Episode 3.5
I wrote this piece in the summer of 2005. I had a difficult time reconciling Padme's death at the end of Revenge of the Sith to what Leia states in Return of the Jedi:
Luke: Do you remember your mother? Your REAL mother?
Leia: Just a little bit. She died when I was very young.
Luke: Tell me.
Leia: She was very beautiful. Kind. But sad.
The story which follows is thanks to my online friends at StarWars.com on the "Why does Leia remember Padme?" message board. The Morichro theory is thanks to Jedicathiecat, and the countless scenarios played out below can be recognized by many.
I
The Awakening
Faintly, in the distance, the shrill cries of a baby could be heard. Men’s voices were all around and the hum of an engine vibrated both ears and body. Consciousness was illusive and her mind was unable to grasp if she were awake or dreaming. Her body felt as cold and heavy as stone and she could not move. Her eyelids were also apparently turned to stone as she could not open them. Swirling, swimming, diving, crashing, images played in her head like waves but could not form into thoughts. She was out of control and completely subdued. It was impossible for her to divine her location only that she was on a ship and somewhere her baby was crying for her. Her heart felt cold and broken, it ached to hold her babies, and she resigned herself to believe that she was in fact dead. She faded out again, giving in to the darkness that offered to swallow her.
* * *
“Can you hear me?” It was Obi-Wan’s soft voice whispering in her ear. She could feel his hand, hot, on her forehead. His other hand grasped hers tightly, intently, coursing warmth through her body. “Padme, open your eyes.”
She fought through the belief that she was dead and was finally able to open her eyes. The lights had been dimmed and all was silent except for her shallow breathing and the low hum of the ship. “Where am I?” she whispered, her voice creaking and groaning like a hinge that badly needed oiling.
Obi-Wan smiled softly at her. “We were afraid you were never going to wake up,” he laughed uncomfortably. “Yoda is a little rusty.”
“What?” she managed.
He sat back and let his shoulders relax. “I’ll explain it all to you when you’re stronger. Right now, I need to tell you what is happening at this moment.”
She tried to sit up but her body felt numb, unwilling, and detached. “Where are we?”
“We are on the Tantive IV, Bail Organa was kind enough to give me a lift.”
“To where? Where are we exactly?” she asked.
He breathed deeply and gave her hand a squeeze. “It has been decided that the babies will have to be split up if any of you have a chance of survival against the Emperor.”
“I don’t understand....” Her hands tingled as the feeling slowly came back to them. She could now feel Obi-Wan’s pulse pounding in his fingers. It was at that moment she understood. “You’re not going to tell me what planet this is, are you?”
Obi-Wan looked away, almost shameful, but more to keep himself from giving anything away. “Luke will be safe, Padme. I am going to stay to watch over him until he is ready.”
Fear suddenly struck her. “’Ready’? For what?” Her heart made sure at this moment that she knew it had completely awoken from its slumber. It was pounding as hard as Obi-Wan’s.
“You are going to stay with Leia on Alderaan in the care of the Organas. Someday, your children will be reunited and they will lead the attack on the Empire.” Obi-Wan smiled, “don’t worry Padme, your children will be together again. They were meant to be together - they are strongest when they are together.”
Padme closed her eyes and choked back tears. She knew she needed to be strong but her heart was breaking. “Can I see him before you take him?”
Obi-Wan shook his head, “you know why that would just make this harder for you.”
She smiled thinly and nodded. “I know, you’re right. Where’s Leia now?”
At that moment, the door to the small room they were in opened and Bail Organa stepped through. “We’ve landed, Obi-Wan. You have to leave quickly if we want to get out of here unnoticed.”
Obi-Wan stood abruptly. “Of course. Just give me another moment with Padme.” Bail nodded, turned on his heal and exited the room.
“Listen to me carefully, Padme.” Obi-Wan lowered his voice and began talking quickly and pointedly. “You will be safe with the Organas as long as you don’t try anything reckless. Follow their instructions and keep yourself well hidden. These children are precious to the galaxy, they will continue in Anakin’s lost footsteps. They will restore balance to the Force where Anakin has failed.” He reached down and pushed her hair from her eyes. “I will contact you soon, just be patient and do as your told!”
He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. “The Force will be with you Padme.”
“Thank you, Obi-Wan.” Padme finally let the tears flow as Obi-Wan turned and left the room. She was alone with her slowly awakening body. Unable to reach up and wipe the tears from her own face.
She listened as footsteps hurried about in the corridor and a heavy door was opened. The sound of the crying baby passed right before the door to her room then faded. The door slammed shut and the cries were suddenly silenced. The engine whirred to life and the ship lifted off from the planet’s surface. Padme could hold it in no longer - the screams from her room sent R2D2 rushing through her door with a tranquilizer needle.
On the surface of Tatooine, Obi-Wan felt deep in his chest the piece of Padme’s heart that broke off as the ship blasted out of the atmosphere.
II
New Arrivals
The twin suns, Tatoo I and Tatoo II, were hovering just at the horizon and the skies were red on this otherwise average evening. Dinner had been bland and uneventful as usual, but tonight the air was cool and sitting in the courtyard, spending the remainder of the evening deep in playful conversation with his new wife, Beru, was the highlight of Owen Lars’ day. It had only been a few months since his father had died, leaving him the moisture farm, and already he was feeling like an old man - joints creaking, skin leathery, hair sandy and dry. Beru still looked like a young girl, full of hope, expectations, and blind to the hardships which were now upon their shoulders. He loved her especially this evening, as they sipped their homemade wine and discussed the future.
The silence was broken by the sound of footsteps crunching in the rocky sand up above. It was too late for visitors; most people knew to be down below in their homes before the suns set or risk an encounter with sand people. He assumed the sound belonged to a tuskan and he and Beru quietly tucked themselves safely into the house.
The footsteps disappeared but were replaced by pounding on the main door. Owen hurried for his blaster and told Beru to stay hidden. He stood behind the door and called, “Who’s there?”
The voice that responded was surprisingly human. “My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi. I am a Jedi Knight. I need to speak with you immediately.”
Owen cautiously cracked the door to be sure this information was true and when he saw the man before him was truly a Jedi like he stated, he allowed the man inside. Why would a Jedi be here at his home? His half-brother, Anakin, had been a Jedi - the arrival of this Obi-Wan could only mean bad news.
Beru emerged from her hiding place and the Jedi focussed on her for the moment. “You must be Beru, I have something very important to entrust to you.” From the folds of his robe he produced a tiny newborn baby, sound asleep and oblivious to the people around him.
Beru immediately hurried forward. “Who’s child is this?” she asked.
Obi-Wan looked pleadingly at Owen. “This is your brother, Anakin’s, baby.” He motioned toward the comfortable seating area. “This is going to be a long story, may I sit down? I’ve had a long journey to reach you.”
“Of course,” Beru lead him away while Owen bolted the door and followed reluctantly. He knew what the Jedi was going to ask of them and that he would not be able to say no - at least Beru would not allow him to say no.
Obi-Wan settled the baby into Beru’s arms then began an abbreviated version of the events that had transpired in the last week. “Your brother and his wife are both dead, she died just after the baby was born, leaving him in my care. The new Empire will quickly devour all star systems that were once part of the Republic, but you should be relatively unaffected here on Tatooine. You have to be exceptionally careful with this baby. When he is called, he will lead the fight against the Empire. But until then, he must not leave this planet. He must not know anything of the truth of his father’s identity or even that he was a Jedi Knight. If the Emperor learns that this child is alive, he will hunt him down and kill him, and most likely kill you for treason. The Jedi have been exterminated, I am all that survived. It is my duty to watch over this child and train him when his day comes. Until then, I will live in the desert and keep him safe from afar.” He paused and searched both of their faces. “Do you understand what I’m asking you?”
Beru nodded and absentmindedly stroked the baby’s face.
Owen spoke. “You’re saying that all three of us are in mortal danger now that this child is in our midst.” He shook his head. “I should say no to this nonsense, but we are the only family Anakin, and this child, have. If this is the only way to protect our family, well, then we have no choice.” He sighed and sat down next to Beru. “I knew my brother for a very brief time, not even enough time to be able to tell his son any stories....”
“That is good, then you will have time to create stories for him. You have time,” Obi-Wan continued. “He will, no doubt, hear stories about Anakin as a child living here on Tatooine, and those can do no harm. You cannot lie about what you do not know, so I will tell you nothing of Anakin’s life and death. The boy will learn this from myself when the time comes.”
Beru and Owen nodded. They absorbed all that they were told but were still numb at the shock of receiving a baby on this night. Owen’s mind was swimming with images of middle-of-the-night raids on the farm as the Empire searched for the child, while Beru’s mind full of images of a life as a mother. Obi-Wan felt their conflict but knew that the boy was going to be well cared for. He stood up to leave.
