Adventures of a Past Long Gone

by Shadow-might-write

(Read Return of the Chosen One first) An Archive of adventures focused around Anakin Skywalker, Mia Rosslyn and Obi-wan Kenobi. Ranging from when Anakin and Mia were Padawans to during the Clone War. (Rated T for moderate swearing)

3. The Horrible Tale of Salloo T4 Part II

Here we are again with the second chapter of 'That Shithole of a Planet'. Yes, there is still some swearing given Anakin is of a younger age and more prone to it. Due to considerable length, this adventure actually had to be divided into two separate chapters, the second of which I will be posting next week.

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November 21st, Six years before Galactic Empire

Anakin stared into Mia's eyes, feeling an electric charge in the air. She smirked at him, changing her stance minutely, putting just a little more weight on her back foot. Charging forward, Anakin swung his lightsaber in a downward arc. Raising her lightsaber up above her head, Mia blocked and pushed him off before making a low swipe towards his legs. It had him stepping back again, buying Mia time as she pulled the Force around her before jumping onto one of the tall pillars. Steadying himself, Anakin jumped after her, not sure what she'd do next. Mia often preferred a stronger defense, waiting for her opponent to make a slip up, make an opening for her to use to her advantage.

Stepping forward quickly, he aimed for her left side, a little less protected than her right. Switching up her grip, Mia moved her left hand over her right on the hilt of the lightsaber, switching to her left hand naturally. It was another thing the Jedi found odd about her, she was mix-handed. Blocking him with ease, she planted her left foot on his chest and pushed him back. Stumbling, Anakin quickly found his balance before he was sent over the edge of the pillar. He charged at Mia, swinging his lightsaber horizontally, revving up the speed of the spar. Mia ducked and rolled away, surprised. She flew through the air as she moved onto the next pillar, forcing Anakin to play catch-up.

Running forward, he jumped onto the next pillar. Mia flipped through the air as she swung at him with her lightsaber. Grunting, Anakin blocked and pushed her back. Mia ducked under his next jab, deflected his downward arc and jumped away from his swinging kick. He tucked down and stuck towards her legs in an attempt to unsteady her. Without hesitation she jumped off the edge of the pillar, flipping through the air and landed soundly on her feet thirty feet down, using the Force to soften her fall. He followed, landing on the blue mats as he tried to catch his breath. She looked a little tired but she'd mostly just been dodging his next attacks, striking only when it most suited her.

He charged forward, swinging his lightsaber horizontally. Instead of blocking him, Mia did a one-handed back-handspring and landed soundly on her feet as Anakin stumbled to the side, his momentum becoming his enemy.

Above, in the gallery above, Obi-wan watched as down below his Padawans went back and forth. He shook his head as Anakin faltered again. Anakin was at that awkward stage where he'd sprouted up quickly, becoming taller than even Obi-wan now, in the last six months but he wasn't used to his new height and it was holding him back, making him clumsier. Mia, however, had stopped growing a year ago and was, by nature, far more graceful than Anakin. As a result, Mia had been winning more of their spars, be it hand-to-hand—which came more naturally to Mia—or with a lightsaber. Anakin had a talent for lightsaber combat though, so once he got more used to his height he'd be back to winning their spars.

Mia blocked another uppercut from Anakin as she raised her right hand and pushed him back just a few steps with the Force. Disengaging her lightsaber, Mia dropped to the ground and sweep-kicked Anakin off his feet. He grunted as his left elbow his the ground first, followed by his back. He looked up as Mia pointed her lightsaber at him. Extinguishing his lightsaber, Anakin held his hands up in defeat. Extinguishing her lightsaber as well, Mia offered him her hand. Taking it, he allowed Mia to lever him us as he stood. He looked down at her, still finding it strange to stand over her. Before they'd always been about the same height.

"Well, that went quite well," Obi-wan spoke up, startling them.

"How much of that did you see?" Anakin asked, hoping Obi-wan didn't see too much of Mia kicking his ass. Again.

"Enough," He answered cryptically, "The back-handspring was pretty impressive."

Mia smiled at the praise, "One-handed back-handspring," She corrected as they crossed the training gym towards their Master.

"I still say it's cheating," Anakin mumbled.

"Anakin, your enemy will not always follow the rules of combat," Obi-wan reminded him, "You need to learn to take every advantage you have."

Sighing, Anakin nodded. That was, after all, why Obi-wan taught them advanced hand-to-hand combat and encouraged Mia to learn gymnastics and improve her climbing skills because he knew it would one day come in handy.

"Come on, we're supposed to meet the Council soon for a mission assignment." Obi-wan told them "Master Yoda called for us specifically."

"Ooh, we get Master Yoda's attention," Mia commented to Anakin as they left the sparring room.

"Important, this mission is," Anakin responded, imitating the Jedi Master.

Obi-wan shook his head, "Just get yourselves cleaned up and meet be in front of the Council chambers in ten minutes."

Turning, Obi-wan continued down the hall without his Padawans. Mia sighed.

"I love how he always says ten minutes when he means fifteen," Anakin commented as they walked towards the locker rooms.

"Probably because you've been late to every single Council briefing in your entire apprenticeship," Mia teased him.

Anakin shook his head, "I'm not late," He argued, narrowing his eyes at her amused smirk, "I just know how to make an entrance."

Mia shook her head, "If you call running in with your tunics on inside-out and your utility belt backwards 'making an entrance' then sure," She muttered.

"I hope it's a combat mission," Mia commented as they turned the corner.

"So long as it's not a diplomat mission," Anakin muttered on his breath.

Mia laughed at that as she walked into the women's locker room. Walking towards one of the lockers, she opened the combination lock and took out her duffle bag before moving towards the shower stall. She stripped out of her sweaty tank top and leggings, kicking her boots off. The water of the shower was icy cold but Mia was past caring at this point. She couldn't remember a time when the showers in the locker rooms were warm and she didn't think the Jedi would ever fix the water heater.

Stepping out when she felt she was clean enough, Mia toweled off and got dressed, wearing a deep blue tunic and black leggings with fresh underwear and socks. Drying her hair as best as she could, Mia started braiding it as she walked out the locker room, not surprised to find Anakin was already waiting. It was habit, mostly, that made him take less time showering. Tatooine didn't have water to waste on showers. Shrugging, they walked down the hall towards the nearest lift.

Through the windows of the Council chambers Mia glanced at the sun as it slowly moved towards the horizon in its late-afternoon haze. Everyone sat in a calm silence as they waited for one more Jedi to show up. He was always late though. She glanced around the room, wondering why it no longer bothered her to be watched by the whole council.

The door opened slowly and Master Yoda stepped in, last to arrive as usual. Maneuvering himself into the chair, Master Yoda sat cross-legged and smiled warmly at the young Jedi in front of him. Obi-wan, Anakin and Mia bowed away, waiting to find out what the mission would be.

"You remember Salloo T4," Master Windu spoke first, looking Anakin and Mia in the eyes.

Anakin swore across the bond he shared with Mia and Obi-wan, not daring to swear in front of Master Windu, not when he was watching Anakin like a hawk.

"The peace treaty isn't going well and King Sar-viena of the Ha'yar clan has requested the three of you return to aid in the treaty between him and the Vasrous clan." Master Windu continued.

Mia's eyebrows raised at that, finding it odd, "He requested us specifically?" Mia questioned.

"Wait, hold on," Anakin spoke up, cutting Mia off, "We almost died on that planet and you want us to go back?"

Master Windu gave Anakin a long, tireless glare, one that had made many a Jedi back down. It wasn't quite enough to make Anakin back down this time.

"A diplomat requested your presence during an important peace treaty because you're a Jedi and Jedi are peace-keepers," Windu reminded Anakin, ice in his scolding tone.

"Easy, this will not be," Yoda added, speaking up for the first time since he'd arrived, "With great care handle this case, you will. Prepared, you must be for lurks, trouble does."

Anakin and Mia glanced at each other, wondering if the other had any idea what Yoda was talking about. For a second Anakin wondered if anyone ever understood what Yoda was talking about.

"You leave tomorrow at 500 hours. Skywalker, you'll report to medical and get checked out," Master Windu told them, "You're dismissed."

Turning, the three of them left. To Anakin's credit, he didn't make a face or any sort of comment about somebody looking at his back. The burn was completely healed but there were still a lot of old scars that always raised questions of their own. Mia looked up at him sympathetically as they walked down in the halls, hating the questions at medical almost as much as he did.

Later, in the solitude of her room, Mia packed slowly, dreading every second of the impending mission. The door opened suddenly and she turned to see Anakin standing in the doorway.

"Obi-wan wanted me to tell you dinner was almost ready," Anakin signed, "Do you need any help packing?"

Mia shook her head, "I'm fine," She answered silently before returning to her packing. She paused for a moment as she considered telling Anakin about her feeling of dread. Turning, she faced him, worry creasing her eyebrow, "I have a bad feeling about this one."

"Yeah, me too," Anakin explained, "Last time was really shitty—."

