A/N- Thank you for the feedback. I am going on vacation for the fourth so I wanted to get this chapter out prior to that! Please leave your feedback- GP

Chapter 2- Deceptions and Perceptions

This is how it feels to be Anakin Skywalker; fueled by intention, determination, and guilt. He closes his eyes as his vision has blurred from staring at his datapad for the past several hours. His day has been spent inspecting the schematics for the force shields that will be installed on the Nabooian fighters later this week. He needs to approve every detail before they can be installed. This is one of the dull portions of his job since the war. He hadn't spent too much time with the troops as of late. Too many small details and shoveling of paperwork had been the last few weeks. Yet, he wouldn't trade the paperwork for wondering when the next time he would be home or if he would make it home again. Now he is still a soldier but in peacetime and he isn't quite sure how he still feels about peacetime. Four years since he had given up his status as a Jedi. He had wanted to be a Jedi since he was 9 years old and all had gone to Sith's hell.

However, He had also found - Sabe Amidala. Her face flashes before his eyes. Her golden hues glittering with pure love and happiness when they had been together. He could almost feel her touch on his fingers.

"Anakin."

His eyes fly open upon hearing her voice echo in his mind. He had forgotten what her voice sounded like. It hadn't been rich with her laughter, it had been in agony and asking him to make promises he's been trying like sith's hells to keep.

Her golden eyes were dull and her tan complexion around her features had been paled. Her lips had been a shade of blue to purple- not the normal shade of her rose.

She had held his hand as she attempted to catch her breath and keep fighting for the life force she was all but depleted of. Her breathing was unnatural and she murmured though those breaths, " Anakin- I need yo-u to pro-mise me–"

His own throat had constricted listening to her words. He had felt the tears fighting back behind his eyes. He could feel her force signature sliding away. He would watch her die- just as his promonitions had shown. He replied, " Anything Sabe, I'll do anything you ask."

Her hand shook under his, cold and pale. He squeezed her hand to fight the coldness seeping into it. The loss of blood was draining the life out of her, not even slowly. It hadn't taken long for her body to rupture after her procedure. The medical droids had tried to fix the rupture, but it hadn't helped, she only bled out more.

" Promise me- you– will be there for her." Her breathing had become more shallow.

" I won't leave her side." He whispered against her cold hand.

She nods in acknowledgement. " Please tell her- how- much- I love- her-" She struggled out.

He touched her cheek with a trembling hand, and allowed the tears behind his eyes to come. He knew it would not be much longer. " I will, she will know everything about you, Sabe'." He whispered through his silent tears.

" I lo-ve- you- both-"

She took her final breath, her chest caving in and her eyes sunken and dull with no life in them. Anakin had bent forward and laid his head on her chest and let out a howl of agony. His heart shattered as he felt her force signature dissipate from the living force. Behind him he had heard the loud painful cries of a newborn. They both grieved for their loss, even though the younger of the two didn't understand what she had lost.

That had been the worst night of his life- and yet he had gained the light and reason for living that night he had lost his beloved. He had gained his light; Tsabin. Tsabin was Sabe' given name. She had gone by Sabe' as a given name as Queen and it had been the name Anakin had known her by. But he had wanted their daughter to have a part of her mother forever.

Tsabin looked like both of her parents. She had those golden hues of her mother's, and short curly blond hair like her father. Her personality has its own quirks and Anakin is sure that she will give him a run for his credits when she is a teen. Either way, he will love her for her faults and strengths for both himself and Sabe. Being a father has been the hardest job he's ever done and fought for. No battle can compare to the barriers he has been through to have his daughter in his life.

