A/N- Thank you for new reviewers and followers! Here's the next installment.-GP

Chapter 45

Location: Training Arena, Imperial Naval Academy

Month: 2 Day 14 Year 27 BBY

Her breathing is pulsing hard against her armored chest as she throws the sais at the droid rushing towards her. She senses the droid coming from behind her, and throws her second sai behind her using a reflexive motion. Her arm winds back from her elbow to her hand and throws the silver sai into the droid's head. The droid squeals as it falls to the floor with a bunch of wires hanging out of it.

She closes her eyes and senses the training droid behind her that she'd hit with her first sai. The beeping is loud and she hears it trying to die out as well. She attempts to use the force to pull her second sai out of the broken droid on the ground. She feels the object in her mind and it comes gliding to her left hand. Using her instincts she tries without seeing her opponent to throw in the direction of the droid that is struggling to keep afloat. She hears the sound of her sai whistling through the air. It stops midair and clatters to the ground.

Her eyes snap open and turn in the direction of her best friend standing on the mat with the sai at his feet. She huffs breathlessly as he mutters, " Nice throw- you could have killed me."

She shrugs and pulls the second sai out of the dead droid. She then throws it at the other dying droid on her side where she had aimed for. Anakin raises his eyebrow and she pulls the sais out of the droids via the force. " Impressive. Ashoka has been teaching you more than a bit of defensive moves."

Padme' shrugs and suggests, " I suggested a bit of weapons training in case Rush or anyone else tries to kill me."

He comments, " Your training has come a long way in my absence."

" You're both excellent teachers," She agrees.

He smiles at her and asks, " Where is Snips?"

Padme gestures towards the hallway. " She had a class to get to. Did you just get out of class yourself?"

He nods and sighs. Since returning from prison, he had been run ragged. Between his extra classes to make up the few weeks he missed last semester and his shifts at the prison, he hadn't seen his best friend since the morning after the encounter. He had wanted to talk to her about that night and where to go from here. He had felt her presence in the training room less than an hour ago and thought if she wasn't busy they could grab some lunch.

" Are you about finished training?" He questions, eyeing the mess she has made of the training droids.

She jokes, " Considering the droids are going to need repair I'd say so. Would you care for a sparring round?"

His pink lips curl into a smirk at her arrogance. " I wish I had the time. I have a lunch break before my next class. I was hoping you'd join me for lunch."

Padme' smiles at him and gestures to her outfit. " I should change-"

He stops her and suggests, " I -uh- actually brought the food to you." He uses the force to lift the tins full of food from the cafeteria downstairs.

She reaches for one of the metal tins and opens it, sniffling eagerly. It was some bluish fish and rice. It had some sort of spice drenched in the dark fish sauce. It smelled wonderful. She situates herself onto the bleachers nearby and he perches himself next to her. He opens his own container of fish and rice and dives in with his fork. The delicate fish tastes a bit sour to his tongue with the fish sauce covering it. The rice adds a slight salty note to the flavors of the dish.

He swallows and takes another bite.

They sit in this quiet silence for a time and with each bite, Anakin can feel his stomach beginning to fill. He finishes off another bite and then begins what he wanted to discuss with her. " I know I've been busy between shifts and my classes. I've wanted to talk about where we go from here."

Padme takes another bite, allowing herself time to think of what she wants to say. Since he had admitted he still loved her and the one night they had shared a bed again, she had wondered if She knows she isn't ready for a serious relationship any time soon. Her divorce won't be finalized for at least another week or so and even then she is hesitant to jump other than back into his arms.

He can sense her hesitation. He continues, " I know that night you said you wanted to give us a chance, but I'm not expecting anything to come out of this, P. I just want to understand where your head is."

She bites her lip as she does when she's thinking. She whispers, " I don't know Ani. We haven't been down this road in awhile, but I highly enjoyed that night.

His lips curl into a smile and he adds, " I agree. It felt amazing. Honestly, Though I wouldn't mind a few more nights like that in the future, that is if you were ever willing."

She bites her lip and her cheeks are turning a slight pink. Her mind flashes to the image of seeing her best friend naked in front of her. The way he whispered nothings in her ear when they had laid together. Her body agreed with his assessment. She wanted more of him, even after all she had been through, she still desired to bed him. Not just any random man on the street. There has always been something real and genuine between them. The fire creeps into her heart and between her legs thinking of having her way with him anytime she wants.

