A/N: Thank you for the wonderful reviews and follows! I hope you enjoy the content of this next chapter.
Now that they were engaged to be married, Padmé was learning the ins and outs of wedding planning and it was a royal bitch. There were so many gods damned things to consider from the venues, food, drink, flowers, officiators, guests lists, and an entire list of fucking things that Padmé had never thought of. Not that there weren't interesting things about planning what was to be the event of the gods damned century, but it was overwhelming. Fortunately, credits weren't a problem considering Vader's immense wealth being the commander of the kriffing Imperial military, and as evil as the Emperor was, he had informed their wedding planner that expense was to be no concern.
The problem with having a nearly infinite pile of credits to draw from was that there were infinite options, and it made Padmé just want to fucking elope and disappear for the rest of time, not that was a realistic option or anything. No, choices would have to be made, and it was up to her to coordinate the coordinators in a gigantic symphony of shit. Thankfully, Dormé had volunteered to assemble a selection of gowns to include wedding lingerie for her approval, taking some stress out of the picture in that regard. Her friend had promised her that she would look like the empress of the damned galaxy by the time she was finished with her, which was highly alluring to the Senator. Not every woman would be granted the ability to have a fairy tale of a wedding, especially to a man who was a damned knight of all people.
On that note, one obstacle that she was going to have to overcome was the macabre attire that Vader loved to adorn himself with. Nope, not at her fucking wedding. He would wear something a little more stylish that they could look back on and remember that he could actually dress like the gods damned lady killer he truly was. If he was going to be able to show her off as a prize, she would show him off like he was a gods damned king, making women swoon just by looking at him. How she would do that still remained to be seen, but Dormé was also in charge of picking the attire, much to the dismay of Vader who would rant and rave that he was a grown ass man who could dress himself. He was about to learn the first rule of planning a fucking wedding and that it was the bride who called the shots, not the gods damned groom.
Another touchy subject was who in the actual hell would give her away at the ceremony. Padmé had still yet to reconcile with her parents, and she wasn't about to let the wrinkled bastard Sheev Palpatine dare to grasp her arm and walk her down the aisle. It was rude enough that it was a distinct possibility that he would show his face at their wedding, but that was the extent that she wanted his involvement. Perhaps it would be time to try and burry the hatchet with her family so her beloved father could have the honor and privilege of giving his second daughter away. It wasn't like they ever truly expected she would marry, they could mature a little bit and accept her man and be happy for her even if it was only for a few hours.
Regardless, the wedding would be an extravagant and over the top affair that would dazzle even the staunchest detractors of the union. The only regret she now had over the slaughter of Rush fucking Clovis was that he wouldn't be alive to see her be wed to the man of her dreams instead of his slithering ass. Was that a little too harsh to think? Hell no, not after the literal chaos he had inflicted upon them for months on end. The bastard could rot in all of the hells for eternity as far as she was concerned.
"Have you thought more about where you would like to honeymoon, darling?", she asked Vader who was currently nursing a glass of bourbon and reading another one of his ancient books.
"Hmmm?"
Padmé rolled her eyes. "You know, honeymoon, the opportunity where you'll get to rip lingerie off me several times a day while we relax and think about nothing but each other?"
His eyebrows shot up and he closed the dusty book, smirking at the notion. "Now that you mention ripping lingerie off of you, I don't really have any suggestions as long as it's peaceful and quiet where we won't be hounded by morons trying to snag a holograph of us during our private moments", he said. There, she got his attention with the promises of gratuitous sex, which wasn't unexpected, they did have some rather glorious lovemaking.
"Maybe we should put a list together of different worlds that we would like to go to and compare notes, that might be the easiest option", she suggested, knowing that she was about to receive a typical Vader response any second.
"Wherever you choose will be fine with me", he grunted.
See, a typical Vader response. "No, my dear, if you want to participate in the shredding of said nuptial lingerie, you need to participate in the selection and planning of the damned honeymoon. I'm buried trying to plan our wedding and could use a little help for what is to take place afterwards." Seriously, he could put a few ounces of thought into the matter and make a short list of worlds.
Vader sighed and thought for a moment. "I'll check with intelligence to see what worlds would be the safest and most secured. The last thing that I want is for us to become the targets of Rebel assassins while we're busy fucking one another. Give me a few days and I'll get back to you."
