04/08/2008
Relief
Agen Kolar, followed by Kit Fisto and Saesee Tin, climbed aboard the Jedi Gunship to go see the Chancellor. Mace Windu approached the ship, but was stopped by Anakin before he reached the door. "Master Windu," the boy began, "I must talk to you."
"Skywalker, we have just received word that Obi-wan has destroyed General Grievous. We are on our way to make sure the Chancellor returns emergency power back to the Senate."
"He won't give up his power. I've just learned a terrible truth. I think Chancellor Palpatine is a Sith Lord."
"A Sith Lord?!"
"Yes, the one we have been looking for."
"How do you know this?"
"He knows the ways of the Force. He has been trained to use the Dark Side."
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely."
"Then our worst fears have been realized. We must move quickly if the Jedi Order is to survive."
"Master, the Chancellor is very powerful. You will need my help if you are going to arrest him."
"For your own good, stay out of this affair. I sense a great deal of confusion in you, young Skywalker. There is much fear that clouds your judgment."
"I must go, Master."
"No. If what you told me is true, you will have gained my trust; but for now, remain here. Wait for us in the Council Chambers until we return."
"Yes, Master." Anakin's submission was reluctant, mechanical. Before he retreated to the secluded and lonely chamber, he watched his comrades leave.
The hall was dark and cold, each step echoing throughout the ancient walkway. Few beings could be found, most of these on their way home after a long day of work. A small group of Padawan Learners were in the archives, discussing their progress in the training program. Nobody was in the Jedi Council Room, but Anakin didn't care. Loneliness, he supposed, would be ever-present if Padmé died on him. Padmé. The thought of her opened the door to their Force connection, but his fear kept him from reaching out to her. It was the only way he could let go.
In an apartment a short distance away, Padmé sat idle on the couch, thoughts of her husband both troubling and soothing her. Only Anakin, she reminded herself, has such powers over me. Suddenly, she found she could feel him: sitting alone, worrying about her, fighting some greater power. Troubled by the struggle she could feel in him, Padmé stood and walked to the window, if only to be closer to the one she loved most.
Anakin could see his apartment from the Temple spire; in his mind he saw his wife at the window, felt the concern that was written across her soft face. Purposefully, he stood and approached the window facing his home. At last, the young man reached out to his wife through the Force, inviting her into the deepest levels of his soul.
Padmé accepted the invitation, but found only a dark storm where she had expected new treasure. Crushed by this cruel surprise, the young woman looked down, allowing the Force connection to slip away.
Anakin felt this devastation in his wife, then lost touch with her. A hurt and lonely tear escaped and ran slowly down his cheek. He felt the Chancellor's silent anger, his plea for help. He felt Mace's goodwill, but his struggle as well. Voices of the past swam through Anakin's conscious thought.
"I truly… deeply… love you." It was Padmé. "Before I die, I want you to know." Another tear.
"I can help you save Padmé." Palpatine.
"I'm not afraid to die." Padmé again. Anakin reclaimed his seat as he considered this. At the base of it all, he was the only one afraid to lose her. Perhaps he should let her die – but what would he do without her? He could resign from the Jedi Order, or be expelled, or search for a new love… but such a thing couldn't exist for him, he knew. Suicide was always an option… but what if the baby lived?
Just the thought of his offspring opened a new Force connection. It was the first connection he had ever experienced with the… twins? They were having twins. The memories… the options… the twins… it was all too much. Anakin broke down and began to sob.
Padmé, somehow, felt his sorrow and couldn't bear to stay idle any longer. She pulled her hood up and left to join her husband. The blue speeder was only a two-seater, so Padmé found it necessary to leave the droids behind; but it was best that way. The trip was quick, but tears limited the visibility as the Temple grew nearer and nearer. Before she knew it, she was on the ground and running toward the Jedi Council Room.
Anakin had calmed abruptly when he felt the last trace of Palpatine fade away. In his frustration, Anakin had choked the Sith through the Force, enabling Mace to deliver the final blow. He still wasn't sure why he had done it. It had gone against all of his feelings and instincts, but some little shard of logic and slipped through and taken control. All hope of preventing his true love's death was gone, but so was the dark temptation. Peace like none other gushed through the Force. Nonetheless, Anakin couldn't shake his fear of loss…
They were on Naboo, at the waterfront. The twins – one a girl, one a boy, both toddlers – stumbled across the soft sand, Anakin and Padmé right behind them, her right hand in his left. All were happy, laughing against the setting sun.
A new light burned within Anakin, the realization of his fear reversed. His relief was short-lived, though, replaced by a small, but nagging, concern. If he stayed in the Jedi Order, either he or his children would be discovered for what they were. That could not be permitted. Either he would have to separate from his family, or step down from the Jedi Order. Of course, he could still use his Force powers away from the Order, even train the children. The more Anakin thought about this life-changing option, the more it appealed to him. His tears dried as he wandered through the temple halls, gone by the time Anakin entered the Room of a Thousand Fountains.
Padmé slowed to a stop as she neared the entrance to the Room of a Thousand Fountains. There was something about it… Though barely Force-sensitive, the senator felt the room rejoicing… and the child within her along with it. Out of curiosity, she stepped carefully into the giant greenhouse. Its beauty was magnified by the sight of her husband, on a balcony one level up. After a moment, his eyes found hers and lit up. He was excited; she could tell. "Padmé!" She loved the way he spoke her name. Not able to suppress a smile, Padmé breathed a sigh of relief. "Ani!" To her surprise, her voice rang out into the garden, full of love and concern, the same which drove her to the base of the staircase Anakin quickly descended. Once in his embrace, she was able to relax, leaning her head into his shoulder.
Rather awkwardly, Anakin held his wife until he felt her grip loosen. "What's going on?" she asked when they, once again, faced each other. "Something's changed – I can feel it."
"The Sith have been destroyed," he grinned. "It was Palpatine, all along – he was the Sith Lord." Firmly, he steadied Padmé as she stepped back in shock.
"I knew it. Somehow, I've always known. He was on a quest for power," Padmé realized aloud, "and I was trying to help him." The thought - that she had been collaborating with the very force that intended to destroy her husband - made her sick.
"You've done no wrong, my love," Anakin assured her. "It's all in the past, now. It's time we start focusing on the babies."
"Babies?"
"Padmé, we're having twins, and you'll live to raise them with me."
Heart pounding, Padmé's eyes grew brighter. "You had another vision?" A nod answered her question. "What are they?"
"A boy and a girl."
"Luke and Leia," Padmé reminded Anakin. She held his gaze a moment more before she threw herself back into his arms, trembling with relief.
Two years later, a young couple, a little boy, and his twin sister made their way down to the beach on Naboo. The man had been kept in the Jedi Order, promoted to the status of Watchman of Naboo and its system. The woman had stepped back in the world of politics to better raise her children. The war was officially over. Finally, the galaxy had found peace.