Eriks leadinglady – Oh yeah, Palpatine is already up to his tricks – just wait until you see what he's doing now. Are you ready for Pirates of the Caribbean 2? I'm going to see it with my husband on Sunday – I'm really looking forward to it. I enjoyed the first one so much. I'll be anxious to hear what you think. In the meantime – thanks for reading this story!
Ann Jinn – It's funny you should wonder how long it would take Palpy to get his hands on the messages. Well, you can't see me, but I'm trying really hard to look innocent over here! I'm so glad you're sticking with the story – your support means a lot to me!
Hellish Red Devil – Wow, what a tremendous compliment! It is so amazing to hear that I'm able to bring out some emotion with my writing – that is what I strive to do with every chapter. This story has been simmering for quite some time now and I'm working so hard on each update – your comments make all the hard work more than worthwhile. Thank you!
Jedi Master Arie Skywalker – Oh, it is so good to see you in here! Yes, I will tell you right from the get-go that this story is going to end similarly to RotS as I am setting it up to flow into "A New Hope." I'd love to have you along for the ride though, if you don't mind a bit of angst!
meandmysharpie – Happy Canada Day! I hope you enjoyed yourself! I had a great Fourth – my long weekend by way too fast though. Boo! I'm totally with you on the pureed vegetables aspect of the previous chapter – yuck! Hope you enjoy this one though! Thanks for reading!
Seldom Darlin – Wow! You don't know how big you just made me grin! To hear that you think this is on par with a novel – oh, you just made my day. No, make that my entire week! Thank you oh-so-much!
Avschick33 – Anakin and Padmé will have a reunion but it won't be a happy one, unfortunately. I'm not sure how long I'm going to make the story – I have it all planned out but I haven't decided on the division of chapters though. So glad you're still interested!
ALL – Hope you guys are all set for a nice weekend – I sure am! I have another update for you – please let me know what you think. See you next week with more! Thanks for reading!
ONBOARD TRANSPORT VESSEL - ONE WEEK LATER
Obi-wan entered the tiny, cramped area he and Padmé had sarcastically deemed "The Dining Salon." There was an actual dining room on the main level, but neither liked eating there since the numerous empty chairs only served to remind them of their current dilemma.
He saw that Padmé had already taken her favorite seat, one that allowed her a clear view of the space beyond. A tantalizing breakfast was spread out before her but given the way her utensils continued to remain untouched, he was certain the same could be said for the food.
"Not hungry?" he asked lightly.
She jumped and her hand flew to her heart instinctively. "Oh, Obi-wan, you startled me."
"I'm sorry, Milady. I was trudging along like a bantha; I just assumed you had heard my approach."
"My mind was elsewhere," she admitted wryly. She gestured to the seat across from her and he accepted the invitation, helping himself to a piece of breakfast bread.
"Is there anything I can do?"
"No," she immediately replied. She shook her head slightly and folded her hands in her lap. "Well, yes... I mean, maybe." She heaved a weary sigh. "I don't know."
"That clears things up," he teased.
"Things are starting to happen," she murmured cryptically.
Spotting his genuine confusion, she cleared her throat and tried to explain. "As you know, I have been in touch with Senator Organa on a daily basis. While I had always planned to keep in close touch, I never anticipated that we would do so with such extreme regularity. But the leaders of the Delegation have increased the frequency of their meetings-"
"And you're upset about not being there in person?"
"No. I mean, of course I would like to be there but that isn't the root of it." She toyed with a strand of hair, waging some sort of inner battle.
"I received a message from Bail late last night," she finally confessed. "A radical decision has been made and I am having a difficult time coming to terms with it. Normally, I would mull it over until I gained some semblance of peace but that is a luxury I cannot afford these days. Dormé is awaiting my guidance as we speak."
He waited for her to continue, somehow knowing she would.
