I don't own Star Wars.

-8-

Anakin and Lunae Minx.

By TimeTraveller-1900.

The music within the club was beating, pulsing; throughout the establishment, there were members from every known species in the galaxy. It wasn't a bell anyone from the galaxy's elite classes would have ever wanted to be seen in; the place was rife with scum, ranging from loan sharks, drug dealers, drug addicts, mercenaries, and thieves.

In short, it was the perfect place for an assassin to run into to hide. Anakin Skywalker slowly walked through the club, trying to calm his thudding heart using the training he had learnt early during his training with Obi-Wan. Deep down, he cursed his Jedi Master for not letting him track down the assassin who had tried to murder Padme, his long-time crush. Even now, after knowing where he came from, Obi-Wan still believed he was some impatient little kid, but Anakin had grown up on Tatooine, he knew people who frequented the seedy cantinas would have found it effortless to hide out in a place like this.

What made it even worse was how the assassin who'd tried to murder Padme was a changeling. That only made things more complicated than they needed to be.

While Anakin was impatient, thanks to his natural impetuousness, and even from the advice of Chancellor Palpatine - yeah, even Anakin knew that he followed Palpatine's advice even if it put him at loggerheads with the Jedi Council, and with Obi-Wan - he knew if his master hadn't stopped him, he could have gotten much closer to the assassin and not given her/it a chance to escape.

But there was nothing he could do, so he walked slowly through the club, his eyes turning as he gazed closely at every single person he met while using the Force to look out for the assassin. It was hard, though; with how much hate, jealousy and anger there was and the darkness in the hearts of everyone here, it just made it extremely hard for the young padawan to find the assassin, but Anakin was a powerful Jedi and he refused to give up.

Anakin was still moving through the crowd - nobody in their right mind would take on a Jedi even if it was extremely rare for any from the Order to come here as they spent all their time in the Temple or out on a mission for the senate, something which frustrated Anakin as he was one of the many in the Order who believed the Council followed the Senate a little too much and stopped seeing the rest of the galaxy - when he suddenly saw her, and when he did, the young Jedi would remember for years. But at the time, he was still too deep in his infatuation with Padme…but even then, Anakin still felt something.

There, surrounded by her friends from different parts of the galaxy, was a girl, a Twi'lek. She wasn't tall, but she was voluptuous and curvaceous with purple skin and wearing a tight dress. She was beautiful in a way he had never seen before, even in a Twi'lek. The moment they locked eyes, Anakin saw her eyes widen with shock as if she had just seen a ghost…

But for Anakin…

He had assumed he knew what love at first sight was, after the way he had seen Padme walk into Watto's shop a decade ago, but the moment he saw this woman, Anakin felt his heart race and thud, but at the time he was still obsessed with Padme, and so he smiled and walked away. He kept telling himself he was interested in Padme, so why did her look of longing and hurt cause him pain?

When he and Obi-Wan left after the assassin was killed, Anakin looked over his shoulder and saw the Twi'lek girl in the doorway, staring after him with longing. Her look tugged on his heart.

-8-

Days later, after the chaos of Geonosis, Anakin and Padme found themselves on Naboo, watched only by R2 and 3PO who were serving as witnesses; it was not the wedding he would have wanted, Padme either, if the looks she sent towards the droids was any indication, but Anakin ignored it as he looked at the woman in front of him, dressed in a gorgeous flowing white gown, the beauty of Naboo in the background while they said their vows.

When the Holy Man was finished and they finalised the ceremony, the newly married, forbidden couple moved forward, and they kissed. But the Holy Man noticed something. He had married many people in his lifetime, but these two while attractive, did not seem in love.

As for Anakin, as he looked into Padme's amber-coloured eyes, he tried to picture the girl who had haunted his dreams and fantasises….only for Padme's delicate aristocratic features to morph, sprouting two lekku tentacles from her head like a Twi'lek, and her skin turning purple until she was the Twi'lek from the club.

