I actually started writing the outline for this chapter in 2020 (which was very different when I look back on it) and then I started fleshing it out in October and November of 2022.
Around that time two people in my family became ill for a long time and they passed away 9 months apart from each other. May God rest their souls.
So there was a period of time where I mourned and many of my hobbies went on the back burner.
I was finally inspired again at the end of 2024 and beginning of 2025 to finish this chapter.
Chapter 17 had Obi-Wan and Ferus on their recon trip and Chapter 18 is a “meanwhile on Naboo” telling.
(Read the chapter first because there are spoilers below.)
There’s a sense of urgency in this chapter. We have Anakin focused on repairing the ship and impatient to get it done. He’s got countdown clocks, he’s dreaming of running after his soon-to-be-born son, he’s even a bit impatient with his family at the end.
I also wanted to show the passage of time by mentioning that Padmé is 20 weeks pregnant. In Chapter 15 she was 17 weeks. I liked the scene I added of Padmé having some “me time” where she reflects on the friends she misses.
The new name of the ship, Angelique, is a different version of angel, but also I have loved the name since I was a teenager watching Dark Shadows reruns on the Sci-Fi network. Angelique was the witch played by Lara Parker.
Obviously the kids are still going to have some PTSD with going back to the scene of the crime. Jeswi doesn't want to participate in fixing the ship and doesn't like the name change. Sors is conflicted. He doesn't want to go, but he’s also looking for Anakin’s approval.
What I hope came across is that I’m trying to build their personalities. I’ve turned Jeswi into a little fashionista. I also wanted to show some little signs of their Force abilities, like perfectly guessing passwords and predicting the mail.
Speaking of which, I have to gradually build up a father-children relationship and I’m quite proud of how the scenes between Anakin and Jeswi and Anakin and Sors turned out. He’s already decided he’s raising any of his children to be different Jedi. Jeswi is allowed to miss Jin-Lo and Sors can be a married Jedi. I think the scene with Sors added some humor to the chapter.
Lastly, when Obi-Wan and Ferus come back I didn't want to rehash the last chapter too much, but just have enough as a reminder. With Anakin curbing his anger I originally had him pacing and cursing under his breath. But then I figured that was too immature. He’d grown since he was 19 in Attack of the Clones. He’s been a general in a war, but also like Darth Vader at the end of Revenge of the Sith, he wants to destroy the whole room. Only everyone in the hangar is watching, including the kids who can see the scene from the cockpit. And Sors and Jeswi are his constant reminder of what he’s capable of if he doesn't keep his anger in check.
Which brings me to his scene with Obi-Wan, and him passing on advice inspired by Qui-Gon. Anakin’s got to work through some issues. And both he and Obi-Wan are keeping secrets.
I wanted to post this chapter before the Obi-Wan Kenobi series started streaming but I got stuck on some scenes. It was actually 90% done for some time.
I just had to figure out the dialogue logistics with T’ra Saa because it’s a big info dump. Also, the conversation with Qui-Gon wasn’t working and it was going off topic. So I’ll alter it and save it for another chapter. And I left this one on a cliffhanger.
T’ra Saa has been meditating for some months because she’s unaware of who Avel is. Quinlan would have told her so they have not seen each for some time. (Quinlan and Avel were both Dooku’s acolytes.)
I’m a fan of the Republic comics that features Quinlan, Khaleen, T’ra and Tholme, but I don’t remember every detail about the characters.
I read on Wookieepedia that her species, Neti, can shapeshift. It also mentioned a hibernation trance and Neti could survive indefinitely in an area without natural sunlight and rain. So I decided to use that to write some cool visuals of T’ra meditating under a canopy of trees in a forest and then shapeshifting back into a human.
Other fun stuff:
1) I realized too late that I misspelled Ossus. I added an s at the end and I am not going back to change it all. It’s Ossuss in my fan fiction.
2) The way that Ferus sliced into the computer files is a contrast to the way Anakin did because Ferus left not trace and Anakin left clues by looking for a Sith Lord.
3) Did you catch the names from Jurassic Park? I thought it would be a funny shout out.
