Chapter 4:

The sun began to surface over the horizon, awaking the world of Alderaan for yet another day of uncertainty, another day of fear. But at this time of day one would never guess that beneath the beauty of the dawn was a group of people preparing for war, and preparing for death.

It was this time of day that was Padme's favorite. She had now made it a part of her routine to wake up in time to watch the sun cast an amber glow over the countryside, taking over the shadows. She remembered that this was also Obi Wan's favorite time of day as well, that he said to her the sun slowly rising was a symbol of the light overcoming dark side. The politician opened her eyes and glanced across the large, lavish bed at a small, precious bundle asleep next to her. Leia had a nightmare during the night and took it upon herself to crawl into her mother's bed. Padme smiled at her daughter, and thought of her son. She wondered how he was doing, if he had nightmares. She felt her eyes beginning to water as she wondered if he had a place to go when he had nightmares.

She rolled out of bed and pulled on a dark blue velvet robe on over he sheer nightgown. She ran her hands through her long brunette hair, letting the long curls fall one by one seemingly perfectly in place even though she had slept on it all night. She opened the window and walked onto the balcony, watching the glowing orb in the distance. She sighed and thought about the countless mornings sitting on her own balcony on Naboo while she was pregnant listening to stories of two very different Jedi padawans one named Obi Wan and the other one a sandy haired boy who ended up stealing her heart. She couldn't help but think about the past as she watched the beauty unfold before her, she wondered where everything went wrong, how she couldn't see it coming. Obi Wan explained to her once that both of them watched Anakin's descent into the dark side, but both were unwilling to admit it. He used the analogy of how sometimes loved ones of people who abuse substances know it's happening, but deny it to everyone around them, even themselves.

Padme's thoughts then turned away from her late husband to his master. She wondered where he was and what he was doing. She then thought back to a conversation she had with Siri the night before and suddenly wished Obi Wan would come back even more.

"Do you really have to leave?" Padme remembered her asking Siri as she watched the female Jedi pack her things. She also remembered vaguely that Leia was also in the room, playing with things she shouldn't.

"We have lingered here too long, someone is bound to find us, it's time to move on." Siri answered, putting more objects in a bag.

"But you don't have to leave yet. I mean, where would you go?" Padme asked, taking a glass figurine out of Leia's small hands.

"Where ever the force guides us to go." Siri simply answered. "We've always managed to find somewhere to go."

Padme slumped down on the edge of the bed. "I just thought."

Siri glanced at the former senator. "He's not coming back." She cut off Padme's words, as if reading her mind. "He's made that perfectly clear."

"I'm sure he is Siri. I doubt he would just abandon us.I mean the Jedi like that."

Siri shook her head sadly. "The old Obi Wan wouldn't, but Ben." She walked to the window and sighed. Padme noticed she was holding the binding ring in her hand. "I remember the day I sat with him in the healers ward, the day after the." She paused and looked over to Padme, trying to find the right words to say.

"After Anakin." Padme helped, hanging her head.

"He not only lost his padawan that day, he also lost part of his sanity. It gets worse as he gets older." She returned her glance to the window. "I can't wait for him to find what ever he is looking for, I have duties to those kids." She walked back to her survival pack and zipped it up. Padme noticed she had placed the ring back on her finger.

"Stay one more night, let the younglings have one more night on a comfortable sleep couch, god knows when they will get another chance." Padme pleaded. Siri said nothing, only nodded.

Pame's thoughts returned to the present, she was at such a loss. She hated the feeling of not being in control of things. Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by a distinct sound in the distance. The sound was of dueling light sabers, it was a sound that sent chills up her spine. She quickly ran out her bedroom door, almost knocking Dorme over who had come with morning breakfast.

She put her arms out, trying to stop Dorme from falling over. "Keep an eye on Leia." She commanded as she ran out the door, barefoot and still in her night clothes.

She ran down the long, spiral staircase and out the garden doors, stopping dead in her tracks at the sight before her. She saw four young Jedi knights practicing their light saber skills with a strange man. The man was average height, and build, he had ginger colored hair that was beginning to grey at the roots that went down past his shoulders. He also had a beard that showed it hadn't been groomed in several weeks at least. At first glance the rugged man looked like a homeless person, who had gone mad. Padme chuckled silently at the comparison 'Actually that is pretty close to the truth'. She thought to herself. She walked out into the garden, feeling the dew covered grass under her bare feet. The man noticed her and began to walk towards her. Padme quickened her pace as the gap between them closed. Without thinking Padme jumped into her old friend's arms and he picked her off the ground and swung her around as they embraced. After what seemed like an eternity he let her feet once again touch the ground.

"I was beginning to worry." Padme said, linking her arm through his and leading him away from his students.

"I'm very sorry M'lady, but it could not be helped." He answered softly, in his familiar accented voice. He looked down at his best friend. "How are things?"

"Not good, tension is growing in the Senate, the allies of the old Republic are slowly being weeded out." She hung her head. "And Darth Vader is scowering the galaxy for the Jedi. His armies are burning and plundering innocent cities as they go."