“What is his name?” Beru asked.
Obi-Wan smiled. “Luke. Luke Skywalker.” He turned to go and let himself out of their home. He closed the door tightly behind him and used the Force to lock the bolts on the inside. The Lars’ have a baby and all the shock that goes with it, he knew they would be forgetful in locking the door and he did not want this precious child stolen by sandpeople on his first night home.
Obi-Wan took in the cool, dry desert air. The suns were set and he was alone. Home , he thought to himself sadly, as he pulled his hood over his head and wandered away into the desert. He hoped he would not have to wait long for Luke to follow.
* * *
The platform was mostly deserted except for a few weary guards. Activity on this private landing platform was sparse so when the call came in that Bail Organa would be landing tonight, the four young guards hurriedly collected themselves, straightened their uniforms and rushed out to their posts. They could continue their game of Sabacc after the excitement died down.
Now, the small star runner was sitting quietly on the platform, no movement could be seen within or out of the ship. The guards wondered if this was some sort of joke, but it certainly looked to be Organa’s ship. The main door suddenly dropped open with a hiss of air and steam. A crewman walked forth from the ship and past the guards without so much as a glance. He entered the control room in the main hangar and could be seen through the lightly tinted glass speaking to the commander. Moments later, the crewman exited the control room and repeated his cool journey back to the ship. Finally it came, the familiar crackle through the earpiece.
“All guards report to the hangar immediately.” The men walked in formation to the hangar where they met with their commander. He told them they could continue their game now and gladly the men retook their seats around the small table. Their mirth turned to confusion as the commander pressed the button to lower the security shield around the control room windows. The commander ignored the men's’ inquisitive looks and after the shields were secured in place, he went back to reading his book quietly at his post. The guards, taking their cue from him, went back to their game, if not a little worried by these events.
* * *
Outside on the platform a pilot exited the Tantive and proceeded to Bail Organa’s private shuttle which was the only ship parked in this particular hangar. Normally, the guards would have pulled double duty as pilots of this particular ship, but not tonight. The Tantive’s already exhausted pilot had one more route to fly: to the Organa’s wilderness retreat. He himself did not know who the secret passenger was on the ship this journey, but he knew they were of exceptional importance. Probably someone key to the survival of the Republic, but it was not the pilot’s place to ask such questions. Transporting politicians and refugees in secret were his duties as pilot of the Tantive IV, and he was used to not seeing faces. The entire crew was used to this protocol. Tonight was no different.
He slid comfortably into the pilot’s chair and fired up the engines of the small shuttle. It was equipped with sound cloaking capabilities and he reached across the control panel and pulled the lever. The engine sounds dropped beneath his normal range of hearing, but he could still feel the shuttle purring gently through his seat. All was well, now back to the Tantive.
The shuttle coasted just above the surface of the platform and parked beside the Tantive’s main ramp. All crew had been ordered to the far end of the ship, away from this door and away from the sick bay where the secret passenger had been stowed. All the crew members knew was that there were two babies aboard this ship and the Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi, had taken one of them when he exited the ship on Tatooine. The pilot was certain he did not know what was going on, but certainly the mother of these babies was the corpse in sick bay.
After a few tense moments, the figure of Bail Organa emerged from the Tantive. He was holding the second baby in his arms. Behind him, were two women, both medical officers dressed in the usual uniforms. The pilot strained to see if the body would also disembark but he could not see. Maybe he was mistaken, it was still on the ship. Perhaps, after all, it was the baby that Organa was secreting away to his retreat.
The pilot received word from Organa in the passenger area that it was time to take off, and the pilot followed orders.
Tonight, his curiosity would not be satisfied. Clearly, someone else on the Tantive would have the pleasure of flying the secret passenger somewhere else. For now, this pilot just took solace in seeing his home planet for the first time in almost 2 years. It had been a long assignment on the Tantive during the Clone War, and tonight he would see his family for the first time. The trees looked taller he noticed, a lot of work tomorrow. Good thing his wife did not know he would be returning tonight or else she may have had a long list of chores for him.
III
The Message
It had only been one year, but to Obi-Wan, his solitude on Tatooine made the time unbearable. His small hut was barely furnished and the sand and sun stung his eyes and skin when he ventured out of doors. He had disliked this planet when the Nubian was shipwrecked here 20 years ago, and he still disliked it. Even more so now.
He had no time to ponder his situation, he had been contacted by Bail Organa with a disturbing message. The Emperor had an apprentice even more frightening than himself if that were possible. Obi-Wan sat in deep meditation on this morning searching the Force for the identity of the new Sith. But no matter how deep he searched or denied what he knew was true, he kept coming back to the same name: Anakin Skywalker. What was it that Sidious had named him? Darth Vader.
Obi-Wan could only imagine what had become of Anakin. Obi-Wan had left him for dead, burning, beside the river of lava on Mustafar. His own weakness, the inability to kill Anakin, was the bane of the galaxy. If only....
But there was no time for that. It was only a matter of time before Anakin, would discover the truth about his family. Obi-Wan was not even sure if Darth Vader knew of Padme’s ultimate fate after their parting months ago, but he hoped beyond hope that word of her funeral reached him. Obi-Wan wondered how long he could keep Luke safe from his father but it was his final duty to die trying. It was time to contact Organa and let him know the true nature of their plight.
* * *
The outpost was dimly lit, smokey, and stuffy. Obi-Wan kept his face shrouded in his robes as he entered. It was only a matter of time before....”Ben!” a deep voice rumbled from the corner. Someone had recognized him. No use for it now, he removed his hood and sat with the stranger in the corner. He was immediately given a glass filled halfway with green liquid. Obi-Wan quickly sucked down the rough drink and thanked the man. “Now, why did you want to meet today?” the rough faced humanoid leaned closer with a decaying smile.
Obi-Wan lowered his voice to a whisper. “I need to send a message, a secure message, off planet. Can you help me?”
The other man laughed softly. “Well, you’ve come to the right man yet again, Ben. Is there anything you don’t do in secret?”
Obi-Wan was not amused. “Hagen, I don’t need to draw attention to myself today, where are we going?”
Hagen stood up and motioned toward the back door. “My ship will do, I have enough modifications that your message should be safe enough.”
Obi-Wan waited until Hagen had disappeared through the back door. He ordered one more drink which went down easier than the first. He tossed a few credits on the table, put his hood back over his face and quietly slipped through the same door that Hagen had used.
The ragged ship was parked in the docking bay, engines already running. Obi-Wan calmly walked up the main ramp and entered the ship. He sat himself down in the familiar passenger bay and no sooner clasped his seat belt when the main ramp closed and the ship lifted off. Obi-Wan sighed and closed his eyes, waiting for the ship to level off, indicating that they were in orbit.
* * *
Bail Organa and his wife were unable to have a child, so the addition of Leia to their household was a blessing. His wife spent hours upon hours doting on the child, dressing her, holding her, talking to her, anything that required close contact. The entire planet was enamored with their baby daughter. Princess Leia was the jewel of Alderaan, celebrated by all in paintings, music, literature. Her arrival about a year ago was cause for worldwide celebration. The Organas couldn’t fight the urge to show her off at every possible moment and they decided there couldn’t be any harm in doing so. After all, no one on the planet knew Leia’s lineage, there was no danger of her discovery. And if Yoda’s premonitions were to come true, of Leia’s importance to the fledgling rebellion, she needed the advantage that respect & admiration among her people can bring.
The public image of the Organa family was quite different from the private ordeal going on within their walls. The baby’s nurse, Padme, kept her distance from the baby. Mrs. Organa knew that this was Leia’s biological mother, and tried to allow them as much time together as possible, but Padme resisted. She did not touch or hold the baby during the light of day and it worried Mrs. Organa deeply - in public she would be called mother by the child, but in private, she wanted Leia to understand who Padme truly was to her. Someday, she thought to herself, Leia will understand why we all did this.
Night time, though, was a much different story. Padme spent most nights in Leia’s nursery long after the household had fallen asleep. She would hold Leia all night and just talk to her, telling her stories of her own youth, of Anakin’s youth, and of the brother she would someday need to find. Obi-Wan was kind enough to include updates on Luke whenever he contacted Bail (messages which were becoming fewer and farther between) but it was enough to satisfy Padme’s need to know that he was thriving.
On this particular evening, nothing outstanding was occurring. Padme & Leia were snuggled together in the nursery, entwined in each other. Little fingers absentmindedly running through Padme’s hair while Padme whispered another story to the big brown eyes that stared back at her.
