Chapter Text
Senator Anakin Skywalker of Naboo paced back and forth in his apartment on Coruscant. The Jedi Temple had been attacked. The very same Temple where his wife Jedi Knight Padme Amidala was. She had to be okay… Padme was the strongest person he knew if anyone would make it out it would be her. Something was wrong, something was very wrong…
Suddenly he heard the roar of a ship.
He looked over to the landing platform to see Padme Amidala’s Jedi fighter which she was coming out of.
Without a beat of hesitation, Anakin rushed over to her and wrapped his arms around her.
“Are you alright? I heard there was an attack on the Temple. I was afraid that…You can see the smoke from here.” Anakin spoke.
“I’m fine Ani, I promise. I’m standing right here am I not?” Padme questioned.
Anakin nodded his head and pulled her closer. He was so glad that she was okay. Because Padme had to be okay, her and the baby had to be okay… He wouldn’t know what he would do without her.
“I came to see if you were safe.” Padme continued.
“Me? Padme if you're worried about your nightmares I’m sure they won’t come true.” Anakin replied.
For the past week, his wife had horrible nightmares of him dying to an unknown enemy. She had visions of her mother before she died… He wished he could say he didn’t know how she felt but he did. Except his dream never came true. In the end, his mother had been saved.
“What’s happening Padme?”
“The Jedi have tried to overthrow the Republic.” She answered.
Anakin’s eyes widened in shock as he shook his head. No, the Jedi wouldn’t. They were peacekeepers. Memories of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka Tano flashed through his mind. This had to be some misunderstanding surely…
“I...can’t believe that.”
“I saw Master Windu attempt to assassinate the Chancellor myself,” Padme replied.
His world was spinning. Mace Windu had attacked the Chancellor? The chancellor was a dear friend of his, he hoped he was okay. But by the looks of it, Palpatine was still alive thank the force.
“What...are you planning to do Padme? Can I help in any way?” Anakin asked.
Padme broke their embrace and seemed to be deep in thought.
“I will not betray the Republic. My loyalties lie with the chancellor and the Senate, and with you.” She answered.
Anakin felt something amiss about this whole situation but chose to listen to Padme. If...the Jedi had betrayed the Republic…
“What about Obi-Wan?” Anakin asked.
“I don’t know many Jedi have been killed. We can hope that he’s still loyal to the chancellor.”
At that the senator stilled. Surly Obi-Wan was still alive, still loyal to the Republic. If one Jedi besides his wife would still be loyal it would be Obi-Wan. He hoped his friend was okay. For the first time in his life, he felt truly lost. He didn’t know what to do, he didn’t know what was happening…
“I don’t know what to do…” Anakin admitted.
Padme placed her hand on Anakin’s cheek with a smile. “Have faith, my love, everything will soon be set right. The chancellor has given me a very important mission. The Separatists have gathered in the Mustafar system, I’m going to end this war. Wait for me until I return, things will be different I promise.”
Then with a kiss, his wife jumped back into her ship and disappeared off into the night.
Anakin somehow knew she wasn’t coming back and it cracked his heart in two.
********
Anakin stared at the Senate before him, he couldn’t believe this was happening. The very Republic he had believed in so much was being turned into an Empire and the chancellor as it’s Emperor. He thought he trusted the chancellor even with him somehow being in power for so long but…
This was basically destroying the Republic, Jedi betraying them or not. He desperately wanted to believe Padme but he still wasn’t so sure if the Jedi would betray the Republic like this.
At Palpatine’s proclamation of an Empire people around him cheered and applauded.
Anakin turned to his friend Bail and frowned. “Everything we fought so hard for is gone in a flash.”
Bail only nodded at Anakin’s words then looked back out into the Senate.
Anakin endured the rest of what Palpatine had to say before retreating back to his apartment. At least there he could think. Think about Padme, the new Empire, the supposed betrayal of the Jedi… But as he thought he could catch a break he heard a ship.
Padme.
It was not Padme.
His eyes widened slightly and he reached for his hidden blaster in his senate robes. Obi-Wan Kenobi walked towards him, he looked so tired and weary…
“Obi-Wan tell me...tell me the Jedi didn’t, that they didn’t…”
“We were the ones betrayed, the clones...they turned on us Anakin. I don’t know how or why but they all turned on us and started killing us…” Obi-Wan said softly.
