12

All of them had to flee first thing in the morning. Padme wasn't supposed to get up from bed this soon, but the clock was ticking and there wasn't time to rest. It had been planned: Padme was to hide in Alderaan with Organa and Leia -- and Obi Wan would hand Luke over to his family in Tatooine, and kept an eye on him there. Obi Wan was carrying Luke to his Starfighter when suddenly Padme came sneaking behind him. He thought she wanted to say goodbye to her baby, but she merely turned aside and got into her Cruiser that would fly her to her new home, Alderaan.

---

Somehow, Obi Wan had felt its coming.

They were flying their way to Tatooine, Obi Wan and Luke. The anxiety had been there with Obi Wan all along. It increased more when they passed a system named Mustafar. Then it occurred to him: Fire, Mountains. This is where Anakin was.

And out of nowhere, another Starfighter, one owned by Anakin, appeared in front of his. He knew it was the time for them to face a war of their own.

---

The journey to Alderaan ran smoothly, with no danger whatsoever. But, it was only to be marred soon after.

The odd beating of Padme's heart alone had vexed her. Yet, it was the hysterical whimpering and crying of Leia that stirred her thought.

"Luke," she said, whispering to herself.

"We must go back immediately!" she alone was surprised to hear her own voice shouting it all aloud, let alone Organa who could only cry back, "What?"

"Turn back! To the place where there is fire in the mountains. A planet. Yes, it's a planet with mountains of fire. We must go there!"

"Padme," he rejoined disapprovingly.

"Look!" retorted Padme, "I may not have The Force in me anymore, but I'm a mother! And my son is in danger. I said, go back! Now!"

He had no choice but to follow her command with no further argument.

Once they landed in Mustafar, Padme grabbed a laser weapon, the one put in the Cruiser as a mean of protection. Before Organa who shrieked hopelessly at her, "No!" could stop her, she had run to where her heart led her.

Her heart led her to a downing slope, in spite of her wasted body and her aching stomach; a result of yesterday's delivery. There, she glimpsed Obi Wan, struggling for his life, which was almost taken away by Anakin whose grasp was in his neck. Both of them had no lightsaber in their hands. Each of theirs was flown feets away from them.

"Anakin! Stop!"

Before she knew it, she had pointed the weapon she carried straight to the heart of the man, her husband.

Anakin was startled and released his grab of Obi Wan. The Jedi Master fell to the ground, but quickly recovered and was able to stand at his feet.

"Padme," said Anakin, perplexed. "What are you…?"

At the same time, Obi Wan had seized his lightsaber and was about to stab it into Anakin when suddenly Padme halted him.

"Drop it!" she said.

The weapon turned to Obi Wan's direction. He still hadn't dropped the lightsaber.

"Drop it, Ben!"

The weapon was still pointing to Obi Wan's chest.

"Ben?" Anakin repeated.

Weapon to Anakin.

"Oh, I see. Palpatine was right! You've betrayed me!"

"No!" Obi Wan's shriek was heard, "you have!"

"Anakin, stop it!"

Weapon still to Anakin.

"Why? You're afraid I might kill him?"

"Ani, don't do this!"

"Padme, move away so I can strike him!"

"You don't love me anymore?"

"Ani, no. You don't understand…"

"Padme, he's evil! If you won't let me kill him, shoot him then!"

"Why are you pointing that to me?"

"Why, Anakin?" Why, why, why! The question had remained in her from the first time she was encountered with the dream. It stayed and sounded louder than ever inside her head for these past days. She questioned it to the blue sky, to the stars, to the vacant air, Why? And now she was here, she was ready for the answer.

"Now, Padme!" She heard Obi Wan's voice from somewhere, begging her to finish what had already been started. But she ignored it and Anakin did too, "Don't you know I'm doing this for you? For us? I saw you in my dreams! I saw you hurt to death! I'm doing this to save you… And me,

"I saw you hurt. But it wasn't me beside you! It was he! The man you once loved!

"I'm doing this so you are safe and you'll understand how much I love you! And you will never leave me!"

"But... Ani, I didn't know."

"Palpatine was right. I shouldn't have trusted you! You're just like the rest of them! You're just like him!" His finger pointed at Obi Wan.

"Ani, you're wrong. I never died."

"I saw you hurt! And it's him next to you!"

"It was from childbirth!"

A moment of silence prolonged as her scream dissolved between the smokes of the lava. The hiss of the fire was the mere sound that was heard. When Anakin broke the quietness, it wasn't with the tone of loath. Instead, he gently asked, "What?"

"I was giving birth, but I never died. You don't have to do this."

"Padme," a chuckle that was clearly out of place came out for no reason from Anakin, "can't you see? The baby makes all of these more worthwhile now. Can't you see how joyful we will be when I rule the Empire? Our Empire?"

"Ani, I want nothing but your love."

"But love isn't enough."

"It was 3 years ago! It was when we got married. It was enough then!" Her tone turned higher and stronger as she once more pleaded, "I'm allright. I will be, but you just have to come home. Don't do this! Come back to me, please! We'll just pretend like this never happens,

"But just come back to me…"

When she finished, Anakin's expression had entirely changed from the man who wanted to murder his own teacher and best friend into the one Padme married.

She lowered the weapon. In her face, there was a smile that Obi Wan thought could never emerge again.

"Padme, don't trust him! This is the kind of distraction The Sith Lords have we've talked about!"

Anakin walked slowly closer to Padme; she had put down her weapon and was ready to embrace him.

"Padme…" Obi Wan's call was utterly useless. She refused to take a heed. He saw Anakin circled his strong arms around her; he was afraid he was going to strangle her instead. But he didn't. They held each other before finally, they kissed.

They parted eventually. And Obi Wan's thoughts ran, It's over! It's over now!

Padme moved away from Anakin's arms and lifted her weapon once more.

It pointed to Obi Wan.

Straight to his heart.

Anakin walked away from the scene and sneered an evil sneer. Below him was the running red-hot lava.

"Please forgive me," she whispered at Obi Wan.

"You're the only one I've ever loved."

The sneer was gone.

Weapon to Anakin.

Obi Wan understood what was happening. And he wasn't alone. Anakin, too, had discovered what his wife tried to do to him, so with his Force, he endeavoured to pull out the lightsaber he dropped. Obi Wan saw this and he was determined to not let Anakin have a hold of it. With his own, he swung Anakin's lightsaber from his view. When he still tried to flee away, it was already too late.

A gleam light of laser blasted out of the weapon Padme held and went straight into Anakin's chest.

And that was how she shot him. That was how he fell into the lava. That was how Obi Wan had kept his promise to Padme.

Screams and swears could be heard from the streaming lava below. They were loud and clear; the hatred inside them was audible for their ears. Padme's heart torn into pieces, as she knew it was directed to her; to Obi Wan and her. She was shattered now for she knew the man she loved hated her.

She knew Obi Wan might have felt the same thing. After all they were the two people who, whatever happened, good or bad, to Anakin, would be the ones that were most affected by it. And he let Anakin knew what were going on inside their hearts. He let him know they loved him,

"… And your wife loves you! Every day all she could think about is you!

"She loves you…"

It took a quite long while for Obi Wan to regain himself. And when he had, it was Padme's turn to break down. He caught her in his arms before she could hit the ground; she didn't faint, she just needed a hand to support her.

"Luke," she murmured.

Obi Wan led Padme to where Luke was and took the baby in his arms. He put his and Anakin's lightsaber in his pocket, and ran as fast as he could to where Organa had waited to bring all of them to Tatooine.