Broken Vows (Post AOTC) - A/P's Marriage is Discovered: The Consequences (Preview for next story!)

Scruffy:

Enjoying your story. Very well written.

Nice touch with the code name.

Looking forward to Milstar?s return.

A well deserved UP!

 

UPPERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope Chief Scruffy is feeling better now.

 

Hi everyone, thanks for your support. I'm feeling a little better, but still not too hot. My Philadelphia Eagles blew it today, too!

I am at the library frantically writing out this next chapter, but there was much more setup than I expected. So instead of waiting till it's all finished, I am posting as I write, literally! Here is the first part of Chapter 5. No mush, yet, but you can see what's to happen next--and if I do say so myself, I think I've created a really neat place, even better than that restaurant!

The library I'm at closes at 11PM PST; hopefully the next part will be out by then!

Scruffy


-----

Chapter 5 - Part One


Chapter 5

In the rec room of the Eredon, the off-duty pilots and crewmen talked quietly and expectantly amongst themselves. They were the survivors, those who still lived after a dozen deadly engagements in the defense of Almania. Grief was ever present, for their lost friends and comrades, but now their predominant mood was an expectant joy?for the opportunity to see loved ones again, to indulge in a little R & R, for the sheer fact of being alive.

There were almost a hundred in the room, and most of them sat in small groups around tables, drinking various ales and playing games of holographic chess or miniature pod racing. Now and then they would look up from their conversations to a solitary figure, standing apart from the others. When he was not pacing incessantly, he would gaze out from the rec room?s windows to the incomprehensible twisting of spacetime that was hyperspace. A normal person who stared out into hyperspace for too long could be rendered unconscious from visual overload; to force one?s gaze outwards, as he was doing, risked madness. But then, perhaps he was already mad; while everyone in that room respected Anakin Skywalker?s flying abilities and coolness under fire, there was something about the Jedi pilot that made people uneasy. Perhaps it was just because he was a Jedi, the only one everyone there had ever met in person. Then again, it was said that one of the defining attributes of a Jedi Knight was their calmness, the ease with which they moved through life. If this was true, it certainly didn?t apply to Anakin; his intensity was such that it rubbed off all who came into contact with him. In battle it was a demonstrably good thing?those who flew with him usually came back, brave Filo excepted. But in informal settings, it was disquieting. What made it worse was that unlike everyone else, the tension of combat had not drained away after the word got out that they were being granted leave?if anything, his intensity had increased, to where one could literally feel the energy emanating from him if you passed him by. For that reason and many others, they all gave him a respectfully wide berth.

None of his comrades? misgivings penetrated into Anakin?s consciousness; indeed, at the moment they were little more than shadows to him. Only one thing, one thought, filled his mind and heart: the prospect of being reunited with Padmé. The intensity of his desire and longing burned with nuclear intensity within; he only hoped that she got the message, and arranged for some time that they could be together. He tried to hold himself steady, fearful that he would burst at the slightest prodding.

Suddenly, the twists and undulations of hyperspace disappeared before his eyes: the starlines receded, to reveal normal space, and the great city-planet of Coruscant in the distance. Soon after the ship?s intercom system came to life.

?Attention, this is Captain Trinnis. We have just come out of hyperspace into the Coruscant system?? all around him Anakin?s crewmates burst into cheers and applause. ?All crewmembers are to report to the Coruscant Main Assembly Hall in dress uniform for the award ceremony at 1300 hours local time. That is all. Once again, congratulations on a job well done. Captain Trinnis out.?

Around him, people started to get up, conversing excitedly. Anakin was perfectly still, calm even

 

I can hardly wait either! It's good to see Dallomir's men weren't able to follow them, but somehow I don't think Dallomir will give up that easily...


*SB*

 

What a marvelous imagination you have Scruffy. You described the preserve so well that I have a clear picture of it in my mind. Sounds like a home away from home for our Nubian Senator.

I certainly hope Typho lost their pursuers.

