Chapter 22
(Vaders Palace)
Vader returned to his palace as he was lucky his master had not summoned him or messaged him yet this day and he wanted to put off meeting with him as long as possible, especially today of all days. Today he would regain a piece of his family, and that's all he wanted today, but there was also the main problem.
'What will she think of me…no I know what she'll think of me.' Vader thought as the words monster, and killer flashed in his mind and it caused him to sneer behind his mask in anger. For the seeded "lies" of Organa would have been long time planted in her young impressionable mind, and it burned Vader in a way that Mustafar itself couldn't.
'Will she try to run away, go back to Organa?! No! No, that will not happen!' Vader inwardly declared as he strode down a hall and clenched his fists in anger and in determination. 'I will have my daughter! I will have my family, I shall have the only piece of Pad…' Vader couldn't finish the woman's name, as his heart panged in pain, and he quickly shook it away. 'I will have the last piece of "her," that is in this galaxy at my side, and she will never go wanting ever .' Vader declared as he believed any father would and rounded a corner that lead to the hall Kun's apprentice and the princess had stayed.
As he looked around the hall almost timidly he took in a breath and exhaled, that also caused his mask respirator to flood him with purified air that made him a little dizzy. 'I need to tweak this thing when I have the chance.' Vader decided as the purified oxygen really began bothering him, and it didn't look good that his mask kept having 'hiccups,' in its processing of air for him unless he breathed just the way he usually did. The machinery was having problems fully taking into account sighs, gasps, and deep breaths as it didn't detect any need to compensate and was thus denying or adding too much oxygen to him that he didn't need, and annoying him to no end.
As Vader stood in the hall looking rather odd if there was a passer by; though these never was, he suddenly heard someone talking, and the voice sounded oddly familiar.
"I know R2, this place is rather large. Hard to think anyone needs so much space." the voice said and Vaders memory began to spark in remembrance of a gold protocol droid flooded his minds eye, as he waited for the voice to either near closer or fade.
"-not that I dislike the Aldera palace, but it too had far too many spaces. I think it's far better for organics to have smaller, but not too small of homes. Far easier to move around, and far less to clean." The very eloquent and proper voice said, and Vader just knew it was the very same droid, there was not a doubt in his mind.
So when the duo Vader remembered so well turned a corner and entered into his masks red-hued vision he couldn't help but smirk at seeing them again. He figured that the princess probably inherited them after bail…stole them, 'yes that's the word,' stole them from he and…her, after she died.
"Oh my, R2 look it's Darth Vader!" 3PO loudly and in a panic cried as the droid stumbled backwards almost into a fall. R2, like the little eccentric droid that he was merely whistled and waddled in place. [ I see it's Darth Vader! I'm not blind 3PO. ]
R2 said as Vader easily understood droid binary and smiled.
"Why do I get the distinct impression you remember but he does not?" Vader asked R2 as he closed in on the pair, and R2 angrily beeped a flurry of beeps at Vader in a chastising manner, before seemingly remembering he wasn't supposed to talk to Vader for whatever reason.
"I already spoke to bail Organa R2, I know everything, and yes I remember what I did to…her. I am…." Vader realized what he was about to say and turned his head from left to right hoping no one was there and no one would hear him.
"I'm sorry for what happened R2. I…wasn't thinking." Vader said in as low and sorry a tone he could muster from his respirator. R2 beeped and whirred in sad and low tones as his video sensor moved up and down looking Vader over. The dark lord placed his hands on his belt as a habit before replying to R2 as 3PO merely looked between the two without daring to yet speak.
"I miss her too, R2." Vader replied, and he instinctively placed a gloved hand on the droids domed head, and was delighted when R2, as was his right, didn't shake him off or ride away from him.
"Truce?" Vader asked in a very un-Sith like faction and R2 responded in what could best be described as a saddened, [ I guess, ] which Vader accepted and bowed his head to R2. He really had missed the droid. R2 let loose another small tirade of beeps and Vader again nodded to him.
"I wont hurt her R2, I will tell her the truth however, as she deserves to know, and I will not tolerate her being raised by the senator anymore. If you want to…protect her, then I suggest you get used to her staying with me, R2." The astromech beeped its reply which was one of acceptance, but he warned Vader that he would be watching him, and Vader grinned behind his mask.
"I wouldn't expect it any other way R2." Vader once more patted his spunky companions head, before inclining his head to look 3PO over. Before commenting to R2.
