The ship was quiet...uncommonly quiet, given the fact that its two young passengers were wide awake. Anakin took full advantage of it and sat in an attitude of meditation on the floor. Spine straight, eyes closed, legs crossed, and wrists resting on his knees, the Jedi Master had completely lost himself to the Force. The quiet, distant hum of the starship engine proved to be great as white noise. It was easy to let his mind drift. Free of care, it briefly touched on all that had happened in the last two weeks.
Anakin had followed through on his promise and taken his family to several museums in downtown Theed. Padme was delighted and eagerly pointed out as much as she could to her children. True to her predictions, Luke wasn't crazy about the choice of activity and could only feign interest for half an hour before his attention began to drift. Leia, on the other hand, loved the experience. She would have gladly stayed at the museums for half of the retreat. But a combination of Luke's extreme boredom and the fact that half a dozen people had identified Anakin on sight- and subsequently lost their minds with admiration -had brought the outing to an abrupt halt. The family spent the remainder of that day and all of the next visiting with their extended family.
Keeping busy after her husband's untimely death, Jobal was still as kind and loving as ever. She volunteered at the Center for the Less Fortunate and was known by every resident. She kept her home open to anyone who needed temporary shelter. Daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren were welcomed with open arms. She asked everyone for updates between offering cups of shurra fruit juice and freshly baked cookies. Leia was paid special attention. Strangely enough Leia did not seem to mind her grandmother's fussing as much as her parent's.
Sola stopped by with her daughters the day after. Ryoo was now a beautiful, smiling and kind-hearted young lady of twenty-four who very much resembled her mother. She had been working as a defense attorney for several years before meeting a shy young man named Antone. The two had just recently become engaged.
Pooja had taken a completely different path. Dedicating herself to her studies, she developed an affinity for science and mathematics, as well as a love for animals. She was now studying at Fatell University to become a biologist.
Both Ryoo and Pooja adored their 'baby' cousins and proved to be excellent listeners. They complimented Leia on her academic skills while applauding Luke's Jedi abilities, even when he started showing off. Anakin put a stop to that upon seeing Luke levitating Jobal's favorite flower vase while performing a headstand.
The retreat was concluded with a visit to the Lake Country. Leia took to the water like a Gungan. The exercise was easy on her healing arm, and she took great pleasure in challenging her brother to races...and winning every one. Every spare moment was spent in the lake. Anakin felt great relief in seeing the smile he knew and loved return to his daughters' face. The return to Coruscant unfortunately made it fade yet again.
Anakin and his children had not been long at the Temple before the High Council had their second mission picked out and ready to assign. This time it was an investigation. For several months, rumors had flown about a small-time group of weapons runners using the backwater planet of Aibres as a hideout. If the rumor turned out to be true, it would be the duty of Anakin and his two young Jedi to either shut them down or, if needed, call for reinforcements.
Skywalker had no intentions of repeating what he saw as mistakes from Balmorra. In addition to carrying stun sticks, Luke and Leia were both under strict orders to stay within ten meters of their father at all times. If there was a fight, they were to stand behind him, back to back with each other. Both had full permission to use the Force in whatever ways they were able...but only in defense.
Luke could not contain his excitement. He practically bounced off the walls of the ship until Anakin made the suggestion of centering themselves in the Force with meditation. Judging by the random, muffled thuds that had been coming from the sleeping bunks, neither twin had been doing so for the past half hour.
When the latest thud was greeted with a loud groan, Anakin opened his eyes and rose to his feet. Curiosity had finally gotten the best of him. What are they doing in there? He didn't sense anything amiss. The emotions of concentration and subsequent frustration were present, but that was it. Luke's muffled voice was soon heard through the closed door.
"Come on, Leia. You can do it. I know you can," said the boy, trying to be encouraging.
"We're wasting time. Besides, Father said to meditate, not levitate."
"You're using the Force. That has to count for something. One more time, okay? Please?"
"Fine." Silence returned to the hall, as well as the sense of concentration.
So that's it. Anakin smiled. Luke was helping Leia practice her levitation skills. He wanted to watch, but didn't want his daughter to be distracted. So he mentally fiddled with the door controls so it would open just a crack.
Leia was sitting on her bunk with her arm outstretched and her eyes closed, Luke standing at her shoulder. Presently a training remote hove into view. It edged closer and closer to her fingers. Just as it brushed the tip of her middle finger, her concentration wavered. So did the remote. It dropped like a stone. Leia fumbled, complaining, and just barely caught it in her hands. "Blast," she muttered. "So close."
Luke shrugged. "Hey, at least you caught it."
Unhappily the girl shook her head. "That doesn't count."
Anakin stepped inside the room with his own shrug. "Either way, you're making progress. Good job."
