Hey guys!
Long time no post, I know! I have been absolutely swamped lately with all forms of writing that's actually graded, so felt too guilty to daydream about our favourite Jedis, hence the lack of content.
However. You are about to get quite the content dump. This is maybe the longest chapter ever, and originally I was going to post it as three separate chapters, but I'm as impatient to get this story going as you guys are, so decided that instead of three boring chapters, you can have one long exciting one!
Without further ado, lo and behold the latest instalment! A huge huge thank you to all my wonderful reviewers. Its so lovely to hear from you, and please do drop a review if you like this chapter too!
As always, I own nothing!
Anakin closed his eyes, letting the sun stroke his face, its warm rays lulling him into a deep peace as all thoughts washed out his mind. He lay back, stretching his tired legs and rubbing his hand over the tight, dull ache of his shoulder muscle. The sharp pain dissipated under his touch as he shuffled further down on his seat. He sighed, settling down as he watched little white dots dance across the inside of his vision like ghostly clouds on a pinky-red sky. He could feel the ache waning as he leant further back, smiling to himself as he basked in the warmth.
This was the life. On this battlefield, it was rare for him to even get a minute to himself. How the hell was he supposed to, quote, be mindful of The Force (Kenobi, O.), end quote, when every time he even tried to process his emotions, he was interrupted by some disgruntled clone platoon, or irritating missile strike? And unfortunately, he was not one of those lucky Jedi who could rationalize every feeling in a half-hour meditation session. No, for him, ignoring things was a sure-fire way for them to build up inside him, releasing in the form of some ill-timed burst of anger. And that was a best-case scenario! Repress too much and he would find himself responsible for the slaughter of a whole battalion of droids (just like that time with The Tusken Raiders…)
He sighed. Not worth revisiting that particular trauma now. Especially on an empty stomach.
Plus, he had bigger problems right now. (Bigger problems than the slaughter of an entire village? Jesus, he needed to get his life in perspective.)
He had somewhat been living on his nerves since he returned from Coruscant. And not all of that had been a conscious choice! Before he had even unloaded his speeder, Obi Wan had swept him off to the frontline, strapping a gun to his back and informing him that his little holiday was over. Since then, he woke up, muddled his way through days upon days of sandstorms, narrowly-missed bullets and the crunch of sabre through metal until he finally collapsed in his tent, only to wake up and do it all again.
One week had passed and he was completely burned out. (Well maybe you shouldn't have spent your two weeks respite in some ridiculous sex-entanglement then you idiot.)
He sighed. Well, he was going to have to deal with it at some point. Since his speeder ride with Ahsoka, he had pushed all thoughts of Padme/The Princess/women in general as far from his mind as he possibly could. But he couldn't keep pretending it hadn't happened forever.
He winced, eyes still closed against the sun's glare. How could he? Had he actually…? Got with Princess Ecosa!
He shuddered, massaging his temples as if his ministrations could wash the images of him gently but decidedly refusing her as she threw herself at his feet, begging him to fuck her out of his brain. He really wasn't being fair. The Princess was… well not nice, but fine! Hot! Wildly irritating, sure, but he really shouldn't be so disparaging of someone he had gone back with not just once, but two whole times. Each time more humiliating than the first.
He sighed. He blamed Padme for this whole fiasco. In the real world, the world where things made sense, he would barely have spoken to Princess Ecosa unless forced, let alone engage in sexual activity with her?!it was only in the odd upside-down world he had somehow been thrust into, a world where the predictable normality had been turned on its head and he had suddenly found himself in a position where he needed to make Padme jealous, that something so ludicrous would come into fruition.
How the hell had this happened? If only he had known how much more complicated would be to have actually forced his feelings for Padme out of the comfortable secret-crush vault where they were a long-time resident. Now he had actually slept with her, that vault had burst wide open, the surge of feelings running rampant over his brain, washing over ever reflex and tainting every one of his actions.
It was especially ironic that the entire point of Padme's bright idea to sleep with him had been a misguided attempt to cure his issues with casual sex. Well great job, Senator. Little did she know that after being with her, he was irrevocably changed, casual sex ruined forever by comparison. It was almost funny if it wasn't so disheartening.
He winced as the memory of his little affair with The Princess played out in his mind. He tried to swat the images out his brain like some pesky fly that had somehow got into his tent, but to no avail. Every time he closed his eyes, there she was, ripping off her tiny dress (that had barely provided any sort of coverage at the best of times) and suggesting, nay, demanding that they 'take this further Master'. He shuddered remembering the look of irritation on her face as he suggested they keep it PG, but they could still make out if that was chill? And that was the first night, when she was so drunk that it was a good job nothing had happened even if he had wanted it to! The second encounter was far worse. His reluctant reply to her late-night text. His rampant self-loathing as she opened the door in a see-through blue teddy that she had 'saved just for you, soldier'. The down-right anger when he insisted that they stop, denying her that precious number 10.
And worst of all, he highly doubted that Padme would even be jealous anyway. Not if the incident in her office was anything to go by.
It was particularly depressing that Padme rejecting him in her office had in no way stopped her filling every waking minute of his mind. If he had to be fixated, couldn't he at least be allowed to kid himself into thinking he had a chance with her again? But no. The world was cruel.
He had been particularly hung up on the memory of her tongue gently sucking each of his fingers, painfully slowly, as she looked up at him with those big brown eyes. And lowered her hand.
Fucks sake. Worst of all, he couldn't even pretend he wouldn't do it all again. When people say they can 'die happy now', he hadn't quite realized how painful it was to then go on living having tasted that one forbidden fruit and found it more delicious than you had even imagined…
A shadow floated into his periphery, clouding the reddish glow of the sun from behind his eyelids. He winced, cracking open one eye slightly. Still squinting, he could see the outline of a figure looming over him.
'Get out of my sun Snips!' he said, reluctantly shuffling into a more upright position.
