Naboo Rose

by Girlbender875

AU. Padmé, her adopted brother Obi-Wan, and her sister-in-law Siri walk a tightrope teetering between their roles as Rebels in the Imperial Senate and execution. To keep prying eyes off of their covert operations, Padmé must woo the most emotionless man the Empire has known: Darth Vader. This sends everyone into a world of intrigue, power plays, whirlwind romance, and more.

50. Homecoming

Hey all, thanks for your patience and heartfelt reviews! Hold on tight! ;)

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Tarkin hadn't slept all night. Initially he'd spent most of his time wondering how in the blazes he would stay a step ahead of the new Keeper, but eventually his thoughts had shifted to Vader. What condition was the boy in? His spy had given him little to nothing concerning Vader's health, just his location. Was he a complete wreck? It was likely; Palpatine had been his center of existence. Once again Tarkin wondered if he would even be getting the person he knew, whether it was worth the effort. Shaking his head with a scowl, he banished the thought from his mind. Even if Vader weren't useful anymore, there was no sense leaving him in the hands of the Jedi. They would just kill him anyway.

Isn't that what you would do if he was useless?

The emperor regent ignored that thought entirely. Vader wouldn't be useless; he'd always managed to pick himself up.

Like he did after he thought he'd killed Amidala?

Blast it all, he needed to focus. Grabbing a data pad that had been delivered, he read the information about the latest update from Intelligence. A cipher had assassinated Grand Moff Rhaegon's mother and pinned the blame on the Alliance. Tarkin smiled, relieved at some good news; with that woman removed from play her son would quickly lose his way, unable to handle the pressure alone.

Like Vader, a voice whispered in the back of his mind and he quickly stood and paced the room, pointedly ignoring the voice and continuing to read the report. During the assassination, Rhaegon's wife was also killed, alongside two out of his three younglings; apparently his youngest had escaped. The girl was barely ten years old; she was the least of Tarkin's concerns at the moment, if she could even be considered a concern in the first place.

Scrolling down, Tarkin next read that Salkende had been eliminated as a threat. Nothing stood between him and Ferrasco now, and half of the Rebel remnant was gone. However, the fleet fighting in Seswenna was still locked in combat. A little reinforcement would help push the battle in his favor.

Grabbing his comlink, Tarkin contacted the fleet that had attacked Salkende. It was in hyperspace headed back to Imperial Center. He divided the forces, sending the bulk of them to assist in retaking Seswenna—most especially Eriadu—and sent a lone star destroyer to Ferrasco alongside an attaché from Intelligence with a powerful sedative that would keep Vader out of commission for the trip to Imperial Center in case there were any complications. Tarkin had originally planned on sending more to retrieve Vader, but with the Rebels in his vicinity gone and only two Jedi students watching him, there was no need to send a task force to a refugee world with no ability to defend itself. He just needed to find Vader and eliminate the Jedi protecting him.

Jedi. Despite having to handle Kota a few months ago, he could still hardly believe he was fighting Jedi once more. It had been so many years since the purges, so many years since the remainder of that religion had supposedly been swept away. And to think the Jedi were Rep. Naberrie and his wife. Were they Jedi when they were on Imperial Center, or had they started training after Amidala's supposed assassination?

It didn't matter. They would die either way.

---

The night air was fluid as an ocean breeze blew relatively cool air through the city of Firro. The leaves rustled, barely heard through the window in the small dormitory allotted to a young couple and their teenage companion. The two Jedi were fast asleep on the bed, unaware of anything around them, while the former Imperial was curled on the sleeping mat on the floor, which he'd arranged against the back wall so he could face the entranceway. The wind rustled the leaves again, and then the fabric of life itself rustled with it, making the young man flinch and awaken.

His gut felt uneasy. The change in the Force was subtle initially, making his skin crawl but not telling him if anything was actually wrong. He sat up slowly, listening to its pull and trying to find the source. Immediately he extended his senses across the room, prodding Obi-Wan and Siri. Both were well, though he could tell his own alertness was starting to seep into Obi-Wan's mind. He didn't bother sealing off the bond; Obi-Wan needed to wake up. Something wasn't right.

The shift in the Force increased, steadily growing from a ripple to a wave. His stomach lurched, his head pounded, and an image of a destroyer appeared in his mind.

The Empire. They were here, searching for him.

His eyes narrowed. The cipher. She'd apparently forced his hand. So much for time to consider her offer.

He highly doubted the destroyer was sent by a woman who held little to no actual rank in Intelligence anymore without the governor's knowledge. The only way she could have sent it was if she told the man himself. He felt fire surge through his veins, and his brow furrowed even more deeply, his body shaking.

Stop it. Focus. He clenched his jaw and shook his head. He didn't know what was affecting him but it wasn't his normal state, and he needed to be his normal state right now.

Eventually the large shift in the Force awoke Obi-Wan and Siri, who sat up abruptly, dazed and disoriented. He didn't wait for them to figure it out on their own. Leaping to his feet, he grabbed them each by the arm and dragged them off the bed, causing both spouses to gasp or snap at him in confusion.

"Anakin…?" Obi-Wan slurred blearily. "What's going on?"

"They're here," he said, grabbing their lightsabers and tossing them their way. Quickly slipping his feet into his boots, he opened the door and headed out, knowing they would follow. The destroyer had to be in orbit if he'd sensed it. Were they preparing to blockade the planet and create a search perimeter? There couldn't just be one capital ship if that were the case. Unless of course they were just going to tear through the city…

That was a likely possibility.

Feeling his heartrate quicken, he turned back to the couple as they exited the dorm, fully awake.

"How did they find us?" Siri whispered.

He shook his head. At the moment, that question was irrelevant. "We have to leave."

Expecting them to follow, he dashed down the stairs, sensing out any immediate threats in the vicinity. The Imperials hadn't reached them yet, so perhaps the cipher hadn't told them specifics about his location… apart from the city itself, obviously. His mind whirled, coming up with a handful of alternative escape plans, but each depended on the Empire's tactics. If they were doing a search grid, they could avoid them easily, but if the grid didn't yield results, they would increase the amount of troops on the surface. Eventually they would cover the entire planet.

Ferrasco was compromised. They could potentially hide in the country, but they would have to hope that the cipher presumed they'd left the planet. It was possible, but he didn't judge it to be an acceptable risk, and the last thing they needed to do was trap themselves to the point that an entire armada was over the planet's surface. Their best time to escape was now while the forces were minimal.

That decided that. Turning sharply as they neared the edge of the building, he said, "We have to get to another city and steal a ship."

Siri looked pointedly at Obi-Wan, though he wasn't sure why, and the man sighed. "Do you even know where the nearest city is?"

He had to admit, that hadn't been the first thing he'd checked, and he was berating himself for it now. He would not fail them like he did Master. Why was he stupid enough to not plan ahead, then?

Because you weren't thinking straight, fool.

He felt a growl bubble in his chest, and he choked it down, trying to fight whatever was raging through him. He felt his heartrate increase and his palms grew sweaty as he failed to eliminate the feeling, and he bit his tongue until he tasted blood. The pain snapped him back into focus; he had to ensure his idiotic mistake didn't cost them. Instead of answering the question, he ran to the nearest community terminal and immediately pulled up a map. He sensed Obi-Wan and Siri approaching him quickly, their senses on high alert. His eyes glossed over the different locations, all accessible by energy bridge, but none within any reasonable amount of walking distance. They would have to steal a speeder to get anywhere in time.

Finding the nearest energy bridge, he motioned for the two to follow him, running towards an alley. They needed to get an aerial appraisal of the situation, but he was reluctant to leave Obi-Wan and Siri alone in the alley. They were capable, but he didn't think they could eliminate any patrol without raising suspicion. He hadn't tested their ability to be stealthy, and therefore did not want to rely on an unknown factor. He opted for staying in the alleys as they made their way to the edge of the city, remaining on high alert in case any troops got too close, but their path was clear for the entire duration. Once he heard the ocean, he finally pointed to a building's fire escape ladder, leaping up almost to the top of it and knowing the couple would follow.

It only took a few seconds for him to reach the top and about half a minute for Obi-Wan and Siri to catch up. By the time they'd climbed onto the roof he was at the other side, scouting for a good spot to steal a speeder and the status of the energy bridges. What he saw wasn't promising; the energy bridge was off. In fact, wherever he looked along the beach and the perimeter of the city, he only saw city lights.

All of the energy bridges had been shut off.

His heartrate rose again, disproportionately. He crouched back, trying to catch his breath. Why was he acting so strangely?! Adrenaline would normally make his vitals heighten, but this was absurd. He was barely able to focus simply because their escape route had been cut off.

Obi-Wan put a hand on his shoulder. "Anakin."

Immediately his heartrate slowed. He stared at Obi-Wan in amazement. He did have that weird calming touch. Why the hell hadn't he used it the other night?!

Shaking his head, he brushed off the man's hand since it had done its job. The energy bridges were out, making travel to another city infinitely harder. He wouldn't steal a boat; that would be too obvious. If the bridges were down any attempt to leave the city would immediately be noticed. That meant they had to leave Ferrasco directly from Firro. That… complicated matters.

There was no way they were leaving Firro without being noticed. There was no way they could steal a ship without fighters coming after them immediately, possibly even the destroyer itself. There was no way they could even get to a hangar without finding an army there.

There was no way to do this without a distraction.

He swallowed. Prioritize. Obi-Wan and Siri's well-being came first. They would die if the Empire caught up to them. They had to escape.

By the time he'd come to this realization, Obi-Wan and Siri began to discuss options. Siri blew out a hiss, looking at Obi-Wan. "The energy bridges are down; we're never going to get to another city unless we can activate them."

"I wouldn't even know where to start," Obi-Wan shook his head. "Where would the controls for the bridge be?"

"We can't do that," he interrupted them before they could make any plans. "If you activate the bridge that'll immediately attract attention."

"We can't get locked into this city," Siri argued.

"You won't. You're leaving."

He sensed what he assumed was alarm from the two. Their faces seemed to indicate it, and it matched with other startled responses he'd seen over the years. "What do you mean you? Don't you mean we're leaving?"

"You'll have to steal a shuttle from one of the hangars in this city," he explained. "I'll draw the troops away from the hangars and cause some destruction. You need to make sure you can get to a hangar and leave before you're caught in the fight."

Siri immediately glared at him. "Are you out of your mind? We're not letting you face down heaven knows what, and we're not leaving you behind."

He paused, unable to speak for a moment. Something gripped his throat, something made him dizzy and active all at once, and he looked down, trying to shake it off. Her words made him feel… he didn't know. It wasn't a bad feeling, he guessed, but he couldn't afford to feel anything right now.

You're a weapon. You can't feel anything. You must achieve your objective.

He felt sick. No. Not that. He was done with that. Find something else.

Obi-Wan and Siri must live.

