As Anakin marched towards the Emperor's Senate chambers, he tried to focus. He needed to shut his mind off completely so he could convince him that he was still his apprentice and fully committed to his service. So much had changed in Anakin's life over the last few days, he feared that he would be unable to contain that change and make himself vulnerable to the Emperor. He exited the elevator and walked down the familiar dark corridor to meet the guards standing outside his master's doors. They bowed in acknowledgement of him, as the doors opened in front of him and he made his way up towards his master's desk. Before saying anything, Anakin got down on one knee in submission to his master.
"Ahh, Lord Vader. I trust your time off has been fruitful. I sense a change in you my apprentice", the Emperor said, not hinting at what the change was that he sensed.
Anakin realised he needed to take ownership of the situation and responded, "I have been deeply enthralled in your teachings, my master. I feel stronger and more connected to the dark side thanks to your wisdom and guidance". He stood up from his subordinate position and rose tall over the Emperor.
"That is good to hear, my friend. I was concerned for you following your defeat on Kessel. But I am pleased the traitors have been apprehended and dealt with. I trust everything is going as planned with regards to the construction of the Death Star?", he asked his apprentice.
"Yes, Master. Everything still appears to be on schedule. There were a few concerns raised with regard to how questions will be addressed about the station's construction as it progresses", Anakin stated, doing his best to sound genuinely interested in the topic.
"They do not need to worry about such diplomatic matters. I have introduced the concept of the station as a way to protect and secure peace for the Empire and the Galaxy. Once construction has been completed there will not be anyone that will dare challenge us, when we possess a machine that has enough power to destroy an entire planet with the push of a button", Sidious replied menacingly.
"Yes Master", Anakin replied subserviently.
"With regards to your assignment to Senator Soruna. Whilst you are not pre-occupied with more pressing matters, I want you to maximise your time spent picking her mind for information. She may be a favourite here in the Senate, as the previous Senator of Naboo was, but I am certain her usefulness will expire soon enough.", the Emperor stated.
"Yes, Master. I will continue to escort the Senator around the Senate and seek to penetrate her mind. However, I have reason to believe she is a pawn being used by the planet to occupy the position of Senator. She is a young and naïve woman, so is hardly a valuable asset to the Rebel Alliance", Anakin added. He was hoping to try and detract from this mission. He was so conflicted because he wanted to be near Padmé so he could protect her, but he also knew eventually he would need some information to feed the Emperor. And if his master was to deem that her usefulness had ended, then he may try and get rid of her, and Anakin could not let that happen.
"We shall see", the Emperor replied ambiguously. "In the meantime, I want you to conduct yourself for successful completion of your task. I am aware of a time when you were side-tracked when assigned to the protection of the previous Senator of Naboo", he added bitterly.
Anakin straightened at his reference to Padmé and replied sternly, "The man who protected her was a stupid naïve boy fooled by her beauty. That man is gone, master."
"Good. I can feel your anger. It gives you focus, and it makes you stronger", the Emperor replied. "Now, leave me and return to your tasks. I want you to continue to ensure progress is being made with the construction of the station, and to be on maximum alert for activities from the Rebellion".
Anakin bowed at his master before he turned and left his office. He walked down the long dark corridor again and down the elevator. All he wanted to do was go and collect Padmé and go home and be with her. Every time he left the Emperor, he always felt so dark and full of hatred. He didn't want Padmé to see him like this and he knew he needed to calm down. Anakin knew he could not do this forever. He could not continue this act as Vader because it was exhausting him. He didn't want to be that man anymore. He didn't want to be the man who the entire galaxy feared and hated, the man who had killed at the orders of his master, the man who was tortured by his masters with painful memories of his wife, the man who was feared by his wife, the man who had nearly killed his wife in an interrogation cell. As much as it pained Anakin to accept all that he had done, he knew he needed to if he was ever going to be the man he wanted to be for Padmé. He wanted to be the man she loved, and he wanted to be the man who loved his wife unconditionally and would protect her and their children with his life. He wanted a quiet and peaceful life with his family, but right now he didn't believe it would ever be possible.