"He's been wiped hasn't he?" Vader looked to R2 who beeped an affirmative, and apparently 3PO took offense and got the courage to speak.
"What do you mean wiped?!" R2 responded in an annoyed manner, and 3PO jerked backwards in shock.
"My mind was wiped close to thirteen years ago!" R2 again affirmed the statement, and said something else. "Darth Vader is my maker! Oh now I know you're lying R2, what a ridiculous thing to say! I am terribly sorry lord Vader my companion here sometimes has an overactive imagination, and I swear one day he's going to regret it."
R2 responded to that by insulting 3Po along the lines of
[ That gold plating of yours must attract sunlight so much that your memory just fries on its own then. ]
"And what is that supposed to mean! I will have you know my plating has nothing to do with mind wiping, it is a normal practice done by droid masters and as far as I am concerned you are overdue for one!" 3PO quipped, and R2 just shrugged him off, and repeated that Vader was indeed his maker whether he liked it or not.
"C-3PO, human-cyber relations correct?" Vader finally interjected and 3PO's head jittered around in bit as the droid became confused as with a quick search of his memory there was no time he told Darth Vader his designation.
"Oh…oh my." 3PO said as the truth suddenly dawned on the droid.
"The maker! Oh my it is true! Then in that case lord Vader allow me to re-introduce myself. I am indeed, C-3PO, human-cyborg relations! I am so very pleased to meet you again sir! I am terribly sorry about not remembering you. A mind wipe, how so very rude of whoever did so."
Vader waved a hand in front of himself to calm the droid down.
"It matters not 3PO. It was a long time ago." Vader replied and 3PO bowed stiffly in reply before Vader looked between the two droids.
"Do either of you happen to know where your mistress is, princess Leia of Alderaan." Vader asked purposely not using her technical last name.
R2 beeped and whirred as 3PO answered as well.
"Oh yes sir, she was looking around the hallway just a ways from where we came from. I do believe she said something about, 'exploring for dirty little secrets,' or something like that." R2 rolled into 3PO motioning for him to shut up, but 3PO merely told him to stop and that he was being rude, before Vader bowed and made for where they said Leia, his Leia was. The fact that 3PO gave away she was snooping around his palace didn't bother him. She would never have access to the more important and hidden area of his palace. She wasn't even on the right floor.
Vader made it down the hall the two droids came from when he heard the distinct sound of R2 following him, and quickly turned, but before he could say anything R2 went on another tantrum, and Vader caught 3PO trying to catch up from behind as he yelled at R2 for his recklessness.
"I said I wouldn't hurt-" R2 beeped some more in a loud succession of beeps. Simply stating that he wanted to make sure firsthand, and that if anything he would help Vader make his "case," to the princess, and to that Vader inclined his head and continued walking with the knowledge that the little astromech followed close behind. And 3PO some ways back tried to catch up as best he could.
Rounding another corner and entering into a quite illuminated hall, Vader looked to R2 to show him which door she had gone into without anyone's approval, the little droid rolled up to one that was about midway through the hall, and beeped his assurance she was there.
Stepping past him Vader took in a deep breath before keying the door open and entered. The room was not particularly interesting actually. It was merely another sleeping quarters that resembled the one she occupied a few halls back, but Vader figured she thought he left things spread out so as to make things harder to find. While her reasoning may not be the best it was not too hard to think as far as Vader was concerned.
The room seemed empty and he only assumed that she was hiding from him when she heard his breathing apparatus, and he sent R2 in to search her out. R2 immediately rolled over to a sofa and beeped happily and Vader heard the distinct sound of a girl shooing him away and telling him to shut up. Walking over to the sofa Vader crossed his arms and waited a few moments for her to now she was defeated and for her to come out. When she didn't Vader grew annoyed and finally let her know she was caught.
"It's quite obvious now is it not, that I know you're under there princess. It would be better if you came out from under there now." Vader declared and he heard a sigh as she scooted out and cast R2 a glare.
Rubbing off dust the princess then quickly looked up to Vader with a deeply defiant look in her eyes as she jutted her chin out toward him almost asking for a fight. Behind his mask Vader merely smirked. 'Who could have thought this was Organa's daughter?' he thought as he actually felt pride at how ready for a fight she was. Whereas if he didn't know who she was he may have hated her for it.
