A/N: Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews! With that being said, please enjoy the next chapter!
Vader strode into high command looking for Admiral Durrell. He needed answers on the fleet movements, and he needed them now, also he was incredibly nervous that his fleets had been attacked by now if the word hadn't gotten out to them in time, but there was no way to stop that if it had already occurred. Mothma would pay for this treachery. He knew that bitch was hiding something, and it was something that would create havoc throughout the military. Patrols would have to be reworked; supply lines would have to be changed. The Empire would go from being a proactive force to a reactive one should this not be quickly fixed. There had to be a prompt resolution and soon, or his master would be livid and likely take out his anger on him. He in turn would take his own anger out on Mothma, the bitch.
"Admiral, give me a report on what we discussed. Your office, now", Vader commanded.
"Yes, Milord", Durrell said. The man looked absolutely exhausted from staying up all night, but gods dammit this was a fucking emergency. If there were Stormtroopers fighting without sleep for delays, the Admiral losing a night or two was of no concern to the Dark Lord.
Once they were in the Admiral's office and the door was shut, Durrell handed Vader a pad who began skimming through it at a furious rate.
"The fleets have changed their routes, but unfortunately two light patrols were completely annihilated. There were three Star Destroyers in each patrol", Durrell said.
"Over two hundred fucking thousand Imperials lost due to this fuck up?", Vader snarled. "Two hundred fucking thousand! No, this cannot go unpunished. You have a mole in your unit, Admiral. I expect you to find him or her and deliver them to me for interrogation. Whatever traitor fed the treasonous senator this information should face every bit of judgement as the bitch who leaked it to the Rebellion. I've seen fuckups in the military since the Empire took control of the Republic, but this is the grossest breach in security that I've ever seen. Not a single fucking thing surmounts this. We lost six Star Destroyers in the blink of an eye. Who knows what other damage would have occurred had I not caught this glaring oversight. Do you understand what I'm saying to you, Admiral?"
"Perfectly, Milord. We'll do whatever we have to do to deliver you the name of the traitor. We'll start by checking logs of whoever accessed the navy's navigational movements. That will be a good starting point, but then we'll need to isolate whoever may have had the opportunity to make contact with a senator. May I ask the name of the senator so I can perform that check?", Durrell inquired.
Vader paused. He didn't necessarily want to give it away that Mothma was a traitor yet, but the Admiral's request made sense. There were likely a hundred or so operations officers in high command that had access to the list, so narrowing them down would need to be performed quickly, lest any additional classified information be leaked, if it hadn't been leaked already. Fucking hell, this was beginning to become a colossal pain in his ass. No wonder Sidious wanted him on this assignment personally, he needed someone with the ability not to completely fuck things up.
"Keep this information as limited as possible as I don't want the bitch to be tipped off. Her name is Senator Mon Mothma and I've already ordered her office and residence to be bugged. She'll be kept an eye on, but where there's one rat, there's multiple so I doubt that she's the only senator at play in this shit show of an operation", Vader said. He reached up underneath his hood and pulled his locks in frustration. This was fucking fantastic. Actionable intelligence had made its way into the hands of the Rebellion. Vader might need to snatch the senator for interrogation sooner rather than later so they could work backwards and find the mole in high command. Damn, this was causing him to think too dynamically, and that could derail the entire operation.
"This will be treated very sensitively, Milord. I'll even have intelligence look into myself and my team to eliminate us from the list. No one will be shown a moment of consideration, and everyone will be under suspicion until the mole is discovered. I will see to it personally", Durrell promised.
"Good. Now, where are we in getting those patrols replaced?", Vader demanded. "I can't very well have the Rebellion to claim new grounds, but this time I want six destroyers in each patrol, so they have a little more teeth to fight if on the odd chance that they're attacked again."
"We can pull some ships from the auxiliary fleet and have them dispatched today, Milord. Only the captains will be given information as to what happened to the other patrols in case there are moles aboard those ships. I have an unpleasant feeling that if there's one mole in my unit, there are more moles spread throughout the entire military", Durrell advised.
Fuck, that made too much damned sense to Vader. Of course, there had to be additional moles and it would be nearly impossible for him or the rest of intelligence to track them all down. They would have to secure high command and then rat out the senators that were in league with the Rebellion so they could at least stop the passing of information that way.
"Your reasoning is sound, Admiral. Keep me appraised of any new developments. I need to attend the Senate to see if I can find out additional senators", Vader said.
"Of course, Milord."
….
Padmé was waiting in the corridor for an impromptu meeting from Mothma. It was odd, they never met in public like this, something had to be wrong. Very wrong. She couldn't help but feel a pit of dread in her stomach causing her to want to double over in pain.
What if she had been discovered by the ISB? What would happen to her if she had been? Obviously, she would be tortured and murdered, but when? The Senator knew the risks when she signed up to be an operative inside of the Senate, but damn this was hitting a little too close to home at the moment.
"I'm sorry for contacting you this way", Mothma said from behind her.
Padmé spun about, somewhat frightened by her friend's sneak attack. "No, it's alright, Mon. What's the matter?"
"We managed to hit two light patrols over the last twenty four hours. A total of six Star Destroyers were destroyed", Mothma said. "It was a great victory, but something strange happened. The fleets changed their courses before they could have possibly been warned about the destroyed patrols. The information that we've received has been compromised somewhere along the line, but I don't know how. We took every precaution necessary to ensure that the information would be safe guarded so we could leverage it without being detected. Either that, or someone in high command got paranoid and changed the routes before finding out the fates of those two patrols."
