A/N: WELCOME ONCE AGAIN! This first part was written by bestest friend ever because I just could not for the life of me get through it for some reason and so she was gracious enough to write the cave scene for me. And she's also too shy and refuses to let me give her public credit so shes remaining safely anonymous :) I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

.oOo.

Regina let go of Anakin's hand and entered the icy cave. It was beyond freezing. The cave seemed almost constructed of pure ice. She pulled her layers closer to her trembling body. Trembling from the cold yes, but also from the nervous feeling she'd had since Anakin had told her about this cave. Warm breath turned into imaginary smoke as it escaped her mouth. Crystals lined the walls, too numerous for her to even begin to count. Regina found herself in awe and slightly annoyed. There were so many of the damned things, why couldn't she just take a random one and be done with this? But no! Anakin had been very serious when explaining this whole, stupid process to her. Her crystal was somewhere is this damn cave and she had to find it quickly unless she wanted to be trapped here dying of the cold when the cave sealed itself until the next planetary rotation… which was nineteen standard days.

Her boots crunched ice as she slowly made her way deeper into the cave. Regina's head shot to the right at the sound of something, something horribly familiar. She continued on, shaking her head. It wasn't possible, what she had heard. But then she heard it again. She stopped dead in her tracks and listened. An unnatural chill ran down her spine and she spun on her heels. Then she saw it. A glowing crystal, just like Anakin had told her. But there was more than one, two actually. Anakin hadn't mentioned there would be two. Regina approached with extreme caution. There was no way it was this easy, right? Anakin had said something about a test or lesson to learn. She couldn't remember what exactly, honestly she had tuned out for most of what he had said, too irritated with the fact that it was freezing to care.

She had almost reached them when a figure appeared in front of her. "What the hell?" She said startled. She'd thought she was the only one in there.

"Hello dear," the figure said.

Regina gasped when she finally got a good view of the person before her, "Mother?"

"Surprised to see me Regina?" Cora asked. "Well I guess you should be, after all I doubt you thought you would ever see me again after you pushed me through that horrid looking glass."

Regina stood there, her shaking more present now. "Ho-How did you… What are you doing here?" She stuttered.

"I think the more appropriate question would be, why are you here?" Came the reply. "Who are you fooling, Regina?"

"Excuse me?"

"I said, who do you think you're fooling Regina?" Cora said, clearly annoyed. "Going through all of this? What's the point? To prove yourself to that man? Anakin?"

Regina took a slight step back, this wasn't real, and it couldn't be! Her mother was gone. Long gone, out of her life for good. "How do you know about Anakin?"

Cora ignored the question. "Do you think he'll be proud of you once you exit this cave with your precious crystals? Be honest with yourself Regina, Anakin doesn't really care for you. He never really loved you. I mean how could he? You, my dear, are impossible to love."

"Shut the hell up," Regina croaked, she needed to be strong. She refused to show Cora any weakness.

"And do you think you really love him? I mean your engagement seemed quite sudden, after all. I know the real reason why you said yes that night."

Regina wanted to slap that smirk off her mother's face. "What are you talking about?"

"You said yes," Cora began. "You said yes because you thought it was an escape. An escape and a fresh start from the failed love that you thought you once had."

"I-I-I don't know what you mean."

"Do I really have to spell it out for you?" She let out a laugh, "Daniel."

Regina stumbled backwards. Daniel. Her heart thudded loud in her chest. Stay strong, Regina his words echoed in her mind. The memory of her mother ripping out his perfect heart and then crushing it flashed past her eyes. She suddenly found it hard to breath. "You killed him." She growled, voice full of contempt.

"Had to," came her mother's nonchalant reply.

"Had to?!" Regina said angrily. "What do you mean 'had to'?!"

"I was protecting you, Regina. You see, I knew the truth about that boy. He's just the same as this new one. Just looking to take advantage of you, wanting nothing more than to get under your skirt. Beware though, you daughter lost in space and your son of ice and fire will be the downfall of your precious little Empire with Anakin.

