Hello! I have been hard at work hashing out where this story is going because I don't want to go down the path of having a big battle that convinces Anakin to help the Rebels. I have an idea involving many many layers of other sci-fi stuff, which I hope works out. That will either show up in the next chapter or chapter 11 depending on what sounds better. Either way, Enjoy!

-DFD

Chapter 9

Serena had spent the better part of the day wandering around the base. For the most part, no one questioned her presence unless she wandered too close to a restricted area but that did not happen very often. She had found some interesting rooms from a supply closet that stored old and broken weapons, to a recreations room that had a few tables of dejarik. She did not understand most of the things she saw, she just needed something to take her mind off of her father. When they had first fled home, she thought it was amazing that her father could do all this stuff and that he knew so much. But when she met that red skinned woman and they started talking about these things that happened before she was born and how he was married to Padme, she realized there was so much she did not know. So much that he had lied about to her and to her mother. All of it was too much for her to take. Then when she saw him at breakfast, she could tell just by how his shoulders slumped forward that he took back his onyx. His friend seemed unaware of what was happening but he obviously was trying not to talk about it. Rather than let him continue to lie to people he claimed to care about, she confronted him, which only angered her more because she was still mad.

Serena made her way to the lower levels of the base and found a room that had a few comfortable looking cushions. When she entered, she saw a dark skinned man sitting cross-legged on one of them. His eyes were closed and his fingers clasped in his lap. "I can sense your anger, young one." The man said.

"How'd you know I was here?"

"The Force told me." The man replied.

"You know the Force?" Serena was curious. Her father had told her bits and pieces about the Force and how the two of them had the ability to feel it but he never talked about it too much.

"I do." The man opened his eyes and smiled at her, "I am Jedi Master Mace Windu. And you are?"

"Serena…" She remained silent for a moment, unsure what to do, "What's a Jedi?" She settled on asking.

Mace raised an eyebrow at the question, "Has your father not told you?" She shook her head; "Your father was once a Jedi Knight before you were born. I had hoped he would have said something to you… Jedi are force-sensitive individuals who are charged to be keepers of the peace."

"How does that work?" Serena could not wrap her head around how feeling some natural energy made Jedi peacekeepers.

Mace gestured for Serena to take a seat on the cushion across from him. When she sat down, he extended his hand and levitated a small box over to them. The girl's eyes went wide at seeing this and asked a million questions at once. Windu was more than happy to entertain the girl's questions, especially if Skywalker was not willing to. The Jedi need to work on training the next generation if their way of life is to survive, and Serena was perfect for it. Windu could sense how strong she is with the Force; she will make an excellent Jedi someday.

Serena was fascinated by what the Jedi Master was telling her. The possibilities for the Force went beyond anything she could have believed. She could learn to levitate objects, use mind tricks, jump higher and run faster, and she could one day build a lightsaber. She wanted to do it. She wanted to learn and she wanted to be a Jedi. Windu guided her in how to levitate the small box and told her what to do. Closing her eyes she reached out her hand and felt for the box and focused on lifting it off the ground. "Very good, Serena," The Master said. She opened her eyes and smiled as she saw the box floating in mid air.

"Serena!" the sudden call of her name broke her concentration and the box clattered to the ground. She turned around to see her father making his way over to them. Anakin moved to stand between his daughter and Windu, "What are you doing?" He asked the Jedi, his tone harsh and protective, "I told you I had no intention of having her dragged into your mess."

Windu rose from his seat, "She doesn't feel the same way. I thought it best that she determine what she wants."

"You're manipulating her." Anakin accused, "You're not telling her everything."

"Nor did you, Skywalker. Else she would have known more about the Force and the Jedi. But it seems you would rather she ignore her duty to the galaxy."

Anakin glared at the older master, "Come on Serena. We're leaving." He turned to leave, taking the girl's hand in his.

"But Daddy!"

"Not now Serena, we'll talk about this once we're gone." He said as he led her to the hanger.

