"The opera was wonderful, but I'm glad we can get down to business," I cheered as I laid down the rest of the food on the glass table.

Clovis's had the great idea that going to the Opera show would be fun and a great way to distract ourselves from what had occurred earlier today. Not to mention, he could quite quickly figure out I wasn't in the best of moods.

It wasn't a date; it was more of two friends hanging out. I dressed in a long black dress that pleased my curves. Fortunately, I was lucky enough my bump was still tiny, so nothing was noticeable yet.

My eyes landed themselves on a Clovis hard at work. He was doing extensive research to unfold the plot the Chancellor had forced upon him. "If you look here, the Separatists haven't been repaying any interest on their loans." he pointed on the top right corner of his device. Slightly bent down, I squinted to take a closer look.

"But still, the Banking Clan is promising to lend credits to the Republic, credits they simply don't have." he summarized. We already knew all this information; we needed more to get to the bottom of all of this. I shook my head, "But where have all the savings gone?" I asked.

"Each of the files that you downloaded shows hundreds and hundreds of small withdrawals, small enough to remain undetected individually, but as a sum total..." he clicked on the upper right corner. "A devastating theft," he sighed. He was looking over this shoulder, away from the terminal, and looking closely at the black dress I was wearing before licking his lips softly.

I coughed to break up the tension I didn't want. "Whoever is behind this is no fool. We need to find out who's benefiting. We're still lacking a critical piece of information." I turned towards the glass coffee table I had set up filled with food.

He sighed in response, closing down his device. "Whatever we find must remain between only you and me. This would be highly dangerous information should it get into the wrong hands," he commented as we walked towards the couches.

I grabbed the large glass holder pouring water into my wine glass." Of course," I smiled softly, sitting opposite Clovis. He stared at me confused, well, at the drink in my hand. "You drink water out of a wine cup?" He asked, chuckling.

"Uh yes, this reminds me when we had three nights to prepare for Padme's Senate hearing to rescue Bromlarch's planetary aqueduct system." I stirred up. I tried everything to divert the topic. Even drinking water in a wine glass was too much information.

My mind went into circles; I grabbed another glass of wine, filling that one up with wine and handing it to Clovis. "And together, we saved people from total drought and famine." He chuckled again, bringing our glasses together in celebration.

"I don't think either of us got any sleep that whole week, let alone ate anything." He added. I laughed while taking another sip. It was a memory to look upon, oh how young we were. I didn't depend on the Jedi but instead my fellow members of the Senate. Teckla. A sigh escaped my lips in remembrance of her.

"We're not as young as we used to be," I said playfully. Clovis was, after all, older than I was, and I was still pretty young in my book. "Well, we're not that old either." He commented.

His body sat up from the couch and found its way to mine. Sitting next to my body, his hand wrapped itself around my shoulder, pulling my body closer to his.

I cleared my throat, "You might be right." I quickly answered, standing up, picking up a few plates from the table, and quickly adding a variety of vegetables. "Perhaps we should eat something."

There was a mere moment of silence before one question popped into my mind. "Clovis, why have you gotten so involved with the Munns?" I asked, still placing food onto the plates.

"I believe in the banks. The system works. The Muuns aren't bad people. It's just a dishonest few who are destroying everything for their own gain." his body sat up from the couch and got closer to mine once again; his breath hitched onto my neck.

"You know, you've never told me how you rose to such heights within the Banking Clan," I replied, handing Clovis his plate pushing him back onto the couch. "It's not a happy story. My father was a person attache to the household of one of the head Muun families. We were basically servants." The tone at the end lowered itself. His head hung down, ashamed and embarrassed.

"I had no idea," I replied softly.

"As I grew up, the head of the family took a personal interest in my education. I was the same age as his children, so we all studied together. When my parents and his wife were killed in a shuttle accident, he adopted me." He continued.

"How old were you?" I asked.

He took a sip from his wine, swallowing thickly.

