A/N: In this chapter, things start to spool up for some major plot points. Sorry it took so long, I'm currently writing another Vaderdala story simultaneously called "Fearing Him Yet Craving Him". It's on my profile so if you'd like to read it, feel free. As always, thank you for taking your time to read my work. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
The consequences of over indulging in liquor were normally never realized until the following morning. In Padmé's case, the late morning. Her head pounded and her mouth felt dry. Oh, what in the name of all the gods had possessed her to drink so much? She normally only had no more than three drinks of hard liquor in one sitting, and the ones that she had drank the previous evening had been filled nearly to the brim. From now on it would only be normal pours instead of heavy handed ones. She was nearly twenty nine years old, far too experienced to be drinking like she was in her early twenties.
The hungover Senator lifted her head and squinted through her eyes, still trying to recount what had led her to drink so damned much. So far, she just remembered Vader boasting about how he wasn't drunk. The bastard could probably dampen the effects of alcohol with the Force. Either that or it was merely because he was about five years younger than her. Maybe Dormé would be hung over as well. What a sad state they would be in while Vader walked around like a damned god.
"Someone's finally awake", she heard Vader say in an annoyed voice.
Padmé turned her head and saw Vader sitting up in the bed, reading a book. "Ani", she groaned. "I'm not feeling the greatest right now." Whatever he was annoyed with could wait a few hours until she felt a little better.
"I figured you wouldn't. Here take this and drink some water", he said as he placed a pain pill in her hand and a glass of water in the other.
At least he's annoyed but considerate, she figured. It could be worse, he could be yelling and annoyed which would really fuck with her hangover. She took the pill with the water and set the glass down on her nightstand, leaning back against the pillow for a few minutes to allow the pain reliever to start working its magic.
She felt Vader nudge her shoulder gently. "Wake up, Padmé. You've slept long enough, time to get up."
"Ani, stop. I just want to rest my eyes for a few minutes while my headache goes away", she mumbled as she pushed his hand away.
"You've slept another hour since then, your head should feel better. Come on, open your eyes and sit up", he replied.
Shit, had she gone back to sleep? Well, that explained why her head did feel better, in fact she felt better overall. The extra hour must have done wonders for her. With a great yawn, she stretched before sitting up and scooting back to the pillow. Her sweet knight was sitting next to her, looking concerned, but at least he didn't sound annoyed anymore.
It took her a moment to blink the sleep from her eyes. "Force, I am not drinking that heavily again, Ani. Everything is so hazy, what happened last night?", she asked as she rubbed her face. Shit, she must look dreadful.
"You mean you don't recall?", Vader asked as he frowned deeply. "I would have thought you would have remembered some of it." Way for him to rub her blackout drunkenness in her face. She should run an intravenous line of liquor into his veins just so he would know what it felt like to blackout and not remember what happened.
"All I remember is you shooting your damned mouth off about how you weren't drunk", she said. "Seriously, what the hell happened after that."
Vader sighed and pressed his lips together for a moment. "You mean you don't recall pressuring Dormé into stripping off her robe so she could show me what her nightgown looked like?", he asked.
"What!", Padmé exclaimed. "Anakin, that isn't funny, and I most certainly did not do that." The nerve of the man to tell a joke like that. It was cruel and unusual.
"I wouldn't lie to you", he hissed. "You wanted me to see her in a state of undress, so you coaxed her into taking off her robe. She was entirely embarrassed and so was I."
Padmé glared daggers at him, still disbelieving what he was saying.
Vader rolled his eyes and touched her temple. Suddenly, the memories of the previous evening rushed back to her like a damn hovertrain. She did recall having Dormé essentially strip and… oh no, she had suggested that they all climb into Vader's bed. Shit!
She shook her head clear and groaned, absolutely ashamed of her conduct. "Ani, I don't know where to even begin", she said. "I feel completely miserable about all of that." Force, she didn't want to have sex with Dormé or let him have sex with her, she wanted him to herself and nothing else.
"Just remember that if I'm yours, you're mine", he growled, causing Padmé to flinch. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be too upset with you, you clearly weren't in your right frame of mind. I would just hope that would never happen again." He rubbed her leg affectionately and leaned forward to kiss her forehead.
Padmé wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him for dear life. She had been a complete wreck the prior evening and felt abysmal about it. She lifted her head and looked into his eyes. "It won't happen again, Ani. I promise. I'm yours as much as you're mine", she whispered.
"Good", Vader mumbled as he stole a quick kiss from her before pulling away to stand up. "But I'm not the only one you should be making an apology to. Dormé was most displeased this morning when I ran into her downstairs. I had to convince her not to leave she was so upset. You'll want to do some patching up with her."
"Why is she so upset? She's always been an exhibitionist with those tiny nightgowns she parades around in", Padmé said as she groaned internally. Seriously, the little tart was more promiscuous than a damned teenaged girl, hellbent on fucking anything that moved.
"Padmé, I not too long ago had to turn her down when she was about to admit feelings for me", Vader said exasperated with her ignorance. "Then, you browbeat her into showing her body to me and then making the suggestion that we have a threesome? If you think about it for a moment, you'll see that's a perfectly rational reason for her to be upset!"
Damn, when did he get so intuitive about women? It was possible what he was saying was true and she supposed that she had been a little cruel to Dromé. Dammit, she was her best friend. Best friends don't treat one another like that. Ugh, she did need to apologize profusely to her handmaiden, there was no question about it.
"I'll go apologize right now", she mumbled.
