118 V.2-C.19│Problems in Paradise I│

Throne-Room, Sky-Palace, Sky-City, Tatooine, within the Empyrean.

Anakin goes over everything that has happened with Shmi and goes so far to reveal his secret marriages, which both doesn't and does surprise his mother.

"Married, you are?" Shmi questioned looked at Anakin first for his answer before moving her gaze over to Aayla.

"Yes." Anakin confirmed but Shmi wanted to know from the woman who was standing just behind but beside his side.

Shaak, Barriss and Ahsoka had all gone their own ways, escorted to their rooms, permanent or otherwise temporary until they all find their own places, if they so desire. Anakin, Aayla and Shmi stayed behind however as she was immensely overjoyed but was a little angry that she couldn't attend this event nearly any mother would have wanted to go to.

"Yes, you majesty." Aayla answered with politeness.

"Well." Shmi smiles as the girl didn't look into her eyes, seemingly scared of being rejected by her, but what right does she have to meddle in her sons choices in romantic partners. That is his decision no matter how much she would have tried to set him up herself, she is glad either way. "Welcome to the family then, and you dont have to call me your majesty."

"Technically, since you have married Ani, you are now considered the princess of this empire." Shmi continued.

"Thank you, your maj-I mean thank you, mother-in-law?" Aayla said in a questioning tone at the end of her sentence.

"That is fine, but you could always just call me mother. Do as Ani does, but if you still feel uncomfortable doing so, then you shouldn't force yourself." Shmi replied, giving some emotional support as she could see that Aayla feared her rejection.

"Of course, mother." Aayla was able to reply without a mistake or stutter this time.

"Now that my daughter-in-law and I have settled our business, Ani?" Shmi started.

"Yes?" Anakin replied in a questioning tone.

"You should have at least told me about this before just bringing it up when you came. Not that I am all that unhappy, mind you. I would've liked to have seen this marriage ceremony." Shmi spoke her about her feelings on the matter.

"I am sorry that I hadn't informed you." Anakin replies.

"You should be, because I think that we will be holding a proper marriage ceremony. I also assume that the other women you have brought with you are going to somehow be involved as well? Am I correct to assume that somehow you have gotten yourself into quite the special situation?" Shmi questioned as she questioned him.

"It is... complicated." Anakin answered.

"Well, I have all the time to learn and explore just what has happened over the years without me knowing. At least when it comes you your love life, it would seem you have left me out completely. Not that I would control it or anything like that." Shmi added.

"Of course, mother. I know that." Anakin replied before continuing. "I do also have to add that I am not only married to Aayla here."

"Oh?" Shmi was not too surprised at this point because she knew her son was interested at the very least with the other women who had come with him. They seemed to have some interest as well, no, not simple interest but some real feelings and emotions.

She saw the look in Barriss' and Shaak's eyes when gazing upon her son and she knew that even though now married there were properly more women were going to be seduced. Not that she minded. She had always known of Anakin's desire to have a large family, and it would seem he is going to achieve that very goal.

She didn't know where this desire originated from, but just knew that it was a part of who he is.

"Yeah... You know about that alliance proposed a while back with the then Queen of Naboo?" Anakin started.

"Yes, I do. I quite like Padme and would have loved to have her as a daughter-in-law." Shmi smiled and continued. "We still do keep in contact with each other."

"But she hasn't told you?" Aayla questioned Shmi here now having some more courage to converse with her.

"Told me what?" Shmi didn't seem to be able to connect the dots.

"Well, along with myself, Padme has gotten engaged and married to Ani as well." Aayla continued.

"Really!?" Shmi was now surprised again, and she felt she was going through a roller coaster of many emotions. "But she didn't tell me!?"

Aayla suggested. "Maybe she is like me? She feels that it would be best to keep it a secret until later on, which should be revealed now but I dont think she knows Ani has left the Order yet."

"That is possible and now that I think about it, my communication skills seem to be lacking as I should have told her." Anakin said out loud.

"Really, Ani?" Aayla started. "You haven't even gone ahead to tell her. She would be extremely overjoyed." Aayla looked at him funny.

"Yes, yes. You can stop nagging me now." Anakin sighed with some exasperation.

"That is my job after all." Shmi continued right where Anakin left off.

The three would then go on to contact Padme about Anakin being relived of his duties to the Jedi which would then prompt Shmi to now have hope that she would have some grandchildren. Of course she was unable to even understand what Anakin had done for himself and his loved ones because he knew that by nature, women in general liked children.

If he couldn't have one with them, they would be extremely saddened. Not that is their only goal in life or anything, but is an immensely important part of a women's life if she so chooses to start a family.

He didn't want any of his wives to be saddened by this fact even though they would solider through this emotional pain. He just wouldn't allow it.

Padme would be coming to the Empyrean as she could retire from her position of being a senator. Everything had already been planned out which would result in a proper alliance between Naboo and the Empyrean through his marriage.

Once it becomes public of course.

Which it would within a short time frame as gossip like this is hard to pass up within the press and soon enough, within the Empyrean as well would many girls wanting to see if they could become the wife of the prince would be disappointed.

While everyone liked and even would go so far as to say, love Anakin. That didn't mean that most girls are willing to accept becoming one wife out of the many he would have.

There are some that would still stay true to their misguided feelings but that doesn't mean Anakin would accept them because of certain reasons. Those reasons being the Dyad, as if he didn't have one with someone, there would have to be some extenuating circumstances where he would be allowed to engage with another woman in that way.

He was not such a scumbag that he would just give up what he had for something he didn't, because that was stupid within his own mind.

Anakin had brought Aayla to his royal palace room as she would be staying and sleeping with him for the time being. She would fully monopolize her time with him and after he explained to her that it was possible for the two to have children together, she was excited.