"You're lying," Regina shrieked, slightly confused as she had no children. But she didn't dwell on that for long. "Daniel loved me! And you took him from me! You destroyed everything! "

"I was doing what was best for-"

"For who, Mother?! For me? No you were doing what was best for you! That's all you ever thought about. Yourself. Not me, not father, not anyone but you." Regina was breathing hard now. "You wanted me to be queen so bad, you were willing to destroy my life to get your way. You destroyed my life then, but now I'm Lady Vader and I am more powerful than anyone from our realm ever was and I won't let you break me again!" She took an advancing step. "This life is mine, my life with Anakin. He loves me and I know that. No matter what comes out of your fucking mouth, I will always know that." She spat, pointing at her mother menacingly.

With that Regina rushed at her mother, shoving her against the wall.

Cora dissipated before her eyes. She hadn't been real. That had been her test, Regina realized. Her mother was the one thing that she had always been able to get the better of her. Even in another realm she still had a hold on her daughter, but not anymore…

Regina stumbled forward and grabbed the two glowing crystals and bee lined it for the cave's exit. She stumbled out into the open air, sobbing. Before collapsing into Anakin's awaiting arms.

"Regina! Regina, what's wrong?!" Anakin cried as Regina came stumbling out of the cave as the ice was about to seal the entrance.

"M-my mother..." she croaked, throat raspy from screaming and cold.

"What? What about her?" Anakin asked, pulling her up gently from the snow covered ground.

"Sh-she was in there," Regina said raising her tear streaked face to look at him. The look in her eyes disturbed him. She looked deranged, like something was very, very wrong.

"She can't have been, it was a mirage Reg, just an illusion. The cave knew she was your weakness to overcome. What did she say?" He asked, wrapping an arm around her waist to support her weight as he half carried her the ways back to their ship.

Regina shivered incessantly, despite her warm attire. He needed to get her warmed up and quickly before she went into shock.

"She... taunted me, about... Daniel." Anakin looked at her closely as he sat her down on the cushioned bench inside the ship and wrapped her in a blanket. "Ann-and she said something strange, about-tt my children. A daughter lost in space and a son of ice and fire," Regina stammered through chattering teeth.

Anakin froze. Children? What children?

"Are you," he paused, "Are you pregnant, Regina?" He asked slowly.

"No, no I don't-" Regina stopped, she couldn't remember her last menses, but she thought for sure she did not sense a change in herself. "I don't think so," she finished, staring at her shoes. She felt a strange sense of urgency to take off now, something was waiting for them. "Anakin, we need to go now," she said quickly looking up at him. His face was contorted somewhere between pain and relief and she didn't quite know what to make of it.

He seemed to snap out of his thoughts, and nodded at her request.

Moments later they were soaring away from Illum, glowing in the distance behind them. Regina was glad to rid of that place, she noted sourly. The encounter with the illusion of her mother had left her with more questions than answers and emotionally drained, and god was she cold!

As they flew into space, Anakin was plotting the course for them to meet back up with the Devastator, who was currently orbiting above Ord Mantell. Regina rushed into the cockpit area frantically.

"Anakin stop! Look over there!" She said pointing. From her resting spot in the hold of the ship she felt a cry for help through the Force and had immediately known where to look.

"What? I don't see anything," he said frowning. "There's nothing on the sca-oh wait. It looks like the remains of some kind of light freighter. But Reg, it's dead in the water. It looks abandoned. And sustained tons of of damage by the looks of it," he pointed out. "I don't think there's anyone there."

"You don't hear that?" Regina asked, surprised.

"Hear what?"

"I felt a cry... a cry for help through the Force. It's coming from that ship!" She said urgently.

"Regina I highly doub-" He started before she cut him off sharply, reaching across him pushing buttons on the scanner. "Hey, whoa whoa! Knock that off, you're gonna break something!" He said, swatting at her hands.

"Well, scan for life forms!" She said insistently. He rolled his eyes. "You heard her R2. Scan away, buddy." He said to the little droid who had accompanied them on this trip to be his co-pilot.

