For Gary, who wrote a song, published it in 1987, and created probably one of the most recognizable folk tune in hard rock music. You'll be missed.

Your words and music inspired me countless of times. You were one of the best guitarists of the world. Hard rock and heavy metal owe you so much...

May you find your Wild Frontier, Over The Hills And Far Away...

Rest In Peace Gary Moore

Chapter 35 – While The Night Still Hides The Withering Dawn

A deep breath. It was everything he wanted in that moment. A deep breath of cool and clean air. Something that since many years before was impossible to him. He sat there, in his private chamber in his own mansion on Coruscant. It was the only place he could breath without his mask. His own meditation chamber. The only place he could actually find some relief from the uncomfortable suit, the continue pain in what remained of his limbs and the continue going up and down the Galaxy, bringing fear and terror to Imperial Officers and from time to time to unruly governors that didn't follow the Emperor's decisions.

That was his own sanctuary.

But that day, it didn't really work.

Skywalker had almost killed him and that made him angry. He felt the wrath seeding in him as he though about how close he had come to take hold on the greatest danger on his own life and position and destroy him.

And he had failed. And almost got killed in the process. He ran his gloved hands on his bald head and sighed. When his troops had found him, he was nothing more than a hapless figure struggling for his next breath as his damaged lungs couldn't almost bare it. The medic droids had fixed his respirator and the damage caused to his limbs by the fall. He had managed to find shelter from the bombs at least, but his right let was badly damaged. And the Emperor, his Master, was terribly disappointed in him. He had failed and he had even had the bravery to come and ask for forgiveness. That wasn't the Sith way!

He had failed. And had to make amend at his Master's eyes.

He looked up at the stark white ceiling and gritted his teeth. He wanted to shout but without his mask and his voice processor, his voice was a low, grunting like whisper. "Damn you Skywalker! I'll find you, one day or another!"

I woke up almost jumping up straight on the bed, with the sense of dread that always followed any dream I had about Vader. I felt disoriented and I couldn't remember where I was. I searched the darkness for a clue of my surroundings, until I recalled what happened the day before and suddenly I calmed down a bit.

I felt Padmè, still deeply asleep beside me with her head on my shoulder, gently stir for a moment. As she felt me move, unconsciously her arm sneaked around my chest and hugged me. Fortunately I didn't wake her up. She was sleeping so peacefully, I would have been a crime to wake her.

I laid back on the pillow and sighed. Vader was alive. Damn it. You know, I was hoping that the fall and the bombing would kill him so much that I really thought he was dead. At least for a day or two. It was such a reassuring hope that I was clinging to it as if the future of the Galaxy depended on it. Well, partially it did, considering that Vader was the only way the Emperor had to maintain a certain level of fear in the Galaxy. Well, he was really creepy, that was true. His image would scare the guts out of everyone in the universe. And I'm not counting myself out, he scared me too.

He scared the guts out of me actually. And the fact that even fighting at my best I had to rely on a cheap trick to defeat him, for that moment well...it scared me even more. I could have killed him straight away, with his fragile life-support system damaged and everything, I really could have killed him there and then, but I hesitated. I could have wiped one of the worst enemies of peace away just two days ago. And I hesitated. I should have thought that if he had survived after the showdown on Mustafar, he could have survived the fall and the bombing long enough for his troops to find him. That man had a durasteel will to live, that's sure. Once again, I found more similarities between us than differences.

I took a deep calming breath and as slowly as I could, I stretched my limbs and tried to relax. Too bad the movement ignited a sharp pain from my ankle and up to my leg. It was nasty enough to make me moan in pain. And that was loud enough to wake her up. She jolted awake in a split second and propped herself on her elbow.

"Anakin, are you alright?" she asked, her voice a bit muffled.

"It's my leg. It still hurts..." I whined. "It's getting worse."

"It's the price for healing!" she said rubbing her eyes. "I should have something for the pain in the bathroom. I'll go for it..." she made the gesture to get out of the bed but my arm slipped around her and pinned her down on the bed.

"You stay here. I can deal with the pain, don't worry."

She turned on her side and rested her head on her hand. "Are you sure?"

I nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. I just need to leave it queit for a moment and it will pass."

