Chapter 21 – Healed

Padmé's legs were hollow. Her head pounded.

She made an attempt to thank the clone who had driven her back to her apartment from the Jedi Temple. He nodded and sped away, leaving her on the patio.

Padmé looked around. It looked as she remembered, as if she hadn't been gone for three months. Yet something felt… amiss. But that was hardly surprising, after the afternoon she had.

She held out her hands. They were stained red with blood.

"Do you trust me, Padmé?"

The question had caught her off guard. She had no choice but to say, Yes, of course, Master. I trust you.

"Then give me your arm."

She had obliged, yet regretted doing so almost instantly when Palpatine produced a knife.

"Hold still."

Padmé's body went rigid. She bit down on her tongue and looked away as Palpatine made a narrow incision in the soft flesh of her forearm. It hurt, but Padmé did not make a sound.

"We are only as strong as our weakest link. You and I are strong in the Force, but our bodies are weak and vulnerable. Our resolve is made of steel, yet ourselves are made of mere flesh. But with this power…" He grabbed her bleeding forearm with both hands and closed his eyes. He murmured something under his breath, an incantation of sorts. Padmé felt a searing heat against her skin, but it did not hurt. It was comforting. Palpatine released her. "Unblemished," he said, short for breath.

Padmé looked at her arm. There was not so much as a scar. The wound was fully gone.

"You must learn, Padmé."

"Teach me, Master," she requested.

And he had. It was really quite simple. Yet all the same the practice felt foreign. It defied all her previous lessons.

"Picture my wound," said Palpatine. He wielded the knife for a second time, this time to cut his own flesh. "Now picture your own arm. Convince yourself that it is wounded. Your body will try to heal it. All you must do is encourage it, the life within your cells, within your veins. Harvest that healing power, and transfer it to me."

"How?" Padmé asked.

"Through touch."

She grasped his forearm.

"Now close your eyes," her master instructed. "Feel my pain, my life. Feel it as your own."

She did feel it.

"This is how the Jedi see the world. We are all… the same." He said it viciously. "We are all made of the same energy."

"The Force," Padmé said.

"The light side," Palpatine corrected. "The weak side."

Weak or not, Padmé could feel it. That sameness of which her master spoke. Within her. Within him. She did as he asked, harnessing that energy, transferring it from her own self to him, as if by osmosis.

When she opened her eyes, Padmé staggered. Palpatine grabbed her shoulder.

"The process is draining. Literally. Are you all right?"

"Yes, Master."

"You did very well. I am proud of you."

Padmé swallowed hard now. I am proud of many times had she yearned to hear those very words?

She stepped forward, her legs feeling very much like wet cardboard. She reached the top of the stairs and staggered onward toward the apartment. Ahsoka and Sola should be here with the children. She thought she sensed them, but she was too discombobulated from earlier.

"Sola?" she called. "Ahsoka?"

She arrived in the living room and froze. Sola was there, seated on one of the couches. Her posture was rigid. Standing behind her shoulder with lightsabers drawn was Ahsoka. And beyond her…

"Kenobi," Padmé gasped. "You're alive!"

Obi-Wan stood partly in the shadows by the room's entrance. By his side were two floating cribs.

"Padmé," he said grimly.

His lightsaber was drawn, yet like Ahsoka's, it was not activated. For now.

"Please don't," Padmé said, her voice a whisper. "My children –"

"I do not wish to hurt them," Obi-Wan said. "Nor you."

"Then why are you here?" Padmé asked. Her heart was hammering in her ears. She stared at the two cribs, mere meters away, yet it felt as if parsecs separated them. She couldn't lose them again. The Jedi had taken enough from her.

"Palpatine must be defeated," Obi-Wan said. "What remains of the Jedi Order will not rest until he is overthrown."

"I don't care," Padmé said, the desperation loud in her voice. "My children don't have anything to do with this. Please don't –"

"Anakin. I need to know where he's gone."

Padmé felt the breath leave her.

"You want to kill him," she said hoarsely.

Obi-Wan said nothing.

Padmé looked at Ahsoka. "You support this?" she asked. "You side with him over me? Over Anakin? After everything we've done for you?"

Ahsoka looked to the floor.

"You coward!" Padmé cried. "Traitor!"

Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber. Padmé fell deathly silent. The weapon's eerie hum filled the room.

"My orders are the following," Obi-Wan said. "To find Anakin's whereabouts, kill you, and take your children."

"You won't," Padmé said.

"No," Obi-Wan agreed. "I won't. Because I refuse to follow those orders."

