Padmé was surprised when Vader entered the room, and taking off his mask, said, "I hope you are alright Padmé. I'm sorry I had to do that."
Padmé suddenly gasped, "Anakin, Ventress said something about a child on her ship! Please tell me you didn't destroy the ship!"
Vader looked alarmed upon hearing this and stormed out of the room immediately after putting on his mask and helmet.
Soon, he was searching the cruiser, and then, he came across what looked like a cell door.
He opened it, and right there, in what looked like a cramped space, was a small girl with red hair, looking around seven years old.
She was crying.
Vader asked, "Child, who are you?"
The child did not answer, but went on crying.
Vader again demanded, "Tell me your name."
The child would not respond.
Vader then stormed out of the cruiser and called out, "Captain Fives, come here at once!"
Captain Fives, a clone came over at once.
Vader ordered, "Fives, there is a child in here. See to it that she is brought to my quarters and then have this ship destroyed."
Fives answered, "It will be done my Lord."
Vader did not waste any time but simply walked away from there.
A few minutes later, the child was in Vader's quarters, sitting in a corner, with her head buried in her knees.
Vader impatiently cried out, "I grow tired of this incessant crying child, will you not answer what I ask of you?!"
All of a sudden, he found himself being slapped across the mask.
He turned around to find Padmé glaring at him.
Padmé yelled, "HOW CAN YOU BE SO UNCARING?! A CHILD CRIES AND YOU JUST YELL AT HER!"
"Padmé…" Vader started but Padmé cut him off, "YOU JUST LEAVE HER ALONE! I'LL TALK TO HER MYSELF!"
With that, Padmé went straight to the child and wrapped her arms around her.
Vader just watched on, unsure of what to make of it.
As much as he wanted to retaliate against Padmé for the way she had spoken, he for some reason could not.
He could only sigh.
What influence was Padmé having over him?
He shouldn't be acting like this.
He was Darth Vader.
But then, he had been acting a lot strangely, hadn't he?
Ever since that day Padmé had come back into his life.
And the time Padmé had told him the truth and he had realized that Sidious had tried to murder his mother.
He had been doing things that a normal Sith would not do.
That Palpatine would not expect him to do.
He sighed and walked out of his quarters.
Padmé gathered the child in her arms and carried her to the bed.
She sat down and settled the child in her lap.
Smoothie back the long red hair, she cooed, "Shh… Baby, I've got you. You're safe with me. Come baby, I've got you. It's okay, I've got you. Did that bad mean man scare you?"
The girl nodded.
"He did?" Padmé cooed lovingly, "Shh.. I've got you, baby, baby, baby."
A minute later, the girl calmed down and was just sniffing.
Padmé asked, "Baby, are you feeling cold?"
The girl shook her head.
Padmé asked, "What's your name sweetie? Will you tell me your name, please?"
The girl sniffed and said, "My name is Mara."
"Mara," Padmé replied, "That's a lovely name. Do you remember your last name?"
Mara replied, "Jade."
Padmé wrapped her arms around Mara and whispered words of comfort even as Mara closed her eyes and pressed herself against Padmé's bosom.
Soon, Mara was fast asleep in Padmé's arms.
And Padmé was holding her tenderly, without even realizing who was watching her.
She was brought out of her state by a soft male voice saying, "Padmé."
She looked up to see Vader without his mask and helmet.
Padmé gently and carefully placed Mara on the bed and motioned for Vader to go outside.
She followed him and closed the doors.
She then looked at Vader a little sternly.
Vader said, "Padmé, look, you're right, I guess yelling at her was the wrong…"
Padmé sternly said, "How could you be so hard hearted like this? Have you no shame? Have you no heart, even for a small child?"
Vader replied, "I have been a Sith for two years now, and the Sith are meant to be strong, and do not appreciate tantrums. And for that matter, any enemy of the Sith, no matter who it is, must be dealt with, swiftly and with brute force. When the Emperor ordered me to storm the Jedi Temple, I had to do it, to eliminate our enemies. Every Jedi, even the younglings, had to die."
