Summary: Her Master was dead. Her old life as a Padawan was gone. Now as a survivor of Order 66, Padmé Amidala must find the believed to be Chosen One Anakin Skywalker if she wants to stand a chance against the new formed Empire.

A/N: Hello again! Here I am with a new chapter - and this one was a hard one to write, haha. Someone asked me how old is Padmé and Anakin in this story. Well, Padmé is 24 and Anakin is 22. He left the Order when he was eighteen. Ahsoka is 15. Hope you guys enjoy it!

II - Nightmare.

Her eyes were closed, but that didn't mean she couldn't see.. and the images she saw were just beautifull. Waterfalls, a field, purple flowers. Padmé could almost feel its sweet smell in her bones. She wasn't dressed in Jedi robes for the first timein her life but a simple dress of white fabric, lace sleeves. Oh, how she wished she could have dressed like that! Her hair in loose curls the wind, and there was no Padawan braid. She was totally free. Free from duty. Free to be herself.

"Padmé? Padmé!" She heard a voice calling in the distance. Turning, she saw the blurred figure of her Master. Shaak Ti, she was still in the normal Jedi attire that flew behind her as she ran toward the apprentice.

"Master?" She called back. The sun was strong and burning against the skin, disrupting the vision of the brunette. She tried to put a hand over them to cover the light a little bit, but nothing worked. Shaak Ti still seemed too far away.

That's when the beautiful scenery changed. Goodbye to the fields, the flowers, the waterfalls. The sunny sky was replaced simply by black clouds and the life of the place of dreams was gone - just like the previous dream of the desert. The flowers had become bodies of children of different species, the waterfalls had dried and, through the clouds, you could only see a red light range. The Jedi Master was no longer far and non-visible,but in front of her now. There was no smile or recognition. There was no embrace between the two.

"Run." The sweet Togruta voice was only an echo before it, too, disappeared.

Padmé opened her eyes panting, frowning. She had her legs crossed, her body tense. She was there in her room for hours, she had locked herself in her room, after helping some Knights with the training of younglings. Flustered, she had taken the decision to consult the Force through meditation -she wanted to stop the senseless concern she felt for Shaak Ti, after all, the Togruta could take care of herself. However, she had been given that disturbing vision. Looking out the window, she noticed that the day had gone and through the window cracks, could see the starry skies of Coruscant. Padmé stood up, running her hand through her hair. Sounds were heard and R2D2 appeared, swinging from side to side.

"Want to know something, Artoo?" She asked tiredly. Walking to a sink, Padmé turned on the faucet and splashed water on her face. She pulled a towel and quickly dried it. The image of the Master of which had not yet received news of yet in her mind. "Meditation, contrary to what they say, does not solve much."

The astromech made some noise.

"Oh, so you never believed it too?" Padmé chuckled, picking up her clothes that were hanging behind the door. "Do not let Yoda hear you. Or worse, Mace Windu."

Artoo beeps.

"I know you are not afraid of him, but he is my superior. I do not want problems just because my droid is the bravest of all the galaxy." Padmé said stroking his taming. R2 gave an inquisitive beep and Padmé shook her head. "Nothing yet, buddy. But ... I'm sure she's fine. You will be the first to know everything when I receive information."

It had been four days since Shaak Ti left. Padmé had asked several people if they already knew something. Obviously, no one knew anything. Only that Yoda was already returning and that his mission had been a success. Even though she was glad he got what he wanted in Kayssshk, she could not help but feel even more frustrated with the lack of news.

Padmé sighed.

"What about we go for a ride? Uh, you know... I need to take my mind off of things and since the Force doesn't want to help me right now... " She suggested for R2. The droid rocked back and forth excitedly. Padmé smiled grandly. "I love your excitement, little guy. Come on."

