The trees were high and the grass was cool. Padme Amidala walked out into
the daylight. She was only a child of 12 and her dark brown curls bounced
as she ran into the wind towards the ocean. The sand was warm and soft
against her toes and feet. Dolphins swam and called for her to come and
join them. The ocean's waves crashed into the sand and Padme leaped into
the the cool clear waters of Naboo. She looked up to the sky and started
spinning. Spinning and never stopping. No, she would never stop spinning.
" Padme? Padme! Padme wake up!", a familiar voice shouted.
" Huh? Wah? Oh....Ani. I was-"
" Dreaming.", he finished. A smile creeped across his face. His sandy hair was a bit messed up and his braid fell across his shoulder as he spoke. " We're almost there. I think we just passed Tatooine. It's good that you got some sleep."
The ship was cold and dark. Padme shivered and sighed.
" Here.", he said as he handed her a blanket. Their eyes met for a moment but Padme looked away. "What is it?", he asked.
" This is all happening so fast. I'm scared. What if the counsel doesn't except us? What if they make you choose between your destiny as a Jedi-", she bit her lip and her face saddened. " Or me?"
" Padme that's not going to happen.", he said. "Listen to me. It's all going to be fine. I have this feeling-"
" I am feeling something too.", she interrupted. " I am feeling confused and sad and angry. I wish......I wish that there was some other way."
" Well its too late now." he turned his head and nodded to the pilot. " We're here."
Padme walked to the window and looked out to Naboo. It was beautiful and at once she felt at home. Maybe this wasn't going to be as bad as she thought.
It was hot on Naboo, but a gentle breeze cooled the air. As Anakin and Padme walked into the main building, a buzz of voices fill the room and a group of small Jedi children hurried across the carpet toward their classroom. At the front desk, a tall, pretty woman greeted them with a smile.
"May I help you?" she asked.
"Yes. We are here for a meeting with the Jedi counsel.", Anakin replied. The woman pressed some keys on the computer and buzzed the office. "They will be with you shortly."
"Thank you.", Anakin said.
Padme took her seat by the window and set down her bags. The air was cold in the small room and a chill swept through her. After a while, the buzz of voices and sounds was starting to sound like music and she closed her eyes, only to be awaken by Anakin a few minutes later.
"The counsel will see you now." the woman said. Anakin and Padme grabbed their things and headed toward the hall. The counsel room was just as she had remembered it. Large and quiet. Every sound seemed to echo in her ears.
"Ah. Senator Padme. Welcome."
"Hello Master Windu. I am pleased to see you again. It has been far to long."
"Please...sit down.", Windu said as he directed her to the nearest chair.
"There is one thing that we need to understand before we get into discussing our future.", Anakin said. "I love Padme more than anything in the world and I want you to know I will not give her up for anything...not even to become a Jedi Master." Padme looked over at him and did not smile. She gave him a look of: i don't like this, but I am supporting this.
Windu and Yoda looked at each other.
"This marriage we did not expect.", Yoda said with a sigh of disappointment. "We have pondered this problem for many days. Our judgement you do not except."
Padme shifted positions uncomfortably in her chair. Anakin sat there...as frozen and cold as ice.
"This is not something we can just ignore.", Windu said. "Anakin, your future is at stake, and so is Padme's. Maybe it is time to let go-"
"No!", Anakin interrupted. "I will not let go of what means everything to me. If they don't except this than-!"
"Anakin.", Padme said. "Please. Don't do this. At least not right now.", she looked at Mace and Yoda. "I love him.....and, I respect him and all the Jedi. But if it is against the Jedi Order...and a risk to his future as a Jedi, then I don't know what to do. We are both lost, but mostly......i'm lost. Do you think that this hasn't bothered us? That we have been in a fairy tale ever since we got married that day? Well you're wrong. Every night I've thought about this and every night i've wondered. What will happen? Is this happening? There is no end to it and with all do respect Master Windu, I am not ready to be put in a situation like this. We must hide it."
Anakin looked at Padme with anger in his eyes. Windu and Yoda stood up and walked toward the entrance. Padme and Anakin followed.
"The clone war is still at hand and there are many who want you dead Senator.", Windu said.
"In danger you both are.", Yoda added. "You must go somewhere safe. Padme will go to the Lake Palace and stay there. Anakin... go to Coresant and wait for Obi-Wan you must."
"This is non-negotiable and it is in your best judgement to decide what is right.", Mace said.
"Very well. Thank you Master Windu, Yoda.", Padme said as she nodded her head and leaded Anakin out of the room and into the hallway.
Anakin grabbed Padme's arm and jerked her into the next room.
"Ani...what are you doing?" she exclaimed.
"What do you think YOU are doing?" he said, his hand still gripped around her arm. "I am not going to give you up to become a Jedi Padme. I won't!"
"Ani I-...please, let go of me!" Padme said. Her arm was now twisting in pain.
"You are my life Padme! I would rather die than lose you! Why did you question my love...my faith in us?!" his voice rising. His eyes were filled with anger and he was breathing harder with every word. Padme looked him straight in the eyes.
"Anakin Skywalker....I love you. Please-....you are hurting me. Let go...please!" tears were now running down her face. The hatred and anger in Anakin's eyes began to go away and he slowly released his grip.
"I'm sorry." He said. "I am so sorry Padme I don't know what came over me." He reached to hug her but she pulled away.
"I think I do." She said, slowly backing away. "I see it every day. I am losing you Ani, and I am beginning to understand why." Her face was now pale and her eyes were saddened.
"No. I-. We-"Anakin was now looking down at the floor. He sighed and glanced towards the window. The sun was setting. "We'd better go" he said.