"Twelve." He whispered in a tone that could be heard clearly.

"That must have been very hard." I looked towards the food presented before us, not knowing what else to ask if there was anything else to do. All this time, I thought Clovis rose from a family of wealth. I was wrong about him.

"I was accepted as their child everywhere we went. I almost forgot where I was from until I looked in the mirror." He looked the other way. His face looked everywhere except mine. "They sound like good people," I replied. His face then turned my way, a weak smile plastered on his. "They are. Most Muuns are," he added. He got up, laid the plate back on the table, and walked a few feet from the couch.

"And they want this corruption to end more than I do. You should know my contacts within the Muun government run deep. I have many allies, should I need to call on them." He acknowledged.

I placed my plate on the table, walking towards the back of his body. "I appreciate how personal this was for you." I voiced. His back turned around, and his hands grabbed onto mine, holding them near his chest.

"Now, maybe you will trust me." His green eyes looked deeply into mine.

"I'm here, aren't I?" I smiled weakly.

"I want to thank you for everything you've done for me. I don't think I would have had the strength alone." his hands still cupped mine, he brought them closer to his face. I knew exactly where this was heading. His face inched his way closer to mine.

"Clovis, dont." I took one hand out of his and placed itself onto his chest, pushing him slightly back, turning my back around.

"It's that Jedi, isn't it?" he asked, stopping me.

"General Skywalker?" I was surprised. Oh no, could it have been so easily detected? The panic and adrenalin in my body climaxed. "No, no, we're friends, nothing more," I added. I turned around, seeing him come closer once again—this time not reaching for a kiss but an argument.

"Friends, don't argue the way I saw you arguing today." He placed himself inches away from my body. I looked onto the ground, thinking of possible excuses. "You're confused. There's nothing between General Skywalker and me." I stuttered.

"Isn't it forbidden for a Jedi to have romantic ties? He would be banished from the Order, would he not?" He argued. He was setting the tension high, all right. My heartfelt like it was racing and was about to pop out of my chest. He caught me in a lie, and he knew he did.

"There is nothing romantic between him and me. He is no one, but a close friend, Clovis." I replied. I turned back around but quickly stopped halfway. His hands turned me right-center to his face; his hands placed themselves onto the sides of my shoulder.

"Then there is absolutely nothing to stop us from doing this." Still in his grip, he leaned his body closer to mine, leaning his face down towards my lips. "Clovis! Clovis, no." I shouted. I could hurt him using the force, but that wouldn't be the Jedi way.

My eyes were wide open as I saw his closed. He was so focused that ick fell into mind. However, he was hard to push off. He weighed more than me and was more muscular. "Clovis, get off!" I shouted once more before he was now centimeters apart from my lips

"Get away from her!" Anakin shouted. My eyes flew in the direction of Anakin's voice. Clovis instantly pulled away, surprised to see him.

Anakin held out his fist, clutching it in a ball. He instantly went into a force choke. Clovis lifted from the ground as he groaned and fought for air. I was too startled; I hadn't seen this side from Ani. It was dark and terrifying.

His body slammed against the pillar of the room. Clovis grunted as he tried to get back onto his feet. I looked back and forth between the both of them. Anakin had ignited his blue lightsaber, startling me.

"Anakin, dont!" I shouted. However, he didn't care.

"Why don't you try fighting like a man without your Jedi tricks?" Clovis asked. He wiped the blood that came out of his nose.

"Oh, it would be my pleasure," Anakin said as a smirk appeared on his face. He threw his lightsaber onto the ground, tightening up his fist. Ready to emerge into a full-on fistfight with Clovis.

Anakin went in with the first punch, getting him right onto his cheek. Clovis kneeled onto the ground, grabbing the side of his cheek with which he had been hit—next, Anakin kicked him onto his stomach until he laid flat onto the ground.

Ani didn't seem to care about the screams or shouting I rang across the room. He sat right on top of his damaged body giving him more punches to his face. The bruising quickly appeared on Clovis.

