Narrator's POV

Anakin arrived back to Padmé's lakeside retreat on Naboo in the dead of the night, only to find she was still awake on the balcony. She had come out when his fighter appeared in the atmosphere, a direct signal to her that he was okay.

"Oh, Anakin," she exhales, embracing him quickly, but with tension.

There was always tension between them now, though they loved each other just the same, it seemed like they were always in danger of something.

He releases her and holds her, looking into her eyes. All he saw in them was Leia... sweet, beautiful Leia that could be undergoing anything at the moment - the unknown. Anakin shutters at the thought, but gets lost in her eyes once more.

"I'm going to get our daughter back," he stays sternly, almost ignoring her greeting, his eyes scanning hers intensely. She could sense how afraid he was - how afraid they both were.

She stares up at him, wondrously searching his own pale eyes. She swallows, resisting crying. She was emotional - very, when it came to their children. "I know you will, Ani, I know," she breathes, embracing him again.

He sighs gently and wraps his arms around her before mumbling, "It won't be easy."

She knew that. They both knew that. It was one of those obvious things that neither of them could seem to let go of, yet they lessened the outcomes for their own pity, their own sakes.

She says nothing for a moment and settles into his chest, letting the thought dawn on her like always. Anakin can sense her fear. At last, she takes a breath, and sadly replies, "I know. But, Anakin, does the Order know?"

Anakin winced at the thought of the Order finding out and being upset. It was irrational, unacceptable for them to be so unconventional towards his small family. What was so wrong with it? He still managed to be the same Jedi he had always been.

But what worried him most was how stressed Padmé was over anyone finding out. He wished he could just expose them without consequence, rid themselves of their fear...

But they couldn't do that.

He swallows and grits his teeth, unclenching them after a split second. He wouldn't allow himself to project his anger around her. She didn't deserve it. "No. They - can't know," he spits out for her sake.

Something about the way he said 'can't' made Padmé feel as though he wanted to tell them. He didn't want to be in hiding anymore. Just like years ago...

I don't care if they know we're married.

Don't say things like that!

She blinks and pulls away from being pressed against him, focusing on trying to change the conversation. She nods solemnly, like she would to the Senate. She was still a senator, after all. She could be solemn, serious when she needed to be. Now, she figured, was one of those times.

"They can't, Anakin. And they won't."

He nods back, slowly, one nod. Then the corner of his lips form a small smile as she continues.

"But I'm glad you're back, Ani. It's been a lingering fear of mine that... she's going to come back..."

His smile fades. He hated to admit, to be proven that all their fear was centered around Demetrious and everything she'd done. Only years ago did she try and summon Anakin himself, now going after his children...

It was all so messed up and scattered in his head. But more than half of his worries he knew he couldn't let Padmé in on. He couldn't afford to worry her; she didn't deserve it.

Even when she simply mentioned Demetrious, Anakin's blood grew cold, and only Padmé could rip him from his thoughts and fears and emotions and nightmares. She had always been the one to... until she was locked in them too.

Until they had occurred to her too, haunting her the way they've haunted her husband for years.

Anakin shakes his head as though the depressing thoughts were only sand in his hair he could shake out. Though the thoughts and images still lingered, he focused on Padmé now, his beloved wife, his angel - and wraps his arm around her as they walk back into the house from the balcony.

He had to assure her it was all right. Even if it weren't.

"She isn't going to come back. Not for Luke, not for me, not to... return Leia," he grumbles sadly, turning the hallway corner into their bedroom. The hallway was dark; eerie, but comforting now that they had each other and they were certain their son was safe. "I promise you, Padmé, she isn't going to come back."

Padmé, already in her nightclothes, untangles herself from Anakin's grasp and walks around the bed, climbing into her side of it. She glances over at him and mumbles, "I hope you speak the truth, Anakin."

He struggles to take his tunic off, tossing it at the end of the bed. He sighs as he pulls his boots off, "I do. You know that, Padmé."

She nods slowly and pulls the sheets up to her face, rolling onto her side, away from Anakin as he undressed.

He smiles at her though she couldn't see it, a smile of sincerity, proud to have her as a wife and the mother of his children.

He really did love her.

"Luke is asleep, also," she adds, her voice growing soft and tired.

