A faint boom was heard in the distance.

Several parsecs away from the clone battalion's temporary shelter, a battle was raging on. Thousands of battle droids would soon be marching in this very direction. With the combined forces of General Obi-Wan Kenobi's 212th Battalion and General Anakin Skywalker's 501st Legion, the Republic hoped to free the planet of Agamar from Count Dooku's control.

"I hate just sitting here! Those are our brothers fighting over there, dying over there, and we should be with them!" whispered one clone, rather loudly, to another.

"Take it easy, Boil. They know the mission, and the risks, just like we do. Believe me, I'd rather take action now than just sit here and wait for somethin' to happen. But I'm grateful for the rest. Besides, with General Kenobi and General Skywalker leadin' us, we'll get our fill of action." Trapped smiled and clapped Boil on the shoulder.

Inside the largest military tent, Anakin looked at a map distractedly while Obi-Wan simply watched him with a raised eyebrow. Anakin sighed.

"Somethin' wrong, Master?"

"You seem distracted."

Anakin shrugged. "I'm just thinking about Ahsoka. She really wanted to come on this mission."

"Ahsoka is fine, Anakin." The Jedi Master paused. "What about you?"

Anakin put the map down. "Ok, it's pretty obvious you have something to say, so why haven't you yet?"

Obi-Wan looked to the two officers standing at the door of the tent. "Rex, Cody, could you leave us for a minute? Anakin and I have something to discuss, and I think it would be better discussed in private."

After a simultaneous "Yes, Sir!" from the two clones, Obi-Wan leaned forward on the small, makeshift table separating him and his former padawan. "Anakin, I've held off talking about this for as long as I can, but I suppose that there's no time like the present."

Anakin nodded hesitantly but respectively, signaling Obi-Wan to continue.

"What happened in Senator Amidala's office with Bane?"

Anakin furrowed his brow, as if confused. "I'm...not sure what you mean, Master. I already made a report to the council on this. You were there."

Obi-Wan crossed his arms and stroked his beard. "Yes, I remember. I'm asking you why you did what you did to the bounty hunter. It's not the Jedi way, Anakin, you know that."

Now it was Anakin's turn to lean forward. "If you saw what he did to her, you would understand. She was-" He clenched his teeth in anger. "He had hit her, Master. And then he shot her. A Galactic senator."

"So, his treatment of a politician justifies your actions?"

"She's your friend, Obi-Wan! Not just a politician!" Anakin hissed through his teeth.

"The fact remains, Anakin, that you brutally murdered someone who should have stood trial and be put in prison. I know that he has committed terrible crimes for his own benefit, but you must understand that what you did was wrong." Obi-Wan spoke in a pleading tone, begging Anakin to see reason.

Anakin looked down, suddenly ashamed. "I...I know, Master. I shouldn't have done it. I let my instincts get the best of me. For once, they were wrong."

Obi-Wan sighed with relief. "It's alright, Anakin. Hopefully your instincts will give us victory in this battle."

Anakin smiled and raised his canteen of water in the air. "To victory."

Obi-Wan lifted his canteen. "To victory."

They each took a sip, and both grimaced at the horrible taste.

"Alright, no more toasts."

"Agreed."

"Are you sure you're alright, Padmé? Should I take you home?"

Padmé sighed. "Yes, Bail, for the tenth time, I'm alright. And no, I do not want to go home. I have been held hostage by Threepio in that apartment for too long. Now can we please enjoy dinner without anymore talk of what happened?"

Senator Bail Organa simply shook his head and smiled, truly astonished at how quickly his friend had bounced back from her nearly-fatal injury. Considering what had happened, and why, he wondered whether or not it was such a good idea to have taken her out to dinner. For all they knew, there was already someone else trying to make easy payment by killing Naboo's senator.

Padmé noticed Bail glancing repeatedly at the nearest window. He had hardly touched his very expensive meal. Many people in the restaurant were staring at her and whispering. She finally caught his eye. "If this makes you uncomfortable-"

"Of course it makes me uncomfortable, Padmé! What really worries me is that you don't seem to be at all bothered by the fact that you were nearly murdered, and an assassin could be out right now to finish the job!"

"Bail, please. You, of all people, should know that I'm no stranger to taking risks. I will not let anyone force me to be a prisoner in my own home, no matter how much they may want me dead. I refuse to live my life afraid of my own shadow, always fearing what lurks around the corner. If there's a price on my head, then it must be for a reason."

"Padmé, you are braver than anyone I have ever known, and a kriffing good politician, but you must understand that you have no choice but to be cautious. I don't want you becoming a martyr, just because you decided to be brave. Think of your friends, your loved ones. Right now, you are only thinking of yourself." Bail looked at her with intensity.

Padmé opened her mouth to object, with an argument on her tongue that would make Anakin proud, but she knew that he was right. Unlike her husband, Padmé kept her mouth shut and allowed her temper to cool down. Bail was right. She may have thought that she was being selfless for her people and for democracy, but she was really just being careless.

She took a deep breath before giving a smirk not unlike that of her husband's, and said, "You always were the better debater."

Bail Organa laughed. "I'm just glad you actually listened to me, for once."

Anakin walked into Padmé's apartment to find that all of the lights were off. Threepio was nowhere in sight; he had probably turned himself off for the night.

He and Obi-Wan must have gotten back later than they thought. He had hoped to surprise Padmé, for she didn't know that he was on Coruscant. It would just have to wait until morning.

He crept into the bedroom, where his wife lay fast asleep on the left side of the bed. Silently but awkwardly, Anakin took off his robes and tunic and replaced them with his one simple pair of sleep pants that he kept in Padmé's bottom drawer. He crawled into the bed, cringing at the noise of the mattress springs straining under his weight. He looked over, and sighed with relief when he saw that she was still asleep.

Anakin looked at her sleeping form and smiled. He couldn't see her face, for her back was turned. But he knew exactly what she looked like, for he pictured her face in his mind every day that they were apart. That is, when Obi-Wan wasn't around. Anakin smirked. She's in for quite the pleasant surprise in the morning.

Quietly and gently, he leaned over and kissed her soft cheek. Then he positioned himself right behind her, giving her his warmth. He then proceeded to place his arms around her small torso, giving a gentle squeeze.

It was then that Padmé whimpered in pain.

Anakin quickly recoiled, horrified at the thought that he had caused her pain. He lifted up the sheet and saw that she still had bandages wrapped around her chest.

Kriff.

How could he be so ignorant? Of course she was still healing; the blaster bolt had gone straight through her! She had to have an emergency operation! All because of his foolishness. He had fallen right into Bane's trap. And now he had hurt her with his own hands. Accidentally, of course, but that didn't change the way he felt about it.

Anakin got out of bed and went into the 'fresher. He threw cold water on his face and looked at himself in the mirror. He immediately looked back down, for he could no longer stand the sight of his own reflection.

I couldn't protect my mother from the sand people, I couldn't protect Ahsoka from the Council, and I couldn't protect Padmé from a kriffing blaster. And yet people say I'm a hero.

More and more, Anakin would find himself feeling held back by Obi-Wan and the Council. He believed that if he had more power, he could have saved the people he loved most.

But it wasn't too late.