Four years later…
Anakin awoke in a cold sweat. His breathing heavy he sat up in bed. Sensing her husband's nightmare Padm'e sat up in bed. "You had another nightmare again didn't you?"
"I can't get it out of my head Padm'e."
"You can't get what out of your head Ani?"
"What he said."
"Palpatine?" Anakin nodded.
"Why do you let it bother you so much?"
"His last words were that he would return. And then he'll come after me."
"Is that what you're afraid of him coming after you?"
"No of course not. I'm afraid that if he comes after me that he'll hurt you or the children and I could not live with myself if something bad were to happen to any of you all because I was too power hungry to resist him and his evil ways."
"Let's not think of what tomorrow may bring. Let's concentrate on the here and now we'll deal with it when and if it happens."
"But—"
"No buts. Let the future bring what it will. Live each day as if it were a lifetime and be happy." She took Anakin into her arms. After a moment of wrapping himself in her loving embrace he left the comfort of her arms. Before she could ask why he put a hand under her chin and gave her a slow, deep passionate kiss that seemed to last an all-to-brief eternity. "Mmm… you should have nightmares more often", she said after their lips parted. As if in reply Anakin lightly kissed her neck making her shiver. His hands moving down to her waist Anakin unable to hold back his passion any longer started to remove her nightgown and before either knew what was happening they were making love.
The next day…Padm'e snuggled closer to the warmth beside her sleepily. Feeling something around her waist she opened her eyes. At first everything was a haze. As her vision cleared however, she was able to distinguish Anakin sleeping peacefully next to her. Careful not to wake him she gently kissed his cheek. His eyes fluttered open suddenly. "Good morning angel", he murmured sleepily.
"Good morning handsome." Anakin laughed.
"Another night like that angel and I'll be in the hospital for a month." Padm'e leaned over to kiss Anakin but stopped when she heard noise coming from the next room. "The children are up", she said with a sigh. Anakin groaned.
"Oh man!" Padm'e waved a finger at him teasingly.
"Now Anakin!"
"I'm going, I'm going." Anakin got up from the bed and turned to leave when Padm'e began to laugh. "What?"
"Anakin aren't you forgetting something?"
"Huh?" Padm'e pointed down trying desperately to keep the laughing at bay. Anakin looked down. It wasn't until now that Anakin realized that he was naked. "Oh no!"
When they finally came down stairs everything was quiet. "Where are they", she asked? "I'm sure they're around here somewhere."
"Well just don't stand there help me find them!" Splitting up into different directions they seared the whole house but yet they still couldn't find them anywhere. Suddenly Anakin heard the sound of Padm'e's scream coming from the children's room. "Padm'e?"
"Anakin!"
"Padm'e what's wrong?" Anakin came into the children's room and found Padm'e at the foot of Leia's bed frozen in shock. "Padm'e what happened?"
"They're gone."
"Gone? What do you mean gone?" Turning Padm'e handed him a small holorecorder she found on Leia's bed. Anakin took the small device from his wife's trembling hands. Anakin went to activate it but hesitated. "Are you sure you want me to play this?" She took a deep breath. "No, but it's the only way to find out what happened to our children." Anakin nodded and activated the holorecorder. A moment later the holorecorder flickered to life and to their horror the image that was staring back at them was Anakin's own refection. Anakin and Padm'e exchanged uneasy looks. Then the hologram began to speak. " I have taken your children prisoners and if you ever want to see them alive again you'll follow my instructions. You will meet me alone and unarmed on the planet of Korriban. Wait for my farther instructions." And as mysteriously as it had appeared the image vanished. They sat in stunned silence for a moment; neither of them so much as bats an eyelash. A moment later Padm'e spoke in a soft whisper that Anakin had to strain to hear. "What do we do now?"
"The only thing we can do ask the council for help."
Yoda wore a grave expression as he listened intently to the message that was left by the children's kidnapper. Finally the message ended and Anakin deactivated the recorder. "Strange and disturbing this message is. Only answers you will find if go to the source you do."
"The source?"
"If go back into the past you do find the answers you seek you will."
"How?"
"To unlock memories berried or hidden have been. But an easy task this is not. For this two Jedi you will need. Only then find the answers you seek can you."
"Will you help me Master Yoda?"
"Help you I cannot. For this someone closer to you in the force you will need. Someone like Master Kenobi."
"When do we start?"
"When prepared you both are. Call Obi-Wan I will and tell him that his help you need."
Anakin bowed. "Thank you master." He turned to leave but then turned around again. "Master, what about what the kidnapper said about meeting him on Korriban?"
"Until find out the identity of the kidnapper we do go to Korriban you will not. Shrouded in the dark side Korriban is and if make a hasty move we do your children's lives in danger will be."
Obi-Wan Kenobi had just returned from a border dispute on the planet Kanaria when Master Yoda had asked him to meet him in the council chambers about an urgent matter. When Obi-Wan arrived to the council chambers he was surprised to see Anakin sitting in the middle of the room in a meditative stance. "Anakin?"
"Preparing he is to become one with the force. Disturb him do not."
"I don't understand?"
"Kidnapped his children have been. The kidnapper appears to be he dose. But an imposter the kidnapper is."
"Are you saying someone who looks like him took the children? But how is that possible?"
