Hey guys!

So, if you’re sick of Star Wars, don’t worry, this is the last one. For now at least. I aint got nothing left.

This one is a bit of a weird one. Basically “What if being the chosen one meant having every Force Power?” (And because I’m a cunt, I threw in an extra as well. LOL)

As said last week, next week will Not So Solo Leveling. The week after will be another Big Tiddy. :D

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His lips were on hers, and Padmé felt shock and elation in equal measure. She had… always felt something for Anakin. Even with their age gap when they had met, there had always been a twinge of emotion. He had saved her not once but twice. Once on Tatooine by winning that nightmarish Podrace, and then again on Naboo when he had destroyed the droid control Lucrehulk in the space battle. He had won her people their freedom, not the Jedi.

And so she had always felt something for him. Not a crush or anything like that… that would have been creepy. But that didn’t mean she didn’t feel a connection. She almost never took off the japor snippet he had carved for her.

Meeting him again after ten years apart had ignited something in her. Something she tried to deny with all her might. But traveling with him… sharing stories with him… laughs… joy… introducing him to her family and watching how good he was with her sister’s children…

Right now, she wanted nothing more than to put her arms behind his neck and kiss the life from him. But she couldn’t. She shouldn’t. She broke away, turning her head and staring out at the lake after taking a short gasp for air. She swallowed heavily, “We shouldn’t have done that.” She said in her most even tone.

Without looking at him, she felt him smile. “Because you didn’t like it?”

Oh great, now he was teasing her. She felt her cheeks heat up slightly, “Because it…” She stopped and looked down, “I’m a Senator. You’re a Jedi. It would destroy us.”

“Last I checked, there was nothing against Senators having relationships.” He was still smiling lightly. “And as for me being a Jedi… you presume much.”

Her eyes widened and she turned to him. “What do you mean?” She asked softly.

“I would leave the Jedi for you, Padmé.” He replied in the same tone.

“No!” She yelped, turning fully to him, “Ani, being a Jedi is your dream!” She was so shocked she stammered, “I-You can’t sacrifice all of your hard work for me!”

The smile dropped from his face, “It’s not the first time I’ve thought about it, you know.” Anakin said, turning to stare at the lake like she had. Her jaw lowered as she stared at him incredulously, “The Jedi…” He picked at something on the railing, “Aren’t what I thought they were.” He said heavily, “Aren’t what I dreamed they were.”

“What?” She asked, shock in her gaze.

“…My dream of being a Jedi…” He said, pursing his lips, “Was the dream of a slave boy who wanted to escape his life. Who wanted to come back one day as a paragon of justice. Who would come back to fight the masters and free the slaves.” He shook his, “But reality is often disappointing. The Jedi don’t jump unless the Senate allows it.” He said, bitterness plain in his voice. “Oh, they’ll agree with the sentiment, sure, but always include why it’s just impossible to do it.”

“Ani…” She trailed off, putting a hand on his arm, “Are you unhappy there?”

He looked at her for a moment, before looking away again and nodding slightly. “The only one I care about in that blasted temple is Obi-Wan.” He sighed, “The Council never wanted me in the first place.” He scoffed slightly, “Said my future was dark while also admitting they couldn’t see it. I was too old. Too attached to mommy.” He stopped speaking and she gently encouraged him, having never heard any of this before and not liking what she was hearing, “They tried not to treat me differently, but they did regardless. My age mates constantly left me out of things or outright made fun of me. I was an outsider after all… and already promised to be a Padawan to boot while they would have to hope a master chose them.” His jaw tightened slightly, “Jedi aren’t supposed to be jealous. They are supposed to be placid and serene at all times.” He scoffed for real this time, “As if we’re droids who can just turn emotions off. I suppose that’s why they prefer to only take infants and toddlers.”

Padmé felt disbelief, “Qui-Gon wasn’t like that… nor was Obi-Wan.”

“Yeah.” He agreed, “But they’re the exception and not the rule. I don’t have a single person I can actually call a friend there. My age mates, like I said, didn’t like me. First because they thought I was an idiot because I couldn’t read Aurebesh and didn’t even know how a real water shower worked. Things they’d been learning since they were in their nappies were mysteries to me.” He again picked at the rail, “And then because I learned everything they knew and more. I quickly outstripped them in… basically everything. Everything they had spent close to a decade learning, I figured out in a year or two. I even discovered I have a few unique abilities they could never learn. I even hid them to try not to get them even more jealous, but it didn’t work…”

“Oh, Ani…” She said, her heart breaking for him. “What about older Jedi? Not age mates, but like us?”

He shook his head, “They’re just as jealous. Mostly. I’ve had a few conversations with some people that I could call friendly, but not actual friends. There’s a Twi’lek there who also had a brush with slavery. We bonded a bit because of it…” He sighed, “But her Master doesn’t like me much.” He grumbled, “I still don’t know why.” He took his lightsaber off his belt and put it on the rail. “Things got worse after I built this.”

“What? Your lightsaber?” She looked at it in confusion, “But why?”

“When we’re ready to build our lightsabers, we travel to a planet called Ilum.” He said, “It’s… the polar opposite of Tatooine.” He shuddered, “Completely frigid.” She smirked at how uncomfortable he looked and patted his arm gently. “There’s a temple there with caverns of Kyber Crystals. The things that every lightsaber needs to make an actual blade.” He chuckled humorlessly, “When you enter the caverns, you have visions. You see the past. You see possible futures. You have out-of-body experiences…” Her eyes were wide again, though they gleamed in interest, “If you’re able to push past the visions, you end up where your Kyber Crystal or Crystals lie. They’re completely colorless until a prospective Jedi first touches them.”

