Thanks again to everybody who is reading. Here's another chapter to keep you busy. Hope you all enjoy!

Emerald Green Queen: Glad you enjoyed the update for the most part. As for Obi-Wan, don't worry, he will find a way to speak his mind. Thanks again for pointing out my grammar faux paus. I truly appreciate it. Happy to know too that you like the flashbacks. They are a lot of fun for me to write since I can go back and pull from whatever time period I need from, giving me a wide berth to select. Thanks again for reading and hope you enjoy!

Sweet Christabel: Thanks!

Jokerisdaking: Thanks so much. I know things are confusing, but I promise clarity is not far around the corner. And yes, Padme does seem abit darker. She's waited for her son for 9 years and I think her patience has finally run out. Thanks so much for reading. Hope you enjoy the update!

Sabé spun her head around in confusion while the klaxons' screams resonated throughout her office. Several of her handmaidens stormed inside, each one wielding blasters, prompting her to stand.

"What's happened?"

Elermaé broke away from the group and grabbed her arm. "You must come with us, Milady."

"Not until you tell me what is going on!"

"The Jedi!" screamed another young handmaiden. "There are several renegades that have broken into the embassy and have barricaded themselves in the west wing."

Contorting her face angrily, Sabé jerked her arm from Elermaé to reach under her desk. She withdrew two silver cased blasters, then before any of her attendants realized, Sabé stormed out the other exit.

Rage.

It was the only emotion she felt as she hurried towards the western portion of the embassy. When she found those mutinous sorcerers, she would make them pay for seeking refuge in this place. A few moments later, Sabé approached the temporary guard outpost.

"What is the situation, Captain?"

"Milady, three Jedi have sealed themselves within the central conference room and have repelled every attempt we've made to capture them."

Sabé raised her eyebrows. "That's not surprising." She paused momentarily to consider her options. "Have you contacted Lord Vader?"

"I took the liberty, Madam Ambassador. He indicated that we do nothing until his arrival."

Sabé nodded subtly, unable to remove her eyes from the closed door. "I'm going in there."

"Milady, you can't!"

Before the Naboo security guard could react, Sabé had already ambled to the door and punched in her code clearance. Taking a deep breath before pressing the last button, she readied her blaster and entered the conference room. Instead of seeing the familiar area, she found herself in the midst of the golden sand dunes of Tatooine. Rubbing her eyes in disbelief, Sabé gazed at the desolation, but winced as the glare of the twin suns reflecting off the silver plated Royal Cruiser.

"How can this be? This is the past," she said to herself.

"In this place, time is meaningless," answered a familiar voice.

Sabé spun around and stood stunned as she saw the source of the voice. "Obi-Wan," she muttered. "How? You're…"

"Dead," he finished for her. She dipped her head while he walked before her. "Think of it as an intermediary between life and death."

"Why did you lie to me?"

Obi-Wan simply smiled at her. "That is in the past and should not concern you now. There are far more pressing issues."

"How could that not concern me? Everyday I wake up to that loss."

"I told you on Alderaan," he said, his expression hardening, "that there would be dire consequences if you continued down this path. Now, I fear all might be lost."

"What are you talking about?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "A time is coming where you will have to make a choice about where your true loyalties rest. He moved closer to her, placing both hands on her shoulders. "The fate of the galaxy may very well depend upon you, Sabé."

"I don't understand. What is going to happen?" Her query was only met with silence as the image of both Obi-Wan and the desert became fainter. Obi-Wan! Please, help me!"

"…Please, help me," Sabé muttered, tossing fretfully about on the medi-bed. Her eyes snapped open at the same time she bolted upright. She darted her eyes from side to side, unsure of where she was.

"Shhh…Everything is alright," Padmé softly said as she gently guided her to lie back down.

"Where am I?"

"You're in the Executor's sickbay. You've been unconscious for nearly twelve hours," Padmé responded. "The medi-droids said though that you would be fine."

"Where are Thomas and Sienna? Are they alright?"

Padmé's smile grew. "They're fine and quite anxious to see you. In fact, they are both in the waiting area now if you are up to see them?"

Giving her a quick nod, Padmé left the room briefly. Sabé looked about the sterile white room that was vacant of any other patients. She surmised that Padmé and Vader…Anakin…had probably emptied it out to give her some privacy. Still, she found herself in a cloudy state. The events that occurred on Mustafar felt more like a dream than real. Sabé felt disconnected from the fact that Obi-Wan was dead and it was partially because of her. Perhaps she was still in shock? However, her ruminations were broken when she heard the sweetest sound in the universe call out to her.

