you.”
Padmé moved closer to Anakin and said, “Tell me.”
Anakin moved a short distance away. “It was only a dream,” he said, but as soon as the words had been uttered, he felt them to be untrue.
It wasn’t just a dream. It was real, and it’s going to happen .
He turned to face Padmé and said, “You die in childbirth.”
Padmé tried not to cringe. “And the baby?”
“I don’t know.”
Padmé moved again to Anakin’s side. “It was only a dream,” she said, now trying to convince herself as well as placate Anakin.
“I won’t let this one become real,” Anakin vowed.
“This baby will change our lives,” Padmé said. “I doubt the queen will continue to allow me to serve in the Senate. And if the Council discovers you’re the father, you’ll be expelled.”
“I - I know,” Anakin stammered, trying to push away those realities. “I know.”
“Do you think Obi-Wan might be able to help us?”
“We don’t need his help,” Anakin said, and glowered as he imagined his Master’s reprimands. When he noticed that Padmé looked frightened by his expression, Anakin shifted his features into a gentle smile and said, “Our baby is a blessing.”
Anakin thought about the dream again, hoping that it wasn’t an accurate depiction of things to come, but somehow knowing in his heart that it was. Fortunately, he knew someone who was something of an expert on premonitions.
* * *
“Premonitions?” Master Yoda said. “Premonitions. Hmm.”
It was the morning after his nightmare about Padmé, and Anakin was in Yoda’s quarters in the Jedi Temple. They were seated across from each other, and shafts of bright sunlight sifted through the blinds that lined the windows of the sparsely furnished room. Yoda said, “These visions you have…”
“They’re of pain, suffering. Death.”
“Yourself you speak of, or someone you know?” Anakin was reluctant to offer too many details, but admitted, “Someone.”
“Close to you?”
Anakin lowered his gaze, and felt almost ashamed as he answered, “Yes.”
Raising a cautionary finger, Yoda fixed Anakin with a penetrating gaze and said, “Careful you must be when sensing the future, Anakin. The fear of loss is a path to the dark side.”
Anakin recalled the dreams that had preceded his mother’s death, and then of his failure to save her. Returning Yoda’s gaze, he said flatly, “I won’t let these visions come true, Master Yoda.”
“Death is a natural part of life,” Yoda explained. “Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force. Mourn them, do not. Miss them, do not. Attachment leads to jealousy. The shadow of greed that is.”
Hoping to stay on the right path this time, Anakin said, “What must I do, Master Yoda?”
“Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.”
I might be able to let go of being a Jedi, Anakin thought, but I can’t let go of Padmé. I just can’t. I love her too much.
I won’t let her die. I won’t.
* * *
Soon after Anakin’s meeting with Yoda, Palpatine confided to Anakin that he feared the Jedi Council wanted more control than they already had in the Republic. Anakin found this difficult to believe, but agreed to become Palpatine’s personal representative on the Council. Because only Jedi Masters served on the Council, Anakin assumed that his appointment would guarantee his promotion to Master, and felt insulted when the Council insisted that he remain a Knight. After his first awkward meeting with the Council, Anakin learned from Obi-Wan that the Council wanted him to report on all of Chancellor Palpatine’s dealings. It seemed that Anakin was the only Jedi who trusted Palpatine.
Palpatine suspects the Council is up to something, and the Council wants me to spy on Palpatine! Who should I trust? Anakin tried talking with Padmé, but when she expressed her concern that democracy no longer existed in the Republic, he accused her of sounding like a Separatist.
Padmé moved closer to Anakin and said, “Tell me.”
Anakin moved a short distance away. “It was only a dream,” he said, but as soon as the words had been uttered, he felt them to be untrue.
It wasn’t just a dream. It was real, and it’s going to happen .
He turned to face Padmé and said, “You die in childbirth.”
Padmé tried not to cringe. “And the baby?”
“I don’t know.”
Padmé moved again to Anakin’s side. “It was only a dream,” she said, now trying to convince herself as well as placate Anakin.
“I won’t let this one become real,” Anakin vowed.
“This baby will change our lives,” Padmé said. “I doubt the queen will continue to allow me to serve in the Senate. And if the Council discovers you’re the father, you’ll be expelled.”
“I - I know,” Anakin stammered, trying to push away those realities. “I know.”
“Do you think Obi-Wan might be able to help us?”
“We don’t need his help,” Anakin said, and glowered as he imagined his Master’s reprimands. When he noticed that Padmé looked frightened by his expression, Anakin shifted his features into a gentle smile and said, “Our baby is a blessing.”
Anakin thought about the dream again, hoping that it wasn’t an accurate depiction of things to come, but somehow knowing in his heart that it was. Fortunately, he knew someone who was something of an expert on premonitions.
* * *
“Premonitions?” Master Yoda said. “Premonitions. Hmm.”
It was the morning after his nightmare about Padmé, and Anakin was in Yoda’s quarters in the Jedi Temple. They were seated across from each other, and shafts of bright sunlight sifted through the blinds that lined the windows of the sparsely furnished room. Yoda said, “These visions you have…”
“They’re of pain, suffering. Death.”
“Yourself you speak of, or someone you know?” Anakin was reluctant to offer too many details, but admitted, “Someone.”
“Close to you?”
Anakin lowered his gaze, and felt almost ashamed as he answered, “Yes.”
Raising a cautionary finger, Yoda fixed Anakin with a penetrating gaze and said, “Careful you must be when sensing the future, Anakin. The fear of loss is a path to the dark side.”
Anakin recalled the dreams that had preceded his mother’s death, and then of his failure to save her. Returning Yoda’s gaze, he said flatly, “I won’t let these visions come true, Master Yoda.”
“Death is a natural part of life,” Yoda explained. “Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force. Mourn them, do not. Miss them, do not. Attachment leads to jealousy. The shadow of greed that is.”
Hoping to stay on the right path this time, Anakin said, “What must I do, Master Yoda?”
“Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.”
I might be able to let go of being a Jedi, Anakin thought, but I can’t let go of Padmé. I just can’t. I love her too much.
I won’t let her die. I won’t.
* * *
Soon after Anakin’s meeting with Yoda, Palpatine confided to Anakin that he feared the Jedi Council wanted more control than they already had in the Republic. Anakin found this difficult to believe, but agreed to become Palpatine’s personal representative on the Council. Because only Jedi Masters served on the Council, Anakin assumed that his appointment would guarantee his promotion to Master, and felt insulted when the Council insisted that he remain a Knight. After his first awkward meeting with the Council, Anakin learned from Obi-Wan that the Council wanted him to report on all of Chancellor Palpatine’s dealings. It seemed that Anakin was the only Jedi who trusted Palpatine.
Palpatine suspects the Council is up to something, and the Council wants me to spy on Palpatine! Who should I trust? Anakin tried talking with Padmé, but when she expressed her concern that democracy no longer existed in the Republic, he accused her of sounding like a Separatist.
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