FALLING INTO HELL
"Hey Ami!" Anakin yelled out to his wife.
"What?" Amidala shouted from the fresher.
"Did you know that when you were Queen, we were supposed to be calling you 'Your Majesty,' not 'Your Highness?'"
"No. Where'd you hear that?" Amidala came out of the fresher, walked to the kitchen and got some stim-tea.
"The holo-news. They are doing a brief biography of you. And now they're-hey! If you come here quickly you'll hear them speculating as to exactly what we're doing, moment by moment, until I leave with the squadron."
She came up beside him, her arms around his neck, placing a kiss on his cheek.
"Are they right?"
"Well, no-- give me some of that," he grabbed the cup from her, took a sip, and handed it back.
"Uggh," she complained, "Skywalker cooties!"
"Very funny."
As Amidala cuddled around her husband, he sighed with contentment. Since his return from Naboo, it had almost been like a second honeymoon. His brief indifference to her had left very quickly. She had a hold on him that he couldn't resist.
She sighed, but not out of happiness.
"What's wrong?" Anakin asked.
"Nothing. I just want to make sure that we can make the most of these moments."
He was turning earnest too. "Yes. But then, things haven't been too pleasant here," Anakin referred to his censor by the Council.
Amidala was silent. Even though she had supported Obi-Wan and Anakin's renegade ways-patterned after Qui-Gon Jinn--she still felt some attachment to the Jedi Order. An attachment that Anakin seemed to have lost completely. Lost with his master.
"Let's not speak of it," Anakin replied, employing his tactic of avoidance when it came to painful subjects. "I have something for you."
"What?" she stood up grinning, wondering what it could be.
He led her into their bedroom, and standing there was a shining protocol droid.
Amidala's jaw dropped.
Anakin explained, "It's C3-P0."
"C3-P0? The one you built when you were a child?"
"I didn't tell you that Obi-Wan and I returned to Tatoinne a few years back. We found 3PO working for the Hutts. I bought him, but I didn't want to use him. It reminds me of-"
"I know." Amidala's voice broke a little.
"Well," Anakin shrugged, "all you have to do is turn him on."
"You won't?"
"Not till I'm gone," he answered softly.
Amidala looked down and tentatively brought up the subject that had been forbidden between them.
"Anakin, I could go with you and fight. I have be-"
"No!" Anakin sharply cut her off. "I won't have you wounded, or worse."
"All right." Amidala knew better than to argue with him about such matters. He could turn almost vicious, and she knew why.
It hurt too much.
Amidala woke up. It was well into the middle of the night. She sat up in bed and looked for her husband. He was out on the balcony and melancholy.
She touched his hand, "What is it, Ani?"
He shivered. "I . . ."
*No, I won't speak of it*
"Let's just go back to bed."
"Ani . . . " Amidala began but he wouldn't let her continue. He swept her up and carried her inside where she was overwhelmed by the level of her husband's emotions.
They awoke before dawn to a battle. On Coruscant? They jumped up. Bombs were roaring around them. It was like a nightmare. Anakin pushed Amidala to the floor. "Like that will help if the Temple is bombed!" She shouted, crouched underneath him.
"No, we won't be bombed. I can feel it." He got up and began dressing as he spoke, "The Mandolorians are leaving the Jedi alone. But my men must go. Fight them off." He was dressed by now and fiercely embraced his wife, kissing her.
"I love you, Ami. I will forever."
And he was gone.
ONE MONTH LATER
Anakin and Bail led the defenses in the fiercest fighting they had ever experienced. The devastation was unprecedented, whole civilizations were being wiped out. This war could not go on, it couldn't. Anakin began to believe that he only was to victory was annihilation of the enemy. It had to be. With each battle Anakin felt the need to stop the chaos grow. He would do whatever was needed to accomplish that goal.
Because of this, he refused to contact the Jedi Council. He knew what they would say about his tactics.
Moreover, the Jedi were increasingly unpopular. Since the Temple was unharmed during the strikes against Coruscant, many people began to resent them. To protect the Jedi, Palpatine declared they would stay inside the Temple, or were they to leave they must no longer wear their Jedi Robes.
For their protection
TWO MONTHS LATER
Anakin was astonished.
"It's called a Star Destroyer," Anabelle Jade said from beside him. They were on a shuttle, about to board the Republic's newest weapon. Anabelle had been his ally in the second Battle of Naboo. She was pregnant with her daughter Mara, yet this did not diminish her fiery beauty.
Bu Anakin did not see the desirability of this widowed Jedi. He was transfixed by what was before him.
