[Before I forget, let's get the disclaimer out of the way. I do not own Star Wars, just Kathryn :-]. I am not looking to make any sort of profit. I have been tossing this story around for the last three years. I was rather stalled in fact and wasn't really planning on doing anything with it, but Nazi General has expressed some interest, so here it is!]
Chapter One: The Beginning of the End
"Well, this certainly isn't home." I looked around, trying to find some clue as to where I was. The last thing I remembered was being sound asleep in my Manor. I was still wearing the nightgown I had worn the night before. The room I was in was wide, spacious, and airy. The décor was rather bland though, painted in imperial gray. I was in a huge, round bed with red silk sheets and soft, luxurious covers. I arose from the bed and walked over to the window I saw opposite me. Looking down, I could see Coruscant stretched out below me, with all its traffic speeding towards their intended destinations. Tiring of looking out the window, I wandered around the room, taking note of the large spacious closet. Opening it up, I found a large collection of female clothing. Taking a random blouse out, I examined the tag. Expensive stuff. Expensive stuff in my size. Shrugging, I decided I would rather not be caught in my nightclothes. Finding a pair of black leggings and a black sweater, I quickly changed into them. I glanced at a nearby mirror and saw that I looked decently dressed to face whatever was in store for me. My long black hair fell neatly to my waist; my green eyes glittered in the light. At only 5'4, I was not tall enough to intimidate my way out of the situation. I would have to talk my way out, I decided. I whirled around at the hiss of a door. "Who are you?" I barked, afraid but not wanting to show it.
"I am Prince Xizor of the Falleeen. You are in my home, brought here by my men. I have a proposition for you." I stared at the man, if you could call him that, standing in front of me. He had green skin, with the body and build of a man. He was a bit more muscular than your average man, however. His skin was slowly turning red, and I couldn't understand why. Suddenly it became warm in there, and I felt the urge to take off my sweater. My thoughts were turning to mush, and I tried to get them back in order.
"I-I…" I stuttered. What on earth was this man doing to me? I thought. This was unnatural; how could he do this to me? The door hissed open again, admitting Xizor's admin, although I was not aware of her identity at the time. She went over to Prince Xizor and started to speak with him. While she was doing that, I finally found my brain and proceeded to whip it back into working order. "Your Highness, for one, I don't care what proposition you might have in mind. Two, I am leaving. Good day" I spat venomously.
"Ah, but my dear, you cannot go yet…not until my personal physician looks you over." He turned the full force of his gaze on me, and I wavered. Why was I resisting this man, anyways? I thought to myself. The admin stepped forward, starting to say something. "Silence, woman. Would you ruin all the progress I have made with her?" he hissed at her.
The damage was done though, and my thoughts reassembled themselves; I attempted to create a barrier in my mind to prevent this from happening again. It was really getting quite tiresome. "I have had quite enough," I interrupted. "I am not staying, and that is final."
With that, I swiftly left the room before either of them had a chance to detain me. As soon as I cleared the room, I ran as fast as my legs could take me. I could hear shouts behind me, and I guessed that Prince Xizor had called security. How typical. He couldn't even chase after me himself.
I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn't even notice them closing in on me until it was almost too late. The guards were coming at me from all angles except one corridor. Making up my mind quickly, I dashed down it, avoiding all the guards. I saw the lift and sprinted towards it, but the lift doors opened and out stepped more guards. I rolled my eyes and turned around to face yet more guards. What on earth had I gotten myself into? Oddly enough, yet one more corridor was open to me, when the rest of them were barred. What the hell was going on? This was the oddest luck I Had ever encountered. I figured I shouldn't hang around, so I sped towards that welcoming corridor and ran straight into a black armored chest. I would have fallen flat on my butt, but an arm reached out to grab mine. "Erm, hello Lord Vader…Long time no see. I'm not doing anything; just late for an appointment. Give my regards to the Emperor," I finished flippantly. I prepared to continue my cheery jaunt through the palace, but Lord Vader did not release my arm. "My Lord, you can release my arm now. I am quite steady on my feet." Vader and I had enjoyed a long acquaintance; we met after my father died. There was no reason to be entirely disrespectful, however.
He did not release me but instead stared into my eyes until I looked down. I felt as if he was staring into my very soul, even though I could not see his eyes. "Why are you running?" he asked at last. Time seemed to have stopped while he was with me. So much the better for me, I thought.
