Vader's Angel

By: wertman25

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Star Wars…. Or Anakin Skywalker… Which is a pity…

"I thought I lost you," Padmé admitted, failing to hold back her tears.

Vader's hand wiped them away as best he could, his smile fading as his eyes moved over her. "So did I," he replied seriously, a small chuckle escaping from an after-thought. "That was much easier when I was fifteen."

"Fifteen?" Padmé paled, her eyes growing sad as she pulled him tighter– her sweet lover who had been forced into such a cruel life. Taking in the comfort of holding him now and the feeling of his hand rubbing down her naked spine.

"They used to have an enclosure for the beast," Vader continued, his voice soft as if he was telling her a bedtime story instead of a horrid memory. "A few rocks and a few trees, but enough so that you could use the compound to your advantage more so than just..." he paused rubbing his opposite hand over his face and flicking the hardening clay away. "Mud."

She couldn't even imagine the fight that he spoke about. A young fifteen-year old Vader sent to negotiate terms for a an allegiance or proposition for the future, only to be forced to battle the ratchet beast to complete the act. It made her hold her Vader tighter, her mind trying not to think of the young Darth Vader… our younger, as it would seem.

A young Vader, probably before he was even really Darth Vader, forced into the foul care of Sheev Palpatine at such a young age, only to receive such abuse and torture, which resulted in such acts in his teen years like fierce battles and epic combat; and even worse, resulted in the tormented man before her now. Yes, it was true that she may have ruled a planet at such a young age, but she never would have beat a rancor in a handicapped battle or possibly at all.

"I'm so sorry," she cried against his shoulder, pressing her head deeper into the crook of his neck, not caring for the mud, needing to be closer to him. If I hadn't suggested it "

"Senator," Vader said, cutting her apology short as he forced her to look into his eyes. "It was a good idea."

Padmé shook her head, wiping away the last traces of her tears. "It's my fault you're hurt," she argued. "If I would have known I would have never "

Vader's lips pressed against her's, stopping her excessive apology, kissing her with the same passion as before, the emotion that he felt tangible upon his lips.

He pulled away after a moment, his hand twisting within her hair as it settled behind her head, his eyes looking deep within her soul. "Thank you for your help," he said softly, and she was forced to simply nod, her hand tracing behind his ear in some sort of an attempt to keep touching him.

They kissed once more, a few quick pecks before she slowly rocked off Vader, this time much more careful of his injuries and evidently more aware of the pain he was in. He groaned softly as their bodies separated, biting his teeth and closing his eyes as his calming heartbeat quickened. His breath was shallow and his nostrils flared with each shallow breath.

She helped him get redressed, despite his protests, before turning her sights to her own clothes on the floor. She slipped his boxers over her legs, hearing Vader chuckle as she brought them up over her hips.

"I quite like that," he mumbled, more to himself than to her, but still she smiled as she grabbed the gray Imperial shirt from the floor and turned back to him.

She shoved her arms through the thin garment, slowly working the buttons together from the bottom up. "Ever think you'd be removing a cadet shirt?" she teased, before reaching for the matching gray pants.

"No." Vader chuckled, shaking his head and taking a painful deep breath in.

She slipped the gray pants over her legs, brushing the dirt off the fabric before turning back to him. "What do you need?" she asked, coming to kneel beside him, her hand gently resting on the blood stained area near his thigh.

"Nothing," Vader said, shaking his head before pushing himself into a less than stable standing position before the table. "These healing methods are primeval, but I suppose adequate enough until we manage to return to base."

He reached for a grouping of leaves on the table and pulled it towards him. Inspecting a single large green leaf before he turned and monitored the room. His eyes paused as they reached the corner and he pushed past her without another word, hobbling over to the same corner and pausing beside a grouping of large buckets. Grabbing one of the pails, he took a deep breath before dumping the contents of the bucket over his head, the oily brown water rushing down over his hair, his shoulders, and finally his body in a vain attempt to rid himself of some of the brown dirt.

He repeated the action twice more, each time shaking his head and breathing out deeply after the deed was done. The results of the provisional shower extremely lacking in all areas, the remnants of the mud and blood still sticking to his features like a type of harsh glue.

He reached for the final bucket, pausing as he did, a small frown overtaking his features, before he repeated the action again. Once more he reached out to grab the bucket, a low grinding sound echoing into the air as his hand froze unable to clench.

The hesitation, as well as the unusual distressing noise made Padmé instantly concerned, taking a step towards the Sith Lord to investigate. Vader, on the other hand, simply groaned annoyed, pulling his arm back to his side. He took off his glove revealing his flesh hand, but surprisingly did not stop there. He moved his attention to his opposite arm, one that Padmé knew he used far less than the other, especially in their lovemaking.

He pushed back his dark sleeve all the way past his elbow, the glove reaching noticeably farther back than the other on his opposite hand, a fact that Padmé had noticed before, but never really considered, the Sith always keeping that particular part of his body hidden from her.

Vader's attention moved to the bulky clasps on the edge of the glove, quickly undoing them before pulling the glove down his arm. Padmé tried not to gasp as the golden robotic hand was revealed underneath. The reasoning behind so many of her questions suddenly being answered and understood before her eyes.

He tossed the glove onto the floor before his flesh hand moved to his belt blindly, an action that seemed natural and almost routine, as if it was something he had done many times before. He grabbed onto a thin metal and pulled it out of his belt, to Padme's horror gabbing directly into his robotic wrist moments later.

"What are you doing?!" she screamed, nearly sprinting across the room to his side, her wide eyes on the penetrating piece of metal forced into the center of his arm.

He frowned, somewhat ignoring her, his concentration on his arm. "Kriffing Felucian mud found its way into the gears," he muffled, grabbing onto the small piece of metal and forcing it father into his arm. Material inside his robotic arm cracked due to the foreign object, another bone-chilling screech echoing into the air as the gears failed to grind and forcing Padmé to covered her ears.

