A/N: I should NOT be starting new fics… but the idea to write an AU where Mara and Luke are both raised in Imperial Palace… not to mention have a situation where both Sith Lords need to compare parenting notes (because lets face it, they both would make crappy parents) as they learn to deal with young children… was just too fun not to do. This will only be a few chapters long likely, and is not all that serious. Just a bit of fun and unwinding between working on more serious pieces. If you recognize the cover image, yes it's the one I did for Obsydian's Bedtime Story. I'll put a proper cover up for this at some point, but for now… recycling my art :p
Palpatine eyed the small child in front of him, dirty from head to toe, tears streaking down her face- and he had not a clue what to do with her. How did Vader manage this? Since discovering his son was alive Vader was seldom without a quiet little blonde clinging to his cape. He had never seen the boy cry like this. If he had he would have seriously considered if it was a truly a good idea to take on a young apprentice. Maul had never cried like this either. What the kriff was he supposed to do? Abruptly the choice was taken from him as the girl suddenly launched herself at him and clung to his leg. Gingerly he patted her on the head.
"I wan my- my momma." she sobbed against him.
"Your mommy is dead." he sighed, which only caused her to wail louder. Clearly honesty was not the best policy with children. Wracking his brain for what he had seen people do with children, he bent down to scoop her up into his arms. She clung tightly to him, and he tried not to let his disgust show as she wiped a mixture of dirt, tears and snot into the shoulder of his cloak.
"Wh-where is my daddy?" she asked trembling.
"He's-" Palpatine paused as her lip began to quiver again "He can't be here right now, but I could be your daddy." he proposed. The girl pouted, but tilted her head in thought, clearly mulling it over in her tiny little brain.
"Can you weed stories? An tuck me into bed? An, and make cookies?" she asked. Palpatine sighed.
"I can probably manage the first two- if you can behave yourself. I don't bake cookies." he said.
"Well I guess you will do." the child said, trying to form a serious expression. He could not help himself but smile at her effort as he set the child down on the ground again, priding himself on that he had managed to settle the girl quickly.
"Come child, do you wish to see your new room?" Palpatine asked. "Okay…" she drawled. She extended a tiny hand and for a moment he wondered what it was she wanted. Recalling the interaction he had seen between Vader and his son he took her tiny hand in his own withered one. For a moment he marvelled at just how small her hand was in his. He noticed the child staring intently at their joined hands as well. Abruptly it struck him he had no idea what the child was named even.
"What is your name child?" he asked as he began walking down the hall with her.
"Mara." she said. "Wha do I call you?" she asked, large green eyes looking up at him. Palpatine considered the question. He did not want to overwhelm the child by explaining the training he had planned for her. He was certain if he told the child she was to call him Master she would ask too many questions, and he would have to explain about the Force and other training. All he wished was to settle her.
"You may address me as Sire or My Lord. Such is my title." Palpatine said.
"But what is your name?" Mara protested. "Dats not a name." she said. He sighed.
"Perhaps not but it is how I am to be addressed when you speak to me. Do you understand child?" he asked. Mara gave a small huff but nodded. Well she was proving to be a fairly agreeable child when she wasn't crying. Perhaps this would not be so bad Palpatine thought to himself. Apparently he jinxed himself in thinking that as Mara stopped walking and sat on the floor yawning.
"I'm tired." she complained.
"You can sleep when we reach your room." Palpatine tried reasoning with her.
"Carry me?" she proposed. Palpatine pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, but aquiesed her request in the end, scooping her up into his arms and carrying her down the hall. As he walked, Mara wrapped her arms around his neck and began to dose resting her head on his shoulder. It amazed him how readily the child trusted him utterly. Such naive innocence, her Force sense a pure light against his darkness. It was fascinating to him. When he had originally took her, sensing her strength in the Force he had intended to train her fully in the dark side. Holding her and felting the lightness of her Force sense he made a decision. The child would be an experiment. He would train her as neither dark or light. He would keep her as innocent as possible, while still fulfilling a use to him. He would not make her hate him as was required for training in the dark side… no he would show her kindness and mercy… and she would love him blindly. Reaching out into possibly futures he saw it… raised as his child she would be the most perfectly loyal servant. It was strange to imagine himself assuming a parenting role. He'd never felt any desire to sire offspring certainly… and yet he saw the merit in the approach.
As they reached the room he had prepared for her, Palpatine struggled to shift the child in his arms to free a hand to unlock the door with. As his jostling woke her, he sighed and set Mara down and swiped the keycard across the release. "Welcome to your new home child." he said to Mara who stood blinking sleepily, wiping her eyes with one hand, the other clutching his robe. "I think it is time for your bed." he added.
"I dun wanna go to bed." Mara protested.
"Yes you do." Palpatine said, giving his words a small nudge in the Force.
"No I don't!" Mara yelled, startling Palpatine. He had not expected such resistance from her. Certainly as she grew the ability to resist Force manipulations of the mind could prove itself useful, but right now he just wanted the child to go to bed.
"You need to go to bed." he said sternly. Mara pouted and he feared she might cry again. Abruptly she tilted her head at him.
