Darth Sidious sat in his grand office, as he pressed his wrinkled hands to his lips in thought. He had felt a great disturbance in the Force. There was no doubt in his mind that it was his apprentice, Darth Vader. He could feel the immense pain that Vader was in. It did not shock him after the physical punishment he had subjected him to for his slander. But, beyond that, what surprised Sidious was the psychological torment he could sense from his apprentice. There was no doubt in his mind as to the source of his mental pain. There was and could only ever be one thing to break the most powerful Sith in the Galaxy; and that was his only weakness, the death of the precious Senator Amidala.

Sidious had been growing increasingly suspicious of his apprentice of late. His actions were subtle but obtuse in their purpose, and for the first time Sidious was seriously beginning to doubt his apprentices' loyalty.

"Send my aid." Sidious snarled to one of his armed guards. The guard nodded in response and departed the office in search of his master's aid. Moments later the guard returned with a rather nervous looking man following behind him.

The man had a pale face and nervous expression as he asked, "How can I help you, My Lord?".

Palpatine stared at the man for a brief moment before saying, "I want you to go to the current residence of Senator Soruna of Naboo in 500 Republica and acquire a sample of her DNA for a blood test analysis."

The aid looked confused at his request before asking, "Am I to assume that my visit is to be unnoticed by the Senator?"

Sidious glared back at the man and replied, "Her attendance there will not be an issue. She has not been seen there since the attempt on her life, and I have been informed that she has returned to her home planet of Naboo. You should not encounter any difficulties."

"Yes, My Lord, of course. I will head there straight away and have the articles sent for analysis as soon as possible." The aid replied, eager to please his master.

"Now. Go." Sidious commanded, dismissing the man with a wave of his wrinkled hand. Once the man had departed the room, he again pressed his hands to his lips in thought, attempting to piece together recent events. "What are you hiding my foolish young apprentice?" Sidious hissed as he stared out the large floor to ceiling window, overlooking Imperial Capital.

The Emperor's aid returned several hours later to find that the Emperor had not moved from his luxurious chair situated behind his large desk at the top of the stairs. Anxiously, he paused at the bottom of the steps, waiting for an invitation to proceed with his findings. He waited several moments but received no acknowledgement. Unsure if his presence has been noticed, the man cleared his throat softly and said, "My Lord."

Sidious' yellow eyes, snapped open, having been deep in a Force trance, attempting to find answers to his building mound of questions.

"What is it?" the old man snapped, looking down at the man at the bottom of the stairs.

"I acquired samples from the apartment occupied by Senator Soruna, and I have just received the results. I thought you would want to know immediately, My Lord." The man stammered nervously.

"Go on." Sidious replied simply.

"The search into Senator Soruna's DNA returned an anomaly sir. It appears that the DNA of Senator Soruna matches with an individual who has been recorded as deceased for over 8 years." The aid responded, unsure what the Emperor would make of this information.

The Emperor's eyes widened at this information and then he sank deeper into his chair before saying, "And let me guess, the deceased individual is Senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo."

Upon hearing his words, the aid's brows creased in confusion and surprise as he responded, "Yes, My Lord. Senator Amidala is believed to have perished during the inception of the Empire. She had a state funeral in your home capital of Theed." The aid continued to say, having clearly done some research on the woman before entering the office.

"I am well aware of what happened to Senator Amidala." Sidious hissed sourly. "Her funeral was a day of mourning for the people of Naboo and many in the Galaxy. It was reported to be quite a spectacle of beauty. Perhaps a little too perfect." he added bitterly.

"My Lord, if I may. Surely there must be an error in our records. It is not possible for Senator Soruna and Senator Amidala to be the same person. How has she maintained such a façade under the watchful eye of yourself, as well as being under the protection of your apprentice Darth Vader? I am certain that a man of his talents would have ascertained her identity." The aid mentioned, swallowing hard after his words left his mouth.

