black swan | a. skywalker

( CHAPTER 10 )

While Padmé was fast asleep, Kyra was not. Sleep didn't arrive to her as easily as it should have. She wandered aimlessly through the house, listening to the snoring of the others inside.

Kyra ended up wandering to the garage, her mind focused on Anakin. She hoped he was okay and that his mother was fine. That this whole trip wasn't for nothing and that Shmi had died at thew hands of the Tusken Raiders.

The full moon hung bright in the sky surround by little stars. She stared at the speeder, identical to the one Anakin had left on. She really wanted him back, safe and sound.

"Please don't leave us, Miss Kyra. These people need your help," a voice startled Kyra from the corner of the roo. She turned and saw Threepio parked in a corner.

"I'm not leaving, Threepio. I just can't sleep," Kyra confessed, playing with her curling wet hair.

"That's something I cannot relate to. As a Protocol Droid, I'm either active or inactive. There's no in-between," Threepio stated robotically.

"I guess you're lucky," Kyra sighed.

"Do you really think so? I suppose I shouldn't expect. . ." Threepio spoke.

"You're not happy here?" Kyra questioned the protocol droid.

"Oh, I'm not unhappy. . . and my masters here are so kind I wouldn't wish to trouble them, it's just. . . being like this. . . well, it's embarrassing," Threepio explained, and Kyra saw what he meant. All of his wiring and controls was visibly showing.

"Having all of your wires showing?" "Yes, naked. If you pardon the expression. You see, when Master Ani made me, he never quite found the time to give me any outer covering. It's so humiliating. How would you like it if you had to go around with all your circuits showing?" Threepio explained.

"I guess I wouldn't like it at all," Kyra realized.

"Of course you wouldn't. Nobody would. It's simply not protocol" Threepio stated as Kyra looked thoughtfully at a pile of spare parts and bits of metal and tools.

"Maybe we can do something about it," Kyra decided as she strolled to the spare parts.

"I don't think so. Only Master Ani. . ." Threepio had been cut off by Kyra.

"Why not? They seem to have a box of old coverings here," she pointed out.

"Oh? How observant of you, Miss Kyra. Of course, I'm just not mechanically minded. . . if you see what I mean," the droid rambled as Kyra picked up a piece of metal and held it against him.

"Let's see, if we put this. . . here. . ." she furrowed her eyebrows in concentration. She had never designed a droid covering before.

"Ooooh! That tickles," Threepio commented.

"You'll have to be quiet, Threepio. Hold still, please," Kyra shushed him as she got to work on the droids covering.

Threepio was patient, yet he was excited for his coverings. Kyra continuously measured the droid, wanting to have him comfortable in his coverings, yet not too tight.