But he still kissed Padme, imagining her as the Twi'lek. On their wedding night, as they made love for the first time, Anakin couldn't shake the feeling as he fucked his new wife, that this was wrong, that he was with the wrong woman.

-8-

While he was fighting in the Clone Wars after being promoted to Jedi Knight as a result of the war, Anakin kept his focus on the fighting. It took his mind off of Padme, even though he did think of her…and he kept picturing the Twi'lek girl he had seen on Coruscant. It was unlikely he would ever see her again, but he hoped he would see her again.

-8-

Years Later…

The neon lights of Coruscant's lower levels flickered outside the windows of the club. It was crowded, the air thick with smoke, music, and the buzz of people drowning their sorrows or celebrating in the anonymity of the night. Anakin Skywalker slumped over a drink at the bar, barely touching it. His thoughts were chaotic, emotions battling within him—Padmé, the Jedi Council, the war. His hands gripped the edges of the bar tightly as if clinging to some semblance of control.

Okay, he couldn't blame Padme for her reaction to him nearly pummelling that slimeball Clovis to a pulp, but what still lingered in his mind was how she didn't even push him away when he'd caught the corrupted little bastard trying to kiss her.

Clovis.

Why was it, every time Rush Clovis, Padme, his secret wife for the last couple of years was such a pushover? Good lord, she had nearly died because of him, and yet she was such a bleeding heart for him, and now things were worse. Anakin had always despised the slimy little man, but when he had tried to protect her from him, the way she had spoken to him and looked at him like he was an animal, a savage hurt him. Okay, granted, she hadn't actually called him that, but he couldn't blame her for wanting nothing to do with him.

Anakin had left her, picking up on the sad looks from Sabe, Dorme, and the other handmaidens, and he couldn't help but wonder if they knew something; he just had the feeling something had changed. Over the last few years, Anakin had caught the impression that the girls who'd been with Padme for years knew something…

And they hated it.

More than once, Anakin had gotten the impression the girls actually despised Padme, their love for her just transforming into hatred, but it was so subtle he had almost missed it, but as he had left, he had felt their overpowering pity for him and hope things went well for him while being disgusted towards Padme, but he didn't have the time to stay and ask why they felt that, as he'd needed to get out and get some fresh air.

Why had he come here, to the same nightclub he had seen the Twi'lek girl?

Well, when he had left the apartment, Anakin considered just heading for his ship in the dockyards or the Temple, but he had no desire to be suffocated by the Jedi's hard rules. And then he had pictured the image of the purple-skinned Twi'lek he had seen when he had gone with Obi-Wan after the assassin who'd tried to murder his wife, although they weren't even married at the time, and he knew where he had to go.

The Force was telling him to go there, and Anakin had a feeling his very future depended on it.

"Hey, Handsome," a woman said.

The voice was smooth, cutting through the noise around him. He looked up, his eyes widening when they found themselves meeting the soft, violet gaze of a Twi'lek standing a few feet away. She wore a sly smile, one that held secrets and stories, her purple skin illuminated by the flashing lights. The memory of their last encounter flashed in his mind—a mission long ago, her wry humour had been a welcome reprieve.

"Hi," he said, his voice hoarse, barely audible above the din. "What are you doing here? I mean-."

"I could ask you the same question." She slipped onto the stool beside him, her lekku swaying slightly as she leaned in. "But I've got a feeling you're not here for the entertainment. But I knew I just had to come here tonight.

He didn't answer right away, simply glancing down at his drink. The weight of his burdens hung heavily on his shoulders. He could feel the pressure of the Jedi Code, the disapproval of the Council, and the pain of his strained relationship with Padmé.

"I needed to get away," he admitted after a long pause. "I remembered you, and I had to come here."

The girl studied him for a moment, her gaze softening as she saw the cracks in the confident Jedi Knight. She could see the exhaustion etched into his face, the tension in his posture.

