Twenty-nine

School seemed to drag on for Padmé the next day, for the highlight of her day had become the time she spent with the twins after school. Seeing Luke and Leia in the corridors in passing was simply not enough any more, and Padmé knew that very soon she would need to tell them the truth. How could she explain to them why she had kept such an important truth from them? They'll understand when I tell them what happened, she reasoned, when I tell them how I've spent the past ten years. What would happen once the truth was out, Padmé could not even imagine. How will Darth Vader react to learn his wife was actually alive? How would the twins react? They are already close to him, how can I compete with that? She wondered anxiously. In her mind exclusive custody of the twins was the only option for her, for Darth Vader was, in her mind, a monster that she wanted nothing to do with. But how do I get custody of them when he has the courts in his control? How do I fight him when I have no leverage whatsoever?

"What's up, Red?"

Padmé's thoughts were interrupted by Len Wagar who slid into the seat across from her in the teacher lounge. Lunch hour had just begun, and the small lounge was quickly filling up with staff members.

"Not much," Padmé said. "You?"

"I'm hungry enough to eat my own arm," Wagar said as he started in on his lunch.

Padmé couldn't help but smile. It seems males were the same no matter their age or their planet of origin. Her observation brought back a wave of unwanted memories, memories of happier times, of a time when it seemed that the future was bright and full of promise…

We have swum to the small island and are lying on the warm sand, my head resting on Anakin's flat abdomen. He is slowly stroking my back, and we are both utterly relaxed and at peace, simply enjoying the warm sunshine and one another's company. And then I hear something that makes me frown, until I realize what it is. I smile and look up at him. "Ani, was that your stomach?"

"Maybe," he replies, a little embarrassed.

I laugh. "No maybes about it! I heard it! It was like the growl of a wild animal!"

This makes him burst out laughing. "Stop teasing me," he protests half heartedly.

"There it goes again!" I laugh, hearing it again. "Anakin, is there ever a time when you're not hungry?"

"No, there isn't," he tells me with a grin. "Just being around you makes me very hungry."

I laugh and get up. "Oh, is that it," reply. "Come on, let's go back and get some lunch."

"Oh all right," he replies, standing up. "Just when we finally got dried off…"

"Well here," I say, splashing an armful of water at him. "That should get you ready for the water." I turn away and run into the water. Ani laughs as he takes off after me.

Padmé pushed the memory from her mind, thoughts of her beloved Anakin more than she could handle. She focused on her lunch as the teachers all around her engaged in conversations ranging in topic from the state of the economy to what they had made for dinner the previous evening. Padmé did her best to join in whenever she was in the lounge, not wanting to be considered a snob. Usually there was at least one conversation that she could contribute to, and as she continued to listen, she soon realized there was one that she had very much to contribute to, but didn't dare.

"I just don't understand it," one teacher was saying, "how that man could have fathered those two beautiful children."

"I know what you mean," another agreed, "Luke and Leia Vader are both such great kids. It's hard to believe he's their father."

"Maybe he's not," another offered. "I mean, how could he have fathered children in that suit he wears? I heard he never takes it off."

"Well maybe he has a special trap door that allows him to …function," another offered. His suggestion was met with laughter.

"Maybe he wasn't always like he is now," Padmé spoke up, unable to listen to another cruel comment.

The teachers turned to her, surprised by her comment.

"What do you know about him, Ania?" one teacher asked.

Padmé shrugged. "Only what the twins have told me," she lied calmly.

"What did they tell you?" Wagar asked.

"I can't tell what they told me in confidence," Padmé said, "but I know that he had an accident. No doubt that is why he must wear that suit."

"Makes sense," one teacher nodded. "I wonder who their mother is," she added. "Can you imagine being with him? I mean, even without the suit I can't imagine any woman in her right mind wanting to be with him."

Padmé had to fight back her comment, and simply returned her attention to her lunch, tuning out the remainder of the insensitive conversation.

Later that same day

"Welcome home, Lord Vader!" Threepio exclaimed happily as Vader strode through the corridor towards the lift. "It's so good to have you home! The twins have been most unhappy in your absence, sir, but I can assure you that I have made sure that they ate their vegetables, brushed their teeth and did their…"

The door to the lift closed before Threepio could finish his sentence. He, however, was growing quite accustomed to Vader's less than friendly manner, and simply continued on his way.

"Kassel," Vader snapped as he entered his office. The captain looked up from the report he was preparing.

"Yes sir?" he asked. "I was just preparing your agenda for the rest of the week."

"Never mind that," Vader said. "I have a …situation that requires some rather fast thinking."

Kassel lifted his eyebrows. "Sir?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

"A man is dead who shouldn't be," Vader said. "A man who the emperor sent here to spy on me. I need an explanation for the man's death. I'm leaving it up to you to think of one and to communicate with the emperor's office."

