"Only love can save me and love destroyed me."
-Sarah Cane, Crave
Padmé was roused from sleep by the sound of light tapping on the other side of the door. Alarmed at the unfamiliar surroundings, Padmé shot up off the bed before she recalled the events earlier in the day.
"Padmé wake up, we're coming out of hyperspace soon and we need to figure out a plan." Ahsoka spoke through the door.
Wiping the sleep from her eyes, her voice was groggy when she replied. "I'm awake." Clearing her throat, she tried again. "I'm awake; I'll be out in a minute."
After Ahsoka agreed, and Padmé heard her light footsteps move away from the door she got off the cot and began to get dressed.
Putting on her drab, but functional clothes made her long for her beautiful wardrobe she left behind. She had no idea what became of all her possessions, she supposed her family gathered her belongings from her apartment.
Anakin would never go back there.
Shoving her feet into her scuffed boots, she walked out of the small room and into the cockpit. Looking out the front viewport she could see the streaking lights indicating they were still in hyperspace. Taking a seat in the chair behind Rex she didn't have the chance to speak before Ahsoka asked. "So why are you going to Onderon?"
Padmé knew that she could trust both of them with the truth. "I went to Coruscant to get information from one of my contacts about a man who is selling starfighter prototype plans. This would be a big gain for our cause that as of right now; is made up of political idealists, former members of the Confederation of Independent Systems-"
"Wait, back up." Ahsoka interrupted. "You mean Separatists belong to the Alliance?" Her tone was incredulous.
"Former Separatists," Padmé corrected. "It's not surprising; they thought the Republic was corrupt long before Palpatine established a tyrannical regime."
"They didn't know how good they had it back then." Rex Joked. He then turned serious, muttering. "It was simpler when it was just Us versus Them. Now you don't know who to trust." Padmé saw him raise his hand to the back of his shaved skull where he traced an ugly scar.
"Looking back now, I don't think it was ever simple." Ahsoka mused.
Padmé was silent for a moment before continuing. "Like I was saying, the Alliance as it stands right now is not a real threat to the Empire. We need weapons and we need a fleet if we have to fight."
"If?" Rex echoed. "Do you really think the Empire and the Alliance can sit down and agree to some type of diplomatic solution?" Rex sounded skeptical.
Before she could speak Ahsoka interjected. "When she was a Senator, Padmé always believed diplomacy first; fighting second." Hearing the admiration in her tone Padmé gave her a small smile.
Turning to Rex she confessed. "Honestly? No I don't believe Palpatine will ever give up power. I was part of a committee that once tried to convince him to leave office and it didn't work, but I can't turn my back on all of my principles." She wishes she was still has idealistic as she was when she was younger. She wishes the path she was put upon didn't force her to become so cynical.
"The Gods rarely ask for our opinions when it comes to how our lives should go." She remembers her grandmother saying.
Breaking the awkward silence, Ahsoka asked Padmé. "Who is this man that you have to meet?"
"His name is Flint Hakim, according to my contact he is an engineer at Incomm Industries that has information and is willing to sell it for a sizable amount of credits."
"His only motivation is money?" Rex questioned
"That's the only motivation he felt was necessary to reveal." Padmé answered, shrugging her shoulders.
Turning back to face the controls when the ship signaled that it was coming out of hyperspace Ahsoka asked. "So where are we going to meet this Flint guy?"
"There is a public library on the edge of the cities walls, I told him to meet me in one of the rooms used for private study."
Both Ahsoka and Rex looked at her with their eyebrows raised. "Really?" Ahsoka scoffed. "We're going to meet him in a library?"
"Yes, a library." she mirrored. "Most people and that includes Imperials; believe that every underground arms deal has to happen in a shady bar or a back ally. So we take advantage of that oversight and plan accordingly." Padmé explained.
Throughout her years of working with the Alliance she has traveled all over the galaxy. She has been sent to luxurious hotel suites, and she has been sent to a shack on an outer rim planet with no plumbing.
Catching on to Ahsoka's continued use of 'we' Padmé states. "I appreciate you taking me here, but I can do this alone. I don't need you putting yourself in danger for me."
They spin their chairs in unison both turning to face her, Ahsoka spoke first "You didn't really think we would let you do this by yourself did you?"
"I'm sorry ma'am, but it's against my code of honor to let one of my men go on a mission without sufficient back up." Rex sounded stern, but she could see she humor flickering in his eyes.
Padmé grinned at his attempted joke, before she could speak a toneless voice cut in from the intercom on the control panel.
"Contacting unknown starship; this is control tower HIC-5758 please state your purpose."
