Chapter 8: Anakin and Luke are Gone

Days passed and Padmé still had a hard time trusting Anakin. Somehow, she didn't believe that he was back all the way. Obi-Wan wasn't believing it either, but it was hard to prove that he was still evil because he was acting like he was before he turned. One night, Padmé walked over to her children's bedroom and leaned against the doorframe when she saw them fast asleep. Anakin placed his hands on her shoulders with a smile. "They are very precious," she murmured. Anakin nodded before his arms slipped around her waist.

"Just like how you're precious to me," he whispered.

Padmé looked at him and touched his face with her hand. She pulled him down into a kiss.

That night, Anakin pulled on his robes and kissed the side of Padm's head. "I'm sorry, Padmé," he whispered. Anakin then walked down towards the twins' bedroom.

He saw his son fast asleep and picked him up into his arms. He kissed the side of Luke's head before leaving.

When Padmé woke up that morning, Leia was screaming. She ran out of her room and into the bedroom. "WHAT!? What is it?" She asked. Leia pointed to the spot next to her.

"Mommy, Luke's gone," Leia replied.

"Nonsense, he's with your father," Padmé assured.

"I don't feel them," Leia whispered.

Padm's eyes widened and ran around the house calling for Anakin and Luke. "LUKE! ANAKIN!" She called.

She ran out of the house and continued to call for them. "ANAKIN! LUKE!" She screamed. She fell to her knees in tears. "They're gone," she whispered. Obi-Wan hurried out of his house with Sabé behind him.

"Padmé, what's wrong?" He asked.

She looked at him in tears. "Anakin tricked us. He took Luke...he took my baby," she sobbed. Sabé pulled her best friend into a hug and looked at Obi-Wan.

"He did it again," she whispered.

He agreed while helping Padmé up from the ground.

Anakin looked over to see Luke waking up. "Daddy?" He asked.

"I'm here, son," Anakin assured.

"Where are we going?" Luke asked.

"We're going to see a friend of Daddy's."

"Oh, where's mommy?"

"She didn't want to come."

"What about Leia? What about my sister?"

"Mommy wanted her home."

Luke whimpered. "I want Leia," he pouted. Anakin sighed and closed his eyes. Then they docked on the Death Star. Luke held onto Vader's robes in fear. Vader picked him up and made sure that his soldiers would leave them be. Captain Piett hurried over to him.

"Lord Vader, you have arrived back early. I suppose all went well?" He asked.

"That is correct, Captain. This is my son, make sure no one goes near my bedroom," Vader ordered.

"Yes, my lord."

Luke placed with the hem of Vader's robes when they entered his bedroom. "Daddy, why did that man call you 'Lord Vader'?" He asked.

"That is my name on this vessel, son," Vader replied.

"I like Anakin better," Luke commented.

Vader flinched at the name. "That name has no meaning for me, anymore," he answered.

"But Grandma Shmi named you that," Luke pointed out.

"It still has no meaning for me," Vader mumbled, losing his patience.

Luke could feel the tension and curled up on the bed. Vader softened and touched his son's head. "I'm sorry, my son," he whispered. Luke fell asleep where he was and then Vader left the room.

Padmé sighed sadly and felt Owen's hand go on her shoulder. She touched his hand with tears falling from her eyes. Leia was sleeping in Beru's lap after she cried herself to sleep. "Leia and Luke are one, if one child is miserable the other one can feel it. Leia said she can't feel her brother, I hope he's all right," she whispered.

"Luke is Anakin's son, I don't think he'll hurt him," Beru insisted.

"Anakin has been captured by Darth Vader," Padmé stated.

She got up and went into her old room.

Padmé was sitting on her bed looking at the pictures of Luke from the time he was born to the day before he was kidnapped. She held the picture close and cried. Padmé cried herself to sleep that night with Leia in her arms. They both mourned over the loss of a son and a brother.