Vader continued to mingle amongst various delegates and engage in false pretences with women and men who were only seeking to speak to him to see if he could offer them any valuable information or resources. Vader was engaging in a conversation with Grand-Moff Tarkin and his minions when he felt his master summoning him. He swiftly but subtly made his way up the stairs to the Emperor and bowed before him. The Emperor requested he come close and asked, "So my friend what have you discovered?".
"Nothing yet master. Most guests appear to be focused more on networking with powerful individuals who can promote them. Some are looking to find partners to sleep with, and others are simply here upon invitation. Their walls are very weak and easy to penetrate, I would know if they were hiding something". Vader reported.
Palatine paused and then said "So what I am hearing is that you have found nothing. I find it impossible to believe that there is no one here who possesses some information or had contacts with the Rebel Alliance. Your task is to find out any information you can about them and identifying any traitors".
Vader turned to his master and replied "Master, I have already managed to penetrate the minds of many of the guests here and there is nothing to be found. Most people are not here discussing work or politics, but more pleasantries and family and …"
Vader was interrupted by Palpatine who said "I care not what the scum are talking about Vader. You need to get down there and embed yourself in some useful conversations. Perhaps there are some pretty women down there who you can woo into submission and who will tell you all they know. I would not be surprised if you still possess your manly charms from your time seducing that whore Senator Amidala".
Vader stiffened at his comment and found anger growing inside him against his master. Palpatine regularly used Padmé against him, as he knew how much her death pained him. Any reference his master made about Padmé was almost always in hatred and the anger just made Vader turn more towards the dark side. Vader simply bowed his head and replied, "Yes master".
Palpatine cast his hand forward in dismissal and said, "Now go". Vader got up from his knees and descended the stairs to reintegrate himself into the party which was now in full swing.
Padmé had now separated from her colleagues to mingle with other delegates. She was attending in a formal capacity and it was important that people saw her as the new Senator from Naboo. Her mask kept her face a secret, but it enabled her to talk to many other politicians and Imperial officers. Padmé was not naive to the chemistry of the male brain, and she knew the way many of the men who were here tonight were thinking and what they were after. Padmé had never been that type of women, she had always had to act with his levels of elegance, professionalism and respect. She could not comprehend why some men and women could simply attend these events and leave with a stranger and have sex with them to never see or hear from them again. Padmé had not been romantically involved with anyone since Anakin died, and she didn't think she ever would be again. She did not need the distraction, and she had her friends and most importantly the twins. At that moment she realised her mind was drifting thinking of the twins and immediately shut off those thoughts and tightened her mental barriers.
Padmé had been so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't realise that the ballroom has been cleared and people had formed pairs in preparation for the main dance. She searched around the large crowds for anyone who was still seeking a partner. Vader too had found himself without a partner. He caught the disdained look of the Emperor and did not want to draw unnecessary attention to himself and so he walked quickly over to a woman in a long red dress and asked her to join him. Padmé curtsied and took his gloved hand in hers as the music started and the dance began. The man wore an imperial officer uniform, but Padmé could not distinguish the rank he was. The tension was high between the pair, so Padmé decided to forever be the politician and introduce herself.
"I appreciate your invitation to dance. I fear I got side-tracked and was unable to identify another dance partner. I am Sabé Soruna, the acting Senator for Naboo". Padmé states, her mask still hiding her face completely, as she divided her attention between her words and her dancing steps.
Vader could not help but have an immediate distaste for the Senator. It had been 8 long years since Naboo had had a Senator. None had been found to occupy the void left by Padmé Amidala, so the Queen had elected not to fill it out of courtesy, until now. He knew he needed to reply in order to maintain his cover and considered that she would be a valuable source of information. "It is a pleasure Senator. I am officer Starkiller". Vader replied as he too focused on his dance steps. He looked into her eyes through the holes in her mask and he noticed they were brown like Padmé's. He began sifting through the Senators mind for information but was shocked that her mental walls appeared to be very strong, with Vader being able to acquire almost no information from her mind at all. It was almost impossible she was force-sensitive and this created curiosity in Vader as to how her mental walls were so strong. Before anything else had been said the dance was over and Vader bowed in respect to the Senator before they departed the dancefloor.
