The Skywalker Empire

Chapter 6

A Late Night

When Padmè got back to her apartment, Anakin wasn't there. That was fairly unusual. Whenever he was on Coruscant, he would usually spend every night that he could with her. Anakin couldn't go to her apartment every night though, as that would seem suspicious. Perhaps that was all it was. But still, she suspected that there was something much bigger going on.
    She sat down on sofa outside. Padmè caressed her stomach gently. "Whether you're a boy or girl, I cannot wait to meet you," she whispered to her unborn child. "When you're born, you'll be showered with so much love."
    Padmè watched all of the speeders fly by from her balcony. It was grounding to watch so many others living their own lives. They all seemed to be rushing to get somewhere, but they didn't seem to notice everyone else's problems. Moments like this reminded her that even though she was stressed out for many reasons, she wasn't the only one who was.
    "Your father and I already love you so much." Padmè suddenly frowned, her thoughts going back to her husband. Where was he?

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It was late at night and Anakin was still at the Jedi Temple. Obi-Wan had decided to go into the Holocron Vault at night so that there would be fewer prying eyes. Even though he wasn't doing anything that was illegal or treasonous, what he was doing was still against the general morals of a Jedi. He was a dignified Jedi on the Council, and he didn't wish to be judged. He couldn't risk his integrity.
    Anakin was still in Obi-Wan's quarters. He was pacing back and forth, dread consuming him. The older Jedi had been gone for nearly an hour. What could possibly be taking him so long?
    Meanwhile in the Holocron Vault, Obi-Wan wasn't having any success. The Jedi tried to protect all of those that the Force willed them to. They didn't try to save those whose fates were already decided, so there was absolutely nothing in the Vault that indicated how to save a person from death.
Obi-Wan didn't want to give up and go back to his former Padawan empty handed, but he had already been in there for awhile. It was late, and Anakin had to get back to Padmè.
He sighed to himself, putting a hand on his forehead. He didn't want Padmè to die either. She had always been a good friend of Obi-Wan's. He didn't want to give up when he had the chance to save her, but there truly wasn't much more that Obi-Wan could do to help.
He searched for a minute more before giving up and leaving the Holocron Vault.
    Obi-Wan was stopped by Mace Windu after he had stepped out of the Vault. Obi-Wan waved at him, trying to seem as innocent as he could. Him and Windu were good friends. Hopefully it would be easy for Obi-Wan to get him to leave him alone.
    "Master Kenobi," Mace said. "Might I ask what you're doing up at this hour? You have no mission as of now. I'd take this rest time to my advantage if I were you." He walked closer to Obi-Wan, barely leaving any room between them. Mace didn't seem like he was accusing him of anything, but Obi-Wan couldn't be sure. He couldn't let his façade slip.
    "Ah, Master Windu," Obi-Wan replied smoothly. "As good as it is to be out of the action for awhile, it seems I've grown restless off the battlefield."
    Mace nodded slowly. "I know what you mean, my friend," he said as he smiled slightly. "Well, I'll see you later then, Obi-Wan."
    Obi-Wan smiled back at him, glad that Mace hadn't questioned him about why he had been in the Holocron Vault. Frankly, it wasn't his business at all. Mace thankfully seemed to be aware of that.
    "Yes," Obi-Wan whispered. "Get some rest yourself. The war hasn't been easy on any of us."
    Mace nodded his head in agreement. Everyone in the galaxy had been affected by the war in some way. Luckily, if things went according to plan, the war was finally about to be over. "No it has not."
    Obi-Wan smiled at him one more time before leaving to go back to his quarters. Anakin was pacing back and forth when he got there. Obi-Wan could feel his anxiety and anticipation in the Force.
    "What did you find?" Anakin asked him immediately. He stopped pacing and walked closer towards Obi-Wan.
    In reply, Obi-Wan closed his eyes and sighed. "I wasn't able to find anything in the Vault," he informed apologetically. "I'm sorry, Anakin."
    Anakin nodded, suddenly despondent. "It's not your fault, Master," he assured Obi-Wan. "You did all you could, and I am thankful for that." He paused. "I'll find another way to save her."
    There was silence for a moment before Obi-Wan decided to talk. "You look tired," he noted, concern in his tone. "I know these dreams are tormenting you, Anakin, but at least try to get some rest if you can. You can't rely solely on the Force to stay awake."
    "I've done it lots of times before," Anakin responded. "And I can't sleep without dreaming about her. I can't see her like that, Master. The dreams are so similar to the ones that I had about my mother, and I... I can't go through that again."
    Obi-Wan closed the space between them and put a hand on Anakin's shoulder. "You won't have to," he promised him gently. "We'll figure out a way to save her together, alright?"
    Anakin nodded, a small smile gracing his face. "Thank you, Obi-Wan," he replied softly. "Speaking of Padmè, I should probably get back to her," Anakin said. "She's probably worried about me."
    "Yes, I'm sure she is," Obi-Wan agreed, his voice just as soft as his former Padawan's. "I'll see you tomorrow, Anakin."
    Anakin smiled genuinely at him. "Goodnight, Master." He enveloped Obi-Wan in a hug. "And even though it didn't work, thank you for trying. Your efforts mean more to me than you could ever know."
    Obi-Wan's face held contentment. If only all moments could be like that one. "Of course. That's what friends are for."