Year three: the Darkness
(all dates from beginning of year)

Coruscant (0 Months)

Palpatine concentrated on focusing his internal anger into a tight ball as he stared at the scene playing out on his screen. He maintained an even expression as he looked up into the face of Armand Isard once more.

"My agents have already arrested the alien and have confiscated the holovid. Sire, I promise..."

"Promise?" Palpatine snarled. "One Mon Calamari stood for a full five minutes on the Senate steps and announced to the citizens of Coruscant that the 'power of freedom is greater than the force of any dictator'? And the Coruscant Hourly News was allowed to broadcast this?"

"Your Majesty, I'm working now to tighten security here on Coruscant."

"An excellent idea, if not a little late." Palpatine waved his new intelligence chief out of his office. "Do not disappoint me, Isard," he muttered as the door closed. He turned to face his silent apprentice. "Lord Vader?"

"The man is a fool," Vader said.

"He will do better in the future. However, the Mon Calamari may be a greater nuisance than I'd imagined."

"They are insignificant."

"For the moment, that is true, but-" He hesitated. "They will one day belong to the Empire. Leave me."

"Yes, my master," Vader said with a slight bow.

Palpatine watched the black-armored man leave, then stared at the frozen picture of the Mon Calamari. He flicked his hand and the screen darkened. Once more he picked up the datachip that Isard had given him.

There was no further word on Amidala. She seemed to have vanished without a trace. Her two Jedi protectors on Naboo must have been involved, as well as Obi-Wan Kenobi. Three Jedi and not one clue. Now, one Jedi was dead and the other two had disappeared. Amidala was a problem that needed to be solved immediately. His dark manipulations of the Force had heightened his awareness of past, present and future. He knew that she was destined to play a role in his downfall.

He would find her through her friends. They were her weakness.

It was a dangerous and carefully crafted game he played. It was still too early to show his true power; otherwise he would arrange for Senator and Princess Organa to vanish. The Force was a powerful ally-especially when turned against those unprotected against its full potential.

He would continue to be patient.

Corellia: (2 weeks)

Baryl stared at the medical droid, wishing she had pulled out all his internal wirings as soon as he'd announced his diagnosis.

"I heard you the first time," she said, still stunned. She glanced around the otherwise empty room. "Are you sure?" She knew it was true, yet she still resisted the idea.

"Yes, Miss Arasta, my diagnosis is accurate. You are three-and-a-half months pregnant." She shook her head in disbelief at her own denial. For two months she'd ignored the faint whisperings of the Force, hoping against hope it was a figment of her imagination.

"I can't be," she tried one last time to deny everything. She'd taken precautions.

The droid gave a reasonable approximation of shrug then said, "These things happen."

Only when Jedi are involved, she thought. Ben would attribute this to the Force. Damn him anyway, she hadn't heard a word from that last night on Tatooine.

"I guess they do," she said, more calmly than she felt, as she carefully slid off the examining table. The droid opened the door for her. She walked slowly out to the waiting room.

Rostek Horn stood as soon as he saw her. "Well?"

"Not here," she said, and beckoned him toward the door. Ben should be told first, she thought, but unless she could find a contact she actually trusted, she had no way of even finding him.

"I thought so," Rostek said as they exited the building.

"You suspected?" she said in disbelief.

Rostek Horn chuckled. "Scerra did, actually. She has some experience in these matters." He glanced sideways at her. "You might want to talk to her."

Baryl agreed. There was another reason to talk to Rostek's wife. Her child was Jedi-even as the medical droid was telling her she was pregnant, Baryl had realized that she'd known. She also recognized that some sort of bond existed between her and the unborn child. She could sense her child's Force potential. And, she finally admitted to herself, had recognized it much earlier. The thought of bringing a child-especially a Jedi child-into the Empire's galaxy terrified her.

"What will you do?" Horn asked as the approached CorSec headquarters.
"I'm not sure." She didn't want to voice her fears. "I'll stay on the job, of course-for a while anyway. " She cut off his beginning protest. "And before I do anything else, I need to get in touch with Ben."

