The double door was massive, seemingly made of solid stone. Leia rubbed her hand across it to remove some of the dust. Exposing old etchings and writings, covering most of its surface.

"Too bad Threepio isn't here, he could probably tell us what it says" Luke said, moving closer to get a better look. "It seems this is the way forward though"

"I can probably tell you some of what it says" Leia said sarcastically.

"What?" he asked, as he started to search the door for a release mechanism, with his gloved hand.

"Do not enter!"

He gave her a look, but made no protest, which was not reassuring. "Ah found it" he said, and a clicking sound echoed through the passage, as the double doors started moving inwards slowly. It's ancient mechanism struggling beneath the weight.

Taking an uncertain step inside, she looked around. While the passage behind them might have been dark, this chamber was pitch black. Unconsciously she rubbed her arms, it was freezing.

Lifting her light to her face, she could see her own breath when she exhaled. The cold of this place seemed to dig beneath her skin, all the way into her soul. She shuddered.

"I don't think we should linger." Perhaps this was the pit, Arune had spoken of, it certainly felt like one.

"Me neither" Luke said stepping closer to her. At that moment the doors behind them slammed shut, a lot faster than they had opened. Frowning Luke turned back to Vader, leaving her momentarily alone.

"Hello" a soft voice said, startled she spun around. Just a head of her, stood a young boy. A child? What was a child doing down here by his own? Was he lost?

"Hi, who are you?" she asked suspiciously, leaning forward, one hand moving to her lightsaber.

The boy looked up at her with wide blue eyes. "My name is Anakin, and I am a person" he said, looking very determined.

Anakin? Leia stood up in shock, before she had a chance to reply, a pale white skeletal hand grabbed the boy by a shoulder and dragged him into the inky blackness. A pair of frightened blue eyes pleaded with her, before the darkness swallowed him hole. She took a step forward, but he was already gone.

"Hello anyone there?" She asked, turning her lightsaber on, spinning around in the dark, but there was nothing there now. Until Vader reappeared just outside the blue sheen of her saber.

"Did you see that?" she asked anxiously.

"Yes. Do not feed the visions, they will only grow stronger. We must keep walking" he said curtly, before walking on.

Hurriedly she followed, "That little boy was you wasn't he?" she asked, talking long strides to keep pace with him.

"Once a very long time ago" he replied, but he did not deliberate any further.

Uncertain, she put her saber away, thinking of the boy's lost expression. Just a child then, not a monster.

Luke reappeared at her left shoulder, shaking his head gravely. The door behind them firmly shut, apparently now they were truly trapped.

"Have you seen visions like this before" she asked.

"Not quite like this, but similar" he replied quietly, pulling his own cloak closer around himself.

"What did you see?"

"My self" he replied, looking over at Vader, with a pained expression.

Vader turned his head towards them "We have to make it to the other side, whatever you do, don't turn back, or you will drown in this place" Leia could tell he was worried, which made her even more so, somehow.

Frowning she lifted her flashlight, the ground crunched beneath her feet as she walked. Ahead a dark tendril separated from the blackness, reaching out and caressing her. Gasping she pulled back, her skin covered in goose bumps, but undeterred it intertwined itself around her wrist.

The dark space around her suddenly transformed, sharp light momentarily blinding her. Putting a hand protectively across her eyes she blinked, slowly letting her eye sight adjust. The image that met her when she could finally see, almost stopped her heart.

Gentle rays of sunlight were coming in through a large arched window. The view was one she thought she would never see again. Her father was sitting at his desk working. He had been in there most days when he was home. But no matter how busy he had been, his door had always been open to her.

Spotting her, he leaned back in his chair, giving her a gentle smile.

"Father" she whispered, feeling tears threatened to spring free. It was a vision, just a vision. Vader's warning rang in her ears. Where was he anyway, where was Luke? She turned to look around, but they were slowly fading away. She blinked and they were gone.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to push the vision away. This was nothing but a cruel lie

"Leia" her father said softly. At the sound of his voice she could feel her tears push past her eyelids, helpless to stop it. His voice made her feel tired, sleepy. She wanted to rest, not to go back, to where everything hurt. To where everyone was gone. No, she wanted stay here where she would be safe, with her father. The man that had loved her, played with her when she was little, held her close when she was scared.

Opening her eyes again, she drank in the sight of his face. His dark eyes crinkled as he smiled, a sight that had always made her feel safe. Oh, how she had missed that feeling. Even though she had always been headstrong, independent, a part of her yearned for her father's warm hug. To keep the darkness at bay.

"You are safe now sweetheart. He won't hurt you again. You are here with me where you belong" he said softly, holding a hand out towards her. It would be so easy to stay, not to go back. Not to Vader, her tormenter, her birthfather.

An image of Vader's dark mask, blurred before her eyes, imposing onto Bails kind face. Her two father's, they could not have been more different. She wanted Bail, not that other one.

Taking a small step towards him, she lifted her hand to touch his. Why shouldn't she stay, this was home. His dark eyes gleamed greedily, as she took another step forward. A shiver ran down her spine, frowning she stopped. Why did this feel wrong? Blinking she suddenly remembered another set of eyes, blue once. Lost to the darkness, all alone.

Alone, she knew that feeling. Had felt it so keenly in her cell on the death start. Until another pair of blue eyes had rescued her, and changed her life forever.

Same but different, shaking her head she tried to remember, but her thoughts felt vague, and indistinct. Following the thread of something familiar, someone desperately calling to her, she latched on to that bond. As she did it grew stronger. Luke!

