My bounty is as boundless as the sea,

My love as deep; the more I give to thee

The more I have, for both are infinite.

-William Shakespeare

There was a distant scream.

Anakin's head snapped up as soon as he heard it.

"Anakin, help me!"

He knew that voice anywhere. It was the voice of his beloved, his angel, Padmé. It seemed to be coming from every direction, and he couldn't tell where the source of the agonized screams could be. Her screams seemed to envelop him in a torrent of agonizing sound.

"Padmé! Where are you?" He shouted helplessly as he searched for his wife in the growing darkness around him.

"Why, Anakin, why won't you help me?!" Her words echoed through the ever-growing labyrinth of darkness surrounding him.

Suddenly, he heard laughter. Not pleasant laughter, but dark, disturbing laughter. Anakin immediately recognized the voice that the laughter belonged to. He knew it from somewhere, but he couldn't quite place a face with it. Padmé's screams and the stranger's laughter became louder and louder, until he himself was screaming for it to stop.

Finally, the darkness overtook him.

️

Anakin's eyes snapped open, and he started shaking. It was only a dream. No, a nightmare.

He looked at his surroundings. It was dark, so it must still be really early. He was in a cave, surrounded by sleeping clone troopers. Well, at least they were sleeping.

"You alright there, General? You were talking in your sleep, and then you started to get pretty loud. Reckon you woke the whole squadron. Let's hope you didn't wake any creatures that might be in here, or worse, Seppies."

"Sorry, Rex. Just a bad dream is all. Must've been that nasty creek water I drank. Tell the men to go back to sleep."

"Yes, sir."

And with that, Anakin laid back down on his makeshift cot and tried to fall asleep. But the young Jedi would get no more sleep that night, for he could not get the sound of Padmé's screams, or the evil laughter, out of his mind.

...

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin as they climbed the steps leading to the Jedi Temple. He could sense that his former Padawan was anxious, yet excited about something. They had been gone for three weeks on a mission on the planet Hypori. Obi-Wan knew that Anakin always loved returning to Coruscant, though he couldn't imagine why. The polluted air, the long and noisy traffic, the crooks; it was all a little too much for Obi-Wan. Not to mention, the politicians.

"I trust that you'll be heading off to, wherever it is you go, soon after our report?"

"I could be going several different places, Master. You don't know. But, to answer your nosy question, yes."

"I'm not nosy. You might want to say hello to Ahsoka before you leave. She seemed very disappointed when she learned that she couldn't go on the mission, I'm sure that she'll want to see you."

"Why? So I can tell her about being on a nearly pointless stakeout for two weeks? About sleeping in creepy, wet caves? She was lucky to get to stay home. But yeah, I guess I kinda missed the kid."

As soon as they entered the large doors into the temple, they were greeted by none other than Anakin's Padawan, Ahsoka Tano.

"Ah, hello, my young Padawan. I hope you didn't party too hard while I was gone. You know, studying and all," said Anakin with a smirk.

"You're hilarious, Master. Honestly, I don't know how I could survive without your wonderful humor. How did the mission go?"

And so, after Master and Padawan were reunited, Ahsoka continued to pester Anakin with question after question, until finally Anakin patiently told her to go and get some dinner.

"You're not eating?" said Ahsoka with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"Sorry, Snips, but after our report, I think I'll go out to eat. I'll see you later, though, and we can catch up on our sparring. Ok?"

"Ok. But if you don't mind my asking, where are you going?"

That's when Obi-Wan stepped in. "Ahsoka, I've been trying to get the answer to that question out of him for a long time. It's no use."

"Oh, fine. But I'll find out someday, SkyGuy."

"Good luck with that. Later, Snips." And with that, Obi-Wan and Anakin headed to the Council Room to report their (very few, if any) findings.