Chapter 41
The morning is warm, despite the recent rain. Everything is glistening and bright in the morning sun as we head up into the hills behind the estate. Hand in hand we walk, our boots brushing against the tall wet grass. It is so peaceful here, so beautiful and serene. While here it is easy to forget about the war, and simply lose ourselves in the idyllic splendor of this perfect place.
"Now you must be able to smell that," I ask Anakin as we trudge through the damp grass, following the path into the hills.
"All I can smell is wet grass," he replies. "Is that what you mean?"
"No, the air," I tell him. "The air smells …fresher, somehow after it's rained. I love the rain. It's so invigorating to be caught out in the rain. Sola and I used to love splashing in the puddles when we were children."
He smiles. "I wish I could relate. But I can honestly say I've never splashed in a puddle."
"Oh, you don't know what you've missed! I suppose you didn't even know what a puddle was until you left Tatooine."
"No, not a clue," he admits. "Water was the most precious commodity a person could own where I grew up."
"So I suppose the idea of splashing in a puddle must seem terribly frivolous to you then," I ask him. .
. "I didn't say that. On a planet like Naboo water isn't scarce; of course you'd use it for recreation. There's nothing wrong with that."
I watch him for a moment, trying to decide if he's teasing me. "Although I have to admit," he continues, "I am having an awfully hard time imagining the regal and dutiful Queen of Naboo splashing in a puddle."
I laugh. "Well I wasn't queen until I was fourteen," I remind him.
"Yes of course," he replies. "Your splashing days were over by then."
"Stop teasing me, or I won't tell you my secret fantasy."
Now I have his full attention. "Oh?" he says, trying to appear nonchalant. "And what might that be?"
. "I'm not sure I should tell you," I reply, pretending to pout. "You'll probably just tease me if I do."
"I promise not to tease you," he tells me, taking my arm and turning me to face him. "Jedi's honor."
"Very well," I say, trying to be nonchalant, even though I'm dying to tell him. "I have always wanted to make love in the rain," I tell him, shocking myself with my disclosure. "So go ahead, tease me."
"I'm not going to tease you," he replies with a smile. "I think that's very sexy."
"Do you really?"
He nods. "Yes, of course," he tells me, running his hands down my arms. "I would never tease you about something like that."
"Just everything else, I reply with a laugh.
"Yes, I suppose you're right about that," he replies with a smile. . "How do you put up with me?"
"I really have no idea how," I tell him, shaking my head. "Come on, let's keep going."
We continue to follow the gently winding path up into the hills, stopping at last when we reach the top. The view is spectacular.
"Now, isn't that beautiful?" I say as we stand and admire the glorious scene below us.
"It is," he replies, standing behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. I lean against him, drinking in the masculine scent of him that I adore, loving the power of his embrace.
"I wish we could just stay here forever," I say as we simply enjoy the beautiful vista before us. "Never return to Coruscant, to the war, to our duties; just remain here and live a quiet life of obscurity."
"That would be like a dream," he tells me; pushing my hair away from my neck so he can kiss it. "Do you think anyone would notice if we just disappeared?"
"I'm afraid so," I tell him with a sigh. "You're the Hero with no Fear, remember, Ani,"?"
"I'd be content just to be your hero, Padmé," he tells me. "Your love is all I need. The rest doesn't matter much to me."
His words move me, and I rest my head against his shoulder. "If only life could be so simple. But I suppose our lives will never be ordinary."
"No, but while we're here at least we can pretend," he tells me.
"Yes, you're right," I agree. She turns to him. "Although there is certainly nothing ordinary about you, Anakin Skywalker," I say, running my hands into his long hair.
He smiles as he wraps his arms around me. "No?"
. "No, not even close," I reply with a shake of my head.
"Well you wouldn't be happy with an ordinary man, would you Padmé? You're rather extraordinary yourself."
"I wouldn't be happy with any other man, period," I tell him. "You are the only man who could make me feel complete. It's like you are a part of me, Ani. I know that sounds strange, but that's how I feel."
