Darth Talionis watched the footage intently as Sidious reviewed the recovered holo-videos from several different sources of the Jedi's intervention on Corellia. Of course, Talionis, once Mace Windu, was also watching him closely through the holo-recording playing out before them. This one was from the perspective of the Twentieth Brother. The video showed Skywalker's young apprentice's determinedly fierce look as his blade pierced the Inquisitor's armor.
However, that was not the face that most immediately caught Sidious's attention. Instead, the pure, unbridled rage emanated from Talionis caught him. His apprentice's sickly orange-red pupils and bloodshot eyes seemed to bore into one of two things, if not both, at once. Talionis was focusing his hate not only on Anakin Skywalker's form in the video but also through it and on Sidious himself.
There was nothing that Sidious could have enjoyed more at that moment. The cocktail of rage that played forth from his apprentice was positively delicious. Sidious knew the man kneeling before him would love nothing more than to kill Anakin Skywalker and to kill Sidious himself. It was only natural. A true Sith Apprentice would seek power and, therefore, seek to destroy their Master. However, where Mace Windu had primarily been a man who had mastered his emotions and self-control, Talionis's emotions were clear to Palpatine. He sneered.
"I can tell you would like nothing more than to strike me down, my Apprentice." His voice filled the chamber that served as his temporary palace while the Jedi Temple was repurposed. "You wish to kill me almost as much as you wish to kill Skywalker. I can see it plainly, even if I couldn't read the Force." Sidious spat.
He lashed out with the Force suddenly, seizing Talionis in his grip and bringing him forward. Mace Windu may have been strong enough at one point to have resisted him, but this broken being who served him was not Mace Windu. He forced Talionis to draw his lightsaber and ignite it, aiming the blade so that the tip was only an inch from Sidious's throat.
He laughed, staring into his apprentice's rage and fear-filled eyes, watching his struggle to move. To strike him down or escape or anything other than to be trapped. Palpatine spoke, his voice low. "You are weak, Darth Talionis." He said simply. "And I am far, far more powerful than you realize."
A thought launched his apprentice across the room, forcing him to kneel again before finally releasing him. "It will be quite some time before you are able to challenge me, my apprentice. And before that time comes, you will bring me Skywalker. Do you understand?" He asked slowly.
"I do, my Master." Came the reply through barely restrained rage.
Sidious sneered, "Good." He replied. "Then you will continue the hunt for surviving Jedi. Destroy or capture any you find. The Inquisition will join you, see to their training. Lastly, if you encounter Skywalker… he is to be brought to me. Alive." He ordered.
"It will be done, my Master." Talionis replied, rising from his kneeling position and turning away.
Sidious grinned as his apprentice left the room. The man was little more than a broken tool and would never become truly strong, but his ambition and anger were something Sidious could still use. Sidious had long ago learned to suppress his own feelings from his Master. It had been the only way to gain an opportunity to strike him down. He would never teach the same to Talionis and doubted the man would learn.
However, even a broken tool could still have some uses. Dooku's torture had made Talionis into a violent lash of anger that could feed on the dark side and become a destructive force against those who were unprepared. Yes, his new apprentice would work well until he could gain the apprentice he truly wanted.
Anakin Skywalker would be his.
"Esteemed individuals, I thank you for joining me today." Anakin watched Padme begin her speech. They were in a simple conference room, Padme seated in a comfortable high-backed chair at the head of the table. The remaining seats in the room were indeed empty but served as a place for the hologram of the other guests to appear. Each flickered a pale blue as roughly a dozen people of all different species were gathered.
"You've all been asked to gather here today because we share a similar mindset. We all believe that the Empire is a tyrannical government that has unfairly stripped democracy from the people of the Galaxy. Many of you were signatories of the Delegation of 2000, others are ex-separatists, who have seen the Republic become what they most feared, and others still are simply those who would see the Galactic Republic restored." She began calmly.
"I have asked you to meet me today because I do not plan to stand idly by while Palpatine forces the Galaxy to bow to his whims. I plan to fight back, to reclaim the Republic, and to return the Galaxy to safety. Already, forces under the command of the Jedi with me have carried out small strikes against the Empire." She explained.
