A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews :Dx they always make my day and I'm glad you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoy writing it! I'm really looking forward to the next few chapters, two weeks on a snowy planet for our wee loves will be interesting… ;)

Lastly, I used some aspects of the Many Worlds Interpretation in this chapter (story). I'm by no means a quantum physicist so bear with me. But, just to give a BRIEF overview of the theory, it basically states that all possible results of quantum measurements are registered through the idea of a multiverse.

Chapter 15: Hidden Amongst the Stars

Padmé snuggled into the warmth of her cloak, trailing Vader's frame into the Imperial shuttle. The light had descended below the horizon, leaving them to the brisk Coruscant night. Frigid gusts of wind ruffled the brim of her cloak, the hood forced to clutch her curls. The chill of air washed through her lungs raising goosebumps across her skin. She shivered but not because of the cold, but because of the squadron of stormtroopers flanking the shuttle.

Once upon a time, Padmé felt safe around most of them. But things were different now. They were different. They were no longer the clone troopers she used to know during the Clone Wars. Over a third of the military were now regular humans, the majority of them men. She'd heard of appalling behavior in their ranks when it came to handling female prisoners. Clones were programmed not to conduct certain actions, while a free human brain had a will of its own in good ways and bad.

Hastening her pace, her shoulders locked back as she notched up her chin – heading up the cargo ramp into the shuttle. She tried to shake off the jitters of leaving the planet for the first time in years but as the ten troopers folded in behind her – trepidation crawled across her skin. Even though she was undoubtedly nervous, there was still a part of her that was excited… she was quietly ecstatic to see the whirl of hyperspace again. Padmé was immersed with her thoughts that she didn't even notice Vader stop until she crashed into him. A small gasp fell from her lips, head reeling, arms flailing slightly trying to regain her balance as she stumbled. An arm wrapped around her waist, steadying her while the only thing she could contemplate was to stare up into the void of his hood apologetically. Her hood slipped off her mane of perfectly combed buoyant curls.

"Lost in thought Senator?" Vader asked in his usual emotionless tone, however she could hear slight amusement laced though his voice.

Padmé blinked, her lips falling open ever so slightly. Force, she probably looked like a puzzled mess. She snapped to attention, pulling herself away as she eyed the troopers. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you," she apologized, unsure of what else to say. It was infinitesimal, but Padmé saw it – Vader notched his head to the side slightly.

There's no need to apologize, Angel. His deep voice resonated through her mind, she felt her heart race it had been weeks since she'd heard his voice in her head. It echoed through every wall in her mind now, it was swarming with his presence. A wave of heat touched her cheeks as she tried to contain a gasp from the way his voice made her a shiver of delight crawl down her spine.

Although with that, he turned, his cloak billowing as he trekked to the flight deck. Padmé watched him disappear most likely to speak with the pilots, suddenly finding herself aimlessly standing in the middle of the shuttle. Her eyes bolted open in embarrassment as she swiftly turned to the bulkhead, eyeing the row of seats. For the first time in a while, she'd worn one of her more casual outfits. Under her cloak, a cobalt, ogee patterned silk poncho with a décolletage was draped over her body, reaching down past mid-thigh with a monochrome cerulean flowing skirt. Wondering to the seats, she planted herself a good ways away from the troopers but once comfortable, she let her mind wonder. She couldn't help but think that for the next three weeks she'd be alone with him. No Dormé, no 3PO, only soldiers that seemed to speak when spoken to by a superior. When she felt the shuttle take off, the thought solidified, there was no going back.

The trip to the Executor was short, Vader kept his distance the entire time and before she could even stand, the Sith Lord was already down the cargo ramp speaking with a high level officer. Padmé presumed he was the man who'd captain the ship while Vader was away and when she heard the familiar name 'Piett' in their conversation she finally put a face to the Admiral's name. When Vader turned walking away storming off to do whatever he does, she was left in an white ocean of stormtroopers. Suddenly, she felt conscious that she was the only one wearing a color besides grey, white, or black. She recoiled, the soldiers had changed since the formation of the Empire. Back during the Clone Wars, each platoon painted with a different color so they could be distinguished, signify their individuality. Now every trooper looked identical. The only people who seemed to have any capacity of having individuality were the officers and the only thing different between them were their faces.

