I sometimes wonder what is wrong with me that I come up with these stories that have really dark implications. This is my attempt to keep the story in the grey area between explicit and mature in regards to mentions of abuse and other horrible things. Consider this a warning.

Chapter 1

The scene played out in his head over and over and over again. He could still feel the whip slash across his back and hear her reprimanding him. He deserved it. He deserved what they were doing to him. He wasn't allowed near the com unit in the Queen's bed chambers. He wasn't allowed to talk to anyone but the Queen. And yet, he had. The message he sent had been simple: "I'm alive." He hadn't been sure if anyone had received it, or if anyone was even close enough to Zygerria to even pick up the fact that a message had been sent. But part of him dared to hope. Hope that maybe he had been heard. That maybe someone was coming for him. Unsurprisingly, the Queen had found out about his little message. Unsurprisingly she was angry. Without even waiting for her order, he turned his back to her and knelt, his fingers undoing the golden buttons of his tunic and pulling the thin garment from his flesh. His head bowed low, the slave collar around his neck chaffing, as he heard the snap of the guard's whips.

Anakin cleared his mind in preparation for each vicious blow to his back. The best thing he could do was try to relax. Anticipating the blow would only bring his nerves to the surface and make it more painful. Relax, try not to think about it, it will all be over soon. Blood dripped down his back, the voice of the Queen roared at him, accusing him of being selfish, of forgetting his place and how fortunate he was to be in her care. "Yes, my Queen," "Sorry, my Queen," "It won't happen again, my Queen," The words left his mouth on instinct as each blow fell on his back. Her voice suggested she was nearly finished when the loud rumble of engines echoed around the tall tower of her palace. From the open doors of the balcony, screams could be heard as guards ran to their defenses and servants ran to seek shelter. Anakin stayed where he was as he heard the light click of her footsteps as she went to see what was happening outside. "Invasion!" She had hissed, turning abruptly and shouting orders at the guards.

One guard grabbed him by the collar and yanked him to his feet, practically dragging his weary body a few steps before he regained his footing. The stone palace shook lightly as what sounded like artillery bombarded the walls. The guard cursed under his lips as he brought him to his room and threw him inside. Anakin hissed as he landed on his back, blood smeared on the elegant rug that decorated the simple room he had called home for the past two years. The rug, he swore had once been a deep crimson with gold patterning, was littered in similar brown stains of dried blood. With a deep grown, Anakin rolled onto his knees and stumbled to the bed against the wall. Light peered in from the high window that was ray shielded to keep him inside and cast an amber glow across the floor as he took a seat on the bed.

His back stung from his shoulders to the base of his spine and he hissed as he leaned forward, feeling the cuts rip further from the movement. Was was happening outside? Had his message gotten through? Or perhaps was it just a disgruntled syndicate taking action against a poorly made deal? He tried not to think too much about it. Chances were he was wrong and hope was something he knew better than to invest too much into. His first few weeks here, he had ranted and raved, and rebelled, claiming that he wouldn't be here for long, that the Republic would come for him. But they hadn't. At first, he figured it was because they couldn't get through the defenses, and he had tried to escape several times, only to be captured and punished. He'd tried to send messages, hacked through shields, killed a few guards, at one point, he even made it as far as the city gates… but all had been in vain, and the result the same. Little by little, he learned his lesson. Hope was a lie. A cruel lie you tell yourself to make an unbearable situation just a little more bearable. Hope is a waste of time and energy and has no place in a slave. Little by little he stopped hoping. Little by little he accepted his circumstances.

Anakin let his eyes close as he sunk down into his bed on his side. Night would fall soon, and when it did, the Queen would call upon him like she always did. He'd disappointed her enough for one day, and if he was to last he needed his rest. Shouts in the halls grew louder as guards ran past his room. He could hear blasters in the distance, coming closer, and closer. His eyes slowly opened as dust fell from the ceiling as one explosion rocked the entire room. He could hear a commotion in the hall, and the blasters were loud. Under the door, he could see shadows moving, shuffling, until there was silence. The silhouette of a humanoid shadow was barely visible under the frame, and with a bang! The door was kicked in and a white and blue armored soldier entered. Anakin sat up and shuffled back against the wall, started at the unexpected intruder.

