This chapter and the next couple are really becoming a struggle for me. I know how I want to end this story, I just need to figure out how to lead it up to that. Slowly trying to figure that out. Thank you for all the comments and just for reading. Hope you all are still enjoying.
"Gotta be quicker than that, Skyguy." Ahsoka said jumping over Anakin and blocking his attack. "Are you sure your hand was the only thing that was injured? I've seen Master Yoda move quicker than you. You must be getting old."
"You are only a few years younger than me." Anakin hissed out feeling his anger rising.
Anakin quicker spun his lightsaber around, happy that the new modifications he did seem to be doing the trick. He dodged Ahsoka attacks, jumping out of the way. He watched her turn around and before she could attack, he lifted his hand sending her flying back. She caught herself and ran at him, both her blade ignited. He ducked and dodged her attacks. Finally, he kicked her in the midsection and she tripped allowing him to point his lightsaber at her, winning the battle.
Anakin extended his hand to her, helping her up. "That's for calling me old." He smirked.
"I almost had you a few times." She said taking his hand.
"Eh maybe, but you're still the one that ended up on the ground." He chuckled seeing her glare at him.
"I'm impressed. You have showed much improvement in just a few days." Obi-wan said watching from the side.
"It still doesn't feel right. It's moving the same way it used to, well at least as close as I'll probably get it, but it feels weaker in the force. It don't feel a strong connection like I do with the rest of my body." Anakin annoyingly said, knowing he could be better, knowing he had to be better.
"The force is created by living things, so it would make sense for you to feel that." Obi-wan rubbed his beard. "None the less, it's only one limb, it will be an obstacle, but with your midichlorian count, it should only be a small obstacle."
"Yea it's not like you lost all your limbs and caught on fire." Ahsoka joked sending a chill up Anakin's spine.
He thought back to an early dream he used to have, of feeling intense pain and struggling to breathe.
"Everything okay?" Obi-wan asked placing a hand on Anakin's shoulder.
"Just thinking." Anakin shoved those thoughts and feelings away. He was coming to see the future was ever changing and to not take his dreams so literally. That doesn't mean he wasn't still worried for Padme's life, he was still going to stop at nothing to make sure that changed for the better along with everything else.
Anakin smiled, sensing her soothing presence, before she even walked into the room. He jogged over to her and picked her up in an embrace, lifting her off her feet.
"Woah." She laughed." Someone's in a good mood." She looked up at him smiling as he put her down. She could already see a small change in him. He was sleeping again, so his eyes and face weren't so drain. He seemed to have his spark back in him. She knew he was still fearful just as much as her, but he wasn't letting that stop him anymore. He was becoming the Anakin she fell in love with again.
"I am. I feel good. I'm ready to take him." Anakin gave her a wicked smirk.
"Don't be overly confident. You still have much to learn, my young apprentice." Obi-wan told him, ruining Anakin's mood slightly.
"You said it yourself. You were impressed with how fast I'm improving." Anakin said back to him.
"I also told you once your arrogance would be your defeat." Obi-wan shot back.
Anakin rolled his eyes not wanting to bicker with him.
"Anyways, Rex informed us that the clones are finally ready. Bail and Mon want to start discussing your plan of attack." Padme told them.
"Very well. Let's not keep them waiting." Obi-wan said walking ahead with everyone else following.
"Captain Rex, you can confidently say your troops are ready to go and there have been no more reported issues with the inhibitor chips." Mon asked.
"Yes. They are just like they were during the Clone Wars. I would trust them with my life." Rex told them.
Padme nodded thankful something was going right.
After removing the chips from the clones, a few of them either died or went crazy and had to be detained. They already had a small army and that just made it a little bit smaller.
"Very good and Master Kenobi, do you have your team ready?" Mon asked looking over at him.
"With the time he had to prepare I would say we are as ready as we will ever be." Obi-wan spoke up and Padme noticed a little of wariness in his voice.
"Very well." Mon nodded as a hologram of the Senate building appeared before her. "According to our sources, Palpatine still resigns in his former officer. Hopefully, he will still be there when we attack. I'm sure many of you have already noticed, there are only a few of us present in this meeting compared to others. As it turns out, there is a spy among us, which is something we should have planned better for, but with such a short amount of time, did not. As the Jedi have informed us, he would know of our attack with or with the spy help, so it doesn't matter. This will just add to the risk of the attack a little more knowing it won't be a surprise."
Mon stepped aside as Bail stepped forward and the hologram changed to a view of the entrance of the Senate building. "Captain Rex will lead his troop, which will include the Clones and a few of our own, through the front. There is no doubt in any of our minds, there will be an army ready. Are you prepared to fight against your bothers?" He looked over at Rex.
"I've lost many bothers during the war and I know what it's like to be controlled by the chip." Rex glared thinking of all the atrocities he had to do, while under its control. "They wouldn't want to live that way." He softly said.
