A/N: Warning: Hallucinations.

OOO

"Padmé," greeted Mother coolly that evening. At last, she had come home for dinner—with Tai-Lin by her side. Clearly she intended to make a point.

I started first. "I owe both of you apologizes." At this both seemed surprised. I went on, "My behavior last night was completely unacceptable. I was drunk, and said things I didn't mean. But some things I did say… revealed things I ought to have expressed in a far better way.

"Mother, you are a wonderful queen of Alderaan. A wonderful Imperial monarch. And what I said to you was inexcusable, and wrong. I hope you know that I didn't mean it.

"As for you, Tai-Lin… Well, no one could ever replace my father for me. I'm sorry for that. But I think it is a fairly open secret that he is the one who I have always loved best. Yet that doesn't mean I should disrespect you like that. You're a good man, and I'm glad that you have found happiness together. You both deserve it."

And that gave us this last reunion together. Things would never be the same after this night, though none of us could know it. Mother, with tears in her eyes, embraced me; I knew she forgave me. Tai-Lin and I shook hands. For an instant everything felt truly okay… Okay in a way it hadn't felt in years...

Until I got to bed that night and couldn't find a wink of sleep. My mind remained alert. I listened for every sound, chest contracting with each. Coruscant's traffic sounded like the buzzing of a thousand sonorous bees. And then, a voice mused,

"Poor Princess Padmé. So afraid ."

I sat up in bed. And there she was, again, striding toward me with supreme confidence, one brow slightly lifted in apparent disdain. "Who are you?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm you . Well—your better half, at any rate." She smiled. "Don't you remember me from when you were hitting Alba like she deserved?"

A recollection of the cool certainty, the ice power, and the frosty control… "I don't remember. You know how I forget things sometimes."

" Liar ."

"Get out of here. You're the liar. You aren't real." I knew it must be so. I must be hallucinating her. After Mustafar, it had happened from time to time. She couldn't be real.

Right?

But then she grabbed me by the shoulders, yanking me up from bed; I cried out; she muffled it with one hand. "I am as real as anyone or anything. How dare you insinuate otherwise?" she demanded with frigid regal pride.

"I… I'm sorry, I—"

" Weak ," uttered she, and tossed me aside onto the bed with effortless strength. "Though you try so hard to pretend that you are strong."

Something in that effortless strength struck me more than did my fear or her derisive comment. "You use the Force."

The ice anger left her. Her smile shaded sly. "Oh. Suddenly you find me useful, eh? Indeed I do. And to answer your true question: yes . I can combat him. Oh… please… I could well beat him… I suppose that interests you."

I gnawed on my cheek. Best to admit it. Sure, I might be hallucinating, but still. She might have ideas I couldn't think of. "I just—don't know what to do."

"There's your second lie tonight, Padmé. You know exactly what to do." She smiled at me with the tenderness of a loving mother (or so I imagined), then stroked my cheek. Her hand was ice cold, and made me shudder violently.

"I can't." I set my teeth.

"Of course you can. You can do whatever you have to for an end. We can do whatever we have to for an end. That's what defines us, my sweet."

I remained silent for a moment after that. Then, I asked, "What should I call you?"

"Kyla. Kyla Ren. And I'm happy to help you, darling."

OOO

But before I could enact the plan proposed to me by my doppelgänger, shock struck in the form of a visitor. On the afternoon of Empire Eve, a few hours before the ball, I stood in the garden watering Mother's orchid plants. It would cheer her to see them cared for. When the shadow began creeping up on me and I saw it looming, I braced myself—

And then gasped when I saw the face beneath the brown cowl.

" Uncle Luke!" Impossible. He couldn't be here, on Coruscant. The danger was so immense. The risks… The attack on the Death Star II—

But here he was, even as my deepest soul had wished he might be.

He hugged me back, but when I released him, I found his eyes searching mine intently.

"What're you doing here?" I demanded, then laughed suddenly. "I mean—how can you—? What about the attack tomorrow on the station—?"

"Padmé," Luke said slowly. He held my hands in his. His sky eyes looked haunted. He looked hunted. "Honey. What have you done? "

And then—before I could properly ask what it was that he knew— disaster . This one striking right at the heart. As Luke and I sat on the couch at Cantham, sonic neutralizers on, stormtroopers suddenly burst through the door. A Captain led them, strides crisp and slacks starched. My first panicked thought was for Luke, but she had eyes only for me.

"Princess Padmé Solo," she said evenly and coldly. "You are under arrest for high treason against the Empire, for plotting to destroy it with the known terrorist organization called the Alliance to Restore the Republic."

So this wasn't about Alba, or about Luke. The prince hadn't betrayed me after all, it seemed. And they hadn't seen Luke through some spy means or another. But that didn't mean it wouldn't take them but a few more seconds to recognize the man beside me. Luke got the memo. Drawing the blaster I had hidden within the folds of my jacket, I began to blast. My uncle was a whirl of green. And in five seconds, every one of the group was dead.

Then we were running, running out from Cantham through the back entrance, taking each stair two at a time. Luke stole a speeder through some means of the Force. We sped toward a location at top speed that I assumed housed a ship he'd flown here.

But then I realized—

" Mother! Tai-Lin! They'll be taken too! They went to that event! And Solano and—"

Luke didn't look from the lane. "We can't go back for them, Mé."

I could barely form words. "But— Mother— "

"We can't go back. It would be a death mission."

I shook my head, comprehension failing to occur. "She's your sister . She's my mother ."

"I know," he said simply, and his determined voice wavered a fraction. But still he refused to look at anything except the road.

Fury borne of terror filling me, I made to steer us off course and back—needing to do something —anything —but I found myself restrained to my seat by invisible hands, the breath sucked from me. Still Luke looked straight ahead. And in the end, all I could utter was a repulsed, horrified: "If this is the way of the Jedi… I want no part of it."

OOO

A/N: Predictions on what will come next?

Thanks for reading! We're heading toward the end here now...

Warm wishes,
Hope