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(Since she has been made aware of her prior stay, Padmé decides to use her tablet to send out a message. She is pale, but strangely resolved to this new plight. Her hair is ornately braided, but her clothing is plain. She's just happy to have clothes and to be rid of that white gown!)

Greetings, everyone. Some of you might recognize me; I want to speak to you if that is the case.

(The faster she is up to speed, the better.)

For those I am encountering for the first time, hello. I'm Padmé. Some of my family is present and -

I would like very much to protect them. I'm sure you can understand the feeling.

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[This isn't exactly the topic Codi was expecting Padmé to lead with. Her cool, calm expression momentarily falters, a flicker of distaste wrinkling her brow.]

I...have! Yes. [And it's gone. Codi's neutral smile returns, like it's always been there.] Several, in fact. It depends a lot on the control of the people involved, in my experience. Other people [Definitely not her!!] have mentioned difficulties with keeping their feelings and memories distinct from one another which, as you can imagine, is very disruptive. But with enough training, you can close those connections off.

[Okay then! Morgan parks his rear up against a nearby wall. Time to get comfortable!]

Let's start from familiar principles. Tell me a skill you're good at.

He is good at that. Deceit is his nature and he wields it better than almost any I've ever heard of.

[ Well. Maybe. He'd heard of two Sith who could run circles around Palpatine but at least one would be the worse of the two to face. ]

He's not here.

[ No he won't. He doesn't think he'll ever be free of him, really. ]

(Adapting to this new environment is paramount - even if her mind and heart are distracted. Padmé can't help but be diplomatic; it's habit by now.)

Where do I acquire that training? Since it seems likely I will have to forge a connection with someone, I don't want to burden them with my thoughts and feelings. (They are burden enough for her.) I'm sorry if this topic is uncomfortable for you.

I hope to see you soon. (She smiles as if the meeting will be on friendly terms, but there is much more they can discuss in person. They both know that.)

You are more powerful than him. He fears the Light; that's why he has to kill it. But he can't kill all of it.

(Siths. Padmé has a hard time giving any of them credit. Except one.

The only one who remembers what a heart feels like.)

Good. I get to have you to myself.

Diplomacy. Politics. I spent my life serving my world, Naboo. (Most of her life anyway. There were those pesky infant to small child years.)

[Again he dips his head in a nod.]

I'm sure there will be ample opportunity. If there is nothing else for the time being?

[Perhaps unsurprisingly, Morgan immediately underestimates what she means. But who wouldn't?]

Perfect. Then, over time, you doubtless noticed the progression -- when you started, no doubt you had to think carefully about not just the content of your words, but what words you were using. You had to think hard about what facts you needed to remember and refer to outside sources frequently. And then with time, you got more comfortable with it. You didn't have to think about what words you wanted to use to convey what you wanted to, but instead you got from inside your head to outside more fluidly and naturally. You developed an intuition for what knowledge you'd need, and a greater ability to pull it out of your memory without having to search for it. Am I right?

[Luke beams under her affection before darting in to give her a kiss too. Eyes twinkling happily. Turns out he's a Mama's boy. Who could have guessed it?]

But it's not your fault! [An automatic protest.] You didn't choose to leave, it wasn't something you could control!

Then teach me now. You're here. I'm here. There's time. It can go on the list.

[Back to a smile, mildly teasing his mother. Because while he'd chide anyone who tried to naysay her (even his mother herself), he's ultimately unable to deny her much of anything.]

Mom! [Hiding his face, because seriously that's not helping, despite the pleased flush settling over his features.] Getting to be with me is a given. But we can make plans for what to do!

[He hadn't made plans with Padmé before she'd vanished last time, which meant they hadn't gotten to do nearly as much as he would have wanted. Which is, naturally, everything, but... still.]

We can even plan stuff you want to do with...with my father.

[Still weird to say. But he's working on it. But also please don't get too mushy on him, that's embarrassing.]

Oh, no, not at all! Don't worry about it.

[Backpedaling on her discomfort does more than just weakly deflect - it also gives Codi time to think about how she wants to handle Padmé's question. The honest, ideal candidate for this job would be Juhani, but that would mean giving up an opportunity to have Padmé be in her debt for something. Perhaps she could still leverage the Jedi for this purpose, though?]

I have received some training here, but I'm not sure the guy I got it from has the availability to take on new students. [Because, as far as Codi is aware, he's back in her world. Minor details.] --But I could teach you, if you'd like? He's told me that I'm quite proficient.

