I KNOW PLACES ➶ STAR WARS

Part IV // Pulse

Trigger warning for those who are suicidal.

She ran, feeling like Anakin himself was chasing her. She felt the red hot glow of his lightsaber on her back, the angry glare of his narrowed eyes on her feet. Padmé darted out of reach of the Temple and down the slender sidewalk, dark hair already becoming windblown and tangled. She pretended she could not hear Obi-Wan shouting her name desperately. Her shoulder briefly met a Twi'lek girl's as she careened down the pathway that led to the one river deep enough to drown in. She stared, crazed by her mad dash, at the rapid currents. Black and inky with hunger, they crashed about. They beckoned to her.

Obi-Wan, followed closely by Bail and Yoda, ran without breaking his stride down Padmé's path, guided by the Force.

Time was running out. If the others caught up to her, she feared her life would never be in her own control again. If she didn't do it, they would shut her away in an institution. If she didn't do it, Anakin would find her and exact his revenge. She had seen it on Tatooine - she could not imagine what it might look like when his sights were set on her.

As the chilling desperation crept in, Padmé stopped thinking. Time for action. A quick breath, then she climbed the barrier and threw herself into the ravenous waters. The quick shock of cold struck her instantly and her lungs fought to keep up with the quick pace of her heart. Instinctively, her body begged to float back up and call for help, but she wanted more to sink deeper and deeper into the depths of uncertain water.

The two Jedi and the senator stumbled to the river's edge one moment too late.

"DAMN IT!" Obi-Wan screamed, slamming his fists on the metal railing that separated the river from the sidewalk. He could not let this happen. He could not bear the thought of losing her, not now. Without another word, he jumped too.

His boots hit the water first. The sandy bottom was several feet deeper than he had thought, but he made contact and pushed back up anyway.

"Padmé!" He gasped. Murky freshwater streamed from his hair into his eyes. What the water didn't hide, the nighttime blackness did. Doubly as blind, he suddenly realized that jumping was foolish. "Padmé! Please!" But who was he if not a man who would throw himself directly in harm's way for someone he cared about? He dove back under, shedding his robe now heavy with water.

Padmé's lungs painfully screamed for oxygen as the deep, black waters enveloped her in a wild current that threatened to sweep her body miles away. She wrapped her arms protectively around her stomach, ready to give in to death.

But she suddenly felt a baby kick at the touch. Her baby, Anakin's baby. She had nearly forgotten. The feeling of selfishness stung. She wanted to cry out. One foot miraculously found the river's floor. She brought the other one down, hoping for solid ground but instead cut it on a sharp rock. The currents pushed and shoved her about carelessly, and when she finally found surer footholds, she pushed up, up towards the surface, up towards an uncertain future. She was almost to the top when the lack of air choked her heart.

"There!" Bail shouted and pointed over the guard rail as her head breached the surface, thankful to have spotted a glimpse of something. The depths had almost obscured her forever. Obi-Wan caught his direction, and without hesitation, swam toward the bobbing body.

"The currents are too strong," said Bail to Yoda, frantic. "We must hurry to the riverbank!"

Obi-Wan swam up and away from the current, then back downstream to re-enter it. She bobbed above the surface again for just a second and he reached for her, desperate to make contact. He was so close but yet so far, and every second mattered.

There! Her shoulder. He summoned all of his strength into his fingertips to just keep the grip he had on Padmé. She could not slip away, lest he never find her again. The current raged, and his grip slipped down her arm. It was tugging her out of reach, but his fingers quickly locked with hers — his heart plummeted as she did not respond. Obi-Wan yanked her closer, and they finally came face to face. One hand behind her back, one hand pulling her legs horizontal, he headed straight for shore.

Breathing ragged, wet breaths, he coughed as the river got shallower. She was now cradled in his arms completely, still not moving. Obi-Wan stumbled a bit but trudged on toward where Bail and Yoda waited anxiously. As soon as they regrouped, he fell to his knees and cradled Padmé's head in his lap. He immediately searched for her heartbeat.

"Is there a pulse?" Bail asked, kneeling to join them.

"No," came the crackly reply. Obi-Wan ran a shaking hand through his hair, feeling utterly terrified.

"Get her to the medical center, we must immediately," Yoda said grimly.

"I know cardiopulmonary resuscitation," Bail informed them, kneeling down. "Support her neck, General Kenobi."

Obi-Wan did as he was instructed, holding her neck and head up with both hands. He watched as Bail repeated the procedure three times before Padmé turned to her side. She coughed weakly, her body convulsing between shivers, before losing consciousness again. Bail immediately removed his cape and wrapped her in it. Her body twitched ever so slightly.

"Let us get her to the medical center."

An hour later, a very damp Obi-Wan, Bail, and Yoda were waiting outside of Padmé's room at the medical center. They hadn't made much small talk. Obi-Wan had refused treatment of any kind, hoping that less attention on him would lead to more attention on her.

Suddenly, her door slid open and a short medical droid buzzed out. Obi-Wan stood, his nerves wracked with anticipation.

"General Kenobi, Senator Amidala has requested your presence."

So, she is alive?

Yoda nodded him on and he followed the droid across the wide hallway into her room briskly.

"Padmé," he breathed. He took in her face, still pale, but still beautiful. Her curls were tangled and matted.

Padmé did not open her eyes, but spoke gently. "Obi-Wan. I'm- I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I caused all of-"

"Shh." He stroked her hair gently. "It's going to be alright. We're glad that you're alive."

But, he could tell that consciousness was leaving her and a nearby screen flashed as the room filled with a beeping noise.

"Please back away, General." The same droid that had escorted him here gently maneuvered him out of the way. A handful of medical droids began to attend to her.

Obi-Wan stood helplessly and watched as Padmé's bland expression quickly turned worried and pained.

Beyond the glass that separated them, Yoda looked away sadly.

A taller droid asked Obi-Wan to leave until his presence was requested again, and the Jedi obeyed, once again joining his companions outside of the sterile white room. He stood attentively at the window to her room, hands clasped behind his back in an attempt to keep them still. He could not look away.

The three had been waiting for a long, grim hour when the short droid came out to inform them that Padmé's condition was stable and that she could have visitors.

Obi-Wan walked silently back into her room, Bail and Yoda in solemn tow.

"You're going to be okay," he said, nodding at her and sharing a look with Bail. He did not reach for her, however, as he was frightened that any touch would shatter her into a million pieces.

She said nothing.

He crouched by her bed. "Padmé. Why did you come back up?" He asked.

She again said not a word, but took his hand in her cold, petite one and placed it on her stomach. He was confused, until he felt a slight movement beneath his hand. He looked at her in amazement.

She turned her face away from his. He knew the answer. They all knew.