Whew! Two weeks away, and in the middle of my trip I got tons of ideas for the upcoming chapters. I don't think I'll ever have to worry about writer's block on this story:-)

A Warm Breeze in the Snow Storm

By Rose-Arwen-Padmé

Weakness

"I can't stand to look at you, Anakin!" Sola screamed the second Darth Vader returned into the room.

"Then don't," he casually replied. "I won't make you—yet. Now, where did we leave off? Ahh, yes, we were discussing the whereabouts of my wife."

Darred boldly shouted with a braveness in his tone that he did not feel, "Give us back our children, you beast, or else you'll regret the day you ever stepped foot on Naboo!"

It was a weak remark, not even worth responding too. However, what angered Darth Vader was the simple fact that someone, albeit in a puny way, had the audacity to order him around.

He stomped right up to Darred and, without skipping a beat, he wrapped his right hand around the young man's neck and raised him off the floor by his tight grip.

He tilted his demonic head to the side in mock curiosity. "Or else, what, Darred?"

"No! Put him down, please!" Sola shouted tearfully. "I beg you!"

Vader continued to glare at Darred. "I ought to break your neck right here. You're close enough, you know, they'd hear the crackling sound of your spine breaking. Of course, you'd be the only one who wouldn't hear it. Do you wonder why, Darred?"

"Nooooo! Let my husband go, please!"

"Do you want to know why, Darred!"

"You won't!" Sola exclaimed. "Please, please, you won't!"

Jobal's anxious cries joined the others. "You can't kill family! No one can kill family!"

While what he was about to tell her was in reality a lie, it was something that he had badly wanted, needed, to happen. Besides, it would get his desperate point across. "I killed the bastard Obi-Wan Kenobi, my former master, for keeping her whereabouts a secret from me. That man had been the closest thing a father that I'd ever had, despicable as he was." He tightened his grip around Darred's neck, and the young man struggled out feeble gasps, his eyes growing wider. "So don't you tell me I can't kill family!"

Darred felt himself getting colder and weaker as he gaped into the devilish mask before him. He could see the image of his struggling self in his reflection on the black helmet.

"Please, oh, please no!" Poor Sola's screams were louder than anyone's. "He hasn't done anything wrong! No! Please don't hurt him! LET HIM GO!"

With sparked interest, Vader watched Sola behind his black lens. With his new intrigue, he keenly noticed how emotional— how weak— she was becoming with each passing moment. Her children had been separated from her at a time when she needed them the closest—taken to a camp out of reach. Her husband gasped manically for air as her former brother-in-law, Darth Vader, held him mercilessly by the throat. The only thing keeping her from shattering was her surrounded family. If only he could get her alone, with out the security of her mother, father, and husband…

But first, Vader flung Darred about three feet carelessly. The gasping man crashed into his father-in-law with tremendous force, but both were relatively unharmed, just as Vader had intended.

"Thank you," a tearful Sola whispered, as she moved past Vader and towards her husband.

Gratitude… what a strange thing to be offered right now. "Don't thank me, Sola." In the next breath, Vader continued, "Troopers! Take this one," he pointed to Sola's shocked face, "into the room down the hall!" He stressed the words, "Use system 5-19 to get her to talk! I want to know where Padmé Amidala Naberrie-Skywalker" he blatantly stressed the final name, "is. Use any means necessary!"

As he watched the troopers pry Sola's fingers off her husband, and then take her into the adjoining hallway, Vader felt confident of the troopers understanding of his orders. System 5-19 was a code name for simply taking a person from a group of prisoners under the pretense that the individual will be injured while interrogated. In reality, the person is really only separated from the group as a means of psychological persuasion for the original group to reveal information out of fear for their separated comrade. Under this system, Sola will merely be carefully watched over—not spoken too, not touched—in another room, frightfully contemplating what is happening to her family. Meanwhile, her mother, father, and husband will worry that she is being subjected to a pain-inducing interrogation. Vader rarely instigated this system. Usually, he'd go ahead and really subject someone to an interrogation, and quickly injure them if they didn't reply.

Darred was falling apart where he stood. Sola screamed for her family all down the hallway, who were yelling curses at the Dark Lord.

"You're a monster, Vader!"

Yes, yes, I know… You're not the first to call me that.

"You are nothing like Anakin Skywalker!"

