First off I want to appologize to everyone for the long wait. I've had a few curve balls come my way lately and I didn't manage to hit any of them. Anyway this has taken considerablely more time than I had intended so here it is.

Chapter 12

Leia glanced out to the morning sky from her Ord Mantell hotel room, her breakfast sat largely untouched on the table next to a data pad listing the activities she had planned for the day. She adjusted the thick white bathrobe thinking about the sixth item on the list. Leia realized that most women her age didn't have to schedule time to go shopping, or that if they did it was actually for the purpose of shopping. Sometimes she understood why Lady Amidala had been so adamant that Leia wait another year to start her political career.

"Leia are you listening to me?" Bail questioned from the hypercomm, Leia turned back from the sunrise to continue the conversation with her father.

"I'm sorry father, my mind drifted for a minute there," the perturbed look on his face clearly showed that a drifting mind was not what he considered a good trait.

"The amount of time you are spending with the Vaders has me very concerned," Bail criticized, "while you need not fear Amidala, Lord Vader is unwaveringly loyal to the Emperor; and if at all possible I would prefer you stay off the Emperor's radar. There is no telling what might happen if you were suspected of foul play and there is nothing I could do to protect you."

"Father I can assure you that Lord Vader would never allow me any harm," Leia replied absentmindedly as she returned to eating her breakfast.

"And just how do you know that?" Bail demanded. She had often over the years made similar statements and while she had never to his experience been wrong it was her reasoning behind these declarations that bothered him.

"I just do," she answered surprised to realize what she had just told her father, "I can't explain it I just know that he would never allow any harm to befall me."

"I hope you're right Leia," Bail said knowing that once she got an idea in her head there was no altering that course. "Just realize that he won't always be able to protect you, even within the Empire. Which reminds me why did you send your security detail and ship back here? I don't like you there without protection."

"I will be fine father," Leia spoke around a mouthful of toast, checking her watch for the time. "I love you, I've got to go," She finished reaching for the controls to the comm.

"I love you too dear," Bail smiled at his daughter as she cut the comm.


Leia walked through the halls of the Government House thinking over the meeting she had just sat through with several heads of state. They had all been much more receptive to improve education and health, through a couple of the programs she was working on, than she expected. Leia took a moment to sit on one of the many benches in the entrance corridor, glancing at the architecture before going through the list of things she had to do the rest of the day. She was mulling over how comfortable she was going through the market unescorted, despite what she had told her father she now felt uncertain about the lack of a security detail. It was really foolish, nothing had changed since this morning but she 

suddenly had the overwhelming feeling that she should not go alone. The dark shadow that fell over her seemed to punctuate the idea causing her to look up surprised at the presence standing before her.

"Lord Vader," Leia started to stand, only to have him wave her back down, "I was not aware that you were on the planet."

"Highness," Vader greeted her in turn, "I was not aware that you kept such a close watch on my schedule. I was just finishing some meetings with the local authorities when I saw you sitting here. You seem troubled."

"It's nothing really," she attempted to assure him. "I was planning to spend some time in the markets this afternoon," she paused scrunching her brow, "I just suddenly feel like I should not travel alone. I'm sure I am just being silly."

"I see," he paused to look into some unseen distance, "there is a retired engineer I was planning to discuss some fighter plans with, his wife keeps a shop in the jewelers district, I suppose I could escort you."

"No," Leia attempted to assure him, "I'm sure it is just some foolish notion. There is no need to interrupt your plans, besides I'm sure you have much more important things to do than accompany a fretful princess."

"I insist Princess," Vader held a hand out to help her up; "neither of us would stand out nearly as much together as we would alone." He paused and pulled a hood over the helmet, the cloak now effectively hiding the life support system that not only kept him alive, but made him recognizable the galaxy over. "Lead the way Princess." She pulled her own hood over her head and led the way into the streets.


Vader followed the Princess through the stalls of Ord Mantel's shopping district listening to a barrage of questions and ideas, or ideals as Vader would classify them. He asked her about the musician, whom Amidala had complained about being far too old for Leia, in an effort to derail the girl for a moment or two. It humored the dark lord to see Leia's face mirror the petulant look that had graced his wife's face when he'd asked why she cared. The moment was broken as instinct took over as he snatched the princess behind him with his left hand while simultaneously bring his lightsaber to bear with his right. He felt an odd surge of pride as Leia, obviously well drilled by her security team, crouched close to his back and returned fire with a holdout blaster. He soon realized that there where far too many, too well organized for him to deal with this while protecting the princess. He spun around batting bolts the whole way to grab the girl and throw her into a nearby alley.


