A/N: I apologize this chapter took too long to post. I'm still going through family drama that's getting more problematic by the day. But writing is a wonderful distraction. That being said, please enjoy this chapter!
Vader was in a foul mood, even though his morning had went well. He and Padmé had a great breakfast together before leaving to go to the damned Senate. Their kiss goodbye had put elated him greatly and promised that he would have a good day; until he arrived at the Senate. There was nothing on the female operative, absolutely nothing. It was like she was a ghost. He was beginning to wonder if Organa had muttered the words about her existence had been some errant thought as he was being tortured, but no, in all of his years interrogating people no one had said something like that. Lies, yes, but not an admission.
Leaning back into his chair he closed his eyes to meditate on the issue. There had to be some way to find this operative, some way that would be time consuming but worth it. Maybe he should involve the ISB on this one as there would be more resources to pull instead of him going at it alone. As much as he despised taking help from others, he didn't have much of a choice. There would have to be strict guidelines on how they conducted their investigation, compartmentalizing it in a way that would guarantee that there would be no leaks. Those agents would be on loan to him and report to him only.
Making the decision, he opened his eyes and sat up straight, reaching for his comms. He dialed a frequency and waited for the connection.
"This is Commander Jarard."
"Commander, this is Vader, I need have a demand that you supply me with some of your agents for a temporary assignment", Vader said in his baritone voice. He needed to put some fear into the man.
"Yes, Milord!", Jarard said. "May I ask the nature of the assignment?"
"Yes. It's to detect operatives that may be senators", Vader responded. "The agents will be reporting to me and me alone on this assignment. Do I make myself perfectly clear?" Damn the man if he tried to argue about that demand. He would end up on a slab to be tortured to death if he uttered a single pompous word of contempt.
"I understand, Milord. I will send over some agents right away. Is there any special equipment that they will need to bring?", Jararad asked. That was a reasonable request and something that Vader had forgotten to ask about, so it was good that the Commander thought of it.
"Yes, have them bring equipment to monitor comms frequencies, especially encrypted ones", Vader replied. If there was an operative in the senate, he would quickly fucking find out. This had to be done immediately given the destruction of the base on Tatooine. Never again.
He quickly shot to his feet and began stalking the lower levels of the Senate, needing to find some outlet to release his boiling rage. Then he had an idea. Senator Mothma had been spending some considerable time in her prison cell. Maybe it was time to pay her a visit.
Ascending to the upper levels of the Senate, Vader stalked to his speeder with his hood down and got in to rush over to the prison complex.
…
"Dammit", Padmé swore as she realized she forgot an important pad in her speeder. There was nothing worse than having to leave the office after realizing that something crucial for the day was forgotten. She needed the blasted thing to help her draft an opposition speech to a bill that would cut funding from education.
Her heels clacked on the floors of the corridor as she walked briskly to the speeder pad to retrieve her item. Nothing could ever go right in a single day. There always had to be something that was wrong, something that was an inconvenience to ruin what had been a particularly delightful morning with Anakin. Their breakfast together was lovely, and their goodbye kiss had made her knees wobble, putting her in the best of moods. But no, she couldn't have it that simple. There always had to be a hitch, a catch. Dreadful.
As she got to the speeder pad, she saw Anakin marching briskly towards his. "Ani!", she called out, but he must have not heard her as he got into his speeder, but as he turned, she saw the most dreadful scowl on his face that she had ever seen. In fact, she couldn't recall a time when she had seen him look this unhappy at all. Before she knew it, he was racing up into the air in the direction of the Palace. Odd, why was he heading to the Palace?
She shook her head out of her daze and moved on to retrieve her pad. As she approached her speeder, she couldn't help but think that something was terribly wrong with Anakin. Was he strong and manly? Yes, but the look on his face signaled rage. Rage that she figured would typically be reserved for killing someone in combat, but no, here he was on Coruscant, and he looked like he wanted to absolutely murder someone. Did part of his job as a military contract entail that he was supposed to be some sort of assassin or enforcer for the Empire? If he was special operations, she figured that killing was a part of his job, but why kill someone on Coruscant? Damn, that made no sense at all.
"Quit worst case scenarizing it. Shit, he probably just needs to go talk to someone he doesn't like", Padmé muttered to herself. Still though, she couldn't get it out of her head.
Retrieving her pad, she briskly walked back to her office, still somewhat shocked by the look of what she saw. Maybe it was something that she couldn't get out of her head. She would need to talk about it with Anakin later in the evening to see what it was all about.
…
Vader strode down the cell blocks to find his prey for what would be an interesting conversation. Mothma proved to be somewhat weak the last time they had a torture session, maybe this time she would completely capitulate. He needed to find out who the female operative was so he could close out his investigation and do it quickly. The faster he did it the faster he would be able to return to his fleets. Although, that meant that he would have to leave Padmé for the time being, but surely, she would wait for his return. But maybe not if he revealed his true identity.
