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When Sarah found Anakin and Padme out on the balcony, she immediately sensed that something had happened. She did not need to feel the tremor in the Force, for the look on Anakin's face gave it away. He tried to look nonchalant as he asked Sarah, "So, how was your meditation?"
She gave him a look, "Just...grand. What have you two been up to?"
Padme spoke, "Oh, we've just been talking."
Sarah nodded, staring intently at the two, making Anakin feel supremely uncomfortable. Finally Padme spoke again, "Well, I think that it's almost time for dinner...why don't I go and check on it?"
As soon as she was gone, Sarah turned to Anakin and said, tersely, "Well, I hope you two had a good 'talk'."
Anakin rolled his eyes, "Sarah, come on, give me a break."
She turned on him, "Anakin! Why do I always have to be the one to remind you that you are a Jedi? You can't just go and kiss Senators!"
Anakin rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, Sarah! It was just a stupid mistake! Besides, what do you care?"
Sarah looked at him, hurt shining in her blue eyes. "Anakin! You're my best friend...your practically my brother! I won't let you do this! We are Jedi, and I will not let you just leave all of that."
"How do you even know what happened? You were supposed to be meditating!"
Sarah rolled her eyes, "Just in case you didn't know, meditation is supposed to help clear your mind, which you would be well aware of if you actually did it once in awhile!"
"Why are you getting so worked up? It was one little kiss." Anakin gazed at her intently.
Sarah opened her mouth to reply, when Padme came in. She looked from Sarah to Anakin and hesitated a moment before saying, "Dinner is ready, if you two are hungry."
Sarah closed her mouth, and Anakin gave her one last look and then turned to Padme, "We're starving."
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Obi-Wan loomed over the stormy planet in his starfighter. The planet was exactly where Pliiro had told him it would be. Obi-Wan landed, and the rain pounded steadily around his ship. It reminded him of all those years ago on Roden.
He pulled up his hood and ventured out into the pouring rain. When he entered the starkly white building he was greeted by one of the oddest looking creatures that he had ever seen. It spoke, "Master Jedi, we've been expecting you."
"I'm...expected?" Obi-Wan wiped the water from his face with the sleeve of his robe. How could I be expected?
The creature spoke again, "After all these years, we were beginning to think you weren't coming."
Taun We led Obi-Wan into a brilliantly white room, where another Kaminoan was waiting. "May I introduce our Prime Minister, Lama Su," Taun We said. Lama Su gave Obi-Wan a small bow which he returned.
"I am glad you have come, Master..."
"Obi-Wan Kenobi."
"Master Kenobi. We are pleased that you have finally arrived...I must say, we were becoming concerned. We have thousands of units ready for you and a million more well on the way."
Obi-Wan tried to mask his confusion, "Units?"
"Your clone units. The finest we have ever made," Lama Su said proudly. "Master Dooku will be proud."
"Master Dooku?" Obi-Wan asked, not even bothering to conceal his shock.
"Oh yes, Master Dooku came to us with the request for the Clone Army ten years ago."
"Ten years ago?" The confusion of the situation was beginning to make Obi-Wan's head pound. Dooku had left the Jedi Order ten years ago, and why would he have commissioned a clone army?
Obi-Wan cleared his throat and calmly asked, "And did Master Dooku give any indication as to who this army is for?"
"Of course," Lama Su said, "This army is for the Republic."
Obi-Wan's eyes widened. The Republic? Why the Force would Dooku have created an army for the Republic without the knowledge of the Jedi? Did he even create the army while he was still a Jedi? What in the Force is going on here? Obi-Wan's jumbled thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Lama Su's voice.
"I am sure, Master Kenobi, that you are eager to inspect the units for yourself?"
Obi-Wan tried to clear his mind. He resumed his Jedi-calm and said, "Of course Prime Minister...that's why I'm here."
Obi-Wan rose and followed Lama Su.
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On Naboo, Anakin, Sarah, and Padme were eating a tense dinner. Eventually, Anakin tried to lighten the mood with stories of missions that he and Sarah and Obi-Wan had been on.
"And then, there was this nest of gundarks. It was either that or deal with STAPs, so of course, Obi-Wan took the nest...not the brightest idea."
Padme laughed, though to her it sounded a bit forced. She was still thinking about the kiss that she and Anakin had shared earlier. She would not deny that she had enjoyed it, but Anakin was a Jedi... She decided not to think too much about it, and she allowed herself to fall into Anakin's voice as he wove his story.
Padme glanced at Sarah. Not surprisingly, the Jedi wore her usual serious look. Padme had been sure that she had seen a look of anger on Sarah's face when she had announced dinner earlier, but any traces of it were now gone and Sarah was simply listening to Anakin's story, a bit of a twinkle in her blue eyes.
Anakin continued, "Of course, if it hadn't been for me, Sarah and Obi-Wan would have been dead."
Sarah objected, "I think that what Anakin means to say is that if it hadn't been for Anakin, Obi-Wan and I would have gotten out of there without that near-death experience."
Anakin smirked and winked at Padme, "Of course, that's just what she and Obi-Wan like to say, but I know better."
"At least he likes to think he does," Sarah retorted. Anakin glanced at her. She gave him a small smile, and he knew that their earlier argument was in the past.
Padme caught this brief exchange, and was surprised to see the change in the usually-serious Sarah. After dinner, they had fruit for dessert, and Anakin and Sarah had been entertaining as they battled each other with the Force, each trying to throw fruit at the other.
Padme grinned, "Your maturity is astounding, I must say."
Anakin smirked, "Well, if Obi-Wan were here, he wouldn't be pleased."
They finished dessert without further incident, and the three went outside on the terrace, gazing out at the water that was reflecting the light from Naboo's moons. They talked for a while longer, until finally, Padme said goodnight, leaving the two Jedi alone.
As soon as Padme was out of sight, Anakin spoke, "Sarah, I really am sorry about what happened earlier."
"It's okay...I don't really want to talk about it." She gave him a small smile, and Anakin returned it.
They stood next to each other, leaning on the railing, looking out at the lake. "It really is beautiful here," Sarah said. Anakin had to agree.
She spoke again, "Do you think Obi-Wan has discovered anything yet?"
Anakin sighed, "I hope so. But I feel like we should be helping him. It would go faster if there were three of us working on it. You know what a good team we make."
Sarah grinned, "We do make a good team, don't we?"
Anakin grinned back, "Oh yes, a brilliant one."
"Don't you mean resplendent?" She asked slyly.
"Why do you always have to beat me with a bigger word? You're so competitive! Not very Jedi-like if you ask me." He pretended to glare at her.
"Well, actually...no one asked you."
He gave her a small push, and together they walked back inside, where they said goodnight.
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A/N: Ok, so, I hope nobody minds the little twist with exactly who ordered the clones, but I think that it will come to have an...interesting impact. Also, I think that we will be heading back to Tatooine very soon, just to give a heads up...so...that's it! More to come soon, and I hope that everyone has a very, very happy new year!