'Um, apologies for disturbing you, General.' The voice of Commander Cody shocked him back into consciousness, standing up too fast and catching his limbs in the mesh of his recliner chair and ending up in a tangled pile on the floor.
'I-um- apologies Commander' he laughed, running a hand through his hair as he pulled himself to his feet. 'I was just, um, mulling over a strategy for tomorrow …'
He could see Cody trying his best to stay composed.
'Trying to visualize it, you know?' he winced at his unconvincing explanation.
'Of course, General.' Cody gave him a polite bow, trying to hide the grin on his lips. 'And I apologise for disturbing your sun.'
Anakin chuckled to himself. 'Well how can I help you Commander? Have we had an update on locating the Separatist fuel supplies for tomorrow?'
Cody cleared his throat. 'Unfortunately not, General. I am simply tasked with delivering you your Holo-transmissions from Coruscant. You have a personal message from The Senate' Cody handed Anakin his commlink, freshly updated with location-cloaking software and containing the aforementioned message.
Anakin's heart jolted slightly, much to his own embarrassment. He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair to mask it, before suddenly realising that Cody would have had no way to clock the inner palpitations of his heart. He sighed. This was what happens when his thoughts got disturbed.
'Well thanks Commander' he bowed, 'I will listen to the transmission now and report back. And let me know if we have any luck about the fuel hangers. Would be good to at least know where to start if tomorrow is to go smoothly.'
'Don't you want to view the transmission with General Kenobi?' asked Cody, oblivious to Anakin's clear attempts to shift him on. 'He also has a message from The Senate that it may be best to view in coalition?'
Anakin suppressed a scowl. First his sunbathing was thwarted, now the potential excitement from the delicious ambiguity of The Senate. Cody wasn't going to ruin the thrill ride he embarked in the seconds before the message played, the guessing game of whether he was about to be greeted with the stern face of Mas Amedda, or, by some miracle, a personalized good luck message from Padme. (What? A boy can dream.)
'Don't worry, Commander, I have some packing up to do here anyway. You go ahead' Anakin said, gesturing to his recliner set-up.
'Affirmative, General.' Cody bowed, finally leaving him alone.
Anakin gulped. Suddenly the commlink felt cold and heavy in his hands. He ran his flesh-thumb over the steel, tracing the buttons as he prepared himself. Would it be her? What did she want to say? Please God say she had forgotten the hideous fist-bump fiasco.
Well standing about here wasn't going to answer any of his questions.
Slowly, tentatively, he laid his thumb on the flashing button. And with the trepidation of Obi Wan about to attempt a nose-drive, he clicked it down.
'Anakin my boy!' the loud voice of Palpatine made him jump. 'Just wanted to send my personal congratulations in advance of tomorrow's raid. I see that the Jedi have finally decided to entrust you with strategic planning. I have been telling them for years how you are the most gifted member of the order-'
Anakin tuned out a bit, trying not to dwell on the disappointment in his stomach. (She isn't into you! How many times does she literally have to banish you from her office before it gets through your thick skull?) The blue hologram of Palpatine continued its tirade of compliments, making Anakin increasingly thankful that he hadn't opened this hologram in front of Obi Wan. Or worse, Ahsoka. She had enough humiliating ammunition in her roister currently without adding this overtly political ode to his ego.
'… and I extend my endless accolades to your bravery and brilliance. Long live the republic!' Palpatine's hologram raised a fist in solidarity, then flashed away. Jesus, thought Anakin, how susceptible to praise did Palpatine think he was? A few well-timed compliments and suddenly he would pledge his alliance to continuing the war? Maybe it was his fault for having quite so many melt-downs about how the Jedi didn't respect him.
He sighed, checking the commlink one more time, just in case there was some other message, say, a personal well-wish from a beautiful woman, that he still had to watch. Nope. 0 unread messages. Oh well. What did he expect? He packed up his chair slowly, trying his best to push any flashbacks of fist-bumps firmly out of his brain.
.
'Anakin. There you are. I've been searching all over for you.' Master Kenobi was sore, tired, and most of all, distinctly underwhelmed at the prospect of tomorrow's mission. Holding down the fort for two weeks while his Jedi comrades took an ill-timed mini break to Coruscant was bad enough; now he was faced with the entire course of the war resting on Anakin's characteristically unpredictable shoulders. And safe to say, he wasn't best pleased. 'The raid is tomorrow morning and you are still to present a cohesive strategy.'
He looked Anakin up and down in irritation. 'Where have you been?'
'You know Master, just catching a bit of sun' said Anakin, sauntering over to the buffet and grabbing a sandwich as Obi Wan seethed.
'You joke, but it's not my life on the line if tomorrow is an unprecedented disaster' the older man fumed.
Wasn't actually joking, thought Anakin to himself, collapsing onto a bench and tucking into his food.
'Why Master? Have you decided to take tomorrow as holiday or something?' Anakin asked, smiling as Obi Wan wrestled with his evident desire to slap him across the face.
'Unfortunately for you Anakin, my presence has been requested in front of The Galactic Senate at 8am tomorrow morning' he smiled wryly as Anakin looked up, dropping his sandwich.
'Which shouldn't be a worry if you have properly prepared a strategy?' Obi Wan said, sitting on the fence between smugness and dread.
'What strategy do I need, Master?' Anakin asked, 'We locate their fuel supplies, destroy it with minimal loss of lives, and return unscathed? I can't do much until the geo-scanners actually find something, can I?'
'For goodness sake Anakin!' Obi Wan exclaimed. 'This battle could end the war! And your plan is to wonder through the battlefield aimlessly like some dehydrated Bantha and just hope the fuel supplies just appear?'
'Well, I'm hoping my unparalleled connection to The Force will give me some guidance' Anakin grimaced back. 'Plus, why are you being summoned to the Senate? Ahsoka and I have only been back a week since we gave our depositions. Surely Palpatine doesn't need another account already?'
