The Dark Handmaiden | Anakin Skywalker

11. Fools

It did not take long for Valis to track the Jedi down. There were, after all, not many places in the palace he could go.

After showering and having dinner alone in her quarters, Valis threw on some training attire, consisting of a sleeveless black jumpsuit and arm wraps, and then strolled into the palace's maze of hallways. As she walked in the general direction of the military training zone, she reached into the Force to try and detect any semblance of Anakin's Force signature. Fortunately, it stood out like a beacon, almost pulling her towards him as if they were a pair of magnets.

As she neared the stone slope that led down into the training courtyard and the several adjoining rooms, the trail grew stronger, vibrating so violently that she could almost feel it permeate her body. Perhaps it was due to the unprecedented amount of midichlorians in his blood, but Valis had never felt a Force signature as gravitating as Anakin's. It led her straight to him.

When she saw him, Anakin's dark blonde hair was damp with sweat. He stood with his back to the door of the training room, his eyes focused intensely on the practice droid, which was crude in design compared to those he had sparred with before. Its humanoid frame was dented and clanky, yet it moved with just enough speed for Anakin to feel the burn in the muscles of his arms as he slashed at it again and again, punishing it for the embarrassment he had felt earlier.

Having slipped quietly into the shadows of the training room, Valis watched him for a moment, her golden eyes examining his form with curiosity. The Jedi had stripped down into slacks and a plain, linen tunic that was loose against his torso, and if she looked close enough, she could see the broad muscles of his back moving and straining beneath the fabric. Anakin may have been boyish in many ways, Valis noted, but he was undeniably strong.

'I've always wanted to see a Jedi train,' Valis announced suddenly from the shadows, 'though I must admit, I didn't think it would be quite so...aggressive.'

She thought he would be surprised, jump out of fright even, at her sudden, ghostly appearance. But Anakin did not react, instead with a grunt, he lunged towards the droid with newfound ferocity, knocking the thing off its metal feet. It flew across the room, hitting the padded wall with a thud and deactivating itself. Padmé spoke to me like a child, he thought.

With a confused expression on her face, Valis stepped forward, the dying light of the sun which shone in from the open roof, making her hair glow orange. 'Anakin?'

'I could sense your presence the minute you walked into the courtyard,' he said plainly, 'why are you here?' His gaze was fixed on the floor, he couldn't bring himself to look at her, not with the lingering humiliation he still felt.

Valis paused for a moment, her eyes drifting from the Jedi to the large weapons case in the corner of the room. He was clearly pissed off and it was not just written all over his face, but also distorting his Force signature. 'I thought you could use the company,' Valis said as she ambled towards the weapons case, 'you disappeared after the briefing.' Turning her back to him, she studied the selection of weapons in front of her. She was pleased to discover a set of electroblades; the kind of training sword that gave a nasty shock upon contact with an opponent.

Anakin stared at her black-clad silhouette, his hand gripping the hilt of his now shielded lightsaber. 'The Senator no longer required my services,' he stated, swallowing the bitter lump in his throat.

Valis picked up the electroblades and, holding one in each hand, turned to face the Jedi. 'Maybe not,' she replied, 'but I do.'

With a puzzled expression on his face, Anakin glanced between the blades and the handmaiden in front of him. He realised, going by the jumpsuit she was wearing and the way her hair was braided out of her face, that she had intended to train. 'I don't think this is a good idea,' he replied, after her desire for a duel had dawned on him, 'I'm a Jedi, you're a -'