The past two months had been extremely draining for Dormé, who was now in her ninth month with her fifth child. This was the longest she had been able to carry a child and was well past worrying about their little girl making it. In fact, Dormé was eager for Runa to hurry up and be born because she was taking a lot out of her ama. Laic’s new room was complete and Dormé had even finished sewing a stuffy for Runa. It was just a matter of waiting for her to come into the world.

This morning, Dormé completed a series of meetings and just wanted the day to be over with. It was hard being empress and the extra duties made her long for time alone with her family. Worn out, Dormé returned to her chambers and passed out on the bed for an hour. Later the comms chimed, alerting her that she was to be at a senate meeting. She told her handmaidens to tell the senate that the meeting was cancelled because she didn’t feel like going. She didn’t think about or care what other people would think of this. She was too exhausted to care about it.

In the past eight or so months, Dormé had gone through three different caregivers for Laic, all of whom she ended up having killed because she was paranoid and didn’t trust them long with her son. All of the girls had been no older than fifteen or sixteen and none with dark black hair. All of them were chosen after intense background and loyalty checks, as well as their homely appearances.

The current caregiver was an elderly woman, whom Dormé trusted more than the previous girls were because she was near the end of her life and cared nothing of politics. Also her memory wasn’t very good.

Today marked the fourth anniversary of Aené’s death. The past four years, people from all over the empire brought gifts and flowers to lay outside her memorial, though none of the public was allowed past the gates, let alone up close to the memorial or inside, which was reserved for their imperial majesties. This year, Dormé noticed that not as many people stood outside the gates with candles. She assumed it was more due to the Humbarine civil war than that the people were starting to lose faith in the empire.

After visiting with Aené, Dormé began her march back indoors.

---

It felt like an eternity had passed since he was able to do this, to be able to lose himself completely in the slaughter, to openly enjoy the heady rush of the dark side pulsating through his body without the shame or doubt. Though there was still a part of him that questioned his actions, the young emperor was confident that his brother’s prognosis was premature and in reality, it was nothing more than a sad excuse for him to return to the ways of the Jedi. After all, neither Dormé nor their daughter showed any signs of complications thus confirming his thoughts on the matter.

While it infuriated him to think that his brother would go to such lengths to make him turn his back from the dark side, at the same time, Anakin knew from personal experience how convincing the Jedi’s tutelage could be. Knowing that his brother had been raised with this mindset all his life, it was hardly any wonder he was so determined. Even so, it still hurt to think his brother truly believed that it was his dark side usage that caused the loss of their first three children. Despite his doubts, Anakin refrained from using the dark side in Dormé’s presence, just to be safe. As for their son, it was just a given that he didn’t use it in front of the toddler. The memory of Aené’s presence after he killed the shaman healer ensured that there would never be any question of that.

But as his lightsaber thrummed with life—its crimson blade seemingly glowing brighter with the souls it consumed—Anakin’s only thoughts were of righteous vengeance. These people had been nothing but ungrateful and caused nothing but sorrow for the innocents who followed the empire’s rule. They deserved this judgment and Vader was more than happy to give it to them.

As the requiem of their souls echoed in his mind, filling him with a sense of omnipotence, Anakin couldn’t resist a dark grin as he continued his merciless slaughter. Naturally, they tried to stop him with their pathetic weapons and poor attempts at guerrilla warfare. But being a Force sensitive—and a well-trained one at that—meant that all their plans were for naught. They fell like the treacherous insects Anakin knew they were.

Despite his need for justice, the Sith Lord soon found it wasn’t just enough to remove the members who had started the civil war. He knew if he left any of their relatives or families alive, they in turn would form another resistance and the uprising would begin again. What started out to be a short visit with Kei to assist in finding a solution for the resistance, soon turned into a mission that lasted for longer than a couple of weeks.

So lost was Anakin in his lust for the slaughter and the dark side that he eventually forewent both sleep and food. After a several days of hunting and slaughtering, the Sith Lord collapsed from exhaustion, leaving the remaining family of yet another Humberine rebel to escape to freedom. Discovered by one of his security officers who had been aiding Anakin in his hunt, the emperor was promptly brought to the nearest medical centre where he was treated for malnutrition and exhaustion.

