Born Under a Bad Star: Part II:
Chapter 1-The Demon Child
Anakin was sitting in the corner of her bedroom, meditating.
Amidala often saw him there, sometimes at odd times of day. She had learned not to mention it to Dr. Sydos--he tended to give her such strange looks when she did. He thinks Anakin isn't really there, she thought. But she knew better. Anakin hides when Dr. Sydos looks for him. Jedi can do that, especially Jedi as strong as Anakin was.
Sometimes he would just sit there all day, never opening his eyes. Those were the good days. But sometimes he spoke to her---she dreaded those times. His eyes would open, and they would fix her with an blazing stare. She wanted to flee the room when that happened, but she was never able to do it.
Today his eyes opened. Amidala twisted her hands. Anakin's pale eyes burned with a white-blue light.
"Come here," he whispered.
Amidala obeyed, of course. She never disobeyed Anakin. At least, not after the first time.
She sat down, cross-legged, in front of Anakin. She prayed he wouldn't touch her--as he did sometimes. He stared at her.
"You haven't done as I told you," he said slowly, rocking himself back and forth slightly. "You know what that means."
Oh yes, she knew. "Please, Anakin. Don't take the baby away."
"We agreed," Anakin said softly.
"Yes, I know we agreed, but I can't do it. Beru won't let me near him."
"No excuses, Amidala. If you don't do as you're told, I'll take the other child instead."
"Why do you want to kill him?" Amidala wailed. "He's your son!"
Anakin gave her a sly, sidelong look. "Well, as to *that,*" he said, "Who knows?"
Amidala said dully, "He looks like you."
Anakin laughed, an open, boyish laugh. His eyes burned so bright a blue that they blurred in Amidala's vision.
"Not just like *me*," he mocked her.
"He's yours! So is Leia! I'm telling you the truth!" Amidala cried.
Anakin laughed again. "And we both know how truthful you are, don't we?"
"Anakin, please! I don't believe you'd hurt Leia."
"Oh? Don't you?" Anakin said, looking at her gleefully. "And what happened to your first daughter?"
Amidala felt as though she could not catch her breath. "Anakin, just give me another chance! I'll kill him, I promise."
Anakin stared at her, his face set.
"See that you do," he said coldly. "I want no more excuses from you....your Majesty," his voice changed, grew higher, more plaintive, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Are you all right?" Anakin's face changed, too, grew longer and older and sharper, and eventually evolved into that of Dr. Sydos. He was shaking her.
She was trembling. "Yes--yes, I'm alright," she whispered. Her speech was thick and slurred.
"You were screaming," Dr. Sydos faltered, "You seemed--upset."
This description was so entirely inadequate, Amidala felt like laughing. Only for a minute, though.
"Leia!" Amidala cried suddenly. "Where is she?"
Dr. Sydos disappeared. He was back in a moment, Leia in his arms. He gave the baby to her mother, and Amidala gathered her up, thanking the Nubian Guardians; she was still alive. The baby smiled happily at her. Amidala never failed to marvel at the child's sunny good nature; it was such a complete contrast to the other.
The other. Amidala refused to use the name Ben had given him. Didn't Ben know naming a changeling meant he was part of your family forever? It could never be undone. There were plenty of stories in Nubian folklore confirming this; invite a changeling in, name it, and nurture it and it would eventually suck every semblance of joy from your soul, kill your genuine children, and destroy your life.
And he *was* a changeling, Amidala was certain of it. Anakin had promised her a replacement for the child she had miscarried early in their marriage. That promise he'd kept, she had to admit, but like all such promises, it came freighted with pain and trouble. The miscarried child had been a girl, Amidala was certain of that. When Leia was born, she had been overjoyed---she had her child back. But she was still in pain-then the doctor had told her there was another child. This she could not understand, for she had never sensed him. But there he was anyway. He had been a breech presentation, and it had very nearly killed her. Typical of him, Amidala thought bitterly, to come into the world feet first.
They had shown her a shriveled, wizened creature and told her that he was her son. He wasn't; she knew better. Let Ben say he looked like Anakin; let Beru coo over him. It didn't matter. Not to her.
Ben had been present when the children were born, but he had left a fortnight afterwards, pleading an emergency. Amidala had wondered darkly if he simply wanted to escape from her. She had begged him not to go.
"I'll leave Beru with you," he said, as if this was a comfort to her.
"Beru!" Amidala had exclaimed, "She hates me, and you know it!"
"She doesn't hate you, Amidala," Ben said in an exaggeratedly patient way that made her want to slap him. "And she's very reliable. No initiative, of course, but give her a task, and she does it."
Amidala regretted her handmaidens. All gone now. The need for secrecy had shorn them from her. She no allies, except perhaps Dr. Sydos, and she was not precisely sure how reliable he was.
Beru was no help at all; she had always been polite, but Amidala sensed from the start that Beru disliked and despised her. Not overtly, of course; just the edge she gave some of the things she said. But complaining to Ben did nothing at all; it simply made her look petty.
So Ben had departed, and left Amidala to the tender mercies of Beru; who in Amidala's opinion was neither tender nor merciful. She had actually demanded that Amidala breast-feed the changeling. Amidala had refused: as if she would feed the demon-child at the expense of her beloved daughter! If he starved to death, she thought, so much the better.
But Beru was not so accommodating, and she eventually breast-fed the child herself. At first, Amidala hadn't cared, as long as nobody expected *her* to do it. But Anakin had cared. He had appeared late that night, levitating cross-legged beside her bed. Amidala was still awake; she slept very little, and she usually spent most of the night pacing. The constant movement soothed her --a little. But it also exhausted her, and yet Amidala could not seem to stop it.
"I told you what to do, didn't I?" Anakin whispered to her. His eyes opened and he stared at her angrily.
"I tried to leave, Anakin! They're watching me---all night---they never stop!"
"Not 'they," Anakin said, "That child is watching you. He's waiting for his chance."
"His chance?" Amidala said, fearfully.
Anakin smiled slowly. "His chance to kill Leia. He'll wait for his opportunity. One night you won't be able prevent yourself from sleeping. He'll wait for you to fall asleep; then he'll crawl into her crib; he'll suck her breath from her lungs and smother her. You'll find her lifeless body in her crib the next morning, Amidala. It will be your fault, too; you didn't protect her when you had the chance."
Amidala started to weep. She felt too tired to do anything else.
"But you can stop him," Anakin said softly.
Amidala caught her breath. "How?"
"Simple. Kill him first."
"I can't!" Amidala wailed. She felt weak with exhaustion.
"Oh yes, you can. Because if you don't I'll take Leia from you. If you won't protect her, I will. Make your choice, Amidala: either your daughter is dead, or I'll take her away. She'll make a fine Sith Princess, don't you think? Or maybe I'll just grow bored with her, and kill her anyway." He laughed merrily at this, chilling Amidala's spine.
Of course, she couldn't stop Anakin from doing as he promised. He was far too strong for her. He would steal her daughter and laugh at her grief; she knew it. Compared to him, the changeling seemed easy prey. She *could* best him; surely, she could. If she could just lure Beru away long enough.
She had tried, but Beru had been suspicious. Amidala ordered her off the planet; Beru had simply refused to go. Amidala had watched day and night for an opportunity; Beru stayed with the changeling every moment. And now Anakin was becoming impatient. Amidala knew that she must act, and soon.