Padmé Amidala carefully and slowly walks down to the medical center closest to her apartment. She has felt different the last couple of days. Different enough that her husband, Anakin Skwyalker, decided that it was time she go and figure out what was the matter. The morning rushes to the fresher have raised enough concern between the two of them that Anakin had mentioned that a visit to her private practitioner in the medical complex for government workers certainly wouldn't hurt. Padmé had scheduled an appointment that same day and was obtained one a week out from that day.

Besides, Padmé is really beginning to tire of these rushes to the fresher only to have her most recent meal revisit her in a most unpleasant matter. She's had her suspicions for sure but she doubts that they are true. She and Anakin have been apart from each other far too much for her suspicions to be true. Convincing her handmaidens that she is alright is also growing harder and harder to do.

Her gentle footsteps pad softly on the sidewalk as the busy speeder traffic whirs overhead, causing the young Senator to look up and marvel at the beauty of the high rises with the sun shining off of them. It feels so much like home to her. She honestly can't imagine her life without the sound of speeders moving through the city. She always loves it when Anakin takes on her on a drive in his speeder throughout the city as a date. The two of them just enjoying living life and pretending that they are normal citizens just like anyone else. Unfortunately, it's a charade that they can only keep up for so long. Some mission or meeting in the Senate will pull them back to the real world and eventually apart.

As she keeps walking and focuses back on her surroundings on the ground, she tries to press away the quiet rumblings of her stomach. These rumblings urge her to move a little faster. She approaches the tall glass door of the med center and gently pulls it open by the long metal handle. Entering the clean and cold facility, Padmé walks slowly up to the droid standing behind the reception desk.

"Senator Amidala," the droid says in a voice programmed that sounds mostly monotone, "a pleasure to see you. How may I help you today?"

"I need to see my doctor. I've been having bouts of sickness over the last couple of days and it would be nice to know if there's something I need to do about it," Padmé replies, trying her best to keep a positive attitude despite the overwhelming amount of nausea beginning to take over, "May I sit down? It really might be best."

"Of course. I will come and get you when your doctor is available. May you fill out a questionnaire about this sickness you are experiencing?" The medical droid asks gently, holding out a datapad to Padmé.

"I'll do my best but my sickness...." she starts before sprinting to the nearest fresher. The medical droid follows behind her and gently pulls her hair away from her face.

"I'll contact your doctor immediately," the droid says without an ounce of sympathy for Padmé in its voice.

"Thank you," Padmé squeaks out in return as she sits on the fresher floor holding her stomach. She massages it gently, trying to soothe it before it upsets again. The medical droid reenters the fresher to see the young Senator sitting back up and wiping the remnants of her episode off with a paper towel she found. She takes a deep breath and relaxes as the medical droid helps her to her feet.

"Please. Rise slowly, Senator. It is best to relax and heal when unwell," The medical droid says in what Padmé assumes to be an attempt at soothing voice. Not that it's working for her...at all. She clutches the droid's elbow and her own stomach at the same time, rubbing gentle circles all over it with her free hand. The medical droid leads her back over to one of the stiff backed chairs in the waiting room and helps Padmé sit down.

"Thank you," she says with a little bit more calmness and clarity in her voice than before, her stomach calming down just a little bit.

"Doctor Lenix is just finishing with one of her patients. She will be happy to help you in a few moments," the medical droid informs the Senator.

"Perfect. Thank you," Padmé replies gently as she notices other beings of the galaxy walking around either minding their personal business or whispering to each other about the presence of a Senator in such a common medical facility. While this particular medical center is closer to the government buildings of Coruscant and is the home of many Senators' doctors, it still is open to the general public for an elevated price since the government workers are the medical bay's primary patients. Despite all of this, it does not stop the whispers or looks pointed in Padmé's direction. Fortunately for her, she feels too sick to really care too much what the civilians of Corsucant think of her at the moment.

A few moments later, the medical droid returns to Padmé.

"Doctor Lenix will see you now, Senator Amidala," the medical droid announces softly. The droid starts to offer to help Padmé to her feet but she gently holds up a hand to stop him.

