Chapter 2: A struggle and a Half

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Senator Padmé Amidala was riding her private speeder to her apartment at the 500 republica after a long Senate meeting held by the Supreme Chancellor.

It was currently 11:34PM, and Padmé could feel the sunlight slipping under the horizon, recently she was restless in proving ahsoka's innocence during the trial and the sleep was starting to catch up on her.

As her speeder neared the landing platform, she heard a voice practically scream "FUCK YOU!" into the air. In a normal situation, she would have ignored the hositility, but something sounded very familiar in this voice, like she knew its owner. Her curiosity wanted to find the source.

She docked the speeder in the bay, and climbed out, she looked around the complex, she could hear sobbing around the corner and witnessed a beer can being thrown across the platform. This slightly disturbed the senator, so her hands gravitated towards her blaster.

Her heart was not ready for what she would see when she turned the corner. As her footsteps got quieter as to not startle the person, she heard another cry, this time in the form of "FUCK ALL OF YOU!".

She stopped in her tracks, this voice was definately familiar, maybe she should talk to this person and calm them down. She rounded the corner and locked eyes with a female togruta.

Her heart felt like it skipped a beat and she felt her mouth drop silently in shock, before gasping "A-ahsoka..?"

It took almost a minute for ahsoka to register who was standing before her (thanks to her drunk reaction time).

Padmé noted the reaction time and instantly recognised the symptoms. Yep. she thought, definately been drinking. She couldn't help but be shocked, because out of all the people she had ever least expected to find a drunken mess collapsed on the pavement was Ahsoka.

Padmé leaned forward and put out her hand to help her up off the ground, but Ahsoka just stared at it, as if she didn't understand. Padmé sighed and spoke with a soft tone "What are you doing here ahsoka.?"

Ahsoka stared at her feet and mumbled repeatedly "They left me.. all of them...", when she looked up Padmé could see tears streaming down the poor girl's face. As tired as Padmé was, she had to help Ahsoka, so she sat down next to the girl and embraced her, burying her face in Padmé's dress.

Padmé could feel the tears soaking through, and comfortingly stroked her lekku, whispering "I'm here, Ahsoka, take a few breaths and calm down" what felt like a half hour had passed, it was late at night and getting cold, she could feel herself start to shiver from the chills of the wind, so she tore herself away from the embrace and gently squeezed her shoulders.

She then acknowledged the crying Togruta by offering to stay at her apartment for the night, reasurring her she isn't alone, and that she will stick by Ahsoka all the way through thick and thin. like sisters.

Ahsoka hastily wiped her tears with the sleeves of her shirt, now damp from the moisture and nodded to Padmé, who had already got up off the floor and was gesturing her to come join her.

The two walked into the 500 republica, the silence was an unspoken communication between them both. Padmé entered the lift, punching in the floor of her room and Ahsoka followed by her side.

The lift doors opened with a ding! and the two friends stepped out. Padmé dug her room keys out of her pocket and opened the door, revealing an elegant system of rooms consisting of a bedroom, shower room and lounge.

Padmé motioned her towards one of the many couches for Ahsoka to sleep on, gave a friendly smile and said "take your pick" for comfirmation. Ahsoka felt her legs drifting towards a sleek, comfortable model, fit with silk cushions. She found herself staring in awe at the fine luxury she would never be able to afford.

After what felt like a long session of staring, she looked around for Padmé, and noticed she was no longer present in the room. She thought about pacing around the room whilst she waited, but instead stopped in her tracks to look outside the glass walls, she was definately caught offguard by the beauty of the planet, the lights on all the skyscapers illuminated the sky, boasting the beauty of the city's architecture.

But in the distance, among the many magnificent skyscrapers, she could make out the jedi temple, which stood out like a sore thumb. Her eyes squinted as she attempted a death stare at the building and she spat "You abandoned me. I trusted you to help me. All you did was fail me."

She decided it was best to keep her gaze away from the temple, so she decided on staring at the ceiling, ever since the bombing, she has refused to meditate off her emotions, which would mean anything she encountered that was relevant to the jedi order would make her behaviour almost destructive.

Every time she felt angry recently, her head drilled in the Jedi teachings and it annoyed her. Quite often she would recall Master Yoda's lectures from when she was a youngling 'Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering' and the time Master Plo reminded her that such emotions should not be felt from a jedi, as it only leads to the dark side.

Above all, she thought she could trust them too, to think she once saw Plo Koon as a father figure! The thought was so distant and ridiculous now, that she had to fight the urge to laugh. The jedi willingly handed her over to the republic, casting her aside like a useless pawn; worst of all, they did it with no hesitation, ignoring all she had ever done in service for them!

As much as she hated to tell herself, the republic was failing, and it was only a matter of time when the jedi fell with it.

Now, im sounding like a separatist she thought to herself, she was so deep in thought that she didn't notice Padmé return with a blanket, who had laid it neatly onto the sofa.

Padmé had just finished making the sofa comfortable, and strolled towards Ahsoka, who appeared oblivious, as if in a trance. Ahsoka snapped out of the state, and looked at Padmé, the senator gently placed her hand on her shoulder and squeezing it, she said "Good night Ahsoka" before wandering off into her own room.

Ahsoka removed her boots and sprawled carelessly onto sofa. Tucking herself under the blankets, the comfort of the pillows allowed sleep to quickly take her.

NOTE: The name Perdita Pax isn't random, although it is not yet relevant so far in the story, it is taken from Latin and 'Perdita' means 'Lost' or 'Losing' and 'Pax' means 'Peace'. Essentially being a title given to Ahsoka.As always, feel free to review!