Tresspass
Arrogance diminishes wisdom. That was an important lesson displayed when Pietro Maximoff went to Orto Plutonia. A thing to remember about him is that he hated politics and politicians. They threw his country into civil war and ruined his life. Chairman Cho was a clear reminder of that. However, he would become very close to Senator Riyo Chuchi after this. More than either would ever have anticipated. And this mission would also have a very unexpected yet welcomed reunion.
-An excerpt from The Fight For Justice, by Luke Skywalker
“Jesus. It’s almost as bad as Ilum.”
“And this is the planet’s tropical zone,” Kenobi said. “Cody, have the men survey the area. Place as many sensor beacons as you-”
There was a whooshing sound that wasn’t the wind. The two looked at the obvious culprit.
“It’s done,” Maximoff said plainly.
“What?” Cody asked.
“The sensor beacons. I just took care of them.”
They looked around to see that the sensor beacons were in fact placed in the snow.
“Did you turn them on?”
“…One moment.” He sped away then came right back. “Done.”
The Jedi chuckled.
“You and your team never fail to amaze me.”
They could hear 3PO complaining in the background.
“General Kenobi,” Chairman Cho called out. Beside him were two Pantoran guards and Senator Riyo Chuhi
Great. More politicians, Pietro thought. He glanced at Chuchi. She is pretty though, I’ll admit that much. And Padme did say she was one of the good ones, so I guess I shouldn’t be so quick to judge.
“Chairman Cho, Senator Chuchi, I suggest we wait here until we can secure the area.”
“I respect your judgment, General Kenobi, but I will go where I choose. You warned me of this imminent attack. Then I immediately learned that we lost contact with the base here. This is sovereign Pantora territory and I will not see it fall to the Separatists,” he said firmly.
“I thought nobody owned this planet?” Maximoff inquired.
“Our moon of Pantora is the only civilization in this system. I’m the one who asked the Senate to protect this planet. This wasteland belongs to us.”
Pietro gave him a flat look.
Okay, I hate this guy already.
“With all due respect, Chairman, this is for the Senate to decide, not us,” Kenobi argued.
“Ah, but the Jedi report to the Senate, which is Senator Chuchi of Pantora.”
The Senator stepped forward.
“Technically speaking, Master Jedi, the Chairman is correct. Since the planet is uninhabited, the moon of Pantora reserves the right to continue as its protectorate.”
“Point taken, Senator,” the General conceded. “Pietro, stay here with the Senator and the droid while we secure the base.”
The speedster groaned before sighing in resignation.
Obi Wan paused before continuing forward. He felt two presences in the Force. They were faint but there. The more he thought about it, he’d actually felt them the moment they exited hyperspace.
One felt like a beacon of light, glowing brightly. Yet there was a gentleness to it. Like you could look at it and not be blinded. It was rather soothing.
The other was like a raging storm. Erratic, wild, and powerful. But it felt contained and had no malice.
The way these two felt together, well Obi Wan could only describe it as a balance of sorts.
Shaking it off and shelving it at the moment, the Jedi, clones, and Pantoran Chairman marched into the base, leaving Pietro and Riyo alone.
“Padme says that you’re a friend,” she said.
“I am. Ever since I saved her on Illum.”
Chuchi raised a brow.
“That’s not what she told me.”
He pointed a finger at her.
“I’ll have you know that’s exactly how it happened. Don’t believe the lies that she tells.”
The young Pantoran woman smiled in amusement.
“Oh, what’s this? A genuine smile? Maybe you’re not another stuck up politician afterall.”
“…Thank you?” she said, not really sure how to respond.
“Excuse me, Mr. Maximoff, but I would like to get out of the cold,” 3PO said.
“We’ll go inside as soon as Obi Wan says it’s safe.”
Meanwhile, the Jedi and Pantorans stood in the control room.
“Do you think the Separatist base is close by?” Cho questioned.
“I don’t think we’re dealing with Separatists. At least, not yet,” Kenobi said, examining the controls. “These computers haven’t been touched.
