"Padmé, you must see that this is the best way," Bail protests.
Padmé pulls away as Bail reaches for her. "I don't think that this is the best way, and I can't believe that you do! How can you think that we need to sustain this Empire instead of returning to democracy?"
"You know as well as I that the Republic had been hurtling towards this Empire for years, even if we didn't see it until recently," Bail replies. "And I'm not suggesting sustaining the Empire forever. I simply think that we need to ease the people back into a Republic, a good Republic, and the best way to do that is to keep the Empire. Just for a while longer."
"Most of the galaxy has been living in a military state-" Padmé begins.
"And planets don't just bounce back from that!" Bail cries. "We need an adjustment period. The Senate has barely done anything but vote the Chancellor more and more emergency powers since the beginning of the war. We can begin with an Empire, and then we can slowly bring the Senate back to the forefront of governing. And, when everyone is ready, we hand the reins of government back to the Senate."
"And how can you be certain that the new Emperor you put in place will be willing to let go of that power?" Padmé retorts. "How can you be certain we won't end up with another Palpatine?"
"Well," Bail admits, "I had rather thought that the new Emperor would actually be an Empress. You."
Padmé looks at Bail in shock, then she bursts into laughter. "You must be joking!" she cries. "Bail, I gave birth to twins less than a week ago, and I'm dealing with two traumatized Jedi. What makes you think I have the time to be an Empress?" Before Bail can say anything, Padmé adds, "And what makes you think that the people would support me? I'm from Naboo, just as Palpatine was. I'm young. And my husband killed Palpatine. It would all look very much like a coup."
"You're the only one I would trust with the power," Bail replies simply. "And anyone who knows you would feel the same."
"And those who don't know me?" Padmé retorts, although she does feel somewhat mollified by Bail's confidence in her.
"If I know you," Bail replies, a smile on his face, "you can give a speech that would convince even your most steadfast opponent to support you. At least promise me you'll think about it, Padmé."
"I'll think about it," Padmé agrees. "But I can't promise that I'll give you an answer that you'll like."
"In my opinion, all of your protests only mean you'd be better for the job," Bail remarks. "But the choice, of course, is yours. If you do not wish to be the Empress, I will not force the title upon you."
"I know you never would," Padmé replies. She stands and stretches. "Do you mind if I go? Yoda got back today and asked to speak with Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan's incredibly tense about it, which means that Anakin isn't much better."
"Do you ever get tired of sharing your husband with Obi-Wan?" Bail teases.
"I wouldn't mind sharing Obi-Wan as well," Padmé replies, winking.
Bail blinks. "Does Anakin know that?"
"We've talked about it," Padmé replies. "A few times before… everything that happened, but only in the abstract. But Anakin's been telling me more about his feelings recently, and he has some feelings for Obi-Wan, even if he didn't want to admit it for a long time."
"And does Obi-Wan know?" Bail asks.
"Not yet," Padmé replies. "Anakin and I have been trying to show him, but you know Obi-Wan. He wouldn't recognize that we were flirting with him unless we told him explicitly. He did act unexpectedly skittish when we asked him if he wanted to sleep in the bed with us, so perhaps there's something there."
"You asked- You didn't even try subtlety, did you?" Bail groans.
"Do you think subtlety would work with Obi-Wan?" Padmé retorts. "Anyway, I think he somehow thinks that it was a platonic offer. How he came to that conclusion, I have no idea."
"He's Obi-Wan," Bail replies simply. "But you should go back to your apartment. I don't know Anakin well, but if Obi-Wan is upset, I'm certain he's pacing and anxious."
"He probably is," Padmé agrees. "I promise I'll think about your suggestion, Bail."
"That's all I ask," Bail replies. "And Padmé, if you ever need help watching the twins, I'd be glad to lend a hand. I'm sure Breha would be happy to help watch them as well, if you were on Alderaan."
For the first time, Padmé remembers all of Breha's difficulties with pregnancy. She can't remember how many times Breha's tried to have a child, but she knows she's never succeeded. She vaguely remembers that Bail and Breha have thought about adopting a baby girl. Of course they would want to help take care of the twins.
"I'd like you and Breha to be a part of the twins' lives," Padmé replies. She smiles. "Maybe someday they'll call you Uncle Bail."
"Breha and I will spoil them rotten," Bail promises, his eyes sparkling.
"After all, you're nearly old enough to be their grandparents," Padmé teases.
"Oh, hush," Bail retorts. He tousles Padmé's hair, which is unstyled and loose around her shoulders. "Listen to your elders, child."
"Yes, Father," Padmé teases, giggling as Bail pulls her into a tight hug, squeezing her hard enough that she squeaks.
