A/N: Thank you to Jody for allowing me to borrow Saché.
It did not take long to trace the origin of the transmission to the Rebels. Despite what others may say, Dormé was not heartless or an ‘ice queen’. In fact, the discovery of the mole filled her with such disappointment. The man who had been Senator Amidala’s head of security betrayed her memory! Captain Typho…why? How could you? We depended on you for her life and you failed her and now after her death you tarnish her memory. You deserve a traitors death! But Typho was the mole she had been diligently looking for and it was Dormé who ordered his execution.
On her orders, the stormtroopers led pursuit, but it was her former mentor, Lady Saché Maberrie who administered the killing shot. Despite this, Dormé was unconvinced of the security lieutenant’s loyalties. Dormé was well aware of Lady Saché’s intimate relations with the captain and felt it was only a matter of time before she found evidence of her co-partnership in the betrayal. When her disappointment in the captain receded, Typho and Maberrie were dead to her. They would pay for their insurrection.
For now, she had her regular duties to attend to and she focused on the task at hand. Upon finding the information she needed on two rebel agents posing as imperial officers, she collected the data and encrypted it before setting off to deliver them personally to Lord Vader. Though she was well aware he was still on his mission to Kessel, she wanted to be sure the data wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands, especially after the recent events.
Dormé was the only person who had access to Vader’s private chambers. Not even the Emperor had free entry. As she entered, thoughts of their last meeting rushed to the forefront of her thoughts preventing her from noticing that anyone had followed her inside.
Just after placing the datapad on the table, she was accosted by Saché. A flicker of fear ran through her as she felt the cold metal of one of Saché’s blade pointed at her throat. She barely managed to gasp, ‘What is the meaning of this?’ as she was forced backward against the wall.
Startled, but not completely shaken she glared at the older woman. She thought perhaps the death of her lover, at her own hands no less, had driven her mad if the look in her eyes was any testament to it.
Saché’s expression was cool and calculating, a far cry from the passionate woman she normally was. She said nothing, but drew another blade, this one aimed at Dormé’s torso.
So this was it, was it? Dormé figured Saché was going to kill her for turning over Typho and ordering his execution. ‘Killing me won’t bring him back,’ she said softly, her own voice emotionless as she stared the traitor down. ‘And your pathetic attempt to cover your own tracks by executing him yourself did not fool me.’
Lucky for Dormé, the wall she was pressed up against had a console to which she covertly thumbed as Saché glared at her, something of a fire dancing in her eyes to accompany her cryptic smile.
Though her frightened heart pounded in her chest, her voice was smooth as silk. ‘When Vader learns of your sedition, doubt not how quickly your blood will be spilt,’ Dormé added, not even contemplating what her own death could possibly mean to him.
‘Dormé, you foolish girl…’ Saché began as she taunted her with the knife at her throat, about to administer a fatal blow.
Dormé was unable to hide her fear now. Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes wavered as she inwardly screamed for someone to save her.
‘When Lord Vader returns,’ Saché continued, eerily calm, ‘you will already be dead and I will be shortly there after. That’s the beautiful thing about justice; in the end you always get what you deserve.’
But before the dagger could do any damage, Lieutenant Piett rushed through the unlocked doors of Vader’s quarters flanked by six stormtroopers. Aiming his blaster at the woman, he ordered, ‘Drop it.’
Saché didn’t listen and sliced Dormé’s torso, wounding her though not deeply for the clones had already began firing.
Dormé cried out as the metal cut her, the other knife nicking her neck. But once Saché was a lifeless corpse from their blaster fire, she went straight over to Piett, tossing her arms around his neck. Her hero! She clung to him, shaking slightly from the frightening ordeal.
With the woman in his arms, Firmus ordered the troops to collect the traitor’s body and take her to the lab should Vader wish to peruse it later. When they were left alone in Vader’s quarter’s Firmus tried to comfort her. ‘It’s over now, milady. The traitor will not harm you now.’
There were no tears in her eyes as she pulled her head up from his shoulder and released her grip slightly. ‘Thank you,’ she murmured.
Firmus couldn’t help studying her full lips and catch the soft aromatic scent that was quintessentially Dormé. ‘It was nothing, milady,’ he replied, a slight catch in his voice. She was so close…but he knew of her intense loyalty to Vader and he had studied her from afar, getting the sense that her loyalty did not stop at imperial duties. She would never fancy him in the way she did Vader.
‘But you saved me!’ she insisted. ‘I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay you.’ Dormé was increasingly aware at just how close to death she had been. ‘I could have died!’ Though handmaidens were supposed to be ready to give their life for their mistress at any time, Dormé had led a relatively sheltered existence. Throughout her years of service, she had lived through Cordé and Versé’s death, but Moteé took over the role as decoy at Cordé’s passing and she remained a handmaiden. Dormé gave his cheek a kiss as she whispered her thanks once more before stepping out of his embrace.
Claming down, her thoughts returned to her duty and she eyed the datapad she had brought here to leave for Vader. ‘If you will excuse me, I need to tidy up here before Lord Vader returns,’ she said, indicating the blaster fire on the walls and the blood on the carpeting.
‘Certainly droids could see to it,’ Firmus offered.
‘Lord Vader prefers my personal touch,’ she responded with a hint of a smile.
‘I imagine he would,’ Firmus replied, adding wistfully, ‘as any man would prefer a woman’s touch.’
Dormé sent him an appreciative and nearly sincere smile at that remark, her eyes lightening at the thought. When given the opportunity, she mused, Lieutenant Piett certainly had a way with words.
She watched in silence as he turned on his heels and left. She then moved to lock Vader’s quarters once more so she could attend to clean up duty.
on to chapter two
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