WHAT IS REAL

XXII

With that the view screen went black; Vader turned his attention to Padme lying on the sofa. His voice turned soft as he brushed a stray hair from her face. "What are you doing here, Angel?" She did not respond, of course, so Vader picked her up took her from the room. As he was carrying her up the stairs she stirred and turned her big brown eyes towards him. She focused on him and started to cry.

"How could you! How could you do something so awful to someone." she cried as she tried to hit him. But he saw the blow coming and used the force to block her hand from actually making contact with his face. He took her to their room before talking to her.

"What were doing somewhere where you should not have been? That room is forbidden."

"I did not know and I missed you. I came to look for you, but I should not come looking. What I saw scares me more than you know. I had always hoped that one day you would come and save me from Palpatine. Now you have and I wish you never did. You are no different that he." She spat at him. He dumped her roughly on the bed.

"Padme you have no idea what my life is like. You have no right to judge it."

"Really ! I think I have every right. I suffered through the worst of his torture for three years. I felt those hands close around my neck many times and right before I would die he would stop. I would be half dead and he would revive me. I only wanted to die and he would not let me. I told myself that you could not be so cruel. When I woke up to find you here I thought I was safe. I am wrong though."

"Padme I rescued you because I wanted protect you. Not because I wanted to hurt you. I am different. These past three years have changed me. I know Palpatine; he would have taunted you with the fact that I am not the same person you remember." Frustration mounted in his voice, "Why am I even defending myself to you? I have become who I wanted to be all along."

"Have you? Have you really, Vader? I see a powerful man but not the most powerful man. You have always been powerful. I also know something about Palpatine. He promised you power beyond you imagination but you are still his apprentice. He has shown you power but you are no more powerful than you were already. You just use your power in different ways. Anakin was not happy being someone's Apprentice but for some reason Vader has settled for it." She backed away after saying this steeling herself for a blow she thought she would be getting. But instead of a blow, Vader started to laugh. Why is he laughing? I just said some very mean things to him. This is definitely a different reaction than I was expecting.