INTRO: Welcome to the show. This is my own personal AU take on the Jedi Padme and Senator Anakin theme. I might be overshooting it, but I think this story will at least cap 30,000 words by the end. It will have some controversial ideas in this - and no I don't mean the rating - but since we are on the topic of rating...

Forewarning: This chapter is completely safe, but future chapters will have adult only content within. Please keep this in mind before deciding to begin reading this story. Thank you.

This is my very first attempt at a slow burn story. Let's see how this plays out.

An Empire For Two

I find comfort in the sound
And the shape of the heart
How it echoes through the chest

- Of Monsters and Men

She barely knew Anakin, but Padme had already made up her mind that she was not going to like him.

Many factors had contributed to this decision. Not the least among them was that he was possibly the most irritating creature she had ever stumbled across. She was not the only one who thought so; Obi-Wan seemed to have a rather low tolerance for the young, newly-elected senator as well. Although her mentor seemed to have a harder time placing his finger on the nose of his reasoning.

Padme didn't have to think that hard about it at all. Things were quite clear as far as she was concerned. Anakin was full of himself and he had absolutely no right to be. He was handsome, certainly, but there was nothing extraordinary about his appearance. He wore his dirty-blonde hair cut short, and his blue eyes were the color of a worn blue sky over a hazy desert. His smile never reached up far enough to wrinkle the corners, rendering him absolutely unreadable most of the time. Though he cracked a lot of jokes and smiled often, she never seemed to believe that he was absolutely sincere.

Her list was rather lengthy when it came to discussing her general grievances against his existence, but that one particular feature was what bothered her the most. Padme preferred to keep the company of people who were honest, passionate, and well-intentioned. This boy was young and cocky – demanding respect where he had earned none. She could never tell when a playful quirk of his lips would betray a joke uttered at her expense, or when that obnoxious laugh would bubble forth to rake its way over her every frayed nerve.

At least she was not alone. Obi-Wan seemed to find him equally as irritating with far less cause. The older Jedi never could name exactly what it was about Anakin that bothered him - only that it was something, and whatever it was rendered the boy completely intolerable.

He was always quick to remind her of his disdain, especially on days when they had been suffering the company of the young senator for just a few minutes too long.

"He is passionate," Obi-Wan muttered it like a mantra, picking his drinking cup up and rolling it around in his fingers, sipping from the thin rim with no real enthusiasm. He just needed something to keep his hands occupied at this rate. "I will give him that. And I think that is all that can be seen in him, really."

"He has some other fair qualities." Padme responded before she could think of any. She didn't think that Obi-Wan was going to accept eyes as blue as a Naboo lake as an acceptable trait for praise.

"When we are done here," Obi-Wan continued, paying no heed to her vague comment – or trying to forget it by changing the subject least, "you have a meeting with the recently elected Chancellor."

Padme's fine eyebrows went up but she didn't remark at first. Her relationship with the Chancellor was – what most would consider – strange. He was something of a father figure. Almost. Qui Gon Jinn, her former master, had been exactly that. He was stern, he was understanding, and he was good at his job but he was always a mentor, a master. There was a definite wall that kept him from opening up any further and subsequently, they had never been incredibly close. Although his death had left her feeling raw, lost, almost abandoned. She took his fall very personally – and then Obi-Wan had come into her life.

Obi-Wan was a little bit closer to family, but he was also more like a brother. He guided her as a mentor while their more casual relationship was built on merciless banter and pithy jabs. He wanted her to be the best that she could be and so he encouraged her growth every step of the way. But he wasn't much older than she was, and his world had also been rocked by Qui Gon Jinn's death. He had not been quite ready to take up the mantle that had been left behind, and it showed – often – that he was still struggling with his own growth.

That is sort of where Chancellor Palpatine inserted himself into her life – as if he were always meant to squeeze right in the slim vacuum of space that existed between her two masters. He was everything Padme wanted to be. He was stately, discerning, and clever. He was that fatherly figure who gave her the attention that she craved – the arm that would slide around her shoulders, the hand that would rest on her arm and tell her that she had so much potential.

