A/N: Thank you for the reviews and follows! With that being said, please enjoy this next chapter!
The role as Lady Vader would be challenging, Padmé could already tell. She was sitting through her fourth meeting with Vader as a general was outlining a strategy to use walkers as more of a supporting role, rather than the main element of a strike force. That would mean that the infantry would be tasked with greater responsibilities in securing objectives on various worlds, which would mean they would need to be better trained and equipped. Padmé was jotting down notes on a pad, knowing that the extra training and equipment would need funding, funding that would certainly be passed by the Senate, but it would be imperative that the production of the equipment went to several worlds, not just a single world.
Apparently, the goal was to make various planets more prosperous, not just Kuat and Corellia in the manufacturing of supplies for the Empire. This would create more jobs and thus better the lives of the inhabitants of those worlds if the production facilities were appropriately maintained. Corellia especially had the problem of essentially turning their production facilities into money making schemes that only profited the owners of the factories and shipyards, not those who actually worked there.
That simply wasn't fair, workers deserved a share in the profits. Not to the point where the heads of the factories made little, but to the point where there would be a good economy on the worlds, thus decreasing unemployment and allowing for the creation of new jobs and facilities that would stabilize the economies. That would mean the Empire could fairly levy taxes in a way that wouldn't bankrupt planets like it was currently doing. The war machine of the Empire needed trillions of credits to operate, and it had to come from somewhere, but they couldn't damn very well bleed the galaxy dry of their funds.
Once the long meeting was over, Padmé went out in the hall, needing a breath of fresh air. She was beginning to feel rather ill and was hoping that she wasn't about to have a bout of sickness, like most women had during their pregnancies.
"Are you alright, Padmé?", Vader asked from behind her.
"No, I'm actually not feeling very well", Padmé said as she waived her face, trying to cool down. The damned dress she chose wasn't helping. It was stuffy and formal, maybe too formal. Shit, why in the hell did she think that she needed to fucking dress this way as Lady Vader, she wasn't some damned Queen, she was, well, whatever she was.
Then the wave of nausea began to intensify. "Wait here", she told Vader, "I'm about to be sick."
She turned the corner and darted into the fresher for women and went to the toilet where she proceeded to empty her stomach of all the contents she had for breakfast. Fuck, that didn't feel good at all.
After she was done, she flushed and exited the stall, shuffling in her heels to the sink where she rinsed out her mouth. She felt like splashing her face with water, but that would ruin her makeup and she didn't have her clutch with her to do any touch up work. She was well underprepared for this and felt foolish for not anticipating this from happening. It would be difficult to hide the pregnancy if she was constantly heading to the fresher to empty her stomach several times a day, especially if she was in an important meeting. She would need to see the doctor about a possible medication to reduce the nausea.
Padmé exited the fresher to find a concerned Vader close by.
"Padmé, do you need to see a doctor?", he asked worriedly.
She chuckled. "No, Ani", she whispered. "This is just a normal part of pregnancy; all women go through it."
Vader winced at the thought. "Do you feel well enough to continue the day, or should I cancel the rest of the meetings and take us home?", he asked.
"No, don't cancel anything. I should be fine, I just need to take it easy and wear a lighter dress from now on, this one is suffocating", she said.
"I did say that it looked to be a bit much", Vader mumbled.
Padmé sharpened her eyes. "Having the I told you, so mentality isn't going to be well received when I'm in this state, Milord", she said icily.
Vader stepped back a half pace and held his hands up. "No offense was meant", he said, throwing up the white flag of truce.
Good, he had better watch how he spoke to her if he was going to live through the next eight months.
"When do you go for your scan?", Vader asked, wanting to change the subject.
"Tomorrow afternoon", Padmé replied, feeling a bit anxious. "I expect you to be there. I'm not going to be going to all of these appointments alone. You had a hand in this, so you're going to participate."
"I will, I promise", Vader mumbled.
Suddenly, she felt bad for laying into him so much in the last couple of minutes. He was just trying to show support. She figured it was the damned hormones that were making her feel this way, so she had better reign it in.
"I know you'll do whatever you can to be supportive. I'm sorry, it's all just a bit much right now", Padmé said. "These new responsibilities are going to be daunting, so combining them with a fucking pregnancy is going to wreak havoc on my nerves."
Vader merely nodded, probably not knowing what else to say.
"Well, what's our next meeting about?", she asked.
Vader pulled a small pad out of his robes and checked. He frowned after he scrolled a bit. "We're going to sit in on a research project that I particularly despise, and I have a feeling you will as well", he said.
