Lost in her thoughts again, Padmé swirled the glass of wine in her hand, watching the dark red liquid circle the cup. It smelled of fresh berries and had a hint of spice, but its color reminded her of blood… of the lives lost on this tragic day.
It was an outrage that such unjust devastation could legally occur within the walls of the one place in the galaxy meant to keep them safe—the only location that symbolized justice and freedom.
However, she acknowledged that it had been a while since those walls genuinely upheld that ideal.
In some ways, it still represented security and authority, but only for Palpatine and his followers—or, more accurately, for his agenda. Anyone who stood between Palpatine and that goal was surely considered an enemy of his Empire, which meant that most true members of the Senate were labeled expendable by the very man they once admired, even called a friend.
Once again, she felt ill as the memory resurfaced of a time when she considered Palpatine a colleague, a mentor, and even a friend. She recalled all the moments they sat together, talked together, or laughed together—each now tainted by his evil deeds. At one point, she believed they shared a close bond, being from Naboo and fighting against the injustice of the Trade Federation together. She thought this had, in some way, forged a kind of alliance between them, an unbreakable bond.
But how mistaken she had been… What a fool she had been!
The lives lost today serve as a reminder. She vowed they would not be in vain. Those men and women would be remembered as the brave heroes they were, fighting for the freedom and the Republic that had been taken from them. These courageous souls fought not only for themselves but for the next generation and for their children's children, and their sacrifice was honorable, unlike the despicable parasites who had plagued the galaxy with their vile propaganda.
Parasites, such as… Darth Vader.
Just thinking about him sent a chill down her spine, unable to stop the fear that bubbled within her belly. Darth Vader had never felt real to her before, though she couldn't quite explain why. Of course, she had heard the stories, the rumors, and even the holo-news reports about the infamous Sith, but they all felt like dark fairy tales until that moment. Like a fabricated lie to keep the galaxy in line- a dark bedtime story told around a fire to scare small children. Such an all-powerful being as Lord Vader didn't seem plausible to her. She simply couldn't believe he was real until he stood before her in all his cynical glory.
She found clarity away from her office, away from the Senate, and away from him. It was here that she felt the full extent of her fear and realized the danger she was facing. She understood how dangerous he truly was, yet there was something else entirely that she feltsomething unnatural and indescribable—that urged her to explore the mystery of Darth Vader further.
There was an old saying that curiosity killed the tooka… And although Padmé had never fully understood the significance of the sentiment, she was beginning to think there was some truth to it. Curiosity was a complex thing—sometimes dangerous—yet she couldn't help but feel consumed by it.
"Artoo?" Padmé asked, glancing up from her food toward the corner of the room where the small blue astrodroid sat. The droid immediately responded with a beep and rolled to her side. "Could you please fetch my datapad for me? It's in my bedroom?"
R2 responded with a series of chirps before heading off toward her bedroom, once again leaving Padmé with her thoughts for a moment longer. However, they were not the best company.
She settled comfortably on the couch just across the way, trying to find some solace in the fresh air (or at least as fresh as it could be on Coruscant). The open view of the city had been one of the main selling points of her apartment, a feature she had come to cherish. Although Coruscant's beauty could never match that of her homeworld, it was something she had learned to appreciate. The city lights sparkled like a vast golden sea, stretching for miles into the distance, while the massive buildings towered higher than any mountain, with some even reaching far beyond the clouds. However, there was one flaw in the skyline: the spot where the missing Jedi Temple once stood, directly across from her balcony. The structure still remained, but barely; it was destroyed, crumbling, wrecked beyond recognition.
Another reminder of Darth Vader that she wished to forget…
And yet, she found herself unable to do so.
His handiwork seemed all around her. It was undeniable, unforgettable, and unavoidable. The madness that existed in the universe almost seemed like a calling card, and after these few years, she wondered how she could have overlooked it.
Padmé had never been one to bury her head in the sand. She had never been one to ignore what was happening around her. Never one to remain silent. She prided herself on being alert and informed, yet so many things had slipped past her- like liquid through her fingers or two starships passing unknowingly in the night sky. The emperor had risen to power under her watch. The Republic had fallen, and Darth Vader had emerged from the ashes.
It made her stomach twist in agony and guilt, yet she discovered a bizarre comfort in knowing she wasn't the only one who had been deceived. Even the Jedi, the masters of life itself and the protectors of all things good, had been blind to the emperor's schemes and powerless against the strength of the Sith.
If they could have been deceived, then she assumed anyone could have. At least she had lived; however, she wouldn't necessarily consider herself lucky.
With this thought, Padmé couldn't help but entertain the blasphemous idea that she knew if wondered too loudly around Lord Vader would lead to her immediate arrest. She questioned Vader's power– or at least his execution– and wondered, not for the first time, whether Vader had truly destroyed all the Jedi. She pondered if any Jedi were still out there in the universe, waiting in the shadows to help them reclaim their galaxy.
.
.
.
👓☕️Consider supporting me and enhance your reading experience with the ready-to-read PDFs I have on my Ko-fi.☕️👓
🎯https://ko-fi.com/bstories🎯