Having last seen Anakin just before his departure to look into the matter of the civil war, Prince Breemu remained unaware of both the emperor’s condition and of his actions. Though rumours ran rampant and the names of the missing rapidly grew, Kei remained oblivious as he was still caught up in the attempt to find a more diplomatic solution to the problem. This ensured that Kei was far from the Humbarine colonies as he tried to gain assistance from neighbouring worlds who might sympathize with the plight of his people. He would not be returning home until shortly after Anakin’s departure from the medical centres.

---

Meanwhile, the empress did not to remain in the dark over the matter for long and almost as soon as Anakin arrived to the med centre, the security officer who found him made haste to contact Lady Vader. Not only did he inform her of Anakin’s condition, but also that her husband single-handedly brought the civil war on Humbarine to an end.

Once Dormé returned indoors, a serving girl bombarded her with the news.

‘Was he hurt?!’ Dormé demanded.

‘No, milady—at least, I don’t think so—’ the girl protested anxiously.

‘What do you mean you don’t know, you foolish girl!’ hissed Dormé, grabbing her by the arm.

‘The officer who has been trying to get ahold of you only informed me that he collapsed and was in a medical facility. He single-handedly defeated those who stood against the empire, milady. He ended the Humbarine war...’ She prayed the empress wouldn’t take out her vengeance on her.

Dormé released the girl as her attentions moved at lightspeed. She returned to their chambers and activated the comms to find out the exact location of the emperor and hopefully find out more about his condition. She spoke with the officer who found him and was hardly relieved upon hearing the news.

As the war was over, Dormé decided to go after him. She clambered into one of the smaller imperial vessels with a handful of clones, two handmaidens, and Laic. Despite their voiced protests against the very pregnant empress leaving Coruscant, they were not about to disobey her orders.

A few hours into their journey as they flew through Humbarine territory, past all the debris and other leftovers of the emperor’s path of destruction, Dormé began having pains. She thought it was a muscle cramp and attempted to walk it off, which seemed to help initially.

---

Upon healing from his exhaustion, Anakin was prompt to try to reach Dormé. He both wanted to learn of her condition and to fill her up to date on his own situation, not to mention he was eager to let her know that he was coming home. But after a few failed attempts, the Emperor was no more in touch with his wife than when he first woke up. Growing concerned and fearing that she might have gone into labour, Anakin tried to contact one of his officers on Coruscant to learn of the situation. The answer caused his heart to race and his temper to flare. Furious, he promptly summoned the officer who had informed Dormé of his unexpected visit to the medlabs. Upon the man’s arrival, Anakin didn’t bother waiting to hear his pathetic excuses and promptly unleashed the dark side upon him. The officer’s death was both bloody and painful, leaving little to the imagination as to the cause of his demise.

Hardly caring of the mess he had made or of the corpse in question, the young emperor was swift to depart from his quarters and ultimately the medical labs. ‘I’m leaving and don’t bother trying to stop me,’ Vader snapped as the elderly doctor attempted to remind him that he was far from healed. ‘Thanks to that fool, my wife, who is about to have our daughter, believes my life is in danger and is now on her way!’ he growled in rage. The physician wasn’t given a chance to reply as Vader shoved him out of the way.

Moving swiftly to where The Tempest was located, the young emperor soon heard a familiar voice calling his name. Agitated at being interrupted, Anakin whirled around about to draw his lightsaber with the intent of striking down the one who would dare to stop him from seeing his wife. However, the one attempting to interfere was not just one of his many officers but his childhood friend Kei Breemu.

‘Anakin, I just heard—’ the younger man blurted in relief as he neared.

‘I’m sorry I can’t stay for long, Kei. One of my former officers stupidly told Dormé that I was in the medical centres. Now she’s on her way to the colonies as she fears for my health,’ Anakin said as his expression briefly grew dark reveal his concern for her and their unborn daughter.

Kei furrowed his brow and expressed his apologies though it was obviously not his fault.

The emperor’s mood soon shifted then as his smile promptly returned. Not only was he about to become a father again, but peace had been once more restored to the empire. This was without question a wondrous moment indeed. ‘I’m glad you caught me in time. I wanted to tell you in person that the civil war is over. I saw to it personally,’ Anakin said with a proud grin.

Kei aware of the rumours just studied his friend in curiosity as his expression grew increasingly baffled. ‘How did you do it? I mean we’ve all been working to end this for months. Yet somehow you managed—’Kei’s expression grew concerned and if Anakin didn’t know any better he’d almost swear that the prince was growing fearful as well.

