a/n: Hey, thanks :) I'm glad you like it!

This chapter assumes that without Jedi Anakin, Season 2 episodes 4-7 Clovis would survive.

The senators flocked and squawked. Truly, an unruly bunch, but no matter. That would change. Already, fear of his apprentice and army were seeping through the ranks.

Keeping a benevolent smile, Palpatine stood while the podium glided down to its resting spot, Mas Amedda and Sly Moore by his sides. Amedda nattered about the new Rodian senator in dismissive terms and the Chandrian senator with worry, Moore silently stared into space, and Palpatine closed his eyes, fatigued from another day in the Senate, prevaricating and hinting. Senator Amidala was supposed to be here today. Some might think that a slight against a benefactor, and it might be. She was certainly vocal about her disapproval. But it wasn't her style to skip senate meetings, and if she was going to sit out in protest of the Empire, she was going to be sitting out for a long time. A long time.

She was not the only one missing. Darth Vader had sent word of his arrival today, but Palpatine had yet to see him. Briefly relaxing, he attuned to the Force to find his apprentice. Glimmering lights clustered in the room above, one for each senator, and those by his side. More lights flitting in the building, sitting at their desks, such tiny lives. But where was he?

Nowhere. He frowned. Palpatine could not find his apprentice in the building, or the neighborhood, or the district. Now that he was paying attention, he remembered little moments where Vader's presence slipped away, a raging fire extinguished. Fear flashed through him, the fear of every Sith Master-was the apprentice already a rival?

He doubted it.

The podium settled on the ground, and Palpatine's fear dissipated. His eyes flew open, and the three filed into the corridor where his guards were waiting, red shades in a world of gray. The guards took their places by his side as he made for his apartments, but when his two supporters moved to follow Palpatine waved them off. "Leave me." He had had enough senators for the day.

After a slight hesitation and glance, Amedda and Moore bowed and altered their direction, allowing his procession to continue in solemn silence. Down the hall. Up the lift. Along another hallway. Into his suite. They met no one else along their path, the only sounds his guards' rustling red robes.

Two followed him into a small sitting room and took places beside the door. Within moments a servant, a Mirialan man, entered with food. The Mirialan set up the spread, removing covers that allowed steam to rise and the smell of food to fill the room. The Mirialan placed a plate in front of him, poured a glass, adjusted the cutlery, stacked the covers, fiddled with a napkin-

"Enough." Palpatine sighed. He would need a new servant. One less fidgety. After a day of squabbling senators, peace was all he wanted. "Leave."

The servant startled, and scurried away. Palpatine turned to his food, mind musing. He could keep the servant for a while. It would be amusing to see which senator would try to convert the man to their side, perhaps use the servant to assassinate him, if they were feeling bold. He smiled and speared his food. Yes, he could stand a few months of jitters for that. He was a man of simple pleasures, after all.

A more serious matter was that of his apprentice. Palpatine had been shielding the two of them and Dooku from the Jedi Council for a long time, and it was a difficult thing to do. Surely Darth Vader had not developed his abilities in that direction already? Not while he still had his Master to shield him. The fear crept through again, that Darth Vader was prepared to destroy him. Perhaps he had been too eager in killing off Dooku. But he found it hard to believe that Vader would be able to defeat him, though Vader was certainly rash enough to try anyway.

Something flickered on the edge of his consciousness. Three lights, in the lifts to his quarters. Or rather, two lights, and one black hole. "The apprentice approaches."

The guards did not react. Good, he liked their discipline. He dabbed his mouth with the napkin and pushed away from the table. The guards fell in behind him as he walked a couple rooms over to his office.

Palpatine recently had his desk removed. It would not do to look too senatorial, after all. Instead, he settled in his chair that dominated the frugal room and waited. Behind him he could hear the muted sound of traffic, air-speeders, air-scooters, even spaceships, zooming through the atmosphere. But he only cared for one thing.

In moments, the entrance opened. Darth Vader, shrouded in darkness, stalked into the room. Cowering beside Vader, Rush Clovis, the bankers' boy, looking the worse for wear. The pair stopped at the top of the three steps into the lower area of his chamber, and the third occupant shoved past them-the absent Amidala.

Palpatine remained seated, gazing across the room. He could not sense an increase of animosity in Vader, but he could be more thorough when they were alone. He set it aside and focused on the senators. "Amidala, my dear, we missed you at the Senate meeting today. Though I see now that you were busy. Rush Clovis, what an...unpleasant surprise."