"It's my stomach that doesn't feel right, not my legs," she says lightly, trying to brighten the seemingly stoic medical droid.

"Of course," is all the medical droid says in reply. Padmé allows the droid to lead her further into the building. Winding through all of the busy hallways teaming with doctors, nurses and medical droids, Padmé tries to keep her best to keep up with the oddly fast pace of the medical droid and prevent her stomach from upsetting.

Eventually, they approach a large gray door and the droid gently raps on the door three times with its mechanical knuckles. Padmé stands uneasily in the middle of the hallway, looking around to see other medical personnel recognizing her from the news. A moment later, the door slides open and the medical droid allows Padmé to enter Doctor Lenix's office.

"Ahh, Senator Amidala. A pleasure to see you again," Doctor Lenix, a Twi'lek physician with purple lekku, says gently to the young Senator.

"Hello, Doctor Lenix. It's a pleasure to see you too," she says to the kind doctor.

"Why don't you take a seat? It looks like you may not be feeling the best," Doctor Lenix says, gently patting the examination table. Padmé, chuckling lightly, sits down and Doctor Lenix sits down on a stool across from her. Once both are situated, Doctor Lenix asks kindly, "So, tell me. What's been bothering you enough to bring you in to see me?"

"I've been getting sick every morning for the last little while and it's a struggle to keep things down," Padme replies softly, "I have a suspicion but I really don't think it could be true."

"What's your suspicion?" Doctor Lenix asks her patient.

"That I'm pregnant. But it can't be possible. The baby's father is not around enough for this to have happened," Padmé says, trying to reason with herself and straighten out the idea that it just simply isn't possible.

"Milady, I do believe that this borders on a private affair and I mean that quite literally," Doctor Lenix says with a hint of admonition in her voice, "But we can run a test none the less."

"Not a scan, please," Padmé requests, "I don't want any more evidence than a test result."

"Of course. I don't want to intrude on your privacy," Doctor Lenix says, "Now, just sit still while I prepare to draw some of your blood." Padmé feels another wave of nausea rush over and she suppresses the urge to panic. Doctor Lenix numbs a spot near Padmé's elbow and begins to draw some of her blood.

"What will this test do?" Padmé asks.

"It's a quantitative blood test that will give me an accurate test result," Doctor Lenix replies gently before turning to the young woman, "Are you still feeling alright?"

"Yes. How long before these test results come back?" Padmé asks. Doctor Lenix makes sure that her sample is well contained before replying,

"It should be ready in a couple of days," she replies, "I'll be sure to contact you and we can discuss the results privately no matter the outcome."

"Thank you for being so willing to keep this private and thank you for your help," Padmé says before getting up to leave. 

"Senator, if you don't mind, have you noticed anything...else out of the ordinary within perhaps the last four to eight weeks? An absence of something?" Doctor Lenix asks carefully. Padmé worries her bottom lip for a moment in thought.

"I never even thought to consider that," she says softly as Doctor Lenix nods thoughtfully.

"You don't have to answer that question necessarily but, it may help you to know sooner. I'll find out the answers either way because of the sample," she reasons and the young Senator nods her head as a wave of shock overcomes her. 

Now that she thinks about it, there has been a significant absence of a certain happening the last month. She had merely brushed it aside as stress in the Senate and with hiding her marriage to Anakin but obviously, that wasn't the case.

"Thank you again. I really cannot appreciate it enough. You do wonderful work for every Senator that you tend to and I'm very grateful for you," she says and the Twi'lek doctor smiles kindly.

"Thank you, Senator. One more question...if this test comes out positive," she starts to ask but Padmé graciously cuts her off,

"The father is my husband and I would prefer that to be kept extremely private." The Twi'lek doctor nods understandingly as she takes in this information.

"Of course. I'll be contacting you in the next couple of days," Doctor Lenix says informatively, "It is always a pleasure to care for you, Senator."

