Siri shifted in bed, glancing at her husband. Obi-Wan had managed to finally fall asleep due to exhaustion, but the two had been up most of the night discussing their options. With the way dinner went neither was very happy with the idea of Padmé getting anywhere near Vader.
Sure, Padmé had gotten herself through dangerous and tough situations before; during her tenure as queen, Theed was overrun by a mercenary army that tried to kill her. The Alliance hinted that it may have been the Empire since it knew Padmé's stance on galactic matters, and that had been their first true run-in with Imperial tactics. Padmé had handled herself well; she initially had to flee Theed, but with the help of the Gungans and Rebels they had managed to push the invaders off the planet. Padmé was hailed a hero by her people and became even more popular.
But this… this wasn't a battle. It wasn't as cut and dry. This was a trap. They were sitting in the heart of the Empire playing with its chief enforcer and executioner. Blast, this wasn't even a trap; it was just insane.
Siri sighed and got out of bed, reaching into a drawer and pulling out her blaster. She held it almost reverently; the last time she had used it was when she shot Imperial Intelligence agents who had tried to arrest her and some others during a meeting off-world. She wished so dearly she could use it on Vader, but there was no way. First off, the man was known to take on entire armies on his own, but secondly if she somehow did manage to kill him the full might of the Empire would bear down on her so quickly she wouldn't have time to blink.
Hearing Obi-Wan shifting in bed, Siri looked at him once more. Despite his short temper in his adolescence, he had grown to probably be the calmest of the group, so for Siri to see him get so worked up about this situation bothered her. Padmé was acting more level headed right now, honestly; that was just beyond bizarre. Typically the situation would be that Padmé would get upset about something, as would Siri, and Obi-Wan would have to hold both of them back. Was Padmé actually being the logical one in this situation? Nothing about her idea seemed logical anymore, not after Vader proved he was impervious to kriffing everything.
The alarm on the chronometer began to beep loudly, making Siri jump and startling Obi-Wan awake. Siri hastily turned it off.
"Morning," Obi-Wan muttered sleepily as he tried to wake himself up.
"Hey," Siri greeted quietly as she sat on the bed once more while he sat up.
The two were silent for a time, both thinking about the upcoming day, when Siri said, "If Vader starts harassing us today, I'll deal with him."
"Siri, I don't think murdering the second most powerful man in the Empire inside the senate building will help our predicament."
"I don't mean murder him," Siri rolled her eyes. "I just mean I'll do the talking. Just get Padmé out of there."
"Perhaps I should do the talking," Obi-Wan suggested as he finally stood and stretched. "I'm the more… tactful of the two of us."
Siri barked out a laugh. "Good choice of words, Obi, but I think he makes you a little too nervous."
Obi-Wan paused and looked at his wife. "Whenever I speak with him, whenever I see him… I feel… sick. I feel empty, cold… it doesn't make sense, I know, but… something about him just feels so wrong, it unsettles me. It's like looking at the emperor, but... different. Don't you get that feeling?"
Siri nodded reluctantly. "Yes, I get that shiver down my spine every time I look at him. Padmé seems to be the only one who doesn't notice."
The two sighed, cleaned up, and dressed for the day and then shared a brief breakfast with Padmé. Nothing much was said; nothing much needed to be said. They had made their plans last night shortly before they went to bed. As the sunlight lit the sky more and more, Siri's nerves settled as she filled herself with purpose; they had a lot of work to do today and a lot to figure out.
The Naberrie family arrived at the senate tower around eight on the chrono, allowing for some time to meet with senators before the morning session. Siri immediately went to her first task and delivered a data pad to Senator Organa. The pad held some bland senatorial information, but also a coded message requesting a meeting with a Rebel spy.
Of the three main Rebel spies in the senate, that being Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and Padmé, Bail could get in contact with the Alliance the most easily. Mon was mainly playing it safe at this point; she had originally done most of the dirty work before Padmé joined the senate, so at this point she was keeping quiet until her term ended, which was very soon. Bail, on the other hand, was the quieter spy, mainly gathering information instead of taking action; this had been the Alliance's choosing rather than his own, since Bail had originally been extremely active in his work against the Empire – he was one of the founders of the Alliance, after all. In either case, Bail would be able to pass the message along, and he could get one of his aides to deliver a reply whenever it came.
