Chapter 11: Prelude to a Duel

While the women waited for Satine to be transported to the lake retreat, they watched the public signing of the Grand Moff Act. As sponsor of the bill, Bail was placed in a position of prominence right behind Palpatine. Lined up on either side of him were the men who were going to be appointed the first of the Grand Moffs. While Padme was the only one who had vocalized any objections to Bail's actions, she could pick up on the fact that both Sheltay and Breha disapproved of them. They hadn't felt it was their place to question his decision.

Watching the holo-vid, Padme was apprehensive as she waited to see if her husband would be present. With Bail telling her Vader was working to whip up votes for it, she wondered if this event would be used to introduce him to the galaxy. She knew him, and she knew how much he would want the fame and notoriety. She had been reading up on his life as Vader, despite the difficulty. Sheltay had given her access to all the reports Bail had on him. The things he was doing, the people he was killing, the atrocities he was committing, it made it hard to believe he had ever been the man she had once fallen in love with and married. Closer reading of his actions revealed signs that it truly was him. While the goals of what he was doing were much different from before, everything else was pure Anakin. Vader showed the same determination, power, and cunning in hunting down the Jedi that Anakin showed in trying to win the Clone Wars. It was that fact that gave her a glimmer of hope. It made her feel Anakin was still in there, and she could bring him out if she could just see him.

As part of her research on her husband, she had accessed images of what he looked like now. The Empire was not allowing any pictures of him to be broadcast, but individuals friendly to the Jedi had sent out pictures of him so they would know what their executioner looked like. She was surprised by the image she saw of him, as she hadn't expected him to go through so much trouble to hide his identity. She couldn't recognize him from a still picture, but when she watched a short video, it was clear it was him. As Vader, he carried himself much the same way he did as Anakin.

Knowing what to look for, Padme waited for Vader's visage to appear in the holo-vid. When the broadcast ended without him making an appearance, she wondered why. She knew he would have wanted to be there, and if he couldn't, he wouldn't be waiting by idly. He would have found a mission to go on. Her heart leapt into her throat as she thought she might have her chance to see him, talk with him, and turn him back. She just needed to know where he was.

The three women had to wait a while for Satine to make her way to the lakeside retreat. The Alderanian guards were trying to make sure she was transported there discreetly. She was hidden on a supply truck that made a daily trip to the lakeside retreat.

As the journey was long for Satine, Breha had instructed the servants to show her to her suite immediately upon her arrival. While Padme wanted to speak to her right away, the Queen objected and told the servants they would not speak with her until she was ready. Fortunately, Satine was anxious to speak to them, and requested a meeting immediately.

As the women made their way over to Satine's suite, Padme had to remind herself to stay behind Breha. She also had to remind herself that when they met Satine, protocol demanded she stay back and let the queen lead things. She wanted to say to hell with protocol, but she needed too much out of the Alderanians at the moment to do the slightest thing that might perturb them.

The minute the three women walked into Satine's suite, Satine's eyes immediately fell upon Padme. Her eyes grew wide in shock as she had an expression that indicated she clearly couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Padme, Secretary Padme Amidala. You're alive! How is this possible?"

"I had a very powerful friend helping me out on Geonosis," Padme admitted. "I probably shouldn't reveal who he is, but I had to promise to stay hidden until he told me it was safe for me to come out."

Satine giggled over what she was hearing. "Your friend has an interesting view of what constitutes safe. The galaxy is just as dangerous as it ever was." She slumped her shoulders as she appeared to remember she was carrying a great weight. "It's especially dangerous if you have the friends we do." As Satine spoke, she kept her head down despite bringing her eyes up to gaze at Padme. "And it's even more dangerous if you know the kinds of things we do."

Padme swallowed hard as she came to understand what Satine was referring to. Satine looked around at Sheltay and Breha before looking back at Padme. "It's okay to speak freely here," Padme told her. "They know my husband, Anakin Skywalker, is now Darth Vader." Padme paused for a moment to check for a look of surprise on Satine. She saw none. "You seem to already know that." She swallowed hard as she wasn't sure if she wanted an answer to the question she was about to ask. "Would you mind explaining how?"

