A/N: Thank you for the reviews and follows! I hope you enjoy this chapter as there'll be intense action in it with some compassion at the end.
Whoever in their gods damned mind decided that it was a good idea to call him in the middle of the night for an intelligence briefing would be slaughtered if Vader had anything to do with it. Stalking down the corridors of the subterranean military complex, he shoved a pair of double doors open, causing the Stormtroopers that were posted inside of the room to snap to attention so fast that Vader could feel their stark terror coursing through their veins. Good, if he had to be pulled from the warm embrace of his lover then they could feel a little anxiety themselves. The entire kriffing planet should stop spinning for all he cared.
He rounded the corner and saw the newly minted Admiral Piett speaking with Captain Conner, the intelligence chief. "Either one of you had better have an excellent reason for waking me at this hour", he snarled. He really shouldn't be so abrasive, but damn he was pissed.
Both men snapped to attention looking like they'd just seen the birth of a damned demon, which was close to a reality. "Milord", Admiral Piett began. "Apologies for requesting your presence at such an hour, but there's a matter of the utmost importance that requires your immediate attention." There was grit and determination behind his voice that reminded Vader why he promoted the man, he knew what the hell he was doing and wouldn't call for an alarm without cause.
Vader folded his arms in front of his chest. "What do you have?", he asked in a neutral tone, setting aside his irritation for the moment.
"We've had whispers of a Rebel facility in the outer rim for some time now, Milord", Conner said. "We believe we've found it, and it's on Concordia, the…"
"I know where Concordia is, it's the gods damned moon of Mandalore, where all the warrior clans were exiled. Why in the hell would the warrior cast of the Mandalorians allow the Rebellion to seek refuge amongst them?", Vader asked, suddenly intrigued.
"Of that, we're uncertain, but there've been verified reports of Rebellion ships in orbit of the moon", Piett said as he typed in a few commands on a holoprojector. Sure enough, there was an assortment of frigates and transport ships in orbit, not even attempting to hide their presence. The ships themselves were of little concern, a single Star Destroyer could contend with them, but the larger concern was the Rebels potentially entrenched.
"Shit", Vader mumbled. "There're enough mines on that damned moon to hide the entire Death Watch clan, let alone a Rebel base. How in the hell are we to track the Rebels down to a specific location?"
Piett grinned. "One of our spies was able to lock onto a transponder frequency of one of the transports and it led to a mountain range in the northern hemisphere." He entered in another command, zooming into the mountain range, where even at an orbit, there was clear activity at what appeared to be an oversized mining shaft, large enough to fit one of the transports. "We believe that there is enough intelligence to recommend a raid of this mountain range."
"Agreed", Vader said. "I'm curious to know what the fuck is so important that the Rebellion has to offer the Mandalorians to be allowed to have such a presence. It's worth the look. I want the entire second fleet assembled to move within twenty four hours, Admiral. We'll leave as soon as the final preparations are made."
"There's one more thing to consider, Milord", Piett said.
"Which is?", Vader asked, impatiently. When he had his mind set on a target it would be difficult to dissuade him of it, regardless of risks.
"As a reminder, if there are Mandalorian forces embedded within the Rebel hideout, there'll be a strong possibility that they'll be equipped with Beskar armor. That will make our weaponry ineffective against them in close ranged combat", Piett said. "It'll make for some harrowing groundside action."
This was true, the damned ore was nearly impervious to blaster fire and lightsabers, which is what made the warrior clans so deadly to the Republic for generations. "Harrowing, but not impossible. There'll be casualties, but if we can snuff out whatever the Rebels are hiding here, then we'll be able to bring them that much closer to defeat. Especially after the near obliteration of the fleet we encountered in the Amari system. I'm not opposed to this, Admiral. See to the preparation of the fleet personally, you'll be in command."
Piett stiffened, obviously shocked at the high honor of being given such a prestigious command. "At once, Milord."
Vader nodded to the two men and spun on his heel, exiting without another word. There would be hell to pay with Padmé, but there was so much left to plan for their wedding, he would be back before the details were even finalized. He would be back, there was no doubt in his mind. A slight smirk formed underneath his hood, he always wanted to face Mandalorians in a pitched battle and this would be the perfect opportunity.
…
"You're going to do what?", Padmé asked sharply after Vader filled her in with the details of his plan. "You're going to invade Concordia? Even I know that place is a death trap, Anakin. There's no way in hell you're actually considering this."
Damn, she was more upset than he figured she'd be. "It's the perfect opportunity to discover the extent of the Rebellion's operations. To this point, we've only pinpointed one other location, and that's where the Jedi Council has established their Order on Yavin Four. I'll be going head to head with Rebels, not Jedi. The intelligence that we'll gather will be priceless", Vader argued.