The senator stopped reaching for the concealed blaster and instead moved towards his friend.
“Are you alright? Is there anything I can do to help?” He asked.
Obi-Wan nodded his head.
“Alright come sit down and we can talk,” Anakin stated.
He walked over and sat down on the couch and waited for Obi-Wan to speak first. It was so...unbelievable. How could the clones just turn on them like that? But Anakin believed his friend, he knew he wasn’t lying. He was force sensitive himself but to most, it didn’t appear that way. Padme had taught him how to shield years ago.
“When was the last time you saw Padme?” Obi-Wan asked.
“Yesterday.”
Anakin couldn’t help but wonder why Obi-Wan was asking about Padme. Was she...was she okay?
“Do you know where she is now?” The Jedi Master asked.
“No, I’m afraid I don’t,” Anakin lied.
He knew where his wife had gone, but he would never tell. Even to Obi-Wan. She was going to end the war, but he supposed the war was already over with the new Empire.
“Anakin I need your help. She’s in grave danger.”
“From who?” He asked.
Something was wrong, he could feel Obi-Wan’s sadness in the force. It wasn’t just because of the fallen Jedi, there was something else too. Did...did Padme no she was alive...he would know.
“From herself.”
At the answer, Anakin stood up and glared at Obi-Wan. What did he mean from herself? Padme was perfectly fine when he last saw her. So whatever his friend was talking about, he was wrong.
“Anakin, Padme has turned to the dark side.”
At that, he took several steps back in horror. No...she wouldn’t. Padme was an angel, she would never turn to the dark side. She wouldn’t!
“You’re wrong. Don’t you dare tell me that. She would never turn.” Anakin spat.
“I...have seen a security hologram of her killing younglings.”
No, she...she wouldn’t. Padme loved the younglings, he had heard her talk about them. She wouldn’t brutally slaughter them.
“She...wouldn’t.” He replied.
Padme was about to have her child, their child. She wouldn’t turn and kill younglings. He refused to believe it unless he saw it with his own eyes.
“Padme was deceived by a lie, we all were. It appears the chancellor is behind everything, including the war. Palpatine is the sith lord we’ve been looking for.”
Anakin stared, frozen in shock. Palpatine a sith? The sith lord?
He sat back down and held his head in his hands and moments afterwards he felt Obi-Wan’s hand running up and down his back in an attempt to comfort him.
Palpatine was behind it all, the pain and suffering during the war...everything. If it wasn’t for him seeing the chancellor take the throne as emperor he wouldn’t believe it. One of the very few people he thought he could trust was behind everything. How many people had suffered and died because of him?
But Padme would never join a man like him, never.
“Padme would never join a sith. I don’t believe you.”
“Anakin...I must find her.”
At that, Anakin looked up at Obi-Wan. He wasn’t going to...wasn’t going to kill her, was he?
“You're going to kill her aren’t you?”
Obi-Wan stayed silent for a few seconds and that was the only answer Anakin needed. He took his friend’s hand off his back and moved away from him.
“I won’t tell you. Get out.” Anakin spat as he pointed to Obi-Wan’s ship.
The Jedi stood up and started walking towards the ship but soon stopped.
“You're the father aren’t you?”
Anakin said nothing to that.
“I’m so sorry,” Obi-Wan said.
Then he was gone and Anakin screamed out in agony.
********
Anakin looked out at the fiery planet below. What Obi-Wan said couldn’t be true. Padme wouldn’t turn to the dark side and she wouldn’t kill younglings. It all had to be some misunderstanding. But he would meet up with Padme and figure everything out.
His ship soon landed on Mustafar below and he didn’t waste a second to start rushing down the ramp. To his surprise, Padme was already there and racing towards him. He opened his arms wide then hugged her and spun her around.
“I know you told me to stay but...I was worried about you.” Anakin said.
“I’m alright Ani, I’m safe and right here,” Padme said softly.
But that feeling was back. Something was wrong, something was horribly wrong.
“I saw Obi-Wan. He told me...horrible things.”
Padme backed away slightly and looked at Anakin curiously.
“What things?” She asked.
“He told me you...turned to the dark side and killed younglings. But you wouldn’t.”
Padme wouldn’t turn her back on the Jedi and slaughter them, he refused to believe it. His wife was the kindest person he knew.
