FROM THE ASHES

Chapter 30

THE CONCLUSION

Padme returned to her sister's house. After much thought, she made her decision. "I can't do it, Sola, I'm sorry. I have decided I can't live in that house."

Sola was disappointed. "Are you sure, even in time?"

"I went in there, but I couldn't live there. Please, try to understand."

"I tell you what, Padme. I'll live there. How about you take this house, and I'll move in there?"

Just then, her two little daughters, Ryoo and Pooja, who had been listening, ran down the hall and faced her. "No, Momma, please, don't make us live there." Ryoo cried.

"Grandaddy..Grandaddy.." Pooja cried, her whole body shaking. "Grandaddy, didn't have a face no more." They both cried uncontrollably at the memory, and so did Padme.

Padme hugged her nieces to her tightly, and they cried it out together."I know, honey, I know, I know how you feel..."

Seeing this, Sola realized she had not been compassionate enough toward their feelings. It was bad enough having to know what happened, but they had seen it, experienced it. Sola gently pulled her girls from Padme, and hugged them herself. "It's okay, girls, you won't have to live there, I won't make you. We will keep this house. We can find other ways to remember Grandaddy and Grandma in nice ways." They nodded sadly at her.Finally, they calmed down, stopped crying, and went back down the hallway to their room. Padme glanced up at Sola. "Does that go double for me?"

Sola rolled her eyes. "Oh, okay, of course it does. I will contact my agent immediately."

The real estate agent was impressed with the property, despite its history, and gave a generous price for it. Standing outside the doorway for the last time, the sisters reflected on all the memories the family had shared there. "I am so sorry everything turned out this way. I can't believe we're never going to go back in there again." Sola said as she handed Padme the money. "Here, you take this and go buy yourself something you can live with."

Padme didn't take it. She looked up at Sola. "I will not accept it all, they were your parents too." Padme told her "You must take half."

.Sola turned her face to the ground. "Padme, you put me to shame."

"What?"

"You are too good. I feel so guilty now."

"About what? What have you done?"

"Padme, I recieved a rather large inheritance from father's estate. He was much wealthier than he let on. He always played the tightwad, I had no idea." Padme didn't comment, she only stared. Sola continued. "Padme, that husband of mine, he told me not to tell you. He said we should keep it all, we were the ones who were here with them while you were off galivanting all over the galaxy." She faced her sister and continued to explain about the money. "But now I see this is wrong, we should split it, even and fair. This is what Father and Mother would want." After a few anxious moments, they hugged.

The sisters did split the house money, and the inheritance. and the life insurance policies. Managed properly, it would be enough to keep them and their husbands and children for the rest of their lives, even if no one was actively employed. The news got even better when the Queen contacted Padme about being a historian for Naboo, and researching and writing its official history! She had lived so much of it herself, and would be a good one to explain the part about Palpatine and his invented war. Then when she was finished, with Anakin's help, she could write a series of Jedi and Clone Wars adventure novels, and maybe even some childrens' stories! As a writer, she could work at home, and not have to leave the children very often. Things were finally looking up.

Anakin and Obiwan walked the entire square footage of the Jedi temple, again. Anakin looked out the council room window at the city, and sighed heavily. "It's never going to get any better, Obiwan, what I did is never going to go away. But I've learned a lot, and I'm kind of proud of myself for standing up to it all. It would have been so much easier to just hide forever." Obiwan just met his eyes in a caring gaze and squeezed his arm. They had come through a lot together. Yoda appeared, with Tal behind him. He had been recieving messages from a few stray Jedi who had managed to escape Order 66. They were spread throughout the galaxy, some injured, some trapped or in hiding. Yoda informed Obiwan and Anakin he was assigning them with a very important mission. They must now go seek them all out, rescue them and bring them back to the temple to restore and improve the Jedi order. Tal was thrilled to be included.

"Master Yoda, can we have different sleeves, these floppy ones take away the aerodynamics of my fighting skills!" Tal suggested. "And how can you guys fight with your long robes on?"

Anakin laughed, and Obiwan did too, feeling very proud of his ambitious new apprentice.."Well, Tal, we've already dispensed with and retired the padawan haircut thanks to you, now perhaps an entire fashion makeover for the Jedi is in order!"

"Yes, some things changed will be, for the better will be.Rise again, the Jedi order will." Yoda confidenlty shook his green head. Once the stray Jedi were rounded up and returned home, they could restructure the old ways, learn from the past, and begin again.

Anakin was feeling excited about the future of the Jedi, but was feeling sad that he'd be gone from his family for so long. He thought about the conflict of family and order, and this is why the old masters had forbid attachments. But it was too late now, things had changed, and everything was going to work out fine. He knew that this mission would take weeks, possibly months. He went directly to Naboo to tell Padme before he left.

He went to meet her at Sola's, and she showed him the new family sized speeder she'd just bought. He was very happy with it, and flew it himself when she took him out to see the land in the lake country she had just purchased to build their new home.

