Chapter 21: Taboos of Cursant and Tatooine

Coursant

"Senator Amidala," shouted Anakin.

Padme turned her head away from the group of senators to look at her husband. "Yes, Master Skywalker."

"your wrong," he snapped

"Excuse me."

"Palpatine told me that you called the GAR weak in your speech right now. You said that we wouldn't be able to even help our friends."

"That is a biased summary of my speech, and they already agree to send a warning to Mandalore last week against my advice and look how that turned out."

"Yeah well, I just came to tell you're wrong. The GAR and the Jedi are strong and we are more than able to assist any friend and fight in any field that Palpatine sends us."

Padme's face lost its color, "you don't know. You haven't been paying attention to what's going on in Manadalor or Kessel or…" Padme dropped off before looking back at the senators behind her. "Perhaps we should go somewhere private to have such a conversation master Skywalker," Padme said this through gritted teeth as she dragged him off to a quiet room. She turned on him the minute they were alone. "Anakin there is something I need to tell you."

Anakin ignored her. "Palpatine told me what you said in your speech. How you called the GAR weak."

"And as I just said that is a very poor summary of my speech Anakin you don't know politics you can't shout stuff like you're wrong in the middle of the rotunda. And you differently can't judge a speech that you didn't even listen to, you only heard Palpatine's summary. Palpatine, who was my opponent in the argument, and diffidently had a bias opinion on it."

"From what Palpatine told me, it seems pretty clean-cut. You told him and an entire senate that the republic shouldn't help out our friends."

"Yes, I did say that but-"

"No! and what do you mean I don't know anything about politics. My master was the negotiator, I learned politics. Are you calling me stupid or a child."

"Anakin you don't know anything about politics and that's fine. You expressly say that and that's ok with me, but you can't go shouting your opinion on the top of your lungs when you know nothing about the subject at hand. Besides theirs something else I need to tell you that's important."

"Oh, so you are saying I'm stupid." He didn't even hear her last sentence.

"No, I'm not. Why is it that every time I point out a weakness of yours you consider it an insult."

"Because that's what an insult is."

"Or it could be someone who loves you and is trying to help you. Now would you please let me finish. There's something I need to tell you."

"No, you may be my wife, and I do love you, but I think when it comes to politics you and I are enemies is that clear."

"Oh," Padme's voice dropped as she straightens her back, taking on the posture she used when combating her political opponents. "You want me to consider you my enemy, my equal in politics."

"Yes, and not as a child."

"Fine then I guess we are political enemies now," she turned to leave but stopped to get in one last shot. "And it's about time that you finally learn just how little you know about them."

Anakin decided best to stay at the temple that night and to give Padme some time to calm down before returning to their apartment.

He was surprised the next day to receive a call from the council. He was even more surprised to see Padme waiting for him in the grand council room.

"What's going on here," he demanded when he saw her. Was she telling them that they were married? That seemed a little extreme revenge to get for yelling at her the other day, but it was the only thing he could think that would explain her being there.

Mace Windu answered his question. "Senator Amidala has come to us with a formal complaint against you."

"Excuse me," Anakin shot a quizzical look at his wife. "What formal complaint? About what?"

"About your behavior yesterday master Skywalker. You walked up to a crowd of senators proclaiming that my speech was wrong, my view was wrong. That Palpatine and the Jedi would do anything to help out our allies."

"Am I not allowed to disagree with you senator."

"No you're allowed to, but not without knowing the facts. What Palpatine failed to tell you in his cliff notes on my speech is that the friend I spoke of was the Hutts. There is a slave revolt on Tatooine."

Anakin looked at her in shock, "there is." All his life he waited to hear such words. We're the slaves getting free. Was it coming to an end? Was there finally justice for him and his mom and all the others that had suffered.

Padme continued with her announcement. "The Hutts are besides themselves they have never had to deal with an actual army of former slaves. They asked for the republic's help, stating that we were friends." Anakin felt a level of cold anger filled him. Was she serious? Was the order going to be sent to put down a slave revolt? Padme smiled softly guessing her husband's mind. "Palpatine was for it, but I and a large number of the senators spoke up against it. I pointed out not only the moral argument but that we were already in a war. That was the purpose of my speech."

Padme let her husband swallowed that before moving onto her next argument. "Not to mention you didn't read the room or bother to inquire as to what I and the other senators were discussing when you interrupted us."

"Why's that important."

"Context," snapped Padme and for a second she wasn't a formal senator but a pissed off wife. She quickly corrected herself and turn to address the council. "The group that I was talking to was a few of the senators who had in recent times concluded that the GAR and order were loyal to Palpatine and not the republic. They voted for our involvement in Tatooine not because they believe in it but because they were afraid that Palpatine would sick the GAR or the Jedi on them. I was trying to reassure them when master Skywalker yelled at me and announce that the Jedi and GAR would back Palpatine despite what the Senate decided."

