THE DEPARTED

Chapter Ten

Padme leaned back in her chair, grateful for some silence after the day she had just had. Her now sleeping angels had behaved far from angelic and had all but destroyed their entire house. They were talking now, Luke first, then Leia followed suit quickly after and, much to her tired dismay, walking had begun shortly after that. No matter how much help she had between her parents and Sola, she was never able to completely keep up with their constant motoring or their endless energy.

She sighed as her finger trailed a framed holo of her babies. Luke looked so much like his father, but had somehow it was Leia that inherited much of Anakin's personality traits and much to Padme's surprise, Luke acted more like she did when she was a child. However, this did nothing to ease the pain she felt every time she looked at Luke. He would be handsome, like his father, but unfortunately, he could never be a Jedi like his father or even know him for that matter. And Leia…she would never learn the Jedi way of controlling the temper or the impulsiveness she was destined to inherit from her father. Yes, she did feel regret at her decision almost one year ago, but she knew it had been the right one.

She rose from her chair and moved closer to the window. It still struck her how different Naboo looked compared to Coruscant. Naboo had busy, bustling streets as on Coruscant but the scenery and atmosphere where beyond comparison to any other planet she had seen. Her thoughts drifted to the time she had spent on Coruscant and she thought it ironic that she only had time to think of that busy planet whenever she had some quiet time to herself. There were so many memories to ponder but the only ones that were ever prominent were those she had spent with Anakin. Those precious memories were few, but they were all she had left of him. Occasionally, she would see his image on the holonet but always had to quickly turn it off. It was just too painful to have to see that.

Suddenly, she was jerked from her memories as her Jedi instincts kicked into full gear. Something was wrong…and she could feel a presence she hadn't felt in a long time…her babies…they were in danger…

Her feet flew her to Luke and Leia's room and when she opened the door, her heart skipped a beat. Her eyes widened as they collided with Sabe's cold stare and she quickly looked away to search for her children. She cried out in horror when she realized that their cribs were empty.

Sabe's laughter floated across the room and Padme could only stare in shock as Sabe spoke.

"Did you really think I'd let you keep them, Padme?"

Padme's lips couldn't form the words she wanted to say as her eyes continued to shift from her children's cribs in disbelief.

"They're gone," Sabe continued. "They're mine now. They should've always been mine."

At those words, Padme snapped back to reality and began to shake her head furiously.

"No…Luke and Leia are my children. You can't take them from me."

Sabe smirked and gestured toward the window. "I already have, my dear friend."

Padme immediately ran to the window. A small transport came into view and she knew that her children were on it. She cried out again and turned to run out the door to get to them but found that Sabe was already blocking her path with a blaster pointed dangerously in Padme's direction.

"You'll never see them again, Padme."

Tears streamed down her cheeks and she could feel her body begin to tremble.

"But…why? Why are you doing this? I've never done anything to you…"

Sabe laughed menacingly and pointed a finger in Padme's direction. "You've never done anything to me? That's a lie and you know it. You've gotten everything you ever wanted…become a Jedi, Anakin…you took him away from me, you've taken the life I was supposed to have! Hell, you probably would have even taken my political career away from me if I hadn't stopped you."

Padme's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean? You never wanted to be a Jedi, you've always said you didn't want children…and your political career? How could I have taken that away from you? I was a Jedi…" She trailed off as her mind began to function again and soon, the pieces began to come together.

"Are you getting it now, Padme? You would've continued in politics if I hadn't arranged to have you shipped to Coruscant. I can't believe you never figured that out. And as for the Jedi…you're right, I never wanted that. I was glad you became a Jedi so that I could be Queen. But Anakin…I loved him, Padme. I met him several years before the assassination attempts started and I loved him instantly. Everything I've ever done since then was to be near him, that's why I requested that the Council send him to protect me, but then they had to send you along too. You've ruined everything for me."

Padme continued to shake her head, unable to believe that Sabe could ever be so vindictive. As Sabe's words echoed in her mind, the realization dawned on her.

"It was you, wasn't it? You told the Council I was pregnant?"

Sabe smiled softly and nodded. "Yes. Took you long enough. After the little conversation we had about Anakin being expelled from the Order for love, it gave me a brilliant idea. I thought if Anakin was expelled, he would be free to love me. I didn't care that he got you pregnant, if it meant he could be with me. But I wasn't counting on your irrepressible nobility. But at least I got some consolation: separating you and Anakin forever."

Padme could only stare in shock at woman she had once thought was her friend as Sabe continued.

"After you were gone, I told Anakin how I felt about him and that we could finally be together. But you know what he did? He told me he didn't love me and that he could never be with me. After everything I did for him, he didn't love me!" She sobbed and ran her hands through her hair. "I couldn't believe he would do that to me. And the look on his face, he almost looked…disgusted with me…he pushed me away and told me to leave him alone."

Padme's face hardened at this new revelation. At least she and Anakin had managed to have some victory over Sabe. With newfound strength, she delivered her blow.

"Anakin could never love someone like you."

Sabe's lips quivered in fury and she quickly slapped Padme across the face. She stepped back and began straightening her now disheveled clothes. "Maybe you're right, Padme. But that doesn't change the fact that it's because of you that he could never love me. You've taken everything I dreamed about from me. I want you to know what that feels like."

Silence erupted between them for a moment, then Sabe opened the door to leave. Before she did, she turned one last time towards her enemy. "You can never have Anakin and now you'll never see your children again. How does it feel, Padme?"

With that, the door slammed behind her, forever shattering life as Padme knew it. It took Padme only a moment before she was out the door, chasing Sabe all the way to her transport. But she was too late. Her babies were gone. She cried out in horror as she watched the transport leave sight and fell to the ground, her body convulsing in torturous sobs.

Her eyes raised to the sky as she silently vowed that she would get them back and then she would have her vengeance for everything Sabe had done to her and her family.

She ran back to the house, quickly throwing some things in a bag and sprinted back outside to her own transport. While she started the ship, she briefly contemplated going after Sabe herself but she quickly realized that she would never get her babies back by herself. She needed help and there was only one planet in the galaxy where she could find that help. She immediately set the controls and took off for Coruscant.