Chapter 13.

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'I Guess No Matter How Hard You Try, You Can't Escape The Past.'

After Padme had given birth to the twins and fled to Tattooine, Bail Organa gave her a well respected funeral on Naboo before returning to his own home planet of Alderaan, to his wife Queen Breha. He had lost his life in the senate on Coruscant and his friends, he quickly became lost and it took a lot out of Breha to guide him through his way, eventually he did find his feet once more and became a public figure on Alderaan before his wife's two terms were up. After that they retired together but Bail still found it within himself to work amongst the politicians and royals on his planet part time, well voluntarily. Still, that didn't stop his heartache for what had happened.

One evening after his time in the palace he returned home with some papers in his hand, nothing important just mail. He walked through the door looking down at his papers so he had very much missed the unfamiliar ship outside his home. "Bail..." He heard his wife say in the kitchen as he looked up to see his old friend, a friend he had not seen in 11 years. "Padme?" He asked softly in disbelief, Padme just stood there looking to him, she hadn't realised just how much she had missed him until now. She didn't even respond, the pair just embraced each other into a tight hug, Padme breathing out in sadness yet happiness due to seeing him again. Bail knew that Padme was here for a reason and most likely it would be because she was found. Padme stepped back before Obi Wan had walked through the kitchen door leaving Mali and the children in the living room, closing the door behind him so they could talk in private. "Hello old friend." Obi Wan said with a smile as the four adults looked to each other in their bittersweet reunion. "I can't express the joy I feel seeing you both again after all these years...but I suspect it is not for good reason?" Bail asked as he offered for them to sit down, Breha handing out the drinks.

Padme thanked Breha before shaking her head, "Lord Vader's fleet attacked our local market on Tattooine in search of a spy...when we fled he saw me..." Padme said looking down at her cup before back up at her friend. "Thankfully he didn't notice the children but there is no doubt that Vader will be sending out search parties for Padme." Obi Wan added, Bail listened and nodded looking to them before sighing himself. "What is it you need us to do?" He asked his old friends knowing he would do whatever he could. Padme took a deep breath and looked to Obi Wan, they had made a plan of their own, with the twins being so adamant they were going to help their mother save Anakin, they couldn't tell the twins of their plan just yet, no matter how much it had broke her heart. "I need you to watch over the children...Obi Wan and I will be going on the run...at least until Vader is off my back, eventually he will become tired of searching for me, but I cannot risk him finding me whilst they are in my care." Padme said sadly. Bail nodded looking to her, he knew this must have been hard, "For how long do you suspect you will be gone?" Breha asked so she knew how to handle the children, Obi Wan shrugged, "We cannot say...until we feel it is safe for the twins there is no definite answer." Obi Wan added, Breha nodded looking to her husband who shared a look with her, they had always wanted children, and she would do anything for her friends. "I know this is a lot to ask...I just don't know what else to do." Padme pleaded in a sad whisper. Bail shook his head offering her his hand, "Nothing is too much trouble, we will help you in whatever way we can." He promised his friend, "Thank you." Padme whispered.

Luke and Leia had been called into the kitchen, Bail and Breha were taken back at our perfect her children where, resembling both their parents in so many ways. Padme twiddled her thumbs as she stood looking at her kids who had confused looks on their faces. "Luke...Leia...these are my good friends Bail Organa and his wife Breha. Bail worked along side me in the senate for a long time, Breha was queen, just like I was...we can trust them." She said to them softly with a smile, knowing she had told her kids not to trust anyone. "It's nice to meet you." Leia said with a small smile, bowing slightly to respect her elders and people of importance. "And it is a pleasure to meet you both too." Breha said with a smile, bowing back to her friend's children. "You have both grown so fast..." Bail said with a smile, Leia smiled but Luke wasn't so convinced, he sensed his mothers pain. "Mom what is going on?" He asked hesitantly, curiously. It was only then Leia sensed it too, looking to her brother, then her mom, she didn't feel good about what was about to come. Padme took a deep nervous and sad breath looking to Obi Wan before swallowing hard and walking forward slightly bending down to their height.

