CHAPTER TEN : RETURN TO NABOO

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ATLAS stood next to the window as Padmé and Dormé were packing the senator's luggage. It had been decided that Padmé would return back to Naboo accompanied by Atlas and Anakin to protect her. It was safe to say that Padmé hated the idea of hiding.

"Representative Binks," Padmé spoke up, looking at the Gungan who stood next to Anakin by the door. "I know I can count on you."

"Yousa betchen mesa bottums," Jar Jar replied.

"What?"

"Oh, pardone-ay, Senator," Jar Jar quickly recovered himself. "I mean, I am honored to accept this heavy burden. I take on this responsibility with deep humility tinged with an overwhelming pride. It is not every day that I am called upon . . ." he added promptly.

Padmé kissed him on the cheek and gave him a hug, making Jar Jar turn red.

"You're a good friend, Jar Jar," Padmé told him. "I don't wish to hold you up. I'm sure you have a great deal to do."

"Of course, my lady," Jar Jar bowed and walked out of the room.

"I don't like this idea of hiding," Padmé said and Atlas could tell her friend was both angry and frustrated.

"Don't worry," Atlas comforted her, exchanging a glance with Anakin. "Now that the Council has ordered an investigation, it won't take Obi-Wan long to find that bounty hunter."

"I haven't worked for a year to defeat the 'Military Creation Act' not to be here when its fate is decided."

"Sometimes we have to let go of our pride and do what is requested of us," Anakin spoke up, making Atlas sigh. The brown haired woman knew that would only trigger her anger more.

"Pride?! Ani, you're too young, and you don't have a very firm grip on politics," Padmé snapped and Atlas raised her eyebrows in surprise. Normally, Padmé had more patience than this. "I suggest you reserve your opinions for some other time."

"Sorry, my lady, I was only trying to —" Anakin apologized but Atlas stopped him from talking further by taking his hand and shaking her head.

"Ani, it's better if we don't say anything at all now."

She gestured for him to follow her onto the balcony.

"Please don't call me that," Anakin said as they looked over the city.

"What?"

"Ani . . ."

"But I've always called you that," Atlas said, looking puzzled, "it's your nickname, isn't it?"

"It's Anakin," the Jedi said. "When you say Ani it's like I'm still a little boy . . . and I'm not."

"I'm sorry, Anakin. It's impossible to deny that you've grown up now that you're taller than me!"

They laughed but Anakin smile faded off.

"Master Obi-Wan manages not to see it . . ."

"Mentors have a way of seeing more of our faults than we would like," Atlas replied, thinking back at the time Qui-Gon pointed her faults out. "It's the only way we grown."

"Don't get me wrong . . . Obi-Wan is a great mentor," Anakin told her. "As wise as Master Yoda and as powerful as Master Windu. I am truly thankful to be his apprentice. Only . . . although I'm a Padawan learner, in some ways . . . a lot of ways . . . I'm ahead of him. I'm ready for the trials. I know I am! He knows it too. He believes I'm too unpredictable . . . Other Jedi my age have gone through the trials and made it . . . I know I started my training late . . . but he won't let me move on."

"That must be frustrating," Atlas said, leaning onto the balustrade and looking down at the ground far below them.

"It's worse . . . he's overly critical. He never listens! He just doesn't understand! It's not fair!"

Atlas couldn't suppress a laugh as she shook her head. "I'm sorry . . . You sounded exactly like that little boy I once knew, when he didn't get his way."

"I'm not whining!" Anakin exclaimed, his eyes wide in disbelief. "I'm not!"

"I didn't say it to hurt you," Atlas said.

"I know . . ."

There was a brief silence and Atlas shuffled closer to him. "Anakin . . ."

He looked up and Atlas was caught in his blue eyes. "Don't try to grow up too fast."

"I am grown up. You said it yourself," he replied, as he looked deeper into her eyes and Atlas heart fastened. She knew of his feelings towards her, she didn't need the Force to confirm it for her.

