Summary: AU. Anakin has been trained by Dooku since he was fifteen, but never really turned to the Dark Side. Dooku has enough of him and decides to execute him in the arena on Geonosis… The same day Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padmé Amidala are captured by Geonosians.

Author's Note: I really appreciate ya'll taking the time to read and share your thoughts! I'm a sensitive soul, so the commentary and criticisms are like sunshine on an overcast day! I also apologize for the slow update—for some reason, I voluntarily tossed myself into some drama and was left unbalanced for way too long. Please enjoy this new chapter!

"Like a diamond in black dust, it's hard to know it can become, a few give up; […] everybody's got a dark side, do you love me, can you love mine?"

Kelly Clarkson: "Dark Side"

It started to rain when Anakin and Obi-Wan were eating breakfast the next morning. To Anakin, the sudden downpour had been wholly unexpected—it had been sunny almost five minutes ago and now water was racing down the windowpane and smacking the walls with an angry fervor. It was amazing; free and abundant water falling from the sky was like a gift from the gods. Did residents leave out buckets to collect the rain? Was this the same but purified water that he used in the sink and shower? In the back of his mind Anakin knew Coruscant was nothing like his desert home planet, but since he had not seen it rain once since he was here, surely this weather was a good thing.

So why was Obi-Wan looking disappointed?

"I was hoping they would have fixed the problem by now," the Jedi sighed. Obi-Wan got up to open the window, poking his head out. Almost immediately he closed the window again, ruffling his wet hair and dropping back down at the table with a slight frown.

"What do you mean? What problem?" Anakin swallowed a spoonful of cereal, looking past the potted plants to the grey outside.

"It was supposed to rain during the night," Obi-Wan explained, "but the Coruscant WeatherNet was having issues and suspected there might be a delayed response. I think it's going to rain well into the afternoon."

Anakin nodded, accepting the explanation as one of the many wonders of the rich planet. "And what does that mean for us?"

Obi-Wan's expression turned thoughtful. "I suppose it means nothing. We can still meet Padmé for lunch. We'll just have to leave expecting to get wet."

Rubbing at the cuffs absentmindedly, Anakin turned his attention back to the window. He didn't really understand—it would be a discomfort to wear wet clothes, but water always dried so fast it probably wouldn't even matter.

Anakin got up to clean his bowl and took Obi-Wan's plate before he could ask. As he washed the dishes, humming under his breath one of the heavy isotope songs on the holonet Anakin had spent three hours finding, Obi-Wan watered the flowers (but not the cactus, it was starting to get brown spots from over watering). It had become a habit between the both of them, where they switched off every other few day who cleaned the dishes and watered the plants.

Once Anakin finished, he toweled his hands dry and leaned against the counter. Obi-Wan had brought his datapad into the living room and was tapping the screen with a look of concentration. Probably Jedi business, then. Anakin nodded to himself, disappearing into his room to find his boots and cloak, and reappeared only moments later with the bundle in his hands.

"Obi-Wan," Anakin began, fiddling with the buckles on his shoe as he sat on the couch, "can we go shopping before we meet Padmé for lunch?"

Obi-Wan raised his head, staring curiously at the teenager. It was the first time Anakin had asked to leave the Temple since he had arrived on Coruscant more than half a month ago. "What would you shop for?"

"I need new shoes," he disclosed, glancing down at the scuffed up heel of his right boot. His left shoe wasn't faring any better, the leather covering the top having been ripped half-way off and dutifully picking up loose dust on the ground wherever he walked. Anakin lifted his eyes and smirked. "And you need a haircut."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow, and he answered flatly, "Thank you for your concern, Anakin, but I think I'll pass." A hand went up to rub his shoulder-length hair, though, when the teen looked away.

Anakin laughed, fondly shaking his head before turning his attention back to the shoes. "I had a dream about you last night where you had short hair. It looked kinda nice that length."

