Chapter 14

Present Day: Chicago

Breathe…Breathe…Breathe…Relax…Relax

That's what Pamila kept repeating to her clients today. It was getting so redundant. Of course she smiled at them and was genuinely friendly. They were all nice people and she enjoyed helping them, but she kept getting distracted when she kept feeling Vader's arm around her. A ghost of a feeling. God knows she didn't want to go to work today, but what excuse could she give. Uh sorry guys, but I want to spend more time cuddling a dude I barely met who wears strange armor and has respiratory problems. Sorry for the inconvenience. She shook her head. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Lunch came fast. No appointment was scheduled for an hour and a half. Now she wished she had a home phone. She was the silly teenage girl who wanted to call her crush. There were so many questions left unanswered. How did he know her name? She just realized he never did explain that. Why was he in the suit? What was the suit? Was it medical or an extreme fashion choice? Why is he a lord? What was the Empire like? What does he really do for the Empire? With a weapon like that "lightsaber", she doubted it was bringing sweet little school kids their milk and cookies. Did he cut of the head of holistic healers who ask themselves redundant questions? For her sake, she hoped not.

"Pamila Jenkins, this is Officer Collins from CPD. Are you in?"

She never even heard him knock on the door. Shit! Why was he here? It had to be about Vader. Be calm, be calm! Only speak when asked a question and keep your answers short! She told herself. She hastily moved from her desk chair to the door. She opened it and saw a tall, square jawed officer in front of her. He was imposing, but nowhere near Vader's level. If she could deal with Vader, she could handle him.

"Oh, I'm sorry officer. I didn't hear you knock. Must have drifted off." Smooth.

Pamila was close to his height but he still had to turn his gaze downward to look at her, "I just have a few questions Ms. Jenkins."

"What about?"

"Your car was spotted via surveillance camera near the site of an . . . incident. You were then spotted entering the building of said incident, but eventually smoke blocked the camera's view and we never see you exit. Could you explain that miss?"

The best way to lie is to cover it with some truth. "Oh yes that was horrible. I was just coming back from grocery shopping when I see smoke coming from the warehouse. I pulled over and rushed in, but like you said, there was so much smoke. I couldn't see a thing. I couldn't breathe, so I made my way back out and left. I felt guilty that I didn't stay longer in case there was anyone hurt, but what good would I be dead from smoke inhalation." That sounded good enough.

He stared at her as if looking for any signs of lying. She just kept smiling at him, leaning against the doorframe casually. He started to speak again, "So you have no idea about what caused the smoke?"

She let out a fake flirtatious smile, "Well, I may be a blonde, but I know smoke usually follows fire. As to what caused a fire, I'm afraid I can't help you. I'm no fireman"

The officer gave a smile back, "A cute blonde indeed. Why didn't you report to the police after?"

Pamila allowed herself to let out a helpless feminine sigh. "I was so frazzled after I got out. It was quite an ordeal. Besides, I heard sirens coming," She rested her head playfully on the frame. "I'm sorry if I was a pain officer. Perhaps I can make it up to you. You could come in for…treatment. Free of charge." Oh, she hated saying that. She just wanted him to go away and leave her alone. Being extremely flirty may be the best way for him to leave.

He blushed and looked away. "No thank you, miss. Still on duty. Just gotta track down every lead, you know. Well, thank you. I think that's about all I needed to know."

She placed her hand on the door, a smile still plastered to her face, "It was nice meeting you, Officer Collins." And with that, she quickly closed the door. Once it was closed and she was sure he left, she let out a huge sigh and sunk to the floor in relief. God that was terrifying! Now she really had to look over her shoulder. Maybe he bought her story, but he could just be as easily waiting to tail her. Did she really seem suspicious? She was an avid volunteer and had no criminal record, could they really think her capable of wrong doing? Technically, no crime was committed when she rescued Vader, she was just being a Good Samaritan. It's not like she held up a 7-ll or anything!

Another knock came from the door. She jumped. Cautiously she went to open it. It was just her next client. She smiled widely and welcomed the woman in with genuine happiness. God knows she needed a distraction right now. It was time to go back to work.

