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❝ but i don't know you, no matter
how much i thought i did. ❞

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CARINA DOWNED HER GLASS of water before setting it back on the table before leaning back in her seat. The brunette sighed out softly, allowing herself to close her eyes whilst basking in the silence that constantly plagued her room when she wasn't being pestered.

The mother kept drifting her thoughts back to what Vader had revealed to her. A part of her still ached to trick herself into believing he had lied to her, but it was no use, she knew it was the truth.

Carina hated how the revelation had scrambled her mind, it shouldn't have— but it did. The Sith Lord hadn't returned since he walked out a week prior, and it was driving Algora insane, no matter how much she refused to accept it.

It bothered her how he could simply drop such news on her and walk out, not bothering to show his face to offer her some sort of explanation. Too many questions spun in her mind, why did he lie? Why did he allow her to believe he'd done it? Who did kill Padme then? It was a constant cycle and neither of them had an answer.

Algora blinked, her eyes spacing out with an empty look adorning her gaze. It was a reflection on how she felt— empty. Empty with the loss of those she held dear, empty when her emotions finally settled and left her, empty with being parted from her children, empty with the loss of her husband.

Carina constantly pondered about what she could have done to have deserved such a mind tearing fate. She'd been made to start fighting at the age of four and from then on, it never stopped. Her world was constantly moving, never giving her a moment to realize just how quickly time slipped away.

From youngling to padawan quickly went to Jedi Knight to Jedi Master... to then nothing. She was nothing but a mother willing to die for her twins.

Her children that were now all grown up, and she was reminded again of how the galaxy stops for no one at all. It felt like a few days ago she had just left Leia with Bail and Breha when her daughter was nine. Her children were all grown up, and she hadn't been there for any of it.

Twenty years of hiding and what did it bring her? Nothing but more pain. She'd decided to take the cowards way and shun herself out from the galaxy, basking in her sadness and allowing it to wear her down. She'd taken the cowards way.

Carina exhaled, remembering a time the brunette wished she could simply stop waking up in the mornings. Tired of the constant cycle that held no meaning anymore.

The mother pinched the bridge of her nose, forcing herself out of her thoughts that were resurfacing. She'd shoved them away for too long, and in doing so it was only causing more harm.

The door to her chambers clicked open and Carina slowly lifted her amber eyes to see Vader standing in the doorway. The brunette swallowed thickly, a tired glint glimmering in her gaze before a bored tone accompanied her words, "Look who decided to show up."

Darth tipped his head to the side slightly, taking in her expression, "Follow me." Carina quirked up a brow at him, "No please? Can you? Just follow me, wow, okay."

Vader couldn't help how startled her words made him, slight surprise coursing through him as that was probably the nicest tone she's used with him since they saw one another again. It was probably the nicest it would get as well.

The male gestured his head over to the door and with a roll of her eyes the brunette had stood from her seat at the table. Carina followed after the man who stepped out into the corridor, she picked up her pace to fall into his side before shoving her hands into her pockets.

Algora looked to her sides, intently watching troopers in squadrons march down the halls completely armed.

The brunette blinked and suddenly it was the clone troopers, exchanging snarky remarks and laughing freely. It was her old clone Legion, the one she used to command and lead proudly.

Her heart spiked up with her breathing beginning to come out in ragged shallow breaths. Carina hadn't noticed she'd stopped walking when the next time she blinked it was Vader standing over her.

"Carina." His mechanic voice rang in her ears, a hint of worry latched onto his tone but she wrote it off as her hearing beginning to deceive her. Algora reluctantly tore her gaze away from the corridor before glancing up to meet the males visor, "What?" her tone came out harsh, eyes once again guarded.

Vader pulled his brows together in confusion, curiosity filling his mind as he thought of what she'd seen. The male turned his head back to place his blue eyes where his wife's previously was, scanning the area to see what could've made her attitude make a complete shift.

Carina's jaw ticked, "Can we just get this over with?"

Vader straightened up, stepping away from Aglora to continue leading the way down the hall, the brunette now trailing behind him. Carina fought the urge to grit her teeth as their combined footsteps echoed in her ears.

