The Secret Apprentice | Vader x OC

Skywalker

Chapter 22: Skywalker

"General Grievous grilled cheese, roast pomork, kurado fruit and meiloorun juice. Again? How do you survive off eating the same foods every day?" Aurin complained to me, both of us walking our way back to Vader's quarters from the cafeteria with our bags of food.

Remaining undercover despite all of the extra personnel gone following the castle's completion, I had yet to feel entirely relaxed beyond the sanctum enough to lower my hood or leave the sanctum without a breath mask. "Hey. Leave me alone. I can't help it that these are the foods I like the most."

"Have you even tried anything else, hivemind?" The nickname annoyed me, having originated from the past I had revealed to her a few days ago after initially sharing it with Ciera.

"...Can you stop picking on me? All of the other cafeteria staff make me uncomfortable." Entering the lift with her, I sipped on my juice.

"Too uncomfortable to simply get food from them? Oh come on, Gido on seafood isn't half bad once you get used to him. And Khoan makes the best pasta in the galaxy, I promise you that. And I've eaten pasta from countless planets in my life." Aurin tried her best to encourage me for next time, making me sigh.

"Fine. How about if you grab them for me when dinner comes around, I'll try whatever it is you want me to. Sound like a deal?"

Aurin laughed, "if it gets you off the grilled Grievous and onto real food, I'll take it."

Aurin and I made our way into the sanctum, heading inside and to the chambers. We sat down at the work table and proceeded to unpack our food. Our discussions continued while we ate. Halfway through, the datapad attached to her hip began to go off.

"What is it?"

Immediately she shot to her feet, wrapping up her half-eaten food to trash it despite her not even being full, "it is Vader. He must have came to at some point, because he is draining the tank and preparing to leave it before Ciera and I had predicted him to. His body needs to rest. He shouldn't be leaving the tank so soon."

My eyes shot open in both concern, and excitement, "he is awake?" Standing up, I nearly had to jog after Aurin in order to catch up to her.

In the bacta chamber, the fluid was halfway drained by the time we got to the door. But for some reason, the door would not activate.

"Why is the door not opening?" Aurin complained, slamming her palm into the sensor in hopes it would open manually.

"He is holding it closed..." Just as the words left my lips, a mental message was given to me.

"Why? I need to check his scans and vitals." Aurin was frustrated.

"...He wants me to go in alone... He said if you come in with me...he will break your neck...that is the nicest way I can sugar coat his words to you..." Both of us were confused, and Aurin was becoming angry. Thankfully for her sake, she calmed herself and nodded.