“Sir,” Cody said, walking up to his general. “Our scouts have spotted the droid base on the other side of the ice ridge.
The clones and Jedi sped across the tundra on speeders. Pietro just ran.
They arrived to find the droid base frozen over with droid heads mounted on pikes.
The Avenger walked up to one.
“Same people that attacked your base?”
“Most likely,” Obi Wan stated. “Place the sensor beacons then come inside with me.”
After doing exactly that they walked inside with some clones to see droids frozen in place and headless. There were piles of snow with more mounted droid heads.
“Did you find anything?” Kenobi asked from the control room.
Pietro crouched down to see a footprint.
“There are large footprints around here.”
“Have one of the men make a cast.” He walked to the holotable and was swiftly joined by the speedster. “I think I found something.” He tried to activate it but was met with warble sounds. “Blast it.”
“Right, I forgot you don’t have tv’s here. This is what we do when we have this problem on Earth,” Maximoff said before simply hitting it.
A hologram of a droid flared to life.
“685 to command. There are too many of them. They’ve overrun the base. We need reinforcements. Ah!”
The droid was tackled by some sort of furry creature.
“Was that a Yeti?” the Earth native questioned.
“Whatever it was, it’s a good warrior.”
“The droid’s log indicates they were investigating the southern canyon,” Cody reported.
“Sounds like a good place to start.”
“I want the weapons system back online and the shields operational. There’s no telling what the Separatists have planned,” the Chairman ordered a clone.
“Chairman, what makes you so certain the Separatists are behind this attack?” Chuchi asked.
“Look around, Senator,” he gestured to the clone bodies. “Isn’t this carnage proof enough?”
“I know, but there are no dead droids here, no blast marks. The clones’ injuries were not consistent with what-”
“So, you're an expert on war now, are you, Senator?” he interrupted indignantly.
She looked down.
“No, Chairman. I only-”
“Let me tell you something, Senator. I have led your people since before you were born. I’ve seen a hundred planets rise and fall through force of arms. If it’s not the Separatists out there then it’s an aggressive and malevolent enemy, nonetheless. And I will not let whoever it is jeopardize the security of the people of Pantora.”
“But if the Jedi and Avenger discover that the Separatists aren’t behind this, then perhaps there is a peaceful resolution.”
He stared at her flatly.
“Senator, I am willing to fight and die for my people. It’s time to ask yourself if you are brave enough to do the same.”
Obi Wan and Pietro looked across the canyon through their binoculars.
“There’s some kind of reflection up there. Do you see it?” Kenobi asked.
“Yep. And there’s another one over this way too,” Maximoff responded.
“Well, they know we’re coming. Let’s go.”
The Jedi hopped in his spreader while the speedster ran through the snow. They eventually stumbled upon a small village on the side of the canyon. It was filled with the creatures from the hologram.
Kenobi looked at them with recognition.
“Talz.”
“Talz?”
“They’re a species that inhabit the planet Alzoc 3, which isn’t far from here.”
“How’d they get here, then?”
“I don’t know. They clearly lack technology for Space travel,” he said, eying the village.
He froze, and it wasn’t from the cold.
“You okay, Obi Wan?”
“Be prepared. I’ve been sensing two very strong presences in the Force. And they’re here.”
Pietro nodded.
The Talz walked towards them with their spears ready.
The Avenger tensed up.
“Steady, Pietro. They’re only curious. Let’s not provoke them as our troops and the droids must have done.”
A figure in a fur coat carrying some wood stared at them.
Maximoff waved to the group.
“Hi, there. Hope this isn’t a bad time.”
The figure gasped and dropped the wood they were carrying. The sound caught the attention of all in attendance.
They walked closer to the speedster and removed their hood…
Revealing a very familiar face, surprising the Avenger to his core.
“Pietro!” Wanda shouted in joy.
“Wanda!” he responded in kind before dashing right for his twin sister, with her leaping into his arms.