She chuckled softly. "You didn't rest that leg as much as the doctor told you tonight!"

"It was worth it! And don't tell me otherwise!" I gingerly sat up and checked on the splint. I pulled the velcro straps a little tighter, hoping it would hold my leg together better, then laid down again and smiled. "Wow...it was better than my dreams!"

She snuggled closer and laid her head on my shoulder again. "Seems like after eight years we can still fire it up!" she joked. "Even with an injured leg and six broken ribs"

"We're like propeller and flames...we're explosive!"

"We started a war after all! We're doomed to be explosive!" she replied. "Anyway, are you sure about that leg? You don't look that good!"

I frowned a bit. "Really? How do I look like?"

"Like you just saw a ghost that broke your leg in three pieces. Come on, it won't take long! And it would make me feel better!" she practically begged me. She was really worried about my health and the pain I was enduring.

With all her insistence I had to give up. "Alright." I released her and, smiling, she got out of bed, grabbed her nightgown on a chair beside the bed and as she walked to the bathroom she donned it. As I watched her walking away, I took a deep breath and stretched my arms above my head. Except for the leg and a minor neck pain, I was doing incredibly well, even with that couple of hours of hard work, some hours before. I found myself smiling like an idiot rethinking about those two hours...some says that a passionate hour is never a wasted hour, well, I did agree totally. Two hours well, it was even better. Best way to reconnect after eight years apart. Definitely...

I grabbed my watch on the nightstand. I thought it was still early, but it was actually almost five in the morning. We had slept a lot more than what I had thought. Well, we were exhausted. Soon the base would buzz with activity, most of all after such an important battle and Padmè's presence would be demanded here and there, not to mention mine. And there was the commemoration! Probably they needed time and help to organize it...I owned those guys too much, I had to help them somehow.

Padmè returned quite fast, holding a glass of water and a bottle. "Ready?"

"No syringe this time?" I asked as I sat up.

"No, not this time. It's just a minor painkiller, I fear it won't be that effective!" she said handing me the glass. "It's mild enough so the kids can take it too, if they need it."

"Just give me a couple of pills...if they can make the pain a bit better, it will be enough. Damn, it's really hardly bearable!" I confessed.

She took three pills out of the bottle and handed them to me. "I knew you didn't feel that good. I could read it on your face!" I swallowed the pills with a sip of water and she took it from me. "I had some training with the kids during the years."

"Do they get sick that often?"

She shook her head. "No, actually, the last time they got sick they were really young but Leia tends to suffer from headaches and Luke is as reckless as you. He gets bumps and cuts every day. I always have antiseptic and bandages at hand." she said. "After all, every mother becomes a nurse in the end!"

"I guess you're right." I laid back on the bed. "But that doesn't mean you have to be my nurse! I don't want to be a problem."

She leaned over and kissed me lightly. "You're never a problem. And you're hurt because you wanted to protect me, I owe you!"

"You don't owe me anything Padmè, you know that"

She sneaked under the covers again and turned on her side, propping her head on her hand. "Yes I do. You sacrificed yourself to save me too many times. By the way, don't you think it's time for some explanations?" she asked.

I sighed. I really hoped that time would come later. Much later actually. "Yes, it is. What do you want to know?"

She took my hand in hers. "They tortured you, didn't they?"

I nodded. "Yes. When Sidious saw that his psychological tricks didn't work, he thought that physical pain could make me turn to the Dark Side. But he underestimated my resistance and my will to return to you."

"How often?"

"Two, sometimes three times per month. They gave me the time to heal almost completely, then they started all over again. I admit that there were moments I almost faltered and I really wanted to kill them, but I managed to maintain a semblance of control and keep quiet. Sometimes Vader came and tortured me himself!" I felt her fingers squeezing my hand tightly in reaction of the last revelation. "Those where the worst times of all. Once he almost drowned me!"

"What the he..." she exclaimed, her face a mask of shock and wrath. "I...I don't know what to say!"

"There's nothing to say. It's over now. They can't hurt me anymore."

"But..." she was stammering, I could see her eyes welling with tears. "The laws of the Galactic Republic are still valid...torture is still banned! I hoped beyond hope that Obi-Wan's feelings about what happened to you were wrong but...now that you confirm it..." she was crying now. And I hated seeing her crying. I just hated it.

