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Title: Concerto Part II: Counterpoint in Black
Author: Lady Jehanne (lady_jehanne@yahoo.com)
Rating: R
Characters: Vader, OFC.
Category: AAU, Romance, some Angst, and Sex.
Disclaimer: I make no money for this. More, I don't own Vader, and he doesn't own me. Worse luck.

Summary: Any marriage involves adjustments. Some more than most.

Lady Vader... I am now Lady Vader. Married for only five days, that was still one of the first thoughts that crossed Kianna's mind as she woke each morning. She slept alone, woke alone, spent most of her time alone working on starcraft design. But in some ways, so many ways, her life would never be the same.

Kianna slipped out of the oversized bed with its blue slub-silk comforter and white sheets and padded across the grey stone floor to the fresher. She again made a mental note to get a rug for the floor, even though she had yet to find one she liked. Another person would have settled for less than perfect, but Kianna would rather suffer cold feet in the morning. A quick trip to the 'fresher, her morning migraine pill, and then she was selecting her clothing for the day and dressing herself. The thought of hiring a personal maid had occurred to her, most women in her position relied on one for help dressing. But the security issue had deterred her for now. Besides, she avoided the ornate robes and embroidered gowns that had been the height of fashion under the Republic, and that so many nobles and senators still clung to.

She paused before the mirror of her bedroom vanity to check that she was put together correctly. The wool-plush gown she wore was a lighter shade than Army grey, and the high neck, long sleeves, and front placket were meant to suggest an officer's uniform. No officer would have such a tiny waist, however, or wear a gown with full floor-length skirts. Imperial chic, the style was called, and Kianna counted herself fortunate that she could pull it off. It did make her look even more pale than usual, however. She had been born with a flawless pale complexion along with large grey eyes and nearly colorless white hair. She was also tall, almost as tall as her husband, with a delicate facial structure. The overall effect was exotic, but in the xenophobic atmosphere of the Empire, that wasn't always a compliment.

Looking at herself in the mirror, Kianna wondered what the Emperor had seen in her. It had been the Emperor who had ordered the wedding; she and Vader had met only a short while before that evening and enjoyed a brief discussion on spacecraft. The Emperor publicly claimed that it was out of a need to secure the succession of the Empire. Privately he had told her that it was because Vader had reacted to her, had seemed more like his old self before he became Darth Vader. Now Kianna thought both explanations were lies.

She sighed faintly, turning away from the mirror and heading out into her sitting room. Vader obviously saw very little in her. Aside from a few passionate hours each evening, she never saw her new husband. During that time she felt like the center of his world, but then he put his armor on again and shut her out. As pleasurable as their time together was, she found herself wishing he would just talk to her. Spend time with her. Instead, they exchanged stilted letters by computer. With formal politeness she would make some minor request and he would reply with an equally formal letter granting her requests, though usually with restrictions. With some frustration she thought that if these brief letters were the only way she had to get to know her husband, she'd die of old age first.

"Good morning, Lady Vader. Lord Vader has given permission for you to visit your modiste today, and security has cleared it. An escort will be waiting in the hangar when you are ready."

TC-13 was a silver protocol droid with a female personality matrix and a pleasant contralto voice. She was currently taking on the duties of both personal assistant and lady's maid until Kianna chose to fill one or both positions. Her programming had been heavily modified by Lord Vader, but Kianna hadn't yet dared to investigate exactly how.

"Thank you, TC. Do you mind doing my hair?"

Kianna sat at a small table where a breakfast of cut fresh fruit, a slice of nut-bread, and plenty of hot, strong kaf waited.

"Of course not, Lady Vader. It would be my pleasure."

As the droid started to comb and braid her hair, Kianna nibbled at her breakfast. She had never been a morning person, but could fake it convincingly with enough kaf in her.

After a while, Kianna accepted a mirror from the droid, and nodded her approval. Her hair had been worked into a half a dozen braids, then coiled and pinned into a deceptively simple arrangement.

"Thank you, TC."

She accepted a pair of delicate grey gloves from the droid, and draped a wool cloak lined in silk about her shoulders. She slipped a credit chip into a small hidden pocket in the cloak.

The corridors of Vader's palace were of black stone, with not a trace of carpet or artwork to be seen, but they had become familiar. She had spent the days since the wedding building a map of the palace in her head, until she was confident she could get where she was going without getting lost. The hangar housed a variety of craft, including her own Concerto, a sleek, arrow-head shaped yacht that she had lovingly redesigned and rebuilt over the years. If a Star Destroyer was a sword hanging over the head of a planet, the Concerto was a stiletto waiting to slip between the ribs. And possibly the only thing I love other than music, Kianna mused.

Four human males in black uniforms stood near an airspeeder, obviously her security detail. The airspeeder was a custom job, similar in some ways to a Gaba-18 from the look of it, with room for pilot, copilot, and six passengers. And probably incredibly boring to fly. But it had been almost two weeks since she had flown anything, the longest time she had gone without in years that hadn't involved a stay in a Bacta tank. Her smile to the guards was tight, with more than a hint of steel.

"Good morning, gentlemen. This should be a short trip; I hope you enjoy the ride."

One of the guards cleared his throat politely, "My lady, though I'm sure you're a licensed pilot...."

 Kianna cut him off, "Did Lord Vader give an express order that you are to do the flying? Or that I am not?"

The guard blinked at being interrupted.

"No, my lady," he said hurriedly. "However if attacked someone qualified should be at the controls."

Kianna's eyes snapped dangerously. She truly envied her husband's ability to choke people with a thought. Instead she lowered her volume and her voice became calmer. Far too calm.

"I was licensed as a pilot at twelve. I was a test pilot by 16. If you wish to query my credentials, you may remain here and do so while the rest of us depart. I did not ask for your opinion. I gave an order."

Apparently he had at sometime had a superior officer with the same vocal trick, because he paled a little then and stopped objecting. She'd learned it from an officer herself.

There were no further protests as Kianna briskly boarded the craft and began the preflight. The security officer who had objected took the co-pilot's seat, the others sitting in the back. Kianna began the preflight with brisk efficiency. She couldn't remember skimping on a pre-flight on her life, and wasn't about to start now. Her parents had been assassinated, killed when their shuttle exploded, and she always wondered if a little more caution might have prevented it. Her takeoff was as precise as ever, departing the hangar and slipping into the skies above.

Flying over Coruscant, however, was as boring as local authorities could make it. The majority of traffic was confined to flight lanes and large tracts of sky were no-fly zones unless you had the proper clearance. The fact that she had proper clearance and wasn't confined to the lanes didn't make things less boring, it just made the trip quicker. Still, she thought, a bad day in the sky's better than a good day on the ground.

Madame Lorah's business was located in the upscale Jrade district, and might have been a large apartment with a landing pad when seen from the air. There were no signs or advertisements, as Lorah had no interest in attracting random business. If you couldn't find her, you couldn't afford her. Kianna landed the craft with the same mathematical precision as she had launched it. At least the guards made no comments about her flying, which some of her instructors had decried as bloodless, passionless. Kianna thought they had confused passion with sloppiness, and tried to be as perfect as possible in her day to day piloting. Of course, perfection wasn't always possible when you were a test pilot, which had made that interesting. She regretted that those days were over.

Kianna disembarked the airspeeder, and headed towards the door, which was flanked by another pair of Vader's guards. The door opened to a grey haired woman with dark brown eyes and a warm smile.

"Lady Vader, such a delight to see you! And may I offer my sincere congratulations."

Madame Lorah bowed, and backed up so Kianna and her guards could enter. A handsome woman who looked to be in her forties, Kianna knew that Debia Lorah was twice that. Madame Lorah was also dressed in the Imperial Chic style, her dress made of a less lush, dark grey fabric. The cut was also simpler, without the front placket and straighter skirts, though it kept the long sleeves and high neck of the uniforms that had inspired it.

Kianna entered, ignoring the two guards who entered with her, and the other two already in the room.

"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice. I suddenly find myself in need of a much more extensive wardrobe..."

Kianna was willing to bet that Madam Lorah had been working on just that ever since the engagement had been announced, along with other things.

Madame Lorah nodded.

"Of course, of course... I took the liberty of making up a few things that might suit, in addition to your usual purchases. Some of them may need minor alterations, but I hope they will do."

The gowns in question were more than a few, and the next hour no doubt bored the guards to tears though they were too well trained to show it. Madame Lorah kept up a bright, cheerful chatter as each gown was tried on and every pleat and cuff examined. A few gowns were handed to a droid for minor alterations to be done immediately. Kianna smiled, not just at the growing pile of neatly boxed gowns, but at the occasional glazed look in the guards' eyes as they were subjected to a discussion of the inappropriateness of Senator Mon Mothma's taste for vine-silk gowns, the length of Senator Harbright's skirts, and size of Lord Vandron's lapels.

As the guards began loading the packages into the airspeeder, Madame Lorah handed Kianna her cloak. Kianna settled it about her shoulders, noting the presence of a chip in the hidden pocket on the left hand side, even as she drew the credit chip from the right hand side and handed it to Madame Lorah. She hadn't seen Madame Lorah place the chip, so there was a good chance the guards hadn't either. There was no discussion of price as Madame Lorah processed the credit chip and returned it, with only a smile exchanged between the two women.

There was no argument from the guards as she took the pilot's seat, only a slight ease in the tension of their shoulders; relief, she surmised, at their departure from the den of gossip. Kianna smiled a bit, but didn't relax, devoting her attention to flying and watching for any potential attacks or problems. Thankfully there were none, and she shortly landed in the hangar at her husband's palace. She still couldn't bring herself to think of it as home. Several servants moved forward to take the packages, even as the security guards took themselves elsewhere. Kianna had no doubt her insistence on piloting would be reported to Lord Vader, but she doubted it would be enough to make him visit her. After all, she thought with a smile, it wasn't as if she had thrown the guard out of the speeder.

