To Love A Jedi
Chapter 9: Unrest and Worry
Author's Note: YIPEE! How I have missed you, mon ordinateur! Well vacation's over to back to da computer!
"Milady, there is no question about it. You must leave Alderaan." Bail Organa says.
How, may I ask? With the stormtroopers placed around the palace I am unable to get out. Do they forget that? "As long as I stay hidden in the palace, I shall be fine."
"We don't know that." He replies. "Vader could order a search warrant. There is enough evidence here to condemn you."
An idea suddenly strikes me. "Then we must give him no reason to order a search warrant."
He stares at me. "What do you mean?"
"I mean if there was a way to convince him that I am currently on another planet."
His eyes widen. "Really? How?"
"I shall say. First, I must speak with Obi-Wan."
He nods, and turns on the mini-holoprojector. If the large one was used, it may be detected by imperial troops. "Master Obi-Wan?" I ask.
An image of him suddenly appears on screen. "Milady? It's good to hear from you. If you are wondering about Lu—"
"This is not a social call." I cut him off. This is important, and Leia is still with me, though out of sight of the holoprojector. "Vader knows I am here." I say gravely.
He is shocked. "What?"
Bail Organa nods. "He sent down stormtroopers to be placed at the entrance of the palace, and we're all fools if we think he won't search it."
The jedi master closes his eyes, looking as if he knew this were to happen. "Then what do you propose we do?"
"I have an idea." I say.
"Well?" Obi-Wan asks.
I look back at the door, just as a security precaution. "We need him to believe that I am on another planet." My gaze returns to the holoprojector. "Then we must give him evidence to believe I am on another planet."
Bail looks skeptical. "And this evidence would be?"
"Obi-Wan, if you can spread word that I am somewhere else, by an intercepted projection or—"
"It would be more convincing if people saw your face." A voice says from behind. I turn. Dormé has entered the room.
I can guess at what she means. "Dormé, no. For your safety—"
She shakes her head. "My safety is nothing to yours. I have protected you for many years. I will be honored to do it again."
No. I am not ready to sacrifice her for me. "Dormé, you can't! It is too dangerous!"
She still protests. "I have done many dangerous things to protect you, milady. If you do not wish me to do this for you, than think of me doing this for Leia."
I look at my child sitting there in the corner. I do not wish Dormé to sacrifice her life for mine, but when it comes to Leia, she is right. Leia is in even greater danger than I. I take her hand. "Dormé…are you certain you wish to do this?"
She nods. "Yes, milady."
"It is settled then." Obi-Wan says. "If Senator Organa can somehow get Dormé out of the palace, the she and I can make an "accidental" appearance on a far-away planet to get the empire's gaze off Alderaan."
"How shall Dormé be allowed out of the palace?" I ask.
"I have ways." Bail Organa said. "I have it documented that Dormé also came to live here."
"Won't they suspect anything?" I ask.
He gives a small laugh. "Please, milady. They're stormtroopers. They may know names and faces, but it never occurs to them to search deeper for the truth."
"I shall meet up with you on…Dantooine, I think." Obi-Wan says. "We can then search out a remote planet to make our appearance from there."
"It is settled then, Master Jedi." Dormé replies as the hologram fades.
I take Dormé aside. "If you insist upon this, then I will let you go. Just…be careful."
She nods. "I will, milady. I shall be back here before you know it."
I hug her. "I hope so."
"Come, Mistress Dormé," Bail Organa opens the door. "We have to launch this plan as soon as possible."
She nods and follows him out the door, with one last look at me. I see a tear on her cheek. A tear that matches mine. All too soon, the door is shut.
That's it then. Another good friend is leaving. She will probably have to go far away. Someplace that is probably on the Outer Rim.
I close my eyes and feel the pain of this parting. The pain opens a window into my sad life. Memories fly at me left and right, yet only one reaches me.
Leia is holding onto my leg, like little children her age do. But I do not feel her presence. I let myself go as I am immersed into this memory…
I remember it like yesterday…It was the night after we had decided not to let our feelings run away with us. I awoke because something did not feel right. I wanted to sleep some more, but sleep would not come. Something was bugging me from the back of my mind. Something felt wrong. I could not push it away, so I decided to take a walk in the garden. It was nearing dawn anyway.
