Chapter 6

Padmé was unaware of being watched as she spoke with her handmaidens, hugging each in turn, the sheen of unshed tears visible to his trained eye. Anakin observed her undetected from the shadows near the transport. He'd made only one detour before going to see the council; he'd packed his meager belongings and sent them ahead. Artoo had been among them. Obi-Wan, used to living on the run and with little assistance, had left him to collect his bag from the military port and promised to return before the transport lifted off.

Anakin used the time to watch his wife, enjoying the way the light played about her hair, her body draped protectively in a voluminous robe to hide her condition. But only barely. Anyone who knew to look for the signs would see. Dormé and Eirtaé were reluctant to be leaving their mistress but had to stay behind and prepare the Senator's suite for when she returned.

If she returned.

Padmé had spoken privately with Anakin about wanting to stay on Naboo and raise their child in the village she'd grown up in. She hadn't shared the thought with anyone but him, and the handmaidens were unaware that this might in fact be the last time they saw Padmé as the official representative of their world. Threepio, decked out in his gold plating, dithered behind his mistress, checking to ensure all of her baggage was being dealt with properly by the load lifters.

Anakin finally strode forward from the shadows, a teasing smile playing about his lips. "Are you all packed?"

Padmé turned, a smile lighting her face. "I would hope I packed before arriving at the space port."

"How silly of me." He bowed to her, noting how her gaze lingered on the lightsaber at his hip. "I'm ever your humble servant Senator."

"The Council...?"

He straightened. "I'll explain later."

She nodded in understanding. "I'm ever grateful for your protection, Jedi Skywalker. Will it just be the two of us once more?"

"Master Kenobi should be here shortly."

"Excellent."

Anakin suppressed a feral grin.

All this diplomatic nonsense when all he wanted to do was sweep her into his arms and tell her everything all at once. But Obi-Wan had cautioned him. In accepting his lightsaber and tool belt he would still be expected to make a pretense of following the Jedi code. Anything less in public could be dangerous to Padmé. He'd only agreed because he didn't want to place her in any more peril than he already had. "May I escort you to your berth, Senator?" He offered her his arm, a courtly gesture rarely used except in the oldest of traditions. He wanted to touch her and hoped she'd accept.

Padmé slid her fingers into the crook of his elbow. "Thank you, Jedi Skywalker. I appreciate your assistance. I find myself tiring more easily the last few days."

He ducked his head, lowering his tone. "Are you alright?"

She nodded her head once, looking up at him through her lashes, her volume matching his. "Much better now."

Anakin escorted Padmé to the berth they would eventually share once the ship was in orbit. The droids assigned to the ship were tucking her luggage away into the small compartments; the majority of her things would be shipped on another transport later that evening.

Obi-Wan's arrival sealed the deal, and he brought along Commander Cody and five of the Special Operations Forces troopers from their command. The Troopers were assigned bunks with the crew of the ship who were surprised but grateful when the Clones filled one berth and then set about enhancing security on the ship. Their arrival spurred rumors that Padmé's safety was of the utmost importance to the Chancellor and the Jedi did nothing to dissuade this.

Obi-Wan bunked with the troopers; a small private berth with its own sleeping compartment assigned to him at the insistence of the Captain. Anakin checked the ship once Padmé settled herself in the lounge with Threepio and Artoo as her companions, the droids fetching her drinks and snacks. He checked with each of the clones, Commander Cody assuring him that they were currently upgrading the security measures - which they'd found to be lax.

The clones, some of their best crack troops, eased some of Anakin's fears; but there were too few of them. If one of the six were to fall, there would be no one to take their place. The clones knew it and so, in addition to upgrading the security measures, they were also planning a series of ambush points in the corridors, selecting the most likely places for infiltration and preparing contingency plans in the event of attack.

Anakin left them to their plans, secure in the knowledge that this particular group was better equipped to deal with anything than any other. Obi-Wan retired to meditation; today had given him a lot to think about with Master Yoda's meeting just before Anakin's appearance before the council, and then the necessity of taking his equipment under the guise of destroying it. Anakin let him be. Obi-Wan's whole life was the Jedi and their code. To see it changing to fit the actions of one man and his emotions wasn't something that happened everyday.

Anakin finally returned to the sitting room and joined his wife, finding a seat across from hers as the ship settled into hyperspace. "How's the stomach?"

