"The vote is in favor of the trade agreement." Palpatine's voice was heard as he announced the results.
A few here would believe that the results was completely fair, but most of them knew that the voting system was rigged from the start.
It always has been.
[]
'War. War never changes. War never changes as it is always usually about economics.' Anakin thought to himself as he was contemplating what to do next.
Obviously he would continue to siphon away the clones from the Republic to make them completely dependent on him for a source of protection.
Once the trade agreement was done, Anakin didn't have to sign anything because he had already sent over the proper documents. Of course, there are also virtual signed agreements as well, but they may be prone to being tampered with so instead, Anakin would also allow the public to view everything.
Everything should be revealed as it isn't even a secret and a secret like this could be turned against him in times of political distress.
If they would somehow change the agreement without people knowing, then it would be Anakin's problem. In fact he could have slowly made changes of his own as well, but that would also be bad because it would make him look bad.
Anakin wanted to appeal to the Galactic Republic on a larger scale instead of just trying to win over the thousands of senators.
That wouldn't work as they were corrupt, or at least alot of them were and because of this,Anakin would appeal to the people first. Just as he had always been doing.
"So your done then?" Aayla had come towards Anakin as she had also brought along her former master and father figure, Quinlan Vos.
"Yeah, I'm done." Anakin replied as he had a feeling that something was going to happen. He was just unsure of what that is exactly.
"Hello. I dont think I have formerly or properly introduced myself. My name is Quinlan Vos." Vos reached out a hand towars Anakin, initiating a handshake.
"Likewise. I am Anakin Skywalker."
"You dont have to introduce yourself to me. Everyone within the galaxy should know of your name by this point." Vos replied, firmly grabbing Anakin's hand.
Anakin of course noticed this but Quinlan really couldn't harm him. "Well, then I would assume that you know some other things as well."
After this little introduction, a proper introduction between Anakin and Vos the three could now talk about other things. Specifically, Aayla had something to say that would surprise both Anakin and Vos.
"Yeah, I know about that. Have you ever considered leaving the Jedi Order?" Anakin asked Vos as their current topic of discussion had to do with the flaws of the Order.
"Yes, there has been some times that I had considered to do so. But I have decided that I would stay." Vos replied.
Anakin nodded his head at Vos' response as there was no need to say his decision is wrong. It is his choice after all.
"By the way..." Anakin and Vos looked towards Aayla as she seemed to have something to say. It did seem important and there was some hesitance in her behavior.
Anakin could sense that something wasn't exactly wrong but there was something that seemed to be off. Something that was bothering Aayla and there was this abundant amount of life force and her force-sensitivity seemed to have increased as well.
It was like she had gotten more powerful, but she actually wasn't and instead it seemed like something else.
"Well, what is it?" Quinlan asked as he also saw her hesitance.
"Well, you see..." Aayla still seemed hesitant, or maybe she was embarrassed to say.
"Yes?" Anakin asked here, instead of Vos as he had already done so.
"I am..."
"You are?"
"I am..."
"..." At this point Anakin and Vos both knew that it was probably pointless trying to get her to say anything more.
In a very small voice, one that Vos was unable to hear but Anakin was, she said. "I am pregnant."
Anakin was shocked, ok, maybe he knew that was going to happen sooner or later as they had been going at it like bunnies.
"Sorry, you are what?" Vos questioned as he was the only one left not knowing just yet. He didn't have Anakin's powerful sensory abilities.
"I said, I am pregnant." Aayla finally said it loud enough for Vos to hear, and he should of expected like this to happen as well. Anakin and Aayla were now connected and bonded through 'holy' matrimony.
What didn't make sense to Vos was how they could have a child without genetic manipulation involved to make the two compatible, whether that being they change themselves or go through an artificially made embryo.
"P-Pregnant, you say." Vos said as he was studied while Anakin didn't know what to say in this moment. Anakin did however know that he should probably show his affection for Aayla and probably at the very least show some excitement.
Anakin embraced Aayla in a hug and didn't say anything else.
"So-so, what does this mean exactly?" Vos still seemed to be in denial, that his adoptive daughter would become pregnant already. However he should know as Anakin and Aayla are both adults and that the both of them are also not a part of the Jedi Order anymore as well...
"It means that I am going to be a father." Anakin said as he felt quite complicated.
"It also means that I am going to be a mother." Aayla was incredibly happen, as Anakin had embraced her and had even declared to her father figure his intentions.
"R-Right..." Vos was speechless as when he was coming here, he only wanted to check on his foster daughter and what he didn't expect to be coming here was to discover that she was now pregnant. She was about to become a mother of her own, well, within a few months that is and if there are no complications.
This would also mean there would be a child to be the new heir to the Empyrean. It would probably also bring on some new dangers for Aayla and the new life growing within her as well.
There are many that would want to go after Anakin or somehow affect the Empyrean some rather nefarious means. This meant because Anakin was someone that people were unable to harm, they may try and go after his children instead, where they would be completely and totally harmless and defenseless in the face of danger.