Sidious paused for a moment, his jaw clenching tightly. "I have no doubt that Vader discovered the true identity of Senator Soruna. And it is that discovery that has made them both a threat to this Empire. If Vader has been reunited with that bewitching woman he claims to love so dearly, I have no doubt she will seek to turn him against us." He stated darkly. "Now, leave me. I must decide what to do on the matter. We must move quickly. Vader has become a very great threat." Sidious added, turning his chair away from his aid, before he had moved to depart.

Sidious pondered this discovery deeply. There was no doubt in his mind that if Vader was given the choice between Senator Amidala and him, he would choose that ridiculous, treacherous woman every time. She had the power to turn Vader against him and the Empire. But, more than that, there was an even bigger threat that Palpatine shuddered to consider. All those years ago, Palpatine has been successful in luring the then 22-year-old Anakin Skywalker to the dark side through the fear of losing his dear wife. His servitude had then been cemented when Vader had choked his wife and killed her. The guilt and pain he knew his apprentice felt were more than enough for him to resign his fate to his master's servitude. But now, she was alive, and they had been reunited. Without Padmé Amidala in his life, every ounce of Anakin Skywalker had burned, and from him the ashes of Darth Vader had ignited. However, her return would no doubt spark the flame of hope in his heart and force his redemption and return to the light. If Darth Vader were to become Anakin Skywalker again, he would be the most powerful Jedi the Galaxy had ever seen.

Sidious knew his time was limited. He did not doubt that his former apprentice would seek to destroy him for all he had done, and in a feeble attempt to restore peace to the Galaxy. What could he do? In his mind he was already forming an elaborate plan. Anakin Skywalker was indeed unmatched in his power, but he had one weakness, and Sidious would have to exploit it. Padmé Amidala. She was his only weakness. He would have to destroy her once and for all.

Back on Alderaan, Anakin carried both his children up to bed, smiling as he revelled in their warm presences in the Force. He kissed them both goodnight, before returning to the kitchen to find Obi-Wan retrieving a glass of water before retiring himself.

"That was a good training session today." The older Jedi commented. "I think I am going to feel that last jump in the morning." he added with a small smile.

"Yes, I agree. Since my meeting with Sidious, I have felt weak and unprepared for what may come when I have to face him finally." Anakin stated. "But today, I felt strong. I feel my connection with the Force growing stronger every day." He added.

"You should not underestimate yourself Anakin. To engage in such an intense duel when you sustained such severe injuries only days ago, and your struggles and conflicts in the Force too. I have no doubt you will defeat Sidious. Your talents are unmatched." Obi-Wan reassured him proudly.

"Thank you, Master. Your confidence in me means more than I can say. As well as your support in my confrontation with Sidious. I am not sure how much time we have left, but I plan on doing everything I can to be as strong as possible, so I can return to Padmé and the twins." Anakin replied.

"And that is more motivation right there than many would ever have Anakin. The love you have for your family is as strong an ally to you as your connection to the Force is." Obi-Wan informed him. He smiled and then said, "I also have no doubt that Padmé would kill me if I let anything happen to you." He joked.

Anakin could not resist a small chuckle before saying, "Yes, I know she is anxious about our … meeting. But it is as inevitable as the twin Tatooine suns rising. I know it is my destiny to fight him, and I must face my destiny. I must do it so I can free the Galaxy of the tyranny I helped create, so that my children can grow up in a world without fear, so Padmé can live in a world where I can love her every minute of every day for the rest of her life." Anakin stated with a smile thinking of his wife and children.

"Your family are very lucky to have you Anakin, as am I. But do not dwell too much on the future. Be mindful of the future and do not let it distract you from what is most important." Obi-Wan cautioned. He then picked up a glass of water and nodded his head softly. "Goodnight Anakin. Sleep well." he added.

"Thank you, Master. You too. Rest up for another gruelling session tomorrow." Anakin replied with a small smile.