Sighing, he reached the cell where Mothma was being held. The prison was could and damp, just the way it needed to be in order to house some of the worst people captured by the Empire. He did promise that she would be in a cold dark cell after all.
Turning on the lights in the cell from an outside control, he keyed open the door and saw Mothma curled up into a ball with her hand over her face, protecting her eyes from the harsh light that was in the room.
"Senator Mothma, I see you've become quite adapted to your new environment", Vader said amusedly. "I would have thought that you would have been driven stark mad by now, but you seem to enjoy your presence in this dark hell."
Mothma finally removed her hand from her face and squinted at Vader. "Milord", she whimpered. "Please, I'll do anything to get out of this cell."
Vader rolled his eyes and shook his head. "There's nothing you can do to make that happen, Senator. This is your new life, like it or not. The only thing that can make it better is for you to speak the truth, then maybe I'll have the guards get you a blanket."
It was pathetic really. A once proud senator was now a sniveling coward after about two weeks in a dark cell. Some would call it cruel and unusual punishment, but Vader called it justice for betraying the Empire.
"Please", Mothma whispered. "Just kill me then. I can't live like this forever."
"That's certainly an option", Vader said menacingly. "But I would rather torture you and keep you alive in this dark cell." It would give him great pleasure in fact. More pleasure than almost anything aside from his lovemaking with the object of his affection.
"What do you want then?", Mothma groaned. "I've told you everything I know. There's nothing left to get out of me. I'm begging you, please just kill me." How pathetic. This creature was willing to die than endure this for the rest of her life.
"Liar", Vader spat. "You haven't given me the names of Rebel operatives. I've captured most, there's just one more that's crucial to your operations. Organa mentioned a woman before I killed him. I need to know the name of a woman that's assisting the Rebels as a spy."
Mothma gasped. "You got to Bail? Is he here?"
Vader laughed maniacally. "No, I killed him since he wouldn't give me that last piece of information. Death was a better option for him than keeping him alive like you. I know you want to confess; it will be good for your soul. Just give me the name and I won't torture you… much."
"I don't know the answer to your question", Mothma skreiched. "I was the only woman in the organization. Bail must have been thinking of me before you killed him!"
It took every bit of control to keep Vader from slamming her to the wall with the Force and chocking the life out of her. That wouldn't be an option just yet.
Vader stepped into the cell; his hand deathly close to his lightsaber. "I'll give you another opportunity to answer me before the pain starts, Mothma. I need to know of the other female that's involved in the Rebellion's scheme to thwart the Empire." He would get the damn truth out of this woman no matter what.
"I don't know!", Mothma yelled. "Just leave me alone if you're not going to kill me!"
"Wrong answer", Vader hissed as he clenched his fist and shattered her right femur. Mothma screeched in pain and withered around on her metal bed.
"Broken femurs hurt. I've had one myself, I know how much pain you're in and it's nearly intolerable isn't it?", Vader said. Really, broken femurs hurt like a bitch. The last time his was broken he was in entirely too much pain that it took every ounce of strength he had to heal himself after he killed his opponent.
"Fuck you!", Mothma screamed.
"Again, wrong answer", Vader laughed. He made a claw with his right hand and closed Mothma's trachea. She clutched her throat and began shaking from the lack of oxygen to her brain. Her face turned red, then purple. She was so close to death, but Vader had to restrain himself from killing her, as he needed this information badly. He released her and she sucked in air and coughed.
"Was that unpleasant?", Vader asked with a hint of humor in his voice. "I've never had the displeasure of going through that, so it must be terrifying." That was a lie, his master had done that to him many times when he was a boy. It truly was terrifying to not be able to breathe.
"I hate you", Mothma cried. "I hate everything about you. There's not a shred of humanity within you. You're just a cruel beast that can't feel any emotions."
That through Vader for a loop. He could feel emotions, good emotion. He felt love for Padmé, strong love in fact. How could he switch from being a monster to a kind man in the matter of seconds? It boggled his mind so much he didn't realize it was over a minute before he became aware that he hadn't reponded.
"I may be cruel, but it's for a reason", Vader said sternly. "You betrayed your oath to the Empire and you, and your Rebel friends have paid a price. This government is trying to unify the galaxy, not destroy it. But your Rebel friends with their pathetic fleet are making this far more difficult than it needs to be. I will kill every one of you without mercy so the Empire may exist in peace and not be terrorized by you so called freedom fighters. There is freedom within the Empire, we don't restrict travel, there are plenty of jobs, and families are able to have food. We're quelling conflicts on worlds that the Republic never gave a damn about due to its corruption and greed. We are the problem solvers of the galaxy, where you are the thorn in our side. Now answer my fucking question! Who is the female operative that's working for the Rebellion?"
