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-Chapter II: Words of Wisdom-

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Senate Apartment Complex - Coruscant

"Miss Padme, there is someone at the door"

Senator Amidala looked up from the datapad she was perusing at the sight of her cherished gold plated protocol droid as he indicated towards the entrance to her apartment. She had a strong sense she already knew who would be here since she had specifically invited him over for some much needed stress relief. Currently, her day's work was centered on drafting a resolution for the Senate to review, though a distraction from this tedious work was always a welcome thing.

"Thank you Threepio. I'll get it." Padme responded as she stood from her couch.

"You're quite welcome."

Smiling at the politeness and the sincerity of the statement, the Nabooian senator moved towards her door and pressed the open button. Behind the decorated door stood the boy, well man now, from Tatooine. The very same man she had come to adore and more importantly, had secretly wed not six months earlier at the start of the war. Her heart soared as he smiled the toothy grin that she felt was becoming his trademark. Her husband, her lover, and her personal Jedi Knight all rolled into one dashing man. Moving over to usher her beau inside, Padme took stock of him as he slowly and almost cautiously entered the apartment.

"Padme" Anakin breathed as he silently struggled into the lavishly decorated apartment.

"Ani" She said worriedly as he moved past her.

The senator watched as the obviously injured Jedi slowly lowered himself onto her couch. His movements could only mean one thing: he got hurt. Again. This wasn't the first time Anakin had been injured this badly since the war began. Granted being involved in a conflict of this magnitude meant such an occurrence was more than likely to happen. But this was different. Eight times now, eight separate times she had watched her husband return from a campaign with mounting injuries and the near inability to walk on his own. Was he always placing safety as his number one priority every time he fought a battle against the Separatists? Doubtful. Was he always watching out for everyone under his command? She knew for a fact he did. Were the clones he led falling short of their duty as soldiers of the Republic? Not even close, as far as she knew, the 501st Legion was considered one of the greatest amongst the Grand Army. Was he reckless as ever? Probably, but being a Jedi usually meant that he had a sort of foresight to warn him of such dangers, or at least that's how she vaguely remembered him telling her once. So what could it be?

"I missed you." He spoke, interrupting her thoughts.

"I missed you more." She responded as she slowly sat next to him.

She took note of the fact that his breathing was rather heavily labored and more importantly that his robes and armor were singed and torn up quite badly. Especially around his ribs, a fact she became aware of as his face contorted into one of sharp pain. His prosthetic arm immediately moved over his abdomen but hovered just above the injured area. At that movement, Padme immediately stood up and moved to find her on-hand medical kit. It wasn't common for a politician to carry such supplies in their personal quarters both on and off Coruscant, though it was fortunate she had the wherewithal to keep one ready.

"Threepio, get me some towels, run them under hot water, and bring them to the couch. Anakin is hurt." She said while opening the medkit and looking through it for bacta.

"Padme-" Anakin began before having a pair of soft fingers press against his lips.

"Ani don't even start. I know you're hurt, and one of your man ship gestures isn't going to make me believe any different. So that'll be enough out of you." Padme spoke, ever so sternly.

Anakin attempted to speak again, but at the withering glare his secret wife gave him, he immediately clammed up. Even this bold Jedi General knew damn well not to push the subject when his beloved entered into her protective mode. Nothing short of the darkside would convince her otherwise. Though of course it had nothing to do with the fact she could be downright scary when she wanted to be.

"Good, now you just sit there and let me take care of you." She gently admonished.

While she adjusted the pillows on the large sofa to better accommodate her injured husband, 3PO returned to the room with a bowl of hot water and towels. The gold protocol droid observed the state his creator was in. Taking stock of the fact that such injuries were becoming something of a regular occurrence as of late, he too found himself pondering the cause of such misfortune.

"Master Anakin I must say, you should take better care of yourself. What with fighting this wretched war and all." He remarked while handing off the bowl and towels. Padme remained silent at this remark while she focused on placing them on the Knight.

"Thanks for the advice Threepio. I'll keep it in mind." Anakin groaned as the hot towel made itself known to his forehead.

"You'd better be sure of it Mister." Padme said though it sounded more like an order.