"Please don't look at me like that."

"Why not?" he said quietly, shuffling closer.

"Because I can see what you're thinking." The words hadn't left her lips or she had already regretted them. Way to go to say you're Force-sensitive, Atlas!

"Aah . . ." Anakin laughed, "so, you have Jedi powers, too?"

Atlas froze. He couldn't know, could he? She and Obi-Wan had talked about it to never mention it to anyone other than he and Padmé.

"It makes me feel uncomfortable," she just said.

"Sorry, Atlas," Anakin said, stepping back, and Atlas rushed back inside.

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Atlas, Anakin and Padmé, dressed in Outland peasant outfits, sat in a small bus that sped towards the massive freighter docks of Coruscant's Industrial Area. As the bus stopped before a huge intergalactic freighter starship, the trio stood up and made way towards the doors, where Captain Typho, Obi-Wan and Dormé were waiting for them to hand their luggage. The latter was dressed to look like Padmé.

"Be safe, my lady," Captain Typho spoke up.

"Thank you, Captain," Padmé said, smiling slightly. "Take good care of Dormé . . . the threat's on your two now."

"He'll be safe with me," Dormé secured her.

The four of them laughed and Padmé embraced the woman, who started to weep, as Atlas and Typho clasped each other's arms and the former wished her a good journey.

"You'll be fine," Padmé comforted her handmaiden.

"It's not me, my lady," Dormé replied. "I worry about you. What if they realize I'm not you?"

"We'll protect her, Dormé, I haven't failed in twelve years . . . I'm confident I won't fail now," Atlas spoke up. "Besides, Anakin is coming with us so we'll be safe."

Atlas glanced at the Jedi Padawan who was in a deep conversation with his master. When they were finished, the two of them walked up to the small group.

"I will get to the bottom of this plot quickly, my lady," Obi-Wan told Padmé. "You'll be back here in no time."

"I will be most grateful for your speed, Master Kenobi," Padmé replied and Obi-Wan turned to Atlas.

"Take care, okay?"

Atlas nodded and engulfed him in a tight hug.

"Don't let anyone know about the lightsaber," he whispered into her ear and she nodded again.

"I won't."

She took a step back, breathed in, gave the Jedi Master a nod and took some luggage before turning to Padmé.

"Time to go."

"I know," Padmé said and she gave Dormé a last hug while Anakin took the rest of the luggage. The three of hem exited the speeder bus, where Artoo was waiting for them.

"May the Force be with you," Obi-Wan called after them and both Atlas and Anakin turned back, the former looking at him with master's eyes, making the Jedi Master's heart ache.

"May the Force be with you, Master," Anakin replied.

Atlas turned back and the three headed off towards the giant Starfreighter.

"Suddenly, I am afraid . . ." Padmé admitted.

"I'm kinda scared too," Anakin added. "This is my first assignment on my own."

"There is nothing to worry about," Atlas spoke up, "we have Artoo with us . . . he'll protect us against everyone who dares to harm us, isn't that right, buddy?"

Artoo whistled a positive reply and Atlas grinned at Anakin and Padmé. "See? Nothing to worry about."

✶ ✶ ✶

Atlas was dozing off next to Anakin as Padmé and Artoo were getting some soup.

"No, no, mom, no . . ." Anakin groaned, causing Atlas to open her eyes and look at her companion. He was sweating and she leant over to wipe some of the sweat from his forehead with a tissue. He woke up with a start and looked around before his eyes found Atlas.

"What?" he asked, rather confused.

"You seemed to be having a nightmare," Atlas said and Anakin looked at her a little more closely, as Padmé and Artoo came back. Atlas decided not to mention his dream and handed him a bowl of soup with some bread.

"Are you hungry?" she continued.

"Thank you," Anakin accepted the bowl as she took another one.

