"The dark is generous, and it is patient, and it always wins. It always wins because it is everywhere." Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Stover
Chapter 5: The Scandal
Padmé's Senatorial Apartment
"I came the moment I received your com," the young man said breathlessly as he burst into the Senator's bedchambers. Very handsome, he had a charming face, thick curly hair, and a broad but tall form.
Palo could have won any woman's heart, but there was only one to whom his loyalties lay.
"Thank you for coming," Padmé said gratefully, clasping his forearms with her hands as they exchanged friendly kisses on the cheek. "I am so sorry if I disrupted anything important, but I am in dire need of your help," she explained, leading him into the veranda where they sat down on one of the plush couches.
"Anything for a friend," he said with a smile. "My art can wait for you." The young man's eyes watched her carefully and his brow furrowed in worry. "Is something wrong?"
"My sister and friend have just showed up for a visit," she said slowly.
"Ah, I can now see the disaster," he said with much mirth, waving away See Threepio who tried to offer him a drink, "but I get the feeling that something else much bigger is causing a problem. What's wrong?" It did not take a Jedi to realize that something was amiss.
"I need you to do something- something only you can do for me," she said quietly, her voice so low that Palo had to strain to hear her. Padmé's eyes quickly looked away from his as her hands fidgeted in her lap. "I… I'm pregnant."
"Well… that's… wonderful," Palo said slowly, uncertainty flickering in his black eyes as he gazed down at her stomach. "Who's the father?"
"Palo," Padmé said cautiously. "You must promise to help me before I reveal anything further.
"You want me to pose as your husband?" he inferred.
"Please Palo- just for a while," she pleaded. "Just long enough that I can straighten this out."
Slowly, he nodded his head. "I will do everything in my power to assist you," he promised, squeezing her hand. "Who's my competition, so to speak?"
Momentarily, Padmé's eyes clouded over as her hand caressed her stomach. "A Jedi."
What she had expected his reaction to be, Padmé knew not, but she hadn't been expecting him to merely nod his head and look at her thoughtfully. "Padmé, this is so unlike you…"
"I love him," she whispered. Her face was alight with such hope and love that it actually surprised Palo.
"I'm sorry- I shouldn't have scolded you like that," he said hastily.
"Will you help me?" she asked after a moment of silence.
"Yes," he sighed, "as a gentleman, I could hardly do less."
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Jedi Temple
Seeing it as a good time as any to get reacquainted with his son, Anakin had pleaded with the crèche masters so much that the head master had finally sighed and let Anakin take Luke to the Temple gardens. Sitting down on a bench, Anakin quietly fed Luke his bottle, watching with delight as the little boy eagerly sucked on it.
Behind him, there was a slight sound, and Anakin whipped around to find Obi-Wan slowly walking towards him.
"Good day, Obi-Wan," Anakin said, carefully remembering to address him properly. He returned his gaze back to the baby who watched him with brilliant blue eyes.
"Ah, I see you've got the youngling there," he said in manners of conversation as he sat down.
Anakin nodded and bit his lip, praying that his former master was as ignorant as he seemed to be.
"I heard you had as much fun as I did yesterday," Obi-Wan said in a neutral tine though his twinkling eyes gave him away, "though I did not have the pleasure of walking around half dressed in front of the senators."
An inconspicuous blush covered Anakin's cheeks and he gestured down at the baby as if to say, 'not in front of the youngling!' "Who told you?" he asked suspiciously, narrowing his blue eyes.
"Siri," Obi-Wan said matter-of-factually with a laugh. "You know she never misses an opportunity to make our lives miserable.
"Part of me wonders if she… um, hinted for those girls to show up," Anakin replied glumly. "I wouldn't put it past her."
"Why is everything with you a conspiracy?" Obi-Wan asked mockingly. "But I agree- that would be the sort of thing she'd enjoy doing. That and getting a peep at you…"
"Master!" Anakin gave him a horrified look.
"Oh, come on Anakin- you know that any female younger than fifty standard years can't resist your… good looks." It was obvious that he took delight in the pink shade the younger man's ears went.
