Author's Notes: I've got my lil Eclipse FanListing website up and running, so if any of you would like to support me in this twisted fanfic venture, pop over and have a gander – go to my profile, click on my homepage, Imperial Palace, then follow the link from the homepage to the Eclipse subdomain (I'd put the URL here, but FF.Net blocks them out!)
I still need more suggestions for what you guys want to see on the site, so send them to me if you have any – I'm still working on the site's fan corner, but there are some reviews and chapter summaries up there already.
I've finished all my exams at school now, so thankyou for all your concern regarding those – they all went quite well if you don't count the first, evil maths paper! I just have to wait for my results in August now…
Re: Chapter 14 – I wasn't sure whether to include a scene with Gunray in here or not, but I wanted to get this chapter out to you before too long, so Gunray'll have to wait. I hope this chapter isn't too much heaviness and melodrama in a row – Gunray would have helped me break up the 'action' a bit, but you've come this far, so I'm sure you can cope! It's nothing too serious, don't get me wrong, just a bit of a 'domestic', if that's the right word! ^_^ Anyway, you'll tell me what you think, no doubt, at the end. I'm not completely satisfied with parts, but I'm a nitpicker – I'll just have to tell you if I decide to rewrite any parts of it later. ^_^
Strider's Girl: I've still got the fight scene planned – just got to get there first! And LotR fics? Well, I used to be wary of 'Star Wars' ones, but I feel that I know enough about 'Star Wars' to be comfortable with it – as much as I love LotR, writing a 'serious' type of fic, which I usually write, isn't easy unless I know my stuff; I don't currently have any ideas for a LotR fic anyway, but unless I know a bit more about all the lands and the timelines, I'd rather leave LotR alone. ^_^
PadawanMage: Going back to Naboo v. soon! And I'm glad you like Dooku – he is a nasty piece of work, isn't he? And I have read 'Splinter of the Mind's Eye', but not for a good 5 years – I can't remember Leia taking on Vader at all, I'm afraid, but it's kinda freaky if it had parallels with what I wrote – I'll have to find a copy and re-read it some time and see for myself. I don't think my story is going to 'reflect' the relationships there, though! And exams went well, thanks!
Bexmix: First 'Splinter of the Mind's Eye', then Rhett Butler? 0_o What's going on in my story? LOL. I can see your point! I never noticed that parallel, either! Kinda funny really. And as far as Dooku not killing Padmé goes, well, yeah, it would ruin the story, and regardless of whether he's growing fond of her or not, (paraphrasing a certain bounty hunter here) 'she's no good to him dead'. ^_~
SKYwalker-blue: Anakin's yours, is he? I'm sure you'll have a bit of competition regarding that claim! LOL. Well, Ani's having a bit of a mad rush – can you blame the poor guy? And there's little comic relief in this part…hence why I considered a Gunray-interlude. Mind you, I haven't used ol' Poggle for a while, either! So much to think about!
Disclaimer: Not mine. 0_o 'nuff said.
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"ECLIPSE"
Part 14
"Oh, my word, sir! Is she all right?"
"She's fainted…she'll come around. Help me get her into her room and make her comfortable, will you, Edna?"
"Oh, of course, sir…"
Mrs. Tarso led the way as Serenn carried Padmé's lame form in his arms down further nameless halls of his home; the young Nubian was completely limp, her limbs hanging weightily over Dooku's cradling hold, her eyes half open, but completely unfocused; she was utterly lifeless. Her head rested against the Count's chest, nodding in motion with every step he took. He made sure to hold her tightly to him, not risking letting her fall from his clutches.
"She's been delusional all day, sir," Edna explained as they reached the young senator's temporary quarters; the servant opened the door, and let Dooku step in first, before then following behind him.
Serenn strode over to the room's bed and lay Padmé down gently upon it, resting her head onto the pillow; "Really?" he asked quietly, his voice low key; he looked over young Amidala's motionless form carefully whilst Edna rounded the other side of the bed and propped the young woman's head further up on the pillow, making sure that she was as comfortable as possible; "Oh yes, poor dear," the old lady continued, "She earlier complained of a headache and sickness…but I think that she's just in shock. 'Just'? Oh, listen to me! What am I saying?"
