A/N: Thank you for the wonderful reviews! Sorry this is so late, there's continued family drama that will likely extend for several months until everything is finalized. But that being said, please enjoy this next chapter!

A week had past for the newfound lovers, both seeing each other on a daily basis. Padmé was becoming more enamored with Anakin with each passing day, learning more and more about him through their relationship. She had learned that when he was a mere boy on Tatooine, he had been a pod racer, flying ships daringly at Mos Espa. Of course, she kicked herself for not running into him when she had to flee Naboo and then travel to Tatooine for a part to fix her ship. This would have been a great time for them to have met, but fate works out in the most mysterious ways. Anakin had soothed her, telling her that they were with each other at the moment and that was all that mattered. She also learned that he had been a slave during his tenure on Tatooine, which was remarkable given his station in life now. The fact that someone could pick themselves up after that was merely a sign of true stamina.

Of course, she had let Anakin know more about her. How she had studied for politics at a young age, becoming the youngest queen in Naboo's history, which was a blessing and a curse. She detailed her experiences in the clone wars, telling him that half the time she went on diplomatic missions she would normally get herself in trouble, making for an interesting time. Anakin was oddly shy about sharing his experiences in the clone wars, which may have been understandable given the scars on his body, but he had explained a few. The large bite mark on his shoulder was from a Trandoshan, who figured that he could take him down with his teeth but failed. He also detailed various encounters with terrifying beasts, slaying them without a mere thought. She wondered why a Republic officer during the clone wars would be put in those positions. The large burn mark on his chest and back was when his star fighter was hit, causing him to crash land on a planet. Those details terrified her for him, but he assured her that he was fine, just rattled from the experiences for a while.

Vader told partial truths, not wanting to lie to Padmé about different experiences that he had anymore than he had to. He didn't want his eventual unveiling to be a complete lie to Padmé, needing to mitigate some of the damages that it would cause. He found himself genuinely beginning to care for her in the most wonderful of ways, which again went against the very nature of a Sith Lord, but to hell with that. He was still human, still had basic needs for companionship, even if it went against what his master would want.

Speaking of his master, he was largely left alone to his own devices after his torture the previous week. It had been amazing to him that there hadn't been anymore micromanaging with this assignment, but what did he know. Sidious was a random individual, striking at the unpredictable times that he could. He was a madman after all.

"What do you think of this dress, Anakin?", Padmé asked as they lazily got ready for the day.

Anakin looked over his shoulder, and Padmé blushed as his eyes roamed her body. Seriously, after all this time together she could still become shy from his very eyes looking at her.

"I think it looks great. The blue provides a good contrast between your hair and your eyes", Vader said.

"Well, then I guess it's settled then, darling", Padmé replied.

They were late for work again, but since they didn't technically have anyone to report to per se, it didn't matter to them. Anakin got up and helped her zip up her dress.

"You know it goes against my very nature to zip up a dress for you", he whispered seductively into her ear. Padmé felt her knees grow weak at the flirt and knew that he wasn't joking around.

"More of that will come later tonight, Anakin", Padmé said, her voice quivering. Damn, she had it bad for him. She never had a man in her life that could be so intoxicating, so relentless in his overtures.

"Alright, my Angel", Vader whispered again as he zipped up her dress.

She looked at him and he was already dressed in his normal attire, which she always considered attractive but a bit odd.

"Is what you wear to work required as a contractor?", she asked.

"No, I just prefer to walk around with a little ominous flare. It keeps some people that I don't want to talk to away, but entices others like you", Vader said. "It's not like I don't have anything a bit normal to wear as you've seen when we've gone on dates and to the gala, but it works for me."

"Speaking of which, what was that military insignia you were wearing when we were at the gala? I don't believe I've ever seen something of that nature before", Padmé remarked.

Anakin paused a moment before speaking.

"It's just a part of being a military contractor. As I'm sure you've guessed, the nature of some of my previous assignments until the senate have been a little, hostile", Vader said.

"I knew it!", Padmé exclaimed. "You're some form of special operations aren't you?" It explained a lot. The way he still carried himself as a soldier, how he would still fly star fighter, and many other details that only someone with continued combat experiences would have.

"Nothing that glamorous, but in a sense, yes", Vader laughed. "That's why this landlocked assignment irked me at first until I met you that is."

Padmé resisted the urge to gasp. "So you're saying that your content with your new assignment, staying away from a life of excitement because of me?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying", Vader remarked with a grin.

