"All we ask for is a location, Majesty."
Only the Empress Amidala Skywalker could achieve so regal a posture and dignified an expression while chained hand and foot to a filthy duracrete wall. Her cool gaze remained fixed on a point somewhere on the wall opposite her, and she was very beautiful despite her disheveled hair and ruined dress.
The Rebel interrogator noted her obstinate silence. He had been with the captive royal for forty-three hours, alternating between threats and cajoling in an effort to extract some kind of information – any kind of information – from the second-highest-ranking person in the Empire. All his efforts had been in vain so far, despite the fact that the woman hadn't eaten, drank, or slept since she had entered this room. It was time to bring in the artillery.
"Give us the information, Majesty. You will regret it if you do not."
"Release me. You will regret it if you do not," She echoed, mockingly. Her voice was rough with dehydration, but she had not lost her spark.
He sneered at her. "You leave us no choice, then. You've been given full warning – anything that happens from here on out is your responsibility."
A multi-limbed, almost spider-like droid, matte black in color, entered the tiny cell. The Empress glanced at it briefly and dispassionately. "I will not break under torture. I advise you to believe me when I say I will die first."
The interrogator smiled, unpleasantly. "We are well aware of your training, Your Majesty. Very well aware."
Now two soldiers came in, both looking vaguely discomfited. They each carried a small human child, one girl and one boy. Both were unconscious and carefully shackled. The guards roughly deposited them on the ground and left, rather hurriedly, closing the cell door at their backs. It was clear they wanted no part in what was to come.
Every scrap of composure vanished from the Empress's lovely face. "No… but they escaped the ambush…!"
"Or so you thought."
She turned her eyes on him for the first time since she had entered the cell, and the interrogator knew he had her. "You… you cannot mean to… they're children!"
"Sith children," He answered smoothly. "Surely your husband has trained them to resist torture?"
"They're only four!" She cried. "They're still just babies, please… you cannot harm them!"
"Ah, but I can," The interrogator drew a blaster and pointed it, casually, at the little boy's blonde head.
The Empress made a sound like a dying animal. "Do with me as you will but do not harm them, I beg of you!"
"And give your husband the satisfaction of reporting your martyrdom to the galaxy?"
She was, for an instant, too furious to speak. "Anakin would never… you understand nothing!"
"I understand enough, Majesty, quite enough," He said, unable to restrain another smile. "Now then. Let's have the location of the secret weapons research plant His Majesty recently constructed."
She did not hesitate. "Omazakri."
"Really. And what about that personal retreat we've been hearing so much about?"
"The planet… has no name. Its designation is…" She took a long breath to steady her voice. "G5-89 Beta."
"And the academy for Sith trainees?"
Her face twisted. The new Sith Order was the Emperor's pet project. "Korriban."
"You lie!" He shouted, and she recoiled. "We know for a fact that it is on Vetch-Zath. You have given us reason to doubt the veracity of your information. K3-08, you may begin. Start with the girl."
Amidala shrieked. "Leia! Don't hurt her… Leia!"
The droid was not programmed to obey her commands. It easily plucked up the little dark-haired child and began to strap her onto its chassis. The equipment was clearly designed for adult humans, not four-year-olds; the droid had to make some adjustments as it worked. The Empress shut her eyes and sobbed a frantic series of names and numbers, all of which were carefully noted by the interrogator. He did not stop the droid, however.
Raised voices cut off shortly and the distinct thump of two human bodies hitting the ground interrupted the proceedings. Even through her tears the Empress heard the definite whoosh of a lightsaber, just outside the cell door. The interrogator stumbled back in a panic. Amidala breathed a name. The door slammed open.
But it was not Emperor Skywalker who stood there. Instead, it was a man no longer young but not quite old yet, his auburn hair shot with gray. A blue lightsaber glowed fiercely in his hand. His expression was beyond fury.
"Master Kenobi?" The interrogator ventured, voice both questioning and hopeful. The words were his last as the Jedi swiftly decapitated him.
"Obi-Wan," Padmé said pleasantly, as if she were in the habit of being rescued by officially deceased, unofficially traitorous Jedi. There was a touch of wariness to her tone, however.
"Padmé,' He acknowledged in kind, carefully but with blinding speed slicing little Leia from the torture droid. He removed her bonds and Luke's before cutting Padmé loose. She immediately embraced her children, finding them unconscious but otherwise unharmed.
