Nightmares and Meetings
Anakin hadn't stayed in the Jedi Temple living quarters since the war had begun. Whenever he was back in Coruscant, he had stayed in Padmé's apartment. That was not possible now, so he was forced to return to his old quarters. The Temple had always felt too big for him when he was a Padawan Learner. Growing up on Tatooine, he'd lived in the slave quarters with his mother. Small and cramped they may have been, they had always felt comforting, especially with his mother right next door to his room. Here, the rooms were nearly as large as his old home. They were also sparse with an adjoining room for self-cleaning, a meditation seat, a dresser, and a bed with a nightstand table for personal items. They had never felt like home to him.
He'd also not slept in nearly two days. It had been late in the evening when Palpatine had died and him and Shaak Ti had spent the night with Mace and Commander Fox at the City Guard headquarters before returning to the Temple the next day. His constitution was the only thing that was keeping him from collapsing. As he began to stumble, Artoo rolled in front of him to stop him from falling over his feet.
"Thanks, buddy," Anakin said smiling at his little friend, patting him on the dome. As he looked around for the entrance to the residential area, he heard a voice calling behind him.
"Skywalker! Is that you?"
Anakin turned around to see a pair of Jedi, a man and a woman, rushing towards him. The woman with a smile on her face was Jedi Knight Bultar Swan, her normally short black hair having grown into a long braid over her shoulder. The man with a grim yet soft look on his face was A'Sharad Hett, a fellow former resident of Tatooine like Anakin. Both had served alongside Anakin during the war and both were good people to know. Anakin smiled at them both. It was good to see friends again.
Bultar smiled and bowed to him. "Well done, Master Skywalker. You and Master Windu have saved the Republic."
"It was more Master Windu than it was me, Master Swan. And... I'm not really a master. I'm on the Council, but I am not a Master."
"Not what I've heard, Skywalker," A'Sharad said, taking Anakin's hand in a strong grip and shaking it. "Master Yoda is on his way back from Kashyyyk and I heard he was communicating with the Council to allow you the final ascension to Master in light of what you've done to help Master Windu."
"Master Yoda is on his way back? We won the battle on Kashyyyk?"
"More than that, Anakin," Bultar said with a wide grin. "We've won the war completely. "Master Kenobi is on his way back from Mustafar with the entire Separatist Council. As soon as they were on board his carrier, Viceroy Gunray sent out a mass call to the Fleet to lay down their weapons and surrender. It's over. The Clone Wars are finished. We've won."
Peace. Peace was finally here for the Republic. It had been won without compromise from him. They had won thanks to the Jedi Order. And all it had taken was the killing of an old man.
"Are you okay, Skywalker?" Hett looked Anakin in the eye with what looked like concern. It was hard to tell. Years of living with the Jedi had tempered his original Tusken Raider temperament to that of a stoic Jedi Master. Anakin was certain that this was concern. He looked upon the tattooed face of the Tusken-trained Human and smiled.
"I'm fine, A'Sharad. I'm just feeling tired. It's just been a long couple of days and I need sleep."
Bultar smiled and A'Sharad gave him another pat on the shoulder. "Your room should be up the corridor and down the hall, kid," Hett said with a small smile. "Get some rest. The Order is about to go through the storm and we're gonna need everyone at their best."
"You think we're going to be arrested," Anakin asked.
"No, but I think things are going to change for the Order," Bultar said. "The Senate is having a meeting tomorrow to decide on a new Interim Chancellor and it's rumored that they're going to choose Senator Amidala."
Anakin looked at her in shock. "Pad- Senator Amidala? You're sure?"
Hett shrugged. "Next to Organa, she's the most well known and beloved. We'll talk it over tomorrow. Get some rest."
Anakin nodded and bowed goodbye to them both. Motioning for Artoo to follow him, he followed Hett's instructions and made his way to the quarters, nodding to passing Knights and Masters. As soon as he made it, he stumbled his way over to the bed, shedding his cloak and shirt along the way, tossing them to the ground.
"Artoo... don't wake me up until I am ready. You got that?"