Damn, two patrols was a great victory. It was proof to the Empire that they had some teeth to them and could attack targets, slightly chipping away their navies, slowly but surely. But this information that the fleets all changed course was worrying.
"What do you think we should do?", she whispered.
"Destroy everything in your possession about the fleet movements. Every scrap of paper and the pad that contained the information. Do it quickly so nothing can be tracked back to you. That's the best answer I have for you. I've already destroyed the information that I have as well, so it cannot lead back to me either. We have to move quickly on this Padmé, just to be safe", Mothma said.
"Alright, I'll see to it at once", Padmé said.
"Good luck", Mothma said as she twirled around to head back to her office. Padmé took several calming breaths, needing to flush some of the tension that was aching her entire body lest she become ill right there in the corridor.
Damn, how could this happen? They were so careful about spreading the information around. Padmé had been only one of many to slip pieces of the puzzles to the rest of the senators involved in the clandestine activities. Just how badly had someone fucked up? Was the communication intercepted by the Empire as it was transmitted to the Rebel fleet? That was certainly a possibility. No, that had to be the only possibility. They had operated with impunity for over two and a half years without a leak being received by the Empire. Two and a half years. That was a long time to be without a fuck up, just for one to occur out of the blue.
Once she regained her bearings, she quickly walked back to her office.
"Dormé, how about you take a break. You've been toiling over angry constituents for hours now", Padmé suggested.
"That's a good idea, Padmé, thank you", Dormé said graciously. Good, Padmé didn't need her friend to argue, she had to protect her against the possibility of damnation should Stormtroopers march in to arrest her as she was disposing of the information.
Quickly grabbing the stack of pads on her desk, the ones she had neglected to take home the night before, she sorted through them until she found the right one. Deleting the contents of the entire pad, she snatched the notes she had made from her hidden compartment on her desk to make certain that the code on them couldn't be cracked. Next was to make certain that everything was permanently destroyed.
Every senator had a small incineration box in their offices to destroy sensitive materials to prevent them from being seen by other senators. She quickly placed the papers and the pad in the incinerator and closed it, activating it immediately. She heard the fire rush throughout the incinerator and breathed a sigh of relief knowing that in a few more seconds, everything in the device would be reduced to mere ashes.
Sitting back down at her desk, she resisted the urge to place her head in her hands, opting to get busy with other work so she wouldn't drive herself insane with worry over the possibility of at least being interrogated. There wasn't any physical evidence for them to act on, not anymore. But there was the possibility that whomever the Empire had captured if someone had been captured, the long line would eventually lead back to her. She would need to keep her ear pressed to the ground to listen for any other senators that might go missing which would mean that an inquisition had begun.
Closing her eyes to meditate as she had been taught many years ago, she felt herself become relaxed and more at ease with the situation. If something was to happen, she would deal with it then, but she couldn't allow herself to worry about it until there was actually a threat. It would drive her mad and she was a devote senator, one who wasn't soft enough to drift into madness.
Opening her eyes, she grinned at her little panic attack and proceeded to get to work, typing out addendums to various bills and making revisions to several speeches she was to give the next week. Drowning herself in work, she found herself become fluid in her movements, making decisions automatically and finding freedom in her work. There wouldn't be a damn thing that could prevent her from enjoying it either.
"As busy as you look, I hope you haven't forgotten about dinner tonight."
Padmé looked up in surprise and her lips curled into a smile as she saw Anakin leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. This was a damned fine distraction if there ever was one.
"I haven't, actually. I did some thinking a made a reservation for us tonight at seven", Padmé said shyly. Shit, how was she so enamored with a man she had only met two times?
"Good, I'm glad. I was hoping that you hadn't", Vader replied. "It would break my heart if you had." Something told her there was some truth behind that statement, however cocky he sounded. Damn, what had she gotten herself into. Something marvelous was what.
"Well, I wouldn't want that to happen, Anakin. I'm a lady of my word, and to be honest I've been looking forward to it since last night", Padmé said while trying not to blush. She wasn't certain if she was successful or not, but by the way that his smile widened, she supposed she wasn't successful at all. Shit, why was she unable to keep her body from reacting this way regarding his mannerisms and flirts.
"That's the spirit!", Vader said as he snapped his fingers. He boldly walked up to her desk and traced his finger around it until he stood before her.
Padmé sucked in a breath as Vader traced his finger across her jawline and lowered himself to her eye level, his face close enough where she could feel his hot breath on her face.
"I'm looking forward to it", he whispered.
Padmé felt herself quiver in nervousness and desire. How could he be so sensual so easily?
"I-I'm looking forward to it as well, Anakin", she whispered in reply.
"Good!", Vader said as he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and stood. "I'll pick you up at say six thirty?"
Feeling so flustered, it took her a moment to collect her simple thoughts. "I think that would work", she said unconsciously smoothing out her dress.
"Alright, see you then", Anakin said over his shoulder as he exited her office.
Force, what the hell had happened? It was like she was under a spell whenever he spoke to her. A spell that she desperately craved. Her pulse still felt quickened even several minutes after he had left her office. Her entire being was on fire with attraction towards him.
It didn't make sense. She was calm and cool under pressure. During the Clone Wars she had her times where she was under danger from battle droids and CIS operatives, and she had never lost her cool. But with him, she was barely able to maintain her composure. There had to be something more to it, something that she was just aching to find out.
….
Vader was pleased with his latest interaction with Padmé. She was truly a beautiful woman, someone that he just had to know more about. Not to possess, but to find partnership with as odd as it sounded. He had many liaisons with women over the years, but no one that he would consider worthy of being a partner. But her, she was unique. Like a flower that grew untamed by nature, even given her timid nature around him. Of that, he couldn't blame her for. He was a Sith Lord after all, someone who was accustomed to being intimidating but in her case, he wanted her to be feeling unrestricted, it would merely take time for his brash behavior to become normalized to her.
