Chapter 91

Vader's Flag Ship Exactor - Month Twenty Seven, Day Sixteen PEF

Morning

In his office just off the bridge of the Exactor, Vader stood with his hands folded behind him as the ship hurtled through hyperspace.

His quarters were no longer the retreat they'd been over the last several weeks and Padmé had still been sleeping when he'd emerged from their room. She'd been curled up on the sofa and it had him driven him to her side, only her determination the evening before had nearly stopped him. Her rejection had been clear, but he wasn't a man to give up when he wanted something; especially not when he'd done everything to reach this point for her.

Kneeling next to the sofa, he'd watched as her breathing, deep and even, sent a surge of gratification and pride through him. He'd done this. For all her complaints and accusations, if he pointed out the fact that he'd helped her heal, brought her back from the brink, there would be little she could say to refute it. A part of him was proud for having played a part in that, even as he yearned for her previous vulnerability in those moments. She'd been easy to manipulate and control; twisting and feeding the emotions she most needed, she'd been easy prey.

Watching her breathing and sleeping so deeply, if not peacefully, with barely-there shadows under her eyes, he'd been tempted to resort to a different kind of manipulation. Uncertain that Force manipulation would work on someone as strong willed as she was, even in slumber, Vader had finally shaken his his head and pushed to his feet. In a moment of consideration, he'd taken the blanket that was at the foot of the sofa and draped it across her before heading for the door of their suite. He'd been in no mood for a fight and mercifully, she hadn't stirred.

Now, several hours and cups of caf later, he was waiting for their arrival on Gwori so he could get rid of the Force Adept and sent her on her hopeless quest. Once his inspection of the facility was done, he was looking towards refocusing his attention on his wife, whom he'd clearly neglected in their return from Dandoran. He could acknowledge that, despite the man things he'd needed to attend to upon their return, he shouldn't have let her spend so much time alone. Not making time for her had been a mistake.

Tapping the fingers of his artificial hand against those of his real one, Vader looked out the viewport without really seeing beyond it.

Padmé's attitude would be an issue. If she stood by her convictions, which he would do his best to persuade her otherwise, there would be problem with his Master's response. Vader was under no illusions that if he was unable to curb her revolutionist tendencies, his Master would ensure she was beyond his reach permanently. Unsettled by the thought and determined that he would never allow that to happen, Vader turned from the viewport, fiddling with the fasteners on his artificial hand, the phantom pains of flesh that was no longer there to ache suddenly sharp and fierce. He swore, adjusting the fasteners around the glove with a vicious jerk and the sound of tearing cloth overrode the pains with a memory that elicited another kind of pain.

Catapulted back to Dandoran and an interlude with his wife; Vader was caught up in the memory almost as swiftly as the phantom pain had struck, a part of him wondering how long this time before he and Padmé reached that kind of accord again...

The sound of tearing cloth accompanied a slight tug at his neckline as Padmé attacked him, tearing his shirt to rags with one hand full in each fist. She broke the ravenous kiss, smiling up at him with a predatory grin, before slipping close, putting one foot behind his heel and knocking him backwards to the couch.

Vader went, trusting her as he fell, even as she fell with him. She caught his hands as he made to grab her, pushing them down beside his head as she straddled his lap. The intimate position had him shifting his hips, lifting to bring them into contact even as her lips claimed his, aggressively tilting his head back as she took control. Extricating his hand with a twist of his wrist, he tried to slide it into her hair, except she pulled back, catching it again and pinning it once more beside his head.

"I need to touch you, Padmé."

"Later, Anakin," she promised huskily, a tenor of command in her voice. "I'm in command this time; you're my prisoner now."

"Always a willing one, my love," he agreed on a groan, tilting his head to the side.

"Where's my fearless warrior?" her tease accompanied her bend to his neck and she scraped her teeth across his heart beat "The man who would never give in?"

"Defeated," he gasped as she ground herself against him. "I surrender!"

"Good," she sucked his pulse into her mouth, her fingers digging into his hands. "I would hate to have to punish you."

He went still beneath her as she pressed downwards, nearly swallowing his tongue as she bit him, hard, on one shoulder. "Perhaps I should misbehave," he offered making to break free if her grip. "If only to test your creativity."

Lifting her head, Padmé met his gaze as she slid backwards only to lean forward and slowly, ever so slowly, brushed her naked chest against his. A whisper soft caress that made him shudder, his eyes darkening to a deep, ocean blue even as hers were fathomless pools of the darkest chocolate.

"I don't need you to misbehave for that," she assured him with a purr. "But you're going to sit there and let me have my wicked way with you tonight... and you're going to love every minute of it."