Padmé placed her hands on her hips and glared daggers at him. "This has to be one of the most bull headed moves that you've made since I've known you, and you've made a lot of them. This will get a lot of your men killed. It could get you killed."
"Padmé, there will be tens of thousands of troops landing in the area of operation, it isn't like I'll be charging in there alone", Vader said. "We'll blockade the moon, land our troops, conduct our raid, and be back on Coruscant within the week. It isn't like there'll be a prolonged engagement."
"And if you're wrong?", Padmé asked softly. "What then?"
Vader felt his shoulders slump a little. "I won't be wrong", he replied in an equally soft tone.
She looked away from him, obviously not convinced. He took a step towards her and she stepped back. Sith, she was truly worried.
"What if Obi-Wan comes while you're gone?", she asked suddenly.
That caused Vader's mouth to drop open. Damn, that was entirely a possibility.
"Come with me", he said. "Both you and Dormé. You'll be safe on my ship, and you can still coordinate with the wedding planners. We'll be together and there won't be the risk of that egotistical maniac from showing his face here while we're gone." Was he really inviting the love of his life to travel into a potential conflict with him? What was he thinking?
Padmé smiled faintly. "Now I know you're worried about Obi-Wan. You'd never entertain such a thing before, but now that you had that dream or vision, whatever you want to call it, you're taking the threat seriously. I knew you didn't get jitters without a good reason."
Vader just looked at her with resignation in his eyes. He was worried, he was terrified. Losing her was not an option, no matter what. "We're to be married, it'd be entirely appropriate to bring you with me", he whispered.
After looking down at the floor for a moment, Padmé looked into his eyes as she stepped forward and grasped his robes, clutching onto him for dear life. "Just don't make me watch you die from orbit, that's all I ask", she whispered.
"I won't", Vader said as he brought his lips down on hers, kissing her tenderly. Suddenly, overcome with desire, they stripped off their clothes and Vader roughly lifted her up and threw her onto their bed before pouncing on her.
He captured his lips again while his hands roamed her flesh, feeling every curve, every inch. Their desire for one another increased and Padmé reached in between his legs and grasped his member, squeezing until he groaned out in pleasure. "You're mine", she whispered huskily. "Now act like it." Vader smirked at her and grabbed her wrists, pressing her arms against the mattress as he entered her, causing them both to cry out. He sensually ground into her, as she arched her back, an expression of pure bliss on her face.
"Take me like the gods damned warrior you are", she pleaded. He roughly kissed her and began thrusting into her at a rapid pace, bringing them both close to pure ecstasy. He let go of her wrists and placed a hand at the small of her back, while supporting himself with his other hand. He slammed her up against him as he thrusted, causing her to scream out. His strong muscles rippling as he tormented her sensually. She held onto his shoulders and enjoyed the ride, smirking up at him as she cried out, looking into his eyes. It was always more powerful when they were able to maintain eye contact during their lovemaking, the emotions through their bond amplified by the simple act of gazing at one another.
Vader flipped her onto her stomach and entered her from behind roughly, dominating her with passion. His tight abdomen slamming into her lower back as she laid there, clenching the covers with her firsts, holding on for dear life. He reached into her hair at the base of her skull and pulled back harshly, causing her to scream wildly as he showed her no mercy. This is what they both needed, this base lovemaking to reassure themselves that everything would be alright. The passion scorching their souls, making them form a bond that could never be broken.
He bent down and bit her shoulder, eliciting another sharp cry from her as he felt the puddle growing from in between her legs. She was close, he knew it. He increased the tempo of his thrusts while keeping a solid hold on her hair, relishing the sounds of pleasure that she was making. Then, he felt it. She began to spasm around him as her entire body began to shake, only spurring him on to continue his onslaught.
Soon, he felt himself become sensitive, nearing his own peak as she was barely able to make any noises and her body was in its final twitches of her orgasm. Not wanting to relent just yet, he continued to hammer home, but was soon overcome. He let loose a guttural roar as he finished inside of her, giving her hair a final tug before he collapsed.
Vader rolled over and pulled her on top of him, holding her tightly against him. She buried her face in his neck as they both enjoyed their post coital bliss, feeling closer to one another after their heated discussion. They belonged with one another, their fire inextinguishable, burning forever.
…
Vader led the two women off the shuttle and through the honor guard to greet Admiral Piett. "Admiral, I trust that we're ready for departure?", he asked assertively.
"We are, Milord. All Star Destroyers and support ships are greenlit for the jump to hyperspace. The ground troops have been briefed but will have plenty of time to make their final preparations during the journey to the Mandalore system. Just give the word and we'll jump", Piett said.
"Consider it given, now let's get the hell out of here", Vader hissed.
