Dipper

The Jedi Temple was always quiet at this hour. Full of that deep, reverent kind of silence that only existed long after night had fallen. The city’s constant hum seemed distant here, muted by the thick walls of stone and marble that had seen centuries of Jedi pass through their halls. It was the kind of quiet that made every breath feel sacred, every heartbeat amplified in the stillness.

The meditation chambers were lit only by thin shafts of moonlight spilling through the high windows, cutting silver lines across the floor. Dipper couldn’t tell if it was very late or very early, the sort of hour that lived between dreams and waking. Her mind was still clouded from the mission she’d completed with Anakin earlier that day, flashes of battle, his laughter in the aftermath, and the quiet ache she’d tried to ignore since returning.

Now, she sat cross-legged at the center of the chamber, her back straight, her hands resting loosely in her lap. Her breath came slow and even, the Force flowing through her like a calm tide. Every inhale brought light, every exhale released the noise of her mind. QP-1D waited quietly by the door, her pink lights dimmed in respectful stillness.

Dipper sifted through the clutter of her thoughts- her doubts, her fears, the lingering memory of Anakin’s voice and the warmth of his hand against hers. Slowly, the tension began to dissolve. The Force wrapped around her like a soft blanket, not just flowing through her but cradling her in a deep, quiet connectedness that made her feel both insignificant and infinite all at once.

That peace held, until she felt him.

It came like a ripple through still water, a spark at the edge of her senses that she couldn’t mistake. Bright. Reckless. Alive. His presence was fire wrapped in sunlight- impossible to ignore, and even harder not to reach for. Anakin Skywalker. He felt like the sun itself, burning too hot, too close, and yet somehow she always leaned toward the warmth.

Before she even opened her eyes, she whispered, “You’re not supposed to be here.”

From the doorway came that unmistakable voice- low, amused, and far too sure of itself. “You say that every time I am.”

A smile ghosted across Dipper’s lips. Her eyes remained closed, her posture calm, serene, though her heart wasn’t. “And yet, you always find me.”

“Maybe the Force wants me to,” he said, stepping inside. His boots made no sound against the polished floor, only the faint brush of his cloak followed him. The moonlight touched him as he approached, the gleam of his belt, the soft fall of his tunic, the faint reflection of light in his eyes.

When Dipper finally opened her eyes, she found him standing there, those piercing blue eyes locking onto hers. Anakin smiled, that half-cocked grin that had undone her more times than she could count. He stopped beside her, the moonlight tracing the sharp lines of his face. For a moment, neither spoke. The silence between them wasn’t empty. It was alive, humming with something neither could name. Dipper tried to focus, closing her eyes again, forcing her breath steady. She tried to remember the teachings- detachment, serenity, peace. But Anakin’s presence filled every corner of the room, every corner of her mind.

“Anakin,” she said softly, eyes still closed, “I’m trying to meditate.”

“Then meditate,” he murmured, lowering himself to sit across from her. His voice was gentler now, threaded with warmth. “I’ll be quiet.”

That promise lasted perhaps five seconds.

“You know,” he said eventually, breaking the stillness, “when you do this… you look like the moon reflecting in still water.”

Her lashes fluttered open, a trace of amusement tugging at her lips. “That’s not very quiet,” she said, though her cheeks betrayed her, flushed with warmth she tried to suppress.

Anakin leaned forward, kneeling before her, his voice barely above a whisper. “You’re not very easy to ignore.”

The air shifted- subtle, magnetic, undeniable. The chamber seemed to shrink around them until there was nothing but the two of them and the space between, shimmering like heat. Dipper’s heart thudded softly against her ribs. “You shouldn’t say things like that,” she whispered. “It makes it harder to pretend.” She could feel the force pulling her towards him, but she resisted, caught in the cognitive dissonance of being a responsible Jedi of the Order, and whatever this was- what the Force was trying to tell her.

