Chapter Fifty
Obi Wan

"Are you alright? Please tell me you're alright." Genevieve pleads. I nod to her hologram, rubbing my hand over my beard.

"None of us are hurt. We are hiding out in a house towards the border of the city. It's a safehouse of sorts. Anakin, Fallon, and Ashoka have returned as well and they are fine. We are all safe here for the time being."

Genevieve shakes her head, clutching onto her mother's necklace tightly. "The senate is going to be in session in a few hours, I'll tell them what's happened. But I don't know if battle droids are enough to make them vote for aid. The Pyke Syndicate being involved won't help, they'll think the whole situation is some ploy, some ruse."

"We are going to find out if it is a ruse or not. I sense something else is at play here...I'm not sure of anything anymore."

"Just be careful. Promise me you'll be careful."

I smile at my wife's hologram, nodding my head slowly. "I promise. Hopefully we will get to the bottom of this soon."

Genevieve reaches her hand out, trying to hide her worry by forcing a smile. I reach forward and touch her holographic hand, feeling the warmth of her touch from light years away. "I love you."

"I love you, too," I tell her. "Call me once you have news."

She nods to me, her hand slowly fading away with the rest of her hologram. I retract my hand and let it fall to my side, feeling the weight of her absence heavily, like a knife being plunged into my heart. Things would be so much easier if she were here. But I'm glad she's not. There are so many unknowns and the last thing I need is for her to be in the way of danger. Not again.

I had made this call in one of the bedrooms of the safe house. Apparently Satine's sister used to live in this house before she died, and now she uses it as a safe house, a place of refuge whenever she needs it. I slip out of the bedroom, making my way back out to the others, who are all in the living room.

Satine is sitting on the couch, still looking quite shaken. Anakin is leaning against the wall next to her, talking quietly with Fallon. Ashoka is sitting on top of the kitchen counter, eating a bag of some food she found in the pantry.

"What did Genevieve say?" Anakin asks, being the first one to notice me enter the room.

I go over to the kitchen counter and sit next to Ashoka, who silently offers the bag to me. I peer inside and see that it's filled with some sort of dried fruit. I shrug and grab a piece, chewing on it as I shake my head. "She said the same thing you did. This attack won't be enough to prove that the separatists are behind this."

"Then let's find proof," Ashoka suggests, her voice muffled due to the food in her mouth. "If we find evidence to prove the separatists did this then the senate will have to help."

"But where would we find that evidence?"

"The death watch base," Fallon suggests. "There's a large tent in the center of the base and I bet there are plans and holograms detailing the attack. This all played out too smoothly. The citizens are eating out of their palms now. Hell they've taken over the palace now. This has to be a plot."

Anakin nods. "I agree. The three of us will go to the camp and try to find something. Now that the death watch are in the palace, maybe they'll hold some information there. You could search there, Obi Wan."

"If you're going back to the palace than I'm going with you."

I shake my head. "Absolutely not. It's far too dangerous."

"You don't know the palace as well as I do. You'll get caught if you don't bring me."

Just like with Genevieve, I know that arguing with Satine once she sets her mind to something is futile. I reluctantly nod to her, looking back at Anakin. "You alert me the second you find something. Let's be hasty, the sooner we find something the better chance we have at convincing the senate."

Ashoka, her mouth still filled with dried up fruit, claps her hands in excitement and anticipation. "I call flying the ship this time."

Anakin scoffs. "In your dreams, Snips."

-

Genevieve

I have only spoken before the senate one other time during my reign, when I was helping Padmé vote against the bill to create more clones and elongate the war. It was a very stressful few days. Being in the senate is like being trapped in a cage of snakes; you never know who is going to attack you and you never know when. It's a cut throat duty, one that both Padmé and Aiden do exceptionally well at.

I have been staying in their apartment since I arrived yesterday. When the two of them got married a few months ago, Aiden moved into Padmé's apartment, which hasn't changed much since the last time I stayed here. It never really changes. It's still a cold, lifeless Coruscant apartment despite the love and warmth it hold within.

We're having breakfast in their kitchen now, trying to gear up for the senate session today. Aiden has a knack for cooking, and according to Padmé, he cooks for her every morning.

He's sipping a cup of coffee right now, reading through a book on Republic bills. Padmé and I are talking silently together, trying to let Aiden focus.

"What is he trying to find?" I whisper to Padmé.

"Anything that could help with Mandalore. I created a monster when I made him read all those books on senatorial politics. He's been reading those books everyday since the Taris siege."

I look over and smirk at him, seeing the crease in his eyebrows as he concentrates. "I've tried to read those before and I couldn't even get through a page. He has some true dedication."

Padmé shrugs, taking a sip of coffee. "I think he does it to show off."

Aiden glares at his wife over the top of his book. "Maybe you're just jealous that I've read this book five times and you've only read it once."

"My love, no one is jealous of that."

I let out a chuckle, taking a sip of my own coffee. This is my second cup of coffee this morning. I didn't sleep well last night because I kept thinking about today, about Satine, and most of all Obi Wan. I haven't drank this much coffee in a while, I usually only drink one cup. Maybe I start to feel dizzy because of this second cup, maybe the second cup combined with the stress of today is why I begin to feel nauseous.

I burst up from the table and run towards the bathroom, just barely making it before the contents of Aiden's wonderful breakfast comes back up. Padmé is instantly at my side, holding back my hair as I empty my stomach.

