The rumble of thunder echoed through the valley and the heavy winds, blew the sheets of rain onto the panes of glass of tightly closed window.
Padme rolled over on to her back and realized that she wasn't going to get anymore sleep, due to the tropical storm that was coming in from the ocean.
Getting up out of bed, Padme went over to the chair and picked up the blue robe that was laying across the back of it.
Leaving her bedroom, she quietly headed down the stairs, went into the kitchen,t to Caf machine, and made herself a cup of tea.
Heading out to the sunroom, Padme sat down on the porch swing and laid her head back and closed her eyes, so that way, she could just listen to the pounding of rain hitting the glass windows, and then rumble of thunder, shortly after the sky lit up by the lightening.
" Can't sleep, sweetie?" Jobal asked, as she came into the room and sat down at the small table.
" No, I was sleeping pretty good, but the storm woke me up. I thought it would be a good idea just to get up, instead trying to go back to sleep." Padme said, opening up her eyes and taking a sip of her tea.
" Well, I wish I could say the same thing for me. The reason for me is, I'm worried about your safety. I hate to say this, but I just wish that you didn't take the Senate's seat after Senator Vancil passed away." Jobal said, as her eyes welled up with tears.
" I know mother, and am beginning to wonder the same thing too. Maybe, it's time that I start thinking about myself and not everyone in the galaxy." Padme said, as she pulled her legs up and rested her chin on her knees.
" Really? Well, that's glad to know. I just want you to be happy and lately, you haven't been and I think it has something to do with you life on Coruscant." Jobal said, as Ruwee came out into room.
" Morning. Don't tell me that am interrupting girl talk?" Ruwee said, as he stood next to the table with his Caf in his hand.
" Morning, daddy. No. you're not interrupting anything. I was telling mom that I'm beginning to feel that my all my work is for nothing, and maybe I'm making a mistake staying in the Senate." Padme said, giving her father a warm smile.
" I see. Well, I do have to agree with your mother. You don't seem like my happy baby girl that you used to be, and I hate to say this, but you are looking older than your age." Ruwee said, giving his daughter a sad looking smile.
" Gee thanks, daddy. You know what? You're right, I do look older and there are times I feel it too. I have been thinking lately that this will be my last term in the Senate. After this vote on the Military Creation Act, I think I'm going to announce my retirement." Padme said, giving both her parents a tired looking smile.
" Oh, Padme, you don't have to do that, just because of what we are telling you. If helping people makes you feel better, then stay." Jobal said, in total surprise that her youngest daughter really wanted to leave everything that she has been working on.
" No, mother, what you have been telling me doesn't have anything to do with me wanting to leave the Senate. Like I said, this is something that I have been thinking about for a while now. And, what good is all the work I'm doing, when nothing really isn't being done to help the people, who really need the help. I hate to say thi,s but a good majority of the Senators in the Senate are corrupted and all they care about is themselves and not the people they are representing." Padme said, taking another sip of her tea.
" That's really a shame. The Chancellor isn't doing anything about these people?" Ruwee said looking straight at his wife.
" Oh, please. Who do you think is one of the corrupt people I'm talking about? I wish there was some way to get him out of office. I can't believe that everyone voted to keep him in office way passed his term. I still believe that he paid for those votes." Padme said, just as a loud commotion interrupted her.
" Oh good, the girls are here. I always said that there is something not right with that man; something very evil." Ruwee said, as his two granddaughters came running out into the sunroom.
" Grandpa!" the two girls yelled out at the same time.
" Quiet, you two. You're going to wake up everyone." Sola said, as she stepped into the room.
" It's alright, Sola. I'm awake. Hey, girlies. How are you guys doing?" Padme said, sitting up and putting her feet on the floor.
" Aunt Padme!" both girls yelling, running over to her and being careful not to spill her tea that was in her hand.
" Padme, it's good to see that you are here, Mom and dad are watching the girls ,while Darren and I are gone for the weekend. Where we are going, I have no idea. He is surprising me." Sola said, coming over to her parents and giving them each a kiss on the cheek.
" That's so romantic. You two do need some time to be alone, without little eyes around." Jobal said, smiling over to her older daughter.
" True, it's been a while, since we have some alone time. Um ... did we interrupt anything here?" Sola asked, as she saw tear streaks on Padme's face.