His whole body jerked at her words, the images her bedroom voice conjuring playing havoc with his libido. "Every minute?"

"Every... minute..."

A knock on his office door jerked Vader from the memory, his hands closing into a fist as he channeled the emotion into it; he couldn't risk having it show on his face. He turned back to the viewport to hide his very visceral reaction to the memory and used the Force to activate the controls, the door sliding open. He said nothing, knowing he didn't need to.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, my Lord."

"What is it, Captain?"

"The Emperor commands you make contact."

"Take us out of hyperspace." Taking a deep breath, the notice having just as much effect as an ice bath on his libido, he turned on his heel and strode out of his office. His long strides took him across the bridge towards the chamber where he'd contact his Master. As he walked, he sought to lock the memory of Padmé's advance deep within his subconscious, buried deep, beneath the simmering rage and frustration. The last thing he could do was confirm to his Master, before he had her cooperation, Padmé's continued existence. While the Emperor might suspect, Vader knew he could never, ever know until all the pieces were in place and Padmé agreed to his plans.

The chamber opened, revealing the massive floor to ceiling holo array. The Captain had followed him only so far as to deliver the instructions to take them out of hyperspace. Vader waited, the ship's pilots calculating how to do so safely, and controlled his breathing, bringing to mind all of the instructions he'd implemented over the last several days, making sure to clear his thoughts of all aspects of Padmé. Ventress' assignment he didn't dwell on, but let it flirting on the edges of his consciousness; it would well explain any agitation his Master might sense should he have to explain.

As the ship dropped out of hyperspace, the Captain turned and nodded to Vader. Turning, Vader took the two steps onto the platform and waved the door closed behind. Taking a knee, he reaffirmed his resolve; in this, he could not fail. He would not fail. He'd already paid the price once. Paying it a second time, this time for good, was unthinkable.

Padmé was considering the lock on Vader's office and examining the physical security features of it when the Exactor dropped out of hyperspace.

"Oh dear. I do hope nothing is wrong with the ship."

"I'm sure it's nothing, Threepio," Padmé's response was distracted. "Do you know where Artoo is?"

"I believe he said he would be on the hangar deck this morning."

"Can you get him for me, please?"

"Certainly, Mistress. Is there anything I might be able to assist you with?"

"Can you open Vader's office? Do you have the code?"

"No Mistress."

"Then no, Threepio; you can't help me with this." She flashed him a smile to soften the blow. "What's for breakfast?"

"Bantha sirlon strips with tubers and fresh greens."

"Sounds delicious. Is it ready yet?"

"Soon, Mistress. Should I contact Artoo before you sit down for the morning meal?"

"When I start eating is fine, Threepio," shaking her head at his precise inquiries, she found he was the bright spot in her day, the way he had been in some of her darkest moments. "Let me know when it's ready, will you?"

"Of course, Mistress."

Padmé turned back to the pad and reviewed what she knew of the set up again in her mind and wishing for a manual that she could read. Unfortunately, manuals were in short supply and she remembered Vader telling her that the moment she opened the door forcefully, the bridge would be alerted. She'd been examining the controls again for the last half an hour, determined to get into the office and get the information Vader had once promised her. Information she doubted he'd be forthcoming with after their last discussion the night before.

Any hope of getting voluntary information from him about the twins and letting her help in the search had died on the detention deck when Vader had made it clear what he expected her to do in return for her continued existence. "How can he even think I would turn my back on everything the way he did?" she muttered darkly to herself, running her fingers along the edges of the security console.

Yes, even as she asked, she knew the answer.

He'd done it; for her. Or so he'd claimed.

Was it so much to ask that she do the same in return?

Vehemently yes to her way of thinking. If Anakin had come to her, instead of reaching out to Palpatine, if he'd trusted her, in them, their story would have had a very different ending. One, she firmly believed, would have been happier. He wouldn't have immersed himself in the darkside and he wouldn't have helped murder his former friends and mentors. No, if Anakin had trusted them, he would never have become Darth Vader; he would have instead been able to be a father to their children - children he could have helped raise discreetly.

Closing her eyes, Padmé banished those dreams from her mind. Vader had used her musings and desires against her before and she wasn't about to let him do it again. This time... this time she would remain strong and not give into her baser urges. The mask was off and, while he still looked and sounded like Anakin sometimes, the image of his smile as he'd broken Max's neck with such casual abandon was seared behind her eyelids. That angelic face hid a demon, one she'd denied existed for too long.

