Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. I just created my own little AU sandbox to play in.
AN: Here's part 6! Thanks for all the amazing reviews, as always. Enjoy and let me know what you think!
Blood Ties: A Forever Destined Vignette
Part 7/8
"It's good that you're okay Leia. I'm glad none of you were hurt. I am hoping both of you have learned a valuable lesson from this?" Rush questioned his nephew.
"Yes Uncle," Jake replied, as he turned to Leia.
"I guess I'll see you at school," he said. She nodded.
"Yeah, at least we still have that," Leia replied. He scoffed.
"Yeah, I guess we're both pretty grounded for a while. I wish I could have been there for you tonight. I guess I just froze," Jake said.
"It's okay. Those goons could have killed you if you tried anything, especially since you were unarmed. I was just proud that you stood up to your friends for me," Leia praised.
"Yeah, I'm not even sure why I'm friends with those jerks sometimes," he replied.
"Jake, it's time to go," Rush called.
"I'll see you at school," he called. As Jake and Rush left, Calin arrived to get Han and Lando.
"Leia, thank the stars you and the other girls are okay," he said.
"Thank you Mister Calrissian," Leia replied, as he patted her shoulder. He spotted his son with his arm around Ryoo and approached them, as they conversed with Ryoo's parents. Leia saw Han off to the side and approached him.
"Han," she said, waiting for him to acknowledge her.
"Good to see that you didn't get splattered, Princess," Han drawled. Normally, Leia would have fired back with a quick insult.
"I just wanted to thank you for trying to protect me from Bane's goons. That was very brave," Leia mentioned.
"Well, someone had to. That spineless boyfriend of yours almost wet himself when Bane's goons jumped you. Does your Daddy know you're dating a boy that can't protect you," Han asked. Leia fumed, but held her temper.
"Jake was scared. We all were and he wasn't armed," Leia defended.
"Yeah, well this is Coruscant, sister. And you don't go clubbin' without packing a concealed weapon to protect yourself, especially when you are who you are," Han replied.
"Jake is very nice and he likes me," Leia argued.
"Never said he wasn't nice, just incapable of protecting you. Bet he's never even held a blaster," Han argued back.
"Why do you care?" Leia hugged.
"I don't, but like I said, I also don't want to see you get splattered. Mr. Big Man on Campus can't take care of you," Han replied.
"Oh, and you could?" Leia questioned. Han glared at her.
"Don't flatter yourself, your highnessness," he hissed.
"Right back at you, laser brain," she hissed back.
"Oh, laser brain? Real mature. I thought you might have grown up a little, but I guess I was wrong. You're still just a kid. Glad I only date real women," Han spat.
"You mean sluts," Leia spat back. He glared daggers at her.
"Ain't it way past your bedtime, little girl? Why don't you go have Mommy read you a story," Han teased. Tears welled in her eyes, as she stepped closer to him.
"I am a real woman now and that's why it kills you, because you know you can't have me. I won't be just another notch on your headboard," Leia leered.
"You should be so lucky," he leered back.
"In your dreams, nerfherder," she growled.
"Or yours, your brattiness," he retorted.
"I have Jake, why would I need you?" Leia shot back.
"Simple. He's a boy and I'm a man," Han stated.
"Maybe in your own mind," Leia sneered.
"Good one, Princess," Han sneered back.
"Jake is all the man I need," Leia insisted.
"Has your boy kissed you yet?" Han argued.
"As a matter of fact, he has. And it was very nice," Leia boasted. Han scoffed again.
"Just nice, huh?" he poked fun.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.
"It just goes to prove my point," Han said, as he suddenly pulled her into a passionate kiss. Leia looked stunned when their lips finally parted and he smirked arrogantly.
"Consider that your first kiss from a real man," he said, as he stalked off, leaving Leia in a haze of confusion. Padme had to say her name three times to get her attention.
"Leia!" Padme said for the third time.
