19 BBY, Somewhere in the Outer Rim
"Sithspit!"
Ahsoka fell hard onto her rear, and before she could get her saber up, a bright blue blade was a quarter of an inch from her throat.
"Sithspit." She repeated, with a sigh. It was the third time she'd lost so far this morning. Given that she'd only fought three spars, she was a tad frustrated. At least her opponent this week wouldn't admonish her for the language.
Anakin deactivated his lightsaber and offered her a hand. She took it, and allowed him to pull her to her feet with a sigh.
"Wizard spar!" exclaimed Taryk, from where he was sitting against the wall.
"I wanna go next!" called Ko-Iri, who'd been watching with wide eyes. Ahsoka summoned a smile, and beckoned to the girl.
"Come on then. Show me what you've got!"
Two hours later, as they walked to dinner, her master raised an eybrow at her. "What's the matter, Snips? You lasted much longer that time."
"Yeah, I guess." she muttered.
"Hey," he said, gently. "It's not all gonna come back just like that. You're doing really well."
Ahsoka summoned up a smile.
"I just feel like I should be doing better than this after six weeks of training, especially since I already know this stuff. I just-I didn't think it'd be so hard."
"You are getting better though. You cleared my head by a good three feet in that last round. I think your grasp on the Force is as strong as ever. It's just a matter of remembering to use it when you're thinking about other things, instead of losing the big picture in the details."
"You're one to talk about that." said Ahsoka with a grin and an elbow in his ribs. Anakin smiled.
"Do as I say, not as I do." he said, waving a hand. "Do as Obi-Wan does." Ahsoka laughed, despite herself, and found her mood lifted considerably.
The pair of them walked along the ship to the main dining room, which had been become their communal area over the past six weeks. Padme was there now, a sleeping baby Luke in her arms and his twin in the little supply crate that Ahsoka and the younglings had turned into a cradle of sorts. Anakin made a beeline for his wife and son, bending to drop kisses on both Padme and Luke's foreheads. The young woman swatted his arm with a command to go take a shower, but made no move to stop him as he dropped gracefully onto the sofa next to her.
Over the past six weeks, Ahsoka had decided that her master and Padme were adorable. And Force knew, the twins were possibly the cutest things in the Galaxy, although that didn't stop her from occasionally wanting to rip her own montrals off in order to have some respite from their crying. (Who knew such small beings could have such impressive lungs?) All the same, Ahsoka still found domestic scenes like the one currently going on in front of her a little strange. None of her experiences in the Temple, on the front lines, or on Corellia had really given her much help in dealing with either domesticity or marital bliss. After all, the Jedi Order did not hold with romantic relationships, and beings in Ahsoka's line of work outside the Order did not often have families either. The only knowledge Ahsoka had of romance was the fluttery feeling that had often accompanied her dealings with Lux Bonteri, and that, she knew, was less romance than it was simple biology. Besides, ever since Steela, her conversations with Lux had been strained at best.
No, when Ahsoka thought of love, she thought of dry humor with a Coruscanti accent, blue lightsabers and a Force signature that was brighter than any sun she'd ever seen. (She would face Moraband itself for the two of them.) Love was soft brown eyes and sisterly teasing. More recently, love was squishy faces and twin coos of fascination with her montrals.
After leaving the Order, Ahsoka had gone to Shili, wondering if she had a family.
She didn't.
Her people had welcomed her, of course, but she hadn't stayed long, only a month. However, her time there had taught her one important thing: that she already had a family. She had two brothers and a sister; for all that they were Jedi or Senators, or way, way older than her. And she loved them, the Jedi Code be damned. And, most importantly, they'd believed her. They'd trusted her.
It had been the first step towards trusting herself again. Luckily, Corellia offered plenty of opportunities for learning how to rely on oneself.
"Cute, aren't they?" came a quiet voice behind her. Rex leaned one shoulder against the doorframe and pointed with his chin at the little family.
"Yeah." said Ahsoka quietly. "They are."
Love was also blue Jaig Eyes and "I've got your six, Commander."
20 BBY, The Outer Rim
"I've been thinking," said Obi-Wan. The tone of his voice caused Anakin to look up sharply from where he'd been levitating little bits of dismantled droid for Leia to bat at.
"Thinking about what?" asked Padme sleepily. She'd woken up from a nap barely five minutes ago.
