Episode III: Attack of the Clones

Chapter 9: Tapping Into the Dark Side

When Padme woke the next morning, it was with a start. She had sensed a tremor in the Force, but didn't know why. Suddenly, she heard Anakin's voice coming from beside her in bed.

"No, mom. No, no."

The Sith Lady was confused. Why was he dreaming about his mother again?

Slightly worried, she sat up in bed and began to gently shake him awake. "Anakin. Anakin wake up."

His eyes shot open and he sat up sharply in bed a moment later. He didn't even seem to notice her.

"Anakin?" she asked cautiously.

He glanced over at her and his face instantly lit up with a smile. Whispering her name, he took her into his arms and began kissing her neck.

"Oh Padme," he sighed. "Your presence is so soothing to my troubled spirit."

"Anakin, what's wrong?" she asked, pulling away from him slightly. "This is the second time you've had a nightmare about your mother within the past day. Tell me what's wrong."

Anakin sighed. "She's suffering Padme. I can see her as clearly as I see you now."

He abruptly turned away from her and sighed again. "She is in pain. Padme, I must go to her." Turning back to her, his eyes pleaded with her as he continued. "I know I'm disobeying my mandate to protect you Padme, but I just have to go. I have to help her. If you come with me then I can continue protecting you. Please say you will."

Padme ran her fingers through his hair and along his Padawan braid. "Of course I'll come with you. You're not going to leave me here by myself."

He leaned across the bed and kissed her gently.

"Anakin, my love," she whispered. "Let me comfort you a bit..."

Finishing up, Padme lifted herself off her lover and got up, retrieving a purple silk nightgown from her closet.

"I think the sooner we leave the better," she said adopting a business type voice. "I'll alert the servant girls to make breakfast and to put some snacks and drinks on board whichever star cruiser we take with us. We'll leave within the hour."

And without even waiting for a response from Anakin, she took off to alert the girls. Barging into Lizzie's room on the second level without even knocking, she was disgusted to see that she was still fast asleep.

"Up! Get Up!" Padme bellowed as she pushed Lizzie out of the bed. "Now!"

Lizzie fell hard on the floor and looked up tiredly. "What's going on?"

"You and the other girls will prepare Anakin and myself breakfast," she barked. "It will be ready when we come downstairs."

Stalking out of the room, she repeated what she did to Lizzie with Dorme and Leslie.

After showering, Padme dressed into a lovely light blue, two-piece flowing top and skirt. It also had a cape to come with it. The Senator decided she'd wear it on Tatooine as not to be recognized by any bounty hunters if they were to come across any. Since neither she nor Anakin knew how long they'd be gone, Padme packed ten different summer outfits just in case. Exiting her room a short time later, the young couple could smell the aroma of food coming from the kitchen. When they got downstairs however, she scoffed at the sight of five plates on the table.

Who said they could eat my food?

In the kitchen, she found the three twenty-something servants bustling about. Anakin stayed out in the dining hall.

"Milady," Dorme acknowledged with a bow. "We weren't sure what exactly to make, so proceeded with a variety of things."

The three moved all the food into the dining hall, and Padme saw that the trio had indeed made quite the variety; almost enough to feed an army. She couldn't help but rub her hands together and lick her lips in delight at the display of all the food. Anakin was practically drooling at the sight of so much.

Seating themselves at the table, they began to eat. It wasn't until about a minute later that she realized the girls were also eating.

"What are you doing?!" she asked them, half outraged, half amused. "You dare to eat at my table?!" she roared. "You three will go into the kitchen and collect all the snacks and beverages you can find and put them onto my ship, The Natalia, upstairs," she barked.

"That is an order," she added, for it looked as though they were going to ask questions. Bowing, they began to do as they were told. Padme noticed Anakin laughing quietly and joined in.

By the time they were done eating, the Senator noticed that there wasn't any food left.

"Aw, what a pity," she sneered in mock sadness. "It would appear the girls won't have any food left to eat." For she had gone as far as taking and eating the food off the three's plates.

Finishing off the last of the fruit juice in the gallon container, she proclaimed, "Let us be off."

She and Anakin took the elevator up to the fifth level to find R2 rolling up the Natalia's boardingramp just as Dorme and the Dayadens were coming down it.