….. … ….. … …..

Vader did not like being cooped up. He was nearly done with the beacon, but he kept putting it off. He didn't really want to activate it. The only reason he would is out of a sense of loyalty to his Master. It didn't change the fact that he didn't want the Empire to catch the signal. He hoped it would reach dead space and never be found by anyone. He wanted to stay here, even if he was becoming restless after being forced to look at the same four walls. However, he knew all the reasons why he had to stay put and he kept reminding himself of them. The local authorities were most likely looking for him, he would stick out in this world, and it would get Pamila in a lot of trouble if people found out she harbored him. Still, the reasons did nothing to expel his pent up energy.

"Dude, hurry up! Just pick the damn lock!" A voice whispered behind the apartment door.

"Shut the hell up! I'm hurrying." Another voice protested.

On instinct, Darth Vader summoned his saber from his belt while his body assumed a fighting stance. He heard clicking from the door locks. The would-be thief's had successfully unlocked it. Vader's thumb was practically twitching to ignite his blade. Criminal scum always angered him, but now he was in a fiery rage over criminals breaking into his Pamila's home. He moved to wait by where the door would open so he would be hidden by the newly open door. When the door opened, he moved behind it, waiting for the right moment.

Two white males entered, both wearing dark clothing. They held what looked like blasters in their hands and knives concealed at their belts. One saw Pamila's cat.

"Boo!" He hollered, sending Sekhmet scampering away.

"Look at this place man! All these plants, it's like a forest."

"I bet yoga teacher or something." The other responded. Vader was tired of lingering in the shadows. He pushed the door aside. It creaked, alerting the intruders to his presence. It closed with an ominous click. The burglars spun around, weapons ready to fire.

"The residence you have broken into is the home of a healer, if you care to know. She is kind, not despicable like you." Vader spoke. The young men jumped at the sound of his deep almost feral voice.

"Who the—what the hell are you?" they both asked in unison.

For a while Vader was silent. He let his breathing fill the room. Then as, if answering the question, he ignited his lightsaber.

"A friend."

The men opened fire. The blasts were metal, not lasers. That made little difference. They disintegrated on impact with the heated blade. Vader moved towards them despite their futile attempts to kill him. When he was close enough to strike them down, he hesitated. Pamila. What would Pamila think when she found two dead men killed by his blade? Criminals or not, he could see the horror in her eyes at the thought of him as a killer.

With that in mind, he changed his approach. With a spin of his saber, he knocked the weapons from their hands, leaving them scorched and broken on the floor. The boys backed away from him, tripping over the legs of the coffee table. The fell on their backs with a groan. Vader took advantage of this. With one hand, he focused the Force around both their throats. He lifted them from the floor and dangled them in air. They clawed at their throats, trying to figure out what invisible hand held them. Vader controlled his Force grip. It was meant to hurt them, but not kill them. He then summoned the Force into his voice to command the weak fools.

"You will leave this place and never return. You will tell no one of anything that has transpired here today. All you will remember is trying to pick the lock and that you failed!"

Once he was done speaking, his saw the boys' eye's glaze over, a sign that the Force in his words were taking effect. Seeing his work sinking in, he let the boys go. They got to their feet and scurried out the door. Their memories in the process of being rearranged. Vader deactivated his blade and reattached it to his belt. He picked up the intruders broken weapons, placed them in an empty box, and shoved them way in the back of Pamila's chaotic closet. It would be forever before she found them and by then he would have found a way to dispose of them.

Lord Vader moved back to the coffee table. In their fall, the intruders had smashed his beacon. He should have been enraged. He should have tracked them down and killed them. Instead Darth Vader smiled. Now he had to start from the beginning once more. More time, more peace, more Pamila.

Sekhmet meandered over to Vader and proceeded to rub her cheek against his boot, making soft meowing sounds. Vader smiled to himself hoping that Pamila would see the trust her pet had in him. He carefully picked the cat up, holding her for a moment.

"Yes Sekhmet. Looks like I have been delayed here for a little while longer."