He wasn't without quirks. There was something else about him, something just a little bit off that she could not quite place her finger on – but she just chalked that up to the eccentricity of age. She actually had no idea as to how old he was – except that his hair was graying and the skin was starting to loosen up around his sharp cheekbones and underneath his prominent chin. He had a looming presence and a leering smile – nothing warm or affectionate about him, nothing at all like Obi-Wan.

Yet she still felt herself drawn to him. It wasn't the simple magnetism of his personality, it was something more. A pull, a push – maybe just the Force compelling her in the direction of her absolute growth and development.

She had a small, irrational fear that one day Chancellor Palpatine would urge her to step forward to take up some impossible task, some higher calling – just to test her in the end. And she would have to leave everything behind, including the Jedi whom she had come to call her brother.

She didn't want that to happen. But the thought of seeing the Chancellor brought a small smile to her lips. However brief their meeting would be, it would put her in a good mood for the rest of the day. Obi-Wan knew this, and she could tell that it put him out a little bit, but she was not about to apologize.

Whenever she was around the Chancellor she didn't see how anyone could be wary of him. His intentions, she felt, were always just. He had some radical ideals, certainly, but he kept them quiet – and his presence serene.

Perhaps Padme was the only one who could really see his motivation. She understood him. They understood each other.

She stood up, brushing off the front of her robes and flashing a smile at Obi-Wan. At the very least, seeing the Chancellor was going to lessen her chances of running into Anakin again today. Maybe that was why her master was scowling.

"Be careful," Obi-Wan said. "I'm not going to follow you this time, I'm going to finish my lunch."

Padme gave a more than slightly sardonic little bow. "I am honored that you would trust me to walk a full – what, three feet into the Senate unaccompanied? How gracious of you."

The room was small and thankfully dark. Padme hated bright fluorescent lights more than anything, and she was always grateful for the Chancellor's appreciation for dim lighting.

It was an intimate space and a quiet one. Conspiracies were bred in rooms like this.

But the Chancellor only wanted to talk.

Padme entered the room, aware of her own racing heartbeat as it pounded in her ears. She had no idea as to why the Chancellor wanted to see her – today of all days. He asked to speak with her regularly, and they ran into one another often, but this was a day when she was usually left to attend her duties alongside her master. She hoped that nothing was amiss, she really hoped that he wasn't angry at her in any way. She hadn't really thought about that until she had reached the door – but what if she had done something to displease him?

If that was the case, then this meeting wasn't going to go well at all.

He was standing by a table – a small, circular one used for private meetings. He wasn't seated and so she didn't pull a chair out, either. She wanted to appear like she had at least some semblance of manners.

"Good to see you, young Naberrie." He turned as soon as he heard the doors seal shut behind her. Padme swept a respectful half-bow and tried to fight the flush that was rising quickly to her cheeks.

"And you, Chancellor." She looked up, catching a hint of his smile which was always tighter and colder than a steel band. His lips were drawn back just enough for her to see a hint of gleaming, straight-set teeth. The Chancellor always managed to look somewhat vicious, even when he didn't mean to.

"Please, have a seat." He gestured for her to take a seat even though she remained standing. "I just wanted a brief moment with you. Nothing overly dramatic."

"Of course, sir."

"You have seen quite a good deal of the new senator, have you not?"

Padme blinked. That was not where she thought this conversation was going. She licked her dry lips and opened her mouth a bit hesitantly as if afraid she was about to give the wrong answer.

"Well, yes…Obi-Wan and I have several meetings with him as part of our assignment to work closely with the Senate…"

"Good." He seemed a bit absent-minded, as if the gears were turning in his head, piecing together part of a larger picture that she could not quite see all of. "You know, the boy is headstrong, but I urge you to get closer to him in the days to come, young Jedi. I believe that it will greatly benefit you. And even though you cannot glimpse inside my head to see my reasoning I urge you to heed my words and execute my will to the fullest, no matter how small the request."

