Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Arrangements
Disclaimer: If you recognize any of the characters or universe, they're obviously not mine. Chapter One: Arrangements
Kriff.
Padmé Amidala was not normally one to curse, but this certainly was an acceptable opportunity. She was tired, scared, and completely out of options. They'd caught them. There was no way out. She had put all her chips out on the table and had lost the hand. The Empire had called her bluffs and was coming to collect, only she had nothing to give except that which was dearest to her.
Immediately she scrambled to her feet and went through her room to her personal pad. She began deleting every incriminating piece of information she had, even as troopers were coming ever closer to the apartment complex. Everything, every file, every letter, every everything had to be destroyed. With that in mind, after deleting what needed to be gone, she smashed the pad and stomped on the pieces before sweeping up the remains and shoving them in a box under her bed that housed other broken pieces of equipment she hadn't taken out to recycling yet.
As she straightened herself up and her apartment as best as she could, Padmé's mind buzzed with possibilities as to what she could say. Of course she was a high ranking member of society, she could deflect a lot of what was happening...at least for a short time. But the Empire thus far was not exactly known for being reasonable. If there was even a hint of treason, a being was sentenced and silenced so fast there was no time for appeals, no time for any sort of help or intervention. There was, more often than not, not even a trial. Once within the grasp of the Empire all anyone could be was kriffed.
Hearing the Storm Troopers just outside, Padmé sat down on her couch and picked up a pad that she'd brought home with work on it. She turned her head towards the door, schooling her expression to be one of shock for when the troopers kicked down her door. They would be filming her reaction, of course, and anything that she did or didn't do would be used against her in court... Not that the court system was fair if they bothered with it at all. It was just for show. Like the senate.
When the troopers finally did burst through her doors, Padmé's expression was one of perfect shock as she stood up from her seat. "What is this?" she demanded after the appropriate amount of time. "What are you doing here?"
Troopers began flooding into the apartment, blasters raised as they scouted out the apartment, looking for anyone else that might be hidden inside. Luckily there was no one here today. "We have a warrant for your arrest, Senator," the Commander said bluntly, already getting binders out to cuff her.
"Arrest?!" Padmé exclaimed with the right amount of shocked indignation. "On what grounds?"
"Treason," the Commander replied simply. "Now please turn around."
"But I haven't done anything!" She had to put up a bit of a fight. It would be unrealistic if she simply gave into demands.
"Please turn around," the Commander said again, this time a little less patiently. "You're to be questioned."
"For what?" Padmé snapped, narrowing her eyes. "I haven't done anything. What sort of treasonous acts have I supposable committed?"
"I don't have clearance to give you that information," the Commander snapped. "All's clear, Commander," a trooper called out from her bedroom.
"Come with me, Senator. If you continue to resist, I will stun you."
Padmé weighed her options. She knew she was going to end up in a cell no matter what, but what looked less suspicious? Fighting as was her instinct when she was caught by surprise— and she had to make them all believe she was caught by surprise— or to give in to the request? She thought about all of the people she'd be letting down if she chose unwisely.
"Fine," she spat, turning around and putting her hands behind her back. "But this is ridiculous! When I make contact with my—"
"Commander," another trooper cut off her rant. "We found a box of destroyed equipment."
"What sort of equipment?" the Commander asked, as he cuffed Padmé. "Abroken pad, some old holocoms, and some broken pieces from a droid."
"That's my scrap box," Padmé rolled her eyes, scowling at the emotionless white helmets. "Is not taking out my recycling somehow treasonous now, too?"
The troopers didn't reply as they took her away, bring the box and several others with old reports and whatnot with them. Padmé was a little worried, but she'd done everything to erase any evidence and connection she had with the Rebel Alliance, and it would take a genius with too much time on their hands over the course of a year or more to retrieve any information from her pad. The Empire would lose interest and patience. And besides, everyone had a scrap box of old technology. Nothing looked suspicious, especially since she'd kept other boxes of things under her bed, too. She knew they'd look there, and they knew she knew they'd look there. She had made herself look as less suspicious as possible without that looking suspicious. If they wanted to actually arrest her for a reason, they would have a hard time doing so, and they would have to have a good reason. The galaxy was on the side of Senator Amidala, Champion of the People and former Queen of Naboo. The new Empire couldn't afford anymore slipups, especial if someone as beloved as Padmé was in the middle.
The ride to the interrogation center was long and silent. Padmé had to work to stay angry and not let any of her nervousness show. She struggled a bit, as was to be expected, and she even snarled at the troopers that rode in the back with her a couple times. Not that they responded, but it did make her feel a little better.
When it came time for the interrogation, Padmé snapped and yelled at the troopers some more, demanding to see her lawyer. Technically she had diplomatic immunity, or she had before the Empire's creation, but even as she reminded the interrogators of that fact, she knew that diplomatic immunity probably didn't exist anymore. At least not for her. But thankfully after about an hour or so of questioning, they must have gotten bored and/or too frustrated with her, because she was taken to a holding cell. Once alone, after yelling at the guards some more, Padmé slumped down on the bunk with a sigh.
What a day.
Now that she was alone, she had time to think. She knew that there were cams watching her closely, but she just showed her true exhaustion over the situation. She had nothing to hide...as far as they knew. She laid back and stared up at the ceiling wondering what would become of her, of what would become of the rebels. All the message she'd received earlier had said was: They know. They're after you.