Her red lips inquire, " And if I wanted to willingly come to your bed, would you mind that?"

His eyes watch her red lips and the tone of flirtation in her voice. He sets down his meal tin and murmurs, " Never. Your welcome anytime."

Her eyes drift to the showers nearby. She forms a plan in her mind and sets her own plate down. She grabs his hand and pulls him towards the locker room. She darts around the corner to see if anyone is in there. There are no droid cameras allowed in the shower rooms. She sneaks back around the corner and gestures with her finger in a motion of " come here."

Anakin tries not to laugh at the smirk across her face and he walks into the locker room. As soon as he enters, she locks the sliding door behind them and pushes him against the door. He is taken aback by her sudden fireceness. She pulls him roughly down by the top of his uniform and plants her lips onto his. He melts into her kiss and she tastes like the salty fish sauce he had just eaten a few minutes ago.

His arms wrap around hers as she continues to ravage his mouth with hers. His hands dive into her short cropped curls, pulling her closer. He pulls her closer and she yelps a bit in pain as she feels a slight tug. He murmurs an apology against her lips and she smiles back at his gentleness.

She steps back so she can free herself from her training armor. She lifts the armor over her head and it clatters to the ground. Sweat has soaked her undershirt. His eyes roam over the soaked mounds beneath her shirt. Her soft nipples are erect under his gaze.

Kriff you're the sexy angel alive, do you know that?

She chuckles softly and begins to lift her soaked training shirt over her head until she hears the soft beeping of her comm. link. She groans and her eyes land on the number. It's Ashoka. Ashoka usually didn't contact her during a class unless it was an emergency. She frowns and her finger presses the comm. link. " Ashoka what's wrong?"

Ashoka's voice comes through the comm. " I have some news- are you-"

Padme' cuts her off and announces, " I'm with Anakin having lunch."

Ashoka changes her tone and there's a tone of teasing. " I can call you back later if you want some time alone."

Padme's cheeks brighten as if Ashoka knew what she and Anakin were doing at that very moment. She changes the subject. " No it's fine we were almost done. What's up?"

Ashoka sighs and mutters, " You're no fun. Anyway, that um- tailor you asked me to look for?"

Padme' tries to follow her conversation and hidden meaning. The tailor I asked for? What in gods meaning could…. Wait could she mean she's found her finally?

" Yes, I remember," is her curt response. Her brain no longer focused on having her way with her best friend in the locker room. Her mind focuses on her main target.

Ashoka had begun searching for Corde' after she had been fired from her husband's service. She hadn't left a forwarding address and both Padme' and Ashoka had thought she might have gone off-world. That had been over a month ago when they had begun their search.

" Well, she's willing to meet with you tonight. I told her that you had that awesome design you wanted to have created into a dress before Empire Day." Ashoka responses rapidly.

Padme' knows she's probably in a hurry due to walking outside of one of her classes, and hoping that she won't receive too many demerits for leaving in the middle of class.

Padme' replies, " Tell her that would be lovely. I'm almost done here so I'll run home before coming back to pick you up from your classes okay?"

Ashoka smiles into the comm. link suggests, " Skyguy don't keep her too long."

Anakin speaks for the first time, as he had just been listening to their banter. " I won't Snips. I have a class to get to anyway."

The comm. link goes dead. Padme' sighs and pulls her shirt back over her head. This wasn't what she had been planning on doing. She had yearned to have her way with Anakin before a nice hot shower and returning to work. She eyes Anakin and mutters, " I'm sorry she interrupted."

He rubs his hair back and mutters, " It's fine P, I should get going anyway. Do you want to have dinner later this week?"

She catches his meaning by what could have been occurring now instead of her talking to Ashoka moments ago. She agrees, " Yes, I'd like that very much."

He leans down and kisses her cheek and whispers, " Good,"

He uses the force to unlock the locker room door and leaves Padme' to her own thoughts. She had to be ready for tonight- tonight she'd take her first step into bringing Rush down to his knees.

