A Mother's Gift

By Ruby-Flame Jedi Queen

Padme fidgeted with the japor snippet that had remained close to her heart every day her husband had been away.

Obi-Wan is lying, she thought to herself for the millionth time. Anakin would never commit such an atrocity. Not her Ani�

�I killed them all. And not just the men. But the women. And the children��

Padme shuddered. A deep cold penetrated every inch of her body, and suddenly Padme found herself kneeling on the floor, one hand on her belly, the other wiping away the tears that began to stream steadily down her face.

He would. He had. Obi-Wan was not lying. She knew the truth inside, but she did not want to believe it. She knew the truth, and she also felt that this was only the beginning of the pain.

�I saw you die in childbirth��

Padme remembered Anakin�s words, words that had echoed in her mind many times since Obi-Wan had last visited her, and managed, through her tears, to lift herself off of the floor and walk automatically over to the holoscreen, where she pushed the button that would start the recording.

***

Two days later

***

Obi-Wan looked sadly upon Padme�s still face, a face that only now could be peaceful, and in his mind was transported to a conversation that they had had shortly before Obi-Wan left for Mustafar�

---

Padme had been unusually calm, but Obi-Wan could feel through the Force that it was simply a mask to conceal a raging inner turmoil. Obi-Wan frowned as he realized that this turmoil could potentially harm her child.

He remembered the way she had looked at him when he had asked her, �Anakin is the father, isn�t he?�

What a tragedy. Nothing should be happening like this. Everything was wrong.

�I don�t know what is to happen, Obi-Wan,� Padme admitted, shaking her head sadly, a distant look clouding her eyes. �I still do not want to believe anything you said; I don�t know if I can. But if anything should happen to me, I want my child to know that he or she was loved. I want her to remember me��

Padme�s emotions overwhelmed her, and she choked and could not continued. She bit her lip and placed a hand over her forehead. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, tears made them shine and only made her look more resolute. She tried to speak again, but then merely shook her head, and extended a fist toward Obi-Wan. She was holding something inside her hand.

Finally, she found the strength to speak again, and her fingers uncurled, revealing a small chip.

�I made this hologram for my child. Please make sure that if anything happens�� then she broke off again and her lip quivered. She was having a very hard time retaining her calm fa�ade.

Obi-Wan wondered why she wanted to hide her emotions from him, but he suspected it had something to do with her hope that perhaps he had been lying. Obi-Wan wished that he could have lied to her. It would have been better than to have had to truthfully admit that Anakin had slaughtered innocent younglings.

And Obi-Wan was maintaining a hope of his own. A hope that somehow, Anakin would listen to reason. But even as his padawan, Anakin had had trouble listening to reason.

But Anakin was supposed to have been the chosen one. Yoda�s words now rang so true in Obi-Wan�s mind, �A prophesy that misread may say��

Padme tried once again, �If anything happens, please make sure my child receives this.� Then silent tears streaked down her cheeks and she placed the chip that contained the hologram into Obi-Wan�s hands.

Obi-Wan looked at the chip for a long time, trying not to let his mind take him to a darker train of thought. Everything was wrong.

�I promise,� Obi-Wan told her gently.

�Now please go. Please. I need time to�think,� Padme said in a voice only slightly louder than a whisper.

She was planning on going to Mustafar herself. Obi-Wan knew it. He bowed and then exited the apartment, headed for her starship.

---

Now, everything had gone wrong, and that had been the last real conversation that Obi-Wan had had with Padme. She was gone and two children were left in her wake. But Obi-Wan had every intention of keeping his promise. Padme had said, �I want her to remember me��

***

Five years later

***

Bail and his wife exchanged a long, meaningful look with each other, and then returned their gaze to the lovely little girl before them who was currently idly running her fingers through her doll�s hair.

It was time.

