Chapter 18!!!
Padme felt Anakin's body go totally limp in her arms, and panicked. "Somebody help me!"
Obi-Wan and a two of the squat team climbed over the pile of rubble. Obi- Wan was the first to reach Padme and Anakin.
Padme let the three men take Anakin out of her arms, "Is he going to be alright?" she asked, her voice quavering.
Obi-Wan put his fingers to Anakin's neck, and found a faint pulse. "For the moment." He answered, "Come on men, get him to the medical speeder."
Lifting Anakin up, the three men carried him over the pile of rubble and across the floor to the speeder hovering next to the wall.
Padme watched as Anakin was carried away, then heard a voice next to her.
"Milady, are you alright?"
Padme turned to the young man next to her and noticed the slender braid of a Jedi Padawan. "I'm fine, I-" She swayed on her feet.
"Whoa there." The Padawan caught her, then put her arm around his strong shoulders, holding her up. "Better have you taken to the medical speeder too."
Padme didn't object, she was too tired. The side-affects of the stun- blast were still wearing off.
Master Yoda hobbled to the center of the room, leaning heavily on his cane. The wizened Jedi Master glanced up at Master Windu, who was also watching the proceedings. "Solved the puzzle of the Sith we have, Master Windu."
"Yes." The tall dark Jedi answered simply. He was staring a heap of dark robes that concealed the dead body of the Sith. He walked over to it, and Yoda followed.
"Disturbing it is, that this evil we could not sense." Yoda said, as Master Windu lifted the black hood- revealing the vile features of the former Chancellor of the Republic. Palpatine's yellow eyes were staring off into nothingness eerily, and made both Jedi cringe..
Master Windu quickly put the hood down, again hiding the Sith's face. "Senator Padme had been correct in the assumption that Count Dooku was involved in the Separatist Movement."
"Yes indeed, Master Windu." Yoda answered, sighing. It was obvious he still felt the pain of losing a former good friend and worthy apprentice. "Certain I am that young Skywalker was the Count's doom. And a swordsman that could outwit Count Dooku, an extremely cunning warrior would be."
"Very true." Windu said. "And will undoubtably help us against the Separatists. But how will we explain the Chancellor's death?"
"We will not." Yoda answered simply, "Explain that he has gone to rest, and think." Master Yoda sighed, leaning on his cane. "To our advantage, it will be."
"The military will have a hard time believing the word of a thief." Mace said, folding his arms over his chest.
"Believe a thief they will not, but arranged the matter will be."
-------------------------------------------The Rebuilt Naboo Consulate------ --------------------------
The next morning, Padme Amidala, now in simple peasant jacket and trousers walked down the steps of the consulate. Her hair was put into several braids that went down her back to her waist. All traces of the Senator was gone, and now only a young traveler remained.
Padme sighed, leisurely walking down the stone steps. It was a beautiful morning, and Republic had been saved. However, she really wasn't thinking about the Republic for once in her life. Instead, she was thinking of a certain Anakin Skywalker. She hadn't seen him since the night before when he had been carried off- bruised and bloody. Now she felt horrible for having to leave so soon, and not knowing if he was alright. But, that all changed when she glanced up.
"You need a ride?" Leaning against a new black speeder, was Anakin.
Padme looked strait into the smiling face of the cocky, blue eyed, ex- thief. She couldn't help the bright smile on her lips, but walked slowly towards him- resisting the urge to run up and embrace him in a tight hug. "Depends where you're going." Padme answered, coming to a halt close to him. "You look good for a guy who was near death last night, Captain."
Anakin gave her another one of his million-dollar grins. "Bacta, it's a life-saver, and don't call me Captain, at least not now." He ran a hand through his now clean blonde hair. "So, um-"
Padme resisted the giggle she felt in her stomach when she noticed he was blushing. He wasn't used to his new rank, but that would wear off in a month or two. Once this quite time of waiting for the Separatists to strike was over, both her and Anakin would have to come back and join in the fight against the revolution.
"Do you want to come?" He asked, the side of his mouth curving up in a sheepish smile. "I mean, do you have somewhere else important to go, 'cause...It doesn't look like it. Since I gotta play dead, I'd suppose you do too."
"Yes." Padme said nodding her head, "But it depends. Where are you going?"
