A/N: Thank you all so much for your lovely reviews on the last chapter! Sorry for the slight delay on this one. We're about to delve more into Vader's side of things...
After Anakin's – not Vader's – admission to her in his chamber, it did not take very long for every old desire to come rushing back to them. Old feelings long suppressed on Padme's part felt new all over again. When they weren't working in their separate offices, and Padme wasn't taking care of the patients, they were always together. Laughing, watching corny holovids like teenagers, playing on the sabacc table she ordered, or the occasional time he'd chase her along the hallway like they were children (it was all his fault really, Padme just ran to get away from him), anything else that filled the time. For what felt like the first time in forever, Padme was having fun. And no matter how depressing the castle was, how cold the faces of the droids were, she felt strangely free… And so very adored again.
And with Anakin's adoration came a power, a power she'd never been granted before in any role of her life... Not even as a Queen. She sat by 'Vader's' side as he took his meetings with desperate beings come from all over the Galaxy to find the cure for their loved ones. Almost as if she were his consort. Which might have bothered Padme, if his eyes did not wonder to hers for her judgement in all things. With this power, she ensured the cure was given far more freely than ever before, to those with everything to lose and nothing to give and in knowing that, she slept with a smile upon her face at night.
Though, a smile was not all Padme slept with.
After the fresh touch of love between them, sex quickly followed. The first time they fell into bed together in Mustafar was not the first time they shared a bed… But rather it'd been the first night after he'd been released from the medcenter, fitted with a new cybernetic arm and a heavy dose of painkillers he refused to touch no matter how she pleaded. No matter their time apart, they'd only been with each other, and Padme thought there was something rather special about that.
And between them, despite the oppressive heat and gloomy darkness of the lava planet, spring was born.
Everything felt new again, the kisses, the touches, the gentle gestures that spoke of their feelings without words… Nothing was the same as it had been between them before. They were different people than they'd once been, and it gave them the chance to fall in love with each other all over again. Padme fell easier and harder than she had before without the shame of the secrecy that surrounded them before. It just felt… Easier to love him now… As silly as that was.
Eventually, the mark of the month she was supposed to stay came and went, but neither spoke a word of it. Padme was sure they both were just pretending they hadn't noticed. And while drafting messages to her staff detailing the extension of her break, she smiled knowing this was one pretence she was happy to play.
Perhaps the biggest change between them was that Padme didn't call him Vader, not once after their first night together. The false name didn't sit well in her mouth, and although he was still reluctant to allow her to speak his true name, little by little, his resolve crumbled and it wasn't very long before – when the situation called for it – he was very, very happy to hear the name "Anakin" tumbling from her lips. That did not mean that he'd fully dropped Vader, in name or behaviour. He was still colder than before, still cruel when it came to sharing the cure despite her best efforts in some cases, and Padme came to see that to have him willingly free it for universal use, it would take much more work on her part than she'd originally anticipated.
Still, Padme let herself be cornered all across the castle whenever the mood struck him, and laughed as he dragged her into the nearest closet or chamber – some of which did not even include beds – though the only company they had were unsuspecting droids. It was nice after so many years of worry, of duty, of burying herself in her work, to love and laugh and to do it openly, without the need of secrecy or lies. After all, Anakin wasn't a Jedi anymore. He'd walked away from the Order willingly and from what he'd told her, there was no shame in it. Who cared if people knew they were together now? The only problem was Vader.
Vader was not the man Padme loved. He was a cold, cruel shell of a man – a mask her Ani hid behind to veil his identity from the Galaxy. The masquerade was the only obstacle in their way, the only thing stopping them from living together happily, just like they'd both wanted before the war. But was Anakin ready to discard his persona? Did he even want to? Padme couldn't stay on Mustafar with him forever… There was work she needed to do back in Coruscant. She missed her family, Sola and Darred had long since been released from the medcenter and were well again! She wanted to go home and see them. To hold her beloved sister in her arms and see with her own eyes that she was safe. But, Padme didn't want to go alone. She wanted Anakin to come with her – Anakin – not Vader. Vader couldn't come near her family, she wouldn't let him.