Vader hardly reacted to the sound, simply frowning slightly before he pulled another makeshift tool from his belt and shoved it into the other side of his arm, a loud crack signaling something breaking inside.

"Vader!" she screamed again, this time grabbing at his other arm to stop him from whatever madness he was demonstrating before her, unable to take the thought of one more ounce of his pain if he were to hurt himself further.

He eyed her then, frowning but also confused, taking in her expression until he seemed to understand the reason behind of her horror. He lifted his robotic hand and knocked it against the nearest shelf. "No senses, Senator," he said, taping it three times.

She frowned, releasing his arm and taking a step closer, eyeing the limb with the strange contraptions still sticking out of it for the first time realizing how vintage the limb actually was. He was right, of course, that the appendage had no sensors, for it was far too old of technology to have such modern accessories. at least allowing her some relief in knowing that Vader wasn't harming himself in the violent process.

It seemed strange to her for the most powerful man in the galaxy to have such an outdated piece of equipment, especially one that was so essential to his position. Not to mention his overall wellbeing. Surely, he had the connection and the resources. So why did it seem like this man, despite his strong outwardly shell, seemed so broken and stitched together underneath?

Invincible, Padmé thought, the phrase now seeming utterly ridiculous as she looked over all the hardcore facts before her eyes which showed the exact opposite.

It was hard to imagine the villainous Sith Lord, Darth Vader before her now. Vader resembling nothing of the sort as he stood before her, looking weak and pained, more like a hurt disgruntled schoolboy than a Sith Lord. A schoolboy… because he looked so young now. His long hair spiked in every direction and his usually thick protective walls down due to tiredness. He looked exhausted human. His breathing labored and his blood rolling down his body. He twitched slightly with every move, his muscles shaking as they fought against exhaustion.

His robotic arm twitched, bringing her attention back towards it. The obsolete limb still laying out before her, the seconds passing before them although it felt like prolonged minutes, her eyes wondering to the violence of the disfigured skin just at his elbow where the foreign arm attached to his flesh.

Usually, a robotic limb was fitted to morph flawlessly into the patient's own appendage, allowing for the ease of physical strain and the fluidity of a real limb…but Vader's was nothing of the sort. His robotic arm was not only outdated, but seemed to be attached quickly, cheaply, and improperly. The skin where the metal met the flesh completely disfigured and the skin around the mess decorated with harsh scaring. Like Vader had had the arm attached in some underground, back alley, dark market location instead of in a proper medical facility.

Vader pulled his arm away then, even going as far as turning his back to her, almost in a self-conscious manner, as he returned to his work. The action making Padmé's heartbreak as he turned away from her, shutting her out from the openness he had seemingly not meant to share.

"I don't need your pity," he said softly, although his voice held a harshness and an anger that shot through her like enemy blaster fire.

She breathed out an exasperated sigh, taking a step towards him but careful not to overstep her boundaries. "I know," she said, although she highly disagreed with the statement. He needed pity. He deserved the pity. The universe had failed him long ago and because of that failure he had suffered more than anyone knew, more than she knew–possibly even more than he, himself, knew.

"How did you lose it?" she asked, hoping he didn't hear the pain in her voice and shut her out completely. She just wished that he would understand. She didn't want him to shut her out. She wanted him to let her in. She wanted him to let her hold him. Let her reach out and hold his metal hand, just like she had done before with his flesh– hold him in some attempt to make him know its okay.

"I pissed off one of the Emperor's apprentices," he grumbled, the anger still in his voice, causing Padmé to frown.

"I thought you were his apprentice?" she asked, pausing beside him, her brow pulling together.

Vader didn't care for her confusion and he made no attempt to explain in detail. Simply chuckling sarcastically as he slammed the metal tool back into his arm and continued his work. "Let's just say," he said, offhandedly. "My master hardly cares about the Rule of Two."

She didn't have time to ask for a deeper explanation, a spark springing from his wrist, a loud snap echoing as his entire palm clenched. He nodded his head, setting the smaller tools down and lifting his arm. He moved his fingers and tightened his palm, admiring his handy work– or so it looked like.

He returned to his previous task, moving to grab the final bucket before he hesitated in pain, sucking in a breath of harsh air and grabbing his side. Even his legs buckled beneath him, but the Sith caught himself before falling to the ground.

"Vader," Padmé nearly screamed, rushing to his side. "Are you alright?"

She reached out to grab him, but he flinched away from her touch, moving at an unsteady pace just out of her reach. "Fine," he mumbled, his voice harsh but breathless, giving away that he was the exact opposite of his words.

"Vader," she whispered, moving towards him cautiously and placing her hands upon his chest, making sure he couldn't escape her. "You're hurt," she breathed, her voice sounding far softer and alluring than she meant it to be, looking into his eyes as the taller man gazed down at her, allowing her to grace him with her touch, and even maybe, giving into her touch just the slightest bit. "Please. Let me help you."

She waited for him to reply, even just give her some sort of sign of his acceptance of her offer, but the Sith continued to stand unmoving above her, his eyes gazing down upon her and his jaw locked hard. She took a deep breath, taking a leap of faith as she hung onto the hope that at least he hadn't refused her.

She reached out and took his hand, feeling the familiar spark between them as their flesh touched–his skin and her skin, her smaller fingers wrapping themselves around his larger ones, and being enveloped in his mighty grasp. She pulled him back towards the table and the Sith followed obediently, coming to stand before the chair before her hands pushed down on his shoulders.

She gently pushed him down into the chair, the giant Sith Lord bending to will as he sat before her, their roles morphing as she became the one with all the power. Their eyes held each other's for a long moment before she turned silently away from him, grabbing the last bucket from the shelf, as well as a sponge, before returning to his side.

