They had arrived on Naboo, at a medical center near the waterfalls, just as Padmé had always dreamed. She would have her children in the place of her dreams.
"Are you alright, Padmé?" Anakin asked for the thousandth time that day.
"Ani, I'm fine," Padmé smiled, a little sore. The moment of birth was fast approaching.
Luke hugged his mother, who leaned against his shoulder. Mara held Luke's hand as she smiled at Padmé. Leia hugged her father as if her life depended on it, while Anakin tried to hold back his tears. Han watched them. He would miss Leia terribly, but he knew, he hoped, that they would see each other again. Han had a feeling that this was the moment to leave as well. He had come in the same way as Luke and Leia, and it made sense to everyone that his time in the past would end the same way. If this wasn't the case, he had already spoken with Anakin; he would leave only when his time in the past was over, given how strange it would be for him to stay when his future bride would be just a newborn. Mara, for her part, knew that her time hadn't come yet. It would be strange to see Luke as a newborn, not to mention absurd, which is why Mace Windu had told her that when the time came, she could continue her training with him, to avoid being near a very young Luke. Ahsoka watched the beautiful family in the company of Obi-Wan and Satine. She would miss the twins, and Han too. They had become good friends. When she saw them again at the same age, she would be much older than them—well, at least with Han they would be almost the same age.
"General Kenobi," an urgent transmission suddenly came through Obi-Wan's communicator.
"Queen Jarmilla?" Obi-Wan asked, visibly confused.
"I regret alerting you at such a special moment as this," she said, smiling at the Skywalker family. "But an Imperial ship is attempting to invade us." Everyone's faces fell.
"We must stop it. It can't get here," Anakin said, and Padmé took his hand.
"Please be careful," Padmé said, her eyes welling with tears. Suddenly, a powerful contraction made her double over in pain, followed a minute later by another.
"I think it's time," Satine said, horrified.
"You must stay," Mara said, standing up, and Ahsoka did the same. "We'll stop them."
"It could be dangerous," Anakin said.
"Master, you have a greater responsibility," Ahsoka smiled.
"Stay with your Skywalker family," Mara smiled. "We'll handle this."
"We'll go with you," Leia said, looking at Han and Luke.
Anakin didn't want to give in, but they said goodbye to their children. They would fight until the time was right. The farewell was warm and melancholic. In the distance, they could see Imperial ships landing, and Naboo was holding out, but they needed help. Obi-Wan removed his robes, ready to go into battle, but Ahsoka stopped him.
"No, Master," Ahsoka said, smiling. "You saw Luke and Leia born in the past. You should be here."
"Ahsoka, Imperial ships are invading Naboo," Obi-Wan said.
"Master, we can do this. Besides, if we fail, you'll need someone to protect you," Mara smiled, and everyone looked at her strangely when she called Obi-Wan "Master."
"Are you sure you can do it without us?" Anakin asked. "Know-it-all?"
"You know-it-all?" "Don't you trust my master?" Ahsoka asked, smiling.
"I would trust you with my life," Anakin said.
"Then I'll see you later," Ahsoka smiled, leaving with Mara.
They waited a while for the twins to say their final goodbyes. The farewell was sad, too painful, but they knew it was temporary.
Han waited by the door, but Anakin stopped him before he left.
"What's wrong?" Han asked.
"Thank you for taking care of them. Perhaps, in the future, they'll accept you into their lives," Anakin said. Han extended his hand to shake Anakin's in a gesture of peace, but Anakin took his hand and embraced him in a friendly hug.
"That's the strangest thing I've ever said," Han joked. "But may the Force be with you, Anakin," Han said.
"May the Force be with you too," Anakin smiled, and Han left with Leia.
Leia looked at her father, and an impulse took hold of her to run and throw herself into his arms. Anakin picked her up and hugged her, then wiped away her tears.
"I love you, Dad," Leia said, and Anakin kissed her forehead, saying that he loved her too and always would.
Luke held Padmé in his arms; she was sobbing, more from the farewell than from the incessant pain. Then Leia hugged her mother one last time while Luke embraced his father.
"I'm proud of you, Luke. I always will be," Anakin said.
"I'm so happy we fulfilled our purpose here," Luke said, smiling. "Now it will be your work, but I know everything will be alright. I have faith that it will be." Luke smiled, and then they left.
Padmé took Anakin's hand, and they knew it was time. Satine helped prepare Padmé while Anakin paced the room, making Obi-Wan dizzy.
"Relax, Padawan," Obi-Wan smiled. "She'll be fine. Everything will be alright."
"But what if she isn't?" Anakin asked, horrified. "What if something happened to Padmé? What if the Imperials arrived? What if something happened to Luke and Leia? What if something happened to Ahsoka?"
"Anakin," Obi-Wan said with a smile, "Ahsoka, your children, and Mara have participated in numerous missions. They can stop an Imperial ship. Besides, they have the support of the Naboo army, and even the Gungans are backing them. They'll be fine."
