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5
"Don't worry," Anakin said, trying to calm Padmé down. "They won't find out."
She gave him an exasperated look.
"Trust me," he repeated. He looked at her, his eyes imploring her to not be angry with him.
"Anakin…"
"I came here to make things better. I have to make things better," Anakin went on, reaching out to place his hand on her arm.
"Defying the Council's not going to make things better, Anakin," Padmé told him softly. She thought he was insane for trying to sneak away to see her like this. "They told you to stay put, so you should stay put."
He snorted, turning away from her and walking to the kitchen.
"The Council doesn't know much these days. They're too old. They just sit on their butts all day, blocking themselves from the Force and ignoring the things going on around them."
"Surely you don't mean that. Some of the Council members have been important to you – what about Obi-Wan?"
Anakin didn't reply. Watching him, she could sense that there was something not right between Anakin and Obi-Wan. Padmé made a mental note to ask about it later, perhaps when Anakin had calmed down some.
"Obi-Wan's…done all he can," Anakin said distantly.
"What do you mean?" Padmé replied, stepping next to him in the middle of the kitchen. "And what did you come in here for?"
Anakin could not help but smile, shaking his head. "I don't really know," he admitted. "It just seemed like the only place I could hide was in here."
"And what are you hiding from?" Padmé's voice soothed. She rubbed his arm gently. Something was bothering him, she knew it. Next to her, Anakin took a deep breath and let it out in a rush.
"I wish I knew," he answered, his voice barely a whisper. He repeated, "I wish I knew."
After holding her close for a few seconds, Anakin glanced down at her.
"And what in the world is that thing you're wearing? You look like an oversized balloon."
Padmé blushed, wondering what to tell him. "You don't like my dress?"
"It's…very interesting. It reminds me of something."
"Oh? What?"
"You. Back in Naboo…all those elaborate dresses you wore as Queen."
This time, Padmé said nothing in reply, but buried her face against Anakin's chest. She wanted so much to tell him about the children, but she knew it was for all of their protection that she maintain her silence. Anakin would get over the deception…in time.
"What is it? Something's bothering you, I can tell," Anakin murmured in her ear, squeezing her gently at the same time.
"My thoughts are filled only of you," she said, making it as little of a lie as she could. After all, she was thinking about Anakin, just not in the way she hinted.
"Padmé," Anakin said, stepping away from her and breaking the hold they had on each other. "There's…there's something I want to talk to you about."
Padmé nodded, trying to not reach her hand to her stomach out of reflex. There was no need to draw Anakin's attention there.
"We should find you a new apartment. It's dangerous for you to be here. I came back because–"
"I know," Padmé cut him off. "The Sith Lord contacted you. The Jedi didn't get back to you so you came home."
Anakin's jaw dropped in surprise. "How'd…?"
"Obi-Wan told me."
Promptly, Anakin's jaw shut, clenching as it did so. "Oh," was his only reply.
"He wanted me to move too, then. But I told him no. I wasn't going to go anywhere until I saw you again."
That made Anakin smile. She was so amazing. His heart melted for her all over again, with just those simple words. Stepping back close to Padmé, he gave her a deep kiss.
"I'm glad you stayed."
"Me too."
"Now, I have an idea. Like I was saying…we should get you out of here."
"And just how are we going to manage that? Do you think we should go back to Obi-Wan or something?"
Padmé moved past him and began to gather some things in the kitchen.
"No. I won't bring the Jedi into this. There's too much at stake."
Those words made Padmé freeze in her place. Did he know about the children? Should she tell him right now?
"I'm fed up with them right now. I don't want their help because there's not much they can do, obviously. If they were able to do anything useful, then they would already have the Sith Lord responsible for the deaths of all those Masters."
Relief went through Padmé at his explanation.
"I was so worried when I heard about that," she said softly. She glanced up at him, the concern showing in her eyes. "Did you know any of them?"
The look that came over Anakin's face told her all she needed to know.
"Oh, Anakin…I'm so sorry." Dropping the dishes she had in her hands on the counter, she came over to him. She wrapped her arms around him, wishing there was something she could do to help him. "Who was it?"
"Master Nejaa Halcyon," he said distantly.
Padmé did not recognize the name, so she snuggled as close as she could to Anakin. "And…" she said, to get a better picture of whom this person was.
"He's been somewhat of a friend… we worked on things together here and there over the past few months while I was away. It turns out the Jedi think he's a little problematic – just like me. So they kept us both out of the way in the Outer Rim.
"He was the only Master I ever got along with well, besides Obi-Wan of course. He understood being in love and being a Jedi."
