Chapter 18

Naboo

"Good morning, Milady," Dormé said as she entered the kitchen. "You're up awfully early."

"I couldn't sleep," Padmé said as she made herself a cup of tea.

Dormé frowned. "I'm sorry," she said as she started to make breakfast. "I know how worried you are about Anakin."

Padmé's eyes filled with tears. "Oh Dormé, it's so much worse than that," she said.

Dormé stopped what she was doing and turned to her friend at once. "Oh God, you've had news, haven't you?"

"Yes, but not what you're thinking," Padmé said. "I heard from my lawyer last night. The divorce is final. I'm not longer married to Anakin."
Dormé stared at her for a moment, not understanding. "Divorce? What are you talking about?"

Realizing that Dormé did not know what had transpired months earlier, Padmé told her the whole sad story. Dormé listened in silent shock, not knowing how to respond.

"So you did want a divorce, but now you don't?" Dormé asked. "Is that what you're saying?"

Padmé nodded tearfully.

"I know you, Padmé," Dormé said. "I know you didn't come to that decision easily. Are you sure that isn't what you want? I know things have been good with Anakin recently, but really, how much have you seen him? Are you so sure that he's changed to much since that night when he attacked Clovis?"

Padmé remained silent, Dormé's questions giving her pause. The decision had been difficult, it had torn her apart. It wasn't a decision she'd made lightly; Anakin had changed. He'd become mistrustful, unpredictable and volatile. She had been genuinely afraid watching hm beat Clovis senseless. But then she remembered the tenderness with which he'd held Luke and Leia, the joy she'd felt being in his arms, the passion they'd shared. So who was he? None of this mattered in Padmé's mind and heart. She loved Anakin. Period.

"I know I must seem…capricious," she said at last. "But the bottom line is, I love him, Dormé. This period of forced separation has only made me realize that I can't live without him. I need him. I want him. And now…" she stopped as the tears filled her eyes again.

Dormé considered this, knowing that Padmé was not a woman given to whims. It was clear that she deeply loved Anakin; and now that they had children, needed him more than ever.

"Is there a way to …reverse this?" she asked. "It's not likely that Anakin even knows, is it? If he's in hiding. Perhaps it can be, I don't know the legal jargon, cancelled?"

"I…I don't know," Padmé said. "I suppose I could ask."

"What have you got to lose?" Dormé asked.

"Not a thing," Padmé replied. "Thank you, Dormé. You've given me hope."

Coruscant

Rex sat in the vestibule outside of the chancellor's office, waiting to be admitted. He had dispatched the clones of the 501st, as well as those who'd been on Kamino, to all corners of the galaxy. It would be months before they'd reached every commander, and even then, no guarantee that they'd be listened to. Perhaps the only one who could negate Order 66 was Palpatine himself. What then? What a bloody nightmare, Rex thought with a frown. Even though he'd not killed a single Jedi, Rex could not help but feel ashamed. Although a clone, Rex was a unique individual, who had a strong sense of honour. To think that his brothers had committed such atrocities ate away at him.

"Commander, the Chancellor will see you now."

Rex stood up at once. "Thanks," he said, and headed in to talk to Bail Organa.

"Good morning, Rex," Organa said. "What news?"

"Good morning," Rex said, taking a seat. "The Kaminoan scientists were no help," he said. "According to the data, there's no easy way to pull the plug."

Organa frowned. "I was afraid that would be the case," he said. "Our operatives?"

"They're alive," Rex said. "Gone into hiding. I've dispatched the 501st plus another loyal 400 clones to reach out to the commanders who haven't checked in yet. It's the only way."

Organa nodded. "Yes, I know."

"Hopefully they have an easy job of it. Dr. Se told us that once the order is given from the Chancellor to stop, they stop. But our operatives didn't want to rely on that, and I get it."

"It would be foolish to do so," Organa responded. "Our estimates are that 90 percent of the Jedi are dead. That only leaves, what…maybe 100 left?"

"Something like that, yeah," Rex agreed. "Too few to take any chances."