Padme’s reverie was interrupted by the sound of running footsteps in the corridor outside the door. It was very late, it was not common for the Organas, or even their guards, to be rushing around like this. Padme gave no indication to Leia that anything was wrong, but gave her one last hug and kiss and laid her gently back in the crib. She silently slipped from the room, keeping to the shadows in the corridor and followed the sound of voices.
Outside Bail’s office, Padme hid behind a statue and listened to the crackle of a transmission Bail was receiving.
“This is Obi-Wan Kenobi, I am trying to reach Bail Organa. Come in please!!” Obi-Wan’s familiar voice was uncharacteristically urgent and high pitched.
A click and a beep told Padme that Bail had answered the call even before he started speaking. “Obi-Wan, I’m here, what is it?”
“Sir, I have information pertaining to the Sith Lord. But I need to know, do you know his name?”
A pause. “Darth Vader,” Bail replied. “He is coming here to oversee the reconstruction of our government by the Empire.” His voice was full of venom at the idea of the Empire or any of his minions stepping foot on his democratic planet of Alderaan.
A long stretch of crackling and static issued from the office. She wished she could see Obi-Wan’s expression. She edged closer to the door, hoping to see into the office. “Bail, is she still safe with you?”
“Yes Obi-Wan, we will not let the Sith find her while he is here,” Bail assured him in his most fatherly tone. Padme was touched.
“Good. Bail, she cannot come in contact with him at any and all costs. It is vital to her survival and to the survival of the babies that she not be seen. No one can even allude to her being alive. Do you understand?”
“Of course, we take her security very seriously Obi-Wan. If you say we need to step up the level, then consider it done.” A few more beeps told Padme that Bail had just increased her security level on his control computer. “Obi-Wan, this Sith Lord... Can you please tell me what you found out?”
Obi-Wan’s deep sigh gave Padme chills. “It is of the utmost importance that you do not share this information with anyone, but it is vital that you hear what I have to say if Leia and Padme are to survive. Do you understand what I’m asking of you?”
“Of course, you have my honor,” Bail said proudly.
“Bail, before Anakin died, he swore allegiance to the Emperor, and to the dark side. Yoda and I saw the security recordings of the night the Jedi Temple was purged, it was Anakin who led the charge against the Jedi. Anakin, was already pledged a Sith when he began the killings. I tried to tell Padme but she did not believe me and followed him to Mustafar. Where, as you know, I left Anakin for dead.”
Padme felt as if her heart had stopped. Her chest hurt, her eyes welled with tears. Obi-Wan had told her this same story a year ago, the same night the babies were born, but she did not believe him. She could not believe now that he was feeding the same story to Bail. She wondered if Bail believed him.
“Obi-Wan, I know all of this already, Yoda briefed me on my ship before we left him on--”
Obi-Wan continued as if he hadn’t heard anything Organa had said. “When Anakin pledged himself to the dark side, the Emperor named him Darth Vader.”
Padme’s knees buckled and she fell to the floor outside the office door. Bail did not hear her, the blood was rushing in his ears so loudly he could barely hear his own thoughts. “Anakin is...? No, that’s impossible. From your description of what happened on Mustafar it would have required -- “
“Dark powers beyond our imagination to resurrect him,” Obi-Wan finished for him. “Yes, Bail, I find it difficult to believe, but your spies and sources need to get more information for us. How did the Emperor do it? What is Anakin’s state of mind? What does he know of Padme? All these questions, and more, must be answered before he sets foot on your planet. When is he due to arrive?”
“In 3 days,” Bail said cryptically. “That’s not enough time to learn all of this,” he said.
“Sir, I cannot help you from here and I cannot travel to Alderaan to help you. If Anakin sees me, he will kill me. I am more important to Luke’s survival than that of...” his voice trailed off. Padme saw Bail bow his head. Did he mean Luke was more important than Leia? Was her daughter’s life less important than Luke’s? A rising anger bubbled to the surface and inspired her to come to her feet.
“Obi-Wan, I will protect her to the best of my ability, but I will not sacrifice Leia’s identity for her,” Bail proclaimed. Padme stopped in her tracks. They had been talking about her life. She was less important than Luke and Leia. Her life could be exchanged for the children if need be. She felt ready, but terrified.
“Bail, he must not come in contact with Leia either. If he can sense her potential as a Jedi, he will take her. I don’t know how, but she must be kept secret.”
Padme did not hear the rest of the conversation, she was already running back to her room. Confusion and tears mixed with a rising sense of dread. It became very clear to her as she quietly closed her door and went to her window to look out at the Alderaan nightscape. Her destiny was laid out before her: her life for her children's’. And so it would be.
IV.
The Meeting
Three days was not nearly long enough for rebel spies to ascertain any relevant information about this Darth Vader character that would soon be menacing Alderaan’s citizens. Bail Organa felt defeated. The arrival of the Sith Lord was scheduled for this evening and Bail had not even told Padme what was happening. Mrs. Organa was sending Leia with a group of her loyal nurses and servants to a remote village far from the capital. The baby and the women would be hiding out in a private home, far from prying eyes and far from the political spotlight where Darth Vader would be focussing his attention. A decoy baby was brought in to masquerade as the Organa’s, one with no Jedi relations.
The Star Destroyer arrived about midday and settled into orbit around the planet, fixed above the capital. Bail gazed at it uneasily all day, and just hours before Darth Vader’s shuttle would be arriving, he spoke to Padme.
“If I understand this correctly, you want me to stay hidden at all costs because this Sith Lord, if he suspects that I am the former queen of Naboo, will take me to Palpatine and try me for treason in front of the Imperial Senate? I could face execution?” Padme repeated back to Bail.
He felt dishonorable, telling her this lie, but it was better than her knowing the truth. The hours were ticking away faster than he liked and he needed to be as visible as possible before Darth Vader’s arrival. Padme agreed. “I will stay hidden with Leia. You have my word.”
* * *
Sunset on Alderaan was remarkable. As the shuttle descended through the atmosphere, Darth Vader’s eyes were transfixed by it’s beauty. He had never been to this planet, though in his former life he had known Bail Organa. He purred quietly to himself, satisfied that no one knew his true identity. All feared him now and he had a job to do.
The shuttle landed and the Alderaanian guards were roughly moved aside by Imperial Storm Troopers who took up their posts through which Vader would walk. His exit from his shuttle was always impressive, it frightened the local politicians into doing his bidding without his needing to manipulate them through the Force. His arrival on Alderaan appeared to be proceeding as usual.
Bail Organa stood waiting for the Dark Lord. “You presence is an honor,” he said with feigned reverence.
Vader smiled to himself. If only he’d had this kind of respect earlier in his life. Things would be much different now. He did not reply but swept past Organa to the transport which would take the men and their entourage to Bail’s office suite.
* * *
It was time to put her plan into action. Padme knew Darth Vader would not be on Alderaan constantly during his visit. He would be making several trips back to his Star Destroyer to send transmissions to the Emperor. First step in her plan was to gain access to his shuttle and stow herself until that first return trip.
In the hangar, she stood in the shadows, dressed all in black, covered in a black cloak and hood. She carried a small blaster hidden in the folds of her cloak. The stormtroopers did not notice the petite black shadow that slipped quietly into the shuttle and disappeared from sight.
* * *
Meetings with Organa were not long, Darth Vader was angry as he strode through the hangar to the landing platform where his shuttle was waiting for him. At his approach, the engines whirred to life and steam issued from the landing gear. He boarded the ship and stormtroopers followed after him up the ramp just as it closed. The ship blasted into the sky on a course to rendezvous with the star destroyer hovering above like a hawk.
The landing bay in the belly of the star destroyer was open and ready for the shuttle to enter. Vader exited his ship, greeted by legions of storm troopers lining the hangar for the circumstance of his arrival. A small garrison followed closely behind, his personal guard, and he strode confidently and angrily to his private quarters. His mind was bent on his transmission to the Emperor. What the next move of the Empire would be now that Alderaan had adamantly declared independence from the Empire he did not know.
Darth Vader entered his room and left 2 guards standing outside the door. The guards could only hear the static created by the transmission, the meaning of the words jumbled throughout the sound were unintelligible. The smaller of the two stormtroopers guards drew his blaster and shot the second one faster than the other could react. He lay dead on the floor, smoke issuing from his chest. The smaller stormtroopers holstered his blaster and dragged the dead trooper around the corner and hid the body in the shadows. He then turned his attention to the door to Vader’s quarters.
He listened intently at the door for any signs of the transmission but the static was gone. The trooper took a deep breath, straightened his helmet then pressed the control button to open the door.
Darth Vader was surprised by this uninvited guest in his private chambers. He stood with a flourish and turned to face the new occupant. Before him was one of his stormtroopers, the door closed behind him. “What is it, captain?” Vader asked.
