Finally, I managed to update! :D I have put off this chapter for so long, because I needed to come up with ideas. I hope each of you had nice Christmas days!
Chapter 31 – Now or Never
Anakin had always thought that he knew how it felt to come close to the Dark side. His own anger had shown him the other side of the Light more often than he liked to admit.
But now? This was not the power he wanted to possess. It was consuming, eating from his essence. He was drowning and Anakin knew that it was only a matter of time before Palpatine would win.
As he crashed down to the ground, hands clasping around his head in an useless attempt to shield himself against the onslaught, the knight thought that this was the end.
He realized his misjudgment a few moments later. This was only the beginning in the Sith's sick game.
The jedi were dying.
Younglings. Padawans. Knights and Masters. Anakin could feel them vanishing into the Force one by one.
"No", he gasped, hands clenching against the cold floor. His family was out there. Padme. His children. Ahsoka. Obi-Wan. Anakin wouldn't even be able to feel his master's and padawan's passing. They had vanished inside the Force hours ago.
For a second he thought if he had seen his family for the last time.
'Don't think like that', the knight chided himself, face twisting into a snarl, 'Show that monster what the Chosen One is made off.'
With a roar, Anakin pushed himself up again, shoving Palpatine backwards with a strong Force push. Love. Pain. Hatred. Disappointment. Trust. The jedi let it all go.
In front of him, the Sith straightened himself again, still smiling evilly. "That's the spirit, my boy. You'll make a powerful apprentice", the man seethed.
"Don't you ever call me that again", Anakin hissed, holding his lightsaber in front of him.
"Join me, Anakin", the chancellor spoke menacingly, his sick yellow eyes tracing Anakin's very movements, "you know that this is your destiny. The Dark side is just calling you home."
His fingers tightened around the hilt of his weapon. "Over my dead body."
Palpatine licked his teeth. "Then fight for your freedom."
A blood-red blade joined the jedi's blue one, illuminating the office in a strange mix of colors. Anakin's mouth ran dry as he tried to calm himself.
For the first time in his life, he felt truly alone. He couldn't feel Ahsoka or Obi-Wan. Didn't even know if they were still breathing. Anakin had never considered the jedi his family the way his master had done. But now, as the Force wailed in agony as its children were snatched away in merely more than seconds, he felt something shatter inside him.
The light from the flames that licked the temple walls in the distance reflected in Anakin's eyes. The Sith took his home and friends.
He wouldn't let him take his family too.
Luke and Leia were screaming on the top of their tiny lungs, Padme was afraid that she would never be able to calm them down again. She walked around her small recovery room trying to sooth the twins in her arms, all the while humming a song her mother used to sing to her when she had been a kid.
She was worried about Anakin, shortly after he had disappeared, the kids had started to cry. Even though she didn't know much about force sensitive children, Padme knew that the twins were just as strong in the Force as their father.
Something was wrong and the children were screaming it out loud.
Her heart thumping inside her chest, she tried to call her husband again. The commlink in her hand beeped, but in the end, it just showed that there was no connection to be found.
Cursing silently, Padme thought about what to do. She sat down on the bed as her strength began to leave her again. The exhaustion from the hours before started to catch up with her and with the twins in uproar, she felt even more agitated.
She shivered slightly and readjusted the grip on the bundles in her lap. "Come on, Anakin. Where are you?", she muttered, her eyes flicking over to the window.
It took her moment before she realized what she was looking at. At first, she thought that it was the morning sun, which started to tint the city in a dark orange tone.
But no, it was far too early for that. Her breath got caught in her throat as the picture in front of her sunk in.
The jedi temple was burning.
She had muted the Holo News at some point, not being able to listen to this insanity any longer. As she looked at the screen now, the words on branded themselves into her mind.
"Jedi are traitors. Orchestrators of the galaxy-wide war."
"All traitors are to be executed as well as their associates."
"The Republic has fallen. Long live the Empire."
Her hazel eyes bore sightlessly into the wall in front of her. That couldn't be happening. The jedi were protectors. Peace keepers.
Swallowing the lump that was forming in her throat, Padme made a decision. She had to get away from here. Find Satine. Anakin. Obi-Wan. Ahsoka.
She quickly packed her meager possessions and swung the bag over her shoulders. The adrenaline was the only thing keeping her upright. Lifting Luke and Leia back up in her arms, she tried to calm them down one last time.
It seemed like they understood their situation, because both twins stopped crying and nuzzled their tiny heads against her chest.
"Thank the Force", she muttered under her breath, hoping that they would be able to remain undetected now.
She pulled the hood of her robe over her head and left the room. Padme knew that they had brought Satine in a few hours ago. But where?
She might have to ask one of the nurses. Hopefully, they won't recognize her face.
The senator wove her way through the hospital corridors and spotted a rather young nurse.
She would have to make do. Taking a deep breath, Padme approached the woman.
"Excuse me, I'm looking for Satine Kryze. I've been informed that she had been admitted here a few hours ago."
The nurse looked up from her work and studied Padme, but no sign of recognition crossed her features. Good.
"Satine Kryze? She's been taken to the intensive care unit, but I'm afraid only family members are allowed to enter."
She started to turn away and continue with her work, but Padme quickly interjected. "She's the wife of my husband's brother", she lied, surprised that the words slipped from her lips so easily, "please, I really need to see her."
The woman sighed exhausted but then nodded. "Fine, follow me."
Padme walked behind the woman silently, holding Luke and Leia close to her chest, keeping them out of view the best she could.
