Leia Organa wrestled with the controls as the fighter plunged towards an uncharted planet below. Earlier readings suggested it had sufficient life, plants, and animals. The air was breathable which made her relieved. The X-wing was shot down by an Advanced TIE Fighter which was now plunging towards the planet as if it was caught in a trajectory pull of some sort. Luke had insisted her to take Artoo with her. "Artoo, any chance we can bring this down in one piece?"

Artoo whistled causing her to look down. /Yes./

That's all she needed to know. Leia pulled on the stick in an attempt to slow the rushing ground towards her. The X-wing crashed through the trees as the Tie fighter went up in flames. One last thing she had to worry about was the pilot attempting to track her down. Hold her steady, she reminded herself as she struggled to keep the nose up as the ground rushed up to meet her. She felt pain explode in the back of her head as everything went black.

Leia slowly opened her eyes to an insisting beeping. Her vision was slightly blurry and her head was pounding, she felt nauseated. She glanced behind her noticing the droid was attempting to wake her. The cockpit was open as she removed the helmet. "It's a good thing I had this on. Did you have any luck signaling help?"

Artoo beeped a negative as Leia stood up on the seat and climbed out. She made a mental note to grab the supplies in the compartment of the X-wing. She grabbed her blaster and extra power backs attaching them to her belt. "Well, maybe we can attempt to fix it and transmit for help. I wish Chewie or Han were here. They are good at making up transmitters," she climbed down the ladder as Artoo evacuated out of the droid socket. After she stepped down on the ground she surveyed the wreckage. The X-wing was beyond usable the wings were clipped and the nose of the fighter snapped off. "Great. I'm stuck here," she opened the compartment and surveyed the supplies. She picked up a back pack and started putting in necessary supplies. There was food, water, fire-starter and emergency blanket. She packed the emergency shelter. There was even an oxygen tank along with a first aide kit. She grabbed the first aide kit but decided to leave the oxygen tank. She turned on the homing beacon and attached it to the body of the X-wing. That should at least alert the nearest base on where she was. She quickly popped a couple of pain killers in her mouth and held them under her tongue. She felt them dissolve.

"Come on, Artoo, let's do some exploring," Leia said as she set off in the direction of the TIE fighter had crashed. From what she could tell from above, there should be any survivors but the pilot could've ejected ahead of time and that's what she needed to know.

Leia didn't have to go far, just over the small hill she caught sight of smoldering smoke. As she neared the wreckage she froze noticing familiar black armor leaning against a tree. From here she couldn't tell if he was alive or not. Please tell me I'm not stuck on a planet with Vader. She pleaded to anyone who might be listening. As she neared him she could hear him struggling for breath, which meant his suit was damaged in the fall.

Vader's head turned towards Leia as he raised a hand in her direction. She didn't feel him chocking her, which was kind of odd. She stopped walking as he made a motioning signal to come closer. She felt Artoo bump her from the back causing her to glare at the droid. "Are you out of your mind?"

Artoo beeped and twittered as he moved towards Vader and raised an arm towards him. "Artoo, what are you doing?"

Artoo beeped again as Vader raised his hands to remove the helmet. Leia watched as Artoo attached a hose to an oxygen mask. Leia approached Vader as it slowly dawned on her he was hurt and was barely able to move. But to what extent she wasn't sure off. His condition looked complicated. She reached forward and grasped the helmet and helped him pull it off. It felt like it was a half a ton or something. She placed the helmet to the side noting the visor was red. She turned her attention and looked into blue eyes, Luke's she realized feeling stunned. "What is your real name?"

Vader didn't answer right away as Artoo extended his arm with the mask to Vader. He took it and pulled the oxygen mask over his mouth and the elastic over his bald head. "Thanks Artoo," Artoo beeped happily as he turned his attention back to Leia. "Anakin Skywalker."

"You're Luke's father?" Leia questioned feeling stunned as Anakin nodded. "Does Luke know?"

"I don't know," Anakin admitted as he tried to sit up further on the tree. After a minute of trying he grew frustrated and stopped. "I highly doubt Obi-Wan would've told him the truth about me."

