A/N: I'm so sorry this is so late! I've been up to my eyes in uni work. Altogether 7000 excruciating words, lol.

Chapter Fifty-Two – The Fate of Leia

Obi-Wan was silent and brooding throughout the flight to Dantooine. Sabé left him to his meditations and piloted the ship. It was a battered Corellian vessel, ancient in design, but still more or less spaceworthy. As such the Twi'lek they purchased it from was only too glad to be rid of it. With a little persuasion from Obi-Wan he even took credits for it. Sabé had earned herself a small fortune over her years of service to Padmé. Although most of it was now lost to her, as she would be traced if she tried to withdraw any that she had in the bank, she had a fair amount of savings that she had kept hidden for emergency use.

She sat in the pilot's seat, knees drawn up to her chin, watching the stars streaking by through the viewscreen. She cast a few glances to Obi-Wan now and then, but he was deep in thought and did not register her gaze. She knew he was rethinking his plans for Padmé. Clearly it wasn't going to be enough to simply hide away on some remote world.

Lights on the control panel flashed and Sabé sat forward to bring the ship out of hyperspace. "We're here," she told her husband. "I'm picking up on the ship's signal. It's still coded as a distribution freighter."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Good."

They found Padmé and Saché hiding on board the ship. It was a teary reunion. When they were ready to leave, Obi-Wan sold the battered Corellian ship as scrap metal to the nearest farm. It was not until they were airborne and preparing to jump to hyperspace that Sabé remembered to question the Jedi about where they were going.

"I think it would be best if we went to Alderaan."

"Alderaan?" Saché and Sabé asked in unison.

"I have an idea that I want to put to Bail."

"Which is?" Sabé prompted.

He did not answer straight away, but instead turned to set the coordinates. When they were at lightspeed he faced them again. "You're not going to like it," he said to the near-silent Padmé.

"Just tell me," she said in a hollow tone.

"I think you should stay on Alderaan. It's under the Empire's nose, but that's exactly why they won't look for you there."

"Wouldn't that be a bit cruel?" Sabé cut in. "Having Leia there when Bail can't have children."

"Well of course he can't," Saché said with some of her old light-heartedness, "he's a man."

Sabé wrinkled her nose. "You know what I meant."

"That's the other part of the plan," Obi-Wan told them. "Leia should be adopted by Bail and his wife. That way she'll never be suspected."

There was a hush throughout the cockpit. Padmé was trembling, holding her daughter close to her. "Will she be safe?" she asked at length.

"I think she will, yes."

"Then do it," she said quickly. "If I'm on Alderaan I'll be able to see her, won't I?"

Obi-Wan smiled gently and placed a hand on her arm. "I certainly hope so. Bail will have to sort the details."

Sabé studied her husband's face. He was not revealing all of his plan, she could tell. A Jedi he may be, but she knew him well enough to deduce when he was keeping something back. She did not push the matter, however, seeing that Padmé already had enough on her mind.

"We looked at the HoloNet while you were gone," Saché commented. "It was strange, on the Naboo channel they were broadcasting Padmé's public funeral."

Sabé's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yes. It was very surreal."

"My family were all there," Padmé said. "They were playing their parts well, but I could tell that they were putting on a show. Aunt Maré has thankfully told them that I'm still alive."

Sabé smiled. "I'm glad."

Padmé and Obi-Wan both remained in their respective solitudes for most of the journey. Sabé and Saché passed the time with games of 'I Spy', but it quickly grew tiresome. ("Let me put it this way," Saché had said. "In a starship there are only so many times you can have something beginning with S").

When they reached Alderaan, they got Saché to announce them as traders carrying a shipment of powdered caf. They landed in a hangar as close to the palace as they could get. They had all donned their Alderaanian clothing prior to landing, and as such did not receive many unusual looks. The guards flanking the palace's main entrance nodded to Sabé, calling her Ms. Retrac, and let them all in.

Sabé wielded the power that her guise gave her, and managed to secure an audience with Bail and Breha almost at once. Bail looked somewhat curious when they entered the room, as he hadn't been sure whether to expect the real Sheltay or the false one. As soon as all of his staff had left the room, he greeted them properly, expressing his relief as seeing them unharmed. He introduced Breha, who smiled and said that she had heard so much about them all and was happy to finally meet them. Obi-Wan requested that they move to a more secure area, and Bail led them all to his private sitting room. Once there, the Jedi explained his plan for Leia and asked if it was possible.

