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chapter ten

n// sorry for this filler chapter and the delay on it BUT i'm working towards a reunion scene so like... stay tuned baddies ;) love u all!!

It seemed like Anakin had only blinked by the time he and Padmé had arrived at the Spaceport shipping docks, and Anakin was still reeling.

He knew that Padmé was dreading this — she'd made that abundantly clear when he assisted her in packing her belongings — but he couldn't help but to be excited. He was finally being given a taste of independence; something he felt was long overdue. He was going to show the council the error of not giving him the trials lightyears ago, and most importantly, he was going to show Obi-Wan. This mission was to be a critical step in becoming the greatest Jedi that ever lived.

The pair said their goodbyes, some tearful, some apprehensive, but eventually they made their way onto the crowded ship.

"Suddenly, I'm afraid..." Padmé admitted, looking up at Anakin.

"This is my first assignment on my own." he confessed back. "I am too. But don't worry — at least we have R2 with us."

The two shared a quick laugh before getting settled, finally relaxing for the first time since the plan had been suggested.

"Tired?" Padmé asked with a smile, seeing Anakin yawn.

"Jedi's don't get tired."

"Everyone gets tired, Ani," the woman laughed, shaking her head at the man. "Get some rest. We'll be safe here."

Reluctantly, Anakin gave in, succumbing to his slumber almost as soon as he rested his head on the table. But he quickly came to regret his decision, seeing a new wave of visions wash over him.

But instead of Ryha, this time, it was his mother.

There she was, tied up, bloody, bruised, torn clothes, and screaming in agony. He watched, helpless, as she screamed in pain, wrenching her eyes shut as she endured more of the torture she was put under. He could smell the stench of the place she was being kept. The coppery scent of his mother's blood, the dirt from the floor, the sweat, the fear... he took it all in, unable to do anything else but that.

She was getting weaker and weaker with every passing moment. She and Ryha, slowly dying a violent and painful death, and there wasn't anything he could do to stop it.

"No, no..." Anakin murmured in his sleep, alerting Padmé. "Mom, no..."

Padmé took in his sleeping form closer and saw that he was beginning to sweat. Reaching out, she placed a hand on him, waking him up with a start.

"What?" he asked, slightly confused.

"You seemed to be having a nightmare." was all she replied, looking at him with concern in her eyes.

Nightmare, to Anakin, was much too light of a word for what he had been going through. That was no nightmare. That was something else he could not describe. So, he didn't. He brushed it off for the time being, choosing to focus on something else rather than his... vision.

"I look forward to seeing Naboo again. I've thought about it every day since I left. It's by far the most beautiful place I've ever seen..."

"It may not be as you remember it. Time changes perception, Anakin."

"No..." he trailed off, thinking about the planet clearly. "I made sure to memorize every detail I could."

"And why is that?"

"Because I couldn't wait to tell Ryha and my mother about it when I saw them again." he confessed.

Saying their names out loud, so freely, was something new to Anakin. He was used to their names feeling like curses when he said them around the Jedi, always being met with a lecture on letting go. But with Padmé, there was no shame in saying their names aloud. They were her friends too, after all. Even if only for a short time.