'One would think so, yes. But the Chancellor seems adamant on splitting us up at the first possible chance. It's almost like he wants us to be woefully outnumbered by The Separatists' said Obi Wan, aware of letting himself be distracted from the tirade of chastisement that was building up inside him. Anakin wasn't getting off the hook that easily. 'But it's irrelev-'
'Maybe Palpatine is just planning to go through every member of the Order until someone's account fits with his pro-war agenda' said Anakin, laughing and picking up his sandwich again.
'Anakin, I'm not done!' said Obi Wan, glaring as the younger man flipped through the pages of an old holo-zine that was lying on the table. 'You must plan for tomorrow! Your lack of preparation will be the death of me.'
'Well good job you won't be there then' Anakin shot him an infuriating grin.
Obi Wan was about to launch into another speech, but was cut off by Ahsoka entering the canteen, dwarfed by her large pack strewn over one shoulder.
'Have you heard the good news, Snips?' said Anakin, trying not to laugh as Obi Wan's face got progressively redder. 'It's just me and you leading the charge tomorrow. Master Kenobi has a date with The Senate that's far more important.'
'Why is everyone so in love with The Senate nowadays?' said Ahsoka, laughing to herself as Anakin reddened. 'Well sorry to disappoint you Master, but I also have to tap out.'
'What.' Anakin and Obi Wan spoke in unison.
'Yeah, my presence has been requested as an official security guard of the Women's Worthiness and Wellness Weekend on Bespin tomorrow' Ahsoka said, glaring as Anakin burst into laughter.
'What?! So you're choosing a yoga retreat over the most important battle of your career?' Anakin's mouth fell open, shock almost winning over laughter. Almost. But not quite. 'Well, I hope you enjoy your mud bath while I put an end to the war.'
'If you must know Master, it's a vital part of the inter-planetary peace building network' she glowered. 'Plus, it's not really negotiable. I have a Senate Mandate to be there.'
'Wow. The Senate decrees you to be present and correct for a rejuvenating facial. It's a tough life Snips.' he said, tucking back into his sandwich and flicking through the holo-zine. 'I'm just glad I won't have to limit my pilot speed to under 40mph to sooth you two and your delicate stomachs.'
'So you're taking on the might of the Separatists alone, Anakin?' Obi Wan wasn't sure whether to panic, or be relieved that of all the battles of his career, this was the one he got to miss. 'Chancellor Palpatine will be getting a stern talking to the moment I return to Coruscant.'
'Rather him than me, Master' Anakin grinned infuriatingly.
'Well for the love of God, please be patient. And use The Force' said Obi Wan, 'if you have to charge head-first into battle, can you at least destroy the fuel cells first? If you insist on loosing limbs, you can do it on your own time.'
'You know I would never disappoint you, Master' Anakin smirked.
'So what was your holomessage then?' asked Ahsoka. 'Cody said that The Senate had sent us three messages.'
'Oh it was just some attempted blackmail from Palpatine' said Anakin, flicking back through his holozine as Obi Wan's head snapped up.
'The Chancellor contacted you too Anakin?' he fumed. 'Honestly, what the hell is he doing sending two of the three Jedi commanders away from camp on the eve of a battle that, if planned properly, could end this war?'
Anakin tried not to dwell on the obvious hint in his Master's tone.
'Maybe he wants to give me some time to shine' said Anakin, grinning.
'Or maybe he wants to punish you for your recent indiscretions' Ahsoka said, laughing and pointing to the open page of the holo-zine in Anakin's hands.
Plastered under the neon yellow headline 'Hellraising Hotties: The Young and The Beautiful' was a glossy photography of Princess Ecosa, pouting in a skimpy sliver dress and almost flashing the hapless readership as she gyrated on the arm of a plush chair. On her right, a forced smile painted on her face, was a visibly uncomfortable Padme, accompanied on her left by Dorme, who had been half-blurred out by the unforgiving editor.
'Look Master! It's your girlfriend!' Ahsoka collapsed off the bench in laugher as Anakin slammed the zine shut.
'Isn't it time you flew off to your holistic spa weekend Snips?' he said, voice wavering slightly as he avoided the disapproving gaze of Master Kenobi as he got up to leave. 'Look, I have a strategy to plan, so if you don't mind-'
He bowed to both of them, turning on his heel to leave.
'About bloody time' muttered Obi Wan under his breath. If he had known that all it took was mentioning The Princess to kick Anakin's brain into gear, he would have used that strategy years ago.
The Next Morning.
The sun rose to Anakin and Commander Cody hunched over a map in the canteen. Anakin was chewing on the leather of his glove nervously as they pinpointed all caves in a 20-mile radius.
'So we just start at the closest suspected cave-'
'Yep.'
'-and keep going until you feel a tug in The Force?'
'Yep.'
'And if Master Kenobi asks?'
'We've found rumblings with the sub-terrainian detectors that seem very promising.'
Cody sighed. Anakin shot him a worried look.
'We will be fine General' Cody smiled. 'The less strategy we have, the less chance that the Separatists can predict and intercept us.'
Anakin laughed shakily. 'Exactly Commander. We will just have to focus. And follow our wits.' He smiled. 'You think your men can handle that?'
'They trust you General' the older man smiled.
'Thank you Commander' Anakin let out a sigh, reaching over to the old holo-zine, still left on the bench from the night before, and pawing through the pages.
'Doing some light reading, General?' Cody asked wryly.
Anakin shot him a smirk. 'Just bringing my good-luck charm. We need all the luck we can get.'
He ripped out a page, neon headline catching Cody's eye before it was tucked away in his robe pocket.
The first of the morning sun shone into Anakin's eyes as he turned to see the door of the tent pushed back. The figure of Obi Wan, light pack and two guns strapped to his back, cast a shade across his face.
'Well Anakin. I'm off' he said, trying to fight the mixture of skepticism and nerves on his face. 'I hope you have come up with a good strategy for today?'
