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WALLPAPER

Untitled
by Grant Gould (for StarWars.com)

FAN ART
by master--burglar
by master--burglar
FAN FICTION
Rush
by Love and Rock Music. (TCW) The first half of "Destroy Malevolence," as Anakin and Padmé make their way towards each other.

P/A SITE
The Anakin and Padmé Gallery

CALENDAR
Desktop Calendar // March/April 2015

 
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FAN FICTION : ALTERNATE UNIVERSE

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The Anakin Skywalker Diaries
Part Four: Coruscant

by anakin_girl

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One thing about space travel--it was the perfect place to practice my holochess skills.

"I believe my knight just captured your queen, Master," I said, smiling victoriously. "And...can we have a drum roll here, ladies, gentlemen, droids, and creatures of other species? Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, once again your Padawan has put you in the galactically-threatening position of...CHECK."

Obi-Wan grinned. "Not so fast, my very young apprentice," he said, moving his rook to capture my knight--and leaving my queen in the perfect position to capture his king.

"YES!" I shouted, throwing my arms up in the air and jumping out of my seat. "CHECKMATE!"

"Chubba," Obi-Wan muttered. "Do you think we could switch to cards now, Anakin? We've played holochess five times already on this trip."

"That's because you keep insisting on a rematch every time I beat you," I said, grinning.

Obi-Wan laughed and shook his head. "What I wouldn't give to have Master Yoda's cane right now just to wipe that ridiculous smirk off your face," he said.

I put on my best fake pout. "Awww, come on, Master," I said.

Now it was Obi-Wan's turn to smirk.

The voice in the doorway was no louder than a whisper. "Do you think you two could hold it down? I'm trying to work," Padmé said. She was leaning in the doorframe, wearing her bathrobe and slippers, her hair falling down around her shoulders, her eyes bleary.

"I'm sorry, babe," I said, crossing the room, putting an arm around her shoulders and kissing her. "I guess we got carried away."

"Typical Anakin playing holochess," Obi-Wan said with a slight smile, "or sabacc, or anything else, even sparring. I was always afraid to turn the power up on his practice sabers, even when he was ten or eleven--I thought he'd take my arm off or something."

Padmé laughed, and I shook my head and smiled. "I'm not that bad, Master," I said.

"Oh yes you are," Obi-Wan said, and winked at me.

We all shared a good laugh, and I ruffled Padmé's hair and kissed the top of her head. "So what is it you're working on?" I asked. "Can't it wait until we get to Coruscant? You still need your rest, babe."

Padmé sighed. "Remember that holoconference I had with those three senators this morning?" she asked.

Organa, Vela, and Atmos--from Alderaan, Sullust, and Concord Dawn, respectively. "Sure," I said. "Why?"

"They agreed with me that someone needs to call for the Trade Federation, the Banking Clan, and the Commerce and Mining Guild's franchise licenses to be revoked. And they want me to be the one to do it." She sighed and rubbed her eyes wearily. "I'm working on a speech right now."

"How far have you gotten on it?" I asked.

"I'm almost done," she said.

I rubbed her shoulders, then wrapped my arms around her waist, encouraging her to lean into me. "Finish it tomorrow," I said, "We've still got another day before we get to Coruscant."

She nodded, not protesting, and I knew that she must be exhausted. It had been six weeks since the fight with Palpatine, and Padmé had made an almost full recovery from her injuries; but she still walked with a slight limp, suffered from an occasional blinding headache, and tired out easily. I started to lead her out the door to her sleeping quarters when I heard another voice, coming from the doorway opposite us.

"Oh, Ke-NOB-i," Sabé said in a low voice, a mischievous grin on her face. When we turned around, we saw why. My fiancée's best friend was wearing a sheer red robe that laced up the front, revealing a very skimpy red lace teddy underneath.

I thought for sure that my master's face would turn redder than Sabé's outfit, but to my surprise he winked at me and grinned. "I'll be there in a minute, Sabé," he said.

Padmé's eyes were as wide as a Gungan's. "I don't think we were supposed to see that," she whispered. "Of course with Sabé, you never know."

I laughed. "Let's get out of here," I said.

An hour later we lay on her sleep couch, under the blanket, spooned together, my arms around her waist.

"Anakin, what do you think of my running for Chancellor?"

I laughed. "Padmé, do you ever take your mind off your work, even for a second? Or are you giving resounding speeches and pushing galaxy-changing bills through the Senate in your sleep?"

She rolled onto her back, cupped my face in her hands,and kissed me. "I guess I am a little obsessed," she said. She was smiling, but she sighed. "I can't help it though. I've always known what I wanted to do, ever since I was a little girl; I wanted to serve my planet, just like you've always wanted to be a Jedi."

I chuckled and returned her kiss. "Maybe, but I'm not fighting lightsaber battles in my dreams." I propped my head on one arm and looked into her eyes, stroking her hair. "Of course any time we're apart, all my dreams involved you, me, and another type of lightsaber duel..."

Padmé laughed, and slapped me playfully on the bottom. "Anakin!"

I shrugged. "Hey," I said. "It's me."

"I know," she said, smiling. She kissed me again, and rolled back over, snuggling against me and yawning. "I'm tired, Ani."

I rested my head on the pillow and wrapped my arms around her waist. "I'm sure you are. You've been either conferencing with senators or working on that speech all day. You've barely even stopped to eat."

Padmé nodded. "I know," she said. "Seriously, Ani, what do you think?"

"Padmé, I think you'd be the best Supreme Chancellor the Republic has ever had," I said, "but I am concerned about how much more time and effort you're going to be putting into your work. You're a strong voice in the Galactic Senate, anyway, and I think too many people have come to depend on you. Those Senators you were conferencing with this morning, for example--why can't one of them call for the Federation and Banking Clans' licenses to be revoked? Why do you have to do it?"

She yawned again and shook her head. "I don't know. Lack of courage, I guess. Or maybe lack of experience."

"Organa has been a Senator almost as long as you have--he couldn't use lack of experience as an excuse. Lack of ability to have a normal conversation with other humans, maybe, but not lack of experience. Same with the others you named. Moe is the only inexperienced one on that committee."

"I know, Ani, I know," Padmé said, yawning again and burrowing herself further into my arms. "You're the only one I can say this to: I have no regrets about accepting the nomination for Supreme Chancellor, but I'm afraid. I know of at least five groups represented in the Senate who knew exactly what Palpatine was and sided with him anyway. Who knows how many others there are. Whoever takes over as Chancellor is going to be taking over a mess, unless we can get it straightened out before then, which would take a miracle. And I'll have to try to run a campaign while carrying out my regular duties as Senator. And--" She rolled onto her back and smiled at me softly--"I'm ready to start planning our wedding."

I gently stroked her cheek. "I am, too," I said. I kissed her, first on the mouth, then the tip of her nose. "But right now, I don't want you to think about all that. You need to sleep. You've been running through all this in your mind the whole time you've been injured--you wouldn't let yourself rest. It's time to stop. You're taking too many chances with your recovery."

"But, Ani..."

I silenced her with a kiss. "But nothing, babe." I held her to me, gently stroking her back. "I love you. Go to sleep. Do it for me."

She opened her mouth to protest again, then shut it immediately and nodded. She curled up against me and was asleep almost immediately after she closed her eyes.

I only left her bed one other time that night. Being careful not to awaken Padmé, Obi-Wan or Sabé, I tiptoed quietly around the ship, into my master's room, where Sabé's red teddy lay on the floor next to Obi-Wan's sleep couch. After deactivating one of the kitchen droids to avoid protests that could awaken everyone else on the ship, I dressed the droid in the teddy.

Another droid would have to make our breakfast in the morning. I wasn't about to reactivate this one before I woke up.

When I woke up, the ship was still quiet. This is strange, I thought, even when we're in hyperspace, Obi-Wan usually shines a flashlight in my face at the crack of dawn to simulate sunrise, then immediately makes me run through about ten katas because he says it will wake me up faster. I wonder what's going on here. Maybe having a girlfriend is good for him.

I smiled at the thought, looking down at my own sleeping angel, snuggled against me, a peaceful expression on her face. Padmé never looked that peaceful lately when she was awake, and I wasn't taking any chances, so I lay very still and continued to hold her. Her hands were folded next to her face; her left hand was on top, the diamonds from her ring twinkling in the dim light of the room. I felt my heart skip a beat and a lump form in my throat. She's going to marry me, I thought, smiling with pride. Oh, Force, what great thing have I done to deserve such happiness?

Padmé stirred and rolled onto her back, opening her eyes and lifting her hand to stroke my cheek. "Good morning, sexy Jedi," she said. "What are you grinning about?"

"You," I said, kissing her. "Good morning, yourself."

"Me, huh?" she said, returning my kiss.

"Yes, you. You, me, our future, the children we're going to have together, the great things we're going to do as a couple, how great of a difference we're going to make in the galaxy now that we're a team instead of two separate people..."

Padmé laughed. "Whoa, Anakin. It's early. Slow down."

I laughed, too. "How'd you sleep?" I asked, brushing a lock of hair away from her face.

"Better than I have in a long time, especially since I don't have med droids and healers coming in to check on me every two hours." She scowled. "What about you? You must have slept better. Even sleep couches on space cruisers are better than that couch in my room in the healer's ward."

I laughed. "I always sleep well when I'm next to you, babe."

She laughed. "Well, I should be on Coruscant for awhile, so any time you can sneak out of the Jedi Temple..."

She didn't get to finish. "SKYWALKER!" Sabé's furious voice came from the kitchen. "You are DEAD! I swear to the gods I'm going to shove that blue lightsaber of yours so far up your ass, the point of it is going to come out of your mouth!"

Padmé shook her head. "Ani, sweetheart, what did you do to her this time?"

I was almost laughing too hard to talk. "Well," I said, "do you remember that teddy she was wearing last night?"

Padmé's mouth dropped open. "OK. Do I even want to know?"

"Yeah, you do." I swiped at my eyes. "Anyway, I thought that our breakfast would be more...um... entertaining if the kitchen droids were dressed in something other than dull grey metal."

Padmé burst into laughter. "Oh, gods, Ani! You've outdone yourself this time! That's hysterical! You'd better wear a groin shield for awhile."

"Yes, you'd better." The voice came from the other side of the door, which slid open to reveal a frowning Obi-Wan, dressed in his sleep pants and barefooted. Next to him was Sabé, wrapped in my master's Jedi robes, red-faced with fury. Obi-Wan held Sabé around the waist. Her fists were clenched, and if my master hadn't been holding her back, she probably would have charged at me and pounded me into the floor of the space cruiser. "Padawan, let me give you a little memory exercise," Obi-Wan said. "Any time you're sick--which is considerably often since you don't take care of yourself--and I wake you up in the morning and tell you that you have to go on a mission or to class anyway, what do you usually say to me?"

I shrugged. "Nothing. I usually just blow my nose and throw the tissue at you. What are you talking about, Master?"

Obi-Wan's frown deepened. "Try harder. What do you say?"

I shrugged again. "I don't know, Master. 'Not funny'?"

He nodded. "Right, Padawan. And that's what this is. Not funny. You're doing dishes for the next two weeks, plus five hours extra meditation and a five-page essay on why you're supposed to stay the hell out of my room at night."

I nodded. "Yes, Master. Sorry, Master."

"Now, get up. That droid may make the waitress droids in Dex's Diner look like the archive droids in the Jedi Temple, but it did manage to get breakfast ready. We're landing today."

And we did land, about three hours later.

I could see a contingent of both Jedi and Senators waiting for us on the landing platform nearest the Jedi Temple. Bail Organa was at its head, flanked by Mace, Mace's Padawan Raj-Onee, and two members of Organa's own security force.

We couldn't be too careful. As Padmé had said, several Senators were in league with Palpatine even though they knew full well that he was a Sith. Palpatine was gone, but the danger from these other groups remained. We had names of five organizations which were obviously allied with Palpatine, but I knew that the Jedi would soon be undertaking the job of investigating who else might be involved.

At the moment, though, our job was still protection. His Royal Pompousness was not only a prominent Senator but also the heir to the Alderaani throne, so he would be a primary target of any violence from the Trade Federation and its allies. Another primary target would be the Senator from another pacifist planet--a Senator who defeated the Trade Federation as Queen of that planet eight years ago.

I instinctively put my hand on my lightsaber.

"I think we're fine here, Anakin," Obi-Wan said in a low voice. "I don't sense any danger, and I doubt anyone would try to attack either Padmé or Prince Organa out here in the open. Not so soon after Palpatine's defeat, and not right under the nose of the Jedi who defeated him."

"I'm not taking any chances, Master," I said.

"I'm not suggesting that you should. But relax. Use the Force."

I did, opening my mind to get a sense of what was happening in the immediate area around the landing platform. I sensed several things--a tension and readiness from Organa's guards, Mace and Raj also touching the Force, and pride coming from Organa. Pride? Does this overdressed stuffy loser think he's already won the Chancellorship?

Padmé emerged from her room, ready to exit the ship and greet the Senate immediately if need be. She wore a royal blue velvet gown trimmed with gold, her hair done up in a gold wire-and-mesh basket-like headdress. Oh, Force, she's beautiful, I thought.

Don't you say that every time you see her, Padawan? Obi-Wan asked.

Yes, and I doubt I'll ever stop.

Both of us smiled.

Sabé was immediately behind Padmé. She wore a purple hooded handmaiden's outfit, but no one who knew her would be fooled--we knew there were two blasters hidden under that cloak. She glared at me as she and Padmé approached. Note to self: Don't look at her wrong the rest of the day unless you want to be fending off blaster bolts with your lightsaber. I shook my head and gave her my best quirky grin--the one that always worked on Padmé when she was mad. "Come on, Sabé," she said, "You know I love you."

"Shut up, Anakin," she snapped. "I might feel like forgiving you later. Right now I've got to guard your fiancee."

I smiled more widely and gave her a mock salute. "Yes, ma'am!" I said.

"And cut that crap out, too. We're not in the damn military," Sabé said, still glaring at me.

"Oh, why not? I think you'd make a hell of a warrior princess," I told her.

Without warning, she grabbed the back waistband of my pants and boxers and yanked--hard.

"OW!" I screamed as my important organs were twisted up into my crack. "Damn, woman! Where'd you learn to do that?"

Sabé was smiling now. Obi-Wan was laughing hysterically. His face was red and tears were streaming from his eyes. Padmé was, I could tell, trying very hard not to laugh.

"Padawan, might I suggest that you quit while you're ahead?" Obi-Wan said.

Padmé linked her arm through mine. "Come on," she said. "We need to get off this ship anyway. They're waiting for us."

So we descended the ship, arm in arm. I used the Force to continue probing the area for danger and also to try to forget how much my crack was hurting from Sabé's stunt.

Obi-Wan had given me diligent, thorough lessons over the years on using the Force--but none of them had included how to Force-dig your boxers out of your crack after being the target of a Nubian mountain country girl's temper. That didn't stop me from trying though.

Organa strode forward to meet us halfway. "Senator Naberrie," he said, taking her hand and kissing it, "it is good to see you alive and well."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Padmé said.

Organa held Padmé's left hand away from him, admiring her ring. "And congratulations must be in order."

"Yes, thank you," she said, smiling.

Organa gave me a brief nod. "Jedi Skywalker," he said. "Congratulations. You're a very lucky man."

"Thank you, Your Highness," I said, resisting the urge to say Yes, I am.

Organa nodded briefly to Obi-Wan and Sabé--"Jedi Kenobi, Handmaiden Martarre"--then turned back to Padmé. "Senator Naberrie, several Senators are meeting in my office in fifteen minutes to discuss the revocation of the Trade Federation, Commerce and Mining Guild, Techno Union and Banking Clan's licenses. I was hoping you would be able to join us."

"I have a speech written to present to the Senate, to call for the revocations," Padmé said. "How much opposition do you think we will meet?"

Organa shrugged. "I am unsure at this point," he said. "I was elected to serve as acting Supreme Chancellor, just until the elections are over. I will do my best to keep order."

"Well, that's all we can ask for," Padmé said. She turned to Mace and Raj. "Master Windu, does the Jedi Council have any idea who else might have sided with Palpatine?"

"My Padawan and I are looking into that matter as we speak, Senator," he said. "We will get you some answers before this situation gets any more complicated, we promise you."

Padmé smiled. "I am grateful for your help, as always," she said.

"It's our job, Senator," Mace said. "Meanwhile we will be assigning Master Kenobi to protect Senator Organa, and your fiance to protect you. I trust that this arrangement is suitable?"

Does he even need to ask? But Padmé was professional as always. "Absolutely. Thank you, Master Windu."

"However," Mace continued. "Right now I will be sending Padawan Raj and Master Kenobi with the Senators. Anakin, your immediate presence is requested in the Council Chambers."

What did I do? I thought.

Nothing you need to worry about--at least nothing I haven't already punished you for, Obi-Wan said. Don't jump to negative conclusions, Anakin.

I nodded at Mace. "Yes, Master," I said.

Padmé kissed my cheek. "I'll be in your quarters when my meeting is over," she said. With that she took Organa's arm and walked towards an air taxi that would take her to the Senate chambers, followed by Obi-Wan, Sabé, and Organa's security team.

I followed Mace to the Jedi Temple, getting in an elevator that would take us to the Council chambers.

This was unlike any Council meeting that I had ever attended in my eight years as a Jedi apprentice.

The Council chambers were completely, totally silent. No one said a word. At one point I could have sworn I heard Master Yoda's ear hairs twitching. All twelve of the members of the High Council of Those Who Have Sticks Up Their Asses just stared at me, scrutinizing me up and down. For a moment, I wondered if they were using the Force to cause me to morph into a Gungan.

"How feel you?" Master Yoda asked, his eyes continuing to bore into me as if I were a transparent sheet of plastisteel.

"Nervous," I replied. No point in lying to the old troll. He'd catch the lie before it finished escaping my mouth.

"Afraid of us, are you?" he asked. "Afraid of our criticism? Our rejection?"

I nodded. "With all due respect, sir, my first visit with the Council was not exactly a warm and welcoming experience."

Several of the Council members' faces showed a hint of a smile. "Things were different then, Anakin," Mace said. "You were much younger. The Force was strong in you then, as it is now--but you showed such a lack of control over your fear and anger that we worried that you would never be able to complete your Jedi training."

"Dangerous, we felt you were," Yoda said. "Lost too many Jedi to the darkside, we had. Felt it necessary, we did, to be as safe as possible, in choosing who we trained. Wrong, we were. Nearly fell, the Republic did, because open, our eyes and ears were not."

"We were so busy following the letter of our code and separating ourselves from the rest of the galaxy that we lost sight of our purpose here--and very nearly rejected a very strong and powerful Jedi," Mace said. "Anakin, do you remember anything about Master Kenobi's trials?"

I shook my head. Those few days following Qui-Gon's death were a total blur. I had been too busy grieving, both the loss of my mother and the loss of Qui-Gon.

"He didn't go through a formal trial process as most Jedi Padawans are required to do before being Knighted," Ki-Adi Mundi said. "He had already completed a trial more rigorous than any we could give him. He had defeated a Sith Lord."

I remembered the horrible-looking creature who had killed Qui-Gon on Naboo--his red-and-black tattooed face, the horns on his head, his yellow eyes gleaming with hate. I remembered how afraid I had been of him. It had taken almost a year before I got up the courage to ask Obi-Wan who and what he was. I still remember how he began what became his explanation of the history of the Sith: He sighed, shook his head sadly, and said, "Anakin, there is something you must understand. Not all Jedi are good. Some decide that the Force would be better used for evil."

"Why would they want to do that?" I asked, my eleven-year-old mind uncomprehending.

Obi-Wan continued to shake his head sadly. "I don't know," he said. "Maybe because someone has hurt them or made them very, very angry, and they feel they must do evil to avenge their hurt. Maybe because they feel that doing evil gives them more power than doing good." He looked up at me then and firmly grabbed my wrist. "Anakin, if you forget everything else I tell you, never forget this: the Darkside destroys. It tempts Force-users with promises of power and glory, but it destroys all it touches, slowly and painfully--and the Darkside user, in the process, destroys everything and everyone he loves."

I nodded. "Yes, Master." I had not forgotten.

"Padawan Skywalker!" Yoda said, rapping his walking stick against the floor and calling me out of my momentary flashback.

"Sorry, Master," I said, "I was thinking about a teaching that Master Obi-Wan had given me on the Sith."

Mace nodded. "We know. Your shields were down."

"Defeated a Sith Apprentice, Master Obi-Wan did, to complete his trials," Yoda continued. "But you, Padawan Skywalker--defeated a Sith Master, you did."

It only took me a second to process what this meant. Mace spoke next.

"Anakin Skywalker, the Council confers upon you the title of Jedi Knight. Congratulations."

I nodded, swallowing past a lump in my throat and feeling tears sting my eyes. "Thank you, Master. I will continue to serve the Order to the best of my ability."

Mace smiled and nodded. "We know you will, Anakin. We notified Master Obi-Wan already but asked him to allow us to tell you ourselves. Your formal Knighting Ceremony will be next week, in which you will take the oath swearing your continued allegiance to the Order, and your Master will cut off your braid."

I nodded again, unable to speak. I sniffled and wiped my eyes.

"If no questions you have for us, then dismissed you are, Knight Skywalker," Yoda said.

"Return to your quarters, Anakin," Mace added. "I believe someone is going to be waiting for you there soon."


I didn't return immediately to my quarters, but instead went into the Coruscanti open marketplace. I didn't know how Mace got to be a Jedi Master and still remain so naive about how long these Senate briefings last, but I knew that Padmé wouldn't be back "soon". She wouldn't be back for a couple of hours at least, and would probably be cranky then. No need for us to have to brave a restaurant after all that--not when I was not exactly lacking in culinary skills myself.

I had picked up a few recipes for different dishes on the various planets we travelled, not having been exposed to much on Tatooine other than bantha steaks, keth patties and pallie fruit. I could probably pick a favorite dish from any planet Obi-Wan and I had visited, but Nubian cuisine, like anything else Nubian, was by far my favorite.

At the market I bought several fresh vegetables, including several roundish vegetables called "tomatoes", a local Nubian vegetable which I had never heard of until eight years ago. These vegetables not only made great sauces, but they were also good for throwing at unsuspecting uptight Senators or Jedi Masters.

As I had suspected, no one was home when I returned to our quarters. The Senate meeting was still going on.

I quickly divested myself of my robe and boots and made my way into the kitchen. Using a machine I had built three years ago out of parts from broken down kitchen droids, I cranked out thin sheets of a dough made of flour and water. Then I started the tomatoes simmering in a pot on the stove, and pulled a cutting board off the shelf to chop the rest of the vegetables.

I was adding spice and the vegetables to the tomatoes when I heard the door slide open, and then Padmé's voice. "Yes, Sabé, I think it did go well. I just think the situation might be a little more complicated than what we're seeing here. Oh, Gods, I just wish it were over...goodness, something smells good...Ani?"

I turned around from stirring the sauce. "Hey, babe," I called. "How'd it go?"

She smiled. "You would have been bored stiff," she said, entering the kitchen and giving me a kiss. "You would have wanted Organa to get on with it. He was talking just to hear himself talk. It took the committee two hours just to approve my speech."

"If they didn't approve it, I think she was going to make them eat it," Obi-Wan said.

"Well, Master, next time we're out of toilet paper, we'll just have Organa write a speech and make several copies of it," I said.

They laughed. "That was cold, Anakin," Padmé said.

"But you know it's true," I said.

Obi-Wan cleared his throat. "So," he said, "what did the Council want to see you about?"

I gave the sauce one last stir, turned the burner off, turned around and gave my master a big grin. "They said you already knew," I said, "I can't believe you didn't tell me."

Obi-Wan's smile was getting bigger and bigger. "I was sworn to secrecy, and a Jedi Knight doesn't break his word," he said. "Besides, I didn't want to steal your thunder," he added, glancing at Padmé.

She was looking around, confused. "What? What's going on, Anakin?"

I smiled and took her hands. "Well, let's just put it this way. You're no longer engaged to a Jedi Padawan."

Her mouth fell open. "You're leaving the Order? That can't be right--neither of you would be smiling about it."

I shook my head. "No," I said, then kissed her. "You're engaged to a Jedi Knight."

