"Padmé?", Ruwee asked carefully and eyed Anakin. Padmé grinned up to her father, imagining what he might already be suspecting. "Mom, Dad, Anakin is my husband. Has been, ever since he protected me as a Padawan."
"And these are?", Sola grinned, looking at the twins. "Luke and Leia. They were born on the day the empire took over." Jobal's eyes began sparkling as she crouched down to greet her grandchildren.
Ruwee narrowed his eyes at Anakin who grew uncomfortable under the glance of his father in law. The twins seemed to trust Jobal and didn't mind as Padmé stood up to stroll over to Anakin.
"Did it work?", she whispered. Anakin nodded. "The fortress is destroyed." Padmé sighed in relief. "What about your mask?", she then asked carefully. "It was in the fortress when it blew up." Padmé grinned. "So it's over.", she stated.
Anakin shrugged. "The Emperor is still breathing, I'm not so sure." Padmé rolled her eyes. "He will get what he deserves soon enough. Let's not worry about it just yet." Anakin frowned.
"I'm fearing he will question the whole thing. That he will consider that I'm alive." Padmé shook her head. "Maybe he won't be completely sure, but he would never be honest about that in public.", she murmured.
"He wouldn't admit that you betrayed him." Anakin looked down. "I don't know what will happen. But it feels like my presence is putting you and the twins in danger." Padmé rolled her eyes.
"Don't you start with saving my life again. Now come on, my father looks like he is going to be displeased." Ruwee had crossed his arms and was staring at both of them. Padmé walked over to him not letting go of Anakin's hand.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, dad. But nobody could know.", she muttered. "Not even your parents?", Ruwee demanded. Padmé shook her head. "Please, understand. It had to be a secret for many reasons."
"And when you stopped visiting, saying you were to busy and had no time to spare..." "I was busy!", Padmé insisted. "But the main reason I didn't see you, was that the twins started to show.", she admitted.
"Why would you keep something like this from your own family, Padmé? And why do you tell us now?" Padmé sighed. "I promise, we decided to tell you when I was pregnant, but then I delayed it over and over again, because I'm a coward."
Ruwee's head swung to Anakin. "Does your family know?" Anakin pulled a grimace. "I don't have a family, apart from Padmé and the twins.", he replied. Ruwee arched a brow but didn't ask anything further.
"This is wonderful, Padmé.", Jobal suddenly said as she stood up again. Slowly she walked back to the mansion, holding onto the twin's hands. Luke and Leia were staring at everything they saw with equal fascination.
Naboo was another new planet to them, and different from everything they had seen before. All they knew were the deep forests of Thyferra, and since recently, the insides of imperial warships and military forts.
Sola hurried after her mother, obviously also delighted. Only Ruwee didn't seem very happy to learn of his grandchildren. Ahsoka reappeared out of the ship Obi Wan was still in. Anakin turned to see how it took off.
"Where is he going?", Anakin asked. Ahsoka sighed. "The order. He said it's time for him to return.", she said. Anakin nodded. "What about you?", he continued. Ahsoka shrugged. "I don't know. I don't have anywhere to return to."
Padmé frowned. "You were a jedi. Don't you belong with the order as well?" Ahsoka shook her head. "No. I never hid with them. I was alone up to this point." Padmé smiled. "Then you'll stay with us.", she stated.
A tiny grey dot interrupted the endless desert of ice. Almost every instrument before Obi Wan told him to land, that the ship was not designed for these lands.
The engines were close to malfunction and Obi Wan doubted he would even manage to deploy the frozen ramp. "Imperial captain, identification code TS-47521", the voice suddenly came through the speakers.
"Don't you have a name, like everyone should own? Obi Wan Kenobi, asking for permission to land.", Obi Wan replied. "Granted.", the deserter confirmed. Obi Wan decreased the thrust to hover lower.
As soon as he had reached the ground, he engaged the auto pilot to where the ship had formerly come from. He helped the ramp that was stuck half way through the force and hurried to jump outside before the ship took off.
The gate slipped open a little to let Obi Wan through, then resumed shielding the small hideout from the icy wind. Obi Wan was surprised to spot Yoda standing there, apparently waiting for Obi Wan.
"Returned alone, you have.", he stated the obvious. Obi Wan nodded. "Vader is dead to the empire and is now on Naboo with his wife and children." Yoda made a few crooked step towards Obi Wan.
"Trust him again, do you?" Obi Wan sighed. "Im not certain. I can't be certain." Yoda nodded. "Much confusion I sense in you.", he said. "Come. Meditate on this you should." Obi Wan sighed, then followed Yoda into the meditation chamber.