"My fellow Senators and I agree with the Jedi, Obi-wan. The Chancellor clearly does not have the Republic's best interests at heart and democracy is paying a steep price. It has been decided that the safest way to pursue the most effective countermeasures is through a well-organized underground movement."
The Jedi Master leaned back in his seat, his meal completely forgotten. "I see."
"I just... what we're starting... It could be viewed as a rebellion." The word was foreign on her tongue, the taste bitter and sharp. "Has it actually come to this? Are we really so far gone?"
He tried to remain positive. "Perhaps when Anakin gets to the bottom of-"
"I'm afraid it's already too late," she murmured. "The Senate has been corrupt for so long. Many of my colleagues are reaping benefits under Palpatine's rule which they will not give up - not without a fight that would shake the people's confidence in their governing body. No, we will have to start quietly... at the foundation... at the beginning."
"Do you wish me to speak with the Council?"
"No." She put her elbows on the table and massaged her aching temples. "I was not even supposed to tell you what I just did. Please, do not say anything to anyone."
"What about your husband?"
She smiled at the Jedi Master's reference to Anakin's newly disclosed title. To her dismay, the feeling did not last long as she realized what her response must be.
"I cannot tell him," she whispered sadly.
"What? Why?"
"He is too close to the Chancellor both in proximity and personal support. And it could put him in danger-"
"But he would never betray your trust, not even for Palpatine's sake."
"I know," she insisted passionately. "But lives are at stake and evil lurks behind shadows we can only sense in their vaguest forms. No, until the Chancellor's role in all of this is determined, this is one secret I cannot share with him - for his safety and for that of our child's."
She closed her eyes for a moment, preparing herself for the task ahead. When they fluttered open again, the brown orbs reflected a steely resolve. "I must cast my vote. The motion will have my support."
He watched her disappear in the direction of the communications console before letting his head strike the back of the chair with a soft thump.
SENATE ROTUNDA - SAME DAY, MID-AFTERNOON
Finally, Anakin sighed silently. Freedom.
Having seen the Chancellor safely to his pod, he had been granted a few hours away from the Senate building before his services were needed again. He was already striding for the exit, determined to return to the Temple to prepare for the briefing with Master Yoda he had scheduled for the following day.
But deep down, he knew it was pointless. The fact was that there was nothing to report.
The Chancellor had apparently shaken his rotten mood and was back to the kind, compassionate man he had always admired. Palpatine had even given a widely-broadcasted speech in which he thanked the Jedi for their services and bravery throughout the war. Afterwards, he had invited some Council members to craft a strategy to work with the Separatists.
Surely, Padmé will be pleased by that development, he mused. Yet a part of him knew she would wonder why Palpatine didn't seem to have any immediate plans to bring it before the Senate just yet.
These things take time, he reasoned.
He was steps away from the turbo-lift when he spotted Bail Organa, Mon Mothma and a handful of other politicians he recognized from his wife's inner circle.
"Knight Skywalker," Organa said warmly. "It is a pleasure to see you again."
"Hello, Senator Organa," he replied.
He politely greeted the other Senators in turn, swallowing an oath of amazement when his gaze landed on Dormé.
The handmaiden had done a remarkable job transforming herself into her Padmé's double, even going so far as to mimic her speech patterns. It was clear that only her most intimate friends and colleagues would be able to tell the difference - and even then they might find it difficult.
Our plan just might work after all, he thought. For the first time since Padmé's departure, the knot in his chest loosened.
"Senator Amidala, may I speak with you for a moment?" he inquired politely. The others excused themselves, heading into the session after bidding him farewell.
"Master Skywalker, what is it?" Dormé wondered nervously. "Is Milady all right? The baby?"
"They're both fine," he assured her. "I just wanted to make sure you were all right. Padmé continues to worry for your safety; I know it will make her feel better if she hears that I've spoken with you myself."
She bowed her head, humbled by her friend's concern. "Please tell her everything is going according to plan. Masters Windu and Fisto have been extremely vigilant, though they do not say very much."
He grinned. "That sounds about right."
