fandomhighdorms | On the Maru - Beka and Anakin

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On the Maru - Beka and Anakin - locked

Beka found herself in an incredibly buoyant mood as she and Anakin hurried across campus out to where the Maru waited for them. Not only was she getting the hell off this rock, but she got to go with someone else who loved to fly, and, probably best of all, didn't care what anyone else might think about them being out together.

Her meeting with Anakin had been sheer chance. Just a lonely wander through the dorms after Shep's doctored flyer and her meetings with the Doctor and special mission for Janet that led her into a hall she rarely had reason to enter, and a friendly conversation with someone she'd grown to respect.

And now they were going flying! Tomorrow Shep would spread the word that she and Anakin had been screwing or whatever, but it wouldn't be true, and Anakin wouldn't care and neither would she.

"Hurry up, Anakin! Time moves faster out there but we still need to be back tomorrow," she barked orders like a captain, but she was grinning ear to ear.

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Beka stared out at the blues and purples and reds. She didn't know what to make of Anakin's response. On the one hand, he'd said more than just about anything. Which made her wonder what he wanted more. On the other, he seemed to really believe in this, which felt dangerously idealistic. On still another, if she had another, it felt incredibly familiar, like being with Bobby, who always wanted to go after the Cause.

And yet again when he talked about it, he seemed to glow. She could almost see the unity and peace he talked about. Like the stories of the old Commonwealth. "You almost make me believe it's possible, Anakin. Peace, unity, goodness..."

She turned back to him. "We have nothing like you in my world. No Jedi. No protectors. Just people like me."

"Oh, I've seen peace, unity, and goodness." He scrunched up his face. "Brief glimpses of it, at least. We're not exactly in the middle of peace and joy in the Republic at the moment."

"There aren't enough Jedi to handle everything that's breaking apart. Not by half. There's a debate raging in the Senate about forming a standing army for the first time in the history of the Republic." He snorted. "I'll be as old as Master Yoda before they decide on anything."

"Politics", he said with disgust.

"On that, we definitely agree." She grimaced. "It's a filthy word. But, the more I watch, the more I learn... everything is politics. I'd like to hear more about your Republic sometime. If you want to tell..."

She ran a hand over her ship console, reassuring herself. No one would take this from her. Not even the damned school. And she'd find a way to be herself again, too, without worrying about detention all the damned time.

Beka studied Anakin. He could be an ally, if he wanted to. She'd meant to talk to Angelus first, but she actually trusted Anakin. "You say peace and harmony. To me that conjures visions of people being free and unafraid. What does it mean to you?"

Anakin sighed and looked out at the nebula once more. "I think I'm feeling too good right now to talk about the Republic and its myriad issues," he said.

He thought about Beka's question. "Peace and harmony. I see quiet. Beings living together without fear, with understanding. Without the endless miscommunications and petty agendas and willful misconceptions. Where disagreements didn't need to be settled with a lightsaber, or a blaster or an army." He grimaced. "A fantasy world. But a pretty one."

"A very pretty world. Our Commonwealth was supposedly like that once..." No. She wasn't going to think about Nietzscheans or her DNA now.

Beka put out her hand, palm up. No one touched her without her permission, and she'd bet Anakin was the same. But apologies and comfort went together. He'd reach out if he wanted to. "I understand, about home, and not wanting to think too much about it. I'm sorry to have brought it up."

He saw Beka's hand out but ignored it. It would be cold comfort right now.

"Home is..." Painful? he thought. Impossible to explain? Hard to deal with? "...complicated," he finally said. "I understand why Master Kenobi sent me here, but at the same time I feel like I should still be there, working to hold the Republc together." He grimaced. "With duct tape and wire, if necessary."

Beka understood Anakin's reaction, because no matter how much she comforted other people, it was rare that she let anyone comfort her. She returned her hand to the Maru's consoles, loving her ship, and

"Do you have duct tape and wire back home?" She offered a warm grin.

"Anakin... I brought you out here to distract you, and I have the feeling that this is at least part of what you wanted a distraction from. I'll listen, if you want to talk, but... if not, we can talk about other happier things... Or we can talk about nothing and just enjoy the peace awhile longer."

"Everywhere has duct tape and wire. They're part of the foundation of every universe, I think." Anakin smiled for a brief moment.

