Chapter 52

Padmé's apartment

"Anakin, I thought you were on a mission," Dormé said as Anakin appeared in the kitchen.

"I am," Anakin said. "I'm just taking a short break to see the kids," he said, looking at Luke and Leia with a smile. The twins were eating their dinner, and grew excited when they saw their father. Anakin smiled, and walked over to them, kissing them each on the top of the head. "I've missed you guys," he said, sitting down beside their highchairs.

Dormé smiled. "They've missed you too," she said. "Have you eaten?"

Anakin looked up at her. "No," he said.

"I'll get you a plate," she said.

"Thanks," he said. "This looks a lot better than the rations I've been eating," he added.

Dormé laughed. "I'm sure," she said, handing him a plate. "Padmé isn't here," she told him as she sat down. "Working late to get caught up."

Anakin nodded. "Caught up?" he said. "Why does she need to get caught up? Has she been slacking off?" he asked with a smile. "Doesn't sound like her."

"No, not slacking off, definitely not," she replied. "She was involved in Julie Banks' arrest last night, and…"

"Julie Banks was arrested?" Anakin asked.

Dormé nodded. "Yes," she said. "I'm surprised you haven't heard about it."

"I've been in the Outer Rim," he said. "News doesn't get there until days after it happens."

"I suppose," she replied.

"Why was she arrested? And how was Padmé involved?" Anakin asked.

"I think it was allegations of treason, or something like that," Dormé said. "I'm not entirely sure of the technical terms. Padmé was involved in a sting operation last night."

Anakin frowned. "A sting?" he asked. "What was she doing involved in that?"

"You'd have to ask her," Dormé said. "I'm sorry, I don't have a lot of details."

Anakin ate his meal in silence, wondering what Julie could have done to get herself arrested.

After they'd finished their meals, Anakin and Dormé gave the twins their bath. Anakin enjoyed spending time with his twins, reconnecting with the after not seeing them for almost a week. He thought about the parents and grandparents of the Jedi candidates he'd met recently, and imagined how difficult it would be to surrender their child to the Order. There's no way I could do that, he reflected. How have parents done that for centuries? How does a parent give up a child knowing they will never see them again?

"Anakin! You're home!"

Anakin turned to see Padmé standing in the doorway. "Only for a visit," Anakin said as he lifted Leia out of the tub. "I'm meeting up with Obi-Wan back on the ship in an hour."

Padmé frowned. "Why can't you stay longer?" she asked as she took over for Dormé and picked up Luke.

"Well, I left the mission half done," he told her. "I really shouldn't be here at all, but I missed the twins and wanted to see them."

"I see," she said, watching him as he dressed their daughter. "I know they've missed you. So have I."

Anakin looked up at her with a smile. "I've missed you too," he said. "Dormé told me you were involved in an operation that had Julie arrested last night," he said. "What happened? What did she do?"

Padmé frowned as she got Luke dressed. "She threatened me," she said. "Rex was posing as a bounty hunter and…"

"Wait a minute, Rex?" Anakin interjected. "I don't understand. Why was he pretending to be a bounty hunter?"

Padmé proceeded to explain about how she had learned of Julie's intentions from Rayna, whose niece was friends with Julie. Then she described the sting operation she had masterminded the previous night, and how it had ended with Julie being arrested. By the end of her narrative, Anakin was stunned.

"I can't believe she would say that," Anakin said. "I knew she was jealous of you, but…this is insane."

Padmé nodded. "She claims that she didn't mean it because she was stoned when she said it," she explained.

"Well, those death sticks really mess with your head," he said. "I didn't think she was the type to actually do something violent, though."

Padmé frowned. "I can't believe you're defending her," she said.

"How am I defending her?" Anakin asked. "What she said was horrible," he said. "She deserves to be arrested for it, no doubt. But you know what she's like, Padmé. A lot of talk…"

Padmé grew angry. "A lot of talk?" she interjected. "She wanted to hire someone to kill me, Anakin! She was asking how much Rex would charge! How is that just all talk?"

Anakin sighed, wishing he'd never said anything. "I'm sorry," he said as he picked Leia up from the change table. "I'm sorry you were put through that, and I'm sorry that I wasn't here to help. If I had time, I'd go over there and talk to her myself."

Padmé didn't say anything, and picked up Luke. The last thing she wanted was Anakin talking to Julie. She felt badly that she had spoken so harshly to him, particularly since he was only there for a short time.

Anakin brought his daughter into the nursery as a wall of tension arose between he and Padmé. He read Leia a story, doing his best to shield his uneasiness from his children.

Padmé read Luke a story, all the while wondering how she was going to tell Anakin that she was pregnant now.

"I need to get back to the ship," Anakin said once he and Padmé had put the twins to bed.

"So soon?" she asked. "Can't you stay a little longer?"

Anakin was somewhat surprised by her question, given the angry way she'd spoken to him. "No," he said. "Obi-Wan is waiting for me."

Padmé nodded, fighting the tears that arose to her eyes. "I'm sorry I spoke to you so severely," she said. "I'm just …tired. And this whole thing really freaked me out."

Anakin nodded. "I'm sure," he said. "Look, I didn't mean to imply what she did wasn't terrible," he said. "I guess I don't express myself well enough."

