What Dreams May Come

*Dreams in these*
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Chapter 3: If I Should Die Before I Wake…

*Anakin Skywalker ran desperately towards the motionless figure chained to the metal pole. Lightning raced against him, the thunder booming ever louder as the criss-crossing streaks of light drew nearer. Then, suddenly, Anakin tripped, falling into a well of darkness. He opened his mouth and screamed…*

“NO!” Anakin sat up in bed and it took his several moments to realize where he was. There was no empty plain, no chained figure, and he was not falling down a forbidding hole in the ground. It was still dark, but Anakin remained lying awake. Before he managed to drift back off to sleep, Anakin decided that he really needed to talk to someone. The problem was, with Obi-Wan gone, who could he talk to?
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“Are you busy, Your Honor?” a shy voice called from the door.
“No, not busy at all. Can I help you?” The person at the door paused, and then sed ted through the egress. A smile crossed Supreme Chancellor’s visage when he recognized his visitor.
“Ah, Padawan Skywalker! Where is Master Kenobi? You two are so close that it’s very rare to see you apart.”
“He’s on a solo missio “A “And you are…?”
“Stuck at the Temple, or at least on Coruscant.”
“Is something troubling you?” Anakin hesitated, needing to talk to someone but not sure about baring his soul to this important and surely busy man, much less laying his problems at the already problem-laden Supreme Chancellor’s feet.
“Come now, don’t be shy. After all, you don’t want to all all this way for nothing.”
“I have a bad feeling about the mission Obi-Wan’s on,” Anakin blurted, “He’s like a father to me and I worry about him.”
“And you wish me to have him called back from his mission? Or, perhaps, you wish to join him?”
“Oh, well, no, Your Honor,” Anakin replied sheepishly, “I just needed someone to talk to and you’ve always been so nice… Everyone else treats me as a child. It’s frustrating. I’m not even allowed to go on solo missions. Obi-Wan still thinks I’m not ready, but I am!” Palpatine chuckled.
“My young friend, you claim to care for your Master as a father, yet you complain when he treats you as his son.”
“I beg your pardon, sir?”
“Parents are notorious for wishing that their children would never grow up. If it were left up to them, no child would ever grow up, and the closer the child comes to adulthood, the more a parent realizes that there is still so much that they want to teach their child and wish desperately to slow their aging process. Even when the child is truly ready to make it on their own, very few parents are ready to let their child leave the nest, so to speak.” Anakin nodded in thoughtful agreement. It sure did sound a lot like Obi-Wan.
“I believe you’re right, sir, but in that case, I’ll never get a solo mission because Obi-Wan will never believe I’m ready.”
“Patience, my young friend, is a virtue you should cultivate. It will serve you well. You will get a solo mission eventually; the Jedi Council will see to that, whether Master Kenobi feels you are ready or not. You’ll just have to be patient.”
“I will be, Your Honor.”
“Good. Oh, and please remember that if you ever need anything at all, young Skywalker, don’t hesitate to ask, even if it’s simply a friendly ear to listen to your troubles.”
“I will, sir, and thank you,” Anakin replied on his way out. Palpatine sat back in his chair as the door closed, an oddly cunning look on his face.
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Trinity was standing in the eaves of the stage of The Dancing Draigon with several other girls, watching the crowd while waiting for their turn. She was just scanning the crowd for potential tippers when she saw him.
“Well, well, what have we got here?” she muttered to herself.
He was gorgeous human-type man with longish brown hair with red-gold highlighnd and a great body. The latter was extremely obvious, thanks to his choice in clothing. The blue synth-silk shirt was open, revealing some very admirable musculature and Trinity did not have the least clue as to how he managed to get those black pants on; they fit like a second skin and might as well have been painted on.
Trinity smiled and slowly pushed her way out of the side door that allowed the performers to mingle in the crowd, planning on exactly how she would waylay the walking fertility god. Once she caught sight of him again, however, she stopped short. A familiar form had already intercepted him.
“Sasha, you devil,” Trinity breathed, torn between admiration and plain old jealousy.

