One year later.
The wind was brutal that day, whistling down the valley and from the mountaintops with no regard to what was in it's path. Dark thunderheads piled up on the horizon. Lightning flashed occasionally. The trees creaked and bent under the pressure of this world's tantrum.
It was getting on towards dusk, and with the ending of the day and the impending storm, the small spaceport of Monte Malei had settled down. Those caught outdoors kept to their own, and huddled up against the wind as they went about their way. A few ships remained docked for the night, but most had left, and only one or two were making their descent. One by one, buildings and streets were illuminated as the lights came on, but darkness continued to descend. There was something calming about this place; something peaceful.
Anakin was nearing the end of his work day. He finished filling out the checklist on the holopad he carried with him, for the most recent arrival to the spaceport. The fueling team had finished their task, and ran back to the cover of the hanger. Anakin paused a moment longer, feeling the wind blowing harshly through his hair. He looked up at the darkening sky, wondering for what felt like the millionth time if he would ever get used to standing on solid ground.
"Larson!"
Anakin turned, sending the final checklist as he did so and turning off his holopad. He acknowledged his boss with a jerk of his chin.
"The storm is slowing us down. Most of the transports are diverting to Monte Bibo so they don't have to fight with the wind down the mountains. I'm gonna say you're good for the day, if you want to leave now."
"The last ship is logged and fueled," replied Anakin, motioning towards the ship behind him in the bay. "I can finish inventory before I leave."
"No need," answered his boss, a gruff man with a belly and an unruly beard. His eyes were kind though, and he had smile lines from a good life. "I have some extra time before I leave. I saw your missus in town. No doubt she's waiting for you to take her home."
"No doubt," answered Anakin, and his lip twitched into a very faint smile. He handed the holopad to his boss and took his leave, grabbing his jacket on the way out. He had turned in his Jedi robes and tunics for a pair of rough breeches and a shirt, with work boots and a utility jacket. He couldn't deny the feeling of freedom every time he left the house without having to deal with the cumbersome Jedi attire.
Outside, he made way for his speeder, parked to the side of the hanger. It was nothing fancy, much like the ship he had bought while leaving Coruscant. That ship had been sold and another purchased, to further lead an assassin off their trail. The new ship was smaller, but the interior was in slightly better condition, and in Anakin's mind, it flew better. Both the ship and the speeder had been fixed up in his spare time, to the point now where his speeder was probably the fastest in Monte Malei. But he never tested that. It was an open design, with an optional roof that could be put up if the weather required it. Padmé had insisted. It had blue and yellow stripes; the blue had come on it, and Anakin had added the yellow for old times. Anakin had also added a secret compartment within the console, to hold his lightsaber and a small emergency kit, in case they were discovered and had to flee. He never felt right without his lightsaber, but he dared not wear it openly.
At the speeder, Anakin threw his lunch pail into the back seat, then reached for his comlink. It was a single stream comlink, that only connected to Padmé. He had another for all other purposes, and his untraceable comlink that only Obi-Wan and Yoda could reach him at.
"Anakin?"
"Padmé, where are you?"
"Just leaving the market. Did you get off early?"
"It slowed down. Doz wanted me to head out before the storm hits. I'll pick you up."
"Alright, I'll wait for you."
Anakin jumped in and started the speeder, then slowly pulled out of his spot and headed towards the market. Just as she said, Padmé was waiting for him. Instinctively, Anakin jumped out as soon as the speeder had parked, then went around and helped her in. It wasn't weird anymore, if it had ever been. It was life. He ignored the looks from the women around the market, the swooning, hormonal looks. The jealous looks.
"How were the kids today?" asked Anakin as he turned the speeder back the way he'd come, in the direction of their home. He pushed a button to bring the top over them, as it started to rain every so lightly.
"They wouldn't calm down," sighed Padmé tiredly, but she was smiling. "They are too energetic this time of year. We took an extra long break outside during the noon hour and I made them run laps. You were right, they loved it."
"I told you," grinned Anakin, shooting her a wink. "Next time, I'll stop by and teach them how to duel."
"Absolutely not!" laughed Padmé. "Are you trying to get me fired?"
"That's why I said I would teach them." Anakin's face was solid and serious, but his eyes were twinkling. Padmé playfully slapped his arm and pretended to be furious, but he just laughed. "Come on, I'm kidding. I don't know how to duel." He winked at her again. They both knew he could handle a lightsaber better than anyone, even a Jedi.
"So, did you learn anything interesting today?" asked Padmé, turning the conversation onto Anakin.
"Nothing more than normal," he answered, absently holding the steering mechanism with his left hand while he grabbed Padmé's hand with his other. It was second nature now, he never realized when he did it. "Although we had a Nubian Twelve come in. Those things are legit. The owner added a second hyperdrive, for no reason, just because. He said it generates three times the normal power for a typical Nubian. Imagine that! I could have added one to your Nubian and we would have destroyed the competition and…"
And so Padmé sat there, with her hand in Anakin's, listening to her young husband go on and on about the ships he'd seen, and modifications he should have done to the ships he'd had. And she looked out the window at the beautiful mountains and trees surrounding them, and the rain as it fell in waves. His voice brought her so much peace, and this place amazed her at every turn.
