Alright, I've not only finished another chapter, it's been spellchecked too! Yippee! Okay, I'm done. To all of you who asked, the new 'puter rocks! It is so great being able to open more than one window at a time, though I'm still getting used ot being able to run two programs at once. But most of you don't really care, so I won't go on about that.

REV042175: The family relationship is, primarily, what this story is about. I never intended for it to actually have a plot (or be this long, now that I think about it.) The whole story just kind of happened along the way. Don't worry too much about Daddy breaking up the family. They are all too stubborn for a little thing like that to seperate them for long. Oh, and the Padme/Han moment is coming up, eventually. Patience.

SSG Micheal B Jackson: I know Luke went down easy. But, if you think about it, he always plays along at first. Even with Jabba and Vader, he played along until the time was right to do something else. Things just didn't turn out that way this time. And, as you said, I couldn't find another way that this all fit. (Give me a break, if Leia was going to get screen time, Luke had to go down. :-)

I like negative reviews, they tell me that you were paying attention. I consider a truly critical review the highest praise you can give. BTW, Mike gets the gold star for today because he found my mistake in this chapter. And he gets a second one for correct spelling and use of the word seguay. Thanks, Mike.

I'm glad you liked Ani's involvement. I worried at first that it wouldn't be believable enough. Get ready, cause he isn't done yet. (I won't say anymore, you can figure it out.)

Kazzy: The reason for the bad guys' apparent stupididty will be revealed, I promise. In the mean time, consider it a suspense builder. (Thank you for not throwing fruit, BTW. Most people would have.) This chapter does that suspense thing again, sorry about that. But that's why you like it, right? Right? /sound of crickets chirping can be heard/

The sentence fragment at the end of you're review threw me, but I'm guessing you were trying to say something about the new Ani/Padme scene. If it was positive, thank you, if not, let me know. I actually wrote that scene a long time ago. See, I tried very hard to keep my flashbacks in chronological order. I don't like to jump around too much, it confuses me in other peoples stories. But I wrote this scene after I already posted the one where Padme faked her death. So it didn't fit. But this seemed the perfect place for it. I figure, as a dream, its not technically a flashback so it can be out of order, right? (I'm going to assume you agree, it's easier on my ego.) And, as Mike said, it makes for a great seguay.

Solarstorm: Here you go, as requested, one very short wait. (And a short chapter, but don't fret, the next one is on it's way.)

A/N Okay, this is short, but the governors aren't cooperating with me and my newest cast addition speaks with a heavy accent that I'm having trouble writing. (It's wreaking havoc with my spellcheck too, now I know why I avoid the darned thing!) But the next two chapters are mostly written and will follow shortly. (I hope)

I've noticed that my title doesn't fit with my story anymore. If anyone has any suggestions for a new title, I would like to hear them. I may not change it, but I'm going to seriously think about it.

On with the show.

Sorrow Multiplied

Chapter 11

Following a small family through the streets of Mos Eisely without being noticed was not easy. Despite being one of the biggest, noisiest, and most disgusting places on the planet, the spaceport just wasn't that big. The former queen was beginning to wonder just how big the galaxy was. She'd been in town barely an hour and she'd already run into three beings she knew through Redge and all of them had wanted to know what she was doing here. To top it all off, the boy had almost seen her twice now.

Obi-wan had warned her not to let him see her. It did not matter that he'd barely spent a week with her before he'd gone to live with the Lars family. According to Obi-wan he was more in tune with the force than his sister. He would recognize her instantly and that would be bad. Little Luke was already too visible, according to the old Jedi. If Vader happened to look this way...

But there was no way she could not see her boy, even if she couldn't let him see her. He was six years old now. She couldn't help smiling as he stopped trailing his aunt to help an old lady who had tripped. The woman smiled at him and pushed him off to catch up. She knew clothing did not vary much in the dessert, but she could have sworn Luke was wearing Ani's old clothes.

Despite that, the resemblance wasn't as great as she had thought it might be. Yes, Luke had that sandy blond hair and those deep blue eyes, but that was all he seemed to get from his father. Where Ani had been solidly built as a boy, Luke was slender. Luke did not look nearly as stubborn either, though according to Obi-wan he seemed to have inherited both his parent's stubbornness. And her little boy always seemed to be looking at something else. Ani had always been focused on what was coming now. Luke seemed to spend a lot of time thinking, dreaming, and planning. Padmè had no idea where he might have gotten that from. Certainly not from her.

Luke turned and glanced over his shoulder and she had to duck behind a doorway. Luckily, the boy ran right into his aunt's back, buying his mother a reprieve. Padmè paused and tugged at her cloak; the material was hot, but from the heat that bathed her face and hands, she knew it helped more than it hurt. She wondered if anyone actually liked being here. Certainly no one she had met liked the planet. Well, Jedi Qui gon had liked it well enough, but he had always seemed to like every planet.

Wondering why she was thinking about dead jedi when her son was so close, Padmè rushed out of her hiding place to catch up with Beru. She hurried a bit too fast and ran right into another cloaked figure.