4) The bar tender is Ackmena, who was played by Bea Arthur, from the 1978 The Star Wars Holiday Special. I’ve never seen it except for clips on YT.
Destiny Can Wait - Chapter 16 - Knights of the Round Table.
This is the fastest I have updated in a long time. The silver lining to this Covid 19 lock down is that I have the time for my hobbies. The ideas for fan fics and drawings are pouring in.
When I was a kid I used to make blueprints for the mansion I would live in as an adult. Since I have time on my hands and made a blueprint for the Skywalker’s home on Naboo. Oh, hey - Anakin was working on blueprints in this chapter too.
I thought about making it more detailed, like adding where the closets, windows, and furniture were in each room, but I decided to keep it a basic layout. Just so people have an idea of how I envision their home when I am writing.
My sister and I like to watch home restorations shows (like Love It or List It) She saw my blueprint and joking around was like, Where’s the mud room? I didn't get the mud room. Is it open concept? Luke and Leia don’t get their own bathrooms? Is the patio screened in? I’m going to have to list it. So funny.
I love the Muse song “Undisclosed Desires” and have been so excited to get this chapter out. It’s a perfect song for Anakin and Padmé and it fits so well with the mood of this chapter.
This chapter starts out pretty dark. I wanted the atmosphere to feel like a confessional in church. It’s like a 12 step program for Anakin. The first is admitting the dark visions he saw.
To break up the seriousness I added in some humorous parts, like with Threepio, and Trevor’s comment.
The scene when Anakin takes the game console, from across the table, out of Trevor’s hands is in honor of the 40th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back.
@anidalaweek Day 3 - May 6th: Mythology OR Fairy Tales
I wrote a fan fic back in 2010 called Legend of the Hidden Temple.
Summary:
While on a trip Padmé tells her family an ancient legend from the scrolls of Naboo. I was inspired by a prompt about legends and my love for Naboo. Characters: Padmé, Anakin, Luke, Leia, and mythological OCs from Naboo.
I always wanted to do a drawing based on my fic and luckily it fit with today’s theme. The artwork is a mix of media. Anakin, Padmé, Leia and Luke are drawn with marker and pencil on bristol vellum. Everything else I used scrapbooking materials. The mythical Naboo drawings and the ivy plants are pencil on Post-It card stock paper. The shuura fruit tree is a collage of designer card stock and flower appliqués.
Then everything was collaged together.
You can read the fic at AO3 or FF.net. or under the cut.
"Are we there yet?" Luke sighed.
"Be patient Luke, we are not that far away," Padmé told him. "Look there," she pointed, "we can see it now." Padmé, her children and her husband walked the shrouded path hand in hand.
"Why is it called the Temple of Terra, Mommy?" Leia asked.
"It was built to honor the Goddess Terra."
As they entered the temple Padmé heard her children and even Anakin gasp. It was an ancient, large, octagonal structure built out of rock. Each wall told the story through relief carvings adorned with jewels. Ivy plants curled up the walls and up through the opening of the domed ceiling. The sun shone through and reflected off the jewels casting light beams all around.
"It's beautiful," Leia beamed.
Anakin whistled. "Impressive. How long ago was this built?"
"About a few millennia. Give or take a century or two." Padmé answered. "The Holy Order works to preserve the structure. Sometimes stones and jewels have to be replaced and the crevices of the carvings need to be cleaned yearly."
Luke let go of his father's hand and ran to the wall. He looked up at the carving of a god offering a goddess a piece of shiny, golden fruit. "What's the story?"
Padmé guided her son to the opposite wall. "The story starts here." She pointed up to the highest relief that showed the image of a goddess with her son. "She is the Goddess of All, Své. Her son is the God of the Sky, Taevas. He rules over the stars, the planets, and the moons."
Anakin took Leia in his arms and moved to stand next to Padmé. They all looked up, squinting and shielding their eyes from the glow of the sun and the jewels' reflecting light. Padmé pointed to the story below the top most relief. The goddess was shown meditating. "Své foresaw that a group of humans, forced to leave their planet, were going to roam the galaxy seeking refuge. She would give them the planet of Naboo to make their home, but first it had to be prepared. She gave that task to her son, Taevas, and the Goddess of Water, Ilma.
