Note from the Author
Okay, clearly, it's been a really long time since I've seen "The Clone Wars". That said... it was brought to my attention that Lux is not Satine's son, and yes, I knew that. Well, in some database in my mind I knew. For some reason, at 1 AM in the morning, facts don't line up like that. So yes, I made a mistake, and probably confused a lot of people. And... I have worked to remedy this mistake.
For all of you who have followed this story since the beginning, you know Anakin and Padme are visiting Onderon on their honeymoon. I have changed that to Mandalore. For some reason, I thought Onderon was Mandalore. My bad! I've gone back through the other chapters and changed that little detail. So yes, Anakin and Padme are on Mandalore now.
As for why Lux seems to be Satine's son? I've changed that in Chapter Eleven to not include the word 'son'. Basically, this chapter explains it really well. If anyone has any further questions, please let me know. And if you see any deviations from the real story and my story that don't seem like they were supposed to be there, let me know and I'll either make a change or let you know why I did what I did. Obviously, this is AU, so there are a lot of deviations between this and the real story. As far as people and relationships, though, everything should line up. So if Bail turns up married to Dorme... um, let me know, okay? :)
And as a little FYI... most of these chapters I write between 11PM and 2 AM, so there's a lot of late-night writing going on. I'm not saying my brain works really well at that hour. Anyway...
I hope you guys enjoy! I think the next chapter is going to be awesome. I've written half a sentence so far, and it's amazing! Keep the reviews coming! I read all of them!
And a quick little note! If you guys love this version of Anakin, be sure to check out my other FF, For Every Moment Part 1: Descending Darkness. I read back through it last night, and laughed more than I probably should have. I uploaded the entire thing in one go, over two years ago, so I'm pretty sure a lot of people didn't get notified. It's pretty hilarious, though, so be sure to check it out!
{trinity6diversia}
Chapter Twelve
Lux Bonteri was born on Onderon, to Mina Bonteri, a member of the Separatist Senate. She was influential in her work, but after the Blockade of Naboo, during the early months of Padmé's reign as Queen, her beliefs were tested. She was not yet ready to side with the Republic, but neither was she ready to allow the Separatists totally control over the galaxy. It was a precarious time, and Mina gained both friends and enemies, from within her circles and without.
It was during a short time of peace, before the Clone Wars, that Mina Bonteri met Satine Kryze, the Duchess of Mandalore. Although many of the Mandalorian's favored the Republic at the start of the war, the government retained their neutral ground. As such, they remained out of the conflict, but embroiled in conflicts of their own, as both the Republic and the Separatist movements sought to turn them from within.
The start of the war brought an unexpected strength to Mina and Satine's friendship. They discovered their mutual need for allies outside of the system. And when Mina's husband, and the father of Lux, was killed in an assassination attempt, Lux was sent to live with Satine on Mandalore. Soon after, another assassination attempt took Mina's life, and in accordance to her will, Satine was named the caretaker of Lux until he came of age.
The politics of Onderon, without the neutral influence of Senator Bonteri, turned in favor of the Separatists, and as the war strengthened, Onderon became a major Separatist political staging ground. Even as this was happening, Mandalore was slowly turning in favor of the Republic, with Duchess Satine begrudgingly requesting the aid of the Jedi in affairs beyond her control. So was the political standing of Mandalore when Anakin and Padmé arrived there.
It did not help, though. Mandalore may have designated itself as a part of the Republic, but the unrest on the planet spoke otherwise. The Death Watch worked undercover for the Separatists, and were constantly in search of ways to throw down the Duchess Satine. They knew that, were she to fall, the politics of Mandalore would be easy to manipulate in favor of the Separatists movement.
The Death Watch had been in full swing by the time Anakin and Padmé arrived. Although Anakin had often journeyed to Mandalore with Obi-Wan on missions to protect the Duchess from the violence, those missions had been mere child play. The Death Watch had deadly intent this time. The war was not favoring the Separatists, and Mandalore was a key planet for weapons and supplies; a planet that could not remain in Republic hands.
It was this unsettled atmosphere that caused Anakin to plan an early departure. Mandalore was not a safe place to remain, especially for a prestigious Republic senator such as Padmé. If Obi-Wan had been able to convince Satine to leave, he would have gladly taken that opportunity. Alas, she was set in her ways, and both Obi-Wan and Anakin believed that would be her demise.
Anakin and Padmé left that morning, the morning after arriving; as soon as their designated 'viewing time' was complete. The tension within the city had grown to the point of Obi-Wan cringing from mental strain, and that was not encouraging. Anakin decided it was not worth waiting any longer. Something was going to explode, and he would rather not be there when it happened.
The goodbyes were quick and hurried as the bags were stowed on board the Whispering Winds. Thunder and Lady were tucked away on board to keep out from under foot. Guards watched the landing platform and the surrounding area with vigilant eyes. Nothing could slip past them so long as they were left standing. Obi-Wan and Anakin stepped aside to run through a few last minute things as Padmé gave Satine one last hug.
