So uh... Hi?! This story is back after a year since its last update? For that I really apologize, but know that regardless of how long it takes, I will not forget about this story! Thanks to all who have reviewed and liked it, and waited so patiently! I return, and after brief year of some trouble, I hope to get into more regular updates! Buckle up and get ready for a long ride. I hope you guys enjoy!


"And Leia, dear girl," the Emperor finished with a sweet, imploring tone that made Leia stare at his holographic image with wide eyes, "If you see this, know that you will not be harmed. You are in no trouble for the fault of your kidnappers. We wish to help you, my child. You have nothing to fear. Seek out a representative of the Empire, and we will make sure that you are safe and with your rightful father." With a few more words, Palpatine's speech had come to an end. All of the voices seemed to blend into one confusing mess for Leia; voices of disbelief and greed and excitement. Aliens and humans alike clamored to get a repeated version of the message, to see if it was true, and the small girl was jostled around once more. That was so much money, and Leia did not fully understand the Emperor's reasoning for making her search so rewarding. She huffed, fighting to get out the increasing number of beings crowding around the bazaar, Leia nearly stumbling backwards. And as soon as she did so, a hand fell upon her shoulder.

She yelped, "Don't touch-!" But stopped once she turned around with a sense of growing panic, only for it to be relieved to recognize Breha. Leia was quickly pulled out of the crowd, and away from the gathering beings, as more stormtroopers filed into the markets. They headed towards her papa's ship, and Breha discreetly pulled the little girl behind one of the buildings.

"I'm sorry I broke your rules," Leia mumbled, "I went to go and play with other children. They seemed nice."

"It's perfectly fine L-Kieran," Breha responded, "I'm very glad you did. Otherwise…" She spared a tentative glance back at the ship which was now surrounded by Imperial officers and troopers. Leia followed her glance, staring owlishly at the investigation. They could have seen me, the girl thought to herself in a delayed reaction of fear. There's so many of them, and they all have blasters. They would have found me and I would have never seen Mommy or Daddy ever again! She quickly clasped at her mother, hands curling into the fabric of her plain dress, leaning her head up against her leg. Breha's hands came around her soothingly, smoothing down her short hair.

"I wish we could go home," Leia said, voice exasperated and tired. She hadn't slept well, and longed for the familiarity of Alderaan, and desperately wished that none of this would have happened in the first place. "Are we staying here?" She asked, meaning Corellia in general. It seemed so different than the one time she had come before. It was frightening, unfamiliar, and cold, and every being that she looked at seemed to appear bad. There were no friends here, and she did not like it one bit.

"I wish we could too, love," she replied, taking Leia's hand, which the girl took quickly as she led her down the narrow pathways. They passed a few men on the way; dangerous-looking men, who activated a holodisk in their palm, and Leia saw holograms of herself and of her mother. "Bounty hunters," Breha warned carefully as they strode past without issue, but it made her stick closer anyway. "And no," she finally added, "No, it's in our best interest to leave as soon as possible. As soon as we have a way off, we will take it. It's not safe here anymore."

"Will it be safe somewhere else?" She asked innocently.

Her mother paused for a long time, as if contemplating the question herself. "I do hope so. But I will make it as safe for you as I can." It was good enough for Leia, who merely nodded in trusting her mother as they emerged at the other end of the markets.

"Oh! Kieran, little guy! Haven't seen you in so long!" Captain Antilles' voice rang out as he approached them. And he seemed to be scared of something, or nervous. She couldn't say how she knew. He gave her hair a ruffle, before he casually rejoined them as a few stormtroopers ran past them without a second glance. "There's good news, and then some bad news, unfortunately."

"Bad first," Breha prompted.

"I couldn't find any takers who'd be willing to pay up front for it. I doubt I'd be able to try again now," he said warily.

"Alright," her mother said, slightly deflated. "And the good then?"

He smiled, and there was somehow sadness behind it. "Picked this up for Kieran. Now, now, I know what you're going to say, Your Highness," Antilles began, an air of mischievousness about him. "But when I was boy, I had one too at his age. And in her… his case, I think he'd need it." Judging for Breha's reaction, he reached down to his pockets and pulled out what had to be the smallest blaster she'd seen before.

