Oct 2002
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, all the characters (Except for Tasha) are property of Lucasfilm etc etc.
Hide Your Love Away
Chapter 26
Padmé stepped into a dimly lit hallway, her nerves stretched taught. The area wasn't familiar in the least. Then again, nothing was familiar and the scratching noise hadn't been left behind, it seemed to be following her. Taking a deep breath, she ducked around another corner, listening intently. Whatever was following her was keeping quiet. Then again, it was on the other side of a crumbly looking wall and she didn't want to chance it. She had to find Anakin! Walking through deserted hall after deserted hall, she finally came to an opening. The darkness beyond beckoned and she felt a chill crawl up her beck. What was out in that cavern that could possibly be making her nervous? She's survived a Nexu, ridden with Anakin in situations more difficult than this, why should something give her the chills now?
A hiss of air behind her and the sound of something crumbling brought her spinning around, blaster held at the ready. A cloud of dust billowed towards her, causing her to throw up her hands to protect her eyes. Through slitted lids she could barely make out the shape of a man. "Who is it? Who's there?"
"Padmé?"
Her knees just about turned to jelly. "Anakin." She ran to him, unmindful of the grit hanging in the air and he met her halfway. Wrapping her arms around his neck she hugged him tight, frowning when she couldn't get close enough.
"Uh, Angel. Whatever you've got wrapped around your middle is making it hard to breathe."
She blushed. "Sorry. I found these in the room I got dropped in." She pulled away and untied the ties, dropping the load at his feet. "I figured you'd want something clean after that wild ride."
He chuckled. "That's my Angel, always practical."
"Someone has to be, you've certainly never attempted it."
His grin was roguish. "You love me anyway."
"As is there was any doubt." She helped him unbundled both packages and found a pair of trousers that were slightly too big, a shirt that was tight and boots that were dry, even if they were a half size too large. Ah well, beggars couldn't be choosers.
Anakin stripped, quickly slipping into the clean clothes, as Padmé kept watch. Or she pretended to. Her gaze kept slipping back to a tight pair of buns.
"See something you like, milady?"
She grinned. "Right down to the toes, my lord. You're going to tear that thing down the back if you have to fight in it." Her comment was in regards to the shirt he was shrugging into.
"Better than nothing."
She was quiet as he laced the boots up and finally stood. He looked at her carefully. "Angel? Is something wrong?"
She took a deep breath. "I killed a man."
His eyebrows rose as he gathered her in his arms, leaning against a duracrete wall as he rocked her gently. "Tell me about it."
She burrowed into his chest. "He came upon me in the tunnels and... he attacked me. I shot him but he was a Force user and he used that blue lightning. I was out in no time. Then I awoke while being carried, you helped wake me up, I felt you in my mind. I was only going to knock him out but I hit him harder than I meant to and managed to snap his neck." She shivered, remembering the sight of the man on the ground.
Anakin stroked her back, listening to everything she said, and everything she didn't say. "I understand, Angel."
She allowed him to comfort her for a few moments, taking his strength as he'd taken hers years ago after the Tusken Raiders had killed his mother. And he'd discovered the nature of hatred. She swallowed hard, blinking back unshed tears and straightened her spin. "Thank you, Anakin."
He kissed her gently, "Anytime. Come on, we have to find Obi-Wan before Tasha does. Who knows what she'll do in her current frame of mind."
"You've seen her?"
He nodded. "Before I found you I crossed bla- er, paths with her. We had words and I think I might have caused more harm than good."
"Anakin Skywalker what did you say to her?"
He flinched. "Ouch, the whole name. I only told her that there are worst fates than serving for a life. I told her that Obi-Wan could offer her more than Palpatine could." Well ok, he hadn't said exactly that, but that's what she wanted to hear.
She searched his face. "You didn't."
"Ok, I didn't. I tried to make her see the errors of her ways and it backfired. She wouldn't even stay and kill me, she just walked away."
"I should hope she didn't stay to kill you, then I'd have to tear her heart out!"
He chuckled. "My fierce little Nexu."
"A Nexu? Ugh, if I never see one of those again it will be too soon."
"You didn't do so bad last time you encountered one."
She chuckled softly. "Ok, enough reminiscing. Tasha is somewhere out there, probably hunting for Obi-Wan and Obi-Wan is missing. We have to find him."
"That's my girl."
"Do your Force thing and find your old Master. Together, we have a better chance of finding our way out of this maze."
He chuckled, ruffling her hair with one hand the way she'd used to do to him. "Yes milady." His smile vanished as his thoughts followed through to the end of hers. "Once we've found him, we can get on with our true purpose. Finding Palpatine."
