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Who: Padmé Amidala and Luke Skywalker
Where: The Garden Car
When: D 15
What: With the mission over, Padmé decides to work on one question that needs answering. Luke's last name.
Warnings: I don't think so, other than maybe some angst?

She hadn't noticed it before, or their first interaction might have gone a little differently. Not horribly, but different questions might have been asked. It wasn't until Padmé had gone back over the information given, that she had spotted that last name tucked further down the paragraph, and there, upon the roster, as she had explored that. It wasn't as if only one individual had the right to it, but it was enough of a coincidence that she felt it warranted further investigation.

A few other events had come up, including the mission and her team's trek through the maze. Now, back aboard the train, she had mulled it over, but she had had enough time to gather her thoughts. He knew of her, that much had been shown with their first interaction, but now there was so much more to it that she wanted to know. The car was only so big, and she had kept an eye out for him as she had made her way through the day, until, at least, she had found him in the garden.

It wasn't like those on Naboo, with flowing waters and lush pastoral grasses. Yet, it was something living in it's own way, and drawing a breath in, she sought to release those nerves that trickled across her skin, to gather a more calm aura, as she angled herself towards him, coming to a pause a short distance away. "Hello, Luke. I hope I'm not interrupting?"

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Luke was still a little bitter over his injury during the mission, and even in the peaceful haven that he found in the garden car, he found himself disrupted from his attempts at meditation, picking absently at the wrappings around his fingers. He was about to give up when he sensed his mother's presence, and he turned just as she paused, eyes widening in surprise a moment, before he pushed himself up to his feet.

"No, not at all," he replied. "How can I help you, senator?"

She had addressed thousands before the senate, time and time again. Had fought for her planet's freedom. Had survived attempt after attempt on her life, and now she felt like it was her first day again- first day as an Apprentice Legislature, as a queen, as a Senator for Naboo. Those, at least, she had some knowledge about.

But she made a motion for him to sit back down, finding a spot for herself as she folded her hands on her lap. "There was something that I wished to ask you, if I might. You are, of course, under no obligation to answer."

Luke shifted slightly to the side to make room for her on the bench he as seated on, smiling gently as she sat.

"I don't mind at all," he replied. "What's on your mind?"

He may well change his mind when she did ask, which was why those brown eyes remained on him, carefully watching. It was a puzzle, and one that Padmé didn't know the answer to. Anakin didn't have a brother, unless one counted Owen, at least not one that she knew about. Yet surely Shmi would have said something, and Owen's children wouldn't take the name of Skywalker, at least she wouldn't think so.

"You are Luke- Luke Skywalker?"

Luke knew he would eventually become more and more politically involved; it was just how things were going to be as Darth Vader's son, and the one that would inherit the throne when the Emperor was removed. He had a lot he needed to learn and not a lot of time to learn it, one of those things being to be able to keep his expression even when he was caught off guard.

He very much hadn't learned that precious skill yet, just from how the color drained out of his face alone. Luke swallowed hard, trying to think of something to say, and coming up empty on anything except for the truth, if only because he was a terrible liar and he knew it.

"Yes, I am," he answered softly.

She had always been a firm believer in the truth, even if the truth wasn't pleasant. It was something that Padmé respected, as sugar-coating things didn't help anyone in the long run. He could have lied, perhaps, or worked around the truth, although Padmé would admit that he wasn't the best at schooling his emotions. Her tenure as Queen had helped her with that, adopting a persona that best fitted the role, and adapting it with the Senate.

"Might I ask how?" Although she paused a moment, wondering if that question made sense. "What I mean to say is-"

She didn't actually know what she meant to say. She thought back to the name plate for Anakin, and yet the lack of his presence here. Rather, it was that large black figure that gave little answers when pressed, until Padmé had backed off. Yet there was no denying that it was static around them, and that Padmé watched him like someone trying to sort out a riddle. "I know a Skywalker. Anakin. Knew his mother as well. But he is a Jedi..."

... was a Jedi? Would he leave the Order? Yet it seemed to be all that he wanted. Yet how? Adopted? Took on the name? Those of Naboo were more fluid with their names, as they called people by what they desired to be called, yet was this a case of such?

Luke was silent, letting her get out what she wanted to say, a faint smile coming to his face at the mention of his father's old name. He ducked his head slightly, letting out a shaking breath, scared because he had no idea how she was going to react. Other than the brief mentions of her he managed to get from his father, he really only had recordings of her to go off of.

"Anakin Skywalker was a Jedi, yes," he replied. "He's... he's my father."

There was a slight slump on her shoulders as he said that, a furrow appearing on her forehead. That might have answered her question, but it brought so many others. He was a Jedi, so he had departed from the Order? He had... It was those conflicting emotions that churned around in her, absorbing those few words, but even Padmé knew that sometimes a few words can have a large impact.

She couldn't help but think back at how he had broken down in her arms on Tatooine, but how being a Jedi had also seemed to be everything that he had wanted. She had denied him though, not wanting to find themselves in a position where they would be lying to the world, caught in a scandal if anything had ever been found out. She would have failed in her duty to Naboo and he in his duty as a Jedi.

And now Anakin had a son? Others might have called him a liar, but... But he did have a certain look of Anakin to him. Not the height, but his features did remind Padmé a lot of Ani, those blue eyes and pale hair. "He left the Order then, and started a family?"

"Not... exactly."

Luke let out a breath, before standing up, pacing a little as he tried to think of what to say, or how much to say. There wasn't that much he knew himself, really; just what the Empire decided was history, and what little he managed to get out of his father. It wasn't going to give her much in the way of answers, and he didn't doubt it would spawn questions he couldn't answer, but... he couldn't leave her completely in the dark either.

