Star Wars Episode IV: A New Beginning

Chapter 22: Across the Stars

A/N before we begin:
I know I always try to give a wordless song but this song was my main inspiration for my edits of the cave sequence and all the Vader moments to follow.

It's from Loki! Now back to the show, I mean book!

Padmé was exhausted. She hadn't slept in days and now spent all of her time stretched between caring for the twins and leading the Rebellion. In her spare time, Senator Amidala-Skywalker would analyze the Death Star Plans, to search for any weaknesses. She was counting on the fact that the super weapon's design hadn't changed since they fell into the Rebel's grasp, but knowing Palpatine, they had. Padmé looked down at Luke and Leia, who were both peacefully sleeping in their cribs.

"I should get some rest," she whispered to herself, tilting her head back and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. But what if one of them wakes up? She chided. No, that's why Anakin reprogrammed C-3PO. Amidala-Skywalker could have continued her internal argument, however, her comlink chimed with an incoming transmission.

"Senator Skywalker," Senator Mon Mothma addressed, "or should I say, General Skywalker."

"General Amidala Skywalker," Padmé corrected, "Anakin is General Skywalker."

"Oh yes," Mon smiled, "A pleasure to see you nonetheless. Your performance at the Senate was impeccable. We almost fooled Palpatine."

"Yeah," Padmé responded, yawning. She still didn't want to go into full detail about the now-infamous meeting.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?"

Padmé's eyes drifted towards the open window. "I couldn't."

Her old mentor was always hard to deceive. From the other side of the blue shimmer, Mon smiled narrowly. "What's the matter?"

"Oh, nothing at the moment," Padmé lied, "How was the mission to that moon with the forests?"

"First, that's a lie, and second, I just received the report from the scouting team on Yavin. The planet will make a wonderful base, and plans have been made to start building by the Great Temple. However, there was a squabble between a Scouting Team and a group of Rogue Imperials. The Imperials were defeated, but we lost five consultants."

"Five?" Padmé shouted as loud as she could without waking up her twins. She glanced at them, just to make sure. "The team consisted of only ten!"

"I understand," Senator Mothma sympathized, "however, these are similar numbers that we were faced with at the beginning of the Clone Wars."

"Lives are still lives," Padmé retorted.

Mon sighed, "I'll call a meeting in the morning. For now, you should get some rest. Good night."

"Goodnight," Amidala-Skywalker mumbled, disenchanted with the notion of war despite now being a general in what could become one of the messiest galactic conflicts. Ahsoka's report brought much-needed good news, but the small victory wouldn't last long. Han was on his way from Dantooine after he caused some trouble around the base, Rex needed to meet up with the Bad Batch, and pirates had returned. Padmé looked forward to the extra help on the island but was slightly worried about needing to care for another child all by herself.

The Senator of Naboo strolled onto the balcony and looked up at the stars. She sighed and whispered a wish into the cool breeze. Too many questions swirled in her mind, each with no clear answer. Padmé turned her back to the silvery moon, shining brightly overhead, and decided that she should get some shut-eye, or at least clear her mind. The Empire would fall. Eventually.