The halls were empty. Most Masters were on missions, fighting. As she walked,she managed to note that those who were still in the Temple were mostly younglings, Padawans like her and a few Jedi knights. Mace Windu had stayed, of course, but she did not know where he was - earlier she had heard that he was going to visit the Chancellor and because of her disliking to the man, the young woman didn't ask any questions about it. All was quiet in an almost disturbing peace. Almost. When passing the training room of the youngest, Padmé could hear the laughter of children - and could not help but smile.

The noise of R2 at her side the corridor was the only thing she heard during the few minutes in which she was walking. Memories came to mind as Padmé passed by other rooms - such as the kitchen. She remembered when she was seven and was found eating the last farjjarks, a kind of sweet prepared on Dantooine and that was probably the best thing to eat when you were sad - like she was at the time, even though she now couldn't remember the reason. She remembered the words of the Masters and how she was forced to help clean the library for two weeks. And honestly, it wasn't that bad. After cleaning she would read as many archives as she could and share her knowledge if anyone that was willing to talk to her about it - only Shaak Ti and Yoda, it was the first time the Great Master showed interest in her. The first "congratulations" she received was for her intelligence. But even so, she had heard some other things about her behavior:

"We have to share things with others, little one." Shaak Ti told her, ruffling her curls. At the time, she was not Padmé's Master. "Here we all live together."

She smiled at the memory. Yes, they lived together. They reviewed some duties - among the youngest, of course - and should follow all the same rules.

How is it like for a child? Padmé wondered, watching two boys with their lightsabers running towards the training room, probably late for their lessons, being taken from their families at such a young age and then be practically raised by a single person? Someone who will teach them everything? Someone who they should protect and listen as well as he or she will protect them? How not ... not to get attached?

They lived together and for Padme, because of these small details they had created without even noticing, the Masters were breaking one of their own rules. They maimed their hands with their own lightsabers. They had become, in simple words, hypocritical. Padmé does not blame them - everyone has the need for affection. And as Shaak Ti, they just failed to notice what they were doing ... and now have become too blind. As the Master, they never admitted their feelings for the students and each other.

She could reflect much more about her life, about how things worked. Sometimes, a walk was better for the mind than the good old meditation. However, something else appeared and took Padmé's attention. Shadows were on the wall before being reflected by the open window overlooking the backyard. Frowning, curious, she walked over to it and looked out. Two clones were in gardens, muttering something to each other.

Why are they here? She wondered. R2D2, at her side, seemed extremely uneasy with something. His tames moved around as if searching for someone. Returning her gaze back to the clones, Padmé saw that they were gone.

"Come on, Artoo." The brunette called the astromech, starting her way back down the hall. There was something very strange happening here - a warning, released by Force, covering the surrounding. Good thoughts of the temple had become just like the beautiful countryside of her visions ... and, in a way, the sunny sky was already being substituted by those dark clouds. A metaphor of the Force, she wondered. "We better get back to the room."

The Padmé steps had become more hurried. The feeling, that horrible sense of frustration was present - now stronger than ever. Along with it, fear. The feeling that something terrible was about to happen. A sudden sadness soon emerged. An echo came from the end of the hall, from the stairs that were at the bottom of it and that led to the Padawan's room, where she used to train. R2D2 bleeped sharply and its red light began to flash; he had also recognized the sound.

"Blasters?" Padmé wondered aloud, confused. Sounds coming from the weapons room … that was impossible. There were only sabers in that room. "Artoo…"

The sound grew louder, now accompanied by the sound of boots that seemed to be running towards them. So many battles that she took part, Padmé could recognize it anywhere: clones. They were coming and those shots belonged to them, for sure, since no Jedi had blasters. Who were they shooting? There was no one in that room besides some students. Certainly the Separatists had not invaded the Temple, it was simply impossible.

R2D2 seemed to want to warn her of something, as well as the Force that surrounded her, the warning of the danger. The same feeling that she always had before fighting with someone. Her hand went to her lightsaber at her waist, hanging from the belt. The, she pulled it quickly, lighting up the familiar green color - the color of her crystal. The astromech finally seemed to notice what was happening and walked quickly to the other end of the corridor.