"It was Obi-Wan Kenobi who told me," Satine confessed. Padme's heart leapt into her throat upon hearing Kenobi was still alive. "He came to Mandalore seeking sanctuary and I gave it to him. He was on a mission, one he wouldn't tell me about, but it was one that we were uniquely equipped to help him with. On my planet he was able to make contacts with the underworld, smugglers, and arms dealers that he needed to befriend in order to complete his mission. He would leave shortly after arriving, but he kept finding his way back to my world to hide out whenever the Empire got hot on his trail. During these visits, the two of us became close, although he always held to his Jedi code." Satine got emotional as she talked about Obi-Wan, and it was clear she had deep feelings for him.

"I know you must have heard the news that Vader deposed me. He had been following a party of Jedi that came to Mandalore seeking Obi-Wan and sanctuary. I am sorry to say they found neither. Kenobi risked everything to rescue me from prison. I thought it might have been because of the feelings he had for me, but he apparently did it so I could find the leaders of the nascent resistance against the Empire and bring you this."

Satine pulled out a holo-imager and activated it. The image of what to Padme looked like a moon appeared. As the image circled around, she realized it wasn't a moon, but rather a space station. "What is that?" she asked.

"A superweapon the Empire is looking to build. When complete, it will have the ability to destroy an entire planet. With something like this, the Emperor will be able to reign supreme over the entire galaxy. He won't need the Senate; he won't need the bureaucracy. All he will need is this station to eradicate any system which dares to try and resist him. Obi-Wan knew Bail would be deeply involved in any resistance to the Empire. That is why he sent me here. He knew the resistance would need this information so they could try and prevent it from ever being built." Satine paused as she looked around to gauge the reactions of the others. "Please tell me we begin here. Please tell me you are willing to fight the Emperor and restore the Republic."

Bail's wife knelt down and clasped her hands over Satine's. "My husband wants to do whatever he can to fight the Emperor." She pulled back her hand as she took a hold of the imager. "I will get this to our techs so they can extract all the information on it." The queen turned her attention to Sheltay and Padme. "Keep Satine company. I will contact my husband and tell him he needs to return home immediately. That damned law is passed, and he no longer needs to be on Coruscant.

Before the queen walked out the door, Padme commanded her to stop and she obeyed. "When you talk to him, ask if he knows where my husband is." The queen nodded to indicate she would do so. Padme had no idea if Bail would be willing to tell her the truth, as he apparently didn't believe Padme should go after him. She was hoping he might make a mistake if his wife asked him instead of Padme.

When Breha was gone, Padme turned her attention back to Satine. "Where is Obi-Wan? Why couldn't he bring us the plans himself?" Padme had a feeling she knew what the answer was, but she needed to hear it from Satine himself. She got all the answer she needed when Satine got fearful and was hesitant to answer. "Tell me, now!" she screamed emphatically.

"He's at an undisclosed location." Padme's heart sank over the fact Satine wouldn't reveal where he was. "We fled to Obi-Wan's new sanctuary after we left Mandalore. I pleaded with him to come with me, but he knew Vader was tracking him. He figured he would come after him and wanted to face him. He knows he is the last of the Jedi, and the only one left who could ever defeat Vader. He wants to face him, alone."

Satine's voice was cracking as she finished speaking. Padme could detect the fear in it, and knew she was broken up as she believed Obi-Wan would not be the winner of the duel. "You are fearful for Obi-Wan, are you not?" While Satine appeared that she didn't want to answer, her body language did so for her. Padme continued, "I know you think he is going to die in this duel, but it doesn't have to be this way."

"And what could we do about it?" Satine asked. "They are going to have to face each other, eventually."

"Yes, they are going to have to face each other, but it won't have to be a duel to the death."

"What else could it be?"