"We went into lightspeed a while ago," Padmé told them, but Anakin didn't look away from Atlas, who had started eating her soup.

"I'm looking forward to seeing Naboo again," he said. "I've thought about it every day since I left. It's by far the most beautiful place I have ever seen . . ."

Atlas was a little unnerved by his intense stare and she exchanged a glance with Padmé.

"You were just a little boy then," she finally replied, shaking her head. "It may not be as you remember it; times change your perception."

"I think time has given me much more mature feelings to enhance my perception," Anakin said.

"It must be difficult having sworn your life to the Jedi," Padmé piped in, seeing that Atlas was uncomfortable, "not being able to visit the places you like . . . or to do the things you like . . ."

"Or be with the people I love," he added, glancing at Atlas, who was staring at the bottom of her bowl, having absolutely no clue how to react.

"Are you allowed to love?" Padmé asked, looking puzzled. "I thought that was forbidden for a Jedi."

"Attachment is forbidden. Possession is forbidden. Compassion, which I would define as unconditional love, is central to a Jedi's life, so you might say we're encouraged to love."

"You have changed so much," Atlas said, looking up at the Jedi Padawan.

"You haven't changed a bit," he replied, still staring right at her. "You're exactly the way I remembered you in my dreams. I doubt if Naboo has changed much either."

"It hasn't . . ."

"I love Naboo," Anakin admitted, making Atlas blush madly and changing the subject.

"You were dreaming about your mother earlier, weren't you?" Atlas questioned him.

"Yes," Anakin admitted, leaning back. "I left Tatooine so long ago, my memory of her is fading. I don't want to lose it. Recently I've been seeing her in my dreams . . . vivid dreams . . . scary dreams. I worry about her."

"You won't forget her, Ani," Atlas said, sitting down next to him. "I didn't forget my mom either so why would you?"

✶ ✶ ✶

Atlas was relieved as the starfreighter landed in Theed. The four of them exited onto the main plaza and Atlas saw the dome of the palace on the far side.

"If I grew up here, I don't think I'd ever leave," Anakin said, as his eyes widened upon seeing the capital city.

"I doubt that," Atlas replied, laughing.

"No, really," Anakin replied, grinning broadly. "When I started my training, I was very homesick and very lonely. This city and my mom were the only pleasant things I had to think about . . . The problem was, the more I thought about my mom, the worse I felt. But I would feel better if I thought about the palace — the way it shimmers in the sunlight — the way the air always smells of flowers . . ."

". . . and the soft sound of the distant waterfalls," Atlas added dreamily. "The first time I saw the Capital, I was ten . . . I'd never seen a waterfall before. I thought they were so beautiful . . . I never dreamed one day I'd live in the palace with Padmé."

"Tell me, did you dream of being the protector of the queen and Senator when you where a little girl?"

"No! That was the last thing I thought of," Atlas exclaimed, laughing. "My mom and I always planned on exploring the galaxy together . . . but after she died, I lived on the streets until I saved Padmé from some bounty hunters. She took me home with her, obviously the best decision she ever made," Atlas bragged, glancing at her dear friend and Anakin laughed.

Padmé rolled her eyes. "Obviously."

"Anyway, Padmé and I became great friends and after Captain Panaka figured out I was pretty good in fighting, he trained me and I became Padmé's shadow," Atlas continued. "It was easier protecting her when she was a Queen. With a those layers of make-up, no one knew if it was the real queen or not. As a Senator, it's more difficult . . ." Atlas hesitated. "I may look confident, but I'm afraid that I will fail to protect her this time. She just means so much to me . . . she gave me a new family when I needed one and I couldn't be more grateful."

Anakin looked at her as she talked about her foster family, her eyes lit up when and her smile grew bigger.

"I'm sure my mother would have loved you, too," Anakin told her, making the brown haired woman smile more than she already did and he knew he had fallen for her deeply.

Published 31.01.2021

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