Chapter Text
Anakin let out a loud, delighted cry when the ship entered Sadu’s troposphere, and flew into a bank of storm clouds, pregnant with water and lightning. The boy pressed his face to the transparisteel, fascinated with the violent view. Three years away from Tatooine did not erase his almost religious adoration of rain.
(Obi-Wan was still unconvinced that Anakin did not venerate rain as an actual deity. Whenever he asked him about it, Anakin evaded the direct answer with glee. Soon, a discussion about theoretical religions became a habit of theirs, an inside joke between two bored friends with too much imagination. Master Windu thought they were both insane when Anakin placed an altar for Azathoth, The Vengeful Tooka god of Wrath, in the Room of Thousand Fountains and convinced a few initiates to bring mashed fruit as an offering. The following morning the fruit was gone. Obi-Wan suspected it had fallen victim to Master Yoda’s sweet tooth.)
A sudden flash of blinding light filled their cabin, and the roaring thunder shook the ship as if it were a mere child toy. Anakin laughed. And even though Obi-Wan knew they were in no real danger, he watched his padawan with unease.
“Can you, please, at least step back from the window?”
“Did you see that?! Did you?”
“Anakin, right now I can’t see anything else but the lightning, and I hope you realize that glaring into a fifty thousand kelvins hot stream of plasma is not good for your eyesight.”
“Nah, don’t worry. The viewports are shaded.”
“Not enough. Come here.”
“But-“
“Now, padawan.”
“You’re no fun.”
It took him three long strides to get to Obi-Wan’s cot. The bed creaked as he sat down, sighing.
“The storm’s the only fun thing about this mission, you know.”
“Maybe, but the lack of adrenaline does not diminish its importance.”
“But why do we have to bring a baby?”
It was not like Obi-Wan himself did not question the Council’s decision. It had been only three years since his padawan left his mother for the Temple. And although Anakin put up a brave front, and pretended he did not miss her – every other night Obi-Wan listened to his muffled sobs, powerless to soothe the boy – playing the same scene and forcing him to take the role of the one taking the child seemed needlessly cruel. And yet, Anakin did not look bothered at all, only bored to tears.
“Every knight has to partake in the building of the next generation, Ani. That’s how the Order maintains its existence.”
“But – a baby?” He waved his hand in the direction of the bags full of necessities for infant care.
Obi-Wan was not sure whether Anakin sounded annoyed or distressed.
“It is the best age to enter the Order,” he offered. Weakly, he had to admit. “The transition is… considered to be the least… harmful for both sides.”
Anakin made a discontented huff, but chose not to retort. He laid down, nested his head on Obi-Wan’s knees, curled into himself. Obi-Wan gently brushed the boy’s gold hair with his fingers.
“If you wish so, you may stay in the hotel while I take care of… the mission.”
“What happened to the ‘Padawan is to remain at Master’s side’, heh?”
“That rule stands when there is a parade nearby, and the padawan in question makes his master go grey early with worry that he’ll bolt out and disappear in the crowd.”
“I totally found my way back.” Anakin’s tone was light and joking, but his arms wrapped around Obi-Wan’s thighs spoke differently. Oh, dear one, what a pet you are, the master thought.
“After three hours. With the comm turned off. I thought someone kidnapped you.” The fear he had felt that day would have earned him another lection by Master Yoda on attachment. “Nevertheless, the offer stands. You can stay in the hotel room. Stuff your face with anything you want. Watch non-educational holovids to your heart’s desire. Jump on my bed-“
“You’d be wizard as a salesman, Master.”
Another lightning. Another thunder.
“But no, I’ll go with you.”
Tagawa Kona, the largest spaceport the planet Sadu boasted of, was battered by cold rain when their ship finally landed. The thousands of heavy drops drummed on the tin roof of the entrance hall. The check-in was uneventful; the officer looked as bored as Anakin when he had to write down his philosophy paper.
Obi-Wan realized he was an idiot only when they got out. A simple old banner in front of the gate. Older than the vote that took place in the senate a few years ago. The vote on forsaking the planet’s colonial name and reclaiming the one in the native tongue as the official one. He was sure he had read about the vote. And forgot about it immediately.
Welcome to Stewjon!
Sadu ta bike-taya!