A/N: Okay, so, warnings for this chapter: sexually threatening undertones, but nothing physically happens. Death threats. And finally, some distinct mental instability from Padmé. This is where you start to get rather unreliable in her narrative...

That said, hope you enjoy reading!

OOO

Slowly I swam back to consciousness. My whole body felt like durasteel. The replacement organs inside me that were constructed of durasteel felt too tight, too foreign, and each seemed slow to function. It was an effort even to open my eyes.

Where am I? I wondered. What has happened?

The moment I did manage to get my blurry eyes even halfway open, someone said,

"Here. Drink this."

A cold glass lifted to my lips. The voice seemed familiar, and proved soothing to me for some reason. Like coming home.

I sipped at the water, and after several blinks began to see more clearly. I saw the wavy-red-haired boy kneeling before me, with his nondescript youthful face and his ocean eyes intent. His slim hands clasped the glass of cool water. And with a jolt I realized I wasn't home at all. I was in a room furnished and decorated so simplistically as to be almost barren. Dull light streamed into the room from a mostly-curtained window.

I instinctively drew back—and then realized it was not my bed that I lay in, either. My eyes bulged, a hint of panic striking through me. " What —?"

"You fainted," he said simply, and set the glass down on a bedside table. "No, you shouldn't get up too quickly. All that exertion strained your body too much."

All that exertion . And then, suddenly, I remembered. I remembered all of it. Ignoring his declaration, I sat bolt upright in the bed, then hopped up from it, cheeks burning despite my better efforts. Naturally, I'd been in unfamiliar beds before, but never … How dare he presume to take me to his quarters?

"Don't worry," he said simply, apparently reading my thoughts. "I didn't do anything."

"I believe you." And I did. But it was still inappropriate as druk. Though that was hardly the largest issue presenting itself right now. Oh, stars , I thought, recalling Alba, beaten and bloodied on the floor, my fists tingling, my heart pounding from exertion and jubilation… I looked down, and found some of the blood still marring my skin; the dull shafts of sunlight highlighted the dried crimson substance.

Oh, stars. What had I done?

He remained silent even after I looked up.

I pretended not to notice the way he was looking at me. I finished the water, then asked, "Would you mind getting me some more?"

"Sure."

He came back, then looked about, russet brows furrowed. "—Padmé?"

I leapt forward from where I had hid myself, setting the tip of the knife to his heart. Stupid of him, to have left it on his dresser next to a half-eaten apple. But it would be his last mistake.

"Don't move," I ordered.

He went still in my hold. "Padmé…" he ventured. "—can't we work this out?"

"That's precisely what I'm doing."

"This is about Alba, right?"

"No."

"Oh. So… you just personally dislike me enough to kill me."

"Shut up. You're distracting me."

"Okay. Oh—you said to stop talking. Sorry… I'll stop talking now. Oh! Gosh! I'm so bad at this—I'm sorry…"

"Stop saying that!"

"Okay." Then, "Actually, since we're talking, I have one more thing to say: don't do this, please."

"Sorry."

"No you aren't. I don't think you've ever been sorry for doing something you considered just."

That… was true.

"And besides that, I don't see you expressing any guilt over what you did to Alba. You know, I find that refreshing. And then you're just getting right back up on the speeder bike with killing me…"

"It's not personal."

"Sure it is. You're killing me. That's the very definition of personal."

"You're a witness."

"That's true. I am probably the only person who could get you caught."

"Exactly."

"But I don't plan to."

The knife hesitated.

"You see, I like you, Padmé, when you are acting like a scoundrel. In those moments one sees how you have ascended above the limits of petty morality to create your own personal code of law. Law of what you think right and just and serves your own ends. And whatever serves your own ends you think right and just. That is a very… rare and impressive thing to find in anyone, particularly a woman of your breed." That chocolatey note from earlier had reentered his voice, caressing me with its silky sweet blackness. "And I'd like to help you, because I like you and I feel like it."

Fury lit within me. Because a part of me wanted to believe him. To trust him. But I couldn't do that.

