She closes her eyes as her handmaidens apply her makeup to her face. In a few moments, she has to meet with her adversary and she wants to look her best. She has to make sure that he knows what he left behind.

He should be forced to look into the eyes of the woman he broke.

"We're finished." One of the handmaidens says. Padmé opens her eyes, startled by the image in the mirror. Is that really her?

Her hair is pulled back to almost look like horns on the top of her head. At first, she's curious how they managed to pin her hair back so effortlessly, but then she sees her gray roots. How hasn't she noticed it before? She really is getting old, whether she wants to or not.

Instead of focusing on the dark eye shadow coating her eyelids, she spots the wrinkles growing around the corners of her eyes. She looks at her lips, a dagger sent through her heart. They've painted her lips in deep red, the pattern an identical match to how she used to wear it as the queen of Naboo.

They've taken dark blush and ran it down the side of her cheeks, emphasizing her high cheekbones. She thinks that it just draws attention to how much weight she's lost over the years. Her cheeks look sunken. She almost looks like a shell of her former self.

War really does change people.

She rises from her seat, her black dress streaming around her feet. There's a red lace around the collar that quickly grabs everyone's attention. Surprisingly, it's not itchy. She studies the rest of the outfit, admiring the dark colors. Then she sees it. Sewed over her heart is the bold symbol of the rebellion.

Her new look reminds her of the dragons in the stories she used to tell the twins before bed. She has dark eyes, a long face, and fascinating horns on her head. She smirks, running her fingers over the rebellion symbol. This look is different than she's used to. All of her life, she's been put into white, frilly dresses. She was supposed to have a look of innocence and pureness back then.

Now, she looks like a sinister widow who wants revenge for what's been done to her. She's no longer in hiding. She is no longer afraid of the machine that has killed her husband. She is going to stand up against him for the children he abandoned when he took Palpatine's side. She is going to avenge her husband's death with a hard blow to the Empire's number one superstar.

But this isn't just about the pain she's suffered. She is going to do whatever it takes to free her people from the grasp of the Empire. Millions around the galaxy are starving and dying. Life as they knew it has changed drastically over the past decade. And anyone who dares to speak out against their dementors has been tortured by the shadow that goes by the name Darth Vader.

She is tired of hearing their cries. She is sick of him thinking that he can get away with killing her people without paying the price. She is going to put an end to Darth Vader, Darth Sideous, and the Empire.

She is going to come out victorious.

No matter what it takes.

She turns away from the mirror, her determination bringing smiles to her handmaidens' lips. This is their leader. This is the woman who will make the Empire pay for the misery it brought to the galaxy. And they are going to stand beside her until the very end.

"I need to see Ben." She declares, her voice strong and clear.

Immediately, one of the handmaidens rushes out of the room. Padmé smiles at the remaining ones, thanking them for the work they've done. She is impressed with their new design. Just as she is about to question who came up with it, Ben enters the room.

She silently motions for her handmaidens to leave. Without another word, the two of them are left alone.

"I like your new look." He says a smile brought to his face. "It's nothing like you've ever worn before."

Padmé has been studying the man in front of her since he entered the room. This war has changed him as well. His hair is now gray with soft tints of red. His blue eyes have sunken just a bit. But his compassion and belief in her have not faltered once since she took up this position. He has stood by her side since day one. "Thank you, Obi-Wan." She softly smiles.

"I'm assuming you have to take a call." He says, his hand resting on his chin. He knows that this is unusual for Padmé. Back when the Republic still ruled, elaborate outfits were very common for her. But after that day on Mustafar, she threw every dazzling outfit she owned into the trash. She swore to never wear outfits like that again unless she felt it necessary.

"I want you to keep the twins away from my quarters." She says as she walks over to her vanity. She grabs a black bracelet and clasps it onto her wrist, slightly pinching herself in the process. "I'm going to be talking with one of the Empire's leaders."

Obi-Wan is quiet. He knows who she's referring to. Slowly, he says, "It's been a few years since you've last talked."

"You understand why I'm requesting this then." She says, turning around to face him again.

"Of course." He says. He gently reaches out, holding her hand. He can sense her unease, but it is masked by confidence. They share a smile, slightly letting their guard down. "I wish you the best."

"You too. You have the hardest job, after all." She says with a chuckle, referring to the twins. They are rebellious and sneaky. Keeping an eye on them can be challenging. You can never guess what they might be up to.

But he doesn't join her in laughter. Instead, a sad smile rests on his aging face. Her stomach drops and she wants to wrap her arms around him. She can see the pain in the tears welling in his blue eyes. "No. The twins I can handle. I couldn't handle seeing him again."