Mothma laughed hysterically. "That was a good speech, Lord Vader. But your words are hollow. You are the terrorists that concur planets because you don't like the way they operation, or because you need their resources to fuel your war machine. That's not bringing peace, that's controlling innocent lives that don't stand a chance due to the size of your military. You're a fool to believe that nonsense about bringing peace to the galaxy and one day, you will be overthrown by the people that you have enslaved. Mark my words, it may not happen in the next few years, but eventually, your Empire will fall."
"How quaint. You're the fool, Mothma. A fool that doesn't know her place!", Vader roared. He lifted her up in the air with the Force and slammed her against the opposite wall causing her to scream. He was losing his patience quickly and this would turn messy fast. "Give me a name!"
"I won't turn her over to you. But I will say this, it's someone that you have met. I laugh at your inability to detect her. It's glorious to see that you're blind to find her out. Go on, kill me. That's all that you're going to get from me", Mothma said proudly. Vader knew at that moment that he wouldn't get anything else out of the woman and it caused him to be enraged.
Without thinking, he slammed her against the other wall, breaking her nose from the impact. He was in a blood lust now. With a flash, he ignited his lightsaber and slashed her right arm of at the elbow. Mothma yelled and screamed in agony. Vader threw her on the floor and pressed his heel against the stump, causing more pain. Mothma thrashed about but was unable to move efficiently because of her broken femur.
"I'm going to leave you like this", Vader kissed. "Your wound is cauterized, so it will eventually heal on its own. Your femur and broken nose will heal as well. You'll be crippled in this cell for the rest of your life. I'll leave your severed arm here too as you might become hungry since the guards don't feed you very well."
"No", Mothma pleaded. "Please just kill me."
"Give me a name and I will", Vader said. "I'll end your pain in an instant."
"I can't!", Mothma yelled. "I can't give her up, she's a great woman that doesn't deserve this type of punishment. She's a fucking flower in a field of shit."
A flower? Gods dammit, Vader didn't want to make the connection, he couldn't. There were other women in the Senate that fit that description. Not his Angel, it couldn't be her. She never once made him think that she was a traitor.
Unable to think clearly anymore, he walked out of the cell and shut the door, turning the lights off. He was so lost in thought that he didn't even hear Mothma's cries for a merciful death.
Fuck!
…
This was getting out of hand, Padmé thought. None of the operatives that she knew were in the Senate. They were either dead or in a cell somewhere, but she didn't know who was ratting them out. She was desperate to remedy the situation, but she didn't know how.
The Rebellion needed information, but she had to figure out a way to get it to them. They did have to be warned that the senators were no longer effective in gathering information. They needed to know that they had to find alternative sources so they could continue to be efficient in fighting the Empire. The older frequency that she knew did work with the shipyard attack. She could contact them and let them know. It was risky, too risky, but she had to do it.
Of course, Anakin would be in shock if she was arrested. He might even feel betrayed given his ties to the Empire, but that was something that she couldn't help. This needed to be done.
Dormé was out on a break, this was her chance to do it. After she pulled out her comms, she dialed the frequency and waited for the connection.
"This is Harden Three, please state your identification code."
"Five Gamma Three Eight Zero", Padmé replied.
"What do you have for us today?"
"Nothing. Not a thing. I must report that I'm the only collector that I'm aware of in the nest. All of the other collectors have been retired or locked away."
There was a pause for a moment.
"Are you compromised? Do you need an extraction?"
"Negative, I'm merely informing you that the nest is no longer an adequate place for collection. This site has gone cold."
Another pause.
"We read you load and clear. We'll find alternative areas for collection. Thank you for your support."
The frequency went dead.
Padmé prayed that the transmission got through without being detected. If it didn't, she was kriffed. Totally kriffed.
…
In a worse mood than before, Vader stalked into the impromptu chamber that the ISB had set up remarkably fast. They were already monitoring transmissions in and out of the Senate and hopefully they were yielding good results. This had better not be a colossal waste of time or he would have the head of the ISB punished for sending him poorly trained agents.
Folding his arms across his chest, he leaned back against the wall waiting for results. His mind was on fire. A flower in a field of shit, Mothma had said. A flower. Padmé. No, it couldn't be her. It would destroy him if it was her. There was no way he was so blind that he couldn't sense her nefarious actions if she truly was part of the Rebellion. She was too genuine, too trusting. Why would a Rebel spy willingly enter a relationship with a so-called Imperial contractor? A special operations contractor at that. Once he reviled that slight admission, and it was true to a certain extent, he did perform classified operations, but once he did reveal that she would have found a reason to end the relationship. She wouldn't have kept it going, she didn't even try and get information from him.
Fuck, this was too concerning. Too real. If it was her, he didn't know how he would react. What he would do. Obviously, she couldn't be left to her own devices any longer, but he loved this woman. It was an unfamiliar emotion, but he loved her. Not just for sex, but for her companionship, her gentleness, her very soul. She was his Angel, but he didn't know what the right thing to do if it was her.