"The cupboards are fit to burst with snacks and such milady," Leslie said.

"Good," she replied in a bored voice. "You may go now."

"Milady," Lizzie hesitated. "Might I inquire as to where you're going?"

Padme ceased walking at this and turned to look at her in disgust. "You dare be so bold?!"

She distantly heard Anakin give a cough of laughter at this and she couldn't help but smirk.

"I don't see how that's really any of your business or concern, is it Lizzie?" She continued on her way to the ship. "If Queen Jamilla is to contact here looking for me, as I have no doubt she will, you will tell her I have gone on a diplomatic mission to an undisclosed location, and that I shall return soon accordingly."

Walking up the ramp of the ship, Senator and Jedi proceeded into the cockpit and set their course for Tatooine before taking off.

After jumping to lightspeed, Padme told Anakin about Antellica and Arica's adventure day. He laughed at the Holovision part, and about the fact that they were staying in his and Obi-Wan's quarters.

"It'll be quite a switch compared to your apartment. We don't have much there." He laughed. "And no Holovision to throw around."

They both laughed at this before falling into silence.

All in all, Anakin wasn't a bad guy, the Sith Lady mused. He was nice, charming, and good-looking. She couldn't see herself falling in love with him though. But he was a nice person nonetheless. Maybe a bit too nice for a Sith's taste.

After about five minutes of this silence, Anakin announced that he was going in back to meditate. Padme nodded and he left.

The rest of the journey was spent with her eating a box of crackers and reading a book. She also chatted with R2.

Just as they were entering Tatooine's atmosphere, Anakin came back into the cockpit and sat down. Before they landed in a docking station in Mos Espa and exited the ship, Padme told her droid to stay on board. As they exited alone, a slug-like creature approached them.

'Hey, hey! It'll cost 125 credits to dock there,' it said in Huttese, one of the official tongues on Tatooine.

Anakin waved his hand nonchalantly. "I don't have to pay to dock here."

The slug-like creature dumbly repeated, "You don't have to pay to dock here."

"You will leave us alone and go about your business," Anakin said with a smirk and a wave.

"I will leave you alone and go about my business," the slug creature repeated and walked off.

The young couple shared a laugh as they went on their way. Anakin told her, like she needed to be told, that they were going to his former master's junk shop.

She held back the sarcastic jeer, "Where else are we going to find your mother?" and merely smiled saying, "But of course."

Instead of walking, they caught a ride in a two-passenger vehicle driven by a droid.

When it stopped in front of the Toydarian Watto's shop, they got out and Anakin told it to wait where it was.

Upon approaching the shop, they saw a decade older Watto outside arguing with one of his repair droids.

"Cha, cha Watto!" Anakin greeted as they neared. Padme detected a hint of coldness in his voice, though, he tried to make it sound neutral.

Switching to Huttese, he added, 'Let me help you with that.'

Anakin picked up the broken repair droid, which lay in front of his former slave master and began to work on it. Padme guessed that's what Watto and the droid had been arguing over.

The Toydarian was looking at Anakin suspiciously, and it was obvious why. No one on Tatooine offered to help anyone unless they wanted something in return.

'Who are you? What do you want?' he asked in Huttese before taking a better look at Anakin and widening his eyes. 'Wait, you're a Jedi!'

He dropped the tool he was holding and started to chatter in panic. 'Whatever it is, I didn't do it!'

Padme smirked. Here was the creature that had made Anakin's life hell as a child. To see him now cowering in fear before Anakin gave her a sense of satisfaction that she also felt from Anakin, though he didn't show his.

'I'm looking for Shmi Skywalker,' he stated in an emotionless voice.

Watto stopped his panicking and appeared shocked. "Ani? Little Ani?" he asked barely above a whisper.

Anakin placed down the repair droid in front of Watto that he had just fixed. Watto looked down at it in disbelief.

"Nah," he said, still not seeming to believe it before abruptly sitting up. "You are Ani! It is you!" He laughed and flew into the air looking at his former slave appraisingly.

"You've sure sprouted ah, ha ha ha. A Jedi. Whatdayaknow. Hey!" He looked as if he'd just been struck with a sudden idea and glanced around. "Maybe you can help with some dead beats who owe me a lot of money."

