Path to War (The Chosen Twins Book #2)

Chapter 11 - Mystery on Kamino

Aniya Skywalker

The last rays of golden sunlight are coming in the window as Anakin, Padme, Jaufre, and I eat dinner together. Two of the workers at the lodge bring in desert. Just as Padme is about to start eating it, I sense Anakin doing something with the Force, and the fruit promptly moves away from her fork, and she stabs the plate.

I look studiously at my plate to hide my grin. Anakin is doing likewise. She tries again and the same thing happens. Her gaze flicks between the two of us suspiciously.

"You did that?" she demands.

We both look up, completely innocently, but still unable to hide our grins. "What?"

"Guilty!" accuses Jaufre, though he's unable to suppress a smirk either.

Padme scowls in response, though I can tell she's trying to conceal her amusement and tries to jab the fruit. I see Anakin move his hand slightly and the fruit floats up off the plate and hovers in front of her.

"That!" she exclaims, "Now stop it!" We all burst out laughing. She reaches for the fruit and it quickly evades her grasp once again.

"Ani!"

"Which of us are you talking to?" I ask with a perfectly innocent smile and she just groans. Annoying Padme is completely hilarious. Even though she seems to be finding it as amusing as we do. Anakin moves his hand slightly and the fruit flies to him.

"I'm not really supposed to do that... for fun, I mean," he comments, "If Master Obi-Wan was here, he'd be very grumpy." Yes, well. If either of our masters were here, we'd be getting a lecture. I can kind of see why that's a rule, but I don't see why it's such a big deal. Doing things like that for fun every once in a while, isn't going to hurt anyone.

Anakin cuts the fruit and Force-throws a piece back to Padme who bites it out of the air, laughing.

By the time twilight arrives, I decide to call it an early bedtime. It's been a really long day and I just want to sleep. Perhaps I'll actually be able to get a decent amount of rest tonight. Padme and Anakin stay in the main room of the lodge with the fireplace burning as I leave the room to go to one of the bedrooms. Jaufre has already headed off to bed as well.

I stretch out on the bed and close my eyes. As usual, sleep evades me. Instead, my mind starts wandering. Before I know it, I find myself thinking about Mom and the nightmare I know is soon to come. What's happening to her? Is she alright? I need to know, and I'm beginning to think that now might be our only chance to find out.

I really don't want to ignore our direct orders from our masters, or the Council for that matter, on our very first mission. We can't just leave her there, either though. We can't sit back and watch, and let her die! If I did, the guilt would kill me. At least if we try to save her, even if we aren't successful, we would know we did the best we could.

I groan quietly, frustration reaching its maximum. We need to go to Tatooine! We've waited ten years. We're so close... if we just went and came right back here it wouldn't hurt, would it? But we'd have to tell our masters, and they probably wouldn't let us. Why did we have to get in this situation? Why couldn't the Council have let us free her to begin with?!

I let out a few deep breaths, attempting to calm my frustration. I shouldn't hold on to emotions like these for long. It's a darkness I have that I know doesn't belong there. At least, that's what I've been taught.

Rolling over, I close my eyes again and try to let sleep come to me. I can hear random words from the conversation, which I'm trying to ignore. I really do want to know what they're talking about, though. I think.