Padmé walked back over to join Bail and Mothma but couldn't help but be slightly perplexed by the officer she had just danced with. Despite him only saying a few words, there was something about his voice that was almost familiar to Padmé. She dismissed the thoughts as silly before she got back to her table and sat down.
Vader walked back over to a group of officers but couldn't help but be slightly perplexed by the Senator's he had just danced with. There had been very few individuals in this room whose mental walls he failed to break through, and yet he had been unable to read any part of her mind as though it was well shielded. He could not escape the thought that there was something very familiar about the Senator from Naboo. He dismissed the thoughts as silly before he began talking to the officers again.
Padmé sat watching many people around her who were still dancing, and groups of young men and women of all species laughing and flirting with one another. Whilst she had always attended events like this in a professional capacity she did enjoy dressing up. Tonight had been the first time in many years where she had done her hair and makeup and worn an elaborate dress. The seamstresses on Naboo were so talented and produced her dress with such finesse and care. The dress was comfy but fitted. It was a floor-length red sequin dress. It was a high-necked dress that beaded at the neckline and was tied at the top of her neck and was backless, showing off her soft skin. Padmé had always managed to find a perfect balance between being conservative but showing enough to be elegant and this was the prime example. The dress flowed down to the floor, with a tiny train that followed behind her. She had really enjoyed feeling beautiful again, as it had been an age since someone, or something had made her feel like she could be beautiful. Padmé had spent many years conserved within a shell of despair and sadness, but tonight she felt liberated as Sabé and could relieve herself of the emotional tyranny she still felt.
Vader stood watching those around him. By this point, many were heavily intoxicated and were struggling to string a sentence together or stand up straight. This made their minds more than easy to read, and yet he still had found no significant knowledge about the Rebel Alliance. People's thought flew through his mind, still many concerning insignificant matters. Vader was unable to love and had been blind to any women other than Padmé. But she was dead and gone forever and he was the only one to blame. Vader shook his head under his mask as he tried to rid himself of thoughts of his angel. He had been plagued more than normal by thoughts of her recently, and the torture was getting harder for Vader to bare. He decided to go outside on the balcony and get some fresh air and be free of the watchful eye of his master and of the stupidity of the officials who were conversing over one drink too many.
Padmé stood out on the wide-open balcony looking over the Coruscanti sky. It was as busy as she remembered as she admired the channels of traffic that flew through the sky in perfect synchronisation. It had been 8 years since she had lived here, lived in 500 Republica. But she had to forget about that, she had to forget that part of her life with Anakin, for he was no more and had been consumed by evil and killed by the monster Darth Vader. Two tears escaped her eyes as she dabbed them away. She had vowed to not cry over the fall of the Republic, over the death of democracy and the annihilation of the Jedi. She still had the twins, she had Obi-Wan and she would continue to help the Alliance to restore freedom to the Galaxy. Just as Anakin had wanted to do, she suddenly thought. She shook her head in protest at the thought. She had mourned Anakin's death for years and knew that a part of her heart would always be broken because of Anakin, because of at he had done and planned to do. A small part of her had died that day, died with Anakin. On this day 8 years ago Padmé and Anakin had died, and Darth Vader and Black Widow had been born.
The frosty wind blew slightly, and it sent a small shiver down Padmé's spine. At that moment Padmé heard the faint sound of boots on the marble floor and stiffens a little. "Can't I have some peace?" she thought to herself as a figure came to stand about a metre from the balcony. Vader didn't plan on telling the Senator how long he had been standing there, but it has been long enough to see her cry and stare out into the planets busying traffic. Her hair was pinned up in an elaborate style by her side leaving her back exposed down to where her dress started. He could not shake off the feeling that the skin was familiar. How ridiculous he thought that you would think this Senators back was similar to Padmé's. "Get out of my head" he thought angrily as he rested his arms on the balcony.
Feeling as though you could cut the tension with a knife Padmé broke the silence and said, "It's very clear out here tonight, I'm sure if you tried hard enough you could see Corellia".
Vader tilted his head to briefly glance at the Senator and replied 'Perhaps'. Padmé was a little taken aback by his deep voice, as she had only heard a few words from him earlier. Vader had learnt to disguise his human voice when not adopting the mask. Although the voice changing was not required often, it usually frustrated him to have to do it and so avoided talking when possible. But curiosity got the best of him and the frustration of being unable to get enough information from her mind. He paused and said, "So on what premise do you come to the Empire Day Ball Senator?". He beat himself internally as soon as he said it. What a stupid way to phrase it he thought.