"You see Naboo was once covered completely in water -"
Luke looked up at his mother in awe. "The entire planet was covered in water? Like Kamino?"
"Yes, only it didn't rain all the time. The Gungans lived in cities deep below the surface. Ilma, with the Gungans' permission, separated the waters to reveal lands the humans could inhabit. Taevas created the moons to circle Naboo to keep a pull on the waters."
"The moons control the tides," Leia said.
"That's right."
Leia pointed to the next one. The people were not adorned with jewels but had a dusty copper finish. 'What's happening there? They're not shiny like the rest. Are those the refugees?"
"Yes. When the refugees arrived they were relieved to find a place to make their new home but their happiness was short lived. The land was barren. All the sea plants left behind could not thrive out of water. They dried and withered in the sun. Any plants they brought with them from their previous home could not grow under Naboo's climate.
"But there was one woman, Terra, who insisted they stay. She found a single sea plant barely alive. She nurtured it and it learned to adapt. It grew into a whole garden. The refugees could now stay on Naboo and survive."
They now all looked at the relief at eye level. Terra was covered in rainbow colored jewels that resembled flowers. "Své was so impressed with Terra's strength, persistence and gift with growing life she made her into an immortal. She became the Goddess of Flora. Terra left her family and embraced her new role, promising her people they would never go hungry."
Padmé guided them to the next wall and again they looked up, shielding the blinding light from their eyes. "Terra was introduced into the Eternal Land. Now Taevas, do you remember who he is?"
The twins did, "The God of the Sky."
"Yes, Taevas upon seeing Terra for the first time fell madly in love with her." They looked at Taevas' image jeweled in colors of adoration and affection.
"Quite a pair, heaven and earth," Anakin said softly.
"They are, but first he had to win her heart." Padmé pointed further down, "Taevas gave Terra a gift. He moved stars around to create a constellation as a gift to her. During the winter months you can see that constellation in the sky. That is why they built the dome with an opening, so you can see it when you stand in this spot."
"Did it work?" Luke asked.
"Terra was flattered but told him the stars were not hers to own. Taevas walked away disappointed but determined to win her love. He knew she was right; the stars were not hers to own. After all he was the God of the Sky, she was the Goddess of Flora. Then he got an idea."
Padmé stepped over to the next wall and her family followed her. The relief showed a storm of golden jewels streaking through the heavens crashing onto Naboo, commanded by Taevas' will. "When he came back he told Terra he had something to show her. He called the comets to rain on Naboo. The stardust mixed with the soil. Then he commanded it to rain. Out of the earth sprouted a tree."
Anakin and the twins followed Padmé to the next wall, the one Luke had mistaken as the first relief. Padmé continued, "From the tree grew shuura fruit. Terra accepted the gift, for it was made from both the sky and the ground, and she had fallen in love with Taevas."
Padmé picked Luke up in her arms and looked at all three of them. "You all should see the garden. It's unlike anything you have ever seen because it is the ground where Terra grew that first plant."
They walked out of the temple through the back exit and into the Garden of Terra, where life flourished with hundreds of different plants, flowers and fruits of all colors, sizes and heights.
Leia and Luke urged to be put down and ran through the path. Anakin took Padmé's hand and they slowly strolled behind their children. They would soon catch up. Upon passing a tree, Anakin picked off two shuuras. He offered one to Padmé. She smiled and blushed as she took a bite.
Well, with orders to stay home to stop the spread of Covid-19 I took the time to finish the latest chapter. I just posted it today.
Sometimes I get inspiration for scenes that are way beyond the chapter I am currently working on. So when I think of it, I write it down. Even if it never gets used. My mind is all over the place with plot bunnies and outlines.
In a really early draft that I wrote in March of 2008 Padmé doesn't go to Coruscant. This scene is when Anakin returns home to Naboo already recovered:
"Why didn't you tell me you planned all along to go to the Temple." Her voice was calm, diplomatic even. She didn't want to fight but his deception hurt.
