Chapter Text
The wind blew the branches of the Zaela tree against the window, creating an incessant tapping noise that was keeping Padmé Amidala awake. She lay in bed, staring up at the water-stained ceiling, trying to block the noise out. But of course it was to no avail. This was the first time in three months the twins were sleeping peacefully through the night, and of course it was the one night she couldn’t sleep.
She turned over in bed, staring at the empty spot across from her. The spot where Anakin should be. He had been loath to leave the twins, especially when they were so young, but he had been called back on an urgent mission to Coruscant. He had only been gone for one day, not even time for the children’s new Jedi guard to arrive, but Padmé had gotten so used to his continuous presence that his absence felt like an aching hole. She pulled his pillow closer to her, breathing in the last traces of his scent.
Three months ago, when Padmé had gone into labor, Anakin had announced their marriage to the Jedi Order so he could be there for the birth. The Order had wanted to expel him, but the war was still raging, and the public needed to see their Hero with No Fear on the front lines of the battle. So a deal had been struck, with Obi-Wan reviving his role as the Negotiator: Anakin would be allowed to stay in the Order as long as the war was raging. He had been given three months off to spend with the twins, and would try to take missions on Coruscant as much as possible. This meant, of course, that Anakin would still be gone for long stretches of time, but Padmé knew her husband. He would not be satisfied simply staying at home with the children, and his restless energy demanded use. He was meant for action, meant to be out there saving lives and fighting battles. They both had a duty that was greater than themselves, and they couldn’t turn away from it.
They had the babies, (two of them to their surprise) at the lake house in Naboo, where Padmé currently was. To her surprise, the Queen had let her keep her position in the Senate, even though the scandal of Padmé’s secret marriage to a Jedi Knight had threatened to end her career. The Jedi had decided to turn their marriage into something of a PR stunt, using the marriage of the popular Senator from Naboo and the Hero with No Fear to bolster their approval ratings. She had spent the last few months balancing nursing two demanding newborn babies and doing interviews with her husband, much to Anakin’s chagrin.
“I’ll take a battle with Sidious himself any day over another one of these interviews,” he had frequently remarked. And now he had what he wanted, off again fighting another battle. The Republic scouts had received trustworthy evidence of Sidious’ whereabouts,, and Anakin had been called back into service to lead the charge against him, leaving her sick with worry.
Padmé was drawn out of her thoughts by a loud bang coming from the floor below. She bolted upright in bed, her hand automatically going to the gun beside her bedside. It was the lake country of Naboo, one of the safest places in the galaxy, but she was alone with two Force sensitive children. She couldn’t be too careful.
Hurriedly, she got up and tiptoed over to the twins' room. She breathed a sigh of relief when she made it to the room: they were both sleeping peacefully in their cribs. Her beautiful angels. The bang must have been from the wind knocking something over.
Padmé was about to turn around and return to her room when she heard the unmistakable sound of a lightsaber igniting. She tightened her grip on her blaster, trying to stay calm. Maybe it was a Jedi, come to provide security now that Anakin was gone.
In the middle of the night? she thought to herself. Her heart started pounding so loudly she swore whoever was there could hear it. Padmé took another step into the children’s rooms, ready to protect them with her life if need be.
The sound of footsteps echoed down the hall. Padmé looked around wildly for any sort of escape. They were on the third floor of the house, and even if she could get to the window with them, there was no way two three month old children would survive the fall.
Finally, after what seemed like ages, a red glow illuminated the entrance way to the door. A hooded figure stepped forward, lightsaber in hand. Padmé raised her blaster, firing. The figure lifted his lightsaber, easily deflecting each of the shots. Behind her, the twins started crying, awakened by the noise.
“What do you want?” She said fiercely, trying to keep her voice from trembling. This was her worst fear, the thing she had had nightmares about for the last few months. The Sith had come for her children.
“I think you know what I’m here for, Senator,” the man said. “Or, more accurately, who.”
“You’ll never take them,” Padmé snarled, firing her blaster again. The man just laughed as he deflected shot after shot, but Padmé kept firing desperately. He started walking towards her slowly, almost as if he was teasing her.
“Please,” Padmé cried. “Do what you want with me, kill me instead. Just stay away from my babies!”
“Don’t worry,” the man laughed. “They will not be killed. Instead they will be trained to reach their full potential.” If only Anakin was here, if only she hadn’t persuaded him to stay in the Order.
All of a sudden, the man lunged, striking out at her with her lightsaber. She cried out in pain as the saber jutted into her pelvis. The man pulled out the lightsaber, and continued walking towards the twins. She swayed on her feet, adrenaline keeping her moving towards the twins. She reached out a hand, desperately trying to keep the man away from her children.
The last thing Padmé remembered was the hooded man leaning over Luke’s crib, cackling with uncontrolled glee.