A Suitable Prison
Summary: Padmé Amidala resisted the Empire, and failed. As punishment, the Emperor refused her a martyr's death and instead imprisoned her in a life support suit and gave her to Lord Vader as his slave, a symbol of Imperial power. Now she travels with him as an "advisor". How will two broken people find each other?
Imprisoned
Author's Note: RIP Christopher Lee, you are Saruman and Count Dooku, we wil miss you. You gave us 93 years of your life and awesome movies to boot. Thoughts and prayers are with your family and friends.
"Hello my dear," Sheev Palpatine sneered. "You live. Good. Good."
He glanced over her life support system. "I'm deeply surprised you're still alive. That explosion should have killed you. Still, it didn't mar your lovely face, shocking isn't it? Well, you're beauty won't matter because from now on no one will ever see your face!"
Padmé had long since lost her voice screaming in agony during the painful surgery, she'd not been given one anesthetic and felt every single incision and every operating procedure done to her.
Her eyes widened as the hideous mask was placed over her head, somehow her hair had remained intact but it was pinned behind her head, keeping it out of her damaged eyes.
What she had been able to see clearly now looked like a blurred blob of colors. She could see large shapes but no detail.
As the mask slid into place, and she exhaled softly, she could hear the loud iron lung breathing for her. It was so hard and harsh and altogether terrifying. The hideous simulacrum of the world around her, broke her heart, she could remember her life as it had been, and she knew she was in her own personal Hell.
Sheev didn't need to throw her in a prison; she would have to walk around in it for the rest of her life.
"Who are you?" Lord Sidious asked.
"I am Padmé Amidala," she replied. Then she realized to her horror, that the vocabulator wouldn't let the name Padmé Amidala pass from her lips to be audibly heard. Seev would never let anyone know she was under the mask.
"Henceforth you are E-3778Q-1 and you shall be E-3778Q-1 for the rest of your miserable life!" Sidious began laughing.
She screamed in agony and rage and hate, it was so loud it startled the workers. It was said that it made the nearest technician go deaf shortly afterward.
Darth Vader opened his eyes, startled from his meditation. The Sith was astonished by the rage, anger and hate he felt for a brief flash. He savored the delicious emotions, letting them flow through him.
He left the room and walked towards his master, he saw what looked like a Sith droid standing beside him, its hands at its side, shoulder slumped, gazing out at nothing.
"Bow before Lord Vader!"
Padmé forced herself to kneel down before Lord Vader, bowing her head in submission, the agony coursing through her body made doing anything reckless impossible.
"Lord Vader, I present you with a gift, she is E-3778Q-1, a symbol of what becomes of those who resist our rule, my apprentice. She will accompany you wherever you go as your personal "advisor", a constant reminder of our power."
"I am grateful for this gift, Master," Lord Vader replied, as he gazed down at it contemptuously.
What a nuisance, a pathetic life form, why not just kill her Master?
"I see you do not understand, you are not just a symbol of our power, she is as well, she tried to resist us and we crushed her under our heels, now all will look on her and see what becomes of those who oppose us!"
Palpatine gestured to Padmé, "She is yours to do with as you wish, Lord Vader, she will indulge you in every way possible. Even carnal pleasures if that's what you desire. But remember my Apprentice, under no circumstances will you kill her, I will be most displeased if you do."
Padmé shuddered, or would have shuddered if the armor she was forced to wear hadn't weighed more than she did before she'd been placed into it.
What as the point of this life support suit? It was armored enough to protect her from various weapons, apparently Sheev intended her to be a Rebel assassination target. How ironic since she'd been on the Delegation of 2,000 which had become a Rebel movement.
Carnal pleasure. By Shiraya, she couldn't do that! Forget morality and prudishness, sex would probably kill her! She could barely breathe and walk, the exertion and stamina needed for sex was something that didn't exist for her anymore!
Besides, Padmé gazed upon Lord Vader's stunningly handsome visage. He'll get his fill of beautiful women, he sneers at me and thinks me pathetic, and it's not like he can be attracted to me, he can't even see my face!
Horror dawned on her when she realized he didn't need to see her face if he wanted sex with her.
He's not looking at me like that, I'm just an annoyance, let me stay an annoyance.
Darth Sidious turned to his apprentice, "One last instruction, Lord Vader."
"Yes Master?" he glanced over at the Sith Lord.
"Under no circumstances Lord Vader, are you to look under that mask and see her face."
"Master?" he was surprised at the order. "Is she so hideous?"
"Undeniably so, you need not concern yourself with her face, Lord Vader, you need not see her face to rut with her, should the urge come over you for such things."
"Come with me, E-3778," he ordered, dropping the " Q-1" as it was easier for him to remember.
Padmé followed close behind him, she was surprised to see many Imperial Senators, many of them her former colleagues parting way for Lord Vader.
"What is that—?" they asked themselves.
"Vader's personal General Grevious?"
"It's a droid it has to be a droid."
"I heard it's a war criminal, hideously scarred—"
"It's not even human, it's a monster!"
They did not see her as a human being, they never would.
The doors shut behind them. "This droid will escort you to your room. I am needed elsewhere, I will summon you if you are needed."
Once Vader was out of sight, Padmé's strength left her; she stumbled and fell to the ground. Her body could not hold up the armor's weight anymore.
