All of my stories are original works by me. While I have taken inspiration from other works of fiction, I alone came up with the ideas. As seems to be happening a lot lately, official Star Wars media contains events very similar to events in my stories. This is purely coincidental, at least on my part. I came up with these ideas before the official works were published. Please do not use any elements of my stories without my permission!
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…
Father Jedi (Ep. #1, Prod. #5, Sept. 2011)
A Jedi on two fronts! The Clone Wars continue, and the Jedi are pushed to their limits! The war has brought out both their strengths, and their weaknesses. One Jedi Knight in particular, Anakin Skywalker, is not only fighting in the Clone Wars, but is secretly fighting his own private battle.
Skywalker is now husband to Senator Padmé Amidala, bound by an illegal marriage. Should word of this relationship reach anyone, both will be dismissed from their duties.
With little time before his next battle, Skywalker returns home to be with his wife, unaware that a trap will soon be sprung….
The Senate Apartment Complex on Coruscant was a tall building with a suite on each floor exclusively for senators. Padmé Amidala, the Senator for Naboo, lived in a penthouse suite that was given to her by Chancellor Palpatine.
As Anakin Skywalker's speeder neared the docking platform he felt a certain chill that came whenever he saw this building. On one hand, he knew he would be seeing his wife soon, and they would be together – hopefully without interruption.
On the other hand, he had to keep the hood of his Jedi cloak up every time he came for fear of being recognized. If he was seen here too often, people would become suspicious of both him and Padmé. If anyone found out about their marriage, he would be expelled from his position in the Jedi Order, and Padmé would lose hers in the Senate – positions they had dreamed of since childhood.
Of course, there were a few people who knew they were good friends, but Anakin didn't trust any of them with his secret – not even his master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, or his oldest mentor, Chancellor Palpatine.
Anakin parked his speeder and walked to the elevator. Padmé lived on the topmost floor, and therefore it took longer for the elevator to get there. But when he finally arrived, he saw his wife in the sitting room.
Still wearing her senatorial dress, Padmé Amidala was arguing with her gold protocol droid, C-3PO.
"You're sure I look all right?" asked Padmé.
"Oh, of course!" exclaimed C-3PO. "You look lovely!"
"I need to appeal to the other senators if I want to win this vote."
Padmé jumped as Anakin said from behind, "I think you're the most beautiful being in the universe."
"Anakin!" She ran to embrace her husband. C-3PO left without asking. He had learned that whenever Anakin came, no one wanted him around. Once the couple had finished kissing, Padmé continued "You should have called me before coming."
"Where's the fun in that?" asked Anakin. "I like to see you surprised. And like I said, you're naturally beautiful."
"It's not that, Ani," replied Padmé. "A group of Senators has invited me to dinner tonight, so today isn't a good day for us. We can talk for a few hours, but then I have to leave."
Anakin sighed in annoyance. "Of course! There always has to be something!"
"Ani, I'm really sorry."
"This is unbelievable!" continued Anakin. "This war is tearing us away from each other! Pretty soon it'll be months or even years between our visits!"
"That's exactly what I want to talk about," interrupted Padmé. "We may not have enough time left together, so we need to decide now what we want to do in the way of child–"
"NO!" Anakin yelled, as though he didn't want to hear the word. "I keep telling you that it's impossible! This whole marriage is a long shot, but there's no way we'll be able to support a child!"
"Says the person who said our marriage would work out!" exclaimed Padmé, taken aback.
"Well, who said our marriage wouldn't work? Tell me, Padmé, who said that?"
"I was wrong then! I didn't love you when I said it, okay? In case you haven't noticed, we're managing just fine! How should raising a child be any different? I've already thought of everything, and I've planned it out. I even have a name in case it's a girl. Besides, on Naboo, it's tradition to have children as soon as possible. Also, on Alderaan, they think it's a good idea for anyone to have children in case of a tragedy in which thousands are killed!"
Anakin scoffed. "Like anything will ever destroy Alderaan."
"The point is, I've thought this over, and I think you should, too. I think you'll find you'll be a great father."
In the Jedi Temple, not far from the apartment complex, Jedi Master Yoda was overseeing a group of five Jedi Younglings in their early training. This group was less than five years old, but they were already strong with the Force.
That was why Yoda was always so fond of children. They often teach older Jedi valuable lessons. Even Yoda knew more about himself just by teaching the Younglings.