Kassel hated this sort of assignment, for this certainly wasn't the first of its kind he'd been given while under the employ of the Dark Lord. Vader's temper was legendary, and he'd left a few dead bodies in his wake over the past few years.

"I'll take care of it sir," Kassel replied finally. "Are you going to pick up the twins?"

"Yes," Vader replied. "How long does Luke's swimming lesson last?"

"Uh, about that sir," Kassel said, rubbing his chin nervously. "There's something I think you need to know."

Veslack Academy

"Very good, Luke!" Padmé said, pleased with her son's efforts. "You've really got the hang of it."

Luke smiled as he continued to tread water. Padmé had managed to get him to put his face in the water, and was well on her way to getting him to completely submerge. Luke was feeling far more confident in the water than he had even twenty four hours earlier, and had begun to actually enjoy himself.

"Dad will be so surprised when he comes home," Leia said as she watched from the water's edge.

Padmé looked up at her, Leia's comment suddenly making her feel anxious. "When do you expect him home?" she asked.

"Soon," Leia said, lazily kicking her feet in the water. "Today I think."

Padmé nodded, doing her best to hide her uneasiness. "Well I hope he's as pleased with Luke's progress as I am."

"He will be," Luke said. "He wanted me to learn how to swim. I'm sure he'll want to meet you to thank you in person."

"Oh, he doesn't need to do that," Padmé replied, a surge of fear rushing through her. Both Luke and Leia felt it and frowned.

"You don't need to be afraid of him, Miss Kinsky," Leia assured her. "I know pretty much everyone is, but he's not scary, honest."
"Besides, he'll be grateful for helping me learn to get over being scared of water," Luke added. "I know he will."

Padmé nodded, not wanting to tell her children how the thought of meeting their father terrified her.

"Time to go," Padmé said as she moved to the water's edge. "Han will be here at any moment to pick you up."

Luke followed his mother to the water's edge and climbed out as Padmé picked up a towel. She had just dried off her wet hair and a wrapped a towel around it when the sound of footsteps was heard approaching the pool deck. Many footsteps. Padmé frowned and looked over at Leia, who was also looking towards the source of the sound.

"It's him!" she cried excitedly, standing up quickly. "It's Dad!"

"Your father is here?" Padmé cried in a panic.

Leia nodded. "Looks like he's not alone," she added, stopping as several armed storm troopers entered the pool deck.

"What's going on?" Luke cried.

"We're here under orders, sir," the first clone said.

"What orders?" Leia demanded.

"Orders from your father," the clone replied, looking for his shoulder. "We're here to arrest this woman," he added, pointing his blaster at Padmé.

"Why?" Leia cried. "She's done nothing!" she declared angrily as two clones flanked Padmé, pointing their blasters at her.

"She most certainly has," an ominous, familiar voice announced, echoing in the large pool area. Luke and Leia turned to see their father appear. They both ran to him, half elated to see him, half furious that he was doing this.

"Dad! You don't understand!" Leia cried. "Miss Kinsky was helping Luke! She's our friend!"

"A friend who lied," Vader replied. "Who dared to presume that she had my permission to detain you after school in this way."

"Dad, she's helping me!" Luke told him. "You can't do this to her!"

Vader only half heard his children, for he had turned his focus to the woman on the other side of the pool deck. She was being taken into custody and seemed to be doing her best not to face him. This angered him, and Vader walked over to her purposefully. But his way was barred by Luke and Leia, who placed themselves between their father and their mother.

"Dad, please calm down," Leia said, reaching out and taking one of his hands. "Please call off your troops and listen to us."

Padmé's fear for herself had riveted her to the floor; but seeing Luke and Leia step in shook her out of her state. "Luke, Leia, it's okay," she said, putting a hand on a shoulder of each of them. This only angered Vader more, and it was all he could do not to push the twins aside in an attempt to get to her.

"Take your hands off of them!" Vader roared, using the Force to move the twins aside. "How dare you manipulate my children this way!"

Padmé had been frozen with fear from the moment Vader had entered the pool deck, the sound of his malevolent voice making her blood run cold. But his accusation gave her the courage to speak up.

"I'm not manipulating them!" she countered, looking up at him, willing herself not to lose her nerve. To her surprise, Vader said nothing in response, and simply stood staring at her. He had fallen silent, the face he saw staring up at him so indignantly bearing an impossible resemblance to the One he'd long believed dead. "Who are you?" he demanded, his tone less angry.

"I think you know," she said finally.

Vader shook his head. "No," he said, backing away from her. "You are an imposter, you have to be!"

"No, I'm not an imposter," Padmé replied, putting it all on the line. "And you know it as well as me."