Disclaimers: Characters do not belong to me. They do belong to George Lucas so please please please don't sue.
Rating:
Summary: What if Vader had raised Leia?
Lady Vader
Prologue
Padme Amidala screamed aloud. The sweat that had been beading on her forehead for the past eighteen hours coursed down her face in thick, steady currents. She clutched Obi Wan Kenobi's hand tightly between both of her own.
"Breath, Padme," the Jedi whispered, gently wiping her face with a cloth provided to him "You can do this."
"I can't!" Padme gasped, then shrieked as another spasm of pain ripped through her abdomen. "How much longer?"
"Not long now," the doctor told her soothingly. "I need you to push now, milady."
Grunting, Padme squeezed her eyes shut as she pushed with all her strength. As the pain worsened, her grip on Obi Wan's hand tightened. He bore the pain easily, barely even flinching.
"Tell me, Padme, what are their names?" he asked her, trying to distract her from the pain. "What are you going to name your little boy and girl?"
"Luke," Padme hissed from clenched teeth. "Luke and Leia Skywalker."
"Very good," Obi Wan approved. "Push again, Padme, push again. It's almost over."
Screaming, Padme gave a final push. Shortly after, the thin scream of a baby filled the room.
"It's a girl!" the doctor cried. He passed the infant on to a waiting nurse and returned his attentions to the other baby forcing his way out. "A couple more pushes, milady, and it will all be over."
Padme pushed, never relinquishing her deathgrip on Obi Wan's hand. "Anakin!"
Everyone in the room flinched slightly as the woman called out desperately for her husband without even realizing what she said. Then the girl child's cries were joined by another, and the doctor held the second baby up triumphantly.
"It is a boy," he said satisfied.
Padme gasped for breath, finally releasing Obi Wan's hand. As she watched the doctor clean her babies, she slipped into much needed sleep.
*****
*****
Padme looked at Obi Wan miserably, clutching her children to her sides.
"So soon?" she asked weakly. "They're all I have left."
"We cannot risk Ana--Vader finding them," the Jedi insisted, his voice dripping with sorrow. "Already he has come too close. They will be safe. I promise you that."
"I know," the mother whispered. "I know. Oh, Obi Wan! My sweet little twins."
"I am sorry," Obi Wan said quietly. "Do you know where they are going?"
"Leia to Bail Organa on Alderaan and Luke to Beru and Owen Lars on Tatooine," Padme answered miserably. "May I have a moment with them? Please?"
"Of course you may." The Jedi left the room quietly. Padme sat her children down on the couch. Immediately, Leia reached two little arms up and wrapped them around her mother's neck. Sobbing, Padme hugged the girl close.
"My darling," she whispered brokenly. "You always know when Mommy feels bad, don't you? Already so strong, and no one even knows."
Leia smiled into her mother's neck, making those sweet gurgles only babies can make. Gently, Padme set her back on the couch. Leia whimpered but obliged this time. Padme dropped to her knees to look the twins in the eyes.
"You've got to go away now," she told them, somehow confident that at least Leia understood her words. The two regarded her seriously as she continued. "But don't worry. You'll be safe. And you'll see each other again someday; I'm sure of it. Be brave, my miracles. I love you so much."
She kissed them both, barely holding her tears in check. Then she picked them up and took them to Obi Wan.
"I'm ready now," she said, handing him Leia, then Luke. "Be safe, my friend."
"We shall," Obi Wan promised. Padme kissed them both one more time. Finally, Obi Wan began to walk away. Leia began to scream instantly, holding her arms out over Obi Wan's shoulders, reaching toward her mother. Luke, becoming distressed both from his sister's tears and the fact that his mother was getting farther and farther away, also began to scream.
"Mommeeeeeeee!" Leia suddenly shrieked, and Padme's hands flew to her mouth as she began to sob violently. Leia's first word!
"Oh, my babies," she murmmered through her tears.
Soon, they were gone.
