Chapter Text
A storm was brewing.
Lightning crackled across the sky, electricity setting the air abuzz. Vader could taste the ozone as he walked up the steps to the temple, the 501st alert and ready at his back.
Images flashed in front of his eyes, images of all of those he held so dear. He could do this, he could fix this. This was the right decision. Palpatine could give him what he needed to save his family. To save his babies, to save Padme. Obi-Wan and Satine wouldn’t die while reaching for each other’s hands. Rex and Ahsoka - his babies. His sweet babies.
They would live. All of them would live. He wouldn’t be in their lives ever again, but this was worth it because they would still have their lives. He could do this. The Jedi would no longer fight for a power they didn’t deserve. The Chancellor could save them all and he would help. He would bring them to justice. The Jedi had betrayed them all. He had no idea where Ahsoka was, but she was alive, and he intended to keep her that way. Obi-Wan and Satine, his family, the Naberries. If he didn’t do this right now, they would all die and it would be over. This was the Jedi’s fault. Their fault, their fault, theirfaulttheirfaulttheirfault -
“General Skywalker -” The clone to his right held his blaster up, voice tinny underneath the bucket helmet. “Your orders, sir.”
Vader breathed in deeply. Seconds ticked by as he searched for his voice. For the orders he needed to utter. But they seemed to die in his throat and nothing would come out. “Y-You take the initiative, Sergeant. I will -”
“Take care of the younglings,” The clone responded.
Vader balked. The younglings. He hadn’t even thought of the children. They would be in the training room at the end of the temple, going through demonstrations of using the Force to block blaster bolts with training lightsabers. He could knock those aside in an instant, he would make it fast.
He had to do this. He had to get it over with.
“Correct.” Half of the 501st began to follow him as he walked down that corridor leading to where the younglings awaited, while the other half ventured deeper into the temple, already firing off several blaster rounds to take out anyone that got in their way. He could feel the cries through the Force as each life ended, as each Light blinked out of existence, and his own heart began to pound faster and faster like it was going to burst right out of his chest.
Blackness blotted his vision. He could still feel Mace Windu’s own Light blinking out as he fell from the window in Palpatine’s office. The Chancellor’s voice was on repeat in his head. “Do what must be done, Lord Vader. Do not hesitate, show no mercy. Only then will you be strong enough with the Dark Side to save Padme. To save your children.”
Don’t hesitate. Show no mercy.
That all flies out the window when he sees the children.
The doors to the training room open with a whoosh and he walks in there alone, the clones waiting at the threshold. At first he sees nothing, the room seemingly empty. And then the children begin to peek out from behind the chairs alongside the windows. A tiny human boy, no older than seven, approaches him.
“Master Skywalker, there are too many of them. What are we going to do?”
Vader’s stomach rolls over as he stares down at this boy. His thumb ignites his saber, and the boy jumps back, his fear heavy in the Force. The fear of the other children seem to press in together, biting at Vader with sharp teeth, threatening to swallow him whole.
“Master Skywalker?”
The boy got brave again, even though Vader could still feel his fear, stepping forward just slightly. There was concern on his little face, blond hair falling across his forehead. Vader’s flesh hand twitched, almost reaching forward to push that hair out of the boy’s eyes. Like he had done just last night when he had put Luke into his little bed on Naboo. Luke had woken hours later, screaming of a nightmare. A nightmare of his father falling - falling -
Luke.
The boy looked at him again and all Anakin Skywalker could see was his son.
.
Three Years Earlier
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Anakin felt more tired than ever.
The moment that Padme had uttered those words to him, an intense weariness had spread through his body and he felt far older than his twenty two years. “Ani, I’m pregnant.” As soon as that sentence had left Padme’s lips, the whole galaxy had flipped upside down. All of his goals, all of his dreams in life did a massive switcheroo ( Kriff, that sounds juvenile -) because holy shit, Padme was pregnant.
She was pregnant, nearly six months so. He had gone that long trying to save the chancellor’s life that he had missed so much. His baby’s first kick, everything. And he was going to miss even more. Every little movement, every little happy moment in those last several weeks before they would come into the world, shouting and screaming with life.
Was it worth it? That was the question he could feel running through him as he stood in the center of the circle of Jedi, head bowed as he awaited to hear those words he had been longing for ever since he had come under Obi-Wan’s tutelage. Master Skywalker. Ahsoka called him that, but the title was never truly real because he never held that rank. He loved Ahsoka with all of his heart and missed her dearly. She should be here right now with them, he thinks. His eyes land on a serene, but equally as exhausted Obi-Wan. With us.