Padmé patted her belly gently. "The nausea's been gone for the last month or more, Anakin."

"Oh." He shrugged and then smiled. "Eating for two can't be easy when you're always losing your lunch."

She laughed softly. "Trust me, it's not. So tell me what happened at your meeting this morning."

"Which one?"

"You had more than one?"

"I went to see the Chancellor this morning before I saw the council."

She blinked. "Oh?"

"He asked to see me. We talked mostly about clone intelligence reports and he offered to suggest me for a council seat a second time. I turned him down. We spoke of various things and then..." Anakin paused, his expression troubled.

"And then?" She prompted softly, listening carefully to what he said as much as what he didn't say. Their relationship had deepened since his return and discovery of her pregnancy.

"Something odd happened. I felt this power while we were talking, this malevolent sense of... something. Not something directed at me, but at what I represented, if that makes any sense. There was a puzzling Force incident and then I left to meet with the council."

"Something bad?"

Anakin shrugged. "Something that defies explanation. The more I think about it, the more confusing it is. Does that make sense?"

Her smile was faint. "It might if you told me what happened."

Anakin shook his head regretfully. "Maybe later when I have a better idea of what I saw and felt. Besides, I thought you wanted to know what happened with the Council."

"I do, but-" She paused and then sighed with exasperation. "Fine, but don't think I've forgotten about it. So tell me what happened with the Council. Is it safe to assume they assigned you and Obi-Wan as my protectors?"

"Not exactly."

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. "Just what do you mean by that, Anakin?"

He shrugged. "The Masters made it clear that we didn't have the Jedi to spare on such a long assignment; they were going to send a notice back to the Queen and tell her that she would have to have Palace security guard you during your seclusion."

"So how is it I have two Jedi protectors when they couldn't spare even one?"

"I told them about us."

She sat up alarmed, gripping the arm wrests with enough force that her fingers turned white. "You didn't!"

Anakin moved from his chair, crouching beside her and gently easing her shoulders back until she was resting against the back of the chair again. He carefully pried her hands off the arm wrests and gripped them in his own. They were like ice so he gently rubbed them together between his palms. "I'm afraid I did, Padmé. They didn't take it well."

"But... you're still wearing your lightsaber."

He could understand her confusion. "I was cast out in session. Master Windu took my lightsaber and my belt; they had two younglings tear my Jedi cloak in half and declared me one of the Lost." He smiled faintly. "I was elated to be free, Padmé. I might not have had my weapon or the belt I've worn for the past ten years, but I was finally able to be with you openly. It was as if I was a shaak in a pasture and suddenly the fences vanished."

He paused, gently kissing the back of her hand before continuing his story, his hands resuming the gently rub of hers. "Obi-Wan retrieved my lightsaber and belt and caught up with me outside of the Temple. As far as the Masters are concerned, I am one of the Lost. I now answer only to Master Yoda. My assignment to you is unofficial, but Master Yoda has sent a message to the Queen stating you are my only priority. He trusts me to act with discretion."

"Why?"

He smiled faintly. "I know; it's not exactly my strongest point. But Obi-Wan told me it has something to do with if you live or die. You are going to help shape the Republic, Padmé. Master Yoda has seen it. If you die, things unravel."

She rolled her eyes. "I highly doubt that."

"It's because of it that Obi-Wan offered me another version of the "Chosen One" prophecy."

"Oh?"

"He suggested I might be chosen alright; but not chosen in the way everyone thinks. I may be the one to bring balance to the Force; but you're the one to bring balance to the galaxy. Without one, the other doesn't happen. With Master Yoda insisting our destinies are linked they feel it's safer not to separate us and risk it."

"But you're no longer a Jedi."

"Not exactly."

"Anakin." She looked at him exasperated.

"Sorry." He gently stroked the backs of her hands with his thumbs. "But it's true. I'm a Jedi but I'm not. To the official order I'm one of the Lost, those unmentionables that nobody speaks about. But Master Yoda's giving me instructions. It's all very confusing. I still represent the Jedi because I'm being permitted to carry my lightsaber and wield the Force. I don't think all of the Masters combined could have stripped me of my power and they know it, which is one reason they've chosen this route."

"But the other Masters don't know Master Yoda is giving you order."

"No."

"So you're not a Jedi."