What did that mean, though? How much did they know? They obviously didn't know much if they had taken the time to question her and not just simply put her on the short list for execution. With what the Empire had found out, it was obvious that they still didn't know enough and they had to keep her around for a little while.
Would they torture her? She hadn't thought of that earlier, but the possibility of it frightened her. But of course she couldn't let on, or she had to try not to. Despite how much the Emperor hated it, Padmé was still a very important figure in the galaxy. Despite the people being stupid enough to elect an emperor and support the overthrow of democracy, they still very much adored Padmé. She was essentially the sweetheart of the galaxy, the Champion of Good, and she had a tremendous weight behind her when it came to politics. The Emperor couldn't just sweep her under the rug as he had with so many others.
But what would he do with her? The Rebel Alliance had a pretty bad reputation with most people at the moment. Somehow Palpatine had been able to manipulate events so that the Empire had looked like the ultimate good in a crumbling, chaotic society. The people believed that he had saved them all from a virtual galaxy-wide apocalypse, for Force sake! So even though there were those few, like Padmé, who knew the truth of how evil and corrupt the Empire was and joined the Rebel Alliance, the vast majority of the galaxy backed the Emperor, as scary as that was. If Palpatine accused her of being a part of the rebels, even with her popularity and the sure outcry that would come from such a thing, Padmé feared that in the end, the people would turn against her. The real question now was, how long would that take?
An hour or so passed with Padmé trying to think of every scenario that could occur when the troopers came back. They opened her cell and gestured for her to get up and follow. They weren't talking. That wasn't a good sign. Even though she tried to fight it, a thrill of fear shot through Padmé. Had they convicted her already? Had they found out? Had she not destroyed all the information about the Alliance well enough, and they found it? Did Palpatine simply not care and was going to get rid of her? The possibilities for the troopers' sudden change in attitude were numerous and could be as simple as them just not wanting to speak. It was quite possible that her imagination was getting the better of her, and so Padmé forced herself to remain calm as she got up and walked past the troopers, allowing them to take her to wherever it was she was supposed to go.
As it turned out, she was escorted to the Throne Room of the recently built palace. Padmé had not realized that the detention cells were so near or connected to the palace before, but she knew she shouldn't be all that surprised. Palpatine was a sick bastard, he probably went to torture prisoners for fun when he had some down time for laughs. He was a Sith Lord, after all. But Padmé still had trouble grasping that idea. She'd known him for years as just a friendly politician from Naboo, and sadly enough, a mentor of sorts in politics. Never had she imagined the kind old gentlemen to be a Sith! Not like his apprentice...
"Ah, Senator Amidala," the Emperor's voice floated towards her across the large expanse once the majestic five meter mahogany doors were opened. "It is so good to see you, my dear."
Padmé scowled. "EmperorPalpatine," she spat as she and the troopers continued to walk forward before stopping before the throne. "What is the meaning of this?"
The old man grinned in sick delight, bearing his yellow teeth. It was disgusting. "Oh, you do not know?" he mocked, his voice sympathetic, but Padmé could hear the sneer underneath. "I received troubling news about the Rebel Alliance this morning."
Padmé continued to scowl, not giving any sign of guilt or understanding. "The Reb—? What does that have to do with me?" she asked incredulously. The Emperor wasn't the only actor.
The smile slipped form the Sith's face as his sharp golden eyes narrowed into slits. All humor seemed to have fled him. "You know perfectly well what this has to do with you."
Achill wanted to run down the senator's spine, but she refused to let it. Perhaps it wasn't so hard to imagine her former mentor as a Sith after all. "I don't know what you're talking about," she snapped, working to keep her breathing steady.
The Emperor sat back in his chair, staring at her intently for several long minutes, even as Padmé tried her best to continue glaring at the old man. It was much harder than she thought it would be, and a few times she had to dart her eyes away before continuing her glaring. His eyes were just so intense. They burned. But she couldn't give up. She couldn't let herself crumble and be pushed around. If she was going to go down and die, she would not show weakness, would keep her head held high...or at least, she hoped she could.
After another moment, the Emperor leaned forward, twitching his hand ever so slightly. It was some sort of signal, but Padmé didn't know what for. She supposed it was the signal of her doom, but she remained staring at the Emperor.
"Senator," Palpatine began, a cool, easy smirk finding its way onto his lips. That wasn't a good sign. "I do not think that you have been introduced to my apprentice?"
Brown eyes widened in realization and fear. Without meaning to, Padmé flinched, cursing herself as she did so. Being face to face with the Emperor was one thing, she'd done it so many times before and could recall him as a different man, one less intimidating than he was now. But the Emperor's heir? That was something completely different.
The nasty smirk grew into a vicious smile as the Emperor leaned back casually, as though making himself more at ease. "You haven't, have you?" he mused cruelly. "I think it's high time you become acquainted with him. Lord Vader!" he c a l l e d . " Yo u m a y c o m e f o r t h . "
Padmé watched in horror as a figure melted out of the shadows, the looming form of Darth Vader. The sudden sound of his respirator hissing filled the room, and the senator found herself shuddering before she could have stopped it. Who wouldn't cringe at the sight of the Emperor's Right Hand? Who in their right mind would not be scared of Darth Vader?