“And then they gain their colors?” Padmé asked curiously.

“Just so. Once it is awakened by the Force, its color shifts to match the nature of its master.” Anakin said, “And with the Jedi who preach peace, serenity, and passivity most of all, you end up with a very small gamut of colors. Green for Jedi who focus more on the Force than on physical skills. Blue for the opposite, which is the most common in the Order. And so on, and so forth. Master Windu is one of the rare Jedi who has a different color than the rest. It is purple. He has this personal style which he basically invented which just straddles the line between the Light Side and the Dark Side.”

“Blue for Jedi and red for Sith.” She murmured, remembering her history. She looked at the lightsaber. He had used it in front of her during the attack on her apartment, but she had been too shocked to notice. “It’s not red, is it?” She smiled gently at him to show that she was just teasing. He took it in good humor and ignited it. “Black???” She asked incredulously. “I’ve never heard of a black lightsaber before!”

“That’s because it’s only happened once before.” He deadpanned as he extinguished it and clipped it back to his belt, “And in the hands of one of the only Mandalorian Jedi.”

“They can’t possibly hold that against you!” She blurted, suddenly incensed.

“No.” He looked out across the lake again, but his gaze was distant, “But it only seemed to vindicate some of their worries. That my future would be dark and full of pain and anger… They started holding me back even more, forcing me to meditate again and again on their lessons. Trying to force me to be their perfect Jedi.” He scoffed again “Maybe one or two of them tried to be legitimately helpful. Master Yoda is hot and cold. He tried, but every time I wasn’t the perfect Jedi they apparently wanted, it was always just more disappointment and more remedial lessons.”

“Wait, why would you need to be perfect?” Padmé frowned, “You’re still so young!”

“They all talk about this great destiny I’m supposed to have. Some prophecy or another about a ‘Chosen One’ meant to ‘bring balance to the Force.’ But not one of them can conclusively say what that means.”

Padmé frowned, “I’m… not a Jedi. Obviously.” The two shared a laugh, “But… the Jedi wiped out the Sith, right? Or at least thought they wiped out the Sith. So how can…”

Anakin rolled his eyes. “The prevalent theory is that the ‘Chosen One’ will destroy the Dark Side itself.” He said drolly as her face twisted in confusion. “To that I say… how.” And used a Force trick to make his voice louder and reverberate around them. He and Padmé burst into giggles.

“How indeed.” She rolled her eyes. “Honestly, this whole prophecy thing seems like a load of poodoo.”

“Potty mouth!” He gasped… and then gasped again when she smirked and pinched him.

“It’s true! And a prophecy like that when the galaxy is the way it is… it’s just asking for trouble.” 

“What do you mean?” Anakin asked in confusion.

“Now, I obviously don’t think this is true and, again, not a Jedi… but have one of them ever used a blasted scale?”

Anakin blinked, “…Still confused.”

“A scale.” She repeated, “When weighing two things and hoping to balance them, if one side is too heavy, you either have to remove something from one side or add more to the other side.” Anakin froze. “Ani, don’t. I JUST said I don’t think it’s true.” She said firmly the second she saw how he had stiffened. “But it is a perfectly valid interpretation for such a stupid prophecy. Like the story of that one idiot who was told his son would kill him and marry his mother, so he tried to have the boy drowned. He failed, the boy grew up not knowing who he was and killed his father by accident during a travel altercation and then fell in love with the mother.” Anakin cringed, having never heard that one before. “It’s called a self-fulfilling prophecy.” Padmé informed him, “And after everything you’ve told me, maybe you should leave them. If my dumb interpretation is right you’ll probably have more luck evading it. Clearly they don’t appreciate you and you’re obviously miserable there.”

He chuckled lightly, “Well, that’s sure a change from earlier.”

“New evidence was submitted.” She said primly and they laughed again. They simply looked at one another for a few moments, before seemingly at an unknown signal, they both leaned in and shared a second kiss. This time, Padmé did as she wanted, wrapping her arms around his neck. It was minutes later when they finally pulled back for air.

“Stars…” He gasped out, “I’ve… I’ve dreamed of you for so long…”

“And I’ve been waiting for you.” It hadn’t been a conscious decision… but she could feel it was the truth now that she wasn’t trying to suppress it. “But… But if this is real… if this is what we want…” She rubbed her thumb on his cheek, “Then it’s going to take effort. We both…” She frowned slightly, “We both have a few issues.” She huffed after a moment.

“What do you mean?” He asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

“I’m a workaholic.” She said dryly, “Even when I wanted nothing more than to retire after my stint as Queen, it didn’t take even five minutes for Queen Jamila to convince me to become Naboo’s Senator.” She sighed, “I… I told you, Ani… I wanted nothing more than to start a family like my sister.” She growled suddenly, “And right now, with the government the way it is… with all the tension with the Separatists… I don’t know that I can just drop it even if I’ve felt like I’ve been doing nothing but spinning my wheels for the last year.”

“I see…” He said. He hugged her to his chest, “I’m sorry. It can’t be easy dealing with that.” She shook her head before pulling back.

