Author's Note: Hello everyone. Yes, another story. I am in the process of moving houses and don't have access to the internet about ninety eight percent of the time so I can't continue any of the stories I have until I get a more stable connection. I managed to write this, and get a connection so I'm uploading it because I want to know what y'all think and because I want you to know that I haven't forgotten about my stories. Please know that I will pick this back up once I'm settled but here is this as a promise that I'm still around! Thank you! Let me know what you think! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Warnings: Language, broken limbs, OOCness, unbeta'd.
Word Count: 6,161
"I thank you for looking into this for me, Padme," Chancellor Palpatine says, offering a in smile through the holo communicator. The small blue image on the console shifts slightly as someone steps up next to him and whispers into his ear. "Yes, yes. Thank you. I'll be there in a moment."
"There is no need to worry," Padme says, looking up at the gas giant in front of her. "I'm almost there, as we speak. The gas giant you spoke of is in my sight. Initial scans show that all of the planets in the Yavin system are all uninhabitable. Are you sure there is something out here?" She looks over at the image.
Palpatine grabs his chin, eyebrows pulling together a bit, his eyes flicker back and forth a bit, in thought. "Yes, my dear. That is what the intel says. There is strange readings coming from somewhere around there. I have already notified the Redeemer. When they are done with their initial sweep of the system, they will be able to assist you."
Padme waves her hand around dismissively. "It's not a problem." She looks aorund the open space, watching the gas giant spin slowly. "I'm just... not seeing what could be the sourse of the strange readings. I'm not picking anything up."
Bail, who had been quiet throughout most of the exchange, finally pipes up. "There could be any number of reasons for that."
Curiously, Padme asks, "Such as?"
Palpatine hums in thought, crossing his arms over his chest. "Perhaps the sensors of your ship are not powerful enough..."
The young Senator shrugs her shoulders. "Maybe, but once the Redeemer gets here, if there is anything out here, it should be able to pick it up. I understand that since it's in the Yavin system the Republic wants a representative there in order to oversee whatever this signal could be, but this system is uninhabitable. I don't think there is anything out here."
"Maybe it's nothing," Palpatine says, looking away. "Whatever it is, I hope that you will be able to give me a bit of peace of mind." He looks up at her and smiles. "With this war, there is no way of knowing what could be a distress call, or some sort of Separtist plot. Best to be safe than sorry."
Padme nods. "I couldn't agree more, Chancellor. I'll let you get back to work. I'll let you know if we end up finding anything."
The old man smiles more at her, offering a little nod as well. "Good. Thank you again, my dear. I eagerly await your call."
"Please be safe, Padme," Bail says, looking concerned. "That might not be a front in the war, but the Separatists aren't the only danger out there. But pirates too. I've been hearing reports in the surrounding systems of increased pirate attacks on convoys and delegate ships. They are trying to profiteer from this war."
Padme smiles at her friend. "I know the dangers, Bail, and I will be careful. Besides, the Redeemer is already in the system. We will cross paths soon. Should I need any help, they were be here to assist me, so don't worry."
"I don't think I'll stop worrying until this war is over," Bail says, before rolling his shoulders back. "Stay safe, Padme, and good luck."
"Thank you."
With that, the line is cut and the blue image of the Chancellor and Senator Organa vanishes. Padme walks over to her chair and sits down. She stares at the gas giant in front of her, stopping every couple of seconds to see if they've picked up any strange, unexplainable signals that could have been what the Chancellor wanted them to look in to.
So far, nothing.
"Mistress Padme," C-3PO says, looking over at her, after a few minutes of silence "I am picking up a hail from the Republic vessel, Redeemer."
"Patch it through, 3PO," Padme says, turning toward the image of the admiral appearing where the Chancellor was a few minutes prior.
"Greetings Republic Diplomat Vessel 33417."
"Admiral Yularen," Padme says, "it's nice to see you again. I am Senator Padme Amidala, requesting permission to dock." She looks out the window to see the Redeemer heading toward them.
"Permission granted, Senator Amidala," Admiral Yularen says, hands folded behind his back. "Welcome to the Redeemer. General Skywalker and Commander Tano are going to be in hanger bay 1 awaiting your arrival."
