Shmi turned off the kitchen stove after cooking a decently sized breakfast. The suites were extremely quiet, Padme wasn't awake, and Anakin was probably going about his business. It had left her the time to make her own breakfast, she also had breakfast for Padme.
She would take today, and be sure to get to know the girl.
She sighed as she served out two plates of pancakes and fruit. Where was Padme?
Shmi turned in curiosity and walked towards Anakin's chambers.
At that moment, she heard the screams of one of her grandchildren.
She opened the door without hesitation and rushed into the room and towards the crib that contained the two twins.
She reached for Leia and scooped her up in her arms. Leia immediately settled down as she looked up at her Grandmother.
Padme heard the screams from her daughter as she struggled to open her tear sealed eyes. Vader was already gone, Padme thought as she sat up, she was stunned when she realized that Leia had stopped crying.
She jumped out of bed, and it was then that she realized that Shmi was in the room holding her daughter.
In humiliation, Padme jumped into her bed and covered herself up as Shmi stared down at her.
She then looked towards the nearby clock as she noticed the time. Force, it's ten hundred hours and thirty minutes, she must want breakfast. I have to keep her happy, Padme thought.
"I-I'm s-so sorry Milady, you must want breakfast. Let me get it cooked for you."
Padme attempted to get out of the bed as Shmi stood in her way, "I don't need you to bow to me and serve me constantly."
"I-I just overslept, I will get you fed right..."
"You don't need to take care of me," Shmi replied.
Padme was silent, not daring to anger Shmi.
Shmi felt instant disgust towards her Son as she stared down at Padme. She could see the torn dress that was on the floor, and Padme was trying to keep herself covered with the blankets. She noticed the bruises on Padme's cheeks and on her neck.
She could see the shame in Padme's dark eyes as she bent over and picked up the discarded dress.
She then looked down at Padme as she did the best to hide her rage from the nervous girl. Shmi felt complete rage towards Anakin,
she knew the look, she knew the humiliation, she had endured it in the hands of Caleb many times.
"You're afraid of me," Shmi stated.
Padme looked up at her as her entire body shook.
Shmi sat down on the bed as she spoke,
Shmi then spoke, "Don't fear me, my Son and I are as different as night and day."
"Y-You don't understand..."
"Oh, I do understand, he beat you last night and then he raped you, didn't he?"
Padme looked down towards the bed as Shmi leaned forward and kissed her forehead, "I know exactly what you're going through now come," Shmi stated as she reached for a nightgown that was laying on the nearby chair.
She tossed the nightgown to Padme.
Padme then slid her nightgown over her head.
Shmi then took her hand as she stepped out of the bed in fear.
"Don't be afraid of me, nothing is going to happen to you if I can help it."
"Y-You don't understand," Padme replied.
"You're being abused by that monster, that's what I understand, and it ends today."
A few moments later, Padme quietly sat down at the dining table and started to eat.
She noticed tears streaming out of Shmi's eyes as she quietly watched her.
"Tell me, how did you end up becoming my Son's slave?"
Padme's face reddened as Shmi spoke, "I was a slave for years Padme. I know what you're going through, don't deny it."
Padme felt more tears in her eyes as she spoke, "On my home planet, I was Queen. I was the elected Queen of Naboo."
Shmi stared at Padme in disbelief, "Y-You're Queen Amidala?"
Padme looked towards Shmi in disbelief as she spoke, "You may have never heard of me, but I've heard of you. I read an article on how you were stripped of the Throne for working with the Alliance. It said that you've been working with the Alliance and the Jedi for the last year."
"I won't deny it," Padme replied.
"Good, because I think that that was a very brave thing for you to do."
Padme stared towards the Mother of Darth Vader in shock as the older woman spoke, "What ever happened after that?"
"My Mother had a friendship with Moff Panaka, the regional Governor of Naboo. She used that friendship to gain custody of me. She was going to wed me off to this rich powerful young man who was the son of one of her cronies."
"And that fell through?" Shmi asked.
"My Father divorced her when I was eleven, it was after he found out that she was abusing me."
"You had an abusive Mother?" Shmi asked.
