Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. I just created my own little AU sandbox to play in.

AN: Here's chapter 15! Thanks for all the great reviews. Enjoy this next installment and let me know what you think!

Force Jumper

Chapter 15: Identity Revealed

Obi-Wan had avoided following Jango Fett too close as to not reveal himself, but it had backfired once he landed, as the bounty hunter and his son quickly evaded him. In the meantime, he had successfully attached a tracking device to the underbelly of Fett's ship. As he instructed Arfour to perform routine maintenance checks during the down time, he felt the Force tugging at his senses. He suddenly felt panic from his padawan, before her Force signature slowly faded. She was in the city.

"Why is Ahsoka on Corellia?" he wondered to himself. It didn't matter, because she was in trouble, so he quickly caught a ride on a passing air transport and used the Force to pinpoint her location when he last sensed her.

"No please…you can't do this. Please…I love him!" she cried, not being able to stop the words from coming out. His eyes went wide beneath his mask as he stared at her, hardly believing what he had heard her say. But Mace was unfazed and turned the blade in his hand and slowly brought it toward his neck.

"She loves me…" Anakin uttered silently, trying to wrap his mind around the concept. It was everything he had ever hoped for, but she didn't know everything yet. He had to get them out of here. He concentrated through the pain as much as he could and he flickered, fazing in and out.

"It's kind of hard to jump when you have ten thousand volts of electricity coursing through your brain," Mace hissed.

"Hard…but not impossible…" Anakin panted, as he howled in agony and disappeared. Mace's eyes were wide, as he was unable to hide his surprise. Anakin didn't get far, however, and landed in a painful heap, several feet away, cables still attached. He cried out in pain, as Cox kicked him in the stomach.

"Nice try kid. I must say, I'm impressed," he mocked, as he grabbed the young man's hair and pulled his head back.

"Nice mask. I bet the Senator is just dying to see under it. Let's make it the last thing she sees," Cox sneered, as he ripped it off and punched Anakin in the face. He grunted in pain, as he felt a fifth cable wrap around his waist, bringing a fresh wave of electricity and pain with it.

"Jango…let her go, please!" Anakin pleaded.

"You better worry about yourself," Zana spat, as she kicked him in the chest.

"Stop it!" Padme cried. Her eyes locked on his handsome face, of which she was seeing all of for the first time.

"I knew you were a mistake the moment you walked into the Council room…Skywalker," Mace said, as he approached again, blade ready in hand. Padme gasped in disbelief, as she heard the name.

"Anakin…" she uttered, eyes wide in wonder. Anakin gazed into her eyes for what he thought would be the last time, as Mace closed in.

"I love you Padme…I have since the moment I met you," he told her passionately. Tears spilled down her cheeks, as despair swept through her. Was the Force really this cruel? She had finally found love and it was about to snatched away before she could even experience it.

"Ugh…let's kill them already before I lose my dinner," Zana complained in disgust. Her words were followed by a sharp cry of pain, as an emerald bladed light saber protruded through her chest. As she fell dead to the ground, Quinlan jumped and reappeared several feet away. He tossed his light saber, end of end, and sparks spewed, as it severed all five cables. Anakin disappeared and Quinlan caught his blade in his hand, before disappearing again.

"Don't let them escape!" Mace called, as they fired the cables from their gauntlets.

Anakin reappeared and his light saber, which was clipped to Mace's belt, flew into his hand. With an angry swipe, he destroyed Cox's gauntlet, taking his arm off at the same time. Cox screamed in horrified agony, as he clutched his severed limb.

"Anakin…look out!" Boba cried, as he suddenly ran into the fray from the hiding place where Jango had told him to stay. Mace fired his gauntlet as Boba got in the way and he stood frozen in fear. Anakin jumped and grabbed the boy, before reappearing next to Jango. He stared into the bounty hunter's eyes and gave him his son.

"Anakin…you saved me!" Boba said, admiration shining in his eyes. Anakin gave him a quick wink and cut the cable around Padme, releasing her. Jango grabbed her arm, not intending to let the bounty escape and Anakin glared at him coldly.

