SHADOWED LIGHT
By Laura-chan
Summary: Padmé Amidala is a young Senator in the Imperial Senate; but when she's suspected of being a Rebel, the Emperor sends his most trusted servant to investigate.
Time: AU
Rating: M/R mind the rating, MAY go up.
Pairing: Vader-Anakin/Padmé
Warning: I'm Italian, not English, so please don't mind too much my mistakes.
Disclaimer: I own only the plot of this story. Characters and background situations all belong to Mister Lucas.
CHAPTER 1
Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, was walking briskly in the passages of the Imperial Palace, the once-called Senate building - but that time had long passed and the Republic had fallen over a decade before, being replaced by the grand and powerful Empire – covering the well-known path to the Royal Chamber, wondering why his Master, Emperor Palpatine, had called him.
Darth Vader was a handsome speciement of human being, with wavy long hair, blue eyes and a body to die for: both for his looks and for his position as High Commander and Left Hand of the Emperor (which made him the second most powerful man in the galaxy), he was both envied, admired and feared.
It didn't help that he was young, in his early twenties, and already had a so high rank into the Imperial Army. Many had waited for him to fall into disgrace and to be removed, but the Sith Lord had been at the Emperor's side for more than six years and had never failed a mission he had been entrusted with, only managing to become even stronger.
Fool were those who couldn't see that Vader himself was Palpatine's successor!
There were rumors about him being the Emperor's secret son, but no one in the Court believed that: it was evident that the relationship between the two of them was more of a Master and a servant than a father and a son.
Many had tried to enter into Vader's graces, but had failed miserably, for he surrounded himself only with soldiers and he trusted few of them; someone said that the Sith hated politicians and courtesans.
But Vader had a secret ambition, one that not even the Emperor himself knew about: and what Palpatine was going to say that day would made him achieve the one thing Vader desired the most.
A few hours before, in the Imperial Senate...
Emperor Palpatine gritted his teeth as he watched the beautiful Senator talking animatedly to her collegues, publicly defying him once again.
Him!
The Emperor, Darth Sidious, Supreme Lord of the Sith!
How could that stupid, naïve girl...
He called the Dark Side, drawing strenght from It, letting It control his temper: it'd be bad for his imagine to assault the young woman in the Senate.
"Fellow Delegates! If this law passes, then every planet will lost its sovereignty independence and its right to have peace: with this law, His Highness... " she seemed to mock him, "...will have troops in every sistem supplanting the regular Armies."
Those words were greeted between the Senators with cheers or – more often – cautious whispers and indignate tirades.
Darth Sidious watched as Padmé Amidala of Naboo threw him a challenging smile as he answered with a satisfied one: she should have understood, by now, that the Senate was completely in his power.
There had been a time in which Palpatine had lusted after the gorgeous human female, who had been also his Queen before he became Chancellor and then Emperor: she was intelligent, creative, courageous and very beautiful. But with her innate sense of justice she was always an obstacle to his plans and he had grown weary of her pathetic attempts to restore democracy.
He had the power, and she just couldn't understand this.
Palpatine raised his hands and silence fell over the majestic Senate Chamber.
"What Senator Amidala can't see..." he began with a would-be-benevolent voice, "...is that the troops sent by the Empire," 'By me' "... are for your worlds' own security against the infamous Alliance. We all know that those retched Rebels can't wait to bring destruction on every peaceful planet. The stormtroopers will prevent this."
Claps and cheers filled the Senate as he finished, smiled humbly and bowing. Sidious looked at the furious Senator: being the smart woman she was, Padmé Amidala knew she had lost this battle, as many before.
But she wouldn't be defeated so easily.
Palpatine decided it was time to take matters in his own 'hands'.
Vader was just standing outside the Royal Chamber, waiting for his Master's permission to enter: he was excited, for in the Force he could feel anticipation and he knew that something was going to happen...
The door opened and Sidious' voice arrived clearly to his ears. "Come."
Vader entered, kneeling before the standing hooded figure, "What is thy bidding, my Master?"
"I have a new mission for you to accomplish: do you remember Padmé Amidala, Senator of Naboo?"
Vader smirked, showing his glee just for a moment: of course he remembered the beautiful woman. Since she had first appeared in the Senate, when she was just 17, she had opposed to Palpatine's rule, thing that the Emperor didn't take too well, as you can imagine.
But the younger Sith Lord remembered how he'd been fascinated by the passionate way she spoke when defending what she believed in, her defiant expression and flaming eyes.
Darth Vader had a feeling he was going to enjoy this mission.
"Yes, my Master. I do remember her."
"Very well." The Emperor nodded as he sat in his comfortable chair. "I want you to capture her and find out what she knows about the Rebellion: she opposes so strongly to me that I'm certain she's with the Alliance."
