Disclaimer: Star Wars and all associated characters, plotlines, and worlds (good and bad) are property and copyright © of George Lucas (aka The Richest Man in Hollywood). This is purely for fan entertainment only.
Also, this fanfic is rated MA for any mature content I may or may not include (just in case). I don't recommend reading it if you're not old enough to understand mature themes or sexual content. Also, strong and possibly sexual language. (Just in case, not a promise)
Chapter 2 – A Funeral of Two Sorts
Again, she felt herself back on Naboo. The mountains in the backdrop helped aid the feeling of serenity in the air, the air crisp from imminent autumn weather. She heard children laughing behind her, and instantly turned around. Two five-year-old children played with each other on the veranda, a boy and a girl. Her children, Luke and Leia. Her heart almost broke as she saw so much of her husband in her son's face. They were playing with little glass marbles, shooting them at each other within a circle on the ground. Leia seemed to be winning, as she held more marbles beside her than Luke. Suddenly she squealed, smacking Luke's arm. "No using the Force in this game! You cheater!" A robed man came from beside her, and she heard Palpatine's voice murmuring to them, "No, Leia, it is not cheating, it is simply using your talents to your best advantage." It seemed almost natural that the Senator was watching her children with her, yet she inwardly screamed, knowing the true attitude of the Dark Lord of the Sith.
She woke up in a cold sweat, her hands clammy from the possibilities the dream proposed. Her heart was still pounding in fear as she searched the room for Obi-Wan, knowing he would be there.
And he was, meditating in the same corner of the room. His clothes looked tousled and slept in, as if he had been there the entire time she slept. He noticed her rousing and immediately got up to join her by her side. "Good morning, Padmé, how was your sleep?" he scanned her face, and frowned, seeing the fear in her eyes. "Nightmares again?"
She nodded, trying to put a brave face on for the Jedi. "Yes, an odd sort of nightmare this time." She had told him of her previous nightmare, seeking his counsel. The training a Jedi received could be very useful at working through feelings of grief, loss, and betrayal. As he explained to her, all she needed was time. But time still hurt.
"Anakin again?" lines of concern weighed heavy above his eyes. He had seen no reason to hide this from her.
"No, not this time. Instead, I saw the twins, older, and Palpatine was there." She ran her fingers over the bedcover, looking down at the pattern. "Somehow he was a usual and normal part of our routine, the children received him well." She looked back up at him. "Could it be a premonition?"
He took her hand in his own, lightly stroking her knuckles, seeking to soothe her. "Well, it could be. Not only those trained in the ways of the Force have premonitions. However, dreams normally have a way of just working out your inner feelings, your hopes and your fears. It could be simply that you are worried that Palpatine will find your children and yourself and bend you to do his bidding." He squeezed her hand lightly. "I won't let that happen." He looked into her eyes, trying to demonstrate to her his firm resolve in this.
She smiled, and gave him a squeeze back. "I hope you're right, Obi-Wan." She hoped he would be right, but inwardly she remembered that her husband had offered similar promises of protection.
He caught himself looking a little too long into her eyes and stood, trying to put some distance between them. He didn't drop her hand, however. "The funeral is today." He reminded her.
"Will you be attending it?" she had never been completely positive of all of the details of the plan.
"No, I must not let the Senator know my location; he is seeking all Jedis. I am no different, my death is actually probably higher on his priority list than that of other Jedi. He knows I trained Anakin, and he knows I dueled with him. He shall likely seek revenge or perhaps my own service as his new apprentice. He does know, however, that I will never turn to his evil ways." He said this last with conviction.
"Will we get to see it?" she was rather curious to watch her own funeral; it seemed a rather morbid thought but she couldn't help herself.
He laughed a little, the laughter helping deter his thoughts from the line they were headed- he was remembering Anakin again. "Yes, we will watch. We need to see the reactions of the people to make sure they believe our little scam." He finally dropped her hand after giving it one last squeeze. "We will watch it from the safety of a comlink, and then we will need to discuss where you will go from here."
She protested, her arms folding at her chest. "No, we have already discussed this. I am going wherever you are. You told me I would have friends, and I need your support." Her voice softened, "And I want to."
His face remained serene, but she could tell he was using the Force to keep it that way. He did not want her to know the yearning he felt to take her with him, to have her there. At the same time, he was afraid he was getting attached to her, too much of a friend. "Padmé, you know that is not wise. It is easier to find the two of us than one of us separate."
She held firm, "But you promised you would protect me. And aside from that, you're not the only person that knows how to stow away in a cargo hold of a ship."
He almost wanted to laugh, if the notion did not scare him that she would put herself in danger so. "Fine. You will come with me." He looked down at her once more, and put his hand on her shoulder. "You have to promise me that you will trust every other decision I make- it is for your safety."
She nodded, vowing, "I will." She smiled, and inwardly grinned- she had won the first victory.
