| abstract
| - By the time they reached Anakin and Padmé’s space yacht it was swarming with finnies, and the enemy ship was dragging it in with a tractor beam. The shields to the Baci fleet were still operational, so all Jaina could assume was that the Chiss weapon hadn’t worked. Now all that could be done was try to get her brother and grandmother out alive. “Vornskrs,” Jaina ordered, “attack at will, but don’t shoot at the yacht, there are friendlies aboard.” There was a return of double clicks in answer. With Lowie on her portside wing, Jaina looped over the damaged vessel, seeking a target. It would be the job of her squadron to draw the fire from the finnies, and let Mara and Han take care of the bigger ship. A trio of finnies fell into her sights, and through the Force Jaina indicated the target to her partner. They swooped in behind them as a unit, firing with a singular, matching pattern. Two of them peeled off, obviously trying to get in behind her and Lowie. “Stay on this one,” Jaina instructed tightly. “I’ll take these two.” She released the throttle completely and stomped on both rudder pedals, essential stalling her fighter in place. The sudden drop in acceleration crushed her against her crash webbing, and might have killed a non-Jedi, but Jaina held onto the Force to remain conscious. Just as desired, the two finnies overshot their mark, and then Jaina hit the throttle with all she had, speeding after them. Her lasers strafed both craft as they pursued Lowie, forcing them to concentrate more on dodging her than shooting at him. She caught the one on the left first, a direct hit to the dorsal portion of the ship. It spun away and out of control, venting atmosphere, and then it was just one on one. Jaina armed a torp as she sped after her prey. He juked and jinked all over the place, but she stuck with him, just waiting for him to fall in her sights. At last the computer dinged with a positive lock, and Jaina loosed her torpedo along with a cloud of lasers. It hit its mark brilliantly, exploding in a magnificient balloon of flame. Jaina flew around the cloud of debris, searching for Lowie on her scopes. He had veered further away from her, still scrapping with the original finnie. Jaina turned to assist when her fighter took a powerful hit on one of the right engines, sending embers flying. Her ship lost speed immediately, and Jaina cursed, twisting in her seat to try to see her pursuer. She was hit again, this time clipping one of her S-foils. She threw herself into a downward spiral, curving away from the unseen enemy. She pulled out of the roll with it still hitting her tail. Jaina gasped into the comm, “Vornskr One in need of assistance. Repeat, somebody help me out here!” “I’ve got you, One,” a voice she knew in the depths of her heart answered solemnly. Jaina caught a glimpse of the silver clawcraft as it soared past her. “Jag,” she breathed, not even trying to hide her love or relief. “Just hold tight,” he ordered, all business. “You’ve got three of them on you now.” Jaina continued to maneuver, slipping and sliding this way and that. She kept taking terrible hits, and her control panel lit up in red lights. Sirens blared. Indicators showed she was leaking fuel. Not good. If it got to the heat of her engines she would end up frying herself. The enemy ship looming in her forward viewport, now docked with Anakin and Padmé’s vessel, caught her eye. A desperate idea struck Jaina. She had taken too many hits to stay in the fight, at least to do any good. Her fighter was useless in that respect. But maybe not in all respects. Her decision made, Jaina gunned it for all she was worth, aiming the nose of her craft right at the side of Baci craft. Her hands flew over the instruments, prepping her suit for ejection. “Jaina!” Jag’s voice called out suddenly, sounding desperate. “What are you doing?” She didn’t have time to answer him. At the last split second she hit the EV button, and was jettisoned right out of her X-wing. The fighter kept going, propelled into the Baci ship with terrific force. The blast was perfect, lighting up the heavens all around her. For a moment she was afraid it would engulf her, too, but it fell just short. When the fire cleared, the damage could be better appreciated. The ship had been torn free of her brother’s yacht, and a massive, gaping hole gutted its side. It was little more than a fire encrusted shell. With a sigh of contentment, Jaina leaned back in her chair and waited for Mara to pick her up.
