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Chapter Text

She was summoned before the Chancellor two months after returning from Black Spire.

She had also been nauseous and throwing up nearly every day for the last month.

She had, perhaps recklessly, put off having a test done in the hope that, while she wanted it to be true, it wasn’t. Not while Anakin was away for who-knew-how-long.

But she had finally had to do it, and the results pinged on her datapad while on her way to the Chancellor’s office.

She was pregnant.

Padme was fairly sure she was keeping her face neutral, but she was screaming inside. The timing of this was bad, to say the least. She wouldn’t be able to get a secure message to Anakin. She would be largely alone in this.

It was fine. She could handle this. She had her handmaidens, and at least on Naboo, single-parent pregnancies were fairly normal. Hopefully it would be assumed that that was the case here. Her heart calmed as she was able to focus on the positive facts and start a plan from there.

And then she entered Chancellor Palpatine’s office and came to a sudden halt as her jaw threatened to drop.

“... Thrawn?”

He was standing beside the Chancellor’s desk at parade rest, his face as calm as always, and Palpatine himself stood with a broad and welcoming smile.

“Senator Amidala, come in, please,” he said warmly, his Meese Caulf only a little stilted. “Of course, you and Commander Mitth’raw’nuruodo have met. Please, sit.” It was Thrawn who stepped around to offer her a seat with a courteous nod. “I was fascinated by your and General Skywalker’s reports when you came back from Batuu,” Palpatine went on as Padme nodded her thanks. “I immediately sent an envoy, hoping to catch the commander’s attention, and was most fortunate when he responded. We have spent the last month in very serious conversations. Refreshments?”

“Ah - yes, please,” Padme replied faintly. She took the offered water and sipped at it. Her stomach was threatening revolution if something didn’t fill it.

“My apologies for the secrecy, but it was paramount.” Now Palpatine was frowning. “I have been shown compelling proof that there are forces in Wild Space that, while no threat to the Republic now, will become so in the future. Very serious, very concerning threats.”

“My people do not practice pre-emptive strikes, and are not convinced that these threats are large enough to warrant any. They are wrong, of course. I believe that this is a threat that could entangle the entire galaxy, if allowed to go on.”

“Why haven’t we heard of this before?”

“The enemy is currently too far out for reports to make it back to your Republic.”

Padme wanted to say a lot of things. A lot of things. But the only thing that came out of her mouth ---

“You said you wouldn’t return to the Republic with us.”

“And I did not,” Thrawn told her calmly. “I returned to my people, made my report, and was ordered to present myself as an ally to your Republic.”

His voice and presence were steady. Padme nodded and leaned into them, letting them calm her once more. When she could think clearly again, she looked between him and Palpatine.

“What’s the plan?” she asked. “Are we allying with Thrawn’s people? If the rest of them are half as talented as you with tactics and warfare,” she started, turning to the man, “then ---”

“They are not.” It was a calm fact, with no arrogance behind it. “And for the time being, I am the only one of my people to be directly involved with this mission. The situation at home is … delicate.”

He might have come without authorization, and was hoping that initiating an alliance with the Republic would encourage his people to follow suit. It was a daring risk, if that was what had happened.

“So, you stay here as an ambassador of sorts, and pass on information about whatever threat is out there?”

Something flickered across his face as he looked at the Chancellor. “It is … more complicated than that.”

“It was not my first desire, of course,” Palpatine told her with sorrow in his voice. “And I do apologize for the suddenness of this. However, I feel that this is the best solution.” Padme did not like the sound of that. She nodded as her stomach roiled, and hoped she would throw up and have an excuse to leave and not have to deal with this. “Marriage alliances are very common in the commander’s ---”

“What.”

Lips pursing, the corners of his eyes tightening, Palpatine heaved a sigh and looked down at his desk. Thrawn was watching her closely. Padme was too shocked to do more than stare and repeat the word and vaguely hope she didn’t pass out as her head suddenly swam.

“It is, I fear, the only way to ensure that the Chiss - Commander Mitth’raw’nuruodo’s people - will actually consider allying with us. They have been watching us closely, and ---”

“I don’t want to get married.” She was already married. To Anakin. And pregnant. With his child. She could not - she would not - marry Thrawn.

She and Palpatine were still arguing half an hour later when Thrawn spoke up.

“If I may speak with Ambassador Amidala in private?”

“There is nothing to speak about,” Padme told him sharply.

“I believe that there is.”

He knew about her relationship with Anakin. There was no way he would go along with this plan. There were other ways of approaching an alliance with the Chiss, and another half hour later, the three of them were still arguing. Padme’s voice had long since gone quiet and intense with her anger.

“Again,” Thrawn said with clearly-strained patience, “I would speak with you in private, Ambassador.”

“And I would not,” Padme snapped. “This is ridiculous and I will be no part of it. Find someone else, someone with better knowledge of the Outer Regions.”

“At least hear him out.” Palpatine coughed and took a drink of water to wet his throat. They all took a moment to refresh themselves. “Please, Padme.”

She narrowed her eyes and stood up abruptly. “Fine. But this is not me agreeing to this.”

“Of course,” Palpatine told her with a tired smile. He gestured to a doorway. “That is a private office. You may speak there.”

It took all her strength to not stomp into the office. Thrawn followed her, and held up one hand as the door shut. He examined the office thoroughly as Padme waited.

Finally, she had enough. He clearly wasn’t going to start the conversation. “Well?”

The suddenness with which he turned to her didn’t startle her. This intensity on his face did.

“Our peoples are in grave danger.”

“Our peoples?”

“There is evil in this galaxy that no one power may stop. A united force is all that may do that. The Chiss will not permit any aggressive act that is not in clear self-defense, and will suffer for that - but your Republic holds no such views when a threat is apparent. My duty is to my people, and I will not let them suffer due to their own refusal to adapt to new circumstances. They will have my help whether they agree to it or not, and this is the most direct way to begin to prepare to combat these threats.”

He was pacing, occasionally tapping some bit of art and studying it. Padme sat down in an overstuffed chair and ran through every calming exercise she knew.

“So what is this great danger?” she finally asked.

Thrawn ran a hand over his hair, and grimaced a bit when that made it stand up stiffly in parts. He busied himself with smoothing it all down again - he clearly used a lot of product to keep it under control - while looking off into the side.

“A species that will not be stopped until they overrun the galaxy or are eliminated.”

“That’s genocide.” Padme leaned back in the chair as she whispered it, as if trying to get away from the concept itself.

“So is what they will do to any species that opposes them, unless they are first neutralized by a joint, overwhelming force.” He finally turned and strode over to her, kneeling in front of her. “Please believe me that what your chancellor has proposed was not my first plan of action. It was not a plan I was willing to consider on my own at all. I have presented many other suggestions to Chancellor Palpatine, but he is insistent that this is the best way.” He glanced around the room as Padme scoffed. “And now, I agree with him. And I need you to trust me.”

“How is this the best way?” Padme asked bluntly. His lips tightened. They couldn’t speak of her and Anakin’s relationship, not here, but it was clearly on his mind.

“I need you to trust me. I do not take any alliance or promise lightly, Ambassador. If it helps, I have no sexual interest in you.” Padme choked in shock. Thrawn’s lips twitched a bit. “Sexual relations are a part of most unions, even ones entered into for political purposes. I wish you to understand that that will not be a concern in ours. My word is my guarantee.”

“You’re talking like I’ve already agreed to this.” Padme hadn’t even considered the possibility of them having sex. And even if they didn’t consummate the relationship, her pregnancy was not something that she was going to be able to hide for long. And that would cause a scandal, and more attention to the child’s father - who would very clearly not be Thrawn - than she wanted. She didn’t know what sort of trouble Anakin would be in with the Jedi Order if they found out about the relationship. Her mind jumped to the worst possible outcomes, and she looked around the room frantically, desperate to change the subject. “Why are you on your knees?” she finally managed.

“Because I am tall, and you are not, and I wish to approach this matter as equals.”

That was … considerate. And wasn’t condescending, as it could have easily been. Thrawn was nearly seven feet tall, she guessed, and would probably need to constantly bend over to hear her. Or she would need a step stool.

The ridiculousness made her start to laugh, and she covered her mouth with one hand as she tried to get control over herself. Thrawn raised an eyebrow.

“I just … how do you hear people without bending over?” she managed.

“My hearing is superior to that of a human’s.” He was smiling very slightly. “Perhaps a step stool would be in order.”

That had Padme nearly shrieking with laughter, which very quickly turned to tears. She covered her face and sobbed and cursed the awful timing of this all. Thrawn made no move to comfort her; he simply stayed kneeling, hands resting on his thighs, waiting.

“I don’t want this,” she whispered. “I don’t want this.”

“Neither do I.” His response was calm and measured as he handed her a handkerchief from … somewhere. Padme took it and dabbed at her eyes, then burst into fresh tears. “Perhaps we can speak further at a later time. If I am not mistaken, there is an art gallery not far from ---”

“Are you asking me on a date?”

Thrawn blinked at her. “... Date?”

“A date. Going out together. Romance.”

“Ah,” he said as he understood. “Courtship. I am not. I merely ---”

“You want to take me out somewhere and talk with me with the purpose of convincing me to marry you.” Padme wagged one finger in his face. “That’s a date.”

“The gallery focuses on the art of the ---”

“Admit it. It’s a date. Are you going to bring me flowers, too? Do you want to kiss me at the end of the night?”

She was being snippy, but she felt she deserved to be.

“I want to see the art gallery,” Thrawn snapped back. “And I do not know enough of this language you claim is so universal and basic that I would be able to fully understand the descriptions that will undoubtedly be part of the displays. You and I share a language; you would be most helpful in translating for me. It will be most informative. You see, the Chaktaroo create an art that is seemingly senseless at first, but when viewed as they intended it to be viewed - in the flickering of firelight rather than direct, unchanging artificial light - it creates stunning three dimensional portraits that appear to move, which throws doubt on the assumption that ---”

He was an absolute nerd. Padme stared at him as he continued on, his face lighting up and his hands gliding through the air as he talked. There was a passion in him that she hadn’t seen two months previously, and it was fascinating.

“You got all of this from their artwork?” she finally interrupted.

Thrawn stopped, his face quickly going back to neutral, and put his hands back on his thighs. His gaze slid to the side.

“There is much one can learn about a person, a culture, even an entire species, through their art.” His voice was quiet. “There are … patterns … that can be discerned from art.”

Padme cocked her head to the side. “Patterns?”

“Yes.” He said it shortly as he stood up. “I would like to see the gallery tonight - I will see the gallery tonight - and I am sure that Chancellor Palpatine will insist on you coming with me, both as a translator and a chance for us to get to know one another better. There may still be time yet to convince him that this is not the most viable course of action.”

Padme wiped at her face as she sighed. She wasn’t going to get out of at least talking with him more. It might as well start with a subject he clearly loved. “Fine. We’ll go on a field trip.”

“Field trip?”

“An outing that schools take younglings on for learning.”

She had hoped for him to take offense, but Thrawn merely nodded. “In this, I am very much a student. Very well. I thank you for agreeing to this field trip.” He held his arm partially out, a gesture that she could either take as an invitation to help her stand or not, and Padme debated not taking it, but she was tired and exhausted and her feet were aching. She was tense as he helped her up - almost lifting her straight up into the air and off her feet, in fact - but then again, he was tense beneath his uniform, too.

It served him right.

Chancellor Palpatine looked up hopefully as they left the room. Padme had let Thrawn go as soon as she’d been steady on her feet, and if the fact that they weren't touching - Thrawn was being very careful not to touch her, in fact - disappointed him, he didn’t show it.

“Have you reached an agreement?”

Padme held her head up high. “We want to get to know each other better before I make a decision. This isn’t something to enter into lightly.”

Palpatine nodded. He seemed relieved. “Of course. If there are any arrangements I might make for you, dinner reservations or whatnot, please do let me know.”

“I believe that I can arrange that on my own, but thank you. And now, gentlemen, I must get back to my senatorial duties. I should be finished around nine.” She raised an eyebrow at Thrawn, who nodded with a murmured thanks.

“Excellent.” Palpatine was beaming. “I would not ask this of you if I saw any better way, Padme. Thank you for considering it.” He stood up to see her out. “I will, of course, have language courses for the commander set up. Regardless of your final decision, I would consider it a personal favor if you would tutor him. You are an excellent teacher.”

Padme shrugged. “We’ll see. Good day, gentlemen.”

She didn’t go back to her office. She could work from her apartments just as easily. What she couldn’t do in her office was throw up in peace, then drag herself into the refresher to sob yet again. She knew, logically, that it was the pregnancy hormones. But it was also a good stress-reliever, and as she huddled in the spray of hot water, strands of slick hair covering her face in a sort of protective shield, she could start to think more clearly about this entire mess.

Hopefully, she could get out of this. Hopefully, Anakin would return soon.

Hopefully.

Chapter Text

The only concession that Padme had made in regards to the outlandish, literal proposal of earlier in the day was to wear a slightly more ornate necklace for her field trip with Thrawn. Her gown was muted shades of grey and green, covering her from neck to wrist to ankle with a stiffly flared skirt, and it was all intentionally worn to subtly keep Thrawn away from her and actively disinterested in Palpatine’s ridiculous plan. Her makeup was sparing, and what there was was applied to highlight her more unattractive features - or just make them up.

Everything that could remotely be connected with Anakin had been stowed away. She didn't care that Thrawn knew - she wasn't about to tempt fate. She wasn't planning on letting him in, anyway. But better to be safe.

It was one minute after nine when her comm buzzed with a message from the reception droid, advising her that her student had arrived. Padme stared blankly at the comm for a long moment before she scowled. She was not going to find Thrawn funny. She was going to let him stew for a while. She could stall for perhaps half an hour, and she did just that before heading down.

To her frustration, Thrawn was calmly examining the various decorations on the walls when she stepped out of the turbolift, dressed in unassuming black and grey. It irritatingly matched her own outfit. He didn't seem to be in a hurry or put off at all when he looked over his shoulder and then turned fully to her.

"Ambassador," he greeted with a slight bow. "I trust your day was productive."

"Yes, I regularly deal with sudden marriage proposals and then go back to work as if nothing happened."

"Your ability to adapt to unexpected situations is admirable."

He had gestured toward the door and waiting speeder outside with another slight bow. Padme took deep breaths as they walked.

“Are you teasing me?”

“... Am I teasing you?”

He looked a bit baffled when she looked up - and up - at him. “First you tell the front desk you’re my student, and now you say that. Are you teasing me?”

He very nearly caught a speeder door to the hip as he looked at her. “Both statements are true,” was his final response as he settled into his seat. Then he narrowed his eyes a bit. “... Ah. You were being sarcastic.”

“Yes,” Padme said patiently, “I was being sarcastic. Does your species not have sarcasm?”

“Of course we do. I was … not expecting it.” He looked at her out of the corner of one glowing red eye. “I assure you once more, Ambassador, that I have no sexual interest in you, I am aware of the various circumstances that make this proposed arrangement difficult, it was nowhere near something I myself would have suggested, and that I merely wish to see the Chaktaroo exhibit.”

The fight went out of her. No, it retreated. Padme sighed and nodded. “I … should not be behaving this way.”

The lights of the endless city sparkled as they zipped along. Thrawn nodded. “It is understandable. I am not offended, and share many of your concerns.” He finally turned to her and ticked each point off on a finger. “You are a high-ranking senator, formerly a queen, and my species and culture are not known to your Republic. That alone makes the Chancellor’s preferred course of action difficult. I am here as the sole representative of the Chiss. We barely share a common language. You have friends and family that you will not wish to leave. And,” he said, talking to her lap now, “there will be other difficulties. Have you had a medical exam since returning from Mokivj?”

Padme blinked at him. He was still looking at her lap; maybe he was more bothered by this situation than he let on. “I have not. Why?”

He glanced up at her and quirked an eyebrow. “If this continues as Chancellor Palpatine wishes, I must insist you do. Your health is now of the utmost importance to me.”

Padme went very quiet as she looked straight ahead, the outward picture of calm. He wasn’t looking at her lap at all.

She took a breath. “How good are Chiss senses? You said your hearing was better. Are they all?”

“Yes,” was the simple reply.

“How much better?”

“That, I do not yet know. I do know that we can see farther into the infrared range than humans can. And that I do not need a step stool to hear you speak.”

Which meant that it was very likely that he could see the temperature changes her body was going through - or at least, could see enough to make a very accurate guess.

“You think you’re funny,” was what she said instead of screaming.

“Again, I merely stated a fact. If you find my facts to be amusing, so be it.” He perked up a little as the speeder slowed. “Ah, we have arrived. Excellent.” He handed her a handkerchief. “You may wish to remove your makeup. It and your outfit were specifically chosen to make you as physically unappealing to me as possible. Which, as I have stated - several times - is nothing to be concerned about.”

She was going to be in the press for this outing. Padme took the handkerchief and wiped her face clean, then applied just a bit of lipstick before the speeder came to a halt. Thrawn got out and held his hand out for her, again in a gesture that wouldn’t seem odd if she refused to take it.

She didn’t particularly want to touch him, but she knew how to keep up appearances. She took the offered hand with a smile. Thrawn let her go once she was standing. He did, however, keep his hand hovering over the small of her back as he again bowed and gestured her forward.

The art gallery was one of the grandest on Coruscant, with sweeping stairs and arches that seemed to touch the sky, a glow of color-changing warmth coming from the very building material itself, and a floating chandelier of Corusca gems in the main entryway. It was obvious that the building was a blending of architecture from many species and cultures, but she couldn’t name even a quarter of them. A movement behind and beside her said that Thrawn had dropped his hand from the small of her back. He had a datapad out when she glanced over at him, and was looking between it and the gallery, tapping on it on occasion. He drifted over to one of the front columns and reached out, delicately trailing his fingers and palms across it as he looked it up and down.

Maybe she could just stick him in an art gallery and get on with the life she actually wanted to live, Padme mused. Then he could make that intense, wonder-filled face all he wanted. He could be as enamored with art as he pleased.

“I thought so,” he murmured as he moved to the next column, still concentrating on the architecture instead of her. “Parallel evolution, not convergent. Almost identical cultures, but separated by an entire galaxy. Most fascinating. Ambassador ---” He turned back to her, face relaxed and eyebrows raised slightly, hand held out to her. Then he paused and lowered his hand. He turned back to the column and looked so closely at it that he was nearly pressing his nose into it. Perhaps he was embarrassed.

“The origins of the columns aren’t identified until you get inside,” Padme told him as she walked up to him.

She got a slight hum, and he moved to the other side of the column.

“You weren’t looking at your datapad much,” she continued, following him at a polite, but close, distance.

He gave a short hum once again and moved to the next column.

Oh, this was fun. Padme was going to make the poor man suffer tonight. He was going to beg Palpatine to find a different way to make an alliance between their governments.

“Did you read up on the gallery beforehand, then?”

“I did not,” was his blunt answer. “I wished to not be … biased.”

“Oh? Then how did you know all this?”

He was veritably hiding behind the next column. “Is it not obvious?”

She only knew about the history of the twisting columns because she herself had read up on the gallery earlier in the day. She didn’t quite believe that Thrawn had discerned all that on his own.

So she popped up on his left side, hands behind her back, a pleasant and intrigued smile on her face, absolutely radiating innocent curiosity.

“Is it? I can tell that there are subtle differences, but nothing as in-depth as you have clearly observed. Were you not looking up the history when we got here?”

“I was downloading holograms for further study.” His hands were clasped firmly behind his back and his face was now guarded as he looked down at her. “There are … patterns, to be found in art. They provide insight into a species and culture. It is difficult to explain,” he said, turning away sharply and striding toward the east wall.

He took far longer strides than he did, but Padme was a master at hurrying without looking like she was hurrying. She stayed at his side and nodded. “You mentioned patterns before. Would you mind telling me about them?”

“I have yet to find anyone who understands, in my species or elsewhere.”

“I have encountered many unique abilities as a senator and queen.”

The corners of Thrawn’s lips tightened briefly. Then he nodded and gestured to the carved relief on the stone wall. “The psychological mindset of an entire species is, of course, impossible to discern from one or two artifacts. However, one may glean insight into the creator of said art, as well as the cultural …” He paused and frowned a little as he searched for the word. “... views of the artist’s time and particular subculture. Additionally, a species’ art throughout the millennia does indeed reveal such patterns when one knows what to look for, as it and they evolve. I merely look at that, and the patterns themselves are clear.”

Padme nodded. She didn’t quite understand, but got the basic concept. She brushed her hand over the relief. “But a species might have vastly different cultures. Naboo’s culture is very different from Corellia’s culture.”

“Again, that is where observing the entire history of the species - or simply the history of the culture one wishes to understand - becomes essential. The cultures may be different, but there are patterns that all species follow as their histories unfold before them.”

“So, you just see these patterns?”

He frowned a little, then gave a miniscule shrug. “It is a talent that anyone would be able to develop. How long it takes might differ, but … Are you teasing me?”

She shook her head at the sharp question. “Not this time. I’m genuinely curious.”

Thrawn gave her a hard look before nodding once. “Anyone could do it, if they put in the time and effort.”

“Could you teach me? It seems like it would be a most valuable tool.”

“Perhaps. I would request that you also allow me to begin teaching you my language.”

"That would be good, thank you."

They spent another fifteen minutes just studying the outside of the gallery. Padme asked questions about the art and Thrawn answered them. The information she was pulling up on her own datapad confirmed everything he said. By the time they actually entered the building, she was absolutely entranced by his uncanny insight.

“How do these patterns present themselves?”

He had to have noticed her fatigue, because he had very casually made his way to some decorative benches and started talking about them as Padme had very gratefully sat down. He sat next to her, with a respectable distance between them.

He pursed his lips a little. “They … flow. There are … threads, to the patterns, that speak of the connections the subject has to its art. Everything about a piece of art is unique; nothing about it is insignificant.”

“Hmm.” Padme shrugged. “That sounds like synesthesia.”

She got a blank look. “Syns’thezh’ia?”

“Synesthesia,” she said, slower this time. He whispered the word to himself as he tried it out.

“And what is this thing?”

Padme did a quick search on her datapad, started to hand it to him, then remembered he didn’t speak enough Basic. She glanced down to ensure her explanation was correct.

“Synesthesia is something that can occur during fetal development or childhood - most likely a combination of both. As the brain forms in either case, the connections in it may become disrupted, causing one sense to be perceived in congruence with another. It’s a spectrum, obviously, but one might experience specific colors as specific sounds, or tastes as textures. It bears remarkable similarity to what you’ve described.”

Thrawn was pensive as they were brought wine by one of the waitstaff circling the room. “And this is … a defect?” he finally asked.

Padme laughed a little as she shook her head and waved her hand. “Not at all. It’s just another variation of development.”

“The Chiss do not have such a variation.”

“Not having a word for something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.” Padme yawned into her glass. “It just means you don’t have a word for it.”

“This is true. Perhaps this is such a case. It bears more study.” Then he gestured to her. “I trust that you know your current dietary … requirements.”

“... How did you know?” she whispered.

“Your body and facial heat were different. You were far less in control of your emotions. You were far too vociferous in your protests. You had been in a very stressful situation, without emotional support, for some time. A … celebration … on your way home would not have been unexpected.”

“Who else might have made those observations?”

“I do not know. I do not believe it would be many.”

Padme nodded. “Then you know that this can’t happen.”

“If you are able to persuade the chancellor that there is a better course of action, I will support it.” Thrawn handed her his datapad. On it was a list of pictures, all of decimated villages, towns, ships, and sometimes entire planets. “This is what our mutual enemy will do to a galaxy that is not unified in our opposition, nor forward in our defense. They are masters at manipulating people's psyches - even one of them could rule an entire world. And if they encounter too much resistance …" He nodded to the datapad. "I would have an alliance between your Republic and the Ascendancy firmly in place as soon as possible. This is, unfortunately, a reasonable way to begin that swiftly.”

The bodies hadn’t been blurred out. Padme had to hand the datapad back after the second one. She felt like she was going to be sick, and stood abruptly. Thrawn followed suit, and she changed the subject back to the artwork around them. The destruction was … vicious. Cruel.

Thrawn seemed content to tell her about the pieces they looked at. Once again, there was a vitality and animation to him that wasn’t usually there. It was even more apparent now, as he kept glancing at her to make sure she was following his analyses or explain how he saw the patterns that she could not.

It was another hour before he stopped abruptly and turned to look down at her.

“You are tired.” Padme blinked at him. “You should rest. I have kept you for far too long.” He might have looked a little embarrassed as he inclined his head. “You have my gravest apologies for that.”

She did, in fact, feel like she was going to fall asleep where she stood. But she was intent on both understanding the patterns he saw and not interacting with him again, and shook her head.

“I’m quite ---”

“I must insist, Ambassador.”

Padme sighed and let him start back toward the entrance. “We didn’t see everything.”

“There will be time for that in the future.”

“You don’t have to treat me this way. Nothing is settled, and even then ---”

“My duties to you began when the Chancellor suggested this course of action,” Thrawn stated flatly. “It is the way of my people. You very clearly do not require a caregiver, nor do I intend to be one - but, once again, your health is now of the utmost importance to me. I will not be dissuaded from this.”

“And I am not comfortable with this level of concern from a stranger.”

They were both quiet as the speeder was brought around to collect them. Thrawn handed her in, and nodded slowly while settling next to her.

“Your discomfort is understandable. Chancellor Palpatine will no doubt insist we continue to socialize. I believe that a discussion about boundaries is in order in that event.”

“And compromises.” Thrawn raised his eyebrows. “Our cultures are important to us. You clearly feel that there are things you must do for me. A compromise on those things will be necessary.”

“... Indeed. I appreciate your thoughtfulness. It is, no doubt, part of the reason that Chancellor Palpatine suggested that we partner.”

“Well. Maybe.”

There was going to be a lot to talk about. Thrawn knew about Anakin and her pregnancy. At the very least, how to approach that was going to require a strong and united front on their part.

To his credit, Thrawn had apparently taken her insistence on compromises to heart. He walked her back into her building, and while he didn’t look too pleased about it, he handed her off to the reception droid with strict instructions that she was to be escorted to her apartments and not left until the door had been locked. Then he turned and bowed slightly to her.

“It has been a very pleasurable evening, Ambassador, and I thank you for your patience, curiosity, and company. I will await further instruction from yourself or Chancellor Palpatine as to if we see one another again.”

Padme nodded and gave him a faint smile. “And I thank you for the same. Please, have a good night.”

“And you, as well.”

He waited until she and the droid had gotten into the turbolift before leaving, and Padme had barely undressed before she fell onto her and Anakin’s bed and didn’t open her eyes until morning.

Chapter Text

“Are you well?”

They were at a small cafe. Padme wrinkled her nose at the menu as she nodded. “As well as can be expected. Yourself?”

“The same.” He paused. “Though for different reasons.”

It was said stiltedly, and in Basic. Padme could follow it easily enough, though, and he was clearly picking up on the language very quickly.

“Amongst the Chiss, a mutual sharing of resources is standard. If there is an imbalance between each person’s abilities to contribute the same amount of the same thing, the one with more resources naturally provides more of that resource.” She hadn’t expected him to jump right into things, but neither was she particularly surprised. “In return, the one with lesser resources contributes more in other areas. Thus a balance between the two is achieved, regardless of the partners’ genders.”

Well, not having to be kept like a pet was reassuring. “It’s similar for my culture.”

Thrawn nodded. He was switching between Meese Caulf and Basic as he needed. When he paused, sometimes he would say the word he wanted in Meese Caulf and Padme would offer the proper translation.

“Excellent. There is not much … cross-status … pairing, but it does happen. One might also be taken in by a family and thus raise their status by that.”

“Marrying into money?”

He shook his head. “No. It is … There are several long-established family lines. The most prominent lead us. One might be adopted into a family based on the benefits they would bring to that family. Those we call Merit Adoptives. I myself was taken as one.”

Padme hummed a little as a droid came up to take their order. Once it was gone, she spoke again. “For humans, we mostly move up socially by marriage or money. Various industries provide what we need, rather than … well, I guess that if each family heads a different industry, it’s not much different.”

“Indeed.”

“You said your duties to me began as soon as Chancellor Palpatine suggested this ridiculous idea.” She tucked a bit of hair behind her ear. “What do those preliminary duties consist of?” She wanted to add other than babysitting me, but held her tongue.

“Care for your physical and mental wellbeing, of course,” Thrawn replied immediately. “For a Chiss pairing, both prospective partners have that duty as soon as a possible match is considered by their families. This situation is slightly different, but the core intention remains the same. I am willing,” and he said the word most grudgingly, “to be less … pre-emptive ---”

“Proactive?” Padme suggested.

“Proactive. My thanks. I am willing to be less proactive in my attendance to your needs, but I will not abandon that care completely. You should not,” he grumbled, “have stayed out so late the other night. Were you Chiss,” he went on as Padme opened her mouth to argue, “we would have looked to one another to ensure that we were both in a state of physical ability and mental willingness to continue, and the concerns of one would have been very seriously taken into account by the other. It is not an effort to control or dictate one’s prospective partner’s autonomy,” he said, perhaps a bit shortly, when Padme narrowed her eyes. “It is simply being aware of what the other might not be. Ideally, you would have also been aware of my own fatigue, had I been experiencing it, and suggested ending the outing early.”

It was all absurdly logical. Padme nodded. “I, clearly, do not want for money or the ability to care for myself. What of you? I get the feeling that your people won’t be footing the bill for your stay in the Republic.”

There was a flash of a smile. “They will not be. My talents lie in tactics and warfare; Chancellor Palpatine has extended an invitation to join the Republic military. I have - conditionally - accepted.”

If he were gone all the time, her life would be much easier. Padme nodded slowly. “And what are those conditions?”

He answered as if it were the most obvious thing. “Your approval, of course. I will serve the Republic military in one form or another, but what form that initially takes will be up to you. We would be newly partnered, amongst other things, and that alone would warrant me serving in as close proximity to you as possible, should you desire it.”

She leaned back a bit and didn’t rub her face. “How often does one spouse kick the other out after marriage?”

Thrawn’s reply was dry. “The higher one’s social status, the less likely a partnership will be formed based on mutual affection. I leave you to your own conclusions.”

“So - and this is assuming I agree to this whole thing - if I were to say I wanted you stationed on a ship somewhere, you would accept that, and if I said I wanted you stationed right here, you would accept that?”

“The Republic’s needs would be weighed against the wants of both of us,” Thrawn said slowly. “A mutual agreement would be reached, whether we were fully satisfied with it or not, but until the partnership was more established, your wants would take precedence over mine, and in all cases, the Republic’s needs would take precedence over yours.” Then he very deliberately put a small device on the table between them, and turned it on. After a moment, he spoke again. “Your pregnancy does not concern me much.” His voice was low, and he leaned forward casually. “It might cause scandal amongst your leadership, but it is nothing that I have concerns about beyond the need to negotiate the sharing of childcare duties. The circumstances of your pregnancy, however, do concern me. It is unsanctioned, and actively discouraged. What would the consequences of its discovery be?”

“I don’t know,” Padme admitted. “I can get away without naming the father for a while; forever, really - Naboo culture is very strict about the privacy of someone regarding their child’s parentage - but someone would eventually put it all together. Excommunication for him - I guess that’s the word - would probably happen. My career would be ruined. I don’t believe there’s much more punishment. But the organization is old and very established in its ways, and those ways are very much emphasized from the time a youngling is accepted. It was agreed that we could serve the Republic best in both our current positions, which is why we didn’t just run off.”

“Was there consideration into preventing a pregnancy?”

Padme very nearly threw her utensils at the man. He raised a calming hand as he clearly saw her facial heat rise, and she took a deep breath and then smiled as the droid waiter delivered their food. She considered her response as she started to eat.

Finally, “As you said, it was a celebration after a long time apart and a very stressful situation.”

“Do humans practice contraception in their partnerships?”

He was just curious, and it was a very valid question. Padme closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath. “It depends on the culture. In mine, yes, but it’s clearly not something that … his own culture … would speak of.” She sighed and looked Thrawn in the eye. “I was on long-term contraceptives, so I'm not exactly sure how this happened, but I should still have thought of it, and taken the necessary precautions. That is solely on me.”

“And him, as well. He also had a duty to ensure this situation did not arise until it was more acceptable.”

“He wasn’t ---”

“And him, as well.” Thrawn’s expression was set like it was made of stone. He wasn’t going to accept any excuses on Anakin’s behalf.

Padme sighed again and nodded.

“You’re right.”

“All beings often overlook undesirable things when they come from loved ones. Neither did either of you anticipate a failure of the contraceptives.”

She needed to talk with Anakin about this. But he also shouldn’t be distracted from his mission, which was becoming increasingly secretive - so secretive that Obi-Wan had been called back to Coruscant without him - and this would absolutely distract him. There was also more to discover and negotiate over.

“What about sex?”

He had to have been expecting the question. He didn’t blink. “Again, I do not believe that it will become a matter for further discussion. We clearly have no attraction to one another, and your emotional affections lie elsewhere. Should it become a matter for further discussion, then the wishes of whoever does not wish a physical escalation - any escalation - of the relationship would be the wishes that were accepted without question or further discussion unless those wishes changed.”

“What if one of us really wanted it, though?”

Now he was starting to turn a bit lavender around the bridge of his nose. Padme didn’t smile at his discomfort, but oh, she wanted to.

“We have evolved hands and created various aides for a reason.” The lavender brightened. “That would have to suffice. While they are sometimes agreed to, extra-marital relations would be unwise in this particular situation.”

Wait - he could see into the infrared range. He might be able to control his body temperature, to a degree. So if he was visibly blushing …

Padme leaned forward and rested her chin on her hands.

“How embarrassed are you?” she asked. “You’re blushing.”

“It is a necessary topic to discuss.”

“That’s not an answer.”

She raised her eyebrow, and Thrawn seemed to get that she wasn’t going to let this go. He let out a brief sigh. “I have only superficial experience with relationships of this sort. All beings are uncomfortable with what they are unused to.”

“Really.”

“Yes.”

She sighed. “Alright. And where would you expect us to live? Would we be sharing a room? A bed?” She didn’t want him in the bed she shared with Anakin.

This seemed to be a topic that Thrawn was slightly more comfortable with. “I will, of course, stay in the Academy housing at least until the partnership is finalized. Depending on how long it takes for me to complete the training - and I do not anticipate it will take very long - it may be prudent for me to stay there even after the partnership is finalized. After that, it would depend on where you, and mostly the Republic, wished me to be stationed.” He smiled slightly. “And I am able to sleep on a couch as well as I am in a bed.”

“I wouldn’t make you sleep on the couch,” Padme grumbled.

“Yet you will also not want me sleeping in your bed, if your living space has no guest rooms. No matter.” He waved his hand dismissively. “Suitable living and sleeping arrangements will be made.”

It was starting to get late in the afternoon. Padme had deliberately cleared her entire day for this conversation, but was eyeing the device that Thrawn had turned on.

“How much battery life does that have?”

“It is sufficient for our needs.”

“How sure are you that it will block what we say?”

That got her a snort and a slightly haughty look. “Chiss blocking technology is very advanced. It will not let anything through.”

His and Anakin’s confidence in themselves were very similar. Padme wasn’t sure she would be able to handle both, if she wasn’t able to get out of this.

She frowned. “You mentioned sharing childcare duties.”

“... What else would I do?” He was genuinely puzzled. “There would be a child under my care, whether or not it was biologically related to me. Should I ignore it and leave you to raise it on your own, even if we lived under the same roof? Is that what you truly would expect to happen?”

He was getting more agitated, so far as to mutter in his own language and let out what sounded like a small mrrp, clearly offended that she would think he would do such a thing. Padme stared at him as he took a few deep breaths to calm down.

“Ah … I wasn’t sure.”

“The idea of neglecting the child of one’s partner simply because one did not partake in the conception of that child is abhorrent,” Thrawn responded coolly. “Perhaps in your culture it is acceptable, but not in mine.”

“My apologies for not being perfectly versed in Chiss culture,” Padme snipped.

“I will gladly correct that lack of knowledge.”

“You’re talking as if this is a sure thing.”

“It would be best to plan with that result assumed. That way, anything more favorable will be a pleasant surprise, but we will be prepared for the most undesirable outcome.”

They weren’t glaring at each other, but they weren’t exactly giving each other nice looks. Surprisingly, it was Thrawn who backed down first.

“My apologies,” he said. He inclined his head. “I should not be taking my frustration at this situation out on you.”

“Because I’m pregnant and moody?”

“Because I should not be taking my frustration at this situation out on you.” He paused. “But also, yes.” He cleared his throat. “If you are finished with your meal and still amenable to the idea, it is early enough that we will be able to see more of the art gallery than last time.”

Oh. Right. When Palpatine had called her comm and then patched Thrawn through the previous day, she had agreed to his quiet request to finish their tour of the art gallery. Padme nodded and put enough credits on the table for the bill and a hefty tip. Thrawn, who had been reaching for his own credits, raised an eyebrow at her.

“I’m the one with the most resources here,” she reminded him sweetly.

He slowly settled back. “... So you are. My thanks.”

Twenty minutes later they were back at the gallery, and Thrawn was off in his own world. It took one or two remindings from Padme that she was both there and interested in how he perceived art, but then he was including her in his studies, asking her questions about how she herself perceived the art and what she thought it meant to both the species and herself.

“Are you a teacher?” she finally asked, exasperated. “Because this feels more like a class than an outing. Oh, don’t apologize.” Thrawn closed his mouth and Padme smiled at him. She wanted to embarrass him, not actually hurt his feelings. “Just, please … tone down the lessons a bit. Just have a regular conversation.”

“I admit that I am not the most experienced with casual conversations.” If he had been anyone else, he probably would have been shoving his hands in his pockets awkwardly. “I am most well-versed in military matters, and those do not require casual conversation.”

Padme smiled again. “Thrawn, are you shy?”

“I am not.” He was firm about it, but also not meeting her gaze.

“I think you’re shy.”

“The military does not require social skills.”

She laughed. “That’s a long way of saying that you’re shy.”

“I am not shy,” he insisted again. “I am perfectly able to engage in normal conversation.”

There was an interactive display next to him, and Padme picked up one of the pieces and waved it in his face as best she could. “You just said you weren’t.”

“I am not the most experienced,” he corrected, “but I am able to engage in regular conversation.” He batted at the piece, but Padme kept shaking it at him.

“And when was the last time that happened?”

“We are in a conversation at this moment. Stop that.”

Padme moved the piece back and forth on either side of him, still shaking it as she grinned. “No, I’m teasing you about your lack of social skills and you’re getting huffy about it.”

“We have discussed art.”

“I think you have about three point five eight interests and can only talk about those. Admit it.”

“There is nothing to admit. You yourself have brought up the subject of art, which I am more than willing to discuss, and everything else has been about subjects we find displeasing. You have hardly had time to gauge my conversational skills.”

Padme rolled her eyes as he was finally able to snatch the piece from her. “Oh? What’s your favorite color?”

“I do not have one.”

“Favorite food?”

“I do not have one.”

“Favorite sport?”

“Military exercises.”

“Music?”

“I have no preference.”

“You have terrible social skills.”

She got a faint huff as Thrawn leaned over the interactive display. “I am answering your questions honestly.”

“No elaboration?”

“I did not think any was needed.”

“Thrawn.” He looked up at the firmness in her voice, and Padme crossed her arms over her chest. “I am not going to agree to marry someone with whom I can’t even have a simple conversation.”

“I do not have that wish, either. What do you discuss with others?”

“Everything,” Padme groaned. “We discuss everything. How our days went, our childhoods, what interests we have on our own, what interests we share, politics, sports - everything. It’s basic communication.”

Thrawn was quiet as he pondered her words. Then, nodding, “I will endeavor to become more skilled in this area, then.”

“Well, that’s a start.”

Three displays later, Thrawn finally spoke again. “I am to start my studies at the Academy in three days. I have been assigned a translator. His name is Eli Vanto, and while he is studying to become a supply officer, I believe that his talents lie more in command, whether he realizes it now or not. He has much potential. I have been given the rest of his time in training to learn enough to graduate alongside him.”

“You sound like you’re giving an official report, but it’s a good start. How long until he graduates? Another year or so?”

“Three months.”

That made Padme almost spit in surprise. She looked up at Thrawn as he watched her with faint but clear concern.

“You’re going to go through four years of training in three months? Three months?”

“I have already been through much military training,” he pointed out. “It will not be difficult.” He hesitated. “Humans, I believe, don't age much differently than Chiss. You are considered fully grown - mentally and physically - at around twenty years, correct?”

Padme nodded. “What about Chiss?”

“Physical and psychological maturation takes roughly the same time as a human’s. But perhaps our conceptions of time differ. Would it be considered casual conversation to compare them?” He gestured to a bench and while his lips pursed a little when Padme shook her head, he didn’t press the issue.

“Yes, Thrawn, it would.”

Between the language barrier and Thrawn getting distracted by every single piece of art that they passed, it took a while for them to actually work out how each of them measured time. As it turned out, there wasn’t that much of a difference, and Padme now knew more about the wood carvings and culture of the ancient Astru civilization than she had ever thought she would. She hadn’t even been aware of its existence until Thrawn had very nearly touched her in his eagerness to examine the three artifacts that were the only indication that the Astru had existed at all.

She got an apology when she gestured to a curved, translucent bench and they sat, but waved it off.

“It’s fine. You’re new to this, after all.”

Thrawn was quiet as he nodded. “I am … fond of colors in the purple range. My house color is a dark burgundy red, but the purple portion of the color spectrum has always been of particular interest." He paused. "Each Ruling Family has a color range associated with it."

"I was wondering. So, your favorite color is purple. I'm partial to green."

"I will remember that."

"... Chancellor Palpatine called you Mitth’raw’nuruodo. Is that your full name?"

He nodded. "Yes. One's core name - in my case, 'Thrawn' - is reserved for family, friends, and perhaps close acquaintances. It is easier, however, for those who are not Chiss to use it."

"But it's not polite?"

Thrawn shrugged a little. "I would prefer the informality to having my name mispronounced." Padme stood up, and he quickly followed suit. "If this progresses as your Chancellor hopes it will, there will soon be no need to use my formal name." When Padme made a slight face, he stepped closer to her and leaned down, pointing to the bench. Instead of telling her about it, though, he switched fully to Meese Caulf and spoke in a low voice. "I believe that I have given you enough reason to trust the insights that art gives me."

There was a tight urgency in his voice, and Padme nodded as she raised her eyebrows and likewise gestured to the bench.

"For the most part, yes."

"Then please trust me that in the time I have been here, I have become convinced that you are in danger if you stay here."

"I'm perfectly protected, and when Anakin gets back ---"

"You are not as protected as you believe, and he has no expected return date. You - and your dedication to the Republic - will be far safer elsewhere." He straightened. "I have been given three months at the Academy. The Chancellor will want an answer much sooner, though he has most likely already made all the necessary arrangements. He is most thorough in his preparations."

It was said darkly. Padme’s gut clenched. Thrawn couldn't think that Chancellor Palpatine was a threat, could he? His gathering of personal power was concerning, but Palpatine was largely who was holding the Republic together. He had dedicated his life to its service.

"I would like to speak more about that."

"In due time. I believe he will want an answer by the end of the sevenday."

"That's in three more days. I can't possibly make this decision before then."

"And yet, you must. You trusted me on Mokivj. I would ask that you trust me now."

"These are slightly different circumstances."

"They are more alike than they seem."

Padme squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, then nodded. "I want to see you every day for the next three days, and I want far more proof of your ability to read so much into art."

Thrawn nodded. "Thank you."

Chapter Text

Three days later, Padme had had nearly every single detail of her psyche dissected and laid bare before her. Thrawn had been relatively tactful about it, but the amount of intimate knowledge he was able to glean from her tastes in the artistic was, quite frankly, terrifying.

At least he did the same to his poor translator. Padme wasn't alone in her suffering.

She also had about fifteen more hours before the engagement was announced. She had watched Chancellor Palpatine very carefully when she and Thrawn had presented their final decision, but she hadn't seen anything to warrant Thrawn's concerns about the man.

"Full flush. Pay up."

Cadet Vanto groaned. "Gambling isn't allowed at the Academy," he reminded her again.

"We're not at the Academy," Padme reminded him pleasantly, again, "and we're not using credits." She gathered the wrapped candies they were using instead, and popped one into her mouth. They had settled on cards after Thrawn had slaughtered them in a strategy game and she had then slaughtered him and Cadet Vanto in a more politically-oriented game.

"We agreed that these were not to be eaten until the game was completed," was Thrawn's reminder as he shuffled the deck.

"Do you want it back?" Padme mumbled around the sweet tidbit.

"I do not."

"I didn't think so."

They were in the living area of her apartments, sitting around a small table as they played and talked. As she and Cadet Vanto talked, really. There was rough translation going on, as well, but "rough" was putting it mildly. Thrawn and Padme knew Meese Caulf but Eli didn't, while Thrawn and Eli knew Sy Bisti, but Padme didn't. She got up once in a while to ostensibly check on dinner or use the refresher, but she was mainly checking to see if Anakin had responded to her cryptic message to him. She was fine and safe, but something very concerning had come up and she needed to speak with him right away.

If the engagement announcement gave him the news before she did, all hell was going to break loose. She needed to be able to explain things first.

"I don't think we should be doing this," Eli was saying as she came out of the refresher.

"It is fine."

She followed their voices to the food preparation area. Eli was hovering near the door while Thrawn calmly checked on the food and reached for some spices. He had been to her apartments all of three times, and already seemed to know where most everything was. It was both irritating and gratifying.

What was absolutely irritating was that he wasn't bothered at all by the light yellow apron she had insisted he wear while cooking.

"I don't ---"

"It’s fine," Padme confirmed with a smile. The young man visibly started as he turned to her. She was a senator and former royalty and he was from the very edge of the Republic; she didn't blame him for being so nervously awkward. "He's a better cook than I am, anyway."

"Yes."

She and Eli rolled their eyes at the same time. Thrawn never bragged, but the way he stated - and agreed with - facts was obnoxious.

"You are, however, better at desserts than I am.”

At least he always gave credit where it was due, even at the expense of his own ego.

“If you wish, you may set the table." He glanced over at them. "Vanto may set the table," he clarified. "I must insist that you do not." That was said to Padme, who had grudgingly had a prenatal checkup earlier that morning, and whose nausea had lasted into the early afternoon.

"It’s fine, really," Padme told Eli when he looked at her. "Thrawn … dotes. The dishes are there."

She went to the dining area and cleaned off the table out of spite, then settled back into one of the chairs; at some point in the last three days some unobtrusive cushions had been placed on it along with a padded footrest on the floor, and when she had asked him about them, Thrawn had very politely advised her, in Meese Caulf, that he spoke neither Basic nor Meese Caulf. She had let it go as he had gone back to cleaning, occasionally checking on her lunch.

He hadn’t been exaggerating about each partner contributing more or less of something in order to balance out the relationship. He cooked, he cleaned, and he had taken to waiting for her in her office when her day ran late, quietly studying and occasionally looking up with politely raised eyebrows to see if she was available to answer a question. He never got impatient or demanding, as Anakin tended to do, though her gut still kept clenching in dread of an outburst. Before he and Cadet Vanto left for the night, he would make her breakfast and lunch for the next day. Eli was his constant companion, and she was growing fond of him.

It was nice, being so personally attended to while she was feeling ill, and even when she wasn’t. Anakin would be doing the same thing, of course, but he wasn't there - and Thrawn's quiet presence was, she was ashamed to admit, more soothing than Anakin's higher-strung energy.

Eli brought the dishes out and she, again out of spite, helped him. She was used to being catered to, yes. And while there had absolutely been times - many times - where it had been out of affection and love, Thrawn's small gestures just felt more personal. Maybe it was the way he did them without making any attempt to draw her attention to them. He simply made sure that she was comfortable and his perceived obligations were fulfilled, and went about his day.

Maybe it was because he didn't have to? Or because he felt that he did have to, but also made concessions so she didn't feel like she was being treated like a child? The only time he had even mentioned his duties toward her had been when she had tried to do something that had been potentially dangerous - climbing on a side table in her office in order to get to a data card that she had accidentally tossed into a small nook higher up than she could reach.

It had been higher than he could reach, too, though, and she had made him let her sit on his shoulder in order to retrieve it. It had been unexpectedly fun.

(art by chissifiedfish)

But then he opened his mouth and ruined all the slightly warm feelings she may have been nurturing toward him.

He always opened his mouth and ruined things.

He never meant to, of course. There were cultural and linguistic differences that caused missteps. He was possibly quite charming amongst his own people.

Maybe.

Between her and Eli, though, Padme was sure that he could be persuaded to occasionally consider the consequences of his actions before doing them.

Speaking of …

"I don't think that would be a good idea," Eli was murmuring.

"Why would it not be?"

"This is a serve-yourself sort of dinner. If you make her a plate, she'll probably get upset."

"But it is polite."

"Just let her dish herself up."

"But ---"

"If you make me a plate," Padme called, "I will have security throw you out the window. I can serve myself."

She got a somewhat sour look as Thrawn and Eli started to bring the food in. She was getting better at reading his expressions.

"You have not been feeling well."

"And I can still get my own food."

She leaned over and started pointedly ladling hot broth into a bowl, then chose a couple kinds of thinly-sliced raw meat to go in it. The broth was hot enough, and the meat was thin enough, that it would be cooked in a matter of moments. Add some vegetables to it, some sweet sauce, a bit of tang, and she was set.

"I told you," Eli muttered. Then something seemed to dawn on him and his eyes went a bit wide. "I … won't be required to be at the wedding, will I?"

"It would be rude to not invite you."

"And also rude to make you uncomfortable," Padme put in. Thrawn just shrugged. "You're Thrawn's translator and friend. It would be nice to have you there, but I won't have you subjected to the galaxy's elite if you don't have to be."

"Oh, madam senator, I didn't mean ---"

"Yes, you did," Padme told him with a laugh. "And believe me, I deal with them every day. I understand. Besides, it will be relatively small and short."

What with the war and all, Padme and Thrawn had at least been able to persuade Chancellor Palpatine of that much. It was barely affecting the Core Worlds at the moment, but the message they wanted to send to the galaxy - to Thrawn's people - was that while celebrations could and should be had in times of strife, they should also be tempered by the severity of the broader circumstances. That message would be stressed during the ceremony, as well. They didn't want anyone to miss it.

They were tag-teaming Thrawn an hour later, as he pretended he didn't understand Basic because he had mispronounced a word badly enough that it had taken a full minute before they had understood what he had said, and they weren't letting it go.

"Bnyoodle."

"Bnyoodle?"

"Bnyoo --- eh, bnyoodle."

"Hm. Bnyoodle," Padme said thoughtfully. Then she and Eli started laughing. Again.

“If you are quite finished,” Thrawn said, “it is getting late, and we all have busy days tomorrow.”

Padme walked them to the door. “This isn’t over,” she told him.

“I did not expect it to be.” He gave her a short bow, and he and Eli waited until she had closed and locked the door, as usual, before leaving.

She sat on the couch again and checked her comm. Still nothing from Anakin. Which was to be expected, but it still filled her with anxiety. She wanted to talk with him now. Instead of talking with him, though, she was now crying. She hated crying. The tears stung her eyes and made her cry even more, which kept her eyes stinging, which made her cry even more . It was a vicious cycle, which then made her cry in anger.

She didn’t know how long she sat there. She was exhausted when she finally dragged herself to the refresher and washed her face with cold water, though. Her gown for the announcement the next day was already waiting. She sat on the edge of her bed and stared at it, stared at the emerald of the simple, pleated silk gown and over-the-shoulder sash with soft, velvet burgundy lining and embroidered into it. There was a headpiece of sparkling Corusca gems, as well, that would sweep her hair up and to the back of her head. It was beautiful, and she wondered what Anakin would think of it when he inevitably saw the announcement ceremony. She hoped beyond hope that he got her message before the announcement. At least then, he would have some forewarning.

“You are going to grow up with Anakin as your father,” she murmured as she rubbed her abdomen. “I promise.”

***

“... and therefore, it is with utmost pleasure that I formally announce the engagement of Senator Padme Amidala Nabberie and Lieutenant Mitth’raw’nuruodo.”

And with that, she was officially engaged to Thrawn, and the whole of the galaxy would know it within a matter of days. Anakin would know it in a matter of days.

There were a few words to be exchanged between herself and Thrawn, who had clearly been bribed, cajoled, or bullied into a half-smile for the day. He looked, Padme admitted to herself, resplendent in his dress blacks. They contrasted his pale blue skin and complemented the shimmering blue-black of his hair very well. Hair that, at her possibly-petty insistence, was less slicked back than usual, a bit fuller, looking like it was potentially a bit curly when it was de-gelled. She was going to make him wash all the gel out as soon as she could. The wedding itself would take place in a month - after that, he would continue to stay in the Academy dorms during the week, and with her on the weekends.

In all honesty, Padme wasn’t paying attention to the words she was saying. She knew them. She had exchanged them with Anakin almost four years earlier. What caught her attention was that with the way they were positioned on the dias, it would put Thrawn on her left side when they departed the chapel to the celebration hall. They hadn’t discussed that part. It had seemed too trivial, and thus had been left up to the event planners.

Indeed, when they were finished, Thrawn offered her his right arm. Padme took it with a smile and he settled hers on top of his - he was clearly making a subtle statement that she was the ranking partner in the union. Maybe he was more politically aware than she had thought. He had certainly stared blankly enough at her when she was explaining the intricacies of engagement and wedding politics. Politics in general - his solutions to issues were refreshingly direct and neutral.

There was applause when they finally stepped down from the dais, and once in the celebration hall, there were congratulations and questions and the flashes of the media and Padme could barely take a breath between conversations. Thrawn stayed on her arm. She didn’t blame him - they were the center of a lot of attention, and despite his now half-hearted protests, he was shy and uncomfortable in such crowds. His arm muscles beneath hers were tense, but that was the only indication that he would rather be fighting a mudhorn with his bare hands than be where he was now.

But he answered questions politely and easily enough. Padme answered as many as she could, and he deflected a few in her direction. She declined several offers of dances, citing a compromise between cultural differences. Ideally, according to Thrawn, they would be seated on another dias the entire time, unbothered by anyone as their guests celebrated.

According to Thrawn. Padme was suspicious of the full truth of his claims.

Once she had finally chased most of the curious guests off, she led Thrawn to the open doors of a balcony and outside, where she leaned against the balustrade and took a deep, calming breath.

“Are you alright?” she murmured.

He inclined his head slightly. “I should like to leave as soon as possible.”

“It shouldn’t be too long, now. We have the excuse of you needing to get back to class in the morning, and me needing to get back to work. There will be a larger celebration after the week is done, but I am absolutely going to convince the planners to let us do it your way.”

He relaxed minutely. “My thanks.”

His hands were clasped perhaps a bit tightly behind his back as he stood next to her and looked out of the city, and Padme looked up at him out of the corner of her eye.

“You’re nervous about this, aren’t you?”

Thrawn opened his mouth twice to speak before he slowly nodded. “I am. This is not an ideal way to partner with someone, I had not considered that it would be required of me for at least a few more years, if at all, and definitely not to someone not Chiss. The duties we have to one another - that I have to you,” he corrected himself, “are a very serious undertaking that, despite our many conversations, have yet to be fully discussed and agreed upon. I take none of my duties lightly.”

Padme sighed and rested her elbows on the balustrade and her chin on her clasped hands. “Well, we have more time to figure things out than I had thought we would. I was half-convinced that Chancellor Palpatine would have us married right away.”

“Mm.”

Something was bothering him, and Padme raised a questioning eyebrow. She got the slightest head shake in return. They would talk about it later, in a more private place.

“You are tired.”

“Yes. I think we can get out of here in half an hour, if we’re social enough. Don’t worry,” she said as she patted his arm, “I’ll protect you from the horde.”

He let out a brief sigh. “Many thanks.”