He looked Siri in the eye. "You aren't equipped to handle the amount of Imperials that I might run into. I've been fighting far longer than either of you, and I know their tactics better than you. You will go to the spaceport and steal a ship before I destroy it."

"Destroy it?" Obi-Wan repeated.

Why did he do that? Why did people always do that? Did he not understand what he was saying, for Force's sake?

Before he could repeat himself or ensure Obi-Wan was intelligent enough to know what the words destroy it meant, the man seemed to comprehend his meaning and said, "You're going to destroy the spaceport?"

He stared at Obi-Wan. Did he really have to elaborate? What part of go to the spaceport and steal a ship before I destroy it was difficult to understand? He had to destroy the port; if the ships were eliminated it would make the Empire less likely to assume they escaped via shuttle. It would also prevent reinforcements from landing in the city. Obi-Wan and Siri could easily fly to another city and depart from there without attracting any attention so long as he kept the Imperial forces preoccupied.

"Do as I say," he ordered instead of explaining himself. Surely Siri could explain to her husband what he was saying. "I'll keep them busy."

"Anakin, just because it's some ungodly hour of the morning doesn't mean there aren't people in those ports," Obi-Wan pointed out.

What was his point? He stared at the man. Siri put her hand on her husband's shoulder and nodded to him, and he sighed, looking away.

"You seem to be forgetting the part where I said we weren't leaving you behind." She then said, glaring at him.

"If I don't distract them, we'll all die!" The words escaped his lips with a hiss, his face warm, his blood pumping quickly through his body. "Your youngling will die. Now go!"

The two were quiet for a moment, making him feel even more off from usual. Why the hell weren't they moving?! The couple exchanged glances, the Force twisting between them as they silently communicated through their shared bond. He was deaf to the conversation, and he shifted, filled with energy and eager to push them on their way.

"You're right," Siri eventually said, calming herself. "The baby will die if we all try to fight their stormtroopers. So I'll steal the ship while Obi-Wan helps you. I'll retrieve both of you."

Were they even thinking at all? "If you fly a shuttle into the city to pick us up amidst a battle against Imperials, that completely eliminates the point."

"For heaven's sake, Anakin, you're not just some throwaway asset we can use to get out of here!" Siri snapped.

"We're not leaving without you," Obi-Wan reiterated. "Don't bother making any plans that don't include that possibility. There has to be another way."

They were wasting time. He could sense danger approaching, and he knew they would as well within a minute or so. His vitals grew all the more unsteady, and the thought of shoving them off the roof came to mind, though he had no idea why; it wasn't like that would stop them.

Blast it all, he wasn't used to keeping people alive, and these two were adamant about dying, apparently. Why were they getting on his case the other night? He wasn't used to people not obeying his orders. He didn't know how to get them to actually use their brains and realize that this was their only option.

"This entire effort will be pointless if you retrieve me," he tried to explain, though he'd thought they would realize this. Apparently they weren't as smart as he'd believed. "The Empire will follow you, and you won't be able to escape them."

"I thought you had faith in your piloting abilities," Siri remarked, crossing her arms. "We do."

Something about that made him retort, "I can pilot just fine."

"But you're suggesting you can't escape the Imperials," Obi-Wan noted, taking a similar posture to his wife.

He looked between the two of them. "What—I didn't—this has nothing to do with me!"

"If I pick you up, then you can hop into the pilot's seat and get us out of there," Siri explained.

He ran the scenario through his mind for a moment and then shook his head. "They'll still have a visual on the shuttle. They can send that information to any Imperial controlled facility or planet in the galaxy. We'll be arrested as soon as we land anywhere."

"Anywhere heavily controlled by the Empire, you mean," Obi-Wan amended.

He opened his mouth to argue, but it was actually true – he'd heard bits and pieces about how there was in-fighting between officials in the Empire, dividing its forces. Its grip on the galaxy wouldn't be as strong. Anything that wasn't united was always weak. "Where do you suggest we go?"

"We'll sort that out later," Obi-Wan said, making him stare at the Jedi; sort it out later? They didn't have time to sort it out later!

Then again, they didn't have time to sort it out now, either. He could hear the stormtroopers. Obi-Wan and Siri could as well. Waving a dismissive hand, he said, "Fine, but you two are staying together. You'll have a better chance of surviving that way."

"And how do you expect us to find you?"

"You'll know," he said, being brief so he could get them out of there quickly. They would know, after all; all they had to do was follow the path of destruction. He wasn't intending on being quiet in eliminating the threats. That was the entire blasted point. "Go!"

Obi-Wan and Siri watched him for a moment longer—why the blazes weren't they hauling their asteroids out of there?!—and then peered over the roof to see where the patrols were. He did as well, and then he motioned for them to wait until he'd started his work.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and counted the enemies. A patrol was passing just below: six stormtroopers. Down the street was another one: twelve stormtroopers. Off in the distance, towards one of the city's many plazas, he heard the whirring of something large and mechanical, walking with two feet: AT-ST. There were likely more. He wasn't sure what would be the safest path for Obi-Wan and Siri, but the two would have to figure that out on their own.

He took another deep breath. He focused on the hostiles around him. He focused on his objective. He erased any thought of Obi-Wan and Siri from his mind.

"Anakin."

Blast it all, I'm trying to focus here. He looked at them, his eyes narrowing.

"You'll need this," Siri said, holding out her lightsaber. "I'll use a blaster. Be careful and avoid the civilians."

He didn't bother replying. Their safety was in their hands now, and he would do what he must. Taking the lightsaber, he nodded and resumed his vigil for a heartbeat longer before he found his opening. His world grew quiet, and the only thing he could hear was the heartbeats of the six men below. He leapt from the roof, activating Siri's blade, feeling its life pulse in his hands, not registering the breeze as he landed, catching the attention of the troopers. The soldiers turned towards him, time slowing as they did so, and he cut the first two down before they could face him, killed the next two as they raised their blasters, and deflected fired shots back at the remaining two.

Other patrol next. Turning, he rushed down a side street that connected to the one where six more stormtroopers were walking. He rushed in front of them, slicing one in half and using the Force to throw another across the street while he killed the remaining four. This would give the survivor time to call for reinforcements.

As if on cue, the stormtrooper grabbed his comlink. "We need reinforcements! It's the Jedi!"

Jedi?! He immediately thrust his hand out, grasping with the Force. The stormtrooper gasped, grabbing his neck helplessly as he started to float in the air, held there by an invisible hand. He felt the trooper's life presence fade, but it wasn't enough to stop the loud pulsing in his ears, so he tossed the body into the plaza where the AT-ST was walking.

He stood still for a moment, catching his breath. Stop it. It's a good thing they think you're the Jedi. It means they'll be less likely to assume Obi-Wan and Siri are escaping.

He nodded to himself and then rushed into the plaza to see the AT-ST repositioning itself so it could face him fully. He immediately ran as fast as he could towards its legs as it fired a barrage of superheated plasma his way, tearing into the stone mosaic on the ground. Angling the blade parallel to the ground, he slammed it into the walker's leg, which immediately slowed his pace as the lightsaber took its time heating the metal and then melting it. Directly underneath the walker's body, he was out of its line of site and therefore safe, but he knew they were likely calling for more reinforcements, just as the trooper had.

The lightsaber cut cleanly through the leg, and the AT-ST wobbled precariously for a moment before falling on its side. He ran to the top of the walker's head and opened the hatch with a flick of his wrist, thrusting his blade in to stab one operator in the head and slice through the other.

He heard more troops coming, as well as the low hum of a hover tank. Sensing the danger, he turned in time to see the tank fire directly at him. He leapt into the air, deflecting blaster bolts from the troops while twisting in the air to land neatly on top of the fallen AT-ST's head. He deflected most of the bolts back at the stormtroopers, but by now more were flooding the plaza and beginning to surround him, and he couldn't deflect the tank's fire. He jumped off the head so it was between him and the tank and turned his attention to the other stormtroopers, granting him enough time to throw the saber and use the Force to direct it as it flew in a semicircular shape, eviscerating the troops in its path before returning to his hand just as the hover tank made it round the AT-ST's head. He leapt to avoid its fire and landed on the tank itself, crouching just below its barrel before climbing to the top and letting himself in. He quickly dispatched the two men inside, tossing their bodies out as he operated the tank, aiming its primary cannon at incoming reinforcements. Glancing at the troops, he then pulled the turret upward to aim at the building above them. He fired.

The building stood strong despite the hit, but debris sprayed in all directions from the corner that had been struck, falling on the troops and blocking that entranceway. He shot at it several more times until the infrastructure had been compromised enough to take the entire building down, destroying another one and blocking three more streets. The Force was deafening by now, filled with so many lives and deaths, and he closed himself off to all of it but the danger.

Movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention just as the Force cried out in warning. He turned the tank in time to see two more walkers, both of which individually had more firepower than his hover tank. He quickly leapt out of it as their fire shredded its armor, making it explode.

He was backing himself into a corner now. He could probably take out one of the walkers but the other would get a good shot at him while he did so. Also he still had to start destroying the spaceports, and Firro had three, two of which were close to each other since they were dedicated solely to the refugees. Those two would be his first targets, and they were in the northern part of the city, whereas he was currently close to the eastern border. The other spaceport was in the center of the city, far closer to him, but also far closer to Obi-Wan and Siri. He would save that one for last.

Using the Force to augment his speed, he ran from the two walkers as they fired upon him. He leapt over the debris piled in one of the streets and killed the two soldiers who were trying to climb over on the other side. The rest of the area was deserted, allowing him time to run without anything to hinder his way. Eventually, however, he heard more troops calling out to each other and heading in his general direction. He jumped, pushing off against a wall on his left and then landing on a wall to his right, leaping back and forth between the two until he cleared the tall buildings and landed on the roof. Examining the situation, he saw three more tanks and at least twenty stormtroopers. He'd gotten their attention.

The tanks would be useful for destroying the spaceports. He would have to commandeer one and avoid any walkers until he'd finished his objective. The tanks were narrow enough to fit through most streets, but the walkers were mostly confined to main throughways and plazas. He could avoid them easily.

Maneuvering between the buildings, he landed directly on top of a tank and appropriated it, killing the surrounding troops and heading towards the spaceports. He listened in on the transmissions between the different forces in the city and heard them coordinating a way to cut him off. They were speaking in code, under the assumption that the Jedi wouldn't know Imperial code. He avoided most of their attempts to cut him off as a result and quickly made it to the spaceports.

He immediately opened fire on the structures, aiming for weak spots and explosive areas. However, there was a massive plaza just outside the spaceports, and there were about four or five AT-STs making their way towards him. He also overheard transmissions from incoming ships that were going to land directly in the plaza, and one was bearing a full sized AT-AT. He had to find a way to fill the plaza with debris in order to prevent any ships from landing there. He supposed eliminating the AT-STs would fulfill that requirement, but he had to find a way to dismantle five walkers without being pulverized.

