The following story takes place after "A Forcible Nuisance."
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THE CHRISTMAS CONCERT
Astrid bounced into the room where Vader was talking to Admiral Piett over the holocomm.
"Observe," she announced with great pomposity as she showed off her costume, her expression and tone in excellent imitation of Ozzel, Piett's second-in-command who had been assigned his position by Grand Moff Tarkin.
"Lord Vader, there are more important issues than chatting to Piett. May I remind you that in half an hour begins the Christmas concert in which your daughter is starring. This issue clearly requires your attention and is far more important than what you are currently doing." She looked at him with a very Ozzel-like expression.
Vader looked at her while Piett struggled to control his features. The others on the bridge didn't, though; Vader could see their grins.
"Astrid, you should not ridicule the officers," he reprimanded, just as Ozzel came onto the bridge and approached the holocomm self-importantly.
"Lord Vader," he began, "may I remind you–"
Piett howled. Ozzel watched with affronted disgust as the Admiral was almost bent double with laughter. Strid looked at the holocomm screen with cold dignity, as though she hadn't anything to do with Piett's inexplicable display of mirth. She didn't like Ozzel.
Ozzel gave up on Piett and turned back to the holocomm.
"Lord Vader," he said again, "may I remind you that there are important issues demanding your attention, and I hardly think that a school concert–"
"What you think is immaterial," Astrid said coldly. Ozzel glared at her.
"I hardly think," he sneered (Vader thought that part was quite accurate), "that a little girl–" He broke off, choking. Vader turned sharply to see Astrid looking fixedly at the screen with narrowed eyes.
"Astrid!" Vader said forcefully. Ozzel suddenly found himself able to breathe again.
"I," said Astrid, "am not merely a little girl, Ozzel. Bear that in mind."
Vader wondered when she'd gained such control over her abilities. Normally she never used them, and as the Emperor didn't want her trained Vader had encouraged this… He gave an inward sigh. He was going to have a long talk with his daughter on the way to the concert.
Vader finished giving Piett instructions as the Admiral had recovered and was his normal correct self, before ending the call. He turned to Astrid who smiled and gave a little twirl.
"See my costume?" she asked proudly. Astrid had convinced her teacher to let her play the part of her father in the play and was now wearing black pants, a black shirt, and a black cloak that was far, far too long for her.
"Where did you get that cloak?" Vader asked suspiciously. His daughter gave him an innocent look. He sighed and took the cloak off her.
"Do not go through my belongings," he ordered, walking out the door to put his cloak away. Astrid sighed. The damn thing had been too long, anyway.
Vader returned a few minutes later carrying a folded wad of cloth that proved to be a long, black, hooded cloak.
"Try this on," he instructed. Astrid did so. It fit perfectly.
"This is one of the cloaks I wore when I first served the Emperor," he told his daughter, who was currently swirling around delightedly in it. "You may keep it as long as you take care of it."
"I can keep it?" Astrid cried out. She gave her father a rapturous hug. "Thank you! Now I look like a Sith!"
She suddenly stood tall and straight and assumed a cold, menacing expression. Vader was surprised at the darkness that suddenly radiated from her. Then her expression changed to one that he was oddly familiar with.
"I find your lack of faith disturbing," she announced in a voice eerily like his own. Vader sighed. He had an uneasy suspicion that her performance might bring the house down.
"Tell me again why I am in this play."
"I told you already!" his daughter complained. "It's historical. It's about the rise of the Empire." She grinned suddenly. "Cass's playing Yoda." She looked up at him. "Can we go now?"
"Very well," Vader agreed. The Sith-child ran out of the room in a swirl of cloak.
On their way to the concert, Vader decided that he'd broach the topic of Astrid's Force-abilities later. He listened to her chatter on about the concert and people's costumes and how one of the boys had managed to lock himself in a prop closet during rehearsal. As soon as they reached the school Astrid leapt from the speeder to greet Cassandra, her cloak going sideways off one shoulder. Vader sighed, shutting the speeder door she had left open and locking the speeder before he walked over to straighten his daughter's cloak.
"Oh," said Astrid, glancing up at him. "Thanks, Dad."
Vader gazed in mild bemusement at Cassandra. She was in vivid green clothing and facepaint, with a bright green hat covering her hair. Vader thought that he had never seen anyone look less like Master Yoda. She gave him a shy grin.