"Dad…let her go!" Boba pleaded.

"I know you're a man of honor…or at least you were when we first met," Anakin said. Jango sighed and let her go. Anakin swept her into his arms and disappeared, joining Quinlan, who was picking up Artoo, who had been short circuited when trying to interfere.

"Concentrate kid, you need to get us off this planet," Quinlan told him. Anakin pushed the residual pain down, as he concentrated on their home Temple on Yavin IV. As two cables shot at them, Anakin, Padme, Artoo, and Quinlan disappeared.

"NO! Get the machine running!" Mace ordered to Cox, intending to go through his jump scar again. Cox switched it on and it hummed to life, but nothing was happening.

"Where is the jump scar?" Mace demanded. Cox looked just as puzzled.

"There…isn't one," Cox concluded. Mace released his rage into the Force and glared at the retreating form of the bounty hunter that had double crossed them.

"Next time, your failure will have dire consequences," Mace warned to his subordinate, who cowered to him.

"Get rid of Zana's body. We'll get Skywalker soon," Mace stated more calmly.

"How can you be sure, Master?" Cox moaned in pain, as he stumbled around, using one hand to pour a flammable liquid on his partner's dead body. Mace raised his hand and concentrated his Force energy. The body burst into flames a moment later.

"Master Yoda's hologram earlier revealed that the Senate has granted emergency powers to the Chancellor. The Republic and the Separatists will soon be at war and if Skywalker continues his mission to help slaves, then he won't be able to resist all the refugees and misplaced people that will be caught in the middle. We will have more opportunities to cleanse the Force of him," Mace said, as they trudged back to Cox's speeder. Cox was surprised that the Master leader of the Xal'Kaar seemed to quickly calm over the Force Jumper's escape and he knew that meant that Windu had a plan.

When they reappeared inside their home on Yavin IV, Anakin collapsed to his knees.

"Are you all right?" Padme asked, as she knelt beside him. He nodded and they stood up.

"I'm fine. Are you?" he asked. She nodded and looked around.

"Won't they try to follow us?" she asked with apprehension.

"They can't here. This is Yavin IV. We live here mainly because it's deserted and the Force is so strong that our jump scars disappear too quickly for their machines to harness," Quinlan told her.

"Yavin IV? I've never heard of it," Padme said, as she looked around.

"Not many have, which makes it perfect. We're not sure who built the Temples, but no beings have lived in them for centuries from what we can tell," Anakin replied.

"That cut on your head needs attention," Quinlan mentioned.

"I'm pretty good with first aid. I can look over your injuries," Padme said, jumping at the chance to get him alone. He was anxious too, for he had a lot to say. Quinlan smirked.

"Thank you Senator, there's a first aid kit in the fresher," he mentioned with a smirk.

"Please, call me Padme," she replied.

"Have you heard from Master Sifo?" Anakin asked, as he stood up.

"Not yet. Whatever he's up to, he's keeping me out of it too this time," Quinlan responded.

"Master Sifo?" she asked.

"He's my other mentor. He left the Jedi too many years ago. He's not a Force Jumper, but he took Quinlan in when he first discovered his ability and then they both took me in," Anakin explained, as he led her upstairs.

Ahsoka groaned in pain, as she slowly picked herself up off the floor. She looked around and saw that the Senator and Knightblade were gone. Someone had knocked her out and as much as she wanted to blame the masked stranger, she knew that it had not been him. She knew she was starting to panic, so she took a deep, calming breath and as her Master had taught her, she reached into the Force to get a feel for her surroundings. And suddenly, she felt her Master nearby.

"Master Obi-Wan is here?" she wondered aloud, as she continued to observe her surroundings. She couldn't feel the Senator anymore and she could never feel Knightblade unless he wasn't purposely masking his Force presence. Oddly enough, she hadn't felt anything from the person that knocked her out, which likely meant they knew how to mask their presence too. She sighed.

