CHAPTER SIX

The Clone Wars raged, and Anakin and Obi-Wan were sent to fight them. Anakin was sad to leave Padme, and came back whenever he could, though their visits were sadly short and always under stress of being found out. During the fighting, Anakin went through his Jedi trials and made Jedi Knight! Yoda cut off his braid in a ceremony, and after that he was free to grow his hair again. Within a few months his golden curls were back, very full and beautiful. He had grown into a very handsome man, his tall, skinny frame now filled out, he was even more attractive than before. Of course, Padme found him irresistible. On his brief visits home, he tried his best to find the time to spend with her in private. On one such visit, he managed to sneak away to spend the night with her at her apartment. She made sure all the servants were away, and he told everyone at the temple he was turning in early. Then he dashed off in the night for Padme's apartment.

"Shhh, in here." She whispered, in fear anyone might see the young Jedi entering her residence.

"This is terrible." he bemoaned once inside. "We're married, after all, and we have to sneak around like cheating spouses."

Padme glanced sadly down. "You knew all along what we were up against. We knew this all along, remember, I had my reservations, I told you it would destroy us."

He took her by the shoulders gently. "No, Padme, it will NOT destroy us! Our love is precious, special, how can it be wrong?"

"Our society tells us it's wrong. I'm a senator, and you're a Jedi. Jedi aren't supposed to, feel the things you feel for me."

"That's wrong!" he snapped. "I'm a human, I'm a man, I have feelings. Aren't these feelings of love and caring a good thing for a Jedi?"

"I would think so, but if your masters don't..."

"Oh I wish Qui-Gon were still here! He'd know what to do."

"If he knew what to do, he'd not have left the way he did."

Anakin looked down, then glanced up at her. "You're right. Even he has failed me."

"Do you feel that everyone has failed you? Even me?"

"Not you. The system. The galaxy. The way things are. Maybe even myself." Tears came to his eyes, though he tried to hide them, she saw. She reached gently and wiped them with one finger.

"I love you." She said in a breathy sigh, quietly. "I don't care about anything else." She hugged him and they kissed passionately. Within a few minutes, they had backed up to her bed, and had begun disrobing each other. "Wait!" she said as she stopped him.

"What, why?" he whined in frustration.

"What power can be greater than the force?" Anakin asked.

"I am speaking of another aspect of the force."

Anakin's head shot around. "The dark side?"

"It is called that by those who don't understand."

"Qui-Gon was right! You are the Sith Lord we've been looking for!"

Palpatine chuckled wickedly. "The Jedi are such blind fools!"

"How have you managed to trick the entire order, and the senate?"

"The dark side has not only power, but wisdom in ways you can't understand- unless you want to."

"Are you asking me to be your apprentice?" Suddenly it hit Anakin like a heavy stone. That's why he wanted me to kill Dooku, though it wasn't the Jedi way! He wanted his old apprentice gone so he could have a younger, stronger one- me! Anakin had grown and matured, and his love and feelings for Obi-Wan and Padme had changed him. He would not be turned with these taunts as he once would have. He turned to the Chancellor and stared him straightly in the eyes. "No."

"Don't be so quick to dismiss this chance, my boy. You will go home and sleep on it, won't you? Give it one night- just one more night."

Anakin left without answering. He feared threatening the Chancellor with turning him into the Jedi Council. He would go home and sleep on it, just one night, and decide how to deal with this. Sadly, he knew he could confide in no one. If only he could find Qui-Gon! He went home and was making plans to leave that night to look for Qui-Gon. Together, they could fix things. He couldn't tell Obi-Wan, he was too close to Yoda. He couldn't tell Padme, she was too close to the Senate. No one but Qui-Gon would ever believe him unless he proved it. He'd have to find Qui-Gon, and tell him, and prove it.

But the powerful Sith Lord had other plans. That evening, as he fell alseep in Padme's arms with so much on his mind, the dreams came...

