A/N: Please refer to my profile before reviewing. Also if you liked this chapter where you get some background story, tell me and I'll write another.
Night had fallen on Gallinore, and save for the nighttime sounds of the surrounding rain forest, the house was quiet as the entire household was sleeping, but Padmé couldn't sleep. Instead, she sat at the vanity in her room, brushing her hair while absentmindedly staring out the window. There really wasn't much to do here aside from taking care of Aidia during the day and reading the odd holobook here and there. The solitude however afforded Padmé the opportunity to think about things that she hadn't had the time nor the desire to think about. With her many unanswered questions and her small amount of knowledge, she couldn't help but to speculate and unfortunately, memories surfaced, memories that she would much rather forget.
She set her brush down and opened a drawer, pulled out a carved wooden box, a gift from some visiting dignitary whose name she couldn't recall, and gingerly opened it, picking up a couple holos that had been deactivated long ago in a desperate attempt to forget the past. She pushed the old holos aside and moved a few old notes aside before coming across the miniature crude tribal looking statuette carved from a piece of japor, unidentified symbols carved into much of it's surface. She had seen similar symbols around the villa, but they were few and far between. There was one symbol, carved into the underside of the statuette, that she had recognized, an exact duplicate of the symbol on the japor snipped that Anakin had given to her... before he had been corrupted by Palpatine. She had spent hours upon hours, pouring over the galactic database for a way to decipher the symbols, but she never found anything. It was as if it belonged to some unknown tribe.
As she fingered the tiny figure in her hand, she couldn't help but to remember how it had come into her possession and try as she might, she couldn't figure out why she hadn't connected the dots years ago. She couldn't stop herself from wondering what might have happened had she figured it out rather than to follow Kareem's advice to drop her questions and to stop inquiring about what was now so obvious and against her best efforts to forget, the memories resurfaced.
Six years ago.
Padmé stood in the courtyard of the palace, alongside the royal council and court as the Supreme Chancellor's ship landed. Naboo was celebrating the Centennial of the Peace Act, declaring Naboo a planet of peace rather that the past full of strife and warfare. There was much to celebrate, for despite the ongoing war across the galaxy, Naboo remained unaffected, much to the happiness of the people. Naboo deserved the celebration and recognition since the Chancellor himself had decided to make an appearance for the celebration.
"You should be smiling, This is your celebration as well, for if it were not for your courage during the blockade, we might not be celebrating this," Kareem whispered from beside her.
Padmé allowed herself to briefly glance at him. "I am smiling, but for some reason you seem to forget the public appearance that I must maintain," she told him.
"If only you would forget about royal appearance and let everyone see what I see," Kareem replied.
"And what would that be?" Padmé asked.
"How truly beautiful you are," Kareem told her.
"You mustn't forget public protocol," she reminded him as the ramp to the Chancellor ship lowered and the red robed guards of office proceeded down, followed by Chancellor Palpatine alongside an unidentified youth. She moved forward to greet the chancellor. "Welcome home, Chancellor," she greeted.
Palpatine offered her a friendly smile. "Ah, yes, it is good to be able to get away from the trials in the senate and the pressure of the war for a much needed celebration of peace, momentarily forgotten else ware, Your Majesty," he replied.
"Naboo is grateful that you were able to escape long enough to join us," Padmé told him. "I have taken the liberty to have rooms set up for your comfort in the palace, however I was unaware of another guest," she told him.
"You must forgive me, Your Majesty, I, myself, was unaware until recently that I would be bringing one," Palpatine told her regretfully.
"All is forgiven, Chancellor, I shall just have one more set of rooms set up," Padmé told him.
"I am grateful for Your Majesty's graciousness," Palpatine told her, "May I introduce, my nephew, Young Vader. He is a distant relation and recently placed in my charge," he introduced, gesturing to the youth who stepped forward.
"I am pleased to meet you, Vader," Padmé said. Expecting a more pleasant greeting, she was taken aback by his sullen frown.
"Likewise, Your Majesty," Vader told her, his tone holding his distaste fro being here.
Not about to let his slight to get to her, Padmé merely smiled, and gestured to one of her handmaidens, Kareem's younger sister, Maryssa, who was around his age, to step forward. "Maryssa, perhaps you would like to give out guest a tour of the palace," she suggested.
"Of course, Your Majesty," Maryssa replied, offering Vader a smile. "There really is much to see," she told him.
Vader didn't say anything to her, nor did he make a move.