As Anakin walked down the dark corridors, he felt the hatred and anger fill his body and he wanted to explode. He hated the Emperor for all he had done. He hated the Emperor for manipulating him with his fear of Padmé's death and making him serve him hoping it would save his wife. He hated the Emperor for lying to him and making him believe he was responsible for the death of his wife and child. He hated the Emperor for torturing him with that information and painful visions of Padmé and engraving her name on his body as a permanent reminder for his unforgivable mistake. But more than he hated the Emperor, he hated himself. He hated that he had let himself be manipulated by the Emperor with the fear of Padmé's death. He should have opened up to Padmé and Obi-Wan about what was happening and then it likely never would have happened. He hated himself for what he did to Padmé on the platform on Mustafar, and the pain he caused her on that day was something he could never forgive himself for. He hated himself for breaking Padmé's heart and making her live in secret from the rest of her family and friends with their children. He hated that his children had had to so far grow up without a father. He hated all that he had become. Unable to control his violently increasing emotions the windows shattered around Vader, as Senators nearby ran for shelter from the flying fragments of glass.
Padmé had been sat at her desk drumming her fingers on the table apprehensively. She then stood from her chair when she heard screams and shouts from outside. She opened her door and saw Senators and dignitaries running down the corridor and past her office away from a scene of chaos. Unsure what was going on, Padmé cautiously walked towards where many were fleeing and was shocked when she saw the scene in front of her. Anakin stood as Vader, tall and menacing in his black armour. All the windows around him were completely shattered as he remained standing in the middle of a sea of broken glass. She had been worried about what meeting the Emperor would do to Anakin, but she did not think the result would be that catastrophic. She did not know what to say and knew she needed to maintain their formal relationship. What she wanted to do was run up to him, strip him of that terrible mask and suit and hug and console him that everything would be alright. But instead, she turned and walked back towards her office door and simply waited for him to have calmed down enough to come to her. When she returned to her desk, she ordered for several clean up droids to attend the scene and begin fixing the damage that had been caused.
It did not take long for Anakin to appear at her door. Padmé stood from her desk and picked up her bag and coat before walking out of her office silently. The pair walked next to one another in silence heading towards the hangar bay. Padmé had to fight hard to resist the temptation to say something but knew that she needed to maintain her cover, and she wasn't entirely sure if any words would comfort Anakin right now. When they arrived at the hangar bay Padmé smiled at her driver who was there waiting for her as usual. She turned to Anakin and said, "Thank you, Lord Vader".
Anakin nodded but said nothing. He waited for Padmé's ship to have departed the hangar bay before he turned and walked back down the long corridor. He knew his master would not be pleased with his outburst, so intended to stay until sufficient work had been done to clean up the shattered glass that covered the floor and fix the broken windows.
Padmé spent the speeder ride home in silence thinking. She couldn't imagine what Anakin must have been going through with the Emperor. He was experiencing so much conflict and his emotions were bound to be high and fluctuating. Anakin had always been very emotional and had often struggled to contain his feelings, both positive and negative, even as a young Jedi. She was unsure when Anakin would return home. He would likely want to stay to make sure that the mess was seen to and cleaned up, in an attempt to stop the Emperor from finding out. She also knew that he probably wanted to stay away until he had properly calmed down and regained control of his emotions. Since the second night when Anakin had briefly been overwhelmed by the news about the twins and had shattered glass in front of Padmé, he had taken extra care to control his emotions. He vowed he would never see that look of fear in Padmé's eyes again, and he was doing all he could to keep to the vow.
It was long into the night when Anakin finally returned home. He knew by now Padmé would certainly be asleep and did not want to disturb her. He had stripped off his mask and suit as soon as he had returned home, wanting to be rid of its confines. He was becoming increasingly frustrated as Darth Vader. He could feel his internal conflicts rising between the man he was and the man he wanted to be. Following his meeting with the Emperor, the conflict had overwhelmed him and he was unable to control his power through the force. He had stayed behind late in the Senate as the droids began to fix the damage he had caused. He was certain they would have finished by the morning when the Senate resumed and hoped his master would not find out.
Anakin ran his cybernetic hand through his soft dark blonde hair as he sipped on a glass of water and walked over to the kitchen balcony. There was something oddly therapeutic about watching the permanently bustling night sky of Coruscant. It was a good temporary distraction, as his eyes would follow one line of traffic, and then another, or he would watch rooms across the city darken as people went to sleep. He exhaled deeply and then let the cool night air enter his still healing lungs. He was truly grateful that he was able to live without his suit permanently. Following the incident on Mustafar, Anakin was unsure whether he would survive or ever be able to breathe again on his own. Thanks to force healing and advanced medical technology he had persevered in his determination to be independent of the black mask that transformed him into the cyborg, Vader. But he had to put that behind him. He was beginning a road to redemption, and one of the first obstacles on that road was making peace with Obi-Wan for what had happened on Mustafar. For years Anakin had been filled with nothing but hatred for his old master and what he had done to him, and he vowed he would never forgive him. But he had recently come to realise that if Padmé could forgive him for what he had done to her on Mustafar and his transgressions over the last 8 years, then he had no excuse for not forgiving Obi-Wan.