"I know," she said. They looked at one another for a moment or two before Anakin spoke again.

"I'll be in touch," he said.

Padmé nodded. "Be safe," she said.

"You too," he said, and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving her.

Padmé watched him leave, her heart aching. Sitting down on the sofa, she ran her hands into her hair tiredly.

Republican Gunship – In orbit over Coruscant

Anakin landed his fighter in the hangar of the ship, his mind full of the conversation he'd had with Padmé. It angered him greatly that Julie would even say such a thing, even if she had no intention, nor any money for that matter, to see it through. It was clear that Padmé was still very sensitive where Julie was concerned, which puzzled Anakin. Hadn't he shown her, in the past few months, that it was her he wanted, and not Julie? Hadn't the fact that he hadn't shown any romantic interest in Julie whatsoever been enough to convince her? It wasn't like Padmé to be so insecure, which made Anakin wonder what was really going on with her. She had been hiding something, of that Anakin was certain. He'd sensed it even when they had communicated via subspace.

"How was your visit?" Obi-Wan asked as Anakin joined him in the command centre of the ship.

"Good," Anakin said. "Get this, Julie was arrested last night."

"What? Why?" Obi-Wan asked.

"She was caught trying to hire a bounty hunter," Anakin said. "She was planning on having Padmé killed."

Obi-Wan widened his eyes. "You can't be serious!" he said.

Anakin nodded. "She was caught red handed," he said. "Padmé had orchestrated this whole plot to entrap her. And it worked."

Obi-Wan considered this. "How did Padmé know she would do this?" he asked. "In order to trap her, she would have to know that Julie was planning this."

"She did," Anakin replied, and told her about the tip Padmé had received from her assistant.

"That must have been very upsetting for Padmé," Obi-Wan said.

"It was," Anakin said with a frown. "There's more going on, though," he said. "She's keeping something from me. I know it."

"What do you think it could be?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I don't know," Anakin said. "But I didn't have time to ask her. I guess it'll have to wait until we finish the mission."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I suppose it will," he said. "Come along, let's get some sleep. We'll be at Axxila in 8 hours."

Anakin lay awake in his narrow bunk, sleep evading him. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was going on with Padmé. It bothered him that she would hide something from him, and it made him wonder if, on some level, she still didn't fully trust him. How are we supposed to have a future together if she doesn't trust me? If she hides things from me? Anakin tossed and turned on the narrow cot for a few hours before his body finally succumbed to sleep.

Padmé, I know you're hiding something from me. You clearly don't trust me, after everything I've done to prove myself.

I do trust you, Anakin. And you're right, there is something I haven't told you. It's not because I don't trust you, but because I didn't know how. I've been afraid to tell you.

Why? What is so terrible that you can't tell me? Are we finished? Have you found someone else?

No, it's not that. I'm pregnant, Anakin. That's what I've been hiding. I'm sorry, but I wasn't taking precautions when we were together the first time.

You're pregnant? Really?

Anakin awoke with a start, his heart racing. Padmé is pregnant, he thought with absolute certainty. I'm going to be a father again…

Detention Centre – Coruscant

Dane Menicino sat in the small room, drumming his fingers on the metal tabletop. He hadn't wanted to come, had initially refused; but his sister had always had a way of getting him to do things her way. And this was no exception. How she expects me to clean up this mess is beyond me, he thought with a frown.

Just then, the door slid open, and Julie was brought in with a clone escort. She was pushed into the chair facing Dane, and manacled to one of the table legs. "You have 10 minutes," the clone said, and left the room, locking the door behind him.

"Uncle Dane! Thank God you've come!" Julie said.

"Thank your mother for that," Dane said. "You've broken her heart, Julie, again."
Julie cast her eyes downward. "I know," she said.

Dane frowned. "You know, but you don't give a damn, isn't that right?" he asked coldly.

Julie said nothing, not having any excuse to offer.

"You've really got yourself into a mess this time," Dane said. "Threatening the Chancellor? What were you thinking?"

Julie looked up at her uncle. "I wasn't serious!" she declared. "I didn't mean it!"

Dane shook his head ruefully. "You can't take back what you said, Julie," he said. "A threat made against the leader of the Republic is a very serious matter. I'm afraid there's little I can do to clean up your mess this time."

Julie grew alarmed. "What do you mean?" she cried. "You're the best lawyer there is! Surely you can do something!"

Dane frowned. "Don't you get it? You've gone too far this time, Julie," he said. "I will represent you, but with all the evidence stacked against you, there's little hope of a victory. You will be sentenced; you will go to prison. You need to accept that, Julie, and prepare yourself for it."

Julie's eyes filled with tears. Her Uncle Dane was her last hope, her trump card. Knowing she had him in her corner had given her the strength to bear the horrors of being a prisoner, the ignominy of being treated like a felon. But now he was telling her that there was no hope.

"I can't accept it!" she cried. "I won't! There has to be something we can do! I was set up, Uncle Dane! It was a trap set by the Chancellor because she hates me!"

"Enough!" Dane said, standing up. "I'm sorry, Julie. There's nothing I can do to change this."

Julie sat numbly in the chair as the clone let her uncle out of the room. It's over, she thought impassively. It's all over.