Safe Haven is one of the older Jedi AgriCorps settlements, having been originally founded as a school for Jedi younglings. The academy was closed in 1204 CA, however the school building still functions as a part-time educational facility and has one of the largest archives in the sector.
Anakin stopped reading and put his data pad down as Obi-Wan stopped in front of the open door of the cabin and peered in.
"Is it time?" He asked his master.
"We're about to exit hyperspace. Come to the cockpit?" Obi-Wan asked. He looked almost excited. As excited as he ever looked, at least.
Anakin put down his datapad and hopped off the bunk where he'd been laying. Together they walked the short corridor of the supply ship to the cockpit, where the pilot, and older Dug, greeted them. "You're just in time. You ready?"
"Yes, sir," Anakin said brightly, grabbing onto one of the seats behind the captain's chair.
The Dug pushed a few buttons and pulled down on the lever, and the blue cloudiness of hyperspace gave way to a thousand stars streaking past. Anakin smiled at the familiar and pleasant flip in his stomach at the sensation. It felt good to be travelling again. He'd been planet bound for too long. Even if they were going somewhere boring, Obi-Wan was right. It was good to get away.
The dusky green orb of Helia hung in front of them. Up above it, small but bright like paint splashed against the blackness of space, Anakin recognized the Utegeu Nebula. He took the scene in for a moment before looking at Obi-Wan.
"I just read there used to be a school where we're going, but they closed it."
"Yes, over fifty years ago. It was very small, at the end. Qui-Gon was there for a couple years, actually, before it was closed and they moved the younglings to the Temple."
"Why'd it close?" Anakin asked.
"The Council of First Knowledge closed all the offworld schools," Obi-Wan said. "I suppose they thought a more centralized approach was better. There was too much opportunity for competing philosophies and rivalries." He smiled. "Of course, Qui-Gon was always miffed about that. He thought there should be more room for healthy debate among the Jedi."
Anakin nodded. He wasn't sure what he thought about all that, but he liked the idea of Jedi schools spread out around the Galaxy, instead of everyone crammed together inside the stuffy Temple all the time.
The ship descended into the bright atmosphere of Helia. Anakin studied the landscape. It was varied, rather mountainous and dotted with trees. A large river wound through plains and small canyons, and small lakes studded the land, shining like mirrors in the afternoon light.
"Well, it's way different than Coruscant anyway," he shrugged.
The ship came to land in the port on the banks of the wide river, which looked to serve both spacecraft and boats, being both busy with pilots and fishermen. There were also a good deal of more wealthy looking people in a wide variety of styles from different worlds.
"People come from all over the Midrim for holidays," Obi-Wan said, picking up on Anakin's gaze. "There's more than a few posh resorts on the south bank of the river, and in the mountains. Lots of hunting. Gambling too." He didn't look pleased about that. "The laws here have become a bit lax, I've heard. Attracts some unsavory types."
"Sounds like a good time to me," said the pilot. "Well, the ramp's down now. Have fun, kids. Don't get into any trouble." He gave a wheezing cackle at his own wit.
Anakin ran to his cabin to grab his bag and then nearly ran down the ramp. Obi-Wan placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. "Don't forget the bins. And there's no need to run."
"Oh yeah." Anakin walked briskly to the cargo hold and grabbed one of the bins of the supplies from the Temple they were supposed to deliver; holo projectors and some other various audiovisual equipment. Obi-Wan grabbed another and they walked down the ship's ramp. Anakin took a breath of warm, somewhat spicy air. It smelled like woodsmoke and ship's exhaust, the combination of which wasn't entirely unpleasant. There was something homey about it.
"Our Jedi visitors!"
Anakin put his bin down and looked up to see a woman approaching. She was small and delicate looking, with pale blue skin and dark brown short hair. She was dressed in typical Jedi attire, a long grey tunic and brown robe which looked rather billowy on her small frame. An olive-skinned boy about Anakin's age lagged behind her, a sulky expression on his face. He looked a little less like a Jedi in his simple short-sleeved white work shirt and brown trousers. What was unmistakably a lightsaber hilt hung from his left side, the only clue as to his allegiance in the wide Galaxy.