“And you…” Padmé stopped and sighed, “We’ve been together again for just over a week.” She said softly, “And even just in that amount of time, I’ve been able to tell you haven’t fully grown up.” She said bluntly, “Though you have grown more arrogant.”

Anakin swallowed. His natural reaction to criticism was usually passive aggressiveness and irritation. And if this was anyone else in the galaxy other than his mother, he would. But this was Padmé. His angel. She deserved a chance to explain.

Seeing he was all ears, she continued, “It started during our meeting prior to the second assassination attempt.” She said gently, “Obi-Wan had the lead on the mission as he was the more experienced Jedi, was he not?” Anakin nodded slowly, “And yet you argued with him in front of me. Undermined his authority. Promised things that he had to contradict you on.” She put her hands on her hips, “I’ll be blunt, Anakin. If our roles were reversed in that scenario and you were my employee, I would have been forced to fire you. No matter how good you were at your job or how much I liked you, I would NEED to do that. AND I would have had to apologize profusely to the client just to save face.”

Anakin looked stricken, “But I-”

“Were just trying to reassure me, I know.” Padmé said, smiling at him to show she wasn’t mad. “All the same, it was childish and immature. The Jedi can be blamed for a lot in regard to you, but not for that. You were acting like you were as much of a Master as he was when in truth, you are still very much his apprentice. Part of it no doubt was how quickly your Jedi skills grew in comparison to your peers. That kind of thing can quickly go to someone’s head. Much the same way becoming Queen can go to a young girl’s head.”

Anakin didn’t know what to say. His mind was whirling, and he was deep in thought. Padmé’s calm and even delivery had helped, as had the words she had actually used. Seeing that she was having an effect, Padmé continued.

“There was something I learned early on when I became Queen.” She said, smiling in memory. “Any person who has to proclaim themselves Queen is no Queen at all.”

He blinked, “Uhh??” He looked and sounded stupid for a moment there.

She laughed, “It sounds like it’s not really related, sure, but it’s something I’ve always kept in mind. As a Queen, I had a lot of power. Too much responsibility to go along with that power, sure but a lot of power, nonetheless. If I felt something was important for Naboo, all I had to do was proclaim it and it would be done, even if my advisors disagreed. I could have let it go to my head, like so many royals have. But what would that have gotten me? What would have happened when the Trade Federation invaded my planet if I had just stubbornly clung to power? If I had thrown a tantrum like a child over their actions? If I had refused to heed my advisors?”

“Nothing good.” He said, understanding crossing his gaze.

“Exactly.” She nodded, “Maturity can be much the same. You said that the Jedi were holding you back. But if you acted immaturely or entitled, then it would just be a sign that you were not ready to move on to more advanced lessons and it would vindicate their choice to hold those lessons back in their eyes. It’s something I learned long ago, Anakin. No one owes you anything and throwing a tantrum when you don’t get your way doesn’t get you anything of value.”

Anakin listened as she spoke, and superimposed with her voice, he heard, “Be patient, Anakin.”

He let out a low laugh, “I… Why couldn’t you be a Jedi too.” He grumbled good naturedly. She looked at him with surprise all over her face, “I think I finally get what Obi-Wan always kept telling me. I always thought it was patronizing when he said it… but hearing it from you… listening to the way you explained it…”

She winked, “Looking at problems from different angles is an invaluable skill.” She took his hands, “If we want this to work, then we both have issues we need to work on. We’re not going to have the time for a long courtship. I can’t leave the Senate right now, and that means you’ll become an incredibly visible person overnight. We’ll have to be a team, and it means not having any outbursts like in my apartment, understand?”

“I do.” He said, squeezing her hands gently, “And I’ve never wanted anything more in my life.”

“Neither have I.” She said softly, biting her lips as she looked into his beautiful blue eyes.

“Then let’s take advantage of this.” He said, waving an arm at Varykino. “Our little trial run.”

“Our little trial run.” She agreed, smiling as they once again embraced to share in their love.

…

Anakin and Padmé’s time on Naboo shifted to romance from that point on, though not completely. Anakin was getting the Padmé Course in politics and patience, and when they weren’t being lovey-dovey, she was doing her damnedest to piss him off and make him have an outburst. It wasn’t something she enjoyed doing in the slightest, but she could play the corrupt Senator if need be. And she knew full well her enemies would attack him if they couldn’t get to her.

And Anakin did have his outbursts when she needled his sorest spots. She was vicious when she wanted to be, and Anakin had a moment of stunned realization when he understood just how easy she took it on her Senate opponents. As soon as it happened, the needling would vanish, and they would have another conversation.

She set a hard limit of three outbursts or five hours per day, and though it was exhausting mentally, Anakin slowly learned to control himself better. Honestly, if the Jedi had taught him like she did, he might actually have learned it as quickly as he learned everything else. Of course, the reward waiting at the end of each ‘session’ was well worth it, and it certainly wasn’t one the Jedi could give.

And if he could say so himself, he now definitely understood why the Jedi preached celibacy as well as no attachments. If he hadn’t been in love already, after their first night in bed he definitely would have been.

On certain days, though, they simply enjoyed themselves without worrying about the wider galaxy. “You really don’t like politicians, do you?” Padmé had a small smirk on her face as they sat in the meadows surrounded by the Shaaks.

