All characters belong to George, only the story is mine.
Anakin was an inch away from the face of Asajj Ventress. Her two red lightsabers were so close to his face he could feel the heat radiating off of them. She was a tall and thin woman with tattoos in place of hair on her head baldhead. Her yellow eyes bore into him with hate and her black painted mouth was twisted into a snarl. Both Obi-Wan and Anakin knew her well.
"Padme, go to the ship, tell them to take off," Anakin said as he pushed his attacker away. Obi-Wan drew his lightsaber as well and they began circling the assailant. "Ventress," Anakin hissed. Raising his lightsaber over his head, ready to attack.
"What are you doing here, Asajj?" Obi-Wan said, leaning over slightly and bending his knees to get into a defensive position. Asajj laughed, baring her menacing teeth, "I was sent here to kill you and take the girl. She'll be a pretty little slave to Sidious." Anakin clumsily lunged at her and was forced backward, falling on his back. Asajj laughed again. There was no joy in this laugh, only pain and cruelty.
"Still as foolish as the first time I fought you, Skywalker," She said. Anakin got back on his feet and began circling her again, "This time you wont get away." They both lunged at her, blades flying fiercely. She was nearly a match for both of them together and had perfect form, though she was wielding two lightsabers. They broke away from her and both pushed her back through the force. Their combined power sent her flying to hit a nearby tree. She was winded and temporarily couldn't see anything. She could hear a ship flying overhead, and before she knew what happened the two Jedi had jumped into the circular ship.
Anakin and Obi-Wan leaned against the wall, panting. Padme hugged Anakin, "Are you okay? Who was she?"
"I believe she was the Sith apprentice we were wondering about. Her name is Asajj Ventress, I've fought her before," Anakin said, clutching the stitch in his side.
"How did she find us so quickly?" Mace asked. Yoda's ears drooped slightly, "Too predictable, we are. Expected, coming to Naboo was."
"Then what of Alderaan? What if we're being tracked?" Ashoka asked.
"I feel that we will be safer on Alderaan than anywhere else at this point. The queen and Bail can protect us. If danger is present, they will help hide us and help us escape," Padme said strongly. Ashoka glared at Padme but said nothing. Padme backed off; surprised at the look she had just received.
"I agree with Padme," Obi-Wan said gently, trying not to hurt the already sensitive Ashoka's feelings. "We will get farther on land with people who support us than wandering around in space."
"Then trust Organa, we must," Yoda said, exiting the room. Mace followed him and then Ashoka. Anakin noticed that Padme sank into a chair, her breath catching in her throat.
"Are you alright?" He asked, kneeling down beside her. She nodded but didn't say anything, putting a hand on her stomach. Obi-Wan knelt next to her as well, "Padme?" She swallowed hard, "Yes. I'm fine," she said through gritted teeth. Anakin felt through the force to the babies. Nothing seemed wrong.
"Really, I'm okay," she said stubbornly. "Just a stomach ache, it went away."
"You need to get to a hospital," Obi-Wan said. "Perhaps we can stop at a nearby planet with medical care."
"No," Padme said aggressively. "We need to get to Alderaan. There, I suppose I can go to a doctor but I don't need to now. I'll go lie down." She got up slowly and with help from Anakin. They watched her leave, "She's hiding something," Obi-Wan said. Anakin nodded.
"How many months pregnant is she?" Obi-Wan asked.
"About eight, so it doesn't take much to guess what she's hiding." Anakin looked down, trying not to show the worry in his face to Obi-Wan.
"Is she as nervous as you are?" Obi-Wan said.
"I'm not nervous," Anakin lied. Obi-Wan had always known Anakin's feelings, even when he wasn't showing them. Obi-Wan clapped him on the back, "Alderaan is close. It should only be another half hour or so." Anakin nodded, "I'm going to go check on her." He walked down the long, gray hallway that was identical to every other room. He wasn't sure where Padme was, he actually wasn't even aware that there were beds. He finally found her curled up on a large seat resembling a couch. She was looking out the window, absently playing with the japor snippet necklace she wore. He sat down next to her silently and put his arms around her.
"Are you worried about them?" He asked.
"Who?"
"Your family." She looked at him for a minute. Her brown eyes reflected no fear.
"No. They are strong; I know they will be okay. I am worried for my people, well, the people of Naboo. With me gone in the senate Palpatine will no doubt place a puppet in my stead. Someone who will bow to his will. Naboo will be destroyed," She said. She leaned into him, resting her head on his chest.
"All of this is going to get fixed, I promise you. I'll kill him myself," Anakin said, kissing the top of her head. He felt her wince and she put a hand on her stomach again.
"Padme, you need to get to a doctor. I think you're going into labor."
She sighed, "I know. But it really can wait until Alderaan. It doesn't hurt that badly." He rolled his eyes but said nothing. He knew that there was no changing his wife's mind once it had been made.
"Is Ashoka alright? She seems upset about something," Padme asked, deliberately changing the subject.