Once Obi-Wan had left the kitchen, Anakin turned and headed into the living area to find Padmé asleep soundly on the large couch. Her wavy chocolate brown hair was sprawled across a cushion and a hand absentmindedly rested on her still flat stomach. Anakin smiled at the beautiful scene before him, before he gently lifted Padmé into his arms and carried her up to their bedroom. He knew how tired she must have been, as she did not stir as he placed her down on their bed and wrapped the covers around her. He kissed her forehead softly and whispered, "I love you, Angel," before he removed his clothes and slipped into bed beside her, wrapping one arm around her small body protectively.

"What incredible potential your children possess young Skywalker. They will be even stronger with the dark side than their father. They will sever their ties with everything, leaving them unconditionally loyal to me." Sidious taunted, as he stood before Anakin, his yellow teeth bared in a grim smirk.

"You will not touch my children!" Anakin shouted, his voice echoing in the large room.

The Emperor cackled wickedly at the young man's pathetic outburst. "There is nothing you can do to stop me my foolish former apprentice. I already have your children in my possession." He declared with a snarl.

Anakin stepped forward threateningly at his statement, his anger flaring uncontrollably.

The Emperor laughed again and said, "I can feel your anger, young Skywalker. You never were able to control it properly. I will train your children to manage their anger and it will give them focus. I will train them in the ways of the dark side, and they will be stronger than you ever were. They will be strong enough to defeat you." He taunted.

"I will die before I let you near my children." Anakin stated. "I will not let them become a monster as I did."

"It is too late. You are too late to save your twins." Sidious returned. He paused and a bigger smile appeared on his face, "And you are too late to save your precious wife too." He added.

Anakin could not hold back the fierce growl that escaped his chest as he shouted, "What have you done? If you have touched a hair on Padmé's head, I swear I …"

"You will what, my apprentice? You will strike me down?" Sidious asked, unable to hold back a laugh. "You speak such threats to me, yet I am not the one who has harmed your wife. I am not the one who strangled her into unconsciousness while pregnant." He snapped.

Anakin saw red and drew his shining blade, quickly approaching the Sith Lord before him. But he was stopped from committing his desired act when Sidious spoke again, "Always acting on your impulses Skywalker. You are so predictable. That woman truly is like a deep wound that will never heal. I can just continue to press on it harder and harder."

"You could never understand." Anakin whispered, his mind racing with thoughts and questions.

The Emperor clasped his hands together and said, "Oh I am sure I do. You would die for her. You would do anything for her. You would slaughter hundreds of Jedi, including younglings in a vain attempt to save her from death." The old man laughed again before adding, "Well I am not going to entirely disappoint you. She will die, but you will die too Skywalker. I have your precious twins; I do not need you or your unborn child to serve me. I can freely dispose of you and your wife and be free to rule the Galaxy with the strongest Sith's in history."

"Noooo." Anakin bellowed, his shout of desperation drowned out by the Emperor's loud cackle of joy, basking in his former apprentice's pain.

Anakin lurched forward, the vividness of his dream making him feel sick to his very core. He ran a hand through his sweaty hair, and then pressed his head into his palms, trying to force the agonising images away. Seeking her presence out in the darkness, Anakin turned to see Padmé still fast asleep next to him, the moon casting a soft light on her angelic face. He knew sleep would evade him now, and so he quietly snuck out of bed, careful not to wake his wife, and headed outside onto the balcony to cool down.

The crisp midnight air encased his burning chest as he took deep soothing breaths. Anakin knew his past would always haunt him, but now he found that just like before, the future was haunting him as well. He could not let himself become obsessed with these visions. Despite the pain and anguish he felt, he knew that to let himself succumb to these visions was to succumb himself to the dark side, and he could never let that happen again. He had turned his back on the dark side and was returning to the light. He had fought off its strong allure more than once, and after nearly succumbing to its presence only nights ago, Anakin knew he could not put his wife through that again. Although they had not properly spoken about the event, Anakin knew how profoundly it had affected her. He had seen the raw pain in her eyes, a pain that broke him inside. He knew that she was trying to be strong; to show her unconditional support for him. When she thought no one was looking, when she thought he wasn't looking, he had seen the pain in her doe brown eyes; he had seen her determination to fight off the tears that threatened to escape.