Mia cut him off, "That's an understatement."

"Last time we were there we almost died, that's a lot to take in," Anakin reminded her, "Obi-wan said this feeling of dread is rooted from our last experience."

Mia bit her lip, "It's not a feeling of dread so much as," She paused as she considered her words, "It's like this impending sense of doom, if that makes sense, like something bad's going to happen."

"Nothing will happen, I promise," Anakin assured her as he stepped closer, closing the distance between them.

Mia smiled in an attempt to reassure herself that Anakin was right but it didn't smother the knotted feeling in her stomach like she thought it would. Leaning down, Anakin kissed her gently, winding his fingers through the still-damp waves of her hair. Smiling through the kiss, Mia pulled herself forward so that there was no space between them. After a long moment, Mia pulled away.

"Obi-wan's probably done with dinner," Mia reminded him, "Hopefully it's not burnt this time."

Anakin smirked, "Knowing him, we're lucky if it doesn't catch fire."

Mia laughed, the first time she'd laughed since finding out about the mission. Stepping around him, she moved out into the hall and made her way towards the small kitchen where Obi-wan was putting something on plates. Looking over the counter, she was surprised to see sandwiches and salad on the plates.

"Keeping it simple then," Mia commented with a smirk.

"I'd rather I didn't have to hear you and Anakin critique my cooking skills," Obi-wan replied.

"Anakin doesn't critique so much as he mocks," Mia joked, laughing.

"In any event, I thought we'd use dinner to go over the mission one more time as a refresher," Obi-wan spoke up as he sat down at the table with three files in hand.

Mia took one and began skimming it immediately.

Anakin groaned, "I don't see the point," He muttered irritably, "It's not like we weren't briefed the last time we had the great misfortune of going there and it's only been a few months, I doubt it's changed that much."

"They've got rebels now," Mia mentioned.

"Violent rebels, it would seem," Obi-wan commented, "Why is it that every time there's a rebellion afoot it comes with chaos and blood?"

Anakin laughed at that, "What, you want a peaceful rebellion?" He challenged, "We'll just sit down in peaceful protest while you rob us of our rights."

"You know, given the right reason, you might choose to one day join a rebellion yourself Master," Mia commented with a smile at the thought of Obi-wan fighting a corrupt government.

"Not a chance," Obi-wan replied as he turned to her, "Nothing could force me to join."

Anakin laughed, "Just too uncivilized for you?" He joked.

Mia smiled and took a bite of her sandwich, picturing Obi-wan standing in some sort of temporary hide-out planning the next big strike against the enemy. The moment of wonder was lost as Anakin and Obi-wan argued over who should pilot the next morning.

November 22nd, Six Years Before Galactic Empire

She didn't know where she was, it was dark and damp and it smelled like mold. It was too dark to see anything. Standing up instantly, Mia moved around her surroundings, her hands moving over the surface of the wall she'd been sleeping against as she traced the parameters of wherever she was. Mia's fingers slid over something cold, metal and cylindrical. Moving her other hand towards the second wall, she traced over the row of bars, realizing with a sickening feeling in her stomach that she was in a prison cell.

Sitting up, startled, Mia looked around her surroundings, finding herself somewhere dark but somewhere familiar. Moving towards the lamp on the nightstand, she turned it on, relieved to be in her room again. Checking the clock, she realized it was an hour before she was supposed to be up. Slumping over onto her back on the soft mattress, Mia stared up at the ceiling. The knot in her stomach that had started to form at the briefing the day before was worse, tighter and more painful. She couldn't escape the feeling that something terrible was going to happen on that planet.

Sighing, Mia sat up and moved towards the door, going into the kitchen to cook breakfast for herself, Obi-wan and Anakin. As she busied herself with the task the thoughts of the mission simmered in the back burner of her mind.

Sometime later Anakin and Obi-wan wandered out their room, not yet dressed for the mission. They sat down at the tiny little table silently. Anakin was never one to talk in the morning and Obi-wan had long since learned not to bother drawing his Padawan into conversation. Pouring eggs from the pan onto three plates along with sausage and toast, Mia handed each of them a plate before sitting down herself. They ate quietly, Anakin and Obi-wan sipping their coffee as Mia nursed her cup of tea, not yet able to appreciate the bitter taste of coffee.

"Mia, did you get any sleep last night?" Obi-wan inquired in sign language, noticing the dark circles under her watery grey eyes.

Mia shook her head, "Not really," She replied, purposely leaving out the nightmare. Obi-wan would just worry if she told him.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Mia sipped her tea, remembering her nightmare. She'd had similar dreams but this one felt different somehow. She couldn't explain what about it felt different.

Sighing, Mia left and walked back to her room to change. She pulled on a dark blue tunic, buttoning the front before wrapping the sash lightly around her waist. After getting dressed and finishing her packing, Mia picked up the first-aid kit—bigger than the one before and better stocked—and a reading book and placed them in her packed duffle bag. It was a diplomatic mission, something told her she'd get some time to read it. Zipping up her bag, she pulled the strap over her shoulder and stepped out of her room. She found Anakin sitting on the couch, still looking grumpy.

"You can sleep on the ship," She reminded him.

"Who's going to fly it?" He retorted, "You don't know how and Obi-wan—." She cut him off, "I just don't care for flying," She said aloud in what was a fair imitation of his accent.

Anakin chuckled, "That was actually pretty good," He told her, grinning from ear to ear.

"You know, the reason I don't know how to fly is because you haven't taught me how," Mia pointed out as she sat down next to him.

"You want to learn?" Anakin asked her, surprised.

Mia nodded, "Yeah," She answered.

That mischievous little grin of his started to take over, so wide and infectious Mia was grinning too.

"If I'm going to teach you to fly though, you have to promise to help me prank Obi-wan," He told her.

"Is this a trade?" Mia signed, grinning.

"Maybe," Anakin answered, "I've got one planned but I need someone he wouldn't suspect to help me with it."

Mia nodded, "True, you do have a track record," She pointed out.

"I'm thinking something subtle, something that makes him think he's going insane," He explained.

"I have an idea," Mia suggested, "Want to make an exploding cake? His birthday is coming up."

Anakin's eyes lit up. "We make the cake and in the center we cut this giant hole in. Then we take a balloon, blow it up and stick it in the middle and then we cover it in frosting," Mia explained.

"Then we make him cut it," Anakin started, laughter bubbling in his throat. "Boom!" Mia finished, hands flying through the air, "Cake everywhere!"

They dissolved into fits of laughter.

"I hear laughter and no words, should I be concerned?" Obi-wan questioned as he walked into the main room, arms crossed and looking stern.

"Oh, no, we're just planning to over-throw Chancellor Palpatine," Mia replied easily, sounding almost serious.

"Is that what we're doing," Anakin questioned with his usual mischievous smirk, baiting Obi-wan on. "I thought we were planning the thing with Obi-wan."

Mia leaned in and whispered in his ear, just loud enough for Obi-wan to almost hear, "No, that's for later."

"Oh," Anakin replied, nodding slowly for show.

Obi-wan sighed in his usual long-suffering master way. "Are you two packed? We're running late," He told them.

"Oh, I was packed ages ago," Anakin stated, hands up defensively.

"Yeah, we don't all spend twenty minutes wondering which dress we'll wear," Mia commented off-handedly as she stood up.

Another long-suffering sigh and Obi-wan picked up his pack, following his two Padawans out the door with the thought: They're going to be the death of me, running through his head.

The Temple was very quiet at this sort of hour. Most Jedi were still asleep save for the few that needed to be up to keep things maintained such as communications and watching the hanger bay, which was where Mia, Anakin and Obi-wan were headed.

They walked into the hanger, not at all surprised to see it deathly quiet save for one Padawan—probably stuck here as punishment—seated at a desk watching what Mia was pretty sure was a younglings show on the monitor in front of him.

"Please tell me that's not The Sciency Adventures of Synic," Mia spoke up, sounding worried, "I haven't caught up on the last two episodes."

"You watch The Sciency Adventures of Synic?" He replied, surprised.

"Oh yeah, it's one of my favorites," Mia replied, smiling.

"Yeah, everybody thinks it's a younglings show but they don't realize Synic is cynical is because he lost his wife and unborn children to an accident with a giant lab-rat," He explained.

Mia leaned back a bit, surprised. This is a younglings show? She thought, not quite believing it.

Anakin narrowed his eyes at the other teenager, he was about Mia's age but he wasn't sure if they'd ever met before. He'd seen the kid around a few times though.

"And have you ever noticed that Opti is just as much of a downer as Synic but the only reason he seems happy is because he's clearly on drugs?" The other Padawan asked Mia, looking eager.

"Yeah, what's up with that?" Mia questioned, still playing along.

Really? Anakin questioned through the bond.

Obi-wan pinched the bridge of his nose, seeming to have lost his patience, "Shesh, can you please tell me which ship we'll be taking?" He requested.

Nodding, Shesh looked down at the printed logs, "Alright, just follow me," He spoke as he stood.