"You might want to get dressed first, or do you not realize that you're nude?", Vader asked almost amused.
"I realize that", Padmé said with an eye roll. Actually, she hadn't realized it. Gods dammit, her headache might have gone away but her brain was still foggy as hell.
After she dressed, she went looking for Dormé, but couldn't find her. She searched the second and third floors and headed down to the first when she saw Threepio. "Threepio, have you seen Dormé? I can't find her upstairs." She hoped that it wouldn't be a lengthy conversation with the droid, she wasn't in the mood for it.
"Why, yes of course, Mistress Padmé. Mistress Dormé is outside at the seating area near the north side of the premises. I would tread lightly, she said some very unkind words about you this morning.", the droid said.
Shit, Padmé thought. Dormé was rather angry with her. "Thank you, Threepio", she replied as she went out the front entrance and began walking around the property.
Padmé spied Dormé sitting on a bench, gazing at the Coruscanti skyline with her arms folded in front of her. "Dormé, is it alright if I come and sit down?" She winced as she saw her jaw work in irritation and her back stiffen.
"Fine, Milady", Dormé said in a neutral voice.
It made Padmé so angry at herself for daring to hurt her best friend in such a cold way. Of course, Dormé would be angry. Her feelings for Vader weren't likely completely resolved and there Padmé went, pressuring her to be in a position where those feelings would have the scab ripped away from them. She stepped over to her friend and sat next to her, being careful not to get too close.
"Dormé, I know you're probably angry with me, but I just wanted to apologize for last night. I understand that my actions may have made you uncomfortable, but I hadn't meant to hurt you at all", she said.
Her handmaiden's head snapped towards her. "Then what the fuck did you mean to do, Padmé?", she all but spat. "You saw how nervous Ani and I both were when you encouraged me to strip in front of him. A week ago, I was going to tell him that I was falling in love with him, just for me to dance around in front of him wearing a tiny little nightgown like I was some sort of back alley slut. Maybe I am a slut, but I'm trying to be considerate of your relationship with the man."
"Now wait just a second, you're the one who wore that nightgown, not me", Padmé protested.
"No, I put a gods damned robe on. Besides, I didn't wear the damned nightgown for Ani, I never wear my nightgowns because of anyone except myself. It makes me feel good about myself, makes me feel like I'm something instead of just feeling like I'm alone all the time, that's why I wear the fucking things", Dormé yelled. She shot to her feet and began stalking away when Padmé grabbed her arm.
"Dammit, Dormé you don't need a silly garment to feel like you're something, you are more than something you're my best friend! I know I didn't act like it last night, but I wasn't in my right frame of mind. I've never acted so cruel to you after having drank so much before, so I don't understand it at all", Padmé implored. She was being honest, her behavior baffled her as much as it did everyone else. Her handmaiden was all that she had aside from Vader and would likely still be that way after she told her parents the truth about him.
"Answer me this", Dormé began, "Were you upset with me because I embraced Ani or that I cried for his unborn son?"
Oh no, it wasn't just the damned striptease, it was something more. "No, Dormé, not at all", Padmé said as she grabbed both her friend's hands and squeezed. "Love, I thought it was very heartwarming that the two of you embraced, I even was amazed that Ani could form a friendship, especially with you. I don't have anything against you sharing a friendship with Ani, I think it's marvelous actually." She blinked a tear from her eye and looked away for a moment. "I do remember saying that we both would be there for you last night, and that remains true. I don't know why I insisted that you do something that hurt you, but you're my damned friend and I never want to do anything like that to you ever again."
Dormé stared at her for a moment before ripping her hands from Padmé's and wrapping her arms around her. "You're forgiven", she whispered.
…
Vader swung his lightsaber at the practice droid, in an attempt to press his attack. He had recently reprogramed the droid to be far more aggressive and was pleased with the result. The training droid countered the attack with moderate success, and went on the offensive, swinging its lightsaber in crisp movements, forcing Vader to counter the blows quickly. The match was getting heated, and Vader was pleased of his work as he was drenched in sweat from the combat with the single droid vs having three droids to fight with.
The droid quickly moved to Vader's side, thrusting its blade at Vader's lungs. He was barley able to step back, avoiding what would have been a fatal blow, given that the droid was using a real lightsaber verses a training one. It was exciting, and Vader could just imagine that he was facing a Jedi, but there was a single difference. The droid did not have a connection to the Force.
Using this to his advantage, Vader flipped over the droid, attacking it from behind. The droid scrambled to block the blow, causing it to momentarily be thrown off balance. Vader kicked the droid's leg, causing it to tumble to the ground. Realizing that this was his best chance, he swung his lightsaber down, just to have the droid hold its lightsaber across it in an attempt to keep Vader from killing it.
Vader pressed down as hard as he could and could hear the droid's gears and servos staining to keep its arm stable, but it wasn't working. He was simply too strong, too powerful and the droid flailed its legs in a vain attempt to stand. Vader pressed his left foot against the droid's leg, preventing it from standing up. He roared at the droid, touching as much of the darkness as possible to fuel his strength.
Finally, the droid's arm gave out and Vader was able to press his lightsaber into the droid's head, killing it. The droid's lightsaber deactivated, making it harmless and Vader kicked the droid, satisfied with his handywork.
"Good show, Ani", he heard Dormé say with a quick clap of her hands.
