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ASTRID FELT MUCH BETTER AFTER A LONG, HOT SHOWER. After changing into a silky white slip dress–that she made sure would cover everything that needed to be–the girl walks out of the room. Her wet hair was swept over one shoulder as she attempted to dry it slightly with a towel.
Both Padme and Astrid were in the same apartment so the Jedi Master and his padawan wouldn't be split up.
As she enters the living area, Astrid places the damp towel on a drying rack and plops down on a couch. The girl moves around a bit until she finally settles in a comfortable position, though that doesn't last long.
"Obi! Obi! Obi! Mesa so smilen to see'en yousa!"
The girl flinches at the sudden noise, placing a hand on her chest to calm her racing heart. Astrid stands to greet her guest, peaking at herself in the reflection of the mirror to make sure she didn't look bad.
A deeper voice replies to the Gungan, "It's good to see you too, Jar Jar."
That had to be Obi-Wan, Astrid concluded. Looking at herself one last time in the window's reflection, Astrid runs her fingers through her damp black hair–it looked good enough.
"And this, I take, is your apprentice–" Jar Jar squeals excitedly, "no! Ani? Little bitty Ani?"
Ani, that had to be short for something. Being the nineteen-year-old she was, Astrid prayed that either one was attractive, it would make for a much better time. Padme looks at Astrid with a smirk, almost as if sending a silent message that said 'time to play matchmaker'.
Two people walk into the room. Obi-Wan was dressed in classic Jedi attire, his hair slicked slightly back with a beard covering half of his face. And next to him, who Astrid assumed to be Ani, had short curly hair with a padawan braid hanging on his shoulder. To Astrid's luck, they were both hot.
"It's a pleasure to see you again, my lady," Obi-Wan holds out his hand at Padme, who gracefully takes it.
"It's been far too long Master Kenobi. I'm so glad our paths have crossed again, but I must warn you, I believe your presence is unnecessary."
"I'm sure the Jedi Council has their reasons," the master says, turning to Astrid who stood awkwardly fidgeting with her rings, "You must be Astrid Pagonia, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine, Master Kenobi," Astrid says with her classic dimple-enhancing grin, shaking his hand the same way Padme did. Obi-Wan turned to talk to Padme once again, allowing Astrid to talk to the padawan. "Hello, I'm Astrid Pagonia."
"Anakin Skywalker," the boy smiles.
"It's lovely meeting you, Anakin," Astrid grins.
"I'm going to guess you didn't want protection either," Anakin says with a slight smirk.
Astrid chuckles, "yes, I actually wasn't going to be placed under your protection but Padme decided that if she went down then I'd go down without her, so she snitched."
"How kind of her."
"I'm definitely going to get her back-"
"Astrid," Padme calls out, making the girl turn to face the Nabooian senator, "Your mother is on the holonet in your room."
A small groan slips from Astrid's lip, there was definitely going to be a lecture headed her way. The girl looks at Anakin with a soft smile, "It was nice meeting you."
The boy dips his head to a nod and Astrid makes her way into her room. Thankfully, there were two bedrooms in the apartment so Astrid still had some sort of privacy. Entering her room, the doors slid shut behind her and she came to the view of her mother displayed on the blue hologram next to her bed.
"Mother," Astrid greets with a small bow. She prayed her mother wasn't too freaked out.
The Queen looked distraught, "oh, my baby! Are you okay? If you want, I can send someone to come get you."
"Mom, I'm okay, I promise. I don't need to go home," Astrid pauses for a second, "plus, Padme and I are placed under the protection of Jedi Master Kenobi and his padawan, Anakin Skywalker. There is no need to worry."
"I'll always worry for you, honey. You know what? How about we expand on your training? You already are phenomenal with blasters, maybe you should practice a little bit more with hand-to-hand combat. I will get Gery to find someone to train you."
"Sounds like a plan," the girl nods, plopping down on the bed.
"I know you hate when I tell you this, but you need to be mature during the senate meetings. I understand that you are still a teenager, but this is something that shouldn't be taken lightly. This vote is very important to the Republic and-"
"Determines the future of the Republic, blah blah blah. Mom, I've been doing this for three years, I know how the Senate works."