"I think the reason for that is because he has some form of anxiety disorder involving water," Shesh explained to Mia, moving so he was walking next to her.

"Can you believe they make these things for younglings?" Mia questioned, laughing a little.

"I know, right?" Shesh replied, "It's ridiculous."

Anakin looked at the two. If it weren't for the fact Obi-wan was right next to him he'd wrap his arm around Mia and tell Shesh to back off.

So apparently this is what it feels like to be jealous, Anakin thought with dismay as he looked away.

"Here we are, you've been assigned a J-class 680 Star Cruiser," Shesh told them, stopping.

Anakin looked up at the ship. It was smaller but it was considerably newer.

Well, at least I'm not flying another clunker on this mission.

"Alright, thanks, we'll take it from here," Anakin stated, smirking at the other Padawan before walking towards the ship.

"Bye Shesh," Mia spoke up with a wave before following Anakin.

"Bye Mia," He replied, waving back.

Anakin faltered for a half second, surprised he knew her by name. Had to be a coincidence. Lots of people knew who Mia was without actually knowing her.

Mia passed him as she boarded the ship, making her way towards the cockpit. Sighing, Anakin followed. Sitting down, he looked at the controls, smiling as he started flipping switches and programming the navi-computer. Mia dropped down in the co-pilot's seat after tossing her bag on the seat behind. Obi-wan stood behind them, confused.

"I don't remember you having learned how to pilot," He commented.

"No offense, but I don't remember you ever actually have'n piloted," Mia commented as she twisted in her seat to face him, "I'm thinking of learning how actually."

Sighing, Obi-wan nodded, "I think I'm going to catch up on some sleep," He muttered, walking to the back of the ship, "Wake me when we land."

"What, so we can tell you if we're making a crash landing?" Mia questioned sarcastically.

Anakin scoffed, "We're not making a crash landing," He muttered as he glared at her, offended.

"I'm under the personal belief that planet is cursed," Mia told him as she leaned back against the chair.

"Either way," Obi-wan mumbled as he walked away.

"Okay, so there's a basic procedure when taking off," Anakin told her, "First thing you strap in."

Taking the seat belt, Mia hooked herself up, "Next?"

"Next you start turning things on," He continued.

"Things, how scientific," Mia commented.

Anakin rolled his eyes, "Once the all the machines are on, you start programming the navi-computer with your location's coordinates and plan out the best route, keeping in mind the right distance around objects in your path."

"And we're supposed to come out of hyperspace at a certain distance away from the planet," Mia added, distinctly remembering something Anakin said about coming out of hyperspace too soon, right before their plummet to the planet Salloo T4.

"Correct," Anakin agreed as he completed programming the right path, "Okay, navi-computer programmed."

"Next we start taking off, keeping steady as we leave," He told her.

Mia listened patiently as Anakin walked her through the steps as he started taking off.

It was surprisingly interesting but there was something about piloting a ship and being responsible for all the lives of the passengers as well as the people in the surrounding area that scared her. She didn't want to screw up and end up killing someone, she wouldn't be able to forgive herself.

"So how do you know Shesh?" Anakin asked her suddenly.

Mia turned to him, surprised, "We share a biology class," She answered, referring to the classes she was taking for her medical training, "I like him, he doesn't treat me like I'm a freak."

"And you were playing a joke on him because," Anakin trailed off, genuinely curious. It wasn't like Mia to do something like that.

"We play jokes on each other all the time," Mia stated, confused about why he would care, "Why?"

"Just curious," Anakin played it off, focusing on piloting the ship upwards towards the atmosphere.

Mia narrowed her eyes at him, easily seeing through him. "Are you jealous?" She questioned, not sure if she was surprised or not.

"No, course not," He lied.

"You're an idiot," Mia muttered, looking away, "I would never, could never be interested in someone other than you."

Anakin looked at her for a split second, relieved.

They left the atmosphere without incident. As they lifted off into space, surrounded by stars, Anakin taught her the steps for going into hyperspace.

"You might want to tie yourself down to something Master," Anakin spoke through the intercom.

There was a groan, "Duly noted," He muttered, his voice heard over the intercom. After a moment or two of waiting he told them: "Alright, ready."

"Entering hyperspace now," Anakin announced, pulling a lever.

The stationary stars slowly started moving before suddenly they were streaking past them, blues of blue light.

"And now we just relax, I'll monitor the navi-computer, making sure it's taking the right path," Anakin explained as he pressed the button for the intercom again. "You can return to your nap Obi-wan."

Mia nodded, "So can we discuss the prank?" Mia signed, finally able to sign now that Anakin's attention wasn't completely directed at piloting.

"Yeah, where'd you get an idea like that?" Anakin asked her.

Mia smiled mysteriously, "That's a secret," She told him.

Anakin's eyebrows furrowed.

"When we do it, we should probably stand back while he cuts the cake," Mia pointed out, "It's going to be a mess."

"I bet you ten bucks we get crèche duty for two weeks," Anakin challenged.

"At least," Mia agreed, "Well, that and cleaning up the mess."

Anakin nodded, "I think we should have a second cake, a regular cake."

Mia's eyebrows furrowed, "Why?" She asked.

"To make it up to him, lighten the punishment," Anakin explained.

Mia nodded, "Yeah, good idea," She agreed.

They lapsed a wordless silence, hands still as they were left with their thoughts.

"I hate this," Mia muttered.

"Hate what?" Anakin questioned, confused.

"I hate this feeling I get whenever I think of that planet," Mia explained, staring out at the expanse of stars that almost looked like they were falling as they flew past them. "There's something about it that just doesn't sit right."

Anakin sighed, slumping in his chair as he watched the stars, "I had that same feeling the last time," He murmured.

"That's not comforting," She muttered, irked.

"Sorry, was I supposed to tell you it'd all be rainbows and butterflies?" Anakin asked her sarcastically.

Mia rolled her eyes, "Well I'd like to think that it doesn't mean anything," She sighed, "I had this dream," She trailed off, wondering if she really wanted to tell Anakin.

"What kind of dream?" He inquired.

"It was dark and it was silent," Mia explained, staring down at her motionless hands, "I had to feel around."

She sighed, "It was a prison cell, like your typical prison cell with bars and everything," She told him, meeting his eyes and marveling at the way they reminded her so strongly of the ocean. "It felt real."

"All nightmares feel real," Anakin stated, trying to at least reassure her it didn't mean anything, "Your mind can't figure out what's real or not in a dream."

"Then you wake up and you realize it was all in your head," He finished.

"It felt real after," Mia disagreed, "I can still remember the way the bars felt."

For a moment her hand was grasping the cold metal bar, damp and so thick she couldn't make the fingers of her hand touch her thumb.

Anakin reached over and took her hand in his, lacing their fingers, breaking the moment. "I promise you," He signed with his left hand, "It's never going to happen. I won't let it happen."

Mia smiled, feeling a bit more reassured, "Okay," She whispered.

There was something she loved about the way Anakin signed, the way he signed to her. It was the way every move was fluid and intentional, he meant every word of it. It was the way he met her eyes and every word was suddenly repeated between them, a promise.

Checking down the hall leading to the back of the ship, she checked that Obi-wan wasn't in view before leaning over, her fingers grazing over his cheek as she kissed him, soft and sweet. It felt like they were alone in the universe, this little moment lasting a wonderful eternity. Anakin's fingers traced over the strands of the braid that fell over her shoulder, savoring the kiss and the way it felt to be this close.

They pulled away too soon, the moment broken. Slumping against the chair, Mia let out a soft breath, wishing for a million moments like this.

This was love.

The ride through hyperspace was spent in quiet conversations and stolen kisses. Obi-wan slept in the back of the ship save for a brief stint in which he was getting a snack during their seven hour flight to Salloo T4.

In the middle of a long conversation about crèche duty as a punishment verses something like night watch at the hangers the navi-computer beeped. Sighing, Anakin looked at Mia. "We're going to out of hyperspace soon," He told her.

"Great," Mia drawled out as she looked up, buckets of sarcasm oozing in her tone.

"Hey Obi-wan, we're about to come out of hyperspace," Anakin warned over the intercom.

There was a groan from the back of the ship and slow footsteps as Obi-wan made his way up to the cockpit, sitting in the seat behind Anakin. Mia gripped the arm rests of her chair nervously, worried. Anakin looked at her for a moment, silently asking if she was ready. Giving a jerky little nod, Mia closed her eyes. The ship jolted, slowing down. Opening her eyes, Mia looked down at the planet, swallowing thickly. She felt like running, flying back to Coruscant and telling them to get someone else for this mission.

That's fear talking, Mia silently reminded herself, Jedi aren't afraid. There is no fear, only the Force.

On her left she could faintly hear Anakin running through the steps for flying through the atmosphere and landing. It was mostly static noise to her, lost as she focused on keeping calm, steadying her breathing and heart rate.