"We must make sure all the shades and curtains are drawn." She stopped to make sure no one could see anything, though it spoiled the moment a bit. Then she returned. "Where were we?" She smiled as she kissed him, using her tongue as well as her lips. He did the same. They were already moaning from the taste of each other, and at last their desire took them all the way. It was a glorious night for their love, a night that would leave something to remember. The twins were conceived at that moment.

In the morning, they awoke still in each others' arms. They were still sad that such a beautiful love had to stay hidden and lied about. All the beauty of their feelings could never be seen by others, and the stress of having to hide it was taking away from the pleasure of their togetherness, though they tried to make the best of it.

"Mmm, good morning, beautiful." Padme sighed as she saw his blue eyes flicker open. They turned to enjoy the sight of her.

"Same to you." He smiled. They hugged again, so close they could feel each other's heartbeats. They could feel something special had happened between them.

"Please, say you won't have to go back to war. I can't bear not having you around, I can't stand the thought of losing you!"

He gave her his pity eyes, and a strained smile as he gently touched her face. "I know, I don't want to go...they say I'll be going back, with Obi-Wan, this time to the Outer Rim. I may be gone for months."

"Oh no!" The sadness showed in her eyes. It hurt him to see it, and to feel it himself.

"I'm sorry..but when I get back, I'll never leave you again."

"You promise?"

"All I can do is try."

"I'll try too. I'll see what I can do in the the Senate to end this war. I want you back, forever."

"I'll be fine. We'll have so much time together in the future, there will come a time when these sad days will not matter anymore."

"I can only hope so." They embraced as she cried into his chest.

"I'm sorry, Padme, I have to go... they'll be looking for me at the Temple."

He got out of the bed, put his Jedi clothing back on, and walked away. They had no more words to express their love, or sadness, their eyes, and their kisses said it all as he left her standing there alone, wondering when she'd see him again, and what the future held for them.

It was over five long months before they saw each other again. If not for their mission to rescue the Chancellor it may have been longer.

Meetng behind a pillar in secret, as always, Padme was escstatic to see him. There had been rumors he was killed, and she was suffering with worry. One look from those beautiful eyes and a word from his lips and she was full of peace and relief, though still never truly at ease because of their forbidden love. When she told him of her pregnancy, he was very happy, though they knew this was going to present a bigger problem than the one they already had. As he told her, this was happy news, don't let anything spoil it.

Anakin and Obi-Wan were very glad to be home. They were not sent back to the Outer Rim as they had feared they would be, their missions would now be based on Coruscant, and involve direct involvement with the government, and the Chancellor. Anakin was especially close to him, and had trusted him completely, having been a mentor of both himself and Padme. Anakin went to visit him often, on Jedi business, but it became something more. Something he wasn't sure he was comfortable with. The Chancellor expressed his concern that the Jedi were against him, and wanted Anakin to spy for him. When the Jedi asked him to do the same of the Chancellor, he felt caught in the middle, with nowhere to turn. He couldn't tell Obi-Wan, he was loyal to the Jedi. He couldn't tell Padme, she was loyal to the government and believed fully in the Chancellor. He thought again, if only Master Jinn were here. If only he had the time to set out alone, to try to find him. Where had he been, what was he doing? He had not sensed his demise in the force, so surely he was alive. In his time in seclusion, Qui-Gon had medidated deeply and had become even stronger in the force. He had watched the news of the Clone Wars from afar, getting a feeling something wasn't quite right. He knew it would do no good to ever tell the Jedi or the government, they'd never believe him. Something had to happen to prove it to everyone. He'd still have to wait until the time was right.

Anakin was able to spend more frequent nights with Padme. They lay togther, discussing dreams of a future with the baby, with only their love and no other worries.

"I want to have the baby back home on Naboo." She declared one night. "We can go to the Lake Country where no one will know."

"You can't leave the Senate, not now that you're needed, and I cannot leave the Jedi. No one can know."