Obi-Wan registered her reaction with a brief smile. "Milady, I offer my apology for the actions of these men."
Her glance, turned upon him, was cold. "You apologize for them. Are they yours, then?"
"No. But they are Rebels, albeit of a different faction than my own, and as such I share a measure of culpability for their actions. Believe me, Padmé, I would not wish you or your family harmed."
"Does that include Anakin?" She asked, then corrected herself immediately. "Forgive me, my friend. That was… unfair of me."
He did not answer the question, just accepted the apology with a nod. "Let us turn our attention to the task of returning you and the children to Imperial space."
She nodded. "Do you have a ship I can borrow?"
He smiled, quite wryly. "Unfortunately, Padmé, I cannot let you leave this place on your own. First of all, the chance that you would be recaptured is too great. Second, it would not do for this base's location to be revealed to Anakin as of yet. I must ask you to accept your protection for the time being."
"I wouldn't tell him," She protested, but otherwise did not object. "Thank you, though. This is… very kind of you, Obi-Wan. Will you carry Luke for me?"
He picked up the sleeping boy gently, smiling. "He looks just like Anakin."
"He does, doesn't he?"
Obi-Wan's face twisted with the pain of loss for a moment, and Padmé pitied him immensely. When all was said and done, she still had Anakin. Obi-Wan had lost his beloved brother forever. But he recovered quickly, and nodded to the door. "Shall we?"
"Let's." They stole out of the room, each carrying an unconscious child. Neither of them looked back.
Approximately three hours later, they were in hyperspace, heading away from the Rebel base. Obi-Wan at this point finally unlocked the door to the cabin of the small shuttle they'd commandeered after evading the guards and exiting the facility. Padmé, who had remained inside to safeguard the integrity of the base's security, was sitting at the side of the bunk in which Luke and Leia lay. She looked up and smiled wearily as Obi-Wan entered.
"We should reach Coruscant soon," He told her. "How are the children doing?"
"I'm worried," She answered, absent-mindedly ruffling Luke's short blond hair. "I know that they were sedated, but they're taking a long time to wake up."
"They'll be all right," He assured her. "I know it."
"And I am not foolish enough to doubt a Jedi's instincts," She laughed a little, but he realized abruptly that she had tears in her eyes. Suddenly, she embraced him.
"Padmé?" He asked, not sure how to respond. Anakin had been prone to these displays of emotion as well, and Obi-Wan had never known how to return them. He was now quite sure that that had been one of the many, many parts of the problem.
"I'm sorry," Wiping her eyes, she released him. "I'm so sorry. I just… I thought you were dead."
"I thought so too," He gently guided her to the cockpit and the only chairs on the shuttle. "Anakin… did not finish our fight."
"He spared you?" Padmé asked, knowing the answer. If it had been vice versa she would not currently have the title of Empress to her name. "I'm… oh, Obi-Wan, I always thought that was the worst he could have done, and if he spared you… I'm so glad."
"I wasn't," He said honestly. "For a very long time, I couldn't understand why he didn't… why he couldn't just kill me. I wished he had. I thought… that it would be better. Better than watching the world I knew crumble."
"I wished I'd died like he dreamed," She murmured. "Died in childbirth, giving my life to Luke and to Leia… oh, Obi-Wan, I tried to run, I swear I did. He brought me back."
"I know, Padmé," He said gently, touching her arm in support. "It can't have been easy for you, either. It is good to see that you are well."
"The worst part is that I am… well," She turned her face away from him, in shame, he thought. "I should not be, I know. Considering… it all. But when it comes down to it, I have the children. I have Anakin, and I can't help but love him – love him more than ever, perhaps. And I have work of a sort."
"You've done great good, Padmé," Obi-Wan said. "I can see your handiwork everywhere in his government. Your influence is obvious every time he utilizes a diplomatic solution instead of, err…"
"Aggressive negotiations," She finished for him. He laughed, and she joined in, and quite soon they were both crying in hilarity and grief.
When they finally recovered, they both apologized in unison. Obi-Wan gave a watery chuckle at this. "We both know him too well, it seems."
"You always knew him the best – far better than I."
"Not so," He shook his head emphatically. "If I had known him that well, I would never have… but there's no use in going down that line of thought. Tell me, Padmé, if you will. Has he changed?"
