Jorian Darklighter stood up against many foes in his years on Tatooine. Back in the days when he was on a moisture farm with his family, they were almost attacked on a daily basis by the Sandpeople. It wasn’t until they offered them specific tributes they desired that they left their farm alone. Moving to the city only changed the type of foe to common thieves. Now Jorian’s task was to ensure the young man didn’t get lost or rather misread the maps. Though they were visual, there was also a lot of text and Ms. Dormé had been quite clear about her husband’s reading skills, or rather his reading disability which seemed to muddle the letters up.

Seeing the boy eye his blaster, he chuckled, shaking his head. ‘She’s still got fire left in her,’ he said with a wink.

Anakin grinned at the old man’s words finding confidence in his lighthearted nature and the underlying support that came with it.

As the caravan came into view Anakin paused as he recalled Dormé’s maps and studies of the slave traders’ movements. He knew that they would be meeting their contacts to strike up a deal soon and was tempted to wait until the approaching caravan met up with their counterparts. However he was soon reminded of the real reason behind his actions here now. ‘We should make our move when they reach the cave tunnels. It will be dark and easy to disorientate them,’ Anakin explained. ‘I’ll be the bait and you get Marta while I keep them distracted.’

Peering at the travelling caravan from their relatively secure position in the rocky terrain, Jorian furrowed his brow. He gave a firm nod to Mr. Anakin before setting off once more.

At Darklighter’s firm nod Anakin moved quickly and soon was entering the tunnels via a side opening that Dormé’s maps had revealed. The caravan would enter the tunnels and not even register that they were no longer alone. If everything went as planned Anakin and Jorian would have the element of surprise and everything else would fall into place.

As suspected the travelers entered the cavern with their weapons ready though it was obvious they weren’t expecting any attacks. Certainly not by a man who was Force sensitive. Recalling the lesson of light that his brother had shared with him the former Emperor couldn’t resist a smile before he drew upon hte lightside of the Force and used it to cast a bright globe of light ahead of the approaching caravan.

Marta refused to give in to despair. Struggling against her bonds, she tried to find some way to break the chains. Spotting a serving droid that looked hardly worth stealing, she tried to get it to respond to verbal commands.

Their teamwork turned out to be beneficial, for with Mr. Anakin’s distraction, Jorian was able to slip in to the caravan’s interior undetected. It seemed those guarding the girls that were on their way to the palace dashed away to see what the commotion was about.

The effect was even better than Anakin could have guessed. The men began to fire wildly amongst themselves while the beasts that were there with them became spooked by the noise. It was utter chaos and making the most of it Anakin picked up the few Force signatures that weren’t moving despite the madness that ensued all around them. Taking this as a sign that marked the location of Marta and her fellow prisoners Anakin led Jorian to where they were kept which was in the heart of the caravan’s train.

‘Marta!’ Jorian cried, racing over the young woman.

Marta who had only just scrambled out of the restraints, pulled her father-in-law in for a big hug. ‘How in the dunes—’ she began, shocked to see him.

‘Nevermind that, Marta, we’ve got to get you out of her,’ Jorian replied, grabbing her hand as they raced out where he came in from. Soon enough, one of the guards was back and Jorian fired, hitting him in the arm, causing him to drop his weapon. ‘Quickly!’

Marta followed on his heels, but not before grabbing the guard’s blaster.

Anakin was quick to join Jorian and at the sight of Marta he gave the elder man a smile before hearing the sound of blaster shots nearing. ‘We better get moving before the rest of them show up,’ Anakin said quickly. Though it was tempting to touch the Force to remove them Obi-Wan’s lesson remained at the forefront of his mind and it was with this in mind that the former emperor chose the method of escape. Quickly, he guided them to the secret entrance that they had come from while using the Force to protect both Master Darklighter and Marta from the blaster fire.

Marta didn’t catch much of Anakin’s use of the Force, nor did she question who he was, for she trusted her father-in-law implicitly and was incredibly happy to be free.