The Sith Lord however was too eager to depart and too pleased to pay it much mind and so Kei’s emotions were swiftly dismissed. ‘I told you I’d take care of it, Kei, and I did. They’ve all been tended to and to ensure that no future resistance would occur again, I made sure that their families were removed as well.’

‘What about the younglings? Have your officers already tended to the matter of their relocation? If not, do you at least know where they are? Seeing as they are now orphans, we will need to find them families,’ Kei continued calmly though his stoic expression didn’t reflect in his eyes.

Anakin’s thoughts began to falter and fill with shame. ‘...I... they...’ Vader tried to form the words to express a decent excuse but none came. Swallowing hard he glanced away, feeling his cheeks burn as he registered the fact that the truth could no longer be hidden from the younger prince. What was worse was the fact that ultimately, it would only be a matter of time before Dormé would know of this. If there was one thing Anakin knew about himself and his relationship with his wife, it was that he never kept anything from her.

Kei was looking at him with obvious shock and horror, forcing the frantic Sith Lord to say something, anything, to ease the man’s concerns. ‘It was a complicated situation... You know how it is... I mean... It’s a long story…’ Anakin stammered weakly as he couldn’t quite bring himself to say the words necessary, to admit that once more he was too lost in the dark side to register the innocence from the guilty. Before the moment grew too awkward, Vader felt a powerful pain rip through his sides. Clutching his stomach, Anakin uttered a string of curses as Kei instinctively went to help him.

‘Anakin? You all right? Should I get a doctor?’

The emperor bit his lip so hard he tasted blood as he shook his head. ‘I’m fine. It’s just a passing pain, nothing more,’ he said through gritted teeth before forcing himself to stand straight despite how much it hurt. Deciding it was definitely time to depart, the Sith Lord used his pain as a means of parting ways from his friend without having to finish the suddenly awkward conversation. Without saying another word, he promptly turned his back on the confused Kei before slowly -painfully- made his way to The Tempest. Trying to move as swiftly as his pained body would permit him, Anakin started up the ship and took to the sky. With his thoughts and fears entirely focused on Dormé and their unborn daughter, the young emperor was ironically too distracted to register that his pain was in reality a reaction to Dormé’s own.

---

Dormé demanded to know when they would arrive at the colonies so many times it became increasingly hard for the crew to respond politely, though they knew the empress was an impatient person. ‘How long?!’

‘Another half hour at least, Your Highness.’

Dormé’s body ached fiercely, the pain only growing steadily more frequent. ‘Not now, Runa!’ she almost pleaded, gripping the nearest support. She was now fully aware of the stupidity of her decision to go chasing after her husband, despite her concerns. She didn’t want to have Runa on a ship!

Once the empress’s pain overtook her, the pilot made an executive decision to turn the ship around and head back to Coruscant without the empress’s permission or knowledge.

‘Lie down, milady,’ one of the handmaidens suggested. ‘It will slow the birthing process.

Before she had a chance to take the advice, her water broke. Dormé uttered a series of Uriashian and botched Huttese curses. Trying to delay the birth now would only put the baby at risk.

The handmaiden escorted her to the nearest room to lie down, for the medical facility was too far away. Even if they got there, it only had basic medical supplies and med droids, which another handmaiden went to fetch.

Laic was miserable and crying in another room, concerned about his ama.

It was not long before Dormé was cursing and crying out for Anakin. Laic’s birth, in her mind, had been so much easier for she had been unconscious for most of it.

Once she heard Runa’s cry, Dormé was so relieved and happy. Runa was much bigger than Laic had been, since he was born early. Dormé admired her, noticing her bright blue eyes and dark hair. Laic was confused by his sister, though he had long since gotten to know his sister’s Force signature, to see her for the first time was odd. He didn’t like her crying. Runa was happier after eating and receiving Ama’s kisses.

Upon finding out that they were landing on Coruscant, Dormé decided she would unleash hell upon whoever made that decision...after she rested.

