Padme sat up gasping. Her lungs desperate for air.
"Here. This will help." Bail handed her an oxygen mask. She graciously took it. She took a moment allowing the oxygen to fill her lungs. Her head felt light. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I just died. Again." She said sarcastically
"Yes, I suppose you can start your own side show now. Padme the Resurrecting Woman." Bail chuckled. Padme laughed but it quickly turned into a cough. "Just rest a bit."
"Did it work?"
"Yes, your funeral is set for this weekend. Your body is being taken back now by Captain Typho as we speak." Vader had bought it.
"The twins?"
"Leia is doing well with Breha and last I heard Obi-wan had made it safely to Tatooine." Her children were safe, for now. It set in suddenly everything they had just done. What it meant to be dead. A sense of dread and fear washed over her.
"Bail, Did we do the right thing?" She asked
" Do you think we did?"
"That's not what I asked."d
"It doesn't matter. We are at war and we have to do what we must to survive. We have ideals, ones that don't match those of our new Emperor. If we truly believe those ideals we have to fight. We have to help those who can't fight. You said it yourself the Emperor wouldn't have let you live. You held Vader to the light side. He would have killed you and eventually would have found out about the twins. You did what you had to do to survive, to let them survive. I need you Padme. You are one of the best politicians I know. With you working in the back ground. We have the chance and once the twins are older...We could end all of this. It may take a while but we can do it. I believe we can. We have to. If you thought there was another way we would have done it. We have to decide now what choices we must make and we have to learn to live with them." Bail was right and she knew it. Faking their deaths was the only way. She now had freedom she never been able to have. Even if the Emperor had failed to get kill her, Padme would have been a slave to Vader. Now she could fight. Fight for the world she longed to have for her children. If she fought hard she might be able to give them that life. She might be able to be their mother. To see them again. She took a deep breath. She knew what she needed to do.
"Ok. What do we do now." She said. Determined to fight as hard as she could. Padme had to make right where her husband had gone wrong.
8 Years later
Luke slept soundly in his bed. The moon shown through the window just enough that she could make out his face. He looked so much like Anakin did at this age. She stood there taking her son in. How many years had it been since she had held him? He had been a tiny baby the last time she had seen him. The old Padme would have let tear fall over the thought but now she just stood there not letting it bother her. She knew she had made the right decision. She had watched him all day. Working hard helping Owen on the farm. Helping Beru make dinner. He was a good boy. She had seen him occasionally show signs of her stubbornness but only in small flashes. She was proud of him. Happy with the way Owen and Beru were raising him. She couldn't have asked for better guardians. A loud clash came from living areas. Luke shot up and looked around but no one was there.
"Hello?" He called out. Jumping out of bed. He looked around as if he could sense that someone was there. Little did he know that there was. Padme had quickly slipped though the window before he had seen her. Padme stood with her back against the wall listening. She heard Luke suffle around then crawl back into bed. She could hear Owen still swearing in the living quarters. He must have tripped. Padme waited a moment, once the house was silent she started to back away. It was time to leave. She turn to head for the hills when a hand grabbed her from behind and another went over her mouth. Padme acted quickly, using all her weight she threw her elbow into the her unexpected guest side. In a same swift movement she grabbed the batton on her side and went to hit the man again while reaching for her blaster with her other hand. She quickly stopped though when she realized who it was.
"Obi-wan!" She cried letting her gun go.
"Shhhh." He hissed grabbing her by the arm. He quickly led her away from the house, Padme didn't fight. Obi-wan lead her back to his speeder saying nothing. She got in and they sat in silence as they road across the dessert towards the mountain range to the North of the Lairs Farm. There was nothing but sand as far as Padme could see. Once they made it into the rage Obi-wan stopped. Ahead of them was a cave. Obi-wan was still quiet. Inside the cave was a small hut. Big enough for about two people if needed. Inside was a small kitchenette, a bed, fireplace and a small refresher in the corner. It was simple. Much like the old Jedi quarters. Padme couldn't help but notice there wasn't much stuff and everything seemed already packed and ready to go at any second. A wave of jealousy came over her. How long had it been since she had her own home, her own bed. She had forgotten what it felt like to have a real bed, or even a place that was just hers. She spends far to much time sleeping on ships and in uncomfortable places now.
"I like what you've done with the place." She said sarcastically.
"What are you doing here Padme?"
"I was in town. Thought I'd stop by."
