Finally, Vader exited the landing shuttle. Before him, were the high towers of the Organa palace and behind him were a couple dozen clones, one of which was Padmé. Vader felt her clearly.
The excitement and the fear that she felt, were projected in the room like an aura. If she would ever come close to the Emperor, which Vader would try to avoid, she would have to learn to shield herself more.
He wanted to comfort her, and it was a terrible feeling that he couldn't do so. Vader suppressed the urge to cough as the breathing apparatus pushed and pulled the air out of his chest and marched forward.
The men that guarded the palace didn't even try to stop him at the sight of the battalion of stormtroopers. Probably, they had already expected them, and were smart enough not to interfere. That was a relief.
Vader didn't want to slaughter them with Padmé watching, but he would have to if they gave him reason. He opened the palace gates through the force, not stopping in his march. The imperial soldiers followed him in formation.
Organa was already waiting. He knew that he couldn't hide anymore, so he made it easier for everyone. He stood on top of a staircase, his hands folded behind his back. He stared straight at Vader and his troopers.
"Lord Vader. It's a pleasure.", he said coldly, as Vader towered over him. "I would like to talk to you in private, Viceroy.", he replied. Organa tensed. "I don't want to waste your valuable time.", he snarled. Vader sighed.
So he wasn't going to make it easy. "Now, viceroy.", he said, his voice not allowing any more talking back. Organa gulped but finally nodded. "Right this way.", he said, waves of hate and fear almost visible for Vader.
A simple hand sign showed the troopers to stay were they were, only a single one continued to follow Vader and the Viceroy. As Vader didn't react, no one questioned it. The Viceroy entered a small conference room and closed the door.
"I know why you are here, Lord Vader. You intercepted the transmissions, there's no point in denying it." Vader nodded. "That is why I am here." The Viceroy sighed. "I won't tell you anything, Vader. Torture me as much as you want."
He noticed how the Viceroy's glance wandered to Padmé a few times, wondering why a single soldier had followed and why he had stepped next to Vader seemingly not to be afraid at all. "I won't torture you, Organa."
Padmé wrapped her hand around Vader's. Organa's eyes widened and he looked like he was going to say something. Then, Padmé pulled the mask off her head. "Hello, Bail.", she said. Organa gasped. "Padmé! What?!"
He stared up to Vader and then at their hands. "What's going on Padmé? Run!" Padmé only smiled at him softly. "It's fine Bail. We came to get you out of this mess. Anakin can help you."
Bail frowned. "Anakin Skywalker? The father of your children. He died two years ago." Vader sighed and finally pulled his mask off. "Almost, yes." Organa stumbled backwards and dropped onto a chair. "You... are Anakin Skywalker?"
"It's been a long time since people called me that, but yes I am." Organa only stared for a few moments. "I'm so sorry, Padmé.", he finally said. She sighed. "Don't be. Not for this. And anyway, you are the issue right now."
Organa frowned, then nodded. "I was careless. The imperials intercepted some poorly coded transmissions that were meant for the rebellion, and traced the signal back to me. I guess my life is over then." Vader shook his head.
"You are accused, Organa. Not sentenced guilty. Those transmissions were referred to as hints, not evidence. We can make it believable that I came here and found you innocent."
"How exactly is that believable? You are not known to be very merciful, usually you would slaughter everyone that was to be linked to the rebellion in any way. The empire never cared about evidence." Padmé visibly tensed.
"Bail... there has to be a way to get you off this planet safely." Organa's features hardened. "I will not desert my people to the likes of him.", he insisted with a wave in Vader's direction, who ignored the comment.
"Nothing would happen to anyone, if the Emperor believed you weren't a rebel." Organa snorted. "Nothing would make him change his mind.", he said bitterly. "I disagree.", Vader replied.
"Like you said, I am not known to be very benevolent. If I say you are innocent, he will not question that.", he added. Organa sighed. "Well, you do know him better than any of us. But what reason would you have to assume my innocence?"
"I can think of two possibilities. We could blame someone else and say that the signal came from him." Organa's eyes narrowed. "That person would be killed, I won't allow any self sacrifices." Vader rolled his eyes.
"It could be a person that already fled. He would simply be added to the empire's wanted list. The other option is me killing you right here and right now. Then, the Emperor wouldn't look for you or anyone else."
All color disappeared from Organa's face. "I'm ready to die, if it means my people will be left in peace." Padmé cut him off. "Don't be ridiculous, Bail. You are not a martyr.", she insisted.
"I meant, I could pretend to kill you. That worked before, the Emperor would be satisfied." Organa looked down. "Will my family think I am dead?", he asked. Vader shrugged.
"That is up to you. If you trust them to keep your life a secret, you can tell them whatever you want." Organa nodded. "What do you mean, it worked before? Who did you save like this?"
Organa only gagged the word save, not wanting to use it in context with Vader. "Ahsoka Tano and Obi Wan Kenobi. They are presumably dead, but are actually hiding." Organa gasped.
"I heard of their defeat in the news. They said Ahsoka was a terrorist, and that she was finally found and taken care of. And Obi Wan broke into your ship and ran amok." Vader couldn't help but smirk a little.
"The last isn't so wrong. He killed at least two dozen clones before they managed to capture him." Organa shook his head, slowly. "I don't believe you. You just told Padmé they were alive, actually you killed them like all the others."
"That's not true!", Padmé bursted out. "We were together just now, before we came here. Trust me, he didn't lie about anything." Organa exhaled shakily. "That's impossible.", he whiffed.
"Please, Bail. Your life is in danger, you need to focus on that." "Yes, you're right.", Organa replied. He gulped and and straightened his back. Padmé pulled back a chair next to him and sat down in front of him.