He sat enshrouded in shadows, on a balcony in Naboo. It was unsettling being here once more, without Padmé. And even more so, because he was going to watch her funeral. He wasn't sure at first that he wanted to see it, but he finally realized that it was necessary. He had to come to terms with everything that he had done, one and for all, and be able to put his past- and everything that was Anakin- aside.
He had a good view of the procession as it walked slowly past. Sparks of anger flickered within as he saw the hundreds of mourners proceeding and following her casket. Anger that they were able to openly show grief at the one that they had lost and missed- something he of all people should be able to do as he knew her most intimately. But even if he was not concealing his presence, he would still not be able to openly grieve for the loss of his lover, his wife. He reminded himself of the reason why- his secret wife. Even if he still faced the world as the Jedi Knight Anakin, they would expect him to hold a cold mask of serenity, that of the ever peaceful Jedi. The people looked up to the Jedi because they showed no emotion, showed no attachment. He tightened his grip on the chair, anger rising within him at remembering why he hated the Jedi.
They walked into view with his wife's open coffin. She looked so glorious, so gorgeous, even in death. She appeared serene and flowers were all around her, paling in her own beauty. Affection arose in him for her, then poisoned and turned to feelings of guilt as he noticed the bright bruise whelps on her neck. Her hands poised over her abdomen. Their dead child. His gloved hands convulsed around the chair once more, remembering, that if it was not for his quick temper, she would be beside him right now, and not being carried to be consumed in flames (how fitting) to be carried away from him forever.
The anguish consumed him, and he rose out of the chair. He felt blinded by the tumultuous emotions, they churned inside him like the molten lava on Mustafar. Images of her staring out at him in fear, begging for her life, filled his vision. He searched out blindly for a target to lash the anger out- and saw Jar Jar Binks walking beside her coffin. As Jar Jar reached out to touch Padmé's abdomen in respect, jealousy overpowered him. He reached out into the air, and Force choked Jar Jar, watching him crumple to his feet, his eyes bulging out in horror. No one seemed to notice the lack of the Gungan in the procession until much later.
The transferal of the emotions onto Jar Jar had helped him achieve the numbness he sought. He took a heavy breath, hearing the whoosh in his helmet again, burying the last of Anakin's feelings, and laughed.
He had always hated that one.
Padmé watched the procession file out of the temple, and smoke rise through the small chimney in the top. She turned off the comlink and turned to Obi-Wan, worry in her eyes. "Who killed Jar Jar?"
Obi-Wan grimaced, realizing he would have to tell her the truth. He knew of only one person that would have the audacity to kill a public figure in the middle of a funeral procession, and only one that would use their newfound power in such a way. "Padmé, I haven't been exactly precise in my details concerning Anakin's death."
Padmé frowned, not sure how this could have anything to do with the Gungan diplomat's death. "What do you mean?"
He sighed, and looked away from her, schooling his features back. This was not a speech he had prepared in advance, and he had hoped he could hide the reality from her forever. "Everything that we knew that was Anakin is dead, but his body remained slightly in tact." He paused to let this information settle. She looked back in horror at him.
"How? He was burned horribly, lost almost all of his limbs!" she shuddered, thinking of the pain he must have endured.
The Jedi closed his eyes, remembering the burning, melting face of his once brother. He could still smell the char of burning flesh, burnt hair. The anguish and hatred in Anakin's eyes. His eyes had definitely survived. "Do you remember General Grievous? He was part man, part machine. We have learned that Senator Palpatine recovered Lord Vader in time to salvage part of his torso, his heart, and his badly burned head. He is now encased in a mechanical suit and requires it for movement and for survival."
She covered her face in horror, absorbing this. Much to her own surprise, she did not feel a well of emotions rise in her at hearing that he was still alive. To her, Anakin died when he slaughtered the younglings at the Jedi Temple. He was crucified in her mind the moment he began to Force choke her- she knew then that her darling Ani was gone.
Almost in self-torture, Obi-Wan brought the new image of Darth Vader onto the comlink screen, from the intelligence files. "Darth Vader." He rested his hand on the controls, almost letting his voice get colored by hatred. He quickly quelled it- there was no room for such emotions, they led in the wrong direction. "He lives to perpetuate the new Galactic Empire." He switched screens to the former Senator. "Led by its Emperor, our beloved" he almost sneered "Palpatine, Darth Sidious.".
She widened her eyes in horror, staring at both images. "There must be something we can do." She said determinedly. She turned her gaze to the Jedi at her side.
He looked back at her, saw the stubbornness that he had grown to adore in her and actually smiled. "In time, yes." He turned the comlink off. "In the meantime, we are off to the moon of Endor to hide for a little while, in seclusion."
Thanks to all that have reviewed so far! This is the first fic I've written in quite some time, so all feedback- good and bad- is welcomed and a great encouragement. I do not know that I can keep this pace up, but I will try to at least be consistent!