Memories - Ch. 17

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Anakin walked back towards the apartments; his feet shuffling against the hard-packed earth. He felt a frown pulling against his lips, and struggled to switch it to a smile.

Failing miserably.

He got on the elevator and watched out the window as it lifted towards the top floor. Sighing, he got off, and went into his apartment.

"I'm home," he called out.

Ikrit came sauntering into the room, his large, blue eyes focused on Anakin, watching him.

Next, Tahiri dashed into the room, a bright smile on her face. "Welcome back!"

He gave her a small smile, and bent down to pick up Ikrit. "How's Mara doing?"

Ikrit shuffled around and lay across his shoulders, as Tahiri answered. "She's feeling much better. Jaina took her over some porridge just a little while ago."

"I see," Anakin replied, as he pulled Ikrit off of his shoulders. Holding the creature with his hands under the forelegs, Anakin watched the blue eyes for a moment. Then he turned Ikrit around, and passed him off to Tahiri.

She took him, and cuddled him to her chest, her head tilting to one side as she watched Anakin. "What's wrong? You don't look that good. You're not getting sick on me are you?"

He shook his head and walked around her, heading towards his room. "It's just because it's starting to get cold outside."

Anakin walked into his room, and closed the door behind him. He leaned against it for a moment, squeezing his eyes shut. Then he sighed again and crossed over to his bed, dropping onto it. He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling, recalling portions of the conversation he had just had with Kiori. After she had regained a bit of her composure and they had begun to walk along the river bank.

So Nelani knows this?

Yes, Kiori had replied. I told her because she begged me to.

Are you absolutely certain, he had asked, and even now his frown deepened at the hint of panic which was in his voice. There's no chance of a mistake? They're certain that... that she won't make it to her next birthday?

That's what the doctors say. Even if she does make it to her next birthday, she won't last much longer than that. Kiori had paused here, and wiped away an errant tear. I haven't even told Jaina. She's my best friend here, and I kept this from her. But what can I do? I don't want her trying to take care of me. But... you... you've been friends with Nelani. I felt that you should know.

Yeah, he had replied. Thanks for letting me know.

They had reached the end of the walkway, and Kiori paused, looking off in the distance to the houses on the far side of the shopping district. Well, my house is over this way. Good night, Anakin.

He watched as she began to walk away. Kiori wait! he had called out. She stopped, turning to look at him again. Nelani's birthday. It's in just a few days right? Are you sure you want to keep avoiding her like this? There's not much time left.

She turned away from him. She smiles when she's with you?

Yeah, I've never seen her tears.

She nodded her head once, sharply. I see, she had said and then began to walk away again.

He had called out after her again, but she had ignored him. She just continued walking until she had disappeared into the darkness of the night.

Staring at the ceiling, he wondered what he was supposed to do. How he could fix things. His fist flashed out and slammed against the bed, and he growled slightly.

"Anakin?" Tahiri called from the other side of his door. "I'm coming in!"

She opened the door, and stepped into the room looking around. "It's dark in here," she complained. "Why don't you turn on some lights? Here, I'll do it for you, all right?"

"No," he said between clenched teeth. "Please don't."

"Why?"

"When it gets bright I turn to ashes," he replied and then felt the bed shift and Ikrit's form curling up beside him.

Tahiri giggled and walked further into the room. She settled beside him on the bed. "Are you some type of night-creature now?"

"You need something?"

"No," she replied. "Not really. I just felt that it would be better to stay close to you."

"Mind your own business," he snapped at her.

"Right...."

He sighed. "You're so strange."

"Right."

Closing his eyes, he felt his lips twitch into a small smile. "Thanks."

She did not respond and before long he felt the bed start to shift as she began to kick her feet.

As he began to drift off to sleep, he felt her moving, stretching out beside him. Part of him wanted to tell her to go away, to leave him be. But only a part.

The next morning, he sat in his usual seat, staring out the window as Master Horn taught the day's lesson. Idly, he remembered that at one time the curriculum which his Uncle had developed for the Jedi Academy had not involved rote learning of this nature.

Suppressing a sigh, he shifted in his seat, and turned back to look at the empty seat where Kiori usually sat. He stared at it for a moment, before facing forward once again.

When lunch rolled around, he walked out to the garden where he usually met Nelani.

He frowned when he found it empty. So, both sisters are absent today.

At the end of the school day, he slowly walked home, stopping on one of the many bridges. He stared at the water as it reflected the orange glow of the setting sun at him. Shimmering as the wind rippled the water's surface.

Dark thoughts plagued him.

If it's a lost item, we can search for it together. If it's against a demon, we can fight together. But Nelani is....

He lifted his head, facing towards the heavens and where Yavin 8 is just now beginning to shine through the Yavin-light.

Hey Sannah? What did it feel like for you? What can I do for a girl with only a small bit of time left?

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Lost in his thoughts, Anakin began to wander through the shopping district. He ignored everything; he allowed his feet to lead him on an aimless path as he considered how he could help Nelani. Before long, it was night and the sound of a fountain imposed itself onto his awareness. Lifting his head, he look around, finding himself in the same park where he had spent so much time with Nelani a few days before.

He frowned, and walked closer to the fountain, stopping a few paces from it, watching the water and the spotlights kept deep in the pool. The lights slowly cycled through colors, and he sighed, and looked around the fountain.

His heart thumped hard in his chest when he saw Nelani. She was sitting at the edge of the fountain, her hands pulling her shawl tight around her shoulders as she stared at him.

He swallowed; his throat was suddenly dry.

Standing, she said, "This place is more beautiful at night."

He walked over to stand close to her. Stopping, he watched her for a moment, and then focused on the fountain again. "I think I prefer it during the day. The nights here are getting chilly."

"That's a pity," she replied as she turned to face the fountain as well. "I'm just happy that the fountain is still running at this hour."

The wind shifted and a fine mist of water covered them. They both jumped back, and Nelani let out a tiny yelp of surprise.

"Kriff, that's cold," he snapped. "Isn't there a plug or something?"

"You can't clog it even if there is one. It's too beautiful. Don't you want to keep staring at it? Forever and ever."

Sadly, he looked down at her, noticing the wistful expression on her face. The silence seemed to stretch out between them.

"When I was little," she began. "Back on Llord, there was a fountain that looked quite a lot like this one. My family and I would go there occasionally, because I was a little healthier back then. I... I had ice cream with my sister. I wanted to eat some with her again." She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Opening them again, she looked up at him. "I don't remember any other time that was more fun than that time."

He smiled and nodded his head. "So, that means our date came in second."

"No," she said, shaking her head. "The date with you was equally fun."

"What sweet words."

"No, it's true," she responded. "If I had more time, I'd probably come to like you more and more. Even though... Even though I shouldn't like anyone..."

He fought to keep a frown from his face as she turned around and sat down on the edge of the fountain again. After a moment, he sat beside her.

Her voice was soft, when she next spoke. "There's so much that I've got to apologize to you about. But, I think there's even more things I need to thank you for."

Anakin looked over at her and noticed that she was staring down at her hands. He shifted his gaze to his feet, fighting once more to keep a tight reign on his emotions. To not let his sadness show on his face or leak out through the Force.

"So," he began slowly. "What is your illness?"

"It has a long, very complicated name. But it's something that won't heal with more medicine or shots or Bacta… so I forgot what it's called." From the corner of his eye he saw her lift her head towards the stars, a hint of a smile on her face. "It's useless to remember it after all. Knowing what it's called doesn't help it and there are other things I'd rather remember. When we came here for training, Kiori came back to our quarters and told me about that garden. We made a promise to eat lunch there one day."

"Nelani, Kiori, she treats you..."

"I know," Nelani broke in, a pained smile on her face. "That's why I try not to see her as well."

"Why?" Anakin demanded. "Didn't you two used to get along?"

She slowly shook her head, a frown marring her features. "It's because that's all I can do for her right now."

Anakin watched her. He blinked his eyes, trying to figure out how best to respond. After a moment, her head turned towards him, and her customary smile was back in place. "Anakin? Can I ask a favor?"

He closed his eyes, and sighed. Then he nodded his head as he replied, "Yeah, I'll listen to anything."

"Please treat me as a normal girl. When I'm with you, I can go back to the happy days."

"The happy days?"

She nodded her head. "Yeah. Going to school and having lunch with everyone. Walking home with my friends from my classes. Even getting yelled at by my parents when I'd play outside late at night, even though Kiori was with me. Those days when I had ordinary, happy days. So, I want you to treat me like I'm in those days. If you can, as if..." She closed her eyes, and dropped her chin to her chest for a moment. Then lifted it, and opening her eyes, continued speaking, "as if you were my brother."

He watched her for a moment. He was not certain how to respond, and felt oddly melancholic over being referred to as her brother. Finally, he nodded his head, once sharply. "Okay, I promise."

"Really," she said, as her head snapped to look at him, her eyes bright and wide.

He grinned at her. "If I'm good enough for you."

"Thank you," she replied, smiling brightly for him.

They sat together for a while longer, the silence stretching between them both comfortable and comforting. Finally, she yawned and stood up.

"I've got to go home now."

He stood up, and nodded his head. "Will you be at school tomorrow?"

"Yes," she replied. "Something that might surprise you may happen tomorrow."

He lifted his hand and waved it in her direction. "If it's another portrait, you don't have to draw it."

"It's nothing like that," she scolded, and then stomped her foot and half-turned away from him. "I don't like people who say things like that."

"Don't get mad, I was only joking."

She lifted one hand to her lips to chew on a knuckle. "It was mean, even for a joke."

"I'm sorry. I'll treat you to ice cream if you spare me."

She faced him fully once more, a smile coming to her lips. "In that case, I've got to forgive you."

He arched an eyebrow, and gave her a quick grin. "You're easy to satisfy."

