In the three months since the birth of his child Anakin Skywalker's search
had become frantic. He was determined to find his child and to raise it as
his own, with Padme. She would want it too, he knew. Hadn't she called
out to him in her pain, wanting him? Damn Obi-Wan! Shielding her from
him, keeping her prisoner, no doubt. He would pay.
He strode across the bridge of his new command ship. The Executor was the
finest Star Destroyer ever built, and it's sleek blue lines inspired fear
and respect wherever they were.
His black tunic and cloak swirled around him and he felt the fear of his
officers and crew increase as they noticed his presence on the deck. He
smiled slightly, they knew his power, and respected it.
He stared out at the starfield in front of him. Why couldn't he find her?
His frustration grew. It was becoming intolerable. He must get Padme
back, before Obi-Wan turned her against him forever.
Padme sat by the window, staring out at the sunset over Lake Nandra. She had been on Alderaan for three months now, living at the secluded lake retreat of Bail Organa. Bail had offered to shelter her as soon as Obi-Wan had explained what was needed. Bail had adopted Leia as his own child, a move that had been easier to explain after one of his wives had miscarried their child. Padme wanted to stay near Leia, but knew that as long as she stayed, the more dangerous it was becoming to be near her. Anakin was searching for her, she knew it, and now he would be searching for the children as well. Obi-Wan was reasonably sure he wouldn't know of both children, but equally sure he would know of at least one birth. He had returned to Tatooine to take up residence in his cave and watch over Luke. "Padme? Am I disturbing you?" Bail's voice called softly from the doorway. Padme looked up, admiring his calming presence, the soothing timbre of his voice. He was one of her dearest and oldest friends. "Of course not, Bail. I'm happy to see you. How was the Capital?" Padme asked. "Hectic, as always. I have had a communiqué from Coruscant." Bail said calmly, but she heard the seriousness in his tone. "He is coming." She stated tonelessly. "Yes, ostensibly to go over some treaty papers, but what I believe is that he means to question me about you. And Padme, I do not have the strength to hide all my thoughts from him. You will have to flee, and leave Leia here. It is time, my dear." Bail said softly. "I know. I have felt him drawing closer. I have come up with a plan, however. I will stay until he arrives, then I will turn myself over to him. He will not question you overmuch, and Leia will be safer." She paused. "I hope." "But how will you explain about the child's whereabouts?" Bail asked. "I will tell him that Obi-Wan took the child from me and that I do not know where he took him. He will not be able to read my thoughts. Obi-Wan has taught me to shield that much from Anakin." "This is a dangerous plan, Padme." Bail warned. "Anger him, or make him suspicious..he could kill you." "I will be fine. Trust me, Bail. Anakin could not, and would not hurt me, ever." She answered. "I hope you're right. I'll send for the transport. The Executor arrives in 2 days." Bail stated. "Get me a transport, Bail, I'll meet him in space." Padme said suddenly, "I have an idea, and maybe I can stop him from landing on Alderaan at all."