No respect whatsoever.

"My mother," Anakin pressed slightly angered.

Watto looked disappointed. "Oh yeah, Shmi." He hesitated a moment before continuing. "Ah, she's not mine no more. I sold her."

"You sold her?" Anakin asked in alarm and disbelief. Padme was a bit surprised herself.

"Years ago," Watto said, trying to brush it off like it was no big deal. "Sorry Ani, but you know business is business." He laughed and the secret Sith had the sudden urge to slap him. "Yeah, I sold her to a moisture farmer named Lars. At least I think it was Lars. Yeah believe it or not, I heard he freed her and married her. Tell me you can't beat that." He laughed again.

That's nice that she's free. I, however, do not feel like gallivating around the planet looking for her.

Padme was ripped out of her thoughts by Anakin speaking. "Do you know where they are now?"

"A long way from here. Some place on the other side of Mos Eisley I think," Watto said scratching his head.

"I'd like to know," Anakin said in a half requesting, half-demanding tone of voice.

"Ah sure. Absolutely. Let's go look at my records," Watto said and ushered them into the store.

An hour later Watto found the file he was looking for.

During this time, he had consistently pestered Anakin and Padme about having a cool drink with him to which they continuously refused. It wasn't until she threatened to blast him into a million pieces with her blaster did he stop.

It turned out that the Lars Family lived on a moisture farm a long way north from Mos Eisley. The Lars family consisted of Cliegg and his son Owen.

When Anakin asked Watto how Cliegg had come to buy his mother, the Toydarian told them the following:

"He'd come here to buy some type of repair part and saw Shmi. He asked her who she was and she told him. Afterwards, he bought the part, said goodbye to Shmi and left. A week or so later, he came back to visit her, and continued to do so for about a month or two. Next thing I know, he's coming up to me and asking how much it'd cost to buy her. At first I didn't want to, but he was so persistent that I finally gave in. He bought her and they left."

Anakin thanked Watto, and once again said no to a cool drink.

Going back to the Natalia, they flew it to Mos Eisley and then far north until they came upon a little hovel of a home, which reminded Padme of an igloo on the Outer Rim world Hoth, with the exception that it was yellow. It was the only moisture farm in the area for miles, as Watto said, so they knew this was it.

Once landing, Padme instructed R2 to stay on board while they exited the ship, making for the small farm. The nearer they got to it she noticed that a protocol droid was standing outside the dwelling.

It couldn't be!

As they neared, it also noticed them, and as such, began to speak. "Oh hello, how might I be of service? I am C-"

"-3PO!" Anakin quickly finished a bit surprised.

Padme noticed that the protocol droid now donned rusty gray covering plates. She guessed Anakin's mother had done that over the years, or maybe a member of her new family.

"The maker!" the droid exclaimed after a moment. "Oh master Ani, I knew you would return. I knew it! Oh and Miss Padme, oh my!" The droid turned to look at her.

She smiled. "Hello 3PO."

"Bless my circuits, I'm so pleased to see you both," It exclaimed excitedly.

"I've come to see my mother," Anakin remarked in an emotionless tone.

"Oh." All of 3PO's previous excitement quickly vanished and turned to brisk seriousness. "I think perhaps we better go indoors."

As he shuffled off towards the house they followed him into it and than down some dusty yellow stairs.

"Master Owen," 3PO suddenly said, and Padme looked up to see two young twenty-somethings approaching: a male (Owen), and a female (a girlfriend perhaps?). "Might I present two most important visitors," the droid continued.

"I'm Anakin Skywalker," Anakin introduced.

"Owen Lars," the speaker introduced. "Uh, this is my girlfriend Beru," he said gesturing to the girl.

"Hello," she said.

Padme introduced herself as just Padme. There was no need to say her full long name or title, even if no one even knew about her other two last names.

Owen nodded at her before turning his attention back to Anakin. "I guess I'm your stepbrother," he said. "I had a feeling you might turn up someday."

Anakin simply nodded before speaking again. "Is my mother here?"

A gruff voice answered. "No she's not."

Padme turned around, along with Anakin, to see a middle-aged man in a hover wheelchair, which she guessed was Cliegg, rolling towards them. She also noticed that his left leg was missing.

