Obi-wan dies too, and the Order says, "so long, sucker!" (Patreon)

Or the one where someone moved a chair and everything goes crazy.

-]|[-

Obi-Wan swung as hard as he could, fury over what this Sith had done to his Master all over his face. If only he hadn’t been trapped behind that barrier! The screeching from the two clashing lightsabers felt like they would never leave his ears, and then the Zabrak stuck his hand out. The Force seized him and blasted him backwards, sending him crashing and then rolling backwards into the massive hole in the room they were in.

Why the room had a massive pit straight down into the depths, Obi-Wan had no idea. But at least it had something for him to grab onto. He was now hanging precariously, and the Zabrak above him walked calmly, smugly to the edge. He grinned nastily at Obi-Wan and kicked his lightsaber negligently. Obi-Wan watched as his faithful companion clattered as it descended into the borehole.

The Sith could have ended it now. He could have just used Force Push again to knock Obi-Wan into the deep. But that wasn’t good enough for him. He wanted to taunt the Jedi. He swung, again and again at the edge of the hole, making sparks rain on Obi-Wan. It was amusing to him.

Or at least it was until Obi-Wan glared up at him, his face clearly saying, ‘I didn’t hear no bell!’ The Sith glared back, though he was confused. What did the idiot Padawan think he could do hanging from a light fixture like that. He followed Obi-Wan’s eyes and glanced to the side just in time to watch the Master’s lightsaber fly forward, and then Obi-Wan used a Force Leap up at him. ‘Fool.’ He cackled in his own head as he swung his weapon… up until he felt a searing pain in his chest. He looked down in confusion only to pitch forward into the borehole as his body separated in two, cleaved in half right at the heart and lungs.

Obi-Wan had done it. He had killed a Sith. But he would not be walking away from it unscathed.

Rather, he wouldn’t be walking away at all. He landed and collapsed, finding it hard to breathe through the pain. He looked down and found that he had landed on the Sith’s legs, and that he’d been cut in half as well, diagonally. One of his lungs was entirely destroyed, as was most of his digestive system. He knew that it might be possible to save him if he had happened to land in a bacta tub surrounded by doctors, but there was no way they would be found in time. He grit his teeth and dragged himself over to his Master. “M-Master… I’m… I’m sorry.”

Qui-Gon let out a rattling breath, “N-No, I’m s-sorry.” The dying man held onto his apprentice, “I sh-should have been a better Master. Should have been… less… a-arrogant than to think I could kill a Sith…on my own. Es-especially in such tight and l-limiting con-conditions. Y-You were… my greatest apprentice…”

The two men expired, both going into the Force with their own regrets.

-]|[-

Anakin had been jubilant as he descended back down to the planet and joined in on the celebrations. They had won! The droids had all been disabled! He had managed to destroy the control ship and had helped Padmé regain her planet!

Padmé had hugged the stuffing out of him when he regaled her with the story. She had been so worried about him and hearing that he had been the one who had secured their victory had awed her. She had been quick to proclaim him the Hero of Naboo and made him a citizen on the spot! It was the best day of his life!

And then neither Qui-Gon nor Obi-Wan showed up. Even with how busy things were, Padmé had been able to get one of her handmaidens to check the security footage. Yané had come back with tears in her eyes before declaring that they had successfully destroyed their enemy, but that both had perished doing so.

And the jubilation in Anakin’s heart turned to ash. What… what would become of him now?

The answer did not come quickly, other than a reassurance from Padmé that he would always have a place by her side. It took time for the newly-elected Supreme Chancellor Palpatine to arrive with the rest of the Jedi council. With his nervousness, wariness about what would become of him, and a strange feeling… he couldn’t help but notice how Palpatine’s smile did not quite reach his eyes when he told him that he would, ‘watch [Anakin’s] career with great interest.’

He stuck to Padmé after that. Including during the funeral where a pyre consumed Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon in the traditional Jedi way. Finally, Anakin got his answer from the Grand Master of the Jedi himself. “Trained as a Jedi, you will not be.” With neither Qui-Gon nor Obi-Wan alive, no one on the council was willing to go against the danger they could feel in Anakin’s training.

Anakin swallowed the lump in his throat. “What will become of me, then?”

“Returned to your mother, you shall be.” Yoda responded gently, thinking that would soothe the boy. He had missed her greatly.

He was quite surprised to feel anger and despair in equal measure engulf Anakin. “So that’s it?” Anakin glared at him with tears in his eyes, “I thought the Jedi were supposed to be the good guys. But you’re just sending me back to slavery?!”

Yoda almost fell over. “Slavery?!” Both at what Anakin had just revealed and the sheer depth of rage and sadness in Anakin’s heart. It affirmed his decision to not train the boy, but it did change things. “No!” He clacked his gimmer stick on the ground. “Know, we did not, that a slave you were!”

Anakin’s jaw dropped, “H-How could you NOT know?!” He asked incredulously.

“Failed to mention it, Master Jinn did.” Yoda said, shaking his head, “Collect your mother, we will. Bring her to Naboo, we shall. Alone, you shall not be.”

Hot relief surged in Anakin. At least it was something. At least the Jedi weren’t being cruel on purpose. And no matter how much he now disliked them, he would at least be respectful. “Thank you, Master Yoda.” He bowed to him.

“Welcome, you are.” Yoda bowed back, before slowly walking from the room.

Anakin went back to Padmé, and she couldn’t believe that the Jedi had rejected Anakin. Especially since it was treading all over Master Jinn’s wishes! It severely downgraded the Order in her eyes, and she would trust them far less in the future.

She had offered to be Anakin’s sister and have her parents adopt him, but he rejected that. He told her that the Jedi would be bringing his mom to Naboo, which relieved her. She had been planning on trying to free Shmi herself, but the Jedi would be able to do a better job. Still, she was surprised he didn’t want to be her brother, up until her handmaidens and best friends started giggling later that night. “And what precisely is so funny?” She asked archly.

“Someone has a crush on you, dummy.” Sabé giggled.

“He’s nine!” Padmé blurted out in surprise.

“And you’re a fourteen-year-old Queen.” Sabé needled her.

Padmé rolled her eyes. “Whatever. He’ll grow out of it.” She said before she started getting ready for bed.

The official celebrations the next day put everyone in a good mood, even Anakin. A good enough mood to wink at her, and it had surprised a laugh from her. She’d have to gently coax him to find a girl his own age, though. With their age gap, it could never happen.

…

The Force was not an entity. It did not truly have its own consciousness. Avatars, perhaps, will certainly, and it flowed through every living being in the galaxy and so had an idea of mortal existence, but not a pure consciousness.

If it did have its own consciousness though, its general stream of thought would be, “Are you kriffing kidding me?” It had created a Chosen One, a child of its own with a good heart and unlimited potential to lead the Jedi into a new era and they had just… rejected him? Left him ripe for the Sith to take?

Well, this wouldn’t do. It would not leave its child alone in this galaxy. He needed a mentor. A protector. And it knew just the one.

…

Revan shot up as he opened his eyes, gasping for breath. “What-?” He managed to get out, before blinking rapidly. He put a hand to his heart, finding that it did not beat, though his flesh was still warm. It was clear that he was not exactly dead, but not exactly alive either. He groaned as he got to his feet. He was in a dark forest and quite naked. Were clothes too much to ask for, he almost growled at the Force. He got a vaguely apologetic feeling from it and let out a sigh. “Alright, what is it this time?” He asked rhetorically as he closed his eyes.

Images and concepts flashed through his mind as he entered a vision of recent events. Sith in hiding, freshly unveiled. A Jedi Order magnitudes more useless and arrogant, deciding they knew what was best. And a child in need of guidance. A teacher. Revan let out another sigh, “Oh, not again.”

…

Anakin sighed as he shut down his datapad. It had been months since he and his mother had settled on Naboo, and things had not proceeded anything like what he had assumed. He was going to regular school with regular children who constantly made fun of him for being ‘stupid.’ He was so far behind in education and had spent the majority of it playing catch up at a blistering pace.

At least he had Padmé and his mom, even if the former was always so busy. She had promised he would be at her side, and she had kept that promise. She and the other girls even tutored him at times, which he appreciated greatly. Thankfully, he had a brilliant mind, and he was a very quick learner. He was eager for the day he could rub those rude kids’ noses into the metaphorical dirt when he surpassed them.

Still, even with his determination, he couldn’t help but feel mentally exhausted after months of cramming. He threw his datapad and flopped back on his bed. “My, what did that datapad do to you?” He yelped as he sat up, staring agog at the total stranger that had walked into his house and his room without a sound.

“W-Who are you?!” Anakin hissed, getting off the bed and glaring at the man warily.

“Your new teacher.” Revan smirked mirthlessly. He was holding the datapad up with a negligent use of the Force.

Anakin’s eyes zeroed in on it and then widened. “You’re a Jedi?” He asked, still wary, “I thought the Jedi told me to go kriff myself.”

Revan let out a chuckle, “Yes, they have become quite foolish this past millennia, haven’t they?”

Anakin balked, “Uhhhh… what?” He shook himself, “Who are you?” He asked again.

“My name is Revan, young one.” Revan introduced himself.

“Revan.” Anakin said, slowly paling. “Um… that’s… just a name in honor of Revan, right? For his deeds in the Mandalorian Wars?” He asked, “Right?” He squeaked when Revan said nothing. “…Aren’t you supposed to be dead?”

Revan chuckled, “Maybe one of these days, the Force will even let me stay that way.” The color drained out of Anakin’s face. “The Force, Anakin, is strange and mysterious. Jedi spend their entire lives trying to understand it and barely scratch the surface. All things are possible through the Force. Things both great and terrible. It decided that it would find you a teacher due to the Council’s… infinite wisdom leading to your rejection. And I will be here until my task is done.”

Anakin chewed his cheeks, “…And if I don’t want to be a Jedi?”

“What would you prefer?” Revan asked gently, “A Sith, instead? I could do either.” He nearly smirked at the disapproval he immediately felt in the Force.

“Eww, no.” Anakin shook his head, “I just… I want to free the slaves!” He said, standing as tall as he could. “All of them! Too many people are suffering in the Outer Rim!”

“Then you’re more of a Jedi than all of the lumps sitting at the temple.” Revan smiled at him again. “Or at least more of one in spirit.”

Anakin finally smiled again, “What do you mean by ‘until your task is done?’” He asked curiously.

“Exactly that.” Revan replied, “I’m not really alive, Anakin. Not truly. More of a Spirit stuffed into physical form. Once you’ve learned everything you need to learn, I shall return to my rest.”

“Ah.” Anakin said softly. He closed his eyes for a few minutes, before looking over at Revan. “When do we start?” His new Master smiled back.

-]|[-

If Anakin thought he had been exhausted before, then he learned that he truthfully did not know the meaning of the word after. He had gone to sleep early while Revan had spoken with Shmi. She had been shocked out of her gourd to have this random man appear in her home, and intensely suspicious of him. But his usage of the Force and his lightsaber had proven Revan at least knew what he was talking about, even if his story was outlandish. His gentle reminder of her immaculate conception had made her grimace as she had only ever told one person of that, and Qui-Gon Jinn was dead.

In the end, she knew she couldn’t exactly stop Revan and thus had grudgingly given her approval. Anakin’s lessons had started the next day, and she really wished she possessed the Force herself so she could make Revan take it easier on her boy. But Anakin did everything Revan demanded with no complaints, and she quickly began to see the changes in him.

Despite the exhaustion, Anakin was ecstatic to be learning the Force. Revan was perhaps the best teacher he could have had, and he quickly grew in skill. Without the other younglings of the Jedi to compare himself to, he did not develop a feeling of superiority when his skills outstripped theirs. By the end of his first year of training, Anakin could lift massive trees in the forest, cross entire fields in seconds, and leap up the waterfall in Theed. His mind had become calm and focused under Revan’s tutelage.

Where the Jedi would have taught restraint and passivity, Revan taught focus and drive. Where the Jedi would have tried to force him into a near-emotionless mold he could not fit into, Revan taught him to embrace his emotions and not allow them to consume him. Where the Jedi would have slowly trickled knowledge to him at the same rate as other padawans due to their wariness of him and his lack of commitment to their code, Revan taught him everything he asked about. Positive, negative, and everything in between. He held nothing back and merely taught Anakin to always consider the consequences of his actions. To not merely be intelligent, but wise.

He shared his knowledge freely and taught Anakin of his triumphs and failures. His suffering. His mistakes. Anakin was a good boy with a good heart and an immense sense of justice. He reminded Revan very much of his younger self and quickly came to understand why the Force had chosen him. And so he knew that the most important lesson he could impart on the young man was the importance of failure. That failure was a better teacher than success.

Anakin loved every minute of it. This was what he had thought being a Jedi would be all about. The dismay he had felt long ago had melted away, but it had never truly vanished. Revan was everything he had needed in a teacher, and learning of ancient history from the bantha’s mouth directly made them so much more impactful.

The only part that he disliked was how little he was able to see Padmé. With him training and her being a Queen, they saw each other very little. Often when she was free, he either wasn’t or was exhausted, and the opposite was true as well. He always kept her in his thoughts, especially once he entered puberty, but their meetings were few and far between.