"A blaster?!" Breha hissed, protectiveness surging in her. "You think she should be armed?"

"I think he should be able to protect himself, if something were to happen," Antilles supplied helpfully, looking at her for approval. "It's nothing too heavy, or difficult to learn."

"I…" Breha hesitated, glancing down at Leia. "What do you think? I see his point, but I want this to be your decision, sweetheart."

Leia stared warily at the blaster like it was going to go off by itself. "I don't want to kill anyone," she said uncomfortably, fidgeting next to her mother. The adults shared a look with each other, silence reigning for a few moments between them, before Breha gave a slight nod.

Taking her approval, Antilles knelt down so he would be more on par with Leia's height. Her mother stepped away slightly, and she looked up at the Captain. "I can promise you," he began, "You wouldn't have to do that. This thing here?" He drew her attention to the small weapon. "This is used for self-defense only. You wouldn't kill anyone, or even hurt 'em that much for that matter." He studied her, and slowly moved to place the blaster in her hands. Leia grimaced, holding it gingerly.

"I don't like it," she said truthfully, eyeing it.

"It's good you don't," Antilles replied. "But listen to me, Kieran, okay?" And she did. "If anyone tries to get to you, or hurt you. And there's no other option… This will help you. You don't have to kill in order to stop someone from coming after you. You can aim with this, and just… aim for their hand or a leg. To slow them down."

Leia swallowed, suddenly feeling very bad on the inside, like an immense pressure had just been placed there, even if the blaster itself didn't weight very much. "…Do I have to?"

"Only if you want to," Breha finally interrupted, looking at her daughter with a saddened expression. "I think I agree with the Captain. But you do not have to use it until you are ready. For now… would you consider at least holding onto it?"

"Okay…" Leia reluctantly agreed, "But… what if I accidentally shoot it?"

"You won't," Antilles replied soothingly. "See this button here?" He guided her small, slightly shaky hands to a black switch right beside the trigger of the blaster. "This is called the safety. It's on, right now. Means even if you wanted to shoot it, you couldn't."

It did make her feel a bit better. "It's off?"

"Yes," he assured her. "And to fire it, you just have to flip that switch to the right. But not now. Later, we can show you more, alright?"

Breha finally spoke, "Remember, that it's not a toy above all," she told her firmly. "It's a big responsibility and a weapon. Despite that it is small. Never forget this."

"Yes, Mama," Leia replied, and Antilles gave a quick demonstration of how to stow it away in her belt loop of her pants. She followed it, uncomfortably copying his movements. Breha adjusted her baggy shirt, pulling it over to hide the blaster's shape.

"Now," Antilles added, one more standing to his full height. "I've got one more piece of news. Both good and bad." His sadness had returned and Leia watched expectedly. But instead of speaking out loud, he pulled her mother aside for a few moments, whispering in hurried tones. Leia did not like being left out of things and made a face, crossing her arms. Her mind quickly wandered as the adults spoke, Leia looking around once more at the new part of the market. It was certainly loud here, and there was so much going on that it grabbed her attention away from being ignored.

She stared for a long time, and after a moment, everything seemed to slow down all at once, voices all around growing detached and distant. Whispers filled her mind, and her head began to ache. All of a sudden, she felt a great pain within her, in her heart. She could not describe it. Loss. Despite not knowing why, tears trickled down her face and her knees trembled. Something was wrong, something had went bad.

I love you Leia, she heard her father's voice. I want you know how much I love you. Always. Be safe, my darling. I'm so sorry I failed you.

She desperately looked around, taking a few shaky steps forward. Behind her, the adults had stopped talking, and her mother must have said something to her, but Leia took no heed of it. She had heard her father's voice! She looked around, tempted to bolt and run until she could find him here. "Papa?!" She suddenly called out loud, fighting this strange sensation of hopelessness and sadness. He had to be here!

Open your mind to me, a deeper voice said, turning Leia's hope into fear. The connection is weak, but it is there, child. It is the will of the Force. Where are you? Tell me.