Artoo's breeps and whistles seemed to be an agreement as Anakin slumped onto the bed and pushed himself under the covers. "It's been a long day, buddy. War over. Padmé kicking me out. Master Windu under house arrest. Seems like everything is going our way."
Artoo gave two short beeps and a whistle before powering himself down. Anakin stared at the ceiling, blinking his eyes slowly, an old technique his mother had taught him when he was a child. A steady rhythm of blinks to lull him to sleep. He would have to do without his mother kissing him on the forehead, but he could feel it working. Soon, he was breathing steadily, moving himself into the realm of dreams.
He was on the steps of the Jedi Temple, but something was wrong. It was on fire for one thing. The four spires surrounding the central tower were crumbling as fighter ships that somewhat resembled the Jedi Starfighters in attack position, but with spherical cockpits in-between the wings, blasted them and the city. The temple banners were burning and the two statues of Jedi Masters Past that stood out front were smashed to pieces on top of each other. To Anakin, it was clear. The Jedi were no more. They were dead.
Then he realized something else: No one was crying out. No one was screaming for help or in pain. No one. He ran up the steps, igniting his lightsaber as he did, and was greeted by an awful sight. The Jedi were laying across the Temple floor. All dead. Knights, Masters, Padawans, and Younglings all. He could see Shaak Ti and A'Sharad among the dead, their sabers in their hands. He searched around for survivors. There had to be. He looked among the bodies, turning them over and checking their pulses. None. None had survived.
He noticed something else about their wounds. Blaster wounds. Precise shots had successfully targeted their vital organs, regardless of species. Only one group of soldiers could have made that kind of accuracy.
"Freeze!" He swung around, lightsaber at the ready, to face a group of seven Clone Troopers. Their blasters pointed at his head and heart.
"Don't move, Jedi Traitor," the lead Trooper barked.
Traitor? "Trooper, stand down! Where do you get off calling me a traitor?!"
"You know what you are, Jedi! Your kind betrayed the Republic! You tried to kill the Chancellor! This is what is deserved of traitors!"
Diplomacy, it would seem, had failed Anakin. The troopers opened fire. Anakin concentrated and swiftly dropped into the Shien style. Raising his lightsaber, he deflected the two bolts aimed at his head, one of which hit a trooper directly between the eyes. He lowered the blade over his chest, deflecting the bolts aimed at his heart. Two of the bolts struck the leader and one to the left of him while the remaining three went wild. Before they could fire, Anakin had made a dash forward, slicing one across the middle with an upward swing. He spun around, bisecting another through his waist and finishing another with a downward chop. The remaining two opened fire causing Anakin to duck and roll forward. As soon as he was in front of the troopers, he stabbed one through the chest and Force Pushed the other far across the room and into the flames.
Collapsing on all fours, Anakin let out a sigh of relief. As he pulled himself up on his knees, he looked around for anymore familiar faces among the dead. He found them. Obi-Wan, Master Yoda, and... Padmé. All three had been crushed by falling rocks. Pulling himself up on his feet, he stumbled over to his wife.
He picked her up, checked her pulse, put his ear to her chest to check her breathing. Nothing. Her eyes were staring at the ceiling of the Temple with its many holes. Her mouth was hanging open, blood trickling from both corners, a large gash on her forehead. She was gone. Gone forever. Anakin felt the tears welling up again. He blinked them back and squeezed his eyes shut. He was not going to let this happen. Whatever future this was, he wasn't going to let it happen.
"Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh," a voice cackled from behind. Anakin slowly turned around to see a hunched over figure walking out of the smoke and fire. It was an old man wearing a body concealing black robe with a hood covering everything but his lower jaw. The old man had a gnarled black walking stick in his shriveled hands that were bone and skin without any sign of muscle. What Anakin could see of his face was no better. The skin was gray and sagging with a mouthful of yellowed teeth. And then he saw the eyes. They were golden yellow irises tinged with red and they seemed to pierce his soul.
"Good, Anakin. Good," the old man droned. "You are indeed a mighty warrior. You would have served me well as my apprentice."
