Chapter 16: Exodus

Vader entered Padmé's chamber virtually noiselessly despite his hulking form.

Nonplussed, she had grown used to his silent and abrupt entries and exits, knowing that it most likely terrified his subordinates. Dressed in a dark lavender silk gown with a paler underskirt, she sat and waited for him to speak as she caught her hair with a pearl-encrusted fastener that matched both her dangling earrings and the heavy choker necklace around her neck. She did not know how he accomplished it, but more gowns and precious jewelry would show up mysteriously in her wardrobe.

She was feeling surprisingly well today and her color was good. Vader was quietly and secretly admiring her uncommon beauty before he brusquely spoke.

"I must supervise the commission of the newly completed Death Star." He paused for effect. "You will join me."

Padmé's lips tightened into a thin line as she stood up and glided silently toward him.

"So…you must oversee the creation that will bring even more fear, destruction, and tyranny to the 'Empire'?" Her voice was sharp and dripping with sarcasm.

"How quaint."

Padmé had not spoken to him in quite a while, so he was taken aback at such a lengthy response. He had almost forgotten the sound of her voice.

Vader remained silent. Padmé glared at him, exasperated at his outward aloofness.

"How long will we be there?" Her tone was sharp with him and cut through him.

"As long as it takes," he ground out the reply, keeping his frustration in check.

"Wha-?" Padmé's question was cut off.

"Prepare yourself. We leave shortly." That order brooked no further dispute. He turned and went through the adjoining doorway to his own chamber, the door sliding immediately shut behind him. TeeSee entered the room with a metal travel case.

Padmé sighed in irritation and searched in her closet for the cloak and veil he had given her when she was transferred to the Executor. Luxurious as it was, it was the only cloak she now owned, which was not surprising, since she had few occasions to leave her quarters. The droid packed for her, carefully folding her gowns and adding accessories.

As he could sense when she was ready, Vader entered her chamber. He did not offer her his arm, but gently beckoned the chamber door open to allow her to exit first. Once again, they made their way mutely to the deserted landing bay.

When she approached his ship, a chill ran up her body; Padmé had a strong sense of foreboding about this trip. As she joined Vader in the cockpit and took her seat beside him in his Imperial shuttle, she gritted out softly, "I have a bad feeling about this…"

Darth Vader quickly turned to look at her, and then looked down at the control panel with unseeing eyes.

Those words brought another unwanted memory of Obi-Wan, back when they were still close. A flash of his and Obi-Wan's daring rescue of Palpatine entered his thoughts. The years disappeared. They had been an unstoppable team in the Clone Wars. He'd saved Obi-Wan's life multiple times…How times had changed.

We were like brothers… He was the father I never had…

He crushed the sadness and regret welling up inside him and focused instead on his hatred of his old Master.

It comforted him.

x x x x

This time, Padmé, despite her anger at him, did seem interested in flying his ship to the Outer Rim Territory, location of the new space station. He allowed her to do so, with pleasure.

She always was a good pilot and had no difficulty in taking over the controls. A slight smile grew on her face as her initial nervousness passed. It had been a long time since she had piloted a ship and she was enjoying it. Vader allowed himself to bask in her pleased feelings as he watched her. She had actually become a bit more chatty and animated with him, just like she had been so many years ago. He was fairly sure she had finally accepted Fate and that things would now be easier between them going forward.

Vader felt the sudden change of her emotions as a shock of ice down his spine.

Unfortunately, Padmé was not impressed with her first view of the Death Star. In fact, he could feel her disgust as if it were a living, breathing thing. But her flying remained steady and she executed the landing perfectly. He could sense her anger at him had returned and that there would be little conversation going forward. He shook his head, once again exasperated with her stubbornness.

Needless to say, not a soul was there to greet them when they landed. Vader, once again, had made sure of that. He swiftly guided Padmé up through the sterile corridors to her new, temporary quarters which, of course, adjoined his own. As soon as things were back on schedule with the Death Star, they would return to the Executor. He was to contact his Master as soon as he arrived, so he had to take leave of Padmé immediately.

"There are matters I must attend to." With that, he left.

Padmé smiled faintly as she noticed both a handheld holo-unit and data pad sitting on a chair for her. She would do yet more reading and researching any news on her two children.

And try to figure out a plan.

x x x x

This headache was the strongest yet.

As soon as she thought it was safe to do so, without Anakin's ever-watchful gaze, she would ask the droid to give her something to help the pain. She was not going to be able to keep up her charade without it.

Padmé squinted at the mirror. Her color was still good and she was now eating regularly again. She looked completely healthy to the untrained eye. She grit her teeth and placed her hand heavily against her head as a lightening bolt of pain shot into the right side of her face.

"You are in pain." Vader sounded alarmed.

