Chapter 35
Anakin ran all the way to the hangar deck. He had promised not to miss his children's birthday, and now he was perilously close to doing just that.
"Can I help you, sir?" asked a technician.
"I need a long range vehicle," Anakin said.
"We have both shuttles and fighters, sir," the technician said. "Whatever you..." he stopped as Anakin ran to a nearby TIE fighter and jumped inside. Within minutes he was flying out the shuttle bay doors and calculating the jump into hyperspace.
Naboo
"Goodnight sweetheart," Padmé said as she sat at the end of Leia's bed. "Tomorrow is a big day."
"I'm glad Grandma and Grandpa are here," Leia said. "Where's Daddy?"
"He'll be here tomorrow," Padmé said.
"Promise?" Luke asked from his bed. Padmé looked at her son, not wanting to lie to him, not wanting to promise him something that she wasn't sure she could keep.
"I can't promise, Luke," she said. "Only Daddy can make that promise."
Luke frowned. "But he did promise," he said. "I remember."
Padmé reached over and stroked her son's hair softly. "Well then we have to hope that he keeps that promise," she said. "Daddy loves you both, very much," she said. "And I know that if he can be here, he will."
Neither Luke nor Leia could imagine what could keep their father from their birthday party, but were too tired to consider the matter any further. They drifted off to sleep as their mother watched them. Finally, when they'd fallen asleep, Padmé left their room and joined her parents.
"Kids asleep?" Jobal asked.
Padmé nodded. "Yes," she said as she took a seat. "I'm afraid they're both worried that Anakin won't make it. I'm beginning to feel the same way, actually."
Jobal and Ruwee exchanged a look.
"Anakin has been very busy," Jobal said. "But I'm sure he'll be here, Padmé. He loves Luke and Leia very much. He wouldn't miss their birthday, not for anything."
Padmé sighed. "I hope you're right," she said. "They'll be heartbroken if he isn't here."
They won't be the only ones, Ruwee thought with a frown.
"I'm tired," Padmé said. "I think I'll go get ready for bed."
"Goodnight love," Jobal said as Padmé kissed her cheek. "Try not to worry."
Padmé smiled. "I'll try," she said.
By nightfall the weather had changed, and a violent thunder storm rolled over the lake. Padmé did her best to stay up to wait for Anakin, but was unable to keep awake. Eventually she fell asleep alone in the large bed, her heart troubled. She hadn't been asleep long when her comlink that she had kept on the nightstand sounded, and she awoke with a start. She grabbed the comlink, hoping that it was Anakin.
"Hi Angel."
Padmé smiled when she heard his voice. "Ani! Where are you?"
"I'm on my way," he told her. "I got so wrapped up in all the new developments that I completely lost track of what day it was. Can you believe that?"
Padmé nodded. "I can totally believe that," she said. "Never mind that, what matters is that you're on your way. Luke and Leia will be so happy to see you. When do you expect to arrive?"
"I should be there by 0600," Anakin said.
"You'll be exhausted," she said.
"I don't care," Anakin said. "Just as long as I'm there for the twins' birthday, that's all that matters to me, Padmé."
Padmé smiled. "Do you know how much I love you, Anakin Skywalker?"
"I think so," he said. "But feel free to show me how much when I get there."
Padmé laughed. "See you soon."
"I can't wait," Anakin said. "Love you."
Padmé set her comlink back on the nightstand, a smile on her face. Thank God, she thought as she snuggled under the covers. She fell into a peaceful sleep, confident that she'd be with her Ani again soon.
Anakin felt better now that he had spoken to his wife to assure her that he was on his way. He smiled as he pictured his children blowing out the candles on their birthday cake. I don't have a gift for them, he thought with a frown. Padmé has taken care of that, there's no doubt of that, he reminded himself. Padmé thought of everything. He closed his eyes to try and get some sleep while he was travelling through hyperspace. I can't wait to see her, he thought. I can't wait to slip into bed with her and... soon, my angel, I'll be there soon... Anakin drifted off to sleep.
Naboo
Luke and Leia were up at the crack of dawn. Padmé wasn't surprised, but felt the fatigue of a late night. "Happy birthday!" she said as the twins burst into her room, their faces bright with excitement. Luke and Leia scrambled up onto their mother's bed and into her embrace. Padmé kissed each of them.