"Huh?" Leia asked.
"Let's go. We're going home. What's going on?" she asked.
"N…nothing," Leia lied, as she followed her mother. Her father had gone to interrogate Bane, but would return soon. Leia touched her lips, before she climbed into the speeder.
~*~
Anakin and Obi-Wan entered Bane's cell and looked around.
"Nice cell. I'm pretty sure the one at Yavin IV that's reserved for you is about half this size," Anakin said, with a smirk.
"Your prisons won't hold me, Jedi," Bane spat.
"Oh, I'm positive it will. I designed the new prison's security system, after all. It would contain a Sith Lord if it had to, but enough about that. I'm eager to hear all the information you can give us about your employer," Anakin said, as he sat down.
"I'm not telling you anything, Jedi filth," Bane spat. But Anakin only smirked.
"You know, I don't need you to open your mouth to get any information from you. The only reason I haven't done a mind probe is because my brother insists trying the humane approach," Anakin said, with an eye roll, as he leaned forward over the table.
"But personally, I consider you lower than pond scum, so I'm not sure why we're wasting time with you," Anakin sneered.
"Now Anakin, we must treat him humanly. It is the Jedi way, even though he has never shown us the same courtesy," Obi-Wan responded.
"Your good Jedi, bad Jedi routine isn't going to work on me. And I'm more resistant to your mind probes than you might think," Bane spat.
"Really? Let's find out," Anakin suggested, as Bane suddenly held his head in agony. He kept his mind shields up and the mind probe ceased, leaving him shaking violently.
"Told you…it wouldn't be so easy to…break me, Jedi scum," he rasped. But Anakin only smirked like he was enjoying Bane's discomfort and he was very much.
"That was Obi-Wan's mind probe, one of average strength. He went easy on you. If I use mine, I'll not only shatter your mind shields and find what I need, but if it doesn't kill you, then you'll be a vegetable when I'm done. That's why I'm giving you tonight to think about your choice. Tomorrow, you'll either talk or I'll use my mind probing abilities on you to learn what I need. And believe me, I'm really hoping you choose the latter, because I would really enjoy melting your brains into mush for touching my wife, my daughter, and my nieces," Anakin growled, as he stared into Bane's black eyes, before stepping back.
"Think it over, sleamo and I'll see you tomorrow," Anakin said. Obi-Wan smirked at Bane too, as he followed his brother out, leaving Cad Bane to ponder his fate.
~*~
Ryoo's eyes parted from Lando, as they held each other.
"I was so worried. I should have fought those goons more," Lando said regrettably.
"You protected us as best as you could. Had you fought more, they might have killed you. Believe me, you did the best thing by going straight to my Dad and my Uncle," Ryoo replied.
"She's right," Obi-Wan said, as he approached with Sola.
"Mom and Dad," Ryoo said, as she turned to them.
"Looks like you two have something to tell us all," Sola said excitedly, as Calin approached.
"Yes…Lando and I have been dating," Ryoo announced. Sola hugged her daughter, followed by Obi-Wan, who also hugged her.
"I thought I would dread this day, but I feel that I can trust you with my daughter," Obi-Wan said, patting Lando on the shoulder.
"Thank you Sir," Lando replied.
~*~
By the time Anakin parked their speeder out home, it was almost four a.m.
"All right, everyone go upstairs to bed. As soon as we're all rested, we'll have our talk later today," Padme told Leia. She nodded, as she followed her siblings inside.
"Man, I'm beat," Anakin mentioned.
"Me too," Padme replied, as she remembered the eerie comm conversation with Bane and an unknown subject. But she decided it would wait and she would tell him when they woke up, for they were both exhausted.
"Let's go to bed," she said. He nodded, as they headed upstairs.
~*~
"So how long do you think Mom and Dad are going to ground you?" Luke asked his twin, as they brushed their teeth in the fresher. Leia split out her toothpaste in the sink.
