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Love Story-- Part II: Attack Of The Clones

She was twenty-four, he was nineteen. Ten years after their previous encounter, two starcrossed souls meet again.

Padmé Naberrie is no longer the Queen of Naboo as her term had ended. The people of Naboo would not have objected to Padmé remaining Queen of their people, but it was law for her to step down. The new Queen, Jamillia, turned to Padmé for advice regarding the well-being of the planet. But as Senator, it is obvious that she is in no less danger. On her way to a meeting, there was an explosion inside her ship. She was disguised again as Padmé the maid, and her double, who was Cordé, one of her maids, as herself. In the explosion, Cordé was killed. This was in fact an assassination attempt on the Senator. It was decided that she would again be placed under the watchful eyes of the Jedi Knights.

Anakin and Obi-Wan arrived at the capital to meet with Padmé, and Anakin is given the mission of protecting her. Anakin's reaction is of course elation, extreme happiness coursing through him as he sees his Angel again after ten years. When Padmé first saw him, she was surprised at first, but did in fact recognize him as the boy she once knew, the boy who'd grown into a man. Anakin, though, was not at all happy with her reaction. In fact, he was somewhat upset. As he had been taunted with memories of Padmé since they'd parted many years earlier, a strong feeling of attraction towards her, he had expected perhaps that she would think of him the same way and come running into his arms at first sight. But again, he was treated as he was before, like a boy. Jar Jar was the one to tell him that she was in fact very happy to see him, when Anakin was letting himself believe that she had not even recognized him.

Of course you couldn't blame Padmé for reacting the way she did. Anakin had changed drastically since the last time she's seen him, and that could have been a factor in the way she addressed him. She may not have quite ajusted to the change of seeing Anakin, who had grown from a cute little boy to a handsome young man. Having been appointed to protect Padmé, Anakin still takes great care in fullfilling his new responsibilty. At night, there is another assassination atempt on Padmé, but Anakin comes into her room in time to save her. From Coruscant, where this took place, Padmé and Anakin leave for Naboo. It is there that Padmé really starts to realise her feelings for Anakin, ones that show more than thoughts of friendship. Alone and able to let loose, showing their true selves to each other at the peaceful lake resort, and though both knowing they had had a strong connection since the beginning of their relationship, Padmé and Anakin truly begin to fall in love with eachother.

Beginning to give in to their emotions and being caught in a kiss in the process, it is Padmé who decides to put a stop to things. As a Senator and a Jedi, it was absolutely immpossible for them to share a love. They both had more important things to do and great responsiblities. Anakin, of course, too engulfed in his feelings for Padmé, suggested that they keep their love a secret. Padmé does not agree, instead saying that they would be living a lie, something that she could not do.

The following morning, Padmé finds Anakin outside on the balcony of his room. There, Anakin confides in Padmé about the dream of his mother, thinking that something is wrong and he has to go and see her. Anakin decides to return to Tatooine to check on his mother, but he cannot leave Padmé alone on Naboo. They speak to Padmé's parents, who live by the resort, and they finally agree to let her go, though they are disobeying the orders to stay on Naboo. The two, once on Tatooine, go to see Watto, only to find that Shmi has married a farmer and no longer lives in that region. When they arrive at the farmer's house, a man named Cliegg Lars, they see that Shmi is not there. The farmer tells them that she was captured by Tuskens. He presumes she is dead. Anakin is shocked and angry, and takes off immediately to look for her, leaving Padmé behind with Cliegg Lars, his son and his son's girlfriend.

Anakin found his mother in a bad state in one of the tents at the Tusken camp. She was happy to see him, but so badly injured. With the simple joy of seeing her son again, Shmi dies in his arms. This leads Anakin into a blind rage. His emotions, those that the Jedi Council had feared would be uncontrollable when he had first been brought before them, spilled out. Pulling out his light saber, Anakin slaughtered every Tusken in that camp. The men, the women... and the children.

Anakin returned to the Lars house with his mother's body. He tells them that he found her dead, but gets into an argument with the farmer, thinking that if he had stayed behind as a slave, he could have saved her. At this point, Padmé leads him out of the room where she shows him C-3PO, the droid he had almost finished in Episode I. Anakin lost his mother, and now all of his need and attention is turned to Padmé. He needs Padmé, and she needs him too.

When the two returned to their ship, they found a distress call from Obi-Wan, who had been captured on Geonisis after he had gone after Jango Fett. Anakin knows that he cannot take Padmé to Geonisis with him, so Padmé says that she is going, and his mission is only to protect her, not to decide where she goes. Padmé and Anakin take off to that planet, but there, they are captured as well. Count Dooku is there on Geonisis, and he has in fact turned to the Dark Side. Padmé, Anakin and Obi-Wan are sentenced to death in the arena, before thousands of cheering inhabitants of the planet. Just before they enter the arena. Padmé and Anakin are carried out in a chariot together. Their hands bound and their means of escape next to nothing, their horrible fate bearing down upon them, Padmé finally breaks down and admits to Anakin that she is truly and deeply in love with him. Anakin is shocked and surprised that she would admit something so great to him, especially since that little talk they had on Naboo. Padmé replies that it looks like they wouldn't be living a lie since it appears as though they wouldn't be living much longer. Then she kisses him, and that's my favorite and sweetest Star Wars kiss, no matter how bad the circumstances are. After that, as they emerge in the arena, they are bound to heavy wooden poles, where they are set to face death, Obi-Wan by their side. Of course, none of them particulary wanted to die, so with a bit of fancy work, they had unbound themselves from the poles and had started fighting back. Jedi Masters arrived to help them, but they soon found themselves surrounded by the droid army of Geonisis. Of course, right on cue, just as the merciless Count Dooku is bearing down upon the heavily depleted Jedi, forcing them to admit defeat, more Jedi arrive with the enormous Clone Army made for the Senate on Kamino. As they fled from the planet, the clone army fighting the droids furiously, Padmé falls from the flying ship they are escaping in. Anakin insists for them to go back, but Obi-Wan reasons with him, telling him to think about the odds and what going back to help Padmé would mean. Another ship stops to rescue Padmé. Anakin and Obi-Wan go to face Count Dooku, who tells Anakin that Padmé has been killed. Anakin does not know what really happened to Padmé, so this news throws him into another rage and he attacks Dooku against Obi-Wan's orders. The two Jedi are no match for Dooku. Anakin loses his arm and under a fallen peice of machinery, both he and Obi-Wan fall helpless. It is now that Yoda enters the scene and does battle with Dooku. After this, he raises the machinery that held Obi-Wan and Anakin to the floor using the force.

Right after this, Padme and Clone troopers arrive. Padmé runs straight towards Anakin. Anakin is given a mechanical arm and is orders to take Padmé back to Naboo. They ahd professed love to eachother, and there was no going back. On Naboo, Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Naberrie Amidala married. This defied the Jedi law, so they had to do it in secret.

For a brief time they will be happy, but it wll be perhaps one of the last happy moments they will spend together, as Anakin is already tottering dangerously on the edge of the Dark Side. Their love is great, but it is also tragic, and though for now they believe they can pull off a life together, in the end their love will only bring about the destructive power of the darkest and most powerful Jedi Knight ever...Darth Vader.