I've been on Naboo for five days and I've barely filled a quarter of my quota.

I'm in Theed and it's two-o-clock in the morning, local time, and I am panicked.

This is more difficult than I could have imagined. Maybe my easy success on Tatooine made me complacent, but I don't think so. Mind tricks aren't exactly my best area. And Naboo's queen right now is conservative, and many of the people here are pacifists. Add to that the fact that Naboo has a very rigorous mandatory education system, and it seems nearly impossible to persuade any of the Nabooians to my cause.

Furthermore, I'd been instructed not to use any physical coercion. I was allowed to use mind tricks, threats, almost anything—but I was not allowed to cause any physical harm to the would-be-soldier.

"Sir, your life and the lives of your family may depend on your service of the Republic," I informed the man, who looked to be about sixty.

He shook his head defiantly, glaring at me with piercing grey eyes. "I am not going to be part of another war. I lost a brother in your last damn war, and I'm sure as hell not going to leave my wife and son to fight in this one."

I resist the urge to reach out and grab hi neck, clench it with metal hands until his worthless neck snapped. "You have no choice," I fume. "The galaxy depends on having able and willing volunteers like yourself."

"I'm not quite sure where you get the idea that I'm willing. My family has always been opposed to your kind of thinking and I'm not going to turn my back on that now."

I roar with frustration and anger. How can he stand there, so calmly writing off the lives of Padme and Obi-wan and Leia? Doesn't he care that the three most important beings in the galaxy will die if he and his planet don't try?

Furiously, I push him through the doorframe back into his home and slam the door. "You three can consider yourselves prisoners until your planet meets the quota of the Empire," I inform him bitterly, back in control. I don't think Naboo will let three of its citizens die.

The man looks to his wife, standing behind him in a doorway. Her face is pale and her grey hair tangled.

He looks away from her and, with a cry of utter hatred and contempt, throws himself at me.

I clench my fist and he stops mid-jump, clutching at his throat. His wife screams and turns white. Upstairs, a baby cries. "It is useless to attack me. Trying it again will get you killed," I warn coldly, before throwing him to the floor. He pulls himself up, panting, and spits at my feet.

I ignore this and watch as his wife crawls towards him and wraps her arms around him. "Werdol, don't…please, don't be stupid," she begs.

I gaze on impassively and he pulls himself to his feet. "The people of Naboo are not so easily bought," he declares proudly, before breaking into a coughing fit. After it subsides, he speaks again, sneering. "They will not change their principles because of threats. I am proud to die in the name of peace."

There are tears falling rapidly down the woman's face.

"Upstairs," I command.

The man gives me a spiteful glare before throwing his arm around his wife's shoulder. "It's alright, Yausta," he says gently and they walk side by side up the narrow staircase.

I follow behind, and direct them into the room where the baby's cries are coming from. The woman, Yausta, immediately glides to the crib in the corner and grabs the baby, holding him close.

Against my will, my heart clenches at the sight of him. I've only seen my own son once in his life.

I use the Force to send the three of them into a deep sleep. They won't wake up at anything for hours.

Satisfied, I hurry from the room and bolt it shut from the outside.

I am surprised to find my own breath coming in short, cold gulps and myself dizzy. I sink to the floor, the coarse material of my cloak making a scraping noise as it rubs against the soft blue paint of the wall.

I turn on my the comlink. "Obi-wan?" I ask tentatively, "Padme?"

There is no answer.

Frustrated, I storm downstairs into the kitchen. The colors, pastel walls and pine wood, tries to be soothing but really just aggravates me because it doesn't reflect anything real.

The home feels surprisingly unlived in; there are no pictures on the walls; no telltale scuff marks or dings in the immaculate, cloudlike furniture.

I move from room to room, considering what to do once my—prisoners, I guess you'd call them—woke up.

Obviously I'll have to contact the Nabooian government, tell them to meet my quota or I'll kill the family. I think they'll listen. I hope they'll listen. The thought of killing these people sends a nauseous wave over my so that I sit down in the nearest chair, very still, and hold my legs to my chest.

I could do it. It would be easy enough; none of them could fight me.

But also…I can't.

I wonder if this is even allowed. Or do Palpatine's rules forbid it?

Maybe he'll kill them anyway.

"Anakin?"

Clumsily I shove my hand into my pocket and grasp for the comlink. I want to weep with relief when I see Obi-wan's face on the screen.

"Master," I say, my voice thin and wobbly, "I did something bad."

I sound like a ten year old padawan about to confess stealing a piece of candy or something.

He looks at me thoughtfully and says nothing.

A confession pours out of me before I can think to stop it. "I kidnapped three people," I blurt, "A couple and a baby, and I'm going to make Naboo meet their quota or I have to kill them."

"Wait—what quota?"

I quickly explain to him what I've been doing the past two weeks. When I've finished, his face is as white as mine. "Anakin—you can't—you shouldn't be doing this," he trembles, "you're making an army? For—Palpatine? Anakin—no. He'll kill everyone—you can't let him, you can't help him. Free those people you have—"

"Master, if Naboo doesn't make the quota, you and Padme and Leia will die. And if he finds out where Luke is, Luke will die too."

"Anakin, that doesn't matter, not compared to the trillions of beings who will suffer if you help Palpatine make an army."

I look down at my hands, unable to meet his eyes. "If you want to die, Obi-wan, that's your choice. But Luke and Leia and Padme—"

"Do you really think for one instant that Padme would want anyone to die so she could keep living?"

Don't kill anyone for me.

"I have to," I say hoarsely, "Master—you know I've killed people already, I know you do. And I did it for Padme. So if I don't make sure she stays alive, it all will have been for nothing."

He looks at me silently for a minute. Once again, I find myself unable to meet his piercing stare and direct my gaze instead to a very interesting tile design.

After a while he says, in a calm, unshaken voice, those his face reflects the turmoil he must surely be feeling, "The Organa's were executed today. It was very highly publicized, on nearly all the channels. They were executed," he says deliberately, "for crimes against the state. What was being 'accomplished' by the deaths was a stronger Empire. If the Empire were to collapse tomorrow, would that mean the deaths were worthless?"

"I'm sorry, Obi-wan," I apologize, biting my lip. "But I can't kill Palpatine alone, and he'll kill me if I don't do what he tells me. So—I have to do it. I'm trying to figure out a way I could sneak you up here so that we could attack without Palpatine knowing, but I haven't thought of anything yet. But when I do, I swear we'll kill him, and then I won't have to do it anymore."

He sighs deeply. "Then come up with something soon."

"I will," I promise earnestly. "Obi-wan—I don't like doing this. I don't enjoy it. But I don't see another way. I'm protecting all of you and making sure I'll be able to kill him."

"I know." He closes his eyes momentarily. "Anakin, its late, and we both need sleep."

"I know. Before you go though, Leia—?"

"Still recovering. They're doing preliminary scans to check for brain damage, but the results aren't back yet."

"Okay. Don't wake Padme, I'll speak to her in the morning."

"Goodnight, Anakin. And please, do be careful."

"I will. Goodnight, Obi-wan."

A/N:

Once again, I am guilty on missing my self semi-imposed deadline. No excuse, I was just lazy. Will try to remedy that problem by getting a chapter up by Wednesday.

Hope you like this chapter. It will move faster after this I think. My only concern is that Anakin is getting to be out of character, opinions on this would be much appreciated. I tried to make him seem like a desperate, panicked person in his actions, but obviously talking to Obi-wan calmed him down quite a bit.

To answer one of the reviews, I don't know quite how Palpatine got the Vader Suit to stay on Anakin, but I am sure there is some sort of technology in our favorite galaxy far far away like that.