"If you get a ship from him, could you stop by here again to take either Ahsoka or Obi Wan with you? I don't think the Naberrie security would do if the Emperor decided to hunt you down." Padmé chuckled.
"You begin to remind me of Obi Wan." Ahsoka exited the fortress at this point, surprised to find Anakin with his mask in his hand and Padmé in the armor of a stormtrooper, the helmet equally in her hand. "What are you up to?", Ahsoka asked.
"We're going to Alderaan.", Anakin said simply. "Why?", Ahsoka added with a raised brow. "Because Organa is accused of high treason, so I have to go. He might help us to move freely without being tracked, that's why Padmé is coming."
Ahsoka crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Good luck with that. Obi Wan and I are staying with the twins?" Padmé nodded. "For now. I'll go to Naboo later, and Anakin would like me to take one of you with me."
"I heard that part.", Ahsoka replied. "How long will it be until then?" Padmé shrugged. "A day perhaps. Depends on how things will go on Alderaan." Ahsoka lifted a brow. "What will you do there? What is there that you couldn't to via holo?"
"Ahsoka...I am supposed to go there to arrest him for treachery. I don't know how to get him out of this situation yet, but it's sure not happening via holo.", Anakin replied. "How did they find out about his involvement?", Ahsoka asked worriedly.
"Don't know, doesn't matter. He is in trouble, and usually wouldn't get out alive." Padmé sighed. "We should get going.", she murmured and turned towards the fighter that was standing on the landing platform.
"I will see you soon Ahsoka.", she said and began walking over the bridge. "Take care of the kids, will you? I'm sure they're confused that Padmé is gone again." Ahsoka nodded, her eyes filling with concern. "What did you tell them?"
"Nothing much. They wouldn't understand any of this." Ahsoka nodded one last time, before Anakin made his way to follow Padmé. Ahsoka sighed again, heading back to the entrance. She wondered what Obi Wan would think of this.
And she wondered how Organa had been discovered by the empire. Hopefully, there was no real proof, so that Anakin could save him easily. But Ahsoka doubted it, nothing was ever easy when it could be hard.
"It's huge!", Padmé called out as the fighter advanced towards the star destroyer that was floating in the middle of nothing. "It just to scare people. No one really needs that size." Padmé snickered a little.
"So this is were you've been the whole time.", she stated, remembering what Anakin had said earlier. "Mostly, yes. Although I never considered it my home." Padmé nodded. "It sure doesn't look very inviting." Anakin snorted, amused.
"We won't be staying long. You'll be home soon Padmé." Padmé stayed silent for a moment, remembering Naboo, the only place she really considered her home, apart from her old apartment on Coruscant.
She recalled the soothing lakes and beaches, that she had spent her childhood next to. Sola used to sneak outside with her for their midnight swims. Padmé flinched at the memory of her sister.
It had been impossible to see her for two years, and before, Padmé had been avoiding her on purpose. She wished she would have seen her more often, now that she was missing her so much.
She concentrated on the joy of seeing her again, and banned her worries about Organa for now. He would make it, somehow he would. "What do you think they know of Organa?" Anakin shrugged.
"It could be anything. Maybe they found recordings in his office, maybe they watched his holos. It was just a moment of carelessness, it's foolish of him to underestimate the empire's surveillance."
Padmé gulped as their ship was taken by the executor's tractor beam and was pulled towards the hangar's opening. The ship was even more intimidating up close, she couldn't even see from one end to another.
The hangar's halls were almost as tall as the senate's, the size of the SSD really was ridiculous, there was no way so much space was actually useful. Padmé looked at the white mask in her hands crookedly, before pulling it over her head.
Anakin looked between his own mask and Padmé, obviously uncomfortable. Padmé noticed, that she had never seen him wear it before, and it was an experience she'd rather avoid. But it didn't matter now.
She had accepted that he was Darth Vader, seeing him with the mask wouldn't change anything. Hesitantly, he put his head inside, then turned away from Padmé slightly, not looking straight at her.
