The Other Skywalker (Star Wars FanFic) [ON HOLD]

Chapter Three - Acceptance

The girl blinked slowly.

Wow, she thought. This bed is comfortable. Much better than my old one.

Lili sat up and rubbed her eyes. She was still tired. Just because the door to her rooms had closed didn't mean she had gone to bed. Lili Skywalker had spent fifteen minutes pacing, trying to take in what Lord Vader had told her. The next hour she invested in a detailed drawing of the man in the black suit, and the next hour was spent lying on her bed, trying to 'search her feelings' as he had told her to. Long after she knew the truth she lay there.

She had finally gone to bed - probably much later than Lord Vader would have approved of - but to no avail. The day had simply been too exciting.

Now she would have gone back to sleep - except for one minor detail. The protocol droid stood at the foo of her bed.

"Good morning," it greeted her. "Lord Vader requests your presence when you awaken."

Lili swallowed. He'd summoned her already? Knowing the truth didn't make her more comfortable around the man.

She stood. "I'm coming. Let me get dressed first."

Just before leaving, she picked up a sheet of paper from her bedside table.

Lord Vader said nothing at first after sending the droid away.

"I called for you over an hour ago."

She looked at the floor. "Yes, sir. I'm sorry. I couldn't sleep last night. I've only been awake these five minutes." A bit braver, she looked into his... face.

"I am sorry, Father."

"I am sorry, Father."

At those words, Darth Vader felt his heart rise.

"So," he said, "you have accepted the truth."

"Yes... Father. I... 'searched my feelings', as you said. I knew, somehow. I knew."

He nodded.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "I - I drew this. I know it's not very good, but... maybe... I - I thought...." Her words slowed and finally stopped. He took the paper from her.

It wasn't a bad drawing, really. The child had abilities. He looked at it for a minute.

"Thank you, Lili. It's very good. You have talent."

She looked down. "You don't like it, do you?"

Her father raised her chin so that he could look in her eyes - to the best of his ability.

"I do, my child. I like it very much. You have to forgive me if I do not express myself well enough. Remember, I've been separate from my child for fourteen years. I've... no experience at being a father."

She swallowed, and he released her chin. It wasn't long before her eyes strayed toward the floor once more.

Darth Vader took a deep breath. Lili couldn't be allowed to cast her eyes downward so easily.

"Lili," he said firmly, "you must learn to keep your eyes from the ground. You are in a posistion of power. The emperor has no children. I am his closest friend. He can not live forever, nor can I. One day you shall rule, but you can not be so skittish around those you rule. That would make you a weak ruler. You must learn to be strong and proud, to take orders from no one but the emperor and I, and to deal with rebels as you would a parasite."

Lili had looked up at the end of the first sentence of his speech.

"But, Father... isn't that a bit harsh? Dealing with rebels like that, I mean."

"No, Lili. Someday you will understand that rebels are no more than a nuisance. They should be used as an example to others that would dare oppose the emperor."

She swallowed. "Is the emperor so harsh that anyone who does not bow should be killed? I think if he is, the rebels should be allowed to do away with him. A ruler should care for his people first, then himself."

Instantly Lili knew that was the wrong thing to say. She could feel his displeasure, but had no time to apologize before he began speaking.

"Lili, if you had been with me but a little longer, you would be punished for such talk. As it is, I know that planet I took you from was a 'free' planet, so you know nothing of how things are where we are going. No man is free until another rules over him. I once thought as you do, but the emperor showed me the truth. You will see."

Suddenly bold, she inquired, "And what of my mother? What did she believe?"

There was no doubt of his hesitation.

"I have no choice but to say she was a firm believer in what you call 'freedom'. She died very shortly after the emperor began his reign. There was no time to convince her otherwise."

"And tell me, Father, what are your views on slavery? I can not see where the emperor's so-called subjects are any more than slaves in his eyes."

Her father felt as if time itself had stopped. Memories flashed before his eyes - a beautiful girl's shocked cry of "You're a slave?", Qui-Gon, not "in the business of freeing slaves", a tired - looking woman, actually much younger than she appeared.... The girl had hit a sensitive spot. For the first time in fourteen years, there had been seeds of doubt sowed against the emperor. He pushed his thoughts aside.

"Enough. You will not speak against the emperor, Lili. You will obey his laws and my rules, or suffer the consequences. No matter what you are accustomed to, this is how things are now. You will have to accept it."

Lili knew she had pushed too far. She struggled to keep her eyes from the floor as she replied, "Yes, Father. I'm sorry." Yet her eyes couldn't stay fixed on his mask. They traveled to his chest. Her past experiences told her she'd soon have a stinging face, or she may be deprived of her meals for the day.

She heard Lord Vader's breathing pattern change.

"No, Lili," he said quietly. "I will not punish you this time. But in the future, if you ever speak against the emperor, or break any of his laws or my rules, the consequences will be more severe than you can imagine."

Somehow she didn't doubt that. She swallowed and nodded.

Still, he was obviously displeased with her. He must have been, for he dismissed her shortly after, telling the droid to get her something to eat.

Once back in her own rooms, Lili let out a sigh. What was she getting into? No, she hadn't exactly had a choice in coming here. Suddenly she wondered if she should have put up a fight, or resisted in some way. She had a feeling her father would not have stood for that.

She also had a feeling that her life would be far from normal from now on.

After sending Lili away, Darth Vader picked up the drawing she'd done and lt out a sigh. What was he getting himself into?