Disclaimer: Star Wars is owned by Disney and Lucasfilm Ltd. The following work is not intended to add to, promote or distort this series. This is a work of fanfiction, and the author does not profit in posting. This is simply a writing exercise written for fun.
Over and over in her mind, she saw it... SLAP! The moment that seemed to define her to every attendee of the conference. She was despondent, depressed even. Why did I even do that? She wondered. There was nothing appropriate about slapping a person across the face like that, out of the blue and not in self defense, and, as if called to action, her hand just wound up there. She was so stunned, she didn't even have words to say in apology.
No, She realized, Like a coward, I ran. Ran away.
Standing up to look herself in the mirror, Padme did her best to recover her regal poise, but some part of her was just so upset about that slap, she couldn't fully recapture it. A deep, longing pull inside her wanted so badly to apologize to him. To tell him she hadn't meant that.
Staring at her hand, she sat back down on the bed, almost in mourning for her unwarrented decision. No, there was no need to act so harshly, and there never would be. So why did I? And she looked down at the Kasha crystal, noticing how it glowed stronger in the dimly lit room.
"Did you do this to me?" She asked the small, unassuming stone. Perhaps there was a greater flaw to it than its color.
Luke sighed as he fell back on his bed, staring at the ceiling as though it were the gateway to sleep. He was exhausted. Quelling Ahsoka's sorrow had taken a great deal out of him. It hadn't occurred to him that Ahsoka's montrals would pick up on his exchange with Padme, and he was suddenly very regretful that she knew his father's destiny.
And then there was his mother. He couldn't stand how aggressively she'd approached him about his past, prying into things that, at this point, were not her concern. She struck him as a kind figure, a guiding light for those around her, but her behaviors indicated otherwise. They show the behaviors of a weaker will than he was used to, and he had to wonder why. What had caused her to change so drastically?
Furthermore, how had she known that he had also cut his father's hand off?
Perplexed as he was, he could not find solace nor rest, not even when his sister returned from talking with straggling associates. She seemed as grim as he when she fell on her bed, face first into the pillow, "That was exhausting." She admitted, "And thrilling."
Smirking, Luke rolled to his side and commented, "Tell that to my cheek."
Glancing up at him, Leia rested her head on her arm, smiling, "I'm sorry about that." She admitted, "I feel like it's my fault, threatening her secret relationship like that."
Luke shrugged, "At least we know for fact they are married." He pointed out, "I doubt I'd have gotten that reaction if they were not. But still-"
"-It's not like her." Leia finished the statement easily, "At least, not the her we were guarding back on Coruscant... Something's off, and I highly doubt the wedding dress is all of it." She then sat up, her brother sighing as she did, but still, he said nothing. "Father seems to know who we are, at least, his subconscious does, but mother seems... lost. Like finding the answer as to whether or not to trust us is alluding her in some unnatural way."
Luke nodded, closing his eyes, "I felt a very strange presence in her when she fled. As though she were losing herself to something else. More than Fear."
"Anger?" Leia inquired.
Luke sat up, "The dark side." He then shrugged, "I felt it latching on to her for some reason. Perhaps it's giving her clairvoyance of some sort. She knew more about me than I told her, and that has me very uncomfortable." Leia sighed and fell back again on her back.
"So they already got to her!" She hissed, frustrated, "But when and how?"
Luke sighed, "I don't know Leia... All I know is we need to figure out how to keep that darkness out of her." he then paused, "For all we know, Palpatine did this and it isn't our enemy."
Grumbling, Leia replied with, "Just what I needed to hear." And then she rolled over to force some sleep into her eyes.
It wasn't his first trip to Nal Hutta, but he'd certainly hoped there had been some stagnation between visits. Though, to be frank, he'd hoped never to see the slippery form of Gardula the Hutt again. She reminded him of a tape worm, disgusting, and living in filth. Except her definition of filth was not the excretions of other organisms, but rather the company she chose to keep.
A premier member of the Hutt Clan, she held more than three hundred slaves at any one time, with all her holdings divided amongst her many estates. She'd always invested well, but was hardly a kind master, something Anakin had learned the hard way as a child. His greatest yearning had been to collect his mother and drive away from the monster as fast as he could.
Yet here he was, standing before her.
Only now, he was not her slave. Now he was something far greater than she could ever be, not that she would admit to or understand that. And no, she had to listen to him. Well... more specifically, to Obi-Wan.
"And so, we were hoping you could ID these two suspects." the red-headed negotiator prompted very carefully, holding up a HoloImage of both Darklighters for her to see. And, as those skeevy eyes studied the faces of the two before her, Anakin felt his heart race.