They held each other tightly as they fell to their knees laughing and crying at the same time.
Everyone stared at the two Maximoffs. The Jedi could hear them softly speaking in Sokovian to each other.
Wanda pulled away from him, but kept her hands on his shoulders.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“No, I’m fine. You?”
“I’m okay.”
“Wanda, is everything all right?” they heard a familiar voice.
Pietro looked up to see Vision staring at them, seemingly caught off guard by his friend’s sudden appearance.
“Viz!” the twelve minute older twin exclaimed happily before rising up with his sister and bringing the android into a triple hug.
Seeing that the newcomers were not a threat, the Talz’s leader walked up to the Jedi, raised his spear, then stabbed in the ground before gesturing for the group to come inside. Wanting to get warm, three of them anyways, the present Avengers followed.
“I want to know everything that’s happened since we got separated,” Pietro said with a smile that wouldn’t go away.
His sister rolled her eyes.
“Let’s get inside first. Then I’ll tell you.”
Wanda woke up feeling cold. No, scratch that. She woke to be surrounded by nothing but snow and wind.
Then she gasped.
There was this…feeling. It was like water was washing over her in an endless sea. It was calming yet exhilarating. Foreign yet…familiar?
One thing was certain. Whatever it was, it was powerful, and she felt a connection to it.
Shaking it off for now, she stood up and placed a finger to her earpiece.
“Hello? Anyone?”
“Wanda?”
“Vision! Thank God. Where are we?”
“From what I can recall, we are on a planet in a different Galaxy entirely.”
Wanda froze and it wasn’t from the cold.
“Are the others here?”
“I’m afraid not.”
“Where are you?”
“Flying right above you.”
The Sokovian looked up to see Vision descending before her. Once he reached the ground she immediately ran up to him and held him in a tight embrace.
The android was slow to respond. Physical displays of emotion were still new to him.
“What do we do?” she asked, pulling back.
“We need to find civilization. I believe if I use the Mind Stone, I could scan the area for any lifeforms.”
Wanda nodded.
The android closed his eyes and the yellow gem began to glow. It died down again after a few moments.
“This way.”
He gently took her into his arms and flew into the air. They went on for miles until stopping before a cave.
“I don’t see anyone, Viz.”
“They’re here, I assure you.”
Then several furry aliens with four eyes and tubes for mouths rose up from the snow. One of them waved a spear and spoke fiercely in its native language.
Vision placed a hand to his chin.
“I do believe I could learn their language given proper observation and enough time.”
“Or I could just read their minds, then send them a message mentally,” Wanda said simply.
He paused.
“Oh. Yes, that certainly would be effective.”
Maximoff smirked at him before her eyes glowed red as she looked in the aliens’ minds.
“They want to know what we’re doing on their planet. What should I say?”
“Tell them the truth.”
She sighed.
“This’ll take a while.”
“And so we’ve contributed every now and then, had a few snowball fights, and here we are,” Wanda finished.
They were all inside a hut, sitting around a warm fire.
“Wait, you got Viz to have a snowball fight?” Pietro inquired, perplexed.
“We were gathering wood when she threw a snowball at me and I retaliated. Then she used her powers to form dozens and hurled them at me. So, I phased through them. Then we agreed not to use our powers so we’d at least be evenly matched.”
“Huh. Well, I’m glad we found you both.”
“The others. Are they…?” she left unfinished, scared of the answer.
“They’re fine. In fact, you were the only ones still missing.”
The younger twin sighed in relief. Then she turned to see the bearded man staring at her and Vision.
He grimaced, seeing that he had been caught.
“Apologies. I suppose introductions are in order. I am Obi Wan Kenobi of the Jedi Order.”
“Wanda Maximoff,” she greeted.
“Vision,” he introduced.
“I am sorry for staring, it’s just that your presences in the Force are rather pronounced.”
She tilted her head while the android gave him a curious look.
“What is, if you wish to tell, the Force,” Viz asked.