In response, she just giggled.

She waved at him, and then began to walk away. Heading towards her home. He watched her for a moment, his frown pulling his lips down. He lifted his face to the sky, staring at the distant stars. Then he looked towards Nelani again, as she slowly walked away from her. Pain clutched at his heart.

"Nelani!" he called out. She slowed and turned towards him. "Is it too late? Is it really? Is there no chance that you can recover?"

She lowered her head slightly. "I may. If a miracle happens." Then she lifted it and smiled. "But remember, it's called a miracle because it doesn't happen."

Turning away from him once more, she slowly moved off into the darkness. Anakin watched until she had turned a corner and disappeared. Then he finally wiped away the tears that had been sliding down his cheeks.

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Anakin returned home to find dinner waiting and a note from Jaina saying that she had turned in for the night already. He quickly warmed up his dinner, and as he sat at the table to eat, heard Ikrit walking up behind him. He grinned at the furry creature, and then turned back to his meal, quickly eating it.

After cleaning up the dishes, he walked into his room, Ikrit darting between his legs, almost tripping him. Shaking his head, he looked around and saw Tahiri sitting at his desk, her head resting on its surface, soft snores coming from her direction.

He stood over her, watching her for a moment. "So you were waiting for me," he whispered.

Smiling, and not quite understanding why, he pulled the chair away from the desk and picked her up. Then he carried her down the hall to her own room. Carefully, he laid her in her bed, and pulled her blankets up over her. He smiled down at her, and brushed her bangs back away from her face.

"Sweet dreams," he whispered, and then left her room to return to his own.

The next morning, Anakin was eating a bowl of porridge. Across from him, Jaina was sitting, all but falling asleep in her chair. Next to her, Tahiri was in similar straits.

Mara sat in the empty spot next to Anakin, and glanced between the other two girls. "Jaina, I expect to see all but asleep at breakfast, but this is something new for you, Tahiri."

The young, blonde girl sighed. "I know, but I had bad dreams all last night."

"Dreams?"

"Yeah," she replied. "I dreamed that I was getting carried away somewhere by ghosts."

Anakin put his bowl down, and used a napkin to hide his chuckles. "Strange. I wonder why you'd have such a dream."

"I don't know," Tahiri replied, a pout coming to her lips. Then she screwed her fists against her eyes, yawning.

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Anakin stared down at the garden from the window of his classroom. He was frowning, though he did not really realize it. She said she would come.

"Anakin!" Raynar's voice slashed through his concentration, and he jumped slightly. His head snapped around, to find Raynar standing in front of him, arms clasped behind his back, a large, silly grin on his face. "It's lunchtime..."

He frowned at his friend. "I know... and you're smile is creeping me out. Stop."

Raynar collapsed across Anakin's desk, and tilted his face to look at him. "What's wrong? Don't you have any energy?"

At that moment, Jaina walked past. "Anakin? Are you going to eat with us in the cafeteria today?"

"Yeah," he replied, his head twisting slightly to look out at the empty garden. "Since my lunch-mates are gone..."

Raynar stood up and looked towards Kiori who had been sitting quietly in the back of the classroom. "Kiori! Let's go get some lunch."

"Forget it," she snapped. "I don't have an appetite today."

Jaina walked closer to her friend, leaning down slightly. "Are you sick? Do we need to take you to Master Cilghal?"

"I'm fine. Leave me be."

Raynar dropped into the seat in front of Anakin, and leaned closer to him. "Do you think something's happen to Kiori?"

Anakin shook his head. "I don't know."

"Anakin!" Someone from the other side of the classroom called out his name.

Frowning, he looked that way, as the student spoke again. "Anakin, someone's here to see you."

He felt his mouth drop open as he saw her standing in the doorway. She wore the orange jumpsuit common to the students in the level below his. Over the jumpsuit, there was a traditional Jedi Robe which almost seemed to swallow her.

He blinked a few times, and felt himself standing up without consciously moving.

The girl caught him staring, and with a blush burning her face, bowed slightly.

"Nelani," he muttered aloud.

Raynar jumped up and grabbed the collar of Anakin's tunic. "You've... you've gotten your hands on one of the younger students?"

"What kind of nonsense are you-"

His rant was interrupted by Kiori abruptly pushing back her chair, and storming from the room. Raynar looked after her for a moment, and then started chasing her down. "Kiori! Where are you going?"

Anakin looked to Nelani, and from across the room could see the tears shining in her eyes. He looked up at Jaina and saw her staring at the doorway that Kiori had disappeared through.

"I wonder what's wrong with her," Jaina asked.

Anakin shook his head. "You go to Kiori too. I have an... I've got something I need to do."

With that said he brushed past Jaina and walked towards Nelani, his heart pounding heavily in his chest.

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Anakin stepped out of the food service line with a plate of curry in each hand. He glanced around the cafeteria, and finally spied Nelani sitting at a table halfway across the room from him, trying to look at everything at once.

Laughing to himself, he walked towards the place she had chosen and put her plate in front of her, sitting down in the seat across from her.

"So, this is what the cafeteria looks like... I kind of expected there to be more... well... on Llord, the cafeterias have these walls with all these little doors. You walk up to one, and put a credit chit in and then you open the door and pull out whatever type of food you want. It's not like this at all."

Anakin ignored her musings, and locked eyes with her. "Is it all right for you to suddenly show up for training like this?"

Nelani nodded her head quickly. "I have the doctor's permission. She said I can attend for the rest of the week."

Anakin quickly counted the days in his head. That means she'll be here until the day before her birthday.

She finally seemed to notice the plate of food that Anakin had put before her. She leaned over slightly, and sniffed. "It looks spicy."

He arched an eyebrow towards her. "The curry here isn't that bad. My dad makes it better though." He then dug his spoon into the brown stew-like mixture and brought a bite to his mouth.

Looking up from his plate, he noticed Nelani staring at him. He frowned for a moment. "What's wrong? Eat up."

She blinked a few times and then picked up her own spoon. "Y-yes..."

Tenderly, she put a bite in her mouth, chewing methodically. As she did, her face grew red, and she began to whimper slightly.

Anakin leaned forward. "Are you okay?"

She dropped her spoon back onto her plate, and grabbed up her glass of water, and quickly took three large gulps. She closed her eyes and put the glass back onto the table. When she opened her eyes again to look at him, he noticed the tears that rimmed them. "Well, truthfully... I can't take spicy food at all."

"What? What about horseradish?"

"I don't even want to see it," she responded, averting her head from him.

"Mustard?"

"I don't want to hear about it." She then covered her ears with her hands.

"Tabasco?"

"It's the enemy of all humans, everywhere," she snarled.

"Ice cream?"

Her entire mannerisms shifted. Going from the panicked, fear from when he was asking about spicy foods to an almost angelic smile, her hands pressed palms together, index fingers centimeters from her lips. "I love it!"

"Why did you have me order curry for you then?"

She looked down, a rosy tint coming to her pale cheeks. "Because, I wanted to eat the same thing as you."

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Anakin and Nelani walked side by side down the path near the river. The setting sun struck it, changing the surface to the color of molten silver. Dancing across the ripples was the reflection of the setting sun. As they walked, their hands would occasionally brush across each other, and every time it happened, Anakin could feel his face flame with embarrassment. They turned at a crossroads, taking a bridge over the river, one which headed away from the Jedi Temple and towards the shopping districts. He rubbed at his stomach. "Man, I'm still full from eating so much at lunch."

She shrugged her shoulders. "I ate enough."

He laughed slightly. "Just make sure you order something that you actually eat, tomorrow."

She grinned up at him. "Should I make a lunch tomorrow then?"

"Sure," he replied, nodding his head. "That'll save money as well."

"Good! I'll make your share, too."

Anakin blinked, and looked down at her, to find her smiling up at him. "My share?"

She nodded, and turned her head to look at the river. "Yup. Your share."

Before long, they reach the path that would take Anakin on towards the apartment he shared with his sister. They stopped, and Anakin scratched at his hair, feeling a blush crop up on his cheeks again.

"Uhm," he began. "Tomorrow, let's stop somewhere special, all right?"

She smiled brightly for him, "Where?"

He laughed. "That's a secret."

She pouted, slightly. "Fine. We'll go to your special place tomorrow. But don't forget to look forward to the lunch I'm making you."

"Don't worry," he replied, a grin tugging at the right corner of his lips. "Even if it tastes horrible, I'll eat all of it."

She scowled at him, and turned partly away. "I don't like people who say such things."

"I'll see you tomorrow then?"

She turned, the scowl on her face dissolving into one of her brilliant smiles. "Yes, tomorrow."

Turning away from him, she headed down the path which would take her through the shopping district and to the residential section on the far side of it. Anakin stood there watching her as she walked away. Frowning, as he realized that if Kiori was right, he only had a few days left of being able to see Nelani's smile light up her face.

The next day at lunch, Anakin stepped into the cafeteria. As soon as he entered, Nelani stood up and started waving at him. Her smile once more brightening his world. He suppressed the dark emotions that threatened to well up.

"Anakin!" she called out. "Hurry up, Anakin."

He grinned and started walking towards her.

"Right here," she said, pointing towards the empty chair set across from hers. "That seat's open."

Anakin smiled, and nodded his head. "Thanks for saving a seat for me." Then he reached out and scruffed her hair, causing her to giggle. "Good job."

She laughed. "Well, I tried my best."

He shook his head as they both sat down, and Nelani pulled out two packages, snatching the lids off of both. "Tada!"

Anakin blinked his eyes as he looked between the two boxes. Both filled with various finger foods, sandwiches and sliced fruit. "Wow... there sure is a lot of it."

Nelani nodded her head quickly. "Yeah, it's packed."

Pointing towards one of the boxes, he looked at her. "Is that one yours or mine?"