He panted and called a towel to his hand, wiping his face from the excess sweat. His chest and arms were slick and his baggy sparring pants were soaked. He would need to become even more physically fit if he wanted to face off against three of the newly programed droids in order to be able to defeat them without getting grievously hurt or killed. It was necessary if he was to potentially face multiple Jedi masters in case they attacked the Imperial Palace in an attempt to assassinate Sidious as he had foreseen. While he wouldn't mind if the Jedi killed Sidious, he hated the Jedi more and wanted to stomp them out.
"How long have you been watching?", Vader asked breathlessly. It always made him walk with a little swagger when he was watched during his sparring sessions, but he figured that was just his cocky personality.
"I've been watching for about ten minutes. That droid nearly gave you a run for your credits, but I'm glad to see that you were able to destroy it. Why on earth would you give the droid a real lightsaber? That seems incredibly dangerous to me", she said.
Vader chuckled at what he saw was a ridiculous statement. "If there isn't an element of real danger, I won't take the fight seriously which will make my practice utterly useless", he stated. "It depends on the Jedi, but most are weak making me able to kill them easily, but certain ones are just as if not slightly more experienced than I am, forcing me to use every bit of skill to defeat them." It was the truth, he was terrified at the raw power of some masters, and Yoda was one of them.
"Well, I'm certain that you'll be able to face whatever adversity that you're shown", Dormé said encouragingly.
"Thanks", Vader said. "Speaking of adversity, were you and Padmé able to patch things up? I disliked seeing you so angry at her but figured that you had a strong reason to be."
Dormé blushed slightly at the memory. "I actually did, she was most apologetic, and I believe that won't happen again."
"Good. That's very good", Vader said as he wiped the back of his neck with the towel. He sensed that there was more to say from the woman. "You have something else you'd like to say, am I correct?"
"I suppose I do", Dormé said as she looked away momentarily. "I wanted to apologize for not forcefully telling Padmé no when she asked me to show you what was underneath my robe. It wasn't right considering my previous conduct, and I just feel that you might be angry with me for doing it."
That through Vader for a loop. He hadn't expected the woman to apologize to him for showing a little skin. It wasn't like he would actually do anything about it and figured that Dormé doing a little twirl was tamer than his other experiences.
"No apologies are necessary, Dormé. I was more concerned about you being upset for doing so given our conversation. Plus, you were fairly angry this morning at Padmé, which concerned my suspicions", Vader said. "I know we had a little bit of a difficult experience on Naboo and just wanted to make certain that you were alright."
She looked to the ground. "That's very sweet of you to be concerned. I'll be alright. It was difficult, but you and I are becoming friends and I don't want anything to interfere with that. I don't have many friends and just view this as an opportunity to gain one."
That made perfect sense to the Sith Lord. "I don't have any friends aside from you and Padmé given that I consider her to be more than a lover. I think you're fine and you shouldn't worry about me being angry. Will you be alright though?", he asked.
Dormé looked up at him and smiled briefly. "I'll be alright, Ani. Thank you for asking."
Vader nodded. "Good. Now, I need to get cleaned up. How about you go find Padmé and keep her company while I shower."
"Of course", Dormé replied as she nodded and smiled.
…
Obi-Wan smirked as he went over his plan. He had fortunately been able to follow Vader back to his rather large penthouse in the sky, so he knew exactly where he lived and that Padmé lived with him. He also managed to witness her handmaiden arriving late in the evening, which would make it easier to get them both away from Vader. He would be mad to assault Vader on his home turf, so he would need to do something else.
If he could catch Padmé and the handmaiden by themselves, he would merely need to have them be placed in a state of sleep with the Force, and then he could extract them to safety so he and hopefully Qui Gon could figure out a way to rid whatever hold Vader had over them and simultaneously use them to draw Vader into an ambush.
This would allow Obi-Wan to control the battleground and truly use the element of surprise to kill the Sith Lord, finally ridding the galaxy of his evil presence for eternity. The Emperor would have to come later, but without his pet, he would be a greatly weakened target that the Jedi could strike which would overthrow the despot and eventually utilize the power vacuum to destabilize the Imperial military to the point where it would fracture into pieces.
There would obviously be some risks to his plan, he would have to follow the two women closely even if they were near Vader so he could snatch them at just the right time. That would be almost too difficult, but now that he knew where to look, he could begin following them the moment that they all left Vader's penthouse just to slip the snare around them.
He supposed that once he got them aboard his freighter, he would need to be cautious as they would both likely lash out at him as soon as they regained consciousness, especially since whatever the Sith Lord had done to them seemed to be so strong. He would need to figure that out as he went though as first, he had to actually get them.
All he had to do was wait.
…
A full day had passed, and it was now morning again. Padme's parents were due to arrive later in the afternoon and she was a nervous wreck. How long would they stay once they knew the truth about Vader? Would they at least wait to listen to what they had to say, or would they both stalk out, angered at the lie they had been told? Would they be afraid of Vader? That was the last thing that she wanted; they were too precious to her for them to be sitting in hear of the Sith Lord as if he would kill them both if they voiced their opinion.
There probably wouldn't be another shot at this, so they had one chance to make it perfect. Nothing could go wrong, lest it derail the entire conversation. "Now Ani", she began, "I'm imploring you to make certain that you watch your temper regardless of what my parents say. They'll be so shocked that they may speak in an unkind manner, but you can't let it get under your skin."
Vader scoffed gently. "Padmé, I am aware of the situation so please rest assured that I won't become agitated", he said. "I might become upset, especially if your parents treat you in any way that is beyond what the situation calls for, but I'll be on my best behavior. I promise." He gripped her shoulders and kissed her gently on the lips. "It'll be alright, Angel."
