Chapter 1

The first thing that Padme Amidala Nabarrie Skywalker thought as she opened her eyes and surveyed her surroundings was that: she must be in Hell.

The sky above her was a brilliant shade of blood amber, and it would have been a beautiful sight if not for the ash that fell and burned her skin, or the resilient heat that abounded in the air, scorching her lungs with every breath she took.

Pain was everywhere and in everything. Her entire body screamed at her in protest at its recent treatment and she could think of nothing to console it. She could honestly barely think anything at all. Where was she? What happened? Everything felt so foggy, almost unreal.

As her mind slowly recovered from its unconscious state, she also began to remember…

She remembered where she was…she remembered why she was here…and she remembered what had happened to her and who was responsible.

This time, a pain of a different kind poured into her chest, causing tears to course down her cheeks and sobs to tear from her throat. The raw, stinging throb that resulted from the use of her damaged windpipe only heightened her despair and desolation. At only twenty-seven standard years old, she knew most would feel that they had only just begun to live. Yet, at this moment, she could only think that she would do anything to escape this agony, anything to escape this reality that fate had thrust upon her—even death.

She had learned as a child that her heart was a muscle composed of blood, vessels, and tissue; some of the toughest flesh that her body could compose that would yet still remain flexible enough to give life. She wondered then, how it could simply shatter like glass, becoming brittle, razor-sharp shards that cut into each and every point of her body, only intensifying with every remaining heartbeat?

Betrayal burned like ice as it coursed through her veins instead of blood, and hopelessness and dejection flowed through her arteries as flames that were all-devouring.

How could he? After all that they had been through together? After all that they had promised each other?

The dark, silent embrace of death sang out a siren's call, one that promised relief and respite from it all—a succulent, tempting reward for the warrior queen, who had fought the good fight and was ready for her eternal rest. She would have given into its allure whole-heartedly, if a sudden piercing stab of pain within her abdomen had not cut through the pounding thoughts in her head, and the beating anguish in the vestiges of her heart.

What?

Sitting up from off the blackened platform, she looked vaguely down at her swollen belly and began to slowly remember what it meant and why it was important. And yet, no sooner had she begun to remember that she was indeed quite pregnant when another spasm sliced through her middle, and this time, it brought everything to the forefront with an earth-shattering scream!

"Aaaaahhhhhh!" Her throat felt raw and her voice sounded rough and course even to her own ears.

Swiftly, instincts that mothers since the dawn of time had relied upon kicked in, and Padme's entire psyche forgot any and everything that was going on around her, and instead concentrated full force on the survival of her unborn child.

Hugging her bulging womb, she braced herself against the radiating ache that seemed to be building within her middle.

No! It's too early! I'm not ready! And Anakin—

Tears once again fought for supremacy, but as the next contraction ripped through her, her mind once again swept back to her child. She had to do something! She had to get to a—"AHHH!"

She screamed once again at the intense pain, and this time physical evidence of her anguish accompanied it, as rich, fragrant sanguine fluid rapidly soaked her garments scarlet and began to pool onto the ground beneath her. Picking her hand up from out of the hot liquid, she could only stare in shock and horror as blood dripped from her trembling fingers. Her crimson essence was as rich and dark as the sky, and seemingly, just as spellbindingly deadly.

A sudden familiar beeping noise woke her from her trance and she looked over her shoulder to see a close friend rolling up to her side. "Artoo? Where did you come from?"

However, even as he answered in his customary coded tongue, her stomach turned as she remembered exactly how he had gotten there and who it was that had brought him…

Yet, before she could once again return to her previous abyss of despair and melancholy that seemed to now be constantly looming over her, her womb once again sent a shot of crippling pain up her spine and into every inch of her body. Crying out, she fell forward gasping, struggling to get air back into her lungs.

R2-D2 rolled closer to her side and sounded his concern, to which she had to take a few breaths before replying. "Artoo, get Threepio. He's aboard my ship. I need to get to a medcenter as soon as possible."

The astromech beeped in affirmation before rolling away towards her abandoned skiff.

Padme placed a hand on her abdomen and silently prayed that though she herself would gladly accept death, to allow her the strength to give her child life. Salty tears fell along well-trodden paths as she attempted to stand, her legs began to spasm and her vision wavered from the blood loss, but she determinedly continued to struggle to her feet.

She was stronger than this. She, the Warrior Queen of Naboo, had never given up before and she would not do so now…not now, when her most precious treasure was in need of her strength. She had survived this long, she would see her son's contented face before this night was done.

"Mistress Padme! You're injured!"

