Or perhaps he had. Maybe he had considered this exact situation or at least something akin to it.
She would never know.
She nevertheless felt gratitude, and she again promised that his sacrifice would not be in vain.
She grabbed a handful of stacked clothes from the shelves and tossed them into the bag, not particularly caring what they were. She was merely playing her part. She grabbed another handful and shifted her gaze to the trooper, inspecting his back.
She was astonished by his obliviousness and ignorance. It seemed she wasn't even considered a significant enough threat to warrant his attention. He paid her no mind as if she were merely a sheep and he, her shepherd. He showed no fear of her, no caution, and no concern for himself.
Why would he? She was meek, defenseless, and perhaps even childish in his eyes. Like many others, he had underestimated her, and he would pay the price. One of the Empire's finest protectors was outsmarted and brought down by the defiant little senator from Naboo.
She hoped Palpatine would be furious, although she doubted it would make the headlines. He wouldn't dare admit such a thing, but at least he would know. He would know it was her and that she had outsmarted him.
She looked around the room, hoping Artoo would be there, but the droid was missing. He wasn't in his usual spot in the corner of her room, but she didn't have time to worry about his whereabouts. He had likely been taken by the troops who had captured Dormé and any remaining members of her staff. It seemed she was truly alone. She moved quietly, bending down to retrieve a small vibroknife hidden between a stack of pants on a lower shelf, all while keeping her eyes on the trooper's back to ensure he didn't move. She gripped the handle, steadying her breath.
She always despised killing. She loathed taking a life, even one that many found unnatural or irrelevant. However, she would do so if necessary.
And it was necessary.
She could do this.
She reviewed the plan one last time before committing to her next move. She prepared herself, aware that she needed to act swiftly.
She stood, steadying herself with the knife in hand, while the trooper remained none the wiser.
She counted to three. One.
Two.
"I would watch your thoughts, Senator."
Padmé froze. Her blood ran cold, and she felt paralyzed. His unmistakable presence was suddenly behind her. The knife that had been so tightly gripped in her fingers slipped loose and crashed to the floor, taking all her plans with it.
Simultaneously, the clone trooper beside Padmé stood at attention, showing respect for his esteemed leader. "Lord Vader! Sir!"
Even upon hearing his voice and the trooper mentioning his name, she still refused to believe it.
No! Her mind screamed. It was impossible. He couldn't be there.
She cautiously turned toward the voice, partly expecting that she had imagined it and partly dreading the possibility of a blade piercing her chest.
She received neither.
Instead, it was far worse.
He was there. Darth Vader.
He stood motionless in the corner of the room, allowing the senator and clone trooper to absorb his presence. The stifling air and cold temperature of her apartment suddenly became apparent. It followed the Dark Lord wherever he went.
Padmé cursed herself. She was too late... yet she couldn't help but cling to her doubt.
It had to be a trick; there was no way he could be here. He simply couldn't have been.
However, the creature staring back at her offered a silent yet contrasting reply: It is certainly possible. "That course of action would be immensely unwise," Vader said, seemingly indifferent. "However, I won't prevent you if you wish to try."
She couldn't manage a response, even as she heard the hidden threat baiting her to try. He wanted her to give him a reason to attack, possibly to end this ruse before it even started. She sympathized with him in that regard, but she could only stare at him in shock and disbelief.
Even with the proof before her eyes, the senator couldn't believe it. There was no plausible way he could be there. Not yet. She had planned it so perfectly. Timed her every move down to the last second. She never really surmised she would make a clean escape. She knew there was a possibility that he would find her, but she still thought she would have had a chance.
How could she have miscalculated her escape so significantly? The clones had taken her directly home from the Senate Building, and they had left Vader in the Emperor's office right after. Even if he had left immediately after them, he couldn't possibly have been right behind them. There was no way. It was a ten-minute walk from Palpatine's office to the nearest bay and at least a fifteen-minute flight to her apartment. She should have had at least a ten-minute head start on him.
.
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