A/N: I planned on getting this out sooner but got a bit stuck. I wrote more than this but decided to find a good cut off point and cut the chapter in half. I have more planned for the second half which is why I cut it off where I did, it isn't a cliff hanger or anything like that though. I'm sure you like what happens in this chapter, we get our first view of the Emperor and Empress. The Emperor here is almost the same as canon, a bit different since this story is massively AU but I'm doing my best to keep him true to his character. He also isn't all deformed like he is in the latter half of ROTS and the OT, people don't know he's Sith though (just like the OT, where only few Jedi and some Rebels may know). I hope you enjoy this chapter! It is shorter than I like but I hope it quenches your thirst!

The Prince: Chapter 2

My airspeeder motorcade arrives at the Palace and we land in a private hangar bay that is reserved for my family only. Stepping out of the front passenger seat, I begin my walk to my suite to shower and change before having breakfast with my parents in less than an hour.

I don't think my parents would be amused if I came to breakfast smelling and looking like I had sex. I'm sure I do, my hair is still a mess, sweat stains my body and my clothes are clearly ruffled. There's no way I want to talk to them about last night, they probably already know where I was and that she was there but they don't have to know what we were doing.

Even if they can guess.

I feel my cheeks heat a little just thinking that and decide to pick up my pace. My detail has no problem keeping up with me and we make it to my wing of the Palace. I've lived with my parents in the Imperial Residence since I was born until last year when I demanded my own suite. Instead of giving me a suite, they gave me my own wing with four suites, a state dining room, sitting rooms, entertainment rooms along with my own staff and a wide range of amenities that I may need as the Prince.

To say I was surprised would be an understatement. Thankfully though they understood that I had to be on my own and live life on my own terms. Neither of them had to live life like me, they chose this life. I was born into this life and wouldn't wish it on anyone. If I was anything like Father, the HoloNet reporters and everyone else that follows me around probably wouldn't for fear of their lives and that's always something to consider. It isn't like I've never killed before, after all. I usually had my reasons for killing, like it was an intelligence or military mission where taking lives was the only way to complete the mission. I'm well trained in the ways of the dark side and even some of the light, not that father would ever find that out.

The Jedi Temple though was too mysterious to never enter and I had to check it out. It was a beautiful place to be sure but it lacked individuality, independence. I guess that's why they call it a temple but I don't know how anyone could live like that. I know about the Force and I don't think the Force would demand you cut yourself off from forming attachments or your emotions. That's a little extreme and something I'd never be able to do.

I simply care too much about those I care about and no code would ever make me give that up. I shove away those musings of that pathetic Force order and push open the door to enter my private suite. My servants greet me, I simply acknowledge them with a brisk nod and walk straight to my master bedroom.

My master bedroom alone is larger than most peoples homes and it clearly shows. A large golden chandelier hangs above my king-size bed, a holo-projector rests on the ceiling above my bed to project its programs right at the foot of my bed, various historical paintings and art hang up on my crimson walls, a desk lies against the far right wall with a HoloNet terminal, datapads, holopads and comlinks strewn about it, two crimson sofas sit in the middle of my room with a coffee table resting between them and two night stands rest on either side of my bed.

On the left side of my room are the doors to my giant walk-in closet and refresher and that is where I walk. I enter my closet to get an outfit for today and to strip out of my current clothes. I take them all off until I'm buck ass naked and throw them down the laundry chute and then look through my clothes before resting my eyes on my dark red outfit that seems to call out to me. Like most of my outfits, it's made of the softest silk in the galaxy and is formfitting. It also has red jewels and gems outlining the collar of the jacket, bottom of the sleeves and replacing the buttons.

It's perfect, I bring the outfit with me into the refresher and hang it up behind the door on the hanger and turn the shower on using the Force.

I step into the stall and let the warm soothing water wash over me. I waste no time in lathering myself up in soap and wash myself clean from the events of last night and early this morning. There's no time to waste, I wash my hair next and then my face and step out of the shower and grab a towel off the rack to dry myself off. Next, I brush my teeth, put some deodorant on and then get dressed.