"I need to find Master Obi-Wan," she concluded, knowing he would probably be disappointed that she had lost track of the Senator.

Anakin sat down on his bed, as Padme opened the first aid kit and gently dabbed a bacta cloth on the gash. They gaze between them was intense and she gently placed a small bandage on the cut.

"Padme…" he started.

"Is it really you Ani?" she asked. He stared into her eyes and nodded, as he swallowed the lump in his throat.

"This isn't how I wanted you to find out. I planned to tell you everything, including that I'm in love with you," he told her honestly. Her heart skipped a beat, as she gazed into his sapphire eyes. How had she forgotten those eyes of the little boy she had once known? It was no surprise that she hadn't made the connection though. This was no little boy, but rather a man before her.

"I love you too. I kept telling myself that I couldn't be in love with someone that I don't even know…but I guess we're not really strangers after all," she replied, as she sat beside him on the bed.

"So much has happened to me…and I will tell you everything," he promised.

"Good, because I want to hear everything and I expect you to leave nothing out," she replied, as they smiled at each other. He stood up and put his hand out for her.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Yavin IV is a really beautiful place and I want to share it with you. I've been waiting to share it with you for a long time," he told her. She smiled and took his hand.

"Will I ever be able to jump with you without closing my eyes?" she asked. He smiled.

"You'll be used to it soon, if you're not already. Just to be safe though, close your eyes this time," he replied. She nodded and closed her eyes, as she felt his arms slide around her waist. As he stared down at the beauty in his arms, he couldn't stop himself and planted his lips on hers. Her eyes flew open in momentary surprise, but then closed again, as she kissed him back with just as much passion. Their lips parted moments later, as their need for oxygen forced them apart. She smiled at him and closed her eyes. He smirked and they disappeared.

Ahsoka rode back to the landing pad in silence with Master Obi-Wan.

"I'm sorry Master, I failed my mandate," Ahsoka said, as they arrived back at her Master's star fighter.

"We will discuss this later, padawan. It seems that there is much more going on here though. It's not entirely your fault," Obi-Wan assured her.

"How right you are, Master Kenobi," a voice said, as they turned.

"Master Windu? What are you doing here? I thought you were on Coruscant," Obi-Wan said.

"I was until the Senator's ship was shot down," Mace stated.

"The Senator went with Knightblade and they disappeared," Ahsoka informed.

"Yes, we have reason to believe that this Knightblade person has kidnapped Senator Amidala," Mace announced. Ahsoka gasped.

"She went with him willingly. She wouldn't listen to me, but as much as I hate to admit it, he did save everyone on the ship," Ahsoka said.

"Yes, to make himself look like the hero. We have reason to believe that it was a co-conspirator of his that shot the ship down on purpose," Mace lied.

"It would make sense. No one besides the Chancellor and the Council knew the route that ship was taking. He could have easily told his conspirator and staged the whole thing to gain the Senator's trust," Obi-Wan said. Ahsoka furrowed her brow. She found the mysterious man known as Knightblade infuriating, but she had a hard time believing that he would want to harm the Senator.

"Forgive me Master, but I saw them together. I don't believe Knightblade wants to hurt the Senator," Ahsoka spoke up, earning a cool glare from Mace and a warning gaze from her Master.

"I'm afraid your senses aren't so attuned yet, padawan. This Knightblade knows how to mask his feelings very well. None of us can be sure of his true intentions," Obi-Wan chided.

"Your Master is right. We must treat this as a kidnapping and find the Senator so we can see her safely home," Mace said.

"Master, we will begin our search for them," Obi-Wan said. Mace nodded, knowing that he would do well to allow Kenobi to attempt a search. He didn't suspect anything and he wanted to keep it that way.

"I will be returning to Coruscant to make a statement to the Holonet. The public must know of the danger this man poses to everyone," Mace said, as he left without another word.

"Master, with all due respect, I don't think Knightblade was responsible for shooting the ship down and I don't think he had anyone else do it," Ahsoka said, as she climbed into the second seat of his star fighter.