*****
*****
Obi Wan looked at the screaming children sadly, unable to stop their tears.Leia kept crying "Mommie!" over and over, and Obi Wan's heart broke with every wail. He tried to soothe them as best he could. When that didn't work, he juggled several decorative balls with the Force, usually a trick that sent them both into gales of laughter. Neither of them stopped crying. Finally, Obi Wan sat back dejectedly and let them cry. He was having trouble holding back his own tears.
Finally, as they neared the spaceport where two ships were awaiting them, Leia stopped crying. Several seconds later, after noticing his sister no longer wailing, Luke also became quiet. Obi Wan smiled at the little girl.
"You understand, don't you?" he asked her. She regarded him with her big brown eyes, not making any noises. Obi Wan sighed. "Already you block your power. So young and so powerful. Both of you. It is better this way."
He picked them up and took them to their ships.
*****
*****
Darth Vader entered the ship to Alderaan behind two of his guards. He was still in a kind of shock. He was a father! It seemed unreal to him.
"Find the child," he ordered the guards. "Kill everyone else, but bring the child to me."
The two men nodded and rushed off, while Vader reached out with the Force, searching for his daughter. He found her easily--the Force coursed through her as it did he himself. He smiled to himself. She was strong--so strong.
"You may not have her."
Vader turned slowly, regarding the Jedi calmly. Of course Obi Wan would not send the daughter of Darth Vader off alone. What surprised him was that the guard was not Obi Wan himself.
"I do not believe you have a voice in the matter," he told the Jedi mockingly. He raised a hand and closed it, effectively crushing the man's neck with the Force. As the body dropped, he laughed.
"So weak," he murmered, almost awed. This dead Jedi was the complete opposite of he and his daughter.
"Lord Vader. We have her."
"Give her to me," he commanded, not turning. The guards pushed the dead Jedi away from them and handed the baby over. She instantly began to scream and kick.
"So strong," he said wonderingly. "So very strong. What is your name, little one?"
As soon as he asked the question, the answer came. Leia. His daughter's name was Leia. As gently as he could with his machine arms, he held the screaming girl next to his chest.
"My Leia," he whispered. His Leia, his daughter, all he had left of Padme Amidala. Ignoring Leia's shrieks, he exited the ship and set course for Corscant.
Rating:
Summary: What if Vader had raised Leia?
Lady Vader
Prologue
Padme Amidala screamed aloud. The sweat that had been beading on her forehead for the past eighteen hours coursed down her face in thick, steady currents. She clutched Obi Wan Kenobi's hand tightly between both of her own.
"Breath, Padme," the Jedi whispered, gently wiping her face with a cloth provided to him "You can do this."
"I can't!" Padme gasped, then shrieked as another spasm of pain ripped through her abdomen. "How much longer?"
"Not long now," the doctor told her soothingly. "I need you to push now, milady."
Grunting, Padme squeezed her eyes shut as she pushed with all her strength. As the pain worsened, her grip on Obi Wan's hand tightened. He bore the pain easily, barely even flinching.
"Tell me, Padme, what are their names?" he asked her, trying to distract her from the pain. "What are you going to name your little boy and girl?"
"Luke," Padme hissed from clenched teeth. "Luke and Leia Skywalker."
"Very good," Obi Wan approved. "Push again, Padme, push again. It's almost over."
Screaming, Padme gave a final push. Shortly after, the thin scream of a baby filled the room.
"It's a girl!" the doctor cried. He passed the infant on to a waiting nurse and returned his attentions to the other baby forcing his way out. "A couple more pushes, milady, and it will all be over."
Padme pushed, never relinquishing her deathgrip on Obi Wan's hand. "Anakin!"
Everyone in the room flinched slightly as the woman called out desperately for her husband without even realizing what she said. Then the girl child's cries were joined by another, and the doctor held the second baby up triumphantly.
"It is a boy," he said satisfied.
Padme gasped for breath, finally releasing Obi Wan's hand. As she watched the doctor clean her babies, she slipped into much needed sleep.
*****
*****
Padme looked at Obi Wan miserably, clutching her children to her sides.
"So soon?" she asked weakly. "They're all I have left."
"We cannot risk Ana--Vader finding them," the Jedi insisted, his voice dripping with sorrow. "Already he has come too close. They will be safe. I promise you that."