The ship slowly started descending down on the planet, entering the atmosphere as smoothly as possible. Anakin compared the coordinates of their destination to that of the planet below them, flying them towards the settlement down below. The small kingdom, resting on a hill between the river and the forest, slowly became more visible as they flew down to the ground. Mia blinked when she could see the buildings were made of stone and that the land outside it was crops. Those were details she hadn't really noticed when they'd left with the Jedi the previous time. She was too sick, too out of it to pay attention to scenery. Anakin guided the ship towards a clearing away from the crops, gently landing.

"And no crash landing," Obi-wan commented as he stood up, "Pity, and here I thought you were going to further hone your skill of them."

Anakin turned and glared at Obi-wan's back as he made his way towards the back of the ship, "It was one time," He argued, irritated.

"That and the time at Askabbob," Mia added, standing.

"Hey, Askabbob was not my fault," He disputed, "They shot at us first."

Mia smiled, "I'm just teasing," She assured him as she picked up her bag.

Huffing, Anakin unfastened his seat belt. The second he stood was the moment he realized Mia hadn't immediately left, standing just in front of him. They were so close he could rest his chin on her head without hardly moving.

"Ready?" He asked her.

She exhaled slowly and nodded, "Yeah," She whispered before turning around and walking in the direction Obi-wan disappeared to.

Anakin paused for a moment and sighed. He didn't want to admit to Mia that he had a bad feeling too, he didn't want her to worry. He was worried though.

He found Obi-wan and Mia standing on the edge of the ramp, inches from the grass, looking out at the field in front of them. Mia looked up at him for a moment as he neared, smiling.

"We have a welcoming committee," She mentioned, motioning for him to come see.

Going down the ramp, Anakin's eyebrows furrowed as he watched villagers running in their direction with welcoming smiles.

"Well, that's new," Anakin commented.

Mia nodded.

"Best behavior you two," Obi-wan reminded them.

"We're always on our best behavior," Anakin scoffed.

Obi-wan pinched the bridge of his nose, "Then I worry," He murmured, voice dry, "For their sake."

Mia laughed before stepping out onto the grass as several women neared, their long dresses swaying in the wind. They stopped a few meters ahead of her before smiling and motioning for her to follow. She turned to look at Obi-wan and Anakin before looking back at them.

"Hi, I'm Mia," She greeted, gesturing to herself, "That's Anakin and Obi-wan."

"Welcome, Mia and Anakin and Obi-wan, I am Erha," One woman with a heavy accent, dressed in greys and greens, greeted. She gestured to her two companions. "And this is Rooru and Jera."

"Nice to meet you," Obi-wan greeted, stepping onto the grass.

"Come with us, we will lead you into the city," Erha suggested.

The walk into the city was slow, many more running up to welcome them. As they entered the gates a Svelk standing next to a carriage stepped towards them. His clothing was much more formal than that of those around them and his hair was longer than that of those around him, tied back by a white ribbon.

"I'm here to take you to the king," He spoke as he bowed, not introducing himself.

"Thank you," Obi-wan replied, bowing.

Following his lead, Anakin and Mia bowed as well. The Svelk opened the door, motioning for them to get inside. Mia was the first to step in, gracefully sitting down on the far end of the bench. Obi-wan followed, sitting down next to her as Anakin sat across from them. The carriage started moving forward, taking them up the steep hill. Mia looked out the small window, watching as the buildings gradually became nicer and nicer throughout their ride, the slope of the hill slowly becoming gentler. Without warning, the carriage stopped. Leaning to the side, Mia looked through the window at the tall gate, the wall on their side seeming to wrap around the castle.

"We're at the gate," Mia announced.

"So it would seem," Obi-wan murmured, folding his hands inside his sleeves, looking overly thoughtful.

Anakin sighed, glancing at Mia as the nerves running down his spine prickled, a warning sign that something was wrong. She glanced at him for the briefest of moments, sensing the discomfort in him. Then her eyes flickered outside as the gate opened and they moved forward again. The gardens inside the walls were simple but nicer than anything outside. She exhaled softly as they stopped. Barely a moment later the door was opened again by the Svelk. Obi-wan was the first to step out, followed by Anakin. As Mia moved to get out the Svelk offered his hand. Eyebrows furrowed, she hesitantly accepted it.

"Right this way," A female Svelk spoke up, surprising them.

They followed without a word, wondering if anyone would introduce themselves. It seemed not. The first room was the throne room, something neither Mia not Anakin expected. Obi-wan stepped forward and approached the king, seated at his throne.

"Master Jedi," Sar-veina greeted happily as he stood up, arms held up in greeting, like they were old friends.

"Your Liege, I must say, it's good to see you under less dire circumstances," Obi-wan spoke, smiling as he clasped his right arm with his left hand.

"Please, call me by Sar-veina," He insisted. He glanced at Anakin and Mia, his eyes holding onto Mia for a long moment. It set her on edge. "And these are your apprentices, I did not get the chance to meet you in person."

Anakin and Mia stood there for a moment, not knowing what to do. They didn't often get to speak to diplomats, specifically monarchs, and they weren't entirely certain.

"This is Mia and this is Anakin," Obi-wan introduced them, gesturing to each of them.

"Wonderful to meet you," Sar-veina spoke.

Anakin and Mia did as Obi-wan had done, left hands grasping their right arm, just below their shoulders. Sar-veina smiled, pleased by the gesture.

"Rest up Master Jedi," Sar-veina continued, "We have much to discuss, dinner is in a few hours. Until then, rest."

They were led to their rooms quickly. Glancing out the door one last time as Anakin and Obi-wan were led further down the hall, Mia closed the door quietly. Looking over her shoulder, she sighed and dropped her bag on the large bed as she moved towards the window. It faced the city as it stretched down the hill and out past the walls of the city she could see the river and the forest behind. Her stomach turned uneasily as she heightened her senses, waiting for something, anything, the slightest sound to warn her something was wrong.

Nothing.

But it didn't feel like nothing.

Rubbing her eye wearily, she approached the bed. It was low to the ground, partially hidden by long, colorful pink and orange curtains. Turning, she collapsed on the bed almost weightlessly, the mattress cushioning her back. Her eyes closed momentarily.

She saw flash images of a rope and the crowd before her. She couldn't hear the official but she could tell by the way his mouth moved and the air around her almost vibrated that he was speaking loudly, almost bellowing.

Then she woke up, with a gasp, lying paralyzed on the bed. Turning, she searched for the last shimmers of light, lying against the wall with a pink hue. Taking a deep breath, she stood shakily and approached the window, watching the golden light slowly fade from the sky.

Someone knocked on the door from the other side, shaking her from her tired thoughts as she wondered how long she'd stood there watching twilight settle into the sky.

"Yes?" She called, not turning.

"Dinner will be served soon," The messenger spoke, her voice faint. "Everyone will be gathering in the great hall before moving to the dining hall."

Mia glanced over her shoulder, "Thank you," She murmured.

Turning, she approached her pack and reached for her green tunic. The fabric was softer than most of the clothes she wore normally. Untying the tight sash around her waist, she allowed the red fabric of her tunic to ripple to the ground. Slipping her arms through the loose, flowing sleeves, she gently shrugged it on, pausing only to slip her braid out from under the fabric. Reaching for a black sash, she wrapped it along her waist carefully, adjusting the tunic so it remained it place. Breathing in, Mia knotted the sash in the front, slightly turned towards her left hip with the ends hanging loosely instead of tucked in.

Just as she was turning to leave, Mia caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She was almost didn't recognize herself. Her once soft, almost round face had changed to reveal her more defined high cheekbones. Her fingers brushed against her cheeks, tracing the fading freckles that used to mark her skin noticeably. Closing her eyes, Mia reached back and pulled her braid over her shoulder. Slipping away the hair tie, she quickly undid the tight braid. Her dark hair brushed against her hips in thick waves as she pulled it forward over her shoulders, smiling slightly.

Anakin stood off to the side, watching Obi-wan as he spoke with the King in a language that was completely foreign to him. To his credit, he and Mia had both attempted learning but with little success. Sighing through his nose, he watched the other nobles converse, feeling the odd man out. It might have something to do with the fact that, apart from Obi-wan, he was the only human in the room. It might also have something to do with the fact that everyone in the room, even the female Svelk, stood a good foot or so taller than him.

Obi-wan chuckled somewhat at a joke the King made. This was not helping matters.

Then he caught movement in the corner of his eye and turned towards the doorway as Mia stepped in. In the dim candle light she was stunning, smiling as she approached him immediately. Anakin smiled, enjoying the way she looked with her hair down in thick waves.

"So, dying of boredom yet?" Mia whispered quietly as she stood at his side, glancing around the room.

"If I say yes will you put me out of my misery?" He asked her under his breath.

"No," She answered simply, smiling in amusement, "You, surrounded by nobles, making chitchat? I wouldn't pass that up. Hell, I'd pay to see it."

Anakin sighed, "Traitor," He mumbled.

Mia laughed lightly, "You'll make it through tonight," She assured him.