Her mouth remained open, and she didn't say anything for a moment. Then she gave me a big hug. "Ani, that's wonderful!" she said. "You certainly deserve that after ridding all of us of Palpatine's treachery! My handsome Jedi Knight..." She kissed me.

I turned to Obi-Wan. "Congratulations, Padawan. Or I guess I can't call you that anymore," he said with a slight smile. He put his hand on my shoulder. "You make me proud, Anakin." I saw that he had tears in his eyes, and I felt more spring up in my own as I embraced him.

"You'll always be my master," I said.

He nodded. "Yes, I will be--you just won't have to call me that anymore. And I can't make you clean my 'fresher anymore."

We shared a laugh, and both of us swiped at our eyes.

I turned to see Sabé standing there, her hood down, scrutinizing us. I resisted the urge to protectively cross my legs. There was no expression on her face.

"Sabé?" I asked.

"Congratulations, Anakin," she said--and threw her arms around me in a hug.

"Now," Obi-Wan said. "I don't know what this is that you've made, Ani, but it smells delicious, and listening to Organa for three hours has made me very hungry. What do you say we eat?"

-------------------

"And then Anakin put superglue on the handle of Capo's practice saber. Capo did really well during his sparring sessions that day--better than he's ever done--but then he had to go to the Healers afterwards to get his hand unglued. And he had to build a new lightsaber," Obi-Wan continued, taking another sip of fine Alderaani red wine, from a bottle we had saved for special occasions. We had moved our conversation from the dinner table to the living area of our quarters.

Padmé and Sabé laughed heartily at Obi-Wan's story. "Why do you even bother to keep punishing him, Obi-Wan?" Sabé asked. "Obviously it's worth it to him to keep pulling pranks on people."

Obi-Wan winked at her. "Keeps me creative when I have to think up new ones," he said. "I've had to perform more mind challenges than any other Jedi Master in the galaxy."

"Besides," I said, smiling at Sabé, "it keeps you amused."

"Only when I'm not on the butt end of your jokes," she said, sticking her tongue out at me.

"Hey, Master, remember when we had the Council over for dinner and I made ruby bliels, and put two shots in Depa Billaba's instead of one shot? I did not know the woman could giggle at such a high octave until that night."

Obi-Wan tried to look stern but it ended up coming off as a half-smile. "That was mean, Anakin. She was sick the next day."

"She wasn't that sick," I said. "You were a whole lot sicker the time you drank ten double shots of Corellian whiskey in that sleazy bar while I had to chase down that Twi'lek who was spying for the Mining Guild."

Padmé's mouth dropped open. "I haven't heard this story," she said.

I winked at her. "Well, I figured Obi-Wan's spukage all over the living room doesn't really make pleasant dinner table conversation, babe," I said.

Obi-Wan frowned and shook his head. "Don't remind me," he said. "It's been two years, and to this day I still can't stand the smell of that whiskey." He picked up the remote. "On to more pleasant subjects," he said, turning on the holovid player--to the 24-hour Galactic News Network.

"This is more pleasant?" I asked, scowling.

"...and a spokesperson for the Jedi Council announced today that Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Padawan, has been elevated to Knighthood," the reporter said. Why is it that all holovid news reporters have the same features as dancers in Coruscanti clubs--they just dress more fashionably and wear less makeup? Is there some rule against allowing ugly people on the holovid?

"The official ceremony will be held privately next week in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant," she continued. "Skywalker is the Jedi responsible for the elimination of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, otherwise known as Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith, from the galaxy. In related news, the Jedi Council is currently beginning an investigation into the discovery of any persons or groups who may still be allied with the causes of the late Dark Lord."

"I'd say your Knighting is a more pleasant topic of conversation than my drunken exploits, my very young apprentice," Obi-Wan said, smirking at me.

I smirked back. "Touche, Master," I said.

The news report continued. "Campaigns are underway this week for the election of a new Supreme Chancellor," the reporter said. "Candidates are Senators Bail Organa of Alderaan, Aks Moe from Malastare, and Padmé Naberrie of Naboo. Election day is in three standard months, and as all three candidates are influential and popular members of the Senate, the campaign is expected to be heated and the election close..."

Padmé snuggled against me and shut her eyes. "I don't want to hear about it," she said. "Turn the channel, Obi-Wan. I don't care of we have to watch the Kamino Travel Channel. Just get it off this."

Obi-Wan laughed. "I think we can find something better than that," he said, picking up the remote and flipping over to a comedy program.

The featured comedian was someone of Master Yoda's species. "Told him, I did, that learn proper grammar, he must, if become a Jedi Master, he will," the comedian said.

I looked down at Padmé, who was still snuggled against me, fully dressed including her shoes and headdress, and well on her way to falling asleep. "Here, babe," I said, nudging her gently. "Let's get you more comfortable."

"Ummm," she said, picking her head up and looking at me blearily.

I undid the clasps on the back of her gold headdress, allowing her hair to fall around her shoulders. She yawned, took her shoes off, and curled up against me again. She was asleep within a few minutes.

I carried her back to my room and helped her out of the rest of her clothes, and was debating whether or not to go ahead to bed myself when I noticed how quiet everything was. Too quiet. Pin-drop quiet.

Sensing no danger but afraid nevertheless after what we'd been through lately, I snuck back into the living room and was surprised at what I saw, although I shouldn't have been.

The holovid player had been turned off, and my master and Sabé Martarre were tangled in a heated, passionate embrace. I just stood there and smiled for a minute or so, watching them, wondering if Obi-Wan would sense my presence. He didn't. For the first time in my life, the Code's old mandate against romantic love makes a little sense, I thought.

I waited until Sabé was loosening Obi-Wan's pants before Force-floating the remote into my hand and turning the holovid player back on--to the Holodrama Channel, which at the time was showing a man and woman, half-nude, wrapped in a passionate embrace and moaning each other's names.

Obi-Wan's head popped up at the first "Ohhh..." he heard from the holovid player. I dropped the remote and ran.

Obi-Wan was yelling, "Anakin! Do you want to live long enough to be Knighted?" just as I was shutting the door to my room.

----------------

I didn't sleep much the night before my Knighting ceremony.

Insomnia was very rare for me, and on the few occasions that I actually did have trouble falling asleep, I would have Obi-Wan give me a sleep suggestion through the Force, or just put myself in a meditative trance--or better yet, imagine one of Yarael Poof's lectures on Galactic History. ("Nothing important has happened in the Republic in over a millennia, but we're going to pretend something has anyway, because I need something to talk about for three hours a day for the next ten standard weeks.")

But I didn't do that tonight.

It was 0300 hours, and I lay flat on my back, wide awake, my eyes open and staring at the white-washed ceiling. The Temple has very strict regulations on what we could put on our walls--as is regulations against practically everything--so nothing was on the ceiling or the walls except paint. I very much would have liked to have hung a full-length poster showing a well-endowed human female as nature intended her. Blank walls did work better for meditation, though.

Speaking of perfect human females, Padmé snuggled against me, stirring slightly in her sleep. I gently stroked her arm, not wanting to wake her. I was not yet ready to share my thoughts on the experience ahead of me, on the turning point that I had reached.

Obi-Wan and I had gotten off to a rough start. We were both grieving over Qui-Gon, and I was fairly certain that he didn't want me. I thought that he had only agreed to train me because Qui-Gon had asked him to. I had heard him say that I was "dangerous" and that he agreed with the Council when they voted against my training. It took a lot of openness, willingness, and forgiving on both of our parts before we could put behind us the circumstances of our being paired together. But we've made a good team. I never had a father before I came to the Temple--Obi-Wan is really close enough in age to be my older brother, but I've always considered him more like the father I never had. (Of course the fact that he was always an old soul helped me to see him that way.) He had been gentle and patient in his teachings, even when I know I was difficult. I would have been a difficult student even if I had been trained in the Temple since birth. "Reckless, you are, Padawan Skywalker," Yoda told me numerous times. I would roll my eyes--when I was younger I'd stomp my foot and poke my lip out--but Obi-Wan would just smile patiently. He knew Yoda was right, but he also knew that telling me so at that point would be useless. That was Obi-Wan--he knows me well, sometimes better than I know myself.

I will miss him.

I sniffed quietly and wiped at the tears that had formed in my eyes. Get a grip, Skywalker, I told myself. You left your home to come to the Temple when you were nine, not knowing if you'd ever go home again. This is just another crossing--and it should certainly be easier than that one. But you need your sleep. You know the Council chambers don't carry super-strength caf.

I took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Padmé stirred again, then lifted her head slightly. "Ani?" she whispered.

"Shhh..." I said. "I'm sorry, babe. I didn't mean to wake you up. Go back to sleep. It's early."

"Obviously I'm not the only one awake," she retorted. She rested her head on my shoulder again and stroked my chest gently. "What's bothering you?" she asked.

"Nothing," I said, wrapping my arms around her. "Nothing except being afraid of change--and knowing I'm not supposed to be. I'm about to be Knighted, and a Jedi knows no fear."

Padmé laughed. "Honestly, Ani," she said. "I think that part of the Code was written before they started Knighting humans. Maybe no one in Master Yoda's species knows fear. There's not a human alive that doesn't know what it's like to be afraid--including Mace Windu, no matter how macho he pretends to be."

"Maybe," I said, laughing. "Of course Yoda's species might be afraid of being stepped on. 'Judge me by my size, do you?' It's not like there's any other reason for him to carry around that damn walking stick. He can walk just fine. In fact, he could fight several Gundarks at once--and win."

Padmé was hysterical, and covered her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. "Come on," she whispered, climbing slowly on top of me and raining slow kisses from my mouth down to my neck and chest. "You'll be relaxed by the time I'm done with you."

-------------------------------

I was awakened by a familiar knocking on the door and Obi-Wan's voice. "Anakin! You're going to be late for your own Knighting!"

"Coming, Obi-Wan," I mumbled, sitting up and rubbing my eyes blearily.

Obi-Wan cracked the door and cautiously peered in. "I'm not going to be able to do this after you get married, Anakin," he said. He looked at Padmé, who sat up slowly, yawned and gracefully stretched her arms over her head. "Padmé, do you own an alarm clock or do I need to buy you two one as a wedding gift?"

She laughed. "I'll make sure he's out of bed in time for all his early-morning Council briefings, Master Jedi," she said.

Obi-Wan smiled and shut the door. Padmé leaned over and kissed me. "Good morning," she said.

"Good morning," I said, returning her kiss.

"How'd you sleep?" she asked.

"Better the last half of the night," I said.

"Good," she said, swinging her legs around and sitting on the edge of the bed. "Now, you should probably get up and get moving--at least if you want to have time for your usual three cups of caf before we go."

We shared a laugh, and I got out of bed and stretched, then picked up my pants from the chair, where I had thrown them the night before, and put them on. "Damn," I muttered.

Padmé, who was tying the belt on her robe, looked at me. "What's the matter?"

"I haven't done laundry in awhile. It's hard to do it on missions. I hope I've still got some clean boxers."

She laughed. "Check the laundry room. You're always leaving several pairs in there after you've washed them--usually because you're late for something and in too big a hurry to carry them to your room." She winked at me.

I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out. Not very befitting a Padawan who is about to be Knighted. I just smiled and shook my head. "Touché, m'lady," I said.

She laughed, then crossed the room to the closet. "I've got to decide what to wear," she said.

She was still limping a little. "Are you alright, babe?" I asked.

She turned. "I'm fine, Ani. Why?"

"Can you feel your hands and feet?"

"For the most part. Don't worry. More and more feeling comes back day by day."

I sighed. "Every time I see you limp, or you get one of your headaches, I feel guilty. Palpatine attacked you to get a reaction out of me. I should have been able to protect you better."

She had been sorting through her many dresses again--she had filled up the remaining space in my closet, and only with about one-tenth of her clothes--but she turned and glared at me. "Enough with the guilt trips, Skywalker. I don't want to hear it this morning." Her face softened. "Ani, if I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times. You did protect me. You killed him. You killed him, and you're being honored by the Jedi Council today because of it. So stop with the self-pity, OK?"

I gave her a half-smile. "Yes, ma'am," I said.

"Now, go get ready," she ordered, using the same tone that she used when commanding the senior officers in her security force. I obeyed.

My boxers were right where she said they would be, sitting on top of the dryer. One pair remained--I was lucky. After glancing at the chrono and realizing how little time I had, I looked around frantically for my tunic and pants, then quickly put on my underwear.

And yelled a vile string of Huttese curses as soon as the cloth made contact with my skin.

I should have recognized the smell of the cold-to-heat muscle-relaxing cream that Obi-Wan and I sometimes used after our sparring matches. If I had, I would have been able to guess that someone might have put this cream on my boxers. But I was in too big a hurry. And now I was paying for it. I was on fire. I peeled the boxers off and ran for the 'fresher, turning the water on quickly and trying to rinse the cream off. I yelled another string of curses, this time in Rodian, and jumped out of the shower. The water made the burning worse.

I reached for a washcloth and wiped away all of the visible cream, using the Force to will the burning to stop, counting to fifty in Huttese, thinking pleasant thoughts of mine and Padmé's wedding day, anything to get my mind off the pain in my loins.

After several minutes I emerged from the 'fresher, wearing only my pants, still squirming some from the pain, to be greeted by Obi-Wan saying, "What the hell?" He was standing in the hallway, lightsaber ignited; realizing at that point there was probably no significant danger, he disengaged it. Padmé was standing in the doorway to my room, dressed but with her hair down, face pale, eyes wide.

Then there was Sabé, in the doorway to Obi-Wan's room, trying without much success to stifle her giggles.

I counted to ten slowly, first in Huttese, then in Rodian, then in Corellian. Then I just looked at Sabé. "It's payback time, Handmaiden Martarre," I said.

She burst into laughter. "That was payback for last night, Skywalker," she said.

Obi-Wan and Padmé both looked at her.

"She got hold of our muscle-relaxant cream, Master," I said, "and put it in my only clean pair of boxers."

Obi-Wan grimaced as the realization of what Sabé did hit him where it hurt. He nodded. "I'll hide that cream, Padawan," he said.

Padmé rolled her eyes. "You two," she said. "I told you on Naboo--stop the war. No one is going to win. And Sabé, if you did anything to affect his reproductive abilities, I will have your head."

She burst into laughter again.

I was going to have to pick another language to count in this time. Let's see--Toydarian. Toydarian looks good.

"Sabé, you're going to make some man turn to the Dark Side one day," I said.

She shook her head. "I doubt it," she said. "I don't think Obi-Wan has an ounce of Dark Side in him." Then she turned to Padmé. "How do you want your hair done today?" she asked.

Both of them went into my room, debating which of two hairstyles would work best with Padmé's dress.

Obi-Wan started to turn for his room.

"Um, Master?" I asked.

He turned. "Yes?"

"I've got a...um...slight problem," I said.

He smiled. "Don't want to go commando on your Knighting day, Padawan? I think I might be able to help you out there. I actually don't wait until the last minute to do my laundry."

We both laughed, and went into his room.

------------------------------------

An hour later we were in front of the Council Chambers, awaiting permission to enter. To combat my nervousness, I imagined pleasant things, like Jabba the Hutt being choked to death by one of his own slaves, and clung tightly to Padmé's hand. I didn't realize how tightly I was clinging to her until she whispered, "Ani, I love you, but you're cutting off my circulation."

"Sorry, babe," I whispered back, loosening my grip.

At that moment, Raj, Master Windu's Padawan, who was guarding the entrance to the Chambers, said, "You may enter now."

Normally the Council never allowed any non-Jedi entrance into the Chambers, even for a Knighting ceremony. Of course in the past, no one had ever questioned this rule, because Jedi do not normally have access to their families.

Obi-Wan wasn't surprised when I told him that I was going to ask if Padmé could be present at my Knighting. He just smiled, sighed and shook his head. "Anakin, I think if the Council made a rule that all future Jedi must have a million-credit balance in their bank accounts, you'd suddenly take a vow of poverty just to tick them off," he said.

Yoda was not quite so amused when I asked him. He rapped my knees with his gimer stick. "For you, how many exceptions must we make, Padawan Skywalker?" he asked.

I didn't react to the pain in my knees. "Master," I said calmly (Obi-Wan would be proud), "my fiancee's life is still in danger. She must be under protection at all times. If Obi-Wan and I are both unavailable, another Jedi must be assigned to her that day. Is that even possible right now?"

Yoda sighed and nodded, acknowledging what I was telling him. "Enough Jedi, we do not have right now, Padawan," he said. "Correct, you are. Present at your Knighting, the Senator will be."

"Thank you, Master," I said, smiling at him. At the moment I was resisting the urge to hug the old troll.

Now I was met once more with the scrutinizing stares and the uncomfortable silence of the Council members. Finally, Yoda spoke. "Take a seat you may, Senator Naberrie, Handmaiden Martarre. Knight Kenobi, Padawan Skywalker, step forward into the center of the circle, you may."

We did, and again, stood there for a few minutes in uncomfortable silence.

Finally, Mace began the ceremony by nodding at Obi-Wan, indicating that he could, as my Master, present me for Knighthood.

"Honorable Members of the Council," he said, "on behalf of the Jedi Order, I beg to inform you that, through acceptance of several very difficult and challenging trials, and through his deeds and demeanor as my Padawan Learner, Anakin Skywalker, has earned his passage to Knighthood."

"Come forward, Padawan Skywalker," Mace said.

I did, then Yoda said, "Kneel, you may," to which I obeyed, lowering my head.

Yoda continued. "Ready, are you, Padawan Skywalker, to accept this honor which your Master and your peers feel you rightly deserve?"

"I am ready, Master," I said. My voice betrayed my nervousness. I swallowed hard. I was glad I didn't have to look up right now.

Mace continued. "The Code of the Jedi Order requires that the candidate pass a series of trials before ascending to Knighthood. Knight Kenobi, has your Padawan completed his trials?"

"He has, Master," Obi-Wan said. His voice was tense. Was it emotion or nervousness?

"Your lightsaber, please, Padawan Skywalker," Mace said.

I unclipped it from my utility belt and handed it to him without looking up.

"A Jedi's lightsaber is his weapon of defense against war and injustice in the galaxy. Padawan Skywalker, as part of his apprenticeship, has constructed this weapon in order to fulfill his duties as a Jedi. Anakin Skywalker, do you solemnly swear that you will, as a Knight of the Jedi Order, be a guardian of peace throughout the galaxy, dispense justice tempered with mercy, protect the weak, defend the defenseless, and help the needy?"

I nodded. "I do," I said.

I felt Mace touch the hilt of my lightsaber to one shoulder, and then the other.

He continued. "When a Master Jedi chooses a Padawan Learner, the Learner chooses as a symbol of his or her apprenticeship a thin braid worn over the right ear. This braid consists of intertwined strands of the Learner's hair and the Master's hair, representing the bond they will always have as Master and Apprentice. Even though the braid is removed as part of a Padawan's ascension to Knighthood, the bond remains. As a reward for the thorough and successful training of Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi will now have the honor of clipping his Padawan Learner's braid and returning it to him for safekeeping and as a constant reminder of the one who taught him."

I heard the sound of my lightsaber being ignited. "Knight Kenobi," Mace said, "you may do the honors."

I felt my eyes water and sting even before I felt the heat of the saber near my ear, heard the "zip" sound of my braid being cut, and the whisper of it falling into my outstretched hand.

I gazed at it for a few long seconds, the intertwined strands of blond and red, symbolizing my bond with Obi-Wan, symbolizing all our years together, all I had learned from him.

My vision blurred.

"Arise, Knight Skywalker," Mace said.

I did, slowly, hoping that the Council wouldn't see that I was turning into a pool of sentimental mush.

But Adi Gallia was already crossing the room, two handkerchiefs in her hand. "Don't worry, you two," she said softly. "Every Knighting ceremony is accompanied by tears. It never fails."

I took a handkerchief and looked at Obi-Wan. He also had tears in his eyes. We embraced.

--------------------------------

The ceremony ended and, one by one, the members of the Jedi Council slowly stood and exited the chambers. Padmé and Sabé waited until we had finished drying our eyes and blowing our noses before approaching us.

Padmé tiptoed and kissed my cheek. "Congratulations, sweetheart," she said. "You've been working towards this day for a long time, and you certainly earned it."

"Thanks, babe," I said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, and glancing over at Obi-Wan, who had linked his arm through Sabé's. "I learned from the best," I said, giving him a small smile.

"You remember that next time you're tempted to put salt in my caf instead of sugar, my very young apprentice," he said.

The four of us laughed, then Sabé cleared her throat. "Any chance of taking Anakin out for a celebratory dinner, people?" she asked. "I'm hungry. Are you hungry, Knight Skywalker--or should I say Knight of the Evil Sex Pranks?"

I laughed. "I think that's you, Handmaiden Martarre," I said, "considering what you did this morning. I think we should institute that as some sort of punishment for galactic capital offenders. I'm still sore."

"I'm sorry, Ani," Sabé said, laughing. "If I had had more time, I might have come up with something less harsh. Right now let's just call a truce."

Padmé and Obi-Wan both sighed with relief. "It's about damn time," Obi-Wan said, "and now we have more to celebrate. I'm so hungry I could eat an entire bantha." He looked at me. "It's your Knighting day, Anakin. You pick the place."

We left the Council chambers and walked towards the elevators that would carry us to our quarters. Padmé and Sabé wanted to change into something more comfortable, and I mulled over restaurant possibilities.

As we got on the elevator, Obi-Wan jokingly said, "What about Dexter's Diner?" He winked.

I laughed. "Master, as much as I like Dex, I don't much feel like eating fried gundark legs and drinking cheap ale today. And I'd be afraid to take the girls in there--they'd get propositioned by every death-stick dealer that Dex hasn't managed to throw out of the place yet."

Obi-Wan laughed and patted me on the back. "I know, Padawan. Just kidding. Pick something though. I'm hungry."

We got off the elevator, and a young Padawan rushed up to us. "Excuse me, Knight Skywalker?"

I wondered how long it would take me to get used to the title. "Yes?" I said.

"Off-planet transmission coming in, sir. Marked personal."

"From where?"

"Tatooine, sir. Should I transfer it to your quarters?"

My mouth went dry, and I nodded. He turned and walked quickly back to the com station. I hurried to the entrance to our quarters and palmed the door open. Obi-Wan, Padmé and Sabé followed as I rapidly walked over to our com unit and pressed the "receive transmission" button.

Mom's smiling face appeared onscreen. "Hi honey," she said.

I smiled back. "Hi Mom."

She looked beautiful. The cast was off her arm; she was dressed in the clothes that she wore to work on the farm; her hair was pulled back in a bun at the nape of her neck, the style she had worn for as long as I could remember. It was early evening in Mos Eisley, and in the background I could see the slanting rays of the setting twin suns coming through the window.

"We just wanted to say congratulations," Mom said. "Obi-Wan contacted us. I'm sorry we couldn't come for your special day, but we're proud of you, honey. You've made your dreams come true."

I nodded and swallowed hard.

Cliegg appeared in the background, putting his hands on Mom's shoulders and squeezing them. "Congratulations, son," he said.

"Thank you," I managed.

"So what is involved in a Knighting ceremony?" Mom asked.

"Obi-Wan presented me for Knighting, I took an oath, and then Obi-Wan cut my braid, symbolizing my advancement to Knighthood," I said, my hand absently moving to the empty place where my braid used to be.

Mom smiled. "Are you going to grow your hair long now? Isn't that how all Knights wear their hair?"

Damn. Tradition again. Of course as cold as they keep the Temple in the wintertime, it might not be such a bad idea...

Before I could answer, Padmé piped in. "No," she said.

All of us burst into laughter--Obi-Wan, Sabé, Mom, and me. "Long hair on a man doesn't appeal to you, I guess," Mom said.

Padmé shook her head. "It looks great on Obi-Wan. I just can't see it on Ani. That's all."

Obi-Wan shook his head, giving Padmé a mock scowl. "Well, at least you've made one concession," he said jokingly.

More laughter followed, then Mom said, "Well, honey, I'm going to have to cut this short because it's getting expensive, but I just wanted to let you know how proud I am. I wish Qui-Gon could have seen you--seen what you've become since he brought you to the Temple, and seen what a great job his apprentice has done with your training."

I swallowed hard again and nodded. "Thanks Mom," I said. "I'll let you know next time we're near the Outer Rim."

"Do that, son. We miss you..."

