Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or anything Star Wars related.

SEVEN DAYS, SEVEN NIGHTS

Day I – Confinement

Padme Naberrie Amidala of Naboo stood tall and proud as a squad of clone troopers escorted her down the lowered boarding ramp of their ship. She had been ushered out of her holding cell and whisked away the moment they had touched down on the city planet of Coruscant, the Imperial soldiers never lowering their blaster rifles from her position while they led her towards the familiar building of the Senate that had once served the Old Republic.

The beloved and trusted Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, a native of her own home world, had recently declared himself the everlasting ruler of the first Galactic Empire. For years he had claimed to have been working and striving for the best interest of the Republic, but he had finally revealed his true colors. Like so many other corrupt politicians, Palpatine had truly desired nothing more than power and control. Unfortunately, his ultimate plot had eventually paid off and he had acquired it.

The surrender of the Separatist army and the end of the Clone Wars should have marked a day of joy and prosperity for the galaxy, but the young woman from Naboo found very little solace in the new development. Democracy, freedom, justice, liberty…in the time span of one short day, everything that the Republic had once stood for was no more. With the birth of the Empire and the death of the Old Republic, everything she had ever fought for had been abolished and left in ashes at the feet of Emperor Palpatine. The former Chancellor's lust for power had single-handedly destroyed the principles of an age-old order. The ancient government that had protected and maintained its people for thousands of generations had been eradicated – a clean slate wiped and an entire past forgotten.

Padme held her head high while she stepped out of the ship and followed her armed captors onto the reflective silver landing platform beneath it. A full battalion of gathered clone troopers stood at attention and awaited their arrival, making no movements as she was led towards the entrance to the towering Senate building.

She glanced up and glared at a cloaked figure as it lurched forward and drew near. Not able to see the face beyond the dark hood it wore, she already knew who it was that approached.

"Senator Amidala, welcome back," a pale set of lips hissed, curling up into a menacing grin.

"Chancellor," she formally greeted it.

No matter how intimidating the monster before her might think he was, she refused to show him any display of fear.

"That is no longer my title, Senator."

She remained firm and unwavering as she replied. "I will die before I call you Emperor."

"That can be arranged," the figure spat, all traces of amusement suddenly leaving its voice.

Extending its hand and waving its outstretched palm in front of her, the sinister figure caused an overwhelming feeling of nausea and dizziness to wash over Padme until her whole world went black…

When Padme awoke, she found herself exhausted and lying on the floor of a holding cell that resembled the one she had been placed in during her travels to Coruscant. However, as similar as the rooms might have been, she had a strong sense that she was not aboard any ship and must have been taken to a containment facility somewhere on planet. Her head pounded as she staggered to her feet, relying on the wall beside her for support while she stood on weak knees.

Other than her, the cell was completely silent and empty. Four metallic walls, one ceiling, one floor, and one durasteel door with a shimmering energy field activated to prevent anybody from tampering with it. She realized that escape was impossible after one brief look around and leaned heavily against the wall behind her. Her head still spinning, she sank back to the floor and squeezed her eyes closed in a futile attempt to calm the painful throbbing that tugged at her tired mind.

When she finally cracked her eyes back open, her blurred focus quickly adjusted to the overhead lights that lit the small room and she glanced around at her unpleasant surroundings. She was trapped and she knew it – taken as a hostage by Palpatine.

She had been captured as a prisoner shortly after the declaration of the New Empire. Attempting to flee and return to Naboo, her escape transport had been intercepted by a fleet of clone troopers and she had been arrested under unproven charges of treason. She could only assume most of the Senators that had previously served the Old Republic had met the same fate, maybe even worse. The Senators that had openly defied and opposed Palpatine before his rise would surely be dealt with by the reigning tyrant.

Allowing her heavy eyelids to slide shut again, Padme sighed in defeat and did the only thing she could do…wait.

Padme didn't know how long she had slept when she finally stirred from her slumber on the uncomfortable floor of her cell. From what she could tell, nothing had changed since her arrival in the cramped room. Everything was just as she had left it.

A burning pain ran up her neck as she straightened her back and shifted her cramped legs. She unceremoniously climbed back to her feet, her entire body soar and aching from her trauma-induced nap. Then she quickly stretched and flexed her protesting joints while she glanced around at her surroundings another time. Squinting as she peered up at the offensive overhead light that glowed directly above her, she shielded her vision with one of her hands and turned her attention to the locked door in front of her.

Knowing full well that any attempt to get any kind of response from the other side of the only visible exit, she still rapped on the wall beside it as to avoid the humming energy field and called out for any signs of life. She was not the least bit surprised when her desperate efforts were not answered. Moving back into the center of the room, she studied the cell in irritation and resignation for a moment longer. Never in her life had she ever felt so vulnerable and helpless…

Padme smoothed out the wrinkles in her gown for the hundredth time while she sat in the corner of the plain cell, her back resting against the hard wall behind her. She had failed to find anything productive to occupy her time, and so she had spent the last several hours picking at her elegant clothing and thinking over the endless possibilities of what her future could hold in store.

Then, jolting upright and staring at the exit as the energy field in front of it suddenly flickered out of existence, she hastily sprang to her feet and anxiously waited while the sound of the door unlatching from the outside reverberated off of the walls of the confined space. It swung open an instant later with a deafening screech and a pair of clone troopers emerged from behind it.

"What is the meaning of this?" she immediately asked in her best diplomatic tone. "I demand to speak with – "

Before she could finish her sentence, one of the troopers knelt down and slid a tray of food across the floor in her direction. Then, just as quickly as they had appeared, the soldiers vanished from sight and the door slammed shut. Padme could only watch in aggravation and surprise as the energy field flickered back to life.

Lowering her gaze to the floor at her feet, she sighed when she saw the rations and the single cup of water that sat on the tray she had been supplied with. Considering the possibility that she might have been better off if she had been killed by Palpatine, she was left alone with her undesirable accommodations to contemplate just how she might get out of her current predicament.