"General?" The solder gripped the sides of his helmet and pulled it off, revealing a tan skinned human with buzzed blonde hair. "General, we have to go," He said, approaching him and taking Anakin by the arm.

He was startled, confused for a moment as memories of the soldier started to bubble to the forefront of his mind. "Rex?" His voice came out in a whisper as he pulled free from the solder's grip and stumbled onto his knees. The soldier re-grabbed his arm, holding him steady as Anakin grabbed at the soldier's forearm, and then his bicep. Anakin blinked as his breath shook. "Rex…"

"We don't have time, sir," Rex said, pulling him to his feet once more and wrapping an arm around his waist to help keep him upright.

This… this was real. It wasn't a dream… his memory of the rest of that day faded, as he blacked out possibly from shock.

His next memory after that, was the sparse hospital room he was now residing in. The slave collar that had been on his neck was gone and the opulent finery the Queen liked to dress him in was replaced with the simple white hospital tunic and pants. His back still hurt but it was more of a dull pain and he felt oddly naked without the slave collar chaffing his neck. Rex had brought him immediately up to the command ship where he was brought to the medical wing and evaluated. Rex stayed the entire time, unwilling to leave his side even for a moment despite the battle still going strong on the planet surface below. Anakin didn't really know what to say. He remembered it was times like this he would normally crack some joke about how he would have found a way out on his own, or how they were now even for saving him… but he hasn't made jokes like that in so long, it doesn't feel right. Nothing feels right.

The door to his room opens and a young togruta girl runs inside with a blue and white astromech droid on her heels, wizzing as his head spun in a circle. An older human man followed them at a more refined pace, but bore a similarly pleased smile. The girl was quick to approach his bedside and smiled at him before launching herself at him, forcing him in a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're okay!" She says, practically squeezing the life out of him before pulling back and clearing her throat. "Um, I mean," She took a breath and bowed respectfully to him, "It's good to have you back, Master." His lips crack into a small smile at the girl. Ahsoka… he can't believe how much she's grown in only two years. Slightly taller and her montrals were more pronounced and pointed.

The droid gave an excited whistle as he looked up at him and out of habit, Anakin dropped his hand to pat the droid on its domed head. Despite all his quirks, Artoo was a loyal little droid and in some ways had as much emotion as any sentient being. The quick little beeps he could easily make out their meaning: "I'm so glad to see you!"

"How are you feeling?" His head turns to the other man in the room. Obi-Wan's eyes hold a deep concern and sadness in them as he takes in the physical condition of his friend.

"Okay, I guess," Anakin said, his eyes dropping to his lap. "Tired."

Obi-Wan nodded and placed a calming hand on his shoulder, "Then you should rest," He said. "We're returning straight to Coruscant so, you have a few days to rest and recuperate before we speak to the Jedi Council."

His eyes closed as he took in a deep breath and nodded. Obi-Wan smiled and nodded to Ahsoka to follow him out. "Obi-Wan," Anakin called, his eyes lifting to meet the older man's "What… what happened to… the Queen," The words did not leave his mouth easy as he felt himself get stuck on the title.

The Jedi folded his arms across his chest as he thought of what to say. "She was arrested," He said, "Don't worry, she's on a different ship. We're taking her to the military prison on Coruscant." His brow creased, "Are you alright?"

Anakin nodded, "Yes… I'm just going to sleep for a bit." Without another word, he turned onto his side, his back facing them as he settled down to sleep.

