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Well... this is it. The BIG chapter and yes, I am very nervous about this chapter.

Chapter Seven

The Quiet Before the Truth

From tall to small, six black cloaked figures exited their gondola and walked through the shadows of the grand estate, Varykino.

It had been many years since the Naberrie clan had seen Varykino so empty. So quiet. But the quiet wasn't entirely unwelcome. Strange, perhaps, but not an unwelcome surprise. The last several days had been anything but quiet.

Most of the Naberrie clan was there. Ruwee, Jobal, Sola, Darred, and their children had just gotten off the gondola. The only one missing was Jobal's mother, Ryoo Thule. While Ryoo Thule was not a member of House Naberrie by blood or marriage, she was a cherished member of their family.

Normally the estate was full of beings, full of noise. Pooja and Ryoo running around among the younglings of the servants, playing in the garden, or trying eat some sweets before dinner. Paddy Accu humming old hymns. Teckla and Nandi talking, giggling, or bickering like all sisters do.

But there had been no sign of Paddy Accu, Nandi, or any of the other servants and caretakers. No one except Teckla. The Naberries had noticed her sky blue speeder parked where the staff usually parked their speeders or other transportation.

Teckla had recently resigned from Padmé's staff. She just moved back to their homeworld due to her recent engagement.

Everywhere they looked, everywhere they went there where whispers. Prying eyes while sipping tea and reading the holopaper. Heads peeping over hedgerows.

Even at their places of work, none of the Naberries found any peace.

Darred had barely gone to his office. He worked some from home. Or tried, for the lack of a better word.

Sola suffered the worst out of the four adults- losing her job.

Ruwee had trouble at the university. Instead of students asking about microeconomics or anything even remotely related to any of his courses, they questioned him just as fiercely as the press. Even his fellow colleagues were full of questions. He did his best to put on his best smile and shrug it off.

Jobal at the library she volunteered at. Normally she went almost every day of the week. The last few days she stayed home and supported Sola during her difficult time. She spent time with Ryoo and Pooja and, like the rest of the family, made sure they were okay. Really, they seemed to be handling all this better than the adults. Which was probably for the best.

Thankfully, the Queen had sent security to help with some of these matters. The Naberries always had a good relationship with the monarchs, both past and present. The monarch always got the news from Coruscant first before the rest of Theed, followed by Naboo and the rest of the Chommell Sector.

Even home was not safe. Ruwee and Jobal's neighbor Madame Hodges kept peaking over the hedgerows that separated their respective yards. Hollering out for them and asking, "Is it all really true?"

Ruwee and Jobal had over one thousand standard messages on their home communications. Darred and Sola had a nearly identical number in their own house. Most callers were unknown to each couple. Also, judging by the codes, they were from off world. Likely from Coruscant.

Jobal Naberrie could not stand the quiet any longer. "What did the Queen say?"

"She issued a warrant and the investigators have confiscated any and all footage." Hopefully that was the end of it, but Ruwee sensed it was only the beginning. He wondered who else knew and what they knew.

"And the current tenant?" Jobal had known someone was finally living at Convergence once more. She looked across the lake, visible in the distance. She had always found the estate...eerie. Especially ever since most of House Palpatine had been mysteriously killed all those years ago. It had been unoccupied for some time. Since before the reign of Queen Apailana. Palpatine had sold it after he had been orphaned, but the new tenant didn't stay there for very long, leaving it unoccupied.

"Ederlathh Pallopides," Ruwee said. His face oddly curious.

"Who?" The name did not sound familiar.

"Her grandmother was of House Greyson," Ruwee began. "Her mother's father- her grandfather, that is..."

"Yes?" Her curiosity made her suddenly feel somewhat hesitant. Here they were talking about ancient gossip. Yet, their family was a current topic in the latest gossip. It felt somewhat hypocritical.

"His identity well, it was never made public," He never actually claimed or really had the chance to her. So nothing was official or possibly not even true. This was all nothing more than idle gossip. "It was once rumored that her grandmother and Cosinga Palpatine were... romantically linked."

"Oh..." Ryoo said with her widened eyes, "I remember. Cosinga was said to be in league with the Greysons. He supported Reggie Greysons' failed bid for the throne, probably in exchange for a seat in the government. Cosinga was often spotted in the company of the Greysons. Particularly Regina, who was Reggie's sister. What was even more curious, less than a year after Cosinga's death, she gave birth to a daughter."

"So... that would make her Palpatine's niece- no, great-niece." Assuming any of this was true, of course.

