By: Relena Skywalker
Email:
leia_skywalker_83@yahoo.com
A Skywalker family fic. Alternate Universe. What if Darth Vader
discovered Leia's identity on the Death Star? Just my little speculation.
Revised and re-edited for easier (I hope) reading.
Chapter 1: Memories of a Dark Lord
Darth
Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, stood calmly on the bridge of Star Destroyer
Executor, his flag ship, one of the many things entitled to him by the emperor
for being a "loyal friend and servant".
He could still remember his master's eyes when at last he reported that the last of the Jedi has been destroyed. ..except for.. He could feel the old burning hate returning. He would not dare say that accursed name.
Even in the privacy of his mind. The person he considered his father. No. That was Qui-Gon Jinn. Not HIM. Qui-Gon. The only one he could not bring himself to hate even as he became the sworn enemy of the Order the maverick Jedi belonged to. Once belonged to. Vader corrected himself.
Qui-Gon surely
would never let him down. Unlike HIM. HIM, who took everything he held dear.
Especially the only person he--The hate was now waning, being slowly replaced by
a sadness so deep--considered his very soul. Padme. Just saying the name
brought back both blissful and painful memories.
She sat comfortably in the grass, nipping its sun-drenched blades with her hands every once in a while. Anakin contented himself with watching the shadows of overhead clouds play on her face. She would always take his breath away.
Realizing that Anakin was watching, no, staring at her, Padme, waved at him. She was in the same place where they first realized they had feelings for each other, though none of them would admit it at that time. They were married happily no doubt, but the Jedi council doesn't know that yet.
It is forbidden for a Jedi knight to marry anyone. Anakin told himself for a hundredth time, but after all that's lost during and before the battle of Geonosis, he would have gone mad if Padme hadn't been there. The Jedi council would not separate him from her. No matter what. He swore defiantly. His face taking an ominous expression. Her voice interrupted unpleasant thoughts.
"Ani, what are
you doing there? You'd turn yourself into a statue! come sit next to me. I have
something to tell you." and her laughter filled his senses. He approached her
smiling deviously. Padme never ran out
of surprises. What could it be this time?
"So what is it Senator?
Another errand for your knight?" he said
when he reached her, placing both hands on his hips and raising his chin
defiantly, adopting a mock-serious look. Padme giggled as he moved closer to
where she sat. "No, not just an errand Master Jedi, but a very important
errand." she intoned, standing up and copying his stance. They both collapsed
into the grass laughing.
He pressed his face closer to hers once the laughter subsided," So what is it?" he asked. She hesitated. "I saw this really beautiful flower on the festival last night, and.." she hesitated again. "Go on Padme." he said, not taking his eyes off hers. And she finally found the will to continue. "Well, this flower, its called Leiukianne, and I would really like to have that. I don't know, lately I..I was just becoming obsessed with that flower and…"
Anakin burst out laughing. Padme's expression hardened," What's so funny?" she demanded.
"Oh nothing." he said, still laughing. She proceeded to beat him with her fists until he was lying on the ground. "Well, I was just surprised that you are having trouble telling me about flowers. It sounds as if you saw Dooku wearing a skirt!" Padme pouted and gave him another dark glare.
"Jedi knight, are you going to get that flower for me or what?" she asked irritably, face hovering over his. "Of course, Milady." he said. Pulling her face closer and kissing her lips lightly. "There must be something special about that flower, because you like It." he added.
"So where can I
find this very rare flower?" he asked when she finally let him assume a sitting
position. "You can find it on..."
Before she could finish, a wall of flame, bursting with Dark energies separated them. He could feel the burning lava. No! I am with Padme. But she was no longer there, he was falling and the heat was unbearable. Someone was standing at the edge of the cliff. Obi-wan. Help me. Please.
But his Master
turned away. No! No! Don't!
Please save me. In the distance he could hear someone crying. Padme. She
was sad. Why? Where am I?
"Lord Vader?"
Suddenly, the images disappeared. He
wasn't on Naboo. He wasn't falling into a lava pit either. Darth Vader was so
deep into the memory that it took a moment for him to realize that he was on a
Star Destroyer.
And Padme was never
there. She would never be. Ever. He took in the bare, mechanical
surrounding. As if seeing them for the first time. A reflection of myself, he thought in
disgust.
"Yes, Commander." The Dark Lord said a little too angrily, to
the already frightened officer. Amusing, he thought. He does not need the
force to know that practically everyone on this ship and all the people he had
ever worked with, was afraid of him.
He has quite a reputation. Everyone knows. Sometimes he would feel a tiniest sense of guilt for every person killed. No. Murdered, was the more appropriate word. Over the years. But it would immediately be crushed by the overpowering hatred inside.
Perhaps it was a
way of venting anger. But does that justify the act? No. Of course not.
But for a man with nothing left to lose but his own dark soul, nothing else
would matter. They are merely statistics now.
"I wish to report that we
have traced the source of the rebel transmission earlier. It was a diplomatic
ship, Tantive IV. Personal vessel of Senator Leia Organa from Alderaan. We have
also gathered evidence that she is indeed in league with the rebellion
and.."
"I have heard enough Commander. When the ship leaves the Terran
atmosphere, I want you to pursue it full speed. She will give us some answers."
Vader cut in.
"I entrust this
matter in your hands. Do not fail me, Commander. You know the price of failure
quite well."
"Yes my Lord!" The Commander saluted and proceeded to give
orders to the rest of the crew.
Princess Leia Organa. Somehow, it wasn't
surprising that she had been a rebel. He had seen her a few times during his
very short visits to Coruscant. The Emperor sent him there to observe the
movements of the Imperial Senate from time to time. Exposing several traitorous
elements and disposing of them.
"I was not elected to see my people suffer!"
The Senator from Alderaan. She had always been the vocal one, the defiant one. He remembered sessions when most of the Senators would have particularly short and subdued speeches. Due to the fact that he, Lord Vader, would observe.
But she was different. She went ahead with her prepared speech. Boldly stating the injustices committed by the Empire and the suffering of different worlds. She even gazed directly at him from where she stood. Almost a mirror image of someone he used to know. Someone from a long time ago. Leia. Something about the name. He must have heard it somewhere...