She looked a little surprised at his question before saying "I came as a representative of the planet Naboo and as her ex-chief handmaiden, for her majesty Breha Organa to show her respect to the Emperor from the Royal House of Alderaan as she was unable to attend due to previous engagements".
Vader was slightly taken aback by her eloquently phrased response and had to take a minute to think. So, she was an ex-handmaiden to the Queen of Alderaan now turned Senator. She likely had inside knowledge of their activities. Vader and the Emperor had long suspected Bail Organa of being a leader of the so-called Rebel Alliance, but as of yet had no proof. It was clear that the Queen was not involved in this action, as she had a planet to run and with the Emperor making Vader breathe down her neck, she would not dare defy the Empire. But maybe the Senator knew something, she must be highly respected by her majesty if she was sent here alone, Vader thought. She must have been trained well as she was able to shield her thoughts and keep her mind closed from invasion. This annoyed Vader as she was the first barrier he had come across that night. Even the trained and practised Senators like Organa and Mothma often revealed small insignificant pieces of information, but from her Vader got nothing, and it frustrated him immensely. 'Perhaps she is force sensitive' he thought to himself. The thought quickly disintegrated as thoughts of her being a senator and in close connection to a Jedi would mean he hated her for more reasons than one.
Padmé continued to look out at the view in front of her, well aware that the man next to her had been silent for a significant amount of time. Padmé broke Vader's developing thoughts by saying "Might I pose the same question to you. Judging by your uniform you are an imperial pilot".
Vader was quite impressed by her observations. Very few were able to differentiate between the categories of service within the empire. Not wanting to give anything away Vader replied, "I work for the Empire, and I am here to pay my respects to the event and its creator".
I small shiver escaped Padmé at the mention of Palpatine. This did not go unnoticed by Vader who decided to push the Senator. "Do you not believe respect should be paid to the Emperor?". He asked a twinge of annoyance in his voice.
Padmé hesitated at the question, she wasn't surprised by it but as always had to be careful, after all, she did not know who she was speaking to, he could have been more than a simple imperial pilot. Deciding to as always be very political with her response she says "The Empire was not created by one person. There were many responsible for the dissolution of the Republic and birth of the Empire". She couldn't bring herself to speak his name, she would not talk about Darth Vader, then monster who in her belief had destroyed the man she loved more than life itself. Vader assessed her statement and then said "Indeed there were others, but only one ruler. Of course, he must have subordinates like..."
"Like Darth Vader, the murderous machine, yes I know about him, everyone does" Padmé interjected, unable to hold back her disdain for him in her tone. Her interruption caught Vader off guard as well as her clear discontent for him showed. But that was what he liked, he fed off hate. But what was clear to Vader was something that frustrated him, she did not fear him like everyone else, she hated him. He was about to respond when he felt a tremor in the force, his master wanted to see him, immediately.
As he walked through the bustling crowd his mind started to fill with thoughts following his conversation with the senator of Naboo. He couldn't stand politicians. He was not interested in politics and was a much more devoted supporter of aggressive negotiations. He hated politicians, all of them, and that included his master. There had once been a time when he loved a certain senator from Naboo, but that was a long time ago "and you killed her" he said in his mind. He was forever bound to his master and was still a slave, just as he had been on Tatooine and as a Jedi.
Vader made his way through the bustling groups of dignitaries and up the stairs to where the Emperor was sat on his chair watching over the scenes below. Vader bowed to the Emperor subtly who then asked, "I pray you bring me good news, my friend".
Vader was not inclined to admit that he had found out very little from penetrating the minds of the guests and instead replied "I am certain your suspicions on Bail Organa and Mon Mothma are correct my master".
Palpatine smiled and responded, "Ahh yes, I have been well aware of their treacherous activities for a long time, we now just need them to make a mistake before I can destroy them and their ridiculous rebel alliance." He paused and then asked Vader "It seems Naboo has finally managed to fill the void of the late Senator Amidala. What do you think of Sabé Soruna, she certainly reminds me of Amidala in that dress? She was always so desperate to stand out and receive gratification from men". Palpatine could not resist having another stab at Vader through the use of Padmé and he relished in the pain it bought his apprentice.