That made Padmé's heartbeat just a little faster. He was willing to give up something he loved by being with her. Most men wouldn't do that, especially if they were in a combat role. Padmé wanted to ask if his missions were against the Rebellion, but chose not to bring up the topic. The less she pretended to care about the Rebellion with him the better.

"Well, thank you for caring for me like that, Anakin", Padmé said as she looked down in embarrassment.

Anakin boldly lifted her chin up to where she was looking into his eyes and gently kissed her, causing a flurry of emotions to run through her mind.

"As I've said before, don't get shy with me, Angel", Vader whispered.

Padmé didn't respond, she just grabbed the back of his head and pulled him down for a throbbing kiss. Moaning as Vader expertly worked his lips over hers, she pressed herself against his body, wrapping her arms around his neck and tingling when he wrapped his around her waist, pulling her even closer to him.

When the broke from the kiss, Padmé just kept staring into his piercing golden eyes. "I guess I almost got you to unzip me", she whispered.

"Almost is putting it mildly", Vader chuckled. "You don't know how irresistible that you can be."

Padmé's mouth dropped open just a bit from Anakin's confession. "I suppose that's a good thing."

"It really is, Angel", Vader replied. "Now, let's go to work. It's nearly nine thirty and I'm certain that we both have an abysmal amount of work to do."

"I suppose you're right", Padmé sighed. "Maybe one of these days you and I could take a vacation somewhere."

"That would be good", Vader agreed after a brief pause.

They walked to the veranda and kissed each other goodbye as they got into their separate speeders. Padmé knew that Anakin would beat her to the Senate, which wasn't a bad thing, she just knew that she couldn't fly her speeder the way he flew his. It took skill, and she knew her place that she wasn't skilled enough to perform the death defying feats like he could.

After a while, she made it to the Senate and walked to her office, her mind still caught up in thoughts about Anakin. He was becoming her life, the reason she wanted to exist. Never had she felt such feelings about a man before. It was almost enough to want to make her quit the Rebellion just so she wouldn't have to keep the secret from him any longer, but she just couldn't abandon her work. It was too important, too serious for the fate of the galaxy. Regardless that Anakin worked for the Empire, it was still an evil totalitarian regime, one that had to be stopped. The Rebellion needed her, and she was duty bound just as Anakin was.

Walking into her office, she saw Dormé plugging away at her work. "Good morning, Dormé", Padmé said cheerfully.

"Well, look who finally made it into work. I suppose that's alright; you do stay late in the evenings. The galaxy is balancing you out", Dormé said.

Padmé shook her head amusedly. "It isn't like I'm shirking my duties; I just am infatuated by Anakin. We love to take our time in the morning and spend every extra minute that we can with one another."

"Ah, young love. I need to find my own prince charming to woo me off of my feet", Dormé chuckled. "I don't think I've ever had a prince charming, so I'm a tad bit jealous."

"Oh, don't be jealous, I'm sure you'll find one soon", Padmé replied as she sat down at her desk. She nearly let out a groan at the new stack of pads, waiting for her to review them. This was a never ending bitch. Placing her head in her hands she resisted the urge to scream in frustration. No, that wouldn't do anything. She was late, so she would have to stay late. Picking up a pad, she got to work.

….

Sitting in his office chair, Vader pulled up his latest reports and noticed one labeled Tatooine Outpost Destroyed. A pit of dread formed in his stomach and he opened the message. Fuck! The entire base was obliterated. A near by Star Destroyer had picked up a distress single, but by the time they reached that hellhole of a planet, the outpost was completely destroyed with no survivors.

This had to stop and it had to stop now. Vader was completely incensed that the Rebellion was able to attack his installations and shipyards with impunity. There was only one way to put an end to this and he would do it now. Jumping out of his chair, he stalked to the security office.

As usual, the troopers sprung to attention.

"Bail Organa. Arrest him and put him in interrogation room one. Right this instant, but do it quietly", he commanded.

"Right away, sir!" two of the troopers said.

Vader went back to his office and brooded. This was a disaster, an absolute disaster. Sure, the outpost on Tatooine held little strategic outpost, but the men stationed there had been slaughtered. It wasn't right, there would have to be a price paid for it as well. A steep one at that. Getting out of his chair, he paced around his office, livid that at himself for not arresting Bail Organa sooner. The insignificant fool hadn't led him to any additional operatives within the Empire, making this a colossal fuck up that he was partly to blame for.

Why in the hell was this man such a fool as not to leave the planet after numerous of his colleagues had gone missing? Did he think that he was untouchable? He must have because he was idiotic enough to continue him operations with the Rebellion instead of laying low or again, fleeing the planet. Dammit!

