8 | A NEW CHAPTER

Years of training together only brought exactly what the Jedi Order wanted to avoid at all costs— a bond. Anakin and Tara had developed a deep caring and affection for one another. Though they both knew they were in love with each other, they never acted upon it— fearing they'd be separated or kicked out of the Jedi Order. Tara had grown into a true woman and grew less quiet and reserved. She was very much outspoken now. All the while, the once charismatic and brutally honest Anakin had grown wiser and less talkative.

Tara hadn't seen Kryzta since she left her with Obi Wan and Qui Gon all those years ago. Tara had her suspicions and conspiracies that the Jedi Order eliminated her as a threat— but the thought was disheartening so Tara told herself that Kryzta was exploring the universe.

* * *

There is unrest in the Galactic Senate
Several hundred solar systems under
the leadership of the rebel leader, Count
Dooku, have decalred their intentions to
secede from the Republic.

This separatist movement has made it
difficult for the limited number of
Jedi Kights to maintain peace and
order in the galaxy.

Senator Amidala, the former Queen of
Naboo, is returning to Coruscant
to vote on the critical issue
of creating an army to assist the
overwhelmed Jedi.

* * *

"You seem a little on edge." Obi Wan noted how stiff Anakin stood in the elevator. Tara stood beside the two, watching the elevator zoom up the y'all building. They had been assigned to protect Senator Amidala, or Padmé as they were introduced to her as. Anakin was a bit nervous to protect such a high ranking official, but was also anxious to see his old friend again.

"Not at all." Anakin responded.

"I haven't felt you this tense since... since we fell into that nest of gundarks." Obi Wan chuckled, trying to get Anakin to smile.

Anakin stifled a laugh. "You fell into that nightmare, Master, and I rescued you. Remember?" Anakin reminded Obi Wan, who already knew but wanted Anakin to correct him in order to spark more conversation.

"No," Tara interjected, "you fell in trying to rescue Kenobi and I had to rescue you both." Tara told the two while keeping her eyes glued on the elevator.

"Oh... yes," Obi Wan bellowed, "you're sweating. Relax. Take a deep breath."

"I haven't seen her in ten years, master." Anakin sighed.

The elevator halted to a stop and the doors opened smoothly, revealing Jar Jar Binks awaiting their arrival. "Obi? Obi! Mesa so smilin' to seein' yousa." Jar Jar excitedly shook Obi's hand.

"Good to see you again, Jar-Jar." Obi smiled at him.

"Senator Padmé! Mesa palos here. Lookie, lookie, Senator. Desa Jedi arriven." Jar Jar excitedly called over Padmé. She walked over with a grand smile crossing her face.

"It's a great pleasure to see you again m'lady." Obi bowed at her presence.

"It has been far too long Master Kenobi." She shook his hand, then turned to Tara and Anakin with a surprised look.

"Ani? Tara? My goodness, you've grown." Padme seemed genuinely shocked to see the effects ten years took on the two children. 

"So have you." Anakin smiled shyly at her.

"Ani, you'll always be that little boy I knew on Tatooine." Padme shook her head at him cheesil, then took a seat elsewhere.

"Our presence here will be invisible, milady, I can assure you." Obi informed Padme as he led Tara and Anakin to take a seat as well.

"I'm Captain Typho of Her Majesty's security service. Queen Jamilla has been informed of your assignment. I am grateful you're here, Master Kenobi. The situation is more dangerous than the Senator will admit to." The captain filled in Obi Wan.

"I don't need more security, I need answers. I want to know who's trying to kill me." Padme sighed, sadly, like a depressed damsel.

"We're here to protect you, Senator, not to start an investigation." Obi Wan replied to Padme.

"We will find out who's trying to kill you, Padmé. I promise you." Anakin promised her. Both Obi and Tara shot their heads over at Anakin to give him a dirty look. Tara kicked his ankle, discretely.

"I'm sure we would all love to eliminate your threat, Your Majesty, but we are not investigators. It is unusual enough for Jedi to be contracted as a security service. We are peacekeepers." Tara falsely smiled at Padme, who was enticing Anakin from across the table with her wide doe eyes.

"We will not exceed our mandate, my young Padawan learner." Obi Wan directed the message to Anakin.

"I meant that in the interest of protecting her, Master, of course." Anakin attempted to excuse himself.

"We will not go through this exercise again, Anakin, and you will pay attention to my lead." Obi Wan whispered harshly at Ani while Tara sat forward, blatantly ignoring the bickering between the two.

"Why?"
"What?"
"Why else do you think we were assigned to her if not to find the killer? Protection is a job for local security, not Jedi. It's overkill, Master; investigation is applies in our mandate."

"We will do exactly as the Council has instructed... and you will learn your place, young one." Obi Wan scolded him.

"Perhaps with merely your presence, the mystery surrounding this threat will be revealed. Now, if you'll excuse me, I will retire." Padme huffed, subtly, in defeat as she stood up to leave to her bedroom.

"I know I'll feel better with you here. I'll have an officer stationed at every floor, and I'll be in the control center downstairs." The captain was truly grateful for the three Jedi Knights. Obi Wan and the captain walked elsewhere to chat more.

"She hardly even recognized me, T." Anakin looked over, longingly at Padme who was just then leaving the room.

Tara was beginning to bubble with jealousy. "You like her?" Tara folded her arms, angrily.