He shook his head, “Most of them aren’t you.” He had his own smirk.

She rolled her eyes, “You’re just saying that because you love me.”

He shook his head, “No, that’s definitely not it.” He sighed, looking away, “A lot of these politicians change opinions and platforms like they change clothes. Obi-Wan and I have done a fair number of missions where we’ve seen it.” The smirk vanished as he pursed his lips, “They’re just… it’s just a job to them. One they hate. They only like the money and benefits it gets them. Bought and paid by the highest bidder.” He smiled at her, “Not like you. You have conviction. You want what’s best for people. What’s best for everyone.”

Oh great, now her face was hot again, “You’re just hyping me up.”

He grinned, “Maybe you should be Chancellor instead. You’d whip those corrupt fools into shape.”

She balked, “Oh, heavens no.” She shook her head, “I think my parents might just die on the spot.” She stopped, before her smirk returned, “But maybe if I have you with me I can just let you handle the aggressive negotiations.” They both burst out laughing. “Besides,” She continued once they stopped for a breath, “I thought you liked Chancellor Palpatine.”

Anakin frowned, “I did but…” He looked at her, “After our talk by the lake… I spent a lot of time thinking about things. About how you said my skills might have gone to my head. And when I thought about it, I remembered something Palpatine told me in private before this mission. ‘I have said it many times. You are the most gifted Jedi I have ever met.’” He imitated Palpatine’s voice and tone. “And I guess I let it just fluff up my ego, but… It wasn’t the first time. He was always saying stuff like that.”

Padmé frowned, “How often? And since when?”

“Very.” Anakin said, “Ever since I first arrived on Coruscant… though never when other Jedi were around to hear it, come to think of it.”

Now Padmé looked alarmed, “Wait, why would you be with the Chancellor without your Master?”

“Oh, it’s been happening since a little after we last saw each other.” Anakin waved it away, “The Jedi Council let me meet with him every couple months upon his request. He was always so thankful about my help during the Naboo Invasion.”

He turned to her and balked a little as he saw how red her face was, “Anakin.” She said, her voice the picture of serenity. “I am going to ask you a couple of very important questions and I need you to be as honest as possible.” Anakin might have believed her voice if the sheer fury she was projecting into the Force couldn’t be cut with a knife, “Was he ever inappropriate with you?”

And now Anakin balked for real, “Force, no!” He exclaimed, “I’m not an idiot, Padmé. I would have run for the hills if he had been!”

She let out a sigh of relief and much of her anger vanished. “Okay, well at least there’s that.” She muttered, “Did he ever try to undermine the adults in your life?”

Anakin opened his mouth to respond, but he paused. He sucked his teeth for a moment, before saying, “…Yes.” He rubbed his chin, unconsciously copying his Master, “It was… the first time I contemplated leaving the Order.”

“Tell me everything.” She was laser-focused.

“Well, the first time I accompanied him on an errand was three years after Naboo.” Anakin reminisced, watching as her eyes narrowed. “He took me with him to Level 2685-” Padmé made a strangled noise, but he continued. “-where Senator Colandrus was gambling and apparently making some shady deals. He spent much of the time bemoaning how corrupt the Republic was and how ineffectual the Jedi were.”

Padmé breathed in through her nose, “You are telling me-” Her jaw spasmed for a moment, “That the Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, a man I helped earn that position, took a twelve-year old boy to a seedy bar in Coruscant’s underworld on the very first time he was allowed to be alone with him?” She nearly snarled, “AND he spent all of that time undermining the Jedi to the point you contemplated leaving the Order?”

Anakin swallowed heavily, “…When you put it like that.”

The string of swears that escaped her mouth then and there almost stripped the color from Anakin’s robes. They definitely made him blush. After she took a moment to breathe, she looked straight into his eyes and said, “Do not trust Chancellor Palpatine.” She growled out before balling up their blanket in her fists, “I certainly never will again.” She hissed.

Anakin let out a weak laugh, “Well, now I definitely only like one Senator.” That didn’t seem to put her into a better mood, and she didn’t even crack a grin. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, he reached out with the Force and lifted her into the air. She yelped, flailing for a moment, before he dropped her into his arms and laid back with her resting on his chest. He pecked her on the forehead, and she finally relaxed.

“That was cheating.” She grumbled and he chuckled. After a moment, she asked, “What does it feel like?”

“The Force?” He asked, earning a nod from her. “It’s… hard to explain.” He said lamely.

She rolled her eyes. “Laaaame.”

Anakin winced a little, “Close your eyes.” He said.

She blinked, “I don’t have the Force, Anakin.” She said, catching onto his idea.

“Everyone has the Force.” Anakin said and she blinked in surprise, “It’s the strength of the connection that varies.”

“Seriously?” She asked incredulously.

“Mhm.” He hummed affirmatively. “It’s a bit strange to think about, but each and every cell we possess has Midichlorians inside them. They’re symbionts with us, and they let us feel the Force. It’s not really a perfect explanation but you can think of them as transceivers for the Force itself. A small number of Midichlorians means that the ‘signal’ is weak. It doesn’t mean that you CAN’T use the Force. Often, when people in desperate situations perform incredible feats such as ripping open a burning speeder to save their children, it’s them unconsciously using the Force.”

“Hysterical strength.” She murmured.