"I don't think we've been introduced," she said.

Anakin couldn't help it, he laughed. "True, Anakin Skywalker," he held out his hand for her to shake.

The girl laughed. "Yeah, I know."

"Oh," Anakin ducked his head, laughing bashfully; he couldn't help it, there was something about her that made him feel..fresh, he hadn't felt bashful in a long time. He actually enjoyed it.

"Lunae Minx," the Twi'lek smiled.

Anakin's smile became misty. "Beautiful name," he said.

"Thanks. So what did you want to get away from? From the war?" she asked, her voice gentle, but knowing there was more to it. Anakin was appreciative she wasn't judging him for that.

"From everything." His voice broke slightly. He hated the vulnerability that crept into his tone, hated that he felt so helpless. But Lunae didn't seem to mind. She leaned in closer, her presence comforting, her tone reassuring.

"You look like a man with too many chains," she said softly, her hand brushing against his arm, a spark of warmth against the cold void he felt inside.

"Is it that obvious?" he asked, an edge of vulnerability creeping into his voice.

"Just a bit," she replied, her expression softening. "You don't have to carry the weight of the galaxy on your shoulders, you know. Life can be so much more than duty and obligation."

Anakin felt a connection building between them, an unspoken understanding that drew him closer. "It's hard to let go," he confessed, the words slipping from his lips unbidden. "There's so much at stake."

Lunae tilted her head, studying him. "What if I told you that you don't have to fight alone? Sometimes, you just need to take a step back and breathe. There's a whole universe out there beyond the Jedi Council and their rules."

Her words resonated deeply within him, stirring feelings he had buried beneath layers of duty and expectation. He found himself wanting to share more, to open up to her in a way he hadn't with anyone else. "You make it sound so easy."

"It can be," she said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Come dance with me, Anakin. Let go of your worries, even if just for tonight."

He hesitated for a heartbeat but then nodded, drawn by her infectious energy. Together, they moved to the dance floor, and as the music swelled around them, Anakin felt an exhilarating sense of freedom enveloping him. Lunae was a whirlwind of joy and passion, and for the first time in a long while, he allowed himself to feel alive.

As they danced, Anakin couldn't shake the memory of Padmé. He pictured her, graceful and radiant, her warm brown eyes filled with concern, her delicate features etched with the weight of the galaxy on her shoulders, although recently her eyes were narrowed with emotion that he would have thought alien a long time ago, and her lips looked pinched. He had once seen her as the embodiment of everything he desired: love, loyalty, and a sense of belonging.

But as he twirled Lunae around him, the image of Padmé began to blur and fade. Lunae moved with a confidence that captivated him; her laughter was free and unrestrained, a stark contrast to the tight-lipped restraint he had come to associate with his old crush. With every turn, every sway, he felt something shift within him.

Anakin caught Lunae's gaze, and it was as if a veil had been lifted. The warmth radiating from her purple skin felt more inviting than he had ever felt with Padmé. Her head-tails brushed against him, sending sparks through his body, igniting a fire within him that he hadn't known he was missing. The connection they shared was electric, and palpable, and it drew him in deeper.

"Why do I feel this way about you?" he murmured, leaning closer to her ear. "You've haunted me for years."

"Oh, have I? Well, you've haunted me my whole life," Lunae shocked him with her reply, and then she carried on, "Maybe because you're ready to embrace something different," she whispered back, a teasing smile on her lips. "Or maybe you just need to be reminded that you're still human, Anakin Skywalker. You're not just a Jedi."

As they moved together, Anakin found himself envisioning a different future, one that felt vibrant and alive. Instead of the sterile life he had with the Jedi, of the sudden tension with Padme, he saw himself with Lunae—freed from the constraints of duty and obligation, exploring new worlds with her, raising a family in a way he had never dared to dream. The fantasy unfolded before him, a life filled with laughter, warmth, and love.

