"Stay here. I will deal with this myself.", Vader instructed the captain. He saluted before giving his troops the sign to stop trying to break through the door. Immediately they formed a passage for Vader to walk through.
As he reached out with the force he felt what was blocking the doors. Shaak Ti was wise enough to know that a few crates wouldn't stop him. She must have grown very desperate. Vader only hoped she had already spoken to Obi Wan.
It didn't take him long until the doors were free and opened. Vader couldn't see much in the darkness of the hall, but he felt a weak force signature. Shaak Ti was trying to hide it, but didn't manage to bring her concentration to it.
Vader stepped into the hall slowly, then used the force to seal the doors shut once again. "You are injured.", Vader stated, as he received a wave of pain through the force. He raised his hand to lift the crates around him.
He spotted the Togruta pressed against the wall, shaking and weak, then set the crates down at the other end of the hall. "Has Obi Wan reached you?", he asked while slowly walking towards her. "He has.", she confirmed, eyeing him closely.
"Can you walk?", he continued. "I think so.", she replied. Vader's glance fell onto her thigh that she had wrapped with a ripped piece of her cloak.
"The clones have surrounded the building, they would notice if you left through one of the walls." Shaak Ti nodded. "Where is your ship? How far to you need to get? You won't have much time after leaving this hall."
"It's close. I tried to get back to it the whole time, I was almost there when the clones caught up to me. But how am I to leave this hall?" Vader sighed.
The clones had formed a well guarded ring around the building, so cutting through the walls would serve no purpose. That left only one option. "The ground.", Vader said. He took both lightsabers from his belt and swirled them around himself.
They cut out a circle of the steel floor. Vader then stepped back to lift the plate away. Loose soil was revealed. "What are you up to?" Shaak Ti had stood up but was bending over in pain. "I will need your help for this.", Vader replied.
She sighed. "I doubt that two of us will be enough.", she stated. "Only one way to find out.", Vader murmured. Shaak Ti stared up to him in bewilderment, then closed her eyes in concentration.
Vader felt the force in the hall coming to life as the jedi master sunk into her meditation. He focused on the force as well, calling it to help them.
Vader's own aggressive command fused with Shaak Ti's gentle will. Both then concentrated on the earthy hole between them. Their powers did oppose but not repel each other. After a while a crack cut through the silence.
Shaak Ti kept her eyes closed as the tunnel began forming. It was like more and more of the earth was sucked into the hole, until a smooth transition had formed.
"Your powers have grown in a very impressive manor.", Shaak Ti said as she returned from her meditation. Vader didn't reply. "I can give you about two minutes before the clones will resume looking for you." She bowed ever so slightly.
"That is more than enough. I owe you my gratitude." Vader snorted to quiet for her to hear. "You should go now." Shaak Ti nodded. "I agree. I pray our paths will cross again." Vader arched his brows under the mask, but saved his comment.
The togruta then dropped into the tunnel. Her montrals disappeared within a second. Vader waited a few heartbeats before he lifted a dozen of the crates to block the tunnel once again. He hoped this would be believable.
He swirled around and let the doors fly open with a smash. The clones raised their blasters in alarm. The captain rushed forwards. "Sir?", he asked. Vader raised his hand in a sudden movement.
The captain dropped his weapon to clamp his hands around his squeezed shut throat. "You let her escape, captain. She left that hall long before I arrived." "I am sorry...Sir.", he pressed in between gagging and choking.
"Oh, you will be, captain. You failed. You let another terrorist roam free." "We...tried...to...", the clone choked. "Save your breath.", Vader snarled, then released the captain. He gasped for air and dropped to his knees.
Then he picked up his blaster with shaking arms. "If you are not capable of securing a single building, perhaps you are not fit to hold your position of leadership." The clone winced.
"Or have you been giving your troops wrong instructions on purpose, in order to give the jedi time to flee?", Vader added. Vader felt the shock in the clone. "Of course not, Lord Vader. I serve the empire."
"That is not true, captain. Even if you have not let the rogue escape on purpose, you are too incompetent to serve the empire.", Vader said. "Please, Lord Vader. I apologize for my failure.", the clone pressed.
"Your apology will not place the jedi in our captivity, captain." The clone slowly got up and turned to his soldiers. "We will track the jedi down. Begin looking for traces." Vader pulled a grimace. He prayed that Shaak Ti had made it to her ship.
If not, she would surely blame Vader. "For your sake, I hope you manage to find her." The clone saluted and began yelling orders. In that moment a starfighter shot up into the sky from about hundred meters away.
With that, the glowing force presence of the master disappeared. "Too late, captain.", Vader snarled. The clone stared up to the fighter, horrified. "I believe it is time to relieve you of your command."
The captain wanted to say something but was stopped by the crimson blade that was impaling his white armor. He grunted in a last moment of pain before his lifeless body sagged to the ground.
