A/N: I've always wanted Padme to have her own spin off series or movie because she'll always be my favorite, and how awesome would an intergalactic political drama be? I've had the idea for this story in the back of my mind and I've finally had the inspiration to sit down and actually start it and make the story of my dreams a reality.

I KNOW, I KNOW, I'm currently working on another story. But sometimes you have to throw caution to the wind and just do what you're passionate about. I will continue to work on A World in One Room, of course!

This chapter's song is On The Hills of Manchuria by Ilya Alekseevich Shatrov. It's one of my favorite waltzes and I can totally picture it being played at some type of Imperial ball or party or whatever it is they do. Listen here: watch?v=Sfhp1-69Y8U

Chapter 1: Resolve

"A man who is used to acting in one way never changes; he must come to ruin when the times, in changing, no longer are in harmony with his ways."

Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince

Padme Amidala was tired, in more ways than one. Parties like these had never bothered her before, though they had never given her much joy either. The greatest pleasure she could derive from gatherings such as these was to stay close to the ones she could trust, which was becoming increasingly more difficult as their numbers dwindled.

She stood by Bail Organa now for this reason, and also because he had insisted upon her showing up, standing in her office and refusing to take no for an answer. He knew that she didn't care to socialize with Imperials, hated it even, but he also knew that her avoidance of them was sure to rouse suspicions if it hadn't already. He was an old friend, someone in whom Padme had confided in for many years. They had met when she was young, and new to the political arena and the two had remained close ever since.

Padme had become a gifted liar since the rise of the Empire, and if Bail hadn't known any better he would assume that the young Senator was having a wonderful time, with her demure politician's smile. But her defenses were raised high, and this much was clear to anyone who knew her well.

"Things seem to be dying down," Padme said, taking a small sip of her drink, "I'd like to leave soon." She was never much for alcohol. She hated the taste and its effects didn't appeal to her either. She needed to be in control, but even she had to admit that she had had too much. The stress of the night had already taken its toll on the young senator.

"But the Emperor hasn't arrived yet. If you don't stay at least until then coming will have been a complete waste."

The Emperor.

Of all the people that she hated, if she had actually taken the time to write out a list, Emperor Palpatine would make the top spot a thousand times over. After all, he was to blame for the state of things, the death of democracy. He was a master manipulator, he had everyone fooled for such a long time, even her. The thought that he had come to power under her watch plagued her every day to the point where she found herself replaying every one of their interactions in her mind, looking for hints that she might've missed. It left her with no peace.

But as bad as Palpatine was, he was nowhere near as terrifying as his infamous apprentice, Darth Vader. Not much was known about him, as only a handful of people had seen him and lived to talk about it, but they were mostly military officials. Some of the other senators in her circle speculated that he was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. The Emperor was a civilized man, Darth Vader was not. He was the brute who did Palpatine's dirty work for him. Vader didn't speak much either, only when it was required of him and not a word more.

There was one conspiracy theory after another about him. Some said he was a droid designed by the Emperor to do his bidding. This idea had some merit, as Vader was uncommonly loyal. In her experience, Padme had found that most Imperial officers were easily corruptible. But he wasn't. Others claimed that he was deformed or of some obscure alien species in order to answer the question of why he covered his face. Not that it mattered either way, but she couldn't help but wonder.

Padme wasn't sure who she held more contempt for, because at least that apprentice of his had a reputation for his straightforwardness. She hated liars, and she hated even more that she had become one. But was she truly to blame? She was an important member of the Alliance, which relied on deception for survival. If there was any hope left in the galaxy it rested with the Rebels.

Thoughts of her newfound role in the Alliance filled her head. While the other partygoers were standing by idly, Padme was comforted by the thought that she was not. And even if she had lost bits and pieces of herself in the process, she reassured herself that she lied for the sake of a righteous cause. Things weren't so black and white anymore, and more often than not she found herself swimming in shades of gray.

She looked around the room and scoffed at the display. They were either power hungry deviants or exceptional fools, and Padme concluded that the former constituted the majority. Most of them didn't engage her past what was considered polite; it was no secret that she was a dissenter. Men who were interested in her were the sole exception to the rule, and yet another reason to avoid these functions that Padme had forgotten about. She found herself wishing she had worn something more modest, but she wondered if it would make any difference. That night she wore a simple black dress with her hair tied back in a bun.

