[Last Of The Jedi] - 08(11)

For a moment, she was taken aback. Then she smiled. “All right. I made you wait to establish power. It’s something I’m in the habit of doing. From now on, let us agree to be honest throughout our dealings. It is more efficient.”

“Precisely.” He knew she would lie anyway, but they might as well have the fiction that they trusted each other.

They walked into his private office, which was constantly monitored for bugging devices. No one could ever find out what he was about to do.

She settled herself in a chair, arranging her cloak in folds around her. “Now,” she said, “I know the Empire is interested in weapon delivery systems on a massive scale. It’s not my area of expertise, but -

“That’s not why you’re here,”

“Ah. Then what is the reason?”

“Rumors have reached me about a new drug you are working on,” Vader said. “You are close to perfecting an agent that can target specific areas of the brain.”

“Yes. A memory agent. It can scan for memory and erase specific areas. It is related to time. In other words, I should be able to blot out a week, or a month, or even years, if need be. I’ve discovered that there are timelines in the brain, timelines that can be mapped. … It is very technical.”

“Have you tested the drug on humans?” She shifted her position in the chair. “Only a few. It is difficult… to get human subjects. That’s why I placed the request to the Emperor for access to prisoners.”

“I can obtain for you human subjects,” Vader said curtly. “That is not a problem. As well as funding, and technical help.”

“The human subjects… yes, I need them, but not just anyone,” Zan Arbor said. “To be able to pinpoint timelines can be confusing if there is too much experience. In these early stages, I need to start on … more impressionable subjects. With limited experience.”

“I see. I can arrange that,” Vader said. “And in return …”

She waited, her blue eyes alert. She knew there would be a deal that had to be struck.

“You must, of course, sign away all rights to the procedure, ceding them to the Empire. “

Zan Arbor shook her head. “I have never signed over the rights to my work. It is my integrity.”

He had expected this. It was part of the negotiation

“Nevertheless, I must insist.” He let a moment pass. “Aside from the benefits of not turning down a request from the Empire …” He let his words trail off, let her munch on the implications of this. She swallowed. Vader continued. “… we can work out the necessary financial arrangements so that you will reap the benefits if the procedure is successful. We are less interested in profits than the use of your discovery.”

She let that sink in. He knew her greed. As long as she was guaranteed profits, she would sign over anything.

“Assuming we can come to a financial agreement,” she said, “there are some other things I would want.”

He waved a gloved hand for her to continue.

“An apartment in the Republica 500 tower.”

The tower that the Emperor used for his private quarters. The apartments were luxurious, difficult to get, Senators jockeying, bribing, to get one. Lifelong feuds had begun over the competition for those apartments.

“Done,” Vader said.

“On a high floor!” she warned. “Also, a personal introduction to Raith Sienar, and a starship designed by him, retrofitted to my personal specifications. Paid for by the Empire.”

“Agreed.”

“A high-level security pass so I don’t have to stop for security checks anywhere in the galaxy. It is so time-consuming.”

A right awarded only to the highest level of officials, such as himself or Moff Tarkin - soon to be Grand Moff.

“Agreed.”

She looked startled, then crafty. He knew she was surprised at how easily he had acquiesced to those things and was trying to think of more to ask for.

“So we have a deal.” He said this flatly, warning her that she shouldn’t go on.

“Pending the financial agreement, yes.”

Something inside him relaxed. If she succeeded, if he was certain her procedure was foolproof, he had a way out of his nightmares.

Padme would be gone.

Anakin Skywalker would be gone.

They would just be names he would hear in passing. They would make no impression on him. If his Master reminded him, which sometimes he liked to do, to test him and torment him, he would hear that he had once loved someone and it would mean nothing to him.

Padme, you will be just a name to me. Nothing more. And that is all you deserve because of your betrayal!

He wrenched his attention back to Zan Arbor.