They broke the kiss as a medical droid approached them and said, "We are pleased to see you responding well to our treatments Lord Vader".
Anakin looked at the droid and replied, "Yes. Thank you for your care".
"Does he need any further medical attention?", Padmé asked, still worried about her husband.
The droid looked at the pair and then responded, "Lord Vader, you experienced several cuts and burns from the blast, but most seriously you broke several ribs and punctured a lung. We were concerned this could exacerbate your existing respiratory condition, which is why we placed you in bacta straight away and have had you on a respirator since we removed you from the tank".
"Is any damage long-term?", Padmé asked.
"We don't think so. Lord Vader is young and healthy and possesses an anomaly in his blood stream that for reasons unknown to us accelerates his body's healing processes", he reported.
"Midichlorians", Anakin stated, once the droid had finished speaking.
"How much longer must I stay here?", Anakin asked, having never been a good patient. During the clone wars when he had sustained several serious injuries, he had always been restless about returning to his duties and could not remain idle for long.
"We want to monitor your vitals for a few more hours and then I will be happy to discharge you from here. However, we strongly recommend you do not return to work immediately Lord Vader. You must rest for a few days. You should not underestimate the physical strain your body has endured in the last few hours", he added.
"I will make sure of it thank you", Padmé told the droid.
"Good. I will also prescribe some pain medication for you Lord Vader", the droid added before leaving the couple.
"I am not sure that I will be able to remain here for several days. The emperor is growing increasingly impatient and the governors are restless as of late. There are too many things requiring my attention", he said, running a hand through his hair as he laid on the medical bed.
Padmé moved to sit on the end of her husbands' bed. Having not slept well last night and after all she had been through, she was very tired and was grateful to sit down. She then said, "It is important to rest and recover Anakin. You surely must admit that your body has been under an unbelievable amount of physical and mental stress lately. I cannot sit here and watch you push yourself over the edge, because if something was to happen to you, I would never forgive myself. You keep telling me that your final encounter with Palpatine is nearing, surely it is imperative that you are as strong as possible for that", she told him, knowing that they had repeatedly discussed how important it was that he be at his strongest for when the time came.
"I know Padmé. But I still have responsibilities as Vader, enormous responsibilities. And I cannot risk him doubting my unwavering allegiance to him. There is too much at stake right now", he told her, looking at her face and examining the cuts and bruises painted on her angelic face.
"I know Anakin", she said softly. Tears sprang to her eyes as she said, "I just wish things were different".
Anakin took her hand and said, "This will be over soon angel, I promise you. You, Luke, Leia and I will be together as a family soon, and never again will we have to live in fear of discovery", he promised his wife, hating to see her in this much distress.
Wanting to distract herself from the current situation, Padmé stood from the bed slowly and asked, "Would you like me to make you breakfast and bring it here?".
"Only if you feel well enough to", he replied, still concerned that she too had been badly injured not long ago.
Padmé leant down and kissed her husband's forehead before replying, "Okay, I will be back soon".
Padmé left the medical wing and headed towards the kitchen to make her and Anakin some breakfast. She ran a hand through her tousled hair and rubbed her temples softly trying to alleviate herself of a headache that was she was finding hard to ignore. She focused on making breakfast and returned to Anakin not long after. When she arrived back, they sat together on Anakin's medical bed and ate their food.
"I think we should contact the twins and Obi-Wan later. No doubt they have heard of the incident and they must be worried. And after yesterday and thinking about them in what I thought were my last moments, I just want to hear their voices", Padmé told Anakin.
Anakin looked up at his wife and replied, "I think that is a good idea. I know how much we both miss the twins and how much they miss us. We will call them once I have been discharged", he reassured her.
They finish their breakfast before the medical droid returns to complete some final checks on Anakin. Padmé moved out of the droid's way, standing up from her husbands' bed. She did so too quickly, and felt her head start to spin. She quickly reached for the end of the bed for support, as the dizziness started to ease.
Anakin noticed his wife's reaction and asked, "Are you okay, Padmé?"
Padmé turned to Anakin, not wanting to concern him with something so minor and said, "Yes, I'm fine. I just stood up too fast".
Before Anakin could express his uncertainties, the medical droid completed his assessment and said, "I am happy enough that you are recovering sufficiently to be discharged Lord Vader. However, your body is still healing, and rest and recuperation are essential. I strongly recommend you take several days leave and avoid any strenuous physical exertion which could cause further injury or labor your breathing", it reported.
