"You can't ask me to do that."

"Anakin, you must."

"I will not abandon Padme or my son." Anakin remarked angrily as they stood in the hallway of the moon base on Polis Massa. "You can't make me do that."

"Anakin, Palpatine will be after you. Padme and your child would be too obvious to accompany you. He would likely make a story saying you've kidnapped her as a way to gain sympathy from the galaxy and make it easier to find you."

Anakin shook his head angrily.

"I will not abandon them so Palpatine can keep them as a hostage over me." Anakin muttered, glancing at Padme as she lay on the medical bed, scanned for her well being. He was lucky to still be breathing, much less worrying about his wife. He had barely made it when he was attacked by clones under the Order 66; as apparently he and others of the Jedi Order were now branded as traitors to the Republic and had been ordered for their immediate execution without question or hesitation.

Still it had been Rex and had been the one to save his skin. It had been pure luck that Rex had had the chip in his mind removed as Fives had done. If Rex hadn't been there, if he hadn't heard the command for Order 66 to be carried out…Anakin didn't know what would have happened.

He looked up when the medi-droid exited the unit.

"Medically she's completely healthy." The droid explained. Anakin sighed almost collapsing in relief, settling with leaning against the wall.

"But…" He heard Senator Organa remark and glanced up.

"We are detecting high amount of stress and elevated heart rates."

And all that relief washed out of him as quickly as it had filled him, disappearing as though it had dropped into a drain.

"We must operate quickly if we are to save the babies."

It took several moments for the single word to sink in, but Bail Organa was the one to voice it.

"Babies?"

"She is carrying twins."

Obi Wan cast a glance towards Anakin and saw his friend looked about ready to faint.

"Twins…?" Anakin whispered.

"Do what you can." Obi Wan instructed and the medic-droid nodded, floating back into the room. "Well Anakin…you never fail to surprise do you?"

Anakin was just staring at his wife who was breathing heavily. Slowly she turned her head, her brow furrowed in pain and tears slid down her face.

That alone forced him to move and he hurried to her side, leaving the other two men. Bail looked at Obi Wan.

"…If Palpatine discovers that Anakin has two children, it won't matter if Anakin leaves or Padme goes with him. He will try to take one before they become publically known as twins. Train him or her in his ways and manipulate them to do his bidding as he nearly did to Skywalker."

"I know. This changes everything. With one, Palpatine couldn't take the child without risking relationships to crumble with Naboo…but two…" Obi Wan sighed. "I fear that he would just as you described."

"So…the question is…what do we do now?"

Obi Wan was quiet as he watched the droids prepare Padme for the delivery, watched as Anakin kept trying to comfort her. He frowned, a plan already formulating.

"Save them, we must. They are our last hope." Yoda muttered gravely.

But he knew that with this plan…convincing Anakin and Padme would be the least of his worries.

hr

The five or six hours turned out to be little over seven and another one of pushing so far, which listening to the medic droid spout out random facts about labors this was actually a rather short labor. But it felt like days for Padme, weeks maybe–amazing how time passed so slowly when one prayed for it to pass as fast as possible. She cried out again as another contraction hit and she clutched Anakin's hand tightly screwing her face in pain. Sweat and tears covered her face as she breathed erratically before the pain ripped through her again. She was so tired, exhausted. She pushed once more and, seconds later, she felt her back hitting the table again.
"You're doing great, Angel." Anakin tried to soothe and she responded with a sob of pain. Emotions flood deep inside her like they were forming a whirlpool. Part of her wanted to beat Anakin up to a bloody pulp for getting her pregnant, for making her need to go through that, while the other wanted to kiss him and declare her love for him just for being there – and it confused the hell out of her.
i"My knight. My Ani."/i She finally settled on, clenching her teeth tightly in pain.

"She's exhausted," she heard Anakin saying worriedly, his voice seeming incredibly distant right now – like he was in the opposite side of a very large room. The voices of the droids and the rest of the room seemed to blur and soften down to a murmur as the sudden instinct to push overfilled her senses. Instinctively she bore down and tried to breathe. She could hear now the sudden calling out from Anakin that sounded reminiscent of 'that's good. You're doing real well!' Pain came again, and the urge came once more and she started to push again. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the blanket that she was lying on. Another scream erupted as she bore down again. She could feel pain, excruciating pain. She didn't know if she was crying or that was sweat sliding down her face. She didn't really care right then.
The pain was indescribable. Words were indescribable. Another push and she heard the droid state the baby's head was out. She pushed again as hard as she could, praying that she could deliver the baby quickly. After another push, the baby's shoulders were out, and, despite her exhaustion, she put all of her strength into one final push. She screamed again, but the sound didn't register in her pain and worry filled mind.
What if the babies were hurt, because of something she had done?
Were they in danger for something neither Anakin nor she had foreseen with the end of this war?

