Padmé's POV
"He did what?" Obi-Wan's familiar shocked tone says to me through the holonet, his blue image appearing slightly blurred from the bad connection.
I nod, tears still staining my eyes. "Yes," I sniff slightly, holding back the tears, "he went to see Demetrious. I told him it was a bad idea, that he'd... get himself killed, but - "
"He's Anakin," Obi-Wan interrupts, slapping a palm to his forehead in disappointment. "He does what he wants, no matter what you say. He always feels that what he's doing is the right thing."
I say nothing and and bury my face in my hand, fighting off tears. He had been gone almost a day now...
"Senator Amidala, please. I'm sure everything's all right with Anakin."
I look up slightly, just enough to see Obi-Wan's hologram image tampering with his comlink.
"What are you doing?" I ask as Obi-Wan flips open the comlink.
"Trying to contact Anakin. If he doesn't respond, I'm going to have to go up there and find him myself." Obi-Wan's comlink screeches static, but at last, my Ani's deep soothing voice comes through.
"Master? Master - is everything okay?"
I stay silent, watching the hologram of Obi-Wan speak into his comlink to Anakin, who luckily answers. I sigh of relief, leaning back slightly in my chair with ease. He's not dead...
"No, Anakin, everything's not all right. How could you possibly go up and try to negotiate with Darth Demetrious?" I listened discreetly, a bit surprised to hear Obi-Wan raise his voice so ecstatically. Anakin seemed at a loss for words, stuttering as he came up with something to say.
"I - Master, I... It didn't go as planned, but... how did you know I was up there? On her cruiser?"
I tried to get Obi-Wan's attention through the holonet desperately, to try and at least whisper to him not to call me out for telling him. Anakin would be infuriated with me... I saw the look in his eyes when he sat in his fighter, the second I mentioned Obi-Wan. I couldn't risk Anakin knowing I was the one who told him.
Thankfully, Obi-Wan outsmarted whatever I could counter with, and he went around it. "The Council tracked you. They were getting worried as you missed another meeting."
"There was another meeting today?"
"Besides the point, Anakin, listen to me. Darth Demetrious is dangerous. There's no use trying to talk her out of her plans. All we can do is attempt to demolish the Death Star before she can demolish a planet!"
"Sorry, Master. I didn't know it angered you so much that I attempted to get my old padawan back."
I felt nosy for listening in on their conversation now, but I felt like I had no choice. If Obi-Wan sincerely hadn't wanted me overhearing, he would've disconnected from the holonet. But, his blue image still showed up on my holonet in my apartment, projecting him holding his comlink in his left hand. He looked angry speaking to an oblivious Anakin.
"She - she isn't your old padawan anymore, Anakin, let it go! She's gone, she isn't Kyla any longer. She's evil, she's a Sith! Don't you understand? Can you not train yourself to let go?"
I recalled Anakin telling me about Master Yoda having said that to him once. To train himself to let go of everything he'd grown attached to. I knew from the second Anakin told me about it that he would never be able to, especially of our family. Regardless of what the Order told him, he had a secret, and his secret involved people he could never let go of.
"I... I can't let go, Master. I'm sorry. I'm trying, really, I am, but..."
"No." Obi-Wan interrupts, scratching his beard in thought, pacing around as I could see on the hologram image. "Don't apologize, Anakin. I should be the one apologizing. I'm sorry I insulted you that way, Anakin, but you should really let go of her. At this point she's impossible to get back."
I hear Anakin heave a sigh through the comlink, but Obi-Wan continues. "And, Anakin, I advise you to return home. We can talk about what happened on her cruiser later... but where are you?"
Anakin pauses, I can hear his faint hesitation, but he speaks up. "In a medbay."
I lean in closer, my eyes widening. What could've possibly happened to Ani? My mind wandered endlessly with the infinite possibilities...
"What? Of what starship?"
"One of Kyla's cruisers, Master. Not the one she's currently on, one closer to the atmosphere of Coruscant. My fighter is in the hangar, and I'll be released within the next... ten minutes."
"What could you have possibly done to land yourself in the medbay, Anakin?"
Once again, he hesitates. I'm on the edge of the seat now, my hands gripped to the desk in front of me as I wait patiently for what Anakin has to say. How did he end up in the medbay?
"She... Force choked me, Master."
I slapped a hand over my mouth to keep myself from screaming, or bursting into tears.
"Anakin! Do you even realize - "
"Yes, Master, I know. And I'm deeply sorry. It was a mistake, I shouldn't have gone to talk to her."
