01 | AOTC

PANDORA HAD FOUND her way out on the balcony towards Anakin, who was looking out into the city. He didn't turn at the sound of her footsteps, but she noticed his shoulders relaxing as she stood next to him, her head turning up to peer at the boy. The large bags under his eyes becoming more visible with the second ( not that she cared, but a small part of her was nagging ). Pandora hated everything about the way her soul called out for the boy, as if he was the missing piece. "Can't sleep? The bags under your eyes must be really hard for anyone to look at, force knows they look like you got punched," she said, trying her hardest to not seem like she actually cared.

Anakin rolled his eyes at the girl, knowing that behind all the snark she really cared. They had grown up as Padawans at the same time, but every time they had interacted it was always to compare their skills. Anakin had something to prove, as he was deemed the chosen one at such a young age, while Pandora was top of the class, only proving it by passing her trials at the young age of nineteen, which only proved that she was one of the best. "If you must know, I don't sleep well anymore."

Pandora stood up straighter at the comment, knowing that feeling. Her mind constantly ran amuck when she had nothing left to do. The possibility of what her life could be if she hadn't been forced sensitive, if Jedi's were allowed to have attachments, to fall in love. Her eyes peered over at the boy next to her, wondering if his own mind betrayed him, but how could it? He was the future of the Jedi, nothing would ever get in the way of him becoming the best Jedi ever. "I've never slept well. The "what ifs" constantly plaguing my mind. You can tell me about it if you wish, this is one of the few topics I wont tease you about, oh great Chosen One."

Anakin let out a low chuckle, happy to know she was still in her ways of being annoyed with him, but she also had trouble sleeping? That was something new to him. The idea that maybe someone had similar thoughts, similar problems, that was all he needed. "Glad your humor is still intact, wouldn't want you giving that up to have a serious conversation with me. But it's nothing, just that I miss my mother."

Pandora let out a small sigh, "I forgot that you knew your mother. Must be hard, I just wonder what mine is doing. Is she alive? Is she happy? Do I have siblings? But there's nothing I can do about it, I will never know her and despite how sad it is, I can live with that idea. Nothing I can do to change the past, only allow it to come to life in my dreams." She patted him on the shoulder, "I'll be on the couch if you need me."

Obi-Wan walked over, noticing the small interaction between the two, wondering what that was all about. It's not that he didn't mind them getting along, in his opinion it was easier to be around the two, but the fact that they weren't going toe for toe in snarky comments concerned him. "You look tired," he spoke to Anakin, taking in his Padawan's tired features, the way his shoulders sunk, and the way the bags formed under his eyes. The small nod Anakin gave him was nothing short of heartbreaking. Obi-Wan had always felt attached the young boy, treating him as if he was a younger brother, filling the void Qui-Gon had left behind. "Because of your mother?"

"I don't know why I keep dreaming about her."
"Dreams pass in time."

"I'd much rather dream about —" Anakin cut himself off, nothing the girl laying on her back on the couch. He was never quiet about the way he felt, never when it came to Obi-Wan, the man was his older brother. He knew Obi-Wan would never say anything to the council, only try and get him to remove the thoughts, but they both lived with the knowledge. His head tilted slightly as he took in her relaxed state, the way her chest rose and fell with each breath, the way her hair fell around her face. She was an epitome.

"Be mindful of your thoughts, Anakin. They betray you," Obi-Wan said. He rolled his eyes at the teenager, knowing that no matter what he said the feelings would never go away. He knew what Anakin was going through, he had felt it, he understood it all. But it was never going to happen. Mace Windu had all but trained the girl to the be the perfect Jedi, she was what everyone strived to be. "You have made a commitment to the Jedi Order, commitment not easily broken."

Pandora paid them no mind, she was busy trying her hardest to focus all of her thoughts on the room Padmé was asleep in. She knew that the two brothers would stand there bickering all night and she felt a slight confusion as to why Anakin had cut off who he would rather dream about. She internally groaned, thinking the boy was off dreaming of some woman he had met on a mission, wishing he could be with her. Her mind was clear with nothing but the force, her intention focusing completely on the room, praying she would not need to get up from the couch. An overwhelming feeling consumed her, causing her to stand up and start rushing, the two men confirming her feeling.

She rushed into the room, her purple lightsabers lighting up the room as she swung at the kouhuns, their severed bodies landing across the room. Padmé shot up in her bed at the noise, a loud gasping escaping from her lips as she caught site of Pandora standing on her bed, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Before Pandora could even get a word out to console Padmé, Obi-Wan was bursting through the window. "Oh great. A Jedi who thinks he can fly."

( ...☄️... )

ANAKIN AND PANDORA had watched Obi-Wan jump through the window, tell Padmé to stay in her room, and then rush towards the speeders, all in under a minute. They were on autopilot, pushing themselves to catch up with the Jedi Master, not wanting to lose the man in the chaos. Anakin and Pandora were thankful for all of the training they had to go through as they rushed through the building, heading towards the roof, jumping into the yellow speeder, that thankfully, had three seats. Anakin immediately hot-wired the speeder, reversing them out, and heading into the busy streets of Coruscant. Pandora had her head on a swivel, looking for Obi-Wan, who she spotted falling through the sky. "There!" she yelled over all of the commotion, pointing at the man falling.

