Heart of Darkness

Cka3ka

Act 1. Chapter 7

Onboard the Imperial Star Destroyer Avenger...

"My Lady, the operation was an astounding success," declared Commodore Rogriss as he raised a toast to Leia. "If it weren't for you, we'd be still chasing these slavers across the galaxy."

"Thank you, Teren. Thank you for your support and the excellent job that everyone did. This victory does not belong to me, but to all of you," replied Leia. "Major Veers, Major Fel and yourself played as large of a role in this as myself. I think you will be well rewarded for your work."

"Catching these slavers was reward in itself, my lady," said Maximillian Veers.

"I certainly would like to add my thanks as well. To all of you," chimed in Pooja Nabierre.

The five of them, Rogriss, Leia, Veers, Fel, and Pooja were having a celebratory dinner in the Commodore's command quarters on the star destroyer Desolation. After Leia had slain Aurra Sing, Imperial storm troopers had arrived and utterly annihilated the remaining slavers. Resistance had been staunch for a brief while, but when the slavers realized that they were hopelessly outgunned and out numbered, they had broken. The Imperials had been merciless in hunting them down. Those slavers that had been taken alive undoubtedly wished that they were not. Imperial interrogation was brutal.

"Consular-general Nabierre. I understand that you have been elected Senator of Naboo. Congratulations on your appointment," said Veers. "The Empire has need of politicians of your ability."

"I agree," smiled Leia. "Your leadership saved more than half the captives."

"I only wish that we could have saved everyone," answered Pooja sincerely, her voice tinged with sadness.

"The slavers intended to kill all the captives if they were attacked. We saw that, mi'lady," said Fel. Indeed, the Imperial officers were shocked that, when the slavers were already beaten, many wantonly went about killing captives in disregard for their own lives.

"I fear that there is something more behind this besides just slavery," said Leia. "It does not make sense that slavers would behave in such a way. What was done to the captives that the slavers would sacrifice their own lives rather than let us rescue them?"

"Our doctors and doctor droids are interviewing the survivors. We'll get to the bottom of this," said Rogriss.

"I'm not sure about that," replied Leia with a sign. "Still, that they survived is enough for me. I hope they can get on with their lives. What concerns me more is what will happen to those who backed these slavers. I fear this was only a single enclave. What about the star ships that they have? And who are their backers? Certainly they must have had influential and wealthy benefactors to commit an act of this magnitude."

"We'll catch them," said Veers confidently. "I do not think that Lord Vader would allow them to get away with such a transgression against Imperial Law."

Leia stayed quiet at Veers comment. She noticed that Pooja and the other officers seemed to agree with Veers' statement. She wasn't as sure of her father's intentions as they were. Her father certainly disliked these slavers, but he and she saw the world in a different way than ordinary people. After a moment, she said, "I do not believe that Lord Vader needs to be troubled with the details of what our investigation uncovers. At least, he does not need to know until we have completed our operation."

"My lady?" asked Rogriss. "Are we not finished? I had planned to bring the squadron to rendezvous with Lord Vader's fleet."

"No. We must finish what we have begun. I did a cursory read on the material that we have uncovered. What I find most interesting is where the arms are coming from." She paused to take a sip of her wine. "When I was on Nar Shaddaa, I encountered a smuggler who was moving a large shipment of arms to Tattooine."

"That's on the other side of the galaxy," pointed out Fel.

"Thanks for the lesson in geography, Soontir," chided Leia. "Yes, I'm aware of where Tattooine is. Regardless, I was thinking on why such a large shipment of arms was needed. I think there is something going on in the outer rim that involves these slavers. Perhaps it might have something to do with the Rebellion, or just local power grabs, but I think that it is linked with these slave attacks."

"It will take some time to reach Tattooine. It's over a week away even via the fastest hyper lanes," said Rogriss. "Will Lord Vader approve of our detour?"

"Yes, he will. Leave Lord Vader to me."

"If I may ask, how are you so familiar with Lord Vader?" asked Pooja curiously.

"The same way you are," said Leia mysteriously. "You've known Lord Vader for a long time, Senator-elect. Longer than you realize."

"How…"

"I will explain later," said Leia. She turned her attention back to the officers and particularly Soontir Fel. "So… Major Fel. How's it like dating one of the galaxy's most famous holo actresses? And can you get me Wynessa Starflare's autograph? I'm a huge fan. I'd love you for ever if you could."