"Yes, now you figure that out. Anakin, sometimes I just - "
"Not now, Master. It wasn't too painful, some medical droids took a notice that I was having breathing problems, so... they took me here. It's unnecessary, I believe, but I'll be out soon."
Obi-Wan sighs, obviously angered. "Your family is probably worried sick about you," he lies to Anakin. Obi-Wan knows very well I was worried sick about him, as were his children. He adds, "You best be on your way home to them."
"I am, Master. I will be home soon."
With that, Obi-Wan disconnects from the comlink and turns back to his holonet. "Milady, I'm very sorry you had to listen to... that. On the backhand, maybe it was a good idea. Now you see how foolish Anakin can truly be sometimes."
"I know," I answer flatly, "But thank you for remaining connected. I did deserve to know what was going on with him."
Obi-Wan exhales and picks the holonet up, about to disconnect. "Well, Senator Amidala, please let me know when Anakin does return home. I feel as though he won't do that himself."
"Of course, Obi-Wan. Thank you."
He disconnects, and I'm left sitting in the small work room, my blank holonet on the desk in front of me. I sigh and fold my arms over the desk, slowly leaning my head to rest in the crevices of my folded arms. And, slowly but calmly, I sob for awhile.
Anakin's foolishness could've gotten him killed, I think.
Narrator's POV
Anakin Skywalker was at last released from the medbay on Demetrious' starships cruisers. He took his Starfighter and went home, to Coruscant, where he wasn't greeted openly by his wife.
She stood on the veranda, waiting patiently for him to land. He shot open the top of the fighter and climbed out, not looking the least bit woozy. "Padmé," he says cheerfully, taking her into a hug. She didn't wrap her arms back around him; she stiffened.
He released her and his eyes hopelessly searched her face. "What's troubling you?" he asks, his voice trembling.
"I can't believe you went up there, Anakin. And landed yourself in the medbay? You're crazy, Ani. What made you think going to talk to her would actually work?"
There it was again... that distrust that everyone seemed to have for Anakin. He was at a loss for words, unsure of what to say to his displeased wife. He was afraid that saying the wrong thing would displease her even more, perhaps even increasing her levels of distrust towards him.
"I'm sorry, Padmé, I thought it would work." He always thought he was right... he clenched his fists having to tell her otherwise. "I was wrong."
She purses her lips and crosses her arms, nodding. "I'm glad you see that, Anakin."
He walks past her, peering inside the apartment. "Are the children asleep?" he asks, his attempt to change the conversation.
She turns to face him. "Yes."
He nods and turns. "I'm sorry. I wish I could've been here... wait - how did you know I ended up in the medbay?"
She clears her throat, cautiously thinking of a way to word this. Eventually, she gave up, and decided to tell him the truth. "Obi-Wan told me." She stepped forward, caressing his cheek in hopes of lowering his anger. "He said you'd - been choked, but that you were okay..."
"I should've been the one to tell you," Anakin snaps coldly, his anger obvious. "Not Obi-Wan."
"Anakin, I was worried, so I contacted him hoping he knew something! You were gone for a whole day, of course I was worried - " Gently, Padmé wraps her arms around the back of his neck and leans into his chest. "I'm sorry, I know you didn't want me to contact Obi-Wan about this..."
"I told you Obi-Wan didn't know I was going to speak to Demetrious," he says sternly, prying away from her arms locked around his neck. He walks over to the balcony and leans on it, struggling to lessen his anger. "He contacted me, saying the Council was worried or something... Now he knows. I told you, Padmé, he didn't know, and he couldn't know, but now he does!"
She walks over to him again, praying he doesn't lash out on her. He hadn't done that in so long... but he looked so angry, there might be a good chance.
"Anakin, I'm sorry. I was afraid, so I contacted Obi-Wan, hoping he knew where you were and if you were okay. It isn't my fault he knows," she lied, then told the truth, "I thought you'd been killed."
He turns his head slightly to look at her and exhales through his nose, like he did when he was trying to calm himself. She decided he wasn't as angry as he was minutes ago, so she caresses him again, using her thumb to push back his stray strands of wavy brown hair. "I'm sorry," she says again, this time in a whisper, "I love you."
Anakin hangs his head now, feeling stupid for ever getting mad at her in the first place. He shouldn't have gotten so worked up over Obi-Wan knowing. He knew it wasn't going to end well when Obi-Wan contacted him through the comlink, claiming he knew where Anakin was. But the fact that Obi-Wan was the one to tell Padmé of his whereabouts...
"No, I'm sorry, Padmé. It isn't right of me to get angry with you."
