Empire Day ✓

Chapter 29 - Skyguy & Snips

Luke was excited the next day when he found out he would spend the entire day with Leia, until they told him he would be taking lessons with her and her governess. As the party from Silver Streak strolled down the Synthstone corridors with the wide windows, the boy dragged his feet, moving as slowly as possible.

Anakin, whose legs were finally responding to his neural input properly, pivoted in the corridor, allowing Yoda and Obi-Wan to pass him. "Luke, I've asked you twice before to keep up with us. What is your problem?" 

He stopped, looking up at his tall father. "I don't want to have lessons with Leia."

"It's no different than if Piett or your mother were teaching you."

"Yes, it is." Luke hung his head so his father could not see the tears he was trying to hold back. "Leia makes fun of me. Calls me a nerfherder. And she already knows so much more than I do. I'm going to be lost before I even walk in the room."

Anakin knelt down beside his son, placing his arms on Luke's shoulders. "Hey, look at me. I wasn't the smartest Padawan at the Jedi Temple either. I was a slave when I went there. I knew how to fly and fix things, but not much else. And I'm going to tell you a secret. Can you keep it?"

Luke nodded his head after he wiped a tear with his sleeve.

"Girls who tease boys think that the boy is better than she is. She wants you to respect her, but she doesn't know how else to get your attention."

Luke snorted. "Not Leia. She just wants to control everything—including me."

Anakin grinned with a twinkle in his eye. She's definitely like Padmé. "You might be right, but you still can make it through one day with her. Tell you what, no matter what she says, don't react. Don't whimper, don't cry, don't get mad, just be at peace."

"Now you sound like Master Yoda." 

"Partially, but it will also drive her absolutely nuts if she can't get you to react." 

Luke giggled.

"After a while, she'll quit teasing you. Maybe then you two can help each other out. She's going to join you for your lessons with Master Yoda in the afternoon, too. I know she'll probably be scared at first."

Luke eyes widened. "She can use the Force?"

"Shh." Anakin held his finger to his lips. "She doesn't know it yet, and no one else around here is to find out."

"Got it, Daddy."

"Let's go find this princess of yours, then. We're late." Anakin rose to his full height. The two strode down the corridor, father and son side-by-side, Luke taking extra big steps to keep up with his father's long legs.