Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars.
AN: Here's chapter 47! Thanks for all the great reviews!
Forever Destined
Chapter 47: Sign of the Sith
Anakin landed at the small filling station on the tropic island of Milawi. Padme had the twins dressed and put hats on each of them to keep the sun off. He helped her roll the hover stroller down the ramp.
"Hello, and welcome to Milawi. What can I do for you?" a man, who Anakin assumed was the owner, greeted.
"Well, we need refueled and then we were looking for a quiet place to stay for a few days," Anakin said.
"I can certainly help you with the refueling part and Milawi has several resorts, but they ain't watcha would call quiet," the man replied.
"Is there a place you could recommend that is quiet?" Anakin asked.
"If you're lookin' for quiet seclusion, then you want to go to Dalica. It's a small island about fifty miles west of here. It's got one resort and no Holonet, so not too many tourists frequent it. People who don't want to be found go there," the man said. Anakin looked at him after that comment, but sensed no ill will from him and genuine concern.
"That sounds like the place for us then," Anakin replied.
"You'll have to rent a boat down at the marina. Dalica is so small that there is no landing pad. But for a small fee, I can park your ship in my hanger for the duration of your stay here," the man said. Anakin looked back at Padme and she nodded.
"Sounds like a good deal," Anakin replied, as he handed the man his account card to cover the fuel and a space in his hanger. Padme left the twins with Anakin, as she went back onto the ship to pack several days of clothes and other essentials for them. She came back down the ramp with two large satchels, just as the owner came back and handed their account card back to Anakin. The man chuckled, as he watched the children.
"No, no Luke, keep your hat on," Padme said, as she plucked it from the ground and put it back on his head. Luke and Leia started blowing raspberries at each other and giggling.
"You have a beautiful family," he complimented. Anakin smiled.
"Thank you," he replied, as he shouldered one of the satchels.
"No problem. Your ship will be fine here. Enjoy your stay," the man said.
"Threepio, Artoo, let's go!" Anakin called to them, as they headed for the marina.
Anakin rented a nice hover boat and they set out for Dalica at a steady pace. After several soft embraces, he finally convinced Padme that it was okay to relax a bit and encouraged her to put swim suit on and enjoy the warm sun. And as she came up from below, he was glad that he had. He had already discarded his shirt and shoes and was content to gaze upon the loveliness of his wife before him. She wore a white string bikini top and a matching pair of very short white shorts covering what he was cure was a skimpy bikini bottom. He'd have to see that she got rid of those shorts later during the twins' nap time.
"See something you like?" she asked playfully.
"You know I do," he replied. She smiled and looked over to the twins, who were sitting and playing with a few toys.
"Leia, come here and mommy will put your swim suit on. You must be hot in that dress," Padme said. Leia put her toy down and pulled herself up on her little legs, before toddling into Padme's arms. Padme smiled and kissed her cheek, before undressing her and putting a little one piece, lavender swimsuit on her over her diaper.
"There baby, you look so pretty," Padme said, as she kissed her head.
"Daddy!" she called.
"I see you princess. Come here," he called. Leia squirmed down and toddled to her father, who hoisted her up on his knee.
"Lukie, come here to mommy," Padme called. Luke toddled to her and she dressed him in a blue pair of swim shorts.
"There you go, my handsome boy," she said, as she kissed him. He squirmed down and went back to playing. Leia also wanted down and went back to playing with her brother. Padme sat across her husband's lap and he kissed her neck softly.
"Mmm...this almost feels like a vacation," Padme said, as she thrilled to the touch of his lips.
"You can relax, angel. Dantooine doesn't get many bounty hunters. And I'm keeping myself open to the Force, so I'll sense it if something's wrong," he replied. She sighed.
"I know. How much further is it?" she asked.
"About ten more miles. After we get settled, maybe we can take the twins to the beach and let them play," Anakin replied.
"That sounds nice," she said, as she pressed her lips to his in a tender kiss. He wrapped his arms around her bare mid section, as their lips moved sensually over one another's. They broke the kiss and Padme rested her head on his shoulder, as they watched their children play.
"I think Leia's feeling better," Anakin mentioned.
"Me too. I think those teeth finally broke through. I was worried about her," Padme replied.
"She'll be fine. She is a Skywalker, after all," he said. She giggled.
"You know, now that I'm beginning to relax, I am drawn to the fact that this is a very romantic place. I think it will do us both a lot of good to get a break from the stress," she mentioned.
"I agree," he replied, as he kissed her softly. Artoo whirled at them.
