Author Note: Ok guys, here it is, Padme's escape. And because I don't have time at the moment, I won't be responding to each individual review like I have in the past...but when I have time I will, so thanks to everyone for reviewing, and thanks for reading and enjoying!

oOo

Vader stormed along the corridor, calling his Master every rude name he could think of. How dare he drag him away from Padme when he'd been making so much progress with her! The two of them had been getting along just fine until the Emperor had ruined it by summoning him to his office. What the hell could he want anyway? Vader had only spoken to him half an hour ago and he hadn't said anything then.

Reaching Sidious' office, he paused and forced himself to calm down. If Sidious discovered his displeasure, there'd be big trouble.

At last, when he was feeling calm again, he opened the door and entered the office. But before he'd even reached the centre of the room, Sidious was speaking.

"You're angry with me Lord Vader, aren't you." It was a statement, not a question, but it caught Vader by surprise none the less.

"No Master. I was angry at Padme," he replied, dropping to one knee and bowing his head.

"Don't lie to me! I could feel your anger through the force and you were complaning so loud the whole building heard you!"

"Please forgive me, My Master," Vader begged (he actually begged!) knowing full well what was coming next.

"You dissapoint me Lord Vader. And you were doing so well too," Sidious sighed, raising one hand. Bolts of blue Sith lightning shot from his fingers and caught Vader's chest hard, before engulfing his entire body in pain and crackling blue energy. He screamed in agony, feeling like he was burning alive. Then he dropped to the floor, begging to be given a second chance.

At first, he thought Sidious would continue the torture until he was dead, but eventually the lightning stopped, much to Vader's relief.

"Now get out of my sight, and don't dissapoint me again," Sidious hissed and Vader painfully dragged himself to his feet, staggering out of the office and collapsing in the hallway, breathing hard and clutching his chest. Small whisps of smoke rose from his singed tunic and for the time being he just sat and waited for the pain and nausea to subside.

oOo

The spaceport freighter docks weren't that far off, so Padme pressed the accelerator of the speeder a little harder and continued to carefully weave in and out of the busy traffic, thinking about all the things she could do now that she was free again.

She'd managed to pick the lock of the collar and had pulled the cruel contraption off, throwing it on her bed. Then she'd grabbed a cloak from Anakin's room, regardless of the fact that it was forbidden. She didn't see any reason why it was forbidden, but then she didn't stay long enough to find out either, because as she pulled on the cloak and grabbed her pouch of credits, she'd heard footsteps in the hallway and had hurried out onto the balcony, jumping into Vader's personal speeder. Her plan now was to buy her way off the planet on the next available refugee transport, using the credits that Vader had given her to use on clothing. Then once she was on Naboo, she would go to her family and possibly the Queen to ask for help.

If all went well, Vader would never find out where she'd gone, and she wouldn't have to worry about him finding her again.

Setting the speeder down in a space just outside the spaceport, she climbed out and pulled the cloak even tighter round her. This area of Coruscant always had unnerved her, because of the villains and criminals who worked down here. She much prefered the upper levels where people were at least civil and polite, even if they didn't like you.

Shivering a little, she made her way towards the entrance, clutching the pouch tightly under the cloak. However, as she got to the door, someone stepped in her way, and looking up she saw that it was a rodian gangster, and he had a rather menacing piece of sharp metal in his hand.

"Alright darlin'?"

"Fine thanks," she replied, trying to keep calm as she moved to step around him. He just stepped in her way again, so she tried to other way, but again he stepped infront of her.

"Could you please move?" she asked.

"I could, but I'm not gonna...not until you hand over all your money, that is."

"I don't have any money," she replied and he laughed. There were several other laughs and looking round she saw that she was surrounded by all kinds of criminals, all set on one purpose - to rob her of all her money, and possibly much worse.

Running as fast as she could down a narrow alley, she wasn't surprised to find that more were waiting for her down there either. Her foot kicked something hard, and looking down she saw a large steel pole, which she picked up, ready to use if she needed to.

oOo

When Vader finally got back to his appartment, he found C-3PO and R2-D2 in the middle of a major row over something or other.