Padmé felt herself smile up at him, reassured by his commitment to keep his calm. It would all go well, it had to. Her mother and father had experienced Vader in a positive manner before, and that was under the ruse of him being an Imperial intelligence officer that hunted the Rebellion. Now, they would know him as Darth Vader, a man who hunted the Rebellion, but just happened to be the main driving force behind its near annihilation.
If she could just explain what had happened to Vader as a child, who he had been forced to become, then maybe they would realize that he wasn't a monster entirely by choice. If it weren't for the Jedi, he probably wouldn't have fallen to the darkness, but then again, they may have never become romantic with one another. There was a fine balance to the galaxy, with the tiniest of details threatening to knock everything off course for all eternity.
"Padmé, I've laid a couple of dresses out on your bed, so when you're ready all you have to do is choose which one you want to wear", Dormé said as she walked into the large living area. What a good friend. She had been so forgiving of her, not wasting another moment on their squabble, but Padmé would never forget what had led to the argument and she would never make the same mistake again.
"Thank you, Dormé. That'll make it easier knowing that I'll just have to slip something on", she replied. "Can anyone think of anything that needs to be done before they get here? If so, now's the time while we can still do it." She felt silly by being so nervous, these people weren't strangers, they were her parents. Once the news started reporting of the relationship, countless trillions of beings across the galaxy would know the truth, so she shouldn't be so apprehensive about her own family. Should she?
"I can't think of anything", Vader grumbled as he began beating the side of his fist into his palm, obviously showing signs of his own apprehension.
"Nor can I, Padmé", Dormé said. "I really think it will go better than expected, so I hope the both of you can ease your tension a bit."
There wasn't much of a chance in hell they would both be relaxing anytime soon, so there went that suggestion. "Thank you, Dormé. I'm certain you're right, everything will be alright."
Suddenly, her comms chirped. "Dammit", she muttered. "Amidala."
"Senator Amidala, this is Senator Falken. I have the legislation ready that we last discussed. It needs your electronic signature and thumbprint; would you be available to come by within the hour so we can get this process moving?"
Kriffing hell, the bitch wanted her to go down to the Senate? There couldn't possibly be a worse day for this to be happening. She had to find an excuse out of it. "I'm actually rather busy today, Senator Falken. Would it be possible to swing by in a day or two to sign the bill?"
"I'm afraid not", Falken said with a hint of urgency. "The bill needs to be ratified prior to the end of the month and the only way to begin broaching the matter to the hold out senators in time for the bill to reach the Emperor's desk is to have it done today. I truly hope this isn't a significant inconvenience to you or anyone you may be with." What a bitch. Padmé didn't know how, but Falken obviously knew that today wasn't a good day to be concerned over a bill to enable a galactic conscription for the army and navy. It was almost affronting to the point where Padmé wanted to march into Falken's office and end her life with Vader's dagger like she'd done to Rush.
No, of course she couldn't do that. It was one thing to murder Rush, but she doubted even Vader could protect her if she became physically hostile towards the Senator from Kuat. Like she thought before, the woman was a bitch.
She looked up to Anakin and Dormé who both shrugged. Some help they were. "I can spare just a few minutes of your time, no longer. Is that understood, Senator?", she asked into the device. Falken better be understanding or there would be hell to pay once Padmé's family left. She wasn't about to be one that would let her work ruin an event as important as this.
"That's perfectly acceptable, Senator. I thank you and will see you soon", Falken said as she disconnected the transmission.
"So, what do we do now?", Vader asked. "I'm hoping that whatever bill you're going to sign is going to be worth the while."
"Actually, that does remind me, Ani", Padmé said as she rubbed her chin. "I seem to recall that this bill is to raise millions of additional officers and enlisted personnel due to growing pains from various projects that are being worked on. Did you have anything to do with this bill?"
Vader shook his head. "No, I don't. This came straight from the Emperor's mouth, not mine. There are projects that I don't want to get into at the moment, but rest assured that I don't have any ill will towards the galaxy. All I care about is hunting down what remains of the Rebellion and killing whatever Jedi are left. I'm not trying to ruin the galaxy, I'm trying to better it, so we don't need millions of soldiers and sailors that are sent in harms way to fight the Rebellion twenty years from now."
Oh please, that would be so lovely. The thought of being able to live quiet lives thrilled her to the point of tears. They didn't get much time at all, so the thought of being able to just leave these problems and go to a quiet planet to rejuvenate themselves sounded so wonderful. The fresh air invigorating and the sun baking down on them as they mastered the art of doing absolutely nothing for a change. Although, as much as she wanted it to happen, she was probably just overindulging her imagination.
"Good", Padmé simply replied with a grin. "Now, I'll be off, so I can get back in plenty of time to change and get ready for my parents to arrive. The two of you should keep each other company. Don't let him get too nervous, Dormé, I'm counting on you."
Vader grumbled and Dormé nodded. They'd get along perfectly.
…
What is this, Obi-Wan thought as he raised his binos to his face. It looked like a speeder was taking off from Vader's estate. Splendid. If the two women were aboard, then his plans would be realized sooner than expected. He quickly engaged his own speeder and shot towards the other craft on a slight intercept course, which would leave just enough room to gracefully slide behind it to follow it to its destination. If the Force were smiling down on him, he would be able to enact his abduction of the two women and leave Vader seething in anger.
He adjusted the throttle as the speeder shot through the sky, not wanting to get too close. Vader would likely be able to sense an ambush if Obi-Wan became too sloppy and that wouldn't do, not if Obi-Wan wanted to be able to have his plan work.