Not much was known about the Emperor's Shadow, but everyone knew that the Sith was dangerous. Extremely so. Some said more so than the Emperor. Who and what Vader was remained a mystery to the galaxy. No one knew why the creature beneath the black armor wore the suit, why he needed a respirator, and no one probably ever would. There was no home planet for this Sith, no life before the Empire that could be traced. It was as though Vader suddenly just appeared, born a fully grown terror alongside the Empire. The moment the Empire was created, so Vader too had crawled up from the depths of the underworld. Some said he was spawned out of hell by Palpatine to be his warrior, others said that he was simply an extension of the Emperor himself, separated by sorcery to serve. But what was known for a fact was that Darth Vader would now and always remain an enigma.
This enigma, however, was known for his ruthlessness, his cunning, and his brutality. There were very few people that lived once Vader was sent to enact Imperial 'justice,' and those that did were only yet alive because Vader willed it. There was no reasoning with the Sith and begging was utterly useless. Some said it strengthened him. Once Lord Vader had it in his mind to kill you, you were dead. Vader cast a Shadow of Death upon the Empire in the name of 'order.' He was the poster child for the Empire, the looming threat and reminder to everyone who had thoughts of disobeying or causing
trouble. Everyone knew and feared the Sith in black, and for good reason.
But what was he doing here now? Vader was a highly skilled and fierce warrior, surely the Emperor would not waste his apprentice on a mere execution of a lowly senator? Of perhaps Vader would be the one to torture her? Padmé had heard rumors of the Sith's...efficient methods of gaining information. If stories were to be believed—and everyone was nearly one hundred percent certain that these stories could not be made up— the interrogation of enemies by field commanders of the 501st was like an interview for the holovid compared to what Vader did to you. One story said that Vader once disemboweled a man while he'd still been alive and forced him to eat his own entrails. Another said that he began dismembering a woman's child in front of her and had troopers hold the poor woman down so she could not look away.
If there was a reason for Senator Amidala to pale and feel ill, being introduced to Lord Vader was a valid reason. No one could blame her for her fear, and yet she despised herself because of it. She could have handled the Emperor killing her, could have gone out with a smile had it been Storm Troopers. But not Darth Vader. He was like a creature out of her nightmares. Her own personal demon.
As she pondered all of the horrible scenarios that could befall her soon at the hands of the evil creature, the Sith walked right past the senator and the troopers holding her to kneel down before the Emperor, his head low. "What is thy bidding, my master?" his booming baritone filled the throne room impressively.
The Emperor smiled wider, and Padmé knew he was drinking in her fear. "Rise, my old friend. Rise! I've brought you here to introduce you to Senator Amidala."
As Vader stood, Padmé, coming out of her astonishment, suddenly realized just how big the creature actually was. He was massive! He stood at two meters tall or so, and his shoulders were impressively broad, even without the armor. As he towered over her— and everyone else for that matter— Padmé understood why so many stories and legends had so quickly surrounded the Heir to the Empire. Vader was like some sort of nightmare from the ancient times come to life with his impressive bulk and terrifying presence without adding in his strange Force powers. As he looked down at her, the senator wondered briefly if she might throw up.
"Senator Amidala," the Emperor said amiably as he stood and made his way over to his apprentice, "May I introduce you to my apprentice, Darth Vader. I'm sure you have heard of him?"
It took every ounce of control Padmé possessed to force herself to nod. "Y-yes," she only stuttered slightly. It certainly hadn't gone unnoticed, unfortunately. "I have heard of him."
"Good! Good," the Emperor cackled. "I was hoping that the two of you could become better acquainted with one another over the course of time."
Padmé gasped, gawking at Palpatine, while Vader snapped his helmeted head towards his master, but he did not say a word. "What do you mean?" the senator snarled, pushing herself forward against the hold of the troopers, yet trying not make a fool of herself. Don't let them see anymore weakness! she thought desperately. But what in the galaxy did he
m ean?
The old man lazily walked back to his throne and sat down, a cruel smirk still adorning his features as he stared down at his apprentice and the senator. After taking what seemed like forever to the fearful senator, Palpatine finally answered. "It seems that there are nasty rumors floating around about you, Senator. We both know the truth about your involvement in the Rebel Alliance, but if these lies about you get out, these terrible fabrications about you being involved, well...your reputation would be ruined, wouldn't it?"
As she sneered, he went on. "I would hate to see the people turn against you, especially since we have no proof of any involvement you have with the rebels. So, to protect you, and to show my complete confidence in your innocence, I've decided to assign Lord Vader as your personal...attendant."
Padmé was shocked. "What?"
The Emperor chuckled. "You know, you've always been my favorite, Amidala," he mused. "Without your vote of confidence, I might have had to wait longer to become elected chancellor, and then who knows how long I would have had to wait to create the Empire?"
"You can't do this!" Padmé cried, struggling against the troopers who held her. "I've done nothing wrong! You can't threaten me!"
"Threaten you?" Palpatine's eyes widened in faux surprise and hurt. "My dear, you misunderstand. I'm assigning my
apprentice to you for your protection and to show my support of you." "Or to have him watch me," she growled, finally becoming still.
Although he was still smiling, the air around the Emperor seemed to change as he leaned forward, glaring down at her with those intense, angry yellow eyes. "Why does that concern you? Do you have something to hide?"