Four years in, he made sure to do his duty and vote for her again and had been able to celebrate with her and the handmaidens once it was confirmed that his angel had won in a landslide this time. And with how little she had seen of him and he her, she had shocked herself into a blushing fit over his transformation from cute kid to a more handsome teen. He had also grown like a weed and was almost taller than they were! The handmaidens would not let her live it down once the party had ended… though she fired back tartly that she hadn’t been the only one eyeing him.

More time passed as Anakin continued to learn. With his foundation in the Force strong and far beyond any Padawan of the Jedi Order, Revan finally allowed him to construct his lightsaber. Padmé had long-since gifted Anakin a ship of his own: A J-Type diplomatic barge. It was a newer model compared to the Queen’s 327. A gift to commemorate his role in saving Naboo. Something that had raised eyebrows, but Padmé was so beloved eyebrows had been all that were raised. He and Revan had both souped it up and added some hidden weapons as well as a SLAM and many more maneuvering jets. The shields were already top of the line, so they merely had to improve the power plant to get more performance out of it. They did have to practically rebuild it from the ground up to reinforce the frame and create more emplacement points for the hidden weapons, but it had been well worth it. They had used it many times over to visit old Jedi Temples and had even managed to use the Force to guide them through the mess that was the old Tython Hyperlane in order to visit the old Je’Daii Temple.

Now, they used it to find Anakin’s Kyber Crystal. Or crystals, as it were, since Anakin felt pulled in two different directions. First to Tatooine, where Anakin had found and killed a Krayt Dragon for its pearls. A pearl which had been colorless when he first summoned it with the Force and then became a rich, brilliant purple the second he held it in his hand. Then they went to Ilum, where he would have been taken to by the Jedi had he become a Padawan.

There, Anakin had seen many things in his quest for the crystal. He had been warned by Revan that a powerful Vergence existed inside the Temple and that there were many illusory effects that could take hold of any who wandered within. And visions Anakin saw, though it was hard to make sense of any of it. He saw a long shadow and grim, dark armor with a skull-like face. He saw himself in the armor. He saw visions of himself as an older man wearing Jedi robes, clearly unhappy and simply going along with the motions. He saw himself as a younger man, wielding a lightsaber at the head of an army fighting a dark shadow. He saw himself with Padmé in a loving embrace. Vision after vision claimed him, showing him what he realized could have been possible futures. The feel of the visions changed, showing him a shadow that slowly began to cover the galaxy and dim its light. He saw Jedi fighting against steel alongside black shadows wearing white armor. He saw a brilliant burst of light banish the shadows away, leaving the galaxy hurt but recovering. Finally, he saw a fanged beast he couldn’t recognize begin eating the stars and planets of the Outer Rim before engulfing the galaxy in war anew.

And then his vision cleared, leaving him standing before a crystal. He reached out for it, taking it in a tight fist. “That won’t happen.” He promised, clenching his fist and holding it up to his face. Slowly, he opened his hand and was surprised to find a pure black crystal sitting in his palm. It was so black it appeared to eat the light. It was something that had only happened once in the entire history of the Jedi, though he wasn’t aware of that little fact. He wondered what it could mean.

Revan was proud of him when he exited, and they made their way back into space. As Anakin explained all of the visions and showed his Master both of his crystals, Revan explained that the purple crystal represented his commitment to the Light despite his usage of the Dark. How he could use it without letting it corrupt him. The black crystal instead showcased his sheer affinity for the Force. It told both of them that Anakin had a great destiny before him. That he would be a great leader.

With that done, Revan began his tutelage of lightsaber training. Where Anakin had thought Master Revan was a harsh taskmaster before, now he realized he had known nothing at all! Revan was a demon with a lightsaber in his hand, mixing the Force with every blow. His saber didn’t just cut and burn, it cleaved. It electrocuted. Fighting Revan was fighting the Force.

It took Anakin two years to learn each and every form from Shi-Cho to Djem So to a satisfactory level according to Revan. ‘Satisfactory’ to his Master being much more than that to the Jedi, but Anakin had no way of knowing that. Especially since Anakin had to learn each and every maneuver and technique with both hands. And then Revan taught him Niman, and the reason for the arduous training became apparent. Niman on its own was simplistic. A jack-of-all-trades style for those who didn’t know better. No, to truly be the best at Niman, you had to be passionate and driven. Things the Jedi had forsaken.

And Anakin was nothing if not passionate and driven. He worked every day down to the bone to master each and every form. He learned the basics from Shi-Cho. He learned precision and elegance from Makashi. He learned to become an impenetrable wall with Soresu. He learned to attack powerfully and use the Force to enhance everything about himself with Ataru. He learned to defend, redirect, and create his own openings for powerful attacks with Shien and Djem So. And finally, he combined everything into Niman, bringing the full force of his own personal power to bear.

During the last four years of his apprenticeship, Anakin hardly saw his angel. Hells, he barely saw his mother. He was just far too busy. But finally, after eight years, Anakin experienced the most bittersweet parting he ever would. Revan had taught him everything he could, and his time on the mortal plane was done. Anakin had prepared himself for it for years, but he still sobbed like a baby the last time he hugged his master. It took him over an hour to truly center himself and meditate on his feelings.

But when he stood, he had a smile on his face despite his wet eyes. “I’ll miss you always, Master. Thank you for everything.” He said, before vanishing into the Force himself.

He came out of it at his home and hugged his mother. When she saw his face, she knew what had happened. They stayed in a warm embrace for a long time as she simply offered what comfort she could. He slept in his room for the first time in a year that night and woke up feeling like a new man.

When he made his way to Theed Palace the next day, the guards almost didn’t recognize him. And that was to say nothing of the reaction Padmé had when she laid eyes on him. Her throat dried up in an instant, and the only thought that ran through her mind, shrilly at that, was ‘Oh please don’t have grown out of it.’

He had not grown out of it.

-] Two Years Later [-

“Eurgh.” Padmé let out a groan when sunlight hit her face. She slowly sat up, revealing her husband Anakin laying beside her with Sabé on his other side. “I’m never drinking again.” She moaned as she fell back on his chest.

“That’s a lie.” Sabé let out an amused smile as she blearily lifted her head. “Kriff, I don’t think I’ll be able to walk today.” She rolled onto her back. “You’re tinier than me, Padmé! How do you take that every day?!”

“Eagerly and with practice.” Anakin slowly opened his eyes and blinked rapidly as Padmé blushed and slapped his chest. “What time is it?”

Sabé rolled to the other side to look at the chrono, “Uh… looks like-” She reached up and rubbed at her eyes, trying to focus her vision, “…Five.”

Padmé froze against him. “…Local or Coruscant?” She asked with the tiniest tremor in her voice.

“Coruscant.” Sabé said, now looking a little pale.

“Kriff!” Padmé exploded into motion and almost leapt from the bed in her rush to get to the fresher. “The vote is in two hours! Our decoys should be getting there soon! We don’t have enough time!” The sound of their luxurious shower turning on rang through their home, followed by a shrill squeal from Padmé, “Coldcoldcold!”

Anakin rolled his eyes and shared a look with Sabé. She smirked, “Hey, you knew all about this when you married her.”

“You going to join us?” He gave her a loaded look.

“One of us has to make sure you don’t have to teleport her to the Senate directly from the shower.” She scoffed and winced as she sat up. “I’ll… go get her dress ready.”

“At least they’re better than the royal dresses.” He muttered, drawing a laugh from her in agreement. He walked into their fresher after Padmé, where she was furiously scrubbing her hair and looking all soapy and delectable. Pity they only had a little bit.

He walked in behind her and pressed against her back, reaching up and grabbing her large, soapy breasts. “Ani, no.” She said firmly. “We only have-”

“More than enough time.” Anakin murmured into her ear, squeezing her nipples roughly. Her breath hitched, “I can teleport us, in case it’s slipped your mind.” He pressed a kiss to the back of her neck.

Her voice wobbled, “A-and I have h-hoURS OF-” She squealed as he reached down with one hand and hooked his fingers into her. “A-Ani! This isn’t the right ti-” He whirled her around and pressed her into the wall. The cold shocked her momentarily and she let out a loud gasp. She stared at him with her pupils dilated as he held both of her wrists above her head with one of his hands. His other was right where he wanted it: between her legs. She squirmed in his grasp as she tried to bite back a moan. Every nerve in her body felt inflamed and she knew full well he was using the Force for purposes the Jedi would have probably lost their minds over. She squeezed her legs together tighter and tighter, and her breath started to come in increasingly sharper gasps, before her entire body tightened and she let out a squeal.

She panted as he held her up with the Force. He removed his fingers from her pussy and sucked on one of his digits, not breaking eye contact with her. Then he smirked and asked, “What now, Angel?” She bit her lip and murmured something. “Hmm? I can’t hear you, Angel. You’re going to have to tell me what you want.”

“I want you to take your fat cock and fuck me, daddy!” She cried out.

“Good girl.” Her body immediately lifted up of its own accord and her legs spread. Anakin teased her lips with his cock for a moment before pressing in.

“Oh, I love you!” She chanted as he bottomed out inside her, “IloveyouIloveyouIlov-” She continued to say until he silenced her with a kiss.

“Love you too, Angel.” He murmured into her ear as he squeezed her ass tightly. A smile came to his face as he split his focus. The bottles of shampoo and conditioner and all the other bathing necessities lifted up of their own accord and he got to work, getting them clean while he continued giving his wife exactly what she wanted. It was a massage, a spa day, and some of the best sex they’d had in months all at once.

…

Padmé was still blushing an hour later when she was sitting in her lingerie waiting for Sabé to finish doing her hair. At least the style wasn’t quite as ornamental and ostentatious as her royal hairstyles had been. With that done, she stood, and Anakin floated over her finery. The dress molded itself to her as Sabé busied about doing her makeup. Anakin dressed himself during this time, putting on the finest of Nabooan male fashion. It wasn’t something he really enjoyed, but as Padmé’s husband he had to look the part. His hair was a bit of a mess, but Padmé loved it like that. Finally, he sensed she was almost done, and they turned to one another. “How do I look?” She asked softly.

“Like the Queen you’ll always be.” He said, before kissing her gently.

When it became clear that they weren’t stopping any time soon, Sabé rolled her eyes, “Stars, it’s like you haven’t seen each other in months.” They broke apart blushing, “Was the hour-long shower not enough?” She asked tartly.

“Shut up.” Padmé averted her gaze.

Sabé laughed, “The eternal honeymoon never ends, huh?”

“It’s in the name.” Anakin joined her as she finished Padmé’s makeup with the lipstick.

“Now no more kissing! If you smudge it, I’ll kill you!” Sabé chided them both.

“Roger, roger.” Anakin deadpanned, earning an amused eye-roll from Padmé. “Ready, love?”

“Ready.” She took her hands, “We’ll see you soon, Sabé.”

“Good luck.” Sabé responded, waving at her. And then they vanished before her eyes. “I wish I had the Force.” She pouted, before going to take a quick shower herself and getting dressed so she could go home.

-]|[-

As they appeared at her apartment at 500 Republica, they immediately realized something had gone wrong. “What happened?” Padmé demanded, her inner Queen and Senator coming to the fore.

Her Captain Tycho responded, “The ship was bombed.” He said gruffly, “They waited until it had powered down.”

“Was anyone hurt?” Anakin demanded, staring at him intently.

“That’s the one bit of good news.” Tycho said, “Those Holodroids you created were worth every credit they cost you. They were wrecked, but we all made it out safely.”

“Good.” Padmé sighed in relief, before squeezing Anakin’s hand.

“Were you able to recover them?” Anakin asked.

“Every part we could find.” Tycho confirmed, “As ordered in a worst-case scenario.”

“Good. The last thing we need is anyone getting a hand on those droids. They’re extremely expensive to manufacture but that means nothing to these big corporations.” Anakin grunted. “Make sure everything is incinerated.”

“We should get to the Senate.” Padmé said suddenly, “I’m getting a bad feeling.”

“Right.” He took her hand, and they winked out once again.

…

“-Senator Amidala lost her life in the attack.” Palpatine said, looking very much like a tired old man. “This grievous blow is especially personal to me. Before I became Chancellor, I served Amidala when she was Queen. She was a great leader who fought for justice, not only in this honorable assembly, but also on her home planet. She was so loved she could have been elected queen for life! She believed in public service, and she fervently believed in democracy. Her death is a great loss to us all. We will all mourn her as a relentless champion of freedom... and as a dear friend. Please join me in a moment of silence.”

The Senate rotunda did so, though most of the senators frankly couldn’t care less. Bail Organa and Mon Mothma especially looked devastated and were clenching their jaws tightly. When the moment of silence ended, Senator Orn Free Taa yelled out, “With the death of Senator Amidala, it doesn’t feel right to have the vote today. I have already motioned for the vote to be postponed, and this makes it all the more apparent that we still have much to consider! Voting today would be a mistake!”

“You are right, Senator.” Palpatine sighed, “Perhaps it would be best to adjourn for today and hold the vote tomorrow instead. Does the motion have a second?”

“And WHY precisely would we postpone the vote?” Padmé’s voice called out.

Palpatine’s eyes widened, and he whirled around to look at her. “Senator!” A smile crossed his face. Cheers and applause erupted in the rotunda for a few moments. “I thought-”

“I’m afraid rumors of my demise were greatly exaggerated.” Padmé declared as she floated her pod forward. “But it IS true that I was attacked.” She said passionately, “And were it not for the quick thinking of my husband, it is possible that many would have been gravely injured, or worse, due to these barbaric actions.” She looked around, “It is clear what happened today, senators! I may have been targeted, but the true objective of this attack was the security measure before us! I have led the opposition to this motion, and every day makes it clearer that someone is desperate to pass this Military Creation Act into law!”