Soon enough, they were closing in on Mos Eisley and Jorian was just as relieved as Marta was. The members of the slave trading caravan made no effort to go after her.

Dormé awaited their return with great anticipation. She took to pacing the small living space, despite Mrs. Darklighter’s cautioning and attempting to get her to sit down or at least eat something.

The journey home was a quiet one as Anakin’s thoughts were entirely on get them both home safely. But as the Darklighter’s home came into sight he gave a smile to Jorian before offering a polite nod to Marta. Upon entering the house he swiftly rushed towards Dormé as he drew her into a tight embrace.

‘Thanks to you, Dormé, she’s safe and home!’ he said in fervent tones before pulling her into a passionate kiss.

Dormé kissed him back, relieved at the news, though she barely caught sight of Marta before losing herself in Anakin.

Marta was escorted inside and Mrs Darklighter pulled her into a hug before insisting she have a seat while she and her husband went to get her something to eat and drink.

‘We did it!’ he murmured in joy as he gave Dormé a squeeze before drawing back as Marta and Master Darklighter passed by them reminding Anakin that they were still in the entranceway. Chuckling softly he took Dormé’s hand to lead her further inside as well.

‘You were exactly right about the side entrance to the caverns. It worked perfectly!’ Anakin began obviously eager to share with Dormé and Celia the details of Jorian and his rescue adventure.

Dormé was proud of Anakin for having come back with Jorian and Marta safely. ‘I’m so proud of you, Anakin!’ she said, squeezing him back in her return before they went all the way inside the home. She only wished she could have gone along to help, though it was clear her presence had not been necessary. However, Marta was free and that was all that mattered. His joy was intoxicating and she beamed back at him when he mentioned the caverns she plotted out earlier. She listened with eager interest as he recalled the details of the mission.

Anakin blushed to Dormé’s words though he knew that he couldn’t take all of the credit for it. ‘I was just the distraction nothing more,’ he admitted with a lopsided grin. As such he was quick to share the adventures experienced to his wife and Lady Darklighter and left out no small detail as he explained how Jorian’s quick thinking ensure they all got out safely. While it was obvious he could have taken control of the situation himself Jorian ensured Anakin’s temptation to use the darkness never met its end. Though this bit was not spoken outloud Anakin knew that Dormé would understand the true importance of the elderly man’s intervention.

Marta overheard the name Anakin, but not Dormé’s name, so it wasn’t until they were all being given and partaking of refreshments that the names came to light. ‘Anakin as in Vader?’ she asked, hardly believing it was true, but also having heard the news of the royal couple’s flight after the attack on the royal palace. She looked to her family in confusion.

Anakin’s smile faded. He wasn’t certain what to make of her reaction and despite the good both Dormé and himself had done the former emperor feared the worse and hoped this wouldn’t complicate things between Marta and the Darklighters.

Dormé nearly choked on her drink when Marta enquired about their name. However, it didn’t seem she was frightened of them. She just looked confused. ‘They didn’t know who we were when they took us in,’ she said of the Darklighters, hoping as her husband did that she wouldn’t think badly of her relatives.

After a moment’s pause Anakin nodded. ‘Yes, it is,’ he admitted quietly before politely adding. ‘We go by the surname of Skywalker now.’

‘Oh...OK...’ Marta began, though she was still quite confused about the entire thing. ‘Why Tatooine?’ she asked after a long, uncomfortable pause. ‘Out of all the places—Wait, did you come to restore your mother’s kingdom?—in place of the Hutts, I mean?’ The idea intrigued her and filled her with hope for the future of the people of Tatooine.

Anakin nodded to Dormé’s words as he wanted to make it clear that the Darklighters were unaware of their identities at the time. In silence Anakin gauged Marta’s emotions but didn’t touch her thoughts, he was concerned that this discovery and the confusion it encouraged would place a rift between Marta and the Darklighters. But when she broke the silence once more her words proved otherwise.