Grimly, Padmé turned from the security door and reached for the datapad to review her map to the flight deck, a plan already half formed in her mind. Somehow, she would get what she needed from Vader's office and get off the ship. If she found nothing in his files so be it, but Padmé had an uneasy feeling that Vader had missed something, something he wasn't sharing with her, and she was determined to find out what. If the key to finding her children lay in his office, she would exhaust all her options to find it.

She would find Luke and Leia without him even if, for the first time, she acknowledged the painful reality that they might be safer growing up without her as a constant presence in their lives.

Vader, she knew, would never allow her to remain free and, if she wanted her children to be safe and happy, leaving them lost might be for the best.

Giving her head a shake, she fought off the grim thought and focused instead on the here and now. None of that would matter if she couldn't get into the office first. One step at a time; she'd deal with the impact of her in her children's lives if and when that became an issue. She had to find them first.

Ventress glanced at the trajectory on the monitor as the Exactor dropped out of hyperspace and frowned. That was unusual; few things could stop a warship the size of the Exactor and even fewer could rip one out of hyperspace. If that had been the case, the return to normal space would have been far less smooth. Which meant they had dropped out voluntarily.

In the middle of nowhere.

Interesting.

Checking the chono, she found that they still had several hours before they arrived at Gwori where she was to select her new ship. More interesting. What was important enough to warrant an exit from hyperspace? Flicking the comm., she called the bridge.

"Deck Officer."

"Why have we stopped, lieutenant?"

"Lord Vader's orders, Lady Ventress."

"Thank you, lieutenant." flicking off the comm. she frowned. Vader had ordered the exit from hyperspace. The man was driven, determined to get her on her way and away from his wife to search for his children and former Master. What could possibly be important enough to-

Her gaze flashed to the holo display in sudden understanding.

Only one thing would be enough for the man to stop every plan he was hatching and respond. His Master had called. And the man had come to heel like a well trained anoobas.

Her lips twisting with disgust and a touch of self loathing, she shook her head; not that she was any better. Far be it for her to judge when a Master called their apprentice; she'd been answering to Masters for years, never finding one worthy. Would never be worthy. Asajj had accepted that she was skilled, but unsuited to the way of the Sith; that she'd been pulled back into Vader's web was yet another sin she could lay at Padmé's door.

If she wanted out of that web, she still had a part to play.

Glancing at the holo array she counselled herself to patience.

Her time for using it would come and then, when all was said and done, she would be free. Free from Vader and his abuses. Free from Padmé and her well-meaning lies. Free from the conflicts that embroiled both of their lives. She'd be free to go wherever she wished, to settle and start anew where no one knew her, where no one expected anything of her.

Free to be an architect of her own destiny.

It was only a matter of time.

Artoo whistled in distress as Padmé pointed at the door panel to Vader's office, running back and forth over several feet and spinning himself in circles as he toodled and blatted his response.

"How can you tell me no, Artoo? You've seen how he is, what he is." Padmé put her hands on her hips. "You saw what he did to Max, how he did it. He didn't care; that isn't the man I married."

With a fierce chitter, Artoo pulled up a holo of her and Anakin's wedding, showing them on the docks of the retreat where they'd been married, staring into one another's eyes. Her heart squeezed painfully; they looked so innocent and yet they hadn't been. Leading up to that point, Anakin had pursued her with a single minded passions bordering on obsession. An obsession that had both thrilled and scared her. He'd flaunted the directions of the council and returned to his home, killed a village of Tusken Raiders to the last man, woman and child, faced a Sith lord and lost his arm in the process.

He'd been powerful and passionate, struggling against the darkness that had seemed to call to him even then.

And she'd been naive, thinking that just because she was older, she knew better.

How wrong she'd been.

"Turn it off, Artoo. Vader isn't Anakin; he hasn't been since he marched on the Jedi temple and slaughtered the younglings!"

The holo disappeared and another appeared; her and Anakin on her balcony as he climbed from his speeder and ran to embrace her. A very pregnant her.

"No, Artoo; that's enough! You're showing me who he was, not who he is. If you want to show me holos, show me what he's been doing on the planets where we go to visit."

Artoo whistled his refusal.

"No? Then show me what he did on Naboo; what he said to the Queen."

The droid visibly hesitated.

Padmé narrowed her eyes at him. "Now, Artoo."

A mournful whistle and a different holo played, this one of Vader in his office. He was kneeling next to Artoo, and was hanging his head. His voice was rough, almost desperate. "That's why I need her, don't you see? Help me, won't you? Help me convince her this is her best option? Her best chance?"