She holds her breath, her hand instinctively going to the lace around her neck. She is going to see him again. She straightens up, now holding her hands in front of her. She must remain emotionless. All of it is in the past. The man she will be meeting today is not her husband. "You must excuse me, Obi-Wan. My meeting is to take place in a few minutes. I must prepare."

He bows. "Of course, Padmé." He says. He walks to the door then pauses. "Good luck."

She gives him a reassuring smile before he leaves. Once he's gone, she lets out a sigh. She thought that talking to Obi-Wan would help her to gain some more support, but instead, she feels some sort of dread. Her hand goes to the lace again, running up and down it.

What does Obi-Wan know anyway?

The last time he saw Anakin, it was their battle on Mustafar. He doesn't know that he's more machine than man now. He doesn't know all of the trauma Anakin has caused throughout the galaxy. It's not because he refuses to know or is living under a rock. Padmé doesn't like seeing him grow in sorrow. She can't shield herself from the truth of what he's doing, but she can shield Obi-Wan from knowing the gory details.

She won't let him know more about the padawan that he believes he failed.

A knock comes from her door. It's time.

She calls for them to enter, her voice slightly shaking. A few rebel leaders enter the room, bringing along a hologram projector. They won't let her use the one in her room in fear that he'll be able to track it. They plan to destroy this projector the instant the meeting is over. They don't like the idea that he could have a direct line right to her.

Crazy to think that they had a secret one all those years ago on Coruscant.

"Padmé, you look stunning." Mon Mothma breathes, her eyes falling onto the dark goddess standing in front of her. It's hard to see the woman Padmé used to be. Years ago, she used to be mocked behind her back for looking too preppy and energetic.

No one will be laughing when they see the angry martyr who has taken her place.

A beeping catches their attention. He's just one button away.

"Are you ready, Padmé?" Bail asks, looking at her. He is shocked himself but doesn't say anything. He has personally known Padmé for almost her whole life. He knows how much Anakin meant to her and what turmoil he has caused her and her family. He knows that this won't be easy for Padmé, but she is determined to talk to himself herself.

She sends Bail a smirk. "Yes. I'm ready."

The creature in a mask forms in front of her. But this time, she isn't afraid. This is not her husband and she isn't going to be searching for him anymore. This is an emotionless maniac who won't let anyone get in his way, including children.

She can't forget that detail about him.

"Darth Vader." She says, her own voice sending chills down her arms. She has never said anyone's name with such hatred. She has shocked herself at how heartless she sounds.

"I've been waiting to see who the rebellion had voted in for their fearless leader. How long did it take for all of you to come to an agreement? I sure hope that it didn't take you fifteen years." He replies, ignoring her attempt at hurting him.

She glares, knowing what he's referring to. Back on Naboo, he mentioned that people should be made to agree on things. He talked about how it takes too long for people to decide on important issues and how someone should make all of the discussions.

He just opened their meeting with a jab at the democracy she's been trying to rebuild while leading a rebellion.

Before she can fire back an insult, he cuts her off. "I'm glad that they've chosen you. You will make a great rival. You hold a power over people that you don't fully appreciate."

She pauses, unsure of how to take that comment. Is he complimenting her? Insulting her again?

But instead of tackling that, she gets to what's at hand. The longer she stays on the line with him, the greater the chance that he can track them down and locate their base. She doesn't want to risk the lives of everyone here. "I want to come up with a compromise."

"A compromise?" He repeats. His heavy breathing replaces the would be silence. "The Empire does not make compromises."

"You won't even hear me out?" She asks, afraid that all of this will be for nothing. She has to attempt to get somewhere with him. They don't have all of the people they need to begin a real rebellion. Maybe if they can get on some middle ground there won't be a need for a full-out right.

"Fine. What would you like to propose?" He asks. Just outside her door, she can hear a droid beeping. She thought she told her men to send everyone to their rooms. She figured they would understand that meant droids too.

"The trade routes." She begins, eager to send him their demands. "You're blocking routes that planets need in order to get supplies."

"Those planets got their trade routes revoked because they disobeyed our rules. They tried to join your rebellion and they must be punished." He argues, his leather glove pointing at her through the screen. Just the sight of it tugs at her heartstrings. He wore the same gloves to hide his robotic hand so that he wouldn't hurt her when he touched her face.

She blinks her eyes, bringing herself back to the present. "Those people are starving."

"Then they shouldn't have revolted. And those that survive will understand the price of going against the Empire." He says. She can almost see the smile under his mask. What a sick, twisted man. Starving people just for speaking out against an unfair government? Kind of hypocritical to her. He would have been greatly punished for what he said about the Republic back then if his new rule applied.