Padmé retorted, "So basically, you being a Sith justifies this, is it? You used to be really good with younglings when you were a Jedi! Obi Wan told me the younglings used to look up to you! What happened to all that?! How could you just mercilessly kill them?! I heard you cruelly impaled and cut them down! How could you?!"
Vader retorted, "I was weak back then! None of it stopped me from getting framed and cast out!"
Padmé shouted, "The younglings didn't kick you out! Mace Windu did! Blame him, alright. But seeing affection for younglings as weak?! How cruel can you be, Darth Vader?!"
For some reason, Vader actually cringed when he heard Padmé saying 'Darth Vader'.
It didn't feel the same as Sidious, or Dooku, or anyone else serving him saying it.
Padmé asked, "Ventress said that she was going to give Mara to the Emperor. Are you going to hand her over like some sort of object?"
Vader said, "She is force sensitive. And the Emperor demands that force sensitive children be handed over to him. They are to be trained as assassins or inquisitors, basically, as agents of the Sith."
Padmé cried out, "Are you really going to subject her to such a cruel fate?!"
Vader replied, "It does not do well to go against my master! You of all people should know this."
Padmé retorted, "So you're still going to follow the person who tried to murder your own mother?!"
Vader raised his voice and said, "I don't want to hear anything about my mother! Don't…"
Padmé cried out, "You don't want to?! So you would rather prefer she had died?! What kind of a son are you?!"
Vader remained silent for a few moments and then said, "Look, I've believed my mother to be dead and done acts of such darkness for two whole years. All I wanted was revenge, and I would do anything to have it. Now, I have no way out. Do you think my mother will forgive me for what I've done? No. She would just hate me, she should, just as you do. You're right to hate me. After all, I've just given myself to darkness. I have no choice but this path that I am on."
Padmé said, "Maybe back then, you didn't have a choice, but now, you have a choice. Are you just going to let the Emperor use the child like he has been using you? Do you want that child to suffer the same fate as you did?"
Vader said, "It's not like the Emperor simply told me a lie and I just took it. I'll tell you everything that happened."
Padmé nodded in acknowledgement.
Vader explained, "After I was sentenced to death, Palpatine brought me to his office. He told me that he had only done it to save me because the Jedi would have killed me anyway. Basically, it was just a cover up. And when I asked him to get me to Obi Wan, he said it was too risky. Then he revealed himself to me and asked me to join him. I was still Anakin Skywalker back then. I refused instantly and decided I was going to find Obi Wan on my own. But then, he wouldn't let me go. He stopped me from escaping, and then took me to Geonosis. After that, I was shifted from planet to planet regularly. I was tortured in extremely brutal ways. I was whipped with a razor whip regularly, I was electrocuted, I was starved, I was chained and left to hang while being beaten bloody, but I was still Anakin Skywalker. I wouldn't turn, because I had hope that Obi Wan would come for me."
Padmé's expression was one of horror even as she gasped, "He tortured you?".
Vader continued, "As I said, I was shifted from planet to planet, often without being told where I was going, and I guess it was to make sure no one could find me. Most of the time, it was Tyrannus torturing me, but sometimes, actually a lot of the time, Sidious would come and do it himself. They taunted me all the time and starved me and beat me. It was cruel, and it was painful, but I held out hope."
Padmé asked, "What happened then?"
Vader responded, "After some months of having been tortured, Sidious came to me. He taunted me for having not accepted his teachings, and I told him that Obi Wan would come for me. But actually, I had already started to doubt anyone was coming for me. I was almost sure by that time that no one would come for me. Sidious took this holodevice out, and he told me the Jedi had killed my mother in cold blood. He then showed me a holorecording in which first, my mother was shot, then Mace came and stabbed her in cold blood, and then Obi Wan came and did nothing, and he even said he never should have taken me in."