"I was gonna say," chuckles Anakin, climbing into the bed beside her with a small groan of exhaustion. He had to assure her again. The more he did this, the more she believed it. He was lucky she couldn't sense his fear. "I'll get Leia back soon enough, my love, I promise you," he almost lies, knowing how uneasy getting her back would be. As much as he wanted it to be soon...

She sighs warmly, contently. He does too as he pulls her close, wrapping his arms around her. Like always, she winced at the touch of his cold, mechanical arm he had stripped of the black glove, but settled into it after a moment.

The darkness surrounded them, became one with them. It was so late into the night, and they were so deep in thought... the two just connected. Thoughts and darkness came as a pair.

But the silence was threatening. Anakin couldn't decipher whether he wanted to deem the silence as assuring, telling them no one was here for their son, or - scary, almost.

He lets out a sigh of relief when his wife breaks the silence and once again, tears him from his thoughts suddenly.

"Anakin?" She asks. She sounded worried. Like her next question - regardless of how drowsy she was - was truly important. Anakin tried to focus on good things before responding to her, so his voice wouldn't sound... troubled.

He remembered their son was asleep soundly - he always slept better than their daughter had. Had... the word struck Anakin painfully, thinking she wasn't here with them right now...

"Yes?" he chokes out, obviously becoming more and more tired as he settled, closing his eyes and embracing darkness, embracing her touch, her presence.

Every time he got closer to her, whether mentally or physically, the intoxicating emotions seemed to drown out the painful ones. He couldn't thank her more for her savior acts.

She clears her throat weakly, her voice quiet, mumbling, as tired as ever - he must have awoken her with his arrival. In fact, he knew he did - maybe it would've been better if she had slept through his arrival back on Naboo.

She whispers strongly, sounding more like a soft tone, "When will we have our daughter back? Surely you don't plan on going before the Council attempts another destruction..." she ends her sentence as it trails off into a yawn, making Anakin smile a bit until her words came into affect on him.

"Oh, you - know about that?" he asks, unable to show much emotion due to the tired and weak condition of his raspy voice. He was thankful for this - he still hated projecting his emotions around her, if they weren't good.

She chuckles slowly, breaking into another yawn as she started. "Of course, Ani. Obi-Wan said it would be wise for you to go while they attempted destruction... so you can... distract her..." she moans out, her voice soft, drifting asleep second by second.

He snuggles against her and lets out an exhale, relaxing himself and smoothing his deep, throated voice as he spoke to his wife ever-so-calmly. It was hard, hearing that Obi-Wan had to be the one to tell her firsthand - again.

When will I ever get to tell her things first? It's always Obi-Wan...

"I don't think that's the best idea," he tells her, a sweet lull to his voice as she drifted asleep in his arms. "I'll get her back when I wish to. It could be tomorrow, if anything."

He feels her nod against him shortly, unable to muster a response due to her exhaustion. He smiles and closes his eyes again, pressing his lips against the back of her curls as she fell asleep. She probably didn't even hear what I said.

It didn't matter. All that mattered now was that she knew he was going to get Leia back one way or another. He had no mercy for Demetrious any longer, and quite frankly, didn't care. He cared more for his daughter, obviously, regardless of the bond he and Demetrious used to share. It was impossible to have Kyla back, it had been years - and he had accepted that.

My children should be my new apprentices, he thinks, But at the Temple they'll need different last names. If they go in with Amidala-Skywalker, everyone will know...

He couldn't even manage to think straight about anything before falling asleep himself, his wife locked in his arms as they did so.

• • •

"Master, do you read me? I'm on the way to Demetrious' Head Imperial Crusier, and so far there's no sign of any by-standing battleships..."

Obi-Wan returns to the comlink call immediately. "Anakin! Oh, thank goodness you're all right. You should have contacted me beforehand, Anakin, instead of just heading up there."

"I'm sorry, Master, but you know how emergent this is to me," he replies, hoping to guilt trip his Master.

Obi-Wan chuckles through the comlink, making Anakin crack a small smile as he turned his yellow-and-grey fighter around a battleship that appeared unarmed, making his way to the Imperial Cruiser.

"I know, Anakin. The Council is preparing to station the remaining Rebel Clones for the Death Star attack. How is everything looking?"

"Clear," Anakin replies with a grunt, barrel-rolling the Starfighter as he moves around some other battleships, nearing the hangar that was about to put the shield up.