Anakin was torn away from his ruminations as he felt a delicate pair of hands wrap themselves around his waist. He had been so lost in thoughts he had not felt her presence until her soft hands touched his bare waist.
"Padmé, you should be in bed", Anakin replied softly, as he turned to see his wife. Padmé's beauty never failed to surprise him. She stood in front of him wearing a long purple silk nightdress and had a light covering on top of that. Her hair was down, showcasing her natural soft chocolate brown curls. He cupped her face softly with his human hand and said, "I am so sorry for what happened at the Senate today. You did not deserve to see that. No one was hurt and I remained in the Senate to ensure the droids will have all the windows fixed by the morning", he added.
Padmé stroked his hand softly as it touched her face and replied, "I had to check you had returned home. I waited up for you, but then you didn't come to bed. I needed to know you were okay Anakin, I'm worried about you", she stated concerned.
Anakin lifted Padmé's hand to his lips and kissed it softly before saying, "Today when I met with the Emperor, for the first time I was faced with hating what I have become and the man I have been serving for the past 8 years. I have so much to pay for, and I hate the man I am. I hate the man who turned on you on Mustafar. I hate the man that raised a hand to you. I hate the man who had killed callously in service to a man who has done nothing but lied to me and torture me. I was so full of hatred and anger for what I let myself become and what I have done to you Padmé. I am so conflicted between that man that I was and the man I want to become, the man I want to be for you", he said emotionally.
Padmé paused for a moment, taking in what Anakin had said. She knew it would only be a matter of time before he began to experience a conflict between who he was as Vader and who he was as Anakin. This had been made increasingly difficult by the need for him to remain acting as Vader to avoid the Emperor getting suspicious. Perhaps Padmé had asked too much of him to do so. Maybe it was not fair of him to have to try and be two such different people. She then said, "Anakin, you should not underestimate how difficult this last week has been for you. The entire course of your life has been redirected. We have found one another again, you know you are a father, you want to renounce the dark side and defeat the Emperor, all whilst maintaining your appearance as Vader. I am not surprised you reacted the way you did today. Nobody could deal with that, Anakin".
"I will be okay Padmé; I just need to refocus and remember this isn't going to be forever. I will not be Vader forever. And most importantly I am the luckiest man in the galaxy because I have you standing by my side and there isn't anything, I wouldn't do for you Padmé", Anakin replied passionately.
"I think we should go and see the twins Anakin. I know how much they want to see you and I have been away from them for too long. You need some time away, even if it only brief to help you with all of this. Surely the Emperor will not notice your lack of appearance in the Senate for two days", Padmé stated.
"I think you're right Padmé", Anakin replied. "I want nothing more than to see the twins. But we must take precautions. We will need to use unregistered transport and we should meet a mutually convenient location, so we do not compromise the safety of the twins", he added.
"Where can we go?", Padmé asked.
Anakin paused for a moment and then replied, "I have an estate on Alderaan. I have only ever been once, but the estate is maintained in my absence. You know the planet is safe and it is under the protection of the Queen".
"I know Breha, she is Bail's wife. She has always managed her relationship with the Emperor well. He does not see her as a threat", Padmé added.
"Excellent. We should go to the Senate tomorrow as normal, and then tomorrow evening we can make plans to visit. I will arrange for transport if you contact Obi-Wan to inform him of our plans", Anakin explained.
"Okay", Padmé replied simply.
"Padmé, I cannot tell you how happy you make me, and how excited I am to meet our children", Anakin stated proudly.
"I love you Anakin", Padmé said softly, as the couple embraced.
"Let's get some sleep, Angel", Anakin said as they walked hand in hand up to Padmé's bed chambers.
When Padmé woke the next morning, she turned to see the bed was empty next to her. But she knew Anakin had been in the bed next to her because he had made up his side of the bed. She smiled at the gesture, remembering when he used to do it when he stayed at her apartment in 500 Republica during the Clone Wars. She stretched out to wake herself up in bed, before walking to the fresher to have a quick shower. Padmé had realised she had had to sacrifice parts of her usual routine because her makeup now took longer, necessitated by her need to disguise herself. She longed for the day when she would not have to wear uncomfortable green contacts or wear such heavy makeup in order to hide her true identity.