Bail and Breha had looked overjoyed at the prospect of having a daughter at last, and replied that it was possible. "Breha hasn't been seen by the public recently," Bail told them.

"I've not been well," she put in. "On Alderaan it's customary for a woman of importance to confine herself during pregnancy. I could have just given birth if we stage it properly."

Bail saw the expression on Padmé's face and added. "She would be safer with the name Organa, and she would be loved. And I promise you, I'll explain adoption to her when she's old enough, she won't forget you. She'll know you're her real mother."

Padmé smiled gratefully. "Oh Bail, would you? That would mean the galaxy to me."

Breha had not liked where her husband's speech had been going, but seeing the young mother's face light up had erased any qualms. "We can keep you hidden too," she said. "There are many places in the palace where the staff are not permitted to go. We can assign you a bodyguard if you want."

"That won't be necessary. Saché is my protection."

"What about you, Sabé?" Bail asked. "Seeing as Sheltay…sorry, Liana has now left, I can offer you her job if you want it."

Sabé raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Would that be safe? What if I get recognised?"

"I don't think you appreciate how much that hairstyle changes the shape of your face. But if you have worries you needn't go offplanet."

"I don't think I will, it's risking too much. But with that condition, yes, I accept. Thank you."

Bail turned to Obi-Wan, intending to ask him what his plans were, but the Jedi Master shook his head slightly. None of the women noticed this brief exchange, but Bail realised that Obi-Wan clearly wanted to speak to him alone.

Saché was looking down at Leia, a thoughtful expression on her face. "She was premature, wasn't she? So she's smaller than a normal child of her age would be. I think this could work."

While the women plotted the false birth, the men wandered out onto the vast balcony to talk. By early evening, all plans were laid. A few nights later, the group shut themselves away to stage it.

In the early hours of the morning the palace doctor found himself awakened by urgent door chimes. When he answered it he found Sheltay Retrac, garbed in a nightgown and cloak, standing outside.

"The Queen needs you," she said simply.

"Has she had a relapse?" he asked, tugging on a robe.

"No." She met his eyes. "It's to do with the secret she's been keeping."

The doctor's thoughts hazed. What secret had the Queen been keeping? A robed figure appeared in the shadows behind Sheltay and his thoughts grew clear. The Queen's secret. Her pregnancy. Of course. "I will fetch my equipment."

"Please hurry," Sheltay said. "The birth was almost over before she allowed us to send for you."

Obi-Wan slipped away, leaving Sabé to bring the convinced doctor up to Breha. Bail and Saché were there. Bail was holding Leia wrapped up in a blanket. As Sabé and the doctor entered the room, Saché looked up at them.

"You're a bit late," she announced.

"We have a daughter," Bail said smiling.

The doctor checked her over, declaring her perfectly healthy. Breha too was found to be fine, if slightly tired.

In a secret room between the walls of the palace, Obi-Wan sat with a silent Padmé. Presently, Sabé and Saché joined them, reporting that Leia was safely asleep in her new little bedroom.

A few days later, Leia was presented to the Alderaanian public. News of her birth reached Coruscant, producing mixed reactions from the senators and Lord Vader. Emperor Palpatine sent his congratulations, but most people knew that it was purely for show. He couldn't care less.

He did, however, make a formal visit to Alderaan.

This threw everyone into panic, but they were thankful at least to have a warning. They all decided it would be best for Obi-Wan, Sabé, Padmé and Saché to remain in the secret chambers. A few days before, 'Sheltay' would leave on formal business. Sabé easily staged this by travelling to the docks as Sheltay and sneaking back to the palace as herself.

The four fugitives would conceal themselves in the hidden rooms with a supply of rations to sit out the visit. These chambers were designed to hide the royal family in times of need. They began a tunnel, which led to an underground hangar. In the hangar was a small ship, checked weekly for problems. If the family should need to escape, then the ship would be ready for their use. The hangar contained a mechanism, which opened a large hole in the ground. It was by this method that the ship would leave.