Leia was shocked, to say the least that Lord Darth Vader asked about her relationship with Rage Tymon, lead singer of Deeply Religious. He even went so far as to ask if the singer wasn't a little old for the princess to be seeing in such a manor. She was working up to a retort when Vader suddenly snatched her behind his back and she heard the hum of his famous lightsaber as he swatted away blaster fire. Leia allowed herself a moment of wonder at the display of skill before her, then a lifetime of security drills took over. Vader's arm worked in a graceful dance blocking the sniper's bolts as Leia attempted to return fire around him. He suddenly spun yelling for her to run as he did. She barely realized she was flying backwards her natural catlike reflexes helping her to land on the balls of her feet. The momentum of Vader's toss however forced her back to her butt and carried her feet over her head to land on her hands and knees losing the blaster in the process. She looked up in time to see Vader swat away two more bolts in a crouch then leap into the air taking a long forward flip to land on a far building close to the snipers stationed there. Leia was forced from her awe inspired paralysis when a hard looking man pointed right at her.

"The princess went that way you idiots," he yelled waving his arms, "come on." Leia jumped up and ran deep into the alley glancing over her shoulder to see him waiting for reinforcements on the street. She came to an intersection and decided to go left after a quick glance over her shoulder only to find a dead end. She hurriedly went back the other direction not getting far before instinct told her to hide. Leia watched through the slats of a shipping crate as the man, who had spotted her, another man and a trandoshan walked into the intersection her heart thumping in her chest so loud she knew that it would surely give her away.

"Where'd she go," the trandoshan asked.

"That way," the lead man said pointing down the dead end alley. The group started that direction checking behind various boxes and such.

"Why do they want her anyway?" the other man asked. Leia's eyes went wide in her hiding place; she had assumed it was an attempt on Lord Vader.

"Who knows," the lead man answered, "but I know it came from the top." The trandoshan paused in his search to look at the leader.

"Xizor?" the trandoshan asked. Leia prepared to make a run for the next intersection as her pursuers went further down the other direction.

"Himself," the lead man answered. They were now far enough away and Leia bolted down the alleyway praying all the way that her boot heels wouldn't make too much noise. She risked a glance back as she started around the corner and they still hadn't noticed her escape.


A man and a wookie walked through one of the alleys between the gambling district and the shopping stalls. The alleys were actually a frequently used method of getting from one area to the other on this day however they were empty. The lack of other pedestrians caused the man's boot heels to echo off the walls as they walked. The two were embroiled in a heated but still friendly exchange, the wookie entered into a series of barks and growls.

"Lando," the man was obviously flabbergasted, "you don't honestly think Lando could've done better." The resulting answer was long-suffering.

"I was not distracted by the dealer," the wookie snorted in response, "she wasn't that good looking anyway." This time the wookie's reply was mournful and apologetic.

"I do not have a weakness for redheads," the man had stopped to look at his friend, and then mumbled looking down at the ground, "it's just the one." The wookie placed one of his long chestnut haired arms around the man's shoulders turning him back in the direction they were headed. This time the wookie was obviously trying to impart some kind of wisdom.

"I told you before, Chewie, I don't want to talk about her," the man said shoving the wookie's arm off his shoulders. Chewie made a placating gesture before starting another series of growls.

"I'm telling you Chewie it's not that bad," Han replied, "we still have plenty to make repairs we just won't be eating as well as you'd like; sides you could stand to lose a little around the middle any way." The resulting shove sent Han stumbling into the opposite wall. The man was in the process of pushing himself off the wall when a hooded being came running around the corner. The diminutive figure dressed entirely in white slammed into Chewie only to bounce off and land flat on its backside. The violent nature of the landing caused the hood to fall back revealing a wide eyed young human girl. Chewbacca bent down asking if the girl was all right and offered a large hairy hand to help her up; the girl shrank back fear evident in her deep brown eyes.

"He's asking if you're alright," the man said walking up to the pair and offering another hand to help her off the ground. She took the offered help allowing the two to get her to her feet, "I'm Han, an this," the man gestured to the towering wookie, "is Chewbacca."

"Um," the girl seemed to struggle with what to say. "Lelila," Leia held out a hand in greeting, "I am Lelila." She looked to Chewbacca first who took the offered hand and bent to look her in the eye, "I am terrible sorry for running into you." Chewbacca lightly growled out a short sentence.

"He said not to worry about it," Han replied for his partner, giving the wookie a curious look as he continued to speak, "he also thinks you look familiar." He noticed how the girl kept looking back over her shoulder. "Are you in some sort of trouble?" Han questioned it was obvious that her clothes were way too expensive for her to be out without an escort.

