On the Run
A week after the twins were born, Anakin and Obi-Wan were sitting down discussing the future, the future of the twins, and the future of the Jedi. They couldn't remain on Polis Messa forever, they could not put the people who resided here in danger, and that is what would happen if the Jedi remained.
Anakin loved the twins to distraction. He loved his wife, and he loved being a Jedi. He had always thought to run away was the coward's way out, but that was before he had children, if he went after Sidious, he could leave the children without a father, leave Padme without a husband, and leave the Jedi without their Chosen One. Anakin was sitting there with Obi-Wan holding Luke in his arms.
For once, Leia was asleep, either that or Padme was breastfeeding her. Obi-Wan couldn't take his eyes off the sight of his old padawan tenderly caring for younglings. Young Luke was the spitting image of his father. Anakin had been a great teacher and would make a wonderful father. "Any word on Ahsoka?" Anakin asked his former master.
"None, of course we aren't exactly privy to clone intelligence anymore," Obi-Wan countered.
"Rex said she was still alive. She's blocking her presence in the Force, I can't sense her," Anakin said mulishly. "Perhaps, I could pretend to be…the Clone and access Clone Intelligence. You don't think any of the Clones would remain loyal?" Anakin asked.
"Cody shot me down," Obi-Wan explained, sadly, with a shake of his head. "We were nearly brothers, together for the entire war, and he shot me down, following orders," Obi-Wan told him.
Anakin and Obi-Wan stopped talking as the HoloNews came on. "That's him?" Anakin asked seeing the wrinkled face of his onetime friend. "What happened to him?" Anakin asked.
"Oh Anakin, do be quiet," the Jedi Master admonished, "I can't hear a blasted thing." Anakin shrugged, as he shifted Luke in his lap. Anakin wiped spit from Luke's face as he listened to the HoloNews.
"It pains me to say this, but the attack on my life has left me scarred but not broken. I too, was once duped, I once thought the Jedi were heroes of the Republic, but it was their plot to take over. They manipulated both sides of the war. On one hand we had the Jedi supposedly fighting for peace and prosperity, and on the other hand we had the supposedly fallen Jedi, Count Dooku. I am here with Darth Vader, who was once a Jedi, he came to me, less than a fortnight ago, telling me of their terrible plan to execute me…me the Supreme Leader of the Galactic Republic. It is only by his swift actions that I was saved from a horrible fate. I stand here with my friend Lord Vader, who uncovered the plot of the Jedi, who has come to me and confessed that every single Jedi knew of this plot, and that they are all traitors of the Republic. To ensure that the Jedi or anyone else can never tear the Galaxy apart, I with my fellow Senators are taking steps to turn the Republic into the first Galactic Empire."
Anakin frowned, pinching the bridge of his nose at the beginnings of a headache. "Padme's not going to like this," he said. Obi-Wan shushed his former apprentice.
"The Jedi are not our friends, they are dangerous, and it up to you as citizens of the Galactic Empire to turn in a Jedi if you see them. Do not approach them, do not help them, they are traitors, for Jedi lie, and they manipulate and it is with deepest regret that I inform all of you that they are breaking laws as well, no longer will they get away with unauthorized use of Force powers, they will be bound by the same laws as you or me, or any other non-Force user. They will pay for the lives they have cost us in the Clone Wars. It is for this reason that Clone Technologies will continue to produce more Clones, we cannot afford to be lax in our efforts to protect our citizens."
"Wow," Anakin breathed. "What a load of Sith bull."
"I agree…though I'm sure some of that is true enough….from a certain point of view."
"He just blamed us for the entire war. The entire time we were fighting…Sidious was manipulating both sides of the war!" Anakin exclaimed. "We can't just sit back and let him get away with this!"
"What would you have us do, Anakin. As far as I know we are all that's left of our Order," Obi-Wan said in a tired, defeated voice.
"That's never stopped us before. We escaped from General Grevious and defeated Count Dooku with it being just us."
"We had a battalion of Clones piloting with us, distracting the good General."
"Tell me you got him, Obi-Wan."
"Cody and I took him out," Obi-Wan said with a smirk, "Though I do admit it would have been easier with your help. I meant what I said Anakin, you have become a far greater Jedi than I ever could have imagined."
Anakin looked over at him, words escaping him as tears built in his eyes. He held Luke with one hand and awkwardly hugged his former master with the other. "Thank you, Master."
"Anakin, we will have to assess the situation and determine whether an attack can be mounted. Besides, Anakin, there needs to be a system of government in place for when Sidious has to abdicate his throne, and I fear it means destroying this Vader as well."
"What challenge can he be?" Anakin asked, "Becoming that," he pointed to the screen as the reporters summarized what they had just heard. "You cut off his arm and legs, he fell into a pit of lava, he betrayed the Force, and he's a Clone," Anakin counted before Luke began crying. Anakin sniffed. And frowned. "Obi-Wan…."
"No, this is your child."
"But Master."
"Anakin, you are the father."
"Master"
"You've got to learn sooner or later, and I say sooner."
Anakin grinned as he laid Luke down on the floor and Three-poi handed him a diaper. "Show me once more."
"I swear Anakin, I should have found some way to reprimand you by giving you diaper duty at the Temple," he said as he took the clean diaper and demonstrated for his padawan once more how to change a diaper. "Why do I get the feeling I'm being duped?"
Anakin put on an innocent face, "Me? Master, I'm just a Jedi Knight, I wouldn't know how to dupe a Jedi Master…and one on the Council…"
"Mmm-hmmm," Obi-Wan replied not convinced. Luke peed on Anakin, and giggled. "That's my boy," Obi-Wan said, "You will make a fine Jedi yet," Obi-Wan chucked, as his padawan hurriedly excused himself to the fresher.
"Good to see, the last of the Jedi, I am not," Obi-Wan heard a voice say behind him. He heard the tap of a gimer stick as he turned around.
