CHAPTER ELEVEN: HOPE OR DESPAIR
The shiny mirror-polished Naboo skiff exited hyperspace with a soft shake of the controls.
At the very same time, so did the Sundered Heart.
He asteroid belt was known to very few, a select group, in this case, the only ones still alive, Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jayce Adar, Ahsoka Tano, Bail Prestor Organa, R2-D2 and C-3PO, the ones left at the side of the Jedi were left.
Now, from an observance walkway around the domed medical room where Padmé gave birth, Yoda stood watching.
Infinite darkness fell down through the glass dome, but Yoda didn't look up to see it, nor the stars twinkling brightly and sad.
"Failed I have.".
"My failure it was, my failure to the Jedi, to the Republic…".
Don't blame yourself my old friend.
"Qui-Gon Jinn…".
By engaging Sidious, you bought Obi-Wan enough time…
Yoda looked at the woman in the medical room, weakened, nearly killed by the man that loved her.
"Known I should have, that changed, the Order should have," his gaze fixated at Obi-Wan, who was encouraging Padmé to hang on.
"Changed the Sith have, learned from their mistakes they did, their revenge this was, and our arrogance prevented us it did, from seeing the events- let the Order change, I did not…".
That is something more easily said than done, my friend.
"Much to learn, there still is…".
And you will have time to learn it.
"Infinite knowledge, require infinite time that does," Yoda said shaking his head in denial.
Yet Jayce and Ahsoka, Obi-Wan and Anakin can do it…
"Enlighten me…" Yoda said.
I can teach you how to join the Force, yet retain your consciousness, perhaps, in time, even your physical self.
"Eternal living, the goal of the Sith…" Yoda mused.
Yet they can never achieve it, it comes through extreme compassion, the release of self, love is the key.
"A very great master you have become, you always were, but I never saw it, too blind I was," Yoda bowed respectfully.
"Your apprentice, I gratefully become…".
"Don't give up Padmé," Obi-Wan said while holding her cold hand.
"It's a girl, Anakin thought it was…" she brought out.
"We'll find out soon, save your energy," Obi-Wan was confused, how did he end up here.
Blast Anakin, look what you did, you should be here, not me!
"If it's a girl, name her Leia…" she gasped crying from pain.
One of the med droids appeared and showed them the newborn.
"It's a boy," the droid said cold.
Padmé looked at the infant and touched it, the baby gave her strength "Luke…" she whispered.
"Oh oh, oh no," Obi-Wan looked asking at the surgical droid.
"Another one," the same cold voice said.
Padmé again cried out in pain.
"Hold on Padmé…".
The droid came towards them showing a second newborn.
"It's a girl,".
"Leia…" Padmé touched the baby's forehead and smiled, again a bit of energy was passed through her hand, the twins were helping her, strengthening her.
"Padmé, you have twins, they need you…" Obi-Wan brought out.
Suddenly one of the droids checked the readout.
"She's strengthening sir,".
Padmé smiled and held the babies in her arms, then the droids shooed Obi-Wan out of the room.
The news of Padmé's survival came unexpected and with joy, but Ahsoka still hadn't fully recovered.
"I killed Poggle the Lesser then, because he wanted me to…" she said regretful.
"He had his staff, he attacked you first," he said, knowing he wasn't lying, he knew Geonosians and how they would react to someone raising a blade against them.
"NO!" Ahsoka stood up frustrated.
"Stop trying to talk my actions straight, I killed him in cold blood, that's wrong, and I knew it!" she lashed out.
"Ahsoka…" Jayce also stood up and embraced Ahsoka.
"He broke you, it wasn't you, it was someone else doing that, and you regret it right, you're as much Jedi as I am…" he held her tightly and felt she stopped trembling.
Ahsoka looked at Jayce, brown and black dots covered his face, the lava that had stuck to her boots.
"I'm sorry…" she touched the small burns and wiped the ash away.
"Don't apologize, I would've done the same, you were tortured into submission and converted rather than seduced, as you said, what more could you have done than stalling them?".
"You love me, I should be happy, why am I not?" Ahsoka said more confused by the minute.
"Your still afraid, that you will fall to the dark side again, it'll pass in time, I'll be there for you,".
"Thanks…" Ahsoka the said and buried her face in his clothing.
The group sat around Padmé's bed, two babies laying peacefully in their mother's arms.
"So, what will you do next?" Obi-Wan said after a long series of oohs and aahs.
"I will come with Bail-" she nodded at him "-to Alderaan and raise Luke and Leia there," she said smiling and looked back at Obi-Wan.
"What will you do?" she asked Obi-Wan in return.