"Yes, I think we should." Padme answered. They both picked up their bags and walked down the hall towards the doors.
The sky was pink and orange as they boarded the ship. Their lives were beginning to darken and there wasn't much time left.
" Padme? Padme! Padme wake up!", a familiar voice shouted.
" Huh? Wah? Oh....Ani. I was-"
" Dreaming.", he finished. A smile creeped across his face. His sandy hair was a bit messed up and his braid fell across his shoulder as he spoke. " We're almost there. I think we just passed Tatooine. It's good that you got some sleep."
The ship was cold and dark. Padme shivered and sighed.
" Here.", he said as he handed her a blanket. Their eyes met for a moment but Padme looked away. "What is it?", he asked.
" This is all happening so fast. I'm scared. What if the counsel doesn't except us? What if they make you choose between your destiny as a Jedi-", she bit her lip and her face saddened. " Or me?"
" Padme that's not going to happen.", he said. "Listen to me. It's all going to be fine. I have this feeling-"
" I am feeling something too.", she interrupted. " I am feeling confused and sad and angry. I wish......I wish that there was some other way."
" Well its too late now." he turned his head and nodded to the pilot. " We're here."
Padme walked to the window and looked out to Naboo. It was beautiful and at once she felt at home. Maybe this wasn't going to be as bad as she thought.
It was hot on Naboo, but a gentle breeze cooled the air. As Anakin and Padme walked into the main building, a buzz of voices fill the room and a group of small Jedi children hurried across the carpet toward their classroom. At the front desk, a tall, pretty woman greeted them with a smile.
"May I help you?" she asked.
"Yes. We are here for a meeting with the Jedi counsel.", Anakin replied. The woman pressed some keys on the computer and buzzed the office. "They will be with you shortly."
"Thank you.", Anakin said.
Padme took her seat by the window and set down her bags. The air was cold in the small room and a chill swept through her. After a while, the buzz of voices and sounds was starting to sound like music and she closed her eyes, only to be awaken by Anakin a few minutes later.
"The counsel will see you now." the woman said. Anakin and Padme grabbed their things and headed toward the hall. The counsel room was just as she had remembered it. Large and quiet. Every sound seemed to echo in her ears.
"Ah. Senator Padme. Welcome."
"Hello Master Windu. I am pleased to see you again. It has been far to long."
"Please...sit down.", Windu said as he directed her to the nearest chair.
"There is one thing that we need to understand before we get into discussing our future.", Anakin said. "I love Padme more than anything in the world and I want you to know I will not give her up for anything...not even to become a Jedi Master." Padme looked over at him and did not smile. She gave him a look of: i don't like this, but I am supporting this.
Windu and Yoda looked at each other.
"This marriage we did not expect.", Yoda said with a sigh of disappointment. "We have pondered this problem for many days. Our judgement you do not except."
Padme shifted positions uncomfortably in her chair. Anakin sat there...as frozen and cold as ice.
"This is not something we can just ignore.", Windu said. "Anakin, your future is at stake, and so is Padme's. Maybe it is time to let go-"
"No!", Anakin interrupted. "I will not let go of what means everything to me. If they don't except this than-!"
"Anakin.", Padme said. "Please. Don't do this. At least not right now.", she looked at Mace and Yoda. "I love him.....and, I respect him and all the Jedi. But if it is against the Jedi Order...and a risk to his future as a Jedi, then I don't know what to do. We are both lost, but mostly......i'm lost. Do you think that this hasn't bothered us? That we have been in a fairy tale ever since we got married that day? Well you're wrong. Every night I've thought about this and every night i've wondered. What will happen? Is this happening? There is no end to it and with all do respect Master Windu, I am not ready to be put in a situation like this. We must hide it."
Anakin looked at Padme with anger in his eyes. Windu and Yoda stood up and walked toward the entrance. Padme and Anakin followed.
"The clone war is still at hand and there are many who want you dead Senator.", Windu said.
"In danger you both are.", Yoda added. "You must go somewhere safe. Padme will go to the Lake Palace and stay there. Anakin... go to Coresant and wait for Obi-Wan you must."
"This is non-negotiable and it is in your best judgement to decide what is right.", Mace said.
"Very well. Thank you Master Windu, Yoda.", Padme said as she nodded her head and leaded Anakin out of the room and into the hallway.
Anakin grabbed Padme's arm and jerked her into the next room.
"Ani...what are you doing?" she exclaimed.
"What do you think YOU are doing?" he said, his hand still gripped around her arm. "I am not going to give you up to become a Jedi Padme. I won't!"
"Ani I-...please, let go of me!" Padme said. Her arm was now twisting in pain.
"You are my life Padme! I would rather die than lose you! Why did you question my love...my faith in us?!" his voice rising. His eyes were filled with anger and he was breathing harder with every word. Padme looked him straight in the eyes.
"Anakin Skywalker....I love you. Please-....you are hurting me. Let go...please!" tears were now running down her face. The hatred and anger in Anakin's eyes began to go away and he slowly released his grip.
"I'm sorry." He said. "I am so sorry Padme I don't know what came over me." He reached to hug her but she pulled away.
"I think I do." She said, slowly backing away. "I see it every day. I am losing you Ani, and I am beginning to understand why." Her face was now pale and her eyes were saddened.
"No. I-. We-"Anakin was now looking down at the floor. He sighed and glanced towards the window. The sun was setting. "We'd better go" he said.
"Yes, I think we should." Padme answered. They both picked up their bags and walked down the hall towards the doors.
The sky was pink and orange as they boarded the ship. Their lives were beginning to darken and there wasn't much time left.