It was Ruwee that was waiting before the entrance. His hand was cramped around a personal blaster. "Who are you? Why are you here?", he demanded. Padmé gently shoved Ahsoka aside to hurry out of the ship.
"Padmé!", he cried as she ran down the ramp. She fell into his embrace and he threw the blaster onto the floor. He slang his arms around his daughter. "Padmé, my sweet girl. We thought we had lost you."
Padmé chuckled and buried her face in his shoulder. "I'm alright, dad. I've always been alright. How about Jobal and Sola? And the girls?", she asked. "We are here. Alive and as safe as you can be these days." Padmé smiled.
"That's wonderful." "Now, you have some explaining to do. Where have you been for these years? And why are you dressed like a bloody clone?" Padmé smirked. "A long story. Both.", Padmé replied then turned to see Ahsoka stand on the ramp.
She was grinning and had her arms crossed before her chest. "Dad. This is Ahsoka Tano, former jedi. She is here to protect us." Ruwee arched a brow. "I've heard that before. What happened to Anakin?"
Ahsoka strolled down the ramp to join Padmé's side. "He will come too. You see, we are all rather desperate to flee the empire, Anakin is no different. But he must move carefully, not to attract their attention."
Ruwee smiled. "Everyone is welcome here. Especially the ones that share our political views on the empire." Ahsoka and Padmé briefly glanced at each other from the side but said nothing. "And that is Breha Organa.", Ruwee stated.
Breha stepped down the ramp elegantly, holding up her skirt with her fingertips. "I am.", she confirmed. "The empire believes she is dead.", Padmé explained. "And it should stay that way." Ruwee nodded. "Of course. Now come inside."
Padmé could not stop grinning as Ruwee lead them into the mansion. She could not wait to finally see her mother and sister again. Ruwee entered the sitting room and showed everyone else to follow.
Jobal and Sola jumped off the sofa they had been sitting on as they saw who entered the room. "Padmé!", Sola called out. "You have returned.", Jobal gasped before the three women fell into each others arms.
"I have, mom." Sola's eyes grew brilliant with tears. "I thought I would never see my sister again.", she winced. Padmé grinned at her. "I'm fine, Sola. Just fine." Ahsoka smirked at them.
"I'm sure there is a lot you want to talk about. Breha and I would be happy to leave, if we knew where to go." Ruwee smiled politely. "I'd be happy to show you to some spare bedrooms, so you can refresh yourselves."
Ahsoka and Breha both followed him out of the room. "Where have you been?", Sola sobbed. "I hid on Thyferra, without money and without a way off the planet.", Padmé began. "Then I was enslaved." Jobal gasped. "Oh, Padmé!", she cried.
"Anakin found out I was alive and looked for me. Two days ago, he found and freed me." Sola smirked. "How nice of him." Padmé send her a warning glance. She was sure Sola still hadn't told their parent about the marriage.
She was the loyalest friend she had ever known. "And why are you wearing clone armor?", Jobal asked. "It's a disguise. Anakin and I went to Alderaan to smuggle Breha out of the core. The Organas gave us a ship to get to safety."
Jobal smiled. "And you came to us.", she stated. Padmé nodded. "You're my family. I just had to see you again. Sorry, for pulling you into this." Jobal gently stroked Padmé's cheek. "Nonsense. This is where you belong, Padmé."
"Thank you, mom." Jobal took Padmé's hand. "And Skywalker is very welcome too. Especially after how he helped you." Sola tried to hide her grin. "Very welcome indeed." Padmé fought the urge to kick her sister's shinbone.
"Luckily he managed to avoid the purges. It would have been a terrible waste.", Jobal added. Padmé ignored the numbness spreading as she imagined that it was Anakin himself who had been the one purging.
"There are more jedi alive than we think.", Padmé only said. Sola frowned. "But they slaughtered so many of them. Only a few can be left." Padmé sighed. "There are quite a few left. And they are reforming. There is hope now , real hope."
Jobal frowned. "We should not place all our hopes in the jedi, my dear. They were at full power two years ago, and the whole order was defeated by only Vader and his clones." Padmé gulped. "It would be different this time.", she insisted.
That was true. Anakin would fight on the right side now, which would change everything. "My sweet girl. These are very hard times for all of us. But for now, the empire seems to be invincible." Padmé felt helpless.
She wanted to tell them about Anakin, that they wouldn't have to worry anymore. But she couldn't. If they knew who Darth Vader was, they would never accept the feelings she had for him.
"I believe they are a lot more concerned about how powerful they appear to be than how powerful they really are. Their only real weapon is Vader himself." Sola snorted. "You say that as if he wasn't bad enough." Padmé flinched.
"He might be powerful, but he still just a single person.", Jobal said. "The rebellion has been plotting his assassination for a year already, they said they are extremely close to a solution." Padmé froze. "You are with the rebellion?", she asked.
"Why of course.", Sola replied. "The empire is evil." Padmé nodded slowly. "Of course it is." She was quiet for a few heartbeats. "When was the plot to kill Vader last mentioned?" Jobal arched a brow. "I don't know. I think it was a week ago."
