Note: I am now caught up with uploading all my written chapters. It may be a week or two before the next one arrives. This chapter was pretty difficult to write, but I am happy with how it ended up.

Anyway, enjoy this next chapter :D


Chapter 5: Visions from the force


The departure from Coruscant had been swift, and the transport entered hyperspace. Traveling in public wasn't something she was used to. There were a lot of people in a relatively small space, and there were no comfortable places to rest. The few benches that exited over the whole ship were already taken when they stowed away their luggage. If they wanted to sleep, they would have to sleep on the floor. Luckily for them, her handmaidens were more knowledgeable about public travel and had packed a sleeping mat with a large blanket and two pillows. It would come in handy if she didn't want to look like a walking corpse when they reached Theed.

Anakin sat in front of her staring in the distance, smiling at some happy memory. She was glad that he appeared to be more relaxed than the day before. Seeing him happy seemed very important to her, although she didn't know why. Sure, she wanted every being to be safe, happy, and healthy but seeing him gleefully instead of the state he was in during dinner made her heart flutter.

In an attempt to find out why that huge grin stretched across his face, she gave a playful nudge to get his attention.

Anakin turned to Padmé and raised an eyebrow while his smile seemed to grow even bigger. "What?"

Padmé tilted her head just a tiny fraction. "What are you thinking about?"

Anakin saw the questioned but happy look on her face and saved the image for a later time to think back on. She looked so cute the way her head tilted whenever she asked him something, and her smile grew even prettier if it was even possible. He knew that Jedi were supposed to suppress these feelings that Padmé elicited in him, but he just couldn't help it.

"A prank I once pulled on Obi-Wan. Want to hear the story?"

"Of course! I never thought you to be a prankster."

"Well, I have changed in the past couple of years. One thing remains the same though, I still want to be your friend just like when we first met in Watto's shop." His tone changed more serious and his smile faded a little, bright blue eyes darkening l. "I missed our conversations and your company."

Her heart jumped a little at knowing he missed her as she missed him. "Ani, I'll always be your friend, and I've missed you too. The life of a queen and senator can get stale without you around."

Anakin noticed she used her nickname for his younger self, and fear crept in his mind. What if she still thinks of me as the small adventurous boy from Tatooine, and sees me like a brother? He liked being her friend, hell, he was lucky enough to even know her, and here he sat being disappointed that she thought of him as a friend. He wanted her to be more but knew that would be impossible. The chance of her liking him the same way he liked her was slim. He was a nobody, a former slave, while more than enough attractive and rich people wandered in the senate. She would never love him the way he loved her.

Anakin sighed, releasing his fear into the force, and shot a quick prayer that his destiny would involve the woman who sat in front of him.

"What is it?" Padmé asked.

"Just what could've been. If I never went with the Jedi and stayed on Naboo after we defeated the separatists, we could have remained friends."

Now it was Padmé's turn to sigh. "Anakin, I wouldn't have wanted you to throw your dreams away just so we could have a place in each other's lives. I know how much being a Jedi means to you."

"True, but my friends are also very important to me. Maybe even more so."

"That's very sweet of you to say Anakin, but you know how much the Jedi need you. Your destiny is more important to the galaxy than our friendship, however much we may disagree."

"I know. I'm just glad that our paths have crossed again."

"So am I. I really enjoy having you here with me. When your mission is over, I would like to keep in touch.

"You're spoiling me with your presence, senator. If you keep this up I might become addicted." Although it was meant as a joke, Anakin knew it was nothing but the truth

Padmé smiled. "Well, then I guess I'll have to stick around you for a while longer so you can teach me some of that Jedi wisdom of yours."

"You don't want to get started on that," he said with a chuckle. "Master Yoda's oneliners get annoying after you hear them every day."

She exaggerated a thinking motion before answering, "What is it that he always tells every person he comes across." Her face cleared after she remembered. "Do or don't, there is no try."

A laugh escaped his lips at the familiar saying. "Yeah, every Jedi hears that a lot. Obi-Wan and I sometimes joke about it when we hear him say it to a new class of padawans."

She giggled like a schoolgirl at the thought of Yoda's glaring face when he heard someone make fun of his wisdom. Anakin joined her in laughter and together they basked in the comfortable aura of their friendship.

The warm silence that fell after his gag made her daydream about the coming weeks. Although she was annoyed that she couldn't be on Coruscant when the fate of the Military creation act was decided, she did look forward to her trip to Naboo. Being around Anakin again was wonderful, as he had distracted her from the sadness and the pain of Cordé's death with his witty jokes and blissful optimism. She was happy that the tension that existed between them started to fade as they spent more time together.