"Go on, Her Majesty and I have much to discuss," Palpatine said to Vader.
Without a word of acknowledgment, Vader moved to follow Maryssa for the tour.
"Is he alright, Chancellor?" Padmé asked concerned.
"I am afraid that he is the sole survivor of a bombing that destroyed his home, along with his immediate family, Your Majesty, I am told that he was found within the rubble, still trying to get them to safety, refusing to accept their passing," Palpatine told her regretfully.
"Then we must find some way to see that he enjoys himself," Padmé told him decisively.
"I have no doubt that you could find a way, Your Majesty," Palpatine told her.
*~*~*
Dinner that evening was a formal affair with the court in attendance. Padmé sat with the court at a round table, Kareem at one side of her, while Chandra Jamillia, Princess of Theed, sat at her other side. A couple seats down, Chancellor Palpatine sat, speaking to a few advisors of the royal council while Vader sat, ignoring Maryssa's attempts to draw him into conversation. The conversation around the table was about peace and the war in the galaxy, but Padmé paid little attention, only offering her input when necessary. Her attention, however was drown to Vader, where she watched him for a moment, taking note in how little he said or how little he reacted. He had, however, somehow sensed her staring at him and slowly turned his head slightly, to look at her and she had to keep herself from reacting at the look in his eyes. Eyes like some ferocious beast locked up in a cage. She turned away to look at Kareem who had been drawing her attention but before she could hear his words or make a reply, she heard a faint voice in her head.
"Help me"
The fear and desperation in the voice was almost paralyzing, but it was unmistakable. She glanced back to Vader to see him staring straight forward in sullen silence.
Kareem placed his hand on hers. "Are you alright?" he quietly asked in concern.
Padmé smiled at him in assurance. "I'm fine," she told him.
"Well then," He said and stood up, with his goblet of blossom wine in his hand. "Gentlemen, and Ladies, May I propose a toast? To many more years of peace and prosperity and may the conflict within the rest of the galaxy be resolved quickly and peacefully," he proposed.
Padmé stood next to him, "To peace and prosperity," she said, holding her own goblet up.
"Here here!" came a chorus around the table.
Padmé smiled and clinked her goblet against Kareem's before they sat down. "A perfect toast," she said. She had, however, noticed Vader's lack of participation in the toast.
*~*~*
That night as Padmé was going to retire, she walked into her bed chamber to find it dark. She was about to turn on a light when a banging noise was heard. Turning the light on, she saw the curtains to the glass doors leading out to her personal balcony were blowing about and that the doors were open, the wooden frames banging against the wall. She walked over to them and closed the doors, making sure to lock them, wondering who had left them open, before taking a seat at her vanity. But something was out of place. On the vanity sat a small object wrapped in a piece of parchment and tied together with a leather chord. Untying the chord, and uncurling the parchment, she found a crudely carved miniature statuette with several unidentifiable symbols carved into almost every exposed surface. She turned to the piece of parchment to find a note.
~The vote of no confidence was a mistake that you will live to regret. Beware of Chancellor Palpatine.~
Padmé turned towards the doors she had just closed, not knowing who could have broken in here to leave this, but stood up to hail Captain Panaka to increase security around her bedchamber before going to bed.
*~*~*
The day of the celebration started out with a hectic morning. The ballroom of the palace and surrounding areas, including the gardens were being transformed. Padmé began her day by making herself presentable and once she had herself properly dressed, she had breakfast with Chancellor Palpatine and Vader. Vader had yet to add anything to the conversation as Padmé discussed the war with Chancellor Palpatine. "Is there not a way to peacefully negotiate with the Separatists?" she asked.
"My negotiations with the separatists leaders have failed long ago, Your Majesty, it seems as though all they want is to take control, and apparently they want that control to be by force," Palpatine answered. "You, yourself, know how difficult it is to negotiate with those intentions from the other side," he added.
Padmé nodded. "Indeed I do, Chancellor," she acknowledged. "However, I feel as though this war could have been avoided," she told him.
"I truly wish that that was the case, Your Majesty," Palpatine told her regretfully. "But as I have said so before, politics of the galaxy as a whole is very different than politics of Naboo. I am afraid that when it comes to my job, you would be a sort of a novice. While being the leader of a planet is challenging in itself, being the leader of the Republic, as a whole, is entirely something else," he told her.
Padmé kept herself from frowning at his condescending undertone, but before she could say anything, a servant walked over to them and curtsied.
"I beg your pardon, Chancellor, but you have a message, they say it is quite urgent," the servant informed them.