“Then stop pretending,” he said, and his voice- Gods help her- sounded almost broken with it. “We don’t have to be what they say we are. Not right now.” His eyes were pleading, soft and unguarded, the eyes of the boy beneath the armor of the hero.

The glow of Coruscant’s slowly rising sun started to paint soft gold across the floor, and in it, their hands found each other. Her fingers trembled as they touched, but the moment felt steady and inevitable. The Force hummed around them, more alive than it had been all night, as though it, too, approved of this quiet defiance. 

 “Every time you look at me like that, I forget what the Order taught me,” Anakin said, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. His touch was gentle but consuming, the kind that spoke of both restraint and longing. It was a silent confession that lingered between their joined hands.

QP-1D gave a soft chirp from the doorway, the sound breaking the tension for only a moment. Dipper glanced over her shoulder, smiling faintly at her droid’s timing. 

Anakin chuckled lowly. “Even your droid’s trying to keep me in line.”

“She knows better than to think she can,” Dipper said, her voice gentler now.

And for a heartbeat, they were both still. Gazes locked. The air around them shimmered with everything unsaid- the weight of their choices, the danger of what they were, and the impossible tenderness of what they felt. The rising sun turned the room golden, illuminating them in a quiet, fragile grace.

Anakin reached up, fingertips barely grazing her cheek. “You make it hard to be a Jedi,” he whispered.

Her lips curved, trembling. “You make it impossible not to be human.”

His hand lingered there, warm and grounding, anchoring her in a moment that felt outside of time. His thumb traced a slow, reverent line along her skin, and she felt her breath catch, the universe narrowing to the space between them. The war, the Temple, the galaxy, all of it receded into quiet nothingness.

Then, as if the very fate of the galaxy depended on the gentleness of what came next, Anakin leaned in. His lips met hers with aching tenderness- not hurried, not stolen, but deliberate. A confession wrapped in silence.

It was a kiss that spoke of everything they could never say- devotion, longing, fear, love. The Force hummed around them, alive and electric. For that fragile heartbeat, the Order, the war, every burden they bore, all of it fell away.

The first light of Coruscant’s morning filters through the tall Temple windows, a soft gold cutting through the faint haze that always lingers above the city. The hangar is quiet, most of the Temple being still asleep, the hum of traffic outside just beginning to build again.

Anakin stands beside the speeder where he parked it hours earlier, running a hand through his hair as he watches the sunlight climb higher. Dipper is still asleep on one of the benches nearby, wrapped in his cloak. The golden sun pouring through the bay illuminates her pale skin, rose colored hair, and peaceful expression as she sleeps. She didn’t wake after he had stopped the speeder, or when he wrapped his cloak around her, a shield from the night air. He smiles faintly, remembering their adventure from the night before. 

Anakin should’ve gone to his quarters. Should’ve checked in, reported, something. But instead, he just… stayed. Making sure she was safe. Making sure the night hadn’t been a dream. Going over in his head again and again the events of the evening before. Something definitely was different, but he couldn’t define it without violations of the Jedi code. Recounting the night prior he kept remembering how strong the Force felt in the space between them. As if there was a magnetic pull that kept him hanging on her every word. He had done his best to act casual, not letting himself get too wrapped up in this new feeling. 

He walks over quietly, kneeling beside her. The air smells faintly of oil and morning air. He lets his hand rest lightly against the edge of the bench, close to where hers lay but not touching. 

Dipper stirs briefly, feeling his presence. Her eyes flutter open, squinting at the bright morning sun. She smiles softly in his direction, sitting up in front of his kneeling form. She doesn’t say anything at first, just rubs her eyes before admiring the way he looks up at her from the floor. His dark blonde hair shining almost golden in the light, his deep blue eyes looking up at her with oceans of thought behind them. 

Anakin’s expression softens into that half-smile that always carries a trace of amusement and concern mixed together. “Morning came too soon.” He murmurs softly, almost to himself, “But… it’s good to see it with you.”

Dipper stretches, “Gods, I never made it back to my quarters, I guess I really was tired.”