“The Force is an energy field that stems from all life across the Galaxy. There are Force Sensitives such as myself who can use it to our advantage,” he answered, making his lightsaber float in front of them.
The synthetic being had an intrigued look while Wanda seemed to be pondering something.
“What…What does it feel like?”
The Jedi rubbed his beard in thought.
“It’s different from person to person. Some Jedi perceive it as an invisible flow, like water, eternal wind, a light, or warmth.”
“Water?”
“Yes. Why do you ask?”
“When we first got here, I woke up to this new feeling. It was like I was swimming in an ocean. But I felt like this had happened before.”
Kenobi perked up at that.
“Are you certain?”
She shrugged.
“If anything, it was like a nudge in the background.”
“Perhaps the Force has a small presence on Earth and you have always been sensitive to it,” Vision hypothesized.
Obi Wan frowned in thought. That was a possibility.
His musing was cut off by the Talz leader, Thi-Sen, began speaking to him. He spoke in his native language as gestured to a picture of a droid and clenched his fist emphatically.
Kenobi turned to the Avengers.
“You have lived with them for some time. Could you translate for me?”
“Of course,” the young woman said.
After some time of discussion, the group began to leave the village. But not before they each received a hug from Thi-Sen. Eventually they arrived back at the base with Wanda and Vision looking around in fascination.
“Glad to have you back, sirs. It’s getting nasty out there,” Cody said. Then he took notice of the newcomers. “Who are they?”
“Cody, this is my sister Wanda and our friend Vision. They’re Avengers.”
The clone Commander somehow stood up straighter.
“Welcome to the Republic. Captain Rogers will certainly be happy to see you both.”
The Pantorans approached the group.
“What did you find?” Cho asked.
“It seems we’ve stumbled onto an inhabited planet,” the Jedi answered.
“Impossible! Our explorers have spent much time here over the long history of Pantora. No one lives here. They’re trespassers,” the Chairman spat.
Wanda frowned deeply at hearing this.
“Who the hell is this guy?” she whispered to her brother.
“The local politician.”
She groaned.
“With respect, Chairman Cho, these creatures, the Talz, aren’t advanced enough to master Space travel. I think they may have been here longer than Pantora,” Obi Wan argued.
“Whoever they are, they belong to us. This whole system belongs to us.”
“Your Majesty,” the Senator cut in. “If there are lifeforms here, then the Senate must decide jurisdiction.”
“They are savages. Look at what they’ve done. They’ve slaughtered your troops!”
“They only want to be left alone. The droids attacked them and I’m afraid our outpost got caught in the middle,” Kenobi said.
“Where were you two when that happened?” Pietro asked his sister and friend.
“Trying to find a way off this planet. We were looking for any advanced civilization on the other side of the planet. We flew back the next day to learn what happened,” Vision stated.
“They must be subdued. They’re dangerous. Commander Cody, prepare your troops for battle,” Cho ordered.
“Don’t even think about it,” Wanda threatened, finally gaining attention for herself and Vision from the Chairman.
He was cut off by Obi Wan before he could ask who they were.
“We’ve arranged a meeting between their High Council and you and the Senator. They want peace.”
“They’ll think we lied if we bring the clones,” Pietro added.
“These creatures are little more than animals. You can’t lie to an animal. They can’t be trusted.”
“Sir, Ms. Maximoff and I have lived with them for the past few months and know that that could not be further from the truth,” Vision said.
Chuchi tried to say something but the Chairman cut her off.
“No, it is obvious these creatures are not covered by the Convention of Civilized Systems. The Jedi Council has no say in the matter. Nor do the Avengers.”
“If the Jedi and Avengers are able to communicate with them, their status is in doubt,” the Senator said.
He stood over her.
“Do you stand against your Chairman, Senator?”
“Of course not, your Majesty,” she backed off hastily, making the Maximoffs frown.
“If we are going to meet with Thi-Sen and his council at the arranged time, we will have to leave now,” Obi Wan said.
The Republic entourage arrived at the droid base. The Chairman stepped out of his speeder and looked around.
