Chapter 4: Adventures with Colic

Anakin landed his shuttle and rushed home with excitement. He put a box down on the kitchen counter as he walked through the house, and began to call out, "Padme."

"Ssshhh" Beru hushed him. "The babies are asleep. Padme has been up all night, I thought she could do with some rest," she whispered.

"Oh. Thank you for all of this." Anakin whispered.

"It's no problem really, It's practice for when I get one of my own." Beru smiled, then looked off with a slight tear in her eyes.

"I stopped at a small town on Ryloth and purchased a few surprises for Luke and Leia. Want to see?"

"Ooh, yes." Beru followed Anakin back to the kitchen where he proudly opened the box and removed several small toys. Beru was examining one, made to look like a pink, horned creature and stuffed with a type of dried grain, when Padme walked in.

"Oh, Padme, you're up." Anakin moved to give her a hug. She sleepily responded wrapping her arms around him.

"You're home," Padme said.

"You don't have to be up. Go back to sleep," Beru urged.

"Nonsense. I had more sleep in the past several hours than I've had since the little ones were born. I just need some Caff." Padme walked over and started preparing a cup, while Beru hovered behind, prepared to assist. "Did Beru tell you about our idea?"

"No, she did not." Anakin looked at Beru who reached out to hold the bag of ground beans for Padme to spoon into the machine.

"We've been talking about local politics," Anakin nearly rolls his eyes when Padme mentioned politics. When you marry a Senator... "As you know, Tatooine doesn't consider itself a part of the Republic, and thus they don't have representatives elected to govern. Because of this gangsters and criminals, like the Hutts, have been controlling things here for years."

"You aren't suggesting forming a government." Anakin reached up to a cabinet and removed a set of mugs.

"No, at least not yet. But the power these criminals have comes from the people. Specifically young men and women who have no other options, or no guidance to avoid the trap of that lifestyle. We had something like it on Naboo. A charity where young men and women could get a mentor and education, along with a hot meal and place to rest."

"I don't think they have that here," Anakin dismissed.

"Oh, but they will. I'm gonna start it."

Beru just smiled at Padme, and Anakin shook his head. "Padme, we've got two new babies. Shouldn't we let someone else run the charity."

Padme scolds Anakin silently with her eyes. "I started my career in work like this. I can handle it. Plus Beru here will be my right hand woman." Anakin shares a look of pity with his sister-in-law. "I'm so excited to start. And you." Padme touches Anakin's nose. "Don't look at me like that. It will take a long time before we have things set up enough to give lessons, but if people are as desperate as Owen and Beru to have things change, they should be willing to give to this endeavor of ours."

The coffee was finished and Beru took the pot to pour it into the mugs.


That night Luke started to wail. Anakin got up even though it was Padme's turn and followed her to the nursery. He could sense something was wrong. When he got to the crib, however, nothing obvious seemed out of place. Luke's face was red, though, and his tiny fists were clenched tight as he screamed.

Nothing Padme tried seemed to help much either. He wouldn't nurse. His diaper was clean. The room and the force were both quiet on this particular night. Luke's cries were louder than usual, and Anakin felt really worried.

Padme held him to her chest as she rocked him in a soothing motion. Anakin held up one of the baby toys he'd gotten trying desperately to sooth the infant.

"I think you should comm your mother. She might know what to do," Padme suggested. Anakin dropped the toy and ran to the comm device.

"Wha- what is it," came the gruff voice of Cliegg.

"Is my mom there." Anakin said with panic.

"What's wrong, son." Shmi's voice still soothed him.

"It's Luke. He won't stop crying, no matter what we do. I don't know what's wrong," cried Anakin.

"It's going to be alright. You got the same way around his age," reassured Shmi.

"Mm-hm, Owen too. His colic lasted for three months." Cliegg added. Anakin gasped.

"Try laying him on his tummy and rubbing his back. Or give him some of those gas drops I gave to Padme," Shmi suggested.

"And if that doesn't work, take him on a ride in the back of your speeder. That's what it took for Owen," Cliegg added.