"I didn't say that. Well, not the part about the senate."

"Context master Jedi. It was the context that suggested it and all it did was confirm many senators' belief that you were Palpatine's guard dog."

"Excuse me. "

Padme though continued, refusing to look at her husband. "Councilors while I know that you're silent because you don't believe you should be involved in politics, I am afraid that all it has done is convince a majority of the people that you are anything but neutral. Without a clear response, people will think that master Skywalker's personal view speaks for you. I ask that for the sake of our democracy that you make it clear your official view and for his own benefit, I ask that Skywalker not be allowed into the Senate building."

"What," objected Anakin. "Look, masters," he bowed politely to the group "I will admit that I may not have understood what was going on, but isn't that a little extreme."

Mace and Yoda looked at each other and Anakin just knew they were communicating through their old training bond. Finally, Mace spoke up. "The Jedi don't believe in getting involved in politics. But to reassure the republic we will make a public announcement of our neutrality and loyalty to the republic and not just one man." Mace turned to Anakin. "We also agree that Master Skywalker should be banned from the Senate."

"What," shouted Anakin. "Am I being punished? For what? For not reading a room?"

"Anakin its for your protection," whispered Obi-Wan gently. "We don't want anyone to get the wrong ideas about your honor and your loyalties. You are barely at the senate as it is so it won't affect or duties at all."

"Fine," snapped Anakin. "I will stay away, may I go now masters."

Mace barely nodded before Anakin stormed out of the room. Padme followed him but he did not attempt to speak to her as he went to his quarters.

It was a few hours later before Obi-Wan was able to leave the council. Shortly after leaving the room, he received a call. Not to his surprise, it was Padme.

"Hello Padme," he said warmly to her. "Let me guess why you called. You want me to check on your husband."

Padme smiled back. She had known that Obi-Wan knew about their relationship and so one day she decided to announce it to him. Anakin didn't know, of course, the two had decided that it was better to wait until Anakin was ready to tell. That didn't mean that the two couldn't communicate and report Anakin's behavior to make sure that Anakin was getting enough sleep and food, for when he wasn't with one he was was with the other.

"You caught me," she admitted. "I wanted to see how he was doing and I'm pretty sure I'm the last person he wants to see."

"I think second. The first person will be your double who tore him in front of the council."

Padme's face felled, "how did you know?"

"Don't worry it was only obvious to me because I had seen you perform the trick up close. So the rest of the council isn't asking why a senator would send in a body double just to complain about some random Jedi. Your marriage is still a secret. But," he gave the woman a serious stare. "You should have told me Padme instead of going to the council. I could have talked to him."

Padme shook her head. "You would have failed just like me, and then you would have been forced to agree with me on telling the council. We both love Anakin but he's never takin criticism well, and at the end of the day we would have been forced to use tough love. I mean he wouldn't even let me tell him about Tatooine."

Obi-Wan sighed, "your right. Well, I can still check on him and see if I can't pull him out of his pouting."

Padme nodded, "and see if you can convince him that I did this out of love."

"Will do my best."

"And remember the most important thing is-"

"-is don't tell Anakin that we are secretly keeping tabs on him like he's a child, I know," agreed Obi-Wan. "I can't wait until the war is over. He doesn't seem to even realize how unstable the fighting has made him."

"He won't find out, that's why he has us. Now go team Anakin," chuckled Padme. "I still have some political fires of Anakin's to put out."

Obi-Wan ended up at his and Anakin's old master/apprentice rooms. They were now Anakin and Ahsoka, Obi-Wan having moved out for the two knowing that Anakin was uncomfortable with any sort of change. He knocked on the door to be answered by Ahsoka.

Ahsoka smiled at her grandmaster. "He's sulking in his room. I'll go and make you two some tea."

"Thank you, Ahsoka." Obi-Wan entered the quarters and went to Anakin's room in the back. Once there he knocked on the door. "Anakin are you done pouting in there."

"I'm not pouting," called Anakin. Obi-Wan opened the door. It differently looked like pouting to him and he had a lot of experience of Anakin pouts from when the boy was a teenager. The room was dark and Anakin was laying on his bed propped up. "If your not pouting then what are you doing," challenged Obi-Wan.

"Meditating," grumbled Anakin knowing that Obi-Wan saw through it.

Obi-Wan sighed as he sat down at Anakin's desk. "Anakin, Padme did this because she cares."

"She humiliated me."

"Perhaps, but I think it would have been more humiliating of her if she hadn't called you out and let you continue to act like that." Obi-Wan smiled, used to Anakin's stubbornness, "instead of seeing it as a negative you could focus on positive. For one thing, you now have a valid excuse not to go to the Senate anymore. I know how much you hated it."

