In this story, Vader and Padme had only one child, who was hidden on a secret, remote world where she would be safe from the Empire. Those who knew where she was are now dead. Meanwhile the little girl has grown up not knowing anything about her past or family...
Star Wars movies are non-existent in this universe, sorry.
Please R & R. 10 points to anyone who can guess why I chose the name Astrid for this character.
-------------------------
The girl was sent sprawling into the puddle of watery mud. She whirled around, narrow face contorted with anger and humiliation, facing her attackers. The other children laughed. Astrid was always fun to pick on; she would be almost convulsed with fury. She'd developed a weird sort of pride in the last few years that made her even more of a target. It was eerie, unnatural. Now Astrid's face went blank and cold, her dark blue eyes like chips of ice. She stood up, her head high, and looked at them all disdainfully. The children roared with laughter. Astrid just watched them for a moment, then turned and ran.
Astrid sat in the bushes and cried. The hot, angry tears of hurt and humiliation made her eyes and nose swell, flowed down her face and neck. She cried silently, as she had learnt to do, so that no one would hear her sobbing and find her. Astrid was a foster child who had been left on the desk in a hospital twelve years earlier. No one knew who she was, or who her parents were: all she had was a little carved necklace and a yellowed slip of paper saying This is Astrid Skywalker. Guard her well.
The handwriting was firm and neat, with a hint of elegance. Astrid often wondered who had left it, had left it in her basket when they abandoned her in the hospital. Was it one of her parents? A uncle? An aunt? Or someone else entirely?
Right now she wrapped her arms around her legs and buried her face in her knees. She hated this school, hated the callous, laughing children. She hated the teachers who looked on her disapprovingly – that Skywalker child gets into fights, you know – and who shoved her in the corner and refused to answer her questions even though Astrid genuinely wanted to learn.
Astrid knew that her pride only increased the amount of teasing she got, but she didn't care. The pride had appeared quite suddenly in grade five, along with a quiet dignity. They'd been teasing her quite badly when something suddenly snapped, and she straightened up to look them in the eye with some emotion she couldn't put a name to or describe. But she had suddenly known that whatever they said, whatever they did, there was a power in her that they did not possess. She was greater than they were. That knowledge kept her sane. Astrid sniffed and slowly wiped her face dry.
That afternoon Astrid was sitting in a tree on the front lawn, concealed from sight. Her foster mother Theresa had been calling her earlier, but Astrid had refused to come out. Theresa's children had been tormenting her earlier and right now all Astrid wanted was to be left alone.
Quite suddenly she noticed a group of men walking down the street, dressed in strange, white plastic costumes like something out of a space opera. At their centre was a giant of a man dressed in black, his clothing even more bizarre than that of his companions. Astrid stared at the strange helmet, at the flowing black cloak.
The man and his entourage were quite close when a water bomb hit Astrid. She yelled and fell out of the tree.
"Ow!"
Her foster siblings roared with laughter. Astrid got to her feet, glaring coldly.
"I suppose you find that amusing," she said disdainfully. Out of the corner of her eye she could see that the men had stopped and were watching the little scene. She folded her arms, standing as straight as possible, regarding the two children with an unnervingly steady stare.
"Dead right we do," said Trevor, "we–"
He stopped and stared at something behind Astrid, as did Erica. Astrid became aware of a steady hiss and whoosh of air. She turned and found herself looking at the man in black, who was looming over her. She stared upwards into the black lenses.
"Hi," she said blankly. Somehow he felt oddly familiar.
"Greetings, young one," said the man. His voice was deep and powerful. Trevor and Erica had backed away uneasily. He sent them an inscrutable look and they turned and ran. He shifted his gaze back to Astrid.
"You are Astrid Skywalker."
Astrid nodded.
"I am Lord Vader," he told her. "I am your father."
Astrid stared at him.
"What?"