"Is Milady taking care of herself?" Dormé paused as a small cluster of Senators hurried past them to enter their pods. "For months I have been telling her she needed more rest but there was always something that required her attention."
"If she's telling the truth in her messages, she is getting a good amount of sleep every night," he reported proudly.
"We should have demanded your return from the war ages ago," she chuckled. "She obviously listens to your advice much better than ours."
"I am relishing the experience," he grinned. "It does not happen often."
"Well, I should go," she sighed regretfully. "If I am not in the Naboo pod within the next two minutes, Master Windu will set off alarms throughout the building."
He bowed politely. "Of course; be safe, Dormé."
"I will. Please tell Senator Amidala we all miss her."
"I'll do better than that," he promised. "I'll make sure she gets back to us as quickly as possible."
LATE EVENING - OFFICE OF CHANCELLOR PALPATINE
"And you should have seen the look on your Master's face when I told him how much you adore heated shimmersilk sheets." Padmé's recorded image beamed, revealing her glee at the development. "He said you had come a long way from the Padawan who once fell asleep in a snow fort you had built."
Anakin winced, shaking his head in embarrassment.
"As you probably have guessed, you are often the leading topic of my conversations with Obi-wan. Of course I wouldn't have it any other way, but I can't help but find it a bit sad. I just... I wish I was hearing these stories from you, Ani, but we've never had enough time to share these sorts of things, have we? Well, I will just have to be grateful for my newfound knowledge, however I come by it. How else am I going to be able to tease you mercilessly when I get back to Coruscant?"
She tilted her head to the side knowingly. "Now don't get too upset with your former Master. Whether you realize it or not, you are getting your own form of revenge already. Obi-wan has been overly dutiful in carrying out his assignment - the man will scarcely let me out of his sight! When we landed early this evening to purchase our supplies, he actually made me stay on the ship. Can you believe it?"
Now it was his turn to grin. He could only imagine the argument that had ensued.
"He did come up with a valid point." She shrugged, obviously making the acknowledgement very reluctantly. "I tried to argue that no harm could come from a market and he effectively put an end to that by reminding me that my previous trip to such a place landed us in the healer's ward. I really hate it when he's right."
"I know just how you feel, love," he murmured.
"I suppose it's time for me to turn in. Perhaps one of these days you will get a message from me wearing something other than my night clothes." The mention apparently jogged her memory as a wide grin split her cheeks. "By the Force, how could I forget! Ani, you'll never believe what Dormé slipped into my luggage. My dress! She had it altered so it fits perfectly again."
Immediately, he knew the gown she was describing so enthusiastically; it was the one he had given her on their first anniversary. The color was vibrant, so intensely blue he was sure he could drown in it. It had a smattering of sparkles on the bodice that reflected even the tiniest bit of light – just as the lakes did outside their beloved Varykino. From the first moment the gown caught his eye, he knew Padmé was meant to have it…
"It still takes my breath away. I have to wonder how Dormé managed to match the shade but I'm afraid to ask in case she tells me how many lengths she had to purchase to let it out so far." She patted her belly affectionately even as she sniffled. "It is such a nice gesture and now I have another part of you with me. We are so fortunate to have her on our side, Ani. We have so many wonderful people on our side."
Dabbing at her eyes discreetly, she cleared her throat. "You said in your previous message that you are keeping your mind open and your senses attuned. I'm so glad to hear it, Ani. I feel we're on the precipice of something so significant it may even shape the life of our child… and the Republic as he or she will know it."
She raised a hand to close out the recording. "I will send another message tomorrow. I love you, Ani. Good night."
He was still smiling after he sent his reply and shut down the communications console.
Sidious watched patiently as the young Jedi prepared to leave. Through the Force, he could sense Skywalker's exit from the building as well as the exact moment he reached his speeder.
Only then did he allow himself to stroll towards the console and rest his hand on the controls, his eyes glowing yellow…
"Japor," he murmured.