As the Jedi Grand Master, it was Yoda's responsibility to begin a Jedi's training, usually at infancy. He would teach them the basics of the Force until their mid-teen years, when they were each assigned to their own Jedi Master as Padawans.
Yoda walked through the temple with the curious Younglings following him. "Where are we going, Master?" asked one child.
"Hmmm. A surprise it shall be. One of the proudest parts of this temple, it is." He led them through a long corridor with two large, wooden doors at the end. With a wave of his hand, the doors creaked open, revealing the chamber within.
While the temple was mostly stone and carpet, the room into which he led them resembled a tropical forest. Upon seeing the room, the Younglings exclaimed in delight and ran around, exploring the room.
Yoda never got tired of the reactions of a Youngling upon seeing the Room of a Thousand Fountains for the first time. The room was several stories tall and almost half a square kilometer at its base. There were dirt and stone paths winding through the dense foliage, with bridges over the many streams. Thousands of different types of trees and flowers from all over the galaxy were scattered throughout; some had even gone extinct hundreds of years ago! The most surprising features were the walls and ceiling programmed to look like the forest and sky extended forever.
"Younglings," Yoda called, "To the Room of a Thousand Fountains, I welcome you. A place of meditation and relaxation, this is. Marvel at its beauty. Nurture its life. Let it take your consciousness."
The children were still running about the room. They had never seen such a beautiful place before. But in their excitement, they didn't sense the unwelcome person in their midst.
The leaves on one of the trees rustled, and the branches parted just enough so that the person hiding in them could see. The intruder was none other than former Jedi Youngling and now bounty hunter, Aurra Sing.
During her Padawan years, Aurra was kidnapped by pirates and trained to be a merciless assassin. She mainly went after Jedi and Senators. Now she had infiltrated the Jedi Temple with the intention of kidnapping an important Jedi and selling him to Count Dooku.
And with Master Yoda in plain sight and unsuspecting, he was the perfect target.
She carefully drew her sniper rifle, and aimed it at the Jedi's head. But just as she fired, Yoda sat down and began to meditate, and the bolt sailed right over his head, barely grazing his gray hair. Suddenly aware of the danger, he ignited his lightsaber and jumped towards the tree. Out of instinct, Aurra fell out onto the ground.
As Yoda landed a few meters in front of her, Aurra quickly pulled out two blaster pistols and fired them at the Jedi in rapid succession. But even at such a fast speed and short distance, Yoda was powerful enough to deflect each one until the ammunition ran out.
But Aurra wasn't finished yet. She smiled as she took out a thermal detonator and threw it at her quarry. Yoda used the Force to catch it and try to throw it back at Aurra. But it was too late. Instead of exploding fire, the detonator released a wave of toxic gas so powerful it knocked both of them to the ground.
Aurra was bigger and was able to stop herself from hitting the ground so hard. She climbed up her tree to escape the gas. But Yoda, being less than a meter tall, was knocked hard into the camouflaged stone wall and didn't recover in time. He was engulfed by the gas and fell unconscious.
Now all Aurra had to do was wait for the gas to subside and she would be free to take the Jedi Master to his former apprentice.
Anakin Skywalker sulked into the Jedi Temple. After their argument, Padmé Amidala had left for her dinner, and Anakin had to go back to the temple.
He was really stressed at the moment after the heat of the argument, and Obi-Wan Kenobi once said that meditation helps reduce stress. That's why Anakin had decided to go to the Room of a Thousand Fountains.
At the end of the corridor, he saw that the two wooden doors were hanging open. He sighed and muttered "Darn kids," before closing the doors behind him. When he began to walk into his favorite clearing, he saw smoke with an odd smell accompanying it. "That's odd," he remarked. Then he saw scorching holes in the leaves of the trees. Then he became suspicious. Jedi didn't carry blasters!
Anakin instinctively ignited his lightsaber and looked around. "All right, intruder! I know you're here! You can't hide!" He walked around for a while, keeping his senses open. He saw a small body lying on the ground and went to investigate.
He gasped. It was Master Yoda! But Anakin could sense he wasn't dead. That was a relief. But he didn't understand what was happening.
Then he heard the rustling of leaves and turned towards the source of the sound. There was a large bush in the corner of the room. Anakin walked up to the bush stealthily and, when he was close enough, used the Force to part the branches and reveal the source of the noise.
Five Jedi Younglings stood huddled and screaming.
Anakin shushed them. "Why do you kids have to be so loud?"
"Where is she?" whimpered a girl.
"Who?"
"The lady who killed Master Yoda!" sobbed a boy.
