Across the Stars ~Anakin Skywalker~

06

Several months later...

"Come on, Ahsoka. How bad can it be, really?" I ask Anakin's Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, while we hang out together. "It's terrible! He's always correcting my form, or my technique! He always finds something that I'm doing wrong!" She replies with a huff. "He's just trying to help you be the best Jedi that you can be. It's called living up to your potential. You've just got to practice and put in a little effort to learn what he's trying to teach you," I say. "I am, but it's not helping me get any better!" She whines. "Try treating some of your exercises like they're games. That way, you can have fun and learn at the same time," I suggest. "Huh. I never thought about trying that. Thank you for the tip, Senator," she says. "You're welcome. And how many times do I have to tell you that you can call me Duna? You don't always have to be so formal, especially considering that we're friends," I say. "Right, right. Sorry Duna," she says quickly. "It's okay," I say, giving her a warm smile. The more time we spend together, the more she feels like a little sister to me. I hear an odd beeping noise from somewhere nearby, and I can tell that Ahsoka heard it, too, since she covered her ears when the noise began. "It's okay, Ahsoka. The noise is gone," I say after the noise stops. She pulls her hands away from her ears and looks at her wrist. "I'm really sorry, but I'm gonna have to cut our time short for today. All Jedi are being asked to return to the Jedi Temple immediately," she says. "It's fine, I don't mind. I'll see you later," I say, and we part ways for now.

Anakin comes into my Senatorial apartment with an unreadable expression. "Ani, what's going on?" I ask him with concern. "Nothing that I want you to worry about, Duna," he says calmly. A little too calmly. "Anakin, tell me what's going on," I say sternly. He meets my eyes briefly, then looks away. "Dinauria is under attack by the Separatists," he says, and I can't seem to find the words to say for a bit. "And you think that's not something that I should worry about?" I finally ask after a few minutes. "I know how much you have on your mind, and I didn't want to add something else to it, that's all," he says. "Anakin, you know how much I care about my home planet and its people. I wish I'd known about this sooner," I say, turning away from Anakin. "Duna, I -" he starts to say, but I stop him. "Don't, Anakin. Just... just don't. I want to be left alone for a bit," I say. Anakin, predictably, doesn't listen, and tries to comfort me instead. "Anakin, please leave me alone. I need to have some time to myself, okay?" I ask him. "Oh, right. Sorry," he says sadly, turning to leave. "Hey," I say, and he turns to look at me. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. It's just that sometimes, I need a bit of alone time. It's not exactly easy, being a Galactic Senator," I say with a small smile. "Don't worry, I understand. See you later," he says. "Oh, I almost forgot, I have something for you," I say, running to my room.

I return to Anakin with the astromech droid R2-D2 following me. "I don't understand," he says. "I want you to have him. He's a perfect fit for you, and besides, you already gave me Threepio, remember?" I ask him. "Yeah, you're right. I guess I forgot," he says, making me giggle softly. "I'll tell my pilot to prepare for departure, and we'll meet up again on Dinauria," I say. "Okay, see you," he says, turning to leave, when I clear my throat. "Aren't you forgetting something?" I ask cheekily. "Oh, yeah," he says, pulling me into a brief goodbye kiss. "Until we meet again, my beloved," I said softly, and then he was gone. I packed some things for the trip before I left for my ship, trying to relax on the way to Dinauria.

When I arrive on Dinauria, I meet up with Anakin and rush into his open arms. He holds me in a warm embrace, his breath gently tickling my cheek, making me smile. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me," I say softly. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me," he replies, gently kissing my forehead. We meet up with the 501st Legion of clone troopers, which Anakin led. Anakin orders them to join the fight on the side of Dinauria, vastly adding the numbers of the forces defending the planet. I remain in the relative safety of the Royal Palace with my successor as Queen, Indra. "You are a lucky woman to have captured the attention of such a brave individual," she says, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Yeah, I agree, Your Highness," I reply with a dreamy smile. "I heard that the two of you are married, and I would like to offer my congratulations," Indra says, and I wonder how she knew that. "Anakin told me when he arrived," she explains, almost as if she read my mind. "Ah. Thank you for your congratulations," I say, smiling at her. Together, we watch as Anakin, the clones, and the Dinaurian Army defeat the Separatists, who retreat from the planet. Anakin returns to me and sweeps me up in his strong arms, and I allow myself to relax.

I smile at my husband, then let out a groan when his commlink goes off. "I'll be inside if you need me," I tell him before I enter the villa. Once I'm inside, I can't hear who Anakin is talking to, which is probably for the better. About ten minutes after I came in, Anakin joins me, expressing his desire to stay with me longer, but he has to meet Obi-Wan on Naboo. "I understand, my beloved. You are a Jedi, after all. I was already prepared for this happening," I say. "What do you mean?" He asks. "I was already prepared to be away from you for extended periods of time. I probably wouldn't have been so quick to say yes when you proposed to me if I didn't know that," I reply, giving him a long hug and a kiss goodbye. He leaves shortly after, and I return to my ship to return to Coruscant for some Senate business of some sort.

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Hi! I've been into Star Wars again lately, so I figured I'd update this story for you. Enjoy! Until next time!