"Gone? We're leaving?" Serena asked. She did not think her father would want to leave. They came all this way because his wife asked him to, and she had her doubts that woman would willingly leave after just arriving.

"Yes, sweet girl, we're going home. Or we'll find a new home. I just want us to be safe."

"What about Mama?" Anakin remained silent as he led her away from the Jedi, "What about Mama?" She asked again, stopping in her tracks to get his attention.

When he looked back he let out a sigh, "I have no idea where she is." He said, pulling her aboard a ship and starting the take off, "But either way, you're not staying here. It isn't safe."

Serena scoffed, "This place looks safer than home was last time I saw it."

"Yeah, well, they should be gone now." Anakin said, "And even if they aren't we'll find a new home- on another planet. How does that sound?"

"Will you teach me the Force when we get home?" She asked.

"No." He answered as he programmed the hyperdrive.

"But I want to learn!" She argued, "I want to know how to do what you can do! I want to build a lightsaber!"

Anakin turned to face her, "Serena, it isn't something you need to learn. And being a Jedi is not all it's cracked up to be. There is so much you don't know about it."

"And how much of it are you going to tell me?" She asked, "How do I know you're not lying again!"

Anakin grabbed her by the shoulders, "I just want to keep you safe! You're my whole world! The galaxy, the Jedi- they mean nothing to me compared with you!" he rubbed her cheek with his left hand and kissed her forehead, "I just want you to be safe, and have a good long life."

Serena pulled back from his embrace, "I don't want to be safe! I want to live! You've kept all of this hidden from me!" She opened her arms wide to gesture to space, "I've now seen so much that I don't want to go back to a simple life! Nothing can be simple anymore!"

"Serena-" Anakin's words are lost as the ship drops out of hyperspace with a jolt. Jumping back to the controls, Anakin tries to smooth out their decent but to no avail. Just out of the front windshield, the distinct shape of a Star Destroyer moves slowly towards them, "Shit." Anakin hisses as he tries to activate the hyper drive but not before another jolt rocks the ship. "Kriff!" He shouts, slamming his fist on the console. They were trapped in a tractor beam. Looking back at Serena, Anakin kneels in front of her, "Things are about to get very messy, sweet girl." He says, "Take my hand and whatever you do, don't let go." Anakin pressed a kiss to her head once more, "I love you," He whispered into her hair before he pulled back, "Stay with me."

Anakin unclipped his lightsaber from his belt and prepared for the storm troopers. The moment the ship was docked in the hanger, he pulled Serena with him down the ramp, brandishing his lightsaber and deflecting blaster shots as he moved to take another ship. He was careful to keep Serena as much behind his body as he could to ensure she would not be hit. Some of the deflected shots managed to hit the engines of one of the nearby ships and as one trooper threw a grenade, Anakin sensed that there was no more time on it. Deactivating his blade, he shifted his body to cover Serena at the last possible moment as the grenade made contact with the burning ship and exploded on impact.

The force of the blast knocked them several feet away and he could feel the burns on his exposed back. Serena was unhurt and that was all that mattered. He tried to get to his feet, but not before a storm trooper hit him in the back with the butt of his rifle. "Daddy!" He could hear Serena shout and felt as the troopers pulled her away from him. His vision was blurry but he could make out the outlines of troopers dragging Serena. He tried once more to stand but was once again knocked down. The burns on his back hurt terribly, but he had to try to save his daughter. His vision slowly faded as he fell to the ground once more. Serena's voice calling for him is the last thing he remembers.

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It didn't hurt as much as it should have. Anakin had ended whatever it was that was going on between them, but it didn't feel like it. He was obviously under a lot of stress, and she was too with everything that is going on. They jumped in too quickly and they both thought they could just pick up where they left off. He is right about them being in different places. If they want to be together, they have to work past that and not pretend it isn't an issue. It also means they both have to give ground on some of their differences. But she will not give any ground on onyx. It was messing with him too much. It was hurting him by making him believe he needs it. He needs help. And so far, what she has been doing has not been working.