"Good luck with your Jedi," Bail says, pulling away.
"I'll need it," Padmé replies grimly, stepping out of Bail's apartment and heading for her own.
As expected, Anakin is pacing the floor. Luke and Leia are sleeping in their bassinet, oblivious to their father's tension. "Hello, darling," Padmé says, crossing to Anakin and placing her hands on his shoulders. "How's Obi-Wan?"
"Tense," Anakin replies. "He's closing himself off. I can't break through his shields. All I know is that he's upset about something."
"Do you know how long he'll be with Yoda?" Padmé asks.
Anakin shakes his head. "He didn't tell me anything. I don't even know where they are. I hate when he shuts me out."
"He'll be fine," Padmé assures Anakin softly. "He's Obi-Wan."
"Have I ever told you anything about lineages with the Jedi?" Anakin asks. It seems like a non sequitur, but Padmé's certain it fits in with the discussion somehow. Anakin doesn't often change the topic randomly like that.
"No," Padmé replies, sitting on the couch. Anakin sits next to her and Padmé curls into his side.
"A Jedi lineage is based off of masters and padawans," Anakin explains. His hand begins playing with her curls gently. "So if you have a lot of padawans, it's almost like a lot of branches in a family tree."
"I see," Padmé replies. She doesn't understand what this has to do with anything yet, but she's sure she's about to.
"Yoda had a lot of lineages," Anakin replies. "He doesn't anymore, but-" Anakin swallows heavily. "Dooku used to be his padawan."
"Oh," Padmé whispers, understanding. "And Qui-Gon was Dooku's padawan, wasn't he?"
"He was," Anakin confirms.
"So you and Obi-Wan are the only ones who are left of Yoda's lineage," Padmé says quietly. "Does that matter to him and Obi-Wan?"
"I don't think it matters to Obi-Wan that much," Anakin replies. "It's kind of an old fashioned thing. And Yoda is so far back in Obi-Wan's lineage that I don't think he ever really thought about it."
"But it matters to Yoda," Padmé finishes.
Anakin sighs. "Yeah, I think it does."
"What does that mean for you and Obi-Wan?" Padmé asks. "Is it a bad thing?"
"It means he's not going to leave us alone," Anakin mutters. "Yoda's always had an interest in me and Obi-Wan. Something about our destinies. But there used to be a lot of other Jedi for him to focus on."
"If Yoda wanted to restart the Jedi Order, would you want to join him?" Padmé asks.
"No," Anakin replies immediately. "At least, not if it were the same as it used to be. The Jedi Order was broken in the same way that the Republic was. The Council had become complacent. Yoda especially."
Padmé frowns. "Would Obi-Wan agree with you?"
Anakin hesitates. "I think so," he hedges. "I'm not sure. I mean, he was a member of the Council. But I think he agrees with me about most of that. He doesn't hate attachments as much as the rest of the Council did. I think he wants to reform the Jedi Order too. But I don't know if he would work with me against Yoda."
"I think he would," Padmé remarks. "It wouldn't be the first time he fought Yoda over you."
"I think the idea of the Jedi was good," Anakin says hesitantly. "And I think that someone should teach Force-sensitive people how to control their abilities. But I don't think it should be Yoda."
"Start your own school," Padmé offers. "You and Obi-Wan can open a school for Force-sensitive children. Not like the Jedi, but something."
"I mean, we are the only two Sith-killers alive," Anakin replies, a slight smile on his face. "So in a way, we sort of outrank Yoda."
Padmé smiles and nestles against Anakin. "I want you and Obi-Wan to teach our children," she says quietly. "Obi-Wan says they're bright in the Force. They'll need to learn, and I don't want Yoda having any part in it."
"He won't," Anakin promises. He leans his head on Padmé's. "What did Bail want to talk about?"
Padmé frowns slightly. "He wants the Empire to stay in place for a while, to ease people back into a Republic. And he wants me to lead it."
To Padmé's surprise, Anakin doesn't look shocked at the thought. Instead, his face lights up like this is the best idea he's ever heard. "I was saying the same thing to Obi-Wan," he says, his eyes bright. "I mean, I didn't say that you should be the Empress, but you're the perfect person for it."
"You think the Empire should remain in power?" Padmé asks, shocked. Belatedly, she remembers Anakin's teasing about what sort of government he thought would be better than the Republic. He'd said he was making fun of her, but now she wonders if there was some truth in it after all.
"Not forever," Anakin assures her. "But I think that someone should take over the Empire and make a better Republic. And you'd be perfect for it."
"With two newborn babies to take care of?" Padmé counters. "And you and Obi-Wan?"