Padme smiles, not at all surprised by that. When she heard that the Redeemer was going to be meeting her there, she knew that Anakin was going to be there by her side. He's loyal like that. And Ahsoka will be there too. She loves Ahsoka.
Thankfully, this seems like it could be an easy mission. Hopefully they won't have to worry about the Separtists. This could just be some strange signal bouncing off of something, and then they can all go home. Padme is happy to be able to see Anakin and Ahsoka, though. They will definitely be the highlight of this little escapade.
Padme and C-3PO both manuver the ship into the open docking bay, following the instructions of one of the clones in the hanger, direct them on where to land. Once they do so and shut down the ship, Padme stands up and heads to the lowering ramp in time to see Anakin and Ahsoka walking over to her.
A beautiful smile on Anakin's face. It's been months since they last saw one another and she wants nothing more than to run into his arms and kiss him, but she doesn't. She's not going to risk it. But she knows that he can see her desire for him in her eyes. His beautiful steel blue eyes lock onto her own and the peaceful blank expression on his face twists into a sultry smile and a quirked eyebrow.
Wisely, though, neither make a move on their desires and remember the impressionable Padawan standing just a foot away from Anakin's side.
"Padme!" Ahsoka exclaimes, her entire face lit up happily. She walks toward Padme with her arms open, a usual greeting for them.
Padme pulls the young girl into her arms and hugs her tight, deeply loving this young girl. Ahsoka was so innocent and sweet. She was fierce and strong and absoluely beautiful to Padme. She is envious and proud of how beautiful and strong the young Jedi was becoming. Padme had barely anything to do with the girl's training and how she's coming into her own, but Padme looks on with pride.
Padme just knows that Ahsoka is going to be breathtking in her beauty when she's all grown up – not that she isn't already beautiful in a young teenage manner! - but she will be mind blowing with her strength.
Fifteen years old and she's almost as tall as Padme, who's ten years her senior. She's going to be all long limbs and torso. Not like Padme who's been this same height since she was fourteen.
"Ahsoka," Padme says sweetly, pulling back a bit to grip Ahsoka's muscular arms, giving them a loving squeeze. "It has been way too long. Next time you are Coruscant, you must come visit. I have missed you so much."
Ahsoka grins up at her. "Absolutely." They pull back and Padme turns her large, dark brown eyes toward Anakin.
"Anakin."
His smile turns more charming in time for Ahsoka to turn her pretty blue eyes to him too. "Padme."
They don't move to touch each other. They might go a bit too far. Young as she is, Ahsoka is a lot smarter than her enemies would tend to give her credit. Best not to put any thoughts in her head, lest she go speak with Obi-Wan or Plo about her curiosities and expose them both.
"I thank you both and Admiral Yularen for coming to help take a look into this strange signal," Padme says, walking with them to the entrance from the hanger to the rest of the ship, "I know it's a bit below your pay grade."
Anakin tuts. "We are Jedi stuck on routine patrol duty. This is way below your pay grade, Senator."
Padme stops by the entrance to pat the head of her faithful astromech droid, smiling when R2-D2 beeps happily up at her, wiggling beneath her hand before she pulls away and keeps walking. "Perhaps, but the Chancellor asked me to do this. And besides, why are you guys on patrol duty? I thought you were on the front." She looks between the Knight and Padawan that flanked her. C-3PO stops next to Padme's astromech droid and they hang back to argue with one another.
Ahsoka's expression turns hauty as she looks over Anakin. "Do you want to tell her, Skyguy, or do you want me to?"
Anakin tuts again, eyes narrowed. "I will tell her. Master Windu seems to think that my way of going about the Kardishi outpost was a bit out of hand."
Ahsoka barks a laugh. "Is that what you're going to go with? You blew up the entire station and nearly got all of us killed!"
Anakin looks indignant. "Excuse me, Snips! But if I didn't stop them, we would have lost so much vital Republic infrastructural and agriculture plans to the Separatists. One base is nothing compared to those plans. I managed to retrieve them and save the station from being apprehended."