"Very well. Then Rex and his troop deal with the army. General Kenobi will take his group and use one of the two entrances on the side. "Bail said as the hologram showed the two entrances. "Hopefully most of the clones will be trying to stop Rex's army, so you shouldn't have to deal with much, but be prepared if need be. We are hoping he will think you are a part of the large attack and doesn't sense you are coming to him."
Obi-wan nodded looking at the hologram, making sure everything was planned accordingly.
"We might be able to hide out presence slightly, but not even we know how truly powerful he is." Obi-wan said.
Padme looked over at Anakin as he was looking at the hologram with his arms crossed. She knew he could sense her fear, but she was trying not to show it. She hated she had to sit back and watch as all this went down. She wanted to be there to make sure Palpatine was defeated and Anakin made it back to her safely, but she knew he would be safer without her there and without worrying about her and the baby.
She and everyone knew how risky this plan was. The fact that Palpatine was going to be able to sense them no matter what, was dangerous. He is probably sitting in his throne waiting for them to attack. Since this attack will be of no surprise, their only hope was Anakin, Obi-wan, and Ahsoka being stronger than Palpatine. They had to take him down. This was their only chance. They wouldn't be able to have another shot at this.
Nor would they make it back alive if they failed. He face facing flat thinking of that.
Bail turned off the hologram and looked at everyone. "Make sure everyone is prepared to leave tomorrow morning and make sure everyone is ready. This won't be an easy fight, but it can be possible. I have faith in all of you. "He looked over at Anakin, hoping he understood he truly did have faith in him. "May the force be with all of us."
Padme laid on Anakin's chest feeling the rise and fall of his chest. She was afraid to shut her eyes and go to sleep knowing when they woke he would be leaving her.
She looked at his chest running her fingers over the countless scars on it. She looked over at his arm looking were his flesh met the metal. She looked up at his face seeing the peacefulness of it. She saw his hair was in his eyes and she noticed just how long it has actually gotten. It was long when he came back into her life, but now it was nearing his shoulders.
She moved her hand to brush the few pieces out of his eyes, when she noticed his eyes start to flutter open and he looked at her confused. "Why aren't you sleeping?" His voice still sounding groggy.
"Your hair is getting long." She said running her fingers through it.
"My hair is what is keeping you up?" He gave her a questionable look.
She moved her hands away and bit her lip. She brought her legs up to her chest and placed her chin on them.
"What is it, my angel?" He sat up, brushing a few stands of hair away from her face.
"You're going to come back to me right?" She softly said afraid to look him in the eye.
"That's what you are thinking about? Of course I'm coming back and I'll bring Palpatine's head back on a silver platter just to prove he's gone from our lives." Anakin gave her a cocky smirk.
"Would you not make fun of me? I'm serious Ani." She said.
He grabbed her face and slowly moved it towards him so she was looking at him. "I'd be much to frighten to tease a Senator."
"But you aren't frighten to face Palpatine again?!" She felt her emotions getting the best of her and she hated how emotional this pregnancy has made her.
Anakin sighed, his mouth slanting. "Of course I'm scared."
"It doesn't seem like it." Padme said.
"I don't know. I'm usually just good at hiding it. I wasn't allowed to show fear around Palpatine even thought he could usually sense it." Anakin thought of his years training with his former master.
"This plan is risky. I wish we had time to think of something better. All three of you are basically walking into your deaths." Padme shook away that thought.
"Have faith, my love." He kissed her hands. "I will come back to you." He kissed her cheek and moved his way to her midsection." And to the baby." He kissed belly.
Padme felt herself calm down slightly as he sat up and looked at her.
"When do we find out the gender? I'm tired of calling it it or the baby." Anakin asked as Padme softly laughed and smiled.
"I'm not even showing yet, Ani. It won't be for another couple months." Padme told him. "I'm not even sure if I want to know. Don't you want to be surprised?"
Anakin groans. "I'm not great at being patient, but I suppose I can wait a little bit longer. What do you think it will be?"
"A boy." She slowly smiled, picturing a little blonde hair, blue eyed boy, very similar looking to Anakin when they first met.
"A boy? I don't know about that." Anakin raised his eyebrow at her.
"Are you questioning my motherly intuition?" Her smile growing wider, making Anakin feel better.
"I wouldn't say questioning, but you are definitely wrong. I'm sensing a girl." Anakin said.
"Are you using a Jedi trick or something?" Her eyebrows knitting together, thinking how she just told him she didn't want to know.
Anakin laughed. "No. You can just call it my fatherly intuition."
She hit him with a pillow. "For someone that is frighten to tease a Senator you do it a lot."
Anakin grabbed her wrist and pinned her to the bed moving on top her. "You just make it too easy, something." He said placing kisses down her neck.
"You are something else, Anakin Skywalker." Padme shook her head feeling his erection against her leg.
"And you are absolutely perfect, soon to be Padme Skywalker." Anakin said slowly removing her nightgown, causing her to shiver.
Anakin kicked off his pants and they made love for the season time that night, only to fall asleep wrapped in each other's arms,