Memories Ch. 7-4

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Anakin and Sannah walked side by side through the shopping district, taking a long route to the apartment they shared with Jaina. As they turned yet another corner, Sannah suddenly yelped. Her hands flew into the air and she danced a few steps backwards - and Anakin saw her looking down at her feet.

"What is that?"

Anakin looked down and saw a large white creature with bright intelligent eyes watching the two of them. It rubbed itself up against Sannah's legs, an odd purring noise coming from deep in its throat.

Anakin shook his head. "I don't know what it is, but I've seen it around the Temple a couple times. It's harmless... I think."

"Can you make it go away?"

Anakin laughed. "I doubt it. It seems to have taken a liking to you. Go ahead, pet it."

"I... I don't think I want to."

He ignored her. "I would say you could take it home, but I'm not certain how Jaina would react to its fur."

The animal rubbed itself up against Sannah's leg again and she let out another little yelp. Anakin reached down and grabbed it, lifting it up close to Sannah.

"Come on, just pat its head."

She looked at it hesitantly.

Anakin arched an eyebrow at her, and then had an idea. Grinning, he said, "I'll buy you a meatroll if you do."

Her eyes flickered from the animal to Anakin and back. "Really?"

"I promise," he replied.

Her hand slowly reached out and she scratched at the top of the animals' head. Its long ears flattened and it jumped from Anakin's hands to Sannah's shoulders, wrapping itself around her neck.

"What!" she exclaimed as it did so.

"No helping it now," Anakin replied. "I think he likes you."

She glared at him. "You did this on purpose, didn't you."

Anakin laughed. "No, I wish I had, but no. Come on; let's go get that meatroll now."

She sighed and sullenly started walking beside him. Within a few minutes, they had arrived at the vendor who sold meatrolls and Anakin went and bought some. He returned to Sannah and opened the bag. "I got three, one for you, me and... well whatever it is."

A bright grin lit up her face as Anakin held one of the meatrolls out to her. She took it in her hands and started lifting it to her lips when a flash of white fur snatched it away from her. The animal landed on the ground, and held the meatroll in its mouth.

Sannah glared at the thing and then reached down to grab the meatroll. "Hey! That's mine!"

The animal took off at a run, circling around behind Anakin, with Sannah chasing after him. Anakin sighed, and scrubbed at his face with one hand while Sannah and the animal ran another large circle around him.

As she was passing in front of him for her next circuit, he stuck his arm out, and she ran into it, bending over at the waist around his hand.

She looked up at him, tears shining in her eyes. "What?"

"Let him have it."

"But... but it was my meatroll."

Anakin sighed and shook his head, holding out the bag towards her. "I told you I bought three, we still have two left, take one of these."

She blinked her yellow eyes a few times, and then reached into the bag to take out another meatroll, a blush cropping up once more on her cheeks. Anakin smiled at her, and then retrieved his and began to eat it.

A half hour later found them standing on the bridge, overlooking one of the many streams that stretched across the landscape. Anakin leaned his back against the guardrail, watching Sannah as she leaned her arms against the railing, holding the white furry animal in her arms, half propped on the railing, half dangling over the open space.

"You know... he's not from this planet." Sannah suddenly said, breaking the calm silence that had stretched out between them.

"Hmm?" Anakin replied.

"This white thing," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's not from Yavin IV. I can only guess one of the families that are in training here brought it and then tossed it away."

Anakin focused on her, noticing the far-away look in her eyes as she stared at the rushing, babbling water beneath them.

"That's a possibility," Anakin conceded.

She still did not look toward him. "We feed him, but now he's useless. We have no more food, so what should we do with him?"

Anakin shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not certain."

As he watched a tear sliced its way down the side of her cheek. "Can you imagine the pain of being brought somewhere new, of being taken away from your home, from everything and everyone you ever knew, and then just abandoned on a strange world filled with strange people and things?"

He didn't know what to say in response, he just frowned as he watched another tear slide down the side of her face. A glimmering jewel against the porcelain of her skin.

Moments passed inexorably slow. Finally, she spoke again. "I... I think its better this way."

Then she let the creature go.

It let out a sudden yelp as it fell into the river with a large splash. Anakin spun around, watching as the animal splashed and thrashed in the water. Fighting against the current. He turned on Sannah, anger flashing in his eyes.

"You idiot," he yelled at her. "Why did you do that?"

Sannah just watched it as it fought against the water. "This is for the best. If I hadn't let it go now--then it would have abandoned me later. It's not my fault that it got attached to me." Then her voice dropped, becoming softer. "That it trusted me."

"It might die out there! Maybe even drown. Did you think about that?"

She finally tore her gaze away from the white animal, but instead of looking at him, she just hung her head low. "We don't know what will happen. Maybe a child will find it in the morning and give it a nice peaceful home."

Anakin could feel the anger pooling around him, and he clenched his fist and ground his teeth together. "How could you just throw a life away like that?"

Sannah's shoulders shook and then she turned from him and ran. Disappearing into the darkness of the night.

"Sannah! Wait!" Anakin called as she ran off. His anger fled him, suddenly replaced by a cold despair.

"Please, Sannah. Don't go." He whispered, even though she had already disappeared.

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