"I'll get to that in a moment, but yes," Padme replied.
"How did you end up here?"
"My Dad managed to get me on a transport that was heading for Alderaan, but the ship never made it. We were attacked by Pirates..."
"And you ended up captured and in the slave market," Shmi finished in disgust.
Padme nodded, "And then I was purchased by Wilhuff Tarkin. Tarkin gave me to Anakin as a gift."
Shmi was filled with disgust as she clenched her fists, "You were just given to him?" Padme nodded as tears came into her eyes.
"When was your first night with him?" Shmi asked.
"T-he n-night that I was given to him," Padme replied as she wiped her tears away.
"He just took you to his bed that night?"
"I didn't have a choice," Padme replied.
"So he raped you like last night."
"I-I didn't fight him, I never do," Padme replied.
"You complied with him for the last year including last night because you didn't have a choice. You're his slave, and he has authority that you can't dispute and he beat you like the animal that he is. He may not admit it, but he has abused you and he has raped you," Shmi stated.
Shmi felt rage flowing through her, this special girl, this beautiful young girl, taken, broken, abused and violated by her wicked son, she had failed.
Padme stared at Shmi as she spoke, "You must think that I'm a total slut for getting pregnant and sleeping with him for the last year. And I am, I'm just a commodity now, I'm not Queen anymore. I'm nothing but the lowest of the low. I-I'm just a piece of merchandise. I live only to please him and to see to his desires. He even reminded me that I was just a slave last night when..."
"Don't talk that way, young lady!" Shmi firmly stated.
Padme looked towards the older woman as she reached out and hugged her, "You're not a slut, and you're not trash. He's just broken you mentally to the point that you look down at yourself."
Padme was stunned by Shmi's statement as she spoke, "Why did he strike you last night?"
"Because I-I said something that he didn't want to hear."
"Was it about how evil he is?"
"Y-Yes. I know that he loves me in his own way. I-I just want him to give me freedom.I-I would give him a chance. I know that without the Dark Side that he would be a good man, and he would be a wonderful Father."
"He doesn't matter, you matter," Shmi replied.
"My bed has room for two people, we can share. Just move your things into my room."
"I-I don't mind him. He's not abusive on every night."
"Only on some nights, so that's ok? You're just used to abuse," Shmi stated.
Padme said nothing as Shmi spoke, "Let me guess, growing up, until the day that your Father caught her, she beat you every single day for any little thing. Here, you keep him happy and you get abused only when you say or do something wrong."
Padme stared at Shmi in shock, "H-How did you know?"
"Because his Father was the same way."
Padme was silent in response.
"You don't deserve this. You're a very special girl and if you were my daughter, I would have made sure that you never ended up with a man like this."
As Padme finished her breakfast she spoke, "So how old were you when you ended up in the slave trade?"
"Very young," Shmi replied.
"And how did you end up with Anakin's Father? He told me that he was beaten by him many times as a child."
"His Father bought me when I was about your age, and he married me. I thought that my life was going to be a happy one after that, but I was wrong. I was his prisoner, until I was in my twenties."
"How did you escape?" Padme asked.
"I found the safe where he kept the control to my transmitter unlocked.
He was very drunk that night, so I just took the control and neutralized my transmitter.
I stole a blaster and some money from him and then I took Anakin and we ran that very night."
"Transmitter?" Padme asked as she walked into the kitchen with Shmi.
"Most slaves have transmitters placed in their bodies that keep them from escaping."
"I don't think that I have one," Padme replied.
Shmi responded by walking towards Padme and moving towards the back of her neck.
She pushed her hair back to reveal a small scar that was partially covered by her collar.
Padme reached back and touched the scar as tears poured out of her eyes.
Shmi noticed all hope leaving the already broken girl as she felt the scar with her fingers
Shmi looked Padme in the eye as she spoke, "There's no way in hell that I will ever leave this place without you."
Padme looked towards Shim in disbelief as she sensed the older woman's sincerity.
"Now go and relax, I'm going to get these dishes cleaned up. When Anakin comes back for dinner, we're going to have a long talk."
"He will just get angry," Padme replied.
"He won't raise a hand to you," Shmi replied.