"Looks like we're coming up on Dalica," Anakin said, as they stood up. He went to steer the boat, while she cleaned up the twins' toys and got them ready.
Sola sighed blissfully, as she stood on the veranda of she and Obi-Wan's spacious suite in the palace. They had put the girls to bed with a bedtime story and now Obi-Wan was tending to a few things he deemed 'Jedi business', promising to return soon. Sola slowly brushed her hair out, while thinking of her beloved. She was the future Lady Kenobi and the sound of that sent shivers of delight down her spine. A part of her heart reached out to her sister, hoping that she was all right. But she was sure Padme and the twins were fine. Padme had her own handsome Knight to love and protect her, just like she now had hers.
"Will the future Lady Kenobi please join her future husband inside? He is in dire need of her undivided attention,"
Sola turned to find her beloved standing at the entry way, wearing only a pair of dark brown pants. Sola smiled and sauntered to him, capturing his lips in a passionate kiss. He smiled, as he broke the kiss.
"Mmm...hello to you too, Mrs. Kenobi," he said. She smirked and undid her robe, slipping it off.
"Hello indeed," he said, as he stared at the skimpy black negligee that barely covered her.
"I thought I would model this for you. Do you think it is suitable attire for our honeymoon?" she asked playfully.
"Oh yes...though I believe I will be thrilled anytime you choose to wear such attire," he replied.
"So glad I could please you, my love. Now, what are your plans for me this evening?" she asked playfully. Obi-Wan pressed his lips to hers and slid his tongue along her own.
"Oh, I have many plans for you, my darling future wife," he replied.
"Then please kindly elaborate on these plans, my Jedi," she replied, as their lips met again. Obi-Wan carefully lifted her into his arms and carried her inside...
The esteemed Count Dooku sat hunched over a data terminal in the dimly lit library of the Grand Jedi Archives. He'd spent all night reading through every piece of information pertaining to the Sith in the archives and every Sith holocron in their possession.
"Slept, you have not. Nearly dawn, it is," Yoda's voice broke his concentration. Dooku sighed deeply.
"There is a Sith out there trying to destroy us. I don't have time to rest," Dooku replied.
"Be that as it may; take care of yourself, you must. Upset your wife will be if returns to an ill husband, she will," Yoda said. Dooku smirked, as he thought of being lectured by his beautiful Elana.
"Found anything, have you?" Yoda asked.
"I think I know the complete history of the Sith...except the identity of the current reigning Sith Lord," Dooku replied, with a sigh of frustration.
"Come, the answers will," Yoda said.
"Yes...but will they come before it's too late?" Dooku wondered...
Anakin and Padme parked their small boat at the marina and trekked into the small, open air resort. It was comfortable and quaint, from what they could tell so far. A young woman looked up from behind the counter as they approached. She looked to be about Anakin's age and had long dark hair and equally dark eyes.
"Hello, I'm Neela. What can I do for you?" she asked, observing them both with quiet scrutiny.
"Hi, my name is Wil and this is my wife Ami. We were wondering if you could rent us a room for a few days. Maybe one that has a couple cribs by chance?" Anakin asked.
"Sure, of course. I happen to have a family sized room available. It only has one crib, but I can get another one from another room," she said, with exuberance. Anakin and Padme were surprised by her excitement.
"That sounds great, we'll take it," Anakin said, as he handed her their account card.
"I'm sorry if my excitement has made you uneasy. It's just that we don't get new people around here much. Mostly, the locals and regulars frequent here. It's nice to see some fresh faces once in a while," she said, as she went to run the card. She returned quickly and gave it back to him.
"I'll take you up if you'll follow me," she said, gesturing to the winding stairwell off to the side that led up to the upper level of the small hotel.
"Our dinner cook works from five to seven, so you'll want to come down and eat during those hours," she mentioned on the way up. She unlocked room number seven and opened the door.
"Here it is. Let me know if you need anything," Neela said, as she left them to their privacy.
"Thanks," Anakin called, as they went about settling into the room. They changed the twins and went about dressing them for dinner. Once they were ready, she sat them on a blanket on the floor to play, as she and Anakin began to change their clothes. He put his wrap around tunic back on and she changed into a pink, backless sun dress.
"I'm starving, so I say we go eat," he said.
"Me too. Come on angels, let's go get something in those tummies," Padme said, as she picked up Luke and Anakin took Leia. Together, they went back down into the bar/restaurant area.
"Hi dad," Neela said, as her father, the owner of their establishment walked in. He had been fishing all day and now returned for a much needed hot meal. He was a tall, burly man and as they would learn later, a former Republic Navy Officer that had settled into seclusion for the remainder of his years.