Her assumptions about the man being the Senior Lars was confirmed when he held out his hand to Anakin and introduced himself as such. "I'm Cliegg Lars. Shmi is my wife. We should go inside. We have a lot to talk about."

Owen led Anakin and Padme into a small dining room while Beru went off to get drinks. She returned with them a few moments later, yet no one made any move towards them.

"It was just before dawn," Cliegg began to explain. "They came out of nowhere, a hunting party of Tusken Raiders. Your mother had gone out early like she always did to pick mushrooms, which grow near the vaporators. From the tracks, she was about half way home when they took her. Those Tuskens walk like men, but they're vicious, mindless monsters. Thirty of us went out after her; four of us came back. I'd be out there with them, but after I lost my leg, I just couldn't ride anymore until I heal. (Anakin nodded at this) I don't wanna give up on her, but she's been gone a month. There's little hope she's lasted this long."

After a long moment of silence, Anakin abruptly stood.

"Where are you going?" Owen asked.

"To find my mother," he replied.

What?!

Cliegg turned in his chair to face him. "Your mother's dead son. Accept it."

Anakin defiantly shook his head, not looking at him, and walked off. Padme kind of – yes kind of, but not sincerely – felt sorry for him. Yet at the same time, people died and that was something Anakin would just have to accept. Before he got too far off, though, Owen called out to him. "You can use my speeder bike outside if you like."

Anakin turned and nodded before continuing on. Padme then, just as abruptly, got up and followed him out.

I'll talk some sense into him, she kept telling herself as she ran after him outside.

When she exited the hovel, she found Anakin standing a few meters away with his back to her, gazing at Tatooine's two suns, Tatoo I and Tatoo II. It was as if he was waiting for her.

He probably expected me to come out and talk some sense into him.

She also noticed that the speeder bike mentioned was sitting not too far away from him. As she approached, he began to speak, though his back was still turned towards her.

"You're going to have to stay here. These are good people Padme; you'll be safe."

He then made towards the bike only Padme intercepted him. She began to protest, but he raised a hand to silence her. It was obvious his mind was set, and nothing she said was going to change that. Shrugging, she reached up to give him a hug, which he accepted graciously before heading towards the bike once more.

"I won't be long," he assured over his shoulder.

Padme stood there watching as he rode off into the sunset and then afterwards.

I hope he'll be all right. And if he does find those Tuskens, I hope he rips them to shreds.

Eventually, the Sith Lady turned and took to gazing at Tatoos I and II. Not long afterwards, she sensed Beru approaching her. She did not turn to greet her, for that would raise far too many questions like 'How did you know I was coming up behind you?' and such.

"Hi," she said softly.

Padme turned and smiled at her. "Hello," she said cheerfully.

"I like watching the suns set too," Beru commented.

She didn't really know how to respond to that except for saying, "Really? That's nice."

They stood a few more minutes in awkward silence before Padme broke it. "Have you ever been on a starship before? Probably not, huh?"

"No," Beru replied shaking her head.

Padme turned towards the distant form of the Natalia and nodded to it. "That ship over there is mine."

"Oh!" Beru said, looking at it in awe. "I've never seen one up close before."

"Would you perhaps like to see it closer?" she asked.

"Sure. I think we have a few minutes till the stew's ready."

"Oh, you're making stew?" she asked as they approached the ship.

Beru nodded.

"What type?"

"Bantha stew," she replied.

"Interesting."

The rest of the way to the ship was spent in silence, but this soon changed when they boarded the ship and Padme showed a fascinated and intrigued Beru around. The hostess insisted that they take back some of the snacks and beverages that were held on board to the hovel.

After depositing all this in the kitchen, Beru announced that the stew was done, and Padme went to go fetch Owen and Cliegg. She had insisted upon doing this since Beru was in the kitchen trying to do two and three things at once, and absolutely refused assistance.

Padme was the topic of choice during the meal, which she wholeheartedly welcomed. She always enjoyed talking about herself and lifting herself up on a pedestal. She explained to Cliegg, who thought she and Anakin were dating or married, that they were merely friends and the only reason she was with him was because he was assigned to protect her. She told them all about being a Senator, former Queen, and her last visit to Tatooine, which led to how she met Anakin and Shmi. Padme was also interested in the farming life, causing Cliegg and Owen to explain it to her.