"Mommy!"

Sabé's smiled happily as she moved to the edge of her bed in order to embrace her child. "Sienna, my darling."

"I've missed you, Mommy. Are you feeling better now?"

Tears of joy fell from her face. "Yes, honey. Now that you're here, I'm going to be just fine."

"Good," Sienna said, snuggling into her chest.

"Have you been a good girl while Mommy's been sleeping?"

Sienna nodded dramatically. "Leia and I have been playing together and staying in our room like we were told."

Sabé looked up to see Padmé who was standing behind Leia, smiling at them. "She's been no trouble at all. It has been such a joy to have her with us." Sabé beamed as she turned her attention to Padmé's daughter. "It is good to see you again, young one."

"You as well, Milady," she answered, slightly curtseying. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you anything when you and Sienna came to visit me and Uncle Bail."

"It's quite alright, dear. I understand your reasons." Sabé was about to ask her another question when she saw Thomas standing quietly at the doorway. She laughed quietly. "Well are you just going to stand there or are you going to give your wife a hug?"

Captain Piett slightly snorted and shook his head. "Feisty as ever, my love."

"Would you have me any other way?"

"Of course not," he replied, walking over quickly to hold her.

Meanwhile, Padmé turned to Leia. "Let's go check on your father. Hopefully he'll have some good news for us."

Leia cracked a tiny smile. "Sure."

The journey from sickbay to the main docking hangar seemed to pass almost instantly since Leia was too engrossed watching the activity. Between the large windows that opened up to the heavens, stormtroopers marching and various officers bowing respectfully to both her mother and her, the only thing that snapped her out of her fascinated state was the sight of her father. It took her complete self control not to run and jump into his arms. She knew better than that but guessed he wouldn't be truly angry if she did it. Still, she learned from both her mother and Uncle Bail how a princess such as she should behave in public.

Calmly walking up to her father, she curtsied daintily. Anakin's lopsided smile filled his face as he respectfully half-bowed in her direction. "Greetings, My Lady…My Ladies," he corrected when he looked up at Padmé.

A faint smile crossed her face as she nodded in acknowledgement. Her attention immediately shifted to the scores of technicians buzzing about Obi-Wan's small ship. "What have you found out?"

"As I predicted, Obi-Wan erased and locked the navicomputer, hiding his point of origin," Anakin reported with a pained expression.

"Tell me that this was not what you were hoping for?" Padmé anxiously asked.

He shook his head. "It would have made things easier, but I expected him to do as much. We've already determined that his hyperdrive had been operating for fourteen hours straight so we can use our current position to map the area within that time span."

Padmé's frown slightly lifted. "Still, this is a fairly heavily populated section of the galaxy. There are literally hundreds of inhabitable systems where he could have come from."

"True," Anakin answered with a grin. Before he finished his thought, a young lieutenant cautiously approached them.

"Excuse me for interrupting, my Lord, Milady, but I think you will be interested in the radiation analysis of the hull."

Vader nodded as he promptly took the proffered datapad. After darting his eyes through the information, he quickly pressed several buttons before he let loose a loud laugh. "Smart, Master, but not smart enough."

"What is it?" Padmé demanded to know.

"Obi-Wan apparently had his hull reinforced with a nickel-like alloy, which he believed would hide the radiation signature of the system's sun where he's resided. But what he didn't consider was that there's one type of radiation signature that will actually be augmented by this plating."

She grimaced. "In Basic please, Anakin."

"Iota radiation is solely generated by twin suns and the only system within range is…"

"…Tatooine," Padmé whispered. "You don't think…"

Anakin nodded. "Luke's been right under our noses in the one place Obi-Wan knew I wouldn't look." He hurriedly withdrew his comlink. "Bridge."

"Yes, my Lord."

"Set course for the Tatooine sector. Best possible speed."

"With pleasure, my Lord."

Anakin and Padmé traded smiles of relief before she turned her attention towards Leia. "We're going to get your brother, Sweetheart. Isn't that wonderful?"

She sighed loudly and rolled her eyes. "Yes, Mother. Really, truly wonderful."

Ignoring her sarcasm, Padmé looked back at her husband. "I cannot wait to hold my boy after all these years." Anakin smiled as he wrapped her in his arms. "It's finally coming together for us."