Bring on the mush!

 

Chapter 5 - Part 2


At last the endless procession of speeches and ceremonies was over. Anakin and the other pilots and crewmembers of the Eredon and the few other surviving ships stood as one before the applauding assemblage of media, citizens and military personnel. Somewhat surprisingly, there were no Senators there. They?re all off on vacation, like a certain Senator from Naboo, he thought wolfishly. A few of the media were heading towards the pilots, hoping to interview them, but most of the people there were heading for the exits, eager to participate in the lavish reception that had been set up for them.

Anakin cared for none of these things; he had an appointment that could not wait. Before he could leave, however, a tall and severe Chagrian approached him.

?Jedi Skywalker, the Supreme Chancellor wishes to offer you his congratulations in your awards and accomplishments.?

?Thank you, Majordomo of the Senate Amedda,? Anakin said, momentarily distracted from his thoughts of Padmé. ?If you will excuse me, I must depart.?

?The Chancellor is eager to speak with you of your experiences. As you may or may not know, relations between the Senate and the Jedi Order have been? strained recently. He wishes to hear your perspective on certain matters.?

At any other time Anakin would have jumped at the opportunity to discuss things with Palpatine; to Anakin he was as much a mentor as Obi-Wan was. But now?

?That is most generous of the Supreme Chancellor, but in this case I must respectfully decline.? Mas Amedda frowned; he was not used to having someone refuse his Master. ?I have an appointment of the greatest urgency, which I must make.? He paused, fearful of his response.

Surprisingly, he smiled. ?Of course. The Chancellor will understand.? He bowed to Anakin in a gesture of dismissal.

?Thank you,? Anakin said. He bowed hastily, then practically ran from the auditorium.



* * * * *



Racing through the streets of the capital, Anakin finally found what he was looking for. Entering the public communications center, he went to a terminal and deposited a credit chip. Upon activating, he then took out his false-ID chip and placed it in the ID slot. A screen welcoming Luke Milstar came up, filled with ads and public service announcements. There was one new message, from Sola.

Looking around, he surreptitiously placed his decoder chip into the datastorage slot, bracing himself for the expected alarm. Fortunately, the smuggler he met on Yavin knew his job, and the terminal was silent. Opening the message, the garbled text shimmered for a few seconds, then resolved itself into a brief message:


I am at the Hydrillia Nature Preserve [Map Reference 15021.38-28461.33-2928.2] My suite is Level 02, A45. Your room is Level 995, KP3980. You will have to enter along the Outer Ring: a shuttle will take you to Central Peak. Be here any time after 1800, I?ll be waiting for you.

Love,
Padmé


Committing the information to memory, he then deleted the message. Calling up a map of Coruscant, the Preserve was on the other side of the planet, outside of the main traffic grid. Checking the chronometer, he saw it was 1644. Ending the session, he gathered his chips and left. At the nearest skytaxi stop, he waited for an intraplanetary shuttle. When one arrived fifteen minutes later, he got on, told the Rodian driver his location and settled back as the taxi rose into the sky. Three hours, my dear, I?m almost here. He trembled at what he would soon experience. The smell of her hair, the taste of her lips? Swallowing, he wiped away some sweat from his forehead, then promptly resumed his fantasizing. The touch of her fingers?


So focused on thoughts of Padmé, Anakin failed to notice that a tiny group of insects was flying behind him.



* * * * *



Anakin was intrigued by desolation.

In the dusk light, Anakin could clearly see?nothing. Below him was not the familiar towers and spires of the capi

 

Scruffy-Looking,

Great story! I read it all tonight! It ended....

Fabulous detail of pop up ads and junk just like our internet!

Love the intrigue one must go thru to see one's secret spouse--Luke Milstar or whatever.

My eyes are falling ono the keyboard, it's late.

Can't wait for the rest!

Keep it up!


Lady S.

 

Scruffy-Looking,

Sorry, darn blankety-blankety error only one post per minute allowed.