Anakin gulped, unable to even muster up the effort to lie. 'We have Master' was all he could manage.
Obi Wan shot him a scrutinizing look, then resigned himself to his fate. 'I have faith in you, Anakin.'
Anakin looked up at his Master, his fear evident for a moment before he forced a smile.
'I appreciate it, Master' he said, laughing 'and who knows? Maybe this time tonight, the war could be over.'
'No pressure then!' Obi Wan smiled wryly. 'Use the Force Anakin. I trust you.'
Anakin and Cody bowed, heading over to their speeders as Obi Wan sat down at their bench.
He could feel his former padawan's nerves through radiating through The Force. Contrary to his gnawing sense of dread, he did trust the boy. He wouldn't say it to his face, but Anakin was one of the most skilled fighters in The Order, hands down. If he managed to curb his sporadic need to dive head-first without pausing and thinking, there was no doubt he would be victorious. Plus, he was prophesized to be the one to bring balance to The Force. It might be best for him to embark on this challenge alone.
Obi Wan sighed, looking down at the crumpled holozine on the bench. A ragged rip ran down the open page, Dorme's blurry face torn in two. He looked up at the figure of Anakin crossing the camp and climbing into his speeder. That man would be the death of him.
Bespin
Padme sighed, breathing in the sweet smell of palm leaves and pomegranates as the soft song of hummingbirds floated through the air. Behind her, a statuesque Umbaran woman glided gracefully, offering ceramic white glasses of fresh pineapple tea to every woman entering the dome. Padme smiled. Usually when she heard the words 'self-care', it was coming from the mouth of Dzora, her squawking secretary who considered getting silicone pumped into her upper lip a vital form of R&R. 'Seriously Senator, you have to try this new retreat. You aren't allowed to eat a drop for the full week and if they catch you with food you get tazered, but it's like such a vibe for weight loss! We all have to practice self-care!'
But being here, she could finally see a fitting context for the irritating phrase. Looking around the Women's Worthiness and Wellness Weekend, Padme felt herself being slowly converted to the holistic life. The set up was, she had to admit, very impressive. Run by the peaceful Umbaran women, the Women's Worthiness and Wellness Weekend (or W4 as it was known in the industry) had started as a way to introduce powerful women into the mutually beneficial political, economic and industrial alliances that would put them one step ahead in the next male-run conference. That had been 5 years ago. Quickly it had spiraled into an event so famously reputed that even being seen here would assert you as officially She-Whom-Shall-Not-Be-Fucked-With (esquire.)
And this year the Umbarans had really outdone themselves. Hiring one of the tallest and sleekest decks in all of Cloud City, they had erected a glass dome and filled it with all the sights, sounds and delicious smells of a jungle retreat. Treetop walkways spiraled between rubber-leaf trees, giant pink pitcher-flowers bobbed over the wooden paths, and scarily life-like animatronic birds circles the guests, aweing them with their ethereal colours, thick plumage, and most impressively, ability to carry drinks right into the women's hands. Padme beamed. The entire dome was glowing with the excitement of the distinguished guests. By the end of the weekend, she would be preaching the power of fresh fruit on the inner psyche, she was sure of it.
'Good morning Senator Amidala' Sly Moore bowed to Padme, pausing as an animatronic blue Macaw rested on her shoulder, dropping a crimson flower in her hand. 'Wonderful to see you decided to come to W4. We welcome you warmly'.
Padme gasped with delight as the Macaw revealed a tall thin glass of cucumber water, dropping it in her waiting hand.
'Best to stay refreshed' Sly smiled.
Padme giggle, quickly remembering that she was here in a professional capacity and not for a spa retreat (but if one led to the other, she couldn't be held accountable…) 'Well, it's extremely impressive! I can imagine you had a large role in creating this wonderland, Sly?'
Padme smiled warmly, seeing how her words made the usually stern Sly glow. God, she felt amazing already! Maybe if she lived in a synthetic female-only jungle, she would be so happy that the entire Galaxy would bend to her will with just one smile!
'Sadly, I can't take credit for anything but the bureaucracy I'm afraid' she smiled, 'but my wonderful sisters truly have outdone themselves.'
Padme smiled so widely she thought that her face might burst in half. God, it was amazing the power of being treated with warmth and sincerity. It truly was the best way to change the world. She caught herself- if she had learned so much in the first ten minutes, she would be positively insufferable by the end of the weekend. This place would even cure Obi Wan of his constant need to berate.
No. Stop. If anywhere was a Jedi free zone, it was the tranquil haven of W4.
Speaking of…
The path curled around to reveal a crystal blue lagoon full of flamingo, and hidden behind one of their pink plumes, Padme spotted the familiar tip of blue and white Lekku. She paced forward, gratefully accepting the garland of blooms placed on her shoulder from the flamingo's beak, until there was no doubt in her mind of who the tiny Togruta female was.
'Ahsoka?'
She spun around at the sound of her name, a huge beam lighting up her face.
'Senator! What a surprise' she said, laughing as another flamingo topped up her pineapple tea, porcelain kettle held in its beak. 'How insane is this place! I can't believe I get to be here for free!'
'I know!' Padme grinned, linking her arm as they sauntered down the wooden path, crossing another babbling brook. 'Is it just me, or did you feel this weird sense of peace the moment you came in the dome?'
'Like all your worries blew away on a gust of wind?' Ahsoka forced a smile. Padme could sense an undercurrent under her joyous exterior, but decided not to pry. If something was up, Ahsoka was in the right place for a much-needed break. And as a soldier of the war, she deserved to relax a lot more than most of the women here.
'Exactly!' Padme laughed, tingling with delight from head to toe as the smell of fresh watermelon blew on the breeze towards them. She lowered her voice. 'I'm starting to think they are drugging us with something in the air! I haven't felt this good in … well in months!'
Ahsoka bit her lip, dangerously close to enquiring about when the precise last time The Senator had felt euphoric.