For a second, Padmé almost reprimanded him for telling another Jedi about them, but she could sense that Anakin would only tell someone else if he had a good reason to trust him. She kept her silence, trusting that Anakin would tell her in good time.
"It turns out that I'm not the only Jedi to break the Code and fall in love." Anakin looked down at her, a smile showing through his sadness.
"What?"
"He's married. Only now…his wife's all alone. That Sith Lord killed him," Anakin's tone went sour again.
His jaw set, and Padmé could feel the angst coming off him in waves. Inside her, she felt the one child twist about, as her father's anxiety flooded through her mother. Somehow, Padmé knew this one child was a girl – and the other a boy. Call it intuition, call it the Force, call it what ever you like, she knew. Just as Obi-Wan showed her, she calmed the small baby.
Anakin looked at her for a second, a little confusion on his face. Perhaps he could sense the slight move she made with the Force. However, she held his gaze, saying nothing. Suddenly he spoke, and for a second, Padmé was afraid that he was going to be angry with her.
"Padmé…this all has me thinking. Maybe we should just leave. We can get away from here, we can go somewhere safe… And that way, the Jedi don't have to know about us, we can live together, we can get married…have a family. No one would have to know."
"And you leave the Order?" she stammered, aghast. What in the blazes is he thinking?
"I might not have to completely…" he trailed off, putting his hand to her cheek. She raised an eyebrow at him in skepticism. "There are Jedi that don't live at the Temple. There's nothing that says we have to stay there. And far away…they don't ever have to know about us. I think that's how Master Halcyon did it."
This certainly was tempting. For a second, Padmé thought it over. She and Anakin…they could be together. The very idea of it made her knees weak. She could tell him about the children, he would be so surprised to find out…he wanted a family and already he was a father…
But what of her people?
Naboo was stabilized now; she could go back before long. Well, as soon as the Supreme Chancellor was sure that it was safe for her to return. And surely that would be in next to no time. Once the Republic intervened, the Separatist rebellion crumbled. She knew for sure that Anakin could not go with her to Naboo – the Jedi could find them there.
There was no answer right now. Padmé leaned up against him, pushing her thoughts away and letting herself be content in having him close for the moment.
"I guess we can just figure it out later," Anakin mumbled. He said nothing else, though, and just held Padmé close.
Suddenly his comlink started to beep.
"Not again…" he moaned. One arm still around his love, he reached for the stubborn device. "Anakin Skywalker speaking."
"Anakin? How wonderful it is that I got hold of you! I was wondering…could you spare a minute and come by my office?" Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's voice came from it. Instantly Anakin's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Uh…sure…sir," he replied.
Padmé looked at him questioningly. He shrugged back, as if to say I have no idea either.
"Wonderful! Should I arrange for a transport to pick you up at the Temple?"
"Uh, no – that won't be necessary. I can make my way to the Senate building."
"Oh, all right then. When can I expect you?"
Anakin looked to Padmé, his eyes dancing. Nothing remained of the pain from a few minutes ago.
"I'll send him right on his way, Chancellor," she told him, daring Anakin to think anything different.
"Padmé? Padmé Amidala, is that you?" The Chancellor sounded surprised to hear them together. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything…"
"Uh, hardly at all, Chancellor. I'll be right on my way. Skywalker out." Anakin shut the comlink off, glaring at Padmé. She smiled.
"What was that all about? You want the whole Senate to know about us?" Anakin teased.
"I thought you didn't care."
Anakin shook his head. "I give up. It's pointless to argue with you."
She only smiled at him. He moved past her, heading towards the door to leave. "Anakin…"
"What?" he turned around to face her.
"I love you."
"I love you too." He darted back over to Padmé, giving her a kiss. "I have to go – the Chancellor's waiting…and if the Temple…"
"Get going, you," she said, giving him a slight nudge. He smiled again, that genuine smile she loved.
Without further ado, he slipped out the door. For a minute, she stared at the spot where he had stood. She could almost sense something still lingering in the room of his presence. Closing her eyes, she tried to keep the image of that last smile on his face. It had been so long, several months, since she saw that genuine flash of happiness.
Having arrived at the Senate building, Anakin made his way through the twisting hallways. Busy Senators bustled about him, and a few he recognized. For the most part, he did not care much for politicians but he assumed there were worse types to consort with.
As he made his way to Palpatine's chambers, he passed one Senator he had heard of – Bail Organa from Alderaan. Padmé had mentioned how Alderaan was a reliable friend and ally of Naboo, as both the planets pushed peaceful legislation.