"I'm just saying, sweetie. You still act like a teenager-"
"Because I am one," Astrid cuts off, feeling irritated and frustrated. Everyone had told her to be older than she was, and she acted that way when she was working, but outside of that, all she wanted to be able to do was act her age when she wasn't a Senator. "Mom, with all due respect, you appointed me. I'm aware that inside of the Senate I need to be professional, and I am, but when I'm not working, I will act my age and have fun because I'm nineteen years old, that's what people my age do."
"I am just warning you," the Queen says, her motherly expression replaced with her ruler one, "I have to go, but be safe. I love you."
"Yeah, love you too," Astrid weakly smiles, quickly turning off the Holonet before her mother could say anything more. Resting her elbows on her knees, she runs her fingers through her damp hair.
No one took her seriously other than Padme, it irked her. She was just as good a Senator as everyone else, why couldn't anyone else see that? It was times like these where Astrid had wished she was never born into a royal family, rather a commoner in a cute cottage in Apollo.
Why was it so hard to gain elders' respect? She had worked with them for three years–in those three years, there were many peace treaties, trade routes, alliances established with Apollo and other planets.
Pushing herself up, Astrid walks to the door. She wouldn't be able to get a good rest if her head was in an ill state, so might as well get closer to the Jedi. The girl grabs a small, fuzzy black robe to keep her warm as she gets to the door which slides open in her presence.
Obi-Wan was nowhere in sight, and Anakin stood on the balcony. Astrid slips on her robe and walks over to the balcony entrance. The girl freezes slightly just as she arrives at the balcony doors, what if he wanted to be alone? She wouldn't want to disturb his peace.
"You don't have to stand there, you know," his smooth voice calls out, making the girl jump slightly. His head turned slightly so she could see one side of his perfectly sculpted face.
Astrid's cheek flushes a light pink as she steps forward and stands next to the Jedi. He was much taller than her, which was something Astrid wasn't used to since she was 5'10. Her hands rested gently on the railing as she looked out at the beautiful view before turning to look at the Jedi. "I didn't know if you wanted to be alone or not so I was deciding whether or not to disturb your peace," the girl laughed a bit, slightly embarrassed.
He smiles slightly, "I was just thinking. What are you doing up?"
"Can't really sleep," Astrid replies, her eyes moving back to the Cityscape.
Anakin's eyes linger on her slightly, taking in her tense stature, "Is everything okay?"
"Huh?" the black-haired girl turns her head to look at the padawan, "yeah, why wouldn't it be?"
"You seem a bit tense."
Astrid forces her body to relax. She sighs, looking at the railing and tracing small doodles with her finger, "it's been a long day."
"Tell me about it then," Anakin offers, "it helps when things get off your chest."
"I suppose," Astrid continues doodling small figures with her finger. She had a small internal debate. Should she tell him? He was basically a stranger. At the same time, she felt like she needed to talk to someone and Padme was probably asleep. She decided, why not? They would have to get to know each other eventually, even if that meant ranting about her problems that probably no one related to. "This morning started well, everything was going as planned. The trip here was quite long and boring, then we got here and the whole explosion thing happened."
"I'm glad you're okay," the dirty blonde says quietly, making the girl's lips twitch upward a bit.
"Thank you, Ani–can I call you Ani?" the girl finally looks up to see him already looking at her. He nods lightly, his beautiful blue eyes burning into Astrid. "Well, after that we had to meet with the Chancellor, which was that bad."
"But it was bad?"
"It's just–it's like every other Senate meeting. No one ever takes me seriously, well except for Padme, so I learned to just stay quiet until it is a matter that concerns Apollo's input." This sent a small frown on the Skywalker's lips, but it only spurred Astrid on, who was now letting it all out. "And then, remember I had to go inside because of my mother's Holonet?" He dips his head in a nod. "She tells me to act like an actual senator, not a teenager, can you believe that? I do act like a senator, but outside of work, I want to have fun–to be an actual teenager! It's like she wants me to always be serious."
