"Florrum?! You want to go to Florrum?"

Leia blinked, looking up from her drawings of R2 as she spotted her father and Ahsoka walking into the room. Anakin grinned.

"Come on Snips, Florrum is probably the a good location. It's a backwater world that the Empire rarely cares about unless it attacks Imperial ships. How would it be bad for us?"

"How? Pirates live there remember? Or did you forget Hondo Ohnaka and the Ohnaka Gang?"

"Of course I didn't. He's someone I want to meet up with anyways."

"So what makes you think that he will even help you? One, his gang is starting to diminish. Besides, he may have helped us before, but he's still a pirate and a slimy, no good, cheating, lying son of a bi-"

R2 began to chirp loudly, spinning his head, gaining their attention and they looked up spotting Leia.

"Hi Papa!" Leia chirped and Ahsoka exhaled loudly.

"Thanks R2…" Ahsoka muttered appreciatively, patting the unit. Leia was still learning new words, and all of them were trying to keep her knowledge of curse words low. Which was difficult as many of their allies were not exactly…kid friendly in their language. Leia slid off the chair she was in before racing to Anakin's side, and he picked her up easily.

"Being a good girl for R2?" He asked and she giggled while R2 let out a series of beeps and chirps. He smiled and then bounced Leia a bit in his arms.

"What do you say about going to Florrum with us, Leia?"

"Florrm'?" She asked and Ahsoka groaned.

"Oh great, even better!" She grumbled and Anakin rolled his eyes.

"She'll be fine. She'll be with me."

"That's what worries me." She grumbled.

"Why do we have to go to Alderaan?" Luke grumbled as his mother sat him in the seat at her ship.

"Senator business, sweetheart."

"Great." Padmé chuckled.

"Now Luke, it's not so bad." She replied. "I thought you would be excited to see Bail and Breha."

"I am, but Joi is going to be there."

"So?"

"She's a girl."

"I'm a girl too." Padmé said with a laugh looking at her exasperated son. "Do you not want to hang out with me?"

"You're my mommy. You're different." He pouted. "'Sides everyone pulls my cheeks."

"I'll be sure to make them stop." She replied with a chuckle, pushing back his hair. He pouted but remained quiet relaxing a bit as they began to take off. She smiled as his eyes scanned the buttons, scanners, and everything of the controls. He always loved being on the ship, maybe not going to wherever…but the ship itself…the ship itself was something completely different. Typho had begun showing the little boy the mechanics of a ship. She sighed softly as he began to play with his new toy, before looking back at the window and watching as the lights shot past her and she entered light speed.

"This is Florrum?" Leia asked, peeking her head over the ship and staring out the window. Anakin chuckled, ruffling her hair as he stared at barren planet.

"Yes sweetheart. This is Florrum."

"Pretty?" She asked and he laughed. Pretty wasn't exactly what he would think for Florrum, but she was imaginative to say the least. He entered the planet and after flying a bit found the old yet familiar lair of Hondo. He clicked his transmitter on, knowing that Ahsoka wouldn't feel comfortable about him being there alone with Leia if he didn't keep the transmitter on and give signals once or twice that he was ok. Hopefully this wouldn't be a long trip, and he'd be back before it was time for dinner.

"Ah well if it isn't Anakin Skywalker!" Hondo called out as the pair exited the ship. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked, laughing as Anakin walked over to him.

"I see business has slowed here." Anakin remarked and Hondo glanced at him.

"Yes, yes…Imperial's don't have as much love for pirates as the republic did. Even Katooni has had difficulty escaping. But nothing much for her in escaping nowadays."

"Mhm." Anakin remarked as Leia toddled after him, gripping his pant leg. Hondo looked down at her.

"Well what do we have here?" He boomed and Leia hid herself shyly behind Anakin's leg. "A cute little girl. My, my…I'm surprised that a war criminal and fugitive has a youngling with them."

Anakin chose not to respond.

"I actually came here to discuss your help with trade routes."

"Trade? Now Skywalker, you know full well I don't trade. Not without a price that is."

"No, but you know routes that the empire doesn't know." Anakin began to explain. "And those might be beneficial to me."

"Oh ho…information is what you need, eh?"

"Precisely."

"Well, come, come, come! We have much to discuss!" Hondo called out and Leia looked around.

"What an adorable child."

"But should she be here without her mother?"

"Tis a bit strange. But maybe that Skywalker is her protector."

"A mother would be better."

Leia looked back in confusion, still clinging onto Anakin's robe.

A mommy?

Well, she had always wondered about her, but never really asked her father about it. He was always so busy. Still…what the woman had said began to bother her.

Maybe she was the reason her mother wasn't there?

Maybe she had wanted a boy…or maybe she hadn't wanted her at all…

Leia slowed briefly when she heard movement, leaving her thoughts alone, blinking innocently when she looked into an alley way and she observed the pair hidden in the shadows.