. "No, not strange at all," he tells me, taking my face in his hands. "I know exactly how you feel, Padmé, because I feel the very same way. You and I were destined to be together, Padmé; it's as though the Force brought us together. "
"That's very romantic, Anakin," I tell him, stroking his face softly.
"It's the truth, Padmé, but I'm glad you think so, nonetheless," he replies, drawing me closer to kiss me.
Time stands still when I am in Anakin's arms. There is no war, there are no responsibilities; all that exists is him and I and our love. How easy it would be to just throw all the rest away and stay here forever with him.
Anakin takes his cloak and spreads it down on the wet grass, and then holds his hand out to me. I take his hand and kneel down on the cloak. He kneels down before me, leaning towards me to kiss me. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him back as our bodies meet in a heated embrace. He takes me in his arms and lowers me gently onto me back, his mouth never leaving mine. He braces himself on either side of me with his arms, and look into my eyes.
"You never cease to amaze me," he tells me, running his fingers through my hair.
"What makes you say that?"
"You're so …naughty," he tells me with a grin. "I never know what to expect from you."
"Does that shock you?" I ask him with a smile.
"Maybe just a little, but I love it. You drive me mad when you look at me like that."
"Like this?" I ask, tracing a finger over his lips.
"Yeah, just like that," he tells me, and then brings his mouth down to mine…
Padmé woke up suddenly, the images from the dream she'd been having affecting her greatly. She sat up in her bed as the memories of that incredible afternoon bombarded her. It had always been one of her fantasies to have her husband make love to her in the rain; and that afternoon Anakin had done just that.
The longing that she felt for him that had been building for the past weeks was only augmented by the dream, reminding her all too well of the incredible physical relationship she'd had with Anakin. She put her face in her hands, trying to stop the pounding of her heart, trying to suppress the longings she was feeling running rampant through her. But every time she closed her eyes, the images from her dream returned, vivid and incredibly sensual. And then she made a decision. Getting out of her bed, she headed for the door.
Padmé headed for the room down the corridor, heart pounding in her chest. She reached the door, and for a moment, began to have second thoughts. But then she remembered the dream, remembered the incredible passion between them, and pushed forward. Turning the old fashioned door handle, she entered Anakin's room. She stood for a moment, allowing her eyes to adjust to the darkness, trying to determine if he was asleep. He's snoring, she thought to herself with a smile, the sound of it bringing back a wave of memories.
Padmé closed the door, and then silently made her way over to the bed. I've done this before, she thought to herself as she climbed onto the foot of the bed. Stealthily she crept up the bed towards him. He was sleeping on his back, which always made him snore, and which enabled her to crawl right on top of him without disturbing his sleep. Bracing her hands on either side of his head, she looked down at him, loving the sight of him as he slept. Her memories of him were so vivid at that moment, that they almost overwhelmed her in their intensity. She bent to him and kissed his mouth softly, and then pulled back and looked down at him again. He had stirred, ever so little when she'd kissed him. She smiled, and kissed him again, this time with more intensity. Running her hands into his hair, she lowered her body onto his, feeling him starting to respond to her kiss. Instinctively, he brought his arms around her, holding her body next to his as he kissed her back with equal intensity.
This is a dream, Anakin thought, it has to be…and so long as he believed it to be a dream, it was okay to allow what was happening to take its natural course.
Padmé broke their kiss, and then he felt her move to his throat, kissing a line from his jaw down to his chest as her hands moved over the muscular tautness of his chest.
This can't be a dream, the small part of Anakin's brain that was still capable of rational thought reasoned. This is too real…
"Padmé?" he said, opening his eyes as Padmé moved back up to look at him.
"Shh," she said, putting a finger over his lips. "No talking, I'm tired of talking. I'd rather do this," bringing her mouth down to his again. Anakin knew that this was no dream, but he was beyond caring at this point. The feeling of being with her was too incredible to care; his need for her was too great to care about anything but what was happening between them. He wrapped his arms tightly around her as his mouth devoured hers with a hunger filled kiss.