She was frightened and confused, but most of all, somehow still hoping that her father could hear her, wherever he was. I'm scared, Father. Her mind yelled at her, telling her it was not her father, but she wanted to hear Bail's voice again so much, the difference in voices was not truly registering in her mind.

Tell me, the voice had no comforting words, and Leia registered the sensation of falling to her knees, overwhelmed. Her head hurt more, as his voice got louder. Now.

Corellia. It wasn't a choice on her part, her mind automatically jumping to the easiest way to get this to stop. He wasn't Bail, he wasn't Bail! That was all she could fully rationalize once her mind had given away their planet. The voice finally faded, once she felt her mother shake her shoulders, her voice snapping Leia out of whatever had just happened.

"Kieran!" She cried, "What's happened?"

"Buddy, you okay?!" Antilles added, and Leia found herself crying, reaching for her mother.

"I heard him!" Leia cried, and both of them nervously looked around, keenly aware of the scene they were causing, even a few alien selonians across in a merchant's booth looking over curiously. Her chest heaved and her mother lifted her to her feet. She shook her head, "I heard Papa's voice! I thought he was somewhere here but…" Horror and fear slowly overcame her when she fully realized who she had actually been speaking to. "I did something really bad."

"You have to tell us," Breha urged, looking over her carefully. "We can't help you if we do not know what's going on."

"I think he was in my head too," the little girl told them. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing everything to just go away. "I… I don't know why I did it, b-but I told him!"

"Vader?" She asked in a hushed tone, to which Leia only nodded reluctantly.

"Unbelievable! The things he'd do to a child!" Antilles must have said a bad word next, but Leia didn't care too much about that.

"What did you tell him?" Leia looked up tearfully, the answer caught in her throat as she didn't want to tell her mother what she had done. Breha crouched down next, making Leia look at her as she stared at her; compassionate, worried, but firm. "You must tell me. It's not your fault at all, love."

"I didn't mean to," Leia blurted out. "I… I just thought it, and I think he hears me too. I-I told him where I am. I didn't mean to!" The girl exclaimed once more at seeing her mother's expression change to one of horror.

"He knows you're here?" She asked urgently, panic filling her voice. She nodded, and Breha took a shaky breath, pulling Leia in closely. "We have to leave. Now."

"Agreed," Antilles replied. "Soon enough, especially now that he knows, they will begin a lockdown on this spaceport. No one's going to be able to leave. Surprised they haven't already," he said, frustration and anger in his voice.

Leia wiped her eyes, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, it will be okay," Breha assured her urgently, though her voice seemed to be not as certain as her words. Everything seemed to be falling apart rather quickly, and Leia wondered if there would ever truly be a safe place without having to worry.

"I will be sure that you two get safe passage to the Outer Rim, if you agree with my plan, Your Highness?" He asked her mother, to which Breha took a moment of thought.

"We will miss you greatly… And I wish there was any other option."

"Speed is of the essence, and I already talked to those few guys. They will be leaving very shortly. It's our best hope."

"You're not going with us?" Leia suddenly asked, aware of what the signs she had felt earlier had been pointing to this whole time. They sped towards an open hanger where Antilles had presumably been spending his time here before; several ships in the landing pads.

"No," Breha told her, "Antilles has done a selfless thing for us. He's made a deal with a small crew of merchants. I really don't like it, but I feel it's the only way."

"It is," he said, offering a grin at the girl, "I gave your mother a handful of credits given to me upfront. And they agreed to drop you off on the planet Lothal. Still has a pretty heavy Imperial presence, but it's still far out that Palpatine could care less, honestly."

"Why aren't you staying?" she asked insistently. Antilles had become a very close family friend, and she'd known him about as long as she'd known her parents.

"I told 'em I be an extra hand on the ship," he said. "Do some labor, help them with their shipments, as long as you two got to Lothal."

"How long? Weeks?"

He winced, "Probably more like months."

"Oh." Her face fell.

"But don't be sad, kiddo," he said, "You two will be safe, I'm sure of it. And we'll see each other again someday, okay?"

