A/N: Thank you for the reviews and follows. Please enjoy this next chapter.
Vader was late coming home, and it was making Padmé very nervous. What could be keeping him so late without calling her over the comms? She knew that he would never do anything to hurt her, so there must be something wrong. Maybe terribly wrong. Her hand shot to her belly, rubbing it instinctively as a sign of comfort and protection to her two unborn children. If something happened to him, would something happen to her and her children? The thought of that terrified her, she was beginning to become incredibly protective of her pregnancy.
She stood in the large foyer, waiting for her husband, pacing back and forth in heels that were killing her feet. But that didn't matter, she was more concerned about her husband than she was about her feet aching. Vader was everything to her, her entire life now. She had an unstable relationship with her parents now that she was unsure that she could entirely fix, not that it would matter if Vader was hurt or worse. There would be loneliness and heartbreak, heartbreak that she wasn't certain that she could recover from.
The worst part of her fears was that they could actually come true. It wasn't like she was some housewife worried that her husband was at a bar chasing other women, Vader wasn't like that. He did things with a purpose, but lately he would tell her what his purpose actually was, queuing her into the very things that he would do on a daily basis, giving her comfort of what exactly was going on in his life, which she adored.
Finally, she heard the sounds of footsteps up the path of the penthouse and braced herself. If this was one of Sidious' men coming to arrest her, she would put on a brave face and stand up for herself and her unborn twins. That was the only thing she could do, damn everything else. She stared nervously at the door, ready to accept her fate, but praying it was her husband.
The door opened and immediately she felt relief. "Ani!", she cried out as tears poured from her eyes. She threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him, not wanting to let him go lest it was merely a daydream that her husband was finally home.
"Padmé", he soothed. "What's wrong, my love?"
"What's wrong?", she asked incredulously. "You're never this late and you didn't try and call me over the comms. I had thought the worst had happened to you." Her voice shook as she tried to maintain her composure, not wanting to make him upset.
"Oh, Angel", Vader began. "I'm so sorry, I had my head wrapped around something else and didn't think of calling." He planted kisses on the top of her head, rubbing her back soothingly. "I didn't mean to make you worry."
"It's alright", Padmé said as she blinked her eyes, trying to get rid of tears of relief and regain her composure. "What was keeping you so late?"
Vader growled and clenched his fists, not a good sign. "Perhaps we should go sit and discuss it. It's a delicate matter that came up today." Padmé could sense his anger, his fear, his determination. It made her nervous when she felt those emotions from him as it usually had something to do with Sidious.
They walked into the first living area and both sat down on the couch. Padmé turned her body to him and made her body language as open as possible, wanting to make him as relaxed as possible. "Well, Ani, what's wrong?", she asked softly.
Vader growled again. "Sidious was aware that a Jedi Master was on Coruscant. He doesn't know it was Qui-Gon Jinn or that he and I spoke, just that one of his spies noticed someone that appeared as a Jedi Master. For the love of the Sith, Jinn should have worn a disguise, the fool."
A pit of dread resurfaced in her stomach. "What does that mean for us, Ani?", she asked nervously.
Her husband pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to breathe deeply. "I'm to find out the Jedi Master's purpose or I'll be punished harshly and so will you", he said bitterly. "I'm going to have to think of something, anything that will provide a plausible reason that the Jedi Master was here without divulging the truth. It won't be easy; a fucking Jedi Master doesn't just show up on Coruscant without a fucking reason."
Padmé tried to process the information and was truly dumbfounded. Why didn't that idiot come in disguise as Vader said? This could cause all sorts of gods damned problems for them if Vader couldn't figure out what the fuck to say to Sidious.
"What will you do?", she asked, knowing his answer.
"I'm going to have to think of some gods damned lie and hope that Sidious will buy into it. How, I don't know, but I'll figure out something, I always do. I won't put us in the position where Sidious will torture us, or harm us in any way. I need to contact someone in my network to see if they can provide me some information on possible Jedi activities here on Coruscant. If Kenobi and Jinn could both be on Coruscant at the same time, then some other Jedi had to have come here as well.
"That's a good idea", Padmé mumbled. "When will you go do it?"
"The sooner the better. I'll leave tonight to go speak with them. It'll be dangerous in case Sidious' spies are watching, but it's the only way", he said with finality.
"Oh", Padmé said. She was disappointed that she wouldn't get to spend much time with her husband but knew that this was important. Much more important than them pending time together at the moment he supposed.
"Don't fret, Angel. I'll be back as soon as I can. If I can put this past us, there will be plenty of time for us to relax together and enjoy ourselves", Vader replied as he reached out and squeezed her hand. "I promise. You know I don't break my promises, don't you?"
"You never have", Padmé said as she felt tears falling from her eyes. She was entirely nervous for her husband, for her babies. But Vader was a smart man, used to having to deal with difficult situations such as this. He would be able to figure out a way to solve the problem, she just knew he would.
"I'll be back soon, my love", Vader said as he leaned in for a quick kiss. Padmé whimpered slightly, wanting more, but knowing that she would have to wait. When he broke the kiss, he wiped the tears from her face as best as he could. "Be strong, everything will be alright."
"I trust you", Padmé said. "I promise that I'll put on a brave face for you." She had to; she couldn't have him worried about her while he was out doing his damned job of protecting the family from that evil man. "I love you."
"I love you too", Vader said as he gave her another quick kiss before standing up. He gave her a look of adoration before turning on his heels and walking back to the foyer.
Padmé flinched as she heard the door closed, anxious for the love of her life going on some half cocked quest to come up with a plausible reason why fucking Qui-Gon Jinn would be here on Coruscant. She had to quiet her mind in self reflection as she didn't want to become overwhelmed with emotions, especially in her fragile state.
Deciding that she needed to relax, she went upstairs and stripped out of her dress and took a long shower, enjoying the water beating against her skin and the smell of the soap and the shampoo. She meditated her mind as Vader showed her how to do, calming the errant thoughts in her mind to the point that she felt relaxed.