Padmé blinked in surprise.

"You do not deserve to die. Nor do you deserve to have your children stolen from you."

"What about Anakin?" Padmé asked. "What does he deserve?"

Obi-Wan's face became strained. "That is for me to decide."

"No," Padmé said. "You failed him. The Jedi failed him. Leave him be, Obi-Wan. Leave my family be."

"I can't do that, Padmé."

She took a step forward, hands raised.

"Stop right there," Obi-Wan snapped. She did. "I do not wish to fight you. Not only would you lose, but your children and your sister would be unnecessarily endangered."

Padmé glanced at Sola. "I won't attack, I promise," she said. She stood no chance against Kenobi. Her brief duel with Windu had proven that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

"Then you will be cooperative," Obi-Wan said. "Tell me where to find Anakin. Tell me that, and I will leave."

She couldn't possibly sell out her husband. But their children were more important. Surely Anakin would see it that way as well? Who would he choose, were he in her situation?

Of course the children. Especially now that he knew. Now that he feared her. Now that he no longer recognized her.

"Obi-Wan, please," Padmé begged. "You don't understand what he's been through."

"I know what he has done," Obi-Wan said coldly. "His crimes are unforgivable."

"He loves you like a father."

The Jedi was not swayed. "Tell me where he is. Now."

Padmé bit her lip. She considered lying. But what was the point? Obi-Wan would know.

"Mustafar," she said. "Palpatine sent him to eliminate the Separatist leadership."

Obi-Wan sheathed his lightsaber. "Thank you," he said. When he stepped away from the cribs, Padmé rushed forward. She opened the cribs and found her children unharmed and entirely unaware of the danger they had been in.

"Well?" Obi-Wan said. "Are you coming?"

Padmé turned. Obi-Wan was looking at Ahsoka.

"To Mustafar?" she asked.

"No," Obi-Wan said. "This is something I must do alone. But you could come with me and rendezvous with the rest of the Jedi."

"You're going to side with the Jedi after what they did to you?" Sola said. "They held you prisoner, Ahsoka!"

"So did she," Ahsoka said, looking at Padmé. Padmé looked away in shame.

"The Jedi wronged you," Obi-Wan said. "There's no doubt about that. But the Sith –"

"Are the greater threat," Ahsoka said for him. "I will go with you, Obi-Wan."

"Good," Obi-Wan said.

"Ahsoka!" Sola exclaimed, but Padmé cut her off.

"It's okay, Sola," she said. "Ahsoka is free to go where she pleases."

Ahsoka's eyes narrowed. "Am I now?"

Padmé gritted her teeth. "Just go," she said. "You're free. That's what you want, isn't it?"

Ahsoka looked at her for a long moment. Then she turned and left without another word. Obi-Wan lingered behind.

"You made your choices, Padmé."

"I never had any choices," she said.

"Of course you did," Obi-Wan insisted. "You could have turned on Sidious. Think of how many lives would have been spared."

Padmé pursed her lips. She had no comeback ready.

"You are not blameless," Obi-Wan said, with a supreme heaviness to his voice. "There is blood on your hands."

It didn't help that this was literally true. She looked down at her red-stained hands. Once again, the brutal images of broken bodies flashed before her eyes. Padmé winced. She grasped the edges of the two cribs, seeking the stability that her children provided. It should be the other way around, shouldn't it? The mother comforted her children. Not this mother.

Obi-Wan left. When his shadow slipped away, Sola stood off the couch and hurried toward her.

"Are you all right?" her sister asked.

Padmé shook her head. "He's going to kill Anakin. I have to stop him."

"How?"

"I need my comlink."

"It's in your room."

Padmé left in that direction. Sola followed.

"Padmé, I'm sorry," her sister said. "There was nothing I could do. He just showed up out of nowhere!"

"It's okay," Padmé said absently. "I don't blame you." She rummaged through the drawer of her dresser. "Here."

"What are you going to do?" Sola asked.

"I need to tell Palpatine what happened," Padmé said, keying in the proper code. "He'll be able to stop this." She waited for the comm to make contact. She waited some more. "Master? Are you there?"

"He's not answering," Sola said, chewing on her lip.

"He'll answer," Padmé promised.

But he didn't. A full minute passed.

"Something's wrong," Padmé said.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. I can feel it." Could her master be in danger? Palpatine hadn't ruled out the possibility of a Jedi counter-attack. In fact, he seemed to be banking on it. "I need to get to the Senate," Padmé said. "Now."

