Saga Fortune's Gate ... Brand new chapter posted 2/19/13!!

This is too good to write a cursory review. I'll be back!

Ok, so, first of all SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU BACK AND POSTING!!!

I love the title. I love the mirror images: the sea of lights in the desert - Anakin's people - and the ominous reflection in orbit: Palpatine's first sally. And are not the humans to the Sand People very much like the blockade is to Tatooine?

Your Sand People intrigue me deeply. By allowing us a little bit of narrative from their perspective, you invite us to have sympathy. Maybe they are savages? Or maybe they are like the Na'vi. I can't wait to see where you take this ...

Padme in Anakin's world! I love all the subtle little ways that you show how made for each other they are. I also love the undercurrent of echo to Luke and Leia in the OT. Ani and Padme making their way through the convoy, Padme with blaster in hand just so reminds me of Luke and Leia escaping from the Death Star. I love the way that they negotiate with each other about the confidences they are about to exchange.

Your Anakin is so mature, so self-possessed. I think the Jedi made the RIGHT choice in releasing him back to Tatooine. So in fact you have rectified the error they made in canon. Bravo!!

*

Obi-Wan!

?Master Yoda ...? Obi-Wan?s mouth tasted of blood. He saw yellow eyes, a tattooed face, black and red; heard again his Master?s dying whisper: ?... promise ... promise me you will train the boy...? He swallowed, then began again. ?Master Yoda, I may have found the other Sith.?

He is one long-suffering dude, isn't he? Maybe it will be Eirtae who puts Anakin straight about his old master ...? Man I would love to be a fly on the wall for THAT convo!

I sure hope you update soon because you now have us in suspenders with this:

?There is an invasion force approaching the planet, My Lady. Tatooine has been blockaded!?

Padmé?s gaze flew to Anakin, whose face seemed remarkably still, under the circumstances. In fact, he was rigid. Only his fingers moved, enclosing the strange crystal in a tight fist.

There was a long silence.

?I?m coming with you,? he rasped at last.

Impulsively, Padmé took Anakin?s free hand in hers. ?Obi-Wan is there.? She looked at the guard for confirmation. ?Isn?t he??

A curt nod.

?Good,? Anakin said. The knuckles of the fist that held the crystal were white. ?Let?s go.?

I guess Palpy wants a rematch after getting his hat handed to him on Naboo? Wrong choice old boy. You got the same team standing against you down there, and you've brung it to the Chosen One's homeworld. Look out!!

Oh, and speaking of riffs on canon ... this CRACKED ME UP:

?Because he doesn?t recognize any limits. I guess that?s why he left the Order. They held him back.?

Of course it's also really telling of what a different place Anakin is in after growing up to be the King of Tatooine, rather than a Jedi padawan ...

I liked this observation on his part also:

?So... who are your friends?? he?d asked, after she?d spent considerable time talking about her frustrations with the Military Creation Act.

?What do you mean??

?In the Senate. Who are your friends??

Really cuts to the heart of the matter, doesn't he.

Great, great story-telling!

The story's alive! Do you know what this means? It means I'm not this message board's equivalent the black death and wal-mart infernally combined to encourage the production of doomed, massive literary enterprises. For example, check my posting history: All (most) of the stories I've posted on have...well, let's just say, the story I remember offering feedback to, which was clearly begun, developed, and completed in earnest, consisted of the following: "Star Wars has stars in it, as well as wars. The End." Characteristically, my response was 1500 words and managed to make the story about Captain Ahab and Kermit Frog (the "the" is commonly included due to an erroneous Wikipedia citation) getting drunk on grog and agreeing to open an ice cream parlor in hell. It's all in the subtext, see.

Kudos to geo for snapping my diabolical streak. And for continuing her awesome tale. I guess. But my streak--she is no more. Hosanna!

More substantial feedback to follow once the red-lined elation dims, but only slightly, for how often can anyone say they're truly elated, without just a pinch of BS thrown in there to sour the genuineness of the whole layer of feeling? I need to eat something, possibly cake.

OK, I'm back, fed and watered (a few times over, since the original post. Alas, no cake to be had).

The story continues to be excellent, hiatus be damned.