"Or course its your fault! I hope Master Vader disassembles you and sells you as scrap metal, you infuriating little twerp!"

Artoo responded with a series of beeps, followed by a rude noise and Threepio was set to whack him on his domed head when Vader intervened.

"Whats going on?" he demanded and both droids turned to him in surprise.

"Master Vader, it wasn't my fault, I swear! It was this little idiot! Please don't disassemble me sir!" Threepio begged, holding his golden arms infront of him defensively. Artoo then added his own string of beeps, but Vader didn't even wait for a translation.

"What happened?"

"Well, you see Sir...erm...it wasn't my fault..." Threepio began and Vader could feel his temper rising again.

"What happened?" he growled and Threepio jumped.

"Its Miss Padme, sir. She's gone."

"WHAT!"

Anakin charged into her room, where he found the collar, still with the hair grip inside it. Pulling out his tracker, he hoped that Padme hadn't removed the manacles that contained the tracking device. Thankfully she hadn't, and he was able to pick up her signal easily.

Running onto the balcony, he looked around at the traffic, spotted one that was heading in the general direction of the spaceport freighter docks, and leapt, using the force to guide him to the speeder, where he slid himself into the back seat and hitched a lift - the driver apparently oblivious to the Sith Lord who'd just appeared in his speeder.

oOo

When he reached the docks, he leapt out and landed neatly on the hard concrete, then glanced around. There was his speeder, but there was no sign of Padme anywhere, yet her signal was so strong. He wondered if she could have removed the manacles and already jumped on a transport, when he heard a scream and ran down a nearby alley.

There was Padme, surrounded by at least twenty gangsters, who were all keeping a wary distance. Every now and then, one would dart forwards and she'd swing a large steel pole at them. Most of the time she missed, but sometimes she'd catch one in the side, or on the head and he'd jump backwards angrily.

Then three charged at once and there was no way Padme could fight them all off as they grabbed her cloak, her hair, anything they could get hold of.

Vader reached for his saber and cursed when he remembered that he'd left it in the appartment. How many times had his Masters told him never to go anywhere without his weapon! Obi-Wan had always been telling him as a Jedi, and even Sidious kept reminding him now that he was a Sith.

Sighing in frustration, Vader charged - shoulder first - into the nearest gangster, sending him flying. The others all turned on him, Padme apparently forgotten for the moment, allowing her to shrink back into the shadows.

"Well well, what do we have here," one of them laughed as he advanced on Vader.

"Looks like another of those Jedi scum," another replied, and this only angered Vader even more. How dare they call him a Jedi! And besides, the Jedi were extinct anyway...surely they knew that?

"Back down Jedi. There's twenty of us, one of you."

"Nineteen," Vader replied as he lifted one gangster by the throat and threw him against a wall. "And I'm no Jedi! I'm Darth Vader! Lord of the Sith!"

"Darth Vader?" some of the gangsters repeated, immediately hesitating. "We don't do Sith Lords, Greedo...we're off!" And with that at least ten of the remaining gangsters ran in fright. Vader let them go this time, but if he ever found them again, he'd kill them.

"Nine," he said, raising his eyebrows at Greedo, who was obviously the leader. "What now Greedo?"

"Attack!" Greedo screamed, and the remaining nine charged at Vader, weapons raised. Vader fought them all off, but not before Greedo had slashed his left arm with a shard of glass from a broken window. Vader retaliated by smashing his mechanical fist into Greedo's face and sending him reeling backwards into the stone wall behind him. After that, the others had run, leaving Vader breathing heavily and nursing his arm. This new attack, on top of his Master's attack was far too much for him and he collapsed just as Padme re-emerged from the shadows.

She looked at the unguarded entrance of the spaceport, and then down at the unconscious form of Vader. Should she leave him and make a run for it now? By the time he came round, she could be long gone. Or should she help him? He did just save her life, after all.

She pondered for a moment, but only for a moment before making her decision.