Sara grinned to herself as she opened her eyes. Today was her fifteenth birthday a day Master Ash-ka had normally found a unique way of celebrating. Her sunny mood disappeared for a moment as she remembered that Ash-Ka was no longer her Master. Sara swept the memory of Master Ash-Ka aside not letting it upset her sunny mood as she threw the coverlet off the bed and slid to her feet. Dressing hastily, Sara bounced out of her room and towards the kitchen cheerfully. Master Adu-reil was already dressed and eating her breakfast as Sara bounced in. "Morning Master." Sara chirped happily. Adu-reil did not even glance up. Unperturbed Sara opened the fridge; on her twelfth birthday, Ash-ka had stocked the fridge with all Sara’s favourite thing and a large cake in the centre shelf. Adu-reil’s fridge contained the usual array of food Sara picked up the milk container and sighed, her Master had forgotten to get milk or at least to throw the empty container away. Sara frowned to herself; nothing was going to get her down on her birthday. "I’ve got to go Sara." Adu-reil said standing up and pushing her chair out, Sara itched to remind her new master about her birthday but stopped. Adu-reil glanced at the calendar on the wall and then back at Sara. "I almost forgot." She said. Hope rose in Sara’s chest. "Today’s laundry day, could you do it please?" the master finished. The girl nodded dumbly and tried to swallow back on tears as the door closed. Miserably she picked up her books noticing that if she ate in the cafeteria she would be late for her first class. * Sara sighed outside her door and let her bag thud to the floor as she keyed in the entrance code. She had had perhaps the most depressing birthday in her entire life. She had been late for her first class because the turbo lift had stuck and so the teacher had reprimanded her in front of everyone. She had messed up an answer in maths and been told off for not concentrating. Just as she thought that nothing could get any worse, the two kids sitting beside her had passed a note through her, only problem was that Sara had been caught with the note and had been made to stand in the corner and stay after class. Lunch had arrived unusually slowly and already late Sara had rushed down the stairs nearly tripping over the small figure of Master Yoda. The little green Jedi Master had made Sara stand in the corner as well and so by the time Sara had got to the cafeteria she had missed nearly half of lunch. If things hadn’t been bad by then, they were about to get worse. There had been a few muted happy birthday messages from her friends but none of their usual teasing and jokes. The table was deathly silent when she sat down and people looked at her in sympathy but didn’t say anything. Finally, one of the girls had whispered that Juli had ordered all of them not to say happy birthday to her. She had really bitten down on her tongue and tears then, Juli was determined to wreck as much of Sara’s life as possible. Lunch had broken up silently and Sara had fled to the safety of Master Jinn’s light sabre classes, but he had been called away to the senate and Mace was teaching them instead. That class had been moderately alright and Star Fighter repairs had been good too but her teacher for "The modern history of the outer rim galaxies" had sprung a surprise test about the planet of Tullsia on them. Then it had taken her the whole afternoon to finish the laundry. The entire day had been an utter misery. Sara finished keying in the code. Her last hope was that Master Adu-reil hadn’t really forgotten her birthday. The apartment was dark inside and Sara moved cautiously towards the light switch. "Hello?" She called and then louder, "Hello? Master?" She switched on the light in the kitchen and saw a note on the table. Hopefully she picked it up and opened it. But the hope died almost before it had been given wings. ~~"Dear padawan." Adu-reil had scrawled, "I have to go away to a convention but I will be back tomorrow. Make yourself dinner. Did you remember the laundry? Adu-reil."~~ Sara crumpled the note and slammed it into the bin. Tears blurring her eyes she sprinted into the bedroom and curled into a ball. She wanted this day to be over as soon as possible. Juli was making her life miserable, her Master had forgotten about her already and even Qui-Gon hadn’t been there. "Psss!" A noise came from the grill and the next second it clattered to the floor. Sara looked up and tried to scrub away the tears on her face. Xanatos’ head appeared upside-down for a few seconds and then he fell through the whole his cape billowing impressively behind him. He swept her up into arms and hugged her. "Why are you crying monster?" He asked softly brushing the tears from her face. "I had a rotten day." Sara sniffed. "So I heard." Xanatos said softly, "A little birdie told me. Well Barin actually." "Barin?" Sara asked confused. "Juli was boasting about how she made your birthday a misery." Xanatos said, "Why didn’t you tell me it was your birthday?" Sara shrugged and Xanatos gave a mischievous smile. "Come with me!" he said his blue eyes smiling. He picked her up and used the force to jump straight back up into the ducts. Half bent over he carried her through the larger ducts always climbing steadily upwards until they reached another grate. Xanatos put her down and climbed a small ladder before flinging open the gate. He climbed through and then helped Sara up. It felt like she had emerged on top of the world. The roof of the top most tower on the Jedi Temple was off bounds to most apprentices. Xanatos grinned and gathered her around the waist stabilising her as they climbed higher. There was a small platform and a blanket had been set out and weighed down on the edges. Xanatos disappeared again and then reappeared carrying a basket of food. "It’s beautiful." Sara breathed standing on the edge most rail and looking out across the endless city. Lights shone like jewels and she leaned back against Xanatos as he put his arms around her waist. "It is." He breathed, "It is like from up here you can hold the entire world in your hand. Wouldn’t you like to hold that much power Sara?" She shrugged non-committally, "I don’t know. I can’t as a Jedi anyway Xani." "That is where they are wrong." Xani gave a brittle laugh, "The Jedi could hold the entire universe in their grip with the powers they possess but they don’t or won’t or can’t." "It’s not our place..." "Who is to tell us our place?" He whispered and whether it was to her or the night sky, she couldn’t tell. "Just think of people everywhere doing your command Sara. Whispering your name." "Xani." Sara was suddenly worried but then he laughed and hugged her tighter. "Close your eyes birthday monster." He said. Sara did so but she didn’t relinquish her hold on the rail, something in Xanatos’ voice before had been threatening almost dangerous. She felt the smooth links of a chain slide around her neck and she opened her eyes to glance down. She had a thin silver chain on which was hung a miniature crown. "On Telos." Xanatos explained, "Sara means little princess." She turned around and hugged him her eyes shining. Xanatos’ own eyes crinkled and he shrugged, "It’s just something small." He said. "It’s wonderful." Sara said. The wind shifted suddenly making her clutch at him and he clutched back. Sara’s heart fluttered and Xani’s eyes almost crinkled in amusement but then he stopped. Slowly and surely, he kissed her. They drew away and Sara clung to him harder and pressed her face into his chest her knees weak as she listened to his own rapidly beating heart. She was positive that he could hear hers even over the howling wind. Briefly, she thought about what she was doing, Xani was eighteen she only fifteen surely he hadn’t meant it. //Every bit of it.// Xani said softly into her mind. Sara smiled against his tunic and then he stepped back and led her back to the picnic. The meal was simple but elegant and Xanatos had even thought about a cake. Sara smiled at the design of the Jedi symbol and swirls. "Some of your friends made it for you." He said, "Juli didn’t wreck everything." Sara smiled sadly and watched as Xanatos scowled briefly. The expression cleared and he cut her a slice and then himself one. They ate and then hurried out of the wind. Xani stopped as they clambered down the ladder and turned his face to the night sky so that his features were lit by the gentle bath of city lights. "Everything." He whispered to himself and Sara told herself that it was the cold that was making her shiver and not the look on Xanatos’ face. |
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| In The Palm Of Your Hand By Kit |
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