"Yeah, well we're not here for just the night, now are we?" He reminded her, "We're here until they manage to write a peace treaty or whatever."

"Or get sick of us," Mia commented teasingly. "Well, sick of you mostly."

Anakin opened his mouth, ready with a response, before he noticed the Svelk approaching. He seemed to be on the younger side, maybe their age—though, gaging age among the Svelk was proving to be challenging for Anakin. He was dressed nicer than many of the guests, his dark brown robes rippling gently with each step.

"I am Prince Sar'vetel," He introduced himself with their customary gesture, his left hand grasping his right arm.

Anakin returned the gesture slowly, "My name's Anakin."

The Prince turned to Mia, brushing his fingers along her palm as he held her hand up delicately. Mia's eyebrows furrowed, she could have sworn she remembered reading that the Svelk reserved physical content for close friends, family and courting.

"And who might you be?" Prince Sar'vetel inquired, his voice low.

"Mia," She murmured, uncertain.

He smiled, "Your whole name," He clarified.

"Mialera Rosslyn," She answered slowly, wondering when he'd release her hand.

Anakin shifted uncomfortably, noticing the way everyone was turning to watch Mia and Prince Sar'vetel. The King smiled proudly. Obi-wan's eyebrows furrowed in concern, making Anakin wonder why everyone in the room was making such a big deal about it.

The Prince released her hand gently, smiling.

"Come, honored guests, let's adjourn to the feast and be thankful for this night of peace as we begin negotiations for our peace treaty," King Sar'viena spoke, hands raised in the air as he motioned for all to follow.

Following the King, everyone entered the dining hall and began seating themselves along the long table that dominated the room. Mia frowned as she was separated from Anakin in the crowd, not wanting to get lost and somehow end up surrounded on all sides by people who didn't speak the same language as her. A language barrier was bad enough when you were Deaf trying communicate with a hearing person, a whole new language being thrown on top of it was near impossible for her.

By some luck, Anakin managed to snag a seat across the table from her. They exchanged a relieved smile. The chair to her left scraped softly against the wood floor as the Prince seated himself next to her. Anakin's eyes narrowed slightly and Mia glanced down at her plate before looking up at Anakin with an understanding look.

Within minutes they were served their first course. It was some sort of roll with meat baked inside and a thick brown sauce to dip it in.

"So tell me, what is it like living the life of a Jedi?" Prince Sar'vetel inquired, glancing between Anakin and Mia.

"It's a lot of work," Anakin answered shortly.

Mia raised an eyebrow at Anakin, not wanting him to get into some sort of trouble for being rude. Turning, she gave the Prince the sort of smile that always managed to make people forgive any transgression she or Anakin made.

"Our whole lives are devoted to training in the Force and serving the Republic," She explained simply.

"Is that why all Jedi are trained from such a young age?" He questioned, looking between the two Padawans.

Mia nodded, trying to ignore the way Anakin looked away, his eyes a little darker than usual. She was probably the only person in the whole Order who truly understood that look, understood what it meant to be an outcast within your community for something you had no control over.

"A lot of our most key instruction begins when we're young," She answered before shifting her attention to Anakin, "Though it's not unheard of for someone to enter the Order later in life, some of those individuals even have a higher affinity for using the Force."

Anakin looked up at her, surprised, and then masked that surprise before the Prince caught on.

The second course was quickly served after the first, a salad with some sort of blue leaf Mia had never seen before. And of course Anakin was going out of his way to avoid eating it, or any of it, really.

Please try to avoid looking like blue lettuce is the absolute most disgusting thing you've ever seen, Mia pleaded through the bond, wishing she could sign right now.

Anakin raised an eyebrow at her. What's the point, even Obi-wan doesn't want to touch it. You won't even touch it.

Smirking, Mia stabbed her fork through the leaf and took a bite of it before suppressing a grimace at how bitter it was.

You know what, I'm not a fan, she agreed.

Anakin smirked and took another bite of his salad, trying to keep from gloating that he was right.

"So is this an ordinary occurrence for you, visiting new planets and meeting new people?" Prince Sar'vetel inquired, breaking their steady but silent conversation.

Mia turned to him, surprised, "I suppose you could say that, though we don't get to do much sightseeing on these assignments," She told him.

"Sightseeing, what is this strange word?" He inquired, befuddled.

"Exploring the sights, seeing historical sites or visiting popular destinations while visiting an unfamiliar planet or region." Anakin explained almost smugly, "Coruscant, where the Jedi Temple is located, for example is very popular for someone who is traveling because it has plenty places to visit."

The Prince nodded, "I'm sorry to say I have never left my kingdom and done this 'sightseeing'," He told them.

The doors opened as trays of their next course were served.

Is it common for a meal to pass this quickly? Mia questioned as her half eaten salad plate was removed and replaced by a dark, bland smelling soup.

Obi-wan glanced down the table at his two Padawans, I don't believe you experienced this Mia, you were pretty sick at the time, but it's very common among royal courts on this planet here to have as many as ten courses in a meal so they're served in quick secession, naturally.

Naturally, Mia thought with a touch of sarcasm.

Anakin smirked faintly at her expression just before Mia sat up a tad higher. Lifting her hands, she placed her hair behind her back, revealing her exposed shoulders. Anakin felt his heart pick of slightly, trying not to notice the way the candlelight made the pale skin of her collar bone glow.

The Prince glanced at Mia slowly, his eyes skimming along her skin hungrily. It made Anakin's stomach drop, heating like it'd been set on fire.

He wasn't even sure he had any right to be this jealous. She wasn't his to keep and hide away from the world because she was her own person.

They didn't even technically refer to each other as boyfriend/girlfriend, not even to each other.

In some respects they were together, he was the only person Mia allowed any real prolonged contact—in the romantic sense at least. She was the only one he loved. They were in one way or another committed to each other and no one else mattered. But she'd only discovered the depth of his true feelings for her mere weeks ago.

Maybe this was something he needed to really talk about with Mia, when they had a chance alone, after this mission.

The rest of meal passed without any major incident, apart from Prince Sar'vetel speaking to Mia in a way that almost entirely excluded everyone out. A conversation Mia was trying to drag Anakin into each time to avoid the awkwardness of the unwanted attention.

He really didn't like this mission and it was only getting worse it seemed.

November 23rd, Six Years Before Galactic Empire

The following morning King Sar'viena spoke with Obi-wan and Anakin about approaching a peace treaty with the rival clan, discussing the reality of the rebels who would do anything to prevent such a treaty. The delegations were arranged to begin in the afternoon. This left Mia with a few hours of free time, seeing as the King had little interest in involving her with the treaty. Deciding to make use of it, she approached a few of the nobles, asking for their insight on the treaty.

Some had responded with a need to avoid any more bloodshed. Unfortunately many of the Svelk within King Sar'viena's personal advisory were either ambivalent or of the belief that such a war was a necessity to gaining control of their kingdom as well as the rival clan.

Lost in thought, she ended up seeking solitude within the courtyard, seated at a bench where she felt nobody would notice. She found the mixed opinion on the treaty very troubling, wondering what chance it stood in a court that had no fear of bloodshed.

"What are you doing out here?" A low, heavily accented voice inquired curiously. Mia's eyes snapped up at the Prince, surprised by his presence. "Shouldn't you be with my father and his court, overseeing the treaty?"

"It would appear the King does not see what impact I could make on the treaty," Mia answered slowly, wondering how frank she could be without coming across as rude.

It didn't seem the Prince was in anyway offended however.

"Well, I ask you, what do you think of the treaty?" He asked her, sitting down on the bench.

"From what little of it I've heard, I think it's flawed and sways too much in your favor," Mia explained, "I don't think the Kaz'ar clan will agree to the treaty without a considerable amendment in their favor."

Prince Sar'vetel smiled, "You're very honest, are you not?"

Mia bit her lip, "My apologies," She murmured quickly.

"Apologize, you should not," He insisted, "Whatever my father thinks of your value, he is wrong, you could make a great impact on this treaty."

Mia smiled hesitantly, thankful to know someone among this strange planet valued her.

"But, I do not wish to speak on the treaty," Prince Sar'vetel admitted, "I wish to know more on the life of a Jedi."

"Why, hoping to convert?" Mia joked with a wry smile.

The Prince's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Never mind," She murmured looking away before glancing back, "I was just making a joke."

"Do you do this a lot?" He inquired curiously. "Is this something the Jedi encourage?"

Mia laughed lightheartedly, "Um, no, the Jedi are definitely not big on sarcasm or a sense of humor in general," She explained. "But for me, yeah, I guess you could say sarcasm is more or less my natural state."

"Why do the Jedi not like sarcasm?" The Prince asked, his tone hovering over 'sarcasm' uncertainly, the word foreign to him.

"It's a bit of a culture thing, I guess you could say," Mia started, not sure how to explain it, "The Jedi are all about duty and responsibility and they take this very seriously. The Jedi Council is very serious and it's a bit discouraged because of that. So in a public setting such as a peace treaty delegation, a Jedi would not make a sarcastic remark or a joke in general. If you were in a private setting, like among friends, yes, a Jedi would probably crack a joke or two."