This was it... she would know or she wouldn't know. It would have been part of his mother's purchasing price.
And, in Huttese, he received his answer. I've never even heard of these two before.
"So they've not caused you any trouble?" Obi-Wan wanted to know, "To a degree that they would hide their identities in the republic?" Again, she informed him in her drawl speech, If they've caused any trouble, they were very smart about it. I never forget a face, Jedi.
Releasing a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, Anakin nodded, "We thank you, Honorable Gardula." he spat, all that while recalling her honor. Every scathing detail.
Sensing it was time to go, Obi-Wan bowed and followed Anakin out the door, pondering what to say next. "Well," he finally decided as they neared their ships, "That certainly was a dead end... Where to next?" To that, Anakin shrugged.
"Coruscant." He finally decided, turning to his ship and wishing he'd had Artoo there. With all the commotion, he'd failed to register that the ship he'd stolen was not his and that his droid was not in the vicinity.
"Coruscant?" Obi-Wan wanted to know, surprised, "You are aware of the hell you're in for once we get back?" He watched Anakin board his ship, despondent all the while.
Then, with a smile, the younger man added, "Good thing I have the great Negotiator on my side." Obi-Wan managed a chuckle, but stopped when he saw seriousness return to Anakin's face, "Thank you... I mean it Obi-Wan. I didn't think I needed you here for this, but I did."
Saluting the man, Obi-Wan smirked and replied, "I'm proud to be here. It's not every day a Jedi faces an identity crisis and you are my former Padawan... I felt I belonged here on this journey with you." They shared a silent moment before Anakin closed his cockpit and Obi-Wan made preparations to follow him home.
It had been a short journey. A painful journey. And it was now over.
Until Coruscant. Anakin reminded himself, trying to prepare for the inevitable conflict he'd likely have with the ghost of his grandfather. Though his trip offered him little answers, it provided him with a myriad of questions. And only one man had the tools to answer them.
Demantis.
Luke and Leia had been provided with front row seats to Padme's speech at the summit. The retreat had been successful so far, according to Leia, with several senators and dignitaries prepared to write checks to supplement the needed costs for the refugees of the Clone Wars. Leia had done her best to assist her mother, speaking on behalf of their like opinions the whole night while Luke kept watch over them both.
She'd seemed so alive in that environment, her passion burning like a flame in the night, while her own mother hid away in her quarters, ashamed of her behavior before so many important eyes. It was to Padme's great surprise that she found the 'Darklighters' front and center for her speech, delight in their eyes at the prospect of being there, and she could hardly keep her comments to herself.
"They are a strange pair," She mentioned to Ahsoka, "Aren't they?" Still worn from her crying the night before, Ahsoka merely nodded.
But then the Viceroy of the Lular System approached her, his purple face candidly delighted, "Senator Amidala, a pleasure." He took her hand and kissed it with his black lips, his yellow eyes staring at her gently, "I can't tell you how fascinated I am by this retreat... I had such a delightful conversation with Knight Darklighter last knight, that I'm about ready to sell my estate just to help you." Surprised, as Viceroy Zippo was a notorious penny pincher, Padme almost lost her words.
"Knight Darklighter?" She wondered, trying to hide her shock.
"Who knew the Jedi even gave a damn about refugees." Zippo continued, "It was an absolute pleasure to speak with such a candid spokesperson. I can only imagine your follow through with this speech." He added as he walked towards his seat, leaving Padme in a stupor.
Slowly, she turned towards the Darklighters seated before her, each in their Jedi garb and seated like nothing was the matter. With a smile, Jaina waved her way, breaking her trance enough for her to grasp reality. The reality that she wasn't quite done rehearsing, anyways.
As Padme gave her a rushed excuse me and darted towards her podium to review her speech once more, Ahsoka smiled and walked over towards her new friends. Putting her hands on her hips she stared the two relaxed individuals down with all knowing eyes. "Making trouble are we?" She inquired with a grin. They merely chuckled.
"We can't help our natural talents." Leia replied, "I happened to inherit my mother's silver tongue, or so my father always used to say." Crossing her arms over her chest, Ahsoka stepped even closer, new worries in her eyes.
"This is the room from my vision... I'm really scared." She then turned back towards Padme, "Scared I'll fail her... fail you. I mean, if she dies-"
"-She won't die." Leia assured her, "We can feel it."
Suddenly hopeful, Ahsoka inquired, "Have your powers returned?" She was soon met with disappointment as the twins shook their heads. Like the ears of a pet, her Lekku even seemed to fall a little.