Threats were coming from all around him now. The large open area around the spaceports was a death trap, but it was the only place he could properly eliminate the ports themselves. One of the spaceports was engulfed in flames now, and its blaze would spread through its hangars and reach fuel cells, causing a massive explosion. That would likely take care of some of the open air around him and might just damage the neighboring spaceport. In the meantime, he had to evacuate his tank as two walkers fired on it, and he climbed a building to navigate the rooftops. The walkers were just a fraction of a second behind him, shredding through multiple buildings as he leapt from roof to roof and causing one to collapse entirely before he could get to it. He fell through its sunken roof and bruised himself on the sharp debris below. The wall facing the plaza was still intact, however, so he wasn't in direct sight of the walkers, though they quickly tore through the wall with their firepower, causing more rock and duracrete to land on him as the durasteel skeleton of the building curled inward and the ground shook.

A deafening explosion made his heart skip a beat as he felt the pressure wave toss him into the air, through a hole in the floor, and down to the next level of the now dilapidated building. He heard a walker or two get knocked over by the blast wave. The fire must have hit the fuel cells in the spaceport.

Catching his breath, he blinked dust out of his eyes and looked around. He was on the bottom floor of the building now, and a large hole in the wall showed him very little since mostly smoke was billowing through. Getting up, he coughed a little and stumbled through the debris, blinking blood out of his eyes, and peered through the hole, using the Force to aid his survey of the damage.

The second spaceport had indeed caught fire, as he'd suspected it might. Two of the walkers were downed, another stumbling to maintain its balance, and the remaining two were unharmed. All the stormtroopers were dead, one of the tanks was buried in rubble, the other damaged but still operational. About a third of the plaza was a torn up mess, but there was still enough room to land more ships in the remaining area, though the ability to land an AT-AT was compromised.

His examination ended when one of the AT-STs spotted him and opened fire. He managed to dodge its attack and disappeared in the smoke, making his way towards it. The walker's scanners would pick up on him quickly, but it gave him just enough time to send a massive Force push its way, causing it to careen backwards into a building while its companion nearly landed a hit on him. He gasped, getting tossed into the air as the wind was knocked out of him, but he managed to land on his feet in order to avoid being torn into pieces by its next attack.

This was starting to become problematic.

The second spaceport was already engulfed in flames, so it would inevitably reach the fuel cells and finish his objective here. This open space was too dangerous to remain any longer. Coughing the smoke out of his lungs, he stumbled towards a street only to find it blocked by ten stormtroopers and two tanks. He took the rooftops once again to avoid their fire, but the walkers were training their sites on him, firing rapidly. His mobility was in his favor, however, and he quickly cleared enough buildings to get a fair amount of distance between himself and what was left of the plaza.

And then he heard it: the scream of twin ion engines tearing through the sky. They were sending in air support.

Perhaps he'd gotten them a little too agitated – he didn't need TIE fighters in the vicinity when Obi-Wan and Siri escaped. Turning, he saw a bomber and a two-fighter escort flanking it heading his way. He crouched, heading for shorter buildings, hiding from the fighters, which had to stay high enough to avoid the skyscrapers spread throughout the heart of the city. Eliminating all other distractions from his mind, he focused solely on one of the fighters, waiting as it approached his area, and then at the opportune moment leapt up to a tall building and reached out both hands, feeling like his mind was being torn as he snatched the fighter in mid-flight. The Force obeyed his call, though the fighter's engines fought as hard as they could. His focus was absolute, but his body was starting to take a toll, and he trembled with the effort it took to keep the fighter in place as it went full throttle to escape his grasp.

He clenched his teeth, and he slowly pulled his arms back towards himself so they were slightly bent, though still in front of his body. His outstretched hands started to curl inward, and he twisted his arms as if he were wringing a cloth. The fighter's metal shrieked, and then the flat parallel wings of the fighter were sheared off in the same twisting manner. The cockpit plummeted to the ground below with a fiery crash, and the two wings remained floating in the air, held by his grasp in the Force. The bomber and other fighter had noticed the phenomenon by now and were turning around, preparing to make a pass and fire upon him. He remained motionless for a moment before eying the incoming targets, and then he exhaled, facing them as and making a throwing motion with one hand. The first fighter wing flew straight into the other TIE fighter, one of its sharp corners impaling the pilot and causing the fighter to spin out of control, slamming into a structure below. He then threw the other wing into the bomber and achieved a similar result.

Panting for air, he scanned the ground for any walkers, tanks, troops, speeders, or any other threats. His mind was numb, the world around him muted as he tried to regain the energy he'd lost in that maneuver. The Force was sluggish to his call, but he didn't see any immediate threat below.

An echo caught his attention. Was that from the downed fighters? He turned just as the Force finally seemed to return to him, right on time to see a fighter open fire on him. He gasped, his eyes widening, and he leapt backwards, not really able to jump from the building, but he at least dodged the actual plasma, though their impact into the roof sent him flying. He twisted in the air, scanning to see where he could land, and he tried to aim his feet towards the ground and prepare for a hard landing when he instead slammed right into the wall of a neighboring building. His skull made hard contact with a window, cracking the glass, and his world spun. Everything stopped for a moment as if he were floating in midair, but then he registered wind blowing by him quickly and he realized he was falling. He tried to land on his feet, and though he managed to do so, his ankle slipped on the terrain and he fell to the ground, yelling out in pain. His world was spinning, and his body was sprawled over stone, steel, and twisted pieces of TIE fighters. He tried to sit up and was hit with a wave of dizziness and nausea, and he slumped back to the ground, steadily losing consciousness.

Four blocks away in the central spaceport, Obi-Wan and Siri paused immediately after Siri stunned the last guard in one of the hangars.

"Do you sense that?" she whispered, dread in her tone.

Obi-Wan nodded. It was hard to ignore the pain that had shot through his body moments ago, followed by a dulling sensation in his bond with Anakin. "Get the ship. I'll find him."

Siri nodded and rushed ahead. Grabbing his lightsaber, Obi-Wan tapped into the Force to search for Anakin, ignoring the sound of the fire alarm he and Siri had activated to evacuate any people in the area. He hoped he could find Anakin in this chaos. The insanity of what was happening all around him made his search akin to looking for a small object with the use of a foggy lens, but he did eventually sense a glimmer of familiarity in one direction.

Obi-Wan ran out of the hangar, thanking everything sacred that Anakin's distraction had indeed moved any threat far away from the central spaceport. He ran through empty streets and saw smoke in the distance, and his stomach lurched as he started to see the damage to the city. He ignored any thought regarding the body count that was no doubt steadily climbing; it was late enough in the night that barely anyone was on the streets, and one could only hope that Anakin had directed Imperial attention away from any residential area. Siri had reminded him that the refugees had probably been blocked from entering as soon as the destroyer had appeared, so the spaceports would be mostly deserted, and Anakin's destruction would catch people's attention and cause them to evacuate anyway. If he could have he would've argued with Anakin more about his plan, but they'd had no time and the young man would not take no for an answer. Obi-Wan felt distinctly guilty for all the destruction, and though he knew he wasn't directly responsible for anyone's deaths, he also knew that his presence had caused more fatalities than he could probably even count. It left him feeling nauseous.

He shook his head, focusing on the moment. He would only be added to that death toll if he didn't, and he was not going to let Anakin join that number, either. After passing through several streets he started having to climb over debris. Jumping from roof to roof would allow for faster travel, but it would also expose him, so he settled for being hindered by all the collateral damage Anakin had caused.

Eventually he started to sense danger ahead, but he also sensed Anakin. Obi-Wan quickened his pace and finally caught sight of the boy.

Anakin was limp on the ground, sprawled over some debris, his left leg bent over a large chunk of duracrete, his left arm draped over his stomach, his right arm lying outward from his torso, his head turned to the side, and his body covered in dust and blood. His life presence wasn't faint, which was a relief, and Obi-Wan quickly fell to his knees beside the young man, giving him a shake. Anakin stirred slightly, his brow furrowing, but Obi-Wan had no time to do anything else since he sensed danger swiftly approaching.

Grabbing his lightsaber, Obi-Wan activated it, angling it in a defensive position as he stood between Anakin and the oncoming threat. Three stormtrooper silhouettes appeared in the smoke, and they opened fire on Obi-Wan, able to see clearly through their helmets. The Force guided his own sight, and he deflected their blaster bolts with relative ease, sending one successfully back to its owner and causing the other two to dodge as their fire peppered into the wall around them. They quickly resumed fire and Obi-Wan remained a steady wall between them and Anakin, who was slowly regaining consciousness.

Two more stormtroopers arrived to help the two survivors, and Obi-Wan gritted his teeth slightly, letting one bolt past him and into the debris. He focused all the more, letting the Force flow through him as Qui-Gon had instructed, releasing his worries and his exhaustion. His hands moved faster than he himself could follow, and his lightsaber was a blur of light, occasionally jerking too hard in one direction or the other as he was still a relative novice, but still ensuring that nothing reached himself or Anakin. He took out another stormtrooper after a few seconds, and one of the others ran out of ammunition. Anakin, who had finally fully awoken, tried to take advantage of this by throwing some heavy piece of metal at the soldier as he reloaded his weapon, but apparently Anakin's grasp on the Force was no longer firm enough to do so. He groaned, lowering his arm and laying on the ground once more, his eyes squeezed closed. Obi-Wan finally finished off the remaining two troopers and returned his attention to the young man.

"Anakin, where does it hurt?" he asked, crouching down and angling his lightsaber away. He searched briefly for Siri's and sensed a faint lingering of her presence underneath a rock, where her lightsaber lay intact.

Anakin grimaced, sitting up and grabbing the hilt before Obi-Wan could reach it. "Head, ankle… I'll be fine. Why are you here?"

Obi-Wan didn't bother answering the query. It didn't need answering at this point, and they both knew it. Anakin's question was more of an automatic demand than anything else.

"Siri's on her way," he told the boy. "You think you can hold out until she gets here?"

He nodded firmly, the Force swirling around him like a storm, but it was just out of his reach. Obi-Wan put a steadying hand on his shoulder, and the touch opened their bond slightly, sending a massive headache straight into Obi-Wan's skull.

Obi-Wan winced, pulling away. "You call that fine?"

"It's acceptable." He said dismissively before his eyes fell upon something behind Obi-Wan, and the Force warned the Jedi Padawan an instant later of the danger.

Obi-Wan turned and saw more stormtroopers and blew out a breath of frustration as he raised his blade once more. Hurry up, Siri.

Anakin tried to assist Obi-Wan, but every time he attempted to stand, he nearly collapsed again. He lifted a shaky hand to his head, blinking profusely. Obi-Wan's attention then shifted to deflecting blaster bolts again, and this time he deflected them back more quickly. He heard a hum off in the distance of some sort of repulsorlift, and he took a hesitant step forward, keeping his blade in a guard position.

