Padme smiled slightly and nodded. He could feel his face pleading for information and she appeared to weigh something for speaking again.
"He was alive, last I saw him," she spoke gently. "He escaped the Temple with 5 younglings and got them safely to Bail who took them out on the Tantive IV. As he tells it, when Palpatine gave the speech declaring the Jedi traitors and the Empire's birth, he snuck back into the Temple and recalibrated the signal, just in case there were any that had missed your message. Then he came to my apartment to see if I could hide him until I went off planet. When I returned from the Senate, he was there, and defended me from a squadron of clones that came to arrest me for 'treason'," the disgust in her voice was plain, "he took me to my ship and we planned to go to Naboo to collect some of my things when my water broke. Bail told him to take me to Polis Maasa and he met us there. I had the baby and then we faked my death. Anakin took me into hiding and remained for the first few years to teach me to shield myself properly. Then he disappeared."
Obi-Wan could feel the truth in her words, but at the same time he sensed it was not the complete truth, although he could not challenge her on it. It appeared she still practised the politician's art of cautious editing. However the knowledge that Anakin was still alive comforted him. Predictably Master Windu had fixed on what he considered the most important thing.
"The younglings?" he demanded. "Skywalker saved younglings? Where are they? Why were they not returned to the Order? They were Jedi younglings!"
"Watch your tone," Senator Mothma snapped. "As I understand Knight Skywalker was under no obligation to save the younglings or recalibrate the signal which he did at great risk, let alone save Senator Amidala."
"Thank you Mon," Padme said with a slight bow in her direction. "The younglings had been accidentally left behind during your evacuation Master Jedi. They were all under 5 and there was a baby among them. Anakin got them out and Bail, Anakin and I ensured that they were shielded and adopted by loving families."
"Families!" Obi-Wan could practically feel Master Windu going purple.
"Yes, families, Master Jedi," he could see Padme slowly beginning to lose patience. "Or would you prefer we had left them in orphanages where the Empire could find them. They were all left with families that knew who they were adopting and how best to protect them. More to the point we knew they were at all times. We protected them more than the Order ever did."
Obi-Wan could practically hear the italics as Padme lost her temper. She and Windu were staring each other down. A gentle cough broke the silence. All parties turned to see Princess Elena of Alderaan smiling slightly. She waited for a moment before speaking.
"The five of us will be eternally grateful to Knight Skywalker, you milady and my father. You saved us from a terrible fate."
Realization dawned and Obi-Wan looked at the diminutive Princess of Alderaan, suddenly seeing the reason for her apparent excellent shields and unerring understanding. A former Jedi youngling, adopted by the royal House of Organa, raised as the royal Heir of Alderaan. A very different life to that she would have received in the Temple.
Mace apparently understood as well.
"You," he spluttered. "You were one of those younglings?"
General Rieekan spoke for the first time.
"The Princess is to be addressed by her title Master Windu. She may have been a Jedi youngling once but she IS the Princess of Alderaan, Senator of Alderaan and future Queen of Alderaan, and you will address her with the respect her rank requires. As an Alderaani I cannot allow you to treat Her Highness with disrespect."
Windu collected himself.
"My apologies, Your Highness. So you were a youngling in the creche?"
The young woman nodded. "I was the baby who was rescued by Knight Skywalker," she explained. "My name was Elena Carthagininam in the creche. When my father took myself and the other 5 out on the Tantive, and after the others joined us and were wondering what to do with us he offered to adopt me. Most would assume that Mama had managed to bear me in the last months of the Empire or that I was a war orphan. Papa tells me that he and Mama had been talking about adopting for some time so no one would have been surprised by him returning with a baby. So Knight Skywalker blocked my abilities, which protected me and have only manifested since as unusually strong shields. I serve as Senator and Princess for Alderaan, and I feel that I have found where the Force wanted me to be."
Both the Jedi were impressed by her resolve and the clear protectiveness which all of High Command displayed towards her. Padme moved back to the centre of the table and seemed about to speak again when there was another sound behind them. The door was opening again and High Command barely reacted.
