AN: I'm pretty sure I misunderstood the way the senate worked near the end of the clone wars. I keep having an issue to the extent of power Palpatine had at certain points. But whatever. There was a point to all of this though. And if I'm wrong for the sake of the story, I took creative license with it. I also went back and watched the PT trilogy over the weekend on TV. There were some lines in Revenge of the Sith I liked that I decided to incorporate later. Really, that movie never gets old. Anyway. Enough ranting.

Read, enjoy, and review!

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Chapter Three

Harsh Realities

Padmé resisted the urge to rub her stomach affectionately as she waited outside Palpatine's office for him to finish whatever business he was attending to. He had called her directly to his office early that morning, on her off day no less and to say she was irritated was a vast understatement. Padmé sighed as she reminisced on the events of the last few months. She had tried with all her might, this time without Palpatine getting in her way, and she was beginning to lose hope that this war would ever end diplomatically.

Palpatine's office doors opened and out walked Master Yoda and Master Windu. She nodded her head to them politely, ever conscious of the child in her womb with the Jedi around. No doubt it had inherited Anakin's force ability and the only way to throw the Jedi off were the heavy robes she had begun to wear to conceal her expanding middle.

They greeted her and continued on their way while Padmé made her way into the Chancellor's office.

"Padmé. There you are. My apologies for keeping you waiting and calling you in today, but it was imperative that I spoke with you. Have a seat dear."

Padmé couldn't have been more thankful as she sat down, placing a hand on her stomach, something she had been itching to do since she got in the building.

"What's going on?" she asked spotting the solemn expression on Palpatine's face.

"I need you to do me a favor, and I can only trust you to be the one that does it."

"What's wrong?"

Palpatine picked up a datpad and passed it to Padmé. "There's a planet in the Outer Rim, Maya it's called, and it needs help."

"Don't many places."

"But this is different. Maya is a planet that has always stayed to itself and in fact has nothing to do with the war, but I've gotten reports that there's Separatist activity going on there. The monarchy is determined to make sure Maya remains a sovereign planet and doesn't want to placed under a government that they as tyrannical and only seeing to its own interest."

Padmé nodded slowly.

"Unfortunately, because of repeated appeals for aid from the Republic and being ignored by the senate in the past when they at least tried to form friendly relations and political alliances, they don't think that highly of the Republic either. But the princess thinks that perhaps we can form some kind of alliance against the Separatist cells there."

"What do you hope to accomplish by sending me there?" Padmé asked

"Unfortunately, unless the senate sees some tactical advantage or some other self interest in the planet, they won't send aid. The republic doesn't particularly need the resources Maya can provide and even if we did, the Jedi claim that they don't have the fighters to spare and my advisors say we don't have the extra troops. They say it can wait until after the war, but as stubborn as the Mayans are, I don't think they'll hold up against the Separatists that long," Palpatine replied.

"Why not?"

"Maya is a neutral planet and despite their independence, they rely heavily on trade with the Separatists. But the Separatists have placed sanctions on the planet barring any of their systems from trading with them. It's practically crumbled their economy. The unemployment rate has skyrocketed. People have resorted to criminal activity to survive and those who want to remain honest are starving to death, neglected even basic medical care. Sickness has begun to spread and the princess is desperate to save her people without signing over their freedom and culture," Palpatine explained.

"But if what you're saying is true, what is it that Maya has that the Separatist want so badly?"

"It's very rich in basic natural resources, water, rare minerals, plants, and metals and all relatively untouched. The Republic may not need what they can provide, but it would be the ideal place for the Separatist to build another base for its armies and leaders."

"But that would ruin it, bringing military occupation to a peaceful planet like that," Padmé said shaking her head, a dull ache in her heart at what would happen if the Separatist managed to take this planet.

"I'm glad you can see where's I'm coming from," Palpatine said to her.

Padmé looked at Palpatine with a frown before saying, "I don't get it. I don't agree with your emergency powers, but you could simply sign an executive order and the Jedi and the Senate would have no choice to comply."

"It means nothing so long as the Jedi answer to the Senate," Palpatine replied in a cynical tone. "If I want to get the Jedi involved, I have to get the approval of the senate at least. Besides, I would like to restore power and trust back to the Senate one day and with full faith that the safety, well being, and prosperity of the galaxy will be in good hands. We'll call it a test to see if they've learned anything in the course of this war. I need you to go there and investigate their claims. See their suffering first hand and make the Senate see that the Mayan's appeals for aid are warranted. Perhaps if you do it, you'll be able invoke compassion in the senate and the Jedi for Maya. This isn't about taking sides, this is a humanitarian concern, and if this senate has a shred of humanity left, they'll help. I would go myself but I'm tied down here."

