Chapter 16

“ Good morning, Padme. So, I take it that you received a notice last night about a dinner party that the Emperor is giving tonight?” a Senator from one of the Core Worlds came up to Padme,as she was signing in at the security desk.

“ Oh, good morning, Carolyn. Yes, I did get a notice. Of course, I do not have a choice in not going, because it is mandatory for those who got the notice to be there.” Padme grabbed the data pad that Jon handed her, before they started to walk to the Senate Chamber.

“ Yeah, I do not like that either, but it is what he wants and we all know what happens if you go against him. I see Lord Vader is back. Man, he gives me the creeps and I really would not like to piss him off.” Carolyn looked over to where she saw Darth Vader standing.

“ Great. Yes, you really do not want to piss him off; take it from someone who has seen what he can do.” Padme looked to see where Vader was standing and she saw that he was standing at the entrance of her Senate Hover Seat.

“ Well, I will see you later and I hope that you have a great day. I will see you tonight.” the Senator said goodbye, before walking passed Padme’s entrance and even nodded to Darth Vader, as she passed him.

“ Well, this is a surprise. Jon, go and have a seat and I will be there in a couple of minutes.” Padme turned to her cousin and motioned for him to go in the Chamber before her.

“ Lord Vader, I will get things ready for you then.” Jon nodded to Vader, before walking past the Sith Lord and entering the Senate Chamber.

“ Lord Vader, so, what do I own the honor of having you standing guard at my hover seats entrance?” Padme said looking up at Darth Vader and giving him a slight smile.

“ Milady, I am just worried about your safety.” Darth Vader crossed his arms over his chest.

“ Oh really? What makes you think that, My Lord?” Padme gave him a concerned look, when she realized that what he was telling her was slight on the true side.

“ I have overheard a plot to kill you, is all, but at the moment, I am not sure who is involve in the plot.” Darth Vader started to tell her, but stopped,when one of the people, who could be involved walked by him and the young Senator.

“ I see. You think that someone here in the Senate could be involved?” Padme saw a worried look come across the aids face, as he walked by them.

“ Yes, I do believe that. Well, I must go now and hope to see you at the party tonight.” Vader bowed before he turned and walked away from Padme, before she could even answer his question.

Padme just watched him walk away from her and head down the hallway to the lift that would take him down to Emperor’s office. Padme turned and walked into Senate Chamber, climbed into her hover platform and went to her seat and sat down next Jon.

“ Ok, this well the first thing that will come up, and let us just hope that it will not pass.” Jon handed Padme the data pad that had the first item that they were going to debate on and even try to vote on today.

“ Ok, thanks. You are right. This is something that should not even be on the floor, but of course, the Trade Federation has to have their say, as always. So far, the Emperor has turned down everything that they have brought up. I just hope this is another thing that he will not pass.” Padme whispered just as the lights began to blink and the Senate was about to come to order.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Most of the day was spent on, arguing over some of the items that did not even belong to most of the galaxy, but then again, it was the Trade Federation, who wanted to control most of the trade routes. Of course, it was the Emperor, who told them that was not going to happen, and if they brought up the issue again, then they will be punished.

“ So, are you really going to the dinner party tonight that the Emperor is hosting?” Jon asked, as him and Padme stepped off air shuttle.

“ I have to, Jon, but you can come with me” Padme pushed the button on her bracelet and the glass door opened up and they walked into the living room.

“ Are you really going to let that person going, scare you? If it makes you feel better, then ,I will go with you to this thing, but I want you to know, I don't like it one bit.” Jon gave Padme a slight smile, before he walked through the living room and out the door.

“ Great, I just pissed him off, but I understand how he feels.” Padme told herself, as she walked towards her bedroom.

“ Talking to yourself again, Padme? I do remember that you always do that, when you are thinking about things.” Vader said, as he stepped out of the kitchen, with a drink in his hand.

“ Anakin, what are you doing here? How did you get in here? No, wait. Do not answer that, because I do not want to know.” Padme looked at the tall person, who was coming up to her.

“ Well, I thought that maybe you would like to have a drink, before you head out to dinner. That probably is a good idea that you don't know, because you really do not want to know how I got in here. Do not worry, I did not kill anyone.” Anakin reached down and took a glass that was sitting on the counter and held it out to Padme.

“ That is good to hear, thank you, but that is not why you are here. If are here to take me to take me to the dinner party, do not worry, my cousin will be taking me.” Padme took the drink and took a sip of the Mountain Wine.

“ No, I am not here for that and I am glad that you are not going by yourself. Well, I was hoping to help you get ready for the party tonight.” Anakin raised his glass, as to salute Padme, before he took a sip of his wine.

“ Um . . . that will not be necessary . . . I would not have gone by myself anyway. I would have got one of my staff members to go with me. What is this?” Padme turned away from him and saw a clothes bag laying across the back of the couch.

“ Oh, that. Well, I thought maybe you would like to have a new dress to wear to the party tonight, is all.” Anakin looked over at the bag that laid across the couch.

“ I see and thank you. Well, I must go and get dressed. I think you should go and get ready yourself or at least before Jon comes back here to pick me up.” Padme smiled, before coming up to the counter, putting the wine glass down and then going over to the dress bag, picking it up and heading straight for her bedroom.

Anakin just stood there for a few minutes, before picking up the empty glass and taking it into the kitchen, putting it into the washer and then leaving the apartment and heading to his place, so that way, he can get ready for the dinner party tonight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thirty minutes later, Jon and Padme walked into the huge grand hall of the Imperial Palace. They noticed that there were twenty people there and of course, they were all broken up into small groups.