Back in her rooms, Kianna made sure to palm both chips before hanging her cloak, and put them aside in a small wooden box that she kept for such. The chip that Madame Lorah had provided was slipped to the second to last in the pile, and then Kianna forced herself to forget about it. Instead, she and TC-13 spent time reorganizing her wardrobe and deciding what outfits would require new jewelry. It soon became obvious that another shopping trip would be necessary.

Dismissing TC-13, Kianna retrieved a datapad, and checked her messages. She suspected that her husband's security was screening most of them out, since very little actually reached her. There were no messages from Vader, one from her estate manager back on Caloria, and a message from the Emperor. With a tightening feeling in her stomach, she read the polite invitation to avail herself of the Imperial gardens any time she wished. A check of the timestamp showed it had been sent just minutes after she had left the palace this morning. Kianna took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and forced her stomach to unclench. She knew the Emperor would have her watched; it was the personal interest which was disturbing.

With care she composed a very formal note thanking the Emperor for the invitation, but not committing to any specific time to visit. She really needed to have a talk with her husband before she risked coming face to face with the Emperor again. Of course, that was hard to do when Vader was avoiding her during the day. She had tried requesting to see him, but gotten no response. She didn't want to try confronting him in the halls, having him dismiss her in front of others was more humiliation than she wished to risk. His quarters were locked against her, but she did have access to the gymnasium where he worked out. She did her own sword-drills there. But the idea of confronting him when had a lightsaber in hand for practicing against combat droids struck her as worse than foolish. Trying to talk to him when he visited in the evening had proved futile as he had simply "distracted" her. And withholding marital favors from him until they talked... Kianna found herself blushing at the thought. She wasn't sure she had enough willpower for that.

With a sigh, she turned to the message from her estate manager. A mixture of news and requests for instructions, composing a response to the better part of an hour, including having to stop and look up some information on Imperial legal precedents. The closer you got to Coruscant, the less the Colonial Systems' titles seemed to matter to people. People usually thought of her as Raith Sienar's niece and a citizen of the core, ignoring her birth on Caloria and titles there unless they wished to be insulting. She sighed. Now they'd no doubt only think of her as Lady Vader... but her duties to her estate remained.

A glance at the chrono reminded her that she had skipped lunch. Again. She sent a brief message to the kitchen, requesting soup and hot tea. It wouldn't take long for them to prepare, and it would give her something in her system even though she really didn't feel hungry. She briefly considered asking to see a physician, but dismissed the idea. She wasn't feeling ill, so there was no sense in subjecting herself to an afternoon of poking, prodding, and testing. Instead she addressed her datapad again, and worked on yet another note to Vader.

My Lord Husband,

My thanks to you for permitting me to visit my modiste this morning. I will need to visit a jewelry store of some repute in the near future to complete several of the outfits, but I am willing to be guided by your wisdom in this. Alternately, I could pay a visit to my estates on Caloria which would allow me to relocate more of my belongings here and possibly procure a lady's maid as your staff has yet to find one who meets the stringent qualifications required.

You have not yet replied to my request to attend the charity concert the night after next, so I have not been able to reply to Moff Gustavu's invitation. As he is Moff of the Tapani sector where my own estates lie, my not attending could be taken as an insult and have political repercussions. I do not believe that Senator Bertar will attend, as Moff Gustavu's opinions of non-humans are well known. The Tapani sector is already at a disadvantage due to having a non-human representative in the Senate, and I do not wish to complicate things further. Additionally, the cause is a worthy one, raising money to aid those who have suffered in the attacks of the terrorists who call themselves the Rebel Alliance. However, for me to attend without you would suggest a rift between us and possibly weaken your position in the public eye. If you do not choose to attend, I will remain home.

I have also received a message from the Emperor inviting me to visit the Imperial Gardens whenever I wish. While I have replied thanking him for this, I did not indicate any particular time that I would visit. I wish to speak with you before I accept this invitation, but dare not delay for too long for fear of appearing to slight the Emperor. I would gladly speak with you at any time convenient for you.

Your obedient wife,

Kianna

By the time she had finished composing the letter, TC-13 had brought lunch, and left again. She sipped the soup, and reread the letter again, hesitating to send it. She worried that explaining the political situation might appear condescending, but it was necessary. She had no idea how much, if at all, Lord Vader followed politics. A second scan checked to make sure there was nothing in the letter that she would mind the Emperor seeing, or that she would object to falling into the hands of an enemy. Only then did she tap the key that sent it on its way. Sighing, she finished her meal before retreating to the bedroom.

Leaving the pad she had been using on her bed, Kianna retrieved a second datapad from where it had been carelessly tossed in a drawer. This pad had come from the Concerto, and there was a hardware switch to disable the wireless circuitry. It also had a specially modified reader. Retrieving the credit chip from near the bottom of the pile, she slid it into the reader, giving it the little quarter turn necessary for it to make connection. With one hand she held it in place, the other issuing the command to download the data on board. A regular credit reader would simply find a couple hundred credits on it... too many to throw away, not enough to be worth consolidating with another chip. The download took a mere moment, as did wiping its memory clean. She then removed the chip and dropped it back into the box with the others.

Curling up on the divan, she began to peruse the data gathered by Lorah. The data on Senator Mon Mothma and Senator Harbright were interesting. They definitely had strong republican leanings, but there was no proof of involvement with the Rebels. There had been grumblings about Palpatine's rule from the beginning, but the organized rebellion was newer, and more dangerous. There had even been a few attempts on her Uncle's life. Mentally, Kianna added the two Senators to her list of people to avoid.

The information on Lord Crueya Vandron and the Commission for the Preservation of the New Order was much more interesting. She had joined the old Commission for the Preservation of the Republic's Sub-Adult Group at thirteen at her Uncle's insistence. The political indoctrination had been heavy handed, but she had said the right things, even written some well received papers for the local newsletter. Then when she was sixteen the Republic had become the Empire, COMPOR had become COMPNOR, and had smoothly gone from calling for a stronger central government to singing the Emperor's praises.

Looking at how far COMPNOR's tendrils reached, she was very glad she had kept up her membership. They seemed to have penetrated every level of Imperial bureaucracy with divisions acting as a secret police and had even infiltrated the military. Getting on COMPNOR's good side might be vital if her husband was to claim the throne someday. Kianna's lips pressed to a thin line. Approaching Lord Vandron directly would be a mistake; every political instinct she possessed told her that. However a brief search turned up that several of the more ambitious youth she had been in SAGroup with now held respectable positions in various divisions of SAGroup or COMPNOR itself. Kianna smiled to herself, seeing an in. She would send a letter to an 'old school friend', asking for help in setting up a scholarship for SAGroup youth. Handled correctly, and they would soon come around trying to cultivate her.

A chime from the datapad on the bed distracted her from her brooding over politics. Kianna powered down the pad she was using, and checked her messages.

My lady,

I have informed Moff Gustavu that we will be attending the concert.

Lord Vader

Kianna found herself staring at the three lines, trying desperately to wring some more out of them. His previous notes had referred to her as Lady Kianna. Was addressing her as my lady warmer? Cooler? He hadn't put any warnings or restrictions on their attendance. And he did say we, they would be attending together. That had to be an improvement... didn't it?

Kianna tossed the datapad back on to the bed, and started to pace. He was insufferable. Unreadable. They should be on the same side here; instead, it felt like they were opponents in a game in which she didn't know the rules. Her bedroom felt too small for pacing, so she headed out into the hallway. Something had to be wrong. There had to be a reason he didn't trust her. Did she fail somehow in comparison to his late wife? Was the Emperor whispering poisonous things about her to Vader? Was there some flaw in her that kept him away? Mentally she started listing off her numerous flaws as she wandered through the halls of the palace, her footsteps almost inevitably leading her down to the hangar and the Concerto.

Darth Vader looked at a small alert on his desk, informing him that his wife had left her quarters. She had explored the castle the day after the wedding, but hadn't pried. If a door was locked, she moved on without question or complaint. Nor did she continuously revisit it, hoping to find that his security had lapsed. He looked back at the reports that he had been given and frowned behind his mask. First Palpatine had publicly given him time off to spend with his new bride. Then privately he had dumped a load of intelligence reports on Vader to look through for signs that the rebels were becoming more organized. It was a pattern Vader had seen many times in the twelve years he has served Palpatine; give with one hand, take away with the other, and leave the victim crushed in between.

A glance at the security panel showed Kianna was heading down to the Concerto. She had started going down there a few hours each day, starting the day after they were married. The first time he had been worried that she might be trying to flee, but all that happened were occasional requests for parts or tools. The first time they had met, they had talked about ships and ship design. And her first act after their engagement was to entrust the yacht to his care. He had guarded it jealously, allowing no one else aboard. Which meant it was likely even more secure than her quarters from the Emperor's spying. There was always the chance that the Emperor had had something built into the palace when he ordered it constructed for Vader, or that a servant was in the Emperor's pay.

He quickly closed the files he was examining and rose to his feet, heading down to the hangar. He wasn't sure what kind of game the Emperor was playing, but it seemed more and more likely that Kianna was as much a victim of it as he was.

The outer hatch of the Concerto opened, and then sealed behind him. Vader paused for a moment as a wall of sound poured over him. Keyboards in a classical style, but no piece he recognized. The music was powerful, heavy with grief and rage, almost brutal in its intensity. He moved towards Kianna's bedroom in the rear of the ship, following the sound of the music, and paused in the doorway. The small bedroom was much like the one he had prepared for her in the palace, save the bed was smaller and the furniture all built into the walls or bolted down. One thing was different from his last visit here, a section of the wall had opened up and a tiered arrangement of keyboards pulled out. Scanners had not detected them through the wall's heavy plating, and Vader wondered why she had gone through such effort to hide them.

