Chapter Thirteen

Vader woke to the sound of his own breathing. It was the noise that accompanied him everywhere, a constant harassment to his senses. When he opened his eyes to see everything in an ugly simulacrum, the first thing that met his eyes was the face of his wife, staring at him impassively, a foreign look to her face. She was wearing the dress from the night before; Vader realized that he had not given her anything else to wear.

"You actually sleep," she said softly to herself, but not softly enough for Vader not to overhear it.

"I am still human," he rumbled to her. "Humans sleep."

She nodded, turning her face away so he could only see the profile of her face.

"Padmé…"

"Thank you for saving me," she whispered, still not looking at him. "I am not without gratitude."

He wanted to come up to her and rub her shoulders, like he had before he had donned the suit that separated them. He wanted, just for a second, to drown himself in her light and warmth and to forget everything, to loose himself. She had the unique ability to make everything else around him fade away until they were simply together as husband and wife.

But one look from her was enough to put such thoughts out of his mind. Vader had forgotten how much he missed her. Subtle details about her, the way she laughed and smiled, her soft skin… he had lost those details in an overpowering tide of guilt and self-hatred. But now, with her standing a mere few feet away, it was almost too easy to remember.

Vader's mind, the part of him that was bitter and angry, closed out the thoughts of love, chocking them with hate. He could not allow himself such thoughts, for they would lead to releasing what he felt deep inside him; the regret he carried within himself, the feeling of inevitable tragedy. If he allowed them to, such thoughts would destroy him.

The momentary pause between them was broken by the almost obscene noise of 4-6C, who entered with a clattering, shuffling sound.

"My Lord, I have analyzed the drug found in her system."

The droid proceeded to rattle off a long, in-depth analysis of the sample. Vader simply stood and waited until it was done, and then turned to Padmé.

"I am not familiar with this. The Emperor must have been keeping it secret from me."

Although his words were calm and rational, there was a dangerous undercurrent to them, and the thickness of his rage could almost be felt.

Padmé turned away. If it had been Anakin, she would have found something comforting to say, something to soothe him. Instead, because it was Vader, there was nothing.

"My Lord," said Vader's protocol droid, who had come into the room noiselessly. "The Emperor commands an immediate audience."

Vader hissed through his mask.

"Take her to her room," he ordered the droid brusquely. His eyes met Padmé's for one brief second before he was down the hall, cape whirling around him and looking furious.

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Vader stopped before entering the room in which the transmitter that would connect him to the Emperor was. He reached inside his mind, setting shields around all his thoughts of Padmé and how he had saved her. When that was accomplished, he walked into the room, which had a simple black hologram projector. He knelt on the floor, bringing up the picture of his livid master.

"Lord Vader, I have been informed that you have left your principal star-ship." He felt, rather then saw, the Emperor's lips curl from his teeth as the old man hissed, "Explain."

"My master, I have had…" Vader's mind raced, searching for an excuse. He found it.
"…Complications with my health. The Jedi on Tatooine has injured me, and I found it fit to return home." Vader allowed the lie to fill his mind until it became reality, a truth that the Emperor could seize and look upon. He bowed his head further until it was only through the Force that he could look upon his master.

"Complications? Why was I not informed?"

"Forgive me, my master. In my haste, I did not see it fit to inform you."

"I see," Sidious breathed. The Emperor's voice continued on, commanding Vader's attention utterly.

"Lord Vader, my apprentice, you are aware that any attempt to deceive me is pointless?"

Vader bit the inside of his cheek harshly.

"Of course, my Master."

Vader was aware of the shadow's probing of his mind. He forced himself to relax and allow it to, keeping everything about her behind his mental shield and allowing his only thoughts to be of revenge and anger. They were no less full or real; yet somehow, to him they seemed less fulfilling then before, less willing to drive him on. The dark presence retracted from his mind, allowing him to unclench his jaw.

"My friend, I have recently become aware of another presence in the Force, one of great power. It could be the Jedi from Tatooine that fought you, but I find that… unlikely."

Vader wracked his brain, all his attention to the matter at hand. He was no less obsessed with revenge against the Jedi as he once was; he still hated them with a passion that was beyond reason. He was tempted to laugh when he realized that the 'Jedi' his master was referring to was Vader himself, and that Palpaltine had not known that his apprentice was the one that defeated him.

"It is uncertain, Master." Vader spoke the word 'master' with as much respect as he had always, but the word felt suddenly dirty and unclean to Vader, and shame crept over him, shame for having obeyed the creature before him for the past decade.

"Heal, Apprentice. Once you have renewed your hatred, resume the hunt for the Jedi on Tatooine."

"Thy wish is my command, Master."

The robed face of the Emperor faded, and in Vader's triumph, it never occurred to him once that deceit and trickery were the ways of the Sith.

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The Emperor leaned back in his chair, raising one finger to stroke what might have once been a human chin. Yellow, decayed skin hung off of him, and even in his intimidating presence, it was hard not to release a shiver of disgust.

He grinned, flesh peeling off his cadaverous, rotten teeth. His apprentice was a fool. Sidious had entered Padmé's mind, wanting no loose ends. He had heard reports of Vader entering and stealing her, and it was another way to find out if it could be true. The presence that he had allowed to overcome him was undeniably that of Vader's, but he had needed to know for certain. Now, he knew. All it had taken was the right words, carefully placed and Vader had betrayed himself and his wife.

Not that it mattered, anyways. If his apprentice was showing even the slightest signs of hesitation or doubt, he was of no use. It would be of no trouble to find himself another apprentice, one who could cast of the feeble shackles of love and dedicate him to the Dark Side.

The Emperor chuckled to himself as he thought of how easy it had been to pull the information from her mind. She had put up a brave but foolish attempt at stopping him, and he had gleaned everything he needed to know from her mind.

Twins, he thought. Children. Luke and Leia, she had named them. Unfortunate that she had no knowledge of their locations, but that was only a minor setback. His plans were proceeding well, and it was a simple matter of time before he located Skywalker's children and took them for his own.

The old man cackled all alone in his chamber, the offensive noise echoing around the large room before it faded, leaving only emptiness.

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A/N:Muahaha! And so the plot thickens...