"You do not come from this planet, young one. You were hidden here as an infant so that I would not find you," he told her. "I didn't know of your existence for a long time."
Astrid's mind whirled.
"I'm from another planet?" she whispered. "I don't belong here?"
Vader nodded.
The dark blue eyes almost seemed to glow. The thin face looked up at him, eyes narrowing in determination.
"I'm coming with you no matter what they say."
"Come, then."
He turned and began striding away. Astrid had to jog to keep up with him as the men in white armour surrounded them. Vader glanced at the small figure struggling to keep up with him and took her hand so that she was dragged along.
Astrid was too busy keeping up with her father to notice the spaceship until they reached it. As the ramp was lowered Astrid stared, looking impressed.
"What's this called?" she asked Vader. He glanced down at her.
"An Imperial Shuttle," he answered. Astrid looked at it solemnly, storing the information. As the ramp hit the ground Vader began striding up it. She followed.
As the shuttle left Earth Astrid divided her attention between the view outside and the figure sitting opposite watching her. As she looked out the window she saw something in the distance that grew bigger and bigger. Astrid's eyes went wide with awe.
"What's that?" she asked.
"The Star Destroyer Executor," Vader replied.
"It's big," she whispered to herself, staring out at it again. She continued to stare as the shuttle boarded. Then Vader stood and she hastily followed suit.
As they came down the ramp Astrid tried to look everywhere at once. There were lots of other ships, with people in different uniforms everywhere. Once again she had to keep up and once again Vader noticed. With a flash of annoyance he took her hand as before so that she was dragged along again. They came to a stop in front of a man in a neat uniform who tried not to stare at her clutching Vader's hand. Astrid looked at him unblinkingly. The man radiated unease.
"Admiral," said Vader. "This is my daughter. You are to see that she is comfortably installed."
Vader turned to her and she looked up into his mask.
"You are to go with the Admiral."
Astrid nodded and he detached his hand from hers and swept away.
She turned back to the Admiral.
"Hello," she said, staring at him gravely. "Who are you?"
"Admiral Piett, miss," he replied. "Please come this way.
As she followed him Astrid started asking questions which he answered patiently. She asked with the air of an adult searching for information rather than with childish curiosity.
"You work for my father, then?"
"Yes, miss."
"What's he like?"
Piett thought about that one.
"Efficient."
"Who are the men in white armour?"
"Stormtroopers."
"What do they do?"
"They are soldiers, miss. It is their job to fight for the Empire in order to maintain peace and order."
"What are the weapons they carry?"
"Blasters."
"Their function?"
"The blasters shoot laser bolts. They're used by the stormtroopers to disable those who try to cause chaos."
As the questions continued Astrid noticed that Piett was trying to stop the corners of his mouth from creeping up.
"What is so amusing?" she demanded. He gave her a startled, half-fearful look that he covered almost immediately with a deadpan expression.
"It is only that your manner is somewhat like that of your father, miss."
They stopped in front of a door. Piett pressed a panel to the side and it slid open.
"This is your room," said the Admiral.
Astrid peered in with interest. There was a bed in one corner and two doors.
"This is your wardrobe, miss, while the 'fresher is through there," said Piett, gesturing. Astrid immediately had Piett show her how everything worked, then dismissed him.
The sonic shower proved to be a strange experience and Astrid decided that she like real water showers better. She peered in the wardrobe and picked out a black dress with a neat, almost military cut. She admired her reflection. She looked neat and precise wearing her dress. Her hair was tied back neatly with a green ribbon that she had found in the top drawer of a chest in the left half of the wardrobe, and looked orderly and attractive. Altogether Astrid decided that she looked rather smart.
She was examining the objects in some of the lower drawers in the wardrobe when there was a knock at the door. It slid open to reveal Piett. He was surprised at how different she looked from the grubby child Vader had brought aboard earlier.
"You are to eat dinner with your father, miss," Piett said. "Please follow me."