"I think I'll come with you, I heard the mountains there are beautiful, and I can keep and eye on them, in case Vader shows up," he nodded at the two sleeping babies.
Vader, suddenly the room was silent.
"And how about you?" Padmé asked Jayce and Ahsoka to change the subject.
"I haven't really thought about that…" Jayce said and ran his hand through his hair.
"You… you could come with us, to Alderaan, I've got some place for you at the Aldera Palace," Bail offered smiling.
Jayce glanced at Ahsoka, who nodded approving.
"We'd be honored to come," Jayce bowed respectfully.
"You'd be welcome,".
"Nothing to do for us there is, tell us the Force will, when time is right, for now, leave you I will, into exile I go, the Force will be with you, and flare it will, when the time is right…" the old Jedi Master said and walked away from them.
"May the Force be with you," everyone said and looked at the leaving Jedi Master, Yoda's last record.
"I'm sorry, I should prepare the Sundered Heart for departure, see you soon," Bail Organa left the room and Obi-Wan followed hastily remembering having a private question for him.
"Listen," Padmé suddenly said with a senator like tone.
"Don't let your love for each other drive you apart," suddenly they realized they were standing with their arms around the other.
"Like Anakin let happen," Padmé was strong, you had to give her that, after all what had happened she could still talk about it.
"We won't," Ahsoka said.
"He won't let me," she added smiling.
"Good, now leave me alone, they're hungry," she said as the two babies woke up simultaneously and started crying.
The Sundered Heart and the Naboo skiff left the Polis Massan medical facility together, the skiff, now named Anakin's Hope, was now in possession of Padmé, Ahsoka and Jayce, they were her bodyguards now, and they understood what she was going through.
Then the two ships jumped, into the vast galaxy ahead of them, without a goal, free.
Later, the two ship exited hyperspace, now entering the system in which Alderaan was placed.
The planet stood as a beacon of hope, it had always been for peace, against the war.
"Padmé, as soon as we land, I'll be gone, if you ever need help, I'll come, just make sure to keep Jayce and Ahsoka at an arms length, Bail's got some hefty ideas for them…" he smiled, the twins sleeping in their mother's arms were so hopeful, so encouraging.
"What?" Ahsoka said, looking away from the perfectly crafted control panel of the skiff.
"You'll see, and you'll like it," Obi-Wan smiled, there was a sense of peace, Anakin may have died, but he'd, and they had, saved his legacy, Padmé.
"Thanks for everything, my old Master, please don't get yourself killed fighting mountain goats, that would be so humiliating after beating Vader," Jayce smiled, Vader wasn't something to fear, not yet at least.
"I'm sorry for what I said to you, Master Obi-Wan," Ahsoka apologized.
"That's okay, it wasn't really you,".
The skiff flew towards Aldera Palace, the fairytale-like mountains were beautiful, the calm palace astonishing, the environment green, truly a picture of hope.
Then the silver ship landed and the boarding ramp lowered.
"Good-bye," Obi-Wan was gone.
The med droid left and Vader stared at his new artificial arm, he'd made it himself, and he was proud of it, something he had built himself, not like the lightsaber Sidious had given him as replacement for the old one.
"Lord Vader, do you know why Obi-Wan defeated you?" Sidious raspy and threatening voice sounded.
"No, my master," Vader replied submissive.
"He won, because of one reason, he came there simply to end you, because he came to kill,".
"Yes, my master".
"You should follow that example, whenever you go somewhere, go to kill, and kill," Sidious spoke poetic.
"I understand, my rage will feed me, if I feed my rage…" Vader mused, he lied.
"Good, now go Lord Vader," Vader kept looking down and waited for pure silence before standing up from a kneeling position.
"But I won't feed my anger any further than what I felt when I was in the temple, that was my peek, any further I would become a beast," he mused understanding.
Sidious smiled, with Padmé dead, Vader would be unlimitedly powerful.
How angry Vader had been when he'd told him Vader himself had killed Padmé in his anger, it strengthened him.
The Force scream Vader had let out had splintered Vader's new artificial hand, now Vader had made one himself.
Sidious had rather had the droids make an uncomfortable one than Vader making a good one, if only to punish Vader for losing on Mustafar.
He sighed, back into the world of politics, he had to tell the whole Senate what had happened, of Yoda's attempt on his live, of the treachery of the Jedi, everything.
Sate Pestage entered his office and bowed.
"You called, Milord?" he said bowing.
"Yes, I did, prepare for my speech, tell the Senate I'm coming," he licked his cracked lips and smiled devilish, everything was going as planned.
AN: Well, here's a twist, hope you like it.
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