spncentral | When Sith Beat Jedi To The Prize (Of The Chosen One)

Garth'zel had intended never to go to Tatooine again. The entire experience the first time he was there was hot and miserable. The only good point, so far as he was concerned, was meeting Andronikos. But as luck would have it, his ship ended up deciding to need minor repairs. Nothing too bad, but it did require him to land somewhere to get the parts he needed, because of course, the bit that went was something he didn't have spare parts for. The only planet within reasonable range? Tatooine.

It didn't take long for a Force-sensitive boy to catch his attention. One strong enough that he was surprised the Jedi didn't already find him. Well, their loss was his gain. ...Once he pried him loose from Watto, anyway. He suspects he actually had an easier time of it than a Jedi would, although he's not going to hang around and give one the chance to give it a shot. At least, unlike them, he's willing to come to Tatooine from time to time so Anakin could see his mother. Probably not more than a couple times a year or so, due to it being best to go there when they're at least vaguely in that part of the galaxy anyway, but it's far better than 'sorry kid, we're never bringing you back'.

Of course, there is one tiny problem with this whole thing. He's never had to raise children before and doesn't know what he's doing. With the ship safely in hyperspace and not due to come out of it for a good long while, enabling him to do things that didn't involve sitting in the pilot's seat of the ship, he's in the lounge area. Time to figure out what he's doing. "Have you managed to get any kind of schooling? Like from someone you know, sitting down with you for an hour here and there as time permitted to teach you things like how to write?"

May as well figure out what he needs to teach besides how to use the Force consciously instead of unconsciously drawing on it.

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So long as Anakin finished it sometime before they had to eat, Garth'zel doesn't care how long it takes him to watch it.

Still, before he does go off to start the food when he's ready to do so, he sends a questioning feeling in Anakin's direction. Best to find out if he was going to need to drag the kid away from the holovid to eat.

He not only finishes but watches it a second and third time, pausing andc replaying different parts. A new planet is interesting, as he can't really remember where they were before Tatooine.

The feeling is answered with one of surity. He's good, just studying. But that's something questioning in his reply, wondering if he's needed somewhere else.

There's a feeling of negation from Garth'zel; he was just checking up on him. Reassured that Anakin had probably watched the whole thing at least once, he starts working on the food. Time to get them both fed within a reasonable amount of time.

Satisified he's not being summoned, Anakin unpauses the holo and continues watching. There are things he has questions about but nothing he can't and won't ask later.

He simply takes the check to mean he's to continue studying.

Edited Date: 2019-09-09 02:29 am (UTC)

Garth'zel plans to quasi-quiz him later over their food, so Anakin will get his chance to ask his questions then. But until then, he may as well glean as much information as he can.

Even so, the smell of food will probably summon him before Garth'zel's Force summons does.

Anakin exploits the holo for what he can, rewatching things from different angles so he can get a better understanding of the wildlife. It's part of the reason he's pausing and replaying parts.

But he does notice the smell of food. It'll have to grow stronger but he's stopped the holo and starts heading towards the galley only a few moments before there is a summons, and it's more his water is empty and it's the roughly the time of shift they eat than feeling hunger. So his feeling is acknowledgment and he puts some hustle in his step.

"I'm here."

Edited Date: 2019-09-09 05:53 am (UTC)

"So you are," he says agreeably. "How was the holovid? I tried to make sure to pick one that wouldn't have too many words you wouldn't know."

The names of the various creatures aside, which, being new to Anakin, obviously weren't going to be known to him.

There's a fresh piece of fruit on Anakin's side of the table to supplement the main food, since he needs what the fruit has rather more than Garth'zel does. This time, the main meat is a small roast, the majority of which goes to the carnivorous one of the two, and some vegetables that were cooked in with it.

"It was neat." Anakin pucks up the fruit, turning it over in his hands. He knows it's fruit, believes he's seen it before. But he hasn't the faintest idea how to go about eating it. "I liked that they showed the animals in motion, rather than still."

Anakin puts the fruit down, saving the puzzle for later, eating the vegetables first. "There was one that flew," Anakin names it, then continue his comment, mostly that it looked oddly built for flight.

"You'll find that a lot of animals and insects look strangely designed for what they do. But it apparently works for them, given they evolved to be that way and are alive instead of extinct," Garth'zel says with a slight shrug as he eats his own food.

One eats the fruit by biting into it, that's how.

Anakin eats for a moment, then asks, "It said they molt, and can't fly au that time. But once their new feather grew in they could. Is that like losing teeth?"

He's never eaten fresh fruit before Garth'zel took him on!

"Mmm, not really. Most mammalian species only have a couple sets of teeth. First the baby ones, then the adult versions that replace the original set later. At which point, it's best for the owner of said teeth to not lose them, because they won't grow new ones.

"New feathers, on the other hand, grow in to replace damaged ones all the time. With said molting also featuring at times, like when the babies lose their original feathers to grow in the adult ones that will help them fly in the first place."

"Oh. Like when banatha shed?" He could understand that, he could work "feathers" until "like fur". "If they don't have teeth how do they chew?" He says, with his mouth half full.

"Essentially, yes. And they don't chew. Avians and other creatures with beaks tend to have an internal organ full of stones or suchlike of a suitable size that they've swallowed that do the job of crushing their food." The things he has to explain over food while he's trying to eat.

Speaking of, let him have a few minutes to focus on eating.

"Huh." All right that is going to buy Garth'zel some piece because Anakin has to think that over. Because it really didn't seem like "rovks in stomach" and "flight" went together, amoung other things he knows better than to mention while eating.

Mostly because his mother would have scolded him. Like most children, few things grossed him out enough to not eat. Even if it did, he'd still eat.

Sith can't really afford to be grossed out by anything, given how much time in combat they tend to spend, but still, this one appreciates the chance to eat in peace instead of talking about potentially gross things, thank you.

He's got at least another three to four years before that will be a routine thing. But Anakin lets him eat at least, still thinking about the holovid.

Edited Date: 2019-09-09 08:28 am (UTC)

Garth'zel primarily focuses on his share of the roast at first, finally going after his vegetables after he's more or less had his fill of meat for the moment.

Anakin has his food, save the fruit, when he picks it up, sniffs it a little and turns it over in his hands. Is it something he needs to peel? Just bite it? Are their parts he can't eat? The skin? feels like he could bite into it.

"What is this?"

"Food," Garth'zel deadpans. Not very helpful, he knows.

"You don't need to do anything special, just bite it. And don't eat the middle part where the seeds are, they're mildly toxic and will make you feel sick. The rest of the fruit is fine for eating, though."

Why did he have to say 'mildly toxic'? Food shouldn't make you feel sick. Anakin gives a skeptical look for a moment, before biting into the fruit cautiously. It's not a large bite, and he's clearly mulling it over - texture, taste, smell now he's bitten it. Until Garth'zel, he'd never had fresh fruit so he can probably be forgiven for being skeptical.

So long as Anakin doesn't try to eat the bit that isn't supposed to be eaten, it will be fine.

Garth'zel gives Anakin an amused look. "You know it's not going to eat you or start screaming, right?"

Eat it, kid, not treat it like some sort of homework assignment.

"I 'aven't had this 'fore." He manages most of the words, despite having his mouth still full.

And he's trying to decide if he liked it or not - not that he wouldn't eat it, even if he didn't.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Garth'zel admonishes him. Honestly, child. He's fairly certain this is something you've heard from your mother, so there's no excuse.

Oh it is very much something he's heard from his mother. Multiple times. It hasn't stuck. But at least him eating buys Garth'zel more time to eat in piece.