She knew times had changed but witnessing it firsthand was chilling. With her eyes scanning the deck, she was jolted back to reality when a voice snapped her from thought.

"My Lady, welcome aboard the Executor. I'm Admiral Piett and if you'd please follow me I will escort you to your quarters." Her head snapped towards him, swiftly plastering a sweet façade. Seeing him close up, it was surprised to witness a small smile crossing his lips as he ushered her to follow.

"Padmé, is fine" She corrected politely. The man chuckled, embarrassed with a small amount of pink touching his cheeks.

"Yes of course- My apologies, it has been sometime since I was in the presence of a woman."

Padmé bit the inside of her cheek, struggling to not allow for a deep blush to cross her cheeks from his sudden confession, "Well I don't bite, so it's fine," Padmé joked trying to pull the mood from the awkwardness. She seemed to have failed as his cheeks became a darker shade of pink, maybe her joke wasn't the best move. "So do you know how long it will take for us to reach Vandor?" Padmé questioned trying to facilitate the conversation as they made their way down the halls of the ship.

"Yes, once we enter hyperspace we will arrive in fourteen hours. I am sure Lord Vader will inform you of when we leave," he replied, seeming more comfortable.

"Speaking of him, where did he run off too?" Padmé asked trying to gather some information.

"He had some business to attend to on the lower levels of the ship," he stated vaguely, "I am sure he will be joining you shortly."

Padmé frowned at his response, still she could not seem to get any information out of anyone even when she was technically his fiancée. That thought stumped her for a moment, did his soldiers know that he was engaged? Did they know why she was even here? Why would the Emperor want her to go to Vandor with Vader in the first place? Vader told her that he wanted her to come but she also knew how much control Palpatine had over the both of them. He wouldn't ever allow her to leave if there wasn't some ulterior motive. Why not just have her wait back at his apartment and meet him on Naboo in two weeks? "If I may inquire, do you know my purpose for being here?" Padmé questioned with true confusion after her sudden epiphany.

The man seemed caught off guard by her question, "You don't know why you're here?" He wondered, he was genuinely just as confused. Ugh.

"Well, I understand that I am to attend a gala on Naboo in three weeks however, I am unsure as to why Lord Vader would want me to join him on a business trip to Vandor," she admitted as they stepped into a turbolift.

"My understanding was that he wanted you to join him," Piett replied uncertain as he pressed the door controls, ascending to the upper levels of the ship, "I wasn't informed of anything more for you gracing us with your presence." Padmé struggled not to bite her lip at his words but more so his tone. But when the man's eyes widened as he realized the almost passion laced in his voice, she opted to allow herself to bite the inside of her cheek. "Again my apologies my lady- Padmé, I did not mean to offend you."

"You didn't, I assure you. So, the only reason I am here is because Lord Vader wanted me to come?" She pressed, moving passed his slight hiccup.

"You are to marry him are you not?" He asked puzzled. Padmé turned a deep shade of red.

"I- yes, however my initial assumption was that he'd usually make this trip alone," she countered, her voice remaining professional even with her small stutter over word choice.

"From my understanding of his schedule, he will be attending several important meetings on Vandor over the two weeks. Besides that, it should be a fairly laidback trip. Perhaps he wanted you to see the planet- it is quite beautiful," Piett shrugged, "May I speak freely for a moment?" He asked suddenly as they stepped off the lift.

"Of course," Padmé nodded as they hovered by the lift.

"Lord Vader is usually preoccupied, I was wondering what made someone like you…" Piett started before trailing off, she saw the hesitation in his eyes – worrying about over stepping.

"What made someone like me want to marry someone like him?" She finished frankly although not in an offended tone. The man didn't reply, so Padmé continued to speak knowing that her guess was indeed the question he was attempting to ask. "He's not someone I ever envisioned myself marrying, but he's not bad to be around when we are alone," she explained but her face went pale to blood red in an instant- maybe her words didn't come out the way she had intended them too. Why the hell did her tone just sound so damn suggestive?

"Oh," Piett uttered in somewhat shock, "I see." Just from his expression Padmé could see his eyes conjuring possibilities.