Serenn didn't take his eyes off Padmé, and gently put his fingers to her neck, feeling for the throb of her jugular artery; she was ash white in complexion, all colour gone from her visage, and her breaths were shallow and quick, just like her faint pulse. Her brow was dotted with beads of cold sweat, too.
"Has the young lady no extra clothes, sir?" Edna queried once she was satisfied that Padmé was comfortable, "She could use some if she's staying long."
"I'll remember to collect some next time I'm fleeing a battle field, Edna," Dooku retorted wryly, looking up to her from under his brow.
"Oh, you know what I meant, sir," Edna rejoined light-heartedly, shaking her head in gesture and wafting a hand toward him; she glanced at Padmé's face and sighed, adding in a low tone, "You know, sir, she was asking me the strangest questions this morning…"
The glare of Serenn's eyes upon his servant intensified dramatically; "She was?" he asked calmly, his intrigue seized.
"Oh yes," Mrs. Tarso went on, smiling blithely to herself, "She was wondering where you'd been last night, bless her…I don't know what she'd been dreaming about. 'You were in your room' I said – it seemed to be all that she was interested in!"
The Count's eyes wandered away into space; subconsciously, he drew his hand down from Padmé's neck to her shoulder, and rested it there lightly.
"You were in your room, weren't you, sir?" Edna asked him unobtrusively, just to verify her own words.
Dooku's head snapped back about to look at her, "Of course – where else should I have been?"
Edna nodded, "Exactly what I told her sir," she assented plainly, "Those battles must have really rattled the poor dear yesterday – dreadful things."
She swiftly turned about and walked over into the chamber's en suite, retrieved a small towel, then returned to the bedside, and gently gave Padmé's sweat-laden brow a wipe; "She's a beautiful young lady, sir," she said graciously.
"Yes…very beautiful," Serenn mused softly.
"I would never have believed that she was a politician if I hadn't have been told…" she went on affably, placing the towel down on a bedside unit.
"Looks can be deceiving, no?" Dooku remarked.
"Oh yes, very," Edna acquiesced again; she paused for a second before changing subjects, and inquiring, "And your wounds, sir, how are they doing?"
Serenn glanced to the line of dried blood that had broken from his shoulder wound during his exercises, then looked back to Mrs. Tarso, "Oh, they're nothing…" he replied indifferently, shaking his head, "What doesn't kill one makes one stronger. Or so they say."
Edna just nodded discreetly, not dwelling on his brief and unconcerned response – it was part of his nature, and she wasn't going to challenge him, "Shall I run the young lady a warm bath, sir?" she suggested, "It'll do her some good."
"If you would," he nodded as his eyes trailed back to the young senator's insentient form once more.
"Of course, sir," she said obediently, making her way back into the en suite again, "Sorry to have to keep you here, sir. I can care for her if you wish – I'm sure you've got better things to do."
"No, it's fine," he replied, "She is my guest, after all."
"Oh, you are good sir," Edna called back to him from behind the door as she began to run the water.
The Count shook his head in a soft, discreet dismissal toward his servant, raising his hand and placing it upon Padmé's forehead, rubbing her temples gently with his thumb. Steadily, some colour seemed to return to her face, and the deepening of her breaths suggested that she might soon come round…
~~
The shaaks lowed. The birds sang. The air was fresh and clear, the sky bright blue and the grass lush green; it was gorgeous. Blades of vegetation lapped about her feet and brushed the frills of her yellow frock as Padmé ran up a rise in the meadow, watching Anakin attentively as he leapt aboard one of the portly shaaks in the distance with a triumphant whoop, using one of his impressive, Force-aided jumps. At first, everything was fine – he waved to her once he had managed to stand upright on the creature's back, and she laughed, the image a comical one, but, as soon as the creature realised that something was amiss, it began hurtling around in anxiety!