Notable developments from my perspective include the Tatooine locals essentially forming a militia, simply to be able to tour the neighborhood without being sniped by their cultural/communal opposite. For this to happen to me would be a difficult-to-believe occurrence at least, but to have these characters treat it leisurely, even in a festive manner, casts Tatooine and this Other-Anakin in a decidedly intriguing, likable light. He and they seem equal parts sympathetic and desperate. The cranked-to-ten scondrelness of the goings on contrasts neatly with the life-or-death stakes of their momentary existence. One imagines a knee-high Han Solo, hunkered down in the grit of a nearby ridge--yet with enough creep and street-smarts to avoid being skylighted against the horizon--avidly taking notes with a starstruck grin on his face, and simultaneously developing a taste for habitually disobedient brunettes. Your Tatooine is fun to read about, and is laced with the vessels of saga lineage, is my main point. My Tatooine would be darker and more merciless, but that doesn't matter since this is your story.

I confess to initially believing Obi and Eirtae were on another planet entirely (forgive me, but the passage of time racks up a few juicy casualties), and then I understood they weren't, and finally I knew they were deliberately placed in another world away from Anakin, even though all three had the selfsame sand parked within and atop their clothes. This is because Obi is is Obi, and Anakin is Anakin, and usually there's a universe separating them even when they stand abreast and walk in-step with one another. The divergence in courtship interaction between O/E and A/P was as clear and sharp as the glass the incoming armada plans to sell in bulk after they finish with Tatooine. Each relationship felt adult, because you're dealing with adults, but the steadfastness and simplicity shared between O/E made them seem more mature, deeply warm, and much less doomed. Must you always make Padme seem doomed? When you make her the captain of a fighter squadron in your next AU, if her callsign isn't Damocles' Bulls-eye, I'll be disappointed.

Not really, because I love what you're doing with this story, and I greatly anticipate the next chapter highlighting Star Wars' fusion with Red Dawn, when Anakin's Faithful takes on Dooku's armada, and someone will shout "WOMPRATS!" instead of "WOLVERINES!"

Hmm...so, crawling out from under my rock is benefical after all...

But, I need to mull on this some...

in the words of former politiican, "I'll be back."

EDIT:Can't type

So, I'm back...

After some thought, I think that I have it.

The key to this chapter is comfort, or rather the fact of being comfortable with another. Anakin and Padme here are simply comfortable with each in ways that belay their years of separation or the situation.

That's what stood out most vividly to me in this.

Though, I can hardly wait for the action which seem sto be approaching.

P.S.: The green uniformed, quasi-victorians are always availible for your use, if you want them.

I'm glad to see you back! I loved the post though I'm bothered by the scent of impending doom. (Or hopefully I'm mistaken and that is the emergent scent of doom's subjugation through massive heroic efforts during which Obi-Wan and Anakin may incidentally be reconciled. Ah, well, it's hard to tell, my olfactory senses always were a bit faulty.)

Leave it to me to focus on Obi-Wan, but...
You're doing such a good job showing his physical exhaustion which he should have been able to control with the force.
And he's struggling with emotional baggage from confronting Anakin again after all their troubled past.
The moment he realizes he has discovered the other sith, and it is there felt like a blow falling that temporarily deadens all the senses and knocks the breath away.

I mean, seriously, this is the last thing he needs!

And he's essentially left all alone to deal with the emotional stress of this...Oh, hi there, Eirtae.

I enjoyed the sweet bonding between Ani and Padme too. I could feel her relief at being able to interact with him without all the barriers she seems to have between her and most others (both external such as protocols of office and self-imposed).

Lovely job! I'll happily follow wherever you take this story. (Or at least I'll follow eagerly since I won't rule out authorly evilness precluding the happiness bit. )

Not to encroach on our dear Geo's thread, but... any chance of seeing more of the aforementioned green-uniformed quasi-Victorians' adventures in a not-so-far future? I miss my Ivo something fierce.

Cheers,

Lauré

You know, when I posted this last entry I just sort of threw it up there without a single PM, because I thought to myself, ?It?s been so long, who could possibly still be interested in this story? I shouldn?t presume.? Expecting it to sink like a rock, I slunk away and hid behind my big black sunglasses, pretending not to care that I was a Bad Author.