It turned out that they were able to leave almost immediately. Padme didn’t know who had seen them disappear to the balcony and started it, but suddenly the majority of their guests were encouraging them to go for the night with sly looks and knowing smiles. They were clearly under the assumption that she and Thrawn’s brief break had been an excuse for more physical matters, and were expecting a consummation of the relationship that night. Padme was just fine with letting them think that. It got them into a speeder within ten minutes, and to her apartments in twenty. She was already nodding off during the ride, and Thrawn helped her into her apartments and bedroom. He politely turned his back as she changed into sleeping clothes, then made sure that she was tucked comfortably in before bidding her goodnight.

***

It was the scent of food that woke her. Padme blearily opened her eyes and lay there for a moment before the fact that the scent of food meant there was someone else in the apartments with her, and then she slowly reached for the blaster that was in the drawer at the side of her bed. Not that she knew why an intruder would be cooking food.

The answer came sooner than she had expected, with a soft knock at her door.

“Padme?” It was Thrawn. Had he stayed the night? She sat up and rubbed her eyes as she yawned. “Are you awake?”

“Unfortunately.” She got up and threw on a robe, and when she opened the door, Thrawn was holding a tray of various breakfast foods.

“I was not sure if you would prefer to stay resting, or would want to eat out here. I did not want to assume.”

He had made her breakfast in bed. It was too early to put up with his courteous behavior. Padme yawned again and shook her head.

“Let me get dressed.”

“Of course.”

The table was set and everything was waiting when she finally came out of her room. Thrawn didn’t hold her chair for her, as she had expected him to, but he had pulled it out a little. It was a compromise - and she was starting to hate that word - that she was willing to accept.

“You didn’t stay the night, did you?” she asked a few minutes later.

“Of course I did. It was expected of us.”

“Where did you sleep?”

He shrugged a little, with a slight smile. “The couch.”

Padme put her head in her hands. “You are about ten million feet tall, and you slept on the couch?”

“Should I have slept on the floor?”

“How was it even remotely comfortable?”

Again, Thrawn shrugged. “I am tall even for my people. I am used to not quite fitting into things.”

By the time she had finished preparing for the day, there was absolutely no evidence that Thrawn had been in her apartments at all, as usual. It was nice. She didn’t want the reminder.

Eli was waiting in the reception area when they got there. It would add to the inevitable appearance of favoritism if she were to accompany Thrawn to the Academy, which was also in the opposite direction of the senate building, so it had been decided that they would part at her apartment building. They wouldn’t see each other again until the more formal celebration of their engagement due to Thrawn having tests to take, but would still be in touch during the week.

Padme sighed and headed to her offices. There would be a never-ending stream of curious staffers and other senators to deal with there. She would have to deal with them and the problems of Naboo and the rest of the galaxy. If she got any work done that day, she would be surprised.

Chapter Text

It was the day after the official engagement soiree that she got Anakin’s call. Despite his statement that he would stay in the Academy’s dorms at least until the marriage, and the week of tests he’d gone through, Thrawn had found a way to stay over every single night since the engagement had been announced. He had flat-out told her that he had calculated the time frame of Anakin getting her message, seeing the announcement, and managing to call her, and that he wasn’t going to leave her to face her pre-existing husband alone.

“It will be fine,” Padme assured him for what felt like the trillionth time.

“He is rash and has a temper,” Thrawn pointed out calmly. “I will not leave.”

Padme groaned as her comm went off. “Fine. But stay out of sight.” She took a deep breath, and accepted the call.

Anakin was going off even before the call connected.

“---ell is going on, Padme? You’re engaged? To Thrawn? Why? When did he even get to the Republic? Who decided you two should get married? What---”

“Ani, please.” Padme raised her hands. “I didn’t want to do this. It’s … complica---”

“Then why are you doing it? What makes it so important that you want to marry him?”

“I don’t want to marry him,” she said firmly. Anakin had always had a temper, but now there was something more to it. She swallowed. “I’ll explain when you get back.”

“And what am I coming back to?” he snapped. “A domestic home between you two?” He was pacing, face twisted with rage.

Rage. She had never seen him in a rage before. She had felt unsafe after he’d lost his temper at Clovis - but now she was actually afraid.

“No.” Usually, the calmer and lower her voice, the sooner Anakin calmed down. This time, it seemed to just make things worse.

“This is ridiculous, Padme, and you know it. What the hell is going on?” He jabbed his hand out, and off-screen, something crashed to the ground.

“I need to speak to you about it in person.” Her heart was pounding. “I need you to trust me, Ani, please.”

“Do you have to fuck him, too?”

“No!” Padme glared at her husband. “And neither do either of us want that to happen. Thrawn is well aware of our situation - and I didn’t tell him about it, either - and is being nothing but courteous. The man won’t let me closer than half a foot, damn it. He’s downright afraid to touch me.”

On the couch, Thrawn gave a small shake of his head, but no other protest.

“Really? Because this seems awfully convenient. Right after we get back from Mokivj? When he said he wasn’t coming back with us?”

“He said he wasn’t coming back with us,” Padme reminded him, “and he likes to play semantics. Things apparently changed, and now they’ve changed again. Ani, please, we’ll work this out.”

She said the last bit to empty air. Anakin had never disconnected on her before. She was shaking a little when Thrawn spoke from behind her.

“Please sit down. That did not go well.”

The couch was soft and comfortable. Padme hated it. “Like you told me it wouldn’t?”

“I was not sure.” He knelt in front of her, holding a glass of water. When she took it, he had to keep his hands around hers because she was shaking too badly to not spill it. “Is that level of anger normal for him?”

“I --- no,” Padme whispered. “It’s not. I thought he would listen to me.”

“He may need time to calm down. I am concerned at his outburst. What broke during the call?”

She shrugged. “Something probably fell.”

“And do things often fall on their own when he gets angry?”

Padme threw her water in Thrawn’s face. He merely closed his eyes and sat back so she could push herself up.

“Anakin isn’t abusive, Thrawn.” The man was wiping his face off. “How dare you suggest that? Anakin has never harmed me, and he never would.”

Thrawn lowered his head, hands on his thighs. “My apologies,” he murmured. “I understand his anger, but his behavior concerns me. I trust you, and believe you.”

“He’ll calm down and call back,” Padme reasoned after a few more moments of glaring. “And we will talk about things like adults.”

“Of course.”

“I think you should go, now.”

Thrawn nodded and immediately stood. He literally bowed to her, hands on his knees, bent over almost ninety degrees. “Of course. Please, forgive me. I meant no offense.”

“Get out.”

He was gone without another word, head still lowered. Hot tears burned at Padme’s eyes. Something about Anakin had been off, horribly off. She didn’t like it. It wasn’t normal anger for him. Even at his angriest, he had never been so … intense. And he had broken something. That was far from normal.

But he would calm down and call back, she told herself as her stomach heaved and she flat-out ran to refresher to vomit. He would come back soon, possibly before the wedding, and she would be able to reassure him that she still loved him, adored him, tell him that she was pregnant and that he was the father, and between him, herself, and Thrawn, they would work something out.

***

Very few people had access to Padme’s private communications network. For those who did, they knew to only use it in an emergency. It would interrupt anything she was doing short of speaking in the Senate.

And it was blinking with Eli’s comm code.

“Excuse me,” Padme said as she pushed herself away from the desk. “I have to take this. Good day, gentlefolk.”

A guard was escorting the delegates from her office even as Padme disappeared into a private meeting room and pulled her holo comm out. Eli’s image seemed fine as it flickered into existence, but looks could be deceiving.

“What’s wrong? Are you alright? Is Thrawn alright?” She flicked a switch and a scan of various news and information programs pulled up in the middle of the meeting room’s central table. Everything seemed peaceful - there was no mention of anything happening at the Academy, or anywhere near it.

Eli looked embarrassed as he scratched the back of his neck. “Uh, yeah. We’re fine. It’s fine. Look, I’m sorry for calling you on this channel, but …” He cleared his throat. “I, uh, I’m worried about you.”

“About me?” Turning the news off and sitting gracefully, Padme switched the call to the table. “Eli, this is ---”

“You don’t seem to have friends,” he blurted. Padme leaned back a little in surprise. “You never talk about anyone, or introduce us to anyone - not that you have to, but, I don’t, well … it’s not healthy, is what I’m saying. I’m sorry, my older sister is a psychologist and this is just what I’ve picked up from her, it may be nothing, but I’m worried about you. Thrawn is, too. He mentioned it earlier, that you seem really isolated, and I just --- Look, you’re friends with Senator Organa, right? Maybe you could invite him over for dinner? Thrawn and I don’t have to be there. We’re just ---”

“Worried, I know.” Padme had raised a hand to stave off the young man’s babbling. “One moment.”

Eli had hunched his shoulders and lowered his head. She sat back as he nodded and thought. When had been the last time that she had seen any of her friends? She saw many of them daily - but that, she knew, wasn’t what Eli was talking about. She saw many of her friends on a regular basis, but she hadn’t spent time with anyone in a long, long time. She hadn’t gone out dancing with Mote and her handmaidens, she hadn’t had anyone over, nothing. Not even C-3PO had been able to stay behind when Anakin and Obi-Wan had left.

But who could she trust? She wasn’t expecting her and Anakin’s secret to get out, but extreme caution was still warranted. And it needed to be someone with whom Thrawn would be comfortable, and vice-versa.

Bail. Bail would do nicely.

Padme leaned forward with a smile as she brought up his comm to send the invitation. “Please tell Thrawn that I expect you two as soon as is convenient after classes are through for the day, and that Senator Bail Organa will be joining us for dinner. And thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Eli slumped with relief. “I, uh, I should get back. I told him I was having stomach issues, but, ah …”

She laughed. “I will see you two tonight, then. Again, thank you.”

***

“Bail! You made it!”

“Padme!” The two embraced tightly in the doorway to her apartments. Bail kissed her cheek before drawing back to beam at her. “How have you been? I was surprised you remembered that I’m alive, when I got you and Thrawn’s invitation.”

She rolled her eyes at him as a sense of relief seeped into her soul. “I’m so sorry. I’ve been so busy, and then what with the engagement and all, well …”

Bail knew when to not ask questions. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he squeezed her shoulders. “Of course. Now, where is this man who has so suddenly charmed you?”

“In the blurrg house,” she told him drily. “We had a … disagreement, a few days ago. We haven’t spoken to or seen each other much since. He’s only speaking to me when spoken to first, walks a step or two behind me when we go out, and keeps his eyes lowered. Either his contrition was real, or he’s very good at acting. Here, sit.”

“Ah? And when will you forgive him?”

It was a good question. She was still angry with him, but was she now just drawing out the punishment he had dealt himself?

“I think I already have,” she told him as Thrawn came out of the food prep area with appetizers. “You can stop it, now,” she told him. He finally met her gaze and titled his head. “I know you were just concerned. It was … not unwarranted. I understand why you asked.”

There was a moment or two of silence, and then Thrawn bowed low once again before straightening and meeting her gaze fully.

“Thank you. Again, I apologize for how I worded myself, and for the timing. I should not have done that.”

“Well, it’s done. There’s no use continuing to bicker about it. I’m sorry about throwing the water at you. I shouldn’t have done that.”

Thrawn smiled slightly. “It was … not unexpected. I thought you might as soon as I spoke. But, as you said, it is done.” He flicked his gaze to Bail, and bowed again. “Senator Organa. It is a pleasure and an honor to meet you. I am Thrawn.”

Bail had stood, and the two men clasped hands briefly. “The pleasure is mine. I am certain you get this a lot, but I have never met a Chiss before. I’ve heard about your people, of course,” and Padme stared at him because of course he had heard about the Chiss before, “but I was half-convinced you were entirely mythical.”

“Oh, we are quite real, I assure you.”

“He’s really a Pantoran, and has ---”

“Conjunctivitis,” Thrawn finished with her. He was dramatically rolling said eyes, but had a slight smile on his lips and actually reached out to gently squeeze her upper arm. “My apologies. I had forgotten my species and state of health entirely.”

Padme covered his hand with hers. “What would you do without me around?”

“Perish, surely.” They smiled at each other until Bail cleared his throat. Without missing a beat, Thrawn withdrew his hand and turned to the man. “You have heard of the Chiss, and clearly took our existence seriously. Have you perchance heard of the Grysk or Vagaari?”

“The Vagaari, yes, though in more mythical stories than even the Chiss. The Grysk, no. I presume that this marriage has something to do with them?”

Thrawn nodded. “It is more of an alliance, yes.”

A fleeting smile made its way across Bail’s face. “Indeed. How immediate of a threat are they?”

“Enough that I left my people to seek an alliance with the Republic.”

“The Chiss apparently don’t engage in pre-emptive strikes, nor does their leadership believe the threat that the Grysk pose,” Padme added. Bail nodded thoughtfully. “But this can wait. I want to spend a pleasant evening with you, not talk about things we can’t do anything about right now.” She winced at how cruel her words sounded. “What I meant was ---”

“No work during friend visits,” Eli interrupted. He had finished setting the table. “Those are very clearly written in the regulations. Come eat, then we can play a few games.”

“Thank you,” Padme laughed as she stood, holding Thrawn’s hand to keep her balance.

***

Anakin did not, in fact, return before the wedding.

It took ten hours to prepare. Her handmaidens were incredibly talented in cosmetics, costuming, and keeping her thoughts from wandering, and Padme was grateful for the distraction. It also kept her from fidgeting; the silk of her gown was incredibly delicate, and would very easily tear. That, she gathered, had been deliberate on the maker’s part. They clearly weren’t anticipating her wearing it for long after the wedding.

At least her pregnancy wasn’t yet showing. She could feel the snugness of the burgundy corset pulling around a waist that was slightly thicker than it had been, but it wasn’t terribly uncomfortable, she could breathe, and if Thrawn noticed any discomfort on her part then it probably would be torn off of her. She was in green again, a very subtle ombre this time, the long sleeves of the gown trailing to the ground and falling delicately off her shoulders. Her headdress was one of the more elaborate ones she’d worn, yet surprisingly light.

Finally, it was time. Her nervous smile, at least, wouldn’t be out of place. The wedding hall was huge; she could barely see the ceiling. There were also several thousand guests there, and probably every media outlet and some that had been created just for this event.

At least her parents were there, strong by her side as they walked with her down the aisle. She had stayed up very late each night since they had arrived on Coruscant, trying to allay their concerns about her marriage to Thrawn. They still weren’t happy, but Thrawn had proved courteous and thoughtful enough that their threats of kidnapping her to prevent the wedding had gradually fallen off to once a day.

Something flickered across Thrawn’s face as he watched from the altar. He blinked far slower than normal, and his lips were parted just a bit. He shifted minutely. When Padme got up to him, he blinked another couple of times.

“K’tek’zhia,” he whispered.

“What?” Padme whispered back.

He shook his head just slightly and turned as the officiant started the hour-long speech that the social status of the participants called for. Padme nearly fell asleep at her own damn wedding. Toppling over would have been embarrassing. She considered trying it, but it would only cause more problems, and just delay the wedding.

Neither she nor Thrawn made a face at the part about endless love and devotion. It was probably because they were both too tired. Or maybe Thrawn had made a face, and it had been too subtle for her to pick up on. The two of them had definitely made enough faces in the hours they had spent going over Naboo’s wedding customs together.

Though Chiss weddings, he had assured her, could get ten times more elaborate.

She had congratulated him on the Chiss once again being superior at doing things than humans.

He hadn’t thought that was funny.

What brought her attention back to the present was Thrawn gently taking her hand and slipping a ring onto it. She slid a ring onto his own hand - rings were another primitive custom that the Chiss had risen above - and then stood on her toes as he stooped down to give her the lightest of kisses. The height difference brought a ripple of laughter to the room. There being a few thousand guests meant that it took about ten minutes for the noise to die down.

Thrawn held her hand gently the entire time. More rested it in his, than anything. He had shown her more photos, read her reports, of the carnage that his mysterious enemy species had left strewn in their wake. It had been a very unpleasant reminder of the reason this wedding was happening.

His hand holding hers was comforting, and Padme very subtly clung to that comfort as they walked back down the aisle. Her parents joined them, a symbol of their newly-combined family, another source of strength. It was enough to get her to the far too elaborate speeder that would take them to the reception hall.

Once they were both in, Thrawn pulled out his communication-blocking device and turned it on, then held his hands between them in a pleading gesture.

“You are not the only one who is nervous about this.” Padme blinked at him. “You are not the only one who feels powerless in this situation. Please do not believe that my lack of expressed emotion means that I feel none. I feel many things about this situation, and I feel them strongly. You are not alone in this.”

Tears threatened. Padme swallowed past the lump in her throat and nodded as some of her tension eased. She had been concerned at Thrawn’s outwardly-calm acceptance of this mess. She hadn’t thought he felt nothing about it, but it was a relief to know that he was just as lost, confused, and perhaps even as scared, as she was.

She reached out as he anxiously watched her, took his hands, and held them firmly in hers.

“Thank you,” she told him earnestly. “That means a lot to me.”

“Neither of us should feel that we cannot depend on the other for assurance and support. It might surprise you, but I am not used to expressing much emotion.”

“You’re not?” Padme half-gasped. “You’ve been lying to me about your social skills this whole time?”

Thrawn snorted with amusement, and relaxed a little. He looked down at their joined hands. “I do apologize for my subterfuge. Nevertheless, I do wish to be someone you feel you can trust and look to for support, as I would like you to be for myself.”

“We’re partners in crime, now,” Padme told him as she, too, looked at their hands. “We have to be able to trust each other.” Thrawn nodded with clear relief. “The true test, though,” and he looked up at her with raised eyebrows, “will be whether or not you trust me enough to wash all the gel out of your hair so I can see what it actually looks like.”

That actually made him laugh. “I … we will see.”

“Come on, what’s wrong with it? That’s a lot of gel - certainly more than navy regulations normally require. You can get away with a wide variety of hairstyles. Why not one of those?”

“Because if one more person touches my hair,” Thrawn told her seriously, “I will consider it a pre-emptive attack and respond with deadly force.” He paused. “Aside from yourself.”

Padme grinned. “Oh? Is it soft? Fluffy? Poofy? Does it curl?”

“We have arrived.”

He turned away from her, dropping her hands, as Padme laughed at him. Her parents and Eli - her father’s arm slung over his shoulders as if he were a long-deployed son - were already there, and Padme’s laughter seemed to relax all of them. Thrawn was once again at her left side, and tilted his head very slightly every time she reached up to try to ruffle his hair.

“I am in uniform,” he reminded her.

“I just want to feel it, not mess it up. Eli, have you seen him without all that gel in his hair?”

The frozen look on Eli’s face told her that yes, he had, and had probably been sworn to secrecy about it. Now he was conflicted because he could either lie to Senator Padme Amidala Naberrie, former Queen of Naboo, and keep his life safe from Thrawn, or he could tell her the truth and probably be stabbed in his bed the next week.

“Ah ---”

“Oh, leave the boy alone,” her father laughed. It was only a little forced. “You’ll see Thrawn’s hair soon enough.”

“You have my gratitude,” Thrawn told him with a short bow and a flash of a smile.

“Of course. You’re family, now.”

Thrawn’s arm muscles twitched under hers. He hadn’t spoken much about his family, either adopted or blood. Padme had more than once wondered if they were on bad terms, or if perhaps one of the reasons he had become a Merit Adoptive was because his blood family had died.

Well, he would tell her in his own time. For now, they had guests to deal with, more questions to either answer or dodge, and a very concerned Jedi Master Kenobi to comfort. He hovered worse than her parents did. Thrawn had accepted the explanation that he was like an older brother to her when she had introduced them two weeks earlier, and therefore did absolutely nothing to protect her from the man’s questions and concerns and general presence.

“I will look into this,” Obi-Wan assured her again. “This is most unusual.”

Padme looked at Thrawn, seated to her left. “You’re really going to let him keep doing this? You snapped at someone the other day for getting too nosy. I thought you were going to punch the poor woman. But this is fine?”

“Siblings are often overly-protective of one another.” Thrawn’s reply was calm. “It is to be admired.”

“Do you have any siblings?”

Thrawn turned his head to give her a hard look, then looked back over the crowd of guests without a word. Padme frowned with concern before Obi-Wan cleared his throat.

“And you will be staying on Coruscant, rather than ---”

“Thrawn hasn’t seen much of the planet,” Padme interrupted him. “Or the art galleries.” Thrawn’s lips twitched. “I’m going to show him around. He refuses to miss any classes.”

“Yes, three months to graduate, correct?”

“Two, now.”

Obi-Wan hummed. “And straight to lieutenant after.”

“I am a lieutenant now. My previous military experience warrants it.”

“I see. You know, I have been all over the galaxy and the Outer Rim, and have never so much as heard of the Chiss.”

“That’s because they don’t exist,” Padme put in. Obi-Wan gave her a confused look. “He’s actually a Pantoran with conjunctivitis.”

Obi-Wan laughed as Thrawn gave her the most politely horrified look. It wasn’t the first time she had said it. Due to Thrawn’s reactions to it, it wouldn’t be the last.

“We do not care to make our presence known,” was all he said, choosing to ignore Padme’s teasing.

“And why do you do so now?”

“Boys,” Padme said firmly, “you have been over this five times already. If you want to fight, do it at the playground after school, not here.”

“We are not children,” Thrawn said stiffly.

“Then stop acting like it.”

The two men huffed a little, and spent the rest of the evening giving each other sideways glances. At least they weren’t snipping at each other. And Obi-Wan, too, knew Sy Bisti, so poor Eli was free to hide in a maintenance closet or wherever he had run off to, while the Jedi served as Thrawn’s translator as needed.

She was reconsidering her relief that they were all marginally getting along, though, the third time she nodded off. Then they both turned on her and demanded that she and Thrawn make their exit, betraying her friendship, pulling her out of the reception hall and stuffing her into a speeder. She was viciously held down the entire ride back to her apartments, and then yanked and dragged up to them, had her face shoved into water when torture was clearly illegal, then bullied into changing into nightclothes before she was nearly tied to her bed and forced to fall asleep.

Meaning, she nodded off again, they suggested she and Thrawn leave, she grumbled a bit, then was put kindly to bed.

Chapter Text

“Well, here we are.”

“I would have been satisfied with humbler lodging.”

“No one asked you.”

Padme threw Thrawn a smile over her shoulder. She had abruptly handed him her handbag and cloak before opening the suite’s door, so he hadn’t been able to get a glimpse of it before they were inside. Now, though, his eyes were widening, the glowing red positively flashing with excitement at the sight of the miniature museum and art gallery they had just entered.

So great was that excitement, in fact, that he shoved their belongings back at her and trotted right in, head snapping in all directions as he tried to take it all in at once. He let out a small gasp that he would probably claim was just a sharp breath every few seconds, when he found something new, and wiggled his fingers over pieces he absolutely wanted to pick up.

“I will, ah, just put this stuff away,” Padme called. “You can touch every---” He was already at it, snatching up a small figurine of a voluptuous female figure, large stomach, small breasts and arms and legs, and small, dotted head caringly carved out of stone.

She was just about done when she was snatched from behind and swung into the air, where she did a one-eighty degree spin before falling back into Thrawn’s arms as she yelled in surprise and sudden fear. She tried to flail, but he was holding her tightly with his face buried in the crook of her neck, and he was whispering.

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

Heart pounding, Padme brought her arms up to cross over his shoulder blades as best she could. He had picked her up and tossed her in the air like she weighed nothing. Now he sank onto the bed and she was straddling his lap, and her heart stopped a second time. He rubbed her back for a moment, then drew back and took her face in both hands, leaning forward to gently rub their cheeks together. He did it slowly and completely, one after the other, leading Padme to wonder if maybe he had scent glands. He was still whispering his thanks.

“You’re welcome,” she breathed softly.

“Only one other person has ever done anything like this for me.”

Padme shuddered for several reasons as his warm breath washed over her ear. She needed off his lap, off the bed. It was too intimate.

Perhaps Thrawn felt that sudden tensing, because he stood while slowly setting her back on the ground. “I will never forget this,” he swore solemnly.

Padme stepped back with a breathless laugh. “I’m glad. There are holos of everything, as well. Nothing but the best for my auxiliary husband.”

He laughed at that and nodded. Then a look of nervousness crossed his face. “I, ah … I got you nothing. I have nothing to give, and ---”

“You give me companionship, and respect,” Padme told him. “You give me security and care. I would be going out of my mind without those things. Please trust me that, aside from seeing your real hair, I need no other gift.”

“And you provide those things for me, as well, yet you still ---” He cut off as she shook her head with a smile. “I just --- Very well,” he relented. “You may see my hair after I bathe tonight. It … will be an honor, to show you.”

***

Later, Thrawn’s hair was dry, ungelled, and beautiful . He kept it all one length, which meant that his bangs fell in front of his face as he reluctantly leaned forward when she reached her hands out. And it curled. Most of all, it curled, tight little corkscrews of glorious shimmering blue-black, unbelievably soft.

Padme let out a gasp of pure joy. She almost blurted out that she wanted babies that had his hair, but instead she gently ran her hands through it again and again.

“Thrawn, this is --- this is amazing. Perfect. I see why you keep it down and straightened; everyone would be fighting to the death to touch it. I love it.”

“Nnng … I am … glad …” He was mumbling, barely coherent. “... don’t stop ...”

“I won’t,” she promised as he legitimately started to purr.

They dined in the suite that night. They had had reservations at a posh restaurant, but Thrawn kept lowering his head for her to run her fingers through his curls and along his scalp, and if Padme Amidala Naberrie wanted to have their food delivered, then she got their food delivered.

She was laughing as they ate on the couch. Thrawn was sprawled across it with his head in her lap, and she was eating one-handed with her free hand buried in his hair. He got a bite for every two she took, and was reveling in the pampering. The purr came and went.

“You are positively ridiculous,” she teased.

He slowly forced his eyes open. “If this is love,” he told her seriously, “then I am thoroughly consumed by it.”

That made Padme laugh hard. “Really? You’re that easy to sway?”

“If you promise not to stop,” he murmured as he closed his eyes again and accepted another bite of food, “I will gladly lay the galaxy at your feet.”

“All I need is for Naboo to stay free and peaceful. That would be enough.”

“You have my word.”

***

“Three times, Thrawn. This has now happened three. Times.”

“One time was unintentional.”

“Yes, Eli told me,” Padme said dryly. “I’ll talk with Commandant Deenlark. This is far past ridiculous.”

“I would advise against that.” Thrawn hadn’t moved from parade rest since he and Eli had come into her office. Eli had gratefully taken her invitation to sit and have something to drink, as well as to have some cookies, because Eli was the best boy in the universe and her absolute favorite.

Unlike Thrawn.

“It would only give the appearance of favoritism.”

Padme gave him a disbelieving look. “And you don’t think these bullies’ families are protecting them? Because they are. They absolutely are.”

She got a small shrug. “Sooner or later they will make an openly-aggressive move, and then may be dealt with thusly. Again, I would like to advance my career with as little appearance of favoritism as possible.”

Padme clamped her hand over her mouth to keep from yelling. Thrawn had a military mind unlike any other, she reminded herself. That didn’t mean his talents extended into other areas.

They most certainly did not extend into the realm of politics. She wondered, again, if he was really this oblivious, or if he actively chose to avoid understanding politics.

She sighed and lowered her hand, closing her eyes.

“As the husband of a high-ranking, very visible senator,” she said slowly, “everything you do will appear like favoritism. Even if you ever get demoted, people will think that I was saving you from a worse fate.”

“That makes no sense. Why would my own actions be judged according to your status?”

“Politics, Thrawn. Politics. We have been over this.”

“Your hair is lovely today.”

His current tactic of deflection was giving her honest compliments. It worked better than his previous tactic of simply ignoring her. Padme would be more upset if his compliments weren’t, to him, simple facts. A lie she could get angry at. A fact left her floundering a bit, especially when it was a compliment.

She cleared her throat and glanced quickly away, turning her attention briefly to a report. Thrawn might have smiled a little as she worked.

“That’s irrelevant, and you know it,” she finally said. “You’re being bullied, and shouldn’t have to put up with it.”

“Only for another month, at the most.”

“Eli, how often do you have this conversation with him?”

“Almost every day,” the young man said tiredly.

“If it helps, I believe that their actions will soon escalate. They will not be a problem for much longer.”

Eli groaned. “What he means is that he’s trying to get them to attack him.”

“Which would make anything you did a clear case of self-defense.” Thrawn’s smile was pleased as he nodded. Padme glared at him. “It’s better than you starting a fight, but either way, I’m going to be dragged before Commandant Deenlark like a mother whose child has been fighting on the playground. You’re an adult. This shouldn’t be happening.”

“I would remind you that the instigators, too, are adults. Cadet Vanto and I have been invited out tonight. I believe that this will be the final incident.”

He was going to do whatever he wanted in this situation. Padme had known from their first meeting that Thrawn would always do what he felt was the best thing, and had had that fact driven very firmly home in the past month. He was unexpectedly … ‘docile’ wasn’t the right word. Neither was ‘submissive.’ But he followed her lead in most matters more often than not, until it came to her and the twins' safety and wellbeing.

Then he was absolutely immovable.

“This matter will be resolved tonight,” he assured her softly, again.

Padme sighed before shaking her finger at him. “Fine. You’re going to do it, anyway. But I want to know exactly where you are at all times, you are not to go down more than ten levels, and I am not paying your bail.”

That made Thrawn smile again. “That is acceptable. Cadet Vanto, if Padme and I might have a moment alone?”

Eli stared at them, then stood up quickly. “Oh, right. I’ll be outside.”

“Take the cookies with you,” Padme told him as he gave the small tray one last look. “I can get more. Sonda can wrap them up for you.”

“Ah, thank you, Senator. I’ll be right outside.”

Thrawn came around her desk and knelt by her, hovering one hand over her stomach. The news of two fetuses had come as a shock to both of them at her last prenatal appointment, and Thrawn had spent the ride home and the next few days looking suspiciously from the ultrasound pictures to her belly. Multiple births were apparently about as common amongst Chiss as they were amongst humans, yet Thrawn still seemed mystified about it. Or maybe the idea of two children had overwhelmed him, and he was still trying to come to terms with it. Padme certainly was.

“I promise, this will be the last incident.” He looked down at her stomach, and she followed his gaze. She wasn’t going to be able to hide the pregnancy for as long as she had initially thought. Really, the size of her stomach should have been an early indicator that she was carrying twins. But when had she thought sensibly in the past four months or so? “Are you alright?”

“We’d be better if you weren’t being a nerf-herder about this whole thing.”

He smiled slightly. “Have I been wrong in these matters before?”

She tapped her desk in irritation. “I’m not going to answer that.”

“Then I ask that you trust me once more. I promise, I will be safe, this matter will be put to rest, and most importantly, I will keep Cadet Vanto safe.” Padme snorted with laughter. “I accept that he is your favorite between the two of us.”

She rolled her eyes. “Eli, at least, knows how to behave. His bail I’ll pay. You’re sure this will be the last of it?”

“I am certain.” He hadn’t moved his hand.

Padme pursed her lips, nodding. “Alright. Keep him safe or I’ll court-martial you myself.” A light on her desk flickered. “I have a meeting in five minutes. Touch my stomach and then go away.”

“That will not be necessary. May warrior’s fortune smile upon you.”

“I’ll need it,” she muttered as he stood and left.

***

As it turned out, she wasn’t called to the Academy to discipline her errant husband. There was no indication at all, in fact, that anything had happened the previous night.

Which was suspicious.

And then Thrawn and Eli showed up for dinner, and Padme narrowed her eyes at the scratches and bruises on Thrawn’s cheek.

“The matter is behind us,” was Thrawn’s immediate statement. “The perpetrators will be moved to training more suited to their talents.”

“They’re going to stew for a few days, first,” Eli offered. “Thrawn refused to have them kicked out.”

Thrawn was impassive as he started taking out settings for all three of them. “The uncertainty of their fates will cause them distress, and then they will be where the Republic needs them the most. That will suffice.”

Padme sat down and offered Eli some sweets. She didn’t care that she was a few years older than him - he was adorable. He politely declined them.

“You’re hurt. Did you at least get medical assistance?”

“They are superficial injuries only. No medical assistance was required.”

“Was Security called?”

“It was not needed. I assure you, this matter is done with.”

She nodded and let it go. Thrawn would let her fret and be grumpy, but he really didn’t deserve to be on the receiving end of her anxiety over the total lack of communication from Anakin or his team. Normally she would be able to get at least a little information from somewhere, but now it was like they didn’t exist. Not even the Jedi Council could answer her questions. It was distressing, to say the least. She was hardly sleeping, and Thrawn was going to start commenting on it soon.

Oddly, she felt no guilt for the casual intimacy that she and Thrawn had shared on their honeymoon, and continued to share.

His conversational and general social skills were slowly improving, though. Grudgingly, but progress was being made. He wouldn’t ever be the life of the party, but he was getting more comfortable with small talk. It helped that he was curious about everything, so it was largely a matter of him learning how to phrase himself and remembering to add inflection to his words.

“I don’t understand why a fact would be taken badly. It is a fact.”

“It’s not the factualness of the statement,” Padme explained patiently. “It’s how you phrase it, and your tone of voice when you do. Most other people aren’t going to understand that that's how you talk. They won’t realize that you’re just being blunt, rather than giving orders or being rude.”

He was frowning. “I see no reason to use more words than necessary. Do you wish me to change my entire pattern of speech?”

“I want you to be aware of how your speech patterns and tone and inflection will be taken by others, and adjust them as necessary. It will save you a lot of trouble.”

Clearly done with the conversation, Thrawn stood up and started gathering their dessert plates. “I will take your advice into consideration.”

Padme got up and followed him. “Others need a bit more care than you do, Thrawn. Your way of speaking isn’t bad, it’s just more blunt and honest than others are used to. It is excellently suited for commanding a ship. Not so much in other situations.”

“I see.” Padme hummed a bit, and he straightened before turning to her. “Ah, I forgot. I have something for you. Cadet Vanto,” he called as he guided her to the living area, “I will return to the Academy on my own. You may go.” Thrawn glanced at Padme. “Please.”

Once Eli had gone, Thrawn turned the lights down and sat next to Padme. Her heart skipped a beat, but he made no move to touch her. Instead, he took out a datapad and tapped at it for a bit before looking back at her. Padme silently chastised herself for thinking he was going to try to seduce her.

Emphasis on ‘try.’ 

“If you would close your eyes, please,” he murmured. “I would like you to listen to this.”

Padme watched him for a moment before slowly closing her eyes. A slow beat filled the room, followed by taps of percussion. A soft choir of voices rose after a few moments, the language staccato but not sharp, at some points flowing from one side of the room to another in a wave that had Padme swaying in a subconscious attempt to follow it. There was emotion filling the rhythm, restrained but not subdued, and it made her catch her breath far more than a more vocally active song would have.

“Do you like it?” Thrawn murmured after a few minutes.

“It’s beautiful,” Padme murmured back. “Is it Cheunh?”

“A traditional song. How does it feel to you? What do you see as you listen to it?”

Another swell of the choir had Padme catching her breath again. She licked her lips, swaying again.

“It’s … beautiful. It’s … like the tide. It ebbs and flows, and pulls you with it.”

“Yes?” His voice sounded almost breathless. “And?”

“There’s a softness to it. It keeps the lyrics from being too sharp. I feel like … like I could just float away on it. It sounds … not sad, not melancholy … bittersweet? It just … melts around you. I feel like I can touch the rhythm.” She breathed out at another side-to-side wave of voices.

“And the composer?”

“It could be about sex and drugs, for all I know, but it feels like there’s a sort of longing to it. A sad finality. It’s like … they want to go back to something, but it’s something they can never return to. I want to cry. Please tell me it’s not about sex and drugs.”

There was a very soft chuckle from the man next to her. “It is not. It is much as you describe - a song about moving on from one’s painful past, despite the familiar comfort of it. It is about finding one’s strength in oneself, leaving what one once knew for the unknown future. It speaks of coming into a new community, a new family, and finding comfort with others of like mind. It is, ah, popular, amongst young Merit Adoptives.”

He had stressed the word ‘young,’ and Padme smiled as the song faded and she opened her eyes.

“Did you like this song, when you were a young Merit Adoptive?”

Thrawn’s expression was relaxed and open. “I understood the psychological comfort it brought to young Merit Adoptives.” He raised his hand, stopping a centimeter or two from her cheek. “You are crying.”

She brought the back of her hand to her mouth and nodded. “They’re cathartic,” she whispered. “I promise. It’s … the song feels ... clean, somehow.”

“These are much the feelings, the rhythms and sensations, the patterns, that art brings me. It is somewhat simplified, but close enough. You are the only person who has ever remotely understood how art gives me the insight it does, who has never dismissed it. You have perhaps been cautious about it, but you have never dismissed it as impossible. I … wanted to help you understand more. If you would like, I will send you a copy of the song.”

Padme reached up and took Thrawn’s hand, curling her fingers around his. He went still and his eyes went wide, but he didn’t try to pull away.

“Thank you,” she murmured. “This means a lot to me.”

He swallowed and pulled gently away. Padme watched as he stood and took a few steps from the couch, busying himself with turning the lights up. She wondered how long it had been - if ever - since he had let himself be this vulnerable around someone. He finally took a deep breath and turned to her.

“It is late. I must go. This was a very pleasant evening; thank you for it.”

“It was my pleasure,” Padme murmured as she stood. Thrawn stayed a pace ahead of her as she walked him to the door. “Thank you. Have a good night. And stop looking for trouble.”

He looked at her impassively. “I am sure that trouble finds me, rather than the other way around. Rest well.”

As usual, he didn’t walk off until Padme had shut and locked the door. She played the song while she got ready for bed, and, as she stared up at the ceiling and missed Anakin, cried soothing tears.

Chapter Text

She and her replacement husband, Padme thought, really should have taken into account that she was having kriffing twins when they were discussing when to announce her pregnancy. Of course she was going to show sooner.

“Not saying anything is an option.”

Padme snorted. She was sitting on the couch, trying to figure out which of her gowns could be subtly altered to minimize the size her stomach had exploded to. She had anticipated not looking full-term at almost six months.

“Not for this situation.” There was more flickering out of the corner of her eye as Thrawn continuously looked from her to the datapad he was studying. “Oh, for the --- Here. Count.”

She grabbed his hand and pressed it firmly against her stomach before he could pull away. She was the one who usually counted the babies’ kicks, because while they were both careful to appear as a caring couple in public, in private - which was ironically where Padme needed comfort the most - Thrawn was still careful to only touch her minimally unless she was touching his hair, which had petered off greatly. At least he had stopped being jumpy about it.

“How long is Chiss fetal development?” She was relaxing as the warmth and pressure from his hand seeped into her. She really wanted a hug. She wanted Anakin to come home.

What she got was a slight shrug. “This is normal.”

“For single or twin pregnancies? What about the length of pregnancies?”

“This pregnancy would not be questioned amongst the Chiss.”

Which meant either the Chiss accepted out-of-wedlock pregnancies, or, more likely, had a slightly accelerated gestation than that of humans. Or, equally as likely, Thrawn was making everything up as he went, because the rest of the galaxy knew kriff-all about his species and wouldn’t know if he was lying or telling the truth.

Padme nodded and accepted it. If she didn’t know the full truth, either, then she couldn’t be accused of lying about it. She was simply accepting what her husband told her, and as they hadn’t told the medical droids whether or not he was actually the father, they, too, couldn’t be accused of a cover-up.

“You’re better at politics than you think.”

“Do not insult me. I am counting.”

She nodded off at some point, because when she opened her eyes, she was pressed up against Thrawn’s side. His right hand was on her stomach, and his left arm was draped over the back of the couch, positioned carefully so as not to touch her shoulders. He was holding his datapad in it, and when she shifted, straightened a little.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered.

“Don’t be. You need rest. I believe that these four would be the best suited to alteration.” He gestured as well as he could to the gowns that were now set aside from the rest. “I would have looked at more, but you did not seem to want me to get up.”

Padme yawned and struggled a little to sit up straight. Thrawn pressed his hand more firmly into her stomach.

“I am still counting. So far, there has been sufficient movement.”

“How long was I asleep?”

“Approximately forty-five minutes.”

Padme waited. Thrawn didn’t move. His eyelashes, she observed, were absolutely gorgeous.

“I would kill for your eyelashes.”

He gave her a startled look, eyes going wide. “I’m sorry?”

“Your eyelashes. They’re perfect.”

“Ah … thank you.” He cleared his throat and looked down, but didn’t turn his face away from hers. “Yours, too, are pleasing.”

“Did anyone call while I was out?”

His breathing and heartbeat were steady. She might just fall asleep again.

“No one of consequence. There was no need to wake you, so I didn’t. Are you finished?”

“Finished with what?”

“Looking at me.”

Oh. She was still admiring his eyelashes. Padme cleared her throat and looked away with a nod. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stare.”

Thrawn was very minutely fidgeting with his datapad. The only reason she knew was because she could feel the faint muscle movements in his shoulder and chest. She sighed and uncurled herself from his side, and he immediately pulled his arm back and sat up straight.

“No offense was given. There is no need to apologize.”

He was about to say more, but Padme smacked him lightly on the arm. “If you go off about your ‘duties’ to me one more time ---”

His lips twitched. “I was not going to. I was going to say that I am increasingly comfortable with your presence. There is no need for you to hesitate if you wish physical reassurance and comfort.” He turned a bit lavender. “I mean that, of course, in a non-sexual manner.”

“Of course,” Padme murmured. “Are you done counting? I’m starving.”

“It has not yet been even an hour.” She groaned. He relented. “However, everything is well so far. I will bring you food.”

And a foot rub, she mentally added. And a shoulder rub. And a hug. Maybe a bath. He could do the rest of her work for the day, too. In fact, he could just take over everything for a while. Thank the Force he was doing all the household chores - she didn’t know if she could handle them, right now.

He came back in with a tray of various snack foods that were the ones she had been craving the most, lately. “The Kathrey negotiations, I believe, will go better if the concession regarding their moon is accepted. I have been studying their art, and while a wise site for a Republic base, it is a more vital part of their cultural heritage than they have expressed.”

“Oh?” Padme perked up a bit and reached for her own datapad. “There’s no indication of that in their history. No obvious indication,” she corrected.

Thrawn sighed a little as he thought about how to phrase himself. “It is very subtle, but there. They do not speak of the things most precious to them, for fear of the wrath of their gods. ‘Wrath’ is not the correct word. Their gods are private beings, and their privacy is to be respected at all times. The moon, its phases, even its proximity to the planet - all are taken into consideration by them.”

He held his hand out for her datapad and she let him have it, intent on eating as much food as she could while maintaining a vague resemblance of propriety.

“Here. You will notice that their architecture subtly changes with the seasons; their buildings are not static, but mobile things, that they may shift as the moon - and thus their gods - indicate.” He was showing her a time-lapse of a city, and Padme’s eyes almost crossed as it very clearly writhed with the passage of time. The changes wouldn’t be obvious from an outsider’s perspective - the Kathrey themselves might not even consciously notice it.

But the buildings did indeed twist and turn, always reaching for the moon, keeping what she suspected was a constant distance from it.

“Are they trying not to either intrude or turn away?” she asked.

Thrawn smiled. “Indeed. Very good. Any closer, and their gods would feel their privacy was being violated. Any further, and they would feel that the Kathrey were rejecting them.”

“Those are some pretty touchy gods. I’ll message the ambassador. Thank you.”

“You would have noticed it in time.”

“That’s up for debate.”

“You would have,” Thrawn insisted. “You see the patterns very well, for how long you’ve been studying them.”

There was the chime of her door, and Padme glared at it as Thrawn stood up to answer. Whoever it was hadn’t been announced, which meant it was someone she knew very well. If it was another senator, she was going to lose it. She had been very clear that she was not to be disturbed unless a planet had blown up or the galaxy’s central black hole had suddenly started expanding.

“General Kenobi is here,” Thrawn told her, walking a pace or two ahead of the man.

“Obi-Wan!” Padme started to get up and then stopped. Obi-Wan had stopped, as well, and was staring at her stomach. She wasn’t wearing anything that particularly hid her pregnancy, because she was tired of the flowing dresses and wanted to wear some pants for a while.

“... Congratulations?” was the cautious reply. He was very clearly doing some very quick math.

“Twins,” Thrawn supplied as he calmly returned to Padme’s side. He stayed standing, though, and his gaze never left the Jedi.

“... I see. Ah, my apologies for intruding. Your comm was going straight to message.”

Padme looked up at Thrawn with pursed lips. “No one of consequence called, hmm?”

“No.”

Obi-Wan glowered at him before clearing his throat. “I’m here because I still haven’t heard from Anakin. Have you?”

And just like that, all of Padme’s fears came slamming back into her. Thrawn placed his hand on his shoulder as Obi-Wan started forward. She waved them off and covered her mouth with one hand. The only reasonable explanation for Anakin’s continued silence was that he was dead. And they had been arguing the last time they had talked. They hadn’t said goodbye. She hadn’t told him she loved him.

“Have there been any reports from his last known whereabouts?” Thrawn’s voice was steady and blunt, but not unkind.

Obi-Wan shook his head. “I’m afraid not. The Council is hesitant to send anyone out to look for him, but this complete lack of contact - the fact that I wasn’t sent out with him - isn’t normal. When did you last hear from him?”

Thrawn and Padme looked at each other. She raised her eyebrows slightly in a question and he nodded minutely. They had discussed if - and when - to tell Obi-Wan the whole truth. Padme hadn’t initially wanted to, but Thrawn had pointed out that he was one of her most trustworthy confidantes, and would be the least likely to report her and Anakin’s relationship to the Jedi Council and the most likely to support them. Thrawn pulled his communication blocker out and set it on the table.

“The day after the engagement soiree.” Padme spoke lightly, and gestured to a seat. “Please, sit down. We have something to speak with you about. It’s very important, and we need your complete secrecy on the matter.”

“What is it? Are the children alright? Are you? Is the pregnancy going well?”

He hadn’t sat down. Padme closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“Anakin and I are married, and the twins are his.”

Obi-Wan sat down.

He sat down very quickly.

“The twins were unexpected,” she went on. “But … well.”

“... In retrospect,” Obi-Wan managed, “this really does make sense. I hadn’t thought his feelings for you were reciprocated, but clearly …” Padme’s lips twisted. He wiped at his face. “How long …?”

“Since we reunited here on Coruscant. It went slowly, and then it didn’t. I know that relationships are forbidden amongst the Jedi, he knows that, but it’s an absurd rule.” Padme clenched her fists. “Denying someone the right to happiness - denying them their emotions, the very things that make them who they are --- It’s ridiculous, Obi-Wan. It shouldn’t be like this.”

“The Council’s rules are there for a reason, Padme,” Obi-Wan groaned. “The Jedi are to remain absolutely neutral. Absolutely neutral.”

“What is done is done,” Thrawn said quietly.

“Then why did you agree to this marriage?” Now Obi-Wan was up and pacing, agitated.

“Do you think I didn’t - we didn’t - try to convince Chancellor Palpatine to go about it another way?” Padme snapped. “Because we did. Both of us. I messaged Anakin but apparently he didn’t get it before the engagement announcement. When he called, he was …”

“Furious.” She glared at Thrawn, but he was right. “He was not listening to our reasons.” He stepped forward and held out his personal datapad. “This is why this arrangement was agreed to.”

The Jedi glanced down, then took the datapad and browsed through the pictures with pursed lips. “We’re at war with the Separatists,” he finally said. “Unfortunately, these things happen despite our best efforts. Are you saying that your people can quickly end the war and prevent more of this?”

“There are entire star systems that look like that,” Thrawn told him. “And the perpetrators will not stop until they overrun the entire galaxy.”

“I haven’t heard a thing about ---”

“They are from Wild Space; of course you haven’t. My people are in their way. We will be targeted sooner or later. Perhaps you have heard of the Vagaari?”

Obi-Wan’s eyes narrowed. “Legends. Is this supposedly their work?”

Thrawn shook his head. “No. The Grysk are a force far more dangerous. We believe that they have allied with the Vagaari to help with their conquests.”

“We?” Obi-Wan looked at Padme.

“The Chiss. Our doctrine of acting only in self-defense keeps us from neutralizing this threat, and may be our downfall. I came here to see if there was a way to convince your Republic to take this matter more seriously.”

Now Obi-Wan sat again, calmer. “I thought your people sent you?”

“Some of them did.”

“The result is largely the same.” The two men looked at Padme. “I’m pregnant, Thrawn’s people need our help, and Anakin is missing. Does that summarize it?”

“You forgot the part where you and Anakin are married and expecting two children,” Obi-Wan said cooly. “I think that that is a somewhat important detail.”

“We wouldn’t have told you if we didn’t trust you, Obi-Wan.” Padme was pleading, now. “Judge Anakin and I all you want, but we need your secrecy, and we need your support. You can help convince the Jedi that this needs to be dealt with, and I can work on the Senate. I know our resources are already stretched thin, but surely we can send a delegation, at least, to the Chiss.”

“There are other Chiss who share my views and concerns,” Thrawn put in. “I will take Padme to them. That would be a place to start. And I do not trust your Chancellor. He is not as he seems, and I believe that Padme is in danger if she stays here.”

“He won’t tell me why,” Padme interrupted Obi-Wan’s disbelieving outburst. “Obi-Wan, please. At least don’t tell anyone about Anakin and I.”

“This is absurd, Padme. Absurd.”

“Have I ever given you reason to distrust me? Why would I lie about this?”

“You wouldn’t,” Obi-Wan bit out. “He is a different matter.”

“Would you like a tour of their destruction?” Thrawn asked acidly. “Perhaps witness one of their invasions? Watch as they bend entire species to their will? Would that convince you?”

“I want to hear directly from your leadership that these alleged beings are a threat,” Obi-Wan snapped back.

“I cannot do that. I can, however, bring you to someone who has engaged the Grysk and Vagaari in battle. She will show you all you want of the records of those battles.”

“Yes, I would like that.” Then something occurred to the Jedi. “You graduate from the Academy and will be assigned to a ship in a week. What is Padme to do while you’re deployed?”

“I’ve requested that Thrawn be stationed here, or at least in the Core Worlds, for the time being,” Padme assured him. “There is of course no guarantee in that, but I like to think that I have some influence here. And Anakin will be back soon.”

“Will he?” Obi-Wan stood up again. “I won’t tell anyone about your relationship with him.” Padme let out a relieved breath. “But we need to find him. Everything else is secondary to that.”

“Agreed,” Thrawn said, nodding. “General Skywalker’s presence and safety will do much to put Padme at ease, and his allyship, as well, will be very useful.”

Obi-Wan frowned at the other man. “And you don’t care about their relationship? Or that the children aren’t yours? But you’re still concerned about Padme’s safety?”

“Oh, no,” Padme muttered.

Thrawn drew himself up to his full height and leveled a deadly glare at the Jedi. “Political marriages are not uncommon amongst my people, General. The conception happened before I arrived here, and dedication to one’s spouse - however that union came to be - is an absolute requirement for Chiss. The parentage of prior children is irrelevant. What matters is that there are children, children who need raising, and both partners fulfill that duty. The partners’ feelings toward one another do not matter - what matters is that they are partners, and behave toward one another and any children present as such.”

“He means it; he really does.” Her input didn’t break up the stand-off. “Obi-Wan, believe me. Thrawn and I have had to discuss boundaries and compromises about this more than once. I am exceptionally cared for with him. Sometimes too much.”

Finally, Obi-Wan stepped back. “I don’t like this,” he repeated. “What if you’re assigned to a ship and sent off?”

“Then we will deal with that when it happens.”

Obi-Wan’s personal comm buzzed, and he turned as he answered it. After a few moments, he turned back. “The Council needs me. It’s about sending someone to check on Anakin.”

“Go,” Padme told him. “Please. Bring him back safely.”

“If you will dine with us tomorrow,” Thrawn added, “there are things that I would like to discuss with you. Assuming your cooperation in this matter.”

That made Obi-Wan snort. “I hardly have a choice. Padme is going to do what she feels is best, and no one can stop her in that. Get plenty of rest,” he ordered Padme. She rolled her eyes. “Eat healthy. Don’t stress yourself. We’ll figure this out.”

“If you don’t leave right now,” she told him, “I am going to spontaneously develop sensitivity to the Force and throw you out the window. I get enough of this coddling from Thrawn; I do not need it from you.”

“I will see you to the door.”

Obi-Wan very nearly had to be pushed to the door, and he and Thrawn stayed there for a few moments, murmuring to one another. Padme had angrily cleared the tray of food and water by the time Thrawn came back. She glowered up at him.

“That went well.”

“Yes.” Thrawn picked up the tray. “I believe that the general will assist us. His concern for General Skywalker is great, and he, too, may be able to assist in convincing High Command to keep me here on Coruscant for a while. If not …” He shrugged. “Alternatives will be arranged.”

“What alternatives?”

“Adequate ones. Go, if you please, get ready for bed. I will clean up out here.”

“I’m not going because you told me to,” Padme grumbled as he helped her up.

“Of course not.”

Chapter Text

A pregnancy announcement before the graduation would make Thrawn’s starting rank of lieutenant look suspiciously like Padme had arranged it. A pregnancy announcement after the graduation would make it look like Thrawn was an absent father. A pregnancy announcement during the graduation would take the spotlight away from the graduates.

Thrawn’s solution was to just not say anything at all. After all, it wasn’t as if she was Supreme Chancellor. She could just … be pregnant. People got pregnant all the time.

“You just want to stay out of the media.”

“It’s actually fairly logical.” Padme sighed noisily, and Obi-Wan smiled at her. “You are allowed some privacy, Padme. The, ah, general timeline adds up, as well.”

He and Thrawn were both blushing and Padme took petty satisfaction in that.

“Well,” she huffed, leaning back and immediately regretting it because now she was going to need help up and she was irritated with both men, “they’ll know anyway, because I’m fat.”

“Your weight gain is within healthy boundaries for your pregnancy. Your normal appearance has not been negatively affected by it.”

“He means you’re beautiful,” Obi-Wan cut in hastily. “You look just fine. Here, let us find you a suitable ---”

“No!” Both men jerked around to stare at her. Padme glared at them both. “No. You both have terrible taste in fashion. Give me my datapad - I’ll do it myself. Where’s Eli?”

“Right here, madam senator,” the young man said. He appeared in the doorway to the food preparation area. “What can I do for you?”

Padme smiled warmly as she held her hand out to him. “You can come here and be perfect. I need some pillows for my back, please, if you would.”

He gave Thrawn and Obi-Wan nervous looks as he hurried over to her. “Yeah, sure.” After he had made sure that she was comfortable, he stood there awkwardly. “Anything else?”

“Please, sit. Your older sister has children, right? Tell me what you think of these.”

Thrawn and Obi-Wan disappeared into another room as Eli very reluctantly looked over the outfits that Padme had pulled up. The fanciness wasn’t so important to her as the comfort and concealment they could provide, she assured him. And what with Thrawn and Obi-Wan knowing absolutely nothing about pregnancy or clothing, as well as them conspiring to do whatever they were conspiring to do, he was her only choice at the moment.

There had been no word from Anakin, and nothing about his whereabouts. The Jedi Council hadn’t agreed to Obi-Wan’s request to send even one person to look for him, citing the secrecy required of his mission. Padme’s stress levels went up each day, and there was nothing she could do about it.

“I think that about sums it up.” Obi-Wan and Thrawn were coming back into the room, trading off datapads. “I’ll take care of it.”

“You have my thanks. I believe that this is the best course of action.”

“Unfortunately, I agree.” Obi-Wan came up to Padme and bowed to her. “I have to go. Will you be alright?”

“I have Thrawn to rub my shoulders and Eli to rub my feet,” she laughed. “I’ll be fine, unless you want to rub my hands.”

The Jedi Master smiled. “As much as I would like to stay, perhaps another time. Cadet Vanto.”

They nodded to each other, then he and Thrawn went to the door, and when Thrawn returned, he walked behind the couch and then his hands were on her shoulders, fingers digging gently into sore muscles. Padme jumped and he lifted his hands.

“What are you doing?!”

He frowned a little. “Rubbing your shoulders.”

“Why?”

Thrawn looked at Eli, who shrugged, then back down at Padme. “You said that you wanted me to rub your shoulders and Vanto to rub your feet.”

“I was joking!” Padme exclaimed. Then she paused. “But if you insist. Eli, you don’t have to do anything.”