“Yeah… you didn’t quite make it.” He gestures lightly toward the cloak draped around her. “You passed out halfway through the flight back. I didn’t have the heart to wake you, so I let you sleep here. Figured the Council could wait a few more hours before finding something for us to do.” He leans back on his heels, watching with quiet fondness.

She stands, noticing the cloak wrapped around her, blushing as she hands it back to him. “Thank you.” She says with a soft, thoughtful tone. 

Anakin stands as well, taking the cloak back slowly, letting his fingers brush hers for just a heartbeat before he folds it over his arm. He smiles, a little tired but genuine, and glances toward the brightening skyline outside the hangar.

“What are your plans for the day, General?” Dipper starts to move past him, making her way towards the hangar’s exit to the Temple.

He’s quick to move by her side, following her into the Temple’s interior, where early-morning light spills down the long hallways. He chuckles softly at the use of such an overly formal title. “For today… probably a debrief with Obi-Wan, a few hours pretending to meditate, then back into the field. The usual.” He looks at her walking by his side, expression easing into something more open. “What about you? Planning on taking it easy, or jumping straight back into chaos?”

Dipper shrugs, seeming rather carefree and calm from their adventure the night prior. As if their night out was exactly what she needed to recharge before another day as a member of the Jedi order. “Probably something similar. I did tell Ashoka I’d help her with some sparring,” Anakin smiles at the mention of his padawan, “but other than that I’ll probably just be doing whatever the Council asks of me.” 

“I’m sure Ahsoka will be glad to have you around. She’s been running herself ragged lately. You two make a good team, though. You balance her fire with… whatever it is you’ve got.” His tone turns teasing again, but there’s warmth behind it. “Calm, maybe. Patience. Or just a knack for talking people down before they blow something up.”

Dipper tilts her head at him, chuckling at the teasing remark. 

Anakin stops in the hallway, and turns to face her, “Still… if the Council gives you a choice, take a lighter assignment today. You’ve earned one quiet day, at least.”

She looks up at him, not leaving much space between the two of them, speaking with intent and sincerity, “I could say the same to you…” She lets the words linger briefly before turning away and continuing down the corridor, the teasing tone that’s always so prevalent between them returning, “...but I know you can’t say no to the action.”

Anakin laughs under his breath, shaking his head slightly as he looks down almost in mock disbelief. “You’ve got me there.” His grin fades into something softer, more self-aware as he catches back up to her side, “I tell myself it’s because someone’s got to be out there, doing something- but maybe I just don’t know what to do when it’s quiet.”

Dipper lets the silence hang between them as they continue to walk down the Temple hallway. His presence beside her is comforting in the quiet Temple. And often if she lets the silence sit for long enough, Anakin will fill it by opening up some more. 

“Still, if you’re around… maybe I could try slowing down for once.” He looks back toward her, a hint of playfulness returning to his voice, “But no promises. I’ve got a reputation to uphold, after all.”

Dipper’s brows lift slightly, “You want me to come with you?” 

Anakin tries to sound nonchalant, but the corners of his mouth tug upward anyway, “I can’t say I’d mind the company. Missions usually go smoother when someone actually listens to reason-” he pauses, smirking, “-which, admittedly, isn’t usually me.”

They both stop outside of a shut Temple door which they know to be the Jedi briefing room, and turn to each other. Anakin steps a little closer to her, lowering his voice, “What do you say- wanna cause a little more chaos with me?”

Dipper looks up at him, a soft, sincere expression as she speaks, “Always, Anakin.”

Anakin smiles boyishly, lighting up his whole face. There's soft murmurs coming from the room beside them. “Great. We’re definitely already a bit late, but it would be more out of character if I wasn’t late.” He moves to open the door, unmuting the voices inside. 

Dipper enters the room behind him, where the other Jedi are already gathered around the large holoprojector in the center. She steps up to the group beside Anakin who is standing in his usual cocky stance with his arms crossed, the slightest bit of amusement flickering in his eyes as he prepares for the Council’s inevitable questions. 

