It was as if they had announced that Death himself had managed to get an invite to the party, and everything became cold. Lord Vader? Had she truly heard that, right?
"It can't be..." Bail whispered in shock, his eyes widening as all color drained from his face.
Padmé mirrored his shocked expression, feeling as if she had frozen to the floor, while her body battled the urge to faint. It seemed as if all her blood had drained from her body and the air in the room was crashing down on her. Had she heard that correctly? Darth Vader? It couldn't be! It was impossible! Why would Darth Vader be there? He never attended events. Ever! It had to be a mistake! Darth Vader wouldn't—couldn't be there.
Although Darth Vader only showed up after Palpatine declared himself Emperor, the Sith wasted no time making a name for himself. His name instilled fear in everyone who heard it. Every being in every corner of the galaxy, regardless of their age, species, or background, dreaded the evil Sith Lord, understanding that his mere presence brought only fear, pain, and death. Darth Vader was the murderer of millions, the destroyer of the Jedi, a vicious monster, a deadly ghost, the commander of the Empire's forces, the Emperor's right-hand man, and the second most powerful figure in the entire galaxy–or as some believed, the true most powerful figure in the galaxy.
Darth Vader was seldom seen in public— or by anyone at all. He seemed more like an urban legend or a terrifying myth, which was believable, especially given the evidence of his brutality. Palpatine preferred to keep the Sith concealed until the time was right, and as a result, there were more questions about Darth Vader than answers. Not that anyone was willing to seek them out; some people decided they would rather die than risk being caught in the presence of the Dark Lord, and those who were too curious often found themselves dead at his hands. The stories and rumors were endless, even longer than his list of victims, or so it seemed. Padmé had assumed that all eyes would be on the Emperor tonight, but after learning about the special guest, she realized she was mistaken.
While the room remained in a state of stunned silence, Mon Mothma broke through the crowd ahead, nearly sprinting toward them. "Did you know he was coming?" Mon Mothma hissed, terror etched on her face as she approached the two senators.
Bail didn't say anything, not even responding physically to Mon's reappearance. He continued to gaze forward without movement, too horrified or lost in thought because of the Sith's appearance. His lack of direct response was enough to imply his answer, although eventually, he managed to shake his head from side to side, letting her know that he had heard her, and like the rest of the room, he too had no idea.
"I thought there were reports of his presence on Jakku?" Mon pressed, her voice filled with anger and still struggling to believe the words that echoed in her ears. "Didn't he just take out a legion of our troops there yesterday?"
"He did," Bail replied lowly. "And an entire squadron as well."
"Then he can't be here," Padmé reasoned, as the factors added up to the impossible. They had even been briefed with the knowledge that Lord Vader would be nowhere near Coruscant at the time of the party. He simply couldn't be. "It has to be a mistake."
"It has to be," Mon actually agreed. "Maybe it could be a decoy? You heard what the council said. Vader has been hunting us nonstop for the past year. It—he—" She took a deep breath, trying to reason. "He just eliminated another large part of our forces. He wouldn't stop his hunt to attend this party, not when he was so close. He wouldn't give up his pursuit that quickly."
"He wouldn't," Bail agreed as his gaze grew serious, shifting to the women before him, his voice adopting a chilling tone. "Unless his hunt has simply changed destinations." He glanced over them once more before scanning the room and fixing his gaze on the other senators—members and leaders of the Rebellion. "Unless he knows where to find his next prey."
"Sith," Mon whispered, following Bail's train of thought, her gaze shifting back to the sea of people she knew surrounded the Dark Lord. "I've only seen him from a distance," she continued softly, unable to mask the fear in her voice. "During one or two Senate meetings that the Emperor had him attend, but that was close enough for me." She glanced back at her peers, scanning their faces. "Have either of you ever seen him?"
"I've met him a few times," Bail replied flatly, his expression unreadable.
"I—I haven't," Padmé whispered, unable to conceal the fear evident in her voice. It was true; she had never had the opportunity to meet or even see the Sith Lord, Darth Vader. She had been denied that particular pleasure, and while it was one pleasure she was content to forego, it still reminded her of the reasons she had never encountered him—because they had always found excuses to keep her away from the Senate. "But I have seen him on the Holonet news reports," she offered weakly, the false confidence in her tone sounding extremely unconvincing.
Mon growled in annoyance, clearly scared. "I told you this was a bad idea!" she hissed to Bail. "Especially if the rumors are true!" Bail remained motionless, his gaze fixed ahead as he waited for the two Sith Lords to appear. "They are true," he said quietly, still devoid of emotion. "Very, very true."
"Kriff!" Mon cursed, glancing back at the crowd—toward the hidden Sith. "We're finished!"
"What?" Padmé questioned, fear evident on her face. She understood what it meant to be scared, but to actually consider their immediate downfall? She felt her heart racing in her chest as she glanced back and forth between the two elder senators, witnessing their terrified reactions to the Sith. She had never seen such seasoned senators display fear like this before, and now that she had, it unsettled her.