Anakin leaned against a sleek new black new speeder, resting his elbows against the shiny silver chrome. His reflection clear on the heavily tinted glass. He gave her a sidelong glance, "Cera, Riflor, Eradu...Mostly along the trade routs."
"Alright," Padme said, "But on one condition."
Anakin raised an eyebrow, "Which is?"
"Tell me why you lied."
"Oh." Anakin shuffled his feet, "Well, um, I just- I just thought that if you knew who I was you'd only see me like that. And how I flushed my future down the 'fresher. And that would be the end."
Padme sighed, taking a step closer and looking up at him. "I think your future turned out pretty nicely, a Captain in the Republic forces is okay."
Anakin grunted, looking away.
Padme reached up, caressing his cheek with her fingertips. "And it would be impossible to think of you any other way than you are now."
He looked back at her, his blue eyes penetrating everything in their stare. As if, he was trying to tell if she was lying. "Yeah?"
Padme laughed, "Yeah."
A faint smile crossed Anakin's features. But still he was uncertain. "And what-if we were still up in my old hideout back in Deatrix?"
"You are who you are Anakin." Padme whispered, noticing how close he was.
"And even if I was a Jedi? Or something ridiculous like that?"
"I'd still think the same way about you that I do now." Padme answered quietly.
"What do you think about me?" Anakin asked, for once acting his age and being serious.
Padme paused. How did she think about him? "I love you."
"And I love you." Anakin whispered back. He watched as Padme gazed up at him with those beautiful brown eyes, and then closed the inches between them with a kiss.
When the kiss ended both of them just stood there for a moment. Anakin finally felt the heavy weight lift from his chest that came from keeping the secret, and in a way Padme felt as if she had told a secret too. But that's the best way, you just don't keep secrets from people you love, because if you do that- you don't truly love them.
"You ready to get outta here?" Anakin asked, his usual cocky grin returning to his face.
Padme nodded. "Oh yeah."
Anakin walked over to the driver's side of the speeder, "Than get in."
The moment Padme got into the copilot's seat and closed the door she heard a very familiar voice.
"Anakin, my man!" Slin yelled, "Whew! Wayda go! Yeah-woo!"
Padme glanced over at Slin, who was in the backseat of the speeder.
Anakin glared at his friend, "Can-it, Slin!"
"Or else what?" Slin asked, laughing so hard he thought he'd die.
Anakin cranked up the speeder's engines, taking them out into the skylanes in his usual fashion.
"This is a nice speeder." Padme remarked as she looked at the multiple read-outs and felt the soft seats. "Did the Jedi give it to you?"
"Sort of." Anakin answered.
Padme arched an eyebrow playfully, "Sort of? People don't 'sort of' give anything to anyone."
"Well," Anakin shrugged, "I sort of borrowed it from Macey."
"You mean stole." Padme corrected.
"He wouldn't have given me permission if I asked." Anakin answered.
"Master Mace Windu is one of the most revered Jedi of this century!"
Anakin glanced over at her, "Well I'd never heard of him."
Padme laughed, that was Anakin..
Suddenly, a voice was heard from outside the speeder in the skylanes. "This is Couriscant City Patrol, pull over to the sideline immediately and turn over the controls to the vehicle at once."
Anakin and Padme exchanged looks.
"Well," Padme said, "What do we do now?"
Anakin looked around, "Umm..."
"Well?"
"Hold on."
"What!" Anakin slammed the speeder's engines into full drive and it's passengers were pushed back into their seats. City, speeder, and ship were blown past like small print on a map.
"What about our off-planet transpo?" Padme yelled, gripping the seat cushions for dear life.
"It's at the docking bay!" Anakin answered, sending the speeder into a complete sidewards spin down the center of the skylanes. Showing off, he glanced over and gave her a big grin.
Padme returned the smile. That was Anakin, he made everything an adventure. Although she would have definitely preferred a rented speeder and a quiet cruise this was exhilarating. Everything that had to do with Anakin was an adventure- and from the looks of things, this was the start of many more adventures they would have together. Padme didn't have the slightest clue of what they'd be like- but there was one thing for certain.....they'd be exciting.
THE END
A.N. YEAH! Epilog coming soon. Hope you enjoyed readying it as much as I did writing it. UNTILL THE EPILOG! -the writer.