Padme and Ahsoka meandered through the jungle paradise, stopping to admire a large tree with buttress roots and being presented with a fresh glass of coconut milk from a passing toucan.
'Goodness me, we can't pause for a second without being offered a drink!' Padme laughed. 'this is my third in fifteen minutes!'
'This place is literally ridiculous' said Ahsoka, downing the liquid in one suck from her recycled aluminum straw (locally sourced and completely sustainable, of course). 'I can't believe I'm here instead of on the battlefront! The Senate must be looking out for me!'
'Wait- The Senate asked you to be here? What, as security?'' asked Padme, raising an eyebrow. 'I'm surprised I have to say. Cloud City has a tight exclusion zone in place for the weekend, and there's no reason for this to be a target?'
'I did think that if I'm honest' said Ahsoka, worriedly nibbling on her metal straw, 'I mean, I can't complain that I'm drinking coconut milk instead of locating the Separatist fuel tanks, but it did seem quite a large trade off in term of risk and reward.'
So that was where the tension was coming from. Worry. And Padme hated to say it, but with good reason.
'Can I ask who asked for Jedi protection here?' said Padme, suspicion building in her stomach. 'Was it a decree from Sly Moore? She is working on behalf of the Umbara to set this up.'
'No actually, it was Chancellor Palpatine' said Ahsoka, the shock on Padme's face confirming her unease. 'I was surprised when Obi Wan and I received our orders to leave camp on the evening before such a vital battle, but what could I do?'
'Wait, wait' Padme pulled her to a halt, the coconut milk suddenly not quite so soothing. 'Palpatine sent two Jedi Knights away on missions the day before a battle? So what, are there reinforcements in place? Have replacements been sent to camp?'
'Well this is just it! He gave us so little warning that all the Jedi were either otherwise occupied, or too far away to get there in time' said Ahsoka, her stomach sinking and the decision to sack off battle to swan about with flamingos seeming increasingly stupid.
'So who's leading the battalion?' asked Padme, her face white. 'How many Jedi are there in the camp beside you and Obi Wan?'
Ahsoka gulped.
'Ahsoka. Please tell me Anakin isn't the only General on the warfront tomorrow' asked Padme. She already knew the answer.
Ahsoka shuffled on the spot, confirming her suspicions.
'Damn it!' Padme exclaimed, frightening a nearby parrot. (She didn't even want to think the money spent to make the animatronics quite so emotive. She hoped this wasn't coming from the tax payer.) 'Palpatine's trying to dispel the war effort! Let me guess- tomorrow's battle could end the war?'
Ahsoka nodded gravely, feeling like a piece of dirt for jumping on the first speeder to Cloud City instead of fighting with her Master. 'We have a lead about the location of the Separatist fuel supply. If we destroy it, it will halt fighting for- well indefinitely!'
'So Palpatine sends away two out of the three Jedi Knights on the eve of the battle?' Padme almost wanted to cry. 'What? So he can make some lamenting speech about how much of a shame it is that the attempt to destroy the fuel supplies was thwarted and how unfortunately this means the war must continue? Why doesn't he just cut out the middle man and send the battle plans to General Greivous directly?'
'Well I'm sure he would if Master Skywalker had actually made one' said Ahsoka gravely.
'Ani hasn't planned?' Padme's eyes widened, 'no plan at all?'
'He tends to work on his wits' said Ahsoka.
Padme turned, massaging her temples and hiding her face in her hands.
'To be honest Senator, it tends to work OK for him' said Ahsoka gingerly, 'it's usually us who suffer the most with his spontaneous war strategy. The enemy are putty in his hands most of the time.'
Padme forced a thin smile. 'Well I suppose what choice do we have. Looks like the fate of the Galaxy rests on Ani's shoulders.'
Ahsoka chewed on her lip nervously. 'I knew this seemed too good to be true' she said in a small voice.
Padme shot her a look. 'Ahsoka…'
The younger woman gulped. She already knew what The Senator was about to say.
'We have to go, don't we Senator' she said, groaning.
'I'm afraid we do' said Padme, smiling sadly.
'EURGH!' Ahsoka laughed, an odd feeling of relief washing over her. She knew in her gut that leaving camp had been a bad idea. However much she didn't want to admit it.
'I know!' Padme laughed, 'I was so looking forward to unlocking my inner Goddess!'
'Anakin better be bloody thankful that we have come back to help him, that's all I'm saying' Ahsoka fumed. She may be relieved to be doing the right thing, but her Master would never, ever know that.
'Oh I can think of a few ways we can get him to pay us back' said Padme, causing Ahsoka to stifle a laugh.
.
Ahsoka didn't want to admit it, but she had never piloted an Eta-2 interceptor herself before. She knew how it worked, obviously! She had spent countless hours having the principles of air-battle mansplained by her Master, who began the lesson telling her that her best chance of success would come once she fully accepted him as the best pilot in the Order. ('What Snips? Where's the lie?') However, despite her lengthy training, she had yet to actually fly one herself.
And a first journey accompanied by one of the most prestigious Senators in the Galaxy certainly did not help with the pressure. 'Precious cargo' was an understatement.
'Fuck! Where's the pressure vents?!' she panicked as the ship shuddered and jolted in mid-air. 'Senator, have you seen a long lever labelled-'
'Pressure vents?' Padme pulled the lever, bringing the ship gliding back into a smooth upward trajectory.
'Uh- yeah' Ahsoka laughed shakily, 'Thanks Senator.'
'Please Ahsoka, call me Padme' she shot her a grin, 'and more importantly- remember. You've got this! I'm not nervous, not should you be. I've seen you flying and you are a natural.'
Ahsoka's tight stomach was soothed by Padme's warm smile. God, she could see why Anakin was so hypnotized by this woman.
'Thanks Sen- Padme' she breathed in and out. All was good. Up was up, they were moving forward. This might just be OK.
'God, I hope Ani's OK' Padme looked out the window, chewing on her nail and jumping her leg up and down nervously.
