Its been seven years since I got my lightsabers. Seven long years full of training and endless studying. Anakin and I are still rivals. He wouldn't be so bad if he weren't so arrogant, selfish, and competitive. He makes my blood boil. Luckily I hadn't seen much of him the last four years due to missions and off world assignments. Today I have my first mission without my master. In wake of the attempt on Senator Amidala's life I was to be her personal bodyguard until the threat is eliminated. Her and I have become quite good friends these past few years. As I made my way to her apartment building I picked up on an all too familiar presence. I made my way into the building and into the elevator the force signature growing stronger the higher the elevator climbed. My heart thrummed in my chest when I heard the elevator ding and felt the doors open.
"I shall ignore him for now" I thought to myself.
As I exited the elevator I felt everyone's eyes on me Including Anakin's. I felt a shift in the force as I sense his heart rate increase.
"Padmé, it's so good to see you!" I gushed rushing over to her and enveloping her in a hug. "Im so glad you're ok".
Padmé hugged me back even tighter her excitement at my arrival becoming infectious for I too became excited.
"Anala! Oh, I've missed you" she exclaimed a beautiful smile plastered on her face.
As we pulled away from the hug I smiled at her and turned to Master Obi Wan.
"Hello Master Obi Wan, it's good to see you again!" I beamed at him.
He smiled a pleasant smile back at me.
"Hello Anala, its good to see you too. Is your master not joining us?" Obi Wan chuckled.
I laughed in response and smirked proudly. "Actually I was assigned this mission by myself" I shot Anakin a knowing look.
I could feel the dissatisfaction radiating off of Anakin like a burning sun.
"The council must think I'm the best of our rank to assign me a mission on my own" I continued on, each word geared directly at Anakin. "I'm sure soon enough I'll even be knighted" I smiled toying with my padawan braid.
"We know they wouldn't give a blind girl the rank of Jedi Knight." Anakin scoffed. "Not before me anyway" he finished with a roll of his eyes.
"Oh yeah Skyguy? That's why my master isn't here and your's is?" I smirked my white eyes shifting to Anakin.
"Now now children now's not the time to be bickering" Obi Wan piped in his usual snark shining through.
I threw my hands up in feigned surrender. Padmé sat on the couch amused with the exchange.
Captain Typho began to speak. "Im grateful you all are here, the situation is more dangerous than the senator is willing to admit" he said disapprovingly.
"I don't need security, I need answers. I want to know whose trying to kill me". Padmé said getting straight to the point.
"We will find who is trying to kill you" Anakin said without a moments hesitation.
"That would be overstepping our mandate Skyguy" I scoffed speaking before Obi Wan could get a word out. Anakin rolled his eyes.
"She's right Anakin, we will do exactly as told by the council" Obi Wan stated further strengthening my point.
Padmé got up off the couch to retire to her chambers. I walked to the window wishing I could see the bustling city for myself.
"There's more than enough men downstairs" Obi Wan stated. "What's going on?" He asked looking at the tablet in his hands.
"She covered the cameras" I said my sightless gaze trained out the window.
"I don't think she liked us watching her" Anakin said a smirk growing on his face. "She programmed R2 to alert us if there was danger" Anakin followed up.
My senses screamed at me something was wrong.
"Do you feel that?" I asked my gaze breaking away from the window.
"I sense it too" Obi Wan says as all three of us run towards Padmés chambers.
Anakin cuts the Kouhun in half and my senses turn towards the window. Without thinking I dive through the window and grab onto the droid that let the arthropods in. I immediately begin to regret my decision as I sense how long the drop would be.
"Kriff" I mutter holding on as tight as I can.
Anakins POV
"Is she insane!" I yelled as Obi Wan and I ran out of the apartment building stealing the first speeder I could see.
"She might be" Obi Wan sighed not looking forward to my driving. "You know I hate your driving, you drive like a maniac" he said bracing himself for my reckless driving. I sped off using the force to sense where Anala was. I picked up on her force signature and I drove as quickly as possible weaving in and out of traffic. My heart was in my throat when I spotted her dangling from the droid her long brown waves cascading down her back. As I got closer to her suddenly the droid exploded causing Anala to start free falling.
"Kriff, brace yourself Master!" I shouted turning the speeder into a nose dive.
I sped as fast as I could past her and pulled up to make it level. I heard a thump in the back of the speeder and a groan from the blind girl.
"Couldn't have made it any softer of a landing?" She grunted rubbing her head.
"Its not my fault you decided to jump out of a window onto a droid and fly through Coruscant." I snapped back annoyance in my voice.
I could practically feel her rolling her eyes.
"Follow that speeder" she snapped pointing a delicate finger towards a green speeder.
Anala's POV
A
nakin began to follow the bounty hunters speeder and then suddenly took a turn in the opposite direction of the bounty hunter.