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, all the characters (Except for Tasha) are property of Lucasfilm etc etc.
Hide Your Love Away
Chapter 26
Padmé stepped into a dimly lit hallway, her nerves stretched taught. The area wasn't familiar in the least. Then again, nothing was familiar and the scratching noise hadn't been left behind, it seemed to be following her. Taking a deep breath, she ducked around another corner, listening intently. Whatever was following her was keeping quiet. Then again, it was on the other side of a crumbly looking wall and she didn't want to chance it. She had to find Anakin! Walking through deserted hall after deserted hall, she finally came to an opening. The darkness beyond beckoned and she felt a chill crawl up her beck. What was out in that cavern that could possibly be making her nervous? She's survived a Nexu, ridden with Anakin in situations more difficult than this, why should something give her the chills now?
A hiss of air behind her and the sound of something crumbling brought her spinning around, blaster held at the ready. A cloud of dust billowed towards her, causing her to throw up her hands to protect her eyes. Through slitted lids she could barely make out the shape of a man. "Who is it? Who's there?"
"Padmé?"
Her knees just about turned to jelly. "Anakin." She ran to him, unmindful of the grit hanging in the air and he met her halfway. Wrapping her arms around his neck she hugged him tight, frowning when she couldn't get close enough.
"Uh, Angel. Whatever you've got wrapped around your middle is making it hard to breathe."
She blushed. "Sorry. I found these in the room I got dropped in." She pulled away and untied the ties, dropping the load at his feet. "I figured you'd want something clean after that wild ride."
He chuckled. "That's my Angel, always practical."
"Someone has to be, you've certainly never attempted it."
His grin was roguish. "You love me anyway."
"As is there was any doubt." She helped him unbundled both packages and found a pair of trousers that were slightly too big, a shirt that was tight and boots that were dry, even if they were a half size too large. Ah well, beggars couldn't be choosers.
Anakin stripped, quickly slipping into the clean clothes, as Padmé kept watch. Or she pretended to. Her gaze kept slipping back to a tight pair of buns.
"See something you like, milady?"
She grinned. "Right down to the toes, my lord. You're going to tear that thing down the back if you have to fight in it." Her comment was in regards to the shirt he was shrugging into.
"Better than nothing."
She was quiet as he laced the boots up and finally stood. He looked at her carefully. "Angel? Is something wrong?"
She took a deep breath. "I killed a man."
His eyebrows rose as he gathered her in his arms, leaning against a duracrete wall as he rocked her gently. "Tell me about it."
She burrowed into his chest. "He came upon me in the tunnels and... he attacked me. I shot him but he was a Force user and he used that blue lightning. I was out in no time. Then I awoke while being carried, you helped wake me up, I felt you in my mind. I was only going to knock him out but I hit him harder than I meant to and managed to snap his neck." She shivered, remembering the sight of the man on the ground.
Anakin stroked her back, listening to everything she said, and everything she didn't say. "I understand, Angel."
She allowed him to comfort her for a few moments, taking his strength as he'd taken hers years ago after the Tusken Raiders had killed his mother. And he'd discovered the nature of hatred. She swallowed hard, blinking back unshed tears and straightened her spin. "Thank you, Anakin."
He kissed her gently, "Anytime. Come on, we have to find Obi-Wan before Tasha does. Who knows what she'll do in her current frame of mind."
"You've seen her?"
He nodded. "Before I found you I crossed bla- er, paths with her. We had words and I think I might have caused more harm than good."
"Anakin Skywalker what did you say to her?"
He flinched. "Ouch, the whole name. I only told her that there are worst fates than serving for a life. I told her that Obi-Wan could offer her more than Palpatine could." Well ok, he hadn't said exactly that, but that's what she wanted to hear.
She searched his face. "You didn't."
"Ok, I didn't. I tried to make her see the errors of her ways and it backfired. She wouldn't even stay and kill me, she just walked away."
"I should hope she didn't stay to kill you, then I'd have to tear her heart out!"
He chuckled. "My fierce little Nexu."
"A Nexu? Ugh, if I never see one of those again it will be too soon."
"You didn't do so bad last time you encountered one."
She chuckled softly. "Ok, enough reminiscing. Tasha is somewhere out there, probably hunting for Obi-Wan and Obi-Wan is missing. We have to find him."
"That's my girl."
"Do your Force thing and find your old Master. Together, we have a better chance of finding our way out of this maze."
He chuckled, ruffling her hair with one hand the way she'd used to do to him. "Yes milady." His smile vanished as his thoughts followed through to the end of hers. "Once we've found him, we can get on with our true purpose. Finding Palpatine."