Chapter Two
~*~
Amalia sat on the landing pad early the next morning. She let the wind whip her face and her hair would flail behind her. "You're sad." A male voice said.
"It's the anniversary of when they found me. A week old. It's like another birthday around here." Amalia said.
"How long has it been?" Anakin asked.
"Nineteen years since I was born." Amalia said.
"We should've had a party if I came last week." Anakin said, trying to lighten her mood. He felt her loosen briefly before returning to her sad state. "I'll just leave you alone to your thoughts then." Anakin turned to leave the platform.
"No, don't, it was warmer when you came in. I've been very cold for a long time." Amalia said.
"Why, because this anniversary was coming?" Anakin asked.
"No…it's just, every year when this time rolls around I get angry. I wished my parents could've come and found me and been proud of what I've done." Amalia replied. "I want them to see how great I've become. But it just doesn't happen, and I get that cold feeling again, like someone died."
"I'm sure your parents are out there. If they left you here that means that they couldn't have provided you with a life you could've benefited from." Anakin said. "A family will make sacrifices like that. That's something I learned from my fam—." He sad, stopping looking at Amalia.
"I don't have a family." Amalia replied. "You don't know how hard it is."
Anger pulsed through Anakin's veins as he remembered the Tusken Raiders that killed his mother. "I had a mother. She and I both lived on Tatooine. I left to become a Jedi…and then I went back a few months ago…she was held prisoner by the Tusken Raiders. I went to rescue her and she died just after I freed her."
"You were in a lot of pain." Amalia replied. "I can sense it. But at least you had someone that loved you."
"Do you remember anything about your home?" Anakin asked, standing in front of her.
~*~
Meanwhile Padme woke up to find Anakin out of bed. She walked towards her window and saw him talking to Amalia. She curiously stood at the window watching them talk.
~*~
"I remember warmth…the desert…lots of sand…" She said, breathing in. "I can feel it…"
"Sounds like where I grew up." He said, turning around to watch the sunrise.
"I remember the sound of my mother's voice…I don't understand what she says during my dreams, but she always very warm, and soothing." Amalia replied.
"Mothers are like that you know." Anakin told her, smiling and putting a hand on her back.
"And there's the most peculiar thing that you won't believe me when I say." Amalia replied.
"What? I'm up for it." Anakin replied.
"There were two suns." Amalia answered. "I don't even think that's real. I think I made that up during my dreams."
"I think you're from my home planet Amalia." Anakin said. "Didn't think anyone else from here was from that dump. Tell you what, I'll help you find your family Amalia."
"Would you?" Amalia asked, looking at him. "I appreciate it." She said, giving him a hug. "I'm going to go breakfast Knight Skywalker. Would you like to join me?" Amalia asked.
"Sure. We'll look at some archives after Miss Jett-Aulie" Anakin replied.
"Knight." Amalia added.
~*~
Padme approached Anakin during breakfast while Amalia was away getting some more food. "Ani, what were you and Amalia doing out there?"
"We were talking about her family. And from what she's telling me, it sounds like she's from Tatooine." Anakin said. "She was looking sad because she said that there was no one out there who loved her. I felt her pain…it was a lot that I've felt in a long time. So, I told her I'd help her find her family…Padme, did you think I'd cheat? I love you Padme, I'd never cheat on you." Anakin said with his boyish grin.
Amalia came back. "Hi Amalia." Padme said.
"Hello." Amalia replied. She started eating some of her food until she stopped completely. Her spoon dropped and her face paled. "Do you feel that?"
"What?" Anakin asked.
"It's so cold." Amalia said, breathing hard. "Oh god…" She said collapsing onto the table and convulsing.
"Ani…her pulse is really unstable." Padme said, fingers at her neck. Anakin levitated her off the table and then carried her to the medical ward.
"She said she felt something and then…this happened." Anakin said to the medic droid who immediately went to try and find what was happening to her physiologically.
~*~
Obi-Wan and Yoda came into the hospital. They saw Amalia still unconscious and convulsing.
"A lot of fear she has. Too much for a Jedi." Yoda said.