"I'm glad," was all he said, looking back to the screen propped up against his empty tea cup.

"It was really weird, actually," he continued, "I was a Jedi Knight and I think you were a Master. I can't really remember what happened, but there was this one part—" Anakin cut himself off, frowning in deliberation. "Never mind."

"I'm listening," Obi-Wan pointed out kindly without turning his head, beginning to tap buttons to a strange pattern.

"Oh." Anakin finished buckling the boots and took to unfolding his black cloak. "It was just very orange and fiery. I think you were yelling at me. I dunno, but I have had similar dreams like this one before."

Obi-Wan made a sound of interest. Anakin flopped down the length of the couch, covering his body with his robe like a blanket and propping his boots on the far arm of the couch. "I think I once dreamed about you and Padmé. When I saw the both of you on Geonosis it was like some freaky déjà vu because you looked really familiar. Weird, right?"

The Jedi set his datapad down on the table and turned his chair to face the couch. Though Anakin couldn't see it, his face was surprised and suspicious. "How often do get these kinds of dreams?"

"They're not really a kind, are they? I mean, they're just normal dreams. I used to have reoccurring ones when I was kid about becoming a Jedi and going back to Tatooine to free all the slaves. Haven't dreamed about that since I was nine, though."

"What was the dream about with Padmé and me?"

Anakin shrugged dismissively. "I can't remember. It's been a while."

Obi-Wan murmured something under his breath that Anakin couldn't catch before the Knight turned back to the electronic screen. Anakin stared up at the ceiling, thinking.

As Anakin dozed in and out of sleep on the couch to the sound of rain, Obi-Wan typed up a report for the Council. After lunch, he resolved, he was going to check Anakin's medical file. A blood sample surely was taken when he had brought the boy in for his back wounds. Finishing his description of the most recent Republic occupied planet and the Senate's leanings towards or against the refugee involvement, the Jedi leaned back and stretched, his gaze slanting to the window.

It was still raining.

Obi-Wan sighed, rubbing his eyelids and swallowing a yawn.

"You alright?" Anakin asked, looking like he just awoken from a dip into sleep. His hair was curling wildly around his face with little tufts of spikes on the top. The boy needed a haircut, too.

Obi-Wan brought his fingers to his chin and smiled, releasing his emotions into the Force. His voice came out neutral. "Yes, of course."

"Alright," the teen said slowly, narrowing his eyes imperceptibly. "Can we go shopping now?"

The older Jedi nodded and went to get his robe as Anakin wrapped himself in his black cloak, snapping the hood over his head with a flourish. When Obi-Wan came back into the living room dressed to risk the downpour, he nearly froze on the spot. Anakin had positioned his robe so that the hood carved deep shadows over his face. Like an anomaly of nature, the gloomy glow from the window still lit up the boy's eyes so the blue shone through the darkness. It seemed like an ominous warning. Obi-Wan began regretting buying the cloak in black. The dark color was not going to do any wonders for other Jedi's perceptions of Anakin. How had he missed that?

"Don't wear your hood up in the Temple," Obi-Wan advised, walking over and tugging the cloth back down. "Especially if there are other Jedi around."

Anakin stared in bewilderment. "Why?"

"They'll get the wrong idea."

Anakin pursed his lips but seemed to let it go with an accepting shrug. He followed Obi-Wan out the door with the thought of wearing the hood up whenever he had to report to Windu or even Yoda. He grinned at the ground, and Obi-Wan was none the wiser.

…o0o…

Obi-Wan was not having fun. He was cold, and wet, and tired. "Anakin," he chastised for the tenth time in the past hour, "move along."

With a far too cheerful smile for the dim day, the nineteen-year-old thanked the shopkeeper and promised to come back to look at the new set of starship models as soon as he could. Stepping around long puddles, Anakin hurriedly positioned himself by Obi-Wan's side. "Sorry," he apologized with a sheepish grin. "It's just nice to be out of the Temple."