R2 bleeped in acknowledgement and began scanning the wrecked ship as they approached it.

ONE LIFE FORM ABOARD ANAKIN! Came the read out that accompanied his beep of discovery. LADY VADER WAS RIGHT. YOU WEREN'T. The droid said snarkily.

"Yeah, yeah, I read you," Anakin said with an eye roll. "I'm going to regret this," he muttered, flying the ship over to the top of the other one. "R2 lock the hatches together," he said.

R2 blipped in response and Regina heard the hatches sealing together and hurried back to the lower hatch, dragging Anakin by the arm.

"Regina, slow down! Let me go first." Anakin said stopping her from opening the hatch all the way.

She sighed in exasperation, all the tiredness she'd felt previously now abandoned like yesterdays news.

He dropped down into the freighter, lightsaber in hand, but not activated. He helped Regina clamber down and they looked around together.

"Pirates..." he muttered looking around the trashed ship. Everything looked like it had been looted and rummaged through.

"Pirates?" Regina asked quietly, following him through the ship towards the cockpit. "Oh my god!" She gasped, covering her mouth in horror at the sight in front of them. A man and a woman lie dead on the floor in front of them, the woman naked and bloody.

"Regina, sweetheart don't look," He said wrapping an arm around her and steering them back the way they came.

"Wha-What happened to them!?" She whispered in terror.

"Pirates. They probably raped the woman to force the man into unlocking the hold so they could loot it, then killed them both anyways." Anakin said bitterly. "Fucking scum," he added.

Regina still trying to recover from the shock, shook her head, "That is so... wrong!" She growled, angry. "Why doesn't the Empire stop people like that?" She asked him furiously. "They can't possibly get away with this!"

"Regina, we catch them when we can, but the simple fact is pirates keep a low profile. They don't want to be found, they think they're above the law. Thats why they're called "outlaws"." He said pointedly. "So where's this life form of yours? I feel... something, but I'm still not convinced there's anyone here," he said looking around the hold once again.

Regina chewed on her bottom lip, frowning. Suddenly she bolted for the sleeping cabin, Anakin in hot pursuit behind her.

"In here!" She said excitedly, pointing to the built in storage compartment, to hold clothing and such. "When I was a kid, my father and I used to play hide and seek- anyways, one night we were playing and some raiders broke into our house. My dad woke me up and told me we were gonna play hide and seek, he knew I always, always hid in their closet!" She said emphatically. "So when the bad men came, he knew I would go and hide there! He knew!" She persisted, pointing at the closet space.

"Regina, we don't even know if it's a child in there," he said raising an eyebrow at her, but he reached out with the Force anyways, probing the compartment. Sure enough, he felt a small frightened being inside, simply terrified almost to death.

Regina ignored him with a roll of her eyes and approached the closet carefully, sending calming thoughts telepathically to the frightened child.

She opened the door and let out a strangled cry of relief. Inside was a little girl huddled in a ball, cold and shaking with fear. Regina held out her arms, whispering, "Shhh it's okay you're safe now." The little girl couldn't have been more than 3 years old, and she shied away from Regina, crying for her "Papa". Regina paused before waving Anakin over. "Does she speak Basic do you think?" Anakin, shrugged and knelt down next to Regina, and asked softly.

"Do you speak Basic, sweetheart?" He asked in almost flawless Huttese, not letting his distaste for the language nor the planet it was most commonly found on come through.

She nodded shakily. "Wh-where's my papa?" she almost whispered, now finally looking at Regina.

"It's okay, you're mama and papa asked us to take care of you," Regina lied smoothly, not missing a beat. Anakin looked at her in slight shock at the ease of her deception. "What's you name, honey?"

"Briseis," she whispered again, looking at them with wide blue eyes. Regina lifted her gingerly out of the compartment. The little girl finally broke down into sobs of relief, and Regina's heart ached for the little girl. She patted her back gently making cooing noises. Anakin just stood motionless smiling at the two of them, Regina looked so sweet with the young girl he couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness at the thought of his own unborn child.