Padmé nodded. "I'll get ready to go immediately chancellor."

"Thank you so much Padmé. I want to be sure you're up to it though. I would never be able to live with myself if something happened to you in the delicate condition you're in," he said smiling at her, eyes going down to her abdomen.

Padmé smiled to assure him. "We'll be fine. I'll be certain not to put myself in any danger."

"Thank you Padmé. This senate needs more people like you willing to help anyone whether they can benefit from it or not."

Padmé got up and bid the chancellor good day. She left the office, intending to go to her home and prepare for her departure. She was so caught up in mentally going over what she would need that she very nearly walked past Senator Organa without seeing him until he called her name.

Padmé turned around and blushed in embarrassment.

"Oh I'm sorry Bail," Padmé said with a smile. "I didn't see you there."

"It's quite alright. Can't even sit down and not come in on your off day?"

"I suppose not. But the chancellor wanted to speak with me. He wants me to do him a favor, a mission," Padmé added. "I'll be leaving in the morning."

Bail visibly frowned. "Palpatine?"

"He is the chancellor."

"You've been… friendly with him lately."

"He's concerned about me is all."

"Don't get me wrong on this, but I find that surprising as you're his biggest opposition in terms of this war," Bail said dryly.

"Just because people don't agree on an issue doesn't mean they can't be civil. Besides, I made clear to him that I don't agree with his methods and this war. He agrees that it needs to end as well and so he's stopped trying to block my attempts at reaching a diplomatic solution and aided me in my attempts to contact the Separatists," Padmé said sighing, the thought of how that was going depressing her.

"And?"

"They don't trust the Republic," Padmé said grimly. "And as much as I hate to admit it, I'm starting to doubt that this is going to end nicely."

"Aren't we all," Bail said in agreement. "But that doesn't seem to bother Palpatine too much."

Padmé started to defend Palpatine before she realized what she had been about to do. Since when did she jump to his defense? Instead she said, "I think that maybe it's because he's accepted what we've tried so hard deny."

It wasn't too out of the ordinary. Padmé was naturally a compassionate person, willing to give people the benefit of the doubt, even when their actions were a little shady and she had definitely learned that over the last few months in dealing with Palpatine directly.

Bail's lips twitched a little but he didn't say anything about her slight change of heart for Palpatine.

"Be careful. I know you're a good judge of character-."

"My opinion of Palpatine's character hasn't changed," Padmé pointed out and it was true. She just understood his views better.

"But we all know Palpatine. He's never quite what he seems, so contradictory."

"I know. And believe me I'm on my guard. This can be a great opportunity for us Bail and I fully intend for us to be able to use this to our advantage to restore freedom and power to the senate," Padmé assured.

Bail smiled. "Well even if I didn't agree I don't think I could change your mind. I trust you know what you're doing."

Padmé hoped she knew what she was doing as well, especially with a political climate such as the one on Maya. It was a small monarchy, the sister planet of the nearby Rummiya system. It was said that the two planets used to be one, but a large meteorite or heavy explosion split the planet in two and blasted one of them away. For thousands of years, both planets, suffering from the effects of the destruction had been uninhabitable and then life returned and different populations of humanoid species colonized it over the next few thousand years. It was said that the ruling monarchy was a mix of human and Twi'lek races, with both of the princesses human and twi'lek respectively.

On Maya, Padmé was welcomed along with her handmaidens by a greeting party that consisted of the planet's high council and one of the princesses, representing the royal family.

"You must be Senator Amidala," the Twi'lek princess said grasping her hands in greeting. "Chancellor Palpatine spoke highly of you. I'd like to apologize for the absence of my parents, but they disagree with my desire to seek aid from the Republic."

"I thought they wanted help with the Separatists," Padmé said frowning as she began to walk next to Princess.

"Yes," she said and then averted her eyes before looking back, obviously hesitant. "But they don't expect much to come from this and they would rather die than give into the demands of the Separatist to ruin our planet. The people think the same way, but they accuse the monarchy of not trying hard enough to relieve them. The fact of the matter is that even though my parents have lost hope, I've done everything in my power to help."

"Well Princess Dalia," Padmé said with a sigh. "Perhaps I can play on the hearts of the people by showing them that this is a humanitarian crisis. I think the government has gotten so caught up in the war they've forgotten what truly matters. How about you take me to the streets? I want to see the condition of your society."

"Of course Senator," Dalia said. "But maybe you would like to get into something more comfortable and less conspicuous. The people haven't been kind to the higher ranking officials lately. Just recently one of the High guards was murdered in a riot."