There was a time and a place for everything, every fight had to be planned out, and Padmé knew that no matter how she might struggle now, she would not win this time. Palpatine had her no matter what she might try. He could have her killed at that very moment if he wanted to, but he must have decided that it would be better to mess with her for a little while longer instead. She hated this man, she truly did, but there was nothing she could do. No matter what she might say, how she might struggle, at the end of the day, Vader would still be assigned to watch her.
"No," she replied bitterly, holding the Emperor's gaze. "Nothing."
"Good," the old man nodded slowly before smiling once more. "I've taken the liberty of having your things moved into Lord Vader's home."
"What?!" Padmé couldn't control the shriek that came out.
Even Vader seemed to have a hard time with this announcement. "Master?"
Palpatine continued to smile. "Word's getting around about your arrest, my dear," he purred. "Can't take the chance of having someone attack you, believing you're a traitor. I want to make sure that you're safe at all times, and what better way than to have you stay with Lord Vader so he can watch and protect you?"
Padmé fought to keep herself in control. She was between wanting to lose herself in a fit of rage and hysterics or vomiting. Neither would help, however, and so she stood there, still in the arms of the troopers, shocked and horrified into silence. Staying with Lord Vader? Staying with Lord Vader?! What did that even mean? What did that entail?
"Now off with you," the Emperor shooed her away with a hand, as though she was some sort of errant child. "The Storm Troopers will process you out and clear up this terrible mess. Lord Vader will collect you shortly."
Collect. Padmé shivered at all the implications that that could mean. What sort of collecting did Darth Vader do? Besides collect niches on his lightsaber belt.
There was nothing else she could do now. The Storm Troopers led her away and began the tedious task of processing her out of the detention cell. Vader did not follow as apparently the Emperor was giving a more detailed description of what he expected his apprentice to do while he was...entertaining the senator as his guest. The whole thing was completely absurd! I'm staying with Lord Vader, Padmé thought incredulously. Would she even survive until tomorrow?
But it was about more than just her survival now. What about the Rebel Alliance? What had become of them? She couldn't make contact with them. Not anymore. Not with Vader going to be breathing down her neck. Probably literally. Communication before had been difficult and risky. It was impossible now. She could always talk to Mon Mothma and Bail Organa when she went to the senate.
But then, how far did Vader's orders go to 'look after' her? Surely he wouldn't be expected to go with her to work...Would he? And even if he wasn't going to work with her, security for her would probably skyrocket up and she'd be watched more closely than ever before. How could she even begin to talk to Bail or Mon without being discovered?
More importantly, what would they think once they learned that she would be residing in Lord Vader's residence? Surely they would realize that something had gone very wrong. Surely they'd realize that she was being held prisoner by the Sith?
But deep down, Padmé wasn't so sure. Even if her friends in the senate knew something was up, essentially living with Darth Vader would not look good. At all. There would probably be those that would accuse her of selling out and betraying the rebellion. There would be suspicion and anger directed towards her from the Alliance as it would look like she was fraternizing with the enemy.
Son of a nerf! Padmé's eyes widened in realization. Of course it would look like she was consorting with the enemy! Palpatine knew that. That's why he was doing this. It wasn't just to keep an eye on her and to perhaps get her to crack, it was to make her look bad in the eyes of the rebels while at the same time boosting his support with the populations as it would appear as though the renowned Senator Amidala was now on friendlier terms with the Empire that she had so infamously spoken out against. The Emperor had set it all up to trap her, and she could do nothing to stop it.
I'll think of something, she told herself, if just to keep a little hope alive. He might have me now, but he can't hold me! Padmé jumped slightly, startled when the doors suddenly burst open and the ominous black figure of Vader strode into
the room. He certainly knew how to make an entrance.
Without even looking her way, the Sith commanded, "Let's go," as he continued walking. The senator was surprised, momentarily confused, before a trooper grabbed her by the upper arm and none too gently pushed her forward after Vader. Padmé tried to shake off the rough hand, but couldn't.
It was like a death march through the halls at Vader's neck-breaking pace. Because she was so much shorter, she had to almost run to keep up, and the troopers seemed to almost jog even as the Sith continued to stalk off, unconcerned with the difficulties of the others behind him. I'm doomed, she couldn't help the pessimistic side of herself that flared. If it felt like he was killing her just by walking, what hope did she have at living with him? Whatever that entailed, anyway.
After fifteen minutes or so, they finally made it outside to the landing bay. Padmé almost cried in relief when they stopped a moment as Vader located his personal speeder. Of course it was black, like everything else about the creature, and without a word, he jumped in without the use of a ladder for the tall vehicle with apparent ease. It surprised the senator. Vader looked heavy, sometimes the ground seemed to shake when he walked, but he had jumped as though he was light as a feather. Must have used the Force, she thought to herself. She'd seen Jedi do it in the past.
Thankfully no one expected her to make such a fantastic leap, and the troopers retrieved a ladder for her to use. The other door opened and Padmé was all but pulled inside by the Sith. She was surprised when the troopers didn't follow her up, and even more surprised when she realized that the speeder was only built for two. It was like a sport vehicle for the rich and famous to play with. For some reason, she hadn't imagined Vader with anything that wasn't strictly practical.
Looking over at him warily, Padmé watched as the Sith expertly managed the controls, readjusting everything to fit his bulk more out of habit it looked like than for the fact that it needed to be changed. "Strap in," he commanded, not bothering to look at his passenger, before the speeder leapt to life, and they were away, streaking across the sky.
