Padme stood near the doorway of a large holding cell on an Imperial cruiser. Her cell was at the end of the hallway, which gave her a good view. She could see all the way to the bridge at the opposite end of the ship. She looked through the force field into the hallway, looking for some sign of activity. There was none. There hadn't been since the ship landed the day before. She had no idea where she was or why they had stopped here.

She went back to the table and sat down with a sigh. She'd really gotten herself into a mess this time. The Emperor had known just what it would take to get her to come out of hiding. She thought back to a time when she had trusted that man, from her own home planet of Naboo. She had sought his council time and again, as Queen of Naboo and as a senator. It made her angry! How could none of us see what he really was?

Padme still couldn't quite believe how quickly the Republic had been warped into the horror it was today. Fear, intimidation, murder and anger had gripped the entire galaxy. Most of those who still believed in justice and goodness were too afraid to speak up. The price for speaking out, for "treason" against the Empire, was death. So much death…Resistance was being stamped out. The Jedi were being hunted down and slaughtered. There weren't many of them left.

That last thought brought a lump to her throat. The fate of one of those few remaining Jedi was why she had come out of hiding. She had been staying in a small apartment on Alderaan to be near her daughter, Leia. Leia was being raised by Bail Organa and his wife. She had tried to visit her daughter whenever she could – always secretly. It wrenched her heart to think of her children having to be taken from her for their own safety. She tried to keep her focus off of her children. She couldn't take the chance that her thoughts could be used against her, against them.

She was forcing herself to think of other things when she heard the clanging of boots. Stormtroopers, she thought. Then a feeling of dread started to grip her and send shivers down her spine. She forced herself to get up and move towards the force field. Then she saw him…