"Master Windu knows what he is doing, my young padawan, and he is far more experienced than even I. it is not our place to question him," Obi-Wan responded, effectively ending the conversation. Ahsoka sighed.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"I managed to put a tracking device on the bounty hunter, Jango Fett's ship. I think if we follow him, then we many find the person that has put the bounty on the Senator's head," Obi-Wan replied, as he fired up the engines and piloted the star fighter out of Corellia's atmosphere. Taking a look the tracking location on his screen, he locked the coordinates on Fett's ship and made the jump to hyperspace.

Anakin and Padme reappeared and she found herself getting used to the sensation of Force jumping. She looked around in awe of the natural beauty around them.

"This place is amazing…" Padme said, as she looked around at the lush greenery. He took her hand and jumped again, this time to the roof of one of the temples. She gasped at the view and noticed the blanket.

"I come up here a lot when I need to think or get away from everything," he said, as he sat down. The view of the sunset was breathtaking and she sat down beside him. She gave him a serious gaze and touched his hand.

"It's…no coincidence that we found each other again, is it?" she asked. He smiled gently.

"I don't really believe in coincidence; only the Will of the Force," he responded.

"All these years…I often thought about you. I wondered what had ever happened to you," she said, biting her bottom lip. She wondered if she should tell him that she had hired someone to find him years ago, but thought better of it for the moment.

"Really?" he asked.

"You seem surprised," she replied. He shrugged.

"I've thought about you every day since the moment we parted, but it never occurred to me that you might have given me a second thought," he said. She squeezed his hand.

"Of course I did. You saved my people and you were my friend, even if you were just a little boy then. Five years age difference was a lifetime between us then, but it really doesn't seem like anything now," she replied. There was a small awkward pause between them, as they gazed into each other's eyes.

"So…you were going to tell me everything," she prompted. He nodded.

"Have you always had this…ability?" she asked.

"I was born with it, but it didn't happen for the first time until I was ten, about a year after I returned to Tatooine," Anakin said, recalling the memories. Padme noticed how his face suddenly became paler and his eyes haunted. Her worst fears were confirmed. Something horrible had happened to him after the Jedi rejected him and forced him back to that terrible planet. She scooted closer and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You can tell me. I told you that I love you and nothing will ever change that now," she assured him.

"She was still a slave, so I started seeking work to earn enough money to buy her freedom from Watto. But unfortunately, that meant commuting to Anchorhead on a daily basis. Most in Mos Espa have slaves to do their labor, but Anchorhead is mostly frequented by farming families. Many there don't believe in slavery so I was able to find a job in a maintenance shop. It didn't matter though," Anakin said, pausing sadly for a moment, before continuing.

"Sebulba, the Dug I beat in the Boonta Eve classic was still really pissed that I won and wanted revenge," he said, swallowing the lump in his throat. He continued after she squeezed his hand gently.

"The first time I Force jumped was the night my mother was murdered," he stated, recalling the painful memories he had buried for years. Padme gasped, as he began telling her the events of that tragic night, nine years ago…

When Anakin arrived back at his and his mother's hovel, he wasn't too alarmed when she wasn't home. It wasn't unusual for her to work late with Watto if they had work backed up, so he ventured into the city and to Watto's small repair shop. As he stepped inside, he immediately knew something was wrong. He felt it.

"Mom…" he called. There was only silence.

"Watto…" he called, but he somehow knew no one would answer. He slowly crept toward Watto's work bench and he felt a gush of fear grip him, as he saw his former master crumpled beneath a mess of tools, blood oozing from his dead body. Someone had beaten him to death. He pushed back the tears, as dread filled him. He didn't want to look behind the counter, but he had to. The tears were flooding from his eyes by now, as the sight he dreaded finally filled his vision. He broke down, falling to his knees, as violent sobs racked his small body. He crawled next to his lifeless mother and sobbed against her shoulder, wishing for nothing more than her arms to go around him like they always had and comfort him. But he would never have that again, because she was gone. He looked down at her, noticing that her last moments were probably horrific. Her clothes were ripped and he knew what that meant. He knew what the animals on this planet were like. After violating her, the life had clearly been choked out of her, as was evident by the dark bruising around her neck.

