Eternal Balance: Chapter 5

By The Al Bhed Slayer

A/N: Don't kill me…Padmé's here. And a lot of dialogue follows the movie. Sorry, but Ani and Akaia aren't in love yet. R'n'R!

The young woman sat idly on the couch, going over past events. It had been a month and a half…nothing of importance had really occurred. Each day Akaia learned more of the Jedi ways, and so far, most she did not agree with. Though she hadn't mentioned it, above all she extremely disliked the Jedi code. It seemed, to her, very close-minded. How could anyone agree with it, much less abide it? The rules were inhuman. Was this really part of who she was? She often went over the code in her head now…

There is no emotion; there is peace

How can a person live without their emotions? Of course she had noticed this in each Jedi she had met. They were always so calm. They seemed – to put it bluntly – boring. How could she have spent eight hundred years around them?

There is no ignorance; there is knowledge

At this, only one word sprang to mind: hypocrites. They constantly ignored what they obviously didn't understand. She could tell no one trusted her…other than Anakin, that is. She smiled briefly but quickly returned to criticizing, pushing her thoughts of him away, which strangely segued into the next part.

There is no passion; there is serenity

From that alone, she was thankful she wasn't a Jedi. No passion…no emotion…so obviously leaves out love altogether…she thought but soon realized what she had just thought. Where did that come from? She cleared the thought quickly…or so she told herself. Without passion, we'd be hollow, dead, which led to the last part of the code.

There is no death; there is the Force

It was an interesting concept…people dying and become one with the Force. She supposed that explained a little of how she was created…'why' was a whole different subject.

Maybe that's why she had disappeared in the first place…she probably didn't agree with the way the Jedi handled things. It felt wrong to bury half of herself to suit the interests of people she didn't see eye to eye with. They weren't the only people she didn't understand, though…

Not that she particularly enjoyed politics, nor paid mind to them, it was plain to see that the republic as it was called was falling apart at the seems. Seeing as many had already seceded and joined the Separatists, one word had been spread around like wild fire: war.

Something at sometime very soon was going to go wrong. At all of this happening, it gave her an uneasiness. What gave her a worse feeling was the image that flashed in her mind – a funeral march – when the Jedi Council had given Obi Wan and Anakin a new mission that made the younger of the two turn as white as a ghost:

'Protect Senator Amidala.'

Who was this person? Akaia hadn't asked or even conversed with either man the rest of the night and into the next day. Obi Wan had seemed indifferent to the order – as always –, but Anakin on the other hand…why did he seem so nervous? Amidala…the name had never been brought up before. Were they family? Maybe a friend?

They made their way into a building, all silent…Stepping into the elevator, stifled a laugh at the padawan's odd behavior. He couldn't stand still, for one and he straightened his robe…repeatedly. Honestly, he's acting like a child…

Obi Wan had obviously noticed this as well. He glanced quickly at his apprentice. "You seem a little on edge."

Anakin turned to his master quickly, then stared face forward. "Not at all."

"I haven't felt you this tense since we fell into that nest of Gundarks." Obi Wan commented.

Akaia raised an eyebrow, finding all this entertaining.

Turning to the girl, he smiled a bit arrogantly. "Actually, he fell into that nightmare and I rescued him." He turned back to his master. "Remember?"

She smiled and shook her head. Show off...

Obi Wan gave a rare smile of his own. "…Yes." He glanced back at the young man, his expression serious once again. "You're sweating. Relax. Take a deep breath."

Now even Anakin looked serious. "I haven't seen her in ten years, Master."

No wonder he was so nervous. Her…Akaia's mind echoed. She shrugged off quickly the odd feeling that came after. Without another word, they wait as the elevator stopped and the doors slowly slid open. The three entered the room, only to be greeted by a…tall, long-eared…thing. Before she knew it, the…whatever it was rushed over happily.

"Obi? Obi! Mesa sooo smilen to seein yousa," it told the Jedi welcomingly, shaking the older man's hands vehemently.

"Good to see you again, Jar Jar," Obi Wan replied kindly.

Leaning slightly to the side, Akaia asked in a whisper, "Who is that?"