'He's probably off somewhere losing another limb' said Ahsoka, prompting Padme to shoot her head around, her face a picture of shock. 'I'm kidding! He's probably still sleeping. You know he doesn't fully wake up till at least 10.30.'
'And he pilots ships in that state?' laughed Padme slightly shakily, 'if he can do that, you have nothing to worry about!'
'Exactly! He thrives off the chaos, don't worry' said Ahsoka, laughing. A wicked thought suddenly crossed her mind. Maybe this was her chance to probe a little.
'So you two are pretty close then?' she said, fighting the grin that threatened to expose her little plan. Innocent enough question. Wouldn't turn any heads. Not unless there was, say, something to hide…
'We have been friends for… well for as long as I can remember' Padme said, looking out of the window.
'You know Senator, I don't know how you can spend time with him voluntarily!' Ahsoka laughed. (Didn't want to make this seem too much like an interrogation now did she?) 'I am contractually obliged to hang out with him and I can barely stand it!'
Padme laughed. 'He can be pretty unbearable sometimes, can't he? It's the mix of stubborn refusal to take criticism and the world's shortest temper.'
Ahsoka noted the smile dancing across her face. Time to dig. 'Well you don't know the half of it, seriously Padme.' She looked ahead. 'He is always on his best behavior around you.'
Padme laughed, obviously either oblivious of the intention, or choosing to ignore it. 'Well Ani is one of the few people I know who only has one level. He's always himself, always real. He would never get on in politics when he wears every emotion on his sleeve like that.'
'Oh I think there's definitely a level for me and a level for you, trust me' smiled Ahsoka. 'Maybe he has a special Padme filter that makes him a nice person? Maybe you should come on every mission with us to chill him out! You might not think he's quite so sweet after that!'
Padme giggled. 'Well I'm not sure I would call it a Padme filter' she sighed, raising an eyebrow, 'especially not after the weekend'.
'What, the pinnacle of my life?' laughed Ahsoka. 'I think his display on the platform might be my career highlight. That fist-bump is burned in my mind forever.'
'Oh, mine too' laughed Padme, 'I've been trying to burn the image out of my head for days now!'
'At least we aren't The Princess!' said Ahsoka, prodding a bit further, 'if he's that embarrassing to his friend, imagine how awkward he would be to girls he's got with!'
She glanced over to see Padme's reaction. She just laughed musically, resting her head on her hand and gazing out the window. Interesting. Surely if her and Anakin had slept together, such a comment would make her a bit more... flustered? Maybe the whole thing had been the world's most elaborate lie from her Master?
Ahsoka gulped. Why did she even care! Maybe her battle nerves were being translated into a new-found aptitude for gossip. Plus- digging for information on the private life of a Senator of the Republic might not be the best idea. Shit- maybe that was illegal? Didn't they all have privacy legislature in place to prevent exactly this situation? She suppressed a giggle at the image of Padme rolling out of bed with Anakin and producing a legally-binding document for him to sign.
Luckily, Padme gave her the go-ahead (Well, sort of.) 'You know, I'm not sure I want to imagine the girls Ani has got with.'
'Poor women eh!' Ahsoka laughed a bit manically, realising she had missed the perfect spring-board for her investigation. Shit! OK, she would have to go more general.
'So are you seeing anyone at the minute Senator?' she asked, playing nonchalant.
'You may find it hard to believe, Ahsoka, but not many guys are interested in an emotionally-stilted workaholic with more NDAs to her name than free nights in a week' Padme laughed. 'They aren't queueing around the block, I'll tell you that'.
'What!' Ahsoka was genuinely shocked, not just on her Master's behalf. 'But you're like the prettiest woman I've ever seen!'
'Oh Ahsoka, you are one to talk! Those abs put me to shame!' Padme smiled warmly.
Ahsoka was gobsmacked why the entire world wasn't in love with this woman. Or maybe they were.
'But seriously Senator, you're a catch!' she said, 'if you want me to set you up, I know a few emotionally unavailable men bound by a Code that makes them perfect for some no-strings-attached times…' what the hell was she talking about? Was she trying to set up The Senator for a quick fuck?
'Ahsoka, are you trying to set me up for a booty call?' (nicer way to put it) 'I do have the inter-stellar companionship app- I'm not desperate yet!'
'I know Senator- I don't know what I was saying!' she laughed, 'It must be the nerves'.
'But if you do find a man who's sweet, cute and with a modicum of brain cells- or at least half-decent political beliefs- please do send him my way!' Padme laughed. 'I might even crack out one of my less-intricate gowns as a treat!'
'Senator, you're a fashion icon!' Ahsoka smiled, deciding to give up on her pointless probing. She had done enough detective work in this speeder in the last week for a life-time. Plus- sweet, cute and with a modicum of brain cells? That counted her Master fully out.
Padme sighed, chewing her nails again. 'Oh I do hope Ani is OK.'
'Don't worry' she said, 'if anything bad had happened to him, I would be able to feel it in The Force. And it's all stable.'
Padme visibly relaxed. 'Thank God. Can you imagine how tense we would be if we were getting massages right now?' she laughed.
'Maybe we should have brought Anakin one of those coconut milk birds to pamper him' said Ahsoka, 'that is, if he's still in one piece when we get there!'
The panic on Padme's face told her to shut up there and then.
Camp
As the ship drew down to landing, jumping slightly as Ahsoka rapidly remembered to lower the break wheels, Padme could feel her heart in her mouth. She couldn't get her life-belt off fast enough, positively dashing out of the ship as soon as the door opened.
'Senator, wait-'
Ahsoka stumbled out of the ship, but it was too late. Padme was off, charging towards two figures lingering by one of the clone hangers.
'Ani!'
Anakin was winded as a small ball of energy bashed into him at full force. He was almost knocked over, catching the figure in his arms to steady them before they both fell into the parked ship.
'Whoa, whoa, slow down!' The panicked face of Padme greeted him, her hands grabbing his face and trembling.