Amidala scowled. Clovis stumbled forward, manacled hands upraised. "Please, I can explain."

Palpatine laughed. It struck at random moments, the utter pleasure in realizing someone had no idea that they had been his puppet all along. Truly, it was a wonder no one found out about him and Dooku. "I doubt that."

That sparked the Senator from Naboo. "What is this, Chancellor?" She gestured at Vader and Clovis, the one a dark monolith under which the other cringed. "Is this how senators are to be treated in your new empire?"

Vader spoke up, altering his voice under the hood, "Emperor."

"What?" Amidala stuttered, confusion crossing her face.

"He is no longer chancellor," Vader rumbled, "he is the Emperor."

Amidala gave Vader an incredulous look. Palpatine could almost see the rebellious thoughts swirl in her head, before being tamped down in the face of Vader and his guards. She bowed slightly but pointedly at Palpatine. "Pardon me, Emperor."

Was Vader mocking him, or supporting him? Another thing to tease out later. At least Amidala had been reproved, and by Vader. If Palpatine had corrected her, he would have seemed petty.

"You forget, he is not just any senator." Palpatine opened his arms. "He betrayed us all, and nearly got you killed in the process."

Her eyes flashed. "Then make him stand trial."

"Padme," Clovis hissed.

She ignored him, continuing, "Don't hunt him down like you have the Jedi, with your attack dog." Amidala glared at Vader. A few Jedi had escaped, but Vader was going through the list. Quinlan Vos, Shadday Potkin, Luminara Unduli, so far, as well as some political opponents.

"A good attack dog," Palpatine smirked, and Vader flinched, ever so slightly. An attack dog who needed correcting. It had been no accident that he could not find Vader earlier. The apprentice had no secrets, and that would not do. Palpatine looked forward to ripping those secrets from Vader and putting him in his place.

But first, Clovis. "I understand your concern, my dear," he addressed Amidala. "But these are troubled times. Darth Vader's methods are brutal, but effective." He waved to Clovis. "Come here."

Clovis hesitated, and at Palpatine's nod Vader gripped his arm and dragged him forward. Clovis struggled to keep his feet under him, Vader half-lifting him.

"Stop!" Amidala demanded, rushing to Vader's other side. "There's no need for this, he can't do anything!"

Perfectly done, slave. Palpatine painted a pained smile on his face. "Please, Vader, show our guest some respect."

"As you wish, my master." Vader inclined his head and unceremoniously released Clovis. Clovis collapsed, and Palpatine tutted, rising to his feet and approaching the man while Amidala crouched down to steady Clovis.

"You said you could explain, Clovis." Palpatine stopped by the man, hands clasped behind his back. "Impress me. What are you going to tell the Senate, hm? The Republic was in dire need of the Banking Clan's assistance. Having exposed their corruption with the help of your friend, Amidala, you were instated as their head. The Republic was sure to have an ally, yet you raised the interest rate, and tried to brutally take over Scipio."

"Dooku blackmailed me!" The words erupted from Clovis. "He staged the attack, then everything got out of control."

"Convenient to place the blame on a dead man," Palpatine murmured, turning his head ever so slowly to look down on Clovis.

"I trust him," Amidala proclaimed.

"I see." He turned his attention to the Naboo senator. "And you are sure that your judgment in this matter is unclouded? I understand you two were quite close, once."

"That has nothing to do with this." Her hand jerked from Clovis's shoulder, and Clovis grasped after it before letting his hand fall.

"I understand that, my dear, but you know the Senate. Your testimony may damage Clovis's case. What were you even doing, meeting with a traitor?"

"But you control the Senate!" she argued, rising to her feet. Inwardly, Palpatine smiled.

"Padme," Clovis warned her, but she was not done.

"I met with a traitor because Clovis offered to turn himself in. He means to help."

"Did he now. Do you think he would have done it?" Palpatine questioned. "He has repeatedly proven that he is interested in self-preservation."

Amidala faltered, posture weakening, but she squared her shoulders. "Even if he made a wrong choice, he's still a good man. One bad choice does not define him."

"But it's not one bad choice, is it. Tell me, Rush-are you a good man?"

"No." Clovis spoke softly, and bowed his head.