Padme felt Anakin's body go totally limp in her arms, and panicked. "Somebody help me!"
Obi-Wan and a two of the squat team climbed over the pile of rubble. Obi- Wan was the first to reach Padme and Anakin.
Padme let the three men take Anakin out of her arms, "Is he going to be alright?" she asked, her voice quavering.
Obi-Wan put his fingers to Anakin's neck, and found a faint pulse. "For the moment." He answered, "Come on men, get him to the medical speeder."
Lifting Anakin up, the three men carried him over the pile of rubble and across the floor to the speeder hovering next to the wall.
Padme watched as Anakin was carried away, then heard a voice next to her.
"Milady, are you alright?"
Padme turned to the young man next to her and noticed the slender braid of a Jedi Padawan. "I'm fine, I-" She swayed on her feet.
"Whoa there." The Padawan caught her, then put her arm around his strong shoulders, holding her up. "Better have you taken to the medical speeder too."
Padme didn't object, she was too tired. The side-affects of the stun- blast were still wearing off.
Master Yoda hobbled to the center of the room, leaning heavily on his cane. The wizened Jedi Master glanced up at Master Windu, who was also watching the proceedings. "Solved the puzzle of the Sith we have, Master Windu."
"Yes." The tall dark Jedi answered simply. He was staring a heap of dark robes that concealed the dead body of the Sith. He walked over to it, and Yoda followed.
"Disturbing it is, that this evil we could not sense." Yoda said, as Master Windu lifted the black hood- revealing the vile features of the former Chancellor of the Republic. Palpatine's yellow eyes were staring off into nothingness eerily, and made both Jedi cringe..
Master Windu quickly put the hood down, again hiding the Sith's face. "Senator Padme had been correct in the assumption that Count Dooku was involved in the Separatist Movement."
"Yes indeed, Master Windu." Yoda answered, sighing. It was obvious he still felt the pain of losing a former good friend and worthy apprentice. "Certain I am that young Skywalker was the Count's doom. And a swordsman that could outwit Count Dooku, an extremely cunning warrior would be."
"Very true." Windu said. "And will undoubtably help us against the Separatists. But how will we explain the Chancellor's death?"
"We will not." Yoda answered simply, "Explain that he has gone to rest, and think." Master Yoda sighed, leaning on his cane. "To our advantage, it will be."
"The military will have a hard time believing the word of a thief." Mace said, folding his arms over his chest.
"Believe a thief they will not, but arranged the matter will be."
-------------------------------------------The Rebuilt Naboo Consulate------ --------------------------
The next morning, Padme Amidala, now in simple peasant jacket and trousers walked down the steps of the consulate. Her hair was put into several braids that went down her back to her waist. All traces of the Senator was gone, and now only a young traveler remained.
Padme sighed, leisurely walking down the stone steps. It was a beautiful morning, and Republic had been saved. However, she really wasn't thinking about the Republic for once in her life. Instead, she was thinking of a certain Anakin Skywalker. She hadn't seen him since the night before when he had been carried off- bruised and bloody. Now she felt horrible for having to leave so soon, and not knowing if he was alright. But, that all changed when she glanced up.
"You need a ride?" Leaning against a new black speeder, was Anakin.
Padme looked strait into the smiling face of the cocky, blue eyed, ex- thief. She couldn't help the bright smile on her lips, but walked slowly towards him- resisting the urge to run up and embrace him in a tight hug. "Depends where you're going." Padme answered, coming to a halt close to him. "You look good for a guy who was near death last night, Captain."
Anakin gave her another one of his million-dollar grins. "Bacta, it's a life-saver, and don't call me Captain, at least not now." He ran a hand through his now clean blonde hair. "So, um-"
Padme resisted the giggle she felt in her stomach when she noticed he was blushing. He wasn't used to his new rank, but that would wear off in a month or two. Once this quite time of waiting for the Separatists to strike was over, both her and Anakin would have to come back and join in the fight against the revolution.
"Do you want to come?" He asked, the side of his mouth curving up in a sheepish smile. "I mean, do you have somewhere else important to go, 'cause...It doesn't look like it. Since I gotta play dead, I'd suppose you do too."
"Yes." Padme said nodding her head, "But it depends. Where are you going?"
