summary: Emperor Vader and his heirs. And Tress.
a/n: Imperial Skywalker Family is probably my favorite AU.
3/?
The reception was enormous. Red banners hung from the high ceiling, branded with the symbol of the Empire, and under them, the hundreds of guests mingled. Their drunken noise nearly drowned out the music. Ambassadors showcased the finest of their planets dress, high-ranking politicians were covered head to toe in splendor, and military officials happily pinned on their shining medals for the event. Underdressing for the Emperor was never an option.
The man himself was sitting stone-faced on his throne at the end of the hall. His hair had gotten long since his last campaign in the Outer Rim and fell over his shoulder loosely. The Emperor seemed determined to not move an inch the entire party and only nodded his head at those seeking audience with him.
Tress stood proudly beside her father, her embroidered robe was far grander than the one she had worn to her own coming out last month and her hair had taken nearly two hours to be coiffed and coiled properly by her nurse. She was, altogether, giddy that she was surrounded by the elite of the Empire and terribly worried to move out of fear that she would ruin the effort that had gone into her appearance for tonight.
"And this is my daughter, Tress."
She looked up at the man her father was greeting, Alderaani from the look of his pristine white robe. He was nearly a head taller than her father and darkly colored.
"Tress," —she looked back at her father— "This is the senator from Alderaan, Bail Organa. He is a good friend of mine, my dear."
Tress smiled up at the Senator, pleased that she had correctly guessed his origin, and bowed.
"You are as beautiful as your father described," Organa said.
"I am pleased you find me so, Senator," she replied.
Organa chuckled, "Charming too, I see, and tell me, do you intend to follow your father into the senate?"
"I would be a happy servant to the Empire," Tress said.
"I see."
The conversation did not continue for a hush had fallen over the guests that marked the entrance of the heirs of the Empire.
Their Imperial Highnesses were dressed plainly compared to their guests, their only decorations were golden circlets around their heads. They seemed to be a single being as they walked carefully through the parted crowd towards their father. Tress watched them curiously, they were not much younger than her after all.
The Prince and Princess bowed before their father. For the first time that evening, the Emperor was attentive and rose from his throne to greet them. Tress felt as though she were witnessing something very personal as the Imperial family interacted, they even took the time to embrace each other. Once the family parted the music began again and the trance was broken.
"It is very important that the Imperial family appears happy," Organa said softly to her.
"You do not think they love each other?" Tress asked, surprised that the senator was bold enough to say so, given the company.
Organa stared pensively into the glass of wine he was holding, "I have no doubt that the Emperor loves his children."
.
.
Luke thought he had few similarities to his father (and most of those were superficial), but they shared a dislike of parties. He could sense his fathers distaste of the crowd and he had confined himself to his throne. Luke's discomfort came more out of shyness than spite, but he loyally followed Leia across the floor. Oppositely, his twin enjoyed engaging guests in political discussions, though she frequently became frustrated by the sycophantic turns her talks invariably took.
Now, Leia stood at the center of a group of senators. They were listening attentively to what she was saying and nodding their agreements, but her cunning eyes were trying to root out their falseness. Luke hovered nearby, he did not like to be far from his twin, unless it was necessary. She held a similar sentiment and both of them would become distressed if they were separated for very long. They had been each others only companion for most of their life and their bond was believed to be far stronger than any previously conceived through the Force.
Luke sensed Leia's growing irritation and caught her eye. His sister quickly slipped away from her companions while they were busy complimenting themselves, he caught her arm and together slipped behind a column in a dark corner of the hall.
He sighed and leaned against the column. "I can't stand the crowds," he confided, "I wish I could be like Father and just ignore everyone."
"You could, but then it would just be me out there and we would both be miserable."
Leia walked over to him and straightened his collar. Luke studied her face, there was a crease across her forehead and he could feel a hint of her confusion. Whatever it was, she was doing a very good job at concealing it from him.
"Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?" Luke asked, "Or do you want me to guess?"
She scowled and bit her lip. "I haven't figured it out yet."
He gave her an inquisitive look.
"Luke, something's going to happen," she said seriously, "Something bad."
Leia looked distressed and her fingers tightened around his collar as if she were afraid that if she let him go, the planet would crumble beneath them. Luke frowned and brought his hands up to curl around hers and detach them from his clothes. He held her fingers gently between them.
.
.
Tress shimmied her way through the crowd. An hour ago, she had been worried to ruin the costume her nurse had spent hours on, but the dance floor had called to her and now her collar was lined with sweat and her bangs were plastered to her forehead. And it was stiflingly hot in this damn hall.
Her father was watching her carefully, he had been since she left his side at the invitation of a young aide to Senator So-and-So. She looked back at him, standing a few meters away and in what appeared to be a deep discussion with Senator Mothma —both looked very grim— , but his eyes would flicker her way every so often.
Tress turned back into the crowd.
The aide was struggling between two fat wives behind her, she giggled and darted away, finally coming to the edge of the hall. Tress leaned against the cool, marble wall and waited for the aide to catch up.
When he emerged from the crowd, the aide darted towards her and pinned both hands on either side of his head. Tress smiled coyly and ducked under his arms and slid farther down the wall.
The aide laughed and followed her. He finally managed to catch her when his arms darted out from behind a column and circled her waist. She giggled again when he spun her around and held her firmly. He bent down and her head tipped back, eyes sliding closed and—
Ahem.
The princess had one eyebrow raised and her arms crossed over her chest. Her brother was sheepishly picking at his sleeve.
The aide nearly threw Tress away from him and slipped back into the crowd, leaving her on her own.