Anakin had gotten up early this morning and departed for the Senate building. He wanted to be one of the first there to ensure all repair work had been completed following his outburst yesterday. He was satisfied with the droids' job, knowing they were a lot more productive than any other beings, as they were uncomplicated and could be programmed. Once he had inspected the repair work, Anakin headed to his office to make a call. Since he and Padmé had decided last night to visit the twins, he needed to make transport arrangements for him and Padmé so they could travel undetected. He deduced that for two days his disappearance would go unnoticed by the Emperor, as he had not been assigned any high priority tasks. The Emperor had asked him to continue his protection detail of the Senator, so he calculated he could also say he had been required to escort her somewhere outside of the senate that presented a security risk. One thing that was increasingly bothering Anakin was what information he was going to feed to the Emperor. He could tell his patience was wearing thin regarding the matter, and Anakin needed to buy as much time as possible because he knew he was not yet strong enough to overpower his master. He would need to discuss with Padmé if there was any irrelevant information, he could give the Emperor that would be seen important. Anakin had to be careful because he could not risk accusing Senator Soruna of working for the Alliance because then the Emperor would order for her to be arrested and likely killed, but he also needed to give him just enough to suspect her so he would continue to assign Vader to her protection. He paced up and down his office as questions raced around his head.
Deciding to deal with something he could actually control, Anakin picked up his comm and arranged for transport to come to his establishments early the next morning. He calculated that if they left early in the morning, they could spend 2 days with the twins and minimise time spent away from the Senate. He then decided to contact his groundskeeper at his estate on Alderaan. He was unsure whether she would answer, as he had only ever visited once, and truthfully, he didn't think he would ever have reason to visit again. When she did answer, he informed her that he would be having some important guests attending his estate with him and that he would require 4-bed chambers to be prepared for their arrival. Once he had finished those calls, he then checked his wrist chrono and realised it was time he headed to the main hangar bay to meet Padmé.
Padmé exited the speeder and saw Vader standing a few metres away, his strong arms folded in front of his plated chest. He did not say anything as she walked towards him in the busy hangar bay. When she was less than a metre away from him, Vader turned and began exiting the hangar bay, with Padmé having to walk quickly to keep up with him. They walked in silence down the long Senate corridor towards Padmé's office. When they arrived at her office, the trooper guarding her door straightened at his commander's presence.
"Good morning My Lady", the trooper said, nodding at Padmé. He opened the door for her as she thanked him and walked in. Vader stood in the doorway as Padmé sat down at her desk.
His mechanical breathing sent shivers down Padmé's spine as he said, "I will return at the end of the day to escort you out. If you must leave in the meantime, your trooper can escort you".
"Thank you", Padmé replied simply, smiling softly. He nodded subtly, acknowledging her reply and then turned and left her office.
As Anakin walked down the long corridor towards his office, he struggled to contain his continued frustration. But he knew that any further actions would have severe consequences, and he was fortunate that the Emperor was unaware of his outburst, as he would likely be very displeased and punish him for making a scene in public. When he entered his dark office, he linked his comm frequency to the Commander based on Kessel. Since the ambush there Vader had stationed an additional squadron of troops to manage the workers at the mines and prevent any further rebellious strikes against the Empire. Vader knew Kessel was not a target, as the slave mines there had been in existence before the creation of the Empire. What had driven the Alliance to Kessel was him. They had attempted to kill him that day, and truthfully, they got closer than many people ever had. As Vader, he had not feared death, mostly because he had very few things to fear that could kill him, but also because he had nothing to lose from his death. As Vader, he had no one to live for, and his sole purpose was in service to his master. But now everything was different. Anakin had more to live for than he had ever imagined. He had Padmé back in his life and he had the twins. He had the prospect of living a peaceful life with his family, and that certainly was worth living for.
Anakin returned to the present when his call was answered by the station commander on Kessel. He said, "What is the situation update Commander?".
"My Lord there is little to report. Since you departed there has been no action from the minors and we have had no further encounters with Rebel soldiers", the Commander reported.
"That is not surprising. They were only there to ambush me. They utilised the distraction created by the rebellion. But the traitor has been caught and exterminated", Vader stated.
"That is good My Lord. Do you have any further commands for me Sir?", the trooper asked.
"No Commander. But inform me if anything is to change", Vader replied.