"Master Yoda, what's wrong with her." Anakin asked. "She just started doing this at breakfast."
"There have been disturbances in the force lately Anakin, have you felt it?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I try not to." Anakin said.
"Gifted she is with sense in the Force." Yoda said. "Sensitive to change she is."
"She's the most attuned Jedi the Council has seen in years." Obi-Wan replied. "I think the Sith Lord is active again."
Amalia woke up gasping. "Amalia…" Anakin said looking thoroughly concerned. Padme's head jerked from her datapad.
"Count Dooku…I felt him. He's planning something great…terrible, but remarkable nonetheless." Amalia said. "His laughter is cold and full of hate…do you feel that Master Yoda?"
"Only weakly do I feel Count Dooku's presence. The Dark Side clouds my vision." Yoda replied, putting his chin on his cane.
"How long have you been sensing him?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I've felt his presence get stronger since before the wars." Amalia said. "And it was at its worse at Geonosis. It was amazing that I managed to stay alive that day, it was so cold."
"You were at Geonosis?" Anakin asked. "I didn't see you."
"Well you were a little busy weren't you?" Obi-Wan replied. "She was there, she took out one whole section of the federation armies.
"Before getting my left hand severed at the wrist because of one of the other Jedi's lightsabers fell out of his hand." Amalia said.
"Hah, coincidence. This right arm is mechanical too." Anakin said. "Who did the prosthetic?"
"I don't remember, all I remember is a searing pain, and then I wake up back here on Coruscant with more bruises and cuts than I remember getting and a brand new hand." Amalia said.
"Feeling better now are you?" Yoda asked. "You are getting warm again."
"Yes Master Yoda…I think Dooku was just feeling sinister again." Amalia said.
"Did you see what it was that he was creating?" Obi-Wan asked.
"No…he was blocking it." Amalia said, she shuddered at the thought. "I'd rather not think about it."
"Amalia, come on, I'm pretty sure that we can find out who your family is from drawing up your blood." Anakin said. "I was thinking about it while you were kinda out."
"Well…let's go." Amalia grinned.
~*~
Amalia sat on the landing pad early the next morning. She let the wind whip her face and her hair would flail behind her. "You're sad." A male voice said.
"It's the anniversary of when they found me. A week old. It's like another birthday around here." Amalia said.
"How long has it been?" Anakin asked.
"Nineteen years since I was born." Amalia said.
"We should've had a party if I came last week." Anakin said, trying to lighten her mood. He felt her loosen briefly before returning to her sad state. "I'll just leave you alone to your thoughts then." Anakin turned to leave the platform.
"No, don't, it was warmer when you came in. I've been very cold for a long time." Amalia said.
"Why, because this anniversary was coming?" Anakin asked.
"No…it's just, every year when this time rolls around I get angry. I wished my parents could've come and found me and been proud of what I've done." Amalia replied. "I want them to see how great I've become. But it just doesn't happen, and I get that cold feeling again, like someone died."
"I'm sure your parents are out there. If they left you here that means that they couldn't have provided you with a life you could've benefited from." Anakin said. "A family will make sacrifices like that. That's something I learned from my fam—." He sad, stopping looking at Amalia.
"I don't have a family." Amalia replied. "You don't know how hard it is."
Anger pulsed through Anakin's veins as he remembered the Tusken Raiders that killed his mother. "I had a mother. She and I both lived on Tatooine. I left to become a Jedi…and then I went back a few months ago…she was held prisoner by the Tusken Raiders. I went to rescue her and she died just after I freed her."
"You were in a lot of pain." Amalia replied. "I can sense it. But at least you had someone that loved you."
"Do you remember anything about your home?" Anakin asked, standing in front of her.
~*~
Meanwhile Padme woke up to find Anakin out of bed. She walked towards her window and saw him talking to Amalia. She curiously stood at the window watching them talk.
~*~
"I remember warmth…the desert…lots of sand…" She said, breathing in. "I can feel it…"
"Sounds like where I grew up." He said, turning around to watch the sunrise.
"I remember the sound of my mother's voice…I don't understand what she says during my dreams, but she always very warm, and soothing." Amalia replied.