"Come on..." I slipped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards me, holding her tightly. "It's over now. I'm fine! They didn't cause me any permanent damage. I'm still a whole one! Well, almost whole!"

I managed to tear a smile from her. "I still can't believe it. You've been so far away for so long I had almost forgot how it felt to be with you. It's even better than before...well, before the Empire."

"This time we don't have to hide." I replied. "And after so much time, believe me, I had almost forgot how it felt too." I paused for a moment and kissed her forehead. "I love you so much..."

She snuggled closer and sighed contently. "I love you too. Always have and always will." she whispered softly. "And after you escaped?" she asked.

"Well, first of all I ran to the Jedi Temple, and there I discovered about the twins and that I had to go to your parents if I wanted to know something about you." I replied. "And that's where I got caught into an explosion and a random shrapnel stuck in my side, here..." I pointed the long scar on my right side, just underneath the ribcage. "I managed to reach your parents' house and there they helped me."

"Yes, Sola told me something about that when I left the twins there, three days ago."

I nodded and went on. "When I recovered, and it took me quite some time, considering that Janu had to perform an emergency surgery in your own bedroom, Darrick came and enrolled me in the Alliance with a fake ID. I was sent to Dxun and there we developed the first functioning prototype of the X-Wing. And that's where I started getting depressed."

"Depressed?" she asked looking up at me.

I nodded. "Yep, depressed. I don't know why but when I was in prison I was a lot more able to stand the distance between us but...when I was out, I had more time to think about you and the twins and...well, yep, I was incredibly depressed. I was so down that when Incom accepted our prototype and started the first line of production we had a small party and I got drunk. I was completely smashed, the other guys had to drag me to the restroom because I was about to throw up. It wasn't a great night I have to say."

"Anakin Skywalker!" she said in fake shock. "I didn't really think you were the kind of man that drowns sorrows in alcohol!"

"I'm not!" I exclaimed. "It was a special occasion, and a one time only! Really, I felt so bad that next time I had something alcoholic at hand I barely drank half of it!" I replied. "Anyway, a couple of days after that we were moved to Dantooine for the piloting course. There I met Aleha and Ahsoka, even if she didn't recognize me at first, you know, with longer hair and the long beard and everything." I told her. "Then you know the story."

"I'm sorry Anakin. You had to face all of this alone and...well, I was safe and sound with the twins..."

"That was everything I wanted. That's why I decided it was time to take hold of the situation and do something for you. Anyway...what about you? Obi-Wan didn't tell me much."

"Well...we went to Tatooine at first. We stayed there for about a week, long enough for Obi-Wan to make sure ai was safe, get in touch with Master Yoda then confront Vader on Mustafar and come back. During that week, Beru got to know that in order to hide my pregnancy to everyone I had never been checked my a doctor and almost forced me to get a check up. She called a medic she really trusted and that's when we learned I was expecting twins!" she chuckled. "You can't imagine the shock on Obi-Wan's face. He paled so quick that I thought he had a stroke!"

I shook my head. "I wish I could have seen him, but I guess I would have had the same reaction, only amplified!"

"Knowing you, you probably would have had fainted." she laughed softly. "Anyway, considering my particular situation, we decided there and then that I had to disappear. And that I needed a more competent doctor, just in case anything would go wrong. Then we went to Naboo and with the help of the Queen and some other very trustworthy people we organized a fake funeral. And after that, we remained with my parents." she took a deep breath. "It was only a couple of weeks later than the whole story was revealed by the press. With me apparently dead and you...well, you had been reported executed...everything was out. Fortunately not the pregnancy. My efforts to hide it seemed to prove they were worth it."

"Well, at least that. You did a wonderful job, considering you were one of the most important Senators of the Galaxy!" I replied.

"Well, I had a lot of help from anyone close to me. Anyway, about a month after everything started, the twins decided it was time to come out and see the world. It took some time, almost sixteen hours but everything went fine. It took me all the control I had to though, because I really was about to start curse like the worst bounty hunter of the Galaxy. The main problem was keeping Obi-Wan calm, he really gave a hard time to Darred and my father, he was incredibly nervous. Fortunately everything went fine. A bit long, but fine. Even though I don't think I really want other children, I've had my fix of pain!" she said, and I had the feeling she was really sure about that.