Anakin grinned and whispered back, "That's Jar Jar Binks, an old friend."

She nodded slowly, feeling she shouldn't really ask.

"Senator Padmé," Jar Jar called to the other room, leading the other three behind him. "Mesa palos here! Lookie, lookie, Senator. Desa Jedi arriven."

…What did he just say? Was the only thought in her mind at time, until she peered up at her friend who was currently staring a hole through a young woman with a very strange hair-style who was accompanied by two others.

Ignoring the greeting Obi Wan gave the woman and her greeting in return, Akaia only refocused her attention when, the woman noticed Anakin. "Ani?"

Akaia looked up at the padawan, an incredulous smile on her face. "Ani?"

Embarrassment visible in his features, he tried to ignore his old nickname.

"My goodness, you've grown," the woman Akaia assumed was Padmé stated.

"So have you," he began, stepping forward. "Grown more beautiful, I mean." After a moment, he added, "Well, f-for a Senator, I mean."

Padmé let out an awkward laugh. "Ani, you'll always be that little boy I knew on Tatooine."

Oh please, Akaia thought, rolling her eyes. Maybe I should go and talk to Jar Jar…She paused for a moment. Did she actually sound…bitter? Maybe even…jealous? …No! Of course not! …well…No! She disciplined herself for even thinking it.

They all began walking away, forgetting the last member of the group. Obi Wan spoke again. "Our presence here will be invisible, Milady, I assure you."

"Already got that covered," Akaia called to them, causing them all to turn back.

Anakin eyed the girl he'd only known little over a month. Her expression was unusually hard to read, but he thought he'd seen hurt. Feeling a tinge of guilt, he averted his eyes and smiled at the former queen. "Padmé, this is Akaia, a friend of ours."

They both greeted each other with a smile before returning to the matter at hand. After discussing what they were to do and an argument between Obi Wan and Anakin, Padmé had gone to bed. In eavesdropping distance, Akaia listened in on whatever Anakin was talking to Jar Jar about.

"She hardly even recognized me, Jar Jar." Anakin looked at his old friend sadly. "I thought about her everyday since we parted, and…" He glanced at where the woman stood. "She's forgotten me completely."

Akaia stared at the floor, arms folded across her chest. Now, you know how I feel…

She hadn't realized this herself, but ever since Akaia had met the senator of Naboo, she had questioned everything, not out loud of course. Though it was increasingly annoying, she did not want to seem distressed to her comrades. She was currently stretched out on one of the couches as the other two continued discussing…she didn't really know. But at the mention of 'dreams' she raised her head. After her third week around him, Anakin had finally told her of his dream about his mother…but he still seemed to be keeping something from her, but she ignored it for now.

"…I don't know why I keep dreaming about her," the younger man spoke in a somber tone.

"Dreams pass in time," Obi Wan tried to reassure the boy.

Anakin looked at his master sternly. "I'd much rather dream about Padmé."

Here we go again…She thought again in a bitter tone.

"What?" She heard the future Jedi ask.

Her eyes widened as they met his, which read only confusion. Uh oh. I didn't actually… "Did I just say what I think I did out loud?"

"After I mentioned…you said 'here we go again'," Anakin replied with bewildered stare.

"It wasn't about that," she told him all too fast. "I was just…thinking too much."

He raised an eyebrow. "Thinking too much?"

"Yes, I was just thinking too much," She paused for a moment. Lying wasn't helping, but he couldn't let him believe she's been jealous…because she most certainly wasn't. "Like Obi Wan always says: You're thoughts betray you. That's all that happened. I'm fine now."

By the expression on his face, he didn't believe a word of what she had said. "Is something wrong?"

Before she could say another word, they had all sensed the same thing coming from the senator's room.

Running towards the room, the young woman felt as if this was the beginning of end.

Whatever came afterwards would be much worse.

TBC

A/N: Hey guys. OK, definitely not the most entertaining chapter, but next time AKAIA VS. PADMÉ officially begins. Just don't expect a cat fight. Next time, not two, but THREE people end up going to Naboo. See ya soon.

PS- …thinking too much. That's sad.