Inseparable : Book One

Chapter 3: The Calm Before The Storm

I look from Master Yoda to Master Kenobi and then back to Anakin Skywalker. They cannot be serious, I think as my cheeks flush pink with anger.

"Your next trial will begin in the morning" Master Windu says "and Anakin Skywalker will be... assisting you".

"Assisting?" I ask.

"Help you with your next trial, he will" Master Yoda responds.

"Help her? I thought that this mission was mine to complete and she was helping me!" Anakin's annoyingly whiny voice calls from behind them.

"You both are to be tested" Master Kenobi turns to face Anakin, his face stern. "We need not go over this again Anakin".

"I'm confused" I confess. "I thought my trials were to be completed on my own?"

"While most trials are completed by oneself, some must be completed with the assistance of a fellow Padawan. This is one of them." Master Windu answers.

"Great" I mutter loud enough for them to hear my disdain with the entire situation.

Not only have I left everyone I'be ever known behind to never see again, now I have to handle my next trial with the most impulsive and disastrous padawan in the entire temple. My eyes lift to Anakin who has walked to the corner of the room with Master Kenobi. Anakin is taller than i remember, with short hair that dons a long padawan braid. As I examine him, his eyes flicker away from Master Kenobi and meet mine. A bright wave flashes over me, setting me off balance and I fall backwards onto the floor.

"Emma!" my master calls as I open my eyes. I am now laying on the stone floor, Master Windu, Master Yoda, Master Kenobi, and Anakin standing above me. "Are you alright?"

"I believe so, I'm not sure what came over me" I say as I stand and steady myself against Master Windu.

"Rest, you need" Master Yoda says sheepishly. "Rest, we all need. Late it is."

Master Yoda, Master Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker all exit the main room leaving me alone with Master Windu. We had not spoken alone since we had entered the ship on Naboo. I stand alone now, able to hold my own balance once again.

"Emma" my master says "tomorrow you will begin your next trial. This one will be more difficult than the last."

More difficult? My mind shoots back. How could anything be more difficult than what I just did?

"I know your first trial was more difficult than you imagined" Master Windu states while he's eyes examine my face, reading my thoughts.

My emotions have betrayed me once again.

"But you will need to trust in yourself and someone else for this next trial or you both will fail".

"And never become Jedi Master's" I finish his sentence. "I understand Master, you need not say more. Where will we be going for this trial?"

"All I can tell you is that you will need to be strong for your partner in this mission. It is less of a challenge for you than it will be for him."

"I don't understand"

"You will. But for now you need to rest to regain your energy" Master Windu finishes the conversation.

I bow and walk away from him, my eyes scanning the room around me. I have always loved the architecture of the Jedi Temple, it's simple elegance and beauty. Yet, I had no connection to it- the stone was cold and unforgiving. I go through the door on the far side of the room and walk down the hall towards my quarters. As I retreat further from the meeting room, my mind wanders closer to home. What was Padme doing now? Was she preparing her speech for the senate? Was she laughing at my brother's dumb jokes? Was my mother making dinner for everyone? I would do anything to see her one more time. I turn the final corner on my path and slam into something. No, not something, someone.  The laugh I heard not long ago in the meeting room rings out once more. Anger fills my body.

"Anakin. What are you doing here?" I spit out as I step backwards to look him in the face. I brush off the robes as if he had a left a disease on them that I wished to remove.

"You should probably watch where you're going next time" Anakin's rebuttal stings. He had no idea what I had to do today and didn't care. He was the councils golden child. He could get away with callous and cruel jokes or interrupt important meetings without being reprimanded by Master Yoda or Master Windu.

"What are you doing here?" I ask again, anger rising in my voice.

"I was stopping by to make sure you were prepared for tomorrow, especially after you passed out during the meeting earlier" He stated, more softly spoken than he had before. His eyes glanced across mine once again.

As I looked at him, I remembered the wave that had come over me earlier- making me fall to the ground. It had happened right after I met Anakin's eyes across the room. I remembered a white flash and then waking up to Master Windu calling my name. Odd timing it seemed to be, probably because I was exhausted from my first trial.

"Hello? Earth to Space Princess?" Anakin calls again pulling me out of my trance.

"Don't call me that" I state loudly enough for others to hear which pulled the smile off of his smug face. I hated when people referred to me as a princess because my sister was a queen. Especially Anakin calling me that.

"Sure thing, Gungan breath" He retorted as he rolled his eyes.

"Better" I say smugly, forcing my fakest smile. "But to answer your question, I'll be ready after a night of rest".

"Seems like you need more than that."

"Please shut up" I reply "It's awful enough that I have to endure a trial with you and now you're taking up my time to sleep".

"I'm leaving" His eyes flicker to mine again and for a moment I can sense his anxiety about the trial as the words go unspoken."Goodnight Emma".

He turns and walk away, towards where he stays and away from me, leaving me angrier than before. Why do I have to rely on him for my second trial and why did Master Windu say it was more for him than me? I don't want to be a service to help the golden child. I want to make my own name.

I find my door and open it, quickly crashing into my bed. My eyes fail me as I lull off into a deep sleep that is met by nightmares of my past. One memory standing out amongst the rest, my fallout with Anakin Skywalker.