"Except through Alderaan, there is no safe way of contacting him."

"Kiffle," she muttered. "I know that all too well."

He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Baryl, it will all work out. You'll see."

She shook her head. She didn't know that at all. Not anymore. "Tatooine becomes a more attractive prospect."

"People *do* raise children there," he said.

She nodded as she thought of Luke and the Lars family. "I know. This was just not what I planned for right now."

"You'll do fine," Horn reassured her. "Scerra wants you to come over for dinner tonight and keep her company. Hal and I are going to the Zoneball finals."

"I'd be delighted," Baryl said, planning the message she'd send to Princess Kalla. She expected to meet Ben on Alderaan during the Festival of the Moons-but she hoped she'd see him sooner.

Rostek Horn grinned. "Scerra's looking forward to it." He paused. "Baryl, in light of your 'news', I'm going to limit your field assignments."

Baryl didn't argue. He was right, she did need to avoid strenuous activities-like chasing crooks through Treasure Row.

Rostek picked up his morning deliveries from his aide and entered his office. She started to walk over to her desk, but stopped when Horn called out her name. She took the proffered datareader.

"I see," was all she said until they entered his office and closed the door. "An Imperial Garrison?"

"Are you surprised?"

"No," she admitted. "I just didn't expect him to move so fast. I suppose there'll be an Imperial Liaison Officer as well?"

"Eventually." Rostek placed the reader on his desk. "The Diktat is negotiating for the Emperor to visit Coruscant during his good will tour."

"That should be exciting," she said sarcastically.

"The security problems will probably tie-up most of CorSec's resources. But you'll be getting your excitement elsewhere." It took her a second to realize that she would most likely be on Tatooine by that time.

"Have you seen the Emperor's full itinerary?"

"Yes. Alderaan is his first stop."

It took an incredible amount of effort to not react to that news. The Emperor and Amidala on the same planet-she could only hope that Amidala had the sense to be somewhere else.

Alderaan

Amidala's frown deepened as she stared blankly at the numbers before her. The screams of delight coming from Leia and her two young friends was just too enticing. She turned and burst out laughing at the sight of Lady Brasa taking her paint-covered hand and placing it flat on the piece of paper.

"Red," Leia said as she reached over and placed her hand in the paint. Tyro and Betatia joined in, only they weren't inclined to wash their hands before touching anything else. It took seconds for the table to become a puddle of gray, with hints of other colors.

Amidala decided now was probably a good time to rescue her assistant-and to end the painting lesson. "Yes, and a lovely red it is, too. Tell me about your picture?"

Leia grinned as she held up the paper, paint dripping off the bottom edge onto the table below. "It's the fire in fireplace!"

Amidala nodded, then complimented the other paintings before announcing, "Clean-up time!"

"No!" Tyro, said with a scowl. He was a few months older than Leia and blonder than the young princess.

His sister Betatia stuck her thumb in her mouth, decided she didn't like the taste of the paint, and said, "I don't wanna clean up!

"First we'll get this mess cleaned up-" Amidala said firmly as she gathered up some sponges. "-and then we'll play a game of hide and go seek." The protests stopped and her young charges began to help. Amidala exchanged glances with Lady Brasa and strove to keep a straight face. The children's attempts at cleaning, while quite exuberant, were not very effective.

"Hide and seek now! I wanna be 'it'!" Leia shouted as Amidala rinsed out the sponges.

"Princess Leia," Amidala said sharply. Leia sat down and pouted. Tyro and Betatia grinned at the young princess's discomfort.

"I'm 'it'," Tyro said.

Lady Brasa spoke before the two girls could respond. "We'll do this fairly." She tapped each of the kids's heads as she chanted a nonsensical rhyme. "Yir, tir, mir, and you are it." Her hand was on Leia's head. "You're it, princess." She then took the hands of the other two children. "I know some great hiding places." They swiftly left the room.