Padme was twenty-eight standard years old now, four years older than her sister was when she'd had her second child. She wanted to have a family of her own while she still was young enough to balance both her work and them and be able to keep up with it all. And she'd spent so long pining for Anakin when they were apart, loving him from afar, worrying about him while he'd fought in the war, that she'd never expressed a romantic interest in another man, never dated anyone else… Never loved anyone else. There was only one man Padme wanted to share her life with, but she feared that despite his love for her, Anakin may not be strong enough to resist the call of Vader.
As she lay on her stomach in what had quickly become their bed in his room, clothed only in the thinnest shimmersilk nightgown to survive the heat that endured into the night, Padme watched her love sleep by her side pensively. His gentle snores were muffled by the pillows he'd buried his face within, and his mouth hung open in the most childishly endearing way… If it were any other night, any other time, she might have smiled and run her fingers through his hair affectionately. But not tonight. Tonight her thoughts were far from affectionate. The blankets came only to his waist, leaving the torn, scarred flesh of his back exposed to the Senator's sad eyes. There were several newer scars scattered across his skin… Some that resembled burns of some kind… Just like the kind Padme's father had on his fingers from receiving a harsh shock while attempting to rewire a lamp. Were they from the fighting? Was he burned somehow, or shocked? Or was it something else? There was still so much he hadn't told her, but she'd been afraid to push him about it… Why did he come to Mustafar of all places? Was it really just to hide from the Senate? How did he have this castle built? How did he find the cure without medical training? Padme couldn't stop the questions from circling her mind over and over again, and the more she thought them, the less anything made any sense.
Jedi had nothing. No possessions, no credits, no homes… Nothing. They had only their lightsabers and the robes on their backs. Anakin had told her that himself. So how did he live after leaving the Order? He had to have stayed somewhere, and earned his keep somehow. Who did he turn to? The sickness hadn't begun then, there were no desperate souls he could manipulate into offering their live savings for a chance at survival. How did he live? She rolled onto her back, turning away from him with a frustrated huff. He clearly had no intentions of telling her any of this on his own or else he would have done it by now… How could she make him open up to her again? Padme loved him and she wanted to share her life with him, but how could she when she barely knew anything about him anymore?
Vader glanced over his shoulder as he dressed, and smiled fondly at the Angel still asleep. Between them, it was Padme who usually woke early, forcing him out of bed, but he would not begrudge her some extra sleep this morning. It suited him that she slept late. The longer she did, the less likely it was for her to go wandering through the castle and find something she should not. With a slight waver of concentration and a little manipulation of the Force, Vader's dark cloak gently lifted from the chair he'd discarded it onto – something ordered through the holonet by Padme – and into his hand.
Quietly as he could, he slipped out of the chamber and threw the cloak onto his body as he walked. There was much that needed to be done today… He needed to speak with his Master this morning as arranged. Any delay would risk great fury on his part. Fury, Vader did not desire to be turned onto him or else he jeopardised his solitude here.
As he walked, quickening his pace slightly, he was greeted by Threepio as he trotted along the hall. "Master Anakin! I do hope you had a pleasant rest."
He was running late. And yet, something nostalgic within him could always find a little time for the old droid. "I did. Thank you, Threepio. Now, where are you off to in such a hurry?"
As usual, the droid seemed to positively light up when talk of his duties arose, and Vader made note to find something more for him to do around here. "Oh, yes! I was just on my way to wake Mistress Padme! She asked that I –"
"No!" Vader barked before he could stop himself, startling the droid backwards a step or two. "Let her sleep this morning."
If he could have frowned, Threepio would have, and Vader felt himself begin to grow impatient. He needed to get to the holocom… If he was not there when the signal came through… It was not something he liked to think about. But first, he had to make sure Padme was left alone. Not for the first time, the former Jedi wished mind tricks worked on droids without frying their circuits. He valued Threepio, and wouldn't enjoy doing such a thing. Not to mention the extra work of piecing him back together… "But Mistress Padme explicitly asked that I –"
Vader exhaled, frustrated. "I'm explicitly telling you, not to wake her. Understood?"
