Geez Louise. I apologize profusely for the long, long delay, but RL has been absolutely insane. Progress has been made on the new headpiece for my Serra costume, and I actually have people to go to GenCon with me next year and dress up on Saturday for the costume contest! :) I'll try to get back on a weekly update schedule now that things are slightly less nuts. Hope you enjoy this installment! As always, reviews feed the muse. ;)
Whispers of Menace
A Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace Alternate Universe
Chapter Twelve:
The Queen's Worries and Easing Anakin's Mind
Despite Qui-Gon's suspicions, Watto had not cheated us on the parts, and we were soon on our way to Coruscant again. Even with my best efforts to get away, I was kept busy for over an hour before I got the chance to find Anakin again. First, there was another nearly-ceremonial 'thank you' from the ersatz Queen, followed by an obsessive questioning from Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon about the Dark warrior who had attacked me. Finally, I put my foot down.
"Enough." They stopped mid-word. "I have a Padawan to take care of, so if you'll excuse me, we may be able to pick this up again later." I didn't wait for their response. Still, many of the people on the cruiser had already claimed bunks and retired for the night.
I almost ran over Padmé on the lower level, where she was watching a message from Governor Bibble that had arrived while we were in Mos Espa. I knew the situation was tearing her to pieces, but could think of nothing to say that was more than an empty platitude. Instead, I walked with her to the crew mess hall, where Jar Jar lay on the floor, snoring loudly, and Ani huddled on a seat next to a cooing Artoo, shivering.
"Are you all right?" the girl asked him, worried, before I could even open my mouth.
"It's very c-cold," he chattered. She pulled a blanket from one of the nearby cabinets and wrapped it around him.
"You're from a warm planet, Ani, too warm for my tastes. Space is cold." I might as well have been a sand fly on the wall, for all the attention they paid to my presence.
"You seem sad."
"The Queen is… worried. Her people are suffering, dying. She must convince the Senate to intervene, or I'm not sure what will happen."
"I… I'm not sure what will happen to me, either. I dunno if I'll ever see you again." He dug into a pocket beneath the blanket, and then held out his hand, something clasped inside. "I made this for you, so you'd remember me. I carved it out of a japor snippet; it will bring you good fortune." When she accepted the gift, I was able to see that it was a small, rectangular pendant on a long cord, the face bearing the same design that had appeared on the podracer and banner. The grooves in the ivory-colored material were dark and the surface smooth with handling.
"It's beautiful, but I don't need this to remember you." Still, she tied it around her neck with a smile. "Many things will change when we reach the capital, Ani. My caring for you will always remain."
"I care for you, too." That was probably as close as they would get to declaring their love for each other for years. "Only, I miss…"
"You miss your mother." He nodded, and the brunette leaned in to give him a hug. Then I stepped forward and picked him up, blanket and all, like a much smaller child. Exhausted, he simply leaned into me.
"Is there somewhere better where we can catch a little sleep?" I asked. Padmé nodded and led the way to a cabin just large enough for a bed and space to walk around it on two sides. After she closed the door, I set my Padawan on the mattress.
His tired and confused stare when I curled up around him was endearingly cute.
"[Rest, little one,]" I told him. "[I'll explain in the morning.]" The Huttese appeared to be comforting, as he promptly relaxed and dropped off. I wasn't far behind, either; it had been a long and tiring day for us both.
He was still asleep when I woke, and stayed that way while I visited the 'fresher and got a simple breakfast for both of us. Unwilling to disturb his rest, I set the dishes on a handy shelf and just held him, combing his hair with my fingers.
Hair fascinated me, and not just because I didn't have any of my own. It came in so many different colors and textures that I never tired of seeing what people would do with it. Anakin's was a buttery, golden hue with lighter streaks, and felt like shimmersilk.
"Mmph… Serra?" he finally mumbled.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," I replied with a smile. He sat up and rubbed his eyes before giving me an anxious look.
"You could have died yesterday, just 'cause I wanted to hold on to your sword." I sighed.
"But I didn't, that's the important thing. You needed the reassurance of carrying my lightsaber more than I needed it against that creature. And if we encounter him again, he won't be expecting the second blade. Besides, you're as much a part of me as… as my hand, or my foot." When he frowned, I mentally poked my end of the bond, switching to a sort of tickling when he jumped. He rolled onto one side, giggling helplessly.