A smile that did not quite reach her eyes appeared on her face as Threepio and Artoo speedily came towards her from the ship. The golden protocol droid always had a way of stating the obvious. She absently wondered if he had programmed him that way on purpose…

Her voice was but a grating whisper as she spoke, "The baby is coming. Help me to the ship and set course for the nearest medical facility."

The droid came to her side and she put an arm around its shoulder, using him for support as she slowly took a step. However, the movement alone made something drop heavily inside her, and she felt more warm liquid flow down her legs.

"Great, now my water's broken…as if things couldn't get worse..."

She gasped and her grip tightened as a contraction took hold of her-why in the nine hells did she keep saying that?

"Carry me, we need to hurry."

Obediently, Threepio took her into his arms and carried her to the ship. "Oh dear, what will Master Ani say, when he sees this? He'll probably blame me for the whole thing, knowing his temperament of late."

Padme stiffened and closed her eyes, even as her hormonal emotions caused even more silent tears to fall.

Artoo whistled a question as it followed behind them onto the ship, innocently asking where he was. To which, she could only answer tearfully, "I don't know, Artoo. I…I just don't know."

The two droids didn't quite know how to respond to their mistress' mournful answer and so simply remained silent. Once on the Naboo star skiff, Artoo responded quietly that he would stay with her, as that's what he would want.

As C-3PO took her to the ship's medical suite and laid her down on the bed, she smiled and placed a hand on his dome-shaped head in thanks. Yet, her heart wasn't in it, or at least that is, the remains of her heart…

Hooking her up to the machines, Threepio commented, "I would activate the medical droid, Mistress Padme, but it only knows first aid, and has not been programmed for female parturition yet and will be useless to you. And unfortunately, neither R2 nor I have any programming that would be much help either I'm afraid."

The brunette senator swore under her breath. She had never thought that she would need the programming put onto the ship's onboard med-droid, and she had few supplies here to work with. She would have to make due.

"No matter, Threepio, turn it on anyway and then set a course for the nearest medical center and hurry. Artoo, you stay with me and do exactly as I tell you."

The astromech whistled in agreement and came up close to her, as the other droid did as ordered.

Seizing pain gripped her as she felt the ship ascend through the atmosphere and prepare to take flight, and she wasn't completely sure if it had to do with her contractions.

Mustafar…a world consumed with fire and tragedy, and somewhere below he was being devoured right along with it. Somewhere in the back of her mind, and in the cavity that was her heart, she could still feel their bond. And what had once caressed as gently as a flower's petal against her soul, now burned with a twisting acid that seemed to be building in intensity.

Black spots began to waver across her vision, and the monitor's alarm brought her roughly back to the situation at hand. The med-droid, while not being able to deliver her baby, knew how to handle the resulting symptoms. It treated her rapid blood loss, attaching an IV of fluids to make sure she didn't pass out from it. She asked Artoo for several towels to wipe away and soak up the excess. She knew something was wrong, she was bleeding too much. However, because the med-droid did not know how to treat a human pregnancy, she didn't want it misdiagnosing her or do anything that could result in harm towards the baby, and so refused all drugs. Unfortunately, that meant no epidurals…

"Artoo!"

The mech rolled up to her offering her another towel, but she declined. "No, I—I need you to be my extra set of eyes and brain. Count exactly how far apart the contractions are, I will tell you when to stop and start."

Whistling in affirmation, Artoo sat at her side, his dome swirling worriedly.

Padme felt sweat come off her face in beads as she struggled to control her breathing. Her entire body felt like it had run a marathon the circumference of Coruscant, and then got hit by a speeder when she reached the finish line. Pain lanced through her abdomen and down her spine, and she felt the pressure increase within her body, like a spring beginning to wind.

Grabbing the edge of her medical bed, she shouted out. "Now, Artoo!"

She didn't even hear the droid answer as she yelled through her gritted teeth, struggling to keep her body relaxed as an incredibly intense contraction ran roughshod through her body. Gods! It hurt so much!

Her teeth gritted together as she tried to brace against the pain, but as the waves of agony surged, a scream burst from her lips along with a name. A name so instinctive, so much a part of her, that she called it without thinking. The name of a man whose love for his family had been so all-consuming that it had set everything aflame and caused it to burn…

And yet, still, she called to him.

To her, it was as natural as taking breath.

"ANAKIN!"

This was the worst day of Obi-Wan's life.

And that was saying something considering what he had lived through thus far throughout his years.

Even as he walked back along the metal walkways, the ash stinging his eyes, he could not stop hearing the screams.

They reverberated around his skull as if it was hollow and he had to once again stop himself from trying to block his ears with his hands to stop the bloodcurdling sound. No matter how many times he tried to tell himself that what he had done was right.

