Rise of The Terran Alliance- Crosspost

Chapter 72- Birth of a New Age

(July 28, 1994)

Adams stares out across the crater. It's been two hours since he arrived on Polis Massa. He had been aboard the TAS Vladivostok, along with the rest of the forces that escaped Mandalore, and on his way back to Terra when he received the transmission from Rommel. The Vladivostok had changed course to Polis Massa, arriving two hours ago and taking up a defensive position above the asteroid. Su-36s and SF-15s were flying defensive patrols.

Ahsoka walks up beside him. "How's Rommel doing?" Adams asks her. Rommel, along with Yoda and Bail Organa, had arrived about an hour ago. Rommel had been wounded in the fight with Palpatine, and was currently being treated for his injuries.

"He's gonna be alright," Ahsoka says.

Adams just nods. Then, he looks at Ahsoka and asks, "How are you dealing with all of this?"

Ahsoka sighs. Rommel had told them everything about Anakin's betrayal, which had left Ahsoka in tears by the end of it. She had left to take a few minutes to recompose herself immediately afterwards.

"I don't know. I just can't believe he would do this. I never thought it in him to do something like this," Ahsoka says, a tear in her eye.

"Whether we like it or not, everyone has a dark side. Whether or not it takes over depends on how much strength we give it. There's a story on Earth that talks of an old man who described good and evil as being like two wolves fighting inside him, and when asked which of the wolves won, the man answered 'The one I feed.' Anakin chose to feed the dark wolf too much, and allowed it to win," Adams says.

Ahsoka just looks at Adams for a moment, then back out at the crater. Right then, they hear a familiar voice say, "Captain Adams." They turn around and see Echo standing behind them. He, Jesse, and Hardcase had come to Polis Massa with them. Rex had remained behind on Mandalore to help cover their escape. He also planned to provide the Alliance with intelligence as the Empire expanded its control over the galaxy.

"Yes, Echo?" Adams asks.

"General Kenobi has made contact. He's inbound," Echo says.

Adams nods, and he and Ahsoka follow Echo down to the landing pad. Seconds after they get to the pad, Padme's ship flies in, escorted by two Su-36s, and lands.

Adams, Yoda, Bail, and Ahsoka all wait as the ramp lowers, then Obi Wan and Hall race down it, Obi Wan carrying Padme in his arms. Allen, Woods, and Walker run down the ramp after them.

Bail runs up to Hall, takes one look at Padme, then says, "We must get her to the medical center. This way." Obi Wan runs after Bail.

Adams and Ahsoka run up to Hall. "Tyler. What's happening?" Adams asks.

Hall looks at Ahsoka. "First of all. Ahsoka, you need to know that Padme and Anakin have been secretly married for years, and Padme's pregnant by Anakin. Anakin choked her on Mustafar out of anger," he says. Ahsoka looks at Hall in complete shock.

Hall then turns to Adams. "Me and Obi Wan found Anakin on Mustafar. We fought him, and eventually I was able to cut off his limbs and leave him stranded on the bank of a lava river. Last I saw him, he was literally on fire, inches away from falling into a river of lava," Hall says.

Ahsoka feels tears coming to her eyes, not wanting to believe that her master could have fallen so far into the dark side, or that he is now dead. However, before she can say anything, Hall says, "We'd better get in there."

Adams and Ahsoka both nod, and the three hurry into the facility, making their way to the medical center. When they reach the medical center, they find Obi Wan, Bail, Yoda, and Rommel standing outside the bay where Padme is being looked after.

"Dennis. How are you?" Adams asks.

"I'll be okay. Bacta spray is already doing its job. Give me another hour or so, and I'll be good as new. In any case, I'm well enough to be on my feet," Rommel says.

"I'm glad you're still alive man," Hall says to his teammate.

"So am I. I got really lucky," Rommel says.

Everyone quiets down, watching as native Polis Massans and some droids examine Padme. After a little while, a medical droid floats out to speak to them.

"Medically, she's completely healthy. For reasons we can't explain, we are losing her," the droid says.

Everyone looks at the droid in surprise before Obi Wan asks, "She's dying?"

"We don't know why. She has lost the will to live. We need to move quickly if we are to save the babies," the droid says.

"Babies?" Bail asks in relation to the plural form of the word.

"She's carrying twins," the droid says.

"Alright. I can help here. I've actually had some training in how to deliver children, and I've helped deliver children before," Adams says. He then looks at Obi Wan and says, "You should probably be in with her, Obi Wan. You too, Ahsoka. She'll want people she knows and trusts by her side after all she's been through."

Obi Wan and Ahsoka both nod and follow Adams into the room. The droid they spoke to injects a chemical into Padme that will induce and speed up her labor.

Within an hour, Padme is pushing, with Obi Wan and Ahsoka by her side, and Adams delivering the children.

Padme's cries echo through the medical center. Within a mater of minutes of starting to push, Adams says, "Alright, one more, Padme."

Padme cries out in pain, and a moment later, a baby boy comes out. Adams wraps him in a clean blanket, cuts the cord, and then holds him out to Obi Wan. Obi Wan takes him, then looks down at Padme and says, "It's a boy."

"Luke," she whispers. Obi Wan holds the baby down where Padme can see him, and she says, "Oh, Luke."

"Alright, Padme, the second one's coming. I need you to push again," Adams says.

Padme cries out in pain, but begins pushing again. Within a few more minutes, a baby girl enters the world. Again, Adams wraps her up, cuts the cord, and this time hands the baby to Ahsoka, who looks down at the baby before looking at Padme and saying, "It's a girl."

"Leia," Padme gasps out the name for her daughter.

Padme's heartbeat then begins to slow down. Adams wants to try a few things he knows to try and keep her heartbeat up, but knows in this case it probably wouldn't help, and its clear that Padme really has lost the will to live and is dying of a broken heart.

Obi Wan and Ahsoka remain close by Padme's side as her heartbeat slows down and her breathing gets more forced. After only a minute or so, Padme looks up at the two Jedi beside her and says, "Obi Wan. Ahsoka. There's still good in him. I know...there's...stillll..." She trails off, then her head slowly tilts to the side, her eyes close, her breathing stops, and she goes still.

Obi Wan and Ahsoka stare down at Padme, still holding her children, not wanting to believe she's gone. Adams slumps against the wall before sliding down to the floor, where he rests his head in his hands, feeling somewhat responsible for allowing Padme to die under his care. Outside the room, Bail, Yoda, Rommel, and Hall look on sadly.

Right then, Echo walks up to Hall. "Colonel. We have bad news. One of your intelligence agents intercepted an Imperial transmission. Apparently General Skywalker survived. The Emperor found him right after you left, and kept him alive long enough to get him to Coruscant. According to the transmission, he's at the Empreror's personal Medical Facility on Coruscant," Echo says.

Hall just nods, then turns and walks away. Once he's out of sight of the medical bay, he falls to his knees, throws his head back, and screams. Furious at Anakin for betraying them. Furious at himself for not finishing the job, and for allowing Padme to die. And above all, furious at the Emperor for all that he has done. Hall's screams of fury echo throughout the entire facility, a testament that the Terran Alliance and the Jedi have failed.