Chapter 25

Jobal found Anakin standing outside, his face as impassive as the stone wall he leaned against.

"What happened?" Jobal asked simply.

Anakin turned and looked down at her. "I pushed too far," he said. "I told her too much, and she became very upset."

Jobal frowned. "I'm sorry," she said. "Let's go back home."

They commenced walking to the speeder, Anakin being sure to keep his hood up to conceal his face. Jobal did not know him very well yet, but she knew enough to realize how upset he was.

"I know how difficult this is," she told him as he held open the speeder door for her. "I really do. When Padmé's father and I first told her who were, it was a shock to her. She had some difficulty assimilating the information, but in time she did. And she will accept who you are in time, Anakin. You just need to be patient."

Anakin shook his head. "I told her far more than just who I am," he told her. "I told her my suspicions about her medication," he explained as the speeder lifted off the ground.

"What are you talking about?" Jobal asked. "What is it that you suspect?"

"I read through Padmé's medical files," Anakin told her. "And I noticed something quite significant. It seems that Padmé was beginning to regain some of her memory when she said my name. But she stopped saying it once the dosage of her medication was increased. I think those meds she's on are inhibiting her healing, and preventing her from regaining her memory. And I think this is being done by design."

Jobal frowned. "But why?" she asked. "Why would Palo do such a thing?"

"I don't know," Anakin replied. "For some reason he is hoping to keep Padmé under his control, and so long as she is in this place, he will be able to do just that."

Jobal considered what Anakin had said. It made sense; but what could Palo's motivation be?

"What can we do?" she asked at last.

Anakin was silent as he thought for a moment. "I need to prove my suspicions," he said. "And once I do, I will make that smug self-righteous bastard pay."

Jobal remained silent. His anger was certainly justified and yet she was unnerved by it all the same. She had known Palo Corrino for many years. It seemed inconceivable to her that he would do something so nefarious. What would be his motivation? Why would he want Padmé to remain in this state of mental limbo that she had existed in for so long? It was almost as though Palo wanted Padmé to remain helpless and dependent upon him and his care. But why? What did he hope to gain by her reliance upon him? Although at one time there had been a relationship of sorts between he and Padmé, they had been mere children at the time, and the relationship had ended when they had pursued different careers. Since then Palo had never shown any signs of being interested in Padmé in a romantic way. As far as Jobal could tell, Palo was far more interested in art than in women. His own unremarkable foray into the world of art had created in him an obsession with accumulating rare and very expensive pieces of art from all over the galaxy. That's it…

"He wants her money," Jobal said at last.

Anakin turned to her, startled out of his own reflections by her voice. "What did you say?"

"That's the reason he'd want to keep Padmé under his thumb," Jobal said. "He wants her money. He's always bragging about his art collection. It's an expensive habit, and no doubt he needs serious funding to maintain it."

Anakin frowned. "You mean you think he's been taking money from her all these years?" he asked angrily.

"It's possible," Jobal replied. "And it would explain why he wouldn't want her to regain her memory. So long as she remains in a state of confusion, she won't know what he's doing." Jobal frowned, the possibility of how her daughter had been taken advantage of angering her. "If you're right, then I will make sure he is prosecuted to the full extent of the law," she said. "He won't get away with this."

Anakin nodded, wanting to see justice done just as much as she did. However, he feared that legal action would lead to publicity, and publicity could inadvertently reveal his identity. I cannot let that happen, he reflected. Palpatine would find me, and through me, Padmé and the twins.

"He will pay for it, make no mistake," Anakin vowed to his mother-in-law. "No matter what, I will make sure of it."

Starship yards of Fondor

Palpatine and his new apprentice, Lord Terreus, watched in silence as the Empire's newest weapon was unveiled. Constructed in secret at the starship yards of Fondor the Executor was the first of a new generation of immense warships, a Super-class Star Destroyer. Though the mighty vessel followed the same basic dagger-shaped design of the Imperial-class Star Destroyer, it was much larger, much more powerful than its predecessor. In fact, it was one of the largest, most powerful Imperial vessels ever created.

"Very impressive, my master," Terreus commented. "The Rebel Alliance will not stand a chance against the Imperial Fleet with this craft leading it."

Palpatine nodded. "Yes," he replied, deep in thought. He could not help but think of what a fitting commander Darth Vader would have made for this mighty vessel. In fact, Vader himself had had a hand in the design of the super star destroyer. Fitting that it will now it will be the instrument of his destruction, his and his children.

