Sacrifice

"Tell me another story about Daddy," Leia squirmed her way up onto Padme's lap and elbowed Luke out of her way.

Luke pushed back, leaning heavily into Padme's side. "Was Daddy brave?"

Padme smiled softly, "Daddy was very brave." She whispered. "What story do you want to hear?" She looked down at her twins with soft, kind eyes.

"Uncle Ben said the best ones have him in them," Leia suggested.

"Nah-uh," Luke protested. "Auntie Ahsoka said she's in the best ones."

Padme smiled softly as she ran her fingers down the tight braid that Ahsoka had put in Leia's dark hair before she leaned over and kissed Luke's summery blonde hair. "Let's see… has anyone told you my favorite story about Daddy?"

Both twins looked at her with wondrous, curious eyes. Anakin's blue eyes, mirrored in their son and his thick lashes mirrored in their daughter. They waited for her to carry on the story, already hanging on the words that were on the very tip of her tongue.

"Uncle Ben and I were on Tatooine with his master getting spare parts for our broken down ship. We stopped in a small shop and there he was." Her voice shook and her hand wandered to her throat, feeling for the aged cord and the small carved snipped dirtied by the oils of her hands. "He… he asked me if I was an angel,"

She let the tears fall from her eyes, trailing slowly down her face.

"Daddy's an angel… isn't he? That's what Uncle Ben said." Leia quipped with a smile. "Don't cry, mommy."

"Yes, Leia, Daddy's an angel."

Stars

Her eyes contained galaxies that he had never imagined before. She held so much life and such intricate infinities.

"Obi,"

He blinked and suddenly realized that he had been so captivated by her eyes, he probably seemed like a buffoon to her. He turned away, a rosy blush climbing across his face. He remained quiet, not wanting to destroy the peace that they had created.

Her petite hands traced his jawline from one side to the other before she made him turn to face her again. She tilted her head and moved in gently, kissing him briskly before nipping at his bottom lip. "Stay with me forever."

The stars that twinkled in her eyes couldn't compare to those above them. He wanted to spend the rest of his life exploring her rather than the numerous harms that plagued the galaxy they had both sworn to protect.

"I mean it," She pressed her forehead against his before getting to her feet and planting a soft kiss onto his forehead.

He woke with a start and sat up. He had fallen asleep in the lush grasses watching the stars. His hands clenched the green blades underneath him, but he didn't bother getting to his feet and venturing back to his tent. He leaned his head back, observing the cosmos above him.

It felt wrong that the universe continued on as though nothing had happened. Planets continued orbiting suns, stars continued to twinkle, he continued to live without her.

He picked out a star in dark night sky. His hand raised to his lips and he blew a kiss to the star.

Goodnight, Satine.

Struggle

She climbed up onto one of the training blocks, stalking her prey from above. She jumped down, her lightsabers flashing in front of her.

He countered in a split second, knocking one of the lightsabers out of her hand with relative ease. He snapped the hilt into his hand using the Force and ignited the training saber.

She caught his attack in the center, but he crossed the blades bending her grip at a weird angle. She pulled back and smacked her blade against his with all her might, narrowly avoiding a strike from his other saber.

"Getting tired?" He asked, lowering his twin blades.

She circled with him, waiting for him to line up with the crates before she manipulated the Force to push him back into them. She launched herself high and dove down pressing her blade on top of his two crossed blades.

He lay on the ground, looking up at her with an ounce of shock in his eyes. He smirked and before she could even realize what had happened he had her on the ground, lightsaber-less, and there was a pain in her lower back and ankle.

"I'm never going to get the hang of this," Tears welled in her eyes as he let her sit up. He sat down across from her and set her lightsaber and the training saber on the ground between them.

"You're doing great Snips." He leaned back, looking up at the ceiling covered in a net of rope for climbing. He looked forward, "Put yourself above me like you had it before," He grabbed both sabers and activated them before laying down.

She stood over him, putting one foot in between his legs and her saber balancing on top of his crossed blades.

"What can I do to your feet?" He asked.

"I can kick you where it counts."

Drunk

Anakin leaned heavily into Padme, resting his head on her shoulder. "We should stop,"

Padme grabbed the wine bottle from him and took a sip. "Why?" She turned to him, forcing him to pick his head up so she could sloppily kiss him. He put his hands in her hair, but lost his balance and they fell back onto each other.

Anakin pushed the wine bottle up with a laugh and Padme looked at him clueless. She squirmed up, pressing her hand onto his chest where she had spilled the wine. She looked at him and for a moment he thought that she was going to kiss him again but she took the wine bottle from his hand and took another swig.

"This isn't fair," she hiccupped. "We were going to get drunk together, but you're nowhere near as, as wasted as me." She pressed the bottle into him and he laughed.

He sat up, taking the bottle and drinking from it. "I hate Alderaanian white wine." He made a face and took another sip as she watched him.

"I have, um," she snapped her fingers, trying to think of the name of something. She cursed softly, "Some Outer Rim thing, it's sweet." She struggled to get up, leaning heavily on the banister of her balcony and wandering back into the apartment.

Anakin leaned back, laying on the periwinkle marble floor. He rolled over, watching her as she walked away from him. She noticed and wiggled her hips, making him laugh.

If it were up to him… this is how they would spend every meditative retreat.

Secret

"Snips, can you keep a secret?" Anakin whispered in the darkness of their quarters.

She rolled over on her cot and looked at him, putting down her datapad. "What?"

He pulled an arm out from behind her back and threw something at her. She caught it before it hit the ground and felt it with her hands. Whatever it was, it was squishy.

"What is it?"

He turned the lights on dimly and walked across the room. He sat down on his cot and tore open the small bag with his teeth. "Candy."

She popped open her bag. "They look like space slugs." She stretched the colorful gummy candy and put one end in her mouth, tearing it off. It was sweet and fruity. She was instantly in love.

"Gummy space slugs." Anakin corrected.

"Why does this have to be a secret?" She asked, biting another one. "Everyone should know about these."

Anakin snickered, "If Obi-Wan knew he'd lecture me on what I'm supposed to do with my credits." He leaned his back against the wall, dangling his feet off the side of his cot. "Gummy space slugs are much better."

Ahsoka nodded. "You know, earlier today Obi-Wan tried to convince me that washing the floor of the training room was a good lesson in learning about the field."

Anakin couldn't help but laugh. "It'll get easier once you're knighted. He'll get off your case."

She sat up, "Knighted?"

Anakin was quiet. He had said too much.

His Togruta padawan slid out of her cot. "I'm going to be knighted?" She yelled.

Anakin shushed her. "Sit down. Eat your gummy space slugs."

She smiled wide and sat down, kicking her bare feet happily. Tonight was the best night.