After dinner, they had the Deneelian fizzle pudding she'd brought along with all the other goodies for dessert. She was pleased that though the three Tatooinians had never had pudding before, they loved it all the same.

During dessert, Cliegg insisted that Padme stay in the spare bedroom instead of aboard her ship, and she agreed. Being escorted to the Natalia because of the Lars' insistence to protect her, Padme retrieved a fresh pair of nightclothes and a white pantsuit to wear the next day. At the hovel, she was led to the spare bedroom and prepared for bed.

While and after doing this, she and Beru talked about various things: Beru's life, how she met Owen, etc.

Beru bid her goodnight in the early morning, and Padme got into bed after using the Force to turn the light out in the room. She had no intention of going to sleep right away though. First, she wanted to contact Antellica and Arica to see what they were up to. Then, she would keep tabs on Anakin's potential revenge spree.

Closing her eyes, Padme cleared her mind of all thoughts and contacted the Grievous twins via telepathy.

It would be late morning on Coruscant as of the present, so they should be up...

"Antellica! Arica!"

"Padme?" They both asked cautiously.

"Yeah it's me."

"Why are you communicating by thought and not your comlink?" Antellica asked.

"Because I'm on Tatooine."

She then launched into all that had happened that day. Afterwards, the twins gave her an account on their own day priorly.

"Nothing exciting really," Arica commented. "We basically just hung around the Jedi Temple touring the place-"

"The Room of a Thousand Fountains is gorgeous by the way," Antellica quickly put in.

"-and sitting in on lessons with the little frog man," Arica finished as if there had been no interruption.

"And speaking of the little toad," Antellica continued (Padme gave a snort), "he invited us to have breakfast with him in the temple's mess hall."

"Really?!" Padme remarked.

"That's where we're headed to right now," Arica informed.

"Well have fun eating breakfast with the frog," Padme said.

Antellica and Arica laughed.

"And I except a full report on it later on," she added jokingly. She was, however, interested in how the meal went.

"Instead of us giving you a report, why don't you listen in on the meal through us,"Antellica suggested.

"Hmm..." It was a tempting offer, but Padme was more interested in knowing what Anakin was up, so declined.

Once again clearing her mind of all thoughts again, she searched for Anakin's Force signature and tapped into a legendary old Sith method which Sidious had taught her over the past decade where instead of eavesdropping on individuals through their Force signatures, once could actually become the person in a way. The intruding individual would see everything through the person's eyes and point of view and do everything the person did.

When Padme fully tapped into this, she was Anakin and he (she) was on a cliff overlooking what appeared to be a village/camp of sorts. It was the Tuskens' base of residence all right, containing near approximately fifty tents of small size. After a few moments of simply observing, she jumped off the cliff and silently approached.

Since it was early morning, most of the Tuskens were asleep, though, there were a few standing guard at some of the tents on the outskirts and in the center. Padme sniffed in amusement at the sight of two Tusken dogs fighting savagely over a small bone around one of the three fires a lit in the camp, this one being near the outskirts.

Once close enough to the camp, Anakin (Padme) used the Force to see which tent his mother was in. It was one of the ones of the outskirts and the far right of the center circle.

Darting over to it at a silent run, he activated his lightsaber just as slowly and quietly and cut a circle into the tent before kicking it in. What he found when he ducked into the tent made his blood boil: His mother was tied to some sort of wooden post shaped like a cross. He quickly approached and untied her. Upon being freed, she fell limply into his arms and slowly opened her blood-caked eyes.

"Ani, is it you?" she asked softly.

"I'm here mom," Anakin said, his tone both indicating relief and worry. "You're safe."

"Ani? Ani?" she asked disbelievingly. "Oh, you look so handsome."

Anakin blushed lightly and smiled at her.

"Oh my son. Oh my grown up son. I'm so proud of you Ani."

"I missed you," Anakin whispered. Padme could feel Anakin glowering with pride at Shmi's compliment of him.

"Now I am complete," she said softly.

