Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I sadly do not, nor ever will own Star Wars or any of its characters, places, items etc.

Authors note: This story is AU. Please disregard the original story line where Vader is Luke's father. If you do not this story will seem very disturbing! This is my first ever attempt at Fan Fiction, I would appreciate your comments and creative criticisms.

Summary: After the Destruction of the first Death Star, Vader's ship, instead of being sent spiralling out of control into deep space crashes into the planet the rebel's base is on. Found by a member of the Rebellion and taken back to their headquarters unconscious and badly injured. It is then a well hidden secret is revealed, how will they cope knowing the truth about Vader?

Previous Chapter...

"As for whom I am, my name is Ashmay Cordel Amidala Palpatine, only child of Emperor Palpatine and sole air to the imperial throne"

Chapter #4

Vaders P.O.V

The Doctor sits by the side of my bed, stunned by the information that I had revealed to him. This is the first time I have ever told anyone my tale, I almost feel as though some of the stress that keeping this secret has created was alleviated by confiding in the Doctor. I suppose they do say its best to talk about stressful and painful things to others if possible, it appears that this does have some therapeutic value after all. I had always dismissed other women's need to talk about things as merely a sign of weakness in them, but perhaps I was mistaken.

Coming out of his impression of a goldfish, the Doctor sighed and began to massage his forehead.

"This is not going to be a good day, I can just feel it. I suppose I should introduce myself to you then? My name is Doctor Taneel Rayson, Chief Medical Officer for the Rebel Alliance"

He says to me as he stands and begins to check the monitors again. Once finished, Dr Rayson begins to examine the controls of my life-support suits respiration unit.

"I don't mean to be rude or anything, but why did you answer my questions? I mean, I'm part of the Rebel Alliance against the Empire! What you've told me could be very valuable information in the hands of the Rebel leaders. It could potentially destabilize the whole empire and bring it crashing down on your boss! Despite who you truly are underneath that suit, you are the second in command, and pretty much number one on the Rebellions enemy list"

He looks up from his examinations into the optical sensors of the helmet I wear with a questioning look. I sigh and consider my options, I could tell him a lie, or speak aloud what I had wanted to say for over twenty years.

"Why would I tell a Rebel about my past? Well you did know the whole female part from your scans and I figured you wouldn't let the issue drop until you had an answer. I decided to be honest with you as this has been weighing down on me for a very long time. As I mentioned earlier, I became Palpatine's secret Sith apprentice at seven years of age. Before that I had lived a quiet and peaceful life at his holiday retreat in the hills of Naboo. My father was almost never there, his duties as a senator, and the plotting and scheming he indulged in as the Sith master kept him away most of the time. On my seventh birthday, my father came home and told me that he was going to train me in secret in the ways of his magic as I was a very special girl. I found out later that he didn't trust Dooku and wanted someone who was loyal to him, he figured who would be more loyal than his own flesh and blood."

I paused as images of happier times came back to me. I truly enjoyed growing up as a child on the peaceful and beautiful planet of Naboo. The servants in my father's house were very kind to me, especially Kachia, the young women assigned as my keeper. She was like a mother to me, as I had no memories of my own.

"I travelled with him back to Coruscant were he trained me as his apprentice. He was never a good father, but as a teacher he was even worse. What little care I still held for him disappeared quickly in those early years. It wasn't long before I came to hate him, not what he taught me mind you, I'll admit that I loved learning of the force and feeling it's raw power flow through me. Rather, I Hated him as the cruel individual he was. Ten years passed, eventually his long seeded plans came to fruition, and Darth Vader the fallen Jedi was born. At sixteen years of age, instead of talking of boyfriends, clothes and makeup as almost every other girl this age does, I was handed the reigns of an Empire and told to lead."

He looked shocked at that little bit of information.

"You were only sixteen when the Emperor had you become Vader? From the way that you speak about his training I get the image that he is a real bastard of a man, but to put someone so young into such a position? I can't believe anyone would do that, not even him!"

Dr Rayson's voice is getting louder as he goes on; I think he is angry on my behalf. No one has ever done that before for me, maybe this is what a real father should have been like, protective of his daughter.

"Well, I truly believe that there isn't much he wouldn't do to stay in power."

I reply, stretching my arms above my head.

"I've been the Emperor's right hand and commander of the Imperial forces ever since. I've been living a lie for twenty years and now I am stuck on a remote planet in the care of the Rebellion with almost no way for my father to get his hands on me. I also didn't come here of my own volition, so technically I am not really betraying him. I just want something that I know my father will never give to me. I want to be who I was born to be, free to make my own decisions about my life, without his constant meddling interfering. My name is Ashmay Palpatine, I am 37 years old and have spent thirty of those years in servitude to my deranged lunatic of a father. I just can't do it anymore, I can't live that life and lie when, be crashing here I have the opportunity to be myself at last."

I spat out. Sometimes my father makes me so angry, but there has never been a choice about leaving him before. He's to strong for that, I don't stand a chance to pull free from him on my own. If the leaders of this Rebellion are true to their beliefs about freedom and such, I could have a chance here at having the freedom I haven't had since I was seven.

Rayson is nodding his head in agreement with my passion, if he is anything to go by, I shouldn't have too many problems with the Rebels. If I do, well I am a fully trained Sith warrior, I may not be a match for my father yet, but I'm more than capable of dealing with the Rebel Alliance should they prove to be hostile to me.

"May I call you Miss Palpatine, or Ashmay? I can call you Lady Vader if you want but judging by your story I think you'd rather I not do that."

"Ashmay is just fine, I don't really like the whole Miss Palpatine thing and Lady Vader is definetly out if I want to start being myself"

I say to him with a small smile under my mask.

"Well then Ashmay, seeing as how you don't need this life-support suit for anything vital, and we're trying to turn a new page in your book, do you want it to be removed?"

Now it's my turn to gap like a fish. I never thought it would be possible for me to remove this suit. The fallen Jedi who was originally Vader was taller then me, meaning that to maintain the Vader image as Palpatine wanted, it became necessary to permanently attach the major parts of the suit in the arms, wrists, legs and ankles to my body via screwing them into the underlying bone. I haven't had this suit of for a moment in the past twenty years. Well Palpatine said it was necessary, but I really do doubt that, he just likes seeing others in pain.

"You would really do that for me?"

I questioned him, still a little stunned. He smiled at me and replied:

"Yes, I can't imagine it's a comfortable experience for you. It appears to be attached with heavy titanium pins into your skeleton, though why it's been done like this I have no idea."

"You have no idea how bad it is!"

I commented, excited that I would be able to stare at my whole body again, not just my face. I was also relived that I could remove the mask; I think I would have flipped out otherwise.

"Well then, there's no time like the present is there"

Suddenly, there was a hissing noise as the door to the medical ward opened. In marched several armed guards, followed by the leaders of the Rebellion. The young Princess from Alderan, Leia stepped forward and addressed me.

"Lord Vader, as the high council of the Rebel Alliance we are here to formerly arrest you for crimes against the galaxy"

TBC