"I cannot guarantee how long I will be able to remain at rest for. I have duties to perform and many things that require my attention", Anakin replied, his mind racing with all the things he knew he needed to do.
Padmé interjected and said, "I will make sure he rests, thank you".
"I have prescribed some medication for you Lord Vader. And I ask you return for a check-up in two days' time, or earlier if you experience any pain, discomfort or difficulty breathing", the droid added, as Anakin put on a shirt C3PO had brought him.
"As you wish", Anakin replied, as he moved to stand up from the bed and leave with his wife.
As they left the medical wing Padmé said, "Now you heard the droid. You must rest Anakin. It is important you recover fully".
"I know Padmé", he said, "But you must understand the Emperor is a paranoid and unpredictable man. I do not know what his next move will be and what he will ask of me. I must not raise his suspicions. I have to keep up this act and serving that monster. I am doing it for you, for you Luke and Leia, for all of us", he added passionately.
"I know Anakin", Padmé replied softly, as the pair continued to walk down the corridor slowly, towards Anakin's office to contact their children and Obi-Wan.
When they arrived, Anakin sat down in his large office chair, and pulled Padmé into his arms softly so she was sitting on his lap. She hesitated for a moment, worried about his injuries, but he assured her that there was no place better for her to be. Padmé input the comm frequency as they sat waiting for an answer.
"Padmé is that you?", they heard a voice say seconds later.
Padmé leant forward in apprehension and replied, "Yes, Obi-Wan, me and Anakin are both here".
"Oh, thank the force. I heard about the explosion in the Senate. Bail Organa told me, and it has spread across the galaxy in the news already", he told them.
"We are alright Obi-Wan", Padmé reassured him. "Anakin returned from Dantooine and got to the Senate in time. He saved me".
"I am so glad to hear you are both alright. I told the twins what happened. But just like me they could feel through the force that you were alive. It is remarkable that they have such a connection to both of you", he stated proudly.
"May we speak to them Obi-Wan", Padmé asked.
"Of course,", he replied.
The comm went quiet for a moment before they heard a muffling sound and were then greeted by the twins voices.
"Mummy and daddy, we knew you were okay. Obi-Wan said you had been in an accident, but we knew you were alive", Leia said.
Tears sprang to both Padmé and Anakin's eyes as their children spoke. "Yes we are okay my babies. I promised you I would never leave you and I kept that promise. Your daddy was a hero and he saved me", she told her children.
"Dad, that's awesome. We always knew you were a hero", Luke said.
"Yeah daddy. You are the best Jedi in the whole galaxy", Leia added excitedly.
"Well, I don't know about that Leia", Anakin stated, "All I know is that I love your mother more than life itself, and I had to save her so that I could bring her back to you two", he added, embracing Padmé from behind as she remained sitting on his knee.
"Mummy and daddy just need to talk to Obi-Wan about something children. Why don't you two go and play for a few moments and then me and daddy will talk to you before we go", Padmé said, knowing she did not want Luke and Leia to hear all of this and worry.
"Okay mummy", the twins replied in unison before departing.
"What is happening now in the Senate?", Obi-Wan asked.
"The Senate has been disbanded while an investigation is underway. Vader is leading the investigation under the Emperor's orders", Anakin informed him.
"We should use this time as an opportunity to gain support within the alliance", Obi-Wan replied.
"I agree", Padmé stated.
"Although we still do not know who is behind this sinister attempt on Padmé's life. Senator Soruna has not been in office that long. She has few enemies, or so we thought", Anakin stated, worrying that it was no longer safe for Padmé anymore.
"Indeed, it is most peculiar that someone would make such an attempt on your life", Obi-Wan commented.
"The Emperor is conscious that a failure to act will cause him to lose favour. He is very paranoid and has got Vader out on a wild goose chase looking for the assailant. He believes Senator Soruna is expendable, but also thinks she holds information on the alliance. I am concerned how much longer he will deem her valuable", Anakin stated matter-of-factly.
Padmé was slightly taken aback by her husbands' statement. They had not had the chance to discuss much of this yet, and so was just as surprised as Obi-Wan. "Well we must do all we can to ensure that Padmé is safe in the Senate. If the Emperor believes she is expendable, he will likely remove you from her protection, or worst still he may seek to act himself", Obi-Wan stated.