At least thirty jedi were assembled with folded legs, the intense living force easy to feel all around them as they were in deep meditation.
Yoda climbed on top of the cushioned seat to fold his legs as well . Obi Wan knelt down wordlessly. "The whole time, he shielded himself from any sort of the mind probe. It is impossible to read his thoughts.", Obi Wan murmured.
Yoda's natural frowned deepened. "And yet not all truths he can hide. Nothing if not emotional he is, always travel to the surface some bits do." Obi Wan nodded. "That is true. Sometimes I felt some slight swings from him."
"The truth about his intensions revealed will be. Certain if to trust him we have to be." Obi Wan arched a brow. "I don't believe it is possible to get such insight, master." "Alone, it might not be. But many we are."
It was Shaak Ti who opened her eyes with a smirk. "I learned how that can make a difference.", she said. Obi Wan only frowned. "I doubt it will suffice.", he muttered before joining the jedi in their meditation.
If Yoda himself thought it was possible, there was a chance. Also, he wasn't sure if he wanted to invade the mind of the one he had once called a brother. He brought his mind to it, conjuring up any memories of the past weeks.
He sent everything he had felt to the other jedi, including the countless times he had hit against the most powerful mind barriers he had ever experienced. He wondered how Anakin had grown so skilled at shielding himself.
The answer immediately appeared in Obi Wan's head, its obviousness almost ridiculous. It was sadness that flashed through him, as Obi Wan imagined all the things Sidious must have done to Anakin in the past.
For a moment, he had forgot that he had just linked his mind to the other jedi. "Focus you must, Master Kenobi.", Yoda said. Quickly, Obi Wan wiped his mind from any distractions, resuming to sending the jedi what he knew.
Yoda had been right. Sometimes, Anakin's emotions had bubbled up, even beyond his barricades. Obi Wan didn't know how long they were all sitting there, with folded legs, without anyone speaking a word.
Obi Wan displayed every bit he had felt from Anakin, so did Shaak Ti. Sadly none of the other jedi had ever encountered Darth Vader and lived. Instead, they concentrated on some of Obi Wan's or Shaak Ti's memories.
Every blanc Obi Wan could not fill due to Anakin's defence, someone else could. Yoda had been right, it really was possible with many jedi. After a while, all of them opened their eyes simultaneously.
It was like the whole being of Anakin hung in the air. Every jedi had only grasped a single facet, but together it added to a whole. "Not lying he is.", Yoda stated.
Obi Wan sighed in relief. So Anakin hadn't been fooling Ahsoka and him. "Yet, lost in the darkness he is.", Yoda continued. Obi Wan knew that was true. Anakin didn't know where he was headed.
"But he doesn't want to stay in the dark, master. He even already left the Emperor.", Obi Wan insisted. Yoda tilted his head. "Want to return to the light does he?", he asked. Obi Wan looked at the floor.
"No, master. He doesn't." It was Shaak Ti who rose. "I don't believe that has any meaning. He saved my life, I understand he saved Master Kenobi's life as well. Clearly there is more to this than the light and dark side of the force."
"Does one have to be either, Master Yoda? There have been enough force users in the past that made use of the darkness, but were powerful enough to resist it. Why not him?" Yoda climbed off his seat to pace around the room slowly.
"Already surrendered he has. Give in to the darkness he did two years ago. A way back, never been heard of has been. "And yet he did come back. I am not certain why.", Obi Wan replied.
"How do you advice the council, Master Yoda?", Shaak Ti asked, taking a step towards him. "The condition of the chosen one is not graspable to us, how are we to handle this?", she added.
Yoda's expression changed in rumination. "Meditate on this, each of us will. Hard to decide it will be.", he murmured. Obi Wan knew Yoda was right. It was almost impossible to do the right thing.
It was unknown how fragile Anakin's current state was, how easy it would be to turn him back to the dark side. Yet, Obi Wan knew that he could trust Anakin.
And maybe experiencing the dark side in the measures Anakin did, would help him defeat it. Maybe knowing what the dark side really was, would give him the will to eradicate it once and for all. After all, he was the chosen one.
"Is that who I think it is?", Anakin asked in surprise. Padmé nodded with a smile. "They have been brought here from Naboo. With they rest of my property. "I didn't think I would ever see R2 again."
"Activate him.", Padmé smiled. "Surely, he'll be glad to see you again." Anakin sighed as he wondered how much R2 had realized two years before. R2 knew that something had been wrong with Anakin.