"Don't let their behavior get to you," Anakin advises, "hey, if it means anything, you're probably the best–and most fun–senator I've ever met."
"You're just saying that, we met literally an hour ago," Astrid smiles, tilting her head to the side to catch a small glimpse of his face.
His smile widens as he shrugs, "exactly, in the short amount of time, you're already my favorite."
"Oh, I'm honored," Astrid snickers, feeling much better than she did before. But after a moment, a wave of embarrassment crashed over her. Did she really just rant to a poor guy who probably wanted to be left alone? "I'm sorry for dumping all of that on you," the girl felt her cheeks heat up, "I'll–uh, leave you alone."
The girl backs up slightly but Anakin's hands wrap around her bicep. He looked at her with furrowed brows, "don't be sorry. I did ask you to vent, did I not? No need to be embarrassed, everyone needs to let off steam one way or another."
"I guess," Astrid moves back to the railing, feeling less embarrassed than before, "what about you? Any problems in your life?"
"A few," the boy chuckles, shaking his head slightly. "I haven't been getting good sleep lately."
"Why not?" Astrid asks, her voice soft and tender, "I have some melatonin gummies if you want to try them."
"I'm good," the padawan says, his voice low and almost solemn, "it's just that I've been getting these nightmares, every time I go to sleep, it's always the same thing."
Astrid frowns slightly, "maybe it means something." Anakin looks at her eyebrows raised. "My father used to tell me when I was younger that if dreams are recurring, it means something. I don't know what your dream–nightmare, rather, is, but maybe it has a meaning to it."
"You really think so?"
"It never hurts to check," the girl shrugs, before Obi-Wan interrupts.
"Captain Typho and Captain Cassidy have more than enough men downstairs. No assassins will try that way. Any activity up here?"
"Quiet as a tomb," Anakin replies, "I have to say, though, Master, I don't like standing around waiting for something to happen to Astrid and Padme."
"Well, I certainly hope we're waiting for nothing," Obi-Wan says, a small silence filling the balcony, all that could be heard was the distant honks and engines of airspeeders.
Astrid gains a small bit of courage and says, "I don't think I'm the target for the assassination. I was already a few feet from the ship when it exploded. As much as I hate to say it, I think Padme is the main person you should be looking out for."
"It never hurts to be too careful," Anakin says almost immediately, "it's better if we protect both of you until we're absolutely sure."
Obi-Wan opened his mouth to respond but froze. Both Jedi share a look before bolting into Padme's bedroom, Astrid following closely behind extremely confused. The door opens and Anakin jumps on the bed, his blue lightsaber striking a few lumps on the bed.
Astrid couldn't see what the lumps were until Anakin spoke up.
"Kouhuns, Master."
The girl's heart dropped. She had learned about the creature in school. As her textbook had stated, kouhuns were small, from the of Indoumodo that were able to deliver a deadly to their victims.
Padme bolted up with a scream, making Astrid rush over to the Nabooian senator, careful to avoid the venomous creature. Anakin still stood on Padme's bed, earning a panicked look from the girl. "What–what is–why are you–"
Astrid wraps a comforting arm around Padme, who seemed to sink into her touch. Before anyone could even process it, Obi-Wan sees the droid outside the window and races straight at it, crashing through the blinds as he goes through the window.
"Oh my," Astrid gasps, staring at Obi-Wan who is grabbing onto the deadly machine before it can flee. The probe droid sinks under the weight of Obi-Wan but manages to stay afloat and fly away, with the Jedi hanging on for dear life, a hundred stories above the city.
"Stay here," Anakin yells, running out of the bedroom as Captain Tyhpo, Captain Cassidy, four guards, Dorme, and Vereena enter the room in a hurry.
"Are you all right, my ladies?"
"I'm okay," Astrid looks at Padme, who seems to be shaking slightly, "oh, Padme, come here." The Apollonian girl pulls the Nabooian girl into an embrace, cradling her head and whispering that she'd be okay.
The assassins were definitely not after Astrid, but why were they after Padme?
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𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐈 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝. 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐝'𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭-𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧'𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐦𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭!
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