Master: a sw ff || Book I

Chapter One

I wake to Padme's soft voice.
"Ani, come on, its time to get up," she says. I sleepily open my eyes and sigh, a long, effortless sound.

She goes out the door, while I get up and dressed. As I sit up, I am again arrested by the sight of my prosthetic hand. Metal and black. I test it, and it still moves. I can feel with it, but I do put a glove on it when I'm out with Obi-Wan, to protect it from unwanted glances and stares.

Once I am up, I meet Padmé along with R2-D2 in the small room I guess you could call a breakfast area. R2 beeps at me, demanding a pat.

"Hello R2," I say, smiling at him. "Where's 3PO?"

R2 replies with another series of beeps so fast I can only catch the last few words. "...through the doors right n-"

"Master Skywalker, I have received a piece of information from your master. Obi-Wan. He says for you to reply as soon as physically possible and-" C3PO says hurriedly, walking through the double doors to join us.

"Calm down 3PO!" Padmé says, stepping in front of him and putting her hands on his shoulders, while he flaps his arms around.

"Master Skywalker, I think you should reply to his message right now becau-"

"3PO, seriously, he is fine with me replying late to his messages, he'll be no different today, so what's the rush? And I've only just got up!"

"But..." C-3PO sighs. I sit down on a stool and start on the bowl Padmé put in front of me a few minutes ago.

R2-D2, however, crashes into C-3POs legs and starts beeping and doing that little scream of his, obviously not caring about the other robots health.

Padmé steps in and pushes R2 away, and turns and comforts C-3PO, who is moaning and fidgeting.

"R2, what's gotten into you? You are normally so calm in the morning." I say.

He responds with a chorus of beeps about how Obi-Wan is going to meet me in the Jedi Tower later today, and I mustn't be late, because it's about me becoming a Master.

"Oh my gosh, why didn't 3PO tell me?!" I say, exasperated. R2 says it's because he was, but didn't, because I would get annoyed and run off. "Well that's exactly what's going to happen now!"

"What's going to happen, Anakin?" Padmé asks.

"It's about the message C-3PO was going to give me about Obi-Wan." I reply.

"And that is..?"

"That he was going to meet me later in the Jedi Tower to discuss me going through the final stage of training to become a Jedi Master." I explain.

Padmé literally leaps over to me, and then she hugs me. "That's amazing! You've been wanting to do that for ever!"

~~~

Later that day, I meet Obi-Wan in the lobby of the Jedi Tower.

"Hello Master. C-3PO told me that you wanted to speak with me."

"Yes, Anakin, I told him to tell you. Did he explain what I want to talk to you about or did he leave it to me?" Obi-Wan replies.

"I know Master. R2-D2 told me that you want to speak with me about the final stage of training to become a Jedi Master." I say.

"And he is right. Come this way, it is too crowded here to speak properly." Obi-Wan says, gesturing towards a darkened corridor.

I follow him, dipping my head to Grandmaster Yoda as he passes. "Hello Master Yoda," I say.

"Greetings, young Skywalker." Yoda says, pressing his hands together.

"Anakin." Obi-Wan's voice comes from the corridor.

I hurry after him, Yoda smiling at my back and muttering something unintelligible.

"As I was saying, after you ran after Grandmaster Yoda, you are not ready to ask to become a Master, let alone be one yet."

"Master! I have been training for years! What do you mean, 'not ready'? I am!" I say in disgust.

"Anakin, are you hearing yourself?" Obi-Wan says, frowning.

"Yes." I spit.

"Good. Are you listening to me?" Obi-Wan says.

"Yes." I reply, crossing my arms.

"Well, if you are, then you would know that I am not stopping you from asking, I am just advising you to fully complete your training, then to ask." Obi-Wan's tone changes, to become more approachable.

"Fine." I say, unable to hide my delight. "Is that all, Master? Padmé is expecting me back earlier today, we were going to go..." my sentence falters as I see the disapproving expression on Obi-Wan's face. 

"Go where?" he says.

"Uh, to eat." I look down.

"Yes, that is all. You may go and... eat."

"Thank you, Master." I bow slightly and turn to leave.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan calls after me.

"Yes Master?" I say, looking back.

"Meet me here tomorrow to finish your training." he says. I nod and leave.