The senators who had cheered over her survival now split, with several booing and jeering at her. She raised her voice passionately to drown them out. “I warn you, if you vote to create this army, war will follow! I have experienced the misery of war firsthand! I do not wish to do it again. Wake up, Senators... you must wake up! If we offer the Separatists violence, they can only show us violence in return! Many will lose their lives! All will lose their freedom. This decision could very well destroy the very foundation of our great Republic. I pray you, do not let fear push you into a disastrous decision. Vote down this security measure, for it is nothing less than a declaration of war!” More discussion and yells erupted, forcing Mas Amedda to call for order several times.

Orn Free Taa floated his pod next to hers, “My motion to defer the vote must come first.” He said, “That is the rule of law!”

Frustration built up in Padmé and Anakin beside her. How many damn times was this vote going to be postponed? She couldn’t even blame herself and Anakin for their time in the shower. They didn’t know if Orn Free Taa was in on the whole thing, but it was awfully convenient for him.

In any case, the motion had been presented, and despite her arguments against it, the motion passed, and the Senate adjourned.

-]|[-

“Maybe we should bomb the Senate.” Anakin grumbled, immediately feeling Padmé smack his arm. “No seriously,” He said, “Just replace all these morons wholesale.”

“Stop being an idiot.” Padmé hissed at him. “Especially IN the Senate building.”

It was the one real sticking point in their marriage and the one thing they ever fought about. Anakin despised the bureaucracy and didn’t have very many warm feelings about democracy either. She also knew he didn’t agree with her stance on the current act, though he supported her, nonetheless. He was a man of action, and he specifically wanted to fight the Hutts, so he was all for armament if it meant shoving said armament down the Hutt’s slimy throats.

It was a good thing they kept politics out of their romance. Mostly.

They were called in to the Chancellor’s office and she immediately had to bite back a groan as she saw who was inside. She had to expertly hide her wince as Anakin’s voice rang, “Masters.” He said it calmly and blandly, but she could almost feel the insult behind that word. Granted, she didn’t like them much either over what they had done to Anakin, but she would have figured he would have preferred reality to their acceptance of him.

“Skywalker.” Mace Windu looked surprised. The other Jedi looked at him and couldn’t quite comprehend what they were sensing. Anakin’s aura was controlled and powerful beyond belief. He felt like a Jedi Master himself.

Padmé hurried to interject herself into the micro standoff. “I wasn’t aware you would be present for this meeting, Masters.”

“Oh, we aren’t.” Ki-Adi Mundi chimed in, “We were consulting with the Chancellor on the security measure.”

“I see.” Padmé said, before looking down at Yoda as he walked closer.

“Pleased to see you are well, I am, my lady. You as well, Skywalker.” The Grand Master stated softly, “A terrible tragedy, your loss would have been.”

“Oh, Ani and I were never in any danger, nor were any of my staff.” Padmé waved him off negligently, not noticing as Palpatine perked up. “Though your concern is appreciated.”

“Might I ask how that is? By all accounts, your ship was completely destroyed.” Mace Windu asked in interest, still eyeing Anakin somewhat warily.

Anakin chuckled, “I think not.” He said, staring pleasantly at the Master of the Order. “A trick once revealed won’t work as well anymore, after all.”

Padmé smiled to take the edge off, “Yes, we’ll be keeping that close to the chest, I’m afraid.” She then got back to business, “Do we have any idea who was behind the attack?”

Windu sighed, “Intelligence points to disgruntled spice miners on Naboo.”

Anakin rolled his eyes, “Please.” He scoffed, “The entire planet almost forced Padmé to sit for a third term so she could be Queen for life.” Padmé blushed, “Her people love her. They wouldn’t be behind this.”

She hadn’t spoken about this with Anakin yet since they hadn’t really felt it was too important with no one getting even mildly hurt, so he was surprised when Padmé chimed in, “I think that Count Dooku is behind it.” Anakin’s eyebrows furrowed and he looked at her in confusion.

“Disagree, I see your husband does.” Yoda said, and Padmé blinked, before looking at Anakin.

“Ani?” She asked curiously.

“Dooku doesn’t make sense.” Anakin shook his head. “The Separatists want to break away from the Republic and you’re leading the opposition to the security bill.” He said, “If anything, he would be propping you up.”

‘Because my success means an easier time if he does intend to separate violently.’ Padmé realized immediately what had been unsaid in Anakin’s analysis.

“I agree, though not necessarily for that reason.” Mace responded as well, “Count Dooku was one of us, my lady. A Jedi. He would not assassinate anyone. It isn’t in his character.” He gave her a reassuring smile.

“A possible culprit, you have, Skywalker?” Yoda asked Anakin.

“Gunray.” Anakin said, immediately and without hesitation.

“He doesn’t fit either, if we use your logic regarding Dooku.” Padmé said reasonably.

“He doesn’t fit the logic.” Anakin replied, “Unlike Dooku, he has a personal connection with you. That connection being your boot and his backside.” He smirked as she flushed, “You kicked him off Naboo and embarrassed him in front of the galaxy. I’m telling you, that sleemo’s mitts are all over this.”

“Hmmm… possible, that is.” Yoda said after a quick consultation with the Force.

“Then it’s all the more imperative that you be safe, my lady.” Palpatine finally spoke, finding himself a little surprised at just how intelligent Anakin was. He had completely nailed it, after all. (Except, of course, that Gunray was finally authorized to put the hit out once Amidala became a thorn too annoying to ignore.) “Might I suggest the Senator be placed under the protection of your graces?”

“No.” Padmé and Anakin spoke as one with the most deadpan looks possible on their faces. She continued, “With all due respect, I don’t-”

“Think the situation is that serious?” Palpatine interrupted her and her eyes tightened, “No, but I do.” He walked forward, “I realize additional security might be disruptive for you but losing you would be unbearable.”

“Doing so would be possible, of course.” Mace chimed in.

“Please, my lady. For my peace of mind, if nothing else?” Palpatine asked her. Anakin had to hide a shudder. He did not know what it was about Palpatine, but he felt so uncomfortable around him.

He and Padmé looked at one another, communicating with their mental connection. ‘What do you think?’ She asked.

‘We could kriff with them.’ Anakin smirked slightly. ‘And maybe have some fun.’ He waggled his eyebrows slightly.

Her lips quirked slightly, ‘Fine.’

“Alright.” Anakin said, though he had a vaguely evil-looking smirk on his face. “But only if they’re female and sexy.”

“I beg your pardon?” Ki-Adi Mundi sounded aghast.

“If we’re going to have you invading our privacy against our wishes, we might as well get some eye candy out of it.” Padmé’s nonchalant reply had Bariss Offee, who was standing well away from the other Jedi as she was only a Padawan, lower her jaw at the audacity.

Palpatine almost broke character at the aghast looks on the Jedi’s face. ‘What in Plagueis’s unmarked grave?’

“Do you think this is a joke, Skywalker?” Mace asked, his eyes narrowed.

“I think that I am perfectly capable of protecting my own wife.” Anakin replied with zero respect in his voice. “Neither of us want extra security, and so if we’re going to be forced to have it, then we shall at least enjoy ourselves.”

Munda scoffed, “I see we were right to not accept you into the Order.”

‘Oh no.’ Padmé grabbed Anakin’s hand and squeezed.

“How many of our Padawan would you have infected with your perversions?” He finished, glaring at Anakin.

Anakin laughed, “I’m glad you didn’t accept me, Masters.” He felt the warning squeeze from Padmé, “If you had, I might be as dull and boring as you.” He scoffed, earning a few glares from the present Masters. Barriss though was eyeing them with a small flush.

Palpatine almost wanted to break out snacks. Prime entertainment and proof that eventually turning the Chosen One to the Sith would be easy all in one!

Yoda sighed, “Enough, this is.” He said firmly, looking at Anakin in disappointment. “A grudge, you hold. The path to the Dark Side, that is.”

“He says, before feeling he has to get the last word in.” Anakin rolled his eyes, “I’m not holding a grudge, Master Yoda. I was better off without your… guidance.” Anakin shot back. “I just don’t like you lot.” He turned from the diminutive figure and said with his back turned. “Female and sexy, Masters, or don’t bother sending anyone. We’ve wasted enough of the Chancellor’s time with this.” He sat at the Chancellor’s desk with Padmé.

She was just relieved he hadn’t blown his secret yet. She would have hated to have to declare war on the Jedi if they had tried to detain her husband.

Palpatine just smiled hesitantly and sheepishly as he nodded at the departing Jedi. Inwardly, he was cackling, ‘I must have been a good person in my past life! This is going to be so easy!’

-]|[-

Aayla’Secura couldn’t help but be amused over her latest mission, and it showed with the smile on her face. She was a Rutian Twi’lek and an especially beautiful one at that. She was wearing an unusual outfit for a Jedi: a skintight, Rycrit leather outfit that she found much less restrictive compared to the traditional robes.

“And what, precisely, is so funny?” Her companion, Nomi Sunrider asked with an arched eyebrow. She was a human with blazing red hair and gleaming green eyes. She was wearing a green set of robes which showed off a tiny bit of cleavage. She also had a cream cloak with a hood over it.

Aayla lost the battle with her giggles. “It’s just- I keep remembering Master Windu’s face. He looked like someone took a poodoo in his caf.”

Nomi’s lips twitched against her will. “I wouldn’t be so amused.” Nomi sighed, “Apparently the reason for that was that Amidala and her husband requested that the Jedi sent be… eye candy.”

Aayla rolled her eyes, “Ah, it’s going to be one of those missions, huh?”

“It may be so.” Nomi replied, “They made an unreasonable demand because they did not want extra protection.”

Aayla rolled her eyes, “Then why are we here?”

“The Chancellor pleaded for it.” Nomi said, “And Amidala eventually relented.”

Aayla sighed, “I can’t believe her husband would be so brazen as to ask for ‘eye candy.’”

Nomi finally grinned, “I never said her husband was the one who requested it.”

And then the door opened, and Aayla had to fix her face. They walked inside and were greeted by an enthusiastic Gungan named Jar Jar Binks. He brought them into the living room, where they were greeted by the power couple for the first time. “Welcome.” Anakin said with a smile on his handsome face.

Neither he nor Padmé were shy about their roving eyes. “You have our thanks for being so prompt.”

Nomi smiled and bowed, “No thanks are necessary, Senator. I’m well aware neither of you wanted extra protection.”

Aayla did the same, “We will be invisible, I assure you.” She smirked slightly, catching their eyes, “Though if our mission brief was accurate, perhaps you’d prefer otherwise?” She asked impishly.

Anakin’s smile widened, “Well, perhaps not all Jedi are as boring as the Council.”

“I wouldn’t bet on that.” Nomi replied, though she looked very amused at the thought.

Anakin shrugged, “Well, Master Jinn wasn’t on the Council either, so maybe it’s a requirement?” Aayla couldn’t hide her snort, her mind momentarily going to her master and imagining him on the Council.

Anakin quickly directed them to the couches. They sat with Padmé sitting almost on his lap from how close they were. His arm wrapped around her. “Your names, please?” Padmé asked sweetly.

Nomi introduced them, “My companion is Jedi Knight Aayla Secura. I am Jedi Master Nomi Sunrider.”

Anakin turned to her in interest, “Oh? Didn’t I read about a Nomi Sunrider?” He mused aloud.

“You certainly did. That’s quite the important name.” Padmé chimed in.

“My many-times-great grandmother.” Nomi responded dryly.

He whistled, “That’s a great legacy to live up to.”

“I thought you didn’t like the Jedi?” She shot back at him curiously.

“I don’t.” Anakin deadpanned, “I think the Reformations turned you into a bunch of nerf herders who forgot who you were supposed to be.” He shrugged, “Though that’s a collective ‘you.’ I have nothing against either of you personally.”

“I see.” Nomi mused, “Though you’re more interesting than I believed you’d be. Your presence in the Force is…”

“Powerful.” Aayla finished when she didn’t, looking at Anakin curiously.

Anakin smirked, “Midichlorian count of forty-three thousand.” Shock ripped through them, and it showed on their faces.

“What?!” Aayla blurted, “Is that even possible?!”

“Well, I suppose the machine could have been lying.” Padmé giggled as the Jedi traded looks, “Regardless, that’s not really here nor there. We aren’t interested in protection. Anakin is all the protection I need.” She said simply, “What we want is an investigation. I want to know who is trying to kill me and if I can expect more attempts.”

That statement from Padmé was very telling about how much she trusted her husband, and both Aayla and Nomi couldn’t help but feel that there was something the Council had missed. Nevertheless, Aayla gently said, “I’m afraid that isn’t within our mandate, Senator. We’re only to protect you, not investigate this.”

Padmé sighed, “Then hopefully your mere presence will draw out the truth of this mystery.” She said blandly. Nomi and Aayla nodded slowly, before they all went about their separate ways.

…

Aayla was meditating when she felt the elevator come up. She greeted Nomi with a small smile. Nomi stated, “Captain Tycho and his men have the lower levels secured. An assassin would be stupid to come through there. How are things up here?”

“Quiet.” Aayla responded.

Nomi’s brows furrowed, “Why aren’t you watching the camera?”

