"The child survived?"

Darth Vader posed the question, squeezing Padmé's skin, as if he didn't know he could break her apart if only he employed enough force. She remembered the rebel Vader had killed with a snap of the neck.

"You're going to kill me!" she groaned, for a moment focusing on nothing but physical pain.

As quick as you press a button, he let her go. She fell to her knees and decided there was no point trying to stand again. He paced in circles around her, trying to keep his tall self on his feet. But in the end, and putting pride away, he turned to the table for support. Both hands over the metal surface, the helmet looking down, the horrible breathing sound quick and loud.

She realized she could not take back what she said, and stupid and angry as she felt, she would not deny it.

"How…?" Vader, for the first time since she met him, seemed to be lost for words. "It's not possible. You must be mistaken. Unless… is he a time traveler, too?"

"I don't think so," Padmé rubbed aching limbs; she kept her head down, with shut eyes, trying to remember what the young boy looked like. She started crying again, softly and noiselessly.

Vader kneeled before her, he tried to lift her chin with his finger, but Padmé flinched at his touch, at the mere proximity. Resigned, he carefully and as softly as he could helped her to her feet, then he made her sit again on a chair. Once more he got on his knees, his helmet and her face at the same distance.

"You said son? It was a boy?"

"I do not want to discuss this with you!" she said, indignantly. "I feel nothing but repulsion when I see you; I believe this is as close to hatred as I will ever come, Lord Vader. You admitted to your crimes. You murdered husband and wife and would have also slain an innocent child! I can't imagine what Anakin and I did to anger you so… but what kind of soul must you have (or lack), to rob the chance of life from… my son!"

"It was an accident," he said, actually mustering the nerve to excuse himself! "I mean, my intention was never to kill…none of you."

"And I must believe that? When I have seen the atrocities you can commit!"

"You may believe it, as it is the truth."

He looked at her in silence for a long time.

She hated the situation, but she didn't know what to say, or do.

"Is there a man under the mask?" she decided at last. "You tried to remove the mask before, but I didn't let you."

She had been too stunned and agitated when he first tried to reveal himself, but now, calm to the point of hollowness, she wanted to see. He was so close to her, she barely had to lift her hand to touch the helmet. But she had barely lay a finger when he caught her with a powerful yet not too aggressive hold.

The large hand, gloved in leather, kept her even as she tried to free herself.

"Don't touch me!"

"You touched me first."

"I think I deserve to know the face of my murderer."

"You are looking at it."

"No, it is hidden. Coward."

A pang of worry pierced her stomach, even in her state, for crossing the line of audacity with the evil Sith.

He only shook his head.

"Even amidst all this tragedy… even amidst the despair we have found ourselves in… there is a sort of charm to the scene," he said, and without letting go of the palm he had seized, he took hold of her other hand, too.

"If you don't let me go now I will kill you," she said, and she meant it.

"How do you plan on doing that? Where is the weapon I gave you?" he asked, a sort of morbid levity invading his dark voice.

She turned her head aside, almost embarrassed. "I lost it. It might've been the weapon the princess used to shoot at me."

"Ah, she probably didn't know it would kill you."

"It didn't kill me."

"It would have, had you been a normal person. But you are apart from the rest of us mortals… you fly through time, you appear and disappear, though not at will."

"You can let go of my hands now."

He kept them within his hold for a few more moments, and then finally he let her go. She sighed, relieved.

He said nothing, but his demeanor made her think he was hurt by her rejection.

Again, he stared at her in silence.

"I thought you would be furious with me for breaking my promise, for escaping," she said, the uncomfortable silence feeling unbearable. She stared at her own hands for a moment, wondering why she ever allowed him to hold them.

"I was. But it is not the first time you betray me. My reaction could not be the same."

"Why did you kill me?" she asked, her calm tone to such gross question surprising even herself. "How did you…?"

"We were here, at this planet," his dark voice dropped to an almost inaudible whisper.

"What is the name of the planet?"

"Mustafar," he said, suddenly filled with scorn. "Please don't cry."

"You got nerve, Lord Vader."

"You didn't mind it so much before."

"How can you speak to me like that?! I never said I forgave you."

