Twenty-Five

Anakin and I lie in sated bliss on the sofa. I know that he needs to leave soon, for he cannot take the risk of Master Yoda checking in on him only to find his room empty. I know he has to leave, but the thought of it still tears me apart.

"I wish I could stay the night," he tells me, kissing the top of my head. "But I can't. I have to get back to the Temple. Master Yoda will be expecting to see me first thing in the morning."

"Master Yoda?" I ask. "Are you not with Obi-Wan again?"

"Obi-Wan is in the hospital," he replies. "That's why I'm here on Coruscant."

I frown upon hearing this, concerned at once. . "Is he all right?"

Ani shakes his head. "No, he's not. He has a serious head injury, some broken bones, and internal injuries. But he'll be fine."

"What happened?"

"We were planting explosives," he replies. "He was a little too close when they went off, and was thrown about 10 meters."

"Poor Obi-Wan," I say softly, relieved that it wasn't my beloved who was injured. "Do you think it would be okay if I visited him in the hospital?"

"I think he would like that very much," he tells me. "And it would give me a chance to see you as well," he adds with a smile.

I smile too. "Yes, I thought of that as well," I admit. "Of course you won't be able to seduce me in your master's hospital room."

Anakin lifts his eyebrows. "Me? Seduce you? I think you have it all backwards, my lady," he tells me. "You are the seductress, using your feminine whiles to have your way with me."

I laugh. "Oh that's it, is it?" I reply. "Here I was thinking it was you who seduced me. What was I thinking?

Anakin grins. "I can't imagine." He checks his wrist chrono.

"Do you have to go?" I ask him.

He nods. "I'm afraid so, angel," he tells me, kissing my brow. "But I will find a way to come back tomorrow."

I nod, trying hard not to cry. "I hope so," I reply.

"I will," he tells me as he stands up. "No matter what it takes, Padmé."

I nod, my emotions too close to the surface to respond as I watch him dress.

"I will see you tomorrow," he tells me, bending down to kiss me once more. My tears spill out of my eyes, despite my best efforts to keep them at bay. Ani sits down beside me.

"What is it?" he asks.

"I'm sorry," I reply, wiping my tears away impatiently. "I just wish you could spend the night. It's so wonderful to wake up in your arms, Ani."

He pulls me into his arms. I know he feels terrible for leaving, but I can't help but wanting him to. He's my husband, and yet sometimes I feel as though we're merely lovers, meeting secretly simply to fulfill our physical need for one another. I know that isn't true, but when he leaves me mere minutes after making love to me, it hurts.

"I'm sorry," he tells me, kissing the top of my head. "It won't always be this way, Padmé, I promise you. Once I'm knighted, I will have much more freedom."

"Will you?" I ask, looking up at him. He's told me this before, and somehow I have my doubts. I know the Jedi too well to believe it will be that easy.

Anakin nods. "Yes, of course I will. No more master breathing down my neck," he adds, smiling at me, trying to make me laugh.

I smile at last, unable to resist him. "I can't imagine," I reply. "I look forward to that day, Ani."

"It won't be long now," he tells me. "Sooner or later they'll have to knight me. I'm getting too old for this braid."

I laugh and take it in my hands. "I love your braid," I tell him.

"Well when I am knighted, it's yours," he tells me with a smile. "Now I really have to go. Are you okay?"

I nod. "Yes, I'm okay," I reply. "Besides, I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"Right," he responds. He kisses me once more. "I love you," he tells me. "Sweet dreams."

"I love you too, Ani. Until tomorrow."

Padmé awoke to the sound of the alarm, the images of her dream shattering in the process. She sat up in bed, fighting the emotions that her dream had elicited. I miss you! She thought as the tears filled her eyes.

The past ten years since losing Anakin had been hell for Padmé, particularly when memories from the past haunted her this way. Her need for him, both emotionally and physically, was just as strong as it had ever been, and memories of their time together only made those needs more acute. Damn you, Palpatine, she thought, hating him intensely. You stole everything from me, but you won't take my children too. Somehow I will stop you, both you and your servant. Somehow Luke and Leia will be mine, and mine alone.

Pushing away the emotions she'd learned to sublimate for years, Padmé got out of bed and went to get ready for work.

Leia was eager to get to school that morning, for she was hoping that she would get a chance to talk to Miss Kinsky again. Leia didn't understand what it was that she felt when she was near Miss Kinsky, but she definitely felt something. It was as though the councilor had filled a place in Leia's life that she didn't know was in need of filling. Was it just that fact that Leia had no mother in her life now that she felt drawn to her? Whatever the reason, Leia couldn't wait to see her again.