"First of all, Master Yoda isn't dead. He's just unconscious. And second of all, if you don't calm down soon, you will be dead."
The Younglings suddenly stopped crying and stared at Anakin fearfully. Then a girl screamed.
"I said calm down!" retorted Anakin, not realizing why she was screaming.
"Oh, I don't know if they should," said a cold, mocking voice. Anakin whirled around to face the intruder. "Anakin Skywalker. Long time, no see."
Anakin held his lightsaber aloft. "Aurra Sing!"
Padmé Amidala was glad to be out of her apartment and away from Anakin Skywalker. She didn't understand why he disliked children. What was wrong with them?
She didn't have time to ponder these questions. She had a dinner to enjoy with some of her friends from the Senate. Mon Mothma of Chandrila had called her and said the Senate was expected to make more cuts to fund the war effort. Padmé said she would be glad to hear what her concerns were.
After a delicious meal, Mon Mothma began to speak. "I've called you here tonight because some serious cuts have been brought to my attention. They are supposed to fund the war effort at minimal cost to the public."
"What kind of cuts are they?" asked Bail Organa of Alderaan.
"To be brief, all children in the Republic, and any children who will be born in the Republic in the near future, are now at risk."
Padmé's heart skipped a beat. "What! What are they thinking? We can't put off innocent children just so we can pay for more troops!"
"That's precisely the point," continued Mon. "No one is interested in the good of our children. They believe the children are too much trouble to deal with in war time."
"What's wrong with children?" asked Bail. "My wife Breha and I have been talking about adopting a baby girl for months."
Chi Eekway Papanoida of Pantora laughed. "You think children are great before you have them. But you need to spend a lot of time with them before you make any conclusions. Children may be cute, but for the first few years of their lives they are helpless pets pestering you for attention every time they see you! With all the extra work you've been doing, Senator, you won't have any time for a child."
Padmé's mouth hung open. Was Chi Eekway right? What if she and Anakin went and had a baby and didn't have the time or energy to take care of it?
"Yes," agreed Mon to Padmé and Bail's surprise. "Children are also very expensive. Just to pay for food, clothing, schooling, and other needs would take half our salaries alone."
Padmé was again caught off-guard. Anakin didn't get paid much for being a Jedi, as they don't usually have families to support. So with Padmé being the only parent who makes money, could they afford to have a baby?
As the Senators discussed the other cuts being made, Padmé went through her plan in her head, trying to fix the spots she just thought of. She couldn't think of any way it would work! Was Anakin right?
Aurra Sing quickly drew her blaster pistols and began firing at the newcomer Jedi. Anakin Skywalker used his lightsaber to deflect as many bolts as he could while still protecting the Younglings. One bolt hit Anakin on his right forearm. Aurra laughed triumphantly, misjudging Anakin's sense of pain in his cybernetic arm.
Anakin took this opportunity to grab Aurra with the Force and throw her against the wall. While she recovered from the blow, Anakin jumped and lunged at her, bringing down his lightsaber. But Aurra took out one of her stolen lightsabers and blocked the blow. Then she kicked out at Anakin, stunning him, thus giving her time to climb up a tree and into a vent.
When Anakin was sure Aurra was gone, he turned to the Younglings and said "Listen to me. You need to stay here until I catch her."
"But we don't want to be alone!" whined a boy.
Anakin sighed. "Do you even understand? If you just go out into the open, she'll kill you all. If you stay here, you won't be in any risk. So stay here. Stay." Anakin turned to leave but the Younglings instantly began to cry again. "Oh! And Padmé actually likes kids?"
"Don't leave us here!" cried a girl.
Anakin sighed in defeat. "All right, listen to me. I'll take you to the Jedi Council Chamber and send someone to watch over you. I don't have time for babysitting."
The children, still shaking, nodded their heads.
"Come on."
So Anakin left the room, five children at his heels.
Anakin was utterly annoyed by the children he was accompanying. They were constantly whispering to each other, relaying their fears. And whenever they quieted down, Anakin reached out with the Force to find Aurra, only to lose his concentration when the Younglings began to talk again.
Finally, he whirled around and yelled "How can I sense where Aurra is when you keep saying the exact same thing every other second!" When one of the girls shrieked in fear, Anakin shook his head. "It's just me. Do you see anyone else?"
When no one responded, Anakin said "Good. Now the lift to the Council Chamber is at the end of that hall over there. As soon as I find someone, I'll send them up to protect you."