"I mean he's nice to me," Padmé quickly clarified, "He is a usually a gentleman around me." What the kriff was she doing?- Gushing about Vader to one of his officers. The heat on her cheeks remained as she recalled all the things they'd done together. Force, Piett was probably thinking about how his superior had been intimate with her. Shit. She cursed her mind with an internal groan.

"Well I am happy for you both," he nodded with a congratulatory smile but Padmé saw a gleam of disbelief in his eyes.

"Thank you," she nodded warmly, her sweet smile never faltering as they stood a few feet away from the lift.

"This is Lord Vader's personal deck, I was going to show you to your chambers or would you prefer going to his main chambers? You do have access to this entire floor, but I'm sure he'd like to see you once he returns."

"Oh," she breathed glancing around the vast corridors.

"Yes, you will be safe on this deck- I'm not saying that the ship is unsafe my lady but some of our crew may not know who you are and well it has been sometime since many of them have interacted with a woman," he tried to explain in the best possible words he could muster.

"No doubt I'll spend most of my time trying to map out this deck," she smiled overlooking his reasoning for why she shouldn't wonder. When the turbolift sounded from behind them, Padmé froze and Piett took a step away from her -retreating to a safe distance- as Vader appeared before them.

"Sir," Piett saluted with a hardened professional expression. It was staggering to Padmé how the Admiral had shifted his aura so abruptly. One minute he was friendly and the next completely rigid. Being with Vader in their own little world at his establishments almost made her overlook who he usually was- an intimidating, lethal form of authority.

"Admiral you are dismissed. Return to your standard duties," Vader demanded stepping from the lift to plant himself by Padmé's side.

"Yes, Sir." He nodded respectfully before dropping his hand and moving into the open lift. Padmé watched the man disappear before looking towards Vader.

"You aren't in your room," he muttered partially annoyed as he made his way down the hall, Padmé rolled her eyes.

"Well as you know I tend to be talkative," Padmé shrugged following after him, "So where did you go?"

"Down to the lower levels," he stated simply. "We will be departing in ten minutes."

"C-Can I watch as we enter hyperspace?" Padmé demurely asked, she tried to hide the longing in her voice but failed miserably.

Vader halted causing Padmé to almost crash into him again, she jumped back trying to avoid a collision but she didn't get far as he pulled her back with the Force, turning swiftly to wrap her in his arms, "Where did my confident Senator go?" He chuckled placing a kiss on her forehead, "Of course you can."

Strolling down the hall, Padmé glanced around taking in her surroundings as any normal person would in a situation like this. When her eyes locked onto the massive viewing deck, she couldn't believe her eyes. The entire wall of the ship was transparisteel and through the thick glass, the dark void of space encased Coruscant. The light pollution of the ecumenopolis was vast, she hadn't seen the sight in years, the darkness of night over the city's center was almost nonapparent. Looking at the planet now, it reminded her of how insignificant a single planet could be in the vast nature of space. She found herself tracing the rings on the planet's surface, following the bright lines from one halo to the next. When the ship begin to rotate, the planet slowly drifted from the field of vision until all that lied ahead was darkness, scattered with stars.

The abyss of space -even after all the times she'd traveled- rattled her mind. The universe was endless, speckled with light from stars but mostly it remained a vacuum. The unknown still very much in the forefront of her mind when she thought about the void. Not even the entire galaxy had been mapped yet… some parts just too dangerous to even contemplate exploration. The mystery of space was real, what could lie beyond the known?

She could barely feel it as they lunged forward into hyperspace, however her eyes took in the change immediately. Her eyes grew wide at the mesmerizing sight. With one hand tightening around the other, she lightly smiled, eyes shimmering with the wormhole's reflection. It had been too long since she'd seen this sight. Padmé's heart fluttered with nostalgia, until it fell through the floor, with tears welling in her eyes. An wistful smile eased onto her features. Whether the Empire was around for five years or ten thousand, the span of time was insignificant, even null, to the universe. No more than an atom in an boundless desert, ready to be tumbled away with a gust of wind. Time… she thought lightly shaking her head. Time was nothing more than an illusion – a construction of sentient life in order to make sense of their placement. She struggled to hold the thoughts away but she couldn't help it – Padmé thought of the Jedi. Thought of what one of them shared with her before the fall of the Republic. The Force bestowed sentient beings to surmount this illusion, obtain immortality. Just like the universe…

"Your thoughts are fascinating," Vader uttered quietly from beside her.