“Obi-Wan is trying to turn you against me,” Padme replied.
But why? Why would Obi-Wan try to make him turn against Padme? It seemed to be the only logical explanation though. But…
I’m so sorry
“He cares about us.”
“Us?”
“He knows,” Anakin admitted.
Then he saw a flash of gold in his wife’s eyes as she smiled softly at him. Gold like the sith had…
“Padme, all I want is your love. To be happy with you and our child.”
“Love won’t save you Anakin. Only my new powers can do that.” She replied.
No, no, NO! He saw it now. She had turned. Padme turned to the dark side and apparently it was to save him. He didn’t need saving, those dreams would never come true.
“Padme don’t do this. I’m here and I’m alright. Nothing is going to happen to me.”
“Nothing will because I will save you,” Padme stated.
He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. This was not his Padme. His Padme was nice, sweet, kind and she would never fall. But he found himself staring at her, the woman he loved and held so close was now so dark.
“I won’t lose you like I lost my mother. I am becoming much more powerful then the Jedi. I’m doing it for you, to protect you.”
Anakin slowly let go and took a small step back and shook his head. No. He refused to let her ruin herself because of some stupid dream she had about him dying.
“There is still time. Come away with me. Leave this behind and we can raise our child.” Anakin pleaded.
“Don’t you see? We don’t have to run away anymore.”
He knew exactly what she was talking about. All the stolen time he had with her when she came back from the war. But it was never enough. They usually couldn’t see each other for more than a few days before she was sent out to war. But they were lucky if they got to see the other for a few hours when she came back.
“I have brought peace to the Republic. I am more powerful then the chancellor. I can overthrow him and together you and I can rule the galaxy. Make things the way we want them to be!”
At that Anakin backed up slowly and shook his head in denial. Padme would never say these things...but here she was. A lone tear streamed down his face, a tear for the woman he loved. It all came crashing down. Obi-Wan was truly right. Padme had become something else.
“Obi-Wan was right…” Anakin said softly.
“I don’t want to hear any more about Obi-Wan. The Jedi turned against me, don't you turn on me too.”
When he had met Padme all those years ago when she protected him he never saw him marrying her despite how much he wanted to, much less this happening. Everything he knew was gone. It was all GONE. Palpatine. It was all Palpatine’s fault and he would pay for every single bit of it.
“Padme, you're breaking my heart. You're going down a path I can’t follow.”
The former Jedi now turned Sith frowned. “Because of Obi-Wan?” She questioned.
“No! Because of what you’ve done. What you plan to do. Stop now come back, I love you! Padme don’t do this, please.”
“LIAR!” Padme shouted.
Anakin’s heart shattered. Then he looked back to see Obi-Wan standing at the top of the ramp and his eyes widened.
This couldn’t be happening. No, Obi-Wan stowed away… NO!
“Padme I didn’t pl-”
“You're with him! You brought him here to kill me didn’t you?!” Padme yelled.
“No, I didn’t ple-”
Then he couldn’t breathe. His hands flew up to his throat as he desperately gasped for air. Whatever Obi-Wan was saying he couldn’t make it out but he was saying something.
“Padme..” He gasped.
The last thing he saw was his wife’s enraged face before he saw total darkness.
********
Anakin awoke slowly and the only thing he was aware of was how bad his throat hurt. What happ-? Mustafar came rushing back to him and in an instant, a tear ran down his face. NO! He had to find Padme, he had to convince her to come ba-
There was a scream, a baby’s scream.
He slowly got up and followed the cries to a nursery. There were two cribs and there was one baby in each of them. He heard the door open behind him but didn’t bother to turn around and see who it was.
“Padme’s gone isn’t she…”
“She is. I’m so sorry Anakin.” Obi-Wan replied.
He finally let the tears fall down his face. Tears for his wife and all they had lost. It had all ended so terribly. Now Padme was gone, forever. It was all Palpatine’s fault! He converted his wife, he was behind everything.
After what seemed like forever he looked back at the babies.
“They’re mine aren’t they?”
Obi-Wan nodded his head. “A boy and a girl.”
“Luke. She...she liked the name, Luke. Then Leia.”
Anakin moved towards the twins then gently picked them up and held them close.
“I’m so sorry I couldn’t save her.”