Leia nodded, trying to not start crying again, "Okay," she said weakly, attempting to be brave like her father would be. Still, she could not shake the feeling that something had happened to him. She did not say this yet, however, following them with her head lowered.

Soon enough, the three of them had reached a small group of rough-looking humans who recognized Antilles the moment he stepped up to them. He spoke with them civilly, speaking about how his friend and her son would like a quick and inexpensive journey to the Outer Rim, introducing them to the merchants. One of them offered a toothy grin at Leia, and she merely averted her eyes to the ground.

"Alright," one of the men said, "We leave in five minutes. Hanger 5A." Breha let out a sigh of relief. "Welcome aboard, but know that this is a cargo ship, and not meant to carry passengers."

"That's quite alright," Breha said diplomatically. "Thank you so much." The adults shook hands, one of them bringing Antilles aside to discuss what he'd be doing aboard the ship. Leia was simply eager to get off this planet, now that she knew it was her fault that Antilles was going away. It had to be her fault, since she had replied to a voice in her head that hadn't been there, and she felt guilty. But she did not voice these thoughts to her mother, as she didn't want to make her sad as well as worried. She had to be disappointed with her, Leia thought to herself. She had to be upset and angry with her even a little bit. She wanted her father so much, and was eerily silent until it became time to board.

Before they could, a few Stormtroopers were gathering in their hangar, enough that it made Breha freeze, subtly shifting Leia behind her as she lifted her chin. Antilles moved closer as well, though the merchants only sighed in frustration. "What's going on?" Her mother asked them.

One of the men was feeling for something in his many pockets, and grumbled, "Probably setting up another checkpoint. Happens from time to time, especially with Vader's spawn missing or something. I don't know. I have a damn job to do unlike half the Empire."

"Will they let us leave?" Antilles asked him.

"Yeah, sure," another said. "As long as you got identification. We're a class A ship, so even if they're setting up security, we're good to go."

Breha glanced at Antilles with an alarmed expression, and it hit Leia that she had not seen him get one of their identity chips that she and her mother had received. "Captain…"

"It's fine," he said, eyes glancing between the merchants and the upcoming Stormtroopers. "I'll go last."

It was frightening for Leia to be led in a line, all of them being checked by the men in white masks. Stormtroopers were always a bit unnerving for her, as she could not see their faces or whatever they were truly thinking. It might also explain why she was scared of Darth Vader, though she supposed he would be just as intimidating even without the mask he wore. Each member of their party stepped forward one at a time, the small cargo ship sitting there and just ready to be used. Their escape was right there!

It was Breha's turn, after the man in front of her passed the checkpoint with no incident. She stepped forward casually, hands reaching into her dress' pockets to retrieve her data card. "Good day," she greeted, presenting them with her information, offering a calming glance back at Leia, who felt vulnerable and out in the open now that she was separated from her mother. The troopers took it from her and Breha watched them intently as they ran the chip through one of their scanners.

"Mirax Ardellian," one trooper said under his helmet, blaster securely at his hip. Leia swallowed, nervousness swelling up quickly. "Purpose of travel?" He asked, and she really could not tell what he was feeling or if he somehow knew that she was lying.

"Work," she answered, "My son and I both. In exchange for passage to the Outer Rim. We have family there."

There was a long moment of silence, the trooper looking over a few more things upon his scanner, before he removed her chip and handed it back to her. "Safe travels," he said, and Breha nodded her head gratefully, taking it, and stepping forward. She glanced back towards her child.

"Come Kieran," she said to Leia, who had still been standing there, frozen in hesitation and nervousness. "It's alright," she urged, "Nothing too difficult. These nice men just want to make sure all your information is correct."

The Stormtroopers looked down at her as she began to walk forward, looking up at them with wide eyes. One sounded like he chuckled a little. "Just gotta see that identification, boy. Then you can be on your way."

It seemed to snap the little girl out of her reluctance, and Leia with sweaty hands dug in her pants pockets for her own data card, a moment of horror dawning on her when she did not feel it for a moment. She checked her other pocket, and with relief, small hands closed around the card and she held it out towards the Stormtrooper.