But after making the rounds and making conversation with almost everyone in the room, she was tired. According to Bail, the Emperor always arrived late and made a grand entrance.

"Are you two having fun?" Bail and Padme turned their heads to see that it was the voice of another one of their friends, Mon Mothma.

"How could we not be?" Bail said with all the sincerity he could muster.

"Yes, it truly is a lovely party," Padme said, but her words were empty.

"But you've spent so much of the night standing to the side of the room, it looks bad," Mon said in a hushed whisper.

Padme knew that she was right, but she wasn't sure if she could muster the energy for another dance, or for more stifled conversation.

"I apologize, I'm not feeling quite like myself tonight," Padme said, "Have you made contact with Obi-wan?"

She remembered the last time she had seen the Jedi, it had to have been months. Obi-wan had been one of the few to escape the Emperor's wrath and was currently in hiding on Dantooine, where he was supervising the construction of a Rebel base. Padme thought of how bored he must be, but it was for his own safety that he lay low. If anyone could challenge the Emperor, it was him.

"Lower your voice," Mon commanded before looking around the room to make sure that no one had heard them, "Not here. We will convene later tonight if the circumstances allow it."

But before Padme could respond, the doors at the front of the ballroom swung open and the room was filled with rapturous applause. She wasn't able to see over the heads of the other people in the room, but she figured she wasn't missing much, so she began to clap as well.

"He's here," Bail said, relieved.

Something felt off, and after a few seconds of applause the room fell totally silent. Padme had never known a group this size to be so quiet, and she began imagining one possible scenario after another, each worse than the last.

"What's going on?" Padme said, scanning the room and trying to see over the heads of the others to try and see over them. She hated not knowing what was happening, and in that moment she wished she wasn't so short.

"It can't be," Mon said.

"I don't understand, why would the Emperor bring him here?"

"To frighten us, no doubt. Rumor has it that he reads minds," Bail said.

Padme was able to get a better look at Vader from across the room, but she regretted that there wasn't much to see. He was abnormally tall, but he wore a long cloak that covered his face completely and hid his figure. He did nothing but walk beside Palpatine and scare the living hell out of everyone in the room. As much as she hated to admit it, she took a small amount of pleasure in seeing the frightened faces of her rivals.

"That's impossible, nobody has that much power," Padme said nervously, the pressure of the party was enough without the threat of yet another Sith lord weighing down on her.

"It's true, I've met him," Mon said, "I've seen him do it to someone before strangling them on the spot for treasonous thoughts."

"We have to leave now then, it's not safe," Padme said. She paused to wait for her friends to nod their heads in agreement, but neither of them did.

"If anything, this means we have to stay. Don't look, but he keeps glancing in our direction. This cannot be good," Mon said.

"We need to split up for a while, we look suspicious huddled together like this," Bail whispered.

They nodded their heads in agreement, and the two said their goodbyes before leaving Padme in her corner of the room. She felt even more on edge now that she was alone. Before she had known about Darth Vader, she might've been able to focus but the possibility of her thoughts being infiltrated had shaken her. That was her private sphere, and though she could do well hiding her secrets behind a poker face, there was nothing she could do to protect her mind.

I'm as good as dead, and so is the Alliance if I'm caught, she thought.

Padme scanned the room once again in a desperate attempt to find someone to talk to.

"Senator Amidala, how wonderful it is to see you." Padme turned to see Palpatine standing beside her.

"The pleasure is all mine, Emperor Palpatine," she said with a smile.

"I don't believe you've met my apprentice."

"No, I don't believe I've had the honor," Padme said dryly, extending her right hand and holding it there for about a minute before she concluded that Darth Vader didn't shake other people's hands. She didn't expect him to reciprocate the gesture anyway, and in many ways it was a relief. He simply nodded in acknowledgement.

"Like I said, it brings me great joy to see you here. You've been very… absent as of late and I am not the only one who has noticed."

"It was not my intention to seem disinterested, I assure you. I am very busy with work is all," Padme said.