Anakin was the first to break the silence. "I don't know about you, but I could use some rest before we arrive tomorrow."

"Me too," Padmé responded. "Have you seen a place on this ship where we could sleep? Maybe along a wall or in a corner so we can have some privacy."

"Not yet," he said as he stood up, and scanned the ship for a large enough spot for the two of them. "Ah, found one," he said while pointing towards a corner. "There is just enough space there. Although it doesn't have the privacy you are used to, it's better than the middle of the ship."

"It will have to do."

Anakin bowed. "Care to follow me to our new space for tonight Milady?"

She couldn't get the embarrassingly wide grin off her face at his over-the-top formality. "Why yes, yes I would master Jedi."

Before walking towards the spot where they would sleep on the floor, Anakin unplugged Artoo from the charging port and had him fetch the travel bag.

When the droid came back beeping cheerfully for executing another task successfully, Anakin proposed to unpack and prepare the beds. Padmé offered to help, but he refused, so she decided to make herself useful by sneakily dragging two chairs out of the cafeteria.

When she got back, Anakin had already finished making the bed and sat on one side waiting for her to return so that they could start sleeping.

Suddenly she remembered that they had only one sleeping mat and that it was meant for two people. The realization dawned on her that she would have to sleep next to him if they wanted to retain their cover. A slight panic slipped over her at the thought. Was she really going to sleep next to someone she just met? It went against everything she stood for, every moral value she had, and yet, she didn't find herself scared. She knew she could trust Anakin. It was just the principle that held her back, as she couldn't break one of them without feeling a pang of self-destructing guilt. Her whole life was built on principles and doing the right thing. If she let the rules slip, what would prevent her from doing so again?

Anakin felt her panic through the force and saw her hesitate.

She sat down beside him before shyly adding, "I don't think I want to do this," and turned her face away from his understanding soft blue eyes. "I know that it is important for us to keep up the facade of a young couple, but I don't think… I don't feel.."

Sensing that she needed comfort and reassurance, Anakin gently laid his hand on her shoulder and shook her lightly so that she would look at him. In a tender tone, he responded. "It's okay, I understand. You don't have to sleep next to me if it makes you uncomfortable."

"Thank you." Tears started to form in her eyes from guilt and relief. "I'm so sorry, you must be exhausted from traveling and the events from yesterday." Her hands covered her face in an attempt to hide that she was on the verge of breaking down.

"Hey, not wanting to sleep next to someone you just met is not something you should be ashamed of, even if it might endanger our mission.

She lifted her face from her hands and looked into his deep blue eyes through the haze of her tears. "You really think so?"

"Yes, I would never make you do anything you wouldn't want to. Besides, I'll think of something to keep up our cloak of deception."

"It's not that I don't trust you, it's just… it's… me…" She tried not to blush and make the situation more uncomfortable, but the heat still managed to make its way to her cheeks.

"It's okay." An idea sprung in Anakin's mind of how to fix their situation without blowing their cover. In an attempt to cheer her up, and tell her the solution, he turned away making a tormented face as if he were sick.

Very confused at his sudden change in mood, Padmé asked what bothered him.

He feigned a shiver but knew how ridiculous it must have looked. Nevertheless, he kept his act going. "I think I ate something bad during lunch."

Still oblivious to the reason for his sudden theatrics, she decided to play along. "How so?"

He couldn't keep a grin from appearing when he presented his solution to their sleeping problem. "I feel so sick that I might throw up in my sleep. I guess I can't sleep with my 'girlfriend' any longer because we wouldn't want her covered in vomit now, would we?"

The big smile on his face and his playfulness managed to break through the wave of guilt for bringing him and herself in danger. She managed to crack a smile back at him and giggled softly while regaining her composure. "No, I guess not." There was one complication with his plan, however. He needed some rest as well if he was to stay awake during their meeting with queen Jamillia. "What about you? you have to get some sleep as well. We can switch halfway during the night?"

Anakin was flattered that she would give up some of her precious sleep just for him, as he knew she was very tired herself, but couldn't find it in his heart to deny her a full night's sleep. "Thank you, but it's not necessary. After playing sick for long enough I will go and meditate. When Jedi meditate they can replenish their energy by giving themselves to the force and relaxing." Anakin smirked before continuing. I may not be very good at meditation, but I think I can manage to rest enough to get through tomorrow, so there is no need for you to give up your sleep."