'Ani! Are you OK?' she ran her hands over his arms as if checking to see if anything was missing. 'Are you hurt? Is everything OK? And, the mission-'
'Slow down Pad!' he said gently, steadying her. 'I'm fine! The mission was-' he paused, glancing at General Cody who stood to his right. 'Well, Pad, we did it.'
'What?' Padme was still shaking as a smile burst onto her face. 'You found the fuel?'
'You bet we did' a gorgeous smirk lit up Anakin's face.
'And destroyed it?'
'Of course not! We aren't that wasteful!' Anakin glanced over his shoulder at the hangar door, which was cracked open to reveal canister upon canister of thick black liquid. 'Let's just say, someone in the Republic is going to be saving a fair bit of money tomorrow.'
'Ani! I can't believe it!' Padme pulled him into a deathly tight hug, cradling his head in her arms as she felt him wince slightly.
She pulled back, scrutinizing his blue eyes for any sign of pain.
'Ani, you are hurt!' her mouth fell open in shock.
'Only a tiny bit Pad' he nodded his head towards a gash in his arm where his tunic had been ripped, leaving an angry red wound slashed across the muscle. 'Maybe I need to do myself a favour and get both these arms removed to save The Separatists the hassle.'
'Ani don't joke!' she ran her hands over his arm, trying not to touch the wound, 'you need to get antiseptic on this straight away!' She looked frantically behind her. 'Where's the medical tent?'
Anakin laughed 'it's more like a medical bag, Pad. And plus, I need to tally up our victory on the database first.'
Padme's face must have been the picture of shock, because he quickly went on.
'Pad! Relax! It's mostly burn anyway, only a teeny bit that's cut' he gestured to the bleeding skin, wincing slightly. 'The bullet barely grazed me' he smiled, his blue eyes smoldering and turning her insides to mush.
(She was relieved Sola wasn't here to see this display of lust. 'Why is it always when he's on the battlefront?')
'Look, Cody can finish the tallying!' Padme gestured at the unfortunate Commander, who sighed.
'As you wish, Senator.' He said, narrowing his eyes.
'Pad, you can't just force Cody to do my work!' laughed Anakin, 'besides, I'm fine!'
'I'm a Senator of the Republic! I can step in when I see a situation of danger!' she flounced. God, it was rare that she wielded her power, but she had to admit it sure felt good. 'And a Jedi Knight bleeding out because he's tallying up supplies is a situation of danger. I'm not adding your blood to the fuel list!'
Anakin looked down to see that he did indeed have a trail of blood running down from his wound.
'Fine' he hit Padme with a killer smile. 'Sorry Cody.'
Commander Cody just shook his head as the two crossed over to a nearby tent. How any of the Jedi considered themselves conspicuous was the greatest mystery in the Galaxy, that was for sure.
.
'Master? I can't believe you're still alive!' Ahsoka bounded over to Anakin, who was leaning slightly on Padme for support.
'Ahsoka!' Padme was shocked. 'Don't say that!'
'Don't worry Pad, I'm used to her being a terror' Anakin smile, gritting his teeth slightly in obvious pain.
'Jesus! What happened Master?' Ahsoka looked down at his arm, blood now running heavily down his skin and soaking his tunic.
He forced a smile, 'Small price to pay for victory, Snips' he said, 'and can I say, I'm shocked at how certain you both were that I wouldn't make it?'
'Ani, you were taking on the entire Separatist army! No one could pull that off!' Padme let him lean more heavily on her as the obvious toll of his injury became apparent. 'Look, we need to get you to the nearest medical droid. Where it is?'
Ahsoka and Anakin both snorted in laughter.
'What? What's so funny?' said Padme, getting irritated. Could Anakin save his amateur comedy for a time when he wasn't literally bleeding out?
'Well Senator, we kind of have to perform medical duties ourselves' said Ahsoka. 'Speaking of, where's the bag Master?'
'There's one in the canteen' he said, wincing slightly.
'You can't be serious?' said Padme incredulously, 'You don't have any medical professionals on sight?!' Where the hell was this military budget that Palpatine had redirected away from education being spent? One Jedi commander and relief aid in a rucksack? She wouldn't be surprised if he blew the budget on his annual birthday bash. Who needs healthcare for soldiers when you have bottomless cocktails and rooftop bars?
'We are serious Pad' said Anakin, 'Commander Rex had to pull a bullet out of his leg with medical tweezers himself. It was not fun to watch.'
'But Ani, this looks like it needs stitches!' she said, panicking.
'Well good job I have a steady hand' he said, laughing shakily.
Padme's mouth fell open. 'No. Not a chance. Anakin, don't you even attempt to argue with me- you are not performing your own surgery. I'll do it.'
Ahsoka was shocked. 'Senator, are you sure? It might be a bit… messy.'
'Well good job this isn't my first trip to the front line, Snips!' she said, watching Ahsoka's eyes widen at her use of her Master's nickname. 'Now Ani, I take me to this famous bag!'
.
Anakin winced as he slowly lowered himself onto the canteen bench, hissing in pain and gesturing to the corner of the canteen where a moth-eaten leather satchel sat, half hidden under a tarpaulin. Padme gulped. Surely this wasn't the bag? A faded red cross smeared on the side in chipping red paint confirmed her fears.
She turned back to see Anakin ripping the sleeve off his own tunic, wincing as the dry blood tugged at his wound.
'Ani! Be careful!' It was like having an accident-prone infant. But much higher stakes.
'What Pad? You're glimpsing the gritty realities of war' he laughed.
'At least wait till you've cleaned your hands Ani!' God, she felt like his mother!
Padme set down next to him, cracking open the bag and fearing the worst. Ok, so. There was a roll of antiseptic wipes, two old bandages and, nestled beneath some gauze, a sewing kit. She sighed. That would have to do.
She cautiously started wiping the blood off his bicep, starting outside and working her way in.