Setting those pleasurable thoughts aside, there was someone that he had to meet, or intimidate. There was a chance that he would be overplaying his hand, but there was also the chance that there would be a tell of what in the hell this traitorous bitch would reveal.
Making his way to Senator Mothma's office, he plastered his best neutral expression on his face. He needed this to be flawless in its entirety. His intent was not to intimidate, but to dissimilate information. Damn this woman though, she would soon learn the cost of her treachery, and it wouldn't be pleasant to say the least.
The corridors of the Senate were a place Vader was learning contained a foul stench of disloyalty. He understood the importance of the institution but was quickly reminded that the majority of politicians were in this game for themselves or for betraying the governments they served. He would have to make a special note to plant more bugs throughout the Senate to identify those who were enriching themselves or selling out the Empire. Both acts were reprehensible and without honor. There was one activity that was honorable and that was fighting for the Empire. Actually, fighting for it, not giving pompous speeches or signing bills that contained little substance.
Upon making it to Senator Mothma's office, he strode in and asked her aid if he could speak to her. The aid seemed intimidated by his presence, which she was right to feel that way. He was a cold blooded monster after all, merely in a different role than what he was accustomed to.
The aid looked at Mothma and nodded to Vader. How quaint, she didn't actually check with her boss, she merely nodded to get him away from her. Pathetic and without loyalty. He didn't know if the younger girl was in on the scheme, but he would find out and would do it soon.
"Senator Mothma, I hope I'm not interrupting. You seem to be having a busy day", Vader said with a cocksure attitude. He would need to start slow and work his way up from there.
Mothma looked up at him and her face tightened for the slightest moment before morphing into a false smile. Interesting, she seems a bit stressed. Maybe she had already heard that the plans that were stolen had been discovered. He sensed her uneasiness and her fear, it delighted him wonderfully.
"Oh of course not, Mister Skywalker. Won't you please sit down?", Mothma said diplomatically.
Vader sat and folded his hands in his lap. "I just wanted to stop by and give you some news. It appears there's a traitor within the Empire. One that has been selling information. While I'm not part of the ISB or the military in general, I am a contractor that still is duty bound to investigate any such suspicious activities. Do you understand that?", he asked.
Mothma visibly blanched and her smile briefly turned into a frown before snapping back to a forced smile. Pathetic, she couldn't even keep a straight face during a simple conversation about her treachery Breaking her in an interrogation room would be all the better.
"I haven't been made aware of any developments such as this Mister Skywalker, but I assure you that there are no clandestine activities coming from my office or any offices of the Senate. Of this, you have my word", she replied.
"Ha! That's a funny one. While I'm not directly saying that you have anything to do with the instances I'm talking about, you are a person that has great sway within the Senate. Surely, you'd be aware of any grumblings of the regime change, wouldn't you say?", Vader asked. She had to be pompous enough to take the bait, he was certain of it.
"I have heard rumors, but only rumors. There's nothing in particular that I could give to you or anyone in the ISB", Mothma said. "In face, the vast majority of the Senators that I am aware of are complexly loyal to the Empire, myself included. I believe that you would have better luck in letting the ISB do its investigation on parties outside this institution, Mister Skywalker. You'll find nothing here. In fact, I do not believe it is appropriate for a mere contractor to be conducting an investigation within the Senate. Do I make myself clear?"
So, the bitch did have a little bit of a bite to her. Excellent, her defensiveness was a sure tell that she knew that she was being targeted for an investigation, but she didn't aware of who she was fucking speaking to. Vader had every right to conduct an investigation into the security breaches of the Empire, regardless of what institutions they came from. What a moron this woman was to be so defensive. Even if he hadn't found the information the previous night, he damned well would have been suspicious of her. Hell, he even detected deception from her with the Force, which was his main tool, but a tool that wasn't necessarily needed for this woman's red flags.
"I disagree that I'm unallowed to conduct an investigation in the Senate. The nature of my duties as a contractor do encompass authority to coordinate the ISB, especially given that there are whispers of deception. But it appears that you may be unable or unwilling to provide me with the information that I am seeking. I do hope you aren't offended by my line of questioning", Vader said.
The slimy bitch smirked. She actually fucking smirked. Oh, she was fucked, she just didn't realize it yet.
"You'll find that I have no reason to understand what you're talking about, Mister Skywalker, so I do believe that concludes our investigation", she said.
Was she throwing him out of her office? Surely, she was, which made Vader's suspicions even more correct. Damn this woman and her shitty attitude. She was lucky that he didn't just grab her by her hair and drag her to an interrogation room in the Senate building. Fucking hell.
"Very well, Senator. I will leave, but if you can recall some information, I implore you to seek me out immediately so we can work on this issue together", Vader said as he rose.
"I'll be certain to do that", Mothma replied.
Vader gave the traitor another look before he gave her a sly smile and left her office. He felt impowered by rattling her cage somewhat. Her smug attitude would cost her dearly in the near future. Good, the bitch deserved it.
Now he had an unpleasant task that he had to perform, which was to report this shit show to fucking Sidious. The bastard would likely lose his shit and torture Vader for not uncovering the subterfuge sooner, even though he had been on assignment for not even three fucking full days. Gods dammit, he hated the vile creature, but he was his master and there was nothing he could do about it.
