Chapter Six
Padmé stood outside the cabin and Sabé secured Leia in the groundcar. Obi- Wan came to stand next to her. She slipped her hand into his and squeezed hard.
"I'm afraid," she murmured.
"Don't be. You and the twins will be safe."
"What about you?"
He only smiled. "I vowed to protect you all and I will do that, Padmé. At any cost."
"I love you, Obi-Wan."
He drew her into his arms and kissed her temple. "I love you, too."
"We only had a few moments together, but they've been the happiest in my life."
"And mine."
Sabé came up behind them slowly, not wanting to end the moment, but it was time to leave. Padmé cupped her Jedi's face in her hands, and kissed him slowly and tenderly. He returned the favor, his arms tight around her. When they broke apart, she smiled at him sadly and went to the groundcar.
Obi-Wan took a deep breath and looked to Sabé. In unison, they then turned around and faced the cabin. Obi-Wan could hear Leia's muffled sniffles coming from inside the groundcar, but he hardened his heart. This had to be done.
Sabé mounted a vicious-looking weapon onto her shoulder. Obi-Wan recognized it as a flame-thrower of Alderaanian design.
"I only have a small amount of energy in this," she said to him. "Make sure you're ready."
"I'm ready."
She fired and the inside of the cabin, the only home Leia had ever known, blossomed with fire. Obi-Wan stretched out a hand and fanned the flames using the Force. The fire grew larger and he controlled it to keep it from spreading to the trees. He had to build a huge fire in order to destroy the cabin quickly. Next, he turned his attention to the smoke, distributing it horizontally to prevent any passing shuttles from noticing that there was a fire in the forest.
"Go," he said to Sabé. "I'll follow you in the speeder bike as soon as the fire dies."
"That will take hours," she protested.
"We can't just let it burn unwatched. We talked about this already and we're wasting time talking about it still. Hurry, Sabé." Obi-Wan's hand wavered as his senses picked up a presence they had been fearing. "Vader's here."
Sabé needed no other urging. She jumped into the groundcar and sped away. Obi-Wan could feel Padmé's eyes on his back but he couldn't spare his attention to turn and look at her. The fire was raging inside the cabin and he could hear walls begin to fall.
Take care, my love. I will be with you soon, he thought to her and though she couldn't reply, but he could feel the warmth of her thoughts.
When the fire finally ate away the last bit of wood four hours later, Obi- Wan ignored the exhaustion he was feeling and covered up the burn marks with dirt. There was not much else he could do and after giving he perimeter one last check, he jumped on the speeder bike. It was another five hours to the desert and he knew Vader was getting closer. He used the Force to rejuvinate himself and focused his senses on impending danger.
* * *
Vader found the cabin. It was not difficult. Traces of Obi-Wan's presence was all over the site and he sensed it easily.
"Obi-Wan was here not too long ago," he said to the troops accompanying him.
He knelt and dug his fingers into the dirt, finding the ash underneath. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on his surroundings. He could almost feel Padmé's presence, but Obi-Wan's mark was overwhelming. Frustrated, Vader threw the dirt down and stood.
"I want troops in the air. Obi-Wan cannot be too far off. I want you to find him...NOW!"
Several troops scattered and took to the skies in shuttles. Vader marched behind them, getting into his own shuttle. As useful as these troops were in combat, he did not trust them to find someone as important as his old master. Besides which, Vader wanted the honor. His lips curled into a hateful smile as he imagined the expression on Obi-Wan's face when he sees his old pupil for the first time since their last battle. Horror, fear....Vader had seen it before in others, including Senator Organa.
Settling his thoughts, Vader flew the shuttle with ease so he could focus his mind on finding his old master. He flew faster and with more precision than the troops, so he left them far behind in a few moments. His hands told him which direction to go and he stopped thinking, simply letting his instincts take over.
And sure enough, ten minutes into his flight, he saw movement underneath the canopy of leaves.
* * *
Padmé held Leia close to her as a growing sense of dread grew in the pit of her stomach. An hour after they left Obi-Wan, she finally leapt forward and put a hand on Sabé's shoulder, startling her.
"Stop the car," she ordered.
"What? No!"
"Stop the car, Sabé. I have unfinished business to attend to."
"I cannot do it, milady."
"We're not going to revert back to that old routine." Padmé pulled out her blaster and pointed it at Sabé's head. "I didn't want it to have to come to this."
"Mommy!" Leia shrieked and she clutched at Padmé's raised arm. "What are you doing??"
"I'm sorry, sweetheart."
Sabé glared at Padmé through the rearview mirror but she did land the groundcar.
Padmé pressed a kiss to her cheek and whispered, "I'm tired of running, Sabé, and I have to do this so he won't suspect that we have children. I have to help Obi-Wan. Take care of Leia for me."
She then turned to her daughter and gathered her up in her arms, trying to memorize how it felt as well as giving Leia what may be the last memory of her mother. Leia hugged her back hard as she began to cry.
"I have to leave now, My Little One. General Kenobi needs my help. I don't know if I'll be able to see you again, but know that I love you, Leia. I love you with every last bit of me and I'll be with you no matter what happens. Okay?"
"Don't go, Mommy, don't go. General Kenobi is a Jedi. He can take care of himself."
Padmé pulled back with surprise. "How did you know that?"
"He has a lightsaber. Mommy, please stay with me."
Padmé smiled through her own tears and kissed Leia's forehead. "I love you, Leia. Don't ever forget me."
Then, without another look, she exited the car and ran back. Sabé did not look behind her as she sped away, a weeping Leia curled up in the backseat.
Good luck, Padmé. I hope those men realize how amazing you really are, she thought.