At first, Anakin was confused, but then rightly figured that she meant she was complete now that he was there with her and smiled.

"I-I love..." She began to fade.

"Stay with me mom, everything-"

She cut him off with a whimper that sounded like 'No' before continuing. "I-I love..."

She began to fade even more rapidly now, and before she fell limp in Anakin's arms stopped breathing altogether. Anakin knew she was dead, yet refused to believe it.

No, no, he thought. She's not dead. I won't believe it. I refuse to believe it.

He even tried reviving her with the Force, but that didn't work since it could only be used on those who are unconscious, not dead. Anakin's startled grief soon led to anger, and that in turn was soon leading to furious rage.

He hated those Tuskens. He hated them. Each and every single one of them.

They will die, Anakin found himself thinking as he began to stalk out of the tent. They will all die. By my hands, and then they will burn in pain and agony in the depths of hell.

The sun was now rising and more Tuskens were awake now, but he hardly noticed. He activated his lightsaber at the entrance of the tent and sliced off the heads of the two Tuskens who had been guarding it. At the sight of him and what he'd just done, Tuskens came at him from all directions with staffs raised. But Anakin didn't care. He merely glared at them, his eyes showing the utmost hatred and rage as he proceeded to decapitate them all with his lightsaber of raging sapphire. He showed no remorse as he continued to slaughter the entire camp. During this time, he heard the voice of late Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn in his head telling him to stop; yet Anakin was too deep in the Dark Side to listen.

Padme was quite ticked by Jinn's voice and began to talk over it, encouraging and egging Anakin on.

Slice their heads off. Stab their throats out. Kill them! Kill them! Use your anger. Use your hatred.

Men, women, children, and even pets died at Anakin's hand that morning. After the massacre, Anakin took his mother into his arms and used the Force to bring the speeder bike over to him. Wrapping her in a gray blanket he found laying on the ground and laying her behind himself in the speeder, he took off back to the hovel.

Padme broke the connection with a satisfied smirk.

He'll be easy to turn, she thought, and made herself appear to be asleep, for she felt Cliegg and Owen's presences about, before contacting Sidious.

"Master."

"Lady Baynetta, what a pleasant surprise. I was just sitting here enjoying a cup of tea..."

"Do you have a minute? I have something to show you."

"But of course."

She showed Sidious the memory of which she witnessed with Anakin. And at its finish, she explained to him why they were on Tatooine to begin with. She was silent, as was he for a few minutes.

"Good. I see the Jedi's so called 'Chosen One' has been having some fun with the dark side," he cackled. Padme laughed as well. "Andtell me Baynetta, what have you two been doing the last few days?"

She smirked before explaining in graphic detail all that she and Anakin had done together the past few days, starting with the night by the fireplace. As she assumed he would be, Sidious was quite pleased.

"You are doing well Lady Baynetta," he praised. "Keep it up."

"Oh believe me I shall master and- Hang on a second! I hear someone approaching. We'll have to continue this conversation another time."

And before Sidious could respond, she broke the connection and sat up in bed.

There standing before her was Beru. "Oh good you are up," she said with a smile. "Breakfast is ready."

"Okay, thank you." Padme got out of bed and followed Beru into the dining room.

For breakfast, they had some of the Bantha Breakfast Biscuits she'd brought with blue sauce to top it off. They also finished the rest of the stew from the night before.

Padme once again was chatting happily with the three Lars, or in Beru's case soon to be Lars, for the maiden had told her last night that she and Owen were engaged. About halfway through breakfast, however, she abruptly stood up.

"What is it?" Owen asked with concern. Padme could've sworn she heard a speeder bike approaching, and when she searched for Anakin via the Force she felt that he was nearby and getting closer by the second.

"The speeder bike," she said. "Do you hear it?"

There was a moment of silence before Owen too stood up. "Yes, I do. That's my speeder bike all right. Anakin must be returning."

And without giving another thought to their food, Cliegg, Owen, Beru, and Padme all got up and went outside to greet him.

By now he was about several kilometers away from the house before stopping. Swinging himself off the bike, Anakin then picked up the limp form of his mother from the back of it. She was still in the gray blanket.

