[Junior Jedi Knights] - 01(10)

“I guess I better start figuring when to sneak out of the academy,” Anakin mumbled. “You mean we better,”

Tahiri said with a grin. “And don’t worry, if we get kicked out of the academy-not that I think we will-you can come home with me.”

“And be one of the Sand People?” Anakin replied with a little laugh. “Thanks, but no thanks.” Anakin fell silent. He wasn’t sure he should let Tahiri come with him to the river. After all, she had drowned in his dream. “Tahiri, maybe you shouldn’t get involved in this,” Anakin began.

“I know that you’re worried about me drowning,” Tahiri replied. “But I have to come with you. We’ve both had the dream, and that means we’re both supposed to raft the river. Something is calling to us, Anakin,” Tahiri said in a faltering voice. “And even though I’m scared, I’m going with you. “

“The raft will be at the edge of the river,” Anakin whispered to Tahiri the following morning across their class desks.

“How do you know that?” Tahiri whispered back.

“I just know-that same voice, the one that told me we can’t talk to Uncle Luke about our dream, told me last night,” Anakin replied. He stared in frustration at Tahiri. She wanted answers that he just didn’t have. Last night, right before he’d fallen into the same dream, he’d heard the voice. It told him not to worry. That the raft he and Tahiri needed would be at the edge of the river. That they should both sneak out of the academy and go to the raft.

“What if the voice is evil?” Tahiri whispered in a frightened voice. “What if we’re being pulled to use the Force to seek adventure and excitement instead of using it for calm and peace like your uncle Luke warned? I don’t want to serve the dark side like Darth Vader did-“

“Are you saying that because Darth Vader was my grandfather?” Anakin asked in an insulted voice. “Because if you can’t trust me then you shouldn’t come with me.” Anakin couldn’t meet Tahiri’s eyes when he said these words. He was afraid. Afraid that Tahiri saw some evil in him. Something that made him the same as his grandfather.

“No, Anakin, I didn’t mean that you are anything like Darth Vader. It’s just that we’re trusting some strange voice inside your head,” Tahiri explained. “How do we know that the voice is good?”

“I just know, Tahiri,” Anakin replied in a trembling voice. “And I’m going to figure out a way to sneak out of the academy in the next few days. “

Tahiri stared at her friend. She understood why Anakin was so upset. It wasn’t just the voice in his head. If he got caught, she knew, a lot of people would be disappointed in him. His mother and father, his brother and sister. Luke Skywalker. Tahiri didn’t have to worry about anyone caring whether or not she was sent home. That made it easier to take the risk. Still, Anakin was driving her crazy. She fixed her friend with an irritated look.

“Is there a problem here?” instructor Tionne asked her students as she walked up to their desks.

“No problem,” Anakin replied. “Except that neither of us seem to be able to lift this two-kilo weight off our table with our minds,” he said as he pointed to the work he and Tahiri were supposed to be doing.

“Then maybe you’re doing something wrong,” Tionne replied.

Both students turned and focused on the large hunk of metal that Tionne had easily lifted onto their desk. The metal moved a centimeter at most. Anakin looked around the room. Several of the other students had succeeded in lifting an object with their minds. Across the room were two students who looked like huge black flies. They had each lifted their weight. Now they were happily buzzing. Anakin stared at them. They weren’t stronger in the Force than he and Tahiri. He was sure of that. So why couldn’t he and Tahiri perform this feat?

“We’re not concentrating,” Tahiri said, interrupting his thoughts. They tried again, but the metal would not move.

“All of you have different strengths,” Tionne said. “You are here to figure out where your strengths lie.”

In frustration, Anakin squeezed his eyes shut and forced his mind to reach into the object. Be light, he commanded. At the same time, Tahiri was focusing on lifting the object. Anakin opened his eyes just in time to see the metal shoot toward the classroom’s ceiling.

Wham! It struck with a thud. Both Anakin and Tahiri lost their concentration and barely avoided being hit by the weight on its way back down. It landed on their table. The table broke in two.

“Good,” Tionne said, hiding a smile. “You’re learning your strengths.”