Vader took a deep breath and forced down the hatred he felt and replied "Her mental walls seem strong master. It appears she is connected to the house of Alderaan. I believe she may have received some training to shield her mind. There is very little information I have managed to acquire from her".
"I must say Vader I am very disappointed at your apparent lack of progress. The whole purpose of this event was to obtain information needed to annihilate the leads of the Rebellion and all you seem to have down is waltz around flirting with women in here like you used to do with that whore Amidala. I do not want useless scraps of information Vader, I want results". Palpatine said impatiently.
"I shall integrate myself once again master. But this process takes time. I need to break down several walls of a person's mind to be able to access any valuable information. It is likely that any members of the Alliance will keep information about the Rebellion enclosed strongly within their mental walls. It is very difficult to penetrate through those barriers in a social setting this quickly" Vader insisted as calmly as possible.
"Yes, go. People may get suspicious of your appearance by my side if you remain any longer. You have two more hours Vader, then I have to go down and visit the scum myself, as a formal farewell" he said almost spitting the words. Sidious respected no one other than himself. To him, all below were simply puppets on thousands of strings that he could pull at any moment and they would do his bidding. Even his apprentice, whilst Vader lacked the experience, he made up for it in sheer power, skill and force ability. It was no secret that Sidious kept Vader on a tight leash so that he knew of his activities and whereabouts after all betrayal was the way of the Sith. Vader inclined his head before heading back down into the groups of subordinates below.
Vader continued to discreetly circle various delegates as he silently read the mind of every being that he passed. He was astounded by the amount of bantha poodoo some people were able to speak. Vader was certain that if any of these people had anything to find, they wouldn't have just thought it, they would have been stupid enough to say it aloud in an attempt to impress those around them. He was a man of few words and always said actions spoke louder than small meaningless phrases merged together to form mumbles and excuses; that was the job of the politicians.
Leaving the bustling group of intoxicated vermin behind, Vader continued on his mission around the vast ballroom. His eyes concentrated on a group of politicians, Bail Organa, Mon Mothma and Sabé Soruna conversing in the far corner of the room. He and his master had long suspected that Senator Organa was involved heavily in the Rebel Alliance, but they had never managed to find sufficient evidence to validate his arrest and execution. His mind was relatively strong to his attempts to enter, again making him wonder if someone had taught him such a trick. But Vader and the Emperor had to be careful; Organa's wife was the Queen of Alderaan, and an unjust arrest could cause an uprising from a valued state in the Empire.
Senator Mon Mothma was the same, she was a long-standing politician for her planet, and this offered her a degree of immunity. She had served her homeworld of Chandrila in the Galactic Senate alongside the likes of Palpatine and Senator Amidala. She was now the planet's representative in the Imperial Senate but had been outspoken against the increase in executive power given to the Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, and that made her a threat. Vader snarled under his mask as he snuck into the shadows of the ballroom, not wanting to appear as an isolated fool in the room. He returned his concentration back to the trio, but this time focused on the new Senator of Naboo. It was difficult for him to process her presence. This woman was a harsh reminder of his biggest scar, a knife that would forever be twisted in his heart. In his eyes, there was only ever one senator of Naboo and that was Padmé, but she was gone. He again attempted to penetrate the walls of the Senator's mind and was shocked and frustrated at how secure it was. Despite the mask obscuring her face, Vader judged she was relatively young and had only recently been placed into office and had served as a simple handmaiden to the Queen prior to this; so how were her mental walls so strong? Vader tensed his cybernetic hand under his leather glove in frustration. He knew he had to offer his master some articles of information, or he would risk punishment. He was certain of Senator Organa being involved, and it was more than likely Mon Mothma too was an orchestrator of this Rebellion but was it now possible that this new Senator of Naboo was also involved. His intense curiosity surprised even himself and he was forced to question whether he was interested in the Senator's intentions because of her potential connection to the Rebel Alliance, or because of how her position reminded him of Padmé. Once again tonight he had found himself thinking of Padmé. The frequency of his torturous thoughts was becoming a distraction, and more than ever Vader was trying to drive them away. Padmé was gone, she was dead, and he needed to accept that. But the hate he bore for himself over her death only sought to drive him more to the dark side.
