Anakin sat in the maintenance bay, fiddling with a droid part and listening to the ship hum around him as it cruised through hyperspace. After a moment, he set the part aside and began scanning his immediate surroundings for a wrench he'd been using mere moments ago.
It had been several days since he'd left Tatooine, and even though a large part of him still felt like someone had ripped it out and stomped on it, the pain wasn't quite as bad as it had been the first night. He no longer felt horribly sick for his home and mother, and he had a suspicion it was because of the Jedi, or more specifically, Obi-Wan. He and the two Jedi had slid into a comfortable routine over the past couple of days, and he found it was helping him adjust.
Each morning he woke when the Jedi had finished their meditation, and he joined them for their first meal. It made him happy when Padmé joined them as well, since she seemed to get up just as early as the Jedi did, and the four of them would laugh and talk the meal through. Anakin then spent the rest of his day either in the cockpit learning the controls of the ship, in the engine room studying the hyperdrive and the sublight engines, or in the maintenance bay working on random pieces of droids he found.
Through all of his small adventures, he dragged Obi-Wan, who actually seemed happy to join him. Of course Anakin had asked at first, (rather shyly too, he admitted with embarrassment) and he had been surprised by the yes he received. Obi-Wan must've noticed his stunned expression because the young man said, while winking subtly, that it would be a lot more fun than discussing politics with Qui-Gon and the queen.
The two had been nearly inseparable since, with Anakin never finding any reason to regret asking Obi-Wan along in the first place. It actually turned out to be one of his better decisions because being with the padawan allowed him access to places and people that would've otherwise been forbidden.
Yesterday had found the two of them crawling through the maintenance hatches surrounding the sublight drives, with Obi-Wan explaining the purpose and function of all the various machinery surrounding them. Anakin had to admit that the Jedi was pretty knowledgeable. He'd never expected Obi-Wan to know so much about machines, but he was quickly learning how much more there was to the padawan.
Whenever Anakin had a question, Obi-Wan was ready with an answer that actually made sense, and his manner of explaining was always calm and patient. He seemed to go out of his way to make sure that Anakin understood. Sometimes Obi-Wan would repeat himself in a different way because Anakin still looked confused, but he never got upset or seemed frustrated.
Anakin greatly appreciated the way the young man would smile whenever he caught the boy frowning, and he would then offer an alternative explanation that usually made more sense. Anakin had actually gotten himself banned from the cockpit when a certain pilot was on duty because he'd "asked too many questions." Yet the reason he'd been asking in the first place was because the stupid pilot couldn't be bothered to repeat himself when the answer was confusing.
Anakin was also beginning to think there wasn't anything Obi-Wan didn't know about. When he'd said so that day in the hatches, the Jedi had laughed and ruffled Anakin's hair with his grease-covered hands.
"Thank you, Ani," he'd said, smiling a smile that always made Anakin want to grin. "But as much as I don't like admitting it, I'm not all-knowing. I don't know what we're having for evening meal, for example."
"I can tell you that," Anakin had replied as they shimmied out of the hatches. "It'll be the same thing as last night, and the night before that, and the night before that: some kind of flavorless meat, with a synthetic vegetable, and more of those Corellian tubers. And you'll have tea to drink and I'll have more muja juice or water, depending on if I need something that tastes good."
Obi-Wan had laughed again. "Proof that nutrition and flavor do not go hand in hand," he'd said, bringing up a joke Anakin had made after being on the ship for a day, and that was how Qui-Gon had found them. The Jedi Master had blinked at their oil-covered garments and had cracked a smile before ordering them to clean up before they went to the galley.
Their daily routine concluded with Anakin grabbing some cushions and blankets from the maintenance bay before joining the Jedi in their quarters just as they finished their evening meditation. Then Obi-Wan would help him arrange his bed between the two sleep couches, and after a mug of that milk Obi-Wan had made for him (he was starting to like it a lot), he'd curl up in the padawan's lap as they listened to a story from Qui-Gon, who, as far as Anakin was concerned, told the best tales.
Anakin was usually so sleepy from the milk that Qui-Gon's deep voice and the sound of Obi-Wan's steady heartbeat were enough to knock him out before the story had really started.
Then in the morning he'd wake, tucked in his blankets or curled up in Obi-Wan's protective embrace if he'd had a nightmare, and the routine would begin again.
Anakin found the wrench he'd been looking for and returned to the droid part. It was a few hours after the midday meal, and as much as he'd wanted to poke around the cockpit some, the pilot who'd thrown him out was on duty. Obi-Wan had gone in to scout things out under the pretense of looking for a misplaced datapad, and when he'd returned with the information, Anakin had pouted a little in disappointment.