“And where have you been, Anakin?” Obi-wan turns toward him with a cocked brow. 

Before he can speak, Dipper inserts herself with an explanation, “Sorry! I held him up, I was having some issues with my astromech and he happened to be in the hangar with me so I asked him to help.”

Anakin raises a brow at her smooth response, clearly impressed as he steps beside her, keeping his posture casual but with a trace of tension under the surface. He gives Obi-wan a small, almost apologetic smile, though its laced with that familiar hint of trouble. “Obi-wan, I swear I was just trying to help.” He glances at Dipper, then back at Obi-Wan with that innocent look, clearly working hard to keep the situation light, “Nothing too dramatic, just a few wires in the wrong place.”

Obi-Wan’s brow furrows slightly, but he holds his gaze steady on both of the younger Jedi. He knows when Anakin’s trying to deflect, but there’s something in the way they both speak that makes him pause, his eyes softening for just a moment before he clears his throat, “I see.” His tone is calm, though a trace of a knowing smile tugs at his lips. “Well, as long as you both are here now, I suppose we can proceed with the briefing.”

Dipper straightens, focusing in on the briefing from the rest of the Council. Anakin tries to do the same, a part of him staying attuned to her, the comfort of her presence lingering in his thoughts. 

As the Council members begin discussing mission details, Anakin’s mind keeps drifting back to the quiet, almost stolen moments between him and Dipper. The endless war- the endless noise and missions- it all feels a little quieter when she’s beside him. 

They watch as Obi-Wan explains the mission details, gesturing toward a hologram of a remote planet- something barren, windswept, and not at all the kind of place that suggests a relaxing day ahead. He explains that this is a retrieval mission; a republic transport got shot down on a planet in the mid-rim. There’s signs of possible Separatist involvement. 

“We’ll need to move quickly once we land.” Obi-Wan’s voice cuts through the chatter as he gives the final orders. “Since you’re here, Anakin, you and Dipper will handle the retrieval. Be cautious; the situation is still developing.”

Anakin nods toward Obi-Wan, his grin never faltering as he glances at Dipper, “Ready to get this over with? I’m sure the galaxy has a new disaster waiting for us.” His voice is light, but there’s that spark in his eyes- excitement, but also the unspoken understanding that they’ll get through this... together.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” She smirks back at him, the air around them already starting to hum with the promise of action, adventure, and of course, chaos. “Grab R2 and I’ll meet you at the hangar.”

Anakin nods at her and teases, “Don’t keep me waiting. I don’t want to fly circles around you just to make sure you’re on time.”

Dipper teasingly scoffs at the remark, and they head off in separate directions to prepare for the mission. She heads toward her quarters to find QP-1D, her faithful pink astromech droid whirring about. “QP, let's go!”

QP makes several beeping noises that can only be interpreted as confused before Dipper explains further, “The council asked us to help out with a retrieval mission, come on!”

QP makes noises in objection, but they don't last long until Dipper says, “R2 is gonna be there…” in a teasing tone, sure that that’ll peak the little droid's interest. And it does, because in a blink of an eye the droid speeds out the door and down the hall toward the hangar with a myriad of ‘happy beeps’.

Dipper follows, not far behind, a mix of anxiety and excitement building as she gets closer and closer to the hangar.

~

The mission was anything but simple. Upon arrival on a planet called Aleen, the two Jedi found the Republic transport wreckage scattered across a rocky plateau, the remains of the crew barely intact. The area was far more dangerous than anticipated- R2 detected cloaked Separatist droids had set up camp nearby, with hidden defenses. It was clear there was something more valuable on this transport that the Separatists were trying to recover. 

Anakin sent R2 to hack into the Separatist systems from behind enemy lines, and QP was sent to recover any data from the transport wreckage. Rex and a few of the other Clones from the 501st worked to evacuate any of the surviving crew. Dipper and Anakin disabled onslaughts of approaching droid patrols trying to keep them from the area. They moved swiftly, almost effortlessly, using their respected sabers to slash apart the droids coming at them. 