"My apologies-" She broke off as she recognized the cloak and the man inside. "Obi-wan!"

"You should leave now, milady." He said calmly. His hair and beard were graying a bit and Padmè couldn't help but notice the laugh lines around his eyes were turning into real wrinkles.

"I know, I shouldn't even be here. I know these are good people, but I can't help feeling like I've abandoned him. And I've left him here of all places!"

He smiled at her sadly. "It is the only way. Well, the only way worth considering. Some of my colleagues had other ideas, but you would have liked them even less."

The former queen shuddered, knowing 'colleagues' meant Master Yoda. She'd heard his plan and it had taken all her self control and a fierce kick from one of the twins to keep her from doing something insane. "I know, Obi- Ben. I know. I just wish..."

The old jedi laid a hand on her shoulder. "I know. I too wish there were another way, that things had turned out differently

They stood that way for a long time, comfortable in the feeling of shared pain. Both felt better for knowing that there was at least one other person in the galaxy who understood.

"I had better leave. Kerinè is expecting me any time now. When I found out they were here, I just had to see him once," She tried to smile and failed.

The old Jedi handed her two paper-wrapped packages. "One is for you the other is for Bail Organa, on Alderaan. It should be hand delivered to him."

Padmè smiled and nodded. It was always the same. Though she had only been able to see him twice, Beru, bless the woman, always made sure Ben had something to give her. This time the package was large and flat. Curiosity tore at her, but Padmè resisted. She tucked both bundles into her cloak and quickly hugged the old Jedi.

"What would I do without you, Obi-wan?" She whispered for his ears only.

"You would be a lot happier, milady." he wore that look of self loathing she'd seen on him occasionally since Anakin had gone. She knew he was torturing himself, that if it weren't for her and Luke, he might not have even lived this long.

"How dare you!" She had to fight not to slap him. "If you weren't here, I would be dead along with my children. Don't you ever think that Obi-wan Kenobi. You have saved my life time and again and now you are looking after my boy. Right now," her voice softened as she looked into his eyes,"you are the one good part about my life. Between you and Bail, you've not only kept me alive, but you've kept me sane."

He could not have managed a smile if his life depended on it, but he did manage not to frown. "I'm only doing what I can. It's not much, I'm afraid."

"It's enough." She hugged him again and quickly turned into the crowd. The jedi stood still. After another moment, he was joined by a man in farmer's clothes.

"What did you tell her?"

"To hold on. What else could I tell her, Owen?"

The farmer grunted and crossed his arms. "How about stay away?"

Obi-wan managed a bemused smile. "And what if Vader and the Emperor died tomorrow and she told the same thing to you?"

Owen grunted again.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone else you care about him. I won't ruin your cover."

After another grunt, then both turned and walked away in unison.

Back on her ship, Padmè waved hello to Kerinè and rushed toward her cabin. The girl, barely eight years old, was turning out to be a fair mechanic and was working on one of the doors, which seemed to be stuck.

Ignoring her cheerful "welcome back!" Padmè slapped the door panel quickly and flopped onto her sleep couch. She tore at the wrapping on the thin package and soon held her prize. It was a drawing. The medium was crude, a local mineral that had been crushed and mixed with wax formed the writing instrument. The page was one of the thin sheets the locals made. It was closer to glass than paper, but it worked almost the same. Despite the inferior quality, the artwork was the best gift she'd ever been given.

It depicted a small aircraft of a kind Padmè did not recognize. The lines were thick and broken, but the placement of each mark had been done with precision and care. There were details in the drawing that made her think of schematics and blueprints. She ran one finger along the wing of the plane. Luke had done this drawing. He already loved to fly and apparently loved planes just as much.

Settling the image on her dressing table, Padmè quickly wiped her face and headed out to check on Kerinè, who was proud to show off the newly repaired door hydraulics.

Ever since the republic had fallen, Naboo had been on it's own. With little or no input from outside sources, a population can stagnate. With no common thread holding them together, with no overall governing agent, even the smallest difference can turn friends into enemies. Understanding this, the Gungans had disappeared when the planet, as a whole, neglected to fill the vacancies left in it's government by Palpatine's massacre. After decades, the leaders of smaller sections of the government had risen to control larger and larger parts, while other, more remote, areas became completely lawless.

While this was happening, the native inhabitants of the world stayed hidden. They lived alone in their underwater cities and watched their friends fade away. However, some of them felt guilty about the seclusion. Some Gungans, especially the younger ones, felt guilty about abandoning their former allies. They had heard Queen Amidala's speeches about unity and working together and couldn't help but wonder if their races withdrawal had contributed to the decline of the Naboo civilization.

However, the leaders wanted nothing to do with the Naboo. They were from the old school of thought and decided that it had been a mistake to ever ally themselves with humans. So, those who wanted to help, had to do so in secret. A small band of Gungans had been in contact with a small band of Naboo and together they had been working to try and stabilize the failing civilizations.