Meanwhile, Padmé arranged for a meeting with everyone in her sector. She represented the Chommell Sector, which was relatively uninhabited in comparison to a good number of sectors, but Chommell was also rather active in Rebel activity. She needed to figure out a way to help the Rebels on Naboo, and the other representatives in Chommell might be able to help.
Padmé sat in her office behind her desk. The office was a fair size, with a large desk by a wall-sized window and three seats facing the desk. Pictures and plants lined the walls, along with a single shelf with cultural artifacts from different areas in her sector. The grayish blue carpet helped to muffle any conversations held there, and Padmé ensured that her office was clear of listening devices on a daily basis. This and Bail's office were basically the only safe areas in the entire senate building.
The door opened and the three representatives within her sector entered. Obi-Wan, as the representative of Naboo, led the way. Behind him was a tall dark skinned woman named Tsa Boitumelo, who represented a planet on the edge of the Chommell Sector, called Nimo'alke. Beside her was a sturdily built man with pale green skin, hazelnut eyes, and thick black hair. This was Rekk Svoule, a half-Human half-Mirialan who represented the small number of Imperial colonies in Chommell. Padmé had picked him herself; the Imperial colonies were mostly slave colonies, and so they couldn't pick their own representative. The fact that they had a representative at all was only for the sake of the free people who owned and ran the colonies, but it had been left up to the senator of the entire sector to choose the representative. Padmé had considered it one of her most wonderful smacks in the Empire's face to choose someone who mixed Human blood with non-Human blood. Also, Rekk was staunchly in favor of the Alliance.
"Good morning, everyone," Padmé acknowledged as she stood and bowed her head. Obi-Wan, Tsa, and Rekk bowed from the waist, showing the proper respect to their superior. "I called you all here so we could discuss the increased Rebel activity in our home sector. The emperor was greatly concerned about it, so I want us all to be up to date on this matter. Rep. Naberrie, will you kindly share what you know about the problems on Naboo?"
Obi-Wan bowed his head in acknowledgement. "Yes, senator. There have been some riots in the smaller cities like Selton and Jerda. The Empire thinks they're being started and led by Rebels. Most notably there are reports of rebellious behavior in Oxon."
"Is that bad?" Rep. Boitumelo asked uncertainly, unfamiliar with Naboo's cities.
"Oxon has one of Naboo's largest spaceports," Obi-Wan replied. "It could potentially be… messy."
Padmé nodded and then looked at Tsa. "What about Nimo'alke?"
"Quiet as ever, senator," Tsa replied. "Neither the Rebels nor the Empire is really interested in us."
Padmé nodded silently once more. Nimo'alke actually housed an enormous amount of refugees, including Rebels, and the planet was not a fan of the Empire, but Tsa was correct in that it was deemed unimportant by the Empire. There was barely any Imperial presence in the system let alone on the planet; this did make it extremely alluring to the Alliance, however. Whether Tsa was aware of this or not was beyond Padmé; she knew the woman well enough to realize that she wouldn't reveal any Rebel presence, but she wouldn't support it, either. Tsa just wanted to survive without completely compromising her principles.
Finally, Padmé looked to Rekk, who told her something she wasn't aware of. "There have been some slave revolts on colonies one and four. The Empire thinks it can handle the situation with its local enforcement. I don't think the rebellions are related to the Alliance, though."
"I see," Padmé sighed. "Well, hopefully all the violence in our sector will cease. In the meantime do what you can to minimize the damage to our people, and bring any grievances to me."
The three representatives bowed, and Tsa and Rekk left the room. As soon as the door closed, Obi-Wan said, "We could place the Naboo Rebels on Nimo'alke. No one would bother to look there."
"What about the slave rebellions? We could send them to those colonies so they could help out." Padmé countered.
Obi-Wan shook his head. "No, that would be far too noticeable. We might be able to get the Alliance to smuggle weapons and other supplies to the slaves, but we can't send soldiers. If the forces on those colonies realize the slaves are getting reinforcements, they'll send a fleet."
Padmé sighed once more. "I suppose you're right. Well, you'll have to make the arrangements once you meet up with our friend."