“I didn’t know you were so skilled with your saber, it’s a shame you don’t work in the field more often.” Anakin said amidst the combat. 

Dipper used her saber to cover Anakin’s position from oncoming blaster shots, while he cut up droids that were standing closer by. The light from their sabers and the blasts dancing across their faces. “I think there’s a lot you still don’t know about me, Skywalker.” A teasing smirk brightening her face as she maneuvered.

Anakin couldn’t help but chuckle, clearly impressed by the slightly younger Jedi. Dipper definitely didn't show it, but she was exerting a lot of effort to keep up with the skilled General Skywalker. While she definitely was capable, wielding her light pink saber for anything more than padawan training was pretty rare for her. 

QP-1D whistled from the wreckage indicating she found the Republic files they must be after. Dipper turned to Anakin, “That’s our cue, follow me.” As they headed toward QP’s position, R2 joined them. And in an attempt to finish it all off Anakin pulled out an explosive, clicking an activation button, and throwing it toward the enemy camp. 

Only a few enemy droids remained, causing a brief slowdown on their way back to the ship. Nothing Anakin couldn’t handle alone, though. Using the opportunity to show off his affinity for theatrics during battle. 

Using a mixture of the Force and his undeniably flawless saber technique, Anakin jumped, landed in the center of the remaining droids, and cut them to pieces in mere seconds with one continuous motion. Dipper made it back to the ship just in time to turn around and witness him, in all his glory, making an impeccable landing as the droids fell around him. His hair faintly tugging in the wind, his eyes looking up toward the ship, catching Dipper’s gaze with a barely noticeable wink as he cockily started his strut back to the starship.

Deciding against acknowledging the display for now, Dipper informed Anakin of the status of the intel. “QP says they’re supposedly battle plans, but they must’ve been corrupted in the scramble of the ship crashing. Do you think R2 could reconstruct it?” 

Anakin takes the file from her, examining the chip it’s stored on, before handing it to his trusted droid. “I’m sure he can recover most of it, but he’s not a miracle worker.” R2-D2 chirps, heading off to another part of the ship to figure out what he can do, QP not far behind him. 

Dipper sits in the ship with a relieved sigh as they take off back toward Coruscant. Anakin wipes his hands on his robes, sitting beside her, a grin pulling at his lips. His voice is light, a calm confidence in his tone, “You did great out there. It honestly went smoother than I thought it would… Thanks for having my back.”

She smiles at him, the adrenaline from the mission starting to wear off. “That was definitely enough chaos for me today.” She nudges him softly, “You were amazing, as always.”

Anakin chuckles, his grin widening at the praise. “Amazing, huh?” He gives her a modest shrug, his tone light but sincere, “I don’t know about that. If it weren’t for you, I’d probably be buried under a pile of droid parts by now.”

Dipper leans her head against his warm shoulder, the quiet satisfaction of a job well done filling the air around them. For just a moment, she feels his whole form relax under the pressure of her leaning against him. The usual weariness that sets in after an intense mission creeping up on them. They find an unspoken comfort in the small embrace, heat radiating off each other, warding off any uneasiness. 

Stumbling out of the Clone bar, you giggle, hiccuping just a little. Anakin catches you, steadying your form as you brace for the cool night air. The noise of the bar fades into the hum of Coruscant night life. His arms are warm and steady against you as you two walk towards the lift up to the terrace. 

“Thanks for helping me,” you chuckle, your cheeks feeling warm against the contrast of the brisk air, “sorry I’m kind of a lightweight with my drinks.” 

Anakin grins at you as you two step onto the lift and he presses the controls, “Don’t worry about it. Everyone’s a lightweight their first time with Lum, it’s basically rocket fuel someone decided to color pretty.” 