She bit her lip, thinking. "Yes… and no. He is… older, and I never thought he would be. He knows the value of caution now, and of persistence as opposed to stubbornness. He's become an excellent politician, which you know if you watch the holonews for more than five seconds. The worst part of that is that I think he learned it from me. He still cares too much, but he's better at hiding it and better at closing off those parts of himself that used to make him act foolishly. This… job… it suits him well. He'd more confident and less arrogant. But… well…"
"Aggressive negotiations, but this time with an army."
"Yes," She sighed. "I needn't bore you with the details, and besides, I'm sure you know them better than me."
"He hides it from you, doesn't he?"
"He tries. What word does filter out through the media… that's the most I hear of it. I know the very sanitized, very justified versions of the massacres. Of the torture and the executions… Obi-Wan, I know it's happening, but he hasn't slipped up yet and I'm starting to think he won't, so I can't tell when or what or to whom. He says it isn't my concern."
"Padmé…"
She looked at him. Her eyes were bright with pain. "Obi-Wan, do you blame me?"
He couldn't lie to her. "Not nearly as much as I blame myself."
"We…" She wiped her eyes. "Between the two of us, we have enough blame for the galaxy."
It was a little too true, and he had nothing to offer by way of reply. Instead, he offered her a tissue, and she took it gladly. After a while she spoke again.
"I know you wonder about the possibilities."
"Daily. More than that."
"What if Anakin hadn't killed Palpatine?'
He'd thought this one out one drunken night three years ago while on Ardenwer for the Rebellion. "You would be dead, certainly, and probably the children as well. Anakin –"
Padmé was shaking her head. "Not about us. The political situation."
"Ah," He had thought of this too. "The Rebellion and the Empire would both be very different. I can't help but think that Palpatine's Empire would be far more corrupt."
"I think that goes without saying."
"The Rebellion might have been… weaker, but better united. As it is now, it's divided between good people who cannot abide tyranny and very bad people who have lost their livelihoods to the Imperial anti-crime campaigns. The latter were responsible for your capture, Padmé."
"So I surmised. It's still incredible to me how the majority of the population is content just to go along with him," She was speaking as the Senator and democrat she had been, as if she were not an integral part of the Empire she despised.
"Most people are followers, not revolutionaries," He reminded her. "It is… difficult to admit, but there is much to admire about Anakin's reign, at least so far. Crime is down, especially in the Outer Rim. He's broken the Hutts and the slaving rings. Employment is skyrocketing. He's reduced taxes from Republic levels while still maintaining – maybe even improving – services. What does the average citizen care for niceties like freedom of speech and the press?"
She nodded, sadly. "Or for the deaths of dissidents whose names they do not even know."
"There is also…" He began, carefully. "The Emperor and Empress are heroes. They are young, attractive, passionate, and very much in love. The Empress is famous for her kindness and intelligence, the Emperor for his courage and dedication. They have two adorable children, and provide a home life that is an example to all. Such… easy leaders to follow."
She did not respond, and he knew he had gone too far. Guilt flooded him. "Forgive me, milady. I had no right –"
"You have every right," She said quietly. "And I am the one who needs forgiveness."
"No," He said. "No. You've done the best that you can, and I've done the same, and –"
"And the galaxy is a wreck, and he's a Sith, Obi-Wan, a Sith, and soon –"
"Mama?" Luke and Leia had appeared in the cabin doorway, blinking sleepily.
Padmé rushed to them, embracing them tightly. "Oh, my darlings…"
"Mama, I was scared," Leia started crying in perfect unison with Luke.
"We tried to make them move scary like Father said, Mama, really we tried."
"But they had blasters and they shooted all the guards…"
"We were so scared –"
"Shh," Padmé murmured. "It's all right. We're safe now. And we'll be home very soon."
They separated from her a little, looking warily at Obi-Wan. They were capable of remarkably suspicious expressions for four-year-olds. "Who's that?"
Padmé stood. "This is Master Kenobi. He's… an old friend… of mine and your father's."
"I'm Luke," The little blond child said. His resemblance to Anakin was ripping pieces out of Obi-Wan's abdomen.
"I'm Leia," His sister, tiny and dark-haired like Padmé, added.
"I know," Obi-Wan smiled at them, ignoring his own anguish. "But I imagine that most people do. Isn't that right?"