The traffic was maddening, but it appeared that the speeder he was following was obeying the traffic laws. Odd, when he followed him back to his residence, the Sith Lord was nothing but erratic and disobeyed all traffic regulations and courtesies. Frowning, he reached out with the Force and discovered that it was merely Padmé in the speeder, and the handmaiden wasn't with her. So, he wouldn't be able to snatch both women after all. While this wasn't the plan he had hoped for, it would most certainly do.
He could demand that Vader bring the handmaiden with him to the ambush, thus effectively being able to rescue her when he defeated Vader in combat. Yes, that plan would go rather well. It would be able to rescue Padmé and cleanse her mind from Vader's mind control once and for all.
Padmé landed the speeder and Obi-Wan circled overhead momentarily as she got out and walked into the Senate. He swiftly darted down and parked his speeder next to hers. When she returned, he would bolt out of his speeder and snatch her, kicking off the first phase of his plan.
…
"So, Senator Falken, where is this bill that I needed to come into the office to sign", Padmé asked, annoyed that she couldn't do this from Vader's estate. She didn't like being summoned, regardless of if she was with Vader or not. She wasn't about to be at someone's beck and call merely because she had agreed to sign a document.
"It's right here", Senator Falken replied as she slid the pad over her desk for Padmé to review. It was a long document, and Padmé took the time to read every section and subsection. The bill was shit, it would allow conscriptions on numerous planets with the authority to draft young men and women down to the tender age of sixteen. This went against her conscious given Vader's background. She didn't want to have the same fate as Vader did just because the Empire needed more soldiers and sailors to effectively crew whatever the hell they needed.
"I'll sign this on one condition, Senator", Padmé said as she leaned back into the chair.
Falken frowned, obviously perturbed that Padmé was potentially reneging on her word. "What's your condition, Senator?", she asked, her tone aggravated.
Padmé cocked her eyebrow at Falken's aggravation and stared silently until the other Senator calmed down visibly. "I'm not one to agree to conscriptions in general but see the merits in doing so. I spoke with Vader this this morning about the bill and he even told me that it wasn't something that he ordered, which leads me to believe this bill was drafted under the orders of the Emperor", she said. This would be a little fun, and she would toy with Falken as much as possible.
"It was suggested to the Emperor by me, so no, it wasn't an order. He hasn't even seen the bill but promised that he would give consideration to it once it reached his desk", Falken replied.
This was good news and bad news. The Emperor wasn't behind it, which was relieving, but Senator Falken was lacking any standard on the provisions of the bill.
"Families will despise us if their children are to be conscripted. Hell, they'll despise us anyway given that there are many fumes in the air already. I need you to remove the provisions that children as young as sixteen will be conscripted, and only then. I will not see to it that children are indoctrinated at such an early age, and I hope that you agree to the request, if you want me to sign it. The outer rim trusts me explicitly, so you can understand it when I say that if I don't sign the bill, good luck in obtaining enough Senators that that will.
Falken clearly showed the signs of shame and defeat. "Alright", Falken said. "I'll remove the provisions, but only because you killed Rush and are with Lord Vader."
There it was the humility that was earned by individuals that didn't want to displease Vader. It wasn't even a conscious decision by Vader to influence Padmé into supporting the Empire other than providing lists of people to interrogate. She was taking this on her own accord.
Falken grabbed the pad and began to furiously type commands, erasing the subparagraphs explaining that children would be pressed into service. There was nothing more to say.
She handed the pad back to Padmé, who briefly scanned the bill to ensure that the provision was completely removed, and that Falken had honored her word. She entered in her electronic signature and placed her thumbprint on the screen, leaving no doubt that she signed the document and that her signature hadn't' been forged.
"You don't mind if I make a copy of this do you?", she said as she took a small data recording device from her belt. "I simply would like a copy of the document with my signature for my own records to ensure that it isn't tampered.
"Very well", Falken said as she looked down at her desk. Padmé couldn't give two shits about how the Senator felt, she was about as trustworthy as a rancor and Padmé could sense that she had won."
She quickly copied the data from the device and slid it back to Falken. "Now, I'm going to be busy over the next couple of days since my family is coming, so I hope that's all you need from me so we can get the ball rolling on this. Don't call me at home. If I need to speak to you, I'll reach out to you personally.
"Agreed", Falken said.
Padmé stood up and walked out of the office, feeling a mixture of elation at winning, and sorrow that she signed a bill that would break families apart. She knew that the Empire wouldn't care about how this would affect families, she simply knew that they would choose humans from massive lists of recorded births that resided in the Imperial palace. Damn the gods forsaken woman and her schemes.
She cleared her mind of the thoughts and emotions as she walked through the hallways so she could get back to her speeder and see her parents. She noticed another older model speeder parked next to hers, but thought nothing of it. There were plenty of staffers that couldn't afford high end speeders such as she, and walked to the driver side door of the craft, ready to get in.
Suddenly, she felt a rough touch on her temple, and everything went black.
…
Vader paced back and forth waiting for Padmé to return. Her parents were due at any moment and he didn't feel comfortable entertaining them in his normal attire without Padmé. He knew that they would immediately begin questioning him and be concerned that their daughter wasn't present, which would only confound things to no end.
Why did she have to agree to signing the bill in the first place? She didn't owe him anything in that regard. She had sworn that she would aid him in hunting down the Rebellion, not be involved in political antics that would aid the Empire. Then, she had to go to the Senate on one of the most important days of their relationship, potentially leaving him exposed to the fallout by himself.