Anakin shook his head at the memory, and he swore that he would do everything in his power to make it up to her. He would do all he could to be the man he knew he wanted to be for her, and that started with bringing peace to the Galaxy. Determined, Anakin left his bedroom balcony and headed to his office. He took a seat in the large chair behind his desk and opened up the Death Star Schematics on the holomonitor in front of him. The plans were indeed highly sophisticated in their complexity and design, and Anakin was unsure how long it would take him to review the plans in their entirety, let alone be able to find a weakness that the Alliance could exploit. But Anakin was determined to find something; anything that could help to destroy this menacing machine that threatened the future of the Galaxy, that threatened the future of his family. Anakin softly smiled at the memory of the encouraging words from his wife, as she had told him, "If anyone can find a weakness in that technological terror, it is you Ani." He tried not to linger on the thoughts of his wife, knowing they would distract him from the task at hand. He ran his mechanical hand through his hair as he started to examine the schematics.

After over an hour, Padmé rolled over in bed, her arm subconsciously reaching out for the strong form of her husband. She stirred awake when she found his presence to be absent from their bed. She furrowed her brow curiously as she got out of bed slowly. She grabbed a light shawl from the end of the bed and wrapped it around herself before leaving their bedchambers in search of her husband. A part of her was incredibly anxious that she would find her husband in the same state she found him in several nights ago, and she did not know if she had the strength to see him like that again. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she walked towards a light that was on further down the corridor.

Breaking his attention from his work, Anakin sensed his wife's presence, and looked up from the monitor as she slowly came to stand in the doorway. Padmé could not resist a soft sigh of relief as she saw him sat at the large desk. She remained standing there for several moments, her body framed beautifully by the purple silk nightgown she was wearing, and her chocolate curls hanged loosely around her shoulders, a little tousled from sleep.

"Ani, what are you doing awake at this hour?" she asked him softly as she walked towards the large desk. He could see the mixed expression of concern and relief on her face, having clearly been worried that she would find him again in a state of anguish as she had several nights ago.

"I couldn't sleep, so I thought I would do something productive and I have started to analyse the Death Star schematics looking for any weaknesses the Rebel Alliance could potentially exploit." He told her, not wanting to worry her by mentioning his nightmare.

Padmé took a moment to look down at the screen, seeing the myriad of numbers and lines that outlined the scale and danger of the space station. "Do you think it can be destroyed?" she asked him, her eyes fixed on the screen.

"I believe so, yes." He replied simply. "In my experience with machinery and mechanics, the bigger the machine, the bigger the weakness. With the Death Star, it is just a case of sifting through all of these comprehensive schematics to find something. But I will do it, angel. I will do it for you and our family." He told her softly, before pulling her onto his lap. She was immediately drawn to his body heat, the warmth from his bare chest comforting her.

Upon hearing his words, Padmé kissed her husband's cheek softly and ran a hand through his long blonde curls. "I know you will Ani. I am so proud of you. You are going to bring peace to the Galaxy." She told him, her doe brown eyes not leaving his. He wrapped his arms around her strongly, never wanting to let her go. He tried desperately just to focus on the warmth of her presence as the dream he had threatened to replay in his mind.

Not needing him to say it, Padmé continued to run her hand through his hair and said, "Are you going to tell me why you couldn't sleep Ani?"

Anakin looked at his wife, again amazed at her perception, and once again wondering whether she was force sensitive. "It's alright Angel, I'm fine." He told her softly, kissing her bare shoulder.

"Anakin. How long is it going to take for us to be honest with each other?" Padmé asked quietly, remembering back to when he first had his dream of her dying during the clone wars. "Did you have another dream?" she asked him.

