Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars

Chapter 10: The Start of a New Reign

A/N: Thank you for your reviews! A special thanks to angry penguin for always leaving such kind words on every chapter.

Leia listened to their pleas as she cast her eyes to the floor. She tried to focus that, trailing across each individual parcel that made up the ground. She was desperately attempting to avoid the screams of protest from her lover and the searing pain of utter loss from her brother. The emotions were so intense that she could feel the room beginning to spin. Leia knew that there was no other option. She was already in Vader's hands, trying to fight back in that moment could have resulted in the deaths of those she loved most.

Once her family was escorted from the room, the medical team advanced on her once more. They poked and probed, adding odd smelling liquid solutions that burned and sizzled, causing her to suck in a quick breath of air. One of them spoke to her in a language she did not recognize, clearly not knowing Basic. Her words sounded soft though, so Leia gave a small smile to show that she was okay. The medical woman said something to the man next to her, which resulted in him handing her a long tube of a light purple cream. She scooped a generous amount on her hand and applied it to Leia's wound. Leia let out an instinctive sigh of relief as her pain was suddenly numbed.

"Thank you." Leia smiled, hoping that the woman would understand.

She showed no emotion to what Leia said, but the man said something to her and she nodded at him. The team then stepped away, looking to Vader for approval. He dismissed them, emptying the room so that the two of them were alone.

"How do you feel," He hesitated. "Daughter?"

Leia remained a cool composure, but she could feel her uneasiness rising. She did not have a plan for how to handle this. She always had some sort of plan. She was resourceful and tactful. She knew that failure was an option going into this battle, yet part of her had this foolish idyllic hope that they might somehow pull it off and she wouldn't be in this situation. Leia new this would happen, she was pessimistic by nature, but everything had been working in her favor recently. She felt as though the world owed her some victories. After losing her family and learning that her biological father was the cause for her own mental destruction, she figured that the universe would most likely be on her side. Sadly, life doesn't work that way.

"Your soldiers are very well trained, Lord Vader." She quipped, cutting her eyes at their lifeless bodies. "And you seemed to have handled the situation mercifully, as always." She felt sick that this was their fate. They had no warning, no second chances. They made one mistake and they were murdered on the spot. It was cold and Leia would never understand Darth Vader's treatment of his men. Leia viewed her men as her people, while he just viewed them as another soldier that could be replaced.

"Their deaths mean nothing." He replied steadily.

Leia shook her head. "How can they mean nothing? That is a heartless thing to say. But why should I expect anything less from you."

"You learn the names of your men. You make a connection with them. You learn about their lives, their families. You make things personal whether you realize it or not. To me, they are just numbers. I never see their faces. I never know anything about them other than they pledged themselves to serve me." He explained to her as if that somehow excused all his sins.

"And you're okay with that?" Leia asked genuinely. It dawned on her that this was the first conversation that they had ever had that didn't include him threatening to torture her or murder her people. It wasn't exactly civil, but it was the closest thing to it she could manage.

"It is the only way." He nodded, his hand coming to rest on his knee. "You will learn. You are an emotional person and have a cold exterior. You hide your feelings from the world but inside you are a surging storm. A true politician. It makes me wonder how I never saw her in you."

Leia froze. She wasn't comfortable with where this conversation was heading. She was thrown off with what was happening. She expected Vader to treat her like a prisoner. Instead, he was treating her like she wasn't scum. He was talking to her as if he knew her. As if he respected her. He just mentioned her birth mother in the most casual way. She felt completely thrown off, but she saw this as an opportunity. She had questions about her birth mother. She and Luke never had the chance to talk about it, and it appeared now was her time to learn information.

"Did you love her?" She found the words escaping her mouth. She wasn't sure why that was her first question. She supposed the thought of him having any feelings was absurd, but something deep within her felt strange about it. She watched as Vader tensed, his hand balling into a fist. She didn't think he would answer her. She waited for him to lash out. She waited for him to have her escorted away. She waited for these terrible scenarios running through her head to happen, only to be met with his calm words.

"It was long ago." There was a tinge of sadness to what he said. "We were both young and believed that love was the answer to all of our problems. I became involved in many things that conflicted with her and suddenly her love wasn't enough to keep me grounded. Our love was a corruption that was doomed from the start. Love and the Force cannot coexist."

Leia thought of Han. She thought of her feelings for him. The way they ripped through her body and charged her soul. After everything they had been through, she felt confident that nothing would ever tear them a part. They were meant for each other. She never believed in love, but after she met him, everything felt possible. She felt something almost akin to pity for Vader. He would never know love again. He was a monster and she couldn't imagine how lonely that life must be.

"Who was she?" She asked. "How did she know my father? Did she not want us?"

Vader shook his head. "This conversation is over. We have many other things to discuss."

She wanted to argue, but she knew that it was a blessing that she got this much from him given the circumstances. She relented, giving him a small nod.

"We are going to rule the galaxy together. It is your destiny." Vader stood up, walking over towards her. "I thought it was Luke, but when I found out that you were also my child, everything became clear."

"No." Leia denied. "I am not going to join you. You know that you can't break me. I am not dark and I never will be."

"Yes, you weren't dark because you had hope. Tell me Princess, what hope do you have now?" He challenged. "You have seen the horrors of this world. Yes, you may be like your mother, but you got your realism from me. You aren't idealistic to a fault like your brother. He isn't strong enough to carry out the plans I have, but you are."

Leia stared at him, desperately searching for a reply in the back of her mind. She tried to say something, but she remained silent.

Darth Vader let out a low laugh, placing his hand on her shoulder. "This is the start of a new reign, Princess. Your training will start soon."