Clones were already in front of her, shooting. Thanks to her previous distrust and the reflexes she had learned plus the guiding of the Force, Padmé deflected them all. There were three of them there in front of her, not recognizing Commander Amidala of the Clone Wars. PadméI could not understand what was going on - could not understand why they were attacking her and why they had shot the people in that room ... Were they ... Force, were they killed?

One of deflecting shots hit one of clones, which fell to the ground. The others did not stop shooting and Padmé blocked them all, the green flash of her lightsaber faster than anything, illuminating the almost dark corridor beyond the city lights that went out the window. Although not one of the best with that weapon, Padmé was still a Jedi. So, jumping at the clones, dodging all their shots and hitting them in their middle with her saber was easy. They fell to the ground, dead. The brunette looked even more confused - her heart heavy, her eyes burning.

Padmé heard more footsteps coming. She could not get the reasoning that had just happened - she had to flee. Then she followed the sounds made by R2D2, knowing that the astromech would guide the way to safety.

Padmé reached it easily, seeing him enter through a giant door ajar. Then, she followed and also entered the same one, rapidly closing and locking it. R2 was standing in another giant room virtually empty except for two boys hiding behind some chairs. They seemed terrified. Trying to ignore her own breathing failure, Padmé looked at them. One, a Rodian, was shaking from head to toe. R2 was rolling up to them slowly. Turning off her saber, Padmé reached her hand.

"Hey, it's okay." She certainly was not the most convincing with that tremulous voice. Padmé was as scared as those children.

They came out slowly from behind the seats. The blond human boy, who seemed to be the oldest, about eight years old, was the first to speak after a good look at Padmé, as if studying whether she was or was not reliable.

"T-they came ... we saw them ... the window." He pointed to the large window behind them. There was no curtain and view of Coruscant was perfect. Padmé finally noticed they were in the Council meeting room. "There are to many of them…"

Padmé walked over to the boy, kneeling before him. Gods, he looked so scared. His cheeks were humid … he surely had been crying. The small Rodian snuggled next to her, holding her awkwardly, picking up her clothes through his fingers tightly.

"The clones will not hurt you." Padmé told them. They did not attack children ... not like the wholesale had, certainly. After all, they wanted to kill her ...they would not do it with small younglings. What was happening? She spent her free hand in the back of the Rodian boy, while the other stroked the blond hair of the other. "I promise."

"But what about the man?" The other boy asked timidly, his fear was clear in his huge black eyes.

Padmé looked confused, still trembling. Still shaken.

"Man?"

"There was a man ... covered... " The blond boy added, looking at her wide-eyed. "He had ...a lightsaber. Red! Yes yes, it was red!"

A flash of her last dream and the vision of her meditation came in mind. The red beam and the light coming through the dark clouds. Was the Force warning this situation? Warning this strange happening? Padmé shook her head, there would be time for that later. Her priority now was to bring these children to a safe place, preferably out of the Temple. After all, there was only one thing that a red lightsaber could mean ... and this hooded man was already there in with a troop of clones following his orders, there would be plenty of escape.

"Hey, hey. Listen to me, okay? We will leave this place and go to a somewhere where this man can not hurt you." Padmé told them, speaking quickly. They had no time to lose. They had to go and now . "Stay close to me, okay? Do not leave…"

Suddenly the door opened. Padmé immediately called her lightsaber, ready to defend the children, ready to attack any threat. But the familiar figure of Bariss Offee came with her own saber also lighted up. She seemed breathless and was sweating a lot, her rumpled clothes, her eyes filled with terror. She looked at Padmé and then at younglings and stepped towards them.

"Amidala." The other Padawan spoke in a small voice, hoarse. "I need to take the kids…"

"What?!" Padmé asked,anxious. "No ... I ... I can take them. I just..."

"Orders of Master Jeht". Barriss interrupted. She seemed in a hurry, as if to leave right away. Padme did not blame her. What was happening was disturbing. "Come on, hurry!"