Imagine my surprise when you all not only found the post, but welcomed me back so warmly! You are the best! It was also just the motivation I needed to keep writing. I?m working on the last scene or two of the next chapter, which I hope will be ready to post soon. In the meantime, let?s have some comments!


Anakin_Girl Good to see you back, and great chapter.

Thanks - it?s actually really nice to be back!

Love the way Anakin handled Padme's guards. Also love Anakin taking Padme's hand and helping her Force-leap.

So Anakin has told Padme about Dooku; good that he has told someone what Dooku really is. And the line about him being that powerful because he doesn't recognize limitations is spot-on. And dangerous.

Tatooine blockaded. Not good.

I used to be so prissy about sticking close to ?canon? that I blush to remember. And while I still tend to cleave fairly closely to the source material (I still can?t bring myself, for example, to bring Captain Kirk into Tatooine?s desert via Dr. Who?s phone box - not yet, anyway) I am finally learning to loosen up and have some fun with the possibilities that AU allows. I?m glad you?re enjoying!

Well done my friend.[/i]

Thanks again!

Ocelotl_Nesto  Wonderful to see this updated. I really enjoy this AU. I think you have kept the maturity and level head on Anakin that he had by growing up with family and as a leader.

Thank you! I?m having a lot of fun exploring what Anakin might have become if he had grown up differently.
 
darth_treyvah  I am definitely still reading this and I am very glad to see an update. Now I wonder what Dooku left Anakin ...

Hey, HI! Glad to see you! Answers are in the very next chapter... along with, of course, more questions.

laurethiel1138 

Hurrah! The Geo is back!

Hurrah! So are you!

Glad to see you're still posting, dear, and with, shall we say, a very intriguing chapter which gives us more questions than answers. Notwithstanding, I really appreciated the Anakin-Padmé moments, as well as the interactions between Obi-Wan And Eirtaé. Count on me to read on. Oh, and if you still do PMs, please notify me when you post.

Thanks so much! I will be glad to send you a PM.

More comments to come when time allows.

I look forward to them - any time.

EGKenobi  Great update! Can I stay on the PM list pretty please? Can't wait to see what Anakin's going to do next.

Thanks! I?ll make a brand new PM list. You?re on it!

ratna  Ok, so, first of all SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU BACK AND POSTING!!!

Thanks!

I love the title. I love the mirror images: the sea of lights in the desert - Anakin's people - and the ominous reflection in orbit: Palpatine's first sally. And are not the humans to the Sand People very much like the blockade is to Tatooine?

*bows to the wise observer*

Your Sand People intrigue me deeply. By allowing us a little bit of narrative from their perspective, you invite us to have sympathy. Maybe they are savages? Or maybe they are like the Na'vi. I can't wait to see where you take this ...

The story doesn?t center on them (perhaps they deserve a story of their own), but we will return to them by and by in the context of other people?s stories.

Padme in Anakin's world! I love all the subtle little ways that you show how made for each other they are. I also love the undercurrent of echo to Luke and Leia in the OT. Ani and Padme making their way through the convoy, Padme with blaster in hand just so reminds me of Luke and Leia escaping from the Death Star. I love the way that they negotiate with each other about the confidences they are about to excha

Thanks to the great kindness and lightening speed of my betareader, JediMasterRev, the next post is ready to go.

~


Chapter 20. Masters, Masters Everywhere



?Well, Obi-Wan??

The urgent matters of the moment had been discussed, and strategies agreed upon, but Jedi Master Yoda?s holographic image still stared at Obi-Wan, not speaking, but also not releasing him.

?Master?? Obi-Wan asked, not understanding.

Yoda finally let out an impatient grunt and banged his stick audibly on the floor. ?Well, I said??

?I?m sorry, Master Yoda. I don?t understand. Was there more??

?Ask for help you must, Obi-Wan, when you need it!? Yoda said testily. ?What troubles you? Your opportunity to speak with me is now. Another such moment might not come soon enough.?

Nothing got past Master Yoda. Nothing.