"Always a pleasure to be under your care," Padmé replies diplomatically before being escorted out by the medical droid. As she leaves the medical center, she sees a small store nearby. Stepping inside, she quickly hurries to a feminine care section where she picks up a pregnancy test. She makes her purchase quickly and tries her best to hide it within her senatorial gown. Padmé weaves her way through the city, determined to find the answer on her own, knowing that these tests were not always correct and that the test from Doctor Lenix would provide the final answer but still wanting to discover it on her own.

Once she arrives to her apartment, she gives her handmaidens the rest of the afternoon off saying that she had another concern at the moment but would inform them once she had a definite answer. 

The moment her handmaidens and other household servants leave, she wastes no time in using the test. Looking at her result, her eyes fly wide open at the result that the test reads. She drops the test on the floor in absolute shock.

Positive.

Padmé resists the urge to jump up and down as excitement washes over her. Suddenly remembering that she has a meeting with a few other Senators to discuss some business in regards to the war, she quickly disposes of it but nothing can erase the test result from her memory. Her inability to focus during the majority of the meeting at the Senate has many of the Senators wondering what could be going on. She manages to dismiss it casually, not caring for the opinions of those particular Senators.

A couple of days pass and Doctor Lenix reaches out to Padmé. Anakin is home when she receives the call.

"So, you took my advice and went to the doctor," he says, getting the same odd sense about his wife that he has for the last month.

"Yes and she would like to meet with me immediately," Padmé replies before standing up on her tip toes to peck Anakin's lips.

"I'm leaving for awhile and I don't know when I'll be back," Anakin says before she does, "There's a rumor that Obi-Wan and I are being sent all over the Outer Rim. It could be awhile before I see you again."

"Oh Anakin," Padmé sighs as she wraps her arms tightly around her husband for him to return the favor, "You have to come back to me. And you have to promise it."

"I promise to come back to you no matter what happens in this battle," Anakin says as he leans in closer to press his lips to hers, "And I will love you and miss you the entire time we're apart." Padmé presses her forehead against his and closes her eyes, so content with the moment and wishing that they could stay like this forever.

"And I you," she says softly just as Anakin kisses her passionately, his lips pressing longingly against hers in a way that only a husband and wife truly in love could understand. He pulls away and starts to move towards the veranda, Padmé watching sadly as he moves away.

"Go see your doctor. Your little sickness situation hasn't been getting any better," Anakin admonishes and Padmé just chuckles at him with joy, "You'll have to tell me all about it when I get back." A twinkle in her eye doesn't escape Anakin's notice at his words.

"I will. You won't have to worry about that," Padmé replies, "Now go bring peace and justice to the galaxy." Leaning over the door of his speeder, she leans over the door of the speeder to press a kiss to his cheek and at the last second he turns his head to catch her lips with his one more time.

"Be safe," he says to her softly.

"You too," she replies and without any other hesitation, he takes off. Padmé watches him go from her veranda, tears threatening to spill over onto her cheeks at the thought that it could be a very long time before she ever sees him again.

Her commlink rings again, bringing her back to reality and her current situation. She hurries quickly to Doctor Lenix's office and moves quickly through the bustling streets. Once she arrives, Lenix's medical droid is already preparing to greet her.

"Senator Amidala, Doctor Lenix is waiting to see you," the medical droid says before leading her to the back of the office.

"Thank you," she says as the two hurry back. Doctor Lenix throws open the door the second Padmé and the medical droid knock.

"We have a lot to discuss," she says in a serious tone to deter anyone from wanting to be a part of their conversation. Padmé nods quizzically as the doctor pulls her in to the office quickly. The moment the door shuts, the test results are in Padmé's hands.

Padmé shakily looks through them to see the official medical results.

"I will admit that I performed a common test myself to see what it came up with," she says and Doctor Lenix chuckles.

"I've never really believed that those are the most accurate. They're not the most inaccurate but there are better tests," she says with a small laugh as Padmé searches through the results. A gasp escapes her lips when she sees the results.

Results indicating that she is about a month pregnant.

"I'm....pregnant," she breathes out in complete excitement and shock.

"Congratulations, Senator. You're due in about eight standard months. If you like, I can help you keep track of how things are going," Doctor Lenix offers. Padmé nods quickly.

