Chapter 10: A Burden Taken And A Burden Lost
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of its related franchises. All credit for the canon characters and canon occurrences in this story goes to the Star Wars franchise, Lucasfilm, and Disney.
A/N: This is where the story starts earning its "AU" tag, folks. But don't read too much into anything in this chapter just yet, because there's still a lot more to come.
The meeting in Amidala's office was grim, as the room was deathly silent, and a good number of the senators present shared a grave expression that suggested the occurrence of something terrible.
"Good evening, everyone."
Amidala swept into the room, looking as regal as ever in a billowing black dress. "I apologize for the lateness of this unplanned meeting, but as some of you may have heard, there have been new developments that we cannot ignore." She glanced around the room. "The news is barely an hour old, but it has spread quickly through the Senate. For those of you who don't know, I will fill you in." She sighed. "Several hours ago, the Separatists launched a major counteroffensive. The Republic has been driven back from Mygeeto, Felucia, and Saleucami."
At this, a worried murmur spread across the table. Ahsoka blinked in shock. Mygeeto, Felucia, Saleucami. Those three names inspired hatred in any self-respecting Republic citizen. The so-called "Triad of Evil"- three of the Separatists' largest strongholds, and the only planets standing between the forces of the Republic and the Daala Array, a series of hyperlanes that pointed like blaster pistols straight into the heart of the CIS. For the last six months, the Republic had been sieging those three planets, hoping to break through and pursue the Confederacy to the Outer Rim. Ahsoka had been on Felucia during a failed invasion (and what a failure it had been- that was when she got kidnapped and was lost to the depths of hell). And now, hearing what Amidala was saying… if the planets were lost, then the Republic had suffered total and utter defeat, driven so far back that there was no hope of retaking the planet anytime soon.
"Three of the most important planets in the Outer Rim, completely lost in one fell swoop," Amidala said, shaking her head. "The damage doesn't stop there. With complete control of these strongholds again and the hyperspace lanes that come with them, the Separatists can now freely attack other Republic forces in the Outer Rim. Our sieges had prevented them from using those hyperspace lanes. Until now." She fixed a severe glare at everyone in the room. "This is disastrous for us. These losses undermine our whole argument that the Sector Governance Bill is unnecessary for winning the war. Already, I have been inundated with messages from senators asking to withdraw their names from the pledge list. I have called you all here to conduct damage control. The Chancellor will be making a statement to the public tomorrow afternoon. We have until then to try to convince as many senators as possible to keep their support." She picked up her datapad and tapped it. "I am now sending a plan of action to everyone in this room. Each one of you has a set of specific tasks to see to. Time is of essence. Any questions?"
The room briefly filled with the sounds of datapads chiming as Amidala's plans went out to everyone in the room. Ahsoka noticed that Riyo's datapad remained silent, however, and Riyo noticed it too. She looked up at Amidala with confusion.
"Good," Amidala said. "That is all. The meeting is adjourned. And, Senator Chuchi, wait here for a moment."
As the other senators filed out of the room, Riyo stayed behind. Once the room was empty, she spoke.
"Senator, I didn't get a-" she started, but Amidala held up a hand, stopping her.
"Have a seat, Riyo," she said, gesturing to a chair next to her. "I'll explain."
Riyo sat down, and Amidala was silent for a moment as she looked at her datapad. Then she put her head in her hands and groaned. "The timing of these reverses could not have been any worse."
"Two days before the vote," Riyo agreed gloomily. "What are the details of the attack?"
"With all honesty?" Amidala asked. "From top to bottom, it was a total disaster. Wherever there was a weak link or a gap in the Republic line, there were Separatists exposing it and pushing through. The entire fleet at Saleucami was surrounded and destroyed in less than an hour. General Kento Marek is missing and presumed dead on Felucia. Grievous himself made an appearance on Mygeeto and damaged the Republic fleet there so badly that they had to retreat all the way back to Cassander."
Riyo narrowed her eyes. "It's almost as if they knew exactly where we would be."
Amidala shook her head. "No. I did wonder if this was an inside job, but not even the most fanatical Pro-Governance Senator would risk such devastating Republic defeats just to get this bill passed. Even Senator Tebathia, as misguided as she is, would never pass intelligence to the Separatists."
"You never know," Riyo murmured, and Ahsoka found herself silently agreeing.
"Well, nevertheless, we've got to push on. There's no use pointing fingers now," Amidala said
Riyo nodded. "All right, fine. You wanted to tell me something?"
"Well, I didn't send you anything because I wanted to tell you this personally," Amidala explained. "Senator Tebathia asked to meet with me after the news of the defeat. I deferred her to you."