The Jedi lady beamed at both of them. "You must be Master Obi-Wan and Anakin. Welcome!"
Without a pause or any sort of self consciousness, she took hold of Obi-Wan's shoulders and delivered a kiss to each of his cheeks. She had to stand on her tiptoes to do so. Anakin tried to unsuccessfully suppress a snort of laughter. She looked like a Jedi all right, but this was hardly a traditional Jedi greeting. He looked over at the boy, who merely looked annoyed and didn't meet his gaze.
If Obi-Wan felt embarrassed, he didn't show it. He didn't look happy though, either. "I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met before."
"I'm Coral," said the woman cheerfully. She gestured toward the boy. "This is Eraan Halfson. We're both permanent residents of Safe Haven."
She turned to Anakin and pulled him into a hug. "I'm so happy you've come to stay with us."
Anakin felt himself flush, but in a nice sort of way. This was not the greeting he'd expected.
Coral let Anakin go and turned to Eraan, apparently remembering Jedi formalities. "Eraan, there is a Jedi Knight with us," she said gently.
Eraan gave Obi-Wan something like a smirk and a curt nod. Such a response would have been called into question at the Temple, and indeed Anakin had been called out for less, but if Coral thought badly of her companion she didn't show it. Obi-Wan looked perfectly neutral.
Coral gestured toward the bins. "These must be the projectors we asked for."
"Yes, and a few other things," Obi-Wan said.
Eraan spoke at last. "Oh, hooray. More second-hand equipment from the Temple. How generous of them to give us their leftovers."
"Eraan," said Coral, now sounding slightly uneasy.
"Well, I just hope these ones actually work." The boy hefted a bin and started walking toward the exit, clearly expecting the others to follow.
Anakin had started to feel awkward. He picked up the other bin and walked after Eraan. "If they don't, I'm sure I can get them running. I'm good with fixing things."
"Okay," Eraan said flatly, not looking at him.
The three Jedi followed Eraan to a banged up looking cargo speeder parked on one of the spaceport's wide streets. After loading in the equipment, Anakin and Eraan got into the backseat while Coral and Obi-Wan took the front.
"We've been busy lately," said Coral pulling the speeder out into the street. "You're the third group of Temple visitors we've had in four months."
"I keep saying we should start charging," Eraan said. He opened a knapsack and pulled out a datapad and switched it on. "Force knows we could use the money," he muttered under his breath.
"I hope our visit isn't too much trouble," Obi-Wan said.
"Oh no!" Coral exclaimed. "Director Declan was ecstatic you're coming. He misses your master fiercely."
Anakin jerked up his head at the mention of Qui-Gon. "They were friends?"
"Oh, yes," said Obi-Wan. "That's why he visited when he could."
The road to the farm was long and flat. Coral chatted about crop yields, a new barn, and how they needed to hire more farmhands before the harvest. Eraan stayed silent, not looking up from his reading. Anakin glanced over at the boy, curious. How had he come to be sent here, instead of being chosen as a padawan? Was it just because of his attitude alone (it seemed bad enough), or was he simply lousy with the Force, and was resentful? No matter..the answers would reveal themselves sooner or later.
It was late afternoon when the speeder pulled into the long winding road that led to the farm compound. Anakin gazed out over the fields. Nothing particularly special, he knew, but the landscape was so bright and vibrant compared to the steely, hard and grey megacity of Coruscant he'd grown accustomed to. Moisture vaporators dotted the fields. Seeing them gave them a strange feeling, not nostalgia for Tatooine itself exactly, but for the people there he'd left behind.
"You have moisture vaporators," he remarked. "But it must rain here."
"Oh, certainly," Coral said. "But it's arid here almost half the year and vaporators are cheaper and easier than other forms of irrigation. We demonstrate their use for training purposes, also, for the members farming in desert environments."
"Helia is an excellent training center for the AgriCorps because of the variation of seasons," Obi-Wan said.
"Yes, we can grow a wide variety of crops." Coral pulled the speeder into a small garage. "Eraan, can you take the new equipment to library storage while I show Master Obi-Wan and Anakin their rooms?"