"Tell me," she asked, her voice smooth and inviting. "What do you truly desire?"

"Honestly? I want to feel alive," he confessed, his breath catching. "I want something real."

Lunae smiled, and it felt as though she could see right into his soul. "You can have that, Anakin. You just need to take the leap."

As they danced, their movements became more intimate, drawing them closer. Anakin lost himself in the rhythm, feeling the world around them fade away. He could sense a warmth radiating from Lunae, a stark contrast to the cold weight of his memories of Padmé. In this moment, he felt free, unburdened, and wholly captivated by her presence.

"Let go of your past," Lunae whispered, her breath warm against his cheek. "Let me show you what you've been missing."

As Anakin and Lunae swayed together under the pulsating lights, he felt a magnetic pull toward her that was both exhilarating and terrifying. Each turn brought them closer, her laughter echoing in his ears, drowning out the memories that had haunted him for so long. While they danced, Anakin talked, telling her everything; his forbidden marriage, the way he felt like he was falling into an abyss he couldn't get out of, how he wanted more out of life than what he actually got.

And Lunae just…listened. It felt nice to speak to someone, and not be judged for it.

"You're quite the dancer," he said, his breath mingling with the music, feeling more alive than he had in ages. "I didn't expect this from a Twi'lek."

"Don't underestimate us," Lunae teased, her voice playful yet sultry. "We know how to move, how to live. You should try it sometime."

Her teasing gaze made his heart race, and he found himself mesmerized by her every word. As they danced, he caught glimpses of her radiant purple skin glistening in the dim light, her long head-tails brushing against him like a gentle caress. It was intoxicating, and he couldn't help but wonder how he had ever thought of Padmé as his only love.

"You know," she said, leaning in closer, her breath warm against his ear, "you don't have to be a Jedi. You can be an ordinary man, Anakin. Just a man with desires, dreams… and the right to choose."

Her words struck him like a blaster bolt.

How many times had he just wanted to….leave? Hadn't he planned to leave the Jedi Order when he was 11, but had stayed because he not only had to stay but also because….he had nowhere else to go?

Could he really let go of the Jedi's expectations? Would it be so wrong to seek happiness outside of their rigid doctrines? But there was a war on, the Jedi needed him….the Republic needed him…. Or did they? The more he was with her, the more he felt the chains of his past loosening. The weight he had carried for so long began to feel lighter.

"But what about everything I've trained for?" he questioned, the internal struggle evident in his voice. "Fought for? The Jedi… they've taught me so much."

"Have they?" she countered, pulling back slightly to search his eyes. "You're here, in a club, dancing with me, not out there fighting for the Jedi's war. Hell, your own apprentice was thrown out of the Order, and for what? What have they really given you? A sense of duty? Guilt? You're not just a Jedi; you're Anakin Skywalker. You're allowed to feel, to be free."

He could see it in her eyes—an understanding that felt refreshing and real. Unlike the cold rules of the Jedi, Lunae offered warmth and acceptance. "What if I let go? What if I chose to be just a man?" Anakin whispered, feeling lost.

"Then I'll be right there with you," she replied, her gaze unwavering. "We could build something together. Something real. No war, no Jedi Council. Just us."

As the music swelled, Anakin felt himself falling deeper into her spell. The pulsating rhythm surrounded them, and he could no longer deny the spark between them. He imagined a life outside the constraints of the Jedi—one where he could be with someone like Lunae, someone who understood him and embraced his flaws rather than judged them.

"I don't know if I can," he admitted, feeling vulnerable in front of her. "The Jedi… it's all I've ever known."

Lunae smiled softly, brushing a thumb along his cheek. "You're more than just a Jedi. You're human. You can choose to let go of all the pain and start anew."

Anakin's heart raced at the thought. He could see flashes of a life with her—a quiet home on a distant planet, children laughing, the sound of their joy filling the air. It was a vision so far removed from his current reality, yet it felt achingly close when he looked at her.