"Maybe later.", Anakin said quietly. "He's probably mad at me." Padmé nodded. "In time then.", she replied softly. "Let's go back.", Padmé suggested and took Luke's and Leia's hands in hers.
"The way I know my mother, she is going to burst if we don't let her spend time with her grandkids." Anakin chuckled and followed his wife to the sitting room.
When they entered, Ahsoka was having a casual conversation with the Naberries but suddenly the room was silent. The imperial sign was projected into the room, where it turned a few times. Then a lady in a stiff costume appeared.
"Its just the news.", Sola said and wanted to deactivate the holo terminal. But Padmé grabbed her sister's hand to keep her from doing so. "Wait, Sola. It might be important."
Both Padmé and Ahsoka leaned forwards, desperate to hear what they hoped they would. Opposite to the Naberries, who appeared disinterested. "They do this every day, Padmé. It's really mostly propaganda.", Jobal told her daughter.
"I want to listen.", Padmé insisted. Sola sighed but pulled her hand back. "Today, is a day of great sorrow, for our beloved empire.", the announcer began. Anakin leaned forward as well, as Padmé put her hand into his.
"Ruthless rebel savages, have assaulted an imperial institution, with the aim of assassinating Darth Vader coldheartedly." This time Sola jumped off her chair.
"What?!", she cried. "They never said it would be this soon.", she called out. "Shush!", Jobal hissed, as her face grew paler. "They did not care about the costs of their attack, as Vader was not the only victim of this terrorism.", the announcer continued.
No one dared to speak a word. "Every loyal citizen is asked to report anything about the terrorists to imperial officials. Our first objective is finding the ones responsible before they can cause any more harm."
The message ended and the announcer disappeared. Padmé glanced over to Anakin, who only smirked softly. "He's not as powerful as the Emperor thought.", he muttered. Ruwee turned to Anakin.
"Do you know something about this?", he demanded. Padmé answered for him. "Dad, Anakin was involved with the assassination. The rebels couldn't have accomplished this."
Anakin threw his wife a weird look, but understood what she was trying to do. What she said wasn't even completely wrong. "You killed Vader?", Sola asked with big eyes.
"But how? He killed all these jedi...", Jobal began. "Well... yes. But Obi Wan was there too." Ruwee crossed his arms.
"Vader murdered almost the entire order, he was fought by more than two jedi. It's hard to believe that now, you just made it.", he said. "Obi Wan actually opposed him before.", Anakin said, while he saw how Padmé slightly cramped.
"Obi Wan was alone back then, and he managed to injure Vader so much he had to become a cyborg in order to stay alive." Sola grinned. "So he is really gone?" Padmé looked at Anakin from the side, who then nodded slowly.
"Yes. Yes, he is. I saw him die and his corpse being destroyed. He's gone." It was easier to say these things than Anakin would have thought. He figured there was some truth to everything he had said.
In a certain way, Vader was dead. "So this is what the secrecy was about?", Sola began. "You didn't want to jeopardize Anakin's mission.", she guessed. Anakin arched a brow, for he didn't know what Sola was talking about.
"Partially.", Padmé answered. "And the other part?", Sola pushed. "Sola!", Jobal warned. "I'm sure Anakin has put a rather exhausting fight behind him, give him and Padmé some space.", she demanded.
Sola crossed her arms, eyeing her sister closely, as Padmé pulled Anakin outside. "What about the twins?", he only asked before following his wife through the hallways.
"Don't worry, their grandmother will occupy them. And I will be occupying you." Anakin smirked as Padmé pulled him into the room that he knew was hers.
He remembered the neatly furnished room from the last time he had been here, and barely anything had changed. Padmé gently pushed him onto the bed and he grabbed her waist to pull her down with him.
"I've missed this so much.", she whiffed. "The late nights on Coruscant, when I didn't know when you'd be back from the last crazy field trip." They sat up, Padmé on Anakin's lap.
"You would never tell me, just appear at my bedside.", Padmé mumbled while Anakin began planting soft kisses on her neck. "Surprising you was fun.", he chuckled before their lips met passionately.
Both of them were taken aback by their memories. It felt like one of the many times they had sneaked away, the desire for the other too great to wait another few months.
"You will stay this time.", Padmé said as they had to take a breath. "Like we always dreamed.", she added while her hands disappeared in his hair.
It didn't take long before their gentle movements became more demanding, and they started ridding each other from their clothes.