Dormé was sitting in the living area, also anxiously waiting for Padmé to return. The Sith Lord was nearly happy that his friendship with the woman hadn't been affected by his lover's antics the other night, as his connection to the light made him feel terrible that the poor woman had to have her feelings confused. Nevertheless, it would be something he would have to ponder on the following day.
Suddenly, the door chime rang and Vader groaned. They were here and there was nothing he could do about it now.
"I'll get the door, Master Vader", Threepio said cheerfully.
"No!", Vader barked. "Make yourself scarce, Threepio. I'll handle this personally."
"Well, how rude, Master Vader", Threepio said as he shuffled off.
Impudent bastard, Vader thought. If he wasn't too attached to the droid, he would destroy it in a heartbeat.
Growling, he stalked to the door and before he opened it, he put on his best smile and used the Force to relax his mind and body as he prepared for the shit show that was to come.
He opened the door and Jobal and Ruwee were there, smiling nervously at him. "Hello", Vader said. "Welcome to my home, please come in."
"Thank you, Anakin", Jobal said as they walked into the foyer.
Ruwee looked around the inside and whistled. "They pay you intelligence operatives too much to be able to afford a place like this." There was disbelief and suspicion in his voice, which made Vader wince. There was no hiding the fact that he wasn't what he had originally said he was.
"Where's Padmé?", Jobal asked. "I need to see her so I can give her a hug for being able to see her again so soon."
Vader grimaced. "She's not here just at the moment, Jobal. She had an emergency to take care at the Senate, but I know that she'll be back soon."
Jobal raised her eyebrow but was silent.
Thankfully, Dormé entered the room to provide some distraction.
"Jobal, Ruwee, how nice to see you again so soon", she said. "Isn't Ani's estate grand?" She was apparently trying to sell it in the best way she knew how, which Vader was thankful for.
"It is", Ruwee agreed. "Again, I'm just wondering how he's able to afford such a palace on top of such a very tall building. It must've cost a fortune."
"We'll get into that soon, I promise", Vader said, trying not to growl. This would be more difficult than he originally thought.
"Let's go sit down", Dormé suggested. "I'm certain that the two of you are exhausted from travel. We'll have Ani's droid bring your belongings in later."
"That's a good idea", Jobal said carefully as she eyed Vader with a sideways glance.
The group went into the first living area and all sat down nervously on one of the couches. Vader looked at the chrono and winced. Padmé was entirely overdue, and he was becoming nervous that something had happened. He knew he would need to step out of the room shortly in order to call her over the comm to see if she was alright. If she was laying somewhere hurt, he wouldn't forgive himself for allowing her to leave to go sign some silly bill.
"So, Anakin", Ruwee began. "I had imagined that you would be off on assignment after taking such a long vacation. That's also an interesting uniform you're wearing. You didn't seem like the type that would wear a cloak so snuggly around your body."
The fool was too damned suspicious for his own good. Thankfully his lightsaber wasn't visible or that would be a dead giveaway. "As I said on Naboo, I have a little more flexibility on my assignments when I'm home on Coruscant. It isn't like I'm shirking my duties; I'm just doing my job to the best of my abilities. We can talk more about that later when Padmé arrives."
"Oh, don't be silly. We're all adults, we can start a simple dialogue while Padmé is away, that way we can get down to business, Anakin", Jobal said.
Vader could see Dormé wince out of the corner of his eye. Damn this would be difficult.
He was about to launch into the explanation of his true self when his comm chirped. He became enraged at whoever was calling and snatched his comm from his belt. "What!", he barked, causing everyone else to jump. He was so aggravated; he didn't think about the coming ramifications.
"Lord Vader, this is Captain Conner. I apologize for disturbing you, but we have received a holo transmission from a Jedi named Obi-Wan Kenobi concerning Senator Amidala. I figured that you'd want to know as soon as possible. I've transmitted the recording to your mainframe so you can access it."
Oh, shit no. Vader jumped up and grabbed a pad and began walking to the next room to view it away from Padmé's parents. Whatever it was, it was something that would likely upset him and everyone else. They didn't need to see it at all.
"Wait a second, why did that man call you Lord Vader?", Jobal asked in alarm. Fear was in her voice, cold fear. The secret was out, there was no sense in denying it now.
"Jobal, with respect, I promise that I will explain everything momentarily, but first it is imperative that I see this transmission. It isn't something that I want you to see, so I would appreciate it if you stayed here while I view it", Vader said, trying to control his temper and absolute terror at what was on the recording.
"Hold on, Lord Vader", Ruwee all but spat. "If this is concerning Padmé, we have every right to view it. I don't know what is going on. I don't know why you lied to us, and I especially don't know why Padmé is with you, but we need to see that recording."
Jobal placed her arm on Ruwee as if begging him to be careful. It was a wise move as Vader was about to go ballistic.
Dormé was standing, looking at Vader with concern and anger. "Ani, maybe it's best that we all view it. I'm sworn to protect Padmé and if something is wrong, I need to see it", she said with conviction.
Gods dammit! "Fine!", Vader barked. "But no questions while it's playing, I need to be able to focus on what this damned Jedi is saying."
He set the pad down on the center table and hit the play button for the recording.
Obi-Wan's image appeared. He had his arms crossed with a gods damned smirk on his face.
