
"Do you want this, buddy?" Hennix asked, holding out to the plush toy to the child. The Twi'lek hesitated, seeming unsure, before cautiously approaching Hennix.
"He's scared of you." Amaya commented, amused by the scene in front of her.
"Don't be scared." Hennix said, kneeling down and holding out the stuffed animal. "I'm not scary I promise."
"He says as he lures small children towards him." Amaya whispered under her breath to Tai, who laughed.
"There you go. It's yours." Hennix said, handing the stuffed animal to the child. The little Twi'lek boy stumbled, his face completely covered by the stuffed animal that was taller than he was. The padawans watched him waddle back to his mother as fast as he could in amusement.
Leaving the dart game, the padawans made their way over to the tightrope show, watching as the acrobats performed stunts even trained Jedi would be proud of. They went to the rides next, trying out the wildest ones they could find until the scent of fried food made them wander over to a restaurant and bar.
"Have you ever tried this?" Hennix asked, holding a blue bottle up in front of Amaya as she ate the fried meat dish she had ordered.
Amaya squinted to read the label, "Pirate's Brew...?"
"Here. Try some." Hennix said, pulling a cup towards them and pouring some of the blue liquid into it. He held it out to Amaya and she sniffed it, wrinkling her nose in disgust at the smell.
"Go ahead." Hennix said, "Drink it all in one go."
Amaya brought the cup to her lips, downing the contents of the cup before she could change her mind. The alcohol burned her throat as it went down, causing her to shiver violently.
"Disgusting!" Amaya cried, shoving the cup back into Hennix's hand. Hennix laughed, pulling some more cups towards him.
"Tai? Ben?" Hennix asked, looking between the two boys.
Ben reached forward, pouring himself a drink, but Tai shook his head. "Someone needs to fly us home tonight."
"Are you drinking!?" Voe cried, coming back from the slot machine. "Master Luke is going to kill you all."
"You're assuming he's going to find out." Hennix replied with a grin.
"It's against the Jedi Code!" Voe protested.
"Not technically, no." Ben corrected her. "Lots of Jedi drink occasionally."
"And today we are celebrating." Hennix added, downing his own drink in own gulp.
Voe opened her mouth to protest and then closed it, reaching for the bottle. "Well then give me some." She snapped, pouring herself a shot.
Amaya laughed, feeling the warmth of the liquor in her stomach.
"Try this." Ben said, turning around to ask the bartender for a drink Amaya couldn't pronounce. The bartender returned moments later with a bottle of red alcohol.
Amaya held out her cup and Ben filled the cup to the brim. Amaya stared down at the bubbling liquid, swirling it around, as Ben poured some for the others.
"To Amaya!" Hennix cried, holding up his glass for the others to toast.
Amaya felt herself blush, feeling a sudden rush of affection for her fellow padawans. Putting the cup to her lips, she tasted the drink, pleasantly surprised to find it tasted amazing. It burned the way the previous drink had but this time, she had no need to shiver. It was like drinking fire.
"I love this!" She exclaimed, looking up at Ben. He grinned, filling up her glass once more.
"It's my dad's favorite." Ben replied.
"The great Han Solo has good taste." Hennix agreed, approvingly.
Music started up behind the bar and Amaya spun around, looking up at the stage.
"Let's go dance!" Voe cried.
"First we finish this." Hennix said, filling up their glasses again with the blue drink until the bottle was empty.
Leaving the bar, the padawans walked over to the stage, joining in the crowd that had gathered to listen to the music. Amaya began to feel the effects of the alcohol as she listened to the music, a sense of freedom coming over her. Never in her life had she had the luxury to attend a concert or go to a fair. She'd either been stuck on an island or too busy trying to stay alive to enjoy anything. For most of her life, the prospect of even getting off Alfazine at all had seemed a distant dream.
The longer they listened to the music, the more time seemed to lose all meaning. Between periodic trips to refill their drinks, they would dance, and Amaya found the feeling of freedom only intensify as the night went on.
"Let's get closer to the stage!" Amaya said to Ben as they returned from the bar. Without thinking, she grabbed his hand, pulling him through the crowd until they reached the stage itself. The sea of people was more dense up by the stage and Amaya found herself pressed up against Ben as they danced. Before she knew what was happening, he put his arms around her waist and she responded by wrapping her arms around his neck. She looked up at him, a flurry of excitement in her stomach, and grinned.
They swayed to the music, their gazes locked together. His eyes were beautiful, Amaya thought to herself. Beautiful and thoughtful and kind and...