The curt words from his voice projector made her jump, sending another ice pick of agony into her head. Vader, himself, winced at the sound of his harsh voice; in his own mind, he had spoken in close to a whisper. Consumed by her pain, she had not heard the unique and chilling sound of the breathing that usually heralded his presence.

Extremely irritable with the agony, she had wanted to snap a reply, but instead composed herself. She had to make her headache seem completely harmless. "It's just eye strain from staring at the data pads so long, Anakin. It will pass."

Vader continued to stare at her, as if trying to read her thoughts.

He noted that he did not feel the usual discomfort at her calling him 'Anakin'. But he did observe that she had never, ever once called him by his proper name: Vader. He could sense nothing out of the ordinary with her and had no idea that some of his telepathy with her had dulled and warped after his re-birth as the heavily mechanized Sith Lord Darth Vader.

Padmé was very guarded as she looked at him nonchalantly, hand covering her eye. She was suddenly feeling weak and hoped that Anakin would help her to her bed, but she knew that he would not touch her. In all the time they had been together since her awakening, he had never laid a hand on her- physically, that is. That saddened her. She made her own way gingerly to her bed and sat down.

Vader had wanted to comfort Padmé or at least help her to her bed, especially as he watched her stooped gait. But he could never have such physical contact with her now that he had changed. His self-revulsion and helplessness twisted like a knife in his gut. He once again concentrated on his anger at Obi-Wan.

This is his fault. He did this to me.

Even after all this time, Vader could not allow himself to think that his own actions had brought his suffering on himself. Unfortunately, some things did not change so quickly.

Vader's thoughts turned back to his wife.

"If you wish, my droid can give you something for the pain." He was not sure that stubborn Padmé would accept assistance.

"I think I will take you up on the offer," she said with a slight smile that looked more like a grimace.

I'm not an idiot, she added with a sigh.

Immediately, the medical droid Two-OneBee entered the chamber at Vader's telepathic command. It carried a heavy metal case that it set on the bed beside her. Once opened, one could see all of the medical implements and components. Padmé briefly wondered if Anakin still felt the pain of his old injuries.

"I've got eyestrain…" she offered the weak lie up, lamely, as Two-OneBee efficiently and mutely prepared a syringe with the solution and added a long, thin needle to it.

"This may make you drowsy," the droid stated, as the needle slid with a slight burning sensation into a vein in her arm. It would have been much more efficient to give the dosage in a major vein in her neck, but the droid did not want to risk the chance of Vader noting the fading scars from Padmé's 'accident'. Vader watched the proceedings with apprehension. He could not bear the thought that Padmé was even in the slightest amount of pain.

Padmé's body relaxed as the pain medication flowed warmly through her veins. She blinked and tried to focus her eyes as she felt the twilight sleep overtake her. The medical droid exited the room and left them alone. Making a slight gesture with his hand, Vader dimmed the lights so that she would not be disturbed by the ship's day light cycle while resting. The room was left in total darkness, but with his vision enhancement receptors, Vader had no trouble viewing her.

In truth, Vader could have watched Padmé's sleeping form all day and night, but he rose in preparation of the holo he was to have with his Master in the next standard hour. As he approached the door, he heard her speak in a low, slurred murmur. At the sound of her voice, he whirled around, his cape flaring out behind him.

"Anakin, I'm cold, will you bring me a blanket?" Her voice was slightly breathless.

Vader returned to her side and stared down at her, noting the slight frown on her face.

He stood transfixed at her bedside until she groaned, "So cold…" She shuddered.

That goaded him into action.

He moved to cover her with a soft velvet throw and then she was silent once again. Kneeling at her side, he paused for a moment in the dark because he knew she could not see him even if she had been lucid. Despite his forbidding, macabre presence, he wanted to be near her.

Padmé's left hand moved quickly and unerringly out towards him and caressed his right upper arm, which was still of flesh under the suit and not metal. She then grasped him firmly and was steadily pulling him down toward her. Vader's mask was only inches away from her face, with the distance closing fast..

He was horrified that she might touch the cold, hard surface. In her current state, it might send her into shock. He could imagine her screaming at him in terror. And, once again, devastatingly point out to him the barrier between them; how utterly separate they were as beings. And how truly alone he was, even by her side.

"Ani, I'm tired, come to bed…Hold me…" she sighed, petulantly, bringing him even closer to her.

Vader was reeling with shock and terror. He violently pulled away from her touch and lurched from her side, almost stumbling on his cybernetic legs. He could not believe she had done such a thing!

Breathing heavily, he looked down at her innocent, sleeping form. Her left arm was dangling awkwardly over the side of the bed.

She has no idea! If she were conscious, she would never-

Vader was shaking as he stumbled blindly to his own chamber.

He locked the door between them.