*

Chapter Six - Balance Begins

That evening, Obi-Wan fell ill. Oddly, Master Alanna, who was at the house for Padmé's checkup, was also sluggish and tired. She checked the Knight's blood and her own for infections and came up with nothing.

Obi-Wan rested on the parlor sofa, nauseated and weak. Alanna staggered into the room and said, "I've talked to Lula. She's as sick as we are, and it started at the same time. An open communication to Coruscant risks exposure, so I told her to ask Queen Jamilla if everything's all right at home."

"But you can still use the Force, though?" Obi-Wan asked. He'd been reaching out for the last hour. It felt like a stampede of herdbeasts, wild and uncontrollable.

"Yes, but barely. It's like a river that has overflowed its banks. Unused. I've never felt it like this before. We need to find out what's happening, surely the Council will be able to tell us."

Obi-Wan nodded at the healer, and she left the chamber. The floor was tilting, Obi-Wan couldn't keep his eyes fixed on one spot in the room, it was spinning. Or maybe he was spinning, he wasn't sure.

Kenobi and Olau anchored each other long enough to meditate together, looking for answers. The Force did not oblige. Master Alanna declared herself fit enough to make her way back to the city and left. Padmé helped Obi-Wan to his bedchamber.

*

The next morning, Obi-Wan felt better. Padmé watched over him, concerned, but she relaxed after seeing how much breakfast he ate. She contacted the healers; both were fine, though they didn't have any more of an idea as to why they were sick than Obi-Wan did. But whatever it was, it wasn't gone. Their bodies had simply adjusted.

They didn't have to wait for long to find out what it was. While Obi-Wan was out running, a report from the Queen arrived. Padmé groaned wordlessly as she read: By order of the Senate, all Jedi Masters, Knights, and Padawans are hereby ordered to return to Coruscant for registration. All Jedi are to surrender themselves to Republic authorities immediately. Any citizen of the Republic who is discovered to be harboring a Jedi is subject to penalty...

Padmé checked the date. This order had come out over a month before – why hadn't she known about it before today? Master Alanna talked about the Registration. Harboring? It makes them sound like fugitives. she thought. Why did Queen Jamilla keep this from me? The next message was from the Queen, as well, and it gave the lie to the benign façade of the proclamation. It included a visual of what used to be the Jedi Temple. It was now a smoldering, collapsed ruin.

Padmé's morning sickness had settled recently to a rare twinge in her midsection, but that horrible image brought it back in full force. She made it to the large refresher just in time.

Resting her head on the side of the bathtub, Padmé thought, She was protecting Obi-Wan and me. Jamilla is crazy, keeping this from us, what if the Senate found out that he or the healers are here? She could still see the image of the ruined Temple, even when she squeezed her eyes shut. The Archives are gone? Oh, dear Force, the children! Padmé's face crumpled as she mourned the innocent Jedi, young and old, who had been marked for death or already murdered. Why would they do this? How could the Senate permit it? It's genocide!

It had to be Chancellor Palpatine. But why? The last vestiges of goodwill that she had harbored toward the Senator who had represented her when she ruled Naboo, the Chancellor who had hosted a reception in her honor and called her a friend, were jettisoned at that moment. That monster, she thought, rage swelling in her heart, tears leaking out of her eyes. She was glad that Obi-Wan was feeling better; he was still out. She wanted him to learn from her, not the newsnets, that his life was in jeopardy. That's why they were sick - feeling the death of their people through the Force must have been overwhelming. I didn't even feel it like they did, but look at me now. She ran a hand over her rebellious belly.

The front door slammed. Padmé didn't want Obi-Wan to see her like this again; she lunged to shut the door. But she wasn't fast enough, and the Jedi appeared in the doorway. "Oh," he sighed sympathetically. "Are you all right, how can I help?" He crouched next to her, a gentle hand on her back.

"I'm all right now, it's passed," she replied awkwardly. Padmé couldn't look at him. She also didn't want Obi-Wan to see that she'd been crying.

"Can you stand?" Padmé nodded, and Obi-Wan half-braced, half-lifted her to her feet.

"Thank you." Padmé kept her eyes down.

It was futile, of course. The Jedi picked up on her mood right away. "Is it Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked gently.

Damn clairvoyant. Padmé shook her head. She turned away, but she could still see him in the mirror, concerned. There was nowhere to hide.

*

Obi-Wan watched Padmé carefully. He was determined not to be scared off by any of the - messier - aspects of pregnancy. The only thing that really made him nervous was when he read of how many women had an increased sex drive...

