Chapter 3
Hours later
Padmé was in a deep sleep when she was awoken by Obi-Wan insistently shaking her by the shoulder.
"Padmé you must wake up!"
Padmé opened her eyes and looked up at him questioningly. "What...what's wrong?" she asked.
"There is someone in the woods," he said. "And it isn't Vader."
Padmé sat up at once. "Who is it?" she asked.
Obi-Wan's brow creased in worry. "I sense...darkness," he said.
Padmé's heart began to race. "Palpatine," she said. "He must know that Anakin found us," she said, starting to panic. "Obi-Wan, take the twins to the loft," she said.
Obi-Wan frowned. "Padmé you must hide as well," he said.
"You must shield them," she said, getting out of bed and grabbing her robe. "Only you can make them believe that there's no one else here," she said. "I'll tell him that the baby I was carrying died," she said. "It will be your job to make them believe it."
"Padmé, I promised Vader that I'd protect you," he said.
"Then protect my children," she said, tying the robe around her waist with a jerk. "Leave the rest to me."
Obi-Wan knew Padmé well enough to argue with her, but he frowned with worry nonetheless as he left her. He and Padmé had planned exactly what to do should the day ever arrive that she was discovered, and had even practiced it with the twins so they wouldn't be frightened. Obi-Wan only hoped that his own trepidation would not be sensed by Luke and Leia, who were already very intuitive.
"Come along, younglings," Obi-Wan said, picking each twin up into his arms. "Time to play hide and seek."
Luke and Leia loved to play this game, and knew that they needed to be very quiet so that their mother wouldn't find them. So as Obi-Wan lifted them up into the loft above his bedroom, they toddled over to the corner as they had done so many times before. Obi-Wan joined them and the three of them sat in silence waiting. The house is empty, there is no one here, Obi-Wan projected. The house is empty, there is no one here...
Meanwhile, Padmé screwed up her courage to face the man who had destroyed the love of her life. Obi-Wan had taught her how to shield her thoughts, and she had become quite good at it. She would need all of her skill now to keep Luke and Leia's existence a secret. My child died when he was born, my child died when he was born, she recited in her mind. My child died...there is no child here...I'm alone, all alone...
The sound of footsteps in the front hall was heard as Padmé made her way down to the entrance way. Swallowing her fear at the sight of the red robed guards, she put on her bravest face and stood with her arms crossed.
"How dare you enter my home," she said angrily.
The guards ignored her, and walked past her, no doubt instructed by Palpatine to find the child of Anakin Skywalker. Padmé let them pass, praying silently that Obi-Wan was successful in his efforts to shield her precious twins.
"Well, my dear Senator Amidala," Palpatine said as he appeared in her doorway. "I can't tell you what a pleasure it is to see you!"
Padmé's frown deepened. "Spare me your false flattery," she said. "I demand that you leave my home at once!"
Palpatine merely smiled. "My dear senator, surely you know why I'm here," he said. "Did you really think your dear spouse could hide his actions from me? I know he's found you, I know he's been here. His ship is still in orbit, the fool."
"So what of it?" Padmé replied "You told him I'd died. What kind of a cruel monster tells such a lie?"
Palpatine's smile faded. "No more cruel than hiding a man's child from him," he spat.
Padmé braced herself. "Our child died within hours of his birth," she told him convincingly.
Palpatine examined her face carefully. It infuriated him that she was so difficult to read, she always had been. "How tragic," he said. "But surely you can understand me if I don't believe you."
Just then the two guards returned. Palpatine was furious to see that they were empty handed. "Well?" he snapped., "Where is Skywalker's child?"
"The house is empty," one of the guards replied.
"There is no one here," the other added.
Palpatine's face dissolved into anger. "Did you search every room?" he demanded.
"Yes your majesty," the guard said. "The house is empty, there is no one here."
Palpatine's fists clenched in frustration. "Take her," he snapped. "If Vader thinks he's won, he's sadly mistaken."
One of the guards took Padmé by the arm roughly, and escorted her out of the house. Padmé was helpless to resist him.
On board the Devastator
Vader awoke from his sleep with a start, sensing a disturbance in the Force. He donned his mask and helmet and left his hyperbaric chamber at once, a sense of anxiety welling up within him. When he reached the bridge of his ship, he realized why he felt that way: the emperor's ship was in orbit over Naboo.
"Why wasn't I told that the emperor was here?" Vader demanded.
"You asked not to be disturbed, my lord," his second in command had the foolishness to say. It was the last words he ever uttered.
Vader left the bridge at once, the sense of anxiety building with each step he took. He reached the shuttle bay and left at once for Naboo. I never should have left them...I should have stayed with her...
Obi-Wan was in the foyer of the house when Vader arrived. He dreaded having to tell Vader what had happened.
"Where is she?" Vader said. "Palpatine was here, wasn't he?" he said.
"I'm afraid so," Obi-Wan said. "He took her with him."
Vader's rage could barely be contained. "How could you let this happen?" he demanded angrily. "You promised me you'd protect my family!"
"Padmé insisted that I hide the twins," Obi-Wan said. "They are safe, Vader. Padmé made the emperor believe the child she was carrying died at birth. Any trace of their presence was hidden from their minds, I made sure of it."
Vader was relieved to hear that Luke and Leia were safe, but the thought that Palpatine had his beloved angel was too much to bear. "I have to save her," he said. "Palpatine will die for this, I swear it."
Obi-Wan nodded. "As he should," he said. "But perhaps rather than rushing in half cocked like you always do, may I suggest a plan? There's no room for error, after all. Padmé's life could depend on it."
Vader considered Obi-Wan's words for a moment, hating to admit that his former master was right. "Perhaps," he admitted reluctantly. "Tell me what you have in mind."