Traveling down to the bowels of the Senate, he made his way to the Sidious' throne room. The pompous fool enjoyed keeping a throne room at the Senate while he should be at the Palace, but he had to be at the center of attention, ready to call an emergency meeting to give one of his dull speeches that everyone seemed to loath, even the staunchest supporters of the Empire. What a fucking troll of a man.
Thrusting open the doors of the Senate, he marched up to Sidious' throne, stopping ten paces away and kneeling.
"Rise Lord Vader", Sidious commanded. "What do you have to report?"
"Master there certainly has been subterfuge in the Senate. I discovered that Senator Mothma had a data pad in her possession that contained all of our fleet and supply lines and their courses throughout the Empire. I immediately notified high command to order all ships and convoys to change course without delay, but before all ships could be notified, the Rebellion attacked to separate patrols containing three Star Destroyers each. Both patrols were obliterated by the Rebellion", Vader reported.
Sidious seethed in anger and slammed his fist down on the armrest of his throne. "You fool! You didn't act swift enough to discover Mothma's betrayal to the Empire!", he sneered.
"Master, I did what I could with the time that I had. Combing through thousands of Senators to find one with ties to the Rebellion was a tedious task. There are more spies within the Empire, but I need to eventually interrogate Senator Mothma to discover the names and locations of the other traitors. I believe it is too soon to interrogate her as there may be an opportunity to identify other targets that are associating with her", Vader explained. "If I'm able to do that, it will require a lot less leg work for future investigations."
He stared at Sidious, unwavering by the power that his master contained. Vader was accustomed to being punished, he had been punished since he was a small child. There wouldn't be a second opportunity to plead his case, especially if he was commanded to do so. Sidious never allowed further arguments once his decree was issued. The smug bastard.
"I don't care what you think, Lord Vader!", Sidious shouted. "I want that traitorous bitch interrogated now! I don't care if you murder her afterwards or not, but she needs to be on a slab in an interrogation room this instance!"
Well, fuck. It looks like he was going to have to fucking do this the difficult way. This is why he despised being away from his fleets. He had autonomy there and could direct his forces as he pleased, but no, this raving idiot had to micromanage his activities. What a fucking miserable ass. Vader was quite thankful that his thoughts were shielded from Sidious as it would earn him a swift and unrelenting punishment if he didn't erect those mental barriers years ago It had enraged Sidious, but he didn't give a fuck. The fool didn't make him a Dark Lord of the Sith without cause and he wasn't about to be micromanaged by a tool.
"As you wish, master", Vader said. With a slight bow of his head, he turned on his heel and marched out of the throne room, aggravated that his plan to snare more senators had been derailed. If she cracked and gave up the names of more senators, then fine. But if she didn't, this would be a major mishandling of his investigation into the damned Rebellion.
He walked a few doors down to senate security and walked in impatiently.
"Milord!", A Stormtrooper exclaimed as he snapped to attention.
"I need Senator Mothma arrested and brought down to interrogation room one. Place her on the fucking slab and notify me once you're done. Do it quietly, use the back corridors so no one will see you and don't fucking say that you're there to arrest her. Just makeup some bullshit about needing to speak to her about a security leak from one of her classified bills and that you need her assistance. I don't want the other senators to get panicked and run if there are any other traitors", Vader commanded. "I want this done now, not ten minutes from now, but right fucking now."
"Yes, Milord. We'll obey as commanded immediately", the Stormtrooper said as he motioned for another Stormtrooper to follow him.
Vader sat down and pondered his strategy to interrogate the bitch. Pain was always a good motivator, but how much? Should he kill her once he was done interrogating her, or should he throw her in a cold dark cell in case he needed her again? If he did that, he couldn't inflict serious injuries to her like he normally would. It wouldn't do well to incarcerate her just for her to succumb to her wounds days later.
Shit!
He needed to clear his mind, or he would be too aggressive merely walking into the gods damned room. Closing his eyes, he focused on his breathing, centering himself. There was nothing but the Force, the Force that he bent to his will at every chance he could. Then there was this beautiful creature named Padmé. Damn, she occupied his thoughts more and more and they had only seen each other less than a handful of times in the span of a few days. What was it about her that was drawing her to him so much? Her beauty was obviously a contributing factor, but damn he normally didn't develop a strong attraction to women regardless of their beauty.
Then there was the fact that after torturing Mothma, he would need to race home to clean up so he wouldn't smell like death and blood for their date. This mission was becoming more difficult when it should be fucking easy.
Clearing his thoughts again, he resumed his breathing and concentrated on the Force. It was his tool, his life. He would be nothing without it, just some slave boy to a junk dealer. Though the cost of learning to become sensitive to the Force had been steep. Very steep. Damn. He would be angry when he entered the interrogation room. It was too difficult to focus his mind well enough to remain calm, but that could possibly be an advantage. It could scare the living shit out of the woman who was a gods damned traitor.
"Milord, the Senator is in interrogation room one as you requested."
Vader's eyes snapped open and glared up at the Stormtrooper who disturbed his thoughts. Well, he couldn't fault the trooper for reporting back to him. That wouldn't do.
Standing up, he lifted the hood of his robes over his face and clipped his lightsaber to his utility belt. This wasn't a time to use the weak name of Anakin Skywalker. Darth fucking Vader would be the one to conduct this interrogation.
He strolled to the interrogation one and took a deep breath before sliding the door open and stepping in. Mothma was strapped to the interrogation table and her head was pointed at him, so she wouldn't see who just entered. This needed to be as terrifying as possible.
"Hello? Who's there? I demand to speak to a tribunal before any interrogation as I've done nothing wrong", Mothma said as her voice quivered in fear.
