"I didn't come here to warn him, Senator," she inhaled. "I came here to kill him."
Padmé froze. Surely she must not have heard that correctly. Surely she didn't mean… Her face paled as she realized that the woman in front of her was dead serious. She knew the look in her daughter's eyes. It was the same determined look that she recognized in Anakin.
"You… What?" she asked, eyes wide and pleading, hoping that she had indeed heard her wrong.
"I came here to kill him," was her simple response. "After the Rebellions defeat and my brother's death… The galaxy was consumed by darkness," she hadn't moved a muscle since her revelation, her body rigid and tense. "I knew I couldn't save it. No matter how hard I tried. Even though Palpatine was dead, his legacy still lived on… As did your husband's."
"I don't understand," breathed Padmé, pupils blown and hands clammy. "What are you talking about? What could killing Anakin possibly accomplish—"
"Everything," was her ice-cold response. "Anakin Skywalker's death would change the entire future for the better."
"How?" Padmé demanded. It just wasn't adding up. How could her husband's death prevent the future that this woman had described?
The woman shook her head, "you have no idea what your husband is capable of… The darkness inside of him. It's only a matter of time before it consumes him. And when it does, the rest of us will be left to pick up the pieces."
"What are you talking about?" she cried, frustrated tears pouring down her cheeks. "What darkness?"
Her eyes narrowed. "You know what he did to the Sand people after his mother was killed. How he slaughtered every man, woman, and child in that village. Innocent or not."
The woman stepped closer until they were only a few inches apart, yellow eyes meeting glassy brown ones as Padmé took an involuntary step back, her hand bracing against the wall as she felt her legs begin to shake.
"When Palpatine issued Order 66," she continued, still closing in on a cornered Padmé. "There was a Jedi who betrayed the Order. He was the one who led the Clones into the Temple. The one who slaughtered his fellow Jedi for the promise of more power. That Jedi was your husband," she spat.
"No," Padmé choked. "You're wrong. Ani would never do something like that. He would never—"
"Never what?" the woman's eyes darkened. "He would never slaughter innocent younglings? Never murder his own fellow Jedi if it meant saving your life? Never torture his daughter and then force her to watch as her homeworld was destroyed by the Empire? Never cut off his own son's hand?" she sneered as Padmé covered her mouth in horror.
"Oh and that's only the beginning," she continued. "I was there when your precious Ani," she said mockingly, "murdered his own Master."
"Obi-Wan?" whispered Padmé, eyes wide as saucers as the woman nodded. "He…" her stomach churned and rolled. "He killed Obi-Wan?"
"Him and so many others," said the woman before adding; "but they aren't the reason I'm here. I'm here because my brother— my twin brother is dead because of your husband. Not to mention the man that I loved," her voice was beginning to crack. "They're gone because of him. The two people I loved most in this galaxy."
"So this is about revenge?" Padmé could hardly believe what she was hearing. The woman had turned her back on her, but she could see that her shoulders were starting to sink.
It was about revenge. That's what this was all about.
Padmé felt sick.
"No," she said firmly, turning back around so that she could face the former Queen. Her denial only served to confirm what Padmé already knew, but judging from the vitriol on the woman's face, she wasn't about to back down. "This has nothing to do with revenge. This is about saving the galaxy. Don't you see that this is the only way that the galaxy can ever be whole again?"
"Whole again?" cried Padmé, jumping up from her seat. "You think this is whole? Killing your father in cold blood?"
"He's not my father!" she snapped, eyes blazing. "My father— my true father," she inhaled sharply, "was Bail Organa who was murdered by the Empire while your husband forced me to watch. That monster," she spat, "was never my father nor will he ever be if this goes according to plan."
Padmé was shaking her head, her hands coming to rest on either side of her head as she closed her eyes in an attempt to drown it all out. She wasn't sure what to think or feel, or how to even respond to something like that. It was too much. All of it. Too much…
If this wasn't about revenge, then what—?
Nor will he ever be if this goes according to plan...
Her eyes snapped open with sudden horror, realization dawning as she felt her body freeze and then shudder.
No, no, no
"You… You're trying to erase yourself from the timeline, aren't you?" she dared to ask. "You and—" she swallowed, "you and your brother."
Her silence was answer enough.
"Don't look at me like that."
"You're so full of hate," said Padmé, lips pulled into a sad frown. She probably looked as lost as she felt as she watched her daughter's mouth twitch in the light of the controls. "And so much pain."
"Please stop."
"I'm sorry," Padmé continued. "For whatever happened to you… For all the things that will happen," she took a deep breath. "This is not what—" she had been about to say Anakin and her, but she decided against that very quickly, "this is not what I would have wanted for you."
"You've been dead for twenty-eight years," she said, her voice hoarse and dry. "Your wants and desires died with you, Senator."
Padmé closed her eyes as the heaviness between the two of them grew and grew. There was so much that she wanted to say, but the words never left her tongue as she watched her daughter take the ship out of hyperdrive.
"Where are we?" asked the Senator as she stared down at the green world below them. She doesn't recognize it— not that she was expecting to.
"Endor," said the woman, face tight and lips pursed. "I know it may not look like much, but in my time this where the battle for the future of the galaxy was fought." There was a moment before she added; "this is where I lost everything. Han… My brother."
At that, her eyes darkened once more as Padmé swallowed.
"Rebellions are supposed to be built on hope," she stared down at the moon with distant eyes. "This is where that hope died."
"You don't have to do this," Padmé shook her head, face wrinkling and eyes pleading. "We can find another way. There's still hope—"
"There isn't any other way," she continued, eyes darkening. "This is the only way."