"How was your weekend?" Pati asked Leia as they took their seats in class.

"Boring," Leia sighed. "My dad still isn't back, and Luke and I were stuck at home all weekend."

"That's a drag," Pati replied. "You should have come over. We watched holovids."

"My dad would flip out if I left the house without his permission," Leia said. "Especially when he's not home."

Pati nodded in understanding, hardly able to imagine what it must be like to have Darth Vader for a father. "Well, maybe when he comes home," she said.

Leia nodded. "Yes, maybe," she agreed.

"Good morning, class," Miss Zadane said as the children quieted down. "I hope everyone had a good weekend. We have a very exciting project we're going to start this morning, a family tree."

The children looked at one another in surprise, excited by their teacher's announcement.

"Now, can anyone explain what a family tree is?" Miss Zadane asked. "Yes, Ryan?"

"It's a list of names of your parents and their parents and their parents, and so on," the boy replied.

"That's right," the teacher replied. "And you can include holos of your family as well," she added.

"Cool!" Pati said, turning to Leia. "Won't this be fun?" she asked.

Leia, however, did not share her friend's enthusiasm. A family tree? She looked over at Luke who was looking back at her. She knew he was thinking the same thing as her: How do I do that when my father won't even talk about my mother?

"I'll give you some time to get started," Miss Zadane said. "The assignment is due on day three. That will give you plenty of time to talk to your parents and grandparents if necessary."

The children buzzed excitedly as they got started, all but Leia and Luke.

"How are we supposed to do this?" Luke asked his sister as he joined her at her group. "I have no clue about any of our grandparents, do you?"

Leia shook her head. "No, none," she replied. "And the assignment is due in two days."

"Don't you think the teacher would give us more time if she knew Dad was off world?" Luke asked.

"I suppose she would," Leia replied. The problem was Leia didn't want to admit to her teacher that she and Luke knew nothing of their family roots. She was trying very hard to fit in, and this would make her stand out like a sore thumb. And that was the last thing she wanted.

"Well, I guess we can start with you and me," Luke suggested, "and we know Dad's name."

"And our mother's name," Leia added as she watched Luke write the names down. Once that was done they looked at each other.

"Now what?" Luke asked.

Leia shrugged. "I have no idea," she said.

Luke grinned. "We could always make it up," he said in a quiet voice. "She'd never know the difference."

Leia glanced up at their teacher, who was busily helping someone log onto a computer. "No, Luke!" she said. "That would be cheating!"

Luke rolled his eyes with a sigh, and started doodling on the page. "Well it's better than sitting here doing nothing," he said.

Leia couldn't help but agree.

"How is it going?" Miss Zadane asked as she came over a few minutes later.

"Okay," Luke replied as she looked over their shoulders at their work.

"Luke, why did you write down that name instead of your father's name?" the teacher asked. "Anakin Skywalker was a Jedi who died in the Great Purges."

Luke and Leia looked at one another. "Ooops," Leia said, deleting the name. "Luke was just fooling around," she said.

The teacher wasn't amused. "Somehow I don't think your father would find your joke humorous, Luke," she said, and then walked away.

Luke frowned. "What does she know?" he grumbled. "Anakin Skywalker is our father, Leia," he told his twin.

"I know," she replied, watching their teacher. "But I guess Dad doesn't want everyone to know that he used to be Anakin Skywalker," she remarked.

Luke's scowl deepened. "I don't get that," he muttered as he wrote Darth Vader in the spot where Leia had deleted Anakin Skywalker. "What's the big deal? It's who he is, Leia. Darth Vader is just a name."

"Luke, be careful about what you say," Leia warned him quietly. "You never know who might be listening," she added.

Luke suddenly grew fearful and said no more, and continued with his doodling.

Padmé's morning dragged on as she was visited by only a handful of students, some of whom had come to see her yesterday. She was relieved that Len Wagar had not been to see her yet, and was hoping that her stern words before the weekend had finally got through to him.

Morning recess break had just started and Padmé was just about to go and get herself a cup of tea when she was met in the doorway by her daughter.

"Hello, Leia," Padmé said with a smile. "It's so nice to see you again."

Leia smiled, the kindness of the young woman making her feel warm inside. "It's nice to see you too," she replied. "Are you going to the teachers' lounge?"

"Not if you need to talk," Padmé replied. "Come on in."

"Thanks," Leia said. In truth she didn't need to talk, but simply wanted to spend time with the councilor. But she figured Padmé would find that strange, so she came up with a plausible reason for her visit. "Luke and I have to make a family tree," she told her as they sat down.

"Oh?" Padmé said. "That should be fun."