Chagrined, Obi-Wan received the reprimand as a pupil would, with bowed head. But he also accepted the opportunity to pour out the tale of his misdeeds at the medicenter and his struggles with fatigue and meditation. Master Yoda listened intently. And wonder of wonders... instead of criticizing Obi-Wan?s choices, he responded with solicitude, addressing with wise counsel the specific difficulties that Obi-Wan was experiencing. The session turned into a wide-ranging lesson about the soul-dampening, energy-dragging nature of the Dark Side of the Force, and the many techniques of protecting against it while remaining fully connected to the Light.

?Mounting everywhere, the Dark influence is, as storm clouds gather on the horizon. But the Dark One?s specific attention to Tatooine preceded the blockade. Perceived its effects long before the ships arrived, you did, Obi-Wan.?

?As he ... it... perceived my presence ... Jedi presence ... here on Tatooine.?

?Just so.?

?I will do as you have taught me, Master Yoda. I am grateful for your counsel.?

?Courage, you must have, Obi-Wan! When confusion and uncertainty we face, our best efforts are the right efforts. No matter the outcome.?

?Thank you, Master.? Obi-Wan felt lighter and brighter, like a newly banked fire.

A short time later, clean, wearing pristine robes, and efficiently shielded in the Force, he felt entirely himself again. When Eirtaé rejoined him on the Bridge, looking like a holovid princess, the momentary glow of well-being made them both smile.

?Better??

?Much, thanks!?

Then Eirtaé saw the tactical holodisplay, and all smiles ended.

?How long before they attack??

Obi-Wan frowned. ?There are no signs of immediate battle preparation. The Jedi Council agrees with me that at the moment, it appears to be a show of force. A political statement.?

Eirtaé stared at the screens. Their greenish glow reflected on her face, highlighting lines of worry. ?What does it mean, Obi-Wan??

?War, I think. This isn?t just about Tatooine. This is the beginning of something much larger.?

?Padmé has been warning about the possibility of Galactic war for some time. She believes that preparing for war, as with the Military Creation Act, encourages war, and that the solution lies first and foremost in diplomacy.? Eirtaé?s lips compressed. ?That is the reason for her fierce opposition to the very idea of a Grand Army of the Republic.?

?You disagree??

?I have always felt that it wise to prepare for the worst. I don?t know how Padmé could have come to a different conclusion after the unprovoked attack on our sovereignty ten years ago. But she was Queen then. I was not.?

The comment hung oddly in the air between them, piquing Obi-Wan?s curiosity. But it wasn?t the time for personal discussions.

?The Jedi Council also has foreseen war,? he said, ?but I have not been privy to the Council?s views on centralizing the Republic?s fighting forces.?

Padmé arrived then, and with her, Anakin, of all people.

There was a brief scuffle in the hatch bay when Typho?s best relieved Anakin of his cycler rifle and tried to do the same with his lightsaber, but Anakin settled down when Padmé convinced him to relinquish the rifle while preventing his Jedi weapon from being confisc

I happen to have it on *ahem* excellent authority, that you DO write something else ... and it's cracking good, too. j/s.

Anakin scowled. This was not a lesson like the others. He didn?t like abstractions. He liked practical lessons. What he liked even less was what he was feeling. He sensed shadows. Shifting eddies in the Force. Nameless caution twisted through him, making him sweat.

Anger, too, gnawed at him. He didn?t know why.

So very Anakin, especially the part I boldfaced. Honestly it's one thing I love most about him. He wants a straight answer, nothing abstract.

But could a practical lesson help him control his strong sense of the Force? I don't know.

Loved Obi-Wan's relief that he wouldn't have to destroy Anakin. Let's just hope that Anakin makes the right choice. Yoda is right, they can't make him do so. Shmi is alive, and Anakin isn't having to hide his feelings for Padme, so there are two pluses in his favor.

Loved the scene with Padme sitting on Anakin's lap.

And Dooku with a message about Kamino, a message that he knew Anakin would pass along to the Jedi? Hmmm...

Awesome post!

This was my favorite quote:
"our best efforts are the right efforts. No matter the outcome"

I could totally see Yoda spouting this truth. Is it an original?