For a moment she had forgotten him. She shook her head, letting her hand drop. Her brother, she could not leave her brother, she could not leave Han. This was not her, it was not like her to give up, to give in. Shaking her head again, she took a step back "No"

Her father snarled, getting to his feet "I should have known taking in a child of his would mean the death of us all. You brought them here, you did this!" he said, pointing at the window, and as he spoke she could see a green flash approaching rapidly.

The words stung to her very core, and now he was looking at her with hatred in his eyes, as the sky behind started to burn. Her father would never have done that. Whatever this was, this thing was not him. Leia lifted her hand, to protect herself. It was over in a moment, the flash of light hurting her eyes, making her see green long after it vanished.

Then everything went black, and she fell to her knees. Barely noticing someone pulling her close and rocking her gently. Her wrist burned, but not from any fire, but from a chill so deep it hurt.

"Hush" Luke said softly, hugging her close. "It's over, you are safe now"

"They are all gone Luke. All of them" she cried into his shoulder. His worry encircled her, this was not like her she knew that, and so did he. When had she turned into such a mess?

"I am not. I am here, and I won't leave you" he whispered, still holding her. She rested there for a moment, until something sharp dug into her thigh. Startled she opened tearstained eyes.

Grasping for her flashlight, she turned it on, pointing it to the ground beneath them. Aghast she got to her feet. "Luke is that–"

"Bones" he said gravely, as he stood. "There are more of them, everywhere"

Leia lifted her flashlight, covering the ground at regular intervals, where bones. Some human, others she did not know. Most seemed to have been there for a while, and had started to turn to dust, coating the ground in white.

She swallowed "We need to get out of here"

"I know" Vader said. Leia had almost forgotten he was there. He had kept his distance during her little outburst, and she was glad of it. This was the second time she had fallen apart in front of him her. It rankled.

"That thing did this didn't it?" she asked him, rubbing her tears away.

He nodded, not looking directly at her." I think whatever it is, it lures living creatures down here to feed on their life force."

"Great, and I presume we are todays dinner" she said, feeling fatigued. It had gotten to her so easily, the fact that she wanted to give in, just go to sleep, shamed her.

"Presumably." He said, finally looking at her. "You did well Leia, but I fear it will try again. There are ways to protect yourself from such an attack, but there is no time to teach you now."

Leia realised then, that out of the three of them she was the most exposed. Luke had told her, her power likely rivalled his own, and that of their father. But little good that would do her now, without the knowledge to use it.

"I will keep it from you if I can" Vader said quietly, trying to reassure her.

She nodded, uncertain if she had the strength to pull away again if it came back, she felt exhausted, more so then she ever had.

A thought popped into her head then. "Do you think Arune came down here, and that's why he went insane?" she asked, remembering the crazed look in his eyes. Dead eyes.

"Perhaps, but you don't need visions to driver someone mad. Grief alone is enough." Vader said thoughtfully "But I do think it has been feeding on them, even from down here. Who knows what prolonged exposure to this place could do. But, come we should hurry."

As they continued on, she found herself latching on to the systematic breathing of Vader's respirator, of all things. To drown out the sound of crunching bones beneath their feet.

In and out it went. Until a strange echo of his breath disrupted the rhythm. Confused she wondered if he had trouble breathing. That's when she saw it. Walking purposely out of the blackness was another Vader. Cape flickering in a non-existent breeze.

Just a head of them he stopped, nonchalantly crushing a skull with one booted foot. The mask tilted, looking between her and Luke, before focusing on Vader.

Then he lifted his hand removing the helmet, but instead of the pale scared face she had grown to expect, the familiar face of a young man, with thick dark blond hair emerged. Smirking he stuck the helmet beneath his arm.

"So this is the whelp you gave up all our power for" he said, studying Luke with disdain in his yellow eyes. "For what? So you can grovel at the feet of those less than you. To a daughter that hates you" he scoffed. "If the whelp does not want to join us, dispose of him. Then take our power back. But the girl.." he said, turning to her assessing her with interest." She has the fire, she has the rage, her we can use"

"No" Vader said simply, stepping in front of her.

The other narrowed his eyes. "Sentiment is weakness" he hissed, pointing at them with one gloved hand. "They are your weakness."

Vader just shook his head, stepping closer to his image, until they were head to head. "No you are" Then he walked away, his angry reflection fading away into nothing. The darkness tried to grab him as he went, but he just flicked it away.

Stepping closer to Luke, they followed him, walking as fast as they could. The darkness prodded at her, touched her softly. She did her best to push it away, but after a while her feet started to feel heavy. Leia wanted to sit, she was done fighting now, she wanted to rest. Slowly she started to sink down on to the ground until a strong arm lifted her up, steading her. Vader.

"No Leia, you must walk" Confused she touched his breast panel, it was shiny. Leaning into him, another tendril made a grab for her, promising her release, freedom from pain. But she had no strength now to push it away, in fact she didn't want to. Vader touched it then, letting it grab hold of him, to keep it from her.

Some of her sanity started to return to her as he did. Shaking her head, she moved away from him, frowning as she looked up at his mask. She still felt fatigued, but somehow no longer drained. What had he done?

"Are you both alright?" Luke asked. He was looking strained as well, probably using all his strength to keep that thing at bay.

She nodded "I am ok" Before looking anxiously over at Vader, he still appeared strong. But wasn't that why people wore mask, to hide things? Who knows what he was really feeling.

"Liar" a voice whispered softly from the dark, and she could see Vader stiffen, before he shook it off. "We must go"

Notes:

End of part one of this chapter, more to come, (more of me torturing my favorite characters, because I am bit evil) but I am going on holiday so I don't know when.

Thanks for your kind reviews, this story was never meant to be this long, hopefully it will all make sense in the end:)