"I believe I mentioned I was late for an appointment." He stared at me for a minute, and I became uncomfortable under his intense look. "Okay, so look, maybe I just made that up for kicks. I am really running away because Prince Xizor wanted me to stay with him until I was looked at by his personal physician, which by the way I think is bull, so I left. Now for some idiotic reason, he's chasing after me." After that long recital, I took a huge breath. "Well, if you're not going to hurt me or anything, would you please at least help me get away?" I figured this timelessness thing wasn't going to last forever. He looked at me thoughtfully. "Look, I'll do anything, and I mean anything, if you'll help me. Torture me, whatever. Just as long as I don't have to stay here. I get the bad feeling that if I stay here, I'll be selling my soul to the devil." Too late, I realized that was what I was doing here, but it was too late to take back my word. Better the devil I had half an idea about than the one I didn't know.
"Anything?" he repeated softly. I got that odd shivery feeling, like my answer was going to determine my fate or something.
"Yes, my Lord. Anything," I stated with conviction.
"I am holding you to that, Your Grace." With that, he dragged me down to another lift in this section. It was blessedly empty, and we got in. Lord Vader pushed a green button, and the lift shot down a few levels. The doors slid open, and we walked out nonchalantly. It was a far cry from the mad dash I had just made throughout the upper levels of the palace. I supposed that Lord Vader was a tad bit more sedate, and he had less reason to run. He was the Dark Lord, after all. Then, I noticed two guards walking towards us, and I panicked. Lord Vader stayed calm of course, and he dealt with them easily. Using the Force, he shoved them backwards against the wall, and they were knocked unconscious.
We continued along until we reached the landing pads. Sitting there was one lone shuttle, and I assumed it was his. He towed me towards it, and I kept up easily. We strolled up the ramp and into the shuttle itself. He released me at last and gave me a gentle push towards the back. I took a seat by the window and strapped myself in. Lord Vader came back a few seconds later, presumably after giving the pilot permission to leave.
He sat next to me and strapped himself in as well. I freaked out, having him sit so close to me. I suddenly regretted my window seat choice. Lord Vader sat silently next to me. I was vaguely unnerved by this, so I decided to say something to fill the silence.
"I've never been in space. It's so beautiful." In truth, it really was beautiful. I had never seen the stars like this before, and it felt like a miracle.
"Once, when I was as young as you, younger in fact, I saw the stars like this for the first time. Now, I don't notice them so much anymore. They are there, just like any other thing." He made it seem so matter of fact, when it was plain to see that these stars were magic and not "just like any other thing". "As far as what you can do for me in return for saving you," he continued, as if we had not been talking about the wonder of the stars a minute ago, "I require your hand in marriage." Lord Vader said this with such calm detachment that I wasn't even sure if I had heard him right. Surely he had not just proposed.
"My Lord, did I hear you correctly? You wish to marry me?"
"Yes, that is my price. Will you honor the bargain?" Somehow I felt like there was something else going on behind the scenes here that I wasn't fully aware of. Lord Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, had just proposed marriage. The most important question was why. Actually, I decided, the most important question was whether or not I was going to honor the bargain. Thinking about it, I decided there was really only way to go, no matter my own personal feelings about it.
"Lord Vader, you kept up your end of the bargain. It would be extremely rude of me if I reneged on my side of the bargain, wouldn't it? I really only see one way to go, and yes I will honor my side of the bargain. If you're absolutely sure this is what you want, I will indeed marry you." Throughout this whole exchange, I hadn't looked at him. Now, however, I turned my head to look at him to discover that he was already looking at me. I could sense his satisfaction. Clearly he already knew what my answer would be.
"Very good. I will see to the arrangements. Is there anyone you would like to be there?" I thought for a moment.
"Well, there is Lord Rothchild. He took care of me after my parents died, and he managed my estates as I was too young at the time." I smacked my forehead. "But, of course, you know that already don't you? Then there's Lorraine Summers. She's a dress designer and my best friend. That's all I can think of."
"I'll make sure they are informed." AT that moment, the co-pilot spoke through the comm.
"My Lord, the Emperor commands that you visit him at his palace here. Shall I adjust coordinates?"
"At once."
"Right away, My Lord." I could feel the slight adjustment of the shuttle as its direction changed.
"Why would the Emperor wish to see you now?" I asked, curious.
"It is probable that he has felt a disturbance in the Force, and has connected it with me. It is nothing to worry about, child." I arched an eyebrow at the word "child".
"My Lord, I can tell you right now, I am not a child. I am 20 years old, and I have managed my estates since I was 16. I am anything but. I do have a name, you know."
"Yes, Kathryn. I am well aware that you have a name. You look quite well, in fact." He spoke calmly, as if I had not just been sarcastic.
"Thank you, my Lord. I would say the same, but you look exactly the same as you did all those years ago." I felt the shuttle slow and begin landing procedures.