Before Amaya knew what was happening, Ben spun her and Amaya laughed out loud. The world blurred around her as she spun, nearly falling over as she struggled to stop. Ben caught her, the warmth of his arms comforting her more than she would have been willing to admit had she been sober. Amaya held onto his arms, looking up into his smiling face. He looked so happy, Amaya thought. Why couldn't he always look this happy?
Because that would be neurotic. Ben replied silently and Amaya's eyes widened, realizing she had accidentally projected her own thoughts into his mind.
"What's wrong with that?" Amaya asked out loud, swaying back and forth as they danced.
Instead of responding, Ben spun her again. This time, Amaya collided with him, slamming her arm into his elbow.
"I'm sorry!" Amaya cried, rubbing her arm.
"You hurt yourself, why are you apologizing?" Ben asked, looking amused.
Amaya laughed, resuming the dance and ignoring the pain in her arm.
"We are...going to..." Hennix said breathlessly, coming out of nowhere and grabbing onto Ben's shoulder. "Going to go to...the beach. Do you want to come?"
Ben looked down at Amaya. Up to you.
A part of Amaya wanted to stay dancing with Ben forever, but the quiet voice of reason in the back of her head reminded her that it was probably best they returned to the other padawans.
Let's go. Amaya replied silently before turning to Hennix. "We're coming."
Hennix leaned heavily on Ben's shoulder, squinting at Amaya. "If I didn't know better, I would think that sometimes you two are communicating telepathically."
"Good thing you know better then." Amaya replied with a grin, grabbing hold of Hennix's arm to pull him towards the exit.
The three half ran to where Tai and Voe were standing near the exit. Voe was swaying along with the music while Tai yawned, using the Force to catch her when she tripped over the garbage can and nearly collapsed onto the ground.
"Beach!" Voe cried as she saw them approaching. She threw an arm around Amaya's shoulder, pulling her away from the others and towards the exit. Voe pushed open the gate with the Force, nearly hitting a man trying to enter.
"You know I just want to say I'm so glad you're here." Voe said, her words slurring slightly. "I've been the only girl in the group for far too long. I love Hennix and Tai. I really do. But I'm so happy to have you here now."
"I'm happy to be here." Amaya replied, unable to ignore the fact that Voe had neglected to mention Ben in her previous statement.
"I think you're going to be a great Jedi." Voe continued, "A really great one. And I don't just mean physical ability. You're brave and smart and...good."
Voe stopped now, putting her hands on Amaya's shoulders and shaking her slightly. "You're a really good person. I can tell." She said, linking arms with Amaya this time and pulling her towards the entrance to the beach up ahead.
At a loss for words, Amaya mumbled thanks but Voe didn't seem to notice. She was too busy continuing her monologue.
"And I can tell the others...they feel the same way too." Voe continued, "Even Master Luke is really glad he decided to let you in..."
Voe trailed off as she stared at the water for a moment before twisting around to shout back at the three boys. "Hennix!" She screamed, "Let's go swimming!"
Letting go of Amaya's arm, Voe took off sprinting towards the water, followed closely by Hennix, who dove in after her, disappearing beneath the surface. Amaya looked around the beach, noticing Ben and Tai had decided to take a seat under a tree by the water. Amaya walked over to them, sitting down next to them.
"Do you think we should be worried?" Tai asked, looking out at the water where the two dark shapes of Voe and Hennix moved around.
"Why?" Ben asked, leaning back against the trunk of the tree.
"They're not too drunk to swim...right?" Tai asked and Ben snorted.
"Hennix is a Quarren. They'll be fine." Ben replied, closing his eyes.
"So, are you enjoying your anniversary?" Tai asked Amaya, prompting her to smile.
"Definitely." She replied. "I hope it's not been too boring for you as the only sober person."
Tai shook his head. "I don't drink. I don't like anything that obscures my senses. It makes me feel disconnected from the Force."
"You're too focused on your senses." Ben said, "You don't need them to feel the Force."
"I know but it still...I don't know...changes things." Tai replied.
The three lapsed into silence for a while, enjoying the warm night breeze. Amaya found a stick, beginning to sketch a drawing in the sand.
"I'm going to go get the ship and dock it near the beach. Voe and Hennix are not going to want to walk all the way back to the fairgrounds soaking wet." Tai said, standing up and dusting the sand off of himself.
Amaya watched him go before settling in next to Ben and leaning back against the same tree. Ben opened his eyes and looked over at her, a faint smile on his face.
"When I was a kid my parents used to take me to the beach each summer." Ben said, almost nostalgically. "We used to make these giant sandcastles that you could enter into and everything. C-3PO would always get so much sand in him he would need to be taken apart for cleaning after. That was partly my fault though, I used to pour sand over his head whenever I got the chance."
