Dear Padme

                                By Moriah Organa

                                Dear Padme, (You said I could still call you that)

                                   I'm getting *used* to Coruscant but I can't say I *like* it here. All these
                                building! and the people! and the sky always clogged with ships and
                                fliers!!

                                    I sure never thought I'd miss Tatooine but I do, I miss the open
                                desert and the open sky, and of course I still miss Mom.
                                   You know the funny thing is I'm not sure she wanted to come with us
                                even if she could've. She told me she belonged on Tatooine and maybe
                                she was right. She'd *hate* it here, even more than I do, and they
                                wouldn't have let her be with me anyway while I'm training so she'd
                                have been all alone. I *hate* it that she's still a slave but maybe she is
                                better off at home with
                                all our friends than here with nobody.
                                   I miss my friends too, Kitster, Wald and the rest, I miss having other
                                kids to play with. There are some here in the Temple but I'm not
                                supposed to have anything to do with them since I'm a Padawan
                                instead of a regular Acolyte.
                                   Obi-Wan's become my best friend here, he's a Knight now but he
                                remembers being a Padawan real well and had a lot of the same
                                problems I'm having. Yesterday he showed me his old hidey hole where
                                he'd go to be alone. It's a sort of window blister of a gallery on the
                                132nd level you'd never find it if you weren't looking for it. Not even
                                Master Qui-Gon knows about it, just me, Obi-Wan and now you. Oh,
                                and Artoo!
                                   Thanks a *lot* for Artoo Detoo. He's got to be the best astro-droid
                                ever! I think he can fix anything. I'm even begining to understand his
                                beeps and whistles, I *think*. Artoo's about the only other friend I've got
                                except for Chancellor Palpatine, he's been real nice, and you too of
                                course!
                                   But you're all the way off on Naboo. I miss you too, a *lot*. I know
                                Queens are very busy but maybe you could make a state visit or
                                something? Someday? Lots of planetary leaders do, just this week
                                we've had the Prince-Viceroy of Alderaan and the President of Quom,
                                (wherever *that* is).
                                   Oh! I guess the Chancellor's told you the Trade Federation's lost their
                                Senate seat? Serves 'em right! Master Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and I all had
                                to testify at the hearing. Boy was I nervous! I can't even imagine what
                                it'd be like to address the full Senate like you did, I guess I'd just die of
                                stage fright or something! There were *only* about a hundred delegates
                                at the hearing, sitting in this sort of balcony running all around the
                                room. When you testified you had to stand on a dais right in the middle
                                with a truthlight on you. It was even worse than facing the Jedi Council!
                                   They still don't like me, even if they are letting Qui-Gon train me.
                                Especially Yoda, well I don't like him either! It's just not fair, I haven't
                                done *anything* wrong, (except be to old and that's not *my* fault!) why
                                won't they at least give me a chance
                                to *show* them I can be a good Jedi?
                                   I think they're afraid of me becoming a Sith or something, like I would
                                after one nearly killed Qui-Gon! It just makes me so mad! But I've got to
                                watch that, anger leads to the Dark Side. Obi-Wan says *he* got mad
                                when the Sith wounded Qui-Gon and that nearly got them both killed
                                because Darkness can't defeat Darkness only Light can. Qui-Gon says
                                it's okay to *feel* angry, even *he* does sometimes, but I must never let
                                Anger or Fear rule me.
                                   Being a Jedi is *much* harder than I thought it would be.
                                   We still don't know who the Sith Master is or anything about him. All
                                we got is the name he gave the Trade Federation guys, Darth Sidious.
                                It's creepy to think he's out there somewhere plotting, and training up a
                                new apprentice. It could be *years* before he shows his hand again but
                                until he does there's nothing we can do but wait. I *hate* that.
                                   At least Naboo's safe, he won't be going back there in a hurry!
                                   Something I didn't know came out at the hearings, there were
                                Neimoidians on the Control Ship I blew. I guess I'm dumb but I thought
                                they were all on the planet and it was just droids on the ship, (all I saw
                                were droids). I know they were bad people - but I've never killed
                                *anybody* before and there were sixty of them! it makes me feel real
                                weird.
                                   I'm not sorry really, I mean I *did* save the Gungan army, General
                                Ceel told me so, but I'm not *glad* I did it the way I used to be. I'm
                                almost mad at the Neimoidians for *making* me kill them. Why couldn't
                                they just stay home where they belonged? Then *nobody'd* be dead!
                                   Funny thing is Qui-Gon says this is just how a Jedi *should* feel about
                                killing; 'Never lightly or without grief.' so at least I'm doing *something*
                                right
                                   Ambassador Jar Jar! Wow, do I know some important people; the
                                Supreme Chancellor, the Queen of Naboo and now the Gungan
                                Ambassador to the Court of Theed! Tell him I said hello, and watch out
                                for your royal china! Has he broken much yet? I can sorta see Boss
                                Nass' point, I mean Jar Jar's klutziness is just funny to us but it could be
                                *real* dangerous in an underwater city. Be sure to bring Jar Jar with
                                you when you make that state visit.
                                   Gotta go now, Meditation period, *groan*.

                                                    With Love,
                                                              Your Friend,
 
                                                                     Anakin Skywalker

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