She had been living here on Naboo with her maternal grandparents in the city of Theed. This had been the reason Anakin had left for Naboo and left the Jedi within a few days of Sabe's death. Her grandparents had come to collect their daughter's body and discovered she had had a child with the Jedi they had known as her bodyguard. They had taken Tsbain back to Naboo with them after an argument with Anakin. Anakin had understood they wanted to get to know their only granddaughter, as Sabe' had been their only daughter out of three children. Their two older boys had their own sons and had chosen not to grow their families. He had given in for the time being until he could get settled on Naboo, a home with them and a job which he could provide a living for his daughter. It had taken half a year to convince the Amidalas' to allow Tsbain to live with her father. In the past three and half years they had worked out a visiting schedule where she spent the day with her grandmother or aunts while he worked or traveled. Traveling for his job is inevitable, but the travel isn't too far and not off-world.

After living with her father for the past three years, they have continued to argue that if ever a war broke out again Tsbain would lose the only parent she has. Their concerns are valid and Anakin hadn't put much thought into them until recently, when Rene' had mentioned or threatened to seek counsel over full custody of their granddaughter. Anakin had looked into the laws on Naboo and most of them were on the parents' side, however, there is a law concerning single parents that deals with the idea that if a parent is absent for more than a third of the year or needs support from kin to care for the child- partial or full custody by other kin can be sought out in these occasions. And that partial law had become his biggest concern these last few months because Rene and Tomas did help out daily because Tsbain was not school age until the fall, and even then they could argue that without their help Anakin would be using a nanny for most of the days he worked. That law has him worried; one of his options is to try and find someone to date. The problem is he cannot just court or date just anyone as Rene' would not approve. He does not care about her approval- but it could give her evidence against why Anakin is not fit for custody of his daughter if he's dating someone who is not of importance or has no significance in their world. So he has presumed the best approach which is to find someone to court within the nobility- using his celebrity status.

In the Nabooian nobility, the late spring and early summer is a time to socialize and meddle in their children's love and social lives. Anakin doesn't understand their meddling- nor will consider forcing his own daughter to attend these social events when it is time for her to become an adult. And yet here he is considering attending these dreadful social events to find a wife so that his daughter's grandparents do not attempt to get full custody of her. They had mentioned it many times through the years and he will do whatever is necessary to keep his daughter in his life.

The only problem with the nobility is their social presumptions when one starts to court a lady of nobility. Most parents assume if they continue their courting, that by the end an announcement of engagement should be made after a few months of official courting. Anakin knows he may not find someone within the nobility who is a good match for him but in his mind, he isn't sure that matters right now. He had had a shot at love once and look how that had turned out; his lover had died and left his heart aching. Is it not more practical for him to try to find a friendship match or someone who can be a motherly figure for Tsbain? It isn't that his grief has made him reject love, it's the fact that his daughter's well-being comes first which means keeping her within her stable home. And if that means he has to date or court woman of nobility to keep Rene' off his back, then the heat of Tatooine he'll do it.

His mind switches over to the breath of fresh air that has entered his life: Padme Naberrie. Her name arises in his mind. Sabe had spoken of her friend often. Anakin had read most of the letters between the two friends, which were never too personal. Anakin had been fascinated to see a side of Sabe' that brought up her adventures without him. He had heard the tale of Padme' Naberrie helping the Senator sneak out of the palace to go to a concert. Moreover, he had heard the tale of how she had taken an assassin down that had attempted to assassinate his beloved. Sabe' spoke highly of her friend and had even mentioned having her join her personal staff after her service with the current queen ended. But that had been before she had discovered her pregnancy. After Sabe's death, Anakin hadn't really thought about Padme' Naberrie or any of Sabe's friends. He hadn't really cared to know any of them at the time. He had been grieving and wanted nothing more to do with the world other than his daughter.

Until 14 days ago, his life had felt like it was dragging in the same mud constantly. Never changing- same work- go home, spend time with Tsbain, and the cycle continued. He hardly smiled anymore or laughed unless it had been an interaction between himself and his daughter. That night at the gala had been a breath of fresh air for him.

He had been leaning on the railing on the veranda to escape the elite of Naboo celebrating their farewell for their leader. He had always despised social events with the elite. He never felt at home because he is a former slave and Jedi.