"And if you are being sarcastic towards me, as you were before, would that make us friends?" Prince Sar'vetel asked, eyebrows raised in a way that almost bordered on hopeful.

Mia paused, realizing she'd caught herself in a bind. "Uh, to be fair, I'm sarcastic with everyone, even people I just met," She tried to save face, "Like I said, it's a natural state, I do it all the time."

She bit her tongue for a moment, wanting to exit this suddenly awkward conversation as quickly as possible.

"Um, but, I should probably rejoin everyone before the delegation begins," Mia started, standing.

"They will not begin until after lunch, we still have some time left before begins," He assured her, trying to stop her from leaving.

"I've really missed too much as it is and I wouldn't want to get in trouble with Master Obi-wan," Mia pointed out. Dipping her head, she bowed to him, before turning to walk away.

Anakin sighed, bored out of his mind and wishing he were as lucky as Mia and able to skip boring diplomats and their boring conversations about diplomatic delegations and boring treaties. He wondered where she was this moment, knowing if anything, he'd probably get a nap in. He didn't get much sleep the night before, chased by nightmares he could no longer remember. From the weary look in her dark grey eyes this morning, Anakin could also guess she hadn't slept much either. Who could blame either of them? They almost died on this shithole of a planet the last time.

He could still hear her shallow breathing in the back of his mind, her lungs full of fluid as she fought off pneumonia, something she'd gotten risking her health to save him. She'd been carried onto the ship home in a cot with Jedi hovering over her to make sure she stayed stable for the trip home. The next week she'd spent on the couch, closely monitored, as her body fought off the illness. It made him realize just how precious his time with her was, that even the strongest of people could be hurt.

Then he felt it, the soft little light in the Force, hovering in the back of the room.

No offense, stop thinking about it, she told him bluntly through the bond.

He rolled his eyes as discreetly as he possibly could, I'm sorry, was my worry bothering you?

Well it's not exactly helping any, Mia commented offhandedly, almost irritably.

Well gee, if it's not helpful, sure, I guess I can just turn it off, Anakin responded as sarcastically as he possibly could without Obi-wan catching on somehow.

Force knew Obi-wan seemed downright psychic sometimes, even when he was planets away he knew just when Anakin was getting into trouble.

Careful, you're not exactly subtle when you're trying to be subtle, Mia teased.

Anakin glanced behind him, wanting to glare at her for the remark, and realized she wasn't actually in the room, or didn't appear to be, at least.

Where the hell are you exactly? He questioned, looking back to the King as he droned on about how the conflict between kingdoms had begun.

Well, let's just say that the guards told me I couldn't just interrupt everyone and strut on in like I owned the place, Mia replied. They were very nice about it though.

The sarcasm behind her last sentence would have gone unnoticed by anyone who didn't know her better. I'm sure they were, he agreed tiredly.

Why exactly were you able to ditch class anyway? He asked her.

Oh, didn't you feel how welcomed I was by our illustrious King?

Obi-wan turned to look at Anakin with a raised eyebrow, looking like he was about to ask Anakin if he'd been paying attention. He didn't strangely, didn't even look at Anakin like anything had happened at all. All of which led Anakin to the conclusion he, and probably Mia, were in for a scolding.

Somewhere between lunch—which was about enough food to get your typical human through the next few days—and the arrival of diplomats, Obi-wan found time to collect his Padawans and give them a firm scolding.

"I'm in the middle of trying to plan a treaty and you two are bickering like younglings," He started.

"Actually, it was more of a," Anakin started before stopping at the glare Obi-wan gave him.

"I get it, neither of you like diplomatic missions and out of all the places in the universe, this is probably the last place you'd like to be," Obi-wan empathized.

"Actually, I think this and Tatooine are about equal on my list," Anakin commented.

Obi-wan sighed, "Please try to behave," He requested, "It's important."

Mia looked down at her toes, "Yes Master," She murmured.

At Obi-wan's prodding look, Anakin looked away for a moment, "Yes Master," He added, hoping now they'd move past this.

Obi-wan sighed wearily, "Alright, I suppose we best join the King in the throne room to welcome the guests," He decided.

Mia bit her tongue, holding back a comment.

"Unless welcoming guests means us standing behind you and nodding awkwardly as you talk to everyone in a language neither of us understands, I really don't see the point," Anakin spoke up, summarizing their collective concern.

"And if you had been paying attention as you should have during the planning of this treaty, you might have known I spoke with King Sar'viena earlier and he has arranged for both of you to have a translator at all times," Obi-wan explained.

"And would the King or Mia's translator happen to know she's Deaf?" Anakin inquired.

Mia rolled her eyes at his over protectiveness, "Don't you think that's a question I should have asked for myself?" She asked him scoldingly, sarcasm finely laced into her tone.

Obi-wan smiled in amusement before turning to Mia, "Yes and as per our usual arrangement, that is your decision to make," He told her.

Anakin opened his mouth, pointing out that her translator not knowing she was Deaf wasn't going to help her any. Then Mia kicked his leg, glaring. Closing his mouth, Anakin followed them into the throne room.

King Sar'viena was ignoring her for the most part, almost pretending she didn't exist. She found this rather odd because the Svelk highly valued woman as equals. Was it because she was human? He treated Obi-wan and Anakin with considerably more respect though. Either way, he was cold towards her. She put it behind her, not needing some stranger to validate her worth. Instead she focused on helping the ambassadors of the neighboring clan to settle in with everyone else. Mia was greatly relieved to know a majority of them spoke English. It made her life considerably easier.

Anakin was miserable though. It had everything to do with the fact that from across the room he could clearly see the Prince eyeing Mia and it unsettled him. She could more than handle herself and Anakin clung to that knowledge so as to keep his sanity.

Negotiations were not going well, as Mia had predicted. The King was becoming increasingly stubborn. That really was not helping. The Prince had at least suggested reevaluating the treaty, amending it so as to make it more agreeable for the rival clan. That wasn't going particularly well either. In the end, everyone seemed very relieved to move onto dinner.

Mia weaved in between the crowd, searching for a familiar face as everyone migrated towards the dining hall but all she saw was elbows and fabric. She was more than a foot shorter than the shortest among the guests and more than two and a half feet shorter than the tallest. It made her feel like a child all over again.

His rough, callused hand gripped hers and pulled her away from the crowd to the wall. She gave a relieved smile to Anakin, silently thanking him as he guided her along the outer banks of the crowd and into the dining hall. Releasing her hand, Anakin slipped her fingers so they rested along the crook of his elbow. For the Jedi it was far more appropriate than hand holding—Obi-wan had, at the very least, encouraged it on diplomatic missions and occasions such as galas. For the Svelk, it was becoming apparent that any sort of physical contact was a source for whispering and gawking. Offering Anakin an apologetic look, Mia slipped her hand away and approached two open chairs in the middle of the long table. Anakin seated himself next to her, trying to look like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

King Sar'viena stood, raising a glass of wine, and spoke in what Mia and Anakin assumed was some sort of toast about honored guests and peace negotiations, unable to understand a word of what he was saying. Anakin was beginning to suspect the King was just bolstering for the sake of the guests because earlier it didn't seem as though he truly cared about the successfulness of the treaty which was leading him to wonder why he had called for their aide in the first place.

Pretty words, rotten core, she'd said once. About who he did not know, only that it leaked under her breath as they stood among the Senate, reaching pandemonium about the Trade Federation as Chancellor Palpatine insisted he'd reign them in.

Mia gripped his hand under the table, looking down with a faint smile before looking up with a light in her eyes he'd missed the last few hours.

He found her hiding in the shadows of the balcony that overlooked the room that, in the morning, would hold the diplomats for their seemingly endless debate. Her arms were crossed, her long hair draped over her shoulders and spilling down to her hips. She was beautiful in ways he could not express.

"Are you going to stand there, or are you going to kiss me?" She whispered, her voice so low he almost didn't hear her.

She turned, her grey eyes darkened. They lightened as they roamed across him. Reaching forward, he brushed his fingers along her cheeks before pulling her in close and kissing her hard, urgency rising. Their crashing lips softened for a moment, moving slower as they savored this peaceful moment.

Pulling away, he looked at her before noticing her darkened lips. "Anakin?"

She swayed, weightless for a moment before the thud of her crashing against the stone floor rang in his ears. He shouted her name…

He jolted up in a cold sweat, gasping as he reached for a light switch. Suddenly he gained his bearings, recognizing that he was in a land where not even a faint current of electricity ran through. Sucking in a deep breath, he felt around the night stand for the matches and the candle, wanting more than anything to fill the darkness with light. That was the second nightmare in a row.

Standing, he changed into his regular Jedi tunics, certain there wasn't a chance in Hell he was sleeping again.

