Padme sat in silence for the first time all day. It was something she did not get to enjoy that often, so when she had time to sit alone, she did. Her precious babies were finally fast asleep, a long day of parenting behind her. Sitting alone for too long though took her down a dark road, one she was trying to forget. The babies were now almost a year old and Padme still hadn't processed all the life changes that happened the past few years. Before she had time to start thinking about the terrible events that plagued her mind day in and day out, she heard a small knock at her door. She knew who it was. She got up, put on her robe and headed straight for the door. It was Obi-Wan, her protector, her friend, and one of the only people who knew she was still alive. She opened the door with a small smile, "come in Obi-Wan."
Padme poured herself and Obi-Wan a tall drink and sat down in the chair across from him. She waited for the inevitable..
"Padme I am sorry to come over so late…" but before he could finish his sentence Padme jumped in "Obi-Wan, I know what's coming next. Just tell me when to be ready."
Obi-Wan gave his friend a sad smile, he knew she was tired and beat down from the past years events. She was heartbroken, struggling as a new mother, lost in life, just an overall mess. He couldn't blame her..he didn't know how she was still standing after all she had gone through, hell what they BOTH went through.
"I will let you know soon, my sources are saying the empire will be here by next week, we have three days." He didn't look at her when he spoke, these were the facts of their new lives and they had to accept them…
"I was really starting to like this planet." Padme said with a kind smile. "It kind of felt like Naboo." Her eyes trailed off into the distance, a million memories flooding her mind. Ohh how she missed Naboo, her family, her freedom. She missed and longed for the days of her youth. The days before everything became so complicated.
Obi-Wan finished his drink and poured himself another one. He sat there across from Padme, both of them exhausted and worn out. They didn't have much to say to one another, just two broken souls trying to fill the void with each others' company. Both were thankful for one another, they knew they couldn't do this without the other.
"Obi-Wan, will there ever come a time we don't have to constantly be on the run?" Padme asked, desperately seeking an answer she knew she wasn't going to get. She hunched over in her chair, put her head in her hands and sat quietly. Obi-Wan watched her, got up from his seat and kneeled down besides her, "Padme, we must keep moving, Gods forbid the empire finds the children, we would have no hope." A soft sigh left her mouth, she looked at Obi-Wan and gave him nod, their time on this planet was up.
Eleven Months Ago:
Obi-Wan Kenobi, Master Yoda, and senator Bail Organa each took a seat in a dimly lit hospital common room, on a planet on the outskirts of the galaxy. The hospital was empty, except for a select few people and droids working during the fall of the republic. All three had the weight of what seemed like the whole galaxy on their shoulders. Everything had fallen apart. Darkness, death, and destruction had become the new normal and the deadly events of the past few weeks had not left the minds of all three sitting in the common room. Bail rubbed his temples before he began to speak, "what are we going to do with them?"
"Separated these children must be." Yoda said, without question.
Obi-Wan shook his head almost immediately, "Master Yoda with all due respect, the senator will not allow this. She is bonded to those children..it's all she has left of Anakin." He could barely get those worlds out, saying Anakins name broke his heart into pieces. "She is broken now but won't be forever, Padme is strong, she will want to raise Luke and Leia."
Yoda pondered, not saying anything. The room went quiet for some time, there wasn't going to be a positive outcome for the situation they were in.
"These children you say, are the only hope? If they stay together.. what if the empire finds them, takes them? Trains them?" Bail seemed to side with Yoda. "I know how stubborn Padme is, but she has to consider this."
These children were the offspring of Anakin Skywalker. The once great Jedi, now a Sith Lord. The man responsible for unspeakable amounts of death, violence, and destruction. Not to mention the destruction of his own family. The job of keeping both of them safe in this ever changing galaxy with a murderous father out there potentially looking for them wasn't going to be easy. And the emperor? He would stop at nothing to have them hunted down and either have them murdered for being a threat to their father or train them to defeat their father. The dark side was powerful, and unfortunately these children were already tied to it. Where would they go? And what about Padme? Ultimately it was her decision, but the what ifs were very dangerous.
"I know Padme and she will not budge on this. As dangerous and reckless as this seems from our perspective, we must remember these are her children, her babies. She does have the right to raise them." Obi-Wan said with confidence. After all, it was true.
"Dangerous, yes, reckless, yes. Risking it all we are, if the children stay together." Yoda finally chimed in. All three men let out a sigh at one time.
"What if we move them around often, keep them on the outskirts, away from some of the populated planets and keep them moving? We have to keep them moving.." Bail trailed off. He knew the absolute horror that could happen if the twins were discovered. Hell if Padme was discovered. No one wanted to imagine this happening.
"Obi-Wan, stay with the senator and children you will. Help her, you must." Yoda directed at his padawan.
"We should announce her death, if we say she has passed on, maybe Ana.. Vader won't look for her or his children." Bail corrected Anakins name quickly.
"Good idea." Obi-Wan said. They looked at one another, the look of worry, even on the two Jedi was clear. These were desperate times. Padme and her babies were their last hope. It had to work. It had to.
"Hiding, I am going into. We will communicate through the force, Obi-Wan." Yoda nodded at Obi-Wan. With that all three stood up and bowed.
"Obi-Wan I am here if you ever need anything. We will come out of this on the other side." Bail said. Both men knew this was going to be a rough road. "Give Padme my best, I will be praying for you."
"May the force be with us all." Obi-Wan said with a hint of desperation in his voice. He knew the next few years would not be easy.
As Obi-Wan made his way to Padme's hospital room, his mind raced. He was scared for her, scared for the twins, he was even scared for himself. He would have to tell her how she was going to be living the next few years of her life and that wasn't going to be an easy task. Since giving birth to the twins, Padme was on a slew of medications, the doctors trying to keep her calm. Her heart was broken. Her mind as well. The babies were healthy and that's all that mattered in the moment. How Padme would make it through this, Obi-Wan did not understand. In the matter of a few months, her husband became violent, controlling, threatening, and eventually choosing power over his family. Her whole lives work was gone. She was now alone with her children, facing the unknown.
Obi-Wan entered the room slowly, to find a sleeping Padme with her twins in the crib next to her bed. She looked, for the moment, at peace. Her body had been through hell and back, first with the physical fight her and Anakin engaged in, and then childbirth shortly after. Her mind was broken as well, a victim of domestic violence, her whole life's work gone in a matter of days, her identity ripped from her. She would never be the same.
"Obi-Wan?" She said dryly. Eyes barely open. "Where's Anakin?"
His eyes fell to the floor. He had told her a few times he was no longer alive, but she did not believe it. How was he going to explain it this time?