"Of course you'd be listening," she sighed, leaning her forearms against the rail.

"What do you mean the Force allows for immortality?" Vader asked captivated his hood remaining locked on the window.

"The physical body maybe gone, but the energy remains. It seems a little out there," she dryly laughed, "but with the understanding that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it's not irrational to think that what we are has always been and will always continue to be. And because time is a sentient construct, everything that will ever happen or that has happened is happening in this exact moment. So if someone is able to achieve completely oneness with the Force, it allows them to communicate through energy. Or that's how I've tried to rationalize it anyway. I-I- thought you of all people would know about this," Padmé frowned turning her head up to face the residual darkness of his cowl.

"Who are you referring to when you speak about being able to communicate after their physical body has left?" Vader asked folding his arms across his chest.

"I remember… a Jedi," she whispered hesitantly, "describing an experience where Master Qui-Gon Jinn had spoken to Master Yoda from beyond the physical domain," Padmé explained, "Now that I have been able to think about it for a few years, it only makes sense to me when connecting it back to the thought of energy. Qui-Gon's energy never left, no one ever truly leaves. And being one with the Force, perhaps, allows the energy that once made up your being to have the capacity to affect all energy. This is all very outlandish…" Padmé laughed embarrassed.

"It's not," Vader said quietly. Padmé stared up at him, unable to see his face as he stood like a death reaper's statue. She suddenly wondered if it was a good idea to share such information with him. Swallowing hard, her eyes flicked towards her hands folded atop the rail. Shit… she fretted tapping her index finger against the metal.

Padmé shook her head, "But the concept of time really muddles things, because it's linear, it creates a specific ridged sequence of events but in reality that sequence of events is only relevant to this universe, this collection of events."

Vader's hood turned towards her then, "What do you mean?"

"That every possible outcome of an event creates an infinite number of universes to follow that outcome and with that forms a branching type mechanism. See, universes can be parallel in a sense but not congruent in effect. For example, perhaps under different circumstances you would have been a Jedi-"

"That's ridiculous," Vader flared tightening his arms over his chest.

"Is it?" Padmé breathed. "There are countless outcomes for every event measured, each line generating a branched yet parallel-"

"Now you truly do sound utterly foolish," he snapped, his anger tangible as his presence became thick – chilling. The fact that he couldn't even give the hypothetical thought the time of day was partially expected. But a frown crossed her features that she couldn't even have a theoretical discussion with him. He seemed interested but now…

"You're just too narrow minded to think of the possibility or perhaps you're just unable to allow yourself to think of it," Padmé countered, her chin inching up in boldness. Yet she couldn't deny the truth… or the simmering rage that was threatening to erupt from the man now towering behind her. "But you're right," she whispered grudgingly, "In this timeline, you are a Sith."

"Welcome back to reality Senator," Vader hissed viciously. His voice serrated ice, condescending as he bowed his head to her ear. "You continue to forget who I am. I have killed hundreds of Jedi. Part of my occupation is to exterminate them and one day I will be the end of Kenobi's life as well." Padmé's lips quivered hearing the utter hatred and bitterness in his voice. There was no doubt Vader knew of her past relationship with Obi-Wan. That thought made her terrified considering his possessive nature. "Do not ever spout such nonsense in my presence again." Her heart leapt to her throat in fear, her hands suddenly trembling and clammy. "Understood?" he barked, Padmé almost jumped out of her skin.

"Y-Yes," she managed to stutter out, knees trembling.

"Yes, what?" he snapped, his hand reaching around pinching her chin roughly, twisting her neck to look at him.

"Yes, m-my Lord," She gulped. With that, he dropped her chin. Padmé was grateful hearing him turn on his heel to storm away, taking his aggressive and suffocating presence with him. Once she was sure his footsteps had vanished, Padmé panted out a breath clutching her chest while her heart flip-flopped frantically. He had frightened her before, but never anything like that. With the vortex of hyperspace just beyond the transparisteel viewport, Padmé couldn't tear her eyes from the sight. Her teeth gently ground together, eyes shimmering with tears. It was inevitable that one day Obi-Wan and Vader would cross paths again. That thought sent shivers down her spine. Vader had made it clear, he'd killed hundreds of Jedi. Bail had divulged that not many Jedi were left after Order 66. Their numbers went from over ten-thousand to under one-hundred in a mere week. The Jedi Knights were spread too thin, perfectly placed star systems apart for Palpatine's final demand to obtain total control.

