Star Wars Episode IV: A New Beginning

Chapter 6: A New Hope

It had been a long, sleepless night on Polis Massa, but early the next morning, the head medical droid at the facility handed two small bundles of joy to their anxious parents. Anakin was beyond elated to announce that he was the father of the newborn twins, a boy named Luke and a girl named Leia. Skywalker cradled both children in his arms, tears of joy welling in his eyes. The galaxy was falling apart, but he still considered this to be the best day of his life. "I love you more than anything else in the galaxy," he whispered to them.

"Ani," Padmé asked when she woke up, exhausted after astonishingly giving birth so early in the third trimester, "as the person who recently gave birth, can I please hold my children? I think they want to spend some time with their mother." She was relieved that Anakin's nightmarish visions had not come true, and she would be able to raise her children on Naboo, as she and Anakin had planned, but still felt a twang of maternal distress.

"Of course! Sorry, Angel," Anakin responded, sheepishly. Then, in a baby voice, he cooed, "Princess? Lukey? This is the happiest moment of my life. Always remember that." He didn't like having the twins out of his sight, and the thought of being powerless to protect them frightened the Hero With No Fear. Their helpless beady eyes melted his heart as he carefully placed them in Amidala's awaiting arms.

As Padmé gushed about how cute her children were, Anakin noticed Obi-Wan leaning against the doorframe, acknowledging the cheerful family with a faint smile. If the Jedi Order was still standing, none of this would have been possible, since a blood test would reveal the twins as extremely Force-Sensitive, and they would be placed under the watchful eye of the most skilled Jedi Masters. Moreover, Anakin and Padmé would only have a few moments with their children since Younglings weren't meant to harbor a relationship with their parents and Anakin would have been swiftly exiled from the Jedi Order once his betrayal was revealed. However that didn't happen, and it never would. Silently, Anakin realized that his fall and Order 66 might have been a blessing in disguise for the young family. "Master," Anakin called motioning to Kenobi, "Come meet your niece and nephew!"

"My what? Anakin, I'm not-"

The bright smile refused to leave Skywalker's face as he pulled the older Jedi Master towards Padmé's bed. "Well, Uncle Obi-Wan, you are coming with us to Naboo to help raise these little darlings. Plus, don't you need to keep an eye on me, to make sure I'm not conspiring with the Emperor?" Anakin winked and flashed his trademark smirk as Kenobi awkwardly tried to balance Leia in his arms.

The Negotiator shook his head, with a smile, and looked down at the little girl sleeping peacefully in his arms, "This one is going to be just like you; I can sense it."
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Two weeks later...

"No! I do not want to join a Rebellion spearheaded by corrupt politicians!" Skywalker shouted. Leia, whom Anakin had been holding, stirred in her slumber but didn't cry. Luke on the other hand...

"WAHH!" The older twin screeched as Padmé rushed into the nursery to comfort her son. She shot her husband a dirty look but didn't say anything to instigate another fight.

"But you married a politician!" Obi-Wan stated calmly, purposefully omitting 'corrupt' from his statement, "Plus, there are no Jedi around anymore to lead a Rebellion."

Anakin grimaced at the last statement. The past two weeks at Varykino had been nothing but pure relaxed bliss with Padmé, the twins, and Obi-Wan. Skywalker couldn't remember the last time he smiled so much or had been at peace. However, unrest continued to circulate through the galaxy. Bail Organa contacted Padmé the night before and asked her to join the Alliance to Restore the Republic. The name was a work in progress, much like the rest of the group. The Rebellion had been forming since the culmination of the Clone War but recently shifted from against Palpatine to in resistance of the Empire as a whole. Padmé agreed immediately and later asked Anakin and Obi-Wan to join her cause. While Kenobi was delighted by the idea, Skywalker was a bit more hesitant. "I don't want the twins to grow up in a society torn by civil war."

"Would you rather them grow up under the oppression of the Empire?"

"No, but-" Anakin began before he sighed and looked down at his serene daughter, who was just beginning to wake up from her nap.

"You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist," Obi-Wan chided. Sometimes, his mischievous and headstrong former Padawan needed a nudge in the right direction.

"Nothing they can say will change my mind," Skywalker said absentmindedly. He didn't take the bait.

"Oh really?" The Negotiator questioned, "Nothing at all?"

The Hero With No Fear shook his head in strong defiance. The galaxy didn't matter to him anymore. Protecting everyone wasn't his driving passion. Anakin wanted to protect those he cared about, and at the moment, they were Luke and Leia.

Padmé, who had listened attentively to the ordeal, while remaining silent, decided now was the perfect time to speak. "The Rebellion needs all the aid they can get. They are small, but rapidly growing, with reach all across the galaxy." Her eloquent words caught Anakin's attention while Kenobi realized what was happening. He smirked in triumph, knowing the battle had already been won. "Help from the Jedi would be exceptionally positive."

Anakin was unnaturally quiet for a few moments, as his wife's words registered in his mind. "Hmm, alright," he said, lifting Leia to his eye-level, "I'll join the Rebellion to- and only to- overthrow the Empire and reinstate the Republic, as the name suggests."

Obi-Wan smiled calmly as Padmé rescued him once again from a sticky situation with Anakin. Only two people in the galaxy could tell the stubborn Jedi Knight what to do- Padmé and Ahsoka. "Good," he said, "So you will be joining Senator Amidala- I mean Senator Amidala-Skywalker- on a diplomatic visit to Alderaan tomorrow?"

Anakin blinked in surprise, nearly dropping his little princess, "What? How come I've never heard of that?"

"Ani, Bail asked me to go to Alderaan to help with the proper formation of the Rebel Alliance. They need a solid foundation, and I offered to help. I was going to tell you but-" the Senator explained.

"Okay," Anakin said slowly, "but Obi-Wan is coming too." He looked to his brother, "and the twins."

"It's settled then!" Padmé smiled triumphantly, "Pack your bags. We leave first thing in the morning."