Padmé felt odd like this. In her old senator robes, and back in the senate building. Anakin was smiling at her, reassuring her. "It's time.", he stated." Padmé nodded. She was prepared and experienced, nothing would go wrong.
There were only the sympathisers of the empire, who had ensconced themselves into the senate over the years, who were making her worry. She pressed a few buttons on the keyboard in front of her, and felt how the platform under her started to rise.
The hatch over her opened, and Padmé found herself surrounded by seemingly endless separate pods, each representing a planetary government. "The Emperor Palpatine is dead.", Padmé began her announcement.
A murmur with unidentifiable mood went through the crowd. Padmé looked around her, meeting the eyes of some of her former friends. "Some of you have been here during the glorious days before the clone wars, when the republic had been flourishing."
The delegations settled down again slowly and resumed listening to Padmé's speech. "It is time to return to that prosperity, after five full years of horrid and violent warfare.", she continued.
"If all the systems joined their forced, democracy and freedom could be restored in a peaceful transition, before planets will drown in anarchy, due to the sudden vanishing of authority and control."
Padmé knew she had just made herself enemies among the senators. Her eyes found Bail's who was leaning back in his seat, just as curious on what was going to happen as she was. Like Padmé had expected, one of the pods moved forward to oppose her.
"The empire was glorious.", its passenger stated. "It's creation ended the clone wars, and it offered peace and certainly security. You cannot expect it to fall apart, only because its leader was brutally assassinated.", he continued.
"The Empire was an oppressing and racist government. And its leader was hungry for power and did not fear casualties when it came to achieving his goal.", Padmé countered, before addressing everyone again.
"Many of you represent planets with main populations who are other than human.", she stated. "Don't you believe the intergalactic law should treat all sentients equally?", she asked rhetorically. The murmur in the mass returned, this time is lasted even longer.
"Despite usual procedure of decision making there will not be an entertainment of speeches, due to the severe urgency of the matter. We must hurry for now we are without order, without any authority.", she explained.
"All of you will vote now.", Padmé announced. "And your voices will be of the same value.", she also promised. "If the republic is returned now, a chancellor will be elected by the senate, who is deemed able to ensure a secure transition of government."
Padmé entered the command on the keyboard before her, to start the vote. She observed how the delegates leaned forward to enter their choice. It took a while for everyone to decide, a time during which Padmé had to keep herself from biting her nails.
Finally, all senators were done, and Padmé prepared to reveal the result. She summoned a hologram into the great space above her, before revealing the result. Padmé immediately sighed in relief, and the crowd gave a great and cheerful applause.
Anakin had missed both the twins' birth and the first two of their birthdays. This was the first one he ever got to witness. Leia had gone through a growth spurt in the last few months, Luke barely reached her chin by now.
Like ever so often, she couldn't resist mocking him about it. "Not today.", Anakin warned. "Your mother will be back soon, and she won't find you two arguing." Padmé had been welcomed back into the senate with open arms.
And it was more than time for her to replace that imbecile, Jar Jar Binks, as representative of Naboo. She and Anakin had returned to live in the apartment Padmé had owned when she had been senator for the first time.
"If I'm right, there is a birthday to be celebrated.", a more than familiar voice toned from the door. "Obi Wan!", Luke grinned and ran towards him. Anakin turned to see both Obi Wan and Ahsoka in the frame. "I can't believe you managed the time to come here.", Anakin said.
"The temple isn't far enough for us to miss the occasion.", Obi Wan noted. "And our classes are more than happy to have the day off.", Ahsoka added importantly. It was then, when Padmé entered the room.
"Sorry, I couldn't make it sooner.", she apologized. "Bail asked me for help with some files. There are groups in the lower levels who are still trying to force other citizens to celebrate Empire day.", she explained.
Padmé was immediately lead away by the twins, she couldn't even hang her cloak. Anakin hated that the twin's birthday would forever be associated with the Empire day.
But it seemed he was the only one who gave it thought, since Obi Wan quickly dropped into his usual routine. "Three years is just right to start training with the order.", he remarked, while strolling over to Anakin.
"Not this again.", Anakin retorted while his expression darkened. "You always say soon, Anakin.", Obi Wan countered with frustration. "Do you know how much the order would profit from having them, and mostly you, in its ranks."
Anakin snorted. "They're too young.", he persisted. "So what about you?", Ahsoka cut in. "We need you. And your abilities.", she stated. "You don't need anything.", Anakin mocked. "There is no war, no danger.", he told them.