I left my bed and walked down the hallway. As I walked, I passed Anakin's room. I resisted the urge to peek inside. What if he was awake? What if he was undressed? We weren't allowed to love, so what would he think of me? I stayed by his door for how long I can't even guess, when I told myself it was stupid to remain outside of it. I was about to walk away, when I heard a sound.
I stopped and listened. I heard it again. It sounded like moaning. And it came from Anakin's room. I leant closer to the door and listened. He was moaning. I wondered if he was ill and if I should get some help. I resisted the urge to barge in and find out what was wrong. Then, I heard Ani speak.
"Mom…"
He was dreaming of his mother. I listened as he moaned, "Mom…No!"
Something was happening to her. I heard him toss and turn and say, "No! Mom! No!" Then I heard him gasp. The tossing had stopped. He was awake. I sighed thankfully.
But then He left his bed and started walking towards the door, behind which was my position. Panicking, I did the only thing I thought to do, I fled. Without looking at him, I hid myself behind a curtain at the end of the hall. I heard his door open, and I chanced a look. Ani looked…pained. He looked down at the floor, as if thinking, and then walked away.
I don't know how long I stayed behind the curtain, wondering about him and his dream, until I could stand it no longer. Curiosity overtook me, and I followed.
Anakin was standing out on the balcony, looking at the rising sun. He seemed absorbed in thought, and I didn't think I would help after what I had just heard. I turned to leave.
"Don't go."
I stopped. He knew I was there. No surprise really, he's a jedi after all. But I thought he needed some time to himself.
"I don't want to disturb you." I replied.
His eyes were closed. "Your presence is soothing."
That made my heart make a tiny flutter. Stop that! I told my heart. I decided to tell him what I had heard; maybe he would want to talk about it. It always helped me. With the exception of my recent feelings, that is. "You had another nightmare last night."
He took a second to answer. "Jedi don't have nightmares."
He's trying not to think about it. I thought. But he can't just pretend it didn't happen. For a spilt second, I applied that same logic to my love life. But then I shoved that thought away. "I heard you." I told him.
Ani opened his eyes. "I saw my mother." I knew that already, but I wasn't about to tell him I was outside his door. "She's suffering, Padmé. I saw her clearly as I see you now." He paused. "She's in pain."
I saw he himself was pained. I watched as he turned away to look at the sun. I wished I could help him, to ease his pain, but nothing would. Nothing short of what he was thinking.
Anakin looked back at me. "I know I'm disobeying my mandate to protect you senator, but I have to go…I have to help her!"
His eyes looked determined. A look I had not seen since…he kissed me. But it was a different kind of determination. This kind was a determination and worry, mixed together. Though he was determined, I knew I could not leave him to his own devices for long with that look.
"I'll go with you." I replied, and my mind was made up.
He tried not to look happy, which he probably couldn't under these circumstances, but I knew he was glad that I was coming. Ani did not want it to appear so. "I'm sorry, I don't have a choice."
I nodded. "I'll get us some supplies and a ship."
He nodded also. I turned to leave, but then he said, "Padmé?"
I looked back at him. His face now held a small smile. "Thank you."
I returned it, but it was soon replaced with my neutral senatorial face. "No need to thank me, we need our own ship if we are to get there safely."
"No." He said, walking closer. "Thank you for coming with me."
The look in his eyes was something I had seen so many times. I knew he wanted to kiss me, but I backed away. "We need to hurry." And I went back to my rooms, trying to erase the memory of him wanting to kiss me, and a small part of me wanting to be kissed.
Author's Note: It took me AGES to get this typed, but it's finally done! Now I can go plan out the next chapter! There are 6 chaps left, and I had someone tell me they wanted to know which scenes will be in it. Here they are:
The A/P talk after his mother is dead
"I love you."
A new scene which I added: ANAKIN PROPOSE!
A/P marry
Epilogue Part I
Epilogue Part II
The Epilogues are going to be a surprise! So read to find out!