"No mom…NOOOO!" he screamed, as he cried as hard as he had ever cried. What would he do without her? He was only ten and he was alone. What would he do? And who had done this? Unfortunately, he was about to find out exactly who had taken his mother from him.

"Well, it's about time you got here, boy. We've been waiting for you," a gruff male voice spat. Anakin's head shot up, as two big, burly men loomed above him. He scarcely had time to cry out, as one grabbed him by the hair and yanked him into the air.

"NO!" Anakin screamed, as he kicked and punched, as hard as he could. But this only earned him a knee to his gut, which knocked the air out of him. The man dropped his sobbing form to the ground, as he held his stomach in pain.

"Sebulba seems to have it in for you pretty bad," he heard one say. Anakin clenched his teeth in anger. Sebulba had done this. He had hired these men to take his mother away.

"Here's the stun cuffs. I told Zar we would be there in an hour. He wants to meet his new…slave…" the other hissed. White hot fear filled him. Not again…he would not be sold back into slavery.

"Yeah, you're gonna like you're new master and he's gonna love you, cause he's going to make a fortune off you," one said, as they both chuckled evilly. This couldn't be happening! He couldn't become a slave again. He had heard of Zar and he knew exactly what business he was in. If he let himself be chipped again, then it would be all over. He would never live to see freedom again. He would never see Padme again.

"Padme!" he cried in his head, as images of the beautiful girl that he knew was an angel filled his mind. He cried in anguish, but was thankful that she would never see this ugliness.

"Why is this happening to me!" he screamed in his head, calling out to the Force. Qui-Gon had told him much about the Force in their short time together, but right now, he didn't believe there was anything out there watching out for him.

"You are the Chosen One, Ani," he heard Qui-Gon's voice tell him.

"If I am this so called Chosen One, then why is this happening! I'm not the Chosen One or I wouldn't be leading such a worthless existence!" he screamed angrily into the Force, though his captors heard none of it. But someone…or something did. His rage filled him and though he had been warned against his anger, he didn't care. He let his rage erupt and he felt his vision becoming blurry, fazing in and out.

"What the hell?" he heard one of them cry. The two slavers looked on in astonishment, as the boy on the ground suddenly disappeared into thin air and appeared again, just a few yards away.

"This kid is a freak!" he heard one cry. Anakin looked around as best he could. His vision was blurry and everything was spinning, making him sick to his stomach.

"Get him before he gets away!" the other cried, as he saw their feet coming toward him.

"No…stay away from me!" he cried, as he felt his vision start to go dark and tears fill his eyes again. He was going to be a slave again…a slave of the worst kind. He would never see Padme again and even though his fate would be a bleak one, he hoped she lived a good, happy life. He just wished he could be there to see it.

"I love you Padme…" he whispered, as everything went black and he disappeared right before the two men's eyes. The slavers looked around, dumbfounded.

"Where the hell did he go?" one cried.

"What the hell is he?" the other hissed, as they looked all around the shop. But they would never find him…

"Anakin…oh Ani, I'm so sorry," Padme cried, as she put her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

"This is my fault," Padme sniffed, as she shed tears for him. His eyes widened and he pulled back to look at her.

"Padme…none of what happened to me or my mother was your fault," he assured her.

"But if they had just let me have access to my own damn money, then I could have freed her and brought her to Naboo," Padme sobbed. He shook his head.

"You tried and you know that I love you for everything you tried to do for me," he assured her.

"I looked for you…" she blurted out suddenly.

"What?" he asked.

"I tried to find you when my second term was over. I hired an investigator to try and find you, but his search turned up empty. I was afraid something terrible had happened to you and your mother," Padme cried. He gently caressed her cheek and wiped a tear from her cheek.

"You looked for me?" he asked, surprised that she had bothered. She nodded and he surprised her by seizing her lips with his own.