She grinned again. "Nope. They're both yours." She then reached down beside her and lifted up a much smaller box, setting it on the table in front of her. "This is my lunch."

He looked at the box, frowning. "That's tiny..."

She straightened slightly in her seat, her head tilting a few centimeters to the left, as he said, "Please eat it all."

"I did promise," he replied, picking up the first of the triangular sandwiches. "Well, one's attitude towards a challenge is important to anything."

"What do you mean?"

He chuckled. "Don't let it bother you."

A half hour later, Nelani set a glass of water in front of him, as he leaned back in his chair. Both of the large boxes were empty save a scattering of crumbs and a few pieces of crumpled parchment.

She looked at him, worry shining in her eyes. "Was it a lot?"

He snorted in amusement, picking up the glass of water. "Just a little," he said and then took a sip from the glass.

"I'm sorry," she replied, blushing. "It was a lot of fun making it, so... And there was so many things that I wanted to make you..."

Taking another sip, he put it down, and smiled at her. "It was delicious. And because they were delicious, it all fit into my stomach."

"Really?" she asked, beaming with pride. "That makes me happy."

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After school, the two were in Anakin's favorite bistro, Poltx. Located in the middle of the shopping shopping district, it had wide bay windows in the dining area, where one could sit and watch pedestrian traffic without being noticed. Sitting on the table in front of Nelani was an empty dish, the last traces of some ice cream still visible in its bottom, while he had a half-drained cup of caf. She looked up at him, and said, "It's been a while since I've been to a place like this."

He grinned at her. "Well, everyone needs a break every now and then."

"Yeah," she replied slowly.

"So, how was the ice cream here?"

"It was great!"

He smiled at her, and pushed his credit chit into the slot on the tabletop, settling their bill. Then he stood and helped her up, and together they left the bistro and turned right, walking deeper into the shopping district. Anakin noticed that they were nearing the doll shop, and he slowed down so that Nelani could look in the window. Front and center of the display was a life-sized Jawa doll, which Anakin could only frown at and wonder, Why would someone want to buy a Jawa doll?

Nelani leaned closer to the glass, as if she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing. "This... this is a really strange doll shop." She paused for a moment, her head moving slightly. "Looks like there's a lot more of them in there as well."

"I don't understand any of them," Anakin said. "It's probably better if we stay away."

She straightened and looked at him. "Let's go in."

"You want to?" he asked, his back straightening slightly. He saw her staring at him, her eyes silently pleading. "Well if you want to...."

He felt someone staring at him, and he lifted his gaze away from Nelani to find Kiori standing at the corner, not two dozen paces from them. As she stared at Nelani's back, Kiori's body was held rigid in shock. Slowly, Kiori lowered her head, and then backed away, sliding around the corner and disappearing from sight.

He focused on Nelani again. "Ah... uhm, I actually forgot something at Poltx's. Why don't you head inside first and check things out while I run and get what I forgot." He walked around her, and then called out over his shoulder. "I'll be right back, you wait for me here. Okay?"

Without waiting for her response, he darted around the corner and looked around. He saw Kiori running down the street and he gave chase.

"Kiori!" he called out. "Kiori! Wait!" He growled slightly when he realized she was ignoring him, and he put on more speed, catching up with her, and stopping in front of her. "Stop running away from me. Let's have tea or something with Nelani. You're concerned about her too, right?"

Kiori refused to meet his eyes. "I don't know anyone named Nelani." She then pushed him out of the way and started walking again. "Out of my way."

Anakin twisted around, and called out her name, but she was already gone.

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Darkness had fully fallen, and Anakin stood next to Nelani on one of the many bridges around the town. He stared at the black river, frowning slightly at the occasional flash of silver either from a fish or from one of Yavin's other moons.

"That idiot," he mumbled under his breath, and feeling Nelani's gaze on him, lifted his head and smiled at her. "Ah, uh... don't mind me... so what was it? About the shop we stopped by?"

Nelani watched him for a moment, and then turned her attention towards the store. "Well, the shopkeeper was nice. He gave me detailed explanations about everything, and made all sorts of suggestions." She smiled slightly, and Anakin turned his back onto the river to lean against the railing, as she continued talking. "But I turned them all down because I didn't have any money."

He felt the feather-light touch of her hand on his shoulder, and he turned to look at her, seeing the concern in her large, blue eyes. "Did something happen, Anakin? You're staring off into space."

"No," he replied, kicking off the wall. "It's nothing. So, what kind of stuffed animals were there?"

"Really strange ones," she responded as they began walking across the bridge again. "Like a giant acklay and a Hutt."

"And a Affytechan, right?"

Nelani's eyes widened slightly. "There was such a thing there?"

He laughed. "Yeah."

Thoughts of the plush Affytechan brought memories of Tenel Ka to mind. Especially something she had said the time he had visited her in the hospital with Tahiri. He frowned slightly, as he struggled to remember the words. Finally, he did: There is someone near to you, who is trying to turn away from her pain. You need to give her strength.

"Hello," Nelani's voice cut through his wandering thoughts. "Anakin?"

"Oh, sorry," he replied, giving his head a quick shake. "So, which did you like more? The acklay or the Hutt?"

"Rather than those two, I liked the one in the window. The Jawa."

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Anakin looked at the balance on his credit chit, and then at the handful of specific denomination credits he had scattered on his desk. Sighing, he picked up the credit chit again and moved from his desk chair to sit on his bed, dropping his head into his hands. "And that's my budget," he muttered.

Someone knocked at his door, and he looked over at it. "Come in," he called out.

The door cracked open, and at about his chest level, Ikrit floated into the room, holding him up were two tanned hands. "Good, Ikirt!" Tahiri called out from behind the door.

Giggling, she pushed the door the rest of the way open, and walked in.

He watched her for a moment, and then said, "Oh, it's only you." He then once more turned back to the glowing number on his credit chit. "What do you want?'

She plopped onto his bed beside him. "I just came to tell you that no one's using the 'fresher if you want a shower right now." She then glanced over at his credit chit. "Are you going to buy something?"

"Yeah," he said, and then looked over at her. He noticed the thin chain around her neck, and frowned for a moment. "You're always wearing that necklace, right?"

She fingered the necklace for a moment, and then nodded her head. "Yes, I do. It was a present from someone and means a lot to me."

Anakin nodded and looked away. "Speaking of presents, it's almost Nelani's birthday."

"Are you going to get her something?"

He turned to look at her again. "What do you think I should get?"

She grinned mischievously. "Canapés!"

He arched an eyebrow at her. "That's your personal preference."

Her grin turned into a full smile. "Then money."

Frowning, he looked over at her again. "You're oddly serious with that."

She began to chew on a finger tip, and then pulled it out and replied, "But if I have money, then I can buy canapés."

He could feel the beginnings of a headache, and he slowly began to run at his temple with his left hand. "Please, get your mind off of food."

She sighed, and looked down, clutching Ikrit tighter up against her chin. After a moment, she lifted her head to look at him. "Then rather than buying her something, why don't you do something for her? Do something that will make her happy."

Anakin pulled his hand away from his forehead, and slowly lifted his head to stare straight at the wall in front of him, his arm held forgotten halfway between his lap and his head.

Tahiri kept on talking. "You could take her somewhere fun. Or treat her to good fun. Isn't there anything that Nelani would like to do?"

He dropped his hand to his lap, and then looked at Tahiri. "What would make Nelani happy is to spend some time talking with Kiori." He worried at his lower lip for a moment, and then bolted into a standing position. "I've got it!" he announced.

"Anakin?"

He nodded his head quickly. "Yeah, this has to be what I need to do. This is something I can do for Nelani?"

"What is it?" Tahiri asked.

Anakin looked down at her and smiled.

---

Next Post

Jedi Adept: A Path in the Dark Ch. 5

Previous Post

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Jacen stood in the shadows, wrapping them tight around him as he watched the traffic slide past. With an intensity born of utter darkness, he stared at the foyer of an apartment building, waiting for someone to emerge; knowing that she would appear sooner or later.

Finally, his patience was rewarded, and he began to grin as Tahiri Veila stepped out of the doorway, her feet customarily bare. She was dressed in dingy clothes, worn and dirtied. Her hair was unkempt, and her cheeks sunken and shallow.

She appeared almost grey and lifeless, and he frowned at the stark change in the younger Jedi. He remembered her laughing and happy, even when she was covered in mud and ash from a Chiss fire-bomb.

He dispelled the shadows and walked closer towards her, falling into step behind her, yet keeping his Force presence pulled tight and close around him.

Suddenly she stopped, and without turning around, said, "What do you want, Jacen?"

He chuckled, and loosened his Force presence slightly, allowing a bit of amusement to leak out through his shields. "How did you know I was here?"

She laughed bitterly as she turned to face him. "I heard you. And… and you smell like Anakin. Now, what do you want?"

He grinned at her, knowing it made him look like his father, like his brother, and he noticed the way it seemed to cause her to recoil from him. "Can't I just want to see an old friend?"

She shook her head slightly. "You don't have any old friends anymore. We're all pieces on a game-board to you." She gave another of those harsh laughs. It sounded almost demented, and for a moment, Jacen wondered if he'd made the right decision. "It's not that unlike your uncle, actually."

He arched an eyebrow, and wondered, when did she get so bitter? As fast as that thought flickered across his mind, another raced after it; but I can use that.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Actually, I just wanted to give you a present; something that I have in my power to give now. That is if you want it…"

She shook her head, lowering her eyes to look towards her feet. Her voice was soft and filled with bitterness. "There's nothing you can give me that I want."

He watched as she turned away and began to walk again.

He allowed her to get a dozen paces away, before he replied. "I can give you Anakin's final kiss."