Anakin laughed again, enjoying the thrill and the danger of his stunt, and, in an attempt to further impress Padmé, tried his best to balance on the beast as it ran! Padmé shook her head in amusement – he looked like a circus performer! He held out his arms in a steadying manner, and placed his feet apart over the creature's back as he attempted to maintain his balance, his face a picture of smugness.
That was until the shaak gave an immense howl, and managed to throw Anakin off its back!
"Whoah!" Ani cried, tumbling down from his mount as the shaak reared wildly; he fell heavily onto the grassy tundra below with a deep 'oof' whilst the shaak, watching the trickster fall before its eyes, swiftly calmed down and returned to its passive grazing.
Anakin groaned, pushing himself up from the ground slowly, before collapsing back down completely into the grass again.
Padmé gasped in fright, "Ani!" she cried, bursting into a sprint toward him, uncaring for the damage she could do to her delicate frock – she prayed that he was all right; he shouldn't have ever got onto that creature!
"Anakin! Ani, are you all right?" she called over and over again, her voice getting increasingly louder and more troubled; she trotted with some difficulty over the uneven ground, stumbling toward the Padawan learner, "Anakin!" she exclaimed again.
She finally reached his inert body and fell to her knees beside him, putting her hands to his back and rolling him onto his front.
Suddenly, Anakin burst back to life, and laughed hysterically at her – he'd played a trick on her! He wasn't hurt at all!
Padmé shook her head in a combination of relief and good-natured annoyance, and slapped him hard on the chest whilst he chortled; she couldn't help but fall into a fit of laughter herself, however, and the two playfully embraced, rolling together over the pasture in one-another's arms. The relief of the moment meant so much to Padmé – Anakin allowed her to have fun and to laugh a little, which was something she needed so much with all the weight of current political affairs still riding heavily on her shoulders.
The two rolled to a halt down a grassy verge, and lay in each other's arms for a few moments, Padmé on top of Anakin, their laughs fading to mere smiles on their visages. Padmé looked down at Ani softly and stroked his hair backwards over his head with her hand; he pleasantly smiled in return, running his own fingers through her long, brunette locks that hung down over him, placing a few loose strands behind her ears.
"I love you," he divulged quietly, giving her a firm and honest glance.
Padmé gave him a knowing look in return, nodding in silence; her hand glided from his hair to his cheek, and stroked his smooth skin lovingly, before their mouths drew together and they dotingly kissed. She closed her eyes and embraced him tightly yet tenderly, their lips caressing one-another's whilst she let her hands explore his shoulders, and slide up his neck to his head. She affectionately fondled the fine, sleek hair that she found there, behind his ears, and –
…
Fine, sleek hair…?
Halting abruptly, Padmé steadily opened her eyes with an apprehensive uncertainty and slowly parted her mouth from the other's; her hand drew away, down his chest, as she rose up off of him – Anakin was no longer there, but Serenn was. She shook her head wildly, staring deep into the dark, mysterious eyes of Dooku, before pushing herself violently away from him; "Noo!" she screamed.
~~
"NOOO!!"
Padmé shot upright from the duvet beneath her, her body damp once more with a cold sweat, and careered straight into another's chest, her head slamming into his body strongly. The other grunted as he took the full force of her sudden start, quickly taking a firm grasp of her and holding her still so that she wouldn't hastily shift away again.
Padmé respired rapidly, remaining immobile for the time being, completely dazed and confused; she felt herself being held gently and supportively by the entity she had catapulted into, his hands clasped about her back.
"It's all right," the individual purred, "Calm yourself."
She swallowed, her eyes wide in fear and bewilderment, her body feeling unstable; she shakily placed her hands onto the other's chest, keeping as close to him as she could, waiting for some form of memory to emerge from the murky, unclear waters of her awareness; "Where am I?" she eventually whispered, feeling the other's hand run through the sweat-laden roots of her hair.
"Your room," he replied, drawing his hand away.
"How did I get here?" she queried, her brow furrowing.
"I carried you here," he said bluntly.
She paused, before then asking, "Why?"