Whatever it was, it was bad, because Obi-Wan was-nervous? No, more wary. Never a good sign. Anakin shot worriedquestion through their bond.
"Luke and Leia." explained the Jedi. "I think they will have to be separated." Padme jumped immediately to her feet, sleepiness forgotten.
"No! Absolutely not! My children will grow up with families. Anything less would be unfair to them!" Gods, she was pretty when she was angry. Any other time, he'd have been up and shouting as well, but in this case-
"Padme," he said softly, standing and taking her hands. "He's right. They-they're both strong in the Force, and they already have the beginnings of a bond."
"I-I don't understand." Said Padme, brown eyes boring into him. "What does that mean?"
"It means they're connected." he explained quietly. "If Luke and Leia are raised together, their bond will only get stronger, which would be good, if we weren't being hunted by a Sith Lord. As they get older, this bond will be like a beacon, and sooner or later, the Emperor will sense it. Hells, every Force-sensitive in the galaxy will." He squeezed her hand. "The only way we can stop that from happening is if we…sever the bond. I know it's not what we wanted, Love, but It's the only way to make sure Luke and Leia will be safe from the Empire."
Padme's expression nearly broke him. The anger had drained from her face, leaving only a desperate sort of fear behind. She kept staring at him, brown eyes filling with unshed tears. Anakin went to pull her into his chest, but she stepped back, though she didn't pull her hands away.
And then, she took a deep, shuddering breath, drew herself up, and lifted her chin, eyes suddenly full of resolve. Still staring into his soul, it seemed, she said,
"For the safety of our children." Then, and only then did she look away from his face and back to Obi-Wan. "For my children, and for the galaxy, I will do this."
"It will not be forever." said Obi-Wan, with conviction. "When they are older, this little Rebellion of ours will be more organized, and the twins will be old enough to learn mental shielding. Your family will be together again, this I promise you both."
Later, as she was pulling her hair out of its knot before bed, she asked,
"Where will you go?" he heard the unspoken question as well. Which one?
"I'll take Leia to-to Tatooine." He'd thought about nearly all day, trying to come up with an alternative, any alternative.
"Tatooine? Ani, you hate Tatooine."
"I know." He snapped. Fierfek, that had been harsh. He took a deep breath and continued, in a softer tone, "And, more importantly, Pal- the Emperor knows that, too. If it wasn't for Leia, I wouldn't be going. He doesn't know about her, so there's nothing to make him even think I'd go to Tatooine."
"Alright." She calmly met his eyes. "I'm going to take Luke and go to Coruscant." He opened his mouth to protest, and she cut him off before he could get out the second syllable. "Ani, I have to. You said yourself, he didn't know about my pregnancy. If I don't come back, he will wonder why. I cannot afford to have him wondering about me, not when he knows we were close. If I come back, it will reassure him that I have no ties to the Jedi, that I know nothing of the survivors."
"What about Luke? How are you gonna explain him?" Anakin was desperate to change her mind, though, deep down, he already knew he wouldn't. Three years of marriage had taught him that much, at least. Padme was an unstoppable force.
"His father was a pilot who died in the Clone Wars. That's what I'll tell everyone. Only Bail will know the truth. It's a safe cover, as it's basically true."
"I don't like it." He sounded like a child, and he knew it.
"I know you don't." Her eyes went steely. "Trust me, the thought of looking at that man again is repulsive to me, as well. But, if I must tear my family apart to keep it safe, then I will do everything in my power to make sure our sacrifice is not made in vain. I have to go, Anakin."
Arms crossed, he nodded.
Padme's hands went to the laces of her gown.
"Come here, my love." She said softly. "If I have to say goodbye to you, I intend to at least make you remember me in the months to come."
The next afternoon, they went, their little family from the past six months splintering off into the Galaxy. Ahsoka, Padawan braid newly removed, was going to the Outer Rim with Rex, Jesse and Kix. Obi-Wan and Taryk were bound for the Core, to lie low. The younger children were all traveling Dagobah, and Master Yoda. And Padme, Padme was going to Naboo, and then to Coruscant, leaving Anakin with a tiny bundle of cloth and brown hair, and his memories. Not forever, he thought fiercely, drinking in the sight of her, dark hair unbound and falling in her face, bright brown eyes, brimming with tears as she kissed Leia goodbye. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.
He would not see her again for ten years.
