DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything.

Padme spent the night in a cell. She slept fitfully, curled in a ball on the slab bunk. Her hands had been freed moments before she'd been pushed inside. Anakin had been with her up until that moment too. He'd kept his eyes down but before the door slammed shut he briefly glanced up and caught her eye. The pain in his eyes had broken her heart. She'd reached out her hand for him but he'd dropped his gaze again and then they were gone. And she was alone.

They came for her in the morning. She knew where she was going and it filled her with dread. Even though Palpatine had decreed that both she and Anakin were going to be serving a life sentence of imprisonment, he hadn't actually announced the true meaning. Yes they would be imprisoned for life but not rotting in a cell somewhere in a prison. He had something much worse planned.

Aayla Secura and a troop of eight Clones met her at the door of her cell. One of the Clones placed stun cuffs around her wrists before stepping back. Not a word was said. Padme could feel the satisfaction pouring from Aayla. She gritted her teeth and clenched her hands. She knew there was nothing more Aayla wanted than to have Padme separated from Anakin. Aayla wouldn't care how it was done, just as long as it was.

Padme walked behind Aayla, the eight Clones surrounding her on either side and behind her as well. Their blasters were held in front of their chests, ready for immediate use. The small group passed other cells but Padme had no idea who or what was behind them and whether they actually deserved to be there.

She sighed. There was nothing she could do for them anyway. She couldn't even help herself. Half-heartedly she tugged at the cuffs but they offered only resistance.

As she walked her thoughts turned to her family. Anakin was defeated. She had seen that in his eyes last night. He needed more help than she did now, no matter her fate. To see him so helpless had ripped at her heart. Her husband was the strongest person she knew and, as a Senator and before that a queen, she knew a fair few strong people. How had Palpatine reduced him to that scared shadow of his former self?

And then there were her missing children. She had no idea where they could be or how they were. She shivered as a thought occurred to her. What if they were dead? Instantly she pushed the thought away, furious with herself for even thinking it. She couldn't allow herself to be so pessimistic. Luke and Leia were alive. They had to be.

The small entourage stepped outside of the detention block into the bright rays of early morning sunlight. The platform stretched out in front of them for about ten meters before dropping away into nothingness. It was the landing platform.

An Imperial Lambda-class shuttle waited silently. Aayla led the way up the steps and into the ship. Padme slowed her steps, unwilling to enter the ship's hull. To do so would be to give in and accept that she was heading towards a fate worse than death.

A hand gave her a shove in the small of her back. But the shove was gentle and more of a nudge than a push.

"Don't turn around."

The voice was soft and vaguely familiar. Padme did as the voice said and kept her head forward. Her heart was suddenly thudding harder and adrenaline was pumping through her veins. That was not the voice of a Clone that much she knew. She was still trying to place the voice when he spoke again.

"Kenobi, Rex and Olin are already on board. We'll get you out of here."

Padme had to force herself to breathe normally. Was this really happening? How had they found her? Then the exact words hit her.

Obi Wan was here! And so was Ferus Olin. Two Jedi had come to save her! And not just any Jedi either. They were her husband's closest friends. She forced the smile from her face.

"Get her in here. We have places to be," Aayla shouted.

Another shove in the back propelled her forward but this time as she stumbled, chaos erupted about her. The soft hum of a lightsaber suddenly ignited the air accompanied with Aayla's hate-filled voice.

"Obi Wan Kenobi, it's been a while. And who are you?"

"It's been even longer."

Padme smiled when she heard Ferus' voice. She was down on her hands and knees as blaster shots spat over her head. Someone was standing over her, protecting her from the Clones. He was decked out in Clone attire so she couldn't even see who her rescuer was.

Within minutes, all of the Clones lay dead on the ground. Padme glanced around her suspiciously.

"Padme?" the man was holding out his hand for her.

She took it in hers and he pulled her to her feet. She thanked him.

"Sorry but whom are you?"

A soft chuckle came from the Clone helmet before he lifted it. The man underneath was handsome but in a rugged, unkempt way. He had dark stubble all over his chin; his hair was too long so it covered his eyes. For some reason he looked familiar but Padme didn't know where he knew him from.

"The name's Pieter. I'm a friend of your husband's. Look, I'm sorry Padme but we have to move. We're not safe here. Ben and Olin are only distracting Aayla so Rex and I can get you out of here."

Padme nodded, glancing behind her where she could hear the sounds of lightsabers getting closer.

"Follow me," Pieter ordered.

Padme let Pieter lead her around behind the shuttle's ramp. They ducked down behind the metal slope just as the first footstep landed loudly on it.

"You're getting old Kenobi," Aayla taunted.

Obi Wan ignored her. Padme could hear the three man battle descending the ramp and moving down onto the platform. Pieter stuck his head around one side of the ramp and then ducked back quickly.

He leaned in close to Padme's ear. "When I say, we move up the ramp and into the ship. Got it?"

Padme nodded, swallowing hard. Excitement was coursing through her. She was nearly free! As soon as she was able, she was going to come back and get Anakin. There was no way she was giving up on him.

As Pieter glanced around the ramp again, Padme tugged subconsciously at the cuffs. She wasn't really trying to get them off, just trying to move them to a more comfortable position.

"We'll get them off when we're safe."

Pieter's voice surprised her. He was back at her side, his blaster ready at his side.

"Thank you Pieter," she said meaningfully.

He simply nodded before raising his blaster and, staying in a crouch, started ducking back around the ramp.

"Let's go," he whispered.

Padme followed closely. Pieter moved fast. He was already at the top of the ramp by the time she reached the bottom. Padme couldn't resist glancing over her shoulder at the three furiously fighting figures. Ferus and Obi Wan's lightsabers were very obvious from their bright blue glows against Aayla's angry red one. She was keeping them both on their feet but they were clearly driving her back.

"Hurry up!" the hiss snapped Padme back to the urgency of the situation.

She dashed up the ramp and Pieter motioned for her to take a seat up near the cockpit. He stayed near the door. He dropped to one knees and sighted down the barrel of the blaster. Pieter released two shots in quick succession before pausing a firing another.

After the third shot, the shuttles engines started powering up, preparing to leave. She could feel the gentle shudder from the engine in the flooring under her feet and an instinctively sat back further in her chair.

Padme couldn't see what was happening outside but she saw Pieter start firing again, this time more continuously. He just fired shot after shot, casually adjusting his shots as the target moved.

Moments later both Obi Wan and Ferus shot into the belly of the ship, both deactivating their lightsabers. Pieter kept shooting until the ramp was up and the doors closed. Seconds after that, the Imperial shuttle shot into the sky, leaving a very angry Aayla on the landing platform at the detention blocks.