Riyo nodded. "So I'll be speaking with her?"
"Yes. I don't like asking this of you on such short notice, but I'm completely swamped, and you're my best associate."
Riyo blushed, her skin turning deep purple. "I'm- I'm absolutely flattered, Senator."
Amidala was silent for a moment. When she spoke, her voice had a different edge- she suddenly sounded much more unsure.
"Treat this meeting with Tebathia as if you were debating in front of the entire Senate, Riyo. I never wanted to put you in this position, but the vote is three days away, and I fear that the extenuating circumstances that I have been watching for the last month- the ones that I warned you about- will be coming into play."
Ahsoka stared at Amidala.
"So I'll be giving the speech on the day of the vote," Riyo said.
"That's correct," Amidala said.
"Okay." Riyo paused. "Okay…. Okay. Wow."
Amidala leaned forward and patted Riyo's shoulder. "I wholeheartedly believe that you can deliver a speech just as prodigious as one of mine."
"I don't doubt my own ability, Senator, but I feel that you owe me an explanation."
"An explanation of what?"
"These extenuating circumstances that you say are keeping you from giving the speech? You called them secrets that would shake the Republic to its foundations," Riyo said. She crossed her arms. "I think that I have a right to know what these secrets are."
Amidala was silent again as she stared off into space, seemingly deep in thought. Finally, she sighed. "You're right, Senator. You really do have a right to know. And you as well, Ahsoka," she said, nodding to Ahsoka. She stood up. "This is something that will be revealed to the galaxy very soon, anyway. I might as well start gauging how the public might react. Will you excuse me for a moment?"
"Of course," Riyo said.
Amidala left the room, leaving Ahsoka and Riyo alone. Ahsoka took off her helmet and sat down next to Riyo, who still looked in shock from the announcement.
"Riyo?" Ahsoka asked gently. "Can you do this?"
"I-" Riyo halted. "Well, I-"
Her second attempt at a response was cut off by Amidala re-entering the room in a different outfit. Instead of a billowing black dress, she now wore a simple outfit that looked more like a recreational pilot's getup than a galactic senator's dress. It was small enough that it could have been worn under the other dress. But Ahsoka barely noted that, because she immediately saw something that she'd never noticed before. For a long time, Amidala's dresses had completely concealed her waistline. Until now. The smaller outfit revealed a large, unmistakable swell around her stomach. Amidala was pregnant. Very pregnant.
"Oh," Ahsoka said out loud at the same exact time as Riyo.
"Now you understand my situation," Amidala said. "In three days, I will be physically unable to give a speech or do much of anything."
"The baby is due on the day of the vote, isn't it?" Riyo asked faintly.
"Unfortunately, yes," Amidala said. "And it's twins. One boy and one girl."
Riyo blinked. "Er… Congratulations, Senator." However, she still looked unsatisfied. Amidala noticed Riyo's skepticism, and correctly anticipated the question that was on the tip of Ahsoka's tongue as well.
"This may not seem like a secret that could shake the foundations of the Republic, but my children are not the biggest revelation here. The real secret- one that I will take with me to my grave if I have to- is the identity of the father," Amidala said firmly.
Ahsoka tilted her head, studying Amidala closely. Senator Amidala… in a clandestine relationship. Well, stranger things had happened. It had to be with someone who was pretty high up in the government, if she wouldn't reveal the identity of the father.
Suddenly, she felt a strange flutter in the Force. Except- except, it actually wasn't strange. She'd felt it before. When Riyo and Amidala had been talking in the kitchen a month ago, right after her falling out with Master Plo. The same exact thing had happened. She glanced at Amidala, who suddenly looked uncomfortable. This was only a matter of connecting the dots. It was the babies.
"Senator," she said urgently. "Your children- they're Force-sensitive. I can feel their presences."
Instead of the stunned reaction that Ahsoka expected, Amidala looked more fearful than anything else. "Really?" she asked. "You… you can sense it?"
"Easily," Ahsoka answered. It was true. The flutter in the Force had had settled into a peaceful buzz, and the two extra life forces in Amidala positively glowed with energy. Force, they were strong. "I mean, if I can sense it, then the Jedi will definitely sense-" She broke off, as Amidala's expression had quickly shifted to horrified.
"Is… that so?" she asked in a strangled voice.
Oh. Of course Amidala wouldn't want her children to be taken away by the Jedi. An unexpected wave of resentment at the Order welled up in her.
"Well, I wish you the best of luck, Senator," Riyo said, standing up. "I understand that human births can be difficult."