"I don't know and I'd rather not think about it. I'll be lucky if it's anything less than two months," Leia replied.
"Yeah, you will. Hope sneaking out for that wimp you call a boyfriend was worth it," Luke gripped. Leia fumed.
"Jake is not a wimp! Besides I'm a Jedi and I don't need protecting. Bane was going to kidnap us, regardless of Jake's presence," Leia argued.
"Maybe, but Dad's none too happy about you seeing a boy that can't even handle a blaster and I don't like it ether. Han said he was surprised Jake didn't run away screaming. He probably would have except he was frozen in fear," Luke said. Leia huffed in annoyance.
"Well, he is very sweet and I like him. I can take care of myself and Han is a nerfherder and so are you," Leia spat, as she stormed out. Luke only smirked in amusement. He was used to his twin's temper tantrums.
~*~
They had been exhausted and sleep had come almost immediately, as they lay down in bed and as always nestled in each other's arms. But what had begun as a deep, relaxing sleep for Padme soon turned into a terrible nightmare…
~*~
It was a beautiful, sunny day and she immediately recognized her surroundings. The meadow on Naboo, one of her and Anakin's favorite places. She wore a beautiful white sundress with a lavender flower print. She laughed, as she watched her husband chase their kids around. She noticed suddenly that they had all stopped to stare. Her smile disappeared, as she turned to look and she screamed. Varykino, their beautiful lake home that held some of their most cherished memories, was engulfed by flames. She turned and ran to her husband, but she never made it. Fire exploded in the meadow, separating her from her beloved husband and children. An evil, yet familiar cackle echoed loudly in the skies, until everything went black around her. She searched the darkness and called for Anakin, but he did not come. Tears streamed down her face and she screamed, as someone or something grabbed her arm. Light suddenly blinded her, as her surroundings were once again visible. She screamed, as Sifo-Dyas gazed at her with an evil, hungry smirk.
"You're…you're dead!" she cried, as she noticed that they were on the bridge of his massive ship. He leaned in pulled her uncomfortably close and spoke in her ear.
"I'm not as dead as you'd like me to be, my sweet," he hissed. She tried to pull away, but to no avail, for his grip was like a vice.
"You're not free of me and you never will be," he rasped, as his teeth skated along her neck, making her skin crawl.
"I will have you and your husband's powers. You will be mine," Sifo-Dyas growled, as he held her hips. Padme whimpered and struggled to get away.
"Even if for now, I can only have you in the realm of dreams," he hissed, as she felt his hand on the zipper of her dress. She screamed in terror.
~*~
"Padme…Padme, wake up," Anakin pleaded, as he shook her screaming, trembling form.
"Angel please…wake up," he pleaded again, as he took her in her arms and she finally opened her eyes with a start. She looked up at him and then collapsed into sobs against his bare chest. He gently rocked her and stroked her beautiful hair. Nightmares that caused her to wake up screaming were not exactly something new. He had held her like this quite a few nights, especially early on in their marriage. He loved her endlessly and his world revolved around her. But before they were together, Padme's life had been hell. She had first been abused as a small child by her evil stepfather and later brutally raped twice by Palo. It would take much less than that to break most women. But not his sweet, beautiful angel. She was so strong and it still amazed him. But from time to time, the memories still haunted her. However, he was about to find out that this nightmare had nothing to do with Ruwee or Palo. He kissed her forehead, as her crying slowed to sniffles and he held her tearstained face in his hands.
"Oh Anakin…" she cried.
"Shh…it's okay, angel. I'm here and they can't hurt you anymore. They're dead," he soothed. She sniffed.
"It wasn't them," she replied, referring to Ruwee and Palo. His brow furrowed in confusion.
"Who was the dream about?" he asked.
"Ani, I think Sifo-Dyas…is alive," she stated. He was silent for a moment.