His head snapped higher. "YES! And I thank the Force everyday for that fact! The fact that I am no longer that confused being without power!" He rested his clenched fists on his hips. "Now, silence!" He used the Force to slam shut Ruwee, Jobal, and Darred mouths shut. They gave minor, indignant protests, not knowing that they should feel grateful. Anyone else that Vader had ever done that too had resulted with broken jaws.

Vader paced the room as he thought it out himself. Alright, alright… think. The whole family had gathered to celebrate the Festival of Lights at the rare time of the girls being out of school. Ryoo said that Padmé was able to leave in time to escape the troopers…that meant that Padmé had been here, in this very house, today. He suddenly cursed his breathing apparatus yet again that day. He wanted to wrench off his damned helmet and breathe in the unmistakable scent of Padmé's perfume, which was undoubtedly still permeating the air. Alright, now, our attack on the planet had all been a surprise—she had no idea it was coming. As soon as we got here, the fleet set up a blockade around Naboo. I know no ship had gotten through.

He froze in-step. Vader turned to look at Jobal. With a menacing tone of satisfaction, he mumbled, "She's on-planet."

He watched as her eyes closed in silent remorse. Although he hadn't been searching her face for an answer, it nevertheless told him all he needed to know—he was right. After ten years, Vader had the gift of knowing that he was on the same planet as a living, breathing Padmé.

His mother-in-law's voice pierced his thoughts. "Why don't you do what is best for both your sake's—yours and Padmé's—and just leave her alone?"

"Don't try it, Jobal. Your last minute, desperate attempts to keep her away from me won't work."

A determined gleam in her eyes, Mrs. Naberrie replied, "But, so far, you seemed to have survived well enough without her in your life."

In three quick steps, Darth Vader had crossed the room to Jobal. He raised his large arm, preparing to strike down upon her, as he shouted, "You call THIS… SURVIVING!"

"Nooo!" Ruwee exclaimed frantically.

The frightening second before his clenched fist came crashing down upon the defenseless Jobal, Vader froze. He paused there for several moments, and the room went eerily silent. The tension was so thick it was choking.

Ruwee's startled and confused rumblings pierced the air. "W-Wh—?" Why. What. Why did Vader stop? What caused him to halt his own hand? Ruwee couldn't find the words to ask a Sith Lord what had caused him to not hit his wife.

Surprisingly, it was Jobal who spoke next. Even more surprising was the shockingly calm, almost pleased tone of her voice. "I can answer your question, dear," she said, directing her words to her shaken husband. "I can tell you why Darth Vader didn't strike me just now." As she spoke, she watched with sharp eyes as Vader painstakingly lowered his arm until it was resting, still clenched, at his side. The Dark Lord took about three large steps backwards as Mrs. Naberrie continued, "But first, I'd have to tell you that we were wrong. Darth Vader can, and will, kill family. It's a horrible, heart-breaking fact, but it's true. For that matter, we should not underestimate him."

At this, Vader arrogantly lifted his chin a few inches higher.

"But…" Jobal continued, and all ears were focused on her words. "There is one exception… and probably one exception only. Vader will hurt and kill any family… except Padmé's." At this, Ruwee looked upon Vader with unreadable eyes. He knew it to be true.

"And that," Vader's voice rumbled darkly, "makes you the single luckiest family in the entire universe."

After a long pause, Jobal started, "So, Vader knows that Padmé—"

"Would never forgive him for striking her mother," Ruwee finished.

With a pining look at her husband, Jobal replied, "Or her father." She turned to look at the young man standing beside her on her other side. "Or her brother-in-law. Or her sister…" She let the hopeful words carry on for Darred to continue.

"Or," Darred hoarsely croaked out. "Or, Padmé's nieces." His eyes closed in silent thankfulness to the deities. "M-My babies…" He sent a look of longing towards the door leading into the room where Sola was being kept.

"Oh, actually…" Vader began arrogantly.

All eyes shot to look at the dark lord, who stood with his hands clasped behind him.

"Technically, Darred is not family by blood. He's only a Naberrie by name."

This was true. Recognizing the importance of the Naberrie name, after Darred and Sola had married, the couple had decided to break tradition and kept the bride's name. Ruwee's jaw clenched. "You wouldn't dare."

"Don't you presume to tell a Dark Lord what he will and will not do!"

But Ruwee was insistent. "Padmé sees Darred as a brother! She'll never forgive you!"

