post no 51

Padmé touched a clasp and felt the press of the thin straps fall away from her skin, slowly, without taking off her eyes from Vader's she let herself fall back on the cushions.

Vader's lips formed into a lopsided grin and she guessed she was performing well. She closed her eyes as he drew closer, her heart beating both with expectation and trepidation. Yes trepidation; For though Vader's touch kindled all kinds of new and exciting sensations within her she just could not shut off the little voice, now distant but persistent nonetheless, that kept whispering the names of her friends; Friends that this man had betrayed.

She could very well not forget them but she could not hold onto them, not for long. For his hands were now on her bare midriff and advancing, she was being pulled under, loosing her grip on reality; on vengeance, and her friends like her hold on rationality were soon lost in the tempest of new sensations.

"Beep! Beep!" Padmé and Vader both jumped away from each other. Vader cursed as he sat up and reached for his comlink, this better be good he growled with gritted teeth. It was his aid Tauleed.

"Captain, I'll be there shortly." Vader barked into the comm with unmasked ire. "You are not to disturb be again unless it is absolutely necessary." He paused long enough for the other voice to finish. "I know the men are waiting!" He thundered.

Padmé's heart was still beating as she looked at Vader's, now, stern face and could well imagine the discomfort of the man at the other side of Vader's anger.

Vader suddenly shot to his feet. "What! The general's here!" He roared. "I'll be there as soon as possible." he shouted as he began to walk away from the sofa.

"Look Captain, hold him there, keep him busy, while I..."

"He's going!" Padmé thought with relief, blowing off the breath she'd been holding after they'd been interrupted so rudely. She knew that she wasn't off the hook, not yet and the inevitable had merely been postponed and it was a matter of time before he asked for what he considered to be his right as her husband. But now she was free at least for the time being.

Hurriedly she got to her knees; clasping her blouse and touching up her hair in an attempt to make her self presentable. The minute they walked out that door her family would be waiting for them. But Vader didn't reach the door, half way he turned sharply and made for the window.

"I'll fetch your cloak." She called back as she made for the door. She fairly skipped to the door; fortunately Vader was too busy to notice the drastic change in his rather reserved wife.

She debated whether it would have been better to get it over with-to swallow this bitter pill and have done with it one way or another. 'No! she told herself, I need more time to get to know this man. Maybe he's going on an assignment," She thought, he'll be away a whole week or even a month. That would give her time to prepare. Time enough for the fact that he was her husband to sink in.'

When Padmé returned she saw Vader leaning against the window frame. Head thrown back, eyes closed and his arms crossed tight around his chest, so much so that his biceps stood taut and rigid.

Padmé stopped, "Is anything the matter? She asked.

"I have to go!" He blurted. Padmé shrugged, "You did say that you weren't here to stay.

Vader shook his head. "My garrison is leaving! 'The Destructor' and the rest of the fleet have been reassigned."

That's when reality sunk in and the cloak slid from her hands. She did want him to go but not like this not with his troops.

"But you can't! You can't leave. Anakin you promised. You promised you would stay and protect Naboo." She threw herself at him, and clung tight as though she could hold him there by force.

"I know I promised but I have no choice. Central command on Coruscant saw fit to promote me to fleet commander; I have to take command of the Elrood sector. All naval forces between the Correlian trade and the Rimma trade routes are now under my command. I have orders to proceed, immediately, to the Sullust system, where my new headquarters are located.

"And…"He took a deep breath and looked down at her. Cupping her face in his hands he raised it to him. "I want you to go with me, Padmé." His voice was heavy as he said it. He did not sound malevolent but for some reason the request made her stomach churn.

"Go…where." She hadn't thought of this. Even after Vader had proposed; even after they'd been married he hadn't brought this up. She had assumed that she would be on Naboo and he would visit from time to time. She wanted to shout and say no, that this was here home that she'd resigned her post as senator just so that she could be home but instead she just said, "You never said anything about leaving Naboo.

"I understand your love for your planet but as my wife your place is by my side, on my ship. That is the only home I've known for most of my life after I left that dustball of a planet I used to call home.

"What about Naboo. The anarchists and outlaws will fall upon her like hungry predators. Naboo is unarmed and…"

"Coruscant has taken care of that," Vader said. General Azrul has just arrived with his troops to take charge of…"

"General Azrul!" Padmé yelled. That corrupt, incompetent, mindless gundark how can he protect Naboo when half the time he's too inebriated to even count his fingers and when he's sober, which is rare, it's only long enough to get his pockets warm. The fool will leech this planet. She turned to the window. "How could you give this beauty, this grand monument to successful symbiosis of man and nature, this treasure of history to that rancor, how can you trust him with something so precious and…" Tears threatened to break and she stopped to compose herself.

"For the moment I think Azrul's forces are better than nothing, "Vader said, placing a hand on Padmé's shoulder.

But Padmé ust shrugged it off." Naboo is better off without Azrul, Anakin. His troops are the most ruthless, undisciplined lot of all of the republic forces." She bit back.

Vader gave a heavy sigh! "I don't know where you get your intelligence from, Padmé but without proof backing those charges there is very little I can do about it. Besides it's too late to do anything, any way. My fleet will be leaving at this time tomorrow. But perhaps…" He paused. Padmé's face spun towards him, her brown eyes full of hope.

"I could manage to hold up some of my troops here to keep your home planet safe, if…"

"If what?" Padmé persisted.

"If you would make my home for me."

"How much troops? She asked.

He sighed again, "Let's see now. I can spare one battalion of clone troopers, elite trooper that is and a squadron of starfighters at the most"

"You expect a dozen fighters and a couple of hundred men to protect a whole planet."

"five hundred men," Vader interjected impatiently, "highly trained in surveillance and intelligence operations. And the 'Point dragons' are among my best fighters. They will be here mainly to keep Azrul in check and to make sure he does his duty. For that they are more than enough."

Padmé still seemed dubious, "Captain Coy Recca is a friend I could trust with my life and one of the best pilots in the navy." Padmé shrugged indifferently, "How should I know?"

"Would you be happy if I gave Thauleed the command of the battalion? He is a Nubian and perhaps you could trust him."

Padmé relax, "Captain Thauleed! Yes! I think I could trust him."

"He will report to personally, at least till the time that I can go to Coruscant and use my influence to lobby for better forces for Naboo. And I do assure you that my influence up there among the top brass is quite considerable?"

"Palpatine himself I presume!" She thought but did not voice it.

"So does that please you!" he asked.

She nodded and gave him a smile that wasn't as enthusiastic as he'd like to see. "As long as it keeps the scavengers off Naboo!" She replied.

"You will have to trust me. My men will take good care of Naboo and if in the process they should manage to catch Azrul at the so called games you accuse him off, then so much the better."

He pulled her to him. "Now why don't we turn to matters more important as far as the two of us are concerned," He said with a chuckle. "I do have a little time to spare and woe to the man that interrupts this time."

For once she didn't mind when he wound his arms around her. Rather than panic, she felt warmth and security enclose around her.

Perhaps having a powerful man for a husband wasn't so bad after all. She thought, as she relaxed in his arms. Right now unarmed and vulnerable Naboo needed more than courageous leaders to protect her. Vader had shown concern for her planet something that surprised her, despite the deal he had made with her. But then who could blame a man for wanting his wife by his side. Her mother most certainly would not.

She gave a startled gasp as he suddenly bent low, swept her off her feet and carried her towards the sofa. With a resigned sigh she wound her arm around his neck and let her head rest on his shoulder. She would think of the consequences later.