Sabé was sincerely hoping that they would not need to use the ship, as it would create problems for everyone, including Bail and Breha. She worried about Padmé, who had hardly said a word since handing Leia over to the Organas. If she had screamed and cried that would have been something at least, but Sabé couldn't stand her continual silence. Saché was bearing up well. She had had her mourning time with Maré, now she was happy to be kept busy. She had accepted that her lot in life now was to take care of Padmé. The secret rooms were now to be their home. Sabé and Obi-Wan had been given Sheltay's old quarters that she had shared with her husband. Still, Sabé spend as much time as she could with her two friends.

The day before the visit, the four shut themselves up for their lengthy vigil. The hidden rooms had only one window, made of two-way transparisteel. On one side, it functioned as well as any other window. On the other, it appeared as one of the palace's many decorative steel surfaces.

As soon as the hatch was locked, Obi-Wan slipped into deep meditation. He did not stir for the entirety of the three-day visit, concentrating on masking their presence. Even when Sabé and Saché called to each other across the room, he did not twitch. They were gratified to have the luxury of speaking as loud as they wished, as constant whispering would have been difficult. Thankfully, the Alderaanian architect had built completely sound-proof walling. It was eerie at first not to hear anything of what was happening outside, but they were grateful for the protection.

Sabé found it rather strange to spend three days with her husband sitting stock-still in a corner of the room, eyes closed, breathing softly. She always tucked a blanket around him at night, even though she suspected he didn't need it.

Saché and Sabé sat by the window on the day the visitors were expected. Padmé was sitting there too, but as usual, she said very little. They watched as a shuttle glided down to the hangar, landing smoothly. Bail and his entourage stepped forward to meet the guests. Palpatine was recognisable, even in a purple hooded robe, and his scarlet-garbed bodyguards. As was the Grand Moff for the Alderaanian sector, who was dressed exactly as Governor Tarkin had been when they saw him last. It was the final figure that struck complete fear into Sabé's heart.

"Oh gods…Vader."

Padmé's head snapped up and she turned towards the visitors.

Sabé rushed to her side and seized her wrist, trying to tug her away. "No, Padmé, don't look."

But she had already seen. Wide-eyed she took in the armour, the expressionless helmet the way he strode menacingly into view. Even to a non-Jedi he radiated dark presence. "Ani," she whispered, staggering backwards. "Oh Ani."

Sabé pulled her away from the window. "Padmé, that thing is not your husband. That is a Sith Lord…" She trailed off feebly. There was no way to get around the fact that the menacing figure had once been Anakin Skywalker.

Padmé let herself be stretched out on a bed, silent tears trailing down her pallid cheeks. Her breathing was shallow, her eyes wide and staring at nothing

"Try and get some sleep," Sabé said.

"All I'll see will be him," the former senator murmured. She continued to mutter things to herself, so softly that neither Sabé nor Saché could hear what she was saying.

"She's in shock," Saché remarked grimly. "If only we could send her to sleep somehow. Obi-Wan could do it."

Sabé glanced over at her husband. He had not moved. "We're going to have to do without him, I think." She sighed, rubbing a hand over her forehead. "If only I could use the Force. Then I might be able to do something at least."

A gentle breeze passed over the two distressed women making them stare bewildered at each other. Over on the bed Padmé stopped her whispering and closed her eyes with a quiet sigh. Then the breeze stopped and Saché turned to Sabé. "What was that? It felt like…I don't know. Like someone was here."

"I think someone was here."

"Who?"

"A spirit. A spirit of a dead Jedi."

Saché stared at her companion. "Are you serious?"

"Yes. Who else could have done it?"

"I don't know. Which Jedi?"

Sabé shrugged. "Who can say for sure? Although I have my suspicions."

"Not Obi-Wan's old master?"

"I think so. I saw his spirit once before, at my wedding."

Saché stared. "Gods."

The Emperor's visit passed by achingly slowly for the two women in hiding. Padmé slept the entire time and Obi-Wan stayed under the influence of his meditation. To Sabé and Saché it felt like weeks had elapsed between them going into the secret chambers and Bail knocking on the door to tell them the Imperials had left. Saché gratefully headed out to her rooms to bathe and change. Sabé declined, saying she didn't want to leave Obi-Wan. Bail entered the room and picked Padmé's unconscious form up to take her to the room she shared with Saché. Sabé had explained what had happened.