Astrid obeyed, walking proudly behind him, conscious of the looks and stares she was getting from the people they passed. They came to another door. Astrid entered.
It was a large room, with a table in the centre. One wall was transparent, showing the space outside. Vader turned from the view to regard his daughter.
"You look presentable," he said. Astrid waited.
"You may sit and eat," he told her, moving to the table.
Self-consciously Astrid sat, Vader doing the same at the end of the table. She began to eat, careful to remember her table manners. Vader sat and watched her.
"Do you eat?" she asked him politely.
"Not in the same way you do."
Astrid wondered in what way he did eat but didn't ask. Silently she ate her way through the unfamiliar food before sitting back and looking at her father. Waiting.
"The galaxy around you is all part of the Empire," he began. Astrid listened attentively as he gave her a brief introduction to the Empire and his role in it.
"You," he said, "will be living in my palace on Coruscant. You will begin attending school there in a month. By then you should be reasonably well-acquainted with the world you will now be living in."
Astrid wasn't happy at the mention of school. Vader felt her discontent.
"School displeases you?" he asked. Astrid hesitated.
"At my old school they used to pick on me," she told him.
"They will not do so here." He was firm. "You are someone of importance. They will not dare."
A month later, as Astrid nervously entered the school grounds, she thought of Vader's words. She hoped he was right. She knew a lot more about the galaxy than she had, but she was still barely able to write in their language and had many gaps in her knowledge. For the moment she would be allowed to write in English during class and dictate to a computer for any homework that she was required to write, but that was only temporary.
Astrid adjusted her uniform as she made her way to her classroom, finding comfort in the gesture. Back home there had been no point in neatness, as anything she tidied would just be messed up again. Here, however, her organised soul found contentment in being orderly and neat.
Astrid entered the room apprehensively, covering her anxiety with an expressionless look. There were other children of roughly her own age in the room, standing together in little groups and chatting. Most of them had languid, drawling voices that filled Astrid with irritation. As she walked in some girls turned to look at her derisively. Astrid decided that it was more a habitual expression than one particularly aimed at her. It didn't make her feel any better, however.
"Who are you?" one of the girls asked scornfully. "Kind of small, aren't you?"
Astrid straightened even further, her expression turning to one of disdain.
"Kind of rude, aren't you?" she replied, mimicking the other's tone.
The other girls glared.
"Who are you?" the first girl snapped out. Astrid eyed them haughtily.
"Astrid Skywalker," she replied.
"Well, Astrid," the girl sneered, "I've never heard of anyone with that name. My name is Ammeline Dacin, and my father is General Dacin. So you can pay us some respect. My father could get you kicked out if he wanted to."
Astrid gave her a look of condescending amusement.
"I doubt it," she said dryly. The others bristled.
"Oh?" asked the first, in a dangerously sweet voice. "And what family do you come from that my father isn't better than yours?"
Astrid looked at her pityingly for a moment.
"My father," said Astrid, "is Lord Vader."
With that she turned and walked away, leaving the girls standing open-mouthed. Ammeline strode after her and grabbed her by the arm to swing her around.
Astrid's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits.
"Remove your grip," she said in a low, even voice.
"You liar!" Ammeline said indignantly. "Lord Vader doesn't have any children! I bet you're just low-down gutter trash on a scholarship!"
She brought her hand up to slap Astrid's face.
Anger coursed through the small girl. She wrenched herself out of the bigger girl's grip and raised her hand, eyes blazing. Ammeline was thrown backwards into a desk and the two went over with a crash.
"What is going on here?" demanded an angry, female voice. A teacher stood in the doorway.
"Ammeline assaulted Lord Vader's daughter!" one of the boys told her excitedly. The teacher gasped and paled and she took in Astrid standing angrily in the centre of the room, a livid red handprint covering half her face.
"I want to call my father," said Astrid in clipped tones. "Now."
The teacher went white.
"Please, Miss Skywalker – no need – surely –"
Astrid gave her an icy look.
"Would you prefer that I told my father this afternoon that not only was I physically assaulted but that the staff attempted to prevent him from knowing?" she demanded.
Astrid was escorted to the school comm-vid. She tapped in Vader's communication number and a moment later Vader appeared on the screen.
"What is –" He stopped. There was a short silence.
"What has happened to your face?" His voice was scarily calm.
"Ammeline Dacin," said Astrid evenly. "General Dacin's daughter, or so she told me. She didn't believe that I was your daughter and decided to make me regret 'lying.'"
There was a long, heavy silence. Then –
"I will speak to General Dacin," said Vader. His voice indicated that he might do more than speak. "What is the current situation?"
Astrid hesitated.
"Well, I did something," she told him. "I don't know what. Only – somehow Ammeline went flying backwards into the desk."
There was another silence, this time a more thoughtful one.
"Interesting," he said. "We will discuss this when you get home. Where is your teacher?"
The teacher came forward into view, trembling.
"This is not how I expect my daughter to be treated." The quiet voice was filled with menace. "Make it clear to the other students that this will not happen again."
"Y-yes my lord," stammered the teacher. Vader disappeared from the screen.
Astrid was taken first to the med-bay to have some cold, liquid stuff applied to her face, then back to her classroom. Ammeline was sitting at a desk, scowling. At their appearance she started to complain bitterly, but was cut off.
"I have just been speaking to Lord Vader."
There was a sudden hush as the students stared goggle-eyed at the teacher and Astrid.
"He was most displeased, Ammeline, and intends to speak to your father."
Ammeline turned white.
"No!" she gasped. "No!"
She gave Astrid a look of horror. By now Astrid had lived with Vader long enough to know his usual reaction when he was 'most displeased.' She hoped that the fact that Ammeline's father was a General would ensure his survival. She wasn't going to bet on it, though.
"You shouldn't have behaved so stupidly," Astrid said earnestly. "I didn't do anything to you, but you sneered at me and insulted me and then, when I told you who I was, you compounded your idiocy by attacking me. Does that really strike you as intelligent action?"
Astrid looked at her a moment without hostility, genuinely questioning. Then she turned at sat at her desk.
During lunch break Ammeline got a call on her comm-link. It was her father. His voice could be heard across half the grounds. Ammeline wore a miserable, scared look that nonetheless had relief in it – her father was alive, at least.
Astrid sat by herself in the cafeteria, eating her lunch. When she'd lined up the people in front of her had left the line, obviously afraid that she would grow impatient and injure whoever stood in her way or else report them to her father. Astrid snorted. Right. Because they happened to be before her in the lunch line. It was ridiculous.
As she ate Astrid watched everything around her with interested eyes. People looked hurriedly away as she glanced at them, then went back to staring at her. At the far end of the room a girl even smaller than herself entered. She had a pinched, unhappy look as she lined up to collect her lunch. Other people pushed in front of her and jostled her, sometimes making clever remarks that made others scream with laughter and the girl hunch up. Astrid was conscious of a sense of fellow-feeling. As the girl walked past, searching for an empty table, Astrid snagged the back of her uniform.
"You can sit here if you want," she told the girl, smiling in a friendly way.
The girl obviously didn't know who she was. Apparently she was neglected conversationally as well as teased.
"Thanks," she said in a muted voice, sliding onto the seat opposite Astrid, eyes lowered.
"What's your name?" Astrid asked brightly. There was a quick, suspicious glance, then the girl was looking at her lunch again.
"Cassandra," she said, still in the muted voice.
"I'm Astrid. I'm new."
"That's obvious," muttered the girl, "otherwise you wouldn't be sitting with me. It's social suicide. You'll never get anyone else to sit with you."
Astrid chuckled wryly.
"I already couldn't get anyone else to sit with me," she replied. "They all know who I am. They're scared stiff of me."