�Leia,� Bail addressed her gently, and the little girl looked curiously up at him with her wide brown eyes. �Leia, remember that we are always your parents, but before us, you had another mommy. The mommy that gave birth to you. She loved you very much and she made you a recording before she passed on.�

Bail�s wife had worried that Leia would be too young to understand. But Bail had noticed that the child was unusually perceptive, and what Leia did next confirmed that.

�Sometimes a pretty lady is in my dreams. I think she is my mommy. I have two mommies.�

Bail�s wife smiled. �Would you like to see what your birth mommy wants to say to you?� she cooed.

Leia pursed her lips and nodded, her bright eyes shining intently.

Bail activated the hologram.

An image of Padme in a beautiful blue dress, but with a tear-stained face, appeared before them. �My child�my precious child,� she began, her hands caressing her swollen belly fondly despite the pain etched into her young face, �If you are watching this then I must first say that I am so sorry that I cannot be with you. I never wanted anything but the best for you. I��

Padme choked on her words and took a deep breath to steady herself. Leia gazed transfixed upon the hologram as she said her next words, �I wanted to tell you that I love you. I�ve carried you for seven months now and have loved you every step of the way. I wish only the best for you. That you may never be hurt by the ones you love. That you may always stay true to what you believe. That you will fight for what is right. Love is the greatest thing that life has to offer. So never let that die. I know my love for you never will.�

And the hologram ended.

For a moment Leia did not speak, she simply dropped her doll and stared at the holorecording of the very sad pretty woman who was her mother. She already knew her.

�Are you okay, Leia?� Bail asked her with concern in his voice when she still did not speak.

�Maybe we should turn it off�� his wife quietly suggested, but Bail shook his head fervently.

�This is what Padme would have wanted,� he simply said.

Finally, Leia tore her eyes away from the shimmering projection. She once again lifted her eyes towards her adopted family, and this time they were gleaming with something a little more pressing than curiosity.

�That�s the pretty lady,� she said, her voice firm for a child of but five years of age.

�That�s your mother,� Bail replied. His wife turned to him, her eyes a strange combination of worry and interest.

�She�s sad,� Leia stated, and Bail could do nothing but nod.

Leia picked up her doll and began to braid her hair. When she finished, she stood up and placed a kiss upon each of her parents� cheeks. �I have two mommies�� her voice trailed off and she scurried across the living room to the hallway that led to her room.

When she had left, Bail was flaring his nostrils slightly while gazing straight ahead. His wife had come to learn that this meant that he was deep in heavy thought. �The jedi Anakin was her father,� he whispered so quietly that even his wife, who sat right beside him, had to strain to catch the words.

Bail�s wife already knew this. She and Bail had already discussed in great length the implications that this fact might have if ever exposed. She and Bail knew that they were in a risky business. �Bail, we��

But he cut her off, �She dreams of her mother. She knew what her mother looked like even before we showed her this recording.�

�She�s a child, Bail. How can you be sure that she isn�t just making it up?�

Bail shook his head vigorously again. �No. You underestimate her. She is very perceptive for a child her age. More perceptive than nearly all human children that I have know. Except for the jedi��

Bail�s wife stared incredulously at her husband. Did he mean� �You think that jedi skills are� inheritable?� she asked is disbelief in a lowered tone.

�Shhh�� Bail hushed her, not wanting any mention of the jedi to grow beyond the softest whisper. �I only think that Leia proves that a certain amount of�,� Bail paused, almost as if to recollect himself, ��their skills can be passed on. This will only put her in greater danger.�

Bail�s wife considered this. She let his words sink in, and then nodded. �Perhaps�� she spoke her words with great deliberation, �Perhaps we should not play this hologram again.�

Bail nodded gravely. �And we should not endanger her by speaking of this right now.�

***

Many years later�

***

Luke�s question allowed a memory to resurface in Leia�s mind. Yes, she had seen her mother before. In her dreams and on a hologram. And she could never forget that face. For it had been oh so lovely but oh so very sad