"You know as well as I how the other Senators talk, I certainly don't need to remind you of how quickly rumors spread, do I?" Palpatine said.

"Of course not, your excellency."

"Good. If you'll pardon me, I need to speak with someone," the Emperor said with a polite smile before leaving her with Vader in tow. Padme thought it peculiar that Palpatine never addressed his apprentice in speech. He hadn't said pardon us, or we need to speak with someone. From what she had seen, he appeared to be nothing more than a shadow.

Padme made her way toward the door as soon as she was certain she was free of unwanted company, and surprisingly enough, she was able to slip out unnoticed. The exit led to a large outdoor area, which was, unfortunately, packed with people. She sighed and clutched the rail. It was cool to the touch, and the night air was chilly.

They must have thought the sky to have been very beautiful that night, but the light pollution of Coruscant blocked the stars and moon from view. It truly paled in comparison to the night skies of Naboo, with its soft moonlight and mild air. It was all so far away.

Home.

She missed it dearly, but Padme knew it would be a long time before she would be able to return and visit her family. During the next Senate recess she would most likely join Obi-wan on Dantooine, and the thought of that was not disappointing to her. He was pleasant company to keep, and they had more in common than she had originally thought. She had come to admire him for his courage and perseverance.

Nights on Coruscant were alive in all the loudest ways, but she accepted the fact that it was beautiful. In its own way, of course. The skyscrapers were well lit and formed the skyline she'd come to love in her past two years as a galactic senator.

"Are you not enjoying the evening?" came a voice behind her. Padme turned to see that is was none other than Darth Vader. His voice sounded far younger than she'd anticipated. It had a raspy quality to it, and there was something like the slightest touch of an accent she couldn't place. From up close, she was able to pick up on a few things she hadn't noticed before. She saw his lightsaber strapped to his waist, and took a good look at the weapon. They had always fascinated her, though she'd never actually held one before. But she had seen them in action, and the spectacle was something that would stay with her forever.

It took so much skill to use one, years upon years of intense training from early childhood. Though she had a hard time imagining the Sith ever having been a child, or anything less monstrous than what he stood before her as.

"I am enjoying it, that's why I'm outside in the fresh air. I'm not one for dancing, my lord," she said curtly.

"Then why are you armed?"

Padme paused. She had been armed with a small blaster strapped to her thigh. But it was completely covered, and she had made certain that it would be impossible to notice, at least an hour spent in front of a mirror checking every angle to make sure it was totally obscured from view.

"Surely you know better than anyone else how many dangerous people there are in the galaxy, and arming myself grants me some much needed peace of mind. Is self defense a crime?"

"Or it could be used by a known political dissenter and rebel sympathizer to do serious harm."

"Such bold accusations, and yet where is your proof? And who exactly do you think I'm capable of harming?" she said, reaching beneath the slit of her dress and taking the blaster in her hand from its holster, "If this scares you, my lord, then you don't live up to your reputation."

"I am going to give you the chance to apologize for your disrespect."

"You may be able to read minds, Lord Vader, but I can do something better. I can read body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, you name it. Now, this would be easier if I could actually see your face, but it doesn't matter. I know that you won't kill me, you're not allowed to kill me. You wouldn't be able to contain the public outcry, it wouldn't be worth it," Padme said. She would have given anything to see the look on his face, because she was sure that he was sufficiently shocked.

"This is your last chance, Senator."

"Alright. I suppose I-"

What happened next was so quick that it was almost a blur. One moment Padme was leaning against the rail and all was well, but the next she found herself struggling for air. She felt as if she was being choked by an invisible set of hands, and she grasped at her throat in an unsuccessful effort to stop it.

She could see other people watching out of the corner of her eye.

Aren't they going to do something? No, of course they wouldn't. They were far too afraid, and Padme found her judgement for the cowardice of her peers diminishing with every breath she couldn't take.

Black spots danced across her field of vision and she felt herself becoming lighter, slipping away.

This is it. I'm going to die here, but at least the information I have is going to die with me.