* * * Padmé hit the floor with a soft thump. The Chiss superweapon, which she had sacrificed her life for, gave no indication of coming to life. It was all in vain. “No!” Anakin wailed, flying through the air towards the Baci troops like a rocket. His booted feet caught Padmé’s murderer square in the chest, sending her flying. He landed on his hands and backflipped onto his feet, sweeping his lightsaber at the other five. Laser fire shot at him in a torrent, and he repelled it all, still coming. One fell in two pieces, then another, and another, until they all lay dead or dying around him. He didn’t care. Panting from exertion, Anakin clipped his lightsaber back on his belt and ran to his grandmother. Padmé lay still, on her side, one hand over her face as if to hide it. He took it gently in his own, tears welling up in his eyes. A sob spilled out of his throat unhindered. “Padmé? Padmé, can you hear me?” There was no answer, no movement. He touched her in the Force and felt a barely flickering life energy. She was falling fast into nothingness. He knew he couldn’t save her, but he had to try. Still choking on tears, Anakin closed his eyes and stretched out to touch her wound, willing it to heal. Unexpectedly, the ship lurched and buckled, and the sound of a nearby explosion rocked him out of his concentration. Something significant had just happened. But there was nothing he could do. His priority was now Padmé. Staunchly, Anakin put it out of his mind and once again turned his focus to the dying.
* * * The sound of running water pulled her out of a heavy sleep. Padmé breathed deep, inhaling the moist, sweet air. Birds were chirping somewhere nearby. A pleasant wind caressed her cheek, and soft grass slid between her fingers. Warm earth could be felt beneath it, and an equally warm sun kissed her skin. Eyes still closed, Padmé smiled, enjoying the feel of the beautiful day. Eventually she parted her lids slightly, and was met with the face of a spotless blue sky. The yellow orb of the sun shone right overhead, and she squinted it away. Then, like an electric shock, Padmé recognized the place as home. She was on Naboo. And just like that it all came back to her. Something was terribly wrong. She hadn’t been to Naboo in years, decades. There was no account for her sudden awakening there. Padmé sat up with a start, taking in the scenery. She knew the place well. It was the meadow near the falls in the Lake Country. She had once spent a wonderful day there with Anakin, during that period of time when she was fighting off an irresistible attraction to him. Dismayed and disoriented, Padmé brought one hand to cover her mouth. And then, very slowly, she pulled it back for inspection. It looked nothing like her hand. At least not the hand she had called her own the majority of her life. No, it was the unwrinkled, unblemished hand of her youth, in days when calluses and broken nails were strangers. It was the hand of a Senator, a Queen. With a gasp of panic she examined her other hand to find it was just the same. Then her gaze swept up past her wrists and along her arms. They were smooth and lightly tanned, strong and youthful. Disbelieving, Padmé patted her face. Her skin was firm and silky, free of wrinkles. She exclaimed again, becoming a little alarmed. Her fingers moved to her hair, bringing the ends up to her face. It was a rich chocolate brown, thick and curled, not the silver of old age. Finally she let her hands drop into her lap, trying to take it all in. Her dress was new, too. Well, at least it wasn’t anything she should be wearing. But she did recognize it. The dress was the same yellow garment dotted with flowers she had worn that day with Anakin, so many years before. The understanding of what was happening settled slowly on her. Out loud she whispered, “Oh gods. I’m dead, aren’t I?” “Not exactly.” She had not expected an answer of any kind, and so the voice behind her caught Padmé completely off guard. She yelped a little, twisting around to face the speaker. Instead, she found herself centimeters from a pair of large brown boots. She followed the line of their trunks up to a pair of lean, muscular legs, which connected to a pair of slim hips and a broad chest. Strong arms were crossed there, and sitting atop the wide shoulders was a face she had only known in her dreams for an eternity. “Anakin,” she gasped, barely able to catch her breath he was so beautiful. Those blue eyes were filled with a tenderness barely remembered, and a warm smile touched his lips. The honey-colored hair smacked lightly against his forehead in the breeze, partly covering the scar running across his right eye. His right arm, which should have been mechanical, was all flesh and bone. “Hello, Padmé,” he grinned. She was truly and utterly speechless. All she could do was sit and look up at him, taken for the second time by how handsome he was. He captured her heart again in an instant, but she knew it had really always been his. He seemed to understand her lack for words, and so slid down onto the ground across from her. He was relaxed and easy, stretching out his long legs and resting on one elbow as he looked at her. Those eyes, oh, those eyes! She had once seen everything she had ever wanted in those eyes, before they had clouded yellow with rage and darkness. But that was gone from them now, even the bitterness he had always kept buried somewhere. He was at peace, and that lit him up from the inside out. Stars, he looked like a god. His head tilted slightly to one side, regarding