"It will be a day to remember," Anakin interjected. "It has seen the end of Kenobi and soon we shall have our entire family back together."

Sabé sat quietly in her bed as she watched Thomas rock listlessly on the edge. Sienna had fallen asleep on her other side so it was time to finally get some answers.

"Why didn't you tell me about Vader…or Padmé for that matter? You knew what was happening and yet you said nothing."

Thomas let go a deep huff. "I'm sorry, my love, but I couldn't. Lord Vader swore me to secrecy until the right time."

"Can you please tell me just what's going on?"

"For the past eighteen months, we've been aware of a growing movement within the Imperial military which has vocally expressed their dissatisfaction with the Emperor and his policies. We have been meeting clandestinely with these commanders to ascertain how far it had spread."

"And?"

Piett grinned. "Nearly three quarters of the officers in both the army and navy are willing to follow Lord Vader if he should try to usurp Palpatine. But that isn't the truly amazing thing."

"What is?" Sabé asked, both eyebrows were now raised.

"Six months ago, the leader of the Rebel Alliance, a former Republic Senator named Mon Mothma made contact with Lord Vader to open talks."

"Talks for what?"

"To end nearly a decade of hostility by committing troops and equipment to Lord Vader's removal of the Emperor," Thomas excitedly responded.

Sabé contorted her face. "I doubt the Alliance would simply trade one Emperor for another."

He shook his head. "Once Palpatine is deposed, Lord Vader has promised to return power back to the Senate."

"That's…Incredible," she muttered. "Still, I can't imagine Vader gaining all that power and then letting it go. I find it difficult to believe."

"He wants to live in peace with his family," Piett said in his defense. "Surely you can believe that?"

Sabé huffed as her smile grew. "Of course." She was about to say more when she felt the ship lurch forward. Looking curiously at Thomas, he quickly withdrew his comlink.

"Bridge?"

"Yes, Captain?"

"Why are we breaking orbit?"

"Lord Vader has ordered us to the Tatooine sector."

Thomas shot a quick look over at Sabé before responding, "Understood. I shall be up there shortly." He flashed a quick smile as he stood up. "I will take my leave for now. I'll have my yeoman come down and show you to our quarters when you are ready to leave."

"That would nice," Sabé answered with an impish grin.

Thomas nodded as he moved towards the exit. He paused in the doorway and turned to look at her. "Do you want to talk about what happened on the planet?"

Her mirth dissolved and she noticeably tensed. "Not right now. But I promise once this is over I will tell you everything."

Piett trembled slightly before steadying himself. "I shall look forward to that discussion."

Sabé sighed as she reclined back into her bed. How could she ever bring herself to tell him? Even she was not ready to examine the actions that had led her to this point. Hopefully with a little time and distance from this madness she would finally tell him everything she's kept locked in her heart for far too long.

Hours later as she headed to the main hangar, Sabé was consumed with her husband's revelations. Could Obi-Wan have been wrong about Anakin? What would happen if the Republic returned from the dead? Would she have a place in the new government? She chuckled to herself, realizing that once this was over, she would finally get her wish. No more sacrificing her personal life to duty. She would take Sienna home to Naboo and raise her with Thomas. Perhaps Padmé and Anakin would also choose to retire there as well and they could raise their children together in peace.

It would be perfect.

Reaching the main docking bay, Sabé noticed that while Anakin and Padmé were busy preparing their shuttle, Leia was standing several paces away by herself. She walked over to the lonely-looking girl.

"Hello, young one."

Leia seemed momentarily startled before she bowed respectfully. "Good morning, Milady. Are you feeling better?"

"Much. And you?" She simply shrugged in response, prompting Sabé to ask, "Aren't you excited about meeting your brother finally?"

"It's all my Mother ever talks about," Leia answered flatly, without looking at her. "But I guess as long as she's happy, it's a good thing."

Sabé gazed at her intently, unsure what to make of the child's strange behavior. Before she could question her further, Padmé joined them. "Glad to see that you made it out of bed, Your Honor."

"You didn't think I was going to lie around while you and your husband go off on your own." Her face furrowed as she continued, "Are you sure it is wise not taking down a contingent of troops, just in case?"

Padmé shook her head. "Anakin is certain that Luke is staying at the farm where his mother once lived. If so, we don't want to scare them to death. And if not, it is a good place to start our search."

"Count me in," Sabé volunteered.

