Allana

  The sunlight was bright and it felt warm against my skin. I opened my eyes slowly and let them adapt to the brightness. I breathed in and felt Ani's robotic arm around my naked waist pulling me close, his breath tickled the back of my neck and I smiled. He moved closer and kissed the skin of my left shoulder, then, my eyelids felt heavy and I closed my eyes again, to get five more minutes of sleep.

  After surely more than five minutes, I moved to embrace my husband but I only found an empty and cold spot on the mattress. I frowned and looked around, spotting clothes on the ground and one of the bedsheets on the floor too, the other one was covering me. I heard footsteps and looked at the entrance of the room to find him already showered and dressed up, holding a mug with coffee.

"Hello sleepy head." He said with a smile as I placed my back against the headboard, covering my chest with the blue bedsheet and took off the pendants and the golden necklace to place them on the nightstand. 

"Hi." I said and he sat beside me, offering the mug before kissing my lips. He tasted like mint and smelled like the beverage that is in my mug, as usual.

"Hope you slept well, after all that happened." I chuckled and took a sip. He knows perfectly how to prepare it: not too bitter, not too sweet. A perfect balance.

"I did sleep well, thank you. What about you?"

"Great." I took another sip and looked at the window, then he chuckled. "Sorry about that." He said and I frowned.

"What?" I looked at the zone his fingertips were touching, my collarbone, but of course I couldn't see. "What?"

"Hickey." I sighed and sent him a glare. "Oh, don't look at me like that, you loved it, besides, you gave me a few too. I'm lucky to wear these clothes, they cover my collarbone well."

"Mine cover it too."

"I know." I took another sip, longer than the previous ones. "I gotta go, Snips has a meeting with the Council in ten minutes." I nodded. He sounds like a father and he's not actually one, I smiled. "See you there." He kissed my lips again and then my forehead.

"Sure, good luck."

"Thanks." He walked out of the room. "By the way, I left your breakfast at the kitchen bar."

"Thanks. I love you!" I smiled more as his footsteps echoed getting far and far away towards the entrance.

"I know! Come on R2." The astromech beeped and then the door opened and closed. I smiled more and got rid of the light blue fabric that covered my body and pulled Anakin's black sleep robe with the Force. I proceeded to put it on

  Afterwards, I walked to the kitchen and found a sandwich and a small note: 'in case you wake up too late and i'm gone, good morning lazy girl, see you at the temple, i love you.' I chuckled and ate my breakfast, finishing my coffee alongside it.

  Afterwards I walked up to the bedroom again and tided everything up, starting with the bed, when I picked the dress from the ground, the flashes of last night came back to my head and I smiled again, then, after I placed everything in the washing machine, I went to brush my teeth and take a bath to relax a bit more before going to my stressful job.

  When I had finished washing my skin and hair, I got out of the bathroom and saw the hickeys on my skin through my reflection on the mirror. Damn him. I couldn't avoid a small smile from cracking in my lips as I walked to the closet and grabbed a dark grey, sleeveless shirt that covered my collarbone and —as usual— had no back, skintight dark green cargo pants, my underwear and my boots.

  I got dressed and as I let my hair dry, I took my gloves, the dark grey armour with the Pack symbol on them and my belt. I took the credits from my wallet and kept them in a pocket of my belt and clipped the lightsaber on it's place.

  Afterwards I took the clothes out and turned 3PO on, he greeted me and I greeted him back, then, I asked him to help me make sure the clothes dry because I thought I was running late, he said there was no problem as I braided some locks of my hair and pinned them up, leaving the rest loose. I didn't feel like tying my hair up today, it stayed in a low bun over night, so, I'll let it fall down my shoulders.

  I walked out of our apartment and made my way to the Temple, as I arrived, I met with Snips, she walked with her head low and I frowned, fearing something bad happened in the briefing.

"Morning Snips." She looked up at me.

"Smarty, hey." She smiled a bit but I could sense she was uneasy and worried. "How are you?"

"I'm great, thanks...what's the matter?" I started walking right beside her, I recognised she was on her way to meet up with Master Yoda.

"Well, Anakin has been dispatched to Balith and I had to stay here, besides, I saw something...in a dream." I'm familiar with that matter. "I wanted to talk to Master Yoda about it."

"Well, go ahead, there's no one better to discuss this type of stuff with than him." She nodded and we reached the door, that opened itself in a second after the chime rang and Yoda said 'enter' from the opposite side.

  "Have a seat young Padawan." I smiled at her and Master Yoda. "Allana, good to see you it is."