He cocked his head. "You know why. You were worried enough." He gestured to her abdomen. "And you're pregnant."
Padmé rolled her eyes. "Yes well all the good that lie did. I found out anyway and that was after I saw the bombing on the HoloNet."
"That whole trip went to hell in a Jawa junk transport." Anakin grumbled.
"Didn't find what you were looking for?"
"No. The archives are all gone and where Palpatine moved them is anyone's guess."
They both frowned that all that trouble was in vein. "But an reliable contact did give me a list of wanted Jedi and told me of a rumor about a Jedi who helped some younglings and Padawans escape."
Anyway, you can see how a lot has changed. I needed to move the story forward sooner.
I was also going to write the whole jealous wife trope when Padmé finds out Nikkei stayed at Anakin's bedside at the hospital. But then I realized I hated that idea. And Padmé is not the type to stay on Naboo. I mean, she went to Mustafar to confront Anakin. So of course she was going to Coruscant.
Another draft from Dec 2013 has Padmé arriving to Coruscant on a medical ship and posing as a medic.
The chapter was going to have a lot of suspense with Padmé and Barriss disguising themselves as medical staff to transfer Anakin (who was still in bad shape and unconscious) to another "special facility" but really take him to Naboo. That didn't seem plausible to me, so I sped up his recovery and he left on his own after being discharged.
You might have noticed the visions Anakin has when he’s unconscious are written in present tense. I purposely did that because I wanted them to stand out from the rest of the chapter. The visions are a mixture of what could have been and past memories.
Originally what I had outlined and drafted for Chpater 14 was part of Chapter 13. Then I decided that Chapter 13 had to be split in two.
So even though much of Padmé's POV on Naboo was thought out and outlined, writing the details took a lot of time.
I actually had some writer's block. I went back and forth many times on how many Padawans there were going to be. How many survived? How detailed should I get about their lives? What I did know for sure was that I wanted to include two younglings from RotS when Vader goes into the Council Chambers.
After reading a lot about the Legends on Wookieepedia I came across Jocasta Nu's Padawan, Jin-Lo Rayce. Reading about him and the Agents of Ossus gave me the inspiration I needed to continue writing.
So this is when I took a really long break. Chapter 12 was posted in August of 2011 and Chapter 13 was posted February 3, 2018.
There was a long break because I just got really busy. I was so tired from being too busy that I was unmotivated to continue writing. But my disappointment (that’s putting it kindly) in The Last Jedi inspired me to come back to fan fiction.
Based on some notes and journals I kept I did do some writing sporatically over the years. Actually, by December 2017 the scenes that took place on Coruscant were 80% done. I only had one scene left to write, then editing and proof reading.
Back in February 2013 I wrote on my LJ:
"Been writing DCW! I have approximately 1,735 words so far. Kind of on a roll that I hope continues.
Maybe I can have this chapter done by April (???). I hope. (Cross fingers.)"
^ What a joke that was.
By the end of December 2013 I had a lot written. Looking through some old drafts from April 2014, I was combining Chapters 13 and 14, going back and forth between Anakin on Coruscant and Padmé on Naboo. When I went back to it in December of 2017 I realized that was going to be insane so Padmé's scenes got moved to the next chapter.
Tidbit: Inquisitor Rioux's species is Omwati, which I remembered from the Jedi Academy Trilogy.
So I actually took a long break between Chapter 11 and 12. Chapter 11 was posted April 6, 2009 and then Chapter 12 was posted August 29, 2011.
This is when my writing slowed down and I wasn't cranking out chapters as fast. After I took a break from writing 10 to fix Chapters 1 through 9 I didn't want to have to do that ever again, so I started taking more time on the details before publishing.
I wrote some of Chapter 12 in the beginning of 2010 and then took a year off. I was writing Twilight fan fiction instead.
Back in January 2010 I was calling the chapter “Your Lover's Revenge” and I used
“want your love and all your lover’s revenge
You and me could write a bad romance”
as the opening lyrics. I thought Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” describe Avel and Asajj well. I will probably use it in the future.