"I will tell Lux that you were here," promised the Duchess. "He looked up to you within the Senate. He is so much like his mother, only with a certainty she did not have. Perhaps someday he will return to Republic territory to help where his help is needed."
"Lux will know what his path is when his feet stumble upon it," assured Padmé.
And then the men were returning, and Obi-Wan stepped aside with the Duchess while Anakin and Padmé hurried across the landing platform towards the Whispering Winds.
What happened next, Padmé never did remember.
There was a shot fired, and then a crack, followed by a flash of light behind her eyes and a severe pain. Her vision flickered. The pain was that intense kind of pain that numbs all senses. Your mind stops working for a few seconds. It doesn't know whether the pain is something you can handle, or if it should knock you out until it goes away. Padmé felt herself falling, a painful yell hitting her ears. She did not realize until later that the voice was her own. Then blacking out for a second, then awake again, then black, and another yell, this time from Anakin, and a body over hers, and then a darkness to which there was no pain, or feeling, or emotion. Just… darkness.
To Anakin, that moment had been the war. And his reactions had been as they always were. Hand to his belt, blaster in hand, firing shots in the direction of the attack. He hit someone. He could feel it in the Force.
And then he could feel Padmé, and her pain, and that was an emotion he had never had during the war. There had never been someone he cared about more than life itself, not even Ahsoka. There was to be no mercy this time. Right and wrong was as clear as black and white in that moment.
Running towards where Padmé had fallen, Anakin glanced back at Obi-Wan and Satine. They had ducked for cover when the shots were fired, and Obi-Wan had his lightsaber out, blocking more shots that were being fired their way. Thankfully, the ship was shielding Anakin and Padmé from all save the unfortunate assassin who lay dead in the guard tower above them. All the same, Anakin traded out the blaster for his lightsaber, igniting it as he hoisted Padmé over his shoulder. He blocked several shots, and in a break, ran up the boarding ramp of the ship.
R2 had the Whispering Winds ready for takeoff when Anakin ran into the cockpit. He sent the droid out into the lounge of the ship to watch Padmé, then quickly ran through the flight initiation process. He saw Obi-Wan still on the landing platform, alone with his blue saber ignited in his hands, blocking shots fired at him and the ship. Satine had been whisked away to safety.
Anakin had no time to think. He turned the ship with no regard to safety procedures and expertly maneuvered it between buildings and out of the city. His moves were reckless, as was his path. Anyone would know Anakin Skywalker had been there. But he didn't care. He could feel Padmé in the Force, and their bond was stronger than ever. He could feel her pain, and her fear, and because she had no strength to hide it, he could also feel her need for him. She was crying out, desperate to know if he had left her. It was an emotionally traumatic few moments, which Anakin was not soon to forget.
Shields were on high as the Whispering Winds blasted from Mandalore space. Anakin's hands flew over the dials. He almost set a route for Naboo, but at the last second, chose instead to head straight for Corellia. It was much closer, and their doctors were some of the best for general injuries. As Anakin slowly pulled back on the hyperspace lever, he noticed that his hands were shaking. He was too stunned to do anything but stare at that phenomenon for several tense seconds.
And then the ship was in hyperspace, and as it always did, the space bending around the ship helped to calm Anakin's mind. He took a shaky breath, forcing himself not to break down. It was a rare event that caused Anakin Skywalker to even consider breaking down. He put his head in his hands and took several breaths, feeling the muscles unclench as he did so.
And then, just as soon as he had relaxed, he was racing from the cockpit to the lounge, ordering R2 back to the front to watch their progress.
Padmé opened her eyes just slightly at the sound of Anakin's voice. He was by her side in an instant, reaching down to gently touch her hand as he brushed her hair from her forehead. His eyes were deep pools of worry; a look Padmé had never associated with Anakin Skywalker. And she was suddenly conscious of their Force bond, and how he must have been feeling her every emotion.
Anakin reached down to pull away the torn cloth of Padmé's bodice, where the shot had entered. It was a grim sight. The corset had helped slow the laser, but it had not stopped it. Anakin knew the weapon used was cheaper by the mess the laser left behind. More expensive blasters left clean shots that basically electrocuted cells in the surrounding area, leaving the systems of the body to fail. The cheaper blasters had a smaller range of electrocution and were little worse than old fashioned bullets when it came to severing blood vessels. Padmé's clothes were soaked with blood from the injury.
"Anakin," she whispered, gripping his hand tightly against the pain. "Take care of me." Her voice was almost pleading, if it had not also been so weak.
"Always," he said, his jaw set, and his eyes deep with concern and anger. He grabbed part of her dress and pressed it against the injury to try and stop the bleeding. Padmé arched her back and clenched her teeth, tears smarting at the corners of her eyes, though she refused to cry out. It was no use. A few seconds of this and she did cry. It was the most heart-wrenching sound Anakin had heard in his life.
"It's okay," he whispered, scooping her up into his arms. He hurried her to the emergency medical bay of the ship and lay her on the table, then grabbed a sedative and slipped it under her skin. A moment later, she collapsed, limp and lifeless.