Vader watched but said nothing, as she sat the bucket down next to the chair, a moment later dunking a brown sponge into the murky water and squeezing some of the excess liquid from the large fungus. Her eyes moved to his and as their eyes connected, the world faded around them. The universe came to a still. Nothing else mattered but the beating of their hearts and their deep breaths that seemed to be in sync.

Ever so slowly, she settled in before him, lifting the sponge and wiping it down the side of his face, clearing his skin of the remnants of the fight. She repeated the action twice more, until Vader closed his eyes and seemed to relax under her touch. She cleaned away the mud, sweat, and blood from his features, until she found the familiar distinctions of her lover underneath.

When his face was clean, her attention moved towards the gash across his forehead, her cold fingers glazing against the outward line of the mark and causing Vader to shiver. She grabbed the leaf from the table and placed it over the deep cut just above his eyebrow, the leaflet sticking as it became the perfect patch for the wound.

After that, her attention moved towards his hair, using the sponge to scrub and gently massage the dirt away from his long locks. Vader sighing softly as she washed and pulled, before gently rinsing. Her hands clasping the front of his tunic as his eyes opened, pulling him forward.

Vader stood up in a haphazardly manner, answering her unspoken request, although his muscles denied him of his usual grace. Padmé's hands found the clasps of the belt and threw it on the floor, before moving to his tunic. She grasped the bottom of the leather, careful not to look into his eyes, knowing they were watching her every move. He lifted his hands so that she could lift the garment over his head, doing the same thing for his shirt, helping as much as he could despite his injuries.

He stood bare chested before Padmé, his hemorrhaging chest rising and falling gently despite the obvious amount of blood trailing down his toned muscles. She rinsed the sponge in the water before she began to clean his wounds, the sponge moving slowly over his shoulders, then his chest, then ribs. All while the temperature in the room seemed to rise by thirty degrees, a heaviness falling over Padmé's shoulders, and a need bubbling in her body that she tried to ignore.

She tended to the bite wounds before she walked around him and washed his back, moving with extra caution as the countless scars became visible, her mind fighting to not recall the image of the similarities between Vader's back and the equine though she knew upon proper evaluation that some of Vader's scars were nearly identical to the permanent wounds left on the other creature's back. Her breath hitched in her throat coming to the terrible conclusion and she hoped Vader wouldn't take notice– shielding her mind from screaming the dreaded s-word.

She moved partly around him then, her eyes wondering over the word Shmi as she gently removed the mud from over the dark burn. The word still holding the same amount of questions, but now all sorts of possibilities– and one that seemed hanging in the air like a dreaded knife.

Leaving the assumptions behind, she moved back to his front, dropping the sponge into the pail of water before turning back to the waiting Sith. His deep eyes watched her as she sheepishly took a step towards him, Padmé suddenly feeling very small under his gaze as her fingers found the clasps to his pants.

She undid them slowly, her eyes never leaving his; their already shallow breathes becoming deeper and the heat of the room falling upon them like an unescapable weight. It was enough to make her kiss him right then and there… but she didn't. She fought against the hunger tooth and nail, pulling her eyes away from his as she pulled his pants down to his ankles, Vader stepping out of them and kicking them away, leaving him only dressed in his black boxers and boots.

She wasted no time cleaning the remaining skin, noticing immediately the strain that Vader, and more specifically his left leg were under to keep him standing. His muscles tensed under his massive weight, the bruising already beginning to blacken on multiple surfaces and his muscles twitching beneath his skin. She touched the edge of where a large amount of dried blood had already begun to conjugate just above the boot, Vader sucking in a deep breath of air the moment she even grazed the spot.

She pulled her hand away simultaneously, her eyes pleading an apology, even though she knew it was something that had to be done. "Sit down," she commanded, for the first time breaking the heavy silence that had fallen upon them as she used her hand to push him backward. "I need to look at this."

To her surprised, Vader didn't argue. The Sith sat back into the chair without delay, almost seeming to crumble back into the seat like a thunderous avalanche, his eyes shut and his jaw locked, refusing to look or speak to her. She pulled off the right boot first, figuring to start with the easiest task before moving to the more challenging one.

Her hands shook as she undid the buckles to his left boot, her eyes each moment moving to him then back to her work trying to even out the two. Vader hissed, trying to keep his body from convulsing as she pulled the shoe off his foot, the sight of Vader's pain hurting Padmé more than she could of ever imagined.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she pleaded, Vader's knuckles turning white and his opposite hand crushing part of the chair as she finished removing the boot.

The blood flowed from the open wounds the moment the boot was removed, more blood soaking into his already drenched sock and dropping onto the floor. Padmé didn't need to be a doctor to know Vader was losing too much blood and the bleeding needed to be stopped. His leg already seemed to be a far lighter color than his right one despite the obvious other bruising around it.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled the ruined fabric off his foot, trying to ignore the way Vader squirmed with each touch. The removal of the sock revealing not only dozens of small penetrating holes around the left leg, but a diagonal slit down another side of it.

"What–what," Padmé stuttered, failing to understand the addition to the already serious injury, knowing for a fact that the straight slice was due to a very sharp weapon and not from the animal's attack. "Did you did you cut this?"

Vader nodded, sucking in another breath of air. "They put poison on the thorns," Vader mumbled through gritted teeth, the pain obviously too much for him to hide. "It's meant to burn your organs," he added, the Sith fighting against the pain and refusing to look at her. "It was the only way to get it out of my system."

She frowned and shook her head, realizing why he had left her behind before and exactly what Vader had been doing when he had escaped alone into the jungle. Her fingers slid down the slit, admiring his botched handy work. The skin, indeed, burned from the highly toxic poison and worsened due to his actions.

"No wonder it's bleeding so bad," Padmé thought to herself before adding aloud, "You could have said something."

She had tried to keep the irritation from her voice, but knew immediately that she hadn't been able to manage the task. The sentence coming out even more harsher than she had originally meant causing the Sith Lord to laugh.

"Yes," he grumbled. "Like you weren't already worried enough."

