A/N: For those of you who are following A Light Through Her Darkness or Fearing Him Yet Craving Him, I'm still working on those stories. I'm suffering writers block on those two and still have some significant family issues, but this chapter was a little easier to write, so I hope you enjoy it. Remember, reviews and follows are always appreciated. I have read the last ones and they provide me with complete motivation.
Padmé felt like she was on top of the clouds. The date the previous evening had superseded her wildest expectations. Anakin had been such a charming gentleman who did his best to sweet her off her feet. It had worked. She was still replaying the moment over and over again in her head, recounting every detail, every moment. Hell, how they ended the night had been the perfect amount of romance and lust blended together in a way that had made her lightheaded for hours afterwards. Of course, it was only one date, but there was something there that told her that there was more, much more. She just had to pursue it. Had to own it. Possess it.
But alas, right now all she had to do was work. Work that she enjoyed, but after a night like that it wasn't quite the same. Sure, she had been swooped off her feet before, but not by a man like Anakin. One whom exhibited bravado and a fleeting moment of vulnerability at the same time. Vulnerability of which she had no clue of what it actually was but knew there was vulnerability there for certain. But she had her own moments of vulnerabilities, so when he was ready to disclose his, she would disclose her own. That only seemed fair, right?
Regardless, she was filled with a new sense of hope for the future, at least personably. Her work life had its ups and downs, especially with the recent turn of events with the information that had been passed onto the Rebellion being discovered, but that was a mere risk in the spy trade. Information would be discovered; it was merely a matter of time. To her knowledge, there were no public arrests or charges leveed against any of those within the secret organization's ranks, so there was that. If there had been a smoking gun, scores of them would have been arrested in one fell swoop, but none of that had happened, at least not yet.
For the time being, she was saddled with her normal job of being a representative of Naboo, one that she was fine with, dull as it may be at times. But to hell with it, she was still blessed to be called a senator, which was better than nothing in this new regime full of chaos and barbarism. Two components which she despised, but there was nothing more that she could do other than participate in the Rebellion at the opportune moments.
"So, how did your date go, Padmé?"
Padmé inwardly groaned. Of course, Dormé would want to know the details. It wasn't as if she didn't want to disclose them, she just wanted to make them hers for the moment and no one else.
"It was divine, Dormé. Anakin was the perfect gentleman, nothing more could be desired by a girl by the way he treated me. It was certainly something almost out of a fairy tale", Padmé replied. "I think this one has the chance of going very far if I play my cards right."
"Really? That's wonderful, Padmé", Dormé said enthusiastically.
"Thank you, my friend. I believe that this one is the real deal, at least that's what my instincts tell me", Padmé said.
"Well, knowing your instincts, if they're right, they're right", Dormé said. "I've never known them to be wrong, not in the slightest."
Padmé nearly winced at the words. There was nothing like a jinx to throw the entire plan into a flurry. But she couldn't blame her friend, she was merely hopeful for her and given her lack of luck as far as relationships went, she needed all of the hope she could get.
"Thank you, Dormé. We'll see how this one plays out", Padmé said. "I believe that it will be just fine."
"Of course, it will be. You seem to have picked a winner, regardless of who he works for", Dormé replied.
"Yes, yes, now back to work with you", Padmé said.
Seriously, there was too much jinxing around here to make anything better. Yes, the man she adored worked for the Empire even though it was a contractor role. But still, he was a sweet man, an incredibly handsome man. There surely wouldn't be too much of a problem dating him or more if even if he worked for the government she despised. Wouldn't there be?
No, she would stay the course and see whatever the hell this relationship was through, she would be fine. That's what her instincts told her. But on with it, she had other things to think about today. The first was, what the hell was she to do now that the Empire had intercepted the plans to the fleet movements? She supposed that Mon Mothma would come up with a plan, but it had been nearly twenty four hours since she had been warned off by the senior senator. Surely, some type of plan would be in effect by now, but it appeared that there either wasn't a plan or that she wasn't privy to the details. Either way was a bother to her.
But when in doubt, there was one thing to do and that was to just keep plowing forward with work.
…..
Vader was confounded. The date with Senator Amidala had gone beyond expectations and he was feeling emotions that he hadn't felt before. True emotions other than lust, but real emotions. Hell, he figured that he had been feeling those emotions towards the woman since he first met her, but now they were solidified. Set in stone, there was no way back as far as he could tell, but maybe that wasn't necessarily a bad thing at all. Except for when it became the time for her to learn the truth about who he really was. That would be harsh. Maybe this was all a mistake, he felt an odd sense of remorse for what it might do to her to learn that she had been dating the Dark Lord of the Sith. While he technically was still Anakin Skywalker and his behaviors towards her were real, there was no doubt in his mind that he truly was Vader, and that's who he wanted to be.
