PART 21

"What do you think Master Yoda will say?" Padme said as they ate the meal she prepared.

"Probably that we have to live in seclusion, no job, no friends."

"I don't know if I can live like that Obi-Wan, it's not healthy for a child to not be around people."

"Well until the Emperor is stopped I don't think we have much of a choice."

"It will never stop will it, this running away from everything."

He didn't know what to say, so he took his hand in hers and squeezed it. They were then interrupted by Yoda walking up to the ship.

"Master Yoda" Padme said as she walked over and bent down and took the Jedi's hand.

"Good to see you again Senator Amidala, you're safety is of great concern."

"Well I have Obi-Wan to protect me, and Threepio and R2 of course" she said as she saw R2 beeping and shaking in protest.

"Wish to speak with Obi-Wan alone I do."

"Of course" and she watched Obi-Wan and Yoda walked off of the ship and over towards Yoda's small hut, Obi-Wan turned and looked at her as he walked away. She blew him a kiss in response.

Obi-Wan had a terrible feeling Padme was about to do something unexpected.

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"Meditate I did, and the future is very cloudy for you both."

The news didn't surprise Obi-Wan at all, "Where do you think we should go?"

"A remote planet would be best, Hoth or even Ilum you could go."

Both planets had frigid weather. Obi-Wan knew Padme was not going to like that one bit. He knew it was going to take a lot of convincing to get her to agree to it.

"I think you are going to have to help me convince Padme, she won't go to Hoth or Ilum without putting up a good argument."

"Help I will Obi-Wan." Yoda then turned his head towards the door, Obi-Wan did as well, they both sensed it.

Obi-Wan went running out of Yoda's hut and shouted, "PADME" as he watched the ship take off.

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"Excuse me Miss Padme, but we are we going?" Threepio asked as Padme took off in the ship.

"We are going to the nearest Imperial space station, set the course R2."

"Excuse me Miss Padme but shouldn't we get Master Kenobi?" Threepio was becoming very anxious.

"No, this is something I must do on my own. We will not be contacting Obi-Wan."

"As you wish Miss Padme." Padme loved Threepio's loyalty to her; her life would be much lonelier without him and R2.

The nearest station was pretty far away, R2 had to set a course and Padme was able to leave the controls and go to the back of the ship.

'Obi-Wan is going to kill me' she thought to herself.

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"She's gone, she just took off, why would she do that?" Obi-Wan said pacing back and forth outside of Yoda's hut.

"Gone to confront Vader she has."

The words stung Obi-Wan, Yoda was right, that is where she had gone. He knew she couldn't keep on running, not when another child was involved.

"Will she come back? Vader won't let her go."

'Cloudy the future is, Amidala's fate is in her own hands."

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When they landed at the space station Padme gave strict instructions to Threepio and R2 what she wanted them to do. As she walked out of the ship imperial troopers took her and cuffed her recognizing who she was immediately.

"I've come to speak to Lord Vader" she said as they led her away.

"He has already been contacted, he is on his way."

"Good" was her only response.

They locked her in a holding cell, they took the droids to a nearby cell. She sat there as she waited for Anakin to arrive. It didn't take him long.

"Where is the Senator?" he barked as he walked off his ship.

"We put her in a holding cell, she wasn't armed, she had 2 droids with her, we put them in a nearby cell.

"Very good commander."

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Obi-Wan sat in Yoda's hut as the rain started to come down heavily. He had finally been able to calm down but he was still very distraught.

"I just have this terrible feeling I will never see her again Master."

"See her again you will Obi-Wan, Senator Amidala would never leave without saying goodbye."

Yoda's answer did not make him feel better at all.

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When Padme's cell door opened, the guards came and cuffed her again and led her towards a private chamber. They left her there alone still cuffed.

Then she saw him, Anakin, her Anakin in a black suit with a mask. Tears welled up in her eyes as she gazed upon his new face.

