Padme stepped between Vader and the holoscreen, staring at the dark hole of his face. "How could you !" She screamed angrily, not caring about the consequences of her actions.
Vader shrugged. "I've done worse." He replied nonchalantly.
"I have no doubt of that." Padme spit, still raging with anger.
"And yet… Here you stand…. Shocked." Vader said amused as he looked up at her ever so slightly.
"Because you're acting like a monster!" Padme screamed bewildered, throwing her hands into the air.
"Well…" Vader sighed arrogantly, crossing his arms tightly over his chest; "At least I have a positive attitude about my destructive habits." Padme was beyond bewildered. She was shocked… devastated. "How can you just sit there and act like you don't care!" She screamed, gesturing between the holoscreen and Vader hoping to make some connection.
"Because I don't care." Vader replied honestly.
But Padme refused to believe that. She had seen too much to believe such a statement.
"No." She said shaking her head, "I don't believe that."
"I've never cared, Senator." Vader growled darkly, before adding quickly "And I never will."
"No." Padme repeated, still shaking her head as hot tears began to run down her face, "It's different now."
"How?" Vader asked hotly, "Because you think you're special? Because you think we've made a connection?" Padme felt her cheeks begin to flush and instantly Vader laughed, "Have you forgotten what I said before? I would think you have due to your thoughts. Remember, I've had many women, Senator. You can just become a number, if you so please."
Padme wanted to die. She wanted to run out of the room and lock herself in her bedroom forever. She tried to do just that, but she found that her feet would not move. She glanced quickly to Vader, to see if it was one of his tricks, but she could tell by the look of him, that it was not his doing. In fact, he seemed completely oblivious of the fact that she could not move. It wasn't his doing. It was something else. Something screamed to her, she didn't know what, but whatever it was, its message was clear.
Stay.
And immediately, Padme understood. "It'. Different. Now." She repeated again slowly, making sure to pronounce every word. She paused, and made sure to make what she thought was direct eye contact with Lord Vader. "I know you're human." Padme stated seriously, "And no human could do this and feel nothing."
A loud growl resonated from within Vader as he pushed himself off the couch and screamed, "I am not human!"
The building began to shake and objects began to shatter as a result of Vader's rage, but Padme pressed on. She was hitting a cord within him, and she had no plan on stopping.
"Your flesh and blood, Vader!" She screamed back, closing the gap between them.
"That doesn't mean anything!" He snapped, "You know nothing!"
"I know more than anyone!" Padme cried, trying to grab onto his cloak to make some connection. She needed to touch him, even if it wasn't his skin. She just needed something. Something to remind him. But Vader, wanted none of that. Padme failed at her attempt when his gloved mechanical hand halted her, coming up and gripping her wrist tightly. His grip was tight, too tight, and the metal beneath the leather digging into her skin.
"You have been waiting for your punishment, Senator." He said enraged, as he ignored her small cries of pain, "I suffered because I forgot my place, and it seems you have forgotten yours as well."
Without letting go of her wrist, he used his other hand to pull a device out of his pocket before raising it to his lips.
"General Veers," He called into the device, "Ready them."
"Yes, Lord Vader." The voice responded immediately, and seconds later, before Padme could even begin to question her predicament, the raging Sith Lord was pulling her through the establishments. She stumbled behind Vader, letting out small cries of pain whenever he pulled her roughly around a corner. Finally, they reached a large gray door, and only then did Vader release her from his grasp. When her wrist was free, Padme pulled it back into her chest protectively as she ran her fingers over the sore bump that was forming.
She frowned as she watched Vader begin typing a code into the control panel that caused the gray door to open and reveal a large lift inside.
"Where are you taking me?" She yelled loudly, as she faced the raging Sith Lord.
Vader turned to her slowly, his anger blistering, and as he turned, the hallway turned cold; freezing Padme to her bones as the darkness itself seemed to come alive. She took a step back, away from the Dark Lord as he too stepped forward with an outstretched hand. "Wouldn't you like to know." He growled, before everything when dark.
When Padme awoke, she was laying on a hard, cold metal surface. She opened her eyes slowly to the bright lights around her and instantly pain and confusion began to flood her mind. She ached all over, but mostly in her arm. She made a mental note to scream about that to Vader later, if he was in a good mood. Which she doubted. Pushing her personal thoughts away, Padme tried to piece thoughts together, knowing she had more important issues to think about.
What happened? Where am I?
"Senator Amidala?" A voice asked gently, "Senator Amidala, are you awake?"
Who is that?
More confusion. Not only did she not know where she was, but also she had no idea who she was in the room with. She squinted her eyes against the light, waiting for them to adjust. She saw an outline of someone before her, but no distinguished details.
"Who are you?" Padme asked in a panic, "Where am I?" She tried to push herself up into a sitting position, but the sudden push into the air against the bright light shining down on her caused her head to spin. A feeling of sickness washed over her and because of it, she felt herself begin to fall backwards.
The man's hands grabbed her shoulders gently, pulling her back into a sitting position, making sure that she did not fall. "You're safe, Milady." He said gently, "I am Captain Piett, first officer onboard Lord Vader's flagship, Executor. As for your location, I'm afraid I cannot tell you where you are at, besides a holding room within one of the many Imperial Bases."
"That's safe?" Padme laughed, "Locked inside an Imperial Base?" Piett gave a small chuckle as well before adding, "As safe as possible for now, I'm afraid."
She tried to look at the man before her, but again failed. Her eyes snapping shut the second the bright light hit her pupils.
"Lord Vader said that it might take a few moments for your eyes to adjust." Piett explained softly, "He said that you haven't seen true bright light in some time."
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