"It could be a moment where my husband is turned from the dark side back to the light." From the expression on Satine's face, she appeared intrigued, but skeptical. Padme took a deep breath before continuing. She wanted to make sure she said the right words, as she felt the entire fate of the galaxy might hinge on what she was about to say next. "For over a year, I was in hiding, but I came out of it because I believe I could turn Vader, I mean Anakin, back to the light if I could just meet with him. If he is going to find Obi-Wan then I need to be there too, ready to confront him and remind him of the man he once was. Together, Obi-Wan and I could remind him of who he was. He only turned when he didn't have either of us around, and the Emperor was able to twist his mind. If we can turn Anakin, he can help us overthrow the Emperor, and everything will return to the way it once was."

"Mustafar. He's on Mustafar." Satine sounded defeated in revealing the location of Obi-Wan's sanctuary. She didn't stop there, though. She told Padme about the Sith ship she had arrived in and offered it to her to fly to the planet. For a moment, Padme hesitated on whether she should take Satine up on the offer. She wasn't sure how long it would take Vader to make his way to Mustafar. She didn't want to leave Leia for so long, and she didn't want to miss out on what might be a better chance to confront her husband. Everything changed when Breha returned and revealed that as far as Bail knew, Vader had gone AWOL. While she tried to tell Padme he might have gone off on a secret mission for the emperor, Padme knew the truth. He was going out on his own to face Obi-Wan. She was certain of it, and she was going to have to hurry if she was going to reach Mustafar the same time as Anakin.

...

The space traffic around Coruscant was especially heavy, causing Vader to have to stay in his lane of traffic as he departed the capital. Normally, he would have been able to tell the security forces of the planet who he was and forge his own path. He couldn't do that as he was trying to travel incognito. His master didn't want him to face Obi-Wan, but he knew the galaxy needed to see the Jedi's end. It was ridiculous that he had to sneak away to do what had to be done. It was yet another reason why he was coming to believe his master was not the proper man to lead the Empire. It was remarkable what he had done to seize control of the Republic and forge it into his Empire, but history showed that the people who were often good for overthrowing the old order were not good for constructing the new one. Once Obi-Wan was eliminated, and the Jedi Order with him, Vader could turn his attention to winning political support for his eventual seizure of the Emperor's throne.

After waiting an interminable amount of time, Vader's lane of traffic finally cleared the gravity well of Coruscant. As he had been forced to wait so long, the computer of his ship had already calculated the jump to hyperspace. He pulled the lever to send the ship to hyperspace and disappeared.

...

As Padme didn't plan on being gone long, she didn't have much to do to get ready for her journey. The only thing keeping her from leaving right away was the fact the ship she was taking wasn't ready yet. She was planning to leave in the Sith ship Satine had arrived in. Breha wanted the Alderanian technicians to check it out and make sure it was in proper condition to fly to Mustafar.

While Padme wanted to get to the planet ASAP, she didn't mind waiting to leave to enjoy a little more time with Leia. She was hopeful about what she was setting out to do. However, she also realized the danger of what she was trying. She knew this might very well be the last time she would ever get to see her daughter.

Wanting her potential final moments with Leia to be special, Padme was trying to get her to take her first steps. She knew it would be unlikely, but she had this belief if their last moment could be something special like that, then her daughter might remember her.

Padme helped Leia stand, then scooted back as she kept her outstretched arms holding Leia. When she had gone as far as she could she let go of her daughter and moved back a few more feet. Leia looked at her with longing and confusion, wondering where her mommy was going.

"Walk over to mommy Leia," she said in a high-pitched voice. She patted the spot on the ground in front of her that she wanted Leia to walk to. Leia kept looking between her mommy and the spot on the floor. She seemed to be assessing the distance between where she was standing and where her mother was. The distance seemed insurmountable to her. Her face crunched up as she let out a few wails before she began to cry.

"Don't cry, Leia. You can do it. You can walk to mommy." As she gave her daughter words of encouragement, she felt a sensation in the Force. She remembered the times she had connected with Anakin and helped him feel the confidence he needed in order to utilize the Force. Now, it appeared she was doing the same thing with her daughter. Leia instantly stopped crying as she appeared filled with confidence. She lifted up one foot and tottered forward as she placed it back on the ground. She loved the feeling of taking a step and started laughing. After doing the same thing with her other foot, she started clapping and screaming in excitement. Padme clutched her hands to her face as she had tears of joy in her eyes. Knowing she could walk without falling, Leia hurried to her mother, who wrapped her in a tight bear hug as she planted a kiss on her head.

