𝐀𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐎

𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑

    "I look forward to seeing Naboo again. I've thought about it every day since I left. It's by far the most beautiful place I've ever seen. Maybe one day I will get to see Apollo," Anakin smiles, taking a spoon of the mush into his mouth.

    The intensity of his stare sent chills down Astrid's spine, she wasn't used to such intense eye contact. With a small hint of a smile, the Apollonian girl rested her chin on her palm, "Naboo and Apollo are quite similar–if you don't look at the different cultures and customs of both planets."

    "I've noticed that," Anakin says, his gaze not faltering, "it's cool that despite the differences between both planets, you guys all get along and love each other."

    A heavy silence fills the space between them.

    Astrid's cheeks warm up at the boy's constant gazing, it wasn't that she was uncomfortable, nervous would be the correct term. Quickly, the black-haired girl fills the silence, "I have a question that I've been dying to ask...It's kind of embarrassing, to be honest."

    "What is it?" An eyebrow raises on the Jedi's face.

    "Are you allowed to love? My father told me that it was forbidden for a Jedi to fall in love," Astrid whispers, feeling slightly embarrassed about asking. She was quick to add, "you don't have to tell me, of course."

    "Attachment is forbidden, yes, so is possession. Compassion, which I would define as unconditional love, is central to a Jedi's life, so you might say we're encouraged to love," Anakin replies quite philosophically, but then a sly smirk slithers onto his perfect face, "why? Fell for me already?"

    "Am I that transparent? I guess there is no point in denying it now. Anakin Skywalker, I'm so in love with you," Astrid gasps with a playful grin, sarcasm dripping from her lips like sweet honey. Although Anakin knew what she was saying was a joke, he quite liked how the words fell from her lips. One day he'd get her to mean that.

    "My name is so pretty on your lips," Anakin grins with a wink. A chuckle escapes his throat when he hears Astrid's little giggle.

    "If you stay this smooth, I might just fall for you, Skywalker," the Apollonian snorts, taking a sip of her mush.

    "That's the goal, Pagonia."

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    THE STARFREIGHTER LANDS IN THE GIANT PORT CITY OF THEED. The trio and Artoo are among the emigrants streaming from the Starfreighter and into the vast docking area. They all exit onto the main plaza and find their way to a speeder bus.

    The speeder bus pulls up to their destination and drops them off. Astrid could fight the smile crawling onto her face at the great courtyard that stretched before them and the rose-colored domes of the palace on the far side. Artoo whistles, almost in awe. Anakin picks up all of their luggage, even though he got protests from the two other girls saying that they could help.

    "If I grew up here, I don't think I'd ever leave," Anakin states, in awe of the beautiful planet around him. Astrid could help but to admire the boy in this state–the way his curious eyes traveled from one place to another desperate to absorb everything.

    Padme laughs, partially from Astrid's admiring gaze towards the Jedi and Anakin's comment, "I doubt that."

    "No, really," Anakin says seriously, "when I started my training, I was very homesick and very lonely. This city and my mom were the only pleasant things I had to think about... The problem was, the more I thought about my Mom, the worse I felt. But I would feel better if I thought about the palace–the way it shimmers in the sunlight–the way the air always smells of flowers..."