Obi-Wan glanced about uncomfortably. He would never have int into a place like this for fun and the clothing Master Zarf had insisted was the latest stuff to wear in places like these was t ant and uncomfortable. Resisting the temptation to pull the open synth-silk shirt closed and somehow force it to stay closed; Obi-Wan stole a look at the stage, only to turn away. Such things were not to his taste. Unfortunately, he became aware of several pairs of eyes watching him hungrily from the bar, like large monsters that had suddenly discovered a delectable morsel. The yummy Jedi shuddered and began searching for his contact.
“Ben Unduli?” Obi-Wan, hearing the code name the Council gave him, turned only to stare.
“Sasha?” Obi-Wan asked incredulously, looking the performer over as he sat at what appeared to be her table. She was a Mirialan with the typical swarthy skin, brightly colored eyes, and intricate ceremonial tattoos. She raised an exquisite eyebrow at him and pursed her painted lips.
“Is Ben any better?” she asked.
“Good point.”
“You’re looking good.” Ben grimaced.
“I swear if I heaat oat one more time…” Sasha burst out laughing.
“I can tell I’m not the first.”
“Are you kidding? The majority of the females in the Temple, several of the males, and my Padawan have said that to me.”
“Well you’d better be prepared for more,” Sasha chuckled, “Here comes my set. Hey, girls, take a seat.”
“Oh,” a chocolate-skinned goddess sighed as she crossed her legs on the opposite chair by Ben, “My feet are killing me.”
“They’re very lovely feet,” Ben replied diplomatically. The enchantress giggled at Ben.
“Aren’t you going to introduce us, Sasha?” a redheaded belle asked as the third member, a giggly purple-skinned Twi’lek, pushed the dark-skinned goddess’s feet off the chair and sat down on the other side of Ben.
“Girls, this is a very good, um… friend of mine,” Sasha said, raising her eyebrows suggestively at the word ‘friend’. “His name’s Ben Unduli.”
“Ah, poodoo!” the Twi’lek cursed in Huttese while the dusky-skinned Corellian laughed at her friend, “Why are the cute ones always taken?” Sasha simply smiled and continwithwith the introductions.
“Ben, these are Destiny, Latisha, and Trinity,” she said, starting with the simpering Twi’lek and ending with the redheaded seductress.
“A pleasure to meet you,” Ben replied, nodding his head at the three.
“Ooh, Sasha, you caught yourself a gentleman!” Latisha stated
“Yep. If you will excuse us, girls. This gentleman and I need some time alone. I’ve been waiting far too long for his ship to come home.” Destiny giggled at the implied innuendo and Latisha sighed wistfully.
“’Come into my parlor’, said the rancor to the mynock,” Trinity murmured. Ben shot her an odd look as he and Sasha stood up to leave.
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“Must be nice to finally get the apartment to yourself,” Barriss stated, lying on her stomach on Anakin’s sleep couch.
“It’s okay,” Anakin replied, not looking up from the machine he was fixing. Having become known as a fix-it man not long after his introduction to the Temple, many Padawans came to him with broken objects to repair. This particular item was a long-range com-link Padawan Everant had broken and had offered to pay Anakin to fix.
“Hey, Skywalker! The girl lying on your bed wants your attention!”
“Hmm?” Anakin asked, not lookingarriarriss stood up and folded her arms across her chest. Any romantic feelings she might have had for Anakin had passed before they ever came into existence years before; there was no way she would ever sleep with him. That did not mean that she liked being ignored by him.
“Only you can be so dense. Call her.”
“What?” Anakin asked, startled into looking at Barriss.
“You’re still mooning over that princess you met when you were ten. Just call her and talk to her.”
“She was a queen and I don’t know her number. Besides, that wasn’t what I was thinking about.”
“What were you thinking about?”
“About how unfair this all is! Obi-Wan’s out there on a mission and I’m stuck here doing the stupid lessons he left with me. When he comes back, he won’t say a thing about a mission. Instead he’ll berate me for not doing the lessons properly,” Anakin ranted, releasing his pent-up feelings.
“Don’t you like Master Kenobi?”
“Of course I do! He’s a wonderful master, so wise and powerful, and I’ve learned so much from him. I’m certain he’ll end up on the Council, perhaps not long after I’m Knighted. And I’m not really angry with him or upset about the lessons. It’s just that… he’s off on a solo mission and I have to stay here. It’s… it’s… frustrating.”
“I know how you feel,” Barriss agreed, “My Master’s off on a solo mission, too.” She looked at the wall chrono and sighed.
“I’d better go. See you tomorrow, Skywalker.”
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It was strangely quiet in Sasha’s dressing room after the noise of the club. She took one quick glance around as she closed the door, and then swung her companion around into a passionate kiss. As her lips traveled from his chiseled lips up his sculpted cheek, she whispered, “Camera, 12 o’clock.” Ben glanced up to see a small mirror on the wall. The larger mirrors were to his left and a bed was to the right.
“Come on in and make yourself comfortable,” Sasha stated in a louder voice, pulling away and walking sedvelyvely across the room.
“Damn that maid! Why does she keep moving my stuff?” The Mirialan plunked a vase full of flowers in front of the mirror, obscuring it, and sat a throw pillow on something Ben guessed was a microphone.
“There.”
“Cameras?”
“They claim it’s for our safety, and maybe it originally was, but I suspect the person we’re after has access to the lines.” He nodded, looking around the room. Finally, he settled on the edge of the bed while Sasha sat in the room’s only chair.
“How’d they get started in exotic dancing?” Ben asked curiously. Sasha dug out a datapad and proceeded to give her report.
“Destiny’s in it because, and I quote, “It beats being a slave and I get to meet cute guys.” End quote. She’s the baby of the club. She got started with her older sister; a blue-skinned Twi’lek named Starla. Starla disappeared not long ago. Rumor has it that she was sold to Shenelle, the main pimp in Minerva. Destiny’s heartbroken – most of what you see is an act. She can’t afford to be doleful and lose her job here.
“Latisha’s never known how to do anything besides dancing. She was raised here; her mother worked for the previous owner as a dancer and singer. Father is unknown; probably one of her mother’s many beaus. If a girl needs to know anything about the dancing business, they go to Latisha. Trinity has been pumping her for information.
“Trinity’s a student at the university who got this job to help pay her way through school. She refuses to be limited to one gig, though. In fact, she dances in two or three other clubs besides this one. Since she’s not always here, it puts her in high demand. I wouldn’t put it past her doing it on purpose; she knows precisely what she’s doing. General knowledge is that once she graduates with her business degree, she’s going to open her own club, with her as the star, of course.”
“Of course.”
“Why are you here? Are you replacing me? I thought I was doing rather well.”
“Oh, no. I am not replacing you. I’m here to help and to explore a new angle of inquiry.”
“New angle?” Sasha asked, leaning forward. Ben ran a hand through his longish hair and sighed.
“Here.” Taking out a holo-cube, he passed it to Sasha. She pursed her lips together thoughtfully as she watched the blue Twi’lek’s plea.
“That was Starla,” she stated as she handed the holo-cube back.
“I wondered when you described her.” Sasha closed her eyes and took a calming breath.
“Sasha? There is something more to this than kidnapping and slavery, isn’t there? The Force is telling me that things are much more complex than that.” The woman opened her eyes.
“I have reasons but no actual proof, mind you, that the owner of this club is in deep with the Shi’an Resistance Movement. Starla used to go up to the office overlooking the stage quite a bit and what better way to get rid of your opposition than by selling the “S “So the majority of the people being kidnapped and sold are rebels?” Sasha nodded.
“Not that I blame them for rebelling, with General Morlu running the show. That man’s bad news.” Ben winced.
“Oh, Obi-Wan. I’m sorry. I forgot…” Ben waved her apology aside.
“It’s Ben for now and I’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Now for this kidnapper. We need some bait so we can catch them in the act. I do not want to endanger innocents like your “friends”, so it should be either you or me. What do you say?”
Sasha put her tongue in her cheek and her eyes rolled up as she thought over what Ben had said.
“All right. We put it in effect in two days. I want you to contact me every day from now on, though.”
“Good idea. I’ll keep in touch. See you tomorrow, Sasha.”
“Goodnight, Ben.”
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*Anakin was running recklessly across the featureless plain towards his chained master once again.
“Obi-Wan!” he bellowed, “I’m coming, Master!”
“Anakin?” The Jedi Padawan stopped short and turned in the direction of the voice. A mirror image of the figure he had just been running towards came into existence. Turning back to the person he had been running towards, all he saw nothing until he looked down and found his feet on the edge of a deep precipice. Beyond the cliff was only darkness.
“What the…?” Anakin backed away from edge and darted towards the second Obi-Wan.
“Anakin, no! Stay back!” the older man unexpectedly barked at his apprentice. The younger man paid him no heed.
“Anakin, stay back! It’s a trap! Do you hear me?! It’s a trap!” Something in his master’s voice caused Anakin to stop while several feet away. Maybe it was the desperation or the concern in Obi-Wan’s voice. Most likely, it was the fear for Anakin’s own safety that was so clearly apparent.
They stood staring at each other, not ten feet apart. Obi-Wan smiled, seemingly pleased that his brash and defiant young Padawan was actually obeying him for once.
“I love you.” Anakin’s heart wept upon hearing those words from his father figure, words he had always longed to hear Obi-Wan say aloud. Then Anakin cried openly as the lightning struck the metal pole…*