Seeing the man she loved, in a black inhuman mask, spread a cold and numb feeling in Padmé. Carefully she reached out and placed her gloved hand on its side.
Anakin stiffened, and Padmé knew what his expression must have been, even though she couldn't see it. "Padmé...", Anakin began, but she cut him off. "It's unfamiliar, that's all.", she managed to say, though she hated it.
He hated seeing her husband like this, in the mask of cyborg, that had put him into so much pain only a few weeks ago. She wished he was finally free again. "Let's go.", she said softly and squeezed his hand tightly once.
"I'm sure Organa is anxious by now, let's not keep him waiting." Anakin nodded, visibly devastated and got up slowly. Padmé followed him, preparing for her role as an ordinary soldier. She stayed back, as the ramp deployed, revealing the hangar.
Inside, everything was packed with ships, and more soldiers, there were countless, a whole battalion. Anakin marched down the ramp, immediately greeted by a dignitary that saluted stiffly.
"We have been awaiting your arrival, Lord Vader. We are ready to engage light speed whenever you give the order.", he reported. "Do it.", Anakin said coldly. Padmé pulled a grimace under her mask, but kept quiet. "Yes, Lord Vader."
The dignitary quickly typed something on a data pad. "Is there anything new about the viceroy?", Anakin asked, already turning away from the man he towered in front of.
"Our intelligence forces believe he is preparing to flee Alderaan, Sir. But I guarantee, he will not make it before our arrival." Anakin nodded. "Very good, be aware." The dignitary saluted a last time as Anakin marched away.
Padmé left the fighter carefully, then copied the way the clones in the hangar were moving. She followed Anakin in safe distance, trying to appear as though she belonged here.
Anakin's black menacing, figure left the hangar slowly, allowing Padmé to catch up. She fell into a steady walk after him. "What did he mean, Organa won't make it? How long would it take to enter a ship?"
Anakin didn't turn around, didn't show any reaction. "The Viceroy is an honorable man. He would never leave his people and family to the empire's mercy. Surely, he is frantically searching for a solution.", he said, so laud no one but Padmé heard it.
Padmé flinched, imagining her friend desperate and close to despair. "I hope he doesn't do anything stupid before we get there.", she murmured. "Don't worry, he will try to keep a low profile. He is a realist."
She sighed quietly, and continued following Anakin through the ship's transitions. "Wait at the door frame, pretend to be an assigned guard. Soldiers aren't permitted on the bridge.", Anakin said quietly before stepping onto the platform.
The bridge was surrounded by a wide window, that granted view onto the blurry traces of stars in hyper space. Countless imperials sat at lowered desks, to the feet of the commanders on the platform.
"We are leaving hyper space in a few moments, Sir.", a captain reported. "Good. Prepare landing shuttle protocol." Anakin stood silently, his hands folded before him. Padmé wished for him to be off this bridge, off this ship, and out of that mask.
For the moment, she stood stiffly next to the bridge's entrance, pretending to guard the door. She forced herself to breathe calmly. She just kept staring at Anakin with the corner of her eye, hating that this had been his life for two years.
A few seconds later the ship left hyper space and the blue surface of Alderaan spread beneath them. Padmé gulped as she imagined the horrified look on Bail's face as the menacing shadow of the executor was thrown on the planet.
"The Executor moved." Obi Wan pointed at the warship on the holos. Ahsoka nodded. "Anakin and Padmé are on board. That's Alderaan, I didn't expect them to be there so fast." Obi Wan frowned. "What are they doing there?"
"Organa is accused of high treason, Obi Wan. Anakin had to go, and he took Padmé with him, because Organa might help her get to Naboo." Obi Wan's eyes widened. "The empire knows Organa is a rebel? He is as good as dead then."
Ahsoka smirked. "That's why Anakin and Padmé are coming to his rescue. Don't worry to much, they'll make it." Obi Wan snorted. "Ironic,", he murmured. Ahsoka raised a brow, expecting him to continue.