He’s accepted onto the Jedi council but he’s denied the rank of master.
And the choice is made for him.
“I’m done.”
Obi-Wan’s brows shot into his hairline. A scowl crossed Mace’s face. “Excuse me?”
Anakin shook his head. “I’m sorry, sir. I’m not doing this anymore.” He looked over at Obi-Wan, who was leaning forward in his seat. Then suddenly, the words are falling out of his mouth with no hope of stopping them. “After being the leading general in the Clone Wars, training a Padawan to a point where she can take on the kriffing Sith, losing my Padawan because of the Council believed that she could actually blow up the temple and kill her fellow Jedi, saving the Chancellor multiple times, killing Dooku, risking the lives of those I care about to carry out your missions and saving the lives of many innocents and Jedi, I still don’t get to be a master?” He clapped his hands together. “Fine. I’m done. You can have the title and stick it where the suns of Tatooine don’t shine.”
You could have heard a pin drop. Windu stared at him like he had grown Zabrak horns. The rest of the council were still watching him - Mundi’s comm link flickering in and out. To his left, Obi-Wan made a sound but Anakin didn’t look at him this time. He turned on his heel and walked away without a backwards glance, even as Windu called after him. “Skywalker! Skywalker, come back here!” Obi-Wan’s eyes were boring into his back, he could feel his gaze even as he left the council room.
But he didn’t stop walking.
Anakin kept going until he was out the main doors of the Temple, past the guards, past the civilians on the busy streets. A speeder was waiting for him at the end of the block and he hopped in, kicking the speed limit into infinity and only bringing it to a stop when he reached the Senate apartments.
Padme jumped about a foot in the air when he charged into her living quarters. The data pad she had had in her lap flew out of her hands and landed with a crack onto the floor but Anakin couldn’t bring himself to care. He kicked the device out of the way as he kneeled before his wife on the sofa, grabbing both of her hands in his own - flesh and mechno. “Anakin - what is it? What’s happened? Are you alright?”
She wasn’t wearing her ceremonial headdress. Chocolate curls fell down around her face, framing her beautiful eyes. An indigo robe was draped over her shoulders, just barely covering her swollen stomach and Anakin released her hand from his flesh one to touch his fingers to her belly. As soon as he did, there was a mighty kick to his hand and Padme sucked in a quick breath. “Oof. She’s got quite a kick there.” Her other hand came free from his and she reached up to touch his hair. “What happened, Ani? Tell me.”
“I -” A lump rises in his throat. “I was denied the rank of Master.”
“ Oh. Oh, Ani, I am so sorry -”
“But it’s okay!”
Padme’s hand froze in the air. “What?”
He knows he sounds like he’s lost what’s left of his mind but he can’t bring it in himself to care. “It’s okay. Because that answered all of my questions.”
“What questions?”
“About us. About this,” He gesticulated rather wildly. “I’m done.”
“Wh-what?”
“Not with you!” He quickly amended. “ Never. I’m done with the Jedi. I’m done with all of this. I don’t want to do this anymore. There’s no reason. It’s not my path. I only ever wanted to become a jedi, to rush through all of this was so I could go back to Tatooine and free my mother, b-but -” The words tasted sour in his mouth. “I realize now, I have a new path. And it’s with you. It’s with our baby.”
“Anakin -”
“You mentioned not long after we got married that you wanted to return to Naboo someday, to retire there - why not?” He’s on his feet now, pacing back and forth in front of the sofa where Padme still sat. “Why not now? You can still make your senatorial trips but we live there instead of here. Bail Organa does it! Why not you after the baby comes? And -”
Padme’s on her feet too, and reaching for him. Her tiny hands cup his face, bringing him back to the present. “Breathe, Anakin. Breathe.” He does what she tells him, sucking in a breath through his nose and letting it out through his mouth before Padme continues. “Anakin, it’s a wonderful scenario, one that I want to see come true, but why now? What exactly happened in the council meeting?”
“Nothing. That’s just it, Padme. Nothing happened!” He gently pulls away from her grip, arms flailing about to the point that Padme has to duck to avoid getting smacked upside the head. “Absolutely nothing, and it was okay.” His voice dips and his arms fall to his side. “I’m ready.”
“Ready for what, Ani?” Padme asked breathlessly.