"What do you want, Anakin?" she asked, her voice sincere and inviting. "What do you truly desire?"

"I want to be free," he confessed, a weight lifting from his chest. "I want to feel alive. I want to… be with you."

Lunae's eyes lit up, a mixture of surprise and delight dancing in her gaze. "Then let's make that happen. Let go of the past and embrace what could be. You don't have to fight or suffer anymore."

As they continued to dance, Anakin felt a powerful connection to Lunae. It was intoxicating and exhilarating, and for the first time in a long while, he felt hope blooming within him. She was his escape, his solace, and as they spun together, he couldn't help but think he could fall hard for her.

"There's a darkness in you, Anakin," Lunae pulled him closer, whispering sweet nothings that ignited the fire within him. "You can have everything you want, Anakin. Just take my hand and step away from the darkness. Embrace the light within you that isn't defined by being a Jedi. You're a good man, I can see it, but even good men can fall."

At that moment, as their bodies swayed together, Anakin began to envision a life filled with love and happiness, free from the weight of expectations. Once he had imagined such a life with Padme, but now as far as he was concerned, she was no longer a figure in his mind. The longer he was with Lunae, the more convinced he was she was the one he was destined to be with. With Lunae, he could be just a man—a man ready to embrace his desires without fear or shame.

And as he thought of it, after spending months knee-deep in death and blood, watching dozens of clones and Jedi and innocent peoples destroyed, Anakin wondered if that was a bad thing.

No, he decided.

As the song reached its peak, he leaned down, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. The moment their lips met, Lunae opened her mouth and let him into her mouth, and they kissed deeply, their worlds exploding as they kissed, and he pulled her body to his. The world around them faded into oblivion, and all that mattered was the heat of their connection. For the first time, he felt alive, unbound by duty and filled with possibility.

As they danced while the music enveloped them, Anakin found himself lost in the rhythm, but more importantly, in Lunae's enchanting presence. With each turn, he could feel her warmth radiating against him, her laughter weaving through his thoughts, drowning out the memories of Padmé that had once consumed him.

Now they were replaced by thoughts of Lunae, of what they could have.

As they danced, he felt a surge of confusion.

What was it that he truly wanted?

The memories of his secret moments with Padmé came rushing back—intense, beautiful, but also fraught with expectations and fear. Doubt crept back in.

Could he really leave all of that behind?

Lunae noticed his moment of distraction, pulling back slightly to search his eyes. "What's on your mind, Anakin? You seem miles away."

He hesitated, grappling with the weight of his emotions. "I was just thinking about Padmé," he confessed, almost reluctantly. "What we had… what we could have had."

"Ah, the Senator," she said, a hint of playfulness in her voice, though her eyes reflected a deeper understanding. "She's beautiful, no doubt. But is she what you truly desire?"

Anakin opened his mouth to respond, but the words caught in his throat. He had spent so much time trying to mold himself into the Jedi ideals, believing he needed to fight for what was right. Yet, standing here with Lunae, he began to question if the Jedi's path was really his. "I don't know if I can leave her behind."

"Why not?" Lunae asked, her voice softening. "You're not bound to her. You have a choice. You can choose to stay trapped in a life of expectations, or you can choose to follow your heart. Why did you marry her?"

"I thought I loved her."

"When you came into the club years ago, what happened?"

"The assassin we caught and then died was trying to kill her."

"Ouch!" She made a face. "I hate to tell you, Anakin, but you're compromised."

"What do you mean?" Anakin frowned not in anger, but curiosity.

"I mean, law enforcement agencies wouldn't send someone who had feelings to protect or investigate a case they had a personal stake in with someone. It's called being compromised. Because you have feelings for Padme, you were compromised. The Jedi made a mistake letting you take part."

Anakin thought for a moment, seeing that she had made a lot of sense.