"Tanks," Anakin said from where he sat. "Don't go out there."

"Staying in here is a death trap," Obi-Wan remarked slightly nervously, deactivating his blade to make himself less visible in the dust and smoke.

A hover tank materialized amidst the smoke, its cannon aimed directly at them. Obi-Wan felt his heart stop, and he leapt down, slamming Anakin to the ground as its massive laser blast flew over them and into a pile of debris behind them. Anakin grunted at the hit, and Obi-Wan scrambled to drag the boy behind some rubble in order to have a buffer between them and the tank that now had them cornered.

Something warm and familiar filled his mind, however, just as he heard an engine roar overhead. Siri. How were they going to get aboard the ship with that tank holding them down? The ship Siri and Obi-Wan had been eying had been a civilian shuttle, nothing that could—

Deafening thunder emitted from the engine overhead, and bright lights came as lasers melted the tank's outer shell, and it hit the ground and slid about a meter away. More smoke filled the area, causing both Obi-Wan and Anakin to cough harshly, but the ship's engines blew a lot of it away, nearly knocking Obi-Wan and Anakin back a few meters as well. A landing ramp lowered as the shuttle hovered just outside the narrow street.

Gasping for air, Obi-Wan shot to his feet and grabbed Anakin under the arm. Anakin winced at the sudden motion, but he did everything in his power to run alongside Obi-Wan and not be a burden. The Jedi paused at the ramp, knowing it would be too much of a jump without the assistance of the Force. He glanced at Anakin, wondering if the boy would make it. Anakin seemed to notice his scrutiny and nodded as if to say he would be fine, but Obi-Wan had known him long enough to realize he tended to exaggerate his ability to handle himself. Grasping the Force to help augment his strength, Obi-Wan pulled Anakin into his arms, much to the boy's chagrin and protest, and leapt up to the ramp, barely making it. He wobbled a little, fighting to maintain his balance, and Anakin yanked himself in one direction, causing Obi-Wan to fall on top of him and remain firmly on the landing ramp as it was raised. The two slid into the shuttle, landing in a pile on the floor as the ramp closed and the ship shot forward and upward.

"Blast it, Anakin, you could warn me," Obi-Wan grumbled as he tried to crawl out of the way and off of the poor boy. When he glanced at Anakin to see his reply, he noted that the boy was unconscious once more. Growing slightly worried, he reached for him but was thrown to the other side of the entranceway when Siri jerked the ship to the left.

"Guys, get up here!" she shouted from the cockpit.

Obi-Wan grabbed the wall and looked at Anakin once more, and it was at this point that he recognized the angular design of the ship. They were aboard an Imperial shuttle.

"Siri, what in the blazes did you do?!" he yelled as he tried to reach for Anakin.

"I knew we'd need a ship with firepower and this was the only one, now get up here!"

Obi-Wan was about to retort when his stomach did somersaults as she flung him and Anakin to the other side of the area. He grew dizzy, shaking his head and cursing under his breath. If there was one thing that could get under his skin fairly quickly, it was being stuck in a ship whilst being shot at.

Anakin groaned, flinching. His eyes fluttered open as the engines roared, and he seemed to immediately recognize where he was. He shot to his feet and then wobbled unsteadily. Obi-Wan grabbed him and shoved him against the wall as he felt the ship lurch once more.

"Obi!" Siri called.

Anakin wiggled out of Obi-Wan's grip and ran to the cockpit, and the Jedi yelled after him as he chased him down the hallway. As soon as Anakin reached the cockpit he nearly shoved Siri out of the pilot's seat and let her take the co-pilot's spot. He pushed forward on the steering yoke, making the ship go into a heart stopping dive. Obi-Wan stumbled and fell on his backside, sliding into the cockpit with another yell.

"Anakin!" he shouted.

Siri reached her hand out to her husband, who gratefully took it and climbed into a seat behind the pilot's and co-pilot's chairs. He strapped in as quickly as possible, but it was a little difficult when his stomach was in his throat. He saw the ground growing steadily closer, and Siri's knuckles grew white as she gripped a console.

"Pull up, Anakin!" Obi-Wan advised frantically. "Pull up!"

The boy didn't even flinch. He continued the dive, eyes narrowed, brow furrowed, and sweat glistening on his forehead. Just as Obi-Wan was about to say something, he yanked the yoke back and Obi-Wan and Siri were crushed into their seats.

"We're going to stall!" Obi-Wan yelled.

"No, we're—"

"Anakin, the roof!" Siri pointed to a skyscraper's lightning rod that they were about to crash into.

Obi-Wan tried to shout the young man's name, but when the boy noticed the rod he twisted the ship off to the right, and Obi-Wan's cry morphed into, "Anakiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin!"

"We're losing altitude!" Siri noted.

Anakin shook his head, blinking multiple times, before pulling the yoke up steadily. Siri glanced at her console. "No sign of pursuit."

"The console," Anakin said with a slight slur. Both Jedi looked at him confusedly. He pointed to a console before his arm steadily fell to his side.

"Anakin, what's wrong?" Siri asked as Obi-Wan quickly unstrapped from his seat.

"Take over," he told her just as a heaviness in the Force overcame his bond with Anakin, indicating that the boy was about to pass out again. Siri sensed the event as well and quickly took Anakin's place, grabbing the steering yoke, as Obi-Wan pulled him out of the chair.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked again as she made the ship climb higher in the atmosphere.

"Head injury of some sort," Obi-Wan answered, looking the boy over. Anakin still shifted in his arms, not quite completely unconscious, but not lucid enough to react.

"Well what did he mean by the console?"

"I don't know."

Siri blew out a breath as the shuttle finally escape the atmosphere. There were no other ships in sight. "We cleared the orbital station and the destroyer; they're both on the other side. All we have to do now is input coordinates."

Here she paused, and then twisted her torso to look at Obi-Wan. "I still don't like this plan."

Obi-Wan sighed. They'd discussed it on the way to the spaceport. He'd suggested they go to Naboo. Its one distinction in the Empire had been that it had spawned Palpatine, but with the emperor dead the Mid Rim world would no doubt fall into obscurity, making it ideal in that it would be little to no interest to the Empire and it was the most familiar planet they knew. It was their home territory. Siri had protested vehemently, but Obi-Wan had said they had facilities there they could hide in without anyone ever knowing, including Varykino. It was winter on that half of Naboo now, and the vacation home would be deserted. Most importantly, it was the last place anyone would think to look for them.

"We didn't have time to ascertain any other location that was devoid of Imperial and Rebel forces," he reminded her. "It's the one place we know like the back of our hands. It's safer to be in familiar territory where we're in control."

"Fine," she reluctantly agreed, inputting coordinates to Naboo. "But we're not getting anywhere near your family."

Obi-Wan had to bark a laugh at that. "I don't disagree with you – it would be interesting explaining our predicament and our new companion."

Siri shuddered at the thought and used the Force to pull a lever near the co-pilot's spot, activating the hyperdrive. The stars stretched as they increased speed and then shot into hyperspace.

"We can get medical attention for Anakin too, if he needs it," Siri admitted.

Obi-Wan nodded, looking down at Anakin, who had finally settled. The boy was sweating, but he didn't seem too pale, though it was difficult to tell since he was so filthy, coated in dust and blood. Obi-Wan inhaled slowly, gathering the Force for strength, and picked him up, carrying him to the small medical bay that was standard in every Imperial shuttle. Siri followed him and searched the area for a medical droid, which was normally supplied on every shuttle. She found one deactivated in a storage closet and dragged it out, turning it on. The droid's photoreceptors blinked on and it glanced around.

"How may I be of service?" the droid asked.

Siri gave it a vexed look and pointed to the bed. "Maybe you could look after the person lying on your patient bed?"

The droid turned and walked over to Anakin, grabbing a scanner. Obi-Wan and Siri both exchanged slightly exasperated looks. Droids.

"His vitals are stable, but he has sustained slight damage to his ribs, ankle, and skull," the droid said as it glanced at the information on the scanner. "He appears to have a concussion, cracked rib, and sprained ankle. I recommend strict bed rest. I will write up a rehabilitation and recovery plan. I recommend he see a physician for proper pain management."

"Physician? What the blazes are you here for?" Siri asked.

"I can do basic treatment and stabilization procedures," the droid informed her dutifully. "However, I cannot prescribe medications."

"The recovery plan will have to do for now," Obi-Wan said, grabbing the straps on the bed and securing Anakin so he wouldn't slide around when they exited hyperspace. "At least he's stable."

Siri agreed and deactivated the droid after taking the recovery instructions from it, and then she dragged it back into the storage closet before pausing. "You don't think it alerted anyone, right?"

"The droid?" Obi-Wan looked at it. "I doubt it. There would be no reason to."

His wife nodded, closing the closet door and glancing at Anakin once more. "This is insane. Naboo is…"

"The last place anyone would think we would go," Obi-Wan finished for her.

Siri groaned. "Yeah, I know, but for good reason. You know we're more recognizable there. Or, I should say, you're more recognizable. I'm just a handmaiden."

Obi-Wan stroked his beard with a smile. "Oh I don't think they'll recognize me with this."

Siri rolled her eyes. "Oh yes, a beard. You're a master of disguise now."

"All I need now is a poncho and I'll be unrecognizable."

Siri laughed.

"We just need to avoid the heavily populated areas," Obi-Wan advised.

"Well we can't land an Imperial shuttle in a village," Siri pointed out, leaning against Anakin's bed and crossing her arms. "Most villages don't have any place for shuttles and ships. Small towns have tiny shuttle ports and lots of gossip."

"The swamps," Obi-Wan suggested.

Siri raised an eyebrow. "And what about Anakin's concussion, cracked rib, and sprained ankle? We'd have to walk to the nearest settlement."

"We don't have much of a choice." Obi-Wan said, though he too was concerned about Anakin's condition.

"What's near the swamps?" Siri wondered aloud. "We have no clout with the Gungans, particularly since the Empire's practically banished them from any city outside their turf. There's some farmland nearby, but that doesn't do us any good…"

Obi-Wan sighed. "The closest city to any of the swamps is Theed."

Siri stood straight. "We're not going to Theed, Obi, that's too obvious."

"It depends on when we arrive, but it won't be a pleasant walk in either case," Obi-Wan noted, strolling to a console and typing an inquiry. He pulled up the local times on all of Naboo and focused on Theed Time. "It'll be early morning when we land in the swamps. Depending on how quickly we wish to proceed… well, we can ensure we arrive at Theed late at night."

"What are we going to do when we get there?" Siri asked, spreading her hands. "Hope there's a dealer open so we can barter for a half decayed speeder? We have no money."

"Siri, we have a refugee population in Theed itself—"

"Which is run by people we all know," she reminded him.

"Yes, run by them, but that doesn't mean they're there for the day-to-day work," Obi-Wan said. "Most of the people we worked with have moved on to other things or moved up in rank. It'll be teenagers maintaining supplies and checking people in."