Obi Wan put a finger under her chin and lifted her gaze to meet his. "I meant with you." He said, lifting the tension in the air. Padme smiled and felt tears coming to her eyes, she finally realized how much she had missed him. She then noticed him looking over her head at something, a very serious look had over come his features. She turned around and noticed Siri Tachi staring at them with her arms folded.

Padme backed away. Obi Wan walked up to Siri, and dropped to his knees before her. Siri stared blankly at him, her eyes piercing into him like sharp knives. Obi Wan then bowed his head in a humble manner, waiting for her to speak. The silence seemed to last forever until Padme could no longer take it.

"Someone please say something." She said quietly.

Siri shifted her weight and put her hands on her hips. "Get up." She commanded, Obi Wan obeyed. She eyed him with a look that gave no sign of her emotions. "I have one thing that you must now do." She said and he looked at her curiously.

"Anything." He simply answered.

"You will cut your hair, you look way too much like Qui Gon and it's creeping me out." Suddenly her serious demeanor dropped and Obi Wan smiled, taking Siri in his arms and kissing her deeply.

Inside the grand palace of Alderaan, inside one of the many libraries stood a group of men and women that made up the leaders of the Rebel Alliance against the Empire. Most were former senators who still held to the idea of democracy, others were citizens who held no political background what so ever, but believed in their freedoms.

"I received word from Governor Tarkin." Bail Organa Stated as he entered the room. "Apparently the Emperor wishes to meet with a representative of the rebel alliance, he claims he wishes to come to some sort of peace."

"I don't trust this." Padme huffed, slouching against the wall. "This isn't like him."

"He realizes that the Rebels pose a threat to his Empire, if we were able to get enough support we could easily overthrow him." Bail Antilles piped in.

"I don't know. I have a bad feeling about this." Padme stated, almost under her breath. "The man has made sure to rob the people of the Republic of all the freedoms they have enjoyed for over a millennium, now he's suddenly claiming to want to make things right. Am I the only one who doesn't trust him?"

"No one is saying that they trust Palpatine, all I am suggesting is that we hear what the codger has to say." Organa raised his hands, trying to calm Padme down. "I have decided that I will go and meet with him."

Padme's eyes widened and she shook her head. "No, we cannot afford to lose you Bail, you are the one who brought us all together." She looked around the room. "I will go."

Bail took her hands in his and shook his head. "As the founder of the Rebel Alliance it is my duty to go." He then looked her in the eyes. "Besides you have much more important things to worry about." He lowered his voice and continued. "Leia needs you more than the political arena."

"But why you?" She also kept her voice low. "Leia loves you like a father, you've been there for her since the day she was born."

"And it is because of Leia that I choose to go, I am doing this for the future of the Republic." He kept his eyes locked on hers, and she slowly nodded. "Besides," He raised his voice again. "We are only having a meeting with the Emperor, that is all."

"A meeting with a dark lord of the Sith is never a normal meeting." A strong female voice rang from the back of the group, everyone turned around to face Siri Tachi wearing a tight fitting black suit with a purple cloak draped over her shoulders. "I think you must proceed with caution your highness."

"Master Jedi what do you recommend?" Bail Antilles asked.

Siri glanced to the floor before walking to the middle of the room. "The future is difficult for us to see, the dark side shadows everything. I only sense that the force is warning us of dealings with Palpatine." She looked around the room. "Although it doesn't take the force to realize that."

"Can we count on Jedi assistance?" Bail Organa asked. Siri nodded.

"No." Padme protested. "The Jedi have suffered more than any of us, we cannot ask any more of them."

Siri stared at Padme. "We are servants to the Republic Senator Amidala, we have no other choice." She then looked again to the ground. "We cannot escape our destiny." She commented softly.

A man clearing his voice broke the now awkward silence that was felt in the room. "I agree with Senator Amidala in the fact that someone else besides Bail Organa should carry this burden. I will go." Everyone in the room turned to face an elderly, yet refined man. "Let me go and speak with Palpatine."

Bail Organa tried to hide the look of shock on his face, he had been surprised when Finis Valorum had joined the rebels in the first place. He had believed that the former Supreme Chancellor had given up a life in politics. "Finis, it has been a long time."

"Since I have dealt in the demands of the Republic, yes I am quite aware of that. However I cannot stand idly by and watch this galaxy that generations of my family helped build be destroyed." He held Organa's gaze with his intense blue eyes.

Padme looked at this man. She remembered the first time she had met him, she had thought him old then, and in the months since he had joined the rebels she looked at him as just an old man who had no where else to go. She suddenly felt bad about how she had been the one to force him into retirement as it were, he obviously loved the Republic and was a great man. He hadn't changed too much in 13 years, he now walked with a cane and was host to a few more wrinkles but he held an air about him that showed he still had some fight in him. "I think Chancellor Valorum is the man for the job." Padme interjected.

Being the remains of a democratic society the group took a vote on who was to go meet with Palpatine and it was voted that Valorum along with the remaining four Jedi knights would travel to Courascant to meet with the sinister man who held the fate of the galaxy in his hands.