"Not exactly." He smiled faintly as he repeated his answer. "I will always be a Jedi, Padmé. It's a part of who and what I am - I can't change that and I'm not sure I want to. There's been a fundamental shift with Master Yoda's acceptance of my circumstance, one I wasn't expecting. The Force only knows where it will take us or what form it will take."

"So this may not be for the better."

He squeezed her fingers. "Anything that keeps me at your side is for the better. I, for one, am looking forward to the next few months. To watching you with our child at your breast, to seeing Leia or Luke take their first steps and say their first words."

"What about the republic while we're gone, Anakin? What will happen to that child?"

He sighed. "We'll have to trust her parents, Padmé. The Jedi will do everything in their power to ensure it's still there when this year is over. Besides, we won't be completely cut off. I doubt you could stay out of politics despite the circumstances."

She tugged her hands away and shooed him back to his chair. "We'll see. For now, how about we just enjoy the trip home?"

"Is that an order or a request, Milady?"

She tilted her chin haughtily. "An order, my Jedi protector, and one you had best follow."

He mockingly half-bowed to her as he retook her chair. "Anything Milady wishes. Anything."

They changed the subject, chatting of different things, but Anakin's thoughts strayed back to Coruscant and the people and mysteries left a behind them. He couldn't shake the edgy feeling that had crept over him in the Chancellor's office despite his elation to be headed for Naboo. He had a feeling that somehow, somewhere, events were unfolding in which he and Padmé had a part to play.


Darkness.

Heat.

Black Flames.

Silence engulfed him, the flames licking at his boots, crawling over his pants and jerking, threatening to burn him. The dark flames held images, picture of the dead and dying. Pictures of Jedi he'd known his whole life cast beyond it, into the Force itself. The pain of missions, billions, stabbed through him as he watched those dancing pictures, so blinding that it almost drove him to his knees. The fear choked him, squeezing his heart so tight it felt like it would explode and then suddenly it vanished, as if snuffed out like the light of a candle.

Black flames became orange, licking the toes of his boots, but receding back so that the images held within were unidentifiable. He thought he saw more planets, more people, but even as he watched the dance shifted, the flames dying about his feet only to be replaced by dark flames once more; flames that burned and changed, tearing through innocents with no regard to loyalties or beliefs.

Finally the flames leapt once more, reaching out to engulf a single planet, their red-orange tinted black with malevolence. He watched in morbid fascination as the flames engulfed the planet but didn't burn. A planet he knew all too well. The vision shifted, and the planet did with it, exploding into a multitude of stars to form a map of the galaxy. A galaxy he no longer recognized with major planets missing, borders redrawn from what he knew them to be now and whole sections of once vibrant space now lifeless.

And he suddenly, terribly, understood what he was seeing...

Obi-Wan woke in a cold sweat, the familiar feel of the nightmare almost as horrible as the nightmare itself had been. He threw off the covers, staggering to the view port that revealed the ship was still in hyper space. He took a deep, gasping breath, trying to still his racing heart. It came with difficulty, but he held it in, counting to two slowly before letting it go and breathing again.

The exercise calmed his body, but the dread of the nightmare lingered, a shadow on his soul he didn't understand and couldn't banish.

What he'd seen was almost too terrible for words; too terrible for contemplation. But the nightmare had followed the same, similar course of the one's he'd shared with Anakin in the past. With the images and dread still fresh in his mind, he quickly shrugged into his robe and headed for the corridor. Perhaps if he and Anakin spoke now they might make some sense of it; provided Anakin had indeed shared the same dream.


Darkness.

Heat.

Black Flames.

What is this? His thoughts echoed around him, even as the flames threatened to burn him. He saw worlds in ruin, complete planets missing. He saw star systems shifted, irreversibly damaged by the sudden loss of gravitational centers. He felt the pain of missions, billions, as if it were his own. The fear choking him, squeezing his heart so tight it felt like it would explode and then suddenly it vanished, as if snuffed out like the light of a candle.

The darkness shifted, the flames grew and became a violent yellow-orange, the heat almost unbearable. Images and shapes dances within, grotesque in their shifting forms, horrible in their agonizing silence. Yet they shifted in a pattern, deliberately moving, changing, shaping the face of the man he'd considered his mentor and closest friend when the Jedi didn't understand.

