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BANTHA BURGERS DIDN'T TASTE TOO DIFFERENT FROM BEEF, BUT THERE WAS A TOMATO-LIKE FRUIT ON THE BURGER THAT MADE IT TEN TIMES BETTER.

"This is way better than the noodles," she told Obi-Wan as she ate it. "Thank you so much."

Obi-Wan smiled at her, hands wrapped around a cold beverage. It looked like some sort of alcoholic beverage but it was in Aurebesh, and she couldn't decipher it.

"Can you teach me that?" She asked him. At the confusion in his gaze, she clarified. "Aurebesh. I can't read it."

Obi-Wan hummed in thought. "Your language is different in your galaxy?" He asked. "I am speaking Basic, and you understand it, and I understand you. I wonder how the language differs in your mind with writing and reading it rather than hearing it."

"Maybe some Space Stone mojo?" Clara offered, taking a sip of the blue milkshake he'd purchased for her.

"I will think on it," he informed her. "But of course, I can teach you the language. It's not a terribly difficult language to understand. It should not take you more than a few months. Perhaps you could teach me your language."

"Like, teach you the ABC's?"

He blinked. "Is that what it's called?"

"Yeah, let's get down to business." She paused and then added quietly. "To defeat the Huns."

"Pardon?"

"Don't sweat it, Kenobi."

—

Clara didn't see Anakin for three days and upon his return, fury was written on his face.

"Anakin!" She exclaimed, running into him on her way back to her room from the gardens where she'd been studying with Obi-Wan. "Are you okay?"

"Did you know?" He asked her harshly, eyes blazing. She blinked, a chill running through her at the look on his face.

He wasn't Vader. He wasn't Vader. He wasn't Vader.

"Know what?"

"About Artoo?" Anakin snapped. "Did you know he'd be taken by the Separatists?"

Clara blinked. "I...yeah, I mean, I did, but it's not a very important—"

"—He's my droid, Clara, of course he's important—"

"—I'm not saying he's not important, just that I didn't think this episode was very—"

"—Kriffing hell, Clara, we're not characters!" Anakin exclaimed, glancing around. He grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her to the side. "You want me to like you? Want to be friends? Don't get my droid into trouble."

He scoffed and pushed past her, leaving her standing in a myriad of emotions. The closer she got to Anakin, the more he pushed her away. It hurt, to think her closest connection to her childhood, her home, hated her.

Anakin, she was sure, was the reason for the Space Stone sending her here. So why did he hate her?

—

Anakin ignored her for a week. They found Artoo, of course, but he was still angry with her. Ashoka tried to tell her he'd brush it off — the girls were becoming rather close — but his anger seemed unending.

Clara wondered how she'd actually get anywhere in saving him if he was so temperamental and untrusting.

She just had to focus.

Remember the plots of the episodes, make a list of how to change them, and hope things turned out differently.

"Clara."

Clara blinked, looking to Obi-Wan again. She hadn't even been paying attention.

"You're distant today," he noted. "You've become rather attuned to mediations, what is it?"

Clara let out a breath. "Anakin's mad at me," she admitted in a small voice.

"Is that all?" Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "If I had a credit for each time Anakin was upset with me, I'd rival the Jedi Temple in size."

Clara smiled despite herself and let out a small laugh. Obi-Wan smiled too.

"There it is," he said softly. "Hello, Clara, I've missed you. Come back to the present, please."

Clara ignored the flutter in her chest at his words.

He was just being Obi-Wan.

Nothing, absolutely nothing would happen there. He belonged to the Jedi first, and Satine second. She knew that.

"Eyes closed." Clara did as told. "Good. Inhale," she did as told, "and exhale. I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me."

"I am one with the Force and the Force is with me."

—

"Clara?"

Clara looked up from her book at the sound of her name, spotting Anakin hovering in her doorway.

"Hi."

"Hey."

Anakin cleared his throat, looking a bit awkward. "May I...come in?"

Clara nodded and he entered, glancing on her desk.

"Aurebesh?" He raised his eyebrows. "You're leaning?"

"Obi leant these to me," she explained. "I can understand you all but I can't read anything. It's very odd."

Anakin hummed in response. "It's good you're learning it." He sighed. "I'm...sorry."

"For what?" Clara shrugged, brushing his words off.

"I...kind of told Padme about you."

Clara looked at him in surprise. He'd told Padme about her? What had he told her? Was she upset with her? Clara wasn't sure if she could handle Padme being upset with her.

"She said I was in the wrong," Anakin smiled lightly, a tough apologetic and a bit sheepish. "She's right. You...don't have anyone here. And this is all new for you. I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

Anakin was quiet for a long time, watching her. Then he asked, much softer than before. "Did I scare you?"

"No," Clara replied immediately.

Too quickly.

Because how could she admit, that, of course he did?

That he terrified her with that dark look in his eyes. That he could snap her neck with a single thought and she hadn't even considered it. That this all still felt like a dream that was beginning to feel more and more like a nightmare.

Anakin sighed, his face morphing into something akin to exhaustion and frustration. But not with her, it seemed, with himself.

"I'm so sorry, Clara," he said again. "You look at me like I'm...some perfect person to you and I'm not. I...have a lot of issues, I know that. And Padme makes them go away. I'm," his jaw tightened and he cleared his throat, "terrified of losing her."

"I won't let that happen," Clara told him firmly, meeting his eyes. "Anakin, I promise you, Padme won't die."

Anakin was quiet. "Does she?" He asked softly.

"It doesn't matter now," she shook her head, "because she won't."

Anakin nodded. "Goodnight, Clara." He went to reach out, as if to touch her, but dropped his hand. He nodded instead and left the room.