"Mind telling me what you were doing under that sofa milady princess?"
"I was hiding." Vader looked and was visibly taken aback by the bluntness.
"From what exactly?
"Isn't it obvious, lord Vader?" She spat the last two words like they were poison. Vader didn't pay her any mind though as he just marveled at how much she resembled her mother in some ways, he in others, and her defiant mannerisms seemed like a mix of his own ready-for-a-fight attitude and the savvy, quick preparedness of her mother.
"What are you looking at? Take a picture it will last longer!" She finally snapped at his continued silence, but she snapped him out quickly.
"I wasn't looking at anything in particular. I was just appreciating the features you share with your mother. You hair for instance, quite as brown and naturally wavy."
She cocked her head to a side in weary intrigue.
"How did you know my mother? I was born into the royal house of Organa. Breha Organa did not know you when she lived, she never mentioned you, Vader." She angrily retorted but Vader shook his head.
"Indeed I did not know Breha Organa of Alderaan. I knew your true mother, the one who carried you and gave birth to you. You are adopted Leia, and your real mothers name was…" He pushed himself into a corner, but had to say it, and thus forced himself to. "Your mothers name was Padmé Amidala Naberrie, of Naboo, and I knew her well."
"I was…NO I was not adopted!" She cried in anger, and in that moment Vader did feel her force potential, untapped as it was, the rawness of it was still something to take in.
"You are Leia. I understand that Exar Kun's apprentice had opened your mind to the force. Look into yourself, search your feelings, they shall tell you the truth or lies of my words." Leia stood glaring at him for a moment, his arms still defiantly crossed as her eyes then just jumped from side to side as Vader could feel her trying to enter into the force and search for the truth. When she snapped her eyes back to Vader she didn't relent but didn't speak either. 'Defiant to the last I see.' Vader thought.
"Well princess? What did your feelings tell you?"
"So what if I'm adopted…I…I am still the daughter of Bail and Breha Organa of House Organa, royal family of Alderaan!"
"A meaningless technicality Leia." He replied still using her name, as it sounded right coming from his mouth, of course Leia's face contorted into a sneer every time he used her name.
"Why do you care Vader?" Leia asked as she grew a bit weary of the fight and Vader used that sudden lack of will to fight.
"Because I knew your mother I think it is important that you know your father. After all did Bail Organa turn out to be the man you thought?"
That hit a sweet spot, a nerve and she cast him a glowering stare.
"He may have done something awful, something I…I-"
"Hate him for?" Vader interjected but she cast him another icy glare.
"Something that I am very disappointed in him for." Vader felt that she only said that to spite him, but he remained silent.
"However, he wasn't the one who killed all those people on Dubrava was he? All of those people just wanted freedom from the Emperor, and NO I don't care that you're his lapdog his little slave!" She preemptively yelled at him, and Vader grew angry at being called a lapdog…a slave.
"You now nothing of slavery!" He boomed, but ever defiant she snorted and didn't bother retorting, as Vader grew tired of this game.
"I did what I had to. The rebels of the galaxy are not coordinated, and most are true terrorists. Killing innocents in some pathetic hope the deaths of those who cant fight back will change the majority of the population against me and my master the Emperor. I acted on Intel provided to me by lord Kun, by your father. I don't know the specifics to how he got that information," though Vader had his suspicions. "So I would take up your grievances with Exar Kun, princess."
"That's not the point!" She cried out hotly.
"The point is you kill people all the time! Innocent or not! you are the reason why I agreed to join Viathan and his master to rid the galaxy of your master! Your Emperor, and you cant scare me because I know full well you're in on it!"
"That I am princess." he calmly replied and then pointed a finger at her.
"I do believe however we were talking about your parentage. About your father."
"So what? Its not like he cared enough to keep me, so obviously I don't care about him since its obvious he doesn't." Vader felt a strange pang in his chest at that statement but shook it away quickly.
"Perhaps he never had the chance to know you existed…perhaps he thought you died during childbirth…as your mother did." To that Leia's eyes wandered off at hearing that and grew ever slightly softer.
"Does he know about me then?"
"Indeed he does." Vader replied as he felt his heart begin to beat faster in anticipation.
"Then why isn't he here? Did you scare him off or something?!" She quickly verbally jabbed Vader once more, but he shrugged it off.