"There, that's all I'm asking for", Padmé said with a smile. The man wasn't a complete lost cause when it came to those things, he just had to be spurred on by the right motivation.
"Are you going to ask your family to attend?", Vader inquired, as he resumed his reading.
"I was just thinking that. I need someone to give me away at the ceremony and I'll not have your master be the one to put his shriveled hand on my dainty arm, so I am considering about trying to organize a cease fire with them at least for the ceremony. What they choose to do after would be on them. Obviously, I would prefer if they became accepting of the entire affair, but you know the obstacles that I'll face in doing so", Padmé said with a large frown on her face. Seriously, she was an adult, perfectly capable of making her own decisions in life, the least her family could do was show some respect. "What about you? Will you have your mother be in attendance or is it too risky?"
Vader took a long pull of his drink. "It'd be far too risky. The Emperor would surely be able to pick her out of the crowd given that she's my mother and that would ruin the entire celebration, plus get her killed. I've already discussed it with her, and she is fine watching it be broadcasted over the holonet."
That made Padmé's heart hurt. Vader had been kept from completely falling to the darkness by the mere fact that he had his mother to rely on for years. He may have had his periods where he was incredibly brutal and dark, but he wouldn't have been the man to lead her out of her severe depression and general hopelessness out of life had he not had the woman who birthed him provide love and support even when he was at his worst. She had every right to be there to witness her son get married, but simply couldn't because damned Palpatine was a sadistic bastard who took a perverse pleasure in inflicting torment upon his most valued servant.
"Don't worry, Padmé, it'll be alright", Vader said as he placed his hand on her thigh and gently squeezed, obviously sensing her inner turmoil at the decision. "She's verry understanding and grateful that I'm able to see her at all, so it isn't like she'll never get to celebrate with us."
"That's a good point, I suppose", Padmé mumbled. "On the topic of who we're to invite, do you have any idea, or should we just send blanket invitations to senators and other dignitaries?"
"You have me there", the Dark Lord grumbled. "Obviously we'll have to have the highest ranking officers of the military attend as well, along with a massive honor guard, so I imagine that whatever venue that you and your team select will have to be massive. I'm not certain that the grand hall at the Imperial Palace will even be remotely large enough for such a celebration, even considering how massive it is. Perhaps there are other options that we can pursue."
Padmé scowled. "You know you're not making this very easy on me, don't you?" Seriously, the man was about as useful as a damned paper weight when it came to the planning, but he did select a breathtaking ring for the proposal, so she couldn't entirely fault him.
"Grooms are supposed to show up and get married, it's the bride who's supposed to do the planning. That's at least what you've informed me of since the night of our engagement anyway", Vader said with a hint of triumph in his voice. The cocky bastard.
With a great huff, Padmé got up and stretched, trying to ward off her muscles from becoming tense at all the work that had to be accomplished in such a short amount of time. "I suppose that I'll have to defer to the wedding planners on the guest list, it isn't like we have very many friends or family that we're simply dying to have in attendance anyway. I imagine after the ceremony we'll have to be mingling for hours before we're allowed to make our escape anyway, so there's that."
"Hours?", Vader asked sharply. "Are we to make small talk with everyone at the blasted ceremony?"
Seriously? "You've never been to a wedding, have you, Ani?", Padmé asked with a dumbfounded expression on her face. Of course, it made perfect sense now. The man's lack of knowledge on what to expect and what to do was explained with that one simple fact.
"I haven't", Vader admitted. "Thankfully, I would've made a dreadful guest by scaring the literal hell out of everyone in attendance. Who in their right mind would invite a Sith Lord to a wedding?"
That was a fair question. His appearance as a mere aberration with a utility belt full of deadly weapons wouldn't make for a comforting person to mingle with after the conclusion of a ceremony. "Well, you'll be experienced at weddings after ours, I assure you of this", Padmé pointed out. "Now, backing up a little bit on Rebel assassins, I won't have our wedding spoiled by an attack by the Jedi or the Rebellion, so what is going to be done to mitigate that circumstance?"
