Duchess' Homecoming - Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Chapter 11

A couple days had passed since Enasti had reunited with Padme and they were slowly restoring her memory while catching up on lost time.

"The twins are so sweet. I can't believe I missed their birth", Enasti said.

"I can hardly believe it myself", Padme sighed, "But it seems they're taking a liking to you already."

The two laughed as Leia tried climbing Enasti before getting put back down into her sister's arms. Luke was crawling around and knocked over a box full of Enasti's old things. One of them was a picture of Enasti and six clones. The clones were all pulling silly faces while Enasti was trying desperately to keep her face straight. Enasti looked down at the picture. She'd seen so many clones on her journey. From the many stories she'd been told by Echo and Fives, she could tell they were wonderful people.

"What have you got there?", Padme asked, leaning over to see, "Ah, the clones. You always were so fond of them. People used to call you, Duchess of Naboo, Princess of the Clones. After the war, you wanted a Clone Memorial Monument built in Coruscant."

Enasti, still looking at the picture, asked, "And did you?"

Padme sighed, "... It didn't feel right doing it without you... when there was the possibility that you were still out there."

Enasti smiled at her mother, "Well, I'm glad you waited."

Padme looked close at the picture and said, "Y'know, you used to be very close with one of those clones."

Enasti blinked at her, "How close?"

"You remember how Anakin and I were close?", Padme asked. Enasti nodded, "Well, you and he were closer."

Enasti's eyes widened.

"Do you know what happened to him?", she asked.

Padme looked away and that was all Enasti needed to know.

"Oh", she sighed, "I see."

Padme put her arm around Enasti's shoulder before quietly saying, "He would have wanted this for you."

She sighed, "You're right. He would not have wanted me to live in the past. Not when we've found each other."

Enasti kept looking at the picture. There was one particular clone, he had a goatee and had his arm around Enasti's. When she looked at him, she felt as if she'd known him her whole life, like she felt when she had dreams of the man she named Iye. She felt similarly when she was around Fives. She was sad that she hadn't gotten to see him much since the opera but he had his reward money and he said he wanted to go find his clone brother, Rex. She didn't want to hold him back for her own sake. That would've been selfish.

She then looked closer at the picture and noticed something. The clone with his arm around her had a 5 tattooed on the left corner of his forehead. Fives had the exact same tattoo in the exact same place. Suddenly, an insane thought sparked in Enasti's head.

She went back over to Padme and asked her, "Which of these clones was I very close with?"

"I believe it was him. His name was Fives", Padme told her before chuckling slightly, "It still feels so strange how much you've forgotten."

Enasti felt as if time stopped. Fives. It was him. It was always him. He'd been there for her for as long as she'd known him. Even when she didn't know him, he was there.

Padme noticed her expression of disbelief and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Fives", she muttered, "It was him. He was the one I loved before. He was the one I always saw in my dreams. He was the one... who brought me home."

Tears started welling up in Enasti's eyes and Padme put her arms around her.

"He never even told me", she whimpered.

"Shh", Padme hushed, "We're holding a ball in two days to celebrate your return. Him and Echo are going to attend. You can tell him there."

Enasti sighed, "Thank you. You always know what to say."

"It's what I'm here for, my dear", Padme told her.