DarthGladiator45 – thank you, I was a little worried that this writing style might not work out. I'm glad you think it has so far.

Bethie522 – haha, you'll find out before too long now.

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

SEVEN DAYS, SEVEN NIGHTS

Day IV – Past & Present

Padme slowly drifted into consciousness, the sickening sound of a familiar humming meeting her ears the instant her heavy eyes cracked open. Lifting her head from her arm, which she had been using as a pillow during the night, she looked over at the bothersome energy field that shimmered over the door to her cell and sighed in frustration. Raising her hand to her mouth as she yawned, the aching Senator sat up and curiously glanced down at what appeared to be a blanket draped over her petite frame. She pulled the warm fabric off of her body and studied it before setting it aside.

"You looked cold."

Padme nearly leapt up from the hard floor when a voice spoke up from across the cell – the sudden sound startling her and immediately bringing her back to reality. When her gaze reached the source of the noise, she found the stranger she had been sharing the room with casually standing with his back to her. He was no longer wearing his black cloak and she soon realized that the dark robes were what she had been covered with. She watched him with a furrowed brow while he methodically trailed his fingers along the durasteel wall in front of him, not even turning around to face her.

"You were shivering and I no longer needed it," he said as he intently proceeded to inspect the cell.

Padme silently observed him for a moment before replying. "Thank you."

"I don't think we will be tunneling out of here," the man wryly remarked, not even acknowledging the fact that the Naboo politician had given her thanks. "These walls are thick and we're obviously not waltzing out the door."

He seemed to be replenished and much stronger than before. If she had not seen it for herself, Padme never would have guessed that he had not even been capable of standing on his own two feet the previous night.

Eventually, he turned around and his attention settled on the Senator. "We were given rations and water earlier if you are hungry…"

Padme scowled when she spotted the newest tray sitting on the ground just beside her. "I believe I will save mine for later."

A faint smirk crept onto the man's face as his focus wandered elsewhere. He was no longer pale or visibly weakened, but his bloodshot eyes appeared to be distant and tired. However, he had still made a vast improvement from his former self.

"I am glad to see you have recovered so quickly," Padme commented after a short hesitation.

"Meditation can work wonders, milady," was his only response.

Several uneventful hours dragged on before Padme finally decided to eat. Her stomach had been protesting its lack of nourishment until her hunger had become too unbearable, forcing her to satisfy her climbing appetite. She and her companion had shared a few brief exchanges from time to time, but had spent most of the day quietly keeping to themselves.

Choking down the last of her rations, Padme glanced over at the stranger sitting in the far corner of the cell while he meditated for the third time since she had gotten up. His face was calm and peaceful as he sat with his legs crossed beneath him, eyes shut tight in deep concentration. She recalled their discussion when he had revealed his identity as a Jedi…she had never personally seen a Jedi perform their sacred rituals and found the process to be very interesting. The mysterious man was so intensely lost in the Force and attuned with its energy that his breathing had grown shallow, almost making him appear as if he were not breathing at all. It was truly a fascinating sight to behold.

Feeling as though she had been eavesdropping on a private conversation, Padme diverted her gaze back to the tray at her side and picking up one of the cups of water. She winced and gulped the liquid down to rid herself of the vile flavor that was left lingered in her mouth due to her limited food supply…

Padme's eyes followed the young Jedi as he anxiously paced their cell. Hands clasped behind his back, his face revealed a great deal of stress, along with a mixture of impatience and foreboding. He had been walking back and forth for some time now without pause. The act made the politician nervous and on edge as well, and so she eventually decided to do something to break the tension that loomed in the air.

"You should really eat something," she finally spoke up.

Having not touched his rations and cup of water, a full meal still sat on the tray beside her. The man halted his pacing at the sound of her voice and glanced over at her before looking down at the tray.

"I am fine, milady, why don't you finish it…" he suggested.

"I know Jedi are supposed to be selfless, but you still have to eat," Padme replied with a frown. "You will need to keep your strength up. There is no telling how long we will be locked in here – it could be weeks."

Debating whether or not he should comply for a long moment, the man finally stepped over to the tray and closed the distance between them.

"You must be a persuasive Senator," he commented as he picked it up and returned to his place across the tiny room. Taking a seat on the cold floor, he studied the meal in disgust before taking a bite of one of the remaining rations. "I thought I had seen the last of these."

Gathering that he was referring to the food, Padme slightly smiled. "Do they not accommodate you with home-cooked meals at the Temple?"

Instantly regretting her words when a sudden expression of pain appeared on the strangers face, Padme realized what she had said…the Jedi Temple had just been destroyed and it was no doubt a soar subject, not only to the Jedi that lived there, but to many others throughout the galaxy. She felt foolish for blurting out such a thing.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean – "

"No need to concern yourself, milady, I have made amends with what has happened," he dismissively assured her, grinning weakly. "Actually, the Temple had wonderful food…it was during the war that I was forced to live on these despicable things. They are obviously meant for survival, not taste."

Glad that she had not offended the Jedi, Padme furrowed a quizzical brow. "You fought in the war?"

"I did."

The Naboo Senator knew that many Jedi had served with the clone armies in their campaign against the Separatists – most notably, the famed and revered General Kenobi and his apprentice, Knight Skywalker – but she could only assume that they had both been killed during the betrayal of the Jedi by the treacherous Chancellor Palpatine. The thought of the Chancellor made her skin crawl. He was merciless, and the notion of somebody so evil coming from her own planet saddened her to no end.

She sat in silence while the man proceeded to consume the rations, making no indication that he wished to speak further…