"Hey, Anakin!" came a voice from the background, then Owen's face appeared onscreen. "Congratulations," he said, then the neutral expression on his face became a scowl. "And by the way, next time you're going to pull a stunt like you did with the 'Coruscant Venereal Disease Center', warn me ahead of time so I can make sure Beru isn't there when I'm opening my mail. I got a twenty-minute tongue-lashing before I could even get a word in edgewise to remind her of your history of pranks."

I had forgotten about that prank. I bit my lip to keep from laughing. "Sorry about that, man," I said.

"It's all right, Jedi--next time you're here, it's payback time--we'll just get you to use the Force to get the harvest ready two weeks faster," he said.

Mom laughed, and gently shoved him out of the way of the screen. "Don't worry, Ani, he's only pretending to be angry," she said. "Beru didn't care. She knew it was a prank."

I laughed.

"Anyway, sweetheart," she said, "come for a visit soon, and bring Padmé--don't let her work too hard on her Chancellorship campaign. Come to the farm anytime you need a rest."

I smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Mom," I said. "I love you."

"I love you too, son," she said, and we shut our com units off at the same time.

-------------------------------------

"...the acting Supreme Chancellor recognizes the Senator from the sovereign system of Naboo." Mas Amedda's voice rang throughout the Senate chambers, and Padmé's box, containing her, myself, and Captain Typho, slid slowly towards the center of the rotunda and dropped gracefully.

Padmé began her prepared speech. "Honorable representatives and members of the Senate," she said. "Recently my home planet of Naboo came under attack by..."

What was wrong? My ears were ringing and hurting. I shook my head rapidly, trying to get rid of the sensation. Padmé's voice sounded like it was coming from under water. Her words were slurred. I could no longer understand her. I looked around the room to see if anyone else was having this problem, but I saw nothing out of the ordinary. Senators of all species and planets stared at my fiancee, fixated, as she gave her passionate speech about the attack of her planet by several greedy business corporations carrying heavy representation--and many votes--in the Republic Senate. Evidently they could hear her. But I couldn't.

I shook my head rapidly again to clear the sensation. I wondered if I was coming down with a sinus infection, and began to draw on the Force to heal the dizziness, at least long enough for Padmé to finish her speech. Then suddenly I noticed the Neimoidians in their Senate box.

Their mouths, large and wide against their flat leathery faces, were open, and I could read their lips, mouthing the words, "This is an outrage!", although I still could hear nothing other than the warbled mumble that Padmé's speech had become. I put my hand on the hilt of my lightsaber, just in case Organa and Mas Amedda did not silence them quickly enough for me and I had to take matters into my own hands. I could feel a gentle Force-brush from Obi-Wan--"Calm, Anakin. Calm."

It happened so suddenly that I didn't have time to react, even with my Force reflexes. Nute Gunray and Lott Dodd's mouths slammed shut, and their eyes, normally small, black and beady, doubled in size and glowed bright red--a blinding bright red, as if they had been lit from behind with a Sith's lightsaber. Then the Nubian Senate box slipped from its hold and plunged, quick as lightning, into the depths of Coruscant below the chambers of the Senate, below the Galactic Republic government building complexes, below even the lower levels of Coruscant where Republic law had little bearing, into an area so black, we couldn't see our hands in front of our faces, into an area rank with the foul stench of death. And it was cold--cold enough to make Hoth feel like Tatooine. I shivered, and called out for Padmé.


I felt a gentle hand brushing hair out of my face and several kisses on my cheek, and heard a soft, gentle, familiar voice. "Anakin," Padmé said. "Anakin, honey, wake up. Wake up. You're having a nightmare."

I rolled over quickly, throwing her off of me more abruptly than I would have wanted, and sat straight up. "Huh?" I said.

She jumped away and looked at me, wide-eyed. "You were having a bad dream," she said.

I clenched my fists in the folds of the bedclothes and looked around. We were in Padmé's senatorial apartment, a penthouse with a magnificent view of Coruscant. I stared out the window for a few minutes at the well-lit traffic lanes outside, at the bustle of activity on the city-planet even at this time of night, and took a couple of deep breaths. It's OK, I told myself. It was a dream. It didn't happen. It isn't going to happen.

I felt her hand on my shoulder and turned around to look into her concerned eyes. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

She was wearing a simple white nightgown trimmed with lace, her hair falling down around her shoulders and mussed from sleep, and I thought she had never looked more beautiful. I took her hand in mine, lacing my fingers through hers, and gave her a small smile. "It was just a dream, babe" I said.

She shook her head. "You were screaming, Anakin. It might help if you share it."

I sighed and nodded. "OK. We were in the Senate chambers. You were giving your speech to call for a vote to revoke the licenses of those groups that are in league with Palpatine. It was well-received..."

At this she smiled, somewhat amused. "That's good to know," she said.

I nodded and continued. "...but then Gunray and Dodd were there, and they suddenly...I don't know, seemed to gain some power they hadn't had before or something...their eyes turned a blinding shade of red, and then your senate box plunged and dropped...dropped completely into the depths of something I've never known, something so cold that only death could live there...I don't even think the Force could live there."

I don't know if it was the recall of the dizzying plunge of Padmé's senate box, or the mediocre restaurant we had hurriedly chosen the night before, but nausea rolled over me like a tidal wave on Kamino. I jumped up and ran quickly into the 'fresher. The porcelain felt ice-cold against my sweaty forehead as I emptied the contents of my stomach into the toilet.

I didn't lift my head even when I heard the whisper of Padmé's silk bathrobe brushing against the door and saw her blue satin slippers padding towards the sink, then towards the toilet. She pushed a glass of water under my lips and, with her other hand, lifted my head to press a cool cloth to my forehead.

I took the water glass and sipped cautiously. She put one arm around my shoulder and rubbed soothingly. "It's all right, Anakin," she said softly.

I shook my head and sipped more water. "No, it isn't. I shouldn't be afraid, but I am."

"Anakin," she said more firmly. "After what we all went through with Palpatine in that throne room, it's a wonder we're not all having nightmares and flashbacks. The healers even told me I would have them. I've been counting myself lucky so far."

"Maybe," I said, draining the glass of water. "But this shouldn't be happening." My voice grew louder. "Damn that Palpatine. He should have never been allowed to come to power! He certainly shouldn't have been able to get these other groups in league with him, right under our noses. Why didn't the Jedi Council see this? Why didn't any of us see it? How could we have missed what was right in front of us?" I banged my clenched fist against the back of the toilet in frustration.

Padmé cupped her hand under my chin, forcing me to look up at her. "We missed it because we're human," she said. "You may be a Jedi, but your powers are still limited--and if they weren't, you still wouldn't be satisfied, because power corrupts. I'm convinced that's what happened to Palpatine. And he got as far as he did because we weren't expecting him, and we weren't on our guard--a lesson I don't think we'll need to repeat, not after what happened on Naboo. Not after the Galactic Senate and the entire Republic almost came under control of a Sith."

I folded my arms on top of the toilet and rested my head in them.

Padmé pressed a gentle kiss to the back of my head. "Come to bed, Anakin?"

I didn't answer her right away.

"Are you going to throw up again?"

I shook my head.

"Do you want me to call Obi-Wan?"

I shook my head again, raised it slowly, and stood. "No," I said. "I'll talk to him tomorrow." I put my arm around her shoulders. "You're right. Let's just go back to bed." I sighed. If this is a vision of some sort, I thought, it will still be here in the morning. To avoid worrying Padmé, I didn't say this out loud. I just squeezed her shoulders, holding her closer.

*****

I heard voices coming from the kitchen, and the sizzling of meat frying in a skillet, the smell of which made my stomach growl before I even opened my eyes.

I sat up slowly, stretched, and looked around. Padmé was gone, the sheets rumpled on her side of the bed, her bathrobe and slippers gone from the chair where she had carelessly tossed them last night just before we returned to bed. Sunlight streamed through the windows of her bedroom suite, and the noise of traffic outside indicated that we were well into another busy workday in the capital of the Galactic Republic.

What time is it, anyway? I swung my legs over the side of the bed, stood, Force-floated my robe and slippers from a chair in another corner of the room, and quickly put them on.

That's when I remembered the dream from the night before. I stopped dead in my tracks, gripping the doorframe for support, willing my breathing to slow down and my heart to stop pounding.

Visions are only possibilities, I repeated to myself. Visions are only possibilities. Dreams pass in time. Dreams pass in time.

What about Mom? What about that dream?

My heart pounded in my chest again, and I reached out for the calmness of the Force. She didn't die, Anakin. You saved her. You can do this--whatever this means.

I straightened and walked purposefully into the kitchen.

Padmé was at the stove, cooking an omelette made of gundaark eggs and bantha cheese, and eopie sausage. Obi-Wan was sitting at the table, sipping caf. They both looked over as I walked in. Padmé flipped over one of the sausages, put the spatula down and crossed the room to give me a kiss.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," she said.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"1000," Obi-Wan answered with a smile. "Not an early day for you, as usual, Anakin."

I returned his smile. "And I'm sure you were up at 0600, ready to go, already singing Corellian drinking songs off-key in the shower," I said.

Obi-Wan laughed and took another sip of caf. "No, I'm afraid Sabé got me out of that habit. I didn't know Padmé had taught her handmaidens how to turn off the hot water in the Jedi Temple." He winked at my fiancee, who was now flipping sausages and omelettes onto three plates and carrying them over to the table.

Padmé laughed. "I didn't teach her anything, darling Master Jedi," she told him. "Sabé went to Yoda for instructions on that." She looked at me. "Yes, Ani, your favorite 'old troll' has a mischievous side. 'Agree with you, I do, Handmaiden Martarre, that something must be done. Sing, Master Kenobi cannot.'" Obi-Wan and I burst into laughter at Padmé's perfect, very undiplomatic imitation of the senior member of the Jedi Council.

"Anyway," Padmé continued. "The caf is ready, just the way you like it, Ani--the same color as deep space and the consistency of a Gungan swamp. I'm pretty sure if I put a spoon in it right now, it would stand up by itself."

I laughed and kissed her. "Thanks for cooking breakfast, babe," I said. "It smells really good."

"You're welcome," she said, sitting down and digging into her food. Obi-Wan put down his cup of caf, picked up a fork, and did the same.

"Now," he said, after swallowing the first few mouthfuls. "Tell me about that dream."

I swallowed my eggs, sipped some jawa juice, took a deep breath, and explained it to him. My heart was racing by the time I finished. At least this time, I was able to tell him about the Senatorial box plunging into blackness without feeling my breakfast come back up into my throat.

Obi-Wan put his hand on my wrist and squeezed, but he didn't say anything. Silence hung in the air for a few long seconds.

"Well," I said, "what do you think it means?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "I don't know, Padawan," he said. "We shouldn't ignore it, definitely. But remember that visions are only possibilities. The future is always in motion." He looked at me. "We'll definitely need to keep a close eye on the Trade Federation and the Mining Guild, and make sure Padmé is under constant protection." He looked over at my fiancee, who was chewing thoughtfully on a piece of sausage, and frowning. "I know how much you hate the extra security and constant scrutiny, Padmé, but please understand that we may not have a choice here."

Padmé gave a small nod, said nothing, and went back to her food, an indication to me that she wasn't going to give up her freedom without a fight and that we were going to have an argument about it later.

Obi-Wan continued. "Anakin, I'd like to pass this information on to Mace and Yoda, if you don't mind. With the Council leading the investigation into other groups in league with Palpatine, it could be useful."

I nodded. "That's fine."

He stood up to get himself some more caf. On his way, he put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into a hug. "It'll be all right, Anakin," he said. "Just trust in the Force, and be mindful." I nodded again.

"Is there anymore of this omelette, Padmé?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I'm afraid not," she said, laughing. "I ran out of eggs. Anakin used them up the other night. He dropped them off the balcony onto Mace and Ki-Adi-Mundi's heads."

Obi-Wan nearly dropped his plate. "What?" he said incredulously, trying, I could tell, to stifle laughter.

Padmé and I didn't bother stifling ours. "It was funny, Master," I said. "I also used the Force to make the yolk stay on top of Mace's head for two blocks. That shiny bald head--with this bright yellow spot sitting in the middle, like a Tatooine sun at midday."

Obi-Wan laughed, and shook his head. "And to think I can't punish you for stunts like that anymore."

----------------

Just as I had predicted, when Padmé found out that she would be accompanied by two other Jedi protectors in addition to myself and Obi-Wan, she was in as foul a mood as I had seen her in quite awhile.

"This is ridiculous," she said, jerking open the doors to one of her wardrobes and rummaging through her varied assortment of formal senatorial gowns. We were in her apartment, and in the midst of venting her frustrations with the Jedi onto me, she was choosing a gown to wear for her speech. Probably not the best time to do so, but I knew when not to argue with her.

"It's for your protection, Padmé," I said calmly. "You are the chief threat to the groups that sided with Palpatine."

"I don't care," she muttered. "The Jedi's numbers are limited as it is. You said so yourself, as has Obi-Wan, Mace and Yoda. Sending four to protect me, when I already have a hired bodyguard as well as handmaidens trained in combat, is a complete waste of resources."

"With the influence you have on the Republic Senate, with the power you've managed to wield so far, I don't think so." I took hold of her arm. "They're afraid of you, Padmé--those groups you're going to speak out against. That's why Palpatine tried to kill you. He knew that you were the one stopping him from taking over the galaxy. Not the Jedi, not the rest of the Senate--you." With my other hand, I cupped her cheek. "Please, baby," I begged, "listen to me."

She jerked her arm away and pulled another dress off its hangar, roughly tossing it onto the bed. "You overestimate me, Anakin," she snapped. "I don't have that kind of power or influence and you know it. Yet I'm being given four Jedi protectors when your numbers are dwindling as it is, and there are so many more sentient beings in the galaxy that need your help--it's ridiculous. What is this anyway? Is this because my fiance is a Jedi Knight? Because I'm running for Chancellor? Please." She threw another dress onto the bed and looked up at me. Her eyes were blazing. I knew one thing--if Palpatine's allies weren't afraid of her, I certainly was at that moment. "What have you been doing, Anakin? You told Obi-Wan about your dream--what else did you do, go to the Council and threaten to go Sith on them if they didn't give into your demands for excess protection?"

I was furious now. "What?" I asked. "You told me to tell Obi-Wan about that dream. And when in the hell has the Council ever listened to me? And why are you accusing me of using my influence as a Knight to get more protection for you?"

"Because you'd do it, Anakin," she said. "For once think past your own inner circle and to the rest of the galaxy. You want to keep me protected, you say, and you'd have me shut up in this apartment all the time if you could. You'd have me not even make that speech, not even run for Chancellor. You'd have me not do anything." I guess she had chosen a dress, because she started picking up the others, one at a time, by their hangars, and putting them back in her closet with a satisfying "slam" on the metal rod each time. I was afraid she was going to end up breaking the rod before she was finished. "I won't do it, Anakin," she said. "My duty is to the people of Naboo, and if I become Chancellor, to the rest of the galaxy. This could involve some danger. You're going to have to get used to that--even if you don't like it, even if it threatens your personal sense of security. I won't be smothered, and I won't accept help I don't need. If the Jedi want to help me, they can concentrate on investigating who else in the Senate is allied with Palpatine--not on giving me my own personal posse like some tabloid star of a cheap holo flick."

I clenched my fists and folded my arms across my chest, counting to ten slowly to keep from lashing out at her. "Well, excuse me, Senator," I muttered. "I didn't realize that it was a capital crime in the Republic to love you enough to want to do anything I can to keep you safe. But I guess I was wrong."

I had nothing else to say. I didn't know if she had tried to answer me or not--I stomped out of her bedroom, then out of her apartment, before she had a chance to respond.

It had been raining all day, one of those nasty, filthy rains from Coruscant's recirculated atmosphere. I didn't even bother putting the hood of my cloak over my head--I just let the rain stream down my bare head and neck as I walked back to the Temple. I was probably going to end up with another nasty cold within a few days, but I didn't care. When I got back to Obi-Wan's and my quarters, I took off my boots, hearing the squishing sound they made as I slipped out of them, and shed my drenched cloak, leaving both in the middle of the living room floor. Obi-Wan heard me come in and entered the living room, saw my clothes on the floor, and started to give his usual lecture on neatness. "Anakin..." he said.

"Save it, Master," I growled. "Just save it." I picked up the nearest object I could find--the remote control to the holovid player, and threw it across the room. It landed against the wall with a "thud," leaving a dark mark.

Obi-Wan crossed the room quickly, grabbed me by both wrists, and led me over to the couch. "Sit down," he commanded. "NOW."

I did, then I stretched my legs out and lay on my side.

"What's going on?" Obi-Wan asked.

I tightened my jaw and didn't say anything. For a couple of minutes Obi-Wan just continued to stare at me, waiting. Finally he stood. "Fine," he muttered, "if you want to be stubborn and sulk, go ahead. But you're definitely not going to help anything by feeling sorry for yourself. When you calm down and decide you want someone to talk to, I'm here. Meanwhile, if you throw anything else, you're spending this weekend repainting the whole place--and no, I don't give a rat's ass if you're Knighted. I'll get Master Yoda to give you the order himself."

With that he left the room.

I gave the pillow under my head a satisfactory punch. At least I knew that wouldn't break.

I took a deep breath and counted to ten slowly. The anger began to leave me, and all that was left was sadness.

-------------

Even with my face stubbornly turned towards the back of the couch, I felt Sabé's hand on my shoulder and smelled the mug of steaming tea that she shoved under my nose. "Anakin," she said.

I didn't respond.

She gently shook my shoulder. "Come on, Anakin, quit being such a pain in the ass. I'm not your enemy, and neither is Obi-Wan. Roll over and drink this. You'll feel better."

I rolled my eyes and reluctantly rolled over, sat up, and took the steaming mug from her. I still didn't stay anything.

She put her hand under my chin, forcing me to look into her brown eyes--so much like her best friend's. So much that they were able to swap roles and fool everyone except those deep inside the Naboo Royal Security Forces.

I bit my lip, then took a swallow of tea.

"Anakin," she said. "She's under a lot of pressure right now. And she feels helpless and out of control, and if there's one thing Padmé can't stand, it's being helpless and out of control."

"Why won't she let me help her then?" I asked.

Sabé laughed and shook her head. "Anakin, that's just it. You don't get it. She doesn't want help. She knows she needs it--she knows her life is in danger and she needs the extra protection--but it's inconvenient for her, it keeps her from moving as freely as she'd like and getting accomplished as much as she'd like."

I rolled my eyes. "And because I'm a Jedi so I'm part of the problem," I muttered.

Sabé sighed. "No, Anakin," she said. "It's not about you. She's just frustrated, that's all--frustrated with Palpatine's ability to take over the Republic so easily, and frustrated with the seeming lack of ability to find out who his remaining allies are. She's also frustrated with how dangerous her normal everyday routine has suddenly become. What she needs right now is for you to let her vent. Not try to convince her that she needs the extra security--she's got plenty of people to do that for her. She just needs someone to complain to about how much she hates it."

I nodded. "You're right. I should have listened to her."

Sabé took my hand and squeezed it. "There's still time to make that up to her."

I shook my head and sipped my tea. "After the way I stomped out of her apartment, I don't know."

She laughed. "Anakin," she said. "She was angry, you were angry. That doesn't mean the end of the galaxy. Just leave her alone for awhile to cool off, then go back over there and talk to her."

I shook my head again. "All I want is to take care of her, Sabé."

She gave my hand another squeeze. "I know, Anakin. And she knows that, too. She's just been angry lately, that's all...and unfortunately for you, she unleashed all of it at once."

I smiled. "Well, better me than some unsuspecting senatorial aide in chambers..."

Sabé laughed. "You're right about that one. I can see the headlines now. 'Senator Amidala drops out of Chancellorship campaign after assaulting a Gungan security guard'..."

I laughed, and gave Sabé a hug. "Thanks. I needed that." I finished off my tea and stood. "I'm going to go spar for awhile. I need to release some frustration of my own, I think."

She took my hand again and gave it a final squeeze. "It will be OK, Anakin," she said.

------

Snap-hiss. Slash. Parry. Jump. Turn back. Slash.

I was putting up a good fight against these remotes. I normally only sparred with three or four at a time, but today I decided to challenge myself to five. I was getting a good workout, working up a sweat, and I was winning. I had only gotten zapped once.

More importantly, I was momentarily putting out of my mind my fight with Padmé. Or that her stubbornness was putting her in the line of danger from Palpatine's allies, unseen and unheard allies but allies that I knew were there.

When I was sparring, I could forget the visions that plagued my sleep. Once it was visions of my mother--being beaten by the Hutts and calling for me, being dragged away by unknown beings and calling for me, being engulfed by a shadow. Now, it was visions of Padmé--Padmé with eight blasters pointed at her head, Padmé's senatorial box sinking into the depths of the underworld of Coruscant, never to return...

Slash. Block. Jump. Dodge. Leap. Turn back. Slash.

"Well, well, well. A Jedi Knight without his shirt on. I should come down here more often."

The soft female voice came from the doorway to the training room. I knew immediately who it was.

I dodged one last zap of voltage from one of the remotes, blocked it with my lightsaber, jumped, turned, and landed firmly on my feet--just in time to get zapped in the back by one of the remotes.

"Ow! Poodoo!" I yelled, grabbing the small of my back.

"You shouldn't let yourself get distracted, Master Jedi," Padmé said, smiling at me from under the hood of the purple handmaiden's robe she wore. "It might not be a remote next time."

"Don't remind me," I said, disengaging my saber and, with the Force, shutting off all five remotes at once and sending them to a corner. I grabbed a towel off a nearby chair and wiped the sweat from my face. "So, Senator Amidala," I said, "what brings you to the Temple training room? And alone?"

Her smile turned to a scowl. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, Knight Skywalker," she said, lifting the folds of her robe--and revealing two tiny blasters.

I couldn't help but smile. Now that, I thought, is my wife.

"I believe you can, Senator," I said. "And may the Maker help anyone who dares to think otherwise." I threw the towel on the chair, to take to the laundry later, and grabbed my shirt. "But," I continued, "your natural charms would make any man want to protect you even if you didn't need it--just so he could be by your side. You wouldn't deny a man the pleasure of your company, would you, Senator? Even under the guise of being your protector?"

Her face softened. "OK, Ani, cut the charade," she said. "Look, I'm sorry, OK. It wasn't your fault. I shouldn't have taken it out on you. I'm just ready to throttle the Senate and that Council of yours for not being quicker to find out what the hell is going on..."

I crossed the room and put my finger to her lips, cutting her off. "No," I said. "I'm sorry. I should have listened to you. I was too busy trying to convince you to my way of thinking instead of trying to understand what you're going through right now. That wasn't right, and I'm the one who should apologize."

She bit her lip, and I saw the large tears that had formed in her eyes. "Ani," she said quietly, "will this ever end?"

I turned the hood of the cloak back with one hand and stroked her hair. "Will what ever end, baby?"

"I thought the danger, the need for extra protection, the constant hiding and looking around corners...your visions...I thought all that was going to be over after Palpatine died. I didn't even mind getting hurt by the Force-lightning because I thought we'd seen the end of this and I could just go back to doing my job like I'm supposed to. But it's not happening that way...and no one knows why..." Her breath hitched in a sob and a couple of tears spilled down her cheeks. I wiped them away with my thumbs, then held her, stroked her back, and kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry," she said, caving in to more sobs.

"Hey," I said softly, "for what? Nothing to be sorry for. Shhh..."

Within a few minutes she had pulled herself together, her sobs changing to quiet sniffles. I gently wiped her eyes and face with the soft edge of my shirt, then hugged her again. Her head rested against my bare chest; I kissed the top of her head.

"Ani?" she said quietly.

I kissed her again. "What baby?"

She looked up at me. Her face was still blotchy and her eyes were red and swollen, but she was smiling. "Let's go back to my apartment and get in the tub."
"What made you think of the tub?" I asked.

Her smile grew wider. "Because I want a hot bath--and you need one," she said.

I laughed and kissed her full on the mouth. "Alright, you," I said. "Don't you know it's dangerous to tease a Jedi?"

"Who's teasing?" she asked.

This time we both laughed. I put my shirt back on, and we went hand in hand from the training room.