"Good to know. Thank you, Anakin. Be sure to contact me when you've retrieved your daughter, and if I don't answer immediately... you can assume we're in the middle of the Death Star. Quite literally." Obi-Wan chuckles as he bids his goodbyes to Anakin.

"May the Force be with you, Master," Anakin says, ending the com call once and for all.

Obi-Wan disconnects first, on his way to destroy the Death Star - or just serve as a distraction for his former apprentice.

Anakin speeds the fighter up, rolling a bit as it flies into the metal hangar, sliding and shrieking across the shiny floor until skidding to a halt. He leaps out, just to catch a glimpse of a group of Clones marching at a fast pace around the corner and down the hall to another hangar - they must've seen the ships heading for the Death Star.

Anakin smirks to himself as he puts a hand to his belt, reminding himself his saber is still there and ready for anything. He wasn't sure how this was going to go, but however it would, he would get Leia back. He had to.

• • •

Obi-Wan stood before the remaining Clone Army along with Mace Windu and Grand Master Yoda, solemn reading their cold features as they waited for the Clones to pour into the stationary room.

A hologram was projected behind the Jedi; large and blue, it showed a diagram of the Death Star. Obi-Wan clutched the control to the hologram in his right hand, ready to switch the image to show key points.

"We have discovered the exact way to destroy the Death Star," Mace starts in his bold, motivational tone. He nods to Obi-Wan, who switches the image.

The image of the Death Star is zoomed in on with a faint beep, now projecting a narrow trench of the battlestation.

Obi-Wan clears his throat and narrates the image. "Shown now is a narrow trench, protected by turbolaser batteries. This trench must be navigated to allow our Rebel Clone targeting systems to lock onto this port..." Obi-Wan points to the hologram as he switches it again, this time showing a small exhaust port in the Death Star.

"This port is not protected by a particle shield," Obi-Wan explains, "And through this, a well-placed proton torpedo can reach the main reactor and destroy the station."

He glances at the large crowd of Rebel Clones - as the Republic called them. They all took to the directions well and asked few questions, like Clones did.

But, the thing about these Clones that separates them from Demetrious' are the Rebel symbols worn on their armor's helmets, a black crescent moon-shaped symbol with three points sprouting from the center.

"But," Mace intervenes, pointing at the unprotected port, "This can only be reached with very precise accuracy. The torpedo that would be launched has to reach this port to an excessive perfect position."

The Clones all nod simultaneously, like they were programmed to. They were like robots: synced, aligned robots, with pretty good aim. The new Rebel Alliance needed them and were lucky to have attained them.

Obi-Wan continues, switching the image back to the first one of the entire Death Star, "Squadrons One and Two will need to commence in the main trench run to target the exhaust port, while Three and Four attack the superlaser in order to provide some time. If, however, One and Two fail, the least that will be done is sufficient damage to the laser, lessening the Death Star's abilities."

Obi-Wan then nods towards the Clones, their Rebel symbols shining off their helmets, and looks to Mace. "If you'll excuse me for a moment," he says lowly to Mace, "I should go contact Anakin and see of his whereabouts. Display image four of the main trench run for Squadrons One and Two," he orders Mace with a small smile.

Mace nods and takes the hologram controls from Obi-Wan, proceeding to narrate the next image as Obi-Wan sneaks off the front stage and around a narrow hallway where he would have some privacy to contact Anakin.

But just as he was about to connect, Anakin contacted him first.

"Master, do you read me?"

• • •

"My Lord, there's been a disturbance to the Death Star's main trench run," the Commander Clone says to Demetrious hurriedly as he steps into the control room, armed with his heavy blaster.

Leia turns around and Demetrious looks over the girl's shoulder at the trembling Clone in the doorway.

"What?" she asks, beginning to raise her voice. "Commander, certainly we aren't being attacked again - "

"I'm afraid to say that's what it looks like, My Lord."

He was right. He definitely was afraid to say.

"Is it the Rebel Clones? The Republic has attained a new army," she spits the word Republic, a scowl spreading across her face.

The Commander nods. "It seems they've found the unprotected port. The one without the shield, My Lord."

She grimaces now, remembering the failed shield of the one port. If only they could've listened enough to place the shield correctly...