Furrowing his brow Anakin’s eyes flickered to Dormé in silence. Truthfully he hadn’t considered this option at all and for the most part was more concerned about ensuring Dormé’s survival and safety over all else. But now that this was secure for the most part he couldn’t deny the fact that the idea did appeal to him. However, he didn’t wish to act on this further without at least discussing it with Dormé first.

‘I admit that wasn’t the first thing on our minds when we arrived here,’ Anakin said carefully, ‘though I can’t deny that the idea of freeing the people from the Hutt’s rule does appeal to me. However I’d like to discuss the matter first with Dormé before making any further decision on the matter,’ he said politely. Marta’s reaction was a relief for Anakin who half expected a more hostile response. But at the suggestion of ending the Hutt’s reign over Tatooine the former emperor grew thoughtful and decided immediately that this was something he wanted to discuss with Dormé first before committing himself further.

Though Dormé was of the same mind as Anakin, and also relieved that Marta didn’t run screaming away from them, she thought it would be best if they talked about it. There was a lot more at stake than just their own safety.

Marta understood and nodded in agreement as she finished her meal.

As she didn’t want to return home straightaway, the Darklighters informed her that she was welcome to stay in their other son’s room, which Celia prepared for her.

As the evening drew to nightfall, Dormé’s thoughts ran rampant with everything that had happened and everything that might happen should they decide to help the people of Tatooine. Brushing her hair, she contemplated this, wondering what would be best.

Anakin washed up and prepared for bed while struggling to make sense of his thoughts that ran wild with possibilities and consequences. The events that brought them here were still on the forefront of his mind and Anakin didn’t want to do anything that might jeopardize Dormé’s health and cause him to fall into the all too familiar temptation of using the darkside.

He joined Dormé before giving her a smile as he let his fingers slip over hers that brushed her long dark hair. ‘May I?’ he offered knowing how much she enjoyed when he brushed her hair. Which was in reality about as much as he did. However on this night it served a second purpose -to calm his troubled thoughts and ease the chaos of possibilities and memories that plagued his mind.

‘You need not ask, my love,’ Dormé said, smiling softly as she watched him in the mirror. His administrations allowed her to free her mind for a little while and her thoughts cleared. It was a simple gesture, but one she cherished. She knew they would have to talk about it, but for awhile, she was content with this.

Anakin silently brushed her growing hair and gave a soft sigh of contentment as he did so. The day had been long and eventful but he was hardly tired. Too much ran through his thoughts and when the brush when her hair became too silky to require the brush Anakin began to run his fingers through it while brushing it as well. It was only when Dormé gently took the brush from him that his thoughts returned to the present once more.

Unfortunately, her hair was hardly as long as it used to be, so the brushing did not take long as she desired. Taking the brush from him and returning it to the table, she turned to him, wrapping her arms around him. ‘The people of Tatooine need our help, don’t they,’ she said quietly as more of a statement than a question.

The former emperor slipped his arms around Dormé just as she slipped hers around him. AT her statement Anakin nodded though his expression grew troubled. ‘I want to help, Dormé, but at the same time, I’m not certain if returning to the frontlines is good for us. I know we’re both very influenced by each other while I know you’re strong, I don’t know if I can say the same of myself,’ Anakin quietly admitted.

Dormé listened thoughtfully to his words. In truth, her health while much improved was hardly at a point where she could thrust herself into battle, but she didn’t register this.

‘If it wasn’t for Master Darklighter’s quick thinking I’m certain I would have touched the dark side to rid us of the slavers who were trying to stop our rescue of Marta.’ Anakin fell silent at his admittance as his eyes studied Dormé intently taking in both her beauty and the silent reminder that still lingered reminding him that she wasn’t ready for such endeavours. That if they were to pursue this she would have to stay away from the action, should it come to that. Anakin desperately hoped it wouldn’t, but knew inevitably that it would.

‘You wanted to touch the dark side? Is it still tempting you?’ she asked softly as she touched his cheek.