"Ben!" Amaya cried, laughing. "Poor droid."
"I was a child!" Ben said defensively. "I thought it was funny when he made weird sounds because of all the sand inside him."
Amaya laughed, pulling her knees up to her chest. "What were you like as a child?"
Ben shrugged. "Same as I am now, I guess." He said.
"What did you like doing then?" Amaya asked. "Aside from filling droids with sand."
"I liked to read...draw...go flying with my dad. He has this old, broken-down ship called the Millenium Falcon and he'd take me for rides in it. It broke down once on Tatooine and we were stranded on the planet for a whole day trying to find a new part to fix the ship. We couldn't even contact my mom because the Comm broke during the crash. When we finally got back, my mom was livid. It was months before she let me onto the Falcon again."
Ben laughed, and Amaya smiled, trying to imagine what his mother would look like angry. From what limited interaction Amaya had had with her, she did seem like the type who could be intimidating when she was upset about something.
"I hope I can meet your dad one day. Everyone seems to love him." Amaya said, and Ben's smile faded ever so slightly.
"He's great...if you can find him." Ben said. "He's always flying all over the galaxy with Chewie. I don't even know where he is right now."
Amaya made no reply, sensing the feelings of resentment and betrayal within Ben. He felt as if his father had abandoned him...perhaps even that he didn't care about him.
"You're lucky you have a relationship with him at all." Amaya said, a sudden feeling of sadness washing over her. She rarely let herself think about her own father, and usually when she did, she made a point of reminding herself she hated him. But now, with her inhibitions muted, she found herself unable and unwilling to ignore the sadness that lay underneath her anger. "I've never even met my father."
Ben looked over at her, his expression sympathetic. "You could always change that, you know."
Amaya shook her head quickly, grasping for what little resentment towards her father she could summon. "I don't want to know him."
"Just like you didn't want to know your brother and now you wake up every morning and check the mail to see if he's finally written you a letter." Ben said, raising an eyebrow.
Amaya gave him a pointed look, suddenly wanting to change the topic.
"Sometimes we can't rely on family." Ben said, his face darkening slightly. "But you can rely on me."
Amaya looked over at him, feeling a rush of affection. "You can rely on me too." Amaya said, putting a hand on his arm.
To Amaya's surprise, she felt her words stir up a mix of conflicting emotions within Ben. There was sadness and anger and hurt...but also affection and gratitude and something akin to hope.
"You guys really missed out!" Voe cried as she and Hennix ran towards them soaking wet. "The water was perfect."
Amaya quickly removed her hand from Ben's arm as they approached, reigning in her thoughts.
"Where's Tai?" Hennix asked, looking around the beach.
"He went to get the ship." Amaya said, hearing the ship's engines as she spoke. The padawans looked to the right, watching Tai land the ship on the beach.
"Ready to go?" Tai called.
Amaya sighed, not wanting to leave. Ben stood up, offering her his hand, and she reluctantly let him pull her to her feet. As they settled into the ship, Amaya felt the fatigue that had been plaguing her for weeks now set in and she leaned back against the seat, closing her eyes. She sat in the back, sandwiched between Ben and a very wet Hennix, and found herself drifting off to sleep as the ship took off from the beach.
The next thing she knew, she was being shaken awake gently by Ben, whom she realized sleepily she had been sleeping on. He helped her out of the ship as Amaya tried to wake herself up enough to walk back to the Temple.
"It's going to be a rough morning tomorrow." Tai whispered as they entered the Temple.
"Not for you." Amaya muttered in response as they tiptoed through the halls and climbed the stairs to the dormitories.
Wishing the others goodnight, Ben walked with Amaya all the way to her room at the end of the hall. They stopped outside as Amaya fumbled with her key until she finally managed to open the door.
"Goodnight." Amaya said, suddenly feeling a wave of loneliness wash over her at the prospect of entering her room alone.
Ben nodded, "Goodnight." He said and Amaya thought she felt a similar feeling of loneliness from him through the Force.
The alcohol had all but worn off now and the quiet voice of reason in the back of Amaya's head was becoming louder, reminding her that she should not be feeling the way she was undoubtedly feeling. Jedi could never marry. They couldn't even have romantic relationships. This had been the law for millennia and it wasn't about to change now. Attachment was strictly forbidden...which meant that she was going to have to enter her room and close the door on Ben, both literally and metaphorically.
Sighing, Amaya entered her room and gave Ben one last smile before closing the door.