"You were expelled by the Jedi council. That decision still stands. Do not come back again." Master Windu's words echoed in the chamber, and in Anakin's heart. He stormed from the chamber, heading towards their apartment.
"Anakin! Stop." Obi Wan called from somewhere behind him. Anakin continued, rushing away from his former master and friend.
"Anakin!" Obi Wan reached out with his hand. Suddenly, Anakin was flying towards the floor. He hit the ground hard, cursing. How dare he trip me with the force! He stood up to find Obi Wan behind him, laughing.
"That hasn't worked on you in a long time. You're getting rusty." The tension melted.
"There was no other way to get you to stop." Obi Wan said. Anakin sighed, rubbing his shoulder. The two men began walking back to Anakin and Padme's apartment.
"I know you wanted to get back on." Obi Wan said quietly. Anakin's fury awakened.
"Of course I wanted to get back on! It was my dream!" All of his frustration showed in his voice. His strong features were twisted in agony. Obi Wan looked down, unsure how to comfort his friend.
"The former Senator Amidala has requested an audience in the hope of regaining the trust of the Senate." Padme stood nervously. The newly elected Chancellor Kavarum was worried. If the people renewed their trust in Senator he would lose much of his power. And that he could not afford. He must not allow her to rejoin the Senate. And he must do it without suspicion.
"Honorable Senators of the Republic," She struggled to keep her voice from quavering.
"I have come to restore your trust in me. I have come to assure you of my dedication to the Galactic Senate." Chancellor Kavarum struggled to hide his fear. He could see people nodding as she continued her speech. She was winning their trust. He must do something. Or loose all control over the Senate. He anxiously waited for her to be done with her speech before he spoke.
"As much as Senator Amidala wants you to believe she is honorable and trustworthy, do remember that she nevertheless, lied to us. She has deceived us, who knows what other matters she might have lied about. It is obvious that the Senator has only her own interests at heart, not the interests of the Republic." He had the great satisfaction of seeing the crowd nod their heads in agreement. Padme had a shocked look on her face, horrified at what Chancellor Kavarum was saying.
NO! she thought desperately. I worked hard at convincing the Senators that I am trustworthy. Why is he against me? She paused, she knew that someone had once wanted to kill her, and they had been destroyed. Or so we thought. She looked around at the crowd disbelievingly. Are these people being deceived? Or are they guided by an unseen hand? But what? What would be guiding them? What would be controlling them? Who would have the power? She shook her head in disbelief when the answer came to her. A Sith Lord. But they're all dead. Sidious, Dooku, Maul. Even Grevious is dead. Who could be guiding them?
As soon as Anakin reached their apartment, he broke down. Tears formed in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. Jedi don't cry. He smiled without happiness. I'm not a Jedi. Not anymore. He turned away from Obi Wan, speaking at the wall.
"Everything." His deep voice was hollow with rage, sadness and loss.
"My mother. The Jedi Order. Padme." His rage died, leaving only grief and defeat.
"What's next?" Obi Wan was unsure of what to say. Anakin was his friend, his brother, and his son, but he was powerless to help him. He reached out and placed a comforting hand on Anakin's shoulder.
Chancellor Kavarum continued to speak, using everything she had done, and "showing" the other Senators how it had benefited her. Padme held her head up high. She was stronger than him. She could prove she was trustworthy. Finally, he finished his speech. But before she could reinforce her fidelity he called for the Senators to vote. Her mouth gaped in disbelief. Of course they will vote against me, they have just been fed a pack of lies! She focused on controlling her emotions until the votes came in. She was still expelled. Big surprise. She thought sarcastically.
"I'm still expelled, Anakin!" Padme rushed into their apartment. She stopped when she saw Obi Wan.
"Master Obi Wan, I didn't expect you to be here." She struggled to hide her emotions behind a polite mask. Obi Wan sensed her struggle and quickly excused himself.
"I'll leave you two alone." He bowed, and left
"Padme, are you-" He was unable to continue, as his wife's tight embrace made breathing a challenge. She began to cry into his chest. He wrapped his muscular arms around her, his warm embrace comforting her.
Later
"Why should we stay here, when all we'll do is hang our heads in shame?" Anakin was adamant about going back to Naboo.
"So you're saying we should run? Hide, and hope everything will go away?"
"You said our child should be born on Naboo." Anakin said quietly. Padme sighed. I should have known the only way Anakin could win an argument was by using my words against me. Anakin chuckled.
"No Jedi tricks, Anakin."
"Aw, come on. I'll get rusty if I can't practice on you. Plus, you're always bossing me about 'Jedi tricks'." He began to mock her.
"Don't read my mind, Anakin. Don't feed me with the force, Anakin. No Jedi tricks, Anakin. Don't use the force to check the baby, Anakin. Don't undress me with the force, Anakin. It makes me feel uncomfortable." She tackled him, but he caught her, laughing, without moving an inch. He spun Padme in a circle, and placed her on the bed.
"So we'll be heading back to Naboo to have the baby?"
"You make it sound like you'll have a part in it." She said accusingly.
"Well I did, didn't I?"
That night Padme slept peacefully, but a dream visited Anakin.
They were in the Hospital. Padme was tired, and sweat soaked her face.
"1…2…3…Push!" The droid called to Padme. He heard a baby crying.
"Luke" Padme whispered. He watched her face, and she smiled at him. She was alive! She would be fine. The scene changed. They were in the hospital, again. A medical droid came up.
"There have been some complications." Anakin sat up. What complications? Would Padme be alright? He had thought she would be alright, judging from the first part of the dream. But, complications?
