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Mace Windu waited for them outside as the four of them emerged from the smoking, wrecked ship. The fire speeders were still gathered around the blazing, now partially steaming ship as they continued to hose it down with water.
Mace Windu smiled at the sight of them, and he dipped his head as he remarked, "An impressive landing."
Anakin smiled tightly while Obi-Wan answered with a dry smile, "Quite so. We had precious cargo, after all."
Obi Wan turned around to where Astrid stood beside Chancellor Palpatine, and for a scary moment, she thought he was talking about her and her unborn child, but then she realized his kind, caramel colored eyes were on the Chancellor, and Astrid let out a shaky breath.
"I am grateful for your rescue," Chancellor Palpatine replied with a small smile. "It was rather eventful, I must say. Are all of your rescues always quite so... hectic?"
Obi-Wan and Anakin exchanged amused looks before Anakin answered with a smirk, "It's just another typical day for the Jedi, Chancellor."
Astrid stifled a snort of agreement.
"What of General Grievous and Count Dooku?" Master Windu inquired before his gaze rose to the now-clear sky. The Separatist ships had all fled after General Grievous had escaped on his escape pod.
Chancellor Palpatine sighed regretfully as he replied, "General Grievous got away, but Anakin killed Count Dooku."
Astrid spotted the flare of disapproval and slight touch of alarm that crossed Obi-Wan's face as he glanced at Anakin with a frown. Astrid could practically read Obi-Wan's thoughts.
Why had Anakin killed the Count instead of turning him in to the Republic for trial? What had happened to get Anakin to do such a reckless thing? Didn't Anakin realize we could have used him to our advantage?
Master Windu crossed his arms over his chest as he replied smoothly, "Grievous will hide like he always does. He is a coward. A sheep draped in wolf's skin."
"Perhaps," Chancellor Palpatine replied evenly. "But he still controls the Separatist's droid armies, and he is now the leader of the Separatist with Count Dooku dead. As long as Grievous is alive, the Senate will continue to push for the continuation of the war."
Which the Jedi did not want.
"Then the Jedi must make finding and defeating General Grievous our first priority," Master Windu replied shortly, and Astrid caught the edge of irritation in his voice. Master Windu paused as if remembering he was speaking to the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, and he dipped his head respectively to the Chancellor before regarding Obi-Wan and Anakin and saying, "Well, you two have quite a few senators waiting to congratulate you on your rescue."
Astrid realized she had technically been rescued, too, meaning she wasn't one of the Jedi the senators were looking to congratulate. Her stomach curdled at the thought as she realized again how she'd failed her mission to protect Chancellor Palpatine. Her worst fear come to fruition.
"I have a shuttle waiting for us," Master Windu continued, his eyes flicking towards Chancellor Palpatine, and Astrid thought she sensed suspicion from the Jedi Master towards the Chancellor through the Force.
Strange.
Within minutes, the five of them and Artoo were filing into the waiting shuttle, whose railway led to the entryway of the massive, domed Senate building. Astrid hung near the walls of the shuttle in sullen silence as Mace Windu engaged in conversation with Obi-Wan and Anakin on the other side of the shuttle's small space.
Not only had she'd failed to guard Chancellor Palpatine, but she'd had to be rescued by Anakin and Obi-Wan. Astrid couldn't even rescue herself. What kind of Jedi was she if she couldn't do her job? She felt like a failure.
Mood gloomy, Astrid gazed down at the planet's bustling surface as their shuttle zipped through the Coruscant sky towards the grey Senate building looming over the other skyscrapers. When their shuttle stopped before the Senate's main hallway, the doors slid open, revealing the long entryway of the Senate building.
On either side of the main hallway were towering red columns, and gathered in a group in the middle of the marble floored hallway were about fifteen senators. Chancellor Palpatine stepped out of the shuttle, and Anakin followed behind him as Astrid, Obi-Wan, and Master Windu lingered in the shuttle.