Asmall yelp of surprise was pushed out of Padmé before she could stop it, and she quickly buckled herself in as Vader tore through the skies with reckless speed. And so this is how it all ends, she thought miserably as she watched the military base he called home come closer and closer into view.
Author's Note: Areminder, this is going to be more of an adult story, so please, if you can't handle that, please look elsewhere. If you do not like Vader acting like Vader, you might also want to look elsewhere. For those wondering, this will be a 'sort of' version of Beauty and the Beast, I suppose, that's so popular, though twisted and not necessarily pleasant. Don't like, don't read. Though if you can put up with some violence and mature topics, you might enjoy this.
Reviews are welcome and appreciated. Thanks!
Chapter 2: Chapter 2: New Home
Chapter Two: New Home
I'm going to die.
There was simply no way she was going to make it out of this one. She sat stiffly in the passenger seat of Lord Vader's speeder, streaking across the sky at alarming speeds. But what made it worse than the simple speed was the fact that he seemed to be doing his very best to try and cause an accident of spectacular proportions. He would get very close to one speeder, before ducking down or swerving at the last minute to pass them by. Next he would jump over someone else to get in front, not even looking back while the other drivers would slam on their brakes out of sheer surprise. Did this creature have a death wish?
Without her leave, Padmé gripped the sides of the speeder until her knuckles turned white. She didn't notice how she began to curl up in her seat, bringing her knees up slightly as though to protect herself should they crash – as if it would help. It was the most unnerving thing she'd ever had to do, riding as a passenger in Lord Vader's speeder with him at the helm. All she could think about were what the headlines would say once they discovered the wrecked speeder and her twisted, mutilated corpse, burned to a char and pasted to the side of some building or walkway.
At last they cleared traffic as they came to the private airspace near the military base where she would be staying. Unfortunately, Vader didn't slow down, but instead seemed to speed up as they came closer and closer to the approaching building. Padmé alternated between staring out at the looming building and Vader as they sped up. Could he not see in that helmet of his? Surely that was the only reason for this madness?
When they were almost to the hanger entrance of the base, Padmé couldn't hold her tongue anymore. She'd been literally biting it the entire ride over to stop herself from screaming, but now she just couldn't stop herself. "Slow down!" she cried, bringing her knees all the way up to her chest.
It was with the utmost horror that Padmé watched as the Sith turned his head towards her to stare instead of watching what he was doing. She paled and could see the fear written across her face reflected in the eyes of his helmet. She couldn't look away from him and they stared at one another in silence, the only sound his breathing and the growling of the engine. Again, Padmé wondered what the headlines would say when they found her dead and burned after crashing into the side of the Imperial Military Base with the Dark Lord himself beside her. For many years to come it would surely be a great mystery as to why Senator Amidala had been riding along in Lord Vader's speeder. With her luck, however, Vader would probably survive and only she'd be killed. Maybe that was the Emperor's evil plot all along. Make it look like an accident.
But at the last minute, just before rushing to meet their doom, with impossible speed and precision, all the while with not turning back to look at what he was doing, the Sith dropped the speeder down and began hitting the brakes while pressing the controls to get ready for their landing. The senator gasped as they just missed hitting the top of the hanger bay entrance. Her eyes closed on their own accord, but she could feel the speeder slowing down until, blessedly, it came to a hard stop which lurched her forward in her seat. When she managed to peel open her eyes again, she found Lord Vader still staring at her, appearing completely unfazed.
She was shaking, but honestly, Padme didn't care. She was just glad that she was alive and not pasted to the side of the base. She stared back at Vader, who seemed frozen, his respirator still hissing steadily, even as her own breath came out in short little gasps. Padmé had never been afraid of flying before, but Force, she was when it came to this creature! She had never known anyone could fly like that before. Was this just some sort of strange torture? To scare the shit out of someone to get them to slip? The idea had merit.
It took several moments before the senator could pry her hands off of the side arm rests and flex them a few times to restore circulation. When she was able to detach herself from the speeder, she turned to look back at Vader only to find that he had gotten out of the speeder and was stalking across the hanger towards the lift door. Momentarily stunned by his rudeness— no one having treated her like this since before she was Queen of Naboo— Padmé scrambled out of the speeder. Thankful there was a ladder by her side of the door and she wasn't shaking so bad that she couldn't walk. Once down, she literally ran after the Sith, pushing her hair out of her eyes.
She made it to his side just before the door to the lift closed. He was apparently impatient to get to wherever they were going. She panted for a moment, still messing with her hair, before scowling up at the creature in black. He towered over her and did not look at her again. His breathing continued to be the only communication between them that filled their awkward ride up into the living quarters of the base. She just hoped now that she wasn't going to be put into some prison, though she wouldn't exactly put it past this creature. He was known for his torture and not for his house parties.
Briefly she wondered if she was the first person to ever come here as Vader's 'guest' not in chains.
When the lift stopped and the door slid open, Padmé half expected to find herself in a dark depressing room filled with torture devices and cobwebs, but strangely, that was not the case. Instead she found herself in a pretty normal, if bland, room that was probably a meeting room for generals and the like when they came to make reports to Vader. It was composed of dark greys, blacks, and whites, but overall it was a clean, efficient looking room with a long, black glass table and black leather chairs to fit thirty or perhaps a little more. The walls were rather bare white, with only the large window that over looked the city to relieve the dullness and a picture of the emperor on the opposite wall with a few pictures of ship designs spread out, which actually made the room look bigger somehow, though she didn't know how.