"I won't place Padmé in that position. I do not think it is safe for her to return to the Senate anymore. This is not the first attempt on her life in a matter of weeks, and soon enough the Emperor will believe that my time is more valuable elsewhere than her protection. But when he realises, she is of no value, he will not do it himself. He never has. He is incredibly careful about that. He has people to do it for him. That is what Vader was for", he reflected, being reminded of the reason he was manipulated and used by the Emperor.
"You know him better than anyone Anakin. It is important that we are kept apprised of his activities, and as the Senate is disbanded you will be our only link on the inside. It will be our job to rally support for the alliance where we don't have eyes on us", Obi-Wan said.
"Anakin was seriously hurt in the blast and has been ordered to take several days rest to recover. He cannot return to the Emperor straight away", Padmé commented, realising that Obi-Wan and Anakin was getting further into their plan.
"Padmé. I am the only link to the Emperor right now and he will no doubt want regular updates on my investigation. I will undoubtedly be called to see him soon, and I must go", he told her, knowing it was not something she wanted to hear.
"I will not sit here and let you get yourself hurt by going to that monster when you do not need to", Padmé stated.
Obi-Wan could hear that this was something that needed to be discussed between Padmé and Anakin and so replied, "Perhaps we should re-evaluate the situation in several days. For now, I will make contact with some members of the alliance and see what plans they have to maximise our plan forward in this situation. I will bring Luke and Leia back to say goodbye", he added.
Several seconds later the twins said, "Did you and Obi-Wan have grown-up things to talk about?", Luke asked.
"Yes, we did baby. And it is not for your little ears. But it doesn't matter anymore, because we love you so much and we will talk to you again very soon and we hope that then we can plan to come and meet you at daddy's house on Alderaan", Padmé told the twins. They giggled excitedly and said "Yay", in unison.
"Now you two be good for Obi-Wan and stay strong with the force and continue your training", Anakin told his children.
"And make sure you are doing your work from TC too okay", Padmé added, wanting the children to keep up with some schooling too.
"We promise", they replied.
"I love you both so much. I promise when this is over soon and we are together forever I am never going to let you go", Padmé told her children, tears springing to her eyes.
"I love you both too, May the force be with you", Anakin said.
"Goodbye and may the force be with you both as well", Obi-Wan replied, as the twins shouted their goodbye's down the comm, before the line ended.
Padmé could not help but exchange a look with her husband about the conversation they had begun on the comm.
"Padmé. I know you are not happy about this. But if I am requested by the Emperor, I must heed his commands", Anakin said, trying to make his wife see reason.
"I know Anakin. But you were pulled from a bacta tank only hours ago and were on a respirator. You need time for your body to recover and going to see that monster is just about the worst thing you could do", she told him, trying to make him see her point.
Anakin caressed his wife's face softly with his hand and replied, "I know Padmé. I do not relish in the idea of going to see the Emperor. But I have to do everything I can to keep you and the twins safe. I cannot let him think I am weak", he added.
"Anakin you are not at all weak. You are the strongest and bravest man I have ever known", Padmé told him passionately.
Anakin paused for a moment and then said, "I know I have the force as my ally, and I am strong with it. But I have one weakness that I cannot shake. The Emperor knows about it, he always has. It is the reason I fell to the dark side", Anakin reflected, his head looking down into his hands shamefully.
Padmé lifted his head up with her hand gently and looked into his eyes before saying, "Anakin, don't ever think that the love you have for me and the twins is a weakness. It has always been a strength. Your ability to love, your passion, your loyalty makes you who you are. If it were not so, you never would have come back to me. If you did not love me so, me being alive would have meant nothing to you, and we would never be here now", she told him with a smile.
Anakin looked into his wife's doe brown eyes, unable to stop the warm feeling inside him that she had given him. She had always had a way of making him feel better in the worst of times, and now more than ever he was so grateful for her support. "I love you so much Padmé", he told her, leaning in to kiss her lips softly. Padmé returned the kiss, wrapping her hands around her husbands' neck, as they lost themselves in the quiet moment they had together, forgetting all that was going on around them.
Their beautiful moment was interrupted when C3PO walked into his office, and said, "Ah Master there you are. I have been looking around the establishments for you, I …".
Anakin turned his chair around as Padmé stood up from her position on his lap, as Anakin interjected, "What is it Threepio?", frustrated that his time with his wife had been disrupted.
"I'm sorry Sir, but your comm has been ringing. Several trooper commanders have been trying to contact you", the golden droid reported.