Anakin positioned the speeder right under his Master, watching with slightly terrified eyes as the man struggled to grab ahold of the speeder. Once Obi-Wan had found his footing on the back of the speeder, Pandora moved into the middle, pressed in between the two men. She turned towards Obi-Wan, an eyebrow raised, "Now, what in the force made you think you could fly?!"

Obi-Wan chose to ignore the girl, turning towards his Padawan, who he knew was the one who picked the speeder. "What took you so long?" he asked, his voice going up a notch as the incredulous tone left his lips.

"Oh, you know master, I couldn't find a speeder that I really liked—"
"There he is."
"—With the open cockpit and the right speed capabilities and Pandora wanted something yellow so that narrowed the options."

Obi-Wan sighed out loud, his hands gripping the speeder, terrified of the way his Padawan was driving. Pandora, was loving the way Anakin flew, as it was very similar to her own. Her braids flowing behind her as she tried to figure out where their attempted assassin was. "If you spent as much time practicing your saber techniques as you do your wit, you would rival Master Yoda as a swordsman," he said, letting out a small yell as Anakin aimed the speeder down.

"Bold coming from you, Kenobi. You just thought you could fly."
"I thought I already did."

"Only in your mind, my very young apprentice." Pandora rolled her eyes, every time Obi-Wan called Anakin young, as everyone knew, Kenobi was well into his twenties before he was granted the rank of Master among the Jedi. Anakin dove the speeder, agilely moving around all the other ships that were making their way around the city. Obi-Wan looked greener by the second, feeling as if he was going to throw up. Pandora lifted a brow, wondering as to why he was getting so worked up, especially when him and Anakin were constantly together. Pandora and Anakin started to laugh, their nose dive position giving them the utmost of joy, while Obi-Wan was slowly dying next to them. "Pull up, Anakin. Pull up!"  He let out a yell when Anakin finally straightened the speeder, Pandora letting out a little "whoop" at the feeling. "You know I don't like it when you do that."

"Sorry, Master," Anakin said, but Pandora caught the tone in his voice, knowing the boy sitting next to her didn't mean it in the slightest. Maybe there was something more to the Padawan next to her, tilting her head, trying not to get caught staring. She vowed to break the intricate code that was Anakin Skywalker. "I forgot you don't like flying. Dora over here seems to be enjoying the way I fly."

Obi-Wan flinched slightly every time a ship passed theirs, as Anakin was going well over the normal speed most speeders went in the city. "I don't mind flying, but what you're doing is suicide." They continued flying through the districts that lined the planet, the assassin shot at at power couplings, causing it to go haywire, Anakin driving straight into it. "Anakin! How many times have I told you —Ah!— ow, ow, ow, ow!— stay away from power couplings! That was good!"

Pandora let out a laugh, she was convinced, Obi-Wan was the sassiest man alive. Anakin went straight as the assassin turned left causing her to look at him with a confused face. "Where are you going? He went that way."

"Master, if we keep this chase going any longer, that creep is going to end up deep-fried, and personally, I'd like very much to find out who he is and who he is working for," Anakin said, "This is a shortcut, I think."

Pandora all but rounded on the boy, her eyes wide as she looked at him, trying her hardest not to throttle him. "Anakin Skywalker, are you meaning to tell me that you don't know where we are going? Or if we are even going to find who we are looking for? You are so lucky Obi-Wan and his luscious locks are sitting next to us or my lightsaber would be out and I'd be slicing you open," she snarled, looking at the boy who simply smirked in response.

His smirk nearly sent her over the edge, now remembering why she wanted to never be around him again. Pandora didn't know why a part of her was screaming for his soul, but her mind pushed it down, knowing that she could never find him anymore than the annoying boy her favorite person ( her favorite being Obi-Wan ) was forced to have by his side. The continued roaming the city, Anakin trying his hardest to find where the assassin went, using the force to try and track them, but too many people were causing an interference. He stopped suddenly, causing both the Jedi Master and Knight to turn to the boy, confusion crossing their features. "Well, you've lost him," Obi-Wan said, annoyed that they had lost their chance of finding who was trying to kill Senator Amidala.

"I'm deeply sorry, Master," Anakin said, the sarcasm in his voice deep.

"That was some shortcut Anakin. He went completely the other way." Pandora noticed the boy next to her start to fidget, surveying his surroundings, all while tuning his Master out. "Once again you've proved—"

She watched as Anakin stood up, turning to the both of them, "If you'll excuse me," he said, leaping over the side of the speeder. They both watched as he free fell, Pandora having to give it to him, he had guys.

"I hate it when he does that."
"Oooo, I get to drive."

obi-wan is the SASSIEST man alive and i live for it. pandora is actively struggling whether or not to fall in love with the man.