Aayla’s blue cheeks darkened slightly, “Well, the Senator and her husband are…ah… not shy about their bodies.” Nomi raised an eyebrow, and Aayla averted her gaze, “He picked her up and… presented her to the camera while they were… busy.” She didn’t want to admit how much that sight had affected her.

Nomi blinked hard several times. “Well, at least they didn’t cover the blasted thing even if they seem to be determined to make our jobs as hard as possible.” She said with some exasperation in her voice.

“They’re using themselves as bait, I think.” Aayla said, “They’re stubborn as-” Her head snapped to the door.

“I sense it too!” She and Aayla took off running, barging into the room to see Padmé and Anakin sitting up. Anakin had a pair of insects floating before him and away from their beds, “Kouhuns! They’re incredibly venomous!” She yelled before their attention was drawn by the droid at the window. Before Nomi could say a word, Aayla raced past her and jumped through the window to catch the droid. “Oh, Sithspit.” Nomi cursed as she watched them fly away before turning to Anakin, “Are you okay?”

“Fine.” Anakin said, “They barely touched the floor in the room before I sensed them. Go!” Nomi took off running before Anakin grimaced, “Ugly little things.”

“Just get rid of them!” Padmé had a disgusted look on her face. “They’re creeping me out!”

Anakin stood and put both of them side by side. The air around his left hand warped and one of his lightsabers appeared. He quickly shredded the creatures with his purple blade, making sure to remove their heads and fangs, before carrying them over to the incinerator.

…

Anakin and Padmé were sitting on the couch when the two Jedi returned. “I see you’re empty-handed.” He sighed in irritation.

Aayla winced lightly, “She had a partner.”

Nomi bowed her head, “We captured the perpetrator, but she was killed before we could really interrogate her.”

Padmé’s eyes widened, “What? You had her and someone was able to kill her?”

Aayla sighed, “Yes. They weren’t aiming for us or even hoping to get one of us as collateral, so the Force didn’t warn us.”

“A blaster bolt would have been noticed regardless.” Anakin was sure of that. “What did they use?”

Nomi gently took something from her pocket and then removed it from a capsule. “They used this and some sort of blowgun. It was silent up until the impact.”

“May I?” Anakin asked, holding out his hand.

“Careful.” Nomi said sternly, “I have no idea what kind of venom was used, but it was quick. The dart has yet to be cleaned and sterilized.”

Anakin nodded and gently took hold of it. His hand glowed blue and Aayla gasped. “Psychometry!”

Anakin smirked lightly at her and handed the dart back to an astonished Nomi. “Kamino Saberdart, manufactured on the same planet.” He said, “Utilized by Mandalorian bounty hunter Jango Fett.”

Nomi bit back a curse. That was a well-known name amongst Jedi. He had been at the heart of the disaster which had eventually driven Master Dooku from the Order.

“Kamino?” Aayla frowned, “Where is Kamino? Have you ever heard of it, Master Sunrider?”

“I have not.” Nomi said. “I’ll have to check the Jedi archives. Were you able to get anything more from it, Lord Skywalker?”

Anakin nodded, “I’m not sure exactly where it is, but the point of origin is twelve or so parsecs outside the Rishi Maze.”

Nomi’s eyes widened, “Extra galactic?” She held her chin as she thought, “That is quite far from the Republic.” She drew a deep breath, “Thank you. That will be a big help in this investigation. Hopefully there will be something inside the archives for such a remote system.”

“One can only hope.” Padmé said, “Whoever is behind this wants me out of the way, and I do not intend to let them win. If they want to vote through this blasted security bill, they’re going to have to do it the hard way.”

Nomi nodded at her, before turning to Anakin. “You have training.” She said slowly. “Quite a bit of training.”

Anakin smirked at her, “If you’d like to dance, I can show you just how much.” She gave him a dry look. He chuckled, “Like I told the Council.” He sat relaxed and unbothered, and yet both Jedi couldn’t help but feel like they would be the ones in danger if they ever decided to try to fight him. “I was better off without their guidance.”

Aayla swallowed, suddenly nervous. “How is it that you were able to learn Jedi teachings?”

“Did you think, Aayla’Secura-” Her eyes widened slightly at his use of her proper name, “That the Jedi and Sith had a monopoly on the Force?” He smiled thinly at her, “The Council believed they knew better than the Will of the Force. The Force disagreed.”

The two Jedi slowly nodded. “Now.” Padmé clapped her hands, “I believe you two have reports to make and a planet to search for. The hunters won’t be stupid enough to make another attempt tonight, and as you can see…” She dragged a finger down her husband’s jawline, “I have all the protection I need, so unless you intend to join us in bed…” Her smirk widened as she caught the sight of Aayla’s skin darkening just slightly.

It was as obvious a dismissal as they had ever seen, and so the two Jedi bowed and left. As they left, Aayla couldn’t help but think, ‘They’re going to do it again!?’

…

“Discover the identity of this bounty hunter, we must.” Yoda said as they finished relaying the events to the Council.

“And more importantly, their employer.” Mace spoke after him. Aayla and Nomi looked at one another before sharing a collective sigh. This drew the attention of the Council. “What is it?”

Nomi looked straight at Mace, “Merely my doubt over the actions of this council ten years ago.” She said softly. “Anakin Skywalker is as trained as any Master.” She revealed, causing eyes to open wide in shock. “It took him seconds to read the history of the murder weapon. It was wielded by the Mandalorian Jango Fett and originated from the planet Kamino.”

“How is that possible?” Mace sat forward. “Who could have taught him?”

“Did the Sith get to him?” Mundi was close to standing up.

“I believe his exact words when we questioned him were, ‘Did you think that the Jedi and Sith had a monopoly on the Force?’ Master.” Aayla said.

The Council quietly rumbled, looking at one another pensively. “Do you believe him to be a threat?” Mace asked intently.

“Not unless we make him one.” Aayla said quickly.

Nomi nodded, “Nor would I recommend it.” She said softly. “He seems to be a good man, but one who would utterly ruin anyone who provoked him.”

“Dangerous, this is.” Yoda sighed, “The Dark Side clouds all. Impossible to see, his future is and was.”

“Is that why you denied him entry to the Order?” Nomi asked gently.

“Yes.” Windu said simply, “But that was only a mark against him. He was also far too old and already attached to his mother. When Master Yoda gave him our final verdict, he felt a worrying amount of rage, fear, and despair in his heart.”

“Though there were…extenuating circumstances that we had been unaware of, prior to that moment.” Plo Koon said.

“Extenuating circumstances?” Nomi asked curiously.

Adi Gallia sighed, “We had been unaware, but Skywalker had been a slave. He feared we were sending him back to his master.”

Aayla couldn’t help but stop. She had never felt a reason to doubt the Council before, but this incensed her. She bit her tongue though and stayed silent.

“Regardless,” Nomi moved on with nothing showing on her face, “The Council has my recommendation. Anakin Skywalker is not an enemy, and I would endeavor not to make him one.”

Aayla smirked slightly, “Luck is in our favor, masters. He and his wife seem more interested in pretty women than galactic domination.”

Some of the masters couldn’t help their lips twitching. Mace was not one of them. “We will take your words into advisement.” He sat back, “Master Sunrider, you must find this Kamino and acquire Jango Fett. We must discover the identity of his employers.” Nomi bowed in acceptance, “Knight Secura, we task you with continuing Senator Amidala’s protection. Escort her back to Naboo and use unregistered transport while doing so. We want to keep this quiet.”

Aayla’s eyes widened, “Master, Senator Amidala will not agree to this.” She stepped forward, “She is the leader of the opposition to the security bill and is incensed enough as it is regarding our hovering. With Skywalker by her side, I can’t even blame her. He showed us very little, but I doubt a single Knight in the Order could hold a candle to him in skill.”

“That is why your real objective is to observe Skywalker.” Mace said calmly. “Protecting Amidala is obviously important, but we must know what Skywalker is capable of and whether he is dangerous. The Force has been no help in this matter.”

‘The Force hasn’t been much help in ANY matter lately.’ Aalya wanted to hiss at him as it was clear their advice was being disregarded.

Windu stood, “I will go speak with the Chancellor. He was the one who convinced her to accept protection in the first place, so she will listen if he speaks to her.”

“Very well, Master.” Aayla bowed. She and Nomi both left quickly.

…

Padmé was hissing mad as Aayla arrived. “Before you say anything, I argued against this.” She held her hands up in surrender.

“I did not spend a blasted YEAR trying to take down this legislation just to not be here when its fate was decided!” Padmé snarled.

“I told you to tell the Chancellor to go kriff himself.” Anakin sighed.

“No love for the Chancellor?” Aayla asked with a small smile.

“No love for this government.” Anakin said blandly. “After all, they’re the geniuses who decided corporations having direct voices in governance was a good idea.” He looked over at Padmé, “Sure you don’t want to just bomb them and call it a day?”

“Anakin.” Padmé growled as Aayla’s jaw dropped.

“Fine, fine.” Anakin rolled his eyes. He looked over at Aayla, “We meeting with anyone or just heading straight off-planet?”

She shook herself, “Straight off-planet. I’m not a Padawan.” She smiled in relief as she realized it was just a poor joke.

“Good.” Anakin replied as Padmé went over to Jar Jar to let him know that he would be their representative in the Senate. He sighed, “I love the guy, but are we really sure this is a good idea?” He muttered.

“What do you mean?” Aayla had very good ears and Anakin had only bothered blocking the sound in the Gungan’s direction.

“Jar Jar is a good friend and follows instructions well, but if put in a situation where there’s no clear solution, he can be led astray. He is very much not a clever man.” He sighed, “First time I met him, he had just been made aware that Republic Credits were no good on Tatooine, and he not only almost broke several items inside the shop but then tried to steal food a little while later.”

Aayla winced, “And he was essentially just made Senator.”

Anakin nodded as Padmé came back in. “You ready to go?” He asked her.

“All set.” Padmé nodded and began to hug him.

Aayla rolled her eyes, “This is no time for that.” She looked at the Senator. “You don’t even have your luggage ready.”

“I don’t need any luggage.” Padmé smirked at her.

“What?” Aayla blinked and uncrossed her arms. “What is that supposed to mean? For that matter, why are you wearing a sundress and a bikini?” She looked over at Anakin, “And why are you only in swimming trunks and an open shirt?”

“Come over here.” He looked over at the Twi’lek and waved her closer. Aayla was hesitant but slowly walked over. He put a hand on her shoulder and smirked at her. “Keep your arms and legs inside the ride at all times.”

“…What ri-” And then the Senator’s apartment vanished, replaced with what seemed to be a kaleidoscopic fever dream of color. The Force pressed in on her from all angles in a way she had never experienced before. It felt so clean. So pure. What in the Sith Hells was happening!? “-DE?!” She sprang back, her chest heaving and a heavy layer of sweat covering her. She looked left and then right and then turned around. Her knees wobbled and she fell, only to be caught by Anakin.

Padmé smirked as she removed her sundress. “Welcome to Naboo, Aayla’Secura.” And then she jumped backwards and landed with a splash in the lake.

“We hope you enjoy your stay.” Anakin teased her as he set her back on her feet and then joined his wife in the lake.

Naboo. They were on Naboo. Anakin had brought them halfway across the known galaxy in kriffing moments. ‘This is fine.’ She thought to herself. ‘I am calm. I am a Jedi. Freaking out is beyond me. I am calm. I AM CAL-’ She snapped, “GET BACK HERE AND EXPLAIN YOURSELF, SKYWALKER!” She dove in after the happy couple with an angry screech.

-]|[-

Nomi’s hunt didn’t start off on the best foot either. First was the fact that she had to deal with Jocasta Nu, who sometimes made the Council look reasonable. She had hoped for a quick and easy acquisition of coordinates and instead had to deal with Jocasta snidely stating that if something wasn’t in the archives, then it didn’t exist.

So she was forced to analyze the data herself, before realizing that something wasn’t right. The gravitational data on the system wasn’t acting properly. She quickly figured out that it was very likely that someone had tampered with the data, and that was something that brought a chill down her spine. Just to both confirm her hunch and to let the Council know about it, she went in search of Master Yoda. The oldest Jedi around confirmed her suspicions, and off she went to Kamino.

Even in a Delta-7 Aethersprite, the trip to Kamino still took some time. And when she landed, she was horrified to find it to be a world where it seemed to storm perpetually. “My hair is going to turn into a wad of wool.” Jedi didn’t really care overmuch for their appearance, but when one’s hair frizzed up as badly as hers did, she very much cared. She groaned as she pulled her hood up and left the dryness of her starfighter.

She made her way to the building as quickly as she could without actually running, and once she was safely inside, she was greeted by one of the oddest beings she had ever seen. The alien had a neck the length of her arm. It was much taller than her and possessed equally long and spindly-looking limbs.

And then things got weird. The being told her that she had been expected. Things just got stranger and stranger as they one, recognized her as a Jedi and two, had already set up a meeting with the prime minister. And then Nomi sat down to meet with said leader, and her confusion just continued to ramp up more and more as Lama Su informed her that ‘Master Sifo-Dyas’s order’ was proceeding on schedule and would be met on time.

Still, she played it cool and decided her mission had evolved past simply capturing Jango Fett. She merely informed the Kaminoan that the Jedi Master who had placed the ‘order’ had been killed a decade ago. The tall being gave his condolences, though she could feel in the Force that he didn’t truly care. Empathy was not a trait these beings apparently possessed.