"I haven't been a very interesting guest, have I? My old teacher was always on me for focusing on the negative." He tried to smile again, but it didn't make it up to his eyes. "You have given me a wonderful distraction. Thank you. I guess it just reminded me of something else that I should find a distraction from. Inner demons, outer demons." He shrugged. "One I can't fix from here, another that I'm not sure I can ever really conquer." He shook his head. "Anyway. Is there anything on your Maru that could use a little tune-up? I'm accounted a pretty fair mechanic. Think of it as a thank you for a wonderful trip away from school problems."

"Don't be silly. I enjoy talking to you. We're similar, and I have my own demons that I have a hard time putting away for long. Anytime you want to come, be distracted or not be distracted, just call." She grinned. "I come out here to do my homework sometimes. More time to do it in."

She thought about the Maru and her systems. Thought about Bobby, and the people who'd have helped her take care of the ship if she weren't away at school. On a planet. With a bunch of people who never had and never would understand about space. "On a ship like her, something always comes up. I'll call you the next time? Not because you owe me, though. Because I miss other spacers. And it's just nice to spend time with someone who gets it. Deal?"

"That's a deal." Anakin grinned. "I need to head over to Jayne's soon--I told him I'd look at that scrapheap Wash had discovered before disappearing. See if it can fly, get the Flight Club off the ground." He scowled. "Pun not intended."

He gave another look back at the nebula, reached out into the Force and felt life pulsing through him. He felt a little more grounded out here in space. He smiled a little at the thought. "I needed the trip out here. Thank you."

She tracked his gaze out to the nebula, and wondered if he felt it like she did, felt a connection to the universe in the face of that beauty. Or if his Jedi training gave him something more, because the way he talked about it made it sound like it might.

"You're welcome. I needed it too. It helped clear my head about some things." It had too. She had people to talk to. "Especially all the politics we didn't talk about, like JA's 'tenets', but we should when it won't rob us both of the peace out here.

"And hey, about Flight Club? I'm in, signed up from the beginning and wondered what happened. Tell me what you need for that wreck." That made her grin, because both she and Anakin would fall head over heels with that wreck if they could get her flying. "You, a fair mechanic. Me? Very resourceful, and in possession of a ship and an entire universe to find parts in."

"Well, I say 'fair mechanic' because most beings consider 'insanely talented' to be a bit immodest." He grinned. "You can ask Padme about it if you think I'm being full of myself."

He rolled his eyes at the JA. "I don't think they're nearly as frightening as people at school give them credit for. I mean, they invited me to join. Somehow I don't see myself as the 'killing everyone in sight because I've had a bad Tuesday' type." He didn't dwell too much on what had happened on Saturday. Surely that hadn't' been what they wanted to encourage.

"And I say 'very resourceful' because most beings take exception to me saying I'm the best there is at what I do." She grins back. "There's more up here--" She taps her temple. "--than a lot of people give me credit for. I watch. I see things. I don't doubt that you're an exceptional mechanic. Really."

His observations about the JA make sense. "And yet, they didn't invite me. But to hear you tell it, on a bad day, I might take out a handful of folk, just because." She smiles. "I wouldn't you know."

"I never really thought you would. I just think you on a tear would probably be scarier to witness than, oh, Chihaya on the after-effects of gremlin juice." Anakin smiled.

"Sark and I'll be watching out for each other when the JA meets again and invites us. And Faith's good people." He thought of Angelus. "Besides, I don't think Angelus is going to be 'welcome to our secret club, join us in taking over the world, bwahaha.' It doesnt' really seem his style."

Anakin understanding she's not a trigger happy spacebunny makes her happy. "Being scary's all right. Kept me alive plenty."

"Faith's all right. The lapdance is a bit much. But hey, we're running as the Hottest Ticket Ever. Which was my idea of a joke. How was I supposed to know they'd be serious about it?" She sighed, irritated. "No. Angelus is smarter than that. Much. I don't trust him, but he's smarter than Parker. Everything's about the short game and the revenge with her."

"Faith's giving out lapdances?" Anakin coughed. "Sorry. Haven't been listening to the radio lately."

"Angelus is smarter than just about anyone," he said. "But I kind of like him. He's got style."

Beka laughed at Anakin's surprise and wondered whether to torment him with her party platform of lots of nakedness for the victory party, but decided not to, since it was already starting to annoy her. "Just as well. They say a bit more about me than I'm comfortable with."

"Angelus is smart. Very smart. I've been talking with him a lot." ~~*cough*~~ "I'll give him style points, too. He's also very persuasive."

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