"I'll help you count," Amidala said, "But first you need to close your eyes."

"One, two, five..." Amidala smiled as Leia continued counting. Her smile turned quickly into a frown as the roar of a transport shuttle flew low over the palace.

Palpatine had arrived. He would land and be escorted through the capital, then meet with Kalla and Bail.

"Auntie Ami? Twenty yet?"

She shook her head, then glanced down at her daughter. "Yes, it is."

"Goody." Leia ran over to the large wicker trunk in the corner and opened the lid. "Hide in here!"

"No,sweetheart, you don't hide-you have to find the other children."

"Hide!" Leia giggled as she crawled over the edge. "You too! We hide together."

Amidala ducked quickly as Leia tossed a ball out of the trunk as she started to empty it.

Her thoughts again wandered to the parade outside. It was not as low-key as Kalla had wished. The assembly had voted in favor of a military band and honor guard to accompany the Emperor. Amidala closed her eyes and envisioned Palpatine stepping off his shuttle and greeting the government dignitaries. He would be treated as a hero, not the dictator he was becoming.

"Auntie?" Leia had emptied the trunk and was yanking on Amidala's light brown tunic. "Hide!"

"Sure, sweetheart." She stepped into the trunk and knelt down, pulling Leia close. The Emperor could not learn who Leia was.

"What's wrong?" Leia said as the lid closed.

"Nothing," Amidala said as she hugged the girl. Except for the shifting of the rules in this game of hide and seek, she silently amended.

She jumped when the trunk opened a few seconds later. "Lady Ami? Princess Leia?" Lady Brasa said with a smile.

"You see, Princess, the game doesn't work very well if the person who's supposed to be searching decides to hide, too," said Amidala.

"It's all right," Lady Brasa replied. "The others have run off to watch the parade." Amidala caught the slight bitterness on the last word, but Leia squirmed out of Amidala's arms and climbed out of the trunk.

"I wanna see!" She ran out the door toward the large window facing the public square. The two women quickly followed.

Leia had joined some of the other court children who had climbed up on the sill so they could see what was happening below. Amidala stopped, suddenly shivering.

"Lady Ami, are you all right?" Lady Brasa asked.

"Yes," Amidala lied, wondering at the sudden sensation of cold.

"There he is," one of the older children shouted.

Amidala turned her attention back to the scene as six blue-robed guards moved through the crowds below, opening a pathway. She shivered again, then glanced at the raised platform where Kalla and Bail waited. In the abrupt stillness she felt her attention drawn back to the man who now climbed the steps leading to the platform. The Emperor himself. She'd wondered at his willingness to allow Kalla and Bail the dominant role, but as she watched, she understood: it was all a sham.

She wasn't sure what caused her to turn her head and look beyond the fringes of the crowd. A lone figure all in black armor hovered in the shadows, aloof and wary. No one else paid this figure any attention, their cheers were for the Emperor and the Organas. Yet it was the black figure who held her spellbound. Even this far away, she could feel the power of the man. The pervasive sense of cold filled her again. Even the children's chatter had ceased.

And there was something else.

She stopped breathing as his glance moved randomly through the crowd. Suddenly, he looked straight up at her window. She jumped back.

"Anakin!" she whispered.

"Ami, are you all right?" She barely heard Lady Brasa or noticed the other children staring at her.

"I'm fine." She stood frozen in place, unable to take her eyes off him. The blankness of the armored faceshield seemed to bore right through her. It wasn't until he looked away that she allowed herself to breathe.

Before she could fully relax, however, she was gripped by a sudden terrifying thought. If she had recognized him, had he somehow been able to sense her?

More cautiously now, she glanced at the platform once more. The Emperor seemed unaware of what had just transpired. Anakin was nowhere in sight.

If Anakin *had* recognized her, what would he do? Tell Palpatine? And if he didn't, could it be that there was still some good in him? A spark of light that she could use as the basis to free him from the Emperor's clutches?

"Mommy?" Leia pointed out the window.

