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| - That night at Nalanda’s villa a strong wind blew in from the ocean bringing a storm with it. Padmé woke in the middle of the night to see great flashes of lightning illuminating the sky and revealing the churning sea below. The rain beat fiercely at the windowpane, yet following another crash of thunder Padmé heard a low moan that much nearer. She threw on a robe and went down the hall, the tiles cold under her bare feet. “No…Mom! No!” That was Anakin’s voice! Without hesitation she entered his room. Anakin was lying on the bed with the covers all askew, his bare chest covered in a layer of sweat. “No!” He started violently on the bed, through the Force she could feel Anakin’s pain. She stood over him, wondering if she should wake him. “Mom, don’t!” Anakin gripped her wrist, squeezing it painfully. “No! No…Mom!” Gently, Padmé prised his fingers loose one by one. When she held his limp wrist in her hand, his eyes snapped open, his blue gaze finding her face. “Anakin—” Padmé started to explain, but his eyes closed and he was asleep once more. Relieved, Padmé left the room yet she shivered slightly as she closed Anakin’s door. With a start she realised her neck and back were covered with cold sweat. What had happened back there? What was happening to her? She knew it was far too dangerous for her and Anakin to remain together. Could she trust herself to keep up the barriers that were necessary to follow the mission through? Or would she—as Kuan Yin hard darkly hinted—let Anakin through them again? And what about what had happened just then? Would Anakin remember that she had been there? Perhaps, but she doubted it. The next morning the storm had all but dissipated and a mist partially hung around the villa. It was in this mist on the terrace that Anakin stood in meditation facing the rising sun, his under-tunic and trousers still damp from a swim in the cold water. Suddenly he felt a soft presence crossed his attention span. Warm, yet with a barrier that hid more than it hinted, the presence passed and started to edge away. “Don’t go,” Anakin murmured, his eyes still closed. “I don’t want to disturb you,” Padmé replied. “Your presence is soothing,” Anakin said. “Anakin.” There was a ring of warning to her tone. “I am sorry,” he said, his words as sincere as his intentions, “but it needed to be said.” “You had another nightmare last night.” Padmé stepped towards him. “I saw my mother, Padmé,” he muttered, his face tightening with the recollection. “She was calling for me, they were killing her.” He opened his eyes and looked at him. “You were there.” “I was?” For a moment Padmé’s face betrayed her. “Yes.” He closed his eyes again. “It was only a dream,” Padmé reassured. “No,” Anakin said savagely. “I saw her, I saw what they were doing to her.” “Anakin, visions are rarely authoritative,” she reminded him seriously. “You miss her, that’s understandable. It’s your fears combining with that.” “No,” Anakin repeated, louder this time. “You didn’t see her, you didn’t see how she was suffering. She needs me.” It was this moment that Nalanda chose to emerge from inside. “What’s wrong?” She instantly went to Anakin side. “Nothing,” Padmé told her, giving Anakin a hard look that she hoped would shut him up. Yet as Padmé had said before, Anakin was not known for his subtlety. All it took was one look at Anakin's face for Nalanda to see that he was upset. “Anakin, are you all right?” the senator asked. “Have you had any bad news?” “It’s my mother,” he replied shortly. “Anakin,” Nalanda replied patiently, “if I am keeping you from some place where you are needed—” “Not at all, Senator,” Anakin interrupted with more formality than he generally would have used. “My duty is here with you and I intend to fulfil it.” If the situation was not so serious Padmé might have smiled, for a moment Anakin sounded like Obi-Wan. “Anakin, I might not be a Jedi but I'm not blind.” Nalanda said severely. “If your mother is in trouble, you must go to her; there is nothing simpler. I’ll even let you use one of the ships here.” “But—” “And as for my protection,” Nalanda gently interjected, “I am sure that Padmé will see to that amply, provided you are back before anyone finds out.” Padmé looked between them, trying to decide where this logic came from and who to argue it with. “Thank you senator,” Anakin replied gratefully, bowing his head then walking back inside. “If I set out now, I’ll be there before long.” He disappeared inside, but Padmé wasn't going to leave it there. “Anakin!” She strode after him but he ignored her. She chased him as he ran to his room and started to change his clothes. “You can’t do this, go back to Senator Nalanda and tell her you have changed your mind.” “I can’t do that, Padmé,” Anakin replied, removing his wet tunic and a donning a dry one. “My mother is in trouble and I have to go to her.” “This is exactly what I was trying to tell you,” Padmé said, picking up his obi and holding it behind her back. “Jedi don’t make decisions like this, they don’t make decisions based on personal motivations.” “I never said they did, Padmé. This is my decision,” Anakin replied, turning to her. “And give that back, I need it.” “Go and get it,” she snapped, throwing it out the window and pushing it further with the Force to make sure it fell in the water. “Fine then,” he retorted, “I’ll just wear my spare one then.” Shortly after Anakin had left with the droid R2-D2 in tow who had insisted on accompanying him. Wasn't it last night she wanted a way for Anakin to get out of her life? Now he was going and she wanted him to stay. She couldn’t help but watch his ship leave with a terrible foreboding. “I have a very bad feeling about this,” she whispered.
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