"Are you certain?"
"I know that he won't, not as long as I'm around. As for that transmitter, he will neutralize it," Shmi stated.
"And if he doesn't?" Padme asked.
"He will," Shmi firmly stated.
Padme shrugged her shoulders as she turned and left the room.
Vader entered his chambers after spending hours on the bridge, as he directed his crew.
As he entered his chambers, he caught a familiar smell. His Mother was cooking bantha stew. It was obvious that she had decided to cook for the evening.
The Sith Lord calmly walked towards the kitchen in anticipation.
As he entered the kitchen, he could sense his Mother's anger through the Force.
He entered the kitchen as he noticed 3PO in his new golden plates stirring the pot of stew.
Vader also noticed his Mother turning towards him as 3PO put the lid on the stew.
"I better leave right now, dear oh dear," 3PO exclaimed.
As 3PO left the room, Vader stared at his Mother in disbelief. He had never seen such anger in his Mother.
"What is it Mom?"
Shmi responded by storming towards the young Sith Lord.
She let loose a hard slap that brushed Vader's cheek.
She then shoved him several feet.
Vader was so shocked that he lost his footing and fell against the wall that was directly behind him.
What was going on? His Mother had never raised her hand to him, what had he done?
As he attempted to stand up, he felt two additional slaps on the cheek, "Maybe you forgot your abusive Father, because I can't think of any other explanation for how you're treating Padme," Shmi screamed.
Vader stared up at his Mother in shock, Padme, she had whined to his Mother the first chance she had gotten.
He clenched his fist, "You're angry at me just because she came whining to you after I was out of here?"
Shmi responded by slapping her Son a fourth time, "I am outraged, that girl is the mother of your children, Anakin Skywalker."
"I-I know," Vader replied.
"She's given birth to your twins, she sleeps in your bed, she provides you with your meals everyday and how do you reward her? You treat her like she's trash. What kind of man are you? What man keeps a girl as special as Padme locked up in a bird cage?"
"I don't keep her locked up in..."
"Enough! She has a transmitter inside of her, and she has that collar that is welded around her neck. You will take everything off of that woman tonight."
"I will not," Vader replied.
"You will!" Shmi screamed as she brought her knee into her Son's groin.
"So help me Force, if you don't release her, I will find a way to remove that transmitter from her body, Padme isn't going to be your sex slave if I live here. I will free her, and I will take her and those babies away from you and make sure that you never see them again."
"You can't take them away from me," Vader screamed.
"Watch me, and shut your mouth you filthy pig!" Shmi screamed.
Padme listened to the argument in shock, it was obvious that Shmi was outraged by Anakin's actions.
"Padme belongs to me!" Vader screamed.
"And murdering your Father was acceptable right? Let's see Anakin, you killed your Father. You kept Padme as your slave, you've raped her. You got her pregnant and you have continuously abused her, I would say that you're just like Caleb Skywalker. Perhaps, you should change your name to Caleb," Shmi replied.
"No! And I never raped her!" Vader screamed.
"You're so dam ignorant, forcing a girl to sleep with you against her will is rape, at least the last time that I checked it was," Shmi countered.
"She's just a slave," Vader replied.
Padme hung her head as she heard Vader's declaration, just a slave? I'm just a slave? That's all that I am to you? She asked herself in tears as she heard glass shattering.
"Just a slave? Yeah I'm just a slave so it was ok for your Father to treat me the way that he did right?" Shmi screamed as Padme heard empty pots and pans hitting the floor.
"You're not a slave!"
"I was in his eyes, even after we had married. I can't believe you, you make me sick."
"Mom, I can't just..."
"You will remove that transmitter from her."
"Then she will leave."
"Leave?" Padme asked as she walked into the messy kitchen, while wiping her tears away.
All eyes turned towards Padme as she spoke, "Look at me, I'm sixteen years old, I'm a mother of two and I have nothing and nowhere to go. If you set me free, where would I go? I can't go back to Naboo because my Mother would get me and she's a thousand times worse than you."
Padme shivered as she spoke, "She would take the twins from me and make sure that I never saw them again. In fact, she'd probably just drown them in one of the lakes, so that Ian Lego would take me. Do you think that I want that?"