"They don't let people in after midnight. They come in groups."

"We can stay at a homeless shelter the night and sneak in the next day. We do have a few tricks up our sleeve, you know."

"This is taking an awful lot of risks, Obi, especially for you," Siri shook her head.

"I'm aware of that," he conceded. "But any other plan would have even more risk. We don't know of any other planet that's inconspicuous to both the Empire and the Alliance that we're familiar with enough to blend in with a stolen ship."

"Nar Shaddaa?" Siri suggested, having mentioned it before. "It's a neutral moon for heaven's sake."

"And full of criminals who would turn us in the moment they found out who we are and who he is," Obi-Wan said pointedly. "We don't have Al to guide us around the moon and since we have no money we're especially at a disadvantage there."

"But criminals aren't looking for us, they won't recognize us. That's an advantage!"

"Again, we have no money. We wouldn't even be able to afford landing in one of their spaceports, and considering the moon is one big city, that makes things a tad difficult."

Siri sighed, frustrated. "I still don't like this."

"I didn't expect you to. To be honest, I don't feel entirely comfortable with it, either," Obi-Wan admitted. After all, it wasn't going to be easy avoiding familiar faces in Theed, and the swamps were a good two hundred kilometers away from the city, but if they could just survive that first part, they would be safer than anywhere else in the galaxy. Outside of the major cities, Naboo was as harmless as possible. "But it is our best option."

The hyperspace trip would last about two hours, and those two hours seemed to take days to pass. Obi-Wan and Siri were both anxious about what was to come, and they spent their time prepping travel packs, meditating or, when Siri's nerves were too frayed to sit still, sparring. Anakin slept the entire trip, and Obi-Wan was both grateful and worried for it; sleep was what he needed, but it was concerning that he didn't awaken at all considering the circumstances.

When the hyperdrive disengaged, Obi-Wan sat in the co-pilot's seat, gazing out of the viewport. Naboo looked just as beautiful as he remembered. The last time he'd been here was for Padmé's funeral. It felt like a different lifetime altogether now. He'd been Obi-Wan Naberrie, grieving brother and representative of Naboo. Now he was coming as a foreigner, and it was a strange feeling, even unsettling. He felt the old anxiety that used to plague him on so many missions returning, thoughts buzzing in his mind asking if they could get through this without being discovered, but he took a deep breath and let it go. They would be cautious, and whatever happened was whatever happened. They couldn't control anything beyond that.

Rising, Obi-Wan left the landing procedure to Siri, who entered the atmosphere smoothly and aimed for the center of the largest swamp on the planet. He instead walked to the medical bay, turning his attention to Anakin, who was still fast asleep. Reluctantly, Obi-Wan unstrapped the boy and gave him a gentle nudge.

Anakin sniffled, squeezing his eyes shut and turning his head to the side. He started to relax again before Obi-Wan gave him another nudge. "Anakin."

Anakin grunted, sluggishly trying to swat Obi-Wan away. This wasn't like him at all, and it made Obi-Wan worry all the more, but eventually the bond lit up with awareness and he opened his eyes.

"How long…?" he slurred.

"Two hours," Obi-Wan answered, understanding the question. "We're landing now."

"Console?"

Obi-Wan furrowed his brow. "What about it, Anakin? You passed out before you could tell us what was wrong."

Anakin slowly sat up, shrugging off Obi-Wan's attempt to help. He got to his feet, swaying a little and testing his balance and body. When he seemed satisfied with his own internal scan, he limped towards the hallway.

"Anakin, just tell me and I'll handle it. You need to stay off that ankle as long as possible – we have a very long walk ahead of us," Obi-Wan said.

The boy sighed, pausing. "We're on an Imperial shuttle. Every shuttle has its own code that it transmits. They may not immediately know which ship we've stolen, but once they do, all they have to do is trace that signal. The console is the way to turn it off or alter it."

Alarm lit up in Obi-Wan's mind. "Which console?"

Anakin shook his head, not bothering to explain. Instead he picked up his pace, making it to the cockpit. Obi-Wan didn't bother stopping him; this was something they had to handle quickly, and arguing with Anakin would only delay matters.

Siri turned, sensing their approach. "How are you feeling?"

Anakin walked past her and started fiddling with the console, and Obi-Wan quickly explained the situation before she could grow exasperated from being ignored. As soon as he'd finished telling her, Anakin sat in the co-pilot's seat, his hands resting on his lap.

"Did you fix it?" Siri asked.

The young man nodded, and then he looked out the viewport. "Where are we?"

Obi-Wan gazed outside as well and saw the gnarly trees and hanging vines that populated the swamplands of Naboo. He could see mist everywhere, and the humidity began to fog the viewport itself.

"We're on Naboo," Siri answered. "I landed at the edge of the water, so we need to get out pretty quickly; the swamp will swallow this ship right up."

Obi-Wan nodded and grabbed the travel packs that would get them through their long journey. With Theed about two hundred kilometers away, Obi-Wan had estimated it would take them about half a week to reach the city. He hoped Anakin was up for it. He and Siri had at least scrounged up everything they could to help themselves and the boy – the travel packs contained a tent, sleeping bags, heaters, enough water to supply them for practically a month, as well as a filter that could clean the surrounding water if need be, Siri's vitamins (which she had thankfully had the wherewithal to grab before they'd fled their dormitory), ration packs, and crutches for Anakin. They didn't have a change of clothes, but they did manage to find soap… nevertheless, Obi-Wan knew they'd be beyond filthy by the time they reached Theed. He supposed that would be in their favor; they would certainly blend in with refugees and the destitute, even if the idea of being covered in swamp muck made him shudder.

Obi-Wan and Siri handed the crutches to Anakin, who initially had been reticent to use them until the couple had informed him just how arduous this walk would be. After disembarking the shuttle, Obi-Wan inhaled the thick air and glanced around. It was relatively chilly, made even more so by the intense humidity. Insects immediately swarmed around them, buzzing irritatingly, but apart from that the area was deserted. Turning around, Obi-Wan watched the shuttle slowly descend into the water, which gurgled as it swallowed its latest addition to its collection of lost treasures.

"Welcome home," Siri muttered, also looking at the shuttle disappear.

"Let's go," Anakin said. "Which direction are we heading?"

Obi-Wan glanced at the holo-map he'd created and pointed north. "This way."

The trio began their journey and barely spoke after that point. Obi-Wan spent his time musing how they would get through this scenario without being discovered while occasionally glancing at Siri and Anakin to ensure they were fine. Siri's eyes were clouded, plagued with similar thoughts, and Anakin spent his time concentrating on not slipping through the mud; the crutches seemed almost a hindrance given the terrain, but Obi-Wan and Siri had little else to offer the poor man. Obi-Wan had been concerned they would be slowed down by Anakin's injuries, but they managed to walk at a surprisingly steady clip, and they didn't stop until midday when the air, having warmed up from the sun, wrapped around them like a blanket, and Obi-Wan found himself covered in so much sweat it looked like he'd been swimming in the water all around them.

Letting his travel pack slide from his back, Obi-Wan pulled out the first ration pack of the day and gazed forlornly at the small cylindrical bar that would serve as his lunch. Blast, he'd forgotten how wretched these things were; he'd been forced to eat them during some of his missions in the service corps when they went to particularly bad assignments.

Siri popped a vitamin into her mouth with a swig of water and leaned against a tree while Anakin slowly sat on a large root that happened to be above ground.

"You know, if there was one thing I didn't miss about Naboo, it was this place," Siri grumbled as she pulled out a similar looking bar.

"I confess I prefer mountains," Obi-Wan smiled tiredly.

Anakin didn't comment, but neither Jedi expected him to. Instead, Obi-Wan asked him, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," he answered, his gaze unfocused as he stared at the ground.

Siri glanced at Obi-Wan worriedly. He's got a concussion, Obi. We shouldn't overwork him.

Obi-Wan silently agreed, but he knew Anakin would not allow them to take a particularly long respite for his sake, so he distracted him. "Well, while we wait, is there any Force technique you would like to teach us?"

Anakin glanced at Obi-Wan blankly for a few seconds before closing his eyes and nodding. "We don't have to practice it though. You're already in the process of doing it."

"Doing what?"

"Using the Force for stamina. It comes in handy. You can go a few days without sleep that way."

Obi-Wan furrowed his brow. "I haven't been using the Force."

"It's automatic," Anakin explained. "At least partially. I suppose you didn't notice, but you would naturally have more energy than most, naturally do better despite not eating or sleeping. If you focus on using the Force to help you push through, you can last even longer."

"Where there's a will, there's a way," Siri remarked before rising and stretching. "I don't know about you, but I could use a nap."

Anakin looked at her, baffled. "We've only been walking six hours."

"I'm pregnant," Siri said matter-of-factly. "I need rest."

Anakin looked between the two Jedi and then his eyes steadily narrowed in suspicion. "You're not tired."

Siri crossed her arms. "You want to argue with the pregnant woman now?"

Obi-Wan cleared his throat loudly. "Anakin, don't argue with the pregnant woman."

The young man still seemed to be debating the matter before he eventually settled, his body relaxing. "Fine, but only for half an hour."

"Full hour."

"We can't sit still that long," Anakin emphasized, growing agitated.

"It'll be the only break we take all day," Siri pointed out. "We won't stop until sunset."

Anakin watched her shrewdly. "It's winter. The sun sets sooner. That's cheating."

Obi-Wan saw Siri bite back a laugh at his remark. "Well how long do you suggest?"

"We'll have to make up for your hour long nap—"

"2300," Obi-Wan interrupted. "We get up at 0600 to eat and head out at 0700. That should give us plenty of time."

"Midnight."

"Anakin, we need sleep."

"I just told you how we can do this without sleep."

Obi-Wan sighed. "Fine. Midnight. But we still don't head out until seven."

Anakin huffed lightly, shifting his good leg. Obi-Wan and Siri glanced at each other when the boy wasn't looking and smiled. At least they'd managed to give him an hour break for now.

Siri sat once more and leaned against the tree, bending her right leg and stretching her left out in front of her while propping her right arm on her bent knee. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, taking a calming breath. Obi-Wan could sense she really wasn't that tired, but she knew she had to put up a show for Anakin. Judging by the boy's lack of concern over her, he obviously was too battered to tell she wasn't in need of a nap. However, despite knowing they would be lounging for an hour, he refused to sleep, slumped on his perch and staring blankly at the mud, the crutches forgotten at his sides.

Obi-Wan slowly walked over to him and sat beside him on the root, glancing around. Some small amphibians were croaking, and a lazy breeze rustled the leaves in the canopy above, but neither man felt it far below the tree line. The mist still hung heavy in the air, and each breath Obi-Wan took was saturated with water. Obi-Wan took some comfort in knowing that it would get colder and crisper the closer they got to Theed.