That…was a weird position.

How was that even remotely comfortable?

"Leia! What do I tell you about wandering off!?" She heard and blinked looking up as her father stormed back, Hondo waiting for them up ahead.

"But…"

"But what?"

"What're they doin'?" She asked naïvely, pointing towards the pair in the alley. Anakin looked up in confusion, before his face turned scarlet and he practically dove for his daughter, covering her eyes, hurriedly pushing her away.

"Papa?"

"Look AWAY, Leia!" Anakin snapped and the pair finally realized they had an audience, yelping and trying to hide.

"But Papa, what were they doin'?"

"Nothing you need to worry about!" He snapped, glaring at Hondo who was laughing loudly.

"Were they 'restlin Papa? Can I learn?" Leia asked excitedly.

"NO!"

"Awww, how come?" Leia asked, pouting. Anakin withheld the groan that so longed to break through. She was far too young to know what type of 'wrestling' those two were in. He'd explain it to her…

When she was in her 30's. Maybe.

Or on his deathbed.

One of the two.

"Oh, isn't he precious!"

"He has his mother's eyes!"

"No, no her eyes are brown."

"The shape, darling! The shape!"

Padmé looked at her son in pity as older women, who were prodding and pinching his cheeks, swarmed him. All in all he was handling it incredibly well but he looked like he was about to reach his limit. She smiled and walked over to him, parting the cooing women as though they were waves. She knelt in front of Luke.

"Why don't you go find Joi and go and play?"

"Okay." He said, relief etched in his voice and he scampered away to go find the little girl. Padmé smiled watching as the six-year-old found the five-year-old girl who beamed as she spotted him.

"Lu-Lu!"

"Stop calling me that." Luke sighed, but the little girl giggled, holding another girl's, this one with white hair, hand.

"Hiya Winter."

"Hi!" The other girl chirped, beaming.

"So ah…what are you two doing?"

"Playing with the heli-pad, see?" Joi squealed lifting up the tiny toy that was floating just a bit up from the palm of her hand. He seemed interested, granted it was more in the schematics of the whole thing than the actual toy, but still it looked really fun. And so he followed the two girls as they raced after the heli-pad laughing and ignoring the politics that their parents were involved in.

That is until the heli-pad flew and smashed into a tree, becoming tangled in the branches.

"Aawww…" Joi pouted as the others raced to her side. Luke looked up at the tree while Winter looked back towards the adults.

"Maybe we could get-"

"No, I got it."

Winter turned around in surprise to see Luke scaling the tree.

"Luke, come on you'll get in trouble!"

"It's just like the trees back on Naboo!" Luke promised, grunting as he pulled himself up a branch. "I'll be fine!" He called out. Winter seemed still hesitant, looking back at the adults again. Bail noticed her and then saw Luke in the tree.

"Luke?"

Padmé glanced up and then over to where the children were and for a moment she wasn't worried. But it was Bail's expression that caused her stomach to chill.

"What?"

"That tree is old, and the branches have been becoming weaker and weaker." Bail began. "Luke may be too heavy to-"

Padmé had hiked up her skirts and racing down the hill before he even finished. Luke however was oblivious as he reached for the heli-pad.

"Almost…got…it." He grunted.

He slipped a bit and he grabbed a branch to support himself.

But it didn't even last a second.

There was a sickening snap and as Luke's stomach flipped and made him feel weird, as wind raced through his hair as he fell, the last thing he heard before hitting the ground, was his mother's petrified scream.

Anakin glanced up as Leia crawled onto his bed, flopping herself over his lap.

"What's wrong baby girl? Bad dream?" He asked. It wasn't anything new. She had been having them every now and then when they moved to a different location, dreaming of shadows trying to swallow him and their makeshift family up. She, however, shook her head.

"…Do I have a Mommy?" She asked after a few moments and Anakin was sure his heart skipped a beat. The little girl looked at him innocently.

"What brought this on?" He finally managed to ask and she shrugged.

"I heard one of the ladies on Florrum say something 'bout it." She responded and mentally he cursed. As he wracked his head, trying to come up with an answer she shifted slightly.

"Did Mommy not want me?"

"No!" He exclaimed. "No, sweetheart, that's not it at all."

"Then where is she?"

"She…" He trailed off trying to figure out what to say. "She's just not here baby girl. I'm sorry."

"…oh…" She replied, looking down sadly. He sighed and picked her up settling her to where she was curling up to him. He then pulled a holodisc to them, catching it easily. She blinked staring at it.

"This…this is your mother." He said quietly, staring at Padmé's image in the holodisc. He then looked at his daughter who was staring at the disc, curiosity brimming.

"You look exactly like her."

"I do?"

"Mhm." He replied, resting his cheek on top of her head.

"Wha was she like?"

He smiled, staring at Padmé's hologram image.

