"Kriff," muttered Anakin as he felt his shoes sink into the sloshy ground, caking his boots in fresh mud. He would need to clean them off before leaving or they were going to make a mess all over the freshly cleaned ship— a mess that Obi-Wan would make him clean up seeing as the cleaning droids were currently out of commission thanks to an incident earlier that week (that hadn't been his fault no matter how much Obi-Wan tried to blame him).

It should've been the last thing on his mind, but the prospect of having to scrub the mud off the floor under the guise of a disapproving Obi-Wan made him even more irritated with the Sith than he had been before.

This is why when he finally did reach the clearing where she was waiting for him, he didn't bother with pleasantries.

"Where is she?" he demanded, his voice echoing through the trees at a heightened volume that surprised even him. He glowered at her as he came to a stop a good ten paces away, close enough so that he could see her features under the clouded light but far enough so that he could act quickly in case she tried anything.

He watched as she cocked her head, her yellow eyes sparking with mild interest as she took in his appearance.

"I thought we had a deal," she said, at last, her voice smooth and controlled. "You were supposed to come alone."

Anakin took a moment to gesture dramatically around them. "I came here alone. Just like you asked."

"Really?" she raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Then how come I can sense Kenobi from here?"

"You said I had to meet you alone," he countered. "You didn't say anything about having backup."

There was a moment of silence as she regarded him, her expression unreadable. He shifted his weight, trying not to squirm under the weight of her yellow stare.

"What?" he said finally. "You thought I would actually come here alone?" he scoffed.

She raised an eyebrow at his bravado before shaking her head. "No," she agreed. "I had a feeling you might be… Difficult. You always were."

He narrowed his eyes at her odd remark but didn't comment on it as he took a moment to properly look at her. She was dressed head to toe in black utilitarian robes that were similar to his own, but also admittedly fancier than what Anakin usually wore. It contrasted with the bright, red cape that flowed behind her in the gentle Endorian breeze. Her lightsaber hung from her belt, but she made no move to grab it.

"What?" she asked, giving him as much bravado as he had earlier. "Never seen a Sith before?"

He had. More times than the Jedi had ever once thought possible.

"Oh, I've met one or two," he said before cockily adding; "but I have to say, I think you're the shortest one to date."

If Obi-Wan were here, he would highly disapprove of Anakin's goading of a Sith, but he just couldn't help himself. She was so tiny… She barely reached his shoulder.

Obi-Wan had been right. The locals were diminutive in both appearance and stature.

She tilted her head at that, "is that the best you can do, Skywalker? Mock my height? Surely you know better than to underestimate your enemy."

Not at all. Despite being vertically challenged, Anakin knew she was dangerous. This was the woman who had breached the Senate in broad daylight and had kidnapped his wife without so much as breaking a sweat. This was the woman who had murdered Typho and several Clones without thought or remorse. Anakin would be a fool to underestimate her and he knew it.

"Is that what we are?" he grabbed his lightsaber, but he didn't ignite it just yet. "Enemies?"

It was a question that didn't need answering— he knew without a doubt what she was to him and vice versa. He just wished he knew where she had come from and what her motives were.

She smirked, "what else could we be?" she asked, her words carrying a strange weight behind them as the Force around them swelled with anticipation.

"I won't ask again," he narrowed his eyes at her, his hand curling tightly around his lightsaber. "Where is my wife?"

"On my ship," said the Sith before adding; "handcuffed, of course. For her own safety."

"How thoughtful of you," he sneered. "Now, let her go."

"I'm afraid I can't do that just yet," she said, sounding almost regretful. "I can't have her interfering with what I'm about to do."

"And what's that?" he demanded, using his General voice. If he was irritated before, it didn't amount to the level of frustration and anger he was feeling when she didn't respond, leaving his question unanswered.

With a snap and hiss, he ignited his lightsaber. It may not have been the Jedi way, but at that point, Anakin could hardly find it in him to care. He was tired and cranky. And all he wanted at that point was to get his wife, kill this Sith, and get back to the War. Every moment he spent away from the front was more time the Separatists had to regain the lead. His Clones were dying. His fellow Jedi were dying. He didn't have time to play Sith games.

He gave her a wary look as he stepped closer. He was expecting her to ignite her own lightsaber, but she still made no move for it. Instead, she stared at his— a pained expression crossing her features.

"My brother's lightsaber looked just like yours," she said before adding. "His was blue as well."

Anakin was taken aback. "Your brother's a Jedi?"

"Was," she corrected him, eyes snapping back towards his own as they flashed with anger and hatred. "This is where he died. In orbit around this very moon."

