Specter of the past

The Serinan Rebellion was drawing to a close at long last. Millions of lives had been lost even with the quick response of Imperial and Republic forces. Those deaths while unavoidable still caused those who'd survived to be laden down with guilt and grief. The very weight of the numerous deaths weighing heavily on their shoulders as they attempted to pick up the shattered peace that had become a common place since the Empire and Republic had agreed to work together instead of trying to undermine one another. Though some hard feelings were still harbored by both sides, they were largely overlooked allowing them to co-exist without bloodshed. It was yet another testament to the political prowess possessed by Kida and her Council of Advisers.

The war hadn't taken them completely by surprise as the Senate's behavior had given the dissenting member's intentions away. Countless hours of negotiations failed, leaving Anakin and Kida with only one choice.... dissolving the Senate completely in order to consolidate their power in hopes of restoring peace quickly. After a short patrol in the outer rim sectors held by Imperial forces, Anakin asked Padme to act as his informer within the Senate. His goal was for her to be able to attract those of like mind who still remained loyal to the royal family, giving them a foundation for rebuilding later.

Within three months she'd managed to safely lead the loyalists to a secure location hidden beneath the surface of Dantooine. It had once been a military base used by the Old Republic during the Clone War, then the Rebel forces during the war against Palpatine's forces. Though it had undergone a vast restoration it still maintained several tale tell signs of its original purpose. The underground facility had been rebuilt with comfort in mind for the civilian population, and function for the military forces stationed there to defend the planet should it fall under attack. The western section of the base was split into two sections, the larger portion being utilized as a hanger bay and a secondary repair hanger for damaged fighters. The smaller portion housed briefing rooms and offices for the higher ranking members of the four squadrons. The eastern two sections housed offices and living quarters for civilian personnel. The northern part of the base was off limits to civilians as it housed fuel, munitions and the emergency shield and power generators. The base's southern sector was open to all living there; housing, recreation, mess halls, and a few above ground observation areas.

It was early in the morning when an urgent distress call was received by the Serinan forces. Piett glanced at the time, 01:00... He knew Anakin and Kida were still asleep, the thought of waking them was enough to make his blood run cold but he knew what would become of him if he didn't. Swallowing his fear he took a deep breath before keying in the access codes for his Emperor's private quarters. The Admiral knew he'd be safe as long as he didn't enter their sleeping quarters, provoking the Empress to attack due to sensing someone too close.]

"R2, if you don't mind it's very important that I speak with them right away. We've..."

"What's so important that it can't wait a few hours, Firmus?"

[He looked up to see Anakin leaning against the doorway with his arms folded across his chest. Piett hadn't expected him to wake up before R2 could pass on his request to speak with the Skywalkers. Feeling his fear growing again he finally found the courage to answer him after a few minutes.]

"I'm sorry for disturbing you, mi'lord. We've received an urgent distress call from the Dantooine Base... it was initiated with Senator Amidala's personal encryption code. I thought you'd want to know sooner rather than later that the Rebel forces were already beginning to bombard the surface. According to the reports they have yet to land ground forces."

[A low growl could be heard coming from the dark room behind Anakin, causing Piett's blood to run cold once again as he knew the Empress was awake and furious. Keeping his eyes on his Emperor he could imagine how concerned the man was for the safety of every life on Dantooine, especially the lives of his family members that were hiding there.]

"Set a course for the base right away, maximum speed. We can't afford to lose that base.... and I won't allow them to endanger my family any longer."

[Anakin could feel his anger seething, simmering under his skin as he gave Firmus the order to change course. He couldn't wait to see the end of this blasted war that had cost so many lives and caused those involved so much stress.

Watching the Admiral leave his quarters he turned his attention to calming the rather dangerous levels of anger he felt assaulting him in repetitive waves from Kida. He'd already been lectured about how he needed to control her stress levels if he hoped to reverse the damage the war had caused to her health. Sighing heavily he returned to his place in bed, allowing the door to slide closed once again. Hesitating briefly to collect his own thoughts before addressing his furious wife.]

"Calm down. Your anger isn't helping anyone, Kida. Remember what Arexia told us about pushing your stress tolerances past their limits. We all have our breaking points my love and your dangerously close to passing several of yours if your not careful."

[ His voice remained soft. His words spoken so quietly that most people wouldn't notice he'd said a single word to them. He knew she would pick up on everything he said though as her sense of hearing surpassed that of any human, and most alien species Anakin had ever encountered.

Listening as he spoke her growl began to fade into a heavy, strained sigh. She knew better than to push her luck when he was worried about her. On the rare occasion she did it usually ended with him keeping her under constant heavy sedation until he felt she'd learned her lesson.]