Vader had never found much beauty in pain, despite the claims of Sith teaching. Until now. Watching Kianna play, that changed. Her left hand moved to one of the keyboards off to the side, playing a soft, reassuring theme, then returned to the main board to hammer out a violent rebuttal. The softer counterpoint tried to reassert itself again and again, but each time it was hammered away by the main theme, by the grief and rage. The main theme eventually dominated, then curled around itself, repeating again and again, growing softer as the music faded out.

Kianna just stood quietly, waiting as silence filled the room between them.

Vader's voice was thoughtful as he broke the silence, "Your uncle did not mention that you played."

Kianna said softly, "He doesn't know. At one point I wanted to perform professionally, so he forbade me to play. He destroyed my music, my keyboards, all of it." She took a deep breath, then turn to face him, looking up to met his gaze despite his mask. "I asked myself what I really cared about... being known as a musician, or the music itself. When I decided the latter... I knew I could let my uncle think he had won."

"Sienar wouldn't be fooled that easily."

Raith Sienar was many things, but a fool was not one of them. He had been a quiet backer of the Emperor's rise to power.

Kianna exhaled.

"I never said it was easy," she said. "It was years before he was convinced. I built a keyboard in my head... imagining the sound of each key. I did finger exercises in the dark to keep my strength and flexibility. I practiced in my head, visualizing each keystroke, the sound, the placement of my hands. Anything I composed I had to memorize, never daring to write it down." Kianna took a deep breath and let it out again. "The one thing it was not... was easy."

Vader took a step closer, studying his wife carefully. With that kind of discipline and will, with the grief and rage she seemed to hold bottled up inside her, she would have made a fine Sith, if she had any ability with the Force. But if she had been strong in the Force, no doubt she would have been claimed by the Jedi, and died at his hand.

"Your Uncle assured the Emperor and me that you were obedient."

Kianna gave him a small smile.

"In public I am perfectly obedient. That doesn't mean I'm witless or spineless. Any disagreements between us must be kept private or it will only aid our enemies."

Vader reached up, and tucked a stray lock of hair back into place behind her right ear, and watched as she relaxed. It was still surprising, that a woman could relax at his touch.

"We can't present a united front if we don't talk, however. And we need to, particularly in the face of the Emperor." Vader's hand froze then, not moving. He said nothing, so Kianna pressed on, "I don't know what he had in mind with marrying us, but I don't think it was our happiness or the good of the Empire. He visited me privately the day before the wedding. I think he was trying to turn me against you."

Vader withdrew his hand then, turning away from her, clasping his hands at the small of his back as he attempted to keep his rage in check. It would be far too like Palpatine to play that kind of game.

"Why do you say that?"

Kianna took a slow breath, and answered, "He apologized for insisting on the marriage, he said that seeing us together had reminded him of the man you had been before you became Darth Vader. He told me that being married to you would put me in horrible danger... That you had killed your first wife."

Vader's hands remained clasped behind his back as he turned to face her.

"I did."

He watched her expression, waiting for fear, for horror or rejection. Instead he saw determination in the tilt of her chin, the way she folded her hands in front of her and tried to stare him down.

"He implied that you would do the same to me... I had a horrible headache, so it didn't take any effort to go pale. He told me that I should inform him of your behavior... and that accommodations could be made once I had given you at least two children." She took a deep breath, and tilted her chin a bit higher. "I don't think I can tell the Emperor to go to hell and live through it. But I'm tempted to do just that. You deserve better."

Vader stalked towards her slowly.

"Do I? I killed my wife. You have no idea of the blood on my hands."

Kianna didn't flinch from him.

"I've been designing starfighters for over a decade. How much blood is on my hands? If I was part of a team, does it dilute the blood? If someone uses elements I created in another craft, am I to blame for those deaths too?" She reached up, resting her hands on his shoulders. "You make your choices... and then you live with them. It's all any of us can do. The question is, what are we going to do? For now, polite formality in public will do... but sooner or later, the Emperor will start asking questions. I need to know what you want me to tell him."

Vader paused for a moment.

"You would lie to the Emperor for me?"

He tried to read her through the Force, but instead met with an infuriating nothingness. It was as if the Force refused to have anything to do with his stubborn little bride.

Kianna blinked.

"Of course. You're my husband. That means I am on your side... even if I disagree. I will play whatever role you need me to in public; any disagreements will be kept strictly private. Read my mind if you wish. I have nothing to hide from you."

Vader's voice was harsh.

"I cannot. You seem to be shielded, which with your midichlorian levels is impossible."

"With my lack of midichlorian levels, you mean." Kianna's tone was heavy, bitter. "I found out ages ago... in school we were supposed to test our blood type, sugar levels, midichlorian levels. The teacher berated me in the class for doing the test wrong, that all humans had some midichlorians." She grimaced, "Except me, it seems. After that, whatever small chance I had of making friends was ruined... the rumors that I wasn't really human saw to that."

"Your Uncle thought your midichlorian count might dissuade the Emperor from forcing us to marry." Vader didn't bother stating the obvious, that it hadn't worked. "The Emperor had you scanned without your knowledge while at the palace... as did I. I know you're fully human." He placed a hand on her shoulder, looking down into her eyes. "The Emperor told me to use you to conceive an heir, but not to trust you. That you would betray me."

He watched as a flush of rage crossed Kianna's face, her eyes almost burning with it. Her tone was crisp with anger.

"And he told me not to trust you, and was working on manipulating me into betraying you. It's hard to think of a better way of making us both miserable. Is that his goal? To ruin both our lives?"

"Or he may wish to teach me a lesson. He would consider it a mistake for me to trust someone again."

He kept a light grip on her shoulders, watching as expressions flickered across her face.

Then Kianna's eyes went wide, her expression one of horrified revelation.

"He's Sith... he's your master."

Vader ran the fingers of his left hand down the back of her neck, the gesture both intimate and subtly threatening.

"You will keep that insight to yourself; very few in the Empire know that Palpatine is Sith. If the Emperor asks about our relationship, you will tell him that I do not see you except while trying to get you with child and that you are still afraid of me."

It was scant protection from the Emperor. It would be better to get her off Coruscant. Perhaps a honeymoon trip, and then once she was pregnant he could 'exile' her back to her own estates.

Kianna nodded.

"Very well, but I want there to be more between us." She tilted her chin up, an expression he was coming to recognize. "I don't expect you to love me, but I want more time with you. Do you realize this is the longest we've talked since the wedding?"

"You don't believe a Sith Lord can love."

His voice was cold. Sith shouldn't love, for it leads to compassion. Jedi shouldn't love, for it leads to attachment. He'd failed at being a Jedi. Perhaps Palpatine was setting him up to fail as a Sith.

Kianna met his gaze directly.

"I don't believe I'm particularly lovable. My uncle and I understood each other, worked well together. But I don't think anyone has loved me since my parents died." Kianna sighed softly, glancing down for a moment. "Perhaps I do my Uncle an injustice. He spared no expense on my education and training, and once I showed a talent for mathematics and engineering I received more of his personal attention... but love?" She looked up again, meeting his eyes. "You don't have to love me to make use of me. Politically, your position is unstable. If Palpatine was to die tomorrow, the Empire would dissolve into civil war as various factions tried to seize power from you and the rebels picked off the weakest."

She was right, he knew. He'd pondered more than once killing the Emperor, but his role as Palpatine's enforcer made it unlikely that his rule would be welcome.

"And you can change this?"

"We can change it, if we work together." Kianna's voice was firm, but the volume a hair's breath lower than conversational. "Sith are still the monsters of childhood fears to many. It is easy to transfer those fears to an armored figure... harder to a smiling, serene wife. To small children unafraid of their father. You cannot be other than what you are. I can be the sympathetic mask, like the one Palpatine used to claim power in the first place. It will take time, but I believe we have time."

If she was right about swaying public opinion, then they could choose the time. Though he was not ready to share that idea with her. Not yet. Instead, he chose to change the subject.

"Have you been spending all your time composing? I was under the impression you were working on your ship."

"No, this is the first time since I've arrived that I've spent time on my keyboards. I've been updating the Concerto's life support systems." She moved over to the door, and touched the wall, opening a familiar panel. "Patterned after the system you had installed in my rooms. The bridge and the bedroom are completed. I was delaying the refit to the other compartments, since I didn't want to raise questions as to what I was doing with the parts I requested. When complete, you will be able to adjust the environment throughout the ship, or in any individual part, to your needs."

Vader hesitated. This ship meant a great deal to Kianna; that she was modifying it to serve his needs was not something he had ever anticipated.

"It is not... necessary."

Kianna gave him a steely look.

"That answer is why I did not ask before beginning the work. I don't know why you deem it unnecessary. Whether it is because I will not be allowed to fly the Concerto again, or because you do not intend to travel with me if I am. But I am weak enough to want the comfort of a few illusions."

Vader said nothing for several long moments, reaching up to cup her chin in his hand, to run a thumb along her jaw line. She wanted to spend more time with him: she was altering her precious ship because she dreamed of traveling in it with him. She had insisted that she was merely doing her duty to him as his wife, but this went beyond that. He wasn't sure what it all meant, only that he wasn't ready to confront it now.

"Allow me to escort you back to your rooms. I will join you after dinner."

Kianna sat on the edge of her bed, wrapped in a thin robe of white silk, running her hand nervously over the dark blue comforter. Some nights it might be an hour or more after dinner before her husband appeared; other nights he would giver her just enough time to get ready for bed. She had a feeling tonight was going to be the later, and a soft hiss from the air vents confirmed her suspicion. Soon she began to feel lightheaded as the air in the room was adjusted to levels that would allow Vader to breathe without assistance. Her patience was rewarded as the door to her bedroom opened, and Vader strode in.