As much as he knew Bail Organa, he also was aware that the Alderaanian senator knew him, and of his friendship of sorts with Palpatine. When Anakin walked by, the voices in the Senators office fell quiet and a few heads turned to watch him go past. Anakin, not sure of how to acknowledge such attention, merely nodded his head in recognition at them. After all, there was no use upsetting some of the most prominent members of Palpatine's government.
At Palpatine's chambers, Anakin had no time to knock before the door opened.
"Anakin! I'm so glad to see you! When we heard that you took off, we were so worried about you!"
Anakin flushed, the Chancellor was fussing over him like a kindly old uncle or grandfather would over his favorite young relative.
"Well, come in, come in!" the Chancellor added.
"Thank you, sir," Anakin mumbled. He made his way into the red room, and caught a glimpse of the Redcoats standing at attention behind him. A slight chill went down his back and he made himself ignore it.
"Please, Anakin. You don't have to be so formal with me. I'm just a politician, no different from any other man."
If at all possible, Anakin went even redder. "Yes…alright," he replied, catching himself and leaving the "Sir" off the end. "So what did you want to see me for?"
"Ah…yes," Palpatine said. He smiled, hoping that would make the young man feel a little more comfortable. Already once, Anakin had almost found out his secret. Only by feeling at ease could he gain Anakin's trust.
"I hope that Queen Amidala is doing well?"
That made Anakin shift in his seat, and instantly Palpatine could tell he was trying to hide something.
He has feelings for her. I should have known. How interesting. I wonder what the Jedi would say if they knew…
Mentally, Palpatine smiled to himself. This was useful information. Say all you want about the Force, there was nothing that could match a good politician's skill at reading people and their emotions. As of yet, though, there proved to be no reason to blackmail young Skywalker. Experience taught Palpatine to not make the mistake of letting small details such as this slip his memory. There was always a time and place that such information could come in handy.
"Oh, yes. She's doing quite well. I think she wants to go back to Naboo, though. She misses it quite a lot – she feels she should be with her people."
Palpatine sighed, glancing down at the floor. "And there you have the exact reason our people love her. She's always given thought to her duties first. Unfortunately, I cannot let her return to Naboo until we are entirely sure that the government is stable. For now, we're just going to leave one of the provincial governors in charge."
Anakin nodded, and Palpatine could tell he was thinking this over.
"What did you think of conditions while you were on Naboo?" the Chancellor prodded. He wanted to see what Anakin thought about the new system Palpatine put in place for handling systems that came back under Republic rule.
"I…I don't really know. I'm not much of a politician," Anakin replied, smiling a little. He tried to joke, "I guess that's why I'm a Jedi instead."
Palpatine let out a chuckle. "And a fine Jedi you are, Anakin. One of the best the Order has seen for many, many years. I think you have the chance to bring about the change the Order needs."
As he spoke, Palpatine paid close attention to Anakin. Deep inside, he could see the boy's mind churning.
"What do you mean?" he asked tentatively.
Ah, so the boy is smart after all. He wants to know more, but he's trying not to seem obvious.
"There's always later to talk about the Jedi. For now, I want to know about you."
For a second, Anakin did not reply. Then he swallowed.
"I just wanted to talk to you about your recent return, that's all," Palpatine explained. "I was quite worried about you, after I heard what happened."
"You know?"
"Of course. You think I wouldn't know what's going on with someone I helped to place under the protection of the Republic? And, unlike the Jedi, I am not interested in scolding you for your actions. I know you must have had some reason for them."
That made Anakin smile, and he relaxed quite a bit.
Well…" Anakin began. He eyed the Chancellor for a minute before continuing. "I really shouldn't have come back. The Masters are right."
"What do you mean?"
"I came back here…obviously this Sith Lord is after me and now I'm right in the middle of the rest of the Jedi. It's like a dream come true for a Sith."
"That might be true…but don't you think that a Sith Lord would know where the Jedi Temple is, regardless of whether or not you were there? It is, after all, the headquarters of his enemy."
"True…" Anakin trailed off. Palpatine could see he was thinking this over. "I hadn't thought about it from that angle. And I guess the Council didn't either."
"They got mad at you, didn't they?"
"Mad…that's an understatement," Anakin admitted through gritted teeth.
Palpatine gave him an understanding smile. This was the side of Anakin he needed to see – this was the strength that gave him his power. This Anakin was the kind that would be of the most use to him.
"I don't understand why they would be angry with you for thinking on your own. You did what you thought was best, they can't blame you for that."
At those words, Anakin seemed to brighten. Finally, someone gave him the validation he had needed ever since he returned.
"And that is one of the first things I would change about the Jedi. The Council sits in the top of the Temple, dictating to you what you should be, allowing no room for you to be who you are, and getting angry with you for being exactly that."