"No," Padmé shook her head. "I don't believe that. You're talking about murdering my husband… The man I love!" tears poured down her cheeks. "Please, don't do this. I— I can't lose him."
Mournfully, and with shadowed eyes, her daughter turned to face her. "You already have," and then; "you just don't see it yet. Anakin Skywalker was lost the moment Palpatine set his sights on him," she shook her head. "Now, it's only a matter of time."
Padmé didn't say anything as she continued.
"And at least this way you'll get to live," the smile that graced her lips was sad, not quite reaching her eyes. "You and Han," her voice cracked. "You and so many others. You'll all get to live."
But at what cost?
"Surely you don't think that killing Anakin will be enough to save us," asked Padmé, pointing out the very obvious flaw in her daughter's plan. The foundation had already been laid. Anakin's death wouldn't change anything so long as Palpatine continued his rise to power.
"Of course not," she shook her head. "I know that Anakin's death alone won't stop what's already been put into motion," she took a deep breath. "The only way to do that is to rid the galaxy of the Sith entirely. Palpatine, Dooku…That's why when I'm done with your husband, I'll go after them as well."
She made it sound so simple… So easy.
"You—" Padmé's mouth twisted, bitterly. "You really believe that you're doing the right thing, don't you? That this is just going to fix everything."
"Not everything," she closed her eyes. "But most of it, yes."
"And then what?" asked Padmé, hollow. "After you've destroyed our family and erased you and your brother from the timeline… What then?"
She turned to look at her mother with tired brown eyes that spoke of sorrows incomprehensible. And Padmé realized at that moment how broken the woman in front of her was.
"Then I can finally be with my brother again."
Endor stared up at him mockingly through the observation window as Anakin crossed his arms over his chest, doing his best to drown out the noise and emotions of everyone else on the bridge. The Force was thick with apprehension as well as tension— not just from the dark presence that was emanating from the moon below but also from the crew.
"Are you sure you don't want me to accompany you?" Obi-Wan asked, strolling over to the viewport so that he too could inspect the insignificant moon. "It might be good if we faced her together… As a team."
"Thanks for the offer," Anakin inclined his head. "But I don't think she'd like that. She was very explicit in her instructions."
"And you trust her?" asked Obi-Wan, skeptical.
"Do you?" Anakin snorted sardonically as Obi-Wan stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"That begs the question," Obi-Wan sent a furtive glance back towards the viewport. "Can we trust her information?"
Anakin put his hands on his hips, his shoulders tensing and untensing as he stared up at the star chart. "I don't know," he said finally before adding; "I want to believe she was telling the truth, but if that's the case… Then why share it with me? And why kidnap Padmé to do it?"
No. She definitely had ulterior motives. But what those motives were remained a mystery.
"To get our attention?" Obi-Wan offered as Anakin shook his head, dismissing the possibility completely.
"She could have told any Jedi. It didn't have to be me," he said, fists clenching in frustration. "What are her motives? What is she trying to accomplish?"
"Your guess is as good as mine," said Obi-Wan before adding; "I just know that I don't like this. The Force is clouded… I can't sense anything."
Which was true. Beyond the black hole that was the Sith's presence, the Force seemed to be… Stagnant. Anakin didn't know how else to explain it, or if he even could. It was strangely odd and eerie at the same time. He didn't like it either.
"Sir," came Rex's voice, interrupting their conversation as he strolled over to them. "We are done making preparations and are ready to leave whenever you are."
"Have you located her ship yet?" asked Anakin as he nodded.
"Our scans picked up a ship in the Campalan Mountain Range," he said before adding; "a Corellian freighter."
"Great," replied Anakin tersely. "Let's hope she's in a friendly mood to receive company."
Endor was green. For as far as the eye could see there was nothing but vast forests and mountains that sloped gently against the horizon. Relatively untouched by humans, Anakin could see why this place was a designated sanctuary.
"I guess this is it," said Anakin as soon as the Clones had finished setting up the perimeter. His nerves by then had been shot, but his determination was unwavering— as well as his conviction to save his wife. Beside him, he could sense that Obi-Wan was equally as apprehensive, but he too was prepared. "Any advice?"
"Yes, be careful of the Natives," said Obi-Wan before adding; "they may be diminutive in stature and appearance, but I hear they have a taste for human flesh."
"I meant about the Sith," said Anakin as Obi-Wan blinked.
"Oh, right," he patted Anakin's shoulder. "Don't die."
"Thanks for the words of encouragement," said Anakin sarcastically before adding; "you always know just what to say."
"I try my best," Obi-Wan hummed. "Rex, Cody, and I will stay back. We'll wait for your signal. If we don't hear from you—"
"Assume I'm dead and send in the cavalry," said Anakin as Obi-Wan nodded. "And if I really am dead, avenge me."
"Revenge is not the Jedi way," replied Obi-Wan as Anakin rolled his eyes.
"Right," was his dry response. "How could I forget."
He turned to look out at the trees, tall and foreboding. Even there, he could feel the darkness seeping into the very air— like a wound that was festering. Not even Dooku, in all of his sinister ambition and lust for power, felt quite like this… A fact that both surprised and terrified him.
"You shouldn't keep her waiting," said Obi-Wan before adding; "the Sith are not known for their patience."
Neither was Anakin if they were being frank.
He went to leave, looking back at Obi-Wan once more out of habit as the older Jedi placed a hand on his shoulder. "I would wish you good luck, but—"
"There's no such thing," finished Anakin. "At least, according to you, there isn't."
"Right," was Obi-Wan's dry response as he patted his shoulder. "May the Force be with you, Anakin," he said as his eyes scanned the trees, feeling the overwhelming darkness that seeped out of them with a barely contained shudder. "I have a feeling you'll be needing it."