The blood red jewels and gems sparkle under the light and refract off the walls. Straightening my jacket, I look myself in the mirror and I look as good as ever. If everything goes according to plan, they'll be clueless as to my late-night activities, last night. It's really none of their business anyway.

I am nineteen years old for Force's sake!

I'm allowed to be with whomever I wish and am allowed to have sex. I'm definitely not ashamed of my actions and at the end of the day, that's all that matters.

"My Prince," Gavin says, knocking on the refresher door. "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be," I tell him and turn around and walk out of the refresher with him in tow and the rest of the detail meets up with us outside my suite and we walk to the Imperial Residence.

Many people lurk in the ornate corridors. Diplomats, stormtroopers, Imperial officers, courtiers, senators, representatives and the list goes on and on, they all stand at attention and bow as I walk past without giving them a second glance, or a first for that matter. I'm the Prince, people have been doing this to me since I could first remember as a little kid, they don't faze me one bit.

It is annoying and exhausting though to say the least, especially when they pause their conversation and gaze at me, only to continue their conversation again when I pass. Like that isn't totally suspicious and totally not about me.

They can go fuck themselves for all I care, though. I have better things to do than wonder what they were talking about and if I truly wanted to know, I could just enter their minds and take the information without them even knowing.

Before I know it, Imperial Royal Guards clad in their scarlet robes and helmets stand before a turbolift. They step aside for me and my detail and we enter and ride it up to the Residence. The doors slide open and more Royal Guards stand around a large opulent foyer with a large water fountain in the middle of the room, statues of me and my family on the sides, holo-framed pictures of our family and scenic pictures of planets in the Empire hang up on the walls, there are also some artifacts on pedestals showing off their beauty and the skill of the artists who made them.

Two Royal Guardsmen open the large front doors of the Residence and allow me passage. I enter and walk down a long corridor where my parents head servant, Nico greets me. "Welcome, Your Imperial Highness." Nico says, bowing to me at the waist. "Please follow me, His and Her Imperial Majesty await your presence in the dining room."

Great, they're fucking waiting for me already.

He leads me to the dining room, as if I don't know where it is like I've never been here before... he's just doing his job though, like he does for all guests. It's kind of weird thinking of myself as a guest in the home of my parents, a home where I was raised in since birth but that is precisely what I am. I grew up and moved to my own place, even if it is within the same massive building, just a dozen or so floors below.

Royal Guards open the door for where the dining room is and Nico steps in first, just before me. "Your Imperial Majesties, the Imperial Crown Prince has arrived." He bows and leaves us be, the doors shut close behind me and I go and take my seat.

My father sits at one end of the table, my mother the other and I sit on the right. This is the private family dining room, one in which we use when it's just the three of us. It is a large room with an intimate feel to it with family holograms hanging on the walls of when I was a baby and my parents were younger.

"Good morning, Anakin." Mother says, smiling at me while looking as beautiful as ever. "Hope you got a good rest last night."

"Morning, Mom." I reply, smiling back at her. "I did get a good rest." The memory of last night replaying in my head, Talia's long legs wrapped around my waist as I thrust into her harder and harder and harder. It was the best kind of rest a man could want but I shake that vision away, I can't be thinking that now. "How about you?"

"I'm sure you did," Father says, not very amused. No doubt, he's fully aware of what I did last night, or rather whom, I guess I should say. Mom may not be aware, but my father knows everything. He's the Emperor, after all, he's the one everyone and I mean everyone answers to. "It's been a while since you've last been home."

That's true, though it's not all of my fault. "I know... I've been busy." I try not to wince at my wording, now he's going to ask what I was busy doing.

Or Mother will. "Oh yeah? Doing what?"

"This and that." Is my vague response, no need to draw any unnecessary questions. "Besides doing what you both asked me to do, I've been keeping myself-" what's the word... definitely not busy. "-occupied."

Mother gets the hint and doesn't push, Father doesn't need too. He already knows, what I did last night anyway. Its not like I sleep with random women though, Talia is only one of a few around the galaxy.

"I heard you went to a club last night," Father says, pressing a button on the table before him for the servants to start bringing us in our food. They do along with a cup of caf for me. Then they leave and Father's eyes lock onto mine.