"It isn't right of you to get angry at all," she says softly, rubbing the back of his neck with her hand as they leaned against the balcony. She sighs, deciding to leave him be. He needed to be alone. "I'm going to go check on the children. Surely they'll want to see you if they're awake."
He flinches as she removes her hand from the back of his neck, almost as if her touch needed to be there.
She walks into the apartment, and Anakin finds himself alone yet again. He sighs, watching Coruscant like always. The city didn't sleep; ever. Apparently, neither did his children. He hears their cries from inside the apartment, probably wanting their father. Groggily, he rises from his position leaned against the balcony, and enters the apartment to help Padmé with their kids.
The next day, Obi-Wan contacted Anakin and Padmé through their home holonet in their work room, or office, as Anakin liked to refer to it. They both answered immediately, hoping everything was all right. He hardly ever contacted both of them together.
"Good morning," he begins with, the background of his hologram appearing to be the stone ground of outside the Temple. "Sorry to disturb you."
"It's all right, Master," Anakin says, taking initiative, "Our children are the reason we've been awake long before your call."
He chuckles, but regains seriousness. "I'm glad you approached the topic of your children so graciously," he says. Oh great, thinks Anakin, This is going to be about Luke and Leia. No wonder he contacted both Padmé and myself...
"You wanted to speak about Luke and Leia?" Padmé asks nervously, her motherly instinct kicking in. Obi-Wan nods sternly.
"I've mentioned the topic to Anakin before, but he didn't take to it all too well." Obi-Wan's hologram image turns to look at Anakin, who's face drains of color drastically. He's going to tell Padmé to hide the children... she will never do that.
"What is it?" She asks again, on the edge of her seat. Anakin rubs a hand to her back lightly, reassuring her.
"This isn't easy to say to new parents," Obi-Wan clears his throat, "but I proposed the idea of hiding your children from the Galactic Empire. It isn't safe for them to be exposed, as they're so strong within the realms of the Force."
Padmé goes silent, turning to Anakin for answers, worry written all over her radiant face. He looks at her with sad eyes, unsure of what to say. They both turn back to the holonet, Padmé clearly taken aback by Obi-Wan's proposal. "Obi-Wan, I don't think we can do that..."
"It would be the best decision for both of you. Perhaps even you, Senator. For you and the children to seek shelter somewhere you won't be identified or in any risk of danger. Demetrious could potentially want your children for power."
"But they're so young," Padmé cries, turning to Anakin, who still has said nothing. "Ani, what do you think we should do?"
Anakin, being speechless that Obi-Wan released the idea to Padmé at last, just sighs. He knows he has to say something, anything, but he stutters in attempt. "I - Padmé, I don't know what we should do... maybe it is best to hide them..."
She looks shocked at his response, which makes him regret his word choice immediately. A knot forms in the pit of his stomach, and he turns to the holonet. "Master, why would Demetrious want two-month-old babies anyway? They can't help her."
"She might find a way for them to be vulnerable," says Obi-Wan boldly, "so I advise the both of you to think about it. Oh, and Anakin, you are to report to the High Council Chamber immediately."
Anakin sighs. "You can't make the decisions for my family, Master." Padmé turns to him, her jaw slightly dropped. She trusted Obi-Wan with these decisions, whereas she knew Anakin did not. She didn't even know if she could trust Anakin with decisions like these...
"I know, Anakin, so I'm just making a suggestion. Think about it, if you will - report to the High Council Chamber, too. Immediately." He nods in Padmé's direction and clicks off the holonet, leaving the new parents speechless in their office room.
"Why don't you trust Obi-Wan with making wise choices for our children?" Asks Padmé desperately as Anakin rises.
He turns to leave, but looks back at her over his shoulder for a second. "Because he's not their father," he emphasizes, "Decisions for them should be made between you and I. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting to report to." He leaves, and Padmé is left sitting in the office room, feeling deflated.
Maybe hiding them from the Empire would be a smart choice after all...
A/N: Sorry this chapter was kind of short...
But I need help making a decision! So, here's my dilemma: I don't know if I should begin writing a separate story about Luke and Leia, as they grow up, in the same universe of Kyla and her Empire. I also don't know if I should just continue their lives in this book, without having to start an entirely separate one. Should it all be just one big Chosen One novel... or should it be The Chosen One, and then another story in the same universe, but centered around Luke and Leia?
Basically, all I'm wondering is, should I begin another book as a sequel to The Chosen One, or should I just make The Chosen One extra long?
Please comment and let me know!
Thanks,
Claudia
(P.S. The next chapter is coming soon, be sure to stay updated!)