Fel choked on his wine at Leia's abrupt change from intrepid well spoken leader to sixteen year old teeny bopper. "You… you are a fan of Wynessa?"

Leia laughed. "Isn't everyone in my age demographic? Ok so, Blue Thunder was a horrid movie. I mean you're a military officer how could you let your girlfriend play in a movie so far fetched."

"I don't allow Wynessa to do anything. She chooses to do what she wants."

Leia let shock show on her face. "What kind of Corellian man are you!" she declared jokingly.

The room exploded in laughter and Fel turned red in embarrassment. "The kind that would take a mouthy sixteen year old over his knee," he said before he suddenly realized who he was talking to. Yet, he didn't back down.

Leia winked at him. "I see… you're THAT kind of Corellian man."

Under Leia's expert manipulation, the conversation turned from serious business into light hearted banter. It would have seemed strange to outsiders to see serious Imperial officers laughing heartily with a sixteen year old girl; yet that was exactly how the evening played out. Winning hearts and loyalty was something the young Sith had mastered long ago. She had won her father's heart, and that of his hand. Now, she slowly began to spread her charm into that of the Imperial military. Fear and Love—two methods of control. A political philosopher long dead had written a treatise that love was a great factor in governance. Yet, fear was a better method for love was a fickle thing. Leia had her own ideas on governance. Certainly she appreciated the utility of fear, but in her experience it was love and respect that truly drove men to their greatest achievements. Her power, she had long ago decided, would never be solely based upon fear.

A little while afterwards…

"So are you going to tell me whatever you've been hinting at since we've met?" asked Pooja as the two young women sauntered down the hallway back to Pooja's stateroom. As a future member of the senate, she had been given a magnificent room that matched Rogriss's own cabin. It was lavishly furnished and held a breathtaking view of space through a view port.

Leia didn't answer until they entered Pooja's quarters. She walked to the view port and looked out. Her thoughts were churning on how and what she could tell Pooja. Dinner had brought them together in conversation, and she found herself liking her cousin very much. Yet, how much could she trust her? Was blood that strong between kinsmen?

"Los?" asked Pooja patiently.

"My real name is Leia."

"Leia," said Pooja slowly. "It's a name that suits you. I didn't think you were named something like Los."

"L-O-S, are my initials," explained Leia. "Well, L-O-N-S would be more accurate, but my mother's maiden name is a well recognized one. It's something you would recognize for sure."

"Really. You mentioned that WE had connections," said Pooja. The older woman sat down on a soft leather couch and began to ponder Leia's words. The younger woman obviously had something to tell her, but Pooja didn't want to push her. "You can tell me when you are ready. It doesn't have to be tonight."

"We're headed to Tattooine. My father and grandmother are from there" said Leia. "My father's side of the family is from there. I want to visit my grandmother's grave, will you go with me?"

Pooja was quiet as she assessed the young girl in front of her. She was sixteen, that much Pooja had deduced from her conversations with the officers and Leia herself. Yet, all the officers deferred to her as their superior. It was bizarre, but she had taken it in stride. She also knew that Leia had some sort of relationship with Vader, a relationship that she had hinted that they shared. It was from him that her authority stemmed.

Leia's request was very unusual. Something like this wasn't asked of anyone, especially of someone who was hardly even an accquantince. Pooja also had much to do. She was already late in taking her position as Senator due to her captivity. Yet, she wanted to know what was between her and this young woman. Leia was a mystery. After all, how did a sixteen year old girl take command of an Imperial strike squadron? Moreover, Pooja felt as if she were being judged somehow at the moment. Her decision here was crucial.

"If you would like me to, I would be honored," Pooja answered.

"You have a lot to do before you take up office," said Leia echoing Pooja's earlier thought.

"That is certainly true. I can do that on this ship as well as I could on Coruscant. I also need to go to Naboo before taking up my position. My family is from there. Perhaps, after we visit Tattooine, you would like to come to Naboo for a bit. It's only a short jump away. My mother is an incredible cook and I'm sure you would love our home there."

"I… I very much want to go to Naboo, but…, replied Leia before growing quiet again.

"What's wrong Leia?" asked Pooja after the silence had lapsed for several minutes.

Leia turned around and looked Pooja straight in the eye. "I'm struggling with the decision of whether I can trust you," sheadmitted honestly.

"Trust is not something given easily," replied Pooja without any offense taken.

Leia shook her head. "This is more. If I tell you, I place my life in your hands. I might even place the life of others in your hands."

Again Leia was quiet. When she spoke, her question took Pooja by surprise. "Why are you into politics? Other than the idealist drivel that everyone spouts."

"My aunt was the queen of Naboo during our greatest crisis. She was our Senator throughout the Clone Wars and was one of the Emperor's closest allies. She's a hero on our planet. I guess I always looked up to her and wanted to be like her."

"Can you tell me about her? Not as a Senator, but as family?"

Another very strange request, thought Pooja. "She was very beautiful and she was very kind. I can always remember her with a smile on her face when she came to visit. Mother and her were very close even though they lived completely separate lives. Aunt Padme was always just another member of the family to us. Never pretentious, never too good to help out. I wish I knew her better, but I was very young. I think… I was seven when I saw her last. The Clone Wars were coming to an end, and I think things were becoming very tense on Coruscant." Pooja paused as she searched her memories. "The Jedi killed her, at least that's what we were told. I'm not sure if I believe it."

"Why don't you believe it?" asked Leia curiously.

"She was a powerful Senator and an ally of Chancellor Palpatine during the Republic. I know the Emperor had many powerful enemies and as one of his supporters Aunt Padme had her share as well. She had a Jedi guardian and I remember him. His name was Anakin. Anakin Skywalker. I remember him because he used to play with me and showed me all these things he could do with the Force. It seemed like magic to me then… well perhaps it is magic. I went out one morning to find Anakin to see if he could show me more of his tricks. I saw the two holding hands and even to me then, I could tell they were very much in love. I called him Uncle Ani. Aunt Padme always called him Ani. You should have seen their faces when I first did that. They seemed surprised and then almost delighted that I did so," recalled Pooja wistfully. Her tone turned somber then, " Aunt Padme died while she was pregnant; I always did wonder if it was Anakin's… Uncle Ani's child."

"It was," said Leia with no doubt in her voice.

Pooja arched an eyebrow questioningly at Leia. "I've always thought it was, but a Jedi can never form attachments. Love was forbidden to them. How can you be so sure?"

"Because Senator Amidala did not die pregnant. She died in childbirth and it was covered up by the Jedi."

Disbelief radiated off Pooja. "I find that very hard to believe. That sounds like a conspiracy theory."

"Oh, I have living proof," chuckled Leia.

Pooja looked at Leia waiting for her to elaborate.

"The proof stands right before you… cousin," said Leia softly. "I did not die with my mother."

"That's…" Pooja was about to say outrageous, but she caught herself. Her initial reaction was absolute disbelief. She had seen with her own eyes that her Aunt had been pregnant at the funeral. Yet… if the Jedi were involved in a cover up then anything was possible. She looked at Leia for resemblances to her Aunt and noticed some.Still, those might be things she wanted to see. Many traits were similar between people who had no relation whatsoever. She looked at Leia's eyes; they were the same soft brown as her mother's. And they were very vulnerable. She knew immediately that this was Leia's most tightly kept secret. Still, she was not sure that she believed it. Maybe Leia believed, but it didn't mean that it was the truth. "I'm sorry to say this, but I find that hard to believe. I was at my Aunt's funeral. I remember that she was pregnant."

"I can have a DNA test to compare our genes."

"No… that won't be necessary. You can either convince me without, or you cannot. If this is such a highly guarded secret…, if it puts your life and others at risk, such an act would be foolish," stated Pooja. "Tell me, if you are my Aunt's child… my cousin… was your father Anakin Skywalker?"

"He was, and I know this because he still lives. I've seen holos of them together, and letters to each other, Pooja. I know that they were very much in love. The Jedi kept them apart, and eventually their actions led to her death."

"Anakin has been alive? He wasn't at Aunt Padme's funeral… I looked everywhere for him, I always thought he died in the Jedi Purges. He raised you then?"

"He was… near death at the time of the funeral, but I don't think he would have gone anyway. It would have been… too painful. My father didn't raise me. In fact, he had no idea of my existence until about six years ago. He also thought I was dead along with my mother."

"Then where were you? If they concocted the pregnant façade at the funeral, where did they bring you? Why weren't you sent to us? Your family?" Anger tinged Pooja's voice.

"The Jedi took me to Alderaan. I think, you might have heard of a Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan. I was raised in Bail Organa's household. He adopted me as his daughter."

"You are!... Leia Organa, but… you disappeared years ago…" Now Pooja looked at the young girl closely. She had seen pictures of Leia Organa before; she had even been sent holos and asked to give information if she ever ran across someone that looked liked her. In fact, the timeline fit perfectly. The girl was telling the truth. It was obvious in every way that the girl princess had grown into the teenager before her. "You are her! Amazing."

As ridiculous as the story sounded to Pooja, when she made the connection that Leia was truly Leia Organa she began to believe the young girl. What reason would Leia Organa have to flee Alderaan? She seemed well in control of her own life now and not under any duress. Imperials even obeyed her orders so if she wanted to return to Alderaan she could. L-O-N-S. Leia Organa Nabierre Skywalker. Either this was an incredibly elaborate ruse or Leia was telling the truth. Her intuition told Pooja that Leia was telling the truth. And if she was that meant… Wonder turned to fury. "How dare Bail Organa do such a thing! He stole you away! He stole you from your father… from us—your family! He dared to call Aunt Padme a friend… So much for his so called morals."

"Peace," said Leia gently as she touched her cousin's arm to calm the outraged Pooja. It seemed that her own temper was not solely from her father's side or even her Sith nature. "It was the Jedi that stole me away. Bail treated me well. He raised me as his own until my father found me."

"So that was what happened? They said you were kidnapped, I even heard that Vader…" Realization dawned on Pooja. She felt light-headed. This mystery was so convoluted.

"Vader is Anakin… He must be… How can that be?" she whispered softly.

"You are too insightful for your own good," sighed Leia. "Please Pooja… this is a great secret. No one can know of who Vader once was… or my relationship to him."

"We are Naboo," said Pooja. "Family is the foremost thing in our lives…"

"We have just met, you don't know me… you know of Vader's reputation," said Leia. "You trust very easily."

"To earn trust, you must give it," said Pooja. "Your mother said that to me once. I've always believed it. Leia, you must return to Naboo with me. My sister Ryoo… your aunt, uncle, and grandparents all still live there. They would want to meet you."

"I cannot go without my father…" said Leia. She wanted to go so much, but she couldn't. Tears clouded her eyes as she struggled with herself. Pooja's offer was so tempting. "I can't do that to him. He's… he's lost so much, Pooja. You cannot imagine what it's like for him to be so alone all those years, to have his wife stripped from him, to be encased in that horrid suit. He has only me and if I go without him it would be… almost as if I were leaving him. I cannot go without him and I do no think that he would survive an encounter with your family."

"Perhaps we can convince him?" asked Pooja. "I know grandmother and grandfather still mention him sometimes. They think fondly of him."

"Even if they knew he had become Vader? No… I know my father well, Pooja. He would not go; he would not wish to tear open old wounds… his and your… our grandparents. And worse, he would wish me to go without him even though it would pain him. Please don't ask him. Don't even mention it."

"I don't think Vader and I move in the same circles," chuckled Pooja. "I won't say anything, though."

"Thank you," replied Leia. "But I think you will see him more than you expect to. Don't worry, he remembers you. He's concerned about your well being or I wouldn't have been sent here to do deal with these slavers."

"I hope to stay on his good side then."

"You'll be fine," said Leia as she rose. She felt a flutter in the Force. It was something she was expecting. No doubt, Siri had awoken and had found herself in captivity. The restraints she had placed wouldn't hold a Jedi for long. Even the slave collar wouldn't be much of an obstacle to a Jedi. It was time for her to confront the Jedi. "It's getting late. I have one more errand to take care of. I shall see you tomorrow?"

"Of course, I hope to spend some time with you on our way to Tatooine."

"You don't have to come if you have a lot to do."

"No, I want to. I'd like to meet our branch of the family from there."

"Thank you, Pooja. Until tomorrow then?"

"Tomorrow," replied Pooja. She paused and then asked another question that was bothering her. "Leia, what happened to Siri? Did you find her?"

"Yes… she is fine. Don't worry about her. You'll probably see her again."

"Probably?"

"The future is always in motion," said Leia sagely. "I haven't decided what will happen to her, but I don't plan on anything… ill… happening to her. I'll fill you in tomorrow."

Pooja accepted that this was all she was going to get her cousin to divulge. "Alright, good night."

"Good night."

Author's Note: Lengthier Note will be posted in Forums.