Posted twice in error, error, error...

 

Scruff, you're killing me man! Now I'll be checking this thread every 5 seconds to see if there's an update! Well, at least you know how to keep your readers in check.


*SB*

 

WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!

I'm truly in heaven, due to the fantastic double posts of Almighty Scruffy in one night!

Thanks so much for taking the time in posting 2 chapters tonight, considering that you are not well.

YAY!!!!!!! The MUSH is up next!I can't wait!

 

Sorry for leaving you ladies hanging like that!

Just to warn you, Part 3 won't be ready for another hour or so, so I advise you to go to sleep. Imagine the pleasant surprise in the morning, reading what happens!


Back to work,
Scruffy

 

It's far too late here; I'm supposed to be up in a few hours. But do I care? Not enough, apparently. I'm reading this and I'm enjoying it.

I agree on the comments on your attention to detail/setting: makes things easy to visualize, and just adds a nice touch to the story overall.

The two posts in a row was a nice treat, too-- what a point to leave off at, though! But regardless, it still means it's closer to mush time...

But I probably should get some sleep, before my eyes take a clue from Sami's.

 

Lori runs into the room to get her Scruffy fix before starting her day.

@$^#$%$#@#$##@#! It's not here yet...

Glad to hear that you're feeling better, and can't wait for the mush...

Lori

 

Oh COME ON NOW......... this is so not fair!

you posted "Not ready for an hour" 9 hours ago....

 

Chapter 5 - Part 3


Padme's suite was enormous, several times the size of her residence in the capital. Opposite him, virtually the entire wall was an enormous bay window, from which one could look out onto the Preserve. Directly ahead of him was a small series of terraced steps, descending to the richly carpeted floor. On both sides of him, the walls curved gently outwards, close together at the entrance, then spreading outwards and coming to an end just before the window. There were doors leading to other rooms on both walls, roughly halfway to the other side. Moonlights from the nighttime Coruscant sky streamed downwards to illuminate the valleys and forests far below; they also provided some illumination for the suite, which was otherwise unlit. Directly ahead of him, he could see an elegant dining table, apparently already furnished.

Anakin could not see her, but now her presence filled the room just as it filled his heart. It was such a sweet sensation he couldn't even breathe; swaying, he steadied himself, trying not to fall down.

"Padme?" Still she didn't reveal herself. Smiling, he stepped forward. If you want to play this game, I'm willing. "You cannot hide forever, Padme!"

"I could never hide from you, my love," came the blessed reply. Around him, the lights came on to half-intensity, and Padme stepped out of the doorway to his right.

For the second time in as many minutes his breath caught in his throat. Before him, Padme wore a shimmering blue robe, the sleeves ending just at her wrists, the hemline right at her ankles. As she walked slowly towards him on jeweled high-heeled sandals that made her surprisingly taller, her gown billowed gently about, almost floating around her. Stepping into the light, Anakin's eyes widened even further; the robe was transluscent, and he could see every sinuous curve of her body. She was also wearing something dark underneath--he couldn't completely make it out, but what he could see of its patterns and cuts made him shiver.

Her hair was braided in a single ponytail, tight and sleek. Just like on Naboo, by the fireplace, when I first opened myself to her. A tiara of silvery pearls rested on her head, with earrings to match. Finally he stared at her neckline, cutting down into a shallow-V, providing more than a hint of cleavage. The necklace she wore was the only part of her radiant garments that seemed out of place; it looked like a small piece of wood tied around a string. No, it couldn't be, after all these years... A boyish smile spread across his face.

She stopped at the base of the steps and held her arms out, palms upward. Smiling, she said, "Welcome home, Ani."

Anakin flew down the steps into her arms, grabbing her tightly and twirling her about several times. "Oh Padme!" he cried, tears flowing freely down his cheeks. Stopping, he pulled back and gazed into her lovely face.