But Leia stood and placed a hand on her shoulder, her full confidence shining in her eyes like twin suns, "You don't need us for this task." She reminded her, "You're far more powerful than you realize." Taking a deep breath, Ahsoka nodded, but her eyes lacked the confidence she so desperately wanted.
Then Luke's hand fell on her other shoulder, "Being certain of yourself is half the battle... It strengthens your resolve and fills you with much needed courage." He offered her, his blue eyes as confident as his sister's, "That is your greatest hurtle here Ahsoka... Yourself."
"But Aura-" She began to argue.
"-Aura is only as great as you let her be." Luke interceded before Ahsoka could darken her outlook, "You've more training in the Force than she does and more allies. Her only advantage is surprise, which you can see through if you trust yourself." Swallowing a lump in her throat, Ahsoka nodded. But her spirit lacked the luster the twins were hoping for.
Luke would have added more, he wanted to add more, but Captain Typho called to him from across the room. All he could do was rest an assuring hand on Ahsoka a moment before meeting the man beside the podium, going over last minute details with Captain Antilles.
Ahsoka watched them all somberly, not sensing Leia climb over the table to stand beside her, "You should trust him, you know."
Turning to face the woman, who was barely taller than her, Ahsoka sighed, "I understand you two are from the future, that you know how this ends... but that does little to reassure me."
Chuckling, Leia wrapped an arm around the girl, "You misunderstand." She informed the girl, "We've no knowledge of this summit. We honestly don't know what should have happened... But that doesn't mean my brother and I are wrong."
"I just wish my master were here." Ahsoka inserted, bringing a surprised look to Leia's face, "Even if he does become a monster. He'd know what to do at exactly the right moment."
Pulling the girl closer, Leia explained something very carefully, "Luke is my master..." she could sense the bewilderment from Ahsoka, "I started my Jedi training when I was twenty-four. He was nineteen when Obi-Wan Kenobi began training him, but Luke learned most of what he knows on his own. He didn't have someone standing next to him to tell him he was all right, he had to trust himself. And now," Leia turned to the girl, the proudest smile yet on her face, "He's the most powerful Jedi in our order... If we had a grandmaster, everyone knows it would be him."
Still in shock, Ahsoka turned back to Luke and watched him interact with the two captains. She studied him closely, seeing no wavering in his eyes as he read over schematics and indicated important adjustments to the two seasoned heads of security. And she could hardly believe that ten years prior in his time, he wouldn't have even known how to hold a lightsaber.
"I really can do this," She realized, turning back to Leia, "Can't I?" The subtle nod of a certain Jedi warrior only solidified her conclusions, and Ahsoka couldn't resist hugging her sister-in-arms deeply.
Masana wasn't sure what else to do, besides visit with the master of her order. Though it was some distance away, she was certain he could clarify what the peculiar assailant had meant. He said so little to her, that she was uncertain he'd given her a reliable clue. Skywalker can save me,she echoed in her mind, closing her eyes to wearily rest.
But all she felt inside was fear. Deep, piercing, blood stopping fear.
And she found herself waking during hyperspace. Screaming and shouting. Angry and scared all at once. It was so easy, all of a sudden, to believe that her master had planned this. After all, he'd sent her to Isis with no clear purpose besides that she should go there. What was he thinking? Why would he do this in the first place.
Because he wants to get rid of you, she decided, sitting back as her eyes started glittering with a faint Sith yellow, You're becoming too strong. So strong. Like Skywalker.
Then, with a small, wicked grin on her face, she decided, I'll find Skywalker. Her decision was unopposed in her mind. He has problems with his order anyways. With his strength, we'll destroy those treacherous Jedi.
And then she caught herself with a start. Breathing heavily as the yellow departed her eyes, she sat forward and felt tears form. She'd threatened her master. She'd threatened her order. She'd threatened her friends.
What did he do to me? She sobbed into her hands.
It was about lunchtime when the actual summit began, the halls filling with dignitaries as they babbled on about one thing or another. Some were quite staunch in their beliefs that this whole gathering was a waste of time, that the war would not allow for any holder of valuables to share. Why bother, when that very same world could be next? Several wondered.
But they were all a part of the same committee.
The same committee as those who believed that war was no reason to halt any and all humanitarian efforts. That a simple infection could not stop the heart of the galaxy. That there was no reason not to keep fighting for the soul of the republic.
Leia had spoken with almost every person there the night before on her mother's behalf. She had strived to help make that message heard, and, for the most part, was successful beyond a doubt. Her brother had watched her closely, as much her guardian as he was their mother's, with the young Jedi Padawan at his side, feeding off his confidence.