The Jedi frowned up at Anakin. "You're not trying to guilt me into something, are you?"

"Why, I would never," Anakin rebutted. He rested his right hand over his chest, the soggy robe making his fingers wet and cold. "Never."

"I thought so."

"Oh! Obi-Wan, over there!" He pulled the Jedi over to a small, professional-looking store at the end of the marketplace. The windows were advertising in poster-format all the best hairstyles, from intricate Nabooian to simple Chandrilan styles. Models of all kinds simpered and beckoned from the display screens. Anakin observed with his hands crossed over his chest, leaning forward on the balls of his feet, "The price is pretty good."

"Anakin," Obi-Wan sighed.

"Please, Obi-Wan," he persuaded with a little, lopsided smile. "I'll get a trim and then buy my boots while you stay here, warm and dry, and get your hair cut. It's a win-win."

If Obi-Wan wasn't feeling so tired and overworked he would have instantly said no. Just because the two were getting along did not mean Anakin's touch with the Dark Side and relation to the Sith was forgotten. The Jedi Council would never accept him leaving Skywalker unwatched in the busy marketplace of Coruscant. Luckily for Anakin's argument, the friendly tone of their relationship and the exhaustion with the war effort had Obi-Wan nodding his head as he allowed himself to be led into the store.

Anakin talked to the Ithorian haircutter as Obi-Wan relaxed in the blue light of the store, numb and tired. Lifting a palm for a motionless wave, the teenager left his friend with the sound of an electronic bell ringing as the door suctioned closed behind him.

It wasn't until Obi-Wan was staring at himself in the store's mirror with short, combed hair and no Anakin in sight that panic abruptly set in. He quickly paid the stylist and rushed outside, scrabbling for the Force to direct him to Anakin's spotty signature. A little to the left and—

"Obi-Wan, you look perfect! Why are you out in the rain, though?" Anakin questioned innocently, sidling up beside him with two bags clutched in his hands. "I bought the boots," he informed Obi-Wan with nod towards the larger bag on his left.

Anakin's smile dropped at Obi-Wan's aloof expression. "What's wrong?"

With a deep breath, the Jedi said tartly, "Don't leave my side again."

Taken aback at the heavy, angry tone, Anakin nodded, eyeing him carefully. "Alright," he acquiesced.

It had been different when Anakin was inside the Temple, under Obi-Wan's guardianship. Taking off the Force-inhibitors had been okay because Obi-Wan was there. Out in the open, away from his eyes, Anakin could do anything and Obi-Wan wouldn't be able to interfere. Public independence was something he was not ready to allow for the teen just yet.

They walked together in silence, shifting around people and umbrellas. Despite the accidentally bad weather, there was still a good amount of people of many different species milling about the market. Customers would emerge from shops with handfuls of bags jutting into personal space, pedestrians single-mindedly following the flow of sentient traffic. When it looked as if Anakin and Obi-Wan might get separated for a moment by the crowds, Knight Kenobi would pull the teen behind him with a hand on his wrist, and they would continue like that until there was room to stand side-by-side.

Obi-Wan was busy looking cold and unhappy as they trekked along. Anakin would every other minute glance down into his second bag, biting the inside of his cheek.

Feeling like rocks were weighing him down, Anakin kept his chin lowered, refusing to look at his Jedi companion. The shadows from his hood stretched over his skin, darkening his pale color into a grey mask.

Obi-Wan was a good friend—but also a good Jedi. The dissonance between allowing Anakin his independence and keeping with the strict Council's orders seemed to pull the redheaded Human in opposite directions. One day they could be sharing chocolate and laughing, and the next moment the air would stale as Jedi business took over. It had happened a few times already that Anakin knew how to recognize an honestly disappointed Obi-Wan from a Jedi disappointed Knight Kenobi.