Once in done, I sit back and lean against Padmé, still feeling rather dizzy. Padmé feels my forehead, looking at me in concern. "Do you think you're sick?"

"It's probably just the stress of everything." I mumble.

"Have you gotten sick lately? Is this the first time?"

I think about this for a moment. Over the past few weeks I've gotten sick maybe six times. Maybe I do have something. I tell Padmé as such.

Padmé grabs onto my arms, pulling me onto my feet as gently as she can. "We're taking you to the medical center. We can't have the queen of Taris going untreated if she's sick."

Padmé lets me use her as support to walk to the elevator, my dizziness not subsiding. Padmé grips my shoulders tightly, giving me a comforting smile as Aiden goes to fetch the hover craft. He pulls it up next to us so I don't have to walk to it. I slip into the back while Padmé takes the passenger seat next to Aiden.

The medical center on Coruscant isn't far from Padmé and Aiden's apartment, so after a few minutes of flying, we make it to the entrance. My dizziness does start to subside as Padmé brings me to the front desk to sign in.

"Name?" The Togruta male asks rather curtly, not looking very pleased to be here.

I clear my throat. "Queen Genevieve Daulton of Taris."

The man raises his eyebrows at me, like he's waiting for me to tell him I'm joking. When I don't, he smiles widely at me, bowing his head abruptly. He gets out from behind his desk and gestures towards the hall. "Of course, your majesty, right this way."

I smile at the awkward man in thanks, walking down the hall of the medical center. The last time I was here I had been electrocuted by Dooku on Geonosis. I never really got a good look at it, it's far different from what I remember. The medical center is arch shaped, with crystal lanterns hanging from the arched ceiling that makes the white walls look like they are shining. The floors are a dark stone, but imbedded in the stone are crystals of sorts, which sparkle in the light of the lanterns, casting colors of orange, red, and blue on us as we go to meet the healer. One is waiting for us in the first room to the right.

The healer is very courteous and efficient. She has the attitude that I have nicknamed 'the royal effect'. Whenever I meet someone and they learn I am a queen they adopt a new personality that causes them to act like they are walking on egg shells. They are overly polite and cautious about everything they say. I've never known why they act this way, maybe they are afraid if they do something wrong then I'll grow angry and punish them. But anyone who knows me knows I would never do such a thing. When people act like this it makes me feel uncomfortable. Padmé knows this, she had to deal with the same thing. She slips her hand into mine as the healer runs some tests, awkwardly telling me how beautiful and glorious she thinks Taris is and how much she loves my planet. She's probably never even been to Taris, but I appreciate the compliment even if she's just saying it to get in my good graces.

After a few minutes, the healer taps on her holopad and stares down at it. Now she is the one that looks uncomfortable, her mouth opening and closing a couple of times, not being able to find words.

Fear floods into me at her silence, I grip Padmé's hand tighter. "Is something wrong?"

The healer shakes her head. "No, no you're in perfect health, your majesty. One of the tests I took did come back positive, but it wasn't for an illness," She tells me, still looking very awkward as she tells me what test came back positive; "You're pregnant, your majesty."

I blink once. "What?"

"You're about six weeks along...I promise to keep this information quiet for as long as you wish. I will not say a word." The healer says, bowing her head to me lowly.

That's why she looked uncomfortable. The galaxy thinks I'm unmarried, they don't know about Obi Wan. He and I got married in a secret ceremony, no one knows except the high priest and Padmé...and probably Aiden too. As a queen I'm expected to marry a king or lord, give birth to a child of noble blood. This healer now knows that isn't the case, she knows my baby is illegitimate...or at least in the galaxy's eyes.

I nod to the healer, trying to find my voice. It's very quiet. "Thank you...I appreciate your discretion. Could I have a moment alone with my friends please?"

The healer bows again, exiting the room immediately. I turn my body to face both Padmé and Aiden, my voice still low as I say; "We are going to be honest with each other now, alright? Padmé, I am sure you have told Aiden about my secret. Does he know?"

Aiden answers instead of Padmé. "I've known for a long time, even before Padmé told me."

Padmé gives me a guilty look. "I'm sorry I told him, I know you wanted me to keep it to myself—"

I squeeze her hand. "Don't apologize. He's your husband, he's my friend, it's fine that he knows...what am I gonna do? Obi Wan and I were married in secret, no one knows about us. To the public's knowledge I am unmarried. Everyone will think the baby is illegitimate and that weakens it's claim to the throne."

Padmé lets go of my hand, bringing both hands up to my arms, rubbing them gently. Aiden sits down on the other side of me, linking his fingers with mine. "You'll tell everyone that the baby's father was a guard of yours that died defending you. Say you both got married in secret to avoid scandal. That way the baby is legitimate and no one questions who the father is."

I nod to Padmé, a smile spreading over my face. I look down, bringing my free hand and laying it across my stomach. I feel tears well up in my eyes, which slowly trickle down my face. Now that the initial shock and fears have subsided, I feel an overwhelming rush of happiness flow through me. I've always wanted to be a mother, ever since I was a little girl. And to be having Obi Wan's child...I couldn't be happier.

Padmé and Aiden both share in my joy. She wraps her arm around my shoulder while he grabs onto my waist, both squeezing my tightly, their heads pressed against mine. I place my hands on the sides of both of their faces, letting the happy tears silently fall. I am grateful that the healer doesn't come back for a long time, I just sit here with my friends and savor this moment, savor the moment I meet my heir, my child.