"Obi-Wan and I can take care of ourselves," Anakin protests. "And we can take care of the kids. Anyway, it's not like being the Empress is going to take up all of your time. You'll have time to watch the babies too."
"You're being ridiculous," Padmé sighs. "Obi-Wan will agree with me. He'll want us to stay out of politics as much as possible."
"He knows it's impossible to keep you out of politics," Anakin teases. "As long as he doesn't have to be a part of it, he'll let you do what you want."
"You're all ridiculous," Padmé mutters.
Anakin snorts, then stills. "Obi-Wan is on his way back," he says, sounding a bit distant. "He's upset, but I don't know why."
"Did he open up the bond?" Padmé asks.
Anakin shakes his head. "Only enough to pass on the message." He scowls. "I hate when he does this."
Leia, of course, chooses that moment to wake up and start screaming, which immediately sets Luke off. Padmé scoops Luke up quickly as Anakin picks up Leia.
"What's wrong with them?" Anakin asks nervously. He panics every time either of the twins cry. Padmé, who's dealt with babies before, knows that most of their crying comes from either hunger, tiredness, or just general discomfort. All three can be remedied quite quickly.
"I think they're hungry," Padmé says. "Can you get two bottles?"
Anakin furrows his brow slightly and Padmé hears the refrigerator door open. It closes a moment later. Two bottles float across the room, one going to Padmé and the other to Anakin.
"Show off," Padmé mutters, offering the bottle to Luke, who begins sucking on it greedily. Leia does the same in Anakin's arms, although she threatens to start crying again when Anakin tries to sit down. She's the louder of the two by far. Padmé can already tell that she's going to be very good at manipulating them, especially Anakin, into giving her anything she wants.
Obi-Wan comes in just as Padmé begins burping Luke. He looks worn out, even though he's only been gone for about two hours. His shoulders are slumped and there's fresh pain in his eyes, as if he's been struck by the agony of the Jedi Purge all over again.
"Obi-Wan," Anakin says immediately, crossing to him with Leia in his arms. Leia looks at Anakin for a moment, then looks imploringly at Obi-Wan. With a weary smile, Obi-Wan takes her into his arms.
"Obi-Wan, are you alright?" Padmé asks, standing with Luke against her chest.
"I'll be fine," Obi-Wan says softly. Both Anakin and Padmé give him looks that make it clear that that's not good enough. "Yoda took me to the Jedi Temple," Obi-Wan admits.
"Why would he do that?" Anakin snaps, immediately furious. "It must still be screaming with the deaths-"
"It is," Obi-Wan confirms. "It's full of death and hatred and rage, and I think he did it to turn me against you."
Anakin looks as if he's been punched. "What?"
"The hatred and rage are yours," Obi-Wan explains sadly. "And there's fear there too, fear of you. If I didn't know you, Anakin, I would think you were a monster."
"Obi-Wan-" Anakin croaks.
"But I do know you," Obi-Wan continues softly, "and I know that you are no monster. The monster was Palpatine, and those deaths are on his hands. Yoda will not turn me against you."
"Why would he even want to?" Padmé asks, confused.
Obi-Wan offers her a sad shadow of a smile. "Because he fears that Anakin is forever lost to the Dark Side, and he wants to deal with that without losing my support."
"Deal with it?" Padmé asks coldly.
Obi-Wan looks exhausted. "I believe you know what I mean," he replies. "Yoda will not suffer a Sith to live."
"Anakin is not a Sith," Padmé snaps.
"And we know that," Obi-Wan agrees, nodding. "But Yoda has always been wary of Anakin. This has only made that worse."
"He killed Palpatine!" Padmé protests.
"And killing your master is a time-honored tradition of the Sith," Obi-Wan counters. "There are only two Sith at a time, Padmé, and to become a master and train your own apprentice, you must kill the one who trained you."
"That's not why I killed him," Anakin whispers.
"I know," Obi-Wan replies gently. Leia shifts against his chest, letting out a contented noise. "I know you are not lost to the Dark Side, Anakin, and even if you were, I would not give up on you."
"But Yoda would," Anakin says quietly.
Obi-Wan presses his lips together. "I can't say I'm surprised."
"Stupid little troll always hated me," Anakin mutters under his breath.
Obi-Wan looks torn between amusement and horror. Padmé's just glad to have gotten that horribly defeated look off his face. She can't believe that Yoda made him go back to the Jedi Temple. She can't imagine going there, and she doesn't even have the Force to feed her memories of the pain that was felt within those walls. Yoda must have felt it too, and left himself vulnerable to that agony simply to torture Obi-Wan. Padmé hates him.