her. “Nothing to say?” “No,” she croaked, shaking her head. “Too much to say. I don’t know where to start.” He nodded solemnly. “Then I’ll start for you. I’m sorry, Padmé.” “For what?” she frowned. He looked at her like she was being deliberately obstinate. “For everything. For Mustafar. For Vader. Everything. I’m so, so sorry.” Padmé let out a long breath. Something must be wrong with her memory, she thought. The past was coming to her slowly, in pieces. “Oh.” He raised one hand to prevent her from saying more. “I don’t expect you to forgive me, don’t worry. But I’ve been waiting a very long time to tell you this.” Padmé smiled at him tenderly, and could no longer resist the urge to touch him. She stretched out her hand and cupped his cheek. It was warm to the touch. “Oh, Ani. I forgave you for that a long time ago.” His blue eyes seemed surprised. “Why?” There was no hesitation in her answer. “Because I love you.” He leaned into the contact, kissing the palm of her hand sweetly. His eyes closed, and she thought he was fighting back tears. When he opened them again, they were clear. “Thank you.” “For loving you, or forgiving you?” she laughed softly. “Both,” he smiled. There was a pause, then, “I love you so much. I’ve loved you all this time. I’ve been waiting here for you for years, just to tell you.” Padmé looked around at the meadow. “You’ve been waiting here?” “Yes,” he nodded. She pursed her lips for a moment, then said, “I guess I am dead, then.” “Not yet,” he shook his head. “What happened to me?” she asked. “You were shot,” he answered, matter-of-fact. “Our grandson is trying desperately to revive you right now.” A pang of guilt stabbed her in the heart. “Oh no.” He waved it off. “It’ll be all right. It’s not your time. Not yet.” “Oh,” she said again. So much was confusing. She decided to stay to things she did remember. “I’ve met our children, Anakin.” His smile broadened, rivaling the sun. “I know. I saw.” “They’re so wonderful,” she exclaimed. “You would be so proud of them both.” “I am,” he nodded, beaming. “I knew enough when I died to be proud of them. Of Luke, anyhow. I never knew for sure who our daughter was, until I passed on. But I guess I should have known. Leia is so much like you. And Jaina after her.” Padmé grinned at the bliss of it all, of being able to share with him all the things she had wanted to for so long. “We made a beautiful family.” “That we did,” he agreed. Then his countenance darkened ever so slightly. “I wish we could have raised them together.” “So do I,” she sighed wistfully. But she was too happy right then to be sad about much. They lay in the grass like that for a while, in pleasant silence, hand in hand. She basked in the feel of being near him again, of knowing she was loved. Nothing could have been more perfect. It was a greater ecstasy than anything she had known before. Pains and aches, inside and out, were impossible to recall. After a time he spoke again, his tone coated with resignation. “You have to go back soon.” “What?” she wailed, jarred out of her raptured state. “What are you talking about?” He rolled onto one elbow again, looking down into her eyes. “You have to go back home, Padmé. It’s not your time.” “No,” she protested, feeling tears well in her eyes. “No, Anakin, I don’t want to. I’m so old, and so tired of life. I want to stay here with you.” He ran his fingers along the curve of her face, playing with a wayward curl. “You have to, love. I have a mission for you.” “A mission?” she scowled. “You have to deliver a message. That’s why you’re here in the first place, I have something important to tell you. You have to go back and pass it on to Luke for me,” he explained, voice gentle, still running his fingertips delicately along her skin. Down her chin and along her throat, over the gentle swell of her breast and across her arm. “What is it?” Padmé asked, even though she didn’t much care. It was becoming hard to remember anything before waking in the meadow. “The Baci must be kept in line after their defeat, and so must the Chiss. They will try to betray you otherwise. But there is a solution. Make the Chiss their keepers, put them all on a planet in the Unknown Regions without space flight technology. The Chiss can watch over them, and then their forces will be too tied up in that to make war against the Republic,” his tone was soothing and gentle, almost lulling her to sleep, but somehow she managed to catch what he said. “What if they try to unite with the Baci against us?” she offered, a scary thought. Her vision was starting to fade out, become narrower and narrower around his face. “They won’t. Leia has taken care of that,” he smiled. “How?” “Nevermind that for now. It’s time for you to go.” “No,” she struggled again. “You have to go, for Luke and Leia,” he explained. “Things will go terribly wrong if you don’t.” His eyes softened a little, smiling at her. “Don’t worry. I’ll still be here waiting, when it is your time.” “How long?” she sniffed, dreading the thoughts of parting from him. Death had turned out to be a much better place than life. But it had to be, she understood that. Her children still needed her. “Soon,” he whispered. “Very soon.” There was that smile again. “And I’m always with you, Padmé, watching over you.” “I know,” she smiled back, and she did know. She had always known. “Sometimes I can feel you there.” “Always,” he kissed her forehead sweetly. Then he bent his head and kissed her truly, his lips the perfect taste of happiness.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)