My Father's Padawan

Part Two

By Marie Nomad

"And now, we will talk to our favorite clone commander, Commander Rex." Ahsoka said as she sat next to a clone commander.

"You are doing a holovid about General Skywalker?"

"Yup. Well, about the Clone Wars. So, feel free to tell me what you think."

Rex pondered. "Well, he's an excellent pilot; a good fighter; and I would follow him to Hell."

"But…"

"He's attached to that droid of his. He would die for that droid." His voice carried just a hint of disapproval.

"He's not that bad." Ahsoka excused and then she looked at the camera.

"I know. He would do the same for me."

Ahsoka sighed. "I was wondering. What are you going to do after the Clone Wars?"

Rex shrugged. "I don't know. I was trained to serve for the Republic. I might be assigned patrol. We may spend years making sure the Separatists are taken care of. It takes years to truly create peace."

"But, don't you ever think about retiring? You know, stop fighting."

"I'm like the Jedi. I will keep serving the army until I die. That is my duty." He didn't sound disappointed about his fate. He stated it as fact.

Ahsoka looked down. "I'm so sorry."

"You shouldn't worry about me, kid." Rex gazed at her. "I like serving with you."

Ahsoka looked back at him almost speechless. "Thanks."

Leia frowned. "I thought that the clones were like droids only flesh and blood."

"Me too." Han said, "When I was with the Academy, they told us that the clones were mostly mindless."

Chewbaca growled at Han. He went into a series of grunts and purrs that had to be translated.

"Really? They are individuals?" Han stared at him. He translated for the others. "Chewy had fought the clones during the early days of the Empire. They are not mindless."

"Wow." Luke admired.

Ahsoka sat down. "Now, there are three more friends of ours who are taking part in the war but are very close to Master Skywalker. We are sitting in the Garden of a Thousand Fountains for a bit of a change of pace. She pointed the camera to a vast garden where many Jedi were seen meditating. "Pretty, isn't it?" The young teenager sighed as she looked at the camera. "Now, first these guys have been close to Master Skywalker and are helping fight for the Republic both on the field and in the political arena. I bring you, C-3P0 and R2-D2!"

"Hello, I am C-3P0. Thank you for interviewing us, Miss Tano." The droid said.

"You knew Master Skywalker longer than anyone else here."

"Oh yes, in fact, I knew him back when he created me. He was my maker after all."

Luke, Han, Leia, and Chewbaca stared at the protocol droid. "Darth Vader is my maker?" C-3P0 gasped.

R2-D2 beeped.

"What do you mean you knew?" C-3P0 exclaimed as he stared at his friend.

The other doid beeped smugly.

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

There was a series of toots that sounded like it was sarcastic.

"I don't care if it's none of my business! I have a right to know who created me!"

"I cannot believe that Threepio was created by Dad." Luke gasped as he started to chuckle.

"I cannot believe that my family, Organa, had them all this time." Leia admitted equally shocked. She had a felt a sense of kinship with the protocol droid. She didn't know that C-3P0 was in a sense, her brother.

"I knew it. Only someone so evil can create something so annoying." Han said as most of his sympathy for Anakin evaporated with this revelation.

"Master Luke, may we watch the rest of this clip? I am curious to find out more about my origins?" C-3P0 asked.

"Yeah."

"So, tell me about your very first days being active."

"Well, I recalled waking up seeing Master Ani's face. He was so happy to see me activated. He used his own money to bring back parts for me and I was eventually completed."

R2-D2 beeped out and a translation appeared at the bottom. "You were naked."

"Yes, I was naked but that's not the point!"

Ahsoka asked the same question that was going through the viewers minds. "What did a Tatooine slave need with a protocol droid?"

"He used me to be his friend and to be his mother's servant. Miss Shmi worked very hard. They had a very close bond."

"I bet." Ahsoka looked down sadly.

"Oh, my apologies, I am so sorry. I forgot that Jedi are not allowed to be with their parents."

"That's okay. The Order is my family." Ahsoka shrugged. She paused and looked around. "Wait a second… where is the Senator?"

"Up there with Master Ani." C-3PO gestured to a nearby tree.

"Master!" Ahsoka marched to the tree and glared at it. "Master! Get down right now!"

Anakin's head popped out of the tree leaves. "Yes?"

"What are you doing up there?" Ahsoka demanded as she struggled not to laugh.

"I was hanging around."

"Hello, Ahsoka." Padme said as she appeared next to Anakin.