She rose lightly to her feet, feeling her face light up in a smile as she joined him. He was already undoing the clasps of his helmet, and she reached up to take it from him and set it on the table beside the bed. He was paler than her, his skin scarred from old injuries, and his dark blue eyes seemed to want to consume her. He didn't wait any longer, putting an arm around her waist and pulling her close for a deep, passionate kiss. Kianna felt a soft moan escape her lips and her body ignite as his hand traced along her sides.

He broke the kiss after a while, pulling away to begin removing his armor. Kianna suppressed a laugh, afraid he would take it the wrong way.

"I hope you will always kiss me like that."

Vader paused. "Like what?"

Kianna smiled up at him radiantly, and breathed.

"Like you're trying to devour me alive." She helped him remove his armor, running his hand over his skin as she exposed it, not reacting to the scars under her fingertips. "Before this afternoon, I thought about withholding sex from you until we had a talk. I decided I didn't have enough willpower for that."

Vader laughed, unselfconsciously, a sound which sent delicious shivers down Kianna's spine.

"I think you have more willpower than you give yourself credit for, but I'm glad you find me tempting."

Kianna bent her head to kiss along his collarbone, and whispered.

 "Very..."

Slowly she traced the line of his collarbone with her tongue, teasing him, trying to draw the moment out. Her hands caressed the muscled lines of his chest, exploring, adoring. She loved the strength of his body, even the scars that were a testament to his survival of things that would have destroyed any other man.

His hands pushed open her robe, his expression growing even hungrier finding she was wearing nothing beneath it. His lips claimed hers again, possessive, demanding as he pressed her down onto the bed. Kianna opened her mouth to his as she ran her hands over his shoulders and back, drawing him closer. His hands found her breasts, and she found herself arching instinctively as his fingers teased, alternating strokes of her nipples with gentle, wicked pinches.

He pulled back from the kiss, and chuckled softly at the desperate, pleading moan that escaped her lips. Slowly he kissed his way down her throat, surprising her from time to time with sharp nips of teeth then soothing them with little flicks of his tongue. Kianna trembled beneath him, wrapping one of her legs around his trying to draw him closer, feeling him pressing against her hard and urgent. Still he teased her, his mouth finding her right breast. Kianna felt like her body was dissolving into molten heat and hungry cries escaped her with each pull of his mouth on her nipple. Vader released her nipple, raising his head then and staring up into her eyes. Kianna felt her breath coming is shallow, desperate gasps.

"Please... oh please..."

She couldn't resist him; she didn't want to resist him.

Vader pulled back with a soft, evil chuckle that made Kianna blush all the way down to between her breasts.

"You need to learn to slow down more..." He bent over, slowly drawing his tongue along her earlobe. "Enjoy the anticipation." His breath was hot against her ear, bringing soft whimpers from her.

Kianna murmured, "I'll have to count on you to teach me. I worry that I'm too inexperienced to please you."

She ran her hands lightly, nervously over his chest.

Vader turned her face so she no choice but to meet his eyes.

"You please me, very much. I wish you feel how much you please me."

It took Kianna a second to figure out what he meant, but when she did she was glad her skin was already flushed with arousal. It made her momentary embarrassment harder to see. She reached down and caressed the length of him, smiling at the moan that escaped her husband's lips. Feeling as if that gave her permission, she leaned back a bit to look, really look at him. He looked more or less like the anatomy texts she had read in school but much longer and thicker. And nothing in the dry sex ed classes she had endured had prepared him for the feel of him. Both satin soft and iron hard, she ran her hand over his length again, making him draw another ragged breath.

Continuing the soft stroking of his length, she let her eyes run over the rest of him. His legs ended just above the knee with gleaming black prosthetics beneath. She let her eyes wander upward from there, finding almost no scars until she reached his chest. There were several there, some from surgery. A metal disk implanted over his breastbone regulated his breathing when not in his suit, but its features were limited. It simply could not do for him what his armor did. His shoulders were strong, his arms marked with scars and prosthetic from just above the elbows. The cybernetic arms and hands were covered with a matte black artificial skin which should give him close the same feeling as his natural limbs had. She was always careful to treat his prosthetics as part of him and she didn't hesitate now, reaching to take one of his hands in hers and place it on her side.

"I want you to touch me, too."

Vader grasped her firmly by the hips and rolled her down on to the bed beneath him. "I want to do more than just touch you." His incandescent blue eyes bore into hers as he thrust deeply into her. He moved his hands to either side of her shoulders, his weight pinning her to the bed. Kianna clung to him, drawing her nails down his back then up again, tracing the lines of it in a hungry, fitful pattern. His hips moved in an urgent, demanding rhythm and Kianna felt herself matching it, their bodies moving in unison. Delicious shivers ran through her at the look in his eyes, the hunger, the need. Never had she felt more wanted. Her eyes closed as he leaned in to kiss her, his mouth claiming hers fiercely, hungrily, the pace of his hips quickening, hammering into her faster, harder as the tension in her body build, her back arching, her whole body reaching, needing.

A wild cry escaped her lips as pleasure exploded within her, ecstasy burning through every limb, consuming her. She clung to Vader tightly, shuddering as the sensations went on and on, gasping for breath despite the rich air. Then his lips were on hers, devouring her, stealing her breath as he erupted within her. He collapsed atop her, half curled around her right side, limbs entwined. Kianna closed her eyes for a moment, letting herself drift in pleasure as small twitches ran through them.

Kianna trailed small kisses along the line of his jaw, up to his ear as their breathing slowed, returning to something closer than normal. Then Vader pulled away, turning away from her as he rose from the bed. Kianna reached out, grasping his hand almost desperately.

"Please... stay with me."

She hated the begging, pleading tone in her voice, but she couldn't prevent it. Each night he left, and each time it felt like a stab through the heart.

Vader never turned, never looked at her.

"I... cannot. It is not safe for you to breathe this air mixture for too long, and I cannot breathe outside my armor without it."

He hadn't pulled his hand away, and Kianna caressed it gently.

"Then put your armor back on, and just... hold me for a while?"

Vader looked at her then, his expression one of surprise and for a split second Kianna thought she saw vulnerability. She decided she must have been mistaken.

"Please... you're the same man to me with the armor or without it. I want more time with you. I want to fall asleep in my husband's arms."

Her voice broke on the last. She released his hand, ashamed of herself. Theirs was an arranged marriage, nothing more. She had no right to expect anything more.

Vader dressed slowly, more slowly than usual it seemed to her tormented mind. But to her surprise, after the armor was donned he sat down on the head of the bed and extended an arm to her. Kianna didn't wait for a second invitation, resting her head on his lap and curling up close to him. The sheets pulled themselves up about her, seemingly of their own accord, and Vader gently stroked her long white hair.

"I cannot stay for long. I must assume that the Emperor has spies among my staff, and it is safer if he thinks I am indifferent to you."

Kianna placed a kiss on his thigh, and whispered, "I'll take whatever you're willing to give me, my husband..."

She closed her eyes, soothed by the caressing of her hair. Her final thought as she drifted off to sleep was to wonder if he was pretending indifference to protect her from the Emperor, did that mean he actually cared?

The following morning, Kianna's bodyguards settled around her as she headed into the corridor that connected Lord Vader's palace with the Emperor's. The corridor was secure, the Imperial gardens secure, so Kianna wondered why her husband had insisted on sending guards with her. One possibility was that he didn't trust Kianna, that the guards were to report on her behavior and make sure she didn't meet with anyone. The other possibility was that after their discussion yesterday he didn't trust the Emperor with her safety, which she regarded as both worrisome and hopeful. Worrisome, because she wasn't sure that he could keep her safe if the Emperor decided otherwise. Hopeful, because it meant he was taking her concerns seriously, and might even indicate he had some feelings for her.

She wasn't entirely sure of her feelings for him, but after last night she had to admit their existence, at least to herself. She wasn't sure if what she felt was love. It was nothing like what the ballads said love was. No blissful contentment, no sweet assurance that everything would be alright, no blithe dismissal of the other's flaws. But, she admitted to herself, she was living for him. She was plotting to advance his position for his sake, not merely her own. And she would die for him, if she had to. Though, she thought with a private smile, she'd far rather kill the other bastard.

At the end of the corridor, Kianna turned to the left, passing through a side courtyard, and then entered the Imperial gardens. There was a faint nip to the air, the first hints of autumn chill. Even in autumn, the Imperial gardens were alive with color and exotic scents. Plants from across the Empire were carefully nurtured by a small army of gardeners and botanists to provide a year round display. Kianna was hoping for simply a pleasant stroll and to enjoy the scenery. She was used to a more physically active life than most nobles and craved exercise at times the way others craved sweets. Unfortunately, there was nowhere here she could go for a proper run, the way she could have back on Caloria. And a quartet of Crimson Guards approaching with a dark robed figure between them indicated that her hopes of a pleasant stroll were about to be shattered.

Lady Kianna Vader dropped into a deep curtsy and remained there as the Emperor approached. Her guards retreated before the Crimson Guard, and Kianna mentally cursed them as worthless. The Emperor didn't keep her kneeling very long to her relief.

"Rise, child. Walk with me a bit."

Kianna rose, and brushed lightly at her skirt, relieved that it hadn't stained. There were more reasons to wear wool than just warmth.

"I am honored, your Majesty."

Her tone was respectful with just a touch of awe, her expression matching. Part of her mind started watching her heartbeat and breathing, keeping them steady. Easy enough to do sitting in your room meditating, doing it while keeping up a conversation in public, while not seeming to do it, that had taken years of study.

The Emperor walked slowly.

"I hope you and Lord Vader are doing well. I know this must be hard on you."

"In truth your Majesty, I see little of him. He has no interest in me beyond what is necessary to produce an heir."