She shut off the water and toweled off, spending time combing out her long locks that trailed down to the small of her back, getting herself ready for bed. She wanted to stay up to see Vader again when or if he finally came home later in the night, but she knew that her babies needed her to rest for her to be able to take care of them.
Slipping on a nightgown, she went to her bed and laid down, pulling the sheets and blankets over her. She continued to meditate and felt peace as she closed her eyes and fell asleep, thinking good thoughts about her husband and praying that he would be able to come home soon.
…
Vader stalked the lower levels of Coruscant where there was nothing but undesirable beings with an agenda to cause harm to others. It wasn't that he was nervous to come down here, he had his armored speeder parked at a secure location and had his comms with him in case things got rough, but he was still a fucking Sith Lord, he knew how to fucking defend himself in case some idiot tried to confront him.
The hood of his robes was firmly secured over his head as he stalked his quarry, knowing full well that they were where he needed them to be. He went to a seedy looking apartment building that was covered in filth on the outside and went to the main hallway. If his memory served him correct, which it usually did, his quarry would be on the second floor the third door down. He stalked up the stairs and went to the door and felt their presence. Knocking on the door harshly, he waited for a response.
It took several minutes, but a young girl answered and smirked when she saw Vader. "Daddy D, long time no see", Aphra said. "Come on in, let's chat about whatever the fuck brought you down here looking for little old me."
Vader groaned, knowing how irritated this young woman would be, but she certainly had her uses and gathering information was one of them. She was also staunchly loyal, helping Vader achieve many things that he had been organizing and putting in place for Sidious' eventual demise. He stepped into the apartment and as usual, it was immaculate, quite unlike the outside of the building. Aphra was an intelligent woman and knew how to maintain a fucking apartment.
He sat down on a couch in front of her and removed his hood.
"Wow, you already removed that damned hood of yours. Whatever the hell this is must be important to you", Aphra said. "So, what'll it be this time? A heist? Some more droids for your warehouse? If you've got the credits, you've got my attention."
"Credits are of no concern, Aphra. What I need this time is fabricated information", Vader said cautiously. He trusted the young woman, but he knew that something like this would take extra skill and patience along with a hell of a lot of trust.
"Fabricated information, huh?", Aphra said as she crossed her arms. "I can do that for you, no problem. What do you need sliced?"
"It's not just slicing; I need information that appears credible. You know of my intentions to oust Sidious; we've been discussing it for a long time. Unfortunately, part of my new plan is to align myself with the fucking Jedi in order to dethrone the bastard, and a Jedi Master named Qui-Gon Jinn came to visit me here on Coruscant. One of Sidious' spies spotted him, and I've been tasked with finding out his true purpose. Obviously, I cannot disclose that information as it would get me killed, so I need something, anything that will appear credible, so my wife and I aren't tortured or killed for my failure to find a plausible reason", Vader said. He silently read Aphra's mind, and she was in shock over the revelation that he would actually seek the Jedi's help in killing Sidious, she thought that he would always do it himself.
"Well, that's a tall order, Daddy D. However, I can think of something that should give you the false answers you seek. I've got my ear that a Jedi other than Qui-Gon Jinn has been operating on Coruscant for some time. And before you say it, it isn't Obi-Wan Kenobi, I know you killed him when he tried to kill your wife", Aphra said. Vader detected a hint of jealousy, when she referred to Padmé, but that wasn't a concern of his. He didn't care for whatever misguided feelings the girl had for him as she was just a gods damned teenager.
"Well, who is this Jedi and what is his purpose here on Coruscant?", Vader demanded.
"It's not he, it's she. Her name is Ashoka Tano, and she's been here for about a year now. She's been trying to formulate ways to unseat both you and Palpatine for some time. She's a cute kid. Bright, but not understanding that going at it alone will mean her certain death", Aphra said as she leaned back on her couch. "She could be the reason why this Jedi Master you speak of came to Coruscant, but you would need to sell her out. Are you comfortable doing that?"
"I'm comfortable protecting my wife", Vader said. "If that means selling out a misguided Jedi, then that's what I'll fucking do." His tone was at a growl, letting Aphra know that he meant business.
"Alright, Daddy D. Let me go make a copy of what I have on her and I'll be right back. Give me a minute and remember patience is a virtue."
The teenager sauntered off and Vader had to calm his nerves. As useful as Aphra was, she could be and usually was an immense pain in his ass. The nickname of Daddy D never helped, and he would normally kill someone for such a thing, but he let it slide knowing that she was too valuable to just eliminate for saying his name in such a fashion.
After about ten minutes, Aphra came back with a data disk. "This should have all the information that you need on this Jedi. You could come up with a plausible reason on why he was here, to meet one of his apprentices that's spying on the Empire, and spying she does, quite well in fact. She knows of project Star Dust, but not exactly what it is other than it's a weapon of sorts. Fuck, that's pretty much all I know about it and I've done a deep slice of into the data banks and haven't found much on it", she said.
Vader took the disk. "That's because you're not fucking supposed to know. Even the fact that you know of the project's name could get you killed, so tread carefully on who you pass that information onto", Vader said as he rose. "Now, tell me where I can find this Jedi, I need to have a chat with her."
"Oh, she's not far. Just a few blocks over. I'll take you to her as she can have a nasty temper if pushed, especially by a fucking Sith Lord", Aphra said sweetly as she pulled on her gun belt. Vader fought the urge to groan as he knew that there would likely be a violent confrontation, but he knew that he needed to do. He had to get the girl to leave Coruscant in such a way that Sidious' spies would be aware of her presence, but not do anything about it as it would be too late. But convincing this Jedi to leave would be difficult, especially with the information that he had to disclose to her.
Vader followed Aphra out of the door and walked beside her as she led him to another seedy looking apartment a few blocks down. They climbed the steps to the fourth floor and Aphra motioned for Vader to stand to the side while she knocked. "Ashoka, it's me, Aphra. Open the door", Aphra called out.