"I don't expect you to. I never forgave myself. But perhaps there is something we could do to… change what happened."

"There is no we," she said, again filled with rage.

"There was, once," she almost expected him to try and touch her again, so she flinched beforehand.

"I don't understand," she lamented.

"What don't you understand?"

"Anything! I am far from wishing this could just be a dream—a horrible nightmare. I have accepted what happened… but I just wish I could know why. Is it to face my murderer? To save—the child I could have lost? I was face to face with my son, and I…" Darth Vader was the last person she wanted to vent on. But the words caught in her throat, and she felt they would choke her if she didn't voice them. She hated the Sith lord, not just for being whom he was, for his crimes, for imprisoning and toying with her. But the words had to be said to ANYONE, and he was all she had. "And I paid him almost no attention," regret and sorrow stabbed her heart. "My words to him were bitter, belittling him, attacking him even! I was blind with grief."

"What did you say to him?" Vader's voice seemed soft now, and it disarmed her, wrapping her in a bubble of even more unreality.

She closed her eyes. Maybe if she didn't see him the words would come out more easily.

"I blamed him for what happened to Obi-Wan. I was cruel. Bail's daughter should have shot me at that moment. I must have seemed crazy… well, I guess I might be."

"I am afraid you are as sane as always. Why did the princess shoot you?"

"She must have thought I was dangerous… she thought me a spy. Your spy. Which would have been the more logical explanation for my presence. She is smart. She must get that from Bail. Lord Vader…" through a struggle, she opened her eyes again. "Would you let me talk to Bail Organa? Oh if you cannot free me let me at least hear his voice! Let me contact him. I won't say anything important… I just want to see a familiar face."

Vader had not a face she could see and read, yet she felt his expression must have changed.

"That would be impossible," he said.

"Why?"

"Let us return to the previous subject," he evaded.

She shook her head, confused. "Is he in Alderaan?"

Vader was quiet for a moment. "I was a fool to ever imagine I could… I could ever get you back. You will hate me forever if I tell you what happened."

"Well, I already hate you," she didn't take him seriously. "So tell me."

Vader turned his gaze from her. "I might be a coward, after all."

He stood up and made move to leave. "I will arrange for your dinner to be served again. It was a foolish thing to do. Throwing it all away when you are so starved."

"I will not eat a thing."

"If you want to be force fed by a droid, I could arrange that."

"Go to hell.

"To be sure. But I will not let you die before that."

"Why not? Didn't you do that before?"

He returned to her side, fuming scarily. However, her shocked face eased him.

"Taunt me all you want," he said, more like to himself. "I will not lose control with you again. You need rest. We can continue after you eat and sleep."

"I wish you would tell me what you really want from me."

"You must know already," he grabbed her palm again.

Oh no…

With soft yet strong determination, he pulled and lay her hand over his chest. She couldn't believe it when she felt his beating heart.

He sighed, relieved.

No longer she felt like she was squeezing metal, no longer she would ever think he might be a droid. There was flesh under the suit, and he was truly a man.

Suddenly, she shook her head and jumped, backing away.

"What madness!" she turned around. "I hate you! Don't you ever attempt anything like that… ever!"

The horror in her face must have finally affected him. He said not another word, and simply turned and disappeared. A moment later, almost immediately, the droid that had been caring for her returned, and he escorted her back to her chamber.

A day, or perhaps two had passed. Padmé almost thought Darth Vader compassionate again, as he stayed out of her way. She was fed, Nabooian delicacies exclusively, she was clothed, in her own clothes that had been sent from the lake estate.

Her mind was at conflict. She tried to look at the bigger picture, reminding herself at every moment that she should distrust, scorn, and escape from the Sith lord. It was not normal to feel safe under his wing. It is a psychopath's strategy, she thought. To appear harmless, to appear kind. He has been treating me so good only to lower my guard. At any time he could attack again. That must be it. Why else would he… never mind.

At the third day she felt her health recovered. The spacious chamber felt narrow and it made her restless. She took advantage of the quiet and the solitude to sneak out of the room. She stretched and walked around the dark hallways, hoping not to run into the Sith… yet craving interaction all the same. She wanted to talk about Luke – not to Vader, of course, but there was no one else – and she knew it was the first subject he would bring on their next meeting.