---

The journey to Dormé’s location proved to become increasingly difficult for Anakin to fulfil. Through the Force, he was able to pinpoint the Empress’s location but remaining focussed on it was proving to be another task entirely. Despite his attempts to mask and ignore the sharp pains felt from before, his departure the feeling only grew increasingly worse. No longer was it just restricted to his stomach and chest but it seemed to move lower, far lower, until Anakin now screaming in pain swore that something in the Force was trying to tear his groin apart.

Desperate and frightened by the unknown cause to his suffering, the young emperor attempted to activate the autopilot on the Tempest. Consumed with the pulsating pain of his lower body, Anakin had little control over his actions. His fingers felt thick and useless with little motor skills as every movement of his body seemed only to worsen the pain.

Trapped in the cockpit of his ship the Sith Lord struggled not to succumb to his ever growing panic at the fact he was too distracted to even touch the Force to activate the controls. Somewhere in the back of his delusional thoughts, Anakin could almost hear the cackle of his former master’s voice, mocking and laughing at his sufferings. It was only then he began to wonder if he was indeed dead and that he was being slowly torn apart by the chaos that was the dark side of the Force or so the legends and rumours went. Until now, Anakin never held much credence in such tales, as they were more phantom stories shared amongst older younglings as a means of scaring the younger recruits. Now, as the inky blackness of unconsciousness began to dance behind his lids, Anakin found himself desperately praying—between screams and curses of Huttese and Uriashian—to all higher powers to spare him of whatever nightmare awaited him beyond the veil.

Fortunately, for the young emperor, the physician who had tended to his exhaustion had trailed him and while it wasn’t their intent to aid, Anakin there was little way around it. Almost as soon as the emperor lost consciousness to his pain, the ship began to lose control and at its current speed was promptly headed towards the debris that had once been a destroyer. Thinking fast the pilots of the medical ship promptly locked onto the signature of the Tempest and attempted to override its controls. The task was tricky leaving the unconscious Vader with little idea of how close he came to facing his demise.

Though it was a risky course of action, it proved successful and soon the ship’s engines lost its speed permitting the medical ship to approach and manually force the star ship into its hanger bay. But if they believed the worse was over they couldn’t have been more wrong. The emperor soon stirred awake only to scream out in pain once more as he struggled to clamber out of the ship without little comprehension of his location. Once he stumbled out of the starship, he promptly dropped to the ground doubled over as he attempted to protect himself from the unseeing enemy that he was certain was ripping his privates from his body.

Both confused by this display and reaction, the elderly physician ordered a couple of nurses to prepare a cot for Anakin while ordering the med droids to scan his vitals to learn the cause of his pain. To the officers who were piloting the ship, the physician swiftly gave orders to have them return to Coruscant. While technology was up to date on the ship, it was limited, and if this was something serious, he would need all the help he could get. Nevertheless, the answer he sought didn’t come as swiftly as he would have liked and came at the price of lives, both sentient and otherwise. Anakin lost in his nightmare of pain and suffering promptly tapped into the Dark side of the Force and in doing so soon caused both of the medical droid’s heads to explode while their chest plates sparked and smoked.

Groaning to the loud noises around him, the emperor struggled to form the words to order someone to stop the screams but only pained moans escaped his lips. The nurses having gone frantic at the explosive sight were hesitant to near him but in the end they did as they were ordered for duty overrode fear. The doctor knowing his presence was needed soon joined their side to help with the situation. Unfortunately, while determination overrode fear it didn’t override the danger that faced them. If anything, it left them as easy prey to the frantic and disorientated Anakin who screamed upon feeling them attempting to lift properly onto the cot. Grabbing one of the woman’s hands, he pried her fingers off his arm thus breaking her fingers in the process. The other, less fortunate, tried to scream in pain but to no avail as blood poured from her nose and mouth. Her eyes soon rolled into the back of her head as her skin grew ashen and then white before she fell lifeless to the ground.

Despite the semi-retired doctor lack of experience with Force sensitive beings he thought fast and soon had a hypo-gun placed to Vader’s throat which promptly rendered him unconscious once more. Knowing he had to keep it together at least till the entire ordeal was over he continued to remain in charge of his senses. Turning his attentions to an officer who had been witness to the entire ordeal the physician ordered teh man to collect the nurse -who was now crumpled on the ground weeping- and help her back to the medical bay. He informed the man that her wounds would be tended to by one of the droids and that he would rejoin them once his patient was examined.