"Anakin," she sighed as he brought his mouth to her neck, finding the spot he knew drove her mad. He was desperate to touch every part of her, to quench the longings of twenty years without her.
Later on, they lay in one another's arms, fulfilled and drowsy.
"That was incredible," Anakin said, running a finger down her face slowly.
Padmé nodded. "Yes it was," she agreed.
Anakin smiled. "I love you," he said as he pulled her close to him.
Padmé snuggled up to him as he pulled the blanket over them. "I love you too," she said. Within a few moments, they were asleep, contented and warm in one another's embrace.
Star Destroyer Executor
Admiral Piett stood on the bridge of his new command, deep in thought. He had been heavily involved in the search for the Rebel base as Ozzel's first officer. Now that he was in command, he had devoted as much manpower as he could to solving the mystery of the Rebels' whereabouts. Piett had always enjoyed a good mystery, and this one was the best he'd ever wrapped his mind around.
While it had seemed a ridiculous notion at the time, Ferreus may have inadvertently stumbled onto something when he suggested monitoring the broadcast channels. Granted it was more than likely that he had been given the order from the emperor; Ferreus himself was not nearly intelligent enough to come up with such a plan.
Since the communication officers had concentrated their efforts on monitoring the channels, a rather interesting pattern had emerged. While the vast majority of the activity they had monitored was easily recognizable, there was a small percentage that was not. The messages were scrambled, their contents indecipherable. But it was not the content that interested Piett.
A number of messages had been traced either as originating from or bound for a most unlikely source. The Hoth System was located in the Granita Cluster, in the Hoth Quadrant of the Anoat Sector. It consisted of six planets, none of which were habitable by humans. And yet, the messages were clearly emanating from the sixth planet of this system. Someone was there, someone who was both receiving and transmitting messages on a regular basis.
"Admiral Piett, another one," the communication officer on the bridge informed his commanding officer. "This one was sent to Naboo."
Piett nodded. "Like the last one," he said thoughtfully. He had instructed his men to focus their attention on the Hoth System since discovering the bizarre pattern of communication centered on this remote ice world.
"Perhaps it's time we ought to have a closer look at this planet," Piett decided at last. "Send a probe droid there at once."
"We have thousands of probe droids searching already," Reyal reminded him.
"Yes we do," Piett replied. "But it could take months before one reaches the Hoth System. We need answers now."
Reyal nodded. "I'll see to it personally, Admiral."
Naboo-Lake Retreat
Anakin woke up several hours later, his arms still wrapped around Padmé. He was confused for a moment that she was in his bed, and then he remembered how she had seduced him. He had thought it was a dream at first, but soon it had become apparent within short order that it was not; but by then it was too late to put a halt to what was happening between them. Making love to his wife after nearly twenty years without her was incredible, more incredible than he had even remembered. And while he certainly had no regrets, he knew that things had been tremendously complicated by what had transpired between them. He had promised Padmé that he would tell her everything in the morning; how would she feel about what had transpired when she he did? I tried to stay away…I tried to resist her…but she made it impossible, surely she will see that, surely she will understand…
"Good morning," Padmé said as she stretched languidly. She snuggled up to Anakin, reaching up to run her hands into his hair. "Last night was incredible," she told him with a smile.
Anakin smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Yes it was," he said. "It can't believe it really happened."
"It's been so long," she said, stroking his face gently.
Anakin nodded. "Yes, it has," he replied.
Padmé could see that something was troubling him, and she was confused by it. "Anakin, what is wrong?" she asked. "You seem in a world of your own."
"I'm just thinking about last night," he replied.
She watched him closely, knowing there was more to his distraction.
"You're not regretting what happened, are you Ani?" she asked.
"No, no of course not," he told her earnestly.
"Then what is it?" she asked. She thought for a moment. "Does this have something to do with what you were going to tell me this morning?"
Anakin sighed. "Yes, it has everything to do with it," he said.
Padmé frowned. "Then maybe you ought to just tell me, Anakin. Tell me and get it over with."
"Very well," he replied. "That is what I will do."