A Rose In The Frost
Vivien
Chapter 1
Disclaimer: George Lucas owns Star Wars etc

A/N: Was written a good few years before Sith so it's well and truly AU.

It was a warm day. One of those days where it is impossible to feel comfortable either indoors or out. Padme Amidala sat at her bedroom window watching the now unnecessary protocol droids totter around the otherwise empty courtyard below. She was twenty-six years old and found life dull now Anakin had gone. It hadn't always been this way, she thought to herself. She closed her eyes and gave up to her memory, she lived like this. Dwelling constantly on pictures, images, places and people she knew she should try to forget.

The first of course was Anakin. She could almost see him. His eyes sparkling, smiling and he reaching for her hand. But the image flickered; he looked like he had at their last meeting, his eyes haunted and his expression cold.

That was when he had told her he had become a Sith. It didn't make sense she'd thought at the time. But looking back through cold discerning memory it probably did. Obi-Wan, had held him back. He needed to use his power and he had. The struggle of keeping their marriage a secret and the added blow of Palpatine's true identity and alliance had been too much of a shock. They had turned him to the dark side. She had not seen him since, except his ghost in Luke. She had no idea what had become of Anakin, where he was, what had become of him and nor did she wish to have.

Luke. She thought about him now. Anakin knew she was pregnant when he had left. But she and Obi made sure he and Palpatine would never find Luke or his twin sister Leia. Luke was living with Anakin's stepbrother and his wife Beru. Leia was living with her friend Bail Oragana on Alderaan. It had been such a struggle to leave them both, knowing that she would never see them again, that they would never know their true identities. But she knew she shouldn't think like that. Thoughts like that could drive you insane. The only important thing was her children's safety.

She had returned to Naboo. Keeping her old job as senator. Senator of what? She was part of the Republic. A Republic in chaos and disarray. Since Palpatine had gone, a power struggle had begun. In the turmoil democracy had been forgotten. With only a rapidly depleting clone army to keep the peace. The Jedi were collapsing, despite the attempts of Mace Windu and Yoda.

Padme has to leave Naboo that afternoon to go on a democratic mission to try to save the Republic's links with several of the outer systems. But the Sith and Palpatine had gained a lot of power. They had an army of clones far more advanced than the Republic's, which seemed to have sprung from nowhere.

They also had Anakin.

Padme, was even avoiding her family, even her much loved sister Sola. Seeing Sola happily married with her children hurt. Not that Padme had really wanted that kind of life. She loved action and democracy too much. But democracy was dying and the line between danger and action was now non-existent. She had never craved danger.

Glancing around her official chambers she tried to cling to something that would distract her thoughts. But nothing came to mind. Lying half concealed on her crowded dressing table was a locket. She crossed the room and picked it up, knowing that it was not a good idea to give herself up to her emotions. The locket was made from dull metal hammered into an oval shape. She pressed in a little button on the side and it opened. On one side was her portrait, but she didn't want to see that. Opposite her was Anakin's. He looked so beautiful, so happy. She closed the locket and put it on. The chain felt oddly cold around her neck. It had been so long since she had last worn it.

There was a knock at Padme's chamber door. It dragged her from yet another feverish dream of Anakin. He had been there, but then he had disappeared leaving darkness, then the screaming had begun. She was glad to be interrupted. The dream had been terrible.

She flicked a switch and the metallic door slid open revealing captain Typho. He had continued in her service along with Dorme. Dorme was stood behind him now. Padme looked at herself in her mirror. Her clothes were dishevelled, her hair was unflatteringly plastered around her face, she blushed. Understanding Captain Tyhpo left her chamber and Dorme rushed to help her prepare. Just over twenty minutes later, she was ready for serious discussions.

"Are you ready for our journey too see democracy die?" Asked Typho, his commanding voice tinged with sadness. Padme nodded and followed them. The door slid shut behind them; Padme hadn't felt like this sine her grandmother's funeral, a kind of official sorrow. Where she couldn't let her emotions show, as she had to give others faith by not seeming remotely distressed herself.

They boarded the ship in silence. Padme retired to her cabin immediately, she was learning to detest the formality of being in company. The cruiser set off into space with hardly any noise. She was glad, silence and quiet seemed more natural. Her only real companion during this time of her life had been her R2 unit. The small droid was surprisingly good company, for a robot.

Most of the journey passed in perfect silence. But when they were about halfway something went horribly wrong. The ship gave a lurch. Then it began shuddering. It felt as though they were being dragged by some horrible clawed monster. As there were no windows in her cabin she went outside to the main corridor. Members of her escort were running past her, yelling and panicking. But one phrase caught her distinctively.

"Tractor beam. Pulling us in!"

Dignity forgotten, she threw herself at a window and looked out. They were caught in a green light. Being pulled closer and closer to a foreboding looking grey ship that seemed to fill the entire sky.

A huge black door had opened in the ominous ship and they were dragged inside. She could now only see darkness out of the window. There was a bang and Padme's shuttle suddenly hit ground. The entire ship seemed to be holding its breath waiting, waiting. It came, the clanking of feet. The sound of a metal door being forced open. At one end of the corridor stood thirty or so clone troupers. Their guns pointed. One spoke…

"You are to come with us."

Padme nodded at Typho who led the possession behind the clones. Typho was in front, followed by Padme's two bodyguards, Dorme, and then Padme followed closely by R2.

They disembarked the ship and Padme saw that they were stood in the basement of what must be a huge shuttle, the type that Palpatine's "Imperial" forces had become terrifyingly fond of. The clones led them up a seemingly endless tour of stairs and passageways, until they reached what was unmistakeably the cellblock. One clone opened the door and pointing his gun threateningly shooed her party inside. Padme stepped to follow, but a clone pointed his blaster at her.

"The senator is to come with us."

Padme sighed. She was desperately scared. But she had got out of worse messes than this. But then Anakin had always been with her….. she realised that with a pang. He was definitely not with her now.

The clones led her down another tangle of stairways and passageways, the tour concluded in a huge room, with what looked remarkably like a thrown in the very centre. The clones left and the chair spun slowly around. Revealing a figure she had hoped never to see again… the figure that had ruined her life… Palpatine himself.

He was dressed from head to toe in black. The black seemed almost part of him. His evil face was half hidden by a dark cowl.

"You!" Padme spat.

"Now senator Amidala", he replied smirking. "You ought to be nicer to me. Your friend's lives hang on the balance of how helpful you are."

Padme swallowed. What could she do?

"What do you want?" She asked. Fighting to keep her voice composed.

Palpatine merely spoke to thin air.

"Lord Vader could you come and speak to our guest please."