Obi-Wan passes Leia back to Anakin. "I think I'll go to bed, if you don't mind," he says. "It's been a rather long day."
"Come to bed with us," Padmé offers before she can stop herself. "It's been a long day for everyone. I was going to go to sleep as well." She wasn't, but she'll pretend for Obi-Wan's sake. She doesn't think he should sleep alone, not after what Yoda put him through.
"I wouldn't want to intrude," Obi-Wan demurs.
"You're not intruding," Anakin replies. "Come on, Obi-Wan, you know what Padmé's like when she doesn't get her way."
"Excuse me?" Padmé demands, but there's enough playfulness in her voice to take the edge off.
Obi-Wan looks from Padmé to Anakin, then sighs. Padmé can see the exact moment when he relents. "Is your bed large enough for three?"
"More than large enough," Padmé confirms.
"Then I would not wish to disappoint you," Obi-Wan replies. There's a hint of a mischievous smile on his face as he adds, "Or leave Anakin alone to suffer your displeasure."
"Anakin is going to pay for that comment later," Padmé says in the most pleasant voice she can muster.
Anakin swallows hard. "I'll deal with the twins if they wake up crying?" he says tentatively.
"Of course you will, dear," Padmé replies sweetly.
"And people call me the Negotiator," Obi-Wan mutters. "How do you manage to make Anakin do what he's told?"
"With a lot of practice," Padmé replies. "I could teach you a few of my techniques. I find one of the most effective ones is threatening to withhold sex."
Obi-Wan's face turns so red that Padmé's worried he might choke. "Yes, well, I don't-" Obi-Wan clears his throat. "I don't think that would work as well for me as it does for you."
"Hey, if the kids are asleep, we should probably take the opportunity to get some sleep too," Anakin puts in.
Obi-Wan looks relieved at the interruption. "I'll go change," he says, ducking out of the room and into the bedroom he's been using.
"Do you think the sex joke was going too far?" Padmé asks Anakin softly as they put the twins into their bassinet.
"I think it was hilarious," Anakin replies, grinning. "And I'm not sure that there's such thing as too far with Obi-Wan. We have to go pretty far to make sure he doesn't somehow think that we just want a platonic relationship with him."
"Are all Jedi this clueless?" Padmé asks thoughtlessly. Anakin's face twists. "I'm sorry," she immediately apologizes. "I wasn't thinking."
"I know, angel," Anakin replies distractedly. "It just- It feels like a wound. And I think it's worse for Obi-Wan. I cut myself off from the Jedi before I- Before they all died. He wasn't cut off at all."
Padmé doesn't want to think about what Anakin means by cutting himself off from the Jedi. They've talked about everything, of course, but they should probably talk about it more. And they should probably talk about it with Obi-Wan there as well. Padmé wishes she could ignore the fact that her husband's hands, which can so gently cradle Luke or Leia, also slaughtered a Temple full of Jedi, some of them children. Of course, no matter what she wishes, it's not that easy. They're all trying for normalcy the best they can, but Padmé doesn't doubt that a storm is coming. Even Obi-Wan can't hide his feelings forever. Padmé knows she can't, and Anakin certainly can't. It'll be better if they get the inevitable explosion out of the way sooner rather than later. Padmé will have to work towards that.
Obi-Wan enters the room almost shyly, wearing Anakin's clothes. The pants are rolled up at the cuffs and the sleeves dangle over his fingers, making him look almost small. Obi-Wan can have such a commanding presence that Padmé sometimes forgets that he's shorter than Anakin, although he's still taller than she is by quite a bit. At least neither he nor Anakin are as tall as Bail, who towers over Padmé by about a foot.
"Are we ready to go to bed, then?" Anakin asks.
"Are you certain-" Obi-Wan begins.
"We're certain," Padmé interrupts. "Come on, Obi-Wan. Let's go."
Obi-Wan tentatively climbs into the bed, but only when both Anakin and Padmé gesture at it. Anakin curls up on one side of him and Padmé curls up on the other.
Obi-Wan starts. "Um-"
"Hush, Obi-Wan," Padmé says, draping an arm over his chest. "Go to sleep."
"It's not like you and I haven't shared close quarters in the war," Anakin adds, curling into Obi-Wan's side.
It takes a long moment for Obi-Wan to relax, but he finally does. He doesn't touch either Anakin or Padmé, but he's no longer as tense as a board. It's not long before he falls asleep.
"Do you think he thinks this is platonic?" Anakin whispers.
"Oh, I'm sure he does," Padmé whispers back. "We'll have to explain that it's not."
"Slowly," Anakin cautions. "We don't want him running away on us."
