Chapter 28

Anakin slept very little that night. He had read the report that Dr. Deece had sent, and it had only added to the already tremendous rage that he felt trying to consume him. In her report, Deece had indicated that the medication was actually redundant for the prevention of nightmares, so its primary use was and probably always had been for memory loss. She suggested that Padmé was more than likely regaining her memory through her nightmares, and that the treatment with Tharandon was designed to stop that from happening.

Designed to stop that from happening…Had the use of the questionable drug been a mistake, or an error in judgment, it would not have been quite so horrendous to contemplate. But the fact that she had been given the drug in order to repress her memories, and that it had been their intention to repress those memories, made Anakin's blood boil. He honestly did not know what would happen when he came face to face with Palo again. It had not been that long since he had been Darth Vader, both in body and in soul; much of the darkness that had defined Vader still lurked within Anakin Skywalker. The shattered glass in his mother-in-law's parlor was proof of that. I will not let the Darkness win again. I will not let it claim my soul; never again…if only my children were here, they would keep me from its grasp…

The thought of Luke and Leia only added to Anakin's melancholy mood. It seemed no sooner had he found his children then they were gone from his life once again. I need them, he realized, and so does Padmé.

Anakin sat up in bed, having made up his mind. He got up, not bothering to put on his tunic and left the small room.

Just seeing his daughter's face again put a smile on his face.

"Hi," Anakin said. "It's good to see you."

Leia smiled at him. "It's good to see you too. I've missed you."

"I miss you too, both of you," Anakin replied. "How is everything going?"

"Well, we've established a new base," she told him, sensing that there was a great deal troubling her father. "Han is complaining about the cold constantly," she told him with a smirk.

Anakin nodded. "I don't blame him. How is your brother? Has he left for Dagobah yet?"

"No," she replied. "He felt he needed to stay here for a few weeks to help set things up before he left. Obi-Wan has been working with both of us, though, so his training hasn't been neglected."

"That's good," Anakin replied.

"Why don't you tell me what's bothering you?" Leia suggested. "I can tell something is."

Anakin was surprised by his daughter's ability to sense his feelings from so great a distance.

"I don't suppose there's any sense denying that," he told her.

Leia just smiled and shook her head.

"I've learned something about your mother's situation," he told her. "Something truly reprehensible"

Leia's smile soon disappeared. "What have you learned?" she asked.

"I've learned that those who were entrusted with her care have been giving her drugs all these years that repress memory," he told her. "That they have done so deliberately in order to take advantage of her and steal her money."

"What!?" Leia cried. "You mean all these years she need not have lived as a dependent in that place? That she could have regained her memory by now were it not for those drugs?"

Anakin nodded. "Yes," he told her. "That's exactly what I mean, Leia. And I promise you that I will make those responsible pay for what they have done."

Leia frowned, concerned not only by her father's disclosure, but also by the tremendous anger she sensed in him. She could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice; and it frightened her.

"Father, please don't let this turn you back to the Dark Side," she told him. "I am as angry as you are, but you mustn't let it destroy you."

"I am fighting it, Leia," Anakin told her. "I truly am. That's part of the reason I contacted you- somehow just seeing you and hearing your voice helps me to do so."

Leia smiled, moved by his admission. "I love you too, Father," she told him.

Anakin smiled. "You are remarkable, do you know that?" he said.

"I'm my father's child," she reminded him.

Anakin nodded. "Yes, no doubt of that. Well I should try to get some sleep; I'm hoping to see your mother in the morning."

"Okay," she said. "I'll be sure to tell Luke you said hi."

"Thank you," he said. "I love you, Leia," he added. "I'll see you soon."

"Goodnight, Father," Leia replied. "Sweet dreams."