Misdeeds in the med center? Obi-Wan? Pfft!

So glad Yoda came through for him. He's gonna need all that.

__________

"When confusion and uncertainty we face, our best efforts are the right efforts. No matter the outcome.?

I so love the wisdoms that you always include in your stories!

__________

Anakin ate humble pie. This is huge, isn't it? One more cardinal sign of how right the Jedi's decision was to return him to Tatooine. And also one more clear demonstration of what an epic story this is. You take one single element and change it, and then follow all the threads to their conclusion.

__________

The soft, indirect lighting made the metal tabletop glow faintly, like a full moon seen through dark glass.

What an image!!

__________

Obi-Wan stood with his arms crossed gazing at it, grateful again for the fortunate timing of his talk with Master Yoda.

I'm pretty sure it was not by chance.

Surrounded in Light and balanced inside and out, he was able to stand before the object objectively and without pain. ...

On the opposite side of the table, Anakin mirrored his posture, but that was the only similarity between them. It was as if Anakin had brought the planet inside with him; he smelled of sweat and dust and engine oil and the lumbering beasts that wandered Mos Eisley?s rutted streets.

What a perfect juxtaposition between what a Jedi is - apart from the world in perfect equipoise, vs. what Anakin is - wearing the world like his own skin. One guess which of these is truly most connected to the Force ...

__________

A hologram of Dooku?s face appeared, and grew eerily until it nearly filled the space between them.

?Welcome, Anakin,? the face said. Then it swiveled to face Obi-Wan. ?Jedi BEGONE!? it roared. Coming from a gigantic, purplish holographic image, the effect was quite startling.

Whoa, talk about your Wizard of Oz moment right there!! Holy cow!

_________

?Cautious, you must be, Obi-Wan. Cautious! Your impulse it is, to prevent this event at all costs. Arose out of a similar sense of urgency, did the Council?s decision to remove Anakin from the path of training. But learned we have, by our mistake, that destiny is the strongest binding of all.?

?Then ... nothing can be done?? Obi Wan?s voice barely rose above a whisper.

?One thing, and one thing only, can change a being?s destiny, Obi-Wan.?

?What is that, Master?? Obi-Wan asked, bracing himself for the answer, dreading to hear it, dreading....

?Free will. His own free will.?

Ohhh. The holotranmission hissed and crackled softly in the ensuing silence. Or was it the sigh of Obi-Wan?s released breath?

?Not... death, then??

Yoda scrunched up his face. ?Like a Tathian serpent, destiny is. Stopped with a single stroke, it cannot be; cut off one head, and three grow in its place. Cuts short an existing path, does death, but forces, influences, actors connected with the emptied path may leap in to fill the void. Only by conscious choice, is a new journey created.?

This. This, this this. Your unforgettable lines. Like ?Loves all living things equally, the Force does ... So can we. That is compassion.?

___________

Anakin has no patience for the abstract. Not only is this so in character, but also a necessary limitation. Although you have changed history so drastically with this AU, yet you maintain the exquisite balance between virtue and limitation that is essential to any good character and any good story.

I also adore the way you have love sneaking up so quietly on our beloved pairs. Cupid is not taking center stage in this story, but he makes his presence felt. Lovely.

I'm a bit behind, but I promise I'll catch up! So much love for this story.

Thanks so much for the comments, everyone! I'm working on the next chapter, but I'm also in the midst of planning a move, so it'll be a little while longer before it's ready. In the meantime, replies!


anakin_girl  So very Anakin, especially the part I boldfaced. Honestly it's one thing I love most about him. He wants a straight answer, nothing abstract.

Yeah, I love that too.

But could a practical lesson help him control his strong sense of the Force? I don't know.

I guess we can learn from instruction and from experience, and sometimes experience seems like the greater teacher. But I like to think that a judicious combination of both is the way to go.

Loved Obi-Wan's relief that he wouldn't have to destroy Anakin. Let's just hope that Anakin makes the right choice. Yoda is right, they can't make him do so. Shmi is alive, and Anakin isn't having to hide his feelings for Padme, so there are two pluses in his favor.

Hooray for AU?s!

Loved the scene with Padme sitting on Anakin's lap.



