Another short chapter, but don't worry longer ones will come in the future! Enjoy :)

A Warning: Part II

Trying to race through sand was one thing, trying to sprint through fresh snow was another. Padmé had only been running for fifteen minutes tops and she was already losing steam. There was no saying when Vader would discover her lack of presence. The only piece of hope she had was the various number of footprints – the town was surprisingly busy for how desolate it seemed the night before. Within five minutes of him leaving – she'd devised a plan, this town was full of traders – no doubt she'd be able to find passage to one of the Outer Rim planets. However, a siren in the distance told her she'd run out of time. She was hoping Vader would at least have had an hour long meeting. A scream belted from the woman's lips as she fell face first into the snow, her toe catching the top of a snow-print. "Shit," she whispered, her nose now wet and frigid, her face devastatingly cold.

"Hmm, seems like a little bird has escaped her cage," a familiar voice menacingly quipped. A yelp bleated from Padmé's lips as Eryx landed directly in front of her – his face bloodied.

"Eryx – what happened?" She gaped, his gorgeous face now littered with slashes. A flare of heat hit Padmé's cheeks as embarrassment flooded her body – then sudden relief – he couldn't hear her thoughts.

"You're out of your cage, little one," he jested again – blatantly ignoring her, his smile turning into a twisted smirk. A trickle of fear hopped down her vertebrae, that smirk scared her – she'd never seen it before. "You really worked him didn't you."

"Excuse me?" Padmé huffed outraged, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Lord Vader was right, you do have quite the mouth," Eryx mused his tongue swiping across his bottom lip. "You want off this planet? - I can help you," he shrugged stepping closer.

Another wave of trepidationraced across her skin, goosebumps no longer forming form the cold. "I just wanted to go on a walk-"

"You seemed to be moving awfully fast for someone just trying to have a leisurely walk."

Padmé hadn't noticed she'd been trailing backwards until she hit the stone of the mountainside. Her heart pounded, Eryx looked untamed – deadly – not thinking straight. "Eryx, what are you doing? Lord Vader-"

"Isn't here," he finished, within an instant he had her pinned to the stone, "But he will be shortly," he whispered just above her ear. Padmé's eyes widened instantly as his hands clamped around her wrists.

"He wouldn't want you touching me," She breathed watching feral emerald eyes trail from her cheekbones down to the buttons of her coat.

"You were trying to escape, my love," He cooed, Padmé cringed feeling his teeth scrape against her ear. "I think he'll be pleased to know I caught you." In an instant, the woman was flung around, her cheek colliding against stone as a hand hooked the collar of her jacket. "Don't worry little one, I can't hurt you," he murmured dragging her off the stone to trek back towards the town.

Padmé's heart jumped from her chest, Vader would be inconsolable – "You can't just bring me back, he'll kill me!" The woman argued thrashing against the binding grip of the man's hands.

"I highly doubt that," Eryx chuckled, "I'm sure he'll concoct more pleasant ways to punish you."

"Why am I not surprised that you condone rape." Padmé sniped back, her shoulders wriggling against the man's hold.

"As long as I get to watch, I don't mind," he haughtily whispered into her ear. Revolution twisted in Padmé's stomach. After the man she saw last night, she couldn't imagine Vader actually attempting to rape her. She wanted to believe that he wouldn't but deep down, Padmé knew he was capable.

"You're sick," Padmé muttered back, "All of you are monsters. Besides all I was doing was going on a walk."

"You can lie to me all you want princess, but you damn well know Lord Vader will find the truth himself," He reminded her, but his tone was almost as a warning. Hinting to Padmé that she shouldn't, couldn't lie – Vader would find whatever he wanted in her mind. Her ridiculous escape plan, everything. Her skin was ice, that thought hadn't crossed her mind that morning. The grasp he had on her mind was absolute.

"Thank you for the warning," she mumbled sincerely, her eyes following the movement of their feet.

"You're smart, pretty, make cute sounds," he murmured against her hair, "Wouldn't want you going anywhere anytime soon."

Padmé swallowed hard, her cheeks flaring, "Keep comments like that to yourself."

Eryx shrugged, "I'm already going to get reprimanded for touching you – I'm sure telling you the obvious won't get me too much more."

"You already look half dead," Padmé huffed, her annoyance with the man immediately returning.

"Well, I was about to heal myself, however, I was interrupted by a little bird, you see," he hummed.

"Would you stop calling me that!" Padmé finally snapped, her heels digging into the snow.

"If you still think you're a Senator then you truly are ignorant," he chided, his voice harsh – as if trying to snap from a daydream. "You don't get it yet do you – everything that you were before him is gone. You live for him now. Don't you feel it? Don't you feel the disconnection between what you were and what you are now? Would the pure Senator of Naboo actually allow herself to be pleasured by one of the most evil entities in the galaxy?"

