Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. I just created my own little AU corner to play in.
AN: Here's chapter 12! Thanks for all the amazing reviews. This story is turning out to be one heck of an amazing rewrite. I'm having so much fun and I have so many ideas for it. I'm glad everyone else is enjoying it just as much. Enjoy this latest chapter and as always, let me know what you think!
The Awakening: The Revised Edition
Chapter 12: Ahsoka's Acceptance
Padme peered into the oven to look at the dinner she was preparing. When she had talked to her husband earlier on her private comm channel and he had informed her that he had told Ahsoka, she became both excited and nervous at the news. The padawan would be joining them for evening meal and Ahsoka was very important to her husband, which meant she wanted everything to be perfect. Her worst fear was that Ahsoka would see their relationship as something ugly or accuse her of stealing Anakin away. She knew that Anakin would choose her and the twins above all else. She wasn't worried about that. She was worried that he would lose Ahsoka's respect because of her and she would no longer want him to be a part of her life. She didn't want that for him, for she knew he loved his young Togrutan padawan like a daughter. Padme wanted Ahsoka to see how much she loved Anakin and she wished to grow close to her as her husband had, so that perhaps, she could come to love her as a daughter as well. She and Anakin were a family and their family would soon grow when the twins arrived. The question that remained was: would Ahsoka want to be a part of that family?
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Anakin's speeder on the veranda.
"Threepio, is the table set?" Padme asked.
"Yes Miss Padme and a bottle of sparking cider is chilling as well, just like you asked," Threepio responded.
"Thank you Threepio," Padme replied, as Anakin entered the kitchen. He wore a contagious smile. He liked the fact that he had been able to tell at least one person about their marriage, regardless of what it meant.
"You're happy," she mentioned. His grin widened, as he took her in his arms.
"I'm married to the most beautiful woman in the galaxy and we have two beautiful children on the way. What's there not to be happy about?" he asked. She smiled, as he managed to melt her fears and uncertainties away.
"You're right, there is so much to be happy about and so much to celebrate. I love you," Padme said.
"And I love you," he replied, as their lips met with tender passion and his hand came to rest protectively on her pregnant belly.
"Ahsoka's with you?" she asked. He nodded.
"She's waiting in the living area with Artoo. Dinner smells great, by the way," he mentioned.
"Thanks. I wanted everything to be perfect for tonight. I…I want to make a good impression on Ahsoka," Padme fretted.
"You will and everything is already perfect, because we're together," he assured her.
"I know we still have a lot to figure out, but I promise we'll be together, no matter what. Trust in my love," he told her.
"I do, more than ever," she replied, as she kissed him passionately to punctuate her admission. Their lips moved over each other's desperately, as they kissed each other deeply and passion swelled between them, promising that later, when they were alone, it would be unleashed fully and consume them as it always did when they were together. The timer on the oven dinged, interrupting their bliss.
"Oh, I need to take that out," Padme said.
"Oh, please allow me, Miss Padme," Threepio interjected, as he hurried to the oven. She eyed her husband suspiciously.
"He's been doing that all day, you know. He's barely let me lift a finger," she mentioned.
"That's because I told him not to let you lift anything too heavy or strain yourself too much," Anakin replied.
"Ani…I'm pregnant, not an invalid," she protested.
"You're pregnant with twins and you tend to overwork yourself, not to mention that your condition will become more fragile. I am very attuned to you and I can sense your pains," Anakin told her.
"I want you to slow down," he requested.
"I'm fine," she insisted, as she felt a twinge in her back that had been quite persistent all day.
"Oww…" she hissed. He smirked and came behind her, as he gently kneaded the knot out of the exact spot of pain in her back. She didn't have to tell him where the pain was.
"Don't ignore the back pain or swollen ankles, my love," he told her.
"That feels good," Padme said. He held her in his arms from behind and kissed his cheek.
"I'll promise to slow down, but only if you promise to give me a massage tonight," she replied. He smiled and chuckled.
"Deal, consider it done, angel," he replied.
"Come on. We've kept Ahsoka waiting long enough," Padme replied, as they joined hands and went into the living area, while Threepio readied the table for dinner.
Ahsoka looked around Senator Amidala's living area, as she waited. It was beautifully decorated, indicative of Padme's good taste. Artoo chirped beside her cheerfully, happy to be at home with both his Master and Mistress. She swore sometimes that the little guy actually had feelings and her Master would have told her that he did.