"That's no excuse." Padmé bit back, grabbing onto the sponge and beginning to clean the wound. "You're lucky you didn't cut your leg off doing this. You could get an infection now."

Vader struggled against the pain, his body convulsing and his breath labored. "What's that matter?" Vader growled stubbornly. "Whether I lose it now or later. It doesn't matter to me. I just didn't want my organs boiled."

"I rather you not lose it at all," Padmé replied, resulting in Vader simply staring at her for a long moment before hissing in pain.

Padmé finished cleaning the wound without another word, placing the various amounts of the leaves around his leg and foot before rising. "That's the best I can do," she announced, placing the bucket on the table as Vader nodded.

She waited awkwardly for a few moments for him to acknowledge her again, simply watching as he struggled to stay composed. The powerful man, now simply dressed in his boxers, sitting particularly naked and exposed in every way. His taught muscles continuing to quiver as his stomach seemed to move at a rapid race in and out. It was only when he looked up suddenly did it seem that his walls reemerged, his eyes moving to the door and then towards Padmé.

"Step back," he demanded quickly, his voice dark and forceful, catching Padmé off guard.

"What?" Padmé frowned at his sudden change.

"Back," he commanded again, not waiting for her to reply before using the Force to nearly throw her to the other side of the room.

Her head spun due to the jolt, her feet on the floor one moment and in the air the next before coming to land across the room. Padmé turned back to the Sith from her new spot in the farthest corner, outraged at his actions. She took a step towards him, about to reprimand the Sith for his uncalled for deed when the opening to the hut opened and Aphra ducked inside.

"Hey, Daddy D " she began before pausing, her mouth falling open at the sight of the Sith. "Wow. You look like hell."

Vader rolled his eyes at the woman, seeming to control his pain while in her presence. "Obviously," he stated, falling back into a more relaxed posture–and a particularly more revealing posture that made Padmé want to shield him from the onlooker's eyes. Feeling as though Vader was divulging his physical secrets that were meant for her eyes only.

"No, really," Aphra laughed, although she didn't seem wholeheartedly amused. "Even worse than when we got into that trouble on Vanqor. Remember? With the gundark?" She smiled at the memory, continuing to giggle. "You couldn't very pull the ears off the gundark then either."

Vader grimaced at her giggles, a rough scowl overtaking his face. "The gundark in question was already earless, Aphra," Vader replied, somewhat annoyed, but nevertheless defending his reputation. "And I could have done it then and now."

Aphra continued to giggle. "Yeah, alright," she agreed sarcastically, shaking her head as Vader settled into his seat. "Whatever you say, Daddy D."

Vader sighed, his flesh hand moving to rub his temples. His taunt muscles bulging in all the right areas which caught Aphra's attention and ceased her giggles– the reaction making Padmé want to bounce. Aphra eyed him for another long moment, until she seemed to sense the other pair of eyes watching her. She turned, surprised to see that Padmé stood in the corner, her eyes for a mere second turning suspicious although she hide the fact well as she turned back to the Sith.

"Right. Well," she said, closing the space between her and the Sith as she held up some sort of bag, his cloak, and his lightsaber. "Here's the stuff."

"Good," Vader said, grabbing the bag from her and tossing the other items on the table. "You may go now."

Aphra hesitated, her face falling upon hearing his words. The pain evident in her eyes as even her pupils lost their over-positive gleam. She looked at the Sith Lord for a long moment, before turning to stare at Padmé. The look in her eyes even making Padmé feel guilty before Aphra turned and ducked out the door.

Padmé turned back to the Sith as he rose, his pain evident again as he struggled to remain standing. "You could be nicer to her," Padmé said, not meaning to speak the fact aloud as she crossed the space back over to him.

Vader chuckled, although not looking at her. "That's rich coming from the woman who wanted to scratch her eyes out on multiple occasions today," he replied, making Padmé feel instantly guilty about her previous behavior. "And if you feel so strongly about my treatment of her, you may join her outside."

His response made her want to scream, Padmé grumbling at Vader's change before she stomped her feet towards the door. She left him without looking back, her eyes skimming the village as she searched for Aphra.

"Aphra?" she called, taking a few steps towards the adjacent houses. "Are you there?"

Padmé's calls were answered in silence, the young senator walking around the entire village without even finding a trace of the bounty hunter and leaving her with the only option but to return to Vader unsuccessful. She sighed as she ducked into the hut, her eyes skimming the room for Vader but not finding him.

"Vader?" she called hesitantly, taking another step inside.

"Hmm?" he answered, sounding quite relaxed and somewhere quite near.

Padmé moved deeper into the room and looked around, spotting him lying in a make-shift bathtub in the form of a pit of water in the far opposite side of the room. She neared the Sith hesitantly, nearly chuckling at the sight of the Dark Lord of the Sith taking a very similar ideal to a bubble bath, his head resting against the edge of the ground with his eyes closed and his arms sprawled out on each side of him. The only main difference being that he laid in a pool of thick brown water instead of a tube of bubbles.

A blush rose to her cheeks taking in the very private moment she had walked in on. "A–I–" Padmé began, stumbling over her words. "I can come back."

She made the move to leave, feeling somewhat awkward with the situation until Vader's voice echoed again. "No," he said smoothly, without opening his eyes. "Don't go. Your presence is soothing."

His reply both surprised and soothed her. Padmé returning to the side of the pit and kneeling down beside him, her mouth opening and shutting a few times as she tried to speak her concerns.

"Spit it out," Vader said suddenly, of course sensing her worries without her even needing to speak them.

"I can't find Aphra," Padmé confessed, the worry consuming her as the woman's face reemerged inside her mind. "I'm worried."

"She's fine," Vader replied, not sharing her concerns. The Sith hardly reacting, except for the slight readjustment of his shoulders. "She's around. She always is."

"There was no trace of her," Padmé argued, shaking her head. "She's gone."

"So you think," Vader replied. "She's good at what she does. It's why I hire her."