Research project? Could it be the kriffing Star Dust project that she had stumbled upon months ago? If so, what the hell did Vader mean that he despised it? If he despised a military project that meant something and Padmé could feel alarm bells going off in her mind. Shit!
They both walked to a secured briefing room where a pompous looking Imperial in a white uniform stood at the front of the room, looking like he was just named as king of the day. There was an aura about him that Padmé immediately disliked, one that put her on edge.
After a few more high ranking personnel joined them, particularly Moff Tarkin, another man that she despised, the lights dimmed and a holoprojector turned on.
"That's director Krennic, he's the leader of the research project", Vader mumbled in her ear.
So there was a name she could dislike then. Good, that would make it easier to feel contempt for the man, and she didn't even know what the hell this project was about.
"First of all, I appreciate you joining us, Lady Vader. This is one of the most important projects that the Empire is currently working on and to have your support means everything", Krennic said.
Padmé gave him a forced smile, not buying into his bullshit for a second.
"That being said, I wanted to call you all here to discuss the status of the project. We've finalized the plans and are finally able to begin substantial construction on the exoskeleton of the battle station. This will take many years as you all know given the number of resources that will be required, but I assure you, each piece of material, every being working on it, will play a crucial role in the Empire being able to keep the peace in the galaxy for the next one hundred years, if not more", Krennic said.
"Could you care to share a little more detail, Director?", Padmé asked, politely. "I'm new to this project, so I don't have the basic facts."
Krennic looked at her for a moment and then smiled. "Of course, Lady Vader. This project is to build a mobile battle station that will have enough firepower through a main weapon that will be able to destroy targets the size of a planet. It will serve as a mobile shipyard, troop transport, and many other functions that will allow the transportation of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and starfighters to any system within the galaxy at a moments notice. While it will usually be accompanied by a fleet of support ships, that won't be a requirement given the defensive and offensive weapons that will be installed", Krennic explained.
Padmé felt a pit of dread in her stomach. As much as she despised the fucking Rebellion and Jedi, this project was an abomination. There shouldn't be an ability to destroy an entire planet. This wasn't about keeping the peace; this was about inflicting pure terror upon the galaxy. How in the hell did the Empire expect to quash the Rebellion if it used a weapon like this? Thousands would join their ranks the first day this weapon became public knowledge. Entire worlds would rebel, and the Empire would slowly lose its grasp on the galaxy, turning it into turmoil, absolute turmoil.
Vader placed a hand on her knee. She felt him send her thoughts to calm her down, reassuring her that this wouldn't come to fruition. She didn't know how the hell he would pull that off, but she had to trust him.
"Thank you for the explanation, Director. Please continue", she said.
Her mind went blank as the director launched into various topics such as additional funds, engineers, and men needed to complete the massive battle station. It would take at least fifteen years if not longer to complete given the massive scale of it, but that wasn't much time, not in the slightest. There would have to be action to derail the project, but how in the hell could anyone derail the Empire's most secretive project? Shit, what in the fuck was Vader going to do about this?
The meeting finally broke after an hour and Padmé shakily rose and exited the briefing room and walked into a small alcove to lean against the wall. Vader quickly joined her looking at her with concern.
"Are you about to be ill again?", he asked.
"Yes, but not for the reason you think", she whispered.
Vader leaned against the wall and nodded. "I know what you're thinking, and I have the same thoughts. This project is an abomination. No one should have that kind of power at their disposal, especially Sidious", he said quietly. "This is a weapon of terror, and will not stabilize the galaxy, not the way I want it stabilized at least."
"Then what the fuck are we going to do about it?", Padmé hissed. "I've sworn fidelity to the Empire wholeheartedly, but this wasn't my idea of what the Empire stood for."
"It isn't mine either", Vader whispered as he leaned closer to her. "There will have to be a change in leadership in order to stop this project. One that will come sooner than you think, to protect the galaxy as well as our unborn child."
Padmé's jaw dropped in understanding. Vader intended to kill Sidious. There was no question about it, he was going to kill him.
"How?", she asked dumbfounded.
"I haven't figured that out yet", he replied as he rubbed his face. "He's too powerful, too damned powerful. I'm going to need to find some way to amplify my own powers to be able to do it, or I'll die trying."
A chill ran through Padmé at the thought of Vader dying while trying to save their unborn child and the Empire at the same time. It wasn't a price she was willing to pay, but knew that her husband had to do something. There wasn't any question about it anymore, Sidious was becoming too dangerous to them, to everyone. Fuck the Jedi and fuck the Rebellion, but more importantly, fuck Sidious.
