The Future in Motion
He was back on Tatooine. The twin suns were setting over the dunes. In the distance he could just make out the edges of a familiar figure. Then he heard his mother's voice.
"He will come for you Anakin."
"Who?" he asked her. "Who will come for me?"
"The Jedi can protect you," she said, ignoring his question. "Learn the ways of the Force. That is your only hope."
"Protect me from what?" he asked, trying to step forward, but his feet were frozen in place. The figure began to fade into the rippling horizon. He stretched out his hand. "Wait!" he called out. "Wait, don't go! Don't leave me!"
The sand beneath his feet began to glow and turn molten, and he sunk into it, unable to move. His skin crawled with fire. His vision went red, and his ears reverberated with the steady, unnerving sound of mechanical breathing.
Suddenly there was a tremendous boom and Anakin woke with a start, breathing hard, his body covered in a clammy sweat. He sat up in the semi-darkness, his eyes adjusting to the dim light. A second boom echoed around him and a bright spray of light shone through the narrow viewport, illuminating Padme's silhouette as she stood in front of it. She turned to him.
"Fireworks," she said with a small smile. "It's nearly dawn and they are still setting off fireworks." Anakin pulled a blanket around his shoulders and went to stand beside her. The sky was growing faintly pink as the sun began to rise, and Anakin could see the Rogue bombers and starfighters passing over the city, leaving behind them a trail of glittering explosions.
As Anakin watched the display, Padme sat down on the edge of the bunk and began to fish around underneath it for her boots. Anakin shivered in the cool morning air and joined her on the bed, cocooning himself in the covers as Padme found her boots and pulled them on.
"What are you getting dressed for?" he asked as she stood up, looking around the room for another errant item of her wardrobe. "It's barely light out."
"Breha's asked me to meet her, something's come up," Padme said, distracted. She turned back to Anakin. "Have you seen my jacket?" He shrugged, shaking his head. She put her hands on her hips as her eyes scanned the room, but the jacket was nowhere to be seen. Padme checked her chronometer. "Damn, I'm going to be late."
"I wish you didn't have to go," Anakin said as she slung her satchel over her shoulder. She smiled, leaning over the bunk and gave Anakin a quick kiss.
"I'll be back soon," she said, moving toward the door. "Give things a few days to settle down and then we'll get out of the city, go up to the mountains."
"Is that a promise?" he asked. She turned back at the doorway.
"That's a promise."
Obi-Wan emerged onto the balcony at the medical facility, walking slowly and leaning against the hastily constructed walking stick given to him by the Rogue medics. They had patched up his injuries but he would have to wait until he returned to Coruscant to undergo proper treatment. He stopped at the rail, looking down into the city of Aldera below him, it's streets thronged with people celebrating the liberation of Alderaan.
"General Kenobi, the speeder you requested is ready," an attendant announced, standing in the doorway behind him.
"Thank you." Obi-Wan made his way to the lift and took it down to the street level. As promised, a speeder with a driver waited for him at the curb. The driver jumped out and opened the speeder's side door to allow Obi-Wan to clamber in. The Jedi arranged his walking stick on on his lap and settled in as the driver returned to his seat.
"Where to, sir?" the driver inquired.
"Royal Palace, hangar bay." The driver gave a quick nod and the speeder took off down the crowded streets of Aldera, dodging and weaving through the celebrants. Obi-Wan watched the people as they whirled by. They were all so happy, so proud of the victory against the Separatists. And yet, Obi-Wan felt a warning in his heart.
His debrief with the Jedi Council had been sobering. He recalled the small gasps and worried whispers among the Council as he told them of the betrayal of the Republic troops at Geonosis, the Separatist clones, and the return of the Sith. He knew what they must all be thinking, for it was the same question that had been rattling around in his own mind. How could the Jedi have been unaware of so much?