"Rush, you can't believe that!" She placed a hand on his cheek and forced him to look at her. "You've saved me, more than once. Does that count for nothing?"

"If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been in danger," Clovis sighed. "Padme, I love you. But that doesn't change what I've done."

He struggled to his feet, pushing away her hand. "'Well Emperor, what is your offer?"

Palpatine glided over to his chair and settled on it. "Who said anything about offers?"

"Please," Clovis grimaced. "I know when a negotiation is underway. I will stand trial. Though you may not believe it, Padme is right. I was going to turn myself in. But I ask that you keep her out of this."

"I see." Palpatine placed his hands on the armrests. "If this is a negotiation, as you say, then what are you offering? You were going to come in anyway, you want Amidala kept out of the proceedings. What are you offering the Empire?"

"My willing services, of course." Clovis straightened himself. "You could execute me, or lock me up for treason, but you're a practical man, and so am I. My skill set may not be as...direct as Darth Vader's, but I assure you-I can assist you in ways he cannot."

While Amidala hurriedly whispered at Clovis to rethink the situation, Palpatine regarded Vader. If Dooku had said that, Vader would have cracked, revealing the slave boy underneath. He was always too sensitive to slights, but that worked in Palpatine's favor. That Vader was stoic underneath his hood was shocking, to say the least. Palpatine closed his eyes and began the process of probing Vader.

Vader jerked at the touch in the Force, but opened his mind. Master. Palpatine did not acknowledge him, but started looking. If the two senators were nice enough to give him time to ensure Vader was not threatening him, he would take it. Vader was usually overflowing with rage, burning darkly in the Force. Currently, however, doubt and turmoil flooded his mind. This was not Vader at all.

Skywalker! Now Vader flinched, and Palpatine seethed. How convenient for this boy, to slip back and forth. This would not do.

But he also felt relief, almost giddy. To think he had been worried about this whelp! A slave boy, who still refused to embrace the power that Palpatine offered? Pathetic.

Palpatine opened his eyes and smiled congenially. Amidala and Clovis stopped talking, noticing his attention on them. "That is a generous offer, Clovis. It shall be so. You will go to the Republic Judiciary Detention Center, and tomorrow make your case. Unless the Senate as it stands has serious objections, you will fulfill your debt to the Empire working on a special project of mine."

Palpatine motioned to the guards. "Now go. Vader and I have things to discuss."

Clovis bowed, manacles restricting his usually elegant movement. "Thank you, Emperor."

"Yes, thank you, Emperor," Amidala gritted out.

A guard stepped forward and herded the two past Vader to the door, but Amidala turned and addressed Palpatine, "This has been your plan all along, hasn't it. From long before the day you used me and the people of Naboo to make you chancellor."

"Don't be crass, my dear." He lazily lifted a hand. "Though now that you mention it, I suppose I should show my gratitude. Wait outside my office. Darth Vader will escort you to your apartment. Coruscant is not a safe place, after all."

She scowled, but her face went pale. The guard corralled her towards the door with Clovis shooting worried glances at her. Good. Let them assume the worst.

At a nod from him, the other guards trailed out as well, until only he and the boy remained. He dropped to one knee before Palpatine.

"What is your bidding, my master?" His voice had lost the lower quality. Another sign of his weak resolve.

"Don't play games with me, boy!" Palpatine stalked to the kneeling form and ripped the hood off his head, light brown hair fluffing with the movement. "Look at me."

When he hesitated, Palpatine raised his hands and zapped him. The boy gasped, his metal hand pushing against the floor to support himself. Palpatine lowered his hands. "Look at me!"

Haltingly, the boy raised his eyes. Blue eyes.

"Anakin Skywalker." Palpatine shocked him again, and stopped. "What was it you said?"

Another zap, another gasp. "I remember. 'That name no longer holds any meaning for me.'"

Zap. Gasps. "Then why am I looking at him now?"

Anakin lay crumpled at his feet. "Have you forgotten our task so soon, my apprentice? The Republic was weak. As the Empire grows, we will spread justice throughout the galaxy. Unless you think you can do better. Do you think you are strong enough to strike me down?"

Anakin shook his head. He rasped, "No, my master."

"Good, good." Palpatine shocked him again, longer, longer. When he stopped Anakin curled on the ground, and Palpatine reached into Anakin's unguarded mind. It was time for the apprentice to reveal his secrets.