She stopped dead in her tracks; her body and Force presence suddenly taut and electric. He could taste the fire, the desire and the anger that radiated off of her. Grinning, he thought, I have her now.

Slowly, she turned towards him, and he wiped the grin from his face, resetting his expression into one of deadly seriousness. Ben used to call it his Jedi face.

With slow and deliberate steps, she made her way back to him. Her body seemed to shake from the barely suppressed anger, and it was all he could do to keep the glee from his face and Force presence.

"What do you mean by that?" she hissed out between clenched teeth.

"I meant exactly what I said," he replied, happy at the way she had responded to his bait. "I can give you the chance to give Anakin that final kiss." Then he drove the hook in deeper, ensnaring her firmly. "Don't you remember? It was the one that you denied him."

The fire of her emotions collapsed, replaced suddenly by a deep pain and regret, but Jacen knew that the anger was there, he could feel it, just beneath the surface, ready to spill over at any moment. An anger that was ready to burst into an inferno which would burn the Jedi to the ground.

Her shoulders slumped, and she nodded her head. "How?"

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, like they were old friends, or maybe family. Then he turned her in the direction of the Guard headquarters and began walking. "Come on, I'll explain on the way."

Her body hesitated against the pressure he was exerting for a moment; but just one.

-------------------------------

Luke Skywalker sat at his terminal, carefully wording the invitations to his wife's funeral.

He suppressed the dark pain that welled up within him every time he considered what had happened; every time he thought of her body, so cold and broken in death.

He had long thought that there was no one who could beat her in a fight, fair or not. Yet someone had. Someone had ripped through her defenses, and killed her. A simple poison.

Then after she was dead, whoever had killed her had desecrated her body. Used a lightsaber and carved away at her face and body, denying Luke even the small comfort of being able to see her whole one final time.

Finally satisfied with the wording, he looked over the guest list: all the Jedi, half a dozen politicians, twice that many smugglers, and then his broken, scattered family. He made a note that Leia was to be asked to speak at the funeral, and then signed off on the list, leaving it in a queue that R2-D2 monitored so that he could take care of finalizing the arrangements.

That chore finally done, he signed off the terminal and then stood up. He walked into the hallway, and looked down the hall towards the room that he had shared with her. For a moment, he almost walked that way to sleep in his bed.

Instead he turned towards the living room, deciding to sleep on the couch yet again.

-------------------------------

Chase opened his eyes. He found himself lying in a pile of refuse; his head tilted back looking up towards the sky. It seemed small and distant; a small patch of blue-grey so far above him, blocked out almost entirely by the towering buildings. He lifted his head up, and then twisted it side to side, looking to the left and the right. With a slight shock, he realized that he was deep in the underbelly of the city.

Glancing down, he saw the trash that coated the ground, piled up against the side of the building by the wind. He shifted, and the movement caused the pile to crumble around him. The movement must have disturbed something because he could suddenly smell the trash: rotting food, decomposing plastics and bio-materials. It stank.

He stank of it.

Grimacing at the stench, he leveraged himself up, and more of the trash skittered to the ground, the noise echoing back to him.

Freezing in position, he strained to hear, wondering if anything out there was coming. He had heard horror stories of the creatures that wandered the under-city. First were the dangerous predators brought to Coruscant as pets or zoological specimens, and then released into the undercity when they grew too large or were unable to be kept for whatever reason. Then there was all the vonglife that still wandered around down here, eking out a living among the foundations of the giant city-planet.

The final terrors that haunted the undercity were the mutants and the ferals. The former were once sapient beings, who had slowly devolved until they were nothing more than animals, living and acting entirely on instinct. The latter were the remaining slaves from the Yuuzhan Vong occupation, driven insane and dangerous from the pain of their coral slave seeds and the death of the World Brain.

Hearing nothing, he slid the rest of the way to the ground, and paused in a crouch, listening once more.

This was unfamiliar territory to him. He had never before ventured this far beneath this surface, this far away from the people, and the civilization of Coruscant proper. Down here the walls were dappled with mold, and pock marked by scratches from some unknown creature or other. The ground had puddles of sludge at irregular intervals, and a stream of slime-encrusted water ran down the middle of the walk way.

Crouched low, he crept forward, straining his ears to hear if anything was approaching him.

Satisfied, he straightened and looked around, wandering exactly where he was. He knew two things: he was near the Jedi Temple, as that was where he had been heading when he was cornered by the Guard, and that he was deep in the undercity, probably close to bedrock level. If not lower.

He crept forward, and then heard something; a whirling noise. Pausing, he turned around slowly to see a utility droid appear. It approached the first street lamp, and its top half shot into the air on a mechanical lift, stopping just beneath the lamp. A manipulator arm reached out unscrewed the bulb and placed it into a container, then reached into another container and screwed a new bulb in.

A light bulb that was as dead as the one that the droid had just removed.

Chase frowned at the scene, and watched as the droid repeated the process at the next street light. There was something disturbing in the ultimate futility of the process which the droid was going through. Something disturbing in the fact that for who knows how long, that droid had gone through this area, changing those lightbulbs, in a futile effort to stave off the decay that was evident all around him.

The droid had moved to the next light, and shot once more into the air. He frowned, watching the droid as it unscrewed the lamp.

An intense surge of empathy slashed through him. He understood futility and wanting to change something, but always ending up with the same results.

After watching the droid change a final light bulb, Chase turned away from it and started walking once more. Heading in the direction he thought the Jedi Temple should be in.

-------------------------------

Tahiri watched as Jacen's Star Destroyer, the Anakin Solo, loomed closer through the viewport of the shuttle. Its matte black hull glittered with a myriad of lights from its thousands of viewports. They drew ever closer, and son she was able to make out distinct markings, and the hangar bay which Jacen was aiming the shuttle craft towards.

She cast a quick glance at Jacen where he sat behind the controls, calmly piloting the craft.

She wondered for a moment if she liked the fact that there was a Star Destroyer named after Anakin. If having a warship named after him would have been the type of memorial that he would have wanted. She sighed, as she realized that it was not. That he would have thought it egotistical and absurd.

She looked over at Jacen again. "So tell me, just how am I going to get this kiss?"

Jacen's eyes sliced towards her for a moment, and something about them scared her. She looked closer, and realized that they were still the same brandy-colored eyes they had always been; just not quite as warm as they used to be.

"Have you talked to my Mother or uncle about me sending messages across time during the Killik Crisis?"

Startled, Tahiri shook her head. "I don't think I've heard anything about that."

Jacen grinned and pain lanced through her heart.

"I didn't think so," he replied. "It's a trick that I learned from the Aing-Ti called Flow-walking. What it means is that you are able to use the Force to push yourself up or down the flow of time, and able to view the past. See it, touch it, and conceivably even change it, though you risk temporal paradoxes that could wipe out existence doing that."

"Oh," she replied dumbly, staring at him. "Oh…Oh!"

Her eyes widened as realization of what he was saying slammed through her. Hope flared bright and fierce in her heart, and she leaned back in the co-pilot's seat staring up at the ceiling. She shook her head, her blond hair slicing side to side with the movement.

"But," she said, looking up at him, noticing the stillness he watched her with. It reminded her of a vua'sa right before it pounced on its prey. "We can't risk a temporal paradox by going and doing something like that."

Jacen shrugged his shoulders, and tossed her another grin. "That is true. How about this then, we just go look and see him."

Her brow knit together in a frown. "I, I guess that wouldn't hurt."

He smiled brightly, and though she could feel warmth at the surface of his Force presence. Despite the warmth he was showing, she couldn't help but shudder at his smile.

She looked out the viewport and noticed they were sliding through the magcon field, Jacen being guided towards his landing spot by the deck crew.

He glanced at her, before returning his attention back to landing. "Great. Let me pick a few things up, and then we'll head on out to Myrkr."

---

Next Post

I Want to be Your Knight - Ch. 31

Previous Post

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Yes, I knew my duty, and for the first time since I had became Jacen's apprentice, I purposefully didn't do it.

Quickly assessing the security system, I turned off the security sensors for the ship, and as I was erasing my tracks, left indications in the system that it was system damage from the Confederate attack. Satisfied, I left the observation chamber, and stormed through the halls, until I came to the Interrogation room. I unlocked the door, and Lando stumbled forward, a snarl on his face as he saw me.

"What? Did you come to finish the job?"

I frowned at him. "No, It's not like that. Look, I had my job to do, now you're both coming with me."

"Like hell."

Ignoring Lando's response, and protests, I reached out with the Force and lifted Tendra up. I moved quickly through the ship, Lando following me, his suspicion a black poison at the back of my awareness. Finally, we arrived at the Admiral's gig. I gestured Lando inside, and floated Tendra in towards one of the benches. Strapping her down, I reached out with the Force and put her into a healing trance.

I stepped back to find Lando pointing a blaster at me. I had no idea where he had gotten the weapon from and I didn't really care. "Are you going to shoot me Uncle Lando? If so, do it fast, you don't have much time."

Lando sighed and lowered the blaster. "No... I'm not."

I nodded and gestured towards Tendra. "I've put her into a healing trance. If you say her name that will bring her out of it. The baby feels alive in the Force, but I can't promise how much longer she'll stay that way. We're currently in orbit around Denon." I frowned, not sure what else to say. Finally, I sighed. "I'm sorry, Uncle Lando. You were right. I shouldn't have done this. I'll make it up to you and your daughter one day. I promise."

Lando's brown eyes bored into mine for a moment. Then he nodded and turned towards the cockpit. I took one last look at his back and then at Tendra, before I fled the shuttle.

I stepped onto the metal deck, as the hatch closed behind me. Klaxons blared again, and with a slight backwash of ion reflux, the shuttle was gone. I stood still for a moment--my mind racing in a dozen different ways. I had disobeyed Jacen. I had broken protocols, and broke the law. I even wondered if that made me a bad Jedi.