"Your 'apprentice'? Who are you?"
"You know me, Anakin. You've known who I am for a long time, my boy. My future apprentice."
Anakin stared at the eyes until it dawned on him. The true form of the man he'd looked upon like a father for many years. "You..."
"Yes. Me. Your beloved Chancellor. A shame you were unable to become the apprentice I needed. Luckily... I do not need you anymore. Now, I have a new apprentice far more powerful than you ever could be." As he said this, he pointed with a bony finger into the fire where a tall figure was emerging.
Anakin assumed a ready stance, both hands gripping the saber. As the figure cleared the blaze, his mouth began to dry in fright. What he saw could not have been human. It couldn't have been at one point. Grievous had been a cyborg, but he had been at least identifiable as formally organic. While this thing was human shaped, the presence it exuded was inhuman.
It was a man dressed from head to toe in black leather with black metal boots, what looked to be a vitals monitor on his chest, and a billowing black cape. What made Anakin's blood freeze, however, was the mask and helmet. It was like it had been molded from a skull and elongated with a triangular grid for the mouth, wide empty eye sockets with red tinted lenses, and a domed helmet on top. But the worst of it was the things breathing. It was labored, mechanical, steady, and hollow. This new apprentice may have been a person once, but it was clear that was no longer the case.
"What is thy bidding, my master," the black knight asked in a deep synthesized voice.
"Kill this weakling, Darth Vader," Sidious ordered.
"As you wish, my Master," Vader replied. Vader raised his hand and from his belt, a large lightsaber flew into it. Igniting it, a blade of pure crimson came forth, bathing the area in bright red. Anakin stood up, his legs shaking as he held his own lightsaber in front of him.
As the two combatants focused on each other, everyone else in the dream seemed to fade away. The sound of the flames and the starfighters above were gone. The bodies around them vanished and all that was left in the Temple were Anakin and Vader, their lightsaber blades crossing each other in preparation, inches away from touching. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of Vader's mechanical breathing as he looked at Anakin. After what seemed like an eternity, Vader spoke.
"The Force is with you, Young Skywalker. But you are not a Jedi yet."
Anakin ignored the Sith Lord and swung his lightsaber in a swift over-the-shoulder downward chop that Vader managed to easily block, one-handed, knocking the blade away and shoving Anakin back in one motion. Resuming the ready stance, Anakin took a few steps forward before striking again, this time swinging at his waist. The blow was blocked and, in a spinning motion, knocked Anakin's blade to the side, his robotic hand still holding onto it.
This Vader is a strong fighter. He's not even using his full strength against me. This was confirmed after several more strikes, one to the leg, two against his arms, and one direct thrust that Vader managed to block away with less than minimal effort. This is a game to him, Anakin thought to himself. He doesn't even consider me a threat.
"You have learned much, Young One," Vader stated, sounding slightly impressed with Anakin's skills.
"You'll find I'm full of surprises," Anakin sneered, striking in quick succession at Vader, each one being blocked in return. It satisfied Anakin to see that Vader was starting to use both hands with his lightsaber. So he was starting to actually have an effect on the giant Sith Lord. Good. He would show him his mettle.
"Obi-Wan has taught you well. You have control of your fear." This time it was Vader who made the strike with a downward blow that Anakin blocked. "Now, release your anger! Only your hatred can destroy me!"
Anakin thought back to the body of his master and his anger rose. This monster and Sidious had killed Obi-Wan and he dared to try to teach HIM in the ways of the Force. "SHUT UP," He roared at Vader. As he surged forward, he put more of his energy behind each strike. He was going to kill Vader. He was going to kill him, Sidious, and avenge the Jedi Order! He had to kill him! He hated him more than he'd ever hated anyone before in his life!
"YOU DON'T GET TO TALK ABOUT MY MASTER! YOU DON'T GET TO TALK ABOUT ANYTHING!" Each strike had the force of a killing blow behind it and he would be damned if he wasn't going to finish it here and now. "YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT MY MASTER!"