I nod. "True." No point in denying something he already knows to be true.

"And Talia Ventrell was there." He says, trying to press me.

"Also true." I know his games well and am not going to fall into this one.

"And you and she disappeared in a room for the night until a little over an hour ago." His eyes narrow, forcing me to answer.

Eating my food, I nod. "Will you relax? Seriously! I'm nineteen years old! I think you know what we were doing. Do I really need to say it?"

Mother shakes her head and sighs. Father holds his penetrating stare before relenting and eating his food. "I'm not trying to embarrass you or control your life son, you just need to be more careful. She's a Ventrell, they may be closely allied to us but you know the rules of Court and you know them. I wouldn't put it past them to try and have you impregnate her." My stomach drops, my body going cold. "What would you do then?"

Is that why she was being bold last night? Is that why she sought me out and slept with me all night? Is that why she pushed for us to have a relationship this morning? I'm not going to say I don't want to be a father. I do, one day. Just not any day soon. I'm too young for that, not to mention I always planned on one day having a family with a woman I love, not with a woman who forces me into it.

"You just have to be careful Anakin," Mother says, reaching her warm hand over and grasping mine. "This is the Imperial Palace. You are the next Emperor, people will try and take advantage of that. The woman you marry will sit next to you, she will be your Empress. What woman out there wouldn't want to be your Empress? You know the dangers of Court, but the hidden dangers like this are out there too."

She's right, so isn't Father. How could I have not seen it? Perhaps because last night I was a man controlled by his dick, I was reckless. If she isn't on the pill, I very well could've knocked her up in our sexcapade and that could force us to have a relationship. It's what she and her parents wanted all along, well if that is what they planned then they messed with the wrong man.

"Don't worry about her or the Ventrell's," Father says waving a hand, it's just like him to drop a bomb on me and then just wave it off like nothing ever happened. "I'll take care of them and watch them closely. On to other matters, I heard before Talia that there was an incident."

"You mean when Gavin backhanded a Twi'lek servant for speaking to me?" Yeah, I knew this was going to come up. Gavin did too, he did warn me after I ordered him to stand down and let her go. "If you want me to sit on your throne one day, Father then you need to let me control matters the way I see fit! I wasn't there as the Prince, I was there just as me and saw no need to kill her. It's not like she insulted me or didn't follow Imperial protocol, after all."

"Didn't insult you?" Father repeats, a look of disgust on his face. He always that look on his face when he's speaking of aliens or anyone else that he sees as inconsequential. "She's a Twi'lek and she spoke to you. From what I heard and saw, she also barely wore any clothing."

"Yes she did speak to me and yeah, she barely wore any clothes but there are many of her kind that are slaves and servants to your various Moffs and Grand Moffs that dress the same exact way." I know this well, saw it for myself. They were smartly kept from my presence though. "You may execute her to send a message but I'm not you. I'm not going to end her life just because of what she is."

He doesn't reply, just shakes his head. Mother doesn't say anything either and we just lapse into silence and eat our breakfast and drink our caf. They wonder why I don't come around more often. Maybe if we could just eat and talk about things in the Empire or things in our personal lives instead of having Father criticize me for every little thing... then again, he's always been that way.

Everything I do is wrong.

"You know that isn't true," he says.

"Stay out of my head!" Why does he always have to do that? Can't I get any privacy? "This is why I don't come! I'm always being watched and everything I do is wrong to you! If I'm such a screw up and weak then why don't you just go get your buddy Grand Moff Ventrell and make him your Heir!"

Standing to my feet, I quickly make my way for the door and try to open it, only for it to not even budge a centimeter.

Funny. Real funny, Father.

"Sit," he says, his voice not even laced with an ounce of anger. Feeling defeated, I listen and take my seat, cross my arms like a petulant little child and wait for the lecture.

I'm not a fucking kid or a whine bag but there are times when I just need to go and get some fresh air. To get out of a room that is occupied by my father. He always pulls out the worst of me, makes me feel like I'm suffocating.