"Take care you don't lose it. Your identification is your ticket," he warned her, and she gave a sharp nod, silent. He ran it through the scanner. "Kieran Ardellian," he said out loud, filing through her information. He glanced at her again, and Leia wondered if he was just playing a game, that he knew there was something wrong and would take her away! "Everything's in order," he said, handing it back to her. "See? No need to worry. You did everything correctly." His speaking had changed, like he was unused to talking to children.

She blinked, "Thank you," was all she could manage to say as she was shuffled ahead, her mother anxiously reaching to take her hand, as mother and daughter stepped on board the ship. They glanced back at Captain Antilles, who was coming in last.

"Identification," The Stormtrooper's strict tone was back as soon as he walked up. Antilles made no move to dig through his pockets.

"I think I may have misplaced mine," he explained calmly to the troopers. Next to Leia and Breha, one of the crewmembers gave a sigh of frustration.

"Then go and find it," was his sharp reply, hands tightening on his blaster. "All citizens should have their card on hand, Sir. I can't let you pass."

"For the love of…" one of the men aboard said. "Forget him, let's just go. We got a schedule to keep."

Antilles pushed, "I really need to get on that ship," he insisted.

"And I really need to see your identification," the trooper repeated, posture more aggressive as they came to a standpoint. Leia watched, Antilles breathing heavily as the doors to the ship began to shut. He attempted to push through, to which Breha gasped and pulled Leia closer to her.

It got violent really quickly, the Stormtrooper and the other members of his brigade pulling their blasters out entirely, shoving Antilles backwards. "Step back and hands above your head!"

"Why'd we trust this guy again?" A guy asked beside them.

The last thing she heard was a struggle between the trooper and Antilles, a bit of yelling before blasters went off. Leia's face froze in horror, that terrible sensation coming quickly on again. Breha took a shaky breath, and when she looked back up at her mother, her face was lowered, eyes shut.

"Mother?" She asked. "Did they-?" They couldn't have gotten Antilles. They just could not have!

"I don't know," Breha finally replied, though Leia somehow knew she wasn't telling her the truth. Leia could guess the truth though, her heart sinking in her chest when she thought about it. They just… They must have shot him. They must have killed him. Tears quickly welled back in her eyes, and her mother hushed her desperately, wiping them away.

"We have to be brave, little one," she said to her gently, "For Papa, Antilles, and all who have allowed us to get his far."

It took her a little while to calm down, but her tears might have moved the crewmen, who had angrily started throwing accusations at Breha, all while she tried to comfort her daughter. "If it wasn't for the kid," one motioned to her in an angry tone, "I would turn this thing around and drop you back off." He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he studied them. "I want my credits back I paid."

"I'm afraid he was the one to have them," Breha lied. "I didn't know him that well. So I apologize for his actions. Please let us stay with you." She beseeched of him. "We will help around the ship until we reach Lothal."

"Can't do that anymore. It's too far. Especially since I lost my money." He looked at the two for a long moment, studying Leia for a long moment. "Look, I know you and your son must be in a tough spot."

"We are."

"But I can't just give rides for free, lady," he said, as if he was really tempted to just throw them off now, even as the ship left Correlia's atmosphere, Leia's attention drifting to a window to watch the stars and pretend that everything wasn't as bad as it was. "You're lucky we gotta head to Jakku before we head to the Outer Rim. I can drop you at Coruscant, that's it."

Breha looked panicked, "Coruscant?! Why?"

"Because it's closest, and you're lucky I'm willing to do that much. If you didn't have the boy…" he shook his head. Leia knew that the last place her mother wanted her to be was Coruscant, because it was the center of Imperial authority. Leia didn't mind, as long as it was a fresh start. And she'd seen it in her lessons before; urban and large buildings. Beautiful. "Take it or leave it. Unless you'd be willing to lend your boy instead?"

Breha looked between her daughter and the Captain of the cargo ship. "… No, he's in no position to work like that. I will take it." She sounded disappointed, and Leia thought about what would have happened if she'd not told the voice in her head about Corellia. Maybe Captain Antilles would have… She didn't want to cry again, exhausted and just wishing she would wake up from this nightmare in her bed on Alderaan.