“Exactly. All a low Midichlorian count does is make it so Force users wouldn’t bother training you. What a youngling with a Jedi standard Midichlorian count could master in a decade could take a Force Blind person a century.”

“I see.” She said evenly, before closing her eyes, “What next?”

He smiled and closed his own, speaking in a low, gentle tone as he led Padmé through his earliest lessons at the temple. And as he did so, he entwined his Force presence with hers, helping her feel the Force itself. The first time she felt it, she gasped, understanding fully why Anakin said it was hard to explain.

“Stars, Ani…” She breathed heavily, “You feel like a star! Is that what all Jedi feel like?”

“Force, no.” He chuckled in her ear, “I actually have to constantly shield my own presence because of how powerful it is. If I ever let go and bring my full presence to bear, I’m actually far stronger than Grand Master Yoda. I was even when we first met.” Her jaw dropped. “That’s why they think I’m the Chosen One. ‘Born of the Force.’” He muttered.

“They should have never told you before you were knighted.” She grumbled. She refocused, still feeling his presence but also stretching out further. Gently, experimentally.

“Good.” He smiled, “Keep concentrating.” He ordered as he gently sat them up so that she was in his lap. He looked around and didn’t find any rocks. He frowned for a moment, before remembering his lightsaber. He unclipped it and gently tossed it away. “Now,” He figuratively took her ‘hands’ and helped her stretch them out. “Do you feel that?”

“Wow, it’s strong in the Force! Is that your lightsaber?” She asked.

“That’s right.” Anakin grinned, “Try to grab it and lift it. Bring it closer.” She took a deep breath and slowly, the lightsaber wobbled. “You’re doing good, my love.” He murmured, his focus solely on watching his saber. He didn’t notice their connection deepening. Solidifying. And then the lightsaber rose into the air. It was wobbly, but Padmé had done it. It wobbled and it was slow, but it did float over to her. “Open your eyes.”

Padmé did, saw the saber floating in front of her, and then she squealed. “Ooh, I did it!” She whirled around and kissed him deeply, hungrily. ‘Oh, I love you so much, Ani!’ She thought to herself.

‘I love you too, Padmé. Oh, how I love you, my angel.’ Anakin thought back and then continued to kiss for a few moments.

And then their eyes widened as the last few seconds registered, and they sprang back as one. “What?!” They gaped at each other. “How did you hear that, Ani?” She asked in shock. “I didn’t say anything! We were too busy kissing!”

“Oh Force, what did I do?” Anakin’s eyes were wide for a moment, before he clamped them shut. And now that he was actually looking for it, he could feel it. A thick, strong bond between him and his future wife. His jaw dropped, “Th-that feels almost like a Padawan bond.” He said faintly.

Padmé’s jaw dropped too, “Are you serious?! But I’m not a Jedi! I shouldn’t be strong enough!”

He rubbed the back of his head nervously, “I… think it might be my fault.” He said sheepishly, “Because of our love, our bond is actually stronger than even my bond with Obi-Wan. And you’re getting some splash back of my power through it.”

‘Does that mean we’re permanently in each other’s heads?’ She looked a little worried, ‘Because no offense, but that would get overwhelming and annoying really quickly.’

He smirked as he shook his head, “No, I can block it off.” Padmé flinched slightly as it felt like a Durasteel barricade slammed into place between them. “And I can teach you as well.” The Durasteel wall vanished and was replaced with a much gentler barrier. She couldn’t hear his thoughts, right up until she felt the mental equivalent of a knock on a door. ‘Like this.’ And then she heard his voice just fine.

She sat back on her heels. “Oh, holy kriff.” She mumbled, feeling shellshocked. “I’m going to be a farking Jedi.”

“Nope.” Anakin grinned, “That would mean no more sex.” Padmé snapped back to reality and opened her mouth to admonish him… and then shut it with a click. “…What?” He asked, after a moment.

She slowly blushed, “…How would that feel with our bond?”

There was a moment of silence as her question entered his ears. They looked at each other. And then they pounced, tearing off each other’s clothes like they were on fire.

Magical. It felt magical.

…

Unfortunately, all good things had to come to an end. The one fly in the ointment of their idyllic time together was Anakin’s frequent nightmares. They didn’t come every night. On the best days of their lives, the nightmares also stayed away. But never for long. Padmé was getting worried, especially now with her secret lessons on the Force. She could feel how uneasy and unsteady Anakin was. And last night, with them having been so deeply connected in the Force as they spent the day making love with their bond wide open, Padmé had shared his dreams.

“That- that didn’t feel normal.” She gasped as they sat up in bed.

“They’re always like that.” He choked, “Always so awful.”

“Let’s go.” Padmé said, already getting up.

“Go?” He got up as well.

“Your mandate is to protect me.” She smirked at him, “And after a night like that, well, I can’t not go at least check in on my future mother-in-law.” His face broke into a relieved smile as he picked her up, twirling her around and flooding the bond with his love and adoration for her. “Love you too.” She pecked him, “Less dancing, more getting ready.” She said, forcing him to put her down.

…

Anakin stared at Tatooine growing on their viewport with melancholic eyes. “You know, for as much as I dreamed of coming back and leading the slaves to freedom… I also kind of hoped to never step foot on this dustball again.” She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “…I hate sand.” He said finally, “It’s coarse and rough and gets everywhere.”

She smirked, “You didn’t seem to mind too much that time on the beach.”