"Nothing you say and nothing he does is going to change my mind Artoo. You've seen what he's been doing. He says I'm not a prisoner and then I was locked in this room for days. The guard that was nowhere in sight before Dandoran is back. He's left me alone for days; before Dandoran-"

Artoo cut her off this time, whistling an explanation that made her shake her head. "I don't care how busy he is, Artoo, or what he told you; he's changed. Anakin was always attentive and kind, caring; he never abandoned me the way Vader did the moment we got back into the ship and headed back here. And don't tell me that because we were on the ship together, he was with me. You might not be able to see it as a droid, but he wasn't there; he pulled away from me." She let out a harsh laugh. "He was probably sick of having to pretend to be Anakin."

This time the droid rocked back and forth, whistling and beeping urgently.

"No? How can you say that was him, Artoo? Until I came to the Exactor, how many times did you see him offer mercy? How many times were children spared? Can you give me one example, show me once example from the time after Obi-Wan took me away to when I was brought on board when he acted anything like the man he was during the Clone Wars?"

An image of Anakin sprung to life, working on his ship. There was no sound, but Padmé could feel the joy in his smile as he tinkered with the mechanics.

"When he wasn't with you, and just you, Artoo." While Padmé doubted it, she found a small part of herself hoping that Artoo could refute her believe that Anakin wasn't gone. "Show me one mission, one encounter with another living being, something where he was the man we knew."

Lights flashed and a whirring noise could be heard as Artoo searched his memory banks.

Seconds turned into half a minute and Padmé felt her heart sink, that small flicker of remaining hope extinguished before it could take root.

No holo was forthcoming and, finally, the droid gave a low, mournful wail.

"It's not your fault, Artoo." Patting the droid's dome, she bent down and hugged him. "Vader made his choices. I'm glad that the small part of him that might still be Anakin can be that with you, but he's not that person, Artoo. Not anymore. He's not Anakin, no matter how hard he might pretend or try to show us otherwise. The man in Anakin's body is Darth Vader. The man who promised to give me freedom and who has instead kept me in a cage. He's the man who promised to let me help find Luke and Leia if he wasn't successful and now he won't even consider letting me look at the data."

Artoo's chassis visibly drooped.

"What did he do on Naboo, Artoo? He won't tell me and I have no access to the holo network for the news story that apparently aired after we left."

Another mournful sound and this time Artoo's dome rotated, as if shaking his head.

"Would you like me to ask him, Mistress Padmé?"

"It's okay, Threepio," Padmé patted Artoo's dome. "He'll tell me when he's ready. I'm going to go for a walk. Wait here with him, won't you?"

"Alone? But Mistress Padmé-"

"Yes, Threepio, alone."

Padmé headed for the door, pausing to listen as Threepio spoke with his counterpart, her fingers hovering over the control panel.

"Now see what you have done? You should consider telling her what she wants to know, Artoo."

Artoo's subdued reply wasn't audible enough for Padmé to understand.

"Mistress Padmé asked nicely. You were right in not letting her into his office but you should let her see a news story abo-"

Artoo cut him off with a rude noise that had Threepio audibly huffing.

"Well I never! How rude! Fine. See if I can when she has you scrapped."

Having heard enough, Padmé opened the door and presented herself to the guard; Artoo might not have done what she wished this time, but she was hopeful he was wavering in her favor. Armed with acts about his Master he hadn't considered, Artoo was a smart droid and she hoped his reasoning circuits were still working, despite his strong attachment to who Vader had been.

Back in hyperspace and agitated from his Master's call and knowing time was running short to convince Padmé to his way of thinking, Vader returned to his quarters. Anticipating another argument with his wife, he found the guard and Padmé gone and Threepio and Artoo arguing about something.

"Is there a problem, Threepio?"

"Oh! Master Vader! No, sir, no problem."

"Artoo?"

The astromech was surprisingly subdued for a droid who normally had more spirit as he he whistled his denial.

"Did Threepio hurt your feelings buddy?"

The rude response from his friend was reassuring. "Good. I'd hate to have the two of you at odds while Padmé and I aren't seeing eye to eye."

"Master?"

"Yes, Threepio?"

"Mistress Padmé is most distressed that you will not let her assist with the search for the twins. Will you not reconsider allowing her to review your findings?"

"Did Padmé put you up to this, Threepio?"

"Put me up to this, sir?"

"Did she ask you to ask me?"

"No, sir." Threepio's voice took on a distressed note. "Oh no. Mistress Padmé would never ask me to ask you. She is far to angry with you for that, sir."

Vader couldn't help but chuckle. "I caught that, Threepio, thanks. Where is she?"

"Out for of a walk, sir."

"Did she say where?"

"No, sir."