"Thank you." Anakin's voice still sounded hoarse.

"And remember, whatever is making him cry is real to him. Even if you can't feel it. But it's not your fault. A lot of babies get this," Shmi added.

"mm-hm, thanks a lot. I'd never be able to do this without you, mom," said Anakin.

Anakin and Padme spent much of the night trying out those strategies. They helped a little, but it still took a couple hours for Luke to fall back asleep.


Over the next week, Luke's colic continued to keep the Skywalker's up late at night. Anakin put his son in his baby-seat and took him for several long rides around Tatooine late at night. One time he was so tired he accidentally put the baby-seat into his shuttle instead. "It couldn't hurt right." He said to himself as he strapped Luke in. When the two were flying in orbit around Tatooine, and Luke finally began to quiet down that night, Anakin looks back and whispers "Don't tell your mother." Soon regular trips into space became a regular thing for father and son.

Anakin still had to keep up his daily meditations, though. He found that with a cup of Caff right before, he was at least able to sound normal, when he went to the mental-scape to communicate with Obi-Wan and the rest of the Jedi. When Luke and Leia were 4 weeks old, Yoda had a mission for him.

"Anakin, Anakin, did you hear what Master Yoda just asked you?" said Obi-Wan.

"Yes, Yes. Uh..." Anakin honestly missed half of the conversation. They were saying something about the empire's movements… Blah, Blah, Blah.

"Go then to Argus, you will, and why the empire is closing the Celestial School, you will learn," said Yoda.

"Yeah, sure…" Anakin was thinking about how he could take his time getting this particular mission done, when Obi-Wan spoke up.

"Master Yoda, I know a couple of former professors there, perhaps they'll be able to help Anakin's investigations."

"Yes, Go with him, you must." And Yoda's words settled it.


Anakin was given no other options. He said goodbye to his children, and left Tatooine. By the time Anakin arrived on Argus he'd been able to get some sleep, while he let R2-D2 fly. But still the trip to Argus didn't take long, and Anakin was very tired.

"What have you been through!" Obi-Wan's hands went up to examine Anakin's face.

Anakin groaned. "You'd never believe me if I told you." Anakin stomps around their landing site. "So, where are these contacts you've got?"

Obi-Wan stood a minute with his mouth open, looking on his former padawan with concern. "One lives very close to here. Doctor Helga Pelvoy. She's the first we'll talk to, I think. The other lives across town."


Doctor Pelvoy was an older woman with greying hair and a big smile. She greeted Obi-Wan with a warm hug, even though it made his Jedi companion's eyes open wide with shock.

"Helga, we need information. Why is the school closing?" Obi-Wan asked, after helping the doctor to a seat with care.

"I don't know why it's being shut down. Most of my colleagues have already accepted positions with the imperial naval academy. Brian Uulang is one of them," she said.

Obi-Wan looked up at Anakin disappointed. "He was my other contact." Then he looked back at Helga. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"I do know this, before it all closed the school chancellor, Professor Henry, was receiving visits from someone who looked to be imperial. I don't know what they were about, but Professor Henry was not happy when this imperial left," Helga added. This sparked Obi-Wan's interest.


The next thing they were doing was climbing in through the former school building's ventilation duct to get to it's security room. Obi-Wan pulled up the security camera feeds from the chancellor's office. They fast-forwarded until they found a section where a sharp looking young man was in the chancellor's office. The way the man threw his fists, it was clear he was having an argument with the Chancellor.

They played this section so they could hear the audio. "You will join the fleet and build the Emperor's weapon, or I will shut down your school and ruin your reputation as an educator," said the visitor.

"I will never do such a thing," the chancellor's voice rang out.

"Weapon, this is interesting. We must learn more." Obi-Wan went back to fast-forwarding through the security feed.

"No, we should find this Chancellor and see if we still have time to evacuate him." Obi Wan looked up at Anakin in shock. "If they shut down the school, it means he's had to carry out on his threat. But I don't doubt that the empire has more plans to force the chancellor's hands." Anakin breathed a sigh. "He'll probably know better than anyone else what weapon Sidious wanted him to build."