"Did you come here to do something else besides talk trash in front of a youngling?" Anakin asked irritably, knowing very well that Padmé would have been horrified to find out that their son had been exposed to such inappropriateness.
"Actually... yes," Obi-Wan said, the smile leaving his face. "I just wanted to humor you before I drop the grenade."
Instantly, Anakin looked up with a worried look. Every time something like this happened, he feared that the secret had been revealed and, though it always came to naught, it frightened him. "I'll take any good news first," he said in a faltering voice.
"Um… well, there isn't any, at least, not for you…"
"Great," Anakin muttered, his gaze softening upon looking down at Luke and finding that the little boy had fallen asleep in his father's arms.
"They just made a most interesting announcement on the holonet," Obi-Wan said thoughtfully, stroking his beard. While he did so, he carefully watched Anakin, but the young man didn't even blink. He just sat there brushing his gloved finger over Luke's fist. "Senator Amidala has just announced that she has been married for the past three years."
This time, Anakin knew that there was no way that he could possibly conceal the paleness of his face and the way his hands shook. Had Luke not sighed at that moment and reminded Anakin of his presence, Anakin surely would have dropped him.
"What?" he gasped hoarsely, not caring any more whether Obi-Wan suspected.
It was over.
Padmé would be taken with him and Luke, innocent Luke, would be forbidden from ever seeing his father again.
Because of his sins.
"I know this is a shock for you. You have tried to hide your feelings for her, Anakin, but anyone can tell how much you feel for her," Obi-Wan said gently. "Our Order forbids attachment, but you have allowed yourself to be led astray."
"Obi-Wan…"
"So, it shall be a relief to know that she is out of your grasp," the older man said in conclusion. "I don't think even you would have the gall to chase after a married woman."
"But…" Anakin stammered.
Then, it clicked. Something here was very wrong…
"Who did you say she married?" Anakin blurted out, the pounding of his heart going back down to a normal rate.
"Some painter," Obi-Wan said, brushing it off. "I just happened to be changing the channel when I heard. I tried to remember who it was, but it's not anyone we've heard of."
Instinctively, Anakin's eyes narrowed in suspicion. He could think of only one man who would fit this unlikely description.
A tall, dark, handsome young artist by the name of Palo.
What was Padmé thinking?
"And what is the other bad news?" Anakin asked, filled with dread. If that had been bad news, what else was in store for him? Gently, he moved the baby so that his head rested against Anakin's shoulder.
"Oh, there's more," Obi-Wan sighed. "Unfortunately."
"And it is…" Anakin prodded.
"The Chancellor has requested your presence at his office this afternoon."
"That is a bad thing?" Anakin asked in confusion. "Maybe for you- you're going to have to watch Luke for me, then."
"Hey, just because he's going to be your padawan doesn't mean that I need to become his nanny," Obi-Wan protested though he liked the little baby very much. "How about Siri. She… um, adores kids."
At this, Anakin scoffed, but he remembered what she had confessed earlier. He sighed. "Perhaps. Any more bad news?"
"To celebrate her marriage and pregnancy…"
"What?" Anakin yelled, almost falling off the seat.
Padmé was pregnant? How?
"Didn't I tell you that?" Obi-Wan frowned. "Oh well," he said flippantly, completely misinterpreting Anakin's shock. "She's having a party of some sort tonight and we're all invited." By the glum look on his face, Obi-Wan did not look enthused.
Had Anakin been a lesser man, he surely would have started whining.
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Senate
Anakin was a familiar face in the Chancellor's office and because, of this, he quickly made his way without any hassle. At the main doors of the office, the robed guards silently parted and allowed Anakin to enter.
When he was inside, Anakin found the Chancellor standing before the large window that made up the entire wall behind his desk. A troubled look was on Palpatine's face, and the red and black robes he wore only reminded Anakin of the past three years in which many innocent lives' blood had been shed.
"Ah, Anakin!" the Chancellor smiled as he saw Anakin come to a respectful stop by the side of the marble desk.