And then Lama Su let her know that the ‘order’ was for a clone army, and the floor felt like it fell out from under her. A few more questions informed her that the army had been created for the Republic.

With alarm bells ringing in her head, she agreed to follow the prime minister to ‘inspect the units herself.’ She almost forgot all about Jango Fett.

-]|[-

Aayla was having a much worse time on Naboo than Nomi was having on Kamino. The area she had been brought to was Varykino Lake, where Anakin and Padmé had built their home. They weren’t far from Varykino itself or Convergence, Chancellor Palpatine’s ancestral home. It was picturesque, beautiful, and the ultimate vacation spot. Aayla had spent more time relaxing, communing with the Force, and simply enjoying the feel of all the nature around them than she ever had. Why then, was she having a worse time than Nomi?

Because Anakin and Padmé Skywalker were demons offering her temptation. And worse, it was working.

She felt more in tune with herself and with the Force than she ever had. After she came down from the high that the travel through the Force had generated in her, she had been utterly embarrassed over her reactions. Only for Anakin and Padmé to comfort her and then swim with her for a couple hours.

She saw Anakin use the Force in such frivolous ways for play, such as launching his wife, giggling in delight, up into the air so she could plop back down. She had wanted to chide him for that, only to be turned into a squealing mess when he did the same to her, only much higher. The fact that he even could do it to her told her everything she needed to know about her strength in comparison to his. The fact that it had been fun was something she would never admit. Then, when they had enough of play, they had come back to the house where Anakin cooked them the most delicious meal Aayla had ever eaten. Food was so… drab and safe in the Jedi Temple. Aayla proved she was a Twi’lek and embarrassed herself again, practically licking her plate clean. And the atmosphere. The dark of night. Candles. Soft violin music playing. Clothes that made her blush on Padmé and herself…

Day after day, night after night…

It was awful. It was frightening. It was just the best time of her life.

-]|[-

Nomi knew when she laid eyes on the clones that this was far beyond her. How had the Jedi become this blinded? How had a member of their Order somehow put in an order like this without them knowing about it? On behalf of the Republic, especially! And the man who placed it was dead! In the same time-frame as he had supposedly placed the order!

It made the bill that was up for debate stink something fierce. This had the Sith’s grubby mitts all over it. She could feel it in her bones. Every single sense she had attuned for years under the guidance of Master Plo Koon was screaming DANGER at her.

Not from the Kaminoans or the clones themselves, thankfully, but it still felt suffocating. All she could feel while looking at the marching army going through drills down below was the sense of imminent peril.

But she was a Jedi Master. She would not let this sway her. She still had a mission to complete but now felt that simply arresting Jango right that second wasn’t the right move. She did not feel that the Kaminoans were in on the plot to assassinate Senator Amidala. That meant that there was a wider game afoot. She would need to make a judgement call, and so asked Lama Su to introduce her to Jango Fett.

-]|[-

They weren’t overt with their flirtations. Small touches here and there. Smiles that started making her heart flutter. Simple talk about their histories, with a bond forming between her and Anakin over their forced slavery. But nothing that would spook her. No, most of that form of seduction came in the form of their nightly activities. Aayla blushed a shade of blue she hadn’t known she could turn into the first time she heard and felt their lovemaking in the Force. It immediately became clear to her that they had restrained themselves on Coruscant.

She had outright started to rub between her legs before she realized what she was doing and wrenched her hand away. After days of it, she couldn’t help but wonder just what the Jedi had against such love. Anakin’s Force Presence felt more in tune with the Light than any number of Jedi on Coruscant did. That night, she couldn’t help herself and allowed her hand to inch lower as she tried to picture what the two humans were doing.

The next day, she wasn’t sure what she felt when she joined Anakin and Padmé for breakfast. She’d had brushes with the Dark Side before, and worried that she was just going to fall into that same trap again.

Anakin sensed she was in a bit of a funk, and so he smiled at her. “Care for a spar, Aayla?”

Aayla blinked and looked at him, “A spar? What do you mean?” She smiled wryly, “Not oiled, naked wrestling, I hope.”

“I think I’d pay to see you and Padmé doing that.” He said, wiggling his eyebrows at her. She flushed again. “But no.” His smile turned into a smirk, “I meant with these.” The air around his hand warped and Aayla sat up stiffly when a lightsaber was revealed in his hand.

“What the?!” She gaped, before her mind flew down memory lane. A mission where she would have done anything to have had her lightsaber on her person at all times. Something that could have saved her from glitteryll drugging. All she could do was blurt, “Can you teach me that?!”

Anakin raised his eyebrow. “Perhaps.” He said softly. “It is not a particularly difficult technique once you get the hang of folding space with the Force.”

‘Folding space with the Force, he says.’ She stared at him with dead eyes. As if that in and of itself wasn’t already an impossibility. She looked at him for a few moments more, “When I was young, my Master and I were undercover. To dress the part, I could not have my lightsaber.” She said, her gaze far away, “I was made, and captured, unable to defend myself. They drugged me, again and again, and I forgot who I was completely. I was just made into a scared little slave once again.”

His gaze softened. “I’m sorry.” He said compassionately.

“No one should ever have to go through that.” Padmé was glaring at their table like she was trying to light it on fire with her eyes.

“Thank you, but it is in the past.” She said and finally smiled weakly. “But if I could save even one fellow little girl from a fate like that… then learning it is worth it.”

Anakin sighed, “The fact that the Jedi even send their girls into situations like that disgusts me.” He said, “Too many things that can go wrong. Too little that can go right.” He leaned back in his chair, “I certainly have much to teach, Aayla, but your Council would not agree with much of what I know.”

“How so?” Aayla asked him cautiously.

He held up a single finger, and from it crackled a small bolt of black Force Lightning.

Her eyes bulged and she stood from her chair in a hurry, “The Dark Side?!”

“The Dark Side.” Anakin nodded, before he lifted a second finger. And then Aayla’s jaw dropped as Force Light began to shine from the tip of the second digit.

“That’s not possible.” Aayla slumped, staring at his hand in shock.

“What you Jedi believe to be possible and what are actually possible are two entirely different things.” Anakin said, dropping both techniques and his hand.

“You’re far too skilled to be self-taught!” Aayla ground her teeth, “Who taught you?!”

Anakin chuckled, “Maybe one day, I’ll even tell you.” He grabbed his lightsaber. “Now about that spar?”

“You know what?” Aayla grabbed hers, “I think that would be lovely right now.”

Minutes later, Padmé was watching, enraptured as the two Force users began to duel.

-]|[-

The Kaminoan Taun We took Nomi to Jango Fett’s quarters. A young boy opened the door, “Boba, is your father here?”

“Yep.” The boy said shortly, looking incredibly suspicious of Nomi.

“May we see him?” Taun We did not read the room at all while Nomi kept a placid smile on her face.

“Sure.” Again, a one-word response. His suspicion as he looked at Nomi was all over his face. Nomi had to bite back a chuckle. If she wasn’t already aware that Jango was guilty, his son would have blown the secret completely. “Dad, Taun We’s here.”

They entered and she took in the living quarters. It was as white and sterile-looking as the rest of Kamino. Really, was a little bit of green so much to ask for?

“Jango, I see you’ve returned.” Taun We’s voice was as soothing as ever. “Was your trip productive?”

“Fairly.” The Mandalorian in unassuming clothes responded simply, not taking his eyes off Nomi.

“This is Jedi Master Nomi Sunrider.” Taun We introduced them. “She’s come to check on our progress.”

She smiled pleasantly at him. “Your clones are very impressive. You must be proud.”

“I’m just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe.” Jango replied.

Talk about a non-answer. If anything he answered a question that hadn’t been asked. “Well, I suppose this is one way to do that.” She saw the tiniest tinge of confusion cross his face. She could almost read the thought on his mind. “You must be familiar with Master Sifo-Dyas.”

He raised an eyebrow, “Sifo-Dyas?”

“He is the one who hired you for this job, is he not?” Nomi asked.

“Never heard of him.” Jango said as he walked past and placed a hand on his cloned son’s shoulder and said something in Mando’a. Boba quickly walked past and shut the door of the room Jango had come from.

Nomi almost rolled her eyes. This was the legendary Jango Fett? He couldn’t be acting more suspicious if he tried. As he moved, she had caught a glimpse of his Mandalorian armor and would have known for a fact that he was their perp even if Anakin’s Psychometry hadn’t already given the game away. But Nomi just acted oblivious, “Really?” She asked with a raised eyebrow. “But he was the one who ordered the clones, was he not?”

“Could be.” Jango stared her down. “I was recruited by a man called Tyranus on one of the moons of Bogden.” He informed her.

‘Right, because that isn’t a Sith name or anything.’ She almost let out a sigh. This entire debacle was seeming more and more like a poison pill disguised as medicine. “Interesting.” Was all she said.

“Do you like your army?” He asked her.

“We’ll just have to see their worth, won’t we?” Nomi responded blandly.

“They’ll do their job well. I’ll guarantee that.” She saw the tiniest of cracks in his expression.

“Thank you for your time, Jango.” She bowed.

“Always a pleasure to meet a Jedi.”

If it wasn’t for the seething hatred she could feel in him and every other suspicious thing that had happened that day, she might even have been stupid enough to believe him.

…

“R5, scramble code five to Coruscant, care of the old folks’ home!” She yelled. Immediately, she got Windu and Yoda on the line. “I hope you’re having a better day than I am, Masters!”

Windu’s expression changed, “Have you not acquired Jango Fett?” He asked her.

“I chose not to do so quite yet.” She replied, “Things are far, far worse than we ever predicted, Masters.”

“How so?” Yoda asked, his ears flattening slightly.

“Kaminoans-” She said and let out a huff, “-are cloners, Master Yoda.” The two Jedi sat up straighter, “According to them, Master Sifo-Dyas commissioned a Sith damned clone army for the Republic ten years ago.”

“An army?” Windu said, incredulity rising within him.

“At the same time that he was supposed to have been killed! I take it this was not authorized?” Nomi asked him.

“Certainly not!” Yoda harrumphed, “Involved, your target is?”

“Yes Master.” Nomi replied, “He’s the template. A whole army of Jango Fetts.” She said, “And worse… he claims he was not hired by Master Sifo-Dyas! He claims he was hired by a man called Tyranus! I couldn’t pick a more Sith-y Sith name!”

Windu clenched his jaw. “You will arrest Jango Fett and bring him in for questioning immediately.”

“I disagree, Master!” Nomi shook her head, “These cloners aren’t in on Senator Amidala’s assassination. I can feel that much. But Jango is a different story, obviously. He couldn’t have been acting more suspicious if he had tried. If I hadn’t already known he was the one, I would have become suspicious. He’s going to pull a runner, and I’m going to let him.”

“Hrmm, lead you to his masters, he will.” Yoda said, “Very well. May the Force be with you.”

She bowed, and then her hologram turned off. Yoda and Mace turned to one another, worry written all over their faces as they realized that the Shroud of the Dark Side had hampered them more than they had ever believed possible.

-]|[-

Aayla grunted as she desperately tried to parry a blow from Anakin. She had been forced off her own rhythm almost immediately when the spar had started. The first time she had tried to flip over Anakin as she occasionally did against any duelist she sparred with, a precision stab had nailed her in the stomach.

If it wasn’t for the fact that they had their sabers on their absolute lowest settings, she would have earned herself a shiny new hole in her belly.

Aayla was a good duelist. She was widely acknowledged as one of the most skilled Knights in the Order. She usually won nine duels for every ten against peers and four in ten against Masters. She was fast. She was strong. Her reflexes were excellent. She was flexible beyond what most Jedi could achieve.

And she was getting the blue beat off her ass by a user of Niman.

She was able to parry his blade (WHY WAS IT BLACK???) and open a hole in his defenses. She immediately tried to capitalize and slash him across the chest, only for him to bend backwards and allow her blade to pass over him harmlessly. A gentle Force Push put her off balance and she was half a second too slow to recover. She whirled around, only for another precision thrust from Anakin to penetrate her defense. And she had the misfortune of just barely redirecting it directly onto her right nipple.

His eyes widened as she held in a pained whimper, cringing slightly. Their lightsabers may have been on their lowest settings, but that still felt like getting an electric shock. “You okay?”

Her lips were pressed tightly together. “Yeah, I’m fine.” She squeaked through grit teeth. She shook herself and refocused eyebrow twitching just slightly. “I haven’t lost against a Niman master in over two years. I didn’t think I was arrogant or anything but clearly I still have much to learn.” She grumbled as she set her stance again.

“You’ve never faced a Niman master.” Anakin deadpanned, his smirk returning.

Oh yes, her eye was definitely twitching. “Forty percent of the Order uses Niman. That’s over five thousand Jedi who use it. I’d say I’ve faced plenty of them.”

“No, you’ve faced the Diplomat’s form.” Anakin shot back, “Or as I like to call it, the Useless Form.”

Her eyes widened and she lowered her saber, “What?”

“The Jedi have stripped everything that made Form VI great away from it.” Anakin said. It was something that had been ongoing even in Revan’s time. Now it was even worse with the Ruusan Reformations. “Niman is a destination, not a path.” He raised his saber in one hand in a salute, before lowering it in a picture-perfect Makashi stance. Aayla’s eyes widened as he attacked with such speed and elegance that she was reminded of Master Dooku. He immediately put her on the defensive and it was taking all of her speed and reflexes to keep his lightsaber away.

