Chapter 2

Thanks for all the reviews!

Rainpaint - (I feel strange calling you rainpaint) Uh, didn't I already reply to yours? Thanks for the review anyway XD

XxRandom NemesisxX - Thank you!

SiriIam - well thank you Siri. Love ya! C: And SHHH we don't want them to know that yet!

Jade - Thank you darling :) I know, I'm evil. I love being mean to characters. (And I still appreciate your review even though I basically begged for it.)

Jaded_Skywalker - THANK YOU!! I'm glad :D

And thanks to azaneti and The Sin of Life for faving it, Jaded_Skywalker and Xx Random NemesisxX for adding it to their story alerts, and all 124 of you who viewed it! Or all 62 of you who viewed it twice. Or all seven of you for viewing it 17.71428571... times.


Year three (Three years after the Great ReSynchronization)

"And the new ruler of Naboo is... Amidala!"

The planet erupted into a roar partly made up of cheers, and partly jeers. The new Queen, who had never had any doubt that she would win, simply gave a tight smile to her master, and walked up to the podium to give her speech, which she had prepared many months before.

She rattled off her oration in less then ten minutes. As soon as she was done, Lady Bedadari stepped down, and walked over to her master. "And I thank you, Great Uncle. Without you, I would not be here today."

Perhaps we ought to hug? She raised an eyebrow at her Uncle, and tried not to smirk.

The look on his face answered her question. Instead, he reached for her hand, and brought it to his lips. "Oh, my Queen. You are too kind."


Two standard months later

"Again you come before me, Your Higness. The Federation is pleased."

Slime. You are truly disgusting. Amidala knew that the Trade Federation were going to invade Naboo. Her Master had told her a few weeks prior, and somehow it still infuriated her, especially when she thought of their reaction. She had been hiding in the shadows as Palpatine gave them the order. They had neither protested, nor argued. They had seemed eager. They just assume that Naboo is simple, easy to invade. Why? Because the Queen is young, and can't possibly be clever or smart enough to defend her own planet?? "You will not be so pleased when you hear what I have to say, Viceroy. Your trade boycott of our planet has ended." It was a lie, and she knew it.

"I was not aware of such failure."

Oh, how easy it would be to kill him... to wipe that smirk off of his face... a simply motion of the hand, cutting off his oxygen... Amidala tried not to grin as she imagined the Viceroy's eyes bugging out even further. Then, she looked around, and saw her councilors surrounding her. She wanted to groan aloud, her frustration simmering. Instead, she tightened her jaw, "Enough of this pretense, Viceroy! I have word that the Chancellor's ambassadors are with you now, and that you have been commanded to reach settlement." Of course, the ambassadors were Jedi, so she doubted that they had helped at all.

"I know nothing about any ambassadors. You must be mistaken."

She leaned in towards his image, studying his face. He's a good liar. Had she not the ability to probe his mind, she might have believed him. Her glare sharpened, and her voice was as cold as she could manage when she said, "Beware, Viceroy. The Federation is going too far this time."

"Your Highness, we would never do anything without the approval of the Senate!" Gunray was practically purring. "You assume too much." His tone told her that the conversation was over.

She clenched her jaw, and she reminded herself that she had not failed. It's supposed to happen this way. "We will see." The smirk appeared back on his face, and she quickly signaled for the transmission to end. I pray that the day you die, I will be there to witness it. She turned, and looked to her councilors. She barely listened to what they were saying. Contact Master Sidious. He'll tell you what to do. She waited until they were done talking, and she looked to the Governor of Theed. "Governor Bibble! Contact Senator Palpatine at once." When they reached him, she relayed to him what the Viceroy had told her. He feigned bewilderment.

"Negotiations haven't started because the ambassadors aren't there? How could that be true? I have assurances from the Chancellor his ambassadors did arrive."

So, they are there, then? She asked him in her mind.

Yes.

"It must be -" His image flickered, and began to break up.

"Senator Palpatine?" Amidala said urgently. Master? What am I to do now?

"Handiwork - negotiate - ambassadors - nobody would -" The hologram distorted, and then completely didn't answer her through their Force bond.

I suppose that means he trusts my judgement... "What's happening?" she asked her head of security, Panaka.

"Check the transmission generator," he commanded.

Sio Bibble jumped to conclusion. "A communications disruption can mean only one thing: invasion!"

Amidala almost rolled her eyes. I wonder how they would react if I said, "Well, duh!" "The Federation would not dare go that far," she stated.

"The Senate would revoke their trade franchise, and they'd be finished," Panaka confirmed.

"We must continue to rely on negotiation." "Oh, you mean negotiations don't require slaughtering every one of them? Whoopsie..."

Once again, Bibble had something to say. "Negotiation? We've lost all communications. And where are the Chancellor's ambassadors?"

I know that! Amidala could hardly stand this man. He was one of the many who, while she was running for office, had opposed her. Said that she was too young, too naïve. He was respectful to her now, yes, but she knew it was only because she was in the position of power. And he has a wonderful habit of stating the obvious right when I don't want to hear it.

