FORCE OF NATURE ( A. SKYWALKER ) [2]

V.

"It must be difficult having sworn your life to the Jedi," the young Senator glanced up at the two Jedi seated across her, stirring her porridge with her right hand as she did. The three childhood friends were currently on board a starfreighter, one of the transports used by those aliens who could not afford the luxury of using their own ships. They were heading to the planet of Naboo and had to use this spacecraft so that they wouldn't get caught by any of the assassins who would dare attempt to take the Senator's life.

"You know, not being able to visit the places you like or do the things you like." The young Senator continued, taking a spoonful of her porridge into her mouth as Anakin nodded his head once at the older woman seated across him.

Layna awkwardly sat beside Anakin, playing with her fingers as she watched as Padmé lowered her hand and stir her porridge once more. She hasn't really talked much since they left Coruscant, and she tried to understand what exactly she was feeling deep inside her heart. She didn't think that she possibly felt something for her best friend, she thought that the racing of her heart when she was reunited with him for the first time in years was just a one-time thing. She thought that she was only nervous and flustered because Anakin grew up to be such a fine young man, someone she was not expecting. She didn't think that she'd actually catch feelings for her best friend, she didn't think that he would grow to become someone more than just the boy she met on Tatooine.

Layna was so preoccupied with her own thoughts that she didn't notice the way Anakin glanced over at her, his bright blue eyes taking in as much of her beauty as possible before he had to will himself to look away. "Or be with the people that I love."

The female Jedi girl noticed the silence that followed after Anakin's statement, which made the girl look up out of curiosity, since she wasn't exactly listening or paying attention to their conversation for that matter. She was surprised to see that Padmé was looking at the younger girl was a knowing smile, glancing over at the boy beside Layna as her smile grew even wider.

Layna peered over at the boy beside her, who seemed to be staring at her as well with his bright eyes glinting as he had a gentle smile on his face. Confusion grew inside the young girl as she glanced over at Padmé, then back at Anakin, who finally averted his eyes away from the Jedi girl. She heard Padmé  clear her throat as she stirred her porridge once more, focusing her dark eyes on the boy seated across her.

"Are you allowed to love?" Layna did not miss the glance the Senator sent her way, although it was just a brief moment, she caught it anyways. She felt the small amount of sadness laced with her tone, her lips pursed as she spoke once more. "I thought that was forbidden for a Jedi."

"It is," Layna finally contributed to the conversation, deciding that it would be best to push her thoughts about Anakin away for at least one moment. She'll just deal with it later, when she's alone so she has the time to ponder carefully. "It was written in our Code."

"No," Anakin suddenly said, causing the two women to turn their attention to the only male present in their company. "Attachment is forbidden. Possession is forbidden. Compassion, which I would define as unconditional love, is central to a Jedi's life."

Layna burned Anakin's words into her mind, recalling the time her Corellian friend questioned the Jedi Code three years ago. She could never forget the words Aria had uttered to her that very day, the words that she couldn't keep off her mind until weeks after her visit to Corellia.

Because you're not truly living if you refuse to love someone and find happiness, Layna.

"So you might say that we are encouraged to love."

Layna could feel her admiration for the boy grow this very moment, as she could see just how much Anakin had grown in the years they've been apart. Maybe he has truly changed, he wasn't the same boy she and Padmé met all those years in that junk shop in Tatooine. He was now a Jedi apprentice, and more than anything, he was no longer that little boy Layna remembered but a man.