In that moment he had felt an overwhelming panic leave another force signature, he had sensed the panic, and their anger, and then the craving for solitude. He had just been about to leave and give them their peace, but he had gazed over to see the woman standing there- no- the breathtaking angel that had appeared before him.

Her hair had been in some updo, with chestnut curls falling out of its hold. Her beautiful features had made him hold his breath. His eyes had roamed over the angel standing before him in that lilac-colored dress. The dress had accented her entire body and his eyes had grazed over her hips, breasts, and face. He hadn't felt an attraction towards a woman in a long time. . Then she had turned her eyes onto him and he had held his breath. Those brown hues met his gaze and he knew who she was in that instant. He had seen some holos of her from Sabe's stock of letters on her datapad. He had felt the cord tugging within the force- drawing him near her.

It wasn't just her beauty he had been taken with. He had felt at ease talking to her. She had made him smile and laugh and he hadn't felt such a connection to anyone in years. He had felt the light creeping into his life and she had been a breath of fresh air. She also was a friend of Sabe's and he had felt compelled to help her out of her situation- and his own predicament.

But now that she has accepted this position he had offered, he feels guilty for deceiving her. Well- he hasn't been deceptive on purpose. The part he felt guilty about deceiving her was the largest part of his life- Tsbain. Very few people knew of her existence or her connection to Anakin and Sabe'- namely- Ashoka, her mother's side of the family and Obi-wan. She had been kept out of the public eye for many reasons- namely- her grandparents hadn't wanted their daughter's name scandalized by the discovery of a forbidden relationship that had resulted in a child. They had also been concerned about the possibility of her being force-sensitive like her father and if the Jedi had discovered her and wanted to take her away from her only family. Anakin had reassured them that the Jedi would have no say in taking her away for training. He had made this clear to Obi-wan as well. Obi-wan had agreed with him as he had left the Jedi on good terms as a hero, without their knowledge of his relationship or his daughter's birth.

But now he feels guilty for deceiving her in the sense of not explaining why his former Chief of Staff had been so determined to resign from his position. Namely due to one person- Rene' Amidala- Tsbian's meddling grandmother who had made the former Chief of Staff cry in front of his wife. Anakin hadn't been present for that particular incident, but Rene' has been known for her outlandish behaviors- abruptly calling to discuss extra weekends she would like her grandaughter to spend with them or in a lot of cases to discuss his daughter's schooling that she will start in the fall. Other times it had been simply because he had allowed her to dress casually in a tunic and pants as she liked to wear at home and her grandmother had called to discuss her wardrobe for the day because she was attending some elite social gathering which required everyone to dress for the occasion. Although Rene' was abrupt of her complaining, she had gone a bit to far with his former Chief of Staff Aldrin.

Aldrin had come home one night to find Rene' sitting at the dinner table with his wife and two children. Rene' had been determined to know what sort of life a person such as he that knew of her granddaughter and on the occasion met her because Anakin had to work from home. Anakin had had a loud agrument with Rene' the following morning and swore that Tsbain would not be seeing them for a few days due to her outrageous behavior. Due to the nature of Anakin's private life, he hadn't found a replacement for Aldrin until he had met Padme' that night at the ball- and even now he worries that Rene' will run her off as she had Aldrin or the past few Chief of Staffs he's had in this position. No one knew the exact reason for their brief positions and replacements and no one dared ask Anakin Skywalker each time the incident occured. For all his staff within the building thought he had a crazy ex-bo or stalker due to his celebrity status in the galaxy. No one asked and Anakin never explained.

But Padme' deserves an explanation before Rene' begins her intruding upon her life.

He blinks as the click of the door to his office opens and Padme' glides in with a smile on her face. She sets three datapads from another department on his desk and he groans. He rubs his eyes as they have become blurry from the paperwork this morning.

Padme' slides them away from his desk. " You've been shuffling paperwork all morning, perhaps lunch away from your desk would give you some piece of mind?"