------

A couple of hours later I returned to my quarters. Sabé had come to help Padmé dress for the fancy senatorial dinner that night, one that I felt like going to about as much as I felt like sharing a meal with Jabba the Hutt. I hated getting dressed up like a Hoth ice bird for one of those dinners under normal circumstances, and tonight, I had a blazing headache and felt like every muscle in my body was on fire. Probably the workout I had, I thought. I haven't sparred since before Obi-Wan and I left to meet Padmé on Alderaan, and that was four months ago. I probably overdid it.

I had one thing going for me at the moment though--the fact that it takes my fiancée three hours to dress and fix her hair, and only takes me fifteen minutes to put on the ice bird suit, meant that I had exactly two hours and forty-five minutes to flop on the couch and rest. And feel my achy muscles. And moan.

"Too much exercise, Padawan?" I opened my eyes and looked at Obi-Wan, who was staring down at me with a look that was half-piteous and half-reprimanding. "You always overdo it, Anakin. But at least you took it out on a bunch of remotes and not on our furniture this time."

I frowned and sat up, moaning as my head pounded with the effort. "Yeah, yeah, Master," I said, waving one hand, gripping my forehead with the other.

"So did you fix things with Padmé?" he asked.

I sighed. "Yeah, I did. Or she did. She found me in the training room."

"Good," he said. "I prefer to be at least three galaxies away from you next time you're in that kind of mood."

I looked at him again. "I'm really sorry, Obi-Wan," I said. "I shouldn't have shoved you off. You didn't deserve that. You were just trying to help."

He sat beside me and placed a hand on my arm. "It's alright, Anakin," he said. "I probably should have just left you alone immediately instead of pushing you to talk."

I shook my head slowly. It hurt to shake it. "No, Master," I insisted. "It's my fault."

He moved his hand to my shoulder. "You were just determined to shut everyone out," he said with a half-smile. "That's why I sent Sabé after you. I knew she wouldn't let you off the hook very easily."

I laughed. "No," I said. "She has a way of making people talk. It's called 'issues with men that cause serious danger to the bodily organs thereof'."

Obi-Wan laughed out loud. "That's only when she's mad, Anakin," he said, "not when she's trying to get you to blow off steam about what's bothering you." He dropped his arm from my shoulder and folded his hands together. "Was that your first fight with Padmé?" he asked.

I sighed and nodded. Nodding also hurt, and I squeezed my eyes shut. "Yes," I said. "It's really the first time since we've been dating that we've been together long enough to actually have anything to argue about."

"You mean the first time you've been together long enough to find your way out of the bed and do any real talking," Obi-Wan said, jabbing me in the ribs.

When I didn't jab back, he got his famous "I'm Obi-Wan and I'm worried" look on his face--which, understand, does not necessarily mean anything more than he forgot one of his vitamin pills--and put the back of his hand on my forehead. "Are you alright, Anakin?" he asked.

"I'm tired and my entire body hurts," I said. "Especially my head. Why?"

"You're a little warm," he said.

Great, I thought. This is a hell of a time to be coming down with something, with Padmé making her presentation to the Senate in a few days and the Jedi investigating who Palpatine's allies might be.

"Maybe you should stay in tonight," he continued.

I shook my head. "No," I said. "If I stay in, King Pompous Ass will probably want to escort Padmé--and it's not going to happen. I'll go. It's not like it's going to last all night. I'll go to bed as soon as it's over."

Obi-Wan laughed and stood. "You're way too hard on Organa, Anakin," he said. "Now, lie down on that couch and take a nap. I'll wake you in time to get ready."

"Yes, Master," I said, lying back down. Obi-Wan was on his way out of the room, and turned suddenly in the doorway and looked at me. That's when I realized--I should have argued with him about the nap. But, oh, hell. I didn't want to.

------

Organa had been talking for forty-five minutes over our dessert, telling everyone all the glorious things he planned to do for the galaxy as acting Supreme Chancellor. Someone really needs to tell this guy that the markative word here is acting. He may be running for the real job, but he doesn't have it, and therefore he certainly doesn't need to make a filibuster for the sole purpose of boosting his own ego and giving the rest of us sore butts from listening to him for so long.

Of course I had a sore everything. The longer the night went, the more my entire body ached. I was also starting to feel chilled, in spite of the fact that the warm air in the room earlier had made me want to take off the jacket of the ice bird suit. Beads of sweat were forming on my forehead, and my nose was starting to run.

Padmé leaned in, took my hand, and whispered, "Anakin, are you alright?" It must have been the tenth time tonight she had asked me that.

I gritted my teeth, trying hard not to snap at her. "I'm fine," I muttered, sniffling. I felt an unavoidable tickle in my throat, and turned and coughed as quietly as I could.

"No, you aren't," she whispered back. "You are absolutely radiating heat. We're leaving."

"Not right now," I whispered. "No need to make a scene."

"Alright," she whispered fiercely, "as soon as Bail stops talking."

Well, that means we'll be out of here sometime next week.

"It's not like people would think anything of it if we left now," she whispered. "You look like you don't feel well, and you've hardly eaten any of your dinner. And just the fact that you actually care whether or not we make a scene proves that something's wrong."

OK, she had a point. Normally there was nothing I would like better than to interrupt one of His Royal Pompousness' filibusters.

I could have summed it up for him in two sentences. "I am the king of the galaxy. You will love and adore me for what I do."

I dug in the jacket of the suit for my handkerchief and held it to my nose, trying desperately to stop sniffling. Obi-Wan was staring at me. I'm fine, Master, I sent.

Sure, Anakin. And I'm Yoda.

Now that would be a sight to see.

I sneezed and shivered. Padmé laid her cool hand on top of mine.

"And ladies and gentlemen, fellow delegates, I would like to thank you for being here tonight and sharing this grand celebration. The Senate will reconvene in three standard days. And as a final word to end this wonderful dinner, and to officially begin what I hope will be a friendly and amicable campaign..."

Shut up, dammit. Just shut up. Good thing Organa wasn't Force-sensitive.

"...I would like to propose a toast to my opponents in the campaign for Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, the honorable Aks Moe of Malastare..."

He paused and turned in our direction, giving Padmé a smile that was friendlier than I would have liked. Of course I was seeing it through the fog of my headache.

"...and the beautiful Senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo."

The dining room erupted in applause as Organa grinned from ear to ear. Padmé held her glass high, allowing it to clink with Organa's--and allowing the lights from the chandelier to reflect the sparkle of the diamonds on her ring.

I resisted the urge to use the Force to cause the chandelier to splinter on top of Organa's head, then I raised my glass, allowing it to meet theirs, then immediately sat back down.

The other senators and their escorts rose quickly and mingled about the room, refilling their wine glasses and chattering with delegates with whom they had not gotten a chance to talk previously.

Padmé grabbed my elbow. "Come on, Anakin," she said. "We're leaving."

I nodded.

Obi-Wan was at my other side with Sabé behind him. He took off the jacket of his suit and wrapped it around my shoulders, then laid his hand on my forehead. "You're burning up," he said. "I'm calling a Healer immediately when we get back." We headed out of the banquet hall and into the corridor.

"Please Master," I said, "no Healers."

"We'll go to my apartment," Padmé said, "It's closer." She put her arm around my waist, and I put mine around her shoulders, leaning into her. "Obi-Wan is right," she said. "You are burning up. And yes, we're getting a Healer. I'm not taking no for an answer."

We entered the lift which took us immediately the ten floors up to Padmé's apartment. She quickly keyed open the entrance--fortunately for me, because as soon as we got inside, I ran to the 'fresher. I hadn't eaten much that evening, but banquet food and this version of the flu...Corellian? Sullustian? Andoan?...weren't mixing very well.

I felt Obi-Wan's and Padmé's cool hands against the back of my head, and then everything went black.

------

"Jira?" I said. "Here, Jira...I think I've got that cooling unit ready for you now...it didn't take me very long to fix it...there was actually nothing wrong with the unit itself, just the switch that activates it...see?" I flipped the switch and immediately a blast of cold air hit me like an icy wind from a blizzard on Hoth. Jira smiled at me. "Ahhh...thank you, Ani. You're wonderful." But I couldn't stop shivering.

"Here, Sabé, wet this again. He's warming up these cloths faster than I can wipe him down. We're going to have to soak them on ice."

Ice...no...please...Force...no...

I heard scurrying footsteps then once again felt a freezing wet cloth bathing my face and chest, then an arm sliding under my shoulders.

"Anakin, " Obi-Wan said. "Open your eyes, Padawan."

I did, part of the way. I was in Padmé's bed; she was sitting on the edge, wiping me down with the cloth; Obi-Wan was on my other side, his arm underneath me against the pillows. One of the Temple Healers, Zednem Sivad, stood behind him. "Here," Obi-Wan said, "I'm going to help you sit up, OK?"

I tried to shake my head, but it pounded too much. "No," I moaned. "Please...no..."

"Ani," Padmé said softly. "It's just for a second. We've got to get some medicine in you." She stopped wiping my face long enough to look me in the eyes, and I saw the pleading look in her chocolate-brown orbs. "Please."

I gave a half-nod, and let Obi-Wan slowly lift me up while Sabé propped the pillows behind me. I went into a coughing fit; Obi-Wan rubbed my back gently until I stopped. I felt a wave of nausea wash over me and I tried to lie back down, but Obi-Wan kept his arm firmly around my shoulders. "Just for a second, Padawan," he said.

"Knight Skywalker." Healer Sivad was soft-spoken and had a gentle bedside manner. She was a favorite of all sick Jedi. If we absolutely had to see a Healer, something I avoided like the plague due to memories of the first time I was asked to "turn and cough" in a checkup, then we wanted Master Sivad.

Now, she was holding a spoonful of syrup the color of a ruby bliel under my nose. "Drink up," she said. "You have the Osarian flu. The worst I've seen in several seasons, but it's also the first time I've seen a flu from the Expansion Region...peculier...but anyway...this will take care of that cough. Should stop your nose from running too. And we've got to get that fever down."

I gave another half-nod, opened my mouth and swallowed the stuff, and immediately started gagging. Sabé grabbed the trash can and handed it to Padmé, who held it under me just in time.

Whatever that stuff was...it was about as sticky sweet as a ruby bliel, too...it wasn't going to do me any good now.

Obi-Wan poured me a glass of water and held it to my lips. "Here, Padawan," he said. "Sip slowly."

I did, taking three or four swallows, then leaning back on the pillows. Padmé once again wiped my face, then kissed my forehead and took my sweaty hand in hers.

I was seeing everything through a feverish haze, so I barely noticed Healer Sivad pointing the hypodermic towards the ceiling and testing it before I felt its sharp prick in the skin of my forearm. "Here you are, Knight Skywalker," she said. "This will make you feel much better, I promise, and it will help you sleep, too."

I felt Padmé starting to move, and gripped her hand more tightly. "Don't go," I rasped. "Please."

"It's alright, Ani," she said softly. "I'm not leaving, I promise. I was just getting a chair."

I nodded and turned towards Obi-Wan. "Master?"

I felt his large hand smoothing my hair. "I'm not going anywhere either, Anakin," he said, dropping a kiss on my forehead. "Now just rest."

I don't know whether the fog that came over me was from the fever or the shot, but I was soon in a deep, meditative sleep.

------

All around me I could hear the constant rapid fire of blasters and see the steady glow of lightsabers as they zipped back and forth, blocking the shots. There must have been a hundred Jedi in the square today...what square? Where were we? Were we in Theed again? This didn't look like Theed. No...this was Corellia. I had been here once, with Obi-Wan, when I was fourteen, to mediate between two rivalling corporate heads. Corellia was not only the headquarters of one of the major trading routes in the galaxy, but it was also the central location of most foundation companies and corporate entities. Nearly every mediation there involved money, and Jedi hated mediating there. Even under the best of circumstances, we usually found the core values of both parties so foreign to us that it was difficult to help them reach a common solution.

And today the dispute had obviously gotten violent. I panted heavily as I blocked another volley of shots. We were fighting with many disgruntled, heavily armed, and fiercely angry smugglers...

"Look out, Anakin!" Obi-Wan called, doing a front flip over my head. He landed on his feet squarely in front of me...and the blaster bolts meant for me went straight into his chest.

"NOOOOOO!"


"Anakin!"

I sat up straight, then moaned with pain and lay down again, realizing that I was drenched with sweat and the sheets were completely soaked. "No," I mumbled again.

"Shhhh...." the soft voice said, and I found myself looking into a pair of beautiful brown eyes. "It's alright, Anakin. It was just a dream."

I reached for her hand. "Padmé?"

She smiled. "You really have been feverish," she said. "No, sweetie, it's Sabé. I sent Padmé into the other room to get some rest. She hasn't left your side since you passed out after the banquet."

"Is she OK?"

Sabé laughed. "She's fine, Ani," she said. "Doing much better than you, I might add, although your fever broke at least. Do you want anything? Some water?"

I sneezed. And again. And again.

"Tissues?" Sabé asked, passing me a box without waiting for my answer.

I blew my nose. "Where's Obi-Wan?" I asked.

"On the living room couch, asleep," she said. "Do you want me to wake him up?"

I nodded, and she stood up, heading for the living room.

"No! Wait, Sabé," I said.

She turned. "What?"

"Don't go," I pleaded.

She looked at me, obviously amused. "Anakin, you want me to get Obi-Wan, yet you don't want me to leave the room. You forget, I don't have the Force."

I lay on my side and clung to my pillow. "I'm scared."

She crossed the room, sat on the side of the bed, ran her fingers through my hair, and said softly, "Anakin, I promise you, it was just a dream. Now, I'm going to get Obi-Wan. I'll be back before you can say 'The Force is used for knowledge and defense, never for aggression'--I promise." She kissed my cheek, got up and left the room before I had a chance to protest.

True to her word, Sabé was back in the room within a minute with Obi-Wan, who began mopping my sweaty face with a washcloth. "Had a dream you need to tell me about, Padawan?"

I opened my mouth to say something but coughed violently instead. Obi-Wan patted my back and poured me some water. "Here, sit up and drink this," he said. I did, and sniffled.

"Sounds like someone needs more medicine," he said.

"Not another shot, Master," I mumbled.

He laughed. "The only reason you got the shot is because you couldn't keep the syrup down, Ani," he said. He measured a spoonful from the bottle on the nightstand and pushed it towards my mouth. I swallowed it. Same sticky-sweet stuff.

"Staying down OK?" Obi-Wan asked.

I nodded. "Master," I said, "it was a horrible dream. We were on Corellia fighting smugglers. You jumped in front of me and got shot..." I shook my head to get rid of the vision.

Obi-Wan looked amused. "Anakin, if you didn't look so serious, I'd laugh right now. We haven't dealt with Corellian smugglers in years."

"But Obi-Wan..." I protested.

He put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Anakin. I just think this time it was the fever talking, that's all. Keep your eyes and ears open just in case...but I don' t think you need to dwell on it." He took my hand and squeezed it. "Lie down and rest, Padawan," he said.

"Ani?" Padmé appeared in the doorway, bleary-eyed, wearing a loose-fitting gown, her feet bare. Seeing that I was awake, she rushed to my side and kissed me. "Oh, you look better than earlier, thank the Maker," she said. "You scared me to death. Your temperature was 105 standard degrees when Healer Sivad arrived."

Obi-Wan nodded. "You and your lousy immune system from not taking care of yourself, Anakin. You caught this flu running around in the rain with your hood off," he said, then shook his head. "What I can't figure out is how a form of the flu arrived here from the Expansion Territories," he said. "They aren't represented in the Senate, they pretty much govern themselves, and there hasn't been a known visitor from those planets on Coruscant in a century. Yet somehow a virus arrives here from there. Very strange." Then he shrugged. "I suppose the answers will come. Several of the master healers are looking into it right now. Meanwhile," he added, looking at me again, "you rest. You want to be able to attend the next Senate session, don't you?"

"It's not a question, Master," I said. "I will attend the next Senate session."

"Well then I suggest you go back to sleep right now," he said.

------

"I don't like this, Anakin." Padmé, looking absolutely ravishing as usual in her splendid Senate finery, was scowling at me from under her silver brocaded headpiece.

"Padmé, I've told you, I'm fine," I said hoarsely. "Now, let's go." I took a cloak out of the closet and put it on. Then I coughed furiously and sneezed several times.

"Are you sure about that?" Obi-Wan's voice came through the door to Padmé's bedroom. "Anakin, you haven't stopped coughing since this morning, your head is congested, you're still running a fever and you won't take any medicine. You can barely talk, for Force's sake."

"I kind of thought people might enjoy that," I said, giving him a half smile before coughing again. He didn't smile back. The humor was going to be completely lost on him.

"That medicine puts me to sleep, Master. Besides," I added, "it's not me people are wanting to hear anyway." I smiled at Padmé, whose expression had gone from frustrated to resigned.

I sniffled and turned back to Obi-Wan. "Master, that slimy piece of Hutt poodoo nearly brought down the entire galaxy, and tried to kill Padmé while he was at it. Do you think I'm going to miss getting the chance to watch Padmé bring down his allies?"

Padmé shook her head. "Anakin, you're going to have to face the fact that my speech may not be well-received by the Senate," she said softly.

I remembered my dream, the red eyes and loud protests of the Trade Federation members, the rapid drop of Padmé's box into the filthy lower depths of Coruscant's underworld...

I instinctively put my hand on the hilt of my lightsaber. "Another reason I'm not staying here," I said.

Padmé sighed, Obi-Wan right after her. I sneezed and blew my nose.

"You look like hell, Anakin," Obi-Wan said.

I wanted to give him a sarcastic "Thanks," but I didn't.

"I feel a whole lot better than I did three days ago, " I said.

"Well, I certainly hope so." He sighed again. "If you're going to be stubborn and insist on dragging yourself to a session with over a hundred Senators and who knows who else, when you're still trying to shake this flu, don't blame me when it knocks you on your ass again." He turned and held his arm out for Sabé. "Let's go," he said.

I stuffed several tissues in my cloak pocket, took Padmé's arm, and headed towards the door.


"The Acting Supreme Chancellor recognizes the Senator from the sovereign system of Naboo," Mas Amedda said.

Padmé's senatorial box glided towards the center of the chambers and descended several feet. She stood slowly. Obi-Wan, Sabé, Captain Typho and I stood behind her.

"Fellow delegates, honorable representatives of the Republic," she began. "Recently my home world was attacked by an army of battle droids and clones. In the midst of the fighting which ensued, it was discovered that the former Supreme Chancellor, Palpatine, who was also once a senator from my home world, was a traitor to his own people and to the Republic as a whole. Palpatine was, in fact, a Dark Lord of the Sith, of the type believed destroyed by the Jedi a millenia ago. This Sith Lord's apprentice, Darth Maul, slaughtered a Jedi Master named Qui-Gon Jinn a decade ago in the Battle of Naboo, a battle begun when the Trade Federation needlessly and senselessly attacked my home planet."

Nute Gunray opened his mouth to protest, but Organa glared at him. "You will not interrupt Senator Amidala's speech, Viceroy," he said sharply.

It was the first time I ever felt like applauding the man. Unfortunately I started coughing instead.

Sabé handed me a glass of water, which I gulped down quickly, and sniffled. I should have taken something for this sinus pain before I left. Surely we had non-drowsy decongestants somewhere, but I had been too busy arguing with Obi-Wan about whether or not to take my prescription from the Healers.

Padmé continued. "Fortunately for Naboo and for the Republic, Palpatine has met his just end at the hands of a Jedi Knight named Anakin Skywalker. My home planet as well as the entire galaxy owe Knight Skywalker, and the brave Jedi Masters who assisted him in this battle, an eternal debt of gratitude."

Applause erupted from several of the senatorial boxes. Padmé waited until it died down before continuing. "The Jedi Council has done further investigation into the matter and has uncovered evidence that several leagues and associations represented here in this body were allied with Palpatine: the Trade Federation, the Banking Clan, the Mining Guild, the Techno Union, and the Commerce Guild."

Several protests erupted at once from their boxes. Amedda pounded his gavel. "Order!" He called. "Order!"

The protests ended, and Organa glared into the crowd. "I will not tolerate such a disruption again," he said. "Anyone choosing to create one against my express orders will be escorted from these chambers by security." He turned to Padmé. "Senator Amidala, you may continue."

Padmé cleared her throat. "Based on the evidence I am presenting here, which includes documentation of several conversations and private transactions taking place between former Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and the institutions previously named, I am now calling for a withdrawal of the corporate licenses of these entities and the loss henceforth of their voting powers in the Senate."

A great hush came over the chambers, a silence almost as loud as the protests had been earlier. I could read the shocked faces of most of the senators and representatives. How could so many have easily been so fooled for so long?

After a minute that seemed an eternity, Organa ended the silence. "Thank you, Senator Amidala," he said. "You have certainly presented a convincing and believable piece of evidence to support your theory. In a moment I will allow the representatives of the institutions you have mentioned to speak in their defense. Meanwhile...the acting Supreme Chancellor recognizes the viceroy of the Trade Federation."

"Will we get a chance to adequately prepare our defense?"

Oh, no, I thought. He wants time to prepare a filibuster...therefore, time to stall, so he can get with the other groups and come up with a way to escape. Don't let him do it, Organa. Don't let him do it.

"Viceroy Gunray," Organa began. "It is certainly in the best interests of justice and equality that you should have as much time to prepare a speech in your defense as Senator Amidala has had to present her case. However, there is another deciding factor here. As long as there are possibly allies of Palpatine still on Coruscant, the future of the Republic is at stake, because..."

Oh, no he doesn't. Not now. We were actually about to have the first productive Senatorial session I've been to in a decade, and he has to start with a Pompous Knowledge filibuster. Hell, by the time he finished, Palpatine's allies would have had plenty of time to take over the Republic. If he didn't put them all to sleep first.

I had suffered long enough. At that moment I took several tissues from my cloak pocket and gave my poor stuffy nose a good blast, one that echoed around the chambers.

Organa stopped talking and looked at me. Padmé was trying not to laugh. "Good timing, Ani," she whispered.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "Anakin, was that really necessary? Right then?"

I whispered back. "Master, I haven't been able to breathe since we got in here. Now is as good a time as any."

He just sighed, and rolled his eyes again.

"As I was saying..." Organa continued.

It was my turn to sigh.

-------

Three hours later when the Senate session was over, we entered the lift to go back to Padmé's apartment. All five of us were silent; the only sound in the corridor from the chamber to the lift had been my coughing and sniffling. It was only when we were inside the lift and Typho pushed the button to send us up that Sabé broke the silence. "That went well, didn't it?" she said.

And it had. Padmé's vote had easily passed through the Senate, with a final vote count of 137 in favor of revoking the licenses of the parties involved, eight against. It was fairly easy to figure out who five of the eight were...the organizations being put out of business.

But who were the other three?

Evidently Obi-Wan had picked up on my thoughts. "It did go well," he said. "My only regret is that we didn't oust Nute Gunray and some of the others several years ago. A full-fledged investigation should have been launched immediately after Qui-Gon died..."

Sabé put her hand on his arm. "It wouldn't have done any good, Obi-Wan," she said. "Palpatine was Supreme Chancellor then, remember? He had several Senators under his influence and the rest of them were slowly succumbing to his charming manipulation. There were four trials in the Senate...they all ended in mistrials or hung juries. It was ridiculous."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "I knew something was up when that happened, too," he said. Then he shook his head again as if to clear it. "Anyway," he added. "We know who five of the parties were that voted nay to the resolution to end the voting rights of those organizations. We just don't know who the other three are, and neither the Jedi nor the Senate needs to be kept in the dark about that information."

I nodded, then sneezed and blew my nose again.

Obi-Wan looked at me. "I'm about to go brief the Council. Anakin, do you feel up to coming with me?"

I nodded and sniffled.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "Did I even need to ask? I should have just asked if you were coming anyway regardless of how you felt." He lay the back of his hand on my forehead. "Alright, but we're keeping this short. One of the main reasons I want you there is not only because you're Padmé's chief Jedi protector, but also because Mace is supposed to bring me results from the healers' research into this flu you've caught."

I nodded, coughing again. "They found something?" I asked. My voice was harsh and raspy.

Obi-Wan nodded. "Something valuable and interesting, they said. Now, don't do too much talking, Anakin. No more than you absolutely have to. You're going to completely lose your voice if you don't watch it." Then he smiled. "And if the Council session starts to get too long for you, please find some other way to express your boredom other than clearing your nasal passages as loudly as possible."