—

The next week found Clara and Obi-Wan side-by-side in the library, which was massive, reading over different notes and holodata as he taught her specific phrases she may see.

She'd actually spent most of her time with Obi-Wan. When she wasn't meditating, she was learning. Sometimes he'd be preoccupied instructing Younglings and she'd venture around Coruscant with Ashoka.

She didn't see Anakin much, not since their original fight.

It bothered her more than she'd care to admit.

Clara had always wanted to know Anakin Skywalker, in more than she'd been capable of when he was fictional, and now with the chance to, they almost avoided each other.

"I'll be away tomorrow," Obi-Wan's voice took her from her thoughts. "I have a mission with Anakin."

A frown pulled at Clara's lips. She didn't want either of them to go. She supposed she would spend time with Ashoka. Or Master Windu, but that honestly sounded dreadful.

"Don't pout," Obi-Wan chastised with an amused tug of his lips. "You'll be fine."

Clara's cheeks flushed as he called her out and a small grin played on his face.

"Ashoka will be here," he told her. "But she's training. She won't entertain you for long. Stick to the library and your quarters, I don't want you getting hurt or into trouble."

"I don't get into trouble," Clara frowned.

A quirk of his eyebrow. "Clara, you've the same proclivity as Anakin. You're in an entirely different universe than the one you're created for."

"Ah," Clara sank a bit. "Fair enough."

—

Obi-Wan was right.

Clara did have a proclivity for trouble and a terrible knack of delving further into it. She didn't mean to spot Palpatine as she walked down the hallway to the library to practice her books.

She didn't intend to see the man she truly despised probably more than anyone. (Maybe not Thanos. They were tied.)

But things happened and her eyes connected with his before she could stop herself from darting behind a pillar.

A tug of his brown, a hint of surprise, and her eyes widened. The oxygen left her lungs and her heart thumped loudly in her chest.

He would find out.

He would know.

Did Jedi read minds? Could Sith? She couldn't remember. They could, couldn't they? But it wasn't a glance like Edward Cullen, it was a — a push of the hand or into the Force.

She'd be able to feel it if he was —

Oh god.

Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no, no, no.

This was not good.

This was very not good.

She had one job.

Obi-Wan gave her one job. To stay in the library or her quarters but she just had to wake up late and leisurely walk to the library, thinking nothing would become of—

"Clara," Windu spoke in a controlled manner, his rumbling voice jolting her from her panicked state. They exchanged a brief look.

He didn't want her meeting Palpatine either, but she knew it was for entirely different reasons than her own.

"This is the Chancellor, he's here on Jedi business."

"I fear we've not had the pleasure," Palpatine spoke, peering into her as though taking her apart atom by atom and scouring into her soul. "Anakin speaks highly of you."

It felt as though she'd been plunged into a bucket of ice water. She noticed Windu tense at the mention of the Jedi Knight — they both knew Anakin wasn't supposed to tell anyone about her.

She was horrified. Terrified and anxious and embarrassed. Shameful. If she couldn't even keep Anakin from telling Palpatine of her existence — how long had he known? — then how could she keep him from trusting her?

Clara's grip on the books fumbled and she held them closer, trying to remember how to breathe. She wished Obi-Wan were here. He would soothe her worries and calm her fears and she would feel safe.

And she could tell him all the terrible things Palpatine would do to Anakin and the gift he'd offered the Sith by referencing her.

"D-does he?" She managed, clearing her throat and trying to be casual.

She felt trapped. Like ropes were tying her to the ground, ivy weaving up her calves and thighs, rooting her still to the marble floors of the Temple. She wanted to run, wanted to be with Obi-Wan, wanted to go home.

This was what Clara dreaded most; meeting Palpatine. And she wasn't even prepared to meet him.

She spotted a light flicker around her hands and looked down, panicking.

Palpatine simply observed her, putting on a look of false concern. She saw straight through it. He was curious.

Fuck. He was curious. This was so bad.

Clara met Windu's eyes, a pleading in her own that she hoped he'd understand, but Palpatine spoke before he could.

"He does," Palpatine nodded. "He thinks you're very special. I wasn't aware the Jedi harbored those not in training."

"I'm an honorary Jedi," she replied quietly before she could stop herself. Her cheeks flushed at the confession, realizing how childish and silly she sounded.

"Pardon?" He asked, eyebrows raising a fraction.

"I — I mean, I—"

"I do hope we have a chance to commune soon," Palpatine cut her off, reaching his over and placing it on her shoulder. He squeezed once and a shiver ran down Clara's spine.

She was going to be sick. This was so far from the plan. So far from good.

Clara realized he was expecting an answer and she opened her mouth to reply, not wanting him to touch her any longer than necessary. His touch and presence felt like stepping into a dark room and peering over her shoulder into nothingness. Like standing before a statue, but it watched her as carefully as she did it.

Controlled, collected, unyielding.

Far too powerful for her to —

"Are you alright, my dear?" He asked, eyes flickering to her hands around the books.

Glowing blue.

God-fucking-dammit, why couldn't she have one good thing?

"Yes, fine, I — I have to — pee." She blurted and rushed away from him and Windu, pushing Windu slightly when her shoulder brushed his.

She felt their eyes on her as she walked off.

Anakin had told Palpatine. What had he told him? How much did Palpatine know?

No matter the answer, she had a sinking suspicion that things were going to change very quickly.

And she wasn't ready for it.

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AHHHHHH did you all miss me??
I've wanted to write this forever and had like half of it done for so long but got huge writer's block. I miss this one I love it sm and I'm literally always thinking about Anakin stg.
this dumbass telling Palpatine smh.
hope you guys enjouedddddd lmk your theories <3