A/N: Awwww, yeeeah. I'm back. The sequel I hinted at. I just couldn't resist. A whole new set of problems for our favorite characters. Without further ado…

Chapter One

Questions

Life is a great blessing. A miracle of science. A collection of unlikely circumstances. Life is a phenomenon that cannot truly be explained

Exceedingly complex. The fibrous bundle of muscles that beats beneath a human's ribs. The blood that runs through veins. The electricity between the neuron's of the brain.

Life is beautiful. A series of vivid, colorful images that flash in the retinas of a being's eyes. An assortment of touch. Soft. Caring. Loving.

The scent of a lover. Of a flowered field.

A range of sounds. The smooth melodic sounds of an orchestra. The purring of a starship's engines.

Those who are alive are privileged to be able to experience all these wonders of life.

But living is also accompanied by burden.

Peace is accompanied by war.

The beings of the galaxy were foolish to believe that with the death of their deceitful chancellor that the war was over.

In reality it had just begun. There were still disgruntled separatists. And they were still led by Count Dooku.

The efforts to free slaves on Tatooine had enraged slave owners. They had begun to relentlessly pillage homes and take more slaves than they had ever done before. They hiked up their prices so slaves could not be so easily bought and freed. And any intervention from the republic was often met with violence.

War, it seemed, was beginning to simmer on the lawless planet.

Yes, the seeds of change had been planted. The revolution was on its way. And the galaxy was one step closer to becoming a better place.

But it would not be an easy change. There would still be struggle.

And there would be sacrifice.

A group of children no more than five or six years old stood in a training room in the Jedi temple, light-sabers poised. Spherical remotes floated before them. Their eyes were covered with training helmets and they relied only on the force to protect themselves from the painful bolts that the remotes released.

There had often been a diminutive green creature that led these training sessions. But lately, the younglings saw Yoda less and less.

He had been more or less replaced by a man the galaxy had come to refer to as the Hero with no fear.

Anakin Skywalker watched with a gentle smile the scene before him.

It was an immense joy to be a mentor. To lead others down the path of the Jedi order.

The younglings continued the training session for a few more minutes until Obi-wan walked into the room.

"Younglings." Anakin spoke. "Remove your helmets."

Light-sabers went out and were clicked into belts and the younglings took off their helmets and looked up at Anakin.

"Master Obi-wan is here."

"Hello, Master-Obi-wan." They chorused.

A warm smile blossomed on his face.

"Hello."

"What brings you here?" Anakin asked, Obi-wan's smile echoed on his own face.

"The Council has scheduled a meeting in an hour. About the Tatooine crisis."

"And?"

"As it is your native planet they thought you should be at the meeting."

"Alright. I'll see you there shortly."

Anakin and his former master walked the corridors of the Jedi Temple.

"I can't help but think I've influenced you, Obi-wan. And not in a good way."

"You? Influence me? That's laughable."

"Oh come on. You and Siri started dating after I married Padmé. The timing, Obi-wan."

"You will never get a confession out of me, Anakin."

"I don't need one." He smirked.

"I'm just wondering what the Council will do with you once they find out. I had the Chosen status to help me. But you, you're so normal."

"The Council is not going to find out."

"They will. You're going to get sick of hiding. Trust me, I would know."

Obi-wan sighed. "Never repeat what I am about to say. I think the attachment clause of the Order…needs to be amended. I think attachment is acceptable as long as a Jedi has control and can understand balance. I have come to believe that it is good to love someone as long as you can live without them. As long as their love doesn't destroy you or make you incapable of functioning."

"Maybe you should voice your opinion."

"And risk being thrown out of the Order?"

"You and I are not the only ones who have taken lovers. There are many Jedi who have secret girlfriends and boyfriends. And wives and husbands."

"What you're suggesting…"

"Things change, Obi-wan. You can't move forward if you never change. If you don't change, you can't grow."

"You're right."

"I'm not saying you have to tell the Council now or very soon. I'm just saying that at some point, you should. I'll be there with you. I promise."

Obi-wan looked slightly over-whelmed.

"Alright. Enough conversation on that subject."

Anakin smiled.

Anakin stood alongside Obi-wan in the Council chambers.

"As you know, there has been increasing violence on Tatooine over the recent anti-slavery movement. The opposition is something we had predicted. But nevertheless, our involvement is necessary. Criminal activities like slavery that take place on systems that are not ruled by the republic need are issues we need to address. They have been too often ignored." Ki-Adi Mundi said.

"A realization I wish would have been reached when I lived on Tatooine."

Ki-Adi Mundi smiled at Anakin. "The senate is continually sending troops to Tatooine to counter the violence. But Jedi presence is something the Council believes will be productive."

"As a former Tatooine resident, we believe you should be among the Jedi sent to the planet. Now, we know you have duties to your wife and children. And you can decline. But you have done great things for the Republic, Anakin. We would not have defeated Palpatine if it weren't for you. We believe you can really make a difference."

"I am flattered that you're considering me for this mission. I have to think it through for some time before I have an answer."

"Of course." Ki Adi Mundi replied.

As Anakin walked out with Obi-wan he was conflicted. A part of him wanted to go to Tatooine. To join in the fight to stop slavery. One of his dreams had been, in fact, to free the slaves. It was something he told his mother he would do. He had told her with conviction.

But he worried for Padmé. If he was seriously hurt in battle. If he died. He didn't want to die. He had so much to live for.

His life had just started to take a turn for the better.

Would that change if he went to Tatooine?

Would everything crash and burn around him?

Was this the one risk that he would regret taking?

He knew the answer was locked away somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind. He just wasn't sure he wanted to know.