*********************************************"I don't think I'll ever enjoy a mission this much again."

Ti dropped onto the bed with a sigh, letting herself sink into the soft mattress. "I think this entire room is against the Jedi Code."

Anakin looked up from the report he was preparing to see her spread-eagled on the bed, in heaven. He laughed heartily and went back to his report. "The Code says nothing about diplomatic self-indulgence, only passion."

"Diplomatic self-indulgence," she scoffed. "Is that what you're calling it these days?"

"Mmm," Anakin mumbled distractedly.

"Speaking of self-indulgence and passion," Ti said mildly, "I heard you and Padme were at it."

Anakin's head snapped up. "From who?"

She pushed up on her elbows and smiled wickedly. "Master Yoda. I believe his exact diatribe was, 'Mindful of young Skywalker you should be. Making out with royalty he should be not. Doomed to the Dark Side he shall be.'"

Anakin snorted and hurled the datapad across the room. "He did not. And besides, she kissed me."

She neatly parried the impromptu missile and arched an eyebrow. "You didn't stop her," she countered. "In fact, I would say from the handsome blush I'm eliciting from you, you rather enjoyed it."

"You know me too well," he grumbled.

She tapped her forehead with one finger, the smile quickly dissolving into a full-blown smirk. "I'm your best friend. I know these things by instinct."

Anakin pushed to his feet, looming over her with a scowl. "You never said why you're here."

"Since when do I need an excuse?"

"Since the Nubian consulate is three hundred kilometers from where you're supposed to be," he countered.

"Master Schilian has business with the Senator," she explained. "And then I've been invited to escort an aide of the Chancellor to the reception.

"Besides," she continued. "I haven't seen you in six days. I missed you."

Anakin's scowl melted into an affectionate smile. "I know. Between Padme's schedule and Obi-wan's enforced meditation to 'counteract my raging hormones', I haven't had much time to breathe. How are you?"

"The Council's sending us on a mission tomorrow," she said, a note of eagerness in her voice. "A mediating mission, but it's our first assignment since the fiasco on Alderaan."

Anakin's stomach threatened to turn against him at the memory. There had been a dispute about the rights of ascendency in the royal courts of Alderaan and Ti, foolishly enough, had taken sides. The Organas, her allies, had emerged victorious, but, caught in a crossfire, Ti had very nearly been killed.

For seven breathless hours, they had been told that she was counted among the dead. Luckily, they had been wrong.

Anakin settled for wincing. "Getting shot while aiding an insurrectionary force wasn't entirely your fault."

"I think the Council would have been more furious if we had lost," she countered. "As it is, I made the Order a lot of enemies as a result."

Raising her eyes to meet his, she smiled. "Hopefully, we can redeem ourselves on this mission."

He leaned over to kiss her cheek. "I have no doubt you will."

Standing, he took her hand. "In the meantime, it's time for you to prepare for the reception. We all know that you're a goddess, but unless you look the part, the torture of it all will not be worth it."

********************************************* "Are you an angel?"

Padme turned a smile on Anakin. "I don't quite know about that," she quipped, "but I suppose you'd know better than anyone here."

He crossed to her, taking her hands in his and kissing her lightly on the mouth. The encounter was brief, but shot electricity through every vein. "You certainly are dressed for the part."

One of the reliefs of the Senatorial seat was that the court formality slackened. No longer constrained by dresses longer and heavier than Padme herself, she preferred simple elegance.

Tonight's gown was a gown of deep green velvet, with an off-the-shoulder, fitted bodice and a flared skirt, edged in gold embroidery.

Her hair was piled on top of her head in a crown of braids, threaded through with emeraudes. Around her neck, she wore only the japor snippet her escort had carved for her all those years ago.

Padme smiled graciously and dipped a courtesy, her eyes fixed on the floor. "I thank you," she said with mocking formality, "but you are mistaken."

"I am a Jedi," he said simply. "I am not mistaken about such things."

She turned and linked arms with him. "Such humility," she mused.

"It comes with the territory," he countered. "Such as patience does with yours."

"Senator Naberrie."

Padme let out her breath, then turned a beatific smile on Chancellor Palpatine.

