Poor form while on enemy territory, Vader couldn't help but note, shaking his head the slightest amount at the ignorance and stupidity of it all. Was everyone truly this stupid?
The group's whispers filled the room as they moved toward the exit, convinced their hushed words were safe from anyone nearby. However, Vader listened intently, knowing these fools were woefully mistaken. His keen hearing picked up their anxious murmurs as if they were standing beside him, leaving nothing concealed from the Sith's ears.
"Do you think it's safe to go home?" Senator Amidala whispered to her head of security, her large brown eyes skimming the room back and forth inquisitively. She was careful not to look in Vader's direction.
She seemed to possess both the most and the least sense of anyone in her group, a perplexing notion, especially since he considered her rather dull.
"Your apartment is already secured," the man replied, slowing his pace to walk beside the woman. "I'll have our team double-check it when we return, but you should be safe there."
Once again, Vader wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Safe? The word seemed almost comedic, especially given their predicament. The Sith could practically sense the peril these people were in– although he was that danger himself– yet they appeared completely unaware of the grave situation surrounding them. It made no sense. Whether Force-sensitive or not, most beings possessed the basic understanding of when they were in danger– the natural instinct passed down through generations. That whisper that distinguished the predators from the prey… and Vader recognized prey when he saw it… This made it even more bewildering for his quarry to ignore the threat so evident around them, to resist their fear, and to refrain from running. Even with Vader's fabricated lies and his master's encouraging sentiments, they appeared so… compliant. Almost too compliant. There was certainly worry, but did these simpletons truly think themselves so clever and above the Empire that they believed they were safe? That they could dismiss their basic instinct of fear and convince themselves they were secure.
How mistaken they were.
It was a fool's agenda to believe something so incredibly inaccurate, to think one was safe from the eyes of the Empire—from the wrath of Darth Vader. Little did they know that their ship and the senator's apartment had already been bugged. The seeds of his master's plan had already been planted, and it was only a matter of time before they realized that nowhere was safe.
"Can we try to contact the others?" the handmaiden asked, stepping closer to the pair and prompting Sidious to chuckle from beside him.
"It's too dangerous, Dormé," the younger woman replied, a deep frown overtaking her small face as her brows furrowed over her suddenly hard eyes. "You heard what Bail said. We need to keep our distance and must not make contact."
"I agree," the head of security interjected, though Vader felt his uncertainty. "She's chosen to stay, so contacting her right now would be unwise. Let's just get the senator back home and work out a plan from there."
The group seemed to reach a silent agreement as they moved forward, no longer finding it necessary to engage in conversation. However, some members' thoughts continued to broadcast themselves to Vader. He didn't find anything particularly interesting about them but felt that strange energy surge again just as the senator turned her head to look at him. The young woman glanced backward in his direction, studying him with curious brown eyes for a long moment before looking straight ahead.
Vader sensed curiosity rather than fear. His rage once again overshadowed this unusual feeling and, even more surprisingly, his master's sudden approval.
Vader chose to ignore that, too engrossed in his anger to consider the bizarre occurrences of the day. He simply watched as the group reached the corner of the corridor. They turned to enter a hallway without another word, but as they did, they didn't notice the additional young man who was starting to follow them… but of course, Vader did. Vader sighed with an irritated grumble, finding everything suddenly vexing. That Naboo security team couldn't secure their own space cruiser, let alone an Imperial-governed building… and they surely weren't clever enough to detect the most obvious stalker.
What a stupid fool, Vader thought, as he watched Clovis chase after the senator before he turned to his master.
"What now, master?" Vader pressed, urgency evident in his voice, his fingers digging into his flesh in search of relief, which he hoped would come with a bloodbath and a swing of his lightsaber.
The old man seemed more unbothered than usual, simply staring at the spot where the Naboo entourage had vanished and offering no immediate reply. Eventually, his head turned to face Vader's, a cool mask covering his features that Vader recognized all too well. "You heard it yourself, Lord Vader," Sidious replied, almost innocently, though his lips curled in a way that Vader knew concealed the most vile smile. "She is going home."
"And what is she tries to escape?" Vader asked, still believing that the lesser option was a possibility. The senator may be stubborn, but he knew what was on her security's mind, and he wasn't sure if they would be enough to sway her decision. Things could change once they got her home, and the likelihood that they would run for it was still very high in his mind.
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