"I appreciate the offer. And I apologize." Then I made to stab him—

But a force greater than any I had ever known threw me back, back, until I was flying to the edge of the room, the knife careening out of my hands and landing, remarkably, tip down in some of the dark wood of the cabinet. Gasping on the floor, stunned senseless, I could only pant for air, able to think only one thing: Force user… Only Luke had displayed such skill—and, I knew, It possessed such skills. But… this boy… this boy…

This boy, who now approached me with a lighthearted tread, smiling as brightly and sweetly as ever. He looked a summer rose, innocent and tender. But his eyes… his eyes gleamed an eerie, blazing sulphur. Here, now, in this moment, he looked like an angel.

An angel of death.

The angelic-looking boy who looked no more than sixteen waggled one fine-boned finger at me, tsk'ing. "And here I thought we were becoming friends , Padmé! I did so hope to have you in the wedding when I eventually married Alba… Though of course the dear Commander may not make it long enough for all that…

"That you would kill me so callously after the connection I thought we had… Why, it's enough to make a man lose faith in the character of those around him." He shook his head sadly.

Head spinning, heart pounding, I somehow got to my feet. Ray Palpatine. Another Sith. There wasn't just one Sith, but two. Or were there more? How much had Luke kept from me?

What did it matter, now? Here?

" You . I should have known."

"Don't fret, Dove," he replied kindly, tucking back a stray lock of my hair that had fallen from my formerly immaculate style. I went back against the wall even as he had earlier, wanting as much distance from him as possible. "No one ever has before. After all… I hardly look the part, do I?"

I decided I best not insult him. Levelling my most cool regal gaze at him, fearing the worst, but knowing I mustn't show it, I asked, " What do you want?"

"Why do you assume I want anything?"

"Because if you didn't, I'd already be dead or in prison."

And then he burst into peels of boyish giggles. Somehow they scared me more than the yellow eyes. "Well," he admitted, smiling even more angelically than ever, "that's true."

OOO

At an indeterminable hour, I stumbled back into Cantham house. (I may have been… ever so slightly drunk.) I found both Leia and Tai-Lin waiting for me, their faces ashen. But some color came back into Mother's face the moment she saw me weave my way inside.

She said tightly, "Padmé: where have you been?"

"Uhm… that's a lot of planets to name—" Yawn— "off the top of my head…"

"I mean—what have you been doing?"

"Oh. You want to know his name ?"

Mother's cheeks flushed. She took hold of my arm. "Come on. You're going to bed."

"But I already did!"

" Don't —"

Whatever Mother had been about to say, Tai-Lin cut over her. He spoke soothingly, ever unruffled. "Leia: now isn't the time. We can wait until the morning."

I yanked my grip out from Mother's. She might be mighty in spirit, but I easily overpowered her in body. "Yes, Mom," I agreed, eyeing our reflections in the hallway mirror. For an instant, I swore I winked at myself. But not me. Someone else in my body was looking back at me… "Listen to Daddy. That is okay if I call you that, right? I mean… after all…"

"That's enough," Leia snapped. "You're going to bed."

"I already told you, I went ." I smiled. " Stars . Thank the Force I'm not the queen. I might turn out like you."

Leia inhaled sharply. Tai-Lin, for once, looked angry. I chuckled, then headed toward my room. But when they followed, I began to run. None too steady on my feet, I nearly lost the pursuit, but then managed to get into my room and slam the door, quite nearly on Tai-Lin's fingers. Leia cried out.

"You aren't my father!" I hurled at him, and locked the door. Then I was free. Free to do as I pleased. Live as I liked. For once the restraints of royalty and madness didn't feel so tight; I had been made a bird, able to take flight…

My breathing came hard and harsh. My head went back. Then I looked down at my hands. Oh , Alba's blood still stained them. Dripped from them. I twirled one finger in the blood, then drew that finger across the mirror at my vanity…

And she looked back at me, crimson-lips smiling. Unafraid, unthreatened. For she had all the power she could ever want or need, and all bowed down to her. None derided her. Her mind was pure and clean and perfect. She winked at me again, the picture of confidence and ease, grace and strength—

And then I toppled headfirst into night.

OOO

A/N: What are your thoughts? What do you think Ray wants from her? And what will happen to Alba now?

Also - the drunken scene: real or not real? And who is Padmé seeing that looks like her?

Thanks for reading and reviewing. Really appreciate it. I know this novella's tone is pretty different from the last, but it is necessary setup for Luke's narrative in the coming book.

~ Hope