A female voice issued from the door raised in affectionate frustration
"…that is not a real move, so stop trying to teach as if it is Skyguy!"
A man's voice answered teasingly
"Sure Snips, you're just jealous that it wasn't you who thought of it…" his voice trailed off as both Obi-Wan and Mace turned to face the newcomers. There were two of them, both very familiar.
In front was a female Togruta. Her face markings and voice were familiar but she had grown a full head-span and her montrols now swung to her waist. She wore similar clothing to that she had worn as a Jedi but now it was pale grey and had thermals underneath to insulate in space. An Alliance insignia was on her chest. Two lightsabers were clipped to a belt and over the whole she wore a dark brown cloak.
The man behind her looked almost identical to when Obi-Wan had last seen him. His blond hair still curled to his shoulders and he wore similar armour to that he had worn during the Clone Wars. The only difference was again, the Alliance insignia fastened to his chest and the symbol emblazoned on his armour. His lightsaber was similarly clipped to his waist.
Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker stood in the doorway of the Alliance High Command with impenetrable expressions on their face when they saw the Jedi Masters. Anakin raised an eyebrow and then stepped out and around his former Padawan deftly, and brushed past the Jedi Masters without even a glance towards them. He went down the stairs onto the bridge and stood at its front with his hands behind his back. Ensigns flocked round him and he began giving orders, his authoritarian tones familiar to both the Jedi Masters above. The Force swirled around him, disguising his face and voice. Padme Amidala smiled and, gracefully inclining her head, moved with a swish of her robe around the members of High Command and made her way elegantly down the stairs, drawing her hood over her head as she went. She made her way to stand next to Anakin who by now was alone and issuing orders from his spot. Padme took up a stance next to him and folded her arms across her chest. Anakin leant down and murmured something to her, even while he extended the Force to cover her appearance. Everything about the way they stood indicated ease with each other and Obi-Wan was beginning to suspect slightly that a more than platonic relationship existed between the two of them.
He was interrupted from his musings by Ahsoka speaking his name.
"Master Kenobi? If you'll excuse me."
He stepped back and she, devoid of the long, brown cloak, brushed past him to lean over the table, inputting commands. The rest of High Command busied themselves similarly. Numerous screens flashed around the room and there was a bustle of activity concentrated around the central command. Obi-Wan could vaguely feel the cruiser beneath him shifting position to prepare for a jump to hyperspace. Behind him Ahsoka had finished with whatever she was doing and was moving again towards the other members of High Command to move into hyperspace ready positions. Padme had made her way back up the stairs and was now strapping herself swiftly into a seat by the side. Obi-Wan moved to stand over the bridge as Lieutenants began calling in checks to Anakin. He nodded as he received each one. Finally he asked for a channel to the whole fleet to be opened.
"Captains prepare to jump to hyperspace," he began. "We will meet you at the rendezvous point. All prepare to jump to hyperspace on my mark," he nodded briefly. A number of switches and levers were put in preparation and the captain rested his hand on the hyperspace lever. "3. 2. 1. May the force be with you all. Mark."
The captain pressed the lever down and the stars lengthened as the cruiser entered hyperspace.
Anakin stood for a moment conferring quietly with his junior officers before dismissing them and heading back up to the High Command bridge. The majority of High Command had already removed themselves from their hyperspace seats and had moved back to their former positions, resuming conversations. Anakin stepped into the room and made his way over to, unsurprisingly, Padme. The former Senator and current Rebellion leader did not look shocked to see him approaching her and merely lifted her head to speak to him in an undertone. Their two heads were very close together and gradually they were turning into one another, Anakin resting his hand on Padme's shoulder, her hand on his arm. She was speaking urgently to him, he nodding his head in agreement. In every way they appeared a team and Obi-Wan found himself thinking of the time when he and Anakin had appeared the impenetrable 'Team'. Those days were long gone.