Ahsoka rolls her eyes. "In a perfect case of if-I-can't-have-it-no-on-can situation."
Padme laughs, shaking her head. "I shouldn't have asked."
"That's not the whole story," Anakin insists, looking down at Padme. "If there was another way to go about it, I would have."
Padme looks up at him. "I believe you completely, Anakin. I know you did your best. What you thought was the right course of action."
Anakin smiles at her. "Thank you. See, Snips? Someone thinks I did the right thing."
Ahsoka rolls her eyes again. "That so isn't what she said. She said she knows you did your best, not that what you did was best."
Anakin glares at her but doesn't retort when they make it to the bridge and Padme goes to greet Yularen and Captain Rex who was waiting at his side. Both tip their heads to her as she approaches and thanks them for letting her aboard.
But Rex is on to business. "Have your scanners picked up anything, Senator?"
"Unfortunately, no," Padme says, shaking her head. She pulls the white shaw around her shoulders down. The Redeemer is freezing cold. How Ahsoka can walk around with her back bare, Padme will never be able to understand. The Clones walk around in armor most of the time and Anakin is in full robes, they would have to keep the air on to stop everyone from passing out.
Padme is a little chilly, though. She catches Anakin spares her a glance in the corner of her eye.
"Well," Yularen says, folding his hands neatly behind himself, "we will get our scans working and see if we are going to pick up anything. Please, make yourself comfortable, Senator. I'm sure General Skywalker and Commander Tano will tend to you."
"I'm alright, Admiral," Padme says. "Please don't worry about tending to me. Pretend I'm not here until we find something. I will occupy myself."
Yularen cracks a small smile, probably worried that she would be a bit of a handful being a Senator, and is relieved that she's willing to fade into the background and let him remain in control of his ship without her bugging him. "I am happy to hear, Senator."
Padme offers him a polite bow to the older man, "Admiral Yularen," then a nod of the head to the clone next to him, "Captain Rex." Then she turns and heads back the way that she came.
"Senator," Admiral says in farewell.
"Ma'am." Rex bows his head. Ahsoka waves her hand to them before heading out a different door with Rex, calling out that her and Padme had to talk when she was done dealing with the Clones training. Padme agreed, saying that she was going to speak with Anakin in private and when she was ready, to call for the young Senator.
"Cold?" Anakin asks, following closely behind slowing his naturally larger steps to match her own.
Padme smiles up at him. "A little chill won't hurt me, Ani. Don't worry." Anakin hums softly to himself before quieting about it. They walk side by side, Padme obeying every turn that Anakin directs her, his hand on her lower back to be a bit discreet. It has been far too long since she was last able to have any time alone with him. His hand is barely touching her lower back, yet her entire body feels like it's been on fire. Her heart has missed Anakin deeply, but it's not the only thing, it seems. And judging by how he's picked up the pace ever so slightly, he's feeling it too.
They make it to Anakin's room after a few minues and Anakin dismisses the two clones stationed there, telling them to take a break. They thank him and leave. As soon as the door hisses shut behind Anakin, Padme is in his arms kissing him deeply. Anakin waves his hand, hearing the lock slide into place, before lifting her into his arms and carrying her across the small room to his bed and lowering her onto it and crawling over the top of her.
They kiss sweetly and slowly, relishing in one another. It's one of the longest times since they last saw each other, and actually been in each other's arms. They thirst for the physical connection. Touching, kissing, breathing in the other person.
Padme would like to take the high ground and just assume that she's above such lustful needs, but Anakin is her husband and she hasn't seen him and months and barely got to speak five words to him the last time he was on Coruscant because just about everything got between them meeting up between a surprise call for the Senate to gather and an attack that pulled Anakin off planet almost immediately afterward, this is the first time in what feels like forever since they have touched each other. She misses him. She wants to kiss and hug her husband. She wants him in her arms and feel the heat of his body next to hers. She just wanted to know that he was safe and alive.
At the end of the day, the sex is wonderful, but feeling Anakin alive and with her, is the greatest form of relief. She's scared to death all the times that he is gone and busies herself with work to try and stop herself from going mad with worry so she doesn't take a single moment for granted. If they have the time to be intimate together, awesome, if they only have the time to sit and hold each other and relish that they are both alive and together, awesome too.