"Don't worry," Obi-Wan smiled. "I'll take care of it."
As if on cue, Siri entered the office. "Meeting's arranged. Bail got a reply pretty quickly; we can meet at lunchtime."
Obi-Wan looked to Padmé. "What about Vader?"
"I'll handle Vader," Padmé said firmly. "It's time for round two."
Tarkin sipped his caffa irritably as he stared at the data pad on his desk. It was the report about the Rebel base. He wasn't sure how to go about handling the situation at this point. He obviously couldn't just let the base remain there, but at the same time, if he attacked it now without any more information about it, he could tip the Alliance off. There was a high likelihood that this establishment was not their main base of operations.
Pulling another larger tablet out of his desk drawer, Tarkin activated it and watched it come to life. This pad contained security feeds for all of the senate building, except the emperor's antechamber. The only place that could monitor that was the emperor's security station. However, Tarkin could monitor that particular station itself, and that was where he directed his attention.
Vader was there. Of course.
The young Sith Lord stood as still and silent as ever, simply observing all the different feeds. Tarkin couldn't see what he was watching, but he was fairly certain it had to do with Senator Amidala. So apparently, despite Tarkin's request that Vader hurry up with the mission, he was still biding his time. At least it appeared that way; for all Tarkin knew Vader was getting ready to strike. Still, he understood the man's reasoning; Tarkin wasn't the emperor, and if the emperor told Vader to go about his mission a certain way, he'd always favor Palpatine's orders over Tarkin's.
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a knock at his door. Storing the security pad back in his desk drawer, he called for the person to enter. An Intelligence agent walked in and handed him a report, telling him the brief summary.
"There's been increased activity at the Rebel base on Dantooine," he said. "It's believed they're getting ready to head out."
Alarms rang in Tarkin's head. If they were leaving, the Empire had to attack. It didn't matter if it would tip off the main stronghold; they couldn't just let these Rebels get away alive. Tarkin nodded his head and thanked the agent, watching him leave, and then immediately called for the admiral stationed in the sector. Giving the admiral the coordinates, he ordered the destruction of the base and either the capture or execution of anyone who tried to escape it. The admiral immediately complied since Palpatine had temporarily instilled Vader's authority on Tarkin.
Tarkin sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. There went another opportunity to get more information about the Rebel base. Honestly, the more he thought about this situation the less sense it made. Darth Vader had gone on espionage missions before, but he had always been in the shadows. For Palpatine to put him in the spotlight like this was bizarre and made little sense; this operation suited Intelligence much better. What was the emperor playing at?
Or was this "test" entirely for Tarkin?
Either way, it was frustrating. The sooner Senator Amidala was dead, the better.
Padmé watched Obi-Wan and Siri leave the sector pod provided for them in the senate arena. The other two representatives remained in the pod, talking with each other softly. Sabé Janren, one of Padmé's three handmaidens (and the one who had cooked dinner last night), looked to Padmé and asked her if she needed anything, to which Padmé said she was fine and dismissed the handmaiden for lunch.
It was time to distract Vader.
Padmé took a deep steadying breath. She had already decided it would be best to get Vader out of the senate building and far away from the other two. She knew a perfect place for it, too.
Walking to the emperor's antechamber, Padmé hesitated. She had a high suspicion Vader could be found there, but the senate session had also just ended; Palpatine would be there too. She did not want to run into him. Instead, Padmé waited in a corner, meandering by a statue and trying to look busy with a data pad. Any movement that caught her eye would make her glance up until she finally saw the Red Guard emerge from the antechamber. Hiding further into the shadows, Padmé watched the emperor depart, exiting the antechamber and vanishing down the hall with his elite guard all around him. Vader exited shortly after, presumably ready to follow him.
Padmé stepped in his way. "Lord Vader, it's a pleasure to see you again. I'm glad to see you're alright; your sudden departure last night made me wonder if you felt unwell."
Vader watched her silently, waiting for her to speak further. By the stars, he really wasn't one for small talk, was he?
"I'm here to see if you'll perhaps join me for lunch," Padmé said with a smile, clasping her hands in front of her in an attempt to look shy. "I thought maybe lunch somewhere public might not be as formal as dinner seemed to be. Is that why you left early?"
