When she had first seen Coruscant, she had been blown away by the amazing planet-sized metropolis. Coruscant, the most advanced planet in the galaxy, with the city built upon layers of metal and concrete and plastic and glass until it formed an artificial layer and the tops of the tallest skyscrapers were now so tall they breached through the cloud covering.

But despite the majesty of the city, she had later discovered over the years the rot underneath the grandness. Senator Padme Amidala Naberrie (Skywalker) shuddered as she turned her gaze towards the former Jedi Temple.

She had grown up hearing stories of the legendary Jedi Order, the calm and somewhat detached guardians of peace and justice of the now Old Republic. She had heard how the Temple they had lived in on Coruscant was a testament, a symbol of their power over the Force. In the past, whenever she had looked upon the Temple, she had felt warmed by it.

Not anymore.

Now, whenever she looked upon the Jedi Temple, now the Imperial Palace, she felt as if she was going to be sick, that she was gazing upon a decomposing corpse. Hovering over the Temple permanently were a trio of Star Destroyers. They were larger, more heavily armoured and bristling with even more weapons than the old ships used by the Republic.

If you needed any more proof of how sick Emperor Palpatine was, you only had to stare at the Temple. Five years ago, Palpatine had declared himself Emperor of the Galaxy, reorganising the Republic into the Galactic Empire. He then moved into the Jedi Temple, after he'd announced the Jedi had turned on him, even showing doctored recordings of Masters Windu, Kolar, Tinn, and Fisto entering his office and attacking Palpatine, and using their Force powers against him, causing him to be deformed and wounded.

The editing looked authentic enough, but Padme and several other senators knew it wasn't true. It was even worse when you discovered the truth only a few were aware of.

Palpatine was Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith, an evil cult who were the opposite of the Jedi themselves. Over thousands of years, the Sith had launched terrible and violent wars across the galaxy. Sometimes they succeeded in overthrowing the Republic or whatever state was there.

Sometimes they cut a chunk out of the galaxy and transformed it into an empire, and they enslaved the populations with their powers, tortured them, and slaughtered them. It was no different now. But Palpatine was not like his Sith predecessors. Oh no, he was careful never to reveal the truth. He never revealed his true identity to anybody, but Padme guessed there were a few who knew or guessed the truth.

Evil now dwelt within the marble walls of the Temple, as it had done ever since that terrible night 5 years ago, when the Clone Wars had finally ended, and Order 66 had been issued and the clones turned on the Jedi generals thanks to the inhibitor chips in their heads which contained an order that was so innocuous and unexpected, they wiped out the Jedi Order.

That was bad enough, but Padme remembered how she and Bail had gone to the Temple when they had seen the building ablaze, with the clones telling them there was some kind of rebellion neither she nor Bail believed in the slightest, as the Jedi were loyal to the Republic. Padme had worked alongside the clones, fought besides them at various points in the war, but when the clones just pointed their blasters and repeating rifles at her and Bail and urging them both to leave, Padme had lost whatever trust she had.

But it was quickly replaced with loathing when they witnessed a young boy, a padawan, suddenly appear and desperately try to escape the burning temple and the horrors he'd witnessed inside, and he must have hoped they could take him away and potentially keep him safe, maybe even find a way of getting him off world before the clones came after him again.

Padme closed her eyes as the memory played out in her head, remembering how the padawan was shot down in cold blood, but still managing to kill some of the clones. She and Bail had narrowly gotten away. They had gone to Bail's ship, and went looking for any Jedi survivors. They found Master Yoda, Obi-Wan, and his padawan, Ahsoka Tano.

Ahsoka…

Padme tightened her eyes, remembering how Ahsoka was once….Anakin's padawan before he disappeared…

All three of them were shaken. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka had been sent to Mygeeto to once more fight off the Separatists with Plo Koon, only Master Plo was shot down by the clones. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka were barely able to escape with their lives. Yoda had been on Kashyyk at the time, and he'd managed to sense the fall of his Order, even killing several clones and getting away with the Wookee's help in time.

All three of the Jedi had tried to take on Palpatine. Padme discovered only hours later only Obi-Wan had gotten out of there alive. Ahsoka and Yoda were both dead and while Padme mourned their losses, it was Ahsoka she mourned the most. She had been a lovely, sweet, cheerful girl. Hardened by the war, yes, but she had always done her best to remain optimistic, and they'd been friends since. The loss of someone like that hurt her. But Obi-Wan had been a basket case; she had known Obi-Wan Kenobi for 13 years by that time, and she had never once seen, nor imagined for a minute he could break down like that, but she couldn't blame him.

Padme opened her eyes and gazed sadly out over the city, her eyes still focusing on the Temple. She sighed. How many times had she looked out over the city like this?

Too many times to count; it was worse in the Clone Wars, back when Anakin was out on the front lines. But where was he?

Anakin Skywalker, the Hero with No Fear (a terrible moniker for him; she knew he felt fear like everyone else, he just hid it better when he was in the middle of something), had vanished 6 years ago. He had been kidnapped although how that happened, she didn't even know. But even Jedi weren't immune to kidnapping, and then his ship was lost. There had been a search that lasted weeks and weeks; Palpatine had devoted many resources, more than she had expected, to the search, but she had figured out at the time he had wanted to find his friend.