And then it was over and Padme collapsed onto the ground. She held her neck with her hand and took several short breaths before getting up. She then grabbed her gun from the floor and returned it to its holster in one swift motion. She struggled to get back up on her feet, but did it was too proud, and she refused to be humiliated any further.

"Apologize," he commanded.

Padme was awestruck. She couldn't believe that after what that man had done to her, he was the one who was owed an apology. The other senators looked utterly engrossed by the scene, with their eyes wide from shock and their mouths glued shut out of fear. But perhaps they were smart to swallow their pride, and Padme decided to take a page from their book and live to see another day.

"I-I… I apologize." Her voice was weak and strained.

"For what?"

"My disrespect," she said with a scowl. And after that, he turned and left like it was nothing. Padme wanted to say something, anything. She didn't want for him to get away with this, for treating anyone this way, because she was certain that she wasn't the first. But he was already gone, and as soon as he left the people on the pavilion resumed their chatter, too afraid to even acknowledge what happened, let alone do something about it.

"Are you alright?"

Padme turned to see the familiar face of Rush Clovis looking back at her. Things had been tense between the two after they had broken things off, she had to admit, but it wasn't like him to ignore her when their paths happened to cross.

"Yes, I'm alright," she said.

"I don't understand why he would make a scene out in the open like that, it just makes no sense. What did you say?"

"Something foolish," Padme said, rubbing her neck, "I think it would be best if I went home. I feel awful."

"Let me drive you."

She paused. Ordinarily, Padme would have refused immediately. It was obvious that Rush still cared for her, and she didn't want to give him any ideas by accepting his offer. She would feel bad giving him the wrong impression, as there was no real animosity between them anymore. Though he had reacted inappropriately when she broke things off, Padme was apt to give friendship a chance. He seemed different, more mature than he had been a year ago.

"I trust that you are offering your help as a friend, and nothing more."

"Of course."

"Then if it isn't too much of an inconvenience, I don't see why not. Anything to get me out of here as quickly as possible," she said.

The ride was, in a word, uncomfortable. The speeder was relatively small, and the closeness between her and Rush wasn't making things any easier. Padme tried to take up as little space as she could, so as to avoid any accidental touching.

"You never told me what it was you said to get him so angry," he said.

"Why would you really like to know?"

"You know me, I'm curious," he said.

"I claimed that he wasn't allowed to kill me. That must have been the point of no return, or at least I think so." She didn't feel the need to elaborate any further, or that she owed him a more thorough explanation. Though she was reluctant to answer him at all, she decided to humor Rush since he was driving her home.

"Padme," Rush started, "Your bravery is one of the things about you that make you great, but it isn't everything. You're too important to too many people for you to be reckless with your life."

"Are you calling me reckless? If I do not stand up to evil when I see it staring me in the face, then who will?" Her voice was raised, and she was beginning to show visible signs of anger.

"All I'm saying is that Vader will kill you without a second thought. That's what he exists to do. What you said changed nothing," Rush said.

"You're wrong. I undermined his authority and he left me alive."

"Barely!"

"But I lived! And in doing so I've made him look weak. I knew from the beginning that he wasn't allowed to kill me, and I was right."

"How could you put your life on a guess? There are people that care about you-"

"It was no guess. Your lack of faith in my judgement is very telling, and I do believe you are out of line," Padme said, "Let me out."

"Wait, I'm sorry-"

"I don't want to hear it. It's only a few more blocks, and I'd rather walk than be talked down to by the likes of you," she said, frustrated. As the speeder slowed down and came to a stop, she stepped out and began to make her way back to her apartment. Thankfully, it wasn't too chilly outside and the walk was pleasant. It also gave the senator the window she needed to evaluate the events of the party, and to determine what it all meant moving forward.

Padme knew she was a fool to have trusted Rush. She had no idea where he had gotten the gall to act like her babysitter, but it was a fresh reminder to keep her distance from this point on. Having him around would make everything more difficult.

The streets were just as busy at night as they were during the day, if not moreso. This worked to her advantage though, because it guaranteed an interrupted trip home. Padme had been slow to embrace her newfound celebrity status due to the unwanted attention, but learned to stomach it when she realized it could be a tool with which to do good.

