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THE CLONE WARS HAVE ENDED!

Chancellor Palpatine declared himself EMPEROR of the first Galactic Empire.
His second-in-command, Supreme Commander DARTH VADER has brought peace and stability to their Empire
and continues to do so by hunting down the REBEL ALLIANCE,
a group of rebellious troops and leaders who terrorize the GALAXY.

Senator PADMÉ AMIDALA and Jedi Master OBI-WAN KENOBI
both make it their responsibility to help free the Galaxy from the DARK CLUTCHES of the Empire,
no matter how hard the challenge.
one through POLITICS and one through the LIGHT,

THE GOOD.

but is good not subjective?

PART ONE.

Chapter One: Ante Bellum.

— before the war.

one. two.

four.

seven. ten... twelve...

She blinked, missing a speeder. ah, no. eleven? kriff.

again. one. two.

five...

"Padmé!"

And pause. The Coruscanti sky was a stunning lilac, the light of passing speeders reminding her of shooting stars, so close, as if she could grasp them and send her deepest wishes into the Galaxy's heart. Pulling her gaze away from the large view to her handmaiden in the mirror, she blinked once again, wearing a neutral and almost distracted expression. "...What is it you were saying, Dormé?"

She only shook her head in response, giving her a look that said as much as I told you not to work late last night. Padmé couldn't keep a smile from curving her lips.

Even after everything that happened, the assassination attempts, the slow crumbling of the Republic, foreseeable end of democracy and liberty, her handmaidens were loyal to her like they were in her days as the Queen of Naboo. Never leaving her side, always aiding and protecting her with their lives.

Motée and Dormé came to Coruscant with her when she became Senator. She was close to the others as well, Eirtaé, Ellé, Yané, Saché, Rabé, Teckla.

And Versé and Cordé, her wonderful friends who gave their lives in an assassination attempt against Padmé, the deaths deeply paining her as if they happened just yesterday.

Motée and Dormé, however, knew Padmé, the face under the white, royal nubian paint, not just Amidala.

"Milady, you haven't had much sleep. Perhaps you should— ... take a day off."

Take a day off?

Padmé held her hand up. "Dormé, you know how important today is." she spoke as her handmaiden finished her hair, turning to look her in the eye. "I cannot allow this galaxy to fall into darkness, I owe that much to my people. Especially after..."

She trailed off, finding she can't speak the words to finish her sentence. It was rather funny, actually, when words were her forte. There was no denying that while Padmé fought for the Republic with her entire being, she was also partly if not immensely responsible for Palpatine's current position in power.

And by the looks of it, he was about to gain even more now. Jar Jar was waiting for her at the Senate Building. She'd join him in about a standard hour when Typho would come to drive her and hold the speech she had invested blood, sweat and tears in, and then-

"You're not... blaming yourself, are you Milady?" Dormé asked.

Is she?

Padmé stood slowly, trusting her handmaiden's judgement and skills enough to not check on her hair twice. A low bun on the back of her head, twisted through a silver headpiece. Quite simple, yet symbolic. The headpiece reminded her of a raging fire, of passion.

But at the same time, it looked like the wings of a soaring bird; a Phoenix. Freedom and hope. She walked towards the closet to change into her clothes, a navy coat with elegant embroidery over a lighter shirt combined with a flowing skirt, giving the illusion of a dress.

Feeling the silence and the handmaid's gaze on her back, she turned slowly, meeting a pair of worried brown eyes. "No. I'm not."

Dormé, she realized, gave a nod and didn't press the issue even as she looked unconvinced, and for that she was grateful. Padmé wasn't in the mood for any pep talk or lecture for that matter, as much as she loved her friend.

Today she would fight as hard as she could and right her wrongs instead. Everything would be alright. Because if it wouldn't, Padmé's life work, her purpose, was lost. And she is not one to accept defeat easily.

She heard her friend leave her room to give her some space, eventually sitting down on the bed once the door slid shut.

Closing her eyes, the sound of the speeders outside becoming dull and fading into the gentle sound of Naboo's waterfalls, her beautiful nieces — Ryoo and Pooja — wearing big, toothy grins as they chase each other on the meadow, her mother's dinner served at the lake retreat table, surrounded by Varykino's beauty at dawn.

How much she'd love to leave this place and run into her parents' warm embrace.