But he still had his assignment to consider first and foremost. There were obviously still spies left in the senate, he just needed to find them. With Mothma, it had been an easy task. She had been too pompous which led him to be suspicious of her immediately. He figured she still needed some time in her cold and dark cell before they had another discussion, but until then, he had to get back to work.
Who were Mothma's closest associates? Damn, that would be nice information to have. He pulled up a log of subcommittees that she was on and scanned the lists for names that were on the same ones as she. It was fairly easily to spot some. Bail Organa appeared on the majority of the lists as did others, including Padmé, but he quickly ruled her out. There simply wasn't any subterfuge that he detected from her, which was a relief. But Senator Organa would likely be his next target, it might simply take time given that there was no introduction between the two of them yet, and it would be far too reckless to merely approach him out of the blue to try and get information from him. No, he needed an actual reason for an introduction, not something frivolous. That would be difficult as he had no solid contacts that he could employ.
Pushing away from his desk, he rubbed his face in frustration. Mothma had been too easy of a win, now he was dealing with the tedious work that most spies probably were aggravated by. No, he wouldn't let himself become too frustrated by this, he would figure out a solution to the problem as quickly as possible.
Finally, an idea popped into his head. The Senator was the chairman of a food logistics committee along with Padmé. The military provided much of the logistical support for those worlds, and he could come up with a consideration to temporarily shift a couple of dozen transports to the food logistics to prevent too much downtime for the ships. That would be his in. As much as he disliked the notion, it would be best if Padmé introduced them so it would make for an easy meeting.
Grabbing a pad, he quickly typed out the order to requisition the supply ships into a deactivated status so they would truly be free for the Senator to use and avoid more suspicion, he also ordered that their transponders be coded so they would know exactly where they were being sent in case the Rebellion decided to use them for nefarious purposes. Once the order was confirmed by high command, he grabbed another pad and began drafting the proposal. The transports would be free for use by the committee for twelve months, making it long enough for the Senator to actually feel like it was worth his time. He reviewed the proposal a few times, making alterations as needed and when he was finally finished with it, he smirked at his ingenuity. If this bastard was a member of the Rebellion, he would be sunk.
…..
Hot tea was the perfect way to get through a long afternoon at the Senate. In fact, it was one of the best ways to get through pretty much anything. Padmé was taking a small break, just enjoying the beverage while it was still pipping hot, lest it grow lukewarm. She had just finished sending Mon Mothma lengthy message regarding one of their committees that they were on together, so she felt like a small break was warranted. She also supposed that they would lay low regarding the Rebellion for the time being given the security concern, but for how long? They needed information in order to make dents in the Empire's war machine. She would need to consult with Mothma to determine the best course of action.
Turning her chair to face the window, she watched the skyline of Coruscant. It was nearly four in the afternoon, and she still had an abysmal amount of work to perform. So much that she doubted she would leave any time soon regardless of how much her handmaiden protested. Damn, it felt like she was too married to her job at times. But that's how she was raised to be. All Nubian's were encouraged to take their career paths seriously from an early age. It wasn't something that she could just turn off, it was ingrained into her very core.
"See anything interesting out there?"
Padmé was jolted from her thoughts by the familiar tone.
"Anakin", she said as she stood at set her mug of tea on the desk. "You're so stealthy, I didn't even hear you come in." She felt startled, but in a good way. Nothing was better than to see him, he quickened her pulse in the most wonderful of ways.
Anakin was dressed in his usual attire, but it still made him look dashing and seemed to make his frame look even larger than it was, not to say that he wasn't large enough.
"Well, I would have been announced, but it looks like your handmaiden is on a break", Vader said with a smirk. "Which I'm not going to complain about either, it'll let me have a few minutes alone with you."
Padmé felt herself blush and she looked down just for Anakin to brush his fingers under her chin to tilt her head back up to him, making her realize he wasn't wearing his customary gloves.
"No, don't get shy with me", he murmured as he bent down and planted a gentle kiss on her lips that made her hands tremble. But as quickly as the kiss began, it ended leaving her yearning for more, much more.
"I can't help it sometimes", she admitted. "I'm not used to being in a relationship with a man like you." At least she felt comfortable enough with him to admit it. He was such a gentleman that she was beginning to feel immeasurably safe around him. Which was somewhat difficult in another way as there would be a massive part of her life that she would never be able to share with him. Her being part of the Rebellion that is.
"You'll get used to it", he whispered soothingly. "You'll find that I have a rougher side, but for you, you'll just get the gentler part of me. Is that what you want?"
Her jaw quivered slightly. "I want all of you", she said without thinking. "Every part of you."
Anakin's smirk fell into a slight smile, and he raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Not many people would make that decision, I'm impressed, Senator."
Of course, she had no clue what that would entail, she just knew that she did want all of him. It was a commitment that she yearned for, even if a small voice in the back of her head told her to be cautious about having made such a declaration.
"I think I can handle it", Padmé said. "It isn't like I've never been in a risky situation before."