Piett clicked his heels together and headed off to the bridge, ready to give the command for the fleet to jump.
Vader turned to the two women. "Both of you go to my quarters and settle in. I'll join you once we've jumped. I have to check in with the ground element."
They nodded and Vader motioned for a pair of Stormtroopers to escort them so they wouldn't get lost aboard the massive ship. He marched to the troop staging area where his team of ground officers were waiting for him.
"Milord, it's a pleasure to meet you", Colonel Veers said as he turned towards his superior officer. "The ground element is ready. We're preparing for intense close quarters battle with the Rebel forces and have anticipated that there will be a contingent of Mandalorians present as well."
"Good, Colonel. What are your plans for counteracting the Mandalorians' armor? That Beskar will be a bitch to contend with."
Veers smirked. "Not with what we're going to throw at them. We're going to hammer them with rockets and heavy repeating cannons. They'll even have a difficult time defending against us, which given the number of troops we're going to land, we'll push them back down to the depths of the mind, making the Rebels easy prey."
"Don't be so overconfident, Colonel, they've outlasted assaults for countless generations. We're going to need to be quick and efficient, I don't want a prolonged engagement, is that understood?", Vader commanded. He had heard nothing but good things about Veers, but as with all ground officers, they could get a little overconfident even if they've paid their dues in battle.
"Yes, Milord", Veers replied. "Speed will be a priority for this operation, but we should be able to effectively devastate them in combat, of that you can rest assured."
Vader grunted. He knew that even he would have difficulties against the armored warriors, and knew that his blows with his lightsabers would have to be precise and he'd need to use any and all tactics with the Force to be able to counteract them. "Let's focus on the basics. What will the initial landing strategy be?"
Another one of the officers spoke up. "Heavy lift transports, that'll be the only way to pump in as many Stormtroopers into the mine as possible."
"Good", Vader said. "Any thoughts on saturating the target with bombers or orbital bombardments?"
"We can do both, but not too close to the entry of the mine, otherwise we run the gambit of destabilizing the entire structure", Veers said. "Our best bet is up close and personal combat. We can land scout walkers to provide support to the troops given the size of the mineshaft, but even then it'll be difficult to maneuver them too deep inside of the mine."
"I'm not too concerned with them being able to penetrate too deeply, we'll just need support of their heavy weaponry during the initial landing", Vader said.
"My thoughts exactly, Milord", Veers said.
Vader nodded and turned and left the staging area, leaving his ground combat officers where they stood so they could plan their mission. He of course would be part of the first wave, which made him somewhat apprehensive, given that they would likely meet stiff resistance against the Rebels and Mandalorians, if they were truly taking up the fight with the Rebels against the Empire. What a distasteful thought. If they were to be fighting against the warrior clans, his job would be all that much more difficult with he very real possibility that he could become injured during the combat.
It made him worry that he brought Padmé along. She didn't need to see him wounded again, not after the last time during the near botched rescue of her when he lost his initial fight against Kenobi. It still irked him that he had lost so simply, and even more so that he hadn't taken his head off when they last fought onboard the flagship of that particular Rebel fleet. Whatever would happen in the near future, he would need to take them down as roughly as possible, preventing the spread of that terroristic organization across the galaxy as it could become unmanageable very quickly.
There wasn't much he could do to further the preparations of the battle, but he needed to check in on the bridge before retiring to his personal floor for the evening. This would require every bit of foresight that he could muster in order to make this expedition worth it in the end.
Exiting the lift to the bridge, he walked up to Admiral Piett. "Was it a successful jump for all ships in the fleet or do you anticipate problems when we reach our destination?", he asked.
Piett turned to look at his commander. "No, Milord. No problems. It should be an easy victory, one that we'll be able to handle with ease."
Vader could sense no overconfidence from Piett, unlike Veers which helped put him at ease. With some support from the fleet, the ground operations would be more successful against the Rebellion and thus he would be able to extract whatever intelligence from the raid that he could, which would make this all worth it in the end.
"Have we strategized what we'll need to do in case the Rebellion jumps in ships to combat if the Rebel base is able to get off a transmission before we're able to effectively neutralize them?" That was a real concern. It would be difficult for the fleet to contend with supporting the ground action while dealing with a threat from Rebel ships at our rear or our flanks", Vader inquired.
Piett nodded. "We have. We'll keep a squadron of Star Destroyers on standby in case we need to divert them for a counterattack. The Devastator will remain at the center of the formation to be well protected since you've brought two guests with you on this one, Milord. I can't express how serious we're taking the matter", he said with confidence.
