Summary: When Heartless attack the Death Star, Princess Leia Organa and Darth Vader find themselves in Traverse Town, and form a temporary alliance in an effort to restore their world. While searching for answers, they get drawn into the fight for Kingdom Hearts. Star Wars/Kingdom Hearts/Disney/Final Fantasy crossover.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars, Kingdom Hearts, any Disney properties, or any of the Final Fantasy games.

Timeline and canon notes: Takes place before and during KH1, with changes due to the presence of the Star Wars characters. The Final Fantasy characters come from their original games, because I think they're more interesting that way, with the exception of the kids from Destiny Islands (though a FFX version of Tidus is probably gonna show up at some point). Some Disney worlds that didn't show up in the games might make an appearance as well.

Leia remembered how the Heartless consumed the Death Star. Looking back, she suspected that they had been drawn there by the smothering darkness that engulfed the so-called battle station. Perhaps, even, by the void left behind by so many lives being snuffed out with Alderaan.

She remembered sleek black bodies and yellow, glowing eyes, looking straight into her heart. Seeing the despair that she held in check behind a wall of determination. She had felt their hunger.

She had turned them away, somehow, before she'd been swallowed by what seemed like endless darkness.

And then she'd woken up in Traverse Town.

She wasn't happy to find that Vader was there too, his dark form like a shadow from her nightmares. But he was about as congenial as he ever got.

"You and I have a common goal, your highness," he said, his hulking form comically incongruous against the backdrop of the quaint little bistro, a wooden chair groaning in protest under his weight.

Leia scoffed. "Is this the part where you suggest we work together to restore our world, Lord Vader?"

"You're a resourceful young woman," he said, by way of confirmation.

"And you're a monster," she replied coldly. She tried to push back the memories of him standing impassively above her as she screamed in agony, of him holding her in place as she had watched Alderaan burn.

"Perhaps," he said easily. "But I fail to see how that's relevant to the situation at hand."

Leia felt her stomach churn in revulsion, even as she said, "I suppose I have little choice."

She was sure that she wasn't imagining the smugness in his voice. "I'm glad you see the wisdom in this, your highness. These are...unusual times."

In spite of herself, Leia felt a smirk tugging at her lips. "I see that your talent for understatement is as impressive as your talent for theatrics."

A hiss of breath, which may or may not be a sound of amusement. "I'm glad that I can be of service," he said.

"You will return my lightsaber or suffer the consequences."

"Consequences, huh?" Yuffie didn't look even remotely intimidated. "Like that thing where you choke people with your magic?" She grinned like a lothcat. "You just try it, Darth Scuba. I don't think you'd like to try a level-three Fire spell on for size."

Leia sighed, wondering if she should try to intervene, before a new voice piped in.

"Just give the man his damn laser sword back, ya brat. You'll only hurt yourself with it, anyway." Cid took a drag of his cigarra. "And give me back my Fire materia while you're at it."

"Nuh-uh," Yuffie protested. "I got 'em both fair and square. It's not my fault that you two weren't paying attention."`

"Your ability to approach me undetected is most impressive," said Vader. "But my patience is wearing thin."

Cid took his cigarra out of his mouth and tossed it to the pavement, stamping on it. "If you don't give 'em back now, I'll get Aerith to get 'em from you later."

Leia almost cringed on the girl's behalf. She'd never met anyone as aggressively nice as Aerith, and yet with such a force of personality. She'd considered asking her to join the Alliance more than once, though she knew she'd be turned down for sure.

Yuffie cringed on her own behalf, then sighed. "Okay, fine. Just...don't tell her about this." She tossed the lightsaber to Vader, who caught it telekinetically, then threw a small red orb to Cid.

"Showoff," muttered Cid, putting the orb into a slot on his wristband.

"According to the princess, that's the least of my flaws," replied Vader, hooking the lightsaber onto a clip on his belt.

"The princess is standing right here," said Leia. She wondered then what a level-three Fire spell looks like, and what sort of damage it could deal to Vader's suit.

"Now don't you two start," said Cid. "I've got a new ship design I thought you might be interested in takin' a look at, Vader. Might actually be flyable."

"Certainly," said Vader.

"Also, don't threaten Yuffie again. She's a thief and a brat, but she doesn't deserve to die for it. And it'd be a shame to get rid of one of the few people in this shithole with half an understandin' of machines."

Leia sensed the danger in the air as Vader said, "It is unwise to underestimate my power, Highwind."

