LITTLE RICH GIRL
Chapter Five

Anakin put on his cloak, and Qui-Gon came in. "We’ve dined with the rich before, so it shouldn’t be much trouble. Just mind your manners," he said.

"You think they’ll like me?" Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan came in. "They will. Just be the good Jedi that I know is in there," Obi-Wan said, and Qui-Gon went over to fix Anakin’s cloak.

"And don’t chew on the bones and give yourself away. There." Qui-Gon looked at his friend, the son he never had. "Go and have fun. Just make sure you’re back by eleven. We need to check the messages, if any." Anakin smiled and was off.

He was about to open the door himself when a man in a suit did it for him.

"Good evening, sir," the man greeted him. Anakin nodded his head, and already felt lost. He walked down a grand staircase and looked around at the people. They were all dressed up. The women had feathers in hair, and the men wore some kind of cologne. He leaned against a wooden pole, waiting for Padmé. He could hear music playing, which to him was torture. He heard some people behind him talking and heard the name Bail. He turned around and saw Bail and Jobal walking with a group of people. But they were washed away when he saw Padmé coming down the stairs. She wore a black and purple dress, black heels to match, and black gloves. Her dress trailed behind her, tied in the back and with a low back, and her hair was pulled back into a loose bun with a chain wrapped around it. He could see that she wore makeup, but just enough to enhance her beauty. She walked down and met him. He took her hand, kissed it, and smiled.

"I saw my master do that once, and I’ve always wanted try it," he told her. She smiled. She stepped down to the main floor. He held his arm, and she took it and laughed a little. She met up with her mother, Bail, her sister, and her brother-in-law.

"Darling…darling," she said to Bail. "Surely you remember Knight Skywalker," Padmé said. Bail turned around and smiled.

"Of course. I can never forget anyone who saved my future wife," Bail said.

Sola came up. "Well, if anyone had to save you in that moment, Padmé, I don’t think you’d get luckier than a Jedi--and a handsome one at that," Sola said.

"Anakin, this is my sister, Sola." Padmé smiled.

"Oh, and this is my husband, Richard." She pulled a man close to her. "Richard, this is Anakin. Padmé’s been talking about him lately." He nodded. "I wish you could meet our two little girls, but they’re in bed."

"You have two girls?" Anakin asked with a smile.

"Yes, a five-year-old and a three-year-old," Sola said. Anakin smiled. He had always dreamed of having daughters. Padmé smiled, the group shifting. After walking a little more, they went down more stairs. Padmé’s family went up to an older couple, and Padmé looked around to see if Anakin should know anything about anyone. She found someone.

"There’s Queen Aurora," she pointed out. "And…um…" She turned around and saw a man. "That’s Governor Sio Bibble and his mistress, Leann." Then she turned and saw two more people. "That’s the Countess Nicole Delancre and her sister, Margaret Delancre. Margaret will be getting married to Senator Thorn in a few months. He’s away right now. Her sister, Nicole, is just two years older than myself." The two turned to the couple that her family was talking to. "And over here we have Louse and Lousel Gordon. Louse is part of the royal court, and Lousel designs the most beautiful dresses and…um…naughty lingerie, among her many talents." Anakin smiled, and Padmé waved to them as they waved to her. A man came up from behind.

"Well, enjoying yourself, Anakin?" It was Ruwee. Anakin smiled, and they walked into the dining hall. The queen, Padmé’s family, Rick, the Delancres, and Sio Bibble and his wife sat a huge table. Anakin noticed that Ruwee and Jobal sat far away from each other. Ruwee was next to him, instead.

"So, Knight Skywalker, tell us of the Jedi. We don’t see them here much," Jobal started off.

"Um…Knight Skywalker?" Bail asked, and Anakin nodded. "Knight Skywalker was of some assistance to Padmé, and to reward him, I invited him to dinner. But, yes, we would like to know about the Jedi. I’ve come across one or two in my life," Bail said, taking some fruit. Anakin didn’t know where to start; he could go on for hours talking about the Jedi and still would not cover everything.

"Well, ma’am, sir…" He was using his best manners. "What would you like to know?"

"Well…" Ruwee was going to ask the first question. "How did you become a Jedi?"