Ruwee nodded grimly. Palpatine was one of the beings he was concerned about. The Chancellor had lost his trust long before the Clone Wars had broken out. And for all one knew, he and his only living relative may been working in cahoots. After all, it wasn't like House Greyson or Pallopides had any credits to their name. Both houses had filled for bankruptcy multiple times. So they had certainly been unable to leave her anything. Yet, how was Ederlathh Pallopides able to afford an estate? True, the scandalous story of a well-known Senator and the Hero with No Fear would be worth millions of credits. Though the estate had been purchased a few years ago. Long before Padawan Skywalker came back into his daughter's life. There was only one other way she could have purchased that estate. It was a gift from one of the previous owners and heir.

Palpatine.

Ruwee didn't have all the answers. Nor did he know how, but he knew. He just knew Palpatine had something to do with this.

Palpatine was said to have an interest in Skywalker. He was a mentor. Much like Palpatine was to Ruwee's own daughter, Padmé.

Perhaps that interest went beyond a mentor and mentee relationship. He was watching them for whatever reason. Having Pallopides watch them when they were here on Naboo. In exchange for help in paying for Convergence.

"Teckla!" His wife and eldest daughter calling out snapped Ruwee from his thoughts.

Everyone greeted Teckla with hugs and kisses and congratulations. They had hardly seen her since she joined Padmé's staff on Coruscant. Recently, Teckla moved back to Naboo due to her recent engagement.

Teckla, while pleased to see her friends, was more focused on something past the family she served. "Ryoo, Pooja," She wore her best smile. "Sonni and Jeck are out in the gardens playing."

"They are?!" Pooja grew excited. She hadn't seen either since their move to Coruscant.

Ryoo Naberrie looked at the adults suspiciously, but slowly followed her younger sister out into the garden.

"Hello," Ryoo Thule kissed the tops of their heads when she passed them as she left the garden. "Thank you Teckla."

Footsteps could then be heard.

"Nandi," Teckla greeted her sister in a cold voice.

"Teckla," Like her sister earlier, Nandi wore her best smile.

Teckla walked by her sister. Her eyes could have been vibroblades. She was nearly on her way out of the chamber. Feeling rather good about herself. That she had not lost it in front of the Naberries. When she almost bumped into- "Madame Th- I mean Ryoo," Teckla corrected herself. She remembered, despite rarely ever seeing her here, that preferred to be called by her first name. Teckla suspected it was because it made her feel younger. "I... didn't realize you were here." Teckla wished she had known. Other than her offspring, the place had been unusually quiet.

"There were some I didn't want to know," Ryoo whispered in the girl's ear.

Teckla made an "oh" with her mouth and gave the woman a small nod. She was not entirely sure what that meant, but she went along with it.

"Mom..." Jobal looked at her mother curiously. "How long have you been here?"

Ryoo looked at both her daughter and granddaughter. "I spoke with Sola the other night." Ryoo assumed Sola had told Jobal.

"Apologizes, I thought you comm'd her," said Sola. She then turned to her grandmother. "What have you been up to?" Sola crossed her arms slightly.

Ryoo paused for a moment, as if searching for something. "Watching."

Sola simply shrugged at her mother. "Bird watching?" Since when did she enjoy such hobby? She always preferred the Tusk cat races and secretly even the illegal street speeder races. Much like her own husband.

Ryoo did not look at her. "Something of that nature."

Before Sola or anyone else could say or ask Ryoo anything else, Teckla pointed in the direction of the dining room before going after the children outside. "In there," she stated simply.

While the most of the family did not understand what that meant, though they had an idea.

They made their way into the dining area. The large table was out. It could fit a dozen beings at it.

Padmé was sitting in her usual seat.

To her right was Anakin Skywalker.

Ruwee, Jobal, Ryoo, Darred, and Sola all sat down at the grand table to join Padmé and Anakin.

Despite his title, The Hero with No Fear, Anakin Skywalker felt... oddly nervous. Which was strange. This was what he wanted.

Right?

Anakin had planned, dreamed, and hoped about this moment since... since he and Padmé married. Even before they married right here at Varykino. Keeping the knowledge of the marriage from them had caused many problems between them.

"But...but why? Why don't you them know?" Anakin couldn't always make himself understand? Wouldn't she want them know? He sometimes wondered if she was ashamed of him? Of them somehow?

But each and every time Padmé rejected the idea of telling her parents about them. "Anakin," Padmé reached out to him. "We've already discuss this, we will...we will tell them when the war is over."

Her husband backed away. "It's been over a year!" Anakin argued. "What if the war never ends?!"

Looking back, Anakin supposed his wife had kept her word. Here they were and the war was now over, or would be soon.

It was this...weird marital dance of Anakin feeling rejected by Padmé. He supposed that was never her intention.