Padmé sighed, beating her fingers against her knee. "Her face said different."

"She'll get over it," Vader said as he took a deep breath. "She probably went somewhere to cool off. Her and I are alike in that way."

Padmé nodded, taking in his confession and processing it over in her mind. "Speaking of which," she said offhandedly, her eyes skimming him. "You two seem close."

Vader sighed as if knowing her train of thought. "I've employed her many times throughout the years," he replied, his voice careful and firm. "Like I said, she's good at what she does."

"I'm sure," Padmé agreed, her eyes moving to the ceiling, twisting a piece of hair within her fingers. "I'm just wondering if you allow all your classified employees to see you naked…or just the female ones."

Vader sighed again. "I wasn't naked," he said simply, the point seeming to go straight over his head or the Sith not realizing her seriousness.

"Close enough," Padmé disagreed, her eyes moving from the ceiling back to Vader. "She's pretty too," she added, the forced point within her voice causing Vader to open his eyes.

He stared at her for a long moment before rubbing his chin. "I suppose to some," Vader said darkly, a hungriness growing within his hard gaze. "But my tastes are a bit more… refined."

She felt it then, his touch through the Force, like Vader had really reached out and touched her, the top button of her shirt suddenly becoming undone. "Vader!" she screamed, her hands pressing against her collar and stopping his advancements. "What are you doing? We can't do this!"

Vader smiled, leaning forward into the water. "I believe we already did."

Padmé blushed, fumbling away from him. "Yeah. Well. That was I mean," she stumbled over her words, shaking her head and looking towards the door. "Someone could come in. Aphra could come back. And–and you're hurt."

"Neither of those two things will happen," Vader replied, shaking his head. "And…" He reached up and pulled the leaf off his face, revealing nearly perfect skin underneath.

"But–but," Padmé said, leaning forward and inspecting the healed wound before realizing that the same thing had happened across his shoulder. "How?"

"The liquid within the leaves reacts with the bacteria that I had Aphra find," Vader explained, moving his shoulder and arms to show his renewed ability of motion. "That and with my use of the Force, I was able to heal most the injuries." He eyed the indentations around his shoulder and chest, the newest additions of his scars. "At least to the best of my ability. The cracked ribs and injury to my leg still may take a few more sessions."

She eyed his newest scars in amazement, amazed that he was able to heal himself to such lengths, but also sad that once more his perfect body was littered with such abuse. Her fingers reached and traced the small indentations, the bite mark of the rancor blending nearly seamlessly into the mess of other injuries. She looked to Vader then, his eyes on her as they leaned together and kissed.

The kiss was slow, gentle. Their hot breath mixing together with each kiss as Vader's flesh hand moved up to grab a handful of her brown locks. "Come here," he breathed, urging her towards the water, but Padmé shook her head.

"We can't," she said, cursing her sane state of mind as she continued to kiss him.

"We can," Vader argued. His flesh hand reaching up and beginning to undo her shirt.

She meant to argue with him further, but gasped as Vader bit down on her bare nipple, the Sith not even caring to undo the entire shirt before his lips were on her skin. Padmé moaned as the Sith sucked at her breast, his mouth moving to the opposite nipple, as his flesh hand to play with the hardened tip.

He used the Force to undo the rest of the buttons, standing onto his knees as he pushed Padmé completely onto the ground, settling in between her legs from his spot in the pit of water. Using only his flesh hand, he pulled her pants and boxers off before throwing them to the side, just as she did the same with the shirt. She moved to scooch towards, but felt his flesh hand push on her thigh, willing her to stop.

Padmé watched him curiously, a frown on her young face, as Vader smiled. The Sith kissing her again before pushing her to lay down before him, his lips moving to her stomach and placing kisses down towards her core. Padmé moaned and quivered under his touch, the fire of his kiss and the anticipation of his actions building inside her like a waiting explosion.

"Oh, Force!" she screamed. Vader's hot breath teasing her skin, licking and kissing the inside of her thighs, going up and down until finally running his tongue across her core in one quick swipe.

Instinctively, her hips buckled upwards and she opened her legs wider for him, giving him further access which he accepted. She moaned as Vader continued his assaults, one of her hands moving over her mouth while the other scratched at the dirt floor. Vader's flesh hand held onto her bottom as Vader plunged his tongue farther into her, moving in quick strokes to give her the maximum amount of pleasure. He flicked his tongue rapidly over her core, before sliding farther back and up again.

She quivered beneath his touch, sure that nothing would be more pleasurable until Vader slid his tongue farther back, licking and sucking each side of her before plunging his tongue inside of her core. She bit her hand hard, trying to control her reaction, her other hand leaving the floor to tangle into his hair.

She cried out in pleasure as his mouth moved over her, her cries only seeming to edge Vader on. His licks becoming faster and sucks becoming more urgent. Her release coming closer and closer…her moans becoming higher…and higher…and higher… until…

"Oh, Vader!" Padmé screamed, her body exploding like a warm magnificent eruption around her. Savoring the feeling that Vader had caused, until he pulled her into the water a moment later.

She splashed into the murky water, half of the tub seeming to slop onto the floor outside the pit, but without a care to Vader or Padmé. She settled over his hips, her hand resting on his shoulders, as she lowered herself down onto his waiting member. They both sighed as they came together, Vader's flesh hand willing her to move immediately. The water continuing to splash out of the tub as the two began to move together.

Her head fell back with each buckle of their hips until Vader pulled her face to meet his, their lips smashing together as they both swallowed each other's moans. She only opened her eyes when she realized that Vader had only been using one hand during their lovemaking and saw the limb held out to the side. She frowned wanting him to touch her with it, the senator knowing that if she was going to have Vader, that she wanted all of him.

So she reached out and brought the hand to her breast, Vader hesitating for a long moment, before her own hand worked over his to massage the small bead until Vader continued the motion himself. He worked over her gently, her lover still opting to use his flesh hand in most cases and seeming quite hesitant to touch her without his glove on the other.

