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Anakin hurried the Senators through the air vents, ignoring their protests and disgruntled comments. Clearly, using the ventilation system as a means of escape was not something they enjoyed. Not that they had a choice.
That nagging feeling had not lessened in Anakin's gut and it was beginning to make him feel physically sick. He needed to get back to Obi Wan and Ferus; they would know what was wrong.
"Master Skywalker, are you sure you know where you're going?"
Anakin did his best not to groan allowed. He had recognised the voice of Nee Alavar, one of Padmé's old Senate friends who he had never liked. She had been spoilt since her childhood and while she had good intentions, Anakin had never liked the way she went about having her say.
"Yes I'm positive," he replied as calmly as he could.
She mumbled something under her breath but Anakin chose to ignore her, crawling along even faster.
Moments later, he saw light and then the open shaft came into view. In seconds he had swung himself out of the air vent and landed lightly on his feet. That feeling was driving him crazy but he knew he had to get the Senators out of the air vent first. So, trying to ignore his instincts, he turned and helped Nee out of the vent. When her feel touched the ground, he turned to the next Senator and helped her too. Then Scamp jumped out of the vent and Anakin left him to get the rest of the Senators out.
Anakin's eyes scanned the surrounding area and it wasn't long before he spotted Ferus and Obi Wan. They were running towards the small group, their cloaks flapping in the wind behind them.
"Anakin!" Obi Wan shouted.
Already the ex-Jedi could feel that sinking feeling rise and begin to engulf him. Something was terribly wrong. As soon as the two Jedi reached him, puffing and exhausted, Anakin demanded to know what was wrong.
Ferus and Obi Wan exchanged a look that Anakin couldn't place but ultimately ignored it.
"Please, tell me! Something bad is happening, something so bad that it is making me feel like I'm about to throw up," Anakin said.
Ferus released a sigh and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"The Emperor has left Coruscant..."
"He has done that before and it has never even affected me so why now?"
"Hush Anakin," Obi Wan murmured. His eyes were ablaze with compassion. "Let Ferus finish."
Ferus gave the Jedi Master a thankful smile before turning his gaze back to the distraught Anakin.
"The Emperor has found Padme and the twins," he said softly.
Anakin blinked. His whole body felt suddenly numb.
Ferus saw Anakin's blue eyes go dull and his skin turn an unnatural shade of grey. He glanced quickly over to Obi Wan, his eyes concerned. Obi Wan's brow furrowed and he stepped closer to his frozen friend.
"Anakin?" he asked.
Anakin turned to face his friends. They both nearly flinched when they saw the sheer agony in his eyes and felt the nearly overwhelming guilt that he projected into the Force.
"I have to go," he finally said.
He spun on his heels and began walking swiftly towards his X-Wing Starfighter. Neither Obi Wan nor Ferus had the heart to stop him. Ferus watched Anakin go. He knew everyone was curious as to what had happened and why Anakin was leaving them but no one said anything.
"I feel sorry for the kid," Olin finally uttered. "He's been through so much."
Obi Wan nodded. "And he has so much more to go through. The Emperor isn't going to just leave him alone."
As Anakin's Starfighter shot off into the atmosphere, the two Jedi turned and began ushering the Senators into the cruiser they had waiting.
* * *
Padme released a soft sigh as she flopped down onto the couch. The twins had been fussing all day and hadn't given her any relief. But finally they'd settled down enough to sleep and now Padme was allowing the exhaustion of the day to wash over her.
She wished Anakin was there so he could massage away her troubles but as it was... She sighed again. Her eyes slowly slid closed and without realising it, she was asleep in seconds.
What felt like minutes later, Padme awoke with a start. Both Luke and Leia were crying and calling out to her. Anxious, the young mum leapt off the couch and dashed to her children's bedroom. As she pushed open the door, she froze.
Two men in dark cloaks held her children. They were both tall and a dark energy was emanating from them that filled Padme with terror. These people weren't friends and they had her kids. Sudden and powerful anger filled her, lending her frozen muscles the adrenaline needed to get moving again.
"Put my children down!" she shouted.
She hurried into the room and grabbed the furiously struggling Luke from his captor's arms. The man was insistent and didn't want to release his grip on the child. Suddenly, Luke bit down on the man's large hand. Coincidentally, at the same moment, Padme shoved her elbow back fiercely into the man's chest. He groaned and his grip slackened momentarily.