Vader moved back as he remained on the defensive, managing to block every blow against him. Finally, Anakin thrust at the monitor on his chest, ready to end it once and for all. However, as he did, Vader sidestepped the blow, grabbing his robotic wrist. As he held him, he placed his leg behind Anakin's to lock him into place. Shock written on his face, Anakin looked at the giant before him. He hadn't expected Vader to be that fast. Vader stared into Anakin's eyes as terror came over the young Jedi Knight. He couldn't win. He couldn't beat Vader. Then... Vader spoke.
"I know more about you than you know, Young Skywalker. I know the darkness in your heart. I know that the lust for power in your heart eclipses the love for your wife. I know what you were planning to do when you came to Sidious. I know what you are."
A pain shot through Anakin's chest and he looked down to see Vader's lightsaber piercing his chest. "And now you have failed. Just as you failed your mother."
Anakin shot up from his bed as the morning light flooded his room, his chest heaving as he pulled his robotic hand off his chest. Artoo warbled and whistled in alarm as his master cried out in shock and rolled over to his bedside.
Anakin inhaled and exhaled, calming himself down as best he could. "It's okay, Artoo. I'm okay. Just, just a bad dream." He wiped his forehead, a cold sweat having formed, and patted the droid's domed top. "Just a nightmare."
Getting up, he stumbled to the window, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The city looked beautiful in the morning. The fingers of dawn reached across the horizon and reflected off the silver spires, turning them bright orange. Letting out a huge sigh, he removed his shirt and headed to the bathroom to prepare for the day. As he prepared the shower, he thought back to Vader's words. "The lust for power in your heart eclipses the love for your wife."
Was that really true? Did he value power more than the lives of those closest to him? If he was to prove to Padmé that he could put the Galaxy's needs above his own, then it was going to have to be a gesture so grand that she would be certain that they would have a future together. Yes, that was it. He would prove that they could be together!
"AH!" The shower's temperature shocked him out of his delusion. Proof that they could be together? Padmé was right. It was all about what he wanted, not what was best for the Galaxy. He really wasn't a Jedi if this was how he felt. He adjusted the temperature and entered. If he was going show her, it had to be something that would not benefit him. It would have to be something that would not benefit his ego or his wants. It would have to be a sacrifice worthy of a Jedi Knight.
As he prepared his clothing for the day, he heard the telltale beep of his holocomm. Answering it, Anakin was greeted by the grinning face of the Kiffar Jedi Master Quinlan Vos. An old acquaintance from his Master's Padawan years, Quinlan was known for approaching a situation with what could only be described as reckless abandon. Many times as a Padawan, Obi-Wan had compared Anakin's style to Quinlan's, often meaning it as a criticism. After getting to know Master Vos, however, Anakin gladly took all that as a compliment. There were rumors that, during the war, Quinlan had gone undercover to infiltrate the Confederates, skirting closer and closer to the Dark Side. If that were true, Vos didn't show it behind that cocky grin.
"Anakin, hero of the Republic. Glad to know you're up."
"Master Vos, How are things in Kashyyyk?"
"Didn't you hear? We arrived just this morning. Master Yoda's on his way to the Temple right now."
"What about Master Luminara? She with you?"
"She had something to attend to. I have to finish up with the troopers before returning to the Temple." For a moment, a shadow drifted across Vos' face. "Anakin, tell me the truth: Are things really that bad for the Jedi at the Senate?"
Anakin sighed and nodded his head. "Palpatine's death hasn't made our reputation here any better. Things were bad enough after the Temple bombing. I had to do my best to convince Commander Fox not to kill Windu on sight after he arrived."
Vos rolled his eyes. "That clone's been a pain for a long time."
Anakin had to agree. "He was trouble before. Now I'm sure he's going to beg the next Chancellor to have us all arrested for treason."
Vos chuckled. "Well, we'll cross the bridge when we come to it, Young One. For now, you better prepare for the Master's arrival. He told me he wanted to talk with you personally."