"Padme." He said. The years had been hard on him. His hair was now streaked with gray. His face looked sunken as if he hardly ate. It was hard to believe that ten years ago he was a war hero. She had come to Tatooine a year after. She wanted to see Luke. Obi-wan had not been pleased, which had annoyed Padme greatly. It had been quite the fight. Padme hadn't realized how angry she was at him until that day. Obi-wan had always been an ally to her. A dear friend, so it was easy to forgive him. Yet deep down Padme held him responsible for Anakin's fall and Obi-wan felt the same way towards her. Harsh words had been said.
"Why are you here Padme?" He asked again clearly still angry. So much for not holding onto anger. Though the Jedi were dead and gone. Guess there was no point in following the old ways. Everyone had lost a part of themselves when the Republic fell.
"You were right." She said "I shouldn't have come back after Ryloth."
"Ah so you have come to the light." He said still standing.
"Obi-wan, I said you were right. I,I am trying to...mend the fence I suppose."
"I thought we agreed that you wouldn't come back." Obi-wan had made it very clear it wasn't safe for her to come yet here she was again. How was he suppose to keep her son safe if she kept coming back? He had kept tabs on her. He knew how she spent her time now, running into the Empires Forces and running out again the Empire hot on her tail. She had been lucky so far. Not that he wanted to keep a mother from her child, but this child was so important. Luke could save the galaxy one day. If only the Lairs would let him.
"I know but...I needed to see you and I was here and...I had to see him." She said. Obi-wan's face softened.
"I suppose I don't blame you. Its been what? 7 years?" He sat down on the bed next to her and gave her a smile.
"Lot's changed." She said looking down. She was right. Alot had changed. Last time he saw Padme, she had been a wreck. He had never gotten the full story of what happen on Ryloth but he knew it was bad. It must have been so bad. Shortly after their fight and her departure, Obi-wan had received word from Bail that Padme had left the Alliance. Something that had surprised Obi-wan. Why had she done that? No one heard from her for 2 years after that. When she came back Bail said it was like she was a new person. He had not been wrong. Before him sat a woman who looked like she hadn't had a decent nights sleep in years. Though to be honest neither had he. She long hair was pulled back in a braid. She wore smugglers clothes, quite a difference in the Senatorial garb she used to wear. Obi-wan could make out at least 2 blasters on her, a baton, and lord knows what else she had on her utility belt. The kind, negotiations before combat, woman who used to be his friend no longer stood before him. Instead a warrior stood, ready for anything and her body showed it. He could make out a few scare on her hand and face. She had seen combat and alot of it.
"Do you ever wake up and look in the mirror and not recognize who you are?" She asked. So she was here for guidance.
"Every day." He said. "Why are you here? Must be important if you risked leading the Empire here."
"Oh. That would never happen. I've acquired a lot of skills since we last saw each other." She said a little smugly. She reminded him of Anakin. He has always been so sure of himself. Yet there was something different. He could tell that despite the smugness, that she wasn't as reckless as Anakin had been.
"So I hear. Jyn Gurra of Jedah? Interesting choice in mentors." Jyn Gurra was a bounty hunter, once a Republic General of Naboo. He was known to be swift and good. You only hired him when you wanted the job done right away and you payed a hefty price because of it.
"He worked with my father. Apparently something happened on Skymara. He owned my Father a favor."
"Must have been big."
"He never told me."
"Seems like we have alot to talk about."
"Where should I start?"
"Lets start with Ryloth. We never got around to actually talking about it last time."
"Bail and I had went to try and persuade the Ryloths to join the Alliance. We were making head way. They were going to join us. No strings attached. They hated the Empire as much as we did. We were almost done with negotiations when Vader showed up. Bail and I tried to flee but we weren't quick enough. He caught a glimpse of me as we disappeared into a crowed. For anyone normal they would have shook it off. I mean it had been a year since i had died. Grief can do crazy things. Yet with Vader, we know that wasn't enough. He killed 150 innocent people, searching the city for me. There was nothing I could do. Bail and I kept running. We made it off Ryloth but it was too late for those people. I realized that this is what it was always going to be like. I thought I would work in the shadows but we just proved that it wasn't going to work. I left the Alliance. I felt like I was putting what fragile rebellion we had at risk. I was better off in hiding. Which is why I came to you."
"And we all saw how that went." A twinge of guilt came over him. How scare she must have been. Why else would she have come here? Risk leading the Empire here. Obi-wan suddenly realized that maybe he had been wrong for yelling. She had no place to go for comfort. Naboo was off limits that is for sure and Bail could help but he would always have ulterior motives. She had come for help of a friend and he had turned her away. He had good reason to yes. But as the years past Obi-wan had realized that he had acted more out of anger towards for for the situation they were in. He blamed her for Anakin's fall. Though he knew it wasn't entirely her fault, if anything she had probably kept him from falling for a while. Perhaps the Jedi had been wrong and Anakin wasn't the Chosen One. Maybe this had been his destiny all along and Padme had just prolonged the inevitable. He had let his anger get the best of him and that wasn't the Jedi Way.