Within seconds Padme was cradling the toddler in her arms. Luke's arms were wrapped tightly around her neck and he was calling out to Leia.
Padme glanced desperately around for her other child and found her, seemingly asleep, in the other man's arms. Puzzled and more than a little worried, Padme didn't see the first man recover.
He reached out an arm and Padme felt the tremors of the Force as it hit her in the chest. Pain flared through her body as she was thrown across the room, Luke holding on for dear life. Padmé's head hit the wall with a dull thud and she slid down, head aching and body throbbing.
The man walked over to her limp form and easily pulled the toddler away from her.
"Mummy!" Luke cried.
Padme tried to get up, tried to rescue her little boy but her muscles wouldn't respond. In the end, she could only watch as the man placed his hand on Luke's forehead and closed his eyes. For a few seconds nothing happened. The Luke's eyes drifted shut and he stopped moving.
"What did you do to them?" Padme demanded, hating how weak her voice sounded.
They both ignored her as another person entered. Her cloak hood was down, unlike the other two, and Padme stifled a gasp as shock hit her.
"Hello Senator," the newcomer said with a smile.
Padme could only stare as the woman walked towards her. She was painfully familiar. It had come as a complete surprise to both Padme and Anakin when they'd discovered her betrayal. Her face had not aged well but then she'd never expected it too, not after she had succumbed to the powers of the Dark Side.
"I'm sorry about this Padme," the woman said.
She glanced over her shoulder at the two men.
"Deliver the kids, I've got this one," she ordered.
The men nodded silently and left the room. Padme struggled to rise. She had to get to her babies before they took them away! A hand firmly pushed her back down.
Oh Anakin! Where are you? We need you!
Padme knew he wasn't going to hear her silent pleas but she tried nonetheless.
A thin blue hand suddenly touched her forehead and Padme looked into the eyes of a once trusted friend. There was no mercy there, no remorse.
Fog started clouding Padmé's mind and within seconds, she was unconscious.
* * *
Anakin pushed his X-Wing Starfighter as fast as it could go. He was out of hyperspace and descending into Bespin's atmosphere, his knuckles white on the joy stick. His pulse was racing as the screaming of the overworked engine assaulted his ears.
Aircraft shot past him in a blur but he paid no notice to them, his concentration only for his family.
He'd let down his shields, touched the Force for a few milliseconds and then left his family unprotected. Some father he was.
His sharp eyes spotted the house in the distance. Its familiar white walls seemed to glow in the dark and he quickly guided the Starfighter to it. He had barely turned the engine off before leaping out and dashing inside his house.
The minute he set foot inside, he knew Padme and the twins weren't here. His hands balled into fists at his side. There was a foul taste in the air, like something had died and gone stale. Anakin followed the smell into his kid's bedroom.
The twin's beds had clearly been slept in but the children themselves were absent. Pain lanced at Anakin's heart as he spotted the small teddy bear that Leia always cuddled with at night. He picked it up and placed it gently back on her bed.
He turned away and that was when he noticed the dark stain on the wall opposite the beds. Anakin knew what it was without getting any closer. He swallowed and noticed something shiny on the floor.
Anakin picked the holodisk up and turned it on. Instantly two blue figures lit up the room, one of them standing over the other. He would recognise Padme anywhere. White hot rage filled him as he took in her slumped and clearly unconscious form and he could barely contain himself from crushing the holodisk.
The other figure was also easily recognisable as she'd made no attempt to hide her identity. It pained him to see her standing over his Padme, to know that she'd done that to his wife. To see someone who'd been so kind to Padme and himself over the years, go to the Dark Side was heartbreaking.
He pushed away Aayla Secura's betrayal and focused on the words she was saying.
"Meet me outside the Refugee Transport Terminal in an hour. If you're late, we will harm Padme, if you don't come alone, we will harm Padme. You're a smart man, you can figure out the rest," Aayla said. Her holographic image smiled and she bent down beside Padme. She ran a finger down the unconscious woman's cheek. "Padme was always the luckiest girl."
Aayla looked back at Anakin as though she'd known exactly where he would be when she'd recorded it.
"I'll be seeing you soon Anakin," she murmured with a grin.
The disk shut off and Anakin quickly shoved it into his pocket. The Refugee Transport Terminal was on the other side of Bespin and took nearly two hours to reach during the calm hours of the day. Anakin only hoped that the time of night and his modified X-Wing would be able to get him there on time. He couldn't risk Padmé's health. Not when it was already his fault she was in the enemy's hands.