"Likewise Master, I'll let you be." I gave a step to get away, turning around.

"Meditated recently have you?" I closed my eyes and turned around as I opened them.

"No...not that recently." I bit my lip and Ahsoka had to suppress a chuckle. "I'll get to that right away Master." He nodded.

"Good, good." He said and nodded as I walked away hearing the door sliding down.

  When I got to my small room in the Temple, I sat by the window, feeling the warm sunlight on me again, then, I closed my eyes as I breathed in to meditate, if I'm honest, a part of me needed it.

  The ocean I always see and hear was calm, everything was good, I was able to sense my friends everywhere, I could even hear their voices: Obi-Wan was laughing with Adi and Aayla, Ahsoka was talking with Madame Jocasta, Anakin was talking with Rex, I could sense him perfectly, his emotions, his thoughts...as if he was right beside me when he was probably already travelling through hyperspace. I also heard my parents and Sola, as well as my nieces, I could sense Padmé but I couldn't hear her. When I was about to open my eyes, I heard a laughter...it sounded oddly familiar, afterwards, a gun clicked as it got loaded, I focused on that as the waves of the ocean started to turn a bit aggressive.

  I heard myself running through some sort of hallway, my breath was too loud, perhaps it wasn't only my breath but someone else's as well. Way above the heavy breaths, a male voice echoed.

  "Kill her." He said in a loud whisper, but...who was that?

"With pleasure." I recognised that voice perfectly, Aurra Sing, but it couldn't be...Ahsoka said she was dead, that she saw the ship blowing up with her in it.

  The laughter of the middle child of my family echoed and went quiet with a blaster being fired. I opened my eyes with a gasp feeling my heart rate stop for a second after it had increased and my breath was uneven.

"Padmé." I got up and ran out of my room, when I turned on a hallway, I bumped into Ahsoka.

"Master!"

"Kid! Oh man, you scared the..." I cleared my throat. "You scared me."

"I'm sorry, but, I need to talk to you."

"I- Can it wait? I'm in a rush right now, I need to get to Senator Amidala." I walked past her and resumed my way.

"What I need to tell you it's about her." I stopped my movements and turned around. "The dream I had...I think it may be someone close to me and I was studying earlier and...fell asleep, I dreamt of Senator Amidala...I figured the previous dream was about her too."

"What happened in the previous dream?"

"Aurra Sing...she chocked me and said that 'she will die, there's nothing you can do about it'." She looked at me and I grabbed the pendant of my necklace.

"Come with me." She nodded and we walked out of the Temple quickly.

[...]

  I hopped on a speeder and Snips sat beside me, then, I drove us to Padmé's apartment, where I supposed she was. Once we landed the transport, I met a familiar face.

"Captain Typho, it's been a while." He chuckled as he offered his hand and I shook it.

"I could say the same Allana." He looked at the kid behind me with a smile. "Padawan Tano."

"Hello Captain." She smiled back.

"I assume you're looking for Senator Amidala." I nodded. "I'll guide you in."

"Thanks."

  We walked behind him and entered the elevator that'd take us to the little penthouse, where my sister lives. When we walked out, memories flooded my head, it's been a while since I've been here. The walls were still blue with golden touches and the large windows reminded me of night conversations with my Knight in shining armour as we protected my sister's life, it's sad that the only moments I've spent here had been because she's in danger.

  "Senator Amidala." Typho called the woman that was standing by the window, her hair was up in a bun and she was wearing a dark purple dress with a silver lace on the chest and long sleeves that remind me of the ones the Jedi robes have. She's dressing exactly as the last time. "General Naberrie and Padawan Tano are here to see you."

"Senator." We said at the unison.

"Hi!" She smiled brightly when her eyes met ours. "It's so good to see you." She hugged me tightly and proceeded to hug the kiddo too. "How have you been?" I shrugged.

"I'm okay." I said then she looked at Snips.

"Honestly, I've been better." Tano said and I frowned, she looked at me and I nodded. "We're worried for you Senator." We started walking towards the balcony of the window, once there, I reclined my back on the railing.

"Me? Why?" Padmé's brown eyes traveled from Ahsoka to me.

"We sense you're in grave danger." She frowned.

"What makes you believe that?" Asked the Senator.

"I've been having dreams...bad dreams." Ahsoka answered and I breathed in.

"And I've heard something."

"Heard?" My sister and Padawan asked at the same time, I nodded.

