Love in the Dark

Chapter 9

Padmé put her first step on Naboo.
Although it hadn't even been two days since she had left the planet, many things had changed. The Empire's presence was everywhere, and a general feeling of fear was in the air. The planet had been cut off from the exterior, all entrances, exits and transmissions were controlled.
She realized how lucky she was to have smuggled her way through on a merchant ship. Now that she was safely in, she also had to think of a way to leave, in case things went wrong. The merchants were staying the night and had promised to wait for her until morning. They didn't know her identity as she had given herself a fake name and had left her ship in Obi-Wan's care, hidden in a crevice, somewhere safe.

The trip on the ship had made her think of her and Anakin in the past, when the young padawan had accompanied her to her home planet. Everything seemed to be pointing towards the young man and she couldn't get her thoughts and mind off of him.
Knowing Darth Vader was still most likely to be on the planet, Padmé prepared herself mentally. She knew that even if she saw him, she had to turn the other way. It was still too early to confront him for her plan to work.

Padmé immediately went towards her home, carefully staying on low profile. But when she arrived, she felt something was off. There were more stormtroopers patrolling the streets than ever, and there were even some carefully stationed around the house. Padmé took a back alley that gave way to a little stone path at the very edge of the water. She carefully slid through it, until she arrived to the back-water entrance of her house. There were no stormtroopers at the back and she made her way in. It was silent, until she heard faint voices coming from upstairs. As she grew closer, she recognized her parents' voices. Her mother saw her first and stared at her daughter, shocked. "Padmé! What are you doing here?" she said in a quiet voice. Her father went over to her, taking her in a worried hug. "You shouldn't have come back."
"What happened?" Padmé asked.
Her parents looked at each other, hesitant.
Her mother nodded to her father and said "They took Sola."
Padme stayed petrified.

*******

After Vader had found out about the existence of the two children, his mind was clear as to where he would find any leads.
Focusing on his memories of the past, he found the Naberrie's household. It was still standing there, tall and beautiful, as if nothing had ever changed.

Escorted by stormtroopers, Vader forced the door open. A woman came running into the entrance hall, worry spread across her face. He recognized her as Padmé's sister.
"What is the meaning of this?" she said with an angry tone. Her eyes flickered with realization as she studied the face confronting her. "Is that you, Anakin?" she asked.
Vader's eyes slanted at this statement. He took a step forward and the woman took one back. "That name means nothing to me." He said menacingly, "You are talking to Darth Vader, Sith Lord and apprentice to your emperor, Palpatine." He finished in a cold tone.
Sola stared at him disapprovingly. "And what can I do for you my Lord?"
Vader walked past her and looked around the room. "I have felt a strange presence not too long ago, when I first arrived here..." he started saying, still looking around. Vader turned to her: "...your sister."
Sola didn't say anything at this, her lips sealed. Vader continued: "Padmé Naberrie is alive, and so are her two children."
"My sister is dead. And I know nothing of surviving children."
"Liar." Vader hissed at her.
"I think I would know if I had nieces or nephews out there, and if my own sister, my only sibling, were alive. No, Darth Vader, I do not know what you felt but you are wrong. As for me, there is something that I am sure about. That is that the last time I saw you, you went by the name of Anakin Skywalker, a young Jedi padawan, a boy assigned to protect my sister from harm. Yet here you are, proclaiming to be someone else, and spreading fear and violence wherever you go."
Vader stayed silent for a couple seconds, staring at her, and Sola could have sworn the Sith would unleash his anger at her, but the young man stayed strangely calm.
"You're quite the eloquent woman, aren't you?" He finally said, a sly smile on his face. "Since you like talking so much, we'll make you talk.
"Take her away." Vader had ordered two stormtroopers who had immediately closed in on her, each holding one of her arms.
Sola quietly marched away to wherever they were taking her. She soon found out that she was being taken to the palace prisons. They were small grey cabins, each protected with laser gates. After the troopers had thrown her in, Vader stayed in the room, leaving the two of them alone. Vader reached out towards her, probing on her mind. Sola gritted her teeth at the pain, trying not to scream. But as much as she tried, after only a couple of seconds, Vader already had what he was looking for. "It was futile to lie." he said, "I already knew she was alive. Now what should I do with you, I really hate people who can't cooperate..."
"If anything happens to me, she'll never forgive you. You know she won't. Padmé never forgets so easily." Sola chuckled dryly.
Vader grunted and left the cell in a swirl of dark robes.