Allana

Ani and I were walking by ourselves carrying the backpack as the weather turned colder and colder as the seconds went by.

We walked for couple more hours until we heard a speeder approaching, suddenly he was before us, Count Dooku himself, the one that almost got us both killed. Anakin and I grabbed our sabers and turned them on, blue and violet light surrounded us.

"Surrender the Hutt or die Jedi." The old man threatened, he then threw his Force lightnings at us, that, thanks to Ani, I know the description of the feeling, we blocked them successfully and then he took out his own laser sword.

He started to attack us mercilessly, and we defended ourselves. The only noise was the one the lightsabers emitted every time they collided against one another, it echoed as if just the three of us were in the universe, not one of us said a word.

I avoided an attack that went straight to my face quickly and then, the Count tried to attack Anakin from above but he blocked it.
"Your training has gone a long way boy." Said the Count. Skywalker pushed him backwards and then I attacked the man that once was a Jedi Knight, Anakin and I alternated each other's attacks against the Separatist Leader, switching whenever we started to feel too tired. "Ah, now I remember, this was your home planet wasn't it?" He teased Anakin. "I sense your strong feelings, feelings of pain...loss." Dooku said and got what he wanted, he bothered the beast.

Anakin used the Force to push the sand towards the man before us, but he blocked it neatly, then, he used the same strategy but sent it stronger, making us fly backwards. Ani's saber was thrown away from his hand as he fell, and when Dooku was about to attack him I jumped in the middle, avoiding the thrust.

"Interesting." He said as soon as his eyes made contact with mine. "I never got the pleasure to see you up close." He told me. "The resemblance between you and the Senator is incredible."
"Now you know why fooling you was so easy." I teased him and Anakin got up from the ground as Dooku pushed me and I rolled over on my back, sand getting everywhere, Dooku was behind me. "It was you back in Geonosis." He assured as I blocked his attack from the behind without even facing him. "That is the art the Nexu gave you to remember it."

I turned around quickly and blocked another attack, still on the ground, I groaned when the pressure and strength of his attack were making my arms feel numb but I managed to push him away using the Force. He fell on his back but quickly stood up and used the Force too, but decided to choke me instead, he raised my body from the ground and I let go of my saber when I tried to release the feeling of my throat contracting.

"Pity, now you and the Senator will die." He said as all the air in my lungs was drained. "How poetic." When his red saber was about to stab me, my hero arrived, blocking the impact and pushing him away afterwards, making him loose concentration and therefore, letting my body fall with a loud thud on the sand.

In the middle of their fight and as I tried to recover my breath coughing loudly, the Count was able to cut the backpack by the half. Both of us panting on the ground as the Sith stood tall. "You failed Jedi, I have just killed Jabba's son."

"I told you that fooling you was easy." I commented with a raspy voice, consequence of the attack.

"You've fallen for our little trick Count." Anakin said with a proud grin. "It's nothing but rocks, the Huttlet is with my Padawan, safely at Jabba's palace."

"I expected such treachery from a Jedi." Dooku said. "I assure you my web is strong enough to catch your insignificant little Padawan."

"She's more skillful than you think." I whispered.

"You deceive yourselves!" He yelled and turned his lightsaber back on, as well as us. The battle two against one continued, every time more and more aggressive from each one of us.

Then, Dooku pushed us both away, making us fall backwards and roll over in the sand once more.

"Look, I have a message from your Padawan." He said and he showed us a transmission of Ahsoka fighting, groaning and eventually screaming. Anakin got more angry and kept on fighting until he kicked the Count's face and made him fall this time.
"After my droids kill Jabba's son, they will deliver your Padawan to him for punishment for the Huttlet's murder." He said laying on the ground looking us dead in the eye from below. "I can't imagine he will be merciful."

We turned our sabers off and ran towards Dooku's speeder. Ani hopped as pilot and I sat behind him holding on to his waist as we rushed to help the kid.

"Are you alright?!" He asked.

"I am, but did you hear what he said about Padmé?!"

"I did!" I closed my eyes as he continued driving trying to sense my sister, and when I found her, I sensed her being safe and sound.

"I think she's fine!" I said as we arrived at the palace.

The doors opened before us and a protocol droid, quite alike to 3PO, walked out with a bunch of armed men.

"Where's my Padawan?" Ani asked.