"I needed to leave," Vader replied.
Not one for eloquence either, apparently… Padmé sighed internally. "Well, will you join me for lunch, at least?"
Vader remained quiet for a moment before nodding. "I must return to the emperor's chamber. I'll be a moment."
Padmé would have allowed him to reenter if she was not worried he'd glance at the security monitor and somehow suspect Obi-Wan and Siri. The two were married and could share a private lunch outside together without any suspicion, but considering all the scrutiny they were under, and considering how much Vader seemed to be hunting them, it would be best to keep them out of his mind altogether. "Oh, come now, milord, the wait is very long if we don't get there early! Follow me; I promise it'll be worth it. The food there is absolutely delicious, and I'm very fond of your company anyway, so please humor me."
Darth Vader seemed a little taken aback at her comment, blinking a few times with his right foot pulled back as if he were getting ready to leave but froze in the action. After a deep breath his calm expression returned and he nodded. "Lead, then."
Padmé nodded with a smile and indicated for him to walk alongside her. The two walked in silence as she led them to one of the building's many exits. "The restaurant isn't too far, so fear not, milord. After all, I wouldn't want to be late for the afternoon session!"
Padmé laughed lightly and glanced at the Sith. Vader was staring straight ahead, emotionless as ever, seemingly ignoring her. Again, definitely not one for small talk. Still, she had to start somewhere. She was happy to be talking so calmly and normally with him as it was; this was far easier in a public setting rather than being cooped up with him at home. Perhaps she should have started with this. Then again, she would have been just as unprepared as last night, not to mention she would have been listening to Obi-Wan's advice about taking it slowly… and while Padmé wasn't a particularly arrogant person, sometimes she just didn't want to admit when her brother was right about a situation.
"Where do you normally have lunch?" she asked, genuinely curious.
"The palace," Vader answered.
Padmé supposed that wasn't much of a surprise. Honestly, the palace was kind of a mystery to her. It stood like a pinnacle of the Republic's failures, of the Empire's triumph, of everything she hated. In front of the monumental building was a plaza that had a huge statue of Palpatine towering over anyone who entered. That alone was enough to make her avoid the place. Typically only the emperor, military officials, and servants were allowed in the palace. High government officials who were favored by the emperor sometimes had offices there as well as in the senate building, and occasional lavish parties were thrown for the richest and most powerful men in the galaxy. Thankfully, Padmé had never been included among that group, and she hoped she never would be. Still, there was an air of mystery to the palace since most people never set foot in it.
"Is the palace food any good?" Padmé asked. The question was perhaps a little obvious; of course palace food would be good. She didn't envy anybody who had to cook for the emperor; heaven only knew what would happen if he didn't like one of the dishes.
"It serves its purpose," Vader answered. Normally that would be taken as an insult to the palace food, but judging from what Padmé had witnessed of this man he was just stating the literal truth.
"Do you live in the palace?" Padmé asked.
Vader simply nodded.
This was odd. Last night, Vader had been leading the conversation like he was in his element. Perhaps he had been; he had planned for dinner. This lunch was completely unpredicted. Maybe that was how Padmé should keep it; she shouldn't give him a chance to plan for anything. Her thoughts on the matter were only further confirmed when Vader spent the entire walk to the restaurant in silence.
Eventually they reached their destination. The restaurant, called Pampered Palate, was a favorite spot for many senatorial aides, secretaries, security guards, and others who worked in the area since it was relatively cheap—at least for the district—and close to the senate building. Occasionally senators would also appear, though most preferred more private and exclusive restaurants. Personally, this place was one of Padmé's favorites.
"Well, here we are," Padmé said with a big smile, looking at Vader. He glanced around at the small restaurant before looking to her. When he continued to stare, she gestured ahead of her. "You can pick the table, milord."
Vader looked ahead again and for once began to look a little lost. His eyes glossed from one table to the next, but he still didn't move. Was he trying to find a good spot to observe the outside as well? Was he on to Padmé's trick? Maybe she should pick the table instead.
Taking advantage of his hesitation, Padmé began to walk ahead. "If it doesn't matter to you, milord, then I can find a table."
Vader followed her silently.