Vader's comms chimed. "What?", he barked into it.

"Milord, the prisoner is in interrogation room one as requested", a trooper said.

Vader cut the transmission and stalked to the interrogation room, ensuring his hood was fully up and lightsaber were present. He would make a mess of things today and have to get a confession from this Alderaanian bastard. Fucking pacifists his ass. They were far from pacifist for giving orders for his men to be killed.

Upon entering the interrogation room, he saw Bail Organa strapped to the table, his head directly in front of him.

"Whoever this is, I'm a leading senator and this won't be tolerated. I have not been accused with a crime, so arresting me in such a fashion is illegal and distasteful", Organa said.

Vader clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth in irritation. "Senator Organa, you fully know why you're here. In fact, this shouldn't be a surprise at all to you.", he hissed.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about. Who are you?", Organa inquired.

Vader stepped slowly around into Organa's field of vision. "You know who I am. I'm the harbinger of your doom. The man that will take you to pain in an instant, if you don't answer my questions at once."

"I've never seen you before in my life!", Organa wailed. "Again, you have no right to arrest a senator. This is outrageous and preposterous. I demand to be brought before a tribunal at once."

"Another one of your colleagues requested the same thing, but they were shown no mercy. For me to have you arrested so swiftly shouldn't be a surprise. But let's get into that later. Do you know who I am?", Vader inquired.

"You're Darth Vader", Organa whispered. "But this isn't possible, you're supposed to be out in the fleets not the senate."

"Trust me, I would rather be with my fleets, but there isn't a damn thing I can do about that until I find every single treasonous senator in this gods damned building, you ass", Vader growled. "Then and only then will I return to my fleets to hunt down your little fleet you and your organization have amassed. Do you understand where I am coming from?"

"No, I don't understand. I've done nothing wrong!", Organa exclaimed. "All I've done is serve the Republic and now the Empire as a senator, that's it."

Vader noticed Organa trying to shift in his restraints, but it would do him no good. The interrogation slab was cold and made from durasteel. It had to be completely uncomfortable and inspire nothing but fear. Hell, the entire room was cold and made from durasteel, giving it a sterile environment.

"Fine, how about a taste of pain", Vader said.

With a pinch of his fingers, he snapped all of the bones in the Senator's right wrist. As predicted, the Senator screamed out in pain from the aggressive move. Trembling from fear and pain.

"That's only a small bit of pain I can give to you, Senator. In fact, it can get a hundred times worse than this. I could leave you as a corpse, or I could make you crippled to rot in a cold dungeon for the rest of your pathetic life", Vader hissed. "The choice is yours. If you want to be in excruciating pain, then you can keep ignoring the fact that you have been nothing but a traitor to the Empire. Now, start talking."

"I don't know what you're talking about", Organa said quietly. "I'm just a senator, nothing more."

"Good. Some more pain then", Vader remarked.

Making a claw out of his fists, Vader began choking the life out of Organa slowly. Watching his face turn red, then to purple as vital oxygen was cut off to his throat. It was a pleasurable sight, one that made Vader chuckle at, for this man deserved no pity, no quarter. He only deserved pain and then possibly death or imprisonment. Finally, Vader released the pressure on Organa's trachea, allowing him to breathe.

"That's what happens when you continue to lie to me, Senator. You get brought to the very point of death. How you choose the end of your life is up to you. Now, tell me about the raid on Tatooine as well as the shipyards in Kuat that were destroyed", Vader growled. "This is your final warning before I decide to get even more creative with my punishments."

Organa swallowed and remained silent.

Vader sighed and began plucking the fingernails off each finger with pinching motions, listening to the man's screams get louder and louder.

"Please, Milord. Show mercy", Organa wailed.

"No mercy for traitors, Senator", Vader spat. "In fact, you deserve some more pain for that remark alone."

Making a fist, Vader snapped Organa's tibia and fibula in his left leg. Again, the Senator howled in pain, the room echoing in his screams. It was vaguely annoying at this point, but Vader knew that the screaming would become ear shattering if Organa kept this up.

"Don't act like that was a surprising move, Senator. I would merely prefer it if you told me the truth, but no, you have to continue this outright lie to me. I detest cowards who use their position in the government to attempt to overthrow it. In fact, it detests me so much that I've killed senators for it. Only a couple of made it into the deepest and coldest cells under the palace, but they're still alive. Don't you wish to live? Or is your sense of self preservation painstakingly inadequate?", Vader inquired. "Answer me gods dammit! Causing the Senator to flinch at the last.

"I want to live, but you have the wrong person. This has to be a mistake, it just has to be", Organa remarked.

