Star Wars: Grey

Ch: 17

"Are you sure this is such a good idea...?" I asked Kala as we were already halfway across the field that Obi-wan and Anakin were training at the far end of. We could already see them as they tried to meditate, Obi-wan thought that this was a good place to do so for Anakin. Surrounded by the quiet of nature.

"A bit too late to back out now." She seemed to tell me as we walked. "They already know we're here."

I looked over toward the duo, and sure enough...they seemed to stop what they were doing as Kala and I approached them.

"And here they are." She stated as we came to a stop, about five feet away from Obi-wan and Anakin.

"Thank you, Kala." I simply told her, before I dismissed her. "You may go." With that, she gave me a simple smile before she left me with the other two Jedi. I turned back towards the two other Jedi. "How have you been...?" A simple enough question...right...?

"Training." Obi-wan seemed to tell me, obviously not impressed by my presence interrupting their training.

Does he think I'm Padmé...? I quickly asked myself, a little amused that Kala's game is playing out as intended. He never would've reacted in that way if he knew it was me.

"I much prefer training with the blade as opposed to this." Anakin seemed to say, in a low voice but still heard by all.

"And this is why you need to learn patience." Obi-wan seemed to tell Anakin before he turned back to me. "Now if you'll excuse us."

"Actually...!" I stated, gaining his attention. "There is a reason for my being here, it involves Nova." The look on his face instantly changed to that of concern. Talk about a 180....

"W-what about her...?" He tried to play down however he must be feeling while in front of Anakin. This only seemed to make Anakin raise an eyebrow at his master's words.

"She had some training with Ashlyn earlier today...and...it would seem the training didn't quite...go as planned." I simply told him, trying to keep my voice calm. Didn't go as planned...? I asked myself. Yeah...I supposed cutting myself off from the Force wasn't the plan...it wasn't even in the realm of possible plans. Yet it had been the outcome.

"Did she get hurt...?" Obi-wan seemed to ask me.

"In a way." I simply replied. Which didn't seem to help him, as the worry upon his features seemed to ever so deepen.

"Where is she...?" Obi-wan seemed to ask me, a little too urgently.

"In her room," I stated. Great...now I'll probably haft to beat him to my room. Wait.... A thought just crossed my mind. "But don't try to go to her right away...she's more...sad than hurt. Just wait...a bit...?"

"How long would you say she needs...?" Obi-wan seemed to ask me, a little bit annoyed at that.

"If it was up to her...?" I seemed to ask, slightly hesitating with my answer to that. "Probably a week, maybe more...but...more like...an hour. Just enough time to let her cool off first...?" Just enough time to let me get back to my room and change out of this Force-forsaken dress and pull down my hair.

"An hour." Obi-wan seemed to repeat my words, as if in some sort of confirmation.

Great...he'll be swinging by my room later.... Just what I need....

"Right...I...." I turned towards Anakin as he'd stayed to himself most of this conversation. He was looking me up and down in such a way that sent shivers down my spine yet somehow...Obi-wan was oblivious to this. Right...so...I suppose that confirms that. Anakin probably still has a thing for my sister. "I should leave you to it, Master Jedi." With that, I hurried off back towards the palace, towards my room.

I can't believe that worked...! And...I do feel slightly better just pretending to not be me for a moment. I wondered if that's what Kala meant by me pretending to be Padmé.

At least until I tripped on one of the stairs leading into the palace and barely managed to catch myself upon the railing.

"Nova...?!" I heard a voice say from behind me. I slightly turned around to see Padmé...great. "Are you actually wearing a dress...? One of my dresses...? I can barely get you to wear one when you need to be wearing one...and here you are...wearing one of my dresses...! How did you even get it...? You went into my room, didn't you...?"

"Kala lifted it." I instantly sold out my friend. It was her fault I was even wearing a dress, to begin with.

"Anytime you need to wear a dress...get Kala to pick one out for you." She simply me. She wasn't mad...I was a little bit confused at that but then again she is my sister and sisters are supposed to share...right...?

"What...? Why...?" I seemed to ask her, in regards to getting Kala to pick out my dress. "She'd actually make me wear it."

"Good." She seemed to tell me. "And you can't get out of it by using the Force to persuade her to let you leave your room without wearing one." I just stared at her. "What...? Don't think Obi-wan didn't tell me about that."

It wasn't about that...it was about the Force. At being reminded about it, about how carelessly I would use it. To get out of wearing a dress of all things...?

"H-hey...." She instantly stated, her demeanor slightly changed to that of comfort. "What's wrong...? What happened...? Nova...?"

"Padmé...." I stated, my voice going quiet, soft. "Oh...Ashlyn and I were training in the woods." I started to explain the events of the day. From Ashlyn and me training to Kala dressing me up, even to the conversation I had with Obi-wan and Anakin...even with them thinking that I was her with the two Jedi not even knowing that they had been talking to me and not her.

"I know just what you need." She seemed to tell me before she dragged me off to my room.

Once in my room, she locked the door behind us and helped me with taking my hair down and to get out of the dress. It was so complicated to put on, Kala had to help me with it. After the dress was off, she went into the bathroom, which connected to my room, and started the water in the bath.

"A nice relaxing bath...just what you need." She seemed to tell me. She even put some flower petals and oils in the bath water.

"Are you sure...?" I asked her as I stood in the doorway of the bathroom, blanket wrapped tightly around me as I didn't really feel like standing there naked in front of her.

"It always helps me calm down." She seemed to tell me before she set some clean clothes on the shelf within the bathroom. A simple silver-colored summer dress. Nothing overly fancy or elegant about it...save for the material it was made out of. With that, she left the bathroom.

I closed and locked the door behind me before I got into the bath, leaving the blanket now laying on the ground. Although...not even a minute into the bath, I heard a knock on the door of my bedroom...at least it wasn't on the bathroom door.

Luckily, or unluckily, Padmé was still in my bedroom when I heard my bedroom door open.

"Nice to see you, Obi-wan." She seemed to greet the person at the door.

"Padmé." Obi-wan had greeted her back. "Y-your wearing a different dress."

"I do like my dresses." She seemed to tell him. "Oh...she's in the bath, so it'll probably be a while. Feel free to wait in here."

Padmé...! I internally screamed at my sister for even suggesting it.

"But I don't sense her anywhere around here," Obi-wan stated, his tone showed just how confused about that he was.

"About what we just talked about...." Padmé seemed to say, even though she wasn't the one who had talked to him. "She might need some time." With that, the bedroom door closed but I only heard one set of footsteps leave...and they weren't as heavy as Obi-wan's.