"Hmm." Padmé hums, closing her eyes. "Are you as tired as I am?" Anakin mumbles something unintelligible in response. Padmé smiles softly. "I guess you are."
Before too long, both she and Anakin have followed Obi-Wan into sleep.
Padmé wakes up the next morning to find that both Obi-Wan and the twins are missing. Anakin is still asleep, curled into the still-warm spot where Obi-Wan had slept. Padmé would worry if not for the fact that she can hear Obi-Wan's voice coming from the living room, soft and lulling, and she doesn't imagine he would be that relaxed if something had happened to the twins.
Pulling her robe around her, Padmé steps out into the living room, smiling at what she sees. Obi-Wan has Leia in one arm and Luke in the other, and he's walking around the room with a slight bounce in his step, murmuring softly. The twins both seem happy and calm, but Padmé suspects that's not without considerable work on Obi-Wan's part.
"Good morning," she says softly.
Obi-Wan turns to her, a soft smile on his face. "The twins were restless," he tells her. "I didn't want to wake you."
"How long have you been up?" Padmé asks, stepping forward to take one of the twins.
Obi-Wan hands her Leia and shifts Luke into a more comfortable position. "About an hour or so," he replies. "Both of them have been fed."
"How did you manage that?" Padmé asks, impressed. She's found out the hard way that neither of the twins like it if one of them is being fed and the other isn't.
"Judicious use of the Force," Obi-Wan admits. "Yoda might call it frivolous, but he's never dealt with infant twins before."
Padmé laughs. "Did you get a chance to eat?" she asks, holding Leia with one hand and walking to the kitchen.
"Not yet," Obi-Wan replies.
Padmé looks in the cupboards, frowning. "No wonder," she replies. "There's barely anything here. We'll have to order in."
"I did make caf," Obi-Wan offers. "Enough for all three of us."
"Anakin will be glad of it," Padmé replies. "Have you had some already?"
"With some difficulty," Obi-Wan replies. "Didn't you meet with Bail yesterday? How did that go?"
Padmé closes the cupboards. "He wants me to be an Empress," she says without turning around.
"I believe there must be more to it than that," Obi-Wan says softly.
"He wants to keep the Empire for a while, so we can slowly transition back to a Republic," Padmé explains, turning and leaning against the counter. "And he thinks I should lead the Empire during that transition."
"Wouldn't that be a good thing?" Obi-Wan asks.
"Keeping the Empire…" Padmé shakes her head. "It goes against everything I stand for. Everything the Republic stood for. And I can't imagine being the head of it."
"Returning to a Republic won't be easy," Obi-Wan says softly, bouncing Luke gently. "It'll take time. And we can't have a vacuum while we wait."
"So you agree with Bail too," Padmé mutters.
"I have no wish to be involved in politics, you know that," Obi-Wan replies, smiling slightly. "But I do think that we need someone to lead the galaxy back to democracy, and I can think of no better person to do so than you."
Padmé stares at Obi-Wan for a long moment, then sighs. "Anakin said the same thing," she admits. "I just want to do what's best for the Republic."
"I believe that this is what's best for the Republic," Obi-Wan replies. "But I'm not a politician."
Padmé grins. "I know that," she replies. "I don't think anyone could ever mistake you for a politician, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan smiles ruefully. "So what do you think of Bail's idea?"
"My knee-jerk reaction is to hate it," Padmé replies, sighing. "But I do see that he has a point, even if I don't like it. The galaxy needs to be guided back into a Republic."
"You can bring Separatist systems back into the fold," Obi-Wan adds. "The Separatists have lost this war, they know that. There may be a few more battles, but the war is over. You can recreate a full Republic, with all of the lost systems back in it."
"Any system does have the right to declare its independence from the Republic," Padmé replies, bouncing Leia slightly. "These systems don't have to come back if they don't want to."
"I think you'll be a good Empress," Obi-Wan says softly. "But it doesn't matter what I think." Slowly, Obi-Wan sat down on the couch, cradling Luke against his chest. "Before a padawan could become a knight," he began tentatively, "they had to think of themselves as a Jedi. And they had to believe that they were ready to take the Trials and become a knight. If a padawan didn't think they were ready, even if their Master did, they wouldn't take the Trials. If you don't think you should be the Empress, even if we all think you should, you shouldn't do it."
"I don't want to be the Empress," Padmé says. "But Bail says that he thinks that only means I'd be better for the position. And he's probably right. We shouldn't have someone who wants to be the Emperor take the position."
"I know you don't want to do it," Obi-Wan says, "but do you think you could?"