A lump formed in Anakin's throat. Master Yoda, despite his appearance, was among the most clever of the Jedi. It was extremely difficult to hide anything from him. Anakin had no doubt that he had felt Palpatine's death all the way from Kashyyyk and had more than likely sensed Windu's and Anakin's presence as well.
"I'll talk with you soon, Master Vos. I have some things to take care of." Before shutting off, he remembered something very important. "Obi-Wan. Have you heard from him?"
Vos nodded. "He should be arriving later with the Separatist Council. Don't worry. From what I heard, Grievous didn't beat him up too bad."
That wasn't the reason why Anakin was worried, but it was good to know. "May the Force be with you, Master Vos."
"And you. Oh, and let me know when Aayla gets back." The comm shut off and Anakin had a chuckle at the thought of Vos greeting his old Padawan. Then the unease returned to his heart.
While he was indeed glad to know of Obi-Wan's impending return, inside he felt immense guilt. For the last few weeks, since learning of Padmé's pregnancy, he had grown suspicious of Padmé's friendship with his old Master. It had even made him weary of his legitimacy as the child's father. Palpatine had assured him that wasn't anything to worry about. That Padmé's love for him was unbreakable. That even though Kenobi and Padmé had been spending time together, that didn't mean they were having an affair. That even though the pregnancy was very far advanced and, maybe, could have begun during Obi-Wan's time on planet while Anakin was off, that didn't mean anything. They were nothing. What had started to sound like the makings of an affair at the time had been revealed as nothing more than the manipulations of a Sith Lord. What he felt in his heart wasn't hatred and suspicion, but shame.
As he walked through the halls, he had time to admire the Temple's beauty. The nightmare from last night had felt so real. Like a vision of the future rather than the random assortment of images collected from his mind. The image of Vader especially sticking out. Did this mean that Palpatine was alive somehow? That his death was only staged? That he had a secret apprentice in case Anakin had not worked out?
It would make sense, he thought. He'd been grooming me for years while "training" Dooku. He stopped at the thought of the fallen Jedi. Dooku, once one of the greatest and most respected Masters of the Order, Master Yoda's former Padawan, and the Master of the man who had discovered him, Qui-Gon Jinn, had been just like him. A pawn. Had anyone meant anything to Palpatine beyond a tool for his own personal gain?
Dooku had been a respected man for years before the war had begun. Even after his leaving the Order, he was spoken of with respect, despite his problems with the Republic and the Order's part in continuing to enable what he saw as its corruption. He was someone who stood by his convictions and Anakin was certain that if they had met years before the war had begun, he would have considered Dooku a friend.
Since killing the Sith Apprentice, Anakin had dreamed about the look in Dooku's eyes before decapitating him. A look he now recognized as betrayal. His own master had abandoned him and had ordered his successor to kill him. Anakin wondered what had gone through his mind before his death.
"It's good to see you, Master Skywalker," a soft voice behind him said. Anakin spun around to see the Master Archivist, Jocasta Nu, smiling up at him. The kindly old woman had either sneaked up on him or Anakin had really been out of it. Looking around, he found that he had wandered into the Archives and was standing in front of the bust of Dooku. Anakin was more surprised to find that it was still hear, considering the past three years.
"Are you alright, Master Skywalker," Jocasta asked, a soft smile on her lips. "You looked like you were sleepwalking when you came in."
"I just had a rough night, Master Jocasta. I'm surprised to see this is still here," he said gesturing to Dooku's bust. "Wouldn't it make more sense to remove it given what Dooku did?"
Jocasta nodded. "I can understand your reasoning. However, it was kept here at the insistence of Master Yoda."
"Really? Why?"
"Because remembering the past, a Jedi always should."
Both Anakin and Jocasta turned to see, riding on his hoverchair, Master Yoda. His walking stick on his lap and a smile on his wise old face. Anakin hastily bowed to the Grand Master of the Jedi Order. "Master Yoda, I didn't know you'd gotten back so soon."
"Just returned, I have," Yoda nodded. "Expect to find you here, I did not, Young Skywalker. Even as a Padawan, your place of sanctuary the Archives were not."
