Padme

Padme walked into the outer room of the apartment she and Anakin shared. She sat down on the couch and waited for him to appear. He had been gone alot lately. It wasn't like him but... he had been doing a lot more things that weren't like him lately and that worried her more and more. The doctor kept telling her not to stress herself out. That it wasn't good for her but she just wouldn't listen and now she was becoming sick.

Anakin

The door slid open with a hiss, admitted the 'Promised One' to the apartment he shared with his wife. Anakin had been deployed with Obi-Wan for a good month now, and it irritated him to no end that he had to be away from Padme. It was bad enough that they hid thier marriage; it was terrible to have to be gone from her for so long.

"Padme?" he called out as he stepped into the foyer.

Padme

Padme's eyes raised as the floor opened, her husband coming inside.

"Anakin! Are you alright? You're finally home!" she said, moving to stand and go towards him when suddenly sharp pains went through her and she cried out. Before he could say anything she shook her head, "Must have gotten up too suddenly. "How was your journey?"

Anakin

Anakin's eyes betrayed the worry that he did his best not to have in his voice. "It was fine," he replied, crossing the room to hug her gently. The dreams were still coming to him, and he did not like it at all. After his mother's death because of his prophetic dreams, he was wary of any of his dreams nowadays.

"How is life in the Senate?"

Padme

"The same, old men fighting over what to do, everyone is turmoil. I think I am glad I am not head of a country any longer. Feeling the weight of that, the burden that it can bring - well, it is sometimes so very hard, but so is the Senate. How are you, Anakin?" she asked, knowing him better than he thought. Her hand brushed the side of his face, gently.

Anakin

Dropping the tough Jedi appearance for a moment, he actually allowed himself to slump slightly, his eyes shutting as he pressed his cheek into her palm.

"I miss you," he admitted. "I hate being away from here for so long. If Obi-Wan or that council make me go away again for so long a time..."

Padme

Padme smiled, "You'd go, because that's what you do and I'd wait here for you, because that's what I do and one day we'll be together without having to do it in secret and in the shadows and worry that someone might discover us. One day," she said with a sigh.

Anakin

"I'd hope so..." Anakin replied softly, though his face betrayed the concern he still felt. Uncertainty, Master Yoda said, is a show of the Dark Side. Anakin knew this too well and did his best to guard against his fears. But they were still strong in his psyche.

"I don't know if I'd go anymore." He finally declared. "I may need to put the Order behind me in order to move on with my life. My life that's with you."

Palpatine

Palpatine stood in his office facing the large pane window. He looked out at the Republic army. His face was overly unexpressive. His mind worked in ways no one could understand. He hid his true intentions under a guise of concern and sadness for the galaxy's turmoil.

"I am determined to end this war, soon," Palpatine told his assisstants. "We are closing in on the Seperatists at this very moment. But I am afraid this galaxy will not be able to rebuild itself without my guidance. I will address the Senate on this. Making sure they can aid in the galactic reconstruction once this war is over."

He turned away from the window and sat down in his chair. Then he spun around to face the door. "Go! I must contemplate things." He templed his hands together laying them on the top of his desk. He breathed out deeply. Everything was going according to plan.