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Authors: R.A. Salvatore
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of curiosity replaced it as she glanced again behind the Jedi Knight, to the young Padawan standing patiently. She took a step to the side, so that she was directly in front of Anakin.
“Annie?” she asked, her expression purely incredulous. Her smile and the flash in her eyes showed that she needed no answer.
For just a flicker, Anakin felt her spirit leap.
“Annie,” Padmé said again. “Can it be? My goodness how you’ve grown!” She looked down and then followed the line of his lean body, tilting her head back to emphasize his height, and he realized that he now towered over her.
That did little to bolster Anakin’s confidence, though, so lost was he in the beauty of Padmé. Her smile widened, a clear sign that she was glad to see him, but he missed it, or the implications of it, at least. “So have you,” he answered awkwardly, as if he had to force each word from his mouth. “Grown more beautiful, I mean.” He cleared his throat and stood taller. “And much shorter,” he teased, trying unsuccessfully to sound in control. “For a Senator, I mean.”
Anakin noted Obi-Wan’s disapproving scowl, but Padmé laughed any tension away and shook her head.
“Oh, Annie, you’ll always be that little boy I knew on Tatooine,” she said, and if she had taken the lightsaber from his belt and sliced his legs out from under him, she would not have shortened Anakin Skywalker any more.
He looked down, his embarrassment only heightened by the looks he knew that both Obi-Wan and Captain Typho were throwing his way.
“Our presence will be invisible, M’Lady,” he heard Obi-Wan assure Padmé.
“I’m very grateful that you’re here, Master Kenobi,”Captain Typho put in. “The situation is more dangerous than the Senator will admit.”
“I don’t need any more security,” Padmé said, addressing Typho initially, but turning to regard Obi-Wan as she continued. “I need answers. I want to know who is trying to kill me. I believe that there might lie an issue of the utmost importance to the Senate. There is something more here …” She stopped as a frown crossed Obi-Wan Kenobi’s face.
“We’re here to protect you, Senator, not to start an investigation,” he said in calm and deliberate tones, but even as he finished, Anakin contradicted him.
“We will find out who’s trying to kill you, Padmé,” the Padawan insisted. “I promise you.”
As soon as he finished, Anakin recognized his error, one that clearly showed on the scowl that Obi-Wan flashed his way. He had been fashioning a response to Padmé in his thoughts, and had hardly even registered his Master’s explanation before he had blurted out the obviously errant words. Now he could only bite his lip and lower his gaze.
“We are not going to exceed our mandate, my young Padawan learner!” Obi-Wan said sharply, and Anakin was stung to be so dressed down publicly—especially in front of this particular audience.
“I meant, in the interest of protecting her, Master, of course.”
His justification sounded inane even to Anakin.
“We are not going through this exercise again, Anakin,” Obi-Wan continued. “You will pay attention to my lead.”
Anakin could hardly believe that Obi-Wan was continuing to do this in front of Padmé. “Why?” he asked, turning the question and the debate, trying desperately to regain some footing and credibility.
“What?” Obi-Wan exclaimed, as taken aback as Anakin had ever seen him, and the young Padawan knew that he was pushing too far and too fast.
“Why else do you think we were assigned to her, if not to find the killer?” he asked, trying to bring a measure of calm back to the situation. “Protection is a job for local security, not for Jedi. It’s overkill, Master, and so an investigation is implied in our mandate.”
“We will do as the Council has instructed,” Obi-Wan countered. “And you will learn your place, young one.”
“Perhaps with merely your presence about me, the
“Annie?” she asked, her expression purely incredulous. Her smile and the flash in her eyes showed that she needed no answer.
For just a flicker, Anakin felt her spirit leap.
“Annie,” Padmé said again. “Can it be? My goodness how you’ve grown!” She looked down and then followed the line of his lean body, tilting her head back to emphasize his height, and he realized that he now towered over her.
That did little to bolster Anakin’s confidence, though, so lost was he in the beauty of Padmé. Her smile widened, a clear sign that she was glad to see him, but he missed it, or the implications of it, at least. “So have you,” he answered awkwardly, as if he had to force each word from his mouth. “Grown more beautiful, I mean.” He cleared his throat and stood taller. “And much shorter,” he teased, trying unsuccessfully to sound in control. “For a Senator, I mean.”
Anakin noted Obi-Wan’s disapproving scowl, but Padmé laughed any tension away and shook her head.
“Oh, Annie, you’ll always be that little boy I knew on Tatooine,” she said, and if she had taken the lightsaber from his belt and sliced his legs out from under him, she would not have shortened Anakin Skywalker any more.
He looked down, his embarrassment only heightened by the looks he knew that both Obi-Wan and Captain Typho were throwing his way.
“Our presence will be invisible, M’Lady,” he heard Obi-Wan assure Padmé.
“I’m very grateful that you’re here, Master Kenobi,”Captain Typho put in. “The situation is more dangerous than the Senator will admit.”
“I don’t need any more security,” Padmé said, addressing Typho initially, but turning to regard Obi-Wan as she continued. “I need answers. I want to know who is trying to kill me. I believe that there might lie an issue of the utmost importance to the Senate. There is something more here …” She stopped as a frown crossed Obi-Wan Kenobi’s face.
“We’re here to protect you, Senator, not to start an investigation,” he said in calm and deliberate tones, but even as he finished, Anakin contradicted him.
“We will find out who’s trying to kill you, Padmé,” the Padawan insisted. “I promise you.”
As soon as he finished, Anakin recognized his error, one that clearly showed on the scowl that Obi-Wan flashed his way. He had been fashioning a response to Padmé in his thoughts, and had hardly even registered his Master’s explanation before he had blurted out the obviously errant words. Now he could only bite his lip and lower his gaze.
“We are not going to exceed our mandate, my young Padawan learner!” Obi-Wan said sharply, and Anakin was stung to be so dressed down publicly—especially in front of this particular audience.
“I meant, in the interest of protecting her, Master, of course.”
His justification sounded inane even to Anakin.
“We are not going through this exercise again, Anakin,” Obi-Wan continued. “You will pay attention to my lead.”
Anakin could hardly believe that Obi-Wan was continuing to do this in front of Padmé. “Why?” he asked, turning the question and the debate, trying desperately to regain some footing and credibility.
“What?” Obi-Wan exclaimed, as taken aback as Anakin had ever seen him, and the young Padawan knew that he was pushing too far and too fast.
“Why else do you think we were assigned to her, if not to find the killer?” he asked, trying to bring a measure of calm back to the situation. “Protection is a job for local security, not for Jedi. It’s overkill, Master, and so an investigation is implied in our mandate.”
“We will do as the Council has instructed,” Obi-Wan countered. “And you will learn your place, young one.”
“Perhaps with merely your presence about me, the
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