Anakin sighed, knowing it was futile trying to lie to her. Trying to distract himself he moved his gloved hand up the side of her face and into her gorgeous curls, reminding himself of truly how beautiful she was.

"Ani." Padmé said again, knowing what her husband was doing.

"Yes," he conceded. "I had another dream."

"Tell me." she pleaded softly, warming his heart with the love in her eyes.

"I saw the Emperor. He was trying to take Luke and Leia away from us. He wanted to turn them into Sith's and get them to kill me. But he said he only needed two so … so he was going to kill you and our baby." He admitted, his head falling with his admission.

Padmé quickly moved her hand to his chin and lifted his head, so his eyes met hers. "Ani. This dream will not become real, I promise you. We have Luke and Leia so well protected, and before long the Emperor will be destroyed. You must promise me you will not let yourself be guided by this dream. I cannot lose you again, please." She said, her voice breaking slightly at the end, still fresh with emotion from recent events.

Anakin could feel the wave of fear and concern that washed over his wife. He took her hands in his and kissed them softly before saying, "I won't ever leave you again Padmé, I promise you. I know these dreams are not a prophecy of what is to come. I think it is the dark side of the force trying to manipulate me. But I will not succumb to it again my love. I have already lost you once, and I would die if it happened again." he confessed.

"Come back to bed, Ani." Padmé pleaded, knowing that right now he did not need to be sitting alone analysing schematics. Instead, just for tonight, Padmé wanted to feel her husband's arms around her and pretend that the fate of the Galaxy did not rest on his tired shoulders.

Anakin moved wordlessly and picked up his wife in his strong arms, as she wrapped her arms around his neck, and they returned to their chambers. Despite her best attempts to hide it with her "Senator face", Anakin could see the concern painted on his wife's face. He knew that recent events had deeply worried and upset her, and it pained him that there was little he could do to make her feel better. As they walked back to their chambers, Anakin tried to focus on Padmé's signature within the Force but was surprised to find that she felt closed off to him. He furrowed his brow in confusion, unable to understand why Padmé would close her mind off to him.

As he placed Padmé down gently, he could not hide the hurt in his voice when he said, "You're closing your mind off to me in the Force. I can feel it. Just as you did when I was Vader."

At his statement, Padmé turned to face him, half of her face shining in the moonlight. In her mind, she debated her response before replying unconvincingly, "I am not."

Anakin laughed weakly and replied, "How long is it going to take for us to be honest with each other?"

The irony in his question was almost too painful for Padmé. Tears glossed over her eyes as she said, "This is different Anakin. I am not lying to you."

"But you are hiding your feelings from me. I can tell." Anakin stated. "Padmé I used to be able to feel every inch of your presence within the Force. I knew how you felt. I felt your joy, I felt your passion, I felt your sadness." He paused for a moment and then added, "Now, I feel nothing."

Padmé pressed her soft lips together firmly, doing her best to compose herself. She remained standing away from her husband, the distance helping her find focus in her words. "I just … don't want to worry you. You have so many things to think about right now Anakin. I don't need my thoughts being one of those." She stated.

Anakin took a step towards his wife and said, "Padmé, there is and never will be anything more important to me than you and our children. If there is something wrong … if you are hiding something from me, please, I must know."

"Anakin, it doesn't matter. I'll be fine. Its just the hormones. Its nothing." Padmé answered, as she clasped her hands together in front of her.

At her statement Anakin clenched his gloved hand and replied coldly, "That's not true Padmé. It does matter. What are you hiding? Why are you shutting me out?" he asked, his voice raising with each word.

Padmé lifted her head at his tone, feeling the rising frustration within his voice. She swallowed hard, a tear escaping her eye unwillingly. She knew Anakin would never hurt her again, but it did not stop the pit she felt in her stomach, as she saw a flash of darkness in his eyes.