"What if you temporarily used the help of the Jedi?", she whispered.
Vader looked like a jolt of electricity ran through him. "After what they did to you?", he hissed. "I'd rather die than align myself with them."
"And if you die, our child becomes twisted by Sidious like he tried to do with you", Padmé shot back. "I know you hate the Jedi, I hate them too, but you've got to find a way to do this with support because you can't do it alone. It's too dangerous for us. If you're killed, what do you think will happen to me after our child is born?"
That made Vader grow silent, and he looked away from her with his arms folded against his chest.
"You make good points, but let's discuss this in more details when we get home, there are too many prying eyes and ears here", he said.
She gave him a glare, warning him not to blow her off.
"I'm not trying to avoid having a discussion about it, Padmé, I promise. It's just too dangerous to talk about it here", he whispered harshly.
"Fine, but as soon as we get home, this is what we're going to talk about", Padmé whispered back.
Vader nodded in agreement. "Come", he said. "We have more of these fucking meetings to attend."
Fuck.
…
Qui-Gon disengaged the hyperdrive and shot into real space. He flipped his beacon on indicating that he had proper landing clearances to enter the space traffic lanes of Coruscant, which should avoid control from communicating with him. He didn't need any distractions at this point, he needed to get to the ground and figure out a way to find Vader to have a discussion.
He leaned back in his seat and closed his mind momentarily to meditate. This would be one of the most difficult tasks that he would ever engage in, more difficult than the fight against Darth Maul had been on Naboo. Thinking of the battle brought pain to him as his apprentice had been so full of potential back then, but now he was dead due to his disillusioned and misguided thoughts. He couldn't blame Vader for Obi-Wan's death, he was protecting his family. Anyone, Jedi or Sith would have done the same if put in that position.
Realizing he was heading into the belly of the beast; he carefully placed his mental barriers in place lest he bis presence be felt by the Emperor. He was in no position to take on that madman, not without Vader's help and the help of the other Jedi. It would have to be a combined effort, one that would be coordinated with precision, or they would all most certainly die. Palpatine was far more powerful of a being than anyone could have predicted, but there was one thing that he didn't have, the full allegiance of Vader. The Chosen One. His inner conflict would help ensure Palpatine's defeat and would hopefully usher in a new era of peace to the galaxy, he just wasn't sure when or how that would take place.
Opening his eyes again he piloted his craft through the space traffic lanes and finally made it into the atmosphere of Coruscant. It had been many years since he had been here ever since the Empire's creation, but he was certain it would become a place that Jedi would be able to come to in the future. Even if Vader retained the mantel of the Dark Lord, which he doubted, but one step at a time.
He knew that he should have had the full backing of the Jedi Council prior to engaging in this mission, but the risks were too great. Everything counted on Vader agreeing to aid them, agreeing to have a temporary truce at the very least. It was their only chance; it was his only chance. Qui-Gon was certain that Vader would produce offspring with Padmé and knew that with Vader's inner conflict he would never want Palpatine to lay his hands on them, so that only meant one thing. His need for Palpatine to be eliminated as a threat.
Locating a docking port, he landed his freighter. When he exited the docking, master approached.
"How much time do you need?"
"Two weeks. If I need more time, I'll come back and pay more", Qui-Gon said.
"Two hundred credits", the docking master said.
Qui-Gon dug into his pocket and slapped the credits into the docking master's hand. Without another word he walked off and went to go find some public transportation to the Senate area. He needed to begin to stalk Vader and to do so carefully. He couldn't confront him in public, Vader would be forced to kill him, he would have to lure him into a private location away from prying eyes. Vader still might try and kill him, but he was much less likely to.
…
When the couple went home, Vader was geared up to be yelled at. He sensed his wife's utter contempt at Star Dust, contempt that he felt as well, but he knew that her system was in complete and total shock. Her heart was with the Empire, especially after all that they had gone through against the Jedi and the Rebellion, but this would make her develop bitter feelings and that was something that he wanted to avoid. He needed to assure her that the project would not be completed no matter what.
Not wanting Dormé to hear their impending argument, Vader went to the second floor and stared out the enclosed veranda, the same one where they argued about the killing of Clovis and the loss of Vader's son when Alysia was murdered. He expected this conversation to be just as if not terser than the last.