“I was too busy being enthralled by you to pay attention.” He insisted and waggled his eyebrows at her, earning a laugh as they broke the atmosphere and landed in Mos Espa. From there, they proceeded to Watto’s old shop. Padmé was wearing clothes not unlike the ones she had worn the first time they had come here in order to blend in. Honestly, both of them looked like run of the mill spacers. When they arrived, Anakin was surprised to see how old Watto looked. “Excuse me, Watto.”

The Toydarian was fiddling with a pit droid while three others chattered on. “Ehh?” He looked up at Anakin, “I dun know you… whaddya want?”

“That looks like a piece of junk. Let me help.” Anakin smirked lightly as he grabbed the pit droid and fiddled with it. “I’m looking for Shmi Skywalker.”

Watto stilled for a moment and then his eyes caught Anakin’s lightsaber below his poncho. “…Ani?” He flew up slightly, “Little Ani?” He looked as Anakin put the pit droid down, completely repaired. “Oh, it-a IS you!” He leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, “Heya, I’ve-a got some trouble with some-a deadbeats around here. Think ya could-”

“My mother, Watto.” Anakin said, looking at him intently.

“Ah.” Watto, “Right. Shmi.” He sighed, “She’s ahh… not mine-a no more. I sold her.”

Anakin’s jaw clenched, “Sold her.” He repeated, his expression tight.

“Years ago!” Watto nodded, “One a my customers fell in love with her.” he chuckled, “He-a freed her the first chance-a he got! Soon after, they were married! Talk-a bout moving up in the world, huh?”

Anakin and Padmé were surprised and shared a look. “Do you know where she’s living now?”

“Yes, yes! She married a moisture farmer named Cliegg Lars. Over on the other side of Mos Eisley.” Watto said, “Let-a me go check-a my records.”

“Thank you, Watto.” Anakin said as the Toydarian flew away.

…

The two of them walked from the ship to the small, humble dwelling they could see. Anakin’s eyebrows raised as he saw a droid he thought he recognized. “Oh, hello.” The droid turned around, “How might I be of service? I am C-”

“3PO?” Anakin laughed slightly.

The droid froze, “Oh, bless my circuits! The Maker! And Miss Padmé!”

“Hello, 3PO.” Padmé smiled at the droid.

“Is my mother here, 3PO?” Anakin asked.

“Oh… uh, perhaps we should go inside.” The droid turned and started walking away. Anakin and Padmé turned and faced one another, dread suddenly filling them. That wasn’t a good sign. They made their way down and 3PO introduced them to a couple, “Master Owen, we have some very important guests.”

Anakin smiled and held a hand out, “Anakin Skywalker.”

“Ah.” Owen grasped his hand and gave it a firm shake. “Owen Lars. This is my girlfriend Beru.”

Anakin gave her a short incline of the head, “This is my fiancé, Padmé.”

“I… guess I’m your step brother.” Owen looked nervous, “I had a feeling we’d meet one day.”

“It’s a pleasure.” Anakin bowed slightly to him as well. “I hate to be rude, Owen, but… is my mother here?”

“I’m afraid not.” They turned and Anakin saw a man in a hoverchair missing half his right leg. “I’m Cliegg Lars. Shmi’s my wife.” He shook hands with Anakin as well. “Let’s go inside. We have a lot to talk about.”

In moments, they were situated and served some refreshments by Beru. “What happened, Mr. Lars?” Padmé asked.

“Just Cliegg, please.” He sighed, “It was just before dawn. They came out of nowhere. A hunting party of Tusken Raiders. Your mother had gone out early, like she always did to pick mushrooms that grow on the vaporators. From the tracks, she was about halfway home when they took her.” He looked away, grief and fury mixed on his face. “Those Tuskens walk like men, but they're vicious, mindless monsters. Thirty of us went out after her. Four of us came back. I’d still be out there with them, but the blasted creatures blew my leg off. I just couldn’t ride any more until I heal.” He took a deep breath. “I don’t want to give up on her, but she’s been gone a month. There’s little hope she’s lasted this long.”

Padmé could feel the turmoil inside Anakin. Rage and grief and determination were in a war within him. She flooded the bond with her love and support, and he relaxed minutely, grasping her hand. “Do you know where they are?” He asked.

Cliegg looked at him, “Your mother’s dead, son.” A tear leaked from his eyes, “She wouldn’t want you to join her.”

“No offense, but…” Anakin stood, “None of you are Jedi.” He started to walk away, but he paused. “Do you have anything of hers? Anything important to her?”

“Her wedding ring, maybe.” Owen said, “She wore it on a necklace. She dropped it when she was taken.”

“May I see it?” Anakin asked, and Beru quickly got up to go grab it for him.

“Here.” The blonde said as she handed it to him almost reverently.

Anakin closed his fist around it and shut his eyes. Instantly, a white flash appeared in his vision. He saw his mother being taken by those damned Tuskens. Dragged into the Jundland Wastes. Strapped to a rack. Beat. Whipped. Sliced. Tormented.

The vision ended and he rocked back, hitting the wall and trembling. “What happened?” Padmé sprang up, going to him.

“Stars, they’ve been… torturing her for a month.” Anakin staggered back up and dropped the ring on the table. “She’s still alive for now… but I don’t know for how much longer.”

“Then we don’t have any time to waste.” Padmé said. “I’ll get the Speeder ready.”