The Imperial officers laughed and jeered, one of them kicked her in the gut.
They all passed her by, laughing, except for one.
The Clone trooper stood and watched her as she clawed the wall, burying her mechanical fingers into it until she could pull herself to her feet.
"Captain Rex," she whispered sadly.
"Senator Amidala is that you?" he asked quietly.
"Yes, old friend, thank you for your concern," she touched his helmet gently.
"I know that we aren't supposed to talk to you, but if you ever need anything."
"Thank you," she whispered. She turned and staggered away.
Her assigned quarters were little more than a room. There was a bed but no blankets; not that having them would do her any good. It was sparse, except for a chair and a workbench.
Padmé slumped her shoulders and let out a melancholy sigh. She'd have to make do with her miserable situation.
Perhaps she could win the favor of Lord Vader somehow, he was hardly kind, but he was far more forgiving than the Emperor, perhaps she could persuade him to build her a hyperbaric chamber where she could rest and be rid of the horrid suit for a short while.
She was truly alone, all alone among her "peers" and everyone else. She would be alone with herself, cut off from human contact, isolated and alone.
Padmé did the only thing that could possibly give her comfort, she prayed to the Goddess of Vengeance, they were rarely called upon as the Naboo were a peaceful people, but she wanted revenge, she hated Palpatine and she decided vengeance is what the thing she had to live for, since she was forced to live on.
"I am no longer all alone wallowing in abject solitude. For I am now surrounded by the Furies, the goddesses of Vengeance! In the cold bosom of the darkness I awaited the dawn, and once dawn came I cursed my flesh until night fell once more! I even prayed that I might lose my sanity! But those prayers went unheeded, nothing changed, and when I strove for the peacefulness of death, the Devil's cold, pitiless hand grabbed hold and held me back! Well, it won't be long now…!"
Revenge, she would have revenge, Palpatine had done this to her, so it was he who must pay for it. He would be brought down, but now she must learn to cope with her situation and hopefully find a way to heal her severe injuries.
She was no Jedi or Sith, but she had always been a cunning politician, Vader had no such skills, he was an attack dog, but she could win people over to her if she wished, and she already had an ally in Captain Rex.
There was a noise, Padmé glanced up. She knew what it was, and it didn't take a genius to deduce the familiar sounds of sexual intercourse. But why by all the stars and planets did she have to be the one with the enhanced hearing?!
Padmé sighed; she recognized the voice that went with the moan. Senator Tyreca Bremack formerly a Separatist had joined the Empire and was trying to win favor with the Emperor, through his Apprentice. Padmé knew that Lord Vader was hardly interested in a relationship with her; he was probably indulging in sex to sate his curiosity.
Again she cursed the life support suit, everything was so loud, every little thing felt like someone was screaming in her ears. She could swear that Lord Vader and Senator Bremack were far down the hall, but it sounded like they were in the next room.
"Oh, Lord Vader! Please kriff me! You feel so good!"
"Senator, don't tell me what to do, I take orders only from the Emperor, not from you!"
"Such fine equipment, Milord, make me yours!"
"I won't be gentle with you Senator," he growled.
"I don't want you to be!"
Padmé grabbed the hydrospanner and multitool. She began disassembling her right leg. She needed to fix the shoddy work the droids had done in putting her together, she needed a distraction from the animal noises coming from down the hall, she felt uneasy, unintentionally listening to something so private.
But what was she to do? She was unused to the suit and all it's functions, she dare not tinker with it too much, she might break something.
The adjusted the servomotors and aligned the gears, and began the painful task of reattaching her leg.
She let out an agonized scream as she reattached her leg. She felt the sweat drip down her face; she was shocked she could even sweat at all.
She fell into a restless sleep, relieved, because at least when she was asleep, she couldn't feel the pain.
Lord Vader lay in his bed, smirking, it had been an enjoyable experience, the Senator was hardly his first woman, but sex was so…pointless, it was only needed to give parents offspring, and he was not the Emperor yet, that needed an heir. Still, he could pretend to enjoy it, if only to keep the obnoxious females placated.
He heard it before he saw her, the loud, distinct sound of her breathing. What was she doing in here? Vader wondered if he could make use of her somehow, no, he wasn't interested in her like Senator Bremack was interested in him.
Still, there were some males who were aroused by cyborgs. He wasn't one of them.
He peered at her through lidded eyes, feigning sleep. Would she try to assassinate him? That would be amusing.
He watched as she gathered the assorted mess of their clothing, sorted it out and placed them neatly folded on the bed. She turned and left, hoping she hadn't woke them.
Vader grew curious; there was something different about her.
Under no circumstances Lord Vader, are you to look under that mask and see her face.
"Is a lowly creature so frightening that you must hide her from me Master?" he asked himself. "Should I just order her to remove the mask? No, the Emperor's spies are everywhere. I should find other ways to see her face."
He summoned the med droid, it appeared before him.
"Lord Vader, do you require medical assistance?"
"No, but tell me does E-3778Q-1 require maintenance?"
"Yes she does, why do you ask Lord Vader?"
"I wish to observe it," he replied.
"She will receive maintenance next week, Lord Vader."
"See to it that no one knows I'm there," he added. "And have her summoned; we're headed for the Alderaan system."