Palpatine dabbed his mouth with his napkin, "Excuse me," he said, standing up to follow the servant to the communications room.
Once he was gone, Padmé turned to Vader. "You haven't said anything all through breakfast," she pointed out.
"I have nothing to say," Vader told her.
"I don't believe that, everyone has something to say about something," Padmé told him.
"I have nothing to say that would please my..." Vader caught himself in time.
"Sometimes it is better to not say some things in front of those who are close to us, if we wish not to hurt them or to offend them," Padmé said.
"I have learned the price of saying something displeasing," Vader told her.
Padmé looked at him, trying to see what he meant, surly not what she was thinking for there were no visible evidence. "What kind of price?" she asked, hiding her concern.
"Do you fear death, Your Majesty?" Vader asked bluntly.
Padmé was taken aback by the question and didn't know how to respond. "I... I don't think that that an appropriate question," she said.
"Just answer it," Vader told her, a little forcefully.
"No, I don't fear death. Death is a natural part of life and is inevitable. To fear it would be foolhardy," Padmé answered.
"What about the lives of those you care about? Do you fear something happening to them?" Vader asked, a little challengingly.
Padmé paused before answering, not exactly comfortable with this conversation. "I'm not entirely comfortable with this line of conversation," she told him.
"Possibly because the thought of something horrible happening to them is enough to paralyze you, while the thought of something happening to yourself doesn't even phase you, for when it comes down to it, you would die a martyr for your beliefs, but would break once those close to you are threatened. But you don't want people to know that, least it give them leverage against you," Vader diagnosed.
Padmé frowned, not liking how accurately he read her. She forced her frown from her face as she remembered that he had just lost his family to the war. "Your Uncle told me about how you lost your family," she told him.
"I don't have an uncle," Vader told her, going back to his food.
"Isn't Chancellor Palpatine...?" Padmé began.
"He says he is, but just because you say one thing, doesn't make it true," Vader told her.
Before Padmé could make a reply to that, Chancellor Palpatine returned to the room and she could see Vader visibly tense for a split second before he masked it and his sullen mood returned.
"I am so sorry about that, Your Majesty, my aid wanted to know where I had left a certain file," Palpatine said, reclaiming his seat.
"It is quite alright, Chancellor, your nephew and I were just having an interesting conversation," Padmé said and saw Vader react to that, his eyes widening slightly and darting to the Chancellor, waiting for a reaction.
"What kind of conversation?" Palpatine asked interested.
"He was merely giving me his thoughts on the war, Chancellor, I found it interesting because he is one of the many affected by it," Padmé answered, reading the signs quite accurately from Vader, and seeing the note that she had received in her mind.
"Yes, it is always a good thing to hear from those affected," Palpatine agreed. He turned to Vader then who had managed to control himself quickly. "You should enjoy yourself tonight," he told him generously.
"Yes, Sir," Vader replied, masking how shocked he was by the mere suggestion.
Padmé took her eyes off of Vader, consciously aware of how she must be right now.
*~*~*
The celebration was an all day affair followed by a ball held at the end. The entire day, she had kept an eye out for Vader, feeling as though there was something there, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. There were moments when she would catch his eyes with her own and they would seem familiar, but in many ways they weren't. She did, however, notice how he paid attention to Maryssa during the day, somehow enchanting the young girl who seemed quite taken with him. Padmé found it odd for some reason, how his attention just sprung towards Maryssa when he had been overlooking her his entire visit. While nothing seemed amiss outwardly, Padmé felt that something was, as she caught the looks that the chancellor tried to hide when he would either see Maryssa or Kareem. Before she received that note and taken note of how Vader seemed to fear the chancellor, she would have thought nothing of it, but now it gave her a cold feeling.
Padmé unconsciously rubbed the japor snipped that she had made into a bracelet before taking a look at the symbols. They were eerily like those on that small statuette that came with the note. And after making a few polite conversations, she turned a corner out of the ballroom and pulled the statuette from a pocket hidden within the folds of her skirts and compared the symbols on it with her japor snippet. She had studied art quite intensively and she could tell that the two objects were carved by two different people. But both had one exact same symbol on them. That's when she heard some shouting coming from the cloakroom, shouting from a very familiar voice.
Padmé walked over and entered the cloakroom to see Maryssa covering herself up, with Kareem blocking the way out and Vader looking at defiantly. "What is going on in here?" she demanded.
