On the other side of the galaxy…

They sat on the ship waiting for the suns to complete its decent below the white capped mountains in the distance. Lights dimmed on the center console until they faded like the engines of the craft until all was silent. No animals outside made sounds, no other ships or people were waiting for them, it felt like they were the only two beings in the universe. They both knew that wasn't right though. After all, they managed to track down the only other person they knew they could trust, and she'd be coming for them.

A few months ago, everything felt fine. Both Padmé and Obi-Wan had their lives intact…until they didn't. When everything came to a head less than a week ago, they didn't know what to do. Anakin's rage, his impulsive decision to attack Chancellor Palpatine, and his knowledge that Palpatine was indeed a Sith all felt so wrong. There weren't many ways Anakin could know that, which frightened both of them. Not wanting to stay waiting for potential danger, they took off in search of a place to think.

That was when they found this place on the cusp of unknown space.

The journey had been taken in relative silence. Padmé only spoke to Obi-Wan over dinner or to check their progress while he only asked vague questions about her health or the babies'. In reality, neither felt like talking much at all.

Padmé took the helm of their shuttle to guide it onto the planet's surface, so Obi-Wan could finally rest. She'd noticed it had been days since the Jedi master had gotten a full night's sleep. Not even he could run forever without charging his batteries, and she knew that he was exhausted when he never refuted such a statement. Neither of them would be any use if they stayed up forever. It didn't stop her from wondering if she'd wake up from one of those rests and see that all was truly well in the galaxy.

They'd been under radio silence since leaving Coruscant in a rush. Obi-Wan thought it'd be a better idea to wait until they were someplace safe, some place undetectable until they looked into the news reports. Padmé wanted to refute that, to say that he was just being paranoid, but it did make sense. The Jedi or Anakin may be able to find them if they turned on outside communication for too long. When they contacted Ahsoka she felt nervous enough and that had been a necessary risk.

She didn't feel right at all. In a huff, she'd left behind her job in the Senate for a potential danger that may not exist. Yes, Anakin had been upset to her, but he never once threatened her safety or wellbeing. That didn't require them to leave behind everything! It felt so frustrating. It grated her to no end. It felt so cowardly to run like they were fugitives when they were actually two of the most respected people in the universe.

Except it wasn't just them anymore.

Tenderly, Padmé placed her hands on her stomach. She remembered why she ran and left everything behind so willingly. Compared to the children she carried, nothing else in the world mattered. Their safety, their wellbeing became her number one priority. The day she left, her heart broke for more than one reason, but having children without her husband? Estranged husband? Without Anakin, it tore at her. Yet, it had to be done no matter what the consequence was. The unknowns left no other options for her.

The former Senator no longer felt the want to stay in the pilot's seat looking out the window at the darkened planet. It felt far too crowded to stay in at that moment, so she grabbed one of the jackets she had brought out of her cabin, then stepped out into the frosty air.

Padmé watched the breaths she exhaled rise into the air. Snow crunched underneath her boots as she walked further from the ship. There were no trees to lean against, nor were there any rocks. It was a strange place that looked like an icy plain that life couldn't sustain life. She looked for other footprints but found nothing.

A gust of wind rolled across the flat icy land, causing the former Senator to wrap the jacket tightly around her body. Despite the cold, the area was peaceful. The quiet wasn't uncomfortable or tense. Maybe that was from the snow that had fallen during their decent onto the surface that took away excess noise. It could've been the planet's nature. Either way, she didn't mind.

For a moment, the mother-to-be just stood there looking at the peaceful scenery. It was an escape that she needed badly. Distractions were hard to come by, so when they came along Padmé welcomed them. She closed her eyes to drown in it and it nearly worked until floodlights broke through the darkness. The distractions ended right then and there as Ahsoka's shuttle landed in the clearing.

Lights that had come from the ship died just as soon as they entered her field of vision. Engines that had once sang loudly now became silent just like the rest of the environment. No living thing bothered the depressing scenery. Padmé sighed at the onslaught of memories that came back with reality. She bowed her head and walked forward several feet until the ramp lowered.