"Anakin where are you going, they're going that way." Obi Wan pointed exasperatedly.
"Don't worry its a short cut... I hope" Anakin muttered under his breath. My heightened senses allowed me to hear his comment so I slapped him upside the head.
"You hope??" I growled. "We were in pursuit of them and you HOPE this is a short cut? Who let you be the driver?" I ranted disbelief lacing my voice.
Anakin rubbed the back of his head. "Would you relax! It's a short cut.. I can feel it". He said confidence pooling into his attitude.
"It better be Anakin" Obi Wan said with a raised eyebrow.
As we came into the clearing Obi Wan and Anakin began arguing about how she's not there. I remained silent, reaching out through the force. I slapped Obi Wan and Anakin upside the head and pointed in the direction of her speeder.
"Children, children she's right there. Follow her" I said sarcasm dripping from my lips.
Obi Wan and Anakin both rubbed the back of their heads as Anakin began the pursuit again. As we approached the speeder Anakin began to stand Obi Wan immediately grabbing the controls. Anakin leapt from our speeder onto the bounty hunters.
"Anakin, Anakin! Oh I hate it when he does that" Obi Wan cursed climbing into the pilot seat. I climbed into the passenger seat after him and we followed Anakin until the bounty hunter's speeder began to smoke Anakin's lightsaber flying right by my head. Luckily my reflexes are quick and I snatched it out of the air.
"Anakin lost his lightsaber" I stated clipping his lightsaber to my belt.
"That boy never learns" Obi wan muttered following as the speeder began to crash land.
Obi Wan parked the speeder and we jumped out following after the boy with sandy hair.
"Master they went into that club" Anakin started ready to run after them.
"Patience, use the force, think. She went in there to hide not to run Anakin" Obi Wan said Anakin nodding. "Also, try not to lose this next time" he said scolding Anakin.
"Yes Master, sorry master" Anakin hung his head as we walked into the club.
I split off from Anakin and Obi Wan to find my own information. I walked to the corner of the club ordering a drink and sensing my surroundings. As I was surveying my surroundings my concentration was broke by a sleazy man standing in front of me.
"What's a beautiful girl like you doing alone at a bar like this" he slurred clearly drunk.
"Listen, im here on important business. Do me a favor and get lost" I spat, his disgusting scent filling my nose.
"Who do you think you're talking to!" he raged drunkenly getting too close for my liking.
"Im talking to you sleazeball now get lost before I make you" I growled my annoyance cracking through my calm composure. I placed my hands on my lightsabers ready to draw them if necessary.
Suddenly I felt a tall, broad presence in front of me. I rolled my eyes at his appearance.
"She said get lost" Anakin growled his eyes alight with fire.
Anala squinted her white eyes Anakin's tone of voice throwing her off. Was he acting? Its gotta be an act, he hates me as much as I hate him.
The drunken man muttered something incoherent as he walked away.
"I didn't need your help you know, I can handle myself" I said annoyed.
"Why can't you just say thank you for once in your life, would it kill you?" Anakin spoke exasperatedly.
"To say it to you Skyguy, yeah. It just might kill me". I scoffed beginning to push past him. He grabbed my arm and stopped me from going.
"No, what's your problem with me. What did I ever do to you?" He asked a slight crack in his voice a hint of something else there.
"I-" i began to speak before I was cut off by a woman's yell and a sound of a lightsaber.
"Saved by the Obi Wan" I thought to myself running over to him.
We dragged the woman out into the street beginning to question her.
"Who hired you?" Obi Wan asked a wave of seriousness washing over his features.
"Tell us" I pressed the hunter.
"Tell us now" Anakin snapped glaring down at the woman.
"It was a bounty hunter named-" she began but was cut off by a poison dart being shot into her neck.
She spluttered and spoke in her native tongue before she fell limp. I sighed as Obi Wan took the dart from her neck.
Later we returned to the temple to report back to the council about what had happened.
After Obi Wan finishes the debrief we are released from the chamber. The sun has set fully now as i make my way towards my room.
"What a day" I thought to myself as I slid into my room. No more than five minutes later I heard a soft knock at my door. I walked to it and opened it recognizing the force signature before I even touched the handle.
"May I help you Anakin?" I questioned my sightless eyes fixated on his face.
"We need to talk, meet be in the gardens tomorrow afternoon?" Anakin asked a gentle look on his face.
I tilted my head in confusion trying to sense any sign of a joke. When I sensed none I slowly spoke.
"Umm, sure I guess" I replied a skeptical look on my face.
Relief flashed across his face when she agreed to meet him.
"Ok yeah, I'll see you then" Anakin says as he walks off his steps unusually light.
Maybe it's because im tired but it seemed as though he was relieved I said I'd meet him? Its because im tired, there's no other explanation. I sighed getting into bed preparing for a long day ahead of me tomorrow.