"I think she's angry with me. She told me that she doesn't like you because she feels that you were the reason Palpatine almost got me to go to the dark side," Anakin shrugged. Padme started laughing, smiling up at him, "You're so naïve sometimes." He smiled at her, amused at her sudden change of countenance, "What do you mean?"
"I think she's maybe a little jealous," Padme said, putting her head back onto his chest. Anakin scoffed, "Come on. She's a Jedi and I'm like a brother to her."
"I know. But even if she only thinks of you as a brother, she can still be jealous. It's how girls work."
"That's insane," he said, laughing at her.
"It's true. She's probably worried you wont pay attention to her now. Talk to her." Anakin shook his head and started to answer her, but was interrupted by C-3PO.
"Oh, Master Ani. They told me to tell you that we are approaching Alderaan."
"Thank you, 3PO. Let's go," he said to Padme, taking her hand.
"Padme, it is wonderful to see you alive. There were rumors of your death," Breha Organa said, hugging Padme.
"We all want to thank you for your help, and we will in great length later but do you have a doctor? Padme may be going into labor," Anakin said quickly.
"It's no rush," Padme added.
"Oh of course. I'm sorry, I didn't know you were pregnant," Breha said apologetically, taking Padme by the arm. "I have a private doctor who is trained in childbirth. I trust him completely and am sure that he will tell no one of this," Breha said to Padme as they left through a large door. Anakin followed closely behind.
"Discuss, we must," Yoda said, climbing into a small armchair.
"How did this happen?" Bail asked as the Jedi all took seats.
"Palpatine revealed to Anakin that he was a Sith lord and attempted to force him into joining him. As he came to warn us, Palpatine attacked the Temple with clone troops. Their main objective was to kill Jedi, and we believe that the clones were also ordered to turn on their Jedi generals. I fear that we may be the only Jedi left," Mace said.
"So he has been planning this," Bail said, sinking into a chair. "We should have known."
"What has he done in the senate?" Obi-Wan asked.
"He has declared himself emperor and created the Galactic Empire, with the promise of preserving our most important clauses and leading us away from this evil," Bail said bitterly.
"How could the senate allow this?" Ashoka asked.
"The senate approved it," Bail spat. "He also said that the Jedi tried to kill him, that they are rebels. In order to earn sympathy and create more hatred for the Jedi, he said that they kidnapped Senator Amidala."
"What if she were to come out?" Ashoka asked.
"Suicide, it would be," Yoda said. "In manipulating things, Palpatine is an expert."
"I agree. He would find a way to twist it, say that she married a Jedi and lied to everyone. He would find a way to make her the villain, and then he would find her," Mace said.
"Yes, Palpatine has become a dictator. He will kill anyone who goes against him," Bail said.
"I fear that he will stop at nothing to find Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "He knows the prophecy and believes, as many do, that Anakin will bring balance to the force. He will destroy Anakin before Anakin can destroy him. Palpatine also has an apprentice-Asajj Ventress. She found us on Naboo. Anakin and I bested her but did not kill her. She was a near match to both of us. I fear that her defeat will only make her stronger, more vengeful."
"But is Anakin truly the one who is meant to bring balance to the force?" Mace asked. He had never truly believed that was the chosen one. Yes, the boy had great power but he did not know how to wield it without causing destruction. He had gone against the Order, and because of his attachment to Padme he had almost become a Sith.
"I believe he is," Obi-Wan said defensively.
"Yes, who would the chosen one be if not Anakin?" Ashoka said. Mace had no answer.
"How will Anakin defeat him, the question becomes. Surround himself with protectors, he will. Defeat Ventress, Skywalker must first," Yoda said.
"Not to mention, it will take an army to defeat him. Palpatine is not stupid enough to only leave Ventress to take over his job. He probably has dozens of people in line, at least one more Sith. It would take another war," Bail said.
"Then we need to build up rebel troops," Obi-Wan said. "Look for more Jedi, I'm sure others survived. It's only a matter of time until Palpatine shows his true colors and makes people angry. Palpatine has made many enemies, we can search for people who have gone against him before."
"Yes, I agree with Obi-Wan. I started a rebel group with some senators, they may be able to recruit people for our cause," Bail said.
Anakin looked down at his infant son who was wrapped in a blue blanket. He could already feel the force in the small child. He looked at Padme, who was also looking down at the pink clad Leia who was sleeping in her arms. Breha had provided a small blue crib for the two of them and Padme had an entire suitcase filled with baby clothes. As he thought of his family, he felt relieved. His vision had been wrong-Padme was still alive. Waves of relief were still washing over him as he thought of what the alternative may have been.
"True, she's not dead now, but what about Palpatine? Now he has three people to use as leverage against you," The voice said. "You heard what Asajj said, he plans on using her as a slave. Someone who has such a close relationship with the one he's hunting and is as beautiful as Padme will not last long."
"I wish my parents were here," she said, gently rocking the small baby.
"I know. I wish my mom was here," he said, sitting down in the seat beside the bed.