A day and a half later, Anakin was summoned in his private chambers. He was sitting in darkness, not meditating, just searching with his mind. Something had been bothering him, and he couldn't decipher it. "My Lord?" came the voice of his captain. "What is it?" Anakin answered. "A transport vessel from Alderaan has asked permission to dock, and to board and speak with you." "Who is on the transport?" Anakin asked, amused at the temerity of the request. "My Lord, it is Lady Skywalker." The captain answered slowly. Anakin sat in stunned silence, then took a deep breath. "Allow her to land, and bring her to me." Then he shut the channel. Padme, that was who he'd sensed, getting closer. She must have escaped from Obi-Wan. He sent out a searching tendril of the force. He could sense no child from the transport, but he sensed Padme, and a strange sadness. Fifteen minutes later, a his door chimed and slid open. He saw her silhouette in the darkness, and intensified the lights til he could see her face. So beautiful, he wanted to cry, her eyes, like liquid pools of darkness gazing at him. She wore white, a gown much like the one she'd worn on their wedding day. Her dark hair was down, held back by a silver band. He walked to her and gazed at her in wonder, unbelieving that she could be here. Suddenly, he reached down and crushed her to him. "Oh, Padme, I've missed you so much." He whispered urgently. He pulled back and kissed her lips hungrily. She kissed him back, but he could sense her holding back. "Padme, say something." Anakin urged. "I've come to tell you something that you won't want to hear, but you must." Padme said slowly and carefully. "The child?" Anakin asked. She nodded. "Obi-Wan has taken him, I do not know where. Perhaps to Mace Windu in the Outer Rim, I do not know. He left me on Alderaan, and Bail Organa nursed me back to health. Our child is gone." Anakin felt the rage course through him, so much so that he didn't sense all the control that Padme was exerting. "I will find him, my love, I promise. And we will raise our child." Anakin said angrily, holding her close. "I cannot stay with you." Padme said softly. "What? Why not?" Anakin demanded, shocked. She'd come to him, on her own, of course she would stay. "You are a Sith. You have destroyed most of the Jedi, the peacekeepers of the Republic. You are a petty dictator, under a worse one. You destroy life. That is not who I am. Who you fell in love with. And you are not the man I married." Padme answered, and she took a step away from him and let her guard down. He felt it then. The disgust she felt looking at him, the rage, anger and hatred at what he'd become. And worse of all, the pity she felt for him. His breathing became harsh as he stared at her, his face frozen into a mask of anger. "I will not let you go, Padme, you must realize this." He managed to say tightly, wanting to scream. "You will make me your prisoner? Keep me in chains? Very well, but I still will not be your wife." Padme answered coldly. "Nothing you do, will make me love you. Remember that." "Obi-Wan, he's done this to you. Turned you against me. I can make you see this." Anakin urged suddenly. "You fool!" Padme shouted. "You did this! You turned me against you! Obi- Wan helped me escape because he wanted our child, yes, but also because he cared enough about me to get me away from the monster you were becoming. You are not Anakin Skywalker anymore! You are Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith, Supreme Commander of the Clone Armies! Not a Jedi!" her voice lost its fire and she looked up at him and reached up to touch his cheek briefly. "Not my husband." "Padme.." Anakin reached for her and halted as she looked up at him, tears flowing down her face. "Let me go, don't make me hate you." She said simply. "I can't, you know I can't." he answered. And pushing a button, he had the guards enter. "Please escort Lady Skywalker to her quarters." And she turned and left without a backwards glance, leaving her husband rocking back and forth on his meditation platform, willing the pain away.
Mace Windu sat with what Jedi he had left with him. They had hired some bounty hunters to seek out the Sith Lord Darth Vader. This was not the Jedi way, but Windu knew the Jedi were facing extinction. What Republic members he had left with him had overruled the Jedi's wishes. Darth Vader must be exterminated.
"He is destroying all of the order that exist. He has destroyed the Padawan's as well. Children. He must be stopped. Without him the Emperor will be weaker. He may be willing to negotiate then. But Darth Vader must die." The leader, a representative of Ord Mantell stated. "It is possible that he could be merely held, not necessarily killed." Windu argued. "He would not allow that. You know him. Even as a Jedi, he would not have allowed himself to be captured and held, he would die fighting." One of the other Jedi disagreed. Windu shook his head, that the Jedi had come to this. "We need bait, something that he himself would come for." Windu straightened. "I am the only such bait you have. He will come to face me, one on one. I will do it." He sighed, knowing that he had quite possibly just agreed to his own death.
"Lord Vader, one of our intelligence agents in the Outer Rim has had a sighting of Master Windu on Corellia. The sighting was only 2 days ago." Captain Ozzel exclaimed. "Take me there, now." Anakin smiled. Soon, Master Windu would fall, and without his leadership, the Jedi would fall as well. He knew that Master Yoda had all but disappeared, but that did not trouble him. Master Yoda was old, he would die soon, and though he was sure he could win in a duel with him, he wasn't eager to test it. Obi-Wan, though, he would not stop until he found Obi-Wan, found him and made him pay.
