Palpatine called his stepdaughter to his room early in the morning before he left for the Senate building. "My daughter, I believe I was too hard on you yesterday. I acted rash yesterday and you did not deserve my anger." He stated with a smile.

Padmé gave a perplexed look as she continued to listen to her stepfather. "Yesterday was a mistake and you should not be punished for it. You only had an innocent encounter with a Jedi Knight." Padmé tried to stop herself from blushing at these words as her lips tingled with the memories of the previous night.

"I would like to make up for my behavior. How would you like to take a trip to visit Naboo, you have not been there recently." Padmé's eyes lit up at this, but they soon fell when she remembered that she promised Anakin that she would wait for him. Palpatine noticed the sudden changes in his stepdaughter's mood and replied, "Are you unhappy with this?"

"No, no father. It is a wonderful gift." Padmé stated as she tried to not appear ungrateful.

Palpatine smiled, he knew he had her where he wanted her, "Good. You will leave immediately; one of my guards will escort you. I expect to see you in a few days to give me a report on your vacation."

"Yes father, thank you." Padmé replied as she turned to leave his presence. She quickly walked out of his room and back to hers to ready herself for her trip. Part of her wanted to see Naboo again. She had not been there since her mother's death, but the other part of her wanted to stay here and wait for Anakin. However, she did not want to anger her stepfather by refusing his gift.

Padmé sighed as she told herself that she would not be away for long. She doubted Anakin would come back to her while she was gone anyways. With this thought she marched into her room because the sooner she left, the sooner she could return to Anakin's warm embrace.

Padmé walked through a wildflower meadow on Naboo, where she was picking flowers to put on her mother and father's graves. She hummed a soft tune as she set to her task under the watchful eyes of one of her stepfather's guards.

Padmé ran to a patch of beautiful purple flowers, her golden dress fanning out behind her. Her hair was pulled up into two buns on either side of her head to keep it out of her face, but a few stubborn curls had escaped and were swaying slightly in the breeze. Padmé smiled as she turned her back towards her stepfather's guard and began to pluck the purple flowers; her heart told her that her mother would love them.

The young guard gulped slightly as he pulled out a small blaster and approached the Chancellor's daughter. He had been given his orders and now was the opportunity to fulfill them. He raised his blaster up and pointed it at the young maiden as his shadow fell over her.

Padmé turned in the guard's direction when she noticed the shadow and gasped when she saw the blaster pointed at her. The guard's hand was shaking as his eyes locked onto Padmé's, which were full of fear. The guard started to pull the trigger on the blaster, but the beautiful innocence of the woman before him prevented him from firing. He threw the gun to the side and collapsed to his knees. Sobbing he said, "Forgive me."

"What?" Padmé asked shakily.

The guard looked up at her, tears streaming down his face, "Forgive me, he ordered me to do it."

"Who?"

"The Chancellor, he wants you dead. He told me to kill you and bring back your heart to him as proof."

"But why?"

"He is a Sith Lord, milady."

Padmé gasped and stood up quickly as she shouted, "Anakin!"

"Who milady?"

"Anakin, he is a Jedi Knight. I must stop him."

"Stop who, milady?"

"The Sith!"

The guard blanched, "No milady, you mustn't it is too dangerous. Run away, far away. I will kill a shaak and take its heart back to the Sith, it will by you some time." He gestured towards one of the large grazing animals in the meadow.

"No, I must help Anakin!" Padmé shouted as she got up and tried to run in the direction of her transport. However, she was stopped when the guard grabbed his blaster and set it for stun. Padmé crumbled to the ground as the guard stood up to check on her.

"I'm sorry milady, I cannot have you getting yourself killed. I will do what I promised, but first I must get you to safety." He then lifted the young woman in his arms and carried her to their transport. Once he had her secured, he went to collect the heart he needed to show the Sith. He then fired up the Nubian cruiser and headed for a planet far away where the young woman could hide.