Growling he pushed off the wall and began to pace back and forth in the room, obviously unnerving the agents who were diligently trying to do their work. If Rebel operatives were dropping like flies, there was no way one would be so stupid as to attempt to communicate with the Rebellion, no matter how dire the situation was.
Resisting the urge to punch a wall in aggravation, he tried to focus on his breathing to center himself. It wasn't working. His gut feeling was telling him that something was seriously wrong and that his Angel was at the center of it.
"Has anyone fucking found anything!", he snarled.
The agents either shook their heads or said no Milord. Milord, what a stupid fucking title. Of course, he was the Dark Lord of the Sith, but he was still a fucking man. Still had the ability to be killed, maimed, defeated. The scars across his body proved that. Scars that his Angel had fucking touched, soothing him beyond belief. No woman he ever had ever did something like that. That's why she was his fucking Angel, she was too damned good at soothing him.
"I think I have something, Milord."
Vader's head snapped around to the agent that was looking at him. He marched over to the station the agent was working at and ominously stood before him.
"Well, fucking play it!", Vader shouted. This was the moment of truth. The moment where his fears would either be validated or brushed away.
The agent played the transmission and Vader's heart automatically dropped. It was her; it was his Angel. No. This was impossible.
With a great roar, Vader waived his hand and sent the agents sprawling to the floor. He vengefully began beating the walls, denting the durasteel with his gloved knuckles, not caring if he fractured one or two.
After he had vented, he turned to the agent who notified him of the transmission.
"Put that recording on a pad and delete the original, now!", he shouted.
"Y-Yes, Milord", the agent replied meekly. Normally Vader would kill a man for acting so weak, but now wasn't the time. Gods fucking dammit, what was he to do now? Arrest her? Torture her? Of course, he could do those fucking things! Padmé was his gods damned lover. He could torture or arrest his lover!
Oh gods, she would be even more terrified of him now that he had to reveal himself as Darth Vader. She was a Rebel, and Rebels hated the rumor of Darth Vader. They feared him, even if their best spies couldn't confirm his existence.
Snatching the pad from the agent, Vader strode out of the room, resisting the urge to kill everyone in it. What was he going to do? He had to confront her, that was the only way. After that, he wasn't certain, he just knew that he had to hear the truth from her own lips, just as she had to hear the truth from his.
Leaving his lightsaber clipped to his belt and his hood up, he marched up to the upper levels of the Senate building, mad as a damned rabid animal. This wasn't going to be pleasant. It was going to be one of the worst experiences of his life, and he had some very unpleasant experiences that anyone else would have said were more horrifying.
Slowing his breathing, he walked to Padmé's office, fully intending to do what was necessary, at least letting her know that she had been made.
Keying the door control, he saw Dormé at her desk. He lowered his hood and sucked in a deep breath.
"Dormé, could you please give Padmé and I some alone time?", he asked in a calmer voice than he thought he would say.
"Of course, Anakin", Dormé replied slyly, thinking that he was there for a romantic reason.
"Ani", Padmé said as she rose from her desk. "What's wrong, you never usually stop by during the day."
The very sound of her voice threatened to tear Vader's heart from his chest. This couldn't be happening. No, it couldn't be real.
"Padmé, I need you to take a seat. There's something important that we have to discuss", Vader said.
He saw Padmé tense up and her eyes widen. "Ani", she breathed. "You're not here to break up with me, are you?"
Vader's stomach lurched and he forced himself to keep his composure. "No Padmé, I'm not here to break up with you. But there is something important that we need to discuss."
Padmé shook slightly and then sat back down in her chair.
Vader pulled his robes back, exposing his lightsaber.
"Ani, why do you have a lightsaber?", Padmé asked alarmed.
"I'll explain that in a minute. But first, there's something that you need to hear", Vader said. Oh Force, why was he having to do this? He didn't want to, but it was his duty to do so.
"A-Alright", Padmé stammered.
Vader sat down opposite of her and pulled out the pad. He sat it down on the desk and hit the play button.
The recording played and every word that was said, Padmé's eyes widened just a little further until Vader thought they would pop out from her skull.
"Ani, this isn't what it seems", Padmé pleaded.
"Don't tell me it isn't what it seems!", Vader yelled, make Padmé jump in her chair. "This is exactly what it seems, Angel. You're a Rebel operative. One that's been feeding information to the Rebellion for gods knows how long!"
"Ani", Padmé said as her eyes watered. "Please, I don't know why you have this. I know you're in special operations, but it isn't like you're some counterintelligence operative."
Counterintelligence operative. No, he was the fucking commander of all Imperial forces. He ruled over the military.
"Padmé, I'm something much worse. You've heard the rumors of Darth Vader, have you not?"