She lets her thoughts slide and clears her throat dramatically. "We'll take care of them, won't we?" She says to Leia, giving the girl a sour look. The toddler scowls as Demetrious rises to her feet and exhales, staring ahead at the Clone now. "Send out the best twenty troops you can wield, Commander. We won't go down without a fight on this one."

The Commander nods, but isn't finished. "Of course, My Lord. But there is one more thing - A Jedi Starfighter was shown to have recently arrived in the main stationary hangar. We haven't identified the fighter yet, but - "

Demetrious narrows her eyes. She knew Anakin would be back.

Her anger takes over. She couldn't control it. "I'll take care of that myself," she snaps, "Now go round up the twenty troops. Leave no remnants of the Rebel alliance, if you must. Destroy them all, leave our battlestation standing."

"Yes, My Lord." The Commander turns on his heels and sprints from the room, jogging down the echoing metal hallway to catch up with the multiple troops he'd need to assist for killing off the alliance that attempts destroying their Death Star again.

She knew she wouldn't go down without a fight.

But in the meantime, Skywalker was here...

• • •

Anakin sprints up to the control room, where he knew his daughter would be. His mind races; with happiness, confusion, fear. She would try to stop him; but the Death Star was already being attacked. Just a distraction, he hoped.

He wasn't even sure if she would assist the Clones in fighting off the Rebel Clone army.

He tried to tell himself that she would. For his sanity's sake.

Anakin winces as he runs past the spot where Desmond was shot and killed. So many emotions occurred here. So many tears were shed, words were said... violence. Death. He shutters again, turning the corner down the narrow hallway where Desmond sat crying.

He heard voices with everywhere he looked that reminded him of something; he heard Desmond's cries as the boy sat with his head in his hands against the wall, Obi-Wan's condolences that never really helped, his own words...

He could sense Leia. She was near here. She had to be in the main control room, she had to -

Come on, Leia. Use the Force and answer daddy. Please, princess, answer me...

He gave up trying to call out to her via their connection. She wasn't old enough to know how to do that yet; when she started training at the Temple, maybe then she would. But she would be a late youngling anyways, as Coruscant still wasn't very safe for her or her brother.

He continued running down the metal hallways, listening to the synced slamming and echoing of his thick boots as he did so. He could sense her with every foot, every step he took. She was definitely near here.

But with every shock that ran through him, indicating Leia's presence, a dark shock ran through him, too. Demetrious. She was trying to block their connection, trying to hack and seize his thoughts like she used to when she was only a learner...

He sees the control room up ahead. Leia is getting closer; or he's getting closer to her.

He moves his hand down to his belt, settling on the hilt of his saber...

But he skids to a stop as he sees the control room door slide open - revealing Demetrious - and then slide shut.

She was wearing those dark, black robes she always wore, minus the eerie cape. Her hair, for once in awhile, hung loose around her face, dark and straight - they really projected the color of her gleaming, gold and red-rimmed eyes that burned with hatred for him as her gaze locked upon him.

She smiles wickedly, horrifyingly, and his heart drops.

He knows exactly what's to happen.

He prepares himself for the bolts of electricity that are about to shoot from her pale fingertips and enclose him painfully - he is prepared when it happens.

Anakin screams out again, but his throat hurts from a combination of pain.

She throws him against the right wall, slamming him up to the metal composure. His body nearly makes a dent in it; then she throws him to the floor, cackling with laughter.

"You're so stupid," she hisses, emphasizing every word, "You would really try and save your daughter?"

Poison. The words to her were poison.

Anakin can't respond. He can barely call out for anyone, anyone at all to hear him as she shocks him, cracking the bolts furiously as they strike him and illuminate him, projecting his glowing veins and sweaty image as he struggles for breath, struggles to fight.

But there is one last thing he can do, one last thing he can manage to do with all his might as he braces himself for every shocking impact of the lightning...

Leia! Leia, come save daddy. Please, Leia, be the hero - daddy's in pain, Leia, come right outside the room and save daddy - please...

A/N: Getting intense or what?

Okay, this chapter took a whole lot of reading. Meaning - RESEARCH. I knew absolutely nothing about the Death Star until I looked it all up - thank you Wookieepedia - and now I feel pretty boss.

Score to the new Rebel Clone Alliance! I hope it all makes sense...

More updates coming soon with both Forbidden and The Chosen One, for those of you reading.

Thanks for almost 3k!!! This is incredible!

- Claudia