As he waited for his wife, his thoughts wondered. How would he kill Sidious? He knew that he wasn't strong enough in either the darkness or the light, and he wasn't willing to be give himself up entirely to either side. If he gave himself to the darkness, he would turn into a true monster, incapable of even loving his wife. If he gave himself completely to the light, he would lose his edge in combat and would immediately be killed by Sidious. It was a no win scenario, one that he loathed.
"Anakin"
Vader winced. His wife's tone was not friendly or soothing, it was terse and full of ire. He turned around to see her leaned against the door frame. She changed out of the attire she wore to the Senate and was now donned in a simple black dress that exposed her shoulders.
"Yes, Padmé", he responded.
"Why didn't you ever tell me about this?", she asked.
That was a good question. "Because the time wasn't right. If you knew about this before, would you have married me?", he asked.
"Of course, I would've", she shot back. "But what I would've wanted to do is have the very discussion that we're about to have, and that's how to stop it. But you didn't afford me that opportunity."
"I didn't afford you the opportunity because knowing anything about that project is dangerous, Padmé", Vader shot back. "People have been murdered in their own homes for either knowing too much or speaking out against the project. Before you ask, no, I wasn't the one who murdered them, it was Sidious' men that did."
"So, you're completely against the project? There's nothing inside of you that thinks that it could be good for the Empire?", she demanded.
Vader growled. "That project is eviler than anything that I have ever done or have considered doing. It sullies the very nature of the Force. The power to destroy a planet would be a complete afront to everything that's in the Force, including the darkness", he shot back.
"Then this is about preserving the darkness then?", Padmé asked.
"Woman, you are twisting this into something it is not. This is not about the darkness or the light. It's about a madman being able to murder entire worlds just because he wants to inflict terror upon the galaxy, nothing more. He's a sick and twisted man, I've looked into his very soul and there is nothing but darkness. Darkness that will be incredibly difficult to challenge, no matter what method I use. Don't you dare presume to insinuate that this has anything to do with a preference I have over the darkness or the light, or that I'm behind this project", Vader said heatedly.
"You have to understand the level of shock that I'm in right now. My husband, the one I gave my heart and soul to has known about this for a very long time and hasn't shared it with me. Even you should understand that there's a trust issue now", she yelled.
"It's not about trust, it was about protecting your life, gods dammit!", Vader yelled back. "I have protected you for years, ever since I found out you were a Rebel operative. I've protected you from this because if you even entertained a thought about the project within the range of Sidious, he would've killed you without a second thought. My entire life is devoted to protecting you, now it's devoted to protecting our child, from this battle station and from Sidious. You have no idea what that's like to have to shoulder that burden, but it's a burden that I shoulder willingly. I would die for you and our child; I would die to protect this galaxy from that evil man who tortured me relentlessly when I was a child. So don't you accuse me of any wrongdoing in this, Padmé."
"Then why won't you even consider enlisting the Jedi for help? You know I despise them; I hate them! They nearly killed me and our unborn child! But if you can't do this alone, you need help. Unless there are some other powerful Force users around that can help you, I don't see an alternative, do you?", Padmé shouted.
"No! I don't! But the moment, the very moment I align myself with these Jedi, our fates are sealed. They'll want to imprison me, and possibly you as well for merely being associated with me. They are backstabbing cowards that believe in nothing but their code, the code that enabled Sidious to fuck me when I was a child!", Vader screamed. "You will never understand the hell I went through because of Sidious, because of the Jedi. It was a miserable existence and most days I prayed as a boy that that sick fucker would just kill me so I could be spared from further torment by him!"
"I understand! I feel your pain! You forget that we have been bonded for some time now, don't you think that I haven't felt your nightmares about him? I do, so that makes me understand, Anakin Skywalker!", Padmé screamed back. "I love you; I love you more than anything, but don't ever assume that I don't have compassion or understanding for what you went through! I see it haunt you every time you touch the light, fuck, I even see it haunt you right now! Especially now! We have to work together on this if we're going to be able to stop that sick fucker as you put it, and he is a sick fucker, but this needs to be a team effort. You can't save me or the gods damned galaxy by yourself, Anakin!"
"Why not? I'm supposed to be the gods damned Chosen One! The lie that the Jedi told me to lure me away from my parents. But what if they were right? I can do things that others can't, that other's never will be able to do! Maybe it should just be me, maybe my destiny is to fucking die while killing that madman!", Vader shouted as he tore at his hair. His breathing was heavy, his tanned skin was flushed. He was angry, but he wasn't touching the darkness, he was merely being consumed by his soul, and he was afraid, very afraid.
