-Chapter 1-

Zam Wessel paced the floor of the dirty hotel room, just as she had for the last several hours. Her first attempt on Senator Amidala's life had been nearly foolproof. But she had been the fool who botched it. Although her and Jango were friends, in the business of bounty hunting, such relationships could not be relied on to avoid the repercussions of a job gone south. If she couldn't figure out a way to patch things back up and salvage the job, she might be out more than just a few credits.

Now that there had been an attempt on Amidala's life already things would be even more difficult. Only failure was not an option this time. Jango had warned her before she accepted the job, that his employer had steep consequences, ones that might involve her own life if she were to fail. She didn't know who had commissioned it all, she didn't much care. Not until now. Who ever wanted Amidala dead was surely someone in a position of power. She didn't want to find out the extent of it. The only option was to succeed.

Another overt attempt on the Senators life would most likely fail, since they were now aware of the plot against her. If she didn't act fast, they were very likely to post a heavier guard, if they hadn't already. That would certainly muck things up. She tried to run the options in her mind over and over with no avail. Trying to sleep would be useless. She would have contacted Fett to brainstorm ideas, but she didn't want to go back to him empty handed. He would think she was loosing her edge. It would kill her career.

Then it hit her. The perfect plan. It didn't have to involve killing the Senator, their benefactor only wanted her out of the political scene. Zam nearly blushed when the idea occurred to her, why hadn't she thought of it before? It was a flawless plan. It would seal the end of the Senator's career, all without a single death. It was perfect. Only she had to act now, before others got involved. It was crazy, stealthy, and it just might work.

…...

Padme was anxious. She had always been a private person. When she had been ruling Queen of Naboo, it was out of necessity. It had been a learned practice back then but had worn off on her. She had her public face that everyone else saw, then there was her private side that she rarely showed to anyone. At times she felt her own family barely knew her. Of course living on different planets the majority of the time didn't help things.

But she really didn't mind the privacy. The only thing now was she had next to none. Guards had been posted all over her residence in the wake of the attempt on her life. Part of her took it as a tad bit flattering, that she was making such a difference in the Senate that someone considered her such a threat. She might have been given to a more prideful nature in the whole ordeal, had her beloved body double Sabe not been killed in the process.

Things could not have been worse. Trying to grieve for her lost friend, being crowded out of her own home, barely even allowed to be in her bedroom by herself. She hadn't even been able to truly cry. Not that she would have been able to. She was feeling a bit shell shocked by the whole experience.

At the moment she was sitting at her desk staring at a stack of papers she needed to look over for the next Senate session. She had been reading the same page over and over, not really seeing the words. She couldn't focus. She felt like she couldn't breathe. She had been at the task for over three hours with no results. Were she not constantly under observation she would have been crying from sheer frustration. She was not used to feeling so inadequate, ineffective. The presence of guards in her home made everything feel worse, since she bottled all of her grief up inside so no one would have to see it. It felt like she couldn't fit any more of it inside of herself. She felt like she might explode into tears and violence at any moment.

If she were more level headed, she might have cared. At the moment she didn't. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, when the door bell rang she nearly jumped out of her skin. All of the guards scattered about her apartment stood with a fixed posture, ready for anything at any given moment. They were everywhere- each window and door had at least one of them. Not to mention the others outside. If someone had reached her door, they were probably safe for entry. The guards outside had been very restrictive on who got past them. Even some of her friends and well wishers in the Senate had been turned away.

Still she meandered to the door hesitantly. She knew it was most likely safe, but she still was cautious. She had seen death before more than enough times to be familiar with it, but it left her feeling jumpy none the less. She couldn't stand the thought of being plunged into more of it. Not with the death of her friend being so fresh in her mind.

As she opened the door, a neutrally-friendly pair of eyes met her own. She wore a look of confusion on her face. "Can I help you?" She spoke from a narrow crack in the door large enough for half of her face to be visible.

The attractive pale face before her lit up with a mechanical grace before it spoke. "Senator Amidala, I was sent as a gift to be of use in your service. I am programmed with numerous subroutines I am sure will prove helpful. I eagerly await your instruction."

She felt even more confused. Perhaps this was some sort of joke? She might have laughed if she were under any less stress. "I'm sorry, do you take me as a fool? What sort of prank are you trying to pull on me exactly? Let me assure you, it's not funny. How did you get through my security?"

"I'm sorry Senator, I don't mean to cause you confusion. I am a BD-3000 luxury droid prototype. I was created to look and feel more human for more comfortable interfacing." His face was serene as he spoke in a calm matter-of-fact tone.

Padme surveyed him suspiciously, eyeing him up and down as if to measure his truthfulness. "I've never heard of male luxury droids, let alone ones that would pass as human."

He retrieved some papers from the pocket of his jacket and handed them over to her. "Here are my model identification papers. They also contain a complete list of all subroutines I am pre-programmed with, along with instructions for operation and maintenance."

