**Chapter 802: Broken Chains**
**Scene 1: Coruscant – Naboo Senatorial Apartments**
**Anakin POV**
Three days had passed since the conversation with Dagon. Three days of watching the Supreme Commander's fleet depart for the next phase of the war. Three days of watching his own 501st prepare to follow.
Year 3, Month 1, Week 3.
Anakin Skywalker stood in Padmé Amidala's private apartments, the weight of his decision pressing down on him like gravity. He had given her enough time. No more hiding. It was time to face the truth of their relationship.
Padmé entered from the balcony, surprised but pleased to see him.
"Oh Anakin, you're here. Interesting. I suppose now that the Senate has cooled down… still no reports on the Chancellor. He is still on his mission," Padmé said.
Anakin raised his hand, cutting her off gently but firmly. "No talk right now. Please listen to what I have to say."
Padmé frowned but nodded, sitting down on the elegant couch across from him.
"As you know, it's been two months since I was transferred back to Coruscant. And as you know, to protect your status as a senator, you are allowed visits to the Temple so our relationship can grow… but lately there… This marriage is not a marriage, Padmé, if there isn't any trust," Anakin said, his voice steady despite the ache in his chest.
"We said at the beginning that this could be a terrible mistake," Padmé replied quietly.
"What exactly are you saying?" Anakin asked.
"That other people who are married have everything that we don't… everything that we won't. We live in secret, Anakin."
Anakin took a deep breath, forcing himself to continue. "And we could stop this. You could join me at the Temple. We could have a nice home back on Naboo — training younglings, starting a family."
He smiled hopefully, imagining a future without secrecy. But Padmé's expression remained concerned, almost pained.
"Look, as a member of the High Council it would greatly benefit Naboo. No more politics, no more worries — just us and peace," Anakin continued, voice growing more passionate.
"Anakin, I am not leaving the Senate. No matter what you say. No matter what happens. I believe in the people. This Republic. My allegiance is to democracy — no matter how that Dragon will try and twist it," Padmé said firmly.
"Hey, don't bring Master Dagon into this," Anakin replied, a flash of anger crossing his face. "Plus, I understand you sent people from Naboo to liberate slaves from Tatooine — the same thing Dagon will do, and is currently doing across the galaxy."
"He is taking too much power," Padmé complained. "Look what happened to Raxus. The CIS Council has either been killed or imprisoned and no one is allowed to see them."
"Give me your answer, Padmé. I need to know if this relationship will continue with me or the Senate," Anakin asked, his voice low and final.
"You already know the answer," Padmé said, her voice turning cold. "I suppose you have the paperwork?"
Anakin nodded silently, pulling the divorce documents from his robes. His hand trembled slightly as he handed them to her.
**Scene 2: The End of a Secret**
Padmé stared at the documents for a long moment. The weight of years of secrecy, stolen moments, and hidden love hung between them like a blade.
"I never wanted it to end like this," she whispered, voice cracking.
"Neither did I," Anakin replied, his own voice thick with emotion. "But I can't keep living in the shadows. Not anymore. Dagon showed me that attachments aren't the problem — hiding them is. The Jedi have changed. The Republic… maybe it needs to change too. But I can't keep pretending this is enough for either of us."
Padmé signed the documents with a steady hand, though tears glistened in her eyes. She handed them back without another word.
Anakin took them, feeling a strange mix of grief and relief wash over him. The golden ring on his finger suddenly felt heavier than ever.
"I'll always love you, Padmé," he said quietly. "But I need to find out who I am without the secrecy. Without the fear."
Padmé stood, turning away toward the balcony. "Then go. Be the hero the galaxy needs. I'll continue fighting for the Republic in the Senate… even if it means standing against some of the changes Dagon is bringing."
Anakin lingered for a moment longer, then turned and left the apartment. The door hissed shut behind him with a finality that echoed in his chest.
The Chosen One walked the corridors of Coruscant alone for the first time in years — no secret wife, no hidden marriage, no more lies.
Only the future, uncertain and bright.
**Scene 3: Jedi Temple – Gardens**
**Anakin POV**
Anakin walked the quiet paths of the Temple gardens, mind racing. Padmé's face kept flashing in his thoughts — her smile on Naboo, her comfort after Tatooine, their secret wedding. But so did the long nights alone, the missions that kept him away, the secrecy that had once felt exciting but now felt like chains.
Dagon's words echoed: *She became a symbol of freedom and stability — like your mother.*
Was that all she had been?
Anakin stopped near a blooming lotus pond. For the first time in years, he allowed himself to truly question everything.
Maybe it was time to find out who he was without the weight of destiny, without the secrecy, without the constant fear of losing what he loved.
He activated his comm.
"Master… I did it."
Dagon's voice came back calm and steady. "How do you feel?"
"Empty. Free. Both," Anakin admitted. "I don't know what comes next."
"You find out who you are without the chains," Dagon replied. "The Order is changing. The galaxy is changing. You have a place here — if you want it."
Anakin looked out at the endless lights of Coruscant. For the first time in a long while, the future didn't feel like a trap.
"Thank you, Master," he said quietly.
The Dragon of the Republic stood beside the Chosen One in spirit as the night deepened. Two very different men, bound by the same war, walking uncertain paths toward an unknown tomorrow.