"Do you recognize this place?" He looked all around, the field, the waterfalls, the mountains, the sky. This was the place where they had first fallen in love, or rather, where she had finally fallen in love with him.

"How could I forget?" He smiled, again admiring the incredible scenery, breathing in the fresh, fragrant air. "I can't believe we're going to be living here, it's so beautiful and peaceful. We can spend the rest of our lives sitting on the veranda gazing out at this view, and looking at the stars.."

"Oh, yes, Anakin, and we must have a skylight built like the one we had in the apartment."

"You know, when the penthouse was destroyed, I thought how sad it was we'd never see the views from there again, but we always will. We have them saved, right here." He pointed to his head, and hers. "We will never forget it. And we have more beauty to enjoy here. The stars are incredible here at night." She showed him exactly where the house was going to be, and told him it would be finished by the time he got back. "You know something Padme, I think this place is prettier than the penthouse, prettier than Alderaan, the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life.." he held her and kissed her, "especially if you're here too. Or is it just because, I'm so in love with you?" Padme laughed softly at the reference, and they held each other one more time. He hated to leave.

"This is going to be my last long mission. Then after that, my duties should be much less.The Jedi we are bringing home will be able to handle things in the future. I will never again be away from you and the babies for more than a few days. I will spend as much time here as possible, you won't be able to get rid of me!" They both laughed. Then his expression turned sad, thinking about having to go for now. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Padme, it's all right now, we're going to have a wonderful life, in spite of everything. I have forseen it." He gazed lovingly at her with an expression that spoke louder than any words. She answered back with a tearful stare of her own, and watched as he turned to walk away.

Padme stayed with Sola until the house was finished ahead of schedule. She enjoyed picking out beautiful furnishings, and finally moving in. Day after day, she would look up from her work to gaze out the window, hoping to see her handsome husband there, or hoping not to see any more villains to harrass her. She kept a blaster for emergencies, and 3PO was always with her, and he was a great help with the twins.R2 would be there at times, too. Of her own free will, she had decided not to have any more personal servants other than a once a week maid, she'd lived such a public life since she was very young and now she wanted her privacy, even if it meant doing some of the chores herself. She didn't mind, she had her peace and freedom at last.Now if she could just get Anakin back home safely, her life would be more complete. She wanted him back with her, now.

Anakin, Obiwan and Tal were gone for three months. They saved many Jedi, and were returning home with them all. In the last rushed rescue, Anakin needed to breathe in a place of dangerous gasses, and had to use his Vader suit! Leaving in a rush from danger and due to time, he was still wearing it as they headed for home. The mission was at its end. The rescued Jedi were safely inside, some injured, and they needed to get back to Coruscant. Still rushing back, Anakin brought the ship out of hyperspace near the Naboo system. He kept it still for awhile, staring at the planet. "I have to go to her, Obiwan. I haven't seen her or the babies in months. I have had no contact in weeks."

Obiwan sighed and looked down, then back at Anakin, staring out at the planet, still in his Vader suit since there was no time or place to change yet. "You know, this is why Jedi aren't supposed to have.."

"I know, I know, but it's too late, isn't it?"

"I guess it is. Okay, let's put it down right here, you can go see your family, I will take the ship to the temple and get these guys situated and report to Yoda.

"You're the best, Obiwan, you know that?"

"I know." Obiwan smiled, and Anakin did, too, inside his helmet. "One thing, though, you had better take the mask off before she sees you, you'll scare the daylights out of her. Remember, she and I were blind when you rescued us from Gerapaline in that thing, then you stored it at the temple, she's never seen it."

"Oh, you're right! There's no room here to change, I'm sure she'll have more of my clothes at the new house."

"Do you even know where it is?"

"I was there, once, just before we left, It wasn't finished, but I remember the spot. It's in a field by the waterfalls, it's beautiful."

"It sounds lovely. I'm very happy for you and Padme. I will have to come and visit you there when I have spare time if you don't mind."

"You must, I insist! We will be seeing a lot of each other, here and on Coruscant.We're brothers, after all."

Anakin landed in the closest place available,around the bend on a flat road used as a landing strip between the nearest village and their land, well out of view of the house. This was a good safe place to land. Still in the Vader suit, he got out of the ship. Obiwan stood on the ramp, his arms folded, staring at him. "You had better take that mask off before she sees you!"

"I will, I'm just waiting to walk anonymously down there first. I'd rather wear this thing than to have to carry it. And, I don't know, it might be kind of fun to surprise her!"

"She might surprise you with a blaster if she doesn't recognize you."

Anakin laughed, through his Vader mask. "I'll take it off before I get there."

"Okay, I bid you good bye, then, 'Darth Vader'!" He laughed and so did Anakin. "I'll see you back in Coruscant soon, my brother. May the force be with you." Obiwan took controls of the ship, and headed in the direction of the city planet and the Jedi temple. Anakin set out on foot, in his Vader suit, through the fields of wildflowers. He had yet to encounter anyone, but if he did, he didn't want them, and not Padme, to be the first to see his face. They were both well known there, as they were on Coruscant, and most planets in the galaxy now.