"Chancellor, a distinct pleasure to see you once more."

Disengaging her arm from Anakin's grip, she allowed the Chancellor to kiss her knuckles gallantly.

"I believe you know my companion, Anakin Skywalker?"

Palpatine's smile stretched for a second into something vaguely predatory, then returned to his normal half-smirk.

"Of course," he said, his voice lowered. "We've all been watching his career with great interest."

"Thank you," Anakin said, his voice slgihtly strained.

Curious, Padme turned her gaze on him, but could not discern anything out of hte ordinary.

"I must go," Palpatine continued, "but it was good to see the both of you again."

He departed and Anakin sagged visibly. "What was that about," Padme hissed. "He's the Chancellor of the Repulic."

"I know," Anakin breathed. "I just had a strange feeling from him. It nearly choked me."

Concerned, Padme gripped his arm. "Are you all right?"

"No," he murmured, "but I will be."

Her smile returned. "I have no doubt of that."

They stood in a corner, heads together as though conspiring. "Did you hear Ti has a date for tonight?"

"Here?!" Padme breathed.

Anakin nodded. "An aide to the Chancelloor. I'm dying to see her make her entrance."

"Too late."

*********************************************

Anakin turned to see Ti standing at his shoulder, grinning broadly.

Sheathed in brocaded royal blue satin from neck to ankles, with her hair combed back from her face and held with silver and opal clips, she was a striking figure indeed.

"I can't believe you didn't sense me," she said mildly.

"I was distracted," Anakin admitted. "And you're proving a greater distraction than most."

"Watch it, Skywalker, you're attached," Ti teased.

"Nothing wrong with looking," he said lightly.

"I'll be the judge of that," Padme interjected.

Something like wistfulness flashed through his friend's eyes, but was quickly quashed. "Don't worry," Ti continued. "He's always been yours. And for now, you should have a dance."

Anakin forced him to meet Padme's gaze. "I think that's the best idea I've heard all night. May I?"

"Certainly."

Padme moved to take his arm, smiling all the while...

And there was a blinding flash, accompanied by a whine. Padme's grip jerked suddenly and he was being pulled towards the ground by sheer matters of gravity.

THere were screams, certainly, and the sound of more shots being fired, but Anakin's focus was singular.

"Get her out of here," Ti roared in his direction, swinging her amber lightsaber in a series of parries to block the shots headed their way. "I'll take care of this."

Padme was unconscious now, her strength ebbing from her as her blood did from the wound high on her chest. Lifting her into his arms, Anakin raced for cover.

He had no sooner reached the antechamber than an explosion came.

"Over here," a medic barked. "Get her to medical before the real crisis hits." Anakin was beyond exhaustion.

The waiting area of the medcenter was busier than he had ever seen it, filled with friends and family of the victims of the bombing. Hysterical, weeping, they were united in purpose, but isolated in their grief.

Every medic that entered the room was regarded as a mixed blessing--either the harbinger of doom or the angel of mercy. As individuals or in groups, those awaiting news dissipated.

One might have thought that the young man sitting in quiet contemplation, his eyes focused on something unseen, had no emotional involvement in what had just gone on.

Anakin looked up as Obi-wan took a seat next to him and gratefully accepted the cup of caf.

"It's not the best quality," Obi-wan said apologetically, "but let's hope that what they lack in culinary delights, they make up for in medical care."

Anakin sipped the caf and winced. "It's no more than I deserve."

His Master sighed in exasperation. "You can't believe that was your fault..."

"I am her bodyguard," Anakin gritted out, fighting to keep his voice at a discreet level. "At the very least, I should have sensed the danger."

"I didn't sense anything," Obi-wan countered. "It doesn't mean there wasn't any signal, a subtle sign we should have picked up on, but it doesn't mean you should blame yourself for this."

"She will."

Obi-wan rolled his eyes. "She won't blame you for anything."

A sudden thought struck him. "Where's Ti?"

Noting the panic in his apprentice's voice, Obi-wan rested a hand on his arm. "Don't worry. She's unharmed and helping with the rescue efforts. Drink your caf."

