Standing at the edge of the Imperial military base, his yellow starfighter's humming engine beckoned yet Anakin could not bring himself to move. The Rebels could wait forever while he stood there with his angel in his arms. Padme came to see him off properly, even after he insisted it wasn't necessary and now he was glad for her stubbornness. He took her beautiful face in his black-gloved hand, stroking away an errant tear marring her soft cheek. "I could spend a hundred years just looking at you…"

And he could. He would look at her for an eternity and never grow tired of the view. Dressed warmly in a soft blue, velvet cloak, Padme's hair had been pulled back from her face and expertly twisted into two rounded coils on either side of her head. A pair of silver earrings hung from her ears, the gift he had presented her on her last life-day if he remembered correctly. She was a vision he wished to engrave within his mind's eye forever.

"Don't be silly," she murmured, trailing her trembling hands along his black armoured arms, "You would be bored after ten minutes and you know it."

"Never!" He managed to laugh, bending at the neck to press his forehead to hers. Despite the clones running around behind them while overseeing final preparations, Anakin kissed his angel languidly, unable to resist any longer. Who cared for secrecy if he may never come back? He kissed her twice, three times more before parting just far enough to breathe. "Wait for me," he murmured, trailing his nose along her own.

"Always," she breathed the word against his lips, her hands reaching to cup his face. "We'll both be here for you when you come back to us."

Anakin glanced downward to where she would soon enough swell with the child she carried. His mouth dried at the thought. Going to Crait and facing unknown dangers, the Prince reflected for a moment on all that had brought them here. "I haven't been good to you," he whispered shamefully. He had lashed out and pouted childishly because fate had directed him to a path he hadn't desired for himself. Force, he had been so selfish! How Padme stood here, loving him still was beyond his understanding but he was endlessly grateful for her patience. "When I come back, everything will be different, I promise you." For the first time, he lifted his gloved hand to his beloved's stomach of his own volition and pressed it there. He sensed it, that small flicker of life inside of her and embraced it, perhaps even loving it for the very first time. His child. Their baby...

"You haven't been – "

"Shh," Anakin didn't need her to defend him now, not as she covered his hand with her own. "I know how I've been and I'm going to spend every day for the rest of my life making it up to you, Padme. Both of you."

"I love you, Ani," she leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed him fiercely, clinging to his dark armour as he gathered her in his arms once more. Seconds crept into minutes, too many minutes, but Anakin could not muster the strength to pull himself away, not until Padme pulled her face from his with a breathless gasp. "Wait, wait! I can't believe I almost forgot!"

"What is it?" He breathed, desperate to chase her sweet lips. There was nothing that would compare to spending their final moments together kissing and holding one another, so whatever she wished to show or tell him, he hoped that it would be quick.

A small, knowing smile stretched over Padme's lips then, as if hearing his thoughts. "You'll be glad, I promise." She turned from him and gestured for something to step out of the shadows. "This was supposed to be a wedding present but this also seems an appropriate occasion." Anakin watched as a small, blue and white astromech glided out from behind one of the ships being fired up for take off. It collided with a passing trooper and squealed indignantly, spinning its blue dome to further the point. Being one of the few people he knew who understood droidspeak, he couldn't help but chuckle at the expletives the little thing threw at his soldier. "Ani, this is R2D2."

"You're a fiery little thing, aren't you?" He bent at the knee and laid a hand on the droid's cool plating, "it's nice to meet you, Artoo."

The droid beeped his response, making Anakin laugh once more. "Your friend was getting rid of him?" He lifted his eyes to Padme once more.

"How… Wait, are you telling me you understand him?" She scoffed, lifting a hand to her brow, "Of course, you can understand droids, I don't know why I'm surprised." Her eyes rolled playfully, "And to answer your question, yes. Artoo belonged to one of King Thule's advisors but he wasn't appreciative of his spirit and sought out a… calmer droid. I thought you two would get along very nicely."

"His loss," Anakin stood to his full height once more, "thank you, my love," he brushed her lips with his own. "I feel guilty that I didn't think to procure a gift of my own now."

Padme took his face in her hands once more, "The best gift you could ever give me is coming home. That's all I want."

"Your every wish is my command," he stroked the back of her hand softly. "I will be back before you've had time to miss me."

"Commander!" Captain Rex called from somewhere behind them, politely averting his eyes to allow some semblance of privacy. "Everything is ready when you are, sir!"

