Chapter 14: Rescue Mission

Anakin groaned softly as he was lying on the floor of his cell after feeling an injection in his back, just like he had felt right before Malevolence began torturing him. Letting out a shaky breath, he tried to stand up when his head started to swim. Falling against the bench, he closed his eyes tight as he fought to keep his mental shields up.

Refusing to give into Malevolence's violent torture, Anakin let out a groan as he tried to fight against the drug rushing into his system. "No," he groaned.

"What's the matter Skywalker? Feeling a little ill?" Malevolence sneered as he walked in.

"You're nothing but a coward," Anakin answered, holding his side.

"I am the coward? I haven't been hiding out for two years from the true ruler of the galaxy," Malevolence answered.

"Your Master is just as weak," Anakin told him with a glare.

He cried out in agony as he felt the electric bolts pulse through his body. "If that were true, then why are you on the ground?" Malevolence laughed.

"You are too cowardly to fight me fair, you use drugs to get me to lose," Anakin answered once the torture stopped.

Malevolence kicked him hard in the side, making him groan loudly in pain. "You are a pathetic Jedi fool," he told the injured man. Anakin closed his eyes tight when he could sense Malevolence preparing for another attack. With whatever strength he had left, he rolled across the floor, dodging the attack. Kicking his enemy in the stomach, Anakin grabbed Sidara's lightsaber that was on his side. He got up and hurried down the hall while holding onto his throbbing side.

Anakin felt like the right side of his body was on fire. He groaned as he leaned against the wall, rubbing his throbbing side. "FIND HIM!" he heard Malevolence shout. Moving into a narrow hallway, he let out a shaky breath as he looked to see that one of the blasts that a trooper had hit him with was worse from the torture.

As he made his way down the hall quietly, Anakin suddenly felt like he was being followed. Turning around with the lightsaber ignited, he was relieved to see that it was Obi-Wan. Seeing that his friend was weak from whatever torture he had endured, Obi-Wan gestured for him to be quiet before carefully grabbing his free arm and putting it over his shoulders while Anakin disengaged the lightsaber. "This time, you owe me one," Obi-Wan quipped.

"I'll keep that in mind when we get out of here," Anakin answered.

Anakin winced from the throbbing pain in his side. "Obi-Wan stop, stop," he insisted. His body was screaming at him. Not only that, the drug they had injected into him was beginning to take affect. Anakin closed his eyes, gripping his friend's arm as his world started to spin.

"Anakin, what's going on?" Obi-Wan asked.

"They drugged me," Anakin answered.

"Try fighting the affects," Obi-Wan told him as he helped Anakin sit down.

"What do you think I've been doing for the last forty-five minutes?" Anakin answered.

Anakin closed his eyes as his vision began to fuzz. "Padmé…" he murmured, worried that the Empire would find her.

"Anakin, come on focus, focus," he insisted, shaking him a little.

Anakin opened his eyes as he tried to fight off the affects. "Come on," Obi-Wan told him, helping him up.

As he helped Anakin down the hall, he felt Anakin's body go limp, making him almost collapse from all the weight. "Great," he muttered. He put Anakin over his shoulder and started running down the hall to get him back to the ship.

When Obi-Wan was able to get to the hanger, he hurried up the ramp where Padmé was waiting. "Anakin!" she gasped hurrying over to them.

"I thought I told you stay hiding?" Obi-Wan asked.

"What happened to him?" she asked, ignoring his question.

"He's been drugged," Obi-Wan relied.

Padmé placed her hands on her husband's face. "Ani, Ani can you hear me?" she asked quietly, gently tapping his face. She saw the wound on his side. "I need to tend to this before it gets worse," she told Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan nodded as he hurried over to the cockpit to get them off the Star Destroyer before they were found.