November 24th, Four Years Before Galactic Empire

Mia lay awake, restless, in her bed. Her mind wandered aimlessly between topics ranging from unsuccessful treaties to the youngling show Shesh watched—The Sciency Adventures of Synic—and how she almost wanted to watch it with Shesh when she got back to the Temple. She heard a knock on her door and glanced up. Who would be visiting her at this hour?

Sitting up, she carefully got out of bed and moved towards the door. Opening it slightly, her eyes widened at Anakin's worried, exhausted expression. Opening the door wider, she motioned for him to come in. The light of his candle softly illuminated her room, casting flickering shadows across the stone walls. He closed the door behind him and placed the candle on the dresser. Turning, she moved towards her nightstand and lit a match to light the candle.

"Nightmare?" She asked him evasively as she crossed her arms, looking away.

"Yeah," He murmured before glancing at the crumpled ball her covers had taken too. "Can't sleep?"

Shaking her head, Mia fell back on the thin mattress of the bed. "What is this planet doing to us?" She whispered.

With a sigh, Anakin sat down next to her, "I don't know," He admitted. "Maybe coming here was a mistake."

Mia glanced away, "We came here too soon," She stated, "We aren't the right Jedi for this mission."

She shivered, glancing out the open window. "It's strange how cold it is at night," She mentioned, "During the day it's so hot and muggy."

"It just sticks to your skin," Anakin agreed.

"But nighttime, it's just cold," Mia concluded, sighing as she leaned her head on Anakin's shoulder.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders protectively, his chin resting on top of her head. She could feel his breath brush along the hairs on her head.

"Will you just say?" She requested, "Just for the night."

"You know I will," He whispered.

Nodding, Mia adjusted herself so she was lying on the bed. Standing, Anakin walked to the dresser to blow out the candle before lying down on the other side of the bed. He pulled the covers up so they rested over their shoulders. Leaning forward, Mia blew out the candle before resting her head on the pillow. She smiled faintly as Anakin wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing her to his chest. Closing her eyes in the darkness, she relaxed, letting his comforting Force presence sooth the anxiety welling in her heart.

Anakin stayed awake, watching the stars float in the sky in his refusal to fall asleep.

Obi-wan paced down the hall before walking to the room Mia was staying in. He knocked on her door slowly, testing to see if she was awake. She was usually awake and dressed by this time.

"Mia, are you up?" He asked her.

He heard some rustling behind the door and quick footsteps.

"Yeah," She answered slowly, hesitantly.

"Might I come in?" Obi-wan requested.

"Um, not exactly dressed Obi-wan," She warned him.

He glanced away, mentally scolding himself. "Do you have any idea where Anakin is?" He asked her.

"Does it sound like I know where he is?" She questioned him incredulously.

"Right," Obi-wan replied awkwardly, "My mistake."

With that he left, hoping maybe his young Padawan would at least make an appearance for breakfast. It was surprising he wasn't still asleep with the deep hatred for mornings he held. His best guess was that Anakin hadn't gotten much sleep the night before.

Anakin chuckled as lowly as he could. Mia turned to him with an unamused look.

"It's not funny," She stated, trying not to laugh herself.

"Sorry, it's just… your tone of voice… that was priceless," Anakin pushed out between fits of laughter.

Rolling her eyes, Mia motioned towards the door, "You should get going," She told him, "Obi-wan will be expecting us at breakfast."

Nodding with a mischievous smile, Anakin approached her and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. She sighed through her nose in contentment just before he pulled away and left.

With a long drawn out sigh, Mia took off her grey sleeping shirt and dark brown pajama bottoms and searched through her pack for what she wanted to wear. This time she packed more clothes than she normally would, guessing that peace negotiations would take quite some time. Now, of course, she knew she had been very right.

Sighing, Mia pulled out the longer white tunic. She hadn't really gotten a chance to wear it yet. She felt it brush against the back of her knees, stretching just an inch or two below them. Normally the hem rested a few inches above her knees, mostly for movement. She glanced down at the long slits running up the sides. That at least made up for the lack of mobility. Reaching into her pack, she pulled out a thin pair of dark grey leggings, perfect for the muggy weather. Pulling on her boots, she carefully pinned her hair into a loose bun in the back of her head, wanting it off her neck this time.

With a yawn, she left, faintly able to hear the soft padding of her boots against the stone floors. She wasn't really looking forward to breakfast and the endless cycle of food, delicious as it was. In all honesty, she wasn't hungry at all.

To her great surprise, the hall wear the diplomats usually arrived for breakfast was completely empty. Was she really early or really late?

Suddenly someone on her left stood up and she turned, surprised to see the Prince.

"Good morning Master Jedi," Prince Sar'vetel spoke.

"Um, just Mia please," She requested, very tired of the formalities.

"Mia," The Prince repeated with a smile.

"Is everyone already at breakfast?" She asked him, glancing at the doors that led into the dining hall.

The Prince nodded.

"But you aren't," Mia added, confused.

"I need to speak to you," He explained, "Unfortunately the translator assigned to you fell ill and no others could be summoned."

Mia sighed, disappointed, "Oh," She murmured.

"But, as you well know, I am fluent in both languages," He added, "I'm certain I could act as a competent translator."

Mia paused for a moment, "I can't really ask that of you," She started to argue.

"It's already been decided upon," Prince Sar'vetel stated, "It was my father's idea."

Mia nodded slowly, realizing she didn't have much choice in the matter. "Alright then," She agreed, "Should we join everyone else for breakfast?"

"Of course," Prince Sar'vetel agreed, raising his arm for her to take.

Taking it hesitantly, Mia allowed him to escort her inside. The second the doors opened, all eyes were on them. She was immediately aware of the way Anakin's eyes narrowed and tried to smile sympathetically without being too obvious. The second thing she noticed was that the only available seats were next to the king and near on the opposite side of where Anakin sit. The Prince moved forward, walking to the two available seats. Mia resisted the urge to meet Anakin's eyes, only barely managing it. Prince Sar'vetel pulled her chair out for her and motioned for her to sit. The second he sat down they were served their first course.

Obi-wan glanced at his young Padawan, wondering how she felt about the change. He got the sense she found the Prince's attention completely unwanted and this certainly wouldn't help.

Well that's new, Anakin thought irritably.

Obi-wan sighed through his nose, I get the sense she isn't exactly in favor of it.

Anakin sighed and glanced at Mia who was chatting with King Sar'viena and his son. It made his skin crawl watching the way the Prince's eyes casually wandered across her skin, like he was trying to claim her as his own.

Moments after breakfast ended Obi-wan and Anakin came to the unanimous conclusion to talk to Mia. Weaving through the crowd, they caught up with her and Prince Sar-vetel as they made their way with the King to the main hall to begin the negotiations again.

"Might I borrow her for a moment?" Obi-wan requested of the Prince, his hand placed firmly on Mia's shoulder.

Prince Sar-vetel looked between them, concerned.

"It's a security matter," Anakin added easily.

Nodding, the Prince walked away.

Mia let out a long, relieved sigh and glanced at Obi-wan thankfully.

"Where's your translator?" Obi-wan inquired, concerned.

Looking around her quickly, Mia briefly signed: Sick.

"So you're without a translator?" Anakin questioned.

"Not exactly," Mia muttered, smiling at the diplomats as they passed through the halls. "The Prince has offered to translate for me."

Anakin's mouth fell in shock, a hot course of jealousness burning through his stomach. Obi-wan looked troubled, feeling something was greatly off-balance.

"Yeah," Mia agreed under her breath.

Anakin sucked in a deep breath, "Are you going to tell him you're Deaf?" He asked her.

Mia hesitated, "I'd like to avoid it," She explained, "Unless I really start missing something, then I might have to explain it."

Obi-wan nodded.

"You could just sit with my translator," Anakin suggested before he could stop himself, wanting Mia as far away from the Prince as possible.

"Not an option," Mia argued, "He's been assigned to me by the King."

Obi-wan glanced at Anakin, running his fingers through his growing beard in concern. This greatly troubled him. If King Sar'viena had taken zero interest in Mia's contributions to the treaty only a day ago, he had to wonder what the change of heart had come about.

"Anyway, I should catch up to them," Mia added before turning and walking away.

"Do me a favor, keep an eye on her, don't leave them alone," Obi-wan requested of his other Padawan.

Not needing to be told twice, Anakin followed her.

The delegations continued as expected. Anakin sighed as he watched everyone debate and argue endlessly, barely listening as his translator recited the pieces of conversation he couldn't understand. Mia sat next to the Prince, who was seated next to the King. She might have been an unwelcomed presence by the King yesterday but that had definitely changed. She was included, her opinions asked, and he couldn't quite figure out why that had changed so suddenly but he was beginning to suspect the Prince had everything to do with it.

December 1st, Six Years Before Galactic Empire

The following week progressed slowly. They'd hardly gotten any peace for themselves, dragged between lengthy meals and negotiations. Mia was constantly with the Prince, though she seemed reluctant to be around him so much, instead seeking out Obi-wan or Anakin whenever possible. Ten days into negotiations, a seven day break was decided upon, giving the nobles time to relax and refresh before beginning again. Mia had mostly spent the first day and a half among the commoners, getting their take on the conflict between clans. Obi-wan spent all his time locked away in the King's throne room, amending the treaty with great care.