Eventually, the search was called off, and even Palpatine had to accept Anakin was gone, presumed dead. There had even been a funeral, for God's sake!

Padme, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka had come together as friends. And Padme had confessed the truth, she was married to Anakin. Even showing her R2's recording of the marriage! Ahsoka had been stunned, even hurt her master hadn't trusted her, but Padme had reminded her there was a chance the Jedi Council could discover it from her, and the young girl had to accept that. Obi-Wan was more peeved. He had long known and suspected there was something between his former apprentice and her, but he'd told her to put a stop to it as it went against the code, he had looked the other way as she had made Anakin happy, something that was extremely hard to do.

They became friends after that, frequently coming or finding themselves at her home. Padme was grateful and relieved at the company. And now they were gone.

"Where are you, Ani?" She whispered before she closed the veranda door and went inside. Her handmaidens were gone, and she was largely alone.

The last five years had been hard on Padme, not the least because of her husband's disappearance and the reorganisation of the Republic…but also because Palpatine had revealed his true colours as an insane tyrannical monster. Everyone blamed her for Palpatine's rise to power. Padme knew in their hearts they had point.

She had been so angry, so disillusioned to see the lack of action and common sense from the senate after Naboo was taken over by the Trade Federation and not knowing what was happening to her family, friends, and home, she had given into Palpatine's manipulations and called for a vote of no confidence in Valorum's leadership.

Valorum was forced to step down, one of her strongest supporters, but she had learnt to regret it later on before the clone wars with how he fobbed her off on one matter or two. Logically, Padme knew it wouldn't have mattered; Palpatine was a master manipulator, and he would have found some other way in.

And then there was Jar Jar Binks.

Padme hadn't seen the Gungan for a long time, but she knew there were quite a few who'd likely want to murder the clumsy, naive, childlike Gungan for calling for the senate into giving emergency powers to Palpatine before the Battle of Geonosis. Bail and Mon told her what happened afterwards, told her what Mas Ameeda had done by goading Jar Jar into doing it, but if the Gungan had had any memory, he would have known doing that would have been the last thing Padme would have done. She had made sure Jar Jar knew it.

Now the Gungan had gone home. There was just too much hatred and blame levelled at him. Padme sighed and rubbed her eyes, and she turned off the lights while setting up the security systems. The problem with being a politician and a senator of the Galactic Empire was a senatorial session could be called at any time. Palpatine loved being in power, but he truly didn't care for democracy. Each time a session was called, Palpatine and Ameeda would give the senators their orders, and if anyone argued, they would not have time to regret it. But the senators had been losing their power gradually over the last five years, there was no doubt in her mind or the minds of others who'd been a part of the Delegation of 2000 that Palpatine planned on dissolving the senate completely, although how he would maintain his control and his hold over the galaxy was anyone's guess. It only made sense to him.

Thinking of the Delegation of 2000 made her sigh again. In hindsight, it had been a massive mistake to give Palpatine a list of names of senators who wanted him to give up his powers because all of them had attracted the attention of Palpatine's secret police, so it made things very hard to move around, never mind work on the growing Rebellion.

As she went to bed, she checked her blasters and her knives were on hand. She had learnt the hard way Coruscant was a dangerous place to live and the last five years had seen her being questioned more than once, sometimes passively and aggressively by Palpatine's police force. And too many friends had already vanished as it was. As she climbed into her bed, Padme stroked the empty half of her bed sadly, remembering cuddling up to Anakin whenever he was able to spare the time.

"Where are you, Ani?" She asked again before sadly rubbing her eyes free of her tears before she put her head on the pillow, and within minutes she was fast asleep.

-8-

The last five years had stretched her senses to their limits to the point she actually asked herself if she had become partially Force sensitive herself, and she woke up slowly, remembering the training she had put herself through, letting her senses tell her what was going on while she woke up.

As she slowly opened her eyes and sat up, Padme did not like what her senses were telling her.

There was somebody in her apartment.

For a moment she wondered if it was one of the handmaidens or a bodyguard, but Padme didn't think so. They would have let her know. The secret police? No, it was possible, but she was unsure. Slowly, she pulled out her blasters, working feverishly to block out her mind using the techniques Obi-Wan, Ahsoka and Anakin had taught her, and she tiptoed out of her bedroom, and into the living areas. She froze, spotting the tall, robed and cloaked figure in front of a window, their silhouette picking them up perfectly.

Padme didn't even hesitate, she fired her blaster.

The bolt took the stranger by surprise. He dropped to the ground, crying out in agony and shock. Switching on her lights, Padme stormed over to the prone figure, her experience and combat training kicking in quickly.

"Don't even think of getting up!" Padme snarled at the figure as he held his shoulder. "How did you get in here?"

"Padme, is that you?"

Padme gasped and almost dropped her blaster.

That voice….-

The figure hesitantly took off his hood and showed his face, blinking at her. "Y-You shot me?" He said.

Padme didn't say a word for a second. "Anakin?" She whispered.