Leia closed the transmission and sat in the Falcon's hold alone for a few moments. My mother has been alive all these years, and Bail Organa knew it…so why didn't he tell me? Why did he lie about her? The thought that her mother had spent twenty years living in drug induced isolation was horrific. It saddened Leia, but more than that, it angered her. She shared her father's anger and hatred for those responsible for doing this, but she also felt anger towards the man who she had grown up believing was her father, Bail Organa. Yes, he had raised her, loved her, provided for her; but he had also lied to her, and kept the truth of her real mother's existence from her. While that in itself was enough to be resentful, the fact that Padmé had been alone, isolated and taken advantage of all those years made it unforgivable. The thought of changing her name had crossed Leia's mind more than once in the past few weeks, but given this latest discovery, it made the idea even more appealing.

"Everything okay?" Han asked as he poked his head into the hold.

Leia looked up at him. "No, not at all," she said as she stood up. "Do you know where Luke is? I have something I need to tell him."

Naboo- The Next Morning

Padmé was disappointed when she awoke the next morning. She had not experienced one remarkable dream all night, and had begun to wonder if her theory had been erroneous. Perhaps there was no connection at all between the meds and her memories, perhaps it had all been foolish to even consider she could get her memory back simply by stopping her meds. No, I won't give up, she told herself. It's too soon…give it more time…there's already been a change, you've felt it yourself.

She got up out of bed and walked over to her window. The morning was grey, with a promise of rain in the air. No garden today, likely, she realized glumly. The day seemed to stretch out in front of her, unbearable long without a diversion to occupy her. I've never felt like that before, she realized as she left the window, realizing that she had more proof that the cessation of meds were indeed affecting her.

"Good morning," the duty nurse announced as she opened the door without as much as a knock.

Padmé turned around, annoyed by her lack of consideration.

"Time for meds," she said.

"I haven't even had breakfast yet," Padmé protested.

The nurse shrugged her shoulders. "I'm just following orders, Padmé," she said. "I guess you've been a bit off lately, and Mr. Corrino wants to make sure you're okay."

A likely story, Padmé thought. She held out her hand and took the pills. There were three now where just last night there had been but two.

"Will you be coming down for breakfast? Or should I have it sent up here?" the nurse asked.

"Send it up here," Padmé replied. "I'm not up to company this morning."

"Okay," the nurse replied. She stood and watched Padmé. "I'm waiting," she said.

"For what?" Padmé asked.

"You know very well what," the nurse replied. "Now come on, let's not get into this again."

"Oh okay," Padmé said, pretending to comply. She put them in her mouth.

"Now swallow," the nurse said, all trace of humor gone from her eyes.

Padmé pointed to the fresher, indicating that she needed a drink.

"I can get that for you," the nurse said, realizing what Padmé was trying to do. She went into the fresher to get a glass of water and was gone mere seconds before she returned.

"There you go," she said, handing Padmé the glass.

Padmé nodded, and then took the glass and drank down the water.

"Good job," the nurse replied, smiling once again. "I'll send breakfast up at once."

"Thanks," Padmé replied. As soon as the door closed, she spit the pills, which she had hidden under her tongue, into her hand. She stared at them, starting to loathe the sight of them. "You won't win this time, Palo," she said, closing her hand around the small tablets. "It's time for me to take my life back."

It was an hour later and Padmé had just finished getting dressed when she heard a knock on her door. She realized it wasn't the duty nurse, since she never knocked.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"It's me, Padmé; your mom."

Padmé opened the door at once to let in her mother.

"How are you today?" Jobal asked as she embraced her daughter.

"I'm fine, thanks," Padmé replied. "How are you? You look

worried."

Jobal was struck by the change in her daughter. Padmé looked far more alert, far more lucid than she had looked in years, and Jobal couldn't help but wonder if she had started to believe Anakin about the meds. Speaking of Anakin…

"I understand you were upset with Anakin yesterday," Jobal began as the two women walked into the sitting room.

Padmé looked at her mother. "He told you that?" she asked.

Jobal nodded as she took a seat. "Yes he did," she replied. "He is very concerned, Padmé, very worried about you. He loves you a great deal."

Padmé sat down with her mother. "I know he does," she said quietly. "I only wish I could remember him, remember my life with him."

Jobal remained silent, not feeling it was her place to tell Padmé what Anakin had learned. "He's here you know," she said at last.

Padmé looked up at her mother. "Anakin is?"

