Red grunted as he unwillingly released the prisoner from his handcuffs. Piett rubbed his wrists, his desire to embrace freedom again written on his face. Though Obi-Wan knew that for as long as the Emperor reigned, Piett nor any of his fellow commanders or troops would ever truly be free.
"I do hope we are not making the worst mistake of our lives by letting you go, Firmus," Obi-Wan stated. "Should any imperial troopers be spotted anywhere near this base, our deal is off and we will not hesitate to launch a counterattack."
"I understand your concern, Master Jedi," Piett answered, "but I can assure you that the location of your base will remain with myself and myself only. I will convey the plan to Veers and a couple other officials I can trust, and if I hear any news of Vader, I will contact you right away."
"Thank you," Mon Mothma replied, stepping forward beside Obi-Wan. "I never thought I'd see the day where the Empire and the Rebellion would be working together for a common cause."
"Well, ma'am, I never thought I'd see Darth Vader with his suit off and madly in love with a woman," Piett responded jokingly, "but times are changing."
Obi-Wan cringed at the thought of Anakin and Padmé together. Despite the assurance he received from Piett that he is indeed a changed man, and his own observations of the two together while they were at the base, he still feared for Padmé's safety.
"Your ship has been refueled and is waiting for you over the dune," said Obi-Wan. "Safe travels."
"Good luck with your search," Piett replied with a nod. "If you find him, let me know. I would like to speak with him."
Piett turned and trudged through the sand, and Obi-Wan watched his figure fade away into the distance followed by a cloud of sand formed by a ship zooming into the atmosphere.
I really hope this wasn't an elaborate trap…
"You should try Hoth," Mon stated, breaking Obi-Wan's trance.
"What?" he asked.
"If what Piett says is true about Vader's relationship with Padmé, then their former hideout might be a likely place for them to have gone," Mon clarified.
"Too obvious," Obi-Wan responded, scratching his chin scruff. "But then again, the answer may be obvious and we are just missing it. I shall return to Hoth and contact you if I find anything. Please do the same if I am needed back at the base."
Obi-Wan headed once more in the direction of his old speeder, a companion he'd had since the days Anakin was just a small child complaining about the rust. The thought made him smile, but the grin faded when he remembered what had become of his former apprentice.
As he took off, Obi-Wan thought to stop on Corellia, the homeland of Anakin's Heartkiller persona. Perhaps if he did not find the man himself, he would at least find something useful there. There had to be a reason he picked that particular planet.
Yet still nothing felt quite right. It was as if he was missing something right in front of him. The frustration was eating at him to the extent where he decided to put the ship on autopilot, program R4 to notify him if there were any issues, and meditate on his thoughts.
Where did you go, Anakin?
Padmé found herself unable to stay asleep despite that the only sleep she had gotten in the past several days was intermittent naps. Troubled dreams continued to wake her. She knew what the problem was, and she hated herself for it.
She flipped to her other side, trying to make herself as comfortable as possible on the lumpy guest mattress. The heat was driving her to the brink of insanity. At least on Jakku, they had a cooling system.
But it wasn't the heat that prevented her from a healthy night of sleep. It was the missing body beside her that she'd grown to find comforting. She never had nightmares with Anakin's arms wrapped around her.
But I called him "Vader".
Padmé cursed herself again for her terrible mistake. It wasn't because she still saw him as Vader. It was just the heat of the moment. With the exception of a few kisses they had shared on the base at Jakku, she had yet to connect with him as Anakin. She fell in love with him when he was Vader. All her sexual tension was directed toward the man she had known for months as opposed to the one she had known less than a week. Though they were the same person physically, Vader and Anakin were completely separate people mentally.
Breaking down Vader's walls had given Padmé a strange sense of satisfaction. It was as if she had some power back. After years as Queen followed by time in the Senate, being forced into exile was her worst nightmare. She participated in the Rebellion, but never took a leading role. Vader, well…he made her feel important again. Presented her with a challenge. Anakin was a little boy she had met once on the planet on which they currently resided, and nothing more.
But Padmé wanted him to be more. She wanted to love Anakin, she truly did. Yet Vader revealing his true identity was when their relationship began to break down. She knew Vader. Knew where his scars came from and what the bed he slept in for years looked like. She didn't know anything about Anakin. Anakin didn't even know anything about Anakin.
Padmé screamed into her thin pillow, holding back the tears that threatened to envelope her.
How could I have been so stupid?
Padmé had spent the last several days trying to convince Vader that he should be Anakin. That he should change his ways and use the Force for good. And all the progress she made immediately dissipated just by speaking the name of the man he'd been for the past decade. No wonder he was confused about what she wanted…
And now he was gone. Where, Padmé could not begin to guess. She had checked the ship before she went to bed, along with every room in the Lars household. The family hadn't bothered them again after dinner, understanding that the two had a lot to talk about and process. She dearly hoped he had just gone to town for some fuel and a drink or two at one of the disgusting Tatooine cantinas she was forced to stop in a couple times with Obi-Wan years earlier.
