Chapter 21: Plan of Action
Padmé sighed as she was dressed in her disguise. "Padmé, where are you going?" he asked.
"I have to speak with Bail," she replied.
She looked at her husband, holding his hands. Anakin sighed as he rested his forehead against hers. "You need to wear a different disguise, it'll be weird for a clone trooper to be going to Alderaan," he told her. He reached into the chest at the end of the bed.
"Anakin, I hate disguising myself as your consort," she said with a sigh.
Chuckling lightly, Anakin looked over at her. "By definition of consort it's spouse of a monarch," he commented.
"Yes but everyone on here believes I am something else," she answered.
"Padmé, please, for me," he insisted.
She let out a sigh, looking at the chest filled with her senate gowns. "Fine," she murmured. She looked at him. "I don't like this, not at all," she told him with a huff.
"I know," he answered.
"Not a single word about this," she told him.
"I won't speak a word about this," he answered biting back a chuckle as she began to mutter under her breath about the role she had to play in order to get off the ship.
"Stop laughing it isn't funny," she told him.
She went into the Fresher to change. "Make sure Sabé has her own gowns ready, she's going to sit in on this," she called to her husband.
"I will contact Obi-Wan and have him pass the message to her," Anakin answered.
Padmé walked out of the fresher. "Wait, he will pass the message to Sabé?" she asked. Anakin chuckled lightly.
"Just a something I noticed, I was walking back to my quarters last night and I saw Sabé sneak into his room," he told her chuckling.
She turned around so he could do up the back of her gown for her. "Do you think something is beginning to start between them?" she asked.
"Well, knowing Obi-Wan, he probably had those feelings before but ignored them. Sabé wasn't the first girl he had an attraction toward," Anakin replied.
"What you and Obi-Wan talk?" Padmé teased.
"Remember Force sensitive and it has come to the point that when Obi-Wan started feeling anything he would block everything. It would be like a block of ice around him," he replied.
Padmé turned around, wrapping her arms around his waist. "You think Obi-Wan will break the old Jedi code?" she asked smiling a little.
"I think he already has," he answered smiling.
He suddenly shuddered. "Just a weird image to have in my head though," he commented making her laugh. Padmé shook her head slowly with a laugh.
"I need to meet with Bail," she insisted.
"I know," he answered.
Padmé kissed him gently before she went to brush her hair and get it ready for her meeting with Bail.
Upon their arrival to Alderaan, Anakin and Obi-Wan had gone to the conference room where all the alliance leaders had gathered while Padmé and Sabé went to meet with Bail. "So Anakin told me you snuck into Obi-Wan's room last night," Padmé commented with a smile. Sabé blushed a little.
"Yes, I went to Obi-Wan's room last night," Sabé admitted with a small smile.
"I always knew you had feelings for him, even back when you were my handmaiden," the senator commented.
Sabé shrugged her shoulders a little. "He's been the one person I could always trust. While you and Anakin had lost touch over the years, I sent a message to Obi-Wan once in awhile just hoping he would send something in return," she explained.
"Is he the reason why you have denied many suitors? Most of those men who spoke to me were very good men," Padmé commented.
"If I were to accept one of them, it would've been a relationship based on lies. It would've been like you marrying another man when you knew all along your heart belongs to Anakin," Sabé explained.
Padmé nodded her head slowly. "I understand," she answered. The two friends walked in silence for a few minutes.
"This wasn't the first time Obi-Wan and I had snuck off to be together. It happened once before, but then he stopped it before it could go any further," Sabé admitted.
She sighed as she clasped her hands in front of her. "It was four years later; you were just beginning your second term as queen. I was willing to give up everything, leave my post as your handmaiden, and leave Naboo. I was willing to give up everything," she explained.
"But Obi-Wan didn't want you to do, because he didn't want you to hold onto a dream that was impossible," Padmé answered.
"How…" Sabé started.
"You had the exact opposite problem as Anakin and I had when we were falling in love," Padmé answered smiling at her friend.
The senator looked over at her friend with a small smile. "Anakin wanted to give up everything in order to be with me, but I wouldn't let him," she added. Sabé sighed a little.
"I am hoping what we have will grow even after this war is over," she murmured.
"I'm sure after what has transpired in these last few days, Obi-Wan will let your relationship grow," Padmé answered, smiling softly.
Sabé smiled a little. "Sometimes, you have to do what's right for yourself. When I married Anakin, I knew what I was getting into. I knew the consequences to my actions if we were found out, but I didn't care. I just wanted Anakin, the thought of not having him at all was unbearable," Padmé explained.
"So you two got married," Sabé finished.
"Yes, and it was something I never regretted. Especially now that we have children," Padmé replied smiling.
Sabé smiled when she looked up to see Bail waiting for them. "Padmé, I am so grateful to see that you are truly alive," Bail told his friend.
"I have been in hiding for the last year and five months," she replied.
Bail led the two women into the room. "What is going on?" he asked. Padmé sat down, her hands resting in her lap.
"My husband and I are working on a rebel alliance," she informed.
The Viceroy looked at the Senator in disbelief. "Your husband?" he asked.