"No Leia, I did not scare him off. Your father stands before you, I am your father princess."
her eyes went as wide as saucers, and she paled before stepping backwards but hit the sofa and couldn't move away from Vader as she became very confused.
"No that isn't true! Your lying! Why would you say that?! don't ever say that I cant be related to you! You're a machine, an evil machine!" She cried and though her words hurt him more than he liked Vader didn't waver, not now, not after this.
"I shall prove it to you." Vader simply said and pulled out a recorder, and played it back from a certain point.
"She gave birth to Leia. She was the one who named her before she…before she died. The droid medical staff could not understand how she was dying." The voice of Bail Organa said and Leia looked at the device with horror in her eyes, as Vader skipped it forward a little.
"Her father yet lives! I am here, and you had no right to her Organa!" The unmistakable baritone voice of Vader said, and once more he skipped it.
"-and what the Emperor would want of her. You know he will try to use her against you, and use her and her anger at me for what I've done and the anger at my lies, and the anger for who her real father is, because she loathes what you do and what you are." The recorder came in mid-sentence and Leia had tears running down her cheeks leaking from those brown eyes that Vader knew so well, but he again skipped and allowed it to sink in.
"Take her Vader. Tell her the truth and do what you will. But be her father. That is all I ask, is that you be her father, and not let the Emperor make her what he made you. She deserves better than all of us."
Leia at that began hysterically sobbing and brought her hands up to her eyes as all the emotions of the past few weeks came bubbling to the surface, and the truth hit her hard as even the force was telling her it was true…Darth Vader was her father and Bail Organa admitted to it on a recording Vader no doubt made without his knowing.
The thirteen year old girl with her all white outfit her brown hair pulled up into a bun and two braids that seemingly went back up into her hair, this thirteen year old girl was bawling her eyes out, and Vader stood tall and in all honesty unsure what to do. Behind his mask his face grew into a frown as he watched her reaction as it wasn't what he expected exactly.
So taking several tentative steps forward Vader reached a rather shaky with nervousness hand reach over and lay on Leia's left shoulder as her shoulders continued to shake as she cried. She finally lifted her now red eyes up to see the hulking Vader trying to place a comforting hand on her and she stepped away from him while casting a glare to him.
"What do you want from me?! Where were you when I was growing up!"
"The recording makes it quite clear that Bail took you away after your mother died, I was informed you and your mother had died." Vader replied not daring to go into the subject of how she died.
She sniffled and tried to calm down but tears still flowed down her face as she took in breaths trying to calm down.
"Who told you I died? It wasn't Bail obviously."
"My master the Emperor….he lied to me. That at least I am sure of. Or perhaps he honestly didn't know and jus wanted to make me feel worse then I already did for losing your mother. I was not always confided to this suit." Vader informed not thinking it was the best time to go into detail about why it was necessary or the fact he didn't actually need it anymore.
"So do you plan to take me to him then? Make me one of his slaves?"
"Of course not!" Vader replied more harshly than he meant to, and he felt R2 suddenly hit his leg from behind as a reminder and Vader let out a breath and calmed himself. Something he was beginning to admit to he was bad at.
"Organa and I agreed on one thing. I will not take you before him. Not before we are ready to get rid of him, and take the Empire for ourselves as a family."
"I don't want this! I don't want the Empire, and I don't want you as my father!" She spat at Vader, and once more his chest tightened in more sadness then he would admit to.
"If you join me in taking over the galaxy we can finally put an end to the chaos and tyranny of Palpatine! What I offer is the ability to change the galaxy for the better without ever having to go through others. We as father and daughter can do so much, and for the better!"
"No room for democracy! Only the force of military might, and threat of death and torture to get done what you want not what is right! That's not democracy that is dictatorship, and it is what I will never stand for or be a part of!" She cried out and held her arms closely together as a shield, and expected a heated retort from Vader.
"I was there in the Old republic Leia." Vader replied and instead of anger in calmness, as he sent out his emotions through the Force for Leia to feel and hopefully not be so afraid.
"I watched the senate stand by and do nothing as the Separatists grew. I watched them bicker and play around with peoples lives hidden behind the veil of bureaucracy and nothing ever got done! I stood by unable to do anything as slavery persisted and still does throughout the galaxy, and now the Empire promotes and slavery and I cant do anything about it because a madman is in power!" The dark lord said with sincerity flowing through the Force.