As Vader skulked through the dignitaries and officers one last time a call was made, signalling the Emperor was coming to bid his farewell. The Emperor descended the stairs slowly, with aids and armed guards by his side. Vader knew this was all for show. The reality was the Emperor needed none of their protection. He was a Sith Lord and would be able to destroy any insignificant human who attempted a feeble attack in seconds. There was no one in that room who would have a chance of destroying the Emperor; except for perhaps Vader himself. The Emperor moved across the room greeting the groups of delegates in turn, arriving at Vader's group of officers. He said very little and simply accepted their pleasantries and thanked them for attending. Vader watched intently as his master made it to the rear of the palace ballroom where Bail, Mothma and Soruna were gathered. Using the force, he was able to hear their conversation.
"We thank you for your invitation to this event Supreme Chancellor. It has been a splendorous night of celebration". Bail Organa stated. Mothma nodded in agreement and added, "Indeed it is a rare time when beings from across the galaxy are able to join in unison in the same place".
Palpatine tilted his head in acknowledgement of their statements, well aware of the fabrication behind their words. He forced a smile and turned to face the Padmé before addressing her and saying "It is a pleasure to finally meet the new Senator of my homeworld. It has been a long time, and I know filling the void of my good friend Senator Amidala is a big responsibility. I am confident you will serve your planet well as she did, I know it would please her to see her position being occupied again. I do hope so see you in attendance in the Senate and at more public events, Senator Soruna".
Padmé bowed subtly to the Emperor before saying "Indeed my Lord, it is my greatest pleasure to serve the planet of Naboo and I only hope to serve as my predecessor did and act in the best interests of my people". Padmé chose her words carefully. She knew the Emperor would be curious about the new Senator, and that her allies made her a potential threat. Padmé had to play her part well, and so she did. Altering her voice to avoid detection was not difficult, as this was something she did for formality as Queen and came to her quite naturally.
Palpatine nodded and simply replied "I shall be watching your progress with high expectations, Senator". With that, he walked away escorted by his guards and made his way back up the stairs before exiting the room through the large double doors that spanned from the floor to the high ceiling. Padmé could not help but breathe a sigh of relief when the Emperor left. Tonight had been very overwhelming for her. She had returned to a planet that held a lot of painful memories for her and had come face to face with the man who catalyst the fall of the republic she served and loved. She had positioned herself right at the heart of those she most hated and she couldn't help but feel slightly broken by it. For once Padmé was grateful for her mask, it hid the pained expression of her face and allowed more time to compose herself.
"Well with that I think I best be heading back home too. I have a lot of business to attend to and I see no reason to stay here any longer". Padmé said to Bail and Mothma as they too seemed to have relaxed a little now Palpatine had departed. The pair knew why Padmé was so keen to leave. She had taken a great risk in being here, but it was also a lot to ask of her. Bail new more than most how emotionally taxing tonight must have been, and it made him proud to see the strong woman he knew she was. He also knew her business did require her attention back home. She needed to return to see the twins but also had a lot to do as her new role as Senator for Naboo. This was a lot of responsibility Padmé had taken on and was now juggling being a mum, the Black Widow and Senator Soruna. But busy was good, busy meant Padmé was distracted. For 8 years she had sought distractions. She did not permit herself enough time to think about the past, the past would haunt her forever, but could not hurt her if she didn't think about it.
"Goodnight Senator and thank you for attending with us". Bail replied tilting his head in acknowledgement under his mask.
"I hope you both have save journeys back and I am certain I will see you both in attendance in the Senate". Padmé stated, knowing full well this statement was just for show. She would likely see Bail and Mon more and more now as she occupied her new role, as well as continuing as the Black Widow.
"Goodnight Sabé". Mothma said as Padmé tied her robe around her neck and walked around the tables across the room towards the landing bay.
Vader had been watching the exchange from behind the shadows and saw as the young Senator made her way to leave the room. He was not surprised by her departure. It had been a long evening and he himself would be grateful to leave, but he had to wait for his officers to depart for the cruiser back to the Executor. Tomorrow, Vader would meet with his master to discuss his findings, and whilst Vader was certain he knew who was involved, he was concerned he had not found any sufficient evidence that would satisfy his master. A fire in his belly began to burn as he comprehended the possibility of failure. He could not fail his master, failure meant punishment and enduring torture.