"Of course, my Lord", the trooper responded before the communication link ended.
Padmé straightened her dress as she walked into the Senate chambers ready for the session to begin. When she entered her pod, she said beside Bail who greeted her with a smile.
"I trust you are well Senator", Bail said kindly.
"Yes, I am very well thank you Bail. How are you?", Padmé replied in question
"I will be better once this pointless debate is over. Everyone knows we have no say in the military arms pact anymore. It is all orchestrated by the Emperor and Vader has command of the military now", Bail replied. As he finished his sentence, he realised who he was talking about and went to correct himself.
Before Bail could speak again, Padmé said, "This is true. But perhaps if we continue to act on our beliefs, we will one day see change".
"I agree", Bail replied.
"Where is Senator Mothma today?", Padmé asked curiously.
"She was needed back on her homeworld. She assumed there would not be a vote for the pact and just a discussion, so decided her presence was more valuable there than here", Bail reported.
Unbeknownst to the pair, the Emperor sat in his private pod watching the Senator's talk. Whilst he could not hear what they were saying, he had noticed the apparent closeness between the Senators.
Anakin strode towards the entrance to the Senate chambers. He had felt his master summon him through the force and wondered what he wanted. Anakin had never been one for politics and that fact had continued as Vader. He spent as little time in the Senate as possible, despite the Emperor's demands requiring him to spend an increasing amount of time here. As much as he often wished he was away on the Executor, he knew that right now he wanted to be by Padmé's side to protect her, even if that meant his continued presence in the Senate.
Vader approached his master's pod and said, "You called for me master"
"Yes, Vader indeed, come and join me. There is a most intriguing debate going on concerning the military pact. It's so admirable to see them all here arguing over a matter that is entirely out of their hands", the Emperor commented slyly.
Vader did not say anything and simply remained silent standing next to his master in his pod. As much he hated it, he knew the Emperor was right. Since the creation of the Empire, Sidious had been working to gradually strip the Senate of all of its power. He had used his awareness of politics to turn the decisions in his favour and now all-important decisions were made by the Emperor and Vader had control over the 501st battalion and all Moff's and Admiral's reported to him.
"It appears that young Senator Soruna has not wasted time in making friends with Senator Organa. She is more like Senator Amidala than I feared, using her beauty and sexuality to join the inner circle. I bet they are involved romantically, it is probably when they spend so much time together", the Emperor said, as his eyes watched on the pod where Padmé and Bail were talking.
Anakin knew he needed to say something. He was using all of his power to remain controlled at Sidious' mention of Padmé. He then replied, "I will continue to probe her mind master. If she knows anything I will find out.". He paused and then said, "It is likely Senator Organa is simply befriending her for sexual favours as you said, master. He is probably playing her because is a foolish naïve woman", he added for good measure.
"Whatever her intentions, I want you to find out. Now go, leave me my servant", the Emperor demanded, as he waved his hand in dismissal of his apprentice.
"Yes, my master", Anakin replied, bowing before exiting the pod.
After several hours of constant debating in the Senate, an agreement was reached that would be presented to the military officers for consideration. Many in the Senate knew this would be a redundant action, but it was important for maintaining any sense of peace and hope that Senator's continued to work to represent the views of their people. Padmé exited the pod with Bail as they walked alone down one of the many corridors in the Senate. Padmé quickly glanced around her to check if there was anyone around before saying to Bail quietly, "Anakin and I are leaving tomorrow to go and meet Obi-Wan and the twins. We will not be gone more than 2 days, so it is not likely my disappearance will be noticed, but if someone was to ask could you simply inform them, I am attending a formal function on Naboo".
Bail processed what she said and then replied, "Of course yes. Are you certain you want to do this Padmé?", Bail asked, wanting to be sure his friend was making the right decision.
"I am certain Bail. It was I who suggested it. And right now, Anakin is in a very fragile place, he needs to meet the twins. I know they will bring so much light and happiness into his life and he needs that right now Bail, he is struggling", Padmé said, concern in her voice.
Bail placed a hand on her should and replied, "You know I support you Padmé. I just want to make sure you are making the right decision. Because it would upset me to see you hurt again", he added.
"Thank you Bail", Padmé stated with a smile. "For everything".
"It is my pleasure", he stated kindly. "Now, if you will forgive me, I must depart to another meeting with the Senator from Tatooine", he added, looking at his wrist chrono.
"Okay. Good day, Senator Organa", Padmé replied formally, as she turned and headed down the corridor towards her office.