"Size matters not," she announced in a slightly sing-song voice, "unless the part of Yoda you wish to have."
Vader looked at Astrid, who grinned.
"I've been accessing your old holovid files," she explained. Vader sighed.
The two girls disappeared once they were inside, leaving Vader to find a seat in the auditorium. He looked around, trying to spot someone in the audience who wasn't likely to irritate him too much. In the end he decided to sit next to General Dacin. Their daughters might be enemies, but he was a moderately sensible man.
Dacin looked up as he heard the sound of the respirator to see Vader sitting down next to him.
"Lord Vader," he said politely.
"General Dacin," Vader returned.
"I understand that Astrid is representing you in the concert," the General remarked conversationally.
"Indeed," Vader said gloomily. Dacin's lips twitched.
"What part is your daughter taking in this production?" Vader asked, changing the subject.
Dacin smiled.
"She tells me that she plays a rather minor part, but the only female part with any ah, status to it. A senator named Amidala, I believe."
"WHAT!" Vader sat bolt upright, his bellow reaching most of the auditorium. People sent him nervous looks. The General looked startled.
"How does Astrid feel about that?" Vader asked quietly once he had regained self-control. Why in the galaxy hadn't Astrid told him that Padme was a character in the play?
A frown creased Dacin's forehead.
"Actually," he replied thoughtfully, "Ammeline said that she appeared rather upset over it for some reason."
Vader sat and stared unseeingly at the stage. It was only when the curtains drew back that he was able to pull his mind away from painful memories. He watched, rather bored, as level eight did their performance. Finally level nine was announced, and the curtains rolled back.
A small green figure hobbled out onto the stage on a small stick towards a circle of people dressed in brown robes.
"Take over the galaxy, we will," Cassandra announced. "Grows weak, does the Senate. The time to act it now is."
There was scattered laughter from those old enough to remember Yoda's peculiar syntax.
"I believe that your daughter may have tutored some of the other students on how to enact their roles," Dacin murmured.
"Undoubtedly," Vader replied. On stage the Jedi Council discussed their plot with Yoda. Vader felt rather disgusted, even though he had had a hand in spreading these lies about the Jedi. There was something wrong about seeing the Jedi and Yoda represented like this.
The Jedi trooped off stage, presumably to enact their plan. A tall boy dressed in rather splendid clothes walked on.
"Lord Vader!" he called, his gaze moving about as though he were searching for someone. Astrid strode out onto the stage, hidden in her cloak.
"Yes, my Master."
There was a murmur from the audience. The stance and intonation of this figure was unmistakable.
"The Jedi are planning to overthrow the Senate and take control of the galaxy," said the boy playing Palpatine. Astrid looked coldly at him.
"What are your orders, Master?"
"We must destroy them, Lord Vader, for the good of the people."
Vader made a small noise. Dacin glanced at him.
Palpatine and Vader walked off the stage, Palpatine murmuring things that the audience couldn't hear. The curtains closed. When they opened again there were lots of students sitting on the stage, evenly spaced. Palpatine walked on stage. He stood in front of the seated students, proclaiming that the Jedi were plotting to take over the galaxy and that he, Palpatine, was stopping them. Vader watched as the boy re-enacted Palpatine proclaiming himself Emperor. It was a surprisingly accurate display. While the Senators clapped, Ammeline Dacin turned to her neighbour.
"What a wonderful idea!" she cooed. "Don't you agree, Senator Organa?"
"Indeed, Senator Amidala."
A wave of anger rolled from somewhere off stage and hit the audience. They murmured in surprise, wondering what was happening. Vader, likewise, was feeling angry. He'd no doubt that Padme had been aghast at Palpatine's proclamation. One of her neighbouring senators had heard her say, "So this is how liberty dies. To thunderous applause." It was far more impressive and real than the silly act the Dacin girl had just put on. Vader just hoped that Astrid would be able to control herself.
The students walked off-stage. A girl walked out.
"And so the Emperor Palpatine founded the Galactic Empire," she said solemnly. "The Jedi were purged from the galaxy, while Lord Vader tracked down and destroyed the leader of the Separatists. Their service to the galaxy goes on, as they hunt down all those rebels who want to plunge the galaxy into chaos once more." The curtains closed. There were thuds and footsteps before the curtains opened again.