Vader was apparently not interested in showing off this room, however, as he soon began his maddeningly large strides out of the lift and towards the door on the opposite side of the room. Dutifully Padmé followed, not knowing what else she was supposed to do. She was afraid that should she do something wrong, she would get punished sooner. Besides, the longer she was under her own power that meant that she could think and map out possible escape routes. It was her main objective at the moment to memorize all that she could about this place and survive. The information might serve the Alliance one day.
The hallway was designed similarly to the meeting room, plain and clinical like some sort of creepy hospital. It almost looked empty, like no one had moved in yet, truly showing off how new it, and in return the Empire, really was. There were no real pictures anywhere except an occasional of the Emperor, as though it was mandatory to have one every so often, and of course, the Imperial logo.
Vader didn't leave her much time to look around, however, as he swept through the base with frightening speed across the shining white polished floor. Padmé noted how others in the building made sure to clear the way when they saw the Sith coming towards them.
At last, after twisting and turning through hallway after hallway—Padmé suspecting that the Sith was trying to get her lost on purpose— they came to a lift that they took up that finally brought them to what the senator suspected to be Vader's personal wing considering the lack of anyone or anything. There was a large picture window that opened up to a balcony as soon as they stepped out of the lift at one side as if the night life of Coruscant was displayed just for Vader before there were a line of rooms all with unmarked doors. It appeared to be like every other hallway she'd seen thus far, with the exception that there was finally a dead end straight ahead. All the way at the end was a large black door that looked heavily secured. There was no one on this level, not even a droid, and Padmé knew that this had to be their destination. They walked to the middle of the many doors before Vader finally came to a halt.
"You may eat in this room," he pointed with one massive gloved hand towards the left to one of the unmarked doors. "Your room is just there," he pointed to the right. "If you should need anything, ask a droid." As if anticipating its master's word, a golden protocol droid appeared beside the Sith from out of Padmé's supposed room. "Do not attempt to enter that door," Vader pointed to the largest door at the far end. "You would not find it a pleasant experience."
Is he threatening me? she thought uncomfortably.
"You have full freedom of this wing," he continued, surprising the senator greatly. "There are holocams in every room, as well as the rest of the base, and you will be monitored at all times. However," a menacing bite came into his voice. Unconsciously, Padmé recoiled from him. "—you will find that my speeders can only be accessed with my own personal codes and the doors to the lower levels always remained locked and guarded by Storm Troopers. The only way out is through speeder or having the proper identification or pass to get through the check points."
"So I am a prisoner," Padmé muttered with a scowl, not sure how she should feel exactly at the moment.
"If that is how you wish to look at it," Vader replied dispassionately. "Stay out of my way. I do not care much what you do."
As he turned to leave, Padmé suddenly felt a thrill of panic rush through her. "Wait!" For whatever reason, she didn't like the idea of the Sith leaving. At least having Vader there with her she knew where he was and what he was doing which saved her the worry of wondering what he was planning and what he was going to do to her. When the Emperor's Shadow paused, Padmé had to think fast to come up with something reasonable to detain the Sith. Everyone knew of his infamous impatience. "Y-you said that there are holocams everywhere?" It was one of the few things she could still remember from the hastyspeech.
"That is correct." "Even in myroom?" "Correct."
Padmé scowled. "Not in the 'fresher though, surely?" "Everywhere," Vader replied, sounding almost bored.
"That's unacceptable!" she shrieked, glaring up at him. "I will not have cams there while I'm bathing and changing! That's disgusting and perverted!"
The Dark Lord took a menacing step forward, and only then did Padmé truly remember her position. She had no room to argue, and yet here she was. She never really was good at keeping quiet. "Adroid will be monitoring your activities. I neither have the time nor the inclination to watch you, Senator," he spat. Padmé wasn't sure, but she believed she was more insulted than relieved.
"That doesn't mean that one of the other servants or personnel won't walk into the observation room for a show," she snapped, posting her hands on her hips. Where she kept getting this audacity from, she'd never know. Maybe someday she'd live long enough to regret it.
"There is no one else here in my personal wing, Senator," Vader snapped, his patience having finally come to an end. Padmé could literally feel it. "I keep only droids."
Her own anger stalled. "Oh."
Well, she really shouldn't be that surprise. After all, no one knew what Vader really was. Rumor had it that he was probably just a droid himself, though Padmé was more prone to think that he might be some sort of cyborg. How else was it that he was able to possess Force powers? Droids couldn't have the Force, only living things. And they didn't need a respirator either. But that still didn't clear up the question of what sort of species the Sith was. He was so tall that most believed he couldn't be human despite all of the Emperor's pro-human campaigns. Vader was probably just a puppet in that, too. But the Emperor, although he didn't come right out and say it, seemed to be making an orderly galaxy for humans. Would Vader really follow Palpatine if he wasn't human?
But she could think on that later. At the moment, Padmé found herself face to chest plate with the Sith, and she couldn't bring herself to stare into his masked visage. What was he hiding under there? Was he some sort of species that couldn't handle the oxygen environment and the common atmosphere, or had he been in some sort of accident? She didn't know and at the moment she didn't care. All she wanted to do was get out of here and go back to her apartment.