"Don't continue these lies Senator. They're unbecoming of you and a waste or my time", Vader said. "Remember, you hold your own fate in your hands. I can feel the bones I've broke radiate pain up and down your limbs, slowly torturing you to be the point of agony. Do the right thing and your injuries can be mended before your incarceration, or continue and become a limbless corps."

Organa began hyperventilating in fear, giving Vader a perverse pleasure knowing that he was the one who caused it. The bastard was afraid, truly afraid.

"I should have fled the system a week ago", Organa mumbled. "I shouldn't have listened to her."

"Who is her?", Vader demanded. "Whisper the name and you'll be set free to live in your cell."

"I can't and I won't!", Organa screamed.

"And here I thought we were making progress", Vader said with a roll of his eyes. He waived his hand and the ribs on the right side of the Senator shattered, piercing the lungs causing blood to seep out of his mouth.

"Turn your head or you'll choke on your own blood", Vader said.

The Senator wasn't even screaming at this point, he was in shock, but the screaming would soon return as the shock wore off.

"I know this is painful, I've had broken ribs before as well, but it was in combat, not because I neglected my duties and betrayed my oaths. That's a completely foolish reason to have your bones broken. Now, tell me who she is before I inflict even more pain", Vader said calmly. He was close to a confession, he just knew it.

"Go to hell", Organa rasped.

Vader laughed. "As I told one of your counterparts, we're already there. Say the name and the truth will set you free."

"I don't know a name", Organa said. "I'm a loyal senator to the Empire and again of done nothing wrong."

In a flash, Vader whipped out his lightsaber and snapped it on, driving the blade into the Senator's left rib. The stench of burned flesh filling the air.

"I can do much worse than that!", Vader roared. "You already told me that you should have not listened to a woman and left the planet, but now you've recanted that statement, making your position futile." Seriously, the man had no common sense to realize he wasn't going to get out of this room alive if he continued to feed him bullshit.

"I can't tell you what I don't know, gods dammit!", Organa cried. "If I knew, I'd tell you just to make this stop. There is no woman, there is no one that I have confined in or conspired with. There is no conspiracy against the Empire that I'm aware of. If you've arrested other senators, then I don't know who they are."

He's protecting her, Vader thought. But why? Who is this woman to him if he isn't going to turn her name over to him, even under an immense amount of pain? Someone obviously important to him and the Rebellion, but it was driving Vader insane not knowing. He had to know, he just had to find out. This woman was the final link to the Rebellion's presence in the Senate.

Without a word, Vader severed the Senator's right leg just below the knee.

Organa screamed bloody murder for several minutes from shock and pain that he had lost a leg. The stump kicked around for a while as if the man was trying to feel the rest of the leg, hoping that it hadn't been real.

"Ideally you would have spoken by now, but I can see that is not in the cards. I will continue to carve you up until I get a name. Then and only then will I speak again", Vader said. He quickly severed the other leg just below the knee, causing a similar reaction to the last.

Uncaring about the screeching in pain and terror, Vader moved to the Senator's hands, slicing them off one at a time. Listening to them drop to the floor. The wounds were cauterized, but there was still some blood pouring out of them and onto Vader's boots. He most certainly would have to shower and change when this was over.

"Please, please stop this", Organa begged.

Vader paid him no attention and severed the left arm off at the shoulder. A new cry of terror and pain filled the air, making the Senator wither around on the slab as if he was trying to escape. But there would be no escape. Calmly waling around to the other side of the slab, Vader sliced off the other arm at the should as well. He was running out of limbs to sever, just the remainder of his legs.

"I can't tell you what I don't know", Organa cried. "Please, I swear, I don't know what to say. There is no woman, there's just me. I confess, I'm part of the Rebellion. You've captured all of the senators that are a part of the organization."

Vader severed the other two legs at the hip. The man was now limbless, completely immobile.

"I will take an eye for your lie", Vader snarled. He made a fist and the Senator's left eye exploded. "This is all of your fault! You will not be able to continue this lie much longer. I will kill you if I have to, then I will set my sights on finding a female senator that is the traitor towards the Empire."

"You'll never find her. She's too good to be detected, even for you", Organa choked out. "You've probably met her before, but couldn't detect any deception. This is why you'll never find her. You're too blind to see her."

"Then you've chosen death", Vader spat.

"N-No!"

It was too late. Vader's lightsaber swung down and cleanly severed the head, letting it roll off the table and onto the floor.

Irritated, Vader kicked the lifeless head across the room and left the interrogation chamber.