"Stop – let me go!" The Senator snarled squirming in the grip of the inquisitor.

"He has his hooks into you that deep huh," Eryx sighed before suddenly the grip he had on her vanished – leaving her to stumble to the ground. "You think he's good? You think that what he is around you, is what he is to the rest of the galaxy? Let me tell you a little secret, that idiot Senator, Clovis – is dead. Vader killed him. Vader has committed every sin a man could possibly imagine. If you believe for a second that there is good in him, you are truly foolish." Eryx retorted, his emerald eyes angered – yet still warning.

Padmé's heart pounded, her instinct was right, Vader had Clovis killed. 'Committed every sin…' the words played over in her mind like a broken record. There was still much she didn't know about Vader – much that probably Eryx knew. "Then why is he doing this? Why would he bring me here?" Her voice wavered slightly.

"I told you. You have a pretty face and you can carry on a conversation. Still, you are nothing more than a mission to him." Eryx's gaze was numb. "Attempt to remember that when the day comes where he is ordered to end your life. However, today is not that day so – get up. We need to get back before he decides to destroy the entire village."

"Attempt to remember?" Padmé whispered, bewilderment across her features.

"Vader will remove your memories of this incident. When you wake you'll only know what occurred between you two last night." He revealed as if it were a common occurrence.

The pounding in the woman's chest was like a hovertrain – remove my memories?! Fear shred across her skin, she couldn't go back – she couldn't –

"Eryx." An all too familiar sonorous voice announced. Padmé whipped around to see Vader standing with a squad of stormtroopers. With his cowl masking his face, he was ghoulish – menacing. Just standing at the forefront of his men, made Padmé quiver in fear. How much was she missing? How much had he already taken from her?

"She knows too much my Lord, she attempted to escape," Eryx stated, Padmé's head lashed back to give the inquisitor a pleading stare. There was nothing behind Eryx's eyes as he gazed at the Sith Lord. Boots moving through snow caught Padmé's attention as she glanced back at Vader. He was already advancing towards her – she almost felt as if he were retreating his pet. She was his pet.

"Come," Vader ordered, his hand reaching down as an offer to help her off the ground. Padmé's head shook lightly.

"No," she breathed, rejecting his offer. Around them the air became ice, the wind halting around them – snow stopping in midair. The woman's heart was racing – he was unbelievably powerful. She could never go up against someone like him.

Vader's head whipped towards Eryx, "How dare you share such things with her," the Sith seethed, stalking towards Eryx with unhindered rage. Just as she was awake, immediate darkness sweltered her vision.

Vader's metal fist collided with Eryx's face again, the snow around them stained in blood. The inquisitor spit, the crimson liquid draining down his face as he adverted his gaze. "I was only being honest with her, my Lord." The soldier wheezed, emerald eyes finally connecting with fiery golden.

"You think it is easy rebuilding a mind?" Vader barked, effortless lifting the man off the ground before shoving him into the mountainside. "You think I enjoy spending a day rebuilding her mental barriers?!"

"I wonder why you even care?" Eryx retorted, suddenly the Sith's hand was around his neck – draining the life from him.

"You have no business questioning me. Utter another word and I will kill you," the Sith promised, his eyes flickering scarlet. Eryx knew to shut up this time, the furry behind the Lord's eyes was enough to silence anyone. "Why I care? I have a mission to uphold to the Emperor. My question is why would you want to imprint negative thoughts into her mind about me." Vader lifted a hand to the inquisitor's forehead, "I can find out why if you wish," he hissed. Slowly, Eryx shook his head, knowing how much pain he'd feel by Vader tearing through his mental barriers. "You speak to her again without my permission and I will kill you," Vader vowed, dropping the inquisitor from his grasp.

"You can't make that decision. Only the Emperor can," Eryx coughed back.

The Sith's back was towards the inquisitor now, his shoulders tightening ever so slightly as his head craned to look towards Eryx. "Do you want to test that? I have no qualms about killing you right now." The careless nature in the Lord's tone was an identifier that he meant what he said.

"No, my Lord." Eryx was surprised to see that Vader had nothing more to say. It seemed he was only focused on the unconscious woman draped in the snow. Eryx watched the Sith intently, his movements – even with her attempting to escape, they were gentle. Within a moment, she was cradled in his arms.

"Eryx." Vader's voice caught his attention. "You will be walking back to base."

The inquisitor, uttered a reluctant 'yes sir' as he watched the Sith, adorned in black, carry the defenseless Senator back to his shuttle. Even with a broken nose, jaw, and arm – Eryx expected to lose a limb for his actions. Yet, Vader's punishment was more lenient than he imagined.