Vader said nothing. He merely stalked forward and to the side of the interrogation table. His eyes were beyond their usual golden state. They were flaming like a firestorm. He stared at Mothma as her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open.
"Do you know who I am?", Vader growled.
"N-No, I don't", Mothma replied.
Vader chuckled dryly. "Yes, you do, you just don't want to admit it to yourself", he said. "You will say my name, Senator. Then we'll have our discussion. Go on, it's only two words. Just say it."
"You're D-Darth Vader", she whispered.
At least she knew the truth of who exactly she was speaking to. He was surprised that she didn't connect the dots that the only change in his attire was that he had his damned hood up. Well, fear would to that do a being, especially a weak one.
"You're right. Thank you for answering the question. Now, I have a question for you. Why did you decide to betray the Empire that you're supposed to be loyal to?", he inquired.
"I didn't betray anyone", Mothma said nervously. "I beg you, please tell me what this is about, Vader."
"You will address me as Milord!", Vader shouted causing Mothma to flinch.
"Yes, M-Milord", she whispered, absolutely petrified.
This woman was infuriating. How dare she refer to him so familiar. He was the Commander of all fucking Imperial Forces. The destroyer of worlds, a ruthless warrior that would slaughter his enemies where they stood.
"Now, answer my question. Why did you decide to betray the Empire that you're supposed to be loyal to?", he repeated. "Don't give me a bullshit line either, I need the damn truth from you or things will become incredibly unpleasant."
"Milord, I promise you that I don't know wh –"
Vader raised his hand and made a fist, snapping the woman's tibia in half. She screeched in pain and breathed heavily in fear.
"Don't get so worked up, it's just a broken bone. I can and will do much worse than that if we continue to have this back and forth conversation, Senator", Vader said in a low voice. "You can be righteous and tell me what I wish to know. There's nothing wrong with telling the truth, especially if it will set you free." Free as in death.
"Milord, I may not be a loyal supporter of the Empire, but I have not done anything that would warrant being tortured", Mothma pleaded.
Damn her. This would be a difficult interrogation. He made a claw with his fist and closed her trachea, causing the breath to leave her. Leaving there longer than usual, he smirked as he saw her face turn purple and her eyes bulge out of her sockets. She tried to fight her restraints so she could claw at her throat, but even if that was an option, there wouldn't be any relief.
After two minutes, he released her trachea and her throat opened. She sucked in air and coughed while tears streamed down her face. She was beginning to understand the level of shit she was in.
Getting down low to her face, he stared into her eyes. The blackness of his hood sheltering his face, except his burning eyes. "Do you want more of this? Because I promise you, there will be a lot more pain if you do. I need you to tell me what you know. I already have damning information on you, so you might as well talk and prevent yourself from suffering anymore", he whispered. That only rattled her even further. The ability for him to scream in rage and then be calm was always a good tactic to have in his pocket. It struck fear in his opponents' hearts.
"Alright, I admit it. I have betrayed the Empire, but not to the level in which you seek. I have diverted supply lines to worlds that are starving, worlds that need the aid of the Empire or they will suffer", Mothma confessed.
Vader straightened his back and folded his arms. "Do you think I would be here if you only performed a petty act of kindness to the less fortunate? That's not why I'm here. I'm here because you did something grotesque. Something that cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of Imperials. You're a murderer, plain and simple", he said. "That's what I want to hear about, not some fucking goodwill mission that you performed."
"I haven't killed anyone."
"Oh, but you have. Your actions led to their deaths, so yes, you did in fact kill them", Vader replied. That type of association only makes you complicit, Senator. I don't have time to waste, I have a very important dinner that I must attend later, so I'm not going to go back and forth with you on this."
He flicked his wrist, snapping the bones in her right wrist. She screamed again until her voice. Vader just listened to it passively, like he would listen to a creek with birds chirping, although he hadn't the opportunity to do so lately.
After the screams died down, Vader placed his hands on the table. "I need to hear you say the words, Senator. I need you to cleanse yourself from the treason you committed. The only way to do that will simply tell me a few sentences at first. Then, if we've made satisfactory progress, we can continue."
"Go to hell!", Mothma screamed. "Go fucking die and go to hell!"
Vader laughed darkly. "We're already in hell, Senator."
With that he waived his hand in the air and snapped several rips on her left side. Mothma threw her head back and tried to scream but couldn't. There wasn't enough energy in her to do anything else. He was wearing her down to her breaking point, well partially a breaking point. He knew that he would have to gain a confession about the maps of the fleet and ship movements and then revisit her accomplices later.
"Don't you want this to stop? It would be as refreshing as a drop of water on your tongue after walking in the desert all day", Vader implored in a sadistic tone.
"I want it to stop!", Mothma managed to say as tears continued to pour down her face. "I'll tell you. I obtained a map of fleet movements from an officer named Lieutenant Daren Hoes at high command. I then transmitted it to the Rebellion and know that two patrols were destroyed. That's all I know, I promise."
Vader was pleased with the partial confession. He at least had the name of the traitor in high command, though the rest would still need to be vetted just in case there were no other operatives.
"Thank you for telling me the half truth, Senator. But we all know that you didn't transmit the intelligence yourself. You had accomplices. Perhaps many. But we'll get to those at a later date. Your wounds will be treated, but you'll be thrown in a cell so deep, dark, and cold for days before we revisit the issue. This might buy you time to consider your loyalties to them", Vader said with a smirk.
"A prisoner for how long?", Mothma cried.
"A prisoner until you confess the entire truth. There will be only two options. Death or remaining the rest of your life in a cell. You will never see freedom again. We'll see each other soon, Senator", Vader said as he left the room.