"I received your message that you wished to see me," Anakin said solemnly, folding his arms over his chest.
"Yes," the older man said, striding towards Anakin. "I personally wanted to thank you once more for your services- its dedication like yours which has brought us peace once more." In a fatherly manner, he patted Anakin's broad back.
Though flattered, Anakin couldn't help but mutter, "If only the Jedi Council shared in your confidence."
"Oh, but they will," Palpatine insisted, his wise eyes looking at Anakin sympathetically. He slowly led Anakin back over to the window. Together, they stood there, looking down at the city below. "It will be only a matter of time before they come to value as I do. That is why I have called you here- I have a request to make of you."
"I don't understand," Anakin stammered, his brow furrowed in puzzlement. His troubled eyes continued to gaze out onto the landscape below.
"Yes, Anakin, you do," Palpatine said gently, studying him. "I am offering you the opportunity that has been denied you though it is rightfully yours."
Interested, Anakin looked up at him intently.
"Anakin, I must admit my faith in the Jedi has been shaking just as much as yours has," Palpatine said slowly in a confidential voice, shaking his head. When Anakin began to protest, he calmly held up a hand. "You cannot argue- this conflict is written in your very being. No, I have a great respect for the Jedi Order, but as the days go by, I can tell that they distrust me and, at times, I wonder if I can even trust them. Anakin, I need someone who will be my eyes, ears, and voice on the Jedi Council.
Anakin started and stared at the Chancellor as he questioned whether he'd heard him correctly. If so, what the Chancellor suggested was… unheard of. Rash and reckless, Anakin nevertheless knew that this would not go over too well with the Jedi Council.
"I'm flattered," he finally said, brooding it over, "but it's really not my place."
"I will see to all the particulars and you shall have the position that should have been yours long ago," Palpatine said, brushing off Anakin's protests with a careless wave of his hand. "Anakin, I want you to be my personal representative on the Jedi Council." For a moment there was silence and it appeared that the Chancellor felt that it would be best to change the subject. "On a different note, wasn't Senator Amidala's announcement a surprise?" He shook his white head. "I know that the two of you have always been good friends, but I doubt even you could have foreseen this."
Anakin slowly nodded.
"And she's having a child- that was by far the biggest surprise of all," Palpatine sighed. "It shall be a shame to lose her."
"Lose her?" Anakin asked with a start.
"Oh yes," Chancellor Palpatine replied, not even blinking. "Oh, she might say she'd never leave her position in the Senate but we shall see when her child is born."
"I do not know," Anakin sighed, looking down at the floor where he scuffed it with his foot. "People with such dedication like hers do not always change their priorities."
"Perhaps you can convince her to consider what's best for her family," Palpatine suggested, unknowingly make Anakin's heart jump. "Perhaps. You probably have a far greater understanding of her obligations than I.
Anakin's eyes flickered but he said nothing
"And tell me," Palpatine said in a much more jovial tine as he clapped Anakin on the shoulder, "how is your padawan? Luke, isn't it?"
A ghost of a smile returned to Anakin's face upon the mentioning of his son. "Very well. I left him as a newborn, but I came back and he's crawling some." He shook his head. "Even Master Siri, who is watching him for me right now, can't resist him."
The Chancellor smiled. "Shall you be bringing him along with you to Senator Amidala's party this evening? I should very much like to see the being worthy of being your padawan," Palpatine said, his flattery causing a faint blush on Anakin's cheeks. "If the boy is half as talented as his master, I will very much enjoy watching his progress."
Looking up at the chrono, Anakin said apologetically, "I am very sorry, but I must be leaving-I have to report to the Council at the end of this hour."
"But of course," Palpatine said. "I shall look forward to seeing the two of you along with Master Kenobi this evening."
Assuring Palpatine the same, Anakin bowed and quickly left.
Into the silence of the empty office, Palpatine whispered, "Indeed I shall."
