It was difficult to navigate the ship. Her vision was hazed with tears and her ears were focused on the cries of the twins from behind her. She yearned to hold them and calm their sobs, but she had to ensure her small family's safety.

Regret loomed over her like a foggy day. Whispers from her past haunted her, a constant reminder that what she was doing would cause permanent damage. Scars that would never be able to heal.

Gripping the controls harder, she shook her head. How was it fair that she felt guilty for running away from Anakin? He was the one who'd creating wounds that could never be undone. This was his doing, the reason their family couldn't be together.

Her nerves were on high, twitching with every sound and movement that could be seen through the windshield that sat in front of her. The fear that Palpatine or Anakin would take down her ship pushed her forward. She couldn't deny that she missed what was behind her, but she would sacrifice anything for the life that could be found ahead.

Padmé had been travelling for about an hour, heading towards Coruscant. She didn't know what the state of the planet was, all she knew was that that was where most of the Senate would be. Surely someone could assist her in finding Obi-Wan.

The tall buildings greeted her as she began her descent into the planet's atmosphere. Startled, she realized that the planet was crawling with dark fighter jets seating clones.

It was difficult to wrap her head around the fact that clones were now her enemy. The last time she'd been in Coruscant, they were her allies. They bravely fought in the Clone Wars by her side.

Things were different now. She had to accept that. With the thought leaving her mind, she steered the ship out of plain sight. The mechanical object followed her commands as she lead it through dark shadows of structures, making its way to the Jedi Temple.

Within minutes, she spotted the magnificent building. She sent a silent prayer, hoping her old friends would still be settled their.

When a loud bang caused the entire ship to vibrate, Padmé was shocked to realize she'd been lost in a haze. Without making sure no one was around, she'd risked the lives of her children.

Pushing the pedal of the ship down, Padmé forced herself to speed up. However, instead of moving quicker, she found that the ship didn't move at all. She seemed to be stuck.

Suddenly, a jolting sent the girl flying forwards in her seat. Before catching her balance, Padmé's head went straight into the dashboard. Seeing stars, she giggled. The world was dizzy and moved in slow motion.

Then she was consumed by a petrifying sense. She couldn't feel, see, or hear anything. Without time to react, she was swept into darkness.

-----

"How long has she been out?" A voice asked, deep and filled with maturity. The kind of voice that you could tell had life experience.

"Only a few hours," another man replied. "I will wake her promptly if the twins are hungry. But for now I think we should leave her to rest. I doubt she's had much of it lately."

"You're right," the first voice responded. "I believe that her skin was quite bright the last time we saw each other. She looks frail and tired."

"I can't imagine what she's gone through the last couple of weeks. He must have had her locked away, I'm eager to learn how she managed to escape." The voice seemed vaguely familiar. In fact, Padmé felt as if she recognized them both.

As the girl slowly fluttered her eyes open, she was met by the intense gazes of Senator Organa and Obi-wan. Grinning, she gasped.

"How did you find me?" Feelings of relief and happiness washed over her like waves and sand at tide. She'd thought it would be a long and difficult journey to find the people she could trust, but by some miracle she'd landed right into the palms of their hands.

"Senator Amidala!" Obi-wan greeted her with a smile. "We are truly happy to see you. You had us worried, we've been trying to track you for weeks."

"Thank goodness R2 picked up your signal," Senator Organa continued. "Your ship was unfamiliar and new, it seemed quite odd that a single fighter jet would enter Coruscant. They usually travel in large groups."

As if on cue, R2-D2 rolled to Padmé's feet. He made an electronic buzzing sound, his way of telling her hello.

"Well thank you R2," she told him with a giggle. "Im so happy to see you guys."

"As are we," Obi-wan reassured her. "The babies are in the other room with the medics. They are beautiful and healthy, Padmé. Congratulations! Although I wasn't aware you were expecting twins?"

"We weren't either."

As if struck, the word we caused the man to cringe. His face twisted in pain, and he quickly turned away.

Senator Organa intruded, as if he was aware that Anakin was a sore spot for the Master. It made sense, considering the betrayel he must have felt. To some extend, it must have been greater than the pain Padmé was in because of Anakin. She hoped Obi-Wan didn't blame himself for the actions of her husband.

"Once you're feeling better," he suggested, "we were hoping to have you come speak at a council meeting. I'm sure you have useful information about your time away from us, as we have information for you too."

"The Jedi council is here?" Padmé asked.

Obi-wan's breath hitched, his words thick with agony. "Other than myself and Yoda, no other Jedi on the council survived Order 66. In fact, there are scarce Jedi survivors who roam the galaxy."

Padmé fell silent, grief overcoming her. She was terrified to learn what else had taken place while she was held in captivity.

"I'm-"

"Will you be able to join us at the meeting?"

"Yes," she told him, her words turning into whispers as the loss she felt settled. "I will be there."

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