"You are a unique woman, Your Grace." He seemed a bit puzzled, as if he could not quite get a handle on exactly what I was. I must have changed in those years where we did not see each other. See, here's the thing. Lord Vader and I had a history. We met at my father's funeral when I was ten. We nodded to each other but did not exchange words. A few days later, one of my servants informed me that Lord Vader was awaiting me in the drawing room downstairs. I went down, and we spoke at great length. Lord Vader became the companion that I had always lacked as a child. He became the person I could always talk to. Then, when I turned 18, he stopped visiting. I thought I had done something wrong. I had never understood why, and I resolved to ask him about it one of these days. I realized that I had just spent all that time thinking and hadn't said a word in response to his previous comment.
"Thank you, Lord Vader. I do my best. Now, it's been a while since I've been to court. I take it things are still the same?" By the same, I meant backstabbing, power-hungry people all battling to get more power than they already have.
"Yes, Kathryn. They are indeed quite the same. You haven't missed much." He undid his restraints and stood up. I did the same. Vader gestured for me to precede him, and I did so. Lord Vader followed closely behind me. When I reached the end of the ramp, I stood, unsure of where to go next. Vader came up beside me and offered his arm. I looked at him strangely but took it, grateful for the assistance. We walked into the palace via one of its many landing pads. There were guards at every entrance. We found one of the palace's many lifts, but I sensed this wasn't one of the usual ones. I had seen others on my way throughout here, but they didn't have guards. This one did. 'This must be the Emperor's personal lift or something,' I surmised. The two guards stepped aside when they saw Lord Vader.
"We stepped inside, and the doors slid closed silently. We rose up and up, and I thought about what this meeting would be like. I had never met the Emperor. I had seen him on the HoloNet from time to time, making long impassioned speeches about hating aliens, blah blah blah. I frankly wasn't very impressed. I suppose I'd have to keep that thought to myself. People had been killed for thinking less, and so I attempted to clear my mind. The lift came to a slow halt, and the door slid open silently. Looking around, I came to the very obvious conclusion that the Emperor did not like light. He probably didn't want to call attention to his ugly face, I thought. Immediately, I suppressed that thought. Lord Vader released my arm, which I had forgotten he was still holding. He stepped forward and knelt at the bottom of the stairs. I settled for a short bow. The Emperor, strangely enough, acknowledged me first.
"You must be Lady Kathryn."
"Actually, it's 'Your Grace' now." I emphasized my title.
"I wasn't aware you had attained the title."
"I'm surprised. I thought you might have heard about it on the HoloNet. Apparently not. My father died a few years ago, leaving me with his estates and the title of Duchess. He was a powerful Senator. Funny how you forget those who helped you attain your own title, Highness."
My father had been one of the Emperor's chief supporters, even after the Jedi had been killed. He had been easily manipulated, and the Emperor used that support to the fullest. My mother had disagreed with Father and had eventually left after I was old enough to understand what was going on. I wasn't angry with her…she was actually the smart one. IF Father was silly enough to get manipulated by an old scrawny man, then who was I to argue?
I looked back at the Emperor, having looked at the stars during my little trip down memory lane. I was him looking at me; he was watching me think. It was as if he knew what I was thinking. I was sure he didn't, but that's what Father had said a long time ago. I might not have respected Father, but I respected the knowledge he held. My mind flashed back to a few years after my mother had left.
"Kathryn, come here," Father called.
"Yes, Father," I said after entering the room.
"Now that your mother is gone, I will be given more power and responsibility; the Emperor can read the hearts of those around him. I do not want to lose any chance I have at real power because you cannot control your thoughts and emotions. You will learn from Desmon, who will teach you to block your mind and thoughts. Is that quite clear?"
Mother had told him of my Psi abilities a few years ago, when I began to foretell little things, like something was going to fall over, or it was going to rain. Father had dismissed it as hogwash, and I never said anything about it after that. Apparently he had finally decided to take her seriously, even if she was no longer here with us.
I flashed back out of my memory in time to hear the tail end of an apology. All I heard was, "…quite sorry, Your Grace," from the Emperor. I nodded, seemingly gracious. He then turned to Lord Vader. "Rise, my servant." I mentally sighed. This was beginning to get quite tedious. I knew he couldn't read my thoughts, as my mind was firmly blocked. I decided to mentally move on, just in case. I focused on Lord Vader's response.
"My Master, I wish to ask your permission to marry this girl." Throughout this tiny speech, the Dark Lord remained on one knee. I wasn't exactly psychic or anything, but I could feel the Emperor's shock. I felt quite sure this was not quite sure what he was expecting. I almost wanted to laugh out loud, but I restrained myself. All this training of holding in my emotions was really coming in handy. Finally, Emperor Palpatine spoke.
"You wish to marry her?" I could hear the disdain and incredulity in his voice. Palpatine could not wrap his mind around the fact that Lord Vader would want to marry someone such as I. I'm not exactly Dark Lord wife material, in case you hadn't noticed. I spoke up.