I laughed, nodded and turned to Padmé, who had been standing beside me the entire time, completely silent, and put an arm around her shoulders. "Are you alright?" I asked.

She leaned into me. "I'm fine, Ani. Just tired." She gave me a small smile. "And glad this is over."

I tipped her chin to me for a kiss. "I know, babe," I said. "And don't worry about anything. Obi-Wan and I are going to take care of putting this resolution in place." I kissed her again. "We'll meet you in your apartment when we finish, OK?"

She nodded, hugging me again. "Don't be too long, Ani. You're still sick."

I nodded. "Yes, ma'am," I said.

-------

"Master Kenobi, Knight Skywalker." Yoda hobbled toward us on his cane. "Come in, you must." He hobbled back to his chair in the circle. Obi-Wan and I took our place in its center. "Went in Senator Amidala's favor, the vote did?" he asked.

We nodded. I coughed. "Yes..." I began.

Obi-Wan waved his hand in a sign that I should preserve my voice and let him talk. I obeyed. "Yes, it did, Masters," he continued. "137 for the Senator's resolution, eight against."

"Who voted against the resolution?" Ki-Adi Mundi asked.

Obi-Wan cleared his throat. "The expected ones," he said. "The Trade Federation, the Banking Clan, the Mining Guild, the Commerce Guild, the Techno Union...but that's just a guess. I have asked that the results be sent to these chambers immediately. I don't know who the other three dissenters would be, and we need to find out."

"That we do," Mace said, "as well as the purpose behind their dissention, and then determine from there whether further investigation is needed. We will contact the two of you as soon as we receive the voting results. Meanwhile," he continued, looking at me. "I have some other information that might interest you--you in particular, Anakin."

I nodded and held a tissue to my now-dripping nose.

"How are you feeling?" Mace asked.

"I've been better, but I was a whole lot worse three days ago," I said.

Mace nodded. "Hopefully your health will continue to improve," he said. "This information came back from the Healers after they ran several scans on a sample of your blood." He picked up a datapad and read from it. "Acute Osarian influenza: a contagious infectious disease primarily affecting humanoid males, although humanoid females may contract a milder version of the same virus. The Osarian flu has a mortality rate of fifty percent in its most acute phase and is characterized by a high fever, intense nasal and chest congestion and muscular pain." Mace looked up. "This version of the influenza virus has not been seen off of the planets of Osarian, Rhommamool, or Tynna in a century. At that time, there was an epidemic in the Koornacht Cluster, when a mercenary from Iktotch, also on the Corellian run, disgruntled because the Republic's new tax laws and tightened trade regulations had caused him to lose 40 percent of his profit the previous year, was plotting an assassination attempt on then-Supreme Chancellor Asiul. He succumbed to the virus on the eighth moon of Galantos. Over one hundred humanoid males died from the virus before it was contained. The mercenary, Smada Palnud, was arrested after a Toydarian, angry over the fact that Palnud owed him money, contacted the Senate regarding Palnud's plot.

The fact that the Osarian flu has once again appeared on Coruscant can only mean one thing: the Expansion Region, for the first time in a century, has a presence here."

"Is there any particular reason the Expansion Region would feel the need to be present on Coruscant, Masters?" Obi-Wan asked.

I just coughed violently. Depa Billaba passed me a glass of water.

Mace shook his head. "No, and not only that, but we have checked the traffic logs of all hangars that received off-world shuttles into Coruscant space within the past month. No ships have arrived from the Expansion Region worlds. Not one. And this," he said, "could only mean one thing: not only is someone here from this region, but someone lied to gain entrance into Coruscant--which means they have a less-than-honest reason for being here."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Wait until Padmé hears about this. This will be all she needs.

I blew my nose--quietly, this time--and croaked out, "Would there be any reason for these worlds to be allied with the other groups mentioned?"

"Money," Ki-Adi Mundi said. "The Expansion Region--in fact, the Corellian Run worlds in general--are havens for smugglers and mercenaries. They make their decisions based solely on what their financial stake in the interest will be. They have no value beyond that of wealth."

Sounds like the Trade Federation, I thought. Their reason for attacking Naboo was their anger over trade route limitations...and the effect on their profits.

Or we thought that was the reason. The real reason was that Palpatine told them to attack so that he could convince Padmé to oust Valorum and vote him in.

I sneezed, and shuddered. Obi-Wan looked at me, and I could see the same train of thought going through his mind as well. What now? I sent.

We're going to have to be patient, he sent back.

"We will launch an investigation into this immediately," Mace said. "The Council itself will take responsibility for this matter. There could be more too it than we realize. We will contact the two of you with information as we receive it."

"Knight Skywalker," Yoda said, tapping the end of his cane on the floor. "Go to your quarters and rest, you should."

I nodded. "Yes, Master," I said.

Obi-Wan and I bowed, and exited the chamber.

------

 Something evidently smelled good when we entered Padmé's apartments, because Obi-Wan lifted his head, sniffed the air, and called, "Mmmmm...what's cooking?"

"Roasted shaak," Sabé called from the kitchen. "It will be ready in about an hour." She appeared in the living area, wiping her hands on the apron she wore. "So how did the Council session go?"

I sneezed and then coughed furiously. Obi-Wan patted me on the back. "Pretty well," he answered Sabé. "We didn't get too much information on who the dissenters were in the Senate vote today, but we did find out where Anakin's flu came from."

"Where?" she asked.

I sneezed again and reached for a tissue from the box on the table next to the couch.

"The Expansion Regions," Obi-Wan said, "Osarian to be specific. But supposedly no one from those worlds has entered Coruscant recently. So I don't know how a virus from Osarian could have gotten here when no one from that area has been here. There's something suspicious about this. The Council is looking into it."

I blew my nose. Sabé looked at me. "Anakin, you poor baby. You're not getting any better, are you?" She reached up and put her hand on my forehead. "Well, no fever. That's something."

I nodded and coughed.

"Healer Sivad said the congestion lingers for awhile, and is actually worse as the virus is leaving your system," Obi-Wan said. "In fact, when female humanoids catch this, the congestion is often their only symptom--sometimes they don't even have a fever, and the virus just mimics a very bad cold."

"At least that's something," I croaked out. "This is going away." I looked at Sabé. "Where's Padmé?"

"She's sleeping," Sabé said. "She was falling asleep on the couch, with everything on, including her headdress. I woke her up and made her go change into something more comfortable. I went back into her bedroom ten minutes later and she was fast asleep in the bed. I think she's exhausted, between staying up with you when you were sick and worrying about getting these resolutions passed in the Senate."

I nodded. "I'm going to go see her," I said.

"Wait a minute, Anakin," Obi-Wan said. He went into the 'fresher, then came out with a glass of water and four pills. "Here, take these two for your congestion, and these are throat lozenges. You sound horrible. If you were putting your verbs before your subjects, I wouldn't be able to distinguish between you and Yoda."

I smiled and shook my head. "Sorry, Master," I croaked.

He smiled back and thrust the pills and water at me. "You don't have to apologize, Anakin. I'm just trying to look after you. Here, take these."

I obeyed, swallowing the decongestants quickly and sucking on a lozenge. Then, as Obi-Wan and Sabé went into the kitchen, I headed for Padmé's bedroom.

She was in the bed, wearing a white nightgown, sound asleep, her hands folded beneath her cheek, the expression on her face so peaceful that I didn't dare wake her. Instead, I pulled a chair up to the bed and just gazed at her sleeping visage.

Our conversation in the training room--with her plea of "Ani, will this ever end?"--came back to me.

I didn't have the heart to tell her that Palpatine may have more allies than we anticipated--allies who have succeeded in smuggling a potentially-deadly virus into Coruscant.

It did not escape my notice that a large percentage of both the Senate and the Jedi were humanoid males...the group most affected by the virus.

Who were the ones who brought the virus, and what exactly were they trying to do? And would we be in time to stop them?

And how will Padmé take it when I tell her that this may be more complicated than we had originally anticipated?

I reached over to brush a lock of hair from her face, biting my lip as I felt tears stinging my eyes. We will be at peace again soon, baby. I promise you.

I stood, leaned over and kissed her cheek, whispering, "I love you, angel," as I pulled the blankets up to her shoulders. She stirred and mumbled something, grabbed my hand and squeezed it, then fell immediately back into a deep slumber.

I left the room.

------

Sabé made a delicious dinner of roasted shaak and steamed vegetables...I don't think there's a single woman on Naboo who isn't a good cook. The decongestants worked to clear my stuffy head and stop me from coughing, and left me feeling woozy and exhausted. So as soon as dinner was over, I went in the bedroom and crawled in bed next to Padmé. She was still sleeping peacefully, and when I got into bed and wrapped my arms around her, she stirred and snuggled closer to me, but never woke up. I could see the soft light coming from the living area and could hear Obi-Wan and Sabé's low voices, and soon I fell asleep myself.

I woke up at 0300 to violent hacking, then a loud blurbing sound.

"Padmé?" I called, sitting up slowly and rubbing my eyes.

She tossed a used tissue in the trash can and looked at me with puffy, listless eyes. "Ani, I feel awful," she croaked.

"Uh-oh," I said, swinging my legs around and sitting on the edge of the bed. I opened my arms. "Come here."

She did eagerly, sitting on my lap and burying her head in my chest. She was warm.

I kissed her temple and lay her down on the pillows, covering her legs with the blanket. "I don't know if this will be of any reassurance, but females don't get the Osarian flu as bad as males," I said. "I'm going to get you some of that medicine Obi-Wan gave me. It's worked pretty well. I feel a lot better than I did even when I went to sleep last night."

She gave me a small smile. "That's good. But you've lost your voice."

I smiled back and brushed a tendril of hair away from her face.

"You should have heard me last night," I said. "Obi-Wan compared me to Yoda."

We both laughed, and the laughter ended in a fit of coughing for both of us. I poured both of us some water, gulped some down myself, then helped her sit up and take a few swallows. I kissed her forehead. "I'll be right back," I said. "I'm going to get those decongestants."

She nodded, and sneezed. "Pass me that tissue box on your way out, Ani," she moaned. I did, and she blew her nose loudly again.

When I left the bedroom, Obi-Wan was in the hallway. I swear the man is the lightest sleeper in the galaxy. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Padmé's sick," I said. "Low-grade fever and congestion. Where did you leave those decongestants you gave me last night?"

He shook his head. "Oh, no," he said.

"What?" I asked.

He shook his head harder. "Anakin, females don't usually get this virus. That means it's spreading pretty quickly. There's an antidote for it and Healer Sivad has already ordered it, but it will take another two days to get here. I hope no one else has gotten sick. I'm going to call the healers and the Council. I really think someone has dropped this on us."

I bit my lip. "So do I, Master," I said, then as if to emphasize the point, I sneezed.

"The decongestants are in the 'fresher off the living area," he continued. "Meanwhile, you don't sound all that great yourself. You should also get back to bed."

"I feel horrible, Obi-Wan. If she hadn't sat with me the whole time I was in bed with this, she probably wouldn't have gotten it. Sabé had to make her go rest, and take a shift beside my bed so she'd do it."

"Anakin," he said, putting a hand on my arm, "you can't tell me with a straight face that you wouldn't have done the same for her. I know you."

I nodded, having to concede. He was right.

"So don't worry about it," he said, pulling me into a quick hug, then putting a hand on my back and pushing me towards the living area. "Now, go get her some medicine, and get back in the bed."

I found the decongestants in the medicine cabinet in the 'fresher, and took them to Padmé along with a fresh pitcher of water from the kitchen.

She was sitting up in the bed, propped against the pillows, blowing her nose. I poured some water into a glass, sat on the edge of the bed, and handed her the glass and decongestants. "Here, baby," I said. "These work really well."

She gave me another small, pained smile. "Thank you, Ani," she said softly.

I heard a knock on the door, and it slid open to reveal Obi-Wan, holding a thermometer and a couple of washcloths. "Healer Sivad is coming tomorrow but she said to go ahead and get a reading on her temperature," he said. He approached the side of the bed and put the digital thermometer in Padmé's ear. "101. Much lower than yours, Anakin. That's good." He got one of the clothes wet and handed it to me, and I gently mopped Padmé's face with it. She shivered, and I helped her lie back down, pulled the covers up to her shoulders, and kissed her forehead. "Go back to sleep, angel. Just wake me up if you want something."

She nodded and closed her eyes. Obi-Wan waved us goodnight and left the room, and I crawled back under the covers.

------

I paced the living area impatiently, alternately playing with the loops on my utility belt, running my fingers through my hair, using the Force to juggle various objects--fruit, trinkets, pictures, the remote from the holovid player. Of course after the second time I sneezed and dropped everything I was juggling, I decided I had better quit. Padmé would have my neck if I broke something.

"Anakin, you're going to wear a hole in the carpet," Sabé said.

She was sitting on the couch, a picture of calm, although I could tell from the way her hands were clasped together that she was nervous herself. Obi-Wan was talking in a low voice to one of the healers. They had sent Healer Sivad with three others to examine Padmé, and I had heard Healer Sivad tell Obi-Wan that ten Jedi had been admitted to the ward overnight with the Osarian flu.

I didn't want to leave Padmé's side. The decongestants I gave her had knocked her out pretty well for several hours, and the healers had to wake her up to take her blood and do their examination. Her fever had not risen above 101, thank the Maker; but once the medicine wore off, her head was stuffy again and she was miserable. I had asked the healers a thousand questions, interrupting their examination several times, while at the same time holding a tissue to my own dripping nose, but finally Healer Sivad put a hand on my shoulder and pointed me in the direction of the door. "Out," she said. "I can't do my job with a nervous fiance in here, especially a Jedi. I need you to wait in the living area, Knight Skywalker. I've got to take some blood and give her some medicine and I'd rather do it without you looking over my shoulder."

Padmé coughed loudly. I poured her a glass of water and put my arm around her, helping her to sit up and sip it. She did, then looked at me with bleary eyes. "Do what she says, Ani," she said hoarsely. "I'll be fine."

I nodded, pressed a kiss to her forehead, and looked at Healer Sivad. "Please let me know as soon as you are finished," I said.

She looked amused. "I will, Knight Skywalker, I promise." She pushed me out the door. "Now, go."

Obi-Wan reappeared from the kitchen, where he had been talking to another healer, just as I was picking up all the things I had dropped in my last sneezing fit. He laughed and shook his head. "Anakin, at least we can count on you to make things more amusing around here," he said.

I looked at him. "What did the healers say, Master?"

It was the first time I had really noticed how very tired Obi-Wan looked. "They said that the antidote should be here in 36 hours, and hopefully Sabé and I won't catch this before then," he said. "We'll just keep doubling up on vitamin pills."

"Hope that antidote comes soon," Sabé muttered. "Obi-Wan, those vitamins of yours make me pee bright yellow."

All of us burst out laughing. Obi-Wan sat on the couch, put his arm around her, and kissed the top of her head. "It's good for you," he said.

Sabé scowled. "Whatever," she said.

Healer Sivad appeared in the doorway. "Knight Skywalker," she said. "Your fiancee is requesting you. Thank you for being patient."

She had barely gotten the words out before I was dashing down the hallway and into the bedroom. Padmé was propped up on pillows, in the middle of a sneezing fit. Used tissues were scattered all over the bed--she was never this messy. I swept them into the trash can with one hand, sat on the edge of the bed beside her, and stroked her hair. "How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Like Gungan poodoo," she muttered, blowing her nose loudly.

"I'm sorry, baby," I said. "This is my fault."

She vehemently shook her head. "No, Anakin, it isn't. There's an epidemic." She looked tired and resigned...and sad. "I know what's going on. Healer Sivad told me everything. She said there's someone on Coruscant who isn't supposed to be, and whoever voted against my resolution is probably connected with whoever brought this virus." She sneezed.

I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into a hug. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, babe," I said. "The Council is looking into it. We will find out who's doing this, I promise." I stroked her back and kissed her hair, and for a minute she just lay in my arms, not saying anything.

Finally, she pulled away, lying back on the pillows, taking my hand in hers and running her thumb over my knuckles. "It's OK, Ani," she said. "I know you just found out. I know you would have told me eventually. You didn't have to wake me up to do it." She sighed. "All the Supreme Chancellor candidates are supposed to give their speeches in three days."

I kissed her forehead. "You're not going to be well enough," I said. "Sabé will do it for you."

She sighed again. "I guess she'll have to. I'm just glad I went ahead and wrote the speech while you were sick. Gave me something to do when you were sleeping." She smiled at me, then rolled onto her side and shut her eyes. "I'm going to sleep, Anakin."

I kissed her cheek. "I'll be nearby," I said. "I'm going to talk to Obi-Wan, but I'll be right back."

She nodded, and I could tell she was already drifting off.

------

Padmé would not allow the general public to know she was sick. The Jedi were trying to keep quiet the presence of the virus on Coruscant to avoid causing widespread panic among the population, and the Council instructed the Senate to do the same thing. In the past couple of days since Padmé had gotten sick, the Healers' Ward had admitted thirty Jedi and ten Senators. The Council met daily with Organa and his chief advisors--of which Padmé was one of them--to brief them on the progress of the investigation. Sabé had been going in Padmé's place, and not even Organa knew she was sick. Thank the Maker--the last face I wanted to see in this apartment when I was trying to recover myself was that of His Royal Pompousness.

Sabé had been in this meeting for two hours already. I wondered exactly how she managed to fool everyone when she decoyed for Padmé at meetings with Organa. Sabé's patience level was closer to mine than my fiancee's. I kept waiting for the day when Sabé finally lost it, gave Organa a wedgie in the middle of a monotone filibuster, and blew Padmé's cover.

I just hoped the tabloids would be there to take pictures of that one. I smiled at the thought.

Padmé stirred in my arms, sniffled, and mumbled, "No!" I kissed her hair and sent her another wave of comfort through the Force, and she settled back down, resting easily in my arms, hopefully the nightmare gone.

That's when I felt it, a great disturbance in the Force, the emptiness, like a part of me had suddenly disappeared. Like someone had left forever without saying goodbye.

A Jedi had passed into the realm of the Force.

I took a deep breath and squeezed my eyes shut, hoping I was wrong, but the horrible void remained, so painful that I instinctively held Padmé closer to me, hoping that somehow she could make the emptiness disappear.

I then felt a sharp wave of sadness over my bond with Obi-Wan. I kissed Padmé again, whispering, "I'll be back in a minute, angel," before getting off the bed and wrapping the covers tightly around her.

I found Obi-Wan in the living area, on the couch, his head in his hands.

"Master?" I asked.

He lifted his head. All the color had drained from his face.

"I felt it too. What happened?" I asked, sitting next to him and putting an arm around his shoulders.

He shook his head slowly and swallowed hard. "As soon as the disturbance came, I called Healer Sivad to get an update, to see if they had learned anymore, to check on the status of the sick Jedi and Senators," he said. "The antidote arrived this morning and is being administered as quickly as possible--the Healers are pulling 24-hour shifts." He stopped and took a deep breath.

I squeezed his shoulder. "But..." I said.

He shook his head again and bit his lip. "Johan Tis-Faren, admitted yesterday." He swallowed hard again, and I saw the tears welling up in his eyes. "His temperature got up to 107 degrees. They couldn't give him the antidote in time." A couple of tears spilled over, and he buried his head in his hands again. I pulled him into a hug, feeling tears prick my own eyes.

Knight Tis-Faren had been in the Creche with Obi-Wan. They were the same age, and had remained friends from their Initiate days. A friendly, outgoing Knight, one of the first I had met when I had returned to the Temple with Obi-Wan after Qui-Gon's death; one who was often in our quarters during the initial grieving period Obi-Wan went through, helping my Master through his pain and helping me get adjusted to Temple life. I had been fascinated by the stories he would tell about his and Obi-Wan's years as apprentices. "I've been telling your Master since we were kids that he needs to get out more," he said. "Once in awhile he'll actually agree to go...once Master Jinn told him to quit being such a stick-in-the-mud and forced him out with me on a Friday night. That's when we were sixteen. I think that's the only time your Master has ever tried death sticks. He was sick for two days."

We laughed hysterically, and Obi-Wan looked at us, trying to scowl but ending up laughing himself. "Johan, you were a bad influence on me, now you're a bad influence on my Padawan," he said.

Johan just waved his hand. "Yeah, yeah, Obi. Lighten up."

Johan was gone, into the ethereal oneness of the Force.

"There is no death, there is only the Force," I had been told after Qui-Gon died. The empty words didn't help me then, and they weren't helping now either.

Obi-Wan's body shook with sobs, his tears soaked my tunic, and I felt several spill from my own eyes. "We're going to take care of whoever did this, Master," I said softly. I wished I had more comfort to offer.

Obi-Wan pulled away slowly. "We must not be led by our anger, Padawan," he said. "Johan's memory would not be served that way." He reached for a tissue and passed me the box. "The investigation will be accelerated. Mace and Raj are on it now. The Healers aren't disclosing to very many that there has been a death. The Senate probably will not be told right away. Not until the antidote has been administered to the remaining sick people." He took a deep breath, dried his eyes and blew his nose.

I sniffled and wiped at my own tears. "Do any other Jedi know besides us and the Council?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "We're it," he said. "It's possible that a couple of others are going to be told. Until the investigation is completed, they're assigning two Jedi to each Supreme Chancellor candidate. You and I will remain with Padmé, of course. She was already under additional protection due to her role in bringing down Palpatine. The others are now being assigned the same protection.'

I nodded. At that moment the door slid open to reveal Sabé in her Senate finery, back from the meeting with Organa. She was accompanied by Mace, who gave us a quiet, sad nod, then left.

"What's going on?" she asked. "I knew something was up because of the way Master Windu was behaving." She took the headpiece off and pulled the pins out of her hair.

Obi-Wan shook his head, his eyes again filling with tears, and buried his head in his hands.

"It's being kept under wraps and that's why Mace didn't tell you," I said, "but we lost a Jedi this morning. An old friend of Obi-Wan's."

"Oh no..." she said, rushing to Obi-Wan's side and taking him in her arms. My master was once again overcome by sobs, as Sabé kissed him and stroked his back.

I lay a comforting hand on his shoulder and stood, intending to go back to Padmé, when Obi-Wan lifted his head from Sabé's shoulder, took my hand and squeezed it. "Stay, Anakin," he said, swiping at his eyes and sniffling.

I nodded and sat back down. "OK, Master," I said. And I did, as he once again buried his head in his hands and sobbed. Sabé and I rubbed soothing circles on his back and whispered, "Shhh..." as I meanwhile struggled to bite back my own tears. The empty void caused by the loss of a Jedi was palpable, especially a Jedi who was a friend.

I heard loud coughing and then, "What's going on?"

Padmé stood in the doorway in her robe and slippers, holding a tissue to her nose, her eyes bleary.

I turned to her. "What are you doing up? Get back in bed!"

She scowled. "Anakin, don't talk to me like I'm a three-year-old. I don't need the Force to know that something has happened here. What is it?"

I extended an arm, indicating that she should come over to the couch, which she did, and I put my arm around her shoulders and kissed her. "I'm sorry, baby," I said, then swallowed hard. "An old friend of Obi-Wan's passed into the Force this morning. The Osarian flu." Tears filled my eyes and spilled down my cheeks, and I took a deep, shuddering breath.

Obi-Wan looked up, took my hand and squeezed it. "Go ahead, Anakin," he said. "Go with her." He looked at Padmé. "Please get back in bed. We can't afford to lose you, too." He wiped his eyes again.

She nodded and bit her lip, then stood and gave Obi-Wan a hug and a kiss on the cheek, then squeezed his hand. "I'm so sorry," she told him.

He nodded and whispered, "Thank you," before being enfolded in Sabé's arms and succumbing to his tears again.

Padmé took my hand, indicating that I should get up from the couch. I put my hand on my master's shoulder, nodded to Sabé, then followed Padmé out of the room.

------

Two days later, we gave Johan his final farewell.

The ceremony took place in the Temple courtyard. Only a small group of us attended--Obi-Wan, me, the Council, Organa, three other Senators. Padmé insisted on attending although she was far from being well, but she and Sabé both hid under handmaidens' cloaks.

Johan's former Master, Kit Fisto, gave a brief synopsis of Johan's life in the Temple and his deeds as a Jedi--adventures which made me laugh and at the same time made me bite my lip to force back tears. Then Mace read the famous words from the Jedi Code, "There is no emotion, only peace. There is no death, only the Force." Then, lighting a torch from the Eternal Flame, which sat near the center of the courtyard and honored the memories of all Jedi who have passed on, Mace set Johan's body aloft, releasing his soul into the Force.

