Darth Vader surveyed the Senate proceedings with barely concealed contempt. He had always thought them a bunch of useless wastes of space, but having to see them in action, or rather inaction, only increased his hatred of these pampered, out of touch egomaniacs who seemed to only love money and the sound of their own voices. He discreetly watched Senator Organa as he calmly yet passionately argued in favor of resettlement of refugees and for a softer touch with protesters, especially those on Imperial Center itself. Vader tried not to think of Padme and how she had similarly made such arguments to no avail. He had to respect Organa's tenacity, if nothing else. After what seemed like an eternity, the session ended for the day, and he removed himself to the hallways in the hope of cornering Organa without arousing suspicion.
He found himself wandering and picking up Senators' thoughts, as some of them projected loudly. He was disgusted with the pecadillos some of them harbored and toyed with sending someone after them to expose them, but knew that he should not do any such thing without alerting his Master beforehand. He knew that Palpatine had to be aware of their misdeeds, and was probably using such information as leverage. If he wasn't currently, then he would be later. He pondered the uselessness of the Senate, and why Palpatine hadn't disbanded it - after all, what was the point of being Emperor if one didn't have complete control? He knew that it was all about appearances, but he loathed the idea of these parasites drawing obscene compensation when they were nothing but superfluous. He sighed as he realized that he had found himself close to Organa's office.
Darth Vader strode in and went past the gaping receptionist, who did nothing to impede his progress. He moved into the office and felt Organa's spike of surprise in the Force at his appearance. The mousy individual who he was speaking with, curiously, barely acknowledged Darth Vader and merely continued on with his little speech, finally handing over a datapad to Organa and leaving. He merely dipped his head in acknowledgement to the Sith as he walked out of the office. To say that Darth Vader was surprised by the mousy man's indifference to him would be an understatement. The door to the office swished quietly closed after the mousy man's departure, and Vader was hard-pressed to remember anything specific about that individual before.
"What can I do for you, Lord Vader?" Organa asked politely. Vader could see past the man's stoic exterior, and could feel his apprehension through the Force. Vader was mostly sure that Organa knew who he was and exactly what had occurred between himself and Padme, but he felt that there were other things that the man was hiding. Most importantly, his account of Padme's death had differed dramatically from the official autopsy report the Emperor had given him. Or at least what Organa had told Sola Naberrie had differed, and he needed to know if Organa had merely fed them a story to make them feel better, or if that truly had been what had happened. He already knew of his Master's role in her death, as well as his own - but the truth was murkier than he had originally anticipated.
"And just who was that that you could not dismiss immediately upon my arrival?" he surprised himself by asking. He cringed internally at his childishness, but he was irritated with Organa, his Master, himself, and at the cheeky little man whose features were already eluding his memory.
"Imperial Intelligence, come to deliver an update on certain highly sensitive and developing situations," Organa answered stoically, yet confused.
"I see," Vader replied awkwardly and kicked himself for not having thought of it. He had been expecting someone in uniform, not the nondescript individual who had just exited. "And just why would you of all people need to be informed of such things? As far as I am aware, you are a Senator, not a high-ranking member of the Imperial hierarchy."
"No, but I am a member of the Security Committee, and have been for some years due to seniority," was the placid yet amused reply. Vader was glad for his mask, since his shame at his own ignorance could be hidden. He should have known this information already, especially given the man's closeness to his late wife. Had he truly been living such a self-centered existence?
"I am surprised that a pacifist such as yourself would allow themselves to be on such a Committee as a matter of principle," he found himself blurting. He couldn't stop himself and didn't know why he was letting this mere Senator intimidate him without even trying.
"I may be a pacifist, but I am not naive, Lord Vader," Organa replied with a touch of irritation. "Knowing how best to proceed in sensitive situations is the only way to be able to keep one's own beliefs intact. Staying ignorant but true to one's beliefs will not help my cause or anyone else, for that matter. Besides, intelligence and security are at the heart of any government, regardless of its composition or ideology. Those who do not accept that reality and cling to ideology at all costs find themselves very short-lived."
Vader nodded - the answer was bland yet also perfectly true. The unspoken sentiment being that even Alderaan had its own security and intelligence apparatus and had been criticized for doing so hung in the air. Vader had to respect the man - he was no fool, and he most likely possessed dangerous knowledge about himself, and Palpatine as well. The naivete of the Sith in front of him was not in doubt - and both parties knew it. "I believe that while you and I seem to have diametrically opposed belief systems, at the very least we seem to have some level of pragmatism in common. A good sign," he offered by way of apology for his ignorance. Whether Organa realized that he was just trying to play it off or not, the man merely nodded in acquiescence and looked at him expectantly, if not with a healthy dose of fear behind that blank mask of a face.
"I am most curious about the details surrounding Senator Amidala's death," Vader began bluntly, and was satisfied to see Organa pale slightly.