"I don't want to," Anakin mumbled, his trembling fingers tightening around the cup. "Not until we have word."

"Drink your caf, then, because we may have news."

A medic was approaching, her uniform drenched in blood, her eyes weary, but a lopsided grin plastered across her face.

"Senator Naberrie's friends, right?"

Anakin nodded, standing quickly. "How is she?"

The medic sank into a chair and scrubbed her hands over her face. "We would have had word a lot sooner, but she had some internal bleeding from the wound as well as the force of the explosion. We couldn't immerse her in bacta until that was stopped and if we ignored the chest wound, she would have died. So we had to treat her the old-fashioned way. It took a lot longer, but she's alive and in bacta for a few days."

Anakin let out a shuddering breath, his head dropping into his hands. "Thank the Force," he breathed.

"Thank you," Obi-wan said. "You have our comm code. Please notify us as soon as she is ready to be removed from bacta."

"Of course."

They stood and made their way through the crowd to the doors. They slid open and Anakin was immediately tackled in a fierce embrace.

"How is she," Ti demanded. "There are rumors going around that she's been dead for hours."

"She's fine," Anakin assured her. "It took some doing, but she'll be healed in a few days."

Ti sagged in relief, then released him. "I'll ride with you back to the consulate. Make sure you're all right."

"It's all right, Ti," Obi-wan interjected. "I'll be with him and..."

"If you don't mind, Master," Anakin said, "I could use her company."

Obi-wan glanced between them, sensed nothing, then nodded. "I'll be back in a few hours. I think I'll go see how the excavation is proceeding."

"Thank you," Anakin said genuinely.

Ti linked an arm through his, steering him towards a turbolift.

"What a night," she murmured.

"You're telling me," Anakin countered. "I can't believe we let this happen."

She fixed him with a pointed gaze. "It would have happened, whether we consented or not. You know how many enemies Padme's made. The reception was the perfect venue for an extremist."

"Even extremists exist in the Force," he bit out. "I should have..."

"Anakin, shut up."

Startled, he halted. "What?"

Her green eyes narrowed in something between pain and annoyance, she set her jaw. "I don't know what you think you'll accomplish by this unwarranted self-flagellation, but it's not helping either of us as it is. I'd appreciate it if you kept your focus on it never happening again. If you keep on this way, you'll miss another crucial sign, more lives will be lost.

"The Jedi aren't infallible, but we need to move with the tides of responsibility. You have a responsibility to Padme and one to yourself, if nothing else. Don't you dare let this selfishness distract you from that task."

Anakin stared, slack-jawed, then felt the heat rising in his cheeks. "Stang," he breathed, "I hate it when you're right."

Her expression softened. "Only because it happens so often. Come on, you look like you need a rest more than those medics."

*********************************************"The Council thinks I'm ready for the trials."

Anakin arched an eyebrow at Ti, a grin coming over his features. "They've said so?"

She nodded gravely. "At a meeting two days ago, when we were assigned to the new mission."

Puzzled by her uneasy expression and the underlying wariness in her sense, Anakin frowned. "But, Ti, that's great!"

"So Master Schilian thinks," she agreed, "but I'm not so sure."

"Why?" Anakin probed gently.

She raised her eyes from the cup of caf and sighed as she met his gaze. "I've learned much from Master Schilian and I've certainly changed much from the time you and I met, maturing and refining. But I am uncertain that I know all that I can learn from him."

"We are the eternal students of the Force," Anakin countered. "You will be learning from Master Schilian and the Force for the rest of your life, whether you're his apprentice or not. The Council believes that it is time for you to stand alone in the Force, to prove to yourself and to them that you can still hearken to its callings."

She half-smiled, her eyes closing to slits. "Anakin Skywalker," she mused, "and his fallback career as a poet and itinerant philosopher."

"I'm a Jedi. It comes with the territory."

She laughed. "So I noticed. Otherwise, we might be able to afford more presentable uniforms.

"Anyway," she continued, "as soon as we return from Tatooine, I'll be starting the Trials."

Anakin froze mid-sip, his blue eyes narrowed. "You're going to Tatooine," he said incredulously.