Anakin banged his metal hand on the table roughly, as he stood up from his chair and began to walk out of the room. "I will be back. Threepio, make sure Padmé is looked after", he told the droid, before heading to contact his commanders.
"Are you alright Miss Padmé?", the droid asked Padmé, as she rubbed her temples.
"I'm alright Threepio. Just worried about Anakin", she commented sadly. She wondered what the troopers wanted him for and hoped it was nothing important enough to necessitate his departure. But Padmé doubted that Vader would be contacted for no reason. "I'm just going to go and sit down in the living room", Padmé told the droid as she left Anakin's office.
The droid nodded and then followed Padmé down towards the living quarters of the establishments, concerned that both his Master and Senator Amidala were under a considerable amount of stress.
"Is there anything I can do My Lady?", Threepio asked as Padmé sought comfort on one of the large couches in the living area.
"Could you get me some water please?", she asked quietly, hoping a drink would alleviate her numbing headache.
Anakin entered his chambers and reached for his comm, having donned his mask and suit in preparation for the call. "What is it, Commander?", Vader asked as the commander's holo image appeared.
"My Lord, we had not heard from you since shortly after the explosion. The Senate has been evacuated and temporarily disbanded under the Emperor's orders. But we are getting a lot of questions regarding the security of the Senate from the media and several concerned systems. The Emperor assigned us to your team responsible for investigating the attack on Senator Soruna My Lord, but we have not yet received any orders from yourself", he reported, trying his best not to test his commanders' patience.
Anakin was not surprised by his commanders' statement. He had stayed behind in the Senate as long as he could to ensure a complete evacuation was conducted. But he had been so apprehensive to return home to see if Padmé was alright that he had thought of little else. He had then underestimated the medical care his injuries had necessitated following the blast, and consequently had neglected to issue his troopers with any orders.
"Very well Commander. I want you to find someone who can liaise with the media on this matter. They need to be made aware that all is being done to protect the Senate and its constituents and that is why the Senate has been temporarily disbanded. We will not stand for any questions to our authority Commander, and I trust you will see to any issues that arise there. I am personally undertaking an investigation into the attempted assassination of the Senator, but it is complex, and the Emperor demands a quick solution to regain security and trust in the Empire. I want you to assign a squad of troopers to the task of engaging in investigations on Coruscant, interviews, interrogations, bounty hunters. Whatever it takes Commander", Vader instructed, hoping his orders would be enough to keep his troopers busy to buy him much needed time.
The Commander bowed and said, "It will be done My Lord. Shall I inform the Emperor?", he asked.
Vader paused before saying, "No. I will inform him".
"Yes, Lord Vader", the trooper replied, before Anakin cut the transmission.
Anakin frustratedly took off his mask and ran a hand through his hair. He knew in times of such uncertainty; many would call on Vader for his commands. But he was not ready to give any commands. He felt the conflict flow through him, as he was torn between his need to continue serving the Emperor and find out who tried to kill his wife, but also abandon his service to the Empire and join the Rebellion so that one day he could leave in peace with his family. He looked at the long list of missed calls he had on his comm and sighed heavily, knowing that returning them was going to take a significant amount of time. Before he lost all motivation to do so, Anakin put on his helmet again, as the sound of his mechanical breathing filled the air, and he input the frequency of the first call he had missed.
"Thank you Threepio", Padmé stated, as the droid placed a tray down with a jug and glass of water down on the table next to her.
"You are most welcome Miss Padmé", he replied. He paused for a moment before saying, "I am uncertain how long Master Skywalker will be in his meetings My Lady. He had received a rather high volume of calls to his comm, and I am sure he will need to reply to most of them", the droid informed her.
Padmé sighed upon hearing the droid's statement and said, "I'm worried about him Threepio. I fear he wont ever be free of his ties to the dark side whilst he is still having to act as Vader all the time".
The droid remained standing next to the Senator, remembering all those times during the clone wars that he would attempt to calm her nerves whilst Master Skywalker was away fighting. Despite how much had changed during that time, the situation he was presented with was remarkably similar. "I know this is a stressful time My Lady. But I am conscious that you sustained several injuries in the accident too, and you appear to be presenting symptoms consistent with a headache", the droid said, concerned for his Mistress.
"I'm okay Threepio, honestly. I am just a little tired after all that has happened. Some rest will do me good", she told the droid, her mind once again drifting to her husband, worrying about his continuing role as the Dark Lord.