Padmé's mouth was wide open with horror.
Vader continued, "I couldn't take it anymore. The pain was just too much. I was abandoned, framed, cast out, abandoned, betrayed, I couldn't take it anymore. I fell that day. That was the day Anakin Skywalker died and Darth Vader rose out of the ashes. That is why I have become so hard-hearted as you see me now. I am unable to stay away from darkness because that's all I have, seeing that the light rejected me. I have no way out. I am all that remains of what Anakin Skywalker was."
Padmé looked at him for a long time and then said, "I had no idea."
Vader said, "Let me show you the recording."
He then pulled out a holoprojection device from his pocket and clicked the activator switch.
Padmé looked on and was horrified to see what Vader had described.
Vader felt his heart twisting even as the recording, the same one that Sidious had played before him the day he fell to the dark side, that horrible one, was played.
Padmé was horrified to say the least as she saw the horrific 'supposed murder' of Shmi Skywalker.
After the recording ended, Padmé and Vader just stood silently for a while.
And then, Vader broke the silence by saying, "This is how I became Vader. I have no choice."
Padmé looked at him and then said, "Anakin, have you ever considered that Palpatine might have used nanotechnology to fake your mother's death at the hands of the Jedi?"
Vader looked shocked for a moment, and he shook his head in shame.
Padmé said, "I can't believe he did this to you! But I'm not surprised either. Still, that doesn't justify your actions. I'm sorry for what has happened, and I know that you've been through a lot, but now, you have a choice. You've been tortured and used by the Emperor, and yet you willingly do his bidding. Does he even acknowledge what you do for him?"
Vader replied, "He does, but I always get the feeling he respects Dooku more than he respects me, and sometimes, I wonder if I am just a tool."
Padmé asked, "Even you yourself feel that way. Do you want an innocent child like you yourself once were, to be tortured, beaten and starved, just the same way as you were, used the same way as you were, or perhaps thrown out or cruelly slaughtered like an animal?"
Vader looked at Padmé and said, "Give me a few minutes to think about this."
With that, he turned to the viewport.
Padmé moved to the bedroom to check on Mara, and Mara was still fast asleep.
But Padmé could see her shaking slightly.
She moved and sat near the girl.
She could see tears rolling down Mara's cheeks.
Padmé could only adjust the blanket so that it was covering her well and wrap her up as best as she could to comfort her.
Meanwhile, Vader was thinking about the child.
He could give her to the Emperor himself, but that would mean he was doing his 'bidding'. He could train Mara as his apprentice in the ways of the dark side, but what if she should refuse? Sure, he could try convincing the child that it was the best way to avenge her parents, since technically, Palpatine had been responsible for all the deaths that had happened, but if he himself had once refused, what was to say Mara would not do the same?
And if she were to refuse, would he force her to? He would have to, differently than Sidious would, but somehow, it didn't seem to sit well with him.
There was conflict inside him, and he could feel it in his chest.
The image of his mother came up inside him, and he sighed in despair.
His mother would never forgive him.
It was too late for him.
And then, suddenly it hit him.
It was too late for him, but it did not mean it was too late for little Mara.
A few minutes later, Padmé who was still sitting with Mara looked towards the door to see Vader standing right in front of her.
Vader softly said, "I've reached a decision."
Padmé looked seriously at him, hoping against all that he would have taken her words seriously.
And then, Vader said, "I'm not going to give her to the Emperor. If I could lie about you to him, then I can lie about the child as well."
Padmé looked at him with eyes brimming with joy.
Vader then said, "It's too late for me to turn away from this path. I have no hope. But at least it is not too late for her. But she cannot stay here. What would you have me do Padmé?"
Padmé was surprised to say the least.
Not only had Vader just listened to her and had agreed not to hand Mara over.
He was even asking her what was to be done.