"Ani," Padme moans, "what about Ahsoka..?" She turns her head to the side so that he has more room to kiss her neck.
"She's with Rex training the men," he whispers against her neck before placing more kisses there, being careful not to leave any marks. Unlike most of her dresses, her white shirt doesn't have a high collar, so he has to be more careful than usual. "She wouldn't just barge into my room short of anything but an emergency."
"No," Padme says, pushing him back a bit so that she can look up into his beautiful, hungry blue eyes. "I mean, how much time do we have?"
Anakin grins wolfishly. "Plenty."
"Yavin 4," Ahsoka says, squinting out the window of the Twilight behind Anakin in the pilot seat. "Yavin 4."
Anakin rolls his eyes, steadily leading the two following drop ships filled with Clone troopers that Padme insisted weren't necessary, down toward the moon. "Yes, Snips, Yavin 4. We picked up a very faint energy surge coming from the moon. And, judging by the amount of green I'm starting to see, I don't think we are heading toward another gas giant."
Ahsoka shakes her head. "I just... can't believe that there was actually something out here. How in the name of the Force did the Chancellor know that something was all the way out here?"
"Chancellor Palpatine has been a politician for a very long time," Padme says, "he's bound to have many friends all over the galaxy and someone must have picked it up and sent the lead back to him." She shrugs her shoulders. "I'm not really sure, but however he got it, there is something out here."
"Yeah," Ahsoka says, looking out the window again. "A moon that is habitable that no one knew about."
"Not no one," Anakin says as they enter the space around the moon. "I see what appears to be some sort of structure right where our coordinates place the strange energy surge."
"What do you think it is?" Padme asks.
"I don't know..." Anakin says, eyebrows pulling together.
"Well," Ahsoka says, "I suppose we will find out when we get there."
Anakin lets out a slow, deep sigh, looking concerned. "Why do I have such a bad feeling about this?"
"You're paranoid?" Ahsoka guesses.
Padme looks over at Anakin, worried. She knows that Anakin has survived his entire life trusting his instincts and that when he doesn't things tend to get really bad for him and everyone around him. She knows that if he's got a bad feeling, it's to be heeded. Anakin must have felt her eyes on him, because he glances over at her, eyebrows still pulled together.
"We'll be careful," Padme assures him. Anakin nods slowly, not appearing at all assuaged by her words.
"Right," he mumbles.
A temple. An old Jedi temple. At first Anakin wasn't convinced that it was as it appeared as he, Ahsoka and the 501st teams that accompanied them encircle Padme and enter into the temple. But once they got to one of the rooms and an entire wall was filled with small devices that Padme had never seen before "holocrons" Anakin had gasped, he started to relax a bit.
Turns out that this moon is one giant jungle that has many showers off and on over the weeks but rarely any storms. When it does have storms, there is a pillar of some sort on top of the temple to attract the lightning to it and help power the temple. One such storm recently passed and lightning struck this pillar enough times to activate a generator in the building for some time. It was still running when they got there, but was running low on juice already. It was an automatic thing that they were lucky to pick up on.
Once they realized that it was mother nature that woke the temple again and not a sentient being, Anakin fully relaxed. He sent Ahsoka outside of the temple to send work to Obi-Wan and notify him of what they located, seeing as Obi-Wan was in the neighboring system also doing patrol. He would be able to forward the information to the Council and Chancellor. Ahsoka returned not long after, saying that Obi-Wan was on his way there, after making a quick call to the "Council of Seekers" which is apparently a sect within the Jedi dedicated completely to knowledge seeking.
Anakin, Padme and the clones all pushed forward, looking through the old Jedi artifacts. They saw some training rooms and a council room and bedrooms and armories and more. Anakin was practically a little boy on the morning of his birthday looking at all of the lightsaber parts, talking a mile a minute on how rare they were or what they did or how good it would be if he was able to equip his lightsaber with them.
Honestly, ninety-five percent of what Anakin was saying went over Padme's head - along with the clones that were humoring him - but she listened to him go on and on and asked for clarification when she was starting to kind of understand what he was talking about. He seemed happy that she was expressing interest in what he was saying and became more animated.
