DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything.
Sorry about the wait but hopefully I should be more regular with my updates from now on.
Anakin reached deep into the Force, something he had not done for years. Ever since the twins were born and Order 66 carried out, the ex-Jedi had cut himself off from the Force. His presence was too strong and easily recognisable, something the Sith Lord's would have used to their advantage. But now they had his family, his precious loved ones who he'd sacrificed so much to keep safe, and the Sith's knew that wherever his family was, Anakin wouldn't be far away. So there was no point running into a trap without his greatest strength.
He was sprinting through the entrance hall of the Refugee Transport Terminal searching desperately for Padme when he saw her. Her height had always been her most recognisable feature, especially with her blue skin. It didn't help that there were very few people waiting for transport at midnight and that she was the only non-human present in the Terminal.
At the moment her back was to him but he knew that she had felt his arrival. Anakin slowed and began walking in her direction.
"Where is Padme?" he demanded.
He was meters away from the Twi'lek when Aayla spun around, her dark cloak twirling with her. Her eyes were a sickly yellow colour and an infuriating smirk pulled at her lips.
"Don't come any closer Skywalker," the Sith Lord ordered.
Anakin did as she said, stopping where he was and balling his fists by his sides. He could see Padme now, her dark curls covering her face. She was still unconscious but her hands had been cuffed in front of her. Aayla was standing over her as a protective mother would her child. Her lightsaber was in her hands, unlit.
Anakin let the Force flood him, a euphoric feeling that spread through every cell in his body and made him believe he could do anything.
"Let her go," he said softly.
Aayla's smirk grew. "Now you know that won't be happening."
Anakin's eyes stayed firmly on Padme but his senses were searching the near-empty Refugee lounge. He needed something to use as a weapon, something to...
A soft moan from Padme bought his attention back to the two females in front of him. Aayla's red lightsaber was hovering over Padme, who had a thin line of blood tricking down her arm. Anakin growled and stepped closer, anger raging through him.
Aayla tutted and held up her lightsaber. "I wouldn't if I were you."
With a great effort Anakin forced himself to calm down, to release his anger into the Force. Aayla nodded once, as though in thanks. She extinguished her weapon.
"Better," she reached inside her cloak and pulled something out.
Before Anakin could see what it was, she had thrown it at him. Instinctively he reached out and caught it. They looked like a pair of standard issue stun cuffs but he somehow sensed that they were different.
"Put them on," the Sith instructed.
He could see the predatory stance of the Sith Lord as she stood over his angel and knew that it would be in Padme's best interest if he just did as she said. For now. He still had to rescue his kids.
He placed the cuffs around his wrists and snapped them shut. Instantly, the Force left him and the sudden absence of its strength nearly made him fall over.
Finally Aayla moved away from Padme and came to stand in front of the ex-Jedi. She grabbed his cuffed hands and made sure that they were secure and tight. Then she smiled at him.
"Smart move Skywalker," she said. "Our transport should already be here."
"Why are you doing this?" Anakin asked as Aayla walked over to Padme. She picked up his wife and carefully carried her over to him.
"Because this is what my Master wants."
Using the Force, Aayla pulled Anakin to his feet and made him walk in front of her. Padme was lying over the Sith's shoulder.
They passed through a lounge area and then proceeded into the Galactic Travel wing. Hundreds of spacecraft were parked in the hanger but everything was eerily silent. There was no one around when they entered and Aayla gave Anakin a Force shove to make him walk faster.
Anakin's mind was working overtime. He needed a plan but the situation seemed hopeless at the moment. He was restrained and incapable of touching the Force, Padme was unconscious and in the hands of a Sith Lord and even if they did manage to escape, the Sith's still had his twins.
Internally he sighed. He would have to bide his time. Patience, Obi Wan would say. The moment would appear when the Force allowed it. So Anakin walked, head bowed, letting Aayla guide him.
Emperor Palpatine stood in the control deck of his starship. Behind him, hundreds of men busied themselves with keeping the ship in orbit outside of Bespin's atmosphere. He ignored them all – none of them were important.
Anakin Skywalker's Force presence was burning like the twin suns of Tattooine, sudden and distracting. It would appear he was no longer hiding his presence or that of his wife and two children.