Anakin was just left to accompany Mia when he could or listen to King Sar'viena and Obi-wan when there was no chance to escape.

December 2nd, Six Years Before Galactic Empire

Mia walked through the town, sampling the market with great curiosity. She always marveled at the new sights, sounds, smells of a new place. Market places were a favorite of hers, it gave her ample opportunity to sample new cultures. This afternoon Prince Sar'vetel was accompanying her, acting as a translator given that most merchants spoke very little to none of her language.

She listened as the Prince translated the reply of a spice merchant to one of her questions. He was facing away from her. That always made her nervous, even when she could hear. It was a sign of disrespect or ignorance when a person looked away from a Deaf person while speaking, a sign of a lack of interest, a boredom in another person. She struggled regularly with this and while she could sympathize with someone who didn't know any better, it didn't change her concerns she'd miss something he was saying.

Then she missed something, too lost in thought to pay attention. She gently tapped the Prince on the arm, trying not to sign out of habit.

"Could you repeat that?" She requested.

Nodding, Prince Sar'vetel glanced back at the merchant, "He was just explaining… verandi spice… very favorable…" It came in bits and pieces in their crowded environment.

She tapped him again, "If it's alright, could you face me when speaking?" She requested, "I'm a little hard of hearing, I sometimes rely on lip-reading in loud environments."

"Hard of hearing?" He questioned, surprised.

Mia nodded.

"I would not think the Jedi would allow someone hard of hearing among their ranks," The Prince pointed out, not quite believing it.

"I'm a special case," Mia added, smiling in an attempt to smooth the transition.

Nodding, Prince Sar'vetel motioned for her to follow him as they approached another vendor.

December 3rd, Six Years Before Galactic Empire

Mia found herself sitting among the greenery of the gardens, on the very same bench she'd taken up about a week ago. She felt exhausted mentally. She was wishing that Anakin would just magically find her. She'd hardly seen much of him. It felt as though the Prince was deliberately keeping them apart. Of course, Mia felt ridiculous thinking that way. Even still, the absence of Prince Sar'vetel was a relief, soothing even.

Then, as if to spite her, she felt the approaching presence of the Prince. She panicked slightly and stood, looking for a quick exit, hoping to escape before he saw her. Suddenly he appeared, a smile on his face. She sighed and sat back down on the bench.

"Mia," He spoke.

"Your Highness," Mia whispered, glancing away.

Suddenly he pulled her hands into his, his grip strong enough to hold her there as she tried resisting and pulling her hands back.

"Please, stand," He requested, smiling graciously.

Unable to deny him politely, she stood, glancing away. She could feel herself wishing Anakin would show up, push him away, but at the same time wished he wouldn't. He'd been harboring feelings of jealousy and that wouldn't end well.

"Mia Rosslyn, would you take the honor of becoming my bride?" Prince Sar'vetel requested, smiling still.

She leaned back, eyes wide in shock. He couldn't really be asking that. They'd only known each other for two weeks, surely he couldn't have marriage to her on his mind. Not to mention she didn't love him, she could never love him, not when her feelings rested with Anakin.

Taking her hands back, Mia shook her head. "I'm afraid I cannot," She told him simply, "I have sworn an oath to the Jedi not to take on attachment and marriage is expressly forbidden. I must keep my oath."

His eyes narrowed slightly and he turned away. "If you feel that way," He replied coldly.

She watched him walk away, a icy feeling in her stomach, twisted by a sense that everything would go horribly wrong.

December 3rd, Six Years Before Galactic Empire

Anakin ran through the halls, searching desperately for Mia. He couldn't find her and his heart was beating fast. There was a darkness in the Force he could not pinpoint down and Mia's absence was making his stomach turning, knotting together. He could tell Obi-wan was becoming increasingly worried, searching for Mia on his own, through probably less conspicuous about it than Anakin was.

December 3rd, Six Years Before Galactic Empire

Obi-wan continued his search, hoping he'd just chance upon Mia hiding somewhere. He checked the library again, knowing she was prone to habiting libraries of all kinds. Creaking the door open slightly, he peeked him. He raised an eyebrow in surprise as he spotted the King and his son.

"She did just as he predicted," Prince Sar'vetel whispered in the native language of the Svelk. "How did the darkness know she wouldn't accept?"

Obi-wan eyebrows furrowed at the use of the word 'darkness'. Over the two weeks he'd spent on this planet, he'd learned more and more of the language of the Svelk. Darkness was a term that had many meanings. It could be literal, meaning an absence of light. It could mean evil. It could refer to someone who was evil. That was greatly worrying.

"That is not your concern," King Sar'viena spoke in English. "You did well."

Nodding, the Prince walked away. Backing away, Obi-wan disappeared into another room before he could be spotted.

December 3rd, Six Years Before Galactic Empire

Mia found herself in the fields, something she'd planned on visiting this afternoon. She was interested in the agriculture of this planet. After all, the last time she had been on this planet she had to heavily rely on her knowledge of herbs used for healing. It was the females of the tribe that worked in the fields while the males worked in trades.

"In a few months we will be having a harvest," Ko'minna explained. She was the leader of one of the crews responsible for tending to the vegetation.

Mia nodded slowly, looking around the long lines of plants. The bushes around them in particular contained a white, fluffy flower of sorts used in healing. Mia didn't notice the way Ko'minna looked away suddenly, her attention drawn to something else. Instead, Mia's eyes were trained on the berries sprouting from the ground on vines that winded up the branches of the bush. Reaching down, she plucked a handful, wanting a closer look.

Suddenly Ko'minna slapped her hand away, forcing her to drop the berries. "Don't child, you'll be gone in seconds!" She warned Mia.

"This berry produces a toxin that puts you to sleep, each berry lasting an hour," Ko'minna explained, "Your heartbeat almost stops, your breathing shallow."

"What does it do to the brain?" Mia inquired.

"I heard it has no lasting effect on the brain," She answered.

Ko'minna glanced away again, her eyes drawn to the soldiers marching towards them. She didn't notice the way Mia crouched down again, wondering if she could take the berries back to Coruscant and examine them closer.

"Jedi Learner Mialera Rosslyn, you are under arrest by order of the King," Two soldiers spoke in unison.

Alarmed, Mia stood, eyes wide. Her hand slipped as they grabbed her by the arms and forced her to the ground. She struggled as they tied her hands, shouting at them.

"What are you doing?!" She cried out, "I'm a Jedi, I demand to know what you're doing."

They pulled her to her feet and dragged her down the fields towards the city. Before she knew it she was pushed into a cart with lined with hard bars. She hit the ground hard, her teeth piercing through her bottom lip, the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth. She kicked as the door was shut behind her. The cart started moving as she struggled to get up, knocking her down again. Squirming, she kicked to force herself up and push her shoulder into the door desperately. She called out desperately but couldn't hear her own voice, bringing on a new terror as she realized what they'd done to her. She reached for her lightsaber next. Eyes wide in horror, she realized they'd taken it away when they arrested her. Tears slipped down her cheeks in panic as she tried to call out through the Force to Anakin and Obi-wan.

December 3rd, Six Years Before Galactic Empire

The town square was loud and filled with svelk crowding around as they poured into the center towards the platform. The bells were tolling, echoing through the city, calling the citizens out from their homes. The rustling of voices speaking over one another came to a stand-still as King Sar'viena stepped out, followed by his son.

"My subjects, I bring before you a criminal in disguise!" The King called out, arms held wide as he addressed his public in their native language.

Obi-wan and Anakin looked between each other, not sure what was happening. They turned to their accompanying translator, listening with concern. Who was this criminal? A common thief or had they caught one of the many rebels that had been at large.

A cart was wheeled out onto stage, covered by a dark red cover.

"Somethings wrong," Anakin signed, "Where's Mia?"

Obi-wan looked around the crowd, "You felt her panic, the same as me," He signed, "I haven't been able to find her."

"I can't hear her, I've been trying to call out for her but she isn't responding," Anakin added, watching the King nervously as he continued to speak to the public.

"Behold, the traitor!" King Sar'viena shouted in English, pulling the cover off the cart.

Obi-wan and Anakin's eyes widened, their hearts racing. Mia stood in the cart, caged in, hands tied, looking around the square wildly, grasping at the bars in fear. Obi-wan swallowed thickly, noticing the wide grey band across her neck. A Force-suppression collar. He'd only had to encounter it once before but he knew all too well the numbing, empty feeling it left the wearer, detached from the Force in a way no Jedi ever should be. It was terrible enough for any normal Jedi, but to a Jedi who used the Force to hear, it must be terrifying.

"Jedi Learner Mialera Rosslyn, you are charged with treason against the crown and are sentenced to death by hanging at noon in three days' time," King Sar'viena announced in English, facing her.

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Please, please review, I love feedback and I will be posting the next chapter of this adventure next Friday