Every strike was aimed exactly where he wanted it and she didn’t even realize it, but she was moving as he desired. Every time she thought she got a chance to escape, he would cover it. He was two steps ahead of her with every strike.

The Force warned her of danger, but it was too late. She landed on a rock and immediately fell over. She was lucky she didn’t roll her ankle. “Mind your surroundings.” Anakin said calmly to her.

Her eyes widened as she got up, “Wait, did you-”

“Lead you there?” His smirk made a return, “Yep. Now it’s your turn. Attack. I won’t retaliate.” He fell into Soresu. “For now.”

Aayla let out a yell as she put all her remaining energy into attacking. She enhanced her speed and strength far more than she usually did. Their lightsabers crashed against one another, again and again. The sounds were much louder than they usually were, sounding more like bats hitting one another than anything.

But she could not break his defense. Not one blow came even close to breaking his defense. He was like a castle wall. And then, in a brief lull, he changed forms again. Djem-So. And this time the only reason she wasn’t hit again and again, as tired as she was getting, was because he didn’t take advantage of any of his parries. He could have. She knew that much. She had been vulnerable half a dozen times before he switched stances again.

And then she started to feel like she was fighting Master Yoda. Anakin was everywhere. Leaping, somersaulting, twirling in the air, his lightsaber a blur of black. She tried to meet him head on. Ataru was her specialty. But he was faster. Stronger. And a seemingly endless source of energy. She was overwhelmed quickly and disarmed, landing softly on her back. She thanked the Force that they were in a field.

She laid there, gasping for breath, while Anakin merely took a few deep breaths and wiped away his own sweat. He probably could have gone at that intensity for twice as long as she could. He was just… incredible.

“Do you understand now?” He asked, smiling down at her.

“You haven’t mastered Niman.” She managed to say, “You’ve mastered all of them.” She sat up and looked at him with disbelieving eyes. “And because of it, you can tailor Niman to perfectly fit you.”

“Exactly.” He nodded in approval, “All those Jedi who use it now merely learn its forms and think that’s mastery. No. Mastery of Niman is mastery of the lightsaber. It is being able to take all the strengths of all the forms that came before it and maximizing them. It is taking all the weaknesses of all the forms that came before it and minimizing them. Niman on its own is useless. An empty shell. Only through true passion for the blade and the Force can its true potential be brought out. It is no Diplomat’s form. It is the Way of the Rancor.”

Aayla just lay there, her eyes wide as she thought deeply on his words. She suddenly realized she felt cold. If… if this was true… ‘What does that mean for the Order if war breaks out?’

And then Padmé joined them, realizing they were finished. “That was INCREDIBLE!” She gushed, “I could barely see you two move!” She was beaming at them. She had never actually seen Anakin spar before.

Anakin chuckled, “Thank you, Angel.”

“But look at what you’ve done.” She said, putting her hands on her hips, “You’ve left poor Aayla all dirty and exhausted.”

“Ouch. My pride.” Aayla deadpanned as she tried to get up.

“Quite right, my love.” Anakin said, and then Aayla ‘eeped’ as he knelt next to her and picked her up in his arms. “I think she’s earned a massage, don’t you?”

“Oooh.” Padmé grinned at Aayla, her eyes shining. “You’re a lucky one.”

Aayla felt like lunch.

-]|[-

“Predictable. Soooo predictable.” Nomi muttered as she ran out into the rain. Jango’s apartment had been empty, and luckily she had sensed it before wasting more time. She wanted to let him get away, but not unscathed.

“Dad, look!” Boba called out, pointing at Jango.

“Get inside!” Jango yelled, drawing his pistols.

“I’m curious.” Nomi called out, not yet making any threatening moves.

“Of what?” Jango called back.

Nomi smirked as she held up the saberdart, “Did you know that certain Force users can read the history of items they take hold of?” Jango’s eyes widened, and he let out a curse as he immediately started blasting her. Her lightsaber was in her hand in an instant. She ignited the golden blade which seemed to shimmer like fire in the rain. She entered the Shien stance of Form V, deflecting his blaster fire with ease. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way, assassin!” She called out as her reflected blasts just barely missed Jango.

He had taken off into the sky with his jetpack and got behind one of the pillars on the landing platform. He crawled around it and shot a rocket at her. Her eyes widened and she raised her hand, catching it with the Force and flicking her wrist, sending it off into the drink harmlessly. 

Boba, meanwhile, had managed to turn the ship on and was turning it. The laser cannons were flipping around towards Nomi, whose eyes widened. Boba fired repeatedly, while Nomi used Force Valor get the hell out of the way. She wasn’t going to waste her time trying to parry a laser cannon. She was well aware that, while very much above average and in the eighty-fifth percentile of the Jedi Order in terms of how strong she was in the Force, it was just a waste of time and energy. Only someone like Anakin Skywalker could actually bother doing that with any sort of regularity.

The Slave I kept on firing, causing loud explosions to ring out with every burst, and it was giving her the perfect excuse to ‘lose track’ of Jango. She blazed forward at the ship, jumping up as her lightsaber extended to its maximum length and slashing one of the double laser cannons right off of it.

Jango let out a yell of anger as he made himself known once more. He flew towards her with his jetpack, blasting at her with his blasters. They weren’t anywhere near strong enough to damage his baby. She retracted the blade to its normal length and parried his shots. Then she leapt at him, aiming her saber for his neck.

He let out a yelp as he threw himself into a twirl, redirecting his jets and evading the saber. They both turned in midair as he tried to continue firing, only for her to Force Push him into the side of Slave I.

His blasters clattered away, and now she couldn’t help but wonder how she was going to sell him winning and escaping of his own merit. He hadn’t been anywhere near as impressive as she had expected.

He flew towards her again and Nomi almost rolled her eyes. And then he pointed his wrist at her and fired a flamethrower at her. “WOAH!” She squeaked in shock as she rolled out of the way. As she rolled to her feet, her wrists were grabbed by a thin wire. “…Oh dear.” And then she was yanked screaming across the platform. If she hadn’t reinforced herself with the Force, she was certain her wrists would have been sliced to bits. “Alright, wise guy.” She growled and grabbed the wire with one of her hands. Immediately, green lightning crackled as she used a short burst of Force Judgement. It raced along the wire and electrocuted Jango, shorting out his jetpack. It exploded on his back, and he fell to the floor of the platform.

He trembled as he got to his feet and Nomi was on him in an instant, kicking him in the chest and over the side of the platform. “Wait.” She said as she looked at her wrists. “…Oh, kriff me.” She whimpered before being yanked over the side as well.

Jango got his wits back about him and extended some blades from one of his gauntlets. He jammed them into the slick platform they were sliding on, trying to slow himself down. She slid right past him and off the side.

‘Well, I suppose this works.’ She thought to herself as she focused on the wire and unfurled it from her wrists. A second later, she felt the wire slacken and she began to fall. She let go of it and simply prepared herself. A second before she would have passed the walkway she had seen below, she used Force Push with both of her hands behind her. She landed roughly on the walkway which wobbled precariously. Ignoring it, she ran into the door and quickly raced through the Kaminoan city to get back to the landing platform. When she got there, Jango was just racing onto his ship and closing the bay behind him.

She ran out and quickly threw a tracker onto the ship, watching as it raced into space. Sighing and smiling over a job well done, she then reached up to scratch the back of her neck. Her smile froze as she felt her hair and grabbed at her ponytail. She brought it in front of her face to look at it and let out a heavy groan as she realized just how much of an unmitigated disaster of a wad of steel wool it had turned into.

-]|[-

Aayla was in hell, she decided abruptly. She was naked. She was oiled. And she had hands all over her, massaging away her worries and inhibitions. It had started innocently enough: with a shower. She had half expected the married couple to have tried to enter with her and wash her too, though they had refrained. She had almost forgotten what Anakin had said when she exited in only a towel.

Instead, she had found Anakin and Padmé in only some robes with a massage table set up in the middle of the room. She had ‘eeped’ again in a very un-Jedi-like manner and almost hidden in the bathroom.

Padmé had none of that, however, and she soon found herself coaxed belly first onto the table as the two began to expertly massage her. The noises she had made as they worked the kinks out of her back and feet together had been almost lewd. Despite the fact that she fell into a relaxed half-meditative state almost immediately, she instantly understood why this was not a method taught by the Jedi.

It felt sinfully good, especially since they started with her lekku. They were exceptionally gentle and clearly had worked on a Twi’lek before, because rather than paining her it left her moaning over their gentle hands. They spent quite a bit of time on them, Anakin with tchun and Padmé with tchin, before moving on. Anakin’s hands were strong but gentle as he rubbed circles onto her oiled neck. Padmé’s made her feel like she was on fire as she pressed firmly on her thighs on downstrokes and then allowed her nails to trail on upstrokes. She was whimpering and failing to meditate by the time Padmé got to her feet and Anakin started to work on her butt. She knew what they were doing. She knew. And she found herself unable and unwilling to stop them, even when Anakin spread her cheeks and she felt the cool night air hit her rosebud. But he never touched her ‘inappropriately.’ Not even once.

She even unconsciously raised her hips for better access, but he evaded the area all the same. She felt like a puddle of goo as they turned her onto her back. Padmé worked her feet gently and moved up as she went. When she reached her thighs, Aayla’s legs were already spread, and she was very slightly rolling her hips. Anakin stood over her behind her head as he reached down, gently pressing his fingers into her trim tummy.

While he did that, Padmé massaged her right thigh first, her hands trailing dangerously close to where Aayla was getting rather close to begging to be touched. Aayla began biting her lip and clenching the table’s padding in her fists as her gyrations began to be a bit more noticeable. Then Anakin began working her sides, and Aayla thanked the Force she wasn’t ticklish. Finally, as Padmé started to work on her right thigh, Anakin started massaging her breasts. They weren’t the biggest. She was lithe like Padmé. But they were a good handful. She was all slippery from the warm oil they periodically drizzled on her and Anakin took advantage of it, circling each teat with both hands and squeezing lightly, rhythmically.

Aayla began to moan as it all became too much for her. “Please.” She whimpered as she spread her legs wantonly.

Padmé smiled at her, “Please what, Aayla? Tell us what you need?” She trailed her finger up her thigh.

“D-Don’t make me say it!” Aayla mewled at her touch.

“Tut, tut. We can’t do what you want if we don’t know what that is.” Anakin rumbled above her, and she swore his voice sent a shiver down her spine.

“Please fuck me!” She wailed and then let out a keening noise as Padmé’s fingers slipped inside her. Twi’lek anatomy down there was a bit different compared to humans. Rather than a clit, her sensitive nerve bundles were inside. And there were a lot of them. None so sensitive as a human clit, but there was a reason her people so often became pleasure slaves.

She had already been on a hair trigger from the massage, and she broke because of it. Her hips lifted off the massage table as she came immediately, spraying her release all over the table and Padmé’s hand. “Good girl.” Padmé’s eyes were almost glowing as she worked her fingers more. Aayla mewled and thrashed for a few seconds before going limp, panting.

Anakin smiled down at her as he gently pulled her. She slid back a tiny bit as her head left the comfort of the table, allowing it to tilt back. He undid his robe and let it fall to the floor, revealing his turgid cock to her awed eyes. She gasped at the sight, and it was all the opportunity he needed to rest it against her lips.

She hesitantly began to suck on the tip as his hands, now engulfed with the Force, began massaging both of her breasts again. She moaned as Padmé loosened her robe as well. He lifted Aayla’s hips with the Force as he began to fuck her mouth with short little thrusts. Padmé slid a wedge-shaped, foam pillow beneath her and rolled her legs back. The former Queen didn’t hesitate for a moment before she started to lick their blue friend eagerly.

‘I’m going to die!’ Was Aayla’s last coherent thought for quite a while.

-]|[-

Nomi really hoped Aayla was having a better time than she was. It had been easy enough to follow Jango… at least up until he realized that she had gotten a tracker on his ship and turned her chase into a dogfight. She had no idea what in the Sith Hells he had thrown at her, but those damned mines had been able to completely shatter asteroids. She had to fake her own destruction and death just to get that obscenely powerful patrol ship off her tail. She had even crippled it by cutting that set of laser cannons off and it had still dinged her ship up something fierce.

Once she was safe, she had made her way down to the surface of the planet Geonosis and had done her best to hide her ship. There wasn’t really much cover anywhere on the arid world, so the best she had been able to do was to find a crevice. It wasn’t much cover, but it was something.

She had then snuck into the massive complex that her tracker had last pinged prior to its destruction, and again felt her stomach fall as she laid eyes on a gargantuan droid foundry. It felt like she was looking miles down and still seeing assembly lines. ‘War.’ She felt cold. ‘The Separatists want war. This is no defense army.’

She focused and cloaked her presence as best she could. It wasn’t really her forte but that didn’t mean she was incapable. She continued to sneak, before discovering Count Dooku walking and speaking with a variety of beings. She recognized Nute Gunray of Naboo infamy immediately and scowled when she heard him say he wouldn’t sign Dooku’s treaty until ‘he had Amidala’s head on a plate.’ And even worse was Dooku not committing against such violence and merely asking for patience. ‘You’ve fallen far, Master Dooku.’ Her scowl deepened, ‘I recognize the InterGalactic Banking Clan, the Techno Union, Commerce Guild… this is a full-blown conspiracy.’