As much as Anakin was starting to value his friendship with Obi-Wan, the steadfast loyalty to the Jedi's commands and philosophies tainted the relationship. If Obi-Wan had to choose absolutely, Anakin wasn't sure which group he would pick. He couldn't even blame him, but that did not make the clenching in his gut feel any better.

Soon they stood before a diner, the outside red and rustic looking. The industrial area they were in looked to be in disrepair and unstable, the metal on the sides of buildings curving dangerously over pedestrians' heads. Anakin looked over his shoulder and noticed the broken signs and a screen on the ground that was starting to spark under the pelts of rainwater.

Obi-Wan wasted no time in getting out of the rain and Anakin was forced to follow quickly after him, frowning all the while.

"Where are we?" he said once they were inside, looking around at the establishment as he peeled off his hood.

There was a group of giggling Twi'leks in the closest booth to the door and other customers were conversing quietly at the bar or sitting on stools by the windows. Most of the conversations were in Basic, but Anakin picked up a few languages he commonly heard in the bars in Mos Espa by travelers and deep space pilots. A droid was wheeling around the people, informing them of their orders in a welcoming, robotic accent. Anakin stepped back to get out of its swerving path.

"Dex's Diner," Obi-Wan answered, glancing around and motioning for Anakin to follow.

"That's odd," he murmured to himself when they stood before an empty booth in the corner. Anakin looked questioningly over to him, so he clarified, "Padmé is normally here by now."

"Oh." Anakin frowned down at the ground. "How about we meet her at the Senate, then?"

"What makes you think she's still at the Senate?" The Knight wondered thoughtfully, watching him from the corner of his eyes.

Why did he think that? It was entirely possible Padmé was simply running late and had already left to meet up with them. He was probably wrong. How would he know where she was? He had only met her for a few hours and they didn't actually know each other. It was improbable that she'd still be at the Senate building when even Obi-Wan didn't think so. As Anakin silently berated himself, Obi-Wan was watching the emotions flash through the teen's face like bursts of changing colors.

"Let's go the Senate," he suddenly offered, pulling his soaked hood back over his head.

"What?"

"I believe you, she's probably still at her office. Let's find out, yes?"

Anakin glared, frustrated, at the man's back as he pulled up his cloak, following after the Jedi. Why was Obi-Wan acting like this? First he was cold and Jedi-like. Now he was agreeing with Anakin's stupid idea? Was he trying to make a point? Anakin just didn't understand and it was making his stomach twist uncomfortably and heart feel heavy. Anakin was tired of this drama, this back-and-forth between friendship and surveillance.

Anakin stopped walking.

"Obi-W—Knight Kenobi, we need to talk."

The Jedi turned around, perplexed. When Anakin didn't say anything, Obi-Wan walked over and rested his hand on Anakin's shoulder. "Anakin, it's raining. How about we talk when we get to the Senate building, okay?" he proposed quietly. His face softened when Anakin didn't move. "I am sorry for how I acted, but there is a better place for this conversation."

Finally Anakin's feet unstuck from the concrete and they walked together to the curved Senate building. They arrived quickly since the market and diner were both near the Senate District and the throngs were getting easier to duck around since it was that time of day. The government building was a tall, dome-shaped structure, towering over the city like a rising sun. Its curved architecture was in direct contrast, in Anakin's opinion, to the sharp spires of the Jedi Temple that unapologetically stabbed the sky.

Smoothly going through the regulations and security measures, Obi-Wan wasted no time in shedding his dripping robe. Anakin winced when fat blobs of water darkened the floor.

"You wanted to talk?" Obi-Wan reminded him quietly, walking slowly in the direction of Padmé's office. Anakin fell into step beside him.

"Um, yes." Anakin twisted his fingers together, the two bags bunched together at his elbow by their handles. He sifted through his feelings, wondering how to approach the problem. He finally decided on: "Were you mad at me?"

"No," the Knight answered immediately. His mouth was open to say more but Anakin interrupted him.