She studied the papers with equal suspicion. Something wasn't right. This whole situation was wrong. Who was the mysterious benefactor? Why did they choose now to give her the droid- If he indeed was even a droid. "Who sent you?" She spoke still from the sliver opening in the doorway, as if it could shield her from the possibility of attack.

"That, I'm afraid, I do not know. My logs indicate I was sent out from the factory to arrive at your residence. You could contact them and request that information. Their information should be in my papers as well." Indeed, it was. She still felt she was being manipulated. None of this made any sense. Surely if someone had been kind enough to bestow her with such an expensive gift, they would want to give it in person. Not that she would have accepted it had they tried to pawn such an item on her. She would have rejected it. Perhaps that's why they sent it without any note or letter. Maybe they knew she would have been inclined to reject it.

"How do I know you're not just pulling one over on me? This paper doesn't prove anything other than a thought out disguise." Her grip on the door tightened as she subconsciously prepared to defend herself, her body throwing her into a panic in the process.

The face before her changed to a sorry, displeased look. Were it not for the unusual circumstances she would have found him quite handsome. She had a preference for fair skinned dark haired men. Even his eyes were her favorite shade of warm brown. It was as if it was all a trap designed to lure her in. Her gut told her to slam the door, to run and hide.

"I'm sorry Senator, I don't mean to frighten you. I sense your cortisol levels are quite elevated. I am programmed with 43 different massage and therapeutic modalities, along with several different meditation and hypnosis protocols. If those won't suffice might I suggest-"

"Enough with the act!" She said a bit louder than she meant to, drawing the attention of the security staff both outside and in. They stepped forward, now looking on at the strange man who stood at her doorstep. She would usually have been embarrassed for such a display, at the moment it felt warranted. "I don't know who you are, and I don't care. So far you've been unable to convince me you are being truthful. If you don't leave immediately I'm going to have security escort you off my property."

He put up his hands as a plea, trying to calm her down. "If you need more proof, let me show you." He turned to have his back facing her, and pulled up at the edge of his hairline at the back of his neck. She saw a glimmer of blue luminescence glowing beneath his skin in the shape of letters and numbers. Squinting to look at it, unwilling to leave the safety of her home, she saw the markings match the identification number that had been printed on the papers he had handed her.

"Come closer so I can see better." She ordered. He acquiesced without a word. He was close enough for her to reach out and inspect it, so she did. Running her fingers over the glowing markings did not change their appearance. It did not appear to be ink. As she was examining him, he placed a hand over hers. She jumped, before she could protest he led her fingers over what felt like a hard metal protrusion where his right suboccipital should have been.

"This is my port for external up-links. I hope I have been able to put your mind at ease." He stood holding an impossibly still posture as she continued to look at the droids identification markings. She suddenly felt very foolish. Maybe it was the lack of sleep all these nights that was finally getting to her. She felt helplessly paranoid.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so on edge," she began, momentarily forgetting she was only talking to a droid. It was an odd concept. She wasn't sure she was fond of a droid that passed as human.

The droid turned about to face her again. This time he was eerily close. "Please, there's no need to apologize. I am a droid after all." He gave a slight chuckle and grin at his remark. Coupled with his elegant Coruscanti accent his disposition was... charming. She found it unnerving.

He may have been being honest, but she still didn't like it. She didn't need some fancy protocol droid. "Well, I still can't accept you as a gift. I'm afraid you must return to wherever you came from and serve someone else. You won't be serving me."

"As you wish. I feel obligated to inform you there is a no return policy on prototype droids. If you turn me away I will simply be recycled and who ever purchased me will receive no refund." He spoke monotone. Now he truly sounded like the machine he was. Or perhaps it was sadness. She preferred if it were the first.

"How many credits are you worth, anyways?" She asked, feeling slightly guilty for the inquiry but genuinely curious.

"I was purchased for 150,000 credits."

Padme felt a pit form in her stomach. She couldn't let such an expensive gift become scrap metal. She also hated the idea of a mechanical servant that looked human. She felt awkward for it, she thought people would judge her harshly if they knew. It was probably part of the sleep deprived paranoia, she reasoned. She hadn't slept more than three hours in the last four days.

She opened the door fully, motioning for the droid to come inside. "I suppose you will have to stay for a short while then." She said drearily. "But only until I can find you a new owner."

His face lit up, keen eyes smiling back at her as if he could really feel joy. "I'm glad to hear it, Senator. I will try my best to please you. I do not think you will come to regret it."

As the two of them waked inside, the guards stood down back to their resting battle-ready positions. She let out a sigh of relief. Her body was aching all over from the stress induced panic she had been experiencing since her attack.

The droid did not wait to jump into service. "I sense you are tired, Senator. Shall I get you some tea?"

She paused before accepting. She was not used to a droid waiting on her. She didn't really care for anyone to be at her beck and call. It was one thing as Queen of Naboo, she did not enjoy. She was a fiercely independent woman who did not like to have others do what she could easily do for herself. But she was exhausted.