That was what Vader needed to hear. It wouldn't do well if he had to worry about Padmé on the ship if he was to be heavily focused on the ground action. It would be nearly impossible in fact, especially if the Rebels tried to board the Devastator in case they knew that Padmé was on the ship. He nearly wished that he had left the woman with Dormé on Coruscant, but his gut feeling told him that could potentially be even more dangerous given his vision about Kenobi being present inside of his home. When they returned, he would order a contingent of Stormtroopers to be posted outside of his estate in order to provide a deterrence in case the fool did try and do something foolish. If he was away, the Stormtroopers wouldn't last long against the Jedi Knight, and would be quickly cut to pieces, but they might be able to sound the alarm to him, making him able to race back to them so he could be able to defend them against a swarm of ships.
"Well, I'm glad you're thinking of everything, Piett. That's why I made you an Admiral. Continue to impress me and your career will be richly rewarded", Vader said.
Piett nodded and went back to his duties, eager to oversee the operation and obtain a victory against the damned Rebels.
Vader spun on his heel and went to the lift, entering in the code for his own floor. After waiting a few moments, the door opened, and he found the two women relaxing on the wrap around couch.
"I'm glad to see the two of you made yourselves comfortable", Vader said as he sat down next to them. Both were adorned in nightgowns and robes, making him feel somewhat overdressed for the occasion. Their jump wouldn't be terribly long, so he would need to rest while he could so they could be mentally and physically prepared to engage in the battle.
Reaching onto the table in the center of the wrap around couch, he grabbed the decanter of liquor and poured the three of them drinks. He took a sip, allowing the amber liquid calm him down. Padmé cocked her head at him. "Are you feeling nervous about the battle, Ani?", she asked.
Vader grunted. "Not nervous, just wanting it to go well. We'll have our work cut out for us once we arrive, but it shouldn't be too big of a deal." That wasn't the entire truth, it would be very difficult for them once they were able to get into combat but worrying Padmé wouldn't do anyone any good.
"Well, I hope you're successful down there", Dormé said as she took a long pull of her drink. "It would be nice if after this you could take a break from gallivanting across the galaxy on adventures and live a quiet life for a bit, but I know that's probably not in the cards for you."
Vader shot her a look of annoyance but knew that she was right. He really didn't have much of a choice in the matter, especially since Sidious had ordered him to bring Kenobi's head on a platter after his most recent torture session. The anger of his master still sent chills through his body. He had never seen Sidious so angry before, and it wouldn't do him any good if he continued to disappoint his master. One of these days, he would push his luck too far and possibly get killed. That's why he needed to become stronger in the Force to be able to kill him, before it got that much out of hand. He would also need to plan for whatever the hell he would do after the killing as he had no idea what to expect. He knew he had the military by his side, but he wasn't certain how the rest of the Empire would react. Would there be calls for blood against him for high treason? He didn't know.
"I'm going to try and restrain myself, but who knows", Vader replied. "How're the two of you going with the wedding planning?" He needed to shift the conversation to a lighter topic so there wouldn't be an obsession over the tasks at hand.
"It's going as well as could be expected", Padmé muttered. "We've yet to decide on a venue, which is probably the most important piece of the wedding. There won't be much of a ceremony if we can't find somewhere to accommodate the ridiculous amount of guests that will attend. We've thought of Naboo but would need to make certain we gain permission of the Queen first."
"Why would we need the permission of the Queen?", Vader asked, confused. "That's a loyal world and they'd surely be honored to have a former Queen such as yourself get married on your home planet. It seems like it would merely be a task of getting the right area selected. I'm sure Theed has areas that would be plenty big enough for such a celebration."
Padmé frowned. "It's not that simple, Ani. There are many factors to consider. The Queen is the ruler of the world and does have a say on what happens there. If we were to do so without her expressed position, it wouldn't be good for us."
"Maybe you're right, but ask anyway", Vader said. "Now, let's all get some rest while we can. I'm going to need to be sharp for the invasion once we arrive."
He hated to cut the conversation short, but he was tired and would need to shift his sleeping schedule to match Concordia's time schedule. That was the only downside to traveling in hyperspace to other worlds and moons. No star system was on the same schedule, making it difficult to switch to the local times.
"Alright", Dormé said as she stood. "The two of you get some rest, I'm worn out anyway."
"Goodnight", Padmé said.
Vader nodded to her, and she nodded back to the both of them before heading to her own quarters.
Padmé looked at him expectedly. "I suppose that leaves the two of us to our own devices for a bit before we go to sleep."
That made Vader smirk. "I was hoping you'd say that", he said as he stood and took her hand, leading her into his bedchambers. Once the hatch was secured, he promptly began undressing, causing Padmé to giggle at his boldness. They were in the position for their relationship to be able to know what they needed and when. She stripped out of her robe, revealing that she was in a skimpy nightgown, causing Vader to growl with desire. Once he was undressed he went to her and firmly grabbed her, planting a rough kiss on her lips.