"Control tower HIC-5758 this is the "Red Lady" requesting permission to land."
Padmé became uneasy when she heard the voice over the speaker. Her back was tense against the back of the chair, and her nails bit into the flesh of her palms where she clenched her hands. Ahsoka was a former Jedi, what if they could find a way to identify her. Padmé knows the law; she knows what happen to Jedi when they evade capture for too long. The punishment becomes harsher the longer they refuse to turn themselves in. Padmé knows that if Anakin let her go once he wouldn't let it happen again.
"Please state your purpose "Red Lady." The disembodied voice repeated.
"It's a personal one," Ahsoka disclosed. "We're here to visit a friend."
The speaker was silent for a few seconds before accepting the answer. "Do not deviate from your current course while we scan your ship."
Padmé let out a relieved breath and unclenched her hands while she relaxed her shoulders.
Ahsoka flashed Padmé a sly grin over the seat "Don't be so nervous, we do this all the time."
Padmé just shook her head in exasperation thinking once again about how much Ahsoka reminded her of Anakin.
"So do I, but it's a lot less nerve wracking when it's just me, and I'm not being accompanied by an enemy of the state and a former clone trooper."
Ahsoka and Rex just turned their heads and smiled at each other.
Are they…?
Padmé ignored the thought, deciding it wasn't really her business.
The ship landed outside the city walls on the outskirts of Iziz. Padmé walked down the gangplank she slipped her jacket over her shoulders, and placed her commlink in her right pocket.
The plan was that Padmé would make contact with Flint-he only expected one person and they didn't want to spook him-while Rex and Ahsoka followed her from a distance to make sure she was safe.
"Are you taking your blaster with you?' Ahsoka asked as she followed her down the gangplank, her gait confident.
"No, there is a checkpoint at the entrance of the city, and metal detectors in the library." Padmé explained. "All I'm taking with me is my commlink and my false identification papers." They weren't really forged; they were authentic papers Bail had arranged for her when she went underground. They identified that her name was Phoebe Taly, and she was born and raised in Aldera.
Ahsoka reached out and swiped the papers out of Padmé's unsuspecting hand.
"Thirty?' Ahsoka giggled. "I thought you were-"
Snatching the papers out of Ahsoka's hands she shoved them in her pocket and said. "It's a fake identity; everything on it is a lie."
Ahsoka was still giggling when Rex joined them, standing next to Ahsoka he said, "Does everyone know the plan?"
"Yes, now I have to go or I'm going to be late." Padmé rushed out. Before she could leave Ahsoka gave her a tight hug and whispered in her ear. "Stay safe."
Padmé pulled away, and gave both of them a smiled she hoped was reassuring. She began to walk towards Iziz, the capital city of Onderon. It was still fairly early in the morning; Padmé could see the dew still clinging to the grass and it glinted when the sun hit it. The air smelled fresh, and she could hear the birds chirping. She could tell it was going to a beautiful day.
The journey from where the ship landed to the city's main entrance gate didn't take long, most of the merchants already arrived in the city to set up their stalls in the main square so the wait at the entrance was brief.
There were two guards standing at the entrance; they wore dark green uniforms and carried military grade blasters. One of them waved her up, and she tried not to look as anxious has she felt. It didn't matter how many times Padmé had done this, she was always paranoid someone would eventually recognize her.
"Identification." The guard said in a brusque voice. He looked down at her papers before looking back up at her and studying her face carefully. She knew it was only a couple seconds, but in her mind it had felt like time had slowed down.
The guard hadn't noticed her anxiety, he stiffly handed back her identification; eyes glazed past her form, and said in a bored voice. "Enjoy your visit." She let out a breath she didn't realized she had been holding, and forced herself to give the guard a pleasant smile.
Padmé strode into the city; immediately heading towards the direction of the library. When she reached the building she wiped her sweaty palms on the back of her pants and took the steps leading up to the library by two. When she reached the top of the steps she was startled when she looked at the door.
It was the same one she envisioned in her dream (nightmare) it was much more imposing in real life than it was in her head. The door looked to be almost four meters tall; it had beautiful intricately designs carved into the dark wood. Padmé decided it was just a coincidence; it wasn't like she had never been here before.
Padmé manually pushed open the door. It made a loud screech that echoed in the building and caused the woman at the front desk to look up at her with bright eyes. She nodded her head to the woman who instantly looked back down at her work. Apparently she was expecting someone else Padmé thought with amusement.
Padmé crossed the black and white checked marble floor and headed towards the wing of the building that was used as rooms for private studying.