"New customers?" he asked, as he looked at the sign in book.
"Yes, the cutest family. A young man and woman with two children," she replied.
"You know how I like my peace and quiet. There ain't gonna be any with a couple of brats around," he said.
"Daddy, you be nice," Neela warned, as she saw the family come down the stairs.
"There they are. Help me get a couple high chairs," Neela said.
"Hello, we grabbed a couple high chairs for those little sweethearts," Neela said, as she and her father sat them down at the table.
"Thank you," Padme replied, as she and Anakin sat Luke and Leia in them.
"This is my father Jac and he owns this establishment," Neela introduced.
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Wil and this is my wife Ami," Anakin said, as he shook his hand.
"Good to meet you. Enjoy your stay," Jac replied.
"I'll give you a few minutes to decide what you want and then I'll put your order in for the cook. Is there anything I can bring for the babies?" Neela asked.
"Bewies, mama?" Luke cooed. Padme smiled.
"You probably don't have Cloudberries, do you?" Padme asked.
"I'm sorry, we don't. But I do have freshly picked manzana berries. They grow on the island and they're delicious," Neela offered.
"We'll try some of those and maybe some juice?" Padme asked.
"Sure, coming right up," Neela said, as she smiled at the children.
"She seems nice," Padme mentioned.
"Yeah, I'm glad it seems like we caught a break for once," Anakin replied. She returned moments later with a bowl of berries and a pitcher of juice for all of them. Then, she took Anakin and Padme's orders and was off again. Padme put some of the berries on the twins' trays and they looked at them uncertainly for a moment.
"There a different kind of berries, angels, but there still good. Look," Padme said, as she put one in her mouth.
"Yummy," she said, as she chewed the juicy, crisp berry. That was enough for the twins and they both put one in their mouths and began gumming them with the few teeth that they had.
"Nummy," Luke said, as he grabbed a few more with his chubby hands.
"That's my boy," Anakin said, with a smile. After Anakin and Padme ate their meal, Neela brought a wet cloth and gave it to Padme.
"I thought you might need this to clean them up," she said.
"Oh thank you," Padme replied, as she began wiping their messy hands and faces.
"So, what are their names?" Neela asked.
"Luke and Leia," Padme replied.
"Twins?" she asked.
"Yes, they're sixteen months old," Padme replied.
"They are adorable," Neela complimented.
"Thank you," Padme replied.
"Let me know if you need anything else," Neela said, as she retreated behind the bar to refill drinks for a couple of the other customers sitting there.
"Okay little ones, it's time for a bath. Let's go upstairs," Padme said, as she lifted Leia into her arms.
"Come on little man. Mommy says it's bath time," Anakin said, as he lifted Luke up and they went upstairs to their room.
Padme dried Luke off and started putting his diaper on, while Anakin tended to Leia. Luke giggled, as Padme blew on his tummy. They finished putting them in their pajamas and Padme got their bottles out that Threepio had made up previously.
"Oh Ani, can you take him while I go downstairs and warm these up?" Padme asked.
"You just sit tight and I'll go warm them up," he replied, as he handed Leia to her.
"Thanks sweetheart," she replied, as she kissed him quickly. Anakin yawned, as he walked down stairs with the two bottles in hand. The bar area was empty now and he heard Neela and her father talking. He stopped to listen briefly, not liking what he was hearing.
"You should have seen those children munch on those manzana berries. They have to be two of cutest kids I've ever seen," Neela said.
"Neela, there's something you should know about them. They ain't who they say they are," Jac replied, as he handed a datapad to his daughter.
"The Hero With no Fear convicted of murder in the first degree," Neela read the headline.
"But daddy, I've heard you talk about the Jedi from your service years. You don't think he really did this, do you?" Neela asked. Jac was about to answer, when he looked up to see Anakin Skywalker, the Hero With No Fear himself, standing at the bottom of the stairs with the same questioning look...
Zia Jade had finally found him. She'd be searching the galaxy for weeks looking for the Medical Examiner that had performed the autopsy on Palo Danae. Now, she had finally found him hiding out in a scum infested Cantina in the slums of Bandomeer. She sat down beside the human male that looked as though he was trying very much to lose himself in the glass of Corellian ale he was gulping.
"You are a hard man to track down, Mr. Greer. But I suppose that's why they tell me I'm the best," Zia said.
"Look doll face, I'm not in the mood for any company right now," he replied.
"Call me doll face again and we'll see how gutless you really are," Zia threatened, as she showed him a concealed blade. She had her suspicions that it would not take much to crack a coward like this and she was right.