It was an experience to be able to do a more leisure mission and see how the 501st react around Anakin. She knew just by listening to him that Anakin loved his boys and trusted them to watch his back no matter what, but it was really eye opening to see it from the opposite side. Padme knew how large Anakin's heart was, and knew that he got along well with the clones, but to see them with Anakin was something else.
The clones loved Anakin.
They would laugh and joke, poke fun at one another and Anakin. They were all friends. Their lives weren't in danger and so they felt like they were able to relax a little bit, especially since Anakin seemed to of completely forgotten about his bad feeling and was a bubbly, excitable mess, looking around at everything with large steel blue eyes.
Padme was fascinated by the history of it. This temple was ancient. It had to of proceeded the rise of the Sith Empire thousands of years ago, and while it's nothing too marvelous in appearance seeing as most of it is made from stone, the fact that it has survived for that long in relatively good condition, was amazing. Padme isn't so sure her apartment would fare better without constant upkeep, like the temple has gone without for Force knows how long.
Padme feels something tug at the back of her mind and turns to see down the dark hall that they are slowly working down going from room to room for hours seeing what this temple has to offer. The 501st is slowly following after Anakin, making sure everything is secure behind them before moving on. Anakin and Ahsoka are bubbily talking about all sorts of things that they are seeing uncaring that most of what they are talking about is lost on Padme and the 501st. Padme is enraptured by the happiness flowing from Anakin.
But she doesn't enter the next room, still looking down the hall, feeling like she has to investigate down there. There is something down there, she just knows it. But she also knows that it's not smart to separate from Anakin, Ahsoka and the 501st. Still, this place has been deemed safe by Anakin, seeing as Jedi weren't keen on boobytraping their temple because unlike the Sith they "wanted to keep their younglings alive".
She should wait for Anakin to make his way down there. Whatever it is that's down there, she will eventully see it. She'll just have to wait. She turns to head into the next room behind Jesse, who was otherise pulling up the rear, when she hears something. Deep, labored breaths. Something that sounds partially muffled by something. It didn't sound natural, like something mechanical was involved somehow.
She freezes, strainging her ears to hear it. Something is down there. She can't hear the breathing anymore, but she knows that something has to be there. She's not imagining things.
Padme.
She takes a step closer down the hall, straining her ears more.
My sweet Padme...
She starts walking, feeling this strong pull in her gut. She can't make out who's voice she's hearing. Just that it is somehow painfully familiar. She doesn't recognize it, though. But in her gut, she feels that she somehow knows who this person is. Their voice...
Padme...
They sound so broken. So sad. They say her name like a prayer. Like they are desperately calling out to her, but to her, it's like a whisper. They have to be yelling from way down that hall for it to sound that way. She can't imagine who could be down there that knows her. That sounds so sad. So broken. So desperate for her. Like a lifeline.
Please... Padme...
She has to go to them. She... doesn't know how she knows. She just has to go. They need her and she's never been one to ignore those that need her. She has to help them if she can. It's her job. It's part of who she is.
"Padme."
Padme jumps, listening to the door in front of her groan open as she turns to see Ahsoka standing a few feet away from her, arms on her hips and eyebrows raised. She looks like she's about to reprimand Padme. "Anakin is going to be so mad when he realizes that you slipped away without him."
"I'm sorry," Padme says, smiling sheepishly. "I just... felt like I had to come this way." She hadn't realized how farshe had been walking. Nothing around her is familiar. She must have been following that voice for a solid few minutes. Thankfully Ahsoka had followed her, she's not certain she would know how to get back if this wasn't a straight hallway. But Ahsoka was right, Anakin would be so mad if he knew she snuck away from him and got hurt because he was so busy oogling over the ancient temple.
Ahsoka tilts her head to the side. "What do you mean?"
"I..." Padme hesitates, not sure how to explain. "I thought there was someone down here..."
Ahsoka's blue eys start flickering around, mistrustfully. If someone was down here, it was probably unwelcomed and she was ready to take them down. But there isn't anyone down there but Padme and Ahsoka. They are alone. Then she gets a good look at the room that Padme is standing in front of.