"Thank you," he told her, as their lips parted.

"For what? I didn't do anything," she replied.

"You kept your promise. You never forgot me," he answered. She melted in his arms and hugged him tightly.

"How could I?" she whispered and sniffed again. He smiled and pulled back, suddenly captivated by her beauty once more.

"You're so beautiful…" he said passionately, as he gazed at her in awe. She looked away shyly, gently wiping her tears.

"Please, I'm a mess now," she protested.

"Even angels cry, I guess," he countered with a mischievous smirk. She felt the heat rise to her cheeks.

"You are far too charming for your own good, my Hero With No Fear," she countered, whispering the name with a seductive edge in her voice that made him shiver. This time, the heat was rising in his cheeks. She smirked, satisfied by his reaction and cuddled closer.

"So are you going to tell me the rest of your story?" she asked.

"You really want to hear more?" he asked. She nodded seriously.

"Everything," she insisted. He nodded, as they settled down on the blanket. By now, the stars dotted the sky above them in and the sight was almost breathtaking.

"My first Force Jump may have only a few feet in distance, but my second took me all the way from Tatooine to Naboo…" he began, as she listened with rapt attention.

Quinlan heard the comm system beep, as he finished off another glass of scotch. He was only feeling a slight buzz, even after three glasses, but that was no surprise. He had a legendary tolerance for liquor. He answered and sighed a bit in relief, as Sifo-Dyas appeared on the other end.

"You know, I don't know why I worry about you, old man, but the kid and I don't appreciate not hearing from you for days," Quinlan chided. Sifo smirked at his first protégé.

"I'm sorry Quin, but I have not been in a position to contact either of you in the last few days. I trust Anakin and the Senator are all right?" Sifo asked.

"You missed a bit of excitement. Mace, I've got a stick up my ass, Windu ambushed him and Padme on Corellia. They unmasked him so she knows everything, but fortunately I got there before he could cut our boy up. We're safe at home for now," Quinlan informed. Sifo had a pensive frown on his face.

"I trust you haven't seen the Holonet yet either then," Sifo responded.

"Not yet, why?" he asked.

"You may want to tune into the Galactic news. The Chancellor has declared Knightblade an enemy to the Republic and announced that he has kidnapped Senator Amidala," Sifo explained. Quinlan frowned.

"That lying piece of…" Quinlan started to go on, before Sifo held his hand up.

"I'm sure once all this is over, the good Senator will set the record straight," Sifo mentioned. Quin shook his head.

"I know, but that won't stop Mace. Where are you anyway?" Quinlan asked suspiciously.

"On my way to Geonosis," Sifo responded.

"What's on Geonosis?" Quinlan asked.

"Count Dooku. He thinks he has played me for a fool and I intend to see that he is held accountable for his actions. The Jedi still seem to think he is incapable of becoming a Sith," Sifo-Dyas explained. Quinlan snorted.

"Blind, ignorant fools, the lot of them! Why are you risking your life to help them?" Quinlan asked, getting angry all the sudden.

"I am doing so to help the people that have no one, just like Anakin does. The people that suffer the most under tyranny…the people that the Jedi have decided are not worth their attention, you know that," Sifo-Dyas chided gently. Quinlan sighed.

"Not alone you're not. Anakin and I will be on our way soon," Quinlan replied.

"Not yet, not until I contact you again. Right now, Anakin's priority is Padme and I want you with them for now," Sifo respond.

"But Master…" Quinlan protested.

"Respect my wishes, young one. I will contact you soon," Sifo-Dyas said, as the transmission blinked out. Quinlan growled and poured another glass of scotch.

"I hate it when he calls me that," he grumbled, as he flipped on the holoscreen to see what damage was being done by the media…

In the next chapter, Anakin continues his story and tells Padme about his ventures in rescuing slaves. Meanwhile, Mace publicly declares that Knightblade has kidnapped Senator Amidala and is an enemy to the Republic. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka follow Jango to Geonosis and finds more going on there. And Sifo-Dyas comes face to face with Dooku once again…