[New plan: Give Padmé basic meditation training while she simultaneously petitions Juhani to train her on the side, then uses that to "move up" Padmé's lessons in difficulty, all while getting paid somehow. Surely this can't go wrong.]

He fears me, he always has. That is why he wouldn't allow you to be with me.

[ He wouldn't say aloud what he believed to be true. Palpatine killed her. ]

You. Our son. Our grandson. His [ pause. ] bonded.

(Codi deserves to be paid for her services. Padmé isn't expecting anything for free. She has worked - and served others - the majority of her life. However she is also intelligent and if Codi takes advantage of her, she will notice.)

If you have the time, yes. I would be in your debt. (She needs to figure out how to make payments. Anakin might have some ideas - he has obviously found a way to survive.)

I will probably think of more questions later, but for now, I need to rest. Thank you for your help.

He doesn't get to decide. I haven't left you; I won't. However the Force works, whatever the afterlife looks like, I will stay near you and our children.

(Even if she can't be seen or heard.)

I don't see that as sharing. They are our family. (The pause is interesting.) Would that be Rey?

(She had spent as much time as she could talking to him and Leia, though she hadn't known she was carrying both of them! That had been a wonderful surprise and Padmé can't help loving and feeling protective of him no matter his age. He and Leia would have been the center of her world - her universe - and she might have left her position as Senator far behind. Just to be a mother. What higher calling exists?)

No, I didn't have any control. (That bothers her; she knows she isn't a Jedi, but her stubbornness and her ability to learn skills quickly has always served her well.)

I'll teach you everything I know. (A soft, warm promise. She strokes over his hair and grins when he hides his face.) I'll never take being with you as a given, Luke. It's always a blessing.

(His hesitation hurts her heart and she watches him.)

You know he was so happy when I told him I was pregnant. Don't ever think you weren't wanted.

Yes, but I never allowed myself to get too comfortable. Naboo is slow to change; we were experiencing a time of peace when I was elected queen, so the people just wanted it to continue. However I had to keep an eye on the planets around us - on the system in general - because while Naboo might be slow to anger, slow to act, others might be the opposite.

I was constantly learning where other planets are concerned. Yet, what you said, does apply to how I felt about Naboo.

Of course, any time. Take care, senator.

["Ani." He can't say he's ever heard his grandfather referred to quite that way before. It's odd enough to think of him as "Anakin," though he knows that's what he had been called, in the earlier part of his life. He can't help thinking of how Rey had adopted calling him "Ben." How he hadn't argued with it. He expects "Ani" is a name that only she is allowed to use.]

He is. [Agreement, but a hint of skepticism. He knows that she comes from farther in the past, and he can't quite imagine her being so accepting of what her grandfather had become. Not with everything he had been through himself, with everyone who had claimed to care about him.] Though I would call him Vader.

Don't underestimate him. Too many did, and none have survived.

[ He's not even including himself in the survivors. ]

Yes. Explaining them is not intuitive.

[ For him anyway. ]

He isn't more powerful than my love for you.

(Sorry, Palpatine, you will always pale in comparison.)

Do they need to be explained?

(The name is a connection to a time when they were little more than children. He had been an adorable boy, enslaved along with his mother and she had been a young queen pretending to be a handmaiden. His honesty, his sweetness and bravery had drawn her to him, though as a protector at first; a friend. Their love had come later.)

For me, Darth Vader is Anakin Skywalker. I love the goodness in him - the Light. It hasn't faded. (No matter what Anakin tells himself.) I'm with him now. I won't leave him.

Or you.

[Codi's expression softens, eyes closing in a self-satisfied nod.]

It would be my pleasure. I'm sure we can work something out.

[Codi is quite pleased to note that Padmé is aware of the unspoken terms of this agreement. She will happily accept whatever form of repayment she can provide for this debt, thank you.]

Do you have any thoughts about who you might end up tethering with?

[Codi's thoughts go to the people Rey told her about: Vader and Luke predominantly, but they are both Tians. She recalls that Padmé was a Tian last time they spoke, which would make her situation a little more dicey. Is that still the case, she wonders, now that she's back?]

[He doesn't believe that. There hadn't been a single person in his life who didn't leave him. Usually for good, whenever it happened. Rey, at least, came back. His father had, too, but he- He isn't going to follow that train of thought.]

You don't know me.

Nothing is truly free. Politicians know that best.

(She just happens to be a senator - past senator - that deals fairly. However she is perplexed by this. What is the proper payment for lessons?)

I'm not sure. I would feel safest tethering with my husband or my son, but something tells me it won't be that easy.

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