"So do you expect me to just start acting like we're a family?! Well we're not! This is not a family, I don't even know you! You kill all the time, and you do such….horrible things." She said the last part in a whisper.
"You will come to see then, with time, that I am not what you think me." Vader declared though he didn't really know what he, himself meant.
"R2 here will not only confirm who I am, but of my relation to your mother." R2 beeped an affirmative and Leia's face turned to one of confusion as she looked to her little droid companion.
"And 3PO, wherever he is," Vader said as he turned and didn't see the gold protocol droid anywhere. "I made him, and to that, R2 will also attest." Again R2 affirmed him.
Vader turned and was about to leave, his chest still panged with hurt at Leia's harsh words.
"Exar Kun has turned over your care to me of course, and I will have you stay here. I will take care of you from now on, and you will not be returning to alderman…at least not anytime soon. I shall also finish your training. In time you will see that I am right." Vader declared as he turned to look at her, and then strode out of the room afterwards, and finally saw 3PO down the hall looking through a room closer to the hall entrance. Vader walked past 3PO who greeted him, and Vader briskly waved him off before leaving for the palace to meet with the Emperor, his emotions fully in disarray and turmoil.
Back in the room Leia was silent as she occasionally sniffled and rubbed her eyes and nose from all the crying. R2 finally beeped a couple hesitant beeps and asked if she was okay.
"Yeah…I'm okay R2 thanks." R2 whirred a bit more and she nodded a little bit as he told her that all Vader said about her being his was true and that he had always known but Bail had forbidden him from ever saying anything, until Vader already knew and made that order moot.
"Thank you R2. I think I need to sleep, or just rest my eyes for a bit." She intoned to no one really, and walked out the room and nearly ran into R2.
She quickly found her assigned room and flopped down into the provided bed, and soon the sweet embrace of sleep took her away from reality for a while.
(Imperial Palace)
Viathan had followed the man that was named Kalev Zalliste through the maddeningly massive and labyrinth like hallways and corridors of the Imperial Palace. Kalev had barely talked but Viathan could sense through the force that he was giddy, joyful, and full of anticipation. Viathan couldn't read this man as easily as others, but he could sense from the Force that there was something off about him. Something he couldn't quite figure out, but he knew he was going to be cautious around him at all times. After all, father or not, he worked for the Emperor.
"Ah here we are." The man said with his accented voice that reminded Viathan so much of a Coruscanti accent being so proper, but it sounded just ever so slightly off.
Kalev had stopped them in front of one of the higher leveled science offices. As Kalev keyed in a code of his he opened the door and sidestepped to allow Viathan into the room. He was met with all manner of scientific equipment, mountains of datapads, and flimsy documents as well. Viathan moved further into the room, and noticed one office desk off to the side and a door that led off, to where he didn't know. On the desk was more datapads as were the random tables and counters that ran along the room. The place was a mess but not chaos. It looked like ordered chaos.
"So this is my office here on Coruscant. I have not been here in a few weeks, I have been traveling with lord Vader as he went on his crazed hunt of the Moffs before the whole can of worms opened up across the blasted galaxy." Kalev explained as he approached and stepped further into the room. He looked around too as if he had forgotten that state he had left his office.
"I suppose you have some questions." Kalev said clasping his hands behind his back. Again Viathan noted how he was wearing a massive white lab coat and wore black boots, and Viathan assumed some sort of pants underneath the coat but couldn't tell for sure.
"You are my father." Viathan said more than asked, but still Kalev inclined his head in an affirmative.
"So where have you been throughout my entire life?" Viathan asked in monotone feeling rather uncomfortable.
"Well, that is hard to explain but I shall try." Kalev said as he sat himself on a nearby table.
"I came into service for the Emperor over a decade ago. I entered into a special scientific department with the backing of the emperor, who at the time was still the Supreme Chancellor of the republic. I worked in secret to aid him in creating beings with special abilities. I had a proficiency in scientific manipulation of the bacteria that lives in all beings called Midi-chlorians." Viathan nodded for him to continue as he crossed his arms.
"I entered into a special project to infuse beings with higher Midi-chlorian count than normal, or at the very least I tried creating life with substantial enough amounts to train powerful enough Force wielders for the future Empire and future Emperor." Kalev explained as he folded his hands together in front of himself.