"Artoo?" The droid's answer was a rotation of his dome to the negative along with a short negative whistle. Clearly neither knew where she had gone and Vader decided against calling the guard for their location. Padmé wouldn't be away long and, since their last argument, she would be isolated to the deck outside their quarters. The guards had their orders and they wouldn't leave the deck. "Nevermind; she can only be gone for so long before the guards will bring her back."

"Is there something I might be able to assist you with, Master?"

"No, nothing, Threepio; as you were," Vader waved him away and headed for his office. "Come on Artoo; we still have information to sift through."

The astromech followed on his heels, the door closing behind them, and Vader let out a sigh, running both hands through his hair as he settled into his chair. "This isn't going to be easy, buddy."

Artoo's inquiry was soft, still subdued, as he stopped beside the desk.

Vader look up at him with a frown. "Is everything okay, Artoo?"

For a long moment, Artoo said nothing and then a holo began to play, Padmé's angry tone filing the silence of the office.

"I don't care how busy he is, Artoo, or what he told you; he's changed. Anakin was always attentive and kind, caring; he never abandoned me the way Vader did the moment we got back into the ship and headed back here. And don't tell me that because we were on the ship together, he was with me. You might not be able to see it as a droid, but he wasn't there; he pulled away from me."

"When is this from, Artoo?" a quick look at the timestamp and Vader let out a growl. "This morning? What more is there? Show me the rest."

The droid made a sound of denial.

"Now, Artoo."

Padmé's resigned and angry visage sprang back to life. "Vader made his choices. I'm glad that the small part of him that might still be Anakin can be that with you, but he's not that person, Artoo. Not anymore. He's not Anakin, no matter how hard he might pretend or try to show us otherwise. The man in Anakin's body is Darth Vader. The man who promised to give me freedom and who has instead kept me in a cage. He's the man who promised to let me help find Luke and Leia if he wasn't successful and now he won't even consider letting me look at the data."

"Who was she talking with?"

Artoo toodled a response.

"You? Is she trying to turn you against me? I know you won't ever betray me, buddy, but for her to try-"

A high pitched whine followed by a series of chitters and beeps had Artoo rocking back and forth between his feet in agitation.

"Understand what? There's nothing to understand! I'm the same man I've always been; you know that. You've been with me ever since she and I got married. I haven't changed that much. I may have gotten stronger and more set in my convictions, but it's all for her! I've tried to show her that. If she thinks I've changed so much, maybe it just shows how blinded she was to everything I was before."

Artoo chittered at him again, his tone scolding.

"It's not my fault if she couldn't see that, Artoo. She had full access to the reports during the war and the Senate was aware of what-"

The droid cut him off, whistling an accusation.

"So what if we sanitized those reports? The Senate didn't need to know about every village we couldn't save."

A rude noise followed with a question.

"That... what do you mean when did we go from saving villages to razing them? Traitors have to be rooted out and eliminated. If the Empire is going to bring the peace and prosperity that we promised in the long run, the Jedi can't be allowed to continue! Anyone who supports, hides or aids and abets them knows the risks; they're traitors!" Vader snapped viciously, "They commit treason and the penalty for treason is death."

Padmé's image snapped to life along with another distressed scolding.

"Of course Padmé's not a traitor; she's different!"

Another holo replaced the image, showing Padmé in the Senate with Bail Organa, the look on her face one of frustrated disappointment and anger. "So this is how liberty dies-"

"Stop it, Artoo!" Frustrated, Vader pushed out of his chair to pace back and forth across his office as the holo snapped off. "Just... stop it. I know what her political views were, I'm not blind to the fact that she believes we should still be a Republic and not an Empire. I don't understand why she can't see that democracy still exists and the people have their voices; we didn't dissolve the senate and the Emperor doesn't plan to."

Another rude noise was his response.

"And just when would I have told her that? She never lets me say it." Holding up one hand, he glared at the droid, "And don't tell me I have to try harder. I know I have to try again; that's why I came back and was looking for her. We need to hash this out; she needs to understand that if she doesn't publicly denounce the rebels and accept the Empire as the legal ruling body of the galaxy with the Emperor as its leader, she'll never be able to live freely once we find the twins."

Artoo was silent for a moment and then a soft, hesitant question.

"I don't know, Artoo. I really don't. If Padmé won't do it... no." Vader cut himself off with a decisive chopping motion , slapping his metallic hand into his real one. "No. Padmé will do it. I can't believe anything else. She might not see it right now, but I'll find a way to convince her, to make her see that it's the only option open to her. I know she won't like it. Like it or not, she will need to see reason."