"I'll drive," Sola said.

"What about the children?" Padmé said. "Someone has to look after them."

"I'll call Mom and Dad," Sola said. "They're not far. We can leave when they get here."

"But Sola –"

"What?"

"It could be dangerous," Padmé warned.

"Yes," Sola said.

"I don't want you to get hurt."

"I'm going and that's final."

Padmé wanted to argue, but she found that she could not. The authority of an older sister reigned supreme.

"Why?" she asked.

"I promised to protect you," Sola said. "That's what I'm going to do."

It was futile. But Padmé took comfort in it.

"Thank you, Sola."

She really meant it.

Δ Δ Δ

Sola and Padmé had to pass through three different perimeter checkpoints in order to make it to the Senate building. Clones in armored speeders and small gunboats patrolled the skies, diverting traffic and stopping all vehicles which attempted to get through.

"I am Senator Amidala of Naboo," Padmé would say when they pulled up to one of these checkpoints. "I need to get to the Senate as fast as possible."

"Yes, ma'am," the sentry would say without objection. "Carry on."

"Padmé, you have to explain this to me," Sola said as they drove on. "The Chancellor of the Republic is the Sith Lord who abducted you?"

Abduct. That was a strong word.

"Yes," Padmé said.

"And he's in danger?"

"I believe so."

"How? This place is locked down!"

"Don't underestimate the Jedi," Padmé said gravely. "This show of force may look impressive, but it's mostly for show."

"All right," said Sola. She was grasping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white. "So Palpatine is your… well, what would you call him?"

"My master," Padmé intoned.

Sola shot her a look. "Your master," she repeated. She was clearly uncomfortable with the term. "You want to rescue him?"

"Of course."

"But why?"

Padmé didn't understand.

"You promised our mother that you would defeat him," Sola said. "You promised to free yourself from him."

"I made no such promise," Padmé insisted.

"Yes you did! I was there. Back on Naboo, remember?"

Padmé bit her tongue and looked away.

"Padmé, I don't know what's going on, but none of this feels right. The Republic falling. The Chancellor proclaiming himself Emperor. Democracy is dying, and you don't seem to care!"

"That's because I don't," Padmé said.

"You don't?"

"I don't care about democracy. I don't care about the Republic. I don't care about what I once said or who I pretended to be. All I care about is my family. My husband and my children. And you, Sola. I care about you. All that I do, all that I sacrifice, that is to keep you and everyone I care about safe."

"What does Palpatine have to do with that?"

"I need him," Padmé said. A long pause. "To protect Anakin. He'll protect Anakin from Obi-Wan."

Sola seemed unconvinced. But she didn't voice her objection. They arrived at another checkpoint and Padmé identified herself again.

The Senate was in sight.

Her master was in danger.

And Padmé had no idea what she was doing.

Δ Δ Δ

Padmé sprinted down the halls of the Senate, spiraling upward through the Rotunda. Sola followed behind her, a half dozen paces behind. Padmé had told her to stay with the speeder, but Sola wouldn't be dissuaded.

Padmé was gasping for breath when she arrived at the entrance to the Naboo delegation's pod. Padmé pressed her hand to the sensor and the doors opened. She rushed forward.

But the pod was gone. The doors opened to a sheer drop off. Padmé tried to stop herself, but her momentum carried her forward –

Sola arrived just in time to grab her arm. Padmé lurched and Sola pulled her back into the hallway. The sisters panted for a moment, Padmé with her hands on her knees.

"See?" Sola said. "You needed me, after all."

Padmé's heart hammered in her ears. Her chest and lungs ached. A near brush with death would do that, as well as months without hardly any physical activity. And giving birth hardly a week prior. Really, it was a miracle she was still standing at all.

"I'll never doubt you again, Sola," Padmé managed. She stood upright. "What happened to the pod?" She ventured back toward the edge, Sola right at her side. The durasteel locking mechanism which kept the pod in place when it wasn't active had been bent askew as if by a tremendous force.

A tremendous force, indeed.

Padmé looked down into the chamber, and that's when she saw them. Green clashed with red several dozen feet below in one of the pods. Steel and plastoid carnage littered the chamber floor, and the walls were scarred with what Padmé presumed to be deflected lightning.

Palpatine was battling for his life. Even from this elevated vantage, Padmé could tell he was losing. It was Yoda who he was dueling. The Jedi Grand Master was a blur of motion, hopping and leaping about the pod, parrying and attacking with the greatest skill and verve.

"I have to get down there," Padmé said.