"But if I am dead to the public, I can't help the rebellion as king of Alderaan. I wouldn't be able to provide them with resources anymore." Vader arched a brow. "I am sure they would rather have you without resources than dead."
Organa sighed heavily. "I don't want to frame anyone. The empire would hunt them down." Vader nodded. "It's the same with anyone else. No one would hunt them if they were already presumed dead." Organa's frown deepened.
"Some one would give up his life to hide in my stead.", he murmured. Padmé gave him a reassuring smile. "That way, you could still support the rebellion. I'm sure many would give up their life for the cause, and they would live in peace."
Vader crossed his arms in fronts of his chest. "We don't really have time for this. If this is the option you choose, we need to find someone to frame. Someone who was here when you transmitted, and is still here."
In that very moment a second, smaller entrance flew open with a crashing sound. All three turned their heads to see who was entering. Vader already put a hand on the hilt of his lightsaber, preparing to kill anyone who had seen too much.
To everyone's bewilderment, a woman appeared in the room, her face red from crying, her tears still running over her face. Her brown curls had fallen out of her tidy hairdo and she was shaking with every part of her body.
Her cramping fingers clang to a simple blaster, so hard her knuckles turned white. "You will not kill him! Not like this!", she yelled. Vader knew who this was. It was Breha Organa, the queen of Alderaan.
Suddenly her expression changed from pure terror and despair to shock, as she stared at both Padmé and Vader. Organa jumped off his chair and hurried to his wife, softly putting a hand on the blaster she was holding.
"It is alright, my love.", he said and wrapped an arm around her to comfort her. "Vader didn't come to kill me." Breha's still red eyes fixed onto Vader, whose arms were still crossed in front of his chest.
"Bail... he is tricking you, you must run while you can, or he will kill you.", Breha pressed, her glance still concentrated at Vader. "That is a very reasonable assumption.", he said calmly.
He summoned the blaster Breha was holding onto and dropped on the conference table between them. "But you must consider, that, if I wanted to kill the Viceroy, I wouldn't require any trickery." Color faded from both Bail's and Breha's faces.
"Yes... exactly.", Bail mumbled. "Breha, he and Padmé came here to help me, not execute me. You know I trust her with my life, she knows what she is doing." Breha shook her head in disbelief. "Why would you?", she asked, addressing Vader.
"Two reasons. First, the Viceroy is a friend of Padmé. And second, we might need your help too." Organa's eyes rounded. "You need my help?", he stumbled, clearly not expecting that statement. Vader only nodded.
"You can get Padmé to Naboo, without anyone following her. I'm sure you know all imperial vehicles are fully trackable for the Emperor and all his henchmen." Breha had finally found a bit of her courage again. "Does that include you?", she spat.
She wanted to be insulting, and maybe she reached her goal a little. "Yes.", Vader dryly replied, knowing that it was the truth. "Was she here, when you sent those transmissions, Organa?", Vader then asked.
That was the exact moment, in which Organa turned to a statue. "Yes... but... no", he whispered. "Not her." Vader arched a brow. "It would be believable. No servant or similar could even possess all that information, I assume it was something vital."
Organa nodded slowly. "Yes... it is believable. But she would have to leave." Vader rolled his eyes. "You are not exactly helping, Viceroy. You don't want to leave your people behind as enemies, you don't want to die, nor do you want your wife to."
Organa's face darkened. "This seems like a good option, Bail.", Padmé said. "Everyone would live, and you would still be king so the rebellion won't lose your support." Breha stepped forward, her hands at her waist.
"What is this idea, including me? I am ready to do it, if it means the empire will leave us in peace." "Breha... you don't understand...", Bail began, but Vader decided to just tell her. He saw no reason in making a fuss about it.
"I could pretend to kill you. We would frame you for the transmissions, and no one would bother anymore, since you were already dead officially." Breha gulped. "Kill me?", she murmured. Then she pierced Vader with her eyes. "We will do that."
"I will go and pack my things.", Breha said, when she was filled in. She would join Padmé to go to Naboo, where she could stay safe until she wouldn't have to pretend her death anymore.
Bail had only grown paler and paler in the last minutes, and now looked like the wall behind him. Padmé had been impressed by Breha, who hadn't doubted her decision to agree once, and was still determined.
"You really don't have to...", Bail began for the fifth time but Breha cut him off with an eye roll. "Yes I do, Bail. You will live for the rebellion, I don't know how to help them the way you do. Take care of our people."
Breha smiled softly and the visible pain on Bail's face grew as she headed out of the small entrance she had entered through. "Take care of yourself, Padmé. It's good to know you're alive."
Padmé smiled a bit. "It's good to know that you will stay alive, Bail." Bail said nothing for a few seconds, then followed his wife. Padmé sighed then stepped closer to Anakin. She cramped, realizing that she would have to say goodbye.
"I don't want to leave you.", Padmé said softly. "You'll be safer with your family, than you could ever be with me.", Anakin murmured. "And a meeting with your parents really is overdue." Padmé chuckled.
"I'll wait with telling them." Anakin arched a brow. "Maybe Sola already told them about us." "About us. About the twins. I want you three to be there when they'll learn of it." Anakin sighed with a smirk. "You won't stop delaying it, will you?"
"So what? It's a big announcement." Anakin's smirk turned into a grin. "I remember you saying the exact same thing over and over again." Padmé grinned as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
"It won't take another two years, I promise." Anakin snorted. "That's a statement, coming from you." Padmé rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "How long until you will come too?" Anakin shrugged a little. "Not long. I'll find a possibility."
Padmé nodded and pressed herself against him. "I'll be counting the days." With that, Padmé slang her hands around his shoulders and rose onto her tiptoes. She closed her eyes and put her lips on his gently, beginning to kiss him.