She had instructed Flint to meet her in the first room on the left; when she pressed the button to open the door she found a skinny human male already seated at the round wooden table in the center of the room. He jolted out of his seat and caused his chair to tip over when he heard the door open. Padmé could tell he was nervous, the trembling of his hands was visible to her from the door, and sweat beaded around his brow.
"Are-are you Pad-." He stuttered out. Padmé walked into the room and shushed him. "No names, but yes I am the one you are supposed to meet."
Flint looked relieved; he sat back down and took a deep breath. Padmé sat across from him and waited for him to speak. She could tell she made him nervous from her staring, but she needed to see if there was any type of deception in his eyes.
For all his bumbling Padmé couldn't get a read on this man. That made her uneasy, when she was a politician it was part of her job to be able to tell how trustworthy a person was just by feelings alone.
Almost like a Jedi. She teased Anakin once. He just laughed, saying he would love to see the council's face if he told them they were just like politicians.
Flint slid the data disk across the table and said in a low voice. "Here are the blue prints you were promised. Do you have my money?"
"You'll get your money when the intel you have given us can be verified." Padmé clarified.
"That wasn't part of the deal-," He objected.
"It was unspoken; you didn't expect us to pay you one hundred thousand credits for useless information, did you?" Padmé's voice was sharp; her feelings told her something was off, and she was becoming troubled.
He reached over the desk to slide the disk back over to his side, but Padmé was quicker, and covered it with her hand.
"Relax; if what you have given us is useful then you'll get your money." Padmé tried to make her voice softer, and attempted to reassure the boy. Maybe he was just scared. "What you're doing is very brave and will help millions of beings. The Alliance isn't a terrorist organization like the Imperial propaganda would have you believe, we are a group of individuals who love democracy and we want to see justice and equality returned to the galaxy."
She had hoped her words would ease Flint's mind. He moved his hands away from the disk and placed them under the table; hiding them from her view. He gave her a brief tight-lipped smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Sorry it-it's just that I've never done this before, and I'm afraid of getting arrested." He looked at her with dark eyes full of worry, and his skin looked ashen. "I've heard what they do to Rebels and-," He cut himself off and lowered his voice continuing. "I've heard rumors about what Darth Vader can do with his Force tricks."
Padmé remembers when people would say her husband's name was said with admiration, now his name is whispered like it belongs to a demon that is summoned when its name is spoken aloud.
Stop it. Stop thinking about how things used to be. The past can't help you now; thinking about it will only cause you to falter. You need to look towards the future; a future where Palpatine is dead and your children are alive.
"Don't worry about Darth Vader." She insisted, keeping her voice firm. "What you need to worry about is making sure that this meeting never comes to the attention of the Empire. Do you understand that, Flint?"
He gave a weak nod of his head. Satisfied with his answer she took the data disk and slipped it into her pocket.
"Aren't you going to check that to make sure I'm not lying?" Flint asked. His eyes darted from her coat pocket to her face.
"No, I trust you." She lied, giving him a smile. "You don't look very well; maybe you should go get some rest." Padmé suggested. Her voice was sweet, and it held no hint that she suspected Flint was being dishonest.
Wordlessly giving another nod of his head he stood quickly, slightly tripping over his long legs, and hurried through the door.
She listen for his footsteps to fade away before she commed Ahsoka. "Where are you?" she inquired.
"I'm standing outside on the street across from the library. Why?"
"A boy is about to walk out. He his tall with Red hair, dark eyes, and is wearing a black coat with lettering across the back. Follow him."
"Who is he?" Padmé could hear the edge of worry in her voice. "What went on in there, Padmé?"
"That was Flint, and I'm not entirely sure he was being honest with me. I need you to track him and see if he speaks to anyone." Padmé felt dread creep up her spine and knot form in the pit of her stomach. She needed to get out of this room and back on the ship as soon as possible.
"I'm on it." Ahsoka replied tersely, cutting off communication.
Padmé stood stiffly. She held the commlink clamped tightly in her palms, and headed for the door. Her finger hovered over the button to open the door as she worked up the courage to face whatever was waiting for her on the other side.
Padmé took a deep breath, and pushed the button. Looking out into the hallway Padmé saw that it was completely empty.
She released out a relieved sigh, and felt her tense shoulders relax.
I'm just being paranoid. Flint was just nervous, he said it himself. That is how the Emperor controls anyone who would defy him; with fear.
She strode swiftly to the stairs that would carry her downstairs and towards the backdoor exit. Stepping lightly down the staircase Padmé was almost to the bottom when she saw two guards blocking the exit. Padmé froze. They hadn't noticed her yet so she could still turn around, and run back up the steps. On the other hand maybe they were just at their post and she could show them her identification and slip away.