"Did you know about this?" Ahsoka asked. Artoo chirped affirmatively and whirled a string of clicks and beeps. She read her translator.
"You were there at the wedding," Ahsoka read.
"Besides Threepio, he was the only one at our wedding. But it was still the happiest day of my life," Anakin said, as he entered with his arm around Padme.
"Mine too," Padme added, smiling at him, before turning her head toward Ahsoka.
"Hello Ahsoka," Padme greeted kindly. Ahsoka nodded curtly.
"Hello Senator," Ahsoka replied.
"I think dinner is about ready. I hope you're hungry," Padme mentioned. She nodded.
"I am, thank you Senator," Ahsoka replied politely.
"Please, you can call me Padme," she responded. The padawan glanced at her and then continued on toward the dining room. Anakin noticed the worried look on his wife's face.
"Don't worry about Snips. She'll warm up to you in no time, trust me," he assured her, as they went to join her at the table.
Dinner was very enjoyable and Ahsoka had never really experienced good home cooked food before. The Senator was a fantastic cook and it was something Ahsoka would have never guessed about her. Anakin ate hungrily as well, always enjoying his wife's wonderful cooking. The dish she had prepared for tonight was as delicious as any. He had come to love shaak meat, almost as much as Bantha, if not more so. The two kinds of meat were very similar, but most cuts of shaak were leaner, which made sense, since the animals largely fed on grass. Banthas were more carnivorous, feeding on desert animals and scraps out of the necessity of their arid habitat. The particular cut they were having had been filleted off the bone and Padme had marinated it in a special seasoned braise that was a recipe her mother had used for years. The meat was baked perfectly and very tender with fresh Nabooan potatoes and vegetables in accompaniment. Threepio had visited the marketplace and purchased all the things Padme needed from the vendors from Naboo, which ensured that there would be fresh Shurra for dessert. But first their idle conversation would turn more serious as their eating slowed.
"That was an amazing meal, angel," Anakin told her. She smiled.
"Thanks sweetheart, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I love when I get to cook for someone," Padme replied.
"Yes, it was delicious Senator. I would have never guessed that you were such a wonderful cook," Ahsoka mentioned. Padme smiled.
"It is an unexpected talent I have that many people don't suspect, but I learned to cook long before I learned to debate," Padme mentioned. Threepio brought a tray in and set a bowl of fresh sliced shurra on the table.
"Thank you Threepio," Padme said.
"You're quite welcome, Miss Padme. I have also made up the bed in the guest room, just as you requested as well," Threepio replied.
"Thanks Threepio," Padme said again, as she sipped at her blue milk.
"I hope I wasn't being presumptuous, but I hoped that you'd consider staying tonight or any night you want for that matter. The guest room is yours, if you'd like," Padme stated.
"Thank you Senator, that's very kind of you, but padawans are required to stay in the dormitories when we're on Coruscant," Ahsoka responded. She didn't like the dorms nor most of the stuck up padawans that were her age. They always looked at her Master differently. And he was different, which made her different. And she decided that she wasn't going to fear that anymore. Her Master had taken a huge risk by revealing his secret to her tonight. He had told her because he trusted her and loved her. Love was a very new thing to Ahsoka, but she did love her Master in return. Not romantically, like the Senator did, but more like a father figure. She had begun to realize this months ago and had even felt ashamed that she had basically broken the code by allowing herself to have those feelings. But now she realized that perhaps her Master could teach her about these feelings since it was plainly obvious that it was impossible not to have any feelings at all. But her Master had changed in this manner over the last couple years and it was obvious to Ahsoka that he had learned something that no other Jedi had. There was contentment in her Master that had not existed when they had first met. She just wished she didn't have to go back to the dorms with her judgmental peers, who usually preyed on those who were different or whose Masters had unconventional methods of training, like Anakin.
"You can stay here with me if you want to, Snips," Anakin told her.
"But I thought you said I had to stay in the dorms when we were on Coruscant," Ahsoka questioned.
"No, I said it's recommended by the Healers that padawans active in the field stay in the dorms and I had thought it would be good if you interacted with others your age. But…you're too much like me and you're miserable in the dorms, just like I was at your age. And since you're my padawan, I can choose for you to stay with me if you want," Anakin replied. Ahsoka smiled and nodded.
"Thanks Master and Milady," Ahsoka replied, nodding politely to Padme.