Oh well, he sighed. There'd be other times for him to get another look at the cockpit, since they weren't due to arrive at Coruscant for another few days.
The thought of the strange planet filled Anakin with a little thrill of anticipation. Even with the details he'd pestered Obi-Wan for, he still wasn't sure what to expect, as he had no proper frame of reference for what a planet-wide city looked like. Part of him was imagining something like Mos Espa, only with really, really tall buildings, but he had a feeling that Coruscant didn't have blistering heat waves or sand everywhere.
"Blast!" he whispered; he'd stripped one of the bolts in his attempt to remove it. He'd have to find a replacement somehow and hope that the grooves in the part itself hadn't been too damaged.
"Something wrong, Ani?"
He glanced up at Obi-Wan, who lounged on the workbench Anakin nightly deprived of its cushions. The padawan looked up from a datapad, concern and curiosity shining in his blue-green eyes, and Anakin shrugged a little.
"Not really," he said. "It's nothing I can't fix."
Obi-Wan smiled and went back to his reading, leaving Anakin to sit back and mentally puzzle out the most likely location of spare parts. They were probably in one of the many storage bins they'd pushed to the side of the room so that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan would have space for their daily exercises, which Qui-Gon was in the middle of running through. Anakin was being careful to keep out of the Jedi Master's way and was sitting with his back against the base of the bench Obi-Wan occupied, parts spread meticulously around him.
"If you're looking for new bolts, try the crate in the corner," Obi-Wan said without looking up from his reading and Anakin grinned up at him in thanks. Obi-Wan answering an unspoken question was one of the first things Anakin had learned about the Jedi. He just knew when Anakin was thinking something because Anakin broadcasted it through the Force simply by concentrating intently.
Even though the recommended crate did indeed have a bunch of spare parts and countless bolts to choose from, none of them suited Anakin's needs. With a huff of impatience, he tossed the random parts back into the bin and made his way back to his seat, sticking to the edges of the room as he went.
"No luck?" Obi-Wan asked when Anakin plopped back down. The boy shook his head, watching as Qui-Gon executed a series of flips that he would've thought impossible in the confined space.
"None," Anakin replied, his gaze shifting from the Jedi Master to Obi-Wan, who sat at an angle on the bench. His back was pressed against the corner of the bench while one arm draped along the top and his legs were bent so that they'd fit properly. Anakin was surprised that no one had yelled at him about putting his boots on a perfectly good cushion, but then again, who would yell at a Jedi?
"So what're you readin'?" he asked and the padawan glanced up at him before scooting over and gesturing to the freed space.
"Take a look," he responded as Anakin scrambled up beside him and tucked himself against the Jedi. "It's nothing terribly exciting; just an old news report. But there is a small article about the podrace you won; they even mention you."
"Really?" Anakin asked, his eyes widening as Obi-Wan placed a securing arm around him and held the datapad for him to read. Sure enough, there was the article, complete with a detailed account of the race and a small picture of him waving at the crowd. "Wizard! I'm famous! Too bad they misspelled my name, though I suppose I should be grateful that they even mentioned a former slave, huh?"
"Oh, I don't know," Obi-Wan said, his eyes trained on the datapad. "From what I've heard it seems like a pretty big race, and they don't mention your background anywhere. They just say how astounding it is that a Human was able to compete in the first place."
Anakin felt something warm creep through him at Obi-Wan's words. He was a person, a Human, even though he'd been a slave, and it made him happy that the article somehow hadn't mentioned that part of the equation.
"Here, Ani, look at this," Obi-Wan said, making him peer at the datapad. "It's an article about the latest improvements to the stock snub fighter design. The Jedi have a private fleet of fighters like this that we use to get to wherever our missions might take us."
Anakin opened his mouth to ask about them when he felt Obi-Wan stiffen and glance at Qui-Gon from the corner of his eye.
"Or rather, I think we ought to. Right now we're stuck relying on commercial transports, which can be a bit of a hassle when you need to get to a planet in a hurry, or off it, for that matter," Obi-Wan added, and Anakin felt him relax a notch when it became clear that Qui-Gon hadn't noticed.
Anakin frowned at that; this was something Obi-Wan had been doing over the past couple of days, and he knew it happened only when the Jedi had let something slip. It also usually happened only when Qui-Gon was present, and Anakin got the strangest feeling that Obi-Wan was keeping something from his Master. The first real day on the ship, Anakin had awoken to them arguing, and occasionally he'd catch Qui-Gon watching Obi-Wan with a perplexed expression, or about as perplexed as a Jedi could seem.
However, as curious as it made him, it really wasn't any of his business, so he always let the events slide.
"So what are the improvements?" Anakin asked, trying to get a better look at the datapad and distract Obi-Wan at the same time. "Does the article include some kind of schematic that you can look at?"
