Chapter 4

“ I want to thank you, for joining me for lunch, Senator Padme.” Rush looked up from his menu, when Padme came up to the table that he was sitting at.

“ It was nice of you, to invite me to have lunch with you. Sorry, that I had to wait until the end of the week to have lunch with you.” Padme sat down, just as the waitress came over to the table.

“ It is not a problem. I do know that you have been very busy, as I too have been very busy. Can you believe the stupid things that some of the Senators are trying to get passed in the Senate today and for the next coming up week too?” Rush looked over to Padme and smiled at her.

“ Good afternoon. I'm Faye. What can I get for you to drink?” the waitress asked, looking at the couple sitting in front of her.

“ Good afternoon, I would like a glass of Corellian wine, please.” Rush looked up at the waitress.

“ Ok and for you Senator?” the waitress turned to Padme.

“ I would like to have some Nubian tea, please.” Padme looked away from Rush and looked up at the waitress.

“ Ok .That is a glass of Corellian wine and Nubian tea. Would you like the tea hot or cold?” the waitress asked Padme.

“ Oh, I would like to have it cold and sweet too.” Padme looked back at the waitress and saw her writing down it down.

“ Ok, that would be a glass of sweet Nubian tea. I will be right back with your drinks in a minute.” the waitress turned away and headed to the bar area, so she could get the drinks for them.

“ You know, the Bantha ribs look good. So, what about you? What are you going to have?” Rush looked back at his menu.

“ Well, I think I will have Nuna Sandwich.” Padme put down her menu, as their waitress came back to the table with their drinks.

“ Ok, here you go. Are you ready to order?” the waitress put the drinks down in front of the couple.

“ Yes, I would like to have the Nuna Sandwich with baked chips, please.” Padme put her menu back in its place.

“ Yes, ma’am and for you, sir?” the waitress pushed in Padme’s order on her pad.

“ I will have the Bantha Ribs, please.” Rush looked up at the waitress and gave her smile.

“ Yes, sir. What kind of sauce would you like with it?” the waitress asked.

“ I would like the smoky dark Corellian sauce and also, I would like the baked chips too.” Rush looked back at his menu to make sure that was the correct sauce that he wanted on his ribs. “ Ok that is Bantha Ribs with smoky dark Corellian sauce with baked chips and Nuna Sandwich also with backed chips. I will be back soon with your food.” the waitress smiled at both Padme and Rush, before turning around and headed to the kitchen and put in her orders.

“ Did you get the notice from the Emperor, that there is a party tonight?” Rush put the menu back in its place at the table.

“ Yes, I did. I have no desire in going to the party tonight.” Padme took a sip of her tea.

“ Um . . . you do know that you have to go to the parties that he has, because they are mandatory.” Rush looked over at Padme in total shock, that she was going against the Emperor’s orders.

“ No, I did not know that it was mandatory to be forced into doing something that I do not want to do. Oh, wait. Yes, I do. I forgot this is the Empire.” Padme looked at Rush and had anger coming into her eyes.

“ I understand that. You are right. We should not be forced into going to this thing, but it is an order. Um . . . I was wondering if you would like to go with me to this thing and once we listen to the bull, then we can leave.” Rush took a sip of his wine.

“ Sure. That sounds good to me.” Padme took another sip of her tea.

The waitress came back to their table with a service droid, who helped her to carry out the food to Rush and Padme.

An hour later, Padme walked back into her office. She took some notes on a couple of things that will be coming up in the Senate and do a little research on each of the items. Padme was just putting the final touches of her hair, when the door buzzed. Getting up from the stool that was in front of her vanity table, she walked into the living room, opened the door and saw that it was Rush standing there.

“ My, don’t you look beautiful tonight, Padme.” Rush just stood there staring at Padme.

“ Why, thank you. You look very handsome tonight too.” Padme gave Rush a smile and let him in, so that way, she could get her cloak. Padme walked into her bedroom, grabbed the cloak and then put it around her shoulders, before leaving the room and went back into the living room.

They made it to the Imperial Palace and walked into the huge ballroom, where they saw most of the human Senators standing around talking to each in small groups. Padme began talking to one of the female Senators, from the Mid Rim Territories, but they were silenced, when the double doors opened up. Like the reception, the guards came into the room first, then followed by the Emperor and followed very closely by Darth Vader. Vader walked into the room and the first thing he did was scan the room for a certain Senator. When he did see her, the one thing that made his blood boil was the person that was standing next to her. He, then, saw the one person that he wants dead, put his arm around Padme. He would bid his time and when the time comes, Rush will pay dearly with his life. Then, he can have Padme as his own.