"My escort," Leia started deciding against admitting who that was at the moment, "and myself were attacked in the market." Bail had often berated Leia for her instant trust or mistrust of beings, but as Amidala had explained one must always trust their feelings especially when those feelings are never wrong. Vader had proved her ideas that he would never let any harm come to her just moments ago. 

"He told me- the rest of her statement was cutoff when two humans and a trandoshan came around the same corner the girl had just exited.

"There you are sweetie," the lead man bearing the obvious appearance of hired muscle spoke, "come on your father is waiting for you." The girl spun to face the new arrivals and instinctively backed up into Chewie who place an arm on her shoulder protectively. Han glanced at the girl who looked straight into his eyes when he did. What he saw there, as she slightly shook her head, spoke volumes of the situation. She genuinely feared the beings before them which meant they certainly did not work for her father. The spokes man for the group took another step forward. "I don't know what she's told you but her father has had enough of these games, time to go Leia," he stepped to grab Leia by the arm only to find the barrel of Han's DL-44 at his temple.

"Hold it right there," Han spoke in a voice that brooked no argument. The man's companions move to step forward and Chewie shifted the princess behind him while simultaneously bringing his bow caster to bear on the trandoshan.

"You two idiots don't know who you're messing with," the man with the gun to his head spoke to Solo, "we're Black Sun, you guys just signed your own death warrants." Han replied by mashing the blaster harder into the man's head, the trandoshan decided to make his move and Leia closed her eyes tightly preparing for the sound blaster fire and the smell of singed flesh that never came. Instead the low drum of a lightsaber sounded as a red blade sliced through the trandoshan's blaster and hands before an unseen hand slammed him into the far wall. The second man smashed into the wall not far from the trandoshan as Darth Vader strode around the corner. The leader floated from under Han's blaster grasping his throat. Han and Chewbacca closed ranks on the girl taking aim on the dark lord. The lead thug hung before Vader.

"Who ordered the attack," Vader's voice boomed through the alley. The man clawed at his throat gasping for air. "Who do you work for?" He demanded.

"Black Sun," the man croaked out before the otherss in the alley heard a sickening crunch and the body flew to land on his compatriots at a gesture from the dark lord. His attention then turned to the trio remaining in the alley. A wave washed over him and they were no longer in the alley but a strikingly white room. This man opened fire upon seeing Vader, the dark lord deflecting the shots with his hand before ripping the blaster from his hand. The man takes the princess's hand protectively as they face him, then the white room is gone and they are back in the alley.

"It is ok," Leia was pleading, as she pushed between the two.

"You kiddin," Han asked, the partners continued to cover Vader.

"No," Leia stated holding her hands up gesturing for the pair to lower their weapons, "he is my escort." The two slowly lower their weapons and stare at the princess incredulously while Vader moves to stand behind her.

"You are unharmed Highness," Vader states before turning his attention to Han and Chewie.

"They stepped in to protect me," she spoke for her saviors, "I was thinking perhaps a reward of some sort."

"Indeed, princess," Darth Vader tossed a credit chip from under his cloak which Han deftly caught. "I can guess at your profession by your clothes. I trust this will be the last we see of each other." The two nodded clearly confounded by the turn of events and watched Vader place a hand on the girl's shoulder and lead her back the way they had came. Chewie entered into a series of barks and growls as the dark lord and his companion made their way around the corner.

"You said it pal," Han answered looking at the credit chip which he now noticed had blood on it, "a very large, very stiff drink." Chewbacca embarked on another lengthy statement as they started walking towards a nearby cantina.

"Nah," Han remarked scowling at his friend, "not my type; too young, too classy, and too short. Besides, a guy like me and a girl like that," Han shook his head, "there's no way."


Leia looked back at her two rescuers as she and Vader rounded the corner a strange longing to look at the man one last time and wondering.

"They are smugglers," Leia started as Vader answered her unspoken question, "you should not concern yourself further with them."

"Why not," Leia asked confusion evident on her features.

"It is not befitting of a person of your station," he answered. She frowned at him not understanding as he brought a comlink to his helmet.

Yes, Lord Vader.

"Send a shuttle and a squad to the Galactic Hotel's landing pad," he ordered, "and prepare a stateroom for Princess Organa." Leia started to protest but he motioned for quiet.

Right away Lord Vader.

"Contact Bail Organa and inform him that we will be transporting the princess to Coruscant and that I will give him a full briefing when we get there."

Aye sir.

"Come princess you will need to gather your things," Vader stated hurrying her along the street.

Thanks for reading and reviewing.

ccp