Well, here's the next chapter. I hope you're all enjoying this story so far, there's going to be a lot of action coming up soon for those of you who have been waiting for it. Also, there will be a guest appearance by one of the characters from 'Order 66' in the near future…just thought I would tell you.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or anything Star Wars related.

CHAPTER 5

Obligation


Anakin Skywalker awoke to the pleasant feel of his still sleeping wife in his arms. During the trying month of his stay on the desolate ice-planet of Hoth, he had slept alone in a rather uncomfortable cot, only dreaming of the days to come when he would be reunited with Padme again. He delicately tightened his hold on his wife when he felt her begin to stir, groggily shifting her head and snugly nestling further into the crook of his neck as she released a deep yawn. Anakin felt an overwhelming sensation of contentment and harmony rise within him – a sensation of unadulterated peace that he had not experienced since disembarking on his last assignment and leaving his home. Leaving Padme and Naboo behind for missions had always been hard on him, but never before had he spent such a lengthy period away before his latest task on Hoth.

Lightly brushing his lips across the top of Padme's silky hair, he savored the blissful moment of amity and breathed in her refreshing scent. Her natural potency was unlike anything else he had ever known. Her familiar fragrance was enough to send his heart racing in his chest and he unconsciously tightened his hold on her petite form even more, sighing in pure ecstasy. He didn't wish to rouse his dainty wife, but he could already feel her gradually slipping from her slumber through their strong rapport, and so he placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head to greet her.

Padme quietly moaned in delight as a smile appeared on her face. "Morning, Ani."

"Good morning," Anakin said in return. "How did you sleep?"

"Much better with my brave Jedi protector back by my side," Padme drowsily whispered, not even bothering to open her eyes when she spoke.

"I missed you so much," Anakin replied. "You are much nicer to hold than Obi-Wan."

"I will be sure not to let that knowledge escape me," Padme retorted, not able to stifle a soft laugh. "Obi-Wan might be insulted…"

Chuckling to himself, Anakin bent his head down when his wife finally cracked her eyes open and gazed up at him. Her alluring chestnut orbs always seemed to peer straight into him and penetrate his very soul. Her ability to captivate him with a mere glance had only grown stronger during their time spent together and he would have it no other way. As they joined together to share a tender and loving kiss, they both lost themselves in the depths of the other until the door to their room suddenly chimed and interrupted their moment. Anakin groaned in frustration when their lips reluctantly parted.

"What is it?" he called out in annoyance, sounding extremely dissatisfied with the intrusion.

"Master Anakin, you and Miss Padme have a visitor," Threepio's voice answered from the other side of the door. "Master Kenobi has just arrived."

"Obi-Wan?" Padme pondered aloud. "What is he doing here?"

"Ruining my vacation," Anakin bitterly scowled. Then, closing his eyes while he fought the urge to crush his protocol droid using the assistance of the Force, he called back with unmistakable aggravation and tension lacing his every word. "Fine, we'll be out in a few minutes."

"Very well, I'll let Master Kenobi know," Threepio's voice said before his footsteps could be heard moving down the hallway just outside their room.

"What do you think he wants?" Padme questioned, pressing herself further against her husband and draping a slender arm over his chest.

"To deliver bad news, I'm sure," Anakin sighed. "Angel, if they expect me to leave you again, I'll resign from my – "

"You will fulfill your duty, just as you always do," Padme quickly cut him off, not allowing him to finish his protest. "Ani, you know there is nothing in the galaxy that you would rather do than be a Jedi."

"I would rather stay right here," he firmly countered. "With you, on Naboo…Padme, I won't go."

"They need you, Ani, we all do," Padme replied as she absently ran her hand up and down her husbands exposed chest, drawing invisible patterns on his skin with her finger tips. "You are helping the Republic by being a Jedi. I know you too well to believe that you would turn your back on that."

Anakin silently stared up at the ceiling in contemplation before responding. "You would rather I turn it on you?"

"You aren't turning your back on me, Anakin," Padme argued. "You are making the galaxy safer and more secure for everybody, including me and the rest of Naboo. What you do is important."

"I thought when the war ended and you stepped down from office, we would have more time to ourselves," Anakin muttered under his breath. "I can't bare the thought of leaving you alone again, Padme. I am supposed to be your husband, but I never get the chance to be a good one."