Padmé sits next to Obi-Wan on the couch. "Those stories about Jedi wisdom are true, aren't they?" she sighs. "I don't know. I don't want to leave the twins, and I don't want to leave you and Anakin."
"The children will be fine," Obi-Wan promises. "And being the Empress will take a lot of your time, but so would remaining as Senator. As the Empress, you can start working towards a Republic again and lessen your own workload as you do so."
"I won't be able to work in politics anymore," Padmé sighs. "Not after I'm the Empress."
"You can return to Naboo," Obi-Wan says quietly. "You can spend time with your children. You can relax."
"Politics have been my life since I was a child," Padmé protests. "I don't know anything else." Obi-Wan's eyes flicker downwards, quickly enough that Padmé almost misses it. "Oh, Obi-Wan, I didn't think," Padmé whispers. Anakin once told her that Obi-Wan had been brought to the Jedi Temple before he was even a year old. Perhaps she's been training in politics since a young age, but the only life Obi-Wan has ever known is that of a Jedi. If either of them has a right to be complaining about losing an important part of their life, it would be him.
"We all have to reacquaint ourselves with the world," Obi-Wan says softly. "I am no longer a Jedi Master. Even if you don't become the Empress, your life as the Senator of Naboo will be different now than it was before. Life will not be the same, and we cannot expect it to be."
Padmé sighs. Before she can say anything else, Anakin staggers out of the bedroom. "Did someone make caf?" he demands.
"There's a cup waiting for you," Obi-Wan replies. Padmé can barely see his smile under his beard, but she can see the skin around his eyes wrinkle in a way that means he's amused.
"I should order breakfast," Padmé declares. Cradling Leia in one arm, she goes over to the comm panel. Anakin takes Leia from her as she passes him. Padmé places an order for a somewhat extravagant breakfast, barely listening to the cost. She has more than enough credits to cover it, and she wants a nice meal. Not for her, necessarily, but for Anakin and Obi-Wan. She knows that the food they've eaten on the front lines can barely be considered food, and she wants to give them something nicer now that the war's over.
"That's quite a breakfast," Anakin remarks, sounding amused. "Who exactly do you expect is going to eat it?"
"As if you couldn't eat all of that yourself," Padmé retorts. "And I figured that it wouldn't be a bad thing to have some leftovers for later."
"Yeah, I don't think that's going to be a problem," Anakin mutters.
"Do you have any appointments today?" Obi-Wan asks Padmé politely.
"I'm meeting with Bail and Mon Mothma later, but not for long," Padmé replies. "Do you have anything?"
"Yoda mentioned meeting with me again today, but I think I'll refuse him," Obi-Wan replies. "I don't know why he thinks he'll be able to sway me away from Anakin."
"He's a fool," Padmé states firmly. "Ani, do you have any plans?"
"Spend the day with the kids, I guess," Anakin replies, shrugging. "I don't exactly have people clamoring for my company."
The food arrives a moment later, rescuing Padmé and Obi-Wan from having to reply to that comment. "This is a rather excessive amount of food," Obi-Wan remarks, looking at the spread.
"We deserve a good meal," Padmé declares.
Anakin shifts Leia to one side and grabs a plate. "Looks great, angel. I get a third, right?"
Obi-Wan arches an eyebrow. "I don't think even you could manage to eat an entire third of this spread."
"Wanna bet?" Anakin retorts, starting to pile food on his plate. Obi-Wan is much more sedate about getting his serving, placing small amounts of various foods onto the plate. Padmé loads hers up with her favorites and sits down to eat.
"Do you think they'll cry if we put them down?" Anakin asks, looking at Leia.
Obi-Wan looks down at Luke, still cradled in one arm. "We might as well try it."
Luke lets out a little sigh when Obi-Wan sets him in the bassinet. Leia whines for a moment, but Obi-Wan drapes his robe over the two of them and she begins gumming at the sleeve.
"You'll need another robe," Anakin teases.
Padmé doesn't understand the joke, but Obi-Wan clearly does. "For stars' sake, Anakin, I don't lose my robes that often."
Anakin just smirks as he sits next to Padmé, shoveling food into his mouth. Padmé's never been able to beat table manners into his brain.
Obi-Wan eats slowly, only taking the plainest things in the spread. "Do you not like it?" Padmé asks him as she finishes off her plate.
"I haven't eaten food this rich for quite a while," Obi-Wan admits, pushing his eggs around with his fork. "I'm not certain how well I can handle it."
Padmé blinks. She hadn't thought of that. Anakin's never had that problem, but the two of them have their own private dinners with her rich food every so often. Obi-Wan hasn't had that benefit.