There were students in grey and brown uniforms working at desks with datapads or murmuring to each other in voices too low for the audience to understand. Astrid came striding onto the stage.
"Admiral," she said coldly to one of the boys in a grey uniform. He saluted.
"Lord Vader," he greeted her. "We are approaching the rebel base now. We will be there in five minutes."
"Very good, Admiral," said Astrid.
One of the boys in uniform detached himself from a group and swaggered over.
"How do you know that the rebels are here, Lord Vader?" he demanded. Astrid gazed coldly at him.
"The Force works in ways beyond your understanding."
The boy sneered.
"I find your devotion to these religious superstitions pitiful, Lord Vader. If–"
Suddenly the boy pretended to choke and gasp, clutching his throat.
"I find your lack of faith disturbing," said Astrid, her hand held out in an odd gesture.
Vader gave a small groan and covered his lenses with his hand as the audience laughed at the accuracy of Astrid's mimicry. Dacin regarded him with amusement.
"The trials of being a parent," he said humorously. Vader just sighed.
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After the concert the audience and the students moved out into the Hall where long tables were set out, covered in food.
Vader was looking for his daughter when Ammeline Dacin's voice came to his ears.
"…and in real life, she actually was against the Empire! She died not long afterwards, she must have been such a wimp–"
Vader stiffened as he realised who she was talking about. Almost immediately there was an enraged roar. He whipped his head around in time to see Astrid launch herself out of the crowd at Ammeline, who was turning to look at her with a surprised expression on her face. The two went down with a crash.
"How dare you say that about my mother!" Astrid roared.
"Mother?"
"Astrid's mother?"
Vader covered his lenses with his hand again as the startled murmurs swept around the hall.
"What are you going on about?" Ammeline shrieked, rolling away from Astrid.
"Padme Amidala!" Astrid yelled, still roaring. "I'm not having you insult her!"
Vader strode forward and pulled his daughter off the other girl. Astrid squirmed, trying to get out of the iron grip. Ammeline sneered, laughing at her. Astrid gave up, suddenly assuming her air of cold dignity.
Vader stepped forward to tower menacingly over Ammeline, whose laughter died as she realised that she was about to get into an even worse situation.
"Do not," said Vader, in a more frightening voice than anyone had ever heard before, "insult my wife." There were startled exclamations and mutterings.
General Dacin was moving forward, helping his daughter to her feet.
"My apologies, Lord Vader," he said solemnly. "My daughter has a disgraceful lack of manners." He nodded at Astrid. "You too, Astrid. I'm very sorry Ammeline insulted your mother." He swept his daughter out of the hall with him.
Astrid made a half-angry noise and strode off to where Cassandra was standing, wide-eyed, by one of the tables.
"Have a scone," she suggested tentatively, braving the aura of darkness blasting off her friend. Astrid grabbed one and began to eat it, her expression brooding. A shadow fell across them. Astrid ignored it.
"Hello, Lord Vader," Cassandra said in a small voice. Vader inclined his head before continuing to look searchingly at Astrid.
"You are exceedingly embarrassing, you know."
Astrid gave no sign of having heard. Vader sighed.
"Are you going to tell me what that display was about?"
Cassandra moved away to give them some privacy. She liked Lord Vader. He was nice really, and a good father to Astrid, she thought.
Astrid shrugged angrily.
"I miss her."
"What?" Vader hadn't expected that. Astrid scowled.
"I remember her a little, you know. And I see other girls with their mothers, picking out clothes, talking about girl stuff, chatting about boys…"
"I see," said Vader. Astrid shrugged sadly.
"And I just wish I had a mother to do all that with too." She gave him a hug to make sure he understood she wasn't rejecting him. He wrapped one arm around her.
From the other end of the table Cassandra saw. No way is he the unfeeling monster people say he is, she thought.
Astrid looked up at her father.
"Yeah. And it just makes me a bit sad sometimes." She shrugged away his arm and pulled the hood of her cloak over her head. "I'll be back soon. I heard they have icecream at one of the other tables."
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Astrid was looking at the icecream when someone bumped into her.
"Sorry," said the person, just as Astrid turned around. His eyebrows rose.
"Hey, you're Vader's daughter, aren't you?" He grinned. "Loved the imitation."
