Hello everyone! This is my first fiction and I'm taking the chance to post it in English (I'm a French Canadian so sorry in advance for grammar mistakes, I'm really trying to improve it)

This is also an AU Star Wars Fiction, so I hope you'll enjoy it! :) I do not own Star Wars Characters or it's world, it is all the property of George Lucas, Lucas Art and now, Disney.

Story: It's been a year since the creation of the Empire and the Alliance is now beginning its campaign against this dictatorship. It is in these dark times that young Padme Naberrie joins the Rebels to help them taking down Palpatine and his Imperials members. But how is it possible to be strong when the shadow of Lord Vader is a constant reminding of how weak you can be?

Chapter 1

The Speech of Truth

Padme Naberrie was nervous. It was her first appearance in an official Imperial Conference and the first time she would meet and speak in front of the new Emperor, Sheev Palpatine. She had been chosen over sixty other teenagers from the Legislative Youth Program of Naboo to deliver a speech about the new prosperous society they were now living in. Their mentor, Lord Atos Wilmur, was so impressed by her writing of the greatness of the Empire that she was immediately chosen to participate to the event. At thirteen years old, Padme was the youngest of every speakers and the last one to appear on scene.

Lord Wilmur told her it was an obligation for her to dress formal and to look older than her actual age. Padme first thought it was a stupid idea: the whole meaning of this conference was to give the right to speak to the youth. Everyone there was under the age of eighteen. But as a good girl, Padme listened to him and his assistant Moira Kane and dressed as they told her: she was wearing a black and white dress. While the long skirt was all black and straight, the black top was recovered with white lace and was also sleeveless. Moira also made her wear a padded bra so her breasts would look bigger and more womanly. To complete her image and to make her look much taller than she actually was, she was wearing black high heels. Her long brown hairs were lightly curled and free. Looking at her image in the mirror, Padme thought that she was still looking like a thirteen years old girl, only now, she thought that she looked like a sophisticated one.

Since the conference was only set to start in two hours, a cocktail had been organized for everyone present at the event. It was host by the Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, one the Emperor most trusted advisor. The Emperor was not there, but his puppet-bodyguard, as Padme and her friends from the program called him, Lord Darth Vader, was standing in a corner, watching the guests, hiding behind his hood. No one had ever really seen his face since it was always covered. Part of his mouth and chin were sometime visible on the holonet but still, it was impossible to clearly see it. He was always waiting behind Palpatine. He was tall and intimidating so no one ever tried to mess with him… Some rumors said he was a Sith, hunting down the last of the Jedis that were still alive. Rumors implied that he was the one that killed all of those who were in the Jedi Temple while the Clone Troopers killed those who were fighting with them on the battle field. They had tried to bring down the Republic, Palpatine said, that was now why they were all enemies of the Empire and hunt down to pay for their crimes. Padme was not sure what to think of that… How the guardians of peace could be so bad, so dangerous? It was nonsense to her but she could never speak it aloud, she would not even try to.

It was when she felt a glare at her that she realized that she was looking straight at Vader while having her thoughts. She could not see his face, but still, he was looking straight at her and it made her feel uncomfortable, really uncomfortable. She turned her head from him and made her way to Lord Wilmur and the Senator of Alderaan, Bail Organa, a man in his mid-thirties who was also Prince Consort of his planet.

''Ah, here she is!'' said Atos, seeing her approach. '' How are you my dear? Hope you're not too nervous about your upcoming performance?''

Padme smiled with confidence to the gray haired man. She could not let him know that she was actually dying from fear.

'' I am very well, thank you, Mister Atos,'' said the girl before turning to Bail Organa. '' Senator Organa, it is a pleasure to meet you again, I hope you are well?''

'' Very well, my dear, I actually am about to become a father, so I am more than well!''

Padme congratulated him. She always appreciated the Alderiaan and to know that he and his lovely wife Breha were about to bring a new life to this world was a blessing in these dark times. The first time they had met, two years ago when she was a junior member of the program, he had come to Theed to speak of the importance of peace while the Clone Wars was raging all around the galaxy. A year after, the war was over and so was the Galactic Republic. The Empire then arises.

'' The conference is about to begin, please move and take place in the next room while our young leaders prepared themselves for their big moment!'' came the voice of Tarkin.

The nervousness came back immediately. Was it a good idea? Could she really do it? As she saw the member of Chandrila going on stage, she wondered if she should step back and take her initial speech, the one she had been chosen for… No.

'' Miss Padme?'' called a protocol droide. '' Your turn in two minutes.''

Two minutes? Already?

Finally, she was called on stage. She took a deep breath, drank water and made her way to the stage. The Emperor was there, sitting on the right side with Vader behind him. He was smiling with his yellow teeth. Shiraya… He was so ugly and so scary! He was nothing like the images she had seen of him from before the war. He was far from the grandfather image he was looking like from before the war… His eyes were red with yellow… Just like flames. Vader was also looking at her. She turned her head and tried to ignore them.