"No!", Padmé cried. "I am not going to have your child just to lose you! This isn't a tradeoff; this is a packaged deal! You gave me your heart and soul and I intend to have it for a very long time. Put your fucking pride aside for just a minute and think about that. Fuck your thoughts about being the Chosen One, think about you being my husband, my life! That should be what you breathe every single day!"
"I do breathe that every single day! Do you think I want to leave you to raise our child by yourself? Is that what you really think? I don't want that. It terrifies me that it may be a possibility! It shouldn't be a possibility, but it is! It's been a possibility every single day! What if right before I killed Kenobi, he managed to land a fatal blow to me as well? It wouldn't have been something I wanted, but it could've happened!", Vader cried. He was losing control. His eyes were watering, just thinking at the mere possibility of Padmé being left alone to raise their child. Never being able to hold his own offspring. It shook him to his very core.
"Then accept some help", Padmé cried out as she slid to the floor sobbing. "Accept some help so you can defeat that monster and come back to me, Anakin, because I don't want to live in a world without you!"
Vader stood stunned at the sight of his wife. His pregnant wife, sobbing her eyes out, begging him to do the thing that he never thought he would even consider. He felt his knees buckle as intense emotions of sadness ran through him. His pride was literally hurting his wife. His pain was causing her pain.
"Padmé", he croaked out. "I'll accept help."
With that he slowly fell to his knees as he felt a sharp pain shooting through his chest. It wasn't physical pain, it was pain through the Force, pain that was brought on by him finally giving into the possibility that the Jedi were his allies. But how? How could he convince them to help him? Qui-Gon had offered, but he was one man, an old Jedi Master, not one that would be able to stand against Sidious even with Vader's help. How could the Jedi agree to help a man that spent his earliest years as an adult hunting down and slaughtering them?
He began sobbing himself, the pain was crippling, it was relentless. The Force was pushing him harder and harder to go through with the plan, but he didn't feel like he had the strength. He had the power to do almost anything but felt weak just thinking about this. He bent his face down to the ground as he sobbed and began beating the floor with his right fist, screaming at the top of his lungs in pain. It hurt too much and he couldn't stop it.
"Ani"
Vader continued to sob uncontrollably.
"Ani"
He felt a hand on his back, rubbing in circles, but he kept sobbing.
"Ani, it's okay, I'm here."
His Angel was here. She was trying to help him. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on his breathing as she continued to rub circles on his back. Vader knew that his wife was trying hard to stop his pain, to help him.
Suddenly, he stopped sobbing, but stayed on the ground, still feeling the pain of defeat.
"Ani, I know you're scared. I'm scared too, but this is the only way. I'll be there every step of the way to support you, I promise, but you have to let me help you", Padmé said soothingly.
"I know you're a strong woman, Padmé", Vader said. "But this is going to take more strength than you have. Especially since you're with child. Our child needs you too."
"I know, Ani. But I'm still here for you, I'll help you walk through this journey that you have to take, but you have to promise me that you'll see it through. You've never broken a promise to me before, so I know if you promise me this, you'll mean it. Promise me Anakin", she said as she laid her head on his back, using her left hand to rub his shoulder.
Vader was silent for a moment as he contemplated his wife's request. She was right, he never broke a promise to her, and he never would. Nothing would keep him from being true to her. Not even this, if he promised. The fear and pain were still there, but he had to embrace it. He couldn't push it away, not anymore.
"I promise", he said, completely defeated. "You have my word, Padmé."
"That's all I needed to hear, Ani", Padmé said as tears began flowing from her eyes onto his back.
Vader rose and sat back against the window, pulling his wife onto his lap. They both cried together, both afraid of what was to come. When it would come, they didn't know, but it had to come before their child was born.
…
The next day, the couple went to the hospital near the Senate where Padmé had been treated for her head injury and had first found out that she was pregnant. They were going for her first pregnancy scan, now nearly six weeks into the pregnancy.
They nervously sat in the procedure room waiting for the doctor.
"Are you scared?", Padmé asked Vader.
"A little. Are you scared?", Vader asked his wife.
"Same", she replied.
They clutched each other's hands as they waited, both trying to sooth the other through their bond, but it was difficult as they were both nervous.
Padmé couldn't believe that she was going to finally see the baby for the first time. It was going to be something out of a dream, an out of world experience. She recalled being alone before she met Vader while she was still in her on again off again relationship with Rush. She never imagined that she would become a mother. Hell, she always thought that she would end up in an asylum for her mental illnesses, but now here she was, married to the man of her dreams, healthy, and pregnant.