* * *
Padmé stood outside the cabin and Sabé secured Leia in the groundcar. Obi- Wan came to stand next to her. She slipped her hand into his and squeezed hard.
"I'm afraid," she murmured.
"Don't be. You and the twins will be safe."
"What about you?"
He only smiled. "I vowed to protect you all and I will do that, Padmé. At any cost."
"I love you, Obi-Wan."
He drew her into his arms and kissed her temple. "I love you, too."
"We only had a few moments together, but they've been the happiest in my life."
"And mine."
Sabé came up behind them slowly, not wanting to end the moment, but it was time to leave. Padmé cupped her Jedi's face in her hands, and kissed him slowly and tenderly. He returned the favor, his arms tight around her. When they broke apart, she smiled at him sadly and went to the groundcar.
Obi-Wan took a deep breath and looked to Sabé. In unison, they then turned around and faced the cabin. Obi-Wan could hear Leia's muffled sniffles coming from inside the groundcar, but he hardened his heart. This had to be done.
Sabé mounted a vicious-looking weapon onto her shoulder. Obi-Wan recognized it as a flame-thrower of Alderaanian design.
"I only have a small amount of energy in this," she said to him. "Make sure you're ready."
"I'm ready."
She fired and the inside of the cabin, the only home Leia had ever known, blossomed with fire. Obi-Wan stretched out a hand and fanned the flames using the Force. The fire grew larger and he controlled it to keep it from spreading to the trees. He had to build a huge fire in order to destroy the cabin quickly. Next, he turned his attention to the smoke, distributing it horizontally to prevent any passing shuttles from noticing that there was a fire in the forest.
"Go," he said to Sabé. "I'll follow you in the speeder bike as soon as the fire dies."
"That will take hours," she protested.
"We can't just let it burn unwatched. We talked about this already and we're wasting time talking about it still. Hurry, Sabé." Obi-Wan's hand wavered as his senses picked up a presence they had been fearing. "Vader's here."
Sabé needed no other urging. She jumped into the groundcar and sped away. Obi-Wan could feel Padmé's eyes on his back but he couldn't spare his attention to turn and look at her. The fire was raging inside the cabin and he could hear walls begin to fall.
Take care, my love. I will be with you soon, he thought to her and though she couldn't reply, but he could feel the warmth of her thoughts.
When the fire finally ate away the last bit of wood four hours later, Obi- Wan ignored the exhaustion he was feeling and covered up the burn marks with dirt. There was not much else he could do and after giving he perimeter one last check, he jumped on the speeder bike. It was another five hours to the desert and he knew Vader was getting closer. He used the Force to rejuvinate himself and focused his senses on impending danger.
* * *
Vader found the cabin. It was not difficult. Traces of Obi-Wan's presence was all over the site and he sensed it easily.
"Obi-Wan was here not too long ago," he said to the troops accompanying him.
He knelt and dug his fingers into the dirt, finding the ash underneath. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on his surroundings. He could almost feel Padmé's presence, but Obi-Wan's mark was overwhelming. Frustrated, Vader threw the dirt down and stood.
"I want troops in the air. Obi-Wan cannot be too far off. I want you to find him...NOW!"
Several troops scattered and took to the skies in shuttles. Vader marched behind them, getting into his own shuttle. As useful as these troops were in combat, he did not trust them to find someone as important as his old master. Besides which, Vader wanted the honor. His lips curled into a hateful smile as he imagined the expression on Obi-Wan's face when he sees his old pupil for the first time since their last battle. Horror, fear....Vader had seen it before in others, including Senator Organa.
Settling his thoughts, Vader flew the shuttle with ease so he could focus his mind on finding his old master. He flew faster and with more precision than the troops, so he left them far behind in a few moments. His hands told him which direction to go and he stopped thinking, simply letting his instincts take over.
And sure enough, ten minutes into his flight, he saw movement underneath the canopy of leaves.
* * *
Padmé held Leia close to her as a growing sense of dread grew in the pit of her stomach. An hour after they left Obi-Wan, she finally leapt forward and put a hand on Sabé's shoulder, startling her.
"Stop the car," she ordered.
"What? No!"
"Stop the car, Sabé. I have unfinished business to attend to."
"I cannot do it, milady."
"We're not going to revert back to that old routine." Padmé pulled out her blaster and pointed it at Sabé's head. "I didn't want it to have to come to this."
"Mommy!" Leia shrieked and she clutched at Padmé's raised arm. "What are you doing??"
"I'm sorry, sweetheart."
Sabé glared at Padmé through the rearview mirror but she did land the groundcar.
Padmé pressed a kiss to her cheek and whispered, "I'm tired of running, Sabé, and I have to do this so he won't suspect that we have children. I have to help Obi-Wan. Take care of Leia for me."
She then turned to her daughter and gathered her up in her arms, trying to memorize how it felt as well as giving Leia what may be the last memory of her mother. Leia hugged her back hard as she began to cry.
"I have to leave now, My Little One. General Kenobi needs my help. I don't know if I'll be able to see you again, but know that I love you, Leia. I love you with every last bit of me and I'll be with you no matter what happens. Okay?"
"Don't go, Mommy, don't go. General Kenobi is a Jedi. He can take care of himself."
Padmé pulled back with surprise. "How did you know that?"
"He has a lightsaber. Mommy, please stay with me."
Padmé smiled through her own tears and kissed Leia's forehead. "I love you, Leia. Don't ever forget me."
Then, without another look, she exited the car and ran back. Sabé did not look behind her as she sped away, a weeping Leia curled up in the backseat.
Good luck, Padmé. I hope those men realize how amazing you really are, she thought.
* * *