"Lord Vader. By this time, you'll be aware that Senator Amidala is missing. I've rescued her from your clutches and intend to undo whatever damage that you've done to her mind. I am glad to know that this must anger you considerably, but you need to listen to me carefully. I am offering a deal that will ensure her safety and her eventual return to Coruscant."
"I know that you still have her handmaiden, so this will be part of the deal that I am proposing. I will be on Dantooine, with Senator Amidala, and will keep her there until I rid her of whatever poison that you have inflicted on her. I am asking as a gentleman, that you come to Dantooine, with the handmaiden and no escort from your Star Destroyers or Stormtroopers. If you bring either with you, we will leave Dantooine and you will not be offered this opportunity again."
"I am proposing that we duel. If you are victorious, which I doubt you'll be, you will be able to return to Coruscant with Senator Amidala and her handmaiden. If I'm successful, you'll be dead, and I will ensure their safety and return them to Coruscant myself so they may happily live their lives without your harm."
"Again, Lord Vader", this is your one and only chance to make things right. Come to Dantooine without your forces and we'll be able to resolve this like men."
The transmission ended.
"Insulant bastard", Vader growled. "I'm going to tear him to pieces for this."
Padmé's parents sat in shock and Dormé seethed with anger.
"When do we leave?", Dormé asked sharply. "The longer that this Jedi has Padmé, the more he'll be able to poison her mind, and that won't do, Ani."
"As far as I'm concerned, Padmé is safer with this Jedi", Ruwee said as his voice shook with fear. He eyed Vader for a response.
Vader slowly turned his head to Ruwee, attempting to control his anger. "What exactly do you mean, Ruwee?", he asked in a deadly voice. His hand twitched by his now visible lightsaber and Ruwee grabbed Jobal's hand as they both sat petrified.
"I asked a question, Ruwee. The appropriate thing to do is respond", Vader hissed.
"Ruwee, please answer Ani", Dormé said quietly.
Ruwee swallowed as he shook. "I didn't mean any disrespect, Lord Vader. I am merely concerned with my daughter's safety, especially if what this Jedi said is the truth. Have you poisoned her mind, and if so to what purpose? To make her feel that she is in love with you?"
The accusation hurt Vader's soul. "Of course, I haven't poisoned her mind!", he exclaimed. "She and I fell in love and have pledged ourselves to one another. I told you as much during our walk on Naboo. I have only the best intentions with her and know in my heart she feels the same way."
"Then why would this Jedi say differently", Jobal asked as she looked down on the floor. Her expression of fear was replaced with sadness.
Vader reached up and pulled his long hair in frustration. He breathed deep for a moment to find his center in the Force, remembering his promise to Padmé not to get agitated by whatever questions that her parents would ask. This revelation wasn't going as he expected, but his promise was still valid.
"Because this Jedi doesn't know the truth. He is assuming that I am just an evil man with a dead heart. I may partly be a monster, but I've haven't been a complete monster since I was a damned teenager. There is a lot to explain, but if you give me a chance, I will attempt to go into some detail of what has led to your daughter sharing her love with me", Vader said.
Ruwee looked to Jobal and she nodded. "We're listening", she replied.
Vader huffed and sat down on the couch, directly in front of the couple. "I am Darth Vader, but my given name is Anakin Skywalker, that part is entirely true. I first met Padmé as a boy on Tatooine when she was attempting to travel to Coruscant during the Trade Federation blockade. I was a slave, and the two Jedi that were with her, including this Obi-Wan, noticed that I was sensitive to the Force. They took me with Padmé to Coruscant, and I went to the Temple to be interviewed by the Jedi Council. They said I was too old for training and were to send me to the Agri Corps to work as a slave for the rest of my life."
"The ship I was on was intercepted, and I was captured by a man that worked for the Emperor at the time. I was kept by the Emperor and tortured at the young age of nine years old until I broke. I became enraged with the dark side of the Force and became an assassin for the Emperor. Then, I found my mother on Tatooine and rescued her. She lives in Theed now, working at an orphanage and is living a good life, forever freed from slavery, but I still remained as a servant to the Emperor. I was introduced to the galaxy as Darth Vader and have committed atrocities in order to stomp the Rebellion from existence."
He paused briefly in case Padmé's parents had any questions. They didn't.
"Padmé's story of how we met was the truth. She knew I was Darth Vader, but I didn't tell her that I was the boy that she met, not yet at least. We developed a bond, but as she said, we didn't start being with one another until later on during a series of unfortunate events. We then fell in love, and I eventually confessed that I was Anakin Skywalker, which filled us both with immense joy. But there was still her dependance on medications. I used an ancient technique with the Force to clear her mind from her melancholy, and we developed a bond, being able to sense each other's emotions when we are near. I did not poison her mind, nor is she a slave to me. I love her."
"However, there were consequences to our secrecy. We decided it was best that we admit the truth, that she was seeing me. I admitted the relationship to the Emperor who gave his blessing. I hate the man, despise the very ground he walks on, but I still hate him. We wanted to tell you the truth before you heard it from another source, so that's why we invited you here. I don't know how this Jedi was able to kidnap her, but I swear to you, I will bring her home safely."
He sat back on the couch and waited for any questions.
"That's a pretty long story, Lord Vader", Ruwee said. "But how do we know it's the truth?"
Of course, Ruwee would ask that question. Vader had to force himself to consider Ruwee's position as if he was in his shoes.
"Because your daughter is a strong woman. Her mind isn't able to be tricked or controlled. She wouldn't be with me if she hated me", Vader said sadly. "That's the best answer that I have to give. You'll either believe it, or you won't." If they didn't, there was nothing he could do. It would simply take time for Padmé to convince them after she is rescued.