Padmé sighed in relief. So Ackbar hadn't continued to plan Anakin's death after they had spoken. Hopefully they wouldn't try to do anything rash. Surely they would not give up the privilege of knowing the empire's moves.
Anakin was the best ally they could dream of. He could tell them everything they had no chance of learning otherwise. "Maybe there is another way.", she whispered. Sola's eyes rounded. "You'd feel sorry for him?" Padmé squirmed.
"Life is precious.", she pressed, as it was the first thing that came to her mind. Sola chuckled. "No one ever told him that. I wonder if he could even keep count of the lives he takes." Padmé forced herself to a weak smirk.
"Do you feel alright, dear?", Jobal asked. Padmé smiled at her. "Of course. Just a little tired is all." Jobal pulled a grimace. "I'm so sorry, Padmé, you must be exhausted and starving. I'll go make you a snack, then you can rest."
"Thank you, mom.", Padmé smiled. Jobal got up and marched out of the room. Both sisters waited carefully for the door to close again. "Tell me everything, Padmé. I want details about the romantic reunion."
Padmé chuckled and rolled her eyes. "He appeared and the slaver shocked me until I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was with him." Sola grinned. "Sounds nice. He is quite a sight to wake up to.", she mumbled. Padmé arched a brow.
"Excuse me?", she snorted. "You are married as well, if I might remind you." Sola softly boxed Padmé's arm. "Calm down, I was just stating a fact.", she said. "Why isn't he here already?", she then asked. Padmé sighed.
"He is in a rather complicated position... the empire would know where he went if he flew now. He has to move cautiously." Sola smirked. "Oh? Is he on a dangerous undercover mission that only an heroic jedi could manage?"
Padmé nervously chewed on her lip. "Something like that.", she finally replied. "But he'll be able to leave soon. And eventually, the Emperor will die." Sola smirked. "He will, and so will Vader. Everything will be fine once more.", she said.
Padmé ignored the pain those words inflicted in her. "Neither of them will terrorize the galaxy anymore.", she decided to say. She would have to avoid the topic in the future.
Yoda's sitting hologram appeared over the terminal. "Worried you are, Obi Wan.", he stated. "I am, master. I want to know if master Shaak Ti is alive." Yoda slowly stood up. "On Hoth she is again. Told the council what happened she has."
Obi Wan sighed in relief. "So Anakin succeeded.", he concluded. Yoda nodded. "An ally he appears to be." Obi Wan smiled. "I think so too. I begin to see clearly once again." Yoda chuckled. "Blinded you your emotions have before."
Obi Wan nodded. "I agree. I didn't dare to hope, out of fear to be disappointed." Yoda gave him a deprecating look. "You know how painful it was to fight him, master. He is like a younger brother.", Obi Wan murmured.
"Haunted you his fate has. Closure you must seek." Obi Wan's eyes widened. He would have expected Yoda to warn him to sever any attachments, this was very unusual for him. "I try, master." Yoda nodded.
"Stay with him you must. Come to Hoth he should soon. Judge if ready he is you will." Obi Wan froze. "What if I fail, master? What if he is too far gone?" If he brought Anakin to Hoth to soon, all the blood would stick to his hands.
He had always felt guilty about what happened to Anakin, if he helped him to slaughter the jedi that guilt would chase him forever. "Doubt yourself you do.", Yoda stated. Obi Wan nodded. "A small mistake would be fatal."
Yoda chuckled again. "Trust in yourself you must, Obi Wan. A jedi master you are." Obi Wan bent his head in a respectful gesture. "Trust that do what is right you will I do." Obi Wan nodded slowly.
And yet he couldn't help but worry. Doing what was right, was not exactly his speciality. In that moment, Obi Wan's ears were pierced by the crying of s child. "Go you should, I believe.", Yoda said with visible amusement.
Obi Wan sighed as Yoda disappeared. Then, he sprinted out of the room. Luke and Leia were supposed to be sleeping, instead they had wandered off again. This had happened a few times.
They were exploring once again, and judging from the crying, they were lost. Obi Wan followed the whines until he found them sitting on the floor, clinging to each other.
They had made at least three turns from where they had slept, this was a new record. "What are you doing here?", Obi Wan asked as he scooped both of them up. "Looking for Mommy and Daddy.", Luke cried.
Obi Wan sighed. "They aren't here now." Leia's lower lip began shaking. "Why?", she demanded. Obi Wan had learned to respect the shaking lip and hurried to answer. "Your mother wasn't safe here, and your father has something to do."
Leia continued to sulk. "What?", she asked. Obi Wan considered his options. "He was helping a friend.", he decided to say. They didn't need to know what he was usually doing. "When they come back?", Luke sobbed.
"Your father will go take you to your mother soon. Then you will all be together. But first you need to wait." Leia moaned. "Don't want to.", she stated. Obi Wan smirked. "You really are your father's children."