"I think something really bad happened to Papa," Leia said to her in confidence some time later once they were well on their way, huddled in a small nook of the cargo ship. She was saddened by the loss of Antilles and the future looked rather bleak for all of them. They had mostly been left alone by the crewmen after Breha had bargained for Coruscant. It would take just a little bit of time to get there, but Leia could feel her mother's worry.

"What do you mean, sweetheart?" She asked her, covering her with a small blanket she'd be given. It didn't even cover most of Leia's body, but it was something at least.

"When I told you about the voices," she began. "I heard Papa. I know I did. And… I think he's in trouble."

"It may have been a trick," Breha said, attempting to soothe her, while trying to get her mind off of it. Now that they were alone in the cramped space, Breha had no reason to put up a farce. "Leia, Vader will stop at nothing, you know this?" She asked. "The next time you hear his voice, you must try to ignore him."

"I know," Leia replied glumly, "But it was so hard and scary. What if I can't do it?"

"Then we will do what we have to do to ensure you are far from him," her mother said firmly. But Leia could not shake the feeling, even with her mother's comfort that she would never be far enough away from him.

A few hours later, they were in orbit of Coruscant to start their new life together. Leia had gotten very little sleep, as even if she fell into a light sleep, it was filled with nightmares and his voice. She did not tell her mother, even when prompted, again falling into a pattern of silence.

Her silence faded when they rejoined the crew, and they were talking about the latest news they had heard on HoloNet. Leia's world shattered when they began to discuss the executions taking place on Alderaan. Her heart broke, her greatest fears realized, when the little girl overheard that Bail Organa had been executed for treason. Her mind had shut down, as if it refused to comprehend this fact, Breha tugging her away, tears in her own mother's eyes before Leia could react.

Her father was dead. Her father was dead. Papa had died. She would never see him again. Dead. She didn't even know how to fully comprehend death. Leia sobbed brokenly, a scream of turmoil and anguish curling in her throat. It's not fair, it's not fair! She did scream them, scream and cry and struggle in her mother's grasp and she pulled her back, holding her tightly. The lighting fixtures overhead flickered unnaturally. Her mother was her mother, and she loved her very much. But Bail had been her everything; her role model, her teacher. He oversaw her first lessons that she had begun to undertake, he took her to a few Senate meetings she had not understood. They shared something special.

"I'm so sorry, Leia!" Her mother exclaimed, rocking with her, sharing in her tears and mourning.

"Y-You told me he'd go to a jail!" She yelled in accusation. "You lied! You lied!" The girl screamed at her in pain. Breha had no response except to apologize over and over and she held her close. Leia stopped fighting and fell into her arms.

Father was dead.

And despite her sadness, Leia had never felt so angry in her life.


I'm so sorry, I failed you. His last words had made Vader annoyed that it was not possible to kill him more than once. For every moment he saw Leia fully believing that his traitor was her father he wanted to kill him again. Every time Bail thought of her as his daughter made his anger spike to dangerous levels, and he wanted to feel his bones break in his grasp, feel him choke his words out once more. Now that the deed was done, and the senator was lying lifeless in the makeshift interrogation chamber in his own palace, Vader wished it would have been possible to extend his torture. He realized, after his murderous rage had been subdued for at least a little while, that he should have left Bail Organa alive for weeks. He should have let him suffer for ever thinking he could steal something from him.

Leia Skywalker is her true name. By birth and right.

You're wrong… Not Skywalker. You lost that right that moment you killed younglings and turned your back on everything that Padmé held dear. And you will end up killing her daughter too. OUR daughter will never be safe with you!

Needless to say, after that comment, there had been no hope to leave Organa alive.

Regardless, his anger had shifted, and he would be sure to take his hatred of Organa out on his wife once he found her. She would be the one to suffer in his place instead, even though he assumed her role in Leia's initial kidnapping was minimal. She had taken her now, and that would spell her death, rather than her status as a queen keeping her alive. No trial, no time for explanations. The Organas would both die for their crimes. He would punish the planet for their actions as well; Alderaan would become strictly under Imperial martial law, with likely some power-hungry Moff taking control of its bureaucratic policies and governance. They would be useful, despite many of their annoying tendencies to think themselves indispensable to the Empire.