Padme felt a tiny prick of icy fear, but it lasted no longer than a second. She wasn't certain that the Chancellor was fully aware of how intimidating he could be. He probably didn't mean to appear threatening in the least – he probably thought that he sounded like he was having a normal conversation.

And it was such a small, curious 'request' for him to make. Why would he urge her in this direction? What did he believe that Anakin had to offer?

"I will do my best, sir. I don't want to disappoint you."

"I know." He moved closer to her, resting an approving hand on her sloped shoulder. "One day you could be among the most powerful Jedi. And I want you to be prepared for my call when the day gets a little nearer."

She felt the prick again and nodded, offering him another small, reserved smile.

Padme had underestimated the young senator, and his ability to infuriate her beyond what she considered a reasonable amount. She didn't know if he was doing this on purpose, but probably not. He wasn't actually doing much of anything.

Eager to please the Chancellor, she had jumped on an opportunity to accompany her master on a small excursion. It was nothing outrageous, but Anakin had requested Jedi presence. Now they were waiting for the transport to arrive, and she stood there next to him, wondering how she was supposed to strike up a proper conversation.

Up close, he smelled faintly like sandalwood and spice. He looked at her offering a wry smile, his face easing all too readily into the arrogant expression.

"You are looking particularly eager this morning." He said. She instantly felt indignation clutch at her chest and she made a face.

"I don't know what that is supposed to mean." She said. "I am only here to do my job, Senator. As are you."

"It's true. I suppose I just never wake up in the morning with that sort of determination on my face. At least not when it's just a little errand such as this – where there won't even be a need for you to draw out your lightsaber."

Padme narrowed her eyes and cleared her throat, fighting the angry flush that was rising to her cheeks. She hated the way he spoke. His voice was young and had the intonation of someone who always thought they knew what they were talking about. The way he stood, the way he kept his hands folded behind his back, was starting to grate on her nerves. That wasn't a good sign.

She had to force herself not to stare too hard into his blue eyes. And she found herself graciously ignoring the fact that the sunlight made his hair gleam. It was longer than she remembered – sweeping a little bit past his ears – unruly but certainly not unattractive. It suited his face.

"One can never be too prepared." She said. "It would be far better for me to be a little quick on the draw than for you to lose something precious, Senator. We wouldn't want you to lose any pieces of yourself or – what's worse – your life."

"Oh, of course. Galaxy forbid." Anakin turned his face out towards where the transport should have been pulling in. Finding that it wasn't, exasperation crossed his handsome features, jumping across his brows and making them twitch. "Perhaps you will accompany me to see my mother as well, this afternoon? I hear there are all sorts of untold dangers that can lie in the path of going to visit one's parent. Who knows what terrors might arise that will require the serenity and strength of a Jedi to conquer."

He was outright mocking her now, and she didn't take kindly to that. She was about seven seconds away from pulling out her saber and shoving it through his chest.

Maybe the Chancellor was hoping she would assassinate him in the long run? She would have taken up that job in a heartbeat.

"I would happily accompany you to visit your mother. Or go wherever you found yourself in need of an escort." She said, trying to keep her words as complacent as dutiful as possible. The urge to jab and provoke him in return was strong. But Obi-Wan was present, and she knew that that wasn't really behavior befitting a Jedi. "That is my duty, after all, and I will not shirk it no matter how small the task."

"How very noble you are." Anakin said dryly, giving her a caustic look and quirking an eyebrow, his infectious smile widening. "I am very glad to have such a steadfast fighter attached to my side. Things that go bump in the night will run in terror." He looked at Obi-Wan. "And I might join them."

Obi-Wan coughed into his hand to mask a small laugh. Padme gave him such a dark look it was a wonder he did not disintegrate on the spot. Her master shrugged at her and just turned away from the scene, finding this to be one instance where he was not fit to interfere.

Padme swallowed hard and looked at Anakin again. Her chest felt tight and she was too flustered to respond properly – having run out of politically approved statements she could drag out of her mouth. But she was looking forward to when she could be approved to provide Anakin with a private escort.

She would have more than a few choice words for him then.