Once outside, he saw two Stormtroopers on the opposite wall. "Take her to the dungeons under the palace. Have her broken bones healed and throw her in the coldest cell there. I want her to be in extreme discomfort", he commanded.
"Yes, Milord", the troopers responded automatically.
Vader removed the hood to his robes and tucked his lightsaber back into his tunic. He ascended the levels of the Senate and exited to the speeder pad. After climbing in, he floored the engine and dove down to the subterranean levels of the palace to speak to the Admiral about the traitor.
Exiting the speeder, he placed the hood of his robes back on and stormed into high command.
"Admiral Dullen, a word in your office", Vader hissed.
"Of course, Milord", the Admiral replied.
Once they were secured, Vader ran a gloved hand over his face. "I tortured the treasonous senator at the request of the Emperor. The name of the traitor in high command is Lieutenant Daren Hoes. I want him immediately arrested and thrown in a cell. I will interrogate him at a later date, but I still want the ISB to continue its investigation into your unit in case there are other traitors. Am I understood?", he asked.
"Perfectly, Milord. I'm shocked. Lieutenant Hoes was always a strong officer that I had considered moving to my advanced team. I'm glad tat I didn't", the Admiral said.
"Yes, indeed", Vader replied. "Carry on, Admiral."
With that, Vader left to go back to his residence. Once his speeder touched down, he stalked into his establishments, needing to get ready for the dinner which was only two and a half hours away.
"Master, welcome home! I know that you have a date scheduled for tonight, but I was wondering if you needed any assistance in choosing something appropriate to wear?", Threepio asked.
"No, thank you Threepio. I should be able to manage. First, I just want to take a hot shower and relax for an hour before I go to meet Padmé for dinner", Vader said tiredly.
"Oh, so that's her name. Well then, I will be here if you need anything, master", Threepio said cheerfully.
"Alright, Threepio", Vader said as he began climbing the stairs to his bedchambers. Once he got to the top, he entered the room and stripped off his robes and went to the shower, turning it on to the hottest setting that he could tolerate and began scrubbing himself down, just to make certain that he was free from any stench of anger and testosterone.
Once he was finished, he dressed in his sleep pants and set an alarm for one hour before he laid down and closed his eyes for sleep.
…..
Padmé was incredibly nervous and excited at the same time. She was getting ready to be picked up by Anakin, the most wonderful seducer she had ever met. She was busy working on her hair and makeup after she took a steaming bath to relax herself. Making a choice to appear as classy as possible, the young Senator began piling her hair high on the top of her head. Making certain that it would be appropriate for the venue that she selected. Then she added makeup to her face, accenting her pale features with the appropriate amount of blush and eyeliner. After she was done with all of that business, she opted to go a little bold and apply some ruby red lipstick.
After looking at herself in the mirror, she thought she looked perfect. Now it was time to select a dress. After wondering about in her extra large closet for a few minutes, she picked a black sparkling dress that was backless with a slit in the right side that ran all of the way up to her thigh.
Removing her towel, she slipped on a thong and stepped into the dress, fastening it to her lithe body. Selecting a pair of six inch heels, she put them on and then went to look at herself in the mirror. Damn she looked good. She wasn't a vein woman, she just wanted to make a smashing impression for her potential lover. Gods she hoped the date would go alright. Sex was something that wasn't completely off the table, she would just prefer that they waited until they got to know one another a little better before that happened. This was something that she prayed would last beyond a simple tryst and a few dances at the gala at the end of the week.
It was almost time for her to be picked up, so she went out to her veranda where her speeder was parked and sat down on a stone bench, crossing her legs, looking as dainty as possible. Impressions were everything, she had been taught that as a queen and learned it even more as a senator. Although, her first impression with Anakin had gone horrendously. It nearly made her chuckle at how that first meeting had worked out so wonderfully. He was a complete gentleman about it, not showing a speak of anger or annoyance. Damn, what a man.
Right on time, Anakin pulled up in his black speeder. From what she could tell, it was also Corellian, but a much faster and more maneuverable craft. Well, he was prior military and probably still needed a thrill when he wasn't working.
Her mouth nearly dropped when he got out of the speeder. He was dressed in a black tunic with silver lining the collar and cuffs of it. His pants were black and pressed with precision that only someone in the military would know how to do and his shoes looked hand shinned. He looked so kriffing good it nearly made her head spend.
"See something you like?", he asked with a wink.
"Very much so. But the more important question is if you see what you like?", she said with a slight purr to her voice.
"As a matter of fact, I do", Vader said as he approached her. "I like what I see a lot. You're gorgeous."
That caused Padmé to look down and blush.
"Now, now, don't be bashful", Vader said as he stepped right up to her and kissed her cheek.
Oh, gods, he's so damned sensual. The kiss again burned her skin and sent tingles throughout her entire body. It was like he knew exactly how she would respond and did things like that so she would become even more attracted to him and it worked.
She mustered up the courage to look up at him and nearly gasped at the smile on his face and his piercing golden eyes staring into her own. What made his eyes golden? She had never seen something like that before, but it suited him well. His long locks of wavey hair just made him seem more like a damn man than anything else.
"You're staring", she whispered.
"Only because of how beautiful you look. You're beautiful all of the time actually, to the point where I can't help myself", Vader said gently.
That made Padmé gasp.
"Now, shall we go to dinner?", Vader asked.
"Yes, that would be lovely", she replied.
"Well, Milady. Let's go", Vader said as he took her hand and led her to his speeder, opening the door for her like a true gentleman. It made her feel down right spoiled, but she loved it.
After he got in, he looked at her and smiled. "Alright, where did you choose for us to go?"