*This is where Chancellor Palpatine wants me to serve*
Anabelle broke into his reverie, "I'm sorry that we couldn't have told you more, but this is very top secret." Anakin nodded silently. He barely heard her, so captivated was he.
As they exited the shuttle in the hangar, there was a group of officers greeting him. They addressed him as Captain. It felt odd-as though he was far too young for such a title. But he was the best.
The confident Anabelle Jade strode next to the tall captain. Still active with Palpatine's intelligence force, she was on the Star Destroyer for a strategy briefing . . . and for a more covert mission.
ONE DAY LATER
The said meeting seemed to go on forever. The Fleet was trying to secure the Core Worlds. The Destroyer would fortify a route from Alderaan to Corellia. And when the time came, they'd drive the Mandolorians from the Mid-Rim.
"And how will we be certain when we may strike?" Bail wanted to know.
"Chancellor Palpatine has. means of knowing when the time will be right," Anabelle replied.
Anakin nodded. He noticed a few other men in the briefing, Grand Moff Tarkin, no longer a general, one of the first to hold the new title that Palpatine created. It kept order in the various territories. And an Ensign near his age, Piett. Anakin sensed something about him; he'd need to keep his eye on the ensign. Piett would be of use to him later.
He felt it.
The briefing broke up, and Bail was going back to the Base on Corellia. Anakin was left with his command, his ship.
Anakin's quarters were spacious, richly furnished. Fit for a man of his stature. He felt a pride, a pleasure,
*Remember this feeling, Ani* he told himself as he began unpacking. He was no longer wearing anything that resembled Jedi robes.
The Jedi. . . He did not regret having rejected them. *Rejected the Council, not the Jedi* he told himself. There was a difference, wasn't there?
He remembered Obi-Wan who had always led him in pushing the envelop of what the Code permitted, and occasionally going beyond it.
"It can be justified using a certain point of view," Obi-Wan always replied when the two disobeyed a direct order of the council or chose to ignore the Code they felt it interfered with what they need to do.
"Always do what you must, my young Padawan," Obi-Wan told him whenever Anakin expressed doubts.
*I am doing what I must, Master. *
Doing it for the good of the galaxy
Before he could add to those thoughts he was reminded that something was missing. He went to unpack it, the holo of his wife, Amidala. For a moment he missed her, but a summons by ensign Piett interrupted his thoughts.
Anakin Skywalker had work to do.
"Hey Ami!" Anakin yelled out to his wife.
"What?" Amidala shouted from the fresher.
"Did you know that when you were Queen, we were supposed to be calling you 'Your Majesty,' not 'Your Highness?'"
"No. Where'd you hear that?" Amidala came out of the fresher, walked to the kitchen and got some stim-tea.
"The holo-news. They are doing a brief biography of you. And now they're-hey! If you come here quickly you'll hear them speculating as to exactly what we're doing, moment by moment, until I leave with the squadron."
She came up beside him, her arms around his neck, placing a kiss on his cheek.
"Are they right?"
"Well, no-- give me some of that," he grabbed the cup from her, took a sip, and handed it back.
"Uggh," she complained, "Skywalker cooties!"
"Very funny."
As Amidala cuddled around her husband, he sighed with contentment. Since his return from Naboo, it had almost been like a second honeymoon. His brief indifference to her had left very quickly. She had a hold on him that he couldn't resist.
She sighed, but not out of happiness.
"What's wrong?" Anakin asked.
"Nothing. I just want to make sure that we can make the most of these moments."
He was turning earnest too. "Yes. But then, things haven't been too pleasant here," Anakin referred to his censor by the Council.
Amidala was silent. Even though she had supported Obi-Wan and Anakin's renegade ways-patterned after Qui-Gon Jinn--she still felt some attachment to the Jedi Order. An attachment that Anakin seemed to have lost completely. Lost with his master.
"Let's not speak of it," Anakin replied, employing his tactic of avoidance when it came to painful subjects. "I have something for you."
"What?" she stood up grinning, wondering what it could be.
He led her into their bedroom, and standing there was a shining protocol droid.
Amidala's jaw dropped.
Anakin explained, "It's C3-P0."
"C3-P0? The one you built when you were a child?"
"I didn't tell you that Obi-Wan and I returned to Tatoinne a few years back. We found 3PO working for the Hutts. I bought him, but I didn't want to use him. It reminds me of-"
"I know." Amidala's voice broke a little.
"Well," Anakin shrugged, "all you have to do is turn him on."
"You won't?"
"Not till I'm gone," he answered softly.
Amidala looked down and tentatively brought up the subject that had been forbidden between them.
"Anakin, I could go with you and fight. I have be-"
"No!" Anakin sharply cut her off. "I won't have you wounded, or worse."