They gathered resources to rebuild and care for fallen monuments, they passed around artwork and music that would remind people of the past. It was a small contribution. There was little obvious effect, but eventually, they started seeing results. People formed groups on their own to do the things the government had previously done. Individuals worked together to clean and maintain the roads. Schools volunteered to repair murals and statuary. Eventually, little reminders of the past began popping up everywhere. Not just in Theed, but all over the planet. Nothing new was accomplished, but people who had fallen into depression and despair at the rise of the empire eventually realized they could do something after all. They could teach their children what had happened, so that maybe mistakes would not be repeated.

This, ultimately, was the goal of the little group. They wanted to remind their friends and families of what hope was like and maybe keep just a little part of their past. It ultimately wouldn't save the planet. They knew that, even from the beginning. But their hope was that they could keep it together until some who could save them arrived. Now, their dream had come true. Someone had arrived to save them, but that person needed help that only they could give.

Telia knew her friends would have already heard what was going on. She knew the Gungans in the group would be speaking to their leaders right now, she also knew they couldn't know the latest development, the one she'd heard on the way to the forest. The Queen was missing. The car they had taken had disappeared and was believed to have crashed. It was not hopeless to believe the former queen and her children to be alive, they were not easy to get rid of. But their disappearance could be used to spur the Gungan government into action, or at least into peace talks.

The Gungan leadership had changed again. The old boss had passed on and the new leader was of a younger generation, though not one of the underground group. However, Boss Tyro would definitely be more receptive than his predecessor. Telia abandoned her speeder at the edge of a large lake and took one of the groups submarine vessels to the hidden Gungan city.

Once at the Palace, Han's mission was stymied by a throng of reporters. They had mobbed the building and seemed to be everywhere. Now, more than just local yokels were aiming recorders; beings from all over the Galaxy were in front of the building being held off by a hand full of what looked like planetary security. The noise level alone was enough to drive a man crazy. Deciding this wasn't his area of expertise, the former smuggler hurried out of the crowd.

Slipping through some severely overgrown foliage, Han made his way around the building Having seen only a small part of the once great city, Han was surprised at the state the building had fallen to. The great pillars and statuary that decorated the building were covered in vines and lichens. Plasticrete windows were broken or clouded over with grime while the gardens that had obviously taken a great deal of time to create grew over with weeds. A small animal of some kind crawled out of a crack in the stonework even as the smuggler watched.

Han was in luck, the fire red sunset revealed a window on the second level had been broken, providing a perfect entrance into the structure. He dragged a large table over to the wall and prepared to climb in, when he heard voices coming his way. Jumping down, he prepared to grab his blaster.

A woman walked into view just as he was reaching for the weapon and he paused. With waist length red hair in a long braid and a charcoal colored suit, she might have been a reporter. It would definitely be a bad idea for a hero of the rebellion to fire on innocent reporters. Han could just imagine what Leia would say about that!

"Who are you?" Han asked the surprised woman. Before she could answer, a tall, gangly alien climbed out of the same bush she had. It had orange skin and long ears and wore a blue robe with dignity, though it kept tugging at the material.

"Missuss Teleea? Whatsa goin on?"

Telia turned back. "We have to avoid the reporters. Just give me a moment to deal with this one and then we'll make it to the assembly." She stepped toward Han threateningly. A vibroblade appeared in her hand and Han stepped back. Apparently this woman did not share Leia's attitude toward the press.

"Now listen, miss," Han began. "I'm not a reporter, I'm a friend of Leia Organa's."

Telia snarled and glared at him. "If you are a friend of the ambassador, why are you climbing in through the window?"

Looking sheepishly at the table behind him, Han shrugged. "She doesn't exactly know I'm coming. I just have to see her. It's important"

Eyeing him steadily, Telia relaxed her pose. The knife disappeared and she stepped toward Han. "I'm Telia Nor Fillia. I'm bringing an ambassador to help."

"My name's Han Solo. Did you plan on climbing in through the window too?"

"No, I plan to use the secret passageway built into the wall for maintenance purposes." She stepped around Han and headed for a blank stretch of stone. She knelt and pushed aside some weeds, exposing a small metal panel. Under the panel was a keypad. After she entered a sequence to fast and long for Han to follow, a seam appeared in the stone and a section of the wall moved in.

"I take it you've been here before then?"

Inside the conference, tempers were raging. A few well placed comments had worked the local governors into a state of fury. Many were convinced they were going to be put on trial for crimes against the monarchy. Others had been on his payroll for quite some time and believed they would have a place in his new government if they helped him. His plan was working perfectly. The former queen and her children were a safe distance away, locked safely in a vault and soon the situation would be ripe for him to step in.

Yes, he may have no power now, but when he miraculously rescued the queen after settling the disputes here, they would elect him King. It was only a matter of time now, everything was in place.

"Sir?" The voice was timid and whining.

"What is it? You are supposed to be guarding-" He broke off and looked around. In a quieter tone, he said, "You are supposed to be guarding them."

The weasely little man trembled. "But- But sir! You called us back here. Didn't you?"