"Clean that mess up", he commanded to a Stormtrooper before he walked back to his office, completely frustrated.

He went into his personal fresher and snapped on the water before undressing, taking his utility belt with its lightsaber off and tossing it into his office where it landed with a loud clank on the table. Stepping into the hot shower, he washed himself carefully so there would be no stench of burned flesh and not even a speck of blood.

Vader was entirely frustrated. He had been so close to obtaining a name for the bitch who had evaded him. What did Organa mean that he didn't detect her? He hadn't interacted with many women at all at the Senate save for Padmé, and he was certain that she wasn't the traitor. No, it couldn't be her. There's no way she would be that bold in lying to him about that, even if she just knew him as a contractor, a special operations contractor at that. She didn't try and pump him for information or for anything other than his supposed job. A crafty operative would have done that. The only emotions he felt from her were honesty and love.

Pounding the shower wall in anger, Vader snapped off the water and changed into his spare attire, hiding his lightsaber in his tunic. He went to his desk and began pulling up the profiles of all of the female senators, combing through each one with precision. It took him several hours but nothing at all stood out to him as unusual. Fuck. He was out of leads. Out of everything Was this project an entire failure? No, but it wasn't a complete success either. There was still at least one more person, a woman, that was a Rebel operative and it would drive him to insanity until he found her.

….

Pushing away from her desk for a moment, Padmé yawned and stretched. This was something out of a damned nightmare. She had made only a dent in the pads she was to review, irking her to no end. Whoever thought to dump this much work on a senator should be shot. There wasn't a chance in hell that she would be able to complete this work in a timely manner, let alone at all. There would always be a backlog, which may very well be something that she should get used to.

But what of the Rebellion? To her knowledge, it was just her and Bail that were left, but she couldn't confirm that as they purposely limited the information on who was an operative in the senate from one another in case of interrogation. She had no way of telling if there were more senators, not even a clue. Maybe she should speak to Bail and get a reorganization of the arrangement so they could leverage their resources in a more proactive manner.

"I'm going to go for a little walk, Dormé. I need to decompress for a moment. Keep an eye on things while I'm gone", Padmé said.

"Of course, Padmé", Dormé replied.

Padmé walked towards Bail's office and tried to formulate her words as to how she would convince Bail of her idea of a reorganization of the operatives. She knew that he wouldn't like it, there were just too many reasons why it could go wrong, far too many, but they would soon turn into a lame duck insurgency if they didn't do anything proactive.

Rounding the corner to Bail's office, she saw Stormtroopers posted on the outside and momentarily froze. This was a bad sign, a very bad sign. She continued to walk at a leisurely pace, trying not to draw any attention. When she passed the office, out of the corner of her eye she saw officers searching through various spaces. Shit, Bail had been snatched up by the Empire. A wave of fear crashed into her. If he spilled her name, she would be next. Don't panic, she told herself. Bail is a competent operative, he wouldn't crack under interrogation methods easily. In fact, that's why he was chosen to be the lead operative.

She continued to walk past the office with a neutral expression on her face where she rounded another corner in the maze that was the Senate that would lead her back to her own office. A million and one thoughts ran through her head on what she should do. Run? Stay? No, running would be too suspicious and would place her family's lives in jeopardy. On the other hand, staying could make her the target for the next arrest. She had nothing at home or in her office that would tie her to the Rebellion. She had destroyed everything in her possession after Mon's arrest. There were no notes, no insignias, no pads with information, nothing.

But whoever was interrogating the operatives was good, otherwise he or she wouldn't have been able to gut their organization so easily. Damn, this was just horrendous and Padmé felt guilty for trying to shame Bail into staying so they could continue their operations. She wondered if he was in a cold prison cell or if he had been executed by now. Shit, she didn't want to be executed either, but gods dammit she still had a job to do.

Rounding another corner, she found herself back at her office and entered, trying to maintain her composure in front of her handmaiden.

"Did you have a good little walk, Padmé?", Dormé asked.

"What?", Padmé asked sharply. "Oh, yes. I did. Thank you for covering for me, Dormé."

The handmaiden looked at her with a flash of curiosity in her eyes for the briefest of moments. "Not a problem, Padmé. I'm always happy to help."

"Thank you, now let's get this abysmal work finished so we can go home", Padmé remarked, mainly to herself.

"You mean so you can go spend more quality time with Anakin", Dormé smirked.

"Yes, that too", Padmé chuckled. "He does provide the satisfactory stress relief that a girl working in this hellhole needs."

"Oh, come now, Padmé", Dormé giggled. "We both know he does more than that for you. He's the real deal and you enjoy the hell out of having him for that reason alone."