Leia avoided his gaze and set the remote on the table with a sigh. "I guess. When are we going to arrive at Aibres, Father?"
As if on cue the reversion alarm bee-doo'd its' way throughout the ship. Anakin smiled. "Perfect timing. Come on. Strap yourselves in."
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Aibres was one of those worlds that looked unassuming enough from orbit, but upon landing, presented one surprise after another. The first of these surprises was that the foliage came in varying shades of blue instead of green. The dark soil was black, while the tree bark was a very dusky gray. Luke and Leia could hardly turn anywhere without seeing some sort of wonder and walked about with gaping mouths. This soon became unease as a muffled growl from some sort of distant animal drifted out of the forest and into the clearing where they had set down.
"What was that?" asked Luke, looking around.
"A native creature, most likely. Don't worry. Most of the animals on this planet are vegetarians, like the ones on Naboo," said Anakin in a reassuring tone.
"What about the others?" asked Leia uneasily.
"It's all right," calmed Anakin. He rested a hand on each of their shoulders. "Yes, there are predators, but that doesn't mean you have to be afraid of them. If you don't bother them, they won't bother you. Just stay close and you'll both be fine."
Another distant growl made both twins take a few steps closer to their father. After a time Luke let out a shudder. "Dad? I know you're a great Jedi...probably the best that ever lived...but I'd still feel better if I had my own lightsaber."
Anakin quirked his mouth to one side, threatening a smile. He had been wondering when the talented boy would start bugging him about that. "You know only padawans are allowed to build their own lightsabers."
Luke made a face. "But Master Calon says I'm the best duelist he's ever seen. Why can't I build my own lightsaber before I'm an official padawan?"
Anakin's smile faded into a sigh. Sometimes Luke's resemblance to his father was unnerving...and not just physically. The boy was stubborn, impatient, and somewhat reckless, wanting to advance as fast as he could without often thinking about the consequences. "Because that's the way it is. Be careful with your pride, Luke. Just because you're talented doesn't mean you should be allowed to cut corners. The Initiate Trials come first, then an official apprenticeship." He gave his son's shoulder a squeeze. "Patience. It shouldn't be much longer. In the meantime, relax and focus on the mission." A glance at Leia found the girl to be quiet and pensive. She certainly wasn't happy. Perhaps she was thinking about her own inadequacies as a youngling and wondering if she would ever catch up with Luke. Anakin slid his hand around her shoulder in a side hug. Don't worry. You'll catch up, he told her mentally.
Leia glanced up at her father with a slight smile. I hope so. She sidestepped into his embrace, always feeling safer when he was near. Still, she had no intention of either relying completely on him or letting her guard down. Her brown eyes scanned for trouble as she, father, and brother made their way through the unusual forest in search of justice that needed to be done.
:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:
It didn't take long for the trio to reach the rumored coordinates of the gun-runner's base, nor did it take long to discover that the rumors had been false. A combination of the Force, observation, and scans showed the planet to be utterly devoid of human life save the Jedi.
Luke couldn't hide his disappointment as they began the five kilometer hike back to the ship to inform the Council. "Great. Only our second mission, and it turns out to be a wild bantha chase."
Anakin shrugged. "It happens. At least this time there wasn't any trouble." He gave Leia's shoulders another squeeze.
Leia didn't look particularly upset about the lack of action. She had not left her father's side the whole time and seemed to relax more with every passing moment. There was some annoyance at Anakin's overprotective nature, but if it meant more attention from her father, she would take it.
Luke tilted his head from side to side as a kind of shrug. "Yeah...but I was looking forward to shutting down the weapons runners."
Leia turned to her twin with a frown. "A Jedi doesn't go looking for trouble. They stop it before it starts."
Anakin nodded in agreement. "That's right, Leia. Sometimes it can't be helped, but one should only use violence as a last resort."
Luke sighed and kicked at a rock. "I don't want to hurt anybody. I just wanted to get some more experience."
Anakin smiled at his eager young son and reached over to rumple his hair fondly. "There will be plenty of missions and plenty of opportunities for both of you. But for now, let's head back to the ship. If this pattern continues, we shouldn't have to wait too long for our next mission."
The children agreed. While Leia continued to walk beside her father, Luke soon took to wandering. It was nearing dusk on their side of the planet and the shadows were growing long. In the next few minutes Anakin resolved to turn on his lightsaber to illuminate their path. He kept a close eye on Luke and admonished the boy several times not to wander too far ahead. Luke danced along the edges of Anakin's vision and kept himself busy by performing several different type of acrobatics. Presently he dropped down and began walking on his hands.
Leia crossed her arms and frowned at her brother. "Showoff."