Padmé moaned and her hands traced up and down his sides, expecting to be ravished completely before too long. Vader placed his hands on her shoulders, aggressively ripping the nightgown off of her, causing Padmé to giggle again at his boldness.
She dropped to her knees and began pumping his member with her hand before taking him into her mouth. Vader groaned at the pleasure from the act and began thrusting his hips encouraging her to take him deeper, causing her to moan softly at his boldness. She greedily took him into her, encouraging him to be more aggressive, signaling to him to get as much stress relief as possible.
Before he reached his peak, he growled and stood her up to plant a kiss on her mouth. He chucked her onto the bed, causing her to yelp in surprise. He advanced on her, quickly spreading her legs with his knees as he entered her. She screamed in pleasure at the sudden penetration, and he groaned at the sensation of her warmth. He pinned her hands to the mattress and began thrusting and an aggressive speed, letting her know exactly what kind of mood he was in.
She happily took him, wrapping her legs around his waist, bringing them closer to one another. Fuck, he knew that he wouldn't be able to last long at this rate. He bared down and attacked her neck with his lips and teeth, marking her while she withered underneath him, letting out short cries at his attack.
Damn, she felt so good, she tasted so good. He was fueled with lust as he kept up his assault, wanting more and more of her. She whimpered as he pounded into her especially after he started sucking on her earlobe.
Taking her in such a way always filled him with aggression, fueling him for what was to come. It helped that she thoroughly enjoyed it, wanting more and more of it. She closed her eyes, caught up in the intensity, and he delivered a soft slap to her face. "Open your eyes, Angel", he commanded. She cried out and did as commanded. Locking her eyes with his. He could feel her submissiveness through their bond and it drove him wild.
He placed his elbows on the mattress and began attacking her mouth with kisses, driving her wild. This was his feast, his desire. She unwrapped her legs from him and began bucking her hips wildly into his, causing them both to scream out.
"I need you to finish me off, Ani", she pleaded. "I can't take much more of this. Please just do it."
Vader laughed at her comment. "As you wish. He withdrew himself from her and flipped herself onto her stomach, but instead of grabbing her hair, he wrapped his hand around her throat, choking her slightly. She tried to scream but couldn't. He felt her begin to throb around him, and he ground at the tightness. Her body quivered underneath his and he let loose a growl as he emptied himself inside of her, claiming her once again. His collapsed onto her, smothering her with his weight and began biting her shoulders, causing her to whimper.
He pulled himself from her and laid next to her.
"That was amazing as usual, darling", she whispered as she craned her neck to give him a gentle kiss. How he loved it when she complemented him in such a way.
"Yes, it was", he replied.
They both struggled to lift themselves up, and got under the sheets, fully content. Padmé turned on her side and Vader spooned her. Kissing the back of her head. Soon, he fell asleep, unable o keep his eyes open any longer.
…
Once they were close to exiting hyperspace, Vader kissed Padmé goodbye in the hanger. "I'll be back soon", he promised.
"You'd better", she whispered. "Or I'm coming down there to bring you back myself."
Vader chuckled at the statement, finding her boldness to be amusing. "Be sure you and Dormé stay safe and keep planning on that wedding. I'm looking forward to it."
Padmé smiled up at him. "I will, I can't wait."
"Me neither. I love you", he said.
"I love you too", she said as she attempted to prevent herself from letting out a sob. He bent down and kissed her passionately before he broke the kiss and strode to the heavy lift transport that was already filled to the brim with Stormtroopers.
He gave her one last look before he hit the control, closing the ramp and found his seat.
"Everyone stay sharp down there", he growled. "No fucking heroics, no matter what you see me do."
The Troopers laughed at his remark, knowing that they would still emulate their commander. He felt the heavy lift transport rise into the air and plumet down to the moon at the drop site. He was eager to get this on and get it over with.
It only took a few minutes given the rate of speed they were traveling, and the pilot announced that they were ready to disembark. Vader stood and held onto a strap, causing the troopers to do the same, eager to join their commander into the fray. Once they were down far enough, the ramp lowered and Vader leapt out, igniting both of his lightsabers.
Almost immediately, a barrage of blaster fire targeted him, and he sprinted forward, blocking the bolts with both of his sabers, eager to close onto his target. Much to his delight, these weren't Mandalorians, but Rebel soldiers. He quickly began cutting into them, letting their arms and legs go flying as screams of pain echoed into the mine shaft. The Stormtroopers were running hot behind him, taking firing positions and letting their own blaster bolts fly at the Rebels. This was turning into a pitched battle quickly and he couldn't get enough of it.