She allowed a soft note of fear to enter her voice. It would be expected of her. From the corner of her eye she watched the Emperor, and something flickered over his expression almost too fast to be seen.

"It must be hard on an attractive young woman such as yourself." His voice was almost oily with false sympathy. "Once you have given him an heir, or perhaps two... well, if the situation is unbearable, remember you can come to me."

There was a persuasive, oh-so-reasonable tone to his voice but Kianna found herself mistrusting it deeply. The start of a headache began to throb in her temples. She lowered her eyes to the ground, carefully folding her hands in front of her, the image of patient female endurance.

"I doubt he would let me go, your Majesty." Her voice was soft, not carrying far. "He may care more about his TIE fighter than he does me, but he takes losing poorly. And the harm to his reputation...."

"Do not concern yourself with the harm to his reputation. Think only of yourself."

The Emperor's tone should have been ingratiating, but it sent a stab of pain through her head.

Kianna bowed her head, and murmured, "Of course I should think of myself. But it will be two years, perhaps more until I will have given him the heirs you need. Until then, I'll just have to endure, your Majesty. Thank you for... thinking of me."

She kept her eyes down, her posture respectful, suggesting that she was hanging on his every word.

"Of course, child, of course. Now try to enjoy your day out."

With that dismissal, the Emperor and his guards moved on, her guards moving in and surrounding her in their wake.

Kianna kept her breathing slow and steady, even as she straightened to her full height. Keeping a pleasant smile on her face took even more focus with the rage that was burning inside her. At least her headache was starting to fade. She turned away, heading back towards the corridor, and felt her stomach sink at a sudden thought. This wasn't the first time she'd had a headache in the Emperor's presence. In fact, except for her wedding day, she always developed a headache in his presence. Was he trying to do something to her? Worse, was he succeeding? And how could they tell? Lord Vader had said he couldn't read her mind, did that mean she was safe? Or was manipulating someone with the Force different from reading their mind?

Her mind raced furiously, even as her body continued its leisurely walk back towards Vader's palace.

One of the guards interrupted her thoughts, "We will have to report this encounter back to Lord Vader, my lady."

Kianna kept her expression unchangingly mild and serene. They hadn't reached the palace yet. Was the man stupid or deliberately malicious by mentioning this in public where no doubt the Emperor and perhaps others might be listening?

"Of course, but it's not important enough to interrupt his routine or mine." Kianna permitted a faint hint of smile to reach her lips, "Especially since there will be glaring omissions in your report, as you did not stay close enough to overhear everything... or for that matter, to guard me."

Seeing the officer turn the color of damp ash with fear was a distinct pleasure. Apparently, Vader had expected them to protect her against the Emperor and her husband's intolerance for failure was well known.

As they entered Vader's palace, there was no argument from the guards as Kianna headed straight for the hangar and claimed the pilot's seat of the airspeeder. Kianna went meticulously through the preflight before taking off with a deft touch. She wanted to do some real flying again, someplace more interesting than Coruscant. And she wanted to do it with her husband. Either as his co-pilot or his wingman would be wonderful. Rumor was he was a brilliant pilot, and the thought of flying together with him made her body tingle.

She landed the airspeeder neatly, precisely in front of Ciano's, and frowned faintly at the sight of the two of her husband's guards posted at the front of the exclusive store. The same speeder, the same guards: it was dangerously close to a pattern. Kianna made a mental note to take a different vehicle next time she left the palace, and headed into the store.

Ciano was an older man in his fifties who had probably been athletic once, but had grown soft with success. His grey hair was neatly trimmed short in a popular style, but his deep purple suit of velvet over a couched tunic was a bit too flamboyant to Kianna's way of thinking. She nodded vaguely as he bowed over her hand and exclaimed at what an honor it was to have her there, and managed a polite little smile. She declined his offer to take her cloak, finding the room a bit chill for her tastes, and began to wander the store.

Display cases were scattered throughout the room, displaying one of a kind pieces of jewelry for the wealthier, more discriminating shopper. Also placed throughout the room were small tables and couches, and no doubt normally patrons lounged on them while being doted on by staff. But for the occasion of Lady Vader's visit the rest of the staff had been dismissed and all other customers turned aside. The only thing more exclusive was to have a designer make a piece specifically for you. And while her husband had been generous in providing the credit for this little trip, she had no intention of testing his generosity.

Kianna passed by a set of Nova rubies, smugly pleased that they were smaller and far less elegantly presented than the set Vader had given her for their wedding. She kept her expression pleasant however, pausing instead by a wide necklace of Jorallan opals, then moving on to a necklace of star sapphires of an incredibly dark shade of blue and its matching earrings.

"A fine choice, Lady Vader. Allow me to get them out so you can admire the properly."

Just as Ciano opened the case, the door into the back of the shop opened. Kianna's instincts screamed a warning as a stranger came through the door firing.

A blast hit her in the side, the shell spider silk lining of her cloak dissipating the blow harmlessly. Kianna crumpled as if hit. Once on the floor behind the display case she quickly pulled the hood over her head and removed one of the long pins from her hair. She slipped it between two fingers, making a fist around the head, and went completely still.

More assassins had come through the back, exchanging fire with her guards. She could hear Ciano screaming in terror and fleeing to the left of her. Then running footsteps towards her and someone leapt over the counter. She felt the warmth of another blaster bolt hitting the back of her cloak. She lay still, not even twitching. An armored hand grabbed her, flipping her over.

For a brief moment Kianna saw emotionless blue eyes looking into hers. She stabbed three inches of sharpened metal through the one on the left. The assassin crumpled. She heard a few more shots, then silence. One of her guards ran over to her.

"Lady Vader!"

The guard looked horrified as he helped her to her feet.

Kianna removed a handkerchief from up her sleeve, coolly cleaning blood and other fluids from her hands. She was uninjured, but four of her guards were dead and another four were injured. On the plus side none of the four assailants had escaped, and one or two might even live to be questioned.

She turned to regard the proprietor Ciano, who was approaching her in a servile, babbling manner.

"I believe I was looking at the star sapphire necklace?"

She bent down, pulled the pin from the dead assassin's eye and cleaned it. With a faint frown she noticed that the tip had bent. She looked back at the owner, who had turned an interesting shade of grey, and raised a brow.

"I'll also need more hair pins."

“... She paused to make sure the injured guards were taking care of themselves properly. And she closed the eyes of the dead guards. Then Lady Vader continued her shopping until reinforcements arrived."

Despite his terror at having to report to Vader the attack on his wife, his voice held a note of approval at Lady Vader's actions. "She insisted on flying herself back to the Castle, which she did under escort."

Vader felt a burning fury as he rose from his desk. At the assassins, for daring to strike at his wife. At the guards for letting the attackers get that close to Kianna. At Kianna for not having removed herself immediately after the attack. But most of all, he was furious at himself. He hadn't taken the possibility of an attack on his wife seriously enough, or he would have placed Noghri guards on her or accompanied her himself. And he was furious at himself for caring, for letting anyone matter that much could only lead to disaster. A quick query to the security computer, and Vader stalked past the forgotten guard, heading down to his workout room.

Kianna had sealed herself inside, but the lock opened at Vader's command. She was fighting against a combat droid, and Vader felt a tightening in his chest for the brief moment it took to verify that it was not one of his custom practice droids. He paused in the doorway watching Kianna fight, a swirling battle of cloak and blade versus the droid's laser fire.

She was good. Not trained to his level of course, but very, very good for someone without the Force to draw on. It only took a few moments more for her to find a way past the droid's guard and sever the control cables to its core. Kianna lowered the sword as she turned to face him, and pushed the hood back from her face. Her braids had fallen from their usual careful arrangement, and stray wisps of white hair framed her face. Her clothing was in disarray, with scorch marks on the outer wool layer of her cloak and blood stains on the hem of one sleeve.

"My Lord Husband...."

 Her voice was slightly breathless, her eyes bright, and Vader thought she had never looked more lovely.

Vader strode towards her, closing the distance rapidly.

"I am pleased to see you unharmed." He reached down, taking the sword from her hands and she surrendered it with a blush. "One of my collection. I am surprised you did not find it too heavy."

The blade was ancient, the product of Sith alchemy, and heavier than it appeared. There was little chance of her harming it, for while there were modern alloys it wouldn't cut through, he had yet to find one that would actually dull the blade.

Kianna admitted, "I ache sometimes after practicing with it, but it's a wonderful weapon. It feels like it was made for my hand, and that is worth any number of aches."

She watched him replace the sword in its place on the weapons rack, then stepped close to him, resting a hand on his upper arm.

Vader gazed down on the pale white hand with its bloodstained sleeve resting against the black of his armor, and smiled despite himself. Who would think such a delicate looking noblewoman would prove so fierce? He found himself putting his other arm around her slender waist and holding her close.

"I am going to find a self defense tutor for you. As much as I would like to train you myself, I doubt my schedule will permit it. While you are very good, my dear, there is always room for improvement." Kianna made a soft murmur of agreement, and Vader continued, "I will also be replacing your bodyguards. I will assign a team of Noghri whose only duty will be to keep you safe. I should have done so before."

Kianna stroked his arm, as if trying to soothe him but it did little good. If anything, it reminded him that he had almost lost the only woman likely to accept him as he was, armor, rage, and all.

"You will not leave the palace without them, and you will not make any attempt to interrogate the prisoners."

Kianna's hand tightened on his arm then, and she glared up at him.

"They tried to kill me," she said, barely managing not to grit her teeth. "They killed four of the men guarding me. I want them to suffer, and I want answers!"

Vader found himself forcing down laughter.

"They will suffer, I promise you. My interrogation droids can do a better job than your desire to stick more hair pins in them. We will get answers." He stroked her hair, amused at finding himself soothing her temper. "We will still go to your concert tomorrow. And the day after, we will leave Coruscant." Kianna's eyes went wide with surprise, and Vader continued. "I have a castle on Vjun you should become familiar with, and you have estates on Caloria. I had been planning this trip, but the attack moves my schedule forward."