Much as he wanted to defend his current pained state, Anakin was knew it would be pointless. Even he himself knew that he couldn't sell his injuries as being just a side effect of the war. Even without having Padme there to counter his points, his case had no leg to stand on. It wouldn't be much of a surprise if Threepio could dissuade his claims of the war being dangerous as usual. But beyond that, Anakin knew deep down that, regardless of whether or not his padawan was to blame for his accident prone streak, it was still stemming from him.

After all, I'm the one teaching her the ways of the Jedi, not the other way around.

But then again, it was still a two way street. The Master had everything to teach to their student, while they had the opportunity to learn from their charge as well. In spite of this, many Jedi took it upon themselves to simply preach the teachings of The Force, not unlike the sermons given to disciples of some religion. Unfortunately, said methods could hardly be separated from the actions commonly associated of droids. Others, a small portion of them at best, understood the reality that these relationships shared between Teacher and Student were far more meaningful. As evidenced by his experiences with Obi-Wan, there was always something the two of them could learn from each other. One truly never stopped learning from the beings they were surrounded with. Just as Master Qui-Gon Jinn had stated ten years earlier, the Living Force and the Cosmic Force bound all things together. He had been a student of The Force and acted as such, becoming what Obi-Wan had called, a maverick. There it was; the lesson that could be gleaned in the middle of all this.

Much as I try not to contemplate the fate of the man who took me from the bonds of slavery, it's quite the irony that he can still leave an impression on me now all these years later.

Qui-Gon was more of a free thinker amongst the ranks of the Jedi. He tended to do what he felt aligned with will of The Force. In many ways, he was less a Jedi and more of a monk then the rigid Order was itself. He disagreed with the High Council and tended to ignore their orders or their thoughts on many topics as he had come to learn. As Jinn's padawan, Obi-Wan; from what he knew firsthand, followed the Code almost to the letter. While Anakin was more or less prone to interpret the Code lackadaisically in comparison to even Qui-Gon, he still followed it.

Though being married throws that line of reasoning straight out the window

Nevertheless, through all of that, one thing remained. Qui-Gon Jinn showed the Council respect, even when he disagreed with them strenuously as his former Master put it. He was highly independent and very much unconcerned with the will of the High Council, yet still maintained his duty to them and the Order as a whole. For a man who could have sat on that council, he was uninterested at best with the position, and wholly devoted to studying and serving the Force itself. But of course, the main point that Anakin grasped onto was the manner in which Jinn carried himself.

He respected all who were around him. Even those he disagreed with. He was a man of his own convictions and moved to the beat of his own drum. But he never lost sight of showing the courtesy others showed him. So why couldn't Ahsoka do the same?

That was something he knew he couldn't necessarily drill into her, but it was something he could strive to lead her towards. Thoughtful, yet conscientious. Strong willed, yet respectful. Confident, yet humble.

Something I'm sure Obi-Wan wishes he could glean out of me.

Anakin's drifting thoughts were finally interrupted as Padme knowingly addressed him.

"So…what was it this time? A crashing cruiser? A crash landing in your Starfighter? Or did you happen to get thrown off a Shaak again?"

While Anakin did take particular objection with the reference to his failed attempt at riding the plump creature on Naboo days before the war began; he nonetheless knew that his wife had unknowingly nailed it right on the head. He moaned in response and answered her with silence. Of course, doing so would only invite his beloved to pry anyway. He knew she would to begin with and as it was becoming all the more clear, he wanted her to. Anakin knew he had to get this situation out in the open. He didn't want to keep stewing on it as he had been doing since leaving the most recent Republic battleground in defeat. More pressingly though, he needed to talk to Padme. She was his rock when it came to this existence. She is the only person he knew he could talk to about everything and anything.

Might as well tell her.

"Anakin?" Padme asked again.

Gently, the injured Knight used his prosthetic hand to remove the warm towel that covered his forehead. While it didn't prevent him from speaking per se, it was something for him to fiddle with while he organized his thoughts. Padme noticed this and gingerly gripped his prosthetic hand with her flesh one and gave a reassuring squeeze.

"It's Ahsoka." He spoke tiredly. Though to Padme, it seemed more resigned than anything.

"What happened?" She replied, still holding his hand.

Anakin regaled her with the events that had unfolded the day before. As he did so, Padme's demeanor began to shift. The serene and patient waves that had been rolling off of her only minutes earlier were replaced by tense and rather sharp pangs. At the mention of her beloved husband's padawan being responsible, yet again, for his severe injuries; Padme pursed her lips into a deep frown. Though Anakin didn't see this action, he could certainly feel the mood changed rather swiftly. While it came as no surprise, there was something oddly familiar about the way it was radiating off her. She was mad, but the way she felt in the Force brought back memories that didn't seem to stack up.

That's so weird, Anakin pondered. It's almost like the way my…mother…used to get whenever I acted out or got into fights back there…on Tatooine…

Before his mind could go down another rabbit hole, Padme spoke, though now with a noticeable edge to her voice.

"What are you going to do about it?"

"What do you mean?" Anakin replied, uneasy about where this was headed.

"I mean, what are you going to do about Ahsoka? Are you going to just let her keep on acting out and disobeying you?"

The injured Knight looked his wife in the eyes. She was genuinely serious and while it did mildly annoy him that she asked an obvious question as that, he couldn't shake the feeling there was more here being implied than she was speaking. But with a slight fog still present in his head and the more important matter that he didn't want to upset Padme, he chose to play it safe.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he answered carefully.

Padme gave him a hard look. She got up from the couch and stood before him, the way she looked at him as she did so almost made him squirm on the couch. Again, another sensation of déjà vu came upon him from her expression. He would be damned if he didn't admit it bore a striking resemblance to the ones his mother gave him all those years ago. He subconsciously shifted on the sofa as she spoke.

"Don't play coy with me mister. I know that tone and I know that you're beating around the bush. You know it and I know it, you haven't done anything to curb Ahsoka's attitude have you?"

Anakin felt himself shrink ever so slightly at the mild scolding she delivered. It really did feel like he was five years old again. Even Obi-Wan didn't have that effect on him, and he was the closest thing to a father he had. Besides Qui-Gon. While these memories were painful, they weren't exactly of the sort to be contemplated by a nineteen year old Jedi General. The rule about attachments for one and the other, was outright embarrassing.

Maybe that's why she can have that effect on me. The scary side of the Senator from Naboo.

Beyond that though, he wasn't content to simply stand there as if he were a youngling again.

"I sent her to her quarters." He said half confidently.

Padme crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. As much as her Ani could be the most diligent and dedicated person she knew, there was the matter of his blind spot. That being his padawan. In the time since they had been paired together by Master Yoda, he had become far too lenient with the teenager. He was to train her to be a Jedi knight just as he is, but so far, the only thing he had done for her was allow their boundary to become something akin to friends. There was no respect for him as her teacher and there was no serious discipline to deter her misbehaving. At least, that's the gist she gleaned from his description of their adventures thus far.

"Right. You sent her to her quarters every time she disobeyed you?"

Anakin nodded, his eyes still locked with hers.

"You sent her to her quarters every time she acted out?"

"Well…yeah."

"And you sent her to her quarters every time you got hurt because of her actions or lack thereof? Am I understanding this right?" Padme asked with a brow raised.

"Yes! What's your point?" Anakin answered a bit loudly.

At the sight of his wife placing her hands on her hips, Anakin immediately took stock and sighed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Do not raise your voice to me Anakin!" Padme said sharply.

He flinched at this rebuke and remained silent. At the sign of his acknowledgement and remorse, she continued.

"Now, my point is this: You keep using the same form of discipline every time for every offense. Don't you see? She isn't going to change her attitude if she knows the punishment is the same mundane thing. All you're doing is telling her she can act like a brat and treat you like a punching bag and the only price to be paid is a few lonesome hours in her room. You want her to start behaving and giving you the respect due as her Jedi Master? Then here's what's got to change. Starting now, the punishment must fit the crime. No more 'Go to your quarters' or 'Go to your room'. Whenever she starts acting up, you have to put her in her place there and then. Do you understand what I'm getting at?"

Anakin did not answer. His only reaction was in the slight reddening in his cheeks at the thought of what his wife was telling him to do. He was never one for disciplining Ahsoka more than he thought was necessary. Surely Ahsoka wasn't unruly enough for him to have to go that far and deal out a punishment like what was blatantly being suggested. But then again, she did take after him more than he cared to admit. But did that really mean he was going to have to do it?

"Answer me Ani. I know it's not something you actively want to do, but consider what will happen if you let go on unchecked."

Bowing his head, he felt defeated. Ahsoka was fast becoming his best friend and for him that meant the galaxy. He himself never had any when he was her age. Everyone was either intimidated by his moniker of being the Chosen One, or they simply didn't want anything to do with him. Yet now here he was, having made a new friend that genuine cared about and didn't want to lose. Did he want her to respect him? Of course. Did he want her to be aware of her surrounding and her actions? Most definitely. But did he really want to be the bad guy and have to punish her like the child she was acting like? If he were being honest with himself, no, he didn't want to be that guy. Anakin could feel his eyes watering at the choice that was before him. Spare the rod and spoil the child? Or do what his wife was telling him and become the disciplinarian he never wanted to be?

"I just…I just don't want to hurt her." He began. "She's my padawan and it's my job to keep her safe. She's one of the first friends I've made in years and I…I don't want to lose her." Anakin turned his head away from her as a lone tear trickled down.

Padme stepped over and sat next to him. She gently put hands to the sides of his face and slowly turned him to face her. She didn't acknowledge the streams that leaked from his eyes, instead choosing to speak to him directly.

"Anakin, it would be a lot worse if you didn't lay down the law for her. She needs guidance and it has to come from an adult figure in her life. You have to be that figure. She's your student and your responsibility. If she truly respects you and wants to honor you, then she'll see the error of her ways and learn from her mistakes and that actions do have consequences."

Slowly he put his flesh hand into hers and squeezed it in response. Taking a deep breath, Anakin suddenly felt another sharp spike in his ribs. The emotions he had felt made him forget the injuries had was still dealing with. He let go of Padme's hand and hovered his own over his gut. Quick breaths allowed him to finally get the searing sensation to ebb. Seeing how much pain her husband was in, Padme immediately stood up and gently helped him to lay back down on the couch. While she did so, Anakin spoke carefully, wary of the depth of his breathing.

"I understand. I just hope she can forgive me if I do."

"Take it easy Ani. Don't strain yourself it only make it worse."

"Yes dear." He replied weakly.

In that time and space, Padme took stock of the man before her. Jedi Knight, General in the Grand Army, and according to the Holonet, a 'Hero with No Fear'. But most important of all, her husband, her lover, and her best friend. All of those wrapped into one; yet now, here in her apartment, wrapped in bandages and in so much pain because of the actions of one teenager who put him here time and time again. Her heart pounded and her eyes felt misty. She didn't want to see this happened again. She didn't want him to come back to her again like this or worse, on account of his padawan being so reckless. Could he still be taken from her on account of uncontrollable circumstances? Most definitely. But that doesn't mean she had to tolerate it from a feckless girl too preoccupied with being a brat. Making up her mind, Padme looked down and met his eyes.

"I want you to tell Ahsoka to come here later." She said matter-of-factly.

Anakin barely nodded his head as he closed his eyes.

"I understand."

"Good, now I want you sit still. I'm going to have lunch cooked for us. Once we're done, you are going back to the Temple and I want you to go to the Healers. You're pretty banged up and there isn't much more I can do for you." Padme said as she went to look for her datapad.

"But-" Anakin began.

The Nabooian Senator merely looked over her shoulder and gave him the look. The very one that all husbands knew meant the subject was not up for discussion.

"Ok" he said quietly.

As she began perusing a menu on her datapad, Anakin spoke up again.

"Padme?" he said softly.

"Yes?" she answered while looking over the device in her hands.

"Just don't hurt her. I'm pretty sure she's never had one."

Padme smiled softly before resuming her browsing.

"Don't worry, I'll go easy on her."

Anakin gulped at her remark. Carefully he tilted his head back onto the pillow. He breathed out slowly and stared at the ceiling. In only a few hours, his padawan would be in for a rude wake up call. He silently hoped she would heed this lesson she was going to get and that they would never revisit this ever again.

Well Snips, whatever you do, don't get her mad. It won't end well for you, more so than it already will.