"I suppose you're right about that", Padmé said as nearly became lost in her thoughts about the gentleman that she met in the most unflattering of ways. Damn he had been so understanding that night. Just thinking about that was nearly enough to get her mind off of Bail for the moment. Nearly. That was still a cluster that had yet to unfold itself and baring any last minute changes in the interrogators satisfaction that the operatives were snuffed out, she too could be arrested at a moments notice. Damn.

….

Not being able to succeed at a mission always put Vader in a foul mood. He had raked his brain nearly all day trying to think of who this female operative could be. It baffled him that he could not locate a shred of evidence of said operative or even remember meeting someone that Bail had seen him with, but he didn't detect any subterfuge from.

Slamming his fists against his desk, he stood up and began pacing back and forth in his office like a rabid animal, pissed that it lost its prey. There has to be a missing link, something that he was blatantly ignoring or being to ignorant to which made him doubt his ability to think rationally. Maybe this spy shit wasn't meant for someone like him. He was Darth fucking Vader, not an ISB agent. His purpose was to fight in ground combat, pilot his Tie Fighter, or command his fleets. It wasn't to sniff out senators that were disloyal to the Empire. Sidious was a fool to give him this assignment. A fool and a damned egotistical bastard.

Had he done an admirable job in ratting out most of the treasonous bastards? Yes, he had. But it was this last target, this woman who he had met that was driving him insane. What was he to do? Go and meet every woman in the Senate and try and find out if they had anything to hide via a mental probe? That would take days if not weeks, but Vader didn't have weeks. Days maybe, or Sidious would wonder why there had been no more arrests. Could he lie to Sidious and tell him that he learned of no further operatives in the Senate? Possibly. It wouldn't be very difficult, his mental barriers protected Sidious from snatching things from his mind, but that would still make a farce out of his skills. In short, his pride would be irrevocably damaged.

Gods dammit, if only he could talk about this with Padmé. She might be able to provide some perspective given that she was a loyal subject to the Empire, but he couldn't. He would have to break his cover as Anakin Skywalker and reveal himself as Darth Vader, which she wasn't ready for, not yet at least. Damn, he needed her badly. She was able to sooth him, make him feel at peace, something that no other woman that he ever had was able to do. This made the assignment that much more difficult as he had to eventually crush her heart by telling her that he had essentially been lying to her the entire time she was with him. That he was the maniacal Darth Vader, the ghoulish man that was a rumor to most people. To hell with it all.

….

Who could this damned interrogator be? Bail was right, there was a spy in the midst of things and a good one at that. Someone who mastered the art of subterfuge and extracting information from a subject. But no one in the Senate was capable of that. Of course, Bail had always suspected Anakin, but there was no way he was that nefarious. Was he private about certain things that were in his past? Yes, but so was she. Sure, he was special operations of some sort, but if he was a civilian contractor then that would be more of an advisory role than a counterintelligence role.

No, the spy had to be someone else. A senator that had been a sleeper cell within the Senate, providing information to the ISB for follow up. That was the most likely scenario, the most probable in fact, but who could this senator be? They were so careful in their recruitment and bifurcation of duties within their operations that it would be nearly impossible for them to be detected. Hell, they had gone two and a half years without being caught by anyone, let alone a damned ISB agent.

Anakin knew the inner workings of the Imperial military, so she wished that she could probe him out for information on what he might have heard about senators being snatched. No, that would only make herself suspicious to him. He was still an Imperial through and through and if he was in some clandestine unit, he would be zealous about his duties to the Empire.

There had to be something she was overlooking, some type of operative that was the one behind all of this nonsense. She had to worst case scenario this entire shit show in order to see clearly through the fog. What if it was Anakin? He certainly had the skillsets to provide counterintelligence for the ISB, and his guise as a military contractor would put him in great contact with various senators. Hell, it had put him in contact with her on a chance meeting, but if he was so good at his job, then why in the hell had he not detected her as an operative. Why hadn't other operatives that had been interrogated not pointed the finger at her? Was it possible that he was so clouded in his relationship with her that he simply couldn't believe that she was an operative? No, it couldn't be. A man like him was too disciplined, too zealot in his purposes to simply let his judgement be clouded in such a way. There had to be someone else, it couldn't be Anakin. Not the man she was falling in love with.

Resisting the urge to groan, she grabbed a pad and kept working, trying to keep her mind off of this new awful development in the Empire's hunt for treasonous senators.

….