“ This should be an interesting evening, mostly, with the two groups that are standing over by the drink bar.” Jon looked around the room and saw two groups of five and six people and creatures standing around or close to the drink bar and they were in deep conversation.

“ You are very right about that. So, I wonder where our wonderful host is at?” Padme also looked around and noticed that the Emperor was not even in the room with them.

Then, there was a dong sound and a service droid came into the hall and banged a long staff onto the marble floor.

“ Ladies and Gentlemen, dinner is served. Please follow the guards into the dining hall.” the droid announced to the roomful of people and two red Imperial Guards came into the room.

Everyone followed the two guards into another huge room that was used as the dining hall. Everyone found their name cards on the table and sat down at that place. The serving droids came out and began filling the water goblets up, just as the double doors at the end of the dining hall opened and two red Imperial Guards came into the room. They were followed by the Emperor and then, coming up behind him, was Darth Vader.

“ All rise, his Highness Emperor Palpatine has entered the room.” one of the Red Guards hit the floor with his staff and announced the Emperor’s presence.

Everyone stood up and bowed their heads, as Palpatine made his way into the room. Coming up to the table and using the Force, he moved the chair away from the table, so that way, he could sit down at the head of the table. Vader walked passed him and walked passed a line of people, waiting to be seated at the table again. Coming to the other end of the table, he moved the chair away from the table and waited for Palpatine gave the sign for everyone to sit down.

“ Everyone, please be seated and let dinner began.” Palpatine nodded to everyone, before he motioned for the servants to start serving the food.

Padme looked down the table and saw Senator Organa sitting two people away from the Emperor. She turned to the person next to her and saw Vader cross his arms against his chest, as to show intimidation. She also knew the one reason why he was here. It was to weed out all the trouble makers, who was giving everyone problems in the Senate today. She did not know why she was even here at the party, as she was one that, believe it or not, she somewhat agreed with some of the things that the Emperor was doing. Maybe, he wanted a couple of people there that was on his side, so that way, the people who were against him, would not know what he might do to the enemy of the Empire. Of course, there is one thing that she is totally against. As one of the young girls came up to her and laid her plate down in front of her, Padme looked over at Darth Vader and saw one of his hands tighten in a ball, because she knew that seeing people in Slavery still bothered him very much.

“ Thank you.” Padme whispered to the young girl, as the girl put her plate down in front of her.

The only thing the young girl can do is nod her head, because she knew if she said anything to Padme, mostly when Darth Vader sitting there beside her, she would get into trouble.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two hours later, Padme walked into her apartment. Before walking into her bedroom, she went over to the drink bar and poured herself a drink, before going over to the couch and sitting down.

“ Dim all lights and shut all privacy shades. Lock all doors and set alarm.” Padme called out to the house computer.

“ So, are you trying to lock me out, Milady?” a voice came from Padme’s bedroom.

“ Anakin, what are doing here? I thought that you were going to take care of all the enemies of the Empire tonight?” Padme turned towards the voice and gave the person a smile.

“ I will take care them tomorrow. I just wanted to see what you were doing tonight.” Anakin walked up to Padme.

“ Well, I was going to drink this and then get ready for bed, so that way, I get some sleep.” Padme put the glass down and watched Anakin walk up to her.

“ I see. Let me help you out of that dress, help you relax and go to sleep.” Anakin held out his hand, so that way, Padme could take it.

“ Ok, that sounds good to me. You always knew how to make me relax and it makes me sleep well through the night.” Padme took Anakin’s hand and let him lead her to the bedroom.

Once inside the room, Anakin shut the door by using the Force and turned Padme around, so her back was to him. He began unzipping her dress, and sliding her dress off her shoulders, as he bent his downwards and kissed each bared shoulder. Padme let the dress fall to floor, before she turned around and wrapped her arms around Anakin’s neck. He picked her up off the floor and Padme wrapped her legs around his waist and he slowly walked them towards the refresher. Once inside the room, Anakin shut the door with Force again. He slowly put Padme down, before going over to the tub and turning on the water, so that way, it filled up the tub with hot water. Going back to Padme, he turned around again and began massaging her shoulders. He could tell that she had knots in her muscles and as his hands moved down her arms, he took the straps of her slip and pushed them down and it slipped down her body and to the floor, just as her dress did.

“ Now, it is your turn.” Padme turned around and put her arms around Anakin.

“ No, this is all about you, Paddy.” Anakin grabbed Padme’s hands, so that way she could not undo his belt.

“ What are you hiding from me Ani?” Padme looked up and saw not only sadness, but some fear in his eyes.

“ Am really not hiding anything, Padme, but I do not want you to see all the scars that I have all over my body.” Anakin looked down, as tears began filling up in his eyes.

“ Ani, I do not care what you look like. Please, let me see them.” Padme reached up and wiped the tear that fell from his eyes.

“ But . . . .” Anakin tried to say, but stopped, as he felt Padme’s lips on his and her hands began moving down his body to his belt.

Anakin slowly kissed Padme and just let her undress him. To his surprise, after all his clothes were off, he felt Padme put light kisses on his all his scars that cover his body. An hour later, They bathed each other and holding each other, as they soaked in the hot water until it cooled down to luke warm water. Once again Anakin picked Padme up and carried her to the bed and gently laid her down on the bed. Once she was comfy, he climbed into bed next to her and pulled her into his arms and held her, as she fell sound asleep. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. For the first time in over a year, he was able to fall into a deep sleep.