"Exactly." Organa sighed. "Well, let's hope we can get things back to some semblance of order before too long. The Jedi can rebuild, we just need to ensure that there are enough of them left to do so."

"I'll make sure of it, sir," Rex said. "I have a personal stake in this. You have my word that not a clone in the galaxy will be left unvetted."

Organa smiled. "I have no doubt at all you will make it so, Rex."

Naboo

"Good morning, Senator Amidala, what can I do for you?" asked Lizza Mann, attorney at law.

"Good morning," Padmé said. "I have a rather...unusual request to make."

The lawyer lifted her eyebrows. "Oh? And what is that? How can I help you?"

"I want my divorce revoked," Padmé said. "Or reversed, or whatever the legal term is. It was a mistake, and I want to rectify it. Is it possible?"

"I'm afraid not, Senator," Lizza replied. "Upon the Decree Absolute being pronounced, the marriage is legally dissolved. It is extremely difficult to have a Decree Absolute set aside once it has been pronounced."

"How difficult?" Padmé asked, grasping at straws. "Is it possible?"

"It is only possible for a Decree Absolute to be set aside if it has been fraudulently obtained or obtained through perjury, mistake or due to a non-disclosure," Mann explained. "And none of this can be applied to your divorce, Senator. It was uncontested, and proceeded without issues of any kind. I'm very sorry."

"I see," Padmé replied, crestfallen. "Tell me, has my husband…Anakin been told yet?"

"He was messaged at the same time you were," Mann replied. "I'm not sure he if he has seen the message, I have no way of knowing that. But he has been notified."

Padmé nodded. "Thank you," she said, and ended the transmission. She turned to Dormé, who simply held her friend in her arms as she cried.

Florrum

Ahsoka had already grown tired of the pirates' sexist comments and jokes, and had been tempted more than once to introduce them to the business end of her lightsaber. And yet, they needed Hondo and his men; they had helped when no one else would, and had given them safe haven. So Ahsoka put up with the uncouth mob.

"Need some help?" Ahsoka said as she found Anakin in one of the large hangars. He was, of course, working on a ship. She had known her one time master long enough to know that this was how he dealt with stress.

Anakin looked up from what he was doing. "Uh, sure," he said. "Hand me that spanner, would you?"

Ahsoka handed him the tool and watched him for a few moments. "You okay?" she asked him finally.

Anakin frowned, but didn't respond immediately. "Not really," he said finally, not stopping what he was doing. "How can any of us be?"

"Yeah, you're right," she said. "But you have more reason than the rest of us, Anakin. You have a family."

Anakin's frown deepened. "I guess you haven't heard," he said, the bitterness clear in his voice.

"Heard what?" she asked.

Anakin said nothing for a moment, and then, finally, stopped what he was doing. He picked up a rag and started wiping his hands as he looked at her. "Padmé has divorced me."

Ahsoka stared at hm in disbelief. It had been tremendously shocking to her to learn that her master had been married during the Clone Wars, all the time she had been his apprentice. Undoubtedly the love they shared was powerful for them to take such risks given all the roadblocks that prohibited such a union. And now they had twins together; so why had Padmé ended it?

"I…I'm sorry," she stammered. "But I don't understand. Why would she do such a thing?"

Anakin's frowned deepened as he tossed the rag aside. "You got me," he said.

"Surely you must know something about her reasons," she pressed. "You had to agree, after all."

"I agreed a long time ago, before Luke and Leia were born, when she was unhappy," Anakin said. "She told me she was tired of the lies, and was…afraid of the changes in me, changes caused by the War. There was no way I could contest it without drawing attention to both of us, so I agreed. I hated the very idea but I didn't have a choice. But then she found out she was pregnant, and things changed. The last few times we've been together we've been so happy – that's why this doesn't make any sense! But it's done. And there isn't a damn thing I can do about it."

Ahsoka shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said. "Truly sorry."

"Yeah, so am I," Anakin said and then returned to his task.

Ahsoka watched him for a few minutes, sensing that he wanted to be left alone. But there was something else she sensed, and it gave her chills. She sensed Darkness inside of Anakin's heart.