Vader's smirk grew even wider: oh, he had things in mind... ways to convince Padmé Amidala to tell him even her deepest secrets. He would definitely enjoy torturing her...his way.
Palpatine was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't read his apprentice's mind.
"I guess I can use any means to make her speak..." Vader trailed off suggestively.
"Of course." Palpatine waved a hand, dismissing the question. "You may go now: I hope to hear soon news of success."
The younger man bowed and left the room, a plan already forming in his twisted mind.
Padmé Amidala sighed, for once worried: she knew she had really annoyed the Emperor this time and she cursed inwardly her silly sincerity.
She knew that the things she had said were right, but... Padmé bit her lower lip. Dormé had reproached her for being so honest.
'It's dangerous, milady!' her handmaiden and friend had said, 'Palpatine could decide to have you... taken care of.'
Padmé shook her head: she couldn't sit down and watch as everything she'd always fought for – peace, freedom, democracy – died because of a greedy man with delusions of grandeur. She knew it wasn't probably the smartest thing she could have done, but...
Her eyes hardened: she had to do it... she just had.
She almost fell off her chair as an explosion boomed on the ship: Padmé gripped the armrests, throwing worried glances to the ceiling of her cabin. 'What had happened?'
Captain Typho, her Head of Security, opened her cabin's sliding door, a flushed look on his face.
"Milady," he said curtly "...We've being attacked by the Super Star Destroyed 'Executor'... Senator, it's Darth Vader's."
Padmé Amidala's blood freezed in her veins at the name mentioned.
'This is where my actions and beliefs brought me.'
She took a deep breath and her imperscrutable Senator mask was back in place.
"What does he want from us? We're a diplomatic ship."
"Milady... He wants to interrogate you."
"About what?"
"He's saying you're a rebel."
Lips parted in surprise: how could he know?
She struggled to remain calm as she heard another explosion: but she knew she couldn't risk her men's (and handmaiden's) life like this.
"Stop the ship and give him the permission to come aboard."
"But Senator..."
"Do I have a choice?" her hazel eyes flashed when Typho began to protest, "This is a diplomatic ship, we're not armed: we don't have a chance against Vader's Star Destroyer."
The dark-skinned man nodded and exited the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
All too soon Dormé, pale-faced, came to get her: and with all the regal behaviour she had learned and displayed when she had been Queen, Padmé Amidala walked into the Great Hall of the ship, now full with white stormtroopers.
The stormtroopers let her pass, so she could seat on the couch in the middle of the room: she did that and tried to calm her heart as Dormé and Sabé took their place near her, Typho standing behind them protectively.
And they waited: it took all of Padmé's will power not to start fidgeting with her cloak's sleeves.
Finally, after what seemed an eternity to the young woman, the white-armored men moved to form a passage for a dark figure walking towards her. Padmé couldn't suppress a gulp, knowing this would be Darth Vader: she had never met or seen him, but she had heard of his ruthless actions and striking victories.
He had sedated the rebellion on Corellia in two days.
Mantained safe the Galaxy's borders from the aliens threatening it.
He was the one who had defeated the Alliance in more than a battle.
He was a powerful fighter and a brilliant strategist.
She didn't look forward to meet him.
When Vader finally stopped in front of her and she lifted her eyes, she cast him a curious and surprised look: Padmé had imagined Vader to be a middle-age man with hard features and orrible scars from many battles running over his face and body.
Nothing had prepared her for the sight before her.
Darth Vader was instead an extremely good-looking young man, probably even younger than her, with cold blue eyes that captured her own, soft-looking long blond hair and a muscled physic.
Understanding from the smug smirk on his face that she was staring, she hardened her expression and straightened her back.
"What's meaning of this aggression, Lord Vader?" she asked in an irritated voice.
When Vader had first seen her, his breath had imperceptibly caught in his throat as he admired her feminine and graceful features. 'Force! She's absolutely gorgeous.'
And now that she was watching him with those fiery eyes, he wanted nothing more than scoop her up, throw her on his bed and fuck her until he wasn't able to walk anymore.
But he had been well trained and with all of his self-control he resisted the urge of taking the beautiful Senator into his arms, while smiling evilly down at her.
"Why, milady..." he purred, his husky voice making her shiver. "...the Emperor had grown weary of your speeches in the Senate, especially since you're suspected of being a Rebel spy..."
"This is absurd!" Padmé interrupted him hotly. "I'm a Senator!" '...and one of the leaders and founders of the Alliance...'
"As absurd as it may seem, you're under arrest and in my custody." Vader smirked. "Till we get to the Emperor, of course."
Then, he turned serious and with a gesture of his hand ordered to three stormtroopers:
"Take her to my quarters."
