Author Note: Well, I'm getting near to finishing this story now in rough, and I can guaruntee lots of action with lightsabers, aswell as falling rocks, bottomless pits and hovering platforms...I've said too much already! Please read and review as always!

(-o-)

"Why do I get the feeling we've been down here before?" Padme grumbled as Luke and her wandered down yet another dark tunnel.

Her patience was slowly growing thin and Luke, sensing this, was doing everything he could think of to ease the tension. After all, it would not be a pleasant experience to be trapped down in the dark with a very angry Padme. He had heard stories of Padme's anger many times, and didn't want to experience it first hand.

Suddenly, Padme froze, causing Luke to walk straight into her. She said nothing, but just scanned the area, not with her eyes, but with the force. They weren't alone in the tunnel and whatever was with them wasn't friendly.

Luke sensed it too, for he pulled out his saber and used the light from the blue blade to illuminate the passage ahead.

And there, standing in the middle of the passage ahead was a figure cloaked entirely in black. Their face was hidden in shadow and Padme knew straight away that this must be the new Sith Apprentice. All her fears of Luke falling to the Dark Side suddenly vanished and this seemed to lift a great weight from her mind. She was suddenly able to concentrate on the present again, instead of living in the future, fearing what would happen.

Drawing her own saber and filling the tunnel with even more blue light, she said confidently "What do you want?"

And then she realised that the Apprentice wasn't alone. They were flanked by at least ten Clones. A shuffling sound behind her told her that more had just surrounded them.

"Why Mistress Skywalker, the peace keeper, surely that is not considered a very polite way to start a conversation?" a low, evil, yet distinctly familiar voice said.

"Well excuse me for my momentary lapse of manners," Padme replied sarcastically.

"Appology accepted. Now shall we start again? I believe we must first introduce ourselves."

"Fine, who are you?" Padme wasn't in the mood for being nice, but this just caused the apprentice to laugh.

"I am your worst nightmare!" they replied and as one hand reached up to pull back the hood, the clones closed in around them even more.

And then the hood was down and Padme gasped. Luke did a double take, his eyes wide with shock...

and Leia just laughed back at them.

She clicked her fingers and suddenly lasers were going off in every direction. However, Luke and Padme were too quick for that and they transformed into a blur of blue as one by one, the clones were defeated.

As she was blocking the lasers with her saber, she saw the end of a cloak dissapearing down a side passage with a hidden door. Looking to Luke, who encouraged her to go, Padme darted through the door seconds before it closed with a deafening thud.

She was swamped in darkness and her saber was barely lighting up anything more than two feet away from her.

This is not natural! What is this evil? Padme wondered as she plunged ahead into the darkness, determined to catch Leia. She put her entire trust in the force to get her to the end of this passage safely.

(-o-o-)

Padme had been walking for some time in the dark now and her eyes had adjusted to the light...or rather lack of it...when suddenly she felt a searing pain in her side. Collapsing to the floor, her face wet with tears of pain, she clutched at her side in agony. Her saber had fallen to the ground somewhere and had de-activated, extinguishing the last of the light.

Padme lay there, seriously worried about what had happened. She knew she wasn't hurt, but someone close to her was. Was it Luke? Was it Anakin? Was it Leia? Despite the fact that Leia was now a Sith, Padme still couldn't bare the thought of anything happening to her.

Mother! Mother you must leave now! Warn father about Leia!

She could hear Luke through the force as clearly as if he had been standing right next to her.

Luke, what happened? Are you alright? she tried to answer, but she hadn't a clue whether he had heard her or not.

Please Mum, it's too late for me, but you can save yourself and the others if you hurry. Please!

Luke talk to me! Luke!

Go now! Please!

And then Luke's force signature died away and he wasn't there anymore. The pain had vanished in Padme side and she let out a breath she hadn't even realised she'd been holding. Immediately fearing the worst, she called her saber to her and started back down the way she had come, but then Luke's words echoed in her head. She knew she must go on, catch Leia and warn Anakin, but what about Luke?

Finally she forced herself to leave him and go on. After all, if she didn't, he might not be the only one she lost that day.

At last she came to a large steel door and forced her way through by hacking off the hinges - a bad habit she had picked up from being around Anakin too long - and saw Leia taking of in her x-wing, her cloak now pulled off and stuffed under the seat.

It was then that Padme realised where she was...back in the valley where the others had parked their ships. And there was her Phoenix, looking as beautiful as ever in the setting sun. Running over to it, she vaulted lightly into the cockpit and pulled on her helmet whilst her droid took off. Punching each control several times, Padme yelled at the dashboard for being so slow. She was fast losing patience - yet another of Anakin's bad habits - and when the fault light blinked, she could feel the anger ready to burst out of her.

"You can't be serious!" she groaned as the panel told her that the ship had been tampered with. Padme banged her fist angrily on the controls and her droid gave a startled beep, reminding Padme to calm down before she did something stupid. Realising he was right, Padme took deep, calming breaths and soon felt much more relaxed.

But then she noticed that she would have to pursue Leia at a painfully slow crawl. It was enough to drive her mad.

Only the thought of catching Leia kept her sane.