“You have to stay here.” Anakin replied.

“Not on your life.” Padmé ignored him and walked out of the small room and up the stairs.

“Padmé!” Anakin shot off after her, “It’s too dangerous. I’m supposed to be protecting you!”

“And I’m not letting you face the…” She froze and bit her lip, dipping her head, “-most likely outcome alone!” She shot back hoarsely.

He inhaled sharply but knew she was right. Their ship came with a two-person speeder bike inside its small bay. Padmé quickly changed into something more appropriate for a fight, and then they shot off into the desert.

The landscape changed throughout the day, going from mind-bogglingly flat to red, mountainous cliffs and sandstorm-eroded features. The suns started to dip as well, casting the environment into an ominous red glow. Finally, near dusk, they stopped on a cliff face that overlooked a camp. The Tuskens were all either sleeping already or finishing their days.

Anakin grabbed Padmé and held her tight as he dropped over a hundred feet down into the camp. The two snuck quickly, following Anakin’s Psychometry-induced vision. They quickly made their way to one tent in particular, and Anakin drew his lightsaber, cutting into the clay-hardened leather hut. He and Padmé quickly entered and Padmé had to hold back an anguished exclamation as she clapped a hand to her mouth. Anakin almost choked. She was covered in blood and dressed in mere rags. And to his eyes, a new detail emerged. Shatterpoints.

So many Shatterpoints.

Padme quickly helped Anakin untie her wrists to get her off that awful device. ‘How can sentient beings DO this?!’ She thought to herself.

Anakin pulled Shmi away from the rack, and the poor woman was so weak that her head simply flopped. “Mom!” Anakin whispered, “MOM!”

“A-Ani?” How she found the strength to raise her hand to rub his cheek, Padmé didn’t know. “I-Is it you?”

“I’m here, Mom.” He choked out. “You’re safe.”

“Ani…” She looked like the happiest woman alive. “Y-you look so handsome. My son. My grown-up son.” She smiled weakly. “I’m so proud of you, Ani. I missed you.” Padmé had to bite back a sob. “Now I am complete. I love y-”

“Stay with me, Mom. Everything-” Anakin was almost allowing his tears to fall.

“I love- I love-” She drew her last breath, her hand falling limp. Her head followed suit.

Padmé clenched her eyes shut, her chin trembling as she desperately fought the urge to sob. Anakin’s entire body was shaking. “No.” He managed to choke out. “Mom, don’t…” The Shatterpoints started shrinking in his vision. And Anakin’s emotions turned dark. Furious. Wrathful.

Padmé staggered as she felt the change. “Anakin!” She choked out, almost unable to move.

Anakin didn’t know what had possessed him. Had he been thinking clearly, he would have known the feeling to be that of the Dark Side. He couldn’t accept this. He COULD NOT ACCEPT THIS. Dark power surged into the Shatterpoints as Anakin was engulfed in electricity. Padmé let out a squeal of shock as the light and more importantly the noise filled the tent. She immediately drew her blaster and whirled towards the entrance.

Like chronowork, two Tuskens rushed in to investigate, and Padmé felt zero compunctions about shooting both of them in the head. The two beasts went down and fell limp, but Padmé now was nervous. “Anakin!” She yelled, still aiming for the entrance. She chanced a look and gasped.

Shmi’s wounds were shrinking before their very eyes. The lightning engulfing her and Anakin both was flooding her and healing the woman. Anakin couldn’t believe his eyes, but whatever he was doing, it was working. And Anakin had nothing if not power to spare to fuel whatever the hell this was. When the final wound healed, Shmi breathed again, her eyes opening wide as she took the biggest gasp of her life.

She didn’t say a word and immediately fell limp again, though her chest was moving. “Did you just-” Padmé tried to ask, her eyes so wide they might have popped out of her skull.

The tent flaps opened again as a pair of Massiffs ran in. They snarled, slavering and drooling as they launched at Anakin and Padmé. He quickly got his lightsaber up and cut the two down. “Ani, we’re in trouble. How are we going to get out of this?!” Padmé asked, feeling cold sweat start to appear all over her. “Preferably without having to slaughter this entire village in retaliation for something that is no longer true!” She snapped as she felt his dark emotions still holding him.

Anakin ground his teeth for a moment, before saying, “Guess I’ll have to show off my last trick.” He grumbled as his eyes began to glow an icy blue. “Arise.” He said, and it was like someone had turned the bass on his voice to eleven.

Unlike the hot rage, this usage of the Force was icy cold. The two Tuskens and two Massiffs twitched, before their shadows seemed to rise from their corpses. They seemed to be made of shadow and a strange blue fire. “Go.” He demanded, and the shadowy figures ran from the tent with loud battle cries and began to fight against the other Tusken guards.

“What.” Padmé started, “The Kriff.” She sounded a little hysterical, “WAS THAT?!”

“Less talking, more running.” Anakin grabbed her and blew the back of the tent out. His mother rose into the air with the Force, and he ran back to where they had landed. He gently put his mother on the ground before bending his knees and leaping straight up over a hundred feet and onto the cliff. He put Padmé down before jumping back and gathering his mother in his arms and repeating the process.

As he landed, he saw that Padmé had already started their speeder bike again. He stopped, “…Maybe we should have just brought the ship.”

