Leia Organa felt her consciousness come flooding back as her aunt shook her awake.
"Leia for the last time stay focused or it will only take twice as long."
Leia slumped back into her chair as she tried to tune out the horrendously boring lecture on silverware placement. It hadn't been the first time she had fallen asleep during her etiquette lessons and it definitely wouldn't be the last. How could any one person ever need so many forks for one meal? Royalty's customs were stupid. The fourteen year old Leia had been enduring these lessons for almost as long as she could remember and as time went on they had only gotten worse. At least they'd be over within just a few more years.
Afterwhile Leia felt herself drifting off to sleep again, only to see her father staring her in the eyes as he took her shoulders.
"Leia, you need to get out of here." he said looking panicked.
"What?" she said confused and still a bit drowsy.
"There's not a lot of time to explain but you need to run. Go to the spot where we went camping last summer. Do you remember how to get there?"
"Yes- But what is going o-"
"Good. There there will be someone named Obi-Wan Kenobi there to pick you up. Trust him with your life."
"Dad! What is going on?" Leia cried.
"We love you. Now go."
Leia ran through the rocky outcrop. What in the universe was happening? That look of terror on her father's face… She had never seen him like that before. Had he been found out to not be completely loyal to the Empire? The thought sent chills up her spine at her father being caught. No, that couldn't be it. If it were him that were in trouble than Leia wouldn't be in any immediate danger and having her run would only cause more suspicion. Than what could it possibly be?
Leia took a moment to catch her breath. Whatever the danger was, it wasn't anywhere near her.
The crash of a glowing weapon suddenly ripped through the tree Leia was sheltered behind. She let out a screech of alarm as a red, hot blade was lowered about two inches to her throat. She had never seen anything like it before.
"Well, well, well…" said a grey figure with a harsh cold voice. "What do we have here."
Leia through her panic managed to collect herself somehow, even though she could feel dark energy practically radiating off of him. "I'm sorry. Can I help you?" she said trying to look clueless.
The figure removed a comn from his pocket. "Inform Lord Vader we have her," he said to the hologram that had sprung up. "You're coming with me." He grinned malicefully.
Next thing Leia knew she had been thrown to the ground only to be promptly yanked back up by her upper arm.
"There must be some mistake. You don't know what you're doing." she desperately tried in a what she knew to be a useless attempt. After the man with the glowing blade had ignored her protest, Leia in a panic tried to force her way away from him. Unfortunately he was quite a bit stronger than she was and as an attempt to get Leia to cooperate he lowered the red plasma to her neck.
Very soon she had been whisked into a dark cold shuttle of some sort followed by a cramped cell. What in the universe was happening? Who was this person (could she even call it a person?) who apparently worked for Darth Vader? The entire shuttle was not only pitch black but it felt dark, the same way the gray man felt dark. She had never heard or seen anything like it before and all she knew was that she didn't want to see or hear of anything else like it anymore.
After what felt like ages the cell door opened, allowing some light in. The gray man then began to escort her back out of the shuttle and into yet another cell. This one was dimly lit with red light and cold, much colder than the cell she had briefly spent time in on her way here. She shivered profusely. If Leia had thought the shuttle had felt dark, than she was thoroughly mistaken. Here the darkness here was oppressive, unignorable, even when she tried to block it out it threatened to swallow her up whole.
The gray man continued "This is where you shall spend almost the entirety of your time, but first you will be… introduced," he said closing the cell door. Leia didn't like the sound of that.
It continued to escort Leia down more and more hallways until they entered a triangular shaped room and at the center more grey figures sat along with a stiffly standing Vader.
Suddenly Leia felt bold. She put her shoulders back stood perfectly upright and tall, just as she's always been taught, only with more than a hint of attitude. "Lord Vader!" she commented. "You're shorter than I expected-"
Leia was cut off as her hand shot to her throat. It was as if her lungs had just decided to stop working. She tried to force down a gulp of air but it just would simply not enter her lungs.
A booming voice snarled at her as Leia saw her vision blur ever so slightly. "You will learn to fear and respect me just like the others… in time.
Suddenly air flooded in through her lungs in a huge gasp. Leia coughed and coughed as she was able to breathe once more.
Two of the gray figures stood. "We are two of the many dark force users serving the Empire," one began. "The Inquisitors, is what they call us." The other continued. "Soon, you will be one of us"
Bail relentlessly paced back and forth in his office. "Are you absolutely sure she wasn't anywhere?" He said to his old friend.
"I told you," Obi-wan replied, a tone of panic in his voice. "I've scoured the entire mountain and she's nowhere to be found."
"What if she wasn't able to make it to the rendezvous point and is hiding elsewhere?!" Bail suggested hopefully.
"Bail," Obi-wan said calmly as he put a firm hand on his shoulder. "You need to accept what has happened. There's nothing we can do. Leia is gone."
"No she's not!" Bail cried. "Even if they did take her we can get her back!"
"Bail…"
"I am not giving up on her."
Obi-wan left the room quietly. Bails head fell into his hands with a tearful sigh, "I'm so sorry Padme…"