Padmé could still recall the toxic, molten stench of smoke as she watched the temple burn. When Bail had told her it was clones that stormed the Jedi Temple she couldn't believe that a General would do such a thing. Her instinct had been right, it was Darth Vader at the helm of the 501st Battalion. Now he was the Commander of the Empire's most ruthless starfleet. A shaky exhale left slipped through her lips, seeing the Executor's outer deck beyond the viewport, it was like gazing out over a metropolis. Her eyes closed as she slowly shook her head, bowing her neck as tears threatened to stir.

With one last shaky sigh leaving her lungs, Padmé turned to the seating area where a large black leather couch formed a semicircle. Curling herself up, a chill from the ship ran down her spine. She scooched over, tossing her cloak over her body. Eyeing the material, she remembered when his men had given the article to her – showing some decency in allowing her to cover herself. But it wasn't for her, it was because he didn't want others looking at what he believed was his – what is now his. Padmé buried her face into her cold palms, as she somehow found sleep even through her fear.

Vader wouldn't fully admit to being confused before, but he couldn't deny the problematic feeling now. What the Senator had said disturbed the equilibrium in his mind more it should have. He wasn't sure how else to deal with how he was feeling besides silencing her. He couldn't deny it though, she shed light on something that he hadn't given much thought about. The fact that all conceivable outcomes are physically realized in an infinite number of universes. 'Perhaps under different circumstances you would have been a Jedi,' the words played over and over in his mind like a broken record. He wanted to believe she was being senseless but he knew for a fact her idea wasn't farfetched. Hell, he'd had visions of her with him in places and events that were not logically explainable. Events he could not have been part of- yet they were so real, tangible as if he could reach out and touch anything in the alternate world. Back then, he could find it through the Force and even in his dreams.

The Senator's smiles were much different in those visions. Her eyes were cheerful, her presence - serene, her smile towards him always genuine. She would call him by his forgotten name, the name of the man Vader had muzzled long ago. He hesitated admitting it to himself but those visions pulled him towards her. The moment Vader had seen her quietly sobbing in the Senate building after the creation of the Empire, his world stopped- not even believing or comprehending the woman in his dreams was real. Her chocolate curls hanging low, her beautiful warm brown eyes glossy with tears, her small body, her intoxicating presence that made him relax ever so slightly. Vader knew he had never met her before, he had never touched her before, she had never smiled at him but there was something utterly familiar about her presence.

When Vader began watching her from afar, the visions of them together in that other world stopped. He would never admit the fact but he always longed for them to return, he felt so at peace within those visions, relaxed. Vader had waited patiently for years to be with her, now that he was, he still had yet to unlock what made her smile like she did in those visions. The Sith Lord began to wonder if she'd ever actually look at him like that- it was a tormenting thought that he'd have to be with someone who could create such a smile and never share it with him. A frown pulled at his features as he threw himself back onto his bed. What was he searching for? She had told him that she cared about him. They had been more than intimate with one another. Running a hand through his hair, he began to wonder if creating a bond between them was a mistake- whether it had shattered all hope of her actually smiling at him so freely. Vader frowned at himself, why was he so focused on a damn smile? Smile or not, she was his and that's all that mattered… right?

Vader shot up on the bed as a painful surge of emotion lurched his chest, it wasn't enough for him to have her body and mind. He still didn't possess her soul, something that even the Force could not allow him to acquire. The young Sith Lord had thought that influencing her feelings for him would make that smile come out but he was wrong… All it did was make her want him physically. Vader gritted his teeth together, what's wrong with just having her body and mind? He would spend a lifetime ravishing her- making himself satisfied to the point of collapse. So why was he so focused on her soul? He had lied saying that her soul was his… because it wasn't- it would always be hers. Vader could make her feel pleasure which he thought would be enough to influence her notions about him but after the month of being alone with her he had seen little difference in her subconscious. She still feared him which part of him wanted but another part of him was revolted when she looked so scared or hopelessly obedient.