"Here we are", the nurse said, motioning towards the room, "I'll leave you to it then."
The nurse left and Padme slipped into Satine's room.
Her friend seemed to be fast asleep as she approached the bed. Padme sat the twins down on the chairs nearby and gently took one of Satine's hands.
"Satine, wake up", she flustered, pressing it slightly.
The blonde's eyelids twitched a little, before glazed, blue eyes found Padme's gaze.
"Padme…?", she rasped.
"Yes, it's me." Padme let go of Satine's hand and quickly produced a glass of water. She helped her sit up and held the glass to her lips. "Here, drink something. Slowly."
Satine did so and then paused suddenly, frowning. "Padme, what happened? What's going on?"
Padme pressed her lips together and grimaced. "You remember, hm? I'm afraid we don't have much time; we need to leave immediately."
"What? No!", Satine sputtered, "I can't just leave Obi-Wan behind!"
Pressing a steadying hand to her shoulder, Padme fixed her friend's gaze. "Satine, something has happened. The Republic has been overthrown and the jedi are branded as traitors. They are to be executed as well as their companions", she paused a moment, "which includes us, I'm afraid. If we don't leave now, we won't be able to help them at all."
Satine stared at her as the words sunk in. "They took Anakin too, didn't they?"
"I think so", Padme confirmed silently, "you think you're fit enough to walk?"
Her friend looked down and pulled the hem of her shirt down, tracing the bandage which crossed her chest carefully. "It doesn't hurt at all", she mumbled, "I think Obi-Wan must have healed me."
Padme remembered the footage from the Holo News. Obi-Wan kneeling over her, face twisted into a pained grimace. "He did." She didn't want to worry Satine further, so she didn't dare to say more.
"Come on, we have to go", she urged then, shooting her friend a sympathetic look.
Satine nodded silently and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.
"Do you need help?", Padme asked.
"No, I'm just a little dizzy." She stood up carefully, slightly wobbly on her feet. Her eyes fell on Luke and Leia for the first time.
"Oh", she smiled sadly, before looking at Padme.
"These are Luke and Leia", Padme said solemnly, picking them back up again.
"Are they…?", Satine asked, but Padme already knew where she was heading.
"Just like their father."
Her friend nodded and began to change her clothing. "If they're looking for jedi, then they will be after your children too."
"I know, that's why we have to leave as fast as possible."
"Then let's go", Satine stepped next to her, wearing a hood as well.
Padme shot a last glance at her. "You're sure you feel well enough to walk?"
"I am. Go on."
With that, the two women slipped out of the room and made their way out of the hospital, trying to take the more deserted corridors. Soon they stepped out of the building, the cold night's air whipping at their faces.
A shallow wave of burning smell hit their nostrils, making Padme's stomach churn again at the thought.
"Something's burning", Satine mumbled, looking around to spot the source.
Not looking at her, Padme bit her lip before stating blankly: "The jedi temple."
"What?", Satine whirled around and Padme felt her eyes boring into her back.
Her brown eyes shimmering with unshed tears, she faced Satine again. "They attacked the temple. I don't know who."
Shock spread over Satine's slim face, as she gaped into the distance. "There were children inside", she mumbled absently.
Padme stepped closer, nudging her in the shoulder, mindful not to jostle the twins in her arms. Apparently, they had finally succumbed to an unrestful sleep.
"We're going to find someone who will be able to help us out. But without backup…", she shook her head, "we'll be dead before we know it… or worse." She shuddered at her own words. The Empire. Padme still couldn't believe that things had changed so quickly.
"Do you know someone?", she asked then.
Satine was still lost in her thoughts, a foreign look crossing her face. "Maybe", she murmured, "I met a former jedi before all this happened."
The duchess let her eyes wander again. "Apparently one of Obi-Wan's childhood friends, even though they hadn't any contact over the past years."
"You think he might be still on planet?"
Satine shrugged. "He might be our only chance. I don't know where to look for him though. The lower levels seem to be the most obvious choice to hide."
"Then let's not waste time."
The small group made their way down to the darker parts of Coruscant, dodging patrols and cameras. It felt like running the gauntlet.
As they entered a small alley, Luke suddenly began to fuss again.
"Blast", Padme hissed, trying to calm the boy again. "Would you mind?", she asked Satine, holding Leia out to her.
"Sure."
It didn't take long before Leia started to cry as well.
The two women exchanged a worried glance. That could not mean anything good. They were in danger.
Just as they tried to hide themselves, they heard the distinctive click of a blaster.
"Where do you think you're going, ladies?", a rough voice barked, "there's a huge bounty on your heads."
Padme clenched her teeth, cursing inwardly that she didn't have a weapon at hand. Facing their attacker, she noticed that he wasn't alone.
A group of three people, two humans and a Trandoshan, the leader of the trio, had them cornered.
"Attacking an unarmed person is low, even for you bounty hunters", she tried, backing off together with Satine, who still held Leia.
The Trandoshan laughed. "We live in desperate times, my dear", he grinned, "go get them!"
Satine and Padme ran for their lives as the blaster bolts began to zap past them. They darted through another small street until the suddenly heard a familiar snap-hiss, quickly followed by cries as the bounty hunters tumbled dead to the ground.
A green light illuminated the narrow space, as Padme and Satine looked at their rescuer.
The man turned around; face still hidden except for the obvious yellow tattoo across his nose.
"Quinlan Vos", Satine breathed.