"Both of you, stop this!" I yelled, tears accumulating onto the waterline of my eyes. I didn't want either of them to get hurt.

"You don't have a say in this!" Anakin grunted, pointing his index finger in my direction. Clovis took his opportunity kicking him backward onto the ground. "I thought you said he didn't have feelings for you," Clovis grunted, slowly getting back onto his feet.

I looked onto Anakin's face as the words were left his mouth. There was sadness in them like he believed it was true. It wasn't; it was just an excuse. He shook his head, dismissing his thoughts before going back into action.

"I see you for what you truly are!" He continued his punches onto Clovis, which he was not dodging at all. Instead, the only chance Clovis took to attack backfired back onto him. He must not have known that one of Anakin's hands was made of metal, making his hand crush with agony as he tried to punch through.

He hissed in pain as he held his wrist with his other hand. Quickly Anakin took his body, throwing him onto the couches we once sat on. "You're a serpent, a traitor!" Anakin yelled as he came over to his body, lying on the broken furniture.

Clovis managed to get himself back on both feet, getting in at least two punches.

"Please, stop this!" I yelled, trying to intervene but knowing it wasn't the best option.

Clovis somehow grew more skilled, and his punches became more forceful and precise. "No!" I yelled as one of his kicks knocked Anakin down onto the ground. I was terrified.

"Is that all you got?" Anakin teased. He wasn't about to stop or let him win. I knew Anakin, and I knew how competitive he was when he wanted to win. But what would he win?

His arms held onto Clovis's shoulders, as did his onto Anakin's. Both pushing onto each other. They stared at each other with direct hate. "You should accept that the Senator has other interests than you." Clovis fueled.

It made Anakin shout angrily. Taking his forehead and slamming it onto Clovis. Once again, knocking him down, but with force, he lifted his body and slammed it right onto the glass coffee table. The food went everywhere.

Anakin then ran up to his body that lay on the ground, taking his shirt's buttons and swinging his body yet again to the other side of the room.

"Ah, Skywalker, you fool." Clovis began but was halted by the punches Anakin had started to do. Anakin kneeled, holding the buttons of his shirt, and continued to punch him single-handedly."Stop it. Anakin, stop!" I yelled as tears began to drain down my cheeks. I walked closer, approaching the scene. "What are you doing?" I asked as his punches continued. "Please, don't do this!" I screamed once more and louder.

He lifted his fist in the air but held it in place. A deep breath came from out of his mouth as he looked at his hands. "I'm sorry." he huffed. He ran out of breath but seemed to be confused as well. He peered around the whole room to find our place destroyed.

"Senator Amidala, is everything okay in there?" Typho called out. I looked onto Clovis' lying body, he was hurt and needed help, but I also wanted this whole thing to end. "No. Come in immediately." I shouted, and the doors to the entrance slid up.

"What has happened here?" Typho asked, confused. He scooped the surroundings seeing exactly how broken everything was left.

"There was an attack." Clovis panted as he slowly pulled himself to his knees.

"It was my good fortune to have General Skywalker here. They escaped in a speeder over the balcony." Clovis managed to say. Even after everything Anakin had done, he didn't dare place the blame.

"Is that what happened, sir?" Typho asked Ani. Embarrassed he must be, "If that's what the man says." Anakin replied.

"Hmm, a medic droid is on its way." Typho voiced as he clicked his device, insinuating a droid was on its way.

"Please, Typho, help Clovis into the bedroom." I pleaded. His face was covered in fresh blood and also in dark purple bruises. I felt guilty; perhaps this was the bad side the Jedi talked about all this time.

Typho and the rest of the guards grabbed onto each side of Clovis's body, supporting him as they walked into our bedroom.

"Y/n, I'm--" Anakin began, his arms reaching out towards my body.

"Stay away from me." I voiced, looking deeply into his eyes and breaking my own heart.