Outside 33 Apocalypse Ave [early morning]

[tatooine_doofus]

"Come on, Artoo," Luke muttered over his shoulder as he made his way slowly up the walk towards his father's house. "Let's get this over with so I'm not yelled at all the way to Connecticut. Hell of an impression that'd make on Jo."

He took a deep breath, held it, then knocked quickly on the door. "No one's home!" he said, beginning to walk away

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[sith_happened]

"Try again," his father said icily, opening the door.

[tatooine_doofus]

"Are there more?" Luke asked eagerly going back to the holo and pressing a button. The machine flipped obligingly to the next image.

[sith_happened]

"That was her address to the Galactic Senate pleading for aid for her planet," Anakin said. "The Trade Federation was trying to starve them into a terrible trade deal."

His voice went hard. "The Senate turned her down."

[tatooine_doofus]

"Were you there?" Luke asked, looking more closely at the picture. "Jaina looks a lot like her, huh?"

[sith_happened]

"She does," Anakin agreed. "So does your sister."

He paused for a moment before answering the initial question. "I wasn't there. I was with the Jedi Council at the time."

He leaned over and pressed the button to bring up the next image in an effort to change the subject.

"The Jedi on the left? With the terrible haircut? That's Obi-Wan."

[tatooine_doofus]

Luke burst out laughing. "And the short one? Is that you? You never said you were so much younger than she was!"

[sith_happened]

Anakin cuffed him playfully on the head. "Quiet, you," he admonished. "This next one was when she was a Senator, right when we met again."

He scowled at Luke. "I was 20 then, so stop snickering."

[tatooine_doofus]

Luke smiled at the picture. "She was beautiful," he said softly.

[sith_happened]

"She took my breath away when she walked into a room," Anakin said, looking away from the image. "Every time. And she never saw it in herself. She thought people wanted to be around her because she was an influential Senator, which was true, but hardly the entire picture."

[tatooine_doofus]

Luke slanted his eyes at Anakin. "A little like Rory," he said.

[sith_happened]

"I never compare them," Anakin said in a tone that didn't encourage a continuation of that topic at all. "This is us back on Naboo," he said, pressing the button. "We were meeting the new queen and asking for protection. Padmé had been targeted for assassination. The Jedi Council assigned me as her bodyguard."

[tatooine_doofus]

Luke laughed. "And that worked out brilliantly, huh?" he teased gently.

[sith_happened]

"Not exactly according to their plan, no," Anakin admitted reluctantly. "We were married about a month later."

[tatooine_doofus]

Luke flipped to the final image. "What's this?" he asked.

[sith_happened]

"That's the last time your mother sat in the Senate," Anakin said softly after too long a pause. "Palpatine was dissolving the Republic that day."

[tatooine_doofus]

Which explained the horrified look on her face. "Who's she sitting next to?" Luke asked.