Love never dies

Chapter 8

Captain Panaka looks down at me and Han, kneeling down on the ground. He doesn't seem to recognise me. "Captain Panaka! It's me Padme!"
He turns to look at me and narrows his eyes "Senator Amidala? You...can't be, you're dead! I saw your funeral on the holonet!" he gasps.
"Well I'm not dead you-wait, my funeral?" I ask.
"Yes...it was all over the holonet-look." Panaka says, switching on a datapad and handing it to me.
I look at the contents. There's hundreds of people gathered, as a slow funeral procession walks through. I gasp as I look at the person in the coffin-it's me. My parents are there, as well as Sola, Darred, the Queen, Jar Jar, Typho... They all think I'm dead. Quite rightly so, as the person in the coffin looks just like me. But who is it?

"Padme?" Han asks, looking at the datapad "Is it just me, or did you go to Kamino and clone yourself. Cause honestly, that's what it looks like."
"No..." I say, before it clicks.
A clone of yourself...that's how everyone used to refer to me and Sabe. Heck, didn't we switch roles without anyone noticing in the blockade? What if...no, it couldn't be Sabe. Probably a waxwork or something. Besides, I can't exactly go to Naboo and check; I've currently got bigger problems. Like why Captain Panaka is halfway across the galaxy from Coruscaunt. "Um...Captain Panaka?" I ask "Just wondering, what brings you to Corellia?"

Panaka nervously glances around, before gesturing for the man holding me to let go; he does so rather reluctantly. I slowly stand up alongside Han and look at Panaka. "We can't discuss this here." He says, then turns to the masked attackers "You're all free to go now, I'm taking the prisoners to my place."
As quickly as they had come, the men disperse into the maze of alleys leading away from this particular street. "Come on." Says Panaka, dragging us down a side street, across a road and into a labyrinth of small footpaths zigzagging around numerous buildings.

After running for what seems like hours, Panaka pulls us to a halt outside of a rather dingy looking apartment block. He opens the door, drags us up two flights of stairs and comes to a halt in front of a door marked 77. He knocks twice, then steps back as a familiar woman opens it. It takes all of my self control to not scream in delight and relief. Instead I gasp.
"Dorme!"

She stares at me in bewilderment for a moment "M-Milady? But...it can't be...your funeral...you're-"
"Not dead." Panaka butts in "Sorry for the late notice, but we need to tell her everything, likewise with her, Dorme."
Dorme nodded quickly "Alright, come in." She then catches sight of Han. "Hold on-who's this?" She asks.
"This is Han Solo." I quickly say "A friend of mine."
"Fair enough." She nods "Hi Han"
"Hi." Han mutters.

We all walk into the room. It's quite plain and drab, at least from a Nubian point of view. In Naboo, our rooms are full to bursting with embroidered bed sheets, colourful wall pictures, vases of flowers and exuberant wallpapers. This room has two blank white double beds, no adornments on the walls, save for a small holonet screen opposite the beds, a small pot of ferns on the ledge, a tiny fridge, microwave and kettle, with dull wooden walls and flooring.

Dorme and Captain Panaka sit down on one bed,  while Han and I perch on the other. "Ok..." I say "What happened on Coruscant, and why are you guys hiding out in Corellia of all places?"

Panaka and Dorme look at each other. Panaka begins to speak "It was the day after you left for the Mustafar system. Apparantly there was a meeting that the Emperor had invited you to of some sorts on the day you left. You obviously didn't show up, so Palpatine sent guards to where me, Dorme and Sabe were staying. They arrested us on suspicion of covering up where and why you disappeared."

"What?" I gasp. This was all a lie on Palpatine's behalf. There was no meeting, and I'm pretty sure he knew where and why I went to Mustafar. He just wanted Panaka, Dorme and Sabe arrested.

Dorme sighed and continued "We were taken to the Coruscant military prison. We were all held in a cell for a couple of days I think. No trial, no contact with the outside world save for when food was delivered, no anything. One day, the guards came and took Sabe away. That was the last time we saw her. A while later, guards came and took me and Panaka. Nevertheless, we managed to escape and smuggle ourselves on a cargo transport to Corellia"

"Once on Corellia, we met a group of resistance fighters who were never quite settled with the ideas and morals of the Republic, but hated the Empire like nothing else." Panaka said "They eventually found you and Han, and that's where we are now. So tell me, what's happened since I last saw you at Coruscant?"

I take a deep breath and sigh "I went to Mustafar to try and um...help my husband through...some things."

Panaka rolls his eyes "Padme, we all know that you're married to Anakin Skywalker. Can you just tell us what happened? Please?"

Han's eyes suddenly light up "Anakin Skywalker? You mean-you're married to THE Anakin Skywalker? The best starfighter pilot in the galaxy?"

I nod my head slowly. Was, I correct in my mind. Han gasps in amazement "No way! That is sooo cool!"

Dorme  smiles and gestures for me to continue. "Well..." I stammer "Long story short,  Anakin turned to the dark side. (Everyone in the room gasps in horror) I went to Mustafar to try and reason with him, but it...it didn't work. He thought I'd turned against him and he was further infuriated when he say Obi Wan Kenobi come out of my ship. He must have stowed away on board or something (Panaka stands up at this point "HOW DID I NOT SEE HIM?!"), either way, Anakin thought I brought Obi Wan here to kill him. I don't really want to talk about what happened next...I woke up in the Polis Massa medical centre in labour. I gave birth to two twins then...fell unconscious for a while. When I woke up, I was told that Anakin was dead. I couldn't believe it, so I left the twins in Obi Wan's care, and went into hiding on Corellia."

Everyone is still for a moment, looking dumbfounded. "Oh." Dorme mutters "Padme, I'm so sorry."

I don't reply, but stare down at my hands, which have been absent-mindedly fingering the japor snippet hanging around my neck. When Anakin gave it to me, all those years ago, he said it was for me to remember him by. I said that I didn't need it to remember him, for I knew I'd definitely see him again. Now, ironically, the japor snippet is all I have left to remember him by. That, and my two children. Luke, Leia. I wonder where they are now. Are they together, or separated? Do they still have the same identities? Will they know, in the future, who their parents are. Or will Obi Wan and the others have kept the truth from them, believing that it will be safer if they are ignorant and blind of their parentage? So many questions, that will probably never be answered...

"Padme? Hey, wake up! Hellllooooo? Wakey wakey! Is Padme Amidala in there?" I hear Han's voice taunting me mockingly.

I roll my eyes and shake myself back to the present. "Huh?" I say.

Dorme and Captain Panaka seem barely able to stifle their laughter. "What is it?" I ask, slightly peeved at their reaction.

Panaka brings back his standard, neutral 'military face' look. "We were just discussing what to do next." He explains "Honestly, we haven't the foggiest what to do now we know you're alive. I mean, the people sitting in this room are the only people in the galaxy who know."

Save for Palpatine and Vader. I think. Aside from that, Panaka speaks the truth. What should we do? The answer flies into my head; it's almost funny that we haven't thought of it yet. "We have to find out what happened to Sabe." I say "And to do so, there's only one place aside from Coruscant we can go to, in order to find some answers."

"Where?" Han questions.

Me and Dorme both say the same thing at the same time.

"Naboo."