"He…he can't be. I watched him burn to death. I hit him with a concentrated sphere of pure Force energy. He couldn't have survived that," Anakin replied.
"Ani…something happened before you rescued us. I was going to wait to tell you after we had a good night's sleep. But it obviously can't wait," she replied.
"What happened?" he asked.
"After Bane took us prisoner, he brought me before the comm station," she said, recalling the memory, as she described it to him.
~*~
Flashback…"I have her, as promised. I expect compensation for her capture," Bane said to the blank screen. Padme saw no one, but then heard a female voice.
"Yes, these images captures of her will please the Master immensely. However, I believe you are about to have company. We shall seek another opportunity to capture his Queen," the female voice rasped.
~*~
Dread filled Anakin, as he listened to her description of the events.
"I didn't see anyone on the screen, but I felt eyes on me. Someone was watching me," she said. Anakin silently contemplated the reality that Sifo-Dyas could be alive.
"If Sifo-Dyas is alive…then I've failed as a husband," Anakin said, as he climbed out of bed. Padme quickly followed him and latched onto his arm.
"No…don't you dare blame yourself for this. We were both there and we both saw him dying. If he is alive, then what kind of condition could he be in?" she asked. He pondered that for a moment, before she continued.
"His people are so devoted that they fished his half decayed body out of Naboo's ocean, resuscitated him, and built him a new body. They could be doing the same thing this time," Padme suggested.
"Then everything we went through on Falleen two years ago was for nothing," Anakin relented.
"That's not true and you know it. You unlocked that power for a reason and it will be enough to defeat him next time, because I know you'll make absolutely sure that he's gone forever," Padme reasoned. He nodded.
"You're right, I will. Because he's never going to lay a hand on you again," Anakin said sternly. She took his hands in her own and kissed him softly.
"I know that you'll protect me. I've never doubted that and I never will. But you cannot keep blaming yourself for his actions. You are not responsible for his evil ways. I don't know why he has such a perverse interest in me, but it's not your fault," she told him.
"I know…it's just hard for me to accept that even with all my powers, I'm not able to stop any harm from coming to you," he said.
"But I'm here, so I think you're doing a pretty great job, my handsome protector," she replied. He gave her a half smirk, as he relaxed a little, which is exactly what she wanted.
"Come on, let's go back to bed and maybe you can give me better things to dream about," she suggested sultrily, as she started to turn. But she shouldn't have been surprised when he swept her into his arms.
"Oh, I definitely am going to give you something very nice to dream about," he promised. She bit her bottom lip playfully, as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He laid his beautiful wife on their bed and joined her, as their lips met and passion erupted between them.
~*~
Sometime later, Padme lay cuddled atop his chest, as they bathed in the afterglow of an amazing bout of lovemaking.
"Angel…are you okay?" he asked. She smiled.
"Of course. I'm always okay when I'm with you. Better than okay," she replied. He looked at her, waiting for her to be completely honest. And her face finally scrunched, as she started crying.
"I…don't want him in my head," she sobbed. He held her tightly and kissed her hair.
"And I will do everything I have to in order to make sure that he is soon unable to penetrate your mind in your sleep," Anakin stated. She sniffed.
"How?" she asked.
"You can start meditating with me and it will build up your mind shields. And it will also allow me to intervene psychologically if I have to. If we meditate together, I can train myself to sense the distress in your mind, even when I'm sleeping," Anakin replied.
"You can do that?" she questioned. He smiled, and gently wiped her tears away.
"Because of our connection, I can. Eventually, you'll be able to block him out of your dreams completely. But until then, I'll do what I must to chase your nightmares away," he said.
"You always do. I love you," she said.
"I love you too and you were amazing, by the way. Most men only dream of having sex like we just did," he replied. She smiled playfully.
"Are you surprised that I can be such a little vixen," she teased.
"No…but it didn't make it any less amazing," he replied, as they settled in each others arms, as sleep finally took them again.