At once, Threepio straightened at the harshness of his tone, though clearly saddened at the loss of something to do and Vader's anger immediately fell flat. He reached out to touch the cold shoulder of his old friend and forced a smile for his sake. "After an hour or so, if she's not awake, then wake her, alright? You can even prepare a late breakfast for us. Let her know I'll meet her then."
"Oh yes!" Threepio practically cheered and the prideful enthusiasm returned to his cybernetic limbs at once. "I shall see to it immediately!"
"Alright." Vader nodded and forced another smile before stepping around the droid again to continue on his way. "Oh, and Threepio?" He called back after the droid suddenly as he padded along the long hallway. "I'm not to be disturbed." Threepio understood immediately and gave as close to a nod as he could perform with a bolted neck and both parties took their leave of one another.
Once Vader reached the doorway he needed, high in the second tower, just three short steps from the elevator shaft and typed in the correct passcode, making sure to swipe the secret key card he kept hidden deep in the pocket of cloak, the door pulled itself upwards, slipping into the thick slot carved out of the strong durasteel framing to contain it. The moment his boots stepped inside the vast chamber, the door fell heavily once more with an echoing slam, and a series of long clicks signified the locks turning themselves back into their holding position.
In the centre of the room, was a large rounded device built into the very building itself. A holocom. Top of the line and heavily modified to ensure the signal was scattered enough to never be traced. A strong blue hue leaked from decretive screens which were fitted a few inches apart all the way around the holocom, illuminating the blackness that engulfed everything and as Vader stepped closer, he reached back to tug the loose hood of his cloak over his head and gave a long sigh. And so it begun again. Within moments, a shrill alarm sounded, drawing another sigh from the man as he fell to one knee and bowed his head.
The holocom immediately answered the incoming signal and within seconds, the hologram of the elder man beamed out before Vader, larger than he knew him to be in life. "Lord Vader…"
"Master." Vader bowed lower, closer to the floor and then looked up, from beneath his hood. And there stood the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, the true leader of the Separatists and Lord of the Sith, Sheev Palpatine, or as Vader had come to know him these past years, Darth Sidious. The man who'd taken him in after leaving the Jedi Order, after their hypocrisy became clear and he needed some truth. Sidious had shown Vader the realities the Jedi kept hidden, and helped him to unlock his true potential while they'd only held him back. They were Master and Apprentice. The two in the rule of two. Brothers. Kin. That was what he said, and yet Vader had come to feel more like the Sith's errand boy than a partner. Careful to shield his mind from his Master, Vader kept his face impassive, emotionless. "Everything is going as we expected."
"Good…" The old man drawled, voice crackling. His face, as usual, was hidden beneath a black hood of his own, and that was all Vader had seen of him in quite some time… In these conversations at least. He saw plenty of the Chancellor Palpatine over the holonet. "Though I have heard some disturbing whispers of late, my apprentice."
"Whispers?" Vader's mind immediately thought of Padme, and he struggled not to bear his teeth toward the blue shadow before him. No, it couldn't be about her… He'd have heard from the old man far sooner if he knew Padme was here. Vader would have been summoned back to Coruscant for a punishing… Still, his heart sped up in his chest and the cool touch of fear dipped into his veins. Sidious would use her against him. He'd threaten her – subtly, but enough that Vader had no option but to obey if he valued her life. No! Sidious couldn't know about Padme. Not until he was ready.
"There is someone claiming to have discovered the secret to our medicine," Sidious growled, and Vader's body shuddered with relief for a moment. He didn't know… She was safe. But when that one, blissful moment of relief passed, his Master's words sunk into his mind. If others knew how to replicate the cure, then all their work would have been for nothing… What he'd done would have been for nothing. "I thought I said only one dose per those I approved."