Cid snorted. "Sure, you're powerful. But so 're Aerith and Squall. And me, if I get serious."

"I wouldn't worry," Leia said, glaring pointedly at the Sith Lord. "Lord Vader wouldn't sink so low as to murder a child. And certainly not over a matter that's so easily resolved without violence."

"That true, Vader?" asked Cid.

It was strange, but lately Leia had been...sensing things. Heartless approaching, and other people's emotions. When she'd first met him, Merlin had said that she had the potential to become powerful with magic, and she was starting to suspect that he wasn't entirely off-base. However much the thought unnerved her.

Right now, she was sure that she can sense that her words had caught Vader off-guard.

"...Her highness is correct," he said, at length.

"Well then, that's settled." Cid started walking to the First District. "Let's get started."

"It must be frustrating for you," said Leia later, when the two of them were alone in the Red Room of the hotel. It had become their make-shift war room.

"There are many things I find frustrating at present, your Highness."

Leia rolled her eyes, knowing that he was being deliberately obtuse. "I mean, being surrounded by people who are too powerful to push around. People who refuse to accept your authority."

"Frustrating is not the word I would use," he said, and she noted the lack of a not-so-veiled threat directed at her. For the first few weeks, he'd constantly alluded to the fact that he could kill her with a thought. Perhaps he'd finally realized that the threats meant nothing when it was obvious that he needed Leia for some future purpose - though she wasn't even sure he knew what it was yet. If not for his conviction that she'd be of use to him, he would've killed her already.

"Then what word would you use?" she asked.

"Motivating."

Ah. So he wanted to get to the matter at hand. "Subtle," she said.

"Subtlety is not a trait I've ever possessed."

"How completely unsurprising." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I suppose your meeting with Cid was fruitful, then."

"Yes," he said. "These "gummi ships" rely on bizarre technology, but we've managed to come up with a functional design. With the right materials, I may even be able to build something like a hyperdrive."

Leia still marveled at the fact that Cid and Vader actually seemed to tolerate each other – and perhaps even enjoy each other's company – having found a common purpose in cobbling together a vessel from technology that neither of them were familiar with. If nothing else, Vader had yet to choke the man even once, in spite of Cid's complete lack of anything resembling deference.

"When do we leave, then?" she asked.

"It should take no more than two weeks to complete," he replied. "Once we've managed to salvage all the necessary parts, that is. And how quickly that goes depends on how cooperative the Moogles are."

Leia sighed. The Moogles were the true experts on all things gummi technology, but weren't the sort to part with their knowledge for free. In lieu of money, Vader had at first attempted to secure their cooperation with force.

It had been a spectacular failure, resulting in Squall summoning a powerful ice-controlling being called Shiva, and the Moogles raising their already steep regular rate by 50%. Afterward, she remembered how Vader had muttered something about them being worse than Jawas. His pride had been severely bruised ever since, which had been the only good thing to come out of the whole debacle.

"We already owe them a lot of money," said Leia.

"Money which we cannot get to them until we have a working ship," he retorted. A pause, and then, "There is something else I wish to discuss with you, your highness."

She gestured for him to go ahead.

He said nothing for a few moments, his mechanical breathing filling up the silence. "I believe that the Force is with you."

For some reason, she wasn't surprised. She wasn't entirely sure what the Force even was, but the words have a ring of truth to them. "I see," she said.

"I can train you in the ways of the Force," he continued. "As my apprentice, you would become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."

Leia rolled her eyes. "And then when we restore our world, we'll defeat the Emperor together and rule the Galaxy?"

"That was going to be part of my offer, yes." Though she sensed he would have waited to say that part until she was already indoctrinated in his religion. "Our goals may not be as different as you think, princess, even if we disagree on the finer details."

The "finer details" being whether or not the galaxy should remain a totalitarian dictatorship, she suspected. "Well, I'm not interested," she said. "I've already received an offer to be trained by Merlin, and I think he's a far better option for me."

Vader's outrage was immediate. "That delusional old man will do nothing but hold you back."

"I disagree," she said, smiling coldly. "Actually, I think I'm going to go tell him about my decision right now. He's sure to be thrilled."

She stood up and began to leave, half expecting him to stop her. But even though his rage was palpable, all he said was, "Be mindful of the Heartless."

She stopped at the door. "They're attracted to you, Lord Vader, not me. I'm sure that I'll be just fine."

His anger clung to her as she finally made her way out of the hotel. She took it as a victory.