This is a work of fiction. I don't own Star Wars or any of its characters. All Original Characters are the product of my imagination and are used in a fictitious manner. This is purely fanfiction to be read at the readers own discretion and pleasure.

Disclaimer: Viewing discretion is advised as this work will contain mentions of slavery (former).

This is just a little interlude before we start getting into the depth of the story as I wanted you to have a little insight of what happened after the last chapter so that I didn't just jump into when she's older and actually starting to shake the galaxy up. Thank you to thanzintay.2000 for her review which helped me finally post this chapter. As always, do leave a review short/long telling me what you think of the story so far.

Interlude: Growing Up

It had always amazed her, thinking back on that day. Alia thought back to every time she had wished for Anakin to free her, for anyone to save her and scoffed at her old self. Her younger, naïve self. All she had needed in the end was a little push in the right direction and herself. Nothing could save her except herself.

After that fateful day at the bordello, Alia had been taken in by Sheev Palpatine who acted as a surrogate grandfather. In truth, it was to hide that she was his one true apprentice, her untapped potential in the force would serve him well.

In order to keep her by his side, inspire loyalty within her, he helped Alia free the rest of the slaves of their bordello. Many of those freed vowed a life debt to Alia, who had freed their lives, and chose to become all manner of things. Bodyguards, spies, informants, or any other number of things that would serve their young Sith savior (and subsequently her master). It was a far better arrangement that their previous lives.

Sheev had chosen to take her back to Naboo, his own homeworld, to be privately tutored and trained in the ways of high society. His own political and social connections easily allowing her to be adopted under his own name, no one any the wiser about the true nature of this arrangement.

Whilst Alia mingled occasionally with other people outside of the little fold that Sheev Palpatine had created, she was often left alone to study everything from politics to academia, as well as the dark Sith arts. Duelists were also often sent also, who were tasked with training her in the art of combat. They were ruthless, training her from dusk till dawn, no matter how she felt, under all kinda of weather. These days she always felt the burn of exhaustion in her muscles for days at a time, the dryness of her thought because all the water in her body had seemingly sweated out no matter how much water she drunk. But it was the visits from her master that Alia truly relished despite the toll on her body. Only then, did she feel that she truly learned the art of dueling.

Alia learned quickly, drinking up anything she could get her hands on until it was finally becoming unsuitable to keep her on Naboo while her master, was Chancellor on Coruscant. She needed to be closer to him so he could continue to monitor her training, make sure she was learning from only the best. Make sure she was learning everything in the right light. Making sure she viewed everything as a Sith should.

So, only days having past since her 15th birthday, she was relocated to Coruscant. All that she brought was a handful of trustworthy guards and maids that had volunteered from the slaves she had freed.

Though he felt his young apprentice was making quick progress in becoming a well versed Sith, he still worried about the young padawan of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker. He was powerful too and so very similar to his own apprentice. They were both so deeply connected to the force, that he wondered whether or not they would be evenly matched when they faced each other at the end of it all.

Sheev Palpatine had long since connected the long lost twins to the prophecy. All it took was a quick look at the former slave turned Jedi padawan's slave records. In them, it was recorded that there were two. Twins. Male and female. Both having been lost in a bet from a Hutt and then sold from a junk dealer then split up after the girl was sold to a bordello owner. It was simple enough to find her. With his connections in both light and dark, at least.

The prophecy that both Jedi and Sith knew was only very short and somewhat ambiguous, like any good prophecy.

'Force will be reborn... The chosen one will restore balance to all.'

However, this version was far from the truth. Some of it had been lost as it had been passed down since its first telling. Whereas some of it was hidden in dark tomes on unforgiving, uninhabited planets as separate parts of what was really the same thing. To find the truth? You only had to dig hard enough.

Sheev Palpatine was a man of great patience, cunning, and intellect. He had long since found the truth and like many of his predecessors, he chose to spin it to serve his own cause. It was the key to him emerging victorious in the end and that victory started with the small, highly force sensitive girl he had found. He would end the Jedi and she was his key to it. Her loyalty would only serve him well in the future.

The subject of his fixation had a much different outlook in comparison to her master. Alia did not notice or understand what he had truly have intended for her. Only that she owed this man a great deal for helping her break her chains. A price she felt she could only repay in unconditional loyalty.

Alia Palpatine, as she was most commonly known by now, was not an inherently social child. Years spent isolated under the tutelage of her great master had strengthened it. There was a strange quietness around her that seemed to affect even her own surroundings. Both the villa in Naboo and apartment at 500 Republica she had and currently lived in shared that same strange quietness. It was as if you would be punished for speaking over a whisper.

However, this quietness did her no favors and her master bid her to at least overcome it for the sake of maintaining appearances. Particularly now that she could no longer be sheltered, hidden away on peaceful Naboo. She needed to be loved like he was. To be adored. Envied even. He introduced her to all manner of people, particularly those of high social standing. Socialites, celebrities, and wealthy businessmen. All people who would aid them in creating a new order.

She would attend parties in beautiful, pale dresses of pinks, blues, and purples. Hair done up to frame her lovely face. Alia would smile when spoken to or even when glanced at. Keep conversation amiable, draw people in with her delicate face, that's what she had to do. Like a marionette. That's all she had to be in order to help her master. Do what he needed her to do.

"What is our code?"

Like a holoproject on repeat, little Alia spoke the words that had been ingrained into her mind.

"Peace is a lie. There is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me."

Those words she lived by. They mirror her own life and her own struggles. Only through the passion, the fear she had turned to rage. It had empowered her enough to kill her master and set herself free. She had broken her own chains using the Force.

It was the same thing she whispered to herself when she needed more power, more focus. When she had created her lightsabers, she had muttered the same oath hundreds of times to help concentrate.

The pair of lightsabers that had resulted were magnificent. The body of the sabers were made of luminescent songsteel that had bee polished and left smooth. It was a light material and made the most exquisite weapons. Her master had originally suggested phrik, like his own. But when presented with the beautiful songsteel Alia had already made up her mind. The only other addition to the sabers was a thin, white leather binding to help grip them.

A lightsaber would be a companion for life, the only ally that would always be on your side. So Alia named them. Asha and Ja'ak. Two words she had felt compelled towards in the Sith languages. The meaning?

'Victory, I am free.'