Images flashed before him, thoughts, snippets of memories. Dead Jedi. A choked clone trooper. Clovis in pain. Delusions of saving people. Darth Vader's new body-there was revulsion there. Palpatine reveled in that revulsion, feeding back his pleasure into his apprentice, stoking that ember of anger that was always there.

"I see you have doubts."

Palpatine returned to his chair. "We can rule the galaxy, my apprentice. Think of the precious good you will do."

The slave gingerly lifted himself back up to kneel. Palpatine growled, "But if you have doubts, you will be replaced."

When the door to the "Emperor's" chamber opened, Padme turned immediately to leave, trusting him to follow. Clovis had already left with two of the guards, while other guards stood silently in the hallway with her, waiting for Palpatine's private conference with his assassin to be over.

Now that assassin was going to take her home.

If the guards hadn't been with her, Padme would have run, tried to escape. Even though she knew he was a Sith, she had to hope that people could survive. She hadn't heard from any of the Jedi she knew, and she feared the worst. Seeing how he had brought in Clovis-her heart clenched. Everything had been fine, Clovis willing to pay for his crime and maybe one day help take power from Palpatine. Then Darth Vader ripped into their lives.

She avoided looking at the being next to her. The lift was fast, slipping down the building and treating the two of them to the light show that was the upper city. It would be nice to have a weapon, but she doubted Vader would give her back her gun, but she would manage. She still had a chance to escape. At any point along their path, something could provide a distraction. She had to be ready.

"Do you truly believe in Clovis?"

"What?" She shuffled awkwardly away, confused by the sudden conversation.

Vader repeated himself. "Do you think Clovis is worth saving?"

Mouth open, Padme didn't know what to say.

A muffled boom interrupted her, and the lift jarred to a stop. The lights went out. Padme caught herself against the window. Trapped in a lift with Darth Vader.

Stop, she told herself. Giving in to fear would get her killed. "What was that?"

Vader cocked his head, but didn't answer. Padme willed her heartbeat to slow down, fingers trembling with adrenaline. "We need to get out of here."

They were in between floors. She pushed the button, but to no avail. She scrabbled at the seam between the door and the wall, but the door always slid in at least an inch.

Vader raised a hand, waved it, and the door opened with a metallic groan of protest. At least he wasn't using the moment to kill her. Lifts should not be this foolproof. "Thank you."

Padme set her hands on the higher floor, which came to her waist, and hoisted herself up. The lights on both floors were dark, and the late hour meant few others were in the building. She felt through her pockets, hoping in vain to come across a light source. Nothing.

"Do you have any light?" she asked, eyes straining in the darkness.

"Yes." There were a few scuffles behind her. The sound of a lightsaber igniting.

She gasped and jumped forward, dashing toward the end of the hall. Which she could now see, slightly, in the dim light of the saber.

Padme reached the corner and looked back. Vader still stood by the lift, black robe illuminated by the red saber which he held loosely like a torch. "I apologize. This is the only light I have."

She gave him an incredulous look. "A warning would have been nice."

"I'm sorry." The hooded head looked at her, but she didn't move. He shrugged, then turned to the other side of the hall. "You should go." He jogged away.

Padme leaned against the wall, pulse racing. "Aren't you supposed to kill me? Or at least threaten me?"

"If you were going to be killed, you would already be dead." He paused, but didn't turn around as his low voice answered her. "Consider yourself threatened."

The red glow dimmed, and Padme straightened. "So you're just going to leave me?"

"You are free to go. I trust you can make it to your apartments on your own." He reached the opposite corner. "I do not trust that the guards here will be able to find the perpetrator. Leave the building and you will be safe."

He turned the corner, and Padme was alone in the dark.

"Kriff," she swore. That was fine, but she didn't have a light, and Vader had her weapon. Vader was not going to kill her. Not tonight, anyway. "Wait up!"

She ran, turned the corner, caught up to him. The two jogged down the hall. "What's the plan?"

"The plan?" His voice sounded different. "Find the bomber, kill the bomber. And you are supposed to go home."

She shook her head. What was it Palpatine had said? 'Brutal but effective.' "Maybe I would have if you had something more than a lightsaber for light. I'm not going to trust that my path will be empty of enemies. Do you still have my gun?"

"Your path was clear," he grumbled, but slowed. From within his robes he slipped out her blaster pistol, which he had confiscated when arresting Clovis. Padme sighed at the weight in her hand. "Stay behind me."