"I'm sure you have been", Vader replied. "Did you sleep well after our date last night?"
"No", she admitted. "I was too full of excitement." Excitement and having been downright horny after such an amazing date with a scorching kiss to end the evening. Nothing else had ever turned her on in such a way in her life, no men could hold a candle to Anakin.
"So was I", Vader said. He stroked her cheek and Padmé drew a sharp breath as his rough hand and fingers moved over her soft skin, reminding her of the electric spark she felt when he placed his hand at the small of her back the previous evening.
"Really?", she asked meekly.
"Really", Vader replied. "I was intoxicated, but not from the wine."
Padmé felt her knees slightly buckle in response. Bold was a perfect word to describe him after all. Very bold. She felt herself become overwhelmed, so she had to change the conversation before she tackled him to the ground to make love to him right there.
"So, is wanting to see me the only reason why you came here?", she asked hesitantly.
Vader chuckled. "You have good intuition. I did want to see you, but I also had a favor to ask. The navy has a surplus of twenty four supply ships that are currently not being used. I figured that I could loan them to the food logistics committee, and I was hoping that you could arrange for an introduction with Bail Organa."
Twenty four supply ships? That would do wonders for the Rebellion, but it made her feel a little guilty for thinking that when the man was merely being generous. Padmé cracked a smile. "I suppose that could be arranged. Do you have the proposal with you?"
"I do", Vader said as he produced the pad and handed it over to Padmé.
She took it from him and quickly scanned through it. The Empire was going to loan them for twelve months. There would be a lot of good they could do with those ships for twelve months.
"Who would crew them?", Padmé asked.
"I figured that the food and logistics committee would be able to allocate some funds to hire pilots. It would be completely your project with no real oversight as long as the ships are free from damage at the end of the lease that is", Vader replied.
Padmé merely nodded as she continued to scroll through the rest of the proposal. This was the real deal, there was no way that Bail would turn this down.
"I can introduce you to him right now", she said. "Come on, his office is just a short walk from mine."
"After you, Milady", Vader replied with that smirk of his on his face.
Padmé smiled up at him and led him out of the office and down the corridor, passing eleven offices just to reach Bail's. Upon entering the office, she saw that Bail was at his desk going over a various projects. He looked up at her and smiled.
"Padmé, it's good to see you, and I see you've brought a friend along with you", Organa said.
"Bail, yes, this is Anakin Skywalker. He's a military contractor and he has a proposal for the food logistics committee that I think you'll find appeasing", Padmé said.
"Well, we usually take any help we can get, Anakin", Bail said as he shook Anakin's hand firmly.
"We're glad to be of help. We're all just one big happy family in the Empire, are we not?", Vader asked.
Padmé certainly wouldn't put it like that, but she couldn't place fault in Anakin for saying so. He was a military contractor; his loyalties were with the Empire and the Empire alone. He had no clue that the Senate had Rebellion operators gathering intelligence to distribute.
"Of course", Organa replied smoothly.
Anakin handed him the pad and Bail skimmed through it. "Twenty four ships on loan to us for a year? That's incredibly generous, Anakin. I see that we just have to crew the ships ourselves, which shouldn't be too great of a problem. We'll get this approved tomorrow and return aa signed copy back to you if that's alright."
"That's perfectly fine, Senator", Vader said. "Please let me know if you have any questions about it in the meantime. I'll leave the two of you to it, I have a meeting to catch in just a few minutes. Padmé, it was good to see you again." He reached behind her and lightly brushed his hand across the small of her back which made Padmé feel flushed yet again.
"It was good to see you too", she replied longingly.
After Anakin left Organa's office, the two Rebels looked at one another. "The two of you seem a little familiar", Organa said.
"We're dating", Padmé explained. "It isn't a big deal, and I am not disclosing anything about our activities to him. Besides, he could turn into a very useful resource given his ties to the Empire. I honestly don't feel comfortable about that yet, but we'll see. Obviously, he's not opposed to helping the Senate giving this transaction of supply ships. They could be very useful to the Rebellion."
Organa was silent for a moment.
"Just be careful around him. We don't know what his true intentions are, so I would proceed with caution", Organa said.
"Bail, I know that. But I honestly don't detect anything nefarious from him", Padmé said. "He's a very kind man, and if there were something wrong, I would have picked up on it by now." She was starting to become perturbed by this conversation. It wasn't like he was her father; she didn't need to be told what to do with her relationship.
"Alright, Padmé. Just be careful", Organa said.
Padmé nodded and left his office, knowing that she needed to get some more work done.
…..
Vader was pleased with the conversation he had with Organa. He did detect some subterfuge from him and disingenuous attitude, but that wasn't entirely proof as of yet. He would need to see how those transports were used before he damned him like he damned Mothma. Speaking of which, as much as he would prefer to torture the woman again, she still needed to spend some time in her cell to think things over before their next conversation.
