For allbingo
Nov. 18th, 2021 10:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyofleithianTitle: Stronger Than Blood
Summary: Anakin tells Padme where he came from.
Prompt: Exhaustion
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Warnings: Trigger warning for past rape/non-con and forced pregnancy (relating to Palpatine and Shmi). I saw it as a logical reading of the Palpatine-created-Anakin theory because I can’t imagine consent being involved in any way, shape or form.
Author’s Notes: Ironically, TROS’ introduction of Force Healing inspired this after I realized it made Anakin’s fall pointless. And I wanted a fic involving Anakin’s reaction to learning he was possibly a Child By Rape. Everything else was just a logical progression of Palpatine staying dead.
It's when they finally manage to put the twins to bed (and Padme can’t help but feel a tug of warmth towards the both of them, bald-headed, shiny infants with so much energy and affection) that she turns towards Anakin. She knows that posture all too well; it was the same posture he had when he’d posited the fear of her dying in childbirth (what a ridiculous fear that had been!), before she had gotten through labor safely.
"Anakin,” Padme begins, gently, “Is everything all right?"
“I’m all right.” Anakin seems to be forcing a smile. “Ahsoka…I did let her in on the secret a little and she’s excited to be an aunt. Imagine the sound of it. ‘Aunt Ahsoka'.”
“Anakin…”
“ — and who would have thought Maul of all people would agree to help us with looking for Imperial remnants? Granted, he just wanted Palpatine to suffer, but…”
“Anakin,” Padme says, gently. “You have that look on your face. Like you’re trying to protect me from something.”
The forced smile melts away. “I don’t want to scare you or Luke and Leia." Anakin finally admits.
“Is it about Palpatine?”
“You probably saw his political records, right?” Anakin says. They’ve been undergoing a long investigation, a longer one than Padme would have liked. It’s still crushing to realize how close liberty came to dying, and with thunderous applause at that.
Padme nods. “It’s just disgusting,” she says. “Everything he planned…using those clones as sentient weapons…"
“ ‘Disgusting’ is one word for him,” Anakin says grimly. “I…he hurt my mother. It wasn’t just him…hiring the Tuskens to kidnap and torture her to death, like she was just some tool to force me to ‘evolve’,” and underneath the obvious anger and grief is a well of guilt, like he could have known that the Tuskens had been effectively coerced and slaughtering them was even more for nothing.
Padme has mixed emotions. She doesn’t hate Anakin, but she knows he went too far — the women and children hadn’t done anything, after all. She still wishes she’d been there just to hold him back.
“Palpatine raped my mother.” The next words out of Anakin’s mouth sound like the toll of a requiem, and Padme’s horrified. Shmi Skywalker…obviously, Padme knows rape is a crime no one deserves, and yet it’s another horrible thing imagining it happen to one of the kindest, most loving women that Padme had ever met. The woman who had taken her, Qui-Gon and Jar-Jar in on Tatooine just out of the kindness of her heart, even though she’d only met them seconds ago. “Not physically,” Anakin adds; Padme’s horror must have shown on her face. “But…he made an allusion to it. How Plagueis, his master, could manipulate the midichlorians to create life. You know those, right; Qui-Gon tested those in my blood…all those years ago…"
Padme watches as her husband’s mechanical hand tightens.
“He…he manipulated her own body against her,” Anakin says tightly. “Just to create me. I was the Chosen One, just his Chosen One, the Sith’ari or something, and…and I can’t even confront him over it because Mace Windu killed him! I mean, I’m glad he did; I hate Palpatine, but…”
Padme recognizes her husband’s chest rising and falling rapidly, and she turns towards him.
“Ani,” she says, “Look around. Name some things you see.”
He names them. Threepio and Artoo, powered down for the night. Holos of Padme’s family, including Ryoo and Pooja, who are older now. Old mementos of Ahsoka.
Anakin exhales. “Thank you, Padme,” he finally says. “Just…Force, how did my mother even love me, knowing that monster created me? And…and you. And Luke and Leia. How do you know that I won’t turn out like Sidious did…?"
“Anakin,” Padme says softly, “You won’t. I know you. I see the way you look at Luke and Leia, how happy they are to see you. I know the way you look at me. Of course it’s easy to love you, Ani. You’re a good man.”
She traces down the scar on his face that Ventress left — a detail that makes him even more beautiful, she thinks, because it’s Anakin. Because it’s a man who was loving, romantic and uncommonly kind as well as being the most beautiful man she’s ever seen.
“Palpatine couldn’t love anyone,” Padme says. “Couldn’t feel even empathy for other beings. You’re the opposite of him in every way. In so many ways, your mother triumphed over him. Because you turned out more like her than like him.”
She doesn’t miss the way that Anakin trembles with relief.
“I want to be like her,” Anakin says. “I want to be.”
“You are. You’re the man for me.” Padme smiles, kisses his cheek. “I haven’t told you that enough, but you are."
Anakin hugs her. She can feel the tears against her hair, his lips against her temple. He’s murmuring love to her, reassurance. The twins are deep sleepers, and Padme is glad they don’t have to explain things to them, just yet.
“I’m…glad my vision turned out to be wrong," he says. “I’m glad you’re still here.”
“I’m glad I’m here too,” Padme says. “I’m glad Luke’s here. And Leia. And you, always you."
They hold each other, and unlike the hug on the balcony where Padme was pretending they were on Naboo and all was well, Padme knows that there’s no politics, no plotting, no war, at least right now — and here, they’re free.