The image of Padmé was still vivid in his mind, but now it was interwoven with the memory of Lunae—the way she moved, her laughter, the spark in her eyes. With Padmé, there had always been an unspoken pressure to uphold a façade, to be the perfect Jedi, the dutiful husband.

Was that the life he wanted?

No, not if she would treat him the way she had tonight. And besides, at times she refused to listen to him, always lashing out and treating him as if she was a despotic queen looking down on a subject as if she was going to have him beaten. And after what happened tonight, Anakin was actually glad there were no younglings added to the mix. He grimaced for a moment, just thinking of the topic.

Younglings.

Why was it that every time he and Padme had talked about children or tried to bring the topic up with her, she changed the topic? Right now, speaking with Lunae, who was offering him a better life, a simpler life where he wouldn't need to fight Separatists or battle droids or deal with people willing to stab him in the back, Anakin wondered if she even wanted to be a mother.

But with Lunae, there was freedom, a chance to be just Anakin. What if he could let go of the past? What if he could pursue a future with Lunae?

"I want to be free," he said, the words spilling out before he could stop them, and he felt himself beginning to let go of Padme, something the Jedi had never been able to accomplish, ever. "Free from the Jedi, free from all the expectations. I want to feel alive… and with you, I feel that. You make me feel things I've long forgotten."

Lunae smiled, her expression radiant as if his confession had brought her joy. "Then let's make that choice together. You don't have to fight anymore. You don't need to choose between duty and desire; you can have both in your way."

As they swayed together, he felt her words sink deep into his heart, planting the seeds of possibility. He pictured a future where he could love freely, where they could be together, unfettered by the chains of his past. The thought was intoxicating. She was intoxicating, and he could feel her goodness.

"Imagine it, Anakin," she whispered, her breath warm against his ear. "A quiet life, just you and me. No Jedi Council, no war, just love. We could have children. I've always dreamed of being a mother, to raise a family with someone who truly sees me."

Anakin's heart raced at the thought. Lunae's voice painted a vivid picture in his mind—children laughing, a home filled with warmth, the promise of a life untainted by war or sorrow. Could he really have that?

He felt an overwhelming rush of emotion, the stark contrast of Padmé's measured love against Lunae's passionate embrace. With Lunae, he felt seen and cherished. Her words ignited a desire in him he had never fully acknowledged. The idea of leaving Padmé felt less like a betrayal and more like a release, and right now he was looking forward to it.

Sure there were still a few doubts, but they were dying and shrinking away.

"Lunae," he breathed, leaning closer, their faces just inches apart, "you make me feel things I never thought I could. I see a life with you… a family. I want to build that with you."

At that moment, Anakin felt a spark of hope igniting within him, pushing away the darkness he had harboured for so long. He could be the man he wanted to be.

Without another thought, he leaned in, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. The world around them faded, leaving only the warmth of their bodies and the electric connection that surged between them. As their kiss deepened, he could see Padmé's image flicker in his mind, only for it to transform into Lunae's radiant face, full of love and acceptance.

"I choose you," he murmured against her lips, the declaration solidifying his resolve. "I choose this life, with you."

As their bodies moved together, he felt his heart breaking free from the constraints that had held him captive for so long. He was no longer just Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi. He was something more. He was a man in love, ready to embrace the possibilities that lay ahead, pulling her close to him again. While they danced, inhaling her scent, Anakin felt a part of him react.

Lunae stopped when she noticed, and she smirked at him. "Someone's happy to see me," she commented lightly with a giggle.

Anakin blushed, frightened he had blown it. "I am sorry, I am really sorry."

Lunae giggled. "It's okay, hun. I'm flattered. In fact….," she sent him a sultry look that only made the blood in his veins pulse harder and harder, "come with me," she took his hand and pulled him out, and he was willing to go.

-8-

Author's Note - After reading What if Anakin took a drink? where he would meet Lunae Minx and have a conversation with her, I became enamoured with the possibilities.