"Anakin can help," Obi-Wan said at once.
"Would you like that, Anakin?" Coral asked. "Then perhaps Eraan can show you the farm until dinner."
Anakin wasn't terribly sure if he'd like that, and wasn't used to being asked by adults if he'd like to do a task or not. All the same, he knew what the expected answer was. "Yes, I'd be glad to."
Coral smiled warmly. "Excellent. We'll see you at dinner, then. You'll hear the bell."
Anakin nodded and watched Obi-Wan and Coral head out of the garage toward a large stone building.
"Well, come on," Eraan said shortly, lifting one of the bins out of the back of the speeder. Anakin grabbed the other and they started walking.
"How long have you been here?" Anakin asked.
"A while. What do you care?" Eraan said.
Anakin shrugged. There were a few padawans at the Temple who weren't too friendly, but most of them at least made an effort, even if few of them wanted to actually be friends. This one was something else. Clearly he'd never learned any manners. That must have been why he'd been sent here.
"I didn't know AgriCorps Jedi carried lightsabers," Anakin said.
Eraan looked over at him sharply. "I got my crystal on Ilum the same as anyone. I built my lightsaber without anyone's help. Just because I'm not a Temple Jedi, you think I'm not worthy?"
"I didn't say that," Anakin said irritably. "You are touchy though, no wonder you couldn't make it as a pad- hey!"
Eraan had dropped his bin on the ground and lunged at Anakin, shoving him roughly. Anakin dropped his bin as well, and glared at the other boy. "Someone should teach you some respect."
"Who? You? My padawan superior?" Eraan said, coming at him again.
This time Anakin side-stepped quickly and Eraan stumbled but caught himself and lunged at him again. Anakin grabbed hold of the boy's shirt and threw him down. A kind of wicked feeling of satisfaction filled his chest. He wanted more. Eraan sprung up and moved toward Anakin again, his hands raised and balled into fists. He swung, a bit clumsily, and Anakin caught his arm and twisted it behind the boy's back.
"Is this what you wanted?" He asked calmly.
"You - Kriff!" Cursed the boy, trying to hook his leg around Anakin's to trip him.
"That's not nice," Anakin said. He shoved Eraan face down into the ground, kneeling on his back to pin him. "Eat dirt, farm boy."
The next thing he knew, he was being hoisted up to his feet by the back of his tunic and spun around to face a large and burley middle aged man in Jedi robes.
"My, my, what are we so worked up about?"
Before Anakin could answer, he saw Obi-Wan and Coral approaching from the other side. Anakin wondered how much of the fight his master had seen. Judging from the distressed expression on Coral's face, they had both probably seen a good bit of it.
"I see you've met Director Declan," Obi-Wan said dryly.
Declan looked over Anakin's head and smiled. "Obi-Wan, good to see you." He grabbed the Jedi's hand and pulled him into a one armed hug with the other arm. "Yes, and you must be Anakin." He reached his hand out to the boy, who shook it a bit warily.
"Now what's going on between you boys?" Declan demanded, looking from one to the other. Eraan had gotten to his feet and was wiping the grass off his clothes.
"He started it," Anakin said. "He started shoving me. So I...retaliated."
He could feel a wave of disapproval from Obi-Wan through the Force, and pointedly chose not to look at his master.
Declan frowned at Eraan. "That true? You start this trouble?"
Eraan looked down at the ground and shrugged and Declan made a motion of pained helplessness toward Obi-Wan. "Do you see what I have to put up with?" He turned back toward his charge. "I think we have some energy to burn off. Eraan, start running laps around the admin building."
"How many?" Eraan muttered.
"Til I tell you to stop, that's how many!" Declan answered. "Any other questions?"
Eraan shook his head and took off.
"Go with him, Anakin," Obi-Wan said.
Anakin made a face, but wasn't about to start arguing in front of Declan and Coral. Besides, all things considered, a run didn't really sound that bad after the journey here. He jogged off to catch up with Eraan, trying not to think about the earful he'd probably get from Obi-Wan the next time they were alone.