"Yes, I would appreciate that. It keeps things more private that way," she says.

"Of course," Doctor Lenix replies gently, "I will say that the hormone level indicating that you were pregnant is very high...high enough for there potentially to be more than one baby inside your womb. I unfortunately do not have the resources available to know besides a scan which I know you don't want."

"That's alright. I don't think my husband and I will wish to find out the gender of the baby so we'll just see what happens," she says, "Thank you so much for your help."

"Of course. If you would go ahead and schedule an appointment, we'll start to make arrangements to track your pregnancy. I'm also going to have one of my medical droids check in with you once week to make sure that the baby is healthy," Doctor Lenix says with a smile on her face.

"Thank you so much," she says.

"Oh and as for the morning sickness," Doctor Lenix advises softly, "Try smaller meals more frequently throughout the day and if there's certain foods that can trigger it, avoid those. I've sent you a private file with information on it to cure an upset stomach but remedies for morning sickness specifically are included in that article to alleviate any suspicion."

"Thank you," Padmé replies, "I look forward to working with you."

"And I look forward to keeping you and your baby safe. Congratulations again, Senator," Doctor Lenix says. Padmé exits the office with the largest smile on her face.

She, Senator Padmé Naberrie Amidala Skywalker is pregnant with Anakin Skywalker's child.

A/N: Ahhhh....I'm so in love with this book already and this is only chapter one.

Welcome to my first (actual and not oddly written like Stars and Sabers is, not that there's anything wrong with Stars and Sabers because there's not) Star Wars fanfiction novel.

As you can see, this is starting before the events of Revenge of the Sith. But just before.

If you're curious, this is the beginning of Part I. :) I'm going to update once a week.

Anyways, this is going to be a massive book. Maybe not as massive as Stars and Sabers but still a pretty massive book. I'm not really going to give a whole lot of the plot away because I want everyone to enjoy the book as you read it without me spoiling it for you. I will say that this book spans from slightly pre-Revenge of the Sith to sometime after Return of the Jedi..ish. We'll see how that works.

So yeah...massive book.

That being said...I wouldn't expect the events of the movies to necessarily happen the way you think they're going to. There will be definitely be parts that are very representative of what happens in the movies but..don't expect the exact things to happen right then and there. I'm shaking things up so things are going to occur a bit (and more than a bit in some cases) differently than they do in the movies.

If I say too much more, I'm going to be revealing some pretty major plot points that I don't necessarily want to yet, so I'm going to wait on explaining some things.

As for the post-Return of the Jedi pieces, which I don't know that there's going to be that many of them at this point, I'm not necessarily going to be including the Mandalorian or the sequel trilogy. Nothing against them because the sequel trilogies have their own merits and the Mandalorian is an amazing show but at this point, I just don't really see how those are going to fit in with this storyline at this time. You'll see kinda see what I mean once we get further into the plot. If you really want them included, just pretend that things are happening at a later time than they do in the canon timeline.

Something else to note is that at this point, I'm not including Rebels or The Clone Wars series in this book. I don't know enough about either one at this point so I don't want to screw it up and I also kinda want to try my own thing. I enjoy The Clone Wars and there may be aspects of peoples' personality that I use in The Clone Wars but I probably won't actually use anything substantial from it. I've not seen any of Rebels at this point besides a few clips here and there. It's not dismissing either series as not part of Star Wars or even saying that I don't like them (because I don't know that), I'm just trying something different.

How was character writing? Is the dialogue okay? Did I write Padmé okay? Did I write Anakin okay? Did I write Anidala okay? I'm trying to provide a little more depth to their relationship in this book so I might add some Anidala scenes here and there. Overall, what did you guys think of the chapter?

Anyways, yeah. Welcome to my first official Star Wars fanfic novel. I hope you all enjoy it. I'm so excited to write it. I hope and think that it's going to be a really fun read. Thanks for commenting, voting, reading or doing whatever it is you do. I appreciate it!!

See you in the next chapter.

-Aisling Kiley