Anakin leaned against a sleek new black new speeder, resting his elbows against the shiny silver chrome. His reflection clear on the heavily tinted glass. He gave her a sidelong glance, "Cera, Riflor, Eradu...Mostly along the trade routs."
"Alright," Padme said, "But on one condition."
Anakin raised an eyebrow, "Which is?"
"Tell me why you lied."
"Oh." Anakin shuffled his feet, "Well, um, I just- I just thought that if you knew who I was you'd only see me like that. And how I flushed my future down the 'fresher. And that would be the end."
Padme sighed, taking a step closer and looking up at him. "I think your future turned out pretty nicely, a Captain in the Republic forces is okay."
Anakin grunted, looking away.
Padme reached up, caressing his cheek with her fingertips. "And it would be impossible to think of you any other way than you are now."
He looked back at her, his blue eyes penetrating everything in their stare. As if, he was trying to tell if she was lying. "Yeah?"
Padme laughed, "Yeah."
A faint smile crossed Anakin's features. But still he was uncertain. "And what-if we were still up in my old hideout back in Deatrix?"
"You are who you are Anakin." Padme whispered, noticing how close he was.
"And even if I was a Jedi? Or something ridiculous like that?"
"I'd still think the same way about you that I do now." Padme answered quietly.
"What do you think about me?" Anakin asked, for once acting his age and being serious.
Padme paused. How did she think about him? "I love you."
"And I love you." Anakin whispered back. He watched as Padme gazed up at him with those beautiful brown eyes, and then closed the inches between them with a kiss.
When the kiss ended both of them just stood there for a moment. Anakin finally felt the heavy weight lift from his chest that came from keeping the secret, and in a way Padme felt as if she had told a secret too. But that's the best way, you just don't keep secrets from people you love, because if you do that- you don't truly love them.
"You ready to get outta here?" Anakin asked, his usual cocky grin returning to his face.
Padme nodded. "Oh yeah."
Anakin walked over to the driver's side of the speeder, "Than get in."
The moment Padme got into the copilot's seat and closed the door she heard a very familiar voice.
"Anakin, my man!" Slin yelled, "Whew! Wayda go! Yeah-woo!"
Padme glanced over at Slin, who was in the backseat of the speeder.
Anakin glared at his friend, "Can-it, Slin!"
"Or else what?" Slin asked, laughing so hard he thought he'd die.
Anakin cranked up the speeder's engines, taking them out into the skylanes in his usual fashion.
"This is a nice speeder." Padme remarked as she looked at the multiple read-outs and felt the soft seats. "Did the Jedi give it to you?"
"Sort of." Anakin answered.
Padme arched an eyebrow playfully, "Sort of? People don't 'sort of' give anything to anyone."
"Well," Anakin shrugged, "I sort of borrowed it from Macey."
"You mean stole." Padme corrected.
"He wouldn't have given me permission if I asked." Anakin answered.
"Master Mace Windu is one of the most revered Jedi of this century!"
Anakin glanced over at her, "Well I'd never heard of him."
Padme laughed, that was Anakin..
Suddenly, a voice was heard from outside the speeder in the skylanes. "This is Couriscant City Patrol, pull over to the sideline immediately and turn over the controls to the vehicle at once."
Anakin and Padme exchanged looks.
"Well," Padme said, "What do we do now?"
Anakin looked around, "Umm..."
"Well?"
"Hold on."
"What!" Anakin slammed the speeder's engines into full drive and it's passengers were pushed back into their seats. City, speeder, and ship were blown past like small print on a map.
"What about our off-planet transpo?" Padme yelled, gripping the seat cushions for dear life.
"It's at the docking bay!" Anakin answered, sending the speeder into a complete sidewards spin down the center of the skylanes. Showing off, he glanced over and gave her a big grin.
Padme returned the smile. That was Anakin, he made everything an adventure. Although she would have definitely preferred a rented speeder and a quiet cruise this was exhilarating. Everything that had to do with Anakin was an adventure- and from the looks of things, this was the start of many more adventures they would have together. Padme didn't have the slightest clue of what they'd be like- but there was one thing for certain.....they'd be exciting.
THE END
A.N. YEAH! Epilog coming soon. Hope you enjoyed readying it as much as I did writing it. UNTILL THE EPILOG! -the writer.