Chapter 10: Padmé and Mon Mothma's Meeting
Anakin sat, legs crossed and eyes closed on the stone balcony attached to the mansion in the lake country of Naboo. He felt he had to do this after the excitement of his two children being born. He calmed himself and sank into the tranquility of the Force dimly sensing Padmé come and sit beside him. She stayed there for a long time, not disturbing him and showing a nice amount of patience. After about an hour of sitting Padmé stood up and turned to leave.
"Don't go." Anakin said without opening his eyes or doing anything at all. "You wanted to talk to me."
"Yes." She replied sitting back down again and leaning against his broad shoulders. Anakin opened his eyes and stared out across the crystal blue lake. The sun was setting making the sky a golden orange and sparkling brightly on the water. "How long do we need to keep the twins in hiding. How long do we have to be away from each other?"
"As long as we must."
"But when?"
"At least until they are old enough to talk and listen."
"But who will watch them back on Coruscant?"
"We could always buy a protocol droid."
"We have one here."
"Perfect. Is he capable?"
"You should know, you built him and left him with Sola."
"C-3PO?" Anakin asked. "Ha, I thought he was sent to the scrap yards a long time ago."
"No he is here and my sister took the liberty of making improvements on him."
"Is he still very… eccentric?"
Padmé smiled playfully and seconds later a golden plated protocol droid sped onto the balcony, walking with very little joint movement so it seemed he was waddling.
"Oh mistress Padmé! I cannot seem to make the children stop crying, I have tried every lullaby programmed into my memory banks several of which are top ones and they still will not stop crying!"
"Have you tried changing them?"
"Oh heavens no! I am not made to change infants, I could damage them or their waste could damage me!"
Anakin stood up and smiled at 3-PO.
"Hello 3-PO." He said. The droid looked at him for a second remembering immediately the little boy that had built him on Tatooine.
"Oh, Master Anakin I am so glad to see you are fully functional."
"And I am glad to see you are. Just get Sabé to change them, oh and I have heard you sing before when my mom wanted to hear some music so you should probably stop. I have a feeling that's what is making them cry."
"How rude." 3-PO said making him sound somewhat like a stuck up little girl. He walked back into the mansion just as Anakin's comm link buzzed.
"What now?" Anakin asked himself as he pulled the comm link from his pocket and accepted the call. An image of Admiral Piett materialized on the projection pad. This time Anakin was very unhappy to see Piett.
"What is it Admiral. You are interrupting my trip and I am most displeased."
"I am sorry Lord Vader, I know how important what you are doing is to you but Mon Mothma has called a meeting in the Imperial palace. She requests you attend. Well actually she said it is mandatory that Lord Skywalker attends, make sure he does Admiral."
Anakin's eyes turned a red brimmed yellow. Mon Mothma always had perfect timing like that idiot Solo, the two should have been related.
"Tell her I'll be there and recite to her how very important this trip was and how very displeased I am that it was interrupted."
Piett began to answer but Vader hurled his comm link into the lake. He could clearly see it break the surface of the water. It sunk about a centimeter before it short circuited and exploded into a million tiny pieces. Anakin turned to face Padmé who looked very angry and disappointed at the same time.
"I'm sorry I have to go. Damn Mon Mothma and her nerf herder meetings! I'll try to come back as soon as I can."
"Its alright." Padmé said standing up with some difficulty. She kissed him.
"The Republic after all needs a Sith Lord as a military commander."
Anakin smiled kissed her goodbye once more and left to say goodbye to the twins and head for Coruscant. Damn that planet. If only Naboo was the capitol he would not have to leave.
Padmé watched his Lambda class shuttle unfold its wings and fly off, little white lights flashed on the tip of its wings as it flew higher and higher away from Naboo and its setting sun.
XxX
Imperial Palace, Ball Room
Anakin sat in one of the chairs on the floor of the old Imperial Ball Room where the Emperor had made Anakin his successor, back when he was Vader. The place had been somewhat remodeled. The chandeliers were gone and replaced by low powered lights as well as several spot lights. The floor was now entirely white plasteel as were all business rooms and the balcony outside had been sealed off and was due to be removed. However the balcony in the room with stairs leading up on either side remained. Blood red carpet no longer covered the stars, now they were covered with black carpet and looked invisible. The hole room was used as somewhat of a senate room. The ground was covered in comfortable welded down chairs for important delegates. The balcony was where the speaker stood, there was a microphone attached to the railing to make the speaker louder.
Today the speaker was Mon Mothma, the new Chancellor. The old Imperial red robed guards that had joined the Republic were behind her in the shadows, force pikes held at the ready. Mon Mothma wore elegant white silk robes today, pure white making her glow in the focused spotlight. Anakin looked up at her from the chairs. He was surrounded by various political and military leaders. Admiral Piett and Xen sat on either side of him and the rest of the commanders of his fleet on either Xen's side or Pietts. Finally after thirty quiet minutes of sitting and waiting Mon Mothma was ready to begin.
"New Republic senators and military leaders, I am addressing you today because to time has come to focus our full military strength on the last strong remnants of the Empire." Mon Mothma began, droid cameras floated around her broadcasting the announcement live on the HoloNet where the galaxy watched. "The council of leaders and I have decided it is time to wipe the Imperial army on Carida out permanently."
No one looked shocked, everyone knew this was coming for a long time.
"As you know we control every major city on the planet besides the military city, home to the Empire's best military academy where Grand Moff Tarkin himself was trained. The city is being held up and has a strong defense and a shield generator. The leader of the city a man named Furgan…"
A holoimage of a man with enormously think lips and heavy eyebrows appeared next to Mon Mothma.
"… is holding himself up in the military academy. As you all know Admiral Ackbar's fleet is orbiting the planet but his flagship Home One has already been destroyed. He is currently leading Republic Storm troopers on an attack to crush their Imperial brethren. It is not going well, they are at half strength thanks to the star ship grade turbo lasers surrounding the city. We will be sending back up. Lord Anakin Skywalker will be taking his fleet of star destroyers and aiding Admiral Ackbar. We will also provide him with a new addition to his fleet. Will he accept it?"
Anakin stood up and a small droid floated down to him with a mircrophone.
"I accept." Anakin said into it. The droid zoomed away and everyone politely clapped.
"Very well, we have found another super class star destroyer renamed the Guardian, it is a sister ship to Skywalker's capital ship Executor and will be the newest addition to his fleet. The Imperial Admiral in charge of it is dead, it will be captained by General Wedge Antilles who will serve under Skywalkers command. The plan is for Anakin's fleet to obliterate the defenses of the city from orbit though it has a shield generator which must be destroyed. After that we can seize the city, I will leave the final plans to Skywalker himself, if this fails I have back up plan but I fear it is very close to the barbaric nature of the Empire. The Death Star super weapon which is in out custody could be used to destroy the planet entirely. It is under my personal command, I do not wish to use it but if it becomes necessary we can evacuate the innocent civilians and orbit the planet to prevent any Imperial personnel from leaving until the planet is destroyed.
"I want Skywalker to gather up his fleet and leave as soon as possible. Meeting adjourned."
Next Chapter: Before the Battle