Padme was in tears as well. "I missed you so much!" she said, smiling and sniffing. "I was so afraid for your safety. Now, I can be happy again."

Anakin leaned forward to kiss her; she responded in kind and their mouths met, recalling a passion that had been denied for far too long. He pulled her towards him even more smugly, so much so he actually lifted her up off the ground. After what seemed like hours locked in their embrace, they pulled apart and looked into each other's eyes again, both filled with the deepest contentment.

Slowly, Padme pulled away, till she was holding his left hand. Tugging, she gestured towards the window; he followed. At the window, she turned to look out to the forests below. Anakin stepped up behind her, his arms wrapped comfortably about her waist, his head resting lightly atop her head.

"Isn't it beautiful?" she whispered.

"It's lovely. Who would ever have thought such natural beauty could exist on a planet like this?"

Her hands dropped down to stroke his forearms. "When you're out there, at the floor of the Preserve, it's supposed to be just like the real thi

 

Yowsa! Meesa speechless!

I love Ani being shocked by that outfit Padme wore. Wonderful mush Scruffy.

If only it would last

 

"Whew...good stuff...", Lori thinks while using a book to fan herself. "Scruffy, your wife/girlfriend/significant other is a very lucky woman."

If only they could live happily ever after...

Lori

 

*Sigh*

Call me Darth Speechless....

 

Ok...Hi Darth Speechless!

Wow...it's even better after a second reading!

 

Scruffy Scruffy Scruffy,

Making Ani wait that long. Really though that was sweet.

Dana

 

Is everybody happy now?

First, thanks to everyone who's wished me better health--Jazz_Skywalker, anakin-player, lori71, irishjedi, ANIPADME I appreciate it!

Drusillac - Wow, thanks for that!

Mr Boba Jango - Thanks again! Who is Luke Milstar, really? I'm not telling, not in this story! Read my Ep 3 script, and you'll find out...

Lady Sami J Kenobi - Ah, a new reader! "The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant, next to the power of spam." (goes to delete more from my mailbox)

StarBlazer - Sorry if I made you wait. Hopefully Part 3 made it up to you!

ANIPADME - It's the least I could do! Remember: always underpromise, overdeliever (business advice from Guy Kawasaki).

Mr. Boba Jango - "What a marvelous imagination you have Scruffy. You described the preserve so well that I have a clear picture of it in my mind.

Now THAT's more like it!

Alderaan21 - The two posts in a row was a nice treat, too-- what a point to leave off at, though! But regardless, it still means it's closer to mush time...

Hope you liked it!

lori71 & DarthBreezy - Sorry, but I had to make it perfect, so I was up until 3:30AM writing. Was it worth the wait?


...Surely there must be more comments? ?

 

Yup, that was definately worth the wait. I particularly liked the waltz lead in. I wasn't quite sure where you were going.

In all seriousness, you are a wonderful writer. Have you written anything outside of our little SW universe?

Lori

 

Scruffy-looking,

I thought you would be happy to have new readers.

Very nice chapter. Very delicate handling of that SW bugaboo--no sex.

Loved the details of that bodywrap and the tying in of the Hapan world.

You do write well. I hope there's more.

Lady S.

 

Fred! Even when you are giving us this great, long-awaited romantic reunion, you still throw in lines like, "You cannot hide forever" and "As you wish". Who is this guy, Darth Vader or someone?



Seriously, that was great. Very in character, and creative as well. Drywater from Mon Calamari and Hapes, preserved seabeds, and safety tractor beams on the Coruscant surface make for a fully-realized setting. I know you've got school stuff to work on, but I hope you can keep making time to write this story!


Me gusta

EDIT: Sorry 'bout the Eagles.

 

I really enjoyed this post, Scruffy. Some great description in there... and of course we had the good ol' mush...

Great job. Looking forward to more.

Hmmmm... but now you have me wondering... were the flying critters sent by Palpy? I suppose I'll just have to wait to find out...

~*Senoj*~