A New Book Sheds Light On A Time Gap From 'Attack of the Clones' Ending
The conclusion of Attack of the Clones wasn't exactly uplifting—in fact, it was downright ominous. First, the Senate approved the creation of the Grand Army of the Republic to fight in the upcoming war, a mysterious Sith Lord hides in the shadows, the Jedi Council senses their ability to use the Force is clouded by the dark side, and Chancellor Palpatine is in control of a fragile Republic. Then, amid this chaos, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker weds the Senator from Naboo, Padme Amidala, in a secret ceremony.
But what happens after the Battle of Geonosis and before their wedding on Naboo? The galaxy is on the brink of a war that will affect billions; however, two figures stand alone amongst the chaos. It's easy to miss, but there is a time gap between these two significant events. E.K. Johnston's upcoming book, Queen's Hope, spotlights Anakin and Padme's last adventure before their fateful and doomed marriage.
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Author E.K. Johnston began her Amidala series with Queen's Shadow (2019), which told the story of Padme's transition from Queen to Senator. Queen's Peril (2020) was a prequel to Queen's Shadow and told the story of Padme's election to Queen. Parts of Queen's Peril overlapped with Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Queen's Hope (2022) mainly occurs between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, exploring how Padme dealt with her senatorial position and her recent, secret marriage to Anakin Skywalker.
In a new excerpt, found here, Padme and Anakin are back on Naboo enjoying some downtime together. Padme is taking a refreshing dip in a cool Naboo lake at sunrise, while Anakin pays his respects at a monument built in honor of Qui-Gon Jinn. While reading the excerpt, I couldn't help but think of what could have been. In the scene, Star Wars' star-crossed lovers are utterly content. What if Anakin had confessed to Obi-Wan about his marriage? Or chose not to rescue his mother and murder the Tuskens? Would Padme and Anakin be able to live happily ever after? No, of course not, that's not how tragedy works. But it's a nice thought.
Padme notices a small craft approaching the lake and sees Queen Jamillia is coming for a visit. The current Queen asks Padme to help rescue five members of the Torada Collective, a small group of young Naboo artists, who are stuck behind enemy lines. Padme agrees and recruits Anakin to help. All in time to be back for the ceremony. No problem!
Meanwhile, Anakin is still getting used to his new right arm. Always mechanically inclined, Anakin is already looking to make modifications, repairs, and upgrades, a trait that began when he was a small boy on Tatooine and continued through to his time as Vader. Later in volume three of the Darth Vader comic book, we see Vader making repairs to his armor time and again.
Another interesting moment from the excerpt is when the idea of marriage first pops into Anakin's head. While in Cliegg Lars' kitchen with Beru and Owen, Anakin admires the connection between the two, which has nothing to do with the Force. Wordless exchanges but complete understanding, an attachment Anakin was forbidden from ever having. Possibly reinforcing the resentment he felt for the Jedi Council. And how they spoke of Shmi like she was still there. How must that have made Anakin feel? Sad? Proud? One has to wonder if Anakin, as the Chosen One, should have lived an ordinary life, free from expectation and temptation.
Despite being the title character, Padme now finds herself as a smaller piece in a larger puzzle. But as Johnston says, Padme will never stop trying to make the galaxy better for everyone else. Queen's Hope hits bookstores (those still exist, right?) on April 5, 2022.
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Source(s): StarWars.com, Screen Rant