"You collapsed," he stated solemnly, "I didn't want to just leave you in such a state…I thought it'd be better that you got some rest, back in your own chamber."
Padmé frowned again, her head pounding and the strong nausea, that had haunted her all day, still present; she gently forced herself out of his hold, pulling back so that she could look him in the face. Her memory abruptly clicked, "Get away from me!" she cried, slapping his hands off of her and lurching back along the bed from him, her eyes widening further in anxiety.
Count Dooku sat there motionless, watching her carefully and in silence.
Padmé swallowed – it all came back now; the feeling of not knowing, yet knowing; the darkened training hall; the desperation and rage; the lightsabres; everything…
Her head felt light, and thousands of white dots suddenly littered her vision; she slipped down onto her side, her balance completely off, and grasped the duvet beneath her harshly in an attempt to remain focused.
"Steady…" Serenn murmured, leaning over her and putting a hand out toward her shoulder, "You'll pass out again."
"Go away!" she snapped relentlessly, "Go away!"
He exhaled gruffly, lurching over her and pinning her down by each arm, a knee on the mattress and a leg on the floor to stabilise himself; "Calm down!" he ordered, looking at her hard.
Positions had now been reversed from those of the latest Nubian meadow reverie, and now Padmé was the one looking up – she continued to breathe in a panicky manner, and gave the Count a pleading stare, "Please leave me alone…" she whispered urgently.
He held her down, and hissed sternly in return, "I'm not going to hurt you. Now calm down, or you'll faint again."
"Please go away," she repeated desperately, shaking her head as much as she could in gesture, his grip about her wrists tight and unforgiving.
"Shhh…" he soothed her quietly, raising one hand and running it back over her brow, brushing the wild strands of her hair out of her eyes.
She lay still, regarding him with a terrified stare, feeling too weak to struggle; she knew it would be vain to, anyway.
"That's better," he nodded quietly, keeping hold of her one wrist.
"What are you playing at?" she asked him discreetly, staring into his eyes intently; his hand didn't feel cold as he touched her this time – it was warm, 'impassioned' almost, but no less uncomfortable.
A slight frown furrowed his wrinkled brow, "I don't follow you, my dear," he replied gently, releasing her wrist, and sitting back on the mattress, placing his hands in his lap and his legs over the side of the bed.
"What happened?" she asked tearfully, urging herself to have the fortitude to challenge him.
Serenn's face didn't even twitch in curiosity, and he just stared at her blankly.
"What happened last night?" she persisted, almost choking on her words – just being so close to this man, which she suspected of so much, unnerved her to the very core, causing her much agony.
He shook his head stiltedly, "I don't know," he replied, "Would you like to tell me?"
She felt her face contort in disbelief – why was he doing this? Or was it she who was at fault? Had a delusion of her own conjured up these wicked thoughts and uncertainties?
No, surely not…
"How am I ever supposed to trust you again?" she sobbed dramatically, unsure of what to say or do.
He shook his head in a wild frustration, "Then enlighten me!" he growled, "What are you talking about?"
"You know!" she shouted, "I know you do!" Padmé's intense eyes bore into Dooku's face, and all he could do was just glare back at her, teeth ground together, whilst she froze herself in that moment of agony; she then threw herself back onto the duvet and cried into its folds, clutching it forcefully in her hands.
Swiftly, Edna emerged from the en suite, "Is everything all right, sir?" she asked, having heard raised voices, "Has she come round?"
He paused for a moment, then replied calmly, "Everything's fine…she's got her senses back, but is just a bit…'tense'."
Mrs. Tarso shook her head sympathetically, "Poor dear…I'll come and get her in a moment, sir, if she's all right."
"She will be," he nodded in response as the servant trotted back into the 'fresher room.
He exhaled slowly, raising his hand to the back of her head, and stroked her hair gently; "I'll tell you what I do know, Padmé," he said to her in a reserved tone as he softly caressed her hair.
She swallowed, and shakily raised her tear-sodden face from the quilt; "What?" she asked almost inaudibly, looking in his direction out of the corner of her eyes.
