AN: Heads up, I changed A's nickname from Ani to Sissy. I misremembered from my notes. Also, sorry for the bit of retconning later in this chapter. I really wanted that scene to work.


I came home floating. He said my name, and he touched me! I had not felt that way since I was a silly schoolgirl. I was reeling from the feeling of getting a look behind the veil of the mystery that was Darth Vader and desperately hoping I would get more. And the way everyone looked at me! I was used to blending in, but now, I was noticed, not just noticed but noticed with interest and speculation. People were beginning to become interested in me and who I was. COMPNOR would later tell me that interest in my name spiked on social media. I thought to myself, 'this is what Enceladus chases.'

I also came home to my room ransacked. I knew it was Enceladus looking for credits or something to trade for them. It was not a new thing. It had happened before. Kenna had a safe where she locked up her own alcohol and precious items. She let the rest of us siblings use it as well.

I sighed and went to Enceladus' room to see if any of my things were still there. Her room was a cesspit. The carpet was stained, and the bed was utterly chaotic. Her closet was nearly empty, with most of her clothes on the floor in various states of dirty and clean. There were holes in the wall from her tantrums. Crusty plates and cups and food wrappers littered the floor and surfaces. It smelled like body odor, cheap perfume, and smoke in there.

She hates being a twin and forgets that I know her secrets. Enceladus had cut open her mattress to hide our valuables. I found a dozen pairs of my earrings, what was Mira and Eri's lunch money/allowance, and Enoch's handheld gaming system. I dutifully returned the stolen items. I could not bring myself to tell Mira and Eri that their older sister had sunk so low as to steal little girls' lunch money. They were intelligent and intuitive girls. I am sure they at least thought something was wrong with all of us.

I knocked on their door as quietly as I could as not to disturb anyone else. The youngest set was still at an age when it was fun to share a bedroom.

Eri answered the door, rubbing her eyes, and Mira sat up in her bed, her hair wild with sleep.

"Mom and Dad forgot to give you girls this," I said, handing the credits and change to her.

"Thanks, Sissy," Eri whispered, hugging me tightly. I hugged her back, kissing her head and rubbing her back.

"Go back to sleep," I said.

Eri and Mira nodded, and I blew a kiss to Mira as I closed the door.

I am sure people wonder why my older siblings and I have not moved out on our own if this is what we put up with. It is simple; Kenna and Enceladus are too intoxicated to take care of themselves fully, Enoch is too eager to risk his paycheck at a gambling table than to pay a bill, and I, well, never had a reason to. I realized that the time to move on was rapidly approaching for my mental health.

I righted my room, and as I did, I sent her an angry message, "Enceladus!" I exclaimed into my comm as I reorganized my dresser, "You should be ashamed of yourself! Stealing from fourth graders? You are so selfish; I cannot even put it into words! Tonight was supposed to be a nice night for me, and you ruined it! Do not talk to me until you have decided to get some help! This is not how proper humans act!"

She and I both knew I would give her the silent treatment for a day or so and drop it. The next day, she was back to sending me funny videos and wanting to go shopping.

Still, I went to bed that night with a smile on my face and dreams of my dark knight.

It would be a month and a half before I heard from Lord Vader again. My family and I were still on edge but were starting to learn that silence on his end was typical. Part of me was not sure our courtship was going anywhere, thinking he found out about my dysfunctional family, or I did something off-putting, but the other half was willing to trust him, that he knew what he wanted and what he was doing.

The only news I would get about Lord Vader was from the actual news, when a high-profile target for the Empire was either killed or arrested, usually by Lord Vader himself. In pro-Empire circles, Lord Vader was becoming a hero. He was not precisely what the galaxy wanted, noting his extreme tactics, but he was the hero we needed. The time for diplomacy was over. It was time to stop talking and start taking action.

Our next outing was at the botanical garden of Imperial City. I would later learn that Vaneé oversaw much of our courtship, deciding what we would do while Lord Vader decided if he liked or tolerated me enough to move onto his next step, such as having the places shut down for the public for our, or his, privacy, with minimal input from Lord Vader. Each time I met with him, I learned a little more about him, a precious sliver of information that I held dearly.