It took about a minute, but the door opened. Vader could sense apprehension from this Jedi. Her powers had the potential to be strong, but she was still in need of a massive amount of training to perfect her skills. Not that he cared or anything, but she needed to be on Yavin Four with the other Jedi leaning from them before going on a halfcocked scheme to oust the Empire of their leadership.
"Aphra, what brings you here", Ashoka said to the teenager. Ashoka was a teenager herself, so the tempers would be running wild once Vader exposed himself. There might even be a lightsaber confrontation, so Vader kept his hands near both of his lightsabers in case he needed to disarm the Jedi.
"Well, I've got a bit of a sensitive matter to discuss with you that you might not like. It involves Daddy D, excuse me, Darth Vader", Aphra said. She apparently didn't refer to him as Daddy D to very many people which was good as Vader utterly despised the nickname.
"What?", Ashoka asked sharply. "You've come into contact with him? You swore that you would tell me as soon as possible if he ran into you again."
What the fuck? Just how close was Aphra working with this Jedi? He had no doubts on Aphra's loyalty to him, but she should've at least clued him into the fact that there was a Jedi on this planet. She knew that he hated Jedi and that Death was the only option, but he figured that if she had told him, there wouldn't be a reason for him to fabricate a story that Sidious would believe.
"That's because there's an urgent matter that we have to discuss", Vader said as he stepped into view.
Ashoka's face immediately contorted into fear and she snatched her lightsaber from her belt. Before she could activate it, Vader called it to his hand and looked at it amusedly. "Not bad for a student, but you'd be better off learning how to retain your weapon than plotting on killing me", he said menacingly.
"Now, now, the both of you take a moment to relax. There's no need to get up in arms just yet. We're here to discuss a matter that would serve the both of you well", Aphra said as she held her hands up, trying to calm both the Sith and the Jedi down.
"What do you want", Ashoka asked Vader harshly. "If you're here to kill me, then just get it over with."
"Fortunately for you, I'm not here to kill you. I'm here seeking assistance", Vader said. "Assistance that you'll find mutually agreeable once we sit down and talk", Vader said.
"Come on, Ashoka, let us in. It's actually a good plan that Vader has, one that will accomplish at least part of your goal and that's seeing that Palpatine is killed", Aphra implored.
Ashoka's face went from fear to curiosity. "Let me guess, the apprentice is wanting to become the master and unseat Palpatine so he can have the throne to himself", she said acidly.
"Not for myself, but for the good of the galaxy", Vader hissed. "Either let us in so we can discuss the matter, or I'll be forced to take other measures that you would find most displeasing" He meant it too, if he had to bring Sidious the head of this young Jedi, he would. Anything to get the heat off of him and Padmé. There was just too much at stake to wait for petty emotions to run the mill and have this young Jedi refuse to cooperate with his plan.
Ashoka grimaced and opened the door wider, letting the pair step in. Vader kept his guard up in case the Jedi decided to flee or worse, try and stab in the back, as amusedly as such attempts would be. His power was far greater than this learner, but she was an asset that Vader needed, and he needed her alive if possible.
Aphra led them to a cramped living area with two small couches. Vader and Aphra sat on one while Ashoka nervously sat down on the other one. "Well", Ahsoka began. "Why does the Dark Lord of the Sith need my assistance, but more importantly, why am I not dead right now."
Vader folded his arms in front of his chest menacingly. "There's something that you have to know I'm not entirely the cold blooded Sith you believe I am. I touch the light frequently now and have become under suspicion by my master, as a Jedi Master named Qui-Gon Jinn had shown his face on Coruscant in an effort to convince me to eventually go to Yavin Four to discuss killing Palpatine with the assistance of the Jedi Masters and the other Jedi at the new Temple. Palpatine's spies alerted Palpatine of the presence of a Jedi Master, but they didn't spy him with me, meaning that I need to come up with a plausible way to explain why Jinn was here. You're going to be part of that plan."
Ashoka narrowed her eyes. "Why not just let Palpatine kill you. That'll mean that I only have him to contend with", she said with venom.
"Because if you do that, Palpatine will kill you or any other Jedi be they Masters or Knights that try and assault him. I'm the best bet of getting any Jedi close to him in order to see that he's killed" Vader said. "Trust me, and I know that's a big ask to trust me but trust me when I say that cooperating with me is your best chance of seeing that the Empire isn't turned into a machine that will annihilate entire planets, like Project Stardust."
Ashoka's eyes widened. She knew that merely knowing about the project would be a death sentence and here Vader was right in front of her, confirming that she knew about the project. Her life was in danger, pure danger, but Vader knew that she needed to listen to him, or she was dead.
"What do you need me to do?", Ashoka asked.
"Make yourself known to Sidious' spies and leave the system. Join your fellow Jedi on Yavin Four and I'll be there when Jinn contacts me to convince the Jedi that I need their help. That will throw Palpatine off the track of the Jedi Master and I'll have a plausible reason why he was here in the first place. Trust me, this is the best deal that I'll ever offer a Jedi", Vader said. "Don't make me choose an alternative that will certainly mean your doom."
The young Jedi swallowed, knowing what Vader meant.
"This is a big ask from a Sith Lord to a Jedi", Ashoka said. "How do I know you won't just kill me when I try and escape Coruscant?"
"Because if I really wanted to kill you, you'd be dead", Vader growled. "You surely must have heard rumors about my powers, maybe even from Aphra here, and I assure you that those rumors are true."
Ashoka still looked petrified, and Vader's admission that she could easily be killed wasn't helping. Dammit, this young Jedi was going to make things difficult, he just knew it.
"Take the deal, Ashoka. It's the best one you're going to get", Aphra said. "Vader isn't someone to break his word, I've known him for a while now and he's hellbent on removing Palpatine from the throne, he has been for some time now."
"What specifically do you need me to do?", Ashoka asked.