She was on a mission…

Ladies, Gentlemen,

My name is Padmé Naberrie; I am 13 years old and a member of the Legislative Youth Program of Naboo. I was chosen to represent every kids and teenagers of my planet. I am very proud of that but I realized that this was also a good time to speak for those who have no voice here. What I'm about to say are the thoughts of many but I'm taking all the responsibility for everything that I'm about to said…

She took a deep breath and started her speech:

I came here today to bring you facts that our society is ill: We are poor. Why? Why do we consider leaving in a rich and prosper society when 96% of the people of the various systems of the galaxy lives in extreme poverty? By extreme poverty, I mean that the basic needs are not fulfilled such as eating and drinking every day, to have access to sanitary infrastructure, to have access to education, and to live in security. Can you tell me why millions of children are dying every day from starvation, from diseases and from abuses? A rich and prosper society would not allowed or tolerated its people to suffer and to die. Yes, our society is ill and no one seems to see it... No, I should say that no one wants to see it.

All of this is the result of our corrupted society, of the corrupted corporations, of our corrupted government, of this dictatorship we are living in. This 0,001% of the population is taking control over the main resources instead of empowering the systems. How can we value such individuals when so much people are suffering from their decisions? Since this «Empire» has risen, poverty has increase of 64% in less than a year.

Let me quote the great Corellian philosopher Marius Phikla: « Power, power, so much for them, and nothing for us…» As a society, we need to team up to stop the leaders of what is really a mass murdering in disguise…

Indignant voices could now be heard in the crowd and it took the young girl all of her courage to continue her speech.

Yes, a mass murdering in disguise by doing nothing while so much people are dying and suffering by the hands of the Imperials.

I was raised with the conviction that justice, freedom, respect, kindness, hopefulness and peace were values that could tie a society together. What we see now is a society projecting the values of control, dominance, individuality, power and aggressiveness… an ill society. Is that what we want? Is that what we want for our present and for our future? Was the past so much awful that we can now accept to live under the control of criminals?

More indignant voices were rising from the Imperials present. From the corner of her eyes, Padme could clearly see that Palpatine's grey skin was now slowly turning to red.

Yes, criminals!, said Padme with assurance. I don't want my generation or the next to come to live under the control of those people. We need to fight for our rights, we need to fight for the 99,99% that cannot speak. Are you brave enough to stand up and say out loud that you don't want this? Or will you cowardly continue to follow? Thank you very much and good evening to all of you.

No applause. No sound. Padme was still standing in front of this public, waiting for a consequence to this betrayal to the great Empire. But nothing came. She turned her head to look at her mentor who was looking at her in shock and in disbelief. He sure wasn't expecting that kind of speech! This was far away from the pro-imperial text that she had submitted! She then turned to the great Senator Organa. His face was straight but she could still see the ghost of a smile on his lips. Senator Mothma was still serious but the young Naboo could see all the pride in her eyes. Yes, it was the right thing to do even if it could cause her a death penalty. She may be still a girl; she was also almost a woman, a proud and courageous woman. She was only hoping that her speech would not have any consequences on her family and friends. It would be awful to see them pay for her decision. But still, she was only thirteen; a child in laws, so no harm should come at her. Well, she was hoping!

'' Since Miss Naberrie is now done with her… interesting speech,'' came the icy voice of Palpatine. ''I shall call the end of this conference. Miss Naberrie, I hope you and Lord Wilmur would join me for a late drink in my private office… Lord Vader, please escort them…''

Padme froze, just like everyone in the place. When Darth Vader came next to her, so much taller than her, she tried to control her stress.

Stay calm… Stay calm… Just follow him and explain to Palpatine why you wrote this… At least try…

She felt the man grabbing her arm and tried to let him lose his grab.

'' You're hurting me!'' she said in a cold voice. '' Let me go, I can walk without any of your assistance Lord Vader!'' she spit his name like it was venom, which seems to displease Vader, who didn't let her go.

'' I'm a minor!'' she said again. '' It is illegal to hurt a minor!''

He then took her closer to him so she would be the only one to hear his voice.

'' Well it is also illegal to talk against your Empire, Milady!'' he said with a surprisingly young voice. '' Now you better shut up.''

She did as she was told. She was too scared right now to do anything but obeying him. Wilmur was silently following them, his whole body trembling. Padme felt bad… It was all her fault… Her stupid convictions… Her mother always told her to think before speaking. Well… She should have thought a thousand times before doing that. At first, she was proud of her for doing it, for standing against those who were doing wrong, but having Vader next to her completely changed her mind… What was she thinking? A kid could not do anything against monster like them… She was stupid, so stupid, and she was going to pay for it now…

'' His Highness is waiting for you,'' said a guard to them when they arrived in front of a large door.

Then the door opened and Padme knew that she would never be the same after entering this room.

So? What do you think? Do not hesitate to leave reviews! It is always welcome and helps improving the story! :)

I based Padme on some influential woman such as : Malala Yousafzai (young activist from Pakistan) and Yoani Sanchez (Cuban journalist)...