It was time…

Anakin felt himself stiffen with dread. They couldn't prolong his departure any longer. He leaned in and kissed Padme once more, deeply, passionately, spilling every ounce of love he felt for her into each movement of his lips against hers. "I live for you." He murmured against her, "You're the only woman I'll ever love."

"Come back to me," she whimpered, "Come back and live a long, happy life with me, Anakin Skywalker."

Smiling, he intended to do exactly that. He ghosted one last kiss to the very tip of her nose and forced himself to turn, leaping onto the yellow wing of his starfighter. "Come on then, Artoo!" They would have plenty of time in hyperspace to get to know each other. As the glass dome of the cockpit began to descend, Anakin allowed himself one last glance at his beloved as his new friend settled himself in.

Whatever the cost, whatever it took, he would come back to her.

From the shadows, Vader watched as the 501st battalion took flight after Anakin, following him up into the atmosphere of Coruscant and higher, higher until they would align with the stars and blast into hyperspace. He would follow momentarily, but first… The Prince watched Padme lean heavily against an older, disused fighter and stifle a sob by holding her palm over her quivering lips. His heart thundered as he imagined what she might have told Anakin about last night. His brother would not forgive his indiscretion easily, especially if it proved to be a distraction in the coming days.

Gathering his courage, he approached the Senator as slowly as his long legs could manage. "Padme," Vader cleared his throat, drawing her attention to his entrance. She glanced at his armour of red and black, bearing the Skywalker insignia on each shoulder before her eyes met his own. He did not miss how they hardened. "I wanted to speak with you before I depart – "

"I didn't tell him," she said flatly, "and I've decided that I'm not going to. In comparison to what you're both about to face out there, it doesn't seem worth the trouble."

Relief, bittersweet as it was, swept through Vader more devastatingly than he had anticipated. Thank the force! Thank the damn force. "Thank you," he winced, shrinking beneath her resentful gaze even as he towered above her. "I wanted to tell you… well, I'm sorry for what happened. I was not myself. I hope you know I would never act that way in my right mind."

Lies, something inside of him hissed. His chest tightened with a dry, scratching cough which rumbled through his entire body. It had been plaguing him for days now. Force, this was not the time to come down with a damned cold of all things!

Padme looked at him for a long moment before sighing heavily. Her shoulders slumped and the hardness in her eyes melted away. "You shouldn't have anything to do with spices," she shook her head, "I understand that it was the drugs' influence that caused you to do what you did, I do. That's why I decided not to tell Anakin what happened."

"It will never happen again, I promise."

She nodded distantly, glancing outward to the emptied sky where Anakin and his battalion had vanished above the clouds. Her eyes searched the sky as though his brother may return to her to take her in his arms for one last kiss. That was love, wasn't it? True, unrelenting love. His stomach sank. His armour suddenly felt too heavy for his body. He would never know such affection from her.

"Anakin will return to you," Vader offered her all that he could, this small kindness if she would allow nothing else, "and one day, he will tell your child of our victory."

Nodding shallowly, Padme tugged up the deep velvet hood of her cloak as she made to leave the hanger. "Be careful out there, Vader. I need you both back here safe and sound."

By the time morning came the next day, Padme felt sickly and exhausted. She had barely slept all night. Whenever her eyes managed to close, she heard the hum of lightsabers and saw searing bolts of plasma tearing through the air. Worse were the screams her imagination replayed over and over again. Eventually, the Senator sat up and played the live holonet-news until the sun began to rise in case the news outlets received word of Anakin and Vader before she did.

Gathering the energy to slip out of bed, Padme yawned as she drifted through her apartment like a ghost. It was rarely this quiet and empty. Usually, the halls were filled with her staff or Anakin in their private time but she had given everyone the day off so she could worry alone. Dorme had wanted to stay, to be by her side until the Princes returned but her friend already spent so much of her time looking after her, Padme had dismissed her for Dorme's own good. Alone in the quiet, part of her wished that she let Dorme stay.

She tried to eat, for the baby's sake, but it only made the morning sickness far worse. After emptying her stomach of what little contents it held, Padme winced as it cramped and ached. Dinner last night obviously didn't agree with the baby. The idea of lazing around in her pyjamas was tempting but if she was going to survive the stress of the next few days, she needed structure, especially since she wasn't working.

Once dressed, Padme sat stiffly on the couch to flick through a holo-mag, eyeing the bright, exquisite images blankly. At least it was something. It distracted her from the twinging in her belly for a little while anyway.