"He seemed slimy, didn't you think so?" the princess said, she observed the aide's head bob between the guests.
"Uh," Tress said dumbly, too mortified to respond properly.
"I see." The heirs shared a look and something flickered between their golden eyes. The princess turned back to Tress, a smirk on her coral lips, "You'll be our companion for the rest of the night won't you?"
"Seeing as your previous company… left," the prince explained.
Tress's heart pounded as she bowed, "I'd be honored, Your Highness."
"Just Luke-" "-and Leia"
Together, the twins said, "Please."
The effect was bizarre, Tress suspected they did it on purpose.
.
.
Leia steered the girl— Tress— through the crowd. She was a senator's daughter from some backwater Mid-Rim planet, she had a handsome face, but her mind was a bit doughy and her thoughts were rather boring, she lacked depth. Most likely, she had been sent to Coruscant with her father to find a husband, her family would have realized her lack of potential in the political arena years ago.
But, she could almost see the Force on Tress, golden lines that Leia's family was forced to walk wrapped around her. Tress would not be the cause of Leia's distress, but she was a factor. Leia and Luke would have to keep an eye on her.
And she would have to alert their father.
As the trio approached the Emperor, her father shifted in his throne and watched them curiously. A small smile played on his lips and Leia could feel his presence brush against her mind, an affectionate gesture he had exhibited since they were very small, and untrained in the Force. An affirmation of his love. His forehead creased when he sensed Leia's concern.
"Father, this is our friend Lady Tress."
Tress's heart rate had been steadily increasing since she had learned she would directly meet the Emperor. She might pass out soon, or have a heart attack, depending. But the girl bowed in the practiced fashion most middle class politicians exhibited, and projected a very calm manner. Leia was mildly impressed.
The Emperor appraised the girl with golden eyes he shared with his children (they weren't always that color, Leia thinks, sometimes she remembers blue). The smile on his lips did reach his cold eyes when he looked at Tress.
"You are Senator S'mi's daughter," the Emperor said.
"Yes, my lord."
He chuckled, "He is a friend of Senator Organa. They are quite the pair."
"Yes, they spend much time together."
"I see."
Pause. Leia can see the pieces fall together in her father's eyes. Some plot her father recognizes, the one she had foreseen.
"Do you love your father?"
Tress seemed taken aback by the Emperor's question, but she nodded, "Of course."
"The garden is nice at night," he said and rested his chin on his palm, "Don't you think Leia? Luke?"
"Yes Father," Luke agreed, he had also seen everything click in their father's mind.
Leia turned to her brother and clasped his hand tightly. She could not reach out to her father, or risk their enemies see the finality of their meeting. Instead, her eyes glistened with tears that she would not shed and she felt his presence brush against her mind to comfort her.
Tress stood forgotten between them.
.
.
The gardens were indeed lovely. Tress did not realize this much flora existed on Coruscant, amongst the coldness of the durasteel towers. Luke and Leia had lead her out of the reception and into a maze of dark halls before they reached the greenhouses. They were a building away from the reception, but still within the walls of the Imperial Palace. The light from the party was visible from where Tress was standing.
The twins had been silent and now sat on a bench, their posture was stiff and uninviting. Tress did her best to ignore it and focused on the large flowering bushes around them.
"What is your mother like, Tress?" it was Luke who spoke to her.
Tress turned to look at the young prince. He was sat in a brooding position that mimicked the Emperor, he looked very young in this moment. Tress smiled.
"She wants the best for me," she said, "She wants me to rise above our family."
"That's all you have to say about your own mother?" Leia spat.
Her eyes flashed, ready to pounce, and Tress recoiled.
"Leia," Luke warned.
"I barely know her," Tress said hoarsely, "She's too busy planning my future to pay much attention to my present, you know?"
"No," Leia's voice is distant.
There is a wary tension among them. Tress does not speak again and neither do the twins. She watches them from the corner of her eye and jealousy brewed, they had no mother, but they had each other for company. Tress is thankful for her father. Something she has in common with the prince and princess she supposes.
The stone beneath them shook. Leia's eyes slid shut and Luke exhaled a shaking breath.
Tress's stomach quaked when she sees the smoke from the reception.
.
.
The Outer Rim had blinded him, Vader thought, pinned to the ground by rubble. He had felt the danger, slow and creeping, but it had been unclear and he had left it unheeded. It had taken his daughter to point him the right direction and after that everything clicked into place quickly.
His breathing was becoming shallow and harder to control.
Anakin could hear screaming in the distance, somewhere behind the clouds of dust and lingering smoke. He hoped Organa had been hit, wouldn't that be ironic? Taken out by your own bomb.
He could feel their panic. They were unharmed and growing closer.
"Father!" he heard Luke first, followed by Leia grabbing his hand.
His children. He forces his tired eyes open to look at them. Their golden eyes stare down at him, full of worry. For a moment they flicker to their original blue and brown and he is relieved. There is still hope for his children to find the Light once more, even if it was too late for him.
Padmé would be disappointed in him. He had not saved her son and daughter from the darkness that had consumed him for so long.
Never.
He has not heard Padmé's voice in many years.
"Father," Leia's broken whisper pulls him back. Her head is pressed against his chest, Luke is at his other side and clutching his mechanical hand. He raises his flesh hand to rest against his sons face for a moment, a desperate effort to feel Luke's warmth once more.
His flesh hand drops quickly into Leia's hair and there it grows cold as he takes his final breaths.
"Luke…. Leia…." he gasps, "… so proud… I love…"
He feels himself leaving and he hates that he cannot utter another word to his children. His last thoughts are of blue and brown eyes and he is at peace.
He can die Anakin Skywalker.
