a.n. Hey, another chapter up in such a short amount of time. I guess I'm just excited about getting back into my writing that I couldn't wait to write more. Anyways, this chapter is a bit shorter than the last, but I felt that with everything that will be going on in the next chapter, this one had to be cut off where it was. And I would like some feedback from my readers: since this story is more focused around Anakin and Luca, I was thinking about just skipping the whole Courscant chase scene (since we all know how that turns out) as it doesn't have much to do with Luca. Any opinions one way or the other? I'd really like to know what you guys think. Please read, review, and enjoy.

Chapter 17: The Truth About Dreams

Obi-Wan stepped off the turbolift and headed towards where Anakin was stationed outside the Senator's bedroom.

"Captain Typho has more than enough men downstairs. No assassin will try that way. Any activity up here?"

Anakin shook his head.

"Quiet as a tomb. I don't like just waiting here for something to happen to her."

Obi-Wan silently agreed and looked around the residence.

"Where is our friend Mister Redenov?"

Anakin shrugged his shoulders.

"He left not too long ago and said that he was going to do his own scans of the area before heading back up here."

"Well, he certainly is thorough."

"He may take his job seriously, Master, but I still don't completely trust him."

"That may be, Anakin, but we mustn't let thoughts like those get in the way."

"I know, Master. But still…"

"I know how you feel Anakin, but remember that we are Jedi and we are not to make hasty decisions based on our feelings."

"Yes Master."

Luca made his way back to the turbolift from the building's hangar. As much as he wanted to stay and protect Padmé, he knew that he had to let things unfold as naturally as they had before. The assassination attempt that he knew was going to happen had to happen and he had to let Anakin and Obi-Wan pursue the assassin, just as he had done when he was in Anakin's shoes. He would only intervene in the direst circumstances. But that didn't mean that he couldn't ensure that things went the way they were supposed to.

He had told Anakin that he was going to scan the area and make sure that everything was fine. Instead, he had wandered around the hangar bay for a while, checking the speeders. He knew that Anakin would be needing one soon and he had decided that there was no harm in making sure there was one ready to go. Besides, he hadn't driven a speeder in a long time and he was feeling slightly nostalgic, wanting to recapture the old times.

Luca sighed as exited the turbolift right outside the Senator's apartment. He knew this was going to be a difficult mission, but he just didn't know how hard it would be being back here.

Obi-Wan and Anakin heard the door open as Luca entered the apartment. They noticed the melancholy way he was moving and the far-off look on his face. They looked at each other curiously before turning back to Luca.

"Is everything all right, Mister Redenov?" Obi-Wan questioned.

Luca turned his head and noticed the two other occupants of the room looking at him.

"Everything's fine, Master Kenobi. And everything checks out everywhere else as well." Luca noticed the two of them still looking at him, not quite believing that he was as fine as he told them. "How is everything up here?" Luca asked, changing the subject.

"All's quiet here. Nothing seems to be amiss."

"How about the Senator?"

"Senator Amidala has not left her room since she retired earlier. And we are able to see everything that goes on in her room with the security camera."

Obi-Wan walked over to the console to check the camera in the Senator's room. Not seeing her, he turned to Anakin.

"What's going on?"

Anakin shrugged.

"She covered that camera. I don't think she liked me watching her."

"What is she thinking?"

"She programmed Artoo to warn us if there's an intruder."

"It's not an intruder I'm worried about. There are many other ways to kill a Senator."

"I know, but we also want to catch this assassin. Don't we, Master?"

"You're using her as bait?"

"It was her idea... No harm will come to her. I can sense everything going on in that room. Trust me."

"It's too risky... and your senses aren't that attuned, young apprentice."

"And yours are?"

"Possibly."

"I'm sure the Senator is safe Master Kenobi," Luca stated, hoping to relieve some of the tension that was beginning to form between the two. "I know that with two Jedi here, anybody foolish enough to try to get in wouldn't get very far."

Luca's attempt to brighten the mood helped slightly, but he noticed that something had brought down Anakin's mood.

"Is something wrong, Anakin?" Luca asked gently.

Obi-Wan seemed to notice the same thing. "You look tired."

"I don't sleep well, anymore."

"Because of your mother?"

"I don't know why I keep dreaming about her now. I haven't seen her since I was little."

"Dreams pass in time."

"He's right Anakin," Luca informed him, "dreams do pass in time. It may not seem like it, and I know dreams can be painful, especially when they are about those you care about being in danger, but you can't let them be the basis of your actions. Dreams are sometimes just dreams. You can't believe that you are going to change anything you see in your dreams if you do something about it."

Both Obi-Wan and Anakin stared at Luca, knowing that there was something more to what he was telling.

"You seem to have some experience with dreams, Mister Redenov," Obi-Wan observed.

"I guess you could say that," Luca conceded, somberly. "I once believed in my dreams and I thought that I could change what I saw. I learned that by acting on what I saw, I was only causing it to happen."

"How do I know if what I'm dreaming is real or not or if it's going to happen?" Anakin questioned, curious.

Luca sighed. "You really don't know. Whatever you see could in fact be the truth. But what you see could just be a manifestation of your fears or insecurities. With dreams, you have to be careful how you tread. There is no way you can know if it's true or not. You can only hope that those dreams will go away and that you will dream of better things."

"I'd rather dream of Padmé," Anakin agreed wistfully. "Just being around her again is...intoxicating."

"Mind your thoughts, Anakin, they betray you," Obi-Wan reminded him. "You've made a commitment to the Jedi order... a commitment not easily broken...and don't forget she's a politician. They're not to be trusted."

"She's not like the others in the Senate, Master."

"It's been my experience that Senators are only focused on pleasing those who fund their

campaigns... and they are more than willing to forget the niceties of democracy to get those funds."

"Not another lecture, Master. Not on the economics of politics...besides, you're generalizing. The Chancellor doesn't appear to be corrupt."

"Palpatine's a politician; I've observed that he is very clever at following the passions and prejudices of the Senators."

Luca started to sense that something going on in the next room, something was happening with the Senator.

"I think he is a good man," Anakin argued. "My instincts are very positive about..." He suddenly broke off and he turned his head towards Padmé's room, a startled look on his face.

Obi-Wan's face shared the same expression. "I sense it, too."

The two of them raced towards the bedroom as Luca looked after them. He paid no attention to the crash he heard not long after or to Captain Typho and Dormé rushing past him to reach the room. He briefly glanced up as Anakin ran by, heading to the speeders he knew. Sighing and shaking his head, he headed towards the bedroom as well, knowing that his mission was truly about to begin.