She nodded, smiling apologetically. "There have been a series of inexplicable attacks by armored warriors and, as this is developing into a pattern, the Council wishes us to investigate."

He hammered his fist on the table abruptly. "Son-of-a-Sith," he snarled.

"Anakin!"

He held up a hand, shaking his head firmly. "I'm not mad at you, but the Jedi Council knows how long I've been petitioning to return to Tatooine and now that there's a chance, they assign it to my best friend."

"I know," she murmured. "It's not fair, but our contact there is one Shmi Skywalker. Would you like us to bring her anything?"

"Yes," Anakin spat. "Her freedom."

Her mouth twitched sympathetically. "We'll see what we can do."

His beeping comlink forestalled any further discussion. Unhooking it, he raised it to his lips and thumbed it on. "Anakin Skywalker here."

"Dr. Sater from the Senate District Medical Center. Senator Naberrie has regained consciousness and is asking for you."

Anakin let out a sigh of relief, his mood suddenly lightening. "I'll be right there."

*********************************************

"Leave it to the Jedi," Padme said wryly. "Try to get them to have some fun and they come out heroes."

"I'm not very good at it," Anakin replied, taking a seat next to her. "Otherwise you'd have never been shot."

She smiled wearily. "True enough, but still, it could have been a lot worse. Especially given the subsequent explosion."

Anakin blanched. "You heard?"

Padme's mouth curved into a frown. "It's kind of hard not to," she countered. "It's been four days and they're still picking up the pieces."

Anakin shuddered. "It'll take some doing," he admitted. "They can't be sure that there aren't others under the rubble."

"Where's Ti?"

She caught his mood darkening. "Tatooine," he mumbled.

"Oh, Anakin," Padme breathed. "They didn't let..."

"No," he said curtly. "I doubt they ever intended to let me return there."

"Or perhaps they did not wish to dissuade you from your current mission," she suggested. "I take it the period of self-flagellation is over?"

Anakin smiled in spite of himself. "I'm under strict orders from Ti herself."

Padme's smile spread. "She's good for you," she commented quietly. "She always has been."

"I know," he said. "I try to remind her every time I see her."

She nodded firmly. "Good. Otherwise, I'd have to reeducate you and that'll be hard enough as it is."

********************************************* Anakin settled deep into meditation, keeping his mind focused on the flow of the living Force. It surrounded him, bolstering him, strengthening him, and mostly flowed through him, coursing through his veins and leaving electricity in its wake.

The Force was a many-splendored thing that thrilled and terrified him at the same time. It was a source of such magnificent power and the means and results of life. A never ending circle of purity.

And yet that power could so easily abused, corrupted. Fear and anger were the greatest abuses of the Force, but it was all-too-easy to rely on them to find his center in battle. He could just as easily ground himself in hatred as feed off the power of love.

For now, he reached out to Ti in love, as an affectionate older brother might, wishing to reassure himself of her continued well-being.

Locating her life signature, he probed gently, his eyes drifting closed.

A wave of anguish, pain, and harried despair blasted him and he had to fling out an arm to steady himself as he collapsed onto his side, gasping desperately for breath.

//What?// he sent frantically. //Are you all right? What's happened?//

There was no response, only the same gaping psychological wound. Sending what love and comfort he could, he stood, keeping the contact in a tenuous Force grip.

"Anakin."

The door had slid open and Anakin regarded Obi-Wan, wondering why he appeared blurry until he realized there were tears in his eyes.

Obi-Wan chose not to acknowledge this. "We just heard from Master Schilian. Tatooine and a number of other Outer- and Mid-Rim systems were the focus of a massive assault. They razed settlements and held massacres."

The blood drained very quickly from Anakin's face. "Sith," he breathed. "Any captives taken?"

Obi-Wan shook his head grimly. "These soldiers don't believe in captive- taking, only extermination."

Anakin shuddered, a violent, convulsive spasm that ran through every nerve fiber of his being. "I just sensed great pain coming from Ti," he said quietly. "Is she..."

"No," he assured him. "Other than a broken leg sustained during rescue operations, Ti is fine. Your mother, however..."