"Yes," Jobal replied. "He doesn't want to upset you though, that's why he didn't come up."

Jobal watched her daughter as she tried to decide what she wanted. She could see the conflict in Padmé's eyes.

"Should I go and get him?" Jobal asked.

"I …I don't know," Padmé replied, standing up and walking across the room. "Part of me wants to see him, part of me is afraid to."

"Afraid?" Jobal asked. "Why would you be afraid?"

"Because of the things he tells me," she replied. "He thinks that the meds I'm taking have been responsible for me not getting my memory back. If that's true…"

"If it's true, it isn't Anakin's doing," Jobal replied. "It just means that he is the first one to tell you the truth. I've spent a lot of time with him, Padmé; he's a good man, an honorable man, and he loves you beyond words. You can trust him, Padmé. I promise you that."

Padmé knew she could trust him, she had sensed that from the moment she had first met him. It was almost as though there was a connection there that transcended conscious memory or thought; and if that were true, then she needed to rediscover that connection.

"Yes, I do want to see him," Padmé told her mother at last. "Please show him up."

Anakin paced up and down in the corridor on the main floor. It had taken every ounce of restraint he possessed not to race upstairs and find Padmé. He knew that she would be upset if he pushed too hard, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. Yet it was very difficult for him to stay away from her, to remain patient. Finally he saw his mother-in-law approaching him.

"Well?" he asked her simply.

"She wants to see you," Jobal told him.

Anakin smiled with relief. "She does?" he asked.

"Yes, yes of course," Jobal laughed. "Now come along," she said, taking his hand.

They had not even reached the end of the corridor when two armed guards appeared and blocked their way.

"I'm afraid you're not permitted to enter the residence," one of the guards told Anakin.

Anakin frowned. "You can't be serious," he said.

"We're very serious, sir," the second guard replied. "We have strict orders from Mr. Corrino not to allow you inside."

Anakin exchanged a look with Jobal as he decided what course of action he ought to take. "Go up," he told her; not wishing her to be involved in what he was sure would end up in aggressive negations.

"What about you?" she asked. "This is preposterous!"

"It is, but don't worry," he said to her. "I'll talk them into it."

Jobal frowned, knowing that 'talk' was merely a euphemism for something a little less subtle. Still, she reasoned that nothing was going to keep Anakin from seeing Padmé, so she might as well accept his unconventional methods.

Jobal continued down the corridor and stepped onto the lift, watching Anakin as long as she could before the doors closed.

"Now, I strongly suggest that you reconsider letting me pass," Anakin said to the guards, doing his utmost to remain calm. "Otherwise, I may have to injure you."

The guards looked at one another with a smirk. "Yeah, sure pal," one of them said. "Two of us against one of you, and you don't even have a weapon..."

"I don't need a weapon," Anakin said, sending the two guards flying across the corridor. They slammed up against the wall and immediately jumped to their feet and pointed their blasters at Anakin.

"I don't think so," Anakin said, yanking the blasters from the men's hands with the Force. He grabbed the weapons easily and turned them on the astonished guards. "Move," he told them. "Into the lift."

The guards did as they were told, realizing that they were no match for him. Once they were inside the lift, Anakin closed the door and used the Force to fuse the controls, making prisoners of the guards within the small lift. He then headed for the stairs and took them three at a time until he reached the second floor. Walking down the corridor, he found a laundry shoot and dumped the blasters, and then proceeded to Padmé's door.

"Anakin!" Jobal exclaimed when she opened the door for him. "What happened? How did you get past those guards?"

Anakin shrugged. "Quite easily actually," he said. "But I'm afraid the lift will be out of order for a little while," he added with a smile. He looked over Jobal's shoulder to see Padmé looking at him.

"Hi," he said with a smile.

"Hi," she replied, "what's going on?"

Anakin walked into the room. "It seems I'm not wanted here," he told her. "No doubt Palo left orders for them not to let me up to see you."

Padmé frowned. "He shouldn't have done that," she said.

"He doesn't like me," Anakin replied. "Not that I care," he hastened to add. "The feelings are more than mutual."

