Chapter Text
Padme was sitting in his office in the senate, earlier in the day there had been a senate meeting. To say the meeting went poorly would be an understatement. It was clear that if the Republic kept spending credits they didn’t have, the citizens' quality of lives would decrease, parts of Couruscant only had water on certain days and lighting was rationed. Coruscant was supposed to be the gleaming star of the Republic and even its citizens were suffering from this force damned war.
The Republic was already in crippling debt but the senate kept voting to take out more debt, if this kept up it wouldn’t even matter who won the war because the Republic was falling either way.
Unfortunately for Padme it was clear that his coworkers disagreed since the bill had passed and now the Republic was taking out more loans with horrible interest rates from the baking clan.
Padme rubbed his temples to try and alleviate his growing headache. Honestly he didn’t know how much more of this he could take.
Hearing the door open he looked over to see Dorme entering the office. Dorme had one of his brows raised in a critical manner. After a moment of eye contact Dorme said “it’s getting late senator.” Looking out the giant windows of his office he could see that the sun had set hours ago. He checked the time on his data pad seeing that it was 01:29, he winced.
Padme tried to speak but found that his voice was very rough from hours of disuse. Once he had cleared his throat Padme tried to defend his choice by saying “people are counting on me, I can’t let them down.”
Dorme made a sympathetic sound before chiding him “you can’t help anyone if you work yourself to death. You are going to go home and eat something then go to sleep, you are either going to go peacefully or I will make you.”
Dorme had placed his hands on his hips, making his point clear. Padme sighed before answering in an exasperated tone “okay, okay.” Dorme had a satisfied smile on his face.
- - -
Dorme had insisted on driving them to Padme’s penthouse. Padme always find the speeder traffic mesmerizing, millions of people all living their own lives doing their own things no matter the hour. Even with the scale of Coruscant Padme’s heart was always longing for Naboo, for the lakes and trees, for his family, nothing could compare.
Thinking of Naboo was making him think of Anakin, their honeymoon on Naboo. The life they would one day share on Naboo. Padme missed her dearly, he hadn’t seen her for months now and he was desperate to see her again, to know she was safe.
Dorme parked the speeder in the speeder hangar two levels below Padme’s floor. Padme got out and stretched, his body was stiff from sitting hunched over his desk. He heard multiple of his joints pop.
Padme pressed the code into the lift which the duo both got into, apparently Dorme would only be satisfied if he saw Padme’s body hit the mattress. The lift made this beeping sound at each level it got to, at the second beep the entrance opened.
Walking into his rooms he could tell something was different but it took a moment to figure out. The smell was different, under the floral scent there was the smell of ozone that came with blasters. There was also the underlying smell of sweat. Padme reached under his robes to where he kept his blaster, pulling out. Someone was in his apartment. Sharing a glance with Dorme he could see that they had both realised the same thing
Dorme made a motion that clearly translated to ‘should I call for backup?’ Padme shook his head, ‘no’ he wanted to see what was happening here before he got others involved. Dorme’s face clearly showed his disapproval.
Looking around for other signs of disturbance he saw that there were boot marks on the floor, they looked like they were made by large work boots. Following the boot marks, they led to his sitting room. Padme used the wall for cover, Dorme was right behind him. Quickly peeking into the room, he saw two people sitting, facing away from him on his loveseat and another person laying on one of his couches.
Making sure to be quiet as he stepped into the doorway, holding his blaster ready for trouble. Clearing his throat he asked “why are you in my home?”
The two men sitting shot up, turning around quickly. They both had blasters in hand, neither had their blasters raised.
It was clear that both men were clones, and judging by the paint coloring they were members of the 501st, Anakin’s battalion. Padme lowered his blaster, his brain immediately filling with the worst outcomes. Had something happened to Anakin? He hadn’t heard anything but that didn’t mean anything with a job as dangerous as hers.
It felt like his heart stopped, he needed to know. Padme’s voice was shaky “did something happen to Anakin?”
The clones exchanged a look before they both lowered their blasters, one of the two took a small step forward before saying “the general is fine, sir”
Padme could breathe again, Anakin was okay. It was Dorme who spoke next, standing next to Padme he asked “so why are you here?”
The duo of clones once again exchanged a glance before the one who was standing slightly behind the other said “uh, well the uh, the general took us here. It’s complicated.”
Padme scrunched up his eyebrow, why would Anakin bring them here? And what made it complicated. Right when he was about to ask a follow up question Anakin sprung from the couch, she was sitting and looking around confused.
After a moment she looked right at him, she gave him a shy smile. Gently she said “hi.” The strangeness of the situation made him laugh. He felt a wave of release seeing her alive and well.
- - -
Padme was listening to Rex’s story and was very concerned, if this was true it could be catastrophic. Who would want to kill the Jedi? According to Lina Soh’s razor the most likely cause is probably the cause which would mean the Separatist could be behind the attack or some other party trying to destroy the Republic.
A plan, they needed a plan. Padme came up with the best plan he could which boiled down to let’s find out more information. He wished he could come up with something better but it was this or nothing and this was better than nothing.
- - -
Padme had just finished telling everyone his plan which no one disagreed with when Anakin practically dragged him away. Grabbing him by the hand she led him away. Padme stopped at the doorway looking over his shoulder to say “there is a guest room down the hallway and to the right, you are free to it or anything else in the home.”
Once he was finished speaking he turned back to Anakin and let her drag him away.