"Yoda kept his word, Anakin.", Obi Wan said. "He really does want to reform the order. The younglings aren't taught to fear the dark side anymore.", he explained. "None of us really know how to teach it though.", Ahsoka added.
"Oh and I do?", Anakin asked ridiculously. "I learned how to give in to hate and rage. I'm sure that's not what Yoda has in mind." Obi Wan crossed his arms. "You mastered the dark side. And you have it under control. That's more than any of us can say."
"The dark side is not to be controlled!", Anakin called out. "It's not as gentle and compliant as the light. I managed to keep it from eating away on me for the moment, nothing more. There is no way I'm going to push my children into that abyss."
A whole year had passed since the Emperor's defeat. The senate had regained order under the leadership of the first chancellor of the new republic, Bail Organa, who was supporting the remaking of the jedi order.
The temple was home to countless force sensitive children again. Plenty of them were older than ten, and almost all were still close with their families. "I want you to teach me.", Ahsoka suddenly stated. Anakin frowned.
"You're a jedi master now. What could I possibly teach you?" "The dark side.", Ahsoka answered. "I understand if you're not comfortable with your kids involved, so let me give it a shot.", she continued.
"I can't teach the dark side, Ahsoka. Yes, I used it, or rather, it used me. That was all." "No other living person has mastered the dark side the way you have. You can use, as well as resist it. It's what you were always meant to do as the chosen one."
Ahsoka quickly realised that she had said the wrong thing to win Anakin over. "But that's not the reason I think it should be you.", she rushed to say. Anakin sighed. "Are you sure?", he worried. "You might... get lost. Like almost everyone before you.", he warned.
"We'll be careful.", Ahsoka promised. "I don't think it's that easy.", Anakin replied dryly. "I know that if anyone can tame the dark side, it's you.", she countered. "Alright. But I won't let you get ahead of yourself."
"Surprising to see you here.", Obi Wan greeted. "It conjures memories. I don't like to recall the last time I've been in the temple.", Anakin murmured. "So what brings you here, after all this time. We've been begging you to come for almost two years."
"Ahsoka.", Anakin only answered. "She told me there was something of utmost importance she wanted to show me." Obi Wan raised a brow. "I believe she should be sparring. At least that's where I saw her going."
"Alright then.", Anakin sighed and passed Obi Wan. Obi Wan followed Anakin out of curiosity. What could be urgent enough to lure Anakin back to the temple? Ahsoka was indeed in the sparring room, smiling as Anakin entered.
"Did you really manage it?", he demanded. "Would I lie to you?", Ahsoka only retorted while deactivating her weapons. Anakin crossed his arms and leaned to the door frame in anticipation. Obi Wan couldn't guess what they were going on about.
Ahsoka raised both hands and summoned force lightning, which hit one of the targets. Her lightning wasn't of an inky blue like the lightning Obi Wan had seen before, but it was of a clean white. Obi Wan's eyes widened as they shot between Ahsoka and Anakin.
The lightning vanished as quickly as it had sprung out of Ahsoka's finger tips. "It's exhausting, and hard to control. But it works.", she grinned. "Which proves, that the dark side can be acquired safely.", she added.
It wasn't long after the twin's fourth birthday, when Anakin finally gave in, and rejoined the order, after had made clear that Luke and Leia would not follow until they were old enough to express it as their own wish.
Anakin wanted to give them the possibility of a peaceful childhood. He feared that if they would buy everything the remaining conservative jedi, like Unduli, would tell them. Those were the only ones who were still holding a grudge against Anakin.
None but the ones who had survived order 66 knew who Anakin had been at one point. It was a very strange feeling to be known to most, mainly for killing the Emperor.
"Never resist the dark side's tug forcefully, that will only tighten it. But you also mustn't seek it out.", he instructed. "Don't ever think the force is yours to command, you can only let yourself float in its streams."
The younglings sat before him silently and soaked up his words. "Now try again. Take a joyful event you can remember, and feed that emotion. Remember how someone has hurt you once, or something you feel guilty for.", Anakin went on.
"Maybe you are afraid of something, of failing at something, of losing something. Use all those emotions and turn them into lessons. They do not define you, but they are an important part of you. Reach out with them and feel your surroundings."