And just leaving the planetary boundary of Tatooine, Obi-Wan Kenobi was setting course for Corellia. He wasn't about to let this happen. He had to speak to the Rebellion, and face Anakin one last time.
Padme sat by the window, staring out at the sunset over Lake Nandra. She had been on Alderaan for three months now, living at the secluded lake retreat of Bail Organa. Bail had offered to shelter her as soon as Obi-Wan had explained what was needed. Bail had adopted Leia as his own child, a move that had been easier to explain after one of his wives had miscarried their child. Padme wanted to stay near Leia, but knew that as long as she stayed, the more dangerous it was becoming to be near her. Anakin was searching for her, she knew it, and now he would be searching for the children as well. Obi-Wan was reasonably sure he wouldn't know of both children, but equally sure he would know of at least one birth. He had returned to Tatooine to take up residence in his cave and watch over Luke. "Padme? Am I disturbing you?" Bail's voice called softly from the doorway. Padme looked up, admiring his calming presence, the soothing timbre of his voice. He was one of her dearest and oldest friends. "Of course not, Bail. I'm happy to see you. How was the Capital?" Padme asked. "Hectic, as always. I have had a communiqué from Coruscant." Bail said calmly, but she heard the seriousness in his tone. "He is coming." She stated tonelessly. "Yes, ostensibly to go over some treaty papers, but what I believe is that he means to question me about you. And Padme, I do not have the strength to hide all my thoughts from him. You will have to flee, and leave Leia here. It is time, my dear." Bail said softly. "I know. I have felt him drawing closer. I have come up with a plan, however. I will stay until he arrives, then I will turn myself over to him. He will not question you overmuch, and Leia will be safer." She paused. "I hope." "But how will you explain about the child's whereabouts?" Bail asked. "I will tell him that Obi-Wan took the child from me and that I do not know where he took him. He will not be able to read my thoughts. Obi-Wan has taught me to shield that much from Anakin." "This is a dangerous plan, Padme." Bail warned. "Anger him, or make him suspicious..he could kill you." "I will be fine. Trust me, Bail. Anakin could not, and would not hurt me, ever." She answered. "I hope you're right. I'll send for the transport. The Executor arrives in 2 days." Bail stated. "Get me a transport, Bail, I'll meet him in space." Padme said suddenly, "I have an idea, and maybe I can stop him from landing on Alderaan at all."
A day and a half later, Anakin was summoned in his private chambers. He was sitting in darkness, not meditating, just searching with his mind. Something had been bothering him, and he couldn't decipher it. "My Lord?" came the voice of his captain. "What is it?" Anakin answered. "A transport vessel from Alderaan has asked permission to dock, and to board and speak with you." "Who is on the transport?" Anakin asked, amused at the temerity of the request. "My Lord, it is Lady Skywalker." The captain answered slowly. Anakin sat in stunned silence, then took a deep breath. "Allow her to land, and bring her to me." Then he shut the channel. Padme, that was who he'd sensed, getting closer. She must have escaped from Obi-Wan. He sent out a searching tendril of the force. He could sense no child from the transport, but he sensed Padme, and a strange sadness. Fifteen minutes later, a his door chimed and slid open. He saw her silhouette in the darkness, and intensified the lights til he could see her face. So beautiful, he wanted to cry, her eyes, like liquid pools of darkness gazing at him. She wore white, a gown much like the one she'd worn on their wedding day. Her dark hair was down, held back by a silver band. He walked to her and gazed at her in wonder, unbelieving that she could be here. Suddenly, he reached down and crushed her to him. "Oh, Padme, I've missed you so much." He whispered urgently. He pulled back and kissed her lips hungrily. She kissed him back, but he could sense her holding back. "Padme, say something." Anakin urged. "I've come to tell you something that you won't want to hear, but you must." Padme said slowly and carefully. "The child?" Anakin asked. She