And there were some things Obi-Wan had left out. Namely, his suspicions about Sola Skywalker's connection to the Sith. He knew that if he revealed a possible link between Sola and the Jedi's ancient enemy, they Council would never grant his request to take on her son as his apprentice. To deceive the Council was no small matter, but Obi-Wan felt a certain responsibility toward the boy after all that had happened. With the Council's permission secured, he had the chance to offer Anakin a real future.
The speeder approached the towering spires of the palace and pulled into the hangar bay. It didn't take Obi-Wan long to spot Sola Skywalker's hodge-podge freighter among the elegant vessels owned by Alderaan's royal family. He paid the driver and hobbled toward the Outlander.
Anakin was perched on top of the hull, his face illuminated by the blue sparks of his welding tool as he worked on a repair. Obi-Wan rapped his walking stick against one of the landing struts, announcing his arrival. Anakin looked up from his work, and, spotting Obi-Wan, climbed down to the hangar floor.
"I see they finally let you out of that place," Anakin said as he came down, wiping the grease from his hands on an old cloth and pushing his goggles onto his forehead. He lent Obi-Wan an arm for support as the pair started up the lowered gangway into the ship. "How's the leg?"
"It's been better," Obi-Wan said, wincing as he made his way up the incline, "but the healers at the Jedi Temple will set it right when I return home." Inside the ship the small mess table that was normally folded against the wall was down, and Anakin hastily cleared away several dishes to make room as Obi-Wan slid onto the bench across from the technical station.
The Jedi couldn't help but notice the jacket that hung on the corner of the technical station's seat. It was very petite with the symbol of the Rogues and a commander's insignia sewn into the shoulder, but he turned his attention back to Anakin as the young man sat down across from him.
"When are you going back to Coruscant?" Anakin asked as he handed Obi-Wan a cup of cool water.
"I've made arrangements to be on a transport first thing tomorrow," Obi-Wan took a sip from his drink as Anakin sat down across from him.
"Then you've come to say goodbye?" Anakin asked cautiously. Obi-Wan studied the young man's face carefully.
"Perhaps," he said opaquely.
"Perhaps?" Anakin asked, raising his eyebrows. "What is that supposed to mean?" Obi-Wan leaned on the table, cupping his drink in his hands and staring down into the clear liquid.
"Anakin, you are a young man of many talents. You are an exceptional pilot and a clever tactician. You have proven your bravery many times over these last few days. And you have now saved my life on at least two occasions," Obi-Wan said. "In the wake of all that has happened, I imagine you feel your whole future has been cast into doubt, the course of your life upset. But I can offer you a new path."
"What are you saying?" the young man asked, confused. Obi-Wan paused and took a deep breath. He was uncertain how Anakin would react to what he was about to say.
"I have spoken with the Jedi Council. They have granted me permission to train you." The boy stared at him, slack-jawed.
"Train me?" he said at last, his voice pitched with doubt. "As a Jedi?"
"Yes."
"But...I'm too old," Anakin said haltingly, shaking his head. "Jedi begin to train as small children."
"Usually, but the Jedi Council has made an exception for you." Obi-Wan explained. Master Windu's words still echoed in his mind. If we do not teach him, there is a chance someone else will. After Obi-Wan's encounter with Darth Maul, the Council had decided that was not a risk worth taking.
"I can teach you the ways of the Force, but the life of a Jedi is not easy. It requires discipline and sacrifice." Obi-Wan's eyes darted back to the jacket at the technical station and lingered there long enough for Anakin to turn and see what the Jedi was looking at. When he turned back, Obi-Wan could see a hint of color in the boy's cheeks. "A Jedi may have no commitment apart from the Order." Anakin didn't say anything, but nodded, slowly, his eyes fixed on some invisible point on the table.
"I've arranged to leave on a transport to Coruscant tomorrow at oh-eight-hundred from the main landing field. There's a seat on it for you, if you want it." Obi-Wan leaned on the table to stand up. "The choice is yours."