Padme stood outside in the warm summer breeze, a good distance from the house. The babies were inside with 3PO, in their playroom. They were crawling now, and were quite a handful. They had grown so much, Anakin would be surprised when he saw them again. Padme looked up and saw the black clad character approaching. Obiwan was right, she hadn't seen him in the suit before, and now she was frightened. "Who goes there?" She called out. He tried to answer back, but only heard his own natural voice vibrating inside the mask. the voice modulator had shut down! He reached up to remove his helmet, but found it stuck! He ran closer, hoping that once he reached the house, she could help him with it. He didn't immediately consider she didn't take him for her husband, but a possible enemy. "Go away!" She screamed in a threatening voice. "You leave me, and my babies alone!"

Anakin now realized she thought he was an intruder, but unable to take off the mask, or make himself audible. There was nothing he could do but keep trying. Padme ran as fast as she could back inside the house, and returned with her emergency blaster. She aimed it at the black figure approaching her new home. Anakin was in her sites, and though he tried to convey his message by waving his arms and pointing, in her fear and worry, she wasn't getting it. She fired at him, and he had no choice but to deflect the shots away from them both. Seeing this, she became terrified, and dropped to the ground, her blaster falling from her hands. Anakin knew this was his chance to approach her. Aiming the force toward it, he reached up and tried to take off his helmet one more time. This time, it loosened, and was coming off, but it was too late. From the ground, Padme had aimed her blaster and shot at him. The helmet dropped off as he fell to the ground. As soon as she saw the long blond hair that flowed out from it, she knew she had made a terrible mistake.

Padme started shaking, and screaming, "Noooo!" She ran toward him, knelt down over him and pulled off the mask. It made a hiss as the air escaped from it. Sure enough, she was tortured to see the beautiful face of her husband, eyes and mouth closed, his body motionless. She clenched her fists and cried, her heart breaking. How could fate be so cruel, after all they'd been through? Her pain and suffering were immense. For a few seconds that seemed like hours, she looked away, not believing what she had just done. Padme now only wanted to lay herself prostrate with grief over his body. She couldn't live with herself and hoped to die right there of a broken heart and join him. As she turned toward Anakin, she looked one more time at his face. This time, his eyelashes fluttered as the beautiful blue eyes opened and looked at her, and the pouty lips cracked a smile, then opened into a full laugh. He had tricked her, just as he had done that day in the same field so long ago when he fell from the creature's back.

"Oh, you!" She cried, the drastic swing in emotions bursting inside her, but this time in a good way.

"Me? You're the one with the blaster, you tried to kill me!"

All anger and sadness melted at that moment as he pulled her to him, and they rolled over and over in the field of beautiful, fragrant wildflowers, laughing, kissing, and embracing. Finally, Padme pulled her mouth away from his. "Let's go inside first, we've got to get you out of that awful suit!" They helped each other up, then ran back to their house together, arm in arm. She was swinging the mask from her free hand, he was swinging the helmet.

As they entered their newly completed home, Anakin's eyes looked all around, taking everything in. "This is just as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside. It's perfect, you should be very proud.We are going to be so happy here! I love it, and I love you." They nuzzled again. "Where are the babies?" She took him to the playroom door, and they gazed lovingly at the twins, who had exhausted themselves and fell asleep on their play pallet in the floor pallet. 3PO, in an uncharacteristically quiet moment, gave them the 'hush' signal. Anakin silently stared at them for a minute, how perfect, beautiful and healthy they were, knowing how lucky he really was. They smiled, winked and walked away.

Padme then took him to their bedroom, and shut the door. She began helping him strip out of the Vader suit. Once it was off, he stored it away in his half of the huge walk-in closet, alongside spare Jedi outfits and other clothes she had there for him. Looking at the ominous facade and suit hanging empty, Anakin mocked the breathing sound and the way his voice sounded through the modulator. "Good bye, Lord Vader." He said, thinking once more of the priceless irony of it all as he closed the door on the suit until they could see it no more. This caused Padme to start laughing, and he joined her. They both fell backwards onto the bed, still laughing, holding each other tight, locked in a passionate embrace of eternal love.

Anakin and Padme were going to be all right now, they really were. The ultimate happiness of their life together awaited them, a beautful future spread out before them like the field of wildflowers. It was, after all, their destiny.

The damage to Padme's old apartment building was more extensive than first thought, It was so structurally unsound it had to be razed before it collapsed and caused a terrible disaster. Once the debris was hauled away, an old stone opening was found in the basement was found to lead to a deep cave with ancient drawings on its walls. Scientists and archaeologists came from all over the galaxy to explore and document this find. These ancient cave markings were rare, and important, not just historically, but because some had proven to be prophetic. One of them depicted a man coming up out of a fiery pool, rising from the ashes. His face looked a lot like Anakin Skywalker.

THE END