Ahsoka's eyes widen. "Whoa!"
Padme turns around to see what could only be discribed as a museum. It's a huge room filled with cases all holding something inside. Lightsabers, objects, holopads, and more things. Padme could barely tell what half of the stuff in there was. Both of the girls go walking into the room, as dim lanterns eminating a strange low green light around the room start to illuminate it. There hand to be hundreds of artifacts in there.
Padme stops in front of one of the artifacts to see that it is a clear white orb. She looks in at it, curiously, while Ahsoka goes to the one next to her, reaching out to touch the casing, listening to it hiss slightly and open up for her to inspect what is inside; a tiny slightsaber.
"Commander, General Skywalker is going to kill you." Ahsoka and Padme both jump, looking over their shoulders to see Captain Rex standing here, helmet off and resting between his right hip and hand.
Ahsoka looks bashful, like Padme was, not moments before. "Uh, right. Sorry." She grins sheepishly over at Padme to see that now they both were in the same boat. Now Anakin was going to kill both of them if he finds out.
"General Kenobi and the 212th are here," Rex says, offering a half amused smile.
"And Master?" Ahsoka asks, looking pained.
"Noticed that both of you were missing," Rex finishes, nodding to Lucky, Jesse, Fives, Echo and Tup standing behind him, all looking amused. "And sent us out to look for you."
"Is he mad?" Ahsoka asks, physically recoiling. Padme feels bad. Anakin could yell at Padme, but she knew that would be about the worst he would do. She feels bad for worrying him, but she knew he would forgive them both. Ahsoka, though, she could be punished by him. She was his student. Padme was his secret wife, is all. She'll hear about it in private, though.
"It was nice knowing you, Commander," Lucky says, laughing. Ahsoka groans.
"Okay, well, we found some sort of artifact room. It's filled with all sorts of things." Ahsoka turns around and and grabs the small lightsaber, squinting at it for a moment, taking in the strange design. "Is this a one handed double bladed lightsaber?" Jesse calls Anakin over his communicator and tells him where they are located and that both Ahsoka and Padme were unharmed.
"What does that mean?" Padme asks, figuring that they were already in trouble, might as well keep exploring. The clones slowly make their way into the room, looking around curiously before gathering around Padme and Ahsoka, to see what they are looking at.
"Unless whomever wielded this had tiny hands, it was meant to be wielded by only one hand, but it's got two blades," Ahsoka says, activating the lightsaber. A deep red illuminates the room. Ahsoka actually flinches at the sight of it, holding the lightsaber away fromherself a bit. "Whomever owned this lightsaber had to of been a beast of a person to use it. The strength needed to wield a weapon like this is impressive." Ahsoka deactivates the lightsaber and puts it back in it's box. "But now I think I know why this room if filled with artifacts. They are all Dark Side artifacts."
"What does that mean?" Padme asks again, looking at the clear white orb in front of her, wondering how that could be of the Dark Side, although looks can be decieving, she supposes.
"One way or another, all of the pieces in this room must have either been owned by a Sith or were created by them," Ahsoka explains, her voice starting to fade away into the background. The longer she stares at the orb, she feels drawn to it. Something... something about it is calling to her.
The glass slides open and Padme reaches inside to it, wrapping her fingers around the orb and while the temple is warm, being surrounded by jungle life, the orb itself is hot. Not enough to burn, but surprie her upon skin contact. But she picks it up and holds it in front of her, hearing the deep, labored breathing in her ear again, still sounding miles away, and like it's coming from the orb.
As she stares at the orb, she can almost see something moving inside of it, the breathing starting to get louder and louder. Closer and closer. Her heart rate starts to pick up. Something is coming. Somehting is getting closer. Something is calling out to her. Something is out there.
"Ahsoka, you are so dead!" Anakin voice punches through the sound of the labored breathing, making Padme jump in surprise, the orb slipping from her fingers and falling to the stone ground, shattering upon impact.