Padmé held onto Anakin as they made a jump into light speed. Once she was able to move around again, she looked around for the medical kit. She removed Anakin's jerkin and tunic before examining the wound on his side. The skin was burnt and the wound itself was pretty deep. She took a facemask, putting it over his nose and mouth to help him breathe and then she took out some bacta. "At least he's too knocked out to feel this," she commented.

After she covered the wound with the bacta bandages, she stroked Anakin's sweat damp hair. "Ani, can you hear me?" she asked softly, kissing his forehead. She continued to check his vitals to make sure the drug wasn't affecting them. Letting out a sigh, she covered him with a blanket to keep him warm before going to the cockpit.

She stood behind Obi-Wan with a sigh. "What were you doing out in the middle of space anyways?" Obi-Wan asked her.

"I was on the same mission as you, I wanted to find my husband," she replied.

"Do you have any idea of what could've happened if Malevolence caught you? You are the Second in Command to the rebellion Padmé," Obi-Wan answered.

"My children woke up screaming saying their father was hurt. I'm not going to pass them off as dreams like you had with Anakin when he was having dreams about Shmi," Padmé told him as she sat down.

Obi-Wan turned in his chair to look at her. "Is it true Anakin asked to at least check on his mother when he was having these dreams, but instead of helping him you only said "Dreams pass in time"?" she asked.

"I thought they were only dreams," he answered.

"Since when do Jedi have only dreams?" she asked.

"Why are you bringing up the past anyways?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I am only saying I wasn't going to bypass my children's screams of terror as just dreams that would pass," she answered.

Letting out a sigh, Padmé got up. "Obi-Wan, you're going to be a father soon, so you'll understand why Anakin and I make certain decisions," she replied.

Padmé sighed as she went back into the small medical area. Stroking her husband's hair, she held his hand in hers wit ha sigh. She would continue to worry about her husband until he was awake.

When they returned to Lehon, they moved Anakin over to the small medical station they had built on the planet when Obi-Wan looked at Dacken. "Dacken, send a few of our troops to Naboo and get Sabé and then Tatooine to get the children," he told his friend. Dacken nodded.

"Is he alright?" Dacken asked.

"Should be, but they'll stop at nothing now until they find our families," Obi-Wan replied.

Dacken nodded again before he went to get a few of their clone troops to get their families.

Anakin woke up, his head was thumping hard, feeling as if it were about to explode. His side hurt, but it wasn't as bad as he had been before. "Anakin?" he heard a familiar voice call, but it sounded so far away. Padmé stood beside her husband, stroking his face. "Anakin, can you hear me?" she asked.

"Padmé…" he murmured.

"I'm here," she said softly.

He closed his eyes as he let out a deep breath. "Just rest, you need to regain your strength," she told him softly. She kissed his forehead gently.

"The children…" he whispered.

"They're alright," she assured him.

He closed his eyes, swallowing hard. "Sidara…she's gone…" he said softly. He held up the lightsaber to Padmé. "Maila…have Bail bring Maila," he told her.

"I'll go talk to him," she said softly.

Anakin nodded as he closed his eyes, sleeping taking over him. She kissed his forehead once more before leaving to find Bail.

Walking out of the medical unit, she found Bail standing outside talking to Mon Mothma. "Bail," she called.

"Padmé, welcome back," he greeted.

"Thank you," she answered.

She let out a sigh. "We have a situation," she told him.

"Is everything alright?" he asked.

Padmé let out a sad sigh. "Sidara was killed when she and Anakin were captured," she informed. Bail's eyes widened at the news.

"How?" he asked.

"During the invasion, how it actually happened I don't know. Anakin's still weak from the drugs and torture," she explained.

"It is a shame what happened to Sidara…she was a wonderful Paladin and a great sister to Amara," Bail commented.

"Yes…she was…is there a way you could have Amara brought here? Anakin wants to see her," Padmé informed.

Bail nodded his head slowly. "I'll contact Breha," he told her before leaving. Padmé bit her lower lip before she went back to the medical unit.