Despite the aesthetics, the young emperor continued to drift in and out of consciousness as the pain ensured there would be little if any rest for him. However fortunately for all around him Anakin no longer was able to touch the Force so readily as the drugs in his systems numbed his thoughts leaving him in a semi-conscious state. It would be some time before Vader would finally awaken to discover -much to his relief that the pain had finally subsided. Once he was certain that he wasn’t dead, nor trapped in a living hell where his groin would be repeatedly removed in the most painful fashion by the Force the young emperor was swiftly scrambling out of his cot with the intent of finding Dormé.

---

Dormé had no idea how long she slept before the ship landed on Coruscant She briefly awoke as the medical team arrived to transport Runa and her to the medical facility. Runa was warm and content in her ama’s arms and did not make a fuss. Laic had also calmed down and seemed relieved to be back home.

After being examined thoroughly and spending a few hours in the medical centre, Dormé was deemed fit to return to her private chambers as was Runa. The news was very good indeed and she was eager to know of Anakin’s situation. All she knew was that he had left the colonies and ought to be heading home. She wasn’t sure if they were just humouring her, telling her what she wanted to hear, because everyone was so anxious around her. It was as though they knew her thoughts, that she would kill them all if something worse happened.

‘You need to rest, Your Highness,’ the doctor insisted. ‘We will let you know the moment we hear anything about the emperor.’

Dormé finally gave in, realising her threats were getting her nowhere and they knew she wouldn’t be able to do anything until she regained her strength. What she didn’t know was that the doctor administered a sedative in order to be sure she would get the rest she needed instead of trying to go after the emperor once again.

hr

Rushing through the hallways of the medical labs Anakin swiftly sought out the medical doctor who was treating him to learn of Dormé’s situation and if she had arrived home safely. The physician having not treated or aided Dormé before wasn’t aware of much of the details but had received word that the empress had given birth to a healthy baby girl and that both ama and daughter were back at the palace safe and sound. When Anakin had run into the elderly doctor, he was speaking to one of the officers who had aided in Dormé’s safe return via commlink. Informing them that the emperor had arrived safely on Coruscant and would be permitted to return home upon a final examination. Though the details of Anakin’s condition was left out it was obvious the Doctor had still yet to figure out what caused the emperor’s violent reaction as the young man was fairly healthy all things considering.

Once the message had drawn to a close, he turned around to find himself suddenly faced with an anxious and demanding Sith Lord who ordered the physician to fill him in on all that he knew, which was little but painful enough to hear. Though elated, Vader was heartbroken and sorrowful at the fact he missed the birth of his daughter as well as his son. It was as though the Force was conspiring against him to ensure he would never be there when Dormé needed him most.

‘Both Dormé and Runa are safely home now?’ he asked yet again as the elderly man nodded. ‘I’d tell you that you should be examined once more to ensure that you are well enough to depart, but somehow I doubt you’ll listen,’ he dryly replied as Anakin was already wards the hanger bay where he presumed his ship would be waiting for him.

Upon arriving at the palace, the Sith Lord was swarmed with questions pertaining to his collapse and the end of the Humberine civil war. Ignoring them all, he swiftly headed towards his private chambers where his heart raced in joy at the thought of seeing his family again and finally being able to meet his daughter in person.

Entering their private chambers, he was greeted by the doctor who filled him in on all he needed to know before warning him that Dormé was currently resting under the influence of a sedative. While he wasn’t happy to learn that Dormé was drugged into rest, he couldn’t deny the truth of the physicians words. Given Dormé’s nature, she wouldn’t hesitate to try to reach him despite her weakened condition. Under healthier circumstances, Anakin would have been touched by such a thought but in this moment he was just relieved to know that someone interceded and thus kept her from hurting herself.

After ordering the doctor to grant him privacy, Anakin silently approached the bed where Dormé was resting and taking a seat at it edge, he gently reached out to draw back a strand of her hair. ‘I’m home my love, he whispered into her thoughts as his fingers continued to play with her hair gently.

Anakin continued to watch over Dormé for as long as he could. But despite his wish to remain by her side until she woke, Anakin missed seeing his son and couldn’t resist paying Laic a visit. Unfortunately, Laic seemed to be in bad spirits upon his daddy’s arrival and to Anakin’s sorrow, seemed more content to play in the next room with one of the handmaidens than see his daddy. However, this wasn’t the first time Anakin had encountered this reaction from Laic. Lately, it seemed as though the toddler had grown shy around Anakin. Vader believed it was because he was away from home so much on missions pertaining to the civil war amongst other duties. While it tore at his heart to know his son was no longer comfortable around him, Anakin had faith that this would soon change. After all, he had once more restored order to the empire, which would permit him to remain home more often now.