By the time evening came around, Padme tried to open the book Vader had gifted her but the very sight of it made her feel uneasy. Did he offer it to her as a gesture of whatever misguided desire he felt for her, or was it really just the spices he had taken muddling his mind? Maybe he was being truthful that he had meant none of it and his mind had been addled and confused? She hoped so…

This was Anakin's brother, his twin! They were close friends and loved one another – something like last night would destroy them. Padme hadn't kept this secret for Vader's benefit but for Anakin's. If he knew what had happened, it would tear him apart. Their brotherly relationship would be irrevocably damaged and she knew how much he loved his sibling. Losing Vader would be to lose an arm to her fiancé and so she spared him that pain.

If Vader told the truth yesterday, then there was nothing to worry about. It was a mistake he would not repeat and they could move on with their lives as if it had never happened.

But touching that book awoke a ghost of the sensation of Vader's desperate kiss, his rough, eager hands and wanton moans.

A strange, unwanted heat began to race through Padme's body and she threw the book onto the table and abandoned it there, leaving the living room altogether. Maybe she would donate it to Kind Thule or a museum instead?

The sooner it was out of her apartment, the better.

"Hello? Galaxy to Padme, are you in there?" Sola waved a hand in front of her eyes, forcing the Senator to tear herself away from her thoughts. The battle on Crait had made it onto the holo-net news though there was nothing substantial to report. Her sister had been speaking about a new fertility treatment she and Darred were exploring when she caught sight of news anchors discussing Crait, after that, Sola's words had faded to nothing.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she shook her head, "what were you saying?"

Rolling her eyes, Sola poured herself another cup of tea. She had turned up at Padme's door early this morning, surprised to find her home. Darred had business here for the next week and she had come along for a visit. It was lovely, truly, and any other time she would have been overjoyed but she just wasn't good company right now. "I was asking you a question, sister dear. You see, my doctor recommended that I ask you, what position did you conceive in?"

She spluttered the warm tea she had just sipped, almost dropping the delicate dish onto the carpet. "Excuse me?" Padme must have heard her wrong! Sola would never ask such a private and intimate question like that, surely?

"Oh, don't be such a prude!" Her elder sister scoffed, "You know I would share the same information with you if you needed it! Doctor Kaus said that if it worked for you then perhaps Darred and I might be successful too, something to do with genetics and all. With the hormone boosters supposed to kick in within twenty-four hours, I thought it was a good idea. So, spill!"

Oh Ani, come home to me so we can laugh about this together.

A blush painted Padme's cheeks and neck. She and Sola were close to an extent but they had never exchanged such intimate details about their lives before. It was awkward but she supposed it was for a good reason though she might be disappointed with the answer. "Well, I… I'm not entirely sure. We don't know the exact date the baby was conceived. Ani and I had just come back from a trip together and we know it was within that week but I can't narrow it down any further."

"Well, just think about the days you two made love and we can narrow it down together. What was it - two times? Three?" At the uncomfortable expression which crafted itself across Padme's face, her sister's eyebrows raised. "More? Seriously?"

"What?" She chuckled lightly, "Ani and I just…" Gods help her through this. "Well, we enjoy each other! Our intimate life is wonderful."

"So you're telling me you have sex with him more than three times a week?" Sola looked scandalised, as if a healthy sex life was something strange. If they were bound to two or three times a week, Padme wasn't sure if she or Anakin would go crazy first. It wasn't just the pleasure – though that particular aspect was fantastic – it was the intimacy, the closeness she felt to him during and after lovemaking. She just loved it.

"Yes," she laughed, "It's… frequent. And sometimes more than once a day. As I said, we enjoy each other, Sola."

"Goddesses' sake!" Her sister huffed, "You're useless, aren't you? Just wait until this honeymoon phase is over, you're both in for a surprise."

As she made to smile at Sola's shock, her stomach tightened and twisted painfully, stealing the air from Padme's lungs though she disguised it behind the rim of her teacup. Once the pain faded, she placed the glass down once more. "I am sorry you and Darred are still having trouble. Surely this new form of treatment will be successful."

Her sister was seven years her senior and their mother often fretted about Sola's age affecting her chances of conceiving a baby undoubtedly piling ever more pressure onto her sister's shoulders. If there was a couple who desired and deserved a child more than anyone else in the galaxy, it would be Sola and Darred. One small part of Padme felt immensely guilty that she had gotten pregnant so easily and without trying while her sister struggled so terribly.