He groaned falling back onto the bed once again, he knew their bond was protecting her more so than hurting her. It would keep her thoughts protected from Sidious and it allowed him to cut off her thoughts from Vader himself if she wanted to be alone. Never did he want her feeling uncomfortable having his presence with her. Vader rolled his eyes wishing he could focus on other things about Padmé. Things such as her lips, her moans, her divine body, the way she shuttered and cried from the inconceivable pleasure that he was able to bestow to her body. He figured relishing in the things he could control was easier than thinking about what he couldn't. Even if she hadn't shown him that smile he was secretly hoping for- she'd shown him a lot that made up for his time waiting. A small moan released from his lips thinking about the numerous of times he'd taken her, his member twitching at the dirty thoughts. With his need brewing he reached out to her presence only to find she was asleep.

Without a moment's hesitation, he found himself getting off the bed and heading towards the viewing deck- once again being pulled towards the young woman. When Vader found her, she was curled onto the couch practically blubbering into her arm in a deep sleep. His eyes widened as she started to roll over in her sleep- a direct path to falling on the floor. With a nudge of the Force, he ushered her back into her original sleeping position which received an annoyed pout to cross her sleeping features. Vader frowned continuing to scan her face, he began to wonder why she hadn't come and joined him if she wanted to sleep. Force knows he could probably stand a few hours of shut eye himself before they arrived on Vandor.

Deciding that both of them would be more comfortable in bed, he bent down plucking her from the couch to cradle her like a feather in his arms. She was so tiny, so perfect, he found himself staring at her face longer than he initially intended to. With footsteps as light as air, he carried her to his chambers, setting her sleeping body onto the bed gently. Then, he tried to slip the cloak from her grasp to give her a real blanket but her expression soured- annoyed. Almost harshly, she pulled it back quite fiercely for a woman in deep sleep. He released the fabric immediately, observing her face seep back to tranquility. Vader stood unable to pull his eyes away from her expressions while she snuggled into the warm silk. He felt an unknown emotion stir in his body with how attached she was to the cloak he'd designated for her when they'd officially met.

The Senator wore it whenever she'd leave his establishments, it was now a rarity to see her without it. An unfamiliar warmth seeped into him as he watched her fingers curl tighter around the fabric pulling it up and under her cheek as she stretched out on the bed. He didn't know why he was feeling this way but all he desired was to be that cloak. Maybe he had been past mornings but currently her dreams were loud. They were of Vader but not of who he actually was. Her dream reminded him of the visions he used to have of them together before they ever met. Their discussion from earlier must have touched her subconscious as it did with his own. In her dream, he was a Jedi Knight. A Knight she would have much rather fallen for than Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The man frowned at the images racing through her mind, it was like a rolodex of flashing moments of who he'd never been. One of them made him reel the image into his own mind to analyze it further- this vision he had seen before. They were on Naboo together, laughing- Vader could hardly recognize himself with a padawan braid and Jedi robes. The first thing he noticed was the Senator, she looked identical to how she did now, but Vader was anything but. He had no scars, he was younger, his eyes azure swimming with complete devotion. The Sith Lord gritted his teeth tearing himself from the disturbingly familiar vision before starting to remove the Senator's heels to then gently place them in his closet. Dimming the lights, he slid onto the bed staring up at the ceiling before slowly drifting off into sleep.

Heavy, Padmé groaned internally, stirring from her slumber. When her eyes pulled open, she was no longer on the couch where she'd fallen asleep. Padmé was in a bed, with another body practically smothering her own. With her back against Vader's chest, his cheek was against her cheek, his leg prisoning both of her own, and his arms tightly wound around her stomach. Blushing, she attempted to move slightly, but his body immediately snuggled closer in subconscious disagreement. "Vader," Padmé whispered gently, "you're crushing me." When she received no response, she stared down wondering how he could possibly be so heavy. His body dwarfing her own reminded her immediately, he was at least a foot taller with every ounce of flesh on him built muscle. What also added to his weight was that they were still fully clothed laying above the covers. It seemed Vader had taken off her flats but his boots and cloak were still latched onto him. It was a nice display of affection but he was also extremely heavy. "Vader," she urged him a bit louder this time, "Seriously, you're too heavy."