"Okay, okay, just don't kill me," he stuttered.
"Good boy. Now, let's go out back and have a little chat," she said. The man stood up and casually walked toward the back, as she followed.
"All right lady, what do you want?" he asked.
"I want to know everything about the night you performed the autopsy on Palo Danae," she said.
"It's all in my report. Why don't you go read it and leave me alone," he snapped. Zia swept her feet out from under him and then picked him up by his tunic.
"Listen you scum infested dirt bag, you better talk to me or I'll take you back to the Jedi Temple with me and let Count Dooku have a shot at you. You know, he won't even need to talk to you, you waste of skin. He'll just perform a mind probe on you and I've heard that they are excruciatingly painful...so talk you foolish little rat," she snarled.
"Fine, fine!" he held up his hands in surrender.
"It's just like in the report. He was killed with a Force choke. His windpipe was crushed," the man replied.
"There has to be more to it than that. There has to be evidence that he was not killed by Anakin Skywalker," Zia demanded.
"There was nothing...except..." the man trailed off.
"Except what?" she asked.
"I'm a dead man if I tell you," he replied. She held the blade to his throat.
"You're a dead man if you don't," she snarled.
"Well...there was, this...this symbol on the back of the deceased's neck," he said.
"A symbol? What kind of symbol?" Zia demanded.
"I don't know what it meant, but it looks like it had been burnt into his skin. It was still charred when they brought him in," he replied.
"What did the symbol look like?" she demanded. The man looked around nervously, making sure no one was around and took out a holo, handing it to her. Zia stared at in disbelief. It was a picture of the symbol on the back of Palo's neck that had been charred into his skin. She'd seen this symbol before! Count Dooku had shown her such a symbol and told her that it was the symbol of...the Sith. She slapped several credits into the man's hand and slipped the holo into her jacket pocket.
"I'll be taking this off your hands. Tell me, why was this symbol not mentioned in the autopsy report?" she asked.
"They paid me to omit it," he replied.
"Who?" she asked.
"Look, I don't know where the money came from or who for that matter. And I didn't ask. After I performed the autopsy, two burly men escorted me to shuttle with my credits and sent me on my way. They told me to never come back and that if I ever told anyone what I knew, I'd end up dead," the man said, fear in his eyes. Zia put a hand on his shoulder.
"There is a Jedi outpost here on Bandomeer, sort of a secondary Temple if you will. Go there and seek sanctuary. Tell them you are an informant for Count Dooku and seek protection. They will provide you with a safe place until this mess blows over," she told him. Before he could thank the woman, she'd slipped into the darkness and disappeared...
Jac looked at the young man and his face softened in a sympathetic gaze.
"Of course I'm not gonna turn 'em in, Neela. I served with his father," Jac said. Anakin's eyes widened.
"You know my dad? You know Qui-Gon Jinn?" Anakin asked.
"You bet I do. He saved my skin bout twenty years ago on a mission to Ryloth. Several Jedi were sent there, along with a Navy frigate to quell the violence of a civil war that was tearing the planet apart. He saved me from stepping on hidden land mine, as he must have sensed it with his powers. We talked and exchanged stories bout our kids. He talked a lot about his new baby and his older son Ben, who he'd left out of this mission with good reason. Anyway, I retired not long after that, but I never forgot him. If the son of Qui-Gon Jinn says he didn't murder anyone, then I believe him. You and your family can stay here as long as it's safe," Jac said, with a smile.
"You mean it?" Anakin asked.
"Sure do kid. Maybe we can trade a few stories. From what I hear, you've seen your share out in them blasted Clone Wars. Then, that Chancellor has the nerve to turn on ya like this," Jac replied.
"Yes sir...and thank you, thank you. It's been a while since Padme and I caught a break," Anakin replied.
"Is everything okay?" Padme asked, as she stepped down behind him, having left the twins with Threepio. Anakin smiled brightly at her.
"Everything's perfect angel. They know who we really are, but they're on our side," he told her. Padme looked at them.
"Really?" she asked with hope.
"Really. Here, let me get that milk warmed up for those cuties upstairs," Neela said, with a soft smile. Anakin handed her the bottles.
"Thanks," he replied.
"Well, this old man is going to hit the sack, but we'll talk more in mornin' my boy," Jac said, as he waved to them and disappeared into the back. Neela returned with the warm milk and they bid her goodnight, before going back up to their room. Anakin smiled, as he watched Padme feed Luke, while he fed Leia. They really had caught quite a break this time...and perhaps as long as no one found them, they could stay longer than he planned...