Anakin's Fortress - Book II (temporary cover)

Eleven - Magnanimity

Conquer the dark one by not getting angry; conquer the wicked by goodness; conquer the corrupt by generosity, and the Empire by speaking the truth.
Year 10

——————

Kat

Anakin is doing well, in my opinion. He answers questions from Luke mostly, with an occasional one from his aunt and uncle. I let him handle it, but every few minutes, I interject to try to save him from an awkward subject.

When he tells Luke he has a twin sister, the kid pounds him with excited questions which, between Anakin and Obi-Wan, are answered diligently.

"Can I meet her?" he asks for the second time.

The first, asked immediately after Anakin made the announcement, I took one look around the table and in a split second realized two things. Beru and Owen didn't know about Leia, and the other two didn't have an answer.

So, I asked where Leia lived. When Anakin said Alderaan, the questions moved right into who she is—a princess, which still shocks me. Alderaan is no backwater planet.

This time, I stay out of it. They all received time to think about it; that's good enough.

It would seem Anakin used the time well. "That would need to be planned in advance. I don't get a lot of free time and people like Leia generally have a long list of official duties. But for now, I could arrange a holocall, if you want."

Luke grins widely and agrees, then falls into questions more about her. I learn she's strong-willed and outspoken, and that she's already involved in politics. At ten. Some sort of age-appropriate group, but I'm still blown away.

Obi-Wan seems more focused on me than Anakin and Luke. I can't help but watch him, too. It's like looking at a different person. Any frustration he felt with me during our first meeting and any remorse he feels toward Anakin appear gone completely. He's even and controlled with a wise look on his face. He even sits straighter than I've seen.

I like Beru. She seems gentle and loving, a perfect motherly figure. Owen seems like a hard ass, but he's been pleasant. I get the sense he's not Kenobi's biggest fan. He was a touch cold toward Anakin at first, but he's warmed up.

I roll the little coin Luke gave me over in my pocket as the adults discuss his achievements. He meets my eyes across the table and he seems embarrassed by his aunt's proud declaration of his invention skills. I wink, and he tries to wink back. It's...just a blink. Suppressing the snort that almost slips out, I look away quickly and peek down at the coin.

It's old. Like, really old. It must have been minted hundreds of years ago. There's only part of a word that hasn't been rubbed off and it's in a language I've never seen. I don't know the metal type, either. Luke told me he found it on his windowsill one morning when he was "a kid," in his words.

I peek up at Obi-Wan. If I'm right in assuming only the senator who adopted Leia knows he exists and where he lives, that only leaves Obi-Wan. I wonder what he was thinking when he left an ancient coin for Luke. And, what was Luke thinking giving it to me?

"Come on, Luke," Beru says. I blink and shake myself out of my thoughts. "Help me get dinner ready." He gives Anakin another glance before climbing to his feet and running into the house after her.

I'm struck by the fact that I was the same age as him when I was uprooted to Mustafar. And though in some ways he reminds me of myself, in other ways, he is everything I couldn't be after Mother died. He is talkative, energetic, and bright.

I don't want anyone to dim Luke, ever. Not the Empire, not the Sith, and not the Jedi. How will we protect him? And Leia? I do not underestimate the power of him learning, of being trained. I just want to make sure he has the confidence to make his own decisions.