"Aphra here will secure a freighter at a local spaceport. You will make your presence known to the spies by making contact with an individual that I despise, he's an informant for Palpatine but plays off that he's my informant. You'll say that Jinn was aware of him and that he warned you that you needed to get off the planet", Vader said. "Once you've informed him of that, you'll run and get to the spaceport as quickly as you can if you value your life. This will enable Sidious to believe my story that Master Jinn was the reason why he was here, to try and warn you to leave."
Ashoka nodded. "I can do that, but I'll need my lightsaber back."
Vader stood and snapped the weapon to life, noting that it had a silver kyber crystal. "Interesting choice of a color", he said amusedly. "But do you really know how to use it?"
"I do well enough", Ashoka said defensively.
Vader deactivated the weapon and tossed it to her. "Part of knowing how to use a lightsaber is knowing how to prevent it from being snatched from your hands, Jedi", he said darkly. "Do you agree to our deal, or do I have to disclose my alternative plan to you?"
The young Togruta Jedi appeared to be in deep thought again and Vader was growing impatient. It would be far simpler to simply kill the woman and bring her corpse and her lightsaber to Sidious, but that might make it more difficult to convince the Jedi that he was a trustworthy enough to need assistance in the slaughtering of Sidious, thus nullifying his promise to Padmé, which was something that he didn't want to do under any circumstance.
"Fine", Ashoka said. "I'll do it. Just let me know where I can find this individual and a freighter to escape the planet."
"I already have a vessel that you can use that I've been saving for occasions such as this", Aphra said. "As far as the informant goes, his name is Greva Radoo. He's a Rodian that lives about a mile from here. He's an unsavory individual, but you should be able to manage him. Tell him that you need help running. He'll promise you a way out, but it'll be a lie. Leave immediately after you tell him. Take only what you need. Do it tonight, Ashoka. That's the best deal that we can give you."
Ashoka nodded and stood. "If I find out that this was merely a ploy, Darth Vader, I will come back for your head", she said confidently.
"You wouldn't be the first one to try", Vader snarled, struggling to keep his cool with this impudent Jedi. Any other occasion, she would be long dead, but he needed her to help him complete this ruse so he could get Sidious off of his fucking back.
"Alright, I think that does it then", Aphra said. She produced a pad and began typing. "This is the location for Greva. He's always home, so feel free to leave now. In fact, you should leave now."
"Fine", Ashoka said. "I'll leave now. I assume the location of the freighter is on this pad as well?"
"It is", Aphra said. "Go, we'll need you to leave tonight. Any longer and this will become incredibly dangerous for us all."
Ashoka nodded to Aphra and glared at Vader. Vader resisted the urge to chuckle at the implied threat, he needed this to happen now. "Thank you for your assistance", he hissed. "It will not go unrewarded in the future." He meant it. If he could oust Sidious, he would ensure that the girl would be well compensated, which went against his very nature, but with a matter of such importance, he would set aside his fucking pride and go along with it.
Vader turned to leave with Aphra following closely. Once they exited the apartment, Vader escorted the young woman back to hers. "Do you think that this Jedi will honor her word?", Vader asked.
"I do", Aphra said quietly. "She may hate you and Sidious, but she will do as asked as she hates Sidious more than you, which shouldn't come as a surprise."
Vader merely grunted in response. Once they reached her door, Aphra turned to look at him. "You do what you need to do at the end of the day Daddy D. I'd much rather prefer that Sidious doesn't kill you, so if you have to do something drastic, I won't blame you. Contact me if you need anything further."
"I will", Vader promised. "Thank you for your help, Aphra. This information and the Jedi's capitulation to our demand will serve me well. You will be compensated as usual for your efforts."
"As usual", Aphra said as she keyed in the access code to her apartment.
Vader turned and left without another word. As he was walking, he reached out with the Force and carefully located the Jedi's presence. She was guarding herself well, but him being so close to her it was moderately easy enough for him to pick her out. She was heading to Greva and he sensed a sincerity to follow through with the plan. If this went well, then his problem would disappear, and he could go back to his scheme to protect his wife and unborn children from Sidious before it would be too late.
…
When Vader got back to his estate, he went to his office and inserted the disk on the intelligence that Aphra had gained on this Ashoka. Even if for some reason, the plan went south, there was plenty of information that he could turn over to Sidious to throw him off the scent. There would be no way that this plan would fail, he was certain of it. He would take the information to Sidious in the morning and hopefully be spared by producing results. If Greva immediately reported the Jedi to Sidious, this would just be a confirmation that Vader had followed through with his word to find out the Jedi Master's purpose here on Coruscant.
Taking the disk out of the terminal, he placed it in his robe, ready to be turned over in the morning and silently crept upstairs to his bedroom. He sensed that Padmé was asleep and was thankful that she was resting. Her pregnancy was beginning to sap much of her strength, so she needed to sleep whenever possible. She was now over two months pregnant and soon it would be difficult if impossible to conceal the pregnancy from Sidious.
Vader carefully entered the bedchambers and quietly began undressing, folding his attire and draping it over one of the couches. He silently moved to his side of the bed and slipped between the covers, trying not to disturb his wife. All she did was moan and turn to him. He scooted over to her and placed an arm around her waist. She instinctively burrowed her face in his chest, and he pressed his face into her hair. Her scent intoxicating him to the point of relaxation.
His entire family was right here. His beautiful wife and his two unborn children. They were so precious to him that he would do whatever it would take to ensure their safety, no matter the cost. His mind began to wonder over worst case scenarios, and he knew that even with meditation he would be awake much of the night thinking about them. His dreams would become plagued with them, making him even more paranoid about what could happen if this didn't work.
Worst case, he would need to kill Sidious, even if it meant that his life would be forfeit. He knew it would break his wife's heart, but she had to live, their children had to live. That was more important than his life. He had never been in this type of position where he would give his life to protect someone, save his mother, but he would gladly die for his new family.