The two settled in the corner where both could see the entire restaurant. The window beside them offered a view of a side street, one that Padmé knew would not be used by Siri or Obi-Wan. Satisfied, she settled in her seat, placed her napkin on her lap (without ringing it like a wet rag this time—yes, public settings were far less nerve-wrecking), and picked up the menu, glancing at it. She knew most of the dishes anyway, so she quickly chose what she wanted. Then she looked at Vader.
The Sith Lord was sitting in his chair staring out the window. His eyes would occasionally turn to her, and then to the restaurant, and then back to the street. He was looking for something, or someone. Or perhaps he was just keeping guard in general. Padmé had the sinking suspicion that his behavior was simply out of habit rather than anything else. Was he not going to eat, or did he just not realize he was supposed to look at the menu? Had he never eaten in a restaurant before?
Padmé decided to voice her question. "Is this your first time at a restaurant in this area?"
Vader nodded, still looking out the window.
"Do you normally just eat at the palace?"
Another nod.
After watching Vader's gaze drift once more from the window to her to the restaurant, Padmé began to realize he was ignoring her more and more. This was beginning to be like last night; he was somehow winning the situation without even trying. If this kept up he might just leave, realizing that she was trying to distract him.
Time to play aggressive.
Padmé leaned forward in her seat, placing one arm on the table while she held out the other and put her hand on Vader's arm. She only laid it there gently, not squeezing his arm or anything, but the action made Vader's eyes immediately stare into hers. Padmé gave him the sincerest smile she could muster.
"If you're not sure what to do here, I'll guide you through it. Don't worry." She reassured him in a gentle voice.
Vader's arm stiffened under her touch, and he slowly moved it out of her reach as she retracted her own arm. His cold reaction to her gesture was understandable; in many core worlds, including Imperial Center, it was considered extremely rude or forward to touch someone you didn't know that well. Padmé's action indicated she felt like she knew him as one would know a close friend or family member, and she was sure it made him feel uncomfortable. Good.
The waiter approached and introduced himself before asking for their order. Padmé told him what she wanted. When the waiter looked at Vader expectantly, he simply said he'd have what Padmé was having without taking his eyes off her. The waiter nodded and left to get drinks.
As soon as the waiter was away from the table, Vader asked, "Do you know anyone named Kuna?"
The familiar knot in her stomach appeared in a heartbeat, and Padmé clenched her napkin as she had last night. However, this time the question seemed so… random. Last night he had abruptly begun his interrogation, but it had been continuous, relentless, and immediate. He had wasted no time in pleasantries, observance, or manners; he had just begun asking questions and dodging their own. Here, though… here he had waited, he had acted solemn the entire time until just now. Was this a new tactic, or had Padmé's previous action made him so nervous he was throwing out random questions that he knew would startle her? Kuna's death was what got Padmé into this entire mess in the first place; surely Vader wouldn't mention the Empire's main evidence against her?
"I'm afraid not." Padmé answered carefully as the waiter returned with water for both of them. "Is this Kuna an associate of yours?"
"No," Vader replied dully, leaning back in his seat and sipping his water. His calm expression was back, and he resumed his previous vigil, saying nothing more. Padmé felt she too was out of things to say, apart from more pleasantries that would only receive one word responses, if that. Perhaps they could just wait in silence for a time… well, maybe in little bit. They could be silent when the food arrived; Padmé didn't want to spoil her appetite by forcing Vader to try and trip her up even more.
"Do you have any associates?" Padmé asked.
"I work with many people, depending upon the mission."
Wow, that was the most she had gotten out of him since they arrived here. Padmé was impressed at his extended vocabulary.
"Yes, I've heard about your many missions," she sighed, swirling her drink. "How do you manage to do so many things, milord? One moment you're leading a battle, the next you're utilizing, er, diplomatic tactics on another world. Where did you learn such talents?"
Vader said nothing. Apparently this wasn't something she would get out of him easily.
"Forgive me if I'm overstepping my boundaries, it's just…" Padmé paused here, trying to find the right words. She wanted to keep him on his toes. She wanted to be forward. She wanted to make him notice her. "I'm just… intrigued by you. You're such a mystery, it's just… too enticing to ignore. You're quite the man, Lord Vader."
