Chapter 3

“ Good morning, Padme. Here is your schedule for today. You do have three meetings after lunch. Here are your notes for the session this morning, with the things that will be introduced into the Senate, so that they can be debated and voted on by the end of the week.” Jeanie handed Padme her schedule for the day and then her notes.

“ Thank you, Jeanie. Could you please hold all my calls and let the caller know that I will get back with them tomorrow? Well, now, I'm going to look over these issues, before we go into session in about thirty minutes.” Padme smiled at her office aide, before walking into her office.

“ Ok. Oh, do you want me to order our lunch, so that way it can be delivered here, after we get into the office?” Jeanie asked, as she looked at what was being served in the Senate commons.

“ Sure, that sounds great. You can get me whatever you are getting for yourself.” Padme called out from her desk.

“ Will do.” Jeanie called back, as she began typing their lunch orders and sending it to the kitchen of the commons.

Thirty minutes later, Padme came out of her office, went into the waiting area and saw Maria waiting for her and Jeanie to get ready to head to the Senate chambers.

“ Good morning, Maria. Are you ready for today’s bickering? I just hope that we can get some real work done, put real issues on the table to be discussed and voted on today and just quit bickering over issues that are so useless.” Padme came up to the younger girl and giving her a hug.

“ Yes, I'm ready. Why are men such idiots and why can’t they agree on anything, mostly if it would help out other people? All they care about is getting things that only benefit themselves.” Maria hugged Padme back, before they head out of the office and headed for the Senate Chambers.

They entered the Delaya’s Senate box and Maria and Jeanie just sat down. Padme went over to the control panels for the repulsorpod and she signed in.

“ Amidala?” a man’s voice called out from the doorway. Padme turned around and saw the one person she just wished would just disappeared from Coruscant and get out of her life.

“ Um . . . Rush, is it?” Padme smiled at the man, who was still standing in the doorway of her repulsorpod.

“ Wow, you look as beautiful as ever. I thought you died.” Rush stepped down into the repulsorpod.

“ Um . . . thank you, but I have to tell you I know what you are talking about” Padme looked at the man that she used to have a relationship with.

“ They told me that you had died, and your funeral was broadcasted on the holo-network.” Rush just could not believe that Padme would be here, amongst the Imperials and the people who wanted her dead.

“ Um . . . I'm sorry, but I believe that you have mistaken me for someone else” Padme looked at him and trying to look confused.

“ Oh, come on, Amidala. I know who you are” Rush looked at her and tried to see, if she was faking her confusement.

“ I'm sorry, but I'm not Senator Amidala. She is really dead, and my name is Padme.” Padme looked at the man standing in front of her.

“ Oh. Then, I'm so sorry. I just thought that you were her. Um . . . how did you know my name?” Rush asked.

“ Oh. I have heard a lot about you. So, anyway, what can I do for you, Senator?” Padme asked, as the room was getting loud, as the other Senators and their representatives began showing up and settling into their repulsorpods.

“ I see. Well, I hope some of the news about me was good. I was wondering if you like to have lunch with me today?” Rush asked.

“ I see. Well, I can’t today, or for the next couple of days. I have some meetings, but maybe at the end of the week, we can have lunch together.” Padme told him, as the two minutes bell began to ring.

“ Ok, that sound great. I will see you on Friday, then.” Rush smiled down at Padme.

“ Sure, that sounds good.” Padme smiled back.

Rush left and headed to his repulsorpod all the way across the chamber, but the whole time, they did not realize that they were being watched by a dark figure.