Chapter Twenty-Six: Breha's Interlude

Many rebellion agents passed through the Alderaanian palace, none of them ever staying long. But there was something that struck Breha Organa about Ahsoka Tano. Maybe it was seeing how young she was, having already fought in a war that immediately cast her aside and blamed her Order for the fallout when it was convenient. More likely, it was seeing the young woman be so gentle and caring with her dead friends' children, taking on the role of motherhood when she hadn't been expecting to. So against her better judgment, risking her plausible deniability about the rebellion, Breha offered the former Jedi and her children a place in the House of Organa. Luke and Leia were officially wards of the royal family. Ahsoka's place wasn't so official, but Breha made it clear that the Alderaanian palace was also her home.

Bail hadn't liked the idea. Not of taking in the twins but having the constant presence of a Jedi living in the palace. But Breha would not hear his reason. Ahsoka fought a war as a child, had been accused of treason, had her name cleared and fought for the Republic again, had been accused of treason along with all the other Jedi, and was now willing to go to war again for the galaxy. The least she could do was give her safe place to settle with her children.

What Breha hadn't expected was for them to become so close. It was only natural that they would, Breha supposed. Luke and Leia were only a little over a year older than Winter, and the three children spent a significant amount of time with each other. Inevitably when Ahsoka was home, the Queen spent time with her and grew fond of the girl's quick wit and teasing nature.

When they both had nothing they needed to do (or even sometimes when they did), Breha would ask her handmaidens to take care of the children for a few hours and grab a few bottles of wine, and they'd watch supernatural romance holoflicks from Breha's youth. They were sucky and cheesy, but when Breha needed to not think about her responsibilities, they made her feel like the pre-teen who hadn't had to shoulder the burden of being queen. From back when she had the privilege to finish her schooling and invite companions—companions who had long moved on to take up their own lives and duties—without a care in the world.

"These movies are so bad," Ahsoka said good-naturedly once as she laughed at the movie.

"I know that, but I will hear no blasphemy against this film. You have your anime; I can have my supernatural romances."

"Hey! My anime is high-class art, and you know it."

"Some of it, maybe. But some of them are as sucky and hit the right spot of childhood nostalgia as my movies."

"I'm just going to agree to disagree with you, my friend." Then she added, "Though Skyguy probably would have agreed with you."

Breha frowned a little in confusion as Ahsoka poured more of the wine.

"Skyguy?"

Ahsoka's eyes widened just a little before she recovered her composure and said, "That's what I used to call my master."

Ahsoka had changed the subject after that. For all that the woman was extremly open and honest about her feelings and opinions, Ahsoka was particularly tight-lipped about anything to do with before the Empire. The war. The Jedi. She talked about Padmé sometimes. But there was no topic that she avoided talking about more than she avoided talking about Anakin Skywalker, not even so much as breathe his name.

Breha didn't know much about the Jedi. No one did. But she did know that master and padawan pairs tended to form close bonds, despite their code of non-attachment. Ahsoka explained the attachment rule to Breha once, right after the togruta woman informed her that she'd renounced the Jedi. She'd given no reason for casting off the name but had offhandedly stated that she probably couldn't call herself that with two younglings calling her mama anyway. The comment prompted Breha to ask what she meant, and she'd explained the Jedi's code and the prohibition of attachments and the reasons behind them. Breha still didn't fully understand. Their code banning attachments seemed like the equivalent of banning planetary alliances and treaties because sometimes such alliances led to war. But she hadn't wanted to seem critical of the dead Order.

Even still, the teacher-student bonds were supposed to be very purposeful. Only so far as to be able to groom and raise the student into a full-fledged Jedi before such bonds were supposed to be broken. Considering what she'd heard of the pair from Bail, who the girl's master had been, and that she was raising his children, Ahsoka and her Jedi master had been closer than most. Probably very similar in personality too; also based on what Bail had told her.

"I haven't seen the kind of single-minded determination Ahsoka has since I saw it in her master," Bail had once commented.

