Disclaimer: All the characters are property of George Lucas, but what I wouldn't give to own them. The only thing that's original is the main plot. I may have bits and pieces of the movies in them, and I might not.

Summary: Five years after their wedding, Anakin is officially Darth Vader, and Padmé has had the twins, although neither is with her. She is doing her best to be a leader of the Rebellion, and to shove down her feelings about Anakin, because he is constantly chasing her. One escaped thought, and the Sith could stop the Rebellion immediately.

We Meet Again, My Love

"Captain Naberrie, we have confirmation of an attacker. It's a TIE fighter, and it's not leaving." The anxious lieutenant shifted back and forth, as he alerted the authority in his presence. How could any red-blooded male help but be entranced by the stunning beauty. Her eyes and hair were enough to drive anyone wild, but combine that with a dream figure, and she was enough to make him, and every other guy, for that matter, half retarded with awe. Captain Naberrie sighed, and walked briskly to the command center, a drooling minion at her heels.

"It's Vader. Why, for once, doesn't he go back to his freaking Emperor, and let us get our bearings?" She slugged the scanner in front of her, and then stalked to the gunnery wings. She didn't want to kill Vader, since he was in the body of the man she loved; she just wanted to scare him off for a while. She took a few shots with the smaller laser cannon, and then left him to the capable hands of the official gunners, with strict orders not to kill him. Continuing down her inspection, she signed a few forms with her laser signature, admitted lower officers with her finger print, and finally worked her way to her quarters. She locked the doors behind her, and then collapsed onto the bed. Finally, she was able to let the tears flow. It happened every day; she always had to deal with the fact that Anakin had changed for the worst, and was after her every day. He once had caught her, and told her that he intended to make her Mrs. Vader. Fortunately enough, her team came and rescued her. She admitted to herself that even though she knew it would have been wrong, she wouldn't have had the strength to refuse, because somewhere in there was the man she had fallen in love with. Padmé drifted off to sleep, and dreamed of him

88

Padmé? Will you please come back to me? I miss you. I want to grow old with you.

Anakin, I...

My name is not Anakin.

Anakin, I'm sorry, but to be with you would go against everything I have ever believed in. I cannot be with you.

You just don't want to be with me because you think I'm horrible now. I haven't changed much, not towards you. If anyone were ever to lay a hand on you, I would order their death.

Don't you see? That's exactly what's wrong. The Anakin I know wouldn't order anyone's death; he would calmly remove them from the vicinity. You are not the man I love.

You've fallen for one of those rats on your ship, haven't you? I've seen the way they drool over you, but you aren't an angel to anyone of them, you would just be a sex toy.

And isn't that what I would be to you? You would have your greasy weasel Emperor all day, worshipping him like a god, and at night when you're tired, you come home, and to get a little pleasure, you order me to do you .What about the children we would have, Anakin? They would grow up evil and cold, and I wouldn't be able to look at myself, you, or them without disdain. I refuse, Anakin. I will find a way to get away from you, even if that means suicide.

No! Don't kill yourself, Padmé, please. I love you too much. I'd die without you.

Then maybe I should. You at least couldn't be the Emperor's little minion if you were dead. I hate you.

NO!

Padmé awoke with a start. What a horrible dream. She squinted at her clock, barely making out the time. 12:16 am. Hurriedly she walked to her door, unlocked, and glanced out into the hall. It was still in chaos. Pulling her clothes aright, she made her way to the command center, curtly acknowledging the bows of respect along the way. The Senate may have been disbanded, but she was still the leader of the ship. When she arrived, a commander marched up to her and saluted. Hastily she saluted back, and asked for an update.

"Captain, we have sustained significant damage, and the ship is coming ever closer. We've had several warnings from Lord Vader, ordering our surrender. If we don't get away from them soon, I fear what may happen. We could completely shut down." Padmé wracked her brain, thinking of evasive maneuvers, but came up blank. She finally sat in her official chair, and glanced at the commander.

"Commander, Vader isn't after us, he's after me. I'm going to surrender to me, but once I get off this ship, I want you to take over and make a dash for it." The man started to protest; he was one of the several under her spell. But Padmé stopped him, and continued.

"I will not reveal what I know; he doesn't care. He wants me. I most likely will die, but I'd rather die alone than sacrifice this entire ship to the hands of the Sith. I'm naming you Captain, Commander Xio. I know you will lead this crew to safety.Take care of them; tell them that I am proud of the effort they made towards the Rebellion, that their efforts will not go in vain." With that, she wandered to the escape pod, to turn herself over to Darth Vader.

