The dark is generous, and it is patient. It is the dark that seeds cruelty into justice, that drips contempt into compasion, that poisons love with grains of doubt." Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Stover

Chapter 8: As Wise as Master Yoda

Not for the first time since she'd married Anakin, Padmé woke up to find an empty bed. Rolling over, she buried her face in his pillow, smelling the scent that was his. Only the growling of her stomach persuaded her to get out of bed and start the day.

As the baby had put an increased pressure on her bladder, she immediately rushed to the 'fresher and soon found herself standing face to face with the exiting Palo. Freshly shaven though still a little bleary eyed, it took him a moment to register that it was Padmé he had run into. "Good morning," he said with a yawn as he tied his robe. "Did you sleep well last night?"

Uncertainty and worry filled Padmé as she remembered the desperation in Anakin's voice the night before. "Yes," she said quietly, resting her head against the metal door frame.

"I am very sorry if I had been in the way," he apologized once more. "I just wondered because… well, I had woken up in the middle of the night and, not that I was eavesdropping or anything, but I could tell that something was wrong."

Just how much had he seen?

"Anakin has always had troubling dreams," she explained wearily, "but last night's happened to be worse than usual."
Palo slowly nodded. "Padmé," he said earnestly as she tried to slip into the fresher, snatching her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze, "you know that you can always tell me anything."

"Palo," she said sadly, "there just are some things you do not want to know."

Before he could further insist, the door flung open to reveal an excited Sola and Sabé. Both stopped in shock as they saw Palo standing there seemingly holding Padmé's hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Sola stammered, hastily pulling away the curious Sabé and shutting the door behind them.

Sighing, Padmé had a feeling that she was in for a very long day.
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Jedi Temple

Running his hands through his still-tousled hair, Anakin prayed that he would be able to make it to his quarters before anyone noticed that he had been gone. The turbolift was belligerently slow and he kept frustrated kept jamming his thumb against the button. The youngling in there with him, who had first just stood there in complete awe of Anakin, was now worriedly watching him.

Not bothering to flash the child a smile, Anakin bolted out of the turbolift the moment it opened and hastily made his way down the corridor to his quarters. As it was still early in the morning, there was no one in sight, but Anakin wasn't about to take any chances.

At last in the comfort of his own quarters, Anakin quickly shut the door behind him, calmed down his racing heart as he smoothed his hair, and promptly opened the door and stepped out. No one that had just walked by would have believed that he had literally sprinted all the way from Padmé's apartment to his speeder to his quarters.

Being sneaky was one of his many talents.

Kit Fisto walked past him and Anakin respectfully nodded to him.

Soon, he reached the crèche where Anakin found the still sleeping Luke. The sight brought a rare smile to Anakin's face, and he lovingly placed the discarded blanket over the baby's torso before kissing Luke's forehead.

Despite his efforts to not wake his son, Anakin found a familiar pair of blue eyes blinking up at him. With a yawn and several eye rubbings, Luke eventually sat up and gave Anakin a tired grin as he outstretched his chubby arms.

Gladly, Anakin picked up both Luke and the baby's trusty blanket. The moment he was in his father's arms, Luke popped his thumb back into his mouth and, holding his worn blanket close, fell asleep snuggled against Anakin's chest.

Minutes later, Anakin found himself standing in front of an all too familiar place.

"Ah, Anakin!" Obi-Wan said upon opening the door to his quarters. "It is good to see you… even at this early hour." Stepping aside, he allowed Anakin to enter. Jovially, he clapped Anakin on the shoulder and immediately lowered his tone upon seeing the sleeping Luke. "Why don't you join us for breakfast?"

Curiously looking over at the small table, Anakin saw Siri. By the looks of it, she'd had a really rough night- her hands clutched at a decaf mug while her nearly closed eyes looked at him through small slits. Her hair was everywhere and overall she was much disheveled.

"No wise comments," Obi-Wan warned him. "She's really not in the mood, and you know how she can be."

Hiding the smile that came to his face, Anakin sat down at the table with Obi-Wan and helped himself to some fruit. At this, Luke woke up and immediately began to fuss, so Anakin gave him the bottle he had brought along with him.

"So, what brings you here so early in the morning?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I had a really… disturbing dream," Anakin said slowly.

All of the sudden, Luke cried out, "Dada!"

Shocked, everyone, including a startled Siri who covered her ears, gaped at the baby.

"Um… did he just say what I think he just said?" Obi-Wan asked in bewilderment.

Before Anakin could reply, Luke practically screamed, "Dada!" as he reached up and grabbed at Anakin's face.

"I think so," Anakin said sheepishly as he pulled the baby's fingers away from his face.

"Mama?" Luke asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

"I didn't know he was talking yet," Obi-Wan said in an impressed voice.

"I didn't either," Anakin admitted, becoming increasingly distressed as Luke continued to call out for his parents. When the baby burst into sobs, Anakin gently rubbed Luke's back but he continued to cry.

"He want's his mama, whoever that is," Obi-Wan helpfully supplied.

"Mama!" Luke derisively screamed.

"Who is his 'mama'?" Obi-Wan asked worriedly, for it was evident that he was getting a headache with all the racket similar to Siri's. As realization dawned on his face, he carefully took Luke from Anakin and, as the baby started to scream, held out the squirming boy to Siri.

As Siri fervently shook her head in protest, Luke continued to wail.

At loss for what to do, Anakin took Luke back into his arms and, holding him up, asked, "Do you want to go see your mommy?"

Immediately, Luke stopped crying though his face remained red.