Trivial matters were driven out of Obi-Wan's mind by what he saw in the mirror. Padmé raised her chin and looked at him like...like he was dead, or dying, and nothing could be done about it. Obi-Wan's heart seemed to stop beating. "What is it?"

Padmé's eyes flicked from side to side, as though looking for a place to escape. But then her jaw clenched, and she turned to face him.

In a low voice, Padmé murmured, "The Jedi...the Temple has been destroyed. The Jedi are gone."

The crease in Obi-Wan's forehead threatened to ascend into his hairline. "Gone?"

Padmé couldn't summon the words. She led her friend into the common room and sat him down at her commstation.

Kenobi could only sit, open-mouthed, as he looked at the image. Who would do such a thing, how could any sentient being condone it? Obi-Wan rose from the desk. He staggered to his bedchamber.

As soon as he was inside, Obi-Wan thumped to the floor. Rage, grief, despair...dozens of emotions were crowding in his mind, each one clamoring for his attention. The Dark Side of the Force swept about him, whispering promises of revenge. The Knight rejected it in disgust; servants of the Dark Side had done this to his people. What can I do? I can't just stay here and do nothing. There's got to be something I can do, someone must have survived...

Obi-Wan clamored to find the refuge that was the peaceful center of his connection to the Light Side of the Force. After much struggling, he accessed it and stretched out with his feelings. The Force was running as wild and unused as it had the day before. Refusing to give up, he looked to it again and again. He finally harnessed a thread of light.

Acknowledge your sorrow.

The loss of his people, just for being what they were born to be, filled his eyes with tears. Obi-Wan wept. Still in the common room, Padmé heard and crept to the door, then decided to go in. She couldn't lie and say that it would be all right, but that wasn't what he needed. Padmé knelt on the floor next to her friend and reached for him, wrapping one arm around his shoulders and cradling his head to her heart. Obi-Wan reached up and held on for dear life. "I'm so sorry," she murmured, meeting his grieving grey gaze. They cried together for the Jedi that lost their lives.

Obi-Wan's thoughts continued to race for several minutes. Breathing deeply, he got control of his voice and said, "They're my people. Why was I spared? How could I not have known?"

Padmé replied, "All three of you were so sick yesterday. It must be impossible to learn specifics through the Force from so many light-years away, even during an event as terrible as this. But you knew something was happening."

He nodded, understanding. "M'Lady, I'm not sure I can stay here."

Padmé's body twitched. "I understand. You must do what you feel is right, of course." But she couldn't help it; her muscles tightened, holding her protector closer. While he let her.

Obi-Wan wiped his eyes and hers, then murmured thanks. Recognizing her cue, Padmé got up off the floor and left Obi-Wan alone. She shut the door to his bedchamber. Each of them wondered how they were going to protect the other in the wake of this disaster.

*

Padmé wiped her eyes as her mind raced. If Obi-Wan is discovered - connect him to me - us to Queen Jamilla - this is a government-owned safe house - disobedience - Naboo's autonomy could be forfeit, it could destroy us. She hastened to her commstation, to make preparations for her departure.

Padmé found the disk that contained an exclusive encryption system called the Queen's Code. She inserted it into the commstation and was in the middle of composing a message that declared her intention to leave the planet immediately when she heard a beep. The incoming message was also encrypted under Queen's Code. Padmé accessed it: You and I are two of six people on this planet who know what they are. Stay where you are, or I'll have Captain Panaka place you both under house arrest.

Padmé knew her successor well enough to know that, though she might speak diplomatically when she was among other politicians, Jamilla was straightforward with her friends, and always trustworthy. "Jamilla, may the Force be with you always," Padmé murmured, invoking the ancient blessing of the Jedi upon her successor and friend. She would stay. Obi-Wan might choose to leave Naboo and search for refugees, she knew he wanted to. Padmé would do what she could to help, but she wasn't going anywhere.

*

Author's Notes: Thanks for reading!

Winter-Lady: Thank you very kindly for the compliment. Here you go!

Jedi Elu-Leen: Thank you very much for the reviews, Padawan! ; ) Such praise, my heart sings as I read it! Hey, I've heard rumors about a love triangle between a certain Jedi knight, his wife, and his beautiful former knight-master. I doubt they'll be true, I've also heard rumors about Padmé and Bail Organa (Yuck!) And about the eyes, I didn't make this up. I have an aunt who has eyes that change according to her moods and clothes. Go figure.

I've also sent more chapters to Aiska at obidala.com, but that was just a couple of days ago, and I've asked her *I'm slapping my own wrist* to replace the existing chapters with the ones I've sent, and I've sent her chapters one through six, I think. I haven't heard back from her yet, but I gather from her updates that she's really busy lately.