Vader stood at the window, watching the ship below him. He knew his wife was on there, but he had to be careful to veil his feelings; the Emperor would disapprove of a marriage for anything but the good of the Empire. Vader contemplated what he would do when he caught his wife again; marry her under the Emperor's power, fit her into his lifestyle, make her Queen again, this time of the Empire. He missed Padmé's warm touch, the sensation of her lying next to him in their bed, her lips on his. He trembled inside his mask, than grimaced. He didn't like it, but Emperor Palpatine assured him that it made him look more terrifying, and he would grow to appreciate it. Every night, in his quarters, he took of the helmet, and ran his hand through his lengthening hair. He still had the same looks, the ones that he hoped made Padmé happy. They would come in handy when convincing her to join him, and give up this silly little uprising.

Walking down the path through the control room, he glanced at each of the lower officers, enjoyed their cowering in fear. A hologram appeared in front of him; it was one of the lieutenants in the docking bay.

"My lord, we have captured an escape pod with a girl in it. She claims she needs to see you. She won't tell us what her name is, because she says you know, sir." Vader lifted his eyebrow. Padmé was being contrary to what he knew. He hurried to catch an elevator to docking bay level. He could feel himself shaking in anticipation. When he finally admitted himself into the contact center at the dock, he glanced around the room to find his beloved Padmé with a black eye and a bloodied lip. Anger rose up in him.

"Who is responsible for this?" A proud private stepped forward, only to have his airway shut off. Padmé gazed on in stupidity as the private quickly turned red, than blue, than purple. Vader dropped him to the ground, and seized Padmé.

"Anyone who treats her in this manner again..." pointing to her eye and lip, "...shall be punished in a manner much the same as this little imbecile." And on that note, Vader picked up Padmé and carried her like a new bride to the long-distance hologram room. Once there, he tenderly set her down and stepped into the middle of the circle. With his mechanical voice, he respectfully addressed his Master.

"My Master, we have just apprehended this leader of the Uprising, and I request permission to make her my wife." The Emperor pursed his lips, and began speaking.

"I understood that she was already your wife. Why should you want to repeat such a thing?"

"I want to make her Mrs. Vader under you, sir. I was hoping that you would perform the ceremony. I wouldn't feel it was right unless you oversaw it." The Emperor nodded in approval, and disappeared with the word that he would do it in three days' time. Vader strode over to where Padmé sat cowering, and gently helped her to her feet. Together they slowly and quietly walked to his quarters.

"Padmé, try on the dress that's in your room. It has to fit, and I couldn't remember your exact measurements, since you've been avoiding me for five years." The last two words were said with utmost bitterness, as Vader could hardly contain his excitement of seeing her, and yet his anger that it had been so long. If she had ever really loved him, would she have waited this long to see him again?

Padmé sat, half in frustration, half in awe, of the terrifying creature before her. No longer was he a handsome young man; he was a monster now. He wore an ungly black mask and helmet, and not a centimeter of his flawless skin was showing. She longed to pull the blackness off, and with it, rid the galaxy of Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine. She wanted to see her husband's gorgeous blue eyes looking back at her, not empty black glass. Before she knew it, Vader was pulling the plastic off his head, and looking at her with those blue eyes. But they were different now. Instead of warm, fiery, and spontaneous, they were now cold, cruel, and dead. She couldn't make herself look into his eyes another minute, and glanced down at the floor. Anakin sensed her dismay, and quickly looked to the mirror, to see what about his face might be troubling her. But he couldn't see it. He slowly sat on his bed next to her, and turned her face towards his with kind hands. She had to look back to him, and when she did, she saw her Anakin return. She greeted her known husband with a small smile, followed quickly by tears.

"Padmé, darling, why are you crying? You're with me now, and together, we can rule, happy and finally at peace. No one will have problems with our marriage; we don't have to hide it anymore!" Padmé wanted to believe him, but something in her heart said no. She knew she would have to be Mrs. Vader if she stayed with him, but her soul couldn't handle the emotional stress of continuing to run from him. She sat considering her options, before finally giving up. She would be Mrs. Vader, and convince herself that as long as she was with her Anakin, nothing could possibly be wrong with the world.