Would they be killed?
No. She wouldn't let that happen. She couldn't-
Slowly the sound of her own scream died out, and she flopped backwards onto the table breathing heavily. The ringing in her ears slowly died out, and the ringing was replaced by another sound…a sound that erased any signs of her exhaustion from the forefront of her mind, nearly passing out in relief when she heard the outraged squall from a newborn.
The world became less blurred and she blinked until she could see Anakin approaching her, holding a blanket-wrapped crying bundle that was squirming around angrily. Anakin himself looked like he was on the verge of crying.

"It is a boy." The medical droid remarked and she gave a teary smile.

"Luke…" She whispered gently, staring at the infant. But the peace didn't last for a second more as her exhausted body seemed to spring to life and she let out a cry as their second child began to arrive. This pain was not as sharp, but was still highly uncomfortable and she bore down on instinct. Moments later, another cry joined that of their brother's.

"And a girl."

"Leia…"

And suddenly, the months of odd food cravings, the hours of backaches, the emotional outbursts, and the labor itself, all seemed meaningless as she was handed her daughter, cradling her to her chest, glancing at Anakin who was staring at both of them, his eyes flicking from side to side trying to memorize every detail of them. There was a look of awe on his face that she had never seen before. She glanced down at the pair and smiled at them.
They were wrinkled and red, their eyes clamped shut as they both screamed at the top of their little lungs, loudly protesting at entering this cold, cruel world in exchange for leaving the warm, safe one they had grown in. She chuckled as Leia screams only grew louder as Luke's quieted him curling up to Anakin.

"She has your temper."

Anakin gave a watery chuckle.

"Well that will bound to make for some interesting nights."

"Mhm." She murmured, shushing Leia and finally her soft hushing softened her cries, and she slowly blinked, opening her eyes just a crack, and staring at her, most likely not seeing her, but the thought that she knew who she was excited her. Delicately she kissed her forehead. With a smile, Padme looked at Anakin, who seemed completely awestruck.
"I…" he wasn't able to finish, completely speechless. "I really don't know what to say."
"'Hi' would be a good way to start. Your son is right there you know." Padme told to him, with a smile on her face. He watched
"He has your hair." She remarked softly.
"I know…poor thing."
She chuckled softly. "Alright, I want to hold Luke. It's your turn with Leia."

He suddenly looked unsure. "A…are you sure? She looks so fragile…"
"She's not glass, Ani." She whispered softly. "You just hold her the same way that you're holding Luke."

Ensuring that he didn't keep hesitating on holding his daughter, she gently slid Luke out of his grasp all while switching Leia carefully into his hold.
Anakin moved stiffly at first, unsure if he was making Leia uncomfortable. But as the feeling of holding his newborn daughter, feeling her settle into his grip, he felt a smile grow and Padme smiled as she watched Anakin relax. This was certainly one the best experiences he had had in his life. He prayed that this wouldn't be the only time. If they only survived long enough…He shook his head to clear his mind of that and looked up at Padme with a grin.

"You know I love you, don't you?"
"I think I have a little idea," Padme replied, smiling back.

hr

"You want us to do what?!"

"Anakin, you know it's the only way."

"You can't ask us to separate them, Obi Wan." Anakin snarled as Padme watched in shock. "Splitting us apart was one thing, but not the twins."

"Palpatine is aware of you and Senator Amidala's relationship, Anakin. That's how he tried to manipulate you to join the Dark side."

"I don't care! I'm not separating Leia and Luke."

"And if Palpatine goes after one of them before it's really known that there is two?"

"We must keep them separate so the Sith will not sense their presence or the strength of their force that they carry until the time is right."

"Strong the Force runs, in your line, Skywalker. " Yoda remarked, sitting nearby. Anakin glanced at the Jedi Knight, holding the sleeping Leia, who snuffled and shifted in her sleep as Anakin tightened his hold on her. "Strong the Force runs in them. Be in danger if they are together, they will. Split up, they should be."

"But..."

"In the Force if left together the Sith may sense their strength. Care for one, you will, Skywalker. For the other, Senator Amidala shall care. Until the time is right, disappear we will."

"Ani…" Padme said softly. He looked at her. "I want to speak to you. Privately."

Anakin looked at her as the others left and settled down next to her.

"I won't let Palpatine separate us." Anakin promised softly.

"Ani…Master Yoda and Obi Wan may be right." She said softly and he looked at her in shock.

"You can't be serious."