Upon realizing none of them were following after him, Anakin turned back towards the shuttle with a questioning look on his face. He glanced at Astrid briefly before looking at Obi-Wan. "Are you coming, master?"
Obi-Wan shook his head as he stepped forward and leaned against the shuttle door's doorframe. He folded his arms over his chest and gave Anakin a jovial smile as he replied, "Oh no. I'm not brave enough for politics. I have to report to the Council. Besides, someone needs to be the poster boy."
Anakin's brow drew together. "Hold on, this whole operation was your idea. You planned it. You led the rescue operation. You have to be the one to take the bows this time."
Obi-Wan gave Anakin an amused look as he responded, "Sorry, old friend. Let us not forget that you rescued me from the Buzzer Droids as we were flying into the Separatist ship. And you killed Count Dooku. And you rescued the Chancellor, carrying me unconscious on your back, and you managed to land that bucket of bolts of a ship safely--"
Anakin interjected, "All because of your training, Master. You deserve all those speeches of your greatness."
Obi-Wan clarified distastefully, "The endless speeches," before continuing, "Anakin, let's be fair. Today, you are the hero, and you deserve your glorious day with the politicians."
Anakin regarded Obi-Wan for a moment, a faint smile playing upon his lips before he relented, "Alright. But you owe me...and not for saving your skin for the tenth time--"
"Ninth time," Obi-Wan corrected firmly with a playful smile. "That business on Cato Nemoidia doesn't count."
Anakin merely shook his head with a small chuckle before he glanced at Astrid. "And you, Astrid? Are you coming?"
Astrid gave a sad shake of her head. "This was all you, Anakin," she told him softly. "You did the rescuing, not me."
Anakin regarded her with a hint of concern in his blue eyes, having sensed her despondency through the Force. His face betrayed a little too much of his feelings, feelings considered mildly inappropriate for him to display to a fellow Jedi, so Astrid quickly said, "I'll see you after you're done speaking with the Senators."
Obi-Wan added, "And I'll see you at the Council briefing."
Anakin let out a long exhale before he nodded and said, "Okay, I will see you two later," and then he turned around and followed after the Chancellor, who was waiting patiently for him ten feet away in the shadows of the Senate building.
Astrid's heart was heavy as she watched him leave, the distance between them yawning wider and wider with each step he took. But then the shuttle doors closed and the shuttle took off again. Soon enough, Anakin disappeared from sight.
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Astrid waited within the shadows of the columns lining the main hallway near the entrance of the Jedi Temple for Anakin's return. Several Jedi passed her as she waited, but thankfully, none of them noticed her. It was another hour before Astrid finally spotted Anakin and Artoo heading down the hallway, finally back from their visit to the Senate building.
Astrid wanted to run up to him and talk to him, but by that point, some of the Jedi had gathered in the hallway just like the senators earlier, all of them eager to offer the famed Chosen One their congratulations.
Astrid slunk deeper in the column's shadows, impatience lining her movements.
As Anakin approached nearer to where she waited, Astrid spotted the second figure walking beside him and realized it was Chancellor Palpatine. What was he doing here in the Jedi Temple? He should have no reason to be here since the Senate and Jedi Order offices were strictly kept separate to prevent corruption.
The group of twenty-five Jedi-- almost half of them Padawans-- converged on the pair, their cheerful, upbeat voices lifting into the air as they greeted the hero of the Republic and the man at the helm of the Senate and Republic.
Anakin dropped back a little from the group as they began walking down the hall closer to where Astrid waited. She realized he was now speaking with Master Secura. Alarm jarred through Astrid at her master's unexpected presence. Astrid thought her master was still on Felucia. She must've come back to Coruscant to try and aid in the battle.
Somehow, Astrid hadn't noticed her former master's presence in the throng of Jedi in the hallway, and she could only hope Master Secura hadn't sensed her either.
Astrid followed the group down the hallway from behind the row of towering columns, her figure obscured in shadow. She saw the instant Anakin sensed her presence when he suddenly stopped and said abruptly to Master Secura, "Excuse me, Master Secura."