" No, not really. I was just telling mom and dad that I'm thinking about leaving the Senate, after the huge vote on the Military Creation Act." Padme said giving her sister a small smile.
" Oh Padme, that's great news! I am glad to see that you are taking my advice about getting a real life." Sola said, realizing that her parents didn't know about her talk with Padme.
" Not really, Sola, I really have been thinking about this for a very long time. Your advice really didn't have anything to do with my decision on the matter." Padme said, getting up and heading back into the house.
" Oops ... I wasn't suppose to say anything about that subject." Sola watch her baby sister head into the house.
" I see. I think everything really isn't going so well in the Senate and I believe she is tired of it." Jobal said, as she took a sip of her Caf.
" I see. I think it also has something to do with a few assassination attempts on a few Senators, who don't agree with some things that were to be voted on in the Senate. Padme is one of those Senators, who are against some of the issues and the most important one that is coming up, is the Military Creation Act." Sola said, as she saw a very frightened look come across her mother's face.
" Yes, she is totally against that bill and there are lot of people in the Senate, who want to see it passed too. They will do anything to get it passed, which means to get rid of anyone who stands in their way to what they want. She is right there in the corruption in the Senate and there really isn't any help at all. So, the whole galaxy is going to pay for it too." Ruwee said, taking a sip of his Caf.
" True. Well, I better get going. Darren is waiting in the speeder. Now, you two behave for grandma and grandpa. See you in a couple of days." Sola walked over to her two daughters and gave them both hugs and kisses, before going over to her parents and hugging them and kissing them on their cheeks again.
" Yes, mommy, we will." her oldest daughter said ,as Padme came back out with a new cup of tea.
" Darren is waiting for you in the kitchen. You have a great time and I hope to see you soon. Love you, sis." Padme hugged and kissed her big sister on the cheek.
" Thanks and I will. See you soon too. Love you too, Paddy." Sola said, before going back into the house to where her husband sat at the kitchen bar, waiting for her.
" Sorry about that. Ready to go?" Sola came over to her husband and taking the go cup from him.
" That's ok. Paddy made us some tea and Caf to go." Darren said, as they headed out of the house and to the speeder outside for them.
Padme came back over to the swing again and sat between her nieces and they began to swing very slowly.
" Well, I'll go inside and start breakfast. Any request?" Jobal aske,d looking at her two granddaughters and daughter.
" No, request from me. I'll have whatever daddy is having. What about you guys?" Padme looked down from one girl to another.
" We will have the same thing please, Grampe." the youngest granddaughter said.
" Ok, then. An Nerf, cheese omelet it is." Jobal smiled at the three girls, before walking into the house and kitchen.
" Daddy, if you and mommy aren't using the lake house, I was wondering if I could live there when I retire?" Padme asked, as the girls got up and headed back into the house to help their grandmother fix breakfast.
" I was thinking about the same thing. Besides, the house really belongs to you." Ruwee looked up to his daughter, watched her very closely, and saw her put her feet back up on the swing and relaxed some.
" That is right. I did buy it shortly after I became Queen. I will let you know how things are going and when I leave, I'll give you and mommy a week advance, so that way you two can get someone to the house and air it out for me. I noticed the last time we were there, it had some musty smell to it." Padme said, as Ryoo came outside with the glasses and Pooja came out with forks.
" Ok, we can do that for you. Oh, goody, breakfast must be done. Let me guess, we have to come and serve ourselves." Ruwee laughed, as the two girls sat the table for breakfast.
" Yes, Grampe. We are to get you and Auntie Paddy and tell you breakfast is ready." Ryoo said, crossing her legs, as if she had to use the potty.
" Ok, we are on our way now, and you, young lady, go to the potty." Padme smiled at her little niece, who was trying not to wet her bloomers.
Everyone met back into the kitchen and got their breakfast, before heading back to the sunroom. They were sitting down at the small table, where they had the two little girls tell them about their week in school.
After breakfast, the thunderstorm ended, but the rain and wind still blew, so the only thing Padme could do was go back to bed and sleep some,while it was quiet in the house, because the two girls were asleep too.
Going into the bedroom, she took off her robe and climbed back into bed, where she fell sound asleep, listening to sound of the rain hitting the windows of her room.