"How long will I be staying here?" she asked quietly.
"As long as need be."
"And how long is that?" she pushed, staring down at her reflection from the floor.
Padmé was shocked when a gloved hand came to rest under her chin, forcing her to look up. She was disgusted, terrified, and furious that the Sith dare touch her, but what could she do? Darth Vader could kill her with a thought and he was certainly bigger and stronger than her besides. If he wanted to touch her, he would, and it sickened Padmé to think about.
"If you are a good little girl," Vader rumbled, "perhaps only several years. If not, then expect forever."
"Forever?!" The senator stepped back, out of his touch, appalled. "Y-you can't keep me locked away here forever! I have work to do! I-I didn't even do anything! When the senate finds ou—"
"Don't take me for a fool!" Vader's sudden explosion of anger caught the senator off guard, and she was once again reminded of at whose mercy she found herself under. "We both know that you're hiding your involvement in the Rebel Alliance, and the moment you slip," he lowered his voice into a deathly calm, stabbing a finger out at her, "you will be dragged to the prison to be interrogated, and I'll see to it personally how long it takes before you scream."
Once more without her leave, Padmé shivered in dread and she couldn't stop shaking. Vader was dispassionate towards her plight, however, and turned to stalk away down the hall and into the room that he had instructed her not to go. She didn't dare follow, didn't dare speak up again. She'd pushed her luck as far as it went today. Even she knew that. Part of staying alive here meant knowing just how far she could press the Sith, and it was apparently not very far.
Tears suddenly burned her eyes, but Padmé refused to let them fall. There were stories on Naboo about ancient days when young virgins had to be sacrificed to evil monsters, spirited away to their lairs, never to be seen or heard from again. No one had ever bothered to write about what happened to those poor girls once they entered the demon's liar. It was assumed that they were tortured before killed and devoured. Looking around, in this dark place, where she was beginning to feel the evil permeating the air, Padmé couldn't help but believe that she would find out just how the virgins'
stories ended even after the books had closed.
She was about to just sit down on the floor and try not to hyperventilate, when the golden protocol droid that had remained silent came shuffling forward in front of her. "Hello, milady," it said in an oddly precocious manner. "I am See- Threepio, human-cyborg relations."
It was so polite, so academic sounding that Padmé could do little but blink. "Hi." "And who might you be, milady?"
Padmé stood a moment, pondering how such a polite device had managed to survive here in the military base and in service to Lord Vader's personal wing, no less. "I'm Senator Amidala," she introduced herself halfheartedly.
"I see, Mistress Amidala," 3PO bowed slightly. "I have been instructed by my master to assist you to the best of my abilities. How might I serve you?"
This was...weird. Anything that belonged to or worked for Lord Vader was not supposed to be this well-mannered. Such droids were programmed to make beings as comfortable as possible, doing any sort of tasks that might be too laborious or bothersome. It just didn't sit right with Padmé that one of Vader's droids was being so gracious. It...just wasn't right. Not here. Not within the most evil place she could think of.
"Umm..." she bit her lip, the tears in her eyes already starting to disappear. "C-could you show me which one is my room?" she asked. "He—Lord Vader—said it was right through here?"
"Oh yes, Mistress Amidala!" the droid exclaimed in apparent delight. "I was ordered to prepare it myself for your use. Please, follow me."
The senator found herself following the golden machine into the room that Vader had only vaguely pointed towards. It was large, she was a bit surprised to see, with no bars on the windows, nor chains laying around. There were no cobwebs and no dust. It was an ordinary, if plain, bedroom. The walls were pure white and the floors were the same clean black from out in the hall. The curtains were a pitch black satin, while there was a matching black bedspread. The bed was actually quite large and comfortable looking with big fluffy pillows. There were black glass side tables and the closet doors were the same black as the floor. Behind another door, she could just make out the 'fresher, designed similarly to the rest of the room. It was all so spotlessly clean and militaristic, being at the same time everything and nothing at all like what Padmé thought the home of Darth Vader would look like.
"Your things were brought by earlier, milady," 3PO explained, still standing beside the door. "I took the liberty of putting them away for you."
"O-okay."
"Is there anything else you desire, milady?"
This was just too unreal. "No. Thank you, Threepio."
The droid bowed slightly before shuffling out the door. "If you should need anything at all, milady, I am yours to command."
And with that, he was gone, leaving Padmé feeling more confused than she ever had been in her life. She plopped down on the bed to find that it was indeed as comfortable as it looked. Unreal.
She was here, in Darth Vader's personal wing within the Imperial Military Base, sitting on a comfortable bed, in a clean and efficient looking bedroom, with free range of the entire upper portion of the base, with her own personal droid to tend to her. This could not be real. This had to be a dream. There was just no way that a Sith Lord would be courteous enough and polite enough to entertain a guest even a fraction as well as what he was now. Especially one that he knew had connections with his enemies. This had to be some sort of trap, to lower her guard. But it wouldn't work. No, she knew how the game was played, and she'd be damned before she let Vader or Palpatine get the better of her.