"I don't understand," Leia said with a frown as Artoo beeped and sung. "Why does Artoo seem so, eager to help you?"

Anakin looked at the droid as Artoo projected Padme Amidala for him. He stared at the holo. "This droid used to belong to my wife," he turned his attention to Leia then looked back at the holo. Suspicion was in his eyes as he studied Leia's features. "She had use of my droid Threepio and I had use of Artoo during the Clone Wars."

"Threepio was yours?" Leia questioned in shock as she stared at the holo. "She looks like me. I never knew my biological parents. Bail told me they were killed."

"I constructed him when I was seven," Anakin admitted as he leaned back. "An oversight was his chattiness. It drove the clone trooper's nuts. They would off load the droids first chance they got," a silence descended between the two as Anakin looked at her. "Princess, we're in a position where we should put our differences aside so we can get off this planet."

Leia nodded in agreement as she looked at Artoo. "We would have to find a village with a healer. I have a homing beacon on the X-wing. Can you even move?"

"No, I'm too weak to move," Anakin admitted as he struggled to sit up but gave up again. Leia reached forward as Anakin pushed against the ground. She struggled to lift his body up further as he pushed himself up more. He leaned against the back of the tree with a frustrated look on his face.

Leia couldn't leave him here, enemy or not and she knew Luke would want to talk with him. She took the backpack off and pulled out the emergency shelter. "We'll camp here for the night and hopefully you'll be strong enough to move by morning."

Leia silently went to work at putting up the emergency shelter. After that was completed she helped Vader into the shelter as he lay down on his back. She went to work in building a fire to cook some food on. Neither said much before nightfall.

Han Solo started pacing back and forth as Ahsoka Tano worked the communications field. "I shouldn't have let her go by herself. Any luck, Ahsoka?"

"None so far," Ahsoka answered as she continued to scan the channels. "It's surprising she hasn't attempted to make contact in a day now. She was supposed to check in five hours ago."

"I'm worried something happened to her," Han stopped pacing as Luke Skywalker walked towards him with a frown. "Any news, kid?"

"No, no news. I'm worried about her too," Luke commented with a serious. "We should have never let her go by herself. For all we know, the Imperials tracked the X-wing down."

"She was insistent to do this on her own," Han pointed out in a worried tone. "I was all against it, but she ordered me to stay."

"You have to see it from her perspective, if we didn't want to draw attention, one to two small fighters have a better chance of by passing security to the Imperial base three systems away then if you sent the Falcon," Ahsoka pointed out as she looked at him with a frown. She turned her attention back to the controls as Han shook his head feeling helpless.

"Force help me if anything should happen to her," Han said as he clenched his fist open and closed. "I love her."

"I know you have feelings for her, but I want a chance to steal her heart too," Luke commented with a side grin.

"Not while I'm alive, you won't," Ahsoka muttered under her breath causing Luke to raise an eyebrow in her direction looking confused.

Han gave Luke a triumph grin not really understanding why Ahsoka preferred to see him with Leia instead of Luke. Still he liked the way she would make comments to Luke about how Leia was off limits to the kid. "Ahsoka would rather see me with Leia. You're out of luck, kid."

"Then why did she kiss me at the Hoth base?" Luke asked with a side grin causing Ahsoka to choke suddenly on her drink.

"To spite me," Han answered with a grin. "You can't miss the way she looks at me, right?" He questioned. "Let's face it, kid. She's not in your type range."

"She what?" Ahsoka questioned as she turned her attention to Luke. "Luke, next time Leia makes a pass at you. Tell her no."

"I really don't understand how you know what my type is, snips, so butt out," Luke shot back with in an angry tone.

"It's forbidden for a Jedi to get involved with the opposite sex," Ahsoka explained with a frown. "If you want to continue you're training you have to get girls out of your mind," she went back to scanning the channels as Han gave a triumph grin.

"Ahsoka, maybe it's time to tell Luke the truth," a new voice spoke up from behind them causing Luke and Han to look at Fress Colias.