Vader again perked up. "We'll have an entire fleet in orbit of whatever planet we choose, even if it is Coruscant. The honor guard won't be there to look pretty either, they'll be comprised of some of the best soldiers the Empire has to offer. Should anyone be daft enough to attempt an assault during the wedding or the reception, they'll quickly be quashed, so don't worry about that. Security is of the utmost importance."
That reassured Padmé. The last thing she needed was to have one armed Kenobi crashing the party with his lust for revenge against the two of them for merely existing. His mental torment of her still gave her chills, especially during the last torture session where he was merely trying to smash every memory and emotion that she had for Vader. As much as she detested the damned Jedi, she knew that his actions were considered deplorable even to their hypocritical standards. How Qui Gon Jinn ever managed to dissuade Vader into not killing the rouge Jedi still made no sense to her, but the older Jedi Mater must've had the ability to get under Vader's skin long enough to get him to agree to not killing them as he should have. Maybe there was something to be said about Dormé's suggestion that Vader enlist the help of the Jedi to overthrow the Emperor, at least they would be able to meet on common ground that they all despised the lecherous old man.
Figuring that she had put it off long enough, Padmé made a decision. "Ani, I'm going to go comm my parents and see if I can get them to attend. Will you be alright with me doing that alone or do you feel the need to be present?"
"No, it'd probably be best if I wasn't there, that way they won't assume that I'm tricking you into inviting them for some damned ambush", Vader said. "Just please try and get them to understand that I'm not entirely a monster." Well, there was that and the fact that she had to convince them that she wasn't a monster either for murdering Rush.
Padmé went down to the second floor where the communications terminal was located and dialed her parents' frequency. This would take every ounce of diplomatic training that she had, and she detested it, they were her parents, not some damn criminals that needed to open up a hyperspace lane. It took a few moments for the transmission to be answered, and Jobal appeared. "Mother, I'm glad you're home. Is father available? I need to speak with the both of you."
Jobal looked stunned that her daughter had called. "Padmé, is everything alright?" Shit, she sounded worried like Vader had just beat her within an inch of her life. This might go worse than she thought it would.
"Everything is fine, mom, just please get dad", Padmé implored.
Jobal disappeared for a few moments and came back with a very nervous looking Ruwee. "Padmé", he said. "Darling, we've been worried sick about you. What is going on?" Shit, here goes everything.
"There's nothing nefarious or dangerous going on", she said hoping to placate them. "I have a bit of an announcement that might shock you, but I need the both of you to please hear me out and listen to my request in its entirety before you jump to any conclusions. Can you both agree to that for me?"
Her parents looked at one another for a moment before turning their attention back to her and nodding.
"Thank you. I wanted to let the both of you know that Anakin has proposed to me and I've accepted. We're in the middle of planning our wedding, and I'm hoping that you both will consider attending, especially so you can give me away, dad", she said. It was a bit of a mouthful, but she needed to get across the entire message before they automatically both shut down.
They simply looked stunned, like she had just admitted to being the criminal mastermind of a spice smuggling operation. They said nothing for a moment, just looking at her like she would continue by saying that she was pulling their legs. Not a good sign, but she shouldn't panic just yet.
"Padmé", Jobal said. "Isn't this all a bit sudden? You've only known him for what, a few months now? Maybe a little more?"
Well, that was a reaction that she could work with. "It may seem sudden, mom, but if the two of you had paid attention when we visited as well as after Anakin rescued me from that rouge Jedi, you would understand a little more why we're wanting to push our relationship to the next level so soon. We love each other so much and are ready to be completely committed to one another for the rest of our lives. I understand that there is still probably some worry and angst amongst the both of you regarding our relationship, but it is my life and I merely want you to be happy for me, not afraid. If Anakin was the beast that the entire galaxy believes him to be, he never would've agreed to come visit you all at Varykino in the first place. In fact, he was quite nervous that he would be rejected, which you did when you found out his true identity. A maniacal man wouldn't have those emotions, nor would he have actual love for me, which he does."
"But Padmé, he's a Sith Lord. The Sith can't love, they only hate", Ruwee objected.
"Yet, he rescued me. If he hated me, he would've let me rot with that Jedi until my mind was smashed to pieces, dad. You must at least acknowledge that, or I'll truly be at a loss for words", Padmé replied with a shake of her head. Seriously, why was this so damned difficult? Could her parents just stop with their preconceived notions for a moment to consider her request?