Perhaps they had just jumped into things too quickly. Anakin would need time to find himself. She should be encouraging him to do so. Maybe her relationship with him was too much of a reminder of the person he used to be.
The person I loved.
Padmé tried to soothe herself back to sleep by muttering that it was a good thing for him to change. Vader was a monster who slaughtered innocent people, many of which were acquaintances of hers. Instead of comforting her, though, this thought made everything worse. She suddenly grew very nauseous.
Please fall asleep. Just fall asleep.
She wanted him to come back so she could explain herself. But she didn't know how to properly explain the jumbled thoughts without making it sound like she wanted Vader the killing machine to return. No, Shmi would be heartbroken to find out what her son had become. She couldn't do that to such a sweet woman.
Finally, Padmé felt her eyelids sinking, but knew that not even sleep would keep her thoughts away.
Rage. Anger. Hatred.
It filled him until his entire body felt invincible. The scars didn't matter- they were merely reminders of the torture he had endured to get to this point.
Vader's eyes glowed a Sithly yellow as he slashed through the sand people. One by one they fell, and he felt himself grow stronger and more powerful with every blow. The red streak of his lightsaber was incredibly satisfying- a feeling he had missed dearly.
He cut down a mother and her child next. Filthy creatures who deserved to be eradicated. Besides, he had done much worse damage at the Jedi Temple.
Vader grabbed hold of his flesh leg below the pants that were too short, where a momentary lapse in focus had allowed one of the creatures to strike him. He retaliated quickly with a single blow to its chest. A man, this time, it appeared.
He ignored the blood dripping down and continued the battle until every sand person lay dead and the night stars illuminated their lifeless bodies.
If this is what you want, Padmé, then I'm all yours.
Vader pocketed his lightsaber, turning to head back to the farm on a borrowed bike.
Sith do not know love. Love makes us weak.
But that was okay, he told himself as he started the bike and pushed it to full speed. Padmé didn't love him. If she truly loved him, she would love every part of him, whether he was Vader or Heartkiller or Anakin. And no one could possibly love Vader. He had determined that it was lust that she felt. She wanted his body, and the mystery that was Lord Vader. It intrigued her, filled her with desire. And he wanted her too. Badly.
They would finish what they started. And he would do so as Vader this time. There would be no holding back.
He grinned as the hut grew closer and closer. Yes, he was in for a very good night.
Padmé awoke once again, sweating and gasping for air. She had another nightmare, this time of Anakin killing innocent people in the streets. His final victim had been herself.
She heard footsteps coming closer to the room, one of which echoed metal.
It's him.
There was nowhere to hide in the tiny room, and no time. The knob was turning.
The flimsy wooden door burst inward and the massive body of her lover stepped through, though she was unable to make out his face in the darkness.
"Ani, I'm so…" Padmé began to say, but was cut off by lips pressing onto hers. The kiss was rough. There was no love here.
"Don't call me that," he growled after pulling away for a moment, then resumed his work by biting her neck. She gasped.
"Ow! We need to talk about this!" Padmé shouted.
Soon he was pinning her down, but she didn't struggle. She wanted this just as much as he did. Perhaps it would give both of them some clarity.
Or make everything one hundred times worse.
He ripped off the night shirt she had borrowed from Beru, quite literally, with one tug, and she felt uncomfortably exposed despite the darkness of the room.
Two can play at this game.
Padmé reached up to remove his shirt and struggled with the buttons. His hair smelled strange, almost like something burning.
"Say my name, Padmé," he commanded, placing furious kisses along her collarbone, teasing her to an extent that made her moan in frustration.
"Say it!" he shouted. "Say the name of the man you want right now and he'll have you."
"Vader!" she screamed back. "Vader, please!"
As soon as the name came out, his mouth abandoned her collarbone and moved lower on her body. She closed her eyes, the mental torment blending with the intense physical pleasure to create a new wave of confusion. All the progress she had made at helping him become a better person…gone. Gone because she selfishly craved this. She had brought a monster, a murderer, into the home of an innocent family, and knew that despite whatever they were feeling in this moment, it would not last come morning.
What have I done?
Sidious's yellow eyes snapped open after a session of meditation, during which he had embraced the satisfaction of the Dark Side as he pictured his enemies being tortured by the lightning from his fingertips. If only it were real right now…
But finding a rebel to play with was not his concern. He had felt a massive disturbance in the Force. A dark disturbance. And he knew just what it was. His yellow teeth formed into the shape of a grin.
"You!" Sidious shouted, pointing at one of his Imperial guards, clad in their designated red uniforms. "Get me that idiot Piett! I want his frail, shaking hologram in front of me through a communicator immediately. You have two minutes."
Vader is alive. And I will find him…
Hey guys…sorry for saying I'd post frequent updates and then totally not updating. But I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations and I hope to continue this story shortly. Thanks again for your reviews and continued support. Let's see if we can get this story to 300 followers! Happy reading! -Lyanna