Monte Malei was a small spaceport in the mountains of the planet Tamati. It was a small planet in the Outer Rim, that kept to it's own and saw very little trouble from the outside world. The ports were too small for transports, let alone military transports, so the Republic and the Separatist armies never bothered. There was nothing important about Tamati, nothing that needed mined, or important substances to use. It had natural resources, which the locals used to live, but not enough to attract any attention. It was the perfect place to hide, the perfect place to get away.
Anakin and Padmé lived in a small house outside of town, on a mid-sized piece of land. There were houses near them, but not near enough to make any difference, and there were trees separating them. They were close to their neighbors. There was a family with five children a few houses down, some of which went to Padmé's school and she tutored them during their off time. There was a young couple next door to them, about their age, and Anakin and Padmé often had dinners with them. Down the way, there was an older couple. The man kept to his own, but the woman adored Padmé, and would bring her baked goods often. Her accent was very thick, and couldn't quite be placed, but she would always ask Padmé, "Why you no-a have-a babees, sweet girl?" And Padmé would blush fiercely and Anakin would leave the room.
They were happy in their little home. It was smaller than anywhere Padmé had ever lived, but she found it easier to keep up that way. Anakin had two shops, one to the side of the house, where he worked on his speeder and made repairs to anything and everything, and another under the house, hidden from view. This one he need more serious things, such as communications with the Jedi Temple and hacking the military transport routes. He wanted to make sure he was prepared for anything, and if an attack was coming for them, he would be ready for it.
Padmé kept and cared for Tashian birds on their property. They couldn't fly, and were relatively worthless, except they tasted delicious and laid giant eggs which tasted even better. Every few weeks, Anakin would kill one of the birds, and Padmé would roast it. She always seemed to stretch it into several meals. She also had a garden, which she tended regularly. The seasons on Tamati were mild; winters were wet and it never snowed, and summers were stifling. So the garden could continue all year long.
It was a happy home, that Padmé took pride in. It made her happy to work and keep house for her young husband, and he respected her. They never had visitors, save their neighbors, and for the most part, they blended in perfectly. Anakin denied using the Force, but the locals acceptance of "Matt and Mon Larson" was a little too easy, and Padmé always wondered if he had done something to make their arrival so seamless.
Obi-Wan never came to Tamati. He communicated with Anakin rarely, and their conversations were always very short, for fear the untraceable comlink could in fact be traced. Anakin kept his ears open at the spaceport for any word of the outside world. He heard often about the war, but the news was always the same. They would talk about the most recent battle, or what world was now under Republic control, or Separatist control, of had pulled away completely. At one point, he had heard someone speak of Queen Ahsoka, who had, at one point, been his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano. She had returned to Coruscant, and while no one knew why, Anakin suspected it was to aid the Jedi in his absence. He wished he could reach out to her and speak to her again, but it was too dangerous.
During their year on Tamati, Anakin had taken great steps to make their presence invisible to searching eyes. He had grown out a thick beard, which Padmé had never objected to. His wife had put aside her regal attire and adopted more rugged dresses, pants and hairstyles. At first, it was difficult getting used to, but eventually she had become used to it. At one point, she expressed her love of not having to wear tight dresses, heels or headache-inducing headdresses. And after that, it was a non-issue.
Yes, they were happy.
The speeder pulled up into the covered spot Anakin had built onto the side of their house. Padmé got out before he was able to come around and open her door. He gave her a look, which she quickly returned.
"I love you," was all she said before she stepped into the house. And what could have become an argument over her not letting Anakin open doors for her, quickly dissipated. He paused for a moment, confused why those three little words continued to have an impact on him, then shrugged and decided it didn't matter. He loved it. He loved her.
And then he stepped foot inside. And stopped as a pair of blue eyes met his.
"Anakin."
"Obi-Wan?" asked Padmé, clearly confused and not trying to hide the concern in her voice, for she had just seen him as well. "What are you doing here?"
"I apologize for my intrusion," he said, and there was something about the lines on his face and the look in his eyes that told Anakin that this visit had not been planned. "I would not have come in, but, it was raining and…" He trailed off, then reached up and rubbed his temples, taking a deep, very unsteady breath.
"Obi-Wan…" said Anakin slowly, his eyes narrowing, stepping forward as he might towards a dangerous animal he was trying to calm. He instinctively stretched his hand back towards Padmé to tell her not to come forward, and she shrunk back against the wall. The Force was so strong in that moment that the air popped and sparked, not to the visible eye, but to those who cared to feel it. "Something isn't right here. Tell me what's going on."
"The Republic…" Obi-Wan gritted his teeth, still rubbing his temples. "The Republic has fallen. The Jedi…" His hand dropped and he met Anakin's eyes, a tear glistening in the corner as his blue eyes flashed. "The Jedi Order has been destroyed."