"Please, you can call me Padme. I know it might feel awkward for you to do so, but we're family now," Padme told her. Ahsoka nodded
"Okay," she responded.
"You look tired, Snips," Anakin mentioned.
"I am. This was a lot to take in. Do you mind if retire early?" the padawan asked.
"Not at all. Artoo can show you to the guest room if you'd like," Padme replied. Ahsoka nodded.
"Thank you. Good night Master. And good night Sen…Padme," Ahsoka corrected herself, as Artoo led her down the hall.
"Do you think she'll be okay?" Padme asked. Anakin nodded, as he gently pulled her into his arms after they stood up.
"She'll be fine. It's a lot to take in, but I can tell she likes you," he told her.
"I like her too. She's sweet," Padme replied.
"And so polite and well mannered too. Are you sure she's your padawan?" Padme teased. He raised one eyebrow playfully.
"You're so funny, angel," he said, as tickled her sides, making her laugh.
"You know, Rex always asks me the same thing. He thinks he's a comedian too. And don't let Snips fool you. She can be a handful when she wants to be," Anakin replied, pretending to be wounded. Padme giggled.
"I'm sorry love. You know I'm kidding, but let me make it up to you," she replied, as she kissed him tenderly.
"How's that for an apology?" she asked, as she broke the kiss.
"It's a start. But I need more convincing," he replied.
"Well, I'll grab the glasses, you get the sparkling cider, and I'll do my best to convince you more out on the veranda," she replied sultrily. He smirked and followed her out onto the veranda for what would be a romantic end to the evening.
Darth Vader stood in the center of the training arena, as he prepared to initiate the difficult training program his Master had designed for him. He had been amazing both his Master and his creators at his level of skill thus far. He was fully trained now and as deadly as any Sith Lord, if not more so. Most would believe such a thing to be impossible. It was agreed on by Jedi and Sith alike that it took many years to develop skills like he possessed, whether it be in the ways of the Jedi or the Sith. Skills on both sides of the Force, light and dark, took years to learn and hone. But by the way of severe genetic manipulation and acceleration, he had achieved a level that took most decades to reach.
When Count Dooku had brought his embryo to the Kaminoan scientists, they were both intrigued and fascinated by the task requested of them. He was no ordinary Clone specimen. He had been informed that he was the son of a Jedi with the highest recorded midichlorian count of any Jedi ever. But his Master told him that his father was weak and had chosen his love for a weak, Force blind woman over standing beside his Master. He had shunned all that power for an emotion that his Master told him made a person weak. His father was a fool and wasted a wealth of potential on his mother. She was insignificant and weak too, merely the vessel he had needed to get here. And fortunately, his Master had rescued him from a life of benign insignificance with them for a life of power. He had been training in the ways of the dark side of the Force since the day he could walk. And he soaked up everything taught to him. Anger, hate, rage, and cruelty was all he knew and all he wanted to know. Master Sidious had seen to it that he was punished severally if he was unimpressed with his progress. As a result, Vader pushed himself to the brink of destruction from an early age. And as a result, he showed cruelty to those around him, often to his Kaminoan caretakers. Not too long ago, when he was at a stage that would have been considered ten years in age, he had lost his temper on a poor caretaker for daring to tell him what to do. With sadism unlike Dooku had ever seen, he had brutally beaten the female Kaminoan with the broken remnants of a lamp, which he had initially used to begin his terror filled assault on her. Master Sidious had been delighted by his rage, but Dooku had been leery, even trying to convince Sidious that he was unstable and his fits of rage could end up being a detriment. Vader smirked. The old man had been afraid of him in his latter days and Vader had feasted on that fear and the fear the Kaminoans had of him. The first female Kaminoan was only his first victim and nine others had suffered brutal death at his hand. And they had done nothing except set his quick temper off by doing seemingly innocent things. But after his first kill, Vader developed a thirst for it. That's why he was eager to join his Master. Sparring droids and smashing them to pieces didn't have the same thrill as slaughtering living, breathing things. He craved the taste of their fear, but his Master had promised that he would soon quench his thirst for blood and he would start by murdering the man that fathered him. It was something Sidious had specifically asked him to do. He would catch him by surprise and kill him before the shock of his identity wore off. While his midichlorian count of nineteen thousand was impressive, his father was a very real threat, being that his midichlorian count was over twenty-seven thousand. But his father was still weak, because he wouldn't have the heart to strike down his own son, which would ultimately be his undoing.