The benefit to all of this though was he was able to spend just a few minutes with Padmé, which he thoroughly enjoyed. She was a woman that was really becoming someone that he was excited to know, which was completely out of the norm for him. As a Sith Lord, he never formed attachments with any of the women he encountered, he merely bedded them and then that was it. But with her, it was completely different. He found himself longing for her in the most desirable ways, his thoughts being occupied by her in moments where he should be stoic and uncaring. Damn, he was falling for her badly and he knew that she was falling for him as well.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts he set out to have a little chat with Lieutenant Daren Hoes, the traitorous officer that fed Mothma information that got his brothers killed. That was something that he couldn't stand no matter what. It was infuriating to the point where there was blood lust in him, wanting to torture him mercilessly for hours on end.
Vader quickly walked to his speeder to go interrogate the officer in the subterranean military complex. Climbing into his craft, he engaged the engine and shot off into the sky for the short ride to the Palace. Diving his speeder sharply, he landed on one of the speeder pads and climbed out, letting himself become filled with anger. This was the way of a Sith Lord, to be consumed by lust for vengeance and blood.
Stalking towards the interrogation chambers, he encountered the guard standing post.
"Which room is Lieutenant Hoes in?", he demanded.
The trooper snapped to attention. "Lieutenant Hoes is in interrogation chamber four, Milord."
"Very well, you might want to have a cleaning crew on standby", Vader said as he walked away. This could get quite messy, which he didn't mind at all. A little blood never hurt anyone.
Once he reached the interrogation room, he braced himself. Torturing someone was an art, and he would need to use every tactic he knew to extract every bit of information from the Lieutenant before he met his unfortunate demise.
Keying the door, it slid open, and Vader stalked in to see the man strapped to the interrogation slab and ready to be eviscerated.
"So, Lieutenant Hoes. It's time we had a little chat about your activities with the Rebellion", Vader stated coldly.
"M-Milord, I honestly don't know what is going on. I-I'm a loyal officer to the Empire. My service record is impeccable", Hoes said. "P-Please, I didn't do anything wrong."
Vader smirked, knowing that this would be a well deserved challenge in breaking this man completely. It was always better when he could exact his vengeance in a cold manner. Colder than the hells of Hoth.
"You wouldn't be here if there wasn't damming evidence against you, Lieutenant", Vader said. "In fact, you're here because of a confession from a Senator which I believe you are well acquainted with."
Hoes eyes widened at the implication and Vader knew that the officer was understanding how truly fucked he was.
"W-What senator, Milord?", he asked.
"You know which senator, Lieutenant. I'm not going to waste any time here. Say her name so we can get this started. I don't want to waste any time with you feigning innocence here", Vader replied. "Go on, say her name." His tone was rough and menacing, indicating he wasn't going to fuck around with this pathetic officer. One who deserved eternal damnation.
Hoes looked defeated, knowing that he had been caught. Vader sensed true terror from the man, indicating that he in fact knew what he was talking about. How pleasing it was to be able to sense the dread and fear coming from the man. It was a gift from the Force itself.
"Senator Mothma, Milord", Hoes admitted.
"Good. Now we can begin. Do you know what I'm going to do to you?", Vader asked bluntly.
"Milord, please", Hoes begged.
"Answer my fucking question!", Vader roared. He wasn't going to allow this traitor to play this petty bullshit game of begging for his life.
"You're going to torture me, Milord", Hoes said defeated.
"Yes, I am. How I'm going to do it will largely depend on you. If you are evasive with me, it will be gruesome. If you act like a man and are honest with me, it won't be nearly as difficult", Vader replied. He silently hoped that it would be difficult so this bastard would suffer a long a brutal torture session.
He saw Hoes swallow and the bastard turned his head away from him.
"I suppose we'll do it the difficult way then", Vader sneered.
With a flick of his wrist, he snapped both of Hoes' femurs, causing the man to shriek in agony. This was music to Vader's ears. Pure enjoyment no matter how he looked at it.
"Now that we've set the tone for this particular event, tell me exactly why you betrayed the Empire. I want specific details, not fucking general statements. Do you understand?", Vader demanded.
Hoes was withering in pain from his injuries. "Milord, I… I saw what atrocities the Empire has committed. I didn't want them to continue to occur, so I fed information to Senator Mothma in hopes that the Empire would begin to suffer losses and lose it's ability to operate unchecked."
Technically the man was right. The Empire had committed atrocities in the years prior to Vader being given command of the military by Sidious. Some he detested, but others he saw were righteous moves to ensure that the Empire would become an organization that would be feared throughout the galaxy so no one would fuck with it. Obviously, it didn't work as the Rebellion only grew in numbers, so there was something to be said about how the Empire was operating.
"It isn't your place to decide what the fate of the galaxy should be", Vader hissed. He clenched his fist hard and snapped all of the bones in Hoes' feet, making them protrude from the skin.