Vader stalked towards Padmé's office late into the evening after spending too many hours obsessing over the possibilities of female operatives within the Senate. Ultimately he was tired and just wanted to see the object of his affections and leave this damned place. While he was most certainly still interested in putting together the facts, he needed to clear his mind for the rest of the evening and have a distraction that would refresh him for the morning. Of course, she was more than a distraction, she was someone that he had developed genuine feelings for, making her someone unique. Dammit, was he falling in love with her? Fuck, he didn't know, he didn't know what loving a woman was. When he had been taken from his mother many years ago, he felt love for her and knew that she loved him, but that was a different kind of love.

With a great sigh he ran a hand through his dark blond locks of hair as he approached her office, hoping that she would still be there plugging away at her work. He keyed the control to her door and they silently slid open and sure enough, there she was with her head buried in a pad, scrolling through it and soaking up as much information as possible. That was dedication, a slight obsessive maybe, but hell Vader was no stranger to obsessions. Growing up under the tutelage of Sidious meant that he had to be zealous in his training, from enduring pain as a small boy to learning how to spy for Sidious during the war with the CIS and then finally donning the title as Darth Vader. Obsessions were his life.

"Angel, it's well past quitting time", Vader said in a soft voice. He wasn't her commander, she didn't need to be ordered around.

He inwardly smiled as Padmé looked up at him with a gasp. Why she would always be surprised by him was humorous, even though he did it nearly every day they went to the Senate.

"Anakin", she said warmly as she stood up and rounded the desk. "I've been thinking about you."

They embraced and gave each other a quick peck on the lips.

"I've been thinking about you too, Angel. Today has been a challenging one, but it's finally over", Vader remarked.

"Yes, challenging is a way to put it", Padmé sighed.

What was that Vader detected? Concern? Fear? Why would she be feeling those emotions? Her job was stressful, but mundane. It wasn't like she was getting into battles, she was doing administrative work and preparing for speeches to give before the Senate.

"Well, it's over now. Come on, we need to get back to your apartment for a diversion", Vader smirked.

Padmé raised an eyebrow and grinned. "And just what type of diversion where you thinking about, Anakin Skywalker?" She clung to his robes and looked up at him with parted lips.

"I think you know", Vader replied. "The kind that makes our hearts beat faster and makes us sleep for hours afterwards." He bent down and gave her a gentle but passionate kiss, tasting her sweet lips and feeling her body absolutely melt to him.

"You always know just what to say", Padmé whispered.

"It comes easy to me when I'm with you", Vader replied. Honestly, it really did. He always had a knack with talking to women, but with her it was more natural.

Padmé blushed and buried her face into his chest for a moment before picking her head back up to look at him with a smile. "Let's get out of here then."

Vader pulled back from her and offered her his arm as they began to walk towards their speeders for what was surely to be a wonderful night.

….

There was nothing better than the feeling of being slammed back onto the bed after having your clothes stripped off of you, Padmé thought as Anakin attacked her neck with his teeth and lips. Moaning loudly she wrapped her hand in the long trusses of his hair and made a fist, encouraging him even further, well, not that he needed much encouragement at all.

"Anakin", she gasped as his teeth grazed a particularly sensitive portion of her neck.

He just hummed as he continued his delicate work driving her mad with lust, and he was really good at it. She had never taken a lover such as him. Bold yet subtle, rough yet sweet. How he was able to be the polar opposites of one another at the same time was utterly baffling to her.

Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as Anakin's rough hands hoisted her up to where she was straddling him so he could tenderly such on her breasts. "Oh, gods Anakin, you know I can't resist you when you do that."

"Then don't resist it", Vader chuckled as he continued his work. What an ass.

"Don't you think I've had enough torture?", Padmé asked as she squirmed atop his lap, trying to align herself just right to finally feel some relief, but failing.

"Not just yet, Angel", Vader growled. "You need to be patient when it comes to this, it makes it that much more worth it in the long run."

Patience, hell, she didn't want to be patient, she wanted him now. That very second. "Anakin, if you just let me, I promise it'll be even more fantastic", she whined.

"Really?", Vader asked seductively. "And what do you propose?"

"This!", Padmé exclaimed as she shoved him onto his back and quickly mounted him causing them both to groan out in pleasure.

"I can see what you were getting at", Vader rasped between clenched teeth. "Maybe this wasn't a bad idea of yours after all."

Padmé chuckled shortly. "I knew you'd see things my way." She slowly glided up and down on him, taking every single pleasurable inch at a time. Damn, this is just what she needed after such a stressful day at the Senate.

"When have I ever not seen things your way?", Vader protested as he gripped her hips in frustration at the slow pace that she was moving up and down.