You smile back at him, lingering for a beat before the lift doors open. Your eyes widen as you step out of the lift, Anakin steps out beside you, the city stretching endlessly below. Rivers of light winding between towers, airspeeders tracing silver threads through the haze. The hum of engines is distant here, softened by the height and the warm night air. When you look up, you can see the speckles of stars amongst the various ships flying about. 

“Anakin…” you say almost breathlessly, “this is beautiful.”

“Yeah,” he says quietly, “Every time I come up here, it still gets me. You think you’ve seen everything Coruscant has to offer, and then…” he gestures out at the horizon, where the glow fades into faint starlight “...you remember how small we really are.”

You glance over to him, both of you are leaning against the railing. His expression is calm and content. It’s almost shocking to you, to see Anakin so content, he tends to seem like he’s always fighting for something. 

“What do you think about when you’re up here alone?” your question hangs in the air for a moment, “Sorry if that’s prying…”

“Not at all, thats actually a very you question.” Anakin looks back out at the skyline for a while before answering, voice lower now, shaped more by reflection than by drama, “Most of the time I’m just trying to slow my head down. There’s always a hundred things fighting for space up there- what I should’ve done, what I still have to do, people I couldn’t save. Up here, it’s quiet enough to sort through the noise.” 

He pauses, sucking in a breath, “Sometimes I think about what all this light means. Every window down there is someone living a whole story I’ll never know. It reminds me that the galaxy is bigger than any one mission or mistake.” He glances over, the hint of a smile returning. “That’s my deep Jedi answer, anyway. How about you? What do you think of when you find a quiet moment like this?”

You let your eyes close and breathe in deeply before you answer, “I try to stay present in my surroundings, feel the living force throughout me, the planet, the stars.” Your eyes open, looking towards the skyline, “I focus on the way light reflects, the way animals move, the breeze in my hair. Stupid Jedi stuff like that.” 

You look back towards him, and he’s smiling in a way you rarely get to witness, its quiet but genuine, the kind that softens all his features.”That’s not stupid at all,” He starts, “That’s kind of the whole point isn’t it?” the wind tugs lightly on his overgrown hair, “The Council’s always telling us to listen to the Force, but half of them forget that it’s not just in meditation rooms or on the battlefield.”

He exhales before continuing, “It’s in moments like this- breathing, noticing, being.” There’s a touch of awe in his voice, “You’ve got it right, more than most of us do. I forget sometimes that the Force isn’t something to control- it’s something to feel.”

You nod, looking up at him, the inches between you two feeling too far. He’s looking into your eyes with deep intent, and frankly you're just trying to decode what it means. Neither of you are present with your surroundings anymore, even though that was the topic just moments ago, but you're definitely present with each other. You feel the Force radiating off of him. You’re surprised he would say he ‘forgets sometimes the Force is something to feel’ considering you never feel closer to the Force than when you’re with him. You always figured it was just because he’s ‘the Chosen One’.

“Guess you needed the reminder, ‘Chosen One’.” you practically whisper this, but hes so close you know he heard it, especially when a sheepish smirk ignites on his lips. 

His voice is gentle, and he’s still staring into your eyes as if there’s no one else in the galaxy, “You know, the title doesn’t mean much without someone around to keep me grounded.” He faintly nods towards you, and for a moment, you think you might kiss him, your arms crawling up to his shoulders, his eyes flickering towards your lips. 

Just then you hear two obviously intoxicated clones burst out of the lift, slurring as one of them shouts, “What level even is this, Jesse? We’re supposed to go down! Not up!”

The sudden burst of noise breaks you two apart, and after you recognize the two clones are going back down the lift, you look back towards Anakin. He’s chuckling, rubbing the back of his neck with slight embarrassment from the clones that were definitely apart of the 501st.

“You remind me there’s still something good left in all of this.” You say, laughing slightly.

He smiles, his voice is quiet, steady, as if there’s more he wants to say, but the time has passed,  “Sometimes I forget that peace doesn’t always come from winning a war- it comes from moments like this. From people who still believe in something better.”