No matter how many times he tried to convince himself that it wasn't his little brother's voice that haunted his mind, but a savage Sith killer that had to be stopped.

No matter how much he tried to wipe the charred, destroyed visage from his mind.

No matter how much he wanted to cease being a coward and turn back around and give the deadly mercy any decent human being would have…

Every time, he failed.

Failed, huh?

He had never considered himself a failure before. He'd always tried to be humble, as any Jedi should, but that wasn't the same as having tried and yet, truly failed. He had definitely failed before. He'd even failed others before. And yet somehow, this feels different.

It's the first time he feels as if this failure has defined him, and will outline the entire rest of what remains of his life.

Every step, every breath...no longer feels as if another part of life, but rather a short extension of borrowed time. He lost a man that he had promised that he would die for In the back of his mind and in his heart he knows that by not being able to do what he should have done, he had sealed his own fate.

It would have taken so little effort to just put a stop to his agony, to cut off those wretched screams, to simply end it. A single quick jab to the heart would have ended it all. And yet…

As he neared the landing platform, Obi-Wan could barely put one foot in front of the other. He was so drained; the physical, mental and emotional turmoil was just too much for him to deal with. So much had been lost so quickly and so fiercely. And yet still, he had to go on. For his sake, if he was living on borrowed time, he would make the most of it. He knew Anakin's tenacity lived on within Vader, and one day Vader would come for him. But until that day, he would do what he could in the time he had. The Jedi's shredded heart stirred. Padme needed his help and the child she carried...Anakin's child. His steps picked up as they found purpose. He needed to get Padme to a doctor, he needed to get out of here himself if he was to protect her and the soon-to-be young one. He needed-

He skidded to a stop as he looked on in confusion. "What?"

Where was the ship?

He turned around and looked around the platform, where was Padme?

Walking back to the spot he had last left her, he grimaced in concern as he observed the dark pool on the ground. He didn't have to, as he could identify the stuff blindfolded, but still his lay two fingers in the liquid in order to examine it by the light just in case. Blood.

And just like that, the worst day in Obi-Wan Kenobi's life somehow got even worse.

Padme struggled to remember her breathing exercises as she tried to prevent herself from hyperventilating. She was already having a hard time staying awake from the constant blood and fluid loss. But none of that mattered. She didn't matter. Not even HE mattered. The only thing that was important was the soft, precious, slick mound that she felt coming from out of her as she began crowning.

Moving her hands around her treasured babe's head, she supported it and gave slight pulls as she took a deep breath and pushed, just as she felt the contraction hit. She yelled aloud and swore over and over again that the next time she went home, she was going to get on her hands and knees and apologize to her mother for whatever trouble she might have ever caused, before thanking her profusely for having even dared to think about having a baby.

Artoo beeped encouragingly as he tottled next to her holding more towels. Threepio had become such a pile of nerves that Padme had to order him out of the room and to stay in the cockpit. She was frazzled enough on her own, she didn't need him to be frazzled too.

It took several seconds to an eternity before she felt the head clear. Feeling around the neck, she breathed a small sigh of relief when she didn't feel any sign of the cord. Alright, now for the last huge step. If she could get the shoulders clear, then she was basically home free.

Taking several deep gasps to get herself ready and with the promise of finally having her precious burden of nine months out of her and finally resting in her arms, she pushed harder than ever before, her scream resonating throughout the chamber.

"unnnaaaAAAHHHHHHHH!"

She felt the tiny, warm life, slip from out of her and into her waiting hands.

"Artoo!" she called out breathlessly.

The blue-domed droid beeped in agreement and hurried towards her. She took the towel the astromech quickly handed to her before wrapping it around the newborn. Pulling it towards her, she got her first look at the darling fruit of her labors.

"A boy…" Padme gasped breathlessly, "It's a boy….."

See there, Ani...I was right...

Padme held her crying son, that with every mewling sound proving over and over again that he was alive, filling her shattered heart with soothing, overwhelming joy. She was so wondrously elated, she could almost forget…

She held her swaddled boy on top of her chest to keep him warm, his tiny fingers grasping, his fine blond hair fluttering against her breath. He had yet to truly open his eyes wide enough for her to see, and Padme knew they would still be blue as all babies' eyes start off being. But secretly she hoped they would stay blue, that beautiful harvest moon blue that his had been.

Moving a soft fingertip against her shuttering, calming child, "Why hello little one...my little Lu-aah!"

Another ripping contraction tore through her, and she had to quickly adjust to keep her son from sliding off. She was unprepared and shocked as her muscles moved and collapsed in on themselves and she suddenly felt a familiar pressure moving through her. Tiny Luke was annoyed by her sudden movements and began to start mewling again, but she could do nothing to comfort him as her instinct to push once again took over.