Padmé said, "Give the child to a loving family. A childless couple."
Vader asked, "And which childless couple could you think of?"
Padmé answered, "Bail Organa and his wife have been trying for years to have a child, but nothing has ever worked so far. They'd be happy to take care of Mara."
Vader said, "Are you sure they would? And plus, the Emperor has his suspicions of Bail."
Padmé said, "Look, I know Bail may not be supportive of the Empire, just as I am not, but he's a good man, and I know that despite the fact that Mara's not so small, he'd take good care of her and love her as his own."
Vader remained silent for a moment and then said, "Alright, I will take Mara to the Organas tomorrow. I will have to meet the Emperor soon after that, so it's better if it gets done before."
Just then, little Mara stirred and slowly woke up.
She opened her eyes sleepily and wrapped her arms around Padmé, who proceeded to place Mara in her lap.
Padmé asked, "Baby, did you sleep well?"
Mara groggily pointed her finger at Vader and turning to Padmé, she asked, "Is that the mean man?"
Before Vader could say anything, Padmé replied, "Sweetie, this is Anakin. He's not a bad man, but he's been through a lot. Some bad people did a lot of bad things to him, and that made him really sad and a bit mean, but deep down inside, he's a good person."
"Really?" Mara asked, "Mommy said Darth Vader was a bad person."
Padmé replied, "He has done some bad things, but sometimes, when people are really sad and angry, when a lot of horrible things have happened to them, they are not able to think properly, and they end up doing some things that are wrong."
Mara asked, "Really? What happened?"
Padmé answered, "He was punished for something he never did. And it was really really painful."
Mara's eyes widened and she said, "Really? That's mean!"
Padmé said, "You will know more when you are older."
Mara said, "Okay. But what is your name?"
Padmé smilingly replied, "You can just call me Aunty Padmé."
Mara said, "Okay Aunty Padmé."
Padmé then asked, "Do you want juice or something to drink?"
Mara replied, "Juice."
Padmé said, "Okay."
With that, she went to a nearby refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of juice. Pouring it into a glass, she set it on the nightstand and said, "It's a little cold sweetie, so maybe you should wait for a few minutes. Why don't we get you cleaned up?"
Mara nodded and allowed Padmé to pick her up and carry her to the bathroom.
Some hours later…
Vader stood waiting near the doors of his quarters as Padmé brought Mara over to him.
Mara asked, "Where are we going?"
Padmé replied, "Uncle Ani is going to take you to a safe place. He's going to take you to a good friend of mine, and he will take good care of you."
Vader couldn't help wincing upon hearing 'Uncle Ani'.
Mara asked, "But you take good care of me. Why do I have to go?"
Padmé felt her heart break.
She replied, "The thing is, Anakin has to pretend that I'm dead, otherwise, other bad people will know, and he doesn't want that to happen. And, you'll be safer where you're going."
Mara asked, "Will he be mean to me?"
Padmé looked at her and said, "No."
Vader showed her a holoimage and said, "This is Padmé's friend, and his name is Bail. He's a nice person and he will take good care of you."
Mara said, "Okay."
She then flung her arms around Padmé and said, "I want to see you again soon Aunty Padmé. I love you!"
Padmé picked her up and spun her around even as she kissed her cheeks and pretended to eat her, causing Mara to burst into peals of laughter.
Anakin couldn't help feeling a twinge of nostalgia and shame, remembering how his mother had done that to him many a time, and how he had murdered the younglings in the temple, forgetting how he had once been a child himself.
Placing her down, she said, "Take care little Mara. Be good for Uncle Ani and Uncle Bail and me, okay?"
"Okay," Mara replied cutely.
Vader placed a hand on the girl's shoulder after having adjusted his mask and said, "Time to go. Come along."
Mara waved to Padmé and said, "Bye bye Aunty."
Padmé waved, blew a kiss and responded, "Bye bye sweetie. See you soon baby."
