The battle had receded – but as everyone knew, the war was still on. A new war. A war that seemed far more real than the Clone Wars. Anakin knew this – the former seemed impersonal, sanitised and a linear narrative of a gameplay. In this new war, his own life, identity and the fates of those he cared about were at the edge of a loose rope – a rope that seemed poised to fall at any moment. He, Anakin had to hold that rope, and thread that very thread carefully.
Anakin looked around again. The battle had receded; the war was ongoing; the streets were in disarray; dead bodies adorned the ground – spilt red blood of civilians, militants and clones dribbled and streamed all over. Yes, this was real war.
Ahsoka, unconscious with a leaking wound on her gut, was in his arms.
Obi-Wan had come to kill him. The fact that he said otherwise meant nothing. Obi-Wan was still a Jedi, and would resort to the lies and deceptions the Order had always behaved itself with.
"Are you all right, Jedi?" Anakin's mind was brought back into the present. From the meta-events of galaxy, he was brought back into the conflict he spend the last day fighting. Eriadu.
Many of the band of rebels had expired. Voax, the Councillor was still alive. Temas had managed to shield him. The dead body of his daughter was in the hands of one of the remaining soldiers.
"Is she… dead?" The mercenary asked. It took a second for Anakin to realise he was not talking about the girl, but of Ahsoka.
"No." Anakin said. Everything cannot go away from me. The Jedi turned away from me. Padme. She's alive… but could? – No! He, Anakin would not allow that.
Ahsoka could not go too.
"Councillor." Temas then said to Voax.
Anakin finally heard the statesman speak. "Nara has gone… Must this city and planet die too?"
"We won't give up without a fight." His bodyguard emphatically replied.
"Jedi – You are Skywalker, are you not? We are all moving to the safe house."
Anakin nodded his head. Padme is there.
Anakin, Temas, Jor and the scattered remains of the party had a very grisly walk. Where previously, the tragedy had centred on Voax, the others merely empathetic and fretful, here, everyone was barely alive.
Eriadu's terrain was mostly jungles and forests. The cult's fortress was in one of the dense forests; here too, they traversed through the heavy trees and wet mud; but the path now was far more rocky.
Ahsoka. Padme. Anakin thought only of that.
I turned to the dark power of the force, because I was not in control. My mother died in spite of me rushing to save here. I was limited by the Jedi and their narrow insight of the force.
Sidious has offered another path for me.
I will be the most powerful Jedi ever. I will even learn to stop people from dying.
And I will stop Padme's death. I will be the most powerful Jedi ever.
But you are no longer a Jedi. You are something else. You felt the undivided power of the other binary of the force as you obeyed the Emperor's command. You were unstoppable. An inner voice of Anakin spoke to him.
Yes, I was. And that power was a thrill.
Where they had arrived at was a scene so jarring from that which they had earlier been subject to. The Empire hadn't thrust its tentacles on this side of the planet yet. It was serene and sparse. This city – or town – was neat and empty. The homes were of fewer stories than the towering buildings of Phellar, and the movement of the people was far more calm and peaceful than the hustle and bustle and noise of the dwellers of the larger city. But the air was firm – things were not the same anymore. For anyone on the planet.
It was now dark again - an entire day had passed during the battle and trek to this town.
"There is a med-centre here," said Jor to Anakin. "You can admit your friend there."
"And where is Padme?"
"I will inquire."
Anakin saw Jor interacting with the band of rebels they had left behind last night.
He emerged. "I'm afraid she fell unconscious this morning. She is also at the med bay."
"What?"
"She was… how many days due? It's only natural; she would have physically exhausted herself yesterday at the fight at the inn."
Jor walked away; he did not comfort more. He went to Voax.
No, Anakin thought. At that second, he rushed through the med bay. It had white walls and a white corridor. There were offices in the ground floor – and several nurses, mostly human, but not with the complexion of Eriadu. The second floor had transparent windows through which beds with people could be seen. He saw the woman that had been undertaken to take care of Padme. And he saw C-3PO.
"Master Ani! Master Ani!"
"Where is she, 3PO?"
"Mistress Padme is right inside that room. Oh! Do see to her! How dreadful…"
R2D2 beeped loudly.
"What do you mean he doesn't my negativity?"
"What don't I understand? I think I understand things quite well, my friend, and silly old droid."
"What do you mean he's dangerous? He's Master Anakin. There's no need to be afraid."
Anakin walked inside that room. And he saw his wife. She was lying on a table. Her eyes were closed. But her body seemed in a quiet and undamaged condition. She had the fair, but tanned look that she always had.
A human nurse stood there.
"Anakin Skywalker?"
Anakin glared at her. Of course, she would have known his name is she had been keeping track of the war. Many of the galaxy's citizens knew of both Anakin, the hero with no fear, and Padme, the beautiful and compassion senator.
"How is she?" He asked.
"I am afraid we can't quite tell yet…But-"
"It does not look so serious anymore. She is merely insensate right now. Of course, this might have been propounded by the anesthetic drugs we injected in her."
"What about the delivery?" Anakin had not thought of this question until now. Seeing Voax's daughter had reminded him of children. And that he, too, would have one. Only if things went well. Which they must.
"Again, we cannot tell if labour is pre-due. But do not assume the worst."
"Assume the worst?" The premonition is this is her death. There is no assumption.
"She may get better," the nurse calmly replied to his aggressive and adamant voice. "I suggest you wait."
"You are the father?" She asked lightly.
Anakin did not answer. She left the room sensing it was not wise to remain near the man.