Into the Night

In the darkest corner of the pub, Anakin sat. His head resting in his hands and his elbows on the table, he gave into thought. Before him was some half-eaten food dish and a glass of some kind of drink, but he didn't even have the strength to eat.

"What am I going to do?" He asked, his face still in his hands. Obi-Wan never gave me a what-to-do-if-the-sith-lord-almost-kills-you-but-let's-you-live speech.

It was troubling. Sith lords did not have mercy. The reason Palpatine had left Anakin alive had to be a dark one, but as powerful as Anakin was in the force, he didn't know what the sith planned. All he could sense of his future was that it was filled with much pain and much suffering. Straining, he tried to see the fates of Obi-wan, Padmé, the jedi order itself. It was all clouded . . . but dark.

Suddenly, from beside him a small alien voice whispered something. Another voice responded, young and human. "Really? Where?"

There was a response. Anakin tensed. He lifted his face from his hands just in time to see the two children reach his side.

"I know who you are!" the little human boy sang out. "You're the hero with no fear!"

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Obi-Wan, at last, saw Coruscant through the transparisteel cockpit window. With a sigh, he tried to allow himself to relax. His journey had been a race against time, but he could sense that his target was still safe, for now.

Finally reaching the exact landing platform he was looking for, he realized that the owner was going to be startled by his presence. With a sigh, he conceded that there was no time to send a warning. He would have to get her out of here. Now.

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Padmé was dressed in a green billowing dress with a high waistband. Drawing up the hood, she studied herself in the mirror. She sighed. This disguise might have worked three months ago, but there was no way to hide her now pregnancy now. For five months she had been reasonably able to hide her growing stomach, but slowly her condition was becoming more obvious. Now, one of her most forgiving outfits was betraying her secret.

Fortunately, sitting the senate box allowed her to wear large robes that didn't give a hint of the coming child. Now however, she had a different dilemma. Even though the thick Senatorial robes were the only ones that could disguise her secret of eight months, she couldn't wear them in public. She needed something that was easier to move in.

She let out a stifled grunt. Oh, well, she considered. Maybe no one will recognize me. She wasn't exactly going to a senate meeting. Somewhere in the lower parts of the city, Anakin was lost. She could just feel it. She couldn't explain it, but it was as if she felt that he was in trouble.

The night before, she had slept on the veranda hoping to be awoken by Anakin coming home late. Instead, she had woken up in the cold light of morning, alone. It was at the time that she realized something was wrong. She had closed her eyes, as if she might be able to find him somewhere in her thoughts. After a long moment, all she knew was that he was in trouble. It was at that moment that she wished she had Jedi powers, that she could communicate with him and find out where he was. Instead she would just have to look for him.

"Padmé?"

Padmé almost jumped out of her skin. Swinging around, she saw Obi Wan standing behind her. Briefly his gaze moved down, noticing that she was with child. His gaze snapped back up to her face, his expression was one of realization. Padmé struggled to keep a neutral expression, "How can I help you, Master Jedi?"

Obi-Wan just stood dumbfounded looking back at her. He knew his former Padawan and Padmé cared about one another, but . . . they'd been married? They were having a child? Suddenly the fact that Padmé was in danger seemed to make sense. "Milady," he began. He composure was strained. The Jedi who was normally very articulate found himself blurting his answer very unceremoniously. "You must leave Coruscant. If you do not, I am certain that you will die."

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At the sound of the child's outburst, all the inhabitants of the pub turned. Anakin tried to shush the child. "I'm not who you think I am." he said, part of him knowing that they would never believe him.

"Yes you are." The little human insisted, with his alien friend nodding insistently. "You're the knight that saved Palapatine. You destroyed the separatist scum!"

By now there were murmurs coursing through the room. "I am not who you think I am!" he boomed, a lot harsher than he meant to.

"Yes, you are," the child insisted, looking considerably hurt, "You're Anakin Skywalker!"

A gasp shot through the room, and Anakin panicked. Shoving the children aside, he leapt from the booth and ran out of the pub. The shock of the cold night air brought him back to reality. He had just abandoned his only refuge. Looking around, he realized that he needed to find another place to hide.

Even as he thoughts were reeling, he was suddenly aware of a tremor in the force. Padmé! At that point, a new plan took hold of Anakin's mind. He would go to Padmé, and together they would flee. Sounds like the coward's way out, the arrogant Padawan in his mind told him. Then the voice of the more reasonable Anakin spoke, But it was the only way you can save her life. If anything were to happen to her- He silenced the thought, refusing to even considered it.

A/N: Well, what did you think? Be honest.