Kianna studied him with a small frown of concentration, as if she was trying in vain to see through his mask, then relaxed.

"If you wish, my lord. I just don't want to retreat before these... vermin." She gave a soft sigh, then continued, "I also realized today that I always seem to develop a headache in the Emperor's presence. It's not a migraine; it fades as soon as he leaves. Could it be that he is manipulating me?"

Vader studied his wife carefully.

"I believe he may be trying to. But you are strong-willed, and dead to the Force. I believe the combination protects you. However, putting distance between you may not be a bad thing." Reluctantly he released her and took a step back. "For now, I have things I should oversee."

Kianna let him go, glancing down at herself with some embarrassment.

"And I should get cleaned up, and see if my cloak can be salvaged. I only have one other lined with shell spider silk, and I hate to go without it..."

Vader smiled behind his mask. As his wife, Kianna had access to near unlimited funds, and he found her reluctance to avail herself of them charming.

"Go then, and I will see you this evening."

 Kianna flushed a bit at that, but her smile at him was radiant.

"I'm looking forward to it."

Kianna paced her room as the pumps in the walls hissed faintly and the air in the room began to change to something her husband could breathe. She was in a "mood", as her Uncle would have called it. Always before she had accepted that description and just gone down to the salle to work herself into exhaustion, then after a night's sleep she would be fine. She had a new name for it now that she was married, and a far better idea of what to do about it. She was aroused, and her husband's impending arrival filled her with ideas. As Lord Vader entered the room she smiled at him radiantly, the expression lighting up her entire face. She crossed to him quickly, reaching out to caress his arm.

"My Lord Husband."

"My Lady wife."

He rested his hands on her hips and stood there for a moment, just gazing down at her.

Kianna smiled warmly up at him.

"Let me help you out of your armor, my husband."

She had seen him do so several times before; however, the armor was not designed to be removed easily, and he had to coach her through the more complicated clasps. Removing his helm and voder, she leaned in to claim his lips with her own. Kianna felt him hesitate for a moment, but then he grasped her almost violently and opened his mouth to hers. He held her tightly, imprisoned in his grip, as their tongues danced and fenced. Only when she was growing breathless, beginning to tremble, did he release her from the kiss.

"Remove the rest of my armor..."

His voice was husky, deep with need, but it was an order, not a request. An order Kianna was more than glad to follow. She wanted to race through removing the armor, but couldn't. The clasps were too complicated, the connections too many. The chestplate had to be removed with exquisite care, and even after that there was still the bodysuit beneath to deal with. It was an exercise in sweet frustration, and Kianna tried to make the most of it, caressing him through the bodysuit as she removed each piece of armor. Then kissing his skin inch by precious inch as she bared it. Frustration and desire warred within her, and brought soft, hungry sounds to her lips. Before he entered the room Kianna would have said she couldn't have gotten more aroused, but Vader was swiftly proving her wrong.

She had kissed her way down his chest, and was sliding the bodysuit down over his hips, when Vader pulled her to her feet, derailing her train of thought. Before she could protest his lips were on hers, hungry, demanding, devouring. This time it was his lips that parted first, his tongue that skipped in, a welcome invader. Kianna found herself trembling as the kiss somehow slowed her down yet inflamed her more, Vader released her with a soft, wicked laugh.

"What did I tell you last night about the benefits of anticipation?"

He kissed and nipped his way down her throat, tiny kisses that teased and tingled along her skin. Tiny nips, that were quickly soothed by strokes of his tongue. Kianna gasped, running her hands along the fine stubble that covered his head, and tried to will him to kiss her way down to her breasts. He refused to oblige, however, lingering over her collarbone instead, flicking is tongue along it.

The moan that escaped her lips was very nearly a soft growl, and as his tongue moved further from her throat, she bent down to first nip at his ear then lick slowly down it. Her mouth found the bottom of his earlobe and she began to suckle slowly at it. She was smugly pleased when he became too distracted to continue his attentions to her collarbone.

"Anticipation?" she whispered in his ear, then slowly licked and teased her way up the earlobe before whispering, "I could stop now..." And pretended to pull away.

Vader growled at her, grasping her robe and pulling her closer.

"My dear, you are playing with fire."

Kianna laughed softly.

"I'm not surprised. Your kisses are certainly hot enough."

As she spoke she shrugged out of the robe with a wiggle that left her pressed naked against his chest. As she had hoped, he kissed her deeply, claiming her mouth almost violently. He released her robe, letting it fall to the floor, and caressed her back with long strokes that began at her shoulder blades and worked slowly down to her rear, then up again. This left Kianna's hands free, and she mimicked his motions, caressing down his chest to his hips. But once there she pushed his bodysuit further down, getting it over his hips and letting it fall down about his knees. Another growl came from his throat, Kianna could feel it against her chest, in her mouth where their tongues danced. Her chest shook a little in suppressed laughter, but she didn't break the kiss, just pressed closer to him, feeling the hardness of him trapped against her, and returned to caressing him. Her hands ran over his buttocks, feeling the hard, curved muscle then played slowly up his spine. If there was any discomfort from the press of his regulator against her chest, she didn't notice. All her thoughts were on his hands on her body, his mouth on hers, how he made her feel.

Vader broke the kiss first, but it as Kianna who drew them both towards the bed. He resisted, just for a moment, before allowing her to guide him down to it.

"Still in such a hurry."

His voice was warm, wicked, teasing.

Kianna grinned.

"Well, I could just roll over and go to sleep."

Her voice shook with suppressed laughter and Vader growled at her, pulling her close for quick, fierce kiss. Kianna chuckled.

"Or maybe not."

She sat up on the bed, smiling down at him, trying to let how she felt fill her expression, wanting him to see it in her eyes.

"I want you."

She trailed her fingertips lightly down the outside of his leg, then up his inner thigh to his belly, circling his shaft but never quite touching.

"It's all your fault, you know... I never had these kinds of thoughts before you."

Her fingers brushed ever so lightly against his balls, making Vader gasp. He regarded her through narrowed eyes, mock-glaring at her.

"I have created a monster."

Kianna arched a pale brow, grinning with pure devilment.

"A monster? Just because I want to do this..." Her hand wrapped around his shaft, stroking it up and down. "And this..." She bent down to nip gently at his left nipple, then to stroke it soothingly with her tongue as she suckled at it a bit. "And this."

She leaned over him, kissing him slowly and deeply. Her body slid against his as she straddled him, feeling him press against her soaking sex. She wanted him, needed him. When she closed her eyes, sometime images would flash behind them, the dead guards, the assassin she killed. His kiss, the feel of his hands, of his body, made all that go away.

Vader commanded, "Do it, Kianna."

She shifted her weight, impaling herself on him with a sultry smile. She braced herself with her hands on either side of his head, starting to rock slowly back and forth. His hands caressed her breasts, moved down to her hips, guiding her motions. Her hair fell in a silken white veil about them both, and she found herself staring down into his eyes. His gaze was burning, hungry watching her with a raw need that made her breath catch in her throat and the pace of her hips quicken.

Vader raised his head, fastening his lips on her breast, suckling, tugging gently. Kianna moaned, rocking faster, harder against him. She threw her head back, eyes closing as pleasure exploded through her, a convulsion that seemed to roar on and on. Without warning Vader surged beneath her, lifting her up and rolling her over. He grasped her hands, pinning them to either side of her head, holding her helpless as his hips hammered in her faster and harder. Fear and pleasure mingled until she couldn't tell one from the other, and it didn't matter. She was helpless, but she was his.

Time lost all meaning until she felt pleasure erupt in her again, crimson and sable exploding behind her eyes. As if from a great distance she heard Vader giving a cry of pleasure, exploding within her. He collapsed on top of her, gasping for breath, and Kianna caressed his back lazily, nuzzling at his throat as they both struggled to catch their breath.

All too soon, Vader pulled away from her, giving her a soft kiss.

"I should go..."

Kianna sat up.

"Let me help you dress..."

As she helped him back into his bodysuit and armor, she caressed him gently. Not trying to arouse him again, just wanting to touch him. But she wasn't sure if she was trying to reassure him, or herself. She stole a tender kiss as she helped him don his voder, then helped him with his mask.

She lay back into the bed, and Vader pulled the sheets up around her, then smoothed her hair.

"Rest well, my wife."

Kianna smiled up at Vader, "And you, my husband."

The lights went off as he left, and she could hear the hiss as the enriched air was replaced with a more common mix. As she closed her eyes, she felt a small burning hatred take root in her heart. For the enemy who put her husband in that armor. And for the Emperor that they had to hide their feelings from him. Someday, she silently promised herself. Someday...

Kianna woke alone and sighed. It was a foolish weakness, wanting to wake up in her husband's arms. What did it matter where he slept? It wasn't like her to indulge in sentimental nonsense. She suddenly grinned up at the ceiling. It might be nonsense, but twice yesterday Vader had referred to her as 'my dear', once in the workout room, and once in bed. If she was going to indulge in sentiment, surely her own husband wasn't a bad choice. That thought kept her smiling as she rose for her morning trip to the 'fresher, her daily migraine pill, and dressing for a quiet morning at home. The dress she chose was of a pale blue fabric and she did her hair herself, confining it to a simple braid.

A light breakfast of sliced fruit and porridge was laid out for her already in the sitting room by TC-13. The silvery protocol droid gave a slight bow as she entered.

"Good morning, Lady Vader. Lord Vader will be introducing you to your new guards sometime before lunch. He asks that you remain in your quarters until then." The droid's tone was deferential, even nervous as it regarded her.