"Obi-Wan," he stressed, crossing his arms. "Jedi feel emotions too."

"I wasn't mad at you," he repeated gently, green-blue eyes clear and compassionate, "I was afraid. For you and for myself. The Jedi Masters wouldn't have liked me leaving you to shop alone. I should have realized that, and I'm sorry I didn't. I took out my fear on you, so I apologize. It was unbecoming of me."

Anakin gazed considerately at Obi-Wan. So it had been the discord between being his friend and being a Jedi under the Council's rule that had caused the cold outburst. Being right never felt so wrong. But what could he do? Anakin didn't want this to continue being such an issue.

Obi-Wan continued to talk, promising Anakin that if it happened again he would react in a calmer disposition and release the fear without delay. That was all well and good, but it seemed to only bend around the heart of the issue. Anakin puffed up his cheeks as he blew out air. There was no easy solution. All he could hope for was that the contrast between him and the Jedi lessened over time. Or that if Obi-Wan was forced into picking a side, he would choose the glow of friendship rather than the cold structure of tradition.

Before the two reached Padmé's office, a tan Human Senator intercepted them with a half-hug for the Jedi and polite nod towards Anakin. He started a hushed conversation with Obi-Wan about something to do with politics and the war. From Anakin's side, Obi-Wan rubbed his beard and listened intently to the soft words.

Anakin tried to listen, but the intricacies and current issues quickly eluded him. He made a mental note to start listening to the holonet recordings of the battles so he could get up to date about the happenings in the galaxy.

"Thank you for bringing that to my attention, Senator Organa," the Jedi graciously said, his eyes falling to the ground in thought. He started speaking of the refugees and food supplies, losing Anakin even more.

Senator Organa began to say something in response, but Anakin's attention unexpectedly fell away an odd blink of full awareness. Like there was a tug around his center, Anakin smoothly detached himself from the two Humans. Neither Obi-Wan nor Organa noticed as Anakin walked past Senator Amidala's office. He kept to the wall of the hallway, as silent and unnoticeable as a shadow against a black background. Senators and aids walked by without moving an eye towards the teenager. Then Anakin found himself standing before a large, arching doorway. Curiously, he took a step forward.

The door whooshed open and Anakin startled back a step, instinctively shifting his knees apart and hunching into a crouch. Padmé was talking heatedly to an elderly Human man with gentle eyes and a kind smile. They both blinked in surprise at Anakin's appearance.

"Oh." Anakin stumbled back further, straightening, the hairs on his neck standing on end. It felt like he was standing on a cliff surrounded by pure darkness, knowing there was a sharp, deadly drop a single step away but not in which direction. "Hello."

"Anakin!" Padmé greeted, her face softening before his eyes as she took in his blue outfit and large, fitted black robe. She bounded over, hugging him before leaning back, saying, "How did you find me?"

Anakin didn't have time to answer her question before the Human male interrupted with twinkling blue eyes, "My dear boy, you are a friend of Senator Amidala's? I don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting."

He offered his hand out. The nails were clean and shiny, a perfect length, and the skin free from the blisters of hard labor. Anakin nervously shook his hand as Padmé stood to his right, rubbing her now-wet clothes with a good-natured laugh.

"I'm Palpatine," he introduced, his eyes crinkling cheerfully. "I was Senator Amidala's advisor when she was the Queen of Naboo before being elected Chancellor."

When Anakin tried to nod politely and not bite his lip in discomfort, the man prompted, "And what's your name, son?"

"Anakin Skywalker, sir." His mouth moved without his permission, mind frizzing in mild panic. Where was Obi-Wan? Why weren't they leaving already? If they didn't leave soon, Anakin was probably going to unintentionally start a war or something. This man was the Chancellor. Anakin was not prepared to talk with the head of the Republic right now, especially with his mind not cooperating like this.