Again, more screams of agony filled the room and Vader felt the young man's terror increase. He might not have to torture him long at all, which was a disappointment.
"It isn't the Empire's place to inflict torment on people, just as you're doing now!", the young Lieutenant screamed. Good, this may be enjoyable after all.
"Oh, but it is. It's exactly our place when the galaxy runs unchecked as it did during the tenure of the Republic. Crime and corruption went unchecked, causing many to suffer more than the Empire has caused. Order had to be established and order will remain as long as the Empire exists which will be for eternity", Vader hissed.
He couldn't very well let the outburst of the Lieutenant go unchecked, so he made a claw with his hand and closed the trachea of the man, enjoying seeing him struggling to breathe. He left him there for several minutes, but then released him just before he was able to pass out.
"That was just a taste of what I can do to you. There is much more pain, much more discomfort that you deserve for giving information to the Rebellion which caused over two hundred thousand Imperials to perish. Those were my men, Lieutenant. You had no right to give them deaths such as that. Now, who else do you know that's in the Rebellion?", Vader inquired.
"I only knew Mothma was in the Rebellion. That's all I know, I swear", Hoes said as tears poured from his face.
Vader grabbed Hoes' jaw forcefully. "Your fucking tears are pathetic. I know you're lying; I can sense it. Who else do you know that is part of the treasonous Rebellion? Answer me gods dammit!"
He released the man's jaw so he could speak.
"Alright, alright, Senator Amala of Rodia!", Hoes screamed. "He's been active for some time. I never fed him any information directly, but I have discussed the Rebellion's activities with him!"
"What activities?", Vader asked, feeling accomplished that another senator would soon be incarcerated.
"That the Rebellion has a fleet of over two hundred ships! It's large and powerful but spread out throughout the galaxy at the moment so it can cover more ground. They're planning on striking at several targets, but I swear I don't know which targets they are. They could be ships or military installations, I'm not certain", Hoes said.
Vader sensed that the young man was telling the truth. Shit, two hundred ships would be a powerful force to reckon with, especially if it was a fleet on fleet action. They would need to ascertain the locations of the broken up fleet so they could start chipping away at them before they did serios damage. Most likely the attacks would occur in the outer rim where the targets were less guarded than the mid rim or the core systems, but that was pure speculation.
"So, you don't know the locations of the Rebel ships?"
"No, I swear I don't!"
"What other information do you have that can provide the Empire with preparations to destroy the Rebellion? I need names of installations that they might have", Vader demanded.
Hoes again looked away and Vader became enraged at the hesitance that the man was showing. In a flash, he snatched his lightsaber from his belt and severed both of the Lieutenant's legs below the knee. Shrieks of pain and terror filled the interrogation room. Vader deactivated his lightsaber and leaned back on the wall, allowing the man to get it out of his system. Losing limbs must be painful, and Vader was lucky that he never lost any himself given the heavy combat he had seen.
It took about five minutes for the shrieks to stop, but then the man began sobbing.
"Your tears mean nothing to me Lieutenant. I'm a cold man, a harsh man. But this isn't going to help you, no in the slightest", Vader said. "You will answer my questions and tell me where the installations are so I can destroy them."
"I only know of one", Hoes said as he continued to sob. "There's an installation on Dantooine. I'm not sure where on the planet it is, but it's sizeable. It's a training ground for soldiers in the Rebellion and it's vital to their organization."
"Why was that so fucking hard to answer?", Vader asked. "Don't you have any form of self preservation in you to be able to tell the truth when I ask a fucking question?"
"Milord, I believe in the Rebellion. I am trying to resist your interrogation, but the pain is too much", Hoes said.
"Pain that you are electing to choose given your resistance in answering my questions. It would be best if you would just put aside your fucking pride and answer them", Vader growled. "You will receive no mercy, not even a little bit. So, answer my questions to the best of your fucking abilities and this will be over soon. Or you can drag it out and end up a rotting corpse, barely able to breathe and unable to see or speak. I'm a ruthless man, so don't fucking try and beg for an iota of mercy because you'll receive none. Don't try and resist because I will make you talk."
"That's all I know, Milord!", Hoes screamed. "I promise, that's all I know!"
Vader reached out into the Lieutenant's mind and sensed he was telling the truth. But the good news was that he had targets he could attack, and attack them he would. He also had another senator that he could arrest, which was a gods damned good thing. The unfortunate news was he had no idea how far the corruption reached. There could be a hundred senators involved in this treason. A purge would be required, but that would only enrage the populaces of the worlds that the senators represented.
"If that's all you know, what do you believe should happen to you?", Vader asked in a quiet tone.
"I'll gladly serve a lengthy prison time, Milord. Please, don't kill me", Hoes begged.
Vader chuckled. "You won't receive any prison time, Lieutenant. I'm going to kill you. But since you answered my questions satisfactory, it will be painless."