"I am. In any case, I can help you and whoever despises the thought of the Galactic Empire and Palpatine."

"Padme…"

"There will be a time when we can all return to Naboo as a family, Ani." She murmured softly. "But now? Now the galaxy needs you to put a stop to the Emperor." She cupped his face. "And I will be a spy to help gain intel for you. Obi Wan was right in the fact that if I came along now, it would only further support for Palpatine…"

Anakin swallowed.

"It doesn't matter." He whispered and she kissed him gently.

"It does matter Ani…we knew it would be like this when we made our vows. How difficult it would be." She whispered. "Maybe things will be able to change after this is over. But for now, the galaxy needs you."

"Padme…"

"And in the shadows of Coruscant or in any other city…and most importantly…in my heart…I will always love you."

He swallowed and gave a brisk sharp nod.

"I will forever be yours."

"And I you." She whispered as their children slept.

"I love you." He chocked out, his voice betraying emotion. She gave a teary smile and kissed him again.

"And I love you too."

hr

Obi Wan watched as Bail Organa's ship slowly departed Polis Massa, two extra occupants on board the ship, safely tucked away. They had come up with the story that Padme had gone there to deliver her child after she had failed in her plead with Anakin to join the Empire. He had left shortly after and on her way back to Naboo she had given birth to a child.

A son.

"This is the best course of action, Anakin." Obi Wan said softly, looking as Anakin stared out the window, cradling the sleeping Leia. "Luke and Padme will be safe."

Anakin remained quiet and instead walked down the hall, holding his daughter. Obi Wan sighed, running a hand over his face, before turning in the opposite direction.

"Master Kenobi, wait a moment." He turned to see Yoda. "Where will you go, I ask?"

"I think I will have to choose a place that the Emperor will not think of any jedi to go. Tatooine is a likely choice. If Anakin ever needs assistance, he will know how to find me there."

"Good, good." Yoda began but then looked at Obi Wan. "In your solitude on Tatooine, training I have for you. "

"Training?"
"An old friend has learned the path to immortality."
"Who?" Obi Wan questioned, clearly confused as to who Yoda could have communed with suddenly. Any old friend was likely dead or on the run at this point.
"One who has returned from the netherworld of the Force to train me . . . your old Master, Qui-Gon Jinn."
…Out of all the possible suggestions, this was one of the ones that he hadn't expected.
"Qui-Gon? But, how could he accomplish this?"
"The secret of the Ancient Order of the Whills, he studied." Yoda explained with a sigh. "How to commune with him. I will teach you."
"I will be able to talk with him?"
"How to join the Force, he will train you. Your consciousness you will retain, when one with the Force. Even your physical self, perhaps." Yoda replied and Obi Wan stared at him before slowly nodding.

hr

Anakin stared out into the field of asteroids and stars. It felt like a dream…a nightmare actually. One he desperately wished he could wake up from.

The only thing that kept him grounded and reminded him that this was real was the small form in his arms.

And the small form that was slowly awakening and beginning to fuss.

Maybe it was because she was hungry, which thankfully they had some bottled milk in the Mess Hall, or she was just being grumpy.

Or maybe she sensed that the mother who had carried her for nine months and the older brother that she had grown with were no longer there.

The latter of the three he could relate.

"Ssshhh…" He whispered but she showed no signs of calming. He looked up to the ceiling. How was he going to raise her if he barely knew anything about parenting? All he could remember vaguely was his mother comforting him whenever he had cried about something Watto had done, and even then…those memories were barely there. But she had…sung.

"Great…the one thing I remember is the one thing I can't do." He grumbled, going to a nearby cot and settled in it, his back pressed against the cold metal of the wall. Leia began to fuss louder, squirming in her father's grip. It wasn't good…but it was all he could do at the moment.

"Do not cry,

And I will sing a lullaby." He began, his mind frantically trying to remember the lullaby his mother had sung. Amazing how something so simple would come back to him when he needed it most.

"The suns dip down one and two

The skies darken just for you.

Though the sand is coarse the air is thick

It will do the trick." He kept going and Leia's squirming began to still as she stared up at to him.

"As golden slumbers kiss your eyes,
Smiles await you when you rise." He continued glancing out through the window as Leia yawned, stretching a bit in the blanket she was wrapped in, settling closer to him.
"Sleep, pretty baby,
Do not cry,
And I will sing a lullaby."
Leia had fallen back asleep but Anakin kept mumbling the same song over and over again for a little while after. He finally paused, swallowing.

"Padme…I swear to you…I'll keep our daughter safe. I promise. And one day…we'll be an actual family again and not hidden in the shadows…"

iI promise/i