Padmé had lost count of the times she had surprised herself looking out the window of her bedroom in the last days.
She was doing that now, her eyes fixed on the elegant shapes of the Jedi Temple, focused on the central tower, where Anakin had told her the council chamber was located.
She did not know how, but she was aware Anakin was in that chamber now, and she felt with sickening certainty something bad was going to happen.
The sunset had just begun and a voice inside her whispered the imminent fall of darkness would mark more than the end of the day.
Telling herself she had to stop with these morbid thoughts, Padmé turned her eyes to the right, looking at the Sith Temple. It was smaller than its Jedi counterpart, but its compact design spoke of strength, solidity, reliability.
It made her think of Obi-Wan.
If she closed her eyes, she could again feel the strength of his arms around her, the solidity of his chest, the scent of his skin, the warmth of his body, when he had held and comforted her.
He had been wonderful to her. Not only had he arranged for her a private medical check up in the Sith Temple, but had not lost time in talking with Anakin, just as he had promised.
Unfortunately, the conversation had not gone well. Padmé knew it because Anakin had come to visit her afterward, and had ranted about it for several moments.
From what she had gathered, Obi-Wan had not revealed to Anakin he knew they were married, but simply insisted that her husband was too close to Palpatine and that the Chancellor was not a person to be blindly trusted.
Anakin had refused to listen, and during his rant had accused everybody, Padmé, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, the Jedi to be unfair with the Chancellor and envious of his friendship with the older man, the only one who had always believed and supported him. Then he had stormed out of the apartment, leaving her alone and more concerned than ever.
Anakin had returned later, calmer and in control, and he had apologized for his previous outburst. He had been gentle, sweet, loving, the kind of husband he had used to be. Padmé had felt her love for him surge again, until the moment he had once again talked about how he would find a way to become so powerful that he would save her from death.
Padmé returned to the present, surprised to discover the night had already fallen. For how long had she stood there, lost in her musings?
Shaking her head, she left the bedroom and went to the living room, where Threepio was waiting.
"Miss Padmé, must I order your dinner? Will Master Anakin join you? The table is already arranged," the droid asked, solicitous.
"No, thank you Threepio. I am not hungry. I will eat some fruit later."
"Do you want me to switch on the music? The holonet?"
Padmé sighed. She knew Threepio was only trying to be useful, but sometime he was so tiring. If only he was able to understand there were moments he had to stay silent…
"No, thank you Threepio, it is not necessary. I just wish to sit here and think. Alone," she said, looking pointedly at him.
"As you wish, Miss Padmé. Don't hesitate to call me if you need something."
Threepio walked away and she sighed again, unable to shake the sensation of imminent doom looming over her.
Padmé felt a ripple in her belly and then one of her children kicked, as if he were trying to make her focus on him instead of her fears. She smiled and gently pressed the spot where the tiny foot – or it had been a fist? – had pushed. She was gratified when the child reacted, kicking again.
The Sith healer had said she was very close to her term, and she could not wait to meet her twins—Luke and Leia, as she had decided to name them, since Anakin had showed little interest in the choice of possible names.
A sudden rumble made the floor shake and the transpirsteel of the windows rattled. Padmé's heart started hammering in her chest as she walked as fast as she could to the window.
She scanned the familiar cityscape and gasped when she saw smoke and flames rise from the ruins of the Sith Temple.
What had happened? Was Coruscant under attack? And Obi-Wan? Was he all right?
Padmé went to her com unit and keyed Typho's code.
"Senator Amidala?" he answered at once.
"Captain, what's going on? The Sith Temple is burning."
"I know, Senator. I have already contacted the city guards, but nobody knows what has happened. Someone says there has been an explosion, but they are not sure."
"Keep me informed if you discover something," Padmé ordered.
"Of course, Senator."
She ended the communication and returned near the window, watching as the sky was slowly clouded by the thick smoke rising from what remained of the Sith Temple.
Padmé posed her hand against the transparent surface and murmured, "Please be well, Obi-Wan."
She moved back to the divan and sat down, only to stand up again a few moments later, unable to stand still as time ticked slowly.
'Will Anakin be more informed?' she wondered. Probably yes. The Sith and the Jedi had been working very closely for years, and the Jedi would certainly be among the first ones to run to the Sith Temple in order to rescue the survivors.
Walking again to her com unit, Padmé keyed Anakin's comlink code, waiting for interminable moments until a familiar voice answered.
"Yes?
It was not Anakin—it was Qui-Gon.
"Master Jinn? This is Senator Amidala. I was looking for Anakin." A long silence followed her words. "Master Jinn? Are you still there?"
"Yes…yes, I am." Qui-Gon's voice sounded strange in her ears. "Where…where are you Senator?"
"I am at home. I saw the flames rise from the Sith Temple and wanted to know what happened…and if Master Kenobi was all right."
Padmé heard some muffled sounds, as if Qui-Gon was talking with someone else and was keeping his hand over the comlink to prevent her from over hearing.
"Senator?" he finally answered.
"Yes?"
"With your permission, I am going to visit you now. There is… something…I must tell you."
"Yes, yes, of course. Come when you wish, Master Jinn. I will be waiting."
The communication was interrupted and Padmé found herself staring at the silent com unit, wondering about what had been said—and what had not.
A shiver ran along her back as the feeling of doom she had experienced earlier that evening returned tenfold.
CLIFFHANGER! evil laugh