She narrows her eyes, familiar anger bubbling inside of her. "You're killing your own people to prove a point?" She scoffs.

"A point that other planets will learn if they don't want the same thing to happen to them."

She locks her jaw and flares her nostrils. She forgets that she's talking to a hologram of Darth Vader, not a fellow politician. This isn't one someone who she can have complicated arguements with. Her response comes spitting out before she has a chance to think it through and weigh the consequences. "Anakin Skywalker would never starve people just to prove his dominance. You are a coward hiding behind a mask. You use fear in order to make people obey you. You're some sick monster that refuses to have his true identity shown."

His breathing stops for a second. Suddenly, she regrets the words that came out of her mouth. She wants to take it all back. "If you want to see a monster so bad, I guess I'll have to show you one." He growls. She gasps, her windpipes collapsing. She claws at her throat, fear pumping through her veins. Her heart beats erratically. Her vision starts to darken and she is transported somewhere else. She's no longer in her quarters, but somewhere a long time ago.

She can feel the heat from the lava surrounding them. In his eyes, she can see the anger and hatred he's been harboring for years. She is trembling, watching Obi-Wan exit the ship. Before she can answer him, her throat pinches shut. She can't get any of that hot air her lungs demand. She is scared and confused. Why is he hurting her?

She can hear Obi-Wan yelling at Anakin to let her go but his grip only tightens. She holds onto her throat, trying to peel his invisible hands off of her to no avail. Her eyes begin to roll to the back of her head as Obi-Wan shouts again.

But instead of drifting into darkness like the last time, air rushes back into her lungs. She grabs onto the table, coughing. At first, she doesn't think that she'll be able to properly breathe again. Her hand wrings around her neck, searching for a mark. She had a purple bruise around her neck for a week the last time.

"There's the monster you so desperately want to see." He spits as she catches her breath. She takes a few seconds to process what just happened. How was that possible?

She looks up, her eyes boring into the dark glass over his. "Funny. Anakin did the same thing to me years ago. I can hardly tell the two of you apart." She pants.

"It's nice to see that you haven't lost your sass." He says, bringing a mocking smile to her lips. "As much as I've enjoyed our chat, we're finished here. Listen to your newscast for the next few days. Know that you're the one who brought upon the next wave."

Before she can fire something back, he disappears. The room is still. You could hear a pin drop if Padmé wasn't breathing so hard. She lowers her head, still trying to catch her breath. Obi-Wan was right. His job is so much easier than hers.

"Padmé, are you alright?" Bail asks, cautiously coming to her side. He places a hand on her back and grabs her arm to help her to stand upright. They didn't get very far into the compromise, but he wasn't expecting them too. Darth Vader isn't the easiest person to chat with about controversial topics.

Padmé's thoughts swirl in her head as she feels tears pricking in her brown eyes. He choked her through a hologram. How is that even possible? How much power does he hold now?

"I wish to be alone." She says, clutching her chest. She holds onto the rebellion symbol sewed over her fracturing heart. "Now."

Everyone quickly moves from the room, taking the holoprojector with them. Once she knows that they're gone, she collapses onto her bed. Her body shivers, suddenly cold. She curls herself into a little ball, her knees to her chest. She begins to weep, hiding her face into her pillow. Her wails echo down the hallway, but no one dares to enter.

She thought that seeing him would reassure her that he was truly gone. She hoped that her outfit would bring some sense of confidence in their meeting and show him that she had changed. Instead, she lost her temper. She wants to blame it on stress and him being unreasonable, but she knows that it's her years of pent up rage and sadness.

People are going to suffer because of her. If she hadn't acted out today they wouldn't be in this mess. She wouldn't be responsible for the next terrible massacre. She didn't even get started on her prepared list. She got through one item before insulting him.

Why did they vote her in as their leader? It's clear that she can not handle the role.

She pulls her pillow tight to her body, seeking some comfort. When she went into this meeting, she was no longer afraid of him. She felt like a new woman. But now, she's terrified. When she stepped out of line, he didn't fire insults back at her. No, he got mad with power and choked her without warning.

He choked her through a hologram.

Yes, it's scary to know that her life was being held in his hands. He could have killed her right there and no one could have stopped him. But that's not what she's so afraid of. No, she's lived with the thought of him killing her for years. She's accepted the fact that he's searching far and wide so that he can kill her in the most painful way possible.

What's making her heart race and her hands shake is the fact that his actions have only reinforced the idea that it really is him under that mask.

Anakin is still alive and he still wants to make her suffer.

He is not finished with his mission to make her hurt.

And he is going to do it by destroying her people and slowly shattering the heart she's spent years trying to patch together again.

~~~~~~~~~