Disclaimer: all main characters (except Khalee) are owned by Lucasfilms. I just borrowed them for a bit.

Okay, so this is my first story EVER. Please, oh please read and review so I have lots of feedback for possible future stories. Yeay!

Prologue

Khalee Dinala stood in the ship bay, watching all of her life as she knew it loaded onto a space ship. Her clothes, her pictures, and all of her memories for the past eleven years of her life were being packed away to send her to some far-off planet. Why is my family sending me away, she kept asking herself as she stood there with tears forming. What have I done to deserve this?

"Khalee, are you all right?"

Khalee quickly wiped away the tears and spun around, giving no recognition that she had been startled. "Thank you, Senator Palpatine, everything is fine."

"You know," he explained as he noticed the tears were about to spill over, "your parents aren't sending you away because they don't love you. You know that, right?"

"Yes, Senator, I do," Khalee squeaked out to a spot on the floor as she attempted to keep the tears from flowing, "but they've never told me why exactly I have to leave. I didn't mean to ruin anything. I just don't know why these things happen to me!"

"Well, that's what your parents want to find out. And you didn't ruin anything. Your sister is well on her way to becoming an excellent queen to Naboo." Palpatine looked at the young girl, who was about to leave everything that she knew behind, with respect and sympathy. Ever since she was born, her parents sensed that there was something different about her. She was extremely smart and was always very active, trying out as many sports as she could and always thinking herself to be equal to all the boys. She was known as someone who could never be serious because of her extreme moods and her need for excitement. There were times, many times, that she got so mad and aggravated that anything near her rattled or moved or burst into flames. Palpatine had seen it happen when Khalee became annoyed with a bossy handmaiden who told her to be quiet. That's why they're sending her away, he thought. It's because she caused one of the queen's handmaidens to catch on fire.

Khalee's younger sister Padme was in the children's judicial program on Naboo, which was a prestigious program for future rulers of the planet. Padme was a young girl of six who was very dedicated to her studies. She was also caring and considerate to those around her. She was able to take an argument and turn it around to her benefit, which was something the Council looked for, along with many other qualities, all of which Padme possessed such as diligence and honesty. When the family was called to have an audience with the current queen, Queen Bvanla, they knew it was because Padme was to become a handmaiden, a very high honor since all the queens of Naboo were once handmaidens.

"Senator Palpatine, Queen Bvanla would like to see you," Khalee's mother announced as she approached the two in the ship bay. "Thank you Madam Ornlea," Palpatine responded politely. "Khalee, I wish you the best of luck. I hope that we may meet again someday." "Thank you Senator. I believe we will," Khalee replied with a bow. Palpatine then bowed to Madam Ornlea and exited the ship bay.

"Now, my dear, is everything ready? You haven't seen your father, have you? I have some wonderful news to tell him!" Khalee's mother exclaimed breathlessly.

"No I haven't mother. He had a meeting with some diplomats that he couldn't get out of and sends his best wishes," Khalee stated with very little emotion in her voice. "Mother.... ummm....how long will I be gone?"

"Well, my dear, that all depends on your sister. She has a very bright future ahead of her and it will be entirely up to her. And we were all so afraid that you had ruined her chances of becoming a handmaiden. Thank goodness Queen Bvanla was forgiving and saw the potential in Padme. Such great news to tell your father, but I'm sure he already knows."

Khalee turned away from her mother to collect herself. Her mother always heaped praises on Padme and, frankly, she was sick of it, but an outburst right now would not be the best thing for anyone.

"I'll miss you lots, big sister," cried a small, quivering voice tinged with sadness. "I wish you didn't have to go." Khalee slowly whirled around to see her little sister staring up at her adoringly.

"You know I have to Padme," Khalee responded. "I'm just going away for a little bit. When I get back you'll hardly recognize me. And I'll write to you all the time to tell you what I'm doing, okay?" "Okay," Padme answered as she attacked and held on to her sister for dear life, as though holding her would keep this horrible dream of her departure from coming true.

The two sisters held each other for a few moments with tears streaming down their rosy cheeks until a man wearing a pilot's uniform walked down the boarding ramp to approach the small gathering. "The ship is now reading for take off, Madam Ornlea," the captain chirped as he saluted the women. "Thank you Captain Loen," Ornlea replied.

Khalee detached herself from her sister and awaited her mother's words of encouragement. "My dear baby girl.....I will miss you," her mother cried as she hugged Khalee. "Thank you mother.......but you can let go now. I have to go," Khalee scolded through the torrent of tears.

Khalee detached herself from her family and smiled at them through the tears, attempting to show them that she would be all right. Then she turned and serenely walked up the boarding ramp and onto the ship. As she was escorted to her cabin for the short trip by the captain, the boarding ramp was shut and sealed and the engines revved, sealing Khalee's fate. She began to cry in earnest, knowing in her heart that she may never come home again. She glanced out the window and saw her home world shrinking slowly into the black of space. At that moment she knew she would never be the same. As the hyperdrive engines engaged, she vowed to herself that she would never feel again.