The Meaning of Chosen

I - Time To Believe

"LIAR!" the man shouted. "You brought him here to kill me!"

"No," a small woman in front of him cried desperately. "Ani, please!" she choked weakly as the man reached out with his hand for the force to claw around the woman's throat.

She stared into the man's burning, red eyes. What she might have known to be there once, was nowhere to be found.

"Ani," she breathed faintly as the man didn't ease the pressure on her throat.

"Anakin!" Another voice shouted from the ramp of a silver ship. "Let. Her. Go!"

The man did not give any sign of having heard the calls, but just as the other figure began to move, his other hand shot out, and the figure flew back into the ship. Then his grip on the woman loosened and he caught her form as she fell to the ground.

"I'm so sorry, Padmé," the man whispered as he held the woman and a hint of blue showed in those eyes. "I'm sorry I can't explain it now. Just stay strong. For me, for you, and for the children. I know it's going to be hard, but please, please trust me, believe in me. I love you, Angel."

Then the man carefully let the woman rest on the ground and stood. The figure had returned and the man's eyes flashed with violent red once again. Then he took a couple of steps backwards, and just as the figure realised what he was about to do, he stepped off the edge of the platform.

"No," the figure called out and rushed to the edge, but there was nothing to be seen. He shook his head and tended to the woman.

In time they found themselves in a hospital, awaiting the child the woman carried. She lay in a white bed, looking far too tired to give birth at the present moment. A droid tended to her, while the man who brought her here from Mustafar was outside of the room, speaking to a human, and a small, green figure.

"Why, Anakin?" the woman whispered to herself. "What happened to you?"

"Did you need something?" The droid asked her, but she shook her head. "Very well, should I call someone in to stay with you through the birth?"

The woman nodded and after a few moments, the droid brought in the man from Mustafar.

"Padmé, how are you?" he asked as his eyes fell upon her.

"Is Anakin alright?" she said as though she did not hear his question.

"I don't know," the man said gravely. "He disappeared."

"He's not evil Obi-Wan," the woman said. "Not entirely. Theres good in him, I know there is."

"If only we knew that for certain," the man responded. "But we cannot take any chances."

"He's still in there, Obi-Wan!" she said fiercely. "Anakin is still–"

A wave of contractions hit the woman and all other issues were momentarily forgotten.

~•~

Padmé sat up straight in her bed and pushed the memories away. They had been haunting her for more than eleven years, ever since that fateful night that Anakin had disappeared. Although they couldn't be quite sure that Anakin had died, no one had seen him since, and there was little hope left in any of them.

The empire had successfully risen to power and Padmé had gone into hiding for the sake of her children. Luke and Leia had grown into quite the powerful force users, even though Obi-Wan Kenobi – an old friend of the family – didn't come by to train the kids as often as the adults thought would have been necessary for their skill level.

Padmé stood up and looked out the window at the rock formations in the prairie outside their little hut. Lothal was a beautiful planet Padmé thought. It lay in the outer rim, and the family had lived there since the twins had been two years old. At that time, Obi-Wan had discovered how strong their presences were in the force. They had stayed on Alderaan back then, but quickly moved after Obi-Wan had figured out a way to hide the twin's presences. Since then they were on Lothal and it had been safe for them here, except for one instance, when they had had an encounter with a group of imperials that had come to Lothal to arrest the Bridgers four years ago. Thankfully they had not paid them much mind, although Padmé was giving information to the rebellion or channeling it through herself to cover it's origin. What happened to the Bridgers's son, Padmé still didn't know. Their hut was located a bit outside of town, so she wasn't as involved in the villager's doings as she might have been.

Padmé sighed and left to the kitchen for breakfast. The twins were already up, as usual, she could hear their hushed chattering from the hall. But rather out of the ordinary, they didn't sense her and stop their conversation as soon as she stepped out of her room.

"Shouldn't we tell mom at some point?" Leia was saying.

"No!" Luke exclaimed, then spoke quietly again. "You know we can't, that's the one thing he asks us not to do! We just can't!"

"Yes, but why exactly?" Leia hissed back. "I know what you're thinking, Luke, I feel like I can trust him too, but my brain says that it isn't safe."

"He told us why," Luke said defensively. "He said mom doesn't like him very much, and it's not really our business to know why that is."

"Fine, you're right. I just wish I knew why Anakin thinks that."

"What?" Padmé asked perplex. She had heard of her children's friend before, whether he was a real person or imaginary, the kids had been devastated when a certain 'he' hadn't shown up to their seventh birthday. They had never given him a name before though, and as Padmé heard it, she couldn't do anything but stare at her daughter in shock. Equal shock showed on her children's faces as they turned around to see their mother standing in the doorway.

"Good morning, mom," Luke said carefully.

"What did you just say?" Was all Padmé managed to choke out.

"It's not really important," Leia said quickly. "Just the father of some kid at school, I don't even think he actually knows you."

Under different circumstances it would have been quite a good lie – Leia was brilliant at those –, but Padmé wouldn't forget what she had heard so quickly and Luke was obviously still nervous. She didn't push it though, simply made a mental note to call Obi-Wan after breakfast.

1110 words, 24. October 2017