Proceeding forward with his mother in his arms and an expressionless look on his face, he stopped briefly to share a look of understanding with Cliegg before continuing on. He then glanced briefly at Owen and Beru before going inside the hovel.

Hmpf. Talk about your cold shoulder. He didn't even look at me.

They all followed Anakin inside.

"Where do you want her?" he asked Cliegg.

"You can put her on my bed for now," the widower replied.

After doing so, Anakin told them she had died in his arms, but that he did get to talk to her beforehand. They all nodded in sympathy and Anakin began to walk off.

"Son, we have some biscuits if you're hungry," Cliegg offered.

Anakin shook his head no and continued off. The four of them returned to the dining room and ate in silence.

Afterwards, Padme asked Beru for a spare plate for Anakin. She put a biscuit on it and carried that and a cup of blue milk on a tray before looking to find Anakin. She couldn't help but wonder if Anakin had recognized her voice egging him on in the Tusken camp and that's why he hadn't so much as looked at her since arriving back. She quickly snorted as this thought, calling it preposterous.

Eventually, she found her Jedi protector in a workroom in the back of the house. He was busy working on Owen's speeder bike. He wanted to put his mind on something else to forget about the pain, clearly.

She knew that he either heard or felt her approach, yet still he didn't turn around.

"I brought you something," she said quietly. "Are you hungry?"

After a moment he finally spoke. "The shifter broke. Life seems so much simpler when you're fixing things."

Padme took this moment to set down the tray she was carrying.

"I'm good at fixing things," he continued. "Always have. But I couldn't." She knew he was talking about his mother, and not the speeder anymore.

Finally, he turned to face her. "Why did she have to die? (How should I know?) Why couldn't I save her? I know I could have." He turned away from her again to hide his tears.

I wonder how he'll take this approach?

"Sometimes there are things no one can fix. You're not all powerful Anakin."

"Well I should be," he shot back.

"Someday I will be," he continued. "I will be the most powerful Jedi ever." He turned to face her. "I promise you. I will even learn to stop people from dying."

Though a lot of things were running through her mind at that moment, Padme chose to remain silent.

"It's all Obi-Wan's fault," he angrily bellowed. "He's jealous! He's holding me back."

Anakin swung his arms and body to throw a small tool he was holding at a nearby wall, and in the process turning away from her again. A mixture of anguish, though, soon outdid the anger, and she knew he was once again fighting back tears.

In a soft voice she asked, "What's wrong Anakin?"

For a moment he didn't speak. But when he finally did, it was in a shaky one.

"I- I- I killed them. I killed them all. They're dead. Every single one of them."

Padme was pleased to hear an element of grim satisfaction in his voice as he turned to face her again.

"And not just the men," he continued, shaking his head. "But the women and the children too."

The Sith Lady made sure to keep her face expressionless.

"They were like animals. And I slaughtered them like animals." A pause. "I HATE THEM!"

By now he was breathing heavily and proceeded to collapse onto the floor against the speeder sitting upright. Padme bit back a smirk as she sat down on the floor beside him.

"To be angry is to human," she said.

He shook his head no. "I'm a Jedi. I know I'm better than this."

He then began to cry freely. Padme gave Anakin a comforting hug, and he began to cry on her shoulder as she gently stroked his hair.

After a few minutes of this, she whispered to him that he should eat his food before it got too cold. Anakin nodded, but wasn't really paying attention. She took advantage of this by using the Force to float the tray over to them on the floor. Placing the tray in front of him, she gave him a gentle nudging and he began to eat. She rose from the floor then because she sensed Owen approaching, and sure enough, a few moments later, he came in, nodding to Padme before then addressing Anakin.

"I thought I might find you here. Shmi always said you loved tinkering with mechanical things. We're going to have the funeral in a few minutes. I was wondering if you'd like to help me dig the grave?"

"Of course," Anakin said getting up and handing the now empty tray to Padme.

"I'll take that," Beru said and Padme jumped. She hadn't felt or sensed Beru enter the room.

"I'm sorry. I hope I didn't startle you," she said to her.

"Oh no, no. I'm okay. I just didn't see you there that's all."

Beru smiled and Padme handed her the tray. Anakin followed Owen out, and she in turn followed Beru out, saying she was going to go take a shower aboard her ship and change.