She continued to watch, finding herself a perch high above as Dooku brought her worst fears to light. He wanted to crush the Jedi and the Republic with it.

…

She escaped unmolested, though she worried about how successful her stealth had actually been. She made her way to her starfighter and started trying to contact Coruscant. Thankfully, the long-ranged transmitter wasn’t one of the things that had been knocked out, and she was able to contact the Council. However, the strength of the signal was low, so just in case, she had a copy of the message sent to Aayla as well. “Knight Secura, I am sending this to you as well just in case my primary transmission is garbled. Please make sure it gets retransmitted to Coruscant. Masters, things are far worse than we feared! This is a full-blown conspiracy.” She said without preamble. “Count Dooku isn’t just the head of a movement, he’s the head of a full-blown droid army. There must be hundreds of thousands of them! This is no defense force.” She said heavily.

She swallowed heavily, “I’ve also confirmed that Nute Gunray is behind the assassination attempts on Senator Amidala. It was apparently his condition for joining Dooku, who is not at all against it. But the Trade Federation isn’t the only one represented here. Half the mega corps in the galaxy must be in on this! At the very least, they already have the InterGalactic Banking Clan and the Techno Union in on it. I also heard Dooku say that ten thousand more worlds would pledge to their cause. They plan to bring the Jedi low and force complia- wait!” She drew her lightsaber as Droidekas rolled closer to her. “Blast!” She cursed as she backed away, blocking blaster bolts as she retreated. So much for her stealth!

-]|[-

“ANI! ANI, WAKE UP!”

He heard as his eyes snapped open and he gasped for air. “Guh!” His eyes were wide with shock as he took in a pale Padmé and frightened Aayla looking at him. He shook his head, pinching his eyes shut and taking a few calming breaths. “What- what happened?”

“That’s my line, Ani!” Padmé said, breathing deeply herself. “What in the Sith Hells were you dreaming of!? Look at our room!”

Anakin did so and saw shattered furniture and peeled walls. “Sithspit!” He cursed, pressing his palm to his head. “War is coming.” He said hoarsely.

“What?!” Aayla was all business suddenly. “What did you see?” She demanded as Padmé lost what little color she had regained.

He shook himself, now calmed down enough to relay his vision. “I…I can see it all now.” He hissed, “This past year… it’s all been leading to war.”

“That can’t be!” Padmé cried out, “The Senate hasn’t even voted on-”

“The measure was just a distraction. A show.” Anakin shook his head, “I-I couldn’t see who was behind it, but the Republic is just dancing on his strings.” He growled out, clenching his fists.

“Are you talking about the Sith?” Aayla demanded.

He looked at her and nodded slowly. “I… I don’t know what happened… but it’s inevitable now.” He closed his eyes, “No matter how I consult the Force, it’s all I can see.”

“No!” Padmé denied, tears coming to her eyes, “Th-that can’t be! How can-”

A beeping noise interrupted them. “My communicator!” Aayla gasped, “Oh, kriff, where are my-”

“Take a towel. You just got out of the shower.” Padmé said immediately, running over and grabbing one for her. Aayla quickly wrapped it around her body and then grabbed the device.

“Oh.” She sighed in relief. “It’s not a live call. It’s a message.” Aayla laid it on the table. “Okay, it shouldn’t be urgent then, right?” She had a lot of things she needed to sort out.

Anakin reached out with his feelings before shaking his head. “No, it isn’t. We weren’t the primary recipients, and I feel that they have gotten the message.”

Aayla sighed in relief. “Oh good. I at least have time to get dressed.” She said.

“Or-” Anakin pulled her into his lap. Her face burned a brighter blue as he began to kiss her. She moaned and resisted for half a moment, before pressing herself into him.

“Is this really the time?” Padmé asked a bit archly.

And then she yelped as Anakin laid down and pulled her close too. They adjusted as the two women molded to his sides and he held them close. “Sorry for scaring you.” he said once they were situated, running his fingers through Padmé’s hair and gently caressing Aayla’s lekku.

“I’ve never seen you like that.” Padmé said, pecking him on the cheek.

“You’re just so kriffing powerful.” Aayla mumbled, “I’ve never felt anything like it. Midichlorian count isn’t necessarily an indication of strength, but…”

He chuckled lightly as the Force swirled around them. He used his power to get all of the damaged trash in the room together so that they didn’t have to worry about one of them getting hurt when they tried to walk across the room. He’d get it all in the trash later.

They were quiet for a moment, trying to find the peace they’d missed that morning. But all of them were shaken by the experience. Aayla sat up slightly and looked at both of them, “Was this just…” She trailed off.

“A one-time thing?” Padmé finished the question Aayla hadn’t been able to get out. Their blue friend nodded vulnerably. “Not unless you want it to be.” She said gently.

Aayla laid back down on Anakin’s chest. “The Code states I should forget this ever happened.” She said tonelessly.

“The Code can go gargle a blaster.” Anakin smirked as Aayla sputtered and began to laugh. Padmé joined her fellow lady in giggling. Anakin waited until the giggles subsided, before reaching out. “Do you feel that?” He asked Aayla.

Aayla did. She very much did. Her jaw dropped, “What?!” She sat up again, rapidly this time. “How the kriff-” She explored the new Force Bond she had felt Anakin thrum like a guitar string. Now that she knew it was there, she couldn’t unfeel it. But to her shock, she also felt a connection to Padmé.

Padmé smirked at her, “Maybe you should just assume that Anakin can do something, and then just be pleasantly surprised if you’re wrong.”

“Don’t look at me.” Anakin teased their Twi’lek as he pulled her back into their embrace, “Aayla is the one that reached out and started forming it last night.” He allowed his hand to trail down, making her squeak when he grabbed a handful.

“N-No I didn’t!” She protested.

“Oh, yes you did.” Anakin leered down at her. “Around the time I was in here-” She jumped again as his finger slid into her tight asshole. She let out a moan as he lazily started to finger her. “And Padmé had that strap-on.” Aayla went almost indigo from how hard she blushed as the memory surged. Oh the things that had come out of her mouth… “I was quite surprised, but I could certainly… help it along. And make sure you connected to Padmé as well.”

“Anakiiiiin-” She mewled, pressing her face into his chest. He pressed a kiss to her head, and she lifted it, before kissing him. She then turned and wrapped her hand behind Padmé’s neck so she could kiss her as well. “H-How is this going to work?” She asked, “You’re… married.” She said softly, “And I’m a Jedi… I-”

“Everything depends on you and what you want to do, Aayla.” Padmé patted her hand gently.

She settled a little bit in response and Anakin even stopped playing with her bum. He spoke gently, “I personally would, of course, love if you left the Order to be with us full time. That way I can also teach you without the idiot council breathing down our necks.”

“…I don’t know if I’m ready for that.” She had contemplated leaving, of course. Many Jedi did at least once. Her brush with the Dark Side had been… harrowing. And it had left her feeling… not whole. Since, she had thought she had moved past it. That she had been able to commit to the Jedi path. But now… she had an attachment. A real attachment. They literally had a Force Bond. She would almost certainly be kicked from the Order if it was ever discovered.

And as she searched within and without, she found she did not want to get rid of it. She wanted to explore it more. She wanted to deepen it. She took a deep breath, “Why do you dislike the Council so much?” She asked him curiously. “I know about them refusing to take you in and all, but everything I’ve seen shows me that you’re much happier out of the Order than you would have been in it.”

Anakin pursed his lips, “When I was young, I dreamed I would become a Jedi.” He said softly, “Dreamed that I would one day return and bring salvation to Tatooine. To the Outer Rim. That I would lead my brothers and sisters to freedom. That I would annihilate slavery in the galaxy.”

Aayla bit her bottom lip as she listened to him speak. ‘Stars, what a dream. A dream I would have followed you into wholeheartedly…’

“And then I actually met the Jedi, and I found them…pathetic.” He said firmly. “Not at the time. I was too young. Too awestruck by Qui-Gon Jinn. But the rest were a far cry from the defenders of truth and justice I had imagined. They were intractable. Dogmatic. Arrogant.” He scoffed. “They claimed fear led to the Dark Side, but they were the ones most afraid of all. Afraid of a child, just because they could not see his future. When they told me their final decision, I legitimately feared they were sending me back to my slave master.” He growled out.

Aayla and Padmé both leaned up and kissed opposite cheeks. He held them closer. “And then I got older and started learning about history. I learned more and more about them. Their heroics in wars past. Their endless fight against the Sith. Their bravery and compassion. They were nothing like the Jedi I had met.” He scoffed, “And then I learned about the Reformations and realized they had been neutered by the Senate and collared by themselves.”

“But it worked.” She said softly, “We’ve had a thousand years of peace.”

“You’ve had a thousand years of stasis.” Anakin corrected. “The Order hasn’t grown; it’s bloated. The Republic hasn’t grown better, it’s grown bigger. Padmé has to fight corruption every single week, and the mega corps do whatever the hell they want. The courts couldn’t even put Gunray behind bars!”

Aayla and Padmé both winced, and everything went silent for a few minutes. “I don’t know what I want to do.” Their Twi’lek said, “But… I don’t want to lose this. I’ve been…happy, lately.”

“So have we.” Padmé spoke for both of them. She reached over and clasped her fingers with Aayla’s, resting their hands on Anakin’s chest. Aayla smiled happily. “And if what Anakin said is true…” She trailed off, the smile dropping from her face, “We’re going to need to take our happiness where we can get it…”

Aayla swallowed, but before she could speak, Anakin said, “Nope.” They all then rose from the bed, “We’re enjoying ourselves now. The galaxy will still be spinning in a couple hours.” He marched them into their bathroom, and it didn’t take long for moans and cries for more to fill the air.

Aayla’s communicator was forgotten.

-]|[-

“Traitor.” Nomi said, her face hard as she floated in a prison cell. Her entire body was suspended with her arms bound and her sides and her feet slightly spread. She slowly spun in place.

“Oh no, my friend. This is a mistake. A terrible mistake!” Dooku’s voice rang out. “They’ve gone too far. This is madness.”

‘Right. Sure.’ Nomi felt the urge to roll her eyes. “I thought you were the leader here, Dooku.”

“This had nothing to do with me, I assure you. I will petition to have you set free immediately.” Dooku responded, smiling charmingly at her.

“Well, I hope it doesn’t take too long. I have work to do.” Nomi played along, hoping that he would spill something. She didn’t remember Dooku being someone prone to monologuing, but he hadn’t been party to assassination attempts before either.

Dooku nodded and paced around her, “Might I ask what a Jedi Knight is doing all the way here on Geonosis?”

“Master now.” Nomi replied, “I’ve been chasing a bounty hunter named Jango Fett. He was behind the assassination attempts on Senator Amidala.”

“Ah, now that’s a familiar name.” Dooku sighed, “I’ve danced with him once before.”

“Galidraan.” Nomi replied and saw the skin around his eyes tighten just a tad.

“Though I’ve seen neither hide nor hair of him here. The Geonosians don’t trust them.” Dooku continued.

“He must be exceptionally good at stealth then, I suppose, to evade you of all people.” Nomi deadpanned, “I tracked his ship here after he escaped me in our last encounter.”

“Yes, he’s frightfully good at that.” Dooku replied, “Though again, I personally have not seen him.”

“So why this?” Nomi asked him, changing tracks. “Why become a leader against the Republic? Why form this coalition?”

“Because I have seen the truth, my dear.” Dooku said, looking at her stoically. “The corruption in the Senate, these disputes… it’s all a game.”

“A game?!” She demanded, her eyes narrowing.

“A game.” Dooku looked at the floor and continued to pace around her. “What if I told you that the Republic was now under the control of the Dark Lord of the Sith?”

‘Fark.’ Nomi thought to herself. ‘Fark. Fark. FARK.’ He turned to her and raised an eyebrow at her silence. “I’d ask you who in particular.”

He stopped and turned to her fully. “You’ve seen it too.” He mused in a low tone.

She laughed despite the heavy sweat now covering her, “I doubt the Council would believe you.” She said, “But I’m not the Council. Too many events that don’t line up would make more sense under that lens.”

“Yes, they would, wouldn’t they?” Dooku looked solemn, “The Dark Side of the Force has clouded their vision.”

“It’s clouded the vision of us all.” Nomi scowled.

“Hundreds of Senators are now under the influence of Darth Sidious.” He said, and Nomi kept her face placid. That wasn’t the name she had expected. “Hundreds of powerful pawns, all dancing to his tune.”

“And how have you learned all of this?” She asked.

“Nute Gunray.” Dooku replied, “They were once in league, before Darth Sidious betrayed him. He came to me for help and told me everything.”

Nomi couldn’t help but laugh, “And you trusted him? Him?”

“The source was questionable, yes.” Dooku agreed, “But that is when I started investigating things myself. I confirmed everything that Gunray told me and more. Disappearances. Mysterious deaths. Sabotage. I was even able to trace the millions of credits discovered in Chancellor Valorum’s bank account that led to his already tenuous hold on the Senate weakening even further to a shell company that I was able to link to Sidious.” He sighed, “The only thing I was unable to discover was his true identity. He was exceptionally careful in his dealings and every time I thought I was close, the leads dried up and shriveled to nothing.”

This was all fantastic information, and she needed to get it to the Council. She didn’t trust the Senate as far as she could throw the Executive Building before this, so now she was even more sure they could not be trusted. “And you did not share this with the Council… why exactly?”

