The sad and ironic truth of having betrayed the Jedi to be with Padme was not only the fact that she died, but learning sometime after his convalescence from Palpatine himself, that the Sith's only companion is the dark side. Forever. Anakin could not stay married to Padme as a Jedi or as a Sith. Perhaps this sad reality was the reason Padme and Anakin died... while Vader lived.
Not that it mattered. When Palpatine told him he was married to the Order and in need of no other companion, Vader didn't mind. Who was going to love him anyway? Who was going to want him while he is trapped in that awful suit?
No one.
Not his mother, not Padme, not Obi-Wan, not anyone. So he embraced the darkness. And it embraced him.
Vader sat on the edge of the bed, Olee curled behind him trying to figure out ways to get herself out of the mess she gotten into. So much had changed in the past few days, hours, minutes, seconds... and now this. She couldn't decide if what happened between them was awful or glorious. She was numb.
This was Darth Vader. The same man who destroyed the Order and killed her friends. He sat poised over the edge of the bed like a gargoyle.
Olee composed herself, drawing her knees from her stomach where she had curled into a ball, puffed up her chest, and adjusted her clothing as though nothing had ever happened.
She then slinked from the bed, away from the dark figure and walked across the room and gathered her bags and other personal affects. So long, sucker! she thought, and turned to face herself in a nearby mirror. She had meant to think it of Vader. But the only fool she found was herself... allowing him to sweep her into a torrent of rapturous passion and all else that reaked of dark-sidedness like that. Fool! Fool! Fool! she thought, scolding herself. But it was a cry he would never hear... or so she believed.
Olee slung her bag over her shoulder and walked toward the door. Alas, Vader finally stood, brushing past her in two long strides. He cut her off.
"You gonna let me out of this dump or what?" she said, trying not to look at him.
Vader turned his back to her and entered a security code into the datapad. The door slid open.
Sweet freedom. Olee dared a smile as she hedged toward it, but Vader pushed her back, his palm on her shoulder.
"What are you doing?" she gasped.
He walked out and two guards immediately flanked his side. Vader pressed a code into the datapad outside of the room. "Don't worry, Padawan, I'm sure you will be very comfortable here."
The door slid, but Olee kicked a leg out, jamming it open. Vader pressed a button on the datapad, which stopped the heavy metal door from crushing her petite body.
"You said I was free to go," she exclaimed.
"I said, if that is your wish," he replied.
Olee blinked. One of the five guards shoved her back inside and the door slammed closed. Once again, she Vader's prisoner. But, by will or otherwise?
Vader strode down the hall in an arrogant huff. Even a fool could see how half-hearted her plea had been, he thought. Two guards remained outside of the suite, and three followed Vader down the hall. The Sith Lord's cloak billowed behind him in the breeze generated by his brisk stride.
Captain Leesam, who had obviously seen Vader on the security camera, rushed out of the control room to greet him.
"What are your orders, my lord?"
Vader turned, hand resting comfortably on the utility belt he wore over his codpiece. "You will find Filli Gespun and bring him to Perdus 6 and await my orders."
"What are the charges, my lord?"
Vader regarded the commander for a moment. "I'm sure you'll think of something," he hastily replied. "Failure to complete the mission will be met with heavy reprisals. Don't disappoint me," came the bass vibrato.
"Yes, my lord," the commander replied.
Vader turned on his heels and strode off. How might he win Olee over with the soft towheaded Filli and his boyish looks mulling about?
Thinking about Filli made Vader's chest swell with sorrow. He remembered how beautiful and boyish he looked. He remembered when he was towheaded and soft.
No, that was Anakin. He was Vader, he thought, shaking himself out of his depression.
Olee stood on the balcony, a gentle breeze caressing her face. It was a cool spring night, and from the tower she could smell flowers and dew in the pre-dawn air. She liked being out there when the city was quiet and the blistering sun was fast asleep. So late in the night...and so early in the morning.
Her Jedi training kept her sane. She used the time to meditate. To meditate away the fact that her freedom had been stolen from her. A steep price to pay for a bit of harmless flirting with a dangerous man. But meditating carried her to other places, other lands, and times to people she had known and dare she admit it...missed.
But when Olee didn't meditate, she felt restless. Out of ideas. And worried about Filli, who would eventually find her with some snooping around. He was clever that way. But would he gain clearance and be allowed to land on Vixin 9? And if he did, would he become one of its permanent residents or detainees?
She thought about their first meeting. His clumsy flirtations and her terse replies. At the time, she was focused on finding all remaining Jedi and forming a rebellion. A plan squashed by the Empire before it had even gotten off of the ground. Later, following the instructions of her late Master, a man she hardly knew but had sacrificed himself so that she may live, she and Filli fell in love. It was what Shyrne wanted. And she soon learned everything he told her about having a life outside of the Order was true.
Everything from attachments and caring about another being, instead of some abstract religion or philosophy. In fact it didn't take long for Olee to resent the Jedi for having cheated her out of a normal life. And that was her attraction to Vader. A Sith -- they drank life. Partook of all of its pleasures. But she didn't admire this aspect of their philosophy enough to dismiss their evils. They drank life, but in pints of blood.
Vader she heard, whilst spying on one of the troopers, was due to return any day now. Olee wondered, with some insight, if her nights out on the balcony had been spent awaiting his return. Either way, she would never admit it. Not to Vader, or even herself.
She was however, deluded into believing she looked for Filli.
Especially the first few days in the Tower. It was hellish. Thinking about Filli calmed her, while thoughts of Vader brought restless memories of what traspired between them flashing in her mind.
The way he used his Sith powers to...
She shook the thought from her head. No more thinking about it, she whispered. Time for sleep.
A few minutes later, Olee, draped in an off-white cloud-like gown climbed into bed and allowed herself to sink into its cushions. Despite the situation she was in, there was nothing to fear in there. Even with armed storm troopers guarding her door and trolling the grounds outside the complex.
Vader sat on the edge of his bed, beside a sleeping Olee wondering how to make her love him. Anakin was right. Still, he craved human touch, emotion, and the love of a woman despite his commitment to the dark side and all of the power it gave him. What was power without someone to celebrate it with? Someone OTHER THAN evil crusty old Palpatine.
Vader reached out, as if to touch her. It wasn't the first time he had sat in her room watching her while she was sleeping, looking upon her and wishing he could tell her how deeply he felt.
When Vader warned her about the games she played being dangerous, she didn't know her furtive glances, teasing smile, and overall playfulness was merely pyre in already burning flame. Did she not understand, that his reason for sparing her on Kashykk was because he wanted her for himself? He couldn't admit then... it was much too soon. But he had already known through visions that he would see her again. Did she know her flirtations were dangerous because he was second in command of the known galaxy and accustomed to getting whatever he wanted?
Suddenly, Olee turned, almost dream-like to gaze at him: a darkness darker than itself appearing almost apparition like by her side
Her eyes fell to his hands, which was sat poised over her shoulder. Vader suddenly withdrew, appearing unaffected once more.
"What are you doing here?" Olee asked. "Am I to be released?" She tried to sit up. There was urgency in her voice. What could bring him to her room so late?
Vader caressed her face, his touch almost feather-like. The sound of his breathing filled the room.
"I can't stay here forever. It's not right."
"Then perhaps, a lifetime will do. "
"You can't be serious-"
"My decisions are always serious."
"Filli and I are getting married," Olee replied in a resolute tone.
"Consider your plans altered."
Vader stood and walked toward the door, thinking, when Anakin died, he took their "charm" with him. At this pace, he would never win her over. But somehow, couldn't stop himself from acting like a jerk.
Vader shrugged it off and left the room without another word.