Padme knew that Chiss bone structure was somewhat different than human bone structure - the slight ridges on Thrawn’s forehead gave that much away - but she wasn’t sure to what extent they differed, or if the species’ musculatures were much different as a result. Clearly, though, Thrawn had read up on human anatomy. His fingers were finding every knot and gently working at it, hands large enough compared to her that he was able to run his nails over her scalp while still getting her shoulders fairly well. She heard him say something, but wasn’t able to concentrate on it. He’d repeat himself if he’d been talking to her.

The only thing that really caught her attention and started to pull her out of the warm, soothing pit of bliss she’d sunk into was the feeling of her feet and legs moving. She forced her eyes open to find that despite her assurance that all he had to do was sit there and look pretty, Eli had sat cross-legged in front of her and put her feet in his lap. He was blushing and looking down as he rubbed them, and when Padme opened her mouth, two blue fingers slid gently along her jawbone to lightly cover her lips. Her heart jumped.

“It’s fine,” Thrawn murmured. “Relax.” She let her breath out softly and he slid his hand back to her shoulders.

“I never spoil you,” she murmured. “You’re always so kind to me.”

“Spoil?”

“Co’cah,” Eli supplied.

“Ah. You do, in fact, but I require no special treatment. Don’t worry about it.”

“Thrawn ---”

“I require no special treatment,” he repeated. “If you insist,” he said over her half-mumbled protest, “you may stop arguing with me when I request that you retire early, for once. That would be quite the special treatment, indeed.”

“He’s right,” Eli murmured to himself.

Padme didn’t have the energy to argue. She yawned. “Only because Eli agrees with you.”

***

Thrawn hadn’t wanted Padme to interfere with the graduation or his being a lieutenant right away. Padme had, of course, ignored him.

She hadn’t done much. All she’d done was politely remind Commandant Deenlark that her husband had not only managed to squeeze four years of education into three months, and done it nearly flawlessly, but that he also already had many years of military experience behind him - all that alone would have warranted his starting rank of lieutenant, and her marriage to him wouldn’t have changed that one bit.

Surely Thrawn couldn’t argue with those facts. She hadn’t bribed anyone, after all, or pressured anyone. She had simply stated what he loved - facts. And if he wanted to argue the point, Padme was more than ready to go toe-to-toe with him.

He had more sense than Anakin in that regard. The very valid points that she had brought up with Commandant Deenlark were stressed during the ceremony, and if Thrawn thought something was off, he gave no indication of it. He had, in fact, only looked at her once or twice during the ceremony. He looked whenever Eli looked at his own parents, clearly assuming that those were the proper times.

When the ceremony was over and the graduates were released, he came immediately to her side, sliding his arm under hers. It intimidated at least some of the people who were starting to converge on her. She stood on her toes and he leaned very far down so they could lightly kiss each others’ cheeks. It got a ripple of laughter.

“Congratulations,” she told him with a smile.

He smiled back. “Your support has been invaluable.”

“Yes, congratulations,” one rich person or another said. His eyes flicked to her stomach. “And … it appears that other congratulations are in order, as well?”

“My people do not speak of such things,” Thrawn said smoothly.

“Neither do Nabooians bring it up,” Padme added. “I trust that this will be respected.”

The man was clearly flattered to be in Padme’s confidence, and smiled as he nodded. “But of course, Senator. And congratulations again, Lieutenant.”

“Many thanks.”

“You didn’t tell me about that,” Padme murmured out of the corner of her mouth as she looked around for Eli. She gave up half a second in. She was too short. “Where’s Eli?”

“You being surprised at his question worked in our favor.”

“And is it true?”

“Gossip is as rampant amongst the Chiss upper elite as it is amongst humans.”

“That wasn’t what I asked.”

He sighed lightly. “I never lie.”

Padme snorted. But they had found Eli and his parents, and introductions were made all around. The two were clearly uncomfortable with Thrawn yet fascinated by him being a real, actual Chiss - Padme kept her Pantoran-with-conjuctivitis joke to herself - and absolutely thrilled that their son was friends with Senator Padme Amidala Naberrie, former Queen of Naboo.

“And will you be stationed on a ship right away, then?” Mr. Vanto asked. He had looked at Padme’s stomach, but hadn’t said anything.

Thrawn shrugged minutely. “That remains to be seen. Our assignments should be available shortly.”

“You’ll be on a ship, for sure,” Mrs. Vanto assured her son again.

“Ensign Vanto will be a great asset to the Republic wherever he is assigned," Thrawn replied in Eli's stead.

“Of course he will,” Padme said with a smile. The Vantos had looked like they hadn’t quite known how to respond to Thrawn. “Were you planning on staying overnight? What hotel will you be at?”

“We can find out my assignment together,” Eli added. He’d been shooting nervous looks between his parents and Thrawn the entire time; Padme wasn’t alone in seeing that Thrawn’s nonhumanness bothered them.

The Vantos shifted a little. They were torn between wanting to get into Padme’s good graces and wanting to be away from Thrawn.

“We, ah, we do have a shuttle to catch,” Mr. Vanto finally said. “My apologies, Eli, Senator, Lieutenant. We were only able to take a short amount of time off.”

Padme shifted her expression into a disappointed but understanding smile. “Of course. Another time, then. I’ll be happy to arrange lodging for you when you come back. It was a pleasure meeting you.”

“And you, as well.”

“I’m sorry,” Eli started, once they were far enough away.

“There is nothing to be sorry for,” Thrawn said. “Your parents are very proud of you, and care about you.”

“Ah, yeah.”

Padme nudged Thrawn’s boot with her foot. “Well, let’s go find out your assignments.”

***

“Both of you?” she asked half an hour later. Eli was still glaring at Thrawn. “Both of you.”

Thrawn nodded. “Both of us.”

“Lieutenants don’t generally get aides, Thrawn.” She turned to Eli. “I promise, Eli, I had nothing to do with this. I can speak with ---”

“Don’t bother,” he grumbled. “We don’t want to engage in favoritism, after all. And it would be helpful to have two people who speak Sy Bisti aboard.”

Padme shifted on her feet. Thrawn silently offered his arm and helped support her weight when she took it. “But it doesn’t have to be you.”

“Ah, Padme, Thrawn, Eli. Congratulations.” Obi-Wan was swooping down on them casually, a smile on his face. “Have you gotten your assignments?”

“We have,” Thrawn told him. “We are assigned to the Blood Crow.”

“The Blood Crow?” Obi-Wan frowned. “The Blood Crow is down for repairs, I heard. Some aides were talking about it just now.” He gestured behind himself. “They’re not sure how long it will take. Probably several months.”

Padme narrowed her eyes at both her husband and the Jedi Master. They looked back at her innocently. Too innocently. “Really. That’s … interesting timing. Several months?” Obi-Wan nodded. “Why not reassign the crew? There will be more graduations between now and then.”

“High Command does what it feels is best,” Obi-Wan said with a shrug. “Besides, it will give the crew more time to do team-building exercises and get to know the ship and whatnot.”

“I’m sure it will.”

“And I’m sure Thrawn will be able to be with you at least on the weekends.”

“If I find out,” Padme said lowly, leveling her finger at the two men, “that you two were behind this …”

“I am sure we were not,” Thrawn told her. “I am also sure that General Kenobi has come to graciously offer to take us to dinner.”

General Kenobi had clearly not come to graciously offer to take them to dinner, but smiled brightly and nodded anyway. “If you three aren’t busy?”

“Of course we aren’t,” Padme answered for all of them. “Seeing as Thrawn and Eli most fortunately don’t have to leave for a while.”

She was on her datapad the entire way to the restaurant, trying to find out exactly what had happened to suddenly incapacitate the Blood Crow at all, much less for a month or more. All she was able to get was that it was an irritatingly commonplace repair that needed to be done, and nothing about the circumstances was suspicious at all.

Except that Thrawn and Obi-Wan were getting along. Not tolerating each other, not offering polite interaction only when needed, but actually getting along.

That alone was enough to convince her that they’d been behind this.

“Stand up straight,” she pleasantly reminded Eli as they got out of the speeder. There were always media types hovering around this place, and the four of them made an impression just by looks alone. “You’re Thrawn’s aide and translator; you have every right to be here.” She leaned forward to grin at him from around Thrawn. “Don’t worry - I’ll keep you safe. I do the rescuing, in most situations.”

“I was managing just fine.”

“And yet,” she told Thrawn with a slight squeeze of his arm, “you still needed me to get you out of there.”

“I was not the one who required assistance.”

“Dentorba,” Padme said instead of responding. She reached out to clasp hands with the Twi’lek, her warm smile back in place. “I’m so sorry to drop in on you like this, but General Kenobi insisted we come out after the graduation.”

“Not a problem, not a problem,” the restaurant manager said smoothly. “We always have a table open for you, Senator. Please, come with me.”

Rank had its privileges. Padme nodded to a few people she knew as they were led into the restaurant. She had been planning on helping to pay for the meal, but now she was absolutely going to make Obi-Wan foot the entire thing himself.

“And this is your husband, Lieutenant Thrawn. Congratulations on your marriage, graduation, and promotion, Lieutenant.”

Thrawn inclined his head slightly. “My thanks.”

“And this is Ensign Eli Vanto.” He shot her a look that said he wanted to disappear into the floor. “He’s Thrawn’s aide and translator. And a good friend of ours.”

Dentorba didn’t even blink. He smiled at Eli and offered him a short bow as they got to their table. “Congratulations on your graduation, Ensign. A friend of Senator Amidala’s is a friend of ours, as well. You are welcome at our humble establishment any time. What refreshments may I get for you?”

She resisted the urge to order Eli a child's drink. Instead, she made a few suggestions, then ended up ordering drinks for everyone.

"I don't recognize any of this."

"That dish is absolutely disgusting," she assured Thrawn. "But it's difficult to come by and therefore expensive, so people eat it anyway. Have to make sure everyone knows how rich you are, and whatnot."

He narrowed his eyes a bit before decisively turning his menu off. "You're familiar with these dishes. I am not. I will trust your judgment."

He claimed he had no preference in food, but Thrawn liked sweet things, preferably mixed with a slightly sour taste. He didn't care much for most meat, and most of what he did like was native to the Outer Regions or Wild Space. Padme had been able to find a few substitutes based purely on what he had been cooking for her, though, and was gratified that two were available. From his very slight smile when being served, Thrawn was pleased.

“Will you be doing anything supply-related at all?” Obi-Wan was asking Eli as they ate.

“Ensign Vanto has been indefinitely assigned as my aide," Thrawn answered instead. "I have, however, promised him that I will achieve the rank of admiral as soon as possible, so as to ensure he may return to his desired career track.”

“I don’t doubt that you’ll make it sooner than most.”

“Of course I will.”

It was stated as a fact, not arrogance. Obi-Wan took it as such, moving the conversation on.

“Well,” he said at the end of the evening, as they stood at Padme’s door. “It has been a lovely evening; thank you all for joining me for dinner.” That part was said drily, and Thrawn’s lips twitched. “Goodnight, all of you.”

He shook the men’s hands and Padme hugged him, and then she whirled on Eli. He was too tired - and quite possibly too drunk - to even step back.

“You are staying here tonight.” It took him a moment to focus on her finger in his face while Thrawn unlocked the door. The wine he’d had was definitely stronger than anything he’d had to drink recently. Thrawn threw her a startled look over his shoulder. “No arguments. You’re in no shape to go back to the Academy; I won’t have you getting mugged. Don’t think I don’t know that the others have still been bullying you two. Go on, get in.”

“Padme.” Thrawn touched her arm as she shooed Eli in. She looked up at him. “There are … logistical issues … with him staying tonight.” She blinked. “You do not have a spare room to sleep in.”

“And?”

“We are married,” Thrawn said patiently. “He will expect us to share a room.”

… Right. They were married. Padme had somehow forgotten entirely about that.

“I will take him back ---” The slight snore from the couch stopped him. He sighed. “Very well. I will sleep on the floor. You may change while I settle him in.”

“Thank you for your permission,” Padme said with an exaggerated, sarcastic curtsy.

“You are welcome.”

She didn’t know if he was being serious or not. “Nerf-herder,” she muttered as she walked off to stare at her closet.

She didn’t have any conservative nightgowns.

She didn’t have many nightgowns at all. She was either sleeping alone or with her husband, and neither scenario necessitated clothing. She had absolutely no doubt that Thrawn would throw himself out of a window before he would accost her, but it was the principle of the thing. But he would be sleeping on the floor, on the other side of the bed. He didn’t sleep as long as she did, either. So if she was in bed before he came in, then he would be up and out of the room in the morning before she was.

It would have been a flawless plan, had Padme not woken up to him laying next to her, breathing softly as he slept on his back, one hand raised and gently resting on hers as she was curled toward him. She started and jerked away, trying to pull the covers with her --- but Thrawn was on the covers. He was also still wearing his uniform, even the tunic, though he’d removed his rank insignia.

He’d slept on the covers. Padme stared at him and tried to catch her breath.

“You were having nightmares,” he murmured softly. “You were not calm unless someone was beside you. My apol---”

Padme shook her head and relaxed. “No, don’t apologize. Thank you. I do actually feel more rested than I have in a while. I was just … startled.”

“Understandable. And I am glad that you’re more rested. If you will lay back down, I will get up.” There was a groan from the couch. “I believe that our ward has awoken.”

“There’s pain medicine in the refresher,” Padme said as she hid under the covers. The bed shifted as Thrawn got up. “You be nice to him - his head’s going to be killing him.”

“I promise, I am always nice to Ensign Vanto.”

Chapter Text

“... Thrawn?”

“Yes.”

Padme sighed. His eyes were closed, so she couldn’t see him in the dark. She could see the faint outline of his body, though, and hear his soft breathing, feel the indentation of the bed where he lay.

“... Nothing.”

She was quiet for two more minutes.

“You said you were nervous about … all of this.”

“Yes.”

“You aren’t acting nervous. Why were you acting nervous before?”

He took a long breath, held it a moment, then let it out slowly. Finally, “What I said was not untrue. You also needed a more visible display of emotion than is usual for me. There are many unknowns to plan for in this situation. I dislike not knowing things, and I dislike not being able to plan for all contingencies, especially when people in my close care are in danger.”

“You seem to always have a pretty good grip on everything.”

Thrawn snorted just slightly. “A warrior is always adaptable.”

“Or people won’t notice you don’t know what you’re doing if you don’t show it.”

“I suppose.”

Padme winced a little, then reached out for him. “Give me your hand.” He made a questioning noise but brushed his hand against hers, and she pressed it against her stomach as one or the other of the twins rolled over. It prompted a roll of protest from the other, and for a minute or so there was an all-out brawl in her uterus.

“... Thank you. It is an honor to be on this journey with you.”

That made Padme bury her face in her pillow as she tried not to laugh at him. It was just how he talked, she reminded herself. He was just … formal, and a bit awkward.

“Can’t be helped,” she finally murmured, “but I’m glad it was you. Anakin will be glad that you’ve taken such good care of me.”

“Yes. He will.”

There were a few minutes of silence.

Then, “... Padme?”

“Yes.”

“It is … odd … to me, that you are very much opposed to the idea of pre-emptive strikes, yet seem to have no problem with them in reality.”

Padme turned her head to look at him, and he turned his to look at her, their noses almost touching. This close, and in this level of darkness, she saw that his irises weren’t a solid red that was only separated by the rest of his eyes by a thin dark line. They were a darker, brownish red, similar to copper and flecked with lighter bits. She’d thought the red glow had been uniform, but now it looked like perhaps it was his cornea that held the glow, and she wondered what color his eyes would be without it.

“I spend most of my time in the Senate arguing against them,” she finally murmured. “A trade dispute shouldn’t have devolved into all-out war. It certainly shouldn’t have involved civilians.”

Thrawn’s breath was warm against her lips as he nodded. “But you cannot have peace when others do not want to. A pre-emptive strike often saves more lives than it costs.”

The twins jerked into an uncomfortable position and Padme groaned a little as she struggled to sit up. Thrawn immediately helped her, and was making sure she had enough pillows behind her as she responded.

“I don’t think anyone can deny that, but it’s hard at times to know if you’re minimizing civilian deaths or not. And even when you do everything you can, the results are often out of your control. Sometimes people die or lose everything and you can’t …” She trailed off, wrapping one arm around herself tightly and covering her mouth with the other hand. Her face was pinched and she was trying not to cry, but failing. “I shouldn’t have let Anakin destroy the cortosis mine,” she finally got out. Her throat ached and her eyes were blurry with tears. “I shouldn’t have let him. It’s my fault they lost everything.”

Thrawn’s hand was gentle and warm on her upper arm. He was facing her, cross-legged, and his own face was troubled.

“There is no use assigning blame.” His voice was low and gently firm. “If you would like to, however, we all share in it equally. I myself should have been more insistent in my protests, and General Skywalker should have listened to us.”

“Thrawn ---”

But he was continuing, his hand still on her arm, his fingers moving gently through the curls of her hair. “Every warrior makes mistakes. Every one of those mistakes weighs on them, and each life lost because of those mistakes leaves scars. And there is a certain level of cognitive dissonance that we all must accept in order to protect the ones we care most about. I am … gratified, I suppose, to know that you are aware that actions aren’t good simply because you’re the one doing them, that you have …”

“That I have cognitive dissonance without hypocrisy?”

She got a faint smile and a nod. “Yes. My thanks.”

“Do you have that cognitive dissonance?”

It was said lightly, but Thrawn was no longer smiling. “I have no need of it. My sole duty is the safety and protection of my people. I will perform that duty as I see fit, not as others see fit. If the tradeoff is that lives are lost - as they must be when at war - but the majority live, then that is an acceptable loss.” Padme’s gut clenched and she went cold as she stared at him. He seemed to realize that she was uncomfortable and shook himself a little. “But what is acceptable is not always what is desirable. No loss of life is desirable. But often all a warrior can do is ensure as few lives are lost as possible. I have upset you.”

Her first instinct was to deny it. She denied a lot when she was arguing with Anakin, did a good deal of placating during disagreements. But Thrawn valued honesty, and he had yet to lash out when they disagreed on something.

So she held her head up, rested her arms over her stomach, and looked him squarely in the eye.

“Yes. I think that you’re pragmatic to a fault. You often talk about people as if they’re tools, rather than people. You can be very empathetic, but when you talk about military matters, that empathy just … evaporates. It’s just … gone. And then I don’t know if your empathy in other situations is real.” He tilted his head, nodding just slightly. Padme took a breath and swallowed before going on. “You don’t seem to enjoy the violence of war, but you don’t seem … You seem like you don’t care at all, one way or the other. I think that’s what concerns me the most.”

His eyes were distant as he nodded again. “Yes, I have been told that by many people. I am not sure how to reassure you in this respect, or if I even can.” His hand slipped down to her elbow as he frowned. Padme was quiet as he thought. Four or five minutes passed before he sighed heavily. “I do not have the words for it,” he murmured. “I wish I did.”

“You don’t need them, right now.” He looked at her in surprise. Padme shifted her arm until she was holding his hand, and squeezed it with a slight smile. “You’re thinking about it, and I trust you to not use not knowing how to express yourself as a way to avoid the conversation. You never have before. We can come back to this, if you’d like.”

There was another minute or so of them watching their hands, loosely clasped and moving gently against one another, before Thrawn looked at her through his eyelashes.

“I would like that very much,” he murmured.

Padme smiled and tilted her head back, comfortable enough to sleep sitting up. “So would I,” she murmured back.

***

Thrawn was always up early in the mornings, no matter how late he had been up the previous night, no matter how often she’d woken him up for one thing or another. The man woke up when she so much as got up to use the refresher, for kriff’s sake, and didn’t go back to sleep until she’d laid back down. Padme wasn’t sure if she should be flattered, but knowing that he was there with her was comforting.

He had also been sleeping in her bed since Eli had slept over. He spent the week on the Blood Crow and came back to her on the weekends, and those were the nights she slept best. She had woken up the second time with him lying next to her and neither of them had said anything about it when he had continued coming in after she’d fallen asleep. Anakin would understand. She reminded herself of that often. Thrawn had gotten on his nerves, yes, but he would still be glad that she’d had someone with her for her pregnancy.

This time, however, he was unusually reserved when he came to her office to wait for her, was quiet and moving slowly when they went home, didn't leave at the end of the night. Padme saw Eli out, and he didn't look up from the floor as he sat on the couch.

"Thrawn?"

He winced just slightly. "We agreed that we should trust one another in all things," he finally murmured with a tightness to his voice.

She frowned. "Yes. We did."

His voice was a whisper, at that point. "May I trust you now?"

"Of course. What's - Thrawn!"

He had slumped and almost fallen on his side. Padme ran to him and touched his shoulder. His eyes were watering and distant, his breath short and a bit labored, and his forehead ridges had started turning a reddish purple. When Padme put the back of her hand to them to feel for a fever, he hissed at her and jerked away.

Padme jerked back, as well. Not only had he hissed at her like a Trandoshan, but what she had assumed were bony ridges weren't bone at all. They were fatty deposits, they were hot and swollen, and they were right above his frontal sinus cavities.

"Thrawn," she whispered as her heart broke. "Thrawn, you're sick."

She got a shuddering breath in return. No wonder he hadn't left with Eli - whatever medication he'd taken had worn off startlingly fast. She tried to tug him. He didn't move.

"You need to sit up. You'll breathe better that way. Is this allergies, or a sinus infection? What medicine were you taking? I have some bacta spray; let me get it."

"No." He'd said it in Cheunh. Barely understandable Cheunh, but Cheunh. "No," he mumbled again. "No bacta."

"Are you serious? It's the quickest way to ---"

"No damn bacta." Padme jumped a little in surprise at the curse word, then knelt in front of him again as she helped him sit up. He leaned his head against the back of the couch and breathed heavily for a few moments. Then he squeezed her hand and mumbled something in Cheunh.

"Thrawn, I don't know what that is in Cheunh. Use Basic. Or Meese Caulf."

It took him far longer than normal to focus his gaze on her. When he had succeeded, he squeezed her hand again.

"Allergic," he mumbled. "Itches."

"You're allergic to bacta?"

She ran her free hand down her face. She was going to need to cancel the rest of the week's meetings if she couldn't do them over the holo, and possibly - probably - the next week's meetings, as well. Thrawn couldn't go back to the Blood Crow in his condition, and he certainly wasn't well enough for her to leave him. She dismissed the thought of bringing a medical droid over; Thrawn hated showing weakness, and it would draw attention to his illness.

She stood up and pulled at his hand as he tried to say something. "We need to get you in bed. Come on. … What? Thrawn, come on. The bed is more comfortable. … I can't understand what you're saying. I'll get you some broth and medicine - something your metabolism won't run through in an hour." She managed to get him leaning forward, but then he just gripped her hips and rested his head against her stomach. "Are you contagious? No? Good. Come on." He groaned and Padme blew her breath out noisily. "Goodness, how obnoxious can you be? Come on."

The answer, she learned very quickly, was incredibly obnoxious. Thrawn needed everything. And it wasn't so much that as that it was that he kept trying to do it himself. He knew how sick he was, and he still kept getting up and exhausting himself. Then he got grumpy. He hissed and mrrp’d and at one point growled softly at her.

He was even obnoxious when he was sleeping. Thrawn, who was stoic and aloof and reserved and didn't care much for physical contact, was absolutely desperate for it when he was sleeping. At all times, really, even when he was groaning because he didn't want to be touched. He plastered himself against her as he slept, he held her hand tightly as he lay on the couch, and protested weakly whenever she moved away for even a moment.

"Thrawn, I need to make us food."

It was the fourth day and Padme was going out of her mind. Anakin never got sick. Thrawn just tugged at her arm and sent her falling over him with a short yell. He shifted - grumbling the whole time - until they were comfortable and her head was resting on his chest. One arm was around her waist and the other arm was around her shoulders, his hand curled gently in her hair. He rested his cheek on the top of her head and panted with the exertion, but relaxed quite a bit.

Padme sighed and dug her comm out, calling Eli for help.

***

“The repairs are proceeding faster than anticipated. They should be done within two days.” Thrawn sounded displeased as he looked down at his datapad.

He always sounded displeased lately. It might have had something to do with her having Mote hold him down and Obi-Wan keep the itchiness that bacta gave him somewhat at bay as she had sprayed the liquid up his nose for what had turned out to be a fairly serious sinus infection. It had taken five days of twice a day treatments, then three days of once a day doses, then a dose every other day, and even two weeks out from his initial collapse he was still a little stuffy.

There had been a lot of hissing and mrrp’ing involved.

Padme nodded slowly. Her heart had sped up a little. “Well, that’s good, I suppose. You can’t get much done on-planet.”

“Mm.” He seemed to make a decision, nodding once, sharply. “You will be watched after.”

“I’m sorry?” Padme looked up from her own datapad, a frown on her lips.

“I will not have you left alone while I am gone. Your privacy will be respected, but you will be looked after.”

“By who?”

Thrawn got up and started clearing the table. He wouldn’t answer Padme as they prepared to go out, and he didn’t answer while they walked along a garden path. Padme eventually gave up. He was probably going to badger Obi-Wan into staying with her, or another Jedi. The day was warm and a slight breeze kept her from overheating. It was beautiful out. She wasn’t sure she wanted him to leave, even with others making sure she was alright.

“What is that?”

She followed his gesture and frowned a little. “The pet store?”

“What is a pet store?” He was guiding her there, curiosity on his face.

“It’s where you buy pets. Animals to live with you for companionship? Pets.”

“I know what a pet is,” he told her. “I was not expecting to see a place to buy them. May we look around?”

They were already at the door, and she didn’t have much of a choice. Thrawn gave her a slight smile when she rolled her eyes up at him. It was nice, though, to walk around and look at the various animals with him. They read the descriptions and Padme reached out to pet every one that she could, and despite his vague protests, she also got him to pet a few. It was good to see him relaxed.

“Has there been word from the Ascendancy?”

He paused briefly, fingers trailing through silky fur. “Minimal. Nothing yet that would require your attention.”

Padme flashed him a smile over her shoulder. “Or am I in too delicate a condition to handle the added pressure?”

That actually forced a short, sharp laugh from him. “You are many things, Padme, but I doubt that ‘too delicate’ will ever be one of them. No, there is nothing yet for you to involve yourself in.”

“No diplomats or ambassadors for me to meet? Friends?”

“No. What are these?”

Turning to a sparsely-populated corner of the store, Padme had to squint a little to make out the furry creatures clinging to some potted trees. There were about five of them, lizard-like things despite the fur, almost perfectly still.

“Ysalimiri,” the shop owner rasped behind them. “Very rare. We only have those five.”

“Are these actual trees, or a part of the creature?”

“Very good eye, sir. Their claws grow into the trees to obtain nutrients from them. Their care is as easy as assuring their trees live.”

Thrawn was nodding. He reached out and gently stroked one, then smiled slightly down at Padme.

“Do you like them?”

“They’re very interesting,” she replied.

Thrawn was still asking the shopkeeper about the things when Padme grabbed his arm.

“Thrawn, no. You are not wanting to get a pet right before you get sent light-years away.”

“I was thinking that they would keep you company, not come with me.”

“Thrawn, we already have a pet! We have Eli!”

“Firstly,” her overgrown child of a husband told her, “Ensign Vanto is not a pet. He is far too intelligent. Secondly, he will be with me, not you, and my purpose is to find something simple that can keep you company while I am gone.”

Padme scoffed in disbelief. “Why did you even join the navy, if you were just going to find ways to babysit me all the time? You may as well stay here and do it yourself.”

The shopkeeper had casually moved away, letting them argue.

“I am able to best serve my people and the Republic in the military. That is where my talents lie. This,” and he gestured between the two of them, “was unexpected. Again, it was not a choice I would have suggested on my own. I would ask that you trust me in this.”

They were kind of cute, in an ugly sort of way. Having another living creature around between the time Thrawn left and the time Anakin got back would help. And Thrawn was giving her the look that said while he wasn’t about to tell her why he wanted her to trust him, it was important - and her trust in him had never been misplaced.

“Fine,” she murmured. “I trust you. But I’m not paying for it.”

“Of course not. I would not expect you to pay for your own gifts. We will take them all, please.” Padme made a choking sound, but let Thrawn buy all five creatures. He seemed pleased with himself as they headed home, the sort of pleased that she had seen on Molotov. “General Kenobi will meet us there.”

“And I thought the stunts that he and Anakin pull are bad,” Padme huffed. “At least those I can smooth over in the Senate.”

“I was not aware that obtaining pets required Senate approval.”

There was a quirk of his lips that said, maybe, he was teasing. Padme pushed at his arm and he smiled a bit more.

Obi-Wan was waiting when they got back to her apartments. The two men quietly started arranging and rearranging Thrawn’s weird lizards in patterns that Padme couldn’t make sense of. Obi-Wan would walk around, eyes closed, then make a small gesture and Thrawn would move one lizard or another. Then they would repeat the process. It took a while for them to be satisfied, by which time she was ensconced on the couch in a big blanket, her hair down, her datapad balanced on her stomach - Thrawn had commented on its usefulness in that regard a week or two before and then ducked very quickly when she had thrown a few pillows at him - and various snacks and drinks around her.

“Shall we test it?”

“Yes. Let’s move her.”

“Hm?” She was just looking up when the entire couch moved, and squawked. Obi-Wan and Thrawn were lifting either end of it, moving it back against the wall. “Children!”

“If we are to spar,” Thrawn reasoned, “you must be out of the way. As you are settled in already, it would be unfair to ask you to move yourself. Now, General, if you are ready.”

Obi-Wan bowed with a smile. “At your leisure, Lieutenant.”

Why Thrawn would want to spar with a Jedi, of all people, Padme didn’t know. Obi-Wan was going to make short work of him. She turned her attention back to her work and let the children tussle.

It took all of ten minutes for her to realize that something was off. She looked up with a frown. Thrawn and Obi-Wan were still throwing each other around the room, when by all rights, Thrawn should have been downed in the first minute or so, especially with his recent illness. But even though it looked like Obi-Wan was stretching out to the Force at times, nothing happened, and he still had to duck out of the way of Thrawn’s punches. It was possible that Obi-Wan was choosing not to use the Force, that he and Thrawn just wanted to beat each other up - and very nice bruises were already forming on their faces - but Padme glanced around at Thrawn’s weird lizards.

She shook the thought away. The boys were just continuing the testosterone fight they’d had subtly going on since they had first met. Thrawn was vicious when he wanted to be, and with the Force, Obi-Wan could make sure that neither of them were actually hurt. So Padme let them fight it out, until they were both too exhausted to move.

Then she flicked some of her water at them. They barely flinched, kneeling on the floor, heads resting in the crooks of each other’s neck, each one gripping the other’s biceps. Occasionally one would twitch and the other would respond in kind, but that seemed like the most either could manage.

“So,” she asked casually, “whose is bigger?” They both made questioning noises. “Whose dick is bigger? You’ve been in a measuring contest since you met.”

That had them both letting out small, distressed noises. Obi-Wan was the first to speak.

“I, ah … I believe that we are fairly evenly matched.”

“Agreed,” Thrawn muttered. “Are you satisfied, General?”

“I am. And you?”

“Yes.”

Padme flicked more water at them. “Well, go bathe, both of you. You’ve been at it for three hours.” She didn’t look up again as they trudged off. It wasn’t until someone settled on the floor next to her, head leaning back against the couch cushion, and she’d absently dropped her hand to run her fingers through his hair, did Thrawn’s contented sigh make her pause. His eyes were closed, he was still breathing heavily through parted lips, and his throat was working like he was thirsty. He was also leaning into her touch.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured as she pulled her hand away. Thrawn shrugged minutely.

“It’s fine. It is not unpleasant.”

“Do Chiss find physical touch as soothing as humans do?”

That got her another shrug. “Most mammals are social creatures. Skin-to-skin contact encourages the release of oxytocin as much in Chiss as it does in humans.”

“You can just say that you like physical touch, you know. I promise not to tell anyone.”

He shrugged again. “That would depend on who is touching me. Most people have no reason to.” Then he jerked away in surprise when Padme ruffled his hair with a laugh.

“Come back,” she told him. “The release of oxytocin, and all.”

Obi-Wan came back in as she was trying to reach Thrawn’s hair again and he was leaning just out of her reach with a narrow-eyed look that wasn’t quite a glare. She kept laughing as Thrawn made his escape to the refresher. Obi-Wan was looking at her with a curious expression on his face.

“What?” She gathered her blanket a little closer to her, self-conscious now. “He deserves to be teased.”

“I never said differently. Here. If you need help while he’s gone, this will bring it quickly.”

He handed her a small device with a single button on it. For once, she didn’t roll her eyes. Padme was nervous about Thrawn leaving, too. There had been rumblings of threats against various Senators, and while her name had yet to be mentioned in the intelligence reports, she was still being cautious - even if only because Thrawn insisted on it, as if she hadn’t proven her ability to care for her own safety months before. She had also grown used to not being alone in her apartments, even when Thrawn slept on the couch. Hopefully Anakin would be back shortly after Thrawn left.

Hopefully he would.

Hopefully.

She’d been telling herself that for the last, oh, five months or so. With no communication from him, it was looking more and more like he wouldn’t be back. But she refused to let that thought stay. He had to come back to her. She was waiting for him, and he had children now, too, even if he didn’t know it yet. She wouldn’t believe that he was dead until she saw his body.

Obi-Wan stayed until Thrawn came back into the room. The Chiss’ hair was slicked back, but for once it didn’t have any gel in it. There was a very distinct wave to it. Her reluctant husband gave her a measured look before disappearing into the food preparation area. He returned with a steaming mug of something in his hands, and settled close before offering it to her.

Padme sipped at it before wrinkling her nose at him. “This has a sedative in it, doesn’t it?”

Obi-Wan showed himself out and Thrawn shrugged. “It will help you sleep.”

“I have so much work to do, still. I’m trying to end a war, you know. I can’t just sleep through every bad day I have. I don’t think I would ever wake up, if I did that. You still need to rest, too." She kept sipping, though, and Thrawn started shifting the two of them around a bit. “We shouldn’t be using clones to fight our wars. That’s inhumane.” There was a very slight noise from above and behind her. “Immoral. It’s immoral, alright? And against what the Republic stands for.”

“Immoral actions are sometimes, regrettably, necessary.”

“People are dying, Thrawn. Innocent people. People who just want to live their lives in peace. That shouldn’t be happening.”

Thrawn’s arms were warm around her and the steady beat of his heart against her back was soothing. He sighed, and she felt him nod.

“I agree. All steps to mitigate collateral damage - any damage - in war should be taken. It is, however, very difficult to do so when one’s enemies refuse to come to a peaceful compromise. Then, defense of oneself and one’s people must be taken, no matter how odorous they find one’s actions.”

“Is that why you’re here?” Padme murmured. “Defending your people, whether they want you to or not?”

“We have discussed this many times.”

“I want to discuss it again.” She yawned. Thrawn’s arms were comfortable across her chest and stomach, his fingers moving against her skin in slight, soothing circles.

“As you like. I am a warrior. I took an oath to protect my people. As you have seen, I take all my oaths seriously. Therefore, I will take all the steps I deem necessary to protect my fellow Chiss, even if it brings their disapproval or even wrath. If I sit back and leave the Grysk and Vagaari to their own devices, wait until they amass enough force to strike first, then I have failed my people. I would,” he said quietly, holding two fingers to her lips when Padme tried to speak, “of course prefer to not have to take preemptive military action. But in this case, it is required. More people will die, if it is not. And I am still trying to find the words for my seeming lack of empathy.”

Padme wanted to argue. She wanted to reject the idea, as she had wanted to reject it the previous night, that sometimes, it did indeed save more lives if one struck first. She wanted to argue that there was always a way to end conflicts without violence, even if the ongoing war gave evidence against that.

But Thrawn was warm and comfortable. His hands on her were gentle. His breath was even and calming, and then he started to hum. He had a lovely, husky baritone voice. He was rocking her very slightly side to side, and when he leaned down and pressed his cheek against hers, voice softening and breath warm against her ear, Padme knew she wasn’t going to stay awake much longer. Her heart swelled in her chest and she brought her hands up to cover his arms.

There wasn’t much left to do, then, than bask in his warmth and protection, and sleep.

Padme closed her eyes.

Chapter Text

And just like that, Thrawn was gone. Padme had seen him and Eli off with firm instructions to take care of themselves and each other. She had absolutely put pressure on the Blood Crow’s captain to let Eli come back to the planet just so she could say goodbye, but she didn’t care and Thrawn didn’t say anything about it.

He did, though, lean down and give her a solid hug.

“Be careful,” he whispered in her ear. “If you feel you are in danger, use the device that General Kenobi gave you. You will be safest in your apartments.”

“I’ll be safe,” she promised. “Thank you.” He straightened and turned with a nod, walking off. “You be careful with my sweet Eli!” she called after them. He ignored her, while Eli hunched his shoulders a bit, clearly embarrassed.

Padme watched until their transport shuttle had disappeared into the sky, then turned to go. She had a lot of work to do, and a lot of staffers and aides and fellow politicians to avoid. If she wanted to get anything done for the rest of the day, she would need to. Everyone would be stopping her to offer their condolences on Thrawn having to ship out so soon after the marriage and especially so near to her due date. They’d be asking if she needed any assistance during the rest of her pregnancy, or hoping that she would be off-kilter enough to be gently pressured into considering requests she wouldn’t normally consider.

She didn’t want any of it. Any of it.

Her aides managed to shield her from what felt like none of it, but was probably a good deal of it, that first day. She raised their pay on the spot. They were absurdly good at coming up with reasons she couldn’t be seen outside of her schedule, and kept her on it nearly to the minute, herself.

Thrawn, she reflected three weeks later, as four of them converged on a senator who was trying to get in a quick unofficial meeting with her, would be proud of their coordinated attack patterns. She watched the security feed out of the corner of her eye as she worked in her office. There was no way the senator was getting through the group. Two more had come up to catch the aide trying to sneak past the first argument. Padme keyed for another raise in pay for them before sitting back in her chair and rubbing her stomach.

False labor, she thought to herself, was a pain in both the literal and metaphorical sense.

Well, she had to finish her treaty proposal, send it to the Delegation for review, start on some financial thing or another, and get in a message to Thrawn and Eli, as well. They sent joint messages - Thrawn clearly needed coaching on how not to sound like he was sending a military report to his wife. There were private things he sent that hadn’t been Eli-approved, but not much. Certainly not the heated intimacy of a separated couple that the security section was quite probably hoping for. Mostly it was what she assumed was poetry, written in his own flowing script. From what little she knew of Cheunh, and the less she knew of the writing system, it seemed like poetry. She was translating mostly based on the words she could read and inference of the rest.

Trust Thrawn to turn even sweet things into learning opportunities.

Her personal comm buzzed. “General Kenobi is here for you, madam senator,” came the low tenor of one of her aides.

“Send him in, thank you.” Obi-Wan was the only person allowed access to her outside of her schedule. Padme smiled as he was shown in. “I would complain about the constant escort home, but Thrawn would have dragged me out of here an hour ago. Help me up.”

She got a crinkly-eyed smile as the Jedi came around her desk. His hand was warm in hers and she sighed with relief as she felt the weight of her stomach lighten and her back muscles relax.

“I told him that I would look after you. How are you feeling?”

Padme laughed and gestured at her stomach. “Better, with a Jedi taking all this weight off of me. Remind me to send the Force a thank-you note.”

He laughed a little as they walked - she was not waddling - to the door. “I will let it know. I’m sure it’s a privilege, not a problem. You sent your message off to them?”

“Yes. Would you like to add on whatever sort of love-note you two send to each other behind my back?”

She got a slightly twisted smile as Obi-Wan rolled his eyes at her. “No, I have other ways of continuing our illicit affair, thank you. How are the twins?”

She actually wasn’t waddling. She felt, in fact, much lighter than she had in months. Obi-Wan, when she looked up at him, only had a slight smile on his face as he looked ahead.

“About to be evicted. I need my husband back so I can shove them out and be done with it.”

The slight sigh and pinched look told her all she had really been asking. No news from Anakin. No news from anyone.

“But, duty to the Republic, and all,” she forced out casually. “It can’t be helped.”

“I’m sorry, Padme.”

“It’s ---” No, it wasn’t ‘fine.’ “It is what it is.”

Obi-Wan drove the speeder carefully, and in silence. Anakin would have been offering to take them on a whirling joyride - explaining that to the Security officer who had pulled them over the one time she had accepted had been a headache - and Thrawn would have been quietly telling her about some art thing or another, his voice and demeanor slowly brightening as she clearly paid attention and asked him questions. It always took him a while to remember that she wasn’t going to dismiss his insights and to relax his guard, but that time had been slowly decreasing. It was endearing, and a sign of trust. He hadn’t been exaggerating when he had told her that he wanted them to be able to trust each other with even the smallest things.

She had reciprocated, of course. He now knew almost everything about her life that Anakin knew, and some things that Anakin didn’t. Maybe she shouldn’t have been so forthcoming about herself, but his steady presence relaxed her when otherwise she would have been alone with her thoughts. And she knew enough about his life on Rentor before becoming a Mitth family merit adoptive to know what he had been an even more politically-oblivious nerd back then, worrying about missing classes when he was being considered for adoption into one of the Nine Ruling Families.

After Anakin got back, Padme was still going to send him the occasional message to remind him of what a nerd he was. She was not going to let him forget.

“The ysalimiri are doing well, and everything is locked tight. Security protocols are in place.” Obi-Wan was muttering to himself, like he did every night he had to bring her home because she had worked so late - which was every night. “Emergency contact link working, signal scrambled.” Whatever he said next was lost to her as his path took him away from the refresher and warm bath that she was ensconced in.

She was comfortably settled into bed, trusting Obi-Wan to lock the door when he left, when all hell broke loose.

The building-wide emergency alarm screeched her awake, and Padme struggled to sit up as she barely kept herself from yelling in shock. She dug into her nightstand drawer for her blaster. Obi-Wan’s voice came moments before her bedroom door swung open with eerie calm and the Jedi came striding in. He barely looked at her as he opened her closet, grabbed a neatly-secured bundle of clothing, and tossed it onto the bed.

“Change. We need to leave, now.”

“What sort of attack is it?” she mumbled as she started pulling the clothes on.

“The sort that you don’t want to be here for. Hurry. ETA?”

“What?”

But he wasn’t talking to her. He was holding a comlink up and speaking into it. Padme swayed as the building shook. Obi-Wan held his hand up without looking and her balance came back to her. When she was fully dressed, he took her by the arm.

They were halfway through the living area when the door blew inward. Obi-Wan shoved her to the side as his lightsaber ignited. She scrunched down behind the couch.

“Put the lightsaber down.”

A Jedi was behind the attack? Surely not - surely they had come to help get the building’s inhabitants to safety.

“Where is she.”

Padme’s heart stopped. Anakin. His voice was distorted with fury, but it was Anakin.

“Ani!” She used the back of the couch to pull herself up. “Ani! Oh, thank the Force, you’re back!”

“Get down,” Obi-Wan snapped as he stepped between her and her husband. “Padme, get down.”

Padme didn’t get down. She stepped back, though. Anakin’s rage was palpable. His whole body quivered. His eyes were an odd, glowing yellow.

“Does Thrawn know that you’re sleeping with Obi-Wan, too?” he snarled.

Padme stared at him. “Ani, no, that’s not - what’s wrong? Ani, please, calm down. Where have you been?”

“All over the damn galaxy while you’ve been fucking around with every man you can find!”

He lunged forward and Obi-Wan went at him. He only got partway into the room when he stumbled like he was disoriented. He reached his hand out ---

And nothing happened.

He parried Obi-Wan’s strike in a hurry, and held his hand out again. Still nothing.

“What did you do?”

“Stand down, Anakin.” There was pleading in Obi-Wan’s voice as the men’s lightsabers clashed again. “This isn’t you. You know this. The other Jedi will be here soon.”

“To hell with the Jedi!” Anakin screeched. He kept pressing his attacks, but also kept squeezing his eyes shut and shaking his head. He swiped around it like he was trying to clear cobwebs. “The Jedi never did a damn thing for me! What did you do to the Force? Why can’t I feel it?”

“What I had to, to keep Padme safe. Anakin, stand down. You aren’t going to win this. Anakin, please.”

It was odd, watching two Jedi fight without the Force. Their movements were choppier, less elegant. The only things they threw were what they themselves could pick up. Obi-Wan was clearly trying to keep Anakin from circling around to get to Padme, and she, in turn, circled the room, staying behind him. She started to raise her blaster, felt the emergency beckon in her pocket. It only took a moment to find and press the button through her pants’ pocket. She raised her blaster again.

“Ani, please, stop.” It was set to stun. “Please, just listen to us.”

“You took my mother,” he snarled. His lightsaber slashed through the couch. “You didn’t do a damn thing to save her! You could have!” His next swing went through the wall. “You could have saved her! But you let her be murdered!”

It was hard to get a good aim with Obi-Wan in the way. Padme didn’t have to try for long. With a muffled thud and then the screaming of metal being twisted past its breaking point, the ceiling came crashing down on the center of the living area.

Obi-Wan had already thrown himself back. A piece of debris sent Anakin reeling before it ricocheted away from his outstretched hand.

He had the Force back.

Obi-Wan cursed. Padme looked around the destruction and wondered why it didn’t continue. Her eyes fell on one of the ysalimiri, it and its tree crushed by the ceiling.

It was the one closest to Anakin.

He saw it, too, and screamed as he raised his lightsaber and went toward the next closest lizard. Obi-Wan met him there, lashing out with a low kick to trip him up. The Jedi Master yelled something, and then Padme backed up into a solid chest as arms wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her back, an alien blaster appearing at the side of her vision.

The hand that was using her shoulder to steady it was blue.

“Thrawn!”

“Thraaaaawn,” a deep voice said mockingly. He snapped other things in Cheunh, little mrrps peppering his speech, but all Padme could make out was Thrawn’s name. Finally he shook her a little as he pulled her backward, still firing while Anakin backed into the safety of the area around the dead ysalimiri. “Samakro,” he huffed. “My name is Samakro. Come on.”

He knew Meese Caulf. Padme backpedaled with him as Anakin threw half the couch in their direction, still screaming.

“Who are you? Where’s Thrawn?”

“I am Samakro, and the Commander is on whatever ship you people put him on.” There was a brief exchange between him and someone else, and then Padme finally made out the hum of a ship above her. She couldn’t see it when she looked up. She could certainly feel the harness she was being manhandled into, though, and feel herself being lifted through the air.

At least four arms pulled her into the ship. Padme struggled, vision swimming. She was sure it was at least four arms. There were at least two other Chiss talking at her, but she couldn’t make out the words. She shook her head and tried to move toward the boarding hatch.

“Anakin! I need to help Anakin! Obi-Wan!” The last bit was screamed in warning as she caught sight of four clone troopers entering her apartments, weapons firing directly at the Jedi Master. He barely avoided their shots.

Samakro appeared as the hatch was closing. She tried to push past him, was pushed back, tried again, then twisted at the last second and slipped around him. She didn't pause to check that the harness was still secured to both herself and the ship before diving out of the hatch. Three stormtroopers went down before they noticed her above them, and as they turned toward her, the harness snapped tight in time to keep their shots from hitting her. Padme grunted and the twins mentally and physically let their discomfort be known.

"Not now," she grunted as she swung back into the line of sight and shot two more stormtroopers. "Mama's busy."

Anakin and Obi-Wan had finally noticed that the stormtroopers were otherwise occupied. Anakin flung his hand out, Padme felt her throat constrict, and then Obi-Wan slammed into his stomach and sent them both tumbling over the edge of her balcony.

"Ani!"

She was back in her apartments and scrambled out of the harness and to her balcony. Anakin and Obi-Wan had fallen too far by then for her to see their bodies, but she could see their lightsabers flashing. She whirled to try to get to her star skiff. She was lifted up before she was halfway there and started yelling and kicking.

Samakro didn’t seem to notice as they were once again pulled up to the Chiss craft. He moved toward the safer end of the small ship and dropped her into a seat before strapping her in. He only moved slightly to dodge the punches Padme tried throwing at him. He didn’t seem to feel any of them.

“Get her out of here,” Obi-Wan’s voice rasped over the ship’s comm. “Padme, trust me. I’m sorry. Please. You have to leave.”

He swore suddenly and the transmission cut off. Padme yelled again in frustration. The yell turned into a scream of anger when her wrists were caught halfway to the strap releases and held above her head.

“Let me go! Damn you, let me go! That’s my husband!”

“I speak no Basic,” was the sour, heavily-accented reply from Samakro, right before he snapped binders over her forearms.

Clone troopers had attacked Obi-Wan. Anakin had attacked Obi-Wan. Anakin had reached out like he was grabbing something, her throat had tightened on its own …

Padme forced herself to take steady breaths as she hunched over. She jumped slightly when someone knelt next to her. It was a female Chiss in the same black uniform as Samakro.

“I am Wutroow,” she said in stilted Meese Caulf, pointing to her face.

“What’s going on?” Padme whispered.

“Mitth’raw’nuruodo sent us to watch you. Your husband is …” She pursed her lips and frowned, trying to find the words. “Spoiled. Rotten. Moldy. Bad.”

“Sith?”

Wutroow’s eyes widened. She nodded. “Yes. Sith. Thank you.”

Padme shook her head. There was no way that Anakin would fall to the Dark Side. “How do you know?” The binders were forcing her to keep her elbows bent and hands up to the side of her neck, but she might be able to get the straps to loosen up.

“He tried to kill you,” Samakro cut in.

“That doesn’t mean ---”

“It does, and we go.”

Wutroow snapped something and Samakro rolled his eyes before turning to the ship’s controls, taking them from what looked like a young Chiss girl.

“Look. Your Jedi are accused of treason.”

Wutroow held an odd sort of datapad in front of Padme. Broadcast on several news networks, the Jedi Temple was in flames. There were reports of rogue Jedi coming in from all over Coruscant, and more trickling in from other planets.

“No. The Jedi wouldn’t betray us like that. It’s something else.”

That got her a shrug. “Mitth’raw’nuruodo felt you were in imminent danger. We were on standby to take you to safety."

Padme shook her head for what felt like the thousandth time. “I have to get back to the Senate. We have to figure out why this is happening.”

“You want to go back? Are you ---”

“Shut up,” Wutroow snapped at Samakro. “Just fly.”

Holding her bound arms up pleadingly, Padme leaned toward her. “Please. I’m a senator. The people need me. This isn’t right - the Jedi would never do this sort of thing.”

“We are not taking you back into danger.” Wutroow’s voice was kind, but firm. “We will rendezvous with Mitth’raw’nuruodo as soon as we can, and determine the next steps.”

“So you just leave the Jedi to die?” Padme gestured at the news feeds. Several of them were focusing on the fight between Obi-Wan and Anakin, both now on solid ground. “Obi-Wan is my friend. And you’re leaving him to be murdered?”

“You are our priority. Mitth’raw’nuruodo trusts this man. You must trust in his trust.”

The damn Chiss were as unmovable as Thrawn could be. Padme muttered to herself and sat back. She could get out of this. She’d been in worse situations. She glared out the ship’s canopy as they made the jump to lightspeed - and why did they still use that name when ‘lightspeed’ was very clearly a type of wormhole - calculating possible destinations from their position when they made their jump, along with the last place she knew the Blood Crow had been. If they didn’t alter their course, the alleged rendezvous point would be pretty far away from the other ship.

Two hours into the flight, there was movement at her side once again. This time, when she looked down, it was the small Chiss girl. Why there would be a child here, of all places, was beyond Padme.

But she was cute, her eyes wide as a smile faltered at her lips, and holding up some colored graph markers and art paper. Her smile turned a little eager.

“I am … Che’ri,” she said in even worse Meef Caulf than Samakro. “You … me … color?”

It had Padme sighing and shaking her head. The child’s shoulders slumped a little with her own, disappointed, sigh. She settled into the seat next to Padme, however, and started coloring.

“Later?” Padme shook her head again. It got another disappointed sigh. “Later … maybe. Maybe later. Thrawn is good,” she went on. “You be safe.” She pointed to Padme’s stomach. “One?”

Padme gave her a sideways look.

“... Two?”

Padme sighed.

“... Five?”

The sheer shock and awe in Che’ri’s voice, the way her eyes seemed to go larger than was possible, the way her mouth dropped open, had Padme laughing despite herself. It was a hysterical, tear-filled sort of laugh, but it was a laugh. She shook her head and held up two fingers.

“Two,” she giggled before letting out another sob. “Just two.”

Che’ri nodded like she knew all about pregnancy. “Which two?” She pursed her lips when Padme frowned, looked around to make sure the other Chiss weren’t looking, then leaned toward Padme and held her hands out, walking two fingers of one across her palm, then giggling and sliding the tip of her thumb between them. Her cheeks were far more purple than Thrawn’s had ever gotten.

Padme laughed harder, pointed to Che’ri’s hand and held one finger up, then walked her own fingers along without the thumb this time. “Both.”

“Ohhhhh … When?”

“Five weeks, maybe.”

That got another knowing nod, then the girl hesitantly held her hand up. “Touch?”

“No.” The kid jumped a little at the firmness in Padme’s voice, but nodded and lowered her head.

“Apologies.”

Padme was going to kill Thrawn for sending along such a soothing distraction. She gestured for one of the graph markers and some art paper. “Maybe later. Color?”

The smile that spread across Che’ri’s face was like the sun bursting over the horizon.

Chapter Text

Che’ri was Padme’s constant companion for the rest of the trip. The child couldn’t be separated from her; Padme wasn’t sure if it was because she had been told to stay, or just because Padme was someone - some thing - new and intriguing. Her pregnancy and connection to Thrawn certainly had the girl enthralled.

“Almost,” she murmured. “Try again. The ‘k’ is in the back of your throat - here.” She tapped her throat and demonstrated. Che’ri’s eyes and nose screwed up in determination as she tried again.

The girl wanted to learn more Meese Caulf so she could talk with Padme. She wanted to draw with Padme. She wanted to watch Padme fold the art pages into intricate shapes and then do it herself. She wanted to point out whenever the twins moved and the shape of Padme’s stomach changed. She wanted, if Padme was understanding correctly, to help name them. So far all of her suggestions were variations of her own name.

“No, Luke and Leia,” Padme corrected for the eighth time in an hour. Che’ri giggled. “You know this.”

Wutroow appeared in the doorway of the small quarters Padme had been given. Padme and Che’ri, she supposed, since the girl came in and curled up next to her every night. It was fine with Padme - both of them were having nightmares, and the presence of the other was soothing. The Chiss had stopped any signal that might have been traced back to them, and had ignored all the curses Padme had thrown at them for it.

“We are here.”

“The rendezvous point? Thank you.” She’d said it to Che’ri, who had rushed to help her stand. She ignored that the girl used it as an excuse to sneakily press her hand against Padme’s stomach in the hopes of feeling the twins move.

“Not quite. Come.”

“I deal with enough subterfuge and crypticness in politics,” Padme told Che’ri as the girl linked their hands. “I do not need it here.”

Che’ri giggled. “You’re pretty.”

“... Thank you?”

“You’re welcome!”

It was a short walk to the pilot’s area - it couldn’t even be called a bridge. Padme suspected that the two adults were sleeping up there so that she and Che’ri could have the one actual sleeping area.

They’d just come out of hyperspace. There was a ship that they were apparently there to meet, but it certainly wasn’t the Blood Crow. It was smooth and sleek and absolutely covered with weapons, and huge. Padme swallowed as she hoped that this was, in fact, who they had come to meet.

Samakro nudged her with his elbow and jerked his chin toward the ship, saying something and arching his eyebrows with a smug smile.

“Is that your ship?”

“No,” Wutroow put in firmly. Samakro made a face. “He boasts about Chiss military might. That is the Vigilant. It is under Admiral Ar’alani’s command. That,” and she pointed to a smaller ship docked at the larger one, “is Commander Mitth’raw’nuruodo’s ship, the Springhawk. Samakro is second-in-command there.”

Padme nodded as she sat and buckled in. Che’ri was swinging their hands excitedly as they were guided into a different docking bay. “Is the admiral on the ship?”

Samakro gave a short nod. “She waits for us.”