"What I would ask of all of you is for your aid. Now is not the time to openly challenge the Empire. The support of the people lies with Emperor Palpatine with the end of the Clone Wars. Instead, we ask that you prepare for when the time to rebel comes, we ask for your support and aid. We need supplies, credits, weapons and ships, and we need intelligence and networks of communication and information. If we hope to one day free the Galaxy from the grip that evil has over it, then we have to prepare and be ready." She finished.
They'd agreed to keep the speech short. After all, the longer this many people stayed connected, the more likely they would be found by the Empire. "So, who will stand for freedom with us?" She asked.
There were a few moments of silence before Bail, Mon Mothma, and Garm Bel Iblis pledged their support. Senator Chuchi of Pantora nodded her agreement. "The Republic and the Jedi helped ensure Pantora remained free from Trade Federation control. We owe you much. The Empire has withdrawn from Pantora for the time being since we are in the outer rim. We are free to move supplies to you until they return. You will have our aid."
Queen Apailana spoke as well. "Naboo has always been an advocate of democracy. Palpatine is an eternal black spot on our planet's history. Naboo will aid you however we can, Lady Padme."
Lux spoke up after, "Onderon agrees with your statement. But, the occupation of Onderon by imperial forces is already hard on the people. Saw Gerrera and his freedom fighters have already sided against the Empire, but that means Onderon is under close observation." He said.
The Mon Cala gave a similar response. "We are willing to lend what aid we can, but for now, Mon Cala is in no position to join in a wider part." Prince Lee-Char replied.
Anakin let out a silent breath, keeping his face a mask of calm. The room was mixed. Many were willing to start lending aid, but only in time. That said, at least none seemed opposed to the idea.
Padme nodded, "I thank you all for meeting with me, I know it comes at a great risk. We will be in contact, to let you know how you can directly aid us. Remember, do not attempt to make yourself a target against the Emperor, go along with him in the Senate as much as you can, but in secret, prepare." She said. "May the Force be with you."
After that, the connection was quickly severed, and all records were wiped. Anakin placed a hand on Padme's shoulder, smiling. "You did well, angel." He said, helping her up.
"I wish more would have agreed." She sighed. "But… we have to remember people are tired of war. I was hopeful that just what has happened so far would be enough to sway them, but, I fear it will take more atrocities on the Empire's part to push people to action." She leaned against him for a moment, and Anakin hugged her.
"All we can do is be ready to show people that there is hope." He said.
She smiled at him, "Trying to use some of my own words against me." Padme grinned, making Anakin's own smile widen. How lucky he was to have her, to be her husband. As they took in the silence of the empty room for a moment, he ran his hand over her stomach, feeling the two force signatures in her.
"Only when they're the truth." He said. "Now, how about we get you somewhere you can rest." Anakin said, pulling her gently towards the door. Padme nodded gratefully, "Please, one of them kicked me half way through the meeting, right in the bladder."
Anakin chuckled, "Then I think we should hope they're ready to be out soon." He told her. Honestly, he was eager and scared for his children to be born. This was far from the situation in which he wanted to raise them. At the same time, ever since the nightmares had stopped, he felt the constant ball of energy in the pit of his stomach about wanting to meet them.
Getting Padme back to their guest room was a simple task, and Anakin had no problems leaving her in the care of her family and C-3P0. He still had his duties to take care of. Although, he did smile when Ahsoka joined him.
"So, how did the meeting go?" She asked as they walked towards the dining facility. He planned to meet with Gant, Kittani, and Obi-Wan so they could discuss training.
"It went as well as could be expected. Some stepped forward to join immediately, others are more hesitant. At least no one was directly opposed to what we plan to do." He explained.
"Good." There was a pause as they passed a group of asteroid miners. "We're taking some big risks here, aren't we, Anakin?" She said knowingly.
"Yeah… we are, frankly, knowing I'm about to have two children while we're fighting a war for our survival… it scares the hell out of me." He admitted. What if something happened to him? And Force forbid if something happened to Padme or their children. If that was the case, if he didn't protect them… he didn't know what he would do.
"I can't imagine." She said. "But, I know that you have friends who care about you, Anakin, people who love you. Especially Obi-Wan and myself." She poked at him. "Remember that, Skyguy, you aren't facing this alone, you us." She reassured him with a grin.