As soon as Bail disappeared, Sabé moved to sit beside her husband on the floor, unsure of how long he would stay in his meditative state. It was almost an hour until he took a deep breath that caught Sabé's attention. She smiled at him. "Hello."

"Hello."

"Are you alright?"

He nodded, clicking his stiff neck. "It worked. He didn't sense anything."

"I really thought that he might. Not that I doubt your abilities," she added quickly. "I just thought he might have picked up on Padmé or sensed something from Leia."

"No," Obi-Wan said with certainty. "Vader is so clouded by his own self-importance now, he doesn't sense anything like that."

"He still thinks Padmé's dead?"

"Yes, and his anger at that blinds him."

Sabé sighed. "That's…ironic."

He glanced at her and placed an arm around her shoulders. "Yes, I suppose so." There was a pause, then he sat up straight, remembering something. "Qui-Gon."

Sabé raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Yes, I think he was here."

"I thought I'd sensed him."

"I thought Jedi couldn't come back. I know we saw him at the wedding, but I thought that was a one-off."

"I've been communicating with Yoda recently, through the Force, as you know."

"Yes."

"Well he told me something interesting. The Sith have an ongoing quest, a goal if you will, and that is immortality. Eternal life. Eternal power."

"Sounds about right."

Obi-Wan nodded and continued. "The Jedi only cared to help others, and weren't interested in personal gain. And yet one of us has learned immortality."

Sabé's eyes widened. "How?"

"I don't know. Yoda will teach me how to communicate with him. When I've done that Qui-Gon himself will tell me what he's learned."

"That's incredible."

"Yes, fairly." He let out a long sigh and for a moment looked very haggard.

"Come on," Sabé said, "lets get you some food."

Together they stood and exited the chamber, careful to close it properly after them. Sabé was grateful to be able to walk with her husband's arm around her. When she was disguised as Sheltay she couldn't show any affection, as rumours would get around that Ms Retrac was cheating on her husband. When the real Sheltay had left, her husband had gone with her.

Obi-Wan was free to wander the corridors of the Alderaanian palace, as every member of staff was a friend to the Jedi. Bail had quickly worked this out, and Obi-Wan's Force abilities determined its truth. Still, he wore an unremarkable poncho over his robes as a precaution.

When Padmé awoke she was deeply affected by her recent experiences. She kept to her room, and Saché watched over her. Sabé spent as much time doing her duties as Sheltay.

A short number of days later, Obi-Wan announced he was flying to the Dagobah system to visit Yoda. Bail, Breha and Sabé went with him to the hangar to see him off. He bowed politely to Breha and exchanged a look with Bail. Then he held his wife close, as if it were the last time. Sabé began to feel uneasy and met his eyes for a long moment, trying to read what he was thinking. It was, of course, impossible.

"I need to go away," he said at length.

"I know," she replied. "To talk to Yoda." The pause was too long for comfort. "Obi-Wan?"

"You and Padmé will be much safer here without me. I'm going to Tatooine. I can keep an eye on Luke."

"What?" she burst out. "No! Please."

"That's where my destiny is taking me. I'll come back as often as I can."

"What about me?" She hated her own selfishness, but she couldn't quite help it. The thought of him not being there with her…

"Your place is here."

"Please don't leave me," she said, openly weeping.

He looked pained at her tears. "I'm sorry, my love." He backed away a little, slipping his hand away from hers. He turned to Bail. "Take care of her."

Bail nodded and placed an arm around Sabé's shoulders. The three of them watched the Jedi Knight enter his loaned ship and close the hatch. They briefly saw his silhouette in the cockpit window before he fired up the engines and flew away. Sabé sobbed, burying her head in Bail's shoulder. Breha looked sympathetically at the distraught young woman and took her arm. Together, she and Bail led her back into the palace.

At a lone window, Padmé watched with uncharacteristic indifference.

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A/N: Aww poor Sabé. But Obi-Wan will be a semi-frequent visitor to Alderaan, so it's not all bad. And poor Padmé.