“Commander, put your men on that ice ridge. We will attack as soon as the savages arrive.”
“There will be no attack, Chairman,” Kenobi said.
“You will do as I command! This planet is under my jurisdiction!”
“The situation is not in your control. The Talz are already here,” Vision announced.
Many Talz riding large cat-like creatures emerged from behind the hills.
“Their scouts have been following us for a while,” Wanda stated while she waved to them. They waved back.
The Jedi and Avengers marched towards the base entrance.
“It seems Thi-Sen doesn’t trust you anymore than you trust him,” Obi Wan said.
More Talz emerged from the snow, and the men aimed their blasters at them.
“Cody, tell the boys to stand down. Just hang tight and let them be,” the older Maximoff ordered.
The group walked inside and found Thi-Sen.
“Your Highness,” the Jedi greeted.
The two Avengers that knew him offered a smile.
They moved to the side and 3PO stepped forward and spoke with him.
The Chairman glared at them.
“These savages have no rights here.”
Chuchi frowned and the twins clenched their fists.
“Chieftain Thi-Sen welcomes you to his home and hopes you come in peace. He wishes to be good neighbors, but he does not wish you to remain on his planet.
Cho gripped the droid by the arm.
“Listen, droid, translate everything I say and exactly as I say it.”
“Would you like me to represent Pantora in this matter?” Riyo asked.
“Not on your life, Senator,” he spat. “There will be no diplomacy this time.” He shoved 3PO out of the way, get close and pointing to the Chieftain. “Listen here, you savage, this world belongs to the moon of Pantora. And as the Supreme Chairman and Exalted Ruler of Pantora, you will not command me to-”
He was suddenly slammed against the wall. He fell to the floor unconscious.
Everyone turned to see Wanda with her eyes glowing red and red mist swirling around her fingers. The Pantoran guards raised their blaster at her, but then their eyes glowed red and they fell asleep.
“Oh, the silence feels good!” she breathed out.
“Wanda!” Pietro chided.
“What?! He was being a dick!”
“Yeah, but I was gonna do that!”
“Well maybe you’ll get your chance.” She turned to the Senator. “Is there anything you could do about this?”
“I’m afraid not. He declared this conflict an internal affair.”
“You could petition the Jedi Council for an intervention,” Obi Wan said.
“You mean, without his authorization?”
“Well, isn’t there anyone on your moon who can help?” Pietro asked.
“The Speaker of the Assembly,” she realized happily. “He has the power.”
“Pietro, take Senator Chuchi and the Chairman back to the base and get a transmission through. Be sure to lock him in his quarters,” Kenobi ordered.
The young man had a smug grin on his face as he sped off with the unconscious Chairman. Then he returned and hefted Riyo up, eliciting loud eep from her.
Later the Senator stood in a room with the twins, staring at the hologram of the Speaker.
“The Assembly has decided that the actions of Chairman Cho are out of order. Senator Chuchi, you are given the authority to negotiate a peaceful settlement between the sovereign planet of Pantora and the Talz.”
“Good,” Wanda said.
The transmission ended.
“So, what’s your plan?” Pietro asked the Senator.
“Actually, Mr. and Ms. Maximoff, since you’re far more experienced, I was hoping you could negotiate on Pantora’s behalf.”
“No. It has to be you. Your people are the ones who were about to fight the Talz. If a war is gonna be prevented, then you need to represent your people,” Pietro stressed.
The twins shared a look before Wanda’s eyes glowed red and she looked into the Senator’s mind. They returned to normal and her face softened.
“Look, we don’t trust politicians. We will never trust politicians. But I can tell that you are not like the ones we grew up with. So, act like it.”
Riyo was silent.
Quicksilver carried them both back to the base, where Thi-Sen stood with a small army behind him.
“Senator,” Obi Wan greeted. “It is time.”
Chuchi nodded. She saw a spear embedded in the ground and picked it up.
“Protocol droid, come with me.”