Padme walked the halls of the Royal Palace of Alderaan, weaving among crowds of jubilant Alderaanians. Their happiness reflected her own. For the first time in years she dared to allow herself to think about the future, and it looked bright. She could finish her studies, which had been interrupted by the war, and refocus her energy on the rebuilding of Alderaan. Anakin was talking about staying too. They could have a chance at a normal life, a peaceful life, the kind she had given up any hope of when the war began.
When she reached the doors of Breha's chambers, she flashed her credentials to the guards and was ushered in. Breha stood behind her desk with a small gaggle of aides hovering nearby. The mood in this room was decidedly different than the one outside. Padme cleared her throat and Breha looked up, dismissing her aides with a wave.
"You wanted to see me?" Padme asked as the room cleared.
"I've just spoken with Salma," Breha said. Padme heard the tension in her friend's voice. Her relationship with her sister Salma, the rightful but exiled queen of Alderaan, had been tense over the last few years. Breha took a seat at her desk and gestured for Padme to sit down as well. "She's tendered her resignation to the Senate and she'll be returning to Alderaan within the week for her formal coronation."
"And you'll be appointed to take her place?" Padme asked as she sat in one of the chairs surrounding the desk.
"No, not me," Breha said, shaking her head. "You." Padme stared at Breha across the desk.
"What?" she asked, leaning in towards the desk. Breha had to be mistaken. "I can't go to Coruscant. Not now. I'm needed here."
"The situation there is worse than we realized. The military's influence over the Senate grows everyday. General Palpatine is using what happened at Geonosis to whip up fear, and it's working. They've just voted him additional powers, he's quickly becoming the de facto leader of the Republic."
"And what about Alderaan? What about our victory?" Padme asked, her voice raising.
"It's not enough," Breha said.
"Maul is dead, Tarkin is a prisoner, what more do they want?"
"People are scared. Grievous escaped, as did Gunray, not to mention the Separatists clones." Breha slumped back in her chair and sighed heavily. "This war is far from over. One victory, however decisive, isn't going to change things in the Senate."
"But your sister thinks I can?" Padme asked, incredulous.
"She knows you understand the war, that you've lived it for three years. No one else in the Senate can claim that kind of experience," Breha said, leaning forward again. "We need someone who isn't paralysed by fear, someone with the courage to stand up to General Palpatine."
"But I'd only be one voice among thousands. I don't see how it will make any difference," Padme said, her frustration rising. She could already see the future she had been foolish enough to hope for slipping away. A pinging sound came in over the desk comm and Breha punched a button. "Yes, what is it?"
"Princess, Commander Baden wishes to speak with you," a man's voice said through the comm.
"I'll be there in a moment," Breha said. She turned her eyes back to Padme. "Take the seat. If you challenge Palpatine, others will follow," she said, standing. Padme stood too and followed the princess to the door. Before opening the door, Breha turned and put a hand on Padme's shoulder. "I know it isn't what you'd hoped for, but Alderaan still needs you."
"You can count on me, as always," Padme said, not quite meeting her friend's eyes. Breha nodded and opened the door. As they left the office Breha headed down one end of the hall, flanked by guards. Padme turned and headed in the opposite direction, toward the sounds of celebration on the terrace. She needed a drink.
After Obi-Wan left, Anakin finished his drink of water and made his way to the cockpit. He'd always found it easiest to think there. As he settled into the pilot's seat his mind swirled with possibilities. He could see himself wielding a lightsaber, commanding the Force, a renowned knight of the Republic. But then an image of Padme would burst into his mind. He knew what becoming a Jedi would mean for them, for the future they had just begun to plan.
And yet, in his dream the night before, his mother's directions had been so clear. She wanted him to follow the Jedi. It was only a dream, but her presence had felt so real, and after Obi-Wan's visit her words seemed prophetic. A path to learning the ways of the Force was open to him at last. He wanted to walk down it, but he was afraid, afraid of what he would have to give up. His thoughts drifted to memories of his family. His mother, his father, Owen. They'd all abandoned him, in one way or another. Would Padme be any different? Afterall, she'd already left him once.
