Luke awoke to a strangely quiet and peaceful atmosphere. He stretched lazily in bed and sensed Leia still asleep through the Force. He checked the chrono, surprised that she was still abed, since she was usually the earlier riser of the two. It was still early in the morning, but not so early that Leia would not be up already under normal circumstances. He probed her in the Force, to make sure that she wasn't ill, and was mystified by the sense of peace she was radiating in her sleep. Huh, he thought to himself and got up. I obviously missed something last night, he thought as he spied two teacups in the sink, but he could ask Leia about it later, once she woke up.

He took a leisurely walk towards the refectory, since that was one of the areas he was allowed to go to unsupervised. They had run out of food in their quarters after he and Obi-Wan had demolished their small stash after their sparring match. Old Ben had been an amazing duelist and Luke had just about burst with happiness to see him in his prime. He hadn't concealed his feelings too well, to Obi-Wan's confusion and amusement. They had been pretty evenly matched, Luke only having won due to his more unconventional style and more years of experience.

He approached the refectory and noticed just how quiet and empty it was. He went ahead and got himself some breakfast to take back to the room before he heard his name being called by Kit Fisto. Luke approached him and nearly dropped his tray when he saw a pregnant Padme Amidala sitting next to Master Fisto. Luke put on his best Sabbac face and ignored the growing strength of the familiar Force presences within his...mother...as he approached them and sat at their table.

"I'm surprised Master Windu isn't with you," Luke said as he noticed the Korun Jedi Master's absence.

"Master Windu is currently, indisposed," Master Fisto said with a small smirk. "Not to worry, he's alright, just exhausted and earning himself some well-deserved sleep," he added at Luke's look of concern. After a pause, he leaned forward conspiratorially, "I tried waking him no more than eight times, and finally gave up!"

Luke covered his mouth to hide his smile once he noticed that the Senator was frowning at them both. "I do hope he's alright," she interjected pointedly.

"Oh, he is. He's just under a lot of stress. I'm sure that you can relate, Senator," Master Fisto said with his hands held out placatingly. The effect was ruined by his smile, however.

Luke dipped his head and focused on his food, he didn't want to draw her ire as well. However, the idea of the Jedi Grandmaster sleeping like a log amused him all the same. He wondered just what all had occurred while he had been asleep himself. He gently probed the Force and found that it was slightly more settled than it had been since his and Leia's arrival. Leia was still asleep, surprisingly, Anakin was as well, and quite peacefully at that. That he had not been expecting.

A Padawan asking for Master Fisto's immediate attention broke him from his musings. "Excuse me, if you will. I shall be back shortly. Luke, can I please ask you to stay with the Senator for a few moments?" Master Fisto asked and turned to leave with the Padawan before he could reply.

"I'm sorry, I'm so very rude," his mother said suddenly. "Senator Padme Amidala," she held out her hand.

Luke quickly swallowed the bite in his mouth and covered it with his hand as he held out the other. "Luke Solo," he bit out, his throat a little dry and then realized that he had put out his left hand, to her amusement. He quickly switched hands and stifled a cough. "Pleasure to meet you," he said after he took a quick swig of fruit juice. He hated having to lie to her, but his true identity was not known by anyone except for Anakin and the Council members. He also didn't know how she would take the truth if he did tell her. Given how her last week had been going, he didn't think it would go over well at all.

"I don't believe I've ever seen you before," Padme replied with a cocked head after studying him for a few moments.

"Visiting from the Corellian Enclave," he supplied with practiced ease, although it didn't ease the twinge of guilt he felt as he said it. His entire situation had just achieved a new level of surrealism.

"Oh! Anakin had mentioned you recently and how he wanted to speak to you about your Order's," she quieted all of a sudden as she realized how loudly she had been speaking, "attachment policies."

Luke couldn't help but smile at her. She had a sort of innocence to her and she was so genuine. She wasn't like any other politician he had met before, and that included Leia. He could tell how very much she and Anakin loved each other and it made him feel warm on the inside. I sure hope that I can save you and our family, he thought to himself. "Well, quite a few things have kept that conversation from happening," he said somewhat truthfully. The conversations they had had so far had not been full of encouraging subject matter.

Padme sighed and nodded knowingly as she blushed slightly. "I'm sure that you are well aware of the controversy surrounding myself and Knight Skywalker," she said ruefully. "I have no doubt that that is one of those things you mentioned."