"This way." The droid said as we were going to walk in, but suddenly it stopped and extended its hand. "Your weapons please." It said and after exchanging looks and seeing that we were surrounded and outnumbered we handed the handles our sabers over, then, we finally walked in.

We were now before the Great Jabba the Hutt, a big slimy thing that was quite intimidating.

"These are Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker and Allana Naberrie."
The protocol droid introduced us. "As Coun Dooku said, your son is not with them."

"What?" We asked at the same time.

"Your son's not here?" Ani added.

"Where's Ahsoka?" We asked at the unison again, looking around in a defensive position.

The Hutt started to speak and we lost our patience, like it usually happens at the end of a long, very long day. We pulled our sabers out of the droid's hand and as Anakin approached the gangster I placed my back against his, to be his shield as he asked the questions.

"What have you done to my Padawan?" He asked as gasps and a few screams flooded the room.

"You came here to kill Jabba." The droid translated again.
"Mighty Jabba, we're here to negotiate." I said.

"You came here to die." The droid told us and my grip on my saber intensified as I spinned my lightsaber as I awaited the first blast to come but nothing arrived.

"Stop!" Ahsoka's voice yelled from the entrance, R2 beeped behind her.

She approached us and we turned off the sabers as Jabba called Jabba Junior, Ani and I stepped away as we saw how the youngling handed the baby over to his father, who was now exclaiming in pure happiness and relief. I smiled at the scene and I saw how the others did too. Mission accomplished. Jabba said something and I thought he'd say 'thank you' but...

"You are now to be executed immediately." The droid translated again.

"What?!" The three of us asked, we heard the weapons getting loaded and we placed our backs together, each one of us taking care of one flank as we turned our lightsabers on again.

"Does this always happen to you?" Ahsoka asked Ani.

"Everywhere I go." He answered honestly and if the situation was different I'd laugh.

"I'm terribly sorry Master Naberrie." The chuckle cracked through my lips.

"Believe me young one, sometimes I am too." I said teasing Anakin and he scoffed in response.

Then, an alarm started beeping calling everyone's attention, it was an incoming transmission.

"Your uncle Ziro is contacting us." The droid said and played the message, that reviled no one else but Senator Amidala.

"Greetings honourable Jabba." She started. "I am Senator Amidala of the Galactic Congress, I have discovered a plot against you by one of your own." She commented.

"Well this is getting interesting." I whispered hearing my husband's chuckle next to me, our lightsabers still up.

"Your uncle will admit he conspired with Count Dooku to kidnap your son and frame the Jedi for the crime." Said Padmé and then she disappeared revealing the other Hutt, who explained everything in Huttese, their own language, therefore, only themselves and the droid were able to understand completely, Anakin and I understood too...kind of, I didn't catch everything completely due to the fact that I'm not that fluent on the language.

The droid then translated to the Senator what would happen to Ziro and the Hutt family.

"Perhaps now you will allow the Republic to use your trade routes and hostilities can come to an end." Padmé told the Hutt, who just laughed and spoke again, my brain was slightly confused.

"Jabba agrees, a treaty is in order." The protocol droid explained.

"You will not regret this Jabba." My older sister said and we took our guard down, turning the lightsabers off and taking a more comfortable position.

"The clone armies may move through Jabba's territories." We were all informed.

"Senator." I called her attention and her image in the hologram turned towards me. "You have my undying gratitude."

"No Master Naberrie, it is I, and the Republic who owes you thanks." She commented and smiled at me, suddenly it felt like we were kids again.

"Jabba would be most appreciative if you bring Dooku to justice for his crimes against the Hutts."

"You can count on it Jabba." Anakin told him.

[...]

We waited for Obi-Wan to arrive here. When he did, Master Yoda was also with him, they smiled at us and after a small chat with Jabba we left. We were now on board of a Jedi cruiser, finally, and extremely tired.

Talking with Ahsoka, I told her to go and get some rest, that she actually deserved, she did as I asked and when no one noticed, I made my way to Ani's room in the ship, that isn't that far from mine.

Before I could knock the door it opened, making me smile. "How did you know it was me?"

"I can sense you across the stars flower." I chucked and walked in, the metallic door closing behind me.

"It's weird you call me by the family nickname you know?"

"Why's that?"

"Well, my parents call me that, the fact that my husband does too is just...weird." I said as I watched him take off his armour and the belt.