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Padmé's Senatorial Apartment
Telling the whole Galaxy that she was married and pregnant had been hard enough, but Padmé found herself in a much more stressful situation- introducing Palo to Sabé and Sola. To set the scene, she had invited her sister and friend to dine with Palo and her at lunch. The two women had warmly though skeptically hugged Palo and sat down to eat.
At the table, Palo sat next to her and, while Sola sat on Padmé's right, Sabé sat next to the man, scrutinizing him as she slowly ate.
"So, when did you two get married?" Sabé asked curiously, still hurting from the fact that Padmé had kept these secrets from her.
Between Padmé and Palo, it had been decided that she would answer all of the questions so as to keep it as close to the truth as possible. It had saddened Padmé at how disappointed her sister and friend had been, and she was determined to deceive them as little as possible.
"Shortly after the Battle of Geonosis at the Lakehouse," Padmé replied before taking a bite of her shurra fruit.
"I still can't believe you didn't tell us," Sola said sadly, shaking her head. "We used to tell each other everything. Now, for all we know, you have another child out there."
Padmé decided to not comment on that. "I am so sorry," she decided to say, exchanging looks with Palo. "It just is that… with all the assassination attempts, I did not want to endanger his life."
Palo nodded in agreement. He squeezed her hand, and affection which she did not bother to return. "She was afraid that they might come after me," he said slowly, gesturing with his eating utensil. "I know that, if I had been in her position, I would have done everything to keep her safe."
"Have you decided what you're going to name the baby?" Sola asked.
"I know it's a girl, but I was thinking about Leia." Obvious pride shone from her.
For the moment, Sola was satisfied, but Sabé continued to look at him with obvious distrust. She seemed to think it was his idea to betray her. "How are you going to take time from your… demanding life to take care of the baby?"
Before lunch, Sabé and Sola had shared their private opinions of Padmé's husband. Both had been rather concerned about the fact that he was an artist, but Sabé had been willing to overlook that fact until Sola mentioned a certain Jedi padawan who had been rather fond of the Senator. Immediately, Sabé had viewed Palo as an evil happiness snatcher and was determined to hate him though she was currently having a hard time in doing so.
"I am planning on announcing my resignation this evening," Padmé said mournfully. "I plan to raise our baby back on Naboo."
Politics had been her life, but the presence of her little one had caused Padmé to reconsider her priorities. Luke had been snatched away from her to go live at the Jedi Temple, but deep down Padmé knew that, had it been otherwise, she would have taken on the sole role of mother.
The pain came from that she would be so far removed from her husband and the child that she had not seen since he was a week old. No more would she be able to stand at her window gazing out to the Temple in which her child rested or played. No more would there be any stolen moments with Anakin.
Anakin, please forgive me.
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Spoiler for the next chapter: The Jedi vs. the Artist
Anakin appeared to be just as nervous as she, for he kept swallowing and looking at her with wide eyes. He became even more flustered as his eyes looked down from her face to her large belly where their child grew.
Behind him stood Master Kenobi, but the man was fortunately oblivious to his companion's feelings.
"Palo, I would like you to meet Knight Skywalker," she said, beaming at the young man. This only unnerved the Jedi even more and he nervously shifted the baby about in his arms. As this was going on, Luke stared at her, recognition somehow present in his features as a wide grin spread across his chubby face.
Palo smiled at Anakin but the Jedi just regarded him coolly. Anakin's jaw locked and he suddenly became rigid.
"Anakin, this is my husband, Palo."
Not blinking, Anakin nodded, but jealousy washed over him. How badly he had wanted to be by her side like Palo was then doing!
"And this is my good friend Master Kenobi," Padmé continued in the way of introductions. She finished, smiling as the two Jedi Master's shook hands with Palo. "And who is this handsome young fellow?" she asked, timidly reaching out to brush Luke's blond hair. Had anyone been watching her, they would have noticed the tears that had welled up in her eyes. "Could I hold him?" she asked Anakin eagerly, earnestness seeping into her voice. When Anakin silently held the baby out to her, she took him into her arms and cradled him against her breast.