"Honey, what you're saying makes sense, but we're simply having a difficult time accepting it", Jobal said. "Maybe if you could give us more time, we would be able to move past our feelings about him."
That was starting to anger Padmé. She had explicitly told them that she wouldn't give them forever and now that the damned wedding was being planned, they needed to make up their fucking minds and commit to either her side or their own. No more straddling the middle.
"Mom, I have given the two of you several weeks now. The engagement shouldn't be a complete surprise as we had mentioned that marriage was on the table for us. Please, I want you both there. Dad, I want you, no, I need you to give me away at the wedding. I have no one else that I can ask such a high honor from, so I am begging you, please just put aside your feelings for a little while so you can both help make my dream become a reality. If you both decide that you need more time after that in order to truly accept Anakin for being who he is, then that's fine. All I'm asking is that you both be present for the damned wedding and be supportive", Padmé said, quickly becoming exasperated.
"Can we please have some time to consider the request?", Ruwee asked.
"No", Padmé immediately replied. "I need you both to commit right now. I know that doesn't seem like a fair position, but I need to know that I can count on the both of you. Please. Just say yes." Perhaps she was being a little too demanding, but to be fair she didn't want to wait days or a week even just to have them say no. If they were to not comply with her wishes, she wanted to get over the heartbreak sooner rather than later.
Both her parents looked deflated which brought tears to Padmé's eyes, feeling awful for them and herself, but that was just life. It wasn't fair, no one could please anyone and everyone. Someone would have to get their heart broken.
"We'll be there", Jobal said quietly.
Padmé smiled the largest smile she had since Vader proposed to her. "Thank you both", she said with tears pouring from her eyes. "I am so grateful for your decision. I promise it will be a delight to attend and that soon enough, you'll find Anakin to be everything that I've said he is and more. I'll be in touch once we get more details ironed out, but I truly appreciate and love you both."
"We love you too", they replied. The transmission was cut and Padmé squealed and leapt off the holoprojector, giddy as a gods damned schoolgirl. Maybe, just maybe everything would turn out to be alright.
…
Learning to crush objects was more difficult than Kenobi had thought. It required a dark energy that he was unaccustomed to wielding and it exhausted him. While he had grasped the basic technique, it still left him drained every time that he would attempt it, and he was merely doing it to droids and spare pieces of equipment, not actual flesh and blood. Could he kill a person in such a manner? Padmé and her handmaiden? Of course, he felt like he should be able to, but that was the difficult part of the matter. His feelings of being able to accomplish certain things were why he had gotten himself into this predicament.
He had believed that he would've been able to free Padmé's mind. He had believed that he would've been able to kill Vader. But all that happened from those two beliefs was that Padmé hated him more now than she ever did, and Vader had become so infuriated that he tracked the fleet down mercilessly and nearly annihilated it along with taking off his arm. His overconfidence on what he believed was right and just had taken much away from him and had led to the deaths of others. But it couldn't all have been in vain. There had to be a purpose for the sacrifices that were made, and the purpose was to kill the two women that had protected Vader and then kill the monster himself.
Kenobi fully believed his master that he would only be afforded one more chance at making things right, but he was certain that if he could perform his objectives then the Jedi would have to see the merits of his thinking and trust him again. Otherwise, he would never attain the rank of Jedi Master. He would never again lead troops into battle. There would just be humiliation and sorrow as he would be forgotten as a cripple, instead of the strong and powerful Jedi that he truly was.
Focusing his energy on the droid before him, he reached out with the Force, feeling all sides of the machine, every surface, every weak point. It would require him to simultaneously push and pull at the weakest parts in order to achieve the desired effect. Concentrating, he slowly began his exercise and quickly felt the metals start to be depressed inwards, causing strain on the interior components of the machine. Sparks began to fly in the air and a sickening crunching noise could be heard as the droid was slowly being crushed. Kenobi kept his focus up, not relenting for a mere second, and the crushing increased in pace as the machine was beginning to separate at the seams and the internal components began to crush themselves. A bright flash occurred when the droid's motor was obliterated and Kenobi nearly fell back, breathless.