Padme gasped, squeezing her eyes closed, "Ahhhh! What's going on...?!"

Already feeling the contraction coming up again she held one hand on her baby, the other gripping the sheets, and pushed while yelling for Artoo to provide another blanket. Laying a fully crying Luke in her lap, she hurriedly took the towel, and prepped herself to catch what she had quickly realized was another precious life from her body. Twins? Oh, Ani...it was twins...please let it just be twins. She didn't know how much more pain she could manage.

Much easier than the first time, she felt her second surprise treasure plop into her hands, and she quickly wrapped up the babe before bringing it up to join its brother.

Her eyes went wide with wonder as she beheld the tiny, dark-haired, crying child that was held in the crux of her arm. "A girl...we have a daughter, husband….I guess you called it after all. We both did…"

Holding her small children in her arms, she beheld their treasured, precious, darling faces with both an awe and a love that she didn't think could have been possible. For at least a few ethereal moments, everything that happened in the last 48 hours-the last few years- seemed to fade away.

Suddenly incredibly tired, she fell back against the towels and pillows. She looked around but didn't have the tools or the strength to cut their umbilical cords. Her little ones began to calm down and fall into tired slumber as she laid them atop her chest, she kept them covered in an effort to keep them warm. She softly kissed the tops of their heads, "Hello Luke. Hello Leia. I'm your mother."

While Leia didn't seem to respond at all, having gone completely to sleep, little Luke's tiny eyelids opened ever so slightly and-with what should have been impossible at such a young age-seemed to meet her eyes in acknowledgment, before slipping back closed once again in slumber.

Excitedly she called without thinking, "Ani! Come see! Luke, he-"

But when no comforting hand came to her shoulder, nor any soothing presence by her side, and all she heard was the quiet rotors of Artoo's wheels as he rolled closer to her in an effort to get a curious look at the tiny bundled newborns...even his familiar presence couldn't prevent the sharp sting that lanced through her chest, causing her already frayed emotions to quickly become undone.

The tears began slowly falling down in small drips before collecting and streaming down her face. Choking sounds came next as she could no longer hold the agony inside. And Padme did something she had never done before in all her years-she began to wail. The twins somehow seemed to realize their mother's pain and they didn't care for it one bit as they awoke from their light slumber and once again began to fuss.

And still, she could not stop.

Rivers of tears came, and she could only hold her children close, in both an effort to comfort both them and herself. But it was all to no avail. The astromech by her side beeped in concern not knowing how to help, but desperately wanting to.

Suddenly a harsh mechanical noise sounded from the medical equipment and the med-droid began to fiddle with buttons and switches. "Mistress Padme, your pressure is dropping rapidly. You are losing too much blood."

Artoo shrieked in alarm, which brought Threepio running back in. "What's going on Artoo? Oh my, the baby has been born. Wonderful! And there seems to be two of them….very interesting. Master Ani will be so pleased!"

His words only made Padme cries erupt even more violently. Everything that had happened in the last few hours pounded and pounded at her soul, putting a huge damper on what should have been the happiest moment of her life.

The lights begin to flicker above her and she felt heavy impacts from outside the ship shake everything violently. The tiny infants were crying in earnest now, not quite know what was wrong but sensing it all the same. And alarm pierced the air and Artoo rolled out of the room, beeping incessantly in alarm.

Threepio's voice called back from the cockpit. "Well, how was I supposed to know that we would exit hyperspace right into an asteroid field?"

More urgent beeping and electronic shrieking.

"I was not made for this, you bucket of bolts! I'm piloting as best I can, but if we don't do something soon-"

The ship rocked and swerved and then shook hard from the largest impact jolt so far. The lights sputtered one last time before going out, along with all power in the ship. They were dead in the water so to speak.

Padme tuned out the alarms, voices, even her babes' crying. What was going on out there wasn't all that important.

Her world was collapsing, she was sobbing, and she couldn't stop. She felt the darkness begin to cloud her vision, and her head became fuzzy and lightheaded. She felt so cold. So alone. Why was she so alone?

Her voice was choked and garbled as she shouted out in anguish. "Anakin! Anakin, help me! Please!"

She clutched at the blankets surrounding her wailing children even closer to her, "Where are you?! You should be here!"

Her babies' cries echoed her own and were the last thing she heard before the darkness completely consumed her.

Darkness.

Nothingness.

That was good.

Nothing was good. No voices, no screams, no heat, no flames, no pain.

Just blessed nothing….

Wait.

No...there should be something. What was it?

A flash of emblazed tawny hazel and bronze struck through the blackness.

Of course, Her. How could he possibly forget her?

But where was she?

Why couldn't he feel her?