Mustafar

Part V

Naboo – Lake Country Resort

Padmé couldn’t stop the images from visiting her dreams in spite of fighting against them. He’s not a Sith anymore! she pleaded in the confines of her mind. I’ve seen how he looks at our children! He would never hurt them!

But could she be sure? She never thought he would commit the atrocity at the Jedi Temple, but he had.

That was different. He was under the influence of Palpatine, she continued to argue with herself. He’s changed. The love in his eyes as he looks at Luke and Leia… A Sith could never emit such love. No, the Sith is dead.



The first few weeks following the birth of Luke and Leia were filled with laughter as well as weariness. Not to mention the numerous calls to Padmé’s mother and sister for guidance. No sooner would one babe be hungry that soon after the other chimed in with the same request. Diaper changing was no small feat either, as Anakin experienced firsthand.

They both soon realized that sleep was a gift and not to be taken for granted. Anakin tended to marvel at the amount of clothes each child would go through in a week’s time – especially since he helped C-3PO do most of the laundry. Padmé took naps whenever she could, realizing that her Senate duties were miniscule compared to caring for infants. R2’s diligence in watching over the twins had him squealing loudly whenever one of the babies whimpered. It didn’t take long for Anakin and Padmé to make R2 realize that he didn’t need to whistle erratically at every sound.

Yes, it was a trying time in the Skywalker household as they adjusted and patience took on a completely new meaning.

However, before long, they developed a routine as the children continued to grow and thrive. Padmé and Anakin couldn’t help being the proud parents and loved their children deeply.

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4 months later

“Anakin, no,” Padmé argued as she held baby Luke in her arms while his father held Leia. “You don’t have to do this now.”

Anakin gazed lovingly at his daughter’s bright eyes before answering. Finally looking up, he replied, “You’ve told me how Sidious is dispensing his own form of justice. Who else will stop him from this madness?” Anakin shook his head and found it ironic that he nearly followed the Dark Lord down this path. “No, I must confront him before he becomes too powerful – and then unstoppable. The fact that he’s still alive tells me I may be the only one left to destroy him. Besides, he’s going to find me soon enough. I’m surprised he hasn’t already.”

Padmé re-positioned Luke over her shoulder and gently patted his back. Although she didn’t want to admit it, she knew her husband was right. “When?” The trepidation in her voice was obvious.

Anakin paused for a moment. “As soon as Master Jinn grants me permission.”

At the mention of Qui-Gon’s name, Padmé took a deep breath and looked directly into her husband’s azure eyes. “There is still no news of Obi-Wan or Yoda… I’m sorry.”

Anakin placed his hands on his hips and breathed in deeply. “If they live, they’re shielding themselves in the Force. I…I haven’t tried to find them.” Another deep intake of breath. “I’m not ready to face either of them – not yet.”

Padmé stood up and placed Luke in the nearby crib before holding her arms out to her husband for their daughter.

Still leery of feeding the twins, Anakin handed over Leia to her mother. Changing diapers was one thing, but holding them was daunting enough, let alone trying to feed them. If they coughed from getting too much out of their bottle, Anakin tended to panic. Padmé found herself repeatedly amused by her husband’s actions. The warrior Jedi had faced insurmountable odds in battle and triumphed but he still had a tendency to be a wreck around his own children.


The twins had been born almost five months before and in that time; Anakin had done even more soul searching. Making amends and setting things right again was a high priority to the young Jedi. He didn’t believe he would ever truly forgive himself for his actions in the Temple but he surmised why Palpatine had ordered such a massacre and he had blindly followed. It was Palpatine’s test of loyalty combined with Anakin’s own desperation. In the Emperor’s mind, it would also seal the doomed fate of the star-crossed lovers.

To remember that night still made Anakin’s flesh crawl and grow cold. However, he found some solace when Master Jinn told him that those souls had forgiven the Jedi. Children, in their innocence, can forgive even the harshest of crimes.


Still, through not only Qui-Gon and Padmé’s guidance, but also her family and the unwitting people of Naboo, Anakin had re-learned how to love unselfishly and that his needs weren’t necessarily above others. Although his pain still festered inside him like an open wound, he continually meditated and sought guidance from the Force – and forgiveness. Yet, always present in the back of his mind was the ultimatum he faced. The one presented to him the day Luke and Leia were born.

Anakin couldn’t change the past, but perhaps he could help the future and begin the process that would restore the Republic – and it began with the Emperor.


Padmé had kept in secret contact with only those whom she trusted implicitly – Bail Organa and Mon Mothma in particular. They kept her abreast of the Senate’s activities and Palpatine’s actions, especially that he had swiftly become a deadly dictator. As far as the Senate knew, the Naboo Senator had chosen to remain on her home planet for an extended period of time – a leave of absence as it were. Since Padmé wasn’t actively involved with politics, at least to his knowledge, Palpatine didn’t have to worry about any uprisings from her and because he no longer considered her a threat, he left her alone. Of course, no one knew Anakin was with her. Just as the people on Naboo had assumed, they too thought he’d perished in the Jedi Temple.