"Give it a few days," Anakin says, shrugging. He's still shoveling food into his mouth. Padmé dabs at her face with a napkin delicately, wishing Anakin could get a hint and eat more politely. "You'll be able to eat this, no problem."
"I'm not especially hungry," Obi-Wan replies, setting his empty plate down.
"Alright," Padmé replies dubiously, setting down her empty plate as well. "Well, I need to get ready for my meeting, so I'll go get dressed. I might need a handmaiden or two to help."
Anakin grins, used to filling in for Padmé's handmaidens when she needs it. Obi-Wan, on the other hand, looks almost panicked at the thought. Padmé wonders if she should tone it down a bit. After all, one doesn't shrug off thirty-plus years of enforced celibacy easily. On the other hand, she's pretty sure that Obi-Wan won't pick up on anything if she tones it down.
Padmé slips into her room and rifles through her closet. She doesn't have to wear anything too formal for her meeting with Bail and Mon, but it's going to be in Mon's office in the Senate Building, so she wants to look her best in case someone else sees her. She dresses in a sweeping forest green gown, not requiring the aid of either Anakin or Obi-Wan. For her hair, she puts it up in a relatively simple style, with a few braids twisted and draped over the back of her head. A touch of makeup makes her look as fresh as usual, and dangling emerald earrings match the dress. Padmé stands, pulls on the mantle of Senator Amidala, and leaves the bedroom.
"You look beautiful," Anakin says, pulling Padmé into his arms and kissing her.
"You always do," Obi-Wan adds softly, so quiet that Padmé's not sure she was meant to hear it.
"I'm supposed to be at the Senate building in…" Padmé checks the chrono. "Half an hour. I'll leave now."
"Be safe," Anakin says, kissing Padmé again. "And comm us if you have any trouble."
Padmé pulls her comm out of a pocket hidden in the drapes of the dress. "Don't worry, I've had enough of trouble for a while. If there's any at all, I'll let you deal with it."
"Say hello to Bail for me," Obi-Wan requests.
"I will," Padmé replies. "I'll be back before too long. I'll comm you when I leave."
"Bye, angel," Anakin says, kissing Padmé quickly. She kisses both of the babies on the foreheads and pulls a startled Obi-Wan into a hug, then she slips out the door and heads out to the landing platform.
The trip to the Senate Building is only a few minutes by airspeeder. Normally, it's delayed by traffic, but this time, there are barely any other speeders there. Padmé looks around, but the normal Coruscanti traffic seems almost entirely gone.
"Why isn't anyone out?" she asks her driver.
"People are scared," he replies, shrugging. "It hasn't been that safe for people to go out, especially not around here."
"Why not?" Padmé asks.
The driver turns to look at her, his expression dubious. "Have you been out in Wild Space or something? Didn't you hear about what happened?"
"Oh." Padmé hadn't thought that it would make Coruscant dangerous, but of course it would. Anyone who was under even the slightest hint of suspicion would be snatched away, and innocent people would get caught in the crossfire.
"Here we are," the driver says as they arrive at the Senate Building. "Do you want me to wait here for you?"
Normally, drivers are in such high demand that none of them linger for more than a minute. But there's no one else here, so Padmé supposes her driver might as well wait for her.
"Yes, thank you," she replies. "I shouldn't be too long." The driver nods as Padmé enters the building.
It's very quiet. Padmé only passes a few senators, but they all seem subdued. The few aides that she sees scurry by as if they don't want to be noticed. There are clone troopers stationed in various places around the building, and even though Padmé knows that they've all had their chips removed if they're serving, she doesn't feel as comfortable with them as she used to. The senators don't seem to feel comfortable either. Everyone gives the troopers a wide berth.
When Padmé finally reaches Mon's office, she can't quite believe that this is the same Senate Building she's worked in for years. There's an overwhelming feeling of fear. Padmé supposes that the people who had cheered for Palpatine's Empire now know that they were wrong.
"Padmé!" Bail says, ushering her in. "You look lovely."
"I thought I should look my best," Padmé replies. Bail tends to wear the same outfit every time he goes to the Senate Building, and Mon wears the same white dress as a uniform, but Padmé wears different dresses to the Senate sessions. Soldiers wear armor, and Padmé wears her elegant gowns. They're as much a protection as they are a fashion statement.
"Padmé," Mon says, stepping forward.
Padmé smiles. "Hello, Mon. I'm glad to see you safe."
"And I'm glad to see you," Mon replies, hugging Padmé quickly. "You and your children are well?"
"We're well," Padmé replies, noticing that Mon didn't mention Anakin. "And you?"
"I'm out of obvious danger now that the Emperor is dead," Mon replies. "I'm afraid he was a bit suspicious of all the members of the Delegation of 2000."