"What do you mean?" Luke questioned in confusion as Jess Shern walked up behind her. "Tell me the truth about what, Master?"

"If you want," Ahsoka commented as she turned her attention to the other two Jedi. "Are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure," Fress answered as Jess closed the door behind him. "Still no word?"

"No," Ahsoka answered with a frustrated sigh. "And I checked most of the channels, but I think I'll recheck. These two are arguing over who gets dibs over Leia which makes it difficult to listen for anything."

Jess made a snorting cough causing Fress to jab him in the ribs. "None of that," she turned her attention to Luke with a sorrowful expression. "Luke, I was trained by your father during the Clone Wars. And the reason why you can't be with Leia is because she's your twin sister."

"What?" Luke blindly grabbed for a chair and sat down. "Fress, are you sure?"

"Luke, we were there the day you and Leia were born," Jess answered as Ahsoka nodded in agreement. "There's something else you need to know. Vader…"

"Is my father," Luke finished the sentence as he stared at Fress with a frown. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"We made a promise to Obi-Wan that we wouldn't tell you the truth unless we felt there were no other options," Fress answered with a sigh. "I'm sorry."

"And now Leia's is missing? I knew I shouldn't have let her go by herself," Luke said as worry set in. "We have to find her."

"In time I have a feeling we will," Fress reassured with a frown. "You needed to know before you decided to act on your feelings towards Leia."

Han stood there as he allowed all of it to sink in, he wanted to laugh because Luke kissed his sister but the news about his father being Vader. He decided to tease Luke later. Fress and Jess were together so he didn't buy the whole being attracted to the opposite sex business and it was clear why Luke and Leia could never be together. He walked to Luke's side. "You okay, kid?"

"No," Luke answered as he stared blankly at the floor. "I'm not."

Leia stirred the contents of the pot as Anakin remained quiet for the majority of the evening. She didn't know what to say to him and he sure didn't know what to say to her either. Which was the first, by now Vader would've been tormenting her. It was almost like he wasn't the same man. She placed the lid over the pot and sat down in the tent beside him and noticed he was twirling a blade of grass between thumb and forefinger. Anakin stopped as he realized she was watching him. He put the grass down. "I never imagined I would be stuck on a planet with you."

"I know," Anakin admitted as he watched her with a frown. "Thanks for not shooting me on sight. Most would have."

Leia didn't say a word as she leaned forward bringing her knees up. Her head was beginning to hurt again and the tent was spinning. She felt nauseated. She belatedly realized Anakin was watching her with concern.

"Are you all right?" Anakin questioned with a frown. "You're turning pale."

"I hit my head when I crash landed," Leia answered wondering why she was even speaking to him at all. She couldn't explain it, but she felt like she should know him. "I took some pain killers earlier, guess it's time for another dose."

"What are your symptoms, you could have a concussion," Anakin questioned. "Leia, look at me for a minute," his tone was gentle but don't argue with me.

Leia gingerly raised her head and looked into Anakin's eyes. She didn't feel well enough to argue with him and he certainly wasn't up to arguing with her either. She noticed his eyes narrowed in suspicion as she turned away from him and repositioned her head against her legs. She reached for the backpack and pulled it over to her. She rifled through it and found the meds and read the pack. She quickly took another one and let it dissolve under her tongue.

"Your eyes are slightly unfocused,' Anakin pointed out as she reached in for the emergency blanket. "Leia, what are you feeling?"

"Nauseated and dizzy, everything is spinning," Leia answered as she glanced at him. She pulled out the emergency blanket and folded it into a small like pillow. She placed it behind her head and lay down.

"I take it dinner no longer appeals to you," Anakin pointed out as Leia shook her head. He watched his daughter and felt concern wash through him. He was almost positive she was Luke's twin. Twins were not uncommon in Padme's family. He wouldn't be surprised if Leia married and had twins herself one day.