"Ok, then. I think he lives up-town. We'll have to go in disguised as household staff." Obi-Wan was convinced.


Obi-Wan hadn't mentioned that the household was staffed by mostly women, who wore long, brightly colored dresses, and headpieces made of the same cloth. Their faces were painted white, with red ink over their lips and cheeks.

"Quit grumbling. This was your idea," Obi-Wan said. Anakin merely picked up a basket and carried it over his head, as they'd seen other servant's do. The two men walked into the household kitchen as if they were supposed to be there, then made their way through the house until they found the chancellor in his study.

"Sir," Anakin's deep voice shocked the man who dropped his datapad and jumped out of his seat.

Obi-Wan held his hands up and spoke next. "Professor Henry, we are aware the empire is pressuring you to build a weapon for them."

"And we're also aware that you've been refusing. We suspect that shutting down the school won't be the last of the empire's threats, and we want to help."

"They say they will hurt my son if I don't…" The Chancellor, Vincent Henry, said.

"Where is your son now?" Anakin asks.

"At the local children's school, but the man came by yesterday with pictures of my Percival on his way home. He said I had three days to decide. If I don't…" The Chancellor's eyes filled with a pain that Anakin recognized. "I can't build what he wants me to build. I got into teaching because I wanted to make the universe a better place. But this… this weapon would destroy so much. I can't let that be my legacy… Our legacy. How would my boy look at me after that."

This was a question Anakin had asked himself many times, when he'd thought about what Palpatine had said to him, and how desperate he was to save Padme. He didn't know how far he would've gone to save them… Too Far.


"Daddy," Percival ran up to his father. "What's wrong?" He noticed something seemed to be bothering his father. He was holding his arms too tight as he stood waiting with the other parents.

"Nothing, my boy." Vincent put an arm around the boy and led him to his speeder. "Say, how do you feel about getting some ice-cream today?"

"Really?" Percival smiled big. "But, I thought we only went to get ice-cream as a reward when the school year ends."

Vincent gulped. "I think you've been a very good boy. You deserve some ice-cream today."

Percival jumped in excitement and got into his father's speeder.

Vincent got Percival a scoop of Denta bean ice-cream covered in Jogan fruit drizzle, and he pulled around to the rear parking lot to let his son eat.

"Are we waiting for someone?" Percival asked after watching his father's eyes sweep the sky for the tenth time.

"Oh-no, just eat your ice-cream," replied Vincent.

Percival noticed his father take a big sigh of relief when a ship landed. Two men got out and walked straight for their speeder. "Come son. We're going on a trip. I'll explain everything later."

The two got out of the speeder and headed for the men's ship. Before they got there, however, some other men came out and Percival could hear "bang, bang, BANG," as the men fired on them. Percival dropped his ice-cream as he ran, but his father pulled him along before he got the chance to morn it.

The two men who got out of the ship pulled lightsabers from their belts and Percival again almost turned to watch them block the blaster shots with the beams of light. His father quickly pulled him into the ship, however, and the two Jedi followed. They shut the door then one ran to the pilot seat and took off.

"Anakin, where do we stand?" One asks.

"We should've stolen the YT-series." The blond one answers.

"Reappropriated," insisted the bearded one. "And the flashy one had too many security features."

"Well, Hold on back there. I'm gonna have to do some flashy flying to get us out of here," said Anakin.

"We're gonna take you two to Wrea. We'll introduce you to Saw Gerrera and he can get you new names and a new home," Obi-Wan said to Vincent Henry.

"Daddy?" Percival questions.

Vincent squeezed his son's hands. "Thank you so very much. If there is anything I can do to help you." Then he turned to Percival. "Son, we will always be home when we are together."


Alright, confession time, I have never had an infant. I did do a bit of research on the internet to get this part done.

And I read a little line on Wookieepedia about the School on Argus being shut down by the empire, but no other details were given there. I came up with the rest from my imagination. I hope you like it. Please let me know what you think.