"Well, for most kids I guess it would be," she said. "But for us it's next to impossible."

Padmé frowned. "And why is that?" she asked. "Is it because you've only recently started to live with your father?"

"Well, that's part of it I guess," she replied. "We don't really know much about our family. Actually, we know nothing about it."

Padmé wasn't surprised by this, for the death of his mother had always been a difficult topic for Anakin. "I'm sorry," she said. "Perhaps when your father returns he'll be able to help you. When is the project due?"

"Two days," Leia replied. "And I don't know if Dad will be home by then," she added.

"I'm sure your teacher would give you an extension," Padmé offered. "If you explained to her how your father isn't home right now."

"I'm sure she would," Leia replied. "It's just that…" she hesitated, unsure how much she ought to share. "My dad is a widower," she told Padmé. "And he won't talk about our mother."

Padmé held a tight rein on her emotions at this point, not wishing to give her daughter any reason to be suspicious. "No? Not at all?"

"Well, very very little," Leia replied. "But if we ask too many questions he either leaves the room or changes the subject."

"Why do you think that is?" Padmé asked.

"He misses her," Leia said, her dark eyes reflecting the sadness she felt for her father. "He once told me when she died a part of him died," she continued. "And that she was his very soul. I guess it's just too hard for him to talk about her, but Luke and I know so little it's kind of hard for us. I understand he misses her, but I just wish he'd understand how we feel too. She was our mother, after all."

"Yes, she was," Padmé said, unable to hold back the retort. "I'm sorry, Leia; I wish I could help you." Truly I do…

Leia shrugged. "It's okay," she said. "Luke says we should just make stuff up," she added with a smile.

Padmé laughed. "That would work," she said. "But if your teacher found out, she might not find it funny."

Leia nodded. "Do you think there would be any information on her on the holonet?" she asked.

"Who?"

"My mother," Leia said. "I know her name was Padmé, and that she was a senator. Is that enough to do a search?"

"I don't think so," Padmé said, hating to crush her daughter's idea, but knowing it was too soon for her to learn the truth. "Perhaps if you explain that this is for school your father will be more forthcoming with information. He must realize how important school is."

"Oh he does," Leia agreed. "Maybe I'll ask him when he contacts us tonight. All he can do is say nothing," she added.

Padmé nodded. "Yes, that's true," she said. Just then the bell rang, signaling the return to classes. "You'd better get back to your class," she said. "Let me know how things work out."

"I will," Leia said, standing up. "Thanks Miss Kinsky."

Padmé smiled and watched as her daughter left. Once Leia had gone, she turned in her chair so that her back was to the door, so that no one passing by could see the tears that had started to roll down her face.

Star Destroyer Exactor

The Exactor finally left orbit around Dantooine. Vader had set up an interim government to replace the one that he'd laid waste to, half having been killed and the other half his prisoners. The information that they'd finally gleaned from the remaining members of the cabinet had proved very useful. Vader's troops had made hundreds of arrests, and had sent a very clear message to the populace that treachery and rebellion would not be tolerated. The emperor would be pleased; at least Vader hoped so.

As the Exactor prepared for its jump to hyperspace on its way to rendezvous with the Death Star, Vader could not shake a sense of uneasiness. If the emperor wanted him physically present, it usually wasn't a good thing. And while Vader was not unaccustomed to the emperor's sadistic side, the thought of being separated from the twins any longer was of great concern to him.

It had already been four days since he'd left Coruscant, and in that time he'd only managed to speak to his children twice. He knew that they were being well cared for, well guarded and well protected; but that didn't mean he didn't miss them. He did miss them, terribly. Until their separation he hadn't realized just how much a part of him they'd become in the short time they'd been living with him; so much so that the thought of losing them now was terrifying to him. Was that why the emperor had summoned him? Had he changed his mind and decided that Luke and Leia were to be taken away? No, no he can't do that; he can't take them from me! I won't let him, I'll kill him first, Vader vowed darkly. Somehow the focus of his life had shifted irrevocably over the past few weeks, now that he was a father. Before he knew of the existence of the twins, duty had been everything; his very reason for existing was to serve his master. But now, everything had changed. Luke and Leia had given his life meaning once more, and their wellbeing was now his sole reason for existing. Where the Dark Side fit into all this he wasn't even sure. All he knew was that without a doubt that he would do anything, anything to protect them, no matter what.

"Lord Vader, we've just made the jump into hyperspace," Lieutenant Ozzel informed Vader via holocommunicaiton.

"Good," Vader said. "Inform the emperor of our ETA."

"Yes sir," Ozzel replied. "At once, my lord."