Furrowing his brow, Anakin closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. He didn’t know how to properly explain to her that this was something he would most likely struggle with for the rest of his life. Dormé didn’t believe in the Force and because of it didn’t fully understand the temptations that would plague him until the end of his days.

‘Is it tempting you right now?’ Though Dormé would never fully understand the temptation of the dark side, she prayed her husband would not forget her again because of it. She believed in Anakin and witnessed him defeat his demons first hand. She knew that whatever happened that Anakin would succeed. He had saved her from near death in the dunes. He would not fail her.

‘It will take much more than that to turn my eyes away from you, my goddess,’ he said in sincere tones as his hand slipped over hers against his cheek. ‘I’m just concerned that if I’m not careful I might fall into old habits,’ Anakin continued quietly. ‘I’ve already hurt so many and have lost so much for my foolishness I just don’t want to hurt the innocent again—more importantly I don’t want to hurt you,’ he concluded softly.

Dormé didn’t like the idea of something or someone else having influence over her husband, as she was very protective of him. ‘There is only one woman who should affect my husband so: me.’

Dormé’s final words brought a loving smile to his lips and in that moment he was once more reminded of the fiery goddess he fell in love with all those years ago, the warrior queen who stole his heart and soul, leaving him helpless to her embrace. Without another word,Anakin leaned in to kiss her lips with all the passion and love a mortal could give his empress and goddess.

You are mine, my love, she thought as she kissed him with all the love she bore him. No one, nothing else will have you or lay claim to you...

Though Anakin didn’t read her thoughts, he could feel them through the Force and his kisses grew hungrier for it. Tightening his embrace around his queen, he too silently spoke affirmations of his love and promises that he served but one queen, one goddess that she was his always and that he was hers.

Dormé led him to their bed where Anakin was only too happy to bask in her presence, to enjoy all that his queen was in the flesh, to worship her like the goddess of his heart and soul.

She took her king, her god in the flesh, to their bed where she could fully enjoy his presence in the most sacred way possible. They would help the people of Tatooine. They would save them from the tyranny of the Hutts, but right now they reaffirmed their devotion to each other above all else in the universe. Tomorrow would be another day and together they would face a new evil that would rival the dark era of their rule. For now all that mattered was they were in each other’s arms and only together were they truly complete.

---

Nearly three years passed since the Vaders fled Coruscant, leaving the two most precious parts of their family behind. Not a day would go by that she wouldn’t think of Laic and Runa, wondering how they were and if they were happy. Many nights, she would dream of them together, in a new home far away from Coruscant and Tatooine, somewhere where no one would bother their family. Each year, on their birthdays, it was incredibly hard not to make some sort of contact with Master Kenobi or Saché, just to check in on them. Though the temptation was unbearable, their safety was far more important than Anakin or her selfish desires to speak to their children.

The first year was the hardest on Tatooine. It had been one of the driest years the planet had seen in a long time and especially hard on Anakin as he had to learn how to make a living without use of his old titles. He had to learn about managing income and how to get along with other people. He also had to give up his material possessions. They gave up everything they brought with them from Coruscant. When starvation and dehydration brought them to Mos Eisley, Anakin offered Dormé’s wedding band to the Darklighters for their aid. Though the Darklighters returned it to Dormé, they only had each other.

Their second year was spent getting their life back together. Dormé eventually began to gain her weight back and with the help of the Darklighters, Anakin and she were able to move into their own small apartment. Anakin still adamantly insisted that she not work, despite her desires to help with the income. It was part of his pride that she knew would break him if she were to refuse. But with their own lives improving, Anakin and Dormé both wanted to give back to the people who helped them. After freeing the Darklighters’ daughter-in-law from becoming a slave to the Hutts, they were more encouraged than ever to help the rest of the people on Tatooine.