Still, their release came too soon as usual. Their hips meeting together and their arms holding tightly as their bodies found their climax. They continued to kiss until their orgasms were finished, swallowing each other's moans until they each fell into each other's embrace. Vader's arms tighten around her in the water as he pulled her back into his chest, her small body fitting between his legs.

"Well," Vader said, kissing the top of her head, his hand snaking around to her chest as her hands wrapped around his arm. "What do we say we get you clean now?"

It was nearly dusk by the time Vader and Padmé reemerged from the hut, the village falling quiet compared to the noise of excitement during the earlier festivities. Vader made his way towards the chief's fire, clad in his usual blackness hidden beneath the hood, moving like the mighty Sith Lord. They were both clothed in their duties now, Padmé looking like the regal senator imperial cadet and Vader acting like the proud Imperial Commander. All qualities of the lovers they had been behind closed doors melting away like a forgotten flame.

Vader said a few words to the chief and the elders before he turned towards the equine, even Aphra seeming to reappear out of thin air as she fell into line at the Sith's side.

"What's the plan, Daddy D?" Aphra asked, her voice completely professional.

His hooded head turned towards her, moving closer to cut Padmé off from the center, making it clear that she wasn't welcomed in the conversation. "These negotiations took too long with too many unforeseen consequences," Vader said harshly, his eyes moving to inspect the sky as he untied Judro. "It will be dark soon."

The two stared at each other, understanding something that Padmé was clueless to. Their words holding hidden meanings that made no sense to her. Their voice grew lower then, their words inaudible to Padmé's ears. A matter of great importance being discussed between them and the two even seeming to argue before Vader hesitated. He looked to Padmé but only for a second before he turned back to Aphra, the argument continuing.

"You can move quicker by yourself," Padmé heard Aphra say. Padmé froze hesitantly, just as Vader did the same.

"Don't be ridiculous," Vader growled, his voice rising enough to be heard as he gestured towards the jungle. "Do you know what kinds of creatures live in these jungles? You wouldn't survive ten minutes without me."

Aphra laughed sarcastically, her hands coming to rest on her hips. "Oh hail, the mighty Sith Lord," she praised, rolling her eyes and screaming at him. "I can take care of myself you know it…" her voice trailed off becoming low again and they continued to argue.

After a few moments, Vader pulled away. The two seemingly coming to an accord as he walked back over to Padmé pausing just out of reach. She could feel his eyes burning into her, almost as if he was taking one final look. The emotion she felt pass between them almost made her want to reach out and hold him, hold him as if he would disappear before her very eyes and never return– but she didn't dare move.

Her heart leapt out of her chest and ran to his side, but her body stayed completely still. She knew that it only meant one thing, but she found herself unable to speak– unable to move. And even if she could, she knew her words and actions would do nothing to change anything. Once again, she was caught between two different places with a man that was two completely different people. She was caught in a battlefield, in every sense of the word.

She saw how his hands tightened around his belt, and she only hoped he was fighting the next moments as much as she was. She hoped that he didn't want to leave, but she felt the moment coming closer and closer, every memory and feeling they had built over the last few hours becoming a fleeting memory as the real world burst through the fantasy to tear them apart.

How silly, she thought. That we have come to this.

"I have to get back, now." Vader said, finally speaking the words aloud. And even though she was sure that they would only be apart for mere hours, it felt as if he was saying goodbye for good– Why? she wondered. Why do I feel like this?

"You mean to that thing I'm not invited too," Aphra said, completely breaking the moment as she shattered their small bubble that had shielded them from the rest of the universe for that small fleeting moment.

"Yes," Vader said, his voice low and threatening as he finally turned away from Padmé to face the opposite woman. The bounty hunter melting under his murderous glare, taking a small step back, before his eyes returned to Padmé

Although Vader spoke the words, he made no move to leave. Vader seeming to struggle between his want and duty– or so Padmé could only assume, whatever was waiting for him at the other side of the jungle seeming to hold mass importance but another part of him wanting to stay. And she couldn't help but wonder if it had anything to do with her Rebel Alliance... although she tried not to think about that fact.

It seemed, Padmé was not the only one to notice Vader's hesitation as Aphra's eyes narrowed for a small second, before she took a leisurely stepped forward. "I'll get her back, Daddy D," she smiled as she shrugged, winking her eye. "Don't worry about me."

Her words did nothing to soothe Vader, only seem to annoy him more. Padmé taking matters into her own hands as she took a small step forward.

"I'll be fine," Padmé added, Vader hesitating as Aphra smiled.

"See?" Aphra said, coming to stand beside Padmé as she wrapped one of her arms around the senator's shoulders. "Girl power." She gave the senator a small shake before stepping away. "We'll be fine."

Vader's patience seemed to thin then and his whole body snapped towards the bounty hunter, his finger outstretched and waving in the woman's face. "You get her back in one piece, Aphra." he growled. "Or I'll slice your head off myself."

To the woman's credit, she didn't react to the sudden deadly movement or the icy threat. She simply held up her hands with a small smile. "Touchy touchy, Daddy D."

Vader backed off from his prey before he walked closer towards Padmé and for the slightest of moments, she was sure he was going to embrace her… but of course, he stopped just short of her… even though she could feel the slightest of pressures upon her hands, as if he had taken her by the hand. "If there was another–"

The words died on his lips, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat and his breath catching in his throat., but it didn't matter because his hesitant actions and unspoken words meant everything. Padmé's heart fluttered and she smiled at him, giving him all the reassurance that she could–– and it seeming almost impossible that her small gesture somewhat put the Sith Lord at ease. In retrospect, it was almost comical.

Vader stiffened, regaining himself before pausing again.

"What?" she asked, noticing his further hesitation.

He looked down at her and sighed, although she was sure she saw the pull of his lips and the roll of his eyes as he turned.