"I was telling Padmé this a few hours ago. In most cases, a Jedi is taken from their family at an early age, usually before a year old. Then they train, learning the basics, like tapping into the Force, meditation, basic saber skills until they’re about ten. Then a Jedi Master will take them as a Padawan and train them until they pass the trials and become a Knight. And if the High Council sees that they are proficient enough, then they will become a master. But I’m different. I was found on a remote planet and taken at nine. But I was a slave and was not allowed to leave."

The queen shook her head. "That’s impossible. There is no slavery in the galaxy anymore."

"But, your highness, where I came from, the Republic doesn’t have much influence. I did win my freedom. I won the Boonta Eve Classic," Anakin said. They looked at him oddly. "Pod racing." A few of the men smiled.

"You must be very talented. Most humans can’t do it. And you were nine?" Richard asked.

Anakin nodded. "I was the only human who could do it. I won, and I was free. But the Council almost wouldn’t let me become a Jedi because I was too old. But I got lucky. And hopefully, I’ll be a master soon." Everyone was impressed.

"Are you one of the best Jedi?" Sola asked.

"If you go around the Temple, they would say I’m the best star pilot in the galaxy. I don’t know about the best Jedi. They say I might be the Chosen One. The one who will bring balance to the Force."

"I’m impressed," Nicole said, smiling.

"So, are there any rules to follow?" Jobal asked.

"Yes, there are. One has been changed, the rule about relationships. We can have those now. But most are still the same."

"Tell us some," Bail said.

"Well, possession is still somewhat forbidden. Attachment was one, and the same with passion. Compassion, which I define as unconditional love, is most important in our lives. We are encouraged to love. And that is what took out the rule about falling in love and marrying. But I thought the rule was okay to have, because Jedi will always have enemies, and those enemies will try to hurt the ones we love." Anakin glanced at Padmé.

"I think that works out," Jobal said.

"But now we must be careful, because a Jedi shall not know hate or anger."

"We all should not feel or know it," Rick said.

"We are the peacekeepers. We never engage in battle, except for defense. Fighting is a last resort for us," Anakin said.

Sio Bibble nodded. "And it should always be like for everyone," he said.

"What are you fighting for? Or what did you swear to fight?" Sola asked.

"I swore to fight the Dark Side and its followers, the Sith. The Sith are the opposite of the Jedi," Anakin said.

"Of course everything has an opposite," Ruwee said.

"I swore to protect and serve the Republic and its people at any and all costs."

"Well, I will sleep soundly tonight," the queen said.

Padmé wanted to ask about something that she heard. "Anakin." He turned to her. Her heart leaped in her chest. "Is there a saying that goes ‘Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads…’"

"’…to hate, and hate leads to suffering.’ Yes, that is true, Padmé. A Jedi must not be angry about losing something. Because it turns to jealousy, and that turns to fear of losing it. If we do lose something, we must let it go."

"Well said, Anakin," Ruwee said.

"Hear, hear," Rick said.

The group was laughing out loud at stories. Anakin had to laugh at some. Padmé leaned toward Anakin.

"Next will be brandies in the smoking room," she said.

Sio Bibble stood up. "Well, men, join me for a brandy?"

Padmé laughed. "This is when they sit under a cloud of smoke to congratulate themselves on being masters of the galaxy." Padmé leaned back in her chair.

"Ladies, thank you for your company," Rick said. Bail stood up, stood behind Padmé’s chair, and whispered into her ear.

"Shall I escort you back?" he asked.

"No. I’ll stay here," she said. Anakin stood up.

"Joining us, Knight Skywalker?" Sio Bibble asked. "You don’t want to stay out here with the women, do you?"

"No, thanks. I need to head back," Anakin said.

"Might be best." Bail came up to him. Anakin somewhat had to look down at Bail because he was so tall. He was almost twice Bail’s size in muscle, as well, and some of the women at the table had been impressed at that. "Nothing but money and politics. Something you might not be interested in." Bail shook Anakin’s hand and started to walk off. "Oh, and Skywalker, good of you to come."

Anakin walked to Padmé.

"Anakin, must you go?"

"Time for me to go back to protecting the galaxy," he said with a smile. Padmé smiled back. He took her hand and kissed it. "Good night, Countess Padmé." As he pulled away, he left something in her hand.

It was wrapped in tissue paper. She unwrapped it, and in was a note and a carving of some type with a string hooked to it. She read the note.

It’s a japor snippet. It will bring you good fortune.

She smiled and saw him walking away. She sighed. He was perfect, and never had she met a man with blue eyes like that. She sat there, watching him walking away, as if she were in a dream.

Chapter Six
Stories