“To move forward.”
So did she. Right into his arms. Well, as much as her huge belly would allow. Another series of kicks fired off in between them and he laughed wetly, reaching his flesh hand down to feel her stomach. Something happened then, something bright.
Flushing out the darkness that he had been battling since a very young age.
“Wait -” Padme steps back, allowing him more access to her stomach when he sinks to his knees. He flattens both hands against her, eyes falling shut as he concentrates. “There’s something -”
“Is there something wrong?”
“No.” Light flared underneath his closed eyelids. A large, magnificent torch of beauty that he could feel. Their baby.
But then…
There was another.
Anakin gasped, before laughing out loud. He could see it. He could feel it. Twin beams of light right underneath his palms, pulsing with joy, pulsing with life within the Force.
Twins.
“There’s twins.”
Padme stared at him. “ What?”
“We’re having twins.” Another laugh ripples from him and he’s on his feet again, wrapping Padme in his arms and whirling her around. “Twins!”
She laughs too, a bell-like sound. And they just hold on.
-;
Anakin’s not surprised to find Obi-Wan in his apartment.
“It was after Geonosis, wasn’t it?”
He froze, prosthetic hand reaching back towards the controls beside the door frame. “What do you mean, Master?”
Obi-Wan rose from his seat at Anakin’s dusty kitchenette table. “When you married Padme.” A statement, not a question. Anakin gulped but said nothing, trying his best to look innocent but judging by the look of annoyance on Obi-Wan’s face, he’s not doing a very good job. “Oh, please, Anakin, I am not an imbecile. I figured out ages ago the two of you were in a relationship, I just didn’t know it had -” He waved his hands. “ - moved along rather quickly.”
Anakin stared at his former master, his jaw somewhere past his knees. “You - you knew?”
Obi-Wan scowled. “Yes, I knew and Ahsoka knew! You’d sneak in in the middle of the night smelling like Padme’s perfume, we’re not idiots, Anakin. But you are rather oblivious to what’s around you when you’ve got your eyes focused on one thing.”
His hackles going up, Anakin retorted, “And unlike you with the duchess?” He regretted the words as soon as they came out of his mouth. A pained look crossed Obi-Wan’s face and Anakin reached out a hand. “Obi-Wan, I’m -”
Obi-Wan waved his own hand. “No, you’re right. You’re right.”
“I’m not. That was wrong of me to throw that in your face. I’m sorry.”
A ginger eyebrow lifted. “I have never heard Anakin Skywalker apologize for anything in his life.”
The sadness momentarily forgotten, Anakin lightly punched Obi-Wan’s arm with his flesh hand. “He’s also never told the Jedi Council to go fuck themselves either.” Obi-Wan coughed pointedly. “In so many words.” He gazed at his master’s face. “I’m sorry I lied. I should have been honest from the beginning.”
“It certainly would have saved me a headache or two,” Obi-Wan agreed. Anakin chuckled. “You’re really going to do this? Walk away from it all?”
“What is left for me here?” Anakin asked. “You’re here, but half of the time you’re not on missions, you're on Naboo visiting Satine. And –” A gasp tore at his throat. “Padme’s pregnant, Obi-Wan.”
That had been the first time the words had left his lips since Padme had uttered them to him. And now, now, it was so incredibly real. Obi-Wan was silent for a moment, his face devoid of any kind of expression. “Now it makes sense,” he said at last. Anakin felt like he was going to fall over onto his face. Obi-Wan seemed to sense that, and grabbed his shoulder to steady him. “When?”
“She’s - she’s got about three months to go.” Anakin was startled to feel tears coming to his eyes. He tried to wipe them away before Obi-Wan saw them but he did. The older man’s hand reached up, gently tapping his cheek. “S-sorry.”
“Anakin, look at me. Anakin.” Anakin slowly lifts his wet eyes, Obi-Wan’s form a blur before him. “ Go.”
“Wh-what?”
His vision clears and Obi-wan is smiling at him. “Go.” Obi-Wan’s hand tightens around Anakin’s shoulder. “You’re free, Anakin. At last.”
As Obi-Wan said the words, Anakin realized the true depth of all of it. Of those words, and of those twin beams of light that Padme carried within her.
He was free.
-;
Padme’s change of address paperwork is filed, Anakin fills out his resignation notices and places them under Master Yoda and Master Windu’s office doors. After packing up what little he has left in his apartments - most of his stuff had migrated to Padme’s anyway - he meets her at the boarding dock. Obi-Wan is there, and to his surprise, the Chancellor, as well as senator Organa.