Summary: Anakin tells Padme where he came from.
Prompt: Exhaustion
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Warnings: Trigger warning for past rape/non-con and forced pregnancy (relating to Palpatine and Shmi). I saw it as a logical reading of the Palpatine-created-Anakin theory because I can’t imagine consent being involved in any way, shape or form.
Author’s Notes: Ironically, TROS’ introduction of Force Healing inspired this after I realized it made Anakin’s fall pointless. And I wanted a fic involving Anakin’s reaction to learning he was possibly a Child By Rape. Everything else was just a logical progression of Palpatine staying dead.
It's when they finally manage to put the twins to bed (and Padme can’t help but feel a tug of warmth towards the both of them, bald-headed, shiny infants with so much energy and affection) that she turns towards Anakin. She knows that posture all too well; it was the same posture he had when he’d posited the fear of her dying in childbirth (what a ridiculous fear that had been!), before she had gotten through labor safely.
"Anakin,” Padme begins, gently, “Is everything all right?"
“I’m all right.” Anakin seems to be forcing a smile. “Ahsoka…I did let her in on the secret a little and she’s excited to be an aunt. Imagine the sound of it. ‘Aunt Ahsoka'.”
“Anakin…”
“ — and who would have thought Maul of all people would agree to help us with looking for Imperial remnants? Granted, he just wanted Palpatine to suffer, but…”
“Anakin,” Padme says, gently. “You have that look on your face. Like you’re trying to protect me from something.”
The forced smile melts away. “I don’t want to scare you or Luke and Leia." Anakin finally admits.
“Is it about Palpatine?”
“You probably saw his political records, right?” Anakin says. They’ve been undergoing a long investigation, a longer one than Padme would have liked. It’s still crushing to realize how close liberty came to dying, and with thunderous applause at that.
Padme nods. “It’s just disgusting,” she says. “Everything he planned…using those clones as sentient weapons…"
“ ‘Disgusting’ is one word for him,” Anakin says grimly. “I…he hurt my mother. It wasn’t just him…hiring the Tuskens to kidnap and torture her to death, like she was just some tool to force me to ‘evolve’,” and underneath the obvious anger and grief is a well of guilt, like he could have known that the Tuskens had been effectively coerced and slaughtering them was even more for nothing.
Padme has mixed emotions. She doesn’t hate Anakin, but she knows he went too far — the women and children hadn’t done anything, after all. She still wishes she’d been there just to hold him back.
“Palpatine raped my mother.” The next words out of Anakin’s mouth sound like the toll of a requiem, and Padme’s horrified. Shmi Skywalker…obviously, Padme knows rape is a crime no one deserves, and yet it’s another horrible thing imagining it happen to one of the kindest, most loving women that Padme had ever met. The woman who had taken her, Qui-Gon and Jar-Jar in on Tatooine just out of the kindness of her heart, even though she’d only met them seconds ago. “Not physically,” Anakin adds; Padme’s horror must have shown on her face. “But…he made an allusion to it. How Plagueis, his master, could manipulate the midichlorians to create life. You know those, right; Qui-Gon tested those in my blood…all those years ago…"
Padme watches as her husband’s mechanical hand tightens.
“He…he manipulated her own body against her,” Anakin says tightly. “Just to create me. I was the Chosen One, just his Chosen One, the Sith’ari or something, and…and I can’t even confront him over it because Mace Windu killed him! I mean, I’m glad he did; I hate Palpatine, but…”
Padme recognizes her husband’s chest rising and falling rapidly, and she turns towards him.
“Ani,” she says, “Look around. Name some things you see.”
He names them. Threepio and Artoo, powered down for the night. Holos of Padme’s family, including Ryoo and Pooja, who are older now. Old mementos of Ahsoka.
Anakin exhales. “Thank you, Padme,” he finally says. “Just…Force, how did my mother even love me, knowing that monster created me? And…and you. And Luke and Leia. How do you know that I won’t turn out like Sidious did…?"
“Anakin,” Padme says softly, “You won’t. I know you. I see the way you look at Luke and Leia, how happy they are to see you. I know the way you look at me. Of course it’s easy to love you, Ani. You’re a good man.”
She traces down the scar on his face that Ventress left — a detail that makes him even more beautiful, she thinks, because it’s Anakin. Because it’s a man who was loving, romantic and uncommonly kind as well as being the most beautiful man she’s ever seen.
“Palpatine couldn’t love anyone,” Padme says. “Couldn’t feel even empathy for other beings. You’re the opposite of him in every way. In so many ways, your mother triumphed over him. Because you turned out more like her than like him.”
She doesn’t miss the way that Anakin trembles with relief.
“I want to be like her,” Anakin says. “I want to be.”
“You are. You’re the man for me.” Padme smiles, kisses his cheek. “I haven’t told you that enough, but you are."
Anakin hugs her. She can feel the tears against her hair, his lips against her temple. He’s murmuring love to her, reassurance. The twins are deep sleepers, and Padme is glad they don’t have to explain things to them, just yet.
“I’m…glad my vision turned out to be wrong," he says. “I’m glad you’re still here.”
“I’m glad I’m here too,” Padme says. “I’m glad Luke’s here. And Leia. And you, always you."
They hold each other, and unlike the hug on the balcony where Padme was pretending they were on Naboo and all was well, Padme knows that there’s no politics, no plotting, no war, at least right now — and here, they’re free.