Padmé smiled, placing her hand on Sabé's shoulder. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

The landscape of Tatooine was exactly as she remembered. Apparently time was irrelevant to the desert. Aside from Padmé and Anakin, only she and their astromech Artoo-Deetoo accompanied them on the shuttle. It took only several minutes before they landed near a dingy white homestead that sat out in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere.

Sabé pulled up her hood as she exited the ship in effort to block some of the sand. The wind was picking up and she could hardly see in front of her. Yet, her danger sense heightened when she witnessed Anakin remove and activate his lightsaber. Withdrawing her blasters, Sabé ran to join them, but stopped short when she saw a rather weather-beaten man standing several yards ahead of the homestead with his blaster rifle pointed dangerously at the former Jedi,

Instinctively, Padmé stood between the two men, holding her arms out, "Anakin…Owen…Put your weapons down."

Owen gritted his teeth as he complied. "What kind of trickery is this, Vader? Padmé Amidala died years ago."

Padmé smiled nervously at Lars as she reached over to gently force his rifle down further. "Owen…I'm afraid that Obi-Wan told you many things that weren't true." She looked back at her husband and with a subtle nod he extinguished his weapon. "Will you at least hear what we have to say?"

"Why should I want to listen to the Emperor's lapdogs?" he responded scowling. "No matter what pretty face you might put on," Owen said as he motioned at Sabé.

"I swear that we come in peace," Anakin offered.

Shaking his head, Owen retorted, "Shmi would be very proud of your accomplishments now, wouldn't she, Vader?"

The fire behind Anakin's eyes grew while his hands clenched tightly at his sides. Yet, he did or said nothing when he saw the prematurely aged Beru run out from the homestead. "Owen Lars you put that thing away now." She then turned to look at Padmè. "Please come inside and I promise we will listen."

Sabé sat at the head of the small table. On her left sat Owen and Beru while Padmé sat opposite them with her husband standing ominously behind her, his arms crossed snugly against his chest. Throughout her many years as the Grand Inquisitor, she had never before mediated such a tension filled situation. She felt awkward as she felt like an outsider to a family who was divided by too much to ever return to the way things once were.

Beru was the first to make conversation. "I can't begin to say how happy I am that you both are alive and well. From what Master Kenobi told us…"

"Beru!" Owen scolded. "You needn't bother with small talk. We both know why they're here."

Ignoring his coarseness, Padmé offered Beru a reassuring smile. "Much has happened and I'm sorry that you were lied to, but it was necessary to protect the truth."

"Truth? What truth?" Owen scornfully remarked. "All I know was that you died giving birth to Luke," he said pointing at Padmé. "And you," turning his focus at Anakin, "apparently lost your mind and slaughtered your people. Can you honestly sit there and convince us to ever trust you?"

"You are quite right, Mister Lars. We don't expect for you to immediately trust us," Padmé responded. "However, Obi-Wan did not know that I lived because I went into hiding on Alderaan so I could raise our daughter Leia."

Both Beru and Owen turned towards each other apparently stunned at this revelation. "You already had another child?" Owen gasped.

Padmé shook her head, but smiled as she corrected him. "No, Luke and Leia were twins." Both she and Beru shared a smile before she continued, "But I digress. Since Obi-Wan believed me to be dead and Anakin to be…indisposed, he brought Luke to his only remaining family. He didn't know what truly happened and until only a few days ago, we didn't know where he had disappeared to with our son."

Silence filled the air as the two couples studied each other expectantly. Finally, Padmé urgently reached for Beru's hand, pulling it towards her. "Please, Beru….Tell me about my boy…Tell me what he's like...I want to know everything."

Beru trembled since she was unused to witnessing such displays of emotion. Steadying herself, she answered, "Well, Luke is a bright and inquisitive young boy with beautiful blue eyes and a mop of blond hair," she paused and looked up at Anakin. "Much like his father." Padmé turned to exchange smiles with her husband before refocusing her attention on Beru. "He does well in all of his schoolwork, but his teachers despair because of his tendencies to daydream."

"Sounds familiar," Anakin added, unable to hold back his lopsided grin.

Padmé's large smile fell. "Has he…Has he ever asked about me? About us?"

Beru shot a quick glance at Owen who was noticeably aloof. "Luke knows that we are his Aunt and Uncle and of course he has asked about you both." She hesitated before adding," But since we were going on the fact that you both were gone, he believes you to be dead."

"I want to see him," Padmé muttered as tears fell down her face. "Is he here?"