"Sorry," he whispered rolling off her body only to pull her on top of his.

Padmé frowned as his arms tangled around her tighter, soon her sleepiness faded and she was left angry. He'd been awful towards her, so much so that she felt the need to sleep on the couch to feel safe.

"Let me go," Padmé demanded sternly trying to shove herself off his chest. Vader's eyes darted open in an instant, presumably shaken by her tone. If she didn't know he was the same man who'd been a total asshole earlier – she would have thought he looked like an adorable disheartened teenage boy who had zero clue what was going on. Perhaps he didn't know what he'd done wrong. "I don't want you touching me right now – let go," she snapped trying to shove away from his chest, using all her strength this time. His arms didn't budge a centimeter, they only pulled her tighter to his chest.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowed – his golden eyes shimmering with sleepy confusion.

"I just don't want you touching me," she grumbled, squirming relentlessly in his grasp.

"Stop," He chided lazily, corralling her flailing legs with his own.

"No!" Padmé argued, wriggling – clawing her nails into his neck. A sharp inhale pulled through Vader's teeth and before she knew it, her back hit the bed. His body was towering over hers, knees digging painfully into her inner thighs, bolting down her legs. His hands had pinned both her wrists at the level of her eyes.

"What are you doing?!" He snapped, no drowsiness remained on his features – only annoyance, confusion, and hurt? He had no right to feel hurt after how he'd spoken to her earlier. So much for the apology back on Coruscant… she thought to herself with a scowl. Vader's full lips were parted, blond locks shaping his face as they hung down over his shoulders. His eyebrows were pinched together as he panted, repeating his question with more vigor, "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Four red scratches ran down his neck, none of them broke the skin but they no doubt probably stung.

"I'm trying to get you off of me!" She whined trying to tug her legs out from under his knees.

"Yes. I see that. But why?" He demanded, holding her still.

"What do you mean 'why?' You were cruel to me! I fell asleep on the couch for a reason – I don't want to be around you!" Padmé huffed, notching her chin away from him.

"You expected me to be understanding after you spewed such an absurdity?" He snapped back, his grip on her unrelenting. Padmé gasped incredulously at his accusation.

"How dare you! I didn't 'spew' anything! It was an honest, innocent hypothetical question! I now understand that I can't have any non-conventional conversation with you. Why, 'my Lord?' Because you act like a cold-hearted bastard," she sneered, Padmé saw it – a glimpse of pure shock on his face before his expression hardened, nostrils flared, his jaw tensed. Fiery, golden eyes were drilling holes into her own. Then she remembered who she just insulted, yelled at – this man was dangerous. More dangerous than anyone she'd ever met, sans Palpatine. Suddenly, she found herself breaking away from his intense enraged stare, looking anywhere else as she swallowed deeply.

When the moments dragged on, Padmé clamped her eyes shut waiting for him to yell at her, frighten her, maybe even hurt her – but it never came. Vader's grip loosened, "At least tell me first if you're about to speak of such things." Her head whipped to view his face, his eyes were still golden – he still looked beyond furious but his voice was less ridged than how he looked.

Padmé blinked, "I thought you could hear my thoughts-"

"When we are having a conversation, I try not to eavesdrop. I shouldn't have reacted in such a way – I was taken…off guard," he admitted, releasing her from the impenetrable grip of his hands and knees.

The woman's lips parted as she sat up on the bed, "Oh." Was the only thing she could muster out.

Vader sighed dragging himself off the bed. "If you desire to be away from me, your chambers are down the hall – first door on your left or you may explore this deck if you wish."

"Can we just talk?" Padmé frowned folding her hands in her lap.

"I'm fairly certain talking got us into this argument," he muttered, reaching over to a chiffonier, plucking something off its surface. He fiddled with some sort of bolt, twirling the small bit of metal in his hand. Tearing her eyes away for a moment, Padmé turned her attention to the rest of the room. His chambers were large considering they were on a starship, not as large as his establishments on Coruscant but they weren't small. When she'd first seen his chambers on Coruscant they looked sterile – but here she was surprised it actually looked lived in. There were books and datapads strewn across his desk. Bolts and spare parts to droids were atop the chiffonier he was planted beside. Even though it was clean- it was obvious he brought work home with him.