"I know," the mother whispered. "I know. Oh, Obi Wan! My sweet little twins."
"I am sorry," Obi Wan said quietly. "Do you know where they are going?"
"Leia to Bail Organa on Alderaan and Luke to Beru and Owen Lars on Tatooine," Padme answered miserably. "May I have a moment with them? Please?"
"Of course you may." The Jedi left the room quietly. Padme sat her children down on the couch. Immediately, Leia reached two little arms up and wrapped them around her mother's neck. Sobbing, Padme hugged the girl close.
"My darling," she whispered brokenly. "You always know when Mommy feels bad, don't you? Already so strong, and no one even knows."
Leia smiled into her mother's neck, making those sweet gurgles only babies can make. Gently, Padme set her back on the couch. Leia whimpered but obliged this time. Padme dropped to her knees to look the twins in the eyes.
"You've got to go away now," she told them, somehow confident that at least Leia understood her words. The two regarded her seriously as she continued. "But don't worry. You'll be safe. And you'll see each other again someday; I'm sure of it. Be brave, my miracles. I love you so much."
She kissed them both, barely holding her tears in check. Then she picked them up and took them to Obi Wan.
"I'm ready now," she said, handing him Leia, then Luke. "Be safe, my friend."
"We shall," Obi Wan promised. Padme kissed them both one more time. Finally, Obi Wan began to walk away. Leia began to scream instantly, holding her arms out over Obi Wan's shoulders, reaching toward her mother. Luke, becoming distressed both from his sister's tears and the fact that his mother was getting farther and farther away, also began to scream.
"Mommeeeeeeee!" Leia suddenly shrieked, and Padme's hands flew to her mouth as she began to sob violently. Leia's first word!
"Oh, my babies," she murmmered through her tears.
Soon, they were gone.
*****
*****
Obi Wan looked at the screaming children sadly, unable to stop their tears.Leia kept crying "Mommie!" over and over, and Obi Wan's heart broke with every wail. He tried to soothe them as best he could. When that didn't work, he juggled several decorative balls with the Force, usually a trick that sent them both into gales of laughter. Neither of them stopped crying. Finally, Obi Wan sat back dejectedly and let them cry. He was having trouble holding back his own tears.
Finally, as they neared the spaceport where two ships were awaiting them, Leia stopped crying. Several seconds later, after noticing his sister no longer wailing, Luke also became quiet. Obi Wan smiled at the little girl.
"You understand, don't you?" he asked her. She regarded him with her big brown eyes, not making any noises. Obi Wan sighed. "Already you block your power. So young and so powerful. Both of you. It is better this way."
He picked them up and took them to their ships.
*****
*****
Darth Vader entered the ship to Alderaan behind two of his guards. He was still in a kind of shock. He was a father! It seemed unreal to him.
"Find the child," he ordered the guards. "Kill everyone else, but bring the child to me."
The two men nodded and rushed off, while Vader reached out with the Force, searching for his daughter. He found her easily--the Force coursed through her as it did he himself. He smiled to himself. She was strong--so strong.
"You may not have her."
Vader turned slowly, regarding the Jedi calmly. Of course Obi Wan would not send the daughter of Darth Vader off alone. What surprised him was that the guard was not Obi Wan himself.
"I do not believe you have a voice in the matter," he told the Jedi mockingly. He raised a hand and closed it, effectively crushing the man's neck with the Force. As the body dropped, he laughed.
"So weak," he murmered, almost awed. This dead Jedi was the complete opposite of he and his daughter.
"Lord Vader. We have her."
"Give her to me," he commanded, not turning. The guards pushed the dead Jedi away from them and handed the baby over. She instantly began to scream and kick.
"So strong," he said wonderingly. "So very strong. What is your name, little one?"
As soon as he asked the question, the answer came. Leia. His daughter's name was Leia. As gently as he could with his machine arms, he held the screaming girl next to his chest.
"My Leia," he whispered. His Leia, his daughter, all he had left of Padme Amidala. Ignoring Leia's shrieks, he exited the ship and set course for Corscant.