Chapter 19 - Flight

DISCLAIMER: We (unfortunately) do not own Star Wars. :P

Author's Note: I don't exactly dislike Barriss, but I certainly don't like her either. Lol.

~ Amina Gila

Anakin waits for an answer for no more than thirty seconds before his limited patience evaporates. Reaching out with the Force, he throws the brunt force of his power against Barriss's mental shields, pushing his way through. She struggles desperately, trying to keep him out, but she is no match for his strength. Anakin can sense Obi-Wan's discomfort in the background, though it's something he brushes aside, focusing single-mindedly on his current task. He needs to know the truth. It's not as though he could leave Barriss alive anyways.

Digging into her mind, Anakin seeks out the most recent memories, searching for clues as to why she's here. She tries to keep him away from the answers he's seeking, but he still manages to pry pieces of the memory from her. Vaguely, he hears more than sees Sidious telling her to bring him Leia since he suspects she is Force sensitive. And how could the Emperor know that? It's not as though Bail would be careless. Why would he want Leia? As Anakin's replacement?

He pulls out of her mind, snapping her neck with but a thought. He cannot, under any circumstances, allow her to contact Sidious, not with his children's lives in serious danger. Exhaling, he lets the Dark Side slip between his fingers, its allure of power meaningless to him right now.

Obi-Wan is standing there patiently, glancing between Anakin and the dead body at his feet. "Well?" he says finally, obviously choosing to ignore what Anakin did to Barriss.

"She came for Leia," Anakin explains, feeling the desperation and panic clawing at him. "The Emperor thinks she's Force sensitive, and he wanted her."

Obi-Wan's eyes widen slightly in surprise, concern flickering across his face. "We have to tell Bail immediately," he decides, walking over to Anakin and, after a moment of hesitation, putting his hand on the other's shoulder. "It's not safe for Leia – or Luke – to remain here any longer. Sidious cannot become more suspicious that Bail is in anyway involved in rebel activity."

"I know," murmurs Anakin, feeling inexplicably grateful for the grounding that Obi-Wan is giving him. For the first time since he left Mustafar, he feels… different, better somehow. He feels as though he finally has found a purpose, something he can do with his life. He does trust Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, true, but he's hesitant to trust them entirely with protecting his children if he's not there to help.

"Do you have a plan?" queries Anakin as they walk quickly back to the palace.

"Somewhat," Obi-Wan admits, casting him a sideways look. "We'll have to leave, preferably tonight, and travel to planets in the Outer Rim where it's safe. We're not yet ready to take on Sidious, so protecting the twins is our top priority."

Anakin hums quietly but doesn't answer as he weighs all their options. He knows that not much will have changed in the Empire since he left – except that the rebel factions are getting bolder with his disappearance – so he can probably trust his memory to help them decide what to do.

When they arrive inside, immediately going towards the hall where the twins are staying, Luke and Leia are both awake, all but clinging to Ahsoka. The second they see him, they run towards him, hugging him desperately. Anakin can feel their fear and uncertainty, probably due not only to the attack, but also because they sensed him using the Dark Side. He feels a pang of regret for frightening them.

While he holds his children, an arm wrapped around both of them, Obi-Wan tells Ahsoka what happened. He's still talking when Bail and Breha hurry into the hall, worry etched onto their faces as they take in the scene. Anakin presumes they must have been informed by one of the guards who saw the duel.

"What happened?" Bail demands, voice rushed.

Obi-Wan turns to him as Leia rushes to fling her arms around Breha. Anakin can't help but feel a sharp stabbing pain. It's his fault that Padme isn't here to raise their children, and the familiar aching, loss fills him. When Obi-Wan finishes explaining, everyone looks grave.

"You need to leave," Bail murmurs quietly, regret flashing across his face. "If you leave tonight, I can spread news tomorrow that Leia has been kidnapped and start a search for her. The Emperor won't suspect anything, I'm sure."

"It's hard to tell," Anakin interjects, holding Luke tightly, "But over time, he will almost certainly suspect that something is amiss."

"We'll keep them safe," Ahsoka promises.