He yawns and nods. Lunch did sound splendid and with such fine company she is offering didn't seem so bad at all. He can't help but watch that gorgeous smile of hers widen more. His breath is taken from his chest, eyeing her beauty; her hair is draped across her shoulders in a simple braid with crisps of curls popping out of its' hold.

His eyes roam to her attire for the day- much simpler than the gala. She dresses in a short brown-sleeved tunic and green leggings that are covered by a pair of tan knee-high boots. She looks more ready for battle than dressed for a simple casual day on Naboo. He does notice the belt and harness around her small waist. He hadn't noticed that portion of her attire this morning when she had strode through the door and ready to set to work for the day.

" I think that is a good idea. There is a cafe' around the corner." He stretches. His back ached from the hours of sitting at his desk and his neck felt strained from peering over at all the datapads this morning. Every paper he had looked at this morning was important to the fleet, but it all blurred together after starring and signing paperwork for hours one end.

He stands and gestures to the door. Padme' follows in suit and they begin the short walk out of the office to the cafe'.

Anakin had chosen the small cafe' he had eaten lunch at a few times on his own these past few years. He never had eaten with his Chief of Staff because they had suggested they'd rather stay in the office. Aldrin always ran home to have lunch with his wife, so Anakin has grown accustomed to eating alone. But these past first four days on the job Padme' had brought him lunch or suggested they go together for their hour away from his office.

A droid that wears an apron brings them their drinks. She had ordered a shurra fruit juice drink which had berries of reds and purples in it. The drink is her favorite.

General Skywalker had ordered a cup of black cafe' and had stirred in a sweetener. He finds himself stirring the spoon via a gesture of the force out of habit. Padme's eyes catch his simple gesture and she can't help watching in amazement of his frivolous use of the force. She had met Jedi on occasion during the war, but had thought most of them only relied on the force during times of crisis or missions- not for everyday things in their lives.

His blue gaze glances up from his focus on the task at hand. He notices her amusement and chuckles, " Obi-wan would have scolded me for using the force like this as his apprentice."

A nervous smile leaves her lips. She cannot explain the effortlessness between her and her hero. Her eyes roam behind them; the small cafe is nearly empty- a perfect place for a quiet lunch. He sips his cafe' in thought. " I'll have to take a look at the Nabooian Fighter's console designs when we get back."

Padme' scolds, " This is our lunch break- please talk about anything but work related things."

Anakin smiles against his mug and then blows on the steam. His thoughts drift back to his deceiving and the smile fades from his lips. He shifts in his seat and sighs, " Ms. Naberrie- there is more I must explain to you. I feel that I may have misled you the other day and I do not wish to deceive you."

She feels the tenseness in her shoulders. Deceived her? Misled her?

He senses her inquiries and worries through the force. He knows the only way to clear the air is to just show her. He reaches into his pocket and retrieves a holodisk. He turns it on and a clear image of Tsbain playing on the floor of his home is clear.

Padme' gazes at the beautiful little girl giggling and playing on the floor. Her golden eyes catch Padme's gaze as she inspects the holo. A smile forms on her lips as the uneasiness in her questions dissipates. This is what he had misled her about? A little girl who appeared no more than 4 years of age.

" What is her name?" Padme asks in awe of this knowledge.

Anakin's surprise is taken aback by her smile and effortlessness. " Tsbain. She's my daughter."

" Sabe' is her mother."

The statement is quiet and a mere whisper. Padme' sees the flash of grief in his eyes as he confirms the truth in her statement. There had been the rumors, but Padme' had never considered them to be true. Padme' asks, " What do you feel you have misled me on?"

Anakin swallows and responds, " Tsbain's grandparents are very protective over her, and can be very intruding into the people who are involved in my life and hers…. Rene' Amidala is the reason my former Chief of Staff left. I wasn't sure how to tell you until now."