Anakin could sense their concentration. The dozen students were one with the force at the moment. "They have substance. Make use of it.", Anakin told them. Sooner or later each of the younglings managed to lift the small metal ball in front of them.
"Let's head home, you two.", Padmé said and waited for the twins to stroll over to her. Four years had passed since Thyferra and the deathstar and they only had faint memories. "But why?", Leia demanded. "It's not even dark yet.", she complained.
"I know, but it will be soon, and I don't want to get lost." In reality Padmé just wanted to avoid running into the ones that were entering the upper levels of Coruscant once its inhabitants were home.
She was well aware of the looks the three of them were receiving already. Padmé was a prominent senator, and Anakin one of the leading Jedi Masters. It was publicly known that they were married and parents of two.
Padmé had absolutely no desire to meet shady people in the streets of Coruscant with the twins by her side. During the clone wars, she usually left her home, only with guards by her side, but the war was over now, as were the separatist assassination attempts.
"Come on now.", Padmé said and took her children by the hand. They were in walking distance of their home, close enough to reach it before the night began. But Padmé's worries had been justified, if not understated.
After a short while, a man with almost no hair and torn clothes dashed out of an alleyway with a raised knife. "For the Empire!", he yelled before engaging Padmé. Leia screamed, startled and in shock and pushed him away in reflex.
The man flew into the garbage cans behind him with a loud noise and slowly started to get up, groaning in pain. "Come, quickly!", Padmé rushed and pulled the twins with her.
Over the years, Yoda had retreated from public, and was rarely found outside his meditation chambers. "You wanted to see me?", Anakin asked curiously. Yoda didn't turn to face him. "Old I have become.", he stated.
"And it is time for me to die.", he added simply. "What?", Anakin called out. Yoda had lived for almost a millennia, no one in the order had a memory of the time before he had become grand master.
"Certain, I am. Safe the order will be with you as their leader.", Yoda told Anakin. "Master, are you sure that is wise? Why not choose a jedi, who has always been loyal to the order?" "No question there is.", Yoda ensured.
"Always destined to lead the order you were, Skywalker. Your time, it has come." Anakin wanted to reply, to say anything, but Yoda went on. "No longer I have to wait for someone capable of what I am asking." "The rest of the council will object.", Anakin countered.
"No say in this matter they have. The rank of grand master mine is to give away." Anakin sighed. If Yoda was so certain of what he was doing, surely it was the force that had shown him the path to take.
"Rest is what I need now. Yes, rest.", Yoda finally said and moved for the first time since Anakin had entered. He furled up on the side and coughed a few times. Anakin could only watch as the brown robes of the old jedi flattened, empty.
"I think it's time for them to begin training.", Padmé said, while resting her head on Anakin's chest, who began toying with her hair. "The twins are still so young.", he said quietly. "What if they get hurt?" Padmé raised an eyebrow at her husband.
"Their eight years old. And besides, how many jedi are using the dark side by now? I thought you said there were only a few left who didn't dare it. I worry too, Anakin. But they have to start sooner or later.", she told him.
"I'm scared they have to much of me in them. Impatient and foolish, where it matters most." "Sidious is dead. They can't be manipulated like you were.", Padmé countered.
"They are still very different from the others.", Anakin reminded. "Their midichlorian counts are higher than any other jedi's. Their abilities are harder to control.", he explained. "Which is the exact reason they have to start learning.", Padmé retorted.
"I saw what they can do on pure instinct, Anakin. It's almost frightening. I would feel a lot better if they knew how to handle their talents safely. I fear they might accidentally harm themselves otherwise.", she continued. Anakin sighed.
"As always, it is impossible to argue with your reason, Senator.", he said. "I'll take them to the temple next week.", he promised.
Luke and Leia had been ecstatic when their father had told them he would start to train them. As long as they could remember, they had been proud of their jedi father. Hearing that they would soon learn to be like him made them barely contain themselves.
The three of them had gone to a separate room in the temple, they were alone. "When do we get lightsabers?", Luke bursted out. "Can mine be pink?", Leia asked. Anakin only snickered. "I'm afraid it's too early for that.", he apologised.
"Anyone can use a lightsaber. But only jedi use the force.", he explained. "You need to be able to control your connection with it, before you learn combat." As a demonstration, Anakin let one of the metal balls, all younglings used for training, float towards them.
"The force is everywhere. An invisible rope between all living things, keeping the balance. Wherever there is light there is shadow. Whenever something grows, something dies.", he elaborated while the twins listened in awe.
