Across the Stars ~Anakin Skywalker~

02

When Anakin and I arrive on Dinauria, I take a deep breath of the fresh, clean air that I've missed so dearly. "I've missed being home. It's so nice to be back," I say. "It's a beautiful place, milady. I like it," Anakin says cheerfully. "Thank you. Ever since I became a Senator, I haven't had the time to come back home. I have a busy schedule," I say. "Maybe your schedule is a bit too busy," Anakin suggests. "Yeah, maybe," I say, and then I stop dead. "Milady, is something wrong?" Anakin asks. "That man over there. That's Raptin," I say quietly. "Let's go, before he sees us," Anakin says, but it's too late. "Well, if it isn't Duna Nichs. What's it been like, being away from home for so long?" Raptin asks. "Good, because I don't have to see your face," I snap back. "Just enjoy being a Senator while it lasts, Duna. You never know when you might die," he says, and I snarl at him. "Good luck with her, Jedi," Raptin adds, directing his attention to Anakin. I can tell that Anakin's trying to come up with something to say back to Raptin, so I gently tug his arm. "He's trying to bait you into reacting. Don't give in to it," I say. "Don't worry about that. I don't really care what he thinks," Anakin says as we walk away from Raptin. "Nor do I, Anakin. Nor do I," I say calmly, linking my hand with his. "What're you doing?" He asks. "Trying to act more natural so that no one suspects that you're here protecting me," I whisper to him. "By holding my hand?" He whispers back to me. "Yes. If we are to be sharing my villa, we should look like we're a couple," I say, and he nods.

When we reach the landspeeder that will take us to my villa, Anakin helps me in, then gets in himself, taking my hand back in his once we're both sitting down. We don't talk for the entire trip, as it would be impossible for us to hear each other over the sound of the landspeeder's engines. Upon arriving at my villa, I bring Anakin inside so I can show him around a little, so that he knows where he's going. "So, now what?" He asks when I'm done giving him the tour. "I don't know. You can do whatever you feel like," I say. "Well, it's almost dinnertime already," he says. "Oh, that's right! I'll go get started on that," I say, rushing to the kitchen to start making us dinner. After about 45 minutes, it's done, and I give Anakin a bowl, and I also put out some fresh fruit from Dinauria, specifically my private garden. Once everything is set up, I put some of the soup that I made into each of our bowls, then sit down across the table from Anakin. "This soup is really good. Thank you for making it," he says. "No problem. It's my family's secret recipe, passed down for generations," I tell him. "Neat," he replies, and we eat our soup in relative silence after that.

When I put the bowls in the sink, I hear Anakin quietly laughing to himself, making me curious. When I return to the table, I find him picking up the fruits that I had put on the table earlier, but he wasn't touching them. "That's pretty impressive," I say, and he jumps, dropping the fruit that he had been holding up in midair. "I, uh, didn't see you there. Sorry," he says. "It's okay. What were you doing just now?" I ask. "Promise you won't tell Obi-Wan?" He asks. "I promise," I say. "I was using the Force to pick up the fruit," he says calmly. "Oh, I forgot about the fact that you're a Jedi. It was pretty cool, to be honest," I say, giving him a smile. "It's fine. You have a lot on your mind, so something was bound to slip out at some point," he says as I sit back down across the table from him. "Can you show me more of what you can do with the Force?" I ask him politely. "Sure. Is it alright with you if I tell you a story while I show you?" He asks me. "Be my guest," I say with a small smile. He picks up one of the fruits with the Force, and he begins telling me a story.

"Ever since the beginning of the Jedi and the Sith, there has been a legend told of a planet far beyond the Outer Rim, rumored to be the birthplace of the Sith. The planet has been known by several different names, but the one that seems to stick the best is Exegol. There, according to the legend, is where one day, the Sith will either take control of the galaxy, or where the Sith will be destroyed forever. Depends on which version of the legend you listen to," he says. "Fascinating. So, the Jedi and the Sith are mortal enemies, then?" I ask. "Yeah, pretty much," Anakin replies. "Huh. And yet they both use the same sort of mysterious power?" I ask. "Yes. It's pretty strange," he replies. I yawn loudly and decide to go to bed for the night.

The next morning, I wake up, have breakfast, and get ready for the day before Anakin has even gotten out of bed. "You look amazing, Duna," he says casually, coming up behind me. "Oh! I didn't realize you were awake," I say with a smile. "I can be very quiet when I need to be," he replies. "I can tell. Thank you for the compliment, by the way," I say. "It's my pleasure. That dress looks great on you, and I figured someone should tell you," he says, referring to the deep purple fit-and-flair dress that I'm wearing. "You're too kind, Anakin," I say as I move to my porch. "I'm only being honest, milady," he says as he joins me on the porch, and I eye him skeptically. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?" He asks. "I get the feeling that you're trying to flirt with me," I say. "What? No, of course I'm not trying to flirt with you!" He says defensively, turning red. "Uh-huh, sure," I say sarcastically, turning to look out at the river that runs alongside my villa. "It's really a pity. I think I liked it better when I thought you were flirting with me," I say, trying to elicit a reaction from him. "Duna, you know as well as I do that any sort of relationship between us beyond friendship would be impossible," he says, making me stop and think. "It would only be impossible if our relationship was public," I say, thinking out loud. "You have a point there," Anakin says. "But that's not the kind of person that I want to be. I don't want to live a lie, Anakin," I say softly, turning to face him, only to discover that he is mere inches away from me.

I feel my heart start beating faster, and I try to avoid his gaze. "Duna, I didn't mean that I wanted to be in a relationship with you. I just meant that you had a point about it," he says. I force myself to look at him, noticing that my cheeks warm up a little as I do so. "I know. You know, it's said that this river is named for one of the first Queens of Dinauria, who is said to have been one of the most beautiful beings in the universe," I say, turning back to the river. "Huh. What's the name of the river?" He asks. "It's called the Vas'Ani River," I reply simply. "That's a cool name. Honestly, though, I can't envision a more beautiful being in the universe than you," he says, and I can't resist the urge any longer. I turn to face him, and then I claim his lips with my own, kissing him deeply. I close my eyes and enjoy the moment, wishing that this could be more than just a one-time thing. When I pull away and open my eyes, I see Anakin looking at me in surprise. I awkwardly run my hand along the back of my neck and chuckle softly. "Wha -? I - Did that just actually happen?" he asks me, and I can only manage to nod my head once before I run inside, my guilt and my shame threatening to overcome me. I only have one thought going through my mind:

What have I just done?

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So... that happened... I don't really know what else to say here, so bye for now!