Disclaimer: All movie characters, events, etc. belong to George Lucas. I'm having fun playing with his toys and am not making any money from this. This story has Episode III spoilers, so do not continue if you want a nonspoiled Episode III experience.

Thanks so LittleVampireBites for her editing and support.

The Dreamers

A strange alien world.

Blood everywhere.

A baby placed in Padme's arms.

She was weak and then went limp.

I woke up with a start. I'm sure sweat was dripping on the sheets. Glancing at my darling wife, I saw that she was sleeping peacefully on her side. For the time being, I thought, panicking as I didn't know for how much longer that would be the case.

After a few seconds, I got up quietly, knowing that there was no way I was getting back to sleep. I started towards the balcony and had reached for the button to open the door to it before I realized that I was reaching with my right hand. Not using my mechanical arm at night, I was reaching into thin air. A reminder that I'm not all powerful, as Padme reminded me once.

I suppose I was hoping that the cold air would help me to think. It didn't help. There was traffic buzzing around, as there always is on Coruscant, even though it was the middle of the night and there had been a battle nearby only weeks before. Before I had decided on anything, I turned and saw that Padme was awake and standing next to me. Seeing her made me more terrified of what I had to lose, if that's possible. "Ani, what are you doing on the balcony at 0-300?" she asked.

I had no idea how to tell her what I had just learned. But then, I've always been straightforward. I told her "I had another dream, like the one I had before my mother died."

Padme was patient and willing to let me tell this at my own pace. "What happened?"

"You're going to die in childbirth." Then it was out in the open.

"We'll deal with that if it happens," she tells me.

I was sure the news hadn't sunk in yet. "It was terrible!"

Padme looked at me sympathetically. "I'm sure it was," she replied. "Now can you go back to bed?"

"But…"

"I am not staying out here in the middle of the night discussing dreams about deaths that are perfectly preventable with medical technology."

"I know this hardly ever happens, but the dream was so real!" I cried out.

"Anakin, I hate to see you upset. But there is nothing we can do about this tonight. Right now, the baby has finally settled down and I have a Senate meeting tomorrow morning."

"Fine, but I'm not just going to forget this." I replied.

Padme put her hands on my shoulders. I could feel her against my chest – our baby was so close it seemed like I could reach out and hold him. I knew I had to do whatever I could to save both of them.

"Ani, I'm here right now. And I'm just fine." Padme whispered.

I let Padme lead me to the bed. But I still wasn't going to forget that dream. I was just giving myself a few hours to decide what to do.