I changed the title to The Massassi Temple because I thought it was more fitting for the present day action taking place in the story.
I changed the song lyrics because I thought they were spookier for the mood of the chapter:
Go rider, go ride into the night
Go rider, now see your soul through a woman's eyes
"Sinner's Prayer" by Sully Erna
One last tidbit: Dooku's secret base, the Chateau Malreaux, on Vjun came from The Clone Wars novel Yoda: Dark Rendezvous.
The Erased is from The Last of the Jedi series (by Jude Watson) and they called themselves The Erased in those books. But it's been a while since I read the series and am taking some liberties with the characters. But Keets was a reporter in the EU too, who got in trouble for snooping around. I had so much fun writing his character's reaction when he finds out the rumors were true.
I also loved writing the rivalry between Anakin and Ferus. Everything that's unresolved just came to the surface there. It took me so long to write that scene. That scene is what was holding me up from posting. I kept going back over and over like, "something is just not right." and then one day it just clicked.
I love Padmé and Sola bonding. There are not enough stories that show these sisters hanging out. Sola's family trip will be important later.
In the EU Captain Panaka sides with the Empire. I never liked that, so in my fic I kept him loyal to Naboo and to his queen.
I love the morning scene between Padmé and Anakin. It’s still one of my favorites that I’ve written. I love the idea of 2 people bonding through their own creation. It is so spiritual.
It’s also in my head canon that they love to cook for each other and sometimes together.
The chapter opens up with lots of romance but also the dangerous reality is not far away.
The scenes with Nikkei were a lot of fun. She’s trying to get him to loosen up and he’s trying to ditch her. Nikkei asks about the scar over his eye, which he had gotten from Asajj Ventress (as seen in the flashback from the previous chapter).
An important conversation is between Anakin and Barriss when they talk about being a Jedi and marriage. Anakin has this idea that when they rebuild the Jedi Order that they need to learn from their mistakes and change some of the Codes. Attachments and marriage being one of them. Having Barriss be on his side would helpful.
Barriss isn't there, yet. While she is in love with Kornell, she’s not ready for marriage. She’s still grieving and feels her path is leading her elsewhere.
I often think about writing a side story about them. I could include it in the main DCW story, but I feel like it might A) go too off topic, and B) make the chapters way longer than they already are. So maybe one day - as a companion story.
I just realized that this chapter has Anakin interacting with most of the women in his life.
For this chapter I went back to a lot of things I read in the EU. Exar Kun’s first appearance was in the Jedi Academy Trilogy by Kevin J Anderson. I read them when they first came out in the mid 1990s. I was about 13 years old.
Exar Kun's holocron and the archeologists that Sidious has working for him are setting up something that will be revealed later.
I delayed Avel's mission because: A) I need it to fit with my timeline. B) I wanted to show what the Empire was dealing with. The Seperatist rebels factor into what was going to happen in upcoming chapters.
When I first posted the chapter I received some comments that people thought the rebel Avel killed was Asajj Ventress. She wasn't. She was just meant to remind Avel of Asajj because they have a history and that's an important factor in his actions.
The flashback scene with Asajj and Anakin came from the comic book Star Wars: Republic Series 71.
Avel is able to see it because he is unintentionally Flow-walking. He's meditating with the aide of incense (there some Sith alchemy involved), he's thinking about Asajj, and the spirit of Exar Kun is messing with his mind.
I think of the Naboo calendar like Earth’s calendar. Mostly because I am too tired to do timeline math. The way I think of it is that Padmé and Anakin were married in the fall (both at the end of AotC and in Chapter 3 of DCW). Think October.
The twins were born in the late summer. Think August. The new baby is due in the spring (May.)
This is also my little rebellion fan fiction where Padmé is pregnant again and is not so blindly happy. Years ago I read that so often in fics that she becomes pregnant again and even though everything is a mess she is just insanely happy. So I turned the tables. Padmé is scared and worried and Anakin is the happy one.