"Well let's talk about something else then," she whispered, raking a hand through her hair.

"You don't wish to leave?" he wondered, his golden gaze connecting back with hers.

"No… Maybe we can use this time to actually get to know each other. I mean sure we've been intimate but I don't know a lot about you and if we are to be married I would at least like to know where you were born – or anything you're willing to share," she hesitantly admitted with a small frown. Vader nodded, gently placing the bolt back down onto the shelf before joining her on the bed. Then they just talked…

For Padmé it revolved around the Clone Wars and her time as Queen. As for Vader, he actually discussed what he'd been doing for part of those years. Padmé finally found herself getting to know him as he shared his experiences. He was a natural, a born storyteller. She even found herself laughing at a few of his stories. Some should have seemed scary but the way in which he phrased and dictated his speech patterns and expressions, he made the scenarios almost comical. Padmé learned more about him in just a few hours than the entire time they'd been together. She supposed being locked on a ship in hyperspace gave them plenty of uninterrupted alone time to do so.

She learned that Palpatine almost had him doing odd jobs before the ascendance of the Sith. His missions seemed like a challenge of strength as if to prove his worthiness. She also noticed that Vader enjoyed his time over that five years in which he spoke of- much more than his tasks now. She discovered he'd spent years alone just traveling the galaxy, going from one world to the next. Travelled to different worlds, destroying the most ferocious beasts on backwater planets that were uninhabited by standard sentient life. Padmé wondered if Palpatine wanted to keep Vader a secret until the time was right in order to ensure he'd have a secure and powerful number two? -To keep Vader away from the core planets to guarantee his presence wasn't sensed by the Jedi. Did Palpatine ever have the intention of keeping Count Dooku or Maul as apprentices? He had been training Vader to take their place the entirety of the Clone Wars and before.

"So how long did you spend on Dagobah?" Padmé asked notching her head to the side as he finished his story.

"Only a year," he sighed leaning back against the pillows.

"How old were you?" She asked folding her hands into her lap in curiosity.

"Fourteen."

"And Palpatine just had you… slaying beasts?" She wondered quite confused.

"Each one had to be dealt with in different ways, defeating them allowed me to learn tactical versatility with the Force and my lightsaber. I gained many of my scars from there," he explained offhandedly. "The planet also has a strong presence in the Force, I learned most of my meditation practices as well."

"So you were alone for five years?" she frowned laying on her stomach close enough to him so she could play with his fingers. Padmé couldn't believe it, he'd been nonstop fighting since he was ten. She began to wonder whether Dagobah was a conclusion to a chapter. If so, there had to be some sort of training before he was released on his own and different training, afterwards to become the strategical war machine he was today. Pehaps he was even involved with some of the Republic's battle strategies or even the Separatists…

"Technically, I had Threepio," he said softly watching their fingers dance together. "And on occasion Sidious would make an appearance to ensure I was progressing."

"After you left Dagobah, where did you go?" She wondered hoping the innocence in her voice would mask the desire for more of his backstory. Unfortunately, his expression hardened- his fingers no longer playing with hers.

"Perhaps we have discussed enough of my past," he stated coldly with a scowl covering his features as he slipped his hand out of her own.

Not willing to let the question ruin the moment, she accepted that he didn't want to discuss his further training. Padmé didn't want to press him on such things considering he'd already been so open to her for the past few hours. "Well thank you… for sharing," she smiled lightly.

It must have been a challenging transition for him going from slaying beasts to people. The bright Senator envisioned a timeline, she had nine years of his life partially mapped out. Four years with the Empire and another five where he was left to his own devices. She couldn't imagine a child being thrown out into the galaxy to kill beasts, it seemed utterly senseless. Pushing her astonishment aside, her hand reached out to play with Vader's hand once again. Hoping that the gesture would be a reassurance that she was happy with what he'd shared. They just laid there in peaceful silence, relishing in the feeling of their hands brushing together smoothly. Padmé found the sensation mesmerizing, the enigmatic connection between them humming in bliss.

A/N: This hasn't been edited with a fine-tooth comb for errors, so forgive any grammar or spelling (But I did get around to fixing some of the errors in previous chapters). -I really hope there aren't any missing words... its so hard to edit once I upload it.