They nodded. They were used to being recognized by strangers, and in any case, they had more pressing concerns. "We're hungry."
"Here, I think there are some ration bars somewhere in here," Obi-Wan retrieved the food from a cabinet, and the twins set on it eagerly, barely pausing to deliver polite but hurried thanks. Padmé smiled gratefully.
"Thank you. They are… good children, and I don't think that's just a mother's conceit."
"He's training them, isn't he. As Sith."
Her face twisted for a moment. "Of course he is."
Obi-Wan felt the tragedy quite keenly in that moment. He studied the two children, wondering if he would be able to find the Dark Side staring out of their eyes. But there was nothing for him to see except a pair of four-year-olds. "In another world… a better world… I might have trained them."
"Really?"
"Yes. Despite what I'm sure you've heard, there are some precedents to Jedi having children. We are… not celibate, and mistakes can occur. The Force is a genetic trait. Most of those descended from Jedi also make their way to the Order. If Anakin had ever brought his children to us, I would have taken one of them as my Padawan."
Padmé frowned. "I'm not sure I could have given them up, my friend. I could not understand… when Shmi gave Anakin to Qui-Gon, I could not understand her choice. And Anakin was already old enough to voice his opinions on the matter."
He had nothing to say to this, and fortunately Luke filled up the silence. "Mama, when will we be home?"
"Soon, my love," Padmé smiled at him. "Very soon."
The twins fell asleep again soon enough, a deep natural sleep this time, not their prior drugged slumber. Obi-Wan helped Padmé carry them to the bunk.
"They keep getting heavier," Padmé commented, relaxing in her seat in the cockpit.
"I can feel… they're very strong in the Force for children of their age," Too strong, really. What in the Force could Anakin's training entail?
She stared out the viewport. "I wish I could be proud of that. Sith children… the interrogator called them that. I've already brought one Sith into this world, Obi-Wan… and my children will fall into the darkness as well…"
He regarded her, then said, carefully, "Padmé, if you wish it, I can take you away from here. Master Yoda could protect you. You'd be safe with him, I promise you that."
She glanced at him quickly, and for a fleeting moment her eyes were full of a wild longing. Padmé desperately wanted what he was offering her, what only he could give her at this moment. Freedom, conscience, and escape into her duty: all of these could be hers again. But love won, as it had before and would again, so she slowly shook her head no. "Forgive me, Obi-Wan. I cannot. I can't take the children from their father. I can't take myself away from Anakin. He really… needs me. And I need him just as much."
"I don't doubt you," Obi-Wan said gravely. "Padmé, as long as you're alive the potential exists for his salvation. Do not forget that."
"I know," She smiled at him. "I know. And… thank you for your offer. It makes a great deal to me."
"Yes. I'm glad that I made it, as well."
Two battalions of clone troopers, a medical team complete enough to staff a small but very elite hospital, a couple dozen half-panicked aides, and the Emperor himself waited on the small landing platform. There was a thick tension, knotted with fear and anticipation, blanketing the group as the little shuttle touched down. The landing ramp lowered. No one breathed, least of all his Imperial Majesty.
Then the other three-quarters of the Royal Family descended the ramp, looking a little tired and bedraggled but very much alive. A collective sigh of relief was exhaled.
Padmé found herself in Anakin's arms so quickly she could not, for a moment, figure out how she had gotten there. The twins were laughing happily, and her husband was holding her so tightly she couldn't quite breathe – not that she cared, now.
"You're okay," He murmured, voice harsh with relief. "You're really all right."
She clung to him and nodded, afraid to speak. "Yes… I am."
A blast of engines sounded from behind them. The shuttle was taking off. Anakin made for his comlink. "Stop that ship! I want –"
"Anakin," She whispered close and urgent in his ear, standing on tiptoes to reach. "Obi-Wan saved us."
His eyes opened wide, and every emotion imaginable passed through his face. The last one, the one that stayed, was just like the expression Obi-Wan had made when he had told Padmé that she was Anakin's last hope for redemption. He put his comlink to his mouth. "Cancel that order. The shuttle is to leave Imperial Center space without interference. Anyone who attempts to track or otherwise molest it will answer to me."
She smiled at him, and took Luke by the hand. He picked up Leia, and together the four of them made their way inside the palace.