Aiding Padmé in her ruse from the Senate was Queen Apailana – one of the few who knew about Padmé’s pregnancy and kept the secret even from her advisors. She knew her Senator would return to her position when she was ready.


Through his meditations, Anakin continued to reach out to his old Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, who taught him more about the Force than he thought possible. These teachings, paired with the love and acceptance of Padmé and her family, brought forth the peace of mind Anakin had sought all these years and never quite comprehended. The twins had more of an impact on him than he imagined and it changed his perspective immensely.

He still had to pay penance for his crimes and he accepted that fact. However, first he had to confront Darth Sidious one last time.

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1 month later

“Remember hate and anger will take you to the dark side,” Qui-Gon warned as his ghostly body hovered opposite Anakin in the grove of trees they were sequestered in.

“I am ready, Master,” Anakin dutifully replied.

“Center yourself. Let your mind and body be at peace. Darth Vader still resides within you and is waiting for the opportunity to be set free.”

“But I’ve gained so much,” Anakin protested but without the sarcasm he had always been known for.

“Yes, you have, but you are not the Master yet – not completely. Concentrate on the here and now. Begin your exercises,” Qui-Gon instructed.

“Yes, Master,” the Jedi respectfully replied.

Anakin closed his eyes and sought out the energy of the Force. He listened to not only the birds singing and chirping overhead, but also the wind blowing past. He reached out farther and listened to the trees, the nearby river of water, and the animals roaming freely. He felt himself let go.

Anakin was in tune with not only the physical side of the Force, but the Unifying, and finally, the Living aspect of it. He was evolving into what could become the future of the Jedi.

Qui-Gon watched his apprentice from his ethereal viewpoint and grinned from ear to ear.

The tree branches listened and bent forward, toward Anakin. Nearby large boulders hefted themselves into the air, hovering in place, the birds came down and landed near the immersed Jedi, unafraid to be near him. Anakin controlled his environment as a Jedi – with respect for all the living creatures.

The Jedi Master smiled as his body began to fade and then disappear.

Anakin heard his mentor’s last comment as if it drifted on the wind. “It is time.”

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Used to the long sessions of Force lessons, Padmé kept busy with the twins. It was near dusk when her husband walked into the room where she was lying on the couch.

“You look exhausted, my love,” Anakin remarked with concern as he knelt next to her.

“You trade places with me for one day and we’ll see how tired you are at the end of it,” she mockingly replied.

The Jedi hung his head. “I’m sorry, Angel.”

“Don’t apologize,” Padmé assured him. “You’re lessons are essential. I’m just very tired, that’s all.”

Anakin brought his head back up and asked, “Are the twins napping?”

“Yes,” Padmé replied with a nod. “But they’ll need to eat soon.”

“I’ll feed them,” he offered.

Padmé burst out laughing.

“I can do it,” Anakin said with a confident smile.

“Mmm hmm, sure you can.”

“The Force can help.”

Padmé’s eyes widened and she moved her head from side to side. “Oh no – no cheating. To get the full experience you have to do it the same way I do,” she playfully chided him.

Anakin smirked. “If I don’t use the Force, you may have to take over because it’ll take me too long.”

Padmé thought back to the last howling session when Anakin had fed the twins. It was humorous, but very loud. Leia was undeniably more demanding than her brother was, and could make plenty of noise to emphasize her displeasure.

“Fine,” Padmé relented. “Just don’t make a mess like you did last time,” she said with a wink.

Anakin’s smile slowly faded and he paused with what he needed to say.

“What?” Padmé inquired, seeing the look on his face and not knowing what it meant.

“It’s time,” he replied.

Padmé didn’t say anything for a moment and then she finally asked, “When?”

“In the morning. I’m ready, Padmé,” he stated, more confident with his abilities now than in the past.

Apprehensively, she murmured, “Palpatine may have you arrested…”

The last thing Anakin wanted was for his wife to worry endlessly about him and he wanted to alleviate her anxieties as best he could. “I know a few tricks to get into his private chamber,” he stated with a grin.

Uncertainty flooded her beautiful brown eyes as she said, “You-you’ll have to kill him…won’t you?”

Anakin slowly nodded his head. “Master Windu was right, the courts are too afraid of him to pass on a conviction. As a Sith Lord, he must be taken down.” He purposely neglected to add anything more.

Reaching up to him, he easily leaned into her embrace. “The dark side has no claim on you – remember that,” she assured him.

Anakin took a deep breath as his arms wrapped around his beloved. “Not anymore.”