"Yes, dear," Amidala whispered. "You need to take your nap now." She focused her attention on her daughter. Leia looked flustered. Amidala remembered Ylenic's warning about a bond between her and her husband and possibly the children. She shivered at the notion that Leia might have also sensed Anakin. "Come." She controlled the overwhelming desire to flee with her daughter, as she took Leia's hand.

"I'll take her," Lady Brasa said, stepping forward. Amidala just nodded, her thoughts far from the palace and the protests of her daughter being led away from the window.

She resisted the urge to look out the window, and turned away. "My dad-" said an older boy boastfully, as he gazed out, "-says that Emperor Palpatine will bring peace and understanding back to the Galactic Senate..."

She couldn't stand to hear anymore. Uppermost in her thoughts was that somehow she had to get Anakin away from that man. The children's shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" rang in her ears as she rounded the corner.

She leaned against the doorjam to the princess's room. "Oh, Anakin-do you remember any of our time together? What happened to you? To us? How did Palpatine make you stop loving me?" She closed her eyes and recalled the image of the last time she'd seen her sandy haired husband, the haunted look in his eyes. "Is it too late for us to recapture what we once had?"

She stared at her clasped hands. "I never understood your Force, but I know the person that you once were, your basic goodness. It wasn't that long ago. I can't believe the Force did this to you." She could feel the tears start to well up in her eyes.

"Ami," Lady Brasa said. "It's Leia. She's just thrown up." Amidala bolted over to the bathroom. Leia started to cry as Amidala wrapped her arms around her.

"I not feel good," Leia whispered, then retched again. Amidala frowned-her daughter felt feverish.

"Right after I call the doctor, I'll send a message to Princess Kalla..."

Amidala shook her head violently. "No. This meeting with the Emperor is extremely important." And it was possible, however remote, that either Palpatine or Anakin might come, too. Lady Brasa gave her a strange look, then hurried out into the hall. Amidala hugged her daughter close to her, whispering comforting words.


Amidala clasped her hands as she watched Kalla talk to Doctor Ettyk. The princess's face darkened at the news, then she motioned for Amidala to approach. Ettyk bowed as he departed.

"What happened? Did Leia give any indication earlier that she wasn't feeling well?" Kalla asked when they were alone.

"Not that I could tell. One minute she was fine, and the next she was throwing up." She couldn't help but wonder at the timing of Leia's illness, despite Ettyk's announcement that he had a number of patients sick with the Yefa Flu "How is Leia now?"

"The doctor is pretty sure it's the flu. She has a fever and is delirious. They're running tests now."

Amidala glanced at her daughter through the door. "Will she..."

"He doesn't know. Ami-was it something to do with the Emperor?"

"I don't know," she said, then reluctantly added, "It's possible."

"He sensed her?"

"Or she sensed him." Amidala turned away and wiped the tears streaming down her face. She knew she wasn't referring to the Emperor.

"I've sent for Master Elegos. Perhaps he can help," Kalla said quietly. Tears were running down her cheeks as well. "Now that Palpatine and his entourage are gone, perhaps she'll feel better?"

"I don't know," Amidala whispered. Was this event a coincidence or Force-related? "They're truly gone?"

"Yes, fifteen minutes ago. As I predicted, he's agreed to not station a garrison of Imperial troops here. For the moment," Kalla added softly. "He will eventually, though." They both looked at the sleeping child. "There must be something we can do for her."

"There is," a new voice said. Ylenic Elegos moved closer to the girl. "I, too, sensed the darkness." He glanced at the two women. "Be here for her," was his simple advice.

Kalla stepped forward. "It wasn't anything done by the Emperor?"

Ylenic shook his head. "No, not the Emperor." He glanced at Amidala, and she felt her panic begin again. Had Anakin sensed Leia?

Kalla bent down next to Leia. She took the girl's hand in hers and started singing.

Ylenic motioned Amidala away from the bed. "You recognized him, too? The mysterious man in black?"

"Yes," Amidala said quietly.