It was the same routine as our last outing; Mother and Kenna fussed over my appearance and dressed me in blue, Lord Vader would pick me up, and we would be escorted through the city by an extensive security detail. As we entered the empty botanical gardens, Lord Vader's personal Storm Troopers guarded the entrance behind us. Inside, it was just us.

We meandered the designated path in silence, only the sound of water fountains and sprayers and the buzzing of bumblebugs and flutterbies around us. The sweet smell of flora enveloped us. As we walked, I held onto his arm, his good arm, never stopping to admire the beauty around us.

Finally, I had to break the silence if this would go anywhere.

"How is your arm, my Lord?" I asked.

"It is healing well thanks to your skills."

I smiled and bowed my head in thanks, "Thank you, my Lord. I would hate for anything to happen to you, especially if I can prevent it."

Lord Vader suddenly stopped in front of a section of funnel flowers.

"Oh, funnel flowers," I commented, "Native to Tatooine, I think? Their funnels help them to collect moisture from the air."

Whatever caught his attention was diminished, and we continued. Finally, we came to a waterfall feature with stone benches. I sat down and watched the nearby plants sway in the breeze of the temperature control.

"My mother used to bring my sisters and me here." I said, "' A girl's day,' she called it, just for us. Then, when we were twelve, Enceladus tried to jump from the top of that waterfall, and my sister Kenna was fourteen. Mother stopped taking us after that."

I started to wonder if that was the start of all our problems. Enceladus started to act out more after that event. She had always been a bit wild, but that was the first time it was that extreme. She would cheat on tests at school and get into fights, but nothing so reckless.

Lord Vader remained silent.

"I am sure you know the absolute mess my family is. I would understand if it were too much to take on, too much of a risk to your reputation." I looked him in the eyes. I could not see his eyes behind the tinted lenses of his mask, but I always made sure to do so when decorum allowed. I wanted to set myself apart, to say, I see you, the person under the mask.

I also started to wonder and hypothesize about Lord Vader's health. His suit was a biomechanical life support system. Judging by his ravaged skin, he was highly likely burned. How far or how deep those burns went were yet untold. He had at least two prostheses, I saw one for myself, and I felt the other as I held his good arm. His breathing is compromised, whether from the same incident that burned him or another event entirely. I had to really consider that if he did propose, could I marry someone who needed extensive medical care?

It reminded me of the military sentiment, 'All gave some, some gave all.' The thought of his injury simultaneously made me want to wince and thank him sincerely for his service. I was safe because of his service and countless other men and women.

I already knew the answer was yes. I would have said yes if he had proposed then and there. I already loved him. And regardless of my feelings, he was also an interesting case study.

"No." Lord Vader answered.

We were silent once more.

"My," Lord Vader started. I sensed anxiety in him, "mother was named Shmi."

"Shmi," I repeated with a smile, "I'm sure she was wonderful."

"She was."

He offered me his arm once more, and we continued our trek.

"Tomorrow, I will be testing out a new advanced TIE Fighter at the Imperial Base. I would like you to join me." Lord Vader said.

"Yes, of course, My Lord, anything you ask." I smiled.

We arrived at the Imperial base bright and early. Mother had done my hair up, tied with a black ribbon to keep my hair out of my face if we did open-air piloting. It was one of the few times she dressed me in anything but blue. Everyone at the base looked up from their tasks to see me on Lord Vader's arm and quickly looked back down, realizing who I was with. I felt myself smirking at the attention, a tingle danced up my spine, and I stood a little taller, head held a little higher. I had been conditioned to keep up with Lord Vader's brutal pace by then.

The engineering team involved in building this new TIE was lined up at attention to its side in the hangar. I recognized Raith Sienar of Sienar Technologies in the middle. This new TIE was an entirely new build from the ones I was used to seeing with its bent wings. So, of course, Lord Vader had to be different.

"At ease," Lord Vader said to the team with a dismissive movement of his hand. The team relaxed. Lord Vader dropped my arm and threaded his thumbs through his belt, examining the TIE. I stood with my arms relaxed and hands delicately clasped together, as I had been taught.

"My Lord, allow me to present to you your TIE Advanced x1, built to your specifications," Sienar said.

Lord Vader walked forward and began a deeper inspection, tugging on seams and rivets to see how well the parts were welded together, banging his fist on it to check for any hollow areas. My trained ears noticed the subtle sound of metal on metal, padded by his leather gauntlets.