"That's odd," Obi-Wan said apprehensively. "Well, you know that if you are ever spending the night in the Temple, you are always more than welcome to talk to me," Obi-Wan said, his eyes twinkling as he tried to go back to their original conversation.

"Master!"

"Obi-Wan, Anakin," he gently reminded him. "No, I am curious about where you go, but it is none of my business."

"I am curious as to why Siri is here," Anakin said ruefully though he very well knew that his former master and his friend were a few of the most innocent people he knew.

"Ah, well, she ran out of decaf so Siri thought she would come and drink all of mine," Obi-Wan shrugged. "I am not one to say no to a female who is going through PMS."

"Good point," Anakin readily agreed.

"So, what was this dream about?" Obi-Wan said in a more serious tone.

"I… could we talk about it later?" Anakin asked slowly, uneasily shifting about in his seat. "I didn't know that we were going to have company."

"Well, I think Siri is to the point where she can't hear us," Obi-Wan laughed, waving a hand in front of Siri's unblinking eyes, "but how about we go discuss it in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. We can have Siri watch Luke for you."

"I heard that Kenobi," Siri snapped.

"Oh dear," Obi-Wan sighed. "We had best leave before she can move."
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Ten Minutes Later, Room of a Thousand Fountains

"I know that you have been plagued by bad dreams and premonitions for years," Obi-Wan said as they sat down, "but what different about this one."

"I… in most of my dreams, it contained premonitions about one person but… this one, it promised to ruin many people," Anakin said quietly, "including myself."

"I see," Obi-Wan said thoughtfully. "So, what was it about?"

"There were things in it that I couldn't event tell P…" Startled, Anakin stopped mid sentence, angry at himself for nearly giving himself away. "I am slipping, Obi-Wan. I know that on the outside I seem to be more reserved and mature, but inside… there is this furnace that keeps igniting and it constantly threatens to overcome me." His blue eyes shone with the trouble that was kept within them. "I'm afraid I might fall," he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper.

"To the Dark Side?" Obi-Wan said in a choked voice.

Slowly, Anakin nodded. "Master, I done such… terrible things." His haunted eyes found Obi-Wan's. "I know you found out about the Sand People, but on General Grevious' ship… I killed Count Dooku.

Gesturing that this was not new information, Obi-Wan urged him to continue on.

"Palpatine told me to… that it was the right thing to do. Master… Obi-Wan, I did what he said- I cut of Dooku's head." Anakin nervously licked his lips. "Intentionally- I wanted to."

Horrified, Obi-Wan just stared at Anakin.

"I am… not the hero everyone thinks I am," Anakin stammered. "I am a coward…"

"No, you're not," Obi-Wan insisted, much to Anakin's surprise. By then, the horrified look was gone from his face though he seemed a little… disappointed. "The fact that you admitted something so difficult has convinced me that you are indeed worthy of the title Hero With No Fear. A coward hides his secrets, but you, willingly and without being requested to do so, have told me your secret. For that, I am proud of you."

"You should not be," Anakin said gravely. "I have many more secrets, but I can't tell you them right now."

"Luke is your son, isn't he?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin gaped at him. "Master! How dare you…"

"Do not ruin my trust in you by lying to me," Obi-Wan said firmly, holding up his hand.

"But… how?" Anakin sputtered.

"Anakin, I lived with you for fifteen very long years. Luke is the exact image of you- he even smiles like you." Obi-Wan shook his head. "I am not as ignorant as you take me for."

"Does anyone suspect?" Anakin asked worriedly, suddenly feeling feverish.

"Fortunately… no," Obi-Wan said, patting him on the arm. "I have done my share of covering up your tracks, including where you go every night."

Anakin blanched.

"I will eventually have my curiosity satisfied when you decide to tell me," Obi-Wan said as if he were reading Anakin's mind, "but it shall be on your own terms at a time of your choosing."

"Thank you, Obi-Wan."

"First, tell me about this dream- we can discuss your love life later."

Giving a shaky laugh, Anakin quickly sobered. "Most of my dream was just feelings- darkness, hatred, fear…" He shook his head in confusion. "I have been having dreams like those for years, but it was the end that worried me the most."

"You fell?" Obi-Wan inferred.

"No. There was a woman- not Luke's mother."

"Ah, I see," Obi-Wan said thoughtfully as he stood up and began to pace.

"I was connected to her somehow."

"What did she look like?"

"Tall, brown hair… pretty," Anakin conceded. "Pretty much nondescript."

"Did you recognize her?"

"No- that's what worried me. I have a feeling that things are going to take a turn for the worst hear soon," Anakin said worriedly, "and I am going to take the brunt of it."

"Well, I shall always be here for you, Anakin," Obi-Wan offered. "Always."
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Spoiler for the next chapter: The Secret Council

While Padmé and Anakin contentedly slept in each other's arms that night, the darkness was awake and ready.

"My master," a male voice whispered from beneath the mask he wore. It was the image of a skull but, unlike most masks, it conformed to his face and moved in tandem with his talking.

Sidious turned his chair to face him.

"I have brought you the most wonderful news," the cloaked being whispered. "It will crush your enemies."

"Yes," the darkness said impatiently.

"Senator Amidala is carrying Skywalker's child," the voice hissed.

Intrigued, the Sith Lord sat up straight in his chair. "Are you sure of this?"

"Yes, My Lord- I have heard such confirmation from their very mouths. Luke is also their son."

"You have pleased me," Sidious said, the emotion not reaching his fiery eyes.

"I have more," the shadow said.