This time the torturers did not hold back. During the first few months of her stay here, she had thought they never did. She had been too inexperienced in the early months at being a toy to those who brought her pain to recognize their talents. But over time she had learned, she now knew they had infinite patience, and infinite ways to make her suffer. They were usually methodical with pain, making sure that she felt each break, each hope rise and fall. The two men who had been her only companions for the duration of her stay usually enjoyed watching her face twist and distort with anguish under their skillful hands. She knew they enjoyed asking her question after question while she was gagged; they enjoyed punishing her for not being able to answer them. Sometimes the two delighted in just taking things from her. Like the night they had decided she did not need heat, she had spent days shivering in the small hole she called home. When frost had started to show in the room, and her fingers and toes felt like ice, she had thought she would freeze to death. She had hoped they would turn the heat back on. They had not. Similarly when they decided she must endure without clothing, or food, or sleep.
She had to admit they were excruciatingly perfect through and through, for they had always given her a pattern, something to know, something to cling to in the circle of pain. They would never beat her twice in a row. She had supposed to herself that the pattern perhaps existed just for a moment like this, to take it away, like everything else.
This time was different, she knew after the first blow to the head that their intentions were of a new making. She was no longer useful to them; despite each snap of her bones and each scream brought forth to her lips they did not slow their work. Tying her arms above her head to a chain latched to the ceiling above, her knees skimming the cold metal floor beneath, they ripped open the back of her basic utilitarian gown, she knew what would come next, but nothing can prepare you for the stealing snap and tear of a razor whip across your flesh. The pain stole the breath from her lungs, and her newly broken ribs screamed out in protest as her muscles tensed and tried in vain to struggle away. It had only been two days since her last session. This was too soon, normally they would wait. While the man behind her brought the whip down on her flesh at a furious pace, the other sat in front of her watching eyes alight with excitement and joy, he roughly grabbed her face in his hands bringing her closer to him just to watch her scream out. She tried to bite down on her lip, tried with everything she had not to cry out, not to give them this in her final moments. To remember the brave young woman she once was. This was a mistake. The man in front of her quickly grabbed a knife from a medical stand by the wall and with a ferocious thrust brought the weapon down harshly into her leg. A smile started to twitch at the corners of his mouth, needing more he attacked her with a powerful blow leaving her femur broken. As her eyes blurred taking in black spots on the outskirts of her vision, the last thing she saw before she passed out was a gleaming smile.
How long they were there she had no way of knowing, time seemed to bend when were forced to endure the level of pain specialized with in these walls. When they had had their fill they left her still bound. With a weak roll of her head she took a quick assessment of her surroundings and condition, there was no doubting it now. Hands bound above her, one arm clearly broken from its unnatural angle as it hung, blood streamed down the side of her head. The modest dress she once wore was in tatters in the corner of the room, limply hanging there she saw blood pooling around her knees, she couldn't even feel her back anymore. She had blacked out from this "appointment" multiple times, yet clearly they had not relented even then. This was the day she would die.
"I'm going to die." Padme winced momentarily from the pain her chest caused by the simple increase of air. A broken rib must have punctured one of her lungs. Funny, she would have thought blood loss would have done her in... yet surprisingly the pain seemed to be diminishing, her body felt almost warm. Good she thought. She was undoubtedly ready for this life of torment and torture to be over. Just a hollow shell now, the strong vibrant independent woman was long gone. Too many broken bones, too many frozen nights had slowly taken her bit by bit. Thinking back on her life, Padme felt a sense of sorrow for the death of the young woman she had once been. She had been something incredible, first the youngest elected Queen, unsure but strong, then Senator filled with determination and an unwavering moral compass that guided her through trial after trail. Memories flooded back to the barely conscious woman as she recalled these important moments.
But now here she was, broken, alone and dying. All of her life's dedication and devotion to the Republic had been for what? Was any of it worth it? Her sacrifices as Queen accomplished what exactly…? A few years of peace for her peoples.. Selfishly she thought back to all of the years of sacrifice she had put herself through believing that she was aiding something great, something that must always be protected. Never giving in to her own desires, only ever opening herself up to one person, and they could never really be.
A shallow cough from her lips brought a slick of blood racing down her face and onto the floor in front of her hanging head. It was getting increasingly difficult to breathe. It's almost over now, taking a breath as best she could I am not afraid to die she thought to herself, maybe the old Padme was still their somewhere after all.
Blacking out momentarily, she dreamt the same dream she always had; His face, her Ani, the warm Naboo sun making the jewel blue of his eyes dance as he gazed adoringly at her. They were on her home planet, she was safe, and they were in love. Nothing could part them, and nothing would stop their love for one another. A quiet warm breeze feathered across her skin. She could smell the grass and hear in the distance one of the many waterfalls that speckled the planet. He was her soul. He was her husband. She would follow him through time, as she knew he would for her. Contentedly she sighed as he gently caressed her face. But like their life together, things could not exist in a state of peaceful bliss. His once calm azure gaze suddenly turned steely as his hand quickly moved from her face to a deadly grip around her small neck. Hate pouring out of him as she stared, transfixed in shock and horror, captivated like a moth a flame. The landscape of her planet detonated around her into a blistering dead world with scorching pools of lava. "Ani.. N.. No" she tried to call out, but his grip only tightened as his eyes turned crimson.
Coughing Padme awoke to find herself aching everywhere, more blood spilled from her lips. Her eyes were much heavier now, fluttering in a dance of desperation to stay clutching onto consciousness. Why does everything hurt? Just moments ago she felt so little, she had felt warm, almost comforted by the knowledge of her passing. Now pain ripped through her small broken body and the once glowing warmth was replaced with ice. I guess nothing can be easy in this life, not even in death she thought despairingly to herself. The ache in her heart almost too much to bear. It's cruel really. Bitterly remembering her dream, tears stream down the former senators face. How could this all have happened to her; to them? What made this happen, where did they go wrong? The image of her beautiful childrens faces. So small and soft, they were perfection. But far too quickly, like her love, they were snatched away from her too. Again leaving her alone in the darkness. A sudden stab of pain in her heart caused her to gasp. Breathing was becoming impossible, her hands bound above her head grew cold and for the first time she noticed she couldn't feel her legs anymore. It felt as if a slow frost was creeping along her, blanketing her fragile body.
In those last few moments she thought she felt something, something faint, a small glimmer of something sweet and familiar. It reminded her of her husband.
She could smell the grass again, hear the soft lull of waterfalls in the distance. A small weak smile spread across her bloodied pale chapped lips. "Ani" her rough frail voice managed to contentedly sigh. Her warm eyes fluttered close "I love you" She whispered before darkness descended upon her.