The children did not move. Still very distressed, Padmé could feel more lifes energies approaching ... The clones had found them and it was better that they actually leaved that room as soon as possible. They were too many and this time, Padmé doubted she and Bariss Offee were enough to tip them ... not if they were in a big group like that. At least twenty.

After all, there were not Masters in the temple. Some Padawans, as she and Bariss, but most of them were children who lacked sufficient training to defend themselves. And those who could do so, were in a much smaller number to actually manage to finish with a whole battalion.

"Go with Bariss. She will take care of you. " Padmé said to them, gently. Bariss was a good fighter. And even though Padmé knew she would do her best to save those children, the only thing she needed to do now was to go and try to not show her fear now on. She needed to remember her training, follow Shaak's lessons and concentrate on the Force, on her objective. "Go, go!"

And with one last look reluctant to Padmé, they went. Bariss nodded in farewell before running off with the children following her. Padmé soon did the same, making a gesture to R2 to follow her. The astromech obviously did so. Sounds of screams and gunshots were heard everywhere, echoing down the hall. Padmé could even hear the footsteps of the people upstairs. Some cries, too. She could not tell the age of these such cries ... and she would rather not know. Padmé would rather remain in ignorance than know more deeply something that would haunt her forever.

She turned in a hallway, running to find some way to come down. Padmé needed to find a way out to the deck and somehow get to a ship. It was the only way. The young woman saw some Padawans heading toward a group of clones, fighting and apparently loosing. The young wanted to help them, somehow, she knew it was what the Masters would do and what a true Jedi would was well, what Shaak Ti would expect of her apprentice. But how? More clones were approaching by her right and she knew she would be cornered ... If she stopped to help them, she would die. If she wanted to survive, the only way was to run.

Forgive me, forgive me.

"There!" Padmé heard the voice of one of the sergeants.

A group of five was now coming on her left. She was practically cornered. Running now was no longer possible. The padawans who Padmé had thought of aiding were already on the ground now, not moving, and their image would be stuck in her head until the day of her death - that she was sure. Their blood on the floor. Their expressions of astonishment and pain stucked in their faces. They had also been surrounded. Padmé felt her eyes sting, felt unworthy to still be standing, dodging shots and deflecting them the best she could. At some point the clones would be even closer and the shots would become increasingly fast and impossible to block and she would also be on the floor, dead, like that innocent group.

Padmé Amidala had never been the best fighter, but she had always been the best strategist. She knew that fighting was not the only answer and that sometimes, your mind and quick thinking was all you needed. Her shock and emotional pain needed to wait a while, she could not just stand there and wait for her death. Padmé looked to the side and saw a locked ramp. The trash compactor. It was her only chance. She could do this.

Padmé reached out and with the Force and pulled the screws. The metal door flew off in an explosion and hit one of the clones that was already too close, knocking him back. None of his brothers stopped to help him. Padmé called "R2", signaling that the droid should follow, and then jumped. The decide to below was dark. She heard the astromech beeping continuously as it walked down the tube, probably having used one of his small turbines to fly the through it. Within the trash compactor, nothing was quite different: no light. Nothing but the smell... it was horrendous.

But Padme was not worried about bad smell now. Sitting in the middle of several types of waste, she put her hand before her mouth to prevent the scream that threatened to escape. They had been her colleagues, people who she had seen from afar, they were... good people, young people. Padawans. No more than fifteen years old. They were killed because she was selfish, because she had stood there and not done anything. Just stood wondering what to do when in reality a real Jedi would help without thinking twice.

What would Shaak Ti think? Was her life even worth fighting for now?

R2D2 made a weak noise.

"N-No." Padmé whispered hoarsely. She had not noticed she was crying. "N -... I do not know if I can, Artoo. And I…"

She wanted to stay in that compactor forever. She did not want to leave. If she left, Padmé would have to face her choices, would have to return to the battle- no, return to the massacre that was going on. She had no strength to continue. Padmé wondered if Bariss had managed to take those two boys to safety, if they were alive. She wondered if she continued, would she want to live after seeing what she had seen and also what was about to see?