"I don't like it, but you're right," Breha acknowledges softly. "You need to prepare to leave. Do you know where the shuttle she arrived in is located?"

Anakin nods brusquely. "Then, it's settled," declares Bail. "You should leave within a couple hours. I'll give you credits for your journey, and a commlink so we can keep in contact in the event of an emergency."

He leads Obi-Wan down the hall, while Breha takes Leia back to her bedroom. By mutual agreement, Anakin and Ahsoka accompany Luke while he gathers his possessions. The future is clouded and uncertain, and Anakin realizes that he feels… afraid. He doesn't know what will happen. He doesn't know where their path will take them. He doesn't know if they'll still be alive when this is all over, when the Emperor is finally dead.

"You seem troubled," Ahsoka states quietly as they stand inside the doorway to Luke's bedroom, watching while he closes his bags. He didn't bring too much with him in the first place, and he'd never fully unpacked.

Anakin huffs out a breath, tilting his head to look at her. "I miss Padme," he whispers so quietly that he's not sure if Ahsoka hears him, which is actually stupid because her hearing is excellent, being a Togruta and all. She doesn't say anything, only wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly. He's still for a long moment before embracing her in return, holding his sister as he silently grieves for his wife.

All too soon, the moment is broken when Luke looks expectantly up at them, ready to leave. "Come, son," Anakin instructs, lifting his son's bags in his left hand. They're not at all heavy which is no surprise.

The atmosphere is solemn as they file into the hallway in time to see Breha emerge into the hall with Leia behind her. Anakin studies his daughter, realizing how fearful she looks. This is probably her first time leaving the palace without either of her adopted parents or anyone she's known her whole life. He suppresses his envy for her sake, giving her a gentle smile.

"Are you ready to leave?" queries Bail, rounding the corner with Obi-Wan. He looks around before nodding soberly. "Come." He takes his wife's arm, and they walk in a subdued silence down the hallway.

After a moment, Anakin passes Luke's bags to Obi-Wan – Ahsoka has Leia's – reaching down to take his children's hands. Should anyone try to hurt them, they'll have to go through him first. It's not long before they reach the platform where a speeder is parked to take them to where Offee arrived in her shuttle. They'll take it to a nearby system before dumping it and finding another means of transportation.

Breha hugs Leia and Luke before turning to Anakin. "I know you'll take care of them," she says simply. "Stay safe. All of you."

Anakin smirks slightly. "Is that an order, your Majesty?" he asks teasingly, pleased to see the hint of a smile on the queen's face.

"What do you think?" she fires back with an equally quick wit.

"We'll do our best," Obi-Wan assures her and Bail as Anakin helps the twins get into the speeder. He glances back at the royal couple before joining his children, sitting between them. He wanted to raise Leia, true, but not like this. Even so, part of him, a part he won't admit to having, is selfishly glad that they have to leave. It's a Sith way of thinking, and he's not a Sith anymore, so he'll do everything in his power to crush those selfish feelings. He's made enough mistakes for a lifetime.

As Obi-Wan and Ahsoka settle into the speeder, the pilot flies it away from the palace towards the small hanger bay in the capital where Offee left her shuttle. They get there in about ten minutes, and the group boards the ship, Anakin keeping his senses attuned for any possible danger. He senses nothing, not as the ramp closes and nor when he fires up the engines and takes off from Alderaan.

He sets course for a nearby populated system where they'll be able to dump the shuttle and disappear, eventually leaving that planet for another. At the moment, they don't have any particular destination in mind, but Anakin is thinking of going to the Outer Rim, to some planet with which the Empire shouldn't bother.

After they make the jump to hyperspace, Anakin goes to check on the others. The twins are leaning against one another in the main hold, Ahsoka and Obi-Wan sitting silently on the side. Anakin can't help the smile when he looks at his children, gaze lingering on them for a long moment.

"I'm going to see if I can't find any transmissions," he says in a low voice. They nod, and he goes back to the cockpit. He should rest, but he's not tired and working with his hands has always been soothing. He can rest later when they're safe.