A Beautiful Kind Of Drowning
Padme Amidala, Senator of the Naboo system, was a hard person to catch in an indecisive moment. But when, to her surprise, she found herself and Anakin alive after the battle on Geonosis, she could feel her mind wavering back and forth between love and duty for the first time in her life.
"Anakin, you have only one duty left on this mission," Obi-Wan said, as they waited on one of the Jedi starships, Anakin's arm in bacta, Obi-Wan's shoulder and leg bandaged tightly with bacta patches. The droids were bringing Anakin's new mechanical arm in, getting ready to attach it to his body.
"What is that, Master?" Anakin asked, looking a little troubled.
Obi-Wan smiled. "Escort the Senator back to Naboo." His smile got wider. "If you want to, that is. If not, I am certain we can find someone else to perform this small task."
Anakin nearly jumped out of his seat, unmindful of the droids who were busy about his arm. "I'll do it, Master, I'll do it! Of course I will."
Obi-Wan was still smiling. "I had a feeling you would not object." He turned to Amidala, who was sitting nearby, watching the droids attach Anakin's arm. "We haven't yet caught Nute Gunray, so you are not fully out of danger, but I believe that once you are on Naboo, you will be safe."
"The Trade Federation forces lost many droids and ships in the battle," Amidala said. "I do not believe they will try to kill me again. And Jango Fett is dead."
Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, that is so. Still, the Jedi Council would like to see you safe. I will personally inform the Council of your whereabouts, Anakin. And...." Obi-Wan bent to whisper in Anakin's ear, but Amidala could just hear him. "Feel free to stay on Naboo for a little while. You need a rest. Your mother's death has brought a look to your face that reminds me too much of pain. You love Naboo. Enjoy it for a little while."
Anakin cast a dazzling smile at Amidala and then at Obi-Wan. "Yes, Master. Thank you, Master. I will."
Obi-Wan turned to leave them alone. "Anakin," he said, almost laughing at his own joke, "don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"Yes, Master," Anakin said, and cast another smile at Padme as Obi-Wan walked out of the ship.
"Good as new," the droid said, straightening up from attending to Anakin's arm. "The numbing medication should wear off in about a day, so be ready for some slight pain then."
Padme looked at the golden arm, a little bit of horror touching her eyes. "I'm not sure I'd say it's as good as new," she said, as the droid rolled away.
"Better than nothing, anyway," Anakin answered.
"That at least is true," she said. "Come on, if you're ready. I want to go home."
"I'm ready," Anakin said, and followed her to the ship.
---
They were well underway and the ship was in hyperspace and on autopilot before Padme brought up what was on her mind.
"I thought we were going to die, Anakin," she said, folding her arms over her chest, not looking at her companion.
"So did I," Anakin said, not looking at her either.
"Now that we haven't died, what do we do?" she asked.
"I want to be with you," he answered.
"Anakin," she said. "We can't. I won't let you leave the Jedi for me. You will be a great Jedi soon. You will NOT destroy your future for me, I won't let you."
Anakin sighed. "Well, that settles that." He looked at her. "But I have a plan."
She turned to look at him. "Let's hear it."
A sudden nervousness descended upon Anakin. "I...would you, I mean, Padme, will you marry me?"
She smiled. "I'll hear the rest of the plan first, before I say yes or no," she said.
Anakin reached out and took her hand. "We get married. We keep it a secret until I pass my Trials. After that, the Jedi can choose to throw me out, or not. Ki-Adi-Mundi has several wives, and he has proven that being married does not interfere with his Jedi duties. I see only one problem, actually."
Amidala furrowed her brow. "I can guess. I'm not a private citizen, that's the problem. If I were..."
"Then there would be no problem," Anakin hastily assured her. "It's because you're a Senator, people would be tempted to think I was not being impartial."
"That's easy to solve," Padme said. "You take your Trials, and once you're a Knight, I will resign from being Senator. Then we will no longer have to hide."
A slow smile spread across Anakin's face. "So it's settled then. Padme Amidala Naberrie, will you marry me?"
It was Padme's turn to smile slowly. "I suppose I will, Anakin Skywalker," she said laughing.