Anakin frowned at that odd bit of information, but he kept his saber trained on her. "Sorry to hear that," there wasn't any empathy in his voice as he remained neutral. "That must've been difficult for you."

"It was," her eyes narrowed. "That lightsaber… I'll be taking it," she said before adding; "after I kill you, of course. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," was his sardonic response. "I just hope you don't mind having to pry it out of my cold, dead hands."

At that, a feral smile crossed her lips, clearly excited at the prospect to come as she reached up and unclipped her cape before tossing it aside, her hand reaching for her saber.

"Fine," she said, igniting her crimson red blade before adding. "So be it."

There was a moment of silence as their blades hummed, the only sound that Anakin could hear in the forest save for his own breath.

In and out. In and out.

Her blade rushed at him, arcing through the air before clashing with his own blue one. He used his brute strength to push her back, swiping at her as she sidestepped out of his reach. He rushed her, the Force powering his steps as she held her blade up defensively.

"How do you know of my marriage?" he asked through gritted teeth, their sabers locked. Anakin knew that she was at a disadvantage when it came to strength, and he could tell that she was having a hard time holding him off as he increased the pressure behind his blade.

Her arms were shaking under his weight, her brow wrinkled in consternation. "I have my ways."

She pushed herself back and out of the way of his blade. Taking a few steps back, she twirled her blade in her hand before moving back into a recognized stance, her eyes trained on him.

Without warning, she Force jumped towards him, her blade raised for the kill as Anakin blocked her attack. It continued like this for quite some time, both of them finding themselves evenly matched as they struggled to gain the upper hand.

This was not what Anakin had been expecting when he had studied the holo-footage from the Senate. Her technique was good, but what surprised him most was her brute strength in the Force as well as the visceral emotion behind every swing and block.

He was not dueling just an average Sith with unknown motives. He was dueling someone who stood to lose everything, and he knew it.

Which made this fight even more deadly than he had originally anticipated.

She didn't even look winded as she threw herself back just in time to avoid one of his strikes as if she somehow knew from experience that he was going to try and cut off her saber hand.

If she hadn't been as quick as she was, her hand would've been gone by now.

"You always were fond of that little trick," she commented before adding; "good thing I know all your moves, Skywalker."

Anakin didn't have any time to register her words before she brought her blade down on him again, this time swiping at him at such fast intervals that Anakin had barely any time to block them as she drove him back.

Distantly, he could hear someone screaming, but he drowned it out as he focused all of his attention on holding the woman off.

"STOP!" screamed a familiar voice as Anakin came to a grinding halt, his lightsaber stopping in mid-air as he felt a powerful wave of emotion through the Force. It was so powerful and overwhelming; he couldn't help but stagger back in surprise and confusion.

What was—?

His eyes met a pair of achingly familiar brown ones, wide with unbridled fear.

"Padmé?"

How had it come to this?

Anakin and their daughter were fighting— and from what Padmé could see from the cockpit where she had been cuffed, neither one was holding back. Blue against red… Light against dark.

Her husband had freely walked in a trap put in place by their future daughter, who was also a Sith, which by itself was a terrifying thought, but it paled in comparison to what now hung in the balance.

Bile crept into her mouth. If she hadn't been as determined as she was, she might've vomited from the sheer weight of it all. But Padmé Amidala Naberrie Skywalker was made of thicker stuff than that. She needed to stay calm… She needed to think.

And most of all she needed to do something before one of them killed the other.

Despite most of her hairpins having fallen out during the course of the last twelve hours, Padmé had managed to save one in the sleeve of her burgundy dress just in case something like this happened. However, considering that both of her hands were cuffed to the piping above her, getting that hairpin was going to take time.

Time she didn't have.

"Padmé?"

Was that—?

"Obi-Wan?" she called, listening to the sound of approaching footsteps. Her heart leaped with joy as soon as he made his way into the cockpit along with Cody. "Obi-Wan!"

"Are you hurt?" was the first question out of his mouth as he quickly assessed the scene. He ignited his lightsaber and swiftly cut open the restraints, freeing her from her spot as he reached out to steady her.

"No," she rubbed her wrists. "She didn't hurt me."

He nodded, "come on then. We need to get you out of here and I need to go help—"

She brushed past him, not listening to him.

"Padmé?" he chased after her, bewildered. "What— where are you going?"

"To stop them," she said, looking desperately around the lounge for any sign of her blaster— it had to be here, somewhere.

"You can't."

"Like hell I am," she snarled as Obi-Wan grabbed her by the arm.

"Are you crazy?" his grip on her was tight and his voice was nothing short of authoritarian. "You can't fight a Sith, Senator. You don't even have a weapon!"

Padmé felt her eyes narrow. "I don't need one."