"Y-Yes, everyone has."
Vader braced himself, knowing her heart was about to be ripped out from her chest.
"I'm Darth Vader", he said darkly.
Padmé sat there stunned. Tears poured from her eyes, and she shook visibly. "No", she whispered. "That's impossible. You're Anakin Skywalker."
Vader cringed at hearing her denial. Her disbelief.
"Believe it, Padmé. I once was Anakin Skywalker. Most of what I told you was the truth. But I'm not some simple military contractor. I command the entire military of the Empire.", Vader hissed. "And you have committed treason against the Empire."
"No!", Padmé shouted. "This can't be true! You're such a kind and gentle man, you can't be the monster that Darth Vader is!"
"Believe it!", Vader roared. "I do love you, but I'm at a lose of what I should do with you. Should I imprison you? Torture you? You know I can't do either of those things! I have done monstrous things in my life ever since I donned the title of Darth Vader, but I cannot hurt you, no matter how much you deserve it!"
Vader felt guilty as he saw her remain a quivering mass of flesh and bones. There wasn't a thing he could do about it. He couldn't comfort her, hold her, be gentle with her. Not now, not after what he revealed.
"What will happen to me?", Padmé asked, crying.
"I don't know!", Vader shouted. "You've placed me in such an awful predicament that you'll never understand! I love you, yet you have betrayed every oath the Empire has asked that you obey."
"Ani, Lord Vader, please. I was just doing what I thought was right", Padmé sobbed. "Milord, please have mercy upon me."
Mercy. Mercy wasn't the way of the Sith. It was the opposite of what the Sith stood for, the very thing that separated them from the Jedi. Maybe he should show mercy, but how? It wasn't like he could simply leave her be here at the Senate. There had to be a consequence for her actions.
"You can still call me Ani", he whispered. "That's who I am to you. That's who I was before I became the Dark Lord."
"Then what will happen to me?", Padmé asked. "What will you do to me?"
"I don't know!", Vader yelled. "I don't know."
"Ani, please. I have a family on Naboo. They'll wonder why I'm missing", Padmé sobbed.
"Then you should have thought about that before you became a traitor of the Empire", Vader snarled. "I don't know what I should do with you. I don't know how I should approach this. I'm heartbroken over this. I'm a Sith, I shouldn't be heartbroken, but I am because of how I feel about you."
Padmé gasped. Tears poured freely from her eyes, making Vader cringe. He hated this, he hated that she was the enemy, that he didn't know what to do about the situation. If she had been anyone else, she would be on a torture slab by now. Why did she have to betray the Empire? Why did she have to do this? It was ineffable.
"Ani, I didn't mean to hurt you!", Padmé sobbed.
"I know you didn't", Vader said softly. "But there will have to be consequences."
"Consequences? What about consequences for you? You're a butcherer, a madman. You can't sit there and tell me there will be consequences after all of the things you've done!", she yelled after she regained some of her composure.
"What I do is for the security of the Empire, Padmé!", Vader screamed. "Nothing else! You're naïve to think that the Empire is an evil organization. We've brought stability to the galaxy in areas where the Republic ignored. We've brought economics, peace, trade. Our government has ensured that people will not starve!"
"But it's not freedom!", Padmé cried. "It's a regime of terror with your massive military. It's an autocracy, a despot. The Emperor is a cruel man! Capable of doing despicable things!"
"Don't tell me how despicable the Emperor is when I've had to serve him my entire life!", Vader snarled. "You have no idea what that man put me through to make me Darth Vader and you never will!"
Padmé put her hand over her mouth as more tears flowed from her eyes. "Ani, did he torture you?"
"Torture isn't a fitting word for what he did to me, Angel", Vader said softly. "He kept me locked in a room for years when I was a boy."
"Ani, I'm so sorry", Padmé said.
"No! I don't need pity. I need to figure out what to do with you", Vader replied. "I can't fathom how I should punish you. I don't want to punish you. I don't want you to fear me, but you'd be right to fear me."
"I do fear you!", Padmé screamed. "I can't love you anymore, Ani. I can't love Darth Vader!"
Vader felt like someone stabbed him in his heart. It was an uncomfortable sensation, one that he had never felt before. He wasn't equipped for rejection, not from a woman that he loved. How stupid was he to have fallen for her, knowing that when she learned the truth, she would be repulsed by him?
He growled and stood. "It doesn't matter if you love me or not! I still have to figure out what the fuck to do with you because I still love you!" He pulled out his comms. "I need two Stormtroopers to Senator Amidala's office now!"
"Yes, Milord."
"W-What are you doing?", Padmé asked with fear returning to her eyes.
"I'm placing you under arrest", Vader hissed. "Again, I don't know what to do with you. I can't torture you or kill you. Not after what I've come to feel about you. But there will still be consequences for your actions."