The three days it took to travel from Zygerria to Coruscant had been the most peaceful days for Anakin in recent memory. The entire battalion of the 501st had taken turns standing vigil outside the med wing or visiting him in small groups on their off time. So unused to such attention, Anakin wasn't sure what to say most of the time, and felt a little crowded by it as well. More often than not, he found himself awkwardly nodding through the brief conversations, almost wishing for the solitude of his former room he had become so accustomed to. But in the moments where the soldiers did leave him alone, fear all but consumed him. Part of him thought that it all had to be a dream and that he'd wake up in bed beside the Queen again and have to hold back the terrible screams that wanted to come forth every time he was with her. Another part wondered if they would even make it to Coruscant. The Zygerrians would most likely want their Queen back and if they managed to catch up and rescue her, they would also probably take him back as well. Anakin tried to tell himself that these were just thoughts, that there was no reason for him to be afraid. He knew this wasn't a dream, and he was sure the 501st wouldn't let anything happen to him again. But the fear was still there and it manifested itself in horrible nightmares that left him awake through most of the night. His nightmares worried Artoo who took to guarding him at night, his sad whistling expressing genuine worry which Anakin tried to reassure with empty words.

Rex and Ahsoka arrived early in the morning on the third day of travel. The young Padawan carried a stack of dark colored clothes and handed them to him for him to change into. They were his old Jedi robes. His fingers traced over the dark leather tabard and the rough-spun fabric of the outer tunic. obediently, Anakin left for the refresher and changed. The robes felt heavy on his shoulders and where he had once filled the robes out completely with a healthy amount of muscle, they were now loose from having been forced onto a diet dictated by the Queen. Anakin tugged nervously at the sleeve of his tunic as he left the refresher and followed the two wherever they were leading him.

"The holonews will be all over the transports when we land," Ahsoka said as they entered a hanger, "Obi-Wan suggested instead of disembarking at the airfield, we disembark while in orbit. That way we can be more discrete about your return." She flashed him a smile, "I don't think you're quite ready for the frenzy they'll have when they see their poster boy again."

Anakin simply nodded and glanced at the transport they were boarding. It was an old freighter that had seen better days, but he remembered that this particular ship was one of his pet projects. Equipped with his own designs, the ship was not only fast, but agile and had a decent weapons system should it run into any skirmishes. A small smile cracked on his lips as he thought about the last time he had modified a ship. It had been far too long since he'd held a plasma cutter in his hands, even longer since those hands were covered in grease. He'd missed that.

Artoo sat at the top of the gangway, and gave a whistle down to them before turning on his tracks to go further into the ship. "Time to head out, sir," Rex said, putting his helmet on and boarding followed by Ahsoka and then Anakin. Artoo took position at the rear panel while Rex took the copilot seat and Ahsoka took the pilot's chair. hesitantly, Anakin took the seat behind Ahsoka. Out of the windows, he could make out a small squad of fighters also readying for takeoff as well as another larger transport. Over the coms he could hear Obi-Wan's voice as he communicated with the towers on the planet surface before giving to order to launch. Once they left the protective shields of the cruiser, the bright lights of the city planet below illuminated the cabin. He watched carefully as the lights dimmed and were slowly replaced by buildings so tall, they stretched up and scraped the very edges of the planet's atmosphere.

One by one each of the ships that had left the cruiser with them went their separate ways. Several fighters followed the larger transport while others took off in another direction until it was just them. In the distance, he just barely noticed the five pillars that made up the Jedi temple before Ahsoka turned the ship in another direction. "Where are we going?" Anakin asked as he glanced around, trying to get his bearings.

"To visit a friend," She said simply, her head turning slightly to look back at him. "The Council will understand if you aren't quite ready to talk the moment you return. So, I figured a little visit to an old friend might do you some good."

His brow furrowed, unsure what she was talking about, until he noticed the building she was pulling them up to. Backing the ship up to the open veranda of 500 Republica, she glanced back at him and smiled, "Padme has been waiting a long time for you to come home," She said, pressing a button and opening the back hatch. With a nod of her head, she gestured for him to get out.

