Much was to be done in the waning days of the war, and yet, everything seemed to be moving so slowly. Upon the safe return of the Chancellor at the rescue of Obi-Wan and Anakin Skywalker, it was discovered that Count Dooku had been killed by Anakin, and more than that, I was able to learn news of Ahsoka after catching up to them on their return to the temple the day after the Battle of Coruscant. Anakin was able to tell me that he had seen Ahsoka, and that she was now working with the Mandalorians and one of their leaders, Bo Katan, in order to capture Maul who had seated himself in power on Mandalore.
I was glad to hear that she was alright, and in a moment of relief, I had placed my hand on my back and leaned forwards slightly to shift the weight of my daughter underneath my clothes and cloak, resting for a moment to lessen the pressure there, however Anakin's keen gaze observed the movement. "Theca, are you alright?" He asked me as he touched my shoulder but I waved him off, taking a few deep breaths before straightening once more, though ensuring that my shoulders sloped forwards to better hide my shape.
"Perfectly, young Skywalker. Merely tired, and have been meditating perhaps a little too much of late." However he was not deceived, frowning at me deeply and I sensed an understanding arising in him. His eyes dropped to my torso. Immediately I knew that I had been found out, and was shocked that of all people, it had been Anakin Skywalker to discover me. "Please." I found myself saying as my hands rose to encircle over Seya to protect her. "Do not say anything. I beg of you." Clearly surprised, but in the end, Anakin smiled to me and softened in a manner I had never seen from him before, as if able to sympathise with my condition.
"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. Let me know if I can be of any help to you. I…I know what it is like to carry such a secret around with you and have to hide it with everyone." For a moment an image of Padmé Amidala appeared in my mind, influenced by Anakin's own thoughts as I then also came to understand him. I knew the senator was also pregnant, but there had been no word about a husband or partner of any kind, and I quickly ascertained that I had not been the only one hiding intimate relations from the Council. So, he was to become a father also.
"Guard her well, Anakin." I told him quietly and with compassion, reaching through the folds of my cloak in order to take his hand in mine. "There is no greater gift than the love of another, or the presence of your own child near you. As you carry my secret, so shall I carry yours. Good luck." Nodding his head, we then parted from one another, my head filled once more with a great many things. I was concerned for Ahsoka, but glad that she had resurfaced once more. I had long since watched over her through the Force, but could only read a vague impression of her emotions, which had remained mostly unchanged since the day of her leaving until now. At least she had directive, and was finding her own feet again. I expect it will not be long until she returns completely.
I also thought of the mission to locate General Grievous, and the hope that the war would end with no one to lead the droid armies of the Separatists, which would then give way to peaceful negotiations and compromise, though I suspected that for as long as Chancellor Palpatine was in office, peace would never be achieved if there truly was someone manipulating him from the shadows. The days grew darker, like a cloud circling overhead, growing ever larger to encompass the entire planet as I sensed that the end was nearing. I needed answers to these many hundreds of questions in my head, but I could not go whilst with child. Not only would I be discovered, but I feared I would be placing my daughter at risk.
Action must be taken, the only question remained, do I ignore my instincts and continue to protect my daughter, or do I follow them, and put the needs of the people, the Republic, and perhaps even the entire galaxy before everything else? The answer came to me, and I abhorred it, but I knew that it was the right one. If this was to be done, then I would need to make the difficult choice, and I could not go to Kit on this count. He would understand, I knew he would, but he would attempt to talk me out of it, insist on going in my stead, but I could not risk him either. It had to be me, and in order to preserve what little of this galaxy that remained intact, and to hopefully encourage a better future for my daughter, I was determined that I would go and do what needed to be done.
"I'm sorry little one." I murmured to her softly as I took myself off in complete secrecy away from the temple, and to the only person whom I could think of to trust, who would understand. Padmé Amidala. We have never been close friends, but our relations had always been friendly and imbued with mutual respect, and since I knew that she was also carrying a Jedi's child, I reasoned that she would be sympathetic to my condition and perhaps understanding in my request, terrible as it was. I went to her residence and was shown in by the protocol droid Threepio to where she rose to her feet, a few months behind in her pregnancy than I was, but carrying much more obviously.
"Theca, what a pleasant surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure?" She greeted me warmly but upon seeing my expression, calculated that something was wrong. "What is it? Are you unwell?"