“Come now, Master Sunrider.” Dooku shook his head, “I advocated a break from the Senate long before this and nearly got myself censured for it. The Council is blind. Arrogant. They would not have believed the truth.”

“And so you decided to take him down yourself.” Nomi came to the crux of the matter. “Arrogant, Master Dooku.”

“Not alone.” Dooku denied, “You have seen what I’ve built.”

“A war machine.” Nomi shot back, “Aimed where, exactly? You don’t know who Sidious is, by your own admission. What is your plan? To draw him out by seizing free worlds that won’t join you willingly?”

She hit the nail on the head, apparently. Dooku looked like he aged in the span of one sentence, “I see we will not see eye to eye on this.” He sighed sadly, “Pity. I was hoping you would join me. I would have felt much more comfortable with a Master of your caliber by my side. Together, we could have destroyed the Sith for good.”

“Not today, Count.” Nomi said softly as she refocused on the wall. “Not today.”

He bowed his head and walked out of the cell. And then he turned to get one last parting shot in, “It may be difficult to secure your release.”

When the door clanged shut, she finally released her scoff. “What a joke.” She grumbled as she continued to float powerlessly.

-]|[-

Anakin, Padmé, and Aayla stared at the communicator, which had just finished playing Nomi’s message, in complete disbelief. They had entirely forgotten about the communicator after their bedroom fun and Aayla had left it on the table as they went to have breakfast. Afterwards, Aayla had joined Anakin in meditation, and he began to teach her some of the other Force powers he knew. Aayla was shocked that he knew the Light Side version of the lightning technique, and he started her on that one. It took her all day to properly be able to both call it up and sustain it, so she was quite tired by the time dinner came. The three simply enjoyed their time together and Aayla joined her lovers in the master bedroom that night instead of going to her own room. She was entirely exhausted and nearly passed out once their lovemaking for the night ended.

It was the next morning when Padmé abruptly remembered the communicator, and Aayla panicked for a moment as she considered what in the world she would say about the delay if the message was important. She grabbed the comm and brought it back to Anakin and Padmé’s room so they could listen to the message, which left them in their current state. “HOW THE KRIFF WAS THAT NOT URGENT?!” Aayla screamed in shock as she contacted the Temple immediately. “Master Rancisis!” Aayla exclaimed.

“Knight Secura.” The Thisspiasian Master answered. “What is it?”

“I received and was asked to retransmit an urgent message from Master Sunrider.” Aayla said, paling slightly when she saw him and felt perfectly happy to know that it wouldn’t show on the Holocom.

Rancisis’s eyes narrowed, “We received it, Knight Secura. They left quite a while ago to go rescue Master Sunrider.”

“Oh, that’s a relief.” Aayla sighed.

“The message was received one day ago, as a matter of fact. What were you doing that you’re only transmitting it now?”

Aayla showed a slightly embarrassed smile, “I only saw the message just now. Senator Amidala and her husband were quite insistent on enjoying this forced vacation and we have been out of their home for a few days. I’m afraid I left the comm in their dwelling by mistake. It is by the Will of the Force that such a mistake was not a dire one.”

“I see.” The Thisspiasian said calmly. “Yes, fortunate indeed. They will arrive in time, I assure you.” He leaned back, “In the meantime, you are to continue your mission to protect the Senator.”

“Yes, Master.” Aayla nodded and shut the communicator off. “That’s a relief. I guess that’s why the Force was telling us it could wait-” She turned to her lovers, only to blink in shock as she saw Padmé and Anakin taking armor and weapons from their closet. “What are you doing?!” She yelped.

“Getting ready to go rescue Nomi, of course.” Padmé said with an amused smile as she hefted a blaster rifle to check it was functional.

“But Master Rancisis said to stay here.” Aayla protested.

“No, he said to continue to protect me, and I’m going to go save her.” Padmé smirked, “We’re closer anyway.” She nodded at the rifle and put it in her duffle bag, before putting a couple more blasters of varying sizes in as well.

“…I thought you Nabooans were pacifists.” Aayla said, blinking in shock at all the weaponry.

Padmé scowled slightly, “Believe me, I’d prefer diplomacy a hundred percent of the time.” She sighed, “But the Invasion showed me just how stupid and naïve a mindset that was. My people don’t exactly agree, but I’ve adopted a new personal philosophy.” She grabbed a long cylinder and pressed something on it, causing it to extend and turn into an electrostaff. “Speak softly and carry a big stick.”

-]|[-

This battle was not going well, Nomi thought to herself. She had seen only the assembly line, unfortunately, not any complete infantry. Their new enemy had to have at least one million droids just in B-1s alone. Nomi had done well to survive the execution and had even managed to kill all three of the beasts sent to tear her apart by making them fight one another. The last one she had wrapped a chain around and used Force Judgement to fry it.

She’d looked up at Dooku as if asking, ‘Really, is that the best you’ve got?’ When droids started pouring in. She couldn’t even blame her big mouth! Then Mace Windu arrived with at least two hundred Jedi to rescue her, and to their credit they had been able to kill hundreds if not thousands of droids. Mace had even killed Jango, finally eliminating the Jedi killer.

But the fight was turning against them. They were losing Jedi fast, every single loss a spear to her heart. If only she had gotten the hell off the planet instead of sticking around to send the message…

Nomi shook herself as she parried another blaster bolt with an unfamiliar green lightsaber. She sent out another burst of Force Judgement, frying swathes of the droids. She really wished more Jedi knew this technique right about now. She had the highest number of kills among the survivors, and it only was not by a landslide because her own Master was there and using his own golden bolts of lightning.

The remaining Jedi were being herded into the center of the arena, and they were dropping like flies. They had even lost Council Master Coleman Trebor to Fett prior to his death. Finally, the firing of the blasters stopped, and the Jedi froze hesitantly, looking around in surprise. Dooku called down with his powerful voice, “Master Windu. You have fought gallantly. Worthy of recognition in the archives of the Jedi Order.” Several Geonosians brought along other surviving Jedi. Nomi saw Ki-Adi Mundi, Plo Koon, Quinlan Vos, and Barriss Offee to name a few of them who were delivered into the center. She had no idea how they had been able to survive with the sheer number of droids surrounding them, “Now… it is finished. Surrender, and your lives will be spared.”

Nomi closed her eyes, already knowing what Mace would say in response. “We will not be hostages to be bartered, Dooku.” He glared up at his old friend.

“Then…” Dooku looked down just slightly, “I am sorry, old friend.”

The droids pointed their weapons, and the Jedi got ready to face their deaths… Only for a single person to drop right in the middle of the droid army. A massive pulse of the Force erupted, disintegrating battle droids unlucky enough to be close to them. The massive bubble of repelling energy expanded, throwing hundreds of droids fortunate enough to evade full annihilation away.

“SKYWALKER?” Windu shouted in shock as Anakin stood up.

He had a smirk on his face, “A party like this and you didn’t invite me?” He raised his hand and so much Force that it visibly warped the space between his clawed fingers formed. A blue spark erupted before he raised the arm and then whipped it around. The blue ball of energy seemed to attract everything to it, growing larger and larger as it picked up anything loose in its path.

It smashed into the stands and continued to mow down rock, droids, and Geonosians alike. It was like Anakin had spawned a miniature black hole that was completely under his control. It continued onward as the Geonosians began to flee from the arena en masse, leaving Anakin’s attacks to destroy half of the army within the arena.

The Jedi could only stare in awe at the sight. Even Dooku was completely stunned. ‘Master Sidious, you’ve made a grave mistake.’ Was the only thought he could muster for a moment. “We must leave, my friends. No-” He turned to Gunray just in time to see the Neimoidian’s head explode. He shook his head slightly as the Viceroy’s blood splattered on his face and spat. He whirled around to see an armored woman at the top of the arena aiming and another woman, a Rutian Twi’lek, falling into the arena beside Skywalker.

He sprang into action, deflecting another sniper bolt from taking his own head. ‘You should have aimed for me.’ He scoffed before barking, “Move!” at his underlings (who thought they were leaders, of course.) They bid a hasty retreat as Aayla landed.

She immediately fired her own golden Force Judgment at the droids, taking out twenty of them in one go even with her amateurish attempts. “You have GOT to teach me that one.” She yelled at him as she drew her lightsaber and started blocking blaster bolts.

Anakin didn’t get to respond as LAATs started arriving in the arena. They had some green, continuous-firing laser turrets that were carving up the remaining droids. “Oh now they get here.” He chuckled as Padmé used her jetpack to land gently next to Anakin.

“Let’s hurry.” Padmé said as they ran to join the surviving Jedi.

“Skywalker, what in the Sith Hells was that?” Windu couldn’t help himself as he clenched his lit lightsaber so hard he might actually leave marks on the metal.

“Not the time, Master Windu.” Nomi said as she strode up. “Thanks for the save, Skywalker. I’m not sure Master Yoda would have made it-” She blocked a stray blaster bolt as they boarded the LAAT, “before they started firing.”

Padmé destroyed the droid with a quick shot before she pressed something on her chin and her helmet mechanically disassembled itself to show her face. “You’re welcome.” She smiled at the redhead.

“Senator. You’re here too?” Nomi asked in shock.

“Again, not the time.” Anakin said as he, Nomi, Aayla, and Padmé boarded their LAAT. Windu got on with Yoda. He needed to speak with the Grand Master over what Anakin had done. The LAATs hurried out of the Geonosian arena, and he took command. “Aim above the fuel cells!” Anakin told the clones.

Now, he wasn’t a Jedi and was very much not in the chain of command. Despite that, the clones obeyed unquestioningly because of the sheer authority in his voice. “Transmit targets to other LAATs.” The Commander said as they started firing their missiles. Several of the Techno Union transports went up in flames as their fuel tanks (why in the Sith Hells did they use conventional fuel on their transports?) ruptured.

They continued to fly, with Anakin whistling when he saw the Acclimators. “Now those are ships.” He turned to Padmé, “I want one.”

She rolled her eyes, “For what? You can’t run one by yourself.”

Aayla looked further afield, “We need to take out those Core ships!” She pointed, “Looks like the Trade Federation upgraded the Lucrehulks! Those weren’t detachable when they invaded Naboo, right?”

“Definitely not!” Anakin yelled, “Let’s not let that bastard Gunray get away again!”

“Too late!” Padmé smiled, all teeth, “I already blew his brains out.” She patted her rifle almost lovingly. Dooku might have thought her choice of a first target was poor, but she had known instinctively that she would never get him even with a surprise shot.

“That’s my girl!” Anakin crowed, pulling her in for a kiss. Aayla held back a pout, wishing she could do the same. Then his eyes widened, and he threw his arm to the starboard side of the ship. One of the LAATs beside them jerked down so fast the occupants nearly hit the ceiling. It saved all of their lives as a laser cannon missed their ship entirely.

“Sithspit, there must be a million of them!” Nomi called out, glaring at the army defending the Core Ships and several more Techno Union transports. There was no way they were taking those out in the same way as the last ones.

“I guess I can play a little rough.” He smirked, and both Aayla and Nomi felt a chill. “Get us on the ground.” Anakin told the trooper, and their transport landed. Mace had taken command and was organizing the legion for battle when Anakin stepped off, “EVERYONE CLEAR A LANE!” He bellowed, his voice echoing despite the myriads of other extremely loud noises. Everyone got out of the way extremely quickly.

Yoda and Windu watched with a sense of foreboding, “Just what is he going to do now???” Windu almost felt the need to clutch his head at the sheer magnitude of the forming Shatterpoint.

Anakin smirked, knowing that this was going to be a Shatterpoint for the entire Jedi Order. A massive crack in the air was formed in front of him and he held his left hand up. “Ashla.” He said and his hand began to glow a pure, bright white. His smirk widened as he raised his right hand. “Bogan.” Pure darkness crawled down his other limb and the spines of every remaining Jedi stiffened, half in shock, half in horror. He began to feed both the Light and the Dark into the Shatterpoint, which became visible to even those who could not normally see them.

A massive purple void in space with a black center began to swirl in front of him, the sheer power of the Force around him sending several weaker Jedi to their knees. It crackled with escaping lightning, before Anakin jerked his hands forwards and pushed. The void surged forward, consuming everything in front of it. It passed the astonished clone legions, carving a new canyon into the ground as it went. It surged across No-Man’s-Land before smashing into the charging droid army. Tens of thousands of droids were consumed at once. No matter of shield stopped it for even a millisecond. It passed the Techno Union ships, which again erupted in flames, before impacting the first of the Core Ships. As it passed, it revealed a vessel that looked like a round fruit which had a chomp taken right out of it. It continued moving past as the Core Ship detonated catastrophically and finally hit one last Core Ship, coring it entirely and destroying it.

Tens of thousands more droids went dead as their individual control modules were destroyed. Anakin merely clapped his hands and walked back to his LAAT as the rest of the army stared at him in complete disbelief. He hopped back on and said, “Now let’s go hunt us a Count.” The LAAT lifted off, and the Jedi shook themselves, the spell broken.

What in all the stars had they just witnessed?

-]|[-

So, that’s it for this one. Yeah, it ended kind of abruptly, but that was mainly because I kinda couldn’t figure out where to go next. I could have had them catch up with Dooku, but in that case, the man’s dead, which has huge ramifications. Decided to just leave it as a cliffhanger in case I ever want to come back to it.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it!