The Naberrie's would have cringed if they could have seen the twisted grin hidden beneath Vader's grotesque mask. "There are rules in this game. These rules do not apply to everyone. Don't worry; I can sufficiently hurt Darred enough without killing him. Troopers! Take him away!" He continued to shout over the immediate protests, "But by the end, he will feel such things, he will wish he was dead!"

As the troopers grabbed a squirming Darred, a loud, echoing, "NOOOOOOO!" was heard following the sound of a door being burst open. Within moments, a red-cheeked, hair-matted Sola Naberrie rushed into the room and flung herself into Darred's arms. "Noooooo" she screamed again. "Not Darred! Not the children! I'll tell you where she is! I'll tell you! Just don't hurt anymore of my family!"

Angry, shocked, and frantic, both Jobal and Ruwee rushed to open their mouths and exclaim that a Naberrie needn't fear Vader's wrath, but in a flash, they were elevated three feet off the floor. They clutched at their throats desperately. Their eyes were wide with fear—they needed air to breathe! They needed air to tell Sola the truth!

But their scrambling was in vain.

"Where, Sola?" Vader roared.

She was looking at her parents in horror. "Mom! Father!"

"SOLA! WHERE?"

Sola turned her wide eyes to the terrifying advancing black figure.

"WHERE?"

Covering her ears and closing her eyes in a futile attempt to block out the sights, the sounds, the guilt, the anguish, the regret, Sola opened her mouth to speak.

"S-she's hiding under the name Anaka Skyler. She's at the old family lakeside retreat at Varykino. Now," she let out a trembling breath, "leave our family alone!"

After several stunned moments of silence, Vader shakily replied, "That's impossible. I've checked Varykino for residency at least once a week for the past ten years. No one lives there."

Sola dropped her eyes. "You mush have checked for guest residency, or for a home owner. Padmé is neither." She raised her eyes, and one could almost make out the mischievous gleam in them—the pride at her younger sisters ingenuity. "Padmé has been living there as the caretaker, who is never in the official records, but is always living there."

Minutes passed. Absently minded, Vader waved his fingers, and Jobal and Ruwee dropped. They were both to hoarse to say anything, so they just laid on the floor, gripping each other as if for dear life. Time stretched on, and only the elder couple's ragged panting and Vader's haunting breathing were heard. Eventually, a mixture of Sola's sobs and Jobal's prayers were added to the errie mixture of sounds.

Finally, Vader replied in shock, with a young, rash, blunt, Anakin Skywalker briefly shining through the darkness and the armor, "You've got to be kidding." The sheer simplicity of it all astounded him.

Padmé had adopted a new name that was merely a deformed version of his former calling.

Padmé was living at their lake retreat...

Padmé was living at the place where they'd shared their first kiss...

Padmé was living at the place where their love had blossomed...

Padmé was living at the place where they'd been married, and where they'd consecrated that marriage countless times...

Padmé was living at their lake retreat...

Padmé…. was living.

It had been about an hour since Vader had left. After his blatant remark, he'd turned on his heal and left, his cape gliding behind him, silence encasing him like one of his black gloves. The Naberrie's were now under house arrest, trapped in their own home as if it were a gilded cage.

And still, Sola was trying to convince a miserable Jobal that her actions were justifiable, even if she didn't know at the time that Vader wasn't going to hurt any of them, probably including Darred. "Mom, tell me you understand! Padmé wouldn't have wanted Ryoo or Pooja hurt! She wouldn't have wanted Darred killed! She loves us too much! I knew that!"

Jobal gave her daughter a hard stare. "And I thought we love her too much too betray her!"

Sola stared right back at her mother. For once, the gleam of determination and self-reliance that had more often been seen in Padmé and Jobal's eyes shone like a blazing fire in Sola's brown pools. "Mother, I love you, but you can never ask me too put either one of my daughters in danger, or Darred, for that matter. But don't you dare ever tell me to say or not say something that would result in one of my daughter's being in jeopardy."

Jobal looked at her oldest child with sad eyes. "Then, Sola, you should know how I feel. After all, that is what you asked me to do today. Ryoo and Pooja are to you, want you and Padmé are too me."

The light was immediately extinguished from Sola's eyes. She hadn't looked at their situation like that before. Everything that Sola had just made a big speech about, about resulting to anything to keep a daughter safe… that was what she had asked her own mother to give up that day.