She didn't have time to make up her mind; one of the guards noticed her and pointed.
"Halt!" He commanded. "We need to speak with you." They didn't look very menacing. They were both middle-aged, over-weight and had graying hair. Padmé knew if she bolted now they wouldn't be able to catch up with her.
She also knew it would look suspicious if she ran so she forced herself to face the guards and smile politely. Padmé walked down the rest of the stairs slowly and tried to keep calm.
"What can I help you with today, officer?" Padmé worked hard to keep her tone neutral.
"A report has come in about a possibility that there are Rebels in the building. We are asking everyone if they have seen any type of suspicious persons wondering around, or if they've seen anything strange."
Padmé hoped that her reaction looked genuine. She put a shocked look on her face and hoped her voice sounded shaken enough, she answered. "No, I haven't seen anything suspicious. Are you sure you're looking in the right place? A library doesn't seem the kind of place you would find Rebels."
"Rest assured ma'am our intelligence comes from high up on the Imperial chain of command." Padmé knew his intention was to set her mind at ease, but in that moment she felt like the ground had dissolved beneath her feet and she was being sucked into a black hole.
Unable to find her voice, Padmé stared at the guard before she said. "What a relief. Now if I may go I need to return to my ship."
"You can go, but all ships are grounded until all the Rebels are caught I'm afraid."
"Well then I hope you find them soon." Padmé said. She hoped her voice came out light, and not the strangled croak that it sounded like to her own ears.
She inclined her heads towards both of the guards has she left the building, Padmé looked for an empty ally where she could try to make contact with Ahsoka. She leaned against a brick wall and spoke into the commlink. "Ahsoka, are you there?" after a few minutes of silence she tried again. "Ahsoka, can you hear me?"
Once again she was met with just static. Padmé tried to contact Rex next, but she received no answer from him either.
I'm officially worried.
Padmé pressed the back of her hand to her forehead and whispered a weary "Fuck." She closed her eyes and tried to think of a plan. Her mind drew a blank. She was tired, hungry, and her nerves were shot.
It's amazing I haven't had a stroke yet.
She opened her eyes and pushed off the wall, she decided that the best plan of action was to go back to the ship and wait for Ahsoka and Rex to return.
The walk back to the ship took about half the time the first trip did. She spent the entire walk worried about Rex and Ahsoka. She would never forgive herself if Ahsoka got caught because she insisted protecting Padmé. She still hasn't gotten over the guilt of what Anakin did in the name of her protection.
The hot morning sun beat down on her causing her to perspire. She was forced to take off her jacket and push up her shirt sleeves to remain cool.
The "Red Lady" was in her sights when she heard a voice shout from the tall grass behind her.
"There she is! Don't let her get away!"
Padmé didn't think; it was instinct that guided her movements, she dropped her jacket and made a sharp left turn. The move took her away from the ship and further into the dense population of trees Ahsoka landed next to. She wished desperately for her blaster when she heard them shout. "Set to stun! Don't kill her!"
Padmé ran as fast as her feet allowed her, her breath was ragged and she thought her heart was going to burst out of her chest. She wasn't sure where she was headed the only thought in her head was escape.
She ran along the forest floor for a few more minutes before she stopped to rest against a large tree with a huge base that would be easy to hide behind. She felt woozy, and she tried to remember the last time she ate. Padmé refused to faint; this was not the time or the place she warned herself. She gritted her teeth against the hunger pains that were made worse by the ache in her side.
She stilled when she heard a twig snap near her, she refused to breathe; all she heard was her blood as it rushed through her ears. "Captain, there is no sign of the fugitive anywhere. I'm returning back to base camp, over."
Padmé didn't let out a sigh of relief; to afraid it would capture the attention of the storm trooper. She should have known her luck would have run out eventually, just then her commlink blared with Ahsoka's voice. "Padmé, are you there?" Padmé was so surprised that she dropped the device into the soft dirt at the base of the tree. She whispered multiple expletives in a row as she searched for the damning item.
"Padmé, I followed Flint, I saw him talking to a storm-." Padmé finally found the comm and cut off the transmission. She peeked around the tree to see if the storm trooper was still around.
He saw her when she stuck her head out behind the tree trunk and shouted. "Stop! You are under arrest for-." She didn't wait for him to finish, she pushed off the tree and ran.
Before she could make it very far she felt all of her limbs go numb at once and fell; hitting her head hard on a sharp rock all she saw was darkness.