Avschick33 – Thanks a bunch! I'm so glad you liked the previous chapter – I hope you enjoy this one as well. And you definitely hit the nail on the head – Sidious is definitely up to no good!
Jedi Master Arie Skywalker – Aw, I'm so glad you like the way I write Anakin/Padmé. I really have a soft spot in my heart for the two of them. There's something about the innate tragedy that makes all their interactions so bittersweet. So glad you're joining us for this!
Hellish Red Devil – Hee! I know exactly how you feel about Palpatine. He is such an expert manipulator. Even though the groundwork is starting to unfold, we still have a ways to go. I'm thrilled that you're enjoying the way everything is coming together. Thanks for always being so incredibly supportive. I can't tell you how much it means to me! I'm honored that you seem to like my work so much!
Eriks leadinglady – Well, I saw PofC 2 last weekend and let's just say that I totally agree with you! I have to say that I really enjoyed the special effects and the one-thing-after-another plot, but I got aggravated a bit with the character's behavior. It will be interesting to see how they resolve everything in the next installment. Thanks for continuing on with the story – I'm so glad that you are enjoying it so much!
Seldom Darlin – Yeah, Palpy is such a jerk, isn't he? If only he would just GO AWAY! But no, my muse insists that he needs to stick around. Stupid muse. Thanks for reading and for leaving such sweet reviews!
meandmysharpie – Hooray for orange! After I read your review, I had the strangest craving for juice! Hee! I'm glad that you're enjoying the mix of fun / sinister. That's how I see "Star Wars" – one minute you have a lighthearted scene and the next people are fighting for their lives. It's cool that you think I'm recreating that a bit – thanks!
Ann Jinn – You think their dialogue sounds real? Obviously, you can't see me but I'm grinning like an idiot in front of my monitor. Wow, that is so incredibly great to hear! I hope I can keep it up!
ALL – Thanks for your continued support. This story has taken awhile to come together so it's especially wonderful to hear what you think of the end result. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it! See you back here soon with more!
ONBOARD TRANSPORT SHIP - THREE DAYS LATER
Padmé's eyes fluttered open as she reluctantly emerged from what had been the most restful sleep she had managed in days.
Rubbing a hand across her cheek, she scanned the room in a vague attempt to identify what had woken her. But the cheerful yellow gown she was planning to don later that morning appeared undisturbed, the matching shoes below; her brushes remained on the far countertop, hair bands still nestled strategically on a nearby shelf. Indeed, it seemed everything was in place…
…except for the trace of unease that had her pulling the sheets up to her chin.
Seeking a distraction, she checked the chrono on her bedside table and let out a rather undignified groan. Anakin would kill me if I got up this early. She made a silent promise to at least stay for another hour; maybe two. Rolling to the side, she let her eyes drift shut.
"Please don't make me wake you up again, Senator. I hate to disturb you at such an early hour but I'm feeling a bit impatient."
The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and she bolted upright. Her head jerked from side-to-side, desperately searching for any sign of the voice's owner. Yet there was no one to be found... unless she counted her startled reflection in the vanity mirror.
"Perhaps I'm not awake as I suspected," she mused, sinking into the pillows with a sigh. "I'm hearing voices, having lucid nightmares... What silly pregnancy symptoms will I be cursed with next?"
"I suppose some would call me a curse but I am much more than that. Do not dismiss me so easily, my dear, or I will get angry... and that is something you do not wish to witness."
Her legs were over the side of the bed even before the words had fully registered.
"Who's here? Who are you?" she gasped.
"I am the deliverer of your destiny, Milady. You don't really believe you can outrun it, do you?"
Stumbling in her haste, she was halfway to the door controls when a vice encircled her neck, choking off any attempt she made to breathe. It yanked her back and pushed her against the wall as if she were nothing more than a plaything. She fought desperately, reaching back to claw at her attacker...
Terror exploded in her heart when her nails only met the cool durasteel of an interior wall.
"There, that should keep you quiet. I won't tolerate any interruptions while I introduce myself to the offspring of Skywalker."
She gasped as a cold chill crept across her midsection, probing... searching for the life beneath. Deep within, she could feel the baby recoil, twisting and tumbling as its fear and agitation grew.
Please, not my baby... Please.
There was no response. If anything, the ice tightened its grip as if taunting her with its power. Something let loose inside her heart, something that burned brighter than the twin suns of Tatooine.
A mother's protectiveness.
No! You will leave us!
