Padmé sighed as she returned to her datapad, pushing the sensation aside. "I don't think he's looking at me, Dormé."
Dormé snorted in response. "Well, he definitely isn't looking at me." Padmé scribbled more notes down on her document. "You watch too many of those cheesy holofilms," Padmé commented, knowing Dormé's train of thought all too well.
Dormé gasped. "They aren't cheesy! They're romantic. And maybe if you gave them a try, you'd have better luck in your love life."
"I will not," Padmé fumed. "Because all I see is that they're filling your head with ridiculous ideas like Darth Vader staring at me."
Dormé turned to face Padmé with a scolding look on her face, her hands moving to her hips. "He has been standing there for almost an hour," she remarked. "What do you think he is doing?"
Padmé shrugged, pushing aside all thoughts of Vader and trying to ignore the sparks that seemed to ignite within her belly. "I don't know," she said. "He is a busy man." "Yes, a very busy man," Dormé said, nodding in agreement before her voice turned sarcastic. "He doesn't have time to stand around gazing at a beautiful senator or to steal a glance at her when he walks by her office door."
Padmé's mouth nearly dropped as she struggled to understand the feelings swelling inside her. "He didn't!" she retorted in shock, and much to her dismay... excitement.
Dormé smiled, raising an eyebrow and nodding. "He did."
As quickly as the strange emotions flared to life inside her, Padmé swiftly extinguished them, horrified with herself. "Dormé, don't be ridiculous!" she whispered, filled with anger toward herself and her friend for suggesting such an idea. She didn't know where the foreign and impractical emotions had come from, but she had to remember what was happening: where they stood and who they were discussing. She looked cautiously into the darkness before glancing back at Dormé with narrowed eyes. "You said it yourself. They're probably spying on us. We have to be careful."
Dormé smiled, rolling her eyes in an unusual manner. "Padmé, please. This is why you're single."
"Excuse me?"
"If he were spying on you, he wouldn't be so visible. I believe he's a bit more skilled than that," Dormé continued, gesturing toward Vader, who clearly stood out in the open.
"Don't point!" Padmé nearly screamed, even more horrified, but Dormé just smiled.
"And do you honestly think he came in here just to talk to Rush?" She rolled her eyes and laughed. "Please... I don't believe that."
Padmé didn't know where any of this was coming from, especially when the woman saying it had admitted to being deathly afraid of Darth Vader only a few hours earlier. Dormé was known for being a little rash– even a bit outspoken from time to time- but this felt serious. Maybe even very serious. Had Dormé completely lost her mind? This was Darth Vader she was discussing: Lord of the Sith, the Emperor's apprentice, the Supreme Commander of the Imperial force, the heir to the Empire's throne... their mortal enemy! It wasn't some schoolboy who had pulled her hair and made Dormé believe he had a crush, but she felt her face growing hot with each of Dormé's statements.
"Dormé, please," Padmé pressed, trying to hide the redness on her face. "You're being ridiculous." She fought to find the correct words but settled to keep it bleak. "I don't know where all this is coming from, but it needs to stop!"
Dormé erupted into a fit of giggles, her hand clutching her stomach as she even began to wheeze. "Geez, Padmé," she laughed, wiping a tear from her eye. "Calm down. I was just teasing."
Padmé grumbled, composing herself, slightly annoyed and irritated by Dormé's amusement. "It's not funny, Dormé," she retorted. "This is serious."
"I know. I know," Dormé replied, finally regaining her composure. "It's just been such a stressful day. I needed some kind of relief."
"Well, stop teasing!" Padmé snapped back. "This is Darth Vader we're talking about, not some schoolboy! He could wring our necks for this!"
As if finally sensing the seriousness of the situation and the sheer danger lurking nearby, Dormé's amusement quickly vanished, and she fell into immediate silence at Padmé's side. Padmé had half a mind to reprimand her for such an outburst but decided against it, given the circumstances. After all, it was uncommon behavior, and it had been a stressful time for everyone.
The issue was that Padmé intended to return to her work, but unfortunately, the damage had already been done. It didn't matter whether Dormé remained silent or if her comments were simply teasing or a way to pass the time. She had still made those statements, and some had been true. Now, Padmé couldn't forget the sight of Darth Vader standing outside her office.
Just one look, Padmé told herself. One glance. Just to see if he is still looking at me.
Stealing a glance, Padmé looked up from her work and was greeted by an unexpected sight. Darth Vader remained outside her office, but he was no longer looking at her; instead, he was focused on a shorter man standing next to him.
Palpatine, Padmé thought, recognizing the red and black cloak. She watched in fascination as the Emperor continued to converse with the dark-hooded man who towered over him, noticing how closely the apprentice resembled the master. She had to admit that, although she despised Palpatine with every ounce of her soul, it was Darth Vader who appeared far more intimidating than Palpatine. This left Padmé wondering why Palpatine, rather than Vader, was in charge. It seemed that Darth Vader was the darker and more powerful of the two. How could an old man like Palpatine control such a mighty and unruly Sith?
"And now you're staring at him," Dormé said with a soft laugh.
Sith.
Padmé groaned, realizing her mistake as a faint blush rose to her cheeks. Her "one glance" mission had transformed into a much longer stare, which had even allowed Dormé to notice. Throwing the datapad across her desk, she turned to her handmaiden with a glare and a headache. "It seems my mind is elsewhere," she replied, attempting to appear unaffected. "I think I should leave early."
.
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