"You know he'll be up here as soon as he finds out you're here," Jobal told him.

Anakin nodded. "Yes, I know," he said, looking at her. "In fact, I'm counting on it."

"I don't understand," Padmé said. "Why would you want to force a confrontation with him?"

"I have something to discuss with Administrator Corrino," Anakin replied. "Something you need to know, Padmé."

Padmé looked from Anakin to her mother and then back to him again. "What?" she asked. "What is going on?"

"Sit down, Padmé," Anakin said, sitting down on the sofa. Padmé sat beside him, her anxiety level rising.

Anakin looked at her, sensing in her a new level of awareness, a higher degree of lucidity. He noticed something else; she was wearing the japor snippet.

"Do you remember what I told you yesterday, Padmé," he asked her. "About your medical records?"

Padmé nodded. "Yes, you told me that you'd read them."

"Yes," Anakin said. "I know you were upset with me for doing that, but I did it in order to help you. I would never do anything to deliberately upset you, Padmé; I hope you realize that."

Padmé did not know what to say in response, so she did not say anything, and merely waited for him to continue.

"I also told you about what I suspected about the medication you've been taking," Anakin continued. "I know this isn't an easy thing for you to think about, Padmé, but you need to know the truth."

"And what is the truth, Anakin?" she asked.

"The truth is, I was right," he told her. "I consulted with a physician, who corroborated what I thought. Tharandon, the medication that you've been taking for twenty years, is responsible for your memory loss."

"You know this for certain?" she asked.

Anakin nodded. He pulled a datadisc from within his cloak. "I have the doctor's report right here," he said. "The proof I needed."

Padmé was silent as she digested this information. She felt a tumult of conflicting emotions churning within her as she considered the implications of this news.

Part of her felt tremendous anger, outrage at what had been done to her, at how she had been abused for so long. Part of her felt confused; why would Palo want her memories repressed? What purpose would it serve? What advantage would it give him?

Yet despite these negative emotions, there was also a part of her that took hope from this news. She had already noticed changes in her since she had stopped taking the meds; and that was only with three missed doses. How long would it be before she began to regain her memory?

"I haven't taken the meds in more than twenty-four hours," she told him at last. "And I've already noticed a difference."

"How did you manage that?" Jobal asked. "Those nurses are like drill sergeants from what I've seen."

"I hid them," Padmé told her mother. "Under my tongue. I flushed them down the toilet, washed them down the sink, whatever it took."

Anakin smiled. So she did believe me… "And you've noticed a change," Anakin said.

Padmé looked at him and nodded. "Yes, I have," she replied. "I seem to be thinking more clearly," she told him. "I've started to question things, where before I would just accept whatever they told me."

"You've started back, Padmé," Anakin told her. "But we have to get you out of here in order for you to fully recover. So long as you're in here, you will have to fight for every step you take. I won't let them do this to you any more. I'll break you out of here myself if I have to."

"I'm afraid that isn't likely to happen."

Anakin and Padmé turned to see Palo standing in the doorway. Anakin felt the rage he thought he'd mastered filling him again as he faced his adversary, and stood up.

"And who is going to stop me," Anakin asked as he walked towards him. "You, administrator?" he asked, his voice full of contempt.

Palo smirked. "You must be pretty pleased with yourself for the way you dispatched my guards," he said. "But I assure you, that is not the extent of my resources. I am a powerful man, Skywalker; with many powerful connections."

"No doubt purchased with my wife's money," Anakin commented. He saw the flicker of fear in Palo's eyes, and realized that he had struck a nerve. "I understand you have quite an impressive art collection, administrator," he continued. "Amazing how you were able to keep up such an expensive hobby on a health care provider's salary."

"I don't think I like what you're implying," Palo said, doing his best to keep his fear out of his voice. "My personal finances are none of your concern."

"I don't give a damn about the money," Anakin growled, stepping closer to Palo. "That is inconsequential compared to the blatant abuse Padmé has endured in this facility for the past twenty years."

"Abuse?" Palo echoed. "You really have some nerve saying that to me! The long lost husband who neglects his wife for twenty years and then just shows up out of no where! If anyone is guilty of abuse here, it's you, Skywalker!"