The stormtroopers was riveted to the spot. The figure before him had the shape of a man, but was inhuman. The black mask and helmet, the body armor, there were no signs that there was an actual living breathing human inside of this uniform. The menace took a step forward and the trooper faltered. Vader did not relent, he continued toward the stormtroopers, his breathing continued at the same rhythmic tempo.
When Vader was within 10 feet of the stormtroopers, the trooper finally found the strength to move and lifted his hands to his helmet. In one swift movement that had the air of a suicide mission, he removed his helmet.
Vader almost stumbled when he saw the face staring back at him. The two people now stood, face to face, regarding each other with revulsion and surprise. “Anakin?” Padme finally whispered.
No reaction from the black mechanism before her. “Anakin, it’s me,” she tried. She took a step forward.
“Where did you come from?” Vader boomed. “There should not be any clones on my ship!” He brandished his lightsaber and began to walk toward her.
“Anakin!” Padme shouted, “I’m not a clone! It’s me, Padme!” She tried to stand her ground, but her knees were shaking so violently she could not stand. The stormtroopers uniform clicked and banged as she hit the floor, her face in her hands. “It’s me, it’s me,” she kept repeating.
Vader stood over her, his lightsaber just a foot over her head. “This is not possible. Padme is dead,” his voice as quiet as the voice synthesizer would allow, sounding as if his inner thoughts were being broadcast instead of being physically spoken.
“I’m alive,” she said. She mustered the courage to look up at him. “Are you going to kill me this time?” she asked.
Tears were streaming down her face and he stared deeply at her. She could feel him using the Force to scan her, to see if this were truly his dead wife resurrected before him. His red light saber extinguished, but he still held it in his hand. “I don’t understand,” he said.
Padme forced herself to her feet. “I survived, Ani, you tried to kill me, but I lived.”
She began to feel courageous again, she kept reminding herself that the man under the helmet was her husband. She had to stick to the plan: get Anakin off this ship and back to her.
“And the baby?” he asked slowly.
One thing Padme had learned in her time married to a Jedi was to keep her mind on the present, never allow thoughts or images of the past or future into her mind or else her Jedi husband will read those thoughts. Her training as Anakin’s wife was being put to the test. She had to protect the children the only way she could. “It died,” she sobbed. “A bounty hunter found me on Polis Massa just after the baby was born. I couldn’t save it, he murdered our child right in front of me!” She let the tears flow. They were not feigned tears, she truly was crying, but not about the imaginary scenario she was relaying. The image of her ruined husband standing before her was more than she could take and her tears were her way of coping at this moment. Vader made no motion toward her, no sign that he was affected by this news, no sign that he thought she were lying.
Padme pulled herself together. With new strength, she said, “Anakin, come with me, leave this place.”
This got a reaction. He stood even taller, stepped closer and his shadow fell on her face. “I cannot leave,” he said angrily. “We’ve only just begun our work with the new Empire. Soon, all the star systems will be under our command and I will rule the galaxy.”
Padme shook her head. “You’re wrong, when the Emperor is tired of you, he will kill you. He rules the galaxy. Please, Ani, come with me. We can run away, hide where no one can find us.”
Vader took a step away from her. “It is too late for me. I cannot leave my master.”
Padme mustered up all the courage she could and reached out to him. Her hand rested on his arm, he looked stiffly down at it. She could not see look of surprise under his helmet. “Please, there is still good in you, I can feel it. Come with me Ani, I’ll die without you.”
Vader pulled his arm away violently and raised his lightsaber between them. Padme jumped backward and began slowly inching backward toward the door. “Anakin Skywalker is dead. Leave here, leave this ship, and if you can escape then you can keep your life. If I see you again, I will kill you.” He seemed to grow taller with each word.
Tears streamed down Padme’s face. “Ani, please...” she whispered through her tears. She stumbled over her helmet still lying on the floor, hurriedly picked it up. “Please....I love you....” Her voice hitched and caught in her throat. Was he choking her again?
“Go!” Vader boomed.
“Ani....” Padme cried as she put the helmet back on. The door opened behind her and she hurried from the room. Don’t look back, a voice in her head commanded. Don’t look back.
V.
It was a blur to Padme how it came to be that she was back on Alderaan, safely in the Organa’s home. Leia was returned to her, the Star Destroyer had disappeared from orbit around the planet, and life was back to normal. Bail Organa seemed pleased with himself. He proudly spoke of his negotiation skills in the face of a Sith Lord. He had declared to Vader that Alderaan would appoint a representative to the Imperial Senate in exchange for their ability to remain a democracy with no imperial presence on the planet’s surface. Vader had agreed, quite hastily Bail thought, and had removed himself from the planet on the second day.
Padme, however, did not seem impressed or interested in this turn of events. While those around her went about their business and life as usual, Padme found herself often in the gardens of the Organa’s home, staring idly up at the sky. Her thoughts drifted to Anakin when he was a whole man, not the monster she had seen. But, he hadn’t killed her, she had survived, which meant he still had good in him. She felt it when she touched him, he still loved her. How was she going to live out the rest of her life knowing he was Darth Vader?
It was over the course of only a few months that Padme succumbed to her sadness and grief over the loss of her husband. Hours spent with Leia in the garden did nothing to brighten her spirits. Instead she slowly retreated into the past, her mind obsessed with images of Anakin when she married him. In time, a space began to grow between her and Leia, she was glad, it would be easier for Leia if Mrs. Organa held the title of Mother in her life anyway.
One particularly beautiful day, an old and tired looking Padme took her usual walk into the garden to the marble bench that marked her favorite place. She laid herself down on it, staring up at the sky. Was that a glint of something metallic in the sky above? Could he have changed his mind? Is he coming for her? Would their son truly rise to become a Jedi and restore peace to the galaxy? No, she thought, Luke is lost. All is lost. I am lost.
When Bail Organa found her a few hours later, she was still looking up to the sky, her hands clasped tightly around the japor snipet that she wore around her neck. He gently closed her eyes and placed his hand on her cold forehead. He turned his face up to the blue sky and that’s when he saw it: a ship hovering above the atmosphere. The familiar outline was that of a Star Destroyer. Anger rose in Bail, the Imperials were supposed to stay away from his planet! He rushed through the garden back toward his house. He needed to get to the bottom of this.
He did not see the Star Destroyer blast away from Alderaan.
* * *
Darth Vader had a meditation spot. Even Sith need to meditate on the Force and his time to do this was limited. He was very angry that he was pulled in so many directions by his feelings, his memories and now his master, Darth Sidious. This particular meditation revealed unexpected outcomes. He saw his destiny flash before his eyes - he was not saddened from witnessing his own death. On the contrary, he was relieved. A face was above him not filtered red by his helmet’s eye pieces. A young man who did not look afraid or angry. What was his name? More visions filled his head. A beautiful woman standing in his private chambers. Her image retreating from him, transformed into a white stormtroopers. If he had not been on life support at the moment, his heart may have quickened. But at the moment, he had to settle for the memory of a beating heart. Again, anger filled him - he did not ask to be raised from the dead. He now knew his life ended as Anakin and began as Darth Vader on Mustafar. The name carried little meaning for him anymore. He had no true memories, just visions through meditations that then became memories. His thoughts lingered on Padme. She was somewhere below him on Alderaan, searching the sky. Through the Force, he could communicate with her if he chose to. He didn’t care. He was very angry. Sidious had lied: Padme was not dead, he did not kill her on Mustafar. If he had known this sooner, he could have taken her and run away from the Sith, the Dark Side and the Empire. She could have turned him back to his former self. Was this true? He’ll never know. He was going to kill her when he saw her on Mustafar and now their child was dead. He was enraged now at the thought of Sidious’ order to kill all newborn baby boys. His son was surely murdered during the holocaust. Perhaps that is why now Padme’s face is so sad.
His mind floated back to the image of Padme, she was in a garden, but something was wrong. Her eyes were fixed upon him, but gave no indication that she was behind them. Her eyes held on to tears that were destined never to fall. True anger befell him now as he realized that by his actions, he alone had killed her. Visions of killing Darth Sidious now crept into his circuitry. He couldn’t do it alone. He would have to be patient and hope that she had lied, that his son survived somehow. If he could find this boy and hide him from the Emperor, he would have a powerful ally. He would have to hide these thoughts from the Emperor until it was time.
He knew that if he survived, in time his son would seek him out.
Darth Vader broke his meditation and swept into the command center. “Commander, we will not be needing to go to the surface. I must return to Coruscant immediately.”
It would be a long while before Vader could fulfill his destiny, but he was a patient man. He could wait.
I wrote this piece in the summer of 2005. I had a difficult time reconciling Padme's death at the end of Revenge of the Sith to what Leia states in Return of the Jedi:
Luke: Do you remember your mother? Your REAL mother?