How was she going to do this? How was she going to tell her kids she had to leave them for a while after she had promised she would never leave them. Then she remembered Obi Wan's words, the most important thing was those kids. Finally finding the strength to talk her eyes begin to fill with tears but she fought so hard against them needing to be strong. "I need you both to listen to me very carefully." she said taking their hands as Luke's chest begin to raise quicker and harder with nervous breaths, Padme sucked in her bottom lip looking down for a second. "Mom?" Luke asked knowing what she was about to say wasn't good. Squeezing their hands Padme looked up to her children once more as a tear rolled down her cheek, "Momma has to go away for a while, with Uncle Ben." She whispered sadly, Luke shook his head, Leia to felt her heartbreak. "No mom...you can't leave us." Luke said as sadness filled in his eyes, this killed Padme, "Yeah you promised." Leia added sadly, they were strong kids but they were still only really young and this was a scary time for them. "I know...I know, and I am sorry I have to break that promise right now, but it is important that you listen to everything I am about to tell you okay?" She asked holding back the tears, the twins took each others hand and nodded, their breathing becoming more emotional, this was hard for the adults to watch. "You are going to stay here with Bail and Breha for a little while, Aunt Mali will be here with you too...if anyone asks you, they adopted you both when you were very young, homeschooled you until you were ready. You will change your last names to Organa, for now." She said looking to them in the eyes, the kids could sense how important this was, no matter how much it hurt. "You're going to get a chance at a real childhood, you're going to go to school, make lots of friends, have sleep overs, wear nice clothes, see beautiful places...you're going to have everything I wish I could have given you, you're going to be happy." She continued swallowing the not in her throat. "You're going to grow into beautiful, loving teenagers, you're going to fall in love, have your heart broken, fall in love some more. You're going to make beautiful memories here, and you're not going to think about me...I know you said together or not at all, well this is our together, this is your part...I need you to live this life, we all need you to live this life, like it had been your life since the moment you were born. You will not speak of me, or uncle Ben, or your father, or Tattooine or any of it, to anyone. You are the son and daughter of Bail and Breha Organa and you are going to do magical things." She said moving her hands to their cheeks wiping away the tears that fell down their face so many times during her words, Mali even teared up in the back, Obi Wan's heart was breaking and Bail and Breha too felt the pain, but now they had a responsibility to protect these children and they would do whatever it took. "I love you both more than you could ever imagine, and this is one of the hardest things I will ever have to do in my lifetime, but it is what is right. There is no other option right now...but I promise you, I will come back to you, when the time is right I will come straight back to you...I promise." She said to them squeezing their hands. "But why do you have to leave mom?" Leia asked sadly, wiping her own tears. "Your father saw that I was alive, which means he will do whatever it takes to find me, I cannot risk him finding me with you two by my side. I have to keep him as far away from here as possible, as far away from you both as possible, to protect you." She added looking to them before pulling them into a tight hug. "Be brave my loves, stick by each other no matter what, love each other, stand up for each other, protect each other, and be there for each other." She whispered as she held them in her arms tightly, kissing either side of their heads, the tears now falling down her face, before pulling back. "You have no idea of the joy you have brought to my life, you saved me in so many ways, and now I must do everything in my power to save you...save your father. I love you with all my heart...and I promise, I will come back to you. We will talk every day, I promise you" She said once more wiping her own tears, before hugging them again and standing up knowing they couldn't be here much longer.

After saying her emotional goodbyes to Mali and once more the Organas, she once more told her kids to be brave and that she loved them before leaving with Obi Wan, watching them from out the window of the ship as Obi Wan flew off in the ship, Luke crying into the side of Mali and Leia watching as the ship flew off supporting her older twin brother. Padme's eyes never left theirs as before the ship had flew out the atmosphere and into lightspeed, once at a safe distance Obi Wan put the ship in auto pilot and turned to a sad and silent Padme, the tears falling down her face. "This is what we must do for them...no matter how hard it is." Obi Wan said softly moving his hand to her shoulder, before she nodded, "I know..." she said turning to him as her lip began to quiver and the tears uncontrollably fell from her face. Obi Wan had pulled her into a hug tightly supporting her as his eyes once more began to fill with his own tears.

Padme had never been away from the children, not for a second, not for a day, so this was by far the hardest thing she ever had to do. But this was the only thing she could do to keep them safe right now and she knew that a mother's sacrifice was the best thing she could do for them. Suddenly remembering the feeling between Shmi Skywalker and Anakin when they parted for ten years, she hoped it wouldn't be that long, she hoped she would see her children again some day. But for now, this was the way things had to be and her destiny was to be a mother...in all her sacrifices, her destiny was this...live in pain so that her children could live happy and safe.

And just like that

7 years.