"Oh, Mom… I'm sorry. I'm so very, very…"

"I know, sweetheart, I know…" Jobal sighed heavily. "But if there is anyone out of the three of us—you, me, and Padmé—who knows about sacrificing yourself for your children…" She sighed heavily again, thinking of the two grandchildren, a granddaughter and a grandson, that she will never meet. "Padmé knows more about it than we do."

Sola stood and walked over to her mother. She placed trembling, yet warms hand on her shoulder as she stood behind Jobal's sitting form. She lovingly began to massage her mother's back and shoulders, attempting to release the tension that had built up in the older woman's muscles. "I wonder," Sola replied quietly, "which is worse: dying for your children, or staying alive while you are forever separated from them."

After a long day of crying, when Jobal had thought she was all out of tears, a lone droplet came from her eye. She didn't bother to brush it away as it slid down her cheek. "According to Padmé, living is worse. Remember what she often says, Sola… a heart does not have to stop beating in order to break…. one does not have to stop breathing in order to die."

TBC…

I am so sorry for the delay in the "reply to the reviews"! I've been working a double shift at work-- from 8 AM to 9 PM-- ever since I posted. I've just come home, ate, slept, got up and gone to work. Luckily I had the morning off:-D So, what's the first thing I'm doing... replying!

Leif of Rohan - Hello again! If it's as hot in your region of the world as it is in my region, then I can sympathize completely. Thank you for the commments! Yes, I wish Padme had lived... I guess that's what is for:-)

Seerandgel - LOL! That's great! I've never been called a piece of bantha poodoo before! Well, I guess I have now! I'm so sorry about the two weeks thing! But I promise I will have the next chapter up ASAP! Thanks again for the... interesting... comments:-)

Stayingold88 - Thank you very much! I truly appreciate it!

BGTom - Hmmm... I like that idea... :-D Thank you for the comments!

Kinghearts - Aw, thank you very much! I am very pleased that you are enjoying the story. I hope you are as happy with what I have stored for Vader in the future!

LVB - I can't tell you how flatering it is to hear from you once again! I truly do love and respect your work. Thank you so much for your interest in this story! I hope you enjoy the chapters to come!

scorpion's muse - Thank you! I'm sorry! Two weeks was a long time... but I came back! And there will be more story for you to read, I promise!

eridani - No case of writer's block this time, I promise! Wow! Thank you for such a long review! I agree with you completely-- the best technique with writer's block is to just start writing. I think that sometimes the best writing is the kind that comes out of using that technique. Great idea!

scooter5710 - Thank you! It's great to hear from you!

starry-eyes184 - Yay! It's always great to hear from a new fan to the movies! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such kind remarks!

Niraha Skywalker - Wow:-D Thank you very much! Very flattering! I hope you enjoy the chapters to come!

orliNKeira - "finally!"? Lol, what it that long of a wait? I'm sorry! I am glad that you liked the chapter! It's wonderful to hear from you again, as always! Hahaha, I'm hurrying! I'm hurrying:-) Thanks again for the review!

Doreen - Thank you! I look forward to writing more of the story for you to enjoy. ;-)

J.E.A.R.K.Potter - Hello there! Thank you for reviewing once again! I truly appreciate it. Thank you, yes-- I had so much fun on my trip! It was great! "where ever I am going"? Ah, I might as well just say that I went to Corpus Christi, TX.

dragonsdaughter1 - LOL! He certainly deserves it, eh? Hmmm... now that's an idea... ;)

jl2asnoopy - Thank you very much! I hope that you continue to enjoy the rest of the story as well. I loved reading what you like about the story, and you're kind compliments made me blush! Thank you!

Jenny Storwens - Thank you! It was very interesting to read your comment about the summary. I know that mostly the summary either makes or breaks a story, so it's a great relief that you liked it! Oh, trust me, this story is going to be completed. This is my second time around posting this story, and second time's the charm! Thank you so much for your interest!

Serina Tsuki - Thanks for the comments!I really appreciate it:-D

Snow Lepord - falls off chair My goodness! That was such a flattering review! Every line had me blushing more and more. You truly brightened up my day. :-D I really am so happy that you like this story so much! It makes it even more joyful for me to write it! THANK YOU!

MeyaRose - I was great to hear from you! Haven't heard from ya in a while... I guess I haven't updated Star Wars fic in a while. ;-)