I hated funerals. No matter how everyone tried to sugar-coat it, the fact was that this is goodbye. There is no "see you next time" here, and no words of "he's in a better place" had managed to make the pain disappear. I had an absolute horror of death. I hated it. I avoided thinking about it as often as possible.

And the fact that Johan was taken from us so soon, and so needlessly...

I bit my lip again, so hard that I tasted blood. I could hear Padmé sniffling under the hood of the cloak and saw her wiping her eyes and nose with a tissue, but I didn't know how much was from her illness and how much was from tears. She was so strong. Much more so than I was.

A tear fell down my cheek, and no sooner had I wiped it away with my hand than more fell. Slightly embarrassed, I quickly brushed my sleeve across my eyes and sniffled. On Padmé's other side, I heard Sabé wince loudly, and I knew Obi-Wan was squeezing her hand tightly, probably to keep his own tears inside. He had remained stoic at Qui-Gon's funeral; he would do so at this one also.

My poor Master. I sent a wave of comfort to him over our bond, one which he thankfully returned.

As soon as the ceremonies were over, Mace approached us. "Obi-Wan, Anakin," he said.

Obi-Wan nodded. "Mace."

"The good news is that the antidote has been successful, and it appears that the virus has been contained. No one has been admitted into the Healers' Ward with the Osarian flu within the past 24 hours, and those who remain there are recovering thanks to the antidote." He looked at Padmé. "Senator Amidala. You should be resting."

"Master Windu," she said hoarsely. "I've already been through this with Anakin."

In spite of the gravity of the situation, Mace managed a small smile. "I imagine you have." He nodded. "Best hopes for a speedy recovery, m'lady, especially with the candidates' speeches being presented tomorrow."

She nodded and sneezed into the tissues she was holding. "My decoy will be handling that for me, Master Windu. I appreciate your concern."

He nodded then turned back to Obi-Wan. "The Council is continuing its investigation into the instigator of this epidemic," he said. "We are now accessing logs of all off-world departures from the planets of the Expansion Region from the past month. It's taking some time to go through them, but we are working all hours. As soon as we find something we will let you know."

Obi-Wan nodded. Padmé sneezed again, and coughed loudly. I put my arm around her shoulders. "Let's go back," I said softly. She nodded, looked at me with bleary, pained eyes, and blew her nose quietly.

"We'll be taking our leave," Obi-Wan said, taking Sabé's hand. "We'll be in touch with you later, Mace."

He nodded, and we left the courtyard.

-------

"Anakin, come on," Sabé called from the living area where she and Obi-Wan were waiting.

I was sitting on the edge of Padmé's bed, stroking her hair. She grabbed my hand. "Go ahead, Ani," she said. "I'll still be here when you get back." She gave me a small smile and coughed quietly.

We heard a knock on the door, which slid open to reveal Adi Gallia. She was here to protect Padmé while Obi-Wan and I were with Sabé as she pretended to be Padmé for the first campaign speeches by the Supreme Chancellor candidates.

"Go on, Anakin," Adi said, smiling. "I'll take good care of her. I promise."

I nodded, stood, and leaned down to kiss Padmé. "I love you, angel," I said. "Get some sleep."

"I love you too, Ani," she said, turning onto her side and closing her eyes.

Sabé and Obi-Wan were waiting impatiently at the door. As soon as we were outside Padmé's apartments, Sabé linked her arm through mine, leaving the general public no doubt that she was Senator Amidala, and Obi-Wan stood at her other side. As soon as we exited the building and headed towards the platform where our air taxi awaited us, we were bombarded by reporters.

"Senator Amidala, what will be the focus of your campaign?"

"Senator Amidala, we have heard rumors that you've been ill. Can you comment?"

"Senator Amidala, do you think being married to a Jedi will interfere with your ability to perform your duties as Supreme Chancellor, should you win this election?"

"Knight Skywalker, do you feel that future missions may be jeopardized by a potential bias on your part towards your wife's home planet?"

Master, I sent, can I use the Force to choke these imbeciles?

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Obi-Wan smile. While I certainly understand your desire, you need to control your Darkside tendencies, my very young apprentice, he retorted, winking at me.

Then he waved his hand quickly in front of the reporters' faces. "We have no comment," he said.

They nodded. "They have no comment," they repeated.

"You will go look for a gossip story somewhere else," Obi-Wan said, waving his hand again.

"We will go look for a gossip story somewhere else," they repeated. Then, en masse, they turned and left.

Obi-Wan climbed into the air taxi first, then helped Sabé in. I followed last, and the taxi spun and took off, speeding quickly through the skyscrapers of Coruscant towards the Coruscant Public Gardens, where the Supreme Chancellor candidates would be speaking to the public.

------

"The Acting Supreme Chancellor recognizes the first candidate in this year's campaign, Senator Padmé Amidala of the Naboo system," Mas Amedda said. Then he stepped aside. Sabé rose quickly and strode to the podium, Captain Typho, Obi-Wan and I on her heels. Directly behind us sat the other two candidates, Aks Moe and Organa, each flanked by two Jedi guards and their own security staff.

A large crowd had gathered in the public gardens today to hear the candidates speak, larger than we had anticipated. As I looked out at the sea of faces of all different planetary origins and species, I wondered how difficult it was going to be to control security here. I felt my heart start to pound and instinctively put a hand on my lightsaber.

Relax, Anakin, Obi-Wan sent.

Yes, Master, I replied.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Sabé said. "Recently my planet has been the subject of a great amount of turmoil and conflict caused by one of our own, one of our most experienced and trusted politicians, former Senator and Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. I have recently presented evidence that several delegations in the Senate, the Commerce Guild, the Mining Guild, the Trade Federation, the Banking Clan, and the Techno Union, were allied with the former Supreme Chancellor in his efforts to disrupt the government of the Republic as we know it and create a new government under his dictatorship. Fortunately, several brave Jedi Knights, including Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, and Yoda, were able to stop the Supreme Chancellor before it was too late." She paused and looked intently at the audience. "As your new Supreme Chancellor, it will be my job to maintain the peace of the Galactic Republic at all costs. I will push for new laws governing the intergalactic and intragalactic trade routes, ensuring that fair trading practices are in place and that everyone involved, merchant and buyer alike, are treated equally and justly. I will also banish the last remnants of slavery in the Outer Rim Territories and will invite these territories to accept full entrance into the Galactic Republic. Finally, I will push for further cooperation and collaboration between the Jedi Order and the Republic Senate. The Jedi Knights have been and continue to be the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy, and further collaboration with their Order will further the cause of peace in our time. Thank you, and I look forward to serving as your Supreme Chancellor if you elect me to do so."

I was fidgety, anxious to get back to Padmé. Politics may be one of my fiancee's greatest loves, but it bored me to tears. At least her speeches were to the point. I was expecting Organa's to last several hours.

A loud round of applause came from the crowd as Sabé finished and turned to head to her seat. At the same time, Bail Organa rose from his chair.

It happened before I even had a chance to pull my lightsaber out. A round of blaster shots came, first from to the left of the platform, then from behind us on the right. Then another, from the back of the crowd.

I heard screams coming from the crowd and the sounds of feet scurrying. I whipped out my saber and blocked a volley of shots. Organa's security team tackled him to the ground as Mace and Raj, who were guarding him, blocked a round of shots with their sabers, then ran in opposite directions, towards the sound of the shots. Sabé whipped out a blaster from under her robes and fired a round in the direction from which we heard the first shots. Whoever was there returned fire. Obi-Wan pushed Sabé to the floor and jumped over her--only to collapse onto the platform, unconscious.

I ran to him quickly. Sabé was kneeling at his side, her face blanched, murmuring in horror, "Oh, gods..."

I carefully rolled him onto his back--and saw the blood gushing from the wound in his abdomen.

No, I thought, no. This will not happen. I will not let this happen.

I lay my hands on the wound and drew on the Force, directing all the healing energy I could into his stomach, until I felt weak to the point of collapse and had to sit back.

"Anakin..." Sabé said quietly, despair in her voice.

I took her hand and squeezed it. "He'll be OK, Sabé," I said. "I swear to you, while I've got breath left in my body, he'll be OK."

She squeezed back, hard, and when I looked at her, I saw the large tears that had formed in her eyes. "Save him, Anakin," she whispered. "Please."

I nodded and swallowed hard.

Raj appeared on the platform then. "Master Mace and Master Mundi have arrested four people," she said. "Master Mace believes that's everyone. A member of Senator Organa's security team called a medic already. They're waiting over there." She pointed in the direction of the waiting ambulance.

I lifted Obi-Wan slowly and carried him to the ambulance, walking as quickly as I could without jolting him.

Three Jedi Healers, including Master Sivad, were in the ambulance, and as soon as I laid him on the stretcher, they shoved me aside and started working on him, hooking him up to IVs, checking his vital signs, stopping the bleeding. I just sat back and watched, helplessly. I kept waiting to feel something--fear, anger, grief--but I was completely numb, and could do nothing but sit there. Sabé leaned into me for support. Slowly and methodically I removed her headdress for her and took the pins out of her hair, the way I always did for Padmé after she had finished a senatorial session.

I put my arm around her shoulders and encouraged her to rest her head against my chest. She did, and I soon felt my robe growing wet with her tears.

------

The wait seemed to last forever.

It seemed to have been only days since I was sitting in a hard durasteel chair in the waiting room of a hospital ward while inside the adjoining room, healers worked diligently on Padmé after Palpatine attacked her. Now I was doing the same, only this time, Obi-Wan was fighting for his life in the room next door.

Once again I could hear Padmé the day she found me in the training room. Ani, will this ever end?

I don't know, baby,
I thought, will it?

Padmé. I wondered if anyone had told her yet what had happened.

Sabé's sobs had quieted soon after they began. She, like Padmé, was not easily prone to tears. Still she rested in my embrace, clinging to me for support, as her sniffles slowly faded.

"Anakin?" she said quietly.

I stroked her back. "What is it?"

She gulped and sniffled. "I forgot to ask if you were OK."

I kissed the top of her head. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me." The fact was that I still couldn't feel anything. It was as if the blaster that hit Obi-Wan also zapped every emotion I knew. I couldn't cry--there were no tears. I couldn't even be afraid. All I could do was avoiding thinking about the fact that my Master was lying in a hospital bed, bleeding internally from a blaster bolt in his abdomen.

Sabé once again buried her face in my chest and held me more tightly, as if I were the only thing keeping her steady right now. Funny how roles were reversed--usually she, Padmé and Obi-Wan were holding me together.

The door slid open from the outside, and a woman wearing a healer's outfit entered the room...followed by Adi Gallia.

"Padmé!" I said, releasing Sabé and standing quickly. I ran to her and hugged her, squeezing her tightly and giving her a quick kiss.

"Ani," she said, returning my tight embrace. "I came as soon as I could."

Adi was frowning. "She insisted, Anakin," she said. "Although I told her this was the worst place for her right now."

"As if I would stay in bed with this going on," Padmé said, returning the frown. She looked at me. "I'll go back to bed as soon as we get word on Obi-Wan, I promise," she said. She looked towards the door of his room, from which no healer had emerged for a couple of hours. "Have you heard anything?" she asked.

I shook my head. "Healer Sivad said she'd give us news as soon as she could," I said.

Padmé looked at Sabé, who was sitting perfectly still in the chair, her eyes downcast, looking more alone and sad than I'd ever seen her.

"Oh, Sabé," Padmé said, crossing the room, sitting next to her friend and hugging her. Sabé returned the embrace and said nothing. There were no tears. She, like me, seemed to have lost her ability to feel.

At that moment the door to Obi-Wan's room opened, and Healer Sivad stepped out.

Before she even said anything, I knew the news wasn't going to be positive.

"Master Sivad?" I said slowly.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Knight Skywalker," she said. "We're doing everything we can, but he's lost a lot of blood, and his spleen and liver are torn. I'm afraid..." She gulped. "I'm afraid it doesn't look good."

I didn't even know what I was doing...I just acted without thinking. "NOOOO!" I shouted, slamming my fist into the nearest wall. I could hear the loud cracking sound and felt a horrendous pain shoot through my arm, and I knew I had shattered the delicate bones of my hand, but I didn't care...as long as I had the physical pain, I wouldn't have to think about what was happening to my Master.

"Anakin!" I heard several people calling my name at once...Padmé, Sabé, Adi. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder, a firm grip turning me, guiding me to a chair, and pushing me in it.

Adi. "Anakin, this is not the way Jedi behave," she said.

"I don't care!" I shouted. I started to stand up again, but Padmé stood in front of me and held onto my arms, pushing me back in the chair.

"Anakin," she said. "You're not helping things here. Do you think this is how Obi-Wan would want you to act?"

I said nothing, just shut my eyes and bit my lip. The pain shot through my right arm like eopie sausage in a frying pan, and the hand was already twice the size of the other one.

Padmé sat down beside me and enfolded me in her arms, rubbing my back in soothing circles. "Just breathe, Ani," she said softly. "Slow, deep breaths. In and out. Calm..."

I did as she said, trying to draw on the Force to calm myself at the same time...but Padmé's soothing voice worked better.

Healer Sivad, evidently deciding that it was better not to ask me to move at that moment, stood behind Padmé and did her work, giving me an injection of painkiller and expertly setting my right hand and casting it.

The combination of the painkillers and being held by Padmé sent me into a state of tentative relaxation, and I soon drifted off into a fitful sleep.

------

In the darkened room I heard the whisper of the bedclothes being drawn back, and felt Padmé's warm body snuggling in next to mine. She climbed on top of me and kissed me full on the mouth, and I opened my eyes, now fully awake.

"Padmé?" I whispered in between kisses.

She lifted her head and put a finger to my lips. "Shhhh..." she whispered. "You're still in the Healer's Ward, Anakin. We don't want to attract attention. Just relax." She rained kisses down my neck and chest, sliding one of her hands under the waistband of my sleep pants. "I've missed this too much, Anakin. Between the investigation and us both being sick..." She sniffled as if for emphasis. "...we haven't had a chance to be together."

I ran my fingers through her hair and kissed her. "I love you, Padmé," I whispered. "They've given me a lot of painkiller, though. I hope I can..."

She put a finger to my lips again, then kissed me. "Don't you worry about that," she whispered. "Just relax. I'll take care of it."

She did, and afterwards we fell asleep together on the narrow hospital bed. Having her next to me was more calming than any painkiller or tranquilizer that the Healers could give me. It had been two days since Obi-Wan was shot, and all I had done was sleep. I took more painkiller for my hand than I would normally agree to take, but I was hurting too much emotionally to try to deal with the physical pain on my own.

I awoke the next morning to the soft whisper of the door to my room opening, and Healer Sivad entering. Padmé stirred, her head still resting on my chest, but did not awaken.

"Knight Skywalker?" Healer Sivad asked. She nodded towards Padmé. "I'm not even going to ask," she said, an amused expression on her face. "Even in the Healer's Ward, you end up in the bed together."

I ignored her. "How's Obi-Wan?"

She smiled. "Well, I have some good news," she said, setting down her equipment and preparing the hypodermic to give me another shot of painkiller. My hand was starting to throb. It usually did in the middle of the night...but Padmé was able to distract me from it last night.

"We are in the process of reconstructing cells for Master Kenobi's liver," she said. "We took several of his current cells and are cloning them in our laboratory. I didn't want to get your hopes up until I found out for sure it would work...but we tested the first cloned cells last night, and Master Kenobi's body seems to be accepting them readily...and he's not losing strength."

I felt a wave of relief washing over me so strongly that tears pricked my eyes. "Thank you," I said, biting my lip and swallowing hard. "When can I see him?"

She gave me a shot of painkiller directly into my throbbing right arm. "Probably tonight," she said. "Right now it's better that you rest. Same with the Senator. She should be well by now, and she isn't." She threw the hypodermic away and lay the back of her hand on Padmé's forehead. "Low-grade fever, still," she said. "99 standard degrees last time I checked, so it's lower than it was, but I still don't want her leaving here for a few more days." She looked at me, giving me a small amused smile. "You, of course, may stay as long as you like. I don't imagine I would be able to get Master Yoda to Force-lift you out of here anyway."

I returned her smile and yawned. "Please let me know when I can see him, Master Sivad," I said, already feeling the effects of the painkiller taking over me.

She nodded. "Sleep, Knight Skywalker," she said.

------

I awoke in the middle of the night in the darkened room. I had been sleeping so deeply that it took me a minute to realize where I was, and a wave of panic washed over me. "Padmé," I whispered fiercely. "Obi-Wan...what's happened?..."

I heard footsteps scurrying quickly to the side of my bed, then felt someone sitting down beside me, running soft fingers through my hair, kissing my temple. "Shhhh, Ani," whispered the soft voice. "Relax, sweetheart. Mom's here. Go back to sleep. Everything's fine."

I squeezed my eyes shut as I felt a couple of hot tears spill from them, then I took a deep breath and did as she said.

I woke up the next morning to Healer Sivad powering up the lights in my room. "Time for your shot, Knight Skywalker," she said.

Mom was stretched out on a couch in the corner of the room, and she yawned and sat up. I looked over at her, and she must have seen the question in my eyes before I asked it. "Padmé went to check on Sabé, honey," she said. "She'll be back."

I nodded, then felt the familiar prick of the Healer's needle in my arm. She patted me on the shoulder when she was done. "I hope you feel like leaving this bed, Knight Skywalker," she said. "There's someone who would like to see you." She gave me a small smile.

My eyes widened. "Obi-Wan?" I asked.

She nodded. "Master Kenobi is making a significant improvement," she said. "His liver has accepted all the regenerated cells."

I barely let her get these sentences out before standing and hurriedly snatching my robe from a nearby chair. I took off out the door and bolted down the hall, followed by Mom and Healer Sivad, who called, "Knight Skywalker, slow down!"

I didn't listen. I reached Obi-Wan's room and quickly palmed open the door.

Sabé was sitting beside the bed, holding his hand and stroking it. She had been saying something, but stopped when I burst in.

Obi-Wan was propped up on pillows, covered to his chest with blankets. He was looking much paler, much thinner, much more frail, with dark circles under his eyes...but alive.

I ran to the bed and threw my arms around his shoulders. "Master," I said. "Oh, Master, thank the Force..."

Despite my best efforts, I found myself sniffling and felt tears running down my cheeks again. "Easy, Anakin," Obi-Wan croaked, returning my embrace and stroking my back. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

I loosened my grip on him but I still couldn't say anything.

"Come on, Padawan," he said, "you didn't think you were going to get rid of me that easily, did you?"

I pulled away and wiped my eyes on my sleeve. "It's not funny, Master," I said.

He laid a hand on my left wrist and squeezed. "I know, Anakin," he said. "I'm sorry. You got a pretty bad scare." He caught my eyes. "But I'm going to be OK." He let go of my left hand and took my right one in its cast and held it up. "So let's not have anymore of this, alright?"

I smiled through tears. " I think I've learned my lesson there, Master," I said. "That hurt like hell."

"Good, that's one lesson that was easy to teach."

With that, Obi-Wan, Sabé, and I, along with Mom and Healer Sivad, who had come in behind me, laughed heartily.

------------

I palmed the door open to Padmé's apartment and nodded to Master Gallia, indicating that she could take her leave. Since Padmé and I were released from the Healers, another Jedi came to guard Padmé while I made my frequent visits to Obi-Wan. I know Captain Typho felt put out by my requests for Jedi security, but since we still didn't know whether the would-be assassin was a Force-sensitive or not, I wasn't taking any chances.

I found Padmé at her desk, surrounded by datacards and datapads. She was wearing her dressing gown, her hair falling down her shoulders and held back by a simple clip, her long thin fingers knotting it in frustration. I approached her from behind, kissing the top of her head and massaging the tense muscles of her neck with my good hand. "What's wrong baby?" I asked.

She sighed and leaned back, resting her head against my chest, letting her eyes close.

"The campaign is in full swing now, Ani," she said. "I've got to debate Bail and Aks Moe in three days on the subject of taxation in the Corellian Run and Corellian Trade Spine planets." She rubbed her temples. "And I suppose the Rimma and Perlemian Trade Routes and the Hydian Way will require separate debates regarding taxation laws, and all debates will require at least three hours of speech by each candidate. I swear, Ani--I didn't go into politics so I could debate the finer points of galactic tax code."

"Organa probably did," I said, laughing. That got a smile out of her. I leaned down to kiss her forehead. "You need to put these up for awhile and get some rest, babe," I said.

"I can't," she said, in a voice that sounded like a half-moan, half-whine. She was very pale, with dark rings under her eyes.

"Shhhh...." I said, massaging her neck again and sending waves of relaxation through the Force. She gave in, burying her head in her folded arms on the desk. I soon heard the easy, even breathing that meant she was asleep. I lifted her carefully, being wary of my broken wrist, and carried her back to the bedroom. She stirred slightly as I covered her with the blankets and kissed her cheek. "Good night, angel," I whispered. "I love you."

As I returned to Padmé's office to stack up the data cards she had left lying out, I heard a knock on the apartment door. I went to open it, revealing Mace. "Anakin," he said. "I have some news."

Mace's expression was unreadable.

"Good, I hope?" I asked.

"Very good," he said. "We've captured those responsible for the assassination attempt on the Supreme Chancellor candidates. They're imprisoned in the lower levels of Coruscant as we speak."

My look of relief must have been evident, because I thought I saw a flicker of a slight smile on Mace's face. "Five disgruntled smugglers from Mimban," he said. "They were working with the Trade Federation and the Commerce Guild for lower taxation of trade routes along the Corellian Run and the Hydian Way--and thus, they were secretly working with Palpatine. Naturally they were none too pleased when you killed Palpatine and Senator Amidala called for the revocation of the Trade Federation and the Commerce Guild's licenses. So they hatched a plan to essentially wipe out Coruscant, to take down the Jedi, the Senate, and all the Supreme Chancellor candidates in one fell swoop--they worked with several undercover smuggler organizations on Aridus, Iktotch, and Tynna. One operation on Iktotch knew of the location of a secret laboratory where they could breed the Osarian flu virus. The virus reproduces itself rather quickly I'm afraid, and as soon as it was ready, these smugglers brought the virus to Coruscant on an old freighter they had stolen from Balmorra. They were disguised as refugees, and they used a former Balmorrian senator's entrance code--one that was never cancelled--to gain access to the senatorial buildings and the Jedi Temple complex--and plant the virus." He paused. "You were targeted, Anakin. You're Palpatine's killer, a Jedi, and the future husband of a Senator. They thought by infecting you, they could spread the disease most quickly. It almost worked. When it didn't, they plotted the assassination on the Supreme Chancellor candidates--again, hoping to take out as many Jedi as possible."

I knew my eyes were blazing with anger and I instinctively lay my hand on the hilt of my lightsaber. Mace put a hand on my shoulder. "Remember what you have learned, Anakin," he said. "Do not allow your anger to control you." He nodded and turned to exit. "I'll be going to visit Obi-Wan. We'll talk more later."

------------------

The call from my com went through immediately. "Typho."

"Captain Typho, this is Anakin Skywalker. Could you be in the Senator's living quarters immediately and bring at least three of your men? I have an errand to run."

"Yes, sir. I'll be there right away."

He was in Padmé's apartment with four men within ten minutes, and I was off on my errand.

To the depths of Coruscant, to the planetary dungeon, where the Mimbanian smugglers were kept, awaiting their trial.

To cell block 9942, where Gels'ae Te'Pre, the chief smuggler, was being held.

Te'Pre, a Twi'lek, was sitting on the edge of his sleeper cot, his head in his hands. He looked up when he heard me approach. His large eyes bulged and his lekku quivered and reddened at the sight of me in my tunic and robe, my hand on my disengaged lightsaber.

"M-m-m-m-master Jedi?" he said, trembling.

"That's right, you smuggler scum," I said. I held out the saber, my thumb on its activation switch. One snap of my thumb, and its hot green blade would glow--right under the Twi'lek's chin if I so chose.

I could almost hear his teeth chatter now. And I was enjoying it. I narrowed my eyes. "You think you can just come to Coruscant and bring deadly viruses, you Sithspawn? Then try to shoot us with blasters? You could have killed me. You could have killed my wife." Now I did activate the saber. "And you almost killed my Master." I held the saber under his chin so that he could feel the burning heat from its point. "Give me one good reason why I should let you live."