While he had fully destroyed the droid, he still felt exhausted, barely able to think or move. This wouldn't do well if he was to target a living and breathing opponent who would be trying to fight or flee, he would be unable to focus, unable to truly give into the power that he needed in order to accomplish his objective. There would simply be another failure, which wouldn't do.
His lightsaber skills had only marginally increased with his left hand, causing him great concern over fighting against Vader, especially if the beast continued to wield two blades. There would be no way he would be able to keep up with such speed and ferocity, unless he killed the two women, devastating Vader. He would surely go into shock at seeing their corpses and would be in too much agony to do anything but shut down for an instant, and that's when Kenobi would strike. He would decimate Vader with several slashes of his lightsaber and then he would sever his head and bring it to the Jedi Council as proof that he was still worthy of being called a Jedi.
He would need to continue to practice as much as possible, doing everything that he could to make certain that his power was at its peak so he would be able to kill with ease. Then and only then would he leave for Coruscant again to conduct his final raid against the evilest man in the galaxy, far surpassing the Emperor himself.
Another conundrum would be procuring a ship that would be able to transport him inconspicuously into Imperial space. A fighter craft wouldn't do, it would have to be a small freighter just as the last time, but he would have to steal it as no one would trust him with command codes anytime in the near future for this exact reason. He had been foolish enough to believe that his small freighter couldn't be tracked, which led to chaos, so it would need to be a ship that he would use one time, just so he could acquire another while on the planet to return to either the fleet or to Yavin Four. Most likely Yavin Four as that was where the majority of the Jedi Knights and Masters were currently located. The Council would be much more forgiving of the raid than Bail Organa would seeing how he was nearly jailed due to the outcome of the last fiasco.
Kenobi sat down and let his mind wonder through the memories that he had seen in Padmé's mind. Memories of her killing Senator Clovis in the most gruesome fashion was deplorable, but what was even more horrifying where the memories of her and Vader fucking each other like they were both possessed. That's what really got under his skin. He had known Padmé when she was a virtuous Queen, and he really hadn't been entirely too much older than her at the time. It would have been permissible for them to begin a cordial relationship had the Jedi Council not forbade relationships. He knew how grateful she had been of him after he killed Darth Maul and freed Naboo from the control of the Trade Federation. If the boy hadn't been lost, Anakin or Vader, whomever wanted to believe it, then she would have been his. The boy was the catalyst that launched her hatred, her unforgiving attitude to the Jedi for years. Damn the Council for sending the boy to the Agri Corps. That's why Kenobi should be a master, he would have more sway in decisions such as those so mistakes could be avoided.
But his master believed him to be delusional, irrational, and driven by revenge. That wasn't his motivation at all, justice was. He had to see it through, and he would.
…
Maintaining skill with two lightsabers took hard work, work that Vader didn't mind putting in. While he had on occasion used two blades, he never made it a permanent practice. After his recent success at fighting off hordes of Rebel soldiers and then nearly killing Kenobi, he was determined to make the practice permanent.
This time, instead of facing off against three sparring droids, he was dueling five and it was pushing him to his very limits. He was running advanced artificial intelligence which enabled the droids to strategize with one another, taking turns at attacking and defending, forcing Vader to switch his styles up at a nearly blazing pace. The fight so far had lasted well over half an hour and he had yet to strike a single crippling blow to the machines. He had scored a few glancing hits, but they were moving too quickly, too precisely for him to be able to sever limbs or decapitate heads. Normally, he would be using the Force to push, pull, crush, and leap, but he was purposefully limiting his use of his powers in order to push his dueling skills to the maximum.
The reason behind this dangerous practice was that it was entirely likely that an attack of numerous Jedi would likely befall him or Sidious soon. As much as he lusted for his master to be cut down in a flurry of blades, he wanted to be the one to land the killing blows, not some gods damned Jedi that hadn't had to personally suffer for fourteen years under the old man's rule. No one would be able to take that away from him, he would much rather kill the Jedi first, then kill his master, especially once he and Padmé conceived a child together. There was no way in hell he would let that sick fuck near his offspring, no chance that they would be led astray down the dark path that nearly destroyed him before he was reunited with his mother. He would rather die than allow that to happen.