"What did I ever do to deserve your kindness?" Padmé asked softly.

"Well, you freed me from slavery and offered me your friendship. I think I still owe you a few," Anakin replied with a grin.

"Thank you," she said while looking him straight in the eyes so he could see how grateful she really was. "

Anakin stood up and sat on the chair so Padmé would have the bed to herself. She crawled under the covers and pulled the sheets over her shoulders.

"Goodnight Ani."

"Goodnight Padmé."

She was very tired, and sleep came to her quickly. The last things she saw before drifting off were his blue eyes watching over her like a guardian angel.


The heat was almost unbearable. Sweat spilled from his forehead and slid across his cheeks before falling to the ground. Standing in one place was almost painful, as his feet felt like they would evaporate from touching the hot surface. The clear sky was illuminated by the light of a binary star system. He was in the middle of a desert, completely surrounded by nothing but sand.

He started to look around, trying to get a sense of where he was and carefully avoiding the blinding light coming from the sky. He knew he was on Tatooine, that's for sure. There were only so many planets with binary stars and this much sand. Though how he came here, he did not know.

There was nothing special within his field of vision, so he started to climb the nearest dune to get a good vantage point. At the top, he was disappointed at the sight before him. More sand dunes.

Anakin sighed and sat down, forgetting the sand was extremely hot. He shot straight up and cursed as he felt a burning pain in his backside. Alright, I get it! Sand is hot.

He had to find another way to figure out where he was. Not knowing what to do, he gave himself to the force, which seemed to pull his mind towards one spot on the horizon. When he opened his eyes, he could just about see a couple of tents in the distance. They were made of a sandy-colored cloth so it was no wonder he hadn't spotted it himself. He decided to walk to the encampment because staying here would not make this situation any more clear. Something made him feel like this place was important. He didn't know why or how, he just knew.

After taking the first step, the feeling of importance was replaced by a warning. The sky grew dark as the suns disappeared, and when he tried to move, his body didn't respond. He looked down to his feet and saw that he was trapped in quicksand. He desperately looked for a way to escape, as he sunk deeper every second. Not seeing anything to grab onto, he did the last thing he could think of.

Anakin made a cone from his hands and put them in front of his mouth to increase the range of his voice. "Help! Somebody Help," he screamed from the top of his lungs. His plea went unanswered, and the last thing he saw before he was swallowed by sand was the dune sea of Tatooine covered in darkness.


Padmé woke from the sound of Anakin squirming. She rolled over to see what was happening and saw sweat dripping from his forehead. He groaned as he rolled over, and thrashed once again, followed up by a string of inaudible words. It was clear that he was having a nightmare. She did not want to wake him unnecessarily, so Padmé let him be. The dream would pass on its own.

The grunts and groans suddenly stopped, and her eyes widened in horror as she couldn't hear or see him breathe anymore. Waking him was to only way to make sure he would be alright, so she quickly crawled towards his motionless body a couple of feet away. Careful not to wake anyone else, she hovered above his ears so only he could hear her.

"Anakin, wake up," she said while shaking him lightly. It seemed to help as he turned over and opened his eyelids. Blue eyes filled with fear stared back at her as he slowly took in his environment, and relaxed after he seemed to remember where he was.

"What is it?" Anakin replied a little drowsy.

"You had a nightmare, and you stopped breathing normally, so I had to wake you."

He shrunk a little in embarrassment as he took in her words. "Oh," he mumbled. "I'm sorry if I woke or scared you."

"It's alright." A quick glance at the chronometer told her that the night was still young. "It's very early still. Let's go back to sleep," she said while returning to her bed.

He nodded in agreement and took a pillow from the chair that Padmé sneaked into their corner before laying it on the floor and making himself as comfortable as possible. "Goodnight."

Anakin didn't get a response as Padmé had already fallen asleep when she slumped back under the covers.

It took a little longer for him to relax, as the dream about Tatooine was still fresh in his memory. It wasn't just a normal nightmare because everything felt so real. It could have been a force vision, but they were extremely uncommon amongst Jedi. He sighed and turned to his other side to release the tension on his back from sleeping on the floor. It wasn't very comfortable, but in the end, he managed to find a decent position that allowed him to relax. Not long after, sleep found him as well.


Hope you enjoyed Chapter 5!

If you have any suggestions, or noticed errors feel free to comment :)