Luke nodded sadly. "But, if it's any consolation, I do think the Jedi are taking the need for change seriously. I mean, if something like that had to happen, at least it did at this moment, and not sooner. I hate to think of what the reaction would have been then."

Padme smiled at him, "I suppose that is one way of looking at it." An awkward silence followed and Luke gave her a small nervous smile as he returned to his food.

"You know, if I have a son, I had already picked the name Luke out," Padme said once she couldn't take the awkwardness any longer. "It means 'Bringer of Light' in old Nabooian."

Luke smiled warmly and fought to keep his feelings under control. "It means something similar on Tattooine," he replied. He had always wondered where their names had come from, and given the meaning of his name, he had assumed that Obi-Wan or Yoda had had a hand in it. But, to know that his mother had picked it made him happier than he could have imagined.

"Interesting," Padme said as she pushed her food around her plate with her fork.

"What name would you choose if it was a girl?" Luke asked, even though he knew the answer already.

"I haven't been able to decide on one yet, actually," she answered with a small frown. "What is your twin's name, out of curiosity?"

"Leia," Luke answered promptly. He had not expected that answer from her at all. She obviously had no idea that she was having twins, let alone one of each gender. He wondered if she had gone to the doctor at all during her pregnancy and whether she and Anakin had thought through about how long they would be able to keep the secret. Obviously not, he thought with an internal grimace.

"Leia," Padme said dreamily. "I like it. Luke and Leia. Those go together quite nicely."

"That they do," Luke said, charmed by her cluelessness and tickled by the idea that he had now given his own mother the idea for his sister's name. He wondered how she had come about it originally, but it obviously wouldn't matter any longer.

"So," Padme said conspiratorially, "which one of you is the older twin?"

"No idea, actually," Luke replied. At her questioning look he elaborated: "We're orphans," which was true, at least in their timeline.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. That was rather personal and out of line on my part," she said as she blushed slightly.

"No, no, it's alright," Luke said soothingly. "We came to terms with that a long time ago," he folded his hands in front of him. "Actually, it does create a fun game, what with us constantly calling the other little sister or little brother. It's a pointless competition that no one else could understand, and it's all our own," he said, trying to lighten the mood.

Padme smiled back, she couldn't help it - she felt like she had known this young man all her life already. The awkward moments were smoothed over so quickly, it was uncanny. "So, then, who do you think is the older twin?" she asked slyly.

Luke pretended to think deeply and raised a finger to the cleft in his chin and tapped it a few times dramatically, causing Padme to laugh. "Honestly, I don't think it matters, but I believe it is Leia. She's always been so otherworldly, where I've always been the naive one. I feel like I've been trying to catch up to her my whole life."

"There's nothing wrong with being naive, you know," Padme said fondly. "It's always nice to have someone who can look at things from a positive perspective."

"Well, there's being optimistic, and then there's being naive," Luke said with a grimace as he recalled the faux pas he had committed in his youth due to his ignorance. "You can be quite the pessimist and be naive at the same time. In fact, I believe that the otherworldly and vocal pessimists are the real optimists."

Padme snorted, "Please do elaborate. I'd like to hear the reasoning behind this."

"Well, it's all an outward show - they secretly believe the best of others and hope that they will act accordingly, but present a negative outlook to shield themselves from accusations of naivete."

"That is by its very nature cynical and pessimistic," Padme pointed at him with her fork, food speared on it and all.

"I'd prefer to call it realistic pragmatism," Luke said loftily as he stuck his nose up in the air. Padme giggled in response and shook her head.

Master Fisto approached them with an apologetic look on his face. "Thank you for awaiting my return. If I may, Senator, I believe it is time to escort you back to your quarters. Apparently there is some information that you are needed to verify," he said rather vaguely.

"Of course, Master Fisto," she replied as she tried to slide out of her seat as gracefully as her belly would allow her. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Luke," she said with a genuine smile and put her hand out again.

"And you as well," Luke said as he took her hand, correctly this time. "I had better finish up my breakfast and bring some back for Leia, or else you might never see me again."

"I believe that," Master Fisto said with a small laugh as he took Padme's tray and left with her in tow. Luke basked in the knowledge he had just acquired for a few moments before he made good on his words. Leia was not the type of person to suffer hunger with any kind of dignity.