“Too late now.” She grumbled. It was going to be a tight squeeze, but it would just barely work. He sat in the middle, holding the speeder bike’s handles with one hand and the Force. Shmi was in front of him, held securely by his other arm. Padmé sat behind him, hugging him tight. “Anakin… what in all the stars was that?” She finally asked after they had been driving for several minutes, “She was dead. I felt it!”

Anakin choked down the frog in his throat, “I have no idea.” He said, still feeling stunned. “I- I’ve never even heard of an ability like that. Maybe it’s something inside the restricted sections but… but even those, you can usually still find references to it or something. Historical mentions.”

“And- And the other?” She asked, feeling a little timid as they soared across the Wastes.

“Same thing… though that one, I’ve known of for a long time.” He said, looking down. “Since I was about fourteen and started going on more dangerous missions.” He took a deep breath, “As long as they’ve not been dead for too long, I can just… raise a shadow of them, or something. I don’t know. But I do know that the Order would probably brand me a Sith if they ever found out.” He grumbled.

“Force.” She pressed her forehead to the back of his neck. “That’s terrifying, Ani. Do they disappear when their… job… is done?”

“They can.” He said uncomfortably, “…Or I can keep them around, hidden in my own shadow.”

Padmé shuddered, “Terrifying and creepy.”

“I prefer to just think of them as shadow droids. They don’t seem to care about much of anything other than following orders.” Anakin said.

This was Anakin. Despite the fear she had felt when his mother had died, and those awful emotions had engulfed him; she would not fear him. Not when he had listened to her instead of succumbing to those emotions and going on a violent rampage. She… she honestly didn’t know what she would do if he had. She noticed his back stiffening and realized she must have projected that through their bond. He projected feelings of apology, regret, and thankfulness back to her.

She closed her eyes. “What can you do with them?”

“I have no idea.” Anakin answered truthfully. “I couldn’t exactly practice or seek advice from the Jedi.” He muttered, “The only thing I DO know is that it’s impossible to really kill them.” Her jaw dropped, “Even if you destroy them, I just feel a small drain from the Force, and they’ll reconstitute themselves.”

“Holy kriff.” She gasped in shocked awe. “What kinds of… shadows do you have?” She asked next.

He snorted, “Scumbags, murderers, beasts.” He sighed, “I usually don’t go looking for new shadows, and even if I did, I couldn’t even show Obi-Wan. I could only do it in complete secrecy.”

“Do you think it was related to what you did with… your mom?”

He shook his head, “No, definitely not. The shadows aren’t alive at all. Like I said, I prefer to think of them like shadow droids.” He told her, “Mom is definitely alive. I can feel her in the Force.” He bit his bottom lip, “Just… you can’t heal with the Dark Side.” He said, “Every time Dark Siders have tried it, they’ve just fallen apart, and the injuries returned the moment they stopped the healing.”

“Is she in danger?!” Padmé asked, completely alarmed.

Anakin shook his head. “Again, I don’t think so. I just wish I knew why.”

“How did you do it?” She asked.

“It’s another ability I have.” Anakin said, “One that you can’t just learn. One of the ones I hid, mostly so that I wouldn’t overshadow the other initiates and Padawans even more.” And because he really didn’t like Mace Windu. “It’s called Shatterpoints. It’s a weird ability that makes it seem like things are just… shattering in front of you. Or like things, people, even events have fault lines within them. Someone whose leg is about to give out might have a Shatterpoint on their knee. Someone with the ability could then hit that spot and completely destroy it.” Padmé winced, “Master Windu is the only other person in the Order who can utilize Shatterpoints that I know of. I once heard him describe it as him being able to look at something or someone through the Force and instinctively know where they broke.”

“But how does that lead to…resurrecting your mom?” Padmé asked, completely confused.

“Because I saw those fault lines even after she died… and in my anger forced the Dark Side energies into them. The wounds healed. Like they were never even there. And then…” He choked back a sob. “And then she lived again.”

“Stars above.” Padmé sighed, “…I don’t like that you used the Dark Side to do it. It felt…” She swallowed heavily, “It felt…”

“Awful.” Anakin said softly. “And worse… if I hadn’t done it… if you hadn’t been with me…”

“Don’t.” Padmé said. “You’re a good man, Ani. A good, righteous man. But even good men can have moments of pure anguish overwhelm them. A… a natural death wouldn’t have done that to you. But Shmi was tortured. For weeks on end. Even I was furious, and I don’t regret killing those two in the slightest.” She already had her arms wrapped tightly around him, but now she squeezed even harder. “Just… Just please, promise me you’ll do your hardest to never lose yourself like that again.”

“I promise.” It was an easy promise to make. He didn’t want that to happen again.

“Thank you.” She sighed, “And maybe practice that ability with the Light Side from now on. I don’t see why it would be impossible to do, even if you instinctively reached for the Dark.” She said dryly.

“I’ll try.” Anakin said, smiling slightly. “Thank you, Padmé, for being with me.”

“I couldn’t leave my mother-in-law like that, could I?” She said in his ear. He smiled. “I love you.”

“I love you more.” He shot back, and they both began to laugh, with Anakin feeling lighter than he had in years.

-]|[-

And that’s a wrap for this one. Bit on the shorter side, but I didn’t really have much of anything left for it. Could have continued it on Geonosis but my muse was running dry at the time and didn’t come back. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed Shadow Monarch Anakin. LOL