Now, however, the twins were seated in the isle seats of the first two rows, Luke closer than Leia, due to his speed. They'd been given appropriate clothes to match the other politicians in the room. Leia had gone so far as to style her hair, twisting the lengths into the twin buns her brother had met her with. It didn't seem fitting to be the wild girl here.
And apparently Luke had agreed, as he too had combed his hair straight.
But his eyes were less on the people around them, unlike his sister. Without the Force at his side, Luke knew he'd need to watch Ahsoka for a sign that Aura was in the building. And so, his icy colored eyes were intent upon her, even if he could do nothing about it.
Knowing that the success of this operation weighed heavily on her, Ahsoka nearly turned from orange to yellow with anxiety. She wasn't used to being the center of an operation. That was usually her master, and she'd complained heavily to both Padme and her secret children of these fears.
But, as Bail Organa neared the stage to introduce the first of many speakers, she forced her chin up once more and took a deep breath. And, when she saw Luke's smile, and then Leia's, she nodded. She could do this.
The first speaker was a lesser known hailing from the Dantooine System. He was crass and straight forward, trying to bring some humor into such a morbid topic. With piercing words, he satirized the many members of the various groups who constantly pushed to further their own means while the rest of the galaxy starved. Ahsoka couldn't help but admire his statement in that regard, "I pity their people on the day their neutrality expires and war arrives on their lots, for by then... we'll have nothing left to give." She even turned to see Leia, nodding with a frown on her face as though she knew the outcome of their crimes firsthand.
She probably does. The Togruta realized.
After Representative Tatir finished his statement, Bail Organa took the next speech. His was a completely different approach. Rather than stirring outrage into action, he chose to explain his own first hand experiences of war. Ahsoka watched closely as the twins listened to Bail's accounts of Christophsis, where he'd been sent on a diplomatic mission and wound up trapped in war. Both seemed to really enjoy his details of their father's complex strategy against their opponent, but neither smiled or nodded or said a word.
They've probably played the same game against him in their time. She realized, sighing as she turned herself to face Padme again, I can only imagine the hurt these three must have gone through, seeing someone they love so much be twisted into someone strange to them... And then she decided, I want to help them, even if it means ending my master's career... I will help them.
As applause sounded for Bail's heartfelt speech, Ahsoka returned her attention her task at hand, promising herself to discuss this with the twins later. Padme stepped up to the podium, her calmness restored from last night's fatal encounter, and her poise unlike any other time Ahsoka had seen before. And, again, Ahsoka chanced a glance towards the twins, seeing the pride in their eyes as they watched her eagerly.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Padme started carefully, having reworded her speech moments ago to improve it once again. Her nerves regarding this particular summit seemed to have tripled thanks to Luke and Leia's presence. "I thank you all for being here this day. Our galaxy faces its most trying event to date, and, despite the opinions of many, we find ourselves toeing the line between decadence and independence."
She then sighed and added, "War is not a pretty thing. It's not pleasant, swift or profitable. Not for those who find it at their doorsteps. It takes a great deal of time to rebuild after even a single day's time of battle, and the lives and assets lost to those in its wake cannot ever be reestablished." And, as she said that, Ahsoka began to get that eerie feeling. The one from her vision.
"My people fell victim to this once, while under my reign." Padme continued, her eyes hitting every corner of the room like any trained professional would, "The Naboo Blockade was anything but a simple halt on goods and services. We were at all out war." She paused again, pushing her point further, "And though the battling lasted only a few days, the reconstruction took over seven years to complete."
Stepping away from the podium, Padme nodded to those in the audience, stopping her eyes on Luke and Leia a moment while the stone around her neck started to gleam. It was hard to see in the stage lights however, and so no one seemed to notice it. With her step forward, however, Ahsoka moved to keep adequate distance from her.
"Some things, however, could never be fixed. Lives were lost, from the youths that defiantly tried to force Federation Droids off their block to the highly trained Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. These loved ones do not come back, no matter how much is invested in the restoration effort." Again, she paused, but this time because her mind seemed to escape her. Her jaw fell and her eyes fluttered open and closed.
Suspicious, Ahsoka turned to Luke, who's face was as determined as one would expect it to be. His blue eyes, however, seemed hardened like ice, focused. He then turned to Ahsoka and nodded.
And she dove.
Just as she ran in front of Padme, the woman stepped back and put a hand to her head, narrowly missing a bolt that would have burrowed directly into her shoulder. A bolt Ahsoka deflected back at the gun which fired it, forcing a cry from the assassin hiding away in the ventilation system.
As she caught her breath, she turned to find Padme seated on the steps in shock. It took her hardly a moment to assess that she was all right, and then she spun around to chase after Aura. And, when she did, she found that Luke was gone. And Leia was staring at her with certainty.
Aura Sing was impressed by the young Padawan's abilities. They'd fought before, but she never anticipated the girl to be so rife with the Force. Her deflection was impressive and frustratingly so.
It wasn't hard to dodge the guards though, since they were about as inept as she'd expected. Getting out of the vents and then donning the robes of the queen's handmaidens took no time whatsoever. She was halfway to the kitchens even, when a man dressed like a representative stopped her.
He stood in the hallway, his hands in his pockets, and stared at her with the lightest blue eyes she'd ever seen. His hair was blond and a little long around the ears, but other than that, he seemed relatively harmless. Till he spoke, anyways.
"Aura Sing?" He asked, taking a step forward.
Dropping her guise, the assassin inquired, "Who wants to know?" The man chuckled a little and shook his head.
"I hear you never let a target go." He informed her, his hands falling out of his pockets as he closed the gap between them, "That you keep trying to kill them until they are dead. Is this true?"
Hissing, Aura snapped, "Wouldn't be good for business otherwise." She could actually hear the man chuckle at her statement, surprising her.
"I was afraid you'd say that." And, like that, a green lightsaber was in his hand as if from no where, "Because that means I have to stop you now."
Confident that she could outdo any Jedi, Aura smirked, "I'm afraid I don't know your reputation, Jedi." She spat, starting to stare him down and step closer to the kitchens simultaneously. He matched her step, clearly unfazed by her attitude or attempt.
"I've never been one to long for a reputation." He admitted with a grin, making it impossible for her to bolt out the door with his proximity, "It does things to people, you know." She chuckled.
"Ah, an actual modest Jedi." Aura teased, reaching over her shoulder to pull out her blaster, "What a rare thing indeed." She fired a few shots, only to have them deflected back at her by the astonishingly fast green blade. At some points, she couldn't even see it, the man moved so fast. What's worse, is she almost connected with the returned bolts.
"Wow." She grinned, suddenly feeling giddy at the premise of a good brawl, "You are a tough one... Better than most I've ever faced. What was your name again?" He smirked and shook his head, not caring to answer her. "Not so talkative... I like that. Better than facing Obi-Wan Kenobi... He likes to get all preachy." The man chuckled and nodded.
"I'd like to say that trait improves." He informed her, then shrugged, "But it doesn't really."
Pulling her second blaster out from her boot, Aura smiled wide, "Such a shame I have to kill you... You have a good sense of humor for a Jedi." Then, as she aimed to hit him just about everywhere, she added, "Bye-bye Mystery Jedi."
And she fired, but couldn't believe the outcome. Falling to the ground as she screamed bloody murder, Aura attempted to fathom how her mystery Jedi had moved so fast that he not only blocked all her shots, but deflected most of them at her as well.
And as she moaned in agony, Organa, Amidala, the Padawan and a woman she'd never seen before ran up, each mystified. The Padawan then turned to the mysterious Jedi and told him, "You said you didn't have your power back!" It was accusing, familiar. Aura couldn't quite fathom that, seeming as this Padawan belonged to Skywalker. The man shrugged and smiled at her as though she were his own trainee. Aura noticed how Organa and Amidala both gasped at this knowledge.
"You needed to know you could do missions like this on your own." He informed her, "So we let you believe you were on your own." The Padawan then turned towards the strange woman and frowned. Said woman only smiled, brows raised.
"You did a good job." She told the Togruta and then eyed her comrade, "And you need to rest. That's still a lot of power-output for someone who was nearly dead three days ago." The man shrugged and walked towards her, stumbling a bit.
"Yes mom." He jested, putting an arm over her shoulder for support. The two of them walked down the hall together, mumbling something to each other, and making Aura wonder just who this man was. How could he have so much power after risking death shortly before?
But, before she could collect herself, Organa and his Captain Antilles were hovering over her, and their faces looked something dangerous, even to her.
Author's Note: I'm back! Sorry that I was gone for so long... It was a rough winter. I certainly hope this chapter makes up for it though... I tried to put a little of everything into it; sentiment, action, bonding. All the good stuff. I can't promise that my posts will be as regular as they were before, but I will do what I can. I miss hearing from all of you and having all the fun feedback!
Perhaps in the next chapter we'll finally learn what happened to make Padme so... not like herself...
Please read and review and enjoy your weekend!