By this time Te'Pre was shaking so hard that I was afraid he was going to go into convulsions. What a sorry little piece of poodoo. He was a coward, too.

"I-i-i-it w-w-w-as j-j-jus-t a j-j-job, s-s-sir," he said.

"Like I'm supposed to care!" I snarled. "Maybe next time you'll think twice about what kind of jobs you take. You've pissed off the wrong Jedi, you piece of Hutt-spit." I raised the saber.

"Anakin! Anakin! ANAKIN!"

The voice came out of nowhere. I knew what it was though.

I nearly dropped my saber. "Qui-Gon?" I asked, disengaging the saber and turning in the direction of the voice.

"Let go of your anger, Anakin. The Dark Side is starting to control you."

"Qui-Gon?" I asked again.

Nothing.

I looked back at the Twi'lek. He was still trembling in fear that I would once again bring my saber down on his head.

I turned and ran. I ran as quickly as I could out of the dungeon, flagging down the nearest air taxi. "To the Senatorial apartments NOW," I said, waving my hand in front of the driver's face for emphasis. He got the point, and drove quickly back to Padmé's building. I didn't even bother taking the lift--instead I took the steps, two at a time, up 24 floors to Padmé's quarters and palmed the door open.

"Knight Skywalker?" Captain Typho said, shocked.

I ignored him and ran quickly to Padmé's bedroom, palming open the door and closing it behind me.

She lay peacefully sleeping in her bed, undisturbed from where I had left her earlier. Slowing down for the first time since I left the dungeon, I walked to the side of her bed, dropped to my knees, and buried my face in the bedclothes, inhaling the sweet scent that was my bride. I felt tears prick the corners of my eyes. I'm sorry, angel, I thought. I came so close--and you wouldn't have wanted me to behave that way. Even to protect you. It will never happen again, I promise.

---------

I knocked on the door, and it softly opened.

"Come in, you may, Knight Skywalker," Master Yoda said. Then he turned and hobbled away on his walking stick, indicating that I should follow him. He led me into a living area, one of the strangest I have seen--no holovid player, no shelves, nothing except several large green plants and in the center of the room, Yoda's galactic lazy troll, a large round stool he sat on to meditate.

He hoisted himself on top of this, sat in the lotus position, and closed his eyes. "Now, young Skywalker," he said. "Something on your mind, you have. A confession, you must make."

I sat in front of him on the floor, also in the lotus position, and lowered my eyes. "Yes, Master," I said softly.

He said nothing at first. Then, "Touched the Dark Side, you have."

I nodded and gulped. "Yes, Master."

"Hmmm..." he replied. "Ashamed, you are."

I nodded again. "Yes, Master."

Yoda sat in silence. I took this as my cue to proceed.

I took a deep breath and plunged into my story. "I went to see Gels'ae Te'Pre in prison, Master," I said.

"Um hmmm..." Yoda replied. "How felt you?"

I gulped. "Angry, Master," I said.

"Hmmm..." he said.

"I wanted to kill him," I said. "I threatened him. I shoved my lightsaber blade under his chin so that he would think I was going to kill him. He was shaking hard with fear, Master...and I enjoyed it."

Yoda sighed softly, but didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry, Master," I said. "I shouldn't have gone looking for him. A Jedi must not know anger. I know this, Master."

"Hmmm...touched the Dark Side, you did, Knight Skywalker," he said. "But overcome it, you did, as well. How did you?"

"I heard Master Qui-Gon," I said. "He stopped me. He called my name."

Yoda nodded. "Great faith in you, Qui-Gon Jinn had," he said. "Insisted, he did, that you be trained. Knew, he did, that you were powerful."

"Yes," I said. "I did not serve him well this afternoon with my mistake."

I suddenly felt Yoda's large eyes boring into me, and I looked up.

"Mistake?" Yoda said. "No, young Skywalker, a mistake this was not. Resisted the Dark Side, you did. A mistake, it would have been, if succumbed to it, you had." He rose from his meditation stool, his lazy troll, hobbled over to me, and rested three clawed fingers on my bowed head. "Go, you may, in peace, Knight Skywalker. Handled this, you did, as a Jedi should."

I swallowed hard. "Thank you, Master Yoda," I said. I left his quarters with a much lighter heart.

A few minutes later I palmed open the door to Padmé's apartment.

"I'm home, babe," I called.

"In here, Ani," she called weakly. Her voice was coming from the bathroom, and was followed by another sound. Retching.

------------

"Are you about ready to go home, Master?" I asked, putting an arm around his shoulders and helping him sit up. I couldn't help feeling how bony his shoulders were. Obi-Wan had lost about 40 pounds since he got shot.

He swung his legs around to the side of the bed, put his feet on the floor, and stood, swaying slightly. I held him tighter, encouraging him to lean on me, as Sabé, on his other side, put a supportive arm around his waist as we led him to a nearby hoverchair.

"Padawan, you have no idea," he said. "I'm ready to eat your and Sabé's cooking again. Hospital food tastes worse than Yoda's gruel."

Sabé and I laughed. "Be careful, Master," I said. "He probably sensed that through the Force. 'Heard that, I did, Master Kenobi! Make fun of my cooking, you will not!' At least it will be someone besides me getting rapped on the knees with his walking stick."

"You're lucky I'm too weak to hit you over the head for that one, my very young apprentice," he said. "Where's Padmé, by the way? I half-expected her to come with you to give me my 'Get out of the Detention Center free' card."

Sabé and I looked at each other, and Obi-Wan noticed our smiles disappearing.

"Is everything OK?" he asked.

I looked at him. "Not sure," I said. "She didn't come because she's in the bed--has been all week. She's having a hard time keeping food down and has been really tired. She gets up long enough to keep her senatorial appointments then comes home and goes straight back to bed, only gets up to go to the 'fresher and throw up. I think she's overly tired myself."

Obi-Wan leaned back in the chair and stroked his beard, looking thoughtful. "Hmmm..." he said. "Have you called a Healer?"

Sabé nodded. "She wouldn't let us for a few days, said it was just a bug," she said. "But Anakin called Healer Sivad this morning. We're expecting her this afternoon."

"Good," he said. "Then we should get back."

Captain Typho met us at the door to Padmé's apartment. "Knight Skywalker, good to see you back," he said. He looked briefly at Obi-Wan. "And you too, Master Kenobi. Glad that you're doing better." He looked back at me. "The Healer has examined Senator Amidala and wants to see you right away," he said.

My heart thumped loudly in my chest. I could tell that Healer Sivad had not told Captain Typho anything, and a wave of fear rolled over me. I grabbed Obi-Wan's hand for support, and he squeezed it. "Don't focus on the negative, Anakin," he said. "Just go see her. It will be alright."

I found Healer Sivad in Padmé's office. "Ahhh, Knight Skywalker," she said, approaching me and taking one hand in hers, laying the other on my arm. "How are you?"

"What's going on, Master Sivad?" I asked. "Captain Typho said you needed to see me right away."

A small smile played on her lips. "Why don't you sit down," she said.

My heart pounded faster, and I could feel the blood drain from my face. Her smile grew bigger. "It's alright, calm down. I just thought you'd take this better if you weren't upright." Her smile turned into a grin now. "Because somehow I don't think you were upright when you made it happen."

My eyes grew wide, and I leaned back in the chair, feeling all the blood rush from my head. She was right to make me sit down. "I'm...I'm sorry..." I said. "Did I hear you right?"

She put her hands on my shoulders, grinning widely. "Knight Skywalker, you're going to be a father," she said.

I felt my hands tremble. "Oh Gods..." I said. My voice was barely a whisper. "Oh, Force...are you serious?"

She nodded.

I stood slowly, staring at the Healer who had cared for me since I first entered the Temple almost nine years ago, and then, not being able to help myself, wrapped my arms around her in a tight Wookie-hug, picking her up and swinging her around.

She laughed. "Anakin, put me down, you're going to break my ribs!" she said. I did, and she kissed my cheek. "Now, go see your bride," she said. "You two have a lot to discuss."

---------

I slid open the door to the master suite. "Padmé!" I called excitedly. "Padmé, Master Sivad just told..."

I stopped at the sight of my fiancee, lying under the covers with her back towards me, her dark silky hair spilling on the pillows. At first glance she appeared to be sleeping, but her shoulders were trembling and I could hear faint muffled sobs.

"Padmé?"

No answer, just more sobbing. I crossed the room in two strides, lay down beside her, and rubbed her back. She said nothing, didn't acknowledge my presence at all, and continued to cry.

"Padmé, baby, will you talk to me?"

She sobbed harder. I reached out with the Force, trying to get a sense of what was happening, and felt a wave of overwhelming varied emotions coming from her--ecstatic joy mixed with anxiety, fear, and...something else.

I kissed her shoulder and continued to rub her back.

"Padmé, do you want me in here right now? Would you rather be alone?"

She snatched a tissue off the nightstand, wiped her eyes and face, and took a deep, shuddering breath. "Dammit, Skywalker, you don't understand," she said.

"What don't I understand? I know this was a surprise, but..."

She suddenly sat up and whirled around to face me. Her face was still red, blotchy and tear-streaked, and her eyes snapped. "No, you really don't understand..."

"Understand what?"

"You're bantha fodder, Skywalker. There are two of them!" With that fresh tears began, harder and faster than before, and she collapsed onto the pillows. I wrapped my arms around her. She pounded her fists into my chest and sobbed harder, mumbling "two of them" a couple of more times, until she gave up the fight and allowed me to hold her until the sobs finally quieted into sniffles.

Her slow, even breathing told me that she had fallen asleep, and I continued to hold her, afraid to disturb what I felt was a much-needed slumber--more needed now than ever.

Twins. Not only am I going to be a father, but we're having twins.

I gently ran my hand down Padmé's back and placed my palm on her belly, feeling the tiny, almost imperceptible point of two lives forming inside. Hi there, little ones, I sent, I'm your dad. I can't wait to meet you.

Then I kissed their mother on top of the head and, holding her as she slept, I closed my eyes and soon fell asleep myself.

---------

When I woke up an hour later and went into the living room, Obi-Wan was on the sofa, propped on pillows, Sabé sitting next to him, spooning soup into his mouth. They looked up when they saw me, Sabé quickly catching some escaping drops of soup with the spoon before it dribbled into Obi-Wan's beard.

"How are you feeling, Master?" I asked.

He smiled. "I wanted bantha steak, I got soup," he said. "But Sabé made it so it's delicious."

Sabé pretended to whack him with the spoon. "If you ate bantha steak now, you'd throw it up all over the sofa and then I'd have to clean it, you stubborn Jedi," she said. "Just because you're out of the hospital doesn't mean you're ready to go back to being the robust Master right away. You've still got a couple more weeks of rest, minimum."

Obi-Wan sighed. "The sad thing about modern-day Jedi apprentice training is that it misses out on some of the basics that every man needs to know--like never argue with a woman."

I laughed. "Sure Qui-Gon couldn't have taught you that one?"

Obi-Wan scowled. "He tried," he said. "Anyway...I think the question should be, how are you feeling, Anakin?"

Sabé smiled. "Healer Sivad told us congratulations are in order."

"I was wondering how long my horny Padawan was going to be able to avoid reproducing himself," Obi-Wan said, winking at me. Then he shook his head. "Another Skycrawler. This could be frightening. We've got nine months or so to secure every speeder in the Republic from having its engines specially modified to go from zero to ninety parsecs in ten seconds flat. Might as well make poster-sized pictures of your ass, label them 'the Skywalker ass--get used to it, you'll see it a lot', and post them around Coruscant as well."

I laughed. "Of course my children will know how to make life interesting, Obi-Wan," I said. "And make that two Skycrawlers." I winked back.

The blood seemed to drain from Obi-Wan's face. "Holy Sith," he said. "Oh dear Maker, please let one of them take after their mother."

I laughed. Then sighed. "I just hope she's happier about it than she seemed to be."

Sabé smiled and shook her head. "Don't worry about that, Anakin," she said. "Padmé is exhausted. She's been working too hard as it is, and pregnant women's hormones make them extremely unpredictable--and emotional. When Sola was pregnant, she not only cried every time someone mentioned the Theed Palace waterfalls, she also craved Sullustian take-away with blue milk--and ate it."

My stomach lurched. "Oh boy..." I said, looking away. Obi-Wan laughed.

"Anakin?" Padmé's voice, barely above a whisper, came from the doorway, where she stood in her white nightgown, her hair mussed, her eyes puffy.

I quickly crossed the room and enfolded her in my arms, kissing the top of her head. "How did you sleep, baby?" I asked.

She nodded. "I'm fine," she said, then looked up, standing on tiptoe to kiss me. "I'm sorry about the way I acted, Anakin. I am happy about the babies. I was just surprised, that's all."

I put a finger to her lips. "Don't apologize," I said. "Of course you were surprised--and you were tired and you've been sick." I held her tightly again. "We'll see if Healer Sivad doesn't have something you can take for morning sickness," I said.

"Healer Sivad said for her to make sure she eats. It doesn't matter what she's craving, as long as she's getting calories," Sabé said, then looked hard at Padmé. "I just hope it's something that does not involve spices mixed with dairy products."

I felt her smile against my chest. "We're going to have babies, Anakin. Two of them."

I kissed the top of her head. "Yes, we are."

"Twin Skycrawlers," Obi-Wan said from the couch. "I still say that's scary. The Creche is going to be a real interesting place for a few years. I think local security needs to be on full alert as well. Might need to double its staff."

Padmé laughed, and kissed me again. "Well, if they're like their father, either they'll kill Master Yoda or they'll keep him young," she said.

--------

“Knight Skywalker, this is not my idea of fun,” Captain Typho muttered. He had been complaining all morning.

I winked at him. “I’ll make it up to you later, I promise,” I said, putting an arm around Padmé. Obi-Wan and Sabé, who were walking immediately ahead of us, looked at each other and grinned.

Padmé’s head of security rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I sure as hell hope so,” he said irritably. “I didn’t apply for a job as chief security officer to the Senator from Naboo so I could be dragged on shopping trips for bridesmaids’ dresses and…”

“Anakin, look!” Padmé said excitedly, grabbing my hand and abruptly pulling me to the left. I saw in the window what had given her such a start--a display containing several products for twin infants. Twin hoverchairs, twin changing tables, matching clothes for twins...

"We've got to go in here! It's a store just for twins!"

"Does it come with twin warning labels? 'Caution: Anakin Skywalker's children ahead. Watch for approaching moons'?" Obi-Wan asked, winking at me.

Padmé and Sabé laughed. I stuck my tongue out at Obi-Wan.

"Real mature, Dad," Sabé said, giving me a playful punch in the arm as we entered the store.

Padmé discreetly gave her belly a rub, smiling softly as she did, and I thought she had never looked more beautiful. She was now ten weeks along, and her tummy was just beginning to develop a perfect roundness that showed that my children were indeed on the way.

We would be married in two weeks, at the Naberries' lake retreat on Naboo, with only our families and Obi-Wan and Sabé. We were keeping it small and secret to avoid being bombarded by the press, who, for some reason, found the love life of a Jedi and a Supreme Chancellor candidate more newsworthy than the hostile takeover of several local governments on Mimban by gangster organizations, the warring factions along the Corellian Run and the Corporate Sector causing constant problems with trade, and socioeconomic warfare between the aristocrats and the working class in the Senex/Juvex Sectors.

Padmé would wear Jobal's wedding gown, although she continually made comments that if we waited too much longer, she wouldn't be able to fit into it. "I'm going to be as big as a Star Destroyer by the time this is over, Ani," she would lament. I always replied, "With good reason, babe," and kissed her.

Today we were supposed to be shopping for a dress for Sabé to wear in the wedding, and then tonight...

"So exactly where are you taking me, Padawan?" Obi-Wan said.

I slapped him playfully on the shoulder. "Someplace you deserve to go since this is your first night out with me after having been in the hospital," I said.

Obi-Wan gave me a suspicious look. "This isn't going to put me back in the hospital, is it?" he asked.

I laughed. "It's perfectly safe, Master--I promise. It's the garment district."

I saw Padmé's jaw drop and her eyes widen, but I winked at her.

"The garment district?" Obi-Wan asked, confused. "You're taking me to be fitted for new robes, Padawan?"

-------

I keyed open the door of the bright-yellow rented speeder and unlocked the passenger side for Obi-Wan. "Perfect night," I said, sighing contentedly.

"Anakin, you certainly are excited for someone who is taking your stodgy old Master for a dress robe fitting," Obi-Wan said, winking at me as he fastened his seat belt.

I laughed. "I'm getting married, Master," I said. "I'm going to be a father in about seven months. I'm always excited these days. Besides," I added, returning his wink, "you're not as stodgy as you make yourself out to be."

He laughed. "Glad my lack-of-stodginess meets with your approval, my very young apprentice," he said. "Now, unless you want your robes stained with regurgitated grilled sarlacc, I suggest that you fly like Bail Organa on Alderaan, not like Sebulba on Tatooine."

"Bail doesn't fly. He rides. He's probably never flown his own ship in his life. Or done anything else. I think he's hired someone to wipe his ass for him," I said.

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan said reproachfully, then burst into laughter.

I gunned the engine. "Besides," I said. "I'm going to fly like me."

"That's even WOOOORRRRRSSSE!" Obi-Wan yelled as we took off, rapidly plunging six hundred floors down to the lower levels of Coruscant.

When I leveled off, Obi-Wan was clinging to the sides of the speeder and panting. "Anakin, why don't you ever listen to me?"

"Sorry, Master," I said. "But come on, admit it--it wasn't that bad."

"Sure," he said. "I'm sure I'll realize that as soon as my stomach catches up with me. I think it's still on the tenth floor of the Senate building."

I laughed. "Come on, Master," I said. "Time to have some fun."

Obi-Wan shook his head and climbed dizzily out of the speeder. "If you say so, Padawan," he said.

We began walking towards the center of the busy district. Dusk had fallen, and the windows of the adjacent buildings were now filled with neon signs, advertising their wares. The sidewalk was lined with scantily clad females, mostly human and Twi'Lek. One of them, a human female in a cropped silver top and tight pants, sidled up to Obi-Wan. Her auburn hair tumbled down her shoulders, her green eyes gazed at him seductively as she ran one long, manicured finger around the edge of his beard. "Hey, baby," she said, her voice low and sultry. "My name is Tang. Looking for a date?"

Obi-Wan's eyes got as wide as saucers. "Ahem...Anakin?" he stammered, looking at me and sending through the Force, Get me out of this...NOW...

I took the woman's other hand in mine and gave her my best half-smile. "Not right now," I said. "He needs a few drinks first."

She smiled back and seductively ran the tip of her tongue along the edge of her teeth. "Oh, really..." she said huskily, then returned my wink. "Well, I'll be waiting for you then, big boy." She turned and sauntered away.

As soon as she was gone, Obi-Wan turned quickly and said, "Anakin, exactly when did women of ill repute start hanging around near dress shops?"

I laughed, and gave him my best mischievous grin. "You didn't really think I was bringing you here to try on clothes, did you, Master? Your first night out after being in the hospital?"

He gave me a completely befuddled look. I had done it. After nine years in the Temple, I had finally played Stump the Master and won.

"You see, Master," I said, "since these women can't, due to current Republic law, advertise what they are really selling...they are called 'seamstresses'. This area is called the 'garment district'."

Obi-Wan's eyes widened again, then he shook his head. "You're kidding, right?"

I laughed and shook my head. "Come on, Master," I said. "Haven't you ever checked occupational statistics around here? Why do you think there are so many seamstresses in Coruscant? Not because we need a lot of clothes. And why do you think they all live on this level?"

Now Obi-Wan just heaved a long sigh. "Why do I have the feeling you're going to be the death of me?"

I laughed again. "Come on, Master," I said, pointing to a nearby club, now fully illuminated in the dusk. "Going in there to get a few drinks, maybe allowing one of the girls to entertain you, is not going to kill you."

He sighed again. "Maybe not--but Sabé will if she finds out about this."

"She already knows," I said. "And so does Padmé."

Obi-Wan looked at me in shock. "You're serious? What did she say?"

"That if I plan to be capable of having more children after this, I'd better behave," I said. Both of us laughed, and went into the bar.

---------

My note to Mom was short and sweet: "Wedding on Saturday. Meet us in Theed the Sunday before."

She did, along with Cliegg, Owen and Beru, and we boarded a boat for the three-hour ride to Padmé's family's house in the Lake Country, where we would be married.

I almost didn't think we'd make it onto the boat. Owen's first glimpse of an entire lake full of water made him motionless with fear, his face drain of color, his eyes widen.

The rest of us were seated comfortably in the boat, Padmé in the front next to me, Obi-Wan, Sabé, Mom and Cliegg behind us.

Beru was still standing on the platform, tugging impatiently at Owen's hand. "Owen, what are you doing? Come on!"

He shook his head rapidly. "Not...that much...water..." he said.

Beru laughed. She was more patient than I was. I wanted to get out and push him in.

"Come on, Owen," she said. "Every other planet except Tatooine has this much water. It's called a 'lake'. Some planets have larger bodies called 'oceans'--water as far as the eye can see. When I was little I saw the ocean on Alderaan. It can be scary if you just step in it and get in above your head, but it's not scary in a boat--even with Anakin driving."

I wonder how well Beru swims. Especially with the Theed waterfall swamp monsters.

"She's right, son," Cliegg said. "Being in here is no different from being on land on your speeder bike--especially the way you ride it."

The color was slowly returning to Owen's face. "This doesn't...tip over?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Owen, I don't know what people have told you, but I'm not that bad a driver. I haven't killed anyone yet," I said.

"Yet," Owen muttered, still sounding quite uncertain, then stepped cautiously into the boat, freezing up again when it swayed slightly under his weight. Cliegg grabbed him by the arm and Beru pushed him from behind, and he finally landed in one of the rear seats.

I started the ignition and pushed in the throttle. "Go slowly, Ani," Padmé said, so quietly I could barely hear her. Her hand rested on her slightly swollen stomach, and she looked pale.

"Are you OK, babe?" I asked, putting an arm around her shoulders.

She nodded. "Just tired," she said.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Mom and Cliegg looking at each other, but neither of them said anything.


We arrived at the Naberries' familiar house on the hill three and a half hours later--I had gone slowly at Padmé's request, and doing so had also given Mom, Cliegg, Owen and Beru a chance to gaze in awe at the beauty of the Naboo Lake Country. Even Owen was impressed once he stopped hanging on white-knuckled to the sides of the boat and praying to some unknown Tatooine desert deity to spare his life.

I docked the boat and anchored it securely. Mom folded her hands together and said "What a beautiful house!"

At that moment Padmé climbed hurriedly out, nearly tripping over her dress, ran into the yard, and threw up in one of the bushes.

Mom and Sabé hurried after her. "Are you alright, honey?" Mom called.

Padmé nodded, sinking down into the grass and burying her head in her arms. "Just queasy, that's all. Lunch and a boat ride. I'll be fine."

"Here, babe," I said, picking her up gently and kissing her sweaty forehead. "Let's go inside where it's cooler."

By this time Obi-Wan and Sabé had caught up with us. Obi-Wan gave me a look that said, When are you going to tell her?

Very soon, Master, very soon, I said.

The Naberries weren't there to greet us--they had told us they might be in town when we got there, working on wedding arrangements, which Jobal had insisted on taking care of herself in spite of Padmé and Sabé's protests. "I can keep things a little more secret than you can, honey," she had said. "There is no need to have reporters following you around with holocams as you make arrangements with merchants, telling them exactly when and where your wedding is."

Obi-Wan managed to convince the girls that she had a point.

I was just happy to make sure my dress robes were in good enough shape and that I had picked up Padmé's wedding ring from the jeweler's.

It had a row of diamonds on it to match her engagement ring. My band would be plain gold.

Less than a week. I couldn't help but smile as I carried Padmé across the threshold of her parents' home.

I settled her on the couch as Sabé went to get her some cold water and Obi-Wan went to get a cloth to wipe her face. A few minutes later Padmé was sipping water as I sponged her down with the cloth. Mom settled herself in a chair across the room, while Cliegg, Owen and Beru took the nearby couch.

"Is something going on, you two?" Mom asked, looking at me suspiciously. "Or is this another flu from a strange planet and you just haven't told me?"