They jogged farther into the building, and down a few floors, to the core. When Vader began to slow, Padme followed his lead. "Stay quiet," he whispered, and something about it niggled at her brain. Curses from ahead distracted her from the thought.

"Someone's here!"

Blaster bolts sizzled down the hallway. Padme jolted backward, unready for the attack. But nothing hit her, as Vader deflected bolt after bolt, slowly advancing down the hallway.

"Blast it!"

Padme aimed her gun at where the shooter had peeked around the corner.

"Wait here," Vader said, before creeping down the rest of the hall. Padme nodded, keeping her gun trained. Vader progressed down the hall.

He rounded the corner, and more shots were fired.

"Take this!"

Something collided into Vader and exploded. He flew back against a wall. His lightsaber turned off. Padme raised her arms against the debris that came her way, but it failed to reach her.

Silence. Padme softly padded forward. Was Vader still alive? Did she want him to be?

Stopping before she reached the corner, Padme looked him over. His hooded head was slumped forward, and his robes obscured any sign of breath. She couldn't check him without leaving cover, so she instead peeked around the corner.

An assassin droid, half visible through a hole in the wall, messed with an exposed generator, while a Duros approached the fallen Sith. The Duros glanced over nervously and spotted her. She ducked back. "You going to shoot me, girly?"

"Who are you? What do you want?" She waited, pressed against the wall.

"Apologies, dear lady. The name's Cad Bane. I'm here for him." She peeked to see him gesturing at Vader. "Do me a favor and see if he's alive? He'll probably take more kindly to you waking him than me." He chuckled.

"Why not just kill him?"

"Ruthless, eh?" She saw his shadow move as though to scratch his head. "Worth more alive, girly. Might not even be alive."

The shadow moved again, then something rattled across the floor. She tensed, but Bane called out, "If he's alive, plug him with this. I won't shoot you. Be quick!"

Some kind of tranquilizer rolled into view. Padme hesitantly picked it up.

"Do it before he wakes up! That blast wasn't very strong," the Duros prodded her.

This would solve some problems. Darth Vader may be replaceable, but his absence would open a chink in the Emperor's plans and armor for a time. "What would your buyer do with him?"

"As soon as we get him to my ship, he's going to be frozen in carbonite." Bane chuckled again. "My buyer isn't stupid enough to take chances."

It wasn't the most humane, but this was Darth Vader. Being frozen in carbonite was a better fate than most would give him. Still, she hesitated.

She hesitated too long. From the corner of her eye, the black figure of Vader shifted, then ignited his lightsaber. He burst into action.

"Kriff. Stop that, shoot him!" Bane yelled at his ally, and Padme shifted from safety to watch in horror as Vader streaked down the hallway towards the bounty hunters, Bane retreating while shooting back at Vader. Blaster bolts reflected in all directions as Bane and the droid struggled to stop him. Vader force-pushed the droid against a wall and crushed its chassis. He raised his scarlet blade and began to swipe down at Bane.

Padme aimed and pulled the trigger.

It hit him in the right shoulder. Vader stumbled and dropped his lightsaber. Bane scrambled to get in another shot, but Vader's left arm snaked out and grabbed him by the neck. Vader lifted Bane into the air, and without looking around reached out his right hand. Padme's blaster slipped through her fingers and into his palm.

"Let's not be too hasty," the Duros croaked, hands pulling at Vader's gloved one. "I can tell you who put the bounty on your head."

Vader loosened his grip, and Padme breathed in sympathetic relief.

"It was a Hutt," Bane gurgled, and Vader released him. Bane crumpled to the floor, coughing.

"Which one?" Vader hissed, and Padme went ice cold. He had sounded rational earlier. Even when he was arresting Clovis he had been angry but rational. Now she could feel his rage permeating the air. Bane hacked more. "Tell me!"

"Jabba." Bane crouched by Vader, and Padme waited for Vader to kill him or Bane to bolt. Neither happened.

"Tell your master I am coming for him." Vader turned, robe swirling to face Padme. He sharply tossed her gun to the floor. "Leave, Senator, before I change my mind."

She wordlessly picked up her gun, and beyond Vader she saw Bane poking at his broken companion before limping away.

As she left, she heard Vader offer one final warning. "It is pointless to resist. May you live long enough to learn that, or die quickly."