Good. Maybe the admiral had more sense than the rescue team she’d sent. Padme needed to get back to the Republic and sort through the mess that had exploded there. Master Windu had allegedly attacked the Supreme Chancellor, who had now declared himself Emperor and branded all Jedi to be traitors to be hunted down. None of it was right. Padme needed to be where the action was so she could figure it out herself.

And, more importantly than anything, find out what had happened to Anakin and Obi-Wan.

“Ar’alani! Padme, that’s Ar’alani!”

Che’ri was waving to a woman in a striking white uniform, then unbuckling herself and Padme and pulling Padme to the hatch and down the ramp. She threw herself at the woman, talking excitedly and making grand gestures and pulling some of the folded art papers out of her pockets to show the admiral what she and Padme had done.

She also ruined any somber feeling that Ar’alani may have been going for. Che’ri pulled her back to Padme, who had just reached the bottom of the ramp.

“Padme, this is Admiral Ar’alani!” she said in smooth Meese Caulf. “Admiral, this is Padme Amidala, Commander Thrawn’s wife! Isn’t she pretty? She’s having twins - a boy and a girl. They need Chiss names.”

“Che’ri,” both women said in stern tones that were ruined by the smiles they were holding back. Che’ri beamed up at them, unrepentant.

Padme sighed and held out her hand. “A pleasure to meet you, Admiral. I’m sorry to have met under these circumstances.”

The admiral had a firm handshake, but it wasn’t overbearing. Padme rather wanted to kiss her.

“The same. Commander Thrawn has been informed as to your safety. He speaks highly of you.” She turned and gestured. “Please, come with me. He insisted you be given a medical exam right away.”

“Oh? Did he? And you have medics on board that are familiar with human anatomy and gestation? Or did he send some medical texts? He sent medical texts, didn’t he.”

That got her a slight laugh. “He did indeed. He is very concerned about the health and safety of the three of you.”

Padme hated large ships because they never seemed to have labeled areas or maps and their interiors were always maddeningly identical. At least Ar’alani was walking slowly enough for her to keep up.

“Yes, I’ve noticed. I can hardly breathe without him there to help.”

“He takes his duties seriously. Sometimes,” Ar’alani said dryly as they entered a turbolift, “a little too seriously.”

Hard, uncomfortable turbolift seats seemed to be the universal standard. Padme was glad to sit, though. “He’s been very good to me. But I need to get back to the Republic. I haven’t been able to get much news since we left, but what I have gotten isn’t good.”

“And there we have a problem.” Ar’alani pursed her lips and clasped her hands behind her back. “Your Republic - now your Empire - is not safe for you. You have opposed almost every military action it has taken, and it appears to be continuing with said actions. It has declared your Jedi to be its enemies. From what Thrawn and yourself have said, that is highly unlikely to be the actual case. This indicates that your Emperor schemed his way into power - but as of yet,” and she held a hand up to stop Padme’s automatic protest, “we have no solid evidence of such schemes. I understand that you are a good and influential leader amongst your people, fair and well-liked. I also agree with Thrawn that you are no longer safe amongst them.”

Padme leaned her head against the wall. “I’ve been thinking about it the last week, and everything you’ve said makes sense. But they need me. Now, more than ever, the citizens of the Republic need me. I can’t abandon them.”

“If Thrawn’s judgment has not been blinded by your talents and charms, then you are a warrior. A warrior does not flee. She may retreat, but it is merely to regroup and alter her strategy as needed. I agree that your people need you, but they also need you alive.”

The turbolift stopped and the doors slid open. Padme followed the admiral into the corridor. It looked like every other corridor on the ship.

“At least let me let them know that I’m alive. Let me send a message.”

“In due time. In here.”

The medical staff were all female, all curious, but also all professional. Padme reluctantly followed their instructions and started removing her clothes. None of them seemed bothered by her nudity, and she was too tired to ask for a robe as she was helped onto the examination table and laid back to be poked and prodded and scanned by people who had most likely never seen a human in their lives, much less examined one.

“There are also legal matters.”

That snapped Padme out of her silent grumping. She opened her eyes and turned her head to look at Ar’alani.

“You are a citizen of your Republic,” the admiral went on, “but you are also married to a citizen of the Ascendancy. That puts you in a potentially unique, and definitely awkward, position. Will the Ruling Families consider you a citizen, as well? Would they want an oath of loyalty if they were to make such a decree? Would you agree? And would Thrawn’s family admit you? The Ascendancy has never had to answer these questions before, as far as I am aware. And yes, Thrawn asked me to check. The only even slightly similar situation is also quite recent, and …”

She waved her hand vaguely before turning some questions to the medics. The twins were up on the scanning screen and everything looked well to Padme’s eye. Then again, she wasn’t a trained medic.

“Nothing seems immediately wrong.” Ar’alani nodded with pleasure. “Good. Despite recent events, they - and you - are strong and healthy. You may dress.” She paused, then gestured to a door. “You may bathe in there.”

“Thank the Force,” Padme muttered as she made her escape. Ar’alani was saying something about clean clothing, but Padme ignored her. She wasn’t unclean, but neither had the rescue ship had much in the way of amenities - although, perhaps not surprisingly, it had had a small duffel bag of clothing for her. But the refresher itself had left much to desire, and Padme could only take so much recycled water from a vessel that size.

***

The only thing that dragged her out of the refresher was Che’ri’s knocking on the door. The girl kept asking if she was ok, if she was done, did she want to see the clothes that Che’ri had picked out for her? Che’ri was sorry there were no face markers - Padme assumed she meant makeup - but Padme was still pretty.

“Just give me my bag, please.”

She held the refresher door open just enough to stick her hand out and wiggle it. There was clothing of an exotic cut in the bag that definitely hadn’t been there before, but the girl had at least left Padme’s own clothes in it. She seemed only slightly disappointed that Padme didn’t choose any of the extra outfits to wear.

“Thank you for the clothes,” Padme told her with a smile. “I might wear them later. And the word is ‘makeup,’ not ‘face markers,’ but that was a very good way to get your meaning across.”

Che’ri beamed. “Thank you! Do you have hunger? Thalias made us food.”

There were two Chiss standing guard outside of the medbay, and they fell in behind Padme and Che’ri when the two left. Padme didn’t like being babysat, but she didn’t like being lost on ships even more.

“Thalias is your sort-of mother, right?”

“Right! She said you can stay with us in our quarters if you want. Do you want to? Please?”

It shouldn’t have been possible for glowing red eyes to be able to look so pleading. Padme shrugged and only slightly relented, squeezing Che’ri’s hand.

“We’ll see what Ar’alani says.”

“Okay!”

“The admiral’s quarters are this way,” one of the guards said when Che’ri turned to go down another hallway.

The girl made a face at him and said something in Cheunh. They argued for a few moments before Padme cleared her throat.

“Let’s go talk with Ar’alani,” she suggested, “and maybe Thalias can bring us what she made. Is that okay?”

“I guess … Call Thalias!”

The order was directed at the guards, and the one who had done the arguing rolled his eyes before pulling out his commlink. Padme still hadn’t figured out why a child would be given so much authority, but she could ask Ar’alani later. It took them a good fifteen minutes to get to the admiral’s suite - fifteen minutes of Che’ri very cheerfully talking up a storm.

“Senator,” Ar’alani greeted when Padme and Che’ri were shown into the main room of the suite. “And Che’ri. I thought you might have gone to fetch the senator. I had Thalias bring your meal.”

“Thank you!” Che’ri ran up to a Chiss woman in what Padme took for civilian attire and hugged her tightly around the waist before pulling her over to meet Padme. “This is Thalias! Thalias, this is Padme. Thrawn is her husband.” That had her giggling. She’d stopped calling Padme Thrawn’s wife and had started calling Thrawn Padme’s husband a couple of days into their trip. She always laughed about it, and Padme suspected that the phrasing emphasized who the most significant spouse was, and that Padme held that most esteemed position in the little girl’s glowing eyes.

“A pleasure,” Thalias said with a slight bow.

“And we’re all hungry, so please, sit. Thalias, you and Che’ri may stay.” Ar’alani waited until they were seated before taking her own seat, and gestured for them to eat before she spoke again. “Thrawn will be here as soon as he can - I gather he already had a reason to leave his station in place - and if he asks, you were on bedrest unless you absolutely couldn’t help it. And you should be resting as much as possible due to your recent stress, but I am not willing to take enforcing that suggestion to the extremes that Thrawn would be. Rooms will be made up for you near mine ---”

“I want Padme to stay with us!” Che’ri hadn’t been able to follow a large part of the conversation, but she absolutely understood that Ar’alani meant to move Padme away from her. “Padme said it was fine! Please? Thalias, please? Ar’alani, please?”

“I said we would see what the admiral said,” Padme told her gently.

“But if it’s okay with Ar’alani, it’s ok with you, right? Please?” Che’ri looked down, shoulders curving inward. “... You help the nightmares.”

Padme put a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “If it’s ok with Ar’alani and Miss Thalias.”

The two women were exchanged in some sort of silent conversation. Then Ar’alani reached out to tap the table in front of Che’ri, getting her attention. “We will decide that later. In the meantime, we must discuss where you will stay after you give birth, Padme. We have several options available. I do understand that you wish to be back home to help your people,” she said when Padme opened her mouth, “but remember: A warrior must regroup and consider new tactics if she is to succeed in battle.”

“I know. And I hate it, but you’re right. There’s just so much I don’t know right now. How far away is the Ascendancy?” Ar’alani just looked at her. Padme corrected herself. “Are there any Chiss-held planets close to the Republic? I could stay on one of those, and still be close enough to the Republic to get back quickly.”

“There are none.” Whether she was lying or not, Padme didn’t know. Thrawn hadn’t revealed any hints as to his people’s location, either. “Thrawn would have you as close to him as possible, but you would not be able to be aboard the Blood Crow, and neither the Vigilant nor the Springhawk are suitable for newborns. Nor should you be on a Republic planet, where you might be recognized and reported. The Nine Families will not want you on Csilla, either, at least until they decide where you stand with the Ascendancy.”

Padme leaned back in disgust. “So where would you all have me stay? Wild Space? Rentor?”

Ar’alani smiled very slightly. “That, actually, is indeed a spot that I have considered. Thrawn won't be enthusiastic about it, but he will agree that it's currently the safest planet option. I am waiting on confirmation that his parents are willing to take you and the twins in.”

The food was delightfully spiced, but a little too spicy-hot. Padme took a drink of water as she thought. “And what are the odds of them agreeing? Thrawn told me that he considers his duties as a spouse applicable in our marriage even though I’m not Chiss - will they? Would this even be considered a marriage amongst the Chiss? Or was he lying about these duties that he cares so much about?”

“He was not.” Ar’alani was amused as she herself sat back. “I believe that he adheres to them even more thoroughly than necessary because you are not, as you point out, Chiss yourself. No, his parents will take you three in. They will be apprised of the situation as thoroughly as is deemed necessary, and even if they take issue with you not being Chiss and the children not being biologically related to Thrawn, their sense of family honor and duty alone will compel them to treat you all as esteemed guests. Again, all I need is confirmation of this, as it is always possible that Thrawn got his need to constantly buck tradition and law directly from them.”

“It’s an inability to follow either, really,” Padme murmured. The admiral snorted with laughter and nodded. “I don’t think there are many rules that he’d adhere to if they didn’t suit his goals.”

“He is chaos incarnate, and one of the Ascendancy’s greatest assets. The Mitth family did well in accepting him.”

There was a slight flicker of something on Thalias’ face, but before Padme could even really notice it, it was gone and Che’ri was asking if the adult conversation was done yet, because she wanted to show Padme her snaps and other pictures she’d colored. Also, could Padme please stay with her and Thalias on the Springhawk? Please? Che’ri could help with the babies.

Che’ri very clearly hadn’t helped with many babies in her short lifetime.

Finally, Ar’alani held her hand up. “The Springhawk will be taking you to Rentor, so you may as well stay aboard there. Whether you wish to stay with Che’ri and Thalias is up to you.”

“I could use the company.” Padme smiled at Che’ri’s excited squawk. “I’m not sure you’ll want to change diapers, but the company would be nice.”

“Good! Thalias, I will walk to the bridge and back by myself from now on, so you can stay with Padme. Or Samakro can walk with me, because he tries to be mean, but he’s actually very nice. He’s nice to me, at least. Even if he is grumpy about it. And maybe you can come to the bridge sometimes, Padme. I can show you what I do. Is it okay if I show her what I do?”

The adults shifted. “... We will see.” Thalias ruffled Che’ri’s hair when the girl pouted. “Come now, the senator is staying with us; did you not want that most of all?”

“I guess …”

“Then it is decided.” Ar’alani stood; a clear signal that the meal and discussion were done. “We will get you settled on the Springhawk, and then all that will be left to do is …” She looked at Padme’s stomach. “Wait.”

Chapter Text

Learning a new language wasn’t that difficult. Padme knew a lot of languages. The accent was usually the hardest part for her.

Learning Cheunh was hell.

Because Chiss had evolved far more complex vocal structures than humans had.

And she needed those complex vocal structures to be able to properly pronounce it.

She calmly turned her questis off, laid it face-down on the table, gently slid it forward, then folded her hands on her stomach. Thrawn had very clearly been very lenient with his teaching.

“I’m done for the day, thank you,” she murmured in Cheunh. “I will read over the material yesterday. Prancing ---" How the hell was that word related to time? "Later. I will read over the material later.” She’d have Che’ri help her find shortcuts with the pronunciation. Che’ri thought her troubles with it were funny, but held no judgment about them.

Wutroow nodded. “You’re doing great, Padme,” she said. “You really are. You’re just hung up on the pronunciation.”

“Which dictates what I’m saying. It needs to be correct.”

“You won’t ever be able to pronounce Cheunh correctly; you’ll be able to understand and write it just fine, though. There’s no need to fuss about it.” She cleared her throat and stood up. “But let’s eat.”

Padme got up with a sigh. “I have twins flattening my stomach; I’m not hungry.”

“All the more reason to at least have a snack.” Wutroow’s questis dinged, and she hummed as she read the message. Then she grinned down at Padme. She might have been the shortest adult Chiss on the ship, but she was still a handful of centimeters taller than Padme. “Thrawn’s parents have extended an invitation for their daughter-in-law and grandchildren to stay with them as long as needed, and want Admiral Ar’alani to know that they are offended that the admiral would ever consider that they would be reluctant to be anything other than welcoming of family.”

“Even though I’m not Chiss?”

“Apparently,” and Wutroow consulted the message again, “especially because you’re not Chiss. They’re disappointed that Ar’alani would let you think for a moment that the Chiss aren’t hospitable and welcoming hosts, no matter what.”

Padme stopped and stared at Wutroow. “But … you’re not. Chiss in general really don’t like non-Chiss.”

The other woman laughed. “Well, Chiss on Rentor apparently do. Don’t apologize - I know that we’re a snooty, self-important, xenophobic bunch. Maybe you’ll start to change that. Che’ri is going to be heartbroken when you go - you should let her pick out some outfits for you.”

“She’s going to pick all the Chiss styles. Won’t that offend people?”

“People are going to get offended no matter what you wear, and Thrawn’s parents are going to be displeased if you aren’t comfortable, so wear whatever makes you comfortable.” Red eyes sparkled. “Plus, I want to see people get offended over this. Damn the Nine Families, anyway.”

Padme snorted. “I would rather not offend my in-laws. Has Ar’alani read the message I sent her?”

“She has, and last I knew, she was going to take her time considering it and then talk with you about it. I think it’s a good idea, and despite what she says, we can get it out to your Empire ---”

“Republic.”

“--- Republic without anyone knowing exactly where it came from.” Wutroow shrugged as Che’ri came out of nowhere and attached herself to Padme. Padme dropped her hand to the girl’s shoulder and squeezed it.

“I don’t want you to go,” Che’ri murmured.

“I know,” Padme said, “but you have work to do here, and I can’t stay on a ship with babies.” She still didn’t know what Che’ri did, but as her subtle prying had been consistently ignored or deflected, she had given up for the moment.

They rounded a corner to find Ar’alani walking toward them. She spared Che’ri a brief smile before stopping in front of Padme and raising both of her hands to chest-level, palms out.

“I made him report directly to me. His first desire was to see you.”

Padme blinked as her steps faltered, but Che’ri perked up and took off running.

“Thrawn! Thrawn’s back!”

Oh.

Padme nodded slowly and took deep breaths. Ar’alani had clearly wanted to stave off any anger Padme might have had toward the man for arriving and not letting her know immediately.

“How long has he been here?” she asked quietly.

“He arrived six hours ago. Do not be angry with him; as I said, I had to make him report to me before anything else. He was not pleased with that.”

“Six hours? Are things that bad?”

Ar’alani shrugged. “Things are that complicated. He will tell you more. And --- Che’ri, let him go!”

Che’ri was hanging from Thrawn’s neck, laughing. He seemed a bit flustered, but wasn’t trying very hard to get her off of him; he was paying more attention to the door than the child. He finally swung Che’ri around and settled her on his hip before holding one hand up to Padme.

“I am sorry,” he told her quietly. “I wanted to see you, first.”

“So I hear.” Her voice came out cool and she expected to see him flinch or react to it at all, but he simply nodded.

“You have every reason to be angry with me, but please, let us talk about that in private.” He looked down at Che’ri.

Che’ri, who hadn’t been told that the marriage was a scam. Che’ri, who was beaming and trying to get Padme to come over for a hug.

Padme sighed and took a few steps forward to be folded tightly into Thrawn’s embrace. Che’ri hugged the both of them. It took only a few moments for Padme’s own, half-hearted embrace to tighten. She was shaking and trying not to cry, but she was tired, and she was lonely, and she was frightened, and other than Che’ri, she hadn’t had a proper, comforting hug for longer than she could remember.

“I’m sorry,” Thrawn murmured again as he held her.

Padme rubbed her face against his uniform to get rid of some tears. Then she resorted to humor to try to cope. “If you’ve put my poor, sweet Eli in danger by coming here ---”

“I assure you, Ensign Vanto is safe.” Gentle fingers ran through her hair. “As far as the Blood Crow is concerned, he and I are settling a trade dispute that the presence of a warship would only jeopardize. He is there, and anyone who asks will be told that Ensign Vanto and Lieutenant Thrawn were, indeed, helping with the dispute.” Then he pulled back just a bit and looked her face over carefully. “Are you alright? Were you injured?”

“That’s all entirely subjective,” Padme snorted. “But no, I wasn’t physically harmed, and everything else is well.”

Still, he kept one arm around her waist. His gaze was intent. “Are you alright?”

“Do you want that list alphabetically, chronologically, or by order of severity?” She sighed. “No, I’m … I’m not fine, but … Che’ri is an absolute darling. Did you deliberately send her along to keep me occupied?”

Thrawn laughed a little. “I did not do that specifically, no, but it was a pleasant bonus. Please, sit. Are you hungry?”

Samakro was already at the table when they sat, and Che’ri moved her chair as close to Padme’s as she could. She wanted to tell Thrawn all about their adventure, how Padme sometimes let her feel the babies move, how Padme was doing amazing at learning Cheunh, and everything else. Padme recognized that the girl was letting a lot of anxiety finally dissipate with her chatter, and the other adults seemed to see that, as well. They kept the focus on her as they ate.

She got quiet at the end of the meal.

“... Oh. You’ll be staying with Thrawn, now that he’s back.” She smiled a little. “Padme sleeps in my room. She … she helps me with my nightmares.”

“She is very good at being a great comfort,” Thrawn told the little girl. “If she would like to keep staying with you, that would be fine.”

Che’ri shook her head. “No, it’s okay. You two haven’t seen each other in a long time. I’ll be fine.” She looked up, her smile more confident. “Padme taught me to make birds by folding art paper. They’ll keep me company. And Thalias, too. She’s always there for me. And you should be there with Padme, when the babies come.”

“My quarters on the Springhawk are not far from yours,” Thrawn told her gently. “You will be able to see her every day until we get her to safety.”

“I guess …”

“Padme has become Che’ri’s emotional support human.” Thalias’ words, while teasing, were also kind. Che’ri giggled a little.

“As she is mine. Now, Che’ri, you must go to bed. There are things to discuss that are not for your ears.”

“The babies get to hear them,” the girl half-heartedly protested as she got up and gave Padme a hug.

“The babies cannot understand them. Go.” After Thalias and Che’ri had left, Thrawn frowned. “Does Che’ri know that I’m not their biological father?”

Everyone got quiet as they looked around at each other. Padme hadn’t seen any reason to bring it up, and neither, apparently, had the others.

“Does it matter?” Samakro asked. He was leaning forward, pulling up information on the table’s central display.

“It will to Che’ri,” Padme told him. She pursed her lips. “Well, if she asks, we can tell her that we don’t know if humans and Chiss can … no, that wouldn’t work. I’m sure she’s at least peripherally aware of how babies are made.”

“Thrawn isn’t,” Samakro muttered.

“What was that?” Ar’alani asked sharply.

The broad-chested man straightened and cleared his throat. “Nothing, ma’am.”

“I thought not.”

“He isn’t wrong,” Thrawn muttered.

Ar’alani narrowed her eyes at him. “Excuse me?”

He gave her an innocent look as Samakro and Wutroow laughed to themselves. “Nothing, ma’am.”

“Those two,” Ar’alani told Padme, “share half a brain cell.”

Padme sipped at her drink, some kind of frozen slushy thing, and smiled. “That much?”

“Mostly because Wutroow and I babysit them.” That got a ripple of amusement, and then Ar’alani sat down and waved at Thrawn. “Go ahead, make your report.”

Thrawn looked at Padme, who let out a slow breath and nodded. He brought up several reports from various worlds and agencies.

“The attack on the Jedi was coordinated. With so many being attacked at once, it suggests that the clone troopers were modified to carry out the order, though it isn’t yet clear how that was done. Very few Jedi appear to have survived the attack, and Palpatine has declared that the survivors be hunted down. Generals Skywalker and Kenobi have been listed amongst the dead, but we have no direct confirmation of that. They may yet live. We will continue to look into it.”

He was talking directly to Padme now, and she nodded through tears. She had expected it. It still tore her apart.

“Palpatine’s power was already great, and now it is even greater, and he is using it as he pleases. There are rumors of dissidents being … dealt with. Again, nothing is absolutely confirmed, but the reports are troubling.”

“Is this where I can ask what you and Obi-Wan were up to and get an actual answer?”

Thrawn sighed and looked down, then back up. “It is. From what I had seen in Palpatine’s artistic taste, and with the urgency with which he proposed we marry, I suspected that he was not the man that he showed the rest of the galaxy. General Skywalker appears to have been taken completely by surprise by the engagement announcement, which meant he hadn’t gotten your message - and even though a public announcement is easier to receive than a private, encrypted transmission, General Kenobi confirmed that he didn’t appear to be getting anything that didn’t come from Palpatine himself; not even messages from the Jedi Council. Everything appears to have gone through Palpatine.”

“Which means that he controlled what information Anakin got, and how it was presented.” Padme rubbed at her eyes. “Let me guess - it was all calculated to drive Anakin over the edge, so Palpatine could have a reason to get rid of the Jedi?”

“... Possibly. It looks that way. Palpatine seems to have hidden the fact that he is Force-sensitive, as well.”

Ar’alani frowned. “So he was behind this civil war? It was a power grab?”

“It may have been. I do not claim to understand politics. But regardless, you have been reported missing, Padme. I suspect that this is because Palpatine wants absolute proof of either your survival or demise, and is gambling that the hope that you live may allow him peaceful control of Naboo for a time.” A wry smile touched Thrawn’s lips. “I have been informed of this, and am, understandably, quite distraught.”

“You’re definitely acting distraught,” Padme huffed. “Is he not wanting you to go back to Coruscant?”

“Now is when I am needed on the Blood Crow the most. I have protested this, of course, but my new Emperor was quite insistent that I be available to calm any unrest that the ship might come across.”

Better him on a ship he could sneak off of than trapped on a planet as heavily-guarded as Coruscant. Padme nodded.

“Alright. How did you and Obi-Wan keep the Blood Crow down without causing suspicion?”

“Subterfuge and sabotage, of course.” Thrawn sounded vaguely surprised that she hadn’t pieced it all together. “General Kenobi’s Force abilities were quite useful in that regard. The hope was that repairs could be delayed long enough for me to be there when General Skywalker inevitably arrived. Unfortunately, others had different plans. Still, it allowed some leeway, at least. We were able to put a few more precautions in place.”

Her drink was melting. Padme scowled at it. “Did you know Anakin would be coming back?”

“It was only logical. With Palpatine manipulating him, and General Kenobi unable to get a secure message to him, it was best to ensure that you would be able to be safely extracted as quickly as possible. We agreed to not tell you what we knew or suspected,” Thrawn went on, “because you are stubborn and would have tried to intercept General Skywalker, which would have had catastrophic results. Palpatine has been his mentor for a long time - I presume that he has been preying on General Skywalker’s fears and insecurities, and that his psychological hooks are deep. That makes the most tactical sense.” He actually winced as he realized how callous his words sounded.

Padme glared at him and took more calming breaths. She could kill him later. She closed her eyes after a moment, nodding. “It does. How did you make the Force stop working?”

Thrawn visibly swallowed as he looked at her. He didn’t want to answer. Padme stared him down. She wanted an answer.

“If you knew,” Ar’alani cut in after a few moments of complete silence, “it would put many Jedi lives at risk if this Palpatine was able to get that information from you. As much as I hate it when Thrawn gets cryptic, this is one case where I feel that it is necessary.”

Thrawn finally looked away. At least Padme had asserted her dominance.

“Fine. So what now? Am I ever going to be allowed to go back? Will it ever be safe for me? How are we - how am I - supposed to deal with my people’s safety? Because I won’t abandon them.”

“Of course you won’t. We will assist you as much as we can, but right now ---”

“The twins’ health and safety come first, I know.”

“Your health and safety comes first.” The firmness of Thrawn’s voice had Padme looking up at him sharply. “Yes, we care about the twins, but my primary concern is your health and safety - both of which are in danger if you were to stay in the Republic and fight for your people from there.”

“... Alright. Thank you.” Padme looked at the other Chiss. “And if I recall correctly, the Ascendancy won’t offer the rest of the galaxy any aid because we’re not part of it, correct?” She got reluctant nods and pursed her lips. “And what if I were allowed to become a citizen of the Ascendancy? Or an official refugee? A citizen of the Ascendancy would have been attacked - would that not be considered enough provocation for at least a small amount of help?”

“It is still unlikely that the Ruling Families would take that level of action over one single Chiss, much less a human,” Wutroow sighed.

“And as a planet held by the Ascendancy hasn’t been attacked, it is even more unlikely that the Ruling Families would even bother to listen to any wiggle-wording semantics.” Samakro’s phrasing made Padme snort back a laugh. His lips might have twitched.

“Fine. Alright. Check that off our list of options, then.” Her head was starting to hurt. “So there’s no direction action that I can take right now, and the current safest place for me is Rentor.”

“Rentor?”

Thrawn had been taken by surprise, and Ar’alani smiled. “Your parents are very eager to meet their daughter-in-law and grandchildren. They have already agreed to it. It is done.”

‘Brooked no argument’ described her tone of voice very well. Thrawn glowered, but sat back with a sharp nod.

“Yes,” Ar’alani went on. “That does appear to be the best plan that we have so far. I suggest watching to see how the political situation plays out before announcing your continued existence.”

“I need to sleep,” Padme said instead of yelling. “Thrawn, what will you be doing? Are you coming with me?”

“Everyone’s interests will be best served if I stay in the Republic military.” His words were stiff and reluctant. “I do not wish to, and please believe me that I would much rather return to the Ascendancy.”

“If the Ruling Families even let you back in,” Samakro snorted. He cleared his throat in a hurry as Thrawn and Ar’alani leveled deadly glares at him. “But the senator needs her rest. We can quibble about things later. If we may adjourn for the night?”

Ar’alani was still glaring at him. “... I suppose. Everyone, dismissed. Senator, a word?” Thrawn had to be ushered out, and then Ar’alani looked closely at Padme. “Are you comfortable staying with him in his quarters? I have no doubt that he will not harm you, but your psychological comfort is important, and you have had quite a shock regarding his role in recent events. He will not protest if you would feel better sleeping elsewhere.”

That gave Padme a genuine smile. “I’m fine, thank you. Are you sure you don’t want to make sure he’s comfortable staying with me? Because I do know that Chiss hearts are in the same location as human ones.”

“Yes, that was a vague concern of his.” Ar’alani smiled back. “As I said, my concern is for your own perception of your wellbeing.”

“Thank you,” Padme told her earnestly. “Thank you. If I change my mind, I’ll let you know - even if I have to wake you up.”

“It is my pleasure. Please, have as good a rest as you can.”

“You, too.” Thrawn was hovering when Padme left the suite. He looked nervous. She sighed and shrugged as she walked past him. “Well, you owe me more backrubs than you’ll ever be able to repay.”

“You don’t have to sleep ---”

“I’m tired of sleeping next to a child, I don’t want to sleep alone, and Ar’alani won’t cuddle with me because I’m married.” Thrawn blinked. Padme laughed. “I’m … I’m not happy. I’m obviously not happy. Not with the situation in general, not with you in particular. But I understand. I promise, I won’t kill you in your sleep.”

“I would be unable to stop you, anyway.”

“I just want to sleep, Thrawn,” Padme whispered as she stared down the hall. “Please, let’s just sleep. I’ll yell at you tomorrow, if you like.”

“I would not, in fact, like that.”

He was smart enough to not talk the rest of the way to the Springhawk. Padme had to give him credit for that, at least. After they had changed into nightclothes, she let him settle her between himself and the wall, keeping her somewhat sheltered from the rest of the room. She took a pillow to shove under her belly to keep it supported as she lay on her side, and to her surprise, instead of laying on his back Thrawn curled around her. He was hesitant at first, but when she only made a vague sound of surprise and didn’t protest, he ended up a solid warmth down the length of her body. One arm rested under her pillow, and the other settled gently over her stomach, fingers curling just slightly under it.

“Is this alright?” he whispered.

Padme nodded. “Yes. It’s comforting. I’m still going to yell at you tomorrow.”

“I accept this. My apologies, Padme. I could not protect you as well as I should have.”

“Thrawn …”

“Yes?”

“Shut up and go to sleep.”

Chapter Text

Che’ri was braiding Padme and Thalias’ hair together. She loved having two women around her, and Padme didn’t blame her. She herself hadn’t realized how isolated she had become with Anakin until Thrawn and Eli had started coming over, and now, with the child and her caregiver as constant companions. Her heart ached for her handmaidens, for Dorme, for Corde, for Duja - for every woman who had been a constant source of strength in her life, who she had unknowingly cast aside in favor of making Anakin her world. Even Motee, who had known about her and Anakin, who she should have turned to more often, had been left to drift because of the urgent need for secrecy about the relationship.

“What’s your family like?”

Thalias and Che’ri both paused. Thalias was the first to speak. “The Mitth are a good and powerful family.”

Padme smiled. “I meant your birth family.”

“... Oh. I … I haven’t seen them since I was very young. There was training I had to go through, but I hear that they are well.”

“Do you miss them?”

“... Sometimes. The Mitth have been very good to me.”

“And what about you, Che’ri?”

“You’re all my family, now,” the girl said. Her voice was firm. “I don’t want to be assigned to another ship, or have another momish. I want to stay here. And I’m going to be a pilot. Commander Thrawn taught me how to fly, and now I don’t have nightmares about it anymore.” She looked up at the two women. “Do you think he’ll teach me how to swim?”

Thalias was smiling. “I don’t see why not. It might be good for Padme, as well. I believe the Vigilant has heated pools.”

Che’ri brightened. “Let’s go! Padme, please call Thrawn? He does everything you tell him to do.”

That had Padme laughing. “Well, not quite everything.”

“Most everything. Please?”

“Well … alright. Untangle us and I’ll send him a message, not call him. If he can’t come, then we can at least play in the shallow end - there is a shallow end, right?” Thalias nodded. “Good. I can help you get the basics of floating, but Thrawn will have to do the actual teaching part. I’m assuming you have bathing clothes that I’ll fit in?”

“I’ll get them! I picked them out last week!” Che’ri dashed off, and Thalias started to unbraid their hair while Padme got her questis out.

Going to the Vigilant’s pool. Che’ri wants you to teach her to swim, but I told her you might not be able to. I can help her a little. Thalias will be with us.

That should do it. If Thrawn ever had an issue with where she told him she was going, he would tell her and give her a good reason for it, yet never actually forbid her, as Anakin had done several times. Otherwise, Padme was free to roam pretty much wherever she wanted on either ship.

I will meet you there.

She hadn’t expected such an immediate reply - it felt like she had barely sent the message before the questis had dinged again.

Padme laughed to herself. Che’ri had come back in with several options for her. Are your sacred spousal duties saving you from something you don’t want to be doing?

An astute mind, as always.

They ended up having to call Wutroow for help in finding an outfit that Padme was comfortable in. The smallest leggings the woman had were still a bit too big, and the shirt she handed over was, to Padme’s surprise, also too big. She had won it from Samakro in a bet, was all Wutroow would say when asked about it.

When they got to the pool, Thrawn was chasing the last of the crew out of it. They were across the room, so Padme couldn’t hear what he was saying, but the crew members were behaving exactly like children whose parents were over-reacting to something minor.

But Padme had stopped concentrating on that. Thrawn was in a sleeveless black bodysuit with legs that cut off at his upper thighs, and the man was nothing but defined, wiry muscle. His biceps, his shoulders, his thighs …

She looked away sharply as her pulse skyrocketed. Now, of all times, when her sex drive should be at its lowest, it decided to show up? She swallowed, mouth dry. This wasn’t fair. Thrawn had no right to look like that. There was a splash from the other end of the pool as she tried to figure out what to do instead of jumping him the moment he got within arm’s reach, and then he was pulling himself out of the pool, dripping wet, lights glistening on his skin, hand halfway out to her.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

Padme gasped a little as she jumped. She was actually dizzy. “Ah, yes, thank you, I’m fine.”

“You’re flushed. Are you sure?”

“Just exertion from walking here.” She kept her gaze away from him and stepped gingerly onto the steps leading down into the pool, then pushed herself away from them and let the water cool her face. It was just the stress of the situation. She didn’t actually want to fuck Thrawn into the bed; it had been a stressful nine months, during which she hadn’t so much as touched herself, and the last month had been absolutely horrifying. She was surprised she hadn’t stressed herself into labor. This was just a reaction to that.

When she came up from under the water, she was fairly sure that she had herself under control, so long as she didn’t look directly at Thrawn. She grinned and held her hands out to Che’ri.

“Come on. Your head should be above the water.” The girl drew back. Her face was pinched and unsure, and she held Thalias’ hand tightly as she looked up at her caregiver. “Or you can sit on the edge and put your feet in the water.”

“Let’s do that,” Thalias urged her. She sat, and patted next to her.

“There are three of us here,” Thrawn said. He leaned up against the side of the pool on Cheri’s other side, and smiled at her. “We won’t let you get hurt.”

“Well … Can I sit on the steps?”

“Of course you can.”

“Will you carry me there?”

Thrawn laughed a little and held his arms out. “Of course. Padme may sit with you. You’re still flushed,” he told her when she protested. “The water is deep enough on the second step to also relieve the weight on your stomach.”

“You are so romantic,” Padme muttered.

“Thank you.” He was holding Che’ri securely, and knelt easily to set her on the top step of the pool. “If you will stay with Padme and Thalias, I would like to swim a few laps. Is that alright?”

Padme stared straight ahead. She didn’t look at his arm muscles. She didn’t look at his back muscles. And when he pulled back to start his laps, she turned to look at Che’ri and Thalias.

“This was supposed to relax you, not work you up.”

Padme ignored her and her knowing smile and smiled brightly at Che’ri.

“So! You don’t have to move until you want to. I was afraid when I started learning how to swim. I wasn’t very good at it.”

“But you can swim now, right?”

“Yes. It took a while, but I learned. It’s really fun.”

Che’ri considered it before scooting closer to Padme and stretching her legs out a bit. “Thrawn taught me to fly, and now I don’t have nightmares about flying. Will learning to swim keep those nightmares away, too? Thrawn said I have nightmares about things I don’t know how to do well.”

“For someone as socially-oblivious as Thrawn, he’s very good with children,” Thalias observed. “Makes you wonder how he managed to make a baby.” Che’ri turned, eyes wide with curiosity, and Thalias cleared her throat. “But look, Che’ri, when you put your arm under the water, you can see how it looks like it shifts over. Isn’t that interesting?”

“Serves you right,” Padme muttered. She got a wrinkled nose in return as she sank lower into the water. It did feel good. She wished she’d been in the right state of mind to think of this sooner.

“What’s your planet like, Padme?”

She smiled. “Beautiful. It’s got rolling hills, and mountains, and deserts, and lakes and oceans and rivers … You can smell the seasons change. Spring starts smelling fuller, headier, hotter. Then summer starts to smell a little crisp, a little spicy. Fall starts to smell … brittle, I guess. Your nose stings a bit when you breathe in. And then winter starts to smell sweet and clean. I grew up in a very mild climate, so we had to travel to get the full effects of the seasons. But we always had family with us.”

“Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

“Sola, my older sister. She’s four years older than I am. I miss her.”

Che’ri frowned. “I didn’t see her at your wedding. We watched a recording of it.” She giggled. “Commander Thrawn almost fell over.”

The man in question was on his fifth lap or so. Padme frowned. “He what?”

“He almost fell over when he saw you. And he was staring.”

Arching an eyebrow, Padme shook her head. “I was there. He didn’t do anything of the sort.”

Thalias and Che’ri covered smiles and laughs. “If you say so,” Thalias murmured.

“Why wasn't your sister there?” Cheri was standing, now, holding tightly onto the rail that bisected the steps as she felt her way down to the final step.

“There was a small emergency that needed to be taken care of on Naboo. My parents almost didn’t make it, either.” Padme sighed. It hadn’t been exactly ‘small,’ and her parents had almost missed the wedding to the degree of ‘had to run to the ship with three minutes to spare before takeoff.’ But at least they had been there. And if Palpatine really had behind everything, then he might have been trying to keep them away in order to isolate her even more. She reached out when Che’ri got to the bottom of the pool itself, taking the little girl’s hands to steady her.

“You should have a Chiss wedding. You had a human one, so you need to have a Chiss one. We can do it here! Commander Thrawn! Look! I’m standing up!”

He had just finished a lap and paused, looking her over before smiling. “So you are. Very good.”

The little girl turned a bit lavender across the bridge of her nose. “You and Padme need to have a Chiss wedding, since you already had a human one.” Thrawn nearly inhaled water as he prepared to push off for another lap. “We can do it here. Admiral Ar’alani can do it!”

She started chattering about it, completely forgetting that she was afraid of the water. Thrawn’s face was expressionless as he looked at Padme, but since Thalias couldn’t see her own face, Padme was free to look as horrified as she wanted.

“Che’ri, we need to get Commander Thrawn and Padme’s permission,” Thalias finally broke in. “This might not be a good time.”

If she had been hoping that the child would be dissuaded from her wedding planning, she was wrong.

“Well, we’ll just do it now.” She reached out for Thrawn and grabbed his hand, pulling him forward. “Alright. We’re ready.”

“I can’t tell her no,” Padme murmured as Che’ri started some wedding sermon that she was clearly only peripherally aware of the content of.

“Neither can I,” Thrawn murmured back. “Thalias?”

“You’re on your own.”

When Che’ri got bored of extolling the virtues of marriage and partnership and the strength and glory of the Chiss (and humans, too, of course - that was a hasty afterthought), she joined Thrawn and Padme’s hands with a beaming smile.

“Now you’re really married. Bring glory to the Chiss - and humans, too, I guess - and may warrior’s fortune smile upon you and your children!”

“I am unsure as to the legality of this,” Thrawn said as Che’ri reminded him that he was supposed to kiss the backs of Padme’s hands.

“Oh, it’s very legal.” Admiral Ar’alani’s mirth-filled voice made Padme jump as she was prodded to return Thrawn’s two brief hand kisses.

“Absolutely,” Samakro agreed. He was keeping a straight face. “Weddings in pools officiated by children are the most legally-binding weddings there are.”

“I believe that they’re unbreakable, in fact. You cannot legally be separated, now.”

Padme rolled her eyes, suddenly impatient for action. She shook her head and rubbed her belly. “Well, at least it’s done before the twins get here, I suppose. Just in time.” Thrawn looked at her with wide eyes and she shook her head again. “Not right now. Just … soon.” She lightly flicked her stomach and then grimaced with irritation. “Nobody wants you in there anymore.”

“We’ll draw and play with snaps if you come out.” Che’ri’s tone was cajoling as she leaned against Padme’s stomach and rubbed it. “Please?”

“Stop using Padme to get out of doing things you don’t want to do!”

Ar’alani’s sharp voice had Padme jerking her head around. She was glaring down at Thrawn with her arms crossed over her chest. He, in turn, was looking back at her impassively.

“You know da---” She glanced at Che’ri. “---arn well that her pregnancy isn’t keeping you from doing it. You don’t even have to leave the ship. You could do it from your quarters, if you really wanted to. You just don’t want to, and now you have a vaguely-plausible excuse not to.”

“Vaguely-plausible is still plausible.”

“... Do you want some snacks?”

Padme nodded and took Samakro’s hand when he held it out to help her up the steps. “I would love that, thank you. Che’ri? Thalias?”

Thalias nodded. “Absolutely.”

Che’ri scrambled out of the pool and took her and Padme’s hands. It took a few minutes for them to wash themselves off and get dressed. Thrawn and Ar’alani were still arguing when the four of them left.

“What does he not want to do?” Padme asked as they walked down the corridor. She’d been restless the last few days, and walked quickly.

Samakro shrugged. “Nothing important. He’s pushing boundaries, more than anything - seeing what he can get away with in regards to you and … this.” He waved vaguely at her stomach.

Padme laughed. “You mean the twins?” He huffed. “The babies? The fetuses? The living beings growing inside my uterus?”

“Yes, that,” he snapped.

She was laughing so hard she thought she might inadvertently laugh herself into labor. “Does pregnancy make you uncomfortable?”

“This whole situation makes me uncomfortable,” he growled.

Then again, it would be a blessing to not have to be pregnant anymore.

“Do you not like the babies?” Che’ri asked in a quiet, sad voice as they got to her suite.

That clearly threw Samakro for a bit of a loop. He missed a step and garbled something, and when he looked at Padme for help, she shrugged and smiled sweetly.

“I --- I don’t dislike them,” he finally managed. Che’ri just looked up at him with lips that were almost trembling. She didn’t like it when people weren’t as excited about the twins as she was. Samakro sighed as his shoulders slumped. “I … I like them. They’re fine. Padme should just … not be having them on a warship, is what I meant.” Che’ri gave him a suspicious look, but accepted his reasoning.

They stayed in Che’ri and Thalias' quarters for a couple of hours. Padme was working on another message to hopefully be sent back to the Republic, or at least to Bail Organa and Mon Mothma, Che’ri was drawing and showing her the pictures after almost every stroke, and Thalias and Samakro were talking. Padme’s questis had dinged with a query from Thrawn as to her whereabouts, and she had told him that he was grounded until he finished whatever task Ar’alani had set for him. He had stuck his head into the room just to give her a thin-lipped not-glare.

Later that evening, Padme sat cross-legged on their bed and waved him over. “Come here. Let’s exchange oxytocin.”

“In what way?” He was a little suspicious, but sat on the bed across from her anyway and let her reach for his ungelled hair.

Padme sighed with pleasure. “Your hair is gorgeous. Have I told you that recently?”

“Almost all mammals have hair.”

He resorted to facts when he was uncomfortable. He was always factual, but there was a certain air to him when he was uncomfortable that betrayed his nervousness. Padme lifted her nightshirt above her stomach, took one of his hands, and pressed it firmly against her. Thrawn froze with a sharp intake of breath.

“It’s alright,” she murmured, returning her hand to his hair. “You’re their … you’ll be raising them. I know you’re curious.”

He swallowed before raising his other hand and leaning more into her touch. “... As you please.”

Padme didn’t tease him. He was concentrating on her stomach, feeling his way gently around it, varying the pressure of his fingers and palms, pausing once in a while when he disturbed one of the twins and they kicked out grumpily. Padme sighed and likewise leaned into his touch. She couldn’t describe how comforting it was to have his hands on her. They were warm, solid, very much there.

Whether she pulled his head down, he leaned it down, or a mixture of both, Thrawn’s forehead ended up resting against her sternum as they sat there, right above her breasts. Once again, his solid physical presence was soothing. His breath was warm and steady through the thin fabric of her nightshirt. He occasionally arched into her touch when she drew her fingernails lightly against his scalp, and Padme let out a shaky breath every time his touch drifted to her sides and hips, fingers curling around to her back.

They stayed like that for a long time.

Chapter Text

“My apologies, Padme, but this is what I can do for you. What planets haven’t been destroyed are either in Grysk hands or the hands of the peoples they’ve subjugated, which puts you at danger. The Aristocra won’t see you at this point because they still don’t believe that the Grysk pose a threat to us.”

She and Ar’alani were glaring at each other, but it was out of frustration at their current situation rather than anger at each other.

“I need to do something aside from being an incubator, Ar’alani.” Padme had been pacing for the last half hour. She was agitated at her lack of ability to do anything significant, and resented that a large part of it was because she was pregnant. Still. The twins didn’t seem ready to make their galactic debut any time soon.

“You are doing something,” the admiral insisted. She waved at the reports, drafts of letters, and other such things that Padme did to keep herself busy. “You are learning our culture, the best ways to approach the Aristocra. As we have discussed, I am sending them what you and I both agree is the most important information. The Aristocra not being willing to meet with you yet does not mean that they are not aware of you. Trust me - I have made sure that they are, and stay, well aware of you. Not being in active combat doesn’t mean that you’re not being of use.” The last was said in a softer voice. “You have an astute political mind. You clearly have the best interests of the Chiss in mind, as well as your own people’s. That doesn’t account for nothing, amongst the Ruling Families - and you know very well how politicians can drag things out even in emergencies.”

“I feel like all I do is sit around and get pampered,” Padme muttered. She turned at Ar’alani’s laugh.

“You have Thrawn, of all people, pampering you, and you complain about this? Tell me that that man does not perform his duties toward you and the twins willingly, perhaps even happily, and without coddling you.”

“I’m not sure I would say he does them happily.”

“He does.” Ar’alani was still smiling. “I have known Thrawn since his first year at the Academy. As much as he talks about anything aside from art and tactics, he talks about you and the twins. He worries about your health, safety, and happiness. You are his equal, though in an area that he has an apparent inability to understand, and he appreciates that. Further,” she continued, “you have a genuine interest in, and appreciation of, how he draws information from art like he does. That alone draws him to you. He has also mentioned that he now enjoys physical touch on a level he had never considered before.”

It was oddly embarrassing, but did nothing to alleviate Padme’s frustration at herself for not doing something, not accomplishing a task. What task, she didn’t know - but she wasn’t doing it.

“His parents have sent word. They wish to know if you and the twins have special dietary needs, and - and they apologize profusely for intruding upon your privacy - if you will be nursing them or will need formula for them.” The message was sent to Padme’s questis. “If the children are to have Chiss names, if there is to be a naming ceremony, if you have cosmetic needs that will necessitate them searching for cosmetics suitable for human complexions …”

“Kriff, do they want my favorite color, too?” Padme asked as she scrolled down their list of questions.

“I believe that Thrawn has already informed them that it is green.”

“Of course he did.” They apologized for Rentor being quaint, especially for someone of her status as a former queen and senator, and assured her that it was still very close to Csilla, for when she would undoubtedly need to travel there to meet with the Aristocra. She and the children already had a room set aside; she and Thrawn could decorate it as they pleased when they arrived, or she could send them what she wanted it to look like. They had been provided with fashion styles that she liked, but would also purchase her Chiss styles, as well, should she desire it.

Apparently, they had near-unlimited funding for her care. Padme had no doubt that Thrawn had bullied either the Mitth family or the CEDF into paying for everything.

“Well, I’m going to go clean.” Ar’alani nodded. The Chiss had nesting urges just like humans did, and no one had raised any sort of fuss at Padme’s sudden need to have everything neat and tidy, unless it came to the bridge.

She was no longer allowed on the Springhawk’s bridge.

At least she was being allowed to call Thrawn’s parents by their core names, she mused as she made her way swiftly back to her and Thrawn’s quarters. The explanation she had gotten from everyone was that since they were now family, it was expected. The fact that Padme couldn’t properly pronounce their full names probably also had something to do with it.

Vuwetuo and Vukara - Thrawn’s mother and father, respectively. Thrawn, who had been Vurawn until his adoption into the Mitth family, and Padme understood that part, but she still couldn’t understand the meaning of the final part of Chiss names. At this point, Padme wasn’t even sure the Chiss themselves knew it.

But that was fine. Padme probably didn’t need to know that particular detail right away. What she needed was to make sure her damn quarters were spotless, that the twins had adequate clothing and supplies, and that her husband stopped tucking the sheets and blanket in on the foot of her side of the bed because she didn’t like it.

Which was exactly what said husband was doing when she got to the bedroom.

“Stop that!” Padme snapped. Thrawn paused and looked at her over his shoulder with slightly widened eyes. She stomped up to him and grabbed the sheets and blanket, ripping them off the bed. “I don’t like my side tucked in!”

“It’s not in accordance with regulations if it isn’t.”

“Do I look like I care about regulations? Who’s doing an inspection in here, anyway? I can’t get in bed easily with it all tucked in. Now I have to make it, again.”

“... Might I suggest a compromise?”

“You’re going to do it anyway,” she grumbled as she tried to bend over to grab the sheets off the floor and failed. She was going to have to squat, and then have Thrawn help her up.

Thrawn held his hand out when she braced herself to do just that, and picked the bedding up himself. “Allow me to show you.” She glowered at him as he made the bed exactly the way she didn’t like it. But then he knelt and started adjusting her side. Her glower had turned into a normal frown by the time he turned and gestured at the bed. “Is this to your satisfaction?”

However he had folded everything, it looked like it was all tucked in. When he twitched it back, though, it came up easily, just as she preferred it.

“... Thank you,” she muttered.

There was a slight smile on his lips as he stood. “I further suggest that I make the bed in the mornings.”

“You’re not here in the mornings.” It wasn’t technically true. In the past week, Thrawn had been up and around before she woke up, but he still stayed in their quarters until she was ready to start her day.

He didn’t seem inclined to quibble, merely shrugging his shoulders. “I will make the time.”

“I need a hug.”

“I can provide that.”

She leaned into his chest, shoulders hunched and hands clasped tightly to her own chest, when he stepped forward and opened his arms. He crossed his arms around her body, and though he had figured out that she was most comforted when he was relaxed and not holding himself rigid, he still kept his hands curled into loose fists. Padme sighed as she relaxed.

“Your parents don’t like me.”

“The Chiss are heavily biased against those who are not Chiss. However, you are intelligent, capable, talented, and curious about and respectful of our culture. You have wondered often where I get my sense of duty from.” He was smiling more, when she looked up at him. “You will soon find out.”

Padme let out a long sigh and leaned her head against his chest again.

“I have stressed to them the importance of your position, not just as my partner, but also as an asset to the Ascendancy and greater galaxy. They will give their lives to keep you safe.”

She groaned. “I don’t want your parents to die, Thrawn.”

“Nor do I. Your safety, however, comes first.”

His voice held absolutely no emotion, and Padme shivered. “Do we have to have another talk about empathy?”

She felt him shake his head. “We do not; nor did we need to have any of them in the first place. Perhaps it has not occurred to you that I am not emotionally forthcoming in regards to subjects and situations that I find unpleasant. Some see this as a flaw, but it has served me well during battle.”

Padme rolled her eyes up at him and gently pushed him back so that she could rearrange the top of the dresser without leaving his embrace.

“I’m not a battle.”

“Every day with you is a battle. But it is not an unpleasant one.”

The lights had dimmed, programmed to follow ship’s night unless directly changed by someone. Padme didn’t feel like arguing. It felt like a Thrawn-style compliment, anyway. She simply nodded while yawning into his chest. She held her arms up, feeling very much like a child, and he gently pulled her loose top off. It was replaced quickly with one of his undershirts. He was always careful to make sure that they were too close for him to see anything about her body when he helped her dress for bed. He also made sure he only helped when the lights had dimmed. Padme was fairly certain that she herself had stopped caring, but Thrawn apparently still did.

She barely heard his soft sigh of protest when he helped her into the bed and she blearily insisted that he get in with her rather than changing into his own nightclothes. She trailed her hand up and down his back when he took his tunic off and worked at removing his boots. He had a nice back, and she told him so through another yawn.

He huffed with amusement. “Thank you.” There was some shifting as he removed his trousers and then got under the covers. Padme curled up against him.

***

She opened her eyes, full of irritation and resolve. She was going to do this damn thing herself, if no one else would help her. It was past time, she was cramped and uncomfortable, she wanted to go, and then her uterus gave a sharp contraction and she pressed her hand against her belly.

“All right,” she murmured. “I get it. Calm down.” She reached behind her and ran her fingers through soft curls, waking Thrawn with a very small jolt. “Have you ever wanted to see a human give birth?”

It took him a moment to process her words, or maybe he was just trying to think of how to phrase himself. Finally, “Are you able, and do you want, to walk to medbay?”

He was helping her sit up. “I don’t expect them to just fall out, and I said I'd tell you right away. Besides, walking will help.”

“Very well.” He reached for his commlink as Padme was pulling on long, loose pants.

“Please don’t call Ar’alani. I don’t need both ships to know I’m giving birth.”

“This is Ar’alani.”

“This is Thrawn. Meet us at medbay.”

“Of course.”

The commlink clicked off. Padme scowled. Thrawn ignored it. He was in leisure attire and she accepted the long-sleeved shirt he handed her. She wasn’t afraid of drawing attention to themselves - they went on walks during ship’s night together often enough, when she got restless, that they merely got polite nods from passing crew and the occasional long look at the alien being aboard their ship.

“I told you they were coming.”

Che’ri and Thalias were standing outside of medbay, waiting for them, and Che’ri’s voice was full of vindication and exhaustion.

Padme had stopped to wait for another contraction to pass. She had apparently been tired enough to sleep through the beginning ones. “I don’t need an audience. Che’ri, go back to bed.”

The girl pouted. “But I want to meet the twins right away. You said I could hold them.”

“And you can,” Thrawn interjected smoothly, “but not immediately. Labor can take twelve or more hours. It’s best that you go back to bed.”

“But I won’t be able to sleep, and what if Padme needs me?” Padme was being settled into a bed that could be raised and tilted as needed, and the medical staff were checking her vitals and running a quick scan. Che’ri wormed her way to Padme’s side and took her hand tightly. “It’s going to be okay. Just breathe.”

“This is the boring part,” Padme laughed. “You may as well go back to bed.” She relented at the look on the girl’s face, but mostly because she was exhausted and didn’t have the energy to argue. “Fine. Sit down over there, and I’ll tell you when I need you.”

“I’ll sit here.” Che’ri hoisted herself up into Thrawn’s lap when he sat beside Padme. He didn’t stop her, and fifteen minutes later she was fast asleep.

Thalias, at least, had the courtesy to wait outside the room. Padme got the medical attendants to let her lean the bed back enough so that she, too, could go back to sleep. She wouldn’t need to be awake for a while. She had promised Thrawn that they would go to medical as soon as she was sure she was in labor, though, so there she was.

‘A while’ was a bit of an understatement. It was a good seven hours before the contractions woke her up enough to keep her from going back to sleep. Che’ri was in the waiting room when Thrawn helped her walk there at the medical attendants’ urging. She had some snaps in front of her, but was watching the door. Then she got up to go over and put her hands on Padme’s stomach.

“Are you alright? Do you need me? I got some sleep, but I came right back when I woke up.”

Padme smiled down at her. “I’m fine, thank you. I just - one moment ---” She took in a few deep breaths as another contraction came over her. Then she scowled at her stomach. “Can’t you hurry this up?”

“They’re trying,” Che’ri told her. “But they can’t go fast right now. They're a little scared, but they're glad you and Thrawn are here.”