There were many doors around the castle. She tried a few but they were closed. There was one ajar, though, she peaked to look at what was inside.

Her heart dropped. Vader was in that room, and apparently not alone.

She thought he would notice her intrusion immediately, yet he was too focused on something, someone else for once.

She was right, Vader was having a conversation with someone, but through a holo. The connection was strong, even amidst the usual blue blurriness. A hooded figure spoke to Vader, and even more dread invaded her heart as she realized they were talking about… she knew it… her son.

"There is not a clear trace yet," the old rancid voice of the hooded figure spoke, "you must take the blame, my apprentice. Why ever would you return to Mustafar? That was not the order." The hooded man didn't scream, but he seemed to have Vader's quality, of being intimidating without rising his voice.

"I will find him, master. Of course."

"You don't seem to care much. Could it be something else occupies your mind? What of the news that travelled a few months ago in Naboo?" the words had a hint to them.

"It was an impostor," Vader quickly said.

"An impostor! But the reports say otherwise," the voice was not familiar, yet she felt she had heard it before. Something about the manner. "Naboo officials informed me."

"I went there myself, master," Vader seemed calm as he spewed his lies. "She was an impostor. Some mad young girl. Had it really been her… she would have been an older woman."

"Yes, that's what I thought. However, the likeness was remarkable… wasn't it, Vader?"

"Yes." Vader was tense, she could tell by the way his shoulders hunched.

"I am sorry you had to witness such disappointment. I spoke with her family."

A pause from Vader. "Did you?"

"Oh yes, she had a sister, I believe. And her mother was there too. Rest assured, I treated them accordingly. Dear Padmé was very close to my heart, you see," he cackled nastily.

Vader didn't respond.

"Very attractive features, all of them. Dark hair, soft eyes, smooth skin. What did you do with the impostor?"

"Nothing, what was there to do?"

"Are you sure? The girl vanished. Not Padmé she might be… be she is her likeness. Dear Vader, are you not lying to me?"

"Of course not, master."

Dirty Sith!

Master… master… master…

I know this man.

"Palpatine," Padmé muttered under her breath. Vader casted her a sideways glance, half a second long, yet one he couldn't disguise.

"Liar!" Padmé screamed, loudly bursting into the room.

"Chancellor—Eh-Emperor? Palpatine, sir, it's me! I swear it's me! I am Padmé Amidala!"

She did not need to look at Vader, even with the safety of the mask, she could guess the shock he must have felt. Payback…

Padmé had not the opportunity of hearing Palpatine's reaction, Vader immediately broke the call.

"What have you done!" he shouted and threw his lightsaber at the wall, with such force she was surprised it didn't shatter.

"Y-you said you wouldn't lose control with me," she panicked. The door shut close and she couldn't escape. He didn't near her. He punched the wall.

"So I did… perhaps I forgot how stubborn you can be!"

"Well I did what I did. He will come for me—I am sure."

"Oh yes, no doubt. But he will not find you!"

"Get away from me!"

He grabbed her by the waist and ran out of the room. It would have been less painful if she stopped struggling, yet she kicked and desperately tried to free herself.

"Padmé, you don't know what you've done!" He really tried to stay calm. He didn't want to scare her. He wasn't succeeding. They entered a deserted ship, with no where to run, he let her go. "I told you Palpatine is different… very different to what you must remember."

"Whatever political schemes he's involved with… he knows me."

Vader growled.

Anger still radiated from him. He ignored her for a while, focusing on nothing but flying the ship. Flying seemed to have a calming effect on him.

She watched him fly the ship in silence, looking around for things to stab him in the back. Probably not the brightest idea, while I am depending on him…

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, standing at arm's length. "Why are you even doing this? We have nowhere to go, do we?"

"No we don't," Vader agreed, finally speaking to her again. "We have nowhere to go, not a place to be… but something to do."

"Oh yeah?" Padmé was skeptical. "And what might that be?" He must be lying… he's got nothing. I bet he doesn't know what to say or do.

She didn't know Darth Vader as well as she thought.

"We are going to find the boy."