He pushed down deeper into the shaft, blocking bolts and using the Force to smash Rebels against the tall ceiling of the mind saft, letting them fall to their doom as the impacted the ground. He kept up his push, feeling bolts fly past him as the Reels began to panic fire, dodging and blocking where they could. He was going to cut down every one of them if it was the last thing that he did.
With a surge of adrenaline, he managed to fight them back further, killing them with relative ease. It wasn't long before the scout walkers joined in on the battle and began firing against their opponents with ease. He almost felt jealous that he was being robbed of the opportunity to kill more of the Rebel soldiers, taking extra care to firmly attack their entrenched positions.
Suddenly, attacks began from the air as Mandalorians descended on top of them. Fuck, this was going to get ugly really fast. Vader sprung up with the Force and speared one of the warriors just below his breastplate, killing him. This identified him as the main threat to the other Mandalorians who began firing at him with an intense barrage. Vader landed and rolled out of the way, springing up on his feet to begin blocking the blaster bolts as quickly as possible.
He could hear the shouts of his officers as they realized their commander was in need of assistance and the scout walkers turned their heavy cannons to the new threat. Their blasts were powerful enough to hit some of the warriors in areas where their Beskar amor couldn't protect them, making them easy prey. But the tide hadn't turned, not yet at least. Vader sprinted down the line of Stormtroopers taking covering positions and began yelling for them to get up and advance. They couldn't let themselves get pinned down, it would lead to their slaughter in the opening of the mineshaft.
A warrior stood in front of Vader with what appeared to be some form of spear made from Beskar. The son of a bitch wanted a melee fight, so Vader would give him on. Striking with the lightsaber in his left hand, Vader tried to slash his opponent, but was impressively blocked. He brought his right handed lightsaber up, but the warrior used the opposite side of the spear to block that as well, then took a step back and made a long thrust that Vader had to step back from in order to avoid getting stuck in the abdomen. Whoever this warrior was, he knew what the hell he was doing. Perhaps an old holdover from the previous wars.
Vader began slashing and blocking as quickly as he could, trying to overwhelm his opponent, but he found himself being matched blow for blow. This individual was quick, too damned quick. Vader flipped over him and landed a blow to his back, which of course was rendered useless by the warrior's armor. Damn, he wanted to fight these Mandalorians with honor, not simply killing them with the Force, but it was turning out like that wasn't going to be a possibility, at least not yet. The Mandalorian surged forward, spearing at Vader with his staff, but Vader batted it away with ease, landing a blow across the warrior's helmet.
An idea came to Vader, and he quickly slammed his saber down on the spear, forcing it down while he used his primary handed saber to thrust in between the gap of the Mandalorian's breastplate and his helmet, causing him to fall to the ground, dead. Vader stood back in relief at the end of the skirmish, but looked around at the utter chaos of the battlefield. They hadn't made much of a dent in the forces that were defending the mine, making Vader wonder just what the fuck they were protecting there at the bottom of the shaft. Whatever it was, it had to be of the utmost importance for both the Rebels and Mandalorians to be defending with such ferocity.
Vader strode back into the fray, using the Force to slam enemy soldiers away from him as he parted the fields of them like a sea, blocking blaster bolts and slicing into soldiers that were foolish enough to continue to attack him. While this wasn't going as expected, this was the type of combat that Vader had been craving for ever since he destroyed the majority of the Rebellion three years before. It was a challenge, and Padmé was right, he loved a challenge. Seeing a large group of Mandalorians advance on his position, he looked around and saw several large boulders, each weighing close to a metric ton, so he lifted them up with the Force and hurled them at the approaching warriors, killing them easily.
He looked behind him and saw that his Stormtrooper element was making progress in pushing forward to his position. Excellent, they would make it well into the mine without much further delay, at least he hoped. He waded through a see of Rebels, slashing and thrusting his lightsabers as the fallen men screamed in pain and terror. It was a blood bath, one that Vader was enjoying immensely. As the Imperial forces continued to drive the opposition back, Vader saw the mine plumet down at a steep incline. Not knowing what else to do, he leapt down and began to slide down the steep slope, hoping his men would follow. There were stairs to his left and right for those not brave or stupid enough to do as he was doing, but that was besides the matter.
After sliding for about five minutes, he figured that he had gone down at least six hundred feet into the massive mineshaft. There was still plenty of lighting, and Vader could hear voices at the bottom shouting orders as if preparing for the assault. He shot a quick look behind him and saw his men not too far away. Good, they were brave and foolish enough to follow their commander into the unknown, but they most certainly would lose their support from the scout walkers that wouldn't be able to traverse the steep slope.
As he neared the bottom, heavy repeating cannons opened up on his position. He blocked the bolts with relative ease, and lifted the cannons into the air, turning them onto the soldiers that crewed them, killing them. It wasn't fair, but war wasn't fucking fair. It was dirty, full of chaos and misery. The only fair fight was the one where the victor emerged victorious and alive and the ones who lost were dead or dying. It wasn't a gods damned holofilm.