"A quiet but upscale restaurant in the entertainment district. Here, I'll enter the coordinates in your speeder's computer", Padmé replied.
After she did it, her hand accidently brushed his and again she felt the jolt of electricity coursing through her body. She looked up at him and smiled, which he returned.
"I tend to drive a little fast, so I apologize in advance", Vader said as his engine roared to life.
Padmé gasped as he zoomed off into the sky, dodging traffic where he could and just ignoring all of the rules of traffic. He was daring. Normally she would be terrified, but for some reason, she trusted his abilities as he appeared quite skillful, even masterful. His military training was so evident in the way he flew his craft, there was no second guessing about it.
In fact, the Senator found herself actually having fun being in the passenger seat of such a high powered speeder. That was something that she had missed, excitement. The Clone Wars had certainly brought her a fair share of excitement, sometimes too much, but it was better than sitting around an office the entire day.
She found herself giggling in delight as Anakin dodged other speeders and banked and dove at high rate of speeds. Was she holding on for dear life? Yes. Did that make the experience any less fun? No, it most certainly did not.
Anakin to his part was smirking the entire time, giving her side glances and obviously enjoying the effect that he was having on her. So he knew how to have a good time, that was also a plus. The last thing she wanted was for her to be in a relationship with someone who didn't know how to enjoy the moment.
Then, they landed at the restaurant's valet and Padmé was nearly disappointed that the ride was over, but then she remembered that there would be a ride back.
Anakin got out and raced around the speeder, beating the valet driver to the door so he could be the one to open it for her. How charming was that? It was like he wanted to be the only one to show kindness to her. It might be a little possessive, but not in a terrible way, it was in an adorable way.
Padmé felt her heart flutter when he placed his bare hand on her lower back, her exposed lower back. The sensation was overwhelming and Padmé had to focus on her breathing for her to be able to prevent herself from falling down.
"So, how good is this place?", Vader asked.
"It's divine, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. You seem to be a man that occasionally partakes in the finer things in life when you're not being rough and tumble", Padmé said as they walked inside.
"That is right, but rough and tumble can be very… personal", he whispered in her ear. Did he just make an innuendo? Damn, he is a flirt, but it delighted her wonderfully. She hadn't been with a man like this in… well, never really.
They strolled up to the maître d'.
"Your reservation please?"
"It's under Amidala for two", she replied coolly, obviously wanting to show a bit of her refined self off to Anakin.
"Very good, Senator Amidala, if the two of you will follow me."
"Showing off a little bit aren't you", Vader whispered in her ear.
"Me, showing off?", Padmé asked as she placed a hand over her heart to feign innocence. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Vader chuckled and shook his head. Well, if he got to show off his many attributes, she should be able to show off some of hers. It was only fair.
The couple were led to a table for two on the balcony where candles were already lit and a bottle of Nubian wine and glasses were waiting. Anakin again rushed to be the one to pull out her chair for her, and she beamed a smile up at him in thanks. This date was already off to a great start.
"Well, Milady, what's good here?", Vader asked.
"Oh, you're trusting me to tell you what to eat? How brave of you", Padmé joked. She was feeling more composed and able to flirt and tell humorous lines back to Anakin. Her bravery had returned, maybe for the time being at least.
"I figure that a refined woman such as yourself would be able to provide a good recommendation for our evening out", Vader said smoothly. Seriously, did he have the perfect response for everything? It was like he was programed to be insatiable.
"So, if you're going to trust me. The appetizers of steak tartar are wonderful. Then an entre of a full steak with root vegetables is to die for. The baste the steaks in truffled butter, giving it an exquisite flavor. Then for dessert, their creamed set cake with berry sauce is the perfect way to end a meal here", Padmé explained. She hoped that he wouldn't ignore her recommendation, it would be a little embarrassing if he did.
He smiled. "Then that's what we're having for dinner tonight."
By the Force, it had actually worked. A man who was willing to take a recommendation from a woman was a major turn on
The waiter came by and poured them their red Nubian wine and Vader artfully placed their orders from appetizer to dessert, asking for a little extra truffled butter on their steaks to give them even more of a rich texture.
"So, you're a woman that enjoys eating red meat. There's not too many women that do from my experience", Vader said. "You and I seem to keep having things in common, which is very alluring from a man's standpoint."
Padmé nearly choked on her wine. Damn, he was too good at sliding in flirtatious banter.
"I seem to find that red meat is delicious. It's also nice when a strong man appreciates the taste of it. I seem to have been dating men that are too afraid of eating something that lumbered over the lands, rather enjoying creatures from the bottom of the see. Hell, you must enjoy meat a lot given those rippling muscles that you have", Padmé said, trying to sound flirtatious, but ending the last sentence with a bit of timidness in her voice. Damn, she was losing her edge.
"I'll eat creatures from the sea, but those lumbering beasts are my favorite. That's kind of how we are, in a poetic sense. Just trying to make our way through the world, especially trying to find the right one to be with", Vader said as he took a sip of his wine.
"I believe that's also true", Padmé said softly. How wonderful of him to turn their conversation into something a bit more romantic. Beings were truly always trying to find the right one to be with, more so than almost any other task in life. Almost.
Their appetizers arrived and they began to eat the exquisitely prepared tartar.
"So, how are things progressing with your assignment at the Senate?", Padmé asked innocently.
"It's going about as well as you think. People keep putting up roadblocks to prevent me from gaining access to the information that I need, but that merely comes with the job", Vader replied after taking another sip of wine.
Padmé took a small sip of wine as well. She didn't want to turn into a drunken fool in front of Anakin, she wanted to maintain her ability to be dainty and poised.