nodded. "Obi-Wan has taken him, I do not know where. Perhaps to Mace Windu in the Outer Rim, I do not know. He left me on Alderaan, and Bail Organa nursed me back to health. Our child is gone." Anakin felt the rage course through him, so much so that he didn't sense all the control that Padme was exerting. "I will find him, my love, I promise. And we will raise our child." Anakin said angrily, holding her close. "I cannot stay with you." Padme said softly. "What? Why not?" Anakin demanded, shocked. She'd come to him, on her own, of course she would stay. "You are a Sith. You have destroyed most of the Jedi, the peacekeepers of the Republic. You are a petty dictator, under a worse one. You destroy life. That is not who I am. Who you fell in love with. And you are not the man I married." Padme answered, and she took a step away from him and let her guard down. He felt it then. The disgust she felt looking at him, the rage, anger and hatred at what he'd become. And worse of all, the pity she felt for him. His breathing became harsh as he stared at her, his face frozen into a mask of anger. "I will not let you go, Padme, you must realize this." He managed to say tightly, wanting to scream. "You will make me your prisoner? Keep me in chains? Very well, but I still will not be your wife." Padme answered coldly. "Nothing you do, will make me love you. Remember that." "Obi-Wan, he's done this to you. Turned you against me. I can make you see this." Anakin urged suddenly. "You fool!" Padme shouted. "You did this! You turned me against you! Obi- Wan helped me escape because he wanted our child, yes, but also because he cared enough about me to get me away from the monster you were becoming. You are not Anakin Skywalker anymore! You are Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith, Supreme Commander of the Clone Armies! Not a Jedi!" her voice lost its fire and she looked up at him and reached up to touch his cheek briefly. "Not my husband." "Padme.." Anakin reached for her and halted as she looked up at him, tears flowing down her face. "Let me go, don't make me hate you." She said simply. "I can't, you know I can't." he answered. And pushing a button, he had the guards enter. "Please escort Lady Skywalker to her quarters." And she turned and left without a backwards glance, leaving her husband rocking back and forth on his meditation platform, willing the pain away.
Mace Windu sat with what Jedi he had left with him. They had hired some bounty hunters to seek out the Sith Lord Darth Vader. This was not the Jedi way, but Windu knew the Jedi were facing extinction. What Republic members he had left with him had overruled the Jedi's wishes. Darth Vader must be exterminated.
"He is destroying all of the order that exist. He has destroyed the Padawan's as well. Children. He must be stopped. Without him the Emperor will be weaker. He may be willing to negotiate then. But Darth Vader must die." The leader, a representative of Ord Mantell stated. "It is possible that he could be merely held, not necessarily killed." Windu argued. "He would not allow that. You know him. Even as a Jedi, he would not have allowed himself to be captured and held, he would die fighting." One of the other Jedi disagreed. Windu shook his head, that the Jedi had come to this. "We need bait, something that he himself would come for." Windu straightened. "I am the only such bait you have. He will come to face me, one on one. I will do it." He sighed, knowing that he had quite possibly just agreed to his own death.
"Lord Vader, one of our intelligence agents in the Outer Rim has had a sighting of Master Windu on Corellia. The sighting was only 2 days ago." Captain Ozzel exclaimed. "Take me there, now." Anakin smiled. Soon, Master Windu would fall, and without his leadership, the Jedi would fall as well. He knew that Master Yoda had all but disappeared, but that did not trouble him. Master Yoda was old, he would die soon, and though he was sure he could win in a duel with him, he wasn't eager to test it. Obi-Wan, though, he would not stop until he found Obi-Wan, found him and made him pay.
And just leaving the planetary boundary of Tatooine, Obi-Wan Kenobi was setting course for Corellia. He wasn't about to let this happen. He had to speak to the Rebellion, and face Anakin one last time.