Finally, I can be alone.
Almost immediately after his thought, a trooper was by his side following him down the hall.
I spoke too soon.
"Lord Vader." The trooper saluted.
"What is it, trooper?" Vader asked, trying to hide his annoyance.
"We have a situation."
Vader clenched his teeth, silencing the groan that was about to escape him. This was just what he needed, another situation. He didn't need this. Not now. What could have possibly happened that required his personal appearance.
"What sort of situation?"
"Concerning Senator Amidala, my Lord."
Vader paused his anger already beginning to re-boil. Of course it was involving her. It had to always involve her. Vader knew if he didn't want to snap her neck earlier, he certainly did now. She couldn't just behave while he was gone? There was no doubt in Vader's mind that she deliberately trying to torture him.
"Well?" He pressed on, waiting for the trooper to expel more information.
"A communication from her planet was approved, under Emperor Palpatine's orders, Sir." The trooper informed, "During the communication, our surveillance went dead, but the communication line remained."
Vader pushed back his anger about allowing a communication to occur without his approval. He didn't have time for this foolishness. He didn't have time for anything concerning Senator Amidala. He had other priorities.
"Get to the point, trooper!" Vader snapped. The clone beside him hesitated, fearing to inform his fearless leader of their situation. "W– We think that we were hacked, Sir."
"Hacked!" Vader yelled angrily, but it was more at himself than at the clone trooper beside him. How had he not felt such a disturbance in the Force? Had he really allowed himself to become so preoccupied that he had not felt it? His anger again, began to boil as his thoughts began to race. He just couldn't make sense of it. If his military technicians were hacked, that meant it was the second time today that someone had brought imperfection to his ranks. These flaws would not be tolerated. People would die for this outrage.
Turning back to the trooper beside him, Vader knew he needed answers. "How did this happen?" He asked, pushing for more information.
"We don't know, Sir. Techs are inspecting the lines now." The trooper responded, "The communication could have went dead as well, but–"
"Not likely." Vader growled, interrupting the trooper. He knew that if it concerned Senator Amidala, it wouldn't be that easy. "When did this happen?"
"Almost ten standard minutes ago, Sir."
"Ten?!" Vader yelled in complete rage as he turned in the direction of Senator Amidala's office. Ten minutes was too long. Far too long. He would have been notified immediately.
Why wasn't I?
"I should have been notified about this immediately!" Vader called back to the trooper that was now running to keep up with him.
"Wait, Sir!" The trooper yelled, halting the Sith Lord. "We notified the Emperor, Sir. He said to report that you were on your way. After that, the Emperor notified Tarkin, who was suppose to pass along the information to you."
Vader growled. That would explain it. Of course the man that lost him tongue was suppose to notify me.
"Well, he didn't." Vader growled, not willing to give a further explanation, "I would appreciate it next time if the information was told to me personally by one of our troops next time, trooper."
"Yes, Sir. My apologies." The trooper said with a slight bow of his head.
Vader waited, but the trooper did not leave. He could feel through the Force that the trooper had more to say to him.
"What else, trooper? Vader asked annoyed. He hoped the trooper would just get to the point. He hated pointless conversation. He hated wasted time. "The Emperor demands your presence, Sir." The trooper finally said, not looking his commander in the face. The troopers felt the same way about the Emperor as Vader did, not that they would admit it. To them, Vader was their leader. Vader treated them as equals and fought along side them. Vader, unlike the Emperor, would not command them to do something that he himself would not do. They respected their fearless leader, not the commanding Emperor.
Vader's heart stopped at the trooper's words as his mind shifted to why exactly the Emperor would demand his presence? Why did he not just summon him through their bond? Because I was too kriffing preoccupied to notice. He probably felt how preoccupied my mind was. Now he is displeased. But Vader knew there was something else. He could feel it. What could it be? There is no way in Sith's Hell he could have been told about Tarkin already, the only thing is… Senator Amidala. Vader froze. What had happened during the Senator's communication? The girl couldn't have been that stupid to spill her secrets? Could she? Oh, the things that his Master could figure out if the Senator would have said anything during her communication. The thought of the Emperor knowing what he was doing made Vader cringe. While the Emperor had expressed his desire to break the Senator and enter her mind, he highly doubted he would approve of his new technique. He could only imagine the things he would do if he were to find out. The torture would be never ending.
Pushing the thoughts away, Vader turned back to the quiet trooper at his side. "Why has the Emperor requested my presence?"
"He didn't say, Sir." The trooper replied with a slight shrug of his shoulders, "Just that I should inform you and ask for you orders."
He knew what that meant. Whatever the Emperor wanted from him was going to take some time. Time would be wasted and he would be tortured.
"Very well." Vader said absentmindedly, "Take Senator Amidala back to my establishments. There you will find a protocol droid that goes by See-Threepio, he will know what to do with her."
The trooper nodded, "Any punishment, Sir?"
Vader's insides cringed. Anger and happiness mixed into one.
"No." He whispered, "I will deal with her myself."
"Very good, my Lord." The trooper said with a salute, before he turned and walked in the direction of the Senator's office. Vader watched for a moment, allowing the trooper to disappear around the corner before he allowed his anger to be unleashed. "If I have to endure torture." Vader growled with complete hate, "So will she."
Sometime later, Vader entered his Master's hall that lead to his personal office. He knew he had kept the Emperor waiting far too long, but he had to be careful. He did not want to walk into a trap and allow his Master access to all of the secrets that were locked inside of his mind. He would not give anything away.
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