Aila fidgeted nervously in the back of her Nubian Cruiser while the crew Chancellor Itappa had acquired for her prepared for departure. Aila's mind raced frantically and her heart rate increased as her fear of flying overtook her. There was nothing for her to do, but sit and wait in the back of the ship, and it was not helping her nerves.
Aila stood up and began to pace the halls of the cruiser trying to keep herself preoccupied, but found that her nerves were not abated.
"Ms. Kenobi?" Aila's pilot questioned as he stepped out of the ship's control area and into the hallway.
"Yes Captain Sellanti?" Aila addressed the blond haired man before her. He was about Aila's age, maybe a little older. He had a stout, portly build and a kindly face. His blue eyes radiated compassion for his nervous client.
"Pardon me for asking, milady, but is this your first time traveling?"
Aila sighed. "Alone yes. Last time I traveled my husband was with me and I was not awake for most of the trip."
"I see." Captain Sellanti stated and paused to consider his next words. "Well, if you would like, you can sit up at the controls with me and Lieutenant Alarna. We would be glad to show you what we know, this is your ship after all."
Aila's eyes brightened slightly. "That would be nice Captain, thank you. I need to face my fear, and having company should help."
"You are most welcome, milady. My wife has a similar fear and being around people always seems to help her. Now if you come this way we will be off. It should not take us long to reach Corellia."
"Ok, thanks again." Aila stated as she walked with the Captain to the front of the ship.
"R4, land at the outskirts of the homestead. I wish to speak with the inhabitants and I may be journeying on my own."
"Boop boop." R4 acknowledged as he started the landing process to set Obi-Wan's Jedi starfighter on the dusty ground of Tatooine outside the Lars Homestead.
Once the ship was settled on the ground, Obi-Wan released the hatches to his ship and stepped out into the hot arid air of his padawan's home planet. "R4 stay with the ship. I hope this will not take long."
"Beep beep boop boop?" R4 asked curiously.
Obi-Wan paused in mid-step and turned towards his domed droid. "The Council?" Obi-Wan rubbed his beard thoughtfully as he said; "They should not call, but tell them we are actively pursuing the bounty hunter if they do. We will track the signal of the homing beacon I planted on his ship as soon as I have taken care of things here. This cannot wait, it is most important."
The little droid did not say anything in response, but followed the orders that were given to him. He was programmed to obey, not question the irrationality of the orders posed to him.
Obi-Wan turned from his ship and briskly walked towards the Lars homestead. With each step his chest constricted with worry and he silently prayed that his thoughts of Shmi were untrue.
"Oh! Hello there sir. I am C3P0, Human Cyborg Relations." A dusty droid greeted Obi-Wan at the entrance to the large homestead.
"3P0, is Shmi around?" Obi-Wan asked urgently.
"No, I am sorry, but do I know you?" C3P0 asked.
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, "I am Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi."
The golden droid suddenly recognized the name and asked, "Oh has Master Ani returned?"
"No, I am here alone. Do you know where Shmi is?" Obi-Wan pressed the droid.
"She has been gone for nearly a month." The voice of Cliegg Lars sounded from behind C3P0. Obi-Wan's worst fear was confirmed when he saw the elder man appear. He was sitting in a hover-chair, his right leg had been severed and the remains of it were heavily bandaged. "Come inside, we will talk."
As Obi-Wan left C3P0 at the door to follow Cliegg, he asked. "Was it the Tuskens?"
"Yes, they took her." Owen Lars added as he met them in the Lars dining area.
"It was just before dawn when they took her. She had gone out early to pick the mushrooms that grow on the vaporators. Thirty of the farmers in the area went after her and only four returned. Those vicious, mindless monsters have killed her!" Cliegg finished with a growl of anger.
"I will find her." Obi-Wan stated with determination as he stood before the two Lars men.
Cliegg shook his head, "She is dead."
"No! She is alive!" Obi-Wan stated sharply
"How do you know? Some Jedi trick?" Owen asked.
"No, I just know. I cannot explain it, but she is still alive, I must find her."
"I hope you are right, I do not want to lose hope, but she has been gone so long." Cliegg said with a sigh. Then a curiosity struck his mind, "Why isn't Anakin with you?"
"He is on a mission." Obi-Wan answered.
"But why did you come here?" Owen asked his brow rising in question.
"I had a feeling something was wrong." Obi-Wan answered. "Do any of you have a speeder I can take? It will be easier to track the Tuskens in it than in my starfighter."
"How did you know something was wrong?" Owen reiterated.
"Look, I do not have time to discuss this, finding Shmi is more important. Can you help me?" Obi-Wan asked his eyes narrowing in irritation.
"Take my speeder bike, I'll… I'll show you where it is." Owen said, startled by Obi-Wan's stern tone.
"Good." Obi-Wan said as he moved to exit the homestead once more. Owen was following closely behind him and the young man jumped when Obi-Wan turned sharply to say, "If Anakin does show up tell him to wait here. I hope this will not take long."
"Of course." Cliegg stated confusedly before turning somber and saying, "Please find her."
"I will." Obi-Wan stated before he followed Owen outside. In a few minutes he was on the speeder bike and with his cloak billowing behind him set off to find Shmi Skywalker. The future of his padawan, the Jedi, and the galaxy depended on his success.
