Love in the Dark

Chapter 4

Padmé had been laying down in the fields near the Naberrie household when the ships arrived out of nowhere, blocking the sunlight and covering her view of the blue sky. Her heart pounding, she pushed herself up. She immediately recognized the Empire's ships, and not wasting a second, she rushed back to the house.
"Padmé! What is happening?" It was Sola who was coming down the stairs, alerted by the big shadows hovering above the city.
"Sola, where are the children? Have they not come home yet?" Padmé asked, ignoring her older sister's question.
"No. Not yet. What is the Galactic Empire doing here!"
"I don't know. But we have to find the children. Now."
Padmé ran towards the front door, grabbing a cloak on the way and wrapping herself in it.
"Padmé! What are you doing! You know you can't go, it's too dangerous! We don't know what's out there."
Sola grabbed her sister by the arm and stopped her in her tracks. She took the cloak off the young woman and put it around herself. "I'll go ask around. You stay here. I'll be back."
Padmé watched reluctantly as she disappeared down the alley. She went back out to the garden to watch the movements of the ships.
About half an hour later, she heard someone come in through the front door. Sola came rushing in, taking the hood of the cloak off her head. "There are stormtroopers everywhere. They've blocked the city entrances and flight paths. The people are all barricaded inside their houses. I'm sorry Padmé, the school was blocked off, I couldn't get even close to it. Troopers are swarming around the main plaza and I heard that an envoy of the Emperor himself came to meet the Queen. I don't like the sound of it, it's like they're taking control of the city."
Padmé had been listening attentively, her eyes focusing on something in the distance. As soon as Sola had finished, she looked over to her, her eyes burning with fierceness. "Sounds like an invasion to me." she said.
Sola stared into her sister's eyes, not liking what she was seeing. Padmé was burning with anger and determination.
"Padmé, we should just wait for now. Stay hidden and see the outcome of this. If things stay the same, we'll make a move. But only then."
The younger sister sat down on the stairs and thought for a moment. Suddenly remembering one of the things Sola had said, she sat back up, a chill shaking her body.
"What was that about the envoy sent by the Emperor?" she asked, dreading the answer.
"I'm not sure about the accuracy of the information I got, but apparently some rumors are that the ship of Darth Vader himself was spotted amongst the others in the plaza. I don't know what to believe though. But if these rumors are true then it can only mean that this is even more serious than we thought it was. For him to come to Naboo in person..."
Sola hadn't realized how her little sister's face had turned white as chalk. Padmé paced hurriedly towards the window while worriedly murmuring "Luke..."
Just then, the door swung open and Leia came running in, out of breath. "Mother!" she said, "There are stormtroopers everywhere! An army! Real ones all over the plaza!"
Padmé ran over to her daughter and placed her hands on her shoulders. "Leia, where's your brother? Where's Luke?"
Leia was surprised at how distressed her mother was. "I left him at the school. But don't worry, I hid him behind a pillar. He won't be seen."
"A pillar? Where?"
"In front of the school, near the middle..."
Padmé got up and took the cloak from Sola. The said woman was about to say something but Padmé rushed to the door and ordered her daughter to stay put with her aunt.
In the blink of an eye, the young woman had disappeared, the door closing shut behind her.
Padmé didn't know much of how the Force worked but she knew that if a Sith Lord was really here, then her son was in danger. After the slaughter of all the Jedi and even the younglings, Padmé was sure that they would hunt any force-sensitive person down, even if it were a child. She had already lost her husband; she didn't want to lose her son. This time, she would fight.

Soon, the young woman could hear the marching of the troopers as she approached the plaza. She thought back at the times when they had fought side by side; her, the Jedi and the clones. But it was all in the past now. How could everything have changed in only one night? How could the ally have become the enemy? She already knew the answer to her questions as two faces came up to her mind: The Chancellor Palpatine and Anakin Skywalker. Had she known that this foul man was Darth Sidious, had she known that he had been twisting and controlling Anakin's mind, she would have killed him with her own two hands. Now that she knew that he was the source of all her pain, she was driven with the desire to kill him, and lived to see his dead body on the floor. But with his apprentice around, it would be almost impossible. So, for the time being, she decided to stay low and take care of her children, waiting until they'd be old enough to help her in her mission. Now that they weren't safe anymore here on Naboo, she decided it was time to put her plan into action and have Luke trained in the Jedi ways. It was the only way he could become strong and could defeat the dark powers of the Sith. As for Leia, she'll have her trained so that she'll become someone with influence and power in the future. She had no doubt that her strong, authoritative but charismatic daughter would become a great leader, much like she was herself in her younger years.
Focusing on what was happening at the plaza, Padmé looked around the school, trying to catch a glimpse of her son. Seeing that she wouldn't see anything from where she was standing, she slithered her way around the ships, carefully remaining unseen, and hid behind one of the trees next to the building.
"Mother!" she heard a small whisper coming from further in front of her, and noticed to her greatest relief that Luke was crouching down behind one of the low walls.
"Luke." She smiled at him and put a finger in front of her lips, telling him to remain quiet. "Sweetheart, I want you to stay crouched in the same way you are right now and come over to me, okay?" she whispered all while motioning to come forward. Luke immediately obeyed and scooted over to where Padmé was hiding. When he was less than a meter away from where she was standing, he broke into a run and wrapped his arms around her. She rubbed his back affectionately and kissed his forehead. "Good boy." she said, "You're so brave."
She picked him up and wrapped the cloak around the both of them.
"Now, I want you to hold tight onto me. We have to get to the house as fast as we can. Leia is waiting for us at home."
Luke nodded and wrapped his arms tightly around his mother's neck.
Mother and son hid into the shadows and hurried down the streets.