"Nice to meet you, Anakin Skywalker," Palpatine said warmly, starting to walk with them into the hallway. He turned to Padmé and Anakin breathed out air he didn't know he'd been holding. "And Padmé, dear, please don't hesitate to contact me if you ever need me. And the offer stands for you, as well, young Skywalker. If you're a friend of Senator Amidala's, you're a friend of mine."

The two bid the Chancellor farewell, waiting until they could no longer hear the click of his polished shoes against the tile before turning to each other with contagious grins.

"Padmé!" Anakin greeted again. Without thinking, he grabbed her around the waist and spun her around, overcome with happiness and joy. She laughed as they twirled, and he set her down to the words, "I missed you."

"I missed you as well, Anakin," she admitted with bashful smile. Her tone turned more professional but remained friendly, "How are you getting along in the Temple? Is it alright rooming with Obi-Wan?"

"Yeah, it's wizard," Anakin told her, smiling. "Obi-Wan is really nice, though his taste in chocolate could use some work."

Padmé made a sound in the back of her throat that sounded like a laugh. As they walked to meet up with Obi-Wan, Padmé made certain Anakin updated her on all his goings, including his new job and the amount of spending credits incorporated in the salary. With a spring in his step, he told her about being able to (sort of) meditate the Jedi way and ensured her of the Jedi's good, if not welcoming, treatment. She seemed moderately satisfied, though there was gleam in her eye that informed Anakin words would be spoken when she saw a Council member.

They met up with Senator Organa and Obi-Wan, whom Padmé greeted with undiluted enjoyment. Obi-Wan glared at Anakin over Padmé's head, and the teen mouthed 'sorry' back with a half-shrug. The four spoke for a while longer before nodding goodbye to Organa as they headed back outside.

…o0o…

It had stopped raining sometime while they were in the domed Senate building. The sun was shining through the edges of puffy cumulus clouds in long rays, lighting up the pavement in rippling reflections of the surrounding colors. With the heat and light warming the air, the three allowed their walk to be more peaceful and ambling. They discussed their Jedi, Senator, and garbage-man duties, equally covering the prospects of each job with respectful understanding.

Getting comfortable in the corner booth in Dex's Diner, Anakin and Obi-Wan were laughing at Padmé's description of her family vacation on Naboo covering her nieces' shenanigans when the waiter droid scooted over to them. Obi-Wan and Padmé ordered without needing to look at the menu, but Anakin asked for the most exotic-sounding food he could, pointing to the name with his finger.

As Padmé complimented Obi-Wan on his haircut, Anakin set a petite, pink shopping bag in front of her. He folded his hands in his lap and waited for her to notice. It didn't take long.

"What's this?" Padmé asked Anakin, poking the bag with her smallest finger.

"A gift," Anakin said, "for you." He turned to his side and pulled out another tiny bag decorated in green stripes and set it before Obi-Wan. "And this is a gift for you, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan and Padmé shared a look.

"I bought it when I replaced my boots today," he admitted, staring into his hands. He assured them, "You don't have to open it now."

"Oh, no, I want to see what you got me." She rolled up her long-sleeves to dig around the tissue-paper. Grabbing onto something, she pulled out a small, white box. With a curious smile, Padmé unlocked the clasp.

Tucked away in soft velvet was a set of earrings. Its base was smooth, rounded grey with bursts of rainbow colors. An opal gemstone. It was beyond lovely. Padmé stared at the way the stone glowed iridescent in the sunlight with an unmatched brilliance.

"Thank you, Anakin," she breathed, running her fingers over the jewelry.

Anakin beamed, memorizing how her brown eyes sparkled and the pretty, off-center curl of her lips. Padmé pulled out a compact mirror stashed away in her purse as she removed the long, wiry earrings she was wearing. When she finished, she brushed loose hairs out of her face, tucking them behind her ear and smiling broadly.