"You two, down here, now!" Ahsoka demanded. She looked at the camera. "Sometimes, I wonder who is more mature, the student or the master?"

"I heard that!" Anakin jumped down and Padme followed. She was caught by her 'friend'.

"Artoo! Stop the film!" Leia ordered. The footage pause, freezing on the holographic image of Padme Amidala's laughing face.

"What is it?" Luke asked.

"Th-that's our mother!" Leia said as she stared at the holographic image of Padme.

"She is?" Luke looked at the woman. She and Leia had the same dark eyes and the same dark hair. Even their faces have the same shape. "She's beautiful."

"She seemed happier than I remembered." Leia confessed. "Artoo, keep playing."

"So, what were you two doing up in that tree?" Ahsoka said as she smirked at the two.

"We were just looking at the trees." Padme said calmly. "There are not very many trees here in Coruscant."

"We have very nice trees here." Anakin supported as he blushed slightly.

"Okay…" Ahsoka rolled her eyes.

"I'm serious!" Anakin said.

"I know. You and Master Kenobi did the same thing."

Padme started to giggle again as Anakin paled.

"NO!!! Absolutely not! NO! NO!" Anakin screamed disrupting all of the other meditating Jedi.

"Master… a Jedi must remain calm at all times." Ahsoka said in her best Obi Wan impression.

"I am calm!" He yelled. He turned towards the camera. "I swear, it was just stealth training!"

"Oh, Ani!" Padme sighed. "She was kidding."

"Oh." Anakin calmed down and then glared at Ahsoka. "Stop that."

"Yes, Master." Ahsoka bowed her head and then, with a wicked look in her eyes, she asked Padme. "How did you meet?"

"Well, it was when we had to land on Tatooine. I went along with Qui Gon and Jar Jar to get parts to fix the hyperdrive for the ship. We went to the only place that has the hyperdrive part that we need. While I was at Watto's, I met a cute little boy named Ani. Well, maybe it would be better if Artoo show you."

Ahsoka pointed the camera closer and R2-D2 showed a hologram of a little boy and a younger version of Padme.

The boy asked, "Are you an angel?"

"What?" Padme repeated stunned.

"An angel. I heard the deep space pilots talk about them. They are the most beautiful creatures in the universe. They live on the moons of Igor. I think."

Padme smiled at Anakin. "You are a funny little boy."

The image went back to the garden where Ahsoka was fighting very hard not to laugh. "You hit on a queen?!" Ahsoka exclaimed as she laughed.

"I was nine! I didn't know she was a queen at the time! Padme was… well…" Anakin blushed brightly.

"And what is with that lame 'Are you an Angel' line?"

"It was a an innocent question."

"Attachments are forbidden." Ahsoka slapped him on the arm.

"THERE'S NOTHING GOING ON!" Her master yelled at her and Ahsoka shrank.

"Anakin… please, calm down." Padme glanced at the gathering Jedi who were watching.

"Oh." Anakin saw Ahsoka looking at him nervously. "I'm sorry."

"That's all right." The girl sighed in relief. "He's always like this. Anyway, I heard that there's a story behind the droids. How did Senator Amidala get Threepeo and Master Skywalker get Artooy?"

"Well, when my mother died, Craig Lars, my stepfather, gave me Threepeo. However, I didn't need a protocol droid. So, I gave him to Padme."

"And I felt honored but giving a droid as a gift might be considered a bribe to others and to maintain honor, I gave Anakin R2-D2." Padme finished.

"Awww… that's so sweet." Ahsoka whispered as she wiped a tear. "Anyway, Senator, when do you think the war will be over?"

"I don't know. I am doing everything I can to make sure there is peace. The Supreme Chancellor and the rest of the Senate will do everything they can to make sure the Jedi does not have to fight our war for us." Padme promised.

"The Chancellor will make it happen. I believe in him." Anakin said firmly as he clutched his fist.

"Yeah."

The holovid shifted to Ahsoka being alone. "Well, that's the end of my report for now. I would have added more but we have a mission to do. I'll try to add on after this. May the force be with you!" Ahsoka smiled as she waved and the holovid turned off.

Luke sighed as he stared at the empty space. "Wow, this is really… incredible. Ahsoka's really cute."

"She reminded me of me when I was her age." Leia looked down.

Han frowned. That girl looked somewhat familiar but he didn't know where.

R2-D2 beeped. C-3P0 translated, "Master Luke, Artoo said that there is another addition."

To Be Continued…