"I was initially, and much to my eternal shame, very unsuccessful at first. All beginning projects resulted in regular children being born, and their Midi-chlorian count was abysmally normal, and unacceptable. I was using both Kaminoan, and Spaarti cloning methods to create beings, and all of them were clones." The doctor went on further, and Viathan merely stood listening with his intrigue indeed growing.
"I then began a process of using…..different means. Means that some could be construed as immoral, but I rather like the idea of calling it unusual. I do not make excuses mind you I am proud of my work, but I still feel that unless I acknowledge my detractors their arguments may cloud my ability to explain without them nagging me." Kalev smiled what Viathan felt to be a nostalgic one, before shaking himself from his daze and continuing.
"I began using human female hosts and impregnating them with my specially designed…hmm, shall we say male genes, and through rapid development therapy I was excited to see some results, as it seemed that the genetics of my initial test-tube children was not adequate to allow Midi-chlorian infusion. Do you follow?" Viathan cleared his throat and nodded.
"I'm following, mostly." Kalev nodded before continuing.
"The children born of them had decent enough Midi-chlorian counts, but were not optimal to my designs. So I had the children quickly terminated, and began rethinking my growth methods." Kalev said it so casually Viathan almost missed it, but he had heard him and began to scrunch his face in confusion.
"Wait. You terminated the children? Because they had low counts of the bacteria?"
"Indeed! They were not optimum, and they would not perform to the degree the Emperor would like, so I had to have them disposed of. They had served their purpose to science anyways." The elder man with dark hair and blazing green eyes said with a cold smile, and once more seemed to be somewhere else as if enjoying the nostalgia of those times, and even Viathan felt his stomach begin to turn.
"Moving on, since I decided my formulas, and my methods for introducing activation cells into a still forming living being inside the mothers womb were not what was wrong, but rather, my unnatural means of doing so were the issue. You see, after a few more trials, and a few errors along the way, I finally found just the right sequence and the right means for incubation." Kalev went on with pride for himself seeping into his voice, as Viathan stared on hoping that his mild discomfort was not showing to the man who was his father.
"I had the capability to create life in a new artificial incubator similar to Spaarti cloning cylinders, but we at the lab, where as I have said I was chief science officer, dubbed this new cylinder, aptly the 'artificial Womb,' not the most unique name, but that was its purpose. Yet, I had finally achieved a genetic sequence that was by probability going to come out very strong and bursting with Midi-chlorians. I was still very unsure though and did not wish to waste this….perfect sequence, it was made all the more perfect with the addition of my own genes, I not only sought to create a Force powerful life form but an answer to the rampant inability to use the Force by my people, which I will touch upon later, so for safety's sake I decided to implant this perfect specimen into someone who could already use the Force and who was adequately powerful in their own potential. So fertilizing one of this persons eggs was not too hard, as I did so with the consent of his majesty the Emperor." Kalev went on and Viathan for a reason he could not understand felt sick at hearing this. Less than an hour into their meeting and his father was turning out to be some sort of mad scientist laky to the Emperor.
Cursing his own luck, and life Viathan remained quiet, only nodding for Kalev to go on, and listened to the rest of the story of his "conception," if that word was even applicable.
"Your, 'mother,' if you wish to call that woman that…" Kalev trailed off in disgust at mentioning Viathan's mother, much like the Emperor did at times.
"She was not made aware that I had done so. I was not looking for consent on this matter and neither was the Emperor, and besides it's not like I sexually assaulter her or anything like that!" The doctor said in self defense and once more Viathan got a bad taste in his mouth.
"She was initially baffled by what happened as you can imagine, and neither I nor the Emperor thought it productive to tell her how it happened, instead we acted as if we thought she was lying about not knowing how she ended up with child, she did not like that. She had one ugly temper, even before her pregnancy." Kalev said as he looked off and again became nostalgic, and smirked, before returning to the story.
"I knew that you would share some of her genes and looks of course, you are half her child as well as mine, a fact I could not help, as there were no other….incubators possible for implantation, but I assure you, what you gained from her side of your parentage far outweighs the drawbacks of your being related to that woman." Kalev spat and repositioned himself on the desk where he sat.
"As she came along and you formed my son," Kalev said taking on a prideful tone when mentioning Viathan, though Viathan remained silent.
