Midnight in the Garden

Chapter 22: Speed of Sound 1

Sereine stopped at Padme's the next morning—actually, it was almost midday. She needed to speak with Anakin. A pair of moving droids passed her on her way in, carrying the ruined marital bed out the front door. Threepio announced her.

She found Padme cuddled in bed in one of her spare rooms, nursing baby Luke, while Anakin snuggled beside her holding a sleeping Leia.

"Padme. How are you feeling?"

"This whole night has been insane," said Padme. "I'm so sore, and I can't do anything but feed babies!" She reached over to her bedside table and held up a huge tumbler of water. "I'm sloshing from all this water you have to drink, and don't even talk to me about going to the bathroom!"

She looked tenderly down and adjusted Luke's receiving blanket and glanced up again. "But I'm happy. I'm really, really happy."

Anakin put his arm around her and gave her a squeeze. "We're  really, really happy."

Sereine folded her lips. "Are you feeling okay, Ani?"

Anakin would not look at her. "Yes, of course."

"Palpatine was sick last night."

Anakin finally looked up at her. "What are you talking about? No, he wasn't." He caught Sereine's eye and showed her a quick, almost imperceptible shake of his head. He mouthed, Let me tell her.

Padme gave her resentful eyes. "Please, I'm trying to forget yesterday. Or that part of it, anyway. Must we talk about him  now?"

"I have something to hash over with Anakin. We can leave, if you want."

"I'm not moving. My babies are here!" said Anakin.

Padme sighed. "Suit yourself. But after this, if I hear the name 'Palpatine' just once more, I'm throwing whoever said it out and closing the door!"

"I was there later last night," said Sereine. Anakin's eyes returned thanks. "He wasn't well."

"What happened? Why did you even go over there?"

"To check on my Sith," said Sereine, raising her brows at Anakin to clarify that she was speaking in the plural. "I know the First Lady is away, I made the travel arrangements."

"I know, I ran into her." Anakin looked away, stopping himself from saying where. No need for Padme to know he was at Palpatine's last night. "So?"

"I realized some things about him you're going to need to know." Sereine took a deep breath, and began.

"His droid recognized me and let me in. He was in that little back room where the brazier is."

"I've never been in there," said Anakin.

Sereine gestured. "Statuary, rare books. He has a skylight and a big chair and a little fireplace. I walked in and he's huddled in the chair under two blankets as close to the fireplace as he can get, just sort of staring. He didn't even notice me right away, and when he did he jumped about two meters off the chair and told me that was a good way to get my skull cleaved in half. I think he had the 'Do Not Disturb' on his droid. It was shadowing me all around the apartment except that room. But it will let me in, because he's had it since before we were together, and it always did before. I asked it where the master was and it took me to him."

She glanced down. "He was verbally abusive to me. But not in the way that sounds; I want to talk about the circumstances."

Padme glared at her. Her baby stopped nursing with a little cough. Padme adjusted her breast and ran her russet nipple around Luke's tiny rosebud mouth. "Are you full, sweetheart?" She rewrapped him and put the baby over her shoulder and patted his back.