After Vader slid to the bottom, he encountered a massive steel hanger door. Looking around for controls, he couldn't find any, meaning that they must only be able to be opened from the inside. He didn't fight his way down here just to be stopped by a set of metal doors, no matter how massive. Reaching out with the Force, he found the locking mechanisms in the door and began snapping them one by one until they were all broken. Then, he concentrated and the ground shook as he began prying the doors open as harshly as he could. The doors protested, struggled, but eventually started to give in as inch by inch, they were pried apart.
The Stormtroopers gathered behind him and he could feel their awe in his raw strength with the Force as he took the time to open the massive doors. Finally, something gave way and they both slammed open, revealing a massive hanger bay that contained various transport ships. Oddly, there weren't too many opponents to contend with and Vader merely motioned his troops forward to begin engaging them as he caught his breath for a moment, exhausted after prying the doors open. Was this all that was really at the bottom of the shaft? A hanger bay for a dozen or so transport ships? If so, this wasn't a victory, it was a colossal waste of time. He marched into the hanger bay as his troops were dispatching the Rebel guards, curious to learn what the ships contained. He searched the ships with the Force and a snarl formed on his lips. There were Force sensitives onboard. Young too.
The ships must not have been crewed as the cockpits were empty and none of them were powering up. Odd, why would they not be ready to take off in case of an emergency? The fools must've thought that the hanger door would've been able to keep him contained and away from the ships. Not a very smart thing for them to have done, not in the slightest.
Vader strode to the nearest ship, walking up the loading ramp, his lightsabers were still active. He worked his way through various cargo holds, searching for the Force sensitives with his mind. Finally, he found out where they were and slapped open a hatch to a large room within the ship. Huddled in a corner were maybe a dozen children, no more than the age of five or six years old. Gods dammit, the Jedi had rounded up younglings to begin training. They all coward at his presence, the glow of his red lightsabers adding to his menacing appearance. He knew what his master would want him to do, he just didn't know if he could stomach it, especially since he and Padmé were discussing children after their marriage. Their offspring would undoubtedly be sensitive to the Force as well, so how would they be different? There was no way in hell that Vader would allow for Sidious to train them, making the light the only path for their future, just as these children were destined to become.
Suddenly, he felt weakened and unsure. He couldn't do this, he couldn't murder these innocent children just because they were cursed to be found by the Rebellion. No, there had to be another way, there was always another way. Life had taught him that, and he wouldn't be ignoring the lesson today.
He deactivated his lightsabers and crouched down on his knee, looking at the children. They were all human, some boys the others girls. All of them looked frightened. "It's alright", he said in his most compassionate voice. "No one is going to hurt you, but we can't have you stay here, do you understand?"
The children nodded. Unsure as how else to respond to the Sith Lord. "Do you know where you were going to be taken?", he asked. "You can tell me."
"We don't know", one of the boys said in a strong voice that still shook. "We were taken from our parents, and brought here. We've been here for days now."
Force be damned, they were abducted from their homes just as he had been, undoubtedly being filled with promises that they would make great Jedi at some point in their lives. Fuck the Jedi for this, they all needed to burn in fiery hells for manipulating these children. Vader didn't know what the hell to do. If he took them back to Coruscant, the Emperor would twist them into the darkness, if he left them here, they would be discovered again after a time.
Thinking quickly, he snatched his comms. "Colonel Veers, I need several pilots to be sent down from the shuttles. They'll be tasked with an important mission. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Milord. At once."
Vader cut the transmission and stood. "Do you all remember where you're from?"
The children shook their heads. Dammit.
"I'm going to need to send you somewhere where you'll be safe, somewhere where you'll be cared for. But this must remain a secret, you can't tell anyone. If you do, the ones that stole you from your homes will come and find you, and abduct you again. Do you understand?" He tried to keep his voice as even as possible, but found that it was cracking. Damn his weakness for getting the better of him
The children nodded.
"Where are you sending us?", the brave boy asked.
Vader cocked his head at the boy for a minute. "I'm going to send you to a beautiful planet called Naboo. It has many oceans and fields of flowers. You'll be safe there, but I must teach you how to guard your minds. Once the rest of the children are here, I'll show all of you. Do you understand?"
They nodded again. Vader left them in the room and stood outside, wondering what the hell he was about to do. This went against everything that he knew, but his heart told him that it was the right decision, for the children and for himself. He couldn't sacrifice his soul any further by condemning the children to death.
Slowly, the other children started trickling in under guard from the Stormtroopers, all being led into the room with the first group of children. Vader waited patiently for them to all arrive. Finally, a Stormtrooper approached him. "That's the last of them, Milord."