Darth Vader seemed to be more interested in the street than her. Blast, she had waited too long after touching his arm; he was comfortable again. Perhaps it was best to just remain silent… or perhaps she needed to be more obvious. Padmé was about to slip her foot steadily closer to his leg when the waiter reappeared with their food in his hands, and she quickly retracted it; she didn't want to make a scene in front of anybody else.
She supposed she'd have to wait.
Siri sipped happily at her rissht smoothie as Obi-Wan sifted through some information on his data pad. The two were sitting at a small outdoor lunch parlor waiting for their contact to arrive. Despite the fact that they were in the heart of the Empire, it was just such a relief to get out of the senate building and away from Vader that Siri wasn't really bothered at the concept.
As she was getting ready to dig into her food, Siri paused when she recognized someone in the crowd. It was a very dark skinned Zabrak male with pronounced cranial horns on his forehead while the rest were hidden in a sea of black hair that was tied into a tail. The man was rather skinny and held himself with an air of confidence.
Tapping Obi-Wan on the arm, Siri motioned towards the Zabrak, and her husband smiled. Once the Zabrak had approached, he said, "Would you like to join us, Al?"
Almusian Brek, one of the Alliance's many smugglers, smiled and sat at the table. "My friend's on the way, but I figured I'd scout ahead. How you two holding up?"
"We're alright," Siri replied. "Have you been okay?"
Al nodded, his smile faltering. "Yeah… what happened to Kuna… I wasn't expecting it. Our operation was pretty low key; I don't know how they caught on to us."
Almusian had known Kuna very well; Obi-Wan, Siri, and Padmé would order supplies for the Rebels through Kuna, who would then receive them from Al. Occasionally, Siri and Obi-Wan would interact with Al himself if Kuna was trying to keep a low profile, but they often avoided that as much as possible to keep their involvement in the operation a secret. Nevertheless, they'd met enough to be friends, and for Siri to say, "We weren't either. By the way, you can pay for lunch since you still owe me for last time."
Al jumped, his green eyes staring at her in confusion before he barked out a laugh. "You're kidding me, right? You're still holding me accountable for that?"
"It's your fault," Siri smirked.
Their bantering was interrupted when someone else joined them at the table. It was a female Ithorian, one whom Siri hadn't met before. Al pulled over a seat for her, indicating she was the spy with whom the two were going to speak.
"Lovely day out, isn't it?" she remarked. "Definitely a good day to spend time outside. Is that why you called?"
"You certainly responded awfully quickly," Obi-Wan noted.
Al grunted. "I was heading this way, anyway. Organa called for me. All I had to do was pick up Athia here on the other side of the planet and we were good to go."
"Organa?" Siri repeated.
"I suppose you're our ticket out if we need it, then," Obi-Wan surmised, nodding to Al.
"Guess so."
"Anyway, we need to warn you," Obi-Wan lowered his voice. "Intelligence is on to our friends on Naboo. You should make sure they get a very long vacation on Nimo'alke until things settle."
As Obi-Wan subtly told the spy about the situation with the colonies in Chommell, Siri turned her attention to Al, who was absentmindedly writing equations on a napkin. "It's a sad day when you do math out of sheer boredom, you know."
Al paused and then chuckled. "Aw, come on, Siri, you know I like math. I would have studied it in college if it weren't for those blasted anti-alien laws. Who even calls non-Humans aliens, anyway? You're an alien to me. Kriffing biased Empire… well, anyway, that was almost ten years ago. My bigger concern right now is you guys. I've got a system already in place if you need to get out quick. Just use this frequency, activate your com with it—you don't even have to say anything, just as long as you use this frequency. I'll pick up on it and trace it back to you guys and be there in a heartbeat, okay?"
Siri nodded. "Thank you."
Returning her attention to the spy, Siri heard Obi-Wan just finish up what he was reporting.
"I'll ensure that information gets to the Alliance," the spy nodded. "There is something I should tell you, however. With Kuna gone, our supplies have taken a bit of a dip; he had more than just Al working for him, after all. Also, you two are already aware of how many people we're losing to the Empire. There's someone you need to talk to in order to help remedy this problem. His name is Senator Káern Tlenden."