She was right. Anakin wasn't alone. "I'm glad to have you back, Ahsoka." He smiled. "We all are. You're family… and I'm still so sorry for what happened to you." He finally admitted. He'd held blame for her trial and the accusations against her for so long. How could he not, he was her Master, and he'd nearly failed her.
Her response was a roll of her eyes and then a hug. "Anakin… you protected me throughout the war when you were my Master. You taught me so much that no one else could have. Even when every bit of evidence pointed to me carrying out the attack… you stayed by my side and fought to prove my innocence. What happened to me was not your fault. It was the work of Barriss, and the lack of action on the part of the High Council." She explained.
"I know, but still, if I could have done something sooner… maybe it would've been different." He said.
"Maybe it would have, but it wasn't." She said. "It's in the past now. And we're here now. Don't dwell on it, Master, please." She told him. After a moment, Anakin smiled and let it go to the Force.
"Alright, it's in the past, you're right again." He nodded. "Thank you."
She grinned, "Now, come on, before Obi-Wan gets the chance to say we're late." She joked.
"I think Obi-Wan would consider me late if I got there before him." He joked. With a chuckle, Anakin started walking again with her at his side.
Obi-Wan watched closely as Kittani and Gant ran through the obstacle course he and Anakin had devised. It couldn't be completed without cooperation and the use of the Force. He watched as they leaped over a high wall, using the Force to augment their jumps. With a final leap that required them to dodge a few Force-thrown dodgeballs, both Padawans made it across the line, panting for air. Obi-Wan nodded in approval.
"Well done, you two. You both worked together, helping one another to succeed, and you allowed the Force to be your greatest ally." He explained as they walked over to him. "Remember this, Padawans. So long as a Jedi has the Force, they are never alone and unarmed. The Force is the greatest tool at a Jedi's disposal." Their eager nods of agreement reassured Obi-Wan.
Anakin chuckled, "That said, it is best advised that you don't lose your lightsaber. Your lightsaber is your life, as a wise Jedi once told me." He gave Obi-Wan a grin.
"A lesson you never truly took to heart, Anakin, if my memory is anything to go by." Obi-Wan replied.
"Oh but Master, if I remember from our last sparring session, I disarmed you." Anakin claimed triumphantly. Not that Obi-Wan would let his friend get the upper hand.
"Anakin, don't make me bring R2 down here. Between myself, it, and Ahsoka… I'm sure we can find a number for how many times you lost your own weapon." He said, a small smirk forming.
Anakin opened his mouth to reply, but just as he did, there was a sudden ripple through the Force, and Obi-Wan could see the spike of panic in his brother's eyes. "Anakin, what's wr-"
He was cut off as Anakin took off at a run, "It's Padme! Something's wrong!" He shouted as he used the Force to open the door out of the gym. They were the only words Obi-Wan and the others needed to hear before they hurried after Anakin.
It was good that the door to their guest room was open already. Otherwise, Anakin knew that he might have ripped it out of the wall to get to Padme. R2 must have seen him coming because the little droid pushed C-3P0 out of the way as Anakin charged through the door, much to the protocol droid's indignant protest.
Inside the room, Padme was being supported by her mother and sister. Her father had just appeared from the bedroom, and Anakin saw the bag hanging from his shoulder.
Specifically, it was the bag they had packed for when Padme went into labor.
"Padme, are you okay? What happened?" He asked softly, although he had a feeling he already knew.
She smiled up at him before wincing slightly as a minor contraction hit. "Oh, Ani, it's time." She said, a mix of joy, worry, and pride on her face.
He was at Padme's side in a moment, taking over for her mother and giving her hand a slight squeeze. "Come on, I've got you, let's get you to medical." He said.
"Master, I've alerted the medical facility, they will have a room ready upon Mistress Skywalkers arrival." C-3P0 chirped
"Thanks, 3P0, that's perfect," Padme said as she started to walk. Anakin noticed her look around at everyone. "Well, what're we waiting on?" She said, a bit impatient. "Let's go, or these two won't wait for a hospital room to come out." Her senate voice had come into play, snapping off an order to everyone in the room. It seemed to break the trance of the moment's panic and anxious energy, and Anakin was back by her side, helping her as she walked.