Lekauf's words raced through his head. "Our job's about helping the good guys; sometimes that means a protocol needs to be nudged a bit."

That kicked me into high gear and I went forward, knowing I only had a few more moments before the security protocols came back online. I entered the bridge, to find Jacen snarling at the gunners, ordering them to increase their efficiency in killing those attacking his ship.

And just as suddenly as the vision assaulted me, I was once again back in reality. Seha crumpled. I blinked and was up and by her side in moments. She was unconscious, her breathing shallow. and I looked around at Jys to find that she was curled up on the floor, her body shaking. I frowned, wondering why they were being subjected to my Force visions.

Even more confusing was why they were affecting them so badly.

Part of our team exercises involved building a training bond between us, so I knew they had something of a quick shortcut into my head. Yet they had never before seen any of the visions the Force inflicted on me. Of course, they hadn't ever been this close while I was on the receiving end of one either.

I leaned back against the couch, one hand resting gently on the top of Seha's head, as I closed my eyes. Exhaustion claimed me and I was asleep within moments.

I felt the toe of someone's boot tapping against my side, and my eyes popped open. I craned my neck backwards and found Jysella standing over me, her eyes were tear-stained and bloodshot.

From the grainy texture of mine, I assumed mine were the same.

"Yeah?" I said, even my voice sounding grainy.

She shook her head. "We just need to get going. If we're still going to."

I nodded my head, and focused on Seha who was sleeping soundly. I shook her, and she bolted awake; nearly jumping off my lap. She stared at me, a wildness in her eyes that seemed at odds to the peace she had exuded while asleep.

Finally, she seemed to realize where she was at, and calmed down while exhaling heavily. "Sorry," she mumbled. "I was having a bad dream."

Jysella barked a short laugh. "We've all had it. The Force was projecting Ben's memories."

She blinked and stood up, fleeing to her room.

I watched as she disappeared, and then yelped in pain as Jysella kicked me again. Hard this time.

"What the kriff did you do to her this time, Skywalker?"

I shook my head, wondering the exact same thing.

---

Next Post

Memories. Ch. 16

Previous Post

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Anakin and Tahiri stood side by side, watching the other two occupants of the dimly lit room. This room contained two beds. Eryl sat on the edge of one, a bandaged wrapped around her head, and Anakin could see the edge of another wrapped across one of her shoulders. In the other bed, Tenel Ka sat up, a blanket covering her legs.

Finally, Anakin finished telling Tahiri and Eryl everything that he and Tenel Ka had been through.

"Wow," muttered Eryl. "I had no idea all of that was happening. I... I didn't know any of that..."

Anakin's gaze flipped over to the bed were Tenel Ka was propped up in a sitting position, hands folded neatly in her lap as she stared straight ahead. He returned his attention to Eyrl. "Don't feel bad, we were keeping it from you after all. Besides, it's all over now."

Silence fell over the four of them, and Anakin scratched at the back of his head for a moment. Finally, he asked, "Did you tell security anything?"

She brightened slightly. "Yeah. There's these odd beasts in the jungle. They have two heads, big claws, can fly and sometimes they'll come out of the jungle searching for prey. Anyways, I told security that one of them had attacked me. What about the Temple? How did it fare?"

Anakin chuckled. "Well, the Temple was ripped apart pretty badly, but not bad enough to cancel any of the classes being taught. Uncle Luke just moved some folks around while they're repairing the damaged rooms and hallways. Though there's a number of rumors about what had happened. Some folks think it was the Empire Reborn, others the Shadow Academy."

Tahiri spoke up for the first time. "Well it helps that most people don't think Tenel Ka could have done that much damage by herself."

He grinned. "Yeah, you've caused us a whole bunch of problems, but you've got everything solved now as well."

Eyrl spoke up. "This is true. So let's not focus on the past anymore. We have enough things to deal with in the present and in the future."

Then Tahiri bounced over to Tenel Ka's bedside. "So, Tenel Ka. How're you feeling now?"

Tenel Ka bowed her head slightly. "Physically, my wounds are healing. Master Cilghal says that I should be able to leave by the end of the local winter. She was scared to use Bacta since the wounds were Force-inflicted, so I must heal naturally."

Eyrl lifted her head from Tenel Ka to look at Anakin. "You don't have to worry about us. Tenel Ka's parents are coming in from Hapes, so we'll have plenty of company."

"I see," Anakin replied to Eyrl. Then he turned towards Tenel Ka again. "Get well soon. You could use a speedy recovery."

"I still cannot put my mind back in order. The Force is fractured within me. But given time, I think I can calm down and settle this within myself." Then she lifted her head to stare straight into Anakin's eyes. Her grey meeting his blue. "Thank you so much Anakin."

He grinned at her. "Well, you're the amazing one here, Tenel Ka. Instead of running away from your pain, you're trying to cope with it."

She sighed slightly. "There is someone near to you, who is trying to turn away from her pain."

"Huh?" he replied, confused.

She dropped her gaze again. "You need to give her strength."

A short while later, Anakin and Tahiri were walking through the hallway of the medcenter, heading towards the lift which would take them to the ground floor.

Tahiri scrunched her nose slightly, and then looked up at him. "Tenel Ka sure is a mysterious person, isn't she?"

Anakin chuckled, and looked over at her. "Sorry about making you come with me."

"It's okay," she said, a smile brightening her face. "I like Tenel Ka..."

He frowned at the way her voice trailed off. "But?" he prompted.

She looked down, watching the floors for a moment. When she spoke, her voice was softer. "But, I don't think I like this place."

Chuckling, he said, "Well, there's not a whole lot of people who like med centers."

They turned a corner, and down the hallway, Anakin saw a girl with a shawl wrapped around her shoulders. She was leaning against the counter of the nurse's station, flipping through a pad of papers.

Anakin frowned for a moment, and then whispered, "Nelani."

Tahiri perked up, and raced down the hallway, calling out her name, "Nelani!"

Nelani turned, a frown on her face for a moment, but when she saw who it was, a smile quickly came to her lips.

"It's been a while!" Tahiri said as she grabbed Nelani's hands in her own.

Nelani smiled at Tahiri and then turned her gaze to Anakin. "Do you both have colds?"

He chuckled. "No, we were just visiting some friends." He thumped Tahiri on the back of her head. "'Ri here doesn't catch colds, right?"

She scowled at him, as Nelani laughed.

"You two never change."

Tahiri gave one last evil glare in Anakin's direction and then turned back to Nelani. "I'm Tahiri Veila. I don't think I introduced myself the last time I saw you."

"I'm Nelani Dinn," she replied, bowing her head slighlty. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too!" Tahiri chirped.

A voice called out from behind Nelani, "Nelani."

Everyone turned that way, to see a middle-aged woman walking up, dressed in a light-blue lab coat, a datapad held in her arms. Nelani smiled at her. "Ah, hello Doctor."

"Friends of yours?" the doctor asked Nelani as she walked around to stand beside Nelani. As she did so, she was finally able to get a good look at Tahiri who had been mostly hidden by Nelani. She stopped short, her mouth dropping open. The doctor blinked hard a couple of times.

Tahiri tilted her head, confusion causing one eyebrow to arch slightly.

Anakin looked down at Tahiri and then at the doctor. "Is there anything wrong with her? Well, besides the craziness."

The doctor shook her head, and then smiled at them. "I'm sorry, it's nothing."

Tahiri looked up at him for a moment, and he shrugged his shoulders in response.

The doctor turned towards Nelani. "I've finished talking to your mother, so shall we go?"

Nelani nodded her head, and then turned towards Anakin and Tahiri. "I guess I'll see you two later."

"Bye!" Tahiri said happily as the doctor and Nelani turned away and walked off down one of the side corridors.

After they were gone, she looked up at Anakin. "What type of illness does Nelani have, anyways?"

He shook his head. "She says it's just a cold."

---------------------------

Anakin stepped into the kitchen, as Tahiri danced out of the food prep area. She wore an apron over her clothes, held her arms behind her back and had a bright smile on her face, as she chirped, "Good morning!"

He arched an eyebrow, watching her for a moment, "Jaina already went to the Temple?"

Tahiri nodded her head. "Yeah, she said she had practice this morning, so she left in a hurry. She didn't even stop for breakfast."

Anakin watched her for a moment. "And what about Aunt Mara?"

Tahiri scratched at her head. "I don't know. I haven't seen her this morning. She could still be sleeping in her apartment."

Anakin frowned, walking towards the table. "That's not like her."

Tahiri brandished a spatula from behind her back, waving it in the air. "And that's the reason that I've taken Mrs. Mara's place." Anakin started to sit down, as she continued speaking, "And I'm making breakfast."

Anakin halted his movements, and started to stand up again. "Oh yeah, I have early morning practice as well."

Tahiri's face fell. "But you're not on any of the teams..."

Anakin sighed, and hung his head as he returned to the seat. Tahiri clapped her hands and started bringing out plates to sit in front of him. Within a few moments, five separate plates were arrayed in front of him, each containing unidentifiable black substances.

He looked up at Tahiri, and saw the bright smile still on her face. "Cooking is pretty difficult, after all..."

He glared at her for a moment, and the smile disappeared, replaced by a look of concern. "I'm sorry, Anakin..."

A short while later, he was walking down the street, his stomach grumbling in protest over the lack of food. Oh well, he thought. I guess I'll get something to eat at the store.

"Anakin! Anakin!"

Stopping, he frowned, and looked over his shoulder wondering who was screaming his name only to see Tahiri running down the street towards him. She seemed to exude panic in the Force.

"Anakin!"

As she got closer, he could see the fear and confusion on her face.

"Tahiri? What's wrong?"

"It's Mrs. Mara... She's... She's..."

Anakin took a few steps towards her as she continued running towards him.