"All right." Amidala knew better than to argue with him about such matters. He could turn almost vicious, and she knew why.
It hurt too much.
Amidala woke up. It was well into the middle of the night. She sat up in bed and looked for her husband. He was out on the balcony and melancholy.
She touched his hand, "What is it, Ani?"
He shivered. "I . . ."
*No, I won't speak of it*
"Let's just go back to bed."
"Ani . . . " Amidala began but he wouldn't let her continue. He swept her up and carried her inside where she was overwhelmed by the level of her husband's emotions.
They awoke before dawn to a battle. On Coruscant? They jumped up. Bombs were roaring around them. It was like a nightmare. Anakin pushed Amidala to the floor. "Like that will help if the Temple is bombed!" She shouted, crouched underneath him.
"No, we won't be bombed. I can feel it." He got up and began dressing as he spoke, "The Mandolorians are leaving the Jedi alone. But my men must go. Fight them off." He was dressed by now and fiercely embraced his wife, kissing her.
"I love you, Ami. I will forever."
And he was gone.
ONE MONTH LATER
Anakin and Bail led the defenses in the fiercest fighting they had ever experienced. The devastation was unprecedented, whole civilizations were being wiped out. This war could not go on, it couldn't. Anakin began to believe that he only was to victory was annihilation of the enemy. It had to be. With each battle Anakin felt the need to stop the chaos grow. He would do whatever was needed to accomplish that goal.
Because of this, he refused to contact the Jedi Council. He knew what they would say about his tactics.
Moreover, the Jedi were increasingly unpopular. Since the Temple was unharmed during the strikes against Coruscant, many people began to resent them. To protect the Jedi, Palpatine declared they would stay inside the Temple, or were they to leave they must no longer wear their Jedi Robes.
For their protection
TWO MONTHS LATER
Anakin was astonished.
"It's called a Star Destroyer," Anabelle Jade said from beside him. They were on a shuttle, about to board the Republic's newest weapon. Anabelle had been his ally in the second Battle of Naboo. She was pregnant with her daughter Mara, yet this did not diminish her fiery beauty.
Bu Anakin did not see the desirability of this widowed Jedi. He was transfixed by what was before him.
*This is where Chancellor Palpatine wants me to serve*
Anabelle broke into his reverie, "I'm sorry that we couldn't have told you more, but this is very top secret." Anakin nodded silently. He barely heard her, so captivated was he.
As they exited the shuttle in the hangar, there was a group of officers greeting him. They addressed him as Captain. It felt odd-as though he was far too young for such a title. But he was the best.
The confident Anabelle Jade strode next to the tall captain. Still active with Palpatine's intelligence force, she was on the Star Destroyer for a strategy briefing . . . and for a more covert mission.
ONE DAY LATER
The said meeting seemed to go on forever. The Fleet was trying to secure the Core Worlds. The Destroyer would fortify a route from Alderaan to Corellia. And when the time came, they'd drive the Mandolorians from the Mid-Rim.
"And how will we be certain when we may strike?" Bail wanted to know.
"Chancellor Palpatine has. means of knowing when the time will be right," Anabelle replied.
Anakin nodded. He noticed a few other men in the briefing, Grand Moff Tarkin, no longer a general, one of the first to hold the new title that Palpatine created. It kept order in the various territories. And an Ensign near his age, Piett. Anakin sensed something about him; he'd need to keep his eye on the ensign. Piett would be of use to him later.
He felt it.
The briefing broke up, and Bail was going back to the Base on Corellia. Anakin was left with his command, his ship.
Anakin's quarters were spacious, richly furnished. Fit for a man of his stature. He felt a pride, a pleasure,
*Remember this feeling, Ani* he told himself as he began unpacking. He was no longer wearing anything that resembled Jedi robes.
The Jedi. . . He did not regret having rejected them. *Rejected the Council, not the Jedi* he told himself. There was a difference, wasn't there?
He remembered Obi-Wan who had always led him in pushing the envelop of what the Code permitted, and occasionally going beyond it.
"It can be justified using a certain point of view," Obi-Wan always replied when the two disobeyed a direct order of the council or chose to ignore the Code they felt it interfered with what they need to do.
"Always do what you must, my young Padawan," Obi-Wan told him whenever Anakin expressed doubts.
*I am doing what I must, Master. *
Doing it for the good of the galaxy
Before he could add to those thoughts he was reminded that something was missing. He went to unpack it, the holo of his wife, Amidala. For a moment he missed her, but a summons by ensign Piett interrupted his thoughts.
Anakin Skywalker had work to do.