Running {a Vadala Story} (Ongoing)

|4-ESCAPING: PART ONE|

---------A n a k i n----------
Whenever I walk anywhere on this ship I feel everyone's eyes on me. I notice. I hate it!

I walk from my masters room in anger. I can't believe what my new orders are! I don't like being ordered around. I never have. The next opportunity I get, I'll defeat him. Then me and Padmè can rule together! I smile at the thought of me and my love ruling together.

I keep walking through the halls and start to pay more attention to my surroundings. Whenever a clone passes, their force signature gets a strong aroma of fear and intimidation. That's new. I think to myself after noticing this. I look down at my hands, both in dark gloves. Whenever I passed clones before I put on this dark suit, their aromas were filled with happiness and adoration. What happened? What happened to me? I question. What does it matter anyway?! If their scared of me its a good thing! Its not like their important anyway.

I shake off the thoughts and decide to star this king about something else until I make it to my destination.

- - -

When I finally make it to the landing platform where my ship is, I started thinking about what my life has become, and how quickly it changed. I barely have even been a "Lord" of the Galaxy so far and it feels like everything's different. Nothing is the same. Everyone I cared about is dead or hates me, while I hate them, with an exception for who this is all for. I used to be a Jedi, a war hero, someone people looked up to. Now what am I? A villain. But, is it really villainy if everything I've done if for my wife? If its for the good of the Republic? The Republic the Jedi betrayed!

I shake off the reflective thoughts I see my new ship. Why are there troopers guarding my ship if I'm not in it? I ponder while noticing the two clone guards on either side of the entrance of my ship. The clones seem really panicked for whatever reason.

When I walk up to them I notice them stiffening up into a more formal and military style stance and hear them say "Lord Vader." in unison, both seeming slightly scared.

"Troopers" I reply, ignoring the panic in their voice while waving my arm a bit. I hate how formal I have to be now. I think while walking to my ship. "Can you please leave me with my ship." I tell the troopers as if it was a question when it was more of a demand.

"O-of course Lord Vader!" The trooper on the left replies while he motions for the other one to leave with him and walks away towards the next room, professionally. The other one follows with the same style of walking, and they leave the docking bay.

While they're walking away I notice some marks on their gear, seeming to be from being stunned from behind. It's probably from a former fight. I shake it off.

I walk to my ship once I know that they are gone and knock on the door, waiting for Padmè to answer.

Nothing.

I knock harder this time.

Still quiet.

I check the time.

2:30 am

I guess she would be asleep, wouldn't she? I think to myself.

"Padmè?" I say aloud. I don't think she would be able to hear me if she's sleeping. Maybe I can open it from out here.

Remembering the layout of my ship, I try to unlock it from outside with the force but, it's already unlocked. Maybe she forgot to lock it? She would never try to leave me, right? I start to think the worst. No, of course not!

I then remember the words she said to me on Mustafar...

"You're going down a path I can't follow!" She said to me with tears in her eyes... Then later "I love you!" The words she spoke before I choked her with the force. Then what I yelled in return...

"LAIR!"

She didn't actually lie... Did she?

I shake the thought from my head. Shifting my thoughts from my line of overthinking to getting into my ship. I walk to the door and open it slowly. Immediately talking off my helmet.

That damn helmet is so uncomfortable! I'll need to ask my master if I can make adjustments to it. Changing to the more important subject, I turn to the long hallway at the end of my ship, where my wife should be.

Starting to walk. "Padmè?" I question. Continuing, I reach for the handle of the bedroom. I turn the handle slowly and hold my breath while opening the door.

She's gone.

S h e ' s  g o n e .

Parts of the ship start to bend unnaturally from my anger. I stare at the empty room, outraged. Why is she gone? I think to myself. She must be in the cockpit! I think to myself, acting as though it's a fact, when I know it isn't.

I walk to the front of the ship, looking around all of the rooms on the way and, unsurprisingly, see no one. She left me. I realize. Why? I get angrier. 

Why? I ask, again as if I will get an answer. I can finally give her everything we could ever need and want! So  w h y ? I stare forwards through the glass as I see it quickly start to break from my anger. W h y ?  I see the glass loudly shatter into hundreds of pieces. W h y ?

She just doesn't understand how it's good for us. How its good for her. She'll eventually come to her senses. In the meantime, I'm going to find her. For her protection. I try to sense her with the force. She's still on the ship!

"Lord Vader," I hear a clone over my comm. "I found a new prisoner."