"I am not," protested Luke even while he was upside down. "I'm practicing."
"Luke, you're too far ahead," called Anakin again. "Wait for us."
Luke groaned, but slowed his pace, taking half as many steps on his hands.
"Why don't you walk normally?" Leia wanted to know.
"'Cause that's no fun," grinned Luke. "Come on, try it!" His grin vanished as a sudden and strong sense of danger assaulted him. Uncertain blue eyes traveled to his father.
Anakin had already dropped into a ready stance and ignited his lightsaber, adrenaline pumping. "Leia, get behind me. Luke-" The crashing of brush and the angry roar of one of the native beasts reached his ears and drew nearer by the second. In half a minute Anakin knew what was going to happen. "Luke! Get down!" He broke into a run.
Luke had already tucked his chin and gone into a roll, but the approaching beast was faster. One moment he was scrambling to his feet. The next, a bundle of scraggly purple fur and claws knocked him over. Then a vise with teeth snagged his leg before he could roll away. The boy cried out in fear and pain.
"LUKE!" screamed Leia, hard on her father's heels. She flipped on the stun stick and braced her feet wide.
"Get back!" ordered Anakin, ducking and dodging the beast's short but muscular tail and holding his lightsaber high. The animal was quick, but it didn't have the Force. In half a moment Anakin had sliced off its left foreleg and Force-pushed it into a stand of nearby trees.
The creature flew backward with a squeal, hit a large trunk, and fell senseless to the ground. Then it moved no more.
Anakin heaved out a shudder before hurrying to his son's side. Guilt and worry made his stomach twist. No, no, no...not again! "Luke?"
Luke's blue eyes were wide and his breathing quick and shallow as he stared at his father. Moving made him cry out and look down at his leg, which Leia was already tending.
It was a struggle for Anakin to hold in his tears and keep his hands from shaking as he slouched next to his children. "Leia, let go."
Leia fearfully shook her head, hands pressed against the wound. "He's bleeding."
Anakin nodded. "I know. And you did the right thing. Just let me see for a minute, all right? We'll take care of him."
After a moment's hesitation Leia let go. Her throat was tight with emotion as she sat next to her brother. This must have been how he had felt seeing her injured.
Despite the blood-soaked pant leg, only six of the animal's two dozen or so teeth had connected, and none of them had gone more than a couple of centimeters deep. A wash and a dip in a bacta tank would heal it nicely. A quick assessment with the Force told Anakin that all of Luke's veins and arteries were intact, but the bleeding would not stop without a bandage. Anakin closed his eyes with a sympathetic wince before turning to his son. "Luke? Can you hear me?"
Luke nodded hastily. His eyes darted about. "What was that thing? Where did it go?"
"Don't worry. I took care of it," assured Anakin.
"You didn't...you didn't kill it, did you?" asked Luke nervously.
"Luke! No, but he should have. That thing almost killed you!" scolded Leia.
"He wasn't evil, just hungry," argued Luke.
"He was trying to eat you!"
Anakin shook his head, unable to see the reason behind Luke's compassion toward such a ferocious beast. Ironically such a thing was a good trait for a Jedi. The fact that Luke wasn't angry with the animal boded well for his future. "Enough, you two. No, Luke. I didn't kill the animal. He's stunned. But we're going to have to hurry and get back to the ship before he wakes up." Without further debate he reached into his standard-issue utility belt medic-kit and pulled out the single rolled bandage and an anti-microbial injection. Thankful for his experience in treating wounds, Anakin was nevertheless shaking and fighting tears as he bound Luke's leg and gave him the injection to help prevent infection.
Luke wasn't much help. He wasn't very good at fighting even his own pain with the Force and kept wincing and whimpering. Presently he turned to his father. "I'm sorry. It was my fault. I should have listened."
Anakin cleared the hoarseness from his throat. "Never mind." His hands continued to shake as he tied off the bandage and put the remaining supplies away. "Come on. Let's go." Carefully he lifted his son to his feet and supported his bad side.
Leia was already on Luke's opposite side to help hold him up. Together the group hobbled back to the ship. Artoo greeted them with a worried squeal and readied the engines while Anakin stayed in the main hold to care for Luke.
To an outside observer the legendary Master looked perfectly calm and controlled, but in reality he was two steps from falling apart. It wasn't until after Luke had been care for that he walked forward to released the tears he had been holding in. It happened again. One of my children is hurt. Why couldn't I stop it? Why couldn't I move quickly enough?
Anakin's tears didn't stop until long after the ship had jumped to hyperspace.
*****A/N: Sorry it's taken so long to update, but a bout of writer's block and two months of caring for my mother (who just had bunion surgery) has kind of put a cramp in my writing. More is coming, I promise!*******