Padmé and I looked at each other, and I swallowed hard. No one said anything right away.

"Well?" Mom asked.

I cleared my throat. "Well," I said, putting an arm around Padmé's shoulders. "It isn't the flu."

Mom looked at Padmé, then back at me, then slowly nodded.

"You're going to be a grandmother, Mom. Twice."

Her eyes widened and filled with tears, and her mouth fell open. "Tw...twice?" she said slowly.

I nodded, and Padmé smiled weakly. "We're having twins, Mom," I said.

A tear spilled down her cheek and she smiled. "Oh, honey..." she said, putting her hands together. "I was wondering why the wedding was happening so quickly. I'm so happy for you!" She crossed the room and enveloped both of us in a hug, and kissed my cheek. Then she sat on the other side of Padmé, took her hand in one of hers, then put her other hand on Padmé's stomach.

"A boy and a girl," she said. "I think you'll have the best of both worlds. A boy and a girl." She wiped her eyes with her hand, then reached across Padmé and hugged me tight.

"Ummm...you two? I can't breathe," Padmé mumbled, her voice muffled between us.

--------

I was awake at dawn. Everyone else was sleeping soundly--I didn't even hear Obi-Wan stirring. I went over to the bay window and sat on the soft cushions of the window seat, gazing outside at the sun rising over the lake, casting beautiful orange and pink shadows over the clear blue waters of the lake.

On the Naberries' lawn, the white lattice archway was already set up and decorated with flowers, and directly in front of it, white chairs decorated with greenery were arranged in rows.

Padmé and I would be married, facing the lake, with the warm Naboo sun on our backs, our families and friends present.

Today, the day had finally come.

Padmé had slept in her old room last night, and I had slept in one of the guest rooms. The ancient Naboo gods frowned upon a man seeing his bride within twenty-four hours of the ceremony, so I would not see her until this afternoon.

No one could say she wasn't worth the wait, even as impatient as I've always been.

I stayed in the room all day, barely seeing anyone, not eating much. Finally Obi-Wan appeared at 1430 in his dress robes. "Are you about ready, Padawan?" he asked.

I was tucking in the shirttail of my tunic, smoothing it over and over with my hands. "I think," I said, strapping on my utility belt, looking in the mirror, and smoothing my hair with my hands. "How do I look?" I asked.

He laughed. "I've never known you to be vain, Anakin," he said. He stood behind me and put a hand on each shoulder. "You look great," he said, "like a man about ready to make the best move of his life."

I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding, and smiled at him. "You've got that one right, Master," I said, grabbing my robe and putting it on. I checked my boots one more time to make sure they were shiny before Obi-Wan and I left the room and went downstairs.

Out on the lawn, soft music had already started to play. Jobal was being seated on the left side of the aisle. Mom lingered a minute behind her, tiptoeing to give me a kiss on the cheek. "I love you, sweetheart," she said. Her voice was barely above a whisper, and I noticed that behind her smile, she was blinking back tears. I took her hand and squeezed it. "I love you too, Mom."

She went down the aisle, then a few minutes later, Obi-Wan and I followed.

The next few minutes were a blur...Ryoo carrying a basket of flower petals and sprinkling them in the path where her aunt would walk; Sabé, then Sola, following immediately behind her, wearing silk gowns of a pale peach color and carrying white roses...Then finally the music changed, the guests rose, and Padmé emerged from her parents home, her arm linked with her father's, her mother's gown of ancient Naboo ivory lace clinging gracefully to her body, her face slightly hidden by the long flowing lace veil.

She had never looked more beautiful. I had to bite my lip in order to hold back the tears that came to my eyes.

Padmé and Ruwee arrived at the altar and stood next to me, the witnesses took their seats, and the Holy Man made the ancient Naboo sign of love with his hands.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today as it is the will of the Force and the gods to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony, an honorable estate instituted by the gods for the testament of love and unity between two who have chosen each other as lifemates.

Who presents this woman to be united with this man?"

Ruwee stepped forward and said, "Her mother and I do." He lifted her veil, kissed her cheek, and placed her hand in mine.

For the first time that day I got a glimpse of Padmé's radiant face, her flushed cheeks, her small smile, and her bright eyes also sparkling with happy tears. I love you, I thought, and had to restrain myself from saying it out loud at that very moment.

The Holy Man bound our right hands together tightly in silk cloth, then turned to Padmé.

"Do you, Padmé Naberrie Amidala, take this man to be your husband, to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him, honor him, comfort and keep him, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"

She smiled. "I will," she said. Her voice wasn't shaky at all. My mouth was so dry at the moment that I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get the words out.

"Do you, Anakin Skywalker, take this woman to be your wife, to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, honor her, comfort and keep her, and forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?"

I swallowed hard and smiled at Padmé, who had never looked more beautiful. "I will," I said.

The Holy Man took Padmé's ring from Obi-Wan and passed it to me. I slid it on her left ring finger and recited my promise to her from memory. "Padmé, I give you this ring as a token of my love and a symbol of my intention to live with you in love and respect. Just as this ring has no end, neither shall my love for you."

I saw her bite her lower lip to hold back the joyful tears in her eyes as Sabé passed my ring to the Holy Man, who then passed it to her. I felt a slight tremor in the Force, like warm rays of sunshine enveloping us, as she slid the comfortable band of cool metal onto my left hand.

In spite of being choked with emotion, her voice was even and steady. "Anakin, I give you this ring as a token of my love and a symbol of my intention to live with you in love and respect. Just as this ring has no end, neither shall my love for you."

The Holy Man unwrapped the cloth that bound our right hands together, and we faced each other, holding both hands.

"By the power vested in me by ancient Naboo tradition and the government of Naboo, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Those whom the Force has joined together, let no one put asunder."

Then for the first time in the ceremony, the Holy Man smiled, and nodded at me. "The moment you've been waiting for, Knight Skywalker," he said in a low voice. Then more loudly, "You may kiss your bride."

And as music played and everyone clapped, I held my precious wife to me and kissed her gently.

If I never have another happy day again, I'll always remember this one.

-------

"Mr. and Mrs. Skywalker, congratulations!" I heard it several times but I never thought I could hear it enough. I don't know how many people we saw throughout the reception line--various Senators, Naboo dignitaries, members of Queen Jamillia's cabinet, professors who taught with Ruwee at the university--and I thought we had decided to have a small wedding. I stood with one arm around Padmé's waist, using the other arm to shake hands, as the faces went by in a blur. I knew I'd never remember later who was here and who wasn't.

"Everyone! Everyone!" I heard, followed by a shrill Force-carried whistle. That could only mean one person.

The guests quieted and turned towards Obi-Wan, who was standing near the cake, tapping his glass of fine aged Nubian wine with a spoon. "Attention please," he called. "I'd like to propose a toast to Anakin and Padmé." The crowd grew more hushed. "Anakin was my apprentice for ten years, and is still my best friend and the son I never had. Together we have been through a multitude of trials and tribulations--mostly his." Obi-Wan winked at me, and the guests laughed. "I believe Anakin is a good person who loves deeply--no one could love Padmé to the depths that he does, and I truly believe the Force brought them together." He winked at Padmé. "I'm sorry, Padmé--I really am."

The crowd laughed again and looked at me. I could feel my face turn red. Obi-Wan cleared his throat. "So, where was I...oh yes. Anakin is a trusted friend and I love him like a brother. The antics and heartache he has caused me notwithstanding, I think you all know how...*ahem*...jovial he can be." Another wink for me, more laughter from the crowd. "So anyway, I'm sum up by just saying congratulations and may you always find happiness. Padmé..." He winked at her again. "Best of luck--you're going to need it. You and Anakin already have hearts of gold--now between a Skywalker and any upcoming Skycrawlers, you'll just need the patience of Master Yoda, several bantha whips, and in case of an emergency, a padded cell with a few ysalimari nearby."

A final burst of laughter from the rest of the guests, then glasses clinked and everyone drank to mine and Padmé's happiness.

As the crowd began mingling and chatting again, I noticed a faint, slightly familiar singing, coming from the direction of the edge of the lake--very off-key, and getting louder by the minute.

"The wonder thing about Ewoks, is Ewoks are wonderful things. Their tops are made out of fur, their bottoms are made out of springs..."

Padmé and I looked at each other. "What the hell...?" I asked.

She shrugged, absent-mindedly patting her stomach. "I have no idea," she said. "For that song...I don't even want to think about how much wine they've had..."

"It's Organa," Obi-Wan said, emerging suddenly from the crowd, holding Sabé's hand. "Someone spiked his punch--I thought it would have been you, Anakin."

I laughed. "No, Obi-Wan--I haven't had time to even think about doing anything like that today."

"Who was it then?" Padmé asked, obviously puzzled.

That's when I saw the half-guilty, half-mischievous grin on Sabé's face. "Sabé..." I said, winking at her.

Padmé gasped. "Sabé! What did you do?"

The grin grew wider. "I didn't think a little Corellian whisky in his punch would hurt the pompous twit any," she said.

"It's hurting the rest of us!" Padmé said as the third chorus of "The Wonderful Thing about Ewoks" grew louder and more off-key by the second.

"They go bouncy, bouncy, bouncy, bouncy..."

"If he does not shut up with that damn song, I swear...it's no wonder Alderaan has had security problems...his staff probably wants him to get shot..." Ruwee was mumbling under his breath and he brushed by us quickly, with Captain Typho on his heels.

"Daddy, where...?" Padmé didn't get a chance to finish the sentence with "...are you going" before her own question was answered.

With Ruwee Naberrie on one side of him and Captain Argus Typho on the other, Senator and acting Supreme Chancellor Bail Organa was literally swept off his feet, turned upside down, and dunked headfirst into the lake.

The crowd gasped, the singing stopped, and His Royal Pompousness, who really is a good swimmer, quickly made his way to the surface of the lake--fully clothed, soaking wet, stone-drunk, and royally pissed, but unharmed.

Padmé murmured, "Oh Gods..." and started giggling furiously, as did Sabé. We both walked slowly to the edge of the water, where Organa was swimming towards the shore, sputtering water and Alderaani curses in rapid succession.

I was just about to be nice and ask the pompous ass if he was alright, when I got a surprise of my own.

"Always wanted to do this, I have..."

I heard the familiar gravelly voice just before I felt the not-so-gentle Force-shove, propelling me towards the lake faster than I could stop it...

--------

After our honeymoon on Alderaan (on the other side of the planet from His Royal Pompousness' palace), Padmé and I spent the next several months on Coruscant. Even as her pregnancy advanced, she continued to fulfill her duties in the Senate as diligently as always, although she tired more easily and I often found her asleep with her head on her desk, surrounded by mountains of datapads.

One night when she was in her eighth month, I woke at 0300 and discovered she wasn't in bed yet, only to find that the only light on in the apartment was coming from the fresher.

"Padmé?" I said, lightly rapping the door as I pushed it open. There, sitting on the commode, wearing her gown and bathrobe, holding a datapad, sound asleep with her chin against her chest, was my wife.

I didn't know whether I wanted to laugh or cry. Something had to give--at least until after she'd given birth and recovered.

I put my arm around her shoulders. "Padmé, baby, wake up," I said softly.

She opened her bleary eyes and scowled at me. "Dammit, Anakin, I know I have to pee every ten minutes, but do you think I could do it in peace?" she said groggily. "It's bad enough that your children insist on sitting right on my bladder."

I had learned in recent months that it isn't safe to respond in kind when a heavily-pregnant Padmé snaps at me--not if I planned to be capable of having more children, anyway.

"Shhh..." I said softly, stroking her hair and kissing the top of her head. "Angel, it's 3 a.m. You've been sitting here awhile--enough to make up for a lot of ten-minute intervals."

The scowl left her face and tears of exhaustion came to her eyes. She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Ani," she said.

"Shhh...don't be. Here," I said, helping her up and flushing the commode behind her. "Let's get some sleep." I carried her into our bedroom and laid her on the bed. She was asleep before I even pulled the covers over her.

Tomorrow, I thought, I'll talk to her about taking a leave of absence from politics.

----------------

Three weeks later, Mom and Jobal both came to stay with us in preparation for the birth, which would come at any time. Obi-Wan and Sabé were visiting, and we were having dinner. "I'm so glad you two have decided to come to Naboo after the children are born," Jobal said, beaming at Padmé. "It will be good for both of you to get away from this place for awhile--it's too busy and crowded here. And Naboo is your home."

"I know, Mama," she said. "That's one reason we decided to do it."

"Are there other reasons?" Mom asked.

Padmé nodded. "Anakin and I are going to work on the Refugee Relief Movement." She winced and dropped her fork, then recovered quickly.

"The Refugee Relief Movement?" Mom asked.

"It's..it's an organization I worked with before I went into politics," She explained. Her face contorted as if in pain, but then quickly relaxed. "The Naboo take in refugees fleeing from planets with oppressive regimes and help them set up a new home here. This way I can continue to work in public service, and as it's a job for a Jedi as well, Anakin can work too when he's not required for a mission."

"That's good to know," Mom said. "You'll be serving your people, which is what you wanted, and in a safer and less stressful environment. It'll be good for Ani, too, since the reason he wanted to be a Jedi was to help people." She beamed at me, then rested her hand on my arm.

I smiled back and put an arm around her shoulders. "Mom, you worry too much," I said.

She frowned. "Honey, after all that's happened recently, I don't know how you could expect me not to worry," she said sharply. "If I could have my way, I would have brought you home to Tatooine immediately. I used to stand outside and watch the suns go down and wonder which star system you and Obi-Wan were on now, what sort of dangers you were putting yourself in...wonder if I'd ever see you again or if you would end up sacrificing your life to save the lives of others. I would stand there for hours sometimes until Cliegg would make me come in...he'd remind me that keeping you perfectly safe the way I would like to would be keeping you from fulfilling your dreams...that love involves letting go..." She blinked back tears and wiped her eyes with her napkin, but then quickly recovered and smiled weakly at us.

I hugged her again. "We'll be fine, Mom--I promise," I said.

"I think worrying comes with the territory of motherhood," Padmé said. Once again I noticed a scowl on her face that indicated she was in pain.

Obi-Wan smiled reassuringly at Mom. "Shmi, Anakin is the most talented swordsman in the Temple," he said, then winked at me. "He loves to remind people of that fact as well."

I stuck my tongue out. Obi-Wan pretended to grimace. "Don't do that to the refugees, Padawan," he said. "Try not to show them your ass either. You might scare them back to their homeworlds if they decide they'd rather put up with governmental oppression than your antics."

I grinned. "Now why would they do that, Master?"

"Oh, I don't know, Padawan...pasty whiteness maybe?"

Everyone burst into laughter. "Actually, Obi-Wan," Sabé said. "Most of us of the female species think Anakin's ass is nice-looking."

He scowled. "You would," he muttered. Then he smiled and put an arm around her. "Just remember that he's married," he said.

"How could I forget?" Sabé asked. "I'm pretty sure I was eavesdropping when the twins were...um...being produced."

I laughed. "I don't think so," I said. "We're thinking they were produced in the healer's ward."

Another round of laughter from the table, except for Padmé, who was grimacing again. "What's this about my son's naked...um...buttocks anyway?" Mom asked. "Or do I want to know?"

Sabé giggled. "Well, let's just put it this way...when the acting Supreme Chancellor of the Republic was stupid enough to hit on Padmé, your son decided to give the man an unsolicited view of his backside."

"What?" Mom asked, then burst into laughter. "Anakin, that almost tops the time you hid eopie dung in Watto's shop and it took the poor Toydarian three days to figure out what stunk so badly."

"It doesn't become less fun when you get older, Mom," I said, grinning.

Padmé suddenly stood up and started clearing our empty dishes. She looked slightly pale and her eyes were glazed over. "Are you OK, babe?" I asked.

She nodded. "Just a little uncomfortable," she said. "I have been all day."

Mom and Jobal looked at each other as Padmé turned and disappeared into the kitchen.

From the large window, the last rays of sunlight filled the room as dusk settled over Coruscant.

The sounds came abruptly from the kitchen--dishes clattering to the floor and breaking, Padmé screaming in pain.

I jumped up and rushed into the kitchen, with Mom, Jobal, Obi-Wan and Sabé on my heels.

My wife lay on the kitchen floor, in the middle of a puddle of clear liquid and broken dishes, curled in a fetal position, groaning, her eyes squeezed shut.

My heart pounded. "Angel?" I asked, squatting beside her.

She opened her eyes slightly and moaned again. "It's time, Ani," she said. "It's time."

Obi-Wan pulled out his comlink and paged a healer as I lifted Padmé from the floor and carried her to our bedroom.

---------------

Night had settled over Coruscant. The pinpoints of light from the surrounding city illuminated the dimly lit room, the sound of speeders zooming by the window was drowned out by Padmé's screams of agony.

Oh, Gods, let this be over soon. Seeing her in pain is unbearable.

I took her hand in both of mine as the next contraction hit. "Squeeze it as hard as you need to, baby," I said softly, sending her waves of comfort through the Force. "You're doing great."

"I'm not!!" she cried. "It hurts so much!"

Jobal took Padmé's other hand as Healer Sivad crouched at the foot of the bed, hands outstretched. "Give it a push, Senator Skywalker," she said.

Padmé moaned and bore down hard. From between her legs I could see the crowning of the baby's soft downy head.

Padmé gasped for breath. I brushed her hair back and gave her sweaty forehead a kiss.

"One more push, Senator," Healer Sivad said.

Padmé whimpered.

"Just one more good one," the healer repeated.

Padmé groaned again and pushed. The baby emerged. Padmé struggled to catch her breath as Healer Sivad held the baby in the air, still attached to the umbilical cord.

My baby.

"Congratulations, Knight Skywalker, Senator Skywalker," the smiling healer said. "You have a daughter."

A princess.

I swallowed hard past the lump in my throat and blinked rapidly.

"She...she's beautiful," I managed.

The newborn was now flailing her tiny arms and legs in the air. Healer Sivad handed me a pair of surgical scissors.

"Would you like to cut the cord, Daddy?" she asked.

I nodded briefly and took the scissors. My hands were shaking so badly that I was afraid I'd drop them, but I managed to carefully clip the cord that attached my Leia to her mother's body.

Leia. That would be her name. Padmé and I had chosen it after a beautiful purple flower that blooms in the warmer season on Naboo.

I returned the scissors then held out my arms, ready to hold my daughter. Healer Sivad laughed. "Not yet," she said. "She has to be washed first, and your mother is going to do the honors. We need you in here. Your wife isn't done yet."

As if in response, Padmé gave another moan of pain as another contraction hit her, a contraction that meant the second twin was on its way.

Even as Mom whisked Leia out of the room to be bathed and swaddled in blankets, Padmé screamed again and reached out for my hand. I took hers in both of mine. "You know what to do if you need to, angel," I said.

She was sweating profusely and writhing in pain. "Make...it...be...over...Ani..." she said breathlessly. "Please...just...make...it...stop..."

I sent her another wave of comfort through the Force, causing her to relax a little. It was then that Healer Sivad gave the order to push.

The second baby's head crowned...wispy hair slightly lighter than Leia's.

"OK, one more," Healer Sivad said.

Padmé screamed, then bore down hard.

The second baby emerged from the womb and was lifted into the air by Healer Sivad. "And it's a boy," she said. "You have a son."

This time I couldn't swallow back my tears. I felt the hot salty droplets spill from my eyes, even as my vision blurred and I could barely see my son, only his silhouetted form.

His name would be Luke.

Padmé held my hand against her breast, struggling again to catch her breath.

Jobal handed me a washcloth and I mopped her sweaty face, then kissed her.

"You did well, baby," I said. "And we have two children." I smiled at her.

She returned the smile with a tired one of her own. "I love you, Ani," she said softly. "But don't ever expect me to do this again."

Everyone laughed, and I took the scissors from Healer Sivad to cut Luke's umbilical cord.

----------------

Naboo, 18 years later...

"Luke, where did you put my mascara? This is not funny! Han is going to be here any minute!" Leia's voice rang angrily from upstairs, loud enough that I was sure she could be heard all the way in Theed.

"Mascara? I sold it to the Gungans. They wanted to use it to play pranks on Jar-Jar when he's drunk," Luke called back.

Padmé, Obi-Wan, Sabé and I, who were all in the living room enjoying before-dinner cocktails, exchanged amused glances.

"ARRGH! You Sith spawn!" she screamed.



"Hey!" I called. "I resemble that!" I grinned at Obi-Wan, who was smirking.

Leia appeared at the top of the stairway, scowling, her face flushed. She wore a tight white jumpsuit, her hair coiled into tight braids at the sides of her head.

"Daddy, would you tell Luke to stay out of my room? Last week it was my underwear. Now he's stealing my makeup."

I smiled at her. "You're beautiful, Princess. You don't need war paint."

She scowled again, giving me her "You're no help" look which she had become infamous for after she hit adolescence. She turned to Padmé. "Mom, would you tell him?"

Padmé gave me another amused look and called up the stairs. "Luke, give your sister her makeup back, and stay out of her bedroom, please."

Evidently Luke retrieved the lost makeup from its hiding place and tossed it down the hall to Leia, because she yelled, "How much trouble would it be for you to bring it to me?"

Luke came down the stairs to join us, laughing and shaking his head. "What is she getting so riled up about, anyway?" he asked, settling next to his mother on the sofa and pouring himself a glass of Corellian whiskey. "She knows he likes her."

"That doesn't keep her from wanting to look her best for him, honey," Padmé said.

"She won't stop that until after she gets married," Sabé added.

My frown was getting deeper.

"What, Dad?" Luke asked.

"Damned scoundrel," I muttered, pouring myself another drink. "No smuggler is good enough for my daughter." I took a long gulp of the whiskey.

Obi-Wan laughed and shook his head. I looked at him. "What?" I asked.

He laughed harder. "You, Anakin," he said. "You've forgotten what you were like at that age, haven't you?"

I just scowled. "No," I said. "Why do you think I'd prefer never to let Leia out of the house?"

Luke laughed. "I don't see you trying to keep me in the house, Dad," he said.

I looked at him. "Are you kidding? You need to get out more often, son. You're missing out on some of the greatest pleasures in life, like...what's that blonde girl's name who works in that shop in town? Camie? You should ask her out." I looked in the direction of the stairs. "Your sister doesn't have that problem. Not only has she not spent a Friday or Saturday night at home since she was fourteen, but her taste in men gets worse every year."

Padmé laughed. "Oh, Ani," she said. "Be fair. Han is a nice boy."

I scowled again. "He'd be even nicer carbon-frozen and hanging on our wall as a decoration."

Padmé just sighed. "Anakin, face it--in your mind no one is ever going to be good enough for Leia."

"Makes me glad I'm her twin," Luke said. "I'd hate to think I might try to hit on her and have to deal with you, Dad." He smiled.

"Luke, you'd be fine, as long as you didn't happen to be some Corellian smuggler that Leia picked up in a bar when she was out with her girlfriends," I told him.

The doorbell sounded and Leia came bounding down the steps, war paint fully in place, cheeks flushing. She opened the door to find Han Solo, in black pants, a white shirt and a black vest, grinning and holding flowers. "For you," he said.

She kissed him. "I love you," she said.

"I know," he replied.

I felt like Force-projectiling my lightsaber into his head.

Luke must have sensed my irritation.

Han nodded at us and say "Mr. and Mrs. Skywalker, Mr. and Mrs. Kenobi, hope you're well this even...hey kid, nice ass..."

I looked to see what he was talking about only to find my son with his belt loosened and his pants down low enough to show his bare rump.

Obi-Wan and Sabé laughed so hard that tears were streaming down their faces. I was snickering myself, trying to do so quietly in order to avoid inciting the further wrath of my wife, who was now on her feet and glowering at Luke.

"Luke Skywalker! Pull your pants up this instant! If I see them down again, you're getting a lashing with your father's utility belt!"

Luke grinned and pulled his pants up. "Don't you think I'm a little old for lashings, Mom?"

"You're also too old to be mooning people," she said.

"But didn't Dad moon the Chancellor when he was eighteen?"

She glared at Luke again, and then at me. "Your father was also too old for such behavior," she said.

Han and Leia were laughing, and opened the door to leave. "Mr. Skywalker," he said, waving at me. "I'll have her home by midnight, I promise."

Let's see...midnight standard time...on Han Solo time, that's one a.m.

----------------

The End

 
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