Quickly rolling to his right, he evaded three attacking droids as the slashed and stabbed with their lightsabers, while he simultaneously slashed at the two defending droids. It nearly worked, he came within an inch of taking a leg off of a defending droid, but he wasn't quick enough. Backing away to strategize, he saw a pattern in the attacking droids' movements. They would alternate randomly at who would take lead during the attack, seemingly randomly that is. In reality they would rotate from clockwise to counterclockwise.
Making a snap decision, he dove into the fray of the three droids predicting that they would move clockwise and found himself in the middle of the formation. He knelt down and slashed outward with both his lightsabers, taking the legs off two of the droids before he leapt back to avoid a downward slash by the final one. The three droids that were left then formed up into a straight line, trying to press him to the wall with random slashes and stabs. This would be easier to predict. Aiming at the droid on the left, Vader quickly moved in for the kill by deflecting the blow of the center droid, just to spear his left lightsaber into his prey, killing it. With a quick twirl, he sliced the middle droid in half and locked blades with the final droid. All it took from there was to hold the droid's blade still, while he simply thrusted into its chest, immediately destroying it.
Vader stood panting, barely able to catch his breath at what quite possibly was one of the stupidest training sessions he had ever had. He knew that he only had a little bit of energy remaining after such a long and protracted duel that he would either have to accept a loss, which would mean death, or destroy the droids with the Force, which would mean a mental defeat. He would have to carefully balance his future training sessions if he wanted to use more than three droids so his life and ego would remain mostly intact.
In real life, a fight with actual Jedi would be an all out fight with a variety of complex lightsaber moves and uses of Force powers in order to attain victory, so that's what made training with droids so lackluster, he couldn't fight someone of equal skill without handicapping himself in some arduous way.
"Ani"
Vader turned to the voice. Immediately recognizing it as Padmé. She didn't sound particularly happy either.
"Yes, Angel", he replied, wanting to know the cause of her aggravation with him.
"I saw the entire battle. That was reckless even for you", she said with her voice tight. God dammit, she disapproved with his training. "You nearly got yourself killed several times facing off so many opponents;"
Ah, so this was how the discussion would go. "Yes, but I didn't" he replied.
Padmé looked away, working her jawbone. He knew that expression and he knew it well. She was struggling to avoid lashing into him with passion at what she saw was a foolhardy effort. "Ani, I understand your desire to be prepared in case the Jedi decide to attack, but you won't be able to face them if you're dead because of these training exercises. As always, I'm impressed by strength and your ability to fight, but even you are taking it to an extreme, which is saying something. I don't want to lose you before we're even married."
"But you're not going to lose me, Padmé. The situation appeared dire for a few moments, but I still had everything under control", Vader said as he walked up to her. "I wouldn't place my life in such a jeopardy that I would be killed before we have the opportunity to exchange our vows, but at the same time, I must be prepared in case the Jedi do decide to launch an attack. With Kenobi's aggressive behavior, I have no clue if there are additional rouge Jedi that are thirsting for blood, so I can't take the chance of not being prepared in case the unthinkable were to happen."
His fiancé huffed. "Don't feed me a line, Anakin, I know when you're embellishing the truth ever so slightly. You're not just doing this to be prepared, you enjoy the challenge. I can't fault you for that, it's a part of who you are, I'm just asking that you at least consider ceasing your extra risky behavior for the moment at least. It wasn't very long ago that the Emperor nearly killed you, and while you appear fine, your body is probably still recovering from the onslaught that you received. Please don't fight me on this, there will be other arguments for you to win later on."
Is that what she thought this was about? Winning an argument? "Padmé, I'm not debating the topic in order to win at anything, I'm merely pointing out the necessity for training myself in the most difficult way in order to face an aggressive opponent. That's all."
"Well, tone it down a notch or two, that's all I'm asking", Padmé said as she stepped closer to him. "I need you alive and well before we exchange our vows to one another. Please, Ani."
Damn, the woman certainly knew how to get under his skin. "Very well, Angel. I'll limit my strenuous lightsaber exercises for the time being. I don't want you to be worried about me."
Padmé smiled at him. "That's all I'm asking for, Ani."