“Chancellor? What are you doing here?”
“Come to see you off, of course!” Sheev Palpatine answers like it’s the most obvious thing in the galaxy. He reaches over and clasps both of Anakin’s hands, flesh and mechno, in his knotted ones, gripping tightly. “Best of luck to you, Knight - oh, that’s right. It’s just Mister Skywalker now, isn’t it?”
Anakin nodded. “That’s right, Chancellor.”
“Truly a shame, I have to admit,” Palpatine replied, not taking heed of their audience. “You could have achieved such greatness. If either of you ever need anything, please let me know. Naboo has always held such a special place in my heart.” With a tut of his tongue, he released his iron grip on Anakin’s hands and bowed to Padme. “Senator Amidala.”
Padme inclined her head but did not bow. “Chancellor. Thank you for your kind words.” Palpatine gave her a smile and then left, flanked by two Clones as he made his way back into the Senatorial building. Padme glanced over Anakin’s head at Obi-Wan, mouthing, “ What was that about?”
“It was rather odd,” Bail agreed. “I’ll make sure to keep an eye on the Chancellor while we’re in session. He may be coming down with a virus.”
“Make sure you do,” Padme grasped Bail’s hand in hers. “Thank you, Senator Organa, for everything you have done for me.”
Bail tsked. “It’s not like this is the end, Senator Amidala. I will see you in a week. We still have that bill we are going to push through the senate before you go on your maternity leave.”
Padme flashed a beautiful smile. “I remember.” With a soft sound, she leaned up and wrapped her arms around Bail’s large shoulders. “See you soon.” Bail lightly patting her on the back, a surprised look on his face. “Good luck, General Skywalker.” Anakin took the hand that Bail offered, and then Bail trotted off after the Chancellor, disappearing inside the senatorial building.
“So…” Padme beamed at Obi-Wan. “This is it.”
“It is,” Obi-Wan agreed. “Uh -” His eyes darted back and forth between the two of them. “Now that I have you both alone, I wanted to ask -”
“What is it?”
“Satine -” Obi-Wan managed with a tired sigh. “If you could - she’s in such wonderful care at the palace but could you please, watch over her?”
Padme’s eyes softened and she grasped Obi-Wan’s hand in both of hers, her fingers looped through his. “Of course, Obi-Wan. Of course. Satine will be well looked after.”
“Comm me if anything happens - if anything changes at all.”
“You got it, Master,” Anakin assured him.
Obi-Wan smiled, a real one this time even though his eyes were still dark with exhaustion. “I’m not your master anymore.”
Anakin shakes his head. “Yeah, you are. Here,” he reached down and unclipped his lightsaber from his belt. “I don’t need this anymore. I was supposed to turn it in to Master Yoda, but I didn’t want that little green troll to have it.”
“Anakin!” Padme admonished.
He grinned sheepishly. “Whataya say, Master?”
Obi-Wan added the saber to his own belt. “If you need it, let me know.” The noise that Anakin let out was not a squeak, no matter what Padme later says, as he throws his arms around Obi-Wan. “ Oof,” Obi-Wan patted his back before gently pushing him back. “May the Force be with both of you, my friends.” The corners of his mouth turned up as his eyes moved towards Padme’s midsection. “And to your little ones.”
A second passed when the word sank in. “ Ones? You knew?!”
“Of course I knew, Anakin!” Obi-Wan’s laugh was loud and bright and teasing. Padme joined him, throwing her arms around his shoulders in as tight of a hug as her large stomach would allow. And then, as if he had read Anakin’s mind before the thought really had a chance to form. “I will contact you if I hear from Ahsoka.” Anakin let loose a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. “See you both soon.”
“Bye Obi-Wan,” Anakin allowed Padme to lead him onto the ship. “May the Force be with you.”
The doors powered shut and Anakin waved again through the window, feeling rather like a child saying goodbye to their parent, and also not really caring if he looked foolish. The ship rose into the sky, higher and higher, until Obi-Wan was a speck on the ground and then they disappeared into the clouds.
Anakin turned to his wife, warmth filling his chest. “Are you ready to go home, Mrs. Skywalker?”
“Are you, Mr. Naberrie-Amidala?"
Anakin let out a laugh and pulled her close.
The future was filled with hope.
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