"She grew detached from her duties, and of course the Emperor wished her to lay off hard work, but she began to grow attached to you. It is one of the inescapable drawbacks that many women seem to have son, they grow attached to that which they don't know because they merely carry the child. It is a fallacy that she thought you her son! You are my son, but sadly share genetics with her, she had no right to you, and the Emperor agreed with me luckily. When her term of pregnancy ended and she went into labor I was lucky enough to assure you were taken shortly after birth into his majesties care, and she did not like that one bit. In time she tried to steal you from me, and from the Emperor, but she was foiled by him personally, and was….killed." Kalev said offhandedly and with a smile, and Viathan frowned and averted his eyes from the mans cold and quite genuine smirk of happiness.
"Who was she?" Viathan finally asked, as he continued to look anywhere but at Kalev directly.
"Hmm? Oh, your mother!" Kalev responded faking as if he hadn't heard Viathan.
"A nobody really. A dead nobody now. To satiate your curiosity she was a Jedi, one that fought for a time during the Clone Wars for the Jedi Order and the Republic, but she fell under the pressure of war. Palpatine made her one of his secret agents during the war. Hid the fact that she was alive from them, and used her to carry out secret objectives of his that neither Separatists or the Republic could do or know about off hand. When the war ended and by then you were already born, she tried to steal you away from your rightful caretakers, and for that she was killed." Kalev replied happily and with a broad smirk.
"As I take it you have met another Jedi that has a vendetta against the Emperor, for who knows what! Surely you can see that these women that the Emperor has to deal with are in fact insane. Female Jedi are far more….unstable really." Kalev said, and Viathan immediately got the sense his father had some odd distrust of women, 'or is he intimidated by them?'
Viathan didn't know, but he put that knowledge in the back of his mind for future reference.
"Ah, but not all things happen the way one would like. Take me for instance! I wished to raise you under the traditions and customs of our proud people. We hail from a world slightly beyond the Outer-Rim into Wild-Space, and beyond the Mytus star system. As far as much of the galaxy is concerned our home planet doesn't exist it is so remote, but believe me, it is far more important then some would believe." Kalev said with a twinkle of some hidden meaning in his eyes that once more made Viathan uncomfortable.
"The Emperor denied me my request to raise you, and had me sent back to my birthplace of Axxila. I was born there mind you, not an Axxilian native myself." The doctor explained.
"I worked on many new chemical agents for the Empire in the name of science and proliferation of new bio-agents to help in the fight against enemies and disease together! So since we are on the matter lets get off this nasty subject of your mother, and my unfortunate absence from your life, and let's talk about our homeworld, our ancestral world that I the coming years I feel will need our attention." Kalev said as he hoped off the desk and made his way over to another adjoining door that they had not entered from and beckoned Viathan to follow.
"Come, I want to show you some of my work, and impart upon you knowledge of our home, and why it's important."
Silently dreading this, Viathan curtly nodded and silently followed, as his father opened him up to a world that would soon be brought to the forefront of galactic knowledge. A world in Wild-Space called, Corat.
Authors Note: Geez with a dad like Kalev, it almost makes Vader seem like the good guy. I hope you guys enjoy the reveal to Leia, as I tried my hardest to try and capture the stubbornness of her and her father. I hope you guys didn't find the exposition of Viathan's creation too bad, I put a lot of thought into how it happened and I can't wait to reveal Corat more to you guys, as it is one of those rare made up worlds I will be using, otherwise I prefer to use worlds in Star Wars canon. So tell me what you guys though of the chapter overall! As usual, please point out or ignore any and all grammatical issues, and enjoy!
Also thank you to those who responded to my pairing questions, but with that being said I want to address some of your ideas. When it comes to Luke and Mara Jade I was deeply surprised by some of you guys not liking her as I thought she was beloved by all, though i don't think much of her personally. So please everyone comment on whether or not you think they should still be paired or not, and if not please tell me who you would like to see Luke paired with and why, any and all ideas would greatly help me in these matters. I understand that most people are fine with Han and Leia right? No problems there? If there are and you guys want something different, once more comment on whether or not that couple is fine too, and if not who would be paired with who and why? Please help me out here with the pairings guys! To address some peoples reviews and private messages about Padmé, I am sad to say that she will remain deceased in my story, and I am sorry to all those who wished she could come back or that she was secretly alive, but for this story she is indeed dead. If any other pairing ideas, thoughts, or comments are needing to be said, please feel free to comment or message me as I am fully interested in what you guys have to say. With that said I apologise for the paragraph of rambling and hope you enjoy the chapter! :D