...though he couldn't deny that part of him just wanted to scream, "Dad, help!" through their bond in the Force.

"You told me once before that you were from before the senate vote on building an army for the Republic," he began, having trouble looking at her. "The Separatists launched an offensive, and the Republic retaliated with an army of clones. The Clone Wars lasted for three years, after which, the Republic became the Empire."

He paused a moment, looking down at his hands, absently picking at the bandages on the fingers of his flesh hand.

"My father, like so many other Jedi, was a general in the war," he replied. "But he told me it wore on him; the Jedi had no business fighting a war, not to mention leading it. The hypocrisy of the Jedi Order and his dedication to protecting the Republic tore him apart."

Her head tilted as he rose, tracking him as he paced. No doubt it was as confusing for him as it was for her. She was from the past and he was from the future. It wasn't as if Padmé had ever sought to know what lay before her, although she had already been told some troubling pieces of information. It was how much stock she could put in to them though that was the issue. She wasn't that she would inherently think someone was lying, but there was always the issue of how history was written. No doubt on some planets she would go down as a villain, she mused.

"Palpatine." The name was said softly, as if doing so would make it less true. That was what Misa had told her, although how the senator from Naboo turned Chancellor could become and Emperor... That aspect made little sense to her, but it wasn't as if there was some book that she could open, find the correct page, and read. She could ask, and learn what others knew, but it wasn't quite that simple.

"Keepers of the peace," Padmé supplied, as that was what they were supposed to be. They had come to her planet to aide, although Master Qui-Gon had lost his life there, and was remembered every year for it, honoured as a hero. "It is nice to properly meet you, Luke Skywalker. I am sorry to hear that. He- he helped me and my planet when he was a boy, with no expectation of reward, while others would have not lifted a finger."

Luke grimaced at the mention of the Emperor's name, before he nodded, confirming all the more what Misa had told her before.

"The Emperor is a Sith Lord," he stated bluntly. "He was hiding in plane sight, while the Jedi were preoccupied with the Separatist leader."

He pursed his lips together, before a small smile came to his face. Finally peering over at her.

"I know," he said softly. "I... he doesn't talk about you often, but I know how much he cared for you. How much he cares for you still."

Luke hesitated a moment, before sitting down beside her again. He needed to just... get this out there. Stars knew his father wasn't going to tell her, and with his old name on everything involving the train, she was going to need someone to tell her.

"There's more; it's not going to be easy to hear, though."

... a Sith Lord? Misa had spoken of a Darth Vader, but she hadn't mentioned that the Emperor was this Sith Lord, although Padmé also hadn't asked. She had been too confused about the title of Emperor to follow through with other questioning. There was that tightness in her chest, deeper still at this new knowledge, for how- how- could Palpatine.

Yet Luke's soft voice brought Padmé's attention back up, seeing that hint of a smile, and had she not been so well trained in her own facial expressions, she might have let more slip. Well, Anakin was never the most subtle, and if he was no longer a Jedi, she supposed he could well speak more easily about such things. It's far too easy to remember how he had looked at her when Obi-Wan and he had been assigned to keep her safe, of how he had looked at her for who she was, and not what she represented or could offer, but as she had said to him, it couldn't be.

"That is kind of you to say. He is a very dear friend." As that much she could say without betraying too much. The loss of the Japor Snippet here was felt, as it was something that Padmé had rarely taken off. She nodded though, shifting her body to give her full focus to him, although Palpatine and Sith Lord drummed through her body with each beat of her heart. "It's okay. Continue."

Luke took a deep breath, counting off in his head, before letting it out slow. This was not going to be easy to talk about, but he knew he had to.

"Again, I don't know much about what happened during the war," he admitted. "I only have a vague idea of what happens toward it's end, and much of what I 'know' is based off of Imperial education."

He made a face at that, which probably said a lot of what he thought about the current state of things than he would have been able to vocalize.

"My sister and I were born not long after the Republic was declared the Empire," he continued. "It was a chaotic time; my sister and I were separated, and sent to different planets. I didn't even meet up with my father until I was eleven, but I didn't know it at the time..."

He hesitated again, peering up at her and trying very, very hard not to fidget.

"I've... never seen my father's face," he said softly. "During that chaos, my father was severely injured, to the point where he needs a complicated life support system and breath mask to stay alive."

It was that reserved quiet that she gave to him, letting him go at his own pace. It was not as if there was any rush or threat that meant that she needed to pressure or push for information. It weights on him, that much seemed to be clear to her, and she kept that calm polished finish, attention gentle on him in that silent encouragement for strength.

She gave a small nod at that statement, knowing that history did tend to be written by the survivors. While Padmé would prefer an impartial take, arguably that was impossible, as each side had their own narrative, and war did tend to scatter information to the wind. Few, if any, ever saw every piece of knowledge and only knew what they were privy to, or what had been passed on, whether true or false.

A family ripped apart... Not the first, and no doubt not the last, but such things were events that Padmé would have done away with, had she the power. She was not foolish enough to believe that she ever would, but war could be devastating on so many levels and alter so many lives. Just on Naboo alone... Yet one across the galaxy? Planet sized was bad enough, but to try to fathom different systems...

Her stillness did alter ever so, sharper, with his last sentence, thinking back to the being that has been elusive, but that did sleep in the designated bunk whose name she knew, and yet did not understand why he appeared in it. A being or a droid... But it was the breathing that had caught her attention, as the almost mechanical laboured sound of it was hard not to notice. "I am sorry to hear that, although there is likely some comfort in finding him after all those years."

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