(Revised and reposted) It's been three years since Anakin abandoned Padmé on Naboo and was killed. Now, on their way home from a mission, Padmé, Obi-Wan, and Satine are shot down by a mysterious robed person called 'The Master', who immediately takes an interest in a certain Nubian senator. When she gets a chance to escape, will she take it, or will she stay behind with this very familiar stranger? (Yes, I suck at summaries. R&R!)

The sun had already set on Naboo's lake country, darkness beginnng to settle on Padmé's lake house. The twin suns reflected on the motionless waters, yet, no one was present to view them.

The two sole inhabitants of the vast estate were, indeed, far from thinking about the beauty that was surrounding them. Instead, they were sitting in a room alone, both focused on the confession that had just been made, and the reply.

Finally, he spoke. "We could keep it a secret."

"Then we'd be living a lie- one we couldn't keep even if we wanted to," she was quick to retort, always the logical one. "I couldn't do that. Could you, Anakin? Could you live like that?"

He stared at her for a moment, his blue eyes intense. Defiantly she held his gaze, and finally, he looked back at the fire, defeated. "No, you're right. It would destroy us." He stood. "If you'll excuse me, I will retire. Good night, Senator."

She sighed. "Anakin, wait." He paused, turning back to her. She winced at the pain in his eyes. "I mean it when I say I can not have a relationship with you. Any sort of long-term affair would not work for either of us. But… I… I do feel something for you." She looked down at her hands. "All I can promise you is tonight. Please, let me give that to you. As the proof of my… feelings."

For a minute, he stood there, unmoving. Then, his shoulders slumped in defeat and he nodded.

"Good," Padmé said, forcing a smile. "Meet me in my room in an hour."

He made no indication that he heard her as he turned and left the room.

Padmé sat at her vanity, drumming her fingers impatiently on the glass. It had been over three hours since Anakin had lef her sitting in front of the fire. Had he changed his mind? If he had, he should have at least had the decency to tell her. She debated for the nth time whether or not she should try to find him, and as she always had, she decided in the negative.

Meanwhile, on Kamino, Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi felt a sharp pain through the force. Searching it, he found the source.

His bond with Anakin had been severed.

At the same time, a stolen ship made the jump to hyperspace just after it was cleared by Theed Air Space Control.

"He gave you no indication that he was planning on leaving? None?" Obi-Wan asked, pacing.

Padmé Amidala sighed. "For the fifth time, no. How was I supposed to know he wasn't going to come back? I don't have your special talent of being able to read minds," she shot back.

He winced. "I'm sorry… I suppose I deserved that," he admitted ruefully, running a hand through his auburn hair. "It's just… I don't know. It's been two weeks, and we still haven't heard from him."

They were sitting in Padmé's penthouse, trying to put together all the clues on Anakin's disappearance. In truth, they both had other things to be doing, now that the galaxy was at war. Obi-Wan was supposed to be out on the front lines, and she was much needed in the senate. Instead, they were in her living room, sipping sapir tea and combing through the minuscule amount of clues they had.

She huffed in frustration, setting down her mug. "I think we need a break," she decided. Reaching for her remote, she turned on the holoprojector. "I wonder what's on the news?"

Obi-Wan sat up straighter. "Turn it up. A Jedi has been killed."

Padmé obliged, and they managed to catch the news anchors last words.

"...shot down earlier in a misunderstanding amongst the clones has been confirmed to be Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker, who was reported AWOL approximately a week ago by the Jedi Council. Back to you, Socoh."

The instant she stepped out of the turbo lift, Duchess Satine Kryze knew that something was wrong. Very wrong.

"Padmé?" she called into the penthouse. "Are you here?" The only response she received was the sound of sniffles and someone crying. "Padmé?" she called again, softer this time, as she entered the living area.

Her friend was sitting on the couch, curled up in a fetal position, tears streaming down her face. Beside her, with his arm around her comfortingly, was a familiar looking ginger headed man. As soon as she entered, he looked up, his eyes the color of a raincloud. They flickered in recognition, and he leaned down to whisper in Padmé's offer.

Padmé's head immediately jerked up, her eyes red and puffy. "Satine?" she croaked in a hoarse voice.

"Padmé, are you okay?" Satine asked, hurrying over to sit beside her friend. The ginger head man, whom she had given up trying to remember who he was, removed his arm from around Padmé. Whispering something in her ear again, he got up and disappeared into the kitchen.

Satine stared after him for a moment before turning back to Padmé. "What happened?"

The younger woman's lower lip trembled as she whispered in a sorrowful tone, "he… he… he's…" she swallowed. "He's… dead."

"Who, Padmé?" Satine probed. "Who's dead?"

"Ana… Ani… my Ani…"

She frowned. A boy named Annie? "Padmé, who died?"

"Anakin… Oh Ani, oh my Ani…" Padmé sobbed.

"Padmé, who is Annie?"

"Ani," a heavily accented voice said, "is Anakin Skywalker, who… the Senator… she had feelings for him. He died this morning in a misunderstanding with the authorities."

She knew that voice. "Obi-Wan?" she asked, her voice trembling as she looked up.

He nodded, setting a mug of steaming liquid in front of Padmé and offering her one. She took it, her hands shaking slightly as she watched him take a sip from his own.

He made a face, regarding the cup in displeasure. "Rich people caff," he muttered, setting it down as he sat on the couch opposite her. "I assume then, that you have not heard of Anakin's disappearance, your Grace?"

"I have to admit, I have never even heard of him before now," she confessed. "Who is he?"

"Anakin, or Ani, as he was referred to affectionately by a small number of people, is my padawan learner. Or, rather, was, up until his disappearance a fortnight ago." He paused, his eyes turning the grey they became whenever he was fighting the urge to cry.

"How did he disappear?" she asked, prompting him.

He rubbed his face wearily and shook his head. "I… I don't know. I wasn't there," he admitted. "It was a mission. Anakin was supposed to be protecting Padmé… I was off-planet, investigating."

Satine smiled. "Sound familiar?"

A hint of a smile flashed across his face, immediately followed by a crippling sadness. "I suppose… but he never came back. He ran away."

"Ran away? But why?"

He ran a tired hand through his hair. "That… that is what I don't know. We… that is, Padmé and I, were trying to find that out when the news came that he… he… he was…"

Satine hurriedly took her arm from around Padmé, who had fallen asleep, and moved to sit beside him. "Obi, it's going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay," she said, putting her arms around him. He gave a strangled sob and she gulped. "Okay, so maybe it won't."

Obi-Wan whimpered pitifully, clinging to her. Satine sighed. She had never been one for comforting; it just wasn't in her disposition. And when people literally clung to her for comfort, it made her… uncomfortable.

For a while she sat there, never knowing that they were embarking on a journey that would forever change their lives, and the entire fate of the galaxy.

For all those who know me from before, I'm back!

I'm really sorry for disappearing on you guys like that. Sadly, all of my fan fictions were deleted, so I'm going to have to rewrite them from scratch. *sob*

To all my new readers, thank you or stopping by my story and reading. It means a lot.

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