Padme plodded along behind the two stormtroopers with the twins clutched in both hands, lost in her ruminations. She could barely pay attention to the tour of Vader's quarters - only mumbling in approval when the men looked pointedly at her - her mind grasping desperately at possible plans for escape. So far as she had seen, the whole suite had only a keypad to get in but not out . . .

"Excuse me," she interrupted.

The troopers stopped in their tracks, turning in surprise at her direct address of them.

"What's the security like here?" Padme searched for the best words to hide her true purpose. "I mean, will we be safe? Or can anyone just walk in?"

One chuckled, shifting his blaster to his other arm. "Oh, no, Senator. Lord Vader's chambers are off limits to all crew, except those he personally gives his permission to. None but him know the code, so you will have total privacy. Even the entrance hallway is left empty so as to avoid catching Lord Vader at an, ahem, inopportune time."

The other snickered. "You mean when he's on a murderous Dark Side rampage, Cody."

Cody shushed him. "As for safety, well, you're not safer anywhere than with Lord Vader, ma'am." His tone was earnest. "I can promise you that."

"You'll be very much protected," the other assured, serious now.

Padme almost choked. Safe. "Thank you," she nodded, "Mr.-?"

"Commander Cody," he said professionally. "You're more than welcome. Now, is there anything else you require, or need clarification on?"

"Um, well . . . " She spoke as nonchalantly as possible. "Do you know when exactly Lord Vader will be back?"

"Oh," he apologized, "I'm sorry, I believe not for a few hours at least; in the meantime, Triple-Zero will-"

"Triple-Zero?" she asked, confused.

"Hello, I am 0-0-0, or Triple-Zero, if you please."

Padme jumped at hearing the mechanical voice right by her ear, turning around to face the voice that had spoken. It was a protocol droid that looked much like C3PO, except for a very key difference: glowing red eyes set in a dark metal quite unlike the golden she was used to. Luke backed behind her at the sight, Leia narrowing her eyes.

The droid continued in its cold monotone. "I am Lord Vader's personal droid on the Executor, specializing in etiquette, customs, translation and torture."

She paled, drawing the twins closer towards her. "Torture?"

"It shouldn't be a problem, ma'am," Rex said amused. "After all, you are something to Lord Vader, correct?"

Padme stiffened. "I don't think so."

"I wouldn't bet on that. It might seem to you that way, but I've worked closely with Lord Vader for years," he replied, clearly unfazed by her statement. "He most certainly doesn't treat you like he's treated anyone else these past few years." Looking down at his watch, he nodded at Cody, turning back to Padme to give her a respectful nod. "Well, we better get going. Triple-Zero should tend to anything you need."

"N-Nice to meet you." She gave them a muddled smile, slightly flustered - and more affected than she was willing to admit - by Rex's assertion. Trying to recollect her thoughts and set her mind back on her plan, Padme directed her attention back to the droid before her. "Excuse me, would you be able to get the three of us something to eat? I'm afraid we haven't been able to in several hours."

Without an answer, the droid nodded curtly, turning swiftly and heading for the door. She raised an eyebrow as it slid shut behind it. "Well, that wasn't very polite." She tugged on the twins arms, pulling them towards the exit. "Now let's go, quickly, before it's too late to escape."

Luke's eyes widened in understanding. "Momma, how are we gonna escape? We're in the middle of space, on a huge ship."

"Don't remind me," she said firmly, pushing them along. "It doesn't matter, we're going to escape and get back home."

"Momma?" Leia stopped, grabbing at Padme's sleeve.

She sighed, looking down at the little girl. "Yes?"

"Dada isn't all bad," she said quietly. "I know he isn't, I can feel it."

Padme frustration rose, sure that they were wasting time when the droid could come back at any minute. "Leia, we have to go. He may have been nice so far, and look cool to you and Luke, but it won't last for long. We have to leave; I can't let him hurt you." Her voice softened. "Okay?"

Leia sighed, looking down at the floor. "Okay, Momma."