He began to walk away when a boy asked "Can you at least come with us to make sure we get there…?"
"I've already done more than I bargained for! You would do well to obey your elders!"
After a moment's hesitation, the boy bowed. "Yes, Master Skywalker." He then led the rest of the Younglings down the hall.
With the Younglings gone at last, Anakin felt like he could jump for joy and sing. Now he was anxious to go back to Padmé and tell her how bad her idea was, and how he was right about children.
But for now he had to find Aurra. Without the Younglings' constant chatter, he could use the Force without being interrupted. So he reached out with his senses and searched for Aurra. After a minute, he finally found her…
…in the Jedi Council Chamber!
He gasped. He had just sent innocent children to their deaths! Now he didn't want to explain this to Padmé. In fact, if the Jedi Council found out he was responsible, he would be in a lot of trouble!
He couldn't let that happen. He ran as fast as he could after the Younglings, yelling for them to stop. But they didn't answer him, so either they were ignoring him, or they were already on the lift and ascending to their deaths. When Anakin reached the lift he jabbed at the button until the door opened and he rushed inside.
As the lift rose, he tried to use the Force to make it go faster. Next to that, he could only hope he wasn't too late.
Padmé Amidala couldn't stop thinking about what Chi Eekway Papanoida had said about children. If she was right, was Anakin right, too? Padmé had to find out. So after dinner, when the Senators could socialize, she pulled Chi Eekway aside.
"Senator, I wanted to ask you…" she began, but Chi Eekway interrupted.
"You want to know why I complained about children earlier."
"Well, yes," replied Padmé. "Do you actually have children?"
"Oh, no! No, I don't have any for myself, but I used to work at a school on Pantora."
"You were a teacher?"
"Of sorts. I met all kinds of children from all different kinds of families. On top of the budget problems we constantly faced, each child had their own problems. Some were mild, some were severe. Once, I knew a child whose parents worked all day, so he never got to spend time with them. He was very sweet and gentle at first, but then he began lashing out at students and teachers just for attention until both parents quit their jobs so they could be with him. They lost all their money and were forced to put the child up for adoption. No one has heard of him or his parents since."
While Chi Eekway paused to catch her breath, Padmé contemplated what she had just heard. She and Anakin both worked all day, just like these two parents, and if they lost their jobs they wouldn't have any money, and they would probably be forced to sell C-3PO. If they had a child, would he or she end up the same way?
"I know you love children, Senator," continued Chi Eekway, "And you have every reason to. But know this; once you have your child, there's no going back. You will be forced to live with your decision. Forever."
The lift carrying the Younglings slowed and stopped at the top of the Jedi Temple's southeast spire. They came to an antechamber outside the High Council Chamber. The Council Chamber itself was surrounded by wide, glass windows that overlooked the Coruscant landscape, and had twelve large chairs arranged in a circle. But the ceiling was high enough for anyone to not notice anything sticking to it.
The Younglings walked into the room and looked around. They hadn't been to the Council Chamber before, and they wanted to explore. One of the girls looked up at the ceiling to admire its height, but saw something instead that made her scream. The other children looked up and saw Aurra Sing clinging to the top of one of the stone pillars.
She let go and landed on the floor. She stood at full height and laughed down at the Younglings. "Aren't you a little short to be Jedi?" She laughed again and pulled out her sniper rifle. She cocked it and pointed it at the nearest boy.
All of the Younglings were frozen with fear. If only Master Skywalker had come with them.
Suddenly, Aurra's blaster flew out of her hand and a bolt shattered the window. Before the bounty hunter could react, she was lifted into the air and clutched at her throat, trying to pry away whatever was choking her.
She was able to force her head around to see Anakin Skywalker standing in the doorway of the chamber, his right hand balled into a fist. Aurra, with her remaining strength, pulled out one of her pistols and fired it at Anakin, who was forced to drop her so he could dodge the blaster bolt.
Aurra lay on the floor, gasping for breath, expecting Anakin to strike her from behind. But, to her surprise, Anakin instead leapt into the air and landed between her and the children. He was actually trying to defend them rather than face her. She took out a thermal detonator and threw it at the Jedi.
But Anakin was prepared and used the Force to throw the grenade out the window before it could explode, but not before Aurra escaped down the lift.
With the danger over, Anakin turned to the Younglings and knelt down to their level. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone. But I promise that from now on, I will not let you out of my sight. Can you forgive me?"
