Remember What We Were

Eight

       "Anakin! Can I sit next to you at dinner time?" Ryoo begged as she followed at Anakin's heels on the way in from the courtyard. "Oh! Oh! Me too?" Pooja sang.

      Anakin chuckled as he looked at Sola. "If it's alright with your mother." Sola nodded with an amused smile. "I wouldn't dare separate these two from their new best friend."

      "And after dinner time , we- we can play in the-" Pooja continued but she stopped short behind Anakin who stood in the doorway of the dining room.

       Jobal, Ruwee, and Padme stood around the table with one guest who was unfamiliar to Anakin.

       "Palo?" Sola exclaimed, breaking the silence that briefly hung in the room. The man that stood beside Padme smiled widely. "Sola! It's good to see you," he said in a strong, deep voice. Anakin lost his appetite very quickly.

       Sola was still wide-eyed but she smiled. "What brings you by, Palo?" she asked. Padme stepped forward, beaming.

       "Don't you remember Sola? Palo was... well, a very good friend of mine."

       Not only was his appetite gone, Anakin wanted to throw up.

       Jobal finished setting the table that would now sit eight. "While we were in Theed, Palo was leaving an art gala right next to the market place we had stopped by." Ruwee finished the rest of the story as Anakin swallowed down his sick feeling. "When we said hello, he told us he heard about Padme on Geonosis and wanted to know how she was doing. So we figured, why not have him over for dinner?"

       Anakin silently listed a dozen reason why.

       Palo stepped closer to Padme. "I'm just glad my girl is safe and sound back home."

       Padme smiled up at him. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" she asked pleasantly. Palo rested a hand on her shoulder. "Too long..."

       Anakin gritted his teeth as he imagined a lightsaber plunging right through Palo's chest. Hold it together Anakin.

       Pooja and Ryoo pulled at their mother's skirt. "Mommy, is that Auntie Padme's boyfriend?"

       "I thought Anakin was her-"

       "You two go wash up for dinner!"

       "Yes, Mommy!"

      Anakin tried to breathe, but his throat felt like cotton. Of all the disappointing events that day, this one took first place. The short kiss, the hand touch, and now Palo.

      "Why don't we get some of this delicious looking food in us!" Ruwee suggested, rubbing his hands. Palo pulled out a chair for Padme to sit in. "Sounds like a good idea. I love Ithorian!"
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      Palo was a brown haired, brown eyes, giant. He stood a good five inches above Anakin with an almost equally impressive build.

      While on Varykino, Anakin remembered Padme telling him about Palo. They had been childhood sweethearts until they're two dreams pulled them apart. Palo left to go to art school and Padme wanted to focus on her political career. In the end, things had gotten pretty ugly between the two.

       Too bad Padme couldn't remember any of it.

      "So how have you been, Palo? I can't believe we ever lost touch!" Padme drawled while Anakin chewed furiously on Corobb salad. Palo wore a grin across his face all through dinner as he enjoyed the attention he received from Padme. "I've been travelling Naboo, painting my heart's desire. But I've come to realize that all the beauties of this galaxy do not compare to that of my heart's one true desire!" he answered dramatically.

      Anakin had to bite his tongue to keep from adding any rude remarks. He fumed inside his head. That smooth-talking... scruffy-looking... Nerf herder...

      "Anakin?" Pooja whispered, tapping his shoulder. "Why does Auntie's boyfriend talk funny?" Anakin felt his blood simmer but was still amused by the little girls question. At least she was on his side.

      He leaned down to her ear. "Because he is really a crazy, ugly, disgusting alien in a disguise and he is speaking his own stupid alien language."

      Pooja covered her mouth as she giggled. "Really?" Anakin smirked and nodded. "Really. And I don't really think he's Auntie Padme's boyfriend," he added with a sly whisper.

      He hoped that was true.

      "So Palo," Ruwee began, "you're in the art business?" Palo nodded proudly. "Yes I am. It is my passion, among other passions of course..." he noted, eying Padme for the hundreth time.

       Anakin narrowed his eyes. I wonder if I could stab him with a butter knife and make it look like an accident...

       "Has the art business at all been affected by the beginning of the war?" Jobal asked ruefully. Anakin could tell that Padme's parents were fully on Padme's side in wanting the war to end quickly. Palo shurgged his shoulders lightly.

      "Too soon to tell I suppose. But with the reckless movement of Jedi leading this new Clone Army, I doubt Naboo's economics as well as the rest of the galaxy's will remain stable."

       Anakin nearly choked on his food. How dare he toss his opinion around like he knee everything about the Jedi and the war? He was only an artist!

       Swallowing his temper down, Anakin cleared his throat. "And what would you purpose the Senate do to protect the citizens of the Republic, Palo?" he asked with tension in his words.

       Palo turned his way and set down his fork. His eyes looked at Anakin with some trace of hostility that only Anakin could read. "Focus all efforts on ending the war. These so called Keepers of the Peace will only cause more resistance on the Separatist side. Look at what they're feeble attack of Geonosis led to!"

       Anakin stiffened in his chair. "Well as one of those 'so called peace keepers' I think that it's only fair to recognize that the Jedi are supporters of the Loyalist Committee. Hundreds of Jedi gave up their lives for the good of the Republic. You call that feeble? I call it noble. Blaming this on the Jedi is nothing but fabrication," he added bluntly.

       "Anakin..." Padme warned softly.

       Ruwee stepped in. "Fabrications, Anakin?" he asked curiously. Anakin sucked in a breath. Palo's views were far from whar Padme stood for. He just had to show her.

       "Fabrications," Anakin repeated to the whole table. "This war was inevitable. The Senate may not have known it but that's what they've wanted this whole time. Chaos fuels politics, and in turn, politics give chaos a tangible meaning. The Senate lit the fuse of this war long before they knew they had found the match. The Jedi can only minimize the damage, we can't stop it."

       The dining room seemed frozen in a moment of time as no one moved. Anakin finally turned back to Palo with a smug grin. "I'm sure I didn't mean to offend you, Anakin," Palo answered without letting his glare off of Anakin. "With all your knowledge of politics, I assumed you were some sort of ambassador."

        Jobal folded her hands together. "I've never heard you speak that much, Anakin. You're views on the Republic are so intriguing!"

       Padme watched Anakin with an impressed and possibly amused expression. "I thought you didn't know much about politics," she reminded him.

      Anakin grinned even wider. Palo looked defeated. "Well I guess it's one of my passion... among others..."

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       Hey guys! So I'm home from Washington DC and I hope to have more writing time this weekend. Some stuff happened between me and my best guy friend so I'm a bit moody now but this will probably just help me with my writing because I write my best when I use my own raw feelings. (not that any of that stuff will really matter to you all) but just thought I would let you all know how life us going. Lol until next time, may the Force be with you!