"I think it's beautiful, like you and it suits you." He said with a smile, as I let my hair down I turned around for a moment to lock the door. "But, if it bothers you, I have something else in mind."
He approached me from behind and hugged me placing his arms around my waist and his chin over my shoulder.

"Is that so?" I asked as he kissed my neck slowly and then I turned around to find him shirtless, only wearing his pants ready to sleep.
"What is it then?"

"Angel." Said he, I smiled under his touch and kind words, then, I kissed his lips, standing on my tippy toes.

"Why Angel?" I asked once we broke the kiss.

"Well, when I was younger I heard the star pilots every time they entered Watto's workshop, they'd say that Angels are the most beautiful creatures in the galaxy." He explained looking deep into my eyes and I could swear I was able to see stars in them. "And you, my love, are the most beautiful person I've ever met." He said and kissed me again. As always, he intensified everything, so, we had to break the kiss when we were out of breath.

"It was a long day." I whispered.

"I know." He said too. "Will you stay here tonight?"

"I am, but just tonight, I don't want to raise suspicions." I smiled at him and he nodded, smiling as well.

"Just tonight." He said and I proceeded to take off my gloves, boots, belt and eventually my shirt, leaving on my pants that were comfortable enough to sleep in them as he took off his gloves. I laid down over his chest, listening to his beating heart that always calms me down.

"She's so much like you." I commented as he moved his fingers across the scars on my back like he usually does during nights like this. The coldness of his robotic fingers on my skin made me shiver.

"I know." He smiled, then, his fingers moved to my hair as mine traced different figures above his chest. "You know? I miss your Padawan braid." He commented making me laugh, he would always play with it before I had to cut it off when I became a Knight.

"I miss yours too, it was cute." I said as he placed a tender kiss on my forehead. "What is it?" I asked after a while.

"What's what?" He answered my question with another one.

"I sense you're nervous...worried."

"I-" He sighed. "I was...I guess the feeling's still here."

"Why?"

"Well, let's think." He said with his sarcastic tone of voice as I looked up towards him, my chin on his shoulder. "You could've died before my eyes..." He meditated for a moment. "Three times today I think."

"Three?"

"Yes, when you got shot, when you almost fell down with that platform and when Dooku choked you and almost stabbed you."

"Oh yes...three."

"Now that I've mentioned it." He said and moved me to the side making me gasp and chuckle, he smiled as he leaned on his forearm and his left hand moved above my waist. "It's healed." He said frowning.

"Yeah, before I got here I went to the medical wing and they cauterised it." I explained. "I don't know what hurt the most, that or the actual shot though."

"Huh." He looked at me as I placed myself on top of him again, his hands were now on my lower back, his deep blue eyes making me swim in them again, my hands reached his collarbone and climbed to the back of his neck where they played with his hair.

"Listen, I'm here, with you, I'm completely fine Ani." I said as I kissed his forehead as well, making him smile as he kissed my shoulder. "We are fine, stop worrying so much, please." I added, my lips slightly touching his forehead. Then I looked back into his eyes and he kissed my lips. "I know how to take care of myself." I added after breaking the kiss.

"I know, but I-"

"I know that you want to take care of me, but you have to trust me, your constant worry will only make our truth be obvious for everyone, just don't worry that much." He smiled and kissed my shoulder again, making me smile. "Just a little bit."

"Fine." He sighed and I kissed his lips shortly.

I placed my head over his chest again once the kiss was broken, as the sound of his breath and heartbeat filled my ears, calming my nerves, he's here safe and sound beside me, we're fine.

"I love you." I whispered after a few seconds in silence, the darkness of the room surrounding us.

"I love you too tough girl." He whispered in my ear as he traced figures around my back and waist, then he laughed.

"What?" I asked.

"Maybe that can be your nickname."

"You're kidding right?"

"What? It suits you." He giggled again making me do so as well. "Or what about...Smarty? Since you think you know it all."

"I do know it all."

"Yeah right."

"I do, and you know it."

"Shut up Smarty."

I chuckled. "You love that don't you?"

"Honestly I do, I really do." He answered and we both laughed in a whisper, enjoying being together, alone, being ourselves in the intimacy of this four small walls. "Sweet dreams darling." He said after a couple seconds with a raspy voice that indicated his tiredness.

I giggled. "Good night my love." I told him, and as I closed my eyes the peace of being with the love of my life filled me up, calming every single muscle of my body after the longest day. I fell asleep letting myself drown in that feeling, letting my mind rest.