Shmi stared towards Padme in disbelief, "She's that evil?"
"She doesn't care about anything but herself," Padme replied.
Vader stared towards Padme before looking back towards his Mother.
He then stared down at his hands in horror. It was in that moment when he realized just how much of his Father was inside of him.
"If I free you, will you please stay with me? I-I need you. Please don't leave, I-I beg you to stay," Vader pleaded.
Padme breathed in deeply as she spoke, "I-I don't have a choice. I will live here willingly, will you allow me to see my family? Will you let me be a person? Will you give me what I really want?"
"If it's enough," Vader replied.
"It's not enough, I want every part of you, I want your life, and I want you to be mine. If I belong to you, than it's only fair to say that you belong to me as well."
Vader thought over Padme's statement as his Mother moved her face only inches from his as she spoke, "You will take that collar off of her neck and you will deactivate the transmitter."
"I..."
"You will, do you hear me? You will release it, or else!" Shmi screamed.
Vader appeared to be stunned by his Mother's outburst.
He was silent for a moment.
He then looked towards Padme as he spoke, "Stand still."
Padme obeyed as Vader activated his lightsaber.
Shmi counted two red flashes and heard the sound of Padme's split collar hitting the floor.
Vader then walked out of the room and walked towards a nearby wall safe.
He opened the safe and removed the small rectangular box that Shmi realized was Padme's control.
Vader then took the device and pressed a button. He then placed the device back in the safe and pushed the door shut.
He turned to Padme and spoke, "You're free."
"Thank you," Padme replied.
Neither Padme nor Vader noticed Shmi reaching inside of the safe as the door slowly closed.
She stole the box while noting that it was still activated, which meant that Padme's transmitter wasn't neutralized.
She slipped the box into her pocket as the safe sealed shut.
Vader at the same time stared towards his Mother as he spoke, "Are you happy now?"
"For the moment," Shmi replied.
"When can I arrange a visit with my Father?" Padme asked.
"I will let you contact him when we get to Coruscant. We're heading back in a week."
"Ok," Padme replied.
Shmi then spoke, "Just remember one thing, she is no longer your slave."
"I understand," Vader replied in frustration as he left the room.
After a few minutes, Padme heard the whistling sound of her droid entering the room.
"R2?"
"I removed his restraining bolt, you're free and so is everything that you own," Vader stated.
"Thank you," Padme replied.
"If she leaves, you will not stop her," Shmi firmly stated
"She's the mother of my twins if she..."
"She will take your children, guess what Anakin, you don't matter anymore. The moment that you conceived Luke and Leia, your life of being a boy ended. Padme and those twins are supposed to be first in your life, and their best interests are what matter. You don't," Shmi bluntly stated.
Vader sighed as he turned towards Padme, "You certainly did me no favors by whining to my..."
"I knew what you did to her just by looking into her eyes. She didn't even talk at first, because she was too afraid of me. She didn't whine to me and if you ever touch her again, I will be taking her out of this place."
"Mom you..."
"I can and I will. You're a very wicked Man, Anakin Skywalker. You're evil and you're sick and twisted, but you're not evil enough to murder the woman who brought you into the Galaxy."
Vader glared at his Mother, "I-I can't believe that you..."
"She's a free woman Anakin, she's no longer your slave."
In anger, Vader turned and stormed out of the room and headed into the hallway.
As Vader left Padme spoke, "He seems shocked by how you have treated him."
"I never had to hit him when he was a child," Shmi replied.
"It must be hard, he's your only child isn't he?"
"Yes," Shmi sadly replied.
Shmi then looked Padme in the eyes as she spoke, "Do you want to move the twins into my room?"
"I can deal with him, he won't hurt me after that outburst. I'm certain that he won't."
"I will sleep with my door open, if he ever does anything, I want you to scream, do you understand?"
"Yes," Padme replied.
Alright that's it for now, a long argument, but I tried to imagine how my Mother would react if I was Vader and let's just say that I probably wouldn't be seen alive again. Thank you for reading and reviewing. Do you think that Vader is really going to change?
-Fallen Jedi 79