"First off, I already have a heir to my throne." He says, looking at me. I can feel his eyes burning into me, however, I just look down at my food. "Secondly, I'm not always in your head and you don't always screw up. If I thought you were a screw up, I would tell you so. Have I ever told you that you were a screw up?"

Shaking my head, I sigh. "No, you haven't."

"Because you aren't. Do I disagree with some of your actions and decisions? Yes I do. I'm not going to bother lying about that but you're young and still figuring out what kind of man and Sith you want to be. I'm fine with that, so isn't your mother. I just don't want people to think of you as weak. Sometimes you need to send a message, one that the people will understand. Along with those... Rebels."

I know he's right. What would killing the Twi'lek last night have done though? Send fear into the gut of those idiots at the club? There couldn't have been more than a couple of hundred people there, it's hardly worth wasting my breath for. If I wanted to send a message, it wouldn't be before a couple of hundred worthless individuals.

It would be before thousands, millions, billions, maybe even trillions. Now that is a message.

"I understand that, Father." I really do. The people need a strong leader, one who will protect them and their families. One who will keep them safe and keep the galaxy running.

Father nods. "Good, then lets discuss your next assignment."

I don't even need for him to say it. "Let me guess, Festival of Glad Arrival on your homeworld of Naboo?" He smiles and nods. "I figured. It begins in a few days."

"That it does," he says. "You'll be the representative for our family. The Chimaera will take you there."

Of course it will. Though I find it funny that Father would have a Chiss, an unknown alien species to most, in such a high level position. Vice Admiral Thrawn, only two ranks away from becoming a Grand Admiral which I doubt'll happen because of father's hatred for aliens. However, if any alien deserves it, it's him.

"Vice Admiral Thrawn will escort you there and escort you back when the Festival is over. You'll stay at our Villa and attend a state dinner at the Theed Royal Palace with Queen Amidala, Princess Jamilia and the top government officials for Naboo and the Empire for the Chommel Sector."

Nodding my head, I finish my breakfast and caf. "Understood." This assignment doesn't surprise me in the least. This isn't my first time going to Naboo or another planet to represent the Empire and the Imperial Royalty.

"Good," Father says pleased. He probably expected me to give resistance. If I'm honest though, I could use a nice vacation on Naboo. Just a short few days here on this planet has me going stir crazy. I have no idea how Mother and Father could possibly stand it.

We all finish our meals and drinks. The servants come and clear our dishes and leave us in peace. "I have to attend a morning session of Court." Father says standing to his feet and leaving my mother and I behind without so much as saying good bye.

Mother stands to her feet, walking over to me. I stand and meet her as she wraps her arms around me, I wrap mine around her and hold her tight. "It's good seeing you again, Son."

"It's good seeing you too, Mom." It really is, much better than seeing Father. He doesn't really have it in him to be affectionate or to show that he loves me. I know he does, he just doesn't say the words. Sith don't love, or at least allow others to know they love. Love is a weakness that could be exploited.

We release each other and she smiles up at me. "I should get going. Thrawn is expecting you." Of course he is, naturally I have no time to drag my feet.

"Right." We walk out of the dining room together and she stops me with reaching out for my arm. I turn back to face her.

"Be safe, Son." She says. "I love you."

I knew she wouldn't leave without saying that. "Love you too, Mom." Then we go our separate ways, she goes wherever it is she's going and I'm on my way to my suite to grab some things before making my way to our private hangar bay to my shuttle that'll take me up to the Chimaera.

Then Naboo... here I come!

Author's Note: What'd you think? I think the Emperor is as close to his true self as he could be considering the differences and Shmi... well, I love Shmi and won't change her at all even if her background is totally different than canon, which we may or may not get too eventually... I think it's safe to say though that she hasn't lived the life here that she lived in canon.

Grand Admiral Thrawn... or Vice Admiral Thrawn as he is here will be in the next chapter! He is my favorite non-Force-sensitive character in the whole Star Wars universe. I was stoked to see him in Star Wars Rebels and he was truthfully the whole reason I watched it.

Padmé will also be in the next chapter. Originally, she was going to be in this one but I decided she'd be better in the next chapter which is why I cut this chapter when I did.

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