The boy who had led the Younglings to the chamber stepped forward. "We're sorry if we were disrespectful to you, Master Skywalker. We promise to obey you from now on."
Anakin smiled. "Thanks, uh…"
"I'm Luke," replied the boy.
Anakin chuckled. "Luke? What kind of a name…? Never mind. It's nice to meet you, Luke." He held out his hand and the boy shook it.
One of the girls interrupted. "Who was that woman, Master?"
"She's Aurra Sing. She used to be a Jedi Youngling, just like you, but she was kidnapped by pirates and became a bounty hunter and assassin."
"What are we going to do about her?"
Anakin sighed. "We must be patient. For now, we're all going to stay here." Then he took out his comlink and spoke into it. "This is Anakin Skywalker. Are there any Jedi in the Temple? Please, respond."
Jedi Master Plo Koon was a wise and venerable member of the Jedi Council. Being a Kel Dor, he had wrinkled, peach-colored skin and wore an antiox breath mask and goggles to protect him from carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and oxygen, all of which were poisonous to Kel Dors. Plo had a strong sense of justice, but he was a skilled warrior as well. He also possessed unique knowledge of the Force that allowed him to alter the physical environment around him.
He was in the Jedi Temple communications center studying the movements of the many Separatist fleets. There was a strange pattern; it looked as though they were dividing themselves and spreading into all sectors of the Outer Rim. What to make of that, he did not know.
His comlink beeped and relayed a voice. "This is Anakin Skywalker. Are there any Jedi in the Temple? Please, respond."
Plo took out the comlink and answered "Skywalker, this is Master Plo Koon. Is there a problem?"
"Yes," replied Anakin. "A big one. The bounty hunter Aurra Sing has infiltrated the Temple. She attacked Master Yoda in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, and a group of Younglings in the Council Chamber."
Plo was surprised. He knew it was possible to infiltrate the temple, but without detection? "Where are you now?"
"I'm in the Council Chamber with the Younglings. I'm staying here to protect them. You need to help us capture Aurra."
"I'm on my way. Protect the Younglings."
Plo turned off the holoprojector and ran to find Master Yoda. When he reached the Room of a Thousand Fountains, he walked cautiously. It was possible Aurra had left some traps should Yoda attempt to leave the room, though he couldn't sense any.
He finally found Yoda in the clearing where the Master was attacked. He was beginning to come back into consciousness.
When he saw his fellow Jedi, Yoda addressed him. "Master Plo, good, it is, to see you."
"Likewise, Master Yoda. Are you all right?"
"Shaken, but not broken. A reckless assassin, Aurra is, but dangerous, nonetheless."
"She attacked your Younglings, but they are being taken care of by Skywalker," added Plo as Yoda looked around.
"Hmmm. A relief, that is. In Skywalker's hands is the future of the Jedi Order. Protect them he must. Find Aurra, we will."
Bail Organa approached Padmé Amidala later after dinner. "Padmé, I know how you feel, but don't take what Senator Papanoida said seriously. I actually find joy in children, even if they do cause trouble."
"Thank you, Bail," she replied. "But that doesn't make me feel any better."
"Have you ever had experiences with children?"
Padmé was surprised by his question. "Why, actually, I do. My sister Sola has two adorable little girls. Whenever I get the chance to see them, they run at me and hug me as hard as they can, and they always have these little homemade gifts for me." Then she laughed as she remembered. "Once, the youngest, Pooja, tried to cook for me. The food was terrible! But when I took the first bite out of each course, she smiled so wide, I had to tell her it was delicious. Then she asked if I wanted seconds, and I said I couldn't eat another bite. But that evening while she was taking a nap, we all snuck out on her and went to a professional restaurant, where I finished four courses in less than half an hour!"
Both Senators laughed. When they had finished, Padmé said "I guess I've been so jealous of Sola that I've become obsessed with children. When I think about it, children are more of a reward than a hassle."
Bail smiled. "Then you have nothing to be afraid of. You just need to get up in the morning, hold your ground through the day, and remember your reward in the end."
"That's good advice, Bail. I'll keep that in mind. Tell Breha that I wish her the best of luck. I owe you both more than I have."
Anakin Skywalker sat in the Jedi Council Chamber, trying to keep his senses open in case Aurra Sing threatened him or the Younglings in the room. The Younglings were talking to each other again, but they weren't so scared now that there was a Jedi Knight protecting them.