"That's awful."

"Truly," Dalia said. "It is indeed a sad day when the people lose all respect for their leaders."

She left Padmé to her room that Padmé hadn't even known they had arrived at. Her handmaidens helped her out of the heavy senatorial robes she had begun to wear lately and as they took them away to help her into a more casual look, she ran her hand over the swell of her stomach. The medic told her that since she was a first time mother, she might not start to quite obviously show her pregnancy until she was well past her fifth month, but according to her measurements, she was a little bigger than the average first time mother. Padmé smiled at the though. Her son was going to be a big baby…

Filled with thoughts of her impending motherhood and contemplating what her baby would look like when it was born, she absently went through the motions of getting dressed and didn't hear her handmaidens when they told her the princess was waiting outside until Sabé, instead of calling her milady, called her by her first name.

Padmé jumped. "Huh?"

Sabé only smiled. "The princess is waiting."

"Oh," she said blushing a little. "Sorry."

"Understandable," Sabé said handing her a poncho while saying. "It's a little chili outside."

Padmé smiled gratefully knowing full well why Sabé had given her the poncho. It would help hide her pregnancy as the outfit she had on didn't do much to hide it.

She pulled it over her head and then left to meet Dalia. For the sake of not being noticed, Dalia's guards didn't follow her directly, but disguised themselves as regular citizens taking care of their business. Padmé looked around. The bustling square gave the appearance that everything was fine an outsider looking in wouldn't know that anything was wrong and even Padmé having read the reports and knowing about the situation found it hard to grasp. Sensing this, Dalia began to explain.

"People think that if they ignore it and move about their daily life everything will go away. Sure they notice that their money isn't going as far as it used to and they're angry, but they have to keep pushing. They don't see the militia groups preparing for what might turn into civil war when they're sleep and think themselves safe in their homes when the riots happen, when businesses are ransacked because they can't lower the prices. They don't see it until it hits home and a family member or friend is attacked by someone trying to survive," Dalia said sighing. "It's so disheartening and the more we resist the Separatists, the worse it gets."

Padmé knew how she felt. Naboo's blockade by the trade Federations and subsequent invasion hadn't lasted but for a few days, but the planet had felt its effects. She could only imagine how much the people of Maya were suffering.

"But it's the hospital where the real problem is apparent," Dalia said. "I want to take you there, but I have to warn you, it's not pretty."

"I wouldn't expect it to be," Padmé said as she followed Dalia to their medical centers.

"All the medical centers on the planet look like this, maybe worse. But because of the sanctions and the Republic trying to fund and supply its army, many people are unable to be treated for even basic infections. Our planet has some of the best scholars and students of literature and art to offer, but we lack the scientific knowhow to create our own medicines. Therefore, our people now suffer…" Dalia said and led Padmé through the doors.

The crisis was evident. If the people of Maya needed anything at all it was medicine and Padmé imagined that if the senate couldn't give them more direct help, that was dealing with the Separatist and running them out system while also persuading them to open back up trade with the small planet, the republic could at least give them aid in the form of medicinal supplies.

As they walked through the hospital, Padmé's heart wrenched at the sight of people in pain, denied basic medical needs because there was only so much the doctors could do without medicine to aid them. Then she heard a woman's agonized cries and looked at Dalia.

"What's going on?" Padmé asked her. "What's wrong with her?"

"I think she's giving birth," Dalia said and followed the cried to the waiting area of the room, wherein was another room closed off with a glass window for any family members to see. But there was no one there, not even a husband. The woman was alone.

She let out another anguished cry and Padmé's hands flew to her lower abdomen where her child grew, safe and sound in her womb, perfectly healthy. She wasn't exactly an expert on the topic, and it was only her first pregnancy (maybe her only), but she was sure childbirth wasn't supposed to be that painful. Something in the woman's cries rang of an agonizing death. It was so clear that Padmé literally felt her pain. She tried to imagine what it would be like, to give birth, without Anakin by her side, all alone…

"Something else is wrong isn't it?" Padmé asked Dalia.

Dalia sighed. "Unfortunately the fatality rate of childbirth has risen during this crisis. Women are unable to get the proper childcare they need or emergency measures in some cases. The fatality rate has risen to every one of four women."

Padmé was aghast, her face ashen. She was so stunned that not even feeling the fluttering movements of her baby were enough to snap her out of it. Noticing, her state, Dalia touched her arm.