"Han, hold me," Leia muttered under her breath causing Anakin to grimace. She's in love with the smuggler? Now he really regretted not putting the man in carbonite. Get frisky with my daughter will you? He reached his hand over and gently laid it against Leia's head. He focused his mind towards the area he sensed the pain coming from and slowly used his healing gift for her.

Leia's body relaxed and slowly he could sense as she fell asleep. Anakin hoped she would feel better in the morning then she did now. He felt guilt take hold of him as he realized that he would never be able to tell her the truth. No matter how much he wanted too. Fress and the others most likely took a vow of silence. "Leia, I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm really sorry for the way things turned out."

Artoo rolled up to his side and beeped at him. "Yes, you might as well take the pot off if you can, thanks Artoo," he stared at the droid as he tweeted something causing him to frown. Artoo let off a projection of Padme as Obi-Wan showed her one baby, then showed her another baby. Artoo swivelled his dome towards Leia as Padme uttered the words Leia.

Anakin knew how close Padme and Bail were and it was natural for Bail to take Leia as his own. He couldn't think of a better man to raise her. Bail would raise Leia the way Padme would've. He felt another pang of guilt, he allowed Tarkin to destroy the only home Leia ever knew. What was I on? He wondered briefly as Leia shifted into a more comfortable position. Spice? Death sticks? Drinking day and night? "Artoo, I really made a mess of things, didn't I?"

Artoo swivelled his head and lectured him with a few sharp long beeps. "I deserve that," he watched Leia sleep. "She's mine, isn't she?" Artoo beeped in agreement as Anakin studied Leia. "How could I have been blind to this?"

Artoo gave a long string of reply as he stared at the droid trying to make out what he was saying. Sometimes Artoo was difficult to follow. But he got the gist of it. Following to the dark side, Sith only cared about themselves and power. He shook his head. "My own blind ambitions to be a more powerful Jedi and to prevent Padme from dying. It was me that was killing her not her by giving birth. By this, I swear Palpatine will die."

Ahsoka rubbed a hand over her face as Fress sat down beside her. She glanced at her friend and shook her head. "No news yet. I'm wondering what the Force had in mind."

"Had in mind for what?" Fress questioned sounding confused as Ahsoka leaned back in her seat.

"Had in mind when it decided that Padme and Anakin should have kids," Ahsoka answered with a frown as she stared up at the ceiling. "They both continued to get into trouble and now Leia seems interested in a man who's almost as reckless as Anakin ever was, maybe more," she heard Fress chuckling causing her to look over. "And you somehow find that amusing? And yet here we are chasing their kids half way across the galaxy."

Fress was laughing causing Ahsoka to frown. "Fress, something up? You only get like this when you and Jess sneak into the communications room to commit acts that really should be done in the bedroom. Don't think I didn't know about that. I had to erase five security holos."

Fress calmed down as she stared at Ahsoka with a serious expression. "Thanks for the cover," she shook her head. "I guess we forgot to turn them off those first five times."

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow in the other's directions. "It was more? Fress, you know you can get into trouble for that?"

"Han wants to start to scooping out the system where Leia last reported her position. He suspects she ran into trouble. I don't blame him, she's late checking in which is unusual for her. Maybe the homing beacon was damaged," Fress explained quickly changing the subject. "And I need to get Luke into the training area to work on his lightsaber skills."

Ahsoka turned her attention to the screen as a faint signal started showing. It was a homing beacon. "Fress, is that what I think it is?"

"Bring it up on the monitor and see if you can home in on the signal better," Fress commanded as Ahsoka adjusted the controls. "That looks close to where Leia last reported."

"Looks like we have coordinates. I'm picking up Imperial activity in the area. They're looking for Vader who was chasing an X-wing. These are the last known coordinates," Ahsoka reported as she listened in on the traffic. "Reported that both the TIE and X-wing crashed, but they're unsure of which planet it was. They are sending out scooping parties to check all the habitable planets."

"Let Han know where he needs to look, this just gave us the lead we're looking for," Fress said in a shallow tone. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"So do I," Ahsoka agreed as she transmitted information to Han and Chewie. "Fress, I'm going with them."

to be continued