That was all it took to make Anakin lose the tenuous control he had over his temper. He lifted a hand and used the Force to shove Palo across the room.

"Anakin, please!" Padmé cried as Anakin advanced on Palo who was struggling to his feet.

"He's got this coming, Padmé," Anakin told her without turning away from his prey.

"Padmé is right, Anakin," Jobal said. "Violence won't solve anything."

Palo stood up shakily, his pride more injured than his body at this point.

"I'll have you arrested for this assault, Skywalker," he whined as he rubbed his back gingerly. "I'll…"

"You'll be lucky to see the light of day again after I have you charged with practicing medicine without a license, and the doctor you have on your payroll charged with malpractice," Anakin interjected. He held up the data disc. "I have all the proof I need to see that this place is shut down and you, administrator, are sent to prison for the rest of your life."

"What proof do you think you have of anything?" Palo retorted, trying to hide the fear he felt swelling within him. But his efforts were in vain, for Anakin sensed it at once, and moved in for the kill.

"Records indicating you have coerced my wife into taking a dangerous drug for two decades," Anakin replied. "A drug that has not only repressed her memory, but has made her dependent upon you and this facility for twenty years. And then there is Padmé's financial records," he added. He had not seen her financial records, but he guessed that once he did, they would reveal a great deal. And he was right; the mention of the records created a fresh wave of fear in Palo. Anakin smiled.

"Padmé gave me power of attorney years ago," Palo stated. "I have merely been….making investments for her."

"Is that what you'd call stealing from a woman who wouldn't know what was going on?" Jobal spoke up. "And to think we all trusted you! My husband went to his grave thinking his little girl was in good hands, and all this time you were not only taking advantage of her condition, but you were exacerbating it! How could you!?"

"Please," Palo replied. "Neither you nor your husband ever offered to take care of Padmé," he retorted. "If it weren't for me she would have ended up as a prostitute on the streets of Theed, not that her dear husband here would have cared."

Palo didn't even see Anakin coming, his attack was so swift. He doubled over as Anakin's fist connected with his midriff. Sputtering and coughing, Palo struggled to face his attacker and did so just in time to receive a second blow, this time to his jaw. He felt blood fill his mouth as he struggled to keep his balance. He coughed and spit out blood and more than one tooth onto the pristine ceramic tiles. Within seconds Anakin was on him again, not giving him a moment's respite. He felt Anakin's boot connect with his back, sending him sprawling to the floor, his clothes now smeared with his own blood. Palo slowly got onto his hands and knees as Anakin watched him with grim satisfaction. Growing impatient, Anakin grabbed him by the collar and hauled him onto his feet, shoving him roughly against the wall.

"Now you've gone too far," Anakin told him, his voice full of rage. He had him pinned against the wall with one hand at his throat. Palo looked at Anakin, his eyes bulging with fear. He could see the murderous fury in Anakin's eyes. "You're going to pay for what you've done," Anakin told him as his grip tightened.

"Anakin, please," Padmé pleaded with him. "Don't kill him! That's murder!"

Anakin looked down at his wife who stood at his side, looking up at, her dark eyes imploring him not to kill. In that instant he saw her eyes as she pleaded with him on Mustafar, pleaded with him to come with her, to run away and raise their child together, and then, finally, to spare her life…

He released Palo at once, and the hapless administrator slumped to the ground. He looked down at him. "As ironic as it may seem, you have my wife to thank for your life," he told Palo. "But should our paths ever cross again, make no mistake; I will not be so merciful."

Palo did not reply, his fear paralyzing him into silence. He could only sit slumped against the wall and thank the Maker that Padmé had managed to talk her husband out of killing him outright for he was certain that Anakin Skywalker was more than capable of killing.

Anakin turned to his wife. "You're coming with us," he told her. "I won't leave you here with this monster for another moment."

Padmé nodded. "I want to come," she told him.

Anakin smiled, and reached out to take her hand. To his surprise, she put her hand in his. Jobal took her other hand, and together the three of them left the room and headed for the exit.