"Perhaps we should go…"

Padmé nodded and followed Dalia out the room and eventually out the hospital. She took her elsewhere, to a dying neighborhood and though it touched Padmé to see children hungry and sickly looking, she couldn't get that woman's cries out her head. Would she make it? Would her baby make it? Padmé herself wasn't afraid to die. But if she had to die, she would want to ensure her child would live.

It was still with her the next day and made her all the more determined as she talked to the princess on how she would go about convincing the senate to send aid without too much delay.

"I hope so," Dalia said to her as they sat for tea. "Otherwise, our people will die

"I promise," Padmé said. "I'll do everything in my power to see to it that your planet is helped."

A scoff came from behind Padmé in the doorway and Dalia's eyes widened a little as she looked up at the person and then averted her gaze down.

"Then I guess I better prepare for anarchy soon and the death of my people and our culture, because let's face it senator, everything in your power isn't exactly a lot of power is it?"

Padmé started to stand in respect for the queen, but noticing her movement, the hybrid looking woman gestured for her to stay seated.

"Mother," Dalia began but she was cut off.

"I'd like to talk to Senator Amidala for a while Dalia. Could you go find something else to occupy your time with for a while?"

Dalia didn't argue and only nodded her head in a brief greeting to Padmé before swiftly leaving the room.

"Queen Tyisha," Padmé said nodding her head. "It's an honor."

"I wish I could say the same," Tyisha said bluntly, but there was no apparent disdain in her tone or demeanor.

Not quite sure what to make of her statement though, Padmé remained silent and waited for her to continue.

"I'm sure Dalia told you that I don't expect anything to come of this attempt to reach out to the senate. This isn't the first time we've asked for aid, although I must say, at least they sent someone to investigate our claim this time," she said cynically.

"I assure you Your Highness. The senate cannot ignore such obvious need even in the midst of a war. There are many humanitarian groups who-."

"We've tried that Senator," the queen said abruptly. "It doesn't work and at this point, I've lost faith in the democracy and senate you seem to have so much faith in."

"No ruling body is perfect," Padmé argued.

Tyisha shrugged in a very undignified manner saying, "I never said it was. But even you have admit it, senator. Your system doesn't work anymore. It's broken and I'm not the only one who sees it."

"True, but the moment we lose faith in something is the moment we've doomed it," Padmé said adamantly.

"I'd have faith in your senate and your democracy if that's what it was," Tyisha replied. "But it's not. You seem to have your people's best interest at heart, but do the other senators of your Republic? I don't think so. I think its run by self interest groups who rally and lobby for what they want, stir a little trouble and in effort to keep a seat, your senators give in."

"Not all of them."

"Many of them."

Padmé rose to follow the queen to the window that overlooked her planet.

"Surely you of all people can understand my plight? To know that your people are dying and doing everything possible to save them and then have the senate deny your claims," Tyisha said giving Padmé a sideways glance.

Padmé's thoughts went back thirteen years when she was the queen of Naboo and forced to run the Trade Federation off Naboo when the Senate for all practical purposes all but accused her of lying and decided to send someone to investigate when she knew her people needed salvation immediately. She could only imagine this was how Tyisha felt, unwilling to bow down and sacrifice her people's dignity at the cost of their lives.

"That's why I became a senator. I wanted to be able to help fix the problem from the inside. It's what I'm trying to do now, to remind the senate of the original values that gave birth to the Golden Age of the Republic," Padmé said determined.

"That's a lot for one person to accomplish when she only counts for one vote," Queen Tyisha said with a sad smile.

"There are others," Padmé insisted.

"And for every one of then there are five more who only care about themselves and their own self interests or are willing to sell out to interest groups to keep themselves in power," Tyisha said raising her voice a little. "That's what happens when you try to give everyone a voice. Even though good may outshine bad, it's always the bad who get the seats of power because they're much more ambitious, less passive and reactive. They aren't all like you."

Padmé had to admit. That much was true…

"Maybe if you come back with me," Padmé suggested. "Maybe…"

"You know as well as I do that the senate is your place, not mine. My place is here with my people even if there's nothing I can do. I'll stand with them until the end."

"It can't end that way," Padmé said shaking her head more so to convince herself and erase the nagging voice in the back of her mind than to convince Tyisha. However, she couldn't help but remember how the senate had condemned Naboo to the same fate.

"Face it senator. The Golden Age of your Republic is over. Your senate isn't going to act and my people are going to die because good people are cowards," Tyisha said and gave Padmé a sad smile before leaving the room.

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AN: Like I said, forgive me if I'm wrong about how the control of the Jedi in relationship to the senate's approval and Palpatine's powers work. But this chapter was needed. You'll see the role it plays.

Hope you enjoyed. Review Please!