The flames burned in his gaze, that terrible, enthusiastic gaze, the benign face twisted in a silent laugh of exultation and power. And he suddenly, terribly, understood what he was seeing.

The Galaxy was burning...

"Anakin!" He woke with a start, Padmé's voice snapping him out of the dream even as he cool hands, so in contrast to the heat of the vision, cupped his face. "Anakin!"

He met her gaze for a brief moment before burying his face in her chest. She clutched him to her tightly, one hand stroking the sweat soaked tendrils away from his face, shielding him as best she could from whatever nightmares had plagued him. He trembled in her grasp, unable to fully comprehend the magnitude of what he'd just seen; what he'd just envisioned. Unable to grasp what could possibly bring it about.

She murmured soft words he didn't fully comprehend as he squeezed his eyes tightly shut. Her voice and her touch slowly seeped into the receptors in his brain, soothing him like nothing else could in their rhythmic dance. Slowly, carefully, his grip about her middle eased, his hands lingering on the swell of their child, becoming aware of just where his head had been lying. He pulled away sharply. "I didn't-"

"It's alright, Anakin." Padmé's tone was confident. "You didn't hurt me or the baby."

He exhaled slowly, wondering how long it would take for the tremors wracking his body to stop, and found he couldn't meet her gaze. "I'm sorry."

She placed her hand on his and squeezed. "What is it? And don't tell me it's nothing, Anakin Skywalker, I know what I heard and what just happened."

He turned away, swinging his feet off the bed and letting his forearms rest on his knees, dangling his hands between them. She moved up behind him, pressing herself against his back and placing a light kiss on his shoulder. Her touch gave him courage and reassurance as she silently supported him. He took a deep, shuddering breath, feeling her move with him. "I saw... death. Destruction." He swallowed hard. "I felt millions of beings die in a single instant. I saw the galaxy spinning out of control, engulfed by a multitude of civil wars. Chaos and fire, all focused on the Chancellor."

"The Chancellor?" Padmé echoed the revelation softly. "Are you sure?"

He nodded, his hands coming up, his fingers sliding deep into his hair as he gripped his head tightly. Surely he hadn't just seen that, had he? The galaxy burning while the Chancellor watched and did nothing to stop it? Condoning it? Watching as the republic fought itself to the brink, and enjoying it? His throat ached. "I know what I saw."

Padmé was silent for a long minute, one hand gently stroking his hair as she considered his words. "It fits."

He jerked as if struck. "What?"

She eased back, letting him turn to face her, and he noted how pensive she seemed. "It fits." She repeated the statement slowly, her mind obviously working on the information given. "The Chancellor is more like a dictator than an elected ruler thanks to all of the special motions and emergency powers the senate has voted him. If he wanted to, he could dissolve the senate and take direct control of the systems and planets, installing the military as the regional enforcement."

"The Jedi would never allow it."

"Exactly." She frowned. "What better way to force them to be involved than letting the galaxy tear itself apart?"

"You think this is deliberate?" A knock sounded on their cabin door, cutting off their discussion, and Anakin's head came up. "Obi-Wan." He glanced at Padmé, noted she was already shrugging into a dressing gown, and then pushed to his feet. He ensured Padmé was covered and settling herself in the small entry way sitting area, before palming the door open.

Obi-Wan looked as sick as he felt inside. "You look horrible, Master."

"So do you.." Obi-Wan glanced beyond him to Padmé and then met Anakin's gaze. "You dreamed." It wasn't a question.

"So did you. The galaxy?"

Obi-Wan nodded, though it wasn't really necessary.

Anakin motioned for Obi-Wan to step in. Obi-Wan took his seat carefully as Anakin settled next to Padmé.

"It would appear that the dreams have returned."

"Returned?" Padmé looked from one to the other. "This has happened before?"

Anakin nodded reluctantly. "Once. Before the Chancellor's kidnapping that brought us back to Coruscant."

"Anakin." Obi-Wan's tone was cautionary.

Anakin had the grace to blush. But only slightly. "Alright, more than once. Obi-Wan and I were sharing visions of the future before I found out you were pregnant."

She arched her eyebrows, her expression mild. "And you didn't think to tell me?"

He shrugged, reaching up to brush a tendril of hair from her cheek. "They've all but disappeared and that future won't come to pass now. That's all that matters. I had thought they'd ended."

