Hey guys! Glad you're enjoying the story and thanks to everyone who has been leaving reviews. As a heads up for any "but it's supposed to be like this" readers, I've made some changes to the layout of the Executor and the technology in this chapter. The changes are intentional.
Run.
Padmé sprinted down corridors and around corners, mostly abandoned since the Stormtroopers were preoccupied with the battle. Occasionally she would spot one, causing her to choose a different path.
This may be my only chance.
She felt as if she was running in circles. Every wall was white or grey and every door was unmarked and tightly sealed. Red lights flashed in each hallway, signaling that the ship was under attack.
Panting, Padmé bolted down a staircase. She had no clue where she was going, but was not having any luck on her current level.
The next one looked exactly the same.
Shit.
She tried a different staircase, skipping steps as she hurried down another level.
As soon as Padmé exited the stairwell, the ground shook violently and knocked her off her feet. She fell forward to the cold, shiny black floor, catching herself with her hands. She lay there for a moment, trying to catch her breath, and then she looked up.
Straight ahead was a metal sliding door with a glowing red "EXIT" sign above it.
It can't be that easy.
Padmé pushed herself up and headed for the door, almost tripping on the blue gown she'd been wearing for the past couple weeks…or had it been longer than that? She realized she'd stopped keeping track of time.
She pulled down on the emergency lever to open the door and carefully stepped into a small escape pod. She looked around at all the different lights and buttons. Technology had never been her strong suit.
Why can't there just be one big red escape button?
Padmé heard a deep voice calling her name and turned around to see Vader sprinting down the hallway toward her. She frantically began to push every button in sight. More lights turned on and the pod whirred to life as the footsteps came closer and closer.
Padmé finally found the button to release the pod and triumphantly pressed it…just as Vader had jumped into the pod behind her. The door sealed shut and they began to float out into space.
"What are you doing?!" Padmé shouted.
Vader shoved her aside so he could reach the controls. The pod was clearly only designed for one person, so she didn't move very far.
"Trying to override the system," Vader answered. "You've set it to automatic."
"No, I mean, why did you follow me?" Padmé asked. Vader could feel rage emanating from her and it was strangely satisfying.
He didn't answer, trying to focus. His worst fear in that moment was realized.
"Dammit," Vader muttered.
"What?" said Padmé.
"If it's set on automatic," Vader explained, "it can only be overridden by someone on the ship. Someone aboard the Executor will have to pull us back in."
"Which isn't going to happen because they're busy trying to murder my friends," Padmé pointed out.
"I think they'll notice that their leader is missing," Vader countered.
"And if they discover that an escape pod has been set loose, they'll believe their leader to be a coward that abandoned them during a fight," Padmé snapped.
She unfortunately had a point. Vader could not afford to have his men think that he abandoned them. The rebel alliance: a powerful force that cause cowardly Lord Vader to run for his life. No, that was not okay with him.
He checked to see if there was any way to switch to a manual mode, but there wasn't.
Who the hell designed these?
"So what happens now?" Padmé inquired.
Vader slumped down against the opposite wall. Her voice was starting to really annoy him. He was unable to stretch out his legs due to lack of space. He wasn't claustrophobic, but certainly wasn't used to sharing one-man ships with another person.
"We've locked onto the gravity of the nearest planet," Vader answered. "We'll get pulled in and the pod will land there smoothly."
Vader contemplated who to call for help when they arrived. No matter what, he would be unable to avoid a certain level of embarrassment and would need to come up with a damn good story.
Piett. I'll call Piett.
"What's the nearest planet?" Padmé asked.
Vader looked out the window and any hope he had left was drained when he saw that they were headed toward a pale blue world of ice.
"Hoth," he declared. "The nearest planet is Hoth."
The pod was filled with only deathly silence as they drew closer to the planet. The last time Padmé had felt this angry and overwhelmed was when she found out the Trade Federation had invaded Naboo. She started subconsciously tapping her foot, trying to calm down.
"Stop that," said Vader, slamming his hand down on her foot. Padmé pulled it out from under him and drew it back toward her.
She stared at him, slightly unnerved by their close proximity. However, although Vader wasn't her first choice of travel companion, a tiny piece of her almost felt better that she wasn't alone in this.
"What are you thinking?" Vader asked when he caught her staring.
"Just…about how what you wanted was some company and now you clearly want to be as far away from me as possible," Padmé answered.
"That's not true," said Vader. "I'm just trying not to strangle you right now since I don't have anywhere to dispose of your body."