He was terrified. Anakin gripped the sleeve of his tunic as he stood slowly and walked out the back. It was a small jump to get out and he felt his breath hitch as he kept his eyes on where he wanted to step onto. carefully, he took the step, and not a moment after both his feet hit the smooth tile of the veranda, did Ahsoka take off, leaving him alone— or so he thought.

His eyes caught the gentle movement of colored fabric out of the corner of his eye and as he looked to see what it was, the galaxy seemed to freeze. He had been so focused on making that small step from the ship to the apartment that he hadn't seen— perhaps, hadn't wanted to see— her standing next to the fountain in the middle of the room.

Padme's hands were folded in front of her, her right hand squeezing her left tightly in nervousness as she stared at him. He was equally frozen, wanting to run and hide but at the same time wanting to embrace her tightly and take in her sweet scent, wanting to remember the comfort that can only be found in a lover's embrace. Padme took the first step, closing the distance between them slowly, approaching him as if fearing this was a dream like he was. Her hand stretched out and lightly touched his cheek, tracking the fine line of stubble that had started to grow in. Tears welled in her eyes as she held his face in her hands, "Ani…"

His name falling from her lips was all it took for him to crumble before her, his knees giving out as they both fell to their knees, crying, and hugging, holding one another tightly, afraid to let go as they took comfort from one another. He felt her lips on his forehead, his cheeks, his neck, and he buried his face in her shoulder as his arms held her to him tightly. He would rather die a thousand deaths than wake up and find all of this was a dream. "Padme," His voice trembled as he said her name and practically melted as her fingers ran through his hair.

She started to pull back, trying to coax him to let her go but he wasn't ready. His arms tightened as he let out a sound between groan and a whimper. "Anakin," She sighed, her fingers slid from his hair to his neck and then traced up to his cheeks, gently pulling him back until he reluctantly followed her silent request. His eyes remained firmly pressed shut even as he felt her forehead touch his. "Will you open your eyes, my love?" She asked.

Anakin shook his head, and sighed, "I'm afraid you'll disappear if I do," He said.

"I won't."

"You always do."

One of her hands slipped from his face down to his tunic where she gripped the fabric in her hand tightly, "Not this time," She promised, "I'm not going anywhere."

His lip trembled as he swallowed, his eyes fluttering slowly as he opened them. It took only a moment before her image cleared and she graced him with the beautiful smile that haunted his dreams. hesitantly, he brought his left hand to her face, gently tracing the elegant curve of her cheekbone and he allowed himself a small half smile as he started to relax, and accept what he was seeing. "I-I missed you," He said.

"I was terrified for you," She said, "When I heard what happened… I couldn't believe they would just leave you."

"It was the only way. My staying allowed them to leave along with the kidnapped tribe."

Padme shook her head, "They should have at least gone back for you. I know forces were spread thin after simultaneous defeats on Mon Calamari and Felucia, but they should have sent someone, anyone to bring you home." Tears trickled down her cheeks as she spoke, and without any words to say, he could only brush the tears away with his thumb. "I tried," She said, "I tried to convince my allies to arrange for the redistribution of forces so that we could get you. I asked Palpatine, I even had a horrible fight with the Jedi Council over it. I would have gone for you myself if my staff wasn't so astute and cracked down on me."

The thought of her seeing him on Zygerria shook him to his core and he shook his head at her words, "I wouldn't have wanted you to," He said, "I wouldn't have wanted you to see…"

"It wouldn't have changed how I feel for you."

He shook his head, "It isn't that."

Her eyes scanned his face, clearly wanting to press him on what he meant, but held her questions back, instead playing with the ends of his hair. "You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to," She said. "I just want you to know, that I'm here, that I love you, that I'll listen if you want me to." Her lips curled into a smile as she looked into his eyes, "I'm just so glad you're home."

Anakin returned her smile and nodded, "I'm glad too."