"Honestly, Master," I didn't meant to end up here. I had a troubling dream and I was wondering what it meant."
Yoda seemed to ponder this explanation for a minute as Jocasta quietly excused herself. "In this dream was Count Dooku?"
Anakin shook his head. "No, it was something else. I was told by Master Vos that you wanted to see me, Master."
The little green master nodded in affirmation. "You and Master Windu both. Important to discuss the last two days it is. Please. Come." His hoverchair turning, Yoda motioned for Anakin to follow. Anakin sighed. It was time to come clean. This was more than likely the end of many things for him. The end of his time on the Council, now that his job as the Council's spy was no longer necessary for one thing. Possibly the end of his time as a Jedi in general.
The two Jedi eventually made it to Yoda's private quarters after taking what seemed to be the scenic route. If Anakin thought his quarters were spartan then Master Yoda's were bare bones. There was no bed, just a single dresser, a pair of meditation seats, and a door leading to what Anakin assumed was a bathroom. The two sat across from each other, not speaking for what felt like an eternity to Anakin.
"Troubled are you, Young Skywalker?"
Yoda would be the first to break the silence, of course. "Yes and I don't know why I am putting it off. I know what you are going to say, Master."
"Oh? Do you?"
"Yes. I am tainted by the Dark Side. For years, I was groomed to be the next Apprentice to the Lord of the Sith. I was tempted by the power of the Dark Side of the Force and I would have helped Chancellor Palpatine if I had been there a bit sooner! I am a failure of a Jedi Knight and am unworthy to ever be granted the rank of Master! I know, Master! I know!"
Anakin pitched forward and exhaled. He had been yelling at Master Yoda and had expended all breath in his lungs. His throat felt like it had been closed off and it wouldn't allow any air to enter. He looked up at Master Yoda who was sitting across from, a look of bemusement on his face. He didn't say anything, letting Anakin calm himself down and to catch his breath. Finally, Anakin calmed himself down and looked Master Yoda in the eye. "Is that it?"
Master Yoda shook his head slowly. "Mistaken you are. Understandable your anger is though. Fear has overcome you. Almost taken you the Dark Side has. Indeed. However, recognizing your mistakes, an important step this is."
"To what, Master?"
"Redemption, Young Skywalker. Redemption and the Light of the Force."
Anakin could not believe what he was hearing. "Master, I have confessed to being nearly seduced by the Dark Side and you are saying that I am on the way to redemption?"
"Indeed. Available to all, redemption is. To those that seek it. To those that desire to save themselves from the Dark Side. Understandable your pain is. Warranted your self-loathing is, but hold on to it you do not need to."
Anakin was surprised at this. He knew Master Yoda to be compassionate. To be understanding. But as the Grand Master of the Jedi, he was responsible for seeking out and ending the Dark Side and all who used it. To stop them before they could bring harm to the Galaxy. He had to know that Anakin was dangerous. That if he was tempted by the power, surely it was a matter of time before he turned. That was what Palpatine had been counting on when he had told him the story of Plagueis.
"Master, what I did-"
"What you did not do is the correct phrasing. Yes. Tempted many a Jedi has been by the Dark Side. Quicker, easier, more seductive it is. Few have returned from its grasp. But those that have, stronger are they for it. Stronger will you be, Young Skywalker. Expelled you will not be."
For a moment, Anakin was happy to hear this. For years he had been subjected to many criticisms from Obi-Wan. Like nothing he had ever done was good enough for him. All he had wanted was to live up to what his fellow Padawan saw of him. The Chosen One. The one to bring balance to the Force. But it had never been enough for Obi-Wan. Whenever he worked to get results, Obi-Wan would be there to criticize him for how he did it. For being impatient and nearly getting himself killed.
"The job got done, Master. Isn't that all that matters," Anakin had once asked.
"Anakin," Obi-Wan had replied, "our job was to not only ensure the Senator's survival, but to make sure he came out in one piece. He may be alive, but he will be in the hospital for several weeks. What's more, you could have been killed."