As she was sitting next to her husband, she held his hand as he started waking up. "Ani," she said softly as she stood up from the chair. She kissed his forehead softly, holding his hand. She kissed him softly as he became more alert.

"Padmé…" he whispered, resting his hand on her waist.

"I'm here, my love, I'm here," she assured him, stroking his hair.

Anakin slowly opened his eyes as he looked up at his wife. "My love…" he whispered. Padmé leaned forward, kissing his lips tenderly. "The children…" he asked again.

"Obi-Wan had clones get them and bring them home safely," she replied.

Anakin hugged her with a sigh, closing his eyes. Padmé stroked his hair, resting her forehead against his temple. He rested his hand in the middle of her back as he let out a shaky breath. "She was in my arms Padmé, right there…right in front of me…but I couldn't…" he trailed off.

"That wasn't your fault," she answered as she squatted by his bed.

Looking over at her, she could see the exhaustion in his eyes. "It wasn't your fault," she whispered, stroking his face.

"She died saving me," he answered.

Closing his eyes, he let out a deep breath. "The drug the clone gave me before the fight was taking it's toll. I couldn't save her Padmé, I couldn't save her from dying," he told her.

"Ani, she died saving you. She died nobly and bravely," she answered.

Anakin was silent as he thought of the look on Sidara's face. She showed no fear, no sadness with the fact she was dying. "Ani, it's okay to be sad," she told him softly.

"I know, but I can't let it consume me," he answered.

Shaking her head slowly, she rested her forehead against his as they comforted each other over the loss of a good friend.

Two days later, Anakin was finally released from the medical unit when Bail walked over to him. "Anakin," he called. Standing next to him was Maila or Amara as she was known now. Sighing sadly, Anakin walked over and crouched down on one knee before Amara.

"How are you Amara?" he asked, seeing the extreme sadness in the girl's eyes.

"Sidara's gone?" she asked quietly.

Anakin sighed sadly. "She passed into the Force," he replied. Amara lowered her head sadly, rocking back and forth on her feet. "She loved you, Amara. You were all she thought about, her little sister. She's always with you, protecting you through the Force," he explained. Amara looked at him with sad eyes. "She wanted you to have this," he told her.

Reaching into his cloak, he pulled out Sidara's lightsaber. Amara took the object into her hands, holding it above her head as she ignited the blue blade. Turning the weapon off, she looked up at Bail. "She'll learn how to use it," Bail informed, smiling softly. The six-year-old looked at Anakin before hugging him tight. Hugging her back, he let out a sigh.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered.

"She was brave, and strong," Amara answered.

"She was," he agreed.

Anakin let her go and the girl stood back, looking up at him. "Thank you Master Skywalker," she told him, bowing respectfully. He bowed back to the child.

"I have a feeling you will become a wonderful Paladin like your sister," he informed.

Amara grinned before looking up at her father who smiled down at her. Padmé stood behind Anakin, her hand resting on his shoulder as they walked away. "You alright?" she asked. He rested his hand over hers.

"Yes, I will be as long as you're with me," he answered.

"Always," she assured him.

She kissed the back of his shoulder when the clone ship landed. As soon as the ramp was down, Luke and Leia toddled off. "MAMA! DADDY!" they shouted. Anakin smiled as he lifted his children up into his arms, kissing them both. Luke went from Anakin's arms to Padmé's as both parents embraced their children before Dacken walked over with Rowan in his arms.

"He fell asleep about five minutes ago," he commented.

Padmé took the baby into her free arm and Anakin kissed his infant son's forehead before looking over as Obi-Wan hurried over and embraced Sabé. "This must stop," Anakin said softly. Padmé nodded her head slowly. "The war, the Empire, it has to end," he murmured.

"It will be," she answered softly.

Anakin let out a sigh as he looked in the direction of the Star Forge. "We will be coming for you Sidious," Anakin said with narrow eyes.

On Coruscant, Sidious was standing in front of his window, looking outside. "We shall see," he answered, having heard Anakin's warning.