The next day Anakin was flying them back to Naboo when Padme told him her suspicions about Chancellor Kavarum.
"So you think he's a Sith Lord?" Anakin said worriedly.
"I don't know."
Anakin frowned, his worries threatening to overcome him. Padme might die and/or have complications. The Chancellor might be a Sith lord. But, Anakin was unable to do anything about it. Because he was no longer a Jedi. He struggled to keep his anger from boiling over, again.
Chancellor Kavarum stood proudly. He had prevented the strongest Senator from remaining in the Senate. Next, he must destroy the Senate itself. But first, he would have to get rid of the Jedi. He laughed. How stupid they were! Expelling their "chosen one"! Well, it would make his job that much easier. He laughed again. Much easier.
Padme and Anakin had been on Naboo for a month. Padme had prepared the baby's room. They were ready, and the due date was near, only a week away.
"One week and I'll be a father." He pushed back his worry in an effort to be lighthearted.
"You'll be a wonderful father. And a very handsome one." Anakin smiled, his worry drowned by the love for his wife.
"So you think I'm handsome?" She shivered at the low cadence of his voice.
"Why else would I have married you?" She said mockingly.
"You are the most handsome of all the Jedi." He cleared his throat and crossed his arms.
"Man on Coruscant." He stepped forward and continued waiting. She laughed.
"You are the sexiest man that ever has lived and ever will live." He smiled.
"You are the most beautiful woman. That's why I like it here. It's beautiful, like you." He paused to take her into his arms, and whispered in her ear.
"You have the purity of the moon, and the searing heat of the sun. You are as simple as the sky, but with the complexity of the stars. You have the grace of a field of flowers in the breeze. Your voice is like a waterfall, cascading down, soft and quiet, or strong, pounding with passion. This place is beautiful, but its beauty can only mimic your own." Padme sighed.
"You should have been a poet." She said quietly.
"All I would write about is you." He said, running his fingers through her hair.
"Oh, Anakin." She barely breathed the words, so softly he couldn't hear her. She relaxed against him and he carefully picked her up, and carried her to bed.
"Anakin! Anakin, wake up!" Her urgent voice instantly awakened him.
"What is it?" He said alertly. Years as a fighter on the front lines had taught him to be instantly alert.
"My water broke. I need to get to a hospital. Now." He nodded, grabbed the bag she had prepared, picked Padme up, and climbed in the speeder.
Moments later, they had arrived. Anakin carried Padme in and told the receptionist what was happening. They took her to a room, with Anakin close behind. The medical droids arrived soon and began to direct Padme in what she should do.
"Oh, Anakin." Padme groaned, pushing when the droid told her to. She squeezed his hand.
"1…2…3…Push!" Padme pushed with all her might…and heard a baby crying. Meanwhile, Anakin was grimacing from the pressure on his hand. He cringed, understanding, partly, the pain of giving birth. The nurse handed the baby to Padme.
"It's a boy." She said kindly.
"Luke." Padme said. She had wanted a boy, to grow up and become a Jedi. He would be as powerful and handsome as his father.
"Are you ready for the next one?" The nurse said. Anakin and Padme looked up in surprise.
"The…the next one?" Anakin stuttered. The nurse smiled.
"Yes. She's carrying twins." Anakin's mouth hung open. Twins? Padme began to push for the next one. Anakin, who had been holding back his fear, felt worry engulf him. Is this the complications? Will these "complications" make her sick? Make her die? He was brought back to reality by the crushing pain in his left hand. He cringed, until he heard the cries of his second child. A broad smile conquered his face. His children were okay. Now all he had to worry about was Padme. And the Chancellor. And the Jedi Order. And – He stopped himself. One thing at a time. He warned. One thing at a time. The nurse brought the second child to Padme.
"It's a girl." She said. She turned and smiled at Anakin.
"Leia." Anakin smiled also. He had wanted a girl. Daddy's little girl. She would be beautiful, like her mother.
The doctor checked Padme's condition.
"She's fine. No complications." Anakin frowned. The dream about his mother had come true. He was sure his dreams about Padme were true too.
"I told you I'd be fine." She said, seeming to read his thoughts. He frowned.
"I…I had another dream about you. The other night. You…you were fine. But, there were complications. That's all I know. The doctor said 'There have been some complications' but that was it. He didn't say what had happened. I don't understand."
Padme pondered this for a moment.
"Maybe the dream was talking about someone else? Or maybe its not meant to be taken literally? I don't know either." For a moment, they were silent, thinking about Anakin's dream. Until a baby's cry broke the wordless void. Padme sighed, and hushed her children. It was then that it dawned on Anakin. He was a father.
Chancellor Kavarum paced his chambers, contemplating how to defeat the Jedi. It would be quite simple to murder them, of course. He fingered his lightsaber. But he must kill them without suspicion. He must not alert the Senate, or anyone else, to his plans before he was ready. So the question remained. How to kill the Jedi without raising suspicion. Yes, that will be difficult. But the biggest threat is gone. Anakin Skywalker. He is no longer in the Order. But he still has incredible power. He frowned angrily, jealous of Anakin's power. I want his power. So I will have it. He will join me. He can tell me. A weakness. Yes. He will tell me the Jedi's weakness. Then I will kill them. Or perhaps…He smiled as the thought formed. Perhaps he can do it for me. Yes, yes. He will kill the Jedi under my orders. Of course, he won't know that he is next. I am stronger than the Sith before me. I have no need for an apprentice. He smiled. Anakin will be the last Jedi ever to walk the earth. Yes. I will save the best for last. Evil laughter echoed through the hall.