Leia: Just a little bit. She died when I was very young.
Luke: Tell me.
Leia: She was very beautiful. Kind. But sad.
The story which follows is thanks to my online friends at StarWars.com on the "Why does Leia remember Padme?" message board. The Morichro theory is thanks to Jedicathiecat, and the countless scenarios played out below can be recognized by many.
I
The Awakening
Faintly, in the distance, the shrill cries of a baby could be heard. Men’s voices were all around and the hum of an engine vibrated both ears and body. Consciousness was illusive and her mind was unable to grasp if she were awake or dreaming. Her body felt as cold and heavy as stone and she could not move. Her eyelids were also apparently turned to stone as she could not open them. Swirling, swimming, diving, crashing, images played in her head like waves but could not form into thoughts. She was out of control and completely subdued. It was impossible for her to divine her location only that she was on a ship and somewhere her baby was crying for her. Her heart felt cold and broken, it ached to hold her babies, and she resigned herself to believe that she was in fact dead. She faded out again, giving in to the darkness that offered to swallow her.
* * *
“Can you hear me?” It was Obi-Wan’s soft voice whispering in her ear. She could feel his hand, hot, on her forehead. His other hand grasped hers tightly, intently, coursing warmth through her body. “Padme, open your eyes.”
She fought through the belief that she was dead and was finally able to open her eyes. The lights had been dimmed and all was silent except for her shallow breathing and the low hum of the ship. “Where am I?” she whispered, her voice creaking and groaning like a hinge that badly needed oiling.
Obi-Wan smiled softly at her. “We were afraid you were never going to wake up,” he laughed uncomfortably. “Yoda is a little rusty.”
“What?” she managed.
He sat back and let his shoulders relax. “I’ll explain it all to you when you’re stronger. Right now, I need to tell you what is happening at this moment.”
She tried to sit up but her body felt numb, unwilling, and detached. “Where are we?”
“We are on the Tantive IV, Bail Organa was kind enough to give me a lift.”
“To where? Where are we exactly?” she asked.
He breathed deeply and gave her hand a squeeze. “It has been decided that the babies will have to be split up if any of you have a chance of survival against the Emperor.”
“I don’t understand....” Her hands tingled as the feeling slowly came back to them. She could now feel Obi-Wan’s pulse pounding in his fingers. It was at that moment she understood. “You’re not going to tell me what planet this is, are you?”
Obi-Wan looked away, almost shameful, but more to keep himself from giving anything away. “Luke will be safe, Padme. I am going to stay to watch over him until he is ready.”
Fear suddenly struck her. “’Ready’? For what?” Her heart made sure at this moment that she knew it had completely awoken from its slumber. It was pounding as hard as Obi-Wan’s.
“You are going to stay with Leia on Alderaan in the care of the Organas. Someday, your children will be reunited and they will lead the attack on the Empire.” Obi-Wan smiled, “don’t worry Padme, your children will be together again. They were meant to be together - they are strongest when they are together.”
Padme closed her eyes and choked back tears. She knew she needed to be strong but her heart was breaking. “Can I see him before you take him?”
Obi-Wan shook his head, “you know why that would just make this harder for you.”
She smiled thinly and nodded. “I know, you’re right. Where’s Leia now?”
At that moment, the door to the small room they were in opened and Bail Organa stepped through. “We’ve landed, Obi-Wan. You have to leave quickly if we want to get out of here unnoticed.”
Obi-Wan stood abruptly. “Of course. Just give me another moment with Padme.” Bail nodded, turned on his heal and exited the room.
“Listen to me carefully, Padme.” Obi-Wan lowered his voice and began talking quickly and pointedly. “You will be safe with the Organas as long as you don’t try anything reckless. Follow their instructions and keep yourself well hidden. These children are precious to the galaxy, they will continue in Anakin’s lost footsteps. They will restore balance to the Force where Anakin has failed.” He reached down and pushed her hair from her eyes. “I will contact you soon, just be patient and do as your told!”
He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. “The Force will be with you Padme.”
“Thank you, Obi-Wan.” Padme finally let the tears flow as Obi-Wan turned and left the room. She was alone with her slowly awakening body. Unable to reach up and wipe the tears from her own face.
She listened as footsteps hurried about in the corridor and a heavy door was opened. The sound of the crying baby passed right before the door to her room then faded. The door slammed shut and the cries were suddenly silenced. The engine whirred to life and the ship lifted off from the planet’s surface. Padme could hold it in no longer - the screams from her room sent R2D2 rushing through her door with a tranquilizer needle.
On the surface of Tatooine, Obi-Wan felt deep in his chest the piece of Padme’s heart that broke off as the ship blasted out of the atmosphere.
II
New Arrivals
The twin suns, Tatoo I and Tatoo II, were hovering just at the horizon and the skies were red on this otherwise average evening. Dinner had been bland and uneventful as usual, but tonight the air was cool and sitting in the courtyard, spending the remainder of the evening deep in playful conversation with his new wife, Beru, was the highlight of Owen Lars’ day. It had only been a few months since his father had died, leaving him the moisture farm, and already he was feeling like an old man - joints creaking, skin leathery, hair sandy and dry. Beru still looked like a young girl, full of hope, expectations, and blind to the hardships which were now upon their shoulders. He loved her especially this evening, as they sipped their homemade wine and discussed the future.
The silence was broken by the sound of footsteps crunching in the rocky sand up above. It was too late for visitors; most people knew to be down below in their homes before the suns set or risk an encounter with sand people. He assumed the sound belonged to a tuskan and he and Beru quietly tucked themselves safely into the house.
The footsteps disappeared but were replaced by pounding on the main door. Owen hurried for his blaster and told Beru to stay hidden. He stood behind the door and called, “Who’s there?”
The voice that responded was surprisingly human. “My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi. I am a Jedi Knight. I need to speak with you immediately.”
Owen cautiously cracked the door to be sure this information was true and when he saw the man before him was truly a Jedi like he stated, he allowed the man inside. Why would a Jedi be here at his home? His half-brother, Anakin, had been a Jedi - the arrival of this Obi-Wan could only mean bad news.
Beru emerged from her hiding place and the Jedi focussed on her for the moment. “You must be Beru, I have something very important to entrust to you.” From the folds of his robe he produced a tiny newborn baby, sound asleep and oblivious to the people around him.
Beru immediately hurried forward. “Who’s child is this?” she asked.
Obi-Wan looked pleadingly at Owen. “This is your brother, Anakin’s, baby.” He motioned toward the comfortable seating area. “This is going to be a long story, may I sit down? I’ve had a long journey to reach you.”
“Of course,” Beru lead him away while Owen bolted the door and followed reluctantly. He knew what the Jedi was going to ask of them and that he would not be able to say no - at least Beru would not allow him to say no.
Obi-Wan settled the baby into Beru’s arms then began an abbreviated version of the events that had transpired in the last week. “Your brother and his wife are both dead, she died just after the baby was born, leaving him in my care. The new Empire will quickly devour all star systems that were once part of the Republic, but you should be relatively unaffected here on Tatooine. You have to be exceptionally careful with this baby. When he is called, he will lead the fight against the Empire. But until then, he must not leave this planet. He must not know anything of the truth of his father’s identity or even that he was a Jedi Knight. If the Emperor learns that this child is alive, he will hunt him down and kill him, and most likely kill you for treason. The Jedi have been exterminated, I am all that survived. It is my duty to watch over this child and train him when his day comes. Until then, I will live in the desert and keep him safe from afar.” He paused and searched both of their faces. “Do you understand what I’m asking you?”
Beru nodded and absentmindedly stroked the baby’s face.
Owen spoke. “You’re saying that all three of us are in mortal danger now that this child is in our midst.” He shook his head. “I should say no to this nonsense, but we are the only family Anakin, and this child, have. If this is the only way to protect our family, well, then we have no choice.” He sighed and sat down next to Beru. “I knew my brother for a very brief time, not even enough time to be able to tell his son any stories....”
“That is good, then you will have time to create stories for him. You have time,” Obi-Wan continued. “He will, no doubt, hear stories about Anakin as a child living here on Tatooine, and those can do no harm. You cannot lie about what you do not know, so I will tell you nothing of Anakin’s life and death. The boy will learn this from myself when the time comes.”
Beru and Owen nodded. They absorbed all that they were told but were still numb at the shock of receiving a baby on this night. Owen’s mind was swimming with images of middle-of-the-night raids on the farm as the Empire searched for the child, while Beru’s mind full of images of a life as a mother. Obi-Wan felt their conflict but knew that the boy was going to be well cared for. He stood up to leave.
“What is his name?” Beru asked.
