The next day, Anakin was back to work in the Rogue. Alora was sleeping in one of the cabins in the back of the ship, cradled snugly in extra blankets and under the watchful eye of Artoo. This time, when the ship dropped out of hyperspace, Anakin cross-referenced with the coordinates from before and followed them down to the planet's surface. It was time to take the little girl home.

Oora spoke with Anakin about Pipey and had been relocated somewhere safe, and now it was time to speak with Darja. Quite honestly, Anakin didn't feel super confident or qualified to have this conversation, but he could understand where a parent came from the best, and there wasn't anyone else available. If anyone could explain the dangers present to a Force-sensitive Youngling to a concerned parent or grandparent, it was the man who was a father to Force-using twins.

At least by now, he was used to the process. This was not the first time in the past several years that he had spoken with concerned parents. He got better at it as he went, but his strategy didn't change much: be kind and comforting, but be honest as well.

Anakin landed the ship in the closest spaceport to the coordinates and killed the engines. When he went back to the cabins to get Alora, she was still sound asleep. She probably won't appreciate me waking her up, Anakin thought, so he tried to scoop her up as gently as possible. Somehow, she remained asleep in his arms. He could hear Padme coach him on holding a young child properly: 'Keep an arm under their torso or back and make sure you support their head. Newborns don't have the strength in their neck to do it themselves.'

Alora wasn't a newborn, but she was still pretty young, so Anakin held her delicately. Once he was sure that she was comfortable, he looked to Artoo and jerked his head toward the cockpit. Artoo understood the silent signal and rolled away, knowing Anakin wanted him to stay with the ship. Pulling the hood of his cowl up, Anakin walked off the ship and out into the streets.

It was about midday in this part of the system. Those who weren't at work were going about their business, and they didn't pay any special attention to Anakin. A bit of sunshine crossed Alora's face and agitated her, waking her up.

Dang it, Anakin groaned internally, but he shifted her so his shadow shielded her face. "Good morning, little one," he whispered, stroking her back gently. "You're up just in time to find your grandmother."

Yawning, she made no response to Anakin. He didn't expect her to, but Padme's sister Sola told him it was good for babies to listen to people speak. It had something to do with language development, which Anakin didn't really understand, but he did think it was nice to have someone to talk to, even if they never responded. Anakin had talked a lot to Luke and Leia when they were little, too.

Following a small compass with the coordinates downloaded, Anakin wove through the busy streets, occasionally narrating the journey to Alora by saying things like 'We're supposed to walk straight for about four blocks' and 'That person must be in a rush' and 'Yeah... we definitely took a wrong turn.' She seemed to wake up more as they walked, and by the time Anakin found the right neighborhood, she was looking around and cooing every once in a while.

Unfortunately, he found himself coming down with baby fever the longer he held Alora. He tried to remind himself that he already had two kids, who were teenagers now, and that his family didn't need more children. Not to mention, Padme wouldn't be able to hide pregnancy as well nowadays as she could during the Clone Wars. She was being watched more carefully in the Empire than she had been in the Republic.

When he got close enough, he put the compass away and approached a woman on the sidewalk. "Can you help me? I'm looking for Darja."

The woman looked up, clearly startled by being spoken to by a stranger, but when she noticed the bundle of blankets in his arms, her eyes lit up. "You found Alora!"

Anakin nodded, showing her the child to prove that she was alive and well. The woman smiled, then pointed him to a housing complex. "There, she's on the second floor, fourth door on the right."

"Thank you," he told her, smiling. It was always a gamble when he talked with Imperial citizens. Some people reacted well because it was clear that he wasn't with the Empire, and some people reacted poorly for the same reason. He got lucky this time.

He took the elevator one floor up and stepped out, pulling his hood down. Anakin counted four doors down the right hallway and knocked, shifting Alora so Darja would first see her face when the door opened. Sure enough, Darja seemed hesitant to greet her visitor until she realized who was with him. "Alora!"

Darja reached for her granddaughter, whom Anakin gave to her immediately. "Thank you, thank you so much," she told him, getting a little teary-eyed. "Oh, I'm so sorry, my child."

Smiling, Anakin watched without saying a word. This was one of the best parts of his job: seeing families being reunited. It didn't happen very often, but it was always well worth the wait.

After a moment of hugging Alora, Darja looked up at Anakin. "Is there any way I can repay you?"

"Can you give me a chance to explain?" he requested.

"Of course," she assured him, stepping aside. "Please, come in and sit."

"Thank you," Anakin told her, bowing his head slightly and walking in. He kept his cowl on but rested at one of the chairs next to the table along the wall.

Darja didn't join him right away. "I'm just going to get her settled, and then I'll be right with you."

He nodded, not concerned with the delay. A few minutes of waiting wouldn't hurt anyone.

The housing unit wasn't very elaborate, although Darja had made some efforts to decorate. There were photos on the counter, some of which Darja was in. More often, though, was a young couple smiling at the camera. In one or two of them, the woman had an obvious baby bump. Alora's parents, Anakin guessed, and he felt his heart sink. They were probably dead now. This wasn't the first time he had come across a Youngling that had been orphaned.

While he waited, Anakin reminded himself of things he needed to remember while explaining. Darja's main concern would be Alora's safety, above all else. He had to think of everything he said in that reference frame. That was the way to make sure Darja understood the situation as best as she could, despite how complicated and dangerous it was.

Another minute or two passed before she came back. Alora must have been left to sleep in the next room over because Darja returned alone. "Tea?" she asked, reaching for the kettle.