"But they will know! I can't hide my pregnancy forever, they will know, and if they find out you're the father..."

"I know, I know, we know all the dangers we face, that's why they can't ever be allowed to come true, they can't.."

"Anakin, we are bringing a child into this life! We have to think of him, or her. We have to do what's best for us."

"I wish it were that easy. Padme, what are we going to do?"

"You're the one who told me, this baby is a blessing, not a problem."

"I know, I did say that. But you know it is both."

"How can something so precious, so happy, so good, be wrong?"

"It shouldn't be. I can get some time away from the Senate, you surely can get some time away too. We will have our baby on Naboo, and worry about everything else later."

"Padme, you know I might be put out of the order."

"No, you can't be! We can keep it all a secret."

"For how long? Who are you going to say is the father? What will your family say?"

"I will tell them eventually."

"We will have to tell everyone eventually."

"It's going to be all right, it has to be." She kissed him and tried to alieviate his fears, as well as her own. "Give me your hand." She took his hand and layed it on her stomach. He felt a little flutter. "The little Jedi is practicing his moves!" She laughed. Anakin couldn't help but laugh, too. It was so loving, so special, so precious. How could this tender love lead to anything but good?

The next day Anakin, frustrated over his inability to move the boulder which was the Jedi council, went to see the Chancellor.

"What a pity they don't appreciate you, Anakin. You are wise, strong, powerful, yet they treat you like a punished child. Your power and skills are wasted on the Jedi."

"What do you mean?"

"I've been watching you for a long time, Anakin. I know all about you. I know you crave power, and you have the strength to attain these goals. I can help you."

"Help me, what?"

"You can move beyond the Jedi."

"What are you saying?"

"Anakin, you know they are only holding you back. If you come with me, I can give you the power you deserve."

Anakin didn't know what to think. At one time he'd have grabbed this chance in a second, but now, he felt differently. He was very close to Obi-Wan, and would never turn his back on his close friend. He was like his brother. Now he had Padme, and children on the way. He loved them, and didn't want to do anything to hurt them, or their chances at happiness as a family.

"Anakin, there are powers beyond the Jedi, powers you have not yet begun to explore- powers that you can have, greatness can be yours."

"What power can be greater than the force?" Anakin asked.
"I am speaking of another aspect of the force."
Anakin's head shot around. "The dark side?"
"It is called that by those who don't understand."
"Qui-Gon was right! You are the Sith Lord we've been looking for!"
Palpatine chuckled wickedly. "The Jedi are such blind fools!"
"How have you managed to trick the entire order, and the senate?"
"The dark side has not only power, but wisdom in ways you can't understand- unless you want to."
"Are you asking me to be your apprentice?" Suddenly it hit Anakin like a heavy stone. That's why he wanted me to kill Dooku, though it wasn't the Jedi way! He wanted his old apprentice gone so he could have a younger, stronger one- me! Anakin had grown and matured, and his love and feelings for Obi-Wan and Padme had changed him. He would not be turned with these taunts as he once would have. He turned to the Chancellor and stared him straightly in the eyes. "No."
"Don't be so quick to dismiss this chance, my boy. You will go home and sleep on it, won't you? Give it one night- just one more night."
Anakin left without answering. He feared threatening the Chancellor with turning him into the Jedi Council. He would go home and sleep on it, just one night, and decide how to deal with this. Sadly, he knew he could confide in no one. If only he could find Qui-Gon! He went home and was making plans to leave that night to look for Qui-Gon. Together, they could fix things. He couldn't tell Obi-Wan, he was too close to Yoda. He couldn't tell Padme, she was too close to the Senate. No one but Qui-Gon would ever believe him unless he proved it. He'd have to find Qui-Gon, and tell him, and prove it.

But the powerful Sith Lord had other plans. That evening, as he fell alseep in Padme's arms with so much on his mind, the dreams came...