Obi-Wan and the others weren't far behind him and had caught up to his Force-assisted running by the time they were leaving. Ahsoka seemed to be the first to catch on. "We'll gather the others. I'll get a Jedi Healer to be in the room." She said before taking off at a run.
"And I'll collect Master Yoda and the others. We'll work to help suppress any waves in the Force that come from the children." Obi-Wan added, taking Gant and Kittani with him.
Far from the first time, Anakin was grateful for the large family he seemed to have adopted and gathered around him. He focused on helping Padme to the medical center. As soon as they arrived, two medical droids escorted them back to a sterile room, where Anakin helped Padme change into a patient's gown before being required to wash up so he could stay in the hospital room. By the time he returned, the Chief Healer, Vorka Che, was already helping Padme. Anakin, for his part, settled into a chair beside his wife, held her hand, and was there for her.
Even with everything they had done to prepare, Anakin hadn't realized that Padme would be in labor for almost a full day. For some 16 hours, he stayed by her side, talking with her, giving her water and food, helping her to adjust herself on the bed, and supporting her through each contraction. Each contraction brought the moments that scared him, the moments from his dream where she would cry out in pain, but each time, Padme would be there to reassure him that she was okay, and he would feel Obi-Wan or Ahsoka or Gant reach out to him with the Force, reminding him that they were right outside.
Anakin could feel his exhaustion and Padme's and gently ran a hand through her hair. "You're doing great, Angel, almost there." He said softly, gazing into her eyes. The medical droid spoke again in Massan, urging Padme to push as it reached down under the privacy cover. Anakin let her squeeze hard on his regular hand, her own grip like a vice as she cried out again and pushed through the contraction.
Crying suddenly filled the room after a few moments, and the droid worked quickly. Everything was a blur as, before Anakin could react, their baby, lying on a small blanket, was being placed in his arms. His eyes were wide, his heart racing as he angled his arms slightly so Padme could see. He blinked, his eyes blurry from tears. "I… it's a boy. I… we have a son." He said, emotion overcoming him.
Padme panted softly but smiled as she reached out, gently caressing her son. "Oh, Luke." She whispered, overjoyed as she gave him the name they'd picked out for a boy. She'd told him that Luke originated from the name Lucius on Naboo and that it meant 'Light.' Padme said it was for Anakin's light, the good that he was. He carefully held Luke, reaching out and caressing his child, remembering the importance of the first few hours in forming the bond. However, he also carefully reached out in the Force and, in a way so much more intimately, began to bond with his newborn son. There was no sophistication to this force bond, not even emotions from Luke, so Anakin just let his son feel his presence.
Barely a minute later, another contraction hit Padme, and Anakin, this time, caressed her with the Force, supporting her and murmuring to her. "There we go, Padme. You're almost done." He said. Again, a few moments later, as the Midwife droid worked, more crying filled the air. Luke had calmed thanks to Anakin reaching out in the Force but stirred and complained as his twin sister's voice split the air. She seemed more feisty than Luke was but calmed as she was passed off to Padme, who another Midwife droid helped to prop up some. Padme gently cradled the baby against her, and Anakin passed her Luke, helping to support him while she got into a more comfortable position.
"Leia," Anakin said softly, giving her the name they'd agreed on for a daughter. It was a name he'd thought long and hard on and picked because it reminded him of the two sides of Padme that often stood out to him. A meadow full of life and beauty and joy, just like she was when they'd fallen in love at Varykino. The other meaning was Thunder, like Padme's passionate, thunderous abilities as a Senator.
As he watched his wife hold their two children, Luke and Leia, Anakin gently caressed both and reached out with the Force, able to see them as two strong little lights in the Force. He could tell, even without a midichlorian count, that they were both strong in the Force, a thought that both overjoyed him and scared him. For now, though, he pushed those feelings away.
"Oh Ani, we really are a family now." Padme said softly.
"I know, Angel… thank you so much, My Love, I'm so happy." He told her back, caressing her as well as their children. As they stayed there, bonding as a family, Anakin could hold it back no more. He cried, and every bit of it was tears of joy. His family was safe, his dreams had been wrong, or he'd avoided them. He had his wife, his children, and everyone important to him. The relief was like an entire ship being lifted off his back, and he wept in joy for it, his beautiful family, and the friends who had supported him through it all.