"I guess that's a good point," admitted Anakin. He had always complained when he got stuck with senate duty.

"Not to mention," continued Obi-Wan, "the slaves are becoming free on Tatooine. That they are rising up in a revolt. That must make you a little happy."

"Yeah," Anakin finally smiled before having it replaced with a furrowed brow. "I guess that's the reason why she contacted me."

"Who?"

"Beru, this woman on Tatooine."

"Oh. A friend of your mothers?"

"I think so, she's my step-brother's," Anakin scorn at the name, "wife apparently."

"She's been trying to contact you?"

"Yeah for a while now must have something to do with the slave revolt."

"Anakin" Obi-Wan's color drain. "You should contact her. A slave revolt is still a revolt, there is a lot of violence involved, she could be in trouble."

Anakin debated it for a while. "I guess it would explain why she would contact me out of the blue like this."

"Anakin you need to call her back now. Instead of just sitting here pouting you should be there for your family. You may not consider them family but I'm sure your mother did."

Grief and anger flashed across Anakin's face before he pulled himself off his bed and over to the console. "Fine," he muttered "maybe she won't pick up, or maybe its to share the good news."

A woman picked up the comm almost immediately. She blinked a few times, looking at Anakin as if trying to place him. "Anakin," she whispered, "you responded. I was so worried that you weren't going to get my texts in time."

"In time for what."

"To make a difference. It's Owen he needs your help."

"Will you please explain the situation," asked Obi-Wan sensing that Anakin wasn't going to be as polite and direct as possible.

"It's about the slave revolt. It's good news. I mean we ran an underground stop at our farm to help runaway slaves, but nothing as big as an actual revolt before, and we were excited when it happened, but there is a side effect. It's the slave hunters, you know how they work."

Anakin turned to explain to Obi-Wan. "When a slave runs away the owner will send out a hunter with a general description of the slave. They are task to hunt down and bring back the slave."

"Right," agreed Beru "but if the slave has already left Tatooine, instead of coming back empty-handed and not getting paid, the hunter will kidnap a free person who fits the slave's description. It happens all the time and everybody knows that it occurs, but nobody stops it. The owners are happy to get back a slave and can care less if its the original one and the people that they take are always too poor to fight back."

"Like you and your husband," said Obi-Wan catching onto what the problem was.

Beru gave a small smile. "With so many slaves becoming free hunters are searching for just about any category. Usually, we are safe since we live so far away from anyone, but with so many, they are going to run out of free poor people in the cities and come for us soon. Still, the free slaves know this and they don't want anyone to be forced into slavery for them. They have offered to take all free people with them to their safe haven. I don't know what planet, but the representative that the farmers sent to investigate the claims, he said that it's a farm planet. An actual planet that is full of green pastures. The problem is Owen. He is refusing to leave our home. He says that generations of his family have fought and died for their home he won't give it up. He says that he can fight off anyone who comes for us. But it's not just us. You see," she placed a hand on her stomach, "I'm pregnant."

"Ahh! la la la I can't hear you!" Anakin jumped to his feet as if electrocuted and twirled around with his fingers in his ear as he sang loudly.

"Really Anakin," shouted Obi-Wan, "pregnancy is a part of life. You don't need to act like it's a dirty word. Especially when I know those Huttese words you mutter under your breath aren't about sunshine and rainbows."

"Actually," chuckled Beru, "his behavior is normal. On Tatooine, it's considered bad luck to even acknowledge the child until they are a year old. Sadly due to Tatooine's tough climate child infancy is very high so it makes it easier for people to deal with it when the child dies. This is my third pregnancy."

"I still can't hear you," shouted Anakin.

"Then allow me to translate," insisted Obi-Wan sitting at the console. "I think I see your concern now my dear. The odds of the child surviving are limited and even if it did it would be born most likely in slavery. Where's as if you leave not only will your chances increase but the child's freedom will be assured. To do that you need your husband to agree to the move, and you are hoping that Anakin will help you."

"Exactly," Beru looked over at Anakin. "I know that you probably don't know us or care but I am desperate. I am hoping that as the son that Shmi, who she had to give up for you to escape slavery, that if you talked to him, he may listen. Please Anakin, would you please just talk to him."

Anakin stood there as if debating it. Obi-Wan knew that Anakin despise Tatooine and he had made it clear often before that he would never return to the planet. Still, his Jedi heart couldn't say no to this young mother. Obi-Wan decided to help. "Our next battle isn't far from hut space he mentions. If we took a small fast ship we could make a detour on Tatooine and still beat our army to their destination."

Anakin nodded and Obi-Wan felt a wave of comfort when he used the word 'we' meaning that Anakin wouldn't have to do it alone. "Ok," he said, "let's go to Tatooine."