"Anakin, I think she fell asleep!" Regina whispered, still holding the little girl against her chest. He looked around Regina's shoulder and nodded his head with a grin.

"She probably hasn't slept in days," he said in a low voice, careful not to wake her.

"Aww, can we keep her? Pleaasee?" Regina whined softly.

"Regina she's not a stray pet," Anakin admonished her with a stern look.

"Aint nobody got time for your Sass, Sass Vader!" She snapped back. She continued rocking Briseis gently, while glaring at Anakin. He flashed her a snarky grin.

"Everyone has time for my sass," he replied as she rolled her eyes, leading them quietly out of the cabin towards the hatch.

"Anakin we have to take care of her!" She protested quietly.

"Regina, it's not our responsibility. I'm sure we can find a suitable orphanage on Coruscant for her."

"Is that what you'd want? To be dumped into a home with 90 other children and forgotten about?" Regina asked coolly, her glare returning.

"Regina, it's just not a good idea. Trust me," he said, stopping to look at her.

"Fine, but you know you're going to burn in hell for this," Regina snapped, climbing one handedly up the hatch with Briseis.

"I'm going to burn in hell for many other reasons than this," he muttered darkly, following her up the hatch. "R2 plot our return to the Devastator will you?"

R2 bleeped and whistled. WHO'S THE YOUNGLING?

"Nobody, just an orphan. And don't you even start. Regina's already been begging me to keep her..."

THATS BECAUSE SHE IS NICE. SHE WANTS TO HELP. YOU SHOULD TRY IT SOMETIME. Came R2's sassy comeback.

"Shut up. Nobody asked for your lip," Anakin said, annoyed.

I DON'T HAVE A LIP. I'M A DROID. YOU'RE JUST MEAN.

"I'm not mean! It's just not a good idea to keep a kid on a battle cruiser!" Anakin protested, great now they were ganging up on him!

WHY NOT? JEDI KIDS USED TO BE IN BATTLES ALL THE TIME. R2 pointed out.

"What did I tell you about the J word?" Anakin glared at the droid.

WELL. I HAVE A POINT. YOU JUST DON'T LIKE IT. THATS YOUR PROBLEM.

"Fucking Force, would you two lay off me?" Anakin growled. "You guys are teaming up on me and it's not fair! And I'm not changing my mind either so you might as well give up!"

Regina walked into the cockpit, "Who are you talking to?" She asked curiously.

"Mr. Mouth of the South of here, thinks we should keep the kid too. You guys just wait til Threepio hears about this, he'll agree with me! A Star Destroyer is no place to raise a kid!" Anakin said, engaging the hyperdrive. "Where is she anyways?"

"She's sound asleep in the cabin." Regina answered. "See? R2 thinks it's a good idea!" She exclaimed proudly.

"Am I the only person thinking with their brain?!" Anakin yelped. "It's a b-a-t-t-l-e cruiser, keyword being BATTLE. What if something were to happen? It would be all my fault..." he trailed off, looking out the viewport at the swirling vortex of hyperspace around them.

Regina took a seat next to him, "Is that what this is about? Your wife and your child? Anakin nothing is going to happen to me or Briseis, I promise! Just please... think about it? I know it's not the most conventional way of living, but between us, I'm sure we could give her a good life," Regina said somewhat dejectedly at the firm expression on his face. He was hiding something and just didn't want to talk about it, she could tell.

After a moment of stony silence he swore, "Ugh fine! I'll THINK about it, but don't get your hopes up. I'm sure my master will not approve of this idea any more than I do," he said looking at Regina and R2.

HATERS GONNA HATE, ANAKIN.

"Where in the 9 Corellian hells did you learn to start talking like this anyways?" Anakin said laughing at the droids comment.

NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.

"Fine, but don't let Threepio catch you talking like that, he'll have a conniption fit." Anakin snorted.

.oOo.

A/n: For those who are a little confused as to how Briseis' name is prounced "Bri-(as in Britney)-Say- Iss! :)