"I told you not to join the fighting back on Ferrasco," Anakin eventually said softly, still gazing at the ground, snapping Obi-Wan out of his musings.

The Jedi Padawan glanced at the young man and smiled gently. "Yes, well, it was a valiant effort, but I chose not to listen."

Anakin scowled in his general direction.

"Come now, Anakin," Obi-Wan chided him. "Do you think so little of us that you still don't realize we would never willingly let you get hurt?"

Anakin closed his eyes, the Force warming. "I'm still getting used to it."

Obi-Wan put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Get some rest while you can."

Opening his eyes, Anakin gave him a bewildered look. "Why is your hand on my shoulder? You did that before too, but it only works on my vitals sometimes. I think your calming abilities are faulty."

Obi-Wan sighed heavily, removing it. "It's a gesture of concern, Anakin."

Anakin blinked, somehow even more confused. But I can sense your concern. Why bother touching me?

"Not everyone can use the Force," Obi-Wan reminded him, not even noticing that the boy hadn't actually spoken. "This is how they show they care without saying anything."

"But it's so… random."

Siri snored loudly, her bond to Obi-Wan bubbling with amusement. Obi-Wan felt his exasperation steadily growing, so he shook his head and looked away. "Yes, well, people can be random at times."

Anakin made no comment, and Obi-Wan had little else to say on the matter, so the pair sat in comfortable silence for a time. After a while, Obi-Wan settled into light meditation, enjoying the openness of the Force around him. Ever since Palpatine's death a heavy shroud of darkness had been lifted, but more recently, after Anakin had finally opened up to the couple, it was as if the river of life, no longer polluted, was also no longer stagnant. Anakin still sealed his mind off from the world, but he didn't cling to the Force and freeze it.

Obi-Wan sensed Siri also meditating, and their minds intertwined, sharing thoughts and worries, but unable to really communicate. Qui-Gon had said that with time some bonds allowed for entire telepathic conversations; Obi-Wan wondered when he and Siri would reach that point. In the meantime, the two tossed images back and forth, imagining Ghanu'jivo, Nar Shaddaa, Ferrasco, essentially anywhere but Naboo.

Harsh coughing snapped both Jedi out of their meditation. Obi-Wan jumped, startled, and looked at Anakin, who was sitting rod straight, his left arm guarding his side.

"What's wrong?" Siri asked before Obi-Wan could speak.

"I'm fine," Anakin immediately said. "Since you're awake, let's continue."

"No. Not until you tell us what's wrong." Siri said firmly, watching him stubbornly.

Anakin remained silent, his face growing steadily darker as the seconds ticked by. Obi-Wan sensed mounting frustration in the young man, and it was slowly growing. Anakin still didn't know how to control his emotions, so anything could evolve into an emotional outburst, especially with as stressed and tired as he was. The Jedi opted for soothing both parties, standing slowly. "Anakin said he's fine. Let's go."

Siri looked at him incredulously, but he nodded at her before she could open her mouth. We'll walk slowly.

Biting her lip, his wife started to lead the way. Anakin slowly pulled himself into a standing position by use of his crutches and followed her, with Obi-Wan trailing in the rear, keeping a careful eye on the boy.

After a few tense minutes of silence, Siri asked, "Tell me, Anakin, how is it you always seem to be getting hurt? You were hurt when you were captured, sick in the cell, injured when you snapped at Obi-Wan, and now this."

"Because he throws himself into danger with reckless abandon," Obi-Wan answered for the boy.

Anakin huffed, now too tired to get truly angry. "I don't throw myself. Everything I do is calculated."

"Ah, yes, and did you calculate that one man against a star destroyer's worth of troops and weaponry might not end well?" Obi-Wan quipped.

"I can handle myself," Anakin said flatly.

"I saw that."

Anakin grew quiet, and Obi-Wan at first that he'd managed to make his point. After some consideration, however, it occurred to the Jedi Padawan that Anakin might actually believe Obi-Wan expected him to be able to handle such a situation without getting hurt, and this chastisement was completely serious. Sighing, he said, "Anakin, you know I don't expect you to survive against a destroyer. All I'm saying is everyone has their limits. I thought you would be able to understand that and not exceed them."

"Limits are only self-imposed barriers."

"Within reason, Anakin."

"There is no reason to it. Stating you cannot do something means you won't do it."

Siri threw a glance back at her husband. He's got a point.

Obi-Wan frowned. Don't encourage him. "There are some things that are physically impossible. For instance, you cannot survive in space."

"You can with a spacesuit."

"Anakin."

The young man stopped walking, turning and looking at Obi-Wan calmly. A few seconds later Obi-Wan registered it was simply because he'd said his name; he hadn't caught the meaning. Obi-Wan sighed heavily. "Nothing. Let's keep moving."

The trio continued their trek. Seconds crawled by agonizingly slowly. Minutes eventually turned to hours, but the scenery didn't change. Obi-Wan felt his mind going numb with the repetition, and his feet ached from walking for an entire day. No one bothered to have a conversation at this point, legitimately exhausted, but Obi-Wan occasionally had to send a nudge through his bond to Siri to speed up or slow down as he watched Anakin. Everyone was growing impatient with their seeming lack of progress, and they spent the evening and early night nearly sprinting as a result, though nightfall's darkness slowed their progress despite the headlights they wore around their foreheads. Obi-Wan started to check his chronometer continuously as it grew steadily gloomier, and insects became all the more annoying as they landed on his face or buzzed around him.

Several hours later, Siri stopped the entourage once more in order to eat briefly, and Anakin was all the more agitated by it. When Obi-Wan tried to get him to calm down, he said, "This isn't training or us biding our time in hiding. This is an objective. The longer you drag your feet, the longer it'll take to get to Theed."

"The more you push yourself, the more likely you won't even make it to Theed," Siri noted.

"I'll make it."

"Yes, you will," Obi-Wan affirmed. "Because we'll make sure you don't kill yourself."

Anakin suddenly became confused. "I… I wasn't going to."

Siri groaned. "Come on."

The last two hours were spent in silence, and Obi-Wan grew steadily dizzier from hunger, though he did try to push forward with the help of the Force. As soon as the second hand ticked to midnight, Obi-Wan called for them to stop. Siri gratefully listened and started to poke around for a firm, dry spot to place the tent. Obi-Wan shivered slightly in the damp; the temperature shift was fairly extreme right now, from steamy hot middays to teeth chattering chilly nights.

It didn't help that they weren't dressed for this weather – after they'd arrived at Ferrasco they'd shed their heavy coats from Hoth and had been running around in simple tunics or sleeveless shirts with heavy winter boots and thick pants. It had been an odd combination, but the breezy weather of Firro had made it manageable. Now they were overheated from the waist down during the day and freezing from the waist up at night. Anakin, meanwhile, was still dressed in the same dark attire he'd worn eons ago when he'd been captured, and they were beginning to get ragged from use and hand washing in the shared 'fresher back on Ferrasco.

Sighing, Obi-Wan pulled out one of the small heaters they'd packed. Anakin looked between the two Jedi, likely wondering how he should contribute, but Obi-Wan gave him a stern look and ordered him to sit down. For once, the boy didn't argue, and that was telling enough.

Siri called out to her husband to indicate she'd found a suitable location for their tent, and Obi-Wan helped her set it up. It was barely large enough to fit three Human adults, but it was still roomier than the dorm bed they'd shared. After the tent was pitched, Siri laid out the sleeping bags while Obi-Wan set up a lamp and the heater, and then took out two more ration bars. When this was all finished, Siri painfully removed her boots, hissing as she did so.

"I don't even want to know how many blisters I have," she grumbled.

Obi-Wan was fairly certain his own feet were covered in them. The biggest issue, though, was getting Anakin's sprained ankle out of his boot. As the couple carefully put their shoes outside the tent to prevent mud from getting inside, a dull pain spiked across Obi-Wan's bond with Anakin, and he looked at the boy to see him already barefoot, pale, and leaning against a tree, breathing shallower than normal.

Obi-Wan was going to chide him and say he should have waited for help, but it was a moot point now and Anakin would likely claim he could handle it on his own. Eventually he would have to rid the boy of that particular stubbornness – he understood that Anakin was ingrained with the idea of never showing weakness, but he'd started breaking that barrier, at least emotionally, so surely he could do so physically as well. Hiding his injuries or pretending to be fine would only make things worse. Instead of saying anything, Obi-Wan motioned for Anakin to come to the tent. The boy limped over, eventually regaining some color, and as soon as he was within arm's reach, Siri snatched him by the arm, throwing him off balance. His injured foot, the right one, automatically reached out to steady himself, and Obi-Wan hastily stepped forward to stop him from doing so. Before he could, Siri wrapped her left arm around Anakin's back and her right arm under his knees, hauling him up to her chest. Anakin protested vehemently, and Siri said, "Don't even start, sweetheart. You've been walking eighteen hours too long."

Obi-Wan watched with amusement as his wife carried Anakin into the tent and gently plopped him on his sleeping bag, which was placed purposefully between theirs so if he moved it would wake either or both Jedi. Anakin gazed at her sourly, his pride deeply wounded, and he refused to eat when offered a ration bar. Sighing, Obi-Wan didn't bother fighting, knowing that after Siri's stunt it would take a miracle to convince the boy to do anything.

Giving up on the venture, he ate his own ration bar peacefully, enjoying the sustenance despite his earlier grumpiness concerning the taste. He also set an alarm on his chronometer (at Anakin's insisting, of course) so they would wake up promptly at 0600. The thought itself was exhausting. As he finished his bar, Siri closed the tent and snuggled into her sleeping bag.

"Good night," she mumbled tiredly.

"Night," Obi-Wan acknowledged.

Anakin stared at them. "Why do people say that?"

"Say what?"

"Good night. It's like an announcement or something, if one can even assume what a good night is. You can clearly tell if the night is good or bad, depending on your circumstances and the weather conditions and the like, so why are you announcing it before going to sleep?"

Siri groaned into her pillow. Put him to bed before I kill him, Obi.

Obi-Wan disguised a laugh for a cough. You're going to be such a wonderful mother, dear. "It's a shortening of 'have a good night,' Anakin. It's well wishing."

"But stating that doesn't change whether you'll actually have a—"

"Go. To. Sleep." Siri interrupted, her voice muffled through her pillow.

Anakin glanced at her and started to slowly slide into his sleeping bag. Obi-Wan felt a little guilty, but Anakin certainly didn't look bothered by the interruption. Nevertheless, the Jedi sighed and smiled at the young man… and he just couldn't resist. "Good night, Anakin."

Blast it Obi!

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan as if he'd lost his mind. "I just said—"

"SLEEP. NOW."

Obi-Wan poked Siri through the Force. Sleep well, dearest.

A low growl emitted from Siri's pillow.

