fandomhigh | Library, 1/24

"No," Anakin whispered back, "It's a recording. This is the way that the Council keeps very important records--things they want to survive changes in technology."

Yoda began to speak.

"Knights of the Order, and Senators, listen now. Origins of this prophecy, lost in time. Old as the Order of the Jedi. Chosen One to be born without father, from the Force. Bring balance to the Force will he."

Anakin leaned forward. He had heard the prophecy, but he had never seen a recording of it. And the way Yoda would present it to the Senators with enough access to know about Jedi prophecies would probably be a different spin than the version he had been taught.

Rory peered curiously.

"Aw. He's so cu - " She stopped mid-word, blushing. "Sorry. Disrespectful."

She knelt on the floor, resting her hands on the edge of the table and her chin on top of them, listening in interest.

"Dark times unfold across the galaxy. Chosen One to be born in their midst. Connection with the Force, will he have. Most strong."

Anakin hid a smile behind his hand at Rory's reaction, then turned his attention back to the virtual Yoda.

He smiled a bit as he watched Yoda whack his gimer stick on the floor. There had been entirely too many lectures where Yoda had done the exact same gesture to get the attention of the Padawans.

"Midi-chlorian count to be taken, would show strongest ever. More strong than any Jedi living. Any Jedi, dead."

Rory wondered what midi thingies were.

"Skills he has, before training. Higher than others. Stronger. Skywalker, Chosen One may be, yes. Jedi Council unsure was. Older than most brought to Temple. Problem. Accepted as padawan, by Obi-Wan Kenobi, after Qui-gon his Master's death." The image sighed.

Anakin tried to hide a wince. "Problem" was a very diplomatic way for Yoda to put what the Council had viewed him as when he had first arrived.

He shot a sidelong glance at Rory. This was all old news to him, but he was wondering how she was taking it.

"Guard him, we must. Train him, we will. Prophecy to be fulfilled, we do not know." He shook his head. "We do not know. Skywalker has strength to be Chosen One. Re-shape the galaxy. Destroy the Sith, perhaps. Balance the Force, and how: difficult is to say. Unclear the future is. Hope we can. Only hope."

The image faded out.

Anakin took a deep breath. "That's it," he said, turning to Rory. "That's me." And a very diplomatic version, at that.

Rory looked up at him.

"What's a midi thingy?"

"Midichlorians? It's, um, the parts of my cells that makes me attuned to the Force." Anakin waved his hand. "It's how Jedi test for Force-sensitivity. I've got a lot of them."

"So I heard," Rory said, blinking. She stood. "Wow."

Anakin watched her eyes. "Did this totally scare you?" He pointed to where Yoda used to be. "Seeing the prophecy?"

Rory's brow creased. "Of course not. Why would it?"

"I don't know," Anakin said, running a hand through his hair. "It's one thing for me to tell you about the prophecy. But Yoda saying it, I don't know, might've made it more real. Besides, re-shaping the galaxy? Kind of a big thing."

"Well, yeah," Rory said. "But I'm not scared. I'm...."

She searched for the right word. "I'm...awed."

Anakin pushed the ever-present fear that came with thinking about how he could possibly live up to the prophecy firmly to the back of his head at her response.

He carefully closed the lid on the Holocron. "I'm still me, though. Just with a life plan that's a little more unique than most of the students here."

He looked down at the box. "Do you need to put that back? I'd hate to have it damaged."

"Yeah, winning the Pulitzer by the time I'm thirty isn't quite the same," Rory said softly. "And I know you're still you. I didn't hear anything I didn't already know. Except about the midi whatevers and you cleared that up. So, um, I'm impressed. But I always have been, so...yes."

Rory also looked at the box. "I'm pretty sure you can't check it out, so yeah, we need to put it back." She didn't make a move to do so, though. She would probably drop it.

Anakin was watching her expression. "Want me to move it?"

He gave her a small smile. "And thank you," he said softly. "A lot of people don't take this sort of thing very well."

"I'll probably drop it," Rory nodded.

She returned the smile. "Well, yeah. Did you think I was going to suddenly change how I feel about you because I heard your story from the little green guy? By the way, I totally see the turtle thing."

Anakin wasn't sure how the library would react to Force powers, so he picked it up and placed it carefully on the shelf it had come from.

"It's been known to happen," he said sadly. "Hell, the whole thing changed my life."

He shook his head. "And yeah, Yoda is a little turtle-y, isn't he? Incredibly powerful, though." He smiled. "And that wasn't his actual size, by the way. He's little, but he's not that little."

"He's adorable. And I mean that with the utmost respect," Rory said.

She crossed over to him, and decided that if the library was going to tell Zero anything, they were already pretty much incriminated. So she took his hand. "Well, it didn't happen with me. And it won't ever."

Anakin squeezed her hand. "Thank you," he said. "You don't know how much that means to me."

He looked around. "I suppose we should head out before Zero comes in here with her mallet, huh?" He went back and picked up his book and pointed in the correct direction. "That way, right?"

"I think so, yeah," Rory nodded, starting to walk that way. She didn't plan on letting go of his hand until she caught sight of the doors, as she was enjoying the familiarity of walking along hand-in-hand with someone.

"So. Special Collections never fails to be interesting. Though, nice to have no dragons, no randomly stranded porn-seeking boys, no monks calling me a prostitute...." Rory said with a slight smile.

"There's porn in here, too?" Anakin waggled his eyebrows. "Kidding."

He reluctantly let her hand drop as they walked through the doors back into the library.

"Thank you very much," he said, smiling. "I guess I get to check this out, right?"

Rory sighed, facepalming.

"Why? Why do I always mention that? No porn-investigating for you. I'm just going to be bossy and say that."

She moved her hand and smiled. "You get to check it out, yes. And I can do that, if you don't want to bug Ange or whatever." She grinned. "I feel very helpful today."

Anakin faked a pout. "No one ever lets me get to the good porn. Rumor has it that one of the Bothan Masters has this enormous..." he broke off, coughing.

"Um. Anyway. Yeah." He handed her the book. "Since you've already been so helpful, you might as well finish the process, right?"

"Enormous what?" Rory asked curiously, taking the book and going to resume her place behind the desk.

"Collection of...historical artifacts?" Anakin tried, leaning against the desk.

Library, 1/24

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

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Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB