Previously
When the pod landed, she instantly exited from it. Padme did not want to run the risk of the pod freezing over and she being trapped inside. Even it would not protect her from the harsh weather of the Hoth night. Yards away, she could still see the remains of her ship burning fiercely. Sighing, she picked up her travel bag and threw it over her shoulder.
Looking all around her, she saw nothing but endless fields of snow in all directions. It had indeed been a very interesting day. If she had not become a prisoner of the Emperor, or been killed by a Sith Lord..then surely she would be eaten by wampa ice creature.
'It was the will of the Force.' She chuckled one last time before she began to walk forward.
Prisoner of My Own - The proud and the stubborn
Ten thousand, eight hundred and fifty two seconds laterhe had plotted severaldifferent ways on how to end her life. There was always the ever popular force choke. He felt that was running out of style however. It almost seemed like that was the first thing he used each day. He could always cut her body limbs off one by one with his lightsaber. Watch her suffer for hours after hours until she finally died. Hell, even watching her getting eaten by a Wampa ice creature would satisfy his current infuriation!
But no. Things would not be so easily laid out in front of him. It must have been his punishment. Why was he getting punished however? He had done everything that had always been asked of him. He had to somehow find the vile creature, and bring her back alive. Not only was it next to impossible to sense her... but he wanted nothing more than to wipe that smug smile off her face!
She would pay dearly for making him chase her halfway across the galaxy. The girl just refused to surrender. Even when certain death was unescapable.
Vader laid back in his pilot chair and sighed. There was just another hour left until he arrived at the frozen planet of Hoth.But what then? He had heard of what the weather was like on the planet of Hoth. As if it wasn't bad enough in the mornings, the nights were no place for any living being. Even those that were native to the planet could barely survive. So how would she?
He attempted to think of what it was the girl could have possibly been thinking. She was mad, he decided. She was nothing more than a mad woman. And her head would soon be the prize of the Emperor. It was indeed a waste of a woman though. He still had the image of the chocolate ringlets and matching eyes stamped on his mind.
Sighing once again, he attempted to burn the image of her from his mind. It was no use however. She remained there mocking him. She was so damn familiar to him for some reason, and that bothered him. His memories of his past were not the clearest things to him anymore. He vaguely remembered memories of his own mother.His master had always told him that it was because his past had been so tainted with pain that he did not remember it well. He would always tell him to forget of everything. The past mattered not anymore. Only the future, and the power he would gain did.
As usual, he did as he said. He let the memories flow from him. To their own grave. But why had he regretted it so when he had?Was it not best to just forget all of the bad things that had happened? Surely no one would want to re-live the life of a slave. Constantly being whipped for not being strong enough, for failing. Being tossed around by those larger than you. No, it was not something pleasant.
It was after the death of his mother that the memories had begun to fade.He had been with the Jedi for about four years. Thing were going rather well for him. That is, until he began having nightmares of his mothers death. He saw her in pain, screaming for help. When he told the masters however, the refused to believe him. They said it was but a dream, and that he should not let it rule his actions. The only person who seemed to believe him was the Chancellor.
He and the Chancellor had always been very close to each other. It was in fact the Chancellor who gave him the chance to go find his mother and help her. He was the only person who believed.
The Chancellor helped him see through the lies of the Jedi. They wanted his mother to die. In fact, thye were glad that she did. They wanted Vader to suffer. They feared his power and wanted to control his every action. He wouldn't allow it however. When he discovered the Chancellors true identity...it almost felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulder. He decided that day to follow the Chancellor in his quest for a better galaxy.
Lately however, he had begun to see how weak the Emperor really was. He was nothing without him.
A wicked grin grew on Vader's face.
He thought it was time for him to call the shots. To re-shape the galaxy in the way that he wanted it. People could finally agree on everything. And everyone could be happy. The Emperor was the only thing which stood in his way. But soon they would all see.
Vader's once blue eyes began to turn a pale yellow color.
After about an hour of walking through the foot deep snow, she noticed the entrance to a cave a few yards away. Padme was unsure of whether to head for it or not. She had heard that the caves were where the Wampa ice creatures lived. And she for one, did not feel like being the main course of anymore strange creatures.