"So? What do you think?" She glanced into the mirror and nodded, satisfied. Anakin and Obi-Wan voiced their agreement, complimenting the color and shape. While the light base didn't match her darker dress, the colorful ribbons swirling around the gemstone complemented the different shades of her outfit. In an unconventional manner, it seemed to fit almost despite the difference.

Obi-Wan opened his bag with a reminder that Anakin didn't need to buy him anything.

"I know that Jedi aren't supposed to have possessions," the blond said, sipping at a cup of ardees the waiter had finished setting in front of them. "But I was thinking you could put it in one of the flowerpots as a simple decoration."

Beneath the wrapping paper was a cut-open geode. The hollow innards were a beautiful, bright lavender with shards of whitish blue, grey, and lighter purple. Obi-Wan ran a finger over the outside stone's rough edges before flipping it over to the cave of quartz minerals.

Anakin revealed as he chewed on his plastic straw, "I got them at a shop that was five minutes from closing because the owner didn't want to continue business in the rain. Those two just called to me, I guess."

Both Obi-Wan and Padmé thanked Anakin again, and he smiled at them.

As time went on, the conversations shifted between the bad luck of the weather and other mundane topics before returning once again to politics. Obi-Wan was teasing Padmé about his personal stereotypes of politicians and she smacked his shoulder good-naturedly. Anakin had just finished his meal (it was delicious) when Padmé began discussing the squabbles and dead-ends of the Senate committees.

Anakin was frowning into his juice the entire time.

"I don't think the system works," Anakin informed her when she finished her story. He pursed his lips, thinking about how nothing ever seemed to get done. The politicians would talk from their nice podiums while people suffered, while species were enslaved and then ignored despite the laws of the Republic outlawing the cruel practice.

"How would you have it work?" Padmé wondered, leaning a hand on the table and tilting her head. There was genuine curiosity in her voice but also a thin hint of patronage.

"We need a system where politicians sit down and discuss the problem. Agree what's in the best interest of all the people and then do it." Anakin didn't understand how the gangsters like the Hutts were just allowed to continue their practice. Why didn't the Republic do anything to enforce their laws? Why didn't the Jedi assist them? Hutt space wasn't anything new.

Padmé frowned, relaxing into the back of the cushions with a hard look. "That's exactly what we do. The trouble is that people don't always agree."

"Well then they should be made to."

Obi-Wan blinked in surprise, and Padmé's frown darkened. Anakin glared back.

What was the point in a government that accomplished nothing? People were dying, being tortured, hurting while they talked and wasted time that could be spent helping. If they were made to agree, perhaps he could never have been a slave. Perhaps his mom could have been saved and alive right now.

"By whom? Who's going to make them?" she confronted, shaking her head at him.

"I don't know. Someone."

"You?" Padmé asked rudely, narrowing her eyes.

Anakin scowled at her. "Of course not me. Someone wise."

"Sounds an awful lot like a dictatorship to me." She looked into her drink, absently playing with the earrings. Obi-Wan glanced between them, looking half amused and half worried.

"Well if it works," Anakin finished coolly, jutting out his jaw.

Padmé looked back at him, her eyes flicking over his face, studying him. Anakin stared back. After three seconds past like that, he almost wanted to make a joke about the entire conversation to disperse the tense atmosphere. He was about to smile and laugh it off when Obi-Wan caught his eye and said slowly, "But what's to stop this wise person from abusing his or her power?"

Padmé hummed in agreement. "One person with absolute control has no safeguards against corruption and a cruel rule. Even if the leader is wise there is nothing stopping the application of illegal activity."

Despite two people arguing against him, both of which had greater formal education, Anakin did not feel ganged up against. Perhaps it was the soft tone of Obi-Wan or the wondering, warm gaze of Padmé, but Anakin began to explain his position feeling like his opinion actually mattered, "If the person is wise that won't matter. This way things can get done. Slavery could be wiped out and people could he helped instead of time wasting away in discussions that go nowhere."