"And what is it you wish to know, Lord Vader?" Organa asked as he tried to keep his cool. He had anticipated that Vader would have approached him at some point, but he hadn't expected it to be so soon, or that he would have been this open about what he wanted.
"It seems that the official autopsy report and what you told the Naberrie family do not comport," Vader replied stiffly. Organa closed his eyes briefly in sorrow and nodded his head.
"I assume you spoke to them recently while on Naboo," Organa stated sadly. No doubt he had been aware of the Imperial incursion into the Naberrie home, even if such a thing had not been made public. Vader wondered if he had spoken to them at all, but he doubted it.
"I did, and it seems most curious to me that your version of events does not match the official one. Care to elaborate? How did you even come to be involved in the first place?"
Bail Organa sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He had always known that it was a risk that he would be asked his story, and he hoped that he could keep his mental shields up, as Obi-Wan had taught him to do. He also hoped that the Sith would not ask more than he could give or just try to rip it from his mind, which was always a possibility. He had to hope that the man in front of him still possessed some humanity which would allow him to accept his story and not kill him for his part in any of it. Bail Organa recounted the story that he had given Palpatine prior to the funeral and tried to ignore the horrific mask in front of him. Ironically, he focused on the sound of Vader's breathing. Most people found the respirator to be the most terrifying thing about Darth Vader, but it just reminded Bail that this was just a man in front of him - a man with significant weaknesses, regardless of how powerful he appeared.
Darth Vader stood with his hands on the back of the chair facing Organa's desk. As the story progressed he found himself gripping the chair tighter and tighter, to the point where he could hear material cracking beneath his hands, but he didn't care - couldn't care. The Force rang with the truth of what Organa was telling him, but there was more that he was not revealing. There was also real fear there - fear of him finding out some unpleasant truths or fear of being found out for knowing who Darth Vader really was?
"You know who I am, Senator," Vader stated, tired of dancing around the issue. "Or rather, you know who I was," he finished pointedly.
"Sadly, yes," Organa ventured, swallowing hard. His fear had spiked in the Force as well, and Vader knew that the man was wondering if these were to be his last moments.
"Have no fear, Senator," Vader sighed. "I am not interested in punishing you for trying to do right by my wife. I am merely seeking the truth of what occurred, although no doubt you feel that I am the one mostly responsible for her demise, if what I sense from you is correct."
"If she truly did die of a broken heart, as the droids thought, then yes, I would have to say that you could be said to be the cause of that," Organa said sadly, his eyes not meeting Vader's mask, but rather far away and glassy with unshed tears. Vader wanted to throttle the man momentarily for daring to have any feelings for his wife, but he realized that it would be futile. He was not the only one who grieved her - her family on Naboo did as well. Palpatine would also then be aware of Vader's suspicions, which would not do.
"But you don't actually believe that, do you?" Vader asked dangerously.
"I don't know what I believe," Organa replied as he shook his head sadly. "The medical droids couldn't figure out what was happening - they said that she was physically healthy, but they were losing her. But-" he cut off and shook his head again, as if to clear it.
"But?" Vader goaded. The man in front of him gave him a miserable look and his fear increased again. Now we're getting closer to the issue, Vader thought.
"For someone who was supposedly losing the will to live, it seemed like she was fighting with all her might to stay alive," Bail Organa said with that faraway look again. He hated reliving that moment, the shock of what was happening in front of him, and being powerless to stop it.
Vader nodded imperceptibly and tried to withdraw from the Force somewhat, the misery emanating from the man in front of him was so strong. He couldn't blame Organa for his confusion - he had no knowledge of the Force, so he could not have known what was happening at that moment. Vader himself had not suspected anything until very recently. No, the sad truth was that Padme's Senator friend had done better by her than her own husband. "I thank you for the truth, Senator," Vader said honestly and made to leave the office. He had all the confirmation that he needed.
"Her last words were about you, you know," Bail Organa ventured, and Vader could practically hear the man's heart racing from where he was, already halfway across the office.
Vader barely turned and acknowledged the pale man still seated at his desk and noticed the shaking hands. He said nothing and let the man gather up his courage to speak.
"She said there was still good in you, that she believed there was still good in you," Bail Organa said so softly, he almost missed it.
Vader stood there dumbly for a few moments, and then strode out of the office without another word. His Angel had believed in him even at her moment of death, and he wondered if she knew what was happening to her. His mind raged at the depth of his Master's betrayal and he knew that she would never have lived so long as Palpatine was alive. He should have let Mace Windu kill him, for Palpatine would have been the cause of her death no matter what. He had used his wife when she was fourteen to propel himself to power, and then again over a decade later to lure his apprentice. She had been nothing but a tool for Palpatine, just like he himself was, and the knowledge ate at his soul and mind. He would need to learn control now, regardless of the cost. He could not let Palpatine get away with what he had done.