"She was kind, strong and loving. She always wanted what was best for everyone around her, even if it was a sacrifice to herself. And she was so…so beautiful." He whispered gently.

"Do you miss her?" Leia asked and Anakin's Adam's apple bobbed violently.

"I miss her every day, Baby Girl." He whispered. "But she gave me a miracle that reminds me of what she and I fought for and what I'm fighting to keep safe."

"Wha?"

"You, Baby Girl." He chuckled and kissed her forehead, causing her to giggle. "And every day I see you, I'm thankful for your mother and what she gave to me." He reiterated and she giggled again, before giving a slight yawn. "But I think right now, you need to go to bed."

"But Papa…"

"I'll tell you more about your mother tomorrow."

"Promise?"

"Promise." He stated softly, picking her up. With that her eyelids drooped a bit and she yawned as he walked out of her room and went to the door next to his. She curled up to him, yawning again allowing him to lie her back down into her bunk and tuck her in.

"Love you." She murmured as he kissed her forehead and he smiled.

"Love you too sweetie."

He exited the room, but slowed and leaned against the wall. Seeing Padmé's image…hurt so much.

He wanted to see her again, hold her, hear her. He didn't want to just hear her and see her through the news, or old holograms. He rubbed his face. But she was safe…and that was what he wanted for his entire family.

He knew one day it would happen.

He would make it happen.

"Mommy, I'm fine. Really." Luke stated as Padmé looked at the thick bandage around his head again. She sighed. Yes he might be fine, yes the head wound was just really bad cut that had started profusely bleeding, but other than that he was fine, but she was pretty sure her heart wasn't and she had lost about five years off of her lifespan.

"Mommy?"

"You scared me. I thought I had lost you."

"You didn't though. And you won't." Luke replied, leaning against her and looking up at her. She gave a sad smile.

"You sound just like your father." She replied gently, pushing back Luke's hair. Luke stared.

"I do?"

"Mhm."

She went over and sat down in the living room. Luke followed and flopped over her lap, looking at her.

"What was Daddy like?" Luke asked and Padmé sighed softly.

"He was…powerful, wise, and he truly cared for ones that couldn't defend themselves. Rules were just guidelines when you use them to protect someone. He cared about the fellow man and his men when he was in the war, he tried to protect to the best of his ability. He was a hero."

"He was in a war?"

"Mhm…he fought during the Clone Wars."

"Wow! But…What happened to him?"

She paused. She couldn't tell him the truth. He was too young…and if that was ever leaked out…something could happen to her, to Luke, or to the both of them. And in all likelihood, they could easily become bait to draw Anakin out.

Because she knew Anakin Skywalker would go rushing to her aid if it was discovered she was captured.

"I…don't know sweetie."

A half-truth would have to do then. Because she didn't know what was happening to Anakin right then. Even if she knew where he had gone after the war had ended and Luke and Leia had been born, she didn't know where Anakin was now with their daughter.

"He never came home." She finally added, biting her bottom lip. Another half-truth, but she could only give those at the moment. Luke frowned.

"Do you think he would have liked me?" Luke asked and Padmé had to hold back tears. Liked him? Anakin would have loved him. Luke had so many habits and interests that were Anakin's sometimes she didn't know what she was going to do with him. Ships, droids…oh there were so many things that Anakin could have taught him.

She desperately wished she could show Luke pictures of his father…but him knowing Anakin's identity and paternity would risk too much.

And she couldn't do that.

Besides…the disadvantage of having a Jedi for a husband and hiding it…it meant that any picture of him for the public was promptly erased after Order 66 and changed to where it had branded him a traitor to the new Empire and there were none of them together as a family. There had never been the time or place.

"He would have loved you Luke." She whispered, drawing him into a hug.

"Promise?"

"Mhm. Promise." She whispered pulling him closer and he curled up to her. It was only later that night as she watched Luke sleep she allowed herself to ponder. Threepio had shut down for the night, claiming to be too stressed with the entire events and the silence was deafening to her. The silence allowed her thoughts to come forth and she thought about them again. It was easier with the hustle and bustle of senate work, easier when Luke was awake and Threepio was milling about lamenting about how easily children would break things…it was easier to not think about that the other half of her family missing. She sighed.

Palpatine was growing frustrated that they hadn't caught Anakin.

Anakin had been seen multiple times, and had fought against Imperial ships…but he had always managed to escape before reinforcements could capture him. Thankfully she hadn't heard any news about a little girl by Anakin's side, but she feared that soon enough she was going to hear about her daughter…

She knew now that her and Luke's safety was like a ticking bomb. Something was going to go off sooner or later and she didn't know how many victims would be lost in the crossfire.

"Shiraya, watch over them both." She prayed quietly. "I pray every night to protect my son from the emperor…but please…please watch over my daughter and husband."

The moon remained ever quiet but the soft glow that illuminated the hallway as the night wore on as Padmé looked out onto the waters of Varykino before she turned and headed to her quarters.