He stared at her; he longed to be able to look upon her with his own eyes. She was dressed in a black jumpsuit, her hair tied back in a single braid. She looked more beautiful than he had ever seen her before.

"Padme, you won't be needing those" he said as he used the force to undo her cuffs.

"Oh Anakin" she said as the tears flowed from her face.

'I've missed you Padme" he said as he came closer.

She didn't back away, but hearing this new voice made her feel like backing away. "I've missed you too Anakin, I can't believe what has happened to you."

"Obi-Wan did this, Obi-Wan put me in this suit, he turned you against me."

"I did not bring him to Mustafar, he snuck onto my ship, I wouldn't tell him where you were, I was never against you Anakin, I love you, I would never send anyone to kill you. I wanted you to come back with me to Naboo, I was willing to give up everything, the senate, Obi-Wan, my friends, just to be with you."

"Obi-Wan? Something did happen between the two of you then! What was going on between the two of you behind my back!"

"Anakin I was dying! I turned to Obi-Wan for help"

"LIAR" he shouted as he rose his hand. Padme backed away in response, she remembered him lifting his hand before and chocking her.

But he didn't choke her, he squeezed his hand into a fist instead and said, "You obviously are healthy now Padme, where is our baby?"

"There is no baby."

"Yes, there is, I've sensed it"

"Have you sensed it since the last time we were together on Mustafar?"

His clinched fist came down and rested on his side. He turned away from her and walked over to the door.

"No."

"There is no baby Anakin, not anymore."

He turned back towards her, stretching out his arm, "Join me and together we will destroy the Emperor and rule the galaxy."

"The chancellor wants me dead, he's declared me an enemy of the republic, the Jedi couldn't stop him, you think you can?"

"Yes, now that you have come back to me."

"Anakin things have changed now."

"Because of Obi-Wan?"

"Because of what you've done, because of what you have become."

"I did it for you!"

"I know. We all do unspeakable things for love, but we have to suffer the consequences of those actions too."

"Do you still love me?"

"Yes, I've never been the same since that day on Mustafar, a part of me died that day."

"Then we can still be together Padme, you still love me."

"No" she said so softly, like an angel's voice, the angel he thought she was when they first met.

"Why not? Because you are married to Obi-Wan? I tracked down your private wedding on Dantooine."

"Obi-Wan has nothing to do with this, and you know it" she pointed an accusing finger at him.

"Then what?" he shouted again clenching his fist.

"You've joined the dark side, it now dominates your destiny, you gave up on our love, when I pleaded with you to come with me to Naboo you refused. I was ready to walk away from everything I hold dear because I believed in our love, I believed in you! If you had believed in our love I would still be with you today, I would give up everything, even now to be with you. But love was not enough, you wanted power, you always said it bothered you that you were not the Jedi you were supposed to be. I now understand why Jedi were forbidden to love, it destroyed us."

"But you love Obi-Wan."

"It's not the same. His whole world has been destroyed, he's not a Jedi anymore."

"You loved him before the Jedi were destroyed."

"Not enough that I was willing to give up on us."

"So you do love me more then."

"Not anymore."

"Don't make me destroy you."

"I'm not here to stay; I came here to ask you to stop searching for me."

"If you are not here to be with me, then you will be destroyed."

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Even though it had only been two days it seemed like months since Obi-Wan last seen Padme.

"She's not coming back, he killed her."

"Felt it though the force you would have" was Yoda's reply.

"Then she is going to stay with him. She never wanted to live in hiding, I was wrong to think my love would be enough."

"Wrong again you are Obi-Wan, look"

He turned to see lights coming through the window, the ship was landing.

Obi-Wan ran outside as the ship touched down, when the landing platform came down he saw Threepio helping a wounded and beaten Padme come out.

"Padme, what's happened?" he said as he rushed into her arms.

"Obi-Wan, the baby……" and she collapsed in his arms unconscious.