She marched towards Thi-Sen with 3PO right behind her. The three met each other halfway across the frozen tundra.
“Droid, translate for me.”
“Yes, Mistress.”
Riyo raised the spear.
The Chieftain had his own at the ready.
She stabbed it into the ground.
“To die for one’s people is a great sacrifice; to live for one’s people, an even greater sacrifice.”
3PO spoke in the Talz’s language.
“I choose to live for my people. What do you choose?”
The droid finished.
Thi-Sen spoke firmly before raising his spear high, frightening the Senator a bit. But she didn’t move.
He stabbed it alongside her’s.
“He chooses to live as well,” 3PO said.
“We will leave Orto Plutonia under the watchful eyes of the Talz from this day forth, and recognize your sovereignty as a free and equal people.”
The two bowed to each other, with the rest of the Talz doing the same.
She and the droid returned to the group to receive small smiles.
“Well done, Senator,” Kenobi praised.
“Yes. Most impressive,” Vision stated.
The Maximoffs sent her pleased looks.
“Thank you. All of you.”
“Now that you have created peace between you and the Talz, remember one crucial thing,” Obi Wan began.
“Yes, Master Kenobi?”
“Make it last, Senator. Make it last. And be an example to others so that not only this war, but every war waged may come to an end as well.”
“I will. I promise you,” She said with determination.
Pietro had a small smirk on his face.
You know what? She’s actually kinda cool.
After Credits Scene
“What is the name of this holiday, again?” Padme asked the Avengers. She looked down at her costume with a smile. She was dressed in her old Nubian Queen outfit. Makeup and all.
“Halloween,” Pietro answered. He was dressed in a green and white version of his suit.
The other Avengers were with them. As were their Jedi and clone friends and other Senators that they liked.
There weren’t many of those last ones.
They had all gathered at Padme’s apartment to celebrate the holiday.
“What exactly is the purpose, other than dressing up?” Kenobi asked. He was wearing a costume that looked like a replica of Rhodey’s armor.
“Well, it used to be more focused on religion and pranks. But there’s obviously been some changes since I came out of the ice,” Steve said. He had on Sam’s Falcon suit.
“For the past few decades it’s been about dressing up as whatever you want, kids getting candy, and adults getting drunk,” Rhodey explained. He was dressed up in a replica of Tony’s suit.
Yes, he strongly believed that his own suit was cooler, he would fight you on that, but dammit he missed his best friend.
Natasha got close to Padme.
“The drinking part does not include you.”
It was so quiet that she barely heard it. But the context made her jump nonetheless.
“Can you not mention that in public?! Are you trying to tell the whole Galaxy?!” she whisper-yelled.
The Russian raised her hands placatingly with a smirk.
“You’re the one who’s speaking louder.”
She sighed before looking down at her friend's attire. “You’re dressed up as Hawkeye, right? Was that his codename?”
“Yep,” Romanov answered proudly, raising the bow in her hand.
“Sorry I’m late,” Sam announced, coming into the room. “This took a while to put on.” He was wearing Steve’s Captain America uniform.
“Wow. Nice one, man,” Anakin praised. He was dressed in Rex’s armor while the Captain wore his robes.
“You look great, Sam,” Wanda said.
“Thanks. What are you dressed as?”
“I’m a Sokovian Fortune Teller,” she answered and struck a pose, placing one hand over the other.
Steve stared at his friend. Seeing him in his suit and holding the shield…it felt right.
“I gotta say, this is pretty fun,” Ahsoka admitted, wearing Natasha’s Black Widow suit. “I feel like a badass wearing this.”
“I do feel somewhat intimidating,” Chuchi added. She was wearing Wanda’s usual attire.
“This happens every year on your planet?” Mon Mothma asked.
“What exactly are you, Mon?” Bail questioned his friend. He wore a uniform from the Alderaan Guard. Helmet included.
The redhead shrugged.
“I believe I’m a character from this holomovie from Earth the Avengers showed Padme, who then showed it to me. It is called the Matrix. I highly recommend it. It was quite insightful.”