The other Younglings seemed to look up to the boy called Luke. When asked why he had such an unusual name, he replied:
"I was named after my grandfather. Overnight, he became a war hero, and freed his people from oppression. My parents must have thought I would become a hero if I had his name. Everyone on my home planet thinks a Jedi named Luke would be the end of evil."
Anakin thought Luke's story was interesting, but he didn't think a person's name shaped their identity. And yet, he already seemed like a leader. The Younglings respected him, looked to him for guidance, and he was the bravest of all of them.
"What are you doing, Master Skywalker?" asked one of the Younglings.
"I'm trying to sense for Aurra in case she comes back. You don't need to worry. We're safe here."
Plo Koon and Yoda had ordered that the Jedi Temple be placed on lockdown. They didn't want Aurra Sing to escape – or call in reinforcements. They had also found other Jedi and warned them of the situation. If Aurra was still in the temple, they would find her.
But they didn't know that Aurra had hidden several thermal detonators full of toxic gas in strategic locations throughout the temple. They were in the communications center, the command spire, the Archive library, the various meditation rooms, and in the main hallways. She had also placed one in the Jedi Council Chamber before her escape from Anakin Skywalker.
In a few moments, they would all go off simultaneously, and all of the Jedi in those rooms would be unconscious and vulnerable.
Anakin Skywalker didn't sense Aurra anywhere, but he could sense that the Younglings were worried and sad. At first, Anakin wanted to say that everything was fine, but he thought better of it, figuring it wouldn't help. He decided he would try to cheer them up. As a matter of fact, he did have an idea to entertain them.
"Younglings, can you show me your training lightsabers?" he asked. The Younglings were confused. What would he want with their weapons? They might need them later. "It's all right," he assured them, "Aurra's gone, and I'm not going to pull any tricks on you."
After a second's hesitation, Luke presented his training lightsaber, which was smaller and much less lethal. The other children followed suit and held out their own lightsabers. To their astonishment, the cylinders flew from their grip to hover over Anakin. Then, one at a time, he let them drop into his hands, and immediately tossed them up again to catch another saber.
At first the Younglings stared in awe as he juggled the five weapons, then they began to laugh and cheer as Anakin juggled the sabers under one leg, using one hand, and while balancing on one of them. Finally, he lost his balance and crashed to the ground, scattering the lightsabers throughout the chamber. Despite themselves, the Younglings continued to laugh.
Anakin stood up and brushed himself off. Then he walked around the chamber, picking up the lightsabers. He crouched down behind one chair to pick up the last one, but then he noticed something else. It was a small, spherical device, and it was beeping softly while blinking a red light. When the beeping quickened, he jumped up.
"Bomb!" He used the Force to push all of the Younglings out the doors and ran to open the lift door, even though he hadn't called for it. "Hold on!"
He grabbed the Younglings and jumped down the shaft just as the thermal detonator exploded in the chamber above.
Plo Koon was walking down the hallway when Aurra Sing's thermal detonators went off. There was a sickening moment in which he was surrounded by blinding smoke and a deafening explosion. And then it was over.
Plo wasn't sure if he was alive or dead. But when he saw the stone pillars of the Jedi Temple beyond the strange-looking smoke, he realized that the detonators had been loaded with toxic gas instead of explosives. He was not affected by this gas, but Aurra may have set off bombs in other locations in addition to the hallway, and many other Jedi may have fallen into her trap.
He knew he had to find her, and that the gas prevented her from going anywhere. She had fallen into her own trap. His search was now limited to the areas clear of smoke.
The Younglings screamed the whole way down the lift shaft with their arms and legs outstretched. They were afraid of crashing to the ground and dying. But Anakin Skywalker knew better than that, for he was a Jedi. He straightened his body and held his arms to his side and his legs locked together, thus giving him the appearance of a diver. He began to fall faster than the Younglings because he now had less air resistance.
By the time he saw the bottom of the shaft, he was now several meters ahead of the Younglings. When he was mere meters from hitting the ground, he used the Force to cushion his fall, and when he landed he used the Force to slow the Younglings and set them safely on the ground.
They were still shaken from the fall, but Anakin joked "If you liked this, you'll have a lot of fun jumping off of starships. Only that's later in your training. Sorry."
"That's good," breathed Luke. "Thanks for saving us."
"No problem!" replied Anakin. "Except that the Council Chamber isn't safe anymore. So we're going to have to find another place to hide."
Anakin jumped to the next floor of the Jedi Temple, and used the Force to help the Younglings up. When they got to the main hallway, they saw that it was shrouded in smoke, meaning Aurra must have put thermal detonators in other places.