"But what if they get here?" "How can I protect Padmé if she's in labor?" Anakin shouted.
"That's when I'll take care of it. I'll protect your family with my life, my very young Padawan," Obi-Wan retorted, annoyed again. "It's the least I can do for you. Besides, I was the one who saw them born first," Obi-Wan smiled, and Anakin rolled his eyes.
"That's what the future showed. Now I'll be able to see them born, thanks to all of you," Anakin smiled, calming down.
"Go to Padmé," Obi-Wan said. When Satine nodded, Anakin sighed, and the Duchess smiled, giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek, which made Anakin smile and calm down.
"It's a boy. I can hardly believe I'm going to have children," Satine said, laughing.
"You know?" "I could barely handle one Skywalker when I was a kid, I wonder how I'm going to handle two more of them?" Obi-Wan asked, and Satine almost burst out laughing.
"Two Skywalkers and a Kenobi," Satine smiled, and Obi-Wan took the time to hug her and caress her now-swollen belly. He was going to be a father, after all the hardships they had endured.
"I just hope they're alright," he said, watching the battle raging nearby.
The battle was proving more difficult than they had anticipated, but Ahsoka and Luke were leading the troops and advancing rapidly. They just hoped they could stop them.
"We'll see each other soon, Luke," Mara said, kissing him as they fought the Imperial troops.
"We'll see each other soon," Luke smiled, giving her a quick kiss.
Han and Leia were in the Millennium Falcon. They had to destroy the Imperial Star Destroyer along with the rest of the troops.
"Do you think we'll see each other again?" Leia asked, taking Han's hand.
"Of course," Han said, smiling. "I'm sure we'll meet again."
"Dad will always object. He thinks you're a scoundrel," Leia said, smiling.
"He likes me," Han said, smiling.
Leia said goodbye to Bail Organa through her communicator, telling him she loved him and thanking him for everything he had given her. The man was on the verge of tears, saying that it didn't matter if he was no longer her adoptive father, that he would always be there for her, and that he would never forget her.
Anakin stood beside Padmé, holding her hand. She tried to remain calm, but it was too difficult with the sounds of battle outside.
Anakin then remembered the advice Yoda had given him before they left: to seek peace in the Force. And now everything made sense. He took Padmé's hand and closed his eyes, concentrating on what was happening. His children were being born; all of this was the fruit of the love he and Padmé shared. Outside, his master was beside him, and his children and friends were fighting a battle. They weren't alone; they were surrounded by people who loved them. He focused on his feelings for Padmé, his children, Ahsoka, Mara, and Han, Obi-Wan and Satine, and then he achieved something that Jedi cannot achieve even after many years of meditation: he managed to transmit the peace he felt through the Force. Padmé immediately felt a sense of calm, and tears fell from her eyes—tears of happiness, tears of love—because they knew that although there was still a long way to go, they had changed the future. They were together now, and they would face whatever came together, like one big family.
"It's time," said the medical droid.
"It's time." Luke was born first. Anakin held Padmé's hand through every cry of pain and every moment she thought she couldn't go on. The medical droid handed the baby to an anxious Anakin, who held him gently. Padmé rested for a few minutes; soon she would have to continue fighting to bring Leia into the world. Anakin gazed at her, adoring her, then looked at Luke. He brought him closer to Padmé, who was crying with emotion.
"Luke," Padmé smiled, sobbing.
Anakin noticed Satine and Obi-Wan pacing nervously outside the room. He smiled; now they were the ones who were nervous. He signaled to his master, who nervously entered, followed by Satine. The Duchess kissed Padmé's forehead, encouraging and congratulating her. Padmé didn't feel intimidated by her presence there. When everything started again, Anakin smiled, handing Luke to Obi-Wan. The man stared at him, terrified, while Satine and Padmé smiled. Seeing the scene of complete trust between Obi-Wan and Anakin was simply hopeful; they had truly changed the future. Obi-Wan moved slightly away from Padmé to give her some privacy, while he and Satine held Luke. He was a beautiful baby. Satine smiled hopefully; soon she would be the one giving birth.
Another cry was heard, and Anakin scooped Leia up, bringing her closer to her mother. Padmé looked tired, but happier than ever. Both her children had been born safe and sound, and Anakin was by her side. She looked at her husband's face and saw the tears streaming down his face.
"I love you so much," Anakin said, sobbing as he held Leia.
"I love you so much." "I love you too, Ani," Padmé smiled. Obi-Wan knelt beside Padmé, holding Luke, and she allowed herself to cry tears of joy.
Soon they felt a shift in the Force. Everyone closed their eyes. Luke and Leia were gone, they had returned to the future, but they remained here, like two beautiful children, creating a new future with their parents and friends.
The sounds of battle had long since ceased; everything had gone well.