You lean on the railing beside him, shoulders brushing in the smallest, unspoken gesture of understanding. For a while, the two of you just stand, listening to the faint hum of air traffic drifting up from lower levels. 

You exhale slowly. “The war’s changing everything, Anakin- people, the Order, even the way we see the Force. It’s like the whole galaxy’s holding its breath, waiting for something big to break.” 

Looking back towards him you see him studying you for a long moment, the city’s glow reflected in his eyes. His voice, when he finally speaks, is soft, “Yeah… I know that feeling. Like the whole galaxy is teetering on a knife’s edge. You can almost feel it in the Force, can’t you? That pull between what could be beautiful and what could fall apart.”

He lets out a quiet laugh, though it doesn’t quite hide the weight in his tone, “I want to believe peace is still possible. That everything we’re doing actually leads somewhere better. And when I’m around you, when things get quiet like this…” He looks at you again, earnest, a small half-smile tugging at his lips, “...it feels like maybe it’s not such a distant dream.”

Your cheeks heat up with a faint blush as you look up at him once more, the faint rhythm of city light dancing across your faces. You can feel the Force pulsing between you two. Then he turns his hand slightly, palm brushing against yours, not quite holding it but close. You give him a small, grateful smile, “Thank you… We should probably go back before they think I’ve kidnapped you, or the other way around.” You nudge him softly.

Anakin laughs, the sound warm, chasing away the heaviness in the air. “You’re probably right,” He glances toward the lift with a smirk, “I’m glad you did kidnap me, even if just for a little while. Nights like this don’t come often.”

You sigh, shaking your head, still grinning, “Duty calls. Besides, I’m sure we’ll be back in action tomorrow and sleep deprived due to this adventure.”

Anakin chuckles under his breath as you both step toward the lift, the sound of the doors opening echoing faintly in the night air. “You’re probably right.” He presses the controls and glances back over to you with a small, crooked grin. 

“The galaxy never gives us much of a break, does it?” You lean your back against the wall of the lift as it begins to go back to the level you had parked the speeder at.

He crosses his arms loosely, “Still… I wouldn’t trade tonight for the extra hours of sleep,” His tone is sincere, “I’ll remember this one.”

You step out of the lift together, the lower levels still abuzz with nightlife, but no one seems to take notice of the two of you. “Let’s get back to the Temple before I start making even more questionable choices,” you wink at him, walking towards the speeder. “You wanna fly?”

“Sure, just-” he opens the passenger door for you, “try not to critique my flying.” He meets your eyes as you step into the speeder and he adds, “Though… if questionable choices involve you, I’m not sure I’d stop you from making them.”

You laugh as he climbs into the pilot seat beside you, “Hey now- don’t bite off more than you can chew, General.”

“I wouldn't dream of it.” He powers up the speeder, lights flickering to life as the engines hum beneath you. “Besides, I’ve already got my hands full keeping us both out of trouble.” He smirks, “You make that harder than any mission I’ve ever been on.”

The speeder lifts smoothly off the platform, gliding into the soft current of Coruscant’s night air. He glances over at you, the city lights painting faint gold reflections in his eyes.

You tease, shrugging, “I like to give you a challenge.”

Anakin guides the speeder higher through the soft glow of traffic lanes. The hum of the engines settles into a steady rhythm, almost like a lullaby against the quiet of the night. You lean your head against his shoulder, softly yawning, “I am tired though.”

He adjusts the controls with practiced ease, the wind brushing through both your hair as the skyline drifts by, “Yeah, I can tell.” He glances at you briefly, voice low and gentle now, “You’ve had a long day. Close your eyes if you want, I’ve got us. I’ll make sure we get back in one piece.”

Your eyes flutter shut, and your breathing deepens. Anakin glances down for a moment as he feels your head rest against his shoulder. The corners of his mouth lift in a quiet, almost private smile. He shifts just slightly, steadying his posture so you can rest more comfortably against him. The city hums around you, soft lights streaking past, airspeeders humming in the distance, but inside the speeder, it feels still. Peaceful.