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Chapter 7: Children's Tales And Nummies"Is it time to introduce them to solid food, Elevens?"
"Master Bobo, it is a little early, but they are progressing well. You will need to select the foods you wish to introduce. Fashions in food selections vary regularly along with commercial adoption."
I could care for them with less conscious thought now, but this was another risk calculation. Sidious had probably murdered Padmé, without Vader's perception. It might have been some Sith power, but I'd felt nothing, even while sitting at the same table as it happened. But there was a galaxy of poisons, stretching back to whatever was preserved since the last Sith era. It had to be something Vader could not detect.
How could I make sure their food was safe? Force, there were too many avenues for poison. "Let's start with things like those nuggets in the manuals. Can you prepare fruit in a few days?"
Next I spoke with Rex about acquiring fresh fruit from random markets. He needed a break, something that felt like a successful mission. Cody kept a close watch on the entrance, wholly 2224 now and not my friend.
Vader didn't show up that day nor the next several weeks. I was not sure if I was relieved or not. I should be more relieved when he was not out crushing rebellious groups. But I also was as relieved that he was not here, bringing a fog of darkness in with him to threaten Leia and Luke. I was more than sure we were tokens to control him.
Our routine was consistent now that they were sleeping longer. We woke and ate. Up on the shaded roof if the weather was fine, Bobo would play with them and catch them if they teetered in attempts to roll or sit. They might doze after lunch as I performed my training routines in the afternoon sun. Sometimes they would watch me when they weren't napping. We would return inside for dinner.
Before bed, I would read children's stories from different worlds. Tatooine stories were much harder to find than Naboo, but they held a subtext about freedom and endurance I wanted them to learn. Stories from Padmé's world held more wonder and light, and they enjoyed the sounds that the tales demanded as I read them.
We all enjoyed the adventures of young Duchess Sati in the Garden of Nor'laliel. She swung from the wide ribbons of leaves to leap over the giant caterpillars. The glowing petals of the We-nye lilies drooped down to the ground from the height of a house. Sati and her friends slid down the long petals in the moonlight, whooping and giggling much like my charges. Neither Leia nor Luke were as excited by Prince Ball going from world to world, meeting and making friends.
I hoped my sorrow had not affected the story too much. But they slept far more easily than I, another lesson from the Living Force.
The light in this place, this city, was so dulled, it was getting hard to remember that this had been a place of welcoming Light for centuries.
"You are off-center… to your off side."
I ended my routine and looked at Vader. The black of his costume stood out against the dun and pale stone of the empty garden. Even now, I could feel the exhaustion rolling off of him. With a quick glance at the sleeping children, I crossed my arms as if I was still wearing my Jedi robes and cloak. "A natural consequence of my years of training."
His snarl was clear while wearing that mask. "Join me as you should have, and you can stand at my side again."
Smooth thoughts and feelings flowed though without pain or obstruction. I was almost surprised at the lack of temptation I found in myself. "My place is at their side, to make sure they are not afraid of the more powerful around them. To know they are cared for and safe."
I paused, gauging the darker man. "To make sure they don't develop an irrational hatred of sand."
Vader barked out something that wasn't a laugh. "There's nothing irrational about that. Nothing good came from that sarlacc pit."
Despite everything, I could not agree with that and shook my head. "The Lady Shmi was wise and good despite her trials. Everyone who met her was very sure of that. I regret that I never met her."
His anger swirled around us. "You promised she would be freed later, I begged to take her with us!"
Checking to make sure that Leia and Luke still slept, I took a deep breath. This was not what I expected from a small joke, an olive branch.
A new sorrow, that.
Looking up at him again, I chose my words carefully. "I regret that she suffered, but I was not present and didn't know about much of these events until years later. Remember, I remained on the ship with the handmaiden." I had problems with my Master from the time we reached the Temple. And after that, he could not tell me of any promise.
Vader scoffed, but a Sith lord had not earned that set of griefs,
"You of all people know how very many brothers and friends I lost over the years. The worst times they died in my arms, over and over again." My voice was still steady, but my next breath felt more like a sob. "Just because I didn't want to burden others with my grief, didn't mean it wasn't as deep and wide."
I had enough of this.
I turned to collect the waking twins to go down for their dinner, leaving the spray of food nuggets for the birds. The little boy had once cared so much for others' feelings. Was it from the antiquated Code or the sibilant whispers of entitlement from a powerful politician? Where had my little boy gone?
I didn't realize I was weeping until Luke touched my face in the lift. Leia's face was squished up, though her eyes were strangely piercing.
"Bobo is sorry, dear ones." I held them closer for a moment to comfort them as I walked back through the nearly empty halls.
On our way, the Emperor and his escort passed my group of children, droid, and guards as we walked.
He said nothing, but his smile was cold and possessive and gloating, enough for me to hurry on.
The door closed behind the twins, myself, and Vens, the small island of Life was such a relief. The surviving plants looked scraggly by each room's window, but each contributed to this tiny oasis.
Before I could do more than take a clean breath, Vader charged in, as if to glare at everyone in the common room. Leia was getting ready for a tantrum as he did.
I returned the glare I could not see, but we all could feel. "Mask! Black! In here, you're their father!" To Leia, I hummed. "Hush, everything is fine. It's time for your dinner, now let Bobo slide you into your chair."
She didn't want to straighten her legs, but even trifling Force ability was enough for that trick "Now that's a good Leia. As soon as Bobo gets Luke settled, you both can have some mashed berries."
Luke was calmly watching his father and didn't fight getting strapped into his chair.
"You're tying them down! Like animals… or slaves!" Vader had removed the mask and cape.
With his shock and fresh anger, Leia got angry at everything and started wailing. At a volume that made my ears hurt and head ache,
I sent out as much calm as I was able, purging my own anger as quickly as I could. It was only seconds until I spoke, my jaws clenched. "Calm yourself. They cannot hold themselves safely in their chairs, these are just for safety." I ran fingers from Leia's forehead to her nose and tapped, sometimes that distracted her. "Come, Leia. Bobo is not sure your nose is working right as an off switch."
After a moment or two of silence, Elevens handed the bowl and spoon to me. "Would the General want a spoon and bowl as well for Master Luke?"
Vader grunted an agreement and sat next to Luke, watching us with a flat expression.
As soon as Leia finally opened her mouth to my coaxing, and tasted the creamy orange mush she hungrily gobbled it up.
Luke was eating as well, with a little bubble of happiness.
"Elevens, mark that Luke likes this batch, I'm not as sure about Leia."
Vader finally spoke in a neutral voice. "Bobo?"
Reaching for Leia's bottle, I answered. "My name will be beyond them for some time. Bobo is close enough and includes sounds that come early." After another deep breath, I asked, "What do you want them to call you? Papa or Dada are the most common."