Anakin activated his comlink and called Plo Koon to make sure he was safe. "Master Plo, are you all right? Come in."
Plo's voice responded "Yes, I'm fine. Thankfully, my mask protects me from the gas. Are you and the Younglings still in the Council Chamber?"
"No," replied Anakin. "There was a bomb up there, too, so I had to get everyone out. But we're all fine. We're going to find another place to hide."
"Could we hide in the library?" asked Luke.
"No, I think Aurra may have set a bomb there."
"Wait!" exclaimed Plo. "The safest places in the Temple are the archive vaults in the library!"
"Of course!" Anakin gave Luke an impressed look. "Only Jedi Masters have access to the vaults. That sounds like a perfect place to hide, but we'll need your help to get in."
"I'm on my way. Be careful."
As Padmé Amidala was walking through the halls of the Senate Office Building, going to her speeder, she overheard loud and angry voices coming from one of the offices.
"You think you're so powerful because you have access to so much money!" Padmé recognized the voice of Lot Dodd, Neimoidian senator for the Trade Federation.
"If we're going to pass this bill, you need to realize the Senate is only borrowing money." This time it was Nix Card of the Banking Clan from Muunilist.
"I believe you boys are forgetting that I'm the one providing the Republic with the clones." said Halle Burtoni of Kamino.
Padmé rolled her eyes. This particular group of Senators was quite a nuisance to her causes. The Trade Federation, Banking Clan, and Kamino were the three main organizations who profited from the war. The clone troopers were bred on Kamino, and the warships and weapons they used were manufactured by the Trade Federation, who also supplied the Separatists with most of their army. And to pay these expenses, both sides had to borrow money from the Intergalactic Banking Clan.
All three organizations were neutral in the war, but they often sabotaged both sides so they would continue fighting – and paying. All of Padmé's anti-war legislations were greatly opposed by these three Senators, and she greatly opposed their pro-war legislations.
"All I'm saying" continued Lot Dodd "is that the Senate may not like the idea of bringing their children into this mess."
Padmé was surprised and angry at the same time. They were behind this bill!
"The Senate doesn't care about children, Lot," replied Nix Card. "We've already convinced them to cut back on public works."
"Besides," interrupted Halle Burtoni, "do we really need to spend so much money on education, childcare, and insurance?" she laughed. "Dear me, no!"
"It sounds as though you don't want this bill to pass."
"Of course, I do!" exclaimed Lot. "If this bill passes, the Republic will save so much money it can pay off its debt to you, Senator Card, and still have money left over for ourselves!"
"And the people will be so frightened, they won't have any more children and perhaps even leave the Republic, thus lowering the population and saving even more money!"
"It will take time," said Halle, "but as long as the war continues, we will be the wealthiest beings in the galaxy, and Senator Amidala and her insignificant little band will never be able to show their faces in the Republic ever again!"
Now Padmé was once more afraid of having children. The average families would be ruined, but the family of a Senator and a Jedi? She couldn't even comprehend what could happen. She had to defeat this bill. She had to, for the sakes of herself, Anakin Skywalker, and their children.
Anakin Skywalker and the Younglings walked to the Archive library as fast as they could. Anakin had to use the Force to push smoke out of their way every few seconds, and he wouldn't lead the children single file, for fear of Aurra popping up and attacking them, so the path had to be wider. But they made it without any encounters with Aurra Sing.
Plo Koon arrived at the same time to let them into a vault. "Did you find Aurra?" he asked.
Anakin shook his head. "No. Did you?"
"She's close. We must be cautious." He waved his hand in front of the lock, which rotated and opened the door.
As soon as the door opened, everyone was frightened to see Aurra standing on the other side, sniper rifle in hand. And before anyone could react, she fired a red bolt…
…which burned right through Luke's chest!
The next few seconds seemed to slow down to Anakin. He remembered screaming "No!" and catching Luke as he fell over. The other Younglings began crying watching their friend in pain. Luke breathed heavily and stared at Anakin for a few seconds, then his head lolled backward and his unseeing eyes stared at the ceiling.
Anakin was struck dumb. How could he have been so careless? He should have told the Younglings to stay on either side of the door until he knew it was safe. And now Luke was dead, and it was his fault.
Then his grief turned to anger as he turned to Aurra and stood up. As she fired another shot, Anakin whipped out his lightsaber and deflected the bolt back at Aurra which she ducked to avoid. While she was crouched, Anakin sliced through the barrel of her rifle and used the Force to push her against a bookshelf.