Shaking his head with a chuckle, Obi-Wan turned off the lamp. He also deleted the alarm Anakin had watched him set on his chronometer; whether the boy wanted to admit it or not, no amount of the Force would keep him going without rest. Besides, it seemed that his head injury had impacted his ability to use the Force anyway; it certainly made him more sluggish in general. With that thought in mind, Obi-Wan settled in for the night. The silence in the tent allowed the local fauna to finally come out, and Obi-Wan listened as small insects chirped and whistled, nighttime birds sang back and forth, and the water splashed as small animals leapt in and out of it. Eventually the sound of the swamp, alongside the soothing peaceful sensation rolling over from his wife and Anakin, lulled him to sleep.

High overhead, engines could be heard in the distance as The Invariant Beauty flew over the swamp undetected. The ship wasn't on any search list by Intelligence, at least not anymore, and so Al flew it into Theed directly with access codes from Padmé that indicated they were coming from Nimo'alke, another world in the same sector.

As Al piloted the ship, Padmé sat on the bunk in the upper quarters, braiding her wet hair after a shower. Her mind had been fairly numb after departing Salkende, and she felt generally drained. She didn't even know how long it had been since her rescue. A few days, at least, though it was hard to tell since she'd spent most of her time in a spaceship.

Her rescue. By a man who had lost his team to find her. By a man who had lost his world to help her. By a man she'd just left behind.

She shook her head. She was too tired to beat herself up about it anymore. She just wanted to know her own family was okay. After watching the cold, blank stares on Éothen's parents' faces…

Padmé let the braid slip out of her fingers, incomplete. She leaned forward, burying her face in one of her hands. Things only seemed to get worse these days.

Blast, she wished Obi-Wan was here.

The Beauty shuddered as it landed in the spaceport. Padmé slowly rose, grabbing a hold of her resolve. Her family was fine. They had to be fine. She would make sure of it. Grabbing a hair tie she secured the half-finished braid, not caring that it looked haphazard, and headed for the ladder, lifting her long servant dress that she hadn't been able to change out of this entire time. Thankfully the dress would keep her fairly warm since it had been winter at the estate, just as it was winter here, though Theed's weather was milder than the forested mountains of Tarkin's home.

As she entered the lounge, Padmé saw Al exit the cockpit. He had put a jacket on and was holding a thick, white one for her. It didn't look like one of his since it was too narrow.

"This should help keep you warm," Al offered the jacket to her.

"You carry women's clothes now?" Padmé asked with a tired smile.

Al huffed a small laugh. "It's Siri's."

Padmé paused and looked at the coat once more. Siri had worn this? Reaching almost reverently, she slowly took it from Al's hands. It was somehow mind blowing that Siri had been in this ship recently and had left one of her belongings here as if it were normal, as if she were expecting to come back. As if she weren't going to be stranded on a world that would be locked down by the Empire, far beyond Padmé's reach just when she would finally be able to see her again. Padmé's heart ached at the thought of it.

Al watched her sympathetically, silently waiting for her. She let out a shaky laugh and put the coat on before looking at Al and motioning towards the ramp. "Shall we?"

Al nodded with a smile and walked over to the ramp with her, pressing the button to lower it. Both watched its slow descent to the ground, and after it had opened fully, they stood there. Padmé knew Al was waiting for her, but she didn't know why she was hesitating. Was it fear? Was she afraid she would see here what she saw in Fjesky? Or was she just unsure what she would do when she saw her family alive and well? Was she bringing harm to them by just doing this? But she had to do this. She couldn't stand the uncertainty anymore, not after Salkende.

Al looked at her again and slowly held his left hand out to the side for her to take. Padmé glanced at it and then looked at him, and he smiled gently. Feeling her eyes sting with tears, she smiled in return and took the offered hand, and the two raised their hoods and gradually disembarked the ship.

Theed was beautiful in its stillness. It was roughly an hour past midnight, so the streets were essentially abandoned. A light snowfall was coming down, muffling everything and speckling the surroundings. The lapping of the fountains in the city seemed milder, and the street lights emitted soft halos that glowed gently in the dark. Padmé's and Al's footsteps were silenced by the snow that was already on the cobblestone, turning shuffles and clicks into small creaks as the snow was compressed beneath their feet.

The journey home seemed an interminable one. Winding streets went on for what felt like hours, and her stomach cramped more and more the closer she got to that familiar neighborhood. She knew Al was armed, and she had taken a snub blaster as well (having forgotten until just before landing that Éothen still had the shoto), so that brought her some comfort, but it also made her jumpy. The silence made her senses heighten, and the constant movement of the snowflakes made her feel like she was being followed, but Al seemed to have a calmer head on his shoulders and he wasn't reacting to any sort of threat. When they finally arrived at their destination Padmé froze in place.

The Naberrie home was tucked away in a side street, covered in ivy and accessible by a small flight of stone steps. Nothing looked out of place, and there were no guards or Imperials of any sort in sight. It looked just like it had when she'd last seen it. Padmé hadn't been here since she'd become senator almost three years ago, before all of the chaos erupted. She recalled her parents' worry, particularly her mother. She recalled Sola's questions about a life of her own, however selfish that sounded. She recalled their tearful farewell, how they told her constantly that they loved her so much, that they were so proud of her and just wanted her to be safe and happy.

Padmé choked down a sob. Al squeezed her hand.

After a minute or so she eventually regained her composure and grabbed hold of her resolve. Taking a step forward, she headed for the stairs purposefully. When the two reached the landing, Al released her hand and stepped back, and Padmé raised a tentative hand and knocked. They stood there in silence, Padmé's anxiety steadily growing as the seconds ticked by, not necessarily because something might be wrong (it was past midnight, so it was only natural they wouldn't immediately answer their door) but because she didn't know how they would react even if everything was alright.

She knocked again, and she heard the lock click as someone prepared to open the door. Padmé lowered her head so the hood would hide her face, suddenly nervous. She pressed her arm to her side, feeling the snub blaster in her sleeve. Al stiffened.

The door opened, and Padmé saw her father. He stood a good pace away from the door, his body tense. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, you can," Al said before Padmé could, catching her off guard. "Please, we need to speak inside. Is it safe?"

"Safe? What are you talking about?" Ruwee Naberrie asked, his voice lowering. "If you're some kind of fugitive—"

"We're refugees," Padmé said, adding an accent to her voice so her father wouldn't recognize her immediately. She didn't want to make a scene outdoors. He probably couldn't tell it was her even without an accent since her voice was trembling so much.

"There's a refugee center on the other side of town. I can tell you how to find it."

"Can we get some water first?" Padmé asked.

Her father sighed, stepping back. "Of course."

Padmé and Al followed him indoors, and she saw Darred, her brother-in-law, standing off in the distance, a foreboding silhouette in the dark, likely there to ensure nothing was wrong. It was strange that he would be home; Sola and Darred didn't live with her parents. Either they were visiting or something was off.

Al watched Darred carefully. "We're here to speak to the Naberrie family."

Her father paused. "…Who are you?"

Al removed his hood, still eying Darred while giving some of his attention to Ruwee. "My name's Brek. I work with Obi-Wan and Siri."

Darred stepped forward into the foyer, turning the light on. Padmé finally got a good look at the two men, and she was horrified to see how gaunt her father was. What was once a stocky, tall man with chocolate brown hair and laugh lines now looked infinitely skinnier as if he'd lost a lot of weight over a short amount of time, careworn and grey. Darred still looked muscular and healthy, but his bright brown eyes and exuberant demeanor seemed diminished, and he looked suspicious.

"Obi-Wan?" Ruwee repeated, suddenly looking scared. "What's happened to him? Are you… are you with the Rebels?"

"Yes," Al nodded, and he asked, "Is it safe here?"

"Of course," Ruwee immediately said. "Is he with you?"

Padmé took this as her opportunity.

"Obi-Wan's not here. But… I am." She said shakily in her normal voice, finally lowering her hood.

Ruwee and Darred stared at her, their mouths slowly dropping. The color drained from her father's face, and Darred furrowed his brow in astonishment. Her brother-in-law recovered first.

"Are you some sort of decoy?" he asked hesitantly. "What's the Alliance up to?"

Padmé was going to answer, but the look on her father's face sealed her lips. He gazed at her in wonder, shock, and hope. Tears glittered in his eyes, and he took a shuffling step towards her, his arms half stretched outward. Padmé didn't have to explain anything; her father knew it was her.

"Padmé…" he whispered brokenly, and his voice brought tears to her eyes.

Padmé tried to fight against the emotion choking her up, but seeing her father in such a state was too much. The tears started to pour down her face, and she felt her chin tremble. "It's me, Dad. I'm okay. I'm okay."

Her father's lips trembled, his eyebrows curled upward and came together, and he smiled, his mouth still wide open. He pulled her too him, and they held each other so tightly neither could breathe comfortably, though they didn't care. Padmé melted in her father's arms, crying freely. Al backed into the corner, and Darred left the room, turning on every light on his way to the bedrooms.

Padmé remained safe in her father's embrace, sobbing and not even bothering to speak, when she heard multiple footsteps running from the hallway. She heard her mother's voice next. "Padmé? Padmé! Oh gods! Oh gods, Padmé!"

She felt her mother wrap her arms around her from the side, sobbing uncontrollably. Sola stood in the entranceway, her hands over her mouth, tears leaking from her eyes, her husband's hands on her arms as the two watched with wide eyes. A moment later Sola ran to Padmé's other side and held her tightly. Padmé could barely breathe in her family's embrace, but she didn't dare let go. She didn't want to let go. Her family was safe. She was with them, and they were safe. They were safe.

An eternity passed, filled with sobs and exclamations and the tightest hug she'd ever received in her life, and then slowly, the pressure eased off. Her family refused to let go just yet, only pulling away slightly to look at her. She smiled at them with teary eyes, crying and laughing at the same time.

"How…?" her father asked.

"I was kidnapped," Padmé explained, and as the words flowed out of her mouth, she finally started to get a hold of herself. The statement also sobered her family, who released her—except for her mother, who held her arm tightly and dragged her from the foyer into the living room. Al went completely unnoticed.

"Kidnapped?" her mother repeated, pulling her to sit on the couch and taking her place beside her. "What happened?"

"Someone was sent to kill me," Padmé said, purposely avoiding mentioning Vader altogether. That was another problem for another day. "They shot me. But I was taken prisoner instead of killed, and Cordé… Cordé was killed in my stead. It was because of a power play – it was Tarkin."

"Tarkin?" Darred exclaimed. "The emperor regent took you prisoner? Why would they make it seem like you died, then?"

"Because Palpatine wanted me dead, but Tarkin did not," Padmé answered. "I was held prisoner on Eriadu until a couple of days or so ago. Tarkin kept telling me he would kill all of you if I tried anything."

Her family stared at her, apparently still too overwhelmed to comprehend everything she had just said. She didn't fault them for it; she couldn't imagine what they'd gone through when they'd thought she was dead. Just looking at how aged and stressed they appeared was indication enough. Her mother looked even more careworn than her father, lines all over her face and dark circles under her eyes. Sola seemed haggard as well.