Back on Earth
“Trick or treat!” Cassie, Cooper, and Lila said to Peter.
The Avengers on Earth had decided to celebrate Halloween together at the Compound, and Peter came up with the idea for the kids to trick or treat across their rooms.
“Greetings, young ones!” Peter said in his best Thor impression. That’s who he was dressed up as. “Who comes to my chambers looking for sweats?!”
“The Hulk!” Cooper cheered, raising his fists.
“Black Widow!” Lila said.
“Stature,” Cassie answered, wearing a purple version of her father’s suit.
“Stature,” Parker asked, puzzled.
“It’s what I want my superhero name to be when I grow up. So I can be like Daddy and Hope,” she said sweetly.
The teenager smiled at that and gave them some candy.
“Alright, you three have fun. I need to get home to my Aunt May and best friend soon.”
They ran to the next door and it opened to reveal Carol wearing a black version of her suit with a domino mask.
“Hi! Here you go!” she said, giving them chocolate.
Then it was Hope and Scott wearing as close to Fury and Maria’s clothes as they could.
The spies didn’t want to participate.
Next were the Barton parents with little Nate. Clint had on his own suit, Laura wore her old Mockingbird outfit, and Nate was in a little Spider-Man costume.
Afterward was Bucky, who looked like a singer from the 40’s.
Finally came Tony and Pepper. As for their costumes…
“Who are you supposed to be?” Lila asked.
“We are Robb and Talisa Stark. The King and Queen in the North,” Tony answered proudly.
“The North Pole?” Cassie asked. “I thought that was Santa.”
Tony sighed.
“No. But come on. You kids must still think I look cool though.”
“Kinda,” Cooper answered.
Stark pouted as his girlfriend laughed. The other adults joined in.
“The King in the North! The King in the North! The King in the North!” they heard Peter cheer down the hall.
Tony’s mood instantly brightened.
“Congratulations, my faithful intern! You get an A+!”
Coruscant
Later that night, after the party was long past over, Anakin came back to spend it with his wife. They were back in their normal clothes and held each other close.
“Finally. I thought we’d never get to be alone tonight,” Anakin said into her hair.
“I’m just glad you’re here,” she replied, placing her head into the crook of his neck.
After a few moments he pulled away with a concerned look.
“Are you all right? You’re trembling. What’s going on?”
Well, I won’t get a better time. So, I may as well tell him now.
She bit her lip and looked him in the eyes.
“Something wonderful has happened. Ani…I’m pregnant.”
Anakin froze. In fact, his brain stopped.
Padme desperately hoped he’d be okay with this.
“That’s…that’s…” A broad smile spread across his face. “That’s wonderful.”
She internally sighed in relief. But there was still fear on her face.
“What are we gonna do?”
The Universe really had a problem with timing.
There was a war. A war they both had responsibilities to deal with. Anakin was a Jedi fighting in it. She was a Senator trying to end it. And they were secretly married. He would be expelled and her career would be annihilated. Then where would the Galaxy be? Where would they be? Where would their child be?
And all that fear was being reflected on Padme’s face.
Anakin just smiled and gently brushed her cheek.
“We're not gonna worry about anything right now. Alright? This is a happy moment. The happiest of my life.”
And he meant it. He meant it with every fiber in his being. He was gonna be a father. And Padme would be their mother.
The young Jedi got down on his knees to be at eye level with her belly. Then he placed his hand there.
“Hi. I’m your Dad. I want you to know that I already love you, and I can’t wait to meet you, Sweetheart. My beautiful baby girl,” he said in a daze.
Padme smirked and curled a brow.
“Girl?”
“It’s a girl. I know it,” he said with certainty.
“Well, I am confident it’s a boy. Mother’s intuition.”
The rest of the night contained more debates on that subject, kisses, and snuggling.
The Galaxy was a mess and their lives were complicated.
But at that moment they were just two people in love.
With children on the way.