Lying back on her bed, the senator closed her eyes and just took a moment to breathe and collect herself. She had to think, think of a plan to get out of here, to get back to the Alliance, to get away from Vader. But first, she needed to rest. She'd had a busy day, one filled with too much stress and surprises. After that she could plan. And she would. She just needed to close her eyes...
oOoOoOo
Despite his earlier claims, Vader found himself in the control room attached to his personal chambers, watching the cam in the senator's bedroom. He had listened to the exchange between C-3PO and the senator, and had studied the woman's face extensively. She was wary, skeptical of the considerations being shown to her while a virtual prisoner in his home. Vader wasn't surprised. He would be too if he were in her position. Sidious railed on about the girl's naïve nature and how they could lull her into false security, but the younger Sith couldn't help but be doubtful. The senator was willing to give beings the benefit of the doubt perhaps, but she was not stupid. It was perfectly clear to Vader that the senator was already on to Sidious's plot to get her to drop her guard and make a critical mistake. It didn't take a genius, actually. It made him wonder if his own master was slipping.
This is not going to work, Vader thought as he sat back in his chair. His master was a fool for expecting the girl to just relax and give up all that she knew. While not the most politically minded, Vader still did not understand why his master hadn't just allowed him to torture information out of her. Surely it would be easier than this whole convoluted plan about getting her make a mistake and say the wrong thing or—Force forbid—trust them. The senator had a strong mind, that the Sith could not deny, but it could not stand up to his powers when he was intent on gaining information. Vader had run across Jedi, beings with vast mental training, and torn their minds to shreds within minutes. Senator Amidala didn't stand a chance against him and his torture techniques.
So why play this game? Was this some sort of test?
Vader scowled at the thought. He didn't like being tested by his master. Not like this. It was insulting and a complete waste of time. Surely he'd proven himself by now? He'd thought destroying the Jedi Order had done that. Surely his master knew that he was a fully-fledged Sith? He had been for years! So why have him dance around the senator, wasting time? It just didn't make sense.
It was clear that after a few minutes the girl was asleep. Only then did Vader relax. He almost smirked when he recalled how frightened she'd been of his driving. It had clearly worn her out. It had not been his aim to scare her, he'd simply been impatient to get back home and get work done, but it was certainly a bonus to watch her shrink into a tiny ball. He hadn't really believed it when he'd seen it, the Great Senator Amidala curled up like an infant. Hilarious. Who would have thought she didn't like flying?
But he could not waste time sitting here when there was work to be done. Especially if his mind was wondering uselessly to such topics as the senator. No, he had work to do. Battle plans to finalize. There was no time for thinking about the tiny woman that was just several doors down.
Standing, Vader stalked out of his chambers, making sure they were locked securely, before he made his way towards the lift. He had orders to give before there were several meetings with generals. When he came to the lower levels, to where the offices were, he searched out his personal assistant. The young man was usually a nervous, fidgety sort of fellow, but he got the job done efficiently, and that was all Vader could have asked for.
"Lieutenant Pilor," he snapped.
Almost instantly the lieutenant seemed to materialize before him, doing his best not to look as terrified as Vader sensed him to be. "My lord."
Turning towards his assistant, the Sith wasted no time before making known his requests. "Lieutenant, I am hosting a special guest in my personal wing," he began, ignoring the surprise that passed over the other man's face. "Senator Amidala of Naboo will be staying with us for an indeterminable amount of time."
"Yes, my lord." Pilor might have been easy to read, but he thankfully was not one that questioned orders or voiced his inner musings. It would be a shame for Vader to lose his temper and kill the man.
"See to it that if she leaves my personal wing that she is monitored and has armed escorts so she does not get into anything she should not."
"Yes, my lord. I shall send notice to all troopers and personnel."
"Good." Vader paused another moment. "And be sure to watch all exit points and my hanger more closely. She is not to leave this base unless I or anyone I give specific permission to takes her."
"Of course, my lord. Is there anything else, Sir?"
Pilor was certainly a rare one. The man was certainly an asset and had thus far only ever managed to annoy Vader every so often. That was better than his last P.A. who met an unfortunate end when he had not done his work adequately, causing Vader's entire schedule to become backed up, wasting his time. This lieutenant was quick, obedient, and
intelligent enough to ask all the right questions at all the right times. It was refreshing.
So, Vader thought a moment over the question, before looping his fingers into his belt. "Yes," he said at last. "Be sure that when you alert personnel to her existence, it is understood that her presence must be kept quiet. The Emperor would be most displeased should everyone find out she is staying with us too soon. If any word gets out and I find that it was someone in this building, I will personally see to their punishment. Is that understood?"
The lieutenant lost a shade or two of color, but nodded quickly. "Yes, my lord. I will see to it immediately."
"Good."
Vader turned, leaving his P.Ato carry out his orders as he went to his meeting with several generals about the war that had broken out among a few mid-rim worlds. The Sith had never understood rebels, and he could not fathom why they resisted the Empire. Were they so barbaric that they preferred the chaos and uncertainty of governing themselves over the security and order of the Empire?
Animals. All of them.
And so, for the next several hours, Vader turned his full attention towards maintaining and protecting the Empire he and his master had created. Not once did he think back to the woman that was left sleeping in his personal wing, nor of how much his life could change because of her.
Author's Note: If you're curious as to C-3PO or why Vader wears the mask, please be patient. All will be explained. Also, if there is weird spacing or lack there of, please forgive me. When I upload, the