'Ani, I have to say, this kit is completely useless to serve an entire battalion of men,' she said, rubbing the wipe on the burned skin surrounding the gash.
'I think there's another one kicking about somewhere' Anakin laughed, trying not to enjoy Padme's hands stroking his bicep too much.
Until she ran the wipe over his exposed cut.
He tensed, hissing in pain and clenching his fist.
'I'm sorry Ani' she whispered, 'Look, hold still, I need to make sure there's no dirt caught in there'.
She brought the wipe back down, wiping the length of the cut while Anakin bit into his gloved hand in pain.
'Hold still.' She wiped the last of the dirt away as Anakin clenched. 'There we go Ani. Clean.'
'Is that me done?' he asked, cracking open an eye.
Padme laughed. 'The cleaning stage, yes. Unfortunately, you still have to get your stitches in.'
'Surely I can do without those?' he said. The look she shot him made him think it was best to just let her get on with it.
Padme grabbed the sewing kit, positioning herself in between his legs, one hand on the inside of his arm and a look of intense concentration on her face.
'Now this might hurt a second, Ani' she said, threading the needle.
'Pad I think can handle i- FUCK' he yelled as she pierced the skin.
'I told you!' she smiled up at him sweetly.
'Let's hope Ahsoka isn't walking past right then' he laughed, tensing slightly as she began to stitch up his wound, 'she would wonder what's going on in here!'
'She would probably think we were having the most aggressive sex ever' Padme said, not looking up and praying he couldn't clock her blush.
'Well, you know the last time we were in this tent…' Anakin trialed off. When would he learn that this line of questioning would get him nowhere? 'Sorry, I didn't mean-'
'You don't have to remind me Ani' Padme smiled. 'I remember it all too well.'
Anakin's stomach dropped slightly before he winced as Padme pulled his skin taught with the needle. If there was ever a cure to getting turned on, having an open wound prodded would just about do it.
'What? Do you mean…' he trailed off, looking down.
'What Ani' she paused her task, feeling her breathing slow as her lips parted.
'… the fist-bump?' he winced, and not from the pain in his arm.
'Oh' Padme laughed, continuing piecing his arm together. 'That part…'
'Don't worry Pad, this isn't half as painful as that moment' he gestured to his arm, tugging on his wound with the movement and wincing. God, he really wasn't smooth.
'Painful?' Padme chuckled, focusing her gaze back on his arm as she did the final stitch. 'I thought it was pretty great actually.'
Before he could react, she leant back. 'There! All done. How do you feel soldier?'
'I- um-' Anakin wasn't sure what to say. 'I feel good as new, thanks Pad' he tensed his arm, wincing again. 'Well maybe not, new new, but you know what I mean.'
Padme laughed, unraveling the gauze.
'Wait, Pad, what do you mean 'pretty great?'' he asked, suppressing a gulp. When would he learn to stop torturing himself like this?
'Well, don't you agree?' she looked up at him timidly, her big brown eyes stirring up something inside him that he hadn't felt since… well since the last time she had looked at him like that.
'Do you mean the fist-bump?' he couldn't even say it without cringing.
'No Ani!' she spread the gauze over his arm, stroking the skin of his inner bicep as the fitted the material. Anakin gulped, suddenly painfully aware of her hands on his body.
'I mean what happened last time we were in this camp.' She looked up at him, her hands still on his arm.
'I- um- I…' Anakin trailed off, his heart beating wildly and blood rushing to his face. His heart couldn't afford this level of excitement- he was low on blood as it is.
And she wasn't done there. 'And that it was great… well, more than great.'
She was painfully close to him. Close enough to reach out and touch. The words in her office were suddenly shocked into his mind. He winced.
'Sorry Ani, did I hurt you?' Padme sprung back, grabbing the tape and fixing the gauze in place, hands trembling slightly.
'Pad, no, wait' he tried to get her to look back at him as she fumbled in the bag, grabbing a bandage and wrapping it slightly frantically around his arm.
'Padme! Slow down' he laughed, catching her arms as she trembled. She slowly looked up, her brown eyes pools of emotion.
'Do you mean it?' he whispered. 'You thought it was…good?'
'Great.'
She parted her lips. Her heart hammered in her chest as he got even closer. His full lips almost brushed hers, and she trembled.
'Ani' she whispered, her eyes fluttering closed.
'Senator! There you are!'
They sprung apart, the leftover tape clattering to the floor as Obi Wan Kenobi stormed into the tent, eyes blazing.
'Senator' he bowed, unaware of Padme's flushed cheeks and trembling hands, 'Thank goodness I've found you. You won't believe the day I've had. But not to worry- I have secured you a transporter to get you back to Coruscant by tomorrow morning.'
'What?!' Padme exclaimed.
'Oh yes, you can imagine how Palpatine reacted to hear that a Galactic Senator had deserted an important conference in order to provide emergency aid on the front line' Obi Wan continued, oblivious to the rapid breathing of both the people in the tent. 'Now if there was ever a sign not to send Jedi Knights away from the frontline on the eve of battle, a Senator joining the war effort sure did the job. So for that I thank you Senator.'
Padme didn't know what to think!
'Oh how rude of me!' Obi Wan interjected, evidently fired up from his long hard day of politics, blared on, 'do you need help packing anything? I can escort you to your sleeping quarters now. I'm sure there's a spare tent near the ship hangers so you can leave at the crack of dawn.'
What could Padme do except nod. 'I suppose I am off then' she said shakily, watching as Anakin's fiery blue eyes pulsed and he looked down.
Grabbing a safety pin, she ran her hand up Anakin's arm, pinning his bandage in place and letting her touch linger. 'I'll see you soon Ani' she said, a little bit too close to his parted lips to be strictly professional, and got up, following Obi Wan into the night.
What! I told you it was long!
Now, I wonder how Padme will spend her night in camp…
We shall just have to wait and see now won't we!
Lots of love xxxx