"After I left here, I received word that my sister was sick. It wasn't looking good. I had been keeping tab. I knew Vader had left them alone after my funeral. So I took the chance. Where else could I go? I'm glad I did. I spent the next month home, hiding. My parents had been so relieved. I didn't tell them about the twins, they were better off not knowing everything but I told them enough so that they would understand why I had faked my death. My Sister had eventually recovered, thank the Force. I knew I couldn't stay. I still wanted to fight but I felt like I couldn't. I needed to change. I was always a skilled shooter and smart, that's how I was able to survive all those adventures during the war but that wasn't enough anymore. My father told me about Gurra. That he might be able to help so I went. I spent the next 2 years on Jedah training."
"It looks like it worked out well." He said.
"It did. I suppose.'
"But not in the way you thought?"
"I gave into hate." She said standing up and turning her back to him. "I let it consume me. Its why a excelled so quickly thought training. I mastered things in months that would take normal people years. Gurra was impressed. He offered me a job, once he felt I was ready. My first job was to take out an Imperial General. I gladly took it. Once I completed the job, I felt good. Empowered but it still didn't feel right. So I left. Didn't even take the bounty. I went back to Bail, who took me in with open arms of course. I saw Leia for the first time. She was so beautiful. She looks alot like me, but has Anakin's stubbornness for sure. I loved seeing her, but i knew I couldn't stay. That wasn't fair to her or to Breha. So I went to Dantooine. Started working with the Alliance there. I headed alot of the missions. I felt better about this. I was helping upset the Empire, and boy did we give them a run for their money at times. I was ruthless."
"You were letting the hate win."
"I started working side by side with Saw Gerrera. We had a simular taste for violence and revenge. We wanted to make the Empire pay. That was until recently."
"You were on Geonosis?" He had heard of a massacre that happened on the planet. The last of the living Genosians, all dead."
"I was Saw's plan. I just followed suit. He told me that the Empire was working there. That they were working on a weapon. Something we had to destroy. Something didn't feel right, but I went along with it anyways. What did I care? "
"They weren't working for the Empire where they?"
"It was a small village, just trying to make ends meet. Saw killed them all as I watched. I realized after, there was no factory, no Imperial Fleet. Just a village." Padme had finally broke. At this point she was crying. "Whats happened to me Obi-wan? I...I don't even know myself anymore. I look in the mirror and...and all I see is...Is Vader. I am no better than him! I let, I let myself be...be consumed with hatred and heart break...I convinced myself this was the only way." Padme Clutched to her stomach absent mindedly, reaching out for her children, or perhaps she was trying to hold herself together. For the first time since her arrival Obi-wan finally recognized her.
"You, Padme Amidala, are not Darth Vader." Obi-wan finally said.
"How can you say that?" She sniffed
"You came here didn't you? You saw what was happening and you are trying to stop it. You are doing what Vader never could. Letting go of the Power and Hate and trying to stay in the light. Every Jedi falls to the temptations at some point. Even Master Yoda admits he has but it s the one that see the darkness but choose the light who succeed." Padme didn't seem convinced She wasn't evil, this Obi-wan knew. She was just a woman who had been hurt by so many. Padme stayed for a few months with him. They meditated alot, something that Gurra had never had her do. He had trained her to be a machine. Now it was Obi-wans turn to make her human. He had to admit he enjoyed her company. He had spent to long in that cave. Not that he was ever really alone, thanks to the Force, however having a real person there and not the ghost of your past master was much more comforting. They both knew she couldn't stay forever though. Eventually she went back to the fight but Obi-wan was confident that she would be ok. He knew he couldn't help her heal fully but he tried to remind her of the woman she once was.
"Thank you. For everything." She said before leaving. Her words rang with a heaviness. She owed him so much, yet he knew in his heart that she really didn't it. Everything he did was for Anakin. To keep his family alive and whole was the only way he could possible make up for failing Anakin. They gave one last hug and she boarded her ship. That was the last time he ever saw Padme. The Alliance picked up as more and more systems secretly joined. Padme was busy making the world right again. While Obi-wan waited for another eight years for his time to come. For Luke to rise and for the Empire to begin is fall.