And Dooku with a message about Kamino, a message that he knew Anakin would pass along to the Jedi? Hmmm...



Ocelotl_Nesto 

Awesome post!

Thanks for reading!

This was my favorite quote:
"our best efforts are the right efforts. No matter the outcome"

I could totally see Yoda spouting this truth. Is it an original?

It is, actually. I love spouting Jedi Philosophy ...
 
ratnaI happen to have it on *ahem* excellent authority, that you DO write something else ... and it's cracking good, too. j/s.
I hope I can get back to writing as much as I used to. Fingers crossed.

Misdeeds in the med center? Obi-Wan? Pfft!

A powerful conscience, has he.

So glad Yoda came through for him. He's gonna need all that.

Me too!

I so love the wisdoms that you always include in your stories!



Anakin ate humble pie. This is huge, isn't it? One more cardinal sign of how right the Jedi's decision was to return him to Tatooine. And also one more clear demonstration of what an epic story this is. You take one single element and change it, and then follow all the threads to their conclusion.

It?s huge, but it?s also pragmatic. He needed something. This was the way to get it. He?s been doing that all his life. But of course, now some folks who excel at subtlety, at refinement, have entered his life...

What an image!!

Thanks!

What a perfect juxtaposition between what a Jedi is - apart from the world in perfect equipoise, vs. what Anakin is - wearing the world like his own skin. One guess which of these is truly most connected to the Force ...

Oh, my. Oh, my!! THis is so perfectly expressed!

This. This, this this. Your unforgettable lines. Like ?Loves all living things equally, the Force does ... So can we. That is compassion.?



Anakin has no patience for the abstract. Not only is this so in character, but also a necessary limitation. Although you have changed history so drastically with this AU, yet you maintain the exquisite balance between virtue and limitation that is essential to any good character and any good story.



I also adore the way you have love sneaking up so quietly on our beloved pairs. Cupid is not taking center stage in this story, but he makes his presence felt. Lovely.

He is always in the background.

Thank you so much for your lovely review!

ViariSkywalker  I'm a bit behind, but I promise I'll catch up! So much love for this story.

I?m delighted that you?re reading!

An interesting chapter. After reading it, I actually shelved my chin on my palm and spent a good deal of time going "of course, of course, no, no...but maybe...ah ha, uh huh, nuh uh, hmmm...we'll see."

I think I was most taken by the scene describing and activating the holocron. Here's an artifact that is highly purposed, even self-evident in its meaning when it's an experienced object, but when it must be put into narrative and philosophical context, all of its immediate intuitiveness dissolves into a pile of allusions and comparative abstractions. It's a bit like playing baseball, and then, having tucked that experience into yourself, going on to describe the rules and tactics to someone who has never even heard of the game. This is more a quirk of the writing process and the nature of prose fiction as a medium of creative expression than a specific comment on this slice of story in particular, but I like when my mind is afforded the opportunity to trip over these concepts and possibilities, so, I'm much obliged to you for having afforded the potential.

On the less analytical side, seeing Anakin and Padme become more openly affectionate, I thought, here is where this AU will carve away from canon at speed! The necessity for deception is not there, so the two of them can stand as themselves, man and woman in love, rather than as tragic symbols for a beautiful, inevitable ruination. Deceit may fall by the wayside, but the need for acceptance from Padme, and acknowledgment from Anakin, may twist their journey down a different path only for it to end up in the same deadly waters. A'n'P without drama? Well, that's just not A'n'P.

Dear Geo,

I know that you are buried under the Tatooine sands of RL right now, but we readers wait patiently for you to rise and write!

Just sayin.

~rat

Seven months. That?s how long it has been since I last posted. Seven months!

I really need to apologize for the long delay between chapters. I've been sidetracked before, but never like this. Real life has done a number on me lately, to the point where I began to think of myself as "the former writer once known as geo3." For a long time I could hardly compose a shopping list, much less craft a complicated fantasy.