Obi-Wan frowned, but his frown soon turned into shock as she twisted around before punching him square in the face— not hard enough to break bone, but hard enough that he staggered back in surprise, letting go of her arm while a stunned Cody watched.

Padmé tore out of the ship, her feet carrying her to where her husband and daughter were still fighting.

"Senator!" Cody and Obi-Wan were hot in her heels, but she hardly heard them.

"Stop!"

They continued fighting.

"STOP!"

At the force behind her voice, they both halted to a grinding stop— lightsabers still in the air as they turned to look at her. She was out of breath and panting, but that didn't stop her from meeting her husband's bewildered gaze.

"Padmé?" he blinked, looked back at Obi-Wan and Cody, then back at her again. "What—"

Padmé didn't have any time to react. It all happened so fast. One moment Anakin had been looking at her and the next the hand that was holding his lightsaber was gone.

A well-aimed blaster shot ripped through the air as her daughter fell to the ground.

Anakin staggered back, his mechanical stump sparking as he stared down at the woman with eyes as wide as saucers as Padmé felt her stomach drop. She didn't know how long she stood there before she was running towards her daughter.

"No," she gasped. "No, wait— please—"

Her daughter shuddered in her arms, writhing and in pain… But alive.

She was alive. She was alive and so was Anakin and— and there are no words to describe to the relief that flooded her body. Her daughter let out a small groan, her eyes fluttering as she tightens her grip on her. Until now, Padmé had never known what it felt like to be maternal, but the feeling was instinctual as she cradled her injured child.

"Padmé?" came Anakin's strangled voice.

She didn't acknowledge him.

"Are you okay?"

Her daughter didn't respond as her body began to shake, a sob escaping her mouth. Distantly, Padmé could feel everyone's stupefied eyes on them, watching them. She could see Rex making his way out from the trees where he had been hiding, a blaster in hand as he kept a wary gaze on the two of them, ready to shoot again if need be. But she didn't care as she held onto her crying child.

"I know," she said, eyes stinging. "I know."

Her daughter was in so much pain. She could feel it as if it were her own— pressing down on her and crushing her beneath its weight.

What happened to you? She wanted to ask, chest clenching as she reached up to cradle her daughter's head, her hair smooth and silky between her fingers.

"Just let it go," she encouraged. "Let it go."

Let it all go. Whatever it is that you've been holding onto for so long… Let it go. Be here.

"I can't," her daughter gasped. "I— It's all I have left."

"No, it's not," said Padmé, reassuringly. "You have us. You have me, and you have Anakin—"

"Excuse me?" was Anakin's choked response. "What are you talking about, Padmé? What's going on here? Who—"

"It— It was supposed to be simple," her daughter hiccupped. "It was supposed to be—"

"It was never going to work. Not like you thought it would."

Her daughter shook her head, "it would've… It still could."

"No," Padmé closed her eyes, her hand brushing against her belly— against her secret. She took a deep breath and braced herself. "It wouldn't have worked because I am already pregnant."

It was strange how those words carried the weight needed to grab her daughter's attention. Padmé could see it in her eyes— the way that everything just seemed to fall apart at one simple word.

"Pregnant," she tested the word, still blinking.

"Yes," Padmé nodded, taking a moment to glance at Anakin, her chest clenching at the lost and confused look in his eyes. She had wanted nothing more in the galaxy than to share this moment with him… This was supposed to be theirs. This right here.

But now it belonged to her and her daughter. She will have her time with Anakin later. Right now, her daughter needed her more.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she breathed. "All this time—"

"Because you were so adamant," she said, blinking through the tears; "and I didn't know how to tell you."

Didn't know if it would change anything. If that would've been enough to stop her from killing Anakin. Now, Padmé will never know.

"Leia—" she breathed as the woman's eyes widened. "That's your name, right? Leia," the name was spoken with reverence. The name that she and Anakin had decided on when children were nothing more than a distant but shared dream between the two of them… When they had held each other and imagined a future together with no war, no Jedi, and no politics.

She nodded, albeit weakly. "It was."

"Leia, you can't kill your father," she said before adding; "you can't erase yourself from the timeline. We will find another way to fix this. Together."

"Would someone please tell me what's going on?" asked Anakin, eyes wide and desperate as he looked between Padmé and Leia, not understanding.

At that, Leia rolled her rid-rimmed eyes. "Are you really that dense, Skywalker? You need someone to explain it to you?"

"Explain what?"

"Anakin," Padmé breathed. "Leia is… Ours," it felt so good to say the words aloud, finally. She sucked in another breath, bracing herself. "She's our daughter from the future."

AN: Anyone wonder what Anakin's response to this will be? XD

Thanks for reading :)