"But…they do some good…they make important choices, they keep the Order focused, they keep it where it should be," Anakin meekly defended.
"Anakin…do you really believe that?"
That made Anakin squirm. Obviously the young man did not believe for a second the words coming out of his mouth.
"It's alright. I understand how you feel with the Jedi. They have often frustrated me with their ways when I have had to deal with them, as you know, including recent events such as Kashyyyk and Kuat."
Once more, glimmer of unease came from Anakin. The older man knew something had happened during the battle, something that had upset Anakin very much, but he did not know the details. He was going to find out, sooner or later.
However, Anakin did not take the bait. He kept his mouth shut and did not comment on Kashyyyk. There was time, though. Secrets did not stay hidden from Darth Sidious.
"All your life they've told you that you are the Chosen One. Yet do they give you any guidance on what this means?"
"I…I don't know what to say."
"That's because they don't know, Anakin. They've lost sight of the meaning of the Prophecy they're putting so much faith in."
Anakin nodded. "Wait. How do you know so much about Jedi lore? I thought you said you were just an old politician," he finally countered.
Sidious had to smile. It was a good point.
"Never mind me, Anakin. You do have a habit of trying to change the subject. I think it's good that you are finally talking about the things that are on your mind."
"Yeah," Anakin muttered, realizing he had no choice to but to play along. "I guess it is."
"You are a powerful Jedi – you alone can take the Order in the direction it needs to go. The important question you should be asking is: does balancing the Force satisfy what it means to you to be a Jedi?"
As he watched, Anakin put his hand to his chin, just like Master Kenobi did when deep in thought. Sidious smiled mentally to himself. Like master, like apprentice.
"I…" Anakin trailed off. His foot moved, as if he was going to shift in his seat, but the rest of him stayed still.
Reaching out through the Force, Sidious could feel the confusion twisting up inside the young man. It rested in the corner of his mind, gnawing away at the very foundation of the things he believed in. Under that, fear of losing everything he held dear ate away at his heart.
Yes, Anakin Skywalker was more unstable than he himself even knew. Just a few more appropriately laid traps and Anakin would be his. The Jedi would not even know what hit them.
"They don't trust you, which is a pity. They don't want to teach you things that you should learn – that you have the right to learn."
"What do you know about that?" Anakin snapped to attention, remembering the words the Chancellor told him those long months ago. Now it seemed he was offering Anakin the same thing again.
"I know a lot of things about a lot of things, Anakin. After all, I am the Supreme Chancellor…as I said earlier."
"What should I do?"
"Only you can decide that Anakin. I can only offer you advice…and tell you what I would do."
"So what would you do?" he pressed.
Sidious took a deep breath before answering. This was the very doorway he needed to get to Anakin for good.
"If I were in your place, I would try to press the Council to teach me the things I needed to know. If they did not comply, I would take…more drastic action. I can tell you that I would have left the Order a long time ago, if I had to deal with half of the things you have had to. The Jedi have to learn that they are not omniscient, as they would like to think. They do make mistakes."
"You don't like the Jedi do you?" Anakin asked. Sidious tried to get a reading of the Jedi's intent, but Anakin was too well hidden inside himself.
He thought for a second before answering. Delicately he replied, "I'm not sure about one of two of them."
Anakin nodded, a slight grimace on his face, not sure exactly what the Chancellor meant by that. However, he certainly hoped that he was one of the Jedi that the Chancellor did like.
"I have…contemplated leaving," Anakin muttered. "I just can't take it anymore. But there's so much here on Coruscant…."
Sidious knew he was talking about Padmé.
"I don't have anywhere else to go," Anakin said. "I'm stuck. And…I don't think it's the right time for me to leave. I am still a Jedi. Nothing can change that."
Getting up from his seat, and going back to his desk, Sidious thought to himself, Perhaps. And perhaps not.
"Very well, Anakin. The Jedi are truly lucky to have a person such as yourself on their side. You will go down in their Archives, for sure." Sidious gave him a smile.
The young Jedi nodded, and stood up.
"Thanks for your advice, Chancellor," Anakin said, dropping into a slight bow.
"Anakin…what did I tell you about formality?" he responded, a twinkle in his eye.
"Er, right." Anakin shot back up straight. "Thank you again."
"It was nothing. Anything to help a friend."
Sidious came from behind his desk to walk Anakin out of the office, and as they made their way to the front door both of them walked perfectly in step with the other.
Just before he left, he patted Anakin on the shoulder a couple times. "Don't worry too much. Things will work out; that's what you believe, isn't it? And, remember, if you ever need anything I still owe you a favor."
To be continued...