It amazed her how quickly a person's life could change in the wink of an eye. Like the flick of a switch and her entire world changed, but it was a change for the better. One that she cherished dearly and wanted to hold onto for the rest of her life. A joy that couldn't be taken away.
But with that joy came fear. There was fear over what Sidious would do if he ever got his hands on her child, if something happened to Vader, or worse if she died before giving birth to her children Those fears would remain with her until the monster was dead, until they figured out a way to untangle themselves out of this mess that they were in.
Finally, the doctor walked in. It was a different doctor than she had first seen.
"Milord, Milady, I'm Doctor Clair and I'm here to do the first scan. Before you say anything, I want to ensure you that all records are strictly confidential, especially given your status in the Empire. Nothing will be shared to anyone. Is that alright?"
"That's alright with us, Doctor", Padmé said.
"Perfect, if you'll please lay down on the table, I'll do the scan and we'll check the development of your little one", Clair said.
Vader squeezed Padmé's hand before she got up and laid down on the table. She momentarily closed her eyes and said a brief prayer before the doctor began the scan. All in all, the scan took a few seconds.
"Perfect, now let me just take a look, and then I'll show you both the images of your baby", Clair said.
Padmé got back up with Vader's help and they both sat back down, holding each other's hands. She watched the doctor as she was clicking through various screens, getting an adequate look at the child, but noticed that there was some surprise on her face. Vader must've noticed it as well, as she felt intense anxiety from him.
"Well, there is a development that the two of you should be aware of", Clair said.
"What is it?", Vader asked in a strained voice.
Clair turned the monitor towards them. "I hope that your nursery is going to be large enough because you're going to have twins."
Twins? What the fuck? She was carrying two babies. How was that possible? Twins weren't in her family's history, so the chances of that happening were very small.
"Twins?", Vader questioned as he gazed at the screen.
Padmé forced herself to look at it, and sure enough, there were two little embryos developing inside of her. She felt tears surge to her eyes. She was not only going to be a mother, but a mother of two precious little children. It would be a daunting challenge, but she was now even more committed to it. Gods, this was wonderful news.
"I'm sure the both of you are in shock, so I'll just say this. Based on the scan, both are growing perfectly, and your pregnancy appears perfectly healthy", Clair said.
"Thank you, Doctor", Padmé whispered, still in shock She squeezed Vader's hand back as hard as she could.
The doctor could obviously tell that the couple needed a moment. "I'll let the both of you process this development in private. You're all finished, but please feel free to stay in the room as long as you like", Clair said as she got up and left.
Padmé turned to Vader and saw the look of wonder, excitement, and fear on his face.
"You're going to be a father of two, Ani", she whispered.
Vader turned to look at her, his mouth still opened. Instead of saying anything, he crushed his lips to her. Padmé felt tears streaming down her face as her husband kissed her deeply. She felt his love and she sent him hers. This was truly an amazing moment, one that they never would forget.
Once they broke, Vader looked at her and smiled. "You do realize what this means don't you?", he asked.
"What?", she asked nervously.
"We're going to have to think of two names", he said with a chuckle.
Padmé laughed and thew her arms around her husband's neck, nuzzling her face against his chest.
…
Two weeks later, Vader stalked into the intelligence room. Whatever this was about had better be good, he was pulled out of a meeting with his wife at the Senate. He instructed her to be escorted everywhere by Stormtroopers in his absence, yet still felt apprehensive about leaving her alone for a minute.
"What is it, Captain Conner?", he demanded as he folded his arms.
Conner turned around, surprised by the Sith Lord's stealthy entry. "Milord, there has been an informant that has passed along information to us that there is an individual with information about the Rebellion, but he only wishes to speak with you, in private."
"With me?", Vader said slowly. "This is why I have an entire intelligence unit, there shouldn't be the need for me to visit an individual for any reason, let alone the Rebellion. Do we even know what kind of information this person has?"
"No, Milord, we don't", Conner said.
"Then why the fuck is it even being entertained that I attend this meeting in private?", Vader demanded.
"Because this comes from one of our top informants. One that has never led us astray. He would only bring this to our attention if it was something that we needed to consider, otherwise I would have dismissed the notion of even making the request, Milord", Conner explained.
Vader growled. They did need information on the Rebellion for a multitude of reasons, but he hadn't met a potential asset in years. This type of work was well beneath his station, he had an entire fucking military to run.
"Where?", he asked.
"In the lower end of the political district", Conner said as he handed Vader a pad with the coordinates.
This didn't look good. It was a well hidden location that would be a perfect opportunity for an ambush. "And I'm to go alone?", he asked.