"Why am I different from Senator Mothma? Or Bail Organa?", Padmé yelled. "They deserved mercy, so do your worst, Lord Vader!"
"You will not speak to me that way!", Vader said in a deathly quiet tone. "I'm a harbinger of doom. I've killed people who've said worse than that."
"Then kill me!", Padmé yelled defiantly. "Do your worst, Lord Vader."
"You'll see what my worst is, but it won't be in the way you think, Angel", Vader said, exhausted from the entire ordeal.
Two Stormtroopers appeared from the door.
"Take the Senator under arrest. Bring her to a security office. Don't cuff her, just escort her.", Vader instructed.
"Yes, Milord", a trooper said. "Milady, please come with us."
Padmé walked over to the troopers with her head down. Before she left the office, she turned to give Vader one last look of sadness and contempt.
Fuck.
…
Vader sat in his office, unsure what to do with Padmé. Did she deserve the same fate as the other senators? Yes, she did. Could he do it? No, he couldn't. It was a conundrum that he couldn't figure out. One that wouldn't' be easy to solve.
How could he have not sensed this? Other treasonous senators were easy to pick up on, but not her. Why not her? Was he so blinded by his attraction for her that he couldn't see the truth? Maybe he was and that was troubling. He did love her; she was someone that he thought he could stay with. But he was a Sith Lord. Who would voluntarily stay with a Sith Lord? No one of course! Shit, he was in a world of shit.
What would he report to Sidious? That he had caught the last treasonous senator? He would want her dead or imprisoned. Mothma was right, she was a flower in a field of shit. It would be impossible to report her to Sidious, but if he lied to his master and he found out later on, he would be severely punished. Gods dammit! There wasn't an easy way out of this situation no matter what he thought of. Damn her for being an operative for the Rebellion. This would have been far simpler if she was just a regular senator who was doing her job the way that Sidious had intended for the Senate to do.
Pounding his desk in frustration, Vader got up and started pacing. It was his tick, his bad habit. But it calmed him down and that was important in this predicament.
No, he would have to inform Sidious. Ask for her to remain at his personal estate under heavy guard maybe. Then he could watch her, maybe even woo her back to his side. That's what he wanted, for her to be in love with him, just as much as he loved her. But after his unveiling, that would be difficult. Again, no one would love a Sith. But he had to try, he was too infatuated with her not to try.
Placing his hands in his hair, he pulled on his locks in frustration. This was a mess, an unholy mess. Force be damned, this is what he had to do. But what if Sidious decided to punish her? He was able to withstand the dreadful lightning that emitted from his master's hands, but Padmé would find it unbearable. Surely, she would hat him for allowing her to be placed in that situation.
Naboo. Sidious was a senator from Naboo many years ago. He had known Padmé for many years when she was a queen. Maybe that would lessen the punishment that he would deliver. It would have to, because there was no other way. Dammit!
Spinning on his heel, Vader stormed out of his office and headed to security where Padmé was being held. He keyed the door open and flexed his hands. "Where is the senator being held?", he asked harshly.
"Room three, Milord", a trooper said.
Vader stalked to the room and opened the door. Padmé was seated opposite from the door with her head down. Vader walked around her and sat in front of her, pulling his hood down.
"Padmé, do you know what kind of situation you've put me in?", he asked gently.
"I don't care", she said.
"You should care. Regardless of how you feel about me, I still do love you. I can't let you suffer the same fate as the other Rebel operatives. I just can't. But I also can't let you roam freely in the Senate because of what you have done. There's no way I can trust you not to work with the Rebellion again, not a single chance. I also can't not report you to the Emperor. He'd be blind with rage if I didn't and he found out. This will be difficult for you, possibly even painful, but I have to. I'm going to request that you be remanded to my establishments under heavy guard. The Emperor may grant the request given that he's known you for a long time. Do you understand what I'm saying?", Vader asked.
"So, I'm supposed to be your whore for whenever you're in the mood?", Padmé asked defiantly.
Vader slammed both fists on the table. "I'm not a rapist! Do I wish for you to return my affections like you did like earlier this morning? Yes, that's my hope. But you have to do it willingly, I would never force myself upon you. It's either this or life or you'd be tortured and imprisoned for the rest of your life. Is that what you really want?"
"No", Padmé responded meekly. "I don't want that at all."
"Then trust my plan", Vader asked, no, pleaded. "This is the best chance you have of being able to avoid that fate."
"How can you be certain that the Emperor won't just kill me?", Padmé asked.
"I'm not certain of that", Vader said honestly. "I wont lie to you, it's a possibility."
"Ha! You won't lie to me, that's rich coming from you", Padmé retorted. "You said you were a military contractor, not a damned Sith Lord."
"And you were a Rebel operative. You lied about that", Vader seethed. "Don't pretend that you're free from reproach in that regard."