"Thank you," Amidala said. "The best of luck to you too, in your speech. However, if you absolutely feel that you cannot do this, Senator Organa is fully prepared to give the speech."
Riyo shook her head. "Don't worry, Senator. That won't be necessary." With that, she turned to leave.
Ahsoka picked up her helmet, but didn't immediately follow Riyo. Instead, she turned to Amidala. What she was about to counsel to the senator was completely against Jedi protocol, but this was an exception that had to be made.
"Senator Amidala?" she asked.
"Yes, Ahsoka?"
"I think that if you were to travel to another planet… Maybe Naboo… the Jedi would be less likely to notice the children."
"Really?" Amidala asked. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," said Ahsoka.
A wave of relief broke over Amidala's face, and she visibly relaxed. That alone assured Ahsoka that she'd done the right thing. She had her suspicions about who the father was. Anakin and Senator Amidala were rather close friends, and maybe they were more than that. But she didn't need to know- that was private information.
"Thank you," said Amidala.
"You're welcome," Ahsoka said. "May the Force be with you." With that, she walked out of the room.
Riyo was waiting for her in the hallway, looking shaken, and her nervousness was obvious in the Force. As they began the walk back to their apartment, Riyo began muttering under her breath. Ahsoka wasn't really trying to listen, but she heard words like you can do this and you're strong over and over.
"Riyo?" Ahsoka asked gently. "Do you think you'll be able to give the speech?"
Riyo looked up at Ahsoka, then down to the ground, and then back to her. "I'm going to be honest, Ahsoka," she said, taking a deep breath. "If you asked me this question a month and a half ago, before I found you, my answer would have been 'no,' but you changed everything. You've made me feel so much more confident in myself. I swear, you've made me think I can take on the whole galaxy." They came to a stop at the turbolift doors. "Yes, I can give the speech." She looked Ahsoka directly in the eye and took her hand. "As long as you're there with me."
Ahsoka's heart made a very odd flitter as she gazed at Riyo, acutely aware of the warmth of her hand on her own. "That's, um, wonderful," she stammered, suddenly at a loss for words. As she looked into Riyo's beautiful amber eyes, which were filled with nothing but trust, she found herself thinking of her earlier resolve to leave the planet. And unfortunately, the news of the Separatist victories at Mygeeto, Felucia, and Saleucami were only strengthening her case for leaving after the vote. She would have to tell Riyo sometime. Just not now.
"Well, let's get started, then," she said nonchalantly, throwing an arm over Riyo's shoulder as they walked into the open turbolift. "Come on. Looks like we're squaring off with that Alsakanian d'kut again."
"Ahsoka!" Riyo chided. "That's not respectful!"
"Oh, please." Ahsoka laughed. "You'd call her that if you could."
Their light conversation continued as the two of them began planning, both of them unaware of just how massive their impact on galactic history would become.
Anaxes
"She knows that the twins are Force-sensitive, Ani."
The worried voice of Padme Amidala sounded from a small holoprojector in the hands of Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, as he slumped in the cockpit of his grounded starfighter. Outside, in the camp of the 501st Legion, the night was pitch-black.
Anakin nodded worriedly. "What about the Jedi? Do they suspect anything?"
But before Padme could reply, a clatter came from outside. He swore and reached for his lightsaber, only to realize that the sudden noise was from a falling tree branch hitting the wing of his fighter.
Anakin groaned and slumped back down in his seat. He hated having to hide just to have conversations with his wife, but that was the price to pay for forbidden love. It was partly his fault that the moments where he could relax were scarce. When he, enraged by what the Jedi had decided to do with Ahsoka after she left the Order, had wanted to go as far away from Coruscant as possible just so he could get away from everything there, he had thought that Anaxes would be an easy fight. He was wrong. For the last several weeks, the fighting had been constantly shifting as each side pushed the other back and forth, jockeying for control of the planet's vital shipyards. He and Obi-Wan had barely had a minute to spare, and it was showing. His only contact with the rest of the galaxy had been Padme. When she broke the news a month ago that she was eight months pregnant, Anakin had reacted pensively, but over time, her enthusiasm and constant assurance had eased his fears. However, the babies' Force-sensitivity, even if it was to be expected, was troubling. If Ahsoka could sense them without even trying, then it would only be a matter of time before the Jedi-
Padme's voice brought him out of his thoughts. "The Order doesn't know yet. And Ahsoka suggested that if I gave birth on Naboo, then they could escape detection."
Anakin brightened. "Really? That's a great idea! Have you left yet?"
"I'm in hyperspace right now," Padme said.
Anakin smiled. "You're one step ahead of me." Now he owed Ahsoka one.