"Tlenden?" Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows. "The senator of the Tsograda Sector? Why do we need to talk to him? I thought he was already part of the Alliance effort; he never really hid his disapproval of the Empire."
"You're right; he doesn't shy away from protesting something he feels may be dishonorable, but he's still not with the Alliance. The Tsograda Sector is enormous, and Senator Tlenden is extremely beloved by the people he represents; if he has his homeworld side with the Alliance, the entire sector will follow his lead. You need to talk to him."
Obi-Wan sighed. "We're under a lot of scrutiny right now. Darth Vader's breathing down our necks. Can't Bail or Mon speak with him?"
"Bail is under the microscope more than you guys," the spy shook her head. "It's not safe for him to get any deeper into the mess. As for Mon, her term will be up in a few days when the final recess for the year begins. We need someone who can speak with Tlenden long term."
"Nice to know you guys think we'll still be around long term," Siri muttered darkly, thinking about their predicament.
"We'll do what we can, then," Obi-Wan said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "If there's nothing else, Siri and I should be going."
The spy nodded. "Well, it was nice talking to you. Are the smoothies any good here? Think I'll get one before I go…"
Al laughed. "That's the spirit! You and I can stick around a bit!"
Siri rolled her eyes. "It wouldn't happen to do with that waitress over there, would it?"
"Hm," Al suddenly looked contemplative. "Now that you point her out to me, I do find her quite attractive."
Siri smacked his arm irritably. "Oh, please, like you didn't notice her before I said that. Keep your head low, you flirt."
"Got it," Al replied with a smirk.
At that, Obi-Wan and Siri rose (after Siri strong-armed Al into paying for their lunch) and departed, making their way back to the senate building.
The food was very much to Padmé's liking, leaving her content as she placed her napkin over her plate. Looking up, she watched as Vader silently finished his meal. He ate better today than he had last night, finishing his food instead of poking at it merely for show. Once he was done, he glanced up at her, and she gave him a soft smile.
"Was it good?"
"It served its purpose."
Padmé rolled her eyes in mild amusement and exasperation. At this point in the meal she had calmed greatly, not worrying too much about what Vader was planning and instead relaxing. She knew he wasn't up to anything nefarious since she had dragged him into this lunch date abruptly, and she also knew that Obi-Wan and Siri ought to be done and back at the senate tower at this point, so she had little to worry about.
"I had a good time," she remarked. It was a lie, of course; even if she was calm now, that did not mean she enjoyed spending her time with the Sith Lord. "We should do this every day."
Vader, who had been sipping from his drink, paused and looked at her for a moment before finishing his action. After placing the cup back on the table, he took a deep breath and nodded.
A lot of reluctance there, Padmé noted. She wondered why; he had jumped on the opportunity to interrogate her last night. Maybe he didn't like having his days interrupted constantly. Good. She wanted to get under his skin. Though she herself wasn't very keen on meeting with him every day either… but it needed to be done.
After paying for their meal, Padmé led Vader back to the senate. The two said nothing; Padmé was contemplative about how the meeting went, and Vader… well heaven only knew what he was thinking.
Once they entered the senate building the two paused. Padmé bowed deeply to Vader. "I'm glad I could share my lunch with you. I'll see you tomorrow, then. Would you like to meet in the same place?"
"I'll meet you at your office," Vader replied, nodding his head as a gesture of farewell. Before Padmé could suggest somewhere else, he had turned and walked down the hall. Blast it.
Oh well. She still considered this a victory.
Returning to her office, Padmé saw that Obi-Wan and Siri were already waiting for her there. "How'd it go?"
"We got the message through," Siri said. "Also, apparently we need to talk to Senator Tlenden about joining our cause."
Padmé sighed heavily. One thing after another… "I'll try to talk to him tomorrow. I've had enough excitement for one day."
"Speaking of that excitement, how was lunch?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Interesting. I'll tell you the details once we get home. I'm meeting with him again tomorrow."
Obi-Wan looked mildly startled. "Again? Wasn't today enough?"
"We'll go with you," Siri immediately piped in.
Padmé shook her head. "No, it's the perfect opportunity for you guys to get stuff done. I'll be fine, I promise."
Obi-Wan and Siri exchanged wary looks, unconvinced, but they didn't argue.