"Was it that painful?" I asked.

She nodded. "Well, I dare to say that it was the most painful thing I ever endured in my life. Therefore, next time, we have to be careful!" she said

"We've always been careful Padmè, and you still got pregnant! When it happens, it happens, there's not so much to do about it!"

"Well, there was a night we weren't that careful actually..." she said, but left the sentence hanging.

She got me curious. "What time?"

"About five months before the Battle of Coruscant. Before you left for the Outer Rim Sieges. On Naboo."

Suddenly I recalled that night. "Oh yeah I definitely remember that! I think I had other things running in my mind that night, other than the risk of getting you pregnant!"

"You definitely had!" she rolled on her stomach and stared at me. "If I remember correctly, you never gave me a moment to breathe!"

"As if I'm the only one to blame! It takes two to make babies, you know that!"

Trying to muffle it so she wouldn't wake up the kids, she laughed wholeheartedly. "I know. I really do know." she ran her hand through her long hair. "I remember something that Sola told me, some years ago. I think it was that day we visited my parents, just before we left for the Lake Region. Just before the war."

"Oh, that day I had the feeling she kept telling you naughty things about me! You looked so embarrassed sometimes!"

"Well, she saw that I was in love with you even before I realized it myself. She has always been more perspicacious than me in matters of boys actually. Anyway, she said that one day or another you would get me into troubles. Into big troubles. In fact, you got me not only one, but two troubling children!"

"I told you, it's not my fault!" I laughed. "At least not only my fault!"

"I'm not blaming you! It's just a matter of biology. You just hit the target!"

Damn, even in that hour, after everything that had happened just a couple of days before...she was just perfect. The most gorgeous woman I had ever seen.

"And tell me, after the twins were born?" I asked, changing subject. "What did you do?"

"Well, we stayed on Naboo for six months, long enough for the kids to be a bit more easy to handle for me, since Obi-Wan was really nervous and somehow awkward around them, and long enough for the mess created by the beginning of the Empire to settle down. Obi-Wan traveled to Alderaan and got in touch with senator Organa, and he helped us. For some time, we traveled around the Galaxy. We stayed on Alderaan under the protection of the Royal family for most of the time, but sometimes Obi-Wan felt it was better to move somewhere remote. Then we came here, or went on Tatooine. Unfortunately, when the new Queen was elected and we discovered she was a more Empire-friendly governor, we had to cut our trips to Naboo, in order to remain as hidden as possible."

I nodded. I had seen how many security guards there were around Theed. "And now? What do you think we should do?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. I mean, I had grown accustomed to the idea of being away from you...now I really need to rearrange everything!"

"Just be aware of the fact that I snore and I tend to move a lot while sleeping. And sometimes I have nightmares! And I talk!"

She smiled. "As if I didn't know that already. We've slept together, I remember how much you toss and turn around while you sleep!" she said. "And I guess you know that I am a light sleeper. And that Luke sometimes gets up in the middle of the night and jump in my bed. And when Leia finds it out, she comes too."

"It won't be a problem. But now I really want to know what do you want to do." I repeated. "I mean, about us. Should we go around with our real names, at least, should I do it, considering that I can still use my fake ID if you think it could protect you better."

"Well, I guess that, as long as you are willing to do it, it can be arranged."

"For you and the twins, I would do everything. After all, I used that fake name for almost a year, I can still do it. It won't be a problem." I replied. "Many know that Anakin Skywalker is actually alive and that he joined the Alliance, but not many of them saw me. Or at least, they didn't see me close enough to remind my face. And I can still let my beard grow."

"You know, I always wondered how you'd look look like with a long beard."

"Dakk should have a holo we took one day on Dxun. I can ask him to show it to you."

"That would be nice. Anyway, what's your fake name?" she asked curiously.

"Atton Rosh. Nothing too hard to remember."

"Atton Rosh..." she repeated softly. She seemed to think about it for a moment, "Atton Rosh...well, I guess I can adapt. I prefer your name though."

"Me too but, you know...there's a huge bounty on my head. Being Anakin Skywalker can be tricky in our situation."