"Yes," Padmé replied, nodding her head slowly.
Bail sat down, staring at the young woman in disbelief. "I have been married for the last four years, but because of our different career choices we had to keep our marriage a secret," she added. The silence almost consumed the room.
"Lord Vader is your husband?" he asked incredulously.
"He hasn't been Darth Vader for almost a year now. He has returned to our side and with his help we have created a large alliance," she explained.
"Can he be trusted?" Bail asked.
"I trust him with my life," she replied firmly.
The Viceroy was still staring blankly at her. "You believe this alliance will bring democracy back?" he asked.
"It is something we have been working on for the last year," she replied, "my husband has special connections we will be able to gain control of the senate as soon as he defeats the Emperor."
"You seem to have a lot of trust in your husband's abilities," Bail commented.
The young woman nodded her head slowly. "Yes, he can free the galaxy," she answered.
"What do you suggest we do?" Bail asked.
"Contact all the senators to the planets, only the ones we can truly trust. The ones who want a free democracy. The Emperor still has loyal followers so we have to comb apart the loyalists to the true democrats," she explained.
Bail nodded his head in agreement. "When do we begin?" he asked.
"Now," Padmé replied simply.
"Then let's get down to business," he commented, "I sure hope you know what you're doing."
"Always," Padmé replied.
On the other side of the kingdom, Anakin was standing in front of his group of alliance leaders. "What have we discovered so far?" Anakin asked.
"Several more planet systems have joined our alliance. They are ready to fight as soon as you give the word," Delmon replied as he stood up.
The Paladin Master pointed at the map. "We have put several of our people on a few of these planets to help them," he added. Anakin nodded his head slowly.
"Any word of the Clone Troopers?" Captain Typho asked curiously.
"Yes, I have sent them to their proper posts as the Emperor had ordered me to do. As soon as the time is right, I will activate Order 77. As soon as that happens the Clones will be loyal to only me no matter what the Emperor demands," Anakin explained as he pointed to the systems that he placed the clones.
"I do not think it is wise for Senator Amidala and Miss Ferran should stay behind when it comes to the execution of the uprising," Typho informed.
Anakin shook his head slowly. "Padmé refuses to be left behind during all of this," he replied.
"Neither will Sabé," Obi-Wan answered as he stared at the battle plans.
Anakin glanced over at the captain. "I think it would be wise to harbor the secret passions you have for my wife, Captain. Keep in mind Padmé does what she feels is right and she will not listen to anyone when her mind is made up. She wants to join in on this cause because the Emperor has destroyed her life as much as he has destroyed us," Anakin explained.
"Yes, but I'm not the one who threatens her safety day by day," Typho answered.
Anakin gave Typho a glare. "Enough, both of you. Let us get back to the task at hand," Dacken ordered. Anakin nodded his head slowly.
"Either way, I will give the signal as soon as the time is right. The Emperor's trust in me is waning and I must remove him from his power," he explained.
"The Emperor is powerful; you plan on fighting him alone?" Sidara asked.
"I must," he replied.
He tapped his fingers on the table. "His destiny this is. Destroy the Sith Lord, he must," a familiar voice commented. They looked over as Yoda limped in.
"Master Yoda," Anakin murmured in disbelief.
He kneeled down before the Jedi Master. "Forgive me Master for all of my evildoings," he insisted.
"Forgiven you long ago I have, Anakin. Manipulated you were," Yoda answered.
Anakin nodded his head slowly before Yoda sat up in the chair to stare at the battle plans. "I will go with Anakin to Coruscant," Obi-Wan informed.
"Along he must be Obi-Wan," Yoda insisted.
Anakin sighed as he stared at the plans before him. They looked up when the doors opened, revealing Padmé and Sabé. The two women walked into the room. "What did the Viceroy have to say?" Anakin asked.
"He will contact the rest of the democratic senators. As soon as the time is right the ones remaining will rebuild our senate," she replied.
"Good," Anakin murmured.
Padmé held Anakin's hand as they stared at the plans that were formed over the last year. "You do realize that if the Emperor isn't defeated that this will become a war," Delmon informed.
"It is a possibility that has already been discussed. If the Emperor somehow escapes, I swear to all that is good that I will hunt Sidious down myself," Anakin answered.
She gripped his hand, letting out a deep breath as Anakin wrapped his arm around her back. "Sidious cannot continue with his evil reign. He won't get away with all the evil he had placed in the senate we had worked so hard to build," she explained.
"He won't win, I won't let him," Anakin answered.
Obi-Wan gripped the young man's shoulder with a small nod. "And I have faith that Anakin will defeat the dark lord," he added.
"As do I," Padmé murmured.
Slowly everyone in the room began to nod in agreement. "Anakin you are our only hope in bringing the peace back in the galaxy," Sidara said quietly.
"And I will not let you down," Anakin answered.
Anakin kissed the top of Padmé's head. "I will not fail again," he repeated softly. Padmé wrapped her arm around his back with a small smile, having faith in her husband's abilities. She could only hope that this wouldn't become another war and it would be dealt with quickly. As long as she had Anakin, she knew everything would be put back to the way it should be once more.