Master Secura dipped her head with a smile and said, "Of course. It was a pleasure speaking with you, Skywalker."
Anakin dipped his head respectfully before he hurried towards the columns behind which Astrid stood. From behind Anakin, her master's eyes moved behind Anakin's broad shoulders towards where Astrid stood in the deep shadows, and Astrid's heart began to race as she feared Master Secura had also sensed her presence.
But Master Secura merely gazed thoughtfully in her-- or Anakin's-- direction before she turned and followed after the group of Jedi, who had headed farther down the hallway with Chancellor Palpatine.
"Astrid!" Anakin exclaimed as he spotted her behind the column, and Astrid reached out and tugged him behind the privacy of the column.
He wrapped his arms around her into an embrace. Astrid let out a sigh as she breathed in his familiar honeyed scent, and Anakin drew back to kiss her. His mouth was soft and warm against hers, and Astrid sank into him as she kissed him back with a desperation matching his. Her hands came up to clutch at the fabric of his dark cloak's sleeves, and she felt his arms tighten around her. When they parted, Astrid was breathless.
"What happened to you?" Anakin asked her quietly, his brow furrowed with concern. Their faces were still but inches from each other's. "Obi-Wan informed me that you had been sent to guard Chancellor Palpatine, but that the Order had lost contact with you."
Astrid ducked her head in shame as she replied with equal quiet, "Grievous bested me. He captured the Chancellor and me. That's why I was on the main bridge."
Anakin's frown deepened. "Then why were you and Chancellor Palpatine separated? I found Palpatine in Count Dooku's care, not Grievous's."
Astrid returned his frown, having not thought of that until now. Why had they been separated? Why bother with such a thing?
The more Astrid thought about it, the more it began to sound like a trap of some sort. Perhaps Count Dooku and Grievous had been trying to force Obi-Wan and Anakin to separate by separating her and Palpatine. Fighting one Jedi was easier than fighting two.
Obi-Wan and Anakin were like a well-oiled machine by this point, having fought together in the entirety of the Clone Wars. They were probably the best fighting duo in the Order. But separated, they were much easier to defeat.
But how would General Grievous and Count Dooku have known that Obi-Wan or Anakin would care enough about her to try and rescue her from the general? They couldn't have possibly known about her and Anakin's relationship. Not to mention Count Dooku and General Grievous surely knew about the Jedi's ideals in regards to attachments. Any other Jedi probably wouldn't have bothered to try and save her.
Astrid voiced her suspicions-- that is, her suspicions about Grievous and Dooku wanting to separate him and Obi-Wan, deciding to keep her later questions to herself-- and Anakin nodded slowly in thought.
"Perhaps," he hedged. "I suppose that makes sense."
"Where were you before the attack?" Astrid asked as she gazed at him imploringly.
Anakin's face immediately brightened, and he told her with a wide smile, "I saw Ahsoka." His voice held a hint of sadness as he continued, "She--she's older now. I can tell. But she's still Ahsoka alright."
"What--how did you see her?" Astrid asked, immediately flustered in her surprise. She wished she'd been able to see Ahsoka again.
"Ahsoka and Bo-- you remember Bo from the Death Watch-- tracked Darth Maul onto Mandalore. They needed Republic assistance to take back control of Mandalore and capture Maul, so Ahsoka contacted me via my Fulcrum frequency," he explained, eyes alight with joy.
But then a look of regret passed over his face as he added, "But then I got called back to rescue Palpatine, so I had to leave her. But I gave Ahsoka the 501st and Captain Rex to help free Mandalore. Maybe she will come visit the Temple after she's done freeing Mandalore and capturing Maul."
Anakin had such confidence in Ahsoka's success. Astrid's heart swelled at the thought.
Astrid smiled and replied, "Well, I'm glad you saw her. I hope she's doing okay, and I sure hope she succeeds in capturing Maul. He's as slippery as a snake."
Anakin huffed a laugh, and he brought a hand up to trail a finger gently down her cheek. "I'm glad you're okay, Astrid. I was worried when I heard you had gone silent over the comlink."