What made Padmé get up was a scream. A recognizable cry of someone young. A girl who was not asking herself the same questions of Padme, probably, but being too impulsive to think about the consequences of fighting against that many clones. Someone who now was in pain.

"Ahsoka." Padmé whispered, eyes wide. "Ahsoka!" She shouted, running up to the wall of the compactor. She was on the other side ... Yes! She took the lightsaber again, grateful not to have it lost in the descent of the tube, and turned it on. Dipped it in the metal, melting it, using all her strength to make a circle. When finished, Padmé kicked it with all the force she had.

The wall piece immediately fell upon two clones that were grabbing the Togruta, leaving them unconcious. And indeed Ahsoka Tano was there, staring fearfully at the wall that had just fallen. Her giant blue eyes went to Padmé, scowling. As the brunette had imagined, the young Togruta was with her own green lightsaber and probably have been fighting all this time.

"Amidala." The girl said, stupefied. "You…"

"I know, I know, thank me later. We need to get out of here." Padmé raised her hand and spoke quickly. She needed to take Ahsoka out of that place. She needed to save her. "Where are we?"

"F-first floor." Ahsoka replied shakily. Her arms around her own body as if to protect herself from what was waiting in the next hallway or room. Padme did not want to waste time and began to walk quickly towards what she knew it was the nearest exit. "Wait ... Hey, Amidala, WAIT!"

Padmé stopped and grabbed Ahsoka's shoulders, not strongly but desperately. Ahsoka was shaking like a leaf. Padmé Amidala was not necessarily friends with Ahsoka Tano, but they knew each other for a while now. Padmé knew that the girl liked adventures and was always getting into trouble but she never ever saw her on the verge of tears, however, or showing fear. She seemed, in simpler words,on the edge of shock. Padmé did not blame her. She even wanted to have stayed in a trash compactor and just cry, just wanted to forget everything that was happening. Just stayed there screaming until voiceless. But they did not have this luxury. If there was a chance, they should continue. And Padmé Amidala noticed this only after having to hear the cry of someone known in pain. It was not because of the Jedi's teaching or her own will to live that she decided she would keep fighting, but because she felt that she needed to save as many as she could, and now, her mission now was not escape alive, but make sure Ahsoka would.

"Look at me." She gently asked the girl. Ahsoka did, tears falling down her cheeks. "We'll get out of here. Let's find a ship and contact the Masters. They are on missions, remember? They are fine, far from here. We need to get out of here and warn them. So I need you to continue and not give up now. Do not let your fears control you, ok? We can do this."

The Togruta nodded after a while, slowly. Padmé gave her a small smile, ignoring her internal panic.

"Well, come on now." finally she said, continuing the way.

And both, plus R2, continued down the hall. They found several things along the way but mostly bodies. Bodies of children, bodies of some of the Knights who had not been able to defend everyone. Padmé felt the verge of a panic attack, but in her mind now there was only one goal: to get out of here, leaving Ahsoka in safe place and warn the Masters - warn her Master - of what was going on.

Many things were destroyed. The path to where the ships were was deplorable, with even clothes dropped on the floor. Ahsoka whimpered softly, terrified. Padmé then remembered how young she really was - just fifteen. She shook her head and continued, the lightsaber ready for all the clones they found. In fact, they found some, but both she and Ahsoka were able to tip them. The number of clones on the first floor there were few - most were all up there, where most of the younglings and Padawans were ... and Padmé knew what they were doing with them. She shivered.

Ahsoka started running towards the door that was open. There was only one unknown ship outside. Padmé quickly followed the girl. When they were close, Padmé felt a presence ... black. Full of hatred. She turned quickly, ready to see a black and red figure in her direction. Padmé heard the cry of Ahsoka - her name, and raised the lightsaber that came into contact with another. Another, that was red.

The hooded man.