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“No! Master! Obi-Wan…” the strangled cries gave way to a sob as the name left the young man’s lips.
“Anakin! Wake up, Anakin!” A hand grabbed the Padawan’s shoulder and roughly shook it. A fourteen-standard-year-old Anakin Skywalker woke with a start to see his master’s worried face and troubleay-gay-green eyes peering at him in concern.
Obi-Wan Kenobi, for all his skills as a Jedi Knight, was taken by surprise when his apprentice launched himself into the older man’s arms the way he used to when he was a small boy. Anakin was no longer a little boy, however, and they landed on the floor in a heap with Anakin clutching at Obi-Wan’s tunic and sobbing.
“Love you, love you. Please don’t leave me. I love you. Don’t go,” the teenager begged repeatedly.
“Shhh, Ani. It’s all right. I’m here. It’s okay. I’m right here,” the older man replied, rubbing his Padawan’s back until the sobs slowed and finally stopped and Anakin sat quietly on his lap except for an occasional hiccup.
“Do you mind telling me what brought all this on?” Anakin’s master asked patiently.
“You left me and you died and I never got to say I love you,” Anakin sniffled.
“It was only a dream, Ani, and I think you’ve made your feelings for me more than clear.” They sat on the floor together for several minutes, Anakin happily ensconced in Obi-Wan’s arms as he sat upon Obi-Wan’s lap, his master’s chin resting lightly upon the crown of his head. Finally Obi-Wan moved, turning his Padawan around on his lap so that Anakin was facing him.
“Do you think you can get back to sleep now, Anakin?” Anakin vigorously shook his head before laying it against his master’s shoulder and possessively wrapping his arms around Obi-Wan.
“You need to get back into bed. It’s still five hours before we have to be up and you need your sleep.”
“What if I dream it again?” Anakin’s muffled voice came from the vicinity of Obi-Wan’s collarbone, “I want to sleep with you tonight.” The frown became deeper. Obi-Wan realized that his apprentice had to be severely shaken up to request sharing a bed, something Anakin had given up as childish nearly two years ago.
“Alright, you can sleep in my room,” Obi-Wan gave in with a sigh, “But you’ll have to let me up.” Anakin scrambled to his feet and held out a hand to help his master up. Once in Obi-Wan’s room, they settled together in the middle of the room’s lone sleep couch. Anakin snuggled in close to the older man and gave a satisfied sigh.
“Love ya, Master,” the boy whispered just before he fell asleep. He may have imagined it, but Anakin was fairly certain he heard Obi-Wan murmur, “I love you, too, Ani.”