"Will you weed me a story?" she asked. "You promised." she reminded him. Palpatine sighed. So he had.
"Very well, get settled into your bed and I shall find a story." he said. "Your bed is just through that door over there." he added motioning to a door. As Mara made her way into the room he racked his brain for a story he could tell the child. He'd planned to obtain some, but he had not prepared to be asked for a story immediately. Well might as well educate the child he decided, recalling some of the Sith lore he had been studying earlier that day.
"You coming?" a petulant little voice called from the room. Making his way into the room and pulling a chair near to the bed he pulled the covers up to her chin.
"Are you ready for your story now child?" he asked.
"Yes!" Mara responded excitedly.
"Very well." Palpatine said "Thousands of years ago there was a Sith Lord named Darth Scabrous. He was a Sith Alchemist."
"What's an ala- alco…"
"Alchemist?" Palpatine asked and Mara nodded. "They are someone who studies the Force."
"What's the Force?" Mara asked. Palpatine sighed.
"I shall show you this and then no more questions until I am done the story. Understand?" he asked and Mara gave a small nod. Reaching out with the Force he levitated a small orb from her night table in front of her. "The Force is all around us. Not everyone can feel it there. Only a special few can."
"Can I?" she asked suddenly alert, seeming to catch on that there may be more to his story telling than just a story. Patting her on the head he smiled.
"Such a clever girl. Yes child, you can. I will teach you- once you have had some sleep. It is why I brought you here to my care." he said. "Now shall I continue the story? No interruptions?" he asked and Mara nodded eagerly. "Darth Scabrous sought to find the secret to immortality" Palpatine said. Seeing the question forming on Mara lips he quickly explained "So he could live forever and never die.". He paused for a moment as Mara considered that then continued on "He tested his formulas on the students at a Sith temple-"
"Did they live forever? Are they alive now?" Mara interrupted again.
"Hush child." he scolded her before continuing "They did in a sense. They died and came back to life. Unfortunately the formula was unfinished and not stable so the students and any creature that came in contact with their blood developed the sickness." Palpatine said. Mara was watching him intently now. "The sickness turned them into monsters. They became ravenous and ate everything- even each other. They were in effect zombies." Glancing over at Mara he observed her staring wide eyed and concluded she was quite fascinated with the story. "Darth Scabrous discovered that would stabilize the formula- eating the still beating heart of a Jedi. He would have succeeded in his quest for immortality. He had the Jedi in his hands and was about to perform the ritual, when another evil Jedi came in and killed him. All his hard work would have been lost, had he not been wise enough to record it in a holocron. However thankfully he did and I have been able to study it." Palpatine said. Hearing a sniffling noise he looked over to find Mara hiding beneath the sheets trembling and crying.
"What's wrong child?" he asked, trying to stay patient.
"I don't want da zombies to eat me!" she wailed, abruptly launching herself from beneath the sheets and clinging tightly around his neck. He had thought he was doing well. Apparently he still had much to learn about children he decided as he attempted to pry her from him. That she trusted him so she latched onto him in her terror, even though he had just met her. The naivety of a child. Finally extracting Mara from around his neck he deposited her back in bed.
"There are no zombies to eat you. That was thousands of years ago and across the galaxy from here." Palpatine said. "You had your story, now go to sleep." he commanded. With that Mara began to cry loudly. Palpatine was tempted to just leave her to cry it out and learn to settle herself, but that would not help her bond to him… something he needed if his idea was to succeed. How did one get a child to sleep? Recalling his late Master he hit on an idea. "Stay here child. I will return shortly with something which will help you get to sleep so you are alert when I teach you about the Force tomorrow." he said.
Making his way into what had been Plagueis's bar, Palpatine gathered several bottles of alcohol and some juice. It would need to be potent, but sweet enough Mara would actually drink it. Blending together some Whyren's, Spice Wine and Ambrostine for both it's sweet taste and potency, he added some sweet juice and poured the mixture into a glass. Setting a straw in it he returned to Mara's room. "Drink this child." he said.
"Will it keep da zombies away?" she asked, her bright green eyes staring up at him.
"My dear child, it will keep anything away." he said handing her the glass. Mara drank it quickly as he suspected she would. A few moments later as the alcohol hit her she began to wobble and Palpatine lay her down in the bed and tucked her in once more. He waited as she fell asleep, then stood and turned to leave. Motioning to a care taker droid he spoke in a low voice to it "She should sleep the night now. Alert me should she awaken and cause any difficulties. It is essential right now I am the one to handle her." he said.
"As you wish Sire." K2-89 said in a soft synthesized female voice. "Is there any other way I can be of assistance?" the droid asked.
"No that will be all." Palpatine said, retreating to his quarters. Tomorrow he would start her training. For now he would begin his own he decided, making his way into his personal library and researching child care on the holonet. A flicker of foreboding went through him as he read a note that children should never be given alcohol. He was already half way to Mara's rooms when his comm link beeped with K2 signalling a problem. As he flicked it on to learn what the exact problem was he quickened his pace.
A/N: Well there is chapter 1. If you have ideas of things you'd like to see fire me a note or a review. :)