Dormé talked with families and gathered all the information she could while Anakin trained those who wanted to fight in order to begin ground attacks on Hutt-owned businesses. Some of the first major hits were the pod-racing tracks where much of the gambling went on. There were times when Anakin was struggling so much with the dark side that Dormé grew concerned for him and suggested they slow down with the growing revolution. But the people of Tatooine had learnt who Anakin and Dormé were and this strengthened their opinion that they would be able to defeat the Hutts and regain control of Tatooine.

As much as Dormé wanted to free slaves and stop the shop owners from employing children, she didn’t want to risk losing Anakin again. But as time and social pressures mounted, they were separated for a time as the need for their leaders increased. From Dormé’s advice, the families were trading with each other for goods rather than funding Hutt-owned stores. She also taught them basic defensive manoeuvres and tactics in order to fortify their homes. She didn’t travel nearly as much as Anakin did, but on the occasion that she did, there was always a member of the Darklighter family accompanied her, which she suspected was Anakin’s request. She never spoke of it to him though and thought it was endearing.

Now approaching their third year as deposed sovereigns, Dormé poured over terrestrial maps of the major Hutt outposts in order to plan their largest and most damaging attack yet. It was still half a year away at least, but the basic plans were being made. It was her hope that with this, the Hutts would cut their losses and leave Tatooine.

She hadn’t seen Anakin in over a month and it was her hope that he would be able to come home tonight. It sounded, from his last message, that the chances were high. For this reason, she ceased figuring out tactics and began preparing a nice meal for him. While it was cooking, she cleaned their tiny apartment by hand, even dusting the curtains free of sand and sweeping. She always kept the place immaculate, out of her fear of insects, but she had been incredibly tired recently. Though she was tired early again today, she made the effort anyway because of her desire to welcome Anakin home to a clean apartment. Dormé took a swig of water and sat down on their bed before re-braiding her hair. Even though the meal was still cooking, she thought it wouldn’t hurt to close her eyes for a bit.

---

The resistance was proving to be a far greater success than Anakin could have ever hoped or dreamed of. He never guessed at how swiftly the revolution would grow and how many would seek to join. Even with their identities revealed there was little resistance -if anything it seemed to strengthen their resolve. But it wasn’t without its price and though Anakin was more than happy to help the people the families who had suffered so much at the hands of the Hutts it was growing increasingly difficult to resist the use of the dark side.

Even with the loss of their children, both through death and through separation, Anakin still found it to be a temptation. He was used to the familiar heady rush of the Darkness the swift end it brought to any problem no matter how great and when he bore witness to the suffering of the Tatooine natives it was hard not to fall back into old habits. But with the swelling growth of this revolution, Anakin found that his duties took him further away from Dormé as he began to train new chapters of fighters. Though she was not near him in the flesh she was near in heart and for a time that was enough.

But life on Tatooine was harsh for those who had fallen prey to the tyranny of the Hutts and soon the revolution became increasingly personal for Anakin leaving him to grow overly protective of the people. It was because of this that he began to touch the Dark Side once more, not with the intent of unleashing his powers or proving his strength to the Hutts but with the need to end the war so no more needless pain and death would occur. He had yet to be reminded that ultimately it was his family and his beloved who needlessly suffered the most for it.

But as with previous occasions, the dark side was taking its toll and fortunately for Anakin, it was one of the villagers who noticed his lack of rest and the fact he was looking a bit under the weather. At the suggestion that he should take some time from the frontlines Anakin decided it was the perfect excuse to finally return home and promptly sent a message to Dormé of his return. It felt like an eternity since he had seen his beloved last and it was with a skip in his step that he prepared to depart for home once more.

The journey home was swift despite the fact it felt like forever for an eager and impatient Anakin. Almost as soon as their small apartment came into sight his heart raced in eager joy as he could already imagine the sight of Dormé’s smile and feel the gentle strength that was found in her arms. How he missed her!