"How… haha… how'd you do that?" he gasped when I let up.
"We're bonded," I began. "When we first met, the Force chose to link us together. By the time Jar Jar made that scene in the market, I was able to tell generally where you were, and a bit of what you were up to. Now, I think I could pinpoint you if we were within a hundred kilometers of each other, and whenever we choose, we can speak through that bond as clearly as we're talking now." He frowned thoughtfully, working his way through my explanation. "Among the Jedi, we call such a connection a 'training bond,' as it usually connects a Knight or Master and their Padawan learner. Qui-Gon has one with Obi-Wan, for example."
"So I am gonna be a Jedi someday, like I dreamed I was?" A simplification, but still accurate.
"Yes, I will train you to be a Jedi Knight." ~Whether the High Council likes it or not,~ I added to myself.
"But… if I'm a Jedi, will I still be able to marry Padmé?"
"Did you dream of that, too?" He nodded. "Then I'm sure you will, somehow. When the Force wills something, it tends to find a way." I got the feeling that his dreams were like my hunches and my own Master's visions.
"I do want to be a Jedi, to help people." Smiling at his assertion, I picked up the scissors from my uniform repair kit and scooted around until I sat behind Anakin.
"Human and near-human male Padawans have a traditional haircut; I'm sure you noticed Obi-Wan's hair yesterday." Gathering a small clump at the nape of his neck, I tied it off with a black band. A smaller tuft behind his right ear was separated as well before I began cutting. While trimming the rest to an even four centimeters, I distracted Ani with stories from my own training. Mostly times when I'd screwed up with hilarious results.
Finally, I gathered the fallen pieces and began fusing the longer pieces to the strands behind his ear, coaxing the ends into bonding with the Force. The result was a tail nearly thirty centimeters long hanging along his right shoulder blade.
"For most Jedi Padawans with hair, the braid is a symbol of rank. My Master was taught the old tradition which adds items to signify specific areas of talent, achievements, and special events in your training and life." I plaited several centimeters, then held out a very small gear that I'd picked up from the spare parts pile on his workbench, letting him see it. Artoo had been quite helpful, hitting the piece of metal and a second near-match with a coat of the yellow paint he'd used on the podracer. "In the space of a few years, despite limited working time, you were able to take parts that others had discarded and create two complex machines which have capabilities that are, to the very best of my knowledge, unmatched by any other examples of their types, even those made by people who are paid to do nothing else. You have more than earned a token for your talent with mechanics and electronics." I wove the cog into the hair and continued a bit further before bringing out one of a pair of blue and white glassine pieces I'd picked up months earlier. Their similarity to the paint on the control pod had finally told me why they'd caught my eye in the first place. "We both know that podracing is a very dangerous sport, and the Boonta Eve course is the most challenging and treacherous one I have ever seen. Even though you are human, and would normally have much slower reflexes than other competitors, you didn't just beat the other pilots: you set a performance record that will stand for many years to come. This bead signifies the immense flying skill your achievement demanded." A few centimeters later, I showed Anakin a small chromium-plated orb. "Because of these skills, you did something that rarely happens: you won your freedom from slavery, and have chosen a difficult path in your desire to bring that freedom to all slaves. This is to symbolize the purity of your self-selected purpose and your first step toward that goal." Finally reaching the end, I tied it off with another black band. "This black wrapping tells other Jedi that you have only begun your apprenticeship."
For several minutes, the boy simply ran his hands along the cord of hair and ornaments, familiarizing himself with its weight and texture. Then he looked up at me with a hesitant smile.
"Thank you, M-master." I realized with a jolt that the traditional form of address was going to be a major problem.
"Hey, now, none of this 'Master' stuff all the time," I chided gently, hands squeezing his shoulders. "Out in public, maybe, but when it's just us and people we know, like Master Jinn and Padawan Kenobi, then I'm just Serra, okay?" He nodded, and I made a mental note to keep working on the issue. "No one owns you anymore, Ani." His stomach chose that moment to growl loudly, and I chuckled as I handed him some of the breakfast dishes.
We'd work things out, no matter how difficult they became.