And really, shouldn't Padmé be the nervous wreck?

Which the former Queen and Senator was. Padmé could not recall ever feeling this anxious. Perhaps on her coronation day. During her final... well, she did remember feeling nervous during her final days as Queen. She had been monarch for eight years, since she was fourteen years old. She remembered being terrified. She thought her term as Queen would never end, while also terrified that it would end. That was one of the many reasons she took Jamillia's offer to become the new Senator of the Chommell Sector.

And finally, Padmé did remember feeling a bit nervous on her wedding day. She supposed that was ironic, given that it had taken place here.

Padmé took a moment to look around at Varykino and at her loved ones.

From what Padmé could read off the facial expressions of her mother, sister, and grandmother, they all seemed... okay? Relaxed and calm? They were the only words that sprang to mind.

Then Padmé looked to her father, though she almost did not wish to look at him. Afraid of what she might find. What Padmé found surprised her. He wasn't angry like he was all those months ago. He was calm. Maybe he was annoyed, of course, but he wasn't having the reaction she had always feared these three long years.

Despite Padmé's nerves, she was the first to cut through the thick, awkward silence. She felt she should start by addressing the past few months. "Despite the fighting and the estrangement these past several months," She began, and then paused. Originally, Padmé thought of saying something to her father first, but wasn't sure what to say to him except the truth. To him and everyone else, for that matter. "I love you all. I do. You are my family. And... I hope you all feel the same way about me. Which is why I feel I owe you all an explanation."

"We're listening," said Grandmamma Ryoo.

Padmé felt a bit better upon hearing that voice; she had not heard in months.

Padmé continued on. "The truth is... three years ago, Anakin and I came- fell in love." She had almost said when they came here, to the Lake Country. To Varykino. But honestly they were already falling for one another.

Nothing they didn't already know or had at least guessed.

Yet.

Padmé briefly touched on Anakin and his Jedi premonitions about his mother. Them growing closer after Tatooine. Anakin losing his mother. Getting caught up in the Battle of Geonosis. Trying but failing to rescue Obi-Wan. The Jedi and the army arriving.

Except of course, the fate of the Tusken Raiders. If she did... they would never understand. Nor was there any way they would ever accept him. More importantly, it wasn't her secret to tell. And then there was the nexu again went unmentioned, as always. Same with falling out of the gunship. Padmé never wanted them to worry.

Both couples and Ryoo Thule listened.

It made sense.

She told of finally returning to Coruscant, Anakin getting his new arm, and him taking her home for the week.

Sola's brow went up. If she recalled correctly, Padmé said they had to leave Naboo the following morning. And so they did. But Sola always knew they left something out. She had always assumed it was because they were in love and had acted on their feelings. But now... Sola's eyes went up and down. "What do mean a week off?" She wasn't trying to accuse... well, maybe a little. Something was out of place here. It was completely out of character for her sister to forget. It wasn't that Padmé never forgot anything; every being forgot from time to time. But Sola did not see Padmé forgetting something from that... trying week.

Ruwee and Jobal also had similar looks on their faces. They had not forgotten Padmé had to return immediately. Which they thought was absolutely ridiculous, since she had just been in the middle of a battle. Surely Representative Binks could have filled in a while longer. She had seen and went through Shiraya only knew what. They knew she did not tell them everything.

Also, while Jobal felt more curious, Ruwee, on the other hand was starting to feel very anxious. What did they do during this week off?

Ryoo Thule too did not find this new little tidbit reassuring.

Darred was a bit confused, not remembering that Anakin had escorted Padmé home. He was out of town on business at the time. He continued to listen most anxiously.

Padmé took a deep breathe. "That was a lie." She felt her heart beat faster and faster. "The truth is that I did not have to return to work for a few more days. Anakin and I returned here to the Lake Country and we... we secretly married."

There.

She finally said it.

The Naberries thought Varykino had been quiet earlier when they first arrived. Now it was even quieter. One could have heard a feather drop.

"Dad." Said both Padmé and Sola.

Ruwee got up. For a moment everyone thought he was going to say something but instead he just walked slowly towards the nearest door out onto the balcony.

Well... *takes a deep breathe* what do you think? Leave a review.

Trivia: This was originally two separate chapters, but they felt pretty short all on their own. The first was named, The Quiet. The second was named, The Truth. Plus I figured everyone had waited long enough for an update and didn't want to suffer through a cliffhanger, well, another before this cliffhanger.

Convergence is from the novel, Darth Plagueis. It was the childhood home of Palpatine and wasn't too far from Varykino. Ironic, huh?

Again, review please! Please! Please! I have worked and written and rewritten this chapter multiple times the past two or three years.