This is the problem with having children, because they take a long time to develop physically enough to protect themselves, not to mention the mental and emotional requirements for a person to thrive.
[]
Anakin was conflicted. Not because he didn't want to have children. No, he had already decided to go through with this decision and he would not regret it.
No.
Anakin was just reminiscing his previous life and the things he was unfortunate enough to go through. While he may not properly remember the faces or places of his previous life, that didn't mean the feelings didn't exist.
He was infertile in his previous life due to certain conditions, stopping from having a family of his own. He wasn't incapable or unable to get it on, so to speak but just had very bad luck.
His body was failing him, failing him in many ways and it started when he had developed the disease at the young age of 5. He remembered not knowing what was going on, or what was happening to him at that time and he knew he probably would have died if it wasn't for his previous mother insisting and taking him to the doctors again and again.
'I mean, it may have been normal to wet ones own bed, but that doesn't mean at five where I had good bladder control, would I do so...' Anakin thought to himself.
He had gone for a few months without the doctors saying that there was something wrong. No blood tests were done and he was only taken to the hospital after it had really gotten bad. Bad enough that he needed to be hospitalized for an entire month.
This was the first instance of his previous telling him that he wasn't meant to live and the only reason he did was because of his mother. Something that he couldn't thank her enough for, but he didn't even know her name and face anymore. Instead he had Shmi and she just reignited all of those feelings from his past life, and if he didn't know any better then he would say she was the reincarnation of his previous life's mother.
Then there are things that only made things worse for the 5 year old him, which was the death of a friend. A girl the same age he was, and he was friends with had died before his proper diagnosis and she had died of cancer. Something incredibly tragic and saddening but he didn't cry because in his child like mind he would be joining her.
Of course he didn't and would go on to experience having to inject himself with needles everyday just so he could stay alive. He was a good patient.
A patient that when he started to be checked up on every three months had him becoming a favorite due to his absolute perfect numbers.
If Anakin was going to live through the pain of having an unknown disease, he believed that he should do so with utmost diligence, especially since it was his family that encouraged him to do so. So being the good son he was, he did exactly that.
Who knew that no matter what one did things could and would only get worse.
After a few years, in his previous life, Anakin would have some incidents revolving around the disease and his sometimes lack of care. Then there was the reactions of the people around him when he told them, as they didn't care all that much and treated as normal, it was fine. Of course they would treat him differently subconsciously, especially since he would not look like the strongest of people and instead was a pretty boy.
Something that he had retained in his new life as Anakin, but instead of just looking weak like he was. instead he was now looking pretty imposing.
After his years of education within the system, Anakin would then be introduced to adult life with a nice little blood test. A test that should have been done a long while ago as he was starting to lose weight and there were some other symptoms as well.
Symptoms that he was aware of and had even yet again told the doctors about. Specifically his doctors that helped him to manage his illness and they said it was fine.
Of course this was also his own fault as well, because had lied about things as well. It wasn't like he was perfect and stayed the happy little child he was.
After this blood test he was informed of his needing to change his diet and that they hadn't checked for this disease in the two years since his graduation from high school. The secondary disease and the effects it had done to him was already substantial enough that it had made him completely infertile.
In fact he could have died yet again and if they hadn't caught on just in time he would have done just that. Died.
If they had done the testing and if he had also done his due diligence, he probably would have been perfectly fine and able to still have children of his own. He wouldn't have had to deal with these aftereffects, but even then Anakin would have never had children himself.
Out of the simple principal that he would somehow pass down the disease to his future children.
That wasn't to say he didn't want a family of his own anymore, it was just something so demoralizing that it had completely floored him. Floored him so badly that he had given up on wanting a large family where he could have many children of his own. Was it not the dream of every person to someday pass on their genetics? A desire born out of necessity but also because it was something someone wanted to do, something to build and have children that one could love.
For Anakin it may not have been everything but he had bought into the idea of having a family. It was just that he would never have one
He only had his mother in his last life before she had passed away when he had graduated, but he had also only had Shmi as his mother in his new life. No father figure or a father that was there at all in both. No grandparents or other relatives he knew of.
He was completely alone.
'I dont have to worry about that now...' Anakin thought to himself as he did have a tear tun down his face, which was something Aayla had noticed.
"Ani? Are you ok?" Aayla sent through their bond love, affection and her care, concern and worry. It was something Anakin appreciated.
"I am fine. I am perfectly fine." Anakin replied as he had made sure there was no tears left on his face for Quinlan to see. It wouldn't do well for his image within the presence of others and while he didn't mind crying in the presence of his loved ones, he didn't want to do so in front of a stranger.
"Ok. As long as you are fine. I live you, Ani." Aayla said as she just hugged him tighter, trying to merge herself and their now developing child into him.
"I love you as well." Anakin replied with a heartfelt reply that was completely genuine, while the atmosphere between the two was ambiguous.
This ambiguous atmosphere lead to Quinlan feeling a bit awkward as he slowly started to remove himself from the room. It really wasn't his place to stay any longer and he should allow the two of them to have their moment.
"I'll be going now..." Vos said but was ignored as Anakin and Aayla were within their own world.