Astrid grinned back. He saw it.
"So, do you have a face in there?"
Astrid laughed and pulled back her hood.
"Hi," she said, giving her endearing urchin-grin. "I'm Astrid Skywalker."
"Jaa'red Tarkin," he introduced, bowing slightly.
"Tarkin?" She raised her eyebrows. Was he related to the same Tarkin who bothered her father sometimes?
The boy saw the inquiring look. He grinned.
"You're probably acquainted with my grandfather," he told her. He looked around. "He's here somewhere, with my parents, but I can't see them at the moment." He looked back at Astrid. "So, you know him?"
"Oh yes. The one who foisted Ozzel onto us."
Jaa'red gave a small yelp of laughter.
"Oh, that idiot! He used to work with my father, but drove him so insane Grandfather finally decided to send him somewhere else."
Astrid grinned at him.
"Well, now he drives me and my father insane instead."
"Jaa'red," said a familiar, slightly bored voice. "I see you've become acquainted with Miss Skywalker."
Astrid immediately assumed a Dark Lord persona.
"Governor Tarkin," she greeted him, politely, but not welcomingly.
"Miss Skywalker." Tarkin inclined his head. Jaa'red wiggled his eyebrows at Astrid from behind Tarkin's back. Instantly Astrid's face melted into a warm, mischievous look. She smiled at him.
Lord Vader, who was at that moment looking for his daughter, spotted her just in time to see her bestowing that particular smile on a handsome boy of her own age, who was eyeing her with appreciation. Somehow Vader hadn't noticed it before, but the way that boy was looking at Astrid made him suddenly realise how much more grown up she looked these days. And how attractive.
Tarkin was just raising his eyebrows at the lack of icy formality on Astrid's face when Vader swooped down upon them.
"Tarkin," Vader greeted him. He looked at the boy Astrid had been smiling at. Jaa'red moved back hastily.
"It is time to go," Vader told Astrid.
"But I was talking to Jaa'red!" she protested. Jaa'red came under Vader's attention again.
"That's okay, I need to go anyway," he told Astrid.
Astrid scowled.
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Later that night Astrid was about to go to bed when there was a knock on her door. Dad, she thought absently.
"Come in," she called. The door slid away and Vader walked through.
"Now," he said in a way that Astrid immediately knew boded ill, "how were you able to choke Ozzel earlier today?"
Oh bother. Astrid gave him an innocent look.
"Um. That."
"Yes, that," Vader agreed, sitting on the edge of her bed. It compressed alarmingly. He waited. Astrid sighed.
"I've been practicing," she confessed. She sent him a defiant look. "I have these abilities. I don't see why I shouldn't develop them." She adjusted the items on her bedside table.
"Because you're not allowed."
"Why?"
How could he explain this?
"Because having a powerful Force-user running around would worry the Emperor."
"Oh." She gave him a thoughtful, alert look. "I see." She sighed. "Part of the reason though, that I was practicing, was – well, things happen that aren't supposed to, that I didn't mean to make happen. Like when the glass exploded earlier this year."
"What glass?"
"That big fight I had with Nerida? Well, I made a glass explode. I was embarrassing."
"I see."
They sat there in silence while Vader turned over the information in his mind. He made a decision.
"I will begin teaching you both how to use the Force and how to wield a lightsaber."
Astrid sat up so fast she overbalanced and fell off the bed.
"Ow! You mean it?" she asked eagerly, bouncing to her feet. "What about the Emperor?"
"We shall do our best to keep it from him." Vader just hoped that it would work. After all, he had never hidden things from his master before, and if Palpatine had any degree of trust for anyone, it was for him…
"Yippee!" She flung her arms around him before performing a wild dance around the room, doing her best not to trip on the hem of her pajamas. "Yay yay yay! Awesome! Yay!"
Vader watched in some amusement.
"If you become so excited that you cannot sleep then perhaps I will have to change my mind," he warned. Astrid immediately came to a stop, took a flying leap and landed on the bed so hard she nearly bounced off again, and scrambled around to get under the covers. She grinned at her father.
Vader sighed, getting to his feet and tucking her in.
"Night, Dad," she smiled. He shook his head.
"Good night, Astrid."
He switched out the light as he went, leaving Astrid to happy dreams of lightsabers and Force-powers.