The Lars' gave one another a solemn look before Owen placed his hand atop of his wife's. "He is, but I don't think it is wise to tell him who you are."

"Why not?" Anakin demanded. "He is our son and deserves to be told the truth. Especially if he is to return with us."

Shocked silence permeated the room. Sabé tried not to fidget as the tensions began to escalate with Anakin's statement.

"What?" Owen asked in sheer amazement.

Placing his hand on his wife' shoulder, Anakin answered, "It is our intention to reunite our whole family as soon as possible. I know that you both have sacrificed much during these past several years while raising Luke and we would be more than happy to compensate you."

"No!" Beru answered.

"What do you mean by no, Beru?" Padmé asked, angrily frowning.

"Despite the fact that you both are alive and are Luke's biological parents, we are his legal guardians and such a thing cannot be undone easily," Beru worriedly stated..

"Don't you know who I am?" Anakin angrily spat. "I am second only to the Emperor. I am the law and no Outer Rim nonsense is going to stop us from reclaiming what is rightfully ours. I will see…" Anakin paused in mid sentence as both his and Padmé's attentions became fixed upon the small blond haired boy who stood nervously, but silently at the top of the kitchen stairs.

Beru looked to see Luke staring curiously at the two strangers. "I thought I told you to stay in your room until we came to get you?"

The boy quickly ran to his aunt's side, lovingly embracing her. "I'm sorry Aunt Beru. I just got curious when I heard all the different voices."

"He looks just like you did, Ani." Padmé muttered as she stared at their son in complete wonderment. "He's…perfect."

Luke released a bashful smile as he leaned against his aunt. Padmé tried to reach for him, but Beru protectively wrapped her arm around Luke, pressing him closer. Tears raced down Padmé's cheeks as she demanded, "Give him back, Beru! You have no right to keep what was stolen from me!"

Noticing her nephew was becoming frightened, Beru leaned down and whispered, "Luke, please, go back to your room."

He obeyed, but paused to stare at the crying woman and then over at the tall man whom he exchanged grins with and also felt a strange, but strong affinity for. Although he was afraid, Luke had to fight a curious urge to run and jump into his arms. For the moment though, he would listen to his Aunt, but he needed to know who they were and soon.

Sabé, who had remained silent throughout the debate, reached over to rub Padmé's shoulder in order to comfort her. "Calm yourself, my sister. Getting upset will not solve anything."

Padmé abruptly stood and pointed at Beru. "I have suffered long enough! I want Luke back now!"

Turning completely pale, Beru remained dumbfounded, prompting Owen to come to her defense. "I believe I have heard enough. I don't care who you both are. We are Luke's legal guardians and while we cannot provide him with luxuries, he is loved and well taken care of. And I'll be damned if I will allow you to take him on some damned, foolish idealistic crusade, like the one that turned Shmi's precious Anakin into a homicidal madman." He reached for his blaster and added, "I suggest you all leave before something unpleasant happens."

Both Padmé and Anakin grew silent. Sabé looked over to see that Anakin's hands were trembling while clenched restlessly at his sides. After several chilling moments, Padmé turned to her. "Please go and start the ship's engines. We are obviously finished…for now."

Unsure she should leave, Sabé remained where she was until Anakin moved to her side. "Please do as she asks. We will join you as soon as we pay our respects to my mother."

Unwilling to further escalate the already enormous hostility present in the room, Sabé quietly left the homestead. Throughout the walk back to the ship, she was troubled over the whole situation. While she wanted her friends to have their son back, the boy obviously loved his family here. How terrible, not to mention, traumatic it would be to uproot young Luke and then expect him to live with people who were virtual strangers...

Once she reached the shuttle, Sabé was greeted by the anxiously waiting Artoo. She patted the small astromech on its domed head as she ordered, "Please initiate the start up cycle and inform me when we are ready for take off."

The droid whistled merrily as he hurried off to carry out her orders. Meanwhile, Sabé sank herself into the co-pilot's chair, continuing to turn over the events from a few minutes prior in her head. Perhaps in time the boy would learn about his parents, but for the moment, there were far more pressing concerns for them all to attend to. It wouldn't be much longer before Palpatine learned of Padmé's reemergence, as well as Anakin's plans. If they didn't act quickly, they all could be killed.

Becoming worried that her companions had not yet arrived, she turned to look out of the shuttle's cockpit window. Gasping in horror, she cried out to the astromech, "Come, Artoo! The homestead is on fire!"

TBC-Reviews, thoughs and comments welcomed!