I would imagine that Anakin would want more children because of his lonely (let go of attachments) childhood at the Temple.
Anakin's gift to Padmé for the twins’ birthday is an idea I got from Phantom by Susan Kay. It's a retelling of the Phantom of the Opera. Raoul gives Christine a rose every year on their child’s birthday. I read the book so long ago but that detail always stuck with me.
Anakin says he doesn't remember where the tradition came from but it's a Tatooine ritual. (Well, in my head canon it is.) And I will get more into that in future chapters. Right now Anakin is not saying it’s from Tatooine because it's too painful to talk about. Again, he’s not opening up to Padmé completely. But she also shuts him out in this chapter, so he gets a taste of his own medicine.
Sometimes I feel bad that I made Jobal so nosy and overbearing in this chapter. But also she is still hurt that her daughter lied to her about being married to Anakin (which was why she arranged that second wedding in Chapter 3) and being pregnant the first time that she wants to be celebrating every moment with her daughter.
At lease Padmé has Sola and Ruwee. The scene with Padmé and Ruwee is one my most favorite scenes that I wrote. It’s just so touching and he’s so wise.
Padmé is still having trouble getting Anakin to open up and she won't let him get away with it. This also echoes at the end of the chapter when Padmé expresses her fears about Anakin's old nightmares returning. She doesn't trust that he'll tell her. This story is going to be pretty long so it's just going to take him a while to learn to tell her things. Gradual character development.
I introduced Darth Avel and so now I must show him. I gave some hints about his past. I have a backstory in mind. It's just about how much and when to reveal it bit by bit.
The whole thing with Kessel and the Glitterstim spice is from the from the former EU. I think it was mentioned in the Han Solo Trilogy by A.C. Crispin? I have read a lot of the EU and it was so many years ago.
I really liked writing the philosphical scene with Obi-Wan and Barriss. Especially the part about Anakin's obession with sustaining life. There's some foreshadowing there.
Padmé and birth control - this is my head canon:
Before the twins she was on the pill. While she is grateful for them and wouldn't trade them for anything in the galaxy, the pill didn't do its job. She's moved on to a different type of birth control but she forgot to use it. And it only takes one time.
Chapter 6 beings where Chapter 5 left off with Anakin running into Barriss.
I borrowed a lot from EU to write the story of what she’s been up to the last year. There is the MedStar Duology from The Clone Wars novels. I don’t remember much about them now but I remember that is where Barriss met Kornell Divini (I kind of shipped them) and at the end of the second book Barriss is Knighted.
Also in the EU Barriss was placed on Felucia during Order 66. So that was my jumping off point. Much like Obi-Wan joining an order of monks after the Purge, Barriss continues as a healer.
This is where I have to get the story rolling and Anakin meeting Barriss again is the start of a Jedi rebellion.
Especially since I introduced Darth Avel. I’m not good with coming up with characters’ names but for Avel I went with a variation of Abel from the Bible. Cain is the first born son of Adam and Eve (as Anakin is Palpatine’s first choice) and Abel is the first to die. Some foreshadowing there. Avel is well aware that he is Palpatine’s second choice. Those are grounds for anger and jealousy.
I found some notes I made for this post but then forgot about so here I am editing them in:
-Threepio’s comment about being a nanny droid. That was my little dig to all the times the kiddies are handed off for the droids to raise.
- I also wanted to show the engineers from the agency and thier dynamics as friends outside of work. The gambling is a little bit of what I originally had planned when the Skywalkers were going to Tatooine and Anakin used the Force to predict the outcome to win.
- Anakin's alias Den is from Hayden... Yea. too easy. I can't remember where I came up with the last name. Probably the phone book or a street name on a map.
- Nikkei knowing where he lives is a set up for something I have planned for later.
- Anakin is using sex to avoid talking to his wife.
- On writing love scenes I am more about expressing the emotions than a smutty play by play. I imagine he can't help but use the Force during sex and the intensity of the thunder storm would amplify their connection to each other.