"Milord, please!"
Vader didn't respond. He merely waived his hand and snapped the Lieutenant's neck.
Without giving the Lieutenant a second look, he exited the interrogation room and stalked his way to high command. He had to order a strike on Dantooine, then he had to head back to the fucking Senate to order the arrest of Senator Amala of Rodia.
…..
"So, Padmé, I want to hear more about your date with Anakin last night", Dormé said.
Padmé had been expecting this, not that it was a bad inquiry, she just wanted to keep it to herself for the time being as it was her experience. But she figured giving some details to her friend wouldn't be a terrible thing.
"It was wonderful, Dormé", she began. "Anakin was a perfect gentleman and was a complete charmer the entire evening. I've never experienced a man like him in my life. He pulled out all of his cards and it excited me beyond anything. I can't wait for the gala, I'm sure that he's going to wear something smashing and sweep me off my feet the entire night."
Dormé smiled brightly. "That's wonderful to hear, Padmé! I'm so happy for you. You've deserved a man like that for some time now, so I'm grateful that you're now getting the attention that you need."
"Thank you, my friend. He really is someone that I can see myself getting into a serious relationship with", Padmé said. "The way he acts with me is like something out of a fairy tale. He kissed me so hard at the end of our date and made my knees so weak, but again he didn't try and come in for sex, he merely said goodbye and left me wanting him even more. He's truly respectful which is something that I admire."
"Well, I'm sure that the two of you will be screwing like rabbits soon enough", Dormé said with a laugh.
That caused Padmé to giggle in anticipation. She fully expected Anakin to be very experienced in bed, which was a complete turn on. There wasn't anything that was better than a man who knew what he was doing, and Anakin most certainly seemed to know what he was doing in every way. Maybe after the gala she could invite him in for some alone time. Maybe.
"I think so too, when the time is right of course", Padmé said with a blush. Just thinking about it made her feel horny, which was frustrating beyond belief when she was at work. Damnit, she was in need.
"Padmé, the right time will come soon if he's as good as you say he is. You won't be able to hold out for very long, I can just feel it. He'll probably be one of the better men you've had experiences with, especially since your last tryst was none other than Senator Clovis", Dormé replied.
Padmé groaned. That memory was one she could do without. She had no idea what she had been thinking when she decided to have that man. It was beyond her very reasoning. But that was in the past, and she had a good future ahead of herself with Anakin and that's what she should focus on.
…..
Vader reached the Senate and immediately headed to the security office. Barging in he caused the Stormtroopers to snap to attention. "Senator Amala of Rodia, arrest him quietly and transport him to a cell in the Palace detention center. Now."
"Yes, Milord!", two troopers said in unison as they headed off to catch their target before he left for the day.
Leaving the security office, Vader went to his office and sat down, exhaling. This had been a day full of shit that was progress, but still draining. He pulled up the orders he had issued at high command and was pleased that the Fifth Fleet was already preparing to get underway. As much as he would have loved to take his own fleet to destroy the Rebel base, he knew that Sidious would torture him mercilessly for hours by disobeying his command to stay on Coruscant.
Damn, a solid military installation and here he was riding a kriffing desk. What a cruel joke. But there was a silver lining and that was being able to take Padmé to the damn gala in just a couple of days. That would make up for not being able to slaughter Rebels.
Speaking of which, as much as he wanted to go up to her office again tonight, he needed to get back home. He stank like death and burned flesh from his interrogation. Normally he kept a complete change of clothing with him here in his office so he could shower, but he had neglected to do so once he returned to Coruscant. There was no way in all the hells he would be able to explain the smell to her, so that was out of the question.
Speaking of torture, he pulled up the information logs on the transferred cargo ships and sure enough, Organa had already put in an order for them to depart to Alderaan once they were crewed up. Interesting. Why was Organa sending the cargo ships to his home system? Maybe that was a staging point for food aid, or maybe there was something more going on, but he would have to wait and see until after the ships left Alderaan. He did need to search Organa's office, but that would have to wait. He was too damned tired to worry about doing that tonight.
Signing out of his terminal, he stood and stretched several times before exiting his office and walking to his speeder in the secured area of the military entrance. After a minute, he was shooting in the sky on his way home where he would be able to get some damned rest.
…..
Padmé was sitting on her bed with a glass of wine trying to decompress from a long day. It was difficult enough having to deal with her regular work, but then Anakin's surprise loan of ships had excited her about possible uses for the Rebellion. Again, she felt a small amount of guilt for having to take advantage of his kindness, but lives were at stake and those ships could deliver supplies to various outposts and ships that needed them badly.
Bail Organa had ordered them to be dispatched to Alderaan to pick up food and other supplies, so these ships were already going to become useful to the Rebellion. What a good fucking day.
She was slightly disappointed that Anakin hadn't come by to see her off to her speeder, but she figured he must have been busy himself.