Kianna said nothing as she sat, poured herself a cup of kaf, and took a slow, thoughtful sip. It was odd to confine her; did he not trust her safety even in his own palace? Or was he testing her willingness to obey? She really had no need to leave her rooms and defying him for anything other but the most urgent of reasons would be foolish.

"That won't be a problem, TC. Also, inform security they can stop looking for a lady's maid or personal assistant for me." She met the droid's gaze, "You have been doing an admirable job in both roles. Until the work becomes more than you can handle, I see no reason to go through the bother of training a new servant."

TC-13's optics brightened, "Of course, my lady. I will inform them at once. Unless there is something else you need at the moment?"

Kianna shook her head, "No, you may go."

She watched thoughtfully as TC left the room. While her husband might have sent word by the droid that she was to remain in her quarters, he obviously hadn't ordered TC to enforce his wishes. Interesting.

Kianna smiled to herself and picked up the datapad laying on the table, and checked for new messages. Finding none, she decided to scan the news as she ate. Nothing dramatic had happened overnight, though gossip columns were still speculating madly about her. An occasional quote was published, most attributed only to 'a former teacher' or 'a former classmate'. The ones from former teachers were uniformly flattering, though the ones from former classmates were a mixed bag. The accusation that she had 'equations where her soul should be' was amusing. Another writer mentioned her involvement in designing the Tie Fighter Advanced. It hadn't been her work alone, of course, but team rosters for such projects were not exactly public. Still, tracing down the leak was her Uncle's concern, not hers. The most interesting thing was what wasn't mentioned: not a word about the attack on her yesterday.

Setting aside the datapad, Kianna moved to the large drafting station that took up the far wall. A gift from her husband, it was the finest she had ever seen. While she was no longer officially employed by Sienar Fleet Systems, she still continued to design. A smile crossed her lips as she pulled down her current project a sleeker, more agile variation on the TIE fighter. She'd spent her adult life designing TIEs and their variations, and engineering had taught her the value of compromise long before politics did. You traded mass for speed, sacrificed shielding and gained manoeuverability. And any changes to a design had to survive endless meetings first with the rest of the design team, then with Imperial bureaucracy. Now she could design just to please herself, though that meant her designs were less likely to ever see production. A compromise of a different sort.

Kianna was absorbed enough in her work that she barely noticed when TC-13 came to clear away the remnants of breakfast. When Lord Vader finally arrived, a glance at the chrono showed she had been working several hours. Kianna rose gracefully, ignoring the aches in her back from being in the same position for so long.

"My Lord Husband."

Her words were polite, formal, though she did smile.

The reason for the formality stood respectfully behind him, a quartet of aliens that met the description her Uncle had given her of Noghri. They had grey skin without hair or fur, and stood about one and a half meters tall. They looked dangerous, with squat, powerful builds and claws at the end of thick fingers. They stood quietly, examining her with black eyes set close together in a wrinkled face. Their noses were flat with flared nostrils above a mouth that showed sharp fangs even when closed.

"My Lady wife." Vader took her hand in hers, and indicated the closest of the Noghri. "This is Rusharakh, who will be head of your personal guard."

Rusharakh regarded her for a moment more, then said something to Vader in a harsh, guttural language. His voice was little more than a whisper, but still sounded severe to her ears.

Vader stiffened, replying in the same tongue but with a barely suppressed fury to his tone. The guards flowed around them, their heads turning as they scanned the sitting room and moved on to her bedroom. Vader's grip on her hand tightened, as if to prevent her escape.

"Rusharakh scents that you have been poisoned, and have been for a while."

"Poisoned?" Kianna felt a chill of fear, but she couldn't bring herself to believe that. "I'm as healthy as I've ever been..." The Noghri emerged from her bedroom, one bearing a familiar metal vial. Kianna felt herself relaxing, and suppressed a laugh that she feared would be misunderstood. "That's just my migraine medication. I've taken it since I was a child."

Vader closed his free hand around the metal vial, which vanished in his ebon fist.

"I will have my doctor examine it. I am taking no further risks with you."

Kianna gave a slight shrug. Many medications that were harmless in small doses were toxic in larger ones. She was certain that was the cause of the misunderstanding.

"I would have to get him to make more for me soon, if he is able to do so. Otherwise I'll have to have contact my uncle's physician. I've been taking those pills since I was five years old, though the dose had to be adjusted as I got older."

Vader stood there, somehow giving the impression of looming over her despite their similarity in height.

"Your parents died when you were five..."

Kianna nodded, "I would have been on the shuttle with them, if I hadn't been ill. I really don't remember it well. After their deaths, I took a turn for the worse, began suffering from some sort of fit. My uncle showed up, put me under the care of his personal physician and dealt with the estate. A few months later, I was well enough to be sent to off to school. My health has been fine since."

Kianna was certain Vader had known most, if not all of this already. As a designer for SFS, she took it for granted that the Empire had a dossier on her entire life. Save for the occasional headache, her health was fine. Her Uncle had appointed the best managers he could hire for her estate, and the entire fortune had been handed to her the day she turned eighteen. As wealthy as she was, Raith Sienar's fortune dwarfed hers. There was no motive for him to have his niece poisoned.

"You will see my physician immediately after lunch."

His voice was harsh, and Kianna found herself glad that her Uncle Sienar was out of Vader's immediate reach. She doubted Raith Sienar's wealth or position would protect him from her husband's temper at the moment.

"Of course, since you wish it."

She squeezed the hand that held hers, and gave him a gentle smile trying to appease him. She hadn't disobeyed him yet, had no intention to start doing so now. Apparently whatever he saw in her face mollified him, for his grip on her hand eased and he nodded once before releasing her and turning to leave the room. Kianna watched him depart, outwardly serene, and the guards followed him out, arranging themselves out in the hall as the door closed behind them. Only when the doors were closed and she was alone again did Kianna relax. Her rooms were easy to secure, with no windows, one door, and stone walls so the guards apparently felt no need to be in the room with her constantly.

Kianna returned to her workstation and attempted to get something accomplished, but the joy she had felt working earlier was gone. Instead, she grimly ground through the numbers until TC-13 showed up with lunch as her mind chased itself in small circles. She barely tasted the lunch of soup and salad. She couldn't believe her Uncle would have her poisoned, there was no motive for it. On the other hand, she couldn't believe that their doctor could slip anything like that past her Uncle. She had always accepted the explanation that her childhood illness had done her harm, and the medication was needed to prevent further migraines. But try as she might, she couldn't remember anything concrete about that time, just a haze of misery, pain, and grief.

Kianna pushed away the remnants of her meal and stood, determined to get things over with. As she entered the hallway, the two Noghri outside fell into step behind her. Kianna suppressed a surge of irritation at their presence. Of course they would have to report any suspicions to her husband. She couldn't blame them for them for doing their job. The medical facilities were located just one corridor over, a relief to Kianna at the moment.

A door slid open to reveal a white room that could only be described as sterile. The floors and walls were seamless white, as if they had been enameled while the medical equipment shone in burnished chrome. Nowhere was there a speck of dust or dirt, a smudge or smear to be seen. Her husband was speaking with his personal physician, Dr. Mizan, but the conversation stopped the instant she entered.

Kianna had met Dr. Mizan during her first explorations of the palace. A slender man in a crisp grey uniform, his eyes were large and dark, with thin lines in the corners betraying his age which Kianna guessed to be in his mid-fifties. His hair was still raven black though, as was the small pointed goatee which gave him a vaguely sinister air. He spoke little and smiled less, but his demeanor was so professional, his focus so sincere, that Kianna found it difficult to dislike him.

Seeing him fall silent as she entered the room, however, made Kianna want to hate him. It was her health at stake, and she did not want him keeping secrets from her. She had the feeling that too much had been kept from her already. With effort she kept her expression serene, her voice steady.

"What did analysis of the pills reveal?"

She didn't miss the doctor's quick glance at Vader, or her husband's slight nod. It was obvious where Dr. Mizan's first loyalty stood, and Kianna wondered how far she could trust him.

"It will take some time, Lady Vader. The medication you are on is not in any database and is a mixture of several drugs. Several of them are beneficial. Kolcta, for example, which aids healing and fights aging. Cardinax is used to fight toxic shock reaction, and chromostring, which would heighten the effects of all the others." The doctor frowned faintly then, and continued, "Other components of the drug, however, are not in any Imperial database. Judging from their chemical structure and the presence of both kolcta and cardinax, I would say that they are dangerous and a great deal of effort was put toward protecting you from their negative effects. For what cause, however, I cannot say."

Cannot or would not, Kianna wondered. She deliberately made what was sure to seem like a naive suggestion.

"My Uncle left Coruscant shortly after our wedding. We could send a message to him asking for clarification of my medical records, or for him to send my personal physician to attend me."

Vader broke his silence then.

"I do not wish any attention drawn to this or to your health, you will say nothing."

Kianna stared into the black reflective surface of his mask, wishing she could see the expression on the other side.

Vader continued on, his tone merciless, "The combination of drugs is likely to be dangerous, perhaps fatal to an unborn child. You will cease taking them at once."

Kianna looked at Dr. Mizan, appalled by the thought, and the doctor nodded gravely. He gestured for her to seat herself on the edge of one of the two medical tables as he spoke.

"I doubt it was intended as contraception, there are far safer drugs for that. I need to take some blood samples to examine how your body is metabolizing the unknown drugs. In the meantime, I've duplicated the doses of Kolcta, Cardinex, and Chromostring. All three have been shown harmless to a developing fetus, and they should continue to protect you as the other drugs work their way out of your system."

Kianna sat on the edge of the table, and unbuttoned the cuff of her right sleeve, pushing it up so Dr. Mizan could get to the vein. She didn't look away from the blood being drawn. Kianna believed anyone poking her with sharp objects deserved her full attention. She had to admit he did a neat job of it, drawing the required amount quickly, then pressing a pad to the spot and taping it neatly in place.