"She's..."

He frowned, and said, "She's what?"

She finally closed the distance between them, and then stumbled. Anakin caught her, and pulled her into a hug. Surprised at how comfortably her body felt against his. Between breaths she gasped out, "Mrs. Mara is..." Then she raised her head, and Anakin could see the tears lining her eyes. "Mrs. Mara is.... there's something wrong..."

Anakin frowned, and looked up at the apartment building they lived in. Then he ran. He could hear Tahiri's footsteps behind him, but he ignored them. Focusing on putting one foot in front of the other in order to get to the apartments as quickly as possible.

He rode up the elevator, frustrated at the slow speed of the machine. When it reached the top floor, he was sliding through the doors before they even had a chance to fully open. Then he was at Mara's door, and slammed his palm against the lock plate. It chimed once and the door slid open.

He rushed into the room, and found Mara sitting at the kitchen table, a cup of caf sitting in front of her. She arched an eyebrow in his direction, as Tahiri brushed past him, and ran to Mara's side. "Mrs. Mara, you have to rest..."

Mara smiled at Tahiri. "It's okay. It's just a low fever. I'll be good as new in a day or so."

"Is that all," Anakin asked with a sigh of relief. "Tahiri was in such a frenzy that I was worried it was something serious."

Tahiri glanced up from Mara, looking at Anakin, confusion and fear still clouding her face. "But..."

Mara shifted her attention from Anakin to Tahiri and then back. "I'll get better if I just rest for the day. Besides, Luke is supposed to be back later this afternoon." She took the final swallow of caf from her cup and then pushed back in her chair and stood up. "Now then, if you'll excuse me. I think I'll go lay down."

Anakin watched Tahiri as the young girl's eyes followed Mara down the hallway. Fear and worry still vied for dominance on her face. Her lips twitched slightly, trying to not frown.

He took a few steps closer to her. "Don't scare me like that."

Mara disappeared into one of the bedrooms, and Tahiri stared at the door for a few moments. Then she looked up at him. "I think I'm going to stay here and take care of Mrs. Mara today."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Anakin looked down at her. "Let me guess, there's no way for me to stop you."

"Yeah," Tahiri said, nodding her head once. "I really like Mrs. Mara, and I'm worried about her..."

About a half hour later, Anakin was at his desk next to Jaina, and had just finished telling her the story.

Jaina absently straightened a stack of flimsies she had on her desk, staring off into space as she thought. "I didn't even notice anything this morning. I hope Aunt Mara's okay."

"I'm worried about Aunt Mara too," Anakin said. Then he leaned towards Jaina slightly, and continued, "But Tahiri has me really worried. She was in such a panic this morning."

-----------------------------------

Anakin walked beside Nelani, telling the story about Mara and Tahiri for the second time of the day.

As he finished, Nelani nodded her head, and then said, "A cold, huh?"

He smirked, and looked over at her. "Yes. Jaina's on the com with Tahiri right now. So, even if I hung around, I wouldn't be all that useful."

"I see," she replied. They walked a handful of steps in silence, before she spoke again. "I'm sorry for making you spend time with me."

"I said that it's fine," he shot back. He took another step, and then looked over at her, admiring the way the wind picked at her hair. "Anyways, tomorrow is Natunda, and I was wondering if you had any spare time."

She lifted her head, and slowly shifted it to look at him. Her eyes were wide, and surprise filled them. Her mouth dropped open in shock, and she stopped walking. She blinked her eyes twice, and her eyebrows scrunched together. "Huh?"

Anakin took another step, and was past her, and then spun on his heel to look at her. He grinned. "I know I told you before that we should do something together sometime. I want to spend the day with you."

Slowly, her face transformed from one filled with confusion to one shining brightly with joy. The answer to his request, plainly evident on her face.

---------------------------

The day's classes were over, and Anakin and Jaina were just about to leave the Temple building itself, when Jaina smacked her forehead. "I didn't tell Kiranna Ti that I wouldn't be there for practice today. You go on ahead, and I'll meet you there, all right?"

"Okay, got it," Anakin replied, waving at her as she darted off down the hallway.

He watched her disappear, and then turned, and left the building.

Before long, he was riding in the elevator, cursing it as it slowly rose to the floor on which he lived. Finally, the doors opened, and he stepped off the machine. The doors to his apartment and his Aunt's were both opened. Sitting in the middle of the hallway watching him, was Ikrit.

"Hello? Anyone here?" he called out, and frowned when he didn't get a reply.

He took another step into the hallway, and knelt down to scratch Ikrit's head. "You wouldn't happen to know where everyone was at, would you?"

Stepping into his apartment, he looked around and couldn't see anyone.

Shrugging his shoulders, he turned and walked over to Mara's apartment. He glanced into the kitchen, and bit back a laugh. Dishes were piled high in the sink, and all sorts of food items were scattered across the counters and floors. He looked up and saw some type of batter hanging from the light fixture. He looked down at Ikrit, and said, "She sure was energetic for Aunt Mara today."

Leaving the kitchen behind, he went to the hallways, and knocked on the door to his aunt and uncle's bedroom. "Hey, Aunt Mara, are you in there?"

He heard a slight rustle, and then Mara's voice came through the door. "Come on in, Anakin."

He pushed open the door, and stepped into the room. Mara was sitting up in bed. Tahiri lay across her lap, soundly sleeping, as Mara petted the girl's long blond tresses.

Anakin arched an eyebrow in her direction. "Are you okay with not resting?"

"Yes," Mara replied, once more stroking Tahiri's head. "Thanks to her."

Tahiri shifted slightly in her sleep, a content smile on her lap. Her voice was soft and indistinct as she whispered, "Mom."

The next day, Anakin was walking beside Nelani through the shopping district. She was dressed in a simple skirt and long sleeved blouse, her customary shawl wrapped around her chest. Clutched tightly against her chest was a sketching pad. Together they weaved in and out of the other pedestrians, simply enjoying their time together.

Nelani looked up towards the sky. "I'm happy that the weather was so nice today."

"Yeah," Anakin replied, not really looking at anything.

She shifted her gaze to watch him. "How is your aunt doing?"

"Don't worry," he said with a smile. "It's nothing more than a cold, she's already feeling better."

"Really?" Then she faced forward again, a bright smile still on her face.

Anakin watched her for a moment, wondering what she was thinking about. If she was having a good time. "So, uhm, how's your... cold doing?"

"About the same as always," she replied with a resigned sigh.

"Well, hurry up and get better, so that you can come finish your training, OK?"

She simply nodded her head, and then walked together in silence for a little while longer.

Then Anakin asked, "So, what's the sketchpad for?"

She blushed, a bright splotch of red on her pale cheeks. "Drawing is my hobby. Since the weather is so good today, I was thinking of going somewhere and doing some sketching." Her eyes sliced towards him, her blush deepening slightly. "Shall... shall I draw a sketch of you?"

He chuckled. "Are you all right with using someone like me as a model?"

Nelani began to chew on her knuckle for a moment, her eyes taking that far away look that Anakin noticed she would get when she was thinking hard about something. Finally, she moved her knuckle away from her mouth, and looked at him. "You know, that's a really good point. Let's not sketch you then."

Anakin stumbled to a stop, his mouth dropping slightly as he watched her continue walking.

After a few steps, she twisted to look at him over her shoulder, a smile beaming on her face. "Just kidding!" She giggled and took a few more steps forward, and then pointed towards one of the storefronts. "That's an arcade isn't it?"

Anakin walked the few steps that separated them. "Yes, it is."

"I had wanted to go into one of those, at least once."

Surprised again, he looked down at her. "You've never been in one?"

"Nope. Never. They didn't have them on Llord, and well, I've not been out much since we came here. My sister has told me a bit about them though."

He arched an eyebrow in her direction. "Are you going to turn into a fish or something? Maybe a whisperkit?'

She looked at him, tilting her head slightly. "What are you talking about?"

Anakin quickly shook his head. "It's nothing, don't worry about it. So, shall we go play something?"

He then walked towards the arcade. From behind him, he could feel Nelani's surprise and then her joy, as her laughter rang out and she ran towards him to catch up.

Before long, they were standing in front of one of the arcade games. One with the amusing title of "Whack the 'Wok" It was comprised of nine holes, from which holographic Ewoks would pop up. The player would then try to slam down an over-sized mallet on the Ewok's head in order to gain points. It was a game that gained a less-than surprising popularity within the Imperial remnant and worlds that held either a lot of Imperial visitors or a strong Imperial lean within their culture.

Amused, Anakin watched, as the Ewoks popped into existence, and Nelani would squeal with unrestrained delight and move to hit it with the mallet. As she swung, the furry creature would disappear, as another Ewok would pop up from another hole. At which time the whole process would repeat itself.

Finally, the game let out a whistle, an indicator that the game was over. A large 0 flashed on the score display.

Nelani looked over her shoulder at Anakin, a smile lighting up her face. "It's over."

He nodded, and replied, "Yes. And I've never seen someone get a score of 0 before."

She blushed. "I don't have very good reflexes."

"Don't say that," he responded as he handed her back her sketchpad. "Being able to completely miss every single target like that... that's not something most people can do."

She looked up at him, a pout coming to her lips. "I really hate people who say things like that."

---------------------------

Anakin followed Nelani until they came to a road some distance from the shopping district. It was a tree-lined residential street, one which looked vaguely familiar to him.

He glanced over towards her. "So, this is your favorite spot?"

She slowly nodded her head. "This is where I first met you and Tahiri." She glanced up at him for a moment. "Do you remember that?"

Anakin worried his lip for a moment before replying. "Tahiri ran into a tree, and you got covered by leaves."

"I remember everything about that day," she responded solemnly. Then she smiled mysteriously. "It's one of my most important memories."