As books rained down on her, Anakin and Plo both advanced on her with their weapons in hand. "You're going to pay for that, bounty hunter!" growled Anakin.
"Surrender!" ordered Plo.
Aurra, however, merely laughed. "Are you kidding? This is the perfect time to use these." She pulled out two of the lightsabers she had stolen from her Jedi victims and ignited them.
Aurra rushed at her opponents with both lightsabers held over her head, then brought them down on the Jedi's blades. Anakin jumped backward and twirled around as he swung at Aurra. She blocked the swing with both lightsabers and then swung one of them behind her back at Plo, who ducked and stabbed at Aurra, forcing her to jump backwards.
Then Anakin advanced on her himself, driving her backwards as she blocked his attacks with one lightsaber, and attacking with the other. Then she kicked Anakin in the head, knocking his lightsaber out of his hand as he fell over.
But Plo caught the lightsaber so he could fight Aurra's two with two. They both swung with both their blades in opposite places, and blocked each swing with ease.
When all of their blades were locked against each other, Aurra laughed. "Do you really think you can defeat me, Jedi?"
"You're Jedi lightsaber training served you well," replied Plo. "But being able to use a blade does not matter if you do not know the rules."
Aurra sneered and rushed at Plo. But behind her, Anakin stood up and used the Force to knock her off-balance. The bounty hunter tripped and fell. While she was collecting herself, Anakin used the Force to take her lightsabers.
Aurra found herself cornered by two Jedi with four lightsabers in front of her only exit. She was trapped!
"It's over, Aurra," said Anakin. "You're under arrest."
Aurra thought for a second and smiled. "Oh, I'm not finished yet." The Jedi couldn't see, but she was holding another thermal detonator behind her back. Then she quickly rolled it at the Jedi.
But to her surprise, the bomb wasn't there! She looked around desperately for it, and when she turned around, she saw Master Yoda holding it with the Force, mere centimeters in front of her. Before she could react, it exploded.
Aurra was consumed by smoke and everyone heard her coughing, and then suddenly falling quiet. Yoda used the Force to part the smoke and reveal Aurra's unconscious body.
Anakin sighed in relief. "Thank you, Master Yoda. But how did you get here?"
"Followed her through the vents, I did. Fought well, you have. And the Younglings, safe, they are?"
To answer his question, the four Younglings walked in; still shaken from the fright they received. Then Anakin remembered, and went to pick up Luke's body. He kneeled down in front of Yoda so he could see. "It's my fault. I wasn't careful enough. I should have been quicker."
Yoda shook his head. "Hmmm. You're fault, it was not. Saved the other Younglings, you have, and protected them. Mourn Luke, you may, but know this: proven yourself to be a true Jedi, you have today."
Anakin thought about what Padmé had said about him being a great father. He was able to save the Younglings – mostly – and he had grown to care for them, and he abandoned a battle to protect them. Perhaps she was right! "I actually have to be somewhere else right now."
"We will take care of Aurra," assured Plo. "You have done the Jedi Order a great service."
The four Younglings stepped forward and bowed. "May the Force be with you, Master Skywalker."
Anakin smiled at them and bowed back. "May the Force be with you, Younglings."
With that, Anakin walked away proud and tall.
Padmé returned to her apartment late that night. She had had a long day and needed rest. She went into her closet and changed into her nightgown. She knew Anakin would be back soon and she didn't think now was the best time for an argument.
Just as she settled into bed, Anakin came into the bedroom. Padmé hoped he would think she was asleep. But when he exclaimed "Padmé!" she groaned and got up, ready to hear what he had to say. "I went to the Temple to meditate and… well, it's a long story. But I realized, maybe I could be a good father."
Padmé sighed. "Actually, Anakin, I've come to realize that having children will be more trouble than I thought, and the outcome of their lives depends on us. But that doesn't mean it can't be fun."
Anakin laughed. "Well, what do you know? We both come home with each other's opinion!"
Padmé smiled in disbelief. "Are you saying you do want to have children after all?"
Anakin smiled in embarrassment and said "Yeah. I really do." He and Padmé held each other in their arms. "By the way," put in Anakin, "what was that girl's name you were thinking about?"
"Leia. It's such a beautiful name. I hope she will grow up to be kind and beautiful as well."
"I actually have a boy's name in mind. It's a name that will make him a hero."
"What is it?"
"Luke. Luke Skywalker."