"Remember the mission where we had to rescue children from Cad Bane?" I asked Ahsoka and she nodded. "Well, I had to meditate with Master Yoda and I heard a kid suffering, he told me I could hear the future. Now, earlier, as I meditated, I was able to hear someone giving the order to kill you, someone else said that it wouldn't be a problem and in a second or two a blaster fired." Snips looked at her.

"Padmé, you're in danger...I just know it."

"Exactly what kind of danger?" Asked Typho and I looked at Ahsoka.

"I believe that a very dangerous bounty hunter is out to assassinate you." The Padawan answered.

  Padmé walked in and sat down on her couch, sighing, we followed behind and Ahsoka sat in front of the Senator while I stood behind the glass and looked outside, here we are again.

"This is troubling." Said my sister and I sighed too.

"You think?" I asked with sarcasm as I faced her and Typho and sighed. "Guess we'll unfortunately have go back in time...we have to protect you."

"Agreed." Said Amidala. "Captain, please take all necessary precautions." I frowned again as she stood up.

"You're leaving?" Ahsoka asked the question that popped in my head before I could.

"Yes, Bail Organa and I are leading a conference concerning the refugees from the war, I leave for Alderaan in twenty minutes."

"But the threat to your life..."

"Ahsoka, the refugee situation is much too crucial to ignore, I called this conference, it could make an enormous difference in policy, it's vital that I go."

"What if I go? You can disguise yourself as a handmaiden and I'll be you, you'll be there in anyway and if anything happens...it would be me and not you."

"No, it has to be me the one who shows up."

"Well, it's not like people ever found out..."

"Allana, not this time." I bit my lip.

"Fine." Ahsoka looked at me with eyes filled with worry, I winked at her. "Then we'll come with you."

"You don't have to."

"Yes, we do, if we can stop the bounty hunter, then, we'll go."

"Can we do that?" Asked Ahsoka. "We haven't informed the Council."

"It's fine, you haven't got any orders, me neither, we can say it's our day off but we'll use it to go with her."

"Then, that's fine by me." Snips sent me a complacent smile.

"Girls, seriously, there's no-"

"Ta, ta, ta, ta." I interrupted like Mom usually does. "It's two against one." She smiled. "And don't even make me count the votes of your crew." Typho smiled behind Padmé.

"Please Senator, let us go with you, we'll protect you." Ahsoka said and I nodded. "Plus...I've never been to Alderaan." We chuckled as the kid smiled.

"I guess it couldn't hurt, besides, I enjoy your company." I high-fived Ahsoka. "They'll join us as extra security." She told Typho and he nodded as he smiled at us.

  The crew started to take the suitcases the Senator was using, and we helped, then, we hopped in a frigate that would take us to a platform where her ship was already getting ready. When we arrived, we hopped in the ship, and after the crew made sure everything was in place, we took off.

[...]

  We helped Padmé settle in her quarters and she offered us to stay there for a while. I sat on the chair of the small desk and spinned around like I did whenever I was bored when I was younger while Ahsoka and Padmé sat by the couch to play Dejarik.

  The Senator was beating the Padawan, she was a bit upset but I knew her head was somewhere else thinking about danger and the tactics she could use to keep everyone in this ship stay safe instead of the moves she had to use to beat Padmé.

  "You'll learn to play in time Ahsoka." Said my sister and I stopped spinning the seat, feeling a bit dizzy. "Some day, you'll even beat me."

"Don't believe her, she told me the same thing when I was nine and I haven't been able to, and it's been eleven years and a half." Padmé chuckled, I smiled and Snips gave us a half smile with a scoff.

"It's not that." Said 'soka, I knew it wasn't, so, I stood up and walked up to her to sit beside her.

"What's on your mind kid?" I asked.

"I know you're here but..." She looked at me and frowned. "I've been mostly feeling unsure about my abilities, usually Master Skywalker is there to guide me in times like these." I smiled tenderly at her and I looked at Padmé, she had a soft smile on her lips too.

"When I was Queen I felt the same insecurities as you do now. I had my advisors, but it was ultimately up to me to run the entire Naboo system and I was very afraid at times." Said the Senator.

"Really?" Asked the young girl and Padmé nodded. "You felt unsure?"

"Oh yes." Her eyes looked at me. "And I'm sure I was not the only one." Ahsoka's attention snapped towards me too and I giggled.

"You too?" I nodded.