Making her way to the hanger she ran into someone she really did not want to right now. Ellaena was talking to a pilot who was dropping off supplies. It seemed she was trying to arrange transport and it was not working. Padme tried to sneak off before she was seen, but the moment their eyes met it was over. With a sigh she donned her political face and went to see what the problem was.

"No credits, no transport." The pilot said.

"But I told you, I don't have anything. Please, I'm just trying to get home."

"Tough luck."

"Perhaps I can help." Padme interjected, "five thousand credits to get her to Bayrilia in the unknown regions."

The pilot took a moment to weigh the price, "Eight."

"Done." The pilot nodded and went back to prepare his ship.

"Thank you." Ellaena said; her arms crossed over her chest.

"For what its worth, I'm sorry." Padme said, "You're a good person and Serena is such a sweet girl, I'm sorry all of this is happening."

Ellaena shook her head, "I never should have left with him." She said, "But he was so nice. And he offered me an adventure… I wasn't anything before I met him and he made me feel…" She shook her head, "you probably don't want to hear about that."

"He made you feel loved. Like you were the most important person there was." Ellaena nodded her head, "Before I met him, I was so stuck in my work I… I was missing out on the life I wanted for myself." Padme admitted, "I wanted a family. I wanted children… but my work always seemed too important to worry about silly things like that." A small smile crossed her face, "But then Anakin came into my life. And he was so honest and he loved me, the real me. He loved Padme, not Senator Amidala." She shook her head. "I never expected any of this."

Ellaena nodded her head again, "No one did. Not even him. You probably know how horrible he is at planning ahead." The two of them giggled a little at that, "I'm leaving." She said, "And I'm leaving Serena here."

"Why?" Padme asked, "She's your daughter, shouldn't she be with you?"

She shakes her head, "I…I need a fresh start." She said, "I was horrible at domestic life. I was miserable. I love my daughter, but I can't be the mother she deserves." She turned to look at Padme, "I don't know what he is going to do when he realizes I'm gone, but I know he'll be a father to her. He's always been better at it. And if he is with you…" She pauses and turns back to the ship, "If he is with you, I know he wouldn't stay with you if you weren't good for her." The pilot peeks his head out of the ship and waves to her, "I guess this is my ride." She said, "Take care of Serena." Ellaena turned her head to her and waited for Padme to nod before she walked up the ramp of the ship.

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She was still not used to space travel. Everything about it bothered her- the sound the speed, the smell… all of it was wrong to her. Ellaena sat in a seat surrounded by empty crates. They have not been traveling for too long, but the jump of falling out of hyperspace coupled by the alarms ringing in the cabin were not good signs. Three of the five-crew members made their way to the back where she was sitting.

"What is going on?" Ellaena asked.

"We've got company." One of them said, tossing her a blaster, "Defend yourself."

She stared at the weapon, "I-I don't-"

"No time." another crewmember pointed the blaster at the door just before it was blasted open. The crew was quick to open fire as Storm Troopers boarded. One by one, the crew was down and Ellaena stayed on the ground, terrified.

One of the troopers approached her and she dropped the gun as he hoisted her to her feet and dragged her off. The remaining two crewmembers were the pilots and they were dragged off right after her. Ellaena stared up at the massive hanger of the star destroyer, unsure what to make of it. A man in a grey uniform walked up to them, issuing several orders to other soldiers and the men were quick to board the ship and do what they were told. After several minutes one of the men came down from the ship. "We have the location of the Rebel base." The trooper said.

"Excellent. These smugglers will no longer be of any use. Kill them." Ellaena's eyes widened as she tried to find the voice to stop them but no sound came out. The sound of blaster fire echoed in the hanger before it faded into silence.

If I am being honest, in my first attempt at this story, Ellaena was suppose to die during the invasion many chapters ago. But when I started rewriting that draft, I thought it was a waste of a character. She was basically just a woman who had a kid and died. In this version, I wanted to try and make her a person, not just 'the other woman' but that did not go 100% according to plan and with what I have planned for the future, it was time for her to go. Probably not the best way to go, considering all the shit she's gone through (all Anakin's fault too), but... it happens.