Seeing her reaction to his statement, Anakin sighed and ran his human hand through his blonde locks and said, "Padmé, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout. I'm … I'm just worried about you."

His soft plea was enough for Padmé's mental barriers to drop, as tears began to flow freely down her soft cheeks. "I'm frightened, Anakin. I am so scared of losing you." Her voice broke as she continued. "Over the last several days I have seen you close to death following the Emperor's inflictions, and I have watched the dark side nearly claim you again. I am terrified that I won't be enough to save you from falling. I am terrified that I will have to tell Luke and Leia that their father is gone, and that our new baby will never meet his father. I can't do it again, Anakin. I can't."

Anakin couldn't take her pain for a moment longer, and he reached his wife in three long strides and embraced her tightly and reassuringly. Padmé wrapped her arms around her husband, needing the comfort of his presence. He held her as her quivering body trembled with emotion. He did not say anything for a moment, but simply kept his arms wrapped tightly around her, as his chin rested on her head. He kissed her hair softly and pulled away ever so slightly so he could look into her eyes.

"Padmé, I am so sorry that I have upset you like this. I know I say this too much, but I have never meant to hurt you, ever. I am sorry that I have brought all this pain upon you. I know I am a complicated man, and that no one can understand the struggles I have faced in my life against the dark side. I know that choosing to be with me has brought you so much suffering, and I will never be able to repent for that. But Padmé, there is no Force in this Galaxy that is stronger than my love for you. What happened the other night, when the dark side tried to pull me back into its servitude proves that." Anakin told his wife, meaning every word as he looked deeply into her eyes.

He took her delicate hand in his human one and kissed the sparkling ring that resided on her finger. "I was given a second chance at destiny when you came back to me Padmé. It is a chance that I do not deserve, but that I have been given, nonetheless. But you, Padmé, my beautiful, kind, smart Angel deserve every happiness and I will spend every day I have left in this Galaxy trying to earn this chance I have been given. You deserve to be without any pain and suffering. You deserve to live a life of peace and happiness forever. You deserve a life without me. But for some reason, you have chosen me, above all others to be yours. And I swear to you, as I did when I married you, and when I presented you with this ring, that I will love and protect you forever. You will not lose me Padmé, I promise you."

Padmé moved her other hand up to her husband's cheek and caressed it softly. Anakin again focused on his wife's signature and felt her barriers crumbled before him. He was overwhelmed by the wave of fear and pain he felt emanate from her mind. She truly was terrified of losing him again, and it broke his heart to think how she had been suffering in silence with his mental torment; just as he had. Slowly, Anakin moved his head, and kissed the warm hand of his wife's that still laid on his cheek. He then moved his head down to meet hers, capturing her face in the gentlest of holds, before kissing her lips softly, the salt of their tears mixing with the loving exchange.

"There are not words to describe how much I love you Padmé. You and our children are my reason for existence. I promise I will not fall. I am Anakin Skywalker, I am yours." Anakin professed to his wife as their kiss broke.

"I just want this all to be over, Anakin." Padmé replied.

"It will be soon, Angel. Then our lives start. Just our family together, forever." Anakin stated softly, kissing her brow.

"Just as we always dreamed." Padmé whispered back, as she guided their hands down to her stomach.

Anakin smiled, for the first time being able to feel the slight roundness of his wife's stomach. "We are going to have our hands full with this one, I can just tell." He told her.

"It's that blasted Skywalker gene." Padmé replied, her eyes rolling mockingly.

"I don't think I'm entirely to blame. Some of the fire definitely comes from you." Anakin added with a wink.

Padmé returned the smile, the dewiness of her face from her tears starting to lessen. "I guess we could say it is both of our faults." She conceded.

"A politician taking partial responsibility for something. This is unprecedented, unheard of. How will you recover from such a concession, Milady?" Anakin teased.

"I'll need a Jedi's help." She responded sharply.

"I am at your service, Milady." Anakin replied, bowing as he spoke and kissing her hand softly.