…
Padmé woke early in the morning to find her face burrowed in her husband's chest. When had he come home? Surely, he should have woken her up to let her know that she was safe, but she figured that he wanted her to get rest. The bastard could be so sweet and annoying at the same time, which was part of why she loved him. She loved him even when he was at his worst, especially when he was at his worst.
Their arguments could become heated, but they revolved around caring for one another deeply. She would never forget the argument they had the day that they killed Rush. It was the first time they had literally been at one another's throats. What an awful argument it had been. Then there was their most recent argument where she begged, no demanded that he accepted help. He had capitulated, much to her delight and agreed that he couldn't be the only one to stop Sidious. That he needed help so he would be able to live and watch their children grow up with her.
Dammit, she needed him and needed him badly. He was the one person in her life that she could truly rely on, regardless of the circumstances. Ever since he had revealed that he had protected her from being arrested for working as a Rebel operative years ago, she knew that his heart belonged to her and she willingly gave her heart to him.
"Ani", she whispered.
Nothing.
She craned her neck up and brushed her lips against his. "Ani", she whispered again.
"Angel", he mumbled with his eyes still closed.
"Ani, it's time to wake up", she said softly.
"Not yet", he muttered.
Padmé couldn't help but giggle at how boyish he acted when he was asleep. He wasn't a big bad Sith Lord, he was a simple little boy who needed love and attention.
"I know you want to sleep in, but we have a lot to do today", she whispered.
That made Vader crack his eyes open. "Woman, I know that, but sometimes I want to say to hell with it all", he said.
"I know you do, I would like to do that as well, but we have important things to do today", Padmé replied. "Come on, let's get you up and dressed so we can leave for work." Seriously, the man was like a boy. She would need to drag him out of bed in a few moments if he didn't comply.
"Fine", he muttered as he gave her a short kiss and rolled out of bed on his side. He went to his attire that was folded on the couch and slipped out of his sleeping pants and donned his usual macabre outfit. Padmé watched him for a bit before she got up as well. It would take her a considerable amount of time to dress before she would be able to be ready to go to the Senate, but she figured that him having an early start would mean that his mind would be sharp if he had to go to Sidious. She didn't ask him about last night, she figured he would disclose what he learned, if anything, to her at the right moment.
Slipping into the fresher, she began to apply a professional amount of makeup to her face. She was getting much better at doing it quickly, especially without the aid of Dormé seeing how there was a possibility that she would eventually be leaving them. It was hard to believe, but it certainly was a possibility. How lives could change in nearly seven months.
"Are you almost ready?", Vader asked from the bedchambers.
"Not yet, give me a minute", Padmé replied as she put the finishing touches of her make up on. She then attacked her hair, pulling the long locks into a simple bun over her head. If she wanted to have something more elaborate, then she should have begun the process an hour earlier, not this gods damned late in the morning.
"Do you need help slipping into a dress", Vader said with a smirk as he stood by the door.
"Yes, but as long as you zip it up, not back down, Ani", Padmé replied with a smile.
"Oh, I'll zip it down, but that'll be later tonight", he said seductively. Damn him and his ability to get her horny. She knew the pregnancy hormones weren't helping either, but shit, it was terrible for him to try and get her in the mood so early in the day.
"I'm sure you will", she replied simply as she put some earrings on. "Go get me the red dress with the black lining, please. It's light enough so it won't suffocate me, but it's still professional."
"As you wish", Vader replied with a click of his tongue. Damn, he was in the mood.
Once he brought it to her, she slipped out of her nightgown and stepped into the dress, pulling it over her shoulders. She waited, and waited, but he didn't zip the blasted thing up.
"Ani", she said. "We have to go to work darling, please zip me up. I promise you that later on you can unzip me." She knew that he would hold her to that promise, not that she minded at all, but still.
"Fine", he grumbled as he grabbed the zipper and slowly zipped up the dress, taking the time to kiss the nape of her neck. "You're always so irresistible." His voice hummed in her ear, making her knees weak.
"So are you, darling", she whispered as he wrapped his hands around her waist. She leaned her head back on his shoulder and tilted it towards him. He leaned his head down and gave her a passionate kiss.
Once they broke, Padmé smirked. "That's just to wet the appetite for later", she said.
Vader growled. "Woman, you drive me insane at times", he said as his hands roamed the front of her body.
"I know, but you love it", she whispered. Damn, they were going to go through with this if she didn't' put a stop to it now, but something told her that she couldn't. "Maybe we have a few minutes." She suggested before she knew what was coming out of her mouth.
Vader gave a short chuckle as he bent her over the countertop and pulled her dress up. He easily slid her undergarments aside, making her shiver for what was to come. She heard him pull himself out and soon enough he was pressing himself against the entrance to her core. She moaned as he slipped himself into her, craving it with an unbridled passion. This is what she needed, nothing else but this.
She gripped the countertop as he began his long thrusts into her and cried out as his pace increased. This would be a short one for her, she could already tell. Her knees were weak and she felt extra sensitive. She kicked her legs apart and arched her back, encouraging Vader to continue his onslaught of her. It's what she craved, it's what she needed. Damn everyone and anyone else, this was what two married people should do whenever they had the chance.
Padmé let out a short cry as Vader gave her ass a firm smack, signaling how aggressive he wanted to be, even though he was showing some restraint. Padmé arched her back even further, giving an invitation to Vader which he took. He grabbed her bun and roughly pulled back, snapping her head up to where it was facing the ceiling. She could hear his breath grow ragged when meant that he was on edge as well.
Deciding to send herself over the edge, she bunched up her dress at the front and slipped her hand into her undergarments to begin to touch her most sensitive place while Vader kept thrusting and pulling her hair. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she felt herself be pushed over the edge. What she wanted, no what she needed, was close enough to taste.
Suddenly, she felt herself pulse around him and bit back a scream as her face contorted as she hit her peak. She was usually more loud, more animated, but for some reason she kept as quiet as she could. Vader growled in her ear and with another pump, he finished inside of her. He let go over her hair and they both hunched over the countertop, exhausted from their morning love making, even though they were going to be dreadfully late to the Senate. But gods dammit, they needed this release.