He left the cleaning of the chambers to the staff, stalking off to return to his flagship in orbit of Alderaan. Once aboard, the men under his command knew better than to speak with him or to get in his way. Some even turned back from where they had come when they saw him coming, dark aura clearly tangible even to those who were not force-sensitive. He could feel their fear of him, and it only made his power grow.

He took the few moments of time to meditate, taking in all he had learned once inside of his personal chambers, the only sound being his infernal breathing through the modulator that constantly reminded him of what he was. He wished he had developed their force bond more thoroughly, already stronger than average because of their familial ties. The few moments he had seen her had not been enough, but it was a start. He concentrated, reaching out.

Papa?!

There she was, like a small spark in the Force, but clearly felt and recognized. His rage and anger giving him the excess power to do this, but… he sensed her own. Her own potential was great, untrained, but certainly there. And so Vader immediately jumped on this, taking the opportunity to project his thoughts to her. Very faintly, he caught fragments of her thoughts as well, anger rising once more as she was clearly thinking of Organa.

He is not your father, and never was, he wanted to snarl. But he restrained himself for now, with great difficulty, as there would be plenty of time to correct her behavior once he found her. So, he put pressure on her, he asked her. He felt no guilt, as it was of the upmost importance to him. Vaguely, he wondered if it was possible if Leia had somehow sensed that something had happened to her father. That he had been killed. Jealousy and bitterness filled his thoughts then, as she thought highly of him and would have had to have a strong relationship with her captor in order to even be capable of such a connection.

He asked her once more, the effort almost strenuous, but he kept at it until he received a quiet answer, like a reluctant whisper in the Force. The connection was severed immediately after, but Vader stood quickly, guiding himself out of meditation. He would find her.

"Make preparations immediately for Corellia," he later ordered the helmsman, stepping out of his chambers with a renewed vigor and ambition. Leia's answer to him coincided with a report he received from a brigade of troopers down on the planet, that yes, they had in fact located the Tantive IV within the spaceport, but no one appeared to be aboard.

A few hours later, when Vader touched down planetside, he knew immediately that his daughter was no longer here, but followed the Imperial entourage to the ship anyway. It was Imperial property now, but that did not concern him in the slightest. He followed the Stormtroopers aboard, the only evidence of a child previously being here was a simple doll one of his men had found and handed over to him.

She had been here, but where she had gone, he could not say. "Lord Vader," one trooper spoke up to him, and he turned, imposing and unimpressed with their work. He let the doll fall carelessly to the ground. Leia would have no such ridiculous things once in his custody. She would need to focus on her future training and place beside him. "We did deal with a suspicious character earlier with no identification."

Now, this interested him. "And you only tell me this now? Why?" He demanded, and the trooper noticeably backed up.

"I- I'm sorry, Sir. It seemed trivial, just a merchant of some sort." No. This could be no coincidence, not when his daughter had just been here. This meant something, of that he was sure.

"See to it that your lack of intelligence and foresight does not affect your performance in the future," he told him bitingly, his modulator unable to process the deadly sarcasm he wished he could fully encapsulate to him. "Or there will be consequences." The brush of pressure against the trooper's throat, and he was sure he got the message. Normally, he would have outright gotten rid of him for his incompetence, but Vader did not want to waste time. Time was important now.

"I… Yes, Lord Vader!" He said, voice panicked underneath his helmet.

"Take me to this merchant," he ordered. Vader prepared to turn away, expecting nothing but compliance. However, he sensed the trooper's sudden nervousness and that he hadn't yet moved. "That was an order," he repeated, patience quickly growing thin.

"He… After his capture, he was putting up a fight. Tried to pull a blaster. That… Well. We had to take him out, Sir. There was nothing else we could do."

Vader supposed he did, in fact, have enough time to take out his frustrations with him after all.