Kareem turned to her, quite upset. "This... hooligan just dishonored my sister," he told her, pointing to Vader.
Padmé knew that diplomacy was the best option to handle this, that and she really didn't want to alert the Chancellor with this, so she had to find a way to cool Kareem down. "He is a visitor and is not familiar with our customs," she reminded Kareem.
"And that is supposed to give him leniency to disregard them?" Kareem demanded incredulously.
Padmé took a deep breath before replying. "And what is it that you want to do about it?" she asked calmly and evenly.
"I should take this up with the Chancellor since he is familiar with our ways, perhaps then something can be done about it," Kareem told her.
"Go ahead," Vader taunted. "The last person to do so didn't get very far, I assure you."
"You insolent..." Kareem began, seething.
"Kareem," Padmé interrupted in a warning note.
"If you are unwilling to do something about this insult then you can stay out of it!" Kareem snapped at her.
Padmé frowned deeply at that. "You forget who you are speaking to, Lord Macawi. I am your elected sovereign, while you are merely a lord," she reprimanded him.
This did little to cool Kareem down, making him frown at her putting him down beneath her. "Forgive me, Your Majesty," he said tightly.
Padmé ignored his tone and turned to see that Maryssa had managed to make herself presentable again, having redressed herself, and to where Vader had done the same. "You two are dismissed and are not to do this again," she told them.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Maryssa said obediently, making her exit. Vader followed shortly after, but not without giving Kareem a satisfying smirk.
"If I ever see that boy again, I will kill him," Kareem said once they were alone.
"And you will be sent to prison, or worse," Padmé told him. "I do not think your parents would like your disgracing their good name in such a manner," she added.
"I will be speaking to Chancellor Palpatine about this before he leaves," Kareem told her decisively.
"I want you to think twice about that," Padmé told him, grabbing his arm as he was about to leave to do so.
Kareem turned to her questionably. "Why?" he demanded.
"Because I don't think that he is to be trusted," Padmé told him and pulled the note from her pocket. "Someone broke into my chambers and left me this note," she told him, handing him the note.
Kareem took the note and read it over. "And what is this supposed to mean?" he asked. "Padmé, it could have come from anyone. Someone could have given you this to make you mistrustful, someone like a separatist," he told her dismissively, handing the note back to her.
"I don't think so," Padmé argued. "Whoever it was had to know how to get around the complicated mechanic of my balcony doors, and they left this too," she told him, showing him the statuette.
Kareem took it from her hands. "And this is supposed to mean something to me?" he asked skeptically.
"Look under the feet, it's the same symbol as my japor snippet," Padmé told him, pointing out the symbol and showing the japor snippet from around her wrist.
A look of understanding washed over Kareem's face. "Padmé, you need to stop that line of thought," he told her concerned. "You're only setting yourself up for disappointment."
"I know he's out there, Kareem," Padmé told him.
"Padmé, there is no evidence. The boy is dead, just like everyone else is who was on that ship. You must accept that," Kareem told her.
"I cannot accept that when they never found a body. Master Kenobi is still searching for him as we speak if you recall," Padmé countered.
"I know how much you wish that you can find him alive, Padmé, but you must realize that you can't save everyone, especially Anakin Skywalker," Kareem told her. "We've had this discussion before, please listen to me this time."
Padmé sighed. She knew that he wasn't about to budge on the subject, but neither was she. That didn't mean that she couldn't placate him and continue on with her belief. "You're right, I should drop the subject," she said.
"I suppose that we should return to the party, least the court gets the wrong idea and your reputation is in ruins," Kareem said.
"That is a very good plan," Padmé agreed.
"Of course, once we're married, we won't have to worry about ruined reputations," Kareem said.
"Which won't be happening until my last term is up," Padmé reminded him.
"Of course," Kareem agreed.
*~*~*
Padmé remembered the past as if it were yesterday, and remembering bothered her some for remembering meant feeling and she wasn't quite ready for that yet. She closed the box, leaving the statuette out, and returned it to the drawer before she stood and retrieved a holobook from the collection she had taken from the library and settled down on the chaise lounge in the room. She took a moment to stare out into the window when more memories coming to her.
Three years ago.
The smoke from the Jedi Temple was still visible even though it had been a week since the night of the purge, she only thanked the gods that her friend, Obi-Wan Kenobi, escaped safely. Padmé turned away from the devastating state to where Kareem was standing, watching the news from the holonet. "Now do you believe that note?" she asked hollowly.
Kareem didn't answer her right away. "Thirty more Jedi were killed today, many of them children," he said, equally disturbed.