"Padmé, Ani, it's time to leave –", Dormé said as she came into the room.
Vader and Padmé tried to make themselves decent, but Dormé rounded the corner just as Vader was pulling out.
"Oh, gods!", Dormé cried. "I'm so sorry." She turned and fled the room.
"Dormé, wait, it's alright", Padmé called out, but the handmaiden had escaped.
Vader swore in the Sith tongue and Padmé placed her face in her hands. She didn't know if there would be any blowback to this especially given that Dormé was just now getting over her feelings for Vader, but shit, what the fuck did she know?
"I'm sorry, Angel", Vader said. "It didn't dawn on me that she would enter our room."
"Me neither, we must be really late", Padmé muttered as she straightened her dress and fixed her hair. "This will be a really fucking awkward day at best."
"I know", Vader sighed.
After they were both decent, they went downstairs and saw that Dormé had chosen to go to the Senate in her own speeder, causing Padmé to wince. This wouldn't do well at all. Kriffing hell, why had she decided that this morning of all mornings was right for a gods damned quickie.
Vader opened the door of his armored speeder and she climbed in. Once he was in, he engaged the drive and shot towards the Senate at breakneck speeds. Padmé would have ordinarily found the piloting to be exhilarating, but the drama with Dormé along with the concern over Sidious' demand for information regarding the Jedi Master was keeping her from enjoying the ride.
The high from their morning sex was still there, just muted a little bit. Sometimes things weren't a simple as they seemed to be. Once they landed, Padmé took Vader's hand and they walked inside of the Senate. Padmé gave him a kiss goodbye and walked to her office, hoping that her best friend wasn't angered or too embarrassed by what she saw.
Once she entered the office, she saw Dormé busy at her terminal, not even looking up at Padmé.
"Dormé, I'm sorry about what you saw", Padmé began.
"Oh, think nothing of it, love", Dormé replied cheerfully without looking, which told Padmé that her friend was in fact upset over seeing her disengage from sex with her husband. Dammit, why couldn't this be simpler.
Padmé didn't push, she merely elected to respect Dormé's boundaries and went to her own desk to review her own work. This was going to be a long fucking day.
…
Vader focused on reenforcing his mental barriers as much as he could while he stalked towards his master's chambers. There were no two ways about it, this could go two ways. The first way would be his death, followed by his wife's. Or the second way was that Sidious would be pleased and leave them alone for the time being.
It all depended on one fucking Jedi with a chip on her shoulder to make Vader suffer. It was mind boggling, and Vader didn't know what else to do about it. That's why he hated the Jedi. They sometimes went against following their word when things turned out to be against the Jedi Code. It was why he was turned into Darth Vader; it was why he never became a Jedi in the first place.
If only they could reach some form of agreement with one another after Sidious was killed, they may be able to help rule the galaxy in mass. There were worlds that had plentiful resources and then there were worlds that had nothing, not a single thing. Vader's wife wanted to change that, and she should. She wanted to help the galaxy and finally saw that this was a way to do so, it was just a matter of time before that would actually happen.
Clearing his mind completely, he marched into the throne room. Once he kneeled, Sidious grew impatient with him.
"Rise", Sidious sneered.
"Master, as you requested, I have located the reason why the Jedi Master was on Coruscant", he said as he produced a disc. "Not only does this have the reason for the Jedi Mater's visit, it demonstrates that she is the target of several crime rings. At least that's what this headhunter I hired was able to produce." Vader handed the disc, to one of the red robed guards and stood staring at his master."
"Do you think I'm an idiot, Lord Vader?", Sidious asked.
"No, master, I don't", Vader said perplexed.
"One of my spies confirmed that this Jedi was seeking transport off the planet last night. I was immediately notified, but before we could capture the Jedi, she had escaped from the planet", Sidious yelled.
Vader let his face fall in disappointment. "I understand master, but my source gave me the information last night as well. I was unable to ascertain her position, or I would have intercepted her. If your spies would have contacted me, I might have been able to –"
Lightning shot from Sidious' fingertips and threw Vader back ten feet. Fuck, Vader thought. This is going to hurt like hell. He braced for another round of lightning bolts, but they never came.
"Get up", Sidious said with contempt.
Vader suppressed a groan and rolled to his hands and knees where he stood, reapproaching his master with a calm face. The lightning attack had hurt, but he didn't feel any major burns across his body, which was good. Sidious must've merely wanted to make a point rather than cause significant damage.
"You have done what I've commanded you to, my apprentice", Sidious said. "I expect that you do as I command to your wife and produce offspring with her. Has there been any progress in that regard?"
"Not yet, but we redouble our efforts every day", Vader said with a smirk in his voice. As usual, he had to sell it.
That made Sidious cackle. "Just see that it gets done, Lord Vader. You don't want to disappointment me in that regard either."
"No, master, I do not", Vader replied. The fucking asshole won't be disappointed, he'll be dead.
"Good, now get out", Sidious said with another waive of his hand.
Vader nodded and exited the throne room, his head held high. He had done it, he had thrown Sidious off the scent of Jinn's foolishness. There was still hope for their plan to come together, they just had to see it through, which would be difficult. Selling bullshit to Sidious had grown easier and easier ever since Vader was a boy, selling the truth to a bunch of Jedi zealots after slaughtering most of them would be difficult.
…
Dormé sat at her desk typing away at a report, trying to forget what he had seen earlier in the morning. Had it upset her? Yes, it did. Maybe she wasn't quite over her feelings for Ani just yet, maybe they were still lingering, which shouldn't have surprised her after the butterflies in her stomach after they had danced together at the gala.
Dammit! He was a married man to her best friend who by the way was pregnant with twins. She didn't want to have those feelings anymore, she didn't want to risk their friendship, but her emotions were going just that. They were the bane of her existence at the moment. Seeing him in all his glory had been a turn on but shit he had just got done making love to his wife gods dammit.