Carina took in the long halls that were too bright in her opinion, her boots clacking against the metal floors when the male in front of her came to an abrupt stop.

The brunette glanced up to see they had come upon a door, her honey eyes watching the Sith Lord who unlocked it. With the doors sliding out of the way, Carina got a glimpse into the room that seemed to be a bedroom.

It was much nicer than the one she was currently occupying, especially because all that one had was a bed, a table with two chairs, and the same black color on all four walls.

Carina took a slight step forward to see the chamber, the white walls with silver accents catching her eyes before the large window on the far end met her line of sight. She could vividly see the stars and planets shining from their place in space.

The bed was much larger and it had more than two pillows this time with a nightstand at its right.

Carina eyed the closet that was on the far end of the desk, her eyes taking in each and every single detail she could.

Darth watched his wife scan her gaze over everything, knowing the sight before her was already engraved into her mind with her sharp memory.

Carina reluctantly tore her eyes away to meet the mask she held much distaste for, "What is this?"

Vader unclenched his hands that were at his sides, "For you." His mechanic voice echoed in her ears.

Carina's brows pulled themselves together in confusion, "Why are you moving me?"

Vader's eyes wandered over the brunettes prominent features, his gaze resting upon the scar that once matched his a little longer. She had gotten it the same day his hand had been taken from him.

Those times now seemed much simpler in his crowded mind. He was also a different person then.

"I figured you could use something more comfortable." Vader's eyes went blank, his body going rigid before inching farther away from Carina who gazed at him as if she could see right through his mask.

The male averted his eyes, the thought making something inside him burn before gesturing inside, "I'll leave you be."

Before Vader could turn to make his exit, Carina's voice stopped him, "Why did you lie?"

Darth tipped his head back at her almost unnoticeably, "About?" His voice was now distant, his entire demeanor having taken a drastic change.

Carina swallowed thickly, wrapping her coat tighter around herself, "About killing Padme. Why did you lie to me?"

Vader allowed his wife's words to float around in his head, the mere question sounding a bit absurd to him because if anyone should know that answer— it would be Carina.

"Would you have believed me if I'd said otherwise?"

Loud silence was the only response he was met with. Of course Carina wouldn't have believed him, so he saw no point in attempting to deny it. She'd already seen him as a monster, what was the point in anything then?

Darth looked ahead once more, knowing the memories of that night were plaguing Algora's mind. He would never admit it out loud, but he couldn't stand to allow himself to relieve that night.

He'd hurt and almost killed the one person he would've burned the entire galaxy for. That was when he knew he had gone too far... and there was no turning back.

He was stuck living with the choices he made for awhile he came to peace with it, but that was before he found out his wife was truly alive.

Now old feelings were beginning to cloud his judgement no matter how hard he tried to shun them away. Regret, sadness, guilt on a never ending cycle in his mind.

Though the male would never speak about the conflict coursing through him. He couldn't.

Carina watched the Sith's back, her mind completely blank from the question he'd asked in response to hers.

No, she wouldn't have believed him. She would've called him a liar, a coward for lying even after everything he'd done. Because how could she trust the word of a Sith?

Carina was pulled out of her thoughts when Darth Vader began walking away, his steps never faltering as he disappeared from view. Algora clenched her hands tightly, fists slightly shaking as she did so.

The brunette didn't even bother to pay attention to the six storm troopers that lingered by the walls near her new room, her sole focus on the empty space the Sith had occupied only moments before.

A small, sliver of her mind had half a thought to reach out to him. Clutch his wrist to keep him from walking— to keep him from walking away from her. She resented that small part of her soul.

She always hated the way a piece of her always sought him out, even when the bigger part sometimes wished he'd died that day on Mustafar.

The never ending battle continued in her mind, growing worse by the weeks she spent captive.

When she'd first arrived she would've happily driven her lightsaber through him and called it a day.

But now? Now she'd hesitate, she'd think longer on it. The mental battle deeming her unfit to go through with it. She was sure she had finally replaced all her past feelings with only blinding hatred.

She couldn't have been more mistaken.

—

AUTHORS NOTE,
these two give me a headache atp bc most of the time idek what to do with them😭