Vader almost rolled his eyes. He'd followed the old man's rules to the letter… Except with the Naberrie's. But how could he have refused those who would soon be his own family? But what Sidious did not think of, was the flaws in his plans. What other than fear, was to stop someone from simply using what he gave? "I have done what you asked, my Master. The doctors who originally created the cure are dead, and anyone who receives it is well warned about sharing. No one can know the truth."
Sidious cackled from deep in his throat. "Yes… Watching you slaughter the doctors was a pleasure, Lord Vader. But we must be sure word of our work does not reach the public's ears. I have sent the fool claiming to have the cure to you under the guise of working in the Republic's secret laboratories. See to it that he does not return."
Vader's breath caught tightly in his throat. How was he ever going to hide this from Padme? There were no other beings here. She would notice the arrival of someone else… And she would ask questions whose answers would drive her away from him again. No! He would not lose her again. He was finally strong enough, powerful enough to have her; he wasn't going to let her go. Something had to be done… And quickly. But what? What? He racked his brain, and nothing of use came to him. Panic began to build as his Master watched over him.
"I sense a great distress within you, Lord Vader…" Sidious' cold yellow eyes peered down at him, narrowing suspiciously, and Vader tried not to shudder in revulsion. Calm. He needed to be calm. Keep your composure. Shield you mind. It took a great effort, but somehow the fallen Jedi managed to smile a smile full of spite for the other man who would no doubt mistake it for one of pleasure at what he was going to do.
"It's nothing Master. I'm only planning how best to rid ourselves of this problem."
When his talk with Sidious was completed and the holocom shut itself down once more, Vader remained kneeling for several moments in the darkness. How long did he have before this so called doctor arrived? Hours? A day or two at the most… There wasn't a lot of time to prepare. Once he was here, that was the easy part. Vader could kill the man without blinking. Violence had become his second nature, death was his weapon of choice and he dealt it without mercy or hesitation. His power was fuelled by rage, by fury. It was his age old guardian, his mentor, the protector who'd shielded him from harm. That fury could be easily turned onto a doctor. Especially one who threatened his plans.
But if she saw him here, then everything would come out. Padme would never let it go and there were only so many lies he could make her believe. He was so close to having it all, power, wealth, her… Vader could taste it. He only had to wait a little longer before two became one and he could take over Sidious' plans with Padme by his side. But if she learned of what happened – what truly happened, she would leave him again. She would hate him. And worse, she would tell the Senate, and Sidious would lash out. Her precious life hung in the balance and Vader didn't know what to do.
His hands curled into tight fists as he threw himself back onto his feet again with a growl. There was only one way around this. Padme had to leave him, leave Mustafar for a while… But even that was a risk. Once she was gone, returned to her home and her friends, she might not return to him. She might tell people where she'd really been in order to dispel the rumours about a lover. Vader knew what she wanted from him, to give away the cure as if it were his to give, but he couldn't. Because it wasn't. Sidious would have them both killed if he did. The cure was Palpatine's path to the Galaxy – to the Empire he had planned. And it was Vader's too. For that reason, he couldn't give her what she wanted. It wouldn't be long before she questioned him on it. Demanded that he give into the goodness within him and save people. If only she knew…
Within a few months, Palpatine would heroically acquire the cure and if a system wanted it, they'd bend the knee. It would be used to create an Empire. One Vader stood to inherit if all went to plan. And if it did, he would have his Nubian Empress to rule by his side– then he could give her what she wanted. She could have her every desire. They would make things how they wanted them to be. But he had to keep the truth shrouded just a little longer… To do that, Vader had to trust her. Trust that she did love him as she said, that she would return to him. And when she did, the doctor would be dealt with and his Master would be pleased enough that Vader would report their relationship to him for once and for all. And then, once Padme was his wife, and everyone knew he was hers and she was his, he could tell her everything, and make her understand.
And after… After Vader disposed of Palpatine, and the Jedi and everyone else who posed a threat to his power, then the Skywalkers would rule the Galaxy.
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