"Oh Ani," Padme said when she saw the sad look on his face. "Are you happy?" He smiled, "Of course I am. They're beautiful. I just wish they could be living in a less turbulent world."
"Me too, I don't know what we're going to do. We can't keep living here."
Anakin nodded and looked down at Luke, not saying anything.
"We could go to Tatooine," Padme said slowly.
"No," he said firmly.
"Anakin," she started.
"No," he interrupted her, standing up and putting Luke in the crib. "Our children are not growing up in that Sith hole Tatooine," He yelled. She glared at him, visibly hurt.
"Anakin calm down. I'm just trying to figure this out," she said. He sank back into his seat, "I'm sorry. I just want more for my kids than the life I had." He took Leia from Padme and placed her next to her brother in the crib. There was a knock on the door and waved his fingers to slide the door open.
"How's it going?" Obi-Wan whispered.
"Obi-Wan," Padme said, smiling.
"Oh wow," Obi-Wan said, walking over to the crib. "What are their names?"
"Luke and Leia," Padme said, beaming.
"The force is strong with them," Obi-Wan said to Anakin, who nodded.
"I know. I want to check their midi-chlorian count. What's been going on with the others?" Anakin asked.
"Well, we've been discussing what to do about Palpatine. There was a small debate as to whether or not you were the chosen one, the overall consensus was that if you aren't, who is and we decided to create an army," Obi-Wan said. Anakin raised his eyebrows,
"Huh, well, glad Mace is still on to me. How are we going to assemble this army?"
"We're going to look for more Jedi and try to find people who hate Palpatine, target groups that have been against him in the past."
"Why can't we just go and fight him?" Anakin said, raising his voice a little. "This could take years, that's time that we might not have."
"Anakin, they just got to sleep," Padme said sharply.
"He will find us if we wait any longer," Anakin said, lowering his voice to a whisper. Palpatine knew that Padme was pregnant and Anakin suspected he could sense the birth of the twins. He would also bet that Palpatine at least suspected their power if he was not sure of it.
"We cannot just burst in on Palpatine and kill him if we intend to end this terror. He has people in line ready to take his place. It will take a war to end the regime he has started," Obi-Wan said. His tone was cold, Anakin wasn't thinking. If he continued this rash behavior, he could easily be killed no matter how powerful he was. His temper was always his weakness, and frankly it made Obi-Wan worried. His rash actions in the past lost him his right arm, what else could it cost him in the future?
"Padme, someone's here to see you," Breha said, entering the large white room. A thin woman with brown hair entered.
"Motee!" Padme exclaimed, jumping out of bed to hug her handmaiden. "I'm so glad you're alright. I'm sorry I couldn't get to you in time to tell you what was happening."
"It's okay, milady. I'm fine. As Senator Organa was leaving Coruscant he told me what was happening and bade me to go with him. I told Dorme as well." Padme nodded and frowned slightly. She hated to put others in danger for things that only involved her. It wasn't fair for her handmaidens to drop everything to hide from Palpatine.
"I hear there are two people I should meet," Motee said, gesturing to the crib.
"Oh yes," Padme said, leading Motee to the crib. "This is Luke and Leia," she said proudly.
"They're beautiful, congratulations," Motee said. She turned around to hug Anakin. They had always had a good relationship, especially because Motee was the only handmaiden Padme had told of her marriage.
"Good to see you. Padme, I'm going to see what's going on. I'll be back in a little while," Anakin said, hurriedly leaving the room with Obi-Wan.
Asajj bowed before the tall, hooded figure.
"I made contact with Skywalker and Kenobi on Naboo, my master," she said.
"Good. However, I take it you were not able to place a tracking device on their ship?" Darth Sidious hissed angrily. Asajj turned red and avoided his gaze, "I'm sorry. They pushed me back and were long gone before I was able to get a tracking device installed." Sidious abruptly turned around and walked quickly down a corridor. Asajj hesitated for a moment, not sure whether or not she was supposed to follow. She set off quickly behind him.
"We cannot allow another error like that again," Sidious said angrily, not looking at his apprentice. Asajj began to apologize but Sidious interrupted her, "I have no time for apologies. Fortunately, the Jedi will not hide forever. In the mean time, we will search for them. I have a few ideas as to where they may be. I have sensed the birth of the Skywalker offspring. The two are strong with the force and will make great Sith in the future. Even if they don't, they will make great bait and bartering tools to turn their father into a Sith lord." They reached the war room and Sidious suddenly stopped. He began staring at a large electronic model of the galaxy. He was immersed in it, paying no attention to Asajj. He stood just looking at it for about five minutes.
"Master?" Asajj asked growing aware of the time they had been standing there. Palpatine smiled evilly, showing his yellow teeth.
"Yes. We will look on Alderaan for them," he said, turning to look at Asajj. "Take Aurra Sing and Boba Fett with you, but do not draw attention to yourself. If you find them, I will send a clone battalion to take over Alderaan. Look in the palace, Amidala has a relationship with Bail Organa." Asajj nodded, "It will be done, my master."