"They had." Obi-Wan's comment was quiet. "Something must have happened to shift everything, to make things volatile once more."

Anakin glanced back at Padmé and was relieved to see that she wasn't dwelling on the other dreams with the new one so pressing. She had that look on her face again, so he addressed his question towards Obi-Wan. "But what? Surely by changing my path, I haven't really altered events that much."

"Who knows. You are the Chosen One." Obi-Wan smiled almost sourly. "It would figure that by saving you from yourself, we might condemn the galaxy to a worse fate."

"The Chancellor." Padmé's soft comment cut through their discussion and they turned to her as one. She smiled, but it was strained. "The dream was about the Chancellor, right? About how he watches the destruction of the galaxy without lifting a finger to stop it?"

Anakin nodded. Obi-Wan looked skeptical. "I only saw a great darkness, flames surrounding Coruscant but not really touching it, indicating the evil emanates from there. There were no signs it was the Chancellor."

"I dreamt of him." Anakin's voice was choked. "I know it sounds strange, Obi-Wan, but why would Palpatine enjoy watching the galaxy rip itself apart?"

"I don't know, Anakin. Are you sure you saw Palpatine?"

He nodded reluctantly. "I wish I hadn't."

"It gives you a place to start." Padmé's tone was gentle. "The evil may not be the Chancellor, but someone close to him. Or even controlling him."

"Controlling Palpatine?"

Padmé shrugged, but she too found dark humor in the thought if the sparkle in her gaze was any indication. "Anything's possible."

Obi-Wan cleared his throat. "Padmé's right. Palpatine could be under someone else's control, but his actions and decisions have all been calculated. He's managed to gain all but the fewest of powers through executive decisions and stay in office far longer than any other politician. He knows his days are numbered. If he, or the power controlling him, need that power, they may try to destroy the Republic and take control of the remnants."

Padmé's nod was reluctant. "That's what I was thinking, too. If Palpatine's acting alone, he's far more cunning and ruthless than any of us gave him credit for. I can't believe I opened the door for his election!"

Anakin wrapped his arm about her shoulders. "That was a long time ago, Padmé. Things changed, he changed from the man you knew as the Senator to the man he is as Chancellor."

"I know." She sighed and then shook herself, her mood changing lightning quick. "What are we going to do about it?"

"You're not doing anything but resting, Senator." Obi-Wan's tone was strict. "Anakin and I will start sleeping in shifts, this way we can guard you properly once I send a warning message back to the Council."

"You don't think they'd come after us in transit, do you?"

Obi-Wan pushed to his feet and shrugged. "It's possible once I send the message. It will pin point our location to anyone wanting to know it."

"Shouldn't we wait until we reach Naboo?"

"The sooner the council knows about the possible threat, the better. Senator." Obi-Wan bowed to her and then departed, his visibly stride purposeful before the door shut, blocking him from view.

"Resting! I should be doing something, warning someone!" Padmé fumed darkly, pushing herself to her feet with the barest of difficulty..

Anakin chuckled. "Who, love? Senator Organa? The delegation of Two Thousand?" She'd explained about the petition that had been signed but never given to the Chancellor. "What can they do if the rest of the senators are in Palpatine's pocket? Nothing but expose themselves and risk all they're trying to accomplish. No, let them lie low for now, if they've the sense, and let the Jedi handle the Chancellor. If we're lucky, Grievous will be dead before the end of the week and that nightmare won't come to pass."

She looked at him shrewdly. "Your lack of confidence isn't inspiring, Anakin. Come back to bed. Obi-Wan said we'd sleep in shift-"

"No, Padmé." He cut her off, softening it with a gentle smile. "He and I will sleep in shifts. You need to keep your strength up for the baby."

She smiled softly, rubbing one hand over the swollen flesh and extending the other to him. "Fine, while you two sleep in shifts, I'll plan during my waking hours what needs to be done once we reach Naboo."

He dropped a soft, lingering kiss on her lips. "You're supposed to be on vacation."

"I'll vacation when the galaxy is safe for our child to be a part of it."

Anakin chuckled softly. "I wouldn't expect anything less. But until we reach Naboo, and for the moment, you need sleep more than anything."

She didn't argue, indicating she was more tired than he'd previously though, as she linked hands with him and let herself be led back to their room.