"Of a sort, senator. I confess that I am here to request your help, and you may not like what I have to say, but I knew that I could trust you with this, more than anyone else. I know I can trust you to keep your silence for me, as our conditions and situations are…somewhat identical." I told her, only furthering her confusion but I looked at Threepio, uncertain if I could trust the droid, but Padmé ordered him away so that we may talk confidentially. Padmé invited me to sit, and I did so slowly and with great difficulty, drawing her attention as my cloak slipped back and revealed the fact that I was also pregnant.
"Oh my…" Padmé lifted her hands to her own stomach and could not help but show her delight and gladness to see that I was also carrying the life of a child inside me, whilst also becoming daunted with the knowledge of what this meant. "I see, this is indeed a complicated matter, but why choose me, Theca? Surely you have many friends who would understand and would want to help you?"
"None who will know what it means to keep my child a secret. I intend to one day be the one to bring her back to the temple with no known affiliation or ties to me, so that I may raise her in secret and not be found out by the Council. I know that you will understand, because I know that the father of your own child is…well. He is someone who is not meant to be attached romantically, as I was not meant to either." Her eyes widened with alarm but I swiftly assured her that I meant no malice by it, and that I would never dream of revealing her truth to anyone else, which pacified her a little. "So you see, our conditions truly are the same."
"Yes, it is a little comforting to know that I am not alone in this state, precarious as it is." Padmé rubbed her stomach for a little while, smiling to herself before raising her eyes to meet mine. "You said you have a request of me, what is it you need Theca? If it is within my capability and power, I will gladly help you."
"Thank you, I am grateful for that. My request is not one I am proud of, but it is necessary. I cannot tell you all, it is better for your safety but…I need to have my child delivered immediately." As expected, her eyes widened with shock, staring at me with mouth agape. "I need to deliver her secretly, either by caesarean or inducement, so that I can proceed with what I need to do for the security and safety of the Republic. I fear if I do not go, a great many will die, the war will be lost, and an age of darkness will fall upon us, but I cannot bring my child into such danger. I need to know that she is safe, and to be certain of this, she must be removed from me as soon as possible."
"Theca, I understand you may feel that you need to do something, but surely you can allow someone else to handle whatever it is that must be done? To purposefully deliver your child before they are due…is she even ready? What if there are complications?"
"This is why I need your help. I need a medical droid, a midwife, and a sterile place for the operation, and it must be done soon. By the end of the day. I am almost full term now, she will be alright so long as she is kept in an incubation pod for a week or so more…Padmé, I cannot express to you how vital it is that I go. There is information I need to gather which could determine the outcome of this entire war, whether it ends in peace, or complete bloodshed. I fear all our lives are in danger, including yours, mine, and our children's. Please. I beg you. Help me with this, trust me. I would not choose this path unless there was absolutely no other way. The last thing I want is to put my daughter in danger, but to go and still carry her…I could not be certain I would be able to protect her." I pleaded with Padmé who was clearly conflicted over my request, her first instinct being to deny me on account of the ethical nature I was proposing to ridicule by purposefully accelerating the birth of a child.
"I do not know Theca, this is a great deal you ask of me. There could be so many complications, and how are we to keep your child safe whilst you are gone? The droids will be witness to the birth, they would have to be wiped in order to keep them from recording the delivery, and where would she stay? She would need to be watched over and cared for as she incubates…if she goes to any hospital, she will be taken as an orphan and you will lose her…and if anyone finds out…"
"There is a way. If you will arrange it, I know that I can succeed in this. I have everything planned out, I need only your authorisation to summon the medical droids and the midwife. It will not look suspicious if they come here, and we will be able to relocate elsewhere once they have come. Padmé, I not only apply to you as a new mother, but also as one who believes in democracy, freedom, and the value of all life forms in this galaxy. If I do not go, then all hope for a future may be lost. Just trust me. Please." Considering for a long while thereafter, Padmé finally agreed and set things into motion.
She summoned her most trusted handmaiden, who would be given charge of my daughter's care after she was born and incubated in a medical pod for her to be monitored until I would be able to collect her. The droids were summoned under the guise of a check up, then we moved to the handmaiden's home in order to perform the surgery there. I thanked them both for their assistance, hiding the knot of nerves I was feeling as the droids were recalibrated to complete the surgery to deliver my daughter before her due date. The tests showed that there would be no impact on her growth if she was delivered now, and so we progressed after all the equipment had been brought, and the operating room we were using had been sterilised.
"Are you certain you want to do this?" Padmé asked me one final time as I lay back on the operating table, an anaesthetic and sedative being administered so that I would fall asleep. Seeing her concerned expression beginning to blur in front of me as a bright line shone down above us, I smiled to her.
"For the Republic." I managed weakly before I went under, and felt nothing more thereafter.