But she knew that even if she did leave now, she couldn't stay. Her whole life, she had been fighting for what is right, leaving when it gets difficult was not in her nature. This was her life. At some point, she was sure she would get claustrophobic in the Naberrie house, away from the Galaxy's variety and thousands of stars. She loved watching them, but being amongst them she loved even more.

The speeders caught her eye once again, unconsciously moving towards the window. She placed her hand against the cool glass, the material very faintly thrumming with Coruscants life under her touch.

It was calming, even if calm was the last thing Padmé was feeling. She knew Bail and Mon were waiting for her at the Senate, both them and her fearing that soon their lives will change dramatically. For better or worse, even though she had a sickening feeling that it would be the latter.

"Milady," came Dormé's voice once again as she reentered the room but her attention was elsewhere. "Palo Jemabie tried to contact you earlier, he said— Milady?"

Padmé's stunned, almost horrified expression made Dormé stop in her tracks, worry painting her voice immediately. When she stood next to her with her hand on the Senator's shoulder, she tried again. "Padmé?"

"Is that—?" she pointed towards the tall buildings, one in particular catching her attention. "Dormé, that's the Jedi Temple!"

Grabbing her handmaiden's hand before she had the chance to reply or even look for herself, she rushed out onto her open veranda, the floor cold under her feet.

The sight of huge flames licking at the Holy Temple made her freeze, gripping the hand in her grasp even tighter. Fire and angry clouds of ash erupted from the heart of the building, making it so bright that it was almost impossible to not notice it. Both her handmaiden and her stood there for what felt like hours, the fire, smoke and damage not becoming any lesser.

"Dormé, I need to contact Obi-Wan-" she tried, stopping when Dormé suddenly turned away from her, gaze fixed on the sky as if she was looking for something. Padmé's eyes followed the direction, searching with furrowed brows. "What is it?"

In a flash, Dormé had her blaster out and tightly grabbed Padmé by the shoulder, making her yelp out in surprise more than pain. "Milady, run inside!"

She then spotted the other bright source of light that had Dormé so distressed, watching in horror as it came nearer and grew bigger by the second. She started for the hallway of her apartment, Dormé closely behind her.

Time seemed to slow down as she heard the pumping of her heart in her ears, panic growing in her belly with each step.

Thousands of thoughts ran through her head and the laughter of her nieces faded into cries, the flowers of Naboo shriveled away, her freedom slipping out of her grasp; and there was nothing she could do about it. A handful of assassination attempts later, and they finally got her.

Was this truly how things would end?

The next moment the ground under her feet shook violently before she heard a deafening sound.

Dormé's hand gave her a final, strong shove from behind and pushed her only a bit further before she felt herself becoming weightless and flung inside the apartment, engulfed by scorching heat and then;

absolute darkness and silence as her head hit the marble floor.

"Wake her up."

"Yes, your highness."

Slowly, Padmé tried to peel her eyes open but immediately realized it was a mistake, the brightness almost burning her eyelids as she started to regain consciousness. Her eyes were squeezed shut now, head moving to the side on the soft surface as if to shield herself from the source.

Soft? It really had been a nightmare, then.

She mentally sighed out of relief, pressing the side of her face even further into the pillow, finally daring herself to open her eyes again.

The light still hurt her head but it was easier now, blinking a few times to focus. Why is this so difficult? Did I really go to sleep that late last night?

Strange, her apartment walls weren't white. And neither did she recall owning a med droid, yet that was exactly what she saw. Where in the blazes—

Her eyes shot wide open as the events of last night came flooding in, her hands gripping the sheets tightly. Dormé, her apartment, the Temple.

She was at the medbay. And every inch of her body was aching.

It was then that she felt the eyes of another presence in the room on her, turning her head to the opposite side to stare into a pair of sickly yellow orbs.

A gasp left her lips before she could think about her action. She pushed herself into a sitting position despite the pain that shot through her body, confusion written on her features as curiosity got the better of her. "Who—"

The moment she started speaking she shut up, her voice sounding like a swamp frog dying of thirst —, the disfigured face in front of her broke into a large, almost sinister smile, moving towards her. "Ah, Senator Amidala, my dear. You're finally up."

Squinting her eyes, she quickly connected the dots as the familiar voice and the shape of this ... creature's eyes only belonged to one person, one she knew all too well.

"Chancellor Palpatine? What—..." Why the kriff do you look like a squashed shurra fruit?