Obi-Wan smiled. “Luke. Luke Skywalker.” He turned to go and let himself out of their home. He closed the door tightly behind him and used the Force to lock the bolts on the inside. The Lars’ have a baby and all the shock that goes with it, he knew they would be forgetful in locking the door and he did not want this precious child stolen by sandpeople on his first night home.
Obi-Wan took in the cool, dry desert air. The suns were set and he was alone. Home , he thought to himself sadly, as he pulled his hood over his head and wandered away into the desert. He hoped he would not have to wait long for Luke to follow.
* * *
The platform was mostly deserted except for a few weary guards. Activity on this private landing platform was sparse so when the call came in that Bail Organa would be landing tonight, the four young guards hurriedly collected themselves, straightened their uniforms and rushed out to their posts. They could continue their game of Sabacc after the excitement died down.
Now, the small star runner was sitting quietly on the platform, no movement could be seen within or out of the ship. The guards wondered if this was some sort of joke, but it certainly looked to be Organa’s ship. The main door suddenly dropped open with a hiss of air and steam. A crewman walked forth from the ship and past the guards without so much as a glance. He entered the control room in the main hangar and could be seen through the lightly tinted glass speaking to the commander. Moments later, the crewman exited the control room and repeated his cool journey back to the ship. Finally it came, the familiar crackle through the earpiece.
“All guards report to the hangar immediately.” The men walked in formation to the hangar where they met with their commander. He told them they could continue their game now and gladly the men retook their seats around the small table. Their mirth turned to confusion as the commander pressed the button to lower the security shield around the control room windows. The commander ignored the men's’ inquisitive looks and after the shields were secured in place, he went back to reading his book quietly at his post. The guards, taking their cue from him, went back to their game, if not a little worried by these events.
* * *
Outside on the platform a pilot exited the Tantive and proceeded to Bail Organa’s private shuttle which was the only ship parked in this particular hangar. Normally, the guards would have pulled double duty as pilots of this particular ship, but not tonight. The Tantive’s already exhausted pilot had one more route to fly: to the Organa’s wilderness retreat. He himself did not know who the secret passenger was on the ship this journey, but he knew they were of exceptional importance. Probably someone key to the survival of the Republic, but it was not the pilot’s place to ask such questions. Transporting politicians and refugees in secret were his duties as pilot of the Tantive IV, and he was used to not seeing faces. The entire crew was used to this protocol. Tonight was no different.
He slid comfortably into the pilot’s chair and fired up the engines of the small shuttle. It was equipped with sound cloaking capabilities and he reached across the control panel and pulled the lever. The engine sounds dropped beneath his normal range of hearing, but he could still feel the shuttle purring gently through his seat. All was well, now back to the Tantive.
The shuttle coasted just above the surface of the platform and parked beside the Tantive’s main ramp. All crew had been ordered to the far end of the ship, away from this door and away from the sick bay where the secret passenger had been stowed. All the crew members knew was that there were two babies aboard this ship and the Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi, had taken one of them when he exited the ship on Tatooine. The pilot was certain he did not know what was going on, but certainly the mother of these babies was the corpse in sick bay.
After a few tense moments, the figure of Bail Organa emerged from the Tantive. He was holding the second baby in his arms. Behind him, were two women, both medical officers dressed in the usual uniforms. The pilot strained to see if the body would also disembark but he could not see. Maybe he was mistaken, it was still on the ship. Perhaps, after all, it was the baby that Organa was secreting away to his retreat.
The pilot received word from Organa in the passenger area that it was time to take off, and the pilot followed orders.
Tonight, his curiosity would not be satisfied. Clearly, someone else on the Tantive would have the pleasure of flying the secret passenger somewhere else. For now, this pilot just took solace in seeing his home planet for the first time in almost 2 years. It had been a long assignment on the Tantive during the Clone War, and tonight he would see his family for the first time. The trees looked taller he noticed, a lot of work tomorrow. Good thing his wife did not know he would be returning tonight or else she may have had a long list of chores for him.
III
The Message
It had only been one year, but to Obi-Wan, his solitude on Tatooine made the time unbearable. His small hut was barely furnished and the sand and sun stung his eyes and skin when he ventured out of doors. He had disliked this planet when the Nubian was shipwrecked here 20 years ago, and he still disliked it. Even more so now.
He had no time to ponder his situation, he had been contacted by Bail Organa with a disturbing message. The Emperor had an apprentice even more frightening than himself if that were possible. Obi-Wan sat in deep meditation on this morning searching the Force for the identity of the new Sith. But no matter how deep he searched or denied what he knew was true, he kept coming back to the same name: Anakin Skywalker. What was it that Sidious had named him? Darth Vader.
Obi-Wan could only imagine what had become of Anakin. Obi-Wan had left him for dead, burning, beside the river of lava on Mustafar. His own weakness, the inability to kill Anakin, was the bane of the galaxy. If only....
But there was no time for that. It was only a matter of time before Anakin, would discover the truth about his family. Obi-Wan was not even sure if Darth Vader knew of Padme’s ultimate fate after their parting months ago, but he hoped beyond hope that word of her funeral reached him. Obi-Wan wondered how long he could keep Luke safe from his father but it was his final duty to die trying. It was time to contact Organa and let him know the true nature of their plight.
* * *
The outpost was dimly lit, smokey, and stuffy. Obi-Wan kept his face shrouded in his robes as he entered. It was only a matter of time before....”Ben!” a deep voice rumbled from the corner. Someone had recognized him. No use for it now, he removed his hood and sat with the stranger in the corner. He was immediately given a glass filled halfway with green liquid. Obi-Wan quickly sucked down the rough drink and thanked the man. “Now, why did you want to meet today?” the rough faced humanoid leaned closer with a decaying smile.
Obi-Wan lowered his voice to a whisper. “I need to send a message, a secure message, off planet. Can you help me?”
The other man laughed softly. “Well, you’ve come to the right man yet again, Ben. Is there anything you don’t do in secret?”
Obi-Wan was not amused. “Hagen, I don’t need to draw attention to myself today, where are we going?”
Hagen stood up and motioned toward the back door. “My ship will do, I have enough modifications that your message should be safe enough.”
Obi-Wan waited until Hagen had disappeared through the back door. He ordered one more drink which went down easier than the first. He tossed a few credits on the table, put his hood back over his face and quietly slipped through the same door that Hagen had used.
The ragged ship was parked in the docking bay, engines already running. Obi-Wan calmly walked up the main ramp and entered the ship. He sat himself down in the familiar passenger bay and no sooner clasped his seat belt when the main ramp closed and the ship lifted off. Obi-Wan sighed and closed his eyes, waiting for the ship to level off, indicating that they were in orbit.
* * *
Bail Organa and his wife were unable to have a child, so the addition of Leia to their household was a blessing. His wife spent hours upon hours doting on the child, dressing her, holding her, talking to her, anything that required close contact. The entire planet was enamored with their baby daughter. Princess Leia was the jewel of Alderaan, celebrated by all in paintings, music, literature. Her arrival about a year ago was cause for worldwide celebration. The Organas couldn’t fight the urge to show her off at every possible moment and they decided there couldn’t be any harm in doing so. After all, no one on the planet knew Leia’s lineage, there was no danger of her discovery. And if Yoda’s premonitions were to come true, of Leia’s importance to the fledgling rebellion, she needed the advantage that respect & admiration among her people can bring.
The public image of the Organa family was quite different from the private ordeal going on within their walls. The baby’s nurse, Padme, kept her distance from the baby. Mrs. Organa knew that this was Leia’s biological mother, and tried to allow them as much time together as possible, but Padme resisted. She did not touch or hold the baby during the light of day and it worried Mrs. Organa deeply - in public she would be called mother by the child, but in private, she wanted Leia to understand who Padme truly was to her. Someday, she thought to herself, Leia will understand why we all did this.
Night time, though, was a much different story. Padme spent most nights in Leia’s nursery long after the household had fallen asleep. She would hold Leia all night and just talk to her, telling her stories of her own youth, of Anakin’s youth, and of the brother she would someday need to find. Obi-Wan was kind enough to include updates on Luke whenever he contacted Bail (messages which were becoming fewer and farther between) but it was enough to satisfy Padme’s need to know that he was thriving.
On this particular evening, nothing outstanding was occurring. Padme & Leia were snuggled together in the nursery, entwined in each other. Little fingers absentmindedly running through Padme’s hair while Padme whispered another story to the big brown eyes that stared back at her.
Padme’s reverie was interrupted by the sound of running footsteps in the corridor outside the door. It was very late, it was not common for the Organas, or even their guards, to be rushing around like this. Padme gave no indication to Leia that anything was wrong, but gave her one last hug and kiss and laid her gently back in the crib. She silently slipped from the room, keeping to the shadows in the corridor and followed the sound of voices.