"He is known as Lord Vader. No one knows who he is, or his exact function. But he appears to be a member of Palpatine's inner circle."

"Can he be saved?"

Ylenic looked thoughtful. "There are legends about Sith Lords being pulled back to the light-but they are only myth. And the lord usually dies soon afterward. Amidala, you need to concentrate on the here and now-not on the 'might bes'."

"That's all I have," she whispered. She brushed her hand over her eyes. "Thank you for coming."

"You are welcome," Ylenic said with bow. "Be careful. If Vader recognized you..."

"I understand." She concentrated on his words as she returned to her daughter's side.

Tatooine (6 weeks)

Ben leaned against the shovel as he wiped his brow. His Jedi training had included little about architecture and building, but Ben was pleased with the results. The cave was progressing. It was still only a hollowed out depression in the ground, but he had started the steps to the lower level. As he wiped the back of his neck, he decided that it was definitely more pleasant working inside than out under the blazing suns.

He lifted the shovel, then dropped it quickly and turned away from the cave. He could sense someone approaching. His hand reached for his saber as he stretched out with the Force, and then he relaxed.

After a few seconds, the drone of an approaching speeder filled the air.

He waited quietly until Owen Lars pulled up beside the 'house'. "Hello," Ben said with a smile.

Owen scowled at him. "Why are you here?" He didn't exit his speeder.

"I'm working on my house."

"I can see that. Obi-Wan, I repeat, why are you here?"

"Because I promised Luke's mother that I would watch out for him," Ben replied quietly.

"We can do the job without your help. Or are you planning on taking the boy away?"

"I promised that would not happen. But he needs to be trained."

"So you say," Owen said softly. Ben could hear a touch of anger and worry in his brother's voice. "He won't be needing any of that for a life on Tatooine."

Ben just shook his head. "His destiny lies elsewhere. The Force is strong in his family."

"Even on Tatooine we hear what is happening with the old republic-or rather Empire. The new Emperor doesn't like the Jedi. Luke's better off not knowing any of that 'black magic'."

"All you do is delay the inevitable. Luke will one day realize his power-with or without your permission."

"But not from you. I want you to stay far away from us, Obi-Wan. The Jedi only bring trouble."

"Then you should call me Ben," he said softly.

"Very well, Ben. Just stay away from Luke Skywalker."

"If you promise to keep him safe from the Emperor."

"Tatooine is controlled by the Hutts," Owen asserted. "The Emperor has no power out here."

"He has far more than you will ever understand. When the empire comes to Tatooine, you will need to keep Luke hidden."

Owen's scowl deepened. "Why? Why would the Emperor concern himself about a little boy?"

"Because he's Skywalker's son. And Anakin Skywalker once lived on Tatooine."

Owen glared at him for several seconds, before responding, "Who the Hell is this Anakin Skywalker?"

Ben answered his question, leaving out nothing. Owen's face paled even further as he finished. Neither spoke for several minutes.

"Hell," Owen snarled, "Anakin should have stayed on Tatooine. This is what happens when idealistic fools get involved in damn stupid crusades. And now you've put my family at risk." The speeder roared back to life. "Just stay away from us." Ben ignored the blowing sand as his brother sped away.

"The Force will have its way," Ben whispered. "Luke and Leia will one day face Anakin and the Emperor: that is their destiny." There was no reply from the empty sands that lay glittering under the relentless suns.

Ben kicked at the sand, then bent down to pick up his shovel. His destiny, for the moment, involved finishing carving a home out of the red sandstone rock.

Alderaan: (7 weeks)

"I'm not staying in bed another day," Kalla snarled hoarsely at Doctor Ettyk. "How's Leia?"

"The Princess has made a complete recovery," Ettyk said, "I don't expect any complications. Now, if you will excuse me, I do have other patients. Ones that are more willing to cooperate, I might add." He smiled as Kalla tried to stand.

Amidala shook her head as Kalla didn't get any further than just sitting up a bit more. "Maybe I can do some work from here?" She glanced over at Amidala hopefully.