Laughing, Anakin said. "It's not old enough to be considered a memory, is it?"

"With memories, time doesn't matter," she replied, her tone becoming more serious; her voice somber. "How important it was to any given person... I think that's all that matters."

He arched an eyebrow. "Was it really that important?"

"You see," she said, a blush brightening her pale cheeks. "You and Tahiri were really funny that day. After I got home, I just laughed and laughed. I couldn't stop."

"Really?"

She nodded her head, clutching her sketchpad tighter to her chest. "I laughed until I cried."

He watched her, as they walked along that tree lined street. Her eyes never wavering from the path, the wind as it would occasionally toss her black hair around her face. Not for the first time, he wondered just what was wrong with her. Why she was sick all the time.

Why something as innocuous as that first meeting would, could, end up being one of her favorite memories.

Silence settled around them comfortably as they continued walking. They walked pass the side street where Nelani had turned on that first day, and continued following the path.

Finally, the street ended, emptying into a park with a large fountain in the certain. Jets of water shot out of nozzles at its center, a spray of water which, when the wind blew just right, would blanket the stone edges of the fountain with a fine mist. Anakin walked to its edge, and noticed that it was a deep pool. It appeared deep enough to actually submerge himself in. He looked around the park, frowning at the emptiness. The sense of loneliness it invoked in him. Off to the right, almost hidden behind another set of trees, where a few food vendors, and beyond that appeared to be some sort of office complex.

Yet he felt like it was just him and Nelani, alone in this place. On this world.

Nelani broke the silence between them. "And this is another place that I really like."

Not sure what to say, he replied, "We're the only ones here."

She giggled. "That's because it's reserved just for us." Then she looked over at the food vendor. "Oh, I'm hungry."

He held his hand out towards her, and she hesitatingly took it. Together they walked over to the closest of the food vendors and he bought her an ice cream and himself an order of Ithorian noodles. They sat on a bench which wrapped around a young tree, one that was only 5 meters or so in diameter, talking of inconsequential things as they ate their food. What Anakin remembered most though, was her laugh.

It was free, and light and cheerful. Filled with a sense of life that he had not felt since he had taken Sannah back to Yavin 8.

He looked towards the fountain, a smirk coming to his lips. Setting, the empty container on the bench beside him, he looked over at her. "Hey, let's go swimming?"

She blinked, twice. "Eh?"

Standing, he held his hand out towards her again. "Swimming. Let's go."

"But where? And we're not dressed for it..."

Laughing, he pointed towards the fountain. "That's big enough. And the park's empty. Let's just swim in our underwear."

She blushed furiously as she watched him. Then with a suddenness that surprised him, she nodded her head. "All right. Let's go."

He quickly stripped down to his boxers, and then dashed over to the fountain, jumping in, splashing water over the raised edge. Dropping like a stone, he began to panic until his feet hit the bottom. Then he kicked upwards, breaking the surface, sputtering. He lunged for the edge, grabbing hold of it. "Kriff, that's deeper than I thought even."

He looked around to find Nelani swimming towards him, a bright smile on her face. As she neared, she splashed water in his direction, a giggle escaping as she did so.

They swam for another half hour, and Anakin felt anxiety building within him. He knew that he was nearing another panic attack. He had suffered them, anytime he spent long periods of time in water, and had for years. Finally, it was too much, and he pushed himself up onto the edge, his breath coming in short, shallow gulps.

Nelani swam closer to him. "What's wrong, Anakin?"

He shook his head. "I, I just... I can't spend a lot of time in water. I get panic attacks."

"Oh. All right. We can get out now."

Anakin frowned. "But you were having so much fun."

She smiled brightly. "And we can still have fun. Besides, you promised to let me sketch you, and that needs to get done before we lose all the daylight."

He nodded his head, and stood up, collecting his clothes from where he had dropped them and quickly getting dressed. Turning, he saw Nelani, already dressed, her shawl wrapped around her shoulders once again, sitting on the fountain's edge, her sketchpad propped in her lap. She pointed to a small bench a few paces in front of her, and he sat down in it.

Her stylus scribbled furiously over the pad, and after awhile, she pulled back from it, and looked up at him. "I... I think it's done."

Anakin stood up. "Well, let me see it."

She blinked, and frowned at him. "You want to see it?"

He started walking towards her. "Of course I do."

She stood up, putting the pad behind her. "No. It's embarrassing."

Anakin arched an eyebrow, and smirked at her. "Oh, come on. After using me as a model..."

He feinted right, and when she fell for it, his hand snuck behind her and snatched the pad away.

He danced back a few steps, looking at the pad, as Nelani balled her fists up, and said, "You can't!"

He stared at the image, holding the pad in one hand, stroking his chin with the other.

Nelani lifted one of her knuckles to her mouth, and began to chew at it. "H-how is it?"

"Can I be honest with you?"

She lowered the knuckle and nodded her head. "Yes."

Continuing to stare at the picture, he said, "I don't think portraits are your strong point."

"Even if they thought so," she shot back. "Normal people wouldn't say it so bluntly."

Anakin lowered his hand from his chin, looking towards her, the famous Solo half smile touching his lips. "Then how about, 'it has flavor?'"

She turned away from him, putting her hands behind her back. "That doesn't make me very happy either."

"Can I... keep this?"

Her head snapped towards him, her eyes opening wider as she looked at him.

"You went through a lot of trouble drawing it for me," he explained. "That alone makes me happy."

She turned to face him fully, a bright smile coming to her lips. "Sure!"

Before long, evening started to fall. The sky took on the shades of red and oranges of sunset and Yavin-rise. Anakin and Nelani were once more walking down the tree-lined street.

Nelani looked towards him. "Time sure flies when you're having fun, doesn't it?"

He smiled at her, and replied, "I'll spend as much time as you like. I don't have any other plans today."

She stopped, and turned to look up at him. "A long time... It would be nice if we could spend a really long time like this."

Anakin fought to keep a frown off of his face. Wondering what she meant, why her words had taken on such a somber tone. He watched her as she chewed on her lower lip for a moment.

Then she looked up at him. "Anakin? There's one more place I'd like to go. Is that all right?"

A half hour later, they were walking through the empty halls of the Jedi Academy. Nelani looked around, her eyes wide. "It's been a long time since I've been in here." She looked up at him, before continuing, "If a teacher finds us, we'll probably get in trouble."

Anakin shrugged his shoulders. "In that case, I'd pick you up and run away."

"Really?"

"If you're too heavy, it won't work though."

"That was rude," she replied, her lips twisting into a slight frown. "And I don't weigh that much."

Finally, Anakin stopped in front of one of the classrooms and pushed open the door, beckoning Nelani inside. She stepped through, looking around, walking towards the window and ran her fingers along the top of one of the desks beside it.

Anakin walked in, following her footsteps. "So, this is your classroom?"

"Yes," she replied as she sat down in the seat. "This is my desk. Well it was. The seating assignments have probably been changed by now. Did you know that I had only attended a single day of training--the first day of the previous term?"

She paused, and Anakin walked past, facing the back wall; hiding his frown from her. Not for the first time, he wished he knew what to say to people. He cursed his inability to speak the way his mother could. She always seemed to know what to say.

After that moment's pause, she continued speaking, "A new life at a new school was beginning. But on that day, I collapsed. After that, I haven't been to class a single time."

Turning his back to the wall, he faced forward, watching the back of her head. "I know," he replied.

Her head jerked, and she turned in her seat to look at him.

"I heard from one of your session-mates," he continued. "She said she had talked with you during orientation."

"I see..." Nelani turned her head away, lowering it.

"She's been worrying about you."

Silence stretched between them, and Anakin found himself once more watching her, studying her. Worrying over her.

"Actually," Nelani began again, her voice softer, weaker somehow. "The doctor told me to not go to orientation. But there was something I wanted to do. A dream I had, that I wanted to fulfill, no matter what." She lifted her head, and looked towards the ruddy glow of Yavin. "I wanted to go to the same school as my sister... eat lunch with her in one of the gardens... stopping in the shopping district on the way home, and then talking about our day when we got there."

She lapsed into silence, staring out the window. A few minutes later, she lowered her head to stare at her desktop. "When I told my sister she laughed. But... it's such a simple dream..."

Closing the distance between them, he simply said, "So it wasn't a cold after all."

"I've been in poor health since I was born. Going to school every day was always impossible." She shifted in her seat, and looked up at him for a moment. Unshed tears lined her eyes, and then she dropped her gaze way from him. "I lied to you. I'm sorry."

--------------------------------------

Anakin walked into his apartment. Jaina was humming merrily in the kitchen as she cooked dinner. He greeted Jaina, and suddenly his comlink went off. Seeing that it was a call from Kiori, he opened the device. "Anakin, this is Kiori. I need to talk to you; could you come out for a bit?"

"Sure," he replied, and turning around, he walked back out of the apartment; leaving a confused Jaina behind.

He walked through the dark knight, until he came to one of the many parks that dotted the area around the Academy. Bright lights lined the walkway, but standing in the shadows near a wall, he could barely make out a girl's form. He angled towards her, as he neared he noticed she was in one of the jumpsuits which most of the Academy students wore on a daily basis to training.

He stopped a few paces away from her, at the edge of one of the bright lights. "Kiori, I'm here. What did you want to talk about?"

She merely stood in the darkness, her back towards him.

After a moment, he spoke again. "Is it about Nelani?"

"Nelani..." Kiori replied. "She's... my... she's my... sister. She's been sick her whole life."

"I've heard," he replied.

"She was looking forward to it. Going to school with me, eating lunch with me... Those silly little things that everyone does every single day; those were her dreams and hopes. They've been that ever since she was little."

Silence, settled over them again, and Anakin wondered what exactly Kiori was trying to tell him.

"Her birthday is in a week," she said. "Her birthday... and the doctor's said that she wouldn't live past her next birthday.

