25 Days of Christmas in a Galaxy Far Far Away

Chapter 21

With the help of Anakin and Ahsoka, Senator Amidala has finished her preparations for her Christmas party. Now, the time has come for the party to begin, and Anakin really did not except Obi-Wan to be here.

Finally. Caught. Up. Even if it is midnight and technically the 22nd by now, whatever...

Padme placed the last tray of snacks on the main table when the door slid open to reveal the first guest, Senator Bail Organa.

"Am I early?" he asked, noticing the lack of guests.

"Just on time," Padme welcomed him in with a grin as Anakin and Ahsoka walked back inside from the porch, finished with the outside decorations.

"Master Skywalker, Padawan Tano, may I ask what you're doing here?" Bail poured himself a drink and took a seat across from Padme.

"The council assigned us as protectors, in case of an attack," Anakin replied with a respectful bow of his head, which Ahsoka imitated.

"Well lets hope it doesn't come to that, for the sake of the holidays," Bail smiled cheerily as he took a sip. Within only minutes half of the party had arrived. Anakin recognized them all as senators of some sort, even if he only had met a few. Still, he had learned over the years that there was a certain way politicians carried themselves, perhaps a certain air around them. That, and the force was telling him.

It seemed Ahsoka noticed too, as she inches closer to Anakin and away from the crowd. She knew a lot less of the guests than Anakin, and he wasn't surprised to find her wanting to avoid any attention she might get.

"Why don't we get something to eat," Anakin whispered to his padawan. Ahsoka nodded and the two took off towards the buffet, grabbing much more than they could possibly eat and taking a seat on the balcony.

Ahsoka finished her food fast, and Anakin could guess it was because she hadn't had time for lunch with all of the decorating that needed to be done. Now, she had devoured everything on her plate and had begun to subtly pick stuff off of Anakin's.

When Anakin noticed, he snatched her wrist and gave her a threatening glare. "If you're still hungry, go inside and get some more food, stop stealing mine!" Ahsoka pulled her arm back and returned the glare.

"It's not like you can eat all of that," She murmured in return, her focus more on winning the non verbal glaring battle with Anakin

"Just go inside, we didn't set up all that food for nothing."

"It's not for nothing, there's at least a hundred guests in their enjoying that food," Ahsoka jabbed her thumb towards the main room. "See!"

Anakin turned to look. Mixed in with all the tinsel, holly, and lights where all the guests, dressed formally with warm winter coats and scarfs. Every other person would be holding a plate full of food, standing in a small group to socialize. It seemed the food that they'd set out hadn't gone to waste.

Just as Anakin was about to turn back towards his meal when he swore he could've seen a familiar auburn haired man. Obi-Wan. Anakin quickly picked Ahsoka in the arm, ignoring the fact the she had stolen half of his remaining food

"Watch want. I didn't take anything, I swear," Ahsoka raised her hands innocently, her mouth full.

"Look," Anakin motioned towards a group of people, one of which Anakin could make out as Padme, the other was the mysterious man that Anakin was certain was his former master. "Does that look like Obi-Wan to you?"

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes. "Ya, what would he be doing here?"

"I don't know, he was in the room when we were assigned here, you would think if he was supposed to help serve as a guard they would at least tell him with us, right?" It wasn't like the council to change their mind on things, and usually they would inform everyone who would be attending a mission together at the same time. Of course, there were exceptions, but Anakin highly doubted that was why Obi-Wan was here, especially when he saw him wave goodbye to whoever he was talking to and grab two glasses. Certainly there was another reason for why he was here, and Anakin intended on finding out. "Come on," Anakin stood and grabbed Ahsoka by the arm.

Obi-Wan was easier to track from outside, Anakin realized once he stepped into the noisy crowd. By the force, this place filled up fast. Only an hour ago the whole room had been empty, but now Anakin and Ahsoka struggled, jabbing their way through the parties guests.

"I think we've lost him," Ahsoka commented from behind, her voice wavering with uncertainty. It was then when Anakin ran right into someone.

"Watch where you're going!" Anakin grumbled, looking up to catch a glance at the person who had been so clueless to not notice him pushing his way through the crowd. He found himself face to face with the Jedi master they had been looking for.

"Obi-Wan!" Ahsoka yelped, earning her a strange look from some passerbys. "We were looking for you."

"How'd you know I would be here," Obi-Wan rushed his sentence, shifting on his feet to get a better glance at whatever, or whoever was behind Anakin.

"We saw you from outside," Ahsoka said matter of factly. "Why are you here?"

"Ah, the council decided they wanted a third Jedi here...just in case." Anakin could tell when Obi-Wan was lying, and he definitely was, but he still replied with full confidence.

"Wouldn't want an attack with so many important political figures, right?" Anakin went along with the lie, only faintly noticing Obi-Wan mouth something to whoever he was looking at behind the younger man in the strange lighting of the room.

"Yes, that's why," Obi-Wan scratched the back of his head with his free hand. Silence fell over the Jedi soon after, nobody bothering to speak another pathetically thought up lie to only make the conversation more awkward than it was.

Anakin noticed Obi-Wan getting impatient, and he decided it may be best to leave the Jedi master to do whatever it is that he wanted. "We'll see you later then?"

"Ah, yes, we can cover more of the room if we split up. Until later than," Obi-Wan offered them a forced smile and rushed off past the two younger Jedi. Anakin turned to watch him leave, his own curiosity getting the better of him, and he could've sworn he recognized the blonde woman that Obi-Wan handed the other drink to.

Yes its Satine at the end(who else would it be). Thanks for reading!