"I would rather you remained in bed and rested," the doctor said. "But it beats having you try to stand. Lady Ami," he turned to face Amidala. "Keep her schedule light-with frequent breaks. She's been very ill."

"Get out of here, then," Kalla said with a wan smile. "And thanks."

"Well," Amidala said, "It's about time you starting feeling better. A week is enough vacation."

"This was my vacation? And I had to spend it sick in bed? Now, if my head will only stop swimming, I'd like to look at the recent figures on the epidemic."

Amidala handed Kalla a datareader. "The last such epidemic was fifteen years ago."

"I remember it well." Kalla attempted to focus on the data in front of her and then winced.

Amidala placed her hand on the princess's forehead. "Perhaps it is time to rest again?"

"Nonsense." Kalla closed her eyes. Amidala reached over and took the datareader and pulled the covers over her.

"Sleep, I'll return in an hour or two."

"I'm not tired," Kalla replied with a big yawn.

"Of course not. I'll return soon." She didn't give Kalla a chance to argue. She turned out the lights as she left the room.

"How is she?" Bail asked in the hallway.

"She's sleeping now. The doctor says she can do some work, but only if she promises to rest frequently."

"Good," Bail said as they walked down the hall to his office. "I have to return to Coruscant tomorrow." He flicked a switch on his console, then muted the sound. "The Emperor's 'goodwill tour' has been a remarkable success." He sat down and motioned her to the other chair by his desk. "My intelligence chief informed me this morning that Palpatine's security is very effective at quietly taking care of any would-be agitators."

"I see." She glanced at the screen. "The Emperor's at Chandrila today?"

"Yes, Mon Mothma had a great deal to say about that. Garm's reaction was unrepeatable." They both watched the Coruscant Hourly News broadcast. "Notice how they no longer report anything negative?"

"The Palpatine Propaganda News," she said sarcastically. "Speaking of agitators, any word on that Mon Calamari protester?"

Bail shook his head. "The Mon Calamari ambassador was told the prisoner had no rights since they don't belong to the Empire."

"That's pushing it." Amidala responded. Odds were the protester was dead.

"Somewhat. The Mon Calamari have never been officially recognized as being independent of the Empire." Bail turned up the sound just as a Twi-lek lunged at the Emperor. A figure in black quickly stepped forward, blocking the attack. Amidala watched in horror as Lord Vader whipped out a red lightsaber and sliced the Twi-lek's head off. A crowd of security personnel surrounded the Emperor and hastily moved him away. The screen went blank.

Amidala continued to stare at the screen, remembering the day she'd somehow recognized her husband beneath the armor.

"That's a lightsaber!" Bail said. "Lord Vader is a Jedi?" He gave her a puzzled look.

"Palpatine's apprentice." Amidala worked to maintain a neutral expression.

"A Sith, then." Bail drew in a sharp breath. He silently stared at the screen for several seconds. "Amidala, Kalla is worried that you're planning on leaving us."

"Bail, I have to." Her mind was filled with images of a black mask that would fade away to reveal the face of her husband. "My presence here is jeopardizing everything."

"We can protect you here. Palpatine wouldn't dare..."

"That's just it-he would." Amidala took a deep breath. "The man sees no limits in his bid for total power."

"I'm not sure I see your reasoning. But let me help you. I have many useful contacts."

"I've already made arrangements, but thank you anyway."

"When will you go?"

"During the festival. The flu epidemic offers a good cover." She'd started planning her second death soon after the epidemic hit the palace. This funeral would be less of a show than her first.

"We'll all miss you. Especially Leia."

"And I'll miss you, but it's better this way." She stood. She wasn't really sure if she wanted Bail to convince her to remain-or to honor her choice, and let her leave.

The recent illness had slowed the preparations for the Festival of the Moons, but not dampened the spirit. She left Bail's office and wandered around aimlessly, feeling more than a bit at loose ends. Unbidden, her thoughts returned to her own palace and the life she'd once led.