"Is Daddy here?" Luke asked as he and Leia snuggled under the covers with their mother.
"Not yet," Padmé said. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It was 5:30. "he'll be here very soon, though," she said. "I spoke to him last night."
"Really?" Leia asked, looking up at Padmé with a smile. "You talked to him? He's coming right now?"
Padmé smiled. "Yes, he's coming right now," she said. "He'll be here for breakfast."
"Can we make breakfast for him?" Leia asked.
"I think that's a wonderful idea, sweetheart," Padmé said. "Let's get dressed and then we'll get cooking."
"Yay!" Luke and Leia said and hurried out of the bed and ran out the door.
Anakin's light sleep ended when an alarm on his dashboard telling him that he was coming out of light speed shortly. He prepared himself for the reversion, excitement filling him as he thought of seeing his family very soon. Naboo appeared on his screen as the fighter dropped out of hyperspace. Anakin smiled, the sight of the planet he loved filling him with happiness. But then a second alarm sounded, and he frowned. He looked over the dash and then his heart started beating double time when he saw what it meant. The fuel tank was empty. Anakin knew that he had mere minutes left before he would lose complete control of the craft, and took a hold of the controls tightly. He entered the coordinates for the landing platform at the lake house, doing a quick calculation in his head. I don't have enough fuel to get there, he realized with cold dread. In his haste to leave the Devastator, he had not taken the time to check the fuel gauge. God help me, he thought with a frown as he guided the fighter towards his destination. He flew over the mountains, the lake district never looked more beautiful or more deadly. Suddenly alarms started sounding, lights on the dash started flashing as the fuel tank was spent. Anakin used the force to try and control the craft to prevent it from dropping like a stone into the cold, deep waters of the lake below. He saw he landing platform in the distance, and focused all of his mental energy on reaching it. But the ship was rapidly losing altitude, and the struggle to keep it aloft was tremendous. The platform was only a few hundred metres away. I'm going to make it, Anakin thought, smiling grimly. He got the fighter to the platform, but landing it without crashing would be impossible. He gripped the controls desperately as the craft started a dive towards the rocky outcropping near the platform. Faster and faster the ship fell, and then all went black.
Devastator
Obi-Wan Kenobi sat up in his bed with a gasp, a great tremor in the Force shaking him awake. What has happened? he thought anxiously.
"Anakin is in trouble, " Qui-Gon told him as he appeared. "He needs you Obi-Wan. He's dying. Hurry to Naboo before it's too late to save him."
Obi-Wan didn't question his former master, and simply hit the com button. "Bridge, set a course for Naboo at once. Maximum velocity."
"Yes sir!"
Naboo
The kitchen was a mess, but Padmé didn't care. Luke and Leia were enjoying themselves immensely as they helped their mother make all of their father's favourite foods. Threepio was quite beside himself as he tried to keep up with the twins and the mess they were making, and simply complained to anyone who would listen. Artoo watched with amusement, enjoying his friend's exasperation.
Padmé looked up at the clock on the wall, noting that it was nearly 6:30. Where are you, Ani? she wondered. She had just pulled a fresh batch of muffins out of the oven when her comlink sounded. That's him! she thought. She picked it out of the pocket in her apron. "Ani?" she said. "Where are you?"
"It's me, Padmé," said Obi-Wan.
Padmé grew alarmed at once. "Obi-Wan, what is it?" she asked, walking away from the twins. "What's going on?"
"I'm not sure yet," Obi-Wan said. "But I know that Anakin is in trouble. I'm on my way to Naboo to help him."
Padmé felt cold. "What do you mean, he's in trouble?" she cried. "What's wrong? What happened?"
"I can't tell you anything yet, Padmé," he said. "I just want you to know that I'm on my way, and that I will do everything I can to help Anakin."
"What makes you think he's in trouble?" she asked. "I don't understand."
"A tremor in the Force," Obi-Wan said. "And then Qui-Gon Jinn appeared to me. He told me that..." he stopped, not wanting to tell her what Qui-Gon had told her.
"What? What did he tell you?" Padmé cried desperately. She had no doubt that Qui-Gon was a reliable source. She'd seen all that he had done to help Anakin first hand.
"He told me that Anakin was dying, Padmé," Obi-Wan said soberly. "And that I needed to hurry before it was too late to save him."