"Yes, but it's not a truly detailed one," Obi-Wan said, angling the datapad and scrolling down to the picture. "You'd have to pay for the kind of plans I'm sure you're thinking of."
Anakin made a face at that and Obi-Wan grinned down at him. "Sorry, Ani. You'll just have to use your imagination."
They sat for a while, discussing the plans in question, and eventually Obi-Wan scrolled to the next article in the datapad. It was one concerning a new bill that was being introduced into the Senate, whatever that meant, and Anakin watched Obi-Wan frown a little as he read the paragraph.
"It's something bad?" he asked and felt Obi-Wan shrug as best he could, as he was stuck between Anakin and the back of the bench.
"Perhaps," Obi-Wan said, still reading. "How familiar are you with the Republic's form of government?"
"Um…" Anakin responded, biting his lower lip.
"Then I'll try to explain it before I tell you about this article. There are three different branches that make up the Republic government: there's the court system, the senatorial branch, and finally the Supreme Chancellor. The senatorial branch makes the laws we live by, the Supreme Chancellor decides which ones are truly relevant, and then the court system upholds those laws. Does that make sense?"
Anakin nodded, trying to visualize everything. Padmé and Obi-Wan waved at him from their place in the Senate, he saw Qui-Gon buried under datapads that had come from them, and Jar Jar ran around trying his hardest to get people to obey the laws that Qui-Gon had decided upon.
He didn't seem to be doing a very good job, though…
"Within the Senate, which is made up of representatives from each Republic system, there are two different bodies, one of which votes on which proposals for laws get turned into bills, which get passed on to the other branch for a final vote. If that body decides that the bill is satisfactory, it gets passed on to the Supreme Chancellor, who makes the final vote. If he or she decides that the bill is all right, it gets made into a law."
"How does anything get done?" Anakin asked, blinking up at Obi-Wan in shock. "There must be thousands of worlds, each with millions of people. How do they agree on anything?"
Obi-Wan smiled. "Oftentimes, they don't agree, which leads to lots and lots of debates over sometimes the silliest little thing. That's one of the reasons why the queen is so concerned; she's afraid that her people will run out of time before she's able to save them."
"Oh," Anakin replied, frowning. "But if it's so hard to do things, then why do people keep the system around? Wouldn't it make more sense to have one person? Things would get done faster that way."
A strange look passed over Obi-Wan's face, his smile fading and Anakin noticed that the padawan had tensed again.
"It… it might, Ani," he said at last, his gaze drifting from the datapad down to Anakin, who began shifting slightly. He felt like Obi-Wan was scanning him, reaching deep into his soul and seeing everything.
Anakin had grown to love spending time with Obi-Wan, who seemed to radiate a warmth that reminded him of his mother, and at times it felt like he'd found the older brother he'd never known he'd wanted.
There were moments, though, when the warmth would vanish. Anakin would say something he thought was completely offhand and the Jedi would freeze, his eyes glazing over. It was more proof that Obi-Wan was hiding something, and the first time it had happened, Anakin had been given some clues about the nature of the secret.
The event had sent chills down Anakin's spine, because when Obi-Wan had looked at him, his blue-green eyes had melted to a misty grey that held horrible, flickering shadows. Anakin had only ever seen the look on the most tortured soul, and there had been plenty of those among the slaves. He'd even caught the expression on his mother from time to time, her shoulders drooping under some unknown burden and her eyes brimming with sorrow.
It was the look that told of a deep wound of loss, which appeared only when the pain grew too strong to be contained.
He hadn't been able to speak when Obi-Wan had fixed him with that gaze, so instead he'd done what he did whenever his mother had looked like that: he'd hugged the Jedi as tightly as he could.
To his surprise, Obi-Wan hadn't objected. He'd returned the hug fiercely, as though he were starved for the gesture.
"What did you lose?" he'd asked quietly, finally finding his voice and trying to help in the only way he knew how.
"Everything," came the whisper, startling him.
Then Obi-Wan had turned away, apologizing for scaring him, but Anakin had seen the Jedi in a completely different light since then. Beneath the happiness and the genuine kindness he somehow sensed rolling off Obi-Wan, there was a black undercurrent of a sadness and a grief so deep that Anakin was surprised it hadn't consumed the Jedi.
How he remained so strong despite it was incredible, and after realizing its presence, Anakin was also surprised to note that he seemed to make it shrink whenever he was near.
So he'd stayed with the Jedi as much as possible, strangely pleased that his presence could be a comfort to someone.
"But think about it for a moment."
Obi-Wan was talking again, the look shoved out of the way for a while, and Anakin pulled his mind from its thoughts to focus on the Jedi's words. "Would you really want one person telling everyone in the entire galaxy what to do? Do you even like it when just one person bosses you around, when you have no say in it at all? Yes, things would get done faster, but is it really worth giving up your voice? Is it worth the threat of corruption?"