This story always remained with me, of course. I love the characters. They kept nagging me, BEGGING me to finish, but every time I painstakingly churned out two or three sentences and strung them together, sithly demons would whisper to me that what I'd put on the page was flat, banal, pointless, complete rubbish. I'd hit delete and go back to thinking that I'd never, ever be able to construct a decent paragraph again, never mind a whole chapter. Bad times. Even though this not-writing felt even worse than writing badly, it took a while to drum up the courage to really get going again. Knowing that this insidious thing happens to a lot of people, even the greats, didn't help at all.

But life is ever-changing, and what once seems impossible, can often, with time and perseverance, be wrestled back into the realm of the achievable. I did persevere, so here at last is the next chapter of "Fortune's Gate." I still feel a bit rusty, but I think that as I continue to work, it will get easier again. May the Force be with me until the story is done.

Thanks, as always, for reading!

Geo3

~

Chapter 21. Games of Chance


Even though the worst of the desert heat had passed, the hot flush in Anakin's face didn't subside when he slipped out of the Veritas and hurried down its long boarding ramp to the pitted floor of the docking bay. Outside the soft, filtered air of the sleek ship, the hot fuel stench of Mos Espa's provincial spaceport was downright unpleasant.

Wrinkling his nose, he pounded out onto the cracked stones of the marketplace, where the air was fresher but for the lingering stink of animals. The stalls had closed down for the day. Their tent-like coverings barely moving in the listless breeze, and the suns hung low in the sky, but still his face blazed. He missed Padme already, but he was glad that he had made his escape. As usual, one comment from Obi-Wan had spoiled everything.

"None of this would be possible if you were a Jedi? none of this?

? none of THIS??"

Anakin's feelings about Paldme were the deepest, most private part of him. He had never spoken about her to anyone - not to the gang, not to Owen, not even to Shmi (well, not much, anyway.) But the young warrior Queen from Naboo had been with him - the image of her, the sense of her - for all the years they were apart. Since the day he had left Naboo for the Jedi Temple, Padme had been the other half of every inner dialogue about his struggles, great and small. Hers was the cherished inner voice that had encouraged and consoled him through the desperate war years when he was lonely or afraid. She had been his conscience when he was wracked with doubts about what he was asking people to do in the name of freedom. What would Padme do? he would ask himself. What would she tell me to do? And then, when she had turned up at the farm - warm, real, and so much like the companion he had evoked and clung to all along ? it only proved what Anakin had always known to be true: that she was a part of him, and he was a part of her. Whether they were arguing, colluding to protect his mother, plotting to ditch her guards, or talking seriously, being with her was the most natural thing in the world. When he reached for her on the ship she had come to him unhesitatingly. He hadn't been surprised. It had felt right because it was right.

Until they were noticed. Until Obi-Wan's comment had made it clear that they were being watched, studied, monitored. With that awareness had come a new awkwardness, a sudden, painful sense of loss. What had been perfect and above all, private, had become an "all this" that others

Welcome back... that was an awesome post... it really gets complicated and tricky here and so many paths you can pursue here. Anxions for more.

Very well done!

Good to see you back in action again, my friend.

But the young warrior Queen from Naboo had been with him - the image of her, the sense of her - for all the years they were apart. Since the day he had left Naboo for the Jedi Temple, Padme had been the other half of every inner dialogue about his struggles, great and small. Hers was the cherished inner voice that had encouraged and consoled him through the desperate war years when he was lonely or afraid. She had been his conscience when he was wracked with doubts about what he was asking people to do in the name of freedom. What would Padme do? he would ask himself. What would she tell me to do?

Someone I think this is exactly what Anakin thought in canon, between TPM and AOTC.

And Dooku planning to destroy Tatooine? On Sidious' orders? Yikes. Hoping Obi-Wan and Padme can keep Anakin from doing anything drastic, making any "deals" like that fatal one he made in canon.

Good to see Shmi doing better. And wow, Owen selling Anakin to Dooku--does he know what he's doing?

Excellent post.

"You want to go home and rethink your life."

So so glad to see this up! (More later, just needed to put this in for now.)

Glad to have you back! Just stopping by to say I'm here and still reading. I'll be back with a more detailed reply!

Thanks, everybody for remembering this story! The next chapter will be up in early October.

So, I missed this for more then ten days...

and all that I can think to say is...wonderful.

Perhaps more later...