Chapter Text
Anakin sat in the consular-class cruiser, his thoughts a blur on what he and his master were doing.
The tap of his foot against the ground was sharp and fast. The soft shoes did well to dampen the noise as they repeatedly struck the ground.
His master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, sat silently beside him. His eyes were closed in gentle thought and consideration.
They were being sent on a diplomatic mission to a previously unknown planet that the locals called Caladan. Up until now, the Caladanian citizens and the Republic had only communicated through technological means, but that was soon to change.
The Senate elected to send the Jedi to the planet Caladan first to see if the people could be trusted, and the Jedi sent only their best negotiator to handle such a delicate matter. The ruling house on Caladan, House Atreides, had been nothing but helpful the past standard year in making this meeting a possibility. Even now, the Jedi were in contact with the upcoming planet.
Anakin stilled his foot and looked out the window at the passing stars. They were beautiful. Those passing lights, too fast for the eye to catch, but a perfect afterimage to help still his racing thoughts. The rumble of the ship kept him grounded where he was, though, preventing him from truly appreciating the beauty of the stars.
"Something troubles you, my young apprentice," Obi-Wan said. His eyes remained closed, and his posture relaxed but sure.
"You use the force to tell you that, Master?" Anakin asked, a smile tugging at his lips. His eyes, though, remained fixated on the stars.
"I don't need the force to figure that out. You're practically on the edge of your seat, and you've been tapping your finger on your thigh for the better part of an hour.”
He promptly stilled his tapping, when had he started doing that?
Obi-Wan let the silence stretch until Anakin was ready to talk.
“I’m sorry, Master. I don’t mean to be jumpy, but it isn’t every day that we get to meet new people from an unknown planet.”
Obi-Wan smiled. He could hear the joy and excitement from his apprentice, and it brought a smile to his own face. “You don’t need to apologize for being excited. It is a perfectly natural thing to feel. Even I am intrigued by what these Caladanians are like.”
A soft smile lit up the apprentice's face.
They dropped out of hyperspace, and Anakin’s smile only widened at the planet that sat just outside their window.
Every time Anakin saw a new plane,t he could feel excitement thrumming in his blood. Caladan reminded him of Naboo almost immediately. Though they weren’t the same shade from space. Naboo being more green than the perfect deep blue that was Caladan.
He couldn’t help the smile that he could feel splitting his face. He knew, from the briefs of the Jedi council, that Caladan was a sea-based planet, that they harnessed the power of the raging waves and built a rich culture around it, but it was always fascinating to see a planet so different from Tatooine.
The pilot announced that they would be landing soon and to prepare accordingly.
Anakin was once again reminded that he was denied his request to be the one to fly the ship here, but he had begrudgingly accepted that it was best for him not to be at the helm for this operation.
He and Obi-Wan moved without thinking as they grabbed their harnesses to keep them still as the Consular-class cruiser began to gently shake as they broke Caladan’s atmosphere.
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Paul awoke with a start. His body was drenched in sweat, and the haunting words of his dream echoed in his mind, I hate you. Over and over again, they replayed, and a deep feeling of loss, but he didn’t know what of or for.
A quick glance at his window showed a light gray sky, and the comforting sound of thunder echoed amidst the rain.
He let his head fall back onto his pillow, but sleep evaded him.
He took a deep breath and arched his back, feeling it crack in all the right ways. A soft groan escaped his lips as he flopped back down before rolling out of bed.
The Glowglobe gently lighting his room in a soft yellow glow.
He stood, letting his blanket fall from his shoulders. He gave a soft shiver as his bare skin met the air. It was a little chilly this morning.
He ran his hand through his unruly curls as he walked to the chair in front of his desk, where he had discarded a shirt yesterday. He put it on without thought and fell into the motions as he buttoned up the black undershirt.
The material was soft on his skin and gave him a little warmth.
Narrowing his eyes against the light, he found his holtzman-shield. Deftly, he slid it onto his wrist and made his way from his room.
He hadn’t made it more than a few steps when he was greeted by an attendant.
“My Lord’s son,” the man said quietly, “I see that you are already awake. I was sent to ready you for the Republic ambassadors. They have just sent word that they are descending and will arrive in due time.” The man gestured with his hand farther down the hall.
Paul regarded the man and narrowed his eyes. He was going to meet with the ambassadors as they landed? That wasn’t something he was expecting.
The man seemed to see his hesitance and smiled softly. “My Lord’s son, Duke Leto, has requested that you be there with him to meet these Jedi, as they are called, because it seems that the ambassador is bringing an apprentice of his own.”
Paul’s eyebrows rose slightly. So he was to make conversation with this other person then. His father was surely testing him. He did not intend to fail.
Paul nodded and walked farther down the hall to where there were several more attendants waiting for him.
They all moved quickly and efficiently, moving him this way and that as they dressed him in his finest attire. The black undershirt was buttoned up to his neck, followed by a dark velvet jacket that was pulled tight across his body and stiffened his movements. The gold embellishments on it only accented his every breath and movement. He was ushered out of the gray pants he wore and stepped into loose black pants that were tied tightly at his ankles. The metal belt was secured tightly at his waist and left him short of breath for how tightly they pulled it. Socks and boots followed. The shine on them was pristine in the reflecting Glowglobe light. Finally, a red fourragère was placed to fall just so from his right shoulder, marking him as Duke Leto’s son.
The whole experience took less than a few minutes, and he was ushered to the next room where his hair was slicked back, his eyebrows plucked into perfect arches, and his face checked for any blemishes.
Only once the attendants were satisfied was he brought to his father.
Duke Leto stood strong and proud. His back straight and his head high, waiting for their guests.
Lady Jessica stood to his left, and just next to her was Thufir Hawat. Paul smiled when he saw the kindly man. His smile only widened at the deep rumble from one of the men standing behind his father.
“My boy!” Duncan called to Paul.
The boy all but restrained himself from running to the man. “Duncan!” he called back.
Once he was in grabbing reach, Duncan pulled him into a tight hug.
“Aren’t you a prim little lord in your getup,” Duncan jested as he set Paul back down.
Paul felt himself relax with Duncan so near to him now. “And you look like a show horse in that getup,” he retorted.
Duncan all but cackled, his head thrown back in joy.
Gurney only grumbled next to them about how it was an honor to wear these uniforms.
Feeling lightened, he made his way over to his father’s side.
Duke Leto turned to him and smiled. He rested a comforting hand on his son’s shoulder and gave him a warm smile. “Today we make history, Paul,” his father said.
Like lightning breaking the clouds, a ship hummed as it dipped below the rain and came ever closer to House Atreides.
It was unlike anything Paul had ever seen. The ship had three massive engines at the back, a circular middle - likely for passengers - and a narrow front, he assumed, for the captain. The ship was also stark white with a bright red stripe starting at its nose, moving down to the middle engine.
Paul glanced sidelong at his father and watched as his head tilted to the side slightly. He had never seen anything like this, either, it seemed. Already, these ambassadors carried their own surprises.
The ship touched down, and the back of it opened up, letting two robbed figures walk down the ramp.