Striding back to the door that would take him into their suite, he was preoccupied enough to note that Artoo was silent as he followed, his work to search for the twins untouched. Padmé would be back soon as he needed to come up with a real strategy to convince her. Something that was more than promises. Letting her help find the twins was out of the question after the message from his Master; all of those resources had to be re-tasked lest the true reason for his search come to light.

His Master might suspect that Padmé was alive, but Vader was certain he didn't know that Luke and Leia were still alive. Not yet, anyway. Vader would do everything he could to ensure that it remained that way as long as he could.

Padmé returned to the suite after walking in circles on the deck for over an hour. The guards with her were men she didn't recognize and she didn't bother getting to know them. For the moment, she didn't care to. Vader had restricted her to the deck where their suite was located, leaving her little to do but walk or run laps. So she'd done it, unable to access some of the areas that she'd used with impunity before. They guards retook their posts as she stepped through the door and headed for the kitchenette and a glass of water. Glass in hand, she turned to go to the living area and stopped.

Vader was waiting for her.

Sitting on the sofa with a datapad in hand, he looked up as she approached and her stomach dropped even as she cautioned herself to breathe deeply; hopefully he'd take any sign of agitation as a result of her exercise.

His gaze flicked back to the datapad for a moment before connecting to hers again. "Did you enjoy your walk, Padmé."

"Very scenic," she retorted dryly. "The walls on this deck are a particularly lovely reflective shade of grey which enhances the hyperspace starlines with great effect."

As he placed the datapad on the table, she inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Either he hadn't found her coded map, or her code had worked and left his uninterested. "It's a temporary measure until Ventress can be removed from the ship, Padmé. Once she's gone-"

"Once she's gone, what? You'll give me free run of the ship? We both know you'll find another reason to keep me in this suite, Vader."

"Is it so hard for you to accept that I want to protect you?"

"I wouldn't need your protection if you hadn't brought me here in the first place." Padmé snapped her reply and then took a deep breath, struggling to maintain her temper. "We're going around in circles. Again. What do you want this time?"

"We need to talk about your address to the people."

"I'm not making an announcement."

"You have to, Padmé."

"No; I don't." She'd had time to think about his suggestions in the twenty four standard hours since Max's execution and when Vader had first broached the subject. Nothing, absolutely nothing would convince her to do what he asked. "Not only do I not have to, you can't force me and you won't force me."

"You're not looking at this rationally," pushing to his feet, Vader stood and took up an at ease posture, his hands clasped behind his back, and Padmé could tell he'd marshalled his patience for this discussion. "I know you don't want to die."

"You're right," taking a sip of her water, she acknowledged the truth for what it was. "I don't. I want to live. I want to find Luke and Leia. I want to take them somewhere where you and your Emperor cannot ever reach them."

Vader's jaw visibly clenched but, to her surprise, he didn't rise to her dig. "If you don't make some kind of public declaration of allegiance, or at least acceptance of the Emperor's position and his policies, you'll be hunted down and killed the moment he receives firm confirmation you're alive."

An interesting choice of words. "You haven't told him?"

"When it could put your life in more danger than it already is? I want to protect you, not put you in harm's way."

"Then you should have left me where I was, shouldn't you?"

"You belong here with me; we've always been stronger together. You know that."

"Anakin and I were stronger together; you're not him." Frustration took hold of her, at him and at herself. "You're just the stranger that has his face. His murderer."

"Anakin Skywalker was weak. Conflicted. A man torn between two worlds. I couldn't have saved you as I was so I changed, Padmé. I was Anakin, yes," stepping towards her only to stop, Vader's hands came out from behind his back, his eyes flashing, as they flexed at his sides. "I'm the same man you comforted after the Tusken Raiders killed my mother and you accepted me, even after I told you I'd slaughtered the whole village, down to the last child."

"That was one instance and you were grieving your mother. I might have done the same thing if they'd captured and tortured my mother only to have her die in my arms!"

"And the Clone Wars? I enjoyed being a General, Padmé. I enjoyed leading men into battle."

"That was against droids, not beings of flesh and blood."

"And the assassins we foiled? The missions we went on? The infiltration and bounty hunters attempts we foiled? Not all of our opponents were droids; the separatists had a flesh and blood ruling council. Followers. Detractors who had to be educated to the error of their ways. Those educations are the ones I enjoyed the most."

Staring at him, Padmé saw the cruel tilt of his lips and her heart seized. "Education was an important part of what you were doing, there was a lot of misinformation-"

"Aggressive education," Vader cut her off, taking another step towards her, now at the end of the sofa. "Those who were the most outspoken needed to be dealt with. Permanently."

"We were at war-"

"And that makes it okay?" His lips twisted cruelly, "Taking a mother or father, sometimes both, away from their children and making them orphans as an example to the populace? Perhaps I misjudged you, my love; perhaps you do understand."