Padme feels herself get yanked forward, as if being pushed toward the orb's broken remains before there is a painful pinch througout her entire body and she's flying through the air. She lands hard on her back and the back of her head slams into the ground, before something heavy lands on top of her. She feels something in her arm snap and she lets out a scream of pain as the thing that landed on her rolls off of her quickly.
"Padme!" Ahsoka's voice calls out, amongst the flailing limbs.
What rolled off of her, returns to her side. It's Fives. He reaches out to her arm, now being cradled to her chest.
"Ma'am, I am so sorry," he mumbles, tenderly grabbing her arm to look at it. "Oh, kriff! I think it's broken. Your forearm."
He helps Padme sit up as Ahsoka crawls over Lucky to get to her, spare a single glance at her arm before turning Padme's face toward her. "Look at me. Talk to me. Lucky, do something."
Padme feels the tears slide down her face as she tries desperately to force the pain away from the forefront of her mind. She can't look at it, she's sure she's going to vomit of both the gore and the pain. She can't do that, not now.
"It didn't break skin, thankfully," Lucky says, quickly making a splint from some of the things on his person and wrapping her arm up to steady it, before grabing out a shot for the pain and injecting it into her arm, after carefully moving up her sleeve. Padme lets out slow, shuttering breaths, trying to control herself now that the medicine is in her system, the pain is ebbing away. The deep rooted burn in her forearm is gone. At least now she can think straighter without the pain clouding up her mind.
She uses the back of her left hand to wipe away her tears, finally smiling faintly at Ahsoka's stern face. "I'm okay."
"No you aren't," Five mutters, looking distraught. "I landed on you, Senator. I am so sorry."
Padme shakes her head slowly, sniffling a bit. "It's okay. There is absolutely no way you could have know that could happen."
"Uh," Rex says, crawling to his feet. "Where did the General go?"
That's when Padme realizes that Anakin didn't come running to her side to see if she was alright. He's done that for less than her actually breaking her arm off on one of his clones, the fact that he didn't then was odd. Until she pushes to her feet with the help of both Ahsoka and Lucky, and sees that the doors are closed again, and the entire room is empty. As in, all of the artifacts are gone.
"What the..? Where did everything go?" Padme asks, looking around the room with wide, watery brown eyes. "Anakin? Hello?"
Nothing. She just listens to her voice echo off of the walls.
Dead silence.
"Where did everyone go?" Echo asks. "Where is the General?" Fives glares at him before looking down at Padme's arm and shame crossing his facial expression once more.
Tup goes walking over to the door, pounding his fist on it. "Hey! Open up."
Ahsoka looks over at Padme to make sure that Lucky and Fives were stil next to her, before walking over to the door and waving her hand slowly. The gears shift and move, opening the door slowly. It screeches and groans loudly to reveal an empry hallway beyond.
"Where did Anakin go?" Padme whispers. She knows that he was there a moment ago. It was his voice that scared her and made her drop that orb thing.
"Let's get out of here," Ahsoka says, looking at the clones and Padme. "Master has to be around here somewhere."
They slowly start to filter out of the room when something catches Padme's attention. It's the orb, perfectly undamaged, rolled off into the corner of the room. Almost mockingly. Padme slips past Fives and walks over to it, using her foot to pull it out from under a part of the wall that extends outward before leaning down and picking it up. It is able to rest easily in her palm and is near frictionless. It's no wonder she dropped it.
"Ma'am," Fives says, standing in the doorway, "we don't want to be left behind."
"Right," Padme says, stuffing the orb into one of the puches on her belt before walking over to the clone. "Let's go."
"Yes, ma'am."
Padme and Fives easily catches up with the group and follow Ahsoka and Rex down the hall toward where they came in. All the clones stick their helmets back on the moment Ahsoka reaches for her lightsabers, mumbling something about a really bad feeling. Fives scoots Padme closer to Echo and Lucky and the three of them form a protective barrier around her and arm themselves, slowing their steps.
They stop when they step around a corner to see two people, one twi'lek and the other rhodian, working on disabling some sort of power generator. The rhodian loks up right as Ahsoka rounds the corner, a look of confusion crossing his green face, until Rex round the corner next to her and he throws himself back in horror and points right at Rex.
"The Empire! The Empire is here!"