"You are more than I could have ever asked for," Padme replied with conviction. "Ani, I love you and that will never change. I spent years in the Senate, incase you have forgotten…I know how time consuming work can be. I understand what you must do and I will always be waiting here for you when you get back."

"But that's just it, Padme, you shouldn't have to wait for me to come back," Anakin insisted. "I should already be here with you. There are enough Jedi to do my job – they don't need me."

"Yes, they do," Padme retorted. She sadly smiled and brushed her warm lips against Anakin's cheek when his hardened expression remained unchanged. "Besides, he could just be stopping by to visit. Let's not get too ahead of ourselves."

"When has Obi-Wan ever stopped by just to say hello?" Anakin asked as his features somewhat softened. "The Council wants me to do something. They can't even give me two days…it hasn't even been one yet."

"Everything will be okay," Padme reassured her distressed husband. "Now, you should go and find out what he wants. I'll be down after I have taken a shower."

Gingerly placing one last kiss on Anakin's cheek, Padme tossed the sheets to their bed aside and slid over to its edge, only to be stopped by two strong arms that possessively wrapped around her slim waist. Her eyes involuntarily shut when Anakin's roaming lips trailed down her neck and eventually settled on her collarbone.

"I'll join you," he mumbled into her shoulder.

"You are procrastinating," Padme laughed. Anakin fell forward and miserably buried his face in his pillow when she stood up to move away from their bed. "You will have to face him sooner or later, Anakin. It might as well be sooner. Trust me, you will be better off if you get it over with now."

Sighing again, Anakin swung his legs over the opposite edge of the bed and tiredly ruffled his disheveled hair with his flesh hand. The morning had started off well, but had unfortunately taken a dreadful turn for the worst…


Once he had pulled on his tunic, Anakin made his way out of the bedroom while the sound of running water could be heard from the fresher behind him. He silently cursed his old mentor for taking him away from his love…he could have been partaking in much more desirable activities if it weren't for Obi-Wan's unexpected arrival. When he descended the stairs to meet with his former Master, he could hear two voices arguing in the lodge's kitchen and he quickly started towards it to investigate. All he could make out from the distance was that one voice belonged to a female while the other belonged to a male, but he could feel the distinct Force signatures of the two individuals.

The corner of his mouth lifted in a lopsided grin as he drew closer and could hear Obi-Wan's thickly accented voice politely trying to reason with a heated Sabe. The debate ended when he stepped into the room and casually leaned against the doorframe, folding his arms in front of him and smirking at the pair that stood before him.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said in mild surprise.

"It's a little early to be fighting, isn't it?" he asked.

"Tell him what you just told me, Master Kenobi," Sabe retorted, her temper obviously still getting the best of her. "Tell him that he has to leave Padme again when he has just gotten back to Naboo."

"That was what I suspected," Anakin grimaced as he moved through the door to join them inside.

"I am sorry, Anakin," Obi-Wan regrettably replied. "I know you were looking forward to staying with Padme before you had to leave again, but I'm afraid we are needed first thing tomorrow morning."

"Then I still have today?" Anakin questioned, visibly brightening at the notion of getting to spend any amount of time with his wife.

"Yes, we will not have to leave until the morning."

"That is good news," Anakin sighed in relief. "And where are they sending us now?"

Obi-Wan uncomfortably cleared his throat before answering. "Korriban."

"Korriban?" Anakin repeated in shock. "What could they possibly want us to do there?"

"You remember the symbols on the faces of those Dark Jedi who attacked us back on Hoth?" Obi-Wan stated more than asked. "Their origins have been traced back to the ancients on Korriban. The Council feels that if we can somehow find a way to interpret the old language, we will be able to find the answers we have been looking for regarding the Respian and his disciples."

"What in blazes are you two talking about?" Sabe interjected. "What do you mean you were 'attacked'?"

"It's a long story," was Anakin's blunt response. "Listen, can you both do me a favor?"

Obi-Wan smiled and nodded his head. "Of course, my young padawan, anything."

"Leave," Anakin said with a hint of impatience in his tone. He had to stop himself from rolling his eyes when he received a questionable look from Obi-Wan and Sabe. "Just…go and see Theed or something. I would appreciate some time alone with Padme before I have to go."