Obi-Wan made a sound of understanding, like something had clicked. In a way, he had solved a mystery. Anakin's past with slavery was something Padmé wasn't privy to, and it rationalized Anakin's perspective on absolute power.

"How about this, then," Obi-Wan began, lifting a hand towards the brunette Senator, "Padmé is your wise dictator and she decides to enforce a rule banning people from talking to another species because she thinks the races should be segregated in order to stop the mixing of cultures."

"Padmé wouldn't do that," Anakin interjected and then glanced worriedly at her.

She laughed, shaking her head. "No, I wouldn't do that."

"This hypothetical Padmé would, though. So what happens now? She has absolute control and people are being oppressed, even if she is considered to be wise."

Anakin shoved his tongue between his teeth, thinking. "I suppose… well, wouldn't the good from other actions outshine this bad law?"

"What if there are no good actions? What if the entire rule is repressive but still wise?" Padmé asked. "And even with moralistic responses amidst the wrong, those people being treated unfairly would not see the good."

"Oh." They were making good points about absolute control. A dictator could just as easily be like one of the slave masters that acted like Gardulla, cruel and intolerant, but with the entire galaxy as her enslaved subjects. Being wise wasn't as easy as Anakin had assumed. While Padmé would probably make a great monarch, there was no power in place to stop her from making unwise decisions. But… "What about the inaction? How is democracy better when nothing happens?"

Padmé and Obi-Wan exchanged a stare, wondering. "I suppose," she started slowly, "the Senate might need to be reformed to weed out the corruption that blocks healthy action. But just because someone disagrees does not mean their opinion can be trampled upon. The process may be arduous, but that's how compromises are reached. How peaceful solutions can be met."

It wasn't the neat resolution Anakin wanted, but their arguments seemed to win him over with hesitant agreement. Power did not necessarily equate to good. It could be used by anyone, good or evil, but there was nothing to stop the bad in a dictatorship, unlike the systems in place in the Republic. In the end, they decided to agree to disagree. Anakin was mostly won over, but still couldn't find it in himself to wholly agree with the current (non)workings of the Senate.

An hour later they hugged goodbye as Padmé returned to the Senate and the two men headed towards the Temple. Walking through the wide doorway, Anakin's mind wandered as he remembered the meeting with the Chancellor. What would life be like if that man was the dictator? Would he be wise but corruptible? And what of the Jedi? Could their power stagnate into something wrong?

When Obi-Wan went to see the healers (he didn't say why, other than reassuring Anakin he was unharmed), Anakin was left to ruminate over democracies and dictatorships.

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tbc

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Notes about this chapter:

(1) Padmé and Anakin just want to jump right into a close relationship, don't they? (Though it's not romantic yet.) For some reason, it's really hard for me to not write it like that. Padmé is like the one person who is untainted with negative energy. I think that alone would allow him to drop his inhibitions, even if their relationship does appear sudden and underdeveloped right now. Please bear with me.

(2) Ardees - Jawa Juice.

(3) I had to include the conversation about governments because it always annoyed me how dismissive Padmé had been. Just because it's not democracy doesn't mean it is automatically evil. She needed to explain why she considered dictatorships to be bad rather than just laugh it off. It didn't sound like a joke and wasn't one, and she's supposed to be smart enough to pick up on that in the movie. Poor Obi-Wan is stuck in the middle here, though. Oops.

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Can I please ask a favor of you all? If you have the time/energy and are willing to review, can you be really critical of this chapter? Was Obi-Wan's quasi step back in their friendship unneeded drama or realistic/necessary for development? Is the fast Padmé/Anakin relationship off putting? Is the pace too slow and/or too fast? If you don't see anything wrong, please tell me that too!

I'm in that weird rut again where I worry about disappointing everyone, so what better way to feel better about it than to improve?

Thanks for reading! Really, thank you so much. I hope ya'll have a great weekend!