Suddenly, her comms chirped, and she grabbed it, holding her breath that this was Anakin.
"This is Senator Amidala."
"So, you better be at home relaxing, beautiful."
Padmé giggled with delight that Anakin was calling her.
"I am, but I missed seeing you this evening when I finally left for the day."
"Sorry about that, work was a little too busy and I had to take care of a few things before I left for my establishments."
Padmé could easily detect guilt in his voice which made her feel bad for wanting to see him. Of course, he had important duties to see to which probably made him as tired as she was.
"It's okay, Anakin", she said softly. "We'll see each other again soon."
"We certainly will", Vader said with no small amount of smugness in his voice which made Padmé roll her eyes and smile.
"Oh, will we now? Are you planning on stopping by my office to tease me again?" Seriously, he would pay for that.
"Of course, I will. You enjoy a good tease now and then", Vader replied, again with the damned smugness. His confidence was enamoring.
"Do I?", Padmé asked.
"You most certainly do."
Of course, he was right. She couldn't get enough of him teasing her. It turned her on and made her ache for him in the most wonderful of ways.
"I suppose you're right. It's like you can read my mind", she replied. Seriously, could he read her mind? It seemed impossible, but he was so damned right about her all of the time.
Vader chuckled. "I have many talents, but I can just read you like an open book, Padmé."
"Anakin, you're incorrigible. If I'm like an open book to you, what am I thinking of right this moment?"
"You're thinking about how much you want me", Vader replied softly. "Not that I can blame you, I want you too."
That caused Padmé to suck in a sharp breath.
"You want me?", she asked with her voice quivering.
"You shouldn't be surprised after I kissed you possessively after our date the other night." Gods, his voice was dripping with lust. She was so turned on by this.
"I suppose you're right", Padmé replied. She needed him badly.
"I know I am", Vader replied confidently. "I can't get it out of my head, your lips tasted so divine. It was so refreshing that I can't stop thinking about it or you for that matter."
"Really", Padmé squeaked. "What would you do if you were with me right now?"
"I think you know", Vader replied simply. "I would ravish you until the early hours of the morning."
"Anakin…", Padmé breathed. "That's so intoxicating."
"You're intoxicating, Padmé", Vader said gently.
Padmé didn't know how to respond to that. The man was so confident about how much they wanted each other, and he was telling the fucking truth.
"Maybe so, but I think you're the most intoxicating out of the two of us", she whispered.
"See, you're getting shy again. Don't be shy with me, Padmé."
"I'm not shy", she whispered again.
"Oh, yes you are. Don't pretend that you're not. It pleases me in the most wonderful ways."
"I think you please me in the most wonderful ways", Padmé said shakily.
"There you go, that's the big girl I want to hear", Vader said and Padmé could tell he was smirking.
"See, I can be bold too", Padmé said with a chuckle.
"I guess you are", Vader said.
"I'm looking forward to thee gala with you", Padmé said.
"So am I. I can imagine how beautiful you'll look", Vader said softly.
Padmé felt her cheeks blush hot red. "Stop it Anakin, you're making me blush."
"Good, I enjoy making you blush", Vader said with a chuckle. "Do you have any idea of what you're going to wear?"
Padmé rolled her eyes. Of course, the man wanted a taste of what was to come.
"Yes, but I'm not giving you any hints as I want it to be a surprise", Padmé replied. "I think that you're going to like it though. It's a slinky little number that is perfect for galas, at least in my opinion."
"A slinky little number, huh? I thought all of you women wore stuffy dresses to those events", Vader said. "Not that I mind you being in something slinky at all."
Padmé laughed. "Yes, most women will be wearing stuffy dresses as you called them, but I wear those dresses at work all of the time, so I'm not going to wear one to a gala."
"That makes sense", Vader replied. "Whatever it is, I'm sure I'll enjoy seeing you in it as you stated. Hell, I enjoy looking at you in anything that you wear."
"Really?", Padmé whispered.
"There you go, being shy again", Vader teased. "But really, I do enjoy looking at you in anything you wear. It's not the dresses that make you look beautiful, you make the dresses look beautiful."
Padmé's mouth fell open at such a complement. She had never been told that before and it shocked her to her very core.
"Padmé? Are you still there?", Vader asked.
"I'm here, I'm just caught up by what you just said", Padmé replied, her voice trembling.
"How so?"
Padmé could tell he was leading her into a verbal ambush, but that was fine with her.
"Because it makes me feel tingly all over", she replied.
"Tingly is a good thing, you should feel that way all of the time", Vader said smoothly. Seriously, how could he have a quick response to everything she said? It was like he was a gods damned natural born flirt.
"You make me so nervous", Padmé said with a giggle. "Nervous in a good way, especially the way you use your voice. It makes my head spin."
She could her him laughing. The damned tease.
"I'm glad you think that way, most women get tired of it", Vader replied.