"All of those criminals were given fair trials."

"Were they?" His voice soft, Vader took another step towards her but Padmé barely noticed. "There were a lot of things that were sanitized before they made it into the reports, Padmé."

"No... no," shaking her head, she backed away a step. "The Jedi council would never-"

"They would have," he replied smugly, "and they did. Jedi were protectors, peace keepers and negotiators. When we judged someone guilty, who was going to question us? If the populace was freed of Separatist oppression, no one asked any questions on how it was done."

"That just makes it worse!" Her fingers tightened around her glass as she resisted the urge to throw it at him.

"You had to know we couldn't report on everything."

"Standard every day operations, yes, but nothing like this. You were supposed to be a protector and instead you've become a dictator."

"There was an outcry for security and safety; my Master and I have brought them that!"

"The people deserved to be represented by elected leaders who have their best interests at heart, not dictators and tyrants who seek to subjugate anyone with a differing opinion."

"The Senate remains, with the people's representation firmly in place, Padmé," Vader rounded the sofa and stopped, as if just realizing he'd moved. "They still elect their leaders; they still have a voice."

"Totalitarianism is not democracy!"

With a frown, Vader shook his head and leaned against the back of the sofa, his fingers wrapping around the edge. "Whatever you believe, Padmé, what's done is done. The Empire has been formed and my Master is its Emperor. His will is the people's will. Despite these minor rebel actions that have occurred, most systems have fallen in line and accepted the new galactic order."

"Because they're scared; ruling through fear and segregation is only going to spawn more Rebel actions. You're the Emperor's right hand; convince him to-"

Vader let out a bark of harsh laughter. "You dare ask me now? Anakin wouldn't do it for you before he became me, why would I help you now? Especially now when we finally have a galaxy where we won't have to hide. I asked you once to come with me, to rule with me; I gave you the opportunity to help me shape this galaxy and build it in the image we wished. You declined, Padmé, or don't you remember?"

"How could I ever forget?" Demanded Padmé as her fingers tightened on the glass, going numb, "You accused me right afterwards of betraying you, force choke and all."

"I should never have done that; we've already discussed it."

"And that makes it okay? You're not Anakin. Anakin, my husband, only wanted to be a good man. He never wanted to rule the galaxy, he didn't care about politics, he cared about his family."

"He was a fool," Vader snapped back. "Anakin Skywalker was weak; he couldn't save you, didn't have the power to save you. I do!"

"I don't need saving, especially by the monster who murdered my husband."

"I won't have you killed. You need to make the address, Padmé."

"Or what? You'll force me to do it? I know how those powers work, remember? I'm far from the weak minded fools you use it on."

Vader closed his eyes and breathed deeply and Padmé could almost hear him counting backwards from ten as she did the same, struggling to regain control of her temper. When his eyes opened again, they weren't calm, but he was back in control. "If you don't acknowledge the Emperor publicly, you will never be able to live free anywhere in the galaxy, Padmé. You're so determined to find Luke and Leia, but a life on the run is not a life. What would happen to them if the bounty hunters find you and succeed? Not only will you have removed them from their home with Kenobi, but they will have lost their mother as well."

"Home with Kenobi?" Padmé's grip slackened in shock and the glass dropped, hitting the floor with a dull thump as water splashed across her feet and lower legs. She didn't notice. "You've found them? They're with Obi-Wan?"

"Kenobi was seen with children; the report reached me yesterday."

Padmé swayed, a series of conflicting emotions racing through her veins. Elation, frustration, hurt, anticipation; gratitude and betrayal. Strong arms caught her as her knees gave way and her head snapped up to find Vader's visage closer than he'd been in weeks. His arms were around her, supporting her - her hands slapped into his chest, pushing violently as she struggled in his grip. "Let me go!"

They both went tumbling to the ground and Padmé pushed away, backing up on her hands and bum in an awkward rush to get away from him, barely aware of the water soaking through her pants.

Vader caught himself on one knee as she scrambled away.

"Don't touch me!"

"I'm damn well going to catch you when you're about to faint!"

Her back hit the sofa and she stopped, staring at him wide-eyes. "I wasn't-"

"Your eyes were rolling back in your head, Padmé."

Ignoring the statement, she refocused on his previous one. "Obi-Wan has Luke and Leia?"

"The report only said he was with children who match their age." Vader's lips twisted. "Tracking him has been problematic."

"Good!" Padmé tilted her head back against the backboard of the sofa. "Good."

"I thought you wanted to find them."