Anakin would completely give up coming to sleep in Obi-Wan’s bed whenever he became scared not long after. While Obi-Wan would never admit it, even to himself until many years later, the Jedi Knight would sorely miss not being able to hold the frightened child until he calmed enough to fall back asleep.
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“I don’t like this plan of yours, Master.” The figure in the hologram did not look too terribly impressed with his student’s premonition.
“Why not?”
“I have a bad feeling about you using yourself as bait when I’m not there to protect you, and further more…” Anakin left off because the hologram was chortling in amusement at the idea that his apprentice could take care of him better than he could take care of himself.
“Damn it, Master, don’t laugh! I’m dead serious. The thought of losing you frightens me.” Obi-Wan’s mirth died away and he looked compassionately at his student.
“Anakin, don’t worry. This is far from my first solo mission and if I can’t handle my own safety by now, I’d be a pretty poor excuse for a Jedi. You are aware of this. What is wrong?”
“I still have the dream.” The miniature Obi-Wan appeared nonplussed by the non sequitur.
“That’s what, a week now?” Anakin nodded.
“So are you running to catch the person or running to keep up?” the Jedi Knight asked, trying to introduce a brighter note into the conversation.
“Neither. The figure is you, Master, and I’m running to save you. In the dream, you order me to stay back. I do and, in doing so, I let you die. I…” Anakin’s voice broke so he tried again. “I couldn’t stand it if it came true, Master. It’s bad enough seeing you die in my dream.”
“But that’s just what it is, Anakin; a dream. I’ll be back before you know it. Now I had better go. I’ll comm you in three days.” Anakin glumly nodded.
“Don’t worry, my young Padawan.” With that, the transmission left off.
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“What news?”
“Our little Sasha just introduced her boyfriend to the club and he’s just as Force-sensitive as she is, if not more.”
“Indeed. Is he one of the ones in the holo I gave you?” Slender hands gestured and a holo-cube floated over and lit up. Two men stood side-by-side in the three-dimensional picture, each with an arm around the other’s shoulder. Large grins lit up handsome faces.
“This one, I think. He shaved off the beard and possibly did more cosmetic-wise. He looks about ten years younger than this holo shows him.”
“Good. Kenobi’s right where I want him. The trap is almost ready. All that’s left is arranging the bait.”

To be continued…