Padmé was taken to a quiet room overlooking the waterfalls of Naboo, just as she had dreamed. Satine had helped her with everything, not leaving her alone for a single minute. As Obi-Wan and Anakin watched Luke and Leia, it was a tender and enchanting sight. Obi-Wan was undoubtedly on the verge of tears seeing his former apprentice cradling his children and soothing them with the Force. Anakin was truly like a son to him. Now, more than ever, he knew the code was wrong, that everything about love was flawed. Now, more than ever, he knew it. He had never before felt his former apprentice so close to the light side as he did now. There was peace in him, not anger, not hatred, not suffering, only the purest happiness.
A few hours later, they were all in Padmé's room. She was holding her two children, smiling. Satine sat beside her, while Obi-Wan and Anakin sat cross-legged on either side of the bed, discussing which fighting style Leia and Luke would choose in the future, after their Jedi training. Padmé was saying that Leia most likely wouldn't even want to follow the Jedi code.
They suddenly heard numerous voices, and Anakin and Obi-Wan looked in surprise toward the door. What were the council masters doing here? they wondered. Then they heard the voices of Ahsoka and Ayla Secura.
"No, I must go first. He's my master, and those children will be like my younger siblings," Ahsoka said, and Anakin smiled, amused. He was sure his padawan had forgotten that everything could be overheard.
"Oh no, we'll all go first. This is something new for Jedi Padawans," said Ayla Secura.
"You were the one who told me not to get too attached to my master," said Ahsoka.
"And I'm the one who's going to marry a Council Master. Just forget what I said," said Ayla Secura.
"Oh, please, Master," begged Ahsoka. "Just let me go first. My master is like a father to me, and I really want to see that," Ahsoka pleaded, and Ayla Secura smiled.
"I was just kidding. Of course, it'll be you," she said, glancing at the other Jedi who were coming with them.
Ahsoka didn't even bother knocking and excitedly entered the room, blushing at the amused looks on her face. She had completely forgotten that Jedi could hear from a distance, but it seemed she had spoken so loudly that even Padmé and Satine had heard her. She didn't care at all. She ran to Padmé's bed and sat beside her.
"Oh, they're beautiful," she said, holding Leia. "How could someone like him create something as beautiful as these two?" Ahsoka asked, and Padmé smiled excitedly.
Ahsoka carefully carried Luke after letting go of Leia, then handed the children to Padmé, and practically jumped on her master to congratulate him.
"Thank you, wise one," Anakin said, holding her.
"I'm glad we changed the future master," she said as Anakin wiped away a tear. "When these two, in their adult versions, arrived and sought me out first, I never thought I'd be capable, but everything turned out well. Now we'll face what's coming together," she said, hugging Anakin again.
"All together," Anakin said.
Suddenly, a new argument erupted outside. All the Jedi were arguing about who should be next, until Padmé rolled her eyes.
"Fine, everyone can come in," she shouted, and the door nearly fell off its hinges as they all entered.
Ayla Secura, Master Fisto, Mace Windu, Yoda, Master Mundi, Shaak Ti, Luminara Undulli, and Master Ploo stood there, watching the two young Skywalkers in awe.
Master Ploo hugged Ahsoka, smiling at the scene. The code would change; after this, they were certain it had to.
Master Yoda chuckled as he held baby Luke. Ayla Secura held Leia, and Master Fisto smiled. Then it was Luminara and Shaak Ti's turn. Padmé trusted them, and she trusted that her children wouldn't cry because all the Jedi seemed to use Force techniques to calm the little ones. After several long minutes, everyone fell silent. Then, a serious Master Mace Windu took advantage of the fact that everyone was chatting happily and the sweet children were in their cribs to go and hold Luke and Leia. Everyone turned quickly and raised an eyebrow as they watched him smile while playing with Leia's hand, which she gripped tightly.
"The code was really wrong, wasn't it?" Obi-Wan asked, and Mace Windu, to everyone's surprise, smiled.
"Yes, it was," was his short reply before placing the children in their crib.
Everyone congratulated the happy young couple and then left to let Padmé rest. Anakin stayed with her until she fell asleep, but not before asking about the battle and how his children had returned to the future.
Ahsoka said there was peace, that Luke and Mara had said their goodbyes, and then Luke had disappeared. The same had happened with Leia and Han.
"What happened to Mara and Han?" Anakin asked.
Mace Windu replied that Han had disappeared along with Leia, as they had suspected. The Millennium Falcon had been left behind, and Han had mentioned that he hoped Anakin would take care of it before disappearing. Anakin smiled, then Mace Windu explained that Mara should stay a little longer, that she would know when it was her time to retire, and that she would remain with him to continue her training.
After that, Padmé fell into a deep sleep as Anakin watched her sleep beside their children.
The birth of the two Skywalker children was a momentous event; everyone on Dantooine knew it, but so did the Emperor, who smiled wickedly. Soon those children would be his. He hadn't been able to make Anakin join the dark side, but two Skywalkers with the same power as their father would certainly be a better option. Besides, the girl would always carry the seed of the dark side within her; he would ensure that his plan didn't fail, as it seemed had happened with Mara Jade.