Chapter 14

"I've been watching you for awhile now since the day you returned from Polis Massa. I've seen you disrespect Lord Vader, lie to him and talk to him like you are better than him. My Master will be Emperor one day and he deserves a better Empress." The anger in her voice grew with every word. "I will make him forget you."

"You claim to know Vader? If so, you know how possessive he is of me and he doesn't like his things messed with. You have already threatened his daughter's safety and now plan to kill his wife. Do you really think you will get away with this?" Padme stood defiantly not backing away, ready to die if she must.

"He won't know, he will think it was all the Emperor's doing. As far ad his daughter she is safely in my cruiser I plan on handing her over as soon as I see him and telling him I refused Palpatine's orders, he will be grateful and need someone to lean on while mourning his unworthy wife." First Sister lunged forward ready to strike Padme down.

Padme closed her eyes waiting for death to come. She prayed silently for the force to guide and protect her children and help Anakin find his way back to the light. After a few moments of nothing she slowly opened her eyes to see first sister suspended in air desperately trying to breath. Soon she noticed Vader approaching them, the look of anger on his face was darker than she had ever seen, it frightened her even though the rage wasn't aimed at her.

"You dare threaten your Empress? You pathetic insignificant slave! You aren't worthy to breath her air let alone replace her in any aspect. You had a chance to be great Barriss and you have disgraced yourself." Using the force, her through her into the wall making a sickening thump against the stone wall.

"Ani… Don't kill her…. Please just call for the imperial guards." Padme pleaded as she took hold of Anakin's arm. The heat radiated off his body which was now shaking from his anger.

"Let her live? Are you insane?! She threatened you… Threatened to take you away from me forever. She is a threat to you and out children's safety, and I will not tolerate it. Once a traitor always a traitor."

Before Padme could make a further plea, Anakin had his saber ignited and Barriss Offee, the first sister's head was at her feet.

"Anakin, she had our child… You didn't…"

"Do you think I'm stupid?!" he screamed interrupting her. "Our daughter is safely with my men. She was fool enough to bring her leverage here and leave it unattended."

"Leverage? Is that what our child is to you?"

"I've had enough of your mouth." He turned to her pinning her against the wall with his battle-hardened body.

She hadn't noticed before now that he to was bleeding, looking as though he had been through an intense battle. His face had fresh bruising along with some burns that hadn't been there before. "Anakin, what happened, you… you're hurt."

He took hold of her chin with his fingers tilting her head up to look into his burning red eyes, a sinister smile slowly spreading across his face. "The Emperor decided to make me choose between you and my station, so I decided he has ruled for far to long. I told you I would make you an empress my love."

"…Ani... You killed Palpatine? He… He's really gone?"

"Yes, my love, tomorrow we will hold and emergency session of senate and report his death and my succession to the throne. You will do as I already told you and speak in support of our Empire and I shall turn the Senate over to your capable hands. Once I know I can trust you I will then begin the search for our son."

"Anakin…. I begged you once before and I am going to again. Please Ani lets just run away. I can reach out to my contacts, you can free them, and they can help restore the Republic. You and I can just disappear and raise our children in peace." She pleaded taking his face gently into her hands, careful to not hurt any of his fresh injuries.

"Those traitors are to be executed first thing in the morning, you are the Empress of the galaxy you cannot, and you will not associate with any known rebels. You will honor my law Padme, or I will have to punish you as well." He did not pull away from her his eyes darkened as he spoke to her.

"Punish me?" She whispered as she pulled her hands away from his face to his chest and tried to push him away from her. "I can't even look at you right now. You plead with me to forgive Mustafar and not fear you and then you speak of punishing me unless I do everything you say. I wish you just let her kill me, I would rather be dead then be your wife."

He flinched from her words and allowed her to put some distance between them, keeping her in arms reach. She could tell she had hurt him, and she hated herself for the guilt she felt. She was disgusted and angry at him, but she never could stand to see him hurt.

"Say what you want my Empress, it doesn't matter. You are mine and aren't going anywhere. If I have to keep you under lock and key I will You will be by my side at all Imperial functions and you will fulfill your wifely obligations, giving me more children to raise and train to protect our Empire along with me." He pulled her to him letting his hands run down her sides causing her to shiver.

"I won't. You have broken my heart for the last time Milord."

"We will see about that won't we?" He moved away from her and pulled out his comm. "Commander, bring the child to my wife."

Padme sighed in relief knowing he wasn't going to keep Leia from her like she had feared. The first thing she thought of when he threatened punishment was that she would never see Leia again.

"I wouldn't do that…. You are her mother; I would never keep you from her." He said not looking at her as though he could clearly read her mind. "You are the only one cruel enough to keep them from one of their parents."

"I would never keep them from Anakin…. Vader though, he is not the man I laid with when I conceived our children and I will do whatever I can to protect them from this darkness you allowed to take you."

"It was just early last night when you told me you loved me. More lies?" He looked over his shoulder at her, his tone calm but sad.

"I struggle with the fact I love you, I'm angry with myself. However, my loving you will not stop me from protecting my children from you."

He walked int the fresher without responding, she stood motionless against the wall just watching him through the crack in the door. Once he removed his robe, she was able to really see the damage from his fight with Palpatine. The slashed on his back and the burns on his tunic, she assumed The Emperor had used Sith Lightening on him the way she had seen Dooku use on Geonosis those years ago. He struggled to get the blood-soaked tunic over his head, and she couldn't bring herself to stand there doing nothing.

"Ani, let me clean you up." Even as the words came out, she felt shame. How could she still care so much for this man?

"…. I would like that…. It hurts Padme. I was so afraid for a moment that I wouldn't be able to return to you, that you would be left unprotected from him. I couldn't let him get to you the twins."

She came up behind him and gently pulled the tunic off before going to the shower and starting the water. "We need to get the wounds cleaned and then I can put some bacta patches on them." She turned to him to see his eyes had returned to blue. She had come to realize that she could tell who she was talking to by his eyes. When his eyes were the beautiful icy blue, she knew this was her Ani. "I'm very grateful that the force was with you, I don't know what I would do if you were killed."

He stood still in the shower just letting her wash his back, the pain was severe but after the fires on Mustafar he could handle it. "May I sleep in your bed with you and our daughter?"

The question tugged at her heartstrings and caused her to tear up. "Yes."