"Oh, I am so proud of you Leia." The girl kept laughing as her mother clutched her tight.

"The ship is ready to fly whenever you are ready to leave." Padme looked up to see Sheltay standing in the doorway. She wondered how long the woman had been there, but from the look on her face it appeared she had just walked in.

"I just need a moment to say my final good-bye to my daughter. Thank you."

After Sheltay left them alone, Padme stood and walked around, bouncing Leia on her hip as she considered what she should say to her daughter. Leia laughed and cooed as if she didn't have a care in the world.

"I know I've taken a great risk by leaving your brother behind on Tatooine and coming here with you. I did it all for a very good reason. I want to bring your father back from the dark side so we can all be a family. Family is the most important thing in this world, don't ever forget that. While I am trying to bring us all together, I know that I may fail, in which case we may all be scattered throughout the galaxy. If it comes to that, it will not be forever, I can feel it. We will all find each other once again; it is the will of the Force."

Padme held Leia's cheek right up to her mouth as she kissed her. She whispered one last message into her ear. "Good-bye my daughter. Don't ever forget me."

She called for Sheltay. Padme handed her daughter over to the woman as she said one last good-bye. She tried to tell the woman what she wanted to happen to Leia if she failed to return, but Sheltay would not let her get a word out. She wanted to just assume Padme would return, and Padme didn't feel like arguing the point. Before she walked away, Sheltay asked if she wanted to take the droids with her. She felt bad that she hadn't thought about them in a while. She told Sheltay she would feel better traveling alone, as she didn't want to put anyone else, even droids, in harm's way.

...

"I know it is futile, but I feel compelled to tell you that you are welcome to stay and reclaim your old position if you so wish." Palpatine was making one last attempt to get Thrawn to stay. He knew the man was set on returning home but felt obligated to make the attempt.

Palleon was standing behind Thrawn and watching the scene between the two men. Thrawn was probably the closest thing to a genuine friend that Palpatine could claim, and he looked authentically sad to have to say good-bye to him. Thrawn himself seemed touched by Palpatine's reaction. It was uncharacteristic of the man, as he had always acted the part of the stereotypical stolid and unemotional military leader.

"As I have said several times before, my region of the galaxy could use a centralization of authority," Thrawn said to Palpatine. "I hope to be able to replicate there what you have accomplished here. My region is disunited, and full of disparate nations that are always in conflict with each other. They could use a strong hand to unite them and make the region something much greater than the sum of its parts. I know the people are hungry for a leader who will end all the conflict and unite them behind a common purpose. I know how much you want me to stay, but you should think of me as still serving the Empire even though I am no longer a part of it. I came here because the chaos of your world was beginning to intrude on ours. Now, I am returning home to make sure that my region does not cause your Empire the same problems."

Palpatine got a hearty laugh over what he was hearing. "I know I should be honored that you are seeking to replicate my Empire, just remember, keep it to your own region."

Thrawn understood the implicit threat in Palpatine's words. "Trust me, I am going to have enough trouble uniting the disparate nations of the Unknown Regions. Even if I accomplish everything I wish, we will never be in position to encroach upon your systems."

Palpatine used both of his hands to shake Thrawn's. From the look on his face, he seemed enormously proud of his protégé. "It gives me great pleasure to know that a bit of me has rubbed off on you. If anyone can build an empire, it is you. You were a great help to me, and your role in building my Empire will forever be remembered and recorded in our histories. I wish you good luck, and may the Force be with you."

After the two shook hands, Palpatine turned his attention to Palleon. "If you don't mind, I would like to talk to your Lieutenant, privately, before he leaves with you."

Palleon was dumbfounded that Palpatine would want to speak with him. He couldn't think of any topic they would have to discuss. He wondered if Thrawn would be suspicious of the request, but he agreed to it and left the two alone.