Location: Imperial Center, Coruscant

Lower Levels of Imperial Center

Month 2 Day 14 Year 27 BBY

Corde' the former handmaiden of the wife of Senator Clovis turned the corners of the lower levels of Coruscant wearily. Since her former lover had taken it upon himself to find another lover in the form of his new secretary, she had lost her money and lived on the streets for weeks now. She cowers behind her frail robe. She had been living on the streets for awhile now, and using her flirtation techniques to charm certain men into her lair. But this only kept the rent going for a time. She had hoped for some time that Rush would have married her after the divorce to his ex became finalized. But she had lost any funding from him weeks ago. After all she had done for him.

There are no voices heard as she walks through the murk and fifth of the city streets. Yet she can't shake away the feeling of being watched. Corde's hands shake as she loses her credits onto the concrete alley way. No one was in sight. She is alone in the darkness.

She screams when a figure appears out of that darkness. Not a cloaked figure, but a figure of a woman. The woman wears a mask, revealing large green eyes. The woman has short cropped raven black hair. She wears what Corde sees as very revealing warrior clothing. Her clothing is a tight leather corset and leather pants. Her boots are black as well and she has a belt with a pair of sais on her hips. Sais are considered a regular used weapon by some bounty hunters, a pair of sleek daggers with three sharp points.

Corde screeches as the woman approaches her and says nothing as she is kicked in the stomach. Corde's breath is taken from her and she falls to her knees. The masked woman grips Corde's neck with her hands. Corde's eyes widen as saucers. The masked woman senses her fear and smirks. She beautifully hisses out, " I need some information that you would have. If you provided me with this information I may let you live."

Corde' gurgles through the woman's clinches and blubbers out, " I—M no one-mistress- please- I beg you."

The masked raven haired woman chuckles and utters firmly, " That is a lie, you are the whore of the former Senator Clovis. I need to know why you tried to kill his wife."

Corde's hazel eyes fearfully watch the woman and she pleads, " I didn't try to kill my mistress- I was loyal to her. Please."

The masked green eyes watch her and narrow snapping, " I've played nice- I want to know why you poisoned her and her child!"

Corde' blubbers out, " I loved her as my own sister. I'd never."

The masked woman sighs in frustration and retorts, " Tell me now. Or I'll put one of these through you. It's not a easy way to die."

Corde shakes her head and sobs out, "It wasn't my doing! My mistress's husband had requested I buy the poison!"

The masked woman nods and persists hissing out, " But why? Why murder an woman and her child?"

She keeps her hold on the young woman and Corde' begs, " He asked me to- the child wasn't his."

Raven's green eyes narrow. " How did he know?"

Corde' pleads, " Some man knew and wanted to expose him- I don't know who. But Rush didn't want the scandal."

The masked woman eyes the girl and allows her to be released from the choke hold. Corde rubs her neck and snaps at the woman, " You're a bitch you know that?"

The masked woman smirks at the sobbing woman. She lifts the woman using the force into the air. Corde shrieks as she is lifted off of her feet, she desperately searches for her knife in her satchel. She reaches for it and attempts to stab the bounty hunter. But the bounty hunter is quicker. The knife is stopped mid-air via the force and Corde' drops to the concrete. The bounty hunter reaches for her sai and it slides through her victim's stomach.

Corde's eyes widen in shock as her nerve endings feel the slicing of her insides. The masked woman eyes the look of death. Corde stammers out as death draws near on her, " Why-? Who are you?"

The masked woman pulls her blade out of her chest. Blood spews from the wound as she watches Corde' slide down the metal wall. The masked woman leans forward and hisses out, " Because you took everything from me, and now it's my turn to repay the favor."

Corde's eyes widen as she recognizes that voice. That woman isn't a killer. " You-" Her pink lips are dripping with blood. It won't be long now.

Raven smiles pulling her blade from the woman. " Yes, me."

Corde' has blood dripping from her wound and her mouth. She won't be around much longer, perhaps a few minutes at most. The wound wasn't the kill, the poison on the dagger would kill her faster.

Raven turns on her heels and the only thing heard is the clicking of her heels on the concrete. She fades into the murky fog, it is the last image the former handmaiden sees as she dies and becomes one with the universe.

To Be Continued...