Outside Bail’s office, Padme hid behind a statue and listened to the crackle of a transmission Bail was receiving.
“This is Obi-Wan Kenobi, I am trying to reach Bail Organa. Come in please!!” Obi-Wan’s familiar voice was uncharacteristically urgent and high pitched.
A click and a beep told Padme that Bail had answered the call even before he started speaking. “Obi-Wan, I’m here, what is it?”
“Sir, I have information pertaining to the Sith Lord. But I need to know, do you know his name?”
A pause. “Darth Vader,” Bail replied. “He is coming here to oversee the reconstruction of our government by the Empire.” His voice was full of venom at the idea of the Empire or any of his minions stepping foot on his democratic planet of Alderaan.
A long stretch of crackling and static issued from the office. She wished she could see Obi-Wan’s expression. She edged closer to the door, hoping to see into the office. “Bail, is she still safe with you?”
“Yes Obi-Wan, we will not let the Sith find her while he is here,” Bail assured him in his most fatherly tone. Padme was touched.
“Good. Bail, she cannot come in contact with him at any and all costs. It is vital to her survival and to the survival of the babies that she not be seen. No one can even allude to her being alive. Do you understand?”
“Of course, we take her security very seriously Obi-Wan. If you say we need to step up the level, then consider it done.” A few more beeps told Padme that Bail had just increased her security level on his control computer. “Obi-Wan, this Sith Lord... Can you please tell me what you found out?”
Obi-Wan’s deep sigh gave Padme chills. “It is of the utmost importance that you do not share this information with anyone, but it is vital that you hear what I have to say if Leia and Padme are to survive. Do you understand what I’m asking of you?”
“Of course, you have my honor,” Bail said proudly.
“Bail, before Anakin died, he swore allegiance to the Emperor, and to the dark side. Yoda and I saw the security recordings of the night the Jedi Temple was purged, it was Anakin who led the charge against the Jedi. Anakin, was already pledged a Sith when he began the killings. I tried to tell Padme but she did not believe me and followed him to Mustafar. Where, as you know, I left Anakin for dead.”
Padme felt as if her heart had stopped. Her chest hurt, her eyes welled with tears. Obi-Wan had told her this same story a year ago, the same night the babies were born, but she did not believe him. She could not believe now that he was feeding the same story to Bail. She wondered if Bail believed him.
“Obi-Wan, I know all of this already, Yoda briefed me on my ship before we left him on--”
Obi-Wan continued as if he hadn’t heard anything Organa had said. “When Anakin pledged himself to the dark side, the Emperor named him Darth Vader.”
Padme’s knees buckled and she fell to the floor outside the office door. Bail did not hear her, the blood was rushing in his ears so loudly he could barely hear his own thoughts. “Anakin is...? No, that’s impossible. From your description of what happened on Mustafar it would have required -- “
“Dark powers beyond our imagination to resurrect him,” Obi-Wan finished for him. “Yes, Bail, I find it difficult to believe, but your spies and sources need to get more information for us. How did the Emperor do it? What is Anakin’s state of mind? What does he know of Padme? All these questions, and more, must be answered before he sets foot on your planet. When is he due to arrive?”
“In 3 days,” Bail said cryptically. “That’s not enough time to learn all of this,” he said.
“Sir, I cannot help you from here and I cannot travel to Alderaan to help you. If Anakin sees me, he will kill me. I am more important to Luke’s survival than that of...” his voice trailed off. Padme saw Bail bow his head. Did he mean Luke was more important than Leia? Was her daughter’s life less important than Luke’s? A rising anger bubbled to the surface and inspired her to come to her feet.
“Obi-Wan, I will protect her to the best of my ability, but I will not sacrifice Leia’s identity for her,” Bail proclaimed. Padme stopped in her tracks. They had been talking about her life. She was less important than Luke and Leia. Her life could be exchanged for the children if need be. She felt ready, but terrified.
“Bail, he must not come in contact with Leia either. If he can sense her potential as a Jedi, he will take her. I don’t know how, but she must be kept secret.”
Padme did not hear the rest of the conversation, she was already running back to her room. Confusion and tears mixed with a rising sense of dread. It became very clear to her as she quietly closed her door and went to her window to look out at the Alderaan nightscape. Her destiny was laid out before her: her life for her children's’. And so it would be.
IV.
The Meeting
Three days was not nearly long enough for rebel spies to ascertain any relevant information about this Darth Vader character that would soon be menacing Alderaan’s citizens. Bail Organa felt defeated. The arrival of the Sith Lord was scheduled for this evening and Bail had not even told Padme what was happening. Mrs. Organa was sending Leia with a group of her loyal nurses and servants to a remote village far from the capital. The baby and the women would be hiding out in a private home, far from prying eyes and far from the political spotlight where Darth Vader would be focussing his attention. A decoy baby was brought in to masquerade as the Organa’s, one with no Jedi relations.
The Star Destroyer arrived about midday and settled into orbit around the planet, fixed above the capital. Bail gazed at it uneasily all day, and just hours before Darth Vader’s shuttle would be arriving, he spoke to Padme.
“If I understand this correctly, you want me to stay hidden at all costs because this Sith Lord, if he suspects that I am the former queen of Naboo, will take me to Palpatine and try me for treason in front of the Imperial Senate? I could face execution?” Padme repeated back to Bail.
He felt dishonorable, telling her this lie, but it was better than her knowing the truth. The hours were ticking away faster than he liked and he needed to be as visible as possible before Darth Vader’s arrival. Padme agreed. “I will stay hidden with Leia. You have my word.”
* * *
Sunset on Alderaan was remarkable. As the shuttle descended through the atmosphere, Darth Vader’s eyes were transfixed by it’s beauty. He had never been to this planet, though in his former life he had known Bail Organa. He purred quietly to himself, satisfied that no one knew his true identity. All feared him now and he had a job to do.
The shuttle landed and the Alderaanian guards were roughly moved aside by Imperial Storm Troopers who took up their posts through which Vader would walk. His exit from his shuttle was always impressive, it frightened the local politicians into doing his bidding without his needing to manipulate them through the Force. His arrival on Alderaan appeared to be proceeding as usual.
Bail Organa stood waiting for the Dark Lord. “You presence is an honor,” he said with feigned reverence.
Vader smiled to himself. If only he’d had this kind of respect earlier in his life. Things would be much different now. He did not reply but swept past Organa to the transport which would take the men and their entourage to Bail’s office suite.
* * *
It was time to put her plan into action. Padme knew Darth Vader would not be on Alderaan constantly during his visit. He would be making several trips back to his Star Destroyer to send transmissions to the Emperor. First step in her plan was to gain access to his shuttle and stow herself until that first return trip.
In the hangar, she stood in the shadows, dressed all in black, covered in a black cloak and hood. She carried a small blaster hidden in the folds of her cloak. The stormtroopers did not notice the petite black shadow that slipped quietly into the shuttle and disappeared from sight.
* * *
Meetings with Organa were not long, Darth Vader was angry as he strode through the hangar to the landing platform where his shuttle was waiting for him. At his approach, the engines whirred to life and steam issued from the landing gear. He boarded the ship and stormtroopers followed after him up the ramp just as it closed. The ship blasted into the sky on a course to rendezvous with the star destroyer hovering above like a hawk.
The landing bay in the belly of the star destroyer was open and ready for the shuttle to enter. Vader exited his ship, greeted by legions of storm troopers lining the hangar for the circumstance of his arrival. A small garrison followed closely behind, his personal guard, and he strode confidently and angrily to his private quarters. His mind was bent on his transmission to the Emperor. What the next move of the Empire would be now that Alderaan had adamantly declared independence from the Empire he did not know.
Darth Vader entered his room and left 2 guards standing outside the door. The guards could only hear the static created by the transmission, the meaning of the words jumbled throughout the sound were unintelligible. The smaller of the two stormtroopers guards drew his blaster and shot the second one faster than the other could react. He lay dead on the floor, smoke issuing from his chest. The smaller stormtroopers holstered his blaster and dragged the dead trooper around the corner and hid the body in the shadows. He then turned his attention to the door to Vader’s quarters.
He listened intently at the door for any signs of the transmission but the static was gone. The trooper took a deep breath, straightened his helmet then pressed the control button to open the door.
Darth Vader was surprised by this uninvited guest in his private chambers. He stood with a flourish and turned to face the new occupant. Before him was one of his stormtroopers, the door closed behind him. “What is it, captain?” Vader asked.
The stormtroopers was riveted to the spot. The figure before him had the shape of a man, but was inhuman. The black mask and helmet, the body armor, there were no signs that there was an actual living breathing human inside of this uniform. The menace took a step forward and the trooper faltered. Vader did not relent, he continued toward the stormtroopers, his breathing continued at the same rhythmic tempo.