"Of course, it is the least we can do," Sabe replied in understanding. "I can take Master Kenobi to the market square and show him around. Perhaps we can get a bite to eat."

Anakin smiled gratefully. "Thank you."


Aayla Secura sat on the floor beside her cot with her legs comfortably crossed beneath her while she released herself into the Force, allowing it to surround and guide her. She had found herself unable to sleep and had decided to spend some time in meditation. As she sank further into her intent state of concentration, she could sense the rest of her Jedi brethren around her. Some were awake and patrolling the base, but most were sleeping until the time for their own shifts arrived. Boredom was a common thing among the residents of the outpost and sleep was the only option one had to pass the time, with the exception of meditation. It didn't take the Jedi long to learn that there were not many activities to be had on the frozen world of Hoth. The rough terrain of ice and snow didn't offer many possibilities for its inhabitants.

The Twi'lek Jedi had been meditating for several hours when her focus eventually came to an abrupt end and her eyes instinctively flew open. A powerful feeling of dread and foreboding suddenly struck her through the Force, alerting her of an approaching danger. Her gaze hastily darted around the sleeping area she sat in – searching for the source of the disturbance – but she found nothing amidst the sleeping forms of her fellow Jedi. Immediately realizing that the warning was too insistent to be dismissed or ignored, she quickly rose to her feet and proceeded to survey her surroundings for any signs of a threat.

Closing her eyes to concentrate harder, she detected the foreign presence of someone or something moving just inside the main doors to the base and she hurriedly slipped through the occupied cots that surrounded her to find it. The life signature was faint, but she could easily identify that whatever it was, it was skilled and experienced with the Force. Her pace quickened as she drew near the exit to the outposts sleeping quarters, but she came to a halt when she caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye. Turning to get a better look, she hastened over to the cot where she knew Stass Allie slept and her jaw dropped in horror when she spotted her.

"Stass!" Aayla exclaimed, rushing over to her friends' motionless body and kneeling down beside her.

She forcefully shook the other Jedi's shoulder to wake her, but to no avail. Master Allie lay with her eyes staring up blankly at the ceiling above her – blind to the rest of the world. Just then, Aayla felt something wet seeping through the knee of her sleep pants and she glanced down. Letting out a terrified gasp, she stumbled back and peered down at the pool of shimmering blood that rested beneath Stass' cot. When her gaze darted around from cot to cot, she found that the rest of her comrades had met the same fate as her friend…she was the last Jedi alive.

"You are too late," a menacing voice suddenly assaulted her ears from behind.

Without skipping a beat, Aayla spun around and reached for the hilt of her lightsaber, but she found herself empty handed.

"You will all die at the hands of The Falard," the voice continued, a dark figures yellow eyes glowing beneath the concealing cloak it wore. Though it was the only visible attribute of the creature, its piercing glare was enough to send a shiver of fear down the defenseless Twi'lek's spine. "The Jedi's rule is at an end."

Before Aayla could react, the mysterious figure lunged forward, igniting its lightsaber while it made its attack. Her breath was taken from her lungs as the crimson blade stabbed through her midsection, a burning pain coursing through her entire body upon contact.

"You are doomed…it is destiny," the creature hissed, leaning close enough to her face for her to feel its hot breath on her skin. She could now see its mouth twist up into a wicked grin. "Skywalker and Kenobi will be the first to go. They will both suffer!"

Aayla jolted upright as her breath caught in her throat, leaving her desperately fighting for air. She panted and coughed, rolling onto her side and clutching her stomach in agony. However, when she looked down to inspect her newly inflicted wound, she soon discovered that she was not injured at all. Other than the beads of sweat that drenched her from head to toe, she was fine. Not quite understanding how she could be unharmed after being impaled by a lightsaber, the confused Jedi ran her hand along her stomach where there should have been a hole before looking back up at her attacker. She found nothing.

"Aayla!" she heard a familiar voice call out to her.

Calling upon the Force to help calm her, Aayle painstakingly sat up and watched Stass Allie as she worriedly made her way across the room in her direction. She quickly realized that the rest of the Jedi that occupied the cots around her were staring at her in concern as well.

"Aayla, are you alright?" Stass asked in a near panic, crouching down beside her friend once she had reached her place on the ground. "We all felt your disturbance through the Force. What happened?"