"Aphra," he said. "Give Senator Amidala a blaster."

"Really?" Padmé smiled.

"Seriously?" Aphra gapped.

Both women paling– but for two very different reasons.

Vader frowned at the bounty hunter, reaching his hand out. "Now," he commanded, not going to ask again.

Aphra sighed, then removed a blaster from her belt, grumbling as she placed the weapon in his hand. Vader turned back to Padmé and held out the weapon. She reached for the blaster, somewhat in a daze, his hand pulling away at the last second. Their eyes met, the weapon waiting just out of reach.

"I am to remind you that this weapon is for your protection," he said carefully, the traces of her Vader evaporating and being overtaken by the just enemy commander. "An attempt of escape would be unwise. You are in the center of the Felucian jungle surrounded by flustered natives, dangerous creatures that wish to kill you, and more poisonous fungi than you could ever imagine. You are fifty miles from the nearest natural drinkable water source and another hundred miles from the nearest civilized establishment that just happens to be an Imperial military base. In addition to that, the number of imperial officers, troopers, and personnel are tripled over the planet, if you were to survive the journey alone as it were."

Padmé nodded with a small smile, bringing her hand to her forehead to give him a small salute. "Yes, sir."

Vader eyed her for a moment, his eyes narrowing, but she could swear the corners of his lips pulled upwards, as much as he tried to hide it. The Sith sighing, but nevertheless handing over the weapon before he turned and walked towards the equine.

Padmé watched him go as Aphra looked after him with wide eyes. "Umm… Excuse me?" Aphra said, her voice sounding more stressed than Padmé had ever heard. "You forgot another thing."

He mounted the equine, pulling the reins as the creature listened to his commands. "And don't shoot Aphra.," he added, somewhat seriously, although she could hear the joviality in his voice. "She knows the way back."

He kicked Judro forward, the equine rearing up before sprinting down the path and into the setting darkness. He didn't look back, and although she hadn't expected him to, she wished he had… as silly as it may be.

"We need to get moving," Aphra said, clearing her throat and making Padmé realize she had been staring at the empty trail where he had disappeared. "We need to move when its dusk to hide from the Imperials, but also move fast enough to not be out here when it goes completely dark. Most of these animal hunt at might, plus I don't trust these locals without Vader being here."

"Okay," Padmé agreed, shoving the blaster into her belt before following Aphra down the road.

They walked through the jungle cautiously, them both on high alert, listening to each sound and grumble the jungle made. Careful not to overlook even the slightest movement or shadow. A few times being forced to hide in the cover of the trees as a ship or two would fly overhead, careful not to be spotted. Padmé even shooting a large type of spider off of Aphra's shoulder, much to the bounty hunter's amazement and thanks.

It was only when they came to the field of glowing leias that they seemed to be somewhat at ease, their pace slowing as they took a much needed rest.

"So?" Padmé asked, trying to start some sort of conversation as they walked. "How did you and Vader meet?"

"I tried to kill him, "Aphra said simply, shrugging her shoulders at the fact. "He was impressed and persuaded me to turn against the fellow who hired me. Since then he's hired me for different assortment of jobs. Bounties. Assassinations. Anything he needs off record, I suppose." Aphra kicked a rock with her boot, laughing inwardly at herself. "What about you?" she asked, turning to look at Padmé with a small smile. "What did you do so wrong that would get you chained to the biggest badest guy in the universe?"

Padmé laughed, shaking her head, knowing that she couldn't answer that question. She didn't hate the woman, but that didn't mean she trusted her either.

"Hey," Aphra said, smiling slightly as if sensing Padmé's discomfort. "You can tell me. I'm not for the Empire."

Padmé shook her head. It wasn't that simple. "But you're working for Vader."

"I'm working for the highest bidder," she corrected. "It just so happens that he's in a black leathered tunic with an imperial pin."

Padmé remained quiet, quite unsure how to answer. She never understood the character of people like Aphra. The ones that couldn't pick a side. The ones that were okay just living with their heads down and in the middle. That made a profit off both sides of the war.

"Actually," Aphra added. "Just last week I did a little job for someone connected to your little Alliance. Usually I stick to the other side of the tracks, but hey, have to go where the doe is."

Unable to keep her feelings locked inside, Padmé turned to look at the bounty hunter. "How can you be okay with not picking a side?" Padmé asked, unable to keep the judgement from her voice and Aphra immediately noticed the change of nature.

"Hey. Hey," Aphra said, holding up her hands in defense. "I'm not the bad guy."

"But you're helping him," Padmé challenged, hoping the woman would see the connection.

"You didn't seem to mind helping him a few hours ago," Aphra answered, the rich trace of accusation in her eyes and judgment within her voice.

Padmé turned away, somewhat embarrassed and somewhat offended by the hidden accusation. She knew what Aphra was clueing at, but Padmé refused to be made a fool of. It wasn't the same thing. Not by a long shot… was it?

Aphra sighed. "You have no idea how privileged you are to be able to have that opinion."

"Excuse me?" Padmé asked, offended. She knew that she was lucky to have the life she was given but Padmé had never asked to be different. She had never asked for her family, or for her home, or for her gifts. It wasn't her fault that she was born into a higher class… She knew all of that, and to be accused of not seeing it. The audacity. "I know how lucky I am," Padmé continued. "I try to help others because of my position. You're the one breaking the law."

"You're judging me for my job," Aphra pressed. "Your whole take on this, that's only if you see this galaxy in black and white– or good and evil? You think everyone on that good guys side has never done anything bad in their lives? Or anyone on that bad guys team has never done something good?" She shook her head. "It's all labels, girl. And I refuse to follow them. There's more to the galaxy than Imperial and Rebellion." Aphra shrugged. "Like I said, I just go to the highest bidder. Keeps me alive, and quite frankly out of your little war."