"It will be," Sola smiled tightly, "I know that it will. And what wonderful timing too! Our babies will grow up so close in age, they'll be best friends."

The thought brought a wide, genuine smile over the Senator's lips as she squeezed Sola's hand across the table. Wonderful indeed.

That night, it was not thoughts of violence and death which kept Padme from sleep but the heat. Coruscant was always kept cool at night even in the summer months but she felt as if the sun was blasting into her apartment alone. Nothing eased the warmth searing her flesh, even laying nude above the sheets with the cooling settings on high. Gods, she felt sick…

Every inch of her body was slick with sweat. She wanted to douse herself in ice water and never leave the spray. What in the name of the Goddesses, was wrong with her? Was this some strange symptom of pregnancy nobody had thought to warn her about? She would reach out to her mother in the morning, Jobal always knew the best remedies to cure any ailment. She would know exactly how to make this bearable.

Climbing out of bed, Padme stepped into the refresher and lavished herself in the cool water for over an hour before begrudgingly stepping out. At least her skin no longer felt like fire burned beneath it, that was something. Craving fresh air, she reluctantly dressed in her loosest night dress and stepped into the private elevator which carried her all the way down to the grand tower's lobby area.

Surely the night air would soothe her symptoms enough to ensure at least a few hours of sleep? If this was the suffering the first trimester of pregnancy promised, then Padme could not wait to see an end to it. She remembered her mother's warning that the first few months were the most difficult and that things smoothed out once the body settled into its new role. The sooner this relief came, the better.

Stepping out of the elevator did not offer the respite the Senator had hoped for. The room around her spun so suddenly that she almost lost her footing and toppled forwards onto the white carpeting below her feet. Leaning against the silver doorway she had just exited, Padme sucked in a long breath to steady herself. This was a mistake. She had to go upstairs and lay down again.

Unfortunately, the heat flared to life once more inside of her, searing her from the inside out. Sweat beaded all over her body as if she hadn't washed it away just minutes ago and her breathing began to shallow. This wasn't right. It couldn't be! Panic began to take root within Padme's mind. Maybe she should call a medic?

"Senator Amidala!" A cheery voice called to her from the building's doorway and she lifted her head to see Duke Kenobi approaching with a warm smile. She knew the auburn-haired man through Duchess Satine, a long-time friend. He had always seemed so kind in their admittedly limited interactions. "I was hoping we would cross paths whilst I was on Coruscant."

Was everybody here right now? Irritation sparked needlessly within her chest. Gods, she felt so unwell… Her stomach twisted and churned dangerously as the cramping returned more powerfully this time. This was the worst possible time for socialising but that wasn't Obi-wan's fault. Despite how she felt, Padme forced a tight smile across her lips as the man stilled before her. "It's lovely to see you again. How is Satine?"

"With child again," the man beamed, "our third now, I believe I'm still in shock."

A third baby? Padme's smile grew more genuine at the thought, she knew how much her eccentric friend adored motherhood and doted on little Korkie and Milla. A third child would only expand the joy the Kryze family shared together. "Oh, congratulations! I – " An ice-cold shudder raced through every inch of her body, silencing her words beneath a sharp gasp. Something is wrong. Something is wrong!

Obi-wan noticed the shift with a worried frown, reaching out to lay a concerned hand upon her dampening shoulder. "Padme? Are you alright? You seem unwell."

"I…" She gasped as her throat seemed to close up, "I can't breathe!" Tugging at the already loose neckline of her nightdress, Padme suddenly ached to tear the damn thing off. "I can't breathe!" Her chest began to heave with the strain as the heat scorching her body intensified, blazing her every nerve mercilessly. She felt the sweat glide along her skin, soaking through her clothes.

"Alright, alright, don't panic," Obi-wan nodded, glancing behind him to the desk which usually housed the building's manager but finding it empty. "I have my comm right here, I'll call for a medic. Come on, let's get you back to your apartment for now…" As he made to wrap a supportive arm around Padme's shoulders, the Senator screeched as a blinding agony tore through her nether regions and lower belly. Her legs gave out and the man rushed to hold her steady as something wet warmed her thighs.

No, no, no, no!

Lifting the pale blue material of her dress, Padme shoved her shaking hand between her legs and found her underwear sodden. Her heart sank as she withdrew her hand to find her fingers stained with blood.

It was the last sight she saw before the darkness claimed her.