"Thank you, that's very kind," he accepted. It really was a sweet gesture: surely, luxuries like tea were expensive these days.

"I can't imagine what you had to go through to find her," Darja mused while she prepared two cups, one for her and one for Anakin. The kettle had already been on when Anakin walked in. "Those creatures... I've had nightmares about them ever since that day."

That didn't shock Anakin. "Luckily, the Inquisitors were after another child in another system. While my friends were searching for them, we also found Alora."

She paused momentarily. "Is that what they're called? 'Inquisitors'?"

He nodded, resisting the urge to explain the history behind the name. "They're agents of the Emperor."

"What could the Emperor possibly want with Alora?" Darja asked, shaking her head. "She's not even a year old yet, and her parents were good people. Just because she has it doesn't mean she's dangerous."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple," Anakin admitted as Darja brought the tea over. "Thank you, again."

"You've told me your name before, but I've forgotten," she confessed. "What was it?"

"You can call me Fulcrum," he told her, sipping the tea politely. Actually, tea wasn't his favorite, but he wasn't about to turn it down either. Obi-Wan always said tea was good for him, so he had learned to like it.

Setting the cup down, he began the very long explanation that could no longer be avoided. "Alora is sensitive to something called the Force. It's an energy field that binds the entire galaxy together, and some people, like your granddaughter, can sense it. I was once like her.

"Beings who can sense the Force can train themselves to use it. Before the rise of the Empire, most children like Alora would be taken to the Jedi. They would protect the children and train them to use the Force to protect others. Those children would become Jedi and, in turn, train the next generation. Other children were taken to the Sith, who would do the same."

"What is the difference?"

"They were trained in different ways. The Force can be used differently by each person. Jedi used the Force in one way, and Sith used it in another."

Darja thought for a moment, then asked, "What are those things- the Inquisitors?"

"Remember when I told you they are agents of the Emperor?" Anakin reminded her. "The Emperor is a Sith. They are his students. They want Alora so they can train her to be a Sith when she grows older."

There was no way Darja could have known what a Sith was, but she connected the Inquisitors to the title and decided she didn't like them. "Are you a Sith?"

He shook his head. "I'm a Jedi."

"Are there more of you?"

"Not many," he answered. "Most of my people were killed in the Jedi Purge, which the Emperor staged. I am one of the few that are left."

Her eyes flitted to the framed photos on the counter. Anakin didn't know what she was thinking, but he guessed he remembered her child and their spouse's death. "What do you want?"

This was the delicate part. Anakin breathed out before speaking. "In addition to being a Jedi, I am also an agent of the Rebellion. I don't want the Empire to become stronger, and the more Inquisitors there exist, the stronger the Empire will be. I want to prevent the Sith from training Alora until she is capable of deciding what she wants to do herself, in the hopes that she will not choose to serve the Sith."

"You don't want to train her?"

"She will likely not be able to tap into the Force until she is a few years older," he explained. "I also can't guarantee that she will be safe with me at this time."

"But do you want her to become a Jedi? Like you?"

Darja's questions were coming faster. Her voice was rushed and tense, so Anakin took another drink before speaking calmly and slowly. "I want her to be free to choose what she wants. I believe that becoming a Jedi is the best path for Alora, eventually, but that is because I am a Jedi. She may not decide this is what she wants. However, if the Emperor takes Alora now and begins her training as a Sith, I fear she will never be given that choice."

His answer seemed to assure her somewhat. She still looked worried, but that was expected. The topic of conversation definitely called for worry. Darja looked back at the room she had left Alora in. "I don't know exactly what to make of Jedi and Sith, but they took her from me, and you brought her back," she concluded, looking back at Anakin. "I have to protect her. I owe it to her parents to protect her. I can't let the Empire take her again."

"I understand," he nodded, looking around. "If the Empire tracked down Alora, then they know you live here. It won't be long before they return. The best way to protect her is to go somewhere the Empire will not look for her."

"The last time I tried to run, the Inquisitors boarded the transport and killed everyone else on board," Darja remembered. "I don't even know where to go. Is there anywhere that is safe?"

Anakin nodded. "Alora is not the first child I've come across that needs hiding from the Empire. The Rebellion has relocated other families with Force-sensitive children to the planet Alderaan. If you want, I'm prepared to take you and Alora there today."

It took a moment for Darja to comprehend the offer. "There are others like her? Like us?"

"There's an entire community now," he affirmed. "They live in a small town far from the capital, away from Imperial presence. The other child I spoke of earlier and their mother were taken there a couple of days ago."

He saw her turn the idea over in her head. If they had tried to escape once a few days ago, packing up to leave the planet for the second time wouldn't take long. They could be ready very soon and on their way to a haven for other children like Alora before sunset.

"Do you have a ship?"

"At the closest docking port, bay 5," he answered. "Will an hour be long enough to get ready?"

"Oh, that's more than enough," Darja assured him.

Anakin stood up and pushed his chair in. "Thank you again for the tea. I'll be waiting for you."

"Thank you, Fulcrum," she returned, moving to put the cups away. Anakin saw himself out, making sure to close the door behind him. As he left, he put the hood of his cowl back up and walked back the same way he had come in.

Who knew what the neighbors thought of the man as he walked past them a second time. On the one hand, it certainly looked like he had found Darja's granddaughter, but he left just as quickly, and soon after, the old woman was running the same way he had gone with the same bag she had packed days earlier. It wasn't worth it to report him to the Empire, he hadn't caused any trouble, but they whispered for days about who might be under that cowl and where he and Darja and Alora had disappeared to.