"Hm," Anakin responded. That side of the suggestion hadn't occurred to him.
"And yes, every type of government is vulnerable to corruption, but at least with this system, it stands less of a chance because of that disagreement," Obi-Wan added, and Anakin nodded a little, trying to wrap his mind around the ideas that were being presented. "As for the article, it's about a bill that would limit the Jedi's involvement in general negotiations, from peace settlements to land disputes."
"But why would anyone want to stop you guys from helping people?" Anakin asked, startled by the information.
"There are many who feel that the Jedi's presence is unnecessary and would like to see us completely disband," Obi-Wan said, his tone a touch sad. "They say that even though we claim to be peace keepers, our Council would like to see the entire Republic answer to them alone. They don't understand that Jedi don't seek power; we seek to ensure balance."
As Obi-Wan spoke, Anakin felt his heart contract strangely at the mentioning of the mysterious Jedi Council, and he sensed that Obi-Wan was looking at him. "Is something bothering you, Ani?"
"What…" He met Obi-Wan's questioning gaze before looking away.
"What will happen once we reach Coruscant?" he finally asked, voicing the fear that had been growing in him for a while. He felt Obi-Wan shift and then draw him closer, the Jedi's arm tightening around his shoulders.
"Well, once we land, the queen and the rest of her party will most likely meet with the Chancellor. As for Qui-Gon and me, we'll be called before the Council to report on our mission to Naboo. But you're worried about what will happen to you," he said and Anakin gave him a small nod. "I can't say for certain, but I'm betting you'll come with us, so the Council can meet with you and test you."
"T-Test me?" he whispered, freezing in sudden fear. "What does that mean?"
"It's not going to hurt, if that's what you're afraid of," Obi-Wan said, smiling at him. "They'll probably run a guessing game of sorts, asking you to tell them what's on a datapad that you can't see. And then they'll probably ask you some questions, to try and see what kind of person you are."
"Like if I'm good or bad? That kind of thing?" he asked, a note of apprehension leaking into his words, and Obi-Wan glanced at him with a reassuring smile.
"I think it's more about the type of personality you have," he replied and Anakin bit his lip as he thought. "Like how you would respond in certain situations; if you're quick to anger or aggression when attacked, or if you respond calmly and defensively."
"And if they decide I'm too quick to anger?" he asked, the note back, and Obi-Wan set aside the datapad so he could wrap both his arms around Anakin, who couldn't help clinging back tightly. "What happens if they decide not to train me?"
"Let Qui-Gon and me worry about that," he said. "You're still just a little boy, Ani. Let those who promised to take care of you do so, and focus on the present."
Focus on the present, he repeated to himself.
"When I meet the Council, Obi-Wan, I'll do my best to respond like a Jedi," he said softly, and the arms around him tightened in encouragement. "I'll stay calm, no matter what they ask, and I'll make sure to think about all the sides to their questions. I won't give them a reason to say I shouldn't be trained."
"I know," Obi-Wan said.
You have a good heart and a kind soul, came the foreign thought, and Anakin blinked a little. Somehow, it sounded like Obi-Wan.
"Don't worry, Ani. Qui-Gon and I will handle everything."
Anakin found himself leaning more and more heavily against the Jedi, his eyelids steadily drooping as he continued to listen. Obi-Wan's gentle, even tone grew blurrier with each passing word, and his head lolled against the padawan's shoulder…
"Ani?"
He jerked upright, blinking groggily when he found Obi-Wan smiling down at him. He silently noted that he was still curled up against the Jedi, except his hands had fisted around the padawan's tunic and his head had been pressed against the other's chest.
"I'm sorry to wake you, but it's my turn for exercises and I couldn't get free," Obi-Wan said and Anakin let go, feeling embarrassment roll through him.
"Sorry," he mumbled, earning an affectionate hair-ruffle as Obi-Wan slid off the bench.
"It's all right. No harm done," Obi-Wan said with an easy grin, one that helped to calm the shame that Anakin felt. "Go back to your nap. I have a feeling that your body is still adjusting to the Coruscant sleep cycle."
He nodded as Obi-Wan set up for his exercises, or katas as they were apparently called, and found that he'd much rather watch than sleep at the moment.
When Obi-Wan executed some of the most graceful motions Anakin had ever seen, an expression of utter tranquility present on the padawan's face, he began to wonder if he would ever learn to move so fluidly.
I will, Anakin thought suddenly, his lips tightening in determination. Then no one will ever associate me with Ani the slave. I'll be Anakin Skywalker, best Jedi Knight in the galaxy, and no one will consider me worthless again.