"The command of this vessel is yours, Lord Terreus," Palpatine said at last. "It will be your job to find the Rebel Base. I want you to send out probe droids to every corner of the galaxy. They must be found, the Skywalker twins must be found. You will not fail me in this, my young apprentice. Not unless you wish to face more punishment."

Terreus nodded, realizing that the emperor was not one to make idle threats. He had already suffered punishment at the hands of his master, and had no desire to go through that again. I will find the Rebels, he vowed. Even if I have to search every planet in the galaxy to do it.

"The Skywalkers will not evade us for long, Master," Terreus told Palpatine. "I swear it."

Palpatine nodded. "Make sure of it, Lord Terreus," he replied. "It's their lives, or yours."

Polis Massa Outpost- Medical Facility- Maternity Ward

Talanis Deece had just entered her office to begin her day when she noticed that there a message coming through on the comm.. She sat down at the screen and activated it. She was surprised to see the face of Anakin Skywalker appear.

"Dr. Deece," Anakin said. "I'm glad I was able to reach you," he said.

"Lord Vader," she replied. "I'm surprised to see you. What can I do for you?" she asked.

"Give me some information, I hope," Anakin replied. He held up a data disc in his hand. "This disc contains my wife's medical files for the past twenty years," he told her. "I need your help to interpret some of the information."

"You found her then," Deece replied. "That's wonderful. How is she?"

"She is well," Anakin replied. "Although she still has not regained her memory. I have a suspicion that there is a reason for that, and that's where I need your help."

"What is it that you suspect?" she asked.

"Padmé has been coerced into taking meds that she doesn't need," Anakin told her. "At least, I don't think she does. I suspect that these meds are preventing her from regaining her memory. Is that possible?"

Deece nodded. "Yes, it certainly is," she said. "It sounds rather diabolical," she added with a frown. "Who would do that to her?"

"Someone with his own agenda," Anakin replied. "I need to prove my theory, though; can you help me do that?"

"Yes, I can try," she replied. "Why don't you send me the data and I'll have a look at it?"

Anakin smiled. "I appreciate this," he said as he fed the data disc into the computer terminal. "I'm transmitting it now."

Deece waited for a few seconds for the transmission to be completed, and then downloaded it onto her own data base.

"There's quite a bit of information here," Deece told him. "Let me read over this, and I will get back to you."

"Thank you Doctor," Anakin replied. "I look forward to hearing from you."

Planet Naboo

Padmé stared out her window, overlooking the gardens. Her mind was in turmoil as she replayed the unsettling conversation she'd had with Anakin earlier in her mind. There was too much to assimilate at once, it was information overload.

Yet, she could not stop thinking about what he had said. If he was indeed her husband, it would explain why she had felt something undeniable in his presence, why he looked at her the way he did. Has he truly spent the past twenty years believing me dead? She wondered. Why would he? What happened to me that he would think such a thing?

As startling as this information had been, it was not the most troubling thing that Anakin had disclosed to her. The suggestion that her memory had been deliberately hindered was of far more concern to her. Why would Palo do such a thing? He's a good person, isn't he? Surely he would not have seen that I was taken care of all these years if he weren't a decent person.

Padmé sighed, and left the window. She walked over to the bed and looked at the two items on her beside table: a small paper cup of pills and a silver chain with a stone pendant on it. She could not help but think that somehow the two were inextricably connected. Was Anakin right? Are those pills the reason I can't remember? If I don't take them, will I remember him? Will I remember why this simple pendant is so important to me? She picked up the japor snippet and looked at it, running a finger over the grooves that had been painstakingly carved there. Carved by Anakin, when he was a child. He carved this for me…because he loved me. He loves me still. Frustration filled her, making her eyes well up with tears.

For so long she had been afraid to remember. Palo had told her how terrifying those nights were for her; how the nightmares had haunted her and made her scream in her sleep. I don't remember that…is it possible that he is making it up? Is it possible that he is telling me what he wants me to believe? Certainly if the alternative to taking the medication was unspeakably terrifying dreams, who would refuse them? But what if those dreams were only a way of controlling her, a way of scaring her into submission? But why would he do that? Why would he want me to live in this miasma of confusion?

Padmé set the japor snippet down, and picked up the cup of pills next. She looked at them, trying to decide what she ought to do. If I don't take them, what's the worst that will happen? Isn't the chance of nightmares worth the price of getting my memory back? Getting my life back? Finally she made her decision.

Picking up the cup of pills, she headed for the fresher. She turned on the faucet to fill a glass with water. And then, she dumped the pills into the sink, and washed them down the drain with the water. Looking up into the mirror, she smiled at herself, feeling certain that she had just taken a step towards independence.