Everyone was quiet for a moment before Padme looked between Thrawn and Ar’alani, who had just come in with some sort of hot drinks.

“I would like to know,” she said casually, “exactly why you have a Force-sensitive child aboard this ship.”

Ar’alani looked her over as she handed Thrawn one of the drinks. Then she looked at Che’ri, then Thrawn. She let out a small breath.

“She is our navigator. Anything outside of Chiss space is impossible to effectively navigate without her.”

“... Am I in trouble?”

“No,” Ar’alani, Thrawn, and Padme all assured her together. Ar’alani’s lips twisted a bit. “Sky-walkers are rare, and prized. And one of the Ascendancy’s most guarded secrets.”

“Sky - ow - walkers?”

Thrawn’s hand was soothing as he rested it on her stomach. “An odd coincidence,” he told her. “I myself was surprised. They can sense obstacles in hyperspace and adjust a ship’s course accordingly.”

“It’ll go away when I’m fourteen.” Che’ri sounded sad, but then perked up. “But Thrawn says I can be whatever I want to be when I grow up. I want to be a pilot.”

“I will explain further later. In the meantime, I believe that you should lie down again.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

She was eventually given some painkillers, and it was a relief to not feel anything other than simply the pressure of the twins trying desperately to escape into the outside world. Thrawn wouldn’t let her get any work done, though, no matter how much she complained and insisted that she was fine. She apparently just had to focus all her energy on the very boring process of labor, until the time came for her to push, which was when she wouldn’t be able to get any work done. She had letters to write, Ar’alani to convince to let her send them back to the Republic …

Padme griped until Che’ri was let back in the delivery room. That, at least, gave her something to do - and Che’ri’s precognition was extremely helpful when contractions came.

“It’s okay,” Che’ri repeated. Padme had lost count of how many times she’d said it. “They’re almost here.”

That assurance was new. Padme looked up from the snaps design she was working on.

“Oh?”

“How long?” Thrawn asked. He didn’t look tired, even though Padme knew he hadn’t slept since she’d woken him up.

“An hour or so. Maybe less. They really want out.” Then Che’ri frowned. “They’ve wanted out for a while. Didn’t you notice?”

“I don’t think I did,” Padme told her. “How do you know?”

That got her a shrug. “I just … I just feel it. They’re really impatient. Well, one is. The girl. Leia?” Padme nodded. “I think Luke just wants to sleep. Take a deep breath.”

Padme did, and Che’ri’s ‘hour or so’ stretched a bit farther than anticipated because Luke did, it seemed, want to sleep instead of be born. Leia arrived squalling angrily about both her entrapment for nearly nine months and the sudden cold and brightness of the world. Thrawn’s arms were around Padme and he shifted to make room for Leia to be placed between them as Che’ri tried to coax Luke out.

It took Padme a few minutes to realize that he had gone perfectly still. She spared a look at him and his eyes were wider than usual as he looked at the baby girl. His lips were partially open, and his breath may have just slightly been shuddering. Leia was blinking up at them both, eyes unable to focus no matter how hard she tried. It seemed to irritate her; she screwed her face up and let out a tiny little wail.

Thrawn finally looked at Padme and swallowed sharply. “May I …?”

She nodded and squeezed her own eyes shut. At least the Chiss had the sense to give birth as vertically as possible, letting gravity do most of the work. Thrawn was very, very gentle as he sat up straighter and then took Leia. He held her close and high up on his chest, which let her focus more easily on him.

“... Hello. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

He had said it in the most formal manner possible, and Padme started laughing. It either convinced Luke that outside was more interesting than inside, or the extra convulsions finally pushed him all the way out. Either way, she was finally able to relax. She took him from the medics and held him on the side that Thrawn was on. He was small and wrinkly and blinking in the lights. When he let out a tiny whimper, Leia let out her own and he immediately calmed down.

Thrawn reached out to gently touch Luke’s cheek; it drew the boy’s attention to him.

“Hello. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

It really should have been Anakin greeting them in such an awkward manner. Padme’s tears were tears of pain, relief, and sorrow. It was some time before she calmed down; by that time, the medics had finished the clean-up and Thrawn had wedged himself as close to her and the babies as possible, his sleeves pushed up so they all had skin-on-skin contact.

“You all did very well.”

Padme started to laugh again, breathlessly. “Thank you. Do we get promotions?”

“I will speak with Ar’alani about it.” He looked away from the twins and down at her, more of a smile on his lips than Padme had ever seen. “Get some rest. I believe that Che’ri will want to greet our newest cadre members sooner rather than later.”

“They’re not cadre,” Padme laughed.

Thrawn simply hummed a bit and then started to give the twins a run-down of their new duties.

Chapter Text

“This is behavior unbecoming of members of the Expansionary Defense Force. You must stop at once. I will not show you favoritism simply because you are small and ideally proportioned to provoke the strongest protective instinct in adults as possible.”

“Thrawn, they’re four days old. They can’t understand you.”

“You said that yesterday.”

“No, yesterday I said they were three days old.”

The Springhawk had made the next jump to hyperspace about an hour earlier, and apparently the twins had taken exception to it. They’d been fussy ever since. Padme was getting frustrated, but Thrawn had simply been quietly lecturing them about their duties and responsibilities as he walked around the suite with them in his arms. Padme didn’t think he realized how ridiculous he looked and sounded. She also didn’t think he would care if she told him. He had already taken them to the bridge - much to Samakro’s horror and Che’ri’s delight - and the mess and recreation halls. They were very much a curiosity for the crew. There always seemed to be more people out and about when Thrawn and Padme walked around the ship with them.

“Are you hungry? If you are, I remind you that I am unable to provide you nourishment. Are both of you hungry, or just one?”

Padme held her hand over her mouth as he continued to quiz them about why they were upset. He refused to engage in baby-talk, and also refused to either simply ignore them when they wanted attention, or give them minimal amounts. He had meant it when he had said that he was going to treat them like his own children. Maybe staying with his parents wasn’t going to be as awkward as she had been afraid it would be.

“Thrawn, they’re not capable of understanding you.”

He gave her a slight frown. “I am aware of the current stage of their development. I believe that at least one of them may be hungry.” He knelt to give her Luke, and then resumed walking around with Leia.

“Are you hungry, or are you just fussy because Leia’s fussy?” Padme kissed his forehead as she adjusted her top. And … no, he was definitely hungry. He suckled with squinty-eyed intensity, as if she hadn’t fed him two hours previously. “Slow down; you’re going to make yourself sick. Shh shh shh …” She started to sing an old lullaby from Naboo as she rocked him and they watched each other.

By the time Luke had fallen asleep, Leia had been quiet for a while. Padme sighed. Their ability to sense each other’s states of mind and influence one another was as disconcerting as it was useful.

“Is she asleep?”

“Not yet.” There were soft footsteps behind her, then Thrawn sat down. Leia had his index finger in one little fist and the knuckle of his pinky in her mouth. She made a disgruntled noise every time he so much as shifted in preparation to pull either one away from her. “She is very strong. Is he alright?”

Luke was snoring, head lolled back, eyes partially open. Padme smiled.

“Yes. He sleeps like this when he’s full.”

“I see.”

“You haven’t noticed?”

Thrawn shrugged a little, concentrating his gaze on Leia. “You haven’t been covered before when he’s fallen asleep. Speaking of, you have been up all day and half the night with them. You should rest.”

Padme rolled her eyes as she stood. “You’re one to talk. You’ve been up every moment I have.”

“Yes, but I do not have to spend nearly as much energy caring for them. However, as madam commander doesn't seem inclined to release me back to my ship duties any time soon, I will rest if you do."

She wasn’t going to argue with that. All four of them were tired, no matter how much Thrawn protested he wasn’t. Taking care of newborns took a different type of energy than running a ship, and Padme was well aware that the Springhawk’s crew had effectively forced him off duty in order to devote all his time to her and the twins. He didn’t seem to mind - and Padme was glad for it. She wasn’t confined to their quarters by any means, but she also had no desire to carry both twins around the ship by herself when she didn’t have to, so having another adult there with her was a relief.

It took some shifting, and Leia grumbled a few times, but they eventually managed to get in the bed with Padme and Luke snuggled up against Thrawn’s side, his arm around her waist, and Leia held in his other arm and back to sucking on his pinky.

“Who am I going to bully into cuddling with me when you’re gone?” she asked as she yawned into his shoulder.

“You don’t have to bully me at all.” Thrawn sounded faintly surprised. “All you have to do is ask. I don’t mind.” He paused. “Would you like me to start initiating physical contact?”

“Do you want to initiate physical contact?”

“It would not bother me.”

He was going to make her drag it out of him. “Thrawn.” She looked up at him and he wasn’t quite meeting her gaze. “You know what I mean. If I were fine with it, on a purely platonic level, would you want to touch me more often?”

His lips compressed briefly as he slowly nodded. “That … would be pleasant.”

Padme sighed and rested her head against his shoulder again. “There we go. You can be platonically physically affectionate with me. Boundaries renegotiated. Was that so hard?”

“All new battles are difficult.” But he had relaxed, and squeezed his arm around her slightly. “I am glad that this one had a positive outcome.”

“Thrawn …”

“Yes?”

“Please just say that you like hugs.”

“... I like hugs.”

She smiled and pressed closer to him, eyes closed. “So do I.”

***

Padme hadn’t expected Thrawn to touch her much more than he had been, after he had permission to.

Padme had been wrong.

Padme had been very wrong.

Outside of their quarters, Thrawn’s arm was constantly brushing hers, or his hand was drifting over the small of her back. Inside their quarters, Padme had a nearly seven foot tall, almost completely expressionless man attached to her almost every minute. It would have been irritating if he hadn’t been so … meek about it. She would have teased him, but the way he held her, the way his shoulders curved in, how his hands spread across her back … she had had to revise her theory that he wasn’t shown affection often to almost never.

“Are you alright?”

She murmured it as she sat on his desk and ran her fingers through his hair. His breath was warm on the skin of her neck. He was trailing one hand up and down the center of her back, the motion smooth and leisurely.

He sighed. “I have … concerns.”

“What are they?” When he hesitated, she dragged her nails from the top of his scalp to the bottom of his neck. He shuddered and tightened his grip on her. “You want us to be able to trust each other, Thrawn. Please trust me.”

He slowly nodded. After a moment, he spoke again. “Every warrior faces uncertainty about their futures in battle. I have every confidence that I will survive - and I believe that my military record shows that I am very good at surviving - but you have been left alone enough, and it shows. I don’t want to contribute to that. I don’t want the twins to not have a --- I am concerned that they will have Third Sight, and that the Syndicure may try to take them when they are old enough. I am concerned about your acceptance into Chiss society and politics. I am concerned about what Palpatine may do when he discovers that you’re still alive. And I know that we disagree - heavily - about me returning to serve the Empire rather than assisting in fomenting a rebellion, which I know is a priority for you. It is an involvement that I will never reveal, if it’s any comfort.”

“It is,” Padme murmured. She tightened her own grip on him. “And the word is ‘father.’ You don’t want the twins to not have a father.”

“They already have a father.”

“Yes. You.” She pulled back and leaned their foreheads together. “Anakin will always be their father, but Anakin is most ---” She gulped back tears and pain as her voice broke. When she spoke again, it was steady. “Anakin is most likely dead. Even if he isn’t, I don’t … I don’t trust him around them. And you’re the one who has been there for us almost the entire time. You very clearly care a great deal about them. You’re their father, even if Anakin is alive and saveable. They’ll just have two fathers, in that case.”

“I see.”

“I’m not going to let the Syndicure take them. Technically, they’re already Skywalkers, and if they want to be ozyly-esehembo when they’re older, they can be. But no one but them will make that decision.” He nodded. Some of his tension was easing. “If we have to live with your parents for the rest of our lives, so be it. I’m not without the ability to still get work done, even if I have to take a more convoluted route. We have Admiral Ar’alani on our side, and I’m positive that she won’t be the only one who will take the Grysk threat seriously. I’ve spent my entire life as a politician - trust me on this.”

“I do,” he murmured.

“If Palpatine finds out that I’m still alive,” she continued, addressing each of his concerns with thought, “I’m more worried about your safety. The twins and I will be safe in the Ascendancy, especially so close to Csilla. You, however, will be entirely at Palpatine’s mercy. I don’t doubt that you would be able to withstand physical torture, but Palpatine is a Sith - I’m not sure how well you would stand against him using the Force. But,” she said briskly, “I’m sure that Obi-Wan and I can come up with a plausible cover story for my extended disappearance. When will he be arriving?”

Thrawn laughed a bit as he pressed his cheek against hers. “You are incredibly intelligent.”

“No, I just know that there’s no way you could stand being separated from your boyfriend for very long.”

“Ensign Vanto is with me constantly.”

Padme pinched his cheek, which made him start a bit. “No. You leave my sweet, innocent Eli out of this.” She got more soft laughter. “But when - and where - will he arrive?”

“Rentor, no later than three months. My parents are aware. They are also aware that he is like a brother to you, and therefore won’t protest you two being alone together.”

Ah, yes. Thrawn had mentioned before that the Chiss had negative views toward sex outside of marriage. It was still absolutely engaged in, but officially, it was frowned on. From what he’d said, those who knew enough about humans’ views on it thought that they were a hedonistic bunch who would rip each others’ clothes off at a moment’s notice.

“Good. And no, I don’t like that you’re staying in service to Palpatine - but, I do understand that you’re not in a position to simply desert that service. I won’t ever like it. But it has its … well. I wouldn’t call them ‘benefits,’ but … I know the threat that the Grysk present. I’m going to fight Palpatine every way I can, but I’ll also do whatever I can to not waste resources, and to make sure those who also stand against him understand that the Grysk are also a threat. Once one of them is dealt with, the other can then be dealt with.”

“I have my reservations about the effectiveness of that plan, but I will do my best to follow orders while reducing the loss of any asset. We will need all that we can acquire.”

“Thank you. Are you satisfied?”

“As much as I can be right now, yes.” He straightened and looked down at her with a faint smile. “I appreciate that you always take my concerns seriously, and present solid plans to address them.”

“And I appreciate the same from you. Is that why you’re so attached to me lately?” she asked softly. Thrawn tilted his head. “Because you’re afraid for my safety?”

“Partially. I have also discovered that I quite enjoy the exchange of oxytocin.” Then his brow furrowed a bit.

“I don’t mind,” Padme hurried to assure him. His brow smoothed out. “I was just curious about the amount of it.”

“Ah.” He shifted a bit. “I confess that I have felt a greater need for physical assurance of your health and safety since I left for the Blood Crow. Especially now, with the children here. I was not expecting my duties toward you three to become so … personal.”

Padme laughed. “We love you, too.” Thrawn flushed. “You’re a good father, Thrawn. And a good husband. Now,” she went on when he started to mutter something in protest, “we should have about two more hours in hyperspace?” He nodded. “Alright. Let me get dressed, and then you can carry me over your shoulder for the rest of the trip, if you want.”

“I will do a final check on the luggage.”

She smiled and slid off the table. “Excellent. Dismissed.”

She got a sharp military salute before he turned with precision and walked off.

***

Thrawn had described Rentor as rural. Samakro had happily described it as what best translated to a classless, backwater skug-hole filled with ignorant and brainless fools.

Thrawn had been generous in his description. Samakro had been more accurate.

The planet wasn’t the smallest, but it absolutely wasn’t the largest, and only had a few population centers. Each one probably had no more than a million inhabitants. The rest of the planet’s landmasses were almost entirely farmland. As the shuttle skimmed through the atmosphere, every bit of technology that Padme could see was functional, but also seemed like it was a model or two out of date.

“There,” Thrawn pointed. She craned her neck, but each tract of farmland looked pretty much the same to her. He was reaching for the commlink when they were hailed. Padme didn’t fail to notice his slight hesitation before answering it. “This is Mitth’raw’nuruodo.”

“Yes, we recognized your flight style.” The woman who responded sounded guarded, but also slightly amused. “With you are your wife and her children?”

“My honored wife and children are with me.”

His mother’s wording had the connotation of Padme being less than Thrawn’s equal and partner, and also that he didn’t have the - standing? Familial connection? Legal permission? Padme couldn’t quite translate it - to be considered the twins’ father.

Thrawn’s wording, however, left absolutely no doubt that he considered Padme his full equal and partner, and that the children were unquestionably his own.

“... Then we welcome you all. Are you going to land, or were you going to fly in circles all day?”

Thrawn was making a very slight face at the comm. “I was considering it,” he muttered.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Nothing, honored mother. We will see you shortly.” He ignored Padme as she covered laughter. Now she knew where he got his sass from.

As soon as they landed, Thrawn once again went over her and the twins’ small amount of luggage. Leia was being held against his shoulder, while Padme held Luke. He had certainly decided which twin was his favorite.

Leia had also certainly decided which parent was her favorite. She looked around calmly as she gummed at the shoulder seam of his shirt, where she would have been restlessly wiggling if Padme had been holding her. Luke, at least, didn’t care who held him, as long as he wasn’t being jostled.

Vuwetuo and Vukara were waiting for them at the end of the shuttle’s ramp. They were both tall for Chiss, much like Thrawn was. Padme could see the similarities in their facial structure, as well. As they got closer, she could see that Thrawn got his unfairly flawless eyelashes from his father and his perfect curls from his mother.

They inclined their heads to Thrawn, then to her.

“We greet you, honored family. I am Vukara, and this is my honored wife, Vuwetuo. You are most welcome in our home, and we hope that it becomes your home, as well.”

“I greet you, honored family,” Padme responded, “and thank you for your generous hospitality. I am Padme Amidala, called Padme. I, too, hope that this becomes our home.”

“These are our children - your grandchildren,” Thrawn spoke up. He was absolutely going to stress this to his parents, it seemed. “They are the girl, Leia,” and he turned so that his parents could see her face, “and the boy, Luke.” He inclined his head to the baby that was fast asleep, and also snoring again, in Padme’s arms. The order of their introduction also doubled as the order of their birth.

His parents gestured for them all to walk down a slight hill to their simple homestead. “Have they Chiss names?” his mother asked.

“Not yet.” Thrawn glanced at Padme out of the corner of his eye as she answered. He had left the choice to give them Chiss names up to her, and she hadn’t made up her mind before they had left. “I absolutely trust Thrawn’s judgement in appropriate names,” no she didn’t, she trusted everyone else’s judgement in appropriate names, “but I myself would like a greater understanding of Chiss culture before we choose their names. I look forward to your assistance with this.”

That gave both parents pause. They were quiet for a few moments, and then Thrawn’s father spoke.

“We are honored. We will endeavor to do our best in this regard. Please, come in. Refreshments have been laid out.”

“Is this level of formality still necessary?”

All three adults very nearly rolled their eyes at Thrawn. He returned their looks with faint bewilderment.

“I am fine with less formality,” Padme told them all, “but as I am not as versed in your culture and customs as I hope to soon be, I will follow my honored in-laws’ direction.”

Vuwetuo and Vukara relaxed their stiff, formal postures. “You’re our daughter, now,” Vuwetuo told her with only slightly hesitant warmth as her speech acquired a heavy accent. “Of course formality is no longer needed. May we see the twins?”

“Of course.” Padme handed Luke over with ease, but Leia let out a wail of protest when Thrawn tried to hand her to Vukara.

“I will not hesitate to court-martial you.”

“Has he always spoken to babies like this?” Padme asked as Thrawn and Leia got into a brief argument of sorts.

“He hadn’t had much experience with babies before he left home,” his mother said with humor, “but he’s never seen reason to not talk to children as if they were adults. Are they healthy, for your species? They seem a bit small.”

Now Thrawn was standing very close to his father, Leia held between them. It was an apparent effort to get her comfortable with her grandfather.

“They’re very healthy,” Padme assured her. “Multiples are often smaller than single births; they don’t have the room to grow much larger. They’ll catch up in time.” She paused. “Visually, they’re normal for human babies.”

Vuwetuo nodded with a smile that said she knew full well that Padme knew what she had been talking about. Leia had been successfully handed over by that time, and Vuwetuo looked over at her son.

“Raw, the tractor lifts need realigning.”

“... And?”

“Go fix it, boy.” Thrawn gave his father a blank look. “Go on.”

“Padme and the twins ---”

“Will be perfectly fine without you for a while. Go.”

With tightly-pursed lips, Thrawn turned and marched toward the door. “I just arrived home,” he was muttering, “and I’m sent directly to work?”

“Less attitude, boy,” Vuwetuo told him sternly.

“I get it from my honored mother,” Thrawn said over his shoulder. “I don’t know what else you expected.”

Once he was gone, his parents turned to Padme with smiles.

“Well,” Vukara said, “let’s get you all settled.”

Chapter Text

“Your room’s this way. We thought it might be easier for you to be on the ground level - is that acceptable?”

“Absolutely. Thank you for your consideration - it will be easier.”

“Excellent. Through here. What happened to the twins’ father?”

Thrawn got his disdain for small talk from his father, clearly. Padme swallowed past a lump in her throat.

“Presumed dead.” She got quiet nods. “I was pregnant before Thrawn arrived on Coruscant.”

“Our condolences for your loss.”

“Thank you.” The bed in her room was oval and padded all around, big enough to hold two adults comfortably and more if they all got cozy, and there were two bassinets. One was made up, and the other held extra bedding. Padme sat on the bed. “Thrawn has been a source of great comfort and strength for me. His only complaint has been that I don’t let him do nearly as much for us as he thinks he should be doing.”

Vuwetuo and Vukara were settling her things in quickly and efficiently, even while still holding the twins. Padme wisely stayed back and let them do as they pleased, nodding her head each time they looked at her for approval of their work.

“And his intimate duties?”

“I suspect,” Pamde said drily, “that this isn’t normally a question in-laws would ask.”

Vukara inclined his head. “It’s not. My deepest apologies.”

“Thank you. We negotiated boundaries at our second meeting. It was agreed that any sort of intimacy would go at the pace of whoever desired less of it. Thrawn’s been nothing but courteous and respectful of my wants and needs.” That should do it. Padme hadn’t clarified whether or not she and Thrawn were having sex, but she had also assured his parents that whatever they were doing, it was being done with her full consent and to her satisfaction.

It placated them. “We’re glad to hear that. Is here fine?”

“Of course,” Padme told Vuwetuo. “We haven’t many belongings, anyway. Our departure from Coruscant was unexpected, and I wouldn’t want to intrude any more than necessary, in any case.”

They both straightened and turned to her, their faces hard. Vukara was the first to speak.

“Vuwetuo and I have many reservations about this situation, Padme,” and he pronounced her name with a slightly aspirated ‘b’ in place of the ‘p’ and an emphasis on the ‘me,’ “but I want to make one thing very clear to you: You are a part of our family, now. As family, you’re under our hospitality and protection. You and your children not being Chiss doesn’t matter in this. You’re family, and our home is your home. If you’d arrived with a warship’s amount of belongings, we wouldn’t have protested. Been a little irritated,” he said with a slight smile, “but we wouldn’t have protested, and you wouldn’t ever hear of our irritation in the slightest. You don’t need to apologize to, or make concessions for, us for anything. We’re at your complete disposal, and do it for the sake of you being family. Is that clear?”

Padme was quiet as she looked at the pair. She knew they didn’t want her there. They knew that she knew they didn’t want her there. But they had welcomed her and the twins with open arms - literally, in the case of the twins - and very little hint of their own desires and misgivings. Like Thrawn, they had a duty to perform, and absolutely nothing was going to prevent them from doing it.

She bowed her head. “Thank you,” she murmured. “You're very clear. I am …”

She was still trying not to cry when Vukara sat beside her on the bed. “We haven’t been fully informed about your situation,” he said in a kind voice, “but we understand that it’s been nothing but stressful for you. We trust Raw's judgement. I doubt that your leader would have wanted you two to marry if he hadn’t seen some sort of benefit in it, and I also doubt that Raw would have agreed if he hadn’t believed that you two would be a good match. You aren’t just being foisted off on us. Raw wouldn’t have asked this of us if he didn’t deem it necessary. And we would have been very upset if he hadn’t - Chiss take family obligations very seriously.” Padme was barely able to whisper her thanks. “Please, think nothing of it. Are you hungry? That boy should be done with the tractor by now, and we’ve prepared one of the meals he said you like.”

“Great skies,” Padme burst out with affectionate exasperation, “is there anything about me that he didn’t tell you?”

That got chuckles. “He’s always been a bit too thorough,” Vuwetuo said with affection in her own voice. There was some clatter from the other room. “Sounds like he is done. Come on, dinner’s gonna get cold.”

Thrawn was in the food preparation area when they came back in. He’d taken his tunic and undershirt off and was washing his hands and arms, scrubbing at the grease covering them. He wasn’t grumbling, but his face was pinched with displeasure.

“What took you so long?” Vukara asked.

“Talkin’ with Yuguri. Y’ll need t’order a new lift. Might have something on th’ Springhawk. I sent word.”

Only two hours home and his native accent was coming out in force. Padme leaned against the wall and watched as he stuck his head under the running water, pulling his fingers through his hair and then straightening with a shake. Shirtless, sweaty, wet … Padme decided that she could get used to this sight.

He looked over sharply as she shifted and took a few deep, calming breaths. “What?”

She shook her head, smiling. “I like your accent.”

Thrawn arched an eyebrow and took two slow strides to stand in front of her, hands on his hips and head tilted down. “Be two weeks gettin’ rid of it.”

"Good thing no one else will be able to tease you for it." It came out coyly, and she smiled up at him through her lashes.

"Mm."

She could feel the warmth from his body. They were damn near touching. His parents were right there. They hadn’t renegotiated sexual contact. She couldn’t shove him against the counter and see if he could hold her up by himself while they fucked.

Great skies, she wanted to.

“You alright?” He raised his hand and gently pressed his fingers against her cheek, running them down to her chin.

“You’ll be staying the night, then?”

They both jumped at his mother’s interruption. Thrawn stepped back with a frown and took the clean shirt his father held out.

“No. I need t'return t'my post.”

“Are you sure?” Both parents had small smiles on their faces that said they hadn’t missed the moment of sexual tension at all.

“Yeah. Why?”

“We just thought you might want to say your goodbyes. Come, sit.”

Thrawn was frowning even harder as he obeyed his parents. “Don’t see why it’d take all night t’say goodbye.”

Padme and his parents exchanged glances. ‘Oblivious’ was far too kind a word.

“Don’t worry about it,” she assured him.

“I’m so sorry,” Vukara told her.

She shrugged with a small smile. “I’m used to it.” She waved off Thrawn’s questioning sound. “I suppose you’re going to say no if I offer to hold the twins while you eat.”

Vuwetuo nodded. “You’ve probably had them attached to you since they arrived. We know how to handle infants. You two make sure your room is to your liking - dinner'll be done soon. We'll call you.”

“Thank you.”

Her mouth was dry as Thrawn followed her to the bedroom. All he wanted physically was hugs and cuddles, she had just given birth, his parents were in the other room …

"This was my room."

Between her fretting and confusion and Thrawn's quiet voice, Padme almost missed what he'd said. She looked over her shoulder to see him gently brushing his fingers over the dresser.

"Oh?"

"Mm. May I?"

He was gesturing to the bassinets, and Padme nodded.

"Of course."

"Thanks. This way'll be easier for you t'get t'them at night."

Padme stepped over to help him. They spent the time before dinner arranging and rearranging the room. Sometimes something got moved between two spots several times because one of them had moved it just to be a pest, and Padme didn't know when they linked hands, but by the time they were called to come eat, their fingers were tightly entwined, palms pressed firmly together.

Vuwetuo and Vukara just smiled a little before looking back down at the twins.

The meal progressed quietly after that, the only interruption being the shuttle from the Springhawk returning with the lift Thrawn had said the tractor needed. Samakro was piloting, and was exceptionally courteous to Thrawn’s parents while verifying all sorts of things with Thrawn himself that absolutely had to be answered. The slight, smug smile on his face said that he was enjoying Thrawn’s backwater accent.

Che’ri had come with him. She was crying as she held tightly to Thrawn's waist, then Padme’s, then cuddled the twins.

“Please don’t go,” she whimpered. “Please don’t go.”

Padme knelt and hugged her tightly. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I can’t stay. I wish I could. But it’s not safe for me or the twins.”

“Can I stay with you? I promise I’ll be good.”

“The Springhawk needs you, sweetie.”

Thrawn knelt down, holding both Luke and Leia. “Y’ll be able t’come visit,” he promised.

“But you’re leaving, too!” Che’ri wailed.

He nodded as Padme stroked her hair. “I’ll send you messages and pictures of the twins every day. I promise. And you can send me messages, too. But Thrawn has to go back.”

It took a while to calm her down, and every moment broke Padme’s heart. Once Samakro had taken the girl back to the shuttle, Padme found herself and the twins in Thrawn’s tight embrace.

“Y’all’ll be safe here.”

The words were directed at her, but Padme suspected they were more for Thrawn’s comfort than anything else. She hugged him tightly.

“I know. I’m more worried about you.”

“I’ll be fine.” He straightened and gently ran his fingers across the twins’ cheeks, then hers. “I’ll return as soon’s possible.”

“With or without the accent?” she asked.

“Without.”

His scowl was forced as Padme laughed and then tilted her head up and stood on her toes. It was the sign that she wanted him to stoop down, and when he did, she kissed his lips firmly. His eyes went wide as he started a bit.

“Go on,” she whispered. “May warrior’s fortune be with you.”

“And may th’Force be w'you,” he whispered back.

He straightened, nodded to his parents, then turned with military precision and walked to the waiting shuttle.

***

Leia was inconsolable for the first week. Luke also cried and fussed, but not nearly as much as his sister. Playing recordings of Thrawn talking - most without his knowledge, because he’d gotten absurdly awkward about it when she had first asked - helped, but only a little. Padme didn’t know what to do, other than hold the children when they cried and try to comfort them.

“Padme?”

The soft knock at her door, and Vuwetuo’s softer voice, roused her from her recent habit of staring blankly at the wall as one twin or another cried in her arms.

“Uh? Oh. Come in.”

The older woman watched her from the doorway with pursed lips. Finally, she gestured. “Walk with me. You could use the fresh air. Vukara will watch the children.”

“I ---”

“Let’s take a walk.”

It wasn’t a tone that allowed for more protests. Padme wasn’t sure she had the energy to argue, anyway. They left the twins with Vukara and then set off, taking a leisurely route away from the house and through the fields. The hired hands barely looked up at them, and only nodded politely when they did.

“The twins will calm down.” Padme looked up at her mother-in-law. She wasn’t sure about that. “It may take a while, but they will. You’re not doing anything wrong.”

“I can’t comfort them. I should be able to comfort them.”

Vuwetuo shrugged. “You can’t always do that. They just need time to adjust to their new environment, and to Raw not being here. They’ll be fine. You, on the other hand, we’re worried about.” Padme shrugged. “You hardly leave your room and eat only when we remind you to. This isn’t normal for Chiss, and it isn’t normal for humans.”

“How much literature did he send you on humans?”

It was said a little bitterly, but Vuwetuo just laughed softly. “As I’ve said before, that boy is too thorough.” She leaned on a fence and gazed out over a field. “They miss him. It’s not unusual for children with Third Sight to be more stressed when a caretaker leaves than other children. What?” She smiled as she looked down at Padme. “You’re surprised I know about ozyly-esehembo?” When Padme just looked at her, not wanting to say anything if she didn’t have to, Vuwetuo sighed and looked back over the field. “The birth families of ozyly-esehembo aren't told why the children are taken, but we have our sources. Raw hasn’t told you about his sister?”

“N, no,” Padme stuttered. “I did ask him if he had siblings once, but he didn’t answer me. I got the feeling that he did, but that something had happened to them that he didn’t want to talk about.”

“His older sister had Third Sight. She was five when she was taken. He was three. We couldn’t tell him why she was gone - all we were told was that the Ascendancy needed her - and he was distraught for months. I don’t think he’s ever really gotten over it. Then the man he considered his older brother died, and he feels responsible.”

“I’m so sorry,” Padme whispered. Heartache for Thrawn’s losses - for his entire family’s losses - surged over her and she was sobbing before she knew it. The pain of her own losses followed soon after that, then the pain from her failure as a mother to comfort her children, then her loneliness, then her frustration and pain over her inability to do anything to help her Republic.

The pain kept coming in waves, stealing her breath, bringing her to her knees. Her throat closed up and she grabbed at it, trying to loosen the muscles even as another wave of pain pulled her down again. She felt like she was going to die. She almost wanted to die.

But then something pricked her neck, something damp and cold was laid over her forehead, and a container of cool water was pressed to her lips. The light was fading when she finally opened her eyes. Vuwetuo was sitting on the ground with her, holding her tightly. She wasn’t talking; she was simply there, a warm, solid comfort against the pain and the chill of the oncoming night. Padme wanted to say something, but she was barely able to open her eyes. She had to have been crying for a few hours.

She wasn’t prepared to be picked up. Vuwetuo was still silent as she carried Padme back to the house. She was settled on the couch and covered with a thick, heavy blanket, and Vukara came in with hot tea and urged her to drink it.

“We know,” he said softly. “We know the pain of loss. You’re hardly alone in that. The children will sleep in our room tonight.” Padme stared at him dully, more tears welling up. He urged her to drink again. She recognized the aftertaste and got a slight smile as she wrinkled her nose. “Raw was concerned that you might need help sleeping. To be honest, so were we.”

“We’ll take you on walks daily, from now on. You need a break from the children, and time to feel your own emotions without affecting them - all of which is normal.” Vuwetuo pulled up a chair next to Padme and reached out to change the damp cloth on her forehead. “Raw was right when he said you have a warrior’s strength,” she murmured. “He was also right when he said that you would try to fight your battles without help. But a warrior must have allies that they can trust and utilize.”

Padme’s inability to stop crying was frustrating her, which of course made her cry more. At least the heaving sobs had stopped. Now it was just a slow, steady leak of tears.

“We must insist that you only use your room for sleeping, for now. Isolating yourself will only make things worse.”

“And as we’ve said,” Vukara added, “all of our home is now yours. All of it.” He paused. “Perhaps give Vuwetuo and I privacy in our own room, but nevertheless, our home now includes you.”

Padme had started laughing. It was borderline hysterical, she knew, but it was also cathartic. Thrawn’s parents simply waited for her to calm down.

“Where are the twins?” she finally rasped out.

“Sleeping in our room,” Vukara assured her. “They’re fine. Here.” He held out a small plate of food and raised one eyebrow. Padme didn’t argue that she wasn’t hungry. She probably hadn’t eaten since breakfast.

She was, in fact, hungry. She hadn’t eaten much in the past week. Now that she had been able to relieve some of her stress, her body was very upset with her for neglecting it. She gradually stopped shaking, as well. She still felt horrible, but at least now it was mostly emotional.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome. Let’s get you to bed, and tomorrow we’ll make sure that you stay busy.”

“And when you need to cry,” Vukara added, “we’ll also make sure that you have time and space. Don’t let Raw's nature fool you - Chiss are as full of emotions as humans are, and absolutely need to let them out.”

“He likes hugs,” Padme said with a soft laugh as she was helped to her room. “I told him he could hug me if he wanted to and couldn’t get him off of me until we got here.”

Vuwetuo laughed. “I’m glad. He loved them when he was young, but after his sister was taken … Well. He adored her. It was very hard on him. You’ve been good for him, though.” Her smile was a little sad. “Whether he realizes it or not, he cares a lot about you and the children.”

Padme smiled. “I can’t get him to put Leia down.” His attachment to her was understandable, now that she knew about his sister.

“He likes children - again, whether he realizes it or not.” Vukara made sure she was tucked in with the heavy blanket over her.

The weight of it was comforting. Padme hadn’t realized how used she’d become to having someone sleep next to her. She was also used to someone waking up during the night when she did, their quiet alertness an additional comfort.

She also, she almost hated to admit to herself, missed Thrawn’s persistent pampering.

“Finish this, then get some sleep.”

Vukara handed over the last of her tea. He and Vuwetuo waited until she had cuddled up under the covers before they left. There was a small light on in the hallway, and Padme smiled. For the first time since arriving on Rentor, she had hope, and felt like family.

Chapter Text

It was possible to feed both twins at once and get work done. It took careful maneuvering and horrendous posture, but it was possible.

Feeding them outside helped. The openness of everything relaxed Padme, and the cool breeze across the back porch soothed her. The twins seemed to like it, as well - they didn’t fuss much when she had to hunch awkwardly over the custom-designed table that Vuwetuo had built. It was better than what she’d originally been working with, however, and her mother-in-law was already working out a better design.

The Mitth Councilor hadn’t been responding to her petitions for an audience. Padme knew that the woman had been getting them, but each one went unanswered. She’d been writing two a week, every week, since she’d arrived. She was ready to skip everything and go right to the Mitth Speaker, but Thrawn’s parents had informed her that that would absolutely not be acceptable. Instead, she had to start with the local Councilor, who would need to pass her message on to the Patriel, who would then pass it on to the Syndicure, who would then - assuming it got sent to a sympathetic Syndic and if Padme was very lucky - talk with the family Speaker. The family Speaker would then bring the matter to the Patriarch. If she was lucky.

“Governing fifty thousand different species was easier than this,” she muttered. “Vukara, are you certain I can’t just go to the Councilor’s offices?”

From inside the house, Vukara chuckled slightly. “I wish it were that simple. It should be, but we’re trying to keep your presence here quiet.”

“But we really can’t afford to waste any more time. What if I just sort of … fell onto the top of the Patriel’s office building?”

That brought another chuckle. “I think that Raw’d have some very strong words to say about that. All of your messages are also going to Admiral Ar’alani, and she should be able to get them to someone higher up in rank.”

“It can’t happen soon enough. Leia’s done.” Padme shifted so that she could cover herself, hand Leia off to Vukara for burping, and keep feeding Luke. Leia usually wanted to eat and be done with it, ready to do the big things in life like holding fingers and looking at faces, while Luke liked to take his time and then drift off for a nap.

“I’ll take her for a walk. Vuwetuo hasn’t seen her since this morning.”

“We’ll be here,” Padme told him with a smile. One or the other Chiss was almost always with her, now. One would go out to work the fields in the mornings, and the other would take a twin or two to meet them in the afternoon, and send them back. Vukara had had morning duty today, and soon enough, Vuwetuo would come back with Leia.

A tiny little sneeze, followed by a slight jerk and a surprised squawk, made her look down and laugh. Luke was baffled as to what had just happened, then sneezed again. Padme sat up, kissed his forehead, then got up to go lay on the living room floor with him. Leia was fine doing tummy time on her own, but Luke still insisted that he be held during it. Padme rested her head on a pillow and held his tiny hands, waving them around and making faces at him. Whenever he cooed or gurgled, she mimicked him. It made him babble and sometimes squeal a bit.

“You,” she told him brightly, “are a beautiful, beautiful baby boy. Did you know that? Did you know that you’re beautiful?” He was still ugly, actually, and wouldn’t fill out for a while yet. But he didn’t need to know that. “You’re beautiful. And so smart, and strong, and sweet. You get all of that from me. You’ll get the Force from Anakin, your love of hugs from Thrawn, and a good sense of justice from all of us. And maybe you’ll be able to pronounce Cheunh properly.”

After a few minutes of quasi-conversation, he drifted off. A while after that Padme heard soft footsteps outside, followed by the sound of Vuwetuo singing gently as Leia gurgled at her in response.

“Ready for a trade?”

Vuwetuo smiled as she walked in. “Let me hold her a bit more. Is Luke asleep?” Padme nodded. “How are you feeling?”

She stretched as well as she could. “Restless, but better than I’ve felt in a long time. Thank you so much; I wish I’d asked for help sooner.”

“And we should have realized that Raw wasn’t exaggerating when he told us that you’re as stubborn as he is. Were you serious about them being given Chiss names, or just trying to make us happy?”

Vuwetuo had settled on the floor next to Padme, leaning back against the couch. Padme was surprised at the question, but nodded.

“I was serious.” She swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat and took a long, steadying breath. “Anakin - their biological father - is most likely dead. And even then, Thrawn never had to care for us in private. I know that he was culturally honor-bound to, but we were forced into the marriage, I was already married and assuming my husband would come back soon, I was pregnant, and I’m not Chiss. He didn’t have to do anything for me, but he did. And he could have just done the bare minimum, but he didn’t. The twins and I would most likely be dead, without him.”

They were both quiet for a moment until Padme cleared her throat and spoke brightly.

“So, yes, no matter how this situation turns out, I absolutely consider Thrawn their father, and absolutely want them to have Chiss names. I want Thrawn to help, though, and I have no idea when he’ll be able to get away again.” Her heart and stomach tightened with anxiety. She hadn’t known when Anakin would be back and now he was dead. Now she didn’t know when Thrawn would be back …

Vuwetuo’s shoulder comm twittered. She reached up to answer. “Yes?”

“Are we expecting anyone?”

Both women narrowed their eyes at the tenseness of Vukara’s voice. Padme shifted to sit up and wondered if the Councilor or Patriel could force her off-planet. She suddenly regretted all of her petitions for an audience with them.

“Only Padme’s Jedi. How far out are they?”

“Couple clicks. Just saw them. Doesn’t look like an alien ship.” He uttered a curse. “‘M on my way back. Wait a bit to hail them - they might not be coming here specifi---” He cursed again. “No, that’s a landing pattern.”

“I’ll hail them now. Switching frequencies.” Padme’s shoulder comm twittered and she answered it silently as Vuwetuo got up and looked out the window at the approaching craft. “Unknown craft, this is Kivu’wet’uoko. May I ask your business here?”

“Mitth family business,” was the gruff reply.

“There are no Mitth family members present. On whose orders are you here?”

There was silence for a moment, and then a far gentler voice came on the line. “My apologies for that,” the man said easily. “You are Mitth’raw’nuruodo’s mother, correct?”

Padme took Leia as she and Vuwetuo exchanged concerned looks.

“I am she,” she finally answered. “Has something happened to my son?”

“He got married to an alien and became a father, or so I’m told.” There was nothing but humor in the man’s voice. “His wife and children are with you, correct? Padme, Leia, and Luke?” He pronounced her name the same way Vuwetuo and Vukara did, the ‘p’ an aspirated ‘b’ and the emphasis on the ‘me.’ “Or was Admiral Ar’alani mistaken?”

Vukara came in the back door and the three adults looked at each other for a long moment. Padme looked down at her twins, then back up at Thrawn’s parents. There was really no hiding. She reached up and flipped her comm to the correct frequency.

“She was not,” she said slowly. “We are here. May I ask with whom I have the pleasure of speaking?”

“Ah, yes. My apologies - I didn’t think it prudent to send word ahead.” The craft was landing. “I am Mitth'oor'akiord, and it is my honor to meet you. I brought gifts for you and the little ones.”

Vukara reached out and covered Padme’s comm. He and Vuwetuo had gone very, very still. “Did he just say he was Mitth'oor'akiord?”

Padme nodded. The name was familiar, but she couldn’t place it. “Yes. Who ---”

“We are honored by your presence, Mitth Family Patriarch.” Padme’s jaw threatened to drop. This was either very good, or very bad. Vukara swallowed. “While you are, of course, welcome in our home, we don’t have anything ---”

“If you send me into town to experience the hospitality of the Patriel or local Councilor,” the Patriarch said drily, “I will be most upset.”

“Of course.” Vukara jerked his head to the door. “We will see you shortly.”

“About two minutes, I estimate. I look forward to meeting you properly.”

The comm cut off and they all took deep breaths. The early evening air was cool as they left the house, and by the time they reached the shuttle, the ramp was down and an elderly Chiss in grey and burgundy robes was directing two younger ones around. They were carrying a few small crates, their own grey and burgundy outfits of a more utilitarian cut.

“Gently, now,” he told them. They paused, looking at Padme with wide eyes. Thooraki frowned and poked at one with his elaborate walking stick. “What? Have you not seen a human before? Probably not. Take those inside. Go on, go.” After the two had hurried off, he turned a beaming smile to the small family. More to the point, he was smiling at the twins in Padme’s arms. “Well, come here and let me see them. Oh, they are lovely. I am Mitth'oor'akiord, and we can immediately dispense with the formalities. You may all call me Thooraki. My apologies for not sending word in advance, but then I would have been subjected to the Patriel and local Counselor when I would rather it be the other way around. This is the girl? Ar’alani said that the girl is the more assertive of the two.”

He was gesturing to Leia, who was up on Padme’s shoulder and squinting at him as they walked. She was babbling to herself; it sounded somewhat like she was suspicious of the newcomer.

“It is,” Padme answered him. “Leia. I take it that Ar’alani forwarded all of my petitions.”

“She did, indeed. But we can talk about that later. First, I would like to sit and get to know my grandchildren. My aides will prepare dinner, if you’ll allow it.”

“Of course,” Vuwetuo said faintly. Thooraki seemed intent on sitting on the porch, and she hastily moved some cushions around so he could be comfortable. “This is an honor. You said grandchildren?”

Thooraki smiled again as he held his arms out for the twins. “Is Thrawn not a Mitth?”

“He is,” Vukara nodded.

“And are all Mitth not as children to me, their Patriarch?” He got another nod and settled back, taking a moment to gurgle and coo at the twins when they babbled at him. “Well, then. It stands to reason that the children of one of them are to be considered my grandchildren. I remember when my own were this small … They should be about three months, correct?”

“Yes,” Padme told him. Luke was giving him a shy smile, and Leia was staking her claim on him with his pinky in her mouth. “They’re doing quite well. Very healthy.”

Thooraki nodded. “Good. I was concerned. And yes, I knew that Thrawn had gone to your Republic and gotten himself married off. I sent him. Not with that specific intention, of course,” he hurried to assure the three adults as they all choked a little. “And not personally. Oh, these little darlings … Such strong, willful things, aren’t you? We’ll have to keep the Syndicure far away from you, once you start manifesting Third Sight.” He leaned down and spoke in a conspiratorial whisper. “Trip them. That’s always funny.”

“I think it’s a bit early to be encouraging mischief,” Padme told him.

“It’s never too early to be encouraging mischief.” Thooraki smiled over at her. “You’re all officially refugees under Mitth protection, by the way. The Patriel and local Councillor will be informed of that tomorrow. If I send them into a supply closet,” he whispered to the twins, “will you lock them in there?” Both of them giggled at him and he made a few funny faces before looking back up. “The Syndicure won’t accept the legality of a match between a Chiss and a non-Chiss, nor will they accept you and your children as citizens. Though I suspect you would rather not switch allegiances, as it were.”

“It wasn’t a matter of allegiances until Palpatine made his power grab.” Padme’s voice was firm. “I want what’s best for my people - and with a Sith in charge on Coruscant, what’s best for my people is also what’s best for the Ascendancy.”

“Putting your Republic back in power?”

“Getting rid of Palpatine.” Thooraki raised an eyebrow as he watched her with a slight smile. “The Republic was set in its ways and corrupt to varying degrees on varying levels, yes, absolutely - but I assume you’ve been made aware of what Palpatine did to the Jedi, and what he’s doing now to ‘maintain peace.’ He’s willing to butcher innocent people to stay in power, and one day the former Republic isn’t going to be enough. He’s going to push out further, and he’s going to run into the Ascendancy at some point.”

“He may well die and be replaced before that happens,” Thooraki pointed out mildly.

Padme heaved a sigh. “And he might not. And his successor might not - probably won’t - be content to keep what systems the Empire currently holds, and not push for more. But even if Palpatine himself doesn’t make a push for more systems, someone will, and they’ll have the entire Republic fleet to back them up. Maybe the Ascendancy could hold them off. Maybe not. But it would be a bloodbath either way.” She got a hum and a slight nod. “Am I correct in assuming you know about the Grysk and Vagaari?”

“I am.”

“Can the Ascendancy fight two wars, especially with your ban on pre-emptive strikes, especially with how the Grysk infiltrate cultures?”

“That would be information that you’re not entitled to.”

Padme gave him a half-smile. “I know. But I can do basic math and statistics. With the military policies you have now - which are absolutely admirable, by the way - even if you took on one threat at a time, the second one would come in before you could get back up to full strength. I don’t doubt the skill of Chiss warriors at all, nor their dedication to protecting the Ascendancy, but again - basic math.”

The sun had almost set. Thooraki was quiet. He gazed down at the twins thoughtfully until Vukara came out to tell them that dinner was ready. The meal was eaten in silence, and once it was done, the aides went back to the ship and the rest settled in the living area with warm drinks. Leia and Luke were on the floor, grabbing at some of the vast amount of new toys that Thooraki had brought with him. He had also brought them clothing of varying sizes - Padme wouldn’t have to worry about that for a while - as well as a few outfits for Padme herself. He wouldn’t hear anything about it being too much, or Padme being indebted to him.

“Nonsense,” he told her again as he waved her thanks off. “You must all be properly cared for; I won’t let it be said that I don’t treat those under my protection well. And you, Vuwetuo and Vukara - your hospitality is unmatched. I have never enjoyed the like.”

Vukara shook his head. “I’m sure that you’ve been in much finer ---”

Thooraki chuckled. “Finer, yes. More earnest, no.” That had Thrawn’s parents flushing with pride. “Children really are precious things,” he murmured. Luke had decided that, rather than practice lifting his head, he was going to try rolling over. He had bumped right into Leia, making her drop her toy, and she was now tearfully cuddled on Thooraki’s lap with her toy clutched in her hand. “They are a future well worth protecting. How to go about that protection is a more complicated matter, with no single, satisfactory answer.” His smile was a bit sad before Leia lifted up her toy to him, and then he kissed her little hand. “Ah, but you have many years to go before you have to make those kinds of decisions, don’t you, little one?”

Leia responded with a yawn. Padme picked Luke up as he raised his arms for her, then kissed his chubby little cheek. It made him giggle.

“And now, I believe it is time to retire. Let me help you put them down.” They said their goodnights to Vuwetuo and Vukara, and Thooraki sighed again as he looked down at Leia and Luke in their shared bassinet. “My people have a very difficult decision ahead of them. I won’t be there to help guide them, and I don’t know who will come after me. But I trust that this new generation of warriors - Thrawn, Ar’alani, even Ba’kif - will be able to adapt and rise to their new challenges. And hopefully,” he said with a slight brush of his finger’s over Luke’s cheek, “with you and your Republic at our sides.”

“If we can stop Palpatine,” Padme murmured. “We can’t afford a two-front war, either.”

“If anything,” the elderly Chiss told her as she walked him to her bedroom door, “you may rest assured that Palpatine’s first mistake was matching you and Thrawn - you are both formidable in your own ways and own rights, but together …” He chuckled. “No, I doubt that Palpatine had any idea of what he was getting himself into. But sleep well, Padme. Tomorrow we’ll go stir up trouble in town.”

“I will,” Padme told him with a smile. “And you, as well.”

Chapter Text

They had been waiting at the Councilor’s office since it had opened. They had given the Kivu family name and the reason for being there as a refugee request, just like they had been requesting since Padme had arrived. Thooraki was smiling and playing with the twins. He didn’t seem to notice the passage of time, though once in a while he would glance up at the chronometer above the reception desk and his smile would turn into a small smirk. No one seemed to recognize him, but Padme and the twins were attracting a lot of attention. Security officers had stopped to question her several times, and she was being given a wide berth by the other people in the waiting area.

She wasn’t used to being the minority species. It was an uncomfortable feeling.

A little after midday, she finally turned to Thooraki.

“Are you sure ---”

“Patience,” he told her calmly. “It won’t be long, now.”

It took another forty-five minutes for anything to happen. Then the Patriel herself blew through the office doors with a scowl on her face. Thooraki didn’t seem to notice as he bounced Luke on his knee.

“I’ve been traveling for four damn hours. This had better be an emergency. Where’s the Councilor?”

She was halfway across the room, glaring around, when her eyes settled on Padme’s small group - more specifically, on Thooraki. He gave her an easy smile, but made no move to get up or greet her as she stumbled and nearly fell over.

It took her a few tries to speak. “P, Patriarch,” she finally stammered. She bowed low. “I --- It’s an honor. I received no word that you would be coming to Rentor.”

His smile stopped holding any sort of humor, and his voice was cool. “That’s because I didn’t send any. I would like to speak with you and the Councilor, please.”

“Yes, of course. Go get Councilor Thoonsa,” she snapped at an aide. “This way, Patriarch.” She paused only slightly when Thooraki motioned for Padme and Thrawn’s parents to come with them. “And your guests, of course.”

“They’re your guests, actually. And they have been being ignored for nearly three months.”

The Patriel swallowed. “I assure you, Patriarch, it was not ---”

The room they were shown into was clearly the Councilor’s office. The Councilor herself hurried in right on their heels. Thooraki tapped his cane sharply on the floor.

“I have been sent every petition and request for an audience that Padme has sent you and the Councilor. This was absolutely intentional, and I am quite irritated about it. I would ask why you’ve refused to speak with Padme and the Kivus, but I’ve read both your files. The only reason you're not being escorted off the premises is because I didn't have the time to find suitable replacements for either of you before I left Csilla."

Both women swallowed sharply, but didn't dare speak.

Thooraki narrowed his eyes at them. "Now, I want to make very sure that you two know that this young mother and her children are accepted as refugees and are under Mitth protection. Further, in case you’ve forgotten, they are the wife and children of Senior Captain Mitth’raw’nuruodo, and the guests of his parents, Kivu’wet’uoko and Kivu’kar’alta. They're expecting one other guest, and I fully expect the two of you to fully reimburse the Kivus for what they spend on our guests' care. This,” and he waved vaguely around, “won’t continue to happen, because now I have had the time to find replacements for the both of you. Am I clear?"

“Yes, Patriarch,” the Patriel assured him. She and Councilor Thoonsa were still looking down, but both nodded in understanding.

Thooraki beamed at them both as he went back to being a kindly grandfather. “Excellent! Due to the uncertain situation in Padme’s Republic, she will be occasionally sending reports directly to myself, but will also correspond with the two of you as needed. She was a syndic, of sorts, and I anticipate her Republic being of great value to the Mitth family and Ascendancy as a whole - learning about it from her may well come in very handy in the future. Of course, your cooperation in this matter won't be forgotten." And neither would their initial reluctance.

"We say 'senator' in Basic, if you would prefer that to 'syndic,'" Padme added. "I understand that it has a special connotation for you."

The Councilor and Patriel looked at Thooraki, and relaxed when he nodded. They had clearly had reservations about using a Chiss title for a human.

"Thank you, senator," the Patriel said with a respectful nod. "Please let us know if there is anything you need. And please accept our apologies for our breach of protocol and hospitality."

"Thank you," Padme told her with a smile. "It's an awkward situation for everyone, I know. I'm glad we got this part cleared up, and thank you for taking us in."

"A thought," Councilor Thoonsa said. Everyone looked at her. "If the senator is to send messages off-planet, it might be prudent for her to use a Chiss alias."

"Indeed it would." Her chest swelled a bit at Thooraki's agreement. "A wonderful suggestion. I will help with that. And now, we will take our leave. The children are getting fussy. Thank you both for your time."

"Of course, Patriarch," the Patriel said with a smile as she held the office door open for all of them.

Once on their way back to the Kivu ranch, Thooraki let out a sigh. "Let me know immediately if you run into any more problems, no matter how small." His questis dinged and he raised an eyebrow as he read the message. "I was going to take you to lunch, but it appears that our other guest has arrived. Here." He tapped the screen and then handed it to Padme as Obi-Wan's tired face appeared.

"Padme! Thank the Force you're safe. I was worried when no one was here."

She hadn’t realized how worried she’d been about him until she saw him. "We had some business to take care of in town, but everything's fine for now. I'm glad you're here. Ah, we'll be there in an hour or so."

"I can wait in my ship."

"Tell him that he's to make himself comfortable inside," Vuwetuo said at the same time. "I'm sure the Patriarch's aides will let him in. He's family to you, and so he's family to us."

Padme relayed the message. "Don't worry about it," she added. "They're serious. My room is down the hall, first door on the right. You can put your things in there, for now."

The Jedi nodded. "Please extend my thanks. Are the twins well?"

"Very." She smiled. "You'll have to fight to be able to hold them, though. Are Thrawn and Eli alright? Has Palpatine done anything to them?"