"I'm sure, dealing with senators is such a drag. All they want is everything yet giving nothing in return. It almost makes me dread about working with them, but it's still an enjoyable job", Padmé replied. "What specific roadblocks are you running into? Maybe I could share some advice."
"Maybe you could. I find that senators can be unwilling to tell the full truth, only the half truth which gets in the way of my work", Vader said earnestly.
Well, here she was giving a military consultant tips to get senators to tell the full truth. What could the harm be? He was a contractor not an admiral or general. "Hit them with their weak points. Bring up past errors that you may come across. No one likes for their records to be tarnished, so if you do that, you're more likely than not to get them to tell you every single detail, down to the last drop."
A crooked smile emerged over Anakin's face. "That sounds like a splendid idea, thank you for sharing. I'll be sure and use it in the near future", Vader said.
"Good, maybe in the future you could give me some advice on how to deal with the military. You know, tit for tat", Padmé suggested.
"To collaborating with one another", Vader toasted.
Padmé smiled brightly and clinked her glass against his. This was interesting, possibly there could be much more to come from this relationship. But she didn't want to betray his trust at the same time which left her horrendously conflicted. She would ponder on it later, for now, she wanted to enjoy the hell out of this date.
The main course was served, and both carved into their mouth watering steaks.
"This is better than you said it would be", Vader said between mouthfuls. "I don't think I've tasted a steak that was more artfully prepared than this. You have quite the affinity for being able to select something mouthwatering."
The next words came out of Padmé's mouth without thinking. "Well, I did stumble upon you", she said. Oh Force, why did she say something so fucking overt? Kriffing hell. She blushed purple. "I mean… I…"
"Breathe Padmé", Vader laughed. "That's quite the compliment, but maybe it was I that stumbled upon you. You certainly make my mouth water." He winked at her with a full blown smirk on his face.
Padmé was stunned at how quickly he turned the tables on her impromptu statement. He had cunningness that was for damned sure. "Well, maybe we stumbled upon each other. Maybe that was something that was simply meant to happen", she suggested.
"I like how that sounds, Padmé. It seems like destiny may have brought us together", Vader said with a grin.
They held one another's gaze for a few moments before returning their attention back to their meal, with each sneaking glances at the other every now and then. Padmé was beginning to become somewhat accustomed to the man's charms, but they still swept her off her feet. What ever was she to do with him? She had a few ideas of what she'd like to do in the near future if things continued to go so well, but she forced her mind to stop thinking of that so she wouldn't continue to blush throughout the entire meal. Damn, she wanted him bad.
Finally, the dessert was served. "This is so light, it really is the perfect way to end the meal", Vader said. "I again admire your tastes."
Padmé giggled. "It's nothing really. When you're a kriffing queen at the age of fourteen you more or less get the ability to acquire certain tastes. It spoiled the hell out of me, but it certainly has had its benefits from time to time."
"So, that's how you do it. I can't imagine what that must've been like at that age. When I was fourteen, I was…", Vader seemed to catch himself and Padmé noticed that he visibly winced. Had they become so in tune with one another that he was about to reveal something he wasn't quite ready to yet?
"It's alright, Anakin. You don't have to say anything. There will be a time and a place for that", Padmé said smoothly. The last thing she wanted was to end the evening on a sour note.
"There will be, I'm confident of that", Vader said as he gave her a small smile. "Thank you for being understanding, Padmé."
"Of course, Anakin", she said as she reached across the table and placed her hand into his, both squeezing each other simultaneously. Their eyes locked on one another. Force, he was a handsome man and the fact that there was something in his past that caused him to worry about saying what it was; made him even more endearing. A man that was strong and able to withstand something potentially dreadful was a sign of endurance that few possessed.
They again returned their attention to their desserts. Quietly enjoying one another's company for the time being.
When they were finished, Anakin graciously paid the balance without a moment of hesitation. Well, if he was wealthy, then it shouldn't be a bother, but it was still a nice added touch.
They walked out of the restaurant with Padmé again being filled with electricity from his hand on her exposed lower back. She didn't understand how a man could be so electrifyingly intense. When the valet parked Anakin's speeder, he again opened the door for her before getting inside as well.
The trip back was just as exciting as the trip there, with Anakin racing through traffic and Padmé giggling at every daring move. Seriously, the man was a damned good pilot that was for sure, and his bravado was intoxicating.
But like all good things, the night had to come to an end. Anakin parked his speeder on Padmé's veranda, and she allowed him to open the door for her.
"Well, I have to say that was one of the most enjoyable evenings that I've had in a long time", Padmé said as she stood close to him. "I hope I lived up to your expectations."
In a swift fashion, Anakin reached behind her head and pulled her to him for a breathtaking kiss. Padmé moaned into his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in deeper. The kiss seemed to go on forever which was something that Padmé had no qualms about, it was simply intoxicating her to the point where she wanted to faint. Anakin wrapped his arms around her back as he bent her over and continued to attack her with his lips. It was hot. It was sensual. And it was real.
Finally, they broke the kiss and Anakin stared into her eyes keeping his arms wrapped around her. "Was that a good enough of an answer?", he asked softly.
"Yes", she whispered. "Yes, it was."
"Until next time, Padmé", he whispered before planting another solid kiss on her lips.
Finally, they disengaged, and Anakin stepped away from her, it was painfully obvious that he didn't want to, but his chivalrous behavior was touching in ways that Padmé could never dream of. She watched him get in his speeder and fly off into the night sky.
Gods dammit that was amazing.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. If you did, please consider dropping a review and following!