Padmé lowered her head again with guilt spread across her face. Good, she should feel guilty. She should feel shame for what she did. Her actions were a complete betrayal to what the Empire stood for, nothing else.
"When will you present me to the Emperor?", she whispered.
"Right now", Vader said simply. "If I delay, the results will be even more disastrous. It will be alright."
"Alright", Padmé whispered again. Vader's heart was breaking at the sight of her so defeated, but that couldn't be helped, not now.
Why was this happening? Force be damned, this should be happening. They were supposed to be in love, on their way back to her apartment in just a few hours to express their feelings for one another in the only way a couple could do.
"Stand up", Vader commanded. "Let's go do what we must."
Padmé rose silently and followed Vader out of the room, her head still down. Vader could sense her fear, her anxiety. But there was nothing he could do about that. Not now.
They walked down the corridor to Sidious' throne room. Even Vader felt anxiety over what would happen. He would have to confess that he formed a relationship with her so it would make sense that she would be remanded to his establishments.
Vader opened the door for Padmé and ushered her in, following her into the pit of doom that was Sidious' liar.
"Kneel when I do", Vader whispered as they walked up to Sidious.
They walked up to Sidious and Vader knelt with Padmé behind him and to his side. Thankfully she obeyed his instructions or Sidious would have been most displeased.
"Rise", Sidious commanded. "Why have you brought the lovely Senator Amidala here, Lord Vader?"
"Master, I have discovered the last Rebel operative in the Senate. Senator Amidala was communicating with the Rebellion when her transmission was intercepted by my assigned team from the ISB. I have not tortured her because she and I had entered into a personal relationship when I was on assignment. I wish to have her remanded to my establishments under heavy guard instead of securing her in the prison under the Palace", Vader said.
There was a moment of silence, which made Vader incredibly nervous.
"You entered into a personal relationship without my permission!", Sidious roared. The next thing Vader knew was that he was thrown back ten feet under a barrage of lightning. Struggling not to scream he endured the punishment from Sidious. He desperately turned his head to see if Padmé was also being tortured, but she wasn't. She was just looking at him in horror.
After several minutes, the torture stopped.
"Stand up!", Sidious commanded.
"Yes, master", Vader wheezed. He shakily rose to his feet and managed to stand up straight even though every muscle in his body was still seized up from the electricity that passed through them. Limping back to his original position, he waited for his master's next command.
"So, Senator Amidala. It's unfortunate that you've chosen to align yourself to the Rebellion", Sidious sneered. "I should have you killed, but since you and I have known each other for quite some time, I will agree to Lord Vader's request. It is my hope that you will rethink your affiliations with the Rebellion and return to be a loyal subject of the Empire. Is that reasonable to you?"
"Yes, your highness", Padmé choked out.
"Excellent, my dear. You may be excused. Lord Vader, you will remain here", Sidious ordered.
Vader swallowed, knowing what was to come. He remained impassive as he heard Padmé walk out of the throne room. Once the door was shut, Sidious turned his attention back to Vader.
"I should kill you for what you've done!", Sidious shouted. In a flash, more bolts of lightning threw Vader back again. This time Vader did scream in agony as the intensity of the lighting was more powerful than usual. His muscles were on fire, and he withered on the ground, his body convulsing.
Please make this stop, Vader prayed as the relentless torture continued. He screamed again uncontrollably as the lightning increased in intensity again. Sidious actually may very well kill him this time.
As suddenly as it began, it ceased. Vader could smell the ozone wafting from his body. He laid there with his muscles twitching uncontrollably.
"Get out", Sidious ordered.
"Yes, master", Vader managed to say. He rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself up with his arms before he managed to get his feet underneath him. His hood had been knocked back, so he raised it over his head and walked as stiffly as he could, but still had a limp about him.
Once he exited the chamber, he saw Padmé standing there waiting for him.
"I heard you screaming", she said, with a hint of concern and contempt in her voice.
"There are consequences for all of us, Padmé", Vader rasped. "Come, we're leaving."
Limping out to his speeder with Padmé in tow, Vader silently cursed the events of the entire day. Not only did he find out that his Angel was a traitor, but she also now despised him with a brutal torture session by Sidious to top it all off. This day couldn't get any worse.
"What about my belongings?", Padmé asked demurely.
"They'll be packed and brought to my establishments", Vader said gruffly, still sore all over.
Once they reached his speeder, Vader uncharacteristically didn't open the door for Padmé, he just got in. He could tell that she was somewhat shocked over the lack of chivalry, but he was in too much pain to care at the moment.
Engaging the engine, he gradually rose into the sky, forgoing his usual antics of piloting dangerously.
…
Padmé leaned her head against the window of the speeder silently. What an awful day. Not only had she been detected by Anakin or Vader's security team, but she was also to be imprisoned in his grand establishments that he had mentioned. Her emotions for him were conflicted. Was there still love for him? She didn't know. Maybe there was as she had been horrified each time the Emperor tortured him. His screams had made her terrified for him, thinking the worst would happen.