Padmé gritted her teeth, trying not to snap back, allowing the emotion to die out before adding softly, "I still won't work for someone like Lord Vader so freely…"

For the first time, Aphra's outward mask seemed to crack, revealing the first sign of hesitation and pain. Her eyes moved down to the ground and her whole body stiffened. "I have my reasons," she said, the woman trying to keep her voice even, but Padmé already knew the signs of emotions too well.

"You're–you're in love with him…" Padmé whispered, the reveal feeling like daggers within her heart.

"I– admire him." Aphra tried to argue, but the evidence was already out in the open.

Padmé shook her head. "Your eyes say different."

Aphra hesitated, then rolled her eyes, taking back the control that she once had in the situation. "Oh please," she said, pausing and turning to face Padmé. "You're one to talk."

"Excuse me?"

"I saw you two out on that path when I first arrived," Aphra said, her arms crossing over her arms, the judgement back within her eyes.

"I had to ride that animal with him," Padmé argued, suddenly feeling very stupid and naked under the woman's gaze, trying to summon every ounce of politician within in her to keep from cracking.

"Oh, I know." Aphra nodded. "But that grip you had around his waist." She took a step towards her, shaking a lone finger. "That wasn't just a leisurely stroll grasp, wouldn't ya say?"

"You startled me."

"Please…" Aphra laughed, rolling her eyes, and crossing her arms over her chest. "I startled you? You've been living with Daddy D for how long? The scariest guy around? I would think startled wasn't something in your system anymore."

Padmé shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. "It was just a surprise..."

"You've been around him long enough that I don't buy that crap," Aphra said, cutting her off. "You were comfortable with him. You held onto Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith's waist for more than ten seconds and still had both your arms afterwards." She laughed, shaking her head towards the ground. "Plus, do you know anyone that would grab Lord Vader for protection?"

Padmé opened her mouth to protest, but found the words dying upon her tongue. The bounty hunter taking her silence to her advantage as she took a step forward.

"Or should I ignore the way he lets you defy him?" Aphra asked rising an eyebrow. "Or the way he looks at you when you're not looking? Or how concerned you were when he was hurt? Or the little too much time you both spent in that shack? Or do you also want me to ignore how, dare I say, how concerned he was for you just now?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," was all Padmé could manage to say, unable to meet the woman's eyes.

"Right," Aphra said, shrugging her shoulders. "Well, I'm impressed. Really, I am. I mean– the fact that you care for him, I don't exactly blame you, although he doesn't seem like your type— Either way, I'm just curious in how you got him to care for you."

"He doesn't," Padmé argued, her eyes peeling away from the dirt to meet the woman's.

"Right," Aphra said, beginning to walk down the path before she paused and took a deep breath. "Vader is a powerful man, dark, and twisted." She laughed, shaking her head. "I always like the fucked up ones."

"Aphra," Padmé tried to say, but the bounty hunter turned to her and shook her head.

"Vader's using me for his own agenda," she said, her voice void, even though her eyes screamed her hurt. "I'm not stupid. I'm what he would classify as expandable."

"I don't think that's true," Padmé argued, but Aphra simply laughed a cold and painful laugh which silence any attempt of rebuttle.

"You really don't know than man you're talking about, do you?" Aphra asked, a frown overtaking her features before she rose an eyebrow. "Or maybe you just forgot." She took a step towards Padmé, her eyes growing pained and dark. "He's Darth Vader," she said. "Lord of the Sith, Murderer of the Masses, the Bringer of Death and Destruction. He's slashed down towns and villages. He's murdered children. Ones who were standing alone out in a burning street, simply crying for their mothers. He's broken necks without reason. Spilled blood without care. Wrecked havoc simply because he wanted to. He's wiped out races– planets– systems without even breaking a sweat. Without even having a second thought about any of it."

Aphra smiled, shaking her head, the tears building within her eyes. "And you know the worse part?" she whispered, her voice cracking. "He loves it. He doesn't jump for joy, but if you ever saw the look in his eye after a fresh kill, after a good hunt, after a war, or fiery encounter. You'd see it. He loves it. That version of ecstasy that he feels from a kill The one that gives him that dark high. That fierce golden glow he gets in his eyes. The way his animalistic nature takes over. The darkness that surrounds him. You can't miss it."

Aphra paused, taking a few deep breathes. Her words hanging in the air with a deadly weight before she looked at Padmé again. "So when you say he'd care if I left," she said, shaking her head. "You're mistaken. He wouldn't care if any of us left. He cares about one thing and one thing only– himself…" Aphra smiled, a sad smile. "And maybe power." Her eyes glazed over as if locked in memory. "I think he cares about that most of all," she whispered. "The chaos, the madness, the power of the Dark Side is the only thing that man will ever love."

Padmé watched the woman, a painful weight pressing down on her chest as her lung refused to breathe. "I don't " she tried to say, the words dying on her lips. The reminder hitting her like a ton of bricks.

"He has no remorse. No care," Aphra added. "No matter how well you think you know him– You don't.:

Padmé's heart dropped into her stomach and she fought against the tears she felt building within her eyes. "And that's the man you love?" she pressed, sickened by the thought and the heaviness that was building around her. A long moment of silence passing over them before Aphra spoke again.

"No," Aphra said seriously. "That's the man you love." She stopped, taking a deep breath as she fought back a sob. "I can see that you're just in love with him as I am. I don't need your reasoning because I don't want to know, but..." Aphra looked away, containing herself, turning back to Padmé with a heavy mask. "So before you go around judging me for my decisions, maybe look at yourself. Cause me, I have a crush and I know where I stand. Do you?"

Padme couldn't find words. The question lingering in the air with a painful weight, the entire galaxy seeming to close in on her.

"Let's go," Aphra said, breaking the silence as she turned and proceeded down the path. "It's going to get dark soon."

Author's Note: Another update for you! (I know, GASP!) Hopefully it helps with the quarantine. I decided to make it longer since I split the chapter into three pieces. Hope you enjoyed! Drop a review!