"Excellent work, trooper. Have the pilots wait outside, I need to speak to these younglings for a while, then we'll depart", Vader said.
The Stormtrooper nodded then clicked his heels together and walked off. Vader took a deep breath and went back into the room.
"I'm going to teach you all how to hide your minds from others that will come looking for you. I need you to sit down and get comfortable."
The children sat cross legged and looked up at him. "Close your eyes now", Vader instructed. "Think of nothing, not even your homes. Just focus on my voice."
Once they were all in a state of calm, Vader began speaking in a foreign language of the Sith tongue, erecting barriers in the children's minds, barriers that not even Sidious would be able to crack. It took time, nearly over an hour. But once it was complete, the barriers were permanent. Sheltering the children from even himself. Vader was pleased with his work.
"You're all going to forget everything about today, about what happened since you were taken from your homes. You're going to a new home, one where you'll be cared for in every way. You'll find peace there, and you'll be happy", he said, using the Force to mold their impressionable minds. "You'll never see me again, but that'll be a good thing. Be at peace."
With that, he strode out of the transport and found two pilots waiting for him at the entry ramp to the transport.
"What are your orders, Milord?", a pilot asked.
"You're going to take these children to Theed on Coruscant. Once there, there is an orphanage that's run by a woman named Shmi. You'll contact her and she will come and collect the children. Tell her that her lost boy is the one who sent them, she'll understand. I must caution you, that if you mention this assignment to anyone, and I mean anyone, you'll be killed. Do I make myself entirely clear?", he asked.
"Perfectly clear, Milord", both pilots responded in unison.
"Go", Vader commanded as he walked off. He began climbing the stairs on the right side of the mine, working his way back up to the entrance. There was a loud roar as the transport engine's fired up and slowly began ascending to the top of the mineshaft.
Vader tirelessly made it to the top of the mine and surveyed the battlefield. There were dead bodies everywhere. Most enemy, some allies. Colonel Veers walked up to him with a questioning look on his face. "What was down there, Milord?", he asked
"Stolen beings", Vader responded. "In your after action report, you will write up that we merely cleared out a Rebel stronghold. Nothing more. Filter your men's reports as well, I don't want anything in any reports to state anything about transport ships or the two pilots on assignment. Do you understand, General?"
Veers nearly balked at the sudden promotion. "Very clear, Milord. I'll see to it at once."
Vader nodded and strode off. Wanting to get the hell off this rock and back to Padmé. This had been a bloody battle, one that had to be fought, one that he was glad he fought, but it still came with a cost. A massive cost.
He loaded up into a heavy transport filled with wounded Stormtroopers and didn't even bother strapping in as the transport lifted into the sky and rocketed back to the Devastator. He was exhausted, quite exhausted.
When he landed, he marched back to his quarters, exhausted. He took the lift and when it opened, he found both women staring down at the moon through the viewport.
"Have the two of you been watching that damned moon this entire time?", he asked.
Both women gasped and turned to him. Padmé ran to him and embraced him tightly. "You made it back safely", she whispered.
Vader placed a hand on the back of her head. "I did, Angel. Everything is alright."
Dormé smiled at him which he returned. He could sense that both of the women had been fraught with anxiety over what had happened, but everything would be fine now. It would have to be.
Padmé stepped back and wiped her eyes. "Did you find what you were looking for down there?"
Vader grunted as he went to pour himself a drink. After he took a sip, he turned back to Padmé. "A bunch of Force sensitive children that had been kidnapped by the Jedi, presumably to train into padawans."
Both women's faces froze for a moment and Vader could tell they were thinking that the worst had happened to them. "They were uninjured by me. I tasked a couple of pilots to deliver them to the orphanage on Naboo. They'll be well cared for there."
Padmé's face melted into relief. She really had thought it was a possibility that Vader had killed them, which was somewhat hurtful, but not unexpected. He did enjoy killing Jedi, but he didn't enjoy killing children.
"That was a very brave and right thing for you to do, Ani", she said. "I don't think I've ever been prouder of you than I am now."
Vader gave her a wistful smile. "I just did what I wished would have happened to me after I was stolen by the Jedi. Nothing more, nothing less. If the two of you will please excuse me, I smell of death. I'm going to shower and lay down."
He sat his glass on the table and went into his bedchambers, uninterested in anything but getting clean. He stripped off his attire and stepped into a hot shower, washing the stench of blood and death from him. It had been a rough damned day. One that he wanted to forget.
A/N: This was a tough chapter to write, I had a few options where I could go with the children Vader found, but ultimately found this would be better for his character progression and who he really is. Anyway, if you liked what you've read, consider dropping a review and following!