"I find her attractive, so what?"
"You're a Jedi, Ani."
"Kryzta didn't care about the rules."
"Don't talk about her, you never knew her!"
"Why are you so angry?"
"Why are you so stupid?"
"I asked first."
"She only wants to use you."

Anakin rolled his eyes. "Why do you care so much?" He asked, knowing exactly why but refusing to admit it. Tara rolled her eyes and stomped away. She hated how much she longed for him; it only made her redirect that frustration to Anakin himself.

* * *

Later on in the night, Anakin and Tara stood guard in Padme's home. Tara had been ignoring Anakin since they had last argued earlier in the day. Obi Wan was downstairs checking the security of all possible entrances to the home. "You always do this." Anakin spoke aloud to Tara as he stared off into the city skyline out of the large windows.

"Do what?" Tara huffed.

"We argue then you ignore me for the rest of the day. It, sometimes, makes me think you hate me." Anakin answered.

Tara sighed. "I don't hate you." She admitted.

Anakin turned around to look Tara directly in the eye. "...I know." He finally admitted.

Tara turned to look away from Anakin, but he only approached her. He stood about half a foot away from her and slowly scanned her, making Tara feel vulnerable under his gazing eyes. He allowed his hand to travel to her jaw. His soft skin brushed against the edges of her jaw and made its way down to her chin. He carefully pushed her chin to face him so that she could look at him right back. Tara's heart began to race and she felt her stomach do flips. His lips were slightly parted until he bit his lower lip to keep him from saying anything to ruin the moment.

Tara allowed herself to surrender to his touch, and once Anakin realized she was quite enjoying their closeness— he pulled her in for a light kiss. Their lips barely touched, but it was enough to make them both feel like electricity shot through their veins. When they parted, Tara looked up to him and quietly said: "We shouldn't be so close, Obi Wan might be on his way back." Anakin nodded and removed his hand from her chin and walked over to the other side of the room, leaving Tara stunned and frozen in place.

"Typho has more than enough men downstairs. No assassin would try that way. Any activity up here?" Obi Wan's voice rang out as he bursted into the room.

Anakin coughed nervously. "Quiet as a tomb. I don't like just waiting here for something to happen."

"What's going on?" Obi Wan asked as he checked his blacked out surveillance.

"She covered the cameras. I don't think she liked me watching her." Anakin mentioned.

"What is she thinking?" Obi Wan scoffed as he went up to her bedroom door.

"She programmed Artoo to warn us if there is an intruder." Anakin informed Kenobi.

"There are many other ways to kill a senator." Obi shook his head.

"I know, but we also want to catch this assassin, don't we, Master?" Anakin asked for reassurance that Padme's plan was still to be followed.

"You're using her as bait." Obi was intrigued by Anakin's tactics.

"It was her idea. Don't worry: no harm will come to her. I can sense everything going on in that room. Trust me." Anakin assured.

"It's too risky. Besides, your senses aren't that attuned my young apprentice." Obi shut down the idea.

"And yours are?" Anakin retorted.

"Possibly." Obi Wan spat back.

A few hours more of guarding and watching, Obi Wan left Anakin and Tara to guard Padme's room once again. "You look tired." Tara mentioned.

"I don't sleep well anymore." Anakin told her with a dark look gleaming in his eye.

"Because of your mother?" Tara was still unfamiliarized with using that word. Mother.

Anakin nodded solemnly. "I don't know why I keep dreaming about her."

"If I knew who my mother was, I think I'd dream about her, too." Tara went to go stand outside on the balcony with Anakin.

The two suddenly fell quiet as they sensed a danger entering Padme's room. "I sense it, too!" Tara whisper yelled and they both bolted into her bedroom.

The two grabbed their lightsaber and instantly eliminated the threats with a quick swing of their sabers. It seemed to be two poisonous leeches of some kind. Padme jumped out of bed.

"Stay here!" Anakin told Padme before he and Tara ran out of her room. Anakin hurried to get a speeder and rush out of the building to follow the droid he saw release the leeches to kill Padme. Tara quickly found Obi Wan and told him of the incident, then Obi Wan followed Anakin's lead and took a speeder out to track down the droid.

Tara was left behind, still in Padme's home, and unsure where to go to find Anakin and the droid. She was stuck, but, fortunately, the two men gained no new information about the person trying to kill Padme except that a bounty hunter hired someone to send in the leeches.

* * *

The next morning, Obi, Ani, and Tara were all reporting the events from the night before to the Jedi Council. "Track down this bounty hunter, you must, Obi-Wan."

"Most importantly, find out who he's working for." Windu told Obi Wan.

"What about Senator Amidala? She will still need protecting." Obi Wan inquired.

"Handle that, your Padawans will." Yoda seemed quite fine with the trainees taking care of Padme.

"Anakin, Tara, escort the Senator back to her home planet of Naboo. She'll be safer there. And don't use registered transport. Travel as refugees." Windu looked at Tara directly in the eye.

"As the leader of the opposition, it will be very difficult to get Senator Amidala to leave the capital." Anakin mentioned.

"Until caught, this killer is, our judgment she must respect." Yoda's voice was unwavering and stern, making sure to enforce his authority over Anakin.

"Anakin, go to the senate and ask Chancellor Palpatine to speak with her about this matter." Windu told Anakin, then Tara, Anakin and Obi Wan were dismissed from the meeting.

* * *