"I-I don't know," Aayla stuttered. "The last thing I remember is sitting down to meditate. Then I...had a vision. It was a warning about Skywalker and Master Kenobi."

"A warning?"

"We must contact the Temple at once," Aayla declared as she regained her strength and slowly climbed up from the floor. "They are in danger. Whatever it was that just invaded my mind, it was powerful."

"Our communication systems are still down," Stass replied. "We can make no outgoing transmissions until the blizzards have stopped."

"We are on Hoth, Stass, the blizzards never stop," Aayla retorted as she unconsciously grazed her palm across her untouched stomach once more. "We have no time to wait. I will need to take a ship and return to Coruscant as soon as possible."

"It is too risky, my friend," Stass attempted to reason. "Even if you were to take a ship, the storms are too severe. You would never be able to leave the atmosphere."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Aayla questioned.

"At least wait until the conditions let up some," Stass answered, placing a comforting hand on the worried Jedi's shoulder. "You will be no good to anybody if you get yourself killed."

Aayla opened her mouth to argue, but quickly snapped it back shut. As much as she hated to admit it, her friend was right. She would solve nothing if she were dead.

"You're right. I am going to ready a ship," Aayla finally said in resignation. "I want to be fully prepared when the time comes…"


Padme sat at the mirror in her bedroom while she methodically brushed the tangles out of her damp hair. Much to her relief, she had not heard or felt any anxiety coming form downstairs since Anakin had left to speak with Obi-Wan. She hoped that the silence meant he had taken the news of his reassignment a bit better than he had in the past, but she knew that the notion was probably not very likely. Although she could not sense Anakin's emotions like she often could through the unique bond that only they shared, she had a strong inkling that he and his old Master were exchanging heated words at that very moment. Anakin's impulsive behavior had probably resulted in his blurting something out and Obi-Wan was no doubt giving him a lecture by now. At least, that was what history had told her.

She fondly smiled as she set her brush down and took the japor snippet that hung around her neck in her hand, admiring its beauty and reminiscing about the boy from Tatooine who had given it to her as a gift so long ago. Never would she have guessed she would marry him one day – even though he had declared as much upon their first meeting. She continued to lose herself in her thoughts while she protectively held the pendant. It amazed her how such a small piece of jewelry could be so treasured and cherished…she loved the precious carving just as she loved her husband, for it reminded her of the time when their journey together had first started. True, they had been separated for nearly a decade before being reunited, but Anakin had been worth the wait and his memory had never once left her.

"What are you thinking about?"

Padme smiled when she heard the familiar voice speak up behind her. "You."

"What a coincidence, I was just thinking about you," Anakin mused as he wrapped his arms around his wife's shoulders and leaned down to kiss her neck.

"How did it go?" Padme asked, her smile broadening when he huffed and rested his chin on the top of her head. His reflection smiled back at her from the mirror. "You seem in higher spirits than I would have anticipated."

"Obi-Wan and Sabe went out to lunch," Anakin replied. "I have you all to myself today, Angel. How could I not have high spirits?"

Padme's face suddenly fell. "Today…that means you will be leaving tomorrow, then."

"Unfortunately," Anakin sadly answered. "But we may not be long."

Anakin released his hold on Padme when she shifted in her seat and moved to stand up. Turning around to face her husband, Padme tucked her arms against his body and rested her head on his chest, melting into him as he tenderly encircled her waist with his arms. He bowed his head to whisper into her ear while he deepened their embrace.

"We will just have to make the most of the time that has been given to us."

"Yes, we will," Padme agreed, moving back so that she could look him in the eye. "Like you said, today you have me all to yourself, and I have you."

Without another word, she wrapped her arms around Anakin's neck and pulled him down, passionately capturing his lips in her own. He immediately responded by pulling her closer to him – intensifying their open display of intimacy while he lost himself in the warmth of her body as it pressed against his.

Anakin's hands explored every smooth curve of Padme's body while her back arched in pleasure and her hands sank into the richness of his long hair, both of them drowning in the others essence. A low murmur of desire escaped Padme's mouth as Anakin deepened the kiss even more. Then, delicately lifting his adored wife into his arms without their lips ever parting, he turned and gracefully started for their bed. Soon, all of their troubles and worries faded away as they found solace in each other's comforting presence. There were no more missions or concerns…there was only them.