Just as quickly as it had come, the pressure on her throat evaporated. She sucked in huge gulps of air as she tried once again to make her way to the controls. When the outer door finally slid open, she nearly fell into the hallway beyond. The sound of footsteps had her glancing up in time to see Obi-wan speeding through the corridor as if rabid gundarks were snarling at his heels.
"Padmé!" he cried. He extinguished his saber when she held up a hand to indicate she was all right. "I sensed a dark presence-"
"It was here. It came after me," she blurted.
He studied her through the Force, noting the way her pulse raced and her body shook with fear. However, the tendrils of darkness that had encompassed her so briefly had vanished.
Which meant so had any trace of their source.
"What happened?" he asked gently. He offered her his cloak to ward off her chill, but her next words were enough to freeze the blood in his own veins.
"It said that it wanted to meet Anakin's child. I could feel it wrapping around my stomach, seeking him out." She absently twisted the folks of the cloak around her fist. "I've never encountered anything so dark, so cold."
"The voice," he prompted. "Did it sound like anyone you know?"
Her lower lip trembled as she recalled the threats. "I... I don't think so. It wasn't speaking so much as it was... hissing." She focused on him and he could practically see her mind swimming with anxiety. Not for herself, he noted, but for Anakin and the child they had created together.
"Whatever it was, it was strong in the Force but I could not get a good read on its signature," he admitted. "A shroud of darkness has fallen over the Force in recent years. It has made such identification difficult - if not impossible - especially when one wishes to remain hidden."
"And a Sith which that much power would certainly want to remain hidden," she concluded. Her shoulders slumped for a brief moment before she brought her chin up determinedly. "The darkness will not claim Anakin's child, Obi-wan. I won't let that happen. I would die first."
His brow furrowed as he stroked a hand over his beard. "You may have just landed on quite an interesting concept, Senator."
NEXT MORNING - JEDI TEMPLE
Anakin cursed under his breath as he rushed through the familiar corridors, hoping he could slip out of the Temple unnoticed. It was bad enough that he had overslept - he certainly didn't need a lecture to accompany his guilt.
Needless to say, the previous night had not been a peaceful one.
Something - he couldn't exactly say what - woke him so suddenly, he was reaching for his saber before he had even fully opened his eyes. The following moments were dominated by terror and a pressing sense of dread... until they clashed with an unexpected rush of white-hot power and were vanquished.
Shaken, he sank into a deep meditation and the enhanced connection to the Force steadied him, allowing him to connect briefly with Padmé's soothing presence.
His relief was tenfold.
"Just a nightmare," he grumbled before climbing back into his bunk.
He tossed and turned for hours, only managing to fall into a fitful sleep a mere thirty minutes before he was due at the Chancellor's office.
Now he was going to be late for the morning meeting and it was an important one too. Some of Palpatine's most vocal opponents were attending and he had hoped to witness their interaction for further insight.
Something told him time was running out.
Reinforcing his shields, he took a deep breath and started through the area that housed the Padawan classrooms. He didn't normally like to come this way - the chance was too great that he would run into a Master - but today, it was the most direct route to his speeder and therefore, the quickest.
He had scarcely passed the first doorway when the sounds of scraping boots and the low whirr of a hoverchair reached his ears. He darted into the nearest unoccupied classroom, pressing himself against the wall as snugly as possible.
"Down an uncertain path, this line of thinking could take us."
Master Yoda, he noted nervously.
"I realize how such actions could be construed." The second voice was easily identified as belonging to Master Windu. "But it is up to us to ensure the Republic's survival, is it not? It appears the only way to do that may involve taking responsibility for its oversight."
"Without appropriate leadership, further dominated by corrupt politicians it could become," Yoda mused. "Hmmmm... Necessary preparations, perhaps we should make."
"I agree." Mace cleared his throat as they rounded the corner, moving out of Anakin's range of hearing.
As if on autopilot, he resumed his trek while replaying everything he had just heard. Are the Jedi really waiting for the right moment to seize control of the Senate?
Anger stirred low in his belly before he pushed it aside, remembering how regretful Mace sounded towards the mere idea; Master Yoda hadn't appeared particularly enthused about it either.
"All who have power are afraid to lose it. A part of me doubts that the Jedi, as noble as they may be, are even immune to such a statement."
Palpatine's comments floated through his mind, but he shook his head vehemently. The Jedi were protectors of peace - they did not desire power. It was one of the first teachings all Padawans learned.
But what if power is the only way to ensure this so-called peace?
Confused and wary, he slipped into his speeder and zoomed towards the Chancellor's office.