************************************************************

Obi-Wan Kenobi sat in the small living area of his chosen hovel in Tatooine’s desert, meditating. A ritual he had been faithfully abiding since his arrival to the desert planet several months ago. It was somewhat…engaging…to be alone and yet he found himself missing not only the Jedi he had been accustomed to each day, but also the very Jedi Temple itself. Time and again he had resisted the temptation of reaching out further into the Force and searching for the lost Jedi he hoped would still be alive.

It made him think of Anakin…of sorrow…pain…heartbreak…even anger. He couldn’t count how many times he had mulled over how his one-time apprentice – a man he considered a brother – could turn toward the dark side. Where had he gone wrong? And Padmé – what of her and the baby? He knew from their last meeting that she was with child and Anakin was the father. Had she managed to survive?

Meditation helped but not enough, and it sometimes left the Jedi Master in more turmoil.

Obi-Wan could only hope that Master Yoda remained safe from the clutches of evil, as he had.


“If only I could purge the Temple recording,” he muttered to himself as he emerged from a meditation session. “How did I miss what was happening to him?” he continued to speak to himself.

“Too often we dismiss the obvious, Obi-Wan,” replied a voice as if the Jedi had plucked it from the very air.

Undisturbed by the new presence, Obi-Wan replied with a bow of his head, “It’s been some time since I’ve heard from you, Master.”

“The Living Force dictates my actions, Padawan,” Qui-Gon replied as his ghostly form materialized.

In spite of being a Jedi Master for over a decade, Obi-Wan took no offense to his former Master addressing him as a learner. After all, he still had much to gain from his former mentor.

“I apologize if I sounded harsh, Master.”

Qui-Gon’s ethereal form smiled. “Always the polite one, Obi-Wan,” he countered with a tinge of sarcasm in his voice. “I have news for you, Apprentice. News that will ease your burden and lift your spirits.”

Obi-Wan quizzically stared at the semi-transparent form, unsure of what to say. Standing up, he walked over to a nearby chair and sat down. “Yes, Master?” His viridian eyes displayed their wonder and uncertainty.

“The prophecy of the Chosen One lives and will soon be put to the test.”

Obi-Wan’s eyes opened wide and his body visibly stiffened. “T-the prophecy? But Anakin has been consumed…by Darth Vader.” The mere mention of the Sith name from his lips brought a fresh wave of nausea in the pit of Obi-Wan’s stomach.

“You never confronted Anakin on Mustafar, did you?”

Obi-Wan paused slightly and then slowly shook his head. “No. He wasn’t there,” he answered, somewhat bemused.

Qui-Gon Jinn gently nodded his head. “His wife succeeded where the Jedi failed. A lesson the Jedi need to learn and apply in the future if they are to evolve and prosper.”

Obi-Wan appeared to be more befuddled. “Wife?”

“Naboo’s Senator is Anakin’s wife,” the apparition replied matter-of-factly.

“I don’t understand. When?” Suddenly the situation became clear – Padmé would never allow a mere tryst between them, nor would Anakin. It made perfect sense that they would marry – even secretly.

Qui-Gon smiled as he watched his former Padawan process the new information. “I see you begin to comprehend.”



The twin suns of Tatooine had set and Qui-Gon Jinn had long since disappeared, leaving Obi-Wan with much to contemplate. The Jedi Master knew his former Padawan had been reckless and stubborn, but his exceptional skills tended to overshadow these un-Jedi-like character traits. On numerous occasions, Obi-Wan had been called into chambers to discuss his wayward Padawan and each time he found a way to excuse Anakin’s behavior. As he sat in his chair, his elbows resting on his knees, and his hands curled over beneath his chin, Obi-Wan realized the ruse he had been a part of – and it didn’t make him happy. Anakin had been continually excused as he broke one rule after another, although not without some form of punishment. Obi-Wan hoped his Padawan would learn from these incidents but now he discovers that Anakin had secretly married not just anyone, but a Senator. Additionally, he fathered a child! Twins in fact! It was as if the Jedi Code didn’t adhere to the ‘Chosen One’.

As Qui-Gon explained further, Obi-Wan’s initial disappointment began to dissipate and everything started to make sense.

“I’ve been a Jedi all my life. What do I know of how life truly differs outside my sanctuary?” he said to himself as he considered all he had been told. “Even my time in this desert hasn’t provided enlightenment that would answer the question. Still, that doesn’t negate the fact that he broke the code – shattered it in fact. But by my Master’s own admission, he almost did the same once.” He pondered his thoughts for a moment and quietly added, “What have the Jedi become?”


Obi-Wan moved his hands up to his head and massaged his temples. “I truly hope Anakin triumphs against Palpatine. In spite of all that has transpired, it would be good to have my brother back.”

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Part VI