"When it is brought out of balance, force sensitives can feel a disturbance. And if the balance is destroyed beyond immediate repair, something we call a wound appears.", Anakin continued. "How can it be brought out of balance?", Leia wanted to know.
"The force is a net between all living beings. If something dies, there is a tiny hole inside. But if many die at once, the net can't be repaired smoothly. The jedi can sense that.", her father answered. "There are two sides to the force. The light, and the dark.", he went on.
"Gaining control over the light is like climbing a giant mountain. Is takes a long time, hard work and training. The dark is the opposite. Acquiring it is like jumping into a deep and dark hole, with no way to stop your fall or get out again."
"That sounds scary.", Leia remarked. "Which is why you need to be careful with the dark side.", Anakin warned them. "If you just let yourself fall, the darkness controls you, not the other way around."
"Then why would you do that?", Luke asked in confusion. "Because the dark side offers great power. And freedom a pure light side user would never know." "That doesn't make any sense.", Leia intercepted.
"You said the dark side controls you, how can it make you free?", she said critically. "While your climbing the mountain of light, you have to constantly pay attention not to trip, or you will fall into the darkness.", Anakin explained.
"Once you're falling down the hole, you don't have to worry about such things any longer." "That's not worth it.", Leia countered decisively. "You're right, Leia. It isn't. I jumped down the hole once. Just before both of you were born. It was the wrong choice."
Luke frowned. "How did you get out?", he wanted to know. "It was your mother, and you, who helped me.", Anakin replied with a smile. "But I'm still in the hole in a different way.", he continued.
"Before, I was falling without the intension to stop. Now I can climb in and out as I please, move around freely. You will learn to do the same, as well as climb the mount of light.", he announced. "One can do both?", Leia asked curiously.
"The jedi used to believe so. Then they lost their way and stopped to have any faith in the darkness. But it has been established, that that wasn't the right path to take. The risk of falling without intention is to great to be acceptable anymore."
"So, this.", Leia began and effortlessly lifted the metal ball her father had summoned before. "Which side of the force is it?", she asked. "You don't know the dark yet.", Anakin replied. "Now, you must proceed with absolute care, or you will get hurt.", he reminded once more.
Anakin leaned on the rail, observing the twins who were sparring below him. They were doing this at least once a week, ever since they had built their lightsaber after their thirteenth birthday. They had quickly gotten the hang of it.
Luke was wielding an emerald blade. Leia's blades were both of a deep lilac color, she had been taught how to fight with an additional shoto by Ahsoka. Both of them were remarkable. Luke was a superior sword fighter, but Leia evened that out easily with her wit and force abilities.
When ever she was pushed back by Luke, she could force push him away with a mere stomp, while continuing to fight with both of her lightsabers. But her brother never lost his balance, and didn't grant her a moment to catch her breath.
Anakin was certain, both would have earned the rank of Padawan very soon. He watched as Luke placed his foot behind Leia's and made her stumble. He stopped her fall by grabbing her wrist, but pressed it tightly so she would have to let go of her shoto.
She caught herself and pushed her brother away from her, then she used her now empty hand to summon a small amount of lightning. It hit Luke for only a second before he deflected it with his saber.
When Leia realised her brother would not be exhausted by this, she called for the unused target practice that was standing on the other end of the room and made it crash into Luke's back. He had not been prepared for that and called out in surprise.
Leia used the opportunity to disarm him swiftly and stopped her motion right before her blade would have met Luke's chest. "You cheated.", he stated dryly. "No such thing.", Leia retorted.
"This was supposed to be saber practice. Your lightning was already bending the rules.", Luke complained and snatched his weapon back from his sister's grasp. "You have to expect the unexpected, little brother.", Leia only teased.
"I'm older than you!", Luke called out in frustration. His eyes searched his father's. "Tell her she cheated!", he demanded. Anakin chuckled at the twin's squabbling. "Not my table.", he only replied with a smile.
So this was it. I cannot send out enough thanks to everyone who supported me while writing, and to all those that have written a review. I'm still going over the story, combing for grammar errors or typos, but the story stays. The sequel is officially in progress as well, but I can't promise much about it being done soon. I wrote this to improve, and maybe bring a little joy to the ones who need a little fluff. If you're one of those who have enjoyed my story, and taken the time to read through this, know that I'd truly be grateful for some feedback.