"Mothers are like that you know." Anakin told her, smiling and putting a hand on her back.
"And there's the most peculiar thing that you won't believe me when I say." Amalia replied.
"What? I'm up for it." Anakin replied.
"There were two suns." Amalia answered. "I don't even think that's real. I think I made that up during my dreams."
"I think you're from my home planet Amalia." Anakin said. "Didn't think anyone else from here was from that dump. Tell you what, I'll help you find your family Amalia."
"Would you?" Amalia asked, looking at him. "I appreciate it." She said, giving him a hug. "I'm going to go breakfast Knight Skywalker. Would you like to join me?" Amalia asked.
"Sure. We'll look at some archives after Miss Jett-Aulie" Anakin replied.
"Knight." Amalia added.
~*~
Padme approached Anakin during breakfast while Amalia was away getting some more food. "Ani, what were you and Amalia doing out there?"
"We were talking about her family. And from what she's telling me, it sounds like she's from Tatooine." Anakin said. "She was looking sad because she said that there was no one out there who loved her. I felt her pain…it was a lot that I've felt in a long time. So, I told her I'd help her find her family…Padme, did you think I'd cheat? I love you Padme, I'd never cheat on you." Anakin said with his boyish grin.
Amalia came back. "Hi Amalia." Padme said.
"Hello." Amalia replied. She started eating some of her food until she stopped completely. Her spoon dropped and her face paled. "Do you feel that?"
"What?" Anakin asked.
"It's so cold." Amalia said, breathing hard. "Oh god…" She said collapsing onto the table and convulsing.
"Ani…her pulse is really unstable." Padme said, fingers at her neck. Anakin levitated her off the table and then carried her to the medical ward.
"She said she felt something and then…this happened." Anakin said to the medic droid who immediately went to try and find what was happening to her physiologically.
~*~
Obi-Wan and Yoda came into the hospital. They saw Amalia still unconscious and convulsing.
"A lot of fear she has. Too much for a Jedi." Yoda said.
"Master Yoda, what's wrong with her." Anakin asked. "She just started doing this at breakfast."
"There have been disturbances in the force lately Anakin, have you felt it?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I try not to." Anakin said.
"Gifted she is with sense in the Force." Yoda said. "Sensitive to change she is."
"She's the most attuned Jedi the Council has seen in years." Obi-Wan replied. "I think the Sith Lord is active again."
Amalia woke up gasping. "Amalia…" Anakin said looking thoroughly concerned. Padme's head jerked from her datapad.
"Count Dooku…I felt him. He's planning something great…terrible, but remarkable nonetheless." Amalia said. "His laughter is cold and full of hate…do you feel that Master Yoda?"
"Only weakly do I feel Count Dooku's presence. The Dark Side clouds my vision." Yoda replied, putting his chin on his cane.
"How long have you been sensing him?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I've felt his presence get stronger since before the wars." Amalia said. "And it was at its worse at Geonosis. It was amazing that I managed to stay alive that day, it was so cold."
"You were at Geonosis?" Anakin asked. "I didn't see you."
"Well you were a little busy weren't you?" Obi-Wan replied. "She was there, she took out one whole section of the federation armies.
"Before getting my left hand severed at the wrist because of one of the other Jedi's lightsabers fell out of his hand." Amalia said.
"Hah, coincidence. This right arm is mechanical too." Anakin said. "Who did the prosthetic?"
"I don't remember, all I remember is a searing pain, and then I wake up back here on Coruscant with more bruises and cuts than I remember getting and a brand new hand." Amalia said.
"Feeling better now are you?" Yoda asked. "You are getting warm again."
"Yes Master Yoda…I think Dooku was just feeling sinister again." Amalia said.
"Did you see what it was that he was creating?" Obi-Wan asked.
"No…he was blocking it." Amalia said, she shuddered at the thought. "I'd rather not think about it."
"Amalia, come on, I'm pretty sure that we can find out who your family is from drawing up your blood." Anakin said. "I was thinking about it while you were kinda out."
"Well…let's go." Amalia grinned.