She unhooked her lightsaber from her belt and held it ready in her hand as she approached the cave.She dropped her heavy bag at the entrance and continued to walk further into the cave. As she entered, it immediately became warmer. She could not sense another presence in the cave, but these creatures were apparently able to mask themselves as easily as she could. As the cave became darker, she decided to turn her lightsaber on. The light would do her good.
She stood still in the center of the dark cave, eyes scanning her surroundings attentively. The only thing she could seem to hear was the howling of the cool wind. Something did not feel right though. Things were much too quiet for her own liking.
Then, as if out of nowhere, one of the creatures sprung out from the ground in front of her. She immediately shrieked and took a few steps backwards.Even in the dim lighting, the creature was absolutely hideous! It had mucky looking fur, as white as the planet itself. It's black eyes could barely be seen under the layer of fur above its eyes. The Wampa's mouth held sharp fangs within it, covered in blood.Two large horns came out from either side of its face toward its mouth.
Before she had a chance to react, she felt its oversized arm swinging at her. She sensed she could not dodge this move in time. All she was able to do was slightly move to the side and lessen the blow. She was thrown roughly onto a wall opposite from where the creature stood. Ice from the roof falling all over her on impact.
The creature roared as it threw himself at her. This time however, she was ready. She held out her lightsaber in front of her as it neared. It pierced the creature through its heart. She sighed deeply and threw the creature off of her towards the side. As she stood up, the pain in her side worsened from the blow. She scowled as her hand moved to quickly press down on the pain. Her hand felt damp as she pressed it against herself. Looking down, she noticed blood. The claws of the creature had managed to reach her. It hurt, but she decided she would live.
Walking back towards the entrance, she picked her bag up in one hand and dragged it back towards the very end of the cave. It seemed to be all the warmer back there. And she could use all the warmth this planet had to offer.
Padme attempted to get a fire started inside of the cave. The snow was not being very cooperative however. She had brought along a couple of items in her bag for burning. They would last her for at least a couple of days. She decided to leave the fire for the night time however, right now, she would find other ways to remain warm.
Unhooking her lightsaber once again, she ignited it. Padme decided that practicing some saber skills would not only be useful, but also help keep her body active. It was not a good idea to fall asleep in such a cold place. Those who did so, never wake up again.
The glow of the saber soon began to blur as Padme swung it wildly back and forth, move after move. Sweat beginning to drip down from her forehead and the sides of her face.She was soon panting, her breath could be seen in the cool air.
After what seemed like hours, she plopped down to the ground and attempted to catch her breath. She shut off her lightsaber and placed it back on her belt. Maybe that had not been such a good idea. She wanted nothing more than to just lay back on the floor and rest her eyes. She knew she couldn't however.
Looking around her, she decided she was royally screwed.She could only hope the 'will of the Force' would pull her through once again. It refused to let her rest in peace.
She forced herself to crawl over to where her bag sat. Padme began to pull random items out which she could ignite for the moment. After she had a steady fire going, she reached back inside of the bag and pulled out a thick blanket and tightly wrapped herself inside of it.She plopped herself back against an ice rock and felt her eyelids go heavy.
She refused to let herself fall asleep however. She did not wish to sleep anymore. Every time she did, dreams of past memories seemed to haunt her.
The second his ship entered the frozen planets atmosphere, he would have given anything to be back out in space.The very first time he entered space, he remembered it had been overly cold. After all, he had lived on a desert planet most of his life at the time. Space, however, was nothing compared to this vile planet. He would have even rather been back navigating through the thousands of asteroids than inside the planet.And things such as space slugs and mynocks should have been much more of a threat to him than the cold.
As the ship automatically went through its landing procedure, Vader went towards the back to acquire even more layers of clothing.He wrapped himself tightly in his cloak and pulled the hood up over his head to keep himself warmer.Vader walked down the ramp of his ship and into the barren land that was Hoth. On his way down, the force of the wind upon him suddenly almost knocked him down.
"Sithing hell!" He shot out to no one in particular. He could not imagine what the temperature was suppose to be like at night if this was the 'liveable' weather.As he took one step onto the snow, he immediately cursed. He could feel the damp snow seeping through his layers of clothes just above his boots.
'She is so dead..' Why did they always have to run to deserted places? Why couldn't anyone he had to capture ever go somewhere nice..like the Imperial City. No. It always had to be primitive worlds with either unbearable weather or strange creatures. Or in this case...both!
As he looked around, his mood became all the worse. There was nothing..and he meant nothing in sight. He thought of pointing out to his master that this planet would be the perfect location for them to test the blasters of the Death Star on.A grin came to his face as he pictured the planet disappear before his eyes.
He reached out in the Force, knowing it would be useless to do so, but he had to try. What he found however, somewhat shocked him. A few miles away, he could sense another ship. He wasn't too sure about its condition, but he was sure it had to be hers.
Vader walked around to the side of the ship and opened a hidden compartment. Inside was an Imperial Speeder Bike.He called it out to him using the Force and immediately hopped on it.With the ability to travel at over 500 kilometers per hour, it would only be a question of minutes before he arrived.
He wasn't sure what he would have preferred. If he had walked, it would have taken forever..and he would have been cold. On the speeder bike however, it only took minutes to arrive. There was the little fact that he was practically frozen however.
The thought of a Vader popsicle didn't seem to strike as much fear in the galaxy.
He knew the ship was not in a good condition, but he had not expected to find it in pieces smaller than himself. It had finally been proven. The woman was crazy. Why in the world would she blow up her own ship. And on this planet of all choices. If she hadn't died in the crash, then she would die in the cold.
As he stood there examining the situation, the unexpected happened. He felt the life force of another being. A human, he could tell. It was growing weaker by the second however. He didn't know if it was hers, but it was familiar. He hadn't been able to sense 'the Angel of Deaths' signature back on the Executor so he couldn't be positive.Either way, it was all he had going for him at the moment.
Vader jumped back onto his speeder bike and turned it back on. The second he did though, the engines made a strange sound and shut themselves off once again. Vader quickly looked at the engines and noticed they, along with other important parts, had frozen over. 'Are you kidding me!'
His curse roared through the barren fields as he used the Force to throw the worthless piece of machinery several yards away. He huffed in annoyance unsure of what to do. He would have rather been trapped under the scorching heat of Tatooine with Tuskan raiders surrounding him.
If he did nothing however, he knew he would have to face the wrath of his master sooner or later. Mostly later due to his current condition. He took one step forward.. then another, and another. He was finding the snow very difficult to walk through.
After ten steps, he decided to decapitate himself. Everyone would just believe it had been the work of the enemy. As he huffed in annoyance yet again, he saw a most peculiar creature heading for him.He believed it was called a Tauntaun.
Looking from the creature to the remains of the ship back and forth, a smile crept up on his face. Maybe all was not lost just yet. Using a mind trick, he called the creature over to where he stood.
'She will pay dearly for this.'
Vader clung on to the wild creature as they raced through the snow. He could feel the human presence become stronger and stronger every minute. After thirty minutes of traveling, they finally came upon a cave. He felt the presence inside.
He quickly scurried off of the creature, glad to finally be back on the snow. He pulled on the rope which he used for control when riding him. Vader quickly tied the creature to a nearby rock and continued inside of the cave.
He was glad that it was at least a bit warmer inside. The chill of the strong winds no longer plagued him.
He stopped in his tracks as he came upon the fallen figure of a Wampa. He used the Force to turn it over on its front side. The creature was appalling. Studying it closer, he noticed a burn through its chest. Only one type of weapon could make such a clean wound. It had to be her.
The further he walked into the cave, the darker it became. Darkness did not bother him however. He had long ago learnt to submerge himself in it. As the cave came to a turn, he noticed a small light coming from the end of the new passageway. It was the faint flicker of a fire.
The closer he walked, the warmer he felt. It was not just because of the fire however. It was something about her presence. Pushing the thought aside, he continued to walk towards her. She was dressed in all white. The hood of her coat slightly covered most of her head. Two loose ringlets escaped the hold of the hood and rested lightly against her chest. Her once rosy lips had now turned a lighter blue color.And her nose had a slight hint of pink to it. He noticed that her eyes were closed.
He could tell she was not asleep however. Now that her defenses were down, she seemed like a whole different person to him. There were so many different emotions radiating off of her at the same time.
As she opened her eyes, he let out a breath he did not know he was holding. She must have been an angel. For all of the hate he had felt towards her barely and hour ago had disappeared with just one glance of her.
She seemed somewhat startled as she looked up at Vader. Padme was not sure as to how he had found her, but it didn't matter anymore. There he stood before her. He looked different with his cloak covering his face. It made him look darker. Like the evil Sith Lord she had heard so many stories off. It scared her a bit.
Noticing her reaction to him, Vader removed the cloak from over his head. She immediately calmed for some reason.Both sat staring at each other for what seemed to be an eternity.
Unsure of what to do, Vader said the first thing that came to mind. "You still have not told me your name."
She blinked a few times with a confused look over her face before breaking out into light laughter.
"My apologies, Lord Vader." She responded. Her voice sounded somewhat dry.
Padme attempted to stand from her current position on the ground. She for one did not wish to feel inferior to him at the moment. Even though he was taller than her even when standing. She would not stoop so low as to being on the floor in front of him.She wobbled a little as she stood. She could not entirely feel her legs yet.They had frozen over a few hours ago she believed. Pain surged through them as she took a step back to catch her balance.
Although she did not let it show through her features, Vader sensed that she was in pain. He took a step forward and extended a hand as if wanting to help.
"What do you want, Vader." She spat, stopping him in his tracks.
"Is everything always down to business with you?" He asked. Padme could feel a singe of mock in his voice.
It flared through her. "Maybe you should try it sometime."
"Very well then." He replied as he crossed his arms across his chest. "Would you prefer I just kill you right now?"
Padme chuckled. "You couldn't do it last time. What makes you think you can now?" She placed one hand on her lightsaber while she kept the other on her injured side. She did not want to give away the fact that she was injured, but did not want to make it obvious either.
"Correction. I could have. And there will be no interruptions to stop me from doing so this time."
Padme narrowed her eyes. She knew he was right. They were practically alone on a dead planet. There was very little hope that he would get distracted again. And what if he did, there was no where she could run to.
As Vader looked at her, he fought the urge to grin. He could tell that she knew he was right. And even so, she stubbornly refused to accept it. His grin soon disappeared as he felt her presence disappear from his sensors yet again.
"Stop that!" He retorted with an annoyed tone.
Padme looked at him through curious eyes. "Oh. Does it make you nervous to not know where I am?"
"Hardly."
She smiled as she ignited her lightsaber.
Vader rased his brow. "You are in no condition to fight me right now."
"We'll see." She replied defiantly.
She surprised him yet again as she charged at him. She held much more power than she led on to. He quickly brought his lightsaber out and ignited it. He brought it up just in time as it parried her attack. She took another and another stab at him, but he blocked them all without much trouble. Using the force, he pushed her back a few feet. It was difficult to do so since he could not sense her in the force. Instead he just pushed everything around her back, hoping she would get caught on as well. It seemed to have worked.
Padme winced as the pain on her side struck her. She would not give in however. If she were to die, then she would die trying.
Each time she attacked him, her attack was either blocked or she was roughly pushed back onto the floor.
She was strong, he had to admit, but not as strong as she had been back on the ship. Her stance was weaker. And her defenses were light. He knew it must have something to do with the pain he felt from her before.
"Why do you not give up?" He asked her as she fell back onto the floor for the thousandth time.
She sighed and smiled. "You just don't get it do you?"
"Obviously not."He stated as his brow rose again. "There's no way for you to defeat me right now. Surrender or you will lose your life."
"I'd rather die before I surrender to the hands of the Empire."
She stood up once again, her vision blurring before her. She would never give in to him.
"Then you are more foolish than I thought." He actually admired her courage. So many others would give up the locations of their friends when it came to their lives. They cared for nothing except their meaningless existence. But not her. She had a pride to her which he had not seen in years.
Padme took a step forward. The second she did, her body collapsed before her. 'No..' Her mind cried out. She only needed a little more time. But it was too late. In an instant, everything went black. Unconsciousness calling out to her.
Vader sighed as he walked over to her collapsed body. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her body over to face him. He wiped a few stray strands of hair from her face. Even in a state of unconsciousness, she still managed to look beautiful.The way the dim light from the fire surrounded her made her look angelic in his eyes. He took his cloak off and placed it around her as he picked her up in his arms.
He looked down at her through sympathetic eyes. She was a mystery to him.
"Why do you have to be so damn stubborn Angel?" He asked the motionless body.
Thank you guys again for all the nice reviews :) .. more to come soon.