"It's too bad that the birth coincides with the vote on the Sector Governance Bill," Padme continued. "As the face of the Anti-Governance movement, I'll be missed on Coruscant."
Anakin furrowed his brow. Padme had mentioned the Sector Governance Bill several times before, as had Palpatine. From what the Chancellor told him, the bill had been a way of expediting the end of the war. He naturally sided with his friend, since the ending of the war was something that he desperately wanted, but Padme, being a staunch defender of peace, certainly had to have a good reason for opposing the bill so voraciously.
"Padme, why are you against the Sector Governance Bill?" he asked.
Padme sighed. "Ani, I know that you and the Chancellor are good friends, so I can understand why you side with him so much, but can you try to have an open mind on this?"
Anakin was taken aback. Did Padme think that he was just blindly defending the Chancellor? "What?! No, Padme, I mean, honestly, why are you against the bill? What's bad about it to you?"
Padme's expression changed to moderate surprise. "Oh! I'm sorry…"
"No, I'm sorry; I'm genuinely interested in hearing why," Anakin said.
"Well, of course, then."
As Padme launched into an explanation, Anakin found himself listening more and more closely. The more he heard, the less the Sector Governance Bill sounded like the end-all that Palpatine had made it out to be. Sure, Anakin wanted a government that got things done, even if it meant cutting some corners, but this bill was just too much. By the end, he was agreeing with Padme and wondering why Palpatine would mislead him like this. Admittedly, he hadn't had the chance to talk with him at all lately. Several times over the last few weeks, his comm had blinked with a signal from Palpatine, but he'd never had time to answer it. Well, he would talk to him later. For now, he focused on the beautiful senator in front of him.
"So who'll be taking your place?" he asked to Padme.
"Senator Chuchi."
"Ah." Anakin vaguely knew Chuchi. They had shared a mission on Orto Plutonia, and she had hired Ahsoka as a bodyguard. And about that- when Padme had mentioned that she had literally run into Ahsoka in Chuchi's office, it was all Anakin could do not to cry in relief. He was eternally grateful to the Pantoran senator for giving Ahsoka money, shelter, and a sense of stability, the last thing being perhaps the most important. Ahsoka had a… wild side. It had diminished as she matured, but sudden emotional upheaval was all it took to bring it back to the surface. And his former padawan had certainly had enough upheaval in the last month and a half.
"You know, Ahsoka and Riyo make a good team. They remind me of us," Padme said with a slight smile.
Anakin nodded. "You're not wrong. They work together well, just like us."
Suddenly, a loud buzzing reverberated through the cockpit, causing Anakin to jump a mile and bash his head on the cockpit ceiling. He looked around wildly before realizing that the sound was his comm. Rubbing his smarting head, he picked it up and saw with a start that the Chancellor was trying to comm him.
"What's the matter?" Padme asked.
"I'm getting a comm from-" Anakin started, fumbling with the device. He meant to finish his sentence and answer the kriffing thing, but unfortunately, he got to do neither, because at that moment, the comm buzzed again, this time with an incoming comm from Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan or Palpatine? After stressing for a moment, he declined Palpatine's call.
"I've got to go now, Padme. Obi-Wan's calling. Love you."
"Love you too," Padme said, understanding immediately. Her hologram vanished, and Anakin finally answered his comm.
"Hello?"
Obi-Wan's voice crackled over the comm. "Anakin, we've got a situation. Our advance scouts are reporting a large movement of Separatist infantry straight at your camp."
"Great." Anakin sat up and pushed open the cockpit. "What does it look like? Something I can handle?"
"You may be outnumbered by as much as four to one."
"Great," Anakin muttered. He vaulted out of the starfighter and broke into a run towards Rex's tent. "The infantry can pull back to Murlon City. I'll lead an aerial rearguard to cover our retreat and…"
He quickly fell into his battle mentality, putting the thoughts of Padme and Ahsoka and everything else in the back of his mind, except for one thing- if he had answered the Chancellor's call just now, then he could've died in ignorance of the coming battle.
A/N: All right. Some people may be wondering why I'm apparently bypassing Revenge Of The Sith in this story. Well, there's a reason this story is slightly AU. I'm just taking things down a different path. This story isn't an "everything gets fixed and the Empire never happens" story (although, I do love those kinds of stories and have nothing against them, it's just that this is not one of them). Thanks for reading this chapter. Please leave a review and tell me what you think, and I hope you've enjoyed the story so far. The next three chapters: 11. The Night Before, 12. Democracy's Judgment Day, and 13. An Intertwining Of Destinies, will wrap up the first act of this story. Buckle up. It's going to be a fun ride.