Fuck, her relationship with Firmus Piett was going well, slowly but well. Maybe there was something, maybe there wasn't. He was a perfect gentleman, but maybe she didn't feel a complete spark with him. Maybe things would change as their relationship continued and she could finally put her feelings for Ani to rest forever. Hell, it wasn't fair.
"Dormé"
She froze. Gods dammit it was Ani.
"Ani", she replied, not looking up from her terminal.
"I was looking for Padmé, do you know where she is?", Vader asked gently.
Of course, he was here to see his wife. Oh, fuck it all, they were married for fucks sake.
"She's in a meeting with some senators right now, Ani", Dormé replied as cheerfully as possible. She noticed he didn't respond to that. "Is there something I can do for you?"
"No, not really. I mainly wanted to talk about this morning", Vader said as he sat on the edge of her desk.
Shit! Of course, he did. He was intuitive as hell. "Talk about what, Ani?", she said, trying to play it off. Maybe if she acted as normally as possible, he would give up and they could just pretend like it didn't happen.
"I wanted to apologize for what you saw, we didn't realize how late we were and that you would come looking for us", Vader said gently.
"It's fine, I just won't invade your privacy anymore. It really isn't a big deal", she rebuffed.
"Dormé, you were invading our privacy, we were just careless", Vader explained. "You're a part of our family, I don't want you to think that anything is off limits to you."
Ha! That was a good one, maybe she should respond to that one. No, don't respond to it, it'll be bitchy. "You're off limits to me, Milord", she spoke with out thinking. Realizing what she said, she tried to quickly recover. "As you should be. It was just a shock, that's all. Nothing to really get to up in arms about."
"Dormé, my friend, can you please look at me", Vader said quietly.
Dammit, he was using that genuine voice that she could never refuse. Damn him to hell for being so good at speaking with her. It wasn't like she ever wanted that, and it all started with looking at him months ago while he was pouring that fucking bourbon while they were in the kitchen. Her flirts with him didn't help at all.
Unable to resist, she stopped what she was doing and turned her head up to him and folded her arms defensively. "What is it, Anakin?", she asked sharply. Maybe too sharply.
Vader rubbed a gloved hand over his face and looked like he was in deep thought for a moment. Hell, he was always in deep thought, he was a kriffing Sith Lord. That's just what he did.
"Dormé, I realize that there might be lingering feelings for me and that's okay. It isn't comfortable for you, I understand that and I'm sorry. But one thing I know is that you and I have been through some things together. Things that make me respect you and need you as my friend. I can't have something like this come between us, I just can't. Don't you understand that?", Vader pleaded.
Dormé partially deflated. He was being so sincere and that's one of the things that she utterly respected him for, his sincerity. "I understand what you're saying, it's just difficult. I try and tuck those feelings aside, but what I saw this morning brought them back in full force. I want to be your friend as well, I need it in fact. But it still doesn't make seeing those things any easier. I am in a relationship with Firmus Piett, but it's taking time to go anywhere. He's too much of a damned gentleman, which isn't what I'm used to. I don't feel that spark that I've felt with other men, that I've felt with you." Damn, that was a lot to say, maybe too much to say.
Vader sighed and took his glove off his right hand and placed it on her left. "You'll find love. Maybe it'll be with Firmus, maybe not. But you'll find love. I can sense it. But please, don't be upset about this morning. I should be the one who is upset and I am. I care about you like any friend should. Maybe focus on that whenever those feelings emerge. I was I could take them from you, I really do. But I can calm your mind, if you'd like", he offered.
"How can you do that?", Dormé asked.
"Like I did on Naboo", Vader said simply.
"You calmed my mind on Naboo?", Dormé questioned, a little dumbfounded.
Vader nodded. "I did. I felt terrible for letting you down, so when I hugged you, I reached out with the Force to calm your mind. I can do it again if you'd like", he said.
Dormé shot to her feet. "Please, Ani. Please do it", she said desperately.
Vader smiled at her and slid off he desk, rising to his full height. He wrapped his arms around Dormé and she felt comfort in his embrace.
"Be at peace, Dormé", he whispered.
Immediately she felt better. This sting from this morning evaporated. It was like he had flipped a switch in her mind, snuffing out the feelings of jealousy and hurt.
She squeezed him as a sign of thanks before pulling back. "Thank you, Ani", she whispered as she looked up at him. "I don't know what else to say other than thank you for being you."
He cocked his head to the side and looked at her with the whisps of a smile on his face. "I thank you for being you", he replied. "You've done so much for Padmé and I, and I'll always be in your debt. You're my friend, and nothing will change that."
Dormé felt immeasurably better at those words. "It's a pleasure to be your friend, Ani", she replied.
Vader nodded. "Good. I'll let you get back to it. I'll see you tonight if you're not with Firmus that is", he said.
"Alright, Ani. I'll see you then", she replied.
He grinned at her and turned and left. She sat back down at her desk, reveling in the sense of peace he gave her, making her feel warm and cared for, just like on Naboo. What a sweet man he was. She would always be a friend of his, no matter what.
…
Vader stalked the halls of the Senate looking for his wife. He was eager to report the news of his conversation with the Emperor. His thoughts briefly traveled to Dormé. He was glad he was able to quiet her mind. She was a good friend, one that had risked her life to protect Padmé at various times. That was something he could never repay, he owed her a debt and part of that debt was a true friendship.
Putting those thoughts aside, he continued to search for his wife. He could feel her presence close by and found the conference room that she was in. He looked in and saw that she was in a terse discussion with several senators. What fresh hell was this? Not in the mood to have his wife fucked with, he entered the room and ominously stood against the wall with his arms folded in front of him.
Padmé noticed and he could see a smirk form on her face. While he knew that she could handle most problems herself given her gift as a strong politician, there were things that he didn't want her to be left behind on. Things that he wouldn't allow her to be rattled with regardless of the situation.