Finally, she came to her building and walked in. She was greeted by the warmer inside air and quickly moved to the elevator, pressed the button, and waited for it to let out before leaving. She turned the knob and opened the door, the sense of comfort and relief that came from being in her own private space came over her in waves. She removed her shawl and threw it over the couch before falling back onto it herself.

Padme then grabbed her communicator from on top of the table and turned it on. She had missed several messages while at the party, most of them work related, but her eyes lit up when she saw a missed call from an unlisted number.

It's him, she thought before opening it to see the Jedi she'd been looking forward to hearing from all day. Hearing good news would lift her spirits, and good news was all she had received from Obi-wan for the past few weeks.

"This is Obi-wan Kenobi reporting my progress from base AB-03. Construction is nearly finished, and should be complete by your arrival. 200 recruits have been sent to us over the past week, and their training is well underway. I hope you are well, and I look forward to seeing you very soon."

Padme smiled after hearing the good news. Building the base on Dantooine had been her idea, and seeing it come to fruition after a year of planning filled her with a sense of accomplishment. It almost made her forget about the confrontation with Vader. Almost.

But what did tonight's events mean for the mission? Was it safe to communicate with Obi-wan anymore? It was difficult for her to gage the level of scrutiny she was now under, if it had changed at all. Though warning the Jedi of Vader's sudden arrival was important, was it worth the risk of the message being intercepted, and the location of the base being revealed?

Padme decided to send her response despite the risk. It was important that Obi-wan know about Vader's current whereabouts. She'd done this hundreds of times: override Imperial censorship manually and then record a message that did not exceed one minute in length. All holos coming in and out of Coruscant were closely monitored, which made it difficult for her as well as the others to safely communicate with the rest of the Alliance.

Padme was no good with machines, she never had been. But she had learned how to do these things on her own out of necessity. So she opened the back of the communicator and fiddled with the wires for a few minutes until she had gotten it the way it needed to be.

"Thank you, Master Kenobi. I wish I had good news to give to you in return, but something unexpected has happened. Darth Vader has come to Coruscant and proven himself to be just as violent and confrontational as rumors have told. I believe that he is here to intimidate the senate, to apprehend rebel sympathizers, or both. I worry that this message will be intercepted, so if I do not contact you within 24 hours reassuring you that your location is still secure, evacuate at once," Padme said before sending it.

Obi-wan Kenobi first visited Dantooine during the clone wars as a Jedi Knight. It was one of the more remote planets of the Outer Rim, but without a doubt the most charming. It was home to an old Jedi enclave, and in the days of the Old Republic, many powerful Jedi called this place their home. The energy of this planet was one of the reasons he had taken so much of a liking to it.

He had been sent here about a year earlier following the founding of the Empire to supervise the construction of a rebel base, but Obi-wan knew that it was more for his own safety than anything else. The idea was that Dantooine was far enough removed from civilization that Sidious wouldn't think to look, thus giving him the time he needed to regroup before he faced the Emperor when the time was right. He loathed the fact that everyone thought him dead, but it was the strategic advantage that they desperately needed. So he did all the good he was able to do here, and spent his spare time training.

He switched on his communicator and saw that he had missed a message from Senator Amidala. He was surprised that she had gotten back to him so quickly, this could only mean that she had important or time sensitive information to relay.

"Thank you, Master Kenobi. I wish I had good news to give to you in return, but something unexpected has happened. Darth Vader has come to Coruscant and proven himself to be just as violent and confrontational as rumor has it. I believe that he is here to intimidate the other senators as well as myself. I worry that this message will be intercepted, so if I do not contact you within 24 hours reassuring you that your location is still secure, evacuate at once."

She looked and sounded frantic, and Obi-wan couldn't blame her. He supposed he would be as well if he had come face to face with the infamous Sith again. This truly was a surprise, and if anything this meant that the Emperor was so afraid of the Alliance that he deemed it necessary to parade Vader around in an effort to scare the Senate into submission.

He thought that this could prove a successful endeavor with regards to some senators, though most of the rebel sympathizers knew the risks and accepted them. But if Obi-wan knew anything, it was that Padme would not yield. Her mind and spirit were both too strong. He wasn't the only one who worried that her bravery would be her undoing.