"Not if it means giving you access to them," she retorted sharply, her brain already working through the possibilities. If she could find Obi-Wan on her own and not lead Vader to him, the savvy Jedi Master would be able to help hide her as well as the twins. Vader's threat was seeming less likely with this new information. "I'd rather they stay lost with Obi-Wan, than have them exposed to the darkness and hate within you."

Vader's expression visibly closed at her accusation. "Whatever you want, so long as you refuse to make a public announcement in support of the Emperor, won't matter. The galaxy thinks you're dead and it will keep thinking it so long as you're stubborn about this."

Tilting her chin in defiance, she glared right back at him. "I won't change my mind, Vader. Nothing you say, nothing you do, nothing you threaten will cause me to alter my principles or betray what I believe in. Unlike you, I won't take the easy way out."

"Easy?" He pushed to his feet. "You think this was easy Padmé?"

"Compared to trusting me, yes!" Unwilling to be at a disadvantage with him, she pulled herself upright, using the sofa for support as she gained her feet. "None of this would have happened if you hadn't let your fear guide you! What's worse, is that you can't see it. You just can't see that everything you claim you did for me, was actually for you."

"I did this to save you!"

"And you did a bang up job, didn't you? You weren't even there when I had Luke and Leia! If something had happened, you wouldn't have been able to do anything about it. No; you didn't do all this for me, Vader, you did it for yourself. So you could feel like you were doing something; so you wouldn't have to go through another loss like the loss of your mother."

"Enough!"

His roared command made her flinch but she tilted her chin in defiance anyway. "A little too close to home, Vader?"

"If you weren't my wife-"

"I'm not your wife."

"Don't push me, Padmé. If you want to remain in obscurity, stuck in this room for the next twenty years to maintain your principles and miss every milestone of our children, I'm not going to deny you that. Mark my words, wife, if you won't testify in public, you will serve me here in our home."

"Touch me and I'll-"

"Kill me?" Vader stepped closer and she slapped her hands on his chest, trying to hold him at arm's length. His head dipped, his eyes flashing and she felt her body betray her. Despite the animosity between them, physically she still recognized his allure. His breath fanned over her ear as he leaned in, even as she tried to lean back. "Somehow I doubt that you'll be an unwilling captive for the next twenty years, my love. At some point, you will need human contact, human comfort, and you will turn to me again. And when you do, it will be on your hands and knees, begging for me to gift you with oblivion."

"Never." Her breath hitched, betraying her. "Never again."

His chuckle was low and she struggled not to curl her fingers against the muscles of his chest. The touch of his index finger along her jaw made her flinch, but all he did was draw it slowly down the line of it to the point of her chin, drawing her head around to look at him, so close she could feel his breath across her lips. "You want me."

"No."

"No?" his thumb brushed softly across her lips making her gasp as it then dropped to the rapid fluttering of her pulse, "I can feel the rapid beating of your heart, Padmé. The quickness of your breath; I can see your dilated pupils, " he stepped in closer, aligning his hips to hers and she swallowed an involuntary moan at the contact as he ground his arousal against her. "Deny it all you want, but your body gives you away. You want me."

"Wanting you doesn't mean I like you." she snapped, knowing there was no use in denying it further, "and I will never, ever love you!"

"You don't have to love me, Padmé. You don't even have to like me, but mark my words, if you choose to stay in obscurity with me," his finger fell away and her traitorous body swayed towards his before she could stop it and by his smirk, she knew he caught it. "I will use every trick I know about how your body reacts to mine. I will taunt you, tease you, tempt you; I will seduce you in ever sense and I will win."

"If I'm stuck with you for another twenty years in the shadows," she told him fiercely and she tossed her head and shoved him away, "I won't be the one on my knees."

Her push had little effect and Vader simply smiled. "I look forward to seeing you try."

"I won't need to," she told him fiercely, putting a leg between them and forcing him back, going on the attack, and turning his words back on him. "If I am well and truly stuck with you, I will taunt you, tease your, tempt you; I will seduce you in every sense... and I will win. Because I know your weaknesses, better than you know mine. I know what drives you to distraction, what will push you over the edge. You may not be Anakin now, but you were once. And even though I don't like you, even though I will never love you, I will feel no remorse about using you for the comfort I want and give you nothing in return."

"When you are begging for my touch, Padmé, I look forward to forcing you to retract those words."

"And when you are begging for mine, I look forward to leaving you unfulfilled." She pushed him further away.

His smirk made her heart ache even as she felt it shatter further in her chest. "Then this is where the fun begins."

"No," she returned fiercely, "this is where the war begins. Make no mistake, Vader; this is war."

"No doubt, my love, but you should never challenge a tactician; we have a tendency to win."