Vader stormed through the hallways, his irritation high and mind raging. Why wasn't that those incompetent officers couldn't even manage for half a day without him?

He'd barely restrained from snapping a few necks, only threatening under the realization that there were only so many officers in the Imperial army. He'd had to recruit a few more before he could get rid of the old ones. Only that young one, Piett, seemed to have some potential.

Vader turned the corner, only to have a small figure smack head into him, tumbling to the ground. He snapped out of his cogitation, the monster inside roaring and his fingers itching to finally take out his anger on something- and if they had slammed into him in this kind of mood, they were asking for it.

His blazing eyes met two pairs of wide ones, staring up at him.

The figure stumbled to its feet, winded- and obviously glaring.

Padme.

"Momma," Luke said uneasily, "I told you I sensed something was wrong."

The sudden pride for the Force ability of his son was quickly overtaken by fury, only its power able to hold back the small but inescapable ache inside of the man.

So Padme truly did not want to stay with him. She abhorred him enough to try and escape, taking his children with her.

How dare she. She would pay for her treachery.

Vader hoisted her roughly to her feet, dragging her back down the hallway as the twins called protestingly after him. She struggled, grabbing at his mechanical hand and hitting every part of him that she could, but he could not be deterred. He yanked her after him even more forcefully, not bothering with the little ones, who he knew would follow.

Reaching the entrance to his chambers, he didn't stop to bother with the code, breaking through the lock with one swift Force push and marching her to his room, tossing her on the floor. Padme scrambled rapidly to her feet even as Vader towered threateningly over her smaller frame. "You can't just lock me up and expect me to stay with you, you Sith scum!" she yelled.

He was shaking in fury. "You can't just leave, and try to take my children from me in the process!" he roared.

"You lost the right to them when you became a monster!" she spat, her chin lifted in defiance.

Vader advanced menacingly towards her as the temperature dropped to freezing. "It doesn't matter what you say; I am still their father and have every right to them and to you," he hissed. "You want to take them from me when I haven't even known them for a few hours? Well, let's see how you like playing your own game." His eyes glowed yellow with a triumphant gleam. "You'll stay here, and you'll stay here alone, without your precious children." Stalking over to the door, he banged it open, making a loud crash on the wall. "Perhaps that will teach you to defy and betray me."

"I hate you,"she growled.

He was silent for a moment, staring away from her- then a quick step, and he slammed the door behind him, the lock clicking into place.


It had been hours in the black room. There was no sense of time in the darkness, even of feeling. After the initial rage, only an emptiness remained.

Padme seemed to fall in and out of consciousness. She didn't realize how truly weary she was - not from a lack of sleep, but from the events and the mental trauma that had occurred that day - until the pitch blackness had surrounded her, lifting the facade of strength from her body and leaving her bare and vulnerable in the inky gloom. Her mind was blank, but she accepted it, embraced it, grateful for the escape if only for a time. Padme Amidala had never been one to hide from her problems, but, well . . . this was the one time she was willing to make an exception, simply for the necessity of preserving her mental sanity. Anakin was and always had been the weak spot in her.

Something she could not ignore, however, was the hunger pangs tearing at her stomach. She desperately hoped Luke and Leia had eaten. Padme was sure it had been almost a day since they'd last done so, and her little attempted escape as well as their early morning walk - which seemed so far away now - had taken more than enough energy out of her. Still, she refused to bang at the door for food, unwilling to been seen begging by Vader in the case he was back. So she sat stubbornly against the wall, curled up with her knees pressed to her chest and her eyes closed.

If only she could escape from this hell as easily as closing her eyes and blocking it all out.

Suddenly she heard the lock click and the door crack open surprisingly quietly, flooding the room in bright light. Padme gave a small yelp at the pain in her eyes, throwing her arms up to shield her face. Unexpectedly, the door was quickly closed, the light reduced to a small slit. She blinked rapidly, the spots dancing in her vision slowing fading as it adjusted.

Padme knew from the drop in temperature who it was. Taking her time, she reluctantly raised her head when her sight cleared, looking up at the dark shadow looming in the doorway.

It paused, shifting its stance slowly as if unsure what to do. She waited, too tired to talk or argue.

Finally, his voice sounded in the room, still dark and foreboding but strangely uncertain. "I-" He hesitated; then his arm came up to reveal a steaming plate. Food. "I- Um- Brought you something to eat," he said shortly.

Her mouth watered, and she watched the platter greedily, generously heaped with several types of food- but her mind was not on the food, confusion clouding her hunger. "W-What?"

"Food?" he asked slowly, his head cocked slightly in the faintest hint of discomfiture. "I-" He shifted again. "I was under the impression you had not eaten in a while?"

"You brought me something?" Padme was unable to keep the incredulity from her voice.

His demeanor rapidly changed, his posture straightening. "Yes, I brought you something, so what?" he snapped, placing the plate on a table and stepping away.

She clamored up from her position on the floor, walking over to the meal haltingly as if afraid he was going to whisk it away in one big prank. He stayed still, however, and Padme hastily grabbed it, inhaling ravenously.

Abruptly she paused. Images of him throwing her into the wall and tossing her to the floor flashed into her mind, and her fingers twitched away from the tempting feast.

What he had done was not acceptable.

After all that had happened, she would not just yield and submit to him for a little comfort and nourishment.

She would not give in to Darth Vader so easily.

Padme withdrew her hand as if she had been burned. "I don't want your food," she said frostily.

Vader flinched back in obvious shock and outrage. "What?"

"I don't want your food," she repeated, lifting her chin haughtily. "I'd rather accept something from your little torture droid." She smirked. "Or one of your stormtroopers; they're quite nice."

Vader took an aggressive step forward, his finger jabbing angrily in her direction . "So this is how you repay me!"

She snorted. "May I remind you, you kidnapped and starved me all day; I would have eaten hours ago if not for you. And after everything you did today, you can't just walk into here with a little peace offering and except it all to be sunshine and rainbows, with me falling at your feet. I'm not going to just submit, whether it's under force or bribery! I am a Senator, a strong woman, not just some pushover chick!"

"I know you aren't!" he shouted furiously. "I-I was just trying to-"

"Oh, Darth Vader suddenly had a change of heart, did he?" she mocked. "I'm not stupid enough to fall for your little act." Padme turned her back on the food, disgusted. "I won't fall for your manipulations."

Seeing Vader motionless, his eyes glowing in obvious fury, she took a careful step back, immediately uneasy. Who knew how he would blow up- he was an extremely volatile man; by choking her again, perhaps? Padme wasn't going to bow down to him in any way, but she could still feel the invisible fingers closing around her throat as the life was sucked out of her and her cries stayed stuck in her throat. The memory inadvertently made her shiver. She wasn't eager to repeat such a thing again so soon, but straightened her back proudly, bracing herself for the inevitable explosion. She was a queen and a senator; she would take whatever it was, and she would take it fighting.

Her head snapped to the side as she heard a crack, the dish beside her exploding and food scattering over the walls and spilling onto the dark wood of the floor. He was trembling now, his fists balled at his sides, red streaking through the yellow in his eyes like lava running beneath golden rock. "Don't speak to me that- You'll have nothing, then, you ungrateful little-!" Taking a deep breath, he whirled around to leave.

Padme's shock at the absence of the expected blow wasn't enough to dissipate her ill temper, only being fueled by the courage flowing powerfully through her veins. "I hope you at least fed Luke and Leia," she said sarcastically, "if you refuse to allow their mother to. Or did you forget about-"

"I fed them," he said curtly.

She was silent now, unable to think of a comeback. He stared at her for a moment with an unrecognizable emotion; then the door slammed, the lock clicked, and she was again left in the darkness- but with much more than she could avoid thinking about.

She refused to admit just how thoroughly shaken and bewildered she was.

Was the man she had just encountered the cruel Sith Lord Darth Vader from earlier?

Some reviews, please? So I know that more than one person is reading and cares?