"Yes, Milord. Those were the conditions. Our informant said that if the individual detects any other Imperial presence, they will leave, and we won't get a second chance at this. It could be that this person is in fear of being arrested", Conner said.
"If this person is in fear of being arrested, they should be more afraid of having their head severed from their body", Vader snapped. Why the fuck was this happening now? Everything else was so gods damned difficult in his life for this to be happening now.
"I'm aware of that, Milord, I was merely commenting", Conner said.
"Next time keep your personal comments to yourself, Captain. You aren't here to give me personal opinions, you're here to give me facts, that's it", Vader said. He was seething in anger over this request. It was almost as if he was being summoned and there was only one person that had the power to summon him, and he was sitting in on a throne at the moment.
"Yes, Milord", Conner said as he took a step back in fear.
Vader looked at the pad again and weighed his options. He could ignore the meeting and possibly let vital information about the Rebellion slip through his fingers, or he could go to the meeting and potentially have to fight his way out of an ambush. Neither were good options. Shit!
"When the fuck is this meeting supposed to take place?", Vader demanded.
"The informant said the sooner the better. The individual is reportedly there now as we speak", Conner said.
How convenient. A last second meeting spelled danger to Vader. He wasn't a coward by any stretch of the means, but he also wasn't an idiot. Idiots get killed.
"Fine, tell your informant that I'm on my way, but if this turns out to be an ambush or a waste of that time, I want the informant brought to me so I can interrogate him ruthlessly, do I make myself clear, Captain?", he asked icily.
"Perfectly clear, Milord", Conner replied.
With another growl, Vader whirled around, his robes billowing behind him as he stalked out of the intelligence room and on his way to his speeder.
…
Vader landed his speeder in the lower area of the political district. It was a dangerous place with plenty of nefarious individuals wondering about, but at least he had his kriffing armored speeder with him to make it back to the upper levels of the city this time. There wasn't any way he was going to climb up another gods damned sewer drain in his life regardless of what the fucking outcome would be.
He slowly walked to the meeting point, using the Force to probe out every being that was close to him, keeping his hands next to his lightsabers in case he needed to snap them to life. If this was an ambush, whoever it was would be cut down to pieces like he eviscerated the crew on the capital ship during the battle of Amari.
Odd, he couldn't feel anyone's presence at the meeting point. Was anyone going to show up or were they close by waiting for him to get there first. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing straight up as he slowly stalked to the meeting point and the closer he got, the more prepared he was to face someone in life or death combat. Well, his life and their death anyway.
Once he got to the meeting point, he looked around. There was no one in immediate view, but there were plenty of places to hide. He couldn't detect the presence of anyone, and he was beginning to become enraged at the possibility that he was about to be blown up or attacked from above, but there were no definitive warnings through the Force.
"Anakin, it's good to see you again."
Vader snapped both of his lightsabers alive and turned around to see Qui-Gon Jinn standing in front of him.
"I should kill you right here, right now for what Kenobi did to my wife", Vader hissed. He expected Jinn to activate his own lightsaber, but the old man just stood still, looking at him with an appraising eye.
"What my apprentice did was an abomination. Something that I didn't condone, something that I warned him of what the outcome would be. I tried to stop him, but he got away from me. I know that if I engage you in single combat, I will lose. I'm not here to fight with you, I'm here to talk", Qui-Gon said.
"Talk about what?", Vader snarled. All he had to do was leap towards the aging Jedi Master and he could kill him. He could kill him and have another dead Jedi by his name.
"About defeating Emperor Palpatine", Qui-Gon said.
Fuck! This was the very thing that he had promised Padmé that he would seek help from the Jedi. He couldn't kill Jinn, at least not until he heard him out.
"Speak", he said.
"I know that the Emperor is an evil man that broke you, Anakin. Again, I am partly responsible for that. I should've fought harder for you, but I didn't and I cursed you into a life of servitude to the evilest man in existence. But I'm also aware that you're married. I don't know if your wife is pregnant yet or not, but I imagine that she will be soon if she isn't already. I know that you would never allow Palpatine to lay a hand on a child of yours, so that leaves you with only one option. Killing him before the child is even born", Jinn said.
What Jinn was saying was absolutely correct, but could he offer the actual help that would be needed?
"Let's entertain your comments for a moment", Vader said as he lowered his lightsabers, but kept them activated. "Let's say that everything you say is true and I do enlist your help. How in the fuck do you expect to take on Sidious, Palpatine's Sith name is Sidious, but how do you expect to take him on with just me? Neither of us are strong enough to defeat him even if we both worked together", Vader said.