"I know," Padmé said. "I just wish that I could have stopped it. I was given that note for a reason, I know it, but I couldn't stop it in time," she told him.
"You still think that it was from that boy you refuse to believe is dead?" Kareem asked.
"Yes," Padmé answered automatically.
Kareem turned to her. "I don't get it. You knew him for like two minutes, why are you willing to go to the ends of the galaxy to find him, to prove that he is alive?" he asked.
"I... I can't explain it, but I believe that he would do the same in return," Padmé told him. "He saw so much injustice, lived with so much hardship, but thought nothing of helping strangers with no thought of a reward. Don't tell me that that isn't remarkable," she told him.
"I wish that I could share your unyielding hope," Kareem told her, turning back to the holonet where a picture of Vader was being plastered onto the screen as he was being hailed as a hero. "Such a monstrosity shouldn't even be allowed to breath," he said.
Padmé didn't want to believe what she was hearing. "What are you saying?" she asked.
Kareem didn't look at her. "They're saying that he's the muscle for Palpatine, the old man needs someone young to do his dirty work. Think about how weakened Palpatine would be without him," he told her.
"I don't believe what I'm hearing. You're talking about taking another life like it's nothing," Padmé told him.
Kareem turned to her and she could see how much hatred he bore Vader. "That thing isn't even human, the galaxy would be a better place without it!" he told her. "It's the spawn of pure evil itself."
"Evil isn't born, Kareem, it's made. Take it from the source and you might be able to cure it. Murder isn't the way," Padmé told him.
"He must be stopped at all costs, Padmé, sometimes to stop evil from spreading, you will have to abandon your principals, just a bit for the greater good," Kareem told her.
"I don't believe that," Padmé told him. She walked over to him and took his arm, forcing him to look at her. "Promise me that you will not take matters into your own hands," she told him. He looked away without saying anything. "Promise me, Kareem," she said a bit more forcefully.
"I promise," Kareem conceded.
"We'll find another way to help the people, not with murder. Two wrongs don't make a right," Padmé told him.
Kareem didn't say anything, he just kept staring at the holonet.
*~*~*
After landing on Naboo, Padmé declined her usual escort and ride, in favor of walking. She wanted to be able to think which she was better able to do when she was walking. Her head of security, Captain Typho, had refused to leave her side, despite her protests that she wished to be alone. Thankfully, he let her think rather than draw her into a conversation.
She wasn't due to arrive on Naboo for another week or so, but she wanted to speak to Kareem sooner. She had news and she didn't want to share them over the holonet. She wanted to tell him in person and alone. But as she was about to reach his family home, she found it warded off by the local security and a crowd growing. Knowing that something was wrong, she rushed forward, only to be held back by a security officer.
"Milady, I advise you not to go in there," the security officer told her.
Padmé looked him square in the eye. "Let go of me!" she commanded in her signature Amidala tone.
The security officer reluctantly obeyed. "I did try to stop you," he told her as he stepped aside, allowing her entry.
The first thing that Padmé noticed was the smell of decay. As she continued her way inside, she saw about five bodies that were identified as Jedi. As she passed the dining room, she noticed that the table was still set for dinner, food and all. But as she reached the sitting room, she froze, her hand going to her mouth to prevent a scream from bursting forth. Her breathing became difficult as she struggled to breath for the sight before her was horrifying. The entire Macawi family was dead, slaughtered like animals. Kareem's body laid not too far from her, his severed head laying at the doorway, his vacant eyes staring up at her. She felt two arms around her, pulling her away from the scene where she let out her horrified scream, barely registering Captain Typho's attempts to distract her from what she had seen. But it was too late and she couldn't get the sight from her mind causing her physical pain. She didn't even know what it was from until after she had been taken to the medical facility.
Padmé wished that she could forget, she wanted so much to forget. But all that she could do was to push it away as far as she could until it wasn't pressing on her mind. She wondered what Kareem would say if he could see her now. But she didn't have to think too hard on it, she knew him well enough to know. She remembered how he used to tell her that things happened for a reason. Perhaps his dying had helped her find Anakin after all this time. But what reason was there for the monster, Palpatine, to kidnap him and to torture him into submissively doing his bidding? Padmé reasoned that she may never know but vowed to somehow put a stop to it.
She glanced over to the crono and sighed. She had about four more hours left to try to get some sleep, so she stood, setting the holobook in her hands down, and moved to the bed for some much needed sleep.