had been beyond his control. Killing Dooku wasn’t the same. I knew it was wrong, but I did it anyway.
Palpatine said, “Now we must leave before more security droids arrive.”
Anakin ran to Obi-Wan, who remained pinned under the broken section of the balcony. Outside the chamber’s large windows a ripple of fiery bursts indicated the space battle had intensified.
“Anakin, there’s no time,” Palpatine said as Anakin pulled his Master free from the wreckage. “We must get off this ship before it’s too late.” The Invisible Hand shuddered violently as it was wracked by a series of explosions.
Checking Obi-Wan’s vital signs, Anakin said, “He seems to be all right.”
“Leave him,” Palpatine commanded, “or we’ll never make it.”
“His fate will be the same as ours,” Anakin said, for once refusing to obey the Chancellor. He lifted and slung Obi-Wan’s body over his shoulders and ran with Palpatine to the lift tube.
* * *
Anakin and Palpatine were still aboard the Invisible Hand when Obi-Wan recovered. Along with R2-D2, they were briefly apprehended by General Grievous but managed to evade his metallic clutches. Unfortunately, Grievous launched all the escape pods and fled into space as the battle-damaged Invisible Hand began to tumble through Coruscant’ s upper atmosphere. Although the crash landing was bone-jarring for Palpatine and the Jedi, Anakin’s incredible piloting skills delivered them, and what little remained of the Confederate flagship, to a landing strip.
Mace Windu, Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan, and C-3PO were among the dignitaries who greeted Palpatine and Anakin at the Chancellor’s private landing platform at the Senate Offices while Obi-Wan returned to the Jedi Temple. After speaking briefly with Bail Organa as they entered the office building, Anakin found Padmé discreetly waiting for him in the shadows of a tall column. He hadn’t seen her in months.
Although Anakin was concerned that General Grievous was still at large and had assumed leadership of the Confederacy, he forgot his troubles as he embraced Padmé.
But she seemed different; she had something very important to tell him.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Ani, I’m pregnant.”
Still in the shadows of the Senate Offices hallway, Anakin suddenly felt light-headed. Padmé stared into his eyes, waiting for him to say something. “That’s…” he began, then sighed and looked away. With the sudden realization that their marriage could not be a secret much longer, his first thoughts were of how this development would impact on their lives. Padmé might be recalled to Naboo, and I’ll be cast out in disgrace from the Jedi order. It will be a scandal…
Then his gaze met Padmé‘s again, and he saw how frightened she was.
“Well,” he said, “that’s won- - that’s wonderful!” He smiled.
Less than assured, Padmé said, “What are we going to do?”
“We’re not going to worry about anything right now,” Anakin said, holding her tight. “All right? This is a happy moment. The happiest moment of my life.”
* * *
Later that night, in Padmé‘s apartment in Galactic City, Anakin had a nightmare so terrible that he nearly shouted when he awoke. He tried to ease himself out of bed quietly so Padmé would not be aware of his absence, but she woke up too and found him standing on the terrace, watching the air traffic glide past her apartment windows.
“What’s bothering you?” Padmé asked.
“Nothing,” he said. Padmé was wearing the good-luck charm that Anakin had carved for her shortly after they’d met. He reached out to touch the charm and said, “I remember when I gave this to you.”
Padmé gave him a hard stare and said, “How long is it going to take us to be honest with each other?”
Anakin took a deep breath. “It was a dream,” he admitted.
“Bad?”
“Like the ones I used to have about my mother… just before she died.”
“And?”
“And it was about
Palpatine said, “Now we must leave before more security droids arrive.”
Anakin ran to Obi-Wan, who remained pinned under the broken section of the balcony. Outside the chamber’s large windows a ripple of fiery bursts indicated the space battle had intensified.
“Anakin, there’s no time,” Palpatine said as Anakin pulled his Master free from the wreckage. “We must get off this ship before it’s too late.” The Invisible Hand shuddered violently as it was wracked by a series of explosions.
Checking Obi-Wan’s vital signs, Anakin said, “He seems to be all right.”
“Leave him,” Palpatine commanded, “or we’ll never make it.”
“His fate will be the same as ours,” Anakin said, for once refusing to obey the Chancellor. He lifted and slung Obi-Wan’s body over his shoulders and ran with Palpatine to the lift tube.
* * *
Anakin and Palpatine were still aboard the Invisible Hand when Obi-Wan recovered. Along with R2-D2, they were briefly apprehended by General Grievous but managed to evade his metallic clutches. Unfortunately, Grievous launched all the escape pods and fled into space as the battle-damaged Invisible Hand began to tumble through Coruscant’ s upper atmosphere. Although the crash landing was bone-jarring for Palpatine and the Jedi, Anakin’s incredible piloting skills delivered them, and what little remained of the Confederate flagship, to a landing strip.
Mace Windu, Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan, and C-3PO were among the dignitaries who greeted Palpatine and Anakin at the Chancellor’s private landing platform at the Senate Offices while Obi-Wan returned to the Jedi Temple. After speaking briefly with Bail Organa as they entered the office building, Anakin found Padmé discreetly waiting for him in the shadows of a tall column. He hadn’t seen her in months.
Although Anakin was concerned that General Grievous was still at large and had assumed leadership of the Confederacy, he forgot his troubles as he embraced Padmé.
But she seemed different; she had something very important to tell him.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Ani, I’m pregnant.”
Still in the shadows of the Senate Offices hallway, Anakin suddenly felt light-headed. Padmé stared into his eyes, waiting for him to say something. “That’s…” he began, then sighed and looked away. With the sudden realization that their marriage could not be a secret much longer, his first thoughts were of how this development would impact on their lives. Padmé might be recalled to Naboo, and I’ll be cast out in disgrace from the Jedi order. It will be a scandal…
Then his gaze met Padmé‘s again, and he saw how frightened she was.
“Well,” he said, “that’s won- - that’s wonderful!” He smiled.
Less than assured, Padmé said, “What are we going to do?”
“We’re not going to worry about anything right now,” Anakin said, holding her tight. “All right? This is a happy moment. The happiest moment of my life.”
* * *
Later that night, in Padmé‘s apartment in Galactic City, Anakin had a nightmare so terrible that he nearly shouted when he awoke. He tried to ease himself out of bed quietly so Padmé would not be aware of his absence, but she woke up too and found him standing on the terrace, watching the air traffic glide past her apartment windows.
“What’s bothering you?” Padmé asked.
“Nothing,” he said. Padmé was wearing the good-luck charm that Anakin had carved for her shortly after they’d met. He reached out to touch the charm and said, “I remember when I gave this to you.”
Padmé gave him a hard stare and said, “How long is it going to take us to be honest with each other?”
Anakin took a deep breath. “It was a dream,” he admitted.
“Bad?”
“Like the ones I used to have about my mother… just before she died.”
“And?”
“And it was about
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