Astrid eyes were heavy lidded as she gazed up at Anakin's face, and he leaned in to kiss her again. But as much as Astrid wanted to kiss him, she forced herself to draw back, remembering that they were in the Jedi Temple, surrounded by Jedi who could bust them at any moment in time.
"Not here," Astrid reminded him regretfully.
Anakin shook his head and ducked his head towards hers as he insisted in a murmur full of longing, "Yes, here. I am tired of all this deception. I don't care if the Jedi know we're married."
"Don't say things like that," Astrid told him quietly with a frown. "The Jedi Order is our life, and it is your very destiny. You are the prophesied Chosen One. I won't be the reason you are kicked out of the Order. Without you, the galaxy-- along with the Jedi Order-- will fall under the control of the Sith."
Anakin merely shook his head, irritation marring his Force-presence a dark grey color. "I don't care about destiny. I only care about you."
He tugged her towards him and wrapped his arms around her. Astrid began shaking as she realized now was the time to tell him the truth. She was so afraid. She didn't know how he would react to the news.
"Are you alright?" Anakin asked as he drew back to regard her, his head tilting to the side in concern. "You're trembling." When Astrid didn't immediately answer, he asked in a louder voice, his concern making him temporarily forget the need to be quiet, "What's going on?"
"I--I am just happy to see you," Astrid replied with a feeble smile, but she could see the disbelief on his face.
"No, that's not it," he remarked, voice dipping low. "There's something more. I can sense it."
"It's-- it's nothing," Astrid stammered, losing her courage. She supposed she was wrong; a near death experience still wasn't enough for her to tell Anakin the truth.
"You're frightened," Anakin pointed out, and his voice took on a hard edge as he said, "Tell me what's going on, Astrid. Do not leave me to guess." Before she could even respond, he asked more heatedly, "Is someone threatening you? Did you tell someone the truth about us? Was it Obi-Wan--"
"Gosh no!" Astrid exclaimed in a rush, grasping his arms again. "No, Anakin, of course not. I would never tell anyone about us. Do you not trust me?"
Anakin ducked his head as he gave her a sheepish look, and he admitted, "I am only afraid of losing you, Astrid. Losing you like I did Ahsoka and my mother." He paused before adding, "It's just I've never seen you like this. You've never been so afraid."
Astrid took a calming breath before she spoke in a low, but hesitating voice, "Something... something wonderful has happened."
She bit her lip nervously as his face morphed into curious confusion. Her words of good news and her expressions of anxiety and fear were at complete odds with each other. Astrid hesitated for a moment as she stared into his blue eyes, and she knew that was she was about to say was going to upend his entire world in one instant. It had certainly upended hers.
Astrid took another breath before saying, "Anakin, I'm pregnant."
Anakin stilled at her words, shock contorting his features. She could practically see his thoughts playing out across his face as he took in the ramifications of this news-- first shock, then disbelief, and then he shook his head a little, and a wide smile blossomed onto his face.
"That's--that's wonderful," he finally managed to say, and Astrid could sense his genuine joy through the Force. He was nearly jubilant, a glowing star in the middle of darkness.
"What are we going to do?" Astrid asked quietly, her concern and worry overpowering any happiness she might have felt. Soon enough the Jedi Order would learn of her pregnancy and kick her out.
What would she do? What would Anakin do? How could they still see each other?
Anakin saw the concern and the fear in her eyes, and he dipped his head and grasped her arms as he told her softly, "We're not going to worry about anything right now, all right? This is a happy moment. The happiness moment of my life."
He gave her a gentle smile before he kissed her again, sweeter this time, and in his kiss, Astrid could feel his everlasting love for her. Yet, she couldn't shake the creeping dread slithering up her spine, whispering, You cannot outrun fate, you cannot hide, you cannot succeed.
You will fail.
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Sorry it took me so long to update! This week is my finals week so I've been unbelievably busy and stressed out. I hope your week is going better than mine :)
— Paradise_Palms