"This is a dangerous situation, Your Highness. Our security volunteers will be no match against a battle-hardened Federation army," Panaka informed her, as if she wasn't aware of it.

Amidala said slowly, "I will not condone a course of action that will lead us to war." She stood up, and left. She walked to her private chambers, and sat down at her vanity. She rested her elbows against the desk, and held her face in her hands, gently rubbing her temples.

Yes, she had been trained to fight. In a few years, war would be her specialty. Yes, she was dark, some would say corrupted, but part of her truly cared for her planet, and the people in it. My family is here.

Once, she had gone to her family's retreat house in Varykino. She knew that she had stayed there a few times as a child, on vacation, but she had no real memories of any of the fun times they may have had there. Perhaps if she went there, something would be triggered. Anything. Any feelings, any pushed down memories, anything to make her feel connected to her family.


She walked through the halls, suddenly feeling nervous. She knew that if her Master was aware of where she was, and why she was there- to find the family she had lost- he would be displeased.

"I just have to find some trace of them..." She had thought. "They were ripped away from me when I was just a child... I deserve to feel their presence."

She had turned, and recognized the kitchen. A smile played upon her eleven-year-old face. "My mother cooked here..." She stopped. She went to the middle of the floor, and sat down. "Maybe, if I just stay here, just for a little bit, the memories will wash over me, all of a sudden..."

She had waited. And waited. She had always been good at passing time when alone. "I suppose that skill comes naturally when you're always alone," she had thought bitterly. She didn't mind being alone, sometimes. She liked having time to herself, time to think. But sometimes, she just felt a longing for someone. Someone who cared for her, someone to talk to. Someone to love. "A friend, I suppose..." But then she would remind herself that she needed no one. People were not trustworthy. They would always disapoint her. She only needed herself, and, until she had learned everything she could from him, Sidious. She opened her eyes. She didn't realize she had even closed them.

Nothing.

She felt nothing. No sadness, no comfort, nothing to make her feel her family's presence around her.

And then she felt rage. Utter and absolute rage, running through her veins. The only thing in her mind was destruction. She stood up, and let out a piercing scream of frustration. She ran to the cabinets, and through the Force, she opened them. She pulled out the first things she saw, and threw them as far as she could. The sound of the glass breaking brought a sinister grin to her lips. She ran out of the kitchen, and saw a beautiful stained glass window. She decided that simply using the Force would not satisfy her, and slammed her fists into it again and again. The fact that it barely moved wasn't surprising to her, but she was angered nonetheless. She yelled again, and gathered the Force around her. She had only learned the Force repulse recently, but she was certain that she could do it. She released her grip on the Force, and a wave of energy ripped through anything within a relatively near her. The window shattered, as well as many other things, and she smiled.

She walked back down the hall, pulling down and ripping paintings as she went. She came to the entrance, and stepped back into the speed boat she had used to access the retreat house.


After taking off her shoes, she carefully padded through her Master's Naboo house. When she finally reached her quarters, she winced when she felt Palpatine's presence. "Brace yourself," she murmured. She turned the knob.

"Master." She bowed before him.

"Rise." He didn't sound too angry but she couldn't be entirely sure. She did as she was told, taking in a sharp breath. He was far more terrifying like this, in her opinion - the calm before the devastating storm. "Where were you today, my apprentice?"

It would be pointless to lie to him, she knew. She also knew that he was most likely aware of where she was today, already. "I was at my family's old retreat house, in Varykino." Her voice was empty, and she didn't look at him as she spoke.

"What were you doing there, my apprentice?"

"I was looking for my family," she whispered hoarsely, and blinked back tears from her eyes.

And then, the storm. His eyes were a horrifying yellow, surrounded by a bloody haze. It seemed nearly impossible that the calm, grandfatherly Senator Palpatine shared this man's face. "Why?" he had snapped. When she didn't respond, he grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to face him. "I asked you a question, my apprentice."

She willed herself not to whimper. "I wanted to see if I could feel their presence."

The blast of lightning came as soon as she was done speaking. "You stupid little girl! Your family is dead," he spat. "They are gone. You will never 'feel their presence.'" He had started to taunt her. "Why would you need to feel their presence? You need no one! You have no one! Except for me. And I am enough, am I not?"

Then, his expression had changed. His mouth twisted into what, in some galaxies, could be described as a smile. "I know what else you did there, my apprentice. You acted on your anger. You did well." After that, he left. The girl was shaking. She didn't begin to cry. She didn't feel sad, or fearful. She just felt cold, and empty.


Padmé shuddered at the memory. Palpatine's words echoed in her head. "You need no one! You have no one!" She wanted to protest; to deny it, but her mind could only scream. She gripped her mouth with her hand to stop the screams from escaping. Her breaths grew rapid. He's right. He's right. He's right. Her fury, mixed with terror, bubbled within her, and the glass in her mirror shattered, bringing her back to real life.