The Lucky One ⋆ Anakin Skywalker

𝖎𝖎𝖎. A Pretty Bait

            Thalia scoffs loudly. "He seemed quite stupid," she corrects. "And rash. And he doesn't seem to think before he speaks."

           "And he called you beautiful."

           Thalia had been called beautiful before. She's a public figure, a Queen, she knows her worth and appearance, and is willing to accept that she is pretty.

           But she still can't shake the sincerity in his voice when he said it. It's like he couldn't help himself, he just had to get it out. 'You're beautiful, I can't go on without saying it.' Almost vital.

           She clears her throat. "He insulted me the minute prior. I'm sure he just wanted to make up for it."

           "Or he found you beautiful," Padmé adds in a sing-song voice. She knows how to get her point across, and how to evade the issue, as any good politician would.

           Thalia knows how to disagree. Being antagonistic is what she's best at. "He's of the Jedi Order. I'm willing to bet that if it was anything, it was just an observation."

            It's enough for Padmé to close her mouth and consider the situation. The Jedi made a sort of vow, an oath. They live by the Jedi Code, which prevents them from falling to the Darkside of the Force. But it also forbade them from physical attachments. Affection. Love. They were all paths to the Darkside and forbidden. She guesses that, if what Anakin said was to be taken at heart, physical attraction also made the cut on the list of forbidden things.

            Which could explain why Obi-Wan had seemed so appalled, and disapproving. But Thalia knows duty, how it gnaws on your bones and presses on your throat, and knows that it couldn't be thrown out the window at the sight of someone, no matter how beautiful they are.

           "Well I think you can't say it with that much intensity without any emotions behind it, whatever the Jedi Code says," Padmé muses again.

            Thalia sighs, and stands up. "I think you're a romantic," she tells her. "And that you're not being our bait."

             She's almost surprised to realize that Thalia remembered the beginning of their conversation, thinking that she had successfully diverted her attention. "Think this through, Thalia," she says, using her name as a way to sweet talk her. "It's our most effective way to catch the killer. Artoo can stay in the room and alert you if anything happens." The Astromech beeps in excitement. She opens her mouth to argue, but she catches her. "I know you have a very fine ear, contrary to Anakin, I know about Pelidians."

            Her elongated ears do have the benefit to come with an overdeveloped hearing. She could hear everything that was going on in the other room even as they spoke, the back and forth of a Jedi, and the quiet whispers. Cyran clearing his throat at the end of the corridor.

            And she could trust herself to run to the room and be quick enough to jump in at any given time. As for fighting, well. She's not sure she's ever lost a fight.

            "Alright, fine," she says, and Padmé shouldn't look as happy as she is now. "Don't smile like that, it's indecent."

            "But I love winning arguments against you, it's so rare!"

            "My ego doesn't need that."

            Padmé starts to shoo her out of her room. "Go now, Anakin already knows. I'm sure he is dying to talk to you."

            "He already what–"

            She's out the door before the word is even completely out of her mouth. Cyran walks to her with a confused face. "Your Highness?" he asks, having the decency to pretend like he didn't hear everything. He drops it when he sees anger bringing a blush to her cheek. "What part of this is upsetting you? You agreed to the plan."