A satisfied smile crept onto his face as he felt anger ripple through Anakin's presence. It burnt so bright and strong for a few moments before he got a grip on his emotions and expelled it into the Force. Palpatine was glad that the young Jedi still had his impressive spirit and strength. It would make it so much easier to control him.
"Emperor Palpatine Sir?"
The smile turned into a scowl as he spun to face the young officer behind him. The man had nearly no Force presence and was obviously someone of no real importance.
"What do you want?" Palpatine spat.
The officer bowed his head as he spoke. "The Skywalker children are on their way to Coruscant and Skywalker and his wife have been secured."
"Excellent! You may leave," the Emperor instructed and the relieved officer left in a hurry.
It wouldn't be long before everything fell into place. He would have Skywalker's power, his children's power and the best leverage over all three of them.
Aayla led Anakin aboard her ship, Padme still over her shoulder. She dropped the ex-Senator into the nearest chair, ignoring Anakin's angry growl.
"On your knees Skywalker," she ordered.
She watched him carefully as his eyes darted quickly between Padme, the door and finally back at Aayla. Slowly he lowered himself onto the floor, apparently deciding against a swift and likely pointless escape attempt.
Walking backwards she moved closer to the pilot, who had been waiting quietly for her return. The passenger chair beside the pilot was empty except for two round circles of shining steel. She nodded to the pilot as she picked up the collars. The pilot turned to his controls and started flicking switches.
Aayla walked back over to Anakin and Padme. She opened one of the collars using the Force and placed it around Padme's neck. It was loose around her slender neck but once it snapped close she wouldn't be getting it off without the help of the Force. As the ex-Senator was not Force sensitive that wouldn't be a problem.
Now she turned to face Anakin. His deep blue eyes looked like a storm as he studied her.
"Oh don't get so sentimental on me. I knew what I was getting into when I signed up," she muttered with a smirk. "Now if you don't mind..."
Aayla walked over to Anakin and leant towards him, the collar outstretched in her hands. She was tense, waiting for his rebellion. Nothing happened until Aayla was centimetres from his throat. Then Anakin moved with blinding speed.
His hands, still bound together, wrapped around Aayla's wrists and held tight. The steel fingers of his metal arm bit deep into Aayla's skin but she refused to cry out. In one swift movement Anakin threw his whole body weight at her and slammed her back against the thick wall of the ship. The breath was knocked out of her lungs and before she could recover, Anakin's forehead smashed into her own. Her vision blurred for a moment and her head swam. Vaguely, Aayla noticed Anakin release her hands and that powerful anger suddenly filled her. The Force flooded her system, clearing her head and lending her its infinite strength.
Anakin was leaning over Padme, his hands gently checking for a pulse. Aayla, in her fury, lashed out at the ex-Jedi. He flew backwards and his head slammed into the wall behind him. The thud rang around the vast interior of the ship and Anakin slid down the wall, shoulders hunched and limbs limp.
Aayla walked over to where she'd dropped the collar after Anakin's initial attack and picked it up. Anakin stirred and tried to stand up but Aayla used the Force to lift his unresisting body and held him still against the wall.
She didn't stop until she was only a foot away from Anakin's face. The Sith roughly snapped the collar shut around Anakin's neck before lifting her hand to his cheek.
With careful movements, Aayla ran a finger down his cheek. She lingered over his lips as she leaned in close.
"Good try, but now we have you and the Emperor is not going to lose you so easily," she whispered.
Anakin glared down at her. Suddenly Aayla pushed her lips against his, rough and unyielding. Anakin tried to pull away but Aayla just used the Force to keep him still. It wasn't so much that she wanted to kiss him, sure he was a very handsome man and she did enjoy it, but Aayla wanted nothing more than to assert her control.
When she pulled away, Anakin wiped his mouth on his sleeve, a disgusted look on his face.
"I can't wait to have fun with you and your pretty little doll," Aayla muttered.
There was a feral triumphant grin on her face as she released Anakin and sat in the passenger seat beside the pilot. She strapped herself in and called over her shoulder for Anakin to find a seat as they were about to jump to light speed.
As the pilot hit the hyperdrive, Anakin glanced over at his unconscious wife and sighed. This wasn't good at all.