"Will you go to Dantooine soon to save her?", Jobal asked. "If what you say is true, this Jedi will undoubtedly do her harm if he is to try and manipulate her mind."
"I know", Vader agreed. "I will leave shortly. You both are welcome to stay here in my absence so you can see Padmé when I get back. My service droid will take care of your needs and see to it that you are comfortable."
Jobal and Ruwee looked at each other for a moment.
"We'll stay", Ruwee agreed. "We'll still need some convincing, but at the moment we don't have any options but to trust you."
"Indeed, you don't", Vader agreed. He looked at Dormé who was still silent. "Dormé, pack a few things. We'll leave immediately." She looked at him and merely nodded. They stood up and began climbing the stairs to ready themselves for their departure.
…
Dormé sat nervously in the shuttle as they traveled up to Vader's Star Destroyer. While she had learned to accept Vader for who he really was, it was still difficult to be accustomed to the Empire, even though it was Stormtroopers that rescued her when she had been under attack.
The shuttle shuddered and she gripped her seat nervously.
"That's just the sound of us preparing to dock in the hanger bay", Vader mumbled. "We'll be boarding shortly.
She nodded at him, still angered at the situation. While she knew she may not have been much help, she felt incredibly guilty for not going with Padmé to the Senate. It was her job to protect her, and she failed.
There was a huge boom that reverberated as the shuttle set down on the hanger bay.
"Come", Vader said as he rose from his seat. He slipped his hood on and waited at the ramp to disembark from the craft.
Dormé stood behind him expectantly and tried to calm her nerves, wondering what the next several days would entail. She felt uneasy about the rescue mission to save Padmé. As much as she wanted to rush to her rescue, she knew that it was probable that this was a trap. She would discuss this with Vader during their trip, but she suspected that he knew it as well.
The ramp lowered and Vader looked over his shoulder at her. "Welcome to the belly of the beast", he remarked as he began walking off the transport.
Dormé followed him and was visibly impressed at the number of Stormtroopers and officers standing at attention in formation as their commander boarded the ship. Vader marched crisply down the ramp, which caused Dormé to pay attention to her sense of decorum. It wouldn't do well for her to be acting aloft while Vader was being so damned stoic in front of his men.
A navy Captain stood at the bottom of the ramp and crisply saluted Vader. "That is Captain Piett", he mumbled to her.
"Lord Vader, we are ready for departure when you give the word", Piett said.
"The word is given, Captain. I'm going to show our guest to my quarters. She is to be treated with the same level of respect as I am. If I find out otherwise, there will be consequences for all involved. Do I make myself entirely clear?", Vader commanded.
"Crystal clear, Lord Vader", Piett said as he turned on his heal to execute Vader's orders.
"I'm staying in your personal quarters?", Dormé asked, her voice at a bare whisper. That seemed highly inappropriate to her.
"Don't worry, Dormé", Vader said. "I have a large floor to myself that has separate bedchambers for you. I'm merely placing you there, so you'll be comfortable and don't have to be subjugated to the leering of the men on this ship. There are certainly women that serve aboard, but the men are unaccustomed to seeing a civilian female as they're ship duty can last over a year."
"Understood", Dormé replied.
They took several lifts to Vader's quarters that were slightly under the command tower. The doors to the lift opened and Dormé was shocked how large the floor really was. There were several doors that obviously led to bedchambers and possibly an office, but there was also a living area near a traspisteel window.
Dormé had figured that a man of Vader's status would entitle him to a large area aboard the ship, but she never considered that it would be this large. She guessed that just had to do with him being the man he was, the gods damned savior of the Empire.
"You might as well take your bag to the last door on the left. That's where your quarters are. Change into something comfortable, it's going to be a long ride to Dantooine. Just please don't let the crew see you in that state."
"Alright", Dormé replied. She went into the quarters and was surprised at the size of it. She quickly unpacked her bag and put her clothing and equipment in the closet and stripped out of her dress to put on her nightgown. She wrapped herself up in her silk robe and exited the quarters to the living area where she watched the other ships and stars. It was a splendid view.
Vader came out wearing sleep pants and no shirt. He held a bottle of bourbon in one hand, and two glasses in the other. "We might as well have a drink to clam our nerves", he said as he poured the two drinks.
Dormé took hers and sipped it, lost in thought.
She almost didn't hear him when Vader spoke. "Do you have any questions about the plan? Vader asked.
"No", she replied. "I'm just concerned that this will be an ambush."
"You and I share the same thoughts on the matter", Dormé. "I'm fully expecting it. That's why I crafted the plan the way I did."
"I remember you telling me something like that earlier today", she replied.
"I did, didn't I?", Vader grumbled. He took a sip of his drink and Dormé noticed that his hands were slightly shaking. He looked at her with tired eyes. "I'll be alright."
"But you don't know that. You don't know if this Jedi will be able to beat you in combat or not. If you lose, Padmé and I will go free, but you can't lose. You're too damned important to lose", she said.
Vader looked at her for a moment before he sighed. "I may be important, but the most important thing of all is that the both of you are safe. That is what I'm focusing on."
Dormé batted a tear from her eye before looking at him. "You're my friend, so I'm going to focus on make sure that the both of you are safe. There's no way around that either."
A/N: As you can see, the confrontation between Obi-Wan and Vader is about to come to a head. I'm currently going over the next chapter and making some revisions so it might take a bit before it is released. As always, if you liked what you've read, consider dropping a review and following!