Sorry for the break with the chapter commentaries. I’ll get back to them real soon. I am actually writing Chapter 15 in my spare time. The muse is awake. I thought it would be a short chapter, but I am apparently incapable of doing that. I am not even done. Most of it is just a very descriptive outline and already it is 6,450 words. So that is something to look forward to.
So what would Anakin do if he weren't a Jedi or a Sith Lord? Given his skills with flying and building things, the answer was obvious.
That means introducing some new characters. Every one of Anakin's colleges are original characters, but the one who matters most is Nikkei. She's going to be a reoccurring character.
When I first was creating her character I had recently seen the movie (and then later read the book) Memoirs of a Geisha. So I was inspired by the character of Sayuri and how there was “water in her soul”. I was picturing the actress who played her in the movie, Ziyi Zhang. (Even though Ziyi is Chinese, not Japanese.)
I always have trouble coming up with names. It's one of my least favorite writing things to do, next to choreographing fight scenes through words. I was going to name her Nikki, only I was trying to give it some weird Star Wars -like spelling. Auto correct changed it to Nikkei, and I thought it fit perfectly.
Anakin isn't the only one moving on. I felt I had to give Padmé something besides being a stay at home mom. I have nothing against stay at home moms. They have the most difficult jobs in the world. I feel that given the life Padmé lived before motherhood she too would get antsy being home all the time. Also, given her altruistic nature she still feels responsible for the people she served. So of course she'd do what little she could if there was a disaster. Even though she has to be heavily disguise during her volunteering.
Anakin's feelings about her volunteering are not so much about him feeling that she should stay home because she's retired from politics, but more about him wanting to keep her in a safe bubble. He won't be with her and the twins 24/7 anymore and what happens if her identity is discovered? He's just being a control freak. But Padmé shot him down, off page.
Giving Padmé a story at the relief camp also moves the plot forward so that I can bring in Barriss.
Barriss has always been a favorite Jedi of mine. As much as I love The Clone Wars animated series and am so very excited that it's been saved, I do disagree with a few of their creative choices. One of them is that they made Barriss a tratior and a terrorist. I wish that instead of making that her fate they just created an original character to befriend Ahsoka and then betray her.
Also, Barriss was not supposed to be Ahsoka’s peer. She was around Anakin’s age. And if you read the EU novels like I did then you remember that she was knighted before Anakin.
I think that even if I had not started writing this before TCW animated series I would have still written Barriss they way I did because Legends Barriss is the canon I adhere to.
One last thing to mention is Anakin's fears. Just because Padmé lived and he didn't turn to the Dark Side doesn't mean all those issues went away. The reason why I made Luke's birth breach was A) for drama and B) to give Anakin a reason to think he saved her. But even though he thinks he saved her he's still hungry for that power and knowledge Sidious told him about.
Which is what Sidious is counting on. Meanwhile he's got an Empire to keep in line and a Death Star to construct.
Since these two pieces go hand in hand I’ll talk about them together.
First I’ll talk about Three Is a Crowd which is a side story from Obi-Wan’s POV. About 6 months have past and he’s used that time to meditate and reflect. Something I don't think he did much of when he was a general in the war. He’s the first one to take action to move on. Only his idea of moving on is going back to the lifestyle that he’s known his whole life. That of a monk. When I was outlining the story it was the what made the most sense for him.
Anakin on the other hand has a family and he’s been making up for lost time with Padmé. Without a war keeping them apart they have had time to live day in and day out as married couple and parents. Sometime I imagine that Padmé is a bit messy since she was used to having servants or droids pick up after her. And Anakin living the life of Jedi with little possessions and then a general in the military where everything is in order, he would get tired of her bad habit and call her out on it. Then after they fight they would go to their bedroom to make up.
I’m sure all Obi-Wan thinks they do is fight and then make up, which makes him uncomfortable. And while they do do that it’s not all they do. (Which is another outtake I wrote: Just Like Any Other Night, Only With Scrabble.)
Obi-Wan’s decision to move on sparks Anakin and Padmé to do so as well. Of course Anakin is conflicted and is feeling a bit emasculated so Ruwee gives the best advice. Which is basically, “Get your shit together.”