Beyond exited as this meant she could start a family with her lover, the lover of her life. Her husband, significant other, one and only and whatever else she would attach to him.

But now, he could be the father to her children and THEIR children would also become apart of this empire he has built from the ground up.

Anakin and Aayla were within his royal bedroom.

"Ani? Do you want children." Aayla still had to ask, as she knew that he had modified himself because of her and her desires, she was sometimes selfish, and he was as well and as long as they both give their all to each other. Then nothing would come in their way.

"Of course I do. Why? Did you think I would change myself only to satisfy you? How incredibly arrogant you are." Anakin said with a smirk on his face, both of them laying down on his bed after an exhaustive round of 'exercise.'

"No! Of course not." Aayla explained herself. "I like this but I just wanted to know that my want and desire didn't influence you."

"Well, going from the bond we share, of course your 'desires' would influence me." Anakin continued to joke around with a smirk on his face.

"Stop it!" Aayla only threw her pillow at him but didn't let go of her embrace of Anakin. "Goodnight Ani."

"Goodnight Aayla." Anakin replied as she slowly was drifting off into sleep.

"I love you."

While Anakin doesn't like saying 'I love you' much because he believes that saying it all the time diminishes the meaning behind the words, he would still reply. "I love you too."

[]

"How was the 'vacation' General Grievous?" Anakin asked as he knew about the strange relationship Grievous had developed with Talzin.

"O-Oh!? Lord Skywalker! When did you arrive?" Grievous was surprised, especially so as he didn't know that Anakin was coming back so soon. He knew of alot of Anakin's plans but that didn't mean he knew everything and didn't mean he knew exactly when these designs were going to be executed.

"And how did you know about... 'that?'" Grievous questioned again as he was again surprised by Anakin's ability to know next to everything, at all times.

"You keep questioning my methods, dont you?" Anakin said in a questioning tone.

"I dont mean anything by it. I am just amazed at your ability to... well... do anything." Grievous replied.

And Grievous is but Anakin was not exactly here for a social call because he has heard of some dissenting voices from with the Empyrean.

How could the paradise he has built have problems?

It does because he has allowed it to exist, not because he wants to dismantle everything he had built up as that would be pointless. To create just to destroy is incredibly stupid and pointless.

The rebellion faction wasn't actually created by Anakin but he allowed for it to be fostered to a certain extant so he could pull out the true cause or person behind this faction within the Empyrean.

"Well, I ain't here for a social call. I wanted to know about those rebels." Anakin said in a questioning and commanding tone.

Grievous just gets to the point as soon as he sees that Anakin doesn't want to chat about his private life anymore. "From what I can tell, they are based on the outskirts of the Kemal Station System."

"So they have decided to hide within the secondary trade center? They must have a supplier for the resources they could acquire." Anakin postulated.

"We have not exactly located where they are but because of the less strict measures on Kemal Station, they have been using this to their advantage. I suggest we increase security-" Grievous was interrupted.

"No. There is a reason for that and for now you will just have to let it go." Anakin interrupted him.

"May I ask why?" Grievous was not mad and was used to just taking orders without knowing what exactly was going on. It wasn't like he needed to question Anakin's decisions all that much even when encouraged to do so.

The reason being is because Grievous has seen so much good that it started to touch him and it increased his faith and trust in Anakin to high levels nearly comparable to the droids but he still kept his sanity.

Anakin didn't want mindless drones that only listened to commands and needed someone, at least one person to make sure he is challenged. Again, without conflict there is no way to tell whether or nor he is in the right and should continue with his decisions.

"The reason is that I want to lure the snake out of its hole. That is the only reason this dissent exists but I guess it is also a way for those who feel disenfranchised with the Empyrean can gather and allow me to see what concerns them." Anakin said. "There is no telling as no system is absolutely perfect."

"I very much admire that trait about you Lord Skywalker." Grievous said with some reverence.

"Thank you for the compliment but I do believe that you could set up some agents on Kemal." Anakin replied.

Anakin and Grievous would then go on to plan out their next steps. There would be minimal droids being used as it would alert whoever is in charge of such an operation and would set back Anakin's progress in seeing who exactly is against him.

Whether that be someone from within again or some outside factor trying to wiggle itself in like the worm they are.

The agent academy set up on the Obana System's asteroid belts was going just fine and was well on its way to becoming one of the empires greatest asset. While Anakin had been playing around with the Jedi, the academy set up has become one of his greatest assets where they could be used in espionage and intrigue based events.

The better they became with training and various other things, the easier it was for him to outright insurgences. There was no need for dissenting voices that were not within his control because if the chaos was set free it could spell the downfall of his work.

The agents were taught many things from basic physical exercises meant to keep up their physical health and capabilities, basic medical knowledge to assure that they have some level of survivability. More of what they were trained in of course included basic thievery, assassination techniques and various ways to better conceal oneself.

There was another interesting thing Anakin had his eyes and ears on the lookout for. It was what Talzin would do to further integrate herself into being somewhat allies with the Empyrean. She has surely heard of the development no matter how backwards their society was, the advancements he had brought was more than enough to convince her of needing him.

What she would do was up to anyone but Anakin had a feeling that it would probably include having him introduces to a Dathomirian Zabrak female. Specifically to become one of his wives, as she probably wouldn't have a woman be anything less than that.

How she would react to him already being married and now having many wives and that too going to increase in the future as well, at having more than one. She would already be making a big give because she wants him, not in that way, but that didn't mean she would forgo her own cultural and religious background.

'Well... Only time will tell.' Anakin did see a few future points that included Ventress, but there was still no telling what way it would go.