"Yes, that sounds wonderful." She said, reluctantly accepting his offer.

The droid gave a simple bow before turning towards the kitchen to prepare her a cup of tea. She retired to her bedroom in the meantime, changing out of her dress into her night robes. It wasn't quite her usual bed time, but nothing about the last few days could be considered usual or typical. Thankfully the guards left her alone while she was in her room. It was one of the rare times she was allotted some measure privacy. There were still guards perched outside her bedroom window. She tried not to think about it. She felt as if she were some specimen living in a glass house for everyone to look in at. Like she was on display in some sort of twisted side show.

Before she could follow the thought further, there was a light knocking at her door before it slowly opened. The droid came through, closing the door behind himself. It was odd. Only a few moments ago she was cowering behind her door. Now it... He? Was bringing her tea in bed.

Gently he handed her the steaming mug. She hadn't requested a specific type of tea, but he had discerned correctly. It was one of her favorites- a sleep blend. "Thank you..." She felt as if he should have a name. She couldn't just call him 'droid'. It felt odd. Even most droids had a string of letters and numbers that served as a name.

"You're welcome, Senator." He said with a bit of joviality, bringing his bent elbow to his waist as he bowed formally.

"...Do you have a name by chance?" She said as she sipped on the perfectly brewed tea, beginning to feel truly at ease.

"I'm afraid not, Senator. You may assign me one, if it pleases you." He said. She thought she might have seen his eyes sparkle. This droid must have more personality coding than all the droids on Coruscant combined. It wasn't overt, it was natural. Felt and seemed natural, just as he claimed he was designed to be. All of the subtleties of a real person, without being real. She felt morally conflicted by his existence in the first place, his demeanor only added to her silent unease.

All the same, he needed a name. "Palo. That will be your name then. Does that sound alright to you?"

"It sounds lovely, Senator." He said, a look of genuine happiness falling over his face seamlessly from his previous expression.

"Padme. Call me Padme." She hated being called 'Senator' outside of the workplace.

"It sounds lovely, Padme." She wasn't sure if she approved of the overly familiar way he was speaking to her. Perhaps it was just more paranoia that would fade away with a proper nights sleep. If only she could get some rest. Even when her body was tired, her mind would not shut off.

A look of confusion took over his face. He was too receptive for her liking. He might as well have been a Jedi, she felt like he could read her mind. "Is something bothering you, Padme?"

Where to begin? Everything had come crashing down on her at once. The galaxy was bothering her. There was nothing he could do to help her with that. "It's nothing, Palo."

Giving him a name might have been a mistake, she though. It felt odd to be treating him as a human being, when she knew he was not. There was something off about a human like droid.

"I am versed in 43 different therapeutic modalities, many of them very effective for stress and insomnia relief. Would you like me to service you?" He spoke with a certain suave, but also with uncanny innocence.

She wasn't sure what had her feeling so uncomfortable. If he only looked like a droid, it might have made her feel a tad bit better. But he didn't look like a droid, he looked very much like a man, and a handsome one at that. A man who had just asked her if she wanted him to service her. She didn't know if she could get used to this. She made a mental note to follow up and contact the manufacturer in the morning to figure out where this mysterious droid came from.

In the mean time she found her self lost for words. Sensing her hesitation, the droid continued on. "I can massage your shoulders if you like." He said, simplifying his suggestions to not overwhelm her.

Pursing her lips together, she looked over at him. It was silly. He was a droid programmed to help her, giving practical suggestions how to help her fall asleep. There was no ulterior motives. That was one way she preferred them to actual humans. She felt silly for feeling uneasy simply based on his appearance. It didn't change the programming that made him what he was. "Sure, that would be nice."

He swiftly moved to position himself behind her on the sleeper and began kneading her shoulders. She hadn't realized how much she had been storing her stress there until he began working on her. It only took a few moments for her to melt down to a calmer state.

Her breathing slowed, and her fatigue took her over. Her eyes were closed and she felt on the edge asleep as he continued to work on her. Padme quickly remembered she had been holding a hot cup of tea, and moved to set it down by her bedside before she accidentally spilled it all over herself.

She settled down more comfortably. No one had ever offered to massage her shoulders before. She hadn't expected it to be so effective. The droid had been adequately programmed, that she had no doubt of. She thought it out of character for herself to he so trusting of him so quickly. Not even an hour ago she had been questioning him as he stood on her doorstep.

As her breathing steadied into a slow deep rhythm, she began to notice a subtle fragrance. It smelled like silicone and lilac. Maybe it was the smell of Palo's synthetic skin? That must have been it, she figured. It was mild and pleasant, and somehow added to the sensations of the hands on her shoulders.

She didn't have time to think about it as she found herself falling asleep fast. She slumped back against the droid that held her upright. Slowly Palo moved to lay her down to rest before he drew the covers over her. He settled on the ground at the foot of her bed, switching into sleep mode as the sun began to fall on the horizon of the great city beyond.