"Ah, yes. The Jedi, they turned against me. They tried to overthrow me!" he answered her unspoken question, his expression twisting into a frown full of worry. Brilliant actor, that one. "Luckily, my great friend was there to save me."

"I don't understand... What happened last night? W- Where is my handmaiden?"

"Now, now. All in time. Much has happened, once you have your rest you will have your questions answered." he spoke with false concern, patting her hand lightly, much to Padmé's disgust. "I am very relieved that you survived this attack, my friend. I do not know what I would have done without you."

With that, he turned and left a stunned Padmé with a red guard on each side.

As soon as he exited and Padmé thought her questions would eat her alive, another head peeked through the entrance - Black, curly hair and dreamy, green eyes stared right back at her.

"You're up!"

A huge smile was plastered on his face as he rushed across the room, hands gripping a bouquet of various flowers that were soon abandoned once he reached Padmé's side.

"Palo?" she breathed, already overwhelmed with the amount of uncertainty and information she woke up to, and now even more confused as to how to react to his presence.

He pulled a chair next to her bed, holding her hand in his own. "How are you?" he asked, genuine concern in his voice unlike the previous guest.

"How am I?" she repeated, completely dumbfounded before looking away from him and into the room. She felt Palo's gaze on her, patiently waiting for her to continue. "I'm— not sure. Yesterday I was meant to be at the Senate and now— Palo," she turned to him. "What happened to Dormé?"

Palo seemed at a loss for words, mouth opening then closing before opening again. If this situation wasn't so horribly serious, Padmé would've laughed about the fact that he looked like a Mee, a fish from Naboo. Now, however, she almost feared the worst.

"Padmé, that wasn't yesterday." he paused, letting that sink in. "You've been unconscious for several days now, a— uhm. A lot has happened. As for Dormé, she's alive."

She breathed out a long breath of relief, one she didn't even know she was holding.

"The attack left her quite injured but luckily she survived. The Queen was so worried, Padmé. We all were."

She gave his hand a squeeze, returning his worried gaze with a reassuring one of her own. "I'm alright, thank you Palo. Tell me, what happened? The last thing I saw was the Jedi Temple burning, and— Oh, force. I was meant to be at the Senate."

"According to his highness, the Jedi attacked him, left him disfigured and tried to overthrow him." he began, an uncertain look on his face.

"I mean, whatever happened he managed to convince the entire Galaxy that it's the truth and— Padmé. The war is over. The Clone Wars are over."

There was more though, she could feel it. Any person would be happy about it, Palo however sounded anything but. She raised her brow at him as a sign for him to continue.

"...the same day, Palpatine declared himself Emperor of the— first Galactic Empire. The Republic is no more. And.." he frowned, and Padmé could now see how much it really affected him.

She supposed she should be surprised, but was she really? Hadn't they seen this coming? Wasn't this exactly what she trying to avoid?

"The Jedi are dead. Slaughtered by Palpatine's pet, Darth Vader."

What?

Palo went on to explain but Padmé stopped listening. Now she was truly shocked. The Jedi were gone? And... Obi-Wan?

"Isn't Darth a title for the Sith?" she asked once she trusted herself to speak again.

She remembered Darth Maul from the Invasion of Naboo, a Zabrak with a red lightsaber and horrifying yellow eyes. The same ones she saw on Palpatine just moments ago. How had the Galaxy come to this, all while she was doing what?

Sleeping?

A squeeze on her hand reminded her that Palo was still there, looking at her in curiosity. He must've figured she stopped listening and took in everything he told her, so she shot him a small, apologetic smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"It's not all bad, though." he returned the smile. "You're still Senator, Padmé. Your people need you, the Galaxy needs you."

A pause. He let go of her hand and slowly stood as the Med Droid motioned for him to leave.

"The Padmé I knew never gave up, and if this is still the Padmé I remember then I know not all hope is lost."

With a twinkle in his eyes that she couldn't quite place, he turned and left the room, Padmé's eyes following him until all she saw was the door and the Emdee nearing her.

Exhaustion came over Padmé once again as she slipped back into a deep sleep, determined to get to work as soon as she wakes up again.

And once Padmé Amidala makes up her mind, little can stop her.

AUTHORS NOTE:

Hi, I hope this isn't too confusing! I'm very new to writing here, so bear with me, hopefully this makes much more sense very soon.

Lots of love, feel free to complain in the reviews and if you have any questions, let me know x