Ahsoka strode forward, her silhouette noticeable in the small lights on the ramp itself. The older woman noticed nothing very different about her friend at first. Like the Jedi Order that she left, Ahsoka looked outwardly calm in her demeanor: Steps were calculated; her posture was formal and straight; the cloak that covered the Togruta's body looked new; and there wasn't any sign of urgency.

When Padmé was within arm's length Ahsoka stopped moving. Her eyes were still hidden beneath the hood of the white cloak, but her markings and mouth could be seen.

Gathering her courage and Senator's mask, Padmé spoke first. "Hello, Ahsoka."

"What happened with Anakin?" the younger woman asked without any greeting.

"We shouldn't discuss this right now. Obi-Wan and I will explain everything to you, but we have to go to a safe place where the Jedi, Sith, and Anakin won't find us."

"There's time now" Ahsoka rebutted strongly. "I'm not going anywhere until you explain what you meant by 'Anakin has turned to the dark side'. That's not going to be enough."

"Please. Not here, not right now."

"No! I need to know this. You cannot track me down, tell me that my master has turned to the dark side, then not expect me to ask questions" Ahsoka said with bite. "I will help you, but I have to know before. Otherwise, you're on your own, Padmé."

"Of course" she replied quietly, "you do deserve to know." It took a moment to gather her thoughts and to fight through the difficulty of the topic, but the mother-to-be knew that it had to be done. "It was more frightening than anything I'd previously experienced. Anakin's whole attitude changed in the time he disappeared. He once had been self-conscious and obsessed with certain things, but when he came back he knew so much that it brought him arrogance and calm. That confidence on the battlefield translated to confidence in some new abilities.

"He told me…he told me that he knew about my pregnancy when I hadn't even told him. I hadn't planned to say anything, because I was, and still am, so confused. He frightened me when I was near him, and the pain that we both felt was so strong. It's as if he felt nothing for me. When Anakin figured out that I planned on waiting to tell him about our child he snapped."

"How do you mean?" Ahsoka asked.

"He attacked Chancellor Palpatine, Ahsoka. Somehow, someway, Anakin knew that the Chancellor was the Sith Lord that the Jedi had been looking for. Without warning he ordered Barriss Offee to take me away so he could face off against the Chancellor. The gold in his eyes only confirmed how dangerous he is, but there were still parts of the Anakin that I love. I don't know who he is anymore" Padmé explained sobbingly.

Ahsoka shook her head, her lekku swaying as she did so. "There's got to be a reason you don't understand. If Anakin attacked the Chancellor, then he did so knowing that what he was doing. You said Anakin claimed that Palpatine is a Sith, did you see that?"

"I – I did. He had his own lightsaber."

"Then Anakin did know something that we do not!" Ahsoka claimed. "Perhaps there's some truth to his assumptions or knowledge."

"But we don't know that! Right now, Anakin knows about our children and wanted me to wait for him until the Chancellor died! What if he intended to kill our baby? What if he wanted to take me or Obi-Wan next? Who knows what he wants to do! Until we know what he wants, then we stay hidden."

"How do you intend to figure that out?" the younger woman questioned sternly, obviously still protective of her friend.

"Anakin is going to issue some sort of plea or request. It's how he is. Do not ignore facts just because of your friendship, Ahsoka. None of this explains how or why he turned Barriss against the Jedi Order or what his motives are. The best thing to do right now is to hide. We can figure out the rest once we're safe."

A tense moment passed, then another without any resemblance of assurance from Ahsoka. Padmé waited fidgeting in place. Where else could they go? Were there any people in the galaxy that they could trust besides her ex-husband's former student? The anxiety and speed at which those thoughts came to her caused even more stress and angry tears to flood her vision.

"Fine."

"Fine?" the mother-to-be repeated.

"I'll protect you and hide you, but I want more answers. There is a better explanation to be had, but for now I'll help you."

She threw her arms around Ahsoka who returned the hug albeit half-heartedly. Padmé kept repeating "thank yous" into Ahsoka's cloak until the words felt like they'd lost their meaning. What she didn't know is that the Togruta already had doubts about taking them in as well as Anakin's motives or "turn" to the dark side