Vader watched her stiffening shoulders as she was escorted away, then shook himself out of his pleasant reveries. "Search the ship: see if you find something about the Rebellion." He commanded as the stormtroopers scattered around. "Then report back to me."
With that he turned, his cape flowing behind him, imagines of the lovely woman waiting for him in his room filling his head.
Senator Padmé Amidala sat on the black couch in Vader's quarters, watching with disgust around her: so, now she really was a prisoner.
'I really should have kept my mouth shut: I'm not helping the Alliance this way.' She thought sadly.
Evidently, the Emperor had had enough of her: 'But he doesn't want me dead... not yet, at least.' She didn't know if she should be relieved or not.
The sound of the door sliding open made the young woman lift her head: Darth Vader entered quickly, his pose confident as his eyes stared at her fixedly. Padmé grimaced.
"Please, don't look at me like that."
"Why?" he chuckled darkly.
"It makes me feel uncomfortable."
"Sorry, milady." But both from the seductive tone of his voice and the hungry look on his face she could tell he wasn't sorry at all. She decided to ignore it.
"So, Senator..." Vader filled two glasses with a strange blue liquid and then offered one to her: as Padmé took it, he sat next to her, too near for her comfort.
"Why don't you begin talking about this Rebellion of yours, mh?"
Padmé turned violently her head towards him, a defiant expression on her face.
"I have nothing to tell you, milord." She mocked him in a haughty voice.
His grin disappeared faster than a water drop in Tatooine's deserts, as Vader became serious and menacing.
"Oh, you'll have, Senator." He said lowly, his icy eyes holding hers. "I have you in my mercy as the Emperor gave me permission to use any method I'd see..." he smirked while his eyes roamed over her body, "...fit...to make you talk."
Padmé almost forgot to breathe at his intense look: he was invading her personal space and she didn't like it one bit. But, as she stared at his handsome visage, she cursed herself mentally, because she was physically attracted to this evil man, this Sith Lord.
"Do you really believe I'm afraid of you?" She retorted hotly.
He grinned darkly, towering over her, as she backed against the armrest of the couch.
"You will be." He said, raising a hand to caress her soft cheek, ignoring her wince.
"You will be..." he repeated in a whisper, leaning closer and sealing her lips with his.
Her eyes immedately widened as Padmé panicked, wondering what was happening: what was he doing? Kissing her?
How dared he?
Did he take her for some... whore? She was a Senator!
He was the Emperor's most trusted servant and she wouldn't fall for his charms: if he really believed he could seduce her into telling him the Alliance's secrets, then he was going to be deeply disappointed.
Ignoring the amazing taste of his lips, she closed her mind: without really thinking, she raised her hand and slapped soundly the offending man on the cheek, effectively interrupting the heated kiss.
She gasped, realizing what she had done, but not regretting it: even if she was a prisoner, she still was a Senator and demanded to be treated as such. It was Vader's fault if he had decided to step over boundaries not meant to be broken.
Vader still had in face turned into the direction of the slap, but his eyes were fixed on her, menacing and dark, brows lowered in a angry frown.
"Do you take me for a whore?" Padmé yelled incensed, standing up and putting as much space as she could between the two of them.
But Vader, having recovered from the shock, was faster, and before she knew it, she was trapped between the wall and the Sith Lord, whose breathing was warm against her face, their eyes locked together.
"No woman ever refused me." He whispered, seeming fascinated by her scared look. "You will be a challenge."
"I'm sorry to break it to you, but I'm a person!" she snapped, not acknowledging the arm now wrapped around her waist.
Vader, for the first time in his life, was utterly speechless: he was completely unable to reply.
He abruptly backed away from the young woman, watching her with a slightly shocked stare.
"C-3PO will show you your rooms." He said harshly, "You better prepare talking, milady." He spat out the title and, with that, he left the room.
After he disappeared, Padmé's legs failed her and she fell onto the floor, trembling.
'What in the Sith-hell had just happened?' she wondered.
Vader was breathing loudly, gasping, as he leaned against the closed door, a hand covering his eyes.
She just hadn't talked back to him, had she?
After a moment he began chuckling, first softly, then loudly – almost like a madman.
She had.
She had talked back.
And it had made him want her more.
A wide grin spread over his face: he was right, as usual. This was the woman made for him: finally, after all those years, it was time for him to claim what was his.
And Padmé Amidala was definitely his.
(to be continued)
AN: I know, I know there's still FS out there, waiting to be finished. But this story it's almost completely written on paper and I wanted to try something different, something other than Anakin/Padmé.
This fanfiction had been in my head for a long time (since I've started writing FS, almost 3 months ago), and now I wanted it to be published.
Hope you all like it.
Please, just let me know and REVIEW.
Thank you.
Laura