A/N: So I decided to continue with toddler Ahsoka for a little while longer, but I think it'll only be a few more chapters before I get to A New Hope.

Vader had made a mistake.

If there was one thing that the Jedi and the Sith agreed upon, it was that attachments were a very bad thing. The Jedi had seen attachments as temptations, seducers that led the unwary right over the edge, into the arms of the Dark side. The Sith, on the other hand, saw attachments as weaknesses, chinks in the armor through which a vibroblade could be slipped.

Anakin Skywalker had viewed his attachments as the best thing in his life, the reason he woke up in the morning and continued fighting everyday. Attachments had, in the end, been what truly killed Anakin Skywalker.

Vader knew that attachments were a dangerous mistake, and that whatever good feelings they brought were far eclipsed by the pain they could cause when they were ripped away.

Despite his better judgement, he had found himself becoming attached to Ahsoka once again.

It had already reached a dangerous point; he never would have let two rebels, one of them a Jedi, escape if he had been in his right mind. Clearly, something would have to be done.

He knew of no method to obliterate feelings of attachment, to feel complete indifference. The only way he had found to turn love into hatred was if the person he - no, Skywalker had loved betrayed him, as Kenobi had done. It would be nearly impossible for Ahsoka to betray him as she was now, but if he could find a way to return her to her true age, then they would be able to finish their fight. He would be able to move on and let go of his attachments.

The Sith holocron that the Padawan had stolen would have been his best bet to undo the Sith magics on Ahsoka, but it would take too long to track the rebels down again. Vader knew they would resurface soon, but he didn't have time to wait. He would have to consult with one of his Master's holocrons on Coruscant.

0o0o0

After a few weeks of spending time with Ahsoka when Lord Vader was busy, Bele felt that he could say that he liked her. It was pleasant to spend time with her, even if she was only three years old. She was a lot more mature than most three-year-olds, although most of his experience with beings of that age was from his younger sisters, not togrutas. Maybe it was more common for them to be more mature.

Whatever it was, being ordered to keep an eye on Ahsoka was the best part of his day.

Unfortunately, Bele had come down with Corellian Flu two days before they landed on Coruscant, which meant that someone else had to watch Ahsoka, as Corellian Flu was fatal to togrutas.

He just knew that the new person was going to mess up.

0o0o0

Sidious was not on Coruscant when Vader arrived, thankfully, which meant that Vader had unrestricted access to the Sith holocrons. Of course, that didn't mean that the holocrons would cooperate with him, only that his Master wouldn't learn of what Vader wanted to know until much later.

No one dared to disturb him as he stalked through the halls of the Imperial Palace, and so he was able to enter one of his Master's inner sanctuaries impeded only by the pathetic traps Sidious had set up against those who weren't Sith. He locked the door behind him with the Force, certain that a report was already going out to Sidious about his actions and not caring.

This room was full of pedestals, each with a glowing holocron on it, red, blue, or yellow, and of various shapes.

He delved into the Force, making it show him which of the holocrons would give him the answer to his problem.

A glowing red cube rose up from its pedestal, its outer casing releasing its hold on the inner core when he directed the Dark side into the holocron.

The red image of a togrutan Sith Lady appeared from the depths of the holocron, black tattoos curling over every inch of skin visible beneath her dark robe. It was Darth Infera, which was good. She was far less likely to lie than most Sith.

"Darth Infera," Vader said, nodding his head in her direction. "I seek information regarding the Sith Temple on Malachor."

She stared at him for a moment, her eyes narrowed while she tapped her chin thoughtfully. "What does Sidious's pet want with Malachor?"

"I am not his pet!" Vader snarled.

"That still doesn't answer my question," she said, baring sharp teeth at him in a mockery of a smile.

"How does one go about reversing the effect the Temple has on age?" he asked reluctantly.

Infera began to laugh. "Oh, you caught a Jedi! Excellent! Why would you ever want to reverse that? Fallen Jedi make the best apprentices."

"I do not wish for her to be my apprentice. She is far too willful," Vader said.

"That's what memory wipes are for," Infera responded. "Did you forget to wipe her memory before you tried to make her your apprentice? It will be nearly impossible for you to remake her into a proper Sith until she's forgotten her past."

"I have no desire to make her into a Sith," Vader said.

Infera sighed heavily. "Pity. And here I thought you were finally becoming a true Sith, with your own apprentice, ready to overthrow your Master."

Vader resisted the urge to try and strangle the long-dead Sith. It would have no effect and only serve to amuse her. "I will only ask once more. How do I reverse it?"

Infera smirked. "You can't."

Her holocron was only saved from destruction by the sudden alert from his comm. He answered it without moving his gaze from the Sith Lady.

"My lord, she's gone missing," said the stormtrooper who had called him. "The togruta child."

A fury unlike any he'd felt since Kenobi absconded with Padmé swept over Vader, and the only reason he didn't strangle the life from the 'trooper in front of him for losing Ahsoka was because he needed him to figure out where she was last seen. After that, Vader would make him pay for his incompetence.

"I wish you all the best with your new apprentice, Lord Vader," Infera said in a sickly sweet voice before vanishing into her holocron.

Vader tucked the holocron into a pouch at his belt where she wouldn't be able to come into contact with Sidious and stalked from the room, intent on finding his apprentice.