When Vader was within 10 feet of the stormtroopers, the trooper finally found the strength to move and lifted his hands to his helmet. In one swift movement that had the air of a suicide mission, he removed his helmet.
Vader almost stumbled when he saw the face staring back at him. The two people now stood, face to face, regarding each other with revulsion and surprise. “Anakin?” Padme finally whispered.
No reaction from the black mechanism before her. “Anakin, it’s me,” she tried. She took a step forward.
“Where did you come from?” Vader boomed. “There should not be any clones on my ship!” He brandished his lightsaber and began to walk toward her.
“Anakin!” Padme shouted, “I’m not a clone! It’s me, Padme!” She tried to stand her ground, but her knees were shaking so violently she could not stand. The stormtroopers uniform clicked and banged as she hit the floor, her face in her hands. “It’s me, it’s me,” she kept repeating.
Vader stood over her, his lightsaber just a foot over her head. “This is not possible. Padme is dead,” his voice as quiet as the voice synthesizer would allow, sounding as if his inner thoughts were being broadcast instead of being physically spoken.
“I’m alive,” she said. She mustered the courage to look up at him. “Are you going to kill me this time?” she asked.
Tears were streaming down her face and he stared deeply at her. She could feel him using the Force to scan her, to see if this were truly his dead wife resurrected before him. His red light saber extinguished, but he still held it in his hand. “I don’t understand,” he said.
Padme forced herself to her feet. “I survived, Ani, you tried to kill me, but I lived.”
She began to feel courageous again, she kept reminding herself that the man under the helmet was her husband. She had to stick to the plan: get Anakin off this ship and back to her.
“And the baby?” he asked slowly.
One thing Padme had learned in her time married to a Jedi was to keep her mind on the present, never allow thoughts or images of the past or future into her mind or else her Jedi husband will read those thoughts. Her training as Anakin’s wife was being put to the test. She had to protect the children the only way she could. “It died,” she sobbed. “A bounty hunter found me on Polis Massa just after the baby was born. I couldn’t save it, he murdered our child right in front of me!” She let the tears flow. They were not feigned tears, she truly was crying, but not about the imaginary scenario she was relaying. The image of her ruined husband standing before her was more than she could take and her tears were her way of coping at this moment. Vader made no motion toward her, no sign that he was affected by this news, no sign that he thought she were lying.
Padme pulled herself together. With new strength, she said, “Anakin, come with me, leave this place.”
This got a reaction. He stood even taller, stepped closer and his shadow fell on her face. “I cannot leave,” he said angrily. “We’ve only just begun our work with the new Empire. Soon, all the star systems will be under our command and I will rule the galaxy.”
Padme shook her head. “You’re wrong, when the Emperor is tired of you, he will kill you. He rules the galaxy. Please, Ani, come with me. We can run away, hide where no one can find us.”
Vader took a step away from her. “It is too late for me. I cannot leave my master.”
Padme mustered up all the courage she could and reached out to him. Her hand rested on his arm, he looked stiffly down at it. She could not see look of surprise under his helmet. “Please, there is still good in you, I can feel it. Come with me Ani, I’ll die without you.”
Vader pulled his arm away violently and raised his lightsaber between them. Padme jumped backward and began slowly inching backward toward the door. “Anakin Skywalker is dead. Leave here, leave this ship, and if you can escape then you can keep your life. If I see you again, I will kill you.” He seemed to grow taller with each word.
Tears streamed down Padme’s face. “Ani, please...” she whispered through her tears. She stumbled over her helmet still lying on the floor, hurriedly picked it up. “Please....I love you....” Her voice hitched and caught in her throat. Was he choking her again?
“Go!” Vader boomed.
“Ani....” Padme cried as she put the helmet back on. The door opened behind her and she hurried from the room. Don’t look back, a voice in her head commanded. Don’t look back.
V.
It was a blur to Padme how it came to be that she was back on Alderaan, safely in the Organa’s home. Leia was returned to her, the Star Destroyer had disappeared from orbit around the planet, and life was back to normal. Bail Organa seemed pleased with himself. He proudly spoke of his negotiation skills in the face of a Sith Lord. He had declared to Vader that Alderaan would appoint a representative to the Imperial Senate in exchange for their ability to remain a democracy with no imperial presence on the planet’s surface. Vader had agreed, quite hastily Bail thought, and had removed himself from the planet on the second day.
Padme, however, did not seem impressed or interested in this turn of events. While those around her went about their business and life as usual, Padme found herself often in the gardens of the Organa’s home, staring idly up at the sky. Her thoughts drifted to Anakin when he was a whole man, not the monster she had seen. But, he hadn’t killed her, she had survived, which meant he still had good in him. She felt it when she touched him, he still loved her. How was she going to live out the rest of her life knowing he was Darth Vader?
It was over the course of only a few months that Padme succumbed to her sadness and grief over the loss of her husband. Hours spent with Leia in the garden did nothing to brighten her spirits. Instead she slowly retreated into the past, her mind obsessed with images of Anakin when she married him. In time, a space began to grow between her and Leia, she was glad, it would be easier for Leia if Mrs. Organa held the title of Mother in her life anyway.
One particularly beautiful day, an old and tired looking Padme took her usual walk into the garden to the marble bench that marked her favorite place. She laid herself down on it, staring up at the sky. Was that a glint of something metallic in the sky above? Could he have changed his mind? Is he coming for her? Would their son truly rise to become a Jedi and restore peace to the galaxy? No, she thought, Luke is lost. All is lost. I am lost.
When Bail Organa found her a few hours later, she was still looking up to the sky, her hands clasped tightly around the japor snipet that she wore around her neck. He gently closed her eyes and placed his hand on her cold forehead. He turned his face up to the blue sky and that’s when he saw it: a ship hovering above the atmosphere. The familiar outline was that of a Star Destroyer. Anger rose in Bail, the Imperials were supposed to stay away from his planet! He rushed through the garden back toward his house. He needed to get to the bottom of this.
He did not see the Star Destroyer blast away from Alderaan.
* * *
Darth Vader had a meditation spot. Even Sith need to meditate on the Force and his time to do this was limited. He was very angry that he was pulled in so many directions by his feelings, his memories and now his master, Darth Sidious. This particular meditation revealed unexpected outcomes. He saw his destiny flash before his eyes - he was not saddened from witnessing his own death. On the contrary, he was relieved. A face was above him not filtered red by his helmet’s eye pieces. A young man who did not look afraid or angry. What was his name? More visions filled his head. A beautiful woman standing in his private chambers. Her image retreating from him, transformed into a white stormtroopers. If he had not been on life support at the moment, his heart may have quickened. But at the moment, he had to settle for the memory of a beating heart. Again, anger filled him - he did not ask to be raised from the dead. He now knew his life ended as Anakin and began as Darth Vader on Mustafar. The name carried little meaning for him anymore. He had no true memories, just visions through meditations that then became memories. His thoughts lingered on Padme. She was somewhere below him on Alderaan, searching the sky. Through the Force, he could communicate with her if he chose to. He didn’t care. He was very angry. Sidious had lied: Padme was not dead, he did not kill her on Mustafar. If he had known this sooner, he could have taken her and run away from the Sith, the Dark Side and the Empire. She could have turned him back to his former self. Was this true? He’ll never know. He was going to kill her when he saw her on Mustafar and now their child was dead. He was enraged now at the thought of Sidious’ order to kill all newborn baby boys. His son was surely murdered during the holocaust. Perhaps that is why now Padme’s face is so sad.
His mind floated back to the image of Padme, she was in a garden, but something was wrong. Her eyes were fixed upon him, but gave no indication that she was behind them. Her eyes held on to tears that were destined never to fall. True anger befell him now as he realized that by his actions, he alone had killed her. Visions of killing Darth Sidious now crept into his circuitry. He couldn’t do it alone. He would have to be patient and hope that she had lied, that his son survived somehow. If he could find this boy and hide him from the Emperor, he would have a powerful ally. He would have to hide these thoughts from the Emperor until it was time.
He knew that if he survived, in time his son would seek him out.
Darth Vader broke his meditation and swept into the command center. “Commander, we will not be needing to go to the surface. I must return to Coruscant immediately.”
It would be a long while before Vader could fulfill his destiny, but he was a patient man. He could wait.
posted by Lisa S. at 1:19 PM
2 Comments:
Cool! I'm honored that you read this. You are officially THE FIRST!! Thanks so much!!
well... my husband was often out playing with his rock band last summer on weekends, so after my son went to bed I was all alone and not particularly interested in watching t.v. or DVDs. So I wrote instead!!
Thanks for reading!!
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