She sighed. "Just like being Senator Amidala. I'm quite happy with being Padmè Naberrie now. I'm just a woman now, a mother. And a wife!"

"My wife, if I may add..." I said. "My wonderful, gorgeous incredibly resourceful wife. The only woman I will ever love. Forever and always."

She snuggled closer to me and took a deep breath. "I wish this night would never end." she whispered. "We still have so many things to talk about..."

I moved on of her locks away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "We can still reprise it this evening. We tuck the kids in their bed and...well, ignite the fireworks!"

"It's just that...I don't know..." she closed her eyes for a moment, then looked up at me. "I just feel perfect now. We're finally together. And this time it's for real. I just don't want the others to interfere with this perfect moment."

She was right. It was perfect. We were perfect. No one could ever hope for a better match. She was my other half, my soulmate. She still is, actually. She made me perfect. With her, I could endure everything. I could confront my worst fears, as long as she was with me. We were just perfect.

"And, by the way..." suddenly her voice became low and warm. "We can still ignite the fireworks now..."

I closed my eyes as she brushed her fingers lightly on my chest, slowly dragging the sheet down. She managed to tear a groan of pleasure out of me when she kissed me, slowly, passionately. I could feel her warmth seep through the thin fabric of her nightgown and the covers and it felt incredible, almost scorching.

"What are you doing?" I whispered as her lips trailed down my jaw to my neck. Slowly she straddled me and made herself comfortable.

"I'm making love with my husband..." she purred, a wicked grin on her face. By the Force, I loved when she took control of the situation. "If his leg is up to the task."

"My leg is fine, as long as you don't want to do something crazy!" I replied, trying to play it as cool as I could, as I grazed her leg lightly, slowly moving the fabric of her gown up.

"Good...because I want to use this time as best as I can!"

"Well, I guess we can arrange that!"

She kissed me and, well, let me say that I lost track of time and even the contact with the world around me. And it was sheer luck that at some point I realized there was something different. I felt something just outside the door, through the Force. It was only a moment but I felt someone coming closer.

I had to break the kiss in order to feel it clearly. Panting, I tried to concentrate long enough to understand what was happening.

"Hey Anakin...what's going on?" she asked, worried.

"I don't know...I thought I heard something..." then I realized it. "The twins, they're coming in, now!"

She paled slightly and jumped off of me and threw herself under the covers just in time to disappear before the door opened and Luke and Leia appeared. With a curious look on their sleepy faces.

"What were you doing?" asked Leia rubbing her eyes wearily.

We exchanged an extremely embarrassed look. "Nothing!" we said.

Luke elbowed his sister. "Yeah, nothing...like nothing would wake you up!" he teased her. Or us, I don't know. "Can we come in?" he asked.

Padmè nodded. "Sure..."

I rolled on my side and searched for my boxers through the heap of clothes scattered beside the bed. I quickly donned them under the sheets before they climbed up with us and sneaked under the covers.

"What are you doing awake at this early hour?" I asked.

"Something woke me up." replied Leia. "I couldn't sleep anymore."

"Then I woke up too and we decided to come here." continued Luke.

"And what about knocking?" asked Padmè, a bit annoyed. "I told you it's not polite to burst into a closed room."

"We supposed you were sleeping!" Luke tried to justify himself. "We didn't know you were awake and what you were doing! We didn't want to burst in! We just wanted to stay with our parents!"

I sighed. Fireworks would have to wait. But if it was for them, well, I could have waited forever.

Sad day. Sad day indeed. I didn't really know, when I picked this story up again last August, that two of the most important people concerning Star Wars and this story in particular would die while I was writing it. It's just terribly sad. Gary Moore was an incredible guitarist, a fantastic composer and a great bluesman. He passed away too early. He was too young, not even 60 years old. It's sad indeed.

Anyway, I really hope you liked it. I really wanted to finish it tonight. I hope that the haste didn't ruin the result. I had a different ending in my head some months ago but I decided to make it a little easier. And I hope funnier. The classic "caught in the act" thing, just in a Star Warsy style.

So, have fun and, remember, I love reviews. I love having my mailbox full. And, if you don't mind, I recommend you to listen to the song I took the line for the title of the chapter. Just google the title and check it on youtube. I assure you it's worth it, it's a great song. See ya!