…
Checking on projects was something that Vader loathed. He had administrative personnel that could do those functions, especially for projects that he detested. Marching into the most secured floor of the subterranean military complex, he informed the aid de camp for Director Orson Krennic that he needed to speak to him immediately. The pompous bastard thought himself as the next visionary of the gods damned Empire, and for what? His work behind the creation of what was to be the most inglorious waste of military research and funding in the last several thousand years, was what. The Emperor was obsessed with the project, again viewing fear as an effective way of managing the Empire instead of inspiring the citizens and soldiers. Endearment is what fucking mattered, not fucking oppression. That's how the gods damned Rebellion had managed to resurface after all this time.
Finally, the aid came back and showed Vader into the Director's office.
"Milord, what an unexpected surprise", Krennic said as he stood. "If I had known that you were coming, I would've ensured that there would be a better reception."
"A reception is not needed nor desired, Director. I'm here to check on the status of your project as the Emperor has commanded that the timetable for the weapon to be advanced. So tell me, what can be done to spur the research of the weapon along with minimal additional resources?", Vader demanded.
Krennic cocked his head to the side, almost as if he was amused with the request. "Milord, I'm sure that you and the Emperor are aware that we're still in the early planning stages for research and development, this will take a considerable amount of time. If you could shed some light as to why an advanced timetable is needed, perhaps I can come to an understanding and figure out a way to accommodate the both of you."
Anger swelled in Vader's chest. "You aren't in the position to accommodate, you're in the position to follow orders. If you're wanting specifics, I would recommend that you speak with the Emperor himself, that's if he'll receive you. My last understanding was that he wouldn't, which should tell you precisely where you fall in the grand scheme of things. So, I will ask again, what needs to happen in order to spur on the research and development of the weapon?"
The fool looked exasperated for a moment. "Milord, no one has ever attempted to construct a weapon of this magnitude before, we're still in the early phases of calculating the amount of energy that will be needed to power the entire station, let alone what it will take to actually fire the weapon."
"So, you need more engineers? Thinktanks?", Vader asked impatiently.
"That would be beneficial, Milord, but I mainly need time", the fool replied.
Time, everyone needed time, but it was the most finite resource that was available to anyone, even to Sidious. There wasn't a surplus that could be added to one's life, even with the Force. That's what made this gods damned project so frustrating, there could be countless other projects being put into the works instead of this monstrosity. But no one in this damned Empire seemed to understand it.
"Put together a list of the engineers that you would think add benefit to the project and they'll be reassigned immediately. Time on the other hand is a luxury that you don't have, unless you'd like to make the request to the Emperor. I'm certain he'd be pleased to entertain the request at your expense", Vader said.
"But why this sudden push? The Empire is still in its early years, we don't foresee a credible threat for at least another fifteen years maybe even longer. The superweapon would surely be ready for trials by then", Krennic said. At least he understood that much.
"I'm simply here to deliver the message. What you do with it will fall squarely on your shoulders", Vader said as he turned and walked out. What a waste of time.
…
Kenobi had reached a breakthrough, a whisper through the Force let him hone his techniques over the last several days. He stood before a droid and concentrated and with a mere crushing motion of his hand, the droid began to crush instantaneously. Soon, it was a ball of slag, unrecognizable from its previous form. Kenobi was not breathless; he didn't even feel drained in the slightest. If anything, he felt more powerful, more alive than he did. This is what he needed in order to win. To seek his revenge against the repugnant being and the women that were so attached to him.
Although, he would need to be careful in practicing from now on, shielding his thoughts so his master wouldn't become suspicious as to his purpose. What he was doing would lead to being expelled from the Order, and he couldn't have that happen, not yet at least. Once he succeeded at his mission, if the Council decided to expel him then, he would be able to face it with peace, knowing that he had ridden the galaxy of one of its greatest menaces.
Next, he would need to meditate on how to use this power to actually take the lives of the two women. It would be a painful death, one that would fill the air with screams of agony, which undoubtedly would shake him to his very core, but that was merely a small price to pay. A sacrifice that would be well worth it.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. Did Vader use the same rational when determining how he would slaughter his opponents? If the monster did, what would that mean for him? Surely, it wouldn't place him on the same playing field as Vader as the monster was responsible for the deaths of countless beings on countless worlds. The Jedi had been nearly faced with extinction, so no, this wasn't about power or control, this was about survival. Survival of the Jedi, the Rebellion, and all of the innocent people that would be saved if he made this mental sacrifice. At least, that's how he rationalized it.