Maybe that was a good thing for the rebellion, but even from a distance, Breha saw what the war had done to Anakin Skywalker. He'd been too young. So was Ahsoka. And every time the girl took a new mission, each one more dangerous than the last as her rebellion network grew, Breha pleaded with Mother Alderaan to watch over Ahsoka even though she wasn't one of Alderaan's daughters.

Luke and Leia didn't deserve to lose another parent.

So when Ahsoka returned from an encounter with Darth Vader, despite the fact that doing so would risk Breha's plausible deniability, Breha was waiting when the girl's ship landed in a secret hanger of the palace. It was late in the night on Alderaan, so Breha was dressed in a casual silk kaftan with her dark hair sweeping down her back rather than pulled up into some elaborate style. Normally, she'd never walk out of the living areas of the palace so underdressed, but for her friend, Breha would make the exception.

Ahsoka barely stepped off the ramp when Breha stepped forward and hugged her tightly, forget that the girl was uncomfortable with prolonged physical contact for the most part.

"I'm fine, Breha, but I won't be I you keep hugging me so tight. My ribs are still healing," the woman teased.

"How dare you joke about something like this right now? You fought Darth Vader. He could have killed you," Breha said, stepping backward.

"He didn't, though. I'm fine," Ahsoka said with a shrug.

Breha frowned as she took the younger woman in. She looked worn out and strangely annoyed, but not particularly concerned about her encounter with Darth Vader. Or at least that's what it seemed. For all that Ahsoka was generally honest with her thoughts and opinions, it was hard to get a reading on how she was truly feeling. And not for the first time did Breha get the feeling that even though the girl had renounced the Jedi way, she still fell back on the old teachings to hide more secrets than the unspoken ones that Breha already knew about.

"Come on," Breha said, hooking her arm into one of Ahsoka's.

"I've got to brief my agents about what's going on."

"Your agents can wait," Breha determined firmly.

Ahsoka gave Breha a patient look before sighing. "I think it's probably in my best interest not to argue with you."

Ahsoka was being kind. If she really wanted to argue and go brief her agents, she'd do it regardless of Breha's insistence. Her friend wanted the out Breha was giving her.

Breha led Ahsoka through the dimly lit palace, using secret halls and corridors that she'd memorized as a child to lead Ahsoka to her personal chambers. Not the one she shared with Bail when he was on-planet, but the one from when she was only Alderaan's princess. She'd come here many days not too long ago and cried because of yet another miscarriage. Feeling completely alone and not wanting to burden the friends and childhood companions who moved on with their own families. Feeling a little jealous of them and then feeling bad because of how grateful she should be for the privilege, money, and status she had instead of wallowing in her sorrow.

As soon as Breha had caught a glimpse of the sorrowful look in Ahsoka's eyes when she first arrived here years ago, she'd decided she would share this place with her.

Breha barely closed the door by the time Ahsoka made her way to the wine cabinet in the corner of the room and pulled out her and Breha's favorite wine.

"You're not on any painkillers, are you?" Breha asked.

"Nah," Ahsoka said as she popped the bottle open and poured a glass for Breha and handed it to her.

Breha took it and watched the younger woman poured herself a glass, wondering how she could be so calm after surviving an encounter with Darth Vader. Encounters with him were rare and usually deadly. Once Darth Vader had a person in his sights, he didn't rest until he found them. The only reason anyone had any intel on the man at all was because of the rumors that managed to spread from the Imperial Army and through to the civilian population. They were more ghost stories than anything. A lot of misinformation. If Bail had not seen the terrifying man himself on Coruscant and standing at the emperor's side, if Ahsoka hadn't told them about him, Breha would question whether he was real.

"When we heard about you and Vader, we waited for the Empire to issue a bounty on you," Breha said as they curled up on the soft sofa together. "They didn't."

"Good thing," Ahsoka replied. "Would be harder to maneuver if there was a bounty on my head. That said, there is some honor among thieves and most of the ones who would be a problem owe me a favor or three."

Breