Author's Note: some people have noted that Anakin was rather er... young to have fathered Karrin. Karrin, in this story isn't 9 as she appears to be - in fact she's 6, just shy of 7 - but a very mature young girl because of her circumstance and background. Yes, that still makes Anakin young to have fathered her - however it was a deliberate choice when I wrote this fic to do so; one more reason why they wouldn't have told Anakin about Karrin to begin with. As Barriss is older than Anakin, it was her choice - and one you saw play out. Hopefully that answers the questions a lot of you have with regards to ages. Thanks for reading.

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Chapter 11

They reached the suubatar the following morning to find it contentedly sleeping inside the small cave where Padmé had left it. Somewhere in the last day, their Gwurran guide had disappeared. She couldn't recall seeing him since just before their fight with the clones but she wasn't really surprised. Gwurran were better at hiding than fighting and the battle had likely frightened him away.

Anakin had explained the necessity of leaving the single surviving clone trooper alive; he'd extracted the information that the clones had come with the instructions of eliminating he and his companions as they emerged from the canyons. There had been no mention of Barriss, simply that it was expected he would find, and retrieve other Jedi.

He hadn't liked being used as a lure, nor did either of them know how they'd been tracked yet, but Padmé suspected betrayal. Few people knew they were there and they'd made no transmissions to anyone to reveal their presence. The chances that the Clones had chosen Ansion at random and been successful were so slim, it was next to impossible. Even if they'd been guided by their new Dark Lord of the Sith.

Padmé was mentally ticking off the people who knew about their mission. The Jedi she felt she could safely discount. They were trying to save their order and if they'd been behind the attempted ambush, they would also have known about Barriss. The clone troopers hadn't.

Which meant someone on planet must have sent word or they'd been tracked. Or rather, their suubatar had been tracked. Otherwise the clones would have followed them into the canyons and been privy to the fact that two more Jedi hid beneath the surface of the windy planet.

Padmé entered the cave and carefully approached the sleeping suubatar, her eyes tracing the healthy coat. The creature's food supply had been augmented by someone - she suspected the Gwurran - and it didn't appear any worse for wear. She woke it with a soft sound, extending her hand under its nose to re-imprint her scent on it.

It calmed immediately, allowing her to replace the bridal and saddle which had been left to the side. The suubatar was docile, indicating nothing had spooked it recently, and acquiesced to her administrations without fuss. Finally, she led the beast from the cave where Skywalker was waiting for her.

His back was turned as he scanned the surrounding area for any sign of danger. His shoulders were tense and she knew he blamed himself for thinking they'd been safe the day before. If he'd been paying more attention to their surroundings, he would never have missed the Force-given warnings of danger. Instead, he'd been teasing her mercilessly.

Served him right. "I somehow doubt they've set an ambush up here, Skywalker."

"I doubted they'd be able to follow us here, Captain, and look what we walked into yesterday."

"How's the shoulder?"

He shrugged, finally turning to look at her. "I'll live."

She arched an eyebrow at him. "Suddenly the stoic Jedi?"

His smile was pure malice. "I just remember your squeamishness with blood. Having you faint before a long journey wouldn't be practical."

Padmé dropped the suubatar's reigns and grabbed him by the shoulder. He winced, attempting to pull away, but she held him firm, using the angle to unbalance him and roll, hip tossing him to the ground. He went sprawling, his breath hissing out on a pain filled note as he hit the ground. Padmé didn't let up. She pinned him, straddling his hips and planting her palms straight on his biceps. Her eyes flashed as she watched him.

"Now's not the time to be macho, Master Jedi. If you're wounded, we need to ensure it won't affect our ability to survive once we leave the safety of these rocks."

"Safety? We were ambushed yesterday."

"And the rocks likely saved our lives." She retorted sharply. "If they'd been smart, they'd've caught us out on the plains with no cover and an exhausted mount. They weren't. Count your blessings, Skywalker, instead of kicking yourself. If we get out of these canyons without being shot at, we're in the clear until we hit the city and its surrounding areas. Unless, of course, you enjoy beating yourself to mental mush."

He stilled under her, his expression dark. "You're the expert, Captain, what do you think?"

"We came out of it alive, Skywalker. That counts for something." She eased back, settling onto his thighs as she released his arms. He pushed himself up on his elbows, as if loathe to lose their eye contact. "I think you need to let me look at your shoulder and then you need to regain your sunny disposition. Nobody's been permanently damaged; things could be a lot worse."

"How so?"

He shifted his legs in a silent indication that she was to change her position but she didn't move, simply settled back, pinning his legs to the ground. "A couple of certain individuals could have been with us making your little stunt not only inadvisable but reckless and dangerous." A roguish grin spread across her face. "All in all, I say we did alright, despite your injury."

"You've never been an optimist, Captain," he told her dryly. "And my legs are going numb. Would you mind-?"

"Leave when I have you where I want you?" Her eyes flashed with mischief as she sensed a shift in his attitude. "Why would I do a foolish thing like that?"

"Foolish? I would like to be able to walk tomorrow."

"Not if I have my way, you won't."

Something flickered to life in his eyes, a flame of desire that ignited so swiftly and suddenly, it stole her breath. He couldn't reach for her with his weight planted solidly on his elbows, but he shifted his legs again, cocking his head to the side. "I don't think I'm the one who won't be able to walk tomorrow, Captain, but I'm willing to make a wager on the fact if you are."

She leaned forward, stopping just shy of his lips as she planted her hands on either side of his chest. "I never could resist a good wager, Master Jedi; though I do believe gambling is against the rules of the Jedi Order."

He tilted his head, as if trying to kiss her, but she resisted, pulling away fractionally. He growled low in his throat. "Only the kind we can influence, Captain."

She leaned in close, amused when he was the one who pulled back this time, prolonging the inevitable, and bringing her chest flush with his as he did. "Name your terms."

"If I win, you help me track down and locate the rest of the Jedi."

She arched an eyebrow. "Do you fancy a long walk back to my ship?"

He stared at her, his expression serious.

She laughed softly, letting him off the hook. "And if I win?"

"You can do with me what you will, Captain."

"Oh, I plan too, Skywalker. I plan too."

Her lips descended on his in a ravenous, soul-stealing kiss that staked her claim as surely as if she'd branded him with a hot iron. The tip of her tongue snaked out almost immediately to trace the seam of his lips, giving him no choice but to respond.

And respond he did.

His lips opened to hers and her hands moved from the ground to his chest. The sound of tearing fabric was barely audible over the rush of blood that pounded in her ears and the sweeping fire of passion that sung through her veins. His response was ardent and uninhibited; a man pushed beyond his limits and who was suddenly drowning in the very thing he'd desired.

The world tilted and she closed her eyes, barely conscious of the fact Anakin had lay back again as her fingers encountered the flesh beneath his robes. His hands stilled hers, grasping her wrists and forcing them away before relinquishing their grasp to pull her shirt from her waist band in one movement.

She gasped against his lips as his hands touched her bare skin, arching into the feel of his calloused fingers sliding possessively along her backbone to dip into the back of her trousers.

Conscious thought ended as she let herself go to drown in the flood of sensations that seared through her body. She didn't fight it, didn't even try, simply focused on bringing him with her. It wasn't until she felt his hands trembling and could feel the erratic pounding of his heart against his that she let go the last vestiges of control.

Together they reached for the stars.

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Padmé lifted her head some time later, a satisfied smile curving her lips as she propped her head on one hand, watching him. Anakin's eyes were still closed, sweat having plastered his hair to his forehead, and she reached up to ruffle his bangs. There was a change in his breathing, a hitch, a moment before his eyes slowly opened.

Blue met brown and Padmé quirked an eyebrow at him. "Shall we call it a stalemate?"

He chuckled softly. "I don't know, Padmé; should we?"

"Could you walk right now, Master Jedi?"

"Could you?"

She sat up to stretch, completely unashamed in her nakedness, flashing a teeth barring grin. "I don't think I'd want to."

"Me either." His hands snaked out to grab her about the waist, dragging her back down and across his chest. He dropped a light kiss on the tip of her nose. "I don't suppose you'll call me Anakin now, will you?"

Her smile faded a little. "Is it that important to you?"

His lips twitched. "Would you like being called Naberrie all the time, Padmé?"

"By you?"

He nodded.

She crossed her arms over his bare chest, sitting almost nose to nose with him, her eyes serious. "I have a lovely first name and a title you seem to enjoy. Besides," her wicked smile returned. "I like bossing you around. Call me Captain, Skywalker; it's sexy when you say it."

He rolled suddenly, his hands flashing up to grab hers and pin them to the side as he pinned her to the ground, aligning them intimately once more. He leaned down. "Say my name, Padmé."

She arched an eyebrow at him, flexing her fingers to test his grip in case she felt the need to flee. "Why?"

He ducked his mouth to her chin so he could nibble along the delicately sloped bone towards her ear. "Because I want to hear you say it. I think after today, I'd like to hear you say it more often."

She tipped her head back, enjoying his ministrations. "And if I don't?"

His lips stopped beside her ear, his breath sending a fresh thrill of desire skittering down her spine as he spoke softly. "I promise I'll torture you until you do."

"This is hardly torture."

"Not yet."

Her eyes half closed as he gently bit into her earlobe, a soft sucking motion accompanying the act. "I... I don't think now is the best time for this, Skywalker."

"Oh?"

She twisted her wrists, breaking his hold and then pushed. Anakin rocked back on his heels, mimicking her earlier position by sitting on her thighs. Padmé sat forward, going so far as to nip at the expanse of flesh barred before her, unable to resist the temptation. "We're in the middle of hostile territory," she ducked her head a little, drawing a line with her tongue. "And possibly headed into an ambush."

Anakin caught her by the shoulders, sitting her straight, his gaze searching hers. "And you refuse to say my name."

"A girl uses what defenses she has left, Skywalker. Up; we have to get moving." She pushed at his chest and then waggled a finger at him. "And I mean on our feet."

His grin was pure innocence. "Did I say anything?"

She smirked, her look knowing. "It's hard to hide behind that angelic facade when your body gives you away, Master Jedi."

He blushed, moving away to reach for his clothes as she did the same. They dressed in silence, Padmé taking the opportunity to simply watch as he covered inch after glorious inch, grudgingly acknowledging that her imagination hadn't done him justice. He was shrugging into his shirt when the angry red marks on his shoulder reminded her of how they'd ended up in that position in the first place.

"Hold up, Skywalker."

"We're pressed for time, or so you claimed, Captain." He continued, so she dropped her own shirt and stepped into him, pulling back the torn fabric on his shoulder to reveal the angry blaster wound that spread from beneath the small bacta patch.

"We're not so pressed for time we can't doctor your wounds."

"I distinctly remember you once telling me that you're not a doctor."

"Thank the Force for small favors." She waved him to sit, comfortable moving about in her pants and bra as she retrieved the larger med-kit from her pack. "If I was a doctor, I'd probably be telling you not to be traveling by suubatar, despite the circumstances, for a couple of days."

"Even if it means we might be killed by the delay?"

"By exertion maybe," her grin was wolfish. "I doubt the clones have enough troops to dedicate to tracking down a lone Jedi Master, no matter how powerful. They're going to have to pick a spot, the most likely spot, and try to surprise us. Now hold still as I wash this."

Wincing at her rough treatment, he obliged her. After several moments he had to admit that the burning sensation which had begun to build was now fading. "So you're suggesting we try a different path from these mountains, then."

"Something like that." She leaned close once the wound was clean and nodded with satisfaction. Her gaze went pointedly to the hand - his hand - that had found its way to her waist. "If it keeps moving in that direction, Skywalker, we won't be leaving this clearing any time soon."

He dropped it back to his side as she slapped the last of the larger bacta bandages over his wound and stepped away.

"That's a good look for you, Padmé."

"Oh?"

He nodded. "The bite mark on your neck really contrasts with your skin."

Her hand flew to her neck in dismay. "You marked me?"

A smug smile was her response as Anakin began closing the fasteners on his shirt. "A man does what he has too, Captain." Padmé opened her mouth to respond, but he continued. "You might want to dress if you were planning on leaving before midday. Much as I'm enjoying the view, I'd rather the clone troopers didn't see you in such a state of... dishabille."

"It's none of your business if I want them to see me in my skivvies. Did it ever occur to you that it might just be the distraction we need to get past them?"

"Or the one that will get us killed."

She pulled her shirt on with a vicious tug, fuming silently. She didn't care how good he was in the sack, or that a part of her was still humming from the experience, she was going to kill him herself when this adventure was finished. Of all the high-handed, chauvinistic, arrogant things to say!

"Padmé."

"What?"

He smiled at her snapped response. "A man does what he can to protect what's his."

She froze as he turned, going to ensure the suubatar was capable and equipped to carry them both. A reluctant smile tugged at her lips. Damn the man for keeping her off balance. Damn him for looking like one of the bronzed gods the Ethos believed in; and damn him for knowing just what to say to kill her anger in moments.

Yet, despite the cooling of her temper, a sense of unease was creeping in. She hadn't lied when she'd told him about her past. Or warned him to stay away. She hadn't been lying when she'd told him that everyone she cares about dies. Now, having wormed his way underneath her skin, a part of her was terrified and left to wonder if the next blaster bolt would find its mark and leave her once more alone.

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Padmé shifted herself into a more comfortable position in Anakin's lap with a self-depreciating smile. The suubatar's gait was such that you either let yourself flow with it for a smooth, easy ride, or you resisted and were jarred around like a sack of grain. When it was, sitting on the suubatar was easy. Sitting on the lap of the man she'd recently acknowledged -privately - that she loved while sitting on the suubatar was giving a whole new meaning to the phrase "self-torture".

"Problems, Padmé?"

And he kept calling her by her given name in that smoky, sexy voice which made her melt inside. She wished he go back to calling her Captain. "Just trying to get comfortable, Skywalker." She cast him a look over one shoulder. "Maybe you shoulder try and do the same so my seating's a little more comfortable."

His arms tightened around her. "If you'd relax and follow its gait, it wouldn't be a problem."

Problem? He wanted to talk about problems? She laughed, wincing at the brittle, harsh tone. "We have enough problems, Master Jedi. I don't need to be creating anymore."

His grin was roguish in response, a twinkle coming to his eye. "Some things don't need creation; some things simply happen as a course of nature."

Her look turned scathing. "This is going to be a mighty long ride back if you can't control yourself."

"And here I thought your goal was to break my control." He sighed dramatically. "You really should make up your mind, Captain."

"Control has its uses. Like now, for instance, control on your part would make this ride far more enjoyable."

"For whom?" His words dripped with amusement. "You? For once on this quest it's nice to know you're the one ill at ease with the situation."

"I'm warning you Skywalker..."

"Warn me all you like, my hot headed beauty; it won't do you any good."

Her heart jumped into her mouth as the suubatar leapt from the lower level to a higher level of the rocky fissure, making its way back up to where it could exit the canyons. Anakin's hands tightened around her waist and she felt his lips brush the base of her neck before the animal righted itself and she resumed her prior pose.

"You're not helping."

"Was I supposed to be?"

Innocence fairly dripped from his words and the urge to turn and deck him was almost overpowering. "I thought so, but I guess you want to make this as difficult as possible. I don't suppose this is pay-back for not using your given name?"

"Jedi are above such petty actions."

She snorted. "And I'm the Queen of Theed!"

Anakin squeezed her waist and tugged as she was forced off balance, drawing her closer before she finally was off balance enough to be sent sprawling across his lap at the suubatar's next jump. His eyes were dancing when her gaze met his as if to claim innocence even as his hands were steady to keep her from falling. "Well, your majesty, would you like a riding lesson?"

One eyebrow arched almost as a reflex. "Riding Master Jedi? Why, I don't believe you know a thing about it."

He settled her comfortably in his lap, pulling her close so she had no choice but to curl comfortably against him. "I believe, Queenie, that I'm the one still in his saddle."

"I never said it involved a saddle."

He silenced her with a quick kiss. "Temptress."

"As if you'd want me any other way."

"Every and any," he returned easily. "But we're nearing the exit of these canyons and much as I'm enjoying the trade of double entendres with you, we should focus on the fact that we might be walking into an ambush."

She laughed softly, nuzzling his neck. "If you insist. But you are the one who ensured we ended up in this position."

"I had help."

"Um hmmm..."

"Padmé!" He grabbed her hand as it started to slide down his chest. "This is hardly the time or place, Captain."

"On the contrary, Master Jedi. I'm always in the mood before a fight."

"And after," he squeezed her hand. "Focus, Padmé, please."

She tugged her hand away. "Fine, spoil my fun. When we're left dying in the grass don't tell me your one regret is failing to take your pleasures where you find them."

Anakin didn't reply as the suubatar took one last leap to the upper levels, thrusting her against his chest once more. Below them, spread out over a large vista were the plateaus, valleys and plains of the world, swaying gracefully in the constant winds. To the north of them, towards where they'd initially entered the canyons, they could see the sun glinting off white armor as clone troopers moved about preparing an ambush.

"I see they're more under strength than I initially thought," Padmé pulled her macro binoculars from one of the pockets in her jacket and focused on the clones. "Much more under strength. They must have impounded my ship and left a task force behind to guard it."

"Try thinking positive, Captain," Anakin returned dryly. "You'd be more pleasant company."

"I'm not being paid to be pleasant, Skywalker. I'm being paid to keep your hide intact. Planning for worst-case scenarios mean if they're better than we anticipate, we'll be more likely to make it through alive."

"And if they're worse?"

Her lips twitched. "They're never worse than worst-case. Besides, you don't want to know what I'm thinking is worst-case."

"Does it include leaving me behind?"

She chuckled softly, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. "Leave you behind, Master Jedi? When I've just discovered how useful you can be? Why ever would I want to do that?" She turned her attention back to the troops. "I count four troop carriers, three dug in positions and several companies of clones."

"Changing our path appears to have paid off."

"Only if what's waiting for us back at the spaceport is packing less firepower." She tucked the macro binoculars back into their pocket. "We shouldn't dawdle or they'll pick us up on their sensors. The more distance we can put between this location and our campsite the better."

"I grew up in a desert, Captain; I'm well aware of the advantages of distance."

She was thrown back against him as the suubatar dropped down from ledge to ledge before landing on the grasses of the plateau. Padmé almost swallowed her tongue as the creature hit the ground and it's long, dexterous legs sent it speeding across the ground. The gait was jarring, making her teeth rattle in her head until Anakin securely wrapped her back against his chest.

It took several moments for the rhythm of the suubatar and her body to reacquaint themselves but finally she found she could see again without having everything jerk first in one direction and then another. The suubatar, which Anakin gave complete freedom for speed, had sprung forward at such a rate, the plateaus and crevices of the mountain range were swiftly disappearing behind them. Anakin had picked wisely, and the ridges between the awaiting troops and the suubatar masked their presence and would continue to do so until they were out of sensor range.

Confident that Anakin had everything under control for the moment, Padmé turned her thoughts to the spaceport and the kind of resistance they were going to face to get the Blue Skies out of impound. For, if the Emperor knew they were here, he also knew - or suspected - what ship they'd arrived on. It meant the hardest part of their journey was about to commence.

They were two days out of the city, even on an overburdened suubatar, and their lives were going to be more than difficult once they arrived.

Padmé suppressed a smile. Nothing like a life-and-death situation to get one's mind off her hormones - or to get them pumping. For now she'd concentrate on getting them off planet. Once there, all bets were off.