"A rebel leader lost his cover, but no worries Vader is coming for him. It's ironic." Ahsoka sighed. "Yes. I guess it is. But you see how he changed, don't you?" Obi Wan nodded. "Yes. Yes I do." Ahsoka gasped.
"What? You don't think he is pretending anymore?" Obi Wan shrugged. "Let's say I don't assume it anymore. But even if he isn't, he is still a sith. He doesn't even want to redeem himself." Ahsoka frowned.
"I don't think you should put it like that. He doesn't care if sith or jedi, and honestly, it's understandable. Is it so wrong that he wants to be in peace with his family?" Obi Wan was silent for a moment.
"He was... is the chosen one. The prophecy said he would bring balance to the force, not have a family and live a calm life." Ahsoka tensed. "Doesn't that sound wrong to you?", she asked, disbelief in her voice. Obi Wan stayed quiet.
"You think we shouldn't have taken him to the jedi order, expecting him to fulfil the prophecy? Would you have preferred we left him on Tatooine?" Ahsoka grunted in frustration.
"Stop turning the words in my mouth. He deserves happiness, everybody does. Don't expect him to want to return to the order now. After all he's been through, it's only natural to pull out of this mess." Obi Wan nodded.
"It's too late anyway. He already has a family, being in the order didn't stop him from marrying Padmé." Ahsoka grinned slightly. "That's love, Obi Wan. You'd understand if you wanted to." Obi Wan was shaken by memories.
Of course he understood. "He was the hero with no fear.", Obi Wan finally said. "He was the champion of the clone wars, the great general, the whole galaxy looked up to. Why did it ever have to change?"
Obi Wan's voice had risen and he clenched his hands to fists. "What went wrong, Ahsoka? What should I have done differently? He was a little, innocent boy when he became my padawan. It's my fault Ahsoka, I misguided him."
Ahsoka shook her head. "We've been through this, it's not. Stop shaming yourself for things you haven't done. Maybe you could have done better, but now is your chance to make up." Obi Wan nodded. "Well, do you know what I did do?", he said quietly.
"I left him behind, disfigured and on fire.", he added louder. "He got himself repaired, Obi Wan. His wound were all treated.", Ahsoka tried to comfort him. "You didn't see what they did to him, Ahsoka. You don't know what he went through because of me."
"Seriously?", Ahsoka called out. "You didn't even pity him at all before, and now, suddenly, it's me who doesn't know what he went through?" Obi Wan looked away. "I saw recordings. I saw how he suffered. Every step, every tiny movement must have put him in agony."
At that moment the holo map disappeared and a call came in. Curiously, no alert appeared on the screen on the wall. Ahsoka studied the frequency. "The rebels.", she said. Obi Wan raised a brow. "If you're wrong, both of us are dead."
Ahsoka rolled her eyes and accepted the call. Obi Wan already prepared himself to slide under the table should it be necessary as the image of a Mon Calamari appeared in a blue shimmer.
"Nuha and Thral are here now, wait, who are you?", he began. "My name is Ahsoka Tano, and this is jedi master Obi Wan Kenobi." "Where is Vader?" "Busy. Organa's contribution in the alliance was discovered." The Admiral looked down.
"I know. That's why I called. The situation is desperate. The other commanders don't now of this alliance, I don't want to start a panic. Is Vader already on Alderaan?" Ahsoka nodded. "The executor just arrived in orbit there."
The Admiral tensed. "Please. Organa is extremely important, the alliance can't afford losing him. Is there anything you can do?" Ahsoka smiled. "Anakin and Padmé both came to help him, they will find a way to save his life."
"Please inform me in case there are news. Everybody here is losing their minds about this." Obi Wan sighed. "We will call Nuha and Thral if we learn anything. But Anakin really just arrived in the core it might take a while."
The Admiral nodded. "Thank you. Knowing that someone is in fact working to help Organa right now, will calm many among us." With that the Admiral ended the connection.
"You know, if Anakin fails, he will surely think he has been playing them." Ahsoka nodded. "He won't fail. This is Anakin we're talking about.", she murmured.