Cassandra sent her another swift look.
"Why?"
"Because I'm Lord Vader's daughter."
Cassandra looked up at her, eyes wide.
"You're serious, aren't you?" she asked. "Sithspawn."
Astrid grinned. Cassandra looked puzzled, then joined in reluctantly as she realised that that was exactly what Astrid was. There was a scared look on her face, however.
"I'm not going to hurt you or anything," said Astrid. "My father won't either."
Cassandra met her eyes and relaxed a little.
"I'm a scholarship student," she said, a little bitterly. "My family doesn't have much money. Plus I'm small. So I'm the one everyone sneers at."
Astrid grinned wickedly.
"No anymore," she said mischievously. "All I have to do is hang round with you and you'll be magically elevated. I can't see anyone with the guts to pick on you if they think it means it might get Vader on their case."
Cassandra stared at Astrid for a moment before a broad smile spread across her face.
"Well if we're going to be friends, then do you want to come to my house this afternoon?" she asked. "I mean," and her smile faltered, "it's not that great a house or anything –"
"I was brought up by a foster family on a primitive planet till my father found me," Astrid told her. "Trust me. It won't bother me."
Casssandra smiled happily.
"So you'll come?"
"I just have to ask my father."
Vader was pleased to see that she was already forming alliances – his phrase – and gave his permission. Cassandra's home proved to be a small, unremarkable building in a rather poor area. Cassandra unlocked the door and walked in.
"Mum!" she called. A middle-aged woman came out into the corridor and stopped in surprise as she saw Astrid.
"Mum," said Cassandra self-consciously, "This is Astrid. She's new at school."
Astrid gave her a social smile.
Cassandra's mother smiled back, pulling herself together.
"Pleased to meet you, Astrid," she said warmly. "It's so nice to see Cassandra's making friends."
Cassandra cringed. Astrid chortled inwardly.
"So," continued the girl's mother, "have you always lived in Coruscant?"
Astrid shook her head.
"My father only just found me a while ago," she told the woman. "Until then I lived somewhere else. I think he's always lived here, though."
Cassandra's mother smiled.
"Oh? And who is he?"
"Lord Vader, Mrs Sperling."
The woman went white.
"You're Lord Vader's daughter?" she gasped, looking frightened. Astrid nodded.
"Oh, well it's simply an honour, we're happy to welcome you, it's –"
"Mahhh-uuuuummm!" wailed Cassandra. Mrs Sperling stopped.
"It's really okay, Mrs Sperling," Astrid reassured her. "I'm not going to do anything."
"She's my friend, Mum," Cassandra complained. "I can't believe you just did that. She's nice. Really. And being her friend is great. Everyone's been leaving me alone all afternoon."
Mrs Sperling gave Astrid a thoughtful look at that.
"I gather people don't want to risk bringing the wrath of Lord Vader down on their heads," Astrid told her, deadpan.
Mrs Sperling nodded shrewdly, visions of her daughter gaining access to the highest levels of society clearly going through her mind. She gave a bland, urbane smile.
"You will always be welcome in our house, Astrid," she said.
Cassandra dragged Astrid into the kitchen disgustedly.
"Sorry about that," she apologised. She started looking in the cupboards for food.
"S'okay," Astrid replied, watching in surprise as a small furry creature walked over radiating welcome and wound itself around her legs.
Cassandra emerged from the cupboard in time to see Astrid's look of astonishment. She laughed.
"This is Zez," she said, picking up the creature and rubbing it affectionately. The creature purred with contentment.
"What is it?" Astrid asked, her eyes still round.
Cassandra gave her an odd look.
"A Kaal," she replied. "They're all over the galaxy. Where have you been that you've never seen one?"
Astrid shrugged.
"A small place called Earth."
"Urth," Cassandra repeated. She smiled shyly at the taller girl.
"C'mon. Let's go watch the holovid."
That afternoon a promising friendship began.