Mother and Son

Chapter 1

She opened her eyes slowly, painfully. It was night, and she could see nothing, not even her own hands. Then her vision adjusted, and she found herself in a brown cloth tent. She was only dimly aware of a ravaging hunger that seemed to fill every part of her body. She pushed herself up and crawled out of the tent.

She wished she hadn't. Bodies were strewn everywhere, and the place looked more like a graveyard than a village. She looked at the closest of the bodies. There was no blood, and yet it was sliced in half.

Resisting the urge to faint, Shmi Skywalker turned her back on the rest of the village and began to make her way home.

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5 Years Later

Anakin Skywalker woke up panting and in a cold sweat. He had dreamed again, but this time it was...different. Yes, Padme had died in childbirth as usual, but Anakin was certain he had seen his mother's face in the dream, very much alive. She seemed disapproving. But why? First of all, Anakin knew his mother was dead-he had seen her die-and second of all, what was she irritated with him about in the dream? That he had a wife? Surely not.

Deeply disturbed, Anakin silently left the bedroom and the sleeping Padme and went up to the roof. The fountain and the soft lights turned themselves on as he appeared. Sitting down on the bench, Anakin looked at the Coruscant skyline and wondered about the meaning of this difference in his dream. Usually, his mother died in the dream...

Anakin suddenly became aware of soft footsteps behind him. He turned around and saw Padme watching him.

"What's wrong, Ani?" She said, concerned. "It was the dream again...wasn't it?"

Anakin said nothing. Padme knew of his dreams where his mother died, but he had not told her that she died in them as well. He stood up and put his arms around Padme in a tender, loving embrace. He didn't want to tell her about his vision-how would she react? Would she think that she would really die?

But Padme backed away from him, taking his hands in hers. "Tell me," she said. "I want to know what's been troubling you so much."

Anakin struggled with himself for a moment. Should he tell her? They never kept secrets from each other. Finally, he decided to tell Padme the truth.

"I had the dream again," he said. Padme looked at him with a questioning look, as if she knew that there was more to the dream.

"You died in childbirth," said Anakin. "It's just like the dreams about my mother except...this time I saw her face, looking at me disapprovingly."

"Ani, I won't really die!" said Padme. "It's just a dream!"

"You will if I don't do something..."

"But there's nothing you can do. If I die, that's just the way things are."

"No!" said Anakin so forcefully that Padme was certain she felt wind blow outwards from him. "I won't let you die like my mother did!"

He stormed off, leaving Padme alone on the roof.