"They were fine in Thrawn's last message - at least, as far as I could tell. He stressed that Ensign Vanto was perfectly safe and unharmed." Padme laughed a bit at that. "Some contacts have confirmed that the Blood Crow is still on its assigned patrol and that no one has left it, or come aboard."

"And Anakin?"

The corners of Obi-Wan's eyes tightened. "We'll talk more when you get here."

Padme's stomach clenched as her heart dropped. She shouldn't have asked. "Please don't leave me hanging, Obi-Wan. Please."

Her friend sighed. "... He was executed for treason. I saw it myself. I'm sorry, Padme."

"... Thank you. We'll see you in a bit. Vukara says to help yourself to food and drink - trust me, have a snack."

Obi-Wan looked at her for a long moment before nodding. "Again, extend my gratitude to our hosts. Safe travels."

Padme curled in on herself as soon as the signal disconnected. She was shuddering with tears. There was a short conversation above her before Vuwetuo gently rubbed her back.

"I'm sorry, Padme."

She had promised the twins that they would grow up with Anakin as their father. She had promised them. Her sobs continued until both twins were also crying, and then she took deep breaths and squeezed her hands into fists. They were reacting to her emotions. She had to get herself under control. She could fall apart later, when they were asleep. It took a few more minutes for her to calm down, and once she had, both twins were reaching for her. She took them both and blew raspberries on their little cheeks until they were giggling.

“Alright, my darlings, we’re going to meet Uncle Obi-Wan. He’s going to be the first human you’ve ever seen aside from me, isn’t he? Won’t that be exciting? And I promise, I won’t cry anymore and upset you.” She hugged them both. “I love you,” she whispered.

Apparently satisfied that their mother was no longer in distress, Leia and Luke started to babble at each other. Leia managed to get herself in a sort of standing position, leaning heavily against Padme with Padme’s arm under her rear to support her, and then she chirped and cooed until Luke reluctantly followed suit. That had Leia giggling and bouncing as best she could, which, in turn, encouraged her brother to do the same.

“I would say that you’re going to need to put them on leashes soon,” Thooraki said, “but if they have Third Sight, it won’t do much good for long.”

“That’s --- oof! --- why I have my family here to help. Please, learn some synchronization soon.” She had just been bopped in the jaw by the top of Luke’s head in an attempt to escape the same fate with Leia’s head. “I’m going to give you both to Uncle Obi-Wan, and then take a nap.”

Obi-Wan wasn’t outside when they got back. There was the scent of food, though, and Padme knocked on the front door as she opened the screen that covered it.

“We’re back!” she called in Meese Caulf. “Obi-Wan?”

“Padme!” He came out of the kitchen with oven mitts on his hands and a bit of flour on his face, and immediately took her into a tight hug. She held him and took deep breaths to keep from crying. There would be time for that after the twins were asleep. Finally he pulled back and looked down at her. “I’m glad you’re safe,” he murmured.

“And I’m glad you’re safe.” She half-turned. “These are Vuwetuo and Vukara, Thrawn’s parents. And this is Thooraki, the Patriarch of the Mitth family. The families are ---”

“Thrawn explained them to me,” Obi-Wan assured her as he offered Thooraki a low bow. “Honored Patriarch. Honored Kivus. You have my eternal gratitude for helping Padme and the twins.”

“Oh, I like him.” Thooraki said it good-naturedly. “It’s good to get genuine respect, for once. And these,” he went on as he hefted the twins in his arms, “are Leia and Luke.”

The look on Obi-Wan’s face was heart-wrenching. He took a moment to wash his hands as everyone sat at the kitchen table, and then took them gently and watched them as they watched him. There were tears in his eyes. He looked up at the ceiling after a moment to blink them away.

“They’re beautiful,” he finally murmured. “Absolutely beautiful.”

They also looked like they had no idea what to make of him. Leia kept reaching up to his eyes, clearly wondering why they weren’t glowing. Luke was patting his arm and making slightly distressed noises. It made Obi-Wan laugh.

“I’m fine, I promise,” he soothed them. “Nothing’s wrong with me.” There was a gurgled conversation before the twins apparently decided that he was telling the truth. They settled down, but continued to watch him, fascinated. “Are you being good for your mother?” That got happy squeals. “And for your grandparents?” More happy squeals. “Well, I’m glad.” He paused for a moment, then looked up at Padme with a soft smile. “They miss Thrawn.”

“Oh?” Padme leaned forward and brushed her fingers over Luke’s hair. “We play recordings of him for them every day.”

“They remem---” There was a clatter and soft curse and he half-turned, raising one hand slightly. The pot that Vukara had knocked over stopped mid-fall, then righted itself and settled back on the counter. “--- remember him,” he finished. He looked around at the wide-eyed Chiss staring at him. “Is everything alright?”

“You did that?” Vuwetuo finally asked. She was gesturing at the pot.

Obi-Wan blinked before looking at Padme uncertainly. “... Yes,” he said slowly. “Jedi can do that sort of thing.”

“They’ve never seen it done,” Padme explained. She flashed Thooraki and her in-laws a grin. “It’s helpful when you need heavy things lifted. I always had Anakin ---”

She cut off sharply as her throat constricted. Vuwetuo put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“And as long as I’m here, I can help with whatever you need,” Obi-Wan said after a moment. “Oh, that’s pie in the oven. I had the supplies with me, and …”

He looked a little embarrassed. Thooraki smiled.

“Well, I know a few people looking to marry - you have Third Sight, are telekinetic, and can cook. We might as well keep the interspecies marriages going, if you’re interested.”

Obi-Wan flushed and looked down as he shook his head. “Oh, no, thank you, but Jedi don’t --- I’m not ---”

Padme laughed as Thooraki looked dramatically disappointed. It took Obi-Wan a minute or so of cuddling the twins before the embarrassment faded, and when it did, Vukara was serving the pie.

“I, ah, I have some messages for you,” he finally said a few bites in. “Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, and some others. They’re relieved to know that you and the twins are well.”

Shoulders slumping with relief, Padme nodded. “Thank the Force. Ar’alani was very reluctant to let me send any communications to anyone. Did you speak with them personally?”

“As best I could. I’m officially dead; I can’t exactly go through normal communication channels.”

“Not that it would be wise in the first place,” Thooraki put in. “You, also, should have a Chiss alias. I unfortunately do need to leave in the morning, but I will send a list of names. Do you know when Thrawn might return? I know that he’s intent on staying in the Empire to study it, but he does have a family, now. Sending back reports won’t suffice.”

“I don’t know the particulars, but as far as I do know, he has plans in place for that. He may even be able to bring Eli with him on occasion.”

Padme lit up. “And that’s the most important thing.”

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said with a laugh, “he mentioned that.” He pulled out his datapad and tapped the screen. “Actually, Eli couldn’t get a video, but he did pass this along.”

“Thrawn!” Eli’s voice came. “Thrawn, come here.”

“What do you need?”

“Say hello.” There was a slight rustle in the background of the recording. Leia and Luke were paying very close attention to it.

“Hello.”

“No, say hello. Like you mean it.”

“I see you every day, Ensign. Why would I say hello to you twice?”

Eli’s sigh was slightly frustrated. “Thrawn. Look at me, and pay attention. Say hello.”

“... Ah. Hello.” The word was slightly warmer this time, and now in Cheunh. “I hope that you are all well.”

“... That’s it? Look, think of the most beautiful person you know, and say hello like you would say hello to them.”

“But I see you every day, Ensign.” Eli started spluttering. When Thrawn spoke again, he was clearly amused. “Ensign Vanto and I are well. There is nothing much to report otherwise. Ah!” There had been a muffled thud, and Padme suspected that he’d been kicked in the shin. “We look forward to seeing you all as soon as possible.”

“You’re impossible.”

“What would you like me to say?” Thrawn’s voice sounded fainter, like Eli had moved away from him.

“Look, we love and miss you all,” Eli said patiently. “We miss you every day.”

“Did I not make that clear?”

“No, you didn’t. Hopefully we can get pictures soon. We’ll tell you about Thrawn’s buzz droid and hyperdrive ring adventure later. Goodbye!”

This time, Thrawn replied without having to be prompted. “Goodbye.”

Padme was laughing and crying both when the recording stopped. It was just … so … Thrawn. Thrawn’s parents were also laughing as they shook their heads.

“Please note that we never claimed our son was good at being social,” Vukara chortled. “But he does miss you all.”

“Really?” Padme asked. He had sounded normal to her.

“Of course.” Vuwetuo sounded a little puzzled. “It was in his voice.”

It warmed Padme’s soul to know that. She leaned over and tickled Luke’s foot.

“Did you hear that?” she asked. “Daddy misses you as much as you miss him. I’m assuming that’s a lot.” She raised an eyebrow at Obi-Wan, who smiled and nodded. “And goodness, it’s time for lunch and a nap, isn’t it? Then Mommy can start teaching Uncle Obi-Wan some Cheunh. He can suffer just like I did. You two, however, will grow up knowing it.”

“Let’s get you settled while Padme feeds the children,” Vukara suggested.

“My aides can assist in that.” Thooraki gestured to the two, who immediately came to attention and nodded. Padme got up and took the twins from a reluctant Obi-Wan, then brought them into the living room to eat. “I presume that Thrawn has given you the basics of the language?”

“Yes. He found my pronunciation quite amusing.”

“Are you two still bickering?” Padme called.

“No,” Obi-Wan called back. “This was before we liked each other.”

“I don’t know why you can’t just kiss and get it over with.” There was the sound of choking and Padme laughed as she adjusted her top and the twins. “Serves him right,” she told them. Raising her voice, “Will you send the messages from Mon and Bail to my questis, please?”

“As soon as he stops dying,” was Thooraki’s laughing reply. “I do hope all humans are this amusing.”

“We’ll try not to disappoint you,” Padme said drily as her questis dinged. “Alright,” she told Leia and Luke, pulling the messages up, “let’s see what sort of trouble we can cause.”

Chapter Text

“I hate being on the receiving end of political intrigue.” Padme has half-singing it as she danced around with Luke in her arms. “But I do love causing it. This is the only sort of naughty that you’re allowed to be, do you understand?”

Her little boy giggled at her and tried to babble along with the rhythm of her words. Leia was being held by Obi-Wan as the pediatrician looked her over and the obstetrician finished up with Padme's medical chart. When Thrawn’s parents had confirmed that he had sent human medical texts ahead, Padme hadn’t realized that he’d apparently sent the entire history of human medicine beginning from their first evolutionary steps.

For once, she was grateful for his absurdly thorough thoroughness. The doctors had spent the past several months studying the information, and had just recently let Padme know that they felt confident enough in their knowledge to give her and the twins the checkups that they had been needing. There were blood tests that needed to be done and they were still working on vaccines, but so far everything was well.

“The blood tests will be completed in a day or so,” Vuwetuo translated, “and workable vaccines should follow soon after - Chiss and human biology are similar enough that it shouldn’t take much longer. They would like to wait until the twins are weaned before you start contraceptives, howev---”

“What?”

Vuwetuo and the doctors all paused and looked at Padme with frowns. She stared back at them. Obi-Wan busied himself with trying to get Leia to let him eat her hands, much to the girl’s delight.

“The twins should be weaned,” the obstetrician - Lakrand - said in slow, accented Meese Caulf, “before you start contraceptives.”

Padme shook her head. “I ---”

“Chiss and humans appear to be similar enough in our biologies to be able to interbreed,” Vuwetuo interrupted her. “All members of the military are required to be on long-term contraceptives, but you ought to be on them, too. I’ve seen how you and Raw look at each other,” she added when Padme tried to protest.

“Thrawn’s made it very clear that he’s not inter---”

Vuwetuo snorted with amusement. “Raw wouldn’t know sexual attraction if it bit him in the lu-nemo. Even if I, his mother, who’s known him from birth, am wrong and you, who aren't able to read Chiss expressions very well and have only known him for eleven months, are right, it can’t hurt.”

Thrawn, in his form-fitting swimsuit, soaking wet, all lean muscle. Thrawn, shirtless, sweaty, breath heavy with his recent physical exertion, scrubbing the grease off of himself, shimmering hair in his face and droplets of water dripping onto his shoulders and chest, standing bare centimeters in front of her, his body warmth seeping into her.

The possibility of Thrawn underneath her, one hand on her breasts and the other between her legs, eyes unfocused and half-closed as he moaned with pleasure. Padme, riding him with her nails digging into his chest for balance, leaning down to bite at the side of his deliciously exposed neck. Up against a wall, on the table or the couch, on the floor, in the skycar. His mouth between her legs and hers between his, finding out the exact anatomical differences between humans and Chiss …

“... If you insist.” She said it faintly, eyes a bit unfocused. Thrawn wouldn’t want to go to bed with her, of course, but taking this precaution couldn’t hurt. They weren’t married by Chiss standards and the Republic was gone, so if either of them found someone else, their union could be dissolved quite easily. And she wasn’t currently keen on the thought of having more children; one accidental pregnancy was more than enough.

“Then we’re done,” Lakrand said. “We’ll let you know the results of the blood tests.”

“Thank you.”

Everyone but the twins were quiet on the ride home. Obi-Wan was embarrassed, Vuwetuo was concentrating on driving and not laughing, and Padme was alternating between being mortified that the two knew full well that she was thinking about sex with Thrawn and, well, thinking about sex with Thrawn.

“If you don’t mind, General, I’d like for Vukara and I to learn how to fly your ship. We also have some supplies that we need to get to the far fields; your abilities and taking the ship would get them there faster.”

“Absolutely.” Obi-Wan had nearly interrupted her in his haste to agree. “The twins might like it, too. Padme won’t mind the time alone.”

Her initial urge was a sarcastic reply to hide her embarrassment, but it was true and they all knew it. Instead, she leaned over and tickled Leia’s feet as the baby girl sat in her security seat, causing her to squeal with laughter and kick out.

“Do you want to go on a trip? Do you and Luke want to go with Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle Obi-Wan? You two did so well for the doctor today, I think you deserve a trip.”

She got hesitant looks and a short, cooed conversation before the twins giggled and gave her beaming smiles. Padme’s heart almost imploded with love for them. She had to take a few deep breaths as she blinked back tears.

“Ok. Maybe Daddy and Uncle Eli will have sent us a message, too.”

Vukara was waiting outside when they got to the ranch. He and Padme traded positions without a word as he handed her a datacard, and she waved goodbye to the twins until they couldn’t see her anymore.

Her hands were shaking so badly on her way inside that she almost dropped the datacard three times before she got it into her questis. She decrypted the single file on it one-handed, her other hand already undoing the seals on her tunic. The Force was truly with her - the video that popped up showed Eli’s grinning face and Thrawn over his shoulder, stripped to his undershirt, working intently on some sort of machinery. He was covered in sweat and had grease up to his elbows. Eli moved out of view and focused the video entirely on Thrawn, walking around him a bit for better angles.

The questis hit the bed as Padme dropped to her knees in front of it. Her breath was ragged, slightly whimpering. She shrugged out of her tunic and slid her hands over herself, fingers digging into her skin slightly, running over the curves of her breasts, shoulders, and hips, over the still-not-flat plane of her stomach, one hand reaching up the length of her neck to grasp her hair at the back of it and grip it tightly. Her entire body was tingling but extra jolts shot through her as Eli - dear, precious Eli - focused in on Thrawn rubbing one hand idly over the back of his neck, leaving a streak of grease across the pale blue skin.

Padme let out a soft curse as she finally got her trousers undone and slid her fingers beneath her underwear and between her legs. She let out another moan at the feeling, slipping her fingers forward and back, rocking her hips into them. She wanted to fuck Thrawn. She wanted to hold his hands above his head as she rode him, wanted to absolutely demolish that glacially-calm exterior of his, wanted to hear him beg her for more. She wanted to fuck him until he came inside of her and then press his head between her thighs while he cleaned up the mess.

She lasted longer than she had expected to, white-hot flames bursting through her as she let out a series of shuddering whines. She also didn’t know when the recording had cut to Thrawn and Eli talking, but she skimmed through it and was gratified to find more footage of Thrawn dressing, undressing, working shirtless, working out, and going into or coming out of the shower. She clipped it all into its own file and deleted it from the innocent version. She was the only one who needed to see it, anyway.

And she absolutely saw it. She put it on repeat, and by the time Vuwetuo messaged her to let her know she shouldn’t wait until they were back to eat dinner, was breathless and jerking with the aftershocks of over an hour of masturbation.

It took probably another half hour before she was able to drag herself into the refresher. By that time she was laughing and more relaxed than she could remember feeling in the past year.

“You’re hopeless,” she whispered to herself. She laughed some more and tilted her head back against the refresher wall. “Absolutely hopeless. You thought you were so clever, but no. No, you’re just an idiot who didn’t take into consideration her own sex drive.” She gently banged her head against the wall a few more times and let the hot water beat down on her face. “Can’t even send a message back to see if he’s willing to reconsider sex. I’m in hell.”

And she was stuck using her fingers because there was no way in the galaxy that she was going to ask her in-laws to buy her any sort of sex aid, or buy one herself and have it delivered - or worse, be seen buying one in town.

Her situation was, to say the least, unfortunate.

She had cleaned herself and was soaking in the tub when everyone got back. She perked up.

“I’m in the ‘fresher!” she called. “Where are my babies?” Vuwetuo brought them to her, walking in with only the slightest knock. Padme made a mock-upset face at the twins as she held her arms out for them. “Oh, you’re filthy. Were you eating dirt? Uncle Obi-Wan was letting you eat dirt, wasn’t he? Come here, darlings.”

Vuwetuo smiled as she knelt and handed the giggling twins over. She helped Padme adjust herself and them, then started to gently wash them off.

“Were you good, my sweets?”

“They were very good. They even took a nap. You look more rested, too.”

Padme stretched her neck from side to side and nodded. “More rested than I’ve been in months. Don’t fuss because you’re wet, Leia. You need to get clean. Daddy and Uncle Eli sent us a message - the sooner you’re clean, the sooner we can watch it.”

“You haven’t watched it yet?”

Vuwetuo sounded mildly surprised, and Padme gave her a calm smile and even look.

“Not the parts where he’s wearing a shirt.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to show us the other parts. We got take-out for dinner; none of us wanted to cook tonight. We can eat as soon as madam and master commander are done.”

That got Padme going, and they all watched the video as they ate.

“I don’t speak to people who call themselves fishing vessels.”

Eli groaned. “I’m sorry that Cheunh is impossible for humans to pronounce. How do you say ‘your hair is beautiful’ ?”

“I will not tell you that.”

“What about ‘I want to kiss you,’ then?”

“If you want me to flirt with you, Ensign, just say so.”

There was spluttering from Eli as Thrawn flashed the camera a grin and walked out of the room. It took a moment for the young man to recover.

“Well what if I do want you to flirt with me?” he yelled at the closed door. Then the view shifted and he was scowling at the camera. “I’m pretty sure at least one of us will have enough leave in a couple of months.” He glared at the door. “If he survives that long. So, these are his new quarters. High Command was supposed to court-martial him for his last stunt, but instead they jumped him a rank. So now Captain Thrawn and I are on the Thunder Wasp.”

“That’s hardly ---”

“Wear a kriffing bell!”

Thrawn stepped back, visibly surprised at the force of Eli’s scream. He had the grace to look a bit sheepish. But only a bit.

“I would remind you that you are in my quarters.”

“I don’t care!”

“Then you are welcome to leave.” There was a slight scuffle as Thrawn wrestled the recorder out of Eli’s hands and then shoved him out of the room. He set the recorder up at his desk and worked quietly for a few minutes. There was a slight smile on his face. “It will be good to take leave. I’m very much looking forward to it. It will be perhaps a week, but it will be better than nothing. I enjoy knowing that you will be seeing this, even if I am not that talkative.” A few minutes later there was a twitter of a comm and then something about a fight, and Thrawn rolled his eyes. “If you will excuse me; the children need disciplining. Stay safe. May warrior’s fortune smile upon you.”

“I’ve never seen him miss anyone but Rik so much,” Vukara murmured as the recording shut off. “I’ll be surprised if he’s able to leave again.”

“I don’t want him in the Empire, anyway.” The twins were getting fussy because they couldn’t see Thrawn anymore, and Padme started the recording again for them. “Neither do they.”

“Raw's never had much in the way of social skills, but he inspires loyalty. Once he gets command of his own ship, I would wager that he’ll be back home within a year - with the ship and the crew.”

Padme shook her head with a smile. “Well, I’m not holding my breath for that, but it would be nice.”

Vuwetuo shrugged. “We’ll see. Do you want us to take the twins for the night? Their outing today might make them fussy at bedtime, and you have your meeting with the Patriel tomorrow.”

“I can take them,” Obi-Wan volunteered. “I can calm them if they cry.”

“I’m just going to go right to bed,” Padme told them. “I’m exhausted. I’m going right to sleep. That’s it. The twins can stay with me. I’ll feed them now, and ---”

“They also haven’t been sleeping well. General, Vuwetuo’s been wanting to build them a play area for when they’re older; if you two decide on a design, your telekinesis will get it done a lot faster.”

“Oh, absolutely,” Obi-Wan agreed. “Perhaps a treehouse?”

Vuwetuo shook her head as Padme was left thoroughly out of the conversation. “Not yet. They’re not even six months.”

“Yes, but later ---”

“Is later.” Vuwetuo motioned Obi-Wan to move next to her and look at her questis. “This is what we had when our children were young. There are additions for when children get older - the idea being, of course, to get parents to spend as much money as possible - but if we made it ourselves we could build those in.”

Obi-Wan was frowning thoughtfully. “Well, I’m no engineer, but ---”

“But I am.” Obi-Wan nodded and shrugged as he conceded her point.

“The Councilor and Patriel will also be paying for everything,” Vukara put in. “Don’t much like taking handouts, though.”

“We’re your guests and under the protection of the Mitth family,” Padme reminded them. “Patriarch Thooraki was very clear that anything you do for us is done in the family’s stead. It wouldn’t be taking handouts at all. Are you two hungry yet?”

She shifted the front of her shirt and got Leia’s attention immediately. Luke was still busy gurgling at the video of Thrawn. Padme hummed a bit as she picked Leia up, then shrugged.

“Well, if Uncle Obi-Wan or Grandma and Grandpa take you for the night, I can watch a grown-up holo without scaring you. There’s a new one coming out next month - but we get them right away, because we’re special, aren’t we?”

“It’s got terrible reviews.”

“Which is what makes it amazing.” Padme grinned at Vukara. “It’s quality entertainment.”

He rolled his eyes. “How does watching horror vids before bed help you sleep? Bad horror, at that.”

“I don’t get what’s so bad about an extra-galactic research vessel disappearing to a hellacious demon dimension and coming back to torment and murder its rescue crew.” Leia giggled. “It’s bad, yes, but in a hilarious way. That’s the best sort of bad.”

“Right. Absolutely.” Vuwetuo shook her head. “We can get the building supplies while we’re in town tomorrow, too.”

“I still think that a different design would be better.”

“Oh, do you? You, who doesn’t have children?”

Padme tuned the two out. There was no way that Thrawn was going to want to go to bed with her, but he wasn’t averse to casual, comforting touch and if she got a little close during a scary holovid or when handing him a twin, well …

She shook her head slightly. It wasn’t consensual if he didn’t know exactly why she was doing it, therefore it wasn’t an acceptable thought.

Leia finished her meal and Obi-Wan took her, then Padme and Luke had a very quiet argument as to whether or not he should have dinner. He wasn’t ready for solid foods yet, she informed him, so he needed to eat before she - and by extension, his dinner - went to bed. Luke advised her that he was adorable with his little face scrunched up with displeasure. He rethought his position, however, when she handed him to Vuwetuo with a kiss on the forehead and a goodnight, then left the room.

Fifteen minutes later, he had conceded that yes, perhaps he had been a little hungry, but he felt much better now and Padme was free to go to sleep.

Padme curled up in bed with her ridiculous holo playing. She had three-ish months before Thrawn could feasibly come back, and in the meantime, she and the Patriel were setting up the bare bones of courses in Basic for the governing officials and their employees. It would be easier if Padme was in the capital city, yes, but she was reluctant to leave her in-laws, and it might attract too much attention. The local community was getting more at ease with the humans amongst them, as well, and she was considering asking if some of the Kivu’s closer acquaintances might be amenable to introducing their children to the twins.

She got through a quarter of the vid before falling asleep.

Chapter Text

“An immersion-based method would definitely be best for now.”

Padme said it from the floor of Patriel Thinsid’s office. Luke was on his stomach and reaching for a rattle while Leia used Padme’s head to balance herself on her feet and bounce.

“I’ve sent for some programs already - they build up from basic words to more complex sentences and concepts, and only use pictures to do it.”

Thinsid nodded. She had taken Thooraki’s chastisement to heart and had had a playmat and some toys waiting when Padme had arrived for their meeting, insisting that the twins stay with their mother. Padme had been on the floor with them the whole time and Thinsid hadn’t said a word about it - she was on the floor with the three, in fact.

“It’ll give us time to put together more technical information, too. The courses wouldn’t require an in-person teacher for the most part, and you and your brother will be easily-reachable for any questions. Is that correct?”

They both waited a moment for Leia’s shrieks of laughter to die down - now she was alternating between rocking side-to-side and bouncing, and it thrilled her to no end. Luke, wanting to be part of the fun, was trying to pull himself over to them. Thinsid pushed at his butt gently to help scooch him along while Padme nodded.

“Do you want kisses?” she asked. She held herself up on her knees and forearms, which not only encouraged the twins to raise themselves up and work their developing muscles, but gave her a nice core workout as well. “Come give me kisses.”

She puckered her lips and made kissing noises. Faced with the prospect of either putting in the effort to get over to her or not getting kisses, Luke opted to start whining and rocking from side to side. Padme and Thinsid went back to their discussion as they let him figure out what to do, and eventually he let out the softest noise. He had managed to roll over onto his back, which was far more interesting than getting kisses from Mommy. Padme inched forward, then lowered herself to kiss his nose and he kicked out with joy, squealing and beaming at her. She moved her head side to side and made kissy noises whichever direction she wanted him to turn, and he tried his very best to keep rolling over.

Both twins had experienced the trials and tribulations of learning to roll over shortly before the meeting was concluded. Luke had then made the amazing discovery that he had feet. Leia’s discovery of her own feet wasn’t far behind, and the two spent the last quarter hour or so of the meeting in intense and gleeful contemplation of their new appendages, at times trying to eat them. Luke would slowly pull one foot to his mouth and start to gum at it while watching Padme, and when she turned her head sharply with a small gasp to look at him, he would let it go and kick his legs out with a squeal and a giggle. Leia guarded hers jealously, and wouldn’t let Padme near them.

“They’re not going to run away without you, child.”

Thinsid was trying to wrestle Leia into the twins’ carrying sling, and Leia was clutching tightly at her feet, refusing to let them go. It made the whole process difficult, but also amusing for Padme, because Luke had let her put him in his side and then latched back on to his feet as best he could. He knew that the sling meant he was going to be cuddled securely against Padme’s chest soon, safe even as they went out into the big wide world. Leia knew it, too, but she wanted to do things on her own time.

Padme tickled Luke’s tummy as she waited. She had been worried about the secureness of the sling when Thooraki had first given it to her - the material was slick and delicate and didn’t look like it should be able to bear any weight at all, much less the weight of twins. But it was as sturdy as it was beautiful, and let her comfortably carry both twins by herself without looking like a fashion disaster. Thooraki had given her enough to have a variety of ways to mix and match them with her other clothing without appearing to repeat outfits.

Her questis dinged and she glanced down at it. It was from Obi-Wan.

We’re running late. ᕕ(╯°□°)ᕗ I’m so sorry. o(╥﹏╥)o

(> ^_^ )> That’s fine. We’ll be at the cafe celebrating - we discovered our feet today! ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و

٩(๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و See you soon. 

Padme and Obi-Wan had discovered the little cutesy faces that could be made out of Cheunh script while looking for baby books that could have Basic easily added to them, and what had started as a friendly game of one-upmanship to see who could communicate the most using only the little faces had turned into the regular use of them. Thrawn’s parents tolerated the two’s antics with smiles.

The Patriel must have called ahead, because the young woman who had apparently been designated Padme’s waitress was coming out to the patio with the sweet, fruity drink that Padme usually ordered as Padme crossed the street. She may also have been keeping an eye out for Padme and the twins; the two were always happy to see her, all giggles and smiles when she was around, and she seemed hesitantly fond of them.

“Thank you, Kolmind,” Padme said as she sat down. On cue, Leia and Luke twisted as much as they could to watch her, babbling happily. “We’re celebrating, today.”

“It is my pleasure, Madam Padme. May I inquire as to what the celebration is for?”

“First, you can stop being so formal.” Padme smiled as Kolmind’s deep blue, nearly black skin flushed even darker. “And we’re celebrating because we discovered our feet today, which was very exciting.”

“Many congratulations,” Kolmind told the twins seriously. The two giggled. “Will you be ordering midday meal?”

“Patriel Thinsid filled me up with snacks,” Padme laughed. “But the others might want something when they get here. Obi-Wan said they were running a bit late.”

“Of course. I will check back on you soon.”

She gave the twins a scrunched-nose smile and wiggled her fingers at them before hurrying back into the cafe. She also, Padme mused, might have been the only server who was brave enough to wait on the strange-looking alien. The other servers barely glanced Padme’s way even when she flagged one of them down. She left them alone as much as possible.

“What should we do today?” she asked the twins in Basic. “We’ve already sent out our monthly rabble-rousing to Bail and Mon. Should we convince Ar’alani to let us send a message to Daddy?” The two always knew when she was talking about Thrawn; they perked up and gibbered at her. “Should … we send a couple of holos? He hasn’t seen you since you were ten days old. You’ve grown up so much since then.”

And Anakin hadn’t ever seen them at all. Sharp pain spiked through Padme’s chest and she squeezed her eyes shut before taking a few slow, deep breaths. Once the pain faded she sat up straight and faked eating the twins’ ears until they were giggling.

“What if we … take a couple of holos with maybe a bit more skin showing, hm?” Luke waved his hands around and Padme kissed them. “You’re right, I don’t think Daddy would notice. Uncle Eli might. But Daddy wouldn’t.” She sighed. “I’d really rather not have to have other people point that sort of thing out to him.”

She got contented gurgles and tucked the sling’s loose ends more securely around the twins’ chubby feet and legs as a breeze picked up. It was heading toward autumn on their part of the planet. Soon enough, according to Vukara and Vuwetuo, they would need a plow to clear roadways for the skycars - the snow would be too deep for the lifts to properly work otherwise.

Which reminded her that a base on Hoth would be worth considering. It was fairly distant from the Core, but the fact that it was in the middle of an ice age meant that Palpatine would be less likely to search it. She made a note on her questis, adding it to her ever-growing list of things to discuss with Mon and Bail.

“I’m not useless,” she murmured to the twins as that exact feeling swept over her. “I’m not. I just have to shift some ways of doing things around, now that you’re here.” If they had come around sooner, or later, or not at all, this would have been much easier.

But she had them now, and nothing was going to change that. She would be able to travel without them when they were older, but for now, her job was to keep them safe while working with the Patriel and Councilor to set up a language program and Thooraki to convince the Syndicure to look more closely into the Grysk threat. Building alliances. That was her job. And she was good at her job. She didn’t have to be in the middle of danger in order to be useful. The galaxy needed her right where she was. And with Thooraki’s support, the Syndicure was very slowly being nudged toward at least investigating the known Grysk client species.

There was still far too much pushback, though, and a couple of Syndics in particular were lucky that Padme was only allowed to speak to them over holo rather than in person. Her negotiations were on the verge of becoming aggressive, and Syndics Thurfian and Zistalmu’s noses were looking like more and more appealing targets. Thurfian especially - his hatred of Thrawn was palpable and spilled over into everything even remotely connected to the man. He even let go of the Chiss’ propensity for sticking their noses into everyone else’s business in order to spite Thrawn.

“Pardon me, ma’am?”

The solid voice had Padme tensing up with irritation. Security knew her. Thinsid and Thoonsa had made very sure to introduce her, the twins, and Obi-Wan to even the lowest-ranking members of Security in order to keep them from freaking out every time one of the humans was out and about town. There was no reason for Security to be bothering her when they all knew damn well that they were to tell any nervous citizens that she and her family were guests of the Councilor and Patriel.

Of course, she mused as she looked up in order to be grumpy at him, the directions to Security to consider her not a threat didn’t extend to regular civilians.

If he wanted her table, she was going to bite him.

“Greetings,” she said with a slight smile. This would be the first time anyone had approached her without absolutely needing to. “How may I help you?”

His own smile was broader and charming. “Security’s been very clear with everyone that your family are guests, and I was just curious about you. We don’t get many non-Chiss visitors, in the Ascendancy in general and on Rentor in particular. My name is Thupern, by the way.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Thupern. My name is Padme. These are Luke and Leia.” They had fallen asleep while Padme had been working, heads turned toward each other and hands clasped.

“They’re lovely. What brings you all to the Ascendency, if I may ask?”

“Just traveling.”

“With newborns?” Thupern sounded and looked incredulous, but backtracked when Padme raised an eyebrow at him. “My apologies. As you’re well aware, anywhere outside of the Ascendency is dangerous. Please, forgive me.” He placed his hand on the chair across from hers and half-pulled it out. “If I may keep you company until your family gets here?”

Padme didn’t have a chance to answer because the cafe door slid open and Kolmind strode out, holding a mug of something hot in one hand and her serving tray in her other hand. She looked very casually ready to slam it into the side of Thupern’s head.

“Madam Padme is a guest of the Patriel,” she said cooly. “She and her family have every right to be here.”

Thupern held his hands up as Kolmind set the drink in front of Padme and turned fully to him.

“Relax, Kolmind. I was just saying hello. You know my brother’s a member of Security. I wasn’t going to report Padme or anything. My intentions are good.”

Kolmind was very firmly between him and Padme and wasn’t going to budge. “You can have good intentions somewhere else.”

Thupern rolled his eyes. “Would you calm down? Why don’t we ask Padme what ---” He flinched back when Kolmind made a small yet sudden move.

“My brother and hosts should be here any minute,” Padme slid in. “I do need to get this work done before they get here. Perhaps we’ll see each other later.”

“Of course.” Thupern inclined his head to her as he glowered at Kolmind. “My apologies for interrupting. If you’ll excuse me.”

Kolmind watched him go and spoke over her shoulder. “I went to school with him. He’s a gossip and a flirt and none of his intentions are ever good. Especially with you not being Chiss.” She shook herself a little. “Besides, you three are patrons of the cafe - it’s my job to make sure you aren’t being harassed, even if you don’t know that the person is a jerk.” Then she flushed and covered her mouth. “I mean ---”

Padme laughed as she sipped at her drink. “Thank you. I appreciate you looking after us.”

“It is my honor, Madam Padme. Would you like to move inside, or are you comfortable out here?”

“I’m fine for now, thank you.” She said it even as Kolmind turned on the nearest outdoor heater and then set the controller on the table.

“I will check back when your family gets here.”

“Thank you,” Padme called after her, before the cafe door had a chance to slide completely shut. “I think you have a new auntie,” she told her sleeping babies. “Let’s make it official.”

She’d sent off a message to Thoonsa, praising Kolmind and suggesting that the young woman would be a good candidate for the language program, and had just finished her other work when Obi-Wan and the Kivus pulled into the parking lot. Hugs and air kisses were exchanged before Obi-Wan settled into a good-natured sulk because the twins were still sleeping, which meant that he couldn’t hold them unless he was willing to wake them up - which he wasn’t.

“I didn’t realize you were running late because you were clothes shopping.”

Obi-Wan was in a wrapped tunic that tied at the side and went to his upper thighs, loose trousers, and a knee-length overcoat. It was slightly reminiscent of his Jedi robes, but the fit was tighter and it didn’t look like he’d rolled in a sand dune - the new outfit was shades of green with accents of black.

“The supplies for the play area took longer to get together than we had expected. We went shopping while we waited.” Obi-Wan was fidgeting slightly, unused to not being in his robes, and unused to being in any color range other than sand and dirt. “But your meeting went well, then?”

“It went very well. We’ve started the basics of an immersion-based language course, and of course, the twins found their feet. That was the most exciting part.”

“At least they aren’t afraid of them. Raw was.”

Obi-Wan and Padme nearly spit their drinks out. Vukara grinned.

“Every time he found them, he jumped and started crying. Didn’t stop until he learned he could stand on them and get around.”

Padme was shaking her head. “I can’t believe I ever found him intimidating. He gets more ridiculous with every single thing I learn about him.”

“He was a good boy. Very loving.” Vuwetuo had a distant look on her face, one tinged with old pain. She shook her head after a moment. “And he’ll raise good children. He’s good with kids, and they like him.”

“Well, I’m ready to order if you all are.”

Kolmind was just coming outside with hot drinks for everyone. Padme’s mind drifted as they talked. Thupern hadn’t been bad-looking. He was built more solidly than Thrawn was, and had a pleasantly square face. She hadn’t cared for the way he had looked at her, though. It wasn’t anything she could directly pinpoint, but it was years of having people direct barely-appropriate looks and words at her that had built her an instinct for insincerity and masked sexual attraction. At least, masked sexual aggression. Attraction didn’t always have anything to do with it.

Thrawn never looked at her like that. He never looked at her with any sexual interest, but he did look at her with respect, and perhaps a certain sort of fondness. He certainly never looked at or treated her with any sort of anger. Mild irritation, maybe, but even that was fleeting and usually not even from anything more serious than her Pantoran-with-conjunctivitus joke. Even the major arguments they’d had - mostly about his continued involvement in the Empire - were had and resolved calmly.

His hair was nicer, too. Curlier. Longer. Probably softer. And he was much, much taller, and Padme had decided that she rather enjoyed needing a step stool to give him affection that she was fairly certain he was almost afraid to enjoy.

His sense of humor was more subtle. She had once shown him a scribbled line and he had very seriously analyzed it, making her sit there as he told her all about her current psychological mindset, his observations getting more and more absurd, but slowly enough that it had taken her almost an hour to realize he’d been making things up. Individually, almost everything he’d been telling her was clearly ridiculous - but he’d given her the information slowly and sprinkled in amongst other things, building up the believability of each new statement. As soon as she’d realized what he was doing - the smirk had given it away - she’d thrown pillows at him as he’d very easily strolled out of her reach and continued smirking at her for the rest of the night.

And he had never, as she had been determined to think at the start, coddled her. He had been what she had wanted the most out of her relationship with Anakin - there, and her partner in all things, understanding that their work separated them often.

That, though, may have been due to the lack of romantic attraction in their relationship.

He had, however, very clearly been reluctant to leave the twins. That was something, at least. And he had said he enjoyed knowing that everyone got his messages even when he didn't speak much during them.

There was a sort of affection there, then, directed toward her. Padme smiled into her drink. He wasn't simply tolerating her, which the twins would notice and be affected by.

There was an odd sort of nudge at her attention and she shook her head sharply.

"As I was saying," Obi-Wan said with a smile, "if Her Majesty is done daydreaming about her husband, we can go home."

Her first instinct was to deny it, but the looks on everyone's faces said that they all knew the truth. Instead, she shrugged with a pleasant smile and stood. Kolmind had left a to-go cup with a refill for her. She snatched it up and held her head high, as regal as she had ever been.

"We will allow Ourselves to be escorted home now, thank you."

Obi-Wan was already up and gave her a flourishing bow, causing Leia to giggle as she was dipped down in his arms. "But of course. This way, Your Majesty."

"Thank you."

***

“And he’s there every time I’m in town, now. But he’s not rude, so there’s really nothing I can do about it.” Padme scowled down at the yarn and long hook she was holding. Setting the disaster of a project aside for the moment, she got up to check on the pie that was baking. “I also fear that Kolmind might stab him, and have to go to jail.”

“I will not,” Kolmind protested. “But I might hit him with a serving tray.”

There was laughter from the small group behind Padme. She had brought up how isolated she was feeling, even with her family around her, and the Kivus had immediately reached out to trusted friends and acquaintances to see who would be willing to meet and spend time with her. It was becoming a weekly meeting for them all, meeting at each other’s homes and doing any variety of enjoyable projects.

“I can’t condone that action,” Thinsid said, “but I assure you that your sentence would be light.”

“The idiot can be very clumsy. He might trip one day and break his neck.”

“Kolblaj!” The man just grinned and then yelped when his sister kicked him under the table. Thinsid shook her head and continued to braid his hair tightly against his head in small rows.

“Why do you always have to take it too far?”

“I was only saying what everyone else is thinking, Min.” Kolblaj flicked some water at her as Padme turned back around with the pie. “But I don’t trust his motives. He usually isn’t this persistent - and he has no love for aliens. Something’s up.”

There were murmurs of agreement and promises to watch out for trouble. Padme had gotten three mediocre rows of her project done by the time the fritters were finished, and gladly once again abandoned it in favor of food.

“And when will Vura- apologies, Thrawn be back? Haven’t seen the boy in years.”

“Two or three months?” Padme answered vaguely. “There are quite a lot of variables involved. Just getting here may take up all his shore leave. So …”

“The pitfalls of marriage to a sailor,” Kolblaj commiserated. “But at least we have our families with us.”

“And at least Padme does something useful,” Kolmind grumbled. “All you do is lounge around all day and cry that your husband is gone.”

“My heart is broken!” Kolblaj protested. “I can’t work with a broken heart!”

“Patriel ---”

“Get a job,” Thinsid told the man. Kolmind looked smug as her brother rolled his eyes.

“Yes, Patriel.”

“Just not at the cafe.” Kolmind shook her finger at him. “I will not work with you.” She turned to Padme. “Is it - would it be appropriate to ask if you have pictures of your husband?”

“She wants to know what she’s up against.”

“I do not!” Kolmind was blushing. “Padme just talks about him so much, it’s natural to be curious.”

Padme didn’t think she talked about Thrawn that much, but pulled out her questis anyway.

“It’s fine. Here - all the pictures I have of him.”

There was a brief argument as to which photos to see first, but it was eventually agreed that chronological order would be best. It meant, of course, that Padme had to suffer through horrified teasing over Republic fashion styles.

Once they were done, Kolmind shook her head.

“I regret asking. Your husband is a fine man, but that clothing.”

Padme stood up - it was time to leave. “I am a former queen, and I refuse to apologize for my fashion choices.”

“Oh, my apologies, Your Majesty, Patriarch of the Pad family.”

“Apologies accepted. Do not let it happen again, or you will be banned from seeing the twins for two days.”

Everyone was laughing as Kolmind looked dramatically contrite. Goodbyes were said, and once home, Padme gently leaned over the twins’ bassinet to kiss them.

“I love you two so much,” she whispered, then settled in to sleep.

Chapter Text

“Oh? Oh? What are these? Are these yours? They’re very lovely. May I please see - no? Alright. You keep them safe. And - ah! No no no, little one, we don’t use our Third Sight where others can see right now. On a purely selfish level, I would have to put up with Thurfian even more than I already do.”

It had been forty-five minutes since Padme and Obi-Wan had arrived at the Mitth homestead. They had spent every second of those forty-five minutes being ignored by everyone. Thooraki had immediately commandeered the twins, and as they were there at his invitation and he was the Patriarch, they had yet to be properly introduced to anyone.

At least he was taking the twins on a walk about the homestead, rather than keeping them all in the entryway.

They were currently showing him their feet for the tenth or so time, and he was as impressed and intrigued with them as he had been the first time Luke had shyly offered his up for inspection. Leia was still being protective of hers around strangers, and wasn’t afraid to use what tiny bit of control over the Force she had to hide them under her blanket. Thooraki had very gently chastised her about it several times. Padme’s gut twisted itself into knots every time it happened. It wasn’t very subtle - Leia would glare right into Thooraki’s eyes, reach her little hand out, and then the blanket would jump and flop back over her feet. Padme and Obi-Wan had discussed it, and come to the conclusion that their early Force prowess was due to being so enmeshed in the Force with Obi-Wan around.

“We can’t take them with us,” Padme murmured to Obi-Wan. “We have to leave them here.”

“The invitation specifically included them,” Obi-Wan murmured back. “From what I understand, it would be extremely rude to not bring them.”

She shook her head. “They are babies. They technically shouldn’t even be traveling on a ship at this age, much less being thrown into a room full of strangers for who-knows-how-long, where they’re going to start fussing, and will need to eat and be changed, and unless you can keep that from happening,” and she gestured as Leia quite deliberately twitched her blanket to get Thooraki’s attention, “the Syndicure is going to find out that they’re Force-sensitive.”

“It’s a big room. No one may notice.”

Obi-Wan didn’t sound convinced, though. He was frowning and clasping his hands behind his back as they both considered their options. Unfortunately, they didn’t have many.

“No one has reason to suspect that they have Third Sight, and it’s so rare amongst the Chiss, and not tested for until children are older, that I doubt that anyone would think to wonder about it.” Thooraki was finally talking to them, holding Luke against his shoulder and rocking slightly. “Small things like this should either go unnoticed or be easily-explained as more mundane happenings.” He smiled a bit. “My apologies for ignoring you two. I have been very concerned about these darlings since we last saw each other.”

“It’s alright. I suspect you don’t get much time to relax.”

“Unfortunately, no. The Syndicure invited the children because it wants to make you feel as unwelcome as possible. There are certainly those amongst the Ruling Families who are concerned about the potential threats that the Grysk and Empire pose, and who have basic manners, but there are also politics to consider.”

“And how much Thurfian hates Thrawn.”

The elderly Chiss’ frown was troubled. “Yes. Certainly, we want the Mitth to be brought recognition and glory. And certainly, Thrawn’s way of thinking brings a degree of threat to that, if only because Thrawn is so very blunt about his views, and it presents such a challenge to our cultural norms regarding warfare and involving - actively involving - ourselves in non-Chiss affairs. But Thurfian …”

Obi-Wan’s frown matched Thooraki’s. “He wants personal glory and to destroy Thrawn more than he wants what’s best for the Chiss in general or Mitth in particular. He reeks of it, whenever he and Padme are talking. He’s going to resist anything Thrawn is involved in.”

“And has already caused much intra-family fighting due to it, which weakens us.”

“But we do have some allies, aside from the obvious ones.” Padme nodded toward a man in uniform being escorted across the lawn to them. “General Ba’kif?” she asked when he got close enough.

He nodded. “I am he. Syndic Naberrie?”

She nodded in return. “I am she. Though I’m not sure that calling me ‘Syndic’ will go over well with others.”

The man shrugged with a sparkle in his eyes. “A politician is a politician, no matter what you officially title them. General Kenobi?”

“I am he,” Obi-Wan responded.

“Is the Patriarch of one of the Nine Ruling Families to be addressed last?” Thooraki asked with humor.

Ba’kif grinned back at him. “An honored guest was not handed children he was told were his niece and nephew immediately upon arrival, so insult given will be insult returned.”

“The Patriarch is still holding them.”

“I was assured, however, that I am to consider myself their uncle - therefore, should I not be given the chance to get acquainted with them with utmost haste?”

“But I am still holding them.”

“There are two of them. Surely the honored Mitth Patriarch knows how to share?”

“There simply aren’t enough of them to go around.”

Ba’kif laughed as Luke held his arms out, smugly taking the boy. “Which is why I requested an audience with you all.”

Padme tilted her head with a slight smile. “You want me to make more babies?”

That made Ba’kif choke in surprise, and then he was grinning back at her as he laughed. “That, ah, that is up to you, Syndic. But no, what I actually had in mind was a potential way around putting you humans under too much pressure tomorrow. I received a copy of Syndic Thurfian’s invitation to you, and was surprised that he hadn’t taken childcare into consideration. Therefore,” he told Luke, “I corrected that misstep and extended an invitation for all the Families that will be there to bring an infant or two. The twins will need to be entertained, after all, and they’re old enough to start playing with other children.” He paused, then turned partially to Padme. “They are old enough to start playing with other children, aren’t they?”

“I have an idea or two of my own, and they are,” she confirmed with a smile and a nod. “And I think that’s a wonderful idea. Thank you so much for the thought - it’s very sweet of you.”

His smile turned a bit warmer before he schooled his face into a more neutral expression. “I’m sure Thrawn will agree with your assessment.”

Obi-Wan laughed. “Thrawn knows full well that he has almost zero social skills - if Padme tells him you’re sweet, he’ll believe her. Have there been any responses from the Families?”

“Oh, absolutely. Quite a few of them have been thrilled about the idea. It will probably keep things a bit more diplomatic if they have to worry about upsetting children.”

“And show the other families how exceptionally well they treat their own, which might prompt considerations of rematching.” Thooraki was nodding with pleasure. “I assume you made sure that Thurfian didn’t seem as if he was deliberately slighting the others with his invitation?”

“Of course,” Ba’kif said with mock-offense. “Syndic Nabberrie’s status made it feasible to have military involvement in security precautions for tomorrow, so I’ve spoken with Syndic Thurfian about the necessary arrangements. I am most apologetic for neglecting to ensure that the invitation to bring children was meant to be extended to everyone - that was my mistake, and I absolutely beg everyone’s forgiveness.”

“You’re forgiven, of course. Now, Padme - certain friends of ours in the Syndicure are going to try to discredit you at every opportunity. From what I hear, they’ve already started. I never expected the other Families to not watch your movements, so it’s not surprising. And I already know the answer to this, but what is the nature of your relationship with one Thupern?”

Padme blinked at Thooraki. Then her eye twitched slightly. He and Ba’kif waited patiently until she took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

“He says hello whenever the twins and I are in town,” she said evenly. “He’s curious about us, but doesn’t pry. Is someone going to suggest that I’m sleeping with him?”

Thooraki’s lips twisted as he nodded. “I suspect so.”

“And that wouldn’t tarnish his noble Chiss honor?”

The rising anger in her voice was wisely ignored. “Oh, it would, but that would definitely be ignored in favor of destroying your own credibility. You are married to a member of the Expansionary Defense Force, after all ---”

The sound Padme let out was anything other than delicate. “So my honor and credibility are thrown into question because I’m married and someone thinks I’m sleeping around? But let me guess - his credibility stays just fine, even though he’s allegedly fucking a married woman?”

The word she’d used was vulgar, inappropriate in almost every single setting it could possibly be used in. She supposed it was to their credit that Thooraki and Ba’kif didn’t even blink. Or ask her where she’d learned it.

“There are those who would seek that outcome, yes.”

Padme snarled as she took her twins back. “Well, I’m not fucking him, nor do I want to. We only talk when I’m at the cafe, and the only times I’ve seen him around town otherwise have been when I’m with my family. If we’re ever alone together, it’s because Kolmind hasn’t run out to chase him off yet - and I doubt that being on a cafe patio together, talking while I’m holding my children, could possibly count as any sort of illicit affair.”

“Of course not,” Ba’kif agreed. “It was merely a question that needed to be asked, because it will be asked tomorrow. And your relationship with Thrawn?”

“I haven’t seen him since the twins were ten days old. That is the status of my relationship with my husband. I would think that everything else would be a moot point.”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” Ba’kif said tiredly, “but politics is a horrendous thing.”

She sighed and relaxed. “Yes. I’ve noticed. I’m sorry.”

“We would be furious, too.”

“Are there any other intrusive questions they’re going to ask me?”

“Oh, probably, but those two will most likely be their main focus.”

“Well. Thank you for the heads-up.”

Thooraki stood with a smile. “Wonderful. Shall we go inside? It’s close to mealtime.”

Padme nodded. “Thank you. Who will be watching the children?”

“Older ozyly-esehembo would do nicely. Those who still have Third Sight but are at the end of their careers. Ba’kif?”

“That would help explain any mishaps the twins might have, as well as advertise,” and Ba’kif’s face twisted with displeasure at the word, “them to potential Families for matching. I’ll arrange it.”

Obi-Wan had been quiet with a pensive frown, but as they were seated in a private dining room, he spoke up slowly. “From what I’ve seen, the Ascendancy and the Jedi Order have treated their Force-sensitives in much the same way - taken as babies or younglings, put through years of training, and not given much emotional or psychological support. Most of both groups never see their birth families again. I was taken too young to remember mine at all. Though I think I had a brother. And I’ve been thinking, over the last several months, about how things in the Republic might have been different if the Order hadn’t been so dogmatic in its approach. I mean this as no disrespect to the Chiss ---”

“Anakin would have gotten the care he needed, and probably wouldn’t have fallen to the Dark Side,” Padme interrupted softly. The pain she’d been keeping - unhealthily, in hindsight - at bay swelled and pushed against her chest and gut. “He might not have lost his mother. Palpatine might not have risen to power at all.”

Obi-Wan was nodding in agreement. “I wasn’t uncared-for with the Order, but seeing how the twins react to loving family, how different, how more complete they are from the younglings the Jedi Order would take in … Once we free the galaxy from Palpatine’s rule, I want to reform the Order, find better ways to train Jedi, ways that are healthier for the younglings. I know that the Ascendancy can’t figure out how to extend the length of time a girl has Third Sight. If it could be arranged, and again, I mean no disrespect to the Chiss or Ascendancy, I would like to speak with former ozyly-esehembo , to find out how they would have liked to have been treated differently. It would help with building a better Jedi Order, and may help with prolonging connection with Third Sight.”

Thooraki and Ba’kif looked at him for a long moment, then at each other, then leaned close and had a quiet, murmured conversation with one another.

“Che’ri feels included on the Springhawk,” Padme said into the silence. “She feels cared for, cared about, like she’s part of a family. I met some of the Vigilant’s ozyly-esehembo, and their comfort level, their confidence, their happiness … it was all so subdued when compared to Che’ri. If ---”

“We will discuss this later.”

She blinked at the bluntness of Thooraki’s words and tone. A sting of pain rose in her, but she took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she nodded. This was asking them to consider possibly thinking about rethinking how they approached a vital and vitally-secret part of their society. Any Chiss who knew about the ozyly-esehembo would have the same reaction. She nodded again, and her and Obi-Wan’s apologies were waved off with kindness.

The twins turned to look at her expectantly toward the end of the meal. Padme made funny faces at them, but they didn’t laugh or smile. They just stuck their lower lips out and looked pleadingly at her.

“Are they alright?” Ba’kif asked.

She looked at her chrono before nodding. “They’re fine. This is about when we show them messages from Thrawn, is all. We try to keep a steady schedule for them. Is that what you want?” she asked. She got excited squeals. “Yes? You want to see Daddy? Alright, let’s finish eating, maybe take a quick bath, and then we’ll watch Daddy. Can Grandpa Thooraki and Uncle Ba’kif watch with us?”

They ended up skipping the bath, but the twins were content to let Thooraki and Ba’kif watch the message with them. It was a loop of all of Thrawn’s messages, with each new one added as it came in. The twins cooed and gurgled along with it, though; they had memorized almost every part of it, even though they couldn’t understand or repeat what was being said. It comforted them, in any case, and kept them occupied enough that the adults were able to get them mostly clean with wet wipes.

“They’ll watch until they fall asleep.” Padme rubbed Leia’s back gently. The little girl was yawning, but struggling to stay awake and keep her eyes on Thrawn as he showed some art holos and very seriously explained the psychological mindset that would guide the Nyfalk in their consideration as to whether they joined the Empire peacefully or not. Padme itched to point out all the ways he could go about convincing them, if he had had even an inkling of political awareness. He seemed to be working himself through it, though - just not as quickly or smoothly as Padme herself would have.

“I can’t wait to see you two on a ship together.” Ba’kif murmured it as he rubbed Luke’s back. The boy was already gently snoring - he gave in to the urge to sleep much easier than Leia did. “Between the two of you, you would be a force nigh unstoppable. And I suspect that you inspire as much loyalty in your people as Thrawn does in his.”

“I wouldn’t say ---”

“She does,” Obi-Wan confirmed. “And rightfully so.”

“I do what I feel is best for everyone, not just myself.”

“Which is what inspires the loyalty. Shhhhh …” Obi-Wan held one finger up and half-closed his eyes. After a moment, he smiled and nodded. “She’s asleep. Let me help get them to bed - I’ll carry them, you carry the questis?”

“Sounds good.”

Thooraki and Ba’kif watched with intent interest as Obi-Wan gently maneuvered the twins into his arms without jostling them. It wasn’t a flashy or even very obvious use of the Force. It could very well be mistaken for simple expertise at handling twins, in fact. Padme could see the possibilities running through the two Chiss’ minds. On a rational level, she, too, wanted to have people with Jedi-style Force abilities working with her. She wanted navigators with Third Sight to help overthrow Palpatine, after all.