"I don't think we're going to find any Imperials here, Padmé," Al eventually said from the entrance to the living room, making her family jump in fright. Her mother gasped loudly, and Sola put a hand to her heart, pressing her back against her husband's chest.

"Who are you?" her mother asked with a breathy voice.

"Almusian Brek, ma'am," Al introduced himself with a bow. Before he could do anything else, however, Ruwee dragged him into a hug, making Al himself gasp.

"Thank you for bringing her back to us," he said thickly.

"Bringing her…?" her mother repeated, looking between Al and Padmé.

Padmé smiled, putting a hand on her mother's lap. "Al helped rescue me. He's with the Alliance."

"The Alliance?" Sola said. "Did… did they know about your imprisonment?"

"No," Padmé answered, shaking her head. "They still don't, actually. It's a long story, but Al's the only Rebel who knows."

Her father released Al, who gave a slightly awkward smile and shuffled into the corner before Padmé called attention to him again. "Why do you say you don't think the Imperials are watching this place?"

"It would attract too much attention without needing to," Al shrugged. "Think about it: Tarkin held you prisoner unlawfully, so he wouldn't want anyone knowing about it, which means he wouldn't want the manpower to watch this place or take your family prisoner. It would bring way too many questions. Besides, once he became emperor regent all he'd have to do is order them killed and no one would think twice about it, whether they were prisoners or not."

Everyone stared at him in horror, and he hastily held up his hands, adding, "Not that they're going to be doing that anytime soon, of course! Tarkin's got his hands full with Rhaegon."

This seemed to allay their fright, and Ruwee faced Padmé once more, walking to her other side and sitting beside her. He placed his hand on her shoulder. "Padmé… what happened? Why would Palpatine order your death? Why did Tarkin take you prisoner?"

Well that was a long story. Padmé bit her lip, debating how much she should tell. A part of her instinctively didn't want to say anything that would worry them, but truthfully, after they'd thought they'd lost her for over a month, there probably wasn't much more damage she could do in being honest with them. With that thought in mind, she told her tale, starting with the Alliance's desperate need for supplies to Siri finding a contact, Kuna, to Kuna's death and beyond. Her family listened with rapt attention, her parents lingering close to her, her sister sitting across from her alongside Darred. Al remained quiet in the corner. Padmé hesitated at Varykino, and she could tell her family was hurt that she didn't see them when she'd gone to Naboo, but she could also tell they understood why – how could she have visited them with Vader hovering at her side back then? But then that brought up the issue of Darth Vader, who she'd mentioned up to that point had been watching her as a means of intimidation.

"You spent the entire recess with him?" her mother asked worriedly.

Padmé nodded, still unsure how to proceed, but she figured she would continue being honest. "It was… stressful at first. But as time progressed and I got to know him better, I started to realize he was in far worse shape than me. He… he was brainwashed by Palpatine, raised to believe that he was nothing more than a means to an end. He didn't know anything about being a person, about living a normal life. I'd do something as simple as go swimming and he'd be completely baffled by it. So I… I started to help him. I…"

She paused again, shifting, staring at her hands which were clasped tightly on her lap.

She didn't have to say anything. Although her parents were still trying to keep up with everything, Sola seemed to figure it out. "You fell for him."

Padmé's shoulders sagged as she exhaled. "Yes… I did. And he fell for me."

"Darth Vader fell in love with you?" her father repeated, stunned.

Padmé nodded, biting her lip and looking at him. The words tasted bitter in her mouth, they resounded harshly in her ears. She didn't want to continue the story. It should have just remained as it was on Naboo. But eventually she resumed her tale, recounting how everything had fallen apart after the recess had ended and they'd returned to Imperial Center. She spoke of Bail, Éothen, Qui-Gon, the engagement… and then that fateful night.

"I was waiting for Qui-Gon's return when… when I heard a speeder coming. I thought it might be him, but I wasn't sure. I went to the veranda, and… and Vader was there."

Sola's jaw dropped. "Vader? Vader was the one who shot you?"

Padmé swallowed. "Yes. He… he did. He shot me. He…"

Her voice trembled, and her eyes filled with tears again as her stomach clenched. She hadn't said it aloud before, and speaking those words unlocked all the pain she felt about it. She hiccupped, trying to regain control, but when her father and mother both held her, she fell apart again. Eventually, though, she managed to say, "He… he told me he loved me. He looked like he wanted to shoot himself for it."

"Why would he do that, then?" her father demanded.

"Because he's sick," Al intoned lowly, garnering everyone's attention. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed. "As in literally mentally unwell. He loves Palpatine. Practically worships the guy. He shot her because Palpatine told him to."

Padmé nodded shakily. "He's right. Vader said as much that night."

After taking a moment to catch her breath as her family reeled from all the information, she eventually said, "I passed out. Thought I was going to die… but then I woke up in a strange room with a medical droid over me, and I found out that Tarkin had taken me prisoner, despite Palpatine's wishes. He'd done it so he could control Vader – he wanted me to talk to Vader and convince him to follow Tarkin's orders. He seemed to think it would actually work."

"Wait, Vader didn't know you were alive?" Sola interrupted.

Al blew out a breath. "No, he still thinks she's dead. It nearly tore him apart. Losing Palpatine finished that."

"How do you know?" her father asked.

"Because we captured him," Al answered. "While Padmé was being held prisoner, we found and killed Palpatine—which you probably already know from the news—and we took Vader prisoner."

Darred huffed. "No wonder Tarkin says he's indisposed."

Al grunted in acknowledgement. "Obi-Wan interrogated him after everyone found out Vader listened to him. Started to build a rapport, found out that he was the one who shot Padmé, found out about… everything, really."

Her mother stood. "Obi-Wan? Obi-Wan's alright?"

Al looked away uncertainly. "Eh… sort of, yeah."

Her father stood next, and then Sola. "What do you mean sort of?"

"Well, he and Siri are stuck with Vader right now, and they're stranded on a planet that's on Imperial lockdown."

Padmé's mother put a hand over her mouth and slowly sat on the couch once more.

"We're going to get them out of there," Padmé said firmly.

"Yeah, once we get enough help to do so," Al sighed. "Until then they're… stranded."

Sola looked at the ground, tears in her eyes. Padmé tried to reassure them. "It's going to be okay. Vader's on our side now."

"After he shot you?" her father looked at her incredulously.

"He did it because—"

"It doesn't matter why he did, the fact is that he did it!" Ruwee continued. "If he's sick, then you can't just assume he's thinking straight now."

"He saved our lives," Al said, shocking the family once more. "The Empire attacked our base, and he protected us from them. He's… he was never loyal to the Empire, just Palpatine. With the emperor gone, he's kind of drifting. I think he's gotten attached to Obi-Wan instead."

Jobal burst into tears, startling Padmé, and she hastily put her hand on her mother's shoulder. "Mom, they're Jedi and he's on their side, they'll be fine until we can get to them."

"Jedi?" Ruwee repeated.

Padmé stared at him, confused. "Y-yes… didn't they tell you? They started training just after I was shot, they found out about their sensitivity before that… they didn't say anything to you before they left?"

"We… never had time to talk," Sola admitted, crying silently.

Padmé looked from her mother, who was weeping, to her sister's quiet tears, to her brother-in-law's drawn face, to her father's worried expression. "What happened?"

Ruwee slowly, heavily, sat on the sofa once more, his eyes distant and filled with sadness. "After your funeral, we… had an argument. We were all grief stricken, and we let it out on each other. Obi-Wan and Siri left, and we never heard from them again. I tried to contact Obi, but I never could reach him. We prayed they were safe with the Alliance."

"Our argument will be the last words we ever s-say to him!" Jobal sobbed.

"It's my fault," Sola said with a trembling tone. "Siri made a stupid remark and I just bit her head off for it. It only made things worse. We were all too upset to stop it."

"But how are they Jedi?" Darred asked.

Ruwee sighed. "Obi-Wan was a Jedi initiate when the purges happened. We found him on Nimo'alke, having been smuggled there. We took him in, promised to keep him safe, to never let the Empire find him. I didn't know Siri was Force sensitive. When did he learn about his abilities?"

"When he went to Salkende," Padmé explained. "He said the warlord was the woman who smuggled him to Nimo'alke in the first place."

"Adelig," Ruwee recalled. "Strange how people meet again under such different circumstances."

Padmé bit her tongue, looking at her lap once more as her mother tried to stop crying. Adelig. She was gone now.

The Naberrie family was silent for a long time. Jobal never quite stopped crying, sniffling occasionally, but Sola had managed to compose herself. Darred eventually stood. "Your room is still available, Padmé. It's four in the morning. We should all get some rest."

"Rest?" Ruwee repeated. "We should celebrate is what we should do!"

Darred smiled. "Perhaps after we sleep, Father. Mother doesn't need to set the house on fire falling asleep over cooking food."

"You t-think I can sleep?" Jobal hiccupped. "Obi-Wan's out t-there, and P-Padmé's a-alive… I…"

"We all need a good night's rest to sort this out," Darred insisted. "And I'm sure Padmé and Mr. Brek are exhausted."

Admittedly, Padmé was indeed completely drained. It had been a very long day, though she wasn't sure how well she would sleep with the images of Fjesky burned into her mind.

Al looked conflicted. "Yeah, I am pretty tired, but I don't want to impose."

"You saved our daughter. You are always welcome in our home." Ruwee said firmly. "It isn't imposing at all."

Al smiled, though it was somewhat strained, and nodded. "Thank you."

"Thank you." Ruwee emphasized. "We can never thank you enough."

Darred motioned towards the hallway with a smile, and Al reluctantly followed him. In the moment Padmé watched him leaving, her mother hugged her again. "Oh, Padmé… I'm… I'm so glad you're alright…"

Padmé returned the hug wholeheartedly. "I'm sorry I worried you."

After her mother released her, Padmé stood and hugged Sola and Ruwee. Only after that did she start to head for her bedroom, her family hovering just behind her. She grew steadily more tired the closer she got to her room, but when she opened it she felt like she'd never been there before. The last time she'd been in her room she had been a different person. More naïve, less scarred, filled with hope and determination, surrounded by her family… she trembled just staring at her own bed.

"Are you going to be okay?" Sola asked softly as her parents watched worriedly.

Padmé smiled. "I… I will be."

Everyone hugged her once more and bade her to sleep well with more kisses and expressions of love than she'd ever received at once. She returned it in full and then, close to a half hour later, finally collapsed in bed, too exhausted to ponder anything else

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I know, I know, the moment you've all been waiting for wasn't in this chapter, but I felt like there was already enough going on in this chapter, so adding everything else that I'd already written would make it twice as long and generally exhausting to read. Sorry! If it's any consolation, the next chapter is called "Reunion," and you all know what that means. ;)