"Would you like me to make you something to eat My Lady?", the droid asked.
"No thank you", Padmé replied, unable to contemplate stomaching any food currently. "I think I might retire to get some rest. I think it would be wise to sleep off this headache", she informed the droid as she moved to stand up slowly from the chair.
"If you are sure Miss Padmé", he responded. "I will inform Master Anakin once he concludes his duties".
"Thank you", she said to the droid with a weak smile. She struggled to walk straight up the long corridor towards her bedchambers. Once she arrived back in her chambers she fell onto her bed, the feeling of pain intensifying in her head. She closed her eyes and hoped that she could sleep it off in the next few hours. As the time past, Padmé was not granted relief from the searing pain her headache was causing her. She had not felt pain this intense even immediately after the explosion. She could feel the pressure building inside her head, like a tight band around her forehead, as the ringing in her ears got increasing louder. Knowing she needed to seek help, Padmé rose from her bed slowly and moved to exit her chambers and head to the medical bay. She found herself becoming very disorientated, as the corridors around her began to spin, and the dim lights started to blind her. Desperately, she continued to slowly walk down the corridor, but before she could reach her destination, the burn inside her head became unbearable, as she saw her vision blacken completely, and her weakened body collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
After being engaged in continuous meetings for several hours, Anakin was grateful to emerge from his chambers. He had been overwhelmed by the number of calls he had just made, but he was content that he had distributed sufficient orders to keep his troopers busy, liaising with the media, senators and starting to undertake an investigation into Padmé's assassination. All that remained for him to do was contact the Emperor, but he did not revel in that idea, so decided he would delay that for as long as possible. Once he had removed his mask and suit, he retreated to the kitchen and living area to go and find Padmé. As he entered the kitchen, he was greeted by C3PO, but did not see his wife.
"Ahh Master Anakin, I trust your calls were productive", the droid stated.
"They were necessary", he replied, not wanting to talk about his duties. "Where is Padmé?", he asked, looking over into the living area and realising she was not there.
"Miss Padmé retired to her bedchambers quite some time ago Master. It appears she has been suffering from a headache Master. She hoped that getting some sleep would help her feel better", he informed his master. The droid had hardly finished speaking before Anakin vacated the room and was headed towards Padmé's chambers, concerned about her reported headache.
He entered her chambers quietly, so he did not wake her if she was asleep. But as he walked in, he was distressed to see she was not there, and could not feel her force signature in the room. Concern quickly grew within him, as he turned to leave the room and ran back towards the kitchen.
"Threepio, Padmé is not in her bedchambers. I need you to help me find her now. Commence your search downstairs and inform me immediately if you find her", he ordered. Anakin then turned back and ran towards the garden room, where he knew Padmé had often found comfort. When he arrived, he typed the code in and then pushed the door open forcibly. When he realised his wife was also not here, he closed his eyes and concentrated on her force signature. As he vacated the meadow room, the force took him down one of the many long corridors of his establishments. He ran quickly down the corridor before he could see a figure lying on the floor in front of him.
"Padmé!", Anakin shouted to his wife as he approached her. He crouched down and picked her unconscious body up in his strong arms, ignoring the slight pain he felt as he did so. Padmé did not respond to his desperate calls out to her, as he carried her to the medical bay. When he entered the bay, he placed his wife on the bed gently, brushing the few stray hairs from her face as the droid approached them.
"What has happened?", the medical droid asked.
"I'm not sure. I found her unconscious in the corridor. C3PO has informed me she had been complaining of a headache for most of the day. She too was involved in the explosion at the Senate", he reported, not taking his eyes off his wife.
"How close was she to the blast?", the droid asked, moving to inspect Padmé.
"She was close following detonation. But I got to her in time and I shielded her. She was taken to Coruscant Medical but was discharged yesterday. I don't understand what is wrong", he stated desperately.
The droid paused before saying, "We will conduct an examination of the Senator now to assess what is wrong. From what you have said, it is possible that she has experienced a delayed episode of head trauma. But I want to be certain. Please, Lord Vader, let us take care of the Senator, and we will keep you informed as soon as we have run some tests", the droid said, moving closer to the Senator as Anakin took a step back away from his wife.
"I do not care what it takes, you must help her. She is not just a Senator droid, she is my wife", he stated, not caring that the droid knew of Padmé's real identity.