"Oh, I doubt that very much. Not that I want to hear about you with other women, I just know you're a gods damned lady killer", Padmé remarked, her voice full of mirth.
"A lady killer huh? I like the sound of that, it's better than being called an actual killer", Vader mused.
"Of that, I'm certain you're good at as well. You did serve in the military after all", Padmé replied. "Do you still get to fight as a contractor or is your job strictly administrative?"
There was a slight pause.
"Let's just say that I do get to fight from time to time", Vader replied honestly.
That was curious. She wondered if him being a contractor meant he was some form of special operations for the Empire. It would certainly make sense given that he traveled a lot before being assigned to the Senate.
"I imagine you're quite good at it", Padmé said softly.
There was another pause. Maybe this topic was a little too sensitive for him to be discussing during their lighthearted banter.
"Let's just say I've never met an opponent that's gotten the best of me. Sure, I get hurt from time to time, but that's why I'm so damned scarred. When the time is right, you'll see even more scars", Vader said. Padmé detected a little bit of apprehension in his voice. Was he embarrassed by his scars, or did he wear them proudly?
"I think scars can be sexy", Padmé said. "Especially when the man who's wearing them is drop dead handsome like you are."
"Now that's good to know, just how handsome am I to you?", Vader asked, this time his full confidence returning. Good, she didn't want him to feel uncomfortable at all.
"Very handsome, you flirt", Padmé replied. "Is someone fishing for compliments or is it just me?"
"I never fish for compliments; I fish for women that give them. Especially a sexy woman such as yourself. A woman that I want to be mine", Vader said boldly.
Now that was a kriffing turn on.
"You want me to be yours?", Padmé asked.
"Yes, and I want to be yours", Vader replied.
Something about that was a complete turn on for Padmé. She never had a man that said that he wanted to be hers. The thought of possessing a man like Anakin was so damned hot.
"I think that can be arranged", Padmé agreed in a small voice.
"Good, that pleases me. You want to please me, don't you?"
"Of course, I do", Padmé said shyly.
"Excellent, I think that you'll find that especially pleasurable for you as well", Vader replied.
Oh gods, make it stop. She took a big gulp of her wine to try and settle her nerves.
"Well, I guess I'll just have to find out, Anakin. It's curious. You can be a gentleman and a massive flirt at the same time. I've never come across a man with that ability before", she explained. "Maybe it's because you're so damned confident, or maybe it's something else. But whatever it is, don't stop being you."
"I won't. I'm not sure where it comes from either, it must be a natural born gift. I'm not this way all of the time. Confident yes, but not such a flirt. Maybe it has something to do with you instead of me", he said. "In fact, I think it definitely is you.
"I'm honored to be receiving it", Padmé said with a yawn.
"Getting sleepy?"
"I am, which is unfortunate. I'd like to talk with you for hours."
"Same here, but we both have jobs that are taxing. Why don't we end it here on a good note and maybe we can chat more later?"
"That sounds like a wonderful idea. I hope you rest well, Anakin."
"Same to you, Padmé."
The transmission was cut and Padmé set her comms down on her nightstand and shook her head. She most certainly was getting in over her head with this man and it was wonderful. He was a keeper, she just hoped she could actually pull it off. In most of her relationships it had been the man that had broken up with her for some reason that she never could figure out. Was it because she was too timid at times? Maybe, but Anakin seemed to like timid women for some reason.
It wasn't that she was timid in other areas of her life. During the Clone Wars, she had been shot at and fought in various battles when she would go out on diplomatic missions that had went south. There was no question that she was a brave woman, but for some reason that didn't translate over to men. Maybe that was for the best though, maybe she was destined to be with Anakin. Only time would tell though.
…..
Vader set down his comms and finished his bourbon. That nice long chat with Padmé filled him with vigor. She was certainly someone special. It made him feel a little guilty that he was concealing himself as under his former name. He had no clue how she would react once she eventually found out the truth. It was an undesirable thought, making him wish that he didn't have to play this secret spy game. There was no sign of subterfuge in this woman, making it even more difficult for him to think of revealing himself as Darth Vader.
But maybe it would work out. When she had asked him about still being in combat, he had told her the truth. Hell, most things aside from being a contractor was the truth in a certain point of view. It wasn't like he was giving her false compliments or anything, he was being completely honest about that.
However, there was the fact that he was arresting senators that she knew. There was the possibility that she would be very upset with that once she found out, but treason was treason. There wasn't any room in the Empire for that, but if she truly was a loyal supporter to the Empire, then that shouldn't be a complete shock to her. She may even feel some sense of pride that the fools that she interacted with on a daily basis were caught red handed in aiding the Rebellion.
Shaking off those thoughts, he shifted in his bed, laying his head down on his pillows. Damn the Rebellion and all of those who partook in it.
A/N: If you liked this chapter, please consider dropping a review and following!