She could see his face - black and red, with horns, yellow eyes filled with anger and grief. He used all his strength to keep his lightsaber close to her face. Padmé felt Ahsoka's fear like a loud cry in an empty room. With all that strength she had in her, Padmé used her own saber to push him away.

He fell gracefully, giving a smile. Panting, Padmé raised her lightsaber. She knew he would strike again - knew he would play with her until she was exhausted, and then kill her. It was like a Sith thought, after all. And it was what she could see in his way of walking from one side to another as a predator, ready to attack.

He heard Ahsoka light up her other lightsaber, the yellow one. No. Padmé would not let a child face a Sith. She needed to escape. She needed to run.

"Ahsoka, run to the ship." The brunette said, not looking up from the Sith. He seemed to snicker.

"No." The young Togruta insisted, snarling, her blue eyes were also on the new enemy that had presented himself. "Not without you. You saved me, and I'll stay."

Padmé had no time to argue, as he was coming towards her at high speed. His saber was now double as prepared to attack them both. Padmé raised her own weapon and prayed for the Force, prayed that she could delay him a bit. Winning was unlikely. She was nothing against that creature that seemed to be a good fighter, unlike she was ... and the arrogant way of the Sith Lord showed that yes, he knew he would destroy her and was seeing it as something pleasurable.

The new shock was fast. A blow after the other. Padmé turned her body back to see that he was aiming for his shoulder. She heard the beeping and assovies of R2, which began rolling toward the ship. Padmé knew it would not be running away ... It would bring the ship to them! The young woman celebrated her buddy's "intelligence". Raising the lightsaber over her head, she came down with the full speed toward the left arm of the Sith, only to be blocked and pushed back with the Force.

And again he was flying in his direction, the saber ready to hit her chest but Ahsoka appeared, jumping in front of Padmé with her crossed sabers, blocking the blow of the Sith. In her eyes there was a wild ferocity. The Sith just laughed.

"Child." He growled.

And prepared to push her, as he had done with Padmé. Quickly, the brunette stood up and turned her saber quickly in front of her, jumping beside the Sith and with a quick gesture, attacking the outstretched arm. He had noticed her movement, however, and just mocked and jumped back - but not before Padmé managed to get ripped his black robes and scratched his skin, a cut that started bleeding quickly. Ahsoka was still standing, though stunned. She was not expecting to fall back.

Padmé heard the ship's engines. It was now or never.

"Ahsoka, run." her voice was of someone who did not want discussions.

"But…"

"NOW!"

The girl shook her head, closing her eyes as if she was doing something terrible and ran towards the ship that was approaching further the Temple. Padmé tried to remain firm where she was. She would delay the Sith as much as she could, and if she saw a way, she would run to the ship too. But she had saved one teenager, given her a chance of living - was what counted in the end. What saved her before the Force.

The Sith returned to walk from one side to another, teasing. Yes ... this was her chance! Padmé did not think before doing so, she had been impulsive and turned her back to the enemy, running towards the ship that had approached. But the opponent did not waste the opportunity and then, in a flash of red light, started running, almost flying and hitted Padmé's back. Padmé cried out in pain. Burned, it felt like she had been torn in half. The brunette could not hear anything, only the echo of her own cry. Then a bright light hit her face. She had gone through the door. Had been reached, but had crossed. Her blurred vision did not see much … she was blinded by pain.

Padmé heard the cry of Ahsoka and whistles of R2D2. Someone inside the ship was firing towards the Sith Lord whose was more concerned with deflecting the blaster shots than in a wounded Padawan. Padmé saw someone… or something ... stretch a rope? And with the little will to fight that she still had, she gripped it with little strength that still remained in her body. What happened next was a blur, a mess, something her eyes did not understand. Her back ...her back hurt so much…

Padmé was placed on a cold, dirty floor. She heard orders from a male voice, which did not recognize in the moment and couldn't even if she tried - she could not understand anything but pain, but the burning. A hand touched her face, small and rough.

"She needs medical aid!" It was Ahsoka who shouted.

And that shout was the last thing she heard before she passed out.