He heard footsteps on the gangway. As if summoned by his thoughts Padme appeared in the doorway of the cockpit, clutching a half-empty bottle of Toniray wine. She slumped down in the co-pilot's seat, looking defeated, and passed the bottle over to him without a word.
"How was your meeting?" he asked, taking a sip of the wine she'd offered him. She didn't answer right away and she kept her eyes down. Anakin felt a cold pit forming in his stomach. "What happened?"
"The Queen wants me to finish her term in the Senate," she said, still not meeting his gaze. He looked up sharply. He hadn't expected this.
"Are you going to do it?" he asked, setting the bottle of wine down next to him as he leaned forward. She didn't answer, but she finally looked him in the eye and he knew. The cold feeling crept outward from his center into the rest of his body. His fists clenched involuntarily.
"Well, as it turns out you aren't the only one who's been invited to Coruscant," he said coldly.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Obi-Wan has offered to train me as a Jedi. I have a seat on a transport that leaves in the morning, if I want it." Padme sat up, her eyes wide.
"But...Anakin, if you join the Order, you and I...we could never…" She didn't finish the thought, she just looked up at him. Her expression was a mixture of hurt and fear. Her eyes pleaded with him silently, but he turned away.
"I know what it would mean," he said. "But it's no different than you becoming a Senator."
"Of course it's different!" she said forcefully. "Joining the Senate is not the same as joining the Jedi Order."
"It's all the same in the end, at least when it comes to us," Anakin said, his voice rising with frustration. "You can't have a Tatooine spice runner on your arm at Senate functions, can you?" he asked her pointedly. She started at him for a moment, her mouth half-open, looking as though she would object, but then her lips closed. There was nothing she could say, she knew it was true, they both did. Anakin shook his head. "I knew nothing had changed."
"I won't be in the Senate forever," she pointed out. "It won't always be like this."
"But it will, don't you see?" he entreated. "I can't stay here. Padme, I love you, but I can't wait for a future that isn't going to happen. You'll always choose your duty to Alderaan over everything else, certainly over me," he said angrily. At his last words, Padme's expression hardened.
"I risked everything to help you against the Separatists," she said stonily. Anakin glowered back at her.
"Only when it suited your own interests," he said spitefully, and, he knew, untruthfully. As soon as the words left his mouth he knew he'd gone too far. Padme stood quickly. Her eyes bored into him, and he could sense the barely controlled rage within her.
"If that's what you think, then the Jedi can have you," she said through clenched teeth. Before Anakin could even began to try and backpedal she stormed out of the cockpit. He got up to follow her but by the time he caught up with her she was already halfway down the gangway. He called out to her, but she wouldn't even turn around. She just kept walking, disappearing into the maze of ship's with the palace hangar, leaving Anakin behind.
Anakin slept fitfully, and he was grateful when morning finally arrived. He hastily stuffed a few meager possessions into a haversack. Everything else would have to stay aboard the ship. He wouldn't have much need of it where he was going.
He took one last walk through the Outlander, the ship that had been his home for most of his life. As he walked past the technical station he spotted Padme's jacket, still hanging over the back of the seat. He picked it up and held it in his hands for a moment, then folded it and stuffed it into the top of his haversack and walked down the gangway. At the hangar entrance he found an attendant and gave him the ownership credentials for the Outlander.
"Who is this to go to, sir?" the hangar attendant asked.
"Commander Naberrie," Anakin said. He'd signed the ship over to her. She was the only one he would trust with the Outlander.
"Of course, sir. Any message?" Anakin paused for a moment, considering it, but then shook his head. The attendant nodded and walked off. Anakin turned and made his way to the hangar entrance. He walked a few blocks to a major thoroughfare where he hailed a hover taxi to take him to the landing field.