…
Vader's eyes snapped open before sat up in bed to scan the room for threats. There had been a blurry dream of him returning to his estate to find Kenobi waiting for him, but that was impossible. There was no way the man was insane enough to try and assault him on Coruscant, there would be no way he could use this as an advantage. But something about the dream told him to be cautious, that there was real danger behind whatever message was behind the hazy imagery.
Swallowing, he looked over at Padmé and smiled faintly. Her angelic face was in a state of pure relaxation and he felt through their bond that she was having a wonderful dream. He didn't probe to see what it was, there was no use in invading her privacy, as long as she was happy. He laid back down and turned towards her, just watching the rise and fall of her chest. Thinking of every moment between them that had led to this point in their lives.
It was beautiful and pure, one of the most precious things that he could ever have known. She was a fiercely passionate lover, a gorgeous woman, but most importantly someone who cared about others. She had lost her way over the years, and yes, he had been partially to blame for it, but he had corrected his mistakes and had brought her out of her misery.
As much as he pretended not to be interested in the details of the wedding, it excited him in a strange way. It would be a day that would be focused on them and their undying love for one another. Nothing, not even the Force was more important than that. He wasn't so caught up in his lust for power that he would consider her love to be secondary, no it was at the forefront of his mind every single day. She was someone that he would do anything to protect, even if it meant sacrificing himself in order to do it.
Maybe that's what had disturbed him the most about the dream, that Kenobi had seemingly invaded the sacred place that he and Padmé called their home. Their refuge from all of the misery in the galaxy, the one place where they could truly be themselves without fear of having something taken from them. He would need to focus on the dream, study it, and heed whatever warning it was trying to make. If there was any credibility behind it, he needed to ensure that Padmé was protected at all costs. He had nearly lost her once to the psychotic Jedi, but that wouldn't happen again. That's why he should have ignored Jinn's pleas for him to stop. He should have killed the old master and his apprentice, regardless of what the old fool had promised him. If he had done that simple act, there wouldn't be this dream, this warning, there would only be peace.
Padmé shifted turning towards him and opened her eyes. "Ani, what's wrong?", she asked as she reached out to stroke his arm affectionately.
Suddenly, Vader felt foolish. "I just had a bad dream, it's alright, Padmé. You can go back to sleep", he said with a smile wanting to put her at ease.
Instead of closing her eyes, Padmé propped herself up on her elbow. "You know that's not how this works, Ani. If there's something that's bothering you, we talk about it. We don't just dismiss it to protect one another."
Damn, she had become an expert at reading him. His worry must have been written all over his face. "I just had a strange dream, almost a vision. I dreamt that I walked inside of our home and Kenobi was there, ready to face me. It startled me awake, but I don't know why it continues to concern me. Logic tells me the man isn't a threat to us anymore, but I have this sense that he is."
Padmé scooted closer to him. "What else do you remember from the dream?"
Vader tried to concentrate, he felt like there was something more, but it wasn't coming to him. "I don't remember anything else, but I just have this overwhelming urge to protect you from the bastard. Maybe it's just jitters from when you were captured", he said, trying to rationalize his fears.
"Ani, one thing that I know about you is that you don't get jitters, nor do you scare easily. If something is bothering you, it's typically for a good reason", Padmé said as she brushed her fingers against the muscles of his chest. "You're the strongest man that I've ever known, so if there's something that is preventing you from being able to find peace, then it is something that's worth considering."
"It makes me worried that I'll lose you", he replied without thinking. Damn, not the thing to say, but he supposed it was the truth. "Not that he poses a threat to you anymore, but that's just my fear."
Padmé bit her lower lip, thinking through the words that her lover just said. "If there's a danger, you'll sense it. You've always been my protector, even before I knew you were. I trust your judgment to be able to discern any threats to my life."
Vader was impressed by the conviction in her tone. Padmé truly believed that he would protect her and trusted him explicitly. Maybe that's why she didn't lose hope when Kenobi had abducted her, she knew that he would come for her no matter what.
"I'll consider it, but whatever happens, I'll make certain you're safe", he said as he pulled her into his chest, smelling her hair and kissing her forehead. These moments were precious, and he would do whatever was necessary to continue having more of them for the rest of their lives.
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