The senators that were arguing with her calmed down considerably, intimidated by the presence of the Sith Lord. They should feel the same intimidation from his wife, dammit.
"As I was saying, Senator Falken, these new provisions for equipment and ship building will be spread to worlds that are impoverished, giving them the opportunity to have their worlds flourish. That's a non negotiable deal, something that I have direct authorization to do myself", Padmé said.
"But Lady Vader, with respect, that will take billions of credits from our production lines. That's simply too much of a financial impact for us to absorb, Falken said politely.
"Billions of credits amongst the trillions that you already receive in contracts, Senator", Padmé said. "Don't plead to me about maybe fifty billion credits when your world is prospering. The decision has been made, and unless there's anything else to discuss, we're done here."
Falken and the other senators looked dismayed but got up and meekly filed out of the room, being certain to avoid the gaze of Vader.
Once they left, Padmé turned to him and rose. "Thank you for that, Ani. I had it under control, but I still appreciated your presence", she said as she walked to him for a proper hug. She pulled back and looked at him carefully. "How did your conversation with Sidious go?"
"It went well enough", Vader said. "He's been thrown off the scent. We didn't discuss it last night, but there was a rogue Jedi on the planet that I discovered and convinced to leave in a rather loud fashion. Sidious now believes that's who Jinn was coming to see. Everything is going according to plan again."
"Good", Padmé breathed, obviously relieved. "I think that's wonderful; we'll just have to tread lightly for the time being."
"We most certainly will", Vader agreed. "I also solved the problem with Dormé."
"Oh? How did you do that?", Padmé asked cautiously.
"I calmed her mind like I did on Naboo. She was appreciative of it. There's still some lingering feelings, but the drama from this morning has been solved", Vader said as he leaned back against the wall.
Padmé smiled. "You're a good friend to her and an excellent husband for solving that problem", she said. "Thank you, Ani."
"No thanks are needed", Vader said with a waive of his hand. "Let's finish out our day and get the hell out of this hellhole." He bent down and gave his wife a firm kiss, conveying his emotions to her and celebrating the fact that at least for now, Sidious had been placated.
…
"You all need to understand that what I'm asking isn't something that's completely out of the ordinary", Jinn said to the various Jedi Masters on the Council.
"It's beyond out of the ordinary", Master Windu said. "You're asking the man that slaughtered the majority of us to come and ask for aid in defeating the Emperor. That's bringing the hunter to the prey."
"He'll be alone, Master Windu. There's not much damage he could do even if he wanted to, which he doesn't. He needs help, help that we can give him. We've been wanting to assault the Emperor for some time now and this will be our ticket to doing so", Jinn said.
"Qui-Gon, understand you must that this is a difficult request for us, much deliberation will be required", Yoda said.
"I understand that, Master Yoda, which is why I'm bringing it to your attention now", Jinn said. He was beginning to become frustrated with the Council's lack of action. This is exactly how the Empire rose to begin with. They became stagnant, unable to see past the threats that were already there, which is what got many of them killed, not just by Vader's hand but by their own.
"If Vader truly wishes an alliance, will he abandon the Empire if we are successful?", Windu asked.
Damn, that was a good question. "Of that, I do not know", Jinn replied. "But if he does wish an alliance, that means that whatever he does is wanting to bring stability to the galaxy, not terror. We can speak more with him about this once he arrives, but know this, he is under my protection. Regardless of the feelings of the Jedi that are present, he cannot be killed or attacked. Is that understood by all?"
All of the masters nodded.
"Of that, certain you can be", Yoda responded. "Unless the Sith Lord strikes first, violence will not come to him."
"Very good", Jinn said. "I'll leave you to your deliberations."
Jinn walked out with his head held high, but he still had a pit of dread in his stomach. Something told him that it could be a while before the Council made its decision. That was time that no one had, especially Vader.
…
"So, Padmé", Padmé said as she leaned back on the couch, feeling exhausted. "Hopefully, you'll get a call from the Council soon. I'm not certain how much more anticipation that I can take." It really was making her nervous, she didn't have the same capacity to keep her calm now that she was pregnant. Her emotions were everywhere, and it was driving her mad.
"Hopefully, yes", Vader said as he sat down next to her and put his feet up on the caff table. Padmé noticed he was drinking less around her as a sign of support, which she appreciated. It wouldn't be a help if he was constantly providing a temptation for her to drink while she was pregnant, not that she would anyway. The two lives growing inside of her were too precious.
"How long do you think that it'll take?", Padmé asked, halfway knowing what the answer would be.
"It could take weeks, it could take months", Vader said with a shrug. "The Jedi are too set in their ways to allow themselves to be proactive thinkers, which is what got the majority of them killed. Which is also how Sidious got his claws on my as a child."
Padmé reached out and stroked his arm. She knew that he was still wounded to this day that he was abducted and tortured by that madman. Ever since she found out, she was heartbroken for him and she still was. The Jedi had messed up and it had cost Vader terribly. She would never forgive them for that fact, to hell with them all. She supposed that if they did help Vader defeat Sidious, that maybe, just maybe she could find some forgiveness for them in her heart, but that was still a very large ask. Maybe too large of an ask.
"It'll be alright, Padmé", Vader replied as he took her hand into his and clutched it. "It would've been difficult if not impossible to be in a relationship with you if I had become a Jedi. Who knows what kind of fate would have befallen us if I had been a Jedi, it's something that for some reason gives me chills to think about."
"I think about that as well, Ani. I'm glad that this is the reality that we have", Padmé said. "It's the only reality that makes sense to me."
"Good", Vader responded with a smile.
She leaned over and placed her head on her husband's shoulder, drawing comfort from his presence. This was the man that she belonged with, and nothing, nothing would separate them. No matter what happened, they would always be together.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Things will start to heat up quickly. I'm following my outline and it makes me sad that we are beginning to become to the eventual end of this tale. Not just yet, but soon. Anyway, if you liked this chapter, please consider dropping a review and following!