It was with this in mind that the Sith Lord found himself thinking about his newborn daughter. He wanted so desperately to see her again, but wanted to wait until Dormé awoke before paying Runa a visit as well. Ultimately, the temptation grew too great and it wasn’t long before Anakin was slipping off to where Runa rested. Though the baby was born healthy, the physician remained and kept watch over her to make sure everything remained as it should. Upon initially seeing him, Anakin grew concerned, but was assured that his presence was only for preliminary purposes as he’d rather be safe than sorry.

The sight of their daughter took Anakin’s breath away, and for a moment, he could only study the sleeping baby in awed silence. Gingerly he reached out to touch the baby princess’s cheek only to recoil back in shame as the memories of bodies of the younglings he had slaughtered on the Humbarine colonies return to haunt him. Biting his lip, Anakin immediately wrapped his arms around himself as he swallowed hard and quietly departed, feeling unworthy to call himself a father to Laic and Runa.

It was with troubled spirits that he returned to Dormé’s bedside where he silently played with her hair while trying to bury his thoughts and focus on the joyous birth of his daughter. Even this encouraged bittersweet thoughts as he once more had been unable to be there for Runa’s birth. Dormé was soon stirring, bringing a gentle smile to his lips as he felt her fingers slip over his own. Giving them a gentle squeeze, he kissed her cheek.

Had she known she had been sedated, she would have been quite put off and ready to punish those responsible, but now that Anakin was here, nothing else mattered. Smiling at him, Dormé asked, ‘How are you?’

His smile widened as his hand slipped to her cheek. ‘I’m doing much better now that I know you and Runa are home safe and sound,’ he murmured.

Have you had a chance to see our little princess?’

His cheeks warmed to Dormé’s final words. ‘I wanted to wait until you woke up, but I couldn’t resist,’ Anakin admitted sheepishly while swiftly burying the memory of his swift departure or rather the reasons for it. ‘She’s so beautiful, Dormé,’ he concluded as his expression softened.

‘I don’t blame you. I wanted to see her too...I—’ Cutting herself short before admitting how she wanted Anakin to be there this time, Dormé sighed. She only heard second hand about the situation surrounding the events of Laic’s birth, but she had truly hoped and fantasized about Anakin being there this time for Runa. Despite this disappointment, what truly mattered was that Anakin’s injuries didn’t appear to be bad and that Runa was healthy.

The young emperor was both shamed and yet relieved to know that Dormé wasn’t disappointed by the fact he had slipped off to see their little princess. However, he could sense her sadness and knew that it pertained to his absence. In truth, it mirrored his own as he had desperately hoped to have been there for Runa’s birth as well. Thanks to the Humberine resistance, this wasn’t possible and even though he was pleased to be rid of them, Anakin was still furious to think they interfered and took away from what would have been an even more happy moment with his family. In the end, what mattered most was his family’s safety. Both Runa and Dormé were not only safe and alive, but they were both in perfect health. He couldn’t have been more relieved if he tried.

Unable to resist herself, Dormé slowly sat up and drew him into her arms. She breathed him in deeply.

Slipping his arms around her petite form, the Sith Lord was mindful of her current state and didn’t smother her. He buried his face in her hair, kissing her throat. ‘I’ve missed you so much,’ he murmured softly into her ear. With Dormé in his arms, nothing ever seemed insurmountable or too much to bear.

Feeling his strong, yet cautious, arms around her solidified her assumption that this was where they belonged and that they were stronger together. She couldn’t help closing her eyes, feeling as though everything was set right once more in the universe.

Runa’s cries broke through their happy moment and Dormé furrowed her brow. ‘She must be hungry,’ she said, pulling back slightly to look him in the eyes. ‘Would you mind getting her for me?’

Smiling shyly, the memory of learning how to hold Laic returned to Anakin’s thoughts. He had long since had much practice holding a baby and was feeling more confident about it. ‘I’d love to,’ he said as his eyes lit up at the prospect of being able to spend some time with their daughter once more.