"I have to admit, I was greatly surprised to learn that you would be accompanying Thrawn to his home. I know that by serving under him you must have come to admire him greatly. Despite that, I still find it odd that you would want to leave with him. As far as I know, you will be the only human in his world. I have seen the toll which that kind of loneliness has taken on a stoic such as Thrawn, are you sure you are up to this?'

Palleon was not expecting to see this kind of concern out of Palpatine. "I have always been a loner in my life, and I feel this will be no different."

"Yes, I have read about your life. It is quite remarkable. "You were born on Corellia, and at a young age fell in with smugglers. When the war started, the smugglers you worked for began working for the Republic, but your ship was soon captured by the Separatists. After several years in a concentration camp, the planet it was located on was liberated. Upon winning your freedom, you joined up with our military to fight against those who imprisoned you. You rose through the ranks quickly and caught the eye of Thrawn. He has taken you on as a protégé, and now you are following him. Given what he wants to accomplish, I can see how it would be good for you to hitch yourself to him. I don't know if you are ambitious, but if so, I can imagine that with the relationship you share with Thrawn any success he has will greatly benefit you. You will be his second, whatever station he reaches."

"Yes, that is my plan."

"So, you are ambitious. Let me ask you then, why you believe you could achieve more in his world than in yours."

"Thrawn is my ticket to something greater, wherever he goes, I go."

"Yes, I can see why you would think that. However, you have many talents, I am sure. I am also sure that a great deal of him has rubbed off on you. Perhaps you have already picked up many of his skills. Despite the pleasantries I said to him before, I know I am losing a great asset. That creates an opening for anyone such as yourself who has learned his methods and might be able to apply them himself. If you were to fit that description, I can assure you that your ambitions would be greatly served here."

Palleon felt relieved that he was finally learning why Palpatine had wanted to speak with him previously. "I appreciate your offer, I really do, but I have a great working relationship with Thrawn, and that is something I do not want to lose."

Palpatine smirked as he shook his head before sighing. "Well, it was worth the attempt at least to keep you here. I have a feeling you are going to accomplish everything you hope to by following Thrawn. I can feel the Force has plans for you."

Palleon pursed his lips as he didn't know what to make of Palpatine's words. There appeared to be an ulterior subtext to them. "I thank you for your offer to stay. It is nice to know you think so much of me."

"If you can, do me one favor," Palpatine said as he shook Palleon's hand. "Keep your eyes and ears open for any news from here. You might find one day that there is an opening for someone with your unique skill set."

...

When Padme reached the landing platform holding the Sith ship, she found Breha and Satine there. She said good-bye to both of them before she left.

When Padme said good-bye to Satine, the Duchess implored her to keep Obi-Wan from doing anything senseless and foolish. Padme promised she would try. Breha gave her a very perfunctory good-bye, simply wishing her success at her mission.

As she boarded, Padme suddenly became overcome with a sense of dread. She couldn't stop thinking about Leia. She felt a compulsion to run back to her daughter, hold her, and promise to never leave her. She pushed all those feelings aside as she knew she needed to leave. She went to the cockpit of the Sith ship, started it up, and flew away.

...

Palpatine was working at his desk when the message came in from his head of intelligence. "Thrawn's ship has just disappeared into hyperspace. I know you were hopeful we would be able to track his ship and find out where his home planet is. We placed the tracker on his ship that you wanted us to, but it was disabled just a second before the hyperspace jump.

Palpatine had to laugh over Thrawn's shrewdness. He knew the man would realize Palpatine would try and track him, but he never thought he would be able to find the tracker. He probably should have been mad that the intelligence agents had not done a better job of hiding it, but there was probably no place on that ship where Thrawn would not have looked. Palpatine himself should have known that and not even bothered with the attempt.

Just as Palpatine started going back to work, he felt a tingle in the Force. He stopped what he was doing and concentrated on it. A sense of dread filled him as he could feel Vader was facing grave danger. There was only one reason the Force would be giving him that feeling, Vader had gone to face his former master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Force was trying to tell him the encounter would not be go well for his apprentice. He radioed his head of intelligence back and told him to arrange a small fleet to be sent to Mustafar. He also told him to make sure the fleet contained a medical ship.