Anakin felt his mouth drop open. He shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around the concept.

Kiori continued speaking. Words fell from her lips that Anakin did not want to hear, but he could not stop listening. "She's going to die soon. There's nothing that they can do for her. All this technology we have, the Force, Bacta--but nothing helps her. I've, I've been trying to not look at her. I don't want to watch her grow weaker anymore." He noticed her shoulders begin to shake. "She'll disappear... I know it. I know that she'll disappear from in front of me any day now. At any moment. That's why…that's why I've been avoiding her..."

Kiori dropped to her knees, covering her face with her hands. Though muffled, he could still make out the words she said next, "And wishing I never had a sister. If it... If it makes me feel this horrible... I would have been better off never having a sister."

He knelt down in front of her, resting a hand on the top of her head. "Kiori..."

She looked up, and flung herself at him, clutching to him, her whole body shaking from her tears and sobs. "Anakin... Why? Why was she... born?"

---

Next Post

The Mystery of it All

Anakin Solo stood at the railing, watching the surf crash against the beach. It was a warm night with a light gentle breeze. Just enough to bring the tang of the ocean and push away the worst of the humidity. The planet's sole satellite hung full and heavy, not quite midnight, but well above the horizon.

All in all, it really was one of the most beautiful planets in the entire Core, Colony or Expansionary regions.

Especially the beach that his room overlooked.

And not for the first time, he wondered just what he had done to deserve this punishment.

What vile action did he perform to have to suffer in this way? He frowned for a moment, as he once again tried to come up with some reason, something, for his Uncle to have done this to him; to have assigned this particular mission to him.

Movement down on the beach below drew his attention, and he quickly focused on it.

Stepping out into the sand was the source of pain.

Two feminine forms walked down there, their names were Leena Sor-Cartang and Tahiri Veila.

At 21 standard years of age, barely 1.7 meters tall, and with long dark hair, Leena was a popular Falleen songstress with a propensity for wearing barely anything at all. She was flighty, flirty and didn't just walk into rooms, she bound into them. Usually in an effort to get her hands on him or some other random male.

After her latest successful music tour she had been targeted by the Red Kire criminal syndicate for kidnapping or worse. Somehow she was able to request Jedi protection, and as luck would have it, Anakin's uncle, the Grand Master of the Jedi, had decided that this mission could also double as something of a vacation for Anakin.

Tahiri, despite being the same age and height as Leena, was as different in personality as she was in hair color. Tahiri's outfits tended to be cut along conservative lines, quite often only giving the merest tease of a breast or a leg. Her tendency to be able to talk the ears off a Gungan did nothing but hide her quick wit and sharp, analytical mind.

The other difference between the two girls was that one was his assignment, and the other his girlfriend.

Though from their behavior over the past few days one would have a hard time distinguishing which was which.

He watched Tahiri as she followed Leena, admiring the way she moved and how the wind would pick up her curled hair every few moments, and how she would almost instinctively try to tug it back into place.

Then his eyes shifted to the other girl. He worked at keeping a frown from his face, as he noticed that she was once again, wearing an outfit that left pretty much nothing to the imagination. She had a translucent wrap around her waist, but the rest was just thin strips of cloth, and Anakin was pretty sure that if he was closer, they wouldn't be covering her modesty at all.

That girl is going to get herself killed, he thought to himself. If she can't figure out how to keep a bit lower profile.

A surge of annoyance came across his Force Bond with Tahiri, and he shifted his gaze towards her; and quickly realized that both girls were staring at him.

Leena with a look approaching smugness, and Tahiri's face was full of outrage.

He swallowed quickly as he realized that she must have thought he was staring at the other girl.

Tahiri turned away and stormed off, heading down the beach, and Anakin hung his head down, while leaning over the railing.

A few minutes later, a hand rested itself on his shoulder. Surprised, he raised his head and spun around.

"Tahir.... Leena, what a... pleasant surprise."

She stepped closer to him, and he found himself pressed up against the railing. He swallowed.

Heat emanated from where her body was pressed against his, and the grin she turned on him was pure predator. "If you want, we can make it a lot more pleasant."

He put his hands on his shoulders and forced her back a few steps. "I... I don't think that's a wise idea. I'm here to be your bodyguard."

She pushed forward again. "That's what I have Taryn for."

"Tahiri."

"Whatever, she can be the bodyguard and you can have fun with me."

He frowned, and replied, "No, I couldn't do that. Besides, Tahiri's my-"

She cut him off by pressing her lips against his.

In his surprise, he just stood there and accepted it.

Then he got a bigger surprise.

"What the kriff is this," Tahiri snarled. "I walk away for five minutes, and you start slobbering all over her."

He frowned worried, as he pushed Leena away from him again. "It's not like that 'Ri."

Teena stepped up into Tahiri's face, and gave a saccharin sweet smile. "No, Taryn, It's exactly like that. He's mine now."

Tahiri's whole body seemed to clench, and she spun away on one heel, storming from the room.

Anakin tried to side-step around Leena. "Ree!"

Leena grabbed his arm, pulling him to a stop. Snarling slightly, he spun to face the girl. "What? Why did you do that?"

"Because I want you. And what I want, I get."

Not this kriffing time, Anakin thought savagely, as he said, "Keep deluding yourself, Leena. I'm not yours, and I'm not going to be."

Anger twisted her features for a moment. "Yes, you are."

His plam struck her face with a fleshy thwack. He stared at her, watching as the shock, and then anger rolled across her face.

"You... you hit me!"

He nodded his head. "Yes, I did. I'm here to protect you, even if that means protecting you from your own stupidity."

"You arrogant, simple-minded Jedi! Get out of here!"

Anakin laughed darkly, and turned away again. "That's what I was doing."

The Force flared in warning, and he ducked as a shoe flew through the space where his head had just been at.

Straightening, he turned back towards her, just in time to receive the second shoe square on the nose. He exhaled slowly, as his fingers touched his bruised nose. Frowning, he watched the girl fuming, and then he again, turned away, heading out to find Tahiri.

A few minutes later, he's pushing open the door to the room that they had been sharing on this mission. And stopped to stare.

She was standing there, facing a full-length mirror, dressed in one of Leena's most revealing outfits. He watched as she worried at her lip, twisting her body side to side to get different views on her reflection.

The door shut behind him, and her eyes snapped to his reflection in the mirror. They widened for a second, and a bright red flush became noticeable through her tanned skin.

Turning towards him, she tried to slink over to him, in the same way that Leena moved. "Do you like this Jedi-boy?"

"I... uh.... it's..." he swallowed hard, not certain what to say. Nor could he tear his eyes away from her.

She frowned and spun away from him, grabbing up her cloak, and shrugging into it as she stalked towards the refresher.

He ran forward and grabbed at her arm, pulling her to a stop. "Ree, please don't run from me. I didn't do anything, she kissed me."

"You didn't stop her," she snarled at him. "And you've been staring at her every chance you got."

Anakin sighed. "I was surprised, and what's that got to do with you being in that outfit?"

"Leena said that I had to show off my body like this if I wanted to attract a boy's attention. I didn't believe her, but then I saw how often you'd be watching her..."

Anakin sighed, and then shook his head. "You don't have to wear things like that to get my attention."

She frowned. "So, you don't like me in this?"

"I didn't say that!"

"Then I have to wear things like this to get you to like me," she fumed as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Anakin rubbed at his face for a moment, and then ran his hand through his hair. "Ree, I like what you usually wear, you don't have to dress like...."

Anger flared on her face for a moment. "Like what?"

He merely shook his head. "Nothing. It's just I like how you usually dress."

"Why? Why don't you like me in this?"

He sighed, and let go of her arm. After a moment, he wandered over to the bed and dropped onto it.

"It's not that I don't like you in that outfit, it's just.... cheap. You're better than having to dress like that."

She sighed, and looked down at the floor. He could feel her insecurity wavering in the Force. Standing up, he crossed over to her, and lifted her chin with his hand. she was worrying her lower lip and tears seemed to line her eyes.

"I... I just want you to look at me like you look at her."

He grinned at her, and then leaned in to give her a quick kiss. Pulling back with a smile touching one corner of his lips, he replied, "I look at you quite differently than I did her. She's a cheap, shiny trinket without substance and not worth all that much. You though, you're fun, smart and can be a bit... mysterious."

She was worrying her lip with her teeth again. "Mysterious?" She started to pull away from him. "I don't want you to think I'm mysterious, I want you to think I'm sexy!"

He chuckled grabbing her, and stopping her from turning away. "Don't you know, mysterious is always better than cheap and tawdry. Mysterious is sexy. Showing just a bit of flesh let's me use my imagination. If there's no mystery, then I wouldn't be thinking about you."

She blinked, watching him, the flush still shining brightly on her cheeks.

A small smile began to form on her lips. "So, it's mystery you want then..."

Anakin nodded, internally giving a sigh of relief.

"Then let me go change out of this," she said, that smile still on her lips.

She walked away, and pulled something out of her luggage and then disappeared into the refresher.

A few minutes later, she reappeared, wearing a long sleeved silk shirt, that buttoned down the front, and Corellian-style pants that hung snugly on her curves. On his second glance over her, he noticed that the top three buttons were undone, and he could see just a hint of bosom.

A grin tugged at one corner of his lips, as his eyes finally made their way back to her face. "Now that looks good."

Her small smile was back, and she shrugged her shoulders.

He stood up, and walked closer to her, wrapping her in his arms. She merely smiled up at him.

As he leaned down to kiss her, she shrugged away, and turned walking towards the door.

"Hey! Where're you going?"

She glanced back over her shoulder. "Hey, I thought you liked the mystery of it all?"

A grin tugging at her lips, she winked, and then blew him a kiss before turning and leaving the room.