She would escape into the city, perhaps grabbing a change of clothes from her closet if she felt she had enough time. She would likely wear pants, boots that wouldn't hurt her feet and would allow her to run, and a robe to conceal her identity.
She couldn't remain on the main level. She would need to descend to the surface and the lower levels.
She shivered at the thought of entering the city alone, but the adrenaline in her chest helped her push the fear away and focus on her task. She needed to concentrate and worry later, her mind consumed by the urgency of devising a strategy.
She would have to move cautiously to evade patrols and sympathizers, including anyone who might recognize her. The Empire had not discovered all the safe house locations on Coruscant, so she would proceed to the nearest one.
She wouldn't be able to stay there long. She had no doubt that once Vader arrived, he wouldn't hesitate to set off immediately to find her. He could track her down quickly, but she needed to be swifter. She would stay long enough to make contact, starting with Bail or possibly someone off the planet, perhaps from Naboo.
Hopefully, they would be able to contact someone who could get her off the planet or, at the very least, hide her until the heat died down, so she could do so without issue.
Either way, she would get away. She promised herself that.
She had to succeed.
There wasn't any other option.
She understood that countless things could go wrong: numerous faults in her plan, with each step relying on the previous one succeeding; otherwise, significant improvisation would be required. It wasn't a perfect battle plan, but it was the best she had. All other options had perished with her head of security.
She had to at least try.
Padmé's mind raced as the speeder neared her veranda, counting down the seconds until her plan began. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself during the approach, replaying the plan in her mind until she could recall it as easily as breathing, which was, oddly, the one thing that seemed difficult. She pushed through, forcing herself to find a sense of calm, or at least something close to it, in this situation. For this to work, she needed to remain as composed as possible, let the events unfold as planned, trust herself to act and know what to do, and prepare her mind and body.
Still, her body was filled with tension and exuberance, making her want to dash from the cockpit if she could, despite being wedged tightly between two clone troopers.
She urged herself to remain in her seat, fulfilling her role as the submissive prisoner.
When the speeder came to a stop at the steps, the three clone troopers quickly exited and motioned for her to follow. She silently complied, stepping out of the speeder and trailing the trooper into her home as the other two flanked her sides.
She walked quietly into her home, trying to organize her thoughts. She prepared herself for her plan, playing her part perfectly, if she could say so herself. Acting compliantly, she kept her head low.
She attempted to conceal her smile while the trooper before her instructed the others to stand guard.
Step one was complete, and now her plan could begin.
You can do this. You can do this. She repeated to herself, feeling a bit uneasy as she eyed the blasters they held at the ready in their hands.
A sense of doubt settled in her stomach, but she quickly dismissed it.
She could do this. She had to act quickly. There was only a small window of opportunity. She could face these three troopers, but she would never defeat Darth Vader. He would be here soon. She guessed she had only minutesmaybe fifteen if she were lucky. That was how long it took to get from the Imperial Senate Dome to her apartment, plus a few minutes for his discussion with Palpatine and any potential traffic.
She allowed herself three minutes to wrap this up, followed by another five to exit the building. Just to be sure, she needed to account for necessary escape time and give herself enough distance to ensure he wouldn't sense her presence.
This meant that if she was going to do something, she had to do it now.
"Collect what you need," the trooper said, gesturing towards her closet as they paused in her bedroom.
Padmé nearly laughed in sheer delight when he turned his back to her, positioning himself to watch the doorway instead of her.
Everything was coming together perfectly.
Thank the Force. She nodded and stepped into her closet. At her feet lay an overnight bag that she always kept ready for last-minute travel plans made by the Senate or, more recently, a sudden escape.
Some necessities were already packed inside: toiletries, undergarments, and other essentials. It also concealed a few extra items in a deep pocket: funds for various territories, an old-style communicator, a couple of hidden weapons, and fake IDs for her and her security team. Not that the troopers needed to know about them. It had been their mistake not to check, and she would gladly take advantage of that error.
She quietly thanked her head of security, from where she hoped he rested within the Force, for implementing such measures, although she imagined he hadn't exactly anticipated a situation like this.
.
.
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