She wanted to cry. There had been deception on both sides of their relationship, but their feelings for each other were so real. That made the sting of the events of the day even worse. One thing for certain was she wouldn't give into his overtures any longer. Being with the Dark Lord of the Sith was repulsive. The monster had been torturing and killing her colleagues over the last few weeks, yet he showed no remorse for it. How could someone do those things without having a shred of humanity in them? But how could he be so gentle and kind to her if he was the monster that she now knew he was? It was inexplicable and it made her want to tear at her hair and sob uncontrollably.
Maybe this new hell that was her life was a fitting punishment for being seduced by him. It could be the galaxy's way of evening out the score.
After about twenty minutes, Vader's establishments finally came into view. It was a massive five story mansion atop one of the buildings. There were gardens on the outside, which seemed out of character for a Sith Lord, but what was daunting was the plethora of troopers wearing strange smoky armor patrolling the exterior. Vader had personal guards securing the mansion, there would be no chance of escape for her.
"Padmé, I'm sorry I lied to you", Vader said as he prepared to land his speeder.
"I don't want to hear it", she replied forcefully. "I thought you were this wonderful man and yet you turned out to be a monster."
She heard Vader sigh. "You're right, I am a monster", he said. "But my feelings for you were real, are real."
"I don't want to talk to you right now", Padmé shot back. The gall of the man to speak about his emotions to her after the events of the day was infuriating. A twinge of guilt ran through her for speaking to him in such a way, but she forced that emotion down.
The speeder landed and Padmé opened the door and got out. A guard jogged up to Vader and saluted him.
"Anything to report trooper?", Vader asked.
"No, sir. All quiet as usual.", the trooper replied.
"Very well. This is Senator Amidala. She is to be incarcerated her for an indefinite amount of time, but she is to be treated well. Understood?", Vader commanded.
"Of course, Milord. I'll pass the word on to the rest of the security detail", the trooper acknowledged.
"Very good. Padmé, come. I know you don't wish to speak with me right now, so my protocol droid will assist you in settling in", Vader said.
Padmé wordlessly followed him into the grand establishments, taking in the gardens and the rest of the outside. She didn't know if she would be allowed to stroll around the exterior of the mansion to get some fresh air or if she would be required to remain locked away for the rest of her life.
Vader swung open two double doors and a golden droid approached him.
"Master Vader! You're home early."
"Yes, Threepio. This is Senator Padmé Amidala. She will be residing here for the foreseeable future. You are to address her as Mistress Padmé and see that all her needs are met. Put her in the suite next to my chambers. Understood?"
"Of course, Master. How wonderful it is to have some company for a change", Threepio said. "Mistress Padmé, shall I show you to your room? It's quite exquisite."
"Fine", Padmé huffed. Why in the hell was Vader putting her into a suite next to his? If he wanted easy access to her, that wasn't going to happen.
She briefly took in her surroundings and was surprised at how posh Vader's establishments were. Everything was tastefully decorated to the point where it put her apartment at Five Hundred Republica to shame. Damn, he had good tastes.
While there was a grand staircase, she followed the golden droid to a lift.
"This will likely be the easiest way to access your room since it's on the fifth floor. There are many amenities here for you to enjoy. I'd be happy to show them to you once you've settled in", Threepio said.
"That would be fine", Padmé said uncaringly. She didn't care if Vader's establishments riveled a resort, a prison was still a prison. However, it was better than being locked away in a cold and dark cell for the rest of her life.
The lift doors opened and Threepio led Padmé down a hall, stopping in front of a room with double doors. She noticed that about twenty feet away there was another room with double doors. Probably Vader's, she thought.
"This is your room. Feel free to take a look inside. There's a comms on the caff table that you can use to contact me day or night. Once your belongings are brought in, I'll unpack them for you. I don't mind doing that at all. Also, will you be joining Master Vader for dinner tonight or would you like your food to be brought to your room?", Threepio asked.
"I'll eat in my room", Padmé said sharply. There was no way in hell she would just sit with Vader and enjoy a meal with him like when they were dating. No way at all.
"Of course. Well, I'll be back to check on you later, Mistress.", Threepio said with a slight bow.
Padmé opened the double doors and stepped inside. She was floored by the size of the suite. The living area was massive and was well decorated with books, a holoprojector, leather furnishings and more. This really was a grand prison.
Closing the doors behind her, she stalked to one of the rooms that she figured was the bedroom. She was correct, there was a large bed that looked quite comfortable. Without bothering to take in the rest of the room, she flopped down face first onto the silken sheets and began to cry which quickly turned into sobs.
Gods damn that man.
A/N: So, Padmé finally knows the truth and escaped death. If you like what you've read, please feel free to drop a review and follow!