WHAT IS REAL

XIX

"Jennifer" she called after the shaking subsided. "Come here."

Jennifer came out as she was bid. "Milady we must leave soon."

"No Jennifer we are not going to leave."

"But Milady he smacked you drawing blood and then his anger shakes the whole house. You can't stay here he will kill you."

"You know nothing of him. You see and hear what others have said to you but what do you know him. I know him. Three Years ago he choked me almost to death in his anger but he did not go that far. Before he became Vader he was Anakin Skywalker. He had a good heart and loved me wholly. The day he tried to kill me he thought I had betrayed him and all the others who knew him turned against him. Yet he didn't follow through with his actions and in my heart I knew that there was still good in him. You can't make the good go away you just cover it up."

"Milady it sounds like you are saying it is ok for him to choke you and hit you."

"No I am saying he is not the monster you think he is. Who were you before he brought you here?"

"He killed my former master when he saw him beating me in the market. I ran from him but he found me and told me I had to come with him. You were still out at the time and he told me I was to be your attendant. Akaash has told me I will get a salary for my work so I guess I am no longer a slave. You see that is the only difference between the 2 masters. Vader is cruel I see it in his eyes when I look at him."

"I see that look also but there are times I see another look. I saw it when I woke up last week. I saw it last night when I woke from a terribly distressing dream. There is good in him and I will not give up on him. I can't save him but I can stick with him. I thoroughly believe that he brought you here to save you from your bad situation. You see he was once a slave and he hates slavery."

"Maybe so milady but if I cross him he will kill me. There is no difference to me." She said truthfully and then she changed the subject back to Padme. "What if he hits you again? Are you just going to go back to him so he can do that again?"

"I am not going to move back to his room. I can't be treated like that again. Palpatine did such things to me and much worse. He is evilness to the core. You know nothing of evil until you meet him. I see now all my life he has been evil. He masked it really good between all his fancy speech and his 'care' for me. I see now how he thought I was an easy target but when I proved to him that I was not an easy target he tried having me killed. Then he captured me and did horrific things to me. I will not let myself be treated like that again." Tears spilled out of Padme's eyes and ran unchecked down her face. "See that is another reason I can't leave here. Palpatine will find me and nothing will spare me if that happens. Vader has always loved me and I will be mostly safe here. But I will not put myself in harms way."