"But I wasn't," Anakin had muttered to himself. That had been nearly every mission they had been on together. Scolding after scolding. Now, Master Yoda was assuring him that he was not going to be expelled. That his future was not in peril. Sometimes, it did help.
"Still, understand your temptations we must," Master Yoda continued. "Understand why you were tempted to join we must. Which brings me to my next question."
"And that is, Master," Anakin asked.
"How is Senator Amidala feeling? Advanced her pregnancy seems to be. Possible harm to the unborn you are worried about?"
Anakin's heart froze as the little master asked him about the one secret he had feared being exposed was revealed as known to him. He had been able to deal with Shaak Ti guessing his feelings. She at least had been unable to glean the identity of his loved one. Master Yoda had not only guess her identity, but her condition as well! She had assured him that her pregnancy was well hidden. As a panic attack began to overtake him, he noticed a small smile spreading across the old Master's face.
"Wondering you are how I know are you?"
Anakin nodded slowly.
"Known your feelings for her a long time have I. Whenever around her you were, your heart would accelerate. The same from her I could feel. When in danger she was, your blood would rise. Recently, while you were off planet, another life I could feel in her. Then... Another I could feel in her. Two and two I put together. Knowledge of your love I had. Your secret I kept. Forbidden we are from singular attachments. Yet, knowledge I have of the feelings of others. Felt them long ago I did. Controlled them I have. Like you did. For that, I am proud."
Anakin could not believe this. He had figured all that out from the feelings he had tried to suppress for years. And he had kept his secret. He had kept the secret that could have had Anakin expelled from the Order. Anakin had formed a singular attachment. He had fallen in love with an individual, rather than thinking of the whole. And Master Yoda had kept the secret of his child as well. Wait, he realized. He said "another I could feel".
"Master," Anakin began. "Padmé is only expecting one child."
Yoda's small smile widened into a smile filled with warmth. A smile filled with acceptance. A smile filled with care. And a touch of smugness. "Much to discuss we have. But first, congratulations on your future twins I must confer." He gave a chuckle as Anakin recognized the wonderful news for what it was.
Twins...
In the months since her pregnancy had started to show, Padmé had started to wear more and more loose fitting clothing to hide it. The only ones that knew of her condition were her handmaidens, having sworn them to secrecy with Dormé being in charge of her care and screening her calls. She had also chosen to confide in her parents, not wanting the birth of their grandchild to be a surprise. Until she was ready though, she had to hide it. She had to hide her unborn child from the world.
As her escort flew her to the Senate building, she had to think on what was to come today. It was the day that the Senate was to elect the Interim Chancellor. Since Palpatine's death, the Senate had been in an uproar with the majority of his supporters calling for the Jedi Order to be put down on suspicion of treason. Luckily, the rumors of the Chancellor's true identity had come to light thanks to the loose lips of those within the Chancellor's close employ. The Coruscant City Guard was apparently close to finding Mas Amedda's location with all their available units. If they could find him, then his position as Palpatine's right hand man would help exonerate the Jedi Order and prove the existence of the corruption that had festered in the Senate these past thirteen years. Seeing the Chagrian Politician in custody, after all he had done to her and the Republic, would give Padmé no end of satisfaction.
She smiled to see, standing on the landing pad to greet her, Bail Organa waving to her. If there was anyone who would make a good Interim Chancellor, it was him. For a while, she had heard people wanting to elect her as Palpatine's successor. While she was flattered and she couldn't deny the appeal of that, she knew that her pregnancy had tabled all future aspirations for the time being. She wasn't going to let it sidetrack her career, but she knew that her priorities were squarely on her baby.
All she wanted was for things to get back to normal. For her and Anakin to be happy together. For her not to be angry every time she thought of him and his selfish behavior. For them to raise their child in peace and without war on the horizon. She wasn't truly mad at Anakin, just disappointed. She hoped he understood that. As her speeder began to land, she thought back to her ultimatum to Anakin and hoped that it wouldn't be long.
"Soon, Ani. Soon, we will be together. I hope."