As soon as he arrived, the former emperor was swiftly bursting into the apartment and finding Dormé, scooping her up into his arms and spinning her around before showering her with kisses. However upon entering he soon discovered that she was sound asleep in their bedchambers. While he a little disappointed that he couldn’t surprise her with his eager bear hugs, Anakin was more concerned that she was alright. It wasn’t like her to be resting in the middle of the day and silently he joined her on the bed and slipping his arms around her began to stroke her long hair that went well down her back and to her waist. It was as silken and as soft as he remembered it in his dreams and it wasn’t long before he was burying his face in her hair and breathing deeply of its scent. Though he was concerned for her, Anakin didn’t want to interrupt her rest and remained by her side waiting patiently for her to awaken.

Though Dormé was not consciously aware of Anakin’s return, her spirit certainly was, for her rest was far more peaceful than during the times they were apart. When she awoke, she thought she imagined his arms around her, holding her close, as she so often dreamt when they were separated, but this wasn’t the case. A broad smile made its way across her face as she squeezed him and reached up to run her fingers through his hair.

As Dormé’s awoke Anakin smiled at her lovingly and was soon beaming as he witnessed smile as she gently squeezed him. How he missed this! Returning her gesture Anakin was soon running his fingers through her long hair as well enjoying the feel of its silky touch against his skin.

‘You’re home!’ she murmured cheerfully before kissing him.

At her murmured reply, Anakin could only nod before eagerly returning her kiss. ‘About time too!’ he murmured finally as he gave her a gentle squeeze in return.

‘About time indeed,’ she replied cheerfully.

Anakin grinned enjoying the feel of Dormé’s emotions and joy as he held her close. Her reply eased much of his concerns though there was still a silent nagging in the back of his mind that reminded him of her powerful aura and its possible meaning. ‘How have you been?’ he asked mindful not to allude to his concerns about finding her maturely resting which could be a sign of an illness. Anakin knew if something was wrong she’d be the first person to tell him. However, it didn’t stop him from feeling a little fear that his beloved might not be well. But as he studied her Force signature, now brighter than usual, his concerns began to turn to curiosity before finally a mixture of hope and guilt.

Seeing his expression turn serious, she was glad his question was not weighted. ‘Busy, missing you like crazy, but other than that just fine,’ she said, grinning. Dormé was so glad he was able to return to her and hoped it would be for a long time, though she was suspicious that it would only be for a few days.

‘How about you?’ she asked seriously.

At her question Anakin gave a gentle smile. ‘I’m better now that I’m here,’ he said in loving tones before stealing a kiss.

‘You look tired,’ she commented, stroking his cheek.

The former emperor gave a soft sigh as he ran his fingers through her hair and leaned into her touch. ‘I’ve been gone too long,’ he admitted. ‘Things are going better than I could have ever hoped for, but it has been taxing.’

‘I’m glad,’ she murmured, holding him close. ‘Even though I know we are doing good for the people, I can’t help wishing they didn’t want our help so badly.’

Anakin fell silent to Dormé’s words knowing all too well how she felt. Truthfully there was a part of him that wanted to just leave it all behind and go back to the simple life they knew before the revolution. Things just seemed simpler then. However, he knew they needed them and Anakin felt it was the least they could do after everything they had done.

Dormé looked away for a moment as a blush rose in her cheeks. ‘I often find myself wanting to be selfish and steal you away from them.’

Anakin felt his cheeks warm as he nodded in agreement. ‘I was just thinking the same to be honest,’ he admitted softly. ‘I’ve missed you so much, Dormé. Just being near you makes me feel as though everything is going to work out the way it should. You’re my strength and my courage,’ he quietly concluded with a deep sincerity.

His sincere words filled her with such hope and renewed her faith that they would see the end of this war. She kissed him then, wanting nothing more than to renew their love in a more physical way. Dormé temporarily forgot about the meal baking in their small oven as she deepened the kiss.

It wasn’t hard to lose himself in Dormé’s touch and Anakin was just as eager as his wife to catch up on their time apart. Soon he was wrapping his arms around her and eagerly returning her kiss with a hunger that only she knew how to sate.

---

A/N: The Hutt War escalates...