"That you just tried to kill me," he stated straight, his tone unyielding; he continued to fondle her brunette tresses, however, in a bizarrely intimidating motion.
Padmé hesitated, "I wasn't trying to kill you," she said unsteadily, shaking her head a little.
"Injure me, then."
"What else could I do?" she asked, angling her torso about so that she could face him, throwing his hand off of her, "I'm trapped here with a man who –"
"Who what?" he snarled again.
She opened her mouth to speak, but was reduced to shaking her head once more, unable to summon the courage to get the words out, "I can't even bring myself to say it..." she sobbed, turning back away from him again; his hand returned to her, now resting delicately on her shoulder.
"We're on the same team, Padmé," he said quietly, leaning down closer by her side and putting his mouth to her ear, "Both Separatists, idealists, fugitives…we're in this political venture together, with others who share our vision…"
"It's not that that I'm talking about!" she griped sensitively, "And you know it…"
"So what precisely am I supposed to know?" he growled, keeping close by her, his grip beginning to tighten on her shoulder; she winced as his fingers dug into her already sore flesh; "Tell me what I've done!" he continued sharply.
His voice echoed eerily down her ear canal, as though he was shouting within a cavernous hall – the coldness was coming again, just when she thought it'd stopped; she breathed in tensely, closing her eyes and trying to keep her head above the cloudy waters of his control as the elusive 'ice' began to clutter her innards and her mind, tightening restraining shackles and leashes about her free will and her spirit.
He pressed his nose against the side of her head and hissed blatantly down her ear, "I haven't done anything."
Padmé made no response, just shuddered violently as she felt his breath trickle down her auditory canal, and a jolt of coldness thrust through her torso.
Satisfied that his message had sunk in, Dooku sharply tore his hand off of her shoulder, further aggravating her bruising, and drew himself away. But Padmé suddenly felt her rage and fear build up to a terrifying peak within, and, catching the Count completely off-guard, swung her hand about and slapped him firmly across the cheek with an echoing clout! She then drew her hand back to herself, kind of shocked at what she'd just done, unable to do anything but look back at him, pondering now (again, when it was too late) whether that had been a good idea or not – not that she'd thought about it before, it'd just happened. Serenn just glared back at her with utter astonishment, his passionate eyes filling with both surprise and further frenzy, his cheek reddening as the impact of her smack sunk in. His lip shuddered in wrath, his mind buzzing over how to respond.
Padmé, regarding his fiery eyes warily, cringed and turned her head away, certain that he was going to get brutal with her…but, before he could allow himself to do anything, and to Padmé's relief, the Count shook his head and forced himself off of the bed, shooting to his feet and marching away across the chamber, toward the long windows at the room's extremity.
Padmé swallowed slowly, letting a peaceful moment of silence pass, keeping her eyes warily upon his figure, stood over by the windows; for some reason, she knew that he wasn't going to let himself retaliate. He stood severely still, his back facing her and his arms folded, and just stared blankly into the darkness of the outside world through the partially drawn curtains; perhaps he had a right to be so irate, seeing as she had just seemed to have made an attempt on his life, and had now struck him.
But perhaps she also had had a right to do what she had tried to in the training hall, whatever that had been (she wasn't actually sure what her aims had been herself).
The atmosphere was so claustrophobic and electric that Padmé was relieved when the kindly servant, Mrs. Tarso, finally re-emerged into the chamber; "I've run you a nice, hot bath, m' dear," she smiled with genuine benevolence toward her, clasping her hands together gently, "It's ready and waiting for you, with fresh towels and all."
Padmé nodded, managing a faint, grateful smile, "Thankyou," she said quietly, steadily getting herself to her feet.
Seeing her shakiness, Edna walked over to her, and helped her pace along toward the en suite; Padmé stared at the Count as she passed behind him, who turned his head just enough to give her a glare in return; suspicion and fear littered her gaze, but this was only met by Dooku's cold, vindictive eyes in return.
He watched her until she was out of sight, and, once she was gone behind the doors of the bathroom, he turned about and made a tempestuous exit, slamming the door behind him.
TBC…