"Things will get better now," Bail states confidently. "That's what we want to help with."
"You know I'll do everything I can to help you," Padmé replies.
Mon frowns, sitting down. Padmé sits across from her and Bail sits at her side. "I'm afraid it won't be that simple," Mon says. "Things are… tenuous at the moment. Public support is split. There are many who still believe that the Jedi were guilty of treason, and some who resent the execution of the Emperor."
"What of the Separatists?" Padmé asks. "Or what's left of them?"
"All of their leaders have disappeared," Mon replies. Padmé swallows. Apparently, no one's discovered the massacre on Mustafar yet. "And many of the occupied planets are fighting back and regaining their independence from the Separatists. They won't be a threat for much longer."
"What does public opinion think of the Senate?" Padmé asks, well aware of how fickle people can be.
"Many people want a return to the Republic," Mon replies. "But many also think that the Republic was broken and would prefer we remain an Empire. And then there are those who don't like either and want independence for their planets. There's not much of a consensus."
"There never is," Padmé murmurs.
"People are scared," Bail says softly. "They want someone to protect them, but they haven't found anyone to be able to do so. It's the beginning of the Separatist crisis all over again."
"So we show them they have nothing to fear," Padmé declares. "How do we stabilize things?"
"There's a power vacuum," Mon replies, frowning. "There's no Emperor, not even a Supreme Chancellor. And half the Senate has fled. Someone needs to take control of the situation."
Padmé looks at Bail for a moment, but he doesn't react to the comment at all. Padmé wonders if Mon knows about his plan to make Padmé the Empress. Considering the way neither of them are mentioning it, she would guess that Mon doesn't. Padmé supposes Bail must have kept kept quiet about his idea before asking her.
"Once we have at least a hint of normalcy, we can start trying to make things better," Bail adds.
He's right, as little as Padmé likes to admit it. Someone does need to take over, to help direct the Senate. And, as little as she wants that person to be her, it might be best to take the position before someone unsuited for it does. She won't enjoy being the Empress, but she'll enjoy things even less if someone power-hungry gets their hands on the position.
"Padmé?" Mon asks. There's concern on her face. Padmé wonders what she's missed.
"You look tired," Bail says softly, giving her an easy out.
"I'm afraid it's not always easy to sleep with newborn twins," Padmé replies, laughing slightly.
Mon smiles gently. "I'd love to meet the children."
"You could come over tomorrow," Padmé offers.
"Do you think the children will take after you or their father?" Mon asks.
Padmé blinks. The question isn't simply what it appears, she knows that much. A part of her is offended on Anakin's behalf, but another part of her feels that Mon has every right to ask.
"They're not quite old enough for us to be able to tell," Padmé replies, playing it off as half a joke.
Mon smiles, but it doesn't quite meet her eyes. Padmé can see that she doesn't trust Anakin, and that might be tainting her trust for Padmé as well. It's far from ideal, but Padmé thinks she can win that trust back.
"We don't really have anything else specific to talk about," Bail remarks. "Why don't I take you home, Padmé?"
"Thank you, Bail," Padmé replies, standing. "Will you come over tomorrow, Mon?"
"If I have the time," Mon replies, standing and taking both of Padmé's hands. "Stay safe."
"You as well," Padmé replies. She can feel Mon's eyes on her as she and Bail leave the office.
"She doesn't trust Anakin," Padmé says the second they're out of earshot.
"A lot of people don't," Bail replies honestly. "They're confused. One minute, he was revered by the Emperor as the only Jedi who remained true to the Republic, and the next minute, he executed the Emperor. Most people don't know the whole story, so they're understandably confused."
"And they're scared, because they can't predict what he'll do next," Padmé says softly.
"People are scared of Anakin, yes, but many are just scared in general," Bail remarks. "A lot of people were unnerved at how the clone troopers turned on the Jedi so quickly. Even those who didn't necessarily support the Jedi thought it was discomforting how easily the clones seemed to turn on them."
"They didn't want to," Padmé defends, even though she knows Bail knows it as well as she does. "It was the chip that the Kaminoans put in their heads. The chip that Palpatine made sure they had."
"Again, most people don't know the whole story," Bail replies with a shrug. "They're scared. They need someone to guide them."
Padmé looks down and takes a deep breath. "I'll do it."
"What?" Bail asks, sounding confused.
Padmé looks Bail in the eye, feeling determination in every inch of her body. "I'll do it. I'll be the Empress."
"Are you certain?" Bail asks. Padmé nods. A smile spread across Bail's face.
"Then we'd better start preparing for your coronation."