"Just a minute ago, darling", Padmé purred. "And all of the other times you've made me beg for it." Seriously, he couldn't be that dense, it was likely just the agonizing torture she was inflicting upon him. The base passion that she felt for him was mind boggling, and she knew he felt the same for her. It was like they were both built for each other, destined to be together.

"I suppose that's fair", Vader growled. Oh no, she pushed him too far. Now she was about to pay the price.

In a flash, she was flipped onto her back with him above her, a victorious smirk spread across his face. "I believe you were saying something about begging for it, Angel", he smirked as he thrusted into her at even a slower pace than she did to him.

"I misjudged you", Padmé wailed as she withered underneath him. "Please, Anakin. Please don't torture me."

Vader clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth. "I'll show you the same mercy that you showed me, Angel." Shit! She was kriffed. Staring up into his golden eyes she felt exposed, bare, vulnerable and she loved every second of it.

Then his desire must have given way to something else as his thrusts became more profound, more powerful. Her moans turned into cries as she wrapped her legs around his waist instinctively. She clawed at his back relentlessly, showing him just how hard he was taking her.

Without a second thought, she craned her neck up and bit him on his collarbone which elicited a surprised cry from him. The thrusting only increased after that, except his forehead was now pressed against hers, his golden eyes an inch away from her chocolate ones.

The intensity of the act was far too much, so she closed her eyes. Suddenly, he stopped.

"What? Why?", she pleaded.

"Keep your eyes open", Vader growled.

"Okay", she whispered meekly as she opened them back up just for him to resume his trusting. "Oh, Force, please give me more!"

Anakin chuckled darkly and continued to pound himself into her as hard as possible. The friction was delightful, the intensity almost unbearable. This was base pleasure at its finest.

"Ani, please keep going!", Padmé yelped.

For the briefest of seconds, Anakin stopped and looked at her with ferocity. Padmé wondered if she had said something wrong, but then he continued as if nothing happened, delighting her to no end.

Soon, she heard his breathing become heavy and his powerful arms began to tremble. She bucked her hips wildly and placed her hand at the base of his neck, encouraging him on even further. It didn't take long before she felt herself come close to her own climax.

"Fuck!", she cried out as her peak roared through her like a damned battlecruiser going through hyperspace. Her entire body quivered and she convulsed into pure bliss. Her mind became discombobulated but she vaguely felt him continue to hammer into her like there was no tomorrow, sending more pulses throughout her entire body.

Anakin growled and grunted as he reached his own peak, threatening to overwhelm her with his pulses deep within her.

Soon, they both laid still with him still on top of her. She felt him bend his head down and capture her lips in a fiery kiss, her senses too dulled to keep up with the movements of his lips and tongue. It was insatiable, unimaginable.

After a minute, Anakin ceased his kisses and rolled off of her, leaving her feeling cold without his warm embrace. She instinctively rolled to her side to clutch him for dear life, not wanting any separation to come between them even for an instant.

Padmé lifted her head and kissed his cheek and lips tenderly, thanking him for the wonderful performance.

"Are you alright?", she whispered.

"I'm alright, are you?", he countered.

"I'm better than alright", she said hesitantly. "When I called you Ani, why did you stop?" There were nervous butterflies in her stomach as she asked the question.

Anakin sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

"Go on, you can tell me", Padmé encouraged. "I didn't mean to offend you, it just seemed right at the time to call you that."

She saw Anakin swallow and could tell that she had entered a forbidden territory.

"Ani was the nickname my mother called me when I was young", Vader admitted.

"Oh. I'm so sorry", Padmé said as she wiped a tear off her face.

"No, Angel", Vader said as he rolled to his side and looked at her in her eyes. "There was no way you could have known, and it was endearing to hear the name again."

"I know, but I don't want there to be anything to come between us", Padmé sniffled. Seriously, the last thing she wanted was to have her lover angered at her for something she said in the midst of passion.

"There's nothing to come between us in that regard, Angel", Vader said reassuringly. To emphasize the point he planted a firm kiss on her lips.

"Okay", she whispered. "I just wanted to make sure."

"It's alright, Angel. Nothing to make sure of. If that's what you want to call me, then I'm fine with it", Vader promised.

Padmé blushed and smiled. "Alright, Ani."

"Good. Now let's get some sleep as we both know that the morning will come too soon", Vader replied.

Settling under the covers, Padmé reached over and switched off the lamp, leaving them in darkness as they drifted off to sleep.

A/N: If you liked what you've read, please consider dropping a review and following!