Anakin shut his eyes, trying futilely to block out the truth, but a sudden image accosted him.

Ti sitting in the Dune Sea, Shmi's broken and lifeless body cradled in her arms. She is weeping heavily.

"Please, no," she gasps out. "I promised him, I promised him I'd bring you back. He'll never forgive himself."

Anakin's eyes snapped open to reveal Obi-Wan shaking him gently. "I know this is a great shock, but..."

"No!"

Anakin threw off his Master's arm. "This is the Council's fault. If they hadn't been such cowards, such selfish pragmatists, my mother would be alive."

"There's nothing you could have done, Anakin," Obi-Wan began.

"Like Sith there isn't," he burst out. "I've made a lot of promises in my life and thsi is the only one I've failed to keep--the most important one. I left her Obi-Wan and because I was selfish, she lived and died a slave. How am I supposed to forgive anyone, much less myself for that?"

Obi-Wan rested a hand on his shoulder, not daring to extend the contact any further. "With patience and strength. That is all we can hope for."

************************************************************

They sat in silence, not able to eat, not ready to speak.

"It was the mission to redeem myself," Ti said at last, "and instead of redemption, the entire Republic is now at war. And on top of that, I broke my leg and let my best friend's mother die in my arms."

"I don't blame you," Anakin protested. "Not in the slightest. You were able to give her comfort in her last moments and she knew that I was well. Given the circumstances, it's the best we could have hoped for."

She arched an eyebrow. "You're taking this well," she observed.

"I'm not taking anything well," he replied. "This calm exterior is what I developed to ward off the desperate agony that I was in for the first two days."

Ti glanced over at Padme, found her equally impassive. "I assure you, neither of us think this is your fault and whoever does is an imbecile," Padme stated.

"An imbecile you would call the Council?"

Anakin dropped to his knees and bowed to Master Yoda. "Not at all, Master."

"Making light I was," he assured the three stricken young adults. "Tizar, a word with you I would have."

Ti's face drained. "Yes, Master."

Anakin reached out and gripped her arm. "Don't fear," he admonished her. "You have no reason to."

She smiled wearily. "I'll keep that in mind."

************************************************************

Within three weeks, Ti had passed her Trials and Anakin was called to attend her Knighting.

She knew nothing of the ceremony until the moment when she was called upon to kneel for the last time as a Padawan.

Master Schilian adjusted the saber length, then took hold of her braid. Anakin, standing behind Master Yoda, caught her eye and smiled reassuringly. She simply closed her eyes and let out her breath in a calming sigh.

The blade, too long by only a few millimeters, did not slice very far into the side of her neck, but enough to draw a cry and some blood from her. Her hand went to the wound at her neck, probed it gently.

Anakin blinked.

Ti's hand reached up to probe the gash at the point where her neck met her shoulder, sickened by the abundant flow of sticky warmth that stained her fingers.

Dizzy, she did not have the strength to block the next blow that took off her fingers below the knuckles and bit deeper into her neck. Collapsing onto her side, she struggled to breathe, but blood filled the back of her throat as it filled the ditch where she was dying.

Anakin blinked once more, found that Ti was now standing, grinning sheepishly, but radiating exuberance. Joy superceded the disturbing vision he had experienced and he followed Schilian and Ti from the Council.

She launched herself into her former Master's arms, embracing him tightly, her grin not fading for even a moment. "I should have known you would try to kill me after all these years," she quipped, "but in front of the Council? I thought you had better judgment than that."

Schilian shook his head in mock disgust, but sent a covert smile at the shell-shocked Anakin. "You don't know me at all, it seems."

She released him and turned to embrace Anakin, but drew up short, her brow furrowing. "What is it?"

He shook his head, clearing away the nagging memory of her face, of her lifeblood draining from her as her life force did. Finally, he smiled genuinely. "Nothing. Just a vision of a possible future."

She held up both hands, backing away. "Not any of those," she chided. "I'd rather take life as it comes."

"Agreed," Anakin said, pulling her into a tight embrace. "I told you you'd make it soon."

"Boys," she grumbled. "Give them a lightsaber and they think they know everything."