For all the beauty of the streaking stars of hyperspace, Padme Amidala had grown sick of it. She'd stayed in the medical ward by Bail's side, even after the medics had given her the all clear to wonder the corridors to her own cabin. The huge window reflected the blue hues of space rushing passed as she sat in the corner opposite her unconscious friend. The colours reminded her of Anakin's eyes and any reminders of him sent a wave of anxious melancholy through her heart all over again. So it was best for her to look away.
The Senator sighed, moving to pace for the 50th time that trip. Hours had morphed into days for all she knew. After they'd boarded the cruiser with the Queen and her royal guards, the adrenaline continued to fuel her motivation for a brief period of time. She remembered ordering the medics to get Bail into intensive care. Watching the 501st and 212th battalions rush down to reinforce Anakin and Obi Wan kept her from the verge of panic. And the Queen's presence meant that Padme was able to do her part in drawing up a draft of their official alliance with the Republic. As soon as Queen Tolame had reiterated the condition of Ahsoka's safety, Padme's workflow had already begun to stagnate.
That had been many hours ago. Now, all that Senator Amidala could do was worry. They'd sent ahead a transmission to Coruscant regarding the current situation. The response was less than they'd hoped for. Apparently, neither the Chancellor nor the Jedi Temple had received word from Master Kenobi nor Skywalker; A full communications black out across the whole Shilli system. None of which was a good sign for their success… or their survival.
Her heels dug further into the floor. She was used to being in danger. She was used to assassination attempts and death threats and fire fights. As a senator, she'd made too many enemies to keep track of (much to her husband's simultaneous pride and dismay). But the one thing she'd never wanted to get used to was people laying down their lives for her. Over and over again, in every situation she'd gotten into, there were people there ready to help her. Protect her. Die for her. And throughout all of it, she survived because of their sacrifices.
She felt the weight of them each time she addressed the senate; Qui Gon, Sabe, Uncle Ono, Mina Bonteri and countless others she'd never know the names of. Knowing that Anakin, Obi Wan or Ahsoka could so easily join that list terrified her. If she fought and lost any battles on the senate floor with their lives on her shoulders, she wasn't sure what she would do. Probably something very stupid and very illegal, she reckoned.
The sudden sound of gentle groaning stirred Padme out of her spiral. The organic noise snapped her attention, unlike the mechanical beeping she'd begun tuning out.
"Padme?" Bail asked, his voice cracking as he attempted to sit upright. "Where are we, what - "
She hurried over, sitting on the edge of his bed and surrounding him in a tight hug. He chuckled weakly, rubbing the new bacta patches at the base of his neck.
"We're on a Republic cruiser with Queen Tolame," she muttered into the hug before pulling away. "She's ready to officialise the alliance with the Chancellor as soon as we land on Coruscant."
Bail nodded as he begun to process the information, gradually becoming more alert.
"And what of Master Skywalker's Padawan? Is she - "
"We don't know," Padme finished. "Anakin and Obi Wan found us then headed in to reinforce her. But… we haven't heard anything from them in about a rotation."
His gaze lingered on her as she stared helplessly into her hands. He then reached over and held them firmly.
"They'll be alright. I know no Jedi more crafty or stubborn than those two," he said slowly, knowing brown eyes glistening as they adjusted to the stark lighting. "And I have a feeling they've passed on a few of those qualities to their student."
Padme squeezed his hand in return. His friendship had been her lifeline upon entering the game of politics. He was respected in the senate for a reason, approaching everything he did with an unbreakable sense of grace. In times like these, it was something that kept her steady on her feet.
"I know," she replied, a smile slipping onto her face at the memory of her husband bickering with his Padawan and Master; her family. "We just need to make sure that it's all worth it in the end."
The comfortable silence that followed was broken by a light jolt of the floor beneath them. As the ship fell out of hyperspace, the glittering gold and beige planet of Coruscant filled up the medical wing viewport. The two stared at it with renewed tension.
"Well," Bail said. "I suppose we can start by authorising those reinforcements…"