"Excuse me, but I am also present for this conversation. I do not care to be spoken about as if I am not here." Both men looked at me, probably wanting to smack me for my audacity.
The Emperor chuckled. The Emperor chuckled? I thought, rather astonished myself. I wasn't aware that he was capable of any such thing, and to hear a chuckle emitting from his mouth was rather startling.
"You must be insane," he said. "She is not the woman I would have chosen for you. She is most spirited; I never approved of her when Duke Conrath was alive. She was a sullen, outspoken girl who didn't know when to be quiet."
I arched an eyebrow and drew myself up. Looking down my nose at him, I said, "your Highness, you are quite mistaken. I am an elegant, outspoken beautiful woman, and I would think that a man of your supposed intelligence would at least appreciate that. I have changed since you saw me last." He was apparently referring to the incident where I called him a wrinkly, ugly old man in front of my father and the Emperor. There were also guests involved, and the Emperor was not pleased. After that, I was banned from the Emperor's presence until my 18th birthday, where I was reluctantly presented to his Highness.
The emperor bore his eyes into mine, seeing who would back down first. I looked at him coolly until he said at last, "you are correct; you have changed." To Lord Vader, he asked, "are you sure this is what you want?" I had a feeling that the Emperor thought that I wouldn't last a week; either I would leave of my own free will or Vader would kill me for my insolence. Either way, it was no skin off his nose to allow this to go through…or so he thought. If he opposed it, I was fairly certain he figured that Lord Vader would be more obstinate and want it more. All in all, it was a rather smart move. Lord Vader rose from the floor finally. He spoke in his customary deep voice. "Yes, my Master. It is what I want."
Vader did not give his reasons for wanting the match, and the Emperor did not ask. Well, we all knew it certainly wasn't for the sex.
The Emperor nodded. "Very well, Lord Vader. I give you permission to marry this girl." I coughed and looked at him. "Woman," he amended grudgingly. I curtsied elegantly, as if I was a commoner being extra obsequious in the face of my Emperor. Lord Vader bowed, and we strode out together.
When we left the room and entered the lift, we were careful not to say anything, as we were both aware that the Emperor had cameras everywhere. There was not a thing that went on in his castle about which he did not know. When we arrived back at Lord Vader's shuttle, I was mildly surprised at the quietness around us. Before, there were workers bustling around, looking very busy. Now it was quite empty; if a pin had dropped to the floor, one probably could have heard it in that moment. I had this odd prickly feeling in the back of my neck, and suddenly I knew what was going to happen. I did have limited Psi abilities, and I used them then.
My Lord, there will be an attack in a few moments; be ready. That was all the warning Lord Vader received before three men dressed in black sprung out from behind some barrels of unknown contents. They drew blasters and attacked. I ducked, and the blaster fire went over my head. The second time, I was forced to roll to the side as a blaster bolt flew by me. Lord Vader was having a blast where he was. Four more men had come out and began attacking him. I was really getting tired of this, and I wondered why Vader didn't use his Force abilities on them. I tucked a little note away in my mind to ask him later, when we weren't in imminent danger of death. Bringing my mind back to the battle, I cursed when a stray bold grazed my arm. I winced and tears came to my eyes, but I resisted the urge to cry and forged on.
Vader looked a little busy, so I figured I'd better take care of my three people myself. I heard a snap and a hiss, and I could feel the energy from Vader's lightsaber. There, I thought. Now that was more like it. I continued to plot, while dodging blaster bolts. I was slowly making my way over to a disguised gun locker over to my right. Hearing a grunt of pain, I risked a look back and saw that Vader was holding his arm in what seemed like pain. Again, I filed it away for future reference and turned back to my goal. Feeling that enough was enough, I made a mad dash for the gun locker, luckily avoiding blaster bolt after blaster bolt. During my little mad dash, I had a little part of my mind focused on Vader's battle, and he seemed to be doing well. He had downed three of his men, while I still had all three of mine. Something had to be done about this. The men after me were in a V attack formation. I let the first one catch up to me, and when he was about to grab me, I stopped short, reached around, and grabbed his blaster. In the same motion, I swung the blaster up and fired, shooting him down. While the other two were stunned, I shot them both as well, but a split second before I shot, they recovered and both took shots at me. Apparently they didn't have very good aim though, as one got me in the leg, and the other made a nasty gash in my other arm. I fell to the ground, having lost my balance. From the ground, I shot the man pestering Lord Vader, and the room was silent again. I smiled weakly from the ground. "Hey, I shot four of them, and you only got three. Ha, I beat you." Saying this last apparently took too much out of me, and I passed out.