"The era of the Jedi will soon come to an end," Vader said, as he engaged in the grueling training program.
The next morning, Anakin stood before the Council, having been summoned there by Master Windu, Anakin was no longer quite as uncomfortable in front of the Masters as he had once been. There were many Jedi Masters that still did not like him, Adi Gallia and Pablo Jill being among his most outspoken critics. Shaak Ti on the other hand had always championed for him. He had always been quite fond of her as well. Seeing her empty seat saddened him and he remembered how Grievous had ruthlessly murdered her right before his eyes. He noticed Obi-Wan's empty seat too. He had already been dispatched on a mission to track the droid General down. He hoped his former mentor was successful in getting justice for all the Jedi Grievous had murdered during the course of the war. Mace put his hand up and the chamber quieted.
"Anakin, as you know, we've sent Obi-Wan to find General Grievous. We would have liked to send you as well, but I'm afraid we have another mission that we need you for," Mace began. Anakin nodded.
"Chancellor Palpatine has refused to lay down his emergency powers and restore power to the Senate. And I am afraid that we've grown mistrustful of him. He may or may not be under the influence of the Sith and we need you to observe him for us. He has agreed to allow us to appoint a liaison between himself and the Council, but only if you are the appointee," Mace stated.
"Me, Master?" Anakin asked in surprise.
"Surprises you, this does?" Yoda questioned.
"Yes Master, while I once was good friends with the Chancellor, this has not been the case in the last few years. I too have grown mistrustful of him as well," Anakin stated.
"Then you have done well in concealing your feelings, for the Chancellor still believes you to be a close friend," Mace replied.
"So, you want me to spy on him?" Anakin asked, a little uncomfortably.
"A last resort, we feel this is, but no other choice we have. Blanketed by a dark shroud, the Senate is. Discover the identity of the Sith Lord, we must. Our best hope, this course of action is," Yoda stated.
"That's a matter of opinion, Master. We are not in agreement that Skywalker is the one for this mission," Pablo Jill spat. Mace raised his hand.
"Nevertheless, the majority has spoken and discussion on this matter is closed. Our choice for this mission is Anakin," Mace stated.
"I will do my best, Masters," Anakin replied, with a bow.
"Report to the Chancellor's office this afternoon," Mace instructed, as he dismissed the young Knight.
Palpatine stood in his office, gazing out at the vast city before him. It would all soon be his, along with the rest of the galaxy. The Jedi fools were growing suspicious of him, but it mattered not. They would not see their coming demise until it was far too late and none of them, not even the Chosen One, would be able to stop him. He had agreed to allow Anakin to be a liaison between him and the Council and he knew the young Jedi would slowly discover the truth. It was exactly what Palpatine wanted. Anakin would learn the truth and then he would be able to take him out first in his surprise when he learned the identity of his new apprentice. It was imperative that Anakin was eliminated. If he lived, then it could jeopardize everything Palpatine had worked toward.
"The time for the Jedi and the Republic's end is at hand. And in the ashes of the Republic will rise my new Empire. The dark side shall reign once again and the galaxy will be mine," Palpatine said quietly to himself, as he saw the comm station blinking, indicating that Anakin had arrived. Palpatine smirked evilly.
"The look on your face when you find out that your son has taken the place at my side, the place that was meant for you, will be priceless. He will not fail where you did, young Skywalker and I will be rid of you, your troublesome wife, and the Jedi at last," Palpatine growled under his breath.
"The Chancellor is expecting you, Knight Skywalker. You may go in," Palpatine's kind Twi'lek receptionist said.
"Thank you," Anakin said, as he approached the office door. He stopped suddenly, as a cold chill slithered down his back. But as quickly as it had come, it as gone. Anakin shook it off and entered the office…
In the next chapter and chapters to come:
Two months have passed quickly with Obi-Wan chasing the elusive and wayward General Grievous. But at last, after two months of searching, he receives a credible lead and prepares to infiltrate Utapau to engage the droid General.
Meanwhile, Padme has grown closer to her due date and she and Anakin anticipate parenthood with excitement. Ahsoka has grown accepting of her Master's secret marriage and has become good friends with Padme. She also finds herself excited for the arrival of the twins. But things are about to escalate.
The Jedi Council, confident that Obi-Wan will destroy Grievous, instructs Anakin to plead that the Chancellor lay aside his emergency powers and end the war. But Anakin will soon discover the horrifying truth and the shroud of the dark side will fall…