"You can't!" Sola said, but Padmé wasn't listening. The streak of red which she knew to be Palpatine's lightsaber suddenly went spiraling out of his hand across the chamber. A flare of bright blue electricity erupted from the pod, snaking tendrils of which radiated outward in every direction. She and Sola ducked out of the way as it came scorching toward them.

"He needs me!" Padmé said, rushing toward the edge.

"Padmé, no!" Sola grabbed her arm, restraining her.

"Let go of me!"

"No!"

She tried to shove her away, but Sola was stronger. Padmé only had one choice.

"Sola, I'm sorry."

With her free hand, Padmé produced a charge of her own electricity. She jabbed two fingers into Sola's ribs, causing her sister to yelp in shock more than pain (or so she hoped). Sola released her and Padmé leapt over the edge into the chamber. Sola screamed after her.

"Padmé!"

For a fraction of a second, she was disoriented, plummeting. Then she locked onto a target, a pod some two dozen meters beneath her. She thrust out her hands, decelerating her fall, and landed with surprising elegance in the basin of the pod. Padmé popped up quickly and looked around. The arcs of electricity had ceased. Where was Palpatine?

Then she found him. He was on his back in the pod directly beneath her. He was holding his head, blood trickling through the gaps in his fingers.

"Master!" Padmé called. She pitched herself over the edge of the pod and into his. She slowed her descent with the Force and landed right by his side.

"Padmé," he said, eyes wide. He sounded terrified. She had never heard him like this. "The Jedi…"

She followed his gaze. Soaring toward them was Yoda himself. His lightsaber was raised, robes rippling. Perhaps he hadn't even noticed her. He only had eyes for Palpatine as he plunged to the pod. Padmé acted on impulse. Lightning burst from her fingertips to the Jedi.

Yoda reacted just in time. He slashed his green lightsaber, deflecting the blast, but in the process veered off target. The Grand Master hit the edge of the central podium and went tumbling to the ground. Padmé leaned over the edge of the pod, watching. Yoda must have lost grip on his lightsaber during the fall, because she saw it, a mere glimmer of metal, ricocheting on the pods. A ripple of something caught her eye. Jedi robes. They caught some air as they fell, acting like a parachute, before catching on a piece of debris from a destroyed pod. The Grand Master himself was nowhere to be found.

"Padmé."

She spun around. Palpatine looked dreadful. Besides the wound to his forehead, she saw that his black robes were marked with slash marks. Yoda must have gotten more than a few blows in.

"He's gone," Padmé said, kneeling by her master's side. "For now, at least."

"You came for me," Palpatine said.

For a moment, Padmé didn't know what to say. She settled on what felt right. "Of course I did. Why wouldn't I?"

Palpatine grimaced in response.

"Are you badly wounded?" Padmé asked.

"Nothing you can't heal," Palpatine said.

Padmé's eyes widened. "You think…?"

"Of course. I believe in you."

Padmé compressed her lips. "All right," she said, rather unconfidently. "Here, let me…" She removed his hand from his forehead. There was a deep gash, some two inches long. Padmé felt a bit nauseous at the sight.

"Do you remember?" Palpatine asked.

"Yes," Padmé said shakily. She closed her eyes, sensing her master's pain, his weakness. And within herself she felt that same vulnerability. She felt empathy, compassion…

Love, even.

Her hand grazed the wound. The blood felt sticky against her fingers. Padmé pressed down more firmly, her palm flat against his forehead. She exhaled…

And felt warmth percolate up her arm, just like before when she healed Palpatine's self-inflicted wound. But this time felt more profound, more real. She felt faint, a sudden rush to her head. She felt herself falling –

"Padmé! Padmé, wake up."

She blinked her eyes open. Palpatine held her by the shoulders.

"Master?"

"You're all right," he said.

"I'm all right," Padmé repeated. Her eyelids felt heavy.

"You performed wonderfully, my dear," Palpatine said. His voice was distant, garbled. "You saved me."

"You saved me… too," Padmé said. "We saved each other."

"Stay awake, Padmé. This isn't over." He gave her a shake. "Padmé. Stay with me."

She wanted to obey. Her master was giving her an order.

But she couldn't. Her eyes closed, and Palpatine's voice drifted away.

Author's Note: I know Force healing is controversial, but personally I don't have a problem with it. I think it fits nicely into the lore, and I think it's apt that the Jedi would have such a knowledge and the Sith would not. Thank you all for reading; next chapter is the one I've been building toward for so long, so be on the lookout for that!