"It is adequate. So far." Lord Vader announced.

"Would your…" Sienar thought for his words hurriedly so as not to offend Lord Vader, "companion like to join you on your test flight? There is a jump seat."

Lord Vader and I looked at each other, I thought he would answer for me, but I realized he was looking to me to answer for myself.

"Oh!" I said in realization, "I don't see why not."

The cockpit opened, and Lord Vader offered his hand to help me inside as I gathered my skirts. I quickly learned that passengers were not even an afterthought as I took the jump seat.

"Hang on." Lord Vader said as the machine roared to life. Was that a hint of mischief in his vocoded voice?

Suddenly, I was thrust back into my seat as we took off, heading for the sky. I never in my life flew that fast before. The craft at an angle in the air, I could feel the TIE soaring into the atmosphere. Yet, at the same time wanted to stop and keep going faster and faster, higher, and higher.

We left Coruscant's atmosphere and hovered above the planet. Then we dropped.

Closer and closer, the planet came for us, and I was sure we would crash, that the engine had died. Lord Vader suddenly pulled us from the tailspin and shot us back up, barrel rolling.

I saw his wild side when testing out his new TIE.

"No, Lord Vader, stop!" I exclaimed through belly laughs.

"My apologies, Aniasis. I thought you said faster." He replied.

I later learned this was a test to see how well I flew. There would be times when I would have to make a quick escape. Here, I started to love flying. Before then, it had just been a mode of transportation; now, it was an experience. I understand why Lord Vader loves and cherishes it so much. It is freedom. You are soaring above the heavens at impossible speeds, and only you decide your barriers. I remember the feeling of weightlessness every time Lord Vader let us freefall; the way stars zoomed past us. You could see sunrises from the upper atmosphere and the curve of the planet, one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. If you turned your ship quick enough, you could see your ion trail following you like stardust. It is almost a religious experience. I began to love the scream of TIEs in the morning.

The next afternoon, I had a lesson open on the human pulmonary system and was taking notes. I had recorded the lecture from earlier that day and rewrote my notes. In addition, I took the time to color code and recreate any drawings from the textbook or the professor.

"Now, the alveoli are microscopic air sacs located at the end of the bronchial tubes…"

"Miss Aniasis, a package has just arrived for you," The family protocol droid, ET-KT, announced. I nodded and followed him.

A long and wide black box was on the dining room table, tied with a black ribbon, obviously a dress box.

My family gathered around as I untied the ribbon and opened the lid. Inside, delicately folded, was a black dress and mothsilk capelet and hood. On top was another smaller black jewelry box and a card.

"Oh my!" Mother exclaimed, covering her mouth. "Open the card, Sissy."

The card read, 'I prefer you in black. -V'

I felt my cheeks burn.

They saw my face, and Enceladus snatched the card from me. She read it, smirked, and passed it to Kenna.

"Who's it from?" Mira asked.

What's it say?" Eri asked as she took the card. Kenna snatched it from her little hand before she could read the message, "It's from Lord Vader." Kenna explained.

I gently took the dress and held it up to my body. It was the most alluring dress I had ever thought about wearing and the most formfitting. I was almost worried my parents would not allow me out of the house in it. The bust was a leather bandage-style corset, and the skirt was a delicate fabric with a high slit on the side.

"You're not gonna be able to wear panties with that," Enceladus whispered into my ear, "He's planning something…"

Mother and Father made a face but quickly tried to hide it, "And the jewels?" Father asked, gesturing to the jewelry box.

It was an obsidian and ruby choker with matching earrings, ruby teardrops for my lobes and obsidian for my cartilage. I was a bit surprised he noticed my piercings.

"He could have gotten you a pair of shoes too," Enceladus quipped, looking at the dress box.

He later would; a pair of riding boots from the same designer right before Alderaan was destroyed.

Kenna looked at the tag, "This is Rothschild's of Alderaan next season. And it looks handstitched! Sissy, I think Ronis Rothschild handmade this! He is trying to woo you."

"I hope he gives a raise to whoever picked it out for him." Enoch teased.

Lord Vader was planning something. He was preparing for the unveiling of Lady Vader. He was molding me into the woman he wanted, and I was ready to be molded.