But on a primal level, her hackles rose and she stepped in front of Obi-Wan and the children when the two Chiss stood. These were her children. Her children. These were her babies, and she wasn’t going to have them be used like tools for their Force abilities.

“It’s alright,” Obi-Wan murmured above and behind her. “Everything is fine. The twins aren’t in danger.”

Ba’kif coughed and looked away. Thooraki followed suit, but slower. The general gave the humans a short bow. “My apologies. We both want to utilize the unique talents that we possess to their fullest.”

“These are my children.”

Thooraki and Ba’kif exchanged glances. Thooraki continued. “I know." Then he nodded in understanding. "I’m afraid that for the Chiss, the ends matter far more than the means - which has probably contributed to our current difficulties with our ozyly-esehembo. It would be wise to consider if General Kenobi’s plans for your Jedi could possibly be adapted for our ozyly-esehembo.”

Padme stood firm for a few more seconds, glowering between the two men, and then relaxed with a nod. “Thank you.”

“We should all probably retire for the night. You all will have a long day with the Syndicure tomorrow, and after, I will have a long night in discussions with the other Patriarchs.”

A couple of attendants had appeared to escort everyone to their rooms. Padme gently tucked the twins in after Obi-Wan laid them in their bassinet, and brushed her fingers across their chubby little cheeks. Her heart ached. They wouldn’t be safe until Palpatine had been overthrown. The little girls in the Ascendancy, the sky-walkers, Che’ri - they wouldn’t be safe until the Grysk had been dealt with. Even if it took years, even decades, for the Grysk to be able to face the Ascendancy, there were the other species they would take over beforehand to consider. There were all those beings, all those people, all those children …

“Padme.” Obi-Wan’s hand was warm on her own. She looked up at him with a shaky smile. “It’s going to be alright.”

“Well. We’ll try for that, at any rate.”

“I’ll see you in the morning.”

She smiled again and looked back at the twins. “See you in the morning.”

Chapter Text

“Padme!”

She turned and knelt down to receive an excited bundle of Chiss girl, hugging her tightly in the middle of the Syndicure’s antechamber.

“Che’ri! How are you?”

“I missed you so much! Oh, they grew up! They’re not ugly anymore!”

Padme just laughed and handed Luke over. Che’ri immediately took him to the other children, proudly showing him off and bragging that she’d been there when he and Leia had been born, and that that basically made her their big sister. Padme passed Leia on to Thalias with a hug, and then turned to shake hands with Ar’alani.

“Admiral. I’m glad you could make it.”

“Senator. I’m glad, as well. I don’t think Che’ri would have let us go anywhere else once she knew about this meeting. How have you been?”

“Better than I had expected to be. Thrawn’s parents have been nothing but amazing. Were you able to … ?”

A pleased smile spread across the other woman’s lips. “I absolutely was.” She glanced over Padme’s shoulder. “Syndic Thurfian. Syndic Zistalmu.”

Padme turned with a polite smile. Thurfian and Zistalmu were furious. Not only had all the Families brought at least one child, not only had Ba’kif brought in about ten ozyly-esehembo, not only had he called the Springhawk back so that Che’ri would be able to encourage everyone to love the twins - which she was absolutely succeeding at - but he and Ar’alani, along with Padme’s contacts in the burgeoning rebellion against Palpatine, had also brought schematics for several types of droids, along with a functional mouse droid. That alone was going to pique interest in the Empire. Thurfian and Zistalmu might have heart-attacks when they learned that part.

Still, the two men smiled politely enough. “Admiral,” Zistalmu greeted Ar’alani. He barely glanced at Padme. “Mrs. Naberrie.”

“Syndic Naberrie,” Ar’alani corrected firmly.

“‘Senator Naberrie’ will also do,” Padme told them pleasantly. She nodded respectfully. “Syndics. It’s good to meet you in person. I trust you’re both well?”

“... We are. We trust that you’re all vaccinated?”

“I wouldn’t have left Rentor if we weren’t,” she told Thurfian. She raised an eyebrow at him. “And yourselves?”

“We would not have shown up if we weren’t. Where are your children?”

“They’re with the others. Thalias took Leia, and Che’ri absconded with Luke right away. I’m sure she’s already come up with ten Chiss names for them. We’re still waiting on Thrawn to come home before we choose their final names and have the naming ceremony.”

The look of disgust on his face was barely disguised. “That is quite generous of you, considering.”

Padme feigned ignorance. “Considering what?”

She got a slight snort. “You know what I mean. You and your children are fully human.”

“Are they?” Ar’alani asked. Her own voice was incredulous. “They’re clearly a mix of the two species, but they definitely have Chiss blood in them. But perhaps you haven’t actually looked at them. Oh, we’re about to begin the session. Let’s go in.” She offered Padme her arm and Padme took it. “I thought the children’s father was human,” she murmured out of the corner of her mouth.

“He was,” Padme murmured back. “Why?”

“Because they look half-Chiss. Their skin is very faintly blue, and their glow is coming in. It’s also faint, but there.”

Padme frowned. “No, they’re thoroughly human. Are you sure?”

“I’m positive. But it works in our favor - it further cements you as someone in need of the Ascendency’s protection. Come.”

***

“So again, Syndics,” Padme was saying two hours later, “all I ask is that you look more closely at the species and cultures surrounding the Ascendancy. You keep tabs on all of them; a little more digging wouldn’t be amiss - especially since you do acknowledge that the Grysk are a potential threat in the future. My brother,” and she turned slightly to gesture at Obi-Wan, “has already been through part of the Chaos, and compiled a small list of species he believes are under Grysk control, being courted by the Grysk, or are at risk of being courted by them.”

Thurfian opened his mouth but Thooraki beat him to it. He had Luke in his lap and had been raising the boy’s hands in votes instead of his own. Luke thought it was hilarious. “I may be biased by these charming young ones, my fellows, but I have also gone over General Kenobi’s reports, and concur with both him and Senator Naberrie about the threat that the Grysk pose.” There was a short outburst and he raised his voice to be heard. “Don’t talk to me about keeping out of everyone else’s business, Zinpadry. You know full well that we stick our noses in everyone’s business.This would merely be an extension of that. And if we were to send General Kenobi to do our deeper poking around, all the better. He wouldn’t be traced back to us.”

The room seemed to be fairly evenly divided about that suggestion.The debate was still going on a few minutes later when there was movement at Padme’s side. Che’ri stood there with Leia in her arms, offering the girl to Padme.

“Here,” she whispered. “You’ll need her in a bit.”

“What? Why?”

The girl shrugged as Padme took Leia. “I don’t know. But you will.” Then she slipped away.

“What was that about?” Obi-Wan murmured. Padme shrugged. At least Leia was sleeping.

“We can’t trust the human, anyway. She betrays her own vows.”

Padme’s head snapped around to Zistalmu. Almost everyone, it seemed, had now agreed that sending Obi-Wan out was a good idea, and rather than furious, the Irizi syndic looked smug.

“I’m sorry?” she said. “What vows have I betrayed?”

“Come now,” he admonished as he leaned forward. He rested his elbows on the table before casually pressing a button. “Bring her in,” he told whoever was on the other end. Looking back at Padme, he slightly raised his eyebrows. “I have it on very good authority that your marital vows to Mitth’raw’nuruodo have been less than strictly adhered to.”

Thooraki and Ba’kif had warned her about this. Padme took a deep breath and raised Leia up to her shoulder. She gently rubbed the girl’s back as she calmly met Zistalmu’s punchable gaze.

“I see. And have you any proof of this ridiculous claim? Pictures? Vids, perhaps?”

“We have eyewitnesses to improper behavior. Oh, did you think the Families haven’t been watching you? Because we have. We have been watching the aliens in our midst very carefully.”

The word for ‘aliens’ he had used also meant intruders, or burgeoning threats - it positioned Padme, her children, and Obi-Wan as clear dangers to the Ascendancy. Thooraki was protesting the verbiage when a side door slid open and Security escorted in a female Chiss with corkscrew curls, skin that was nearly black, and a lowered head. Still, Padme recognized her at once.

“Kolmind?!”

Kolmind flinched, but didn’t look at Padme as she was directed to the main podium, from which the entire Syndicure was visible.

“Thooraki, what ---”

“I don’t know,” the Patriarch grumbled shortly. “I assume she’s here to testify against you.” He leaned into the microphone in front of him. “You all have spent months denying the validity of Mitth’raw’nuruodo’s and Senator Naberrie’s marriage - why now do you suddenly care so much about it? Why accuse the senator of an affair, and bring an alleged witness to it?”

“Whether or not the marriage is valid,” the Xodlak Patriarch said over the noise of the Syndicure, “she still made the vows, and is claiming to be a reliable source of information. If she would break her marriage vows, why would she tell us the truth about the Grysk?”

“Those two things are just a little different,” Padme snapped.

“Your honesty and reliability are still called into question.”

“Now, now,” Thurfian said as he raised a calming hand, “let us hear what the woman has to say. State your name.”

“Mikol’min’dun, Syndic.”

“Age?”

“Twenty-eight, Syndic.”

The questioning continued, basic questions, for another minute or so. Kolmind’s name, age, family, place of residence, job … but as soon as all that had been taken care of, all congeniality left Thurfian’s voice.

“You are aware that lying to the Syndicure is a crime, and that should you be found to be lying, you will be fined, jailed, and may face separation from your family?”

That made Kolmind flinch again, and she nodded. “Yes, Syndic.”

“Good. Now, what can you tell us about the relationship between Senator Naberrie and Mitth’uper’nal?”

“It is … close, Syndic.” Kolmind was whispering, and sounded miserable. “Very close.”

“How close?”

“I … I cannot say … But closer than a Chiss would find appropriate,” she suddenly blurted. She then spun a story about how fond Padme and Thupern seemed of one another, how they always met at the cafe, and while everything she said was technically innocent, her chosen language hinted heavily at it being far more than a casual friendship.

“Can we stop this?” Padme murmured to the men beside her.

“General Kenobi could, but that would mean revealing his unique abilities,” Thooraki growled. “And I would prefer to avoid that.”

“The senator hardly seems fit to claim refugee status in the Ascendancy,” Thurfian commented.

“You would hardly know,” Obi-Wan suddenly cut in. “You have been avoiding meeting her since she first got here. She’s under your family’s protection - why would you not want to meet her?”

“You were not spoken to.”

“And yet, I speak. Kolmind, has someone threatened you? You know what you’re implying isn’t true in the slightest.”

“You have no authority to question the witness,” Zistalmu started hotly.

“But I do,” Thooraki interrupted. Obi-Wan’s comments had saved him from a visible dispute with his own family member. “Young woman, the question stands, asked in my stead.”

“No, no one,” Kolmind sputtered. The twins started to fuss. She squeezed her eyes shut. “What I say is truth, Patriarch. I sw, I swear it.”

“I don’t believe that,” Padme stated flatly. “Kolmind, you’re a good woman. You’ve been nothing but kind and welcoming to us. You’ve chased Thupern off more times than I can count; you know that I would never have any sort of affair with him. If someone has made you lie ---”

“I’m not lying!” The force of her shout made Padme jump, and the twins burst into tears. “I tell the truth,” Kolmind whispered. “I tell the truth.”

“Then you are dismissed,” Thurfian told her. “Bring the next witness.”

“This is a Syndicure session, not a trial,” the Xodlak Patriarch protested. “Really, this isn’t necessary.”

“With respect, Madam Patriarch,” Zistalmu said, “I believe it is. If this woman is lying about this, she may well lie about other things, and may get Chiss killed because of those lies. Next witness.”

And so it went for over an hour. Thurfian and Zistalmu trotted out witness after witness, some of whom Padme had never even met - but how would an alien be able to tell one Chiss from another? Thurfian wanted to know when she said this - and only clear Force pressure from Obi-Wan kept her from screaming when Thupern himself came out to testify that why yes, he and Padme were very fond of one another, and he had been assured that her marriage to Thrawn meant nothing, legally or emotionally. It had been purely political, and the twins weren’t even Thrawn’s biological children.

Everyone turned to stare at Padme and the twins at that, twins who were now gibbering with tears, and she glared at Thupern as she held Leia closer. “My culture does not speak of a child’s parentage,” she said coldly. “This will be respected. Thrawn and I’s feelings toward one another are irrelevant - the children need parents, and Thrawn and I gladly share that duty. We have both agreed that we have a valid, monogamous marriage, and I would like to point out that you have brought not one witness in my defense. Should the Syndicure not be able to hear from all sides of the accusation? Further, as the Xodlak Patriarch has said, this is not a trial - and even if it were, you gave us no warning of these accusations, nor have we had the chance to ask our own questions of the people you have brought to testify against me. Where I’m from, that speaks of subterfuge, lies, and hidden agendas. Perhaps you can enlighten me on this?”

Thurfian and Zistalmu were cornered, but not beaten. There was another brief uproar before yelling from the antechamber made everyone turn around.

“It’s Kolmind,” Obi-Wan said. Thooraki raised his hand to stop Security as they converged on the door, and the yelling continued as Kolmind burst back into the chamber, hysterical with tears.

“I lied!” she yelled. “Forgive me! I lied!” The entire chamber erupted, and she threw herself in front of Padme, sobbing and prostrating. “I lied! They said I would be separated from my family if I didn’t make it seem like you and Thupern were having an affair! They, they said I would lose my job, that my family would lose theirs! I’m sorry, Madam Padme. I’m sorry …”

As the entire Syndicure devolved into yelling and fighting, Padme got up and made her way down to Kolmind, kneeling in front of her and hugging her tight. Leia was reaching her arms out for her. The baby girl radiated love and concern.

“Shh, shh, it’s alright, Kolmind,” Padme soothed. She wiped the young woman’s tears away, then held her tightly when Kolmind lunged forward to tightly embrace her, still apologizing. “It will be alright. We’ll work this out, I promise. Who threatened you?”

“Yes,” Thooraki cut in, “who threatened you? This is a heavy allegation.”

“I don’t know,” Kolmind stuttered. “They - I never talked with them directly. They sent me messages, and once or twice an intermediary came to me on my way home. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I - oh!”

Tired of being ignored, Leia had launched herself out of Padme’s arms and into Kolmind’s. She got an armful of Luke soon after, when Thooraki finally got down to them. He didn’t kneel, but sat when an aide brought a chair. He tapped his cane on the floor to get Kolmind’s attention, and now the entire Syndicure was quiet and watching them.

“These are serious claims, Kolmind,” he told her. His face and tone were grave. Kolmind gulped and nodded to show her understanding. “Either way, you have lied to the Syndicure. That alone must be punished. Do you understand what you have done?”

“Yes, Patriarch,” she whispered.

“Kolzinf, would you care to question your family member?”

“Yes, I would. Kolmind, you stated under oath that what you said earlier was true. Why are you now recanting it, knowing the punishment?”

“Because Madam Padme is kind, and good, and noble,” Kolmind mumbled into Padme’s neck. Her voice was trembling, but she was no longer crying. “She has never been anything but kind to me and everyone else. And nobody likes Thupern. He’s been trying to flirt with Madam Padme since they first met, and now I believe it was a deliberate attempt to bring about this meeting. I’m not brave,” she continued when a few syndics protested, “but I know that what someone is trying to do to Madam Padme is wrong. I’ll take any punishment. But what I said earlier was a lie. They were all lying. I’m so sorry. Please, Madam Padme, please forgive me.”

“Then I have no choice but to put you in confinement until your fate is decided. Family separation will be the last punishment considered,” Kolzinf assured her as Kolmind gulped with sobs. “These claims will be investigated. Do you understand?”

“I understand, Patriarch.” Kolmind let Security help her up, and gave the twins a teary smile. “You two be good for your mother, alright? Be good.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Padme promised as she took her children back. “Stay strong.”

“I propose that we adjourn for the day,” Kolzinf said after Kolmind had been led out. “I myself suddenly have a great many things to attend to.”

“As do I,” Thooraki said. “I concur. Objections?”

No solid ones were given, and the session was adjourned. Padme held her head high as she left the chambers. She deliberately ignored Thurfian and Zistalmu. They were behind this, but she had no proof of it other than circumstantial evidence. From the look on Thooraki’s and Obi-Wan’s faces, though, they had come to the same conclusion.

“How do we settle this?” she murmured as they entered the March of Silence.

“Damage has already been done,” Thooraki murmured back. “That, we can’t undo. I will, however, find out who started this, and they will regret they ever stepped out of line. They have taken this beyond politics. I will not stand for it.”

“We can show them the droid schematics tomorrow, and hopefully those will distract them.” Obi-Wan was pensive. “Are there security cameras, perhaps, that might give us a clue as to who was approaching Kolmind?”

“I have already sent for any there might be. Kolmind will be questioned more thoroughly by both her own Patriarch and myself, and we will find the exact dates and any remaining correspondence. I have no doubt she was instructed to delete all messages.”

“What will happen if she’s separated from the Takol family?”

Thooraki shook his head. “A minor family may take her in. Possibly. However, she did a noble thing by coming back to expose her lies. Should she be separated, I shall bring her into the Mitth family myself - provided she agrees, of course.”

Padme nodded as tears filled her eyes. “Thank you,” she whispered. “She doesn’t deserve this.”

“Agreed.” There was a minor commotion at the end of the March, and he squinted a little. “Now what?”

“I’m going to scream if this has anything to do with us.”

An exceptionally tall man was striding toward them. His uniform was an olive drab, his rank insignia unrecognizable, but Padme would know that face anywhere.

“Thrawn!”

Chapter Text

“Padme!”

She hit him running, taking a leap into his arms that he easily accommodated, letting her momentum swing them around and around. She grabbed his face and pressed their lips together, long and firm. Thrawn responded willingly, perhaps eagerly, and after a moment he pulled back and rested their foreheads against one another.

“I---”

“I want to fuck.”

She was mortified. The look of utter shock on Thrawn’s face said he had absolutely not been anticipating those first words from her in nearly six months. Of all the things she could have said - things she should have said - the first words out of her mouth were ‘I want to fuck.’ Not untrue words, but more vulgar than Thrawn would ever use, and she could have said ‘I missed you,’ or ‘I’m glad you’re safe,’ or any number of things. But no. She had gone and thought with her filthy, perverse ---

“As, as do I.”

“... What.”

Thrawn’s lips twisted into a hesitant smile before he leaned down and gave her a more relaxed kiss on the mouth.

“Let us, ah, let us speak of this later. Where are the …?”

He had already set her down, craning his neck to look for the twins. Padme couldn’t point them out because her mind had gone completely blank. Had he just …? No. He couldn’t have. But he had. Unless he didn’t know - no, Eli would have told him because Thrawn wanted to know everything there was to know about everything. Which meant that he wanted - that they could ---

Delighted shrieks pierced through her brain fog. Thooraki and her family had caught up with them. Thrawn’s face was stoically vulnerable when Luke and Leia launched themselves at him from Obi-Wan’s arms, rather than wait to be handed over. He caught them as easily as he had caught Padme; he held them tightly and his stoicness melted into cautious happiness and wonder while the three of them held a very delightful and serious conversation.

“Oh? Is that so? I am supposed to treat you as if you were saying something I can understand.”

The twins babbled and he responded again, rocking a little side to side. “That is fascinating. I would like to hear more.” Delighted laughter. “Have you been being good?” Gabbles and babbles. “Ah. I see. General Kenobi has let you run wild.”

“I most certainly have not,” Obi-Wan protested. “Thooraki is the one who lets them do as they please.”

“Lies and slander,” Thooraki said easily. He looked Thrawn up and down. “Well. Haven’t you grown up, young Vurawn.”

Thrawn blinked. “You know me, Patriarch?”

“Know you? I brought you into this family, much to Thurfian’s ever-delightful disgust. No, no, don’t thank me. It was the least I could do for a mind such as yours.”

Thurfian’s voice was icy behind them. “This is the March of Silence, might I remind my Patriarch.”

“Oh, you heard that, did you?” Thooraki couldn’t be bothered to pretend that he hadn’t been speaking badly of the aristocra. “Well, come now, let us go somewhere more private. And welcoming. Oh, no, of course you don’t want to leave your ma’ah.” He had held his arms out for a twin or two and been met with scornful looks and faces hidden in Thrawn’s shoulders.

It was funny, hearing Thrawn of all people referred to as the very informal ‘dad.’ It didn’t seem like it should fit him, but watching the way he held and interacted with the twins, it absolutely did. And even though he tried to protest it, it was done less than half-heartedly and a roll of Thooraki’s eyes silenced him. Instead, he shifted until Padme could slide her arm beneath his and gently hold on to his bicep. There was such a sense of relief flooding her, now that he was with her again and safe. She wasn’t going to pass out, but now she was just tired. She rested her forehead on his bicep as they walked.

“I’m so glad you’re safe,” she murmured. “I want to go home.”

“I went home, first. I had no idea that you were all here. How did the meeting with the Syndicure go?”

“Ugh.”

“That badly?”

“It could have gone worse. Would have, if Kolmind hadn’t changed her mind.”

He was frowning when she looked up at him, but he was also very gently gumming Luke’s hand as the boy giggled. By the time Padme had given him a run-down of their current situation, they had gotten to the waiting aircar and he had moved to sneak attacks on the twins’ cheeks, blowing raspberries on them when least expected.

“You have most likely already considered showing up with a droid tomorrow, then, rather than simply showing them the plans and holos.”

“We have a mouse droid, yes, and some schematics for others.”

“I believe it may take a stronger show than a simple mouse droid and schematics.” He visibly jumped, looked briefly confused, and then calmed down when Padme put her hand on his thigh after they’d all buckled in. “Ah … I brought, ah … I brought an, a, a …”

He had brought another droid. A battle droid, perhaps. Something much, much stronger than a mouse droid.

Obi-Wan was wheezing with laughter as Thrawn was still stuttering a minute later. “You broke him,” he gasped. “You broke him.”

“She did not,” Thrawn protested. Padme started to move her hand but he grabbed it and held it in place, rapidly blinking, trying to catch his breath and, it seemed, trying to understand exactly what was going on. “My, my shuttle. Yes. My shuttle.”

Leaving Padme’s hand where it was, he leaned forward to have another conversation with the twins.

“You take your shoes and socks off very well. Perhaps you should put them back on. I can --- Why would you do that?”

Leia had gleefully tossed a shoe across the skycar, narrowly avoiding Thooraki’s head. Luke dropped a sock on the floorboards, and the game started. The twins kept throwing their shoes and socks and curling their feet, and Thrawn kept picking them up and trying to put them back on. The other adults had stopped playing the pick-up game, so they were in absolute hysterics that their beloved Ma’ah would play it with them.

“And now we must cease. We will play more later.” The skycar had stopped at the spaceport and Thrawn opened his door, letting the cold Csilla air in. The twins whined a bit as they curled their toes in against it. “If you will observe, I wear shoes and socks. Therefore, you should, as well.” He lifted one foot up to show them, and after staring at his boot for a while, they let him put their shoes and socks back on. “Thank you.”

“And you humans were concerned that he would need help being a father,” was Thooraki’s good-natured chastisement. “Parenthood is in a Chiss’ blood.”

“I have read much about human child development.” Thrawn’s mild rebuttal made the Patriarch scowl a little, but it held no venom. “I am merely following what the experts on the matter say is best.”

“And no one on any of your ships found this odd?”

“I did not read them on my ships, General. I read them as soon as it was evident that Padme was with child and Palpatine wished us to be wed.”

Padme blinked, then sighed. “I’m surprised by this. Why am I surprised by this? Of course you did.”

“Did I do wrong?”

There was genuine concern in Thrawn’s voice and Padme hugged his arm, smiling. “No. No, that was wonderfully kind of you, one of your duties toward me or not. Thank you.”

“It was very interesting. Come.”

Padme stopped, though. “What did you bring? What type of droid? This is not the time to be cryptic.”

Maybe he agreed with her, or maybe he was still off-balance enough to answer honestly. “A battle droid. An older model, but I hope it will still be enough to convince the Syndicure of the Empire’s growing threat.”

That made Padme groan. “You might be right, but you know how brainless battle droids are. If it starts talking ---”

“It will not.”

Thooraki tapped his cane for attention. “What do you mean, you brought battle droids? You brought one of those things here, to our homeworld? You thought that was a good idea?”

“Of course,” was Thrawn’s simple reply as the Lambda shuttle’s ramp lowered. “It has been altered to be less deadly.”

“Less deadly?”

Padme hurried up the ramp ahead of the men and then stopped. She finally turned and yelled down the ramp as her brain threatened to short-circuit.

“Thrawn!” There was a small noise of query, and she stomped to the top of the ramp. “Droidekas? You brought droidekas? Two droidekas?”

Thrawn’s steps hesitated. “I … yes. A brief battle between them, as well as an estimate of their numbers, will no doubt convince the Syndicure … that …”

“Do I hit him or kiss him?”

“Hit him,” Obi-Wan and Thooraki said in unison. Thrawn looked bewildered.

“Actually, he has a somewhat badly-executed point. You kiss him. We will hit him.”

“I ---”

Raising her hand up to cover his mouth, Padme sighed. “You do have a good point. It simply may have been better if you had given us more warning.”

“I had intended to show you when I got to Rentor, but you were not there. Once I arrived here, I was very eager to see you and the twins before anything else.” He turned his gaze from Thooraki, poking around the two droids, and looked down at her. “I … apologize. You are right, of course. I should have given you more warning.”

Throoraki huffed a bit. “You didn’t roll them through the March of Silence, so I suppose you can be forgiven.”

“What will become of the woman, Kolmind? She has been an invaluable source of support for Padme and the twins, and I don’t want her punished for ultimately doing the right thing.”

“If I can have my way, there will only be a token punishment. I will meet with her Patriarch tonight to discuss it. I will offer her acceptance into the Mitth Family if she is ultimately separated from her own, but her Patriarch is one of the few sensible ones. She’ll face ostracisation at home, so we may be able to position her as having a better purpose elsewhere. Here, bring these to the Mitth homestead. Hopefully we’ll blast Thurfian’s favorite flowers.”

“I suggest a more neutral area, actually.” They all looked at Thrawn and he smiled just slightly. “I asked myself what Padme would do in this situation, and the best answer I could come up with was making sure the Families knew that these aren’t gifts, and belong to no Family. There are CEDF training fields not too far from here, correct?”

Thooraki’s look was long and measured before he nodded. “Yes. Yes. This is a good idea.”

“A very good one,” Padme added.

Obi-Wan was stroking his beard. “Will they be going up against one another, or live targets? And will they be using live ammunition?”

“They are both fully functional, but reprogrammed to use nonlethal methods. Most of their weapons are set to stun. The ones that aren’t, may be used on inanimate targets. Here, Patriarch - footage of them in action. These cannot fall into the hands of any one family - even ours.”

“Mmm … Yes, I see. This in any one Family’s hands would have the same effect as what Outbound Flight would have had.” He hesitated, raising his gaze to Thrawn’s taught face and pained eyes. “My apologies.”

“None needed.”

Still, Thrawn held the twins a little closer while they arranged to get the syndicure to the training field, and reached out on his own to hold Padme’s hand.

“I will be fine,” he murmured.

She accepted his words at face value. If he needed to talk, he would come to her later.

She didn’t remember the ride to the Mitth Family lodgings they were staying at. What she remembered was Thrawn, and the twins. She remembered their smiles and the twins’ laughter, and she remembered Thrawn’s quiet yet earnest praises of all their development. Even in the spots where they were behind, he was nothing but kind, offering encouragement and support. The twins may not have been able to fully understand him, but they certainly felt his emotions.

Merely following what the experts said, indeed.

“We should get something to eat. Patriarch, will you be joining us?”

“Unfortunately, General, I cannot. There is now too much to discover about our political enemies. I must take my leave.” Obi-Wan bowed to him before Thooraki kissed Padme’s hand, and he and Thrawn nodded to each other. “I want you all to misbehave in the best of ways. I will meet you at the training fields tomorrow. Good day.”

Obi-Wan turned to Thrawn and Padme after Thooraki had gone, and half-held his arms out. “Would you like me to take them for now, or ---”

The hiss that Luke let out made everyone draw back.

“I guess not. They have certainly learned to mimic Chiss very well.”

Thrawn’s words were soft but also satisfied. Padme pulled him down for another kiss. His lips felt wonderful against hers - moreso because he willingly kissed her back and seemed reluctant to stop.

“For all they know, they are half-Chiss. We only show them vids of you and Eli, and Eli and Obi-Wan are very clearly uncles. You, on the other hand, are absolutely Ma’ah.”

“It is odd, to be referred to as such. ‘Father,’” and he said it in Basic, “doesn’t have as much impact on me as Ma’ah. It is very interesting.”

“But do you enjoy it?”

He smiled just slightly down at her. “I believe that I do. It has been a long and tumultuous journey with you, and I now find myself both reluctant to end it, and desiring to continue it. There is still also much to learn about Leia and Luke, and how they will develop their abilities. Have they been being trained?”

Obi-Wan was ordering food in, and nodded over his shoulder. “As much as they can be, given their age. Padme and the family looked over Jedi training material and we all agreed that a great many changes need to be made, in order to raise healthy younglings in the Order. The twins meditate with me, during which time they are immersed completely in the Force. They are, of course, allowed to do whatever is safe while they’re there, but for now we’re trying a self-directed form of learning. It seems to be having positive effects.”

“Most excellent. I am proud of you two. Perhaps I may meditate with you during your next session.”

“They would enjoy that.”

“And you, Padme.” Thrawn touched her cheek with the tips of his fingers before slowly sliding them down and around until he was cupping her cheek. “How have you been?”

She sighed and led him to her bedroom. “Tired. But I have wonderful sources of strength in everyone. I’ve made a few … friendly acquaintances, as well. And Eli?”

“Regularly put through the wringer, but I suspect he enjoys the stress at this point. Thus far, he has remained physically unharmed.”

“Good. Has Palpatine had you swear your allegiance to him?” she asked as a thought occurred to her.

Thrawn’s small smile said that he had anticipated her question. “I was at the ceremony, but no. I swore no such allegiance, nor was it requested of me as an individual. It was wholly assumed.”

Padme smiled and pressed both of her hands against his chest. She pushed just a little to get him to step back, then step back again, and step back again. His back hit the wall and he was watching her with wide eyes. Clearly, he had no idea what to expect next.

Padme knew what to expect next. She slid her hands up his chest and around his shoulders, then back to his neck, drawing her fingernails through his hair, making him shudder and let out a tight groan. His head dropped down enough for a delicate kiss under his chin. He was more than willing to pick her up just slightly so they could kiss some more, and this time wasn’t averse to an open-mouthed kiss. Padme let out her own small noise of pleasure - he was out of practice, certainly, but quickly remembered how it was all done.

“Once the children are asleep,” she murmured against his lips before gently nipping at them, “I want you naked and in that bed as fast as you can get there.”

“With pleasure, madam.”

His voice was a husky whisper, and the temptation to slide his hand up her skirt and beneath her panties was almost too much. If she did that, though, she would ignore entirely both the twins fussing in the living area, as well as her own hunger. They needed to eat and get the twins settled. She wanted energy and time to rock Thrawn’s world that night, after all.

“We should go.” That husky whisper again, and Padme bit his lip a bit harder. He groaned while his eyes fluttered shut. “Bphad’mè …”

“You two miscreants get out here right now.” Obi-Wan didn’t sound amused. He banged on the door. “Right now. I can’t watch the children while you two … express your … marital affection for one another. Save it, I beg you.”

“Whoops.” Padme whispered it against Thrawn’s neck with an entirely unrepentant smile, one she kept on as she and Thrawn exited the bedroom with clasped hands. “I am so incredibly far from sorry.”

“I know.” It was said sourly, but with lips twitching with amusement. “While you two were canoodling, the food got here. I’ve dished us all up plates. Sit, sit - and keep your blasted hands to your blasted selves. I know this must be an absolutely thrilling time for you, but please, please spare me.”

Well, he hadn’t said anything about their feet. She and Thrawn bumped each other at the same time after sitting, and both covered smiles. The game continued through dinner, through Obi-Wan’s sour looks, and through holding the twins as they ate. Padme’s heart was fluttering. Thrawn wanted her. Thrawn wanted her. And she wanted him. He would insist on verbally negotiating sexual boundaries, of course - but she would gladly agree to almost anything if it meant riding him to within an inch of his life, if it meant his hands and mouth and tongue on her.

It did take longer than expected, though. Even with Thrawn and Padme laying down with them, even with Obi-Wan using the Force to soothe them, Leia and Luke actively fought sleep. They wanted to lay down on Thrawn, or squeezed up tight next to him. They cried whenever everyone thought they had nodded off and tried to get up, and only settled down when Thrawn lay down again.

Padme bit down on her frustration. The twins were a priority - they were the priority. If that meant it was a day or two before she and Thrawn could finally have sex - if it meant they couldn’t on this visit - their wants and needs must be taken care of first.

“Shh, shh, shh,” she whispered as she rubbed Luke’s back. “You’ll see Ma’ah tomorrow. He’ll still be here when you wake up. You need to sleep now, my precious little boy. You’re going to be cranky tomorrow if you don’t.”

“If I may …”

Padme nodded and Thrawn took a breath. What he did next was start singing. What he sang was an ancient Nabooian lullaby. Padme didn’t recall ever singing it around him. He must have learned it on his own. It was enough to make Padme start to nod off - the twins were asleep within moments. He finished the song to be sure, then took his time extracting himself and Padme from the bed. He carried her to the couch and set her on it, kneeling in front of her and taking both her hands in his. Obi-Wan had excused himself to his own room.

“I would like to ---”

“Renegotiate sexual boundaries. I know.”

His smile deepened as he nodded.

“Where shall we begin?”

Chapter Text

“Mmmm …”

Thrawn was attached to her side when Padme opened her eyes. She yawned and stretched a bit, but he didn’t move - he kept laying there, making small noises. She smiled when she realized they were contented noises. He was awake; he just didn’t want to move.

It was fair - neither did she. She was still exhausted by the previous night’s activities and revelations.

"It's time to get up," she finally murmured into his hair.

His breath was soft and warm against her bare skin, and his fingers trailed along her back. "Is not. We got an hour ‘fore we need t’be up."

"Oh? That's quite a while. What do you suggest we do until then?"

"I liked your interesting noises last night. Wanna see how many of them I can get you t’repeat."

"I made interesting noises last night?" Padme laughed as she pushed Thrawn over and straddled his waist. She dug her fingers into his chest and reveled in the way his body arched into her touch. "I made interesting noises last night. You were the one yelling." She swiveled her hips against his and bit his lip, her voice husky in his ear as he let out a tiny mewl. "You were the one begging. You were the one who needed a pillow to keep quiet."

He had turned his head and was biting the very same pillow, gaze blurry when his eyes weren't squeezed shut. His mouth was moving like he was trying to say something, and Padme let his nipples go for a moment to give him a chance to breathe.

"What's that?"

"Bathe," he choked out. "We should bathe."

"Now?"

"I would … I wanna perform oral sex on you again, an’---!"

Padme was out of the bed and dragging him behind her. He recovered from his initial stumble easily and then she was picked up. Her mouth was on his and he made a faint noise, and they hit a few walls before they got to the refresher. Thrawn washed her off himself and then hooked both her legs over his shoulders and held her up as he ate her out. She grasped and pulled at his hair with every single spark his tongue sent through her, and he groaned with every single tug.

It was her turn to beg. Thrawn was taking what he had learned the previous night and redoubling his efforts. He had two fingers writhing inside of her and was sucking on her and Padme was yelling in short, erratic bursts as she saw stars again and again. He wasn't going to let her go until she told him to and she couldn't tell him to, nor did she want him to, and every time he pulled back from her to check she pulled him back in and squeezed her thighs tightly around his head.

Finally, though, he eased her back to the floor and held her steady while washing her off. Padme just leaned against him for support and took gasping breaths. Somewhere, an alarm was going off.

"Now it’s time t’get up," he murmured as he shut the refresher off. He caught Padme’s hand when she reached to touch him, and kissed it when she frowned. He was limp, the delicious ridges all down his penis deflated. "’M fine. Very satisfied."

He certainly sounded out of breath and satisfied. Padme nodded as he wrapped them in a couple of towels and carried her back to the room to get ready. Still …

"Are you sure?" she asked, gesturing with one hand while the other affixed her earrings.

He gave her a small nod and a smaller smile. "Yeah. I … don’t experience arousal an’ attraction th’way many do. Pleasin’ you’s very much enough t’satisfy me." She got a kiss on the forehead as he opened the bedroom door. "I promise."

She smiled at him. "I trust you." Turning toward the dining area, she raised her voice. "Where are the babies? Are the babies hungry?"

She got giggles and squeals, and cuddled her beautiful babies close while they took turns eating. They didn't have much, but there were the remains of porridge all over the place, so she wasn't worried. Thrawn was sharing mashed fruit with Luke as Leia ate, and was absolutely entranced by the little boy. The fascination was mutual - Luke was imitating everything his father did, talking to him very intensely, waving his hands around for emphasis. Thrawn responded in kind, asking questions between bites of food and mirroring Luke's gestures.

Leia, when it was her turn, was full of questioning noises, and Thrawn was full of answers.

“Yeah, I’ll hold you two today. I’ll enjoy it, I think. Yeah, y’ll need jackets an’ perhaps blankets. It’ll be cold durin’ the droideka demonstrations. I don’t want you t’be cold. You wanna be cold? Didn’t think so. Ah, yes, an’ we gotta meet Kolmind. She’s shown great loyalty t’you, an’ must be rewarded for it. Yep, those who sought t’manipulate her’ll be dealt with - I trust that your mama’ll see to that.”

“Oh, yes,” Padme assured them. “Whoever forced Kolmind to lie is absolutely going to regret it.” She kissed Luke on the forehead. “We love Aunty Kolmind. We’ll protect her. Thrawn, when you meet her, remember to smile.”

“I’ll give her th’respect she deserves, I promise you.”

“Do not bow to her.” Her husband looked at her in mild surprise, his lips pressed against Leia’s temple and blowing soft raspberries. “I mean it. Being treated like she has rank makes her nervous and I don’t need her having another meltdown.”

"As y’please."

"Good. We need to get going. Obi-Wan, are you ready?"

"I was ready long before you two were," the Jedi said with amusement. He handed them all jackets. "Come on."

***

“You two just lost me a hefty sum.”

Ba’kif was looking irate and Thooraki was looking smug as said money changed hands. Thrawn frowned, and Padme laughed.

“Apologies for neither of us wanting to keep anyone waiting.” Squeezing Thrawn’s hand, she explained, “They were expecting us to be late because we were having sex.”

The confusion cleared up. He nodded, then carefully enunciated his words, his backwater accent almost completely disappearing. Almost. “Ah. I am not sure why my and Padme’s intimate activities would be of interest to either of you, but I dislike tardiness and you will agree that today of all days is a day to be early.”

Padme rubbed the small of his back as he pronounced her name with his native accent. It gave her the same tingles it had given her the previous night. She was going to treat him so well later for the slow build-up he was creating now, whether he knew what he was doing or not.

“He has a point,” she agreed.

“Ba’kif, are you jealous?”

“Shut up, old man,” the Supreme General snapped. “Just take your money and go away.”

“I assume you’ll explain later,” Thrawn murmured. Padme nodded and he spoke up. “Is the Syndicure here?”

“Indeed they are. Will you address them with the twins, or will the general be taking them? General Kenobi, I mean.”

Thrawn had started toward the field, but Thooraki’s amused question stopped him. He looked down at the twins in the outward-facing carrier strapped to his chest, and they looked up at him, little noses red from the cold, shoved into hats and mittens and big coats to keep them warm, and very clearly ready to scream if he tried to hand them off to someone else.

“We will all address them,” Padme decided. “Thrawn, Obi-Wan, myself, and the twins. Supreme General, Patriarch, if you will sit with the others?”

“Of course,” Ba’kif murmured. He bowed Thooraki forward.

“Are you ready?” Padme murmured.

“As ready as we’ll ever be.”

Thrawn nodded his agreement with Obi-Wan. The Syndicure had about two more seconds of peace after Thooraki and Ba’kif joined them and sat before he activated the droidekas.

They came at each other from opposite sides of the field, rolling out to within a hundred meters or so of their intended destinations before stopping, machinery screeching as they unfolded. Their three sharp legs gouged the frozen ground beneath them, holding them steady despite the slippery ice. Blue shields billowed out from their centers and they skittered toward each other, blaster fire lancing out and ricocheting off of the energy shields.

The Syndicure was in an uproar. Some were shouting to run, others were calling for platoons of warriors. Only Thooraki and Ba’kif sat still. Blaster fire sliced over the top of the Syndicure - too far up to be anything but a clear demonstration - and anyone who had been settling down was up again.

With another press of a button, Thrawn shut the droidekas down. He waited with glacial calm as the Syndicure had a conniption fit, and then spoke, the microphone that he had attached to his collar broadcasting his words for everyone to hear.

“These are older models - perhaps sixteen years old. They were at the battle for the planet Naboo, and are not yet functioning at full capacity; I had to work with limited tools to restore them this far. The Empire has billions of these; perhaps trillions. They call these ones droidekas. There are many more varieties of machines they have, called droids. The number of war droids they have, under the command of a government being quickly consolidated into a corrupt and imperialist regime, is nearly innumerable.”

Padme reached out and let Luke grab her hand. “I am from Naboo. I was queen during the battle that these two droidekas were in. I have seen the destruction that they can cause. I know the amount of lives that they can take.”

“You’re saying that your Empire will use these against us?” the Stybla Patriarch asked. “They don’t even know where we are, and won’t be able to navigate through the Chaos. And if they do, we’ll see them coming long before they get to us.”

“Not to beat a dead yubal, but you all know that the Grysk and their client species are out there. The Ascendency needs to pick one threat to neutralize, and stop ignoring both of them.”

“Mitth’raw’nuruodo has thrown his lot in with your Empire, though. He’s a rash fool, but he would never betray us. Perhaps we should ally with your Empire.”

“It is not ‘my’ Empire,” Padme retorted coldly. “Thrawn has his reasons for staying, but it is a fascist, genocidal organization headed by a power-hungry monster who will stop at nothing to obtain as much power as he can.”

“I initially joined the Republic, not the Empire,” Thrawn added calmly. “Palpatine concerned me as soon as I met him, so I stayed after his power grab. You will agree that there are times when the easiest way to get reconnaissance on an enemy is to be as close to them as possible. I will not turn against my people, but I will stay in the Empire until I am satisfied that the threat that it presents to the Ascendency is ended. But now, another demonstration of what droidekas are capable of. I assure you that all weapons used are set to stun, not kill, and ask that you keep that in mind when judging their threat level.”

Ba’kif had held back the three platoons of troops he had picked for this next demonstration, and now started to give them orders. There was scoffing amongst the Syndicure, snide comments about the number of troops being overkill against two mere alien machines. Even Thooraki was looking doubtful.

But Padme knew the carnage droidekas could cause. Thrawn knew it. And without additional air support, and despite their viciousness, the ninety Chiss warriors were going to lose this battle.

It took an hour, and the warriors fought well. Ba’kif was Supreme General for a reason. But the droidekas wiped them out, slowly but surely. The Syndicure’s overall feeling went from smug confidence to unease, then incredible unease. One of the droidekas was disabled, but the second one lasted long enough to send the last three warriors flying. There were a few moments while everyone digested the fact that two droids had taken out ninety Chiss warriors.

“... Baa?”

Everyone jerked their heads around to look at Thrawn - or, more precisely, Luke, who was tickled by the attention and kicked out gleefully.

“Baa!”

Thrawn looked down at his son for a moment. Then he looked back up. “The Empire has millions of these. There are millions more other battle droids the Emperor commands. These are merely two of them, older models at that, and as I had to ensure that no lives would be lost in this demonstration, they are not operating at full capacity.”

Leia grabbed at one of his hands and then pressed it against her face. Luke followed suit.

“The children need to be taken inside. You’ve seen vids of what droids can do, and now you’ve had a live demonstration.” Padme sighed as she tucked a blanket around her children. They were slobbering on Thrawn’s hands. “I don’t know what else I can do to convince you that Palpatine is a threat that will only grow stronger the longer he’s left to consolidate power. We will let you discuss this amongst yourselves.”

”Meet me in my office after lunch,” Thooraki told them. “Kolzinf and I have things to discuss beforehand. Kolmind will be remanded to your care while we decide what to do with her."

Thrawn was clearly pleased. "Of course. I look forward to meeting her. Until then." 

They said their goodbyes and Ba'kif gestured them to another skycar. Once they were all settled, he gave the driver directions to the security portion of the Syndicure’s complex.

Padme wiggled her fingers just out of Luke's reach. "We've done all we can. Now we need to go visit Grandma and Grandpa Naberrie." Thrawn made a surprised noise as Luke giggled. "We can't stay in the Ascendancy forever, Thrawn."

"Here is where you are the safest."

"Possibly. But I have other duties that I need to see to."

He let out a noisy breath. "We will discuss this later, if you don't mind."

She shrugged. "As you like."

She had so many people she needed to contact. Bail and Mon knew she was alive, but they had all agreed to keep quiet about it for the time being. That meant that her family and handmaidens all thought she was dead. She didn't want them believing that lie any longer than they absolutely had to. But she still hadn't decided whether or not to tell Palpatine that she was alive and try to reenter Coruscant politics. She would absolutely use the excuse that she had been injured and had been recovering - possibly in hiding from the Jedi, if she wanted to play along with the lie that the Order had betrayed the Republic. She wasn't sure she wanted to, though.

"Madame Padme!" Kolmind was climbing into the skycar and hugged Padme tightly. "I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I ruined everything for you."

"You didn't," Padme assured her firmly. "You didn't at all. No one here believes that you were anything other than blackmailed into lying. Thooraki and your own Patriarch don't believe it, either. And if they want to punish you, I'll just take you with me when we go back to the Republic." Thrawn snorted and she raised her eyebrows at him. "What? You get Eli to keep you company."

That made him bark with laughter. "Did you just call Kolmind a pet?"

"Not at all. She's an aunty. But I am going to tell Eli that you called him a pet."

"I thought we had agreed that he is, though."

Padme held Kolmind’s head against her shoulder as she waived her other hand. "Minor details. I'm still telling him."

Thrawn turned to Kolmind and held his hands out, palms up, as he bowed his head to her with a smile. "But thank you for being a companion to Padme and the twins. You have my eternal gratitude."

Kolmind giggled with embarrassment. "It was no hardship."

"Still, I had worried that Padme might not make many, if any, friends on Rentor. I'm glad that she has at least you. And you care for the children, as well."

It was said with an uncharacteristically warm note as he watched Kolmind tickle Leia's feet.

"Of course." Kolmind sounded surprised. "They're only babies. And very well-behaved ones. If I may risk speaking ill of the Chiss …" She got nods. "Well, the humans are some of the best customers I've ever served. They're always polite and gracious, and never get upset."

"It would hardly be becoming of us to be rude to our hosts," Obi-Wan told her. She shrugged, then diverted the conversation to the twins for the rest of the ride.

Chapter Text

“You’re a damn fool, Kolzinf, if you think she’ll choose to stay with the Takol family.”

“And you are a damn fool, Thooraki, if you think she won’t.”

“You have clearly not heard of the Mitth family. We are a highly prestigious ---”

“Prestigious, my ass. Not with that bloated ego of a Patriarch they have.”

“I will ignore you said that. We can offer her ---”

“We can offer her loyalty. We may only be one of the Forty, but the Takol family is loyal to its members nearly to a fault. But let us get her input.” Kolzinf kicked Thooraki’s office door fully open and beamed at them. “Kolmind, my dear. This idiot thinks to steal you away from the Takol family with promises of glittery titles and glory. I intend to keep you with us with promises of continued loyalty. And for your bravery the other day, you deserve to be a cousin at the least. You know that the Takols stand up for and care for their own, and the Mitth are … well, they’re Mitth.”

“You broke my door.”

Kolmind stared at the arguing men with wide eyes. She kept glancing between them and Padme, and when they stopped arguing for long enough, she cleared her throat and swallowed.

“I, ah … those are very kind offers, Patriarchs, and I … I’m not sure what to say ---”

“Yes,” both men said at once, then glared at each other good-naturedly.

“--- but, but I wish to stay with Madam Padme and the twins, for which I would need to be a Mitth. I also wish to stay with the Takols, because they’re the only family I’ve ever known, and Patriarch Kolzinf has been more than lenient with me. And Patriarch Thooraki, of course ---”

Kolzinf raised a calming hand. “You make very good points, my child, and I’m honored that you want to stay with our family. In all honesty, though, the Mitth are a far more prestigious family than ours. You would have more opportunities for advancement with them.”

“And you have already proven yourself worthy of the name, for your bravery in revealing this plot, and your loyalty to Padme and her children.”

“... my children, too …” Thrawn muttered.

Kolmind held Leia tightly as her gaze darted between the two elderly men. She clearly didn’t know what to do, which choice to make.

“Would the Takol family agree to assign Kolmind to us?” Everyone looked at Padme. “The children and I can’t stay in the Ascendency forever - we won’t stay here forever. I have too much to do back home in the Republic. I can’t be with the twins all the time, and Kolmind knows them, is trusted by them, is learning Basic very quickly, and judging by the way she’s threatened Thupern in the past, I’ve no doubt she would make a formidable bodyguard.”

“It would be my honor to train her in all forms of combat that I know,” Thrawn added, “and find her a suitable instructor for the rest.”

Thooraki relented. "Your dedication to your family is admirable, Kolmind. You will always have my gratitude and admiration, and I would be honored if Kolzinf and yourself would agree ---"

"Yes!" Kolmind looked down, but was nodding quickly. "Yes, please. I would like that."

"I agree. Whoever is conspiring against the humans has likely already made it impossible for you to go back to your old job. If you don't mind traveling the galaxy, I give my blessings."

"Thank you, Patriarch. Will I be able to say goodbye to my parents and brother?"

"If my parents don't see us all before I go," Thrawn said drily, "they will murder me. Of course you may see your family. Padme will be staying behind, anyway."

"I won't, actually."

Thrawn half-turned to her in surprise. "I'm sorry?"

"I'm not staying here," Padme repeated. "I feel that I've done all that I can here, and now I need to go back home, back to Naboo. We'll talk about it later." She said it firmly enough that Thrawn closed his mouth. He pressed his lips together in displeasure, but nodded. "Good. Now, if there’s nothing else the Patriarchs need from us, we should be going. The droidekas are on Thrawn’s ship?”

“Ba’kif will be taking them into custodianship, as they’re relevant to the CEDF. No one will have access to them unless absolutely needed.”

“Good. Then excuse us, Patriarchs, but we need to leave now.”

“Of course. Our aides will see you out. May warrior’s fortune smile upon you.”

“And also upon you. And may the Force be with us all.”

Kolmind was taking her new duties very seriously as they left the building. She walked into front of and slightly to the left of the group, sweeping her eyes over everyone and everything. Padme wanted to tell her that it was ok, that she needn’t be so quite vigilant. The young woman seemed to be enjoying herself, though, so she kept silent until they were in the skycar.

“I’m not staying, and you can’t stop me from leaving. We talked about it.”

“We talked about talking about it later,” Thrawn countered. “Nothing was decided. I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“What do you want me to do? Stay on Rentor forever?” He stared at her. She sighed. “I didn’t mean to snap. I’m sorry. But we both know I can’t stay here much longer. You can’t keep coming back without it being noticed, the Syndicure needs to take things into its own hands and decide which is the bigger threat from here, and I have duties to my people and Naboo. I will not betray those duties, and the longer I stay here, the closer I get to doing just that. I will go back to Naboo, with or without your blessings or cooperation.”

“I don’t wish to stop you, I wish you to think this through further. Palpatine still suspects that you, at least, survived, if not you and the twins.”

“You told him there were two?”

He shook his head adamantly. “No. I have allowed him, as I had been allowing everyone, to believe that there was only one fetus. It was not prudent to reveal the actual number.”

Kolmind booped Leia’s nose, then Luke’s in turn. “Number one. Number two. Number one. Number two. Would it be conceivable that your warship would carry a diplomat on board? It’d be a good way to get Madam Padme and the twins on board, then get them to Nae-bh’oo. What’ll General Kenobi do?”

Thrawn pursed his lips and raised an eyebrow at the humans. Padme and Obi-Wan exchanged glances.

“It would be prudent for me to keep a low profile - I myself am confirmed dead, after all. I could serve as an assistant diplomat to Padme, if we wanted to go that route. I will, of course, still … be a liaison. It just depends on how we decide that will happen.”

“I like the diplomat idea. It would at least get us easily to Naboo. Thank you, Kolmind. Any ideas on how to keep at least one of the twins a secret?”

“We should bring you aboard during ship’s night - there will be fewer witnesses then. The twins might be hidden with bulky clothing. Hopefully, they will be asleep at the time. There are vacant quarters close to mine, and only bridge crew might need to know you’re there at all.”

Obi-Wan was frowning even as he was nodding. “And how can you assure that? We will end up being noticed.”

“I do not anticipate you being on the ship at all.”

The Jedi bristled and Thrawn bristled back, and Padme waved her hand between them to break up the stand-off.

“It’s fine. We don’t need everyone on board, and if Obi-Wan is constantly coming and going, people will notice it sooner rather than later. But we can hardly just tell Palpatine that you’re bringing non-Navy personnel aboard.”

“Don’t worry about that. I have … allies … within the ISB.”

“Did you force someone to watch a Grysk battle?”

“He may have been there slightly unwillingly. It was necessary to convince him to trust me fully.”

“You brought someone to an actual battle?” Obi-Wan asked.

“It was a client species, but there were a small number of Grysk ships involved. Regardless, when we returned he was fully convinced of the Grysk threat. With what he now knows, I trust him to realize that keeping your presence from Palpatine will only work in the galaxy’s favor.”

“But he hasn’t said it.”

“Colonel Yularen has personally sworn fealty to the Emperor - his life would be in direct danger if that duplicity were found out. No, I believe that he will simply turn a blind eye to your true identity if he suspects it, unless he is given irrefutable evidence for it.”

Padme was nodding. She didn’t like the uncertainty of it, but it made sense. “I’ve met him. He seemed sincere in wanting what was best for the Republic, at the time. And what about Obi-Wan? And Kolmind? Would Yularen be able to alter Obi-Wan’s official records to change his biological profile? The last thing we need is a face or DNA scan to give him away. He’ll also need a new chain code.”

Now Thrawn had an almost proud smile playing at his lips. “New identities for the both of you are in the works. Ensign Vanto is extremely talented with numbers and coding. It won’t be difficult to add in Kolmind, as well.”

The rest of the ride to the spaceport was spent devising identities and ways to keep their true ones secret while still going about attaining their goals, but once Obi-Wan was guiding Thrawn’s ship through hyperspace, Padme unbuckled and planted herself firmly in Thrawn’s lap.

He stiffened in surprise.

“Ah, what ---”

“I will sit here if I want to,” she spoke firmly, guiding his head down to rest on her shoulder and running her fingers through his hair and along his scalp. “Kolmind, our children, please. Come here, darlings. Let Mommy and Daddy hold you.”

Kolmind was giggling with embarrassment as she handed the twins over, which was making them giggle, too. They clung to Padme and Thrawn, looking up at Thrawn with pure adoration on their chubby little faces. He seemed flustered by all the positive, loving attention he was getting. From the way he kept leaning into their touches, though, he was enjoying it.

“When was the last time you had a proper cuddle?” Padme asked in Basic.

“This morning,” he mumbled against her collarbone.

She laughed. “Before you got back, I mean.”

“Ensign Vanto will not cuddle with me because I am married and significantly outrank him; therefore, the last night with you and the twins on the Vigilant.”

Having her words directed back at her had Padme snorting with laughter. “Oh, you poor thing.”

“I know. He advises that I could use a good cuddle, now and then.”

“He wants to cuddle you.”

“Doubtful.”

“I know a crush when I see one. Kolmind, what are we talking about?”

“True,” the young woman said in very stilted, very accented Basic, “I bought … attention … none. I bought no attention?”