Their lips met.
END
Padme Amidala, Senator of the Naboo system, was a hard person to catch in an indecisive moment. But when, to her surprise, she found herself and Anakin alive after the battle on Geonosis, she could feel her mind wavering back and forth between love and duty for the first time in her life.
"Anakin, you have only one duty left on this mission," Obi-Wan said, as they waited on one of the Jedi starships, Anakin's arm in bacta, Obi-Wan's shoulder and leg bandaged tightly with bacta patches. The droids were bringing Anakin's new mechanical arm in, getting ready to attach it to his body.
"What is that, Master?" Anakin asked, looking a little troubled.
Obi-Wan smiled. "Escort the Senator back to Naboo." His smile got wider. "If you want to, that is. If not, I am certain we can find someone else to perform this small task."
Anakin nearly jumped out of his seat, unmindful of the droids who were busy about his arm. "I'll do it, Master, I'll do it! Of course I will."
Obi-Wan was still smiling. "I had a feeling you would not object." He turned to Amidala, who was sitting nearby, watching the droids attach Anakin's arm. "We haven't yet caught Nute Gunray, so you are not fully out of danger, but I believe that once you are on Naboo, you will be safe."
"The Trade Federation forces lost many droids and ships in the battle," Amidala said. "I do not believe they will try to kill me again. And Jango Fett is dead."
Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, that is so. Still, the Jedi Council would like to see you safe. I will personally inform the Council of your whereabouts, Anakin. And...." Obi-Wan bent to whisper in Anakin's ear, but Amidala could just hear him. "Feel free to stay on Naboo for a little while. You need a rest. Your mother's death has brought a look to your face that reminds me too much of pain. You love Naboo. Enjoy it for a little while."
Anakin cast a dazzling smile at Amidala and then at Obi-Wan. "Yes, Master. Thank you, Master. I will."
Obi-Wan turned to leave them alone. "Anakin," he said, almost laughing at his own joke, "don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"Yes, Master," Anakin said, and cast another smile at Padme as Obi-Wan walked out of the ship.
"Good as new," the droid said, straightening up from attending to Anakin's arm. "The numbing medication should wear off in about a day, so be ready for some slight pain then."
Padme looked at the golden arm, a little bit of horror touching her eyes. "I'm not sure I'd say it's as good as new," she said, as the droid rolled away.
"Better than nothing, anyway," Anakin answered.
"That at least is true," she said. "Come on, if you're ready. I want to go home."
"I'm ready," Anakin said, and followed her to the ship.
---
They were well underway and the ship was in hyperspace and on autopilot before Padme brought up what was on her mind.
"I thought we were going to die, Anakin," she said, folding her arms over her chest, not looking at her companion.
"So did I," Anakin said, not looking at her either.
"Now that we haven't died, what do we do?" she asked.
"I want to be with you," he answered.
"Anakin," she said. "We can't. I won't let you leave the Jedi for me. You will be a great Jedi soon. You will NOT destroy your future for me, I won't let you."
Anakin sighed. "Well, that settles that." He looked at her. "But I have a plan."
She turned to look at him. "Let's hear it."
A sudden nervousness descended upon Anakin. "I...would you, I mean, Padme, will you marry me?"
She smiled. "I'll hear the rest of the plan first, before I say yes or no," she said.
Anakin reached out and took her hand. "We get married. We keep it a secret until I pass my Trials. After that, the Jedi can choose to throw me out, or not. Ki-Adi-Mundi has several wives, and he has proven that being married does not interfere with his Jedi duties. I see only one problem, actually."
Amidala furrowed her brow. "I can guess. I'm not a private citizen, that's the problem. If I were..."
"Then there would be no problem," Anakin hastily assured her. "It's because you're a Senator, people would be tempted to think I was not being impartial."
"That's easy to solve," Padme said. "You take your Trials, and once you're a Knight, I will resign from being Senator. Then we will no longer have to hide."
A slow smile spread across Anakin's face. "So it's settled then. Padme Amidala Naberrie, will you marry me?"
It was Padme's turn to smile slowly. "I suppose I will, Anakin Skywalker," she said laughing.
Their lips met.
END