"To a dangerous place these answers will take us. Cautious we should be or to great danger this will lead."
"But master where do I fit into all of this?"
"Your help Anakin will need if to discover the identity of the imposter he is."
"How can I help?"
"Help him you can by unlocking memories that hidden they are."
"When do we begin?"
"Immediately." Obi-Wan walked over to where Anakin was meditating and sat in front of him. "Anakin are you ready?" Anakin's eyes opened.
"Yes Master."
"Now Anakin what is the last thing you remember?"
"He said he would be back." Obi-Wan placed his hands on Anakin's temples and gently applied pressure. Soon Obi-Wan found himself going backwards through time at rapid speeds. When time finally stopped moving Obi-Wan was able to see things as if he was actually there. He saw Palpatine take Anakin into a room that was filled with devices that were similar to the ones he saw in the cloning lab on Kamino seven years earlier. But before he could examine the instruments farther the connection was lost and Obi-Wan found himself back in the council chambers with Anakin. Obi-Wan gasped for air. "Obi-Wan what did you see", Anakin asked? For a moment he did not respond but finally when he caught his breath he managed to spit out the words. "You were cloned
"Cloned?" A voice echoed in the background. Everyone turned to see Padm'e (who until now no one noticed she was even there) standing against a wall.
" I should of known this would happen", Anakin moaned.
"Well what I would like to know is how you could have predicted something like this?"
"Well Obi-Wan, that's part of the reason I came back."
"I don't understand?"
"Well you see the day I came back Palpatine had summoned me a took me into this secret room. The room was filled with all sorts of cloning technology and when I asked what all of it was for he said that he was going to clone me. You see it was all part of his plan. I case I ever were to be killed in battle he needed someone to replace me. And since no could make up for such a grate loss he thought that if he cloned me he wouldn't loss everything. But you see I would never stand for being cloned so I guess in a way his evil plan was actually good because it opened my eyes to the truth. That I was nothing more then a second rate lackey and I would never amount to anything. And that no amount of power was worth the price I paid. But I thought with Palpatine dead there would be no clone. I would like to know who cloned me and why and what part my children play in all of this."
"It's obvious Anakin that whom ever is behind this knows about you and wants revenge."
"So what are we going to do our children are out there Master Kenobi we can't just abandon them!"
"Calm yourself Lady Skywalker, everything will work out in due time."
"With all due respect Master Jedi time is something we do not have."
"Lady Skywalker I'm going to have to ask you to be patience."
"Patience—"
"I think what my wife is trying to say is we're just worried about there safety", Anakin said cutting her off.
"Which is understandable Anakin but you must understand going to Korriban under any circumstances especially with an evil clone on the loose is too dangerous a risk.
"Are you saying that my children aren't worth the risk?"
"No Anakin I—"
"Then you know what Obi-Wan we don't need your help we can find our children on our own. Padm'e let's go." With that they stormed out of the room.
The planet Korriban was a planet where no Jedi wanted to go (or went for that matter.) For this is a breading ground for sith activity. Anakin himself had come here with Palpatine when he used to be Darth Vader. Indeed this was no place for a Jedi. Nevertheless they were here to find there children And Anakin vowed to do just that regardless of his feeling about this place. Anakin turned to Padm'e who was standing directly behind him. "Stay close this place is dangerous." Padm'e pulled her hood tightly over her face to keep the harsh wind at bay. "Where are we going?"
"There's a cave west of that cliff I went there once with Palpatine. It's an ancient sith temple. If he's here that's where we'll find him." They hiked all night and by day brake they had finally reached the temple. Using the shadows as cover Anakin and Padm'e inched their way to the front of the cave. Hiding in the bushes Anakin waited for any sign of life. When he knew that the coast was clear he signaled to Padm'e and the two of them ran into the cave.
Once inside however, everything appeared to be deserted. "Wait a minuet! Where is he? Wasn't he supposed to be here?"
"Something doesn't feel right. Why would he tell us to meet him here and then just not show up?" No sooner then the words were out of his mouth blaster fire erupted. In the blink-of-an-eye Anakin's saber was in his hand and he found himself up against a room full of battle droids In one swift stroke he cut down three battle droids. Anakin was just about to cut through another when he heard Padm'e scream. "Padm'e!" Anakin dashed over to her. "Padm'e are you alright?" He looked down and saw that she was clutching her leg. "It's not bad. Anakin look out!" Anakin whirled around and in one clean stroke destroyed the rest of the battle droids. Deactivating his lightsaber Anakin picked up Padm'e and left the cave.
Back on board the ship Anakin propped the pillows behind Padm'e to make her more comfortable. Her leg was broken in two places and Anakin did his best to relieve her pain. After all Anakin was in a way responsible for her injury. If he wasn't so focused on defeating the droids and had got her to safety none of this would have ever happened. Anakin brought her a cup of Nubian tea. "Thanks."
"It's the least I can do."
"It wasn't your fault Ani."
"I should have got you to safety. I didn't so yes, in a way I am responsible." Neither of them said anything for a long moment. "Where are they Ani?" Anakin looked down unable to meet her eyes. He knew exactly what she meant. "We'll find them angel. No matter what we'll find them. Even if it's the last thing I do. And then the person responsible for taking them will pay. They will pay!"