Obi-Wan was waiting next to the transport, leaning on his walking stick. The Jedi watched as the hover taxi pulled up to the edge of the landing field. Anakin threw his bag over his shoulder and walked toward the transport. As he approached Obi-Wan the Jedi smiled and acknowledged him with a small nod, which Anakin returned.
"I'm glad you decided to come," Obi-Wan said as Anakin reached the transport. "You've made all your arrangements?" the Jedi asked, giving Anakin a meaningful look. Anakin nodded. He suddenly felt very nervous. "Good. We'll be departing shortly." Anakin nodded again.
The pilot leaned out of the ship and called to Obi-Wan, and the Jedi excused himself, leaving Anakin standing in the open field a few meters away from the ship. His eyes were drawn to movement on the dirt road that led to the landing field. A speeder was barrelling down it, leaving a trail of dust in its wake.
The vehicle came to a skidding stop at the edge of the field and a small, dark haired figure emerged from the dust cloud, coming toward him. It was Padme. Anakin glanced over his shoulder at Obi-Wan, but the Jedi was still talking with the pilot. Anakin looked back at Padme. She was still walking towards him.
He began to move forward as well. He didn't know why she had come. It occurred to him as they drew closer that she might not be coming with friendly intentions. Afterall, their argument the night before had not been pleasant, but as they came within a few meters of each other he could sense her anger had ebbed. They both stopped a little ways apart from each other, shifting awkwardly where they stood, neither quite sure what to say. Remembering her jacket, Anakin pulled it from his bag.
"You left this," he said, holding the jacket out to her. She reached out and took it.
"Thanks," she said, folding the jacket over her arm. Several beats of silence passed."
"I left you the Outlander," he said. "I figured you'd take good care of her."
"I will," she said, kicking at the ground with the toe of her boot. "I don't know what I'm doing here," she said, shaking her head, fixing her eyes on the ground. "I made my choice, and you made yours. I'm not here to ask you to stay." She spoke with determination but Anakin heard her voice catch slightly.
"Anakin!" He turned as Obi-Wan called out to him. There was a dull roar as the transport engines started up. Obi-Wan was waving him over to the ship. He looked back at Padme, but she didn't speak. She was staring at the transport in the distance.
"I have to go," he said. Her eyes shifted back to him, but she stayed silent. He started to turn away.
"I love you," she said suddenly, stepping forward. Anakin stopped in his tracks and looked back at her. "I know it doesn't change anything, I don't expect it to." She was fidgeting nervously. "I just...I wanted you to know."
He didn't say anything, he just dropped his bag and wrapped his arms around her. They held each other for a few moments, but then she pulled away. They both knew she was right. He wasn't going to stay. He would leave and become a Jedi, and she would soon take her place in the Senate. They had each started down a different path, and neither of them was willing to turn back, whatever it cost them.
She smiled as they broke apart, but he could see her eyes were welling up. She looked down, letting out a nervous laugh and wiping at the corners of her eyes, obviously embarrassed. Anakin felt his chest tighten and his throat burn as he struggled to keep his own emotions in check. If he didn't leave now he knew he never would. Anakin gave her a smile small, then lifted his haversack back onto his shoulder and turned, heading for the waiting transport.
"Anakin!" He stopped on the gangway as she called out to him, turning back toward her. For a brief moment he imagined she would ask him to stay, and he would run to her, and they would take the Outlander and fly into the Unknown Regions and never look back. But she didn't. "May the Force be with you," she said. He smiled, took one last look, then turned away, following Obi-Wan onto the ship.
Anakin stood at the viewport and watched the landing field recede as they sped through the clouds and into the atmosphere. Obi-Wan came to stand beside him, and together they looked on as Alderaan grew more and more distant, until the planet was just a blue orb in the blackness of space.
THE END
The saga continues in Episode II: The Splintered Republic