“Honestly, I wasn’t paying attention.” Thrawn’s quiet correction was met with a dipped head, and he smiled faintly. “You are learning well.”

“Many thanks.”

Padme wasn't sure how Thrawn wasn't nodding off. She certainly was. He was back and safe, her babies were safe, and she was going home. She probably wouldn't be able to stay there, she knew, but she would be in a better place to determine the condition the galaxy was in and plan from there. Importantly, her family would know that she was alive. They would get to meet the twins. She would finally know exactly what had happened to Anakin, without concerned people trying to shield her from it.

Anakin … there was pain, there, an agonizing and fiery pain, crushing her limbs and organs, a fury she had never thought possible crashing over her like a tidal wave. The sheer level of hatred and self-loathing threatened to choke her. There was also searching, an endless, desperate search for the wife he had lost, the wife he still adored, even above his burning hatred for Thrawn ---

“Ani!”

There were hands on her, there was frantic talking, there was calm talking, there was the pressure of being bound by something she struggled against, there was a sudden calm numbness in her mind. The formerly unbearable pressure turned out to be Thrawn’s arms around her. The tips of Obi-Wan’s fingers were on her temple. Kolmind was holding the crying twins.

She looked up at the two men with a sudden, horrible realization of what it had all meant.

“Anakin is alive. He’s looking for me.”

Obi-Wan shook his head. “What? No. No, Padme, I saw him executed.”

“He is alive,” she insisted. “He is alive, and he is looking for me. How is he alive?”

“Padme, that’s simply not ---”

“He’s alive!” she yelled. “He’s looking for me, and he hates Thrawn!” There was a subtle, sudden shift in the man’s muscles. She craned her neck to look at him. “You know what happened to him.”

“A slight suspicion only.” He returned her gaze evenly. “This is only a suspicion. Do you understand? I know nothing for sure.” Padme nodded. He let out a slow breath. “However, the Emperor has someone with him, at times. He wears a mechanical suit - I have been assuming it to be a life-support suit of some kind. I believe, from the information I have gathered, that he hunts the remains of the Jedi. He would need Force powers to do so. I wish for General Kenobi to verify his identity, if he can.”

“Anakin may be alive? I saw …” Obi-Wan sighed and lowered his head. “I thought I saw him executed. It was broadcast … But I wasn’t there personally. I couldn’t be. You and the twins were always my priority. But while you made your escape, he was wounded so badly I thought that he would surely die from his injuries.” He rubbed his hand down his face. “I was a fool to not do a more thorough check.”

“If this is General Skywalker, and not simply a nightmare, then keeping his identity a secret would be very important to the Emperor. We will do our utmost to confirm or deny this; however, it puts you at far more risk if you leave the Ascendancy, Padme.”

“The Ascendancy and I both are at risk if I stay. It was no nightmare - it was real. I felt him searching for me. And if he can find me in my dreams, he can find me on Rentor. I can no longer stay anywhere for a significant amount of time.”

“Then we should proceed as if this man is Anakin. Padme, was he searching for just you, or you and the twins?”

Now she had a headache, and rubbed her temples. “Just me. But he knew I was pregnant, right? I was very clearly pregnant when he attacked us.”

“However,” Obi-Wan mused, “he wasn’t in the right state of mind to necessarily recognize that. He may not know, or he may be assuming the child was Thrawn’s, as everyone else has been assuming. What of Palpatine? Does he know the truth of them?”

“Not to my knowledge. So far as I know, he knows that Padme was pregnant with one child, and that both she and that child are dead. He has certainly reminded me of that enough.” Thrawn held one finger to his lips as his brows furrowed in thought.

“My duty is to protect Madam Padme and the twins.” Everyone looked at Kolmind. She swallowed sharply, but held her head up high. “Therefore, my input is valid. Correct?”

Padme nodded. “Go on.”

“If this General Skywalker is the twins’ father - which means they have started masking so as to look like Thrawn, who they know as their father - then this Emperor would, by his very cruel nature, taunt the general with the fact that he lost a child, correct?”

“He would,” Thrawn murmured. “I, however, am the only one he directs those comments to. With this new apprentice of his, he merely points out - often - that General Skywalker was responsible for Padme’s death.”

“So he thinks the child was yours, and is tormenting you for losing a wife and child, and this general for losing a wife - who was pregnant with another man’s child. Is anyone really that cruel?”

“Yes.” Thrawn’s response was quiet, but firm. “Yes. Palpatine is absolutely that cruel. General, Padme - are either of you familiar with something called Project Stardust?” They shook their heads. “I see. It is something worth looking into. It appears to be taking up a great many of the Empire’s resources, and that is never a good sign.”

“I will look into it,” Obi-Wan promised. The hyperspace warning rang out and he turned back toward the pilot’s area. “Everyone buckle in,” he called over his shoulder. “A big storm has hit; landing will be shaky.”

“The ice cities will be south enough for a visit,” Thrawn murmured as he disentangled himself from Padme. “I wish to show you them. We have the time, if we keep the visit brief.”

“Well, I wish to hear nothing but your real accent,” Padme told him. She let Kolmind make sure she was tightly strapped in.

“No.”

“No one will notice.”

“I have spent too long correcting my accent to go about speaking like ---”

He cut himself off and looked to the side. Kolmind laughed.

“A backwater hick?”

“... I would not put it like that.” He cleared his throat. “I will save my native accent for you, and only you, Bhad’me.”

“I accept your most generous offer.”

“Thrawn,” Obi-Wan called, “this new apprentice of Palpatine’s - what is he called?”

“Vader. Darth Vader.”

Chapter Text

“Can you land in this?” Padme called over the shuddering of the shuttle and the crying of the twins. Obi-Wan’s ‘big storm’ was huge; without the Force - and possibly even with the Force - they were going to be snowed in in a matter of minutes after landing.

“Easily,” Obi-Wan called back. Softer, not meant for anyone else’s ears, “Probably.”

“That isn’t comforting!” She looked over to where Thrawn was strapped in next to her. The twins were between them, and they both had their hands on one. He looked entirely unperturbed, but that hardly meant anything. “Is this a normal winter storm?”

“I have never been in a storm while in the atmosphere,” he replied, “but from the weather reports, yes. Leia, you must stay calm. I know that this situation is frightening for you and Luke, but we cannot hold you right now.”

It didn’t seem that strong once they were lower, skimming above the fields as closely as possible. They were also headed mostly in the same direction of the storm.

“We’re at the far field,” Obi-Wan finally said over his shoulder. “Won’t be long, now.”

“This ride service is terrible,” Padme yelped as they hit a rough patch. “Remind me to never hire this pilot again.”

“You’re free to get out of the Chaos all on your own, my lady. I don’t recommend it, though.”

“Thrawn, he just threatened to leave me behind!”

She got a patient look, but he played along. “I will discipline him later, though here is where I would prefer you be. Kolmind - ah!” The shuttle had jumped enough that he’d hit his head on the bulkhead above him, and he scowled as that got a giggle from Leia. “Kolmind, we begin training as soon as we land.”

“Would you like to confirm that with Madam Padme?” she drawled. Thrawn blinked. “For someone who so clearly wants you,” she told Padme, “he sure is clueless.”

“... Ah. Yes. Tomorrow, then, if my honored wife agrees to allow it.”

“Tomorrow is fine. Obi-Wan!” The shuttle had tipped sideways. “Would you mind not crashing? Hey!”

The shuttle had tipped sideways once again, but as it righted, there was a gentle thud and the pressurized hiss of the landing gear. The Jedi looked a bit sheepish when he made his way back to them.

“Terribly sorry about that. Didn’t have time to warn you. Blasted storm’s bigger than I had expected.” Almost in unison, the twins threw up. He sighed. “I will clean that.”

Padme herself was feeling somewhat nauseous. She leaned against Thrawn and took shallow breaths with her eyes closed until the landing hatch was down. Obi-Wan had landed the shuttle almost on the Kivus’ front porch - it was a chilly, yet fairly quick walk to the warm house. Everyone got hugs, and as Vukara went to get some anti-nausea medicine, Vuwetuo commandeered the twins and plopped them into the double sink in the kitchen, filling it up with warm water. Kolmind went to get some bubble bath and a couple of toys, and Padme had Thrawn bend down so she could examine his head and give it the occasional kiss to make it feel better.

“Daaaaaa!”

She smiled. “Mm? That’s me. I’m Da’ah.”

“Daaaaaa!” Luke hit his hands on the water, his tone demanding.

“Oh, I see. You want Ma’ah and Da’ah to play with you? Look, Aunty Kolmind brought your whisker cubs. Arr rawr rawr, they’re going to eat you!”

Once she and Thrawn were at the sink, playing with the twins and their toys, the two settled down. No, they didn’t settle down at all - they got even more rambunctious, but exuded happiness, rather than distress. They didn’t even want to stop playing for mealtime; they sat in the same sink, leaned forward, and hardly suckled at all. They kept getting distracted.

Padme finally pulled back and put herself away. “That’s quite enough for now. The babies don’t get to graze on Da’ah. We’ll try again later. No, no more. I don’t care how much you whine - you can’t have more until later. Right now you have to bathe.”

That was how Thrawn ended up behind her, one pinky in each twin’s mouth, with his chin resting on the top of her head. Playing with his hands let Padme finish washing them off, and by that time someone had left a couple of large, warm towels for them. Four, in fact - Padme and Thrawn were soaked down the front, and wiped themselves off gladly before Thrawn took both twins.

“Now, you must get ready to sleep. Yes, towels are fun. But you must sleep soon. We will get dressed for the night, then you may eat, then you must sleep. It is imperative that warriors be fully rested, and you two have had a long day. Why are you fussing? Do you not wish to lay down?”

Padme smiled as she watched him very carefully towel the twins off and try to dress them in warm pajamas. They were worn out and cranky now. They couldn’t express what they wanted yet, so they just cried in frustration.

Thrawn’s patience was never-ending. He nodded and held Leia tightly to him with one arm while he worked with Luke. His words were soft and soothing.

“Tonight we will all rest. Your grandparents have probably already laid out the bed in the living room. Warmth piles are, as their name suggests, very warm. You will not be cold with all of us there with you. You may sleep with whomever you wish.”

“Warmth pile, hmm?”

He looked up at her with faintly raised eyebrows. “Yes. Did no one tell you about them?”

“Oh, your parents told me about them. I simply didn’t think that you would want to have one.”

“Power’s likely to go out.” He made a slight face as his native accent started to creep in. “If the power goes out, we’ll need the warmth. Besides, I am in no mood to argue with my parents, and they prefer warmth piles. We had them all the time when I was younger, the four of us. Three of us. The three of us.”

Pain had slashed its way across his face and Padme wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her forehead against his shoulder blades. He made no more comment; he used Luke and Leia’s brief moment of confusion to finish dressing Leia, then held them both while Padme changed. She sat on the bed to start feeding them while he himself changed, and watched the lines of his body.

“If we’re in a warmth pile, what am I to do when I wake up in the middle of the night and require your husbandly affection?”

She laughed when he stumbled a bit and looked at her with wide eyes.

“Is it not a valid question?”

“If we sleep on the outside,” he reasoned cautiously, not sure if she was joking, “we may leave and come back with minimal disturbance, if you wish.”

“I actually just wanted to make you blush.”

“You accomplished your objective.”

Padme laughed again. “Good. Here, take her - be careful, they’re both more bitey than usual. Your parents say they should be teething soon.”

He took Leia with a frown and held her at arm’s-length. “How much do they normally bite?”

“Not much. Normally it doesn’t hurt, but with teeth coming in … It may be time to start weaning them.”

“Especially if you’re gonna be traveling now. Six months is a good amount of time to 'sclusively breastfeed. You want solid foods? I’ll have your grandparents make me something that you can digest. Shall we eat together?”

“You’re going to need an actual bath if you do that.”

He gave her a small smile. “Would you object to that?”

She shook her head as he finally held Leia close, sure she wasn’t going to start chewing on him. “No. No, I wouldn’t.”

They both jumped at a sudden thump on the door. “Dinner is ready,” Kolmind called. “I have been instructed to tell you to stop making out and to come eat.”

“We were doing no such thing,” was Thrawn’s response as he opened the bedroom door. Kolmind didn’t look like she believed him. “Padme has suggested she start attempting to wean the twins; will you please ask my parents if there’s anything they can try to eat?”

“Of course!”

She trotted off, humming a bit to herself. Padme and Thrawn followed, and there was plain porridge waiting for the twins in front of their high chairs. They looked from the porridge to Padme like they knew what was about to happen, and didn’t look happy about it.

“What?” she asked them as she and Thrawn strapped them in. “What? Why those looks? Don’t you want to eat like Da’ah and Ma’ah? Look, we’re going to eat it, too. Yummy!”

Leia closed her eyes and turned her face away from the offered spoon. Luke hesitated, unsure, then followed his sister’s example. Padme blew a raspberry on his cheek and he giggled. They were enraptured at the sight of Thrawn eating, however, and he made good use of their attention to model how to eat, and inform them how good the porridge was. They were shoving his porridge-covered fingers into their mouths by the time dinner was over. They did spit the porridge out more often than not, but at least they were trying it.

“They love you so much.”

Padme made the comment as they were washing off for the second time. This time, the twins were tired enough to not protest. Thrawn looked faintly surprised.

“They hardly know me.”

“We play them all the vids Eli sends us. They know them by heart.”

“They don’t have the ---”

“They know them by heart. They know what time we usually play them, too, and they get upset if we’re late in showing them.”

“Mm. Perhaps.”

“Senior Captain Mitth’raw’nuruodo, do not ‘perhaps’ me.” Padme pressed herself against him and smiled playfully. “I can ‘perhaps’ you right to the other side of the warmth pile.”

“I have ample evidence to suggest you won’t do that.”

Vukara threw a pillow at them. “Less flirting, more sleeping. Kenobi can clear the way for us to get the skycar out tomorrow, and we’ll go see the floating ice cities. The Festival of the Heart is this week - Raw came back just in time for it.”

Thrawn’s voice was a tad smug as he settled the twins into soft sleep nests, the sides structured, and small enough to let them sleep safely with the adults.

“I know.”

Obi-Wan declined joining them. He was clearly uncomfortable being in that intimate a setting with people, and no one tried to convince him otherwise. He did bring his own blankets out so he could sleep in the living room with them, though, and settled on the couch.

“It would be my night with the twins. We rotate who they sleep with every night,” he explained when Thrawn, curled up behind Padme, who was curled around Kolmind, looked over his shoulder with raised eyebrows. “They enjoy it. We all enjoy it.”

“So long as you are comfortable and with the family,” was her husband’s reply, interrupted by a soft yawn. It got two softer, smaller yawns as the lights went out and the backup generator hummed to life.

***

“Padme, wake up. Kolmind, wake up. You took my blanket and my wife, and I would like at least one of them back.”

Kolmind was giving Padme the same bleary look that Padme was giving her when they opened their eyes. They were curled up with one another under the big, fluffy blanket, foreheads pressed together, hands clasped between them. It took all of Padme’s energy to turn her head to look at Thrawn.

Everyone but the two of them, it seemed, was up and dressed. The main power was still out, and through the kitchen doorway, Padme could see Obi-Wan playing with the twins as he got them to eat some oatmeal, using the Force to keep blobs of it away from their grasping hands. They squealed every time they got a bit and shoved it into their mouths to keep him from taking it back. Kolmind was entranced by the spectacle.

She was expecting them to abandon their game when they saw that their primary food source was available, but they just giggled and reached out like they were trying to show her what was going on. Thrawn offered her his robe - still warm and smelling faintly of him - and she pulled it around her as she padded over to her children.

She kissed their foreheads with a smile. “Oh, are you eating? Is it yummy, now that it’s a game?”

“That’s very good of you,” Thrawn added. He hovered his fingers gently at the small of her back, and pressed them more solidly against her when she leaned toward him. “Eating should be a pleasurable experience.” He reached out and gently smoothed Luke’s hair down. He got a miffed squeal for his efforts; he had inadvertently blocked the boy’s grab for some porridge. “My apologies.” He offered his porridge-covered finger, and Luke pouted at him even as he grabbed it and started sucking on it. “What? I already apologized. I’m sorry.”

Vuwetuo stepped around them and started wiping the twins off, ignoring their indignant shrieks. “Time for the rest of your breakfast. Padme can’t feed you in the skycar. You two sit down - I’ll bring you your breakfast. Raw, make yourself useful and feed Padme while she’s feeding the twins. We want to go before the storm picks back up.”

“Yes, honored mother.”

“Yes, Da’ah.” Padme took Thrawn’s hand and led him to the couch, each of them holding a twin. The nursing pillow for the twins to lay on was already there, and she couldn’t believe that she’d ever thought she’d nurse one baby - much less two - without an entire family to help. It didn’t seem possible.

“If I sit in the corner, then you can lean against me, the pillow will go over our laps, and the twins will go on the pillow?” Thrawn guessed. Padme nodded as they got settled. Thrawn helped her get the twins latched, and then gently cupped their heads and stroked their temples as they ate. “Marvelous,” he murmured. “Very good. Before your tragic demise,” he went on conversationally, "I was inundated with advice on how to parent by my fellow crewmembers. For some reason, no one seemed to think I would make reasonable parenting choices on my own.”

“Oh?” Padme took a nibble of offered food. “I can’t imagine why they would think that.”

“I don’t come across as very paternal. Don’t really come across as any sort of parental. Which I s’pose I’m not.” He hummed a little under his breath. “But they acted like I wouldn’t care or want to participate in rearing the child.”

“How often did you get into fights about that?”

“I started to ignore them. Ensign Vanto took over answering them after a while.”

“I see."

"Many said that I should have matching outfits with them."

Padme laughed as she leaned her head back against his shoulder. "That would be adorable. You and them, all in CEDF uniforms. How wonderful that would be."

"Then I shall endeavor to make it a reality for you." Thrawn rested his cheek against the top of her head. "You truly wish to leave Rentor?"

"I have to. I'm needed in the Republic."

"I may not be able to come see you."

"We will figure it out. The safety of the galaxy comes before our personal wishes."

She got a sigh. "Perhaps you could stay aboard the ship with me - under an assumed name, of course. Your diplomatic abilities would serve us well in preventing battles from breaking out."

"You want the twins on a warship?"

He sighed again. "No, but that is where we would both be effective, and I am reluctant to leave them without either of us, this young."

Obi-Wan came in with two sets of matching baby outfits, a frown on his face as he pondered each one.

"The twins mask very well. People are also under the assumption that Padme is dead. They might believe having a small delegation of Chiss on board, if Padme doesn't mind wearing some prosthetics. Albinism happens in Chiss, as well, and any questions about her appearance can be blamed on that. Here, wear these today."

Padme rolled her eyes. "It is a warship, Obi-Wan."

"I have outfits for the two of you, as well." Said outfits - matching the twins' - were passed over. "A warship that will take you many useful places, and to many useful people."

"I also have allies who will ensure your identities remain undiscovered. At least let us take you to Naboo."

She sat up and handed the twins off to Obi-Wan to burp and dress. "Fine. You can take us to Naboo."

"I will go wherever you go, Madame Padme," Kolmind swore. "And right now that needs to be to the skycar. You two go get dressed."

Padme laughed and kissed her cheek. "Of course."

Chapter Text

It took four hours to drive to the province's northern coast, and another three on a ferry to reach the floating cities. Padme hadn't known quite what to expect when she had been told about Rentor's floating cities, just that they were built on icebergs. She hadn't expected them to be built from icebergs. She hadn't expected the icebergs to be the size of small continents in and of themselves.

Thrawn caught her arm when she instinctively stepped back toward the ferry.

"They're fully stabilized w’modern tech," he assured her. "Got plenty of safety features in th’ case of an emergency."

The buildings were as sleek and serpentine as Chiss warships were. Padme stared up with her jaw open. The twins were fascinated by all the blinking, festive lights around them, and completely unaware that absolutely nothing was tethering them to the planet, that if the ice capsized …

"Look! Ice food!"

"It's the same food we got at home, just with 'ice' before it," Thrawn called as Kolmind darted toward a food stand. "Da'ah made that yesterday." He shook his head slightly when he was ignored.

Padme kept her laughter to herself. Knowingly or not, his hand had slid from her upper arm to her own hand, holding it warmly as they walked, and she wasn't in a hurry for him to take it back. She leaned slightly into him.

“Is it always this festive?”

He tilted his head as he thought. “Yeah, I think. The ice cities are largely tourist destinations, an’ it ain’t often cold enough for them t’get this far south. Still, there’s a holiday this week.”

“Oh? Which holiday?” Padme ran down the list of the main Chiss holidays she knew, but couldn’t remember any happening during this time of year.

Thrawn was leaning over a stall and examining some decorations. “Roughly translated, the Festival of th’ Heart. It’s fairly popular amongst couples, t’show appreciation to one another.” He pulled back suddenly, free hand covering Luke’s. “No candy. Y’re too young.”

The boy fussed until Thrawn pulled his little hood all the way over his head, then giggled and pushed it back. They played the game for a few minutes as Thrawn and Padme walked along the pedestrian street and looked at the various wares on sale. There were games, too, and Padme stopped to look at a stuffed whisker cub that was half her size.

“I love this,” she decided, pointing. “I want it.”

Thrawn gave her a frown. “It’s a kid’s toy.”

“It’s a stuffed animal,” Padme corrected him, “and I want to cuddle with it when you’re gone. Will you win it for me?” She bat her eyelashes up at him with her sweetest smile. “Please?”

After taking a moment to watch another player, Thrawn nodded. “Yeah, fine. Even takin’ into consideration th’subtle handicaps built into th’game, should be easy. Can I have my hand back?”

It was ridiculous to be so excited over a stuffed animal that she laughed out loud and clapped, but laugh and clap Padme did. The goal was to pop a set amount of balloons with darts, and of course the tips were too dull to do much other than glance off the only partially-inflated balloons. Thrawn was carefully planning his attack, though, and if anyone could beat the ridiculous, clearly-rigged game, he could.

He carefully paced from one end of the stall to the other with narrow eyes. He was looking for any area of weakness, and when he stopped, having apparently found one, Padme bit her lip and held her breath. Money and darts changed hands. Thrawn aimed, hesitated, aimed again, then handed the twins over to Padme before taking his position up again. His face was the picture of stoic determination, and just when Padme was about to start teasing him about how long he was taking for a silly game, his hand flashed out almost quicker than she could follow it, and the immediate popping of balloons made her jump. Then he gave both her and the stall employee a tight, satisfied smile.

“We’ll take th’whisker cub.”

The employee nodded. Their eyes were wide and their hands shook just a tad as they unhooked the prize. Thrawn had managed to somehow pop more than one balloon with almost every dart. Padme took her new toy with an excited giggle and snuggled up to Thrawn’s side. She kissed the toy’s head.

“I love her. I will name her Custard. Thank you.”

“Cust …?” He sighed and took the twins back. “... Sure. A’aight. Ma’ah and Da’ah booked a couple of rooms for the next few days. Do you wanna check in and put … your prize … awa---”

“No!” Padme frowned up at him indignantly as she held the fluffy, stuffed feline close. “I want to keep her with me.”

Thrawn was giving her a pained look. “It … it’d be easier if ---”

“I want to keep her with me.”

His shoulders slumped a little as he gave in. “A’aight. Fine. What now?”

A burst of frigid wind had sent Padme scurrying under his cloak. She beamed up at him as he wrapped the edges around her. The twins were giggling and giving her slobbery attempts at kisses.

“Inside’ll be warmer,” he murmured as Padme stood on her toes to get a kiss.

She nodded. “There’s an art gallery three stores down.”

“Why didn’t you say so sooner?”

She almost had to run to keep up with his long, eager strides, and laughed breathlessly. “Because we’re going to be in here for three hours, and I wanted my whisker cub first.”

It was a very small art gallery, small and cramped and a little musty. Padme sat at a decorative table by the door and watched Thrawn and the twins wander. He seemed oblivious to them waving their hands up at him for a few minutes, but once they got his attention, he immediately started telling them about the art. He used their hands to gesture and point, and was clearly asking questions and taking their babbled answers seriously. They especially loved all the displays that were reflective enough to see themselves in.

The door chimed as it opened.

“Ah, there you are.” Vukara sat across from her and craned his neck to watch his son and grandchildren for a moment. “Vuwetuo and I have dinner reservations tonight and won’t be back until late. She wants to see the River of Lights. You and Raw’ve got your own reservations tonight at another restaurant. They were originally for you and your brother, but fortuitously, Raw showed up just in time.”

“Oh. Well, thank you. What’s Obi-Wan to do now, though?”

She got a faint smile. “He has the financial goodwill of the Mitth Patriarch at his disposal. He’ll do whatever he wants.”

“I don’t want him to be lonely,” Padme pressed.

Vukara laughed as he stood up; Thrawn had noticed him and wandered over. “If he didn’t want to be lonely today, he should have accepted Thooraki’s offer of a match. Raw, I sent your dinner reservations to you and Padme both. Give the twins to me - I’ll pass them to Obi-Wan and Kolmind for the night.”

“Why d’they need to take them?” Thrawn was unlatching the twins’ harness, though.

“Because you and Padme will want alone time tonight, I suspect, it being the Festival of the Heart and all. Do you want sugar?” That was asked to the twins, who weren’t liking being transferred to their grandfather. “I’ll give you all the sugar you want, then give you to your uncle. Have fun, you two.”

“He’s got no more right to lecture me on spendin’ time w’my children after this,” Thrawn grumbled.

Padme laughed. “Buy some art holos. You’ll feel better. You’ll spend plenty of time with them on the way to Naboo.”

“Yeah,” he mused as he turned to the cashier. “I s’ppose I will.”

“Good!” She pat his rear and he jumped a little before pursing his lips. It made her laugh again. “What should we do next?”

He shrugged. “Don’t much care. There are street musicians, though, further down.”

She took his hand as they left the art gallery, and squeezed it. “Will you dance with me?”

“I dunno how to dance.”

“You just move with the rhythm.”

She was looking around, something niggling at the back of her mind. There were a lot of couples, and sometimes groups of three or more, out and about. There was a definite theme of romance in the festivities and decorations, as well. It was more than simple appreciation.

“A picture for the loving couple?”

Thrawn, who had been about to say something, closed his mouth and turned immediately toward the speaker. The Chiss who had spoken had caricature portraits surrounding them, but their welcoming smile faded when they saw Padme.

“Yes,” Thrawn said firmly. “Please.”

The artist’s eyes had widened and their mouth had dropped open a bit, and they looked very, very concerned. “Are … are you alright? You don’t look … very well.”

“What d’ya mean?” Thrawn turned and held Padme at arm’s length. He looked her up and down with a frown. “She looks fine. What’re your prices?”

As if he would care what the cost of the art would be. Padme laughed. “I’m fine,” she told them both. To the artist, who was looking increasingly nervous, “I’m not Chiss, is all. Thank you for your concern.”

“Oh. Well, that’s good. Actually, I …” Whatever they were about to say was interrupted by the number of credits Thrawn entered into their portable register. Then they cleared their throat, straightened, and beamed. “Well, thank you, sir! Please, sit, sit! Ma’am, if. You. Will. Sit. Right---”

“No need to speak so slowly,” Padme assured them. “Or loudly. I can hear and understand you just fine.”

“Oh, my apologies. Of course. Just, ah, sit right here …”

After they had been arranged on two chairs, Thrawn reached down and pulled Padme’s as close to his as it would go. He put his hands on her shoulders and rested his cheek against her temple, and Padme felt him smile slightly.

“Do they have a problem with you being human?” he asked in Basic.

“Yes,” she replied, rolling her eyes up and to the side to try to look at him. “Please be nice.”

“I suspected as much. I will be polite; this would have given even myself pause, a year ago.”

“But not now?” she asked teasingly.

“No. Not now.”

“Oh, I see. What happened between then and now?”

“I was pressured into marrying a human, who was very rude to me when all I wanted to do was look at art. Such disrespectful beings, humans.”

Padme gasped with laughter. “Those were extenuating circumstances,” she claimed. “I had no idea if I could trust you or not.”

“I am extremely trustable.”

“You can’t just do nothing and expect people to trust you. They need proof.”

“My word is my guarantee.”

She reached back and dug her fingers into his ribs, and he snorted and twisted away from her.

“Your word can only be a guarantee if people know you, which I didn’t.”

“And yet,” her ridiculous husband pointed out smugly, “you trusted me regardless.”

“Because you ended up giving me good reasons to trust you, you silly thing.”

“Are you aware that you smell very good?”

That had Padme laughing and pulling away to give him an incredulous look.

“I what?”

“You smell very good,” Thrawn repeated. “You have a natural scent to you that is quite enjoyable. My sense of smell is superior to yours,” he reminded her.

Padme settled back against him, still laughing. “Well, I’m glad. What do I smell like?”

“Like you. Very distinctly you. It’s … enticing. Comforting.”

Nobody had ever complimented her natural scent before. If Thrawn was picking up on pheromones that he liked, though, who was Padme to deny him? The drawing had been finished by then and they thanked and complimented the poor, confused artist before going on their way. Padme started hopping up every few steps to let Thrawn smell her, and he eventually wrapped both arms tightly around her to keep her still and buried his nose in her hair as she laughed.

“Stop that,” he mumbled.

“But you like how I smell,” she told him innocently, rubbing her head against his nose.

“Stop that.”

He straightened and there was a smile fighting at his lips when she leaned her head back and looked up at him. He wasn’t meeting her gaze, and his nostrils were a bit flared. And, pressing against the small of her back …

Oh, he really liked how she smelled. Padme nearly choked on her laughter and finally settled down. She smoothed her hair down and bounced her whisker cub in her arms.

“This thing is huge; it covers almost everything. Want it?” she asked lightly.

“My cloak will suffice,” he breathed. He swallowed, then cleared his throat. “I will … get us something to drink. Stay here.”

He left her standing by herself in the middle of the walkway, but to be fair, she deserved it. She was glad Vukara had taken the twins, and speaking of Vukara …

He answered his questis on the second ring. “Are you alright?”

“Oh, yes,” she told him smugly. “Just tormenting your vacuum-brained son. A vacuum-brained son who told me that this holiday, the Festival of the Heart? He told me it was for couples to show appreciation to one another.” She looked around. “It seems a little more … feelings -oriented than that.”

Vukara groaned and rubbed his eyes. “Your son,” he said to Vuwetuo, who was off-screen, “is an idiot.”

“I know,” was the reply. “What did he do now?”

“The Festival of the Heart, or Time of the Heart, is a very romantic holiday, that’s specifically to celebrate love and romance between partners.” Vukara frowned. “‘Heart’ in this use has the connotation of being a deeper, almost spiritual form of love. Something that will last after death. If I say that Vuwetuo is my love ---”

“Which I am.”

“--- which she is, she’s my love, my partner, but it can be for a limited amount of time. But if I say she is my heart ---”

“Which I am.”

“--- which she also is, it means that I consider our love to be eternal. More than eternal.”

Padme blinked at him. “... Does Thrawn know this?”

“... We thought he did. Let us talk to him.”

He had come back with steaming hot drinks, and Padme passed the questis over as she took hers. “Your parents want to talk to you.”

His brow furrowed as he took the device. “Is everything a’aight? … Yeah, I know what it’s about. What’re you talkin’ about? No, ‘course I ---”

Padme held Custard up to cover her face as he walked out of earshot to get yelled at by his parents. She hadn’t meant to get him in trouble. She promised herself she would make it up to him that night. When it came to married life and fatherhood, a good deal of how he behaved was taken right out of informative texts on the subjects. It was entirely likely that he had arranged to come home for the festival because it was What Couples Did, and that any deeper meaning that she herself may have attributed to it had been lost on him.

Which … well, honestly, it hurt to think that he might not have actually wanted to spend time with her during a time specifically for couples. He clearly enjoyed fatherhood, but did he enjoy marriage? Did he enjoy marriage to her?

They hadn’t exactly had the time to figure that out, though, had they? Nothing about their relationship was normal. They wouldn’t have even thought twice about each other if not for Palpatine’s scheming. It was ---

“Padme!”

Kolmind hit her hard enough to send Custard flying out of her hands, laughing as they spun around. Padme yelped in surprise.

“Dance with me!”

“Wait, my ---”

Obi-Wan was off to the side, holding Custard and the twins both.

“Dance with me!”

A roaming musical group had stopped, and seeing as her husband was occupied and her stuffed animal was safe, Padme let Kolmind pull her in front of them and take her hands, spinning each other around as they laughed. There was only the slightest flub in the music when Padme’s hood came off, revealing her to be an alien - other than that, though, she and Kolmind had fun spin dancing, and she was out of breath by the time the group moved on.

“Oh, it’s so cute! Did Uncle Obi-Wan win this for you?”

“No,” Padme corrected as she took Custard from Kolmind, who had been talking to the twins, “Thrawn won her for me. Her name is Custard.”

“Oh, I see.” Kolmind’s smile turned into an impish grin. “Showed you how strong and manly he is, did he?”

“He will tonight,” Padme told her with wiggled eyebrows.

The two women burst into giggles until Thrawn, who had been talking with Obi-Wan and covering the twins’ faces one after the other, walked over to them.

“C’n I speak w’Padme, please?” He ignored Kolmind’s suggestive and childish ‘ooooooh’ as she left them alone, and gestured Padme to some seating. He sat after she was comfortable, then took a moment to collect his thoughts, staring off at the twins. “It’s been suggested I might’ve misled you, in ways, ‘bout the festival. I thought you’d appreciate the cities an’ th’outing, regardless of deeper meanin’, but I been ordered to apologize for the deception on my part.”

“Are you sorry?”

He blinked. “I should’ve explained the festival’s meanin’ in more detail, an’ let you decide if you wanted t’accompany me to it.”

Padme was quiet for a moment, then sighed. “Do you like being married to me?”

That got her a surprised look. “‘Course. I’ve said so several times. We complement each other well.”

“Are you ashamed to hold my hand in public?”

He was shaking his head. “‘Course not. Can’t do it in uniform, of course, but I ain’t afraid or ashamed to be seen w’you as y’husband.”

“Does my teasing bother you?”

“It … it’s new.” Thrawn gave her a faint smile. “I’m not used to it. I suppose I might wanna get used to it.”

“You’re really awkward when it comes to talking about emotions, you know that?” Padme reached her hand across the table and was gratified when Thrawn met her halfway with his. She got another faint smile and a self-conscious shrug.

“You wouldn’t be here if you had had the choice. Not w’me, at least.”

She squeezed his hand. “I’m alive because of you. The twins are alive because of you. I don’t know that that would have been the case if you hadn’t followed me home.”

That got her a frown. “I did no such thing.”

“I think you thought I was pretty, and you followed me home.”

She was smiling, and he gave her yet another faint smile in return. “Well. I do admit that the possibility of meetin’ you again was a bonus t’comin’ t’the Republic.”

Padme laughed. “You loved me from the start. I knew it.”

“I ---”

Pushing herself up and leaning over the table, she whispered in his ear, “Thrawn.”

“What?” he whispered back.

“I want your penis in me.” Then she pulled back and watched with a smug smile as his brain short-circuited. “We have time before dinner to check into the hotel and, with your consent, have sex on at least five different surfaces before we have to get ready.”

“You are vulgar,” he told her shortly as he stood. “But also correct.”

Padme just laughed as they linked hands and headed toward their hotel.

Chapter Text

They managed six surfaces and to only be five minutes late to their reservations. Thrawn could hold her up - with one arm, at that - while they fucked, and it wouldn’t have been a problem if Padme’s propensity for dirty talk hadn’t sent him stumbling, then falling, to the coffee table.

At dinner, he was resting the tips of his fingers atop hers as Padme resisted the urge to tease him.

“Sorry,” he murmured for the millionth time.

“Don’t be,” she told him with a gentle laugh. “Nothing broke, there was minimal bruising, and I enjoyed every moment of it. I still don’t believe you’re a virgin.”

“Was a virgin,” he corrected. “Y’ve thoroughly corrected that issue.”

“It wasn’t an issue,” Padme assured him. “I just wouldn’t have torn your clothes off and thrown you across the room if I had known.”

“I wanted you to.”

“I would have at least let you be on top at some point.”

“Didn’t wanna be on top.”

“I should have been gentler.”

“Didn’t want you to be.” He pressed his fingertips into hers to keep her from saying anything else. “‘M good at followin’ directions. Y’re a good teacher. I didn’t … I wanted you t’not feel y’had to hold m’hand or take things slow. I liked it.” He looked down with a self-conscious half-smile. “Never thought I’d like it.”

“I’m glad you like it.” Padme smiled, then looked down and spoke in Basic. “And …”

“And?” he echoed a few moments later, when she didn’t go on.

Padme took a deep breath. “I’m positive that this ‘Darth Vader’ is Anakin.” The muscles around Thrawn’s eyes tightened as he nodded. “And I know there’s good in him, but if he’s hunting down the Jedi for Palpatine … I can’t go back to that. I can’t let our children be around that. I looked aside when Anakin murdered the Sand People who took his mother; I won’t look aside with this. If Anakin can be saved, then we can tell the twins that they’ve got two fathers - or wait until they’re old enough to understand what’s happened, if he can’t. Until then, you’re the only father they’ll know.”

He nodded, murmured something about understanding, and waited for her to go on.

“I didn’t … I didn’t come to this conclusion lightly. I’m not sure I would have felt this way even a few months ago.” She brushed some strands of hair out of her face. “And the more time passes, the more I see that Anakin and my’s relationship wasn’t very healthy. We spent a lot of time arguing, and I spent a lot of time placating him, or waiting for an argument. I didn’t want to abandon him like everyone else had, and I …” She cleared her throat. “And I’m back to making excuses for him.”

“I don’t think so,” Thrawn said quietly. Padme raised her eyebrows. “From what I observed on Batuu, you and General Skywalker did indeed genuinely love one another. I have my suspicions that he was subtly influencing your feelings for him - I don’t think even he knew he was doing it, if in fact he was - but from what I know of the Force, that wouldn’t have been possible had you not already loved him. Perhaps that is one reason why the Jedi frowned on emotional attachments.”

She wanted to deny it, but had no contradicting evidence. Instead, she shrugged and took a sip of her wine. “Well … I understand why they would feel that way, now.”

“The Jedi also did not ensure that General Skywalker’s mental and emotional wounds were tended to. Even without the Force, he was ill-suited to be in a relationship.”

“Everyone deserves love, no matter what their psychological health is like.”

He dipped his head a little. “My apologies. I didn’t mean to imply that he didn’t.”

Padme nodded. “Thank you. But I understand - neither he nor I were prepared to handle the extent of his emotional wounds. We absolutely weren’t trained to, either.”

“It was a less than ideal situation, and one I fervently wish you had not had to endure. Especially not alone.”

“Oh, a few people knew or suspected. Mote knew.” She giggled when Thrawn narrowed his eyes at the memory of the other woman helping her to hold him down when he’d had his sinus infection. “Ahsoka suspected. I’m certain that she knew, but we never talked about it outright. But I didn’t have enough support. I wish I had trusted my parents with the information.”

“You will soon have the chance to.” He hesitated, then sighed. “My parents have said that you’ve only just begun making friends here. Is that not a reason to stay a bit longer?”

“Not for what I need to be doing. But with Anakin looking for me, I can’t stay anywhere for long, now.”

“I wish it were not so.”

“Nor do I.” They ate in silence for a while before Padme reached up to poke him in the cheek with a grin. He frowned at her. “What do you want to do the rest of the night? We have it all to ourselves.”

He nodded. “That we do. We have engaged in several rounds of … conjugal relations … and if you wouldn’t mind, I would like to get the twins back from Kenobi and just go to sleep with you all.”

She nodded. “That sounds like a wonderful idea.”

***

Later, when the twins were curled up in their sleeping nests and the scary holo Padme had insisted Thrawn watch with her was over, they lay their arms gently across the infants between them and kept talking.

“I see no reason to take the twins out of what will be your quarters, unless you feel they’ll need to be.” Padme shook her head. “Good. I will need to work long hours, but I believe that between all of us, I will be able to actually spend time with them when they’re awake.”

“And you’re positive that Yularen has to know who we are?”

“I believe that discovery will be inevitable. We will not tell him as much, of course, and as he is most often on Coruscant, I believe he may not even become aware of your brief presence.”

“I can accept that.” She trailed her fingertips over his bicep and the corner of his mouth twitched. “How do you feel about Obi-Wan going ahead to prepare my parents? They may be able to send a ship so the Chimaera doesn’t have to sneak all the way to Naboo.”

“That would be feasible. The year mark of your alleged death is in approximately five months, and your parents have insisted that I go to Naboo for it. I’m not sure if they suspect you to be alive, or merely want to include me in their grieving process - regardless, if you can wait those months, there will be no need for any sort of subterfuge.”

She wanted to see her parents now. She wanted to leave for Naboo now. She didn’t want to wait any longer.

But Padme was pragmatic, and nodded.

“I can’t think of a better compromise.”

"Good. As I said before, quarters will be arranged for you five ---"

"Five?"

"You three, Kolmind, and General Kenobi, for as long as he's aboard. They will be close to mine, so that we might see each other as often as possible."

"Are you serious?" Padme scoffed. "We're staying with you."

"That would be most unwise."

"Thrawn." Padme strained to keep her voice patient. He raised his eyebrows and tilted his head just slightly. "You are going to bring a human woman on board who will clearly be the mother of two clearly half-Chiss children - and no, we won't be able to get them to stop masking by the time we leave. People will be surprised if we do not share quarters. We could attempt to pass Kolmind off as their mother, but I suspect she is a bit too dark-skinned for that to work."

She got a deep sigh as Thrawn closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep, his brow furrowed in displeasure. She rolled her own eyes, then closed them.

***

“I carried you for nine months,” Vukara was saying as he and Vuwetuo packed Padme and the children for the trip, “and this is how you repay me? You whisk away my grandchildren after only six months, with no warning?”

Thrawn’s eyes had to have been permanently stuck to the back of his head from rolling them so much. His parents hadn’t taken the news well, and were intent on not letting him hear the end of it. Padme got a pass because they liked her more than their buffoon of a son, they had told her.

“Ma’ah, we been over this. Empire’s lookin’ f’Padme. She can’t stay with her parents f’long, either.”

“Young man, I am your father,” Vukara snapped. “You will not take that tone of voice with me.”

“‘M forty.”

“I don’t care.”

Padme sat up. “Wait. You’re forty?” Thrawn blinked and nodded. “Forty.” Another nod. “Four zero. Ten times four? Four sets of ten years each?”

“Forty-one, actually. ... Is that a problem?”

Now she was getting the dirty looks. “You two didn’t ask each other’s ages when you met?” Vuwetuo asked.

“How old’re you?” Thrawn asked.

“She’s twenty-nine. Well. Thirty. Her starday was a month ago. You two honestly didn’t ask how old each of you was before agreeing to get married? Get up and start packing.”

“Hey!” Padme was unceremoniously pulled out of her comfy chair and pushed toward the dresser. “Ages weren’t exactly our most pressing issue at the time. I honestly didn’t think he was more than thirty-five.”

“You were a physical an’ legal adult, which was all that mattered t’me. I would not’ve agreed t’marry a child.”

“Yes, but forty? Thrawn, you’re eleven years older than I am.”

“Ooooh, Mitth’raw’nuruodo is a cradle-snatcher,” Kolmind cackled. “And she’s his sugar mama, at that.”

“I’ll send y’back t’jail,” Thrawn snapped.

“You will not. Madam Padme loves me.”

“You three are absolutely useless.”

“I knew Thrawn was forty,” was Obi-Wan’s comment as he came in to gather the rest of the small bags that held the children’s clothes.

“You what?”

“Yes, I had to make sure he wasn’t too much older than you. Bail knows, too. We thought you knew.”

“Is it a problem?”

Padme would have continued her attempt to throw Custard at Obi-Wan if Thrawn hadn’t sounded so hesitant in his question. Instead she lowered the stuffed animal and turned to him with a smile, reaching out for one of his hands. He accepted the gesture cautiously.

“Maybe at the beginning, but not now.” She squeezed his hand and pulled him in close, smiling up at him before resting her head on his chest. “We are at very similar places in our lives. There isn’t much of an experience gap, and the power imbalance that comes from those is what concerns me about relationships with a significant age difference.”

His hands were resting lightly over the small of her back. “Very wise of you.” He took the sort of deep breath that Padme was coming to associate with the beginnings of intimate interest on his part. “Let’s make lunch.”

“If I catch you two making out in the pantry, you’re both disowned,” Vukara yelled after them as they left the room hand-in-hand.

“Then y’won’t catch us,” Thrawn called back.

His hands were already working through the folds of her wrapped dress as Padme opened the hall closet door and they stumbled in. He slid his hand between her legs and very gently bit her lower lip, and Padme groaned softly as she arched into his touch.

“Yes,” she murmured between kisses. “Oh, that’s good. Please …”

She continued her praises as his fingers slid beneath her panties, continued them as he dropped to his knees, continued them as he pulled her panties down and kissed her, then slipped his tongue over her. She continued her praises until all she could manage was a panting, squeaky moan. She’d come twice before she gently tugged on Thrawn’s hair to get his attention. He looked up at her, mouth and chin glistening, and she almost came again.

“Inside?” she whispered, tilting her hips forward.

The way his eyes flickered down and to the side gave her his answer.

“We should get out there before your parents kill us,” she said before he could respond to her initial question.

“‘M sorry,” he murmured. “I just … I dunno.”

“It is what it is. I would like to talk about it later, though - it is a bit concerning.”

“Yeah, ‘course.”

Thrawn got to his feet and listened at the door as Padme fixed herself up. They snuck into the refresher and washed off, then put on their most innocent faces as they rejoined everyone in Padme’s room.

“You’re back early,” Vukara scoffed. “Thought we’d skipped this hormonal stage, but it turns out it was just delayed.” His words held no bite, though.

“I was very hormonal as a mid-ager.”

“You were a block of ice,” Vuwetuo told him with a kiss on his cheek.

“Still waters run deep.”

They endured the teasing until bedtime, and then Padme took Thrawn’s hand and pulled him toward the front door. He frowned, but followed.

“I want to take a drive,” she said quietly.

He swallowed. “I see.”

“Are you alright to talk?”

He shrugged before following her to the skycar. “Guess I gotta be.”

“Thrawn---”

“Yeah, ‘m fine t’talk. Honest.” They’d been driving toward the east field for a few minutes before he spoke again. “I dunno what’s wrong w’me.”

“Firstly,” Padme said gently, “I need - I want - to know if there’s any sort of trauma related to this.”

He was frowning as he thought. After a moment he shook his head. “Don’t think so. It’s just … sensitive. Got nothin’ t’do w’anything else. I think. Y’re th’only person ’ve really been attracted to, an’ before you, I just … never really thought about sex. At all. W’anyone.”

“Even yourself?” She stopped the skycar and put it in park, turning it off just enough to keep the heating on.

That got a soft laugh. “Honestly, I never really masturbated. Got too bored to finish most of th’time.”

She didn’t laugh, but it was a struggle. “That … is something I have never considered happening before. So you’re just naturally very sensitive?”

Thrawn shrugged. “Guess so. I, ah … experimented … before gettin’ back here, an’ it seems th’most likely explanation.”

That made Padme choke and burst into tingles. “You experimented? You mean masturbated.”

“Yeah.”

“You thought about sex with me?”

He snorted with a small smile. “Bhad'me, I been thinkin’ ‘bout sex w’you since I saw y’all at th’ Vigilant’s pool. It’s why I had t’do those laps.”

“What?” Padme stared at him while he shrugged. “You mean we could have been having sex this whole time? Because I was absolutely about to tear your swimsuit off of you.”

That made him laugh. “I, ah … yeah. Sorry ‘bout that.”

She threw her head back on the headrest. “My life is so unfair.”

“Truly.” There was a moment of clear hesitation, and when he spoke again, his voice was quiet and a little unsure. “I, ah … ‘M fine w’taking medication for it, if y’want me to. I don’t wanna leave y’unsatisfied. Y’don’t deserve that, an’ y’have more of a sex drive than me, so if y’wanted …”

Padme was shaking her head. “If you want to, for you, then I would be fine with it. However, this seems to be normal for you, so I don’t see why it would necessitate medication unless it negatively impacts your regular life. Someone once told me,” she continued as he tried to protest, “that we have evolved hands and created various aids for a reason.” That got her a self-conscious smile. “We can use our hands and various aids and figure things out from there.”

“Y’like penetration, though.”

“I do,” she said with a nod. “Especially with those ridges you have. But I value your comfort over my own sexual pleasure, and you can always fuck me with a dildo until dawn if need be.”

It was Thrawn’s turn to choke as Padme let out an evil cackle. He garbled something at her and gave her a very gentle shove, so she shoved him back. It escalated until she was naked and in his lap, his hand between her legs and thumb rubbing around her clit as one of his fingers slid in and out of her with each thrust of her hips.

A sudden light through the window made them both let out startled yells. Thrawn grabbed for his shirt and threw it around Padme’s shoulders. There was a hesitant tap on the window, and once Padme had rolled it down enough to see out of the fogged-up glass, she relaxed and gave the man standing there a bright smile.

“Oh! Farmer Tsuchev! I’m so sorry - are we across the property line?”

The older man shined his flashlight inside the skycar just enough to see Thrawn, then shook his head. “Couple hundred meters from it, actually. I just saw the skycar and wanted to make sure everything was ok. I can see that everything is ok. Uhm. Sorry to disturb you. Uh. Have a good night.”

“Oh, it’s perfectly understandable,” Padme laughed. “Have a good night! Thank you for checking on us!”

As soon as his light was far enough away, she collapsed against Thrawn’s chest, wheezing with laughter. It took a few minutes for her to stop. All the while, Thrawn held onto her and ran his fingers through her hair. She could feel him smiling against her skin.

“Uhm. Sorry,” she managed.

“It’s fine.”

“I didn’t mean to get us caught.”

“Neither did I.” He tilted her head up by the chin and kissed her lightly. “D’y’need t’finish?”

Padme laughed. “No. Oh, no. Not after that. Let’s go to bed.”

Thrawn hugged her before helping her to get dressed.

"Also …" Padme made a questioning sound when he hesitated. "I got th'utmost respect f'General Skywalker. He was a great an' hon'rable warrior, an' I had looked forward t'meetin' him again. Instead, though, I took his wife."

Padme settled into her seat and stared out the front window as she nodded.

"I know there were circumstances outta our control, an' we both expected him t'come back an' t'figure out somethin' between th'three of us. I know it took you an' me a while t'get here, an' I know what y've said 'bout havin' two husbands, an' me still bein' the twins' pa, an' how General Skywalker might not be saveable. An' I know you want me an' enjoy my company, but even with all that, it don't feel quite right, havin' someone else's wife - 'specially a warrior such as General Skywalker."

Padme didn't know what to say to that, so she nodded and said nothing.

"Y're a great warrior, too," Thrawn hastened to add. "But there was nothin' aboveboard 'bout our marriage. Wasn't right, how it happened."

"... What do you want to do about it?" Don't leave her. Please, don't leave her alone. She needed his strength, if nothing else. She couldn't lose anyone else.

"I dunno yet. Do you?"

She shook her head and took a deep breath to hold back tears. "No," she whispered. "I don't. Can we … Are you alright with just … just leaving it be for a while? I know Anakin would have preferred this path rather than what could have happened, but I can't take this in right now."

"I don't wanna think about it, either. A'aight. May we please revisit it in a month or two?"

Padme reached down and squeezed his hand, then brought it to her lips and kissed it.

"Yes," she said as he returned the kiss. "Thank you."

Chapter Text

As it turned out, Padme and Kolmind just carried the twins onto the Chimaera. Thrawn had sent a secure message to the captain, stating he was bringing a diplomat and her children and their caretaker back with him, then simply walked down the shuttle’s ramp between the four, each baby holding one of his fingers.

The captain’s eyes went wide once she was able to clearly see Padme’s features, and she opened her mouth. Then she looked at Thrawn and very clearly decided that this woman with him was in no way the missing Senator Padme Amidala, the children were in no way the missing Senator Padme Amidala’s children, Thrawn was in no way their father, and that she would rather die than say otherwise.

She saluted sharply. “Welcome back, sir. The lodging you requested has been arranged.” Thrawn nodded and held his captive fingers up in a semi-salute, then the captain turned her attention to Padme. “Madam Ambassador. I hope you find them satisfying. I am Captain Karyn Faro.”

“My name is Thania,” Padme told her. “These are Tholi and Thalin.” She gestured to Leia and Luke in turn, who were giving Faro suspicious looks. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise.” Faro turned to Kolmind and offered a half-bow.

“This is Caretaker Kolmind,” Thrawn told her. “She is learning Basic, and speaks both Sy Bisti and Minnisiat.”

She also sported a wicked left hook. She and Thrawn had been sparring on the journey, and she had slammed her fist into his thigh hard enough that he still had an almost imperceptible limp.

“Greetings,” she said in accented Basic.

“Greetings,” Faro returned. “Your suite is this way; near the Commodore's, as ordered.”

“The babies are here!”

Two lieutenants popped up and converged on the group with laser focus, ooh’ing and aah’ing over the twins. They barely acknowledged Thrawn - only enough, in fact, to say “excuse me” when the twins launched themselves at them with giggles. His face twisted with displeasure, but he let them get away with it.

“Oh, they’re adorable,” the taller one gushed. “Look at their little eyes! Pyrondi, look at their little eyes!”

“Are you cute?” Pyrondi was asking Leia. “Are you the cutest? The cutest ever? I think you’re the cutest ever.”

“Captain Faro put us in charge of setting the new quarters up,” not-Pyrondi finally explained.

“You were supposed to message me when you were done.”

“Oh, right. Sorry.” Neither woman looked at all sorry. “I’m Hammerly, by the way. A pleasure to meet you all.”

“I want to gobble you up,” Pyrondi told Leia.

Mitth’ol’igi, now. And Mitth’al’ind was now Luke’s Chiss name. Padme had chosen Mitth’ani’ada, with the core name of Thania. The naming ceremony had been brief, held right before they had left Rentor. They were under strict orders to return for a proper one as soon as possible.

“Ow!” Hammerly yelped. “He bit me!”

“He only got your finger,” Padme told her pleasantly. “I’m still breastfeeding.”

Luke - Thalin - let out a small whine and apologetically gummed Hammerly’s hand. The lieutenant’s heart visibly melted and she gobbled at his cheek until he was laughing.

“We had to stop for supplies,” Faro sighed. “These two took the opportunity to get various things for the children.”

“Hammerly’s husbands keep wanting her to come home and have kids, so it was a fun cover for it.”

“It was not,” Hammerly grumbled.

“And we took shore leave for it, too. Paid in physical credits.”

“Should I care about those details?” Thrawn asked.

He was given the most innocent of looks.

“Of course not, sir. Just making conversation.”

Conversation that was also an assurance that the purchase of the children’s supplies would be almost untraceable by the Empire.

“I see.”

“Thank you,” Padme told them with her best smile. “We appreciate your efforts.”

“Of course, Madam Ambassador.” The two couldn’t look more pleased with themselves as the group got to Padme’s new rooms. “The commodore's rooms are right across the hall. These were the only quarters we could make available on short notice.”

“That will be fine, thank you.”

Thrawn’s strained patience might have come out a little in his voice, but Pyrondi and Hammerly had quickly and accurately deduced that Padme was the dominant one in this relationship, and were barely paying any attention to their commanding officer. They played with the twins as bags were put away, holding them like boards and spinning them around, only stopping once Padme held her arms out.

“Do you want dinner, or do you want to play some more?”

That got some serious thought. After a moment the twins reached out for her, and were reluctantly handed over.

“We’ll let you get settled,” Pyrondi said cheerfully. “But if you ever need someone to watch them, our schedules are entirely open.”

“They most certainly are not,” Thrawn snapped.

Pyrondi was unfazed. “Absolutely open. Here are our comm channels if you need anything. Have a good evening!”

“At least they saluted you,” Padme murmured after the door had slid closed. She was trying not to laugh at him, but Kolmind had no such reservations and cackled to herself as she started unpacking.

“I give it a week until he has no authority on his own ship.”

“You are supposed to be only speaking Basic.”