Kianna looked at Vader, "How does this change our plans?"

Vader hesitated for a second before answering, and in that instant Kianna became convinced that he knew more than he was telling her.

"It changes nothing. We will attend the concert tonight, and depart for Vjun tomorrow aboard the Exactor." He paused, then offered as a concession, "Have your belongings loaded on the Concerto. We will take it with us."

Kianna studied his mask as she tugged her sleeve back into place. He might be holding information back from her, but she had to believe they were still on the same side. If not, she doubted there was anywhere in the galaxy she could hide.

"I should get things in order then." She rose, and offered Vader a small bow from the neck which he returned with a nod. "Until this evening, my husband."

Vader offered Kianna a hand down from his shuttle, smiling possessively at the sight of her. She was wearing a deep midnight blue gown that made her appear even more slender and elegant than usual. Her hair was braided and coiled high on the back of her head, held in place with star sapphire tipped pins. She took her place on his arm, and turned with him towards the door. Her stride matched his exactly, seeming to glide along side him, a small, serene smile on her lips. A line of stormtroopers from the 501st guarded their path, Moff Gustavu's guards beyond them, and the Noghri lurked nearby. He was taking no chances tonight.

The hum from the reporters beyond the security line rose to a fever pitch and recording droids jostled for position. Vader ignored them; the press had long ago learned not to test his patience. Instead he watched Kianna through the corner of his eyes, knowing that no one would know as long as he kept facing forward. Kianna seemed oblivious to any of the watchers, glancing up at him as they entered the Imperial Concert Hall and giving him a private little smile.

The pair crossed the lobby, Kianna nodding occasionally to important individuals. Vader was used to the stares, the fearful glances. But the looks of envy were new, as was the entire situation. His relationship with Padme had been a secret; he'd never had the chance to go out with her like this. The fierce, jealous pride he felt for the woman on his arm was intoxicating.

He paused briefly before Moff Gustavu, amused at the nervousness he detected from the man. Vader received countless invitations to social events from people who feared to slight him, but he seldom attended. He watched as Kianna thanked the Moff for the invitation, somehow managing to seem at once warmly sincere and regally distant. Ethereal. Untouchable. Except by him.

Vader led her away, guiding her subtly to the Imperial box. Kianna matched her steps to his perfectly, moving with him as if they had done this a hundred times before. The Imperial box was large, with a small cluster of velvet covered seats to the front and center. Even with the four stormtroopers already in the box and the pair of Noghri entering behind them, they would have some illusion of privacy. But it was an illusion only. There was a security field around the box that should thwart eavesdroppers, but not if the Emperor himself had had something planted in the box. And it didn't prevent them from being seen.

Apparently the same thought had occurred to Kianna, for she leaned close, murmuring through barely moving lips that would be impossible to read from a distance, "At least you get to relax and enjoy the music... I have to keep this silly smile on my face the whole time, in case someone is watching."

Vader replied in a similar murmur.

"Then I have my revenge... you should have thought of that before insisting that we come."

Kianna laughed softly, and glanced up at him.

"Oh, I thought of it... I'm just hoping the music will be worth it."

Vader said nothing to her sally, knowing the mask hid his smile. The concert began then, and Kianna fell silent, her attention taken up by the music. Music had never been a particular interest of his, but watching Kianna's reactions to the music was its own entertainment. From a distance she would likely look only politely attentive, but up close he could watch the tiny of signs of her true emotions flicker across her features. It had been a long time since he had had to rely on a person's expressions rather than what he could sense through the Force. And to his surprise, as he watched her relax, her smile warming as she lost herself in the music, he found himself relaxing.

When the concert ended, the musicians bowed first to the Imperial box, then to the rest of the audience. Vader rose along with Kianna, standing impassively as she smiled and applauded. The rest of the audience's applause was reserved at first, then swelled as Kianna's approval became clear. After a few moments, Kianna stopped applauding and took her place on his arm with a brief glance upward at him and a warm smile. The two departed before the crowds had a chance to leave the concert hall, as Vader had little use for Coruscant society.

To himself, however, Vader had to admit that Kianna handled it very well. She managed to look young and fresh without seeming naive, but there was more to it than that. Charisma, perhaps. Much like Palpatine when he had been Senator or Chancellor, there was something about her that invited admiration without seeming to ask for it. It was a trait he knew he lacked. Men followed him, but it was either because of his position or because he had earned their loyalty in battle.

The Noghri guards and stormtroopers surrounded them as they left the Imperial Concert Hall and boarded the shuttle. If he had been alone, he wouldn't have bothered with security, confident in his ability to defend himself. But he was taking no chances with Kianna. She was quiet sitting next to him on the ride back, smiling that same slight, serene smile. But as the shuttle took off, her hand move to rest on his leg with a gentle, insistent pressure and he remembered her saying how much she hated being flown. Silently he moved his hand to cover her own.

The trip was, thankfully, a brief one. When Vader offered Kianna a hand down from his shuttle into the castle's hangar bay he noted a new lightness in her step and warmth in her smile. He wondered if pleasure in the evening's performance or pleasure at being home again was responsible for the change. He remained silent as he escorted her back to her chambers, wondering which of his servants might secretly be reporting back to the Emperor. The Noghri were the only ones he was certain he could trust, which was why he had appointed a team of them to guard Kianna. Even now the Noghri trailed behind her, and would set up guard outside her rooms. As it should be.

When the doors to her quarters had closed behind them, Vader reached up to caress his wife's cheek, hoping the touch would soften his next words.

"I cannot be with you tonight. There is much to do if we are to depart in the morning."

"I understand. Duty must come first." But there was pain in her eyes and a catch in her voice as she said it. She turned her head slightly, pressing against his gloved hand. "It is probably for the best. I shouldn't risk conceiving until we're sure the drugs are out of my system. But... I wish you could stay anyway."

Vader felt an almost painful tightness in his chest. It was hard to believe that she meant what he hoped.

"I wish I could as well. I was the envy of the entire Empire tonight, with you at my side. You were beyond merely lovely."

A flush came to Kianna's cheeks.

"Thank you. I had a wonderful time." She paused, then looked up at him with a shy smile. "I hope I dream of you tonight."

"I hope you do as well."

Reluctantly he removed his hand from her cheek, then turned crisply on heel and left the room. It was a kind of agony not being able to know for sure what Kianna really felt for him, but if he was right, that would change soon. One of the drugs she was on was a cochlera extract which had been used in the past to resist Jedi mind powers. He had his suspicions about why a five-year-old child might have been given such a drug. And if he was correct, he wanted her as far as possible from Coruscant and the Emperor when it wore off.

Kianna awoke to an empty, hollow feeling in her chest. The concert had gone splendidly, everything she had hoped for in a first outing as Lady Vader. Except for ending up alone in her bed last night. It wasn't just the sex. She could have been content if Vader had just been with her. But there was no arguing with duty.

As she rose for her morning trip to the 'fresher, she found herself wondering if this was what love was. If so, it was a cursedly uncomfortable emotion and nothing at all like the stories said. She dressed quickly in a pale grey gown in the Imperial style, complete with high neck and front placket. TC-13 helped Kianna braid and coil her hair high on the back of her head, secured with four plain silver hairpins. She found she had no appetite, and made do with just a roll for breakfast but had two cups of kaf before donning a pair of grey gloves.

Kianna watched nervously as her protocol droid packed a last few items in an overnight bag, and tried hard not to fidget. Instead, she took three deep, slow breaths and slipped into a light meditative trance. She'd never met a Jedi, but there were other religions and disciplines that used meditation, and she had trained in several of them. It had started as a way to control her body and stop the blushes that were so painfully visible with her pale coloring. She started there now, slowing her heart beat along with her breathing, bringing her body into a state of calm control which helped calm her mind. And once her mind had calmed, her training in meditation made the source of her unease obvious.

For nearly twenty-three years she had started each and every morning by taking a migraine pill. Until this morning. Humans were creatures of habit, and this was a very long, enduring habit. Of course she felt uneasy. The first step to recovering her mental balance was to review the facts. The medication was not for migraines. She did not need it, and it was possibly dangerous if she got pregnant. Then slipping out of her trance she located the pills Dr. Mizan gave her, and took one of those. The fact that the familiar action of taking a morning pill calmed her further brought a bitter smile. It was proof of just how flawed she was.

TC-13 emerged from her bedroom just then, carrying the small overnight case.

"Everything is packed now, Lady Vader. Lord Vader's shuttle is on route back to the castle now."

Kianna nodded.

"Let's make our way to the hangar then."

She headed out of her rooms, to find four Noghri were waiting out in the hall. They said nothing, but fell in place around her, two in the lead and two behind. To her surprise, Kianna felt a pang of regret as she headed down the now familiar path to the hangar. She hadn't expected to think of the palace as home.

Once in the hangar she unsealed the Concerto to allow TC-13 inside with the last of the luggage. She had made very sure that only herself and her husband had access to the Concerto, and she wasn't going to unbend from that no matter how inconvenient it might be. True the droid and the guards were unlikely to be a risk, but she wasn't ready to trust them completely. Not yet, perhaps not ever.

Vader's shuttle landed nearby, and Kianna smiled a bit at the precision of his landing. She really wanted to fly with him sometime. She was still smiling when he strode over to her. She met him halfway, and her eyes lit up as he clasped her hands in his.

"The Exactor is waiting to take us to Vjun. My quarters on board are not what you are accustomed to, and I will be busy much of the time."

Kianna smiled.

"I can accept that. Duty must come first, and I will assist you however I may."

Lord Vader said nothing for a moment, and then Kianna took her place on his arm and he escorted her to the Concerto. A small, unnecessary gesture.

But for Kianna, it meant everything.

to be continued...

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