Padmé discarded the threat. "I wouldn't have done this if you had just let me go home," she said. "Be honest with me, Vader. Why were you keeping me around? Was this whole 'company' thing some sort of stupid ploy to earn my trust so I'd tell you more about the rebellion?"
Vader clenched his fist. "I think the better question, Senator," he replied, "is if your lack of argument about the deal was an attempt to earn my trust so I would release you."
Padmé was silent for a moment. "Well I suppose there are no secrets between us now" was all she could think to say.
"If that's true, tell me where the base is being built," ordered Vader.
"And if I did, what would you do about it now?" Padmé replied. "If you haven't noticed, we're stuck in the middle of space, destined to land on a planet with no form of communication and where no one will think to look for us before we freeze to death."
The realization hit her that she was going to die with Darth Vader by her side. She felt a sudden wave of nausea and leaned to the side, emptying the contents of her stomach onto the only tiny open space of floor in the pod.
Vader seemed to completely ignore the scene before him and continued pressuring her. "Good, well if we're destined to die, then why not tell me?"
Padmé wiped her hand across her mouth and wished she had puked on him instead. She didn't know where her next words came from, but once they were out, she could not take them back. "I'll tell you where the base is if you tell me who you are."
Vader was silent for a moment. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"I know you're human," said Padmé, "and I've researched the Sith. I know your real name isn't Darth Vader."
If Vader didn't have a mask on, Padmé could have sworn he was smirking.
"No, Darth Vader is not my real name," he replied.
"Then what is it?" Padmé asked.
"I'll tell you what," Vader proposed. "I'll answer something I know you're curious about if you give me a clue about the base."
Padmé knew she shouldn't give in to his request, but she was desperate for any information she could find on the mysterious figure before her. Perhaps he would even tell her something that could help the rebellion if she was ever able to get back to them. She wondered if they were winning the battle.
"Western Reaches," she answered honestly.
Vader seemed satisfied with the answer. He started fiddling around with one of his gloves.
"What are you doing?" Padmé asked. "You promised you'd tell me something too."
"I am," said Vader as he pulled his glove off to reveal a large, calloused, light-skinned flesh hand.
He is human.
Something willed Padmé to reach out and touch it as if making sure it was real, but Vader pulled away and put the black glove back on.
She turned to look out the window. Their destination was less than a few minutes away.
Here we go.
Vader gripped a handle on the side of the pod as some of the lights flashed and they entered Hoth's atmosphere.
She tried to touch my hand.
Upon landing, Vader peered out the window.
Snow. In every direction for as far as his eyes could see.
He noticed Padmé reaching in the pod's only storage compartment, pulling out a couple bags filled with emergency food, water, and bandages.
"What are you doing?" he asked as she fiddled with the door latch.
"Getting help," Padmé replied. The door slid open and she jumped back in shock, narrowly avoiding the pile of food she had upheaved earlier. Vader closed the door.
"You're not dressed for the weather, Senator," Vader stated, "and I believe it was you that pointed out there isn't any help here."
"There's an abandoned rebel base somewhere northwest," said Padmé, shivering. "Your Stormtroopers severely damaged it several months ago and it was subsequently evacuated. I doubt there's a ship, but perhaps I could get a communication line working."
"I?" Vader repeated.
"Yes," Padmé answered. "When I get ahold of the rebels, they'll come rescue me and I highly doubt they'll take you along."
"Not if I reach the Empire first," said Vader, reopening the door. As annoyed as he was with Padmé, he didn't want her to die of frostbite. He removed his cloak and tossed it to her and she immediately wrapped herself in it.
Vader grabbed one of the bags and started walking, quickly noticing that she wasn't following. He motioned to her.
She shook her head at him. "I'm not coming if you're just going to call up one of your servants. I'll just be your prisoner forever, which is right back where we started."
Vader decided that in order to get her to cooperate, he had to be blatantly honest. "Padmé," said Vader, "only one of my men knows that you were still on board, and I need to keep it that way. If the Emperor finds out that I kept you alive, he'd kill us both. I'm sure we can work something out."
Padmé's eyes widened. She appeared to contemplate his words and then took a few steps forward, still shivering despite the thick black material wrapped around her.
She's wearing my cloak. My Angel is wearing my cloak.
"I lied," she said. "The base is southeast, not northwest."
She took the lead and Vader found himself smiling at her boldness.
Oh, yes. She would make a great Empress someday indeed…