"There was a time when I had to go with Mace Windu on a mission, Adi Gallia, my former Master, was dispatched somehwere else and I thought that I wasn't ready to be alone without my Master, even if I was working shoulder to shoulder with another one." I brought her in for a short hug. "It's normal to feel this way kiddo, but you'll learn to trust yourself and your instincts like we did, it just takes a little time." She looked at my sister and at me with a smile that we returned.

"Thank you...one more game?" She looked at Padmé.

"Absolutely." Answered the Senator.

"Wanna team up with me Smarty? Two minds are stronger than one right?" I chuckled.

"Alright." She smiled and we started playing.

[...]

  After a while, we managed to beat Padmé, it was a huge accomplishment for me if I'm honest, I finally had my victory. We all felt hungry, so, we decided to eat something, afterwards, Padmé and Ahsoka went to bed while I took the first round.

  I was coming and going through the ship. Navigation seemed to be going well, there were no enemy ships nearby, not a single soul —but ours— was in the sector, and we'd reach Alderaan in half an hour. It was a quiet trip...or so I thought.

  As I walked out of the cockpit for the second time, I heard Ahsoka yelling down the corridor.

"The assassin's inside!" I took my lightsaber from my belt and started running towards the Senator's quarters too. I walked in behind the kid as she turned her lightsaber on and jumped on the bed, protecting Padmé and causing the room to submerge in bright green light, I looked around but no one was there, just a woman sleeping that opened her eyes abruptly, with a combination of fear and worry painted on her kind features.

"Ahsoka." Said Amidala as she sat on her bed.

"Stay down!" She ordered, still defensive, looking around at every corner.

"Snips?" I spoke looking at the girl.

"What's going on?" Typho arrived and asked behind me.

"Nothing." Ahsoka answered and turned off her lightsaber as the lights of the room turned on. "False alarm, forgive me Senator." She jumped down and walked out, my eyes followed her until she got lost in her quarters.

"Are you alright my Lady?" The Captain asked my sister and I looked at her, he relaxed a bit as I placed my lightsaber on my belt.

"Yes Captain, I'm fine." She said and everyone walked out, included me. "Lana?" I stopped when she called me and turned around. "Is Ahsoka okay?" I shrugged and sighed. As the months have gone by, I've realised that I care about her as my own child, she's the one I can't have yet and it worries and upsets me not to know with clarity if she's okay.

"I don't know." I walked into the room and sat on the bed. "I know as much as you do, she's been having nightmares."

"Like you and...you know who?" I nodded.

"He used to dream about his mother and I had the same dream about you, someone hurting you."

"I've always thought it was deeper than that." I sighed again and nodded looking at the floor.

"It was." She moved and hugged me. "But I won't let it happen, I promise."

"I know. I trust you and Ahsoka will do all you can to keep me safe." I smiled at her as I separated from her. "Make sure she's fine." I nodded.
"You should get dressed, we'll arrive in no time." She smiled and nodded too, then, I walked out.

  I was walking towards the cockpit but stopped before Ahsoka's door, I knocked but there was no answer.

"Ahsoka?" Silence for an entire minute, I sighed. "Look, I understand you don't want to talk right now but just...hear me out okay?" I bit my lip. "Don't feel bad for not being right, try to focus, calm down, breath. I know the visions may be scary but you can use them to be a step ahead of Aurra, trust your instincts kid, this happens to the best of us as we get stronger in the Force, believe me...I'll be at the cabin if you...you know, want to talk." She didn't say a word, so, I softly hit the cold metal of the entrance with my closed fist and made my way to the cockpit.

[...]

  After a while, we arrived. The beauty of the planet is mesmerising. High hills covered with green grass, trees everywhere and mountains covered in snow flanked rivers and lakes. We landed on a platform where we spotted several Senators already waiting for us.

  Some droids grabbed Padmé's stuff and stood behind her and the guards that were flanking her, Typho was to my left and Snips was to my right, she was still not talking.

As the ramp of the ship slid down, and we walked out, I placed my hands behind my back.

"Padmé!" Said Bail.

"Bail, it's so good to see you." Said the Senator and they shook hands for a second.

"I see you've got company." He commented looking at me and offered his hand for me to shake it. "Hello Allana."

"So long no see Bail." I shook his hand and he let go with a smile.

"I must admit, the presence of Jedi in Alderaan is a bit strange...is everything alright?"

"Yeah, we're here as extra security, just in case." He nodded but his worry was palpable.

"Thank you so much for hosting this conference." Padmé called his attention and changed the subject making him nod. "Dealing with the refugees of this war needs to be our number one priority."

"Absolutely." Said Organa. "Your presence here is greatly appreciated. Come, Senator Mothma and I will take you to your quarters."