Anakin sat beside Padmé in a sitting area at the Nubian lake retreat, Varykino. During his time with her, things had not gone as Anakin had foreseen for his future with her. The first afternoon of their arrival at the retreat, Anakin had embarrassed himself by kissing the Senator. At first Padmé seemed to reciprocate his feelings as her lips opened to his. However she had pulled away and been rather standoffish after that incident, acting like it had not happened.
The tension between Anakin and Padmé had been heavy from that point and Anakin found himself stuttering when in her presence. It was not until their meadow picnic a few days ago that he had regained some semblance of control over himself. It was the first time Padmé had seemed to talk to him openly in days and he had enjoyed seeing her smile. To make things even better she seemed to openly flirt with him and had been most distraught when he had pretended to be injured by a shaak.
They had laughed and rolled on the grass with one another, both carefree. It finally seemed that Anakin was making progress in developing his relationship with the woman he had lusted for over ten years. However, this progress was quelled rather quickly when their little roll through the grass ended with Padmé lying across Anakin.
She had been giggling madly at their playfulness, but once she had realized the precariousness of their positions she had bolted upright and demanded that they return to the lake retreat immediately. Once again, Anakin had found her cold and standoffish and had found himself acting the fool to gain her attention and favor.
Now as he sat next to her, a sense of desperation to get her to share his feelings overtook him. With a fire blazing in a fireplace before him, Anakin took the time to bare his soul in the hope that it would capture Padmé's heart.
"From the moment I met you, all those years ago, not a day has gone by where I haven't thought of you. And now that I'm with you again, I'm in agony."
Padmé squirmed uncomfortably at Anakin's words and shifted in the chair casting her eyes away from his. She found herself losing herself in those eyes and she had been trying to keep her distance, emotionally, from the handsome Jedi. She chided herself for wearing the revealing black leather corset gown. She could have picked something that covered more of her body.
"The closer I get to you, the worse it gets." Anakin continued. The thought of not being with you... I can't breath." Anakin paused until Padmé looked at him and met his pleading gaze before adding, "I'm haunted by the kiss that you should never have given me."
Padmé looked away as she felt her lips tingle with the memory of that kiss. She could have easily lost herself in the sensation of Anakin's lips against hers, but she had ended it. She knew she could not fall in love with her Jedi protector.
"My heart is beating, hoping that that kiss will not become a scar." Anakin pressed on with his emotional appeal to the angel before him. "You are in my very soul, tormenting me." Then with desperation he asked, "What can I do? I will do anything that you ask."
Padmé did not answer and her lack of response angered Anakin. Had she even been listening to him? "If you are suffering as much as I am, please, tell me."
"I can't," Padmé replied softly there was sadness in her gaze as she looked at Anakin. She was deeply touched by his confession, but she knew she could not give into his proposal. They both had lives that would not support a relationship. "We can't…. It's just not possible."
"Anything is possible, Padmé. Listen to me." Anakin stated inching closer to her.
"No you listen." Padmé stated sharply as she stood up and moved away from him. "We live in a real world. Come back to it. You're studying to become a Jedi. I'm… I'm a Senator." She finished lamely.
"So?" Anakin asked standing up as well. "What does that matter? Obi-Wan is a Jedi and he has been married to Aila for three years. They are very happy, that could be us."
"Are they happy? From what I have heard in the Senate they have had to fight the Jedi Council in order to stay together."
"Yes they have, but they are still happy." Anakin responded.
"Maybe, but from what I have heard in the Senate, Kenobi's position in the Jedi Council has been hurt because of his relationship with Aila. I cannot ask you to ruin your career, regardless of our feelings for one another."
"Then you do feel something!" Anakin's eyebrows rose in hope as he took in what she had just said. His heart soared. His angel did love him.
"I will not let you give up your future for me. The Council may have granted Kenobi an exception, but the Jedi Code still says that love is still forbidden."
"I do not care." Anakin stated vehemently. "I will not let the Council interfere in this. I will leave the Jedi to be with you."
"No! The Republic needs you. The Republic needs the Jedi, you cannot leave."
"You are asking me to deny my feelings." Anakin stated as he took a step towards Padmé.
Padmé stared up into Anakin's eyes seeing a fire burning in his blue orbs, a fire that was for her. She took a tentative step back as she warily said, "I will not give into this."
Anakin sighed in frustration and turned away from her. Pain filled him at her rejection and he frantically searched for another solution. "Well, you know, it wouldn't have to be that way. We could keep it a secret."
"We'd be living a lie." Padmé stated with shock at Anakin's proposal. "One we couldn't keep even if we wanted to. I couldn't do that. Could you, Anakin? Could you live like that?"
Anakin's heart fell once more at this, but he knew Padmé had a point. It would be impossible to keep their relationship secret and he would want everyone to know that they were together. With a swelling of grief rising within him he said, "No. You're right." Then before he could show his true emotions Anakin turned and left Padmé's presence, retreating to his room.
After he exited the room, Padmé collapsed on the sofa she had been sitting on earlier and placed her face in her hands as a tear rolled down her cheek.