Anakin did his best to try to calm their tearful daughter but Runa didn’t seem to respond to any of his gestures to sooth her. Presuming it was because their daughter was hungry, Vader didn’t take it to heart and was just content to be able to have this opportunity to be with their little princess. It wasn’t long before he returned with the bundled form of their little princess, Runa, in his arms. Gingerly, he offered Runa to her ama, but not before kissing the little one’s forehead.

Dormé smiled at Anakin as he carried their youngest so gently in his arms. She couldn’t have asked for a more loving family and at this thought, tears came to her eyes. She took Runa and helped her begin to suckle. ‘Her eyes are so blue,’ she remarked softly. ‘Just like someone else’s I know,’ she added, grinning at Anakin.

He touched Dormé’s cheek, feeling so at peace and content to be home with his family again. Studying Runa for a moment, he soon reached out to touch her small hand once more, marvelling at how small and perfect it was. ‘She is so beautiful, Dormé,’ he whispered in reply. ‘I still can’t believe how lucky I am to have all of this, that it is all real,’ he continued in gentle awe.

Runa’s face was no longer contorted in displeasure as she contented herself with her ama’s warm presence. She liked the feel of a calloused finger against her hand, but was too focused on her ama to pay heed to the darkness surrounding Daddy. She slowly became sleeping and her eyes droopy. She paused before resuming eating once more.

Anakin could feel Runa’s contentment and grew shy as he sensed that she rather liked the feel of his finger against her hand. Gazing down at their little princess, the Sith Lord felt his heart swell in joy as all memories of guilt faded away leaving only peaceful contentment. Soon his attentions drifted to his beloved and with it came a new sense of joy as he reached out to touch her cheek.

Dormé smiled, torn between looking at their princess and at her husband, whom she had missed. She knew exactly how he felt and once Runa fell asleep, she drew Anakin in for a kiss, so glad he was home and that the Humbarine issue had been resolved. ‘Thank you,’ she said, for it was just as much their happy moment to share.

Her simple statement held so much meaning for Anakin, who studied in silent admiration and love. There was so much he wanted to share with her, but in this moment, words just didn’t seem to suffice and so in silence he leaned in to steal another gentle kiss. ‘I love you so much,’ he murmured softly in her ear before his eyes drifted to the sleeping form of their daughter. Reaching out to gently touch Runa’s cheek, he whispered similar words of love to their daughter, feeling as though he truly was the luckiest man in the universe to have a family as wonderful as his own.

Dormé felt as lucky as Anakin did to be able to share this family she had always desired to be a part of. With Anakin and their children, she felt entirely complete and loved in ways she never thought possible. If anything was close to a dream, this was hers.

It was not long before evening was upon them and Anakin joined her in bed. Dormé decided as with Laic, to share their bed with Runa to make it easier for midnight and early morning feedings. She had spent the last few weeks of her pregnancy getting Laic used to his new room, but now that Runa was here and Daddy was home, Laic felt extremely lonely sensing the three of them in one room and him all alone.

Laic made his objection quite clear and after a little persuasion, Anakin was carrying their eldest in to rest with them in their large bed. Laic was much happier after that.

Dormé smiled sleepily at Anakin before gazing at their two sleeping babies and looking back at him. Sleep then returned to Dormé and with it, the most peaceful rest she had experienced in awhile.

Sleep wasn’t nearly as peaceful for Anakin who initially drifted to rest in the comfort of his family’s presence. It wasn’t the first time the Sith Lord found himself suffering from nightmares and in reality he was slowly growing used to them. That was until tonight.

Waking up with a start, Anakin caught himself just before he cried out in pained horror. Visibly shaken by memories, he was too shamed to dwell upon the Sith Lord’s eyes immediately went to his family who were for the most part sleeping in peace. He was too distraught to register that Laic was awakened by his father’s nightmares.

A soft sigh of relief escaped his lips as he took in the sight of his sleeping family. Their children were alive, safe, and well and that alone eased much of his fears. But almost as soon as the relief was felt, a rush of shame poured over him and it was only then that Anakin registered the tears that lingered on his cheek and stained his pillow. Just as he took note of cold sweat that covered his body and the fact his hands were shaking so badly that he was certain he wouldn’t even be able to touch Laic’s cheek or Runa’s forehead without waking them.