  We walked into the building and started going down a pathway. The walls were grey and the ceiling was tall, the mat on the ground was emerald green with silver touches. I liked the simple and yet fancy decoration. Ahsoka froze when we entered the hallway that reached the rooms, but she resumed her walk in a second, she was worried.

  Everyone walked in and the security team —that included us— stayed outside for a moment. When I was about to walk in, Snips sat on the ground and closed her eyes, she's meditating, I smiled.

"What is she-?" Typho whispered.

"Shh." I whispered back. "Give her a minute." He nodded and after said minute and a half, her eyes opened. She looked at me and stood up. I nodded and she returned the gesture, then, I looked at the Captain and we walked into the room.

  "I did hear what you told me." Ahsoka said calling my attention and I looked at her. "You went through this too?"

"You'd be surprised at how alike is your situation with mine." She frowned. "I used to have nightmares about Padmé...dying in my arms, and all those visions appeared in my head over and over again when I found out about the threat to her life almost two years ago." She nodded as she took in the information. "What exactly did you see last night?"

"Myself, running through these hallways, a gun getting loaded, Senator Amidala unconscious on the ground." I felt a shiver going down my spine. "And Aurra Sing...she said 'it's begun' but I don't know what that means."

"It's okay, one thing at a time." She smiled.

"I also had a clearer vision, just now."

"Then, you should tell her." She nodded and we walked up to Padmé, who was talking to Senator Mothma and Bail, the three of them were smiling.

  "Senator, might I have a word with you in private?" Asked Snips and Padmé's eyes met mine, then, she nodded.

"Of course Padawan Tano." She stood up. "If you'll excuse me." The Senators looked at her and then at each other as we walked to the corner of the room, their smiles faded away slowly to be replaced by a frown.

"I know I made a mistake last night, but that doesn't mean the threat to you is any less."

"I haven't lost faith in you Ahsoka."

"I know, and I appreciate that."

"I don't mean to interject." Said Typho. "But now is not the time for this. Senator Amidala must prepare for her summit."

"But I believe the attempt on your life is going to be tonight." Said Snips and I frowned.

"Why tonight?" Asked Padmé.

"I had another vision and it was much clearer. I followed Master Naberrie's advice and focused. I could see more than usual, even a location, it was a large room, you were giving a speech."

"And could you recognise the room if you saw it?" I asked as I placed my hand on the Padawan's shoulder.

"Yes, I think I could." Padmé, Typho and I exchanged looks and decided to walk out of the room to reach the auditorium.

  The four of us walked in and I looked around trying to find spots where Sing could have a clear shot, unfortunately, the entire place is a potential spot.

"So? Does anything look familiar?" Asked the Captain.

"Yes, this is it." Ahsoka answered. "This is the place I saw in my vision."

"Where could the assassin be?"

"That's the part I'm not sure of." She looked down.

"She could be literally anywhere, the room has multiple places where she could hide and attack." I commented.

"But, we are taking all the necessary precautions, correct Captain?" Padmé asked.

"Yes Milady." He answered.

"But Aurra Sing will know what you plan to do, she'll find a way in." Tano commented, she was right.

"Ahsoka." Padmé walked up to her. "In your vision, does Aurra succeed?"

"I...I can't tell."

"Well, then at least we have a fighting chance." She smiled at the kiddo and she smiled back, after that, we left towards Padmé's quarters again so that she got ready, but, we waited outside.

  When we walked in, she was looking at the beautiful landscape, wearing a beige dress.

"Isn't it just beautiful?" She asked as soon as we placed ourselves beside her. I looked at her left profile and realised she was wearing a new wig, her straight brown hair reached her collarbone.

"Yes, but I must insist you go back inside." Said Ahsoka. "It's not safe for you out here."

"Ahsoka, I can't stop living my life. You forget I am a friend of the Jedi and the relative of one." She placed a hand over my shoulder and I smiled. "I know how it is to take risks." Padmé smiled but Ahsoka looked at the mountains with a worried frown.

"What is it kid?" I asked and she looked at me.

"I'm confused. My visions are telling me one thing but reality is telling me another. I don't know which to believe anymore, maybe I'm wrong, maybe no one's out to kill you." I sighed.

"Just remember what I told you alright?" She nodded, then, I looked at my sister. "You know? It's still not too late to switch places." She chuckled.

"Some other time. I must give this speech." I sighed and the door opened.

"Senator." Spoke the Captain. "It is time." She nodded and we all walked outside.