"You would have the help of the Jedi Council and other Jedi Masters and Knights", Qui-Gon responded.
Vader chuckled. "You're telling me that the Jedi Council has sanctioned an alliance, be it temporary or permanent, with me to defeat Sidious. Do you think I'm a fucking idiot, Jinn?"
"I won't lie to you Anakin, I have yet to receive a blessing from the Jedi Council. In fact, they don't even know that I'm here speaking with you. What I have told them, Master Yoda at least, is that there's an inner conflict within you. He has felt it himself. I haven't convinced him of anything yet, but that will be your job", Qui-Gon replied.
"My job?", Vader asked amusedly. "Do you expect me to waltz into the Jedi Council's chamber on Yavin Four and have them listen to me without immediately engaging me in combat? Do you truly think that I'm stupid enough to believe that I wouldn't be cut down the moment I set foot on Yavin Four? Understand this, Jinn, I'm not that stupid."
"No one is saying you are, but I am saying that you would be under my protection. No harm would come to you under my oath", Qui-Gon said.
"Your oath?", Vader asked. "Your oath means nothing to me Jinn. I remember exactly what you told me on Tatooine and when we reached Coruscant. You expected me to be some Chosen One that would bring balance to the Force, but all that happened was me being tortured relentlessly by the thing I'm forced to call master!"
"Anakin, again, I need to atone my mistake of not fighting harder for you. But you need to protect your new family from Sidious. I'm offering you a way, the only thing that you have to do is put some faith, just some faith into my oath. I won't lead you astray a second time, especially after what Obi-Wan did to your wife", Qui-Gon promised.
Vader shook his head in disbelief. If he trusted this man again, he could be dead. But if he didn't trust him and he was telling the truth, he would be giving up his opportunity to defeat Sidious and protect his family.
"Open your mind to me", Vader said. "Let me see your thoughts."
Qui-Gon nodded. "If that's what it will take, I will gladly do it", he said.
Vader reached out to touch Qui-Gon's mind. In it he found many memories, but he was looking for one in particular. He was looking for Qui-Gon's reaction to the news of when the ship Vader was on exploded.
It was painstaking work, there were so many memories to look through and most that Vader didn't care for. But then, he found it. Qui-Gon had been devastated, had felt emotions of anger and loss. Mainly anger at himself. He saw Qui-Gon in his chambers, cursing the Jedi Council for throwing away the boy that could have brought balance to the Force. That's what Vader needed to see.
Withdrawing himself from Qui-Gon's mind, he snuffed both of his lightsabers and clipped them to his belt. "If I do this, I am placing my trust in you", Vader said. "I rarely place my trust in anyone. As of right now, there are only three people I trust in this galaxy and they're not Jedi or Sith."
"I understand that, Anakin. If I was in your position, I wouldn't give my trust easily to anyone, let alone a Jedi. But I am asking for your trust. I am pleading for your trust", he said.
Vader took his hood off and walked towards Qui-Gon slowly, like a predator stalking its prey. There were two possible outcomes to this meeting, and he had to decide by the time he reached the man. One was that he would agree to the idea of meeting the Council, and the second was that he kill the man in cold blood. Both options were equally attractive at the moment, so he needed the extra few seconds to decide.
Qui-Gon stood unwavering, stoic as usual. Vader understood that the aging Jedi Master knew precisely what the risks were of coming here, and he must've accepted them regardless of how the meeting would go.
Once Vader was within two feet of Qui-Gon, it was decision time. His hand was right by his lightsaber, all he would need to do would be to snatch it off his belt and plunge it into Qui-Gon's chest and he would be free of the man who took him from his mother so long ago.
But instead of doing that, Vader held out his hand. "I will trust you", Vader said quietly.
Qui-Gon nodded and took Vader's hand shaking it firmly. The two stepped back.
Vader pulled out the pad that was given to him by intelligence and typed in a sequence. "This is my secured frequency. No one, not even Sidious' spies know about it. When you are ready, send me a message stating so and I will come to Yavin Four alone. But know this, Jinn. If this is an ambush, I will kill you before I'm killed. Do you understand?"
"I understand, Anakin", Qui-Gon replied.
Vader nodded and turned around to walk back to his speeder, knowing that he had just placed his faith into the hands of the man who was responsible for him being turned into Darth Vader again.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed the suspense and drama of this chapter. It was fun to write. As usual, if you liked what you've read, please consider dropping a review and following!