Padme' sips her shurra fruit drink and wonders about Sabe's mother. Sabe' hadn't spoken ill of her family in the time she had been alive. So to hear that her mother is intrusive seems out of the ordinary.

" Rene' became overprotective after losing Sabe'. I can understand her pain, but when it comes to anything she disagrees with me on about raising Tsbain at times has been relayed through comm. link calls and messages that my former Chief of Staffs have answered. I am pleasantly shocked that she has not called these past few days."

Padme' sips her shurra fruit drink, tipping back its contents into her mouth. The coolness of the drink helps aid off the nervous buzz in her head. Any overprotective mother or grandparent can wreck someone's life. She cannot imagine why Rene thinks she can run Anakin's and Tsbain's lives as she seems to do.

" General Skywalker- I have no problem dealing with intrusive grandmothers. If she has something to complain about I will simply write down the message and relay it to you as needed." Padme' reassures him.

He holds up his hand and places the holodisk on the table. " Please call me Anakin, I know I am your boss, but I hate formalties." " Ms. Naberrie-I want to be frank with you. This is not a simple situation. Rene' has overstep her boundaries on occasions with my Chief of Staffs private lives as well." He comment, his eyes shining wearily- almost a calm sea of blue.

Padme' shrugs." My own mother is a meddler. I'm sure they would get along quite splendidly. Trust me I can handle her."

Anakin seems quite taken aback by her words and he eyes her with caution as their sandwiches arrive. He eyes his sandwich and cautions, " Rene' showed up at Aldrin's home and was having dinner with his wife and children. She invited herself to dinner all because on a few occasions he had met Tsbain and worked with me at my home. Rene felt the need to know of his intentions in my daughter's life. She will attempt to intrude onto your personal life and I don't want you to quit over her."

Padme' snorts and laughs. She takes a bite of her sandwich and swallows it. Anakin watches her reaction wondering how long she'll last with her attitude. His stomach sinks at the thought. He really enjoys her company and organizational skills.

" When I was in the Junior Politics program and finally took an interest in this boy at my school, my mother was jubilant. She took it upon herself to call upon the boy's mother and set up social gatherings for us to get to know one another. It came to the point that she gave me a study guide of what the boy liked and disliked. She even had me dress in his favorite color for our outings. She and his mother went as far as planning out what our wedding might look like in five years. So I can handle Rene'. " Padme' says through her laughter.

Anakin laughs right along with her. His chuckle is loud and foreign to his ears. He didn't laugh at such stories unless Tsbain did something funny or said something funny. He hadn't laughed this hard in a long time- nor felt his belly shake.

Padme' laughter is loud as well and as Anakin tries to control his laughter he asks, " Ho-w ol-d w-ere yo-u?"

" 12."

He takes a few moments to collect himself and stop his laughing fits. He shakes his head and takes a bite of his sandwich. The easiness of the force between them eases and the guilt dissipates. He swallows his bite. " Is that why you chose to become a handmaiden? To escape your mother's plotting?"

She smiles. " No- but it was comforting to know she could not try and marry me off while I served for the queen."

His grin mirrors hers and naturally, he finds himself patting her hand across the table. Padme' bites the corner of her lip and allows for the tips of her fingers to brush against his as well. It is innocence but sends shrills of electricity down her spine.

Gods I've never felt this much electricity between me and someone else before…

He nods and reaches for her hand. His heart pounds, feeling the warmth of her touch on his. He knows he could lose himself within her. He clearly feels an affinity and attraction towards her.

He nods and alters the subject to the other matter at hand. " I would love to know more stories of your meddling mother. But I'm sure you would like to know more about how I want to help those here in Theed."

She pulls her hand away from his and places it on her rosy cheek. Her eyes stay planted on his as he formulates his plan in mind. " When Sabe' died, all her earnings as Queen of Naboo and assets were left in my care. Every month I receive two pensions- one for Tsbain's future education and for myself. The massive amount of credits and assets Sabe did not spend on herself is not surprising. She knew I would never use the money she left behind for myself. I- want to see it go back to the people of Naboo- those who need homes rebuilt- especially those who have had no choice but to join the newly formed army. Their families have nowhere to go, as the barracks are full and they are either living on the outskirts of Theed or with family nearby. I want to start there. I want my soldiers to be able to provide for their family and have decent affordable housing. The land I had originally planned on purchasing has been sold off and I am out of ideas as to who might be willing to sell a portion of their land on the outskirts of Theed as I am not from here."

She knew of someone who might sell some of his land no other than the former Governor Bilbo. He had bought the land some fourteen years ago after he had left office. He had been disgraced by his actions during the invasion of Theed during Queen Amidala's reign, so he had moved out further from the city to live out his retirement in shame. She could start there- as her father had known his niece and nephew well. He can inquire about any interest he might have in selling a portion of his estate, perhaps it can even be seen as a redemption for his cowardly acts during the blockade.

" My father can help us in the matter of who owns the land, " She comments lightly, but pauses, "if you wish for me to help. I don't want to overstep my boundaries as this is a personal project."

Anakin sips his cafe', listening carefully. " No- I gladly will take any help that I can to get this project off the ground. Thank you."

" You are welcome … but I have to caution you. Governor Bilbo is known for his large appetite for luxuries. He may only want to sell his land at a high price. And what of the contractors you would like to hire to build the homes?"

Anakin suggests, " We have the contractors used to build the new base facilities. They are willing to work with us. And we can worry about funds if the governor suggests a price. That is if he is even willing to sell the land."

Padme' nods , biting her lip in concern. Her first step tonight when she arrives home will be to speak to her father about the matter. Anakin's plan is solid and one they can work with. She bites more of her sandwich and Anakin asks, " If you don't mind sharing, but I'd like to get to know you better."

Padme' nods and says, " What would you like to know?"

He sips his coffee' and says with all seriousness, " What are your thoughts on flying?"

Padme' laughs at his seriousness, " I don't dread flying. I have been offworld a few times on missions for the Queen and when I was young on refugee missions."

He accepts her answer and then questions, " Your thoughts on podracing?"

" I have never really watched the races."

He leans back with the ease of their budding friendship. He comments, " Is there anything you would like to know? Or are you one of those who followed the rumors on the holonet?"

Padme' face begins to redden at the mention of his escapades as a Jedi. She bites her lip tries to keep her rising pulse. She does not want to mention to her new boss how she had followed every holonews casting that featured him during the war.

Anakin senses her embarrassment through the force and shifts in his seat. He does not want to pry on her thoughts as that is not his way- but he wonders if it is something he said.

" Miss Naberrie, I do not wish to embarrass you in any sort of way, so I am sorry if I offended you by implying-" She cuts him off and shakes her head.

" No- and please call me Padme'. No I did not believe all the rumors on the HoloNews- but I did keep track of some of the news during the war- so I am familiar with some of your famous battles and tales. I don't want you to think I am some fan-girl living out her dream working for you."

Anakin smiles and for the second time during their lunch hour, touches her hand. " No I do not think that of you. But I am sure there are a few stories that the holonews does not know about that I might be willing to share."

This brightens her beautiful smile again and she allows herself the touch of his fingers against hers- feeling the surge of electricity shooting through her. She allows the temptation this once- just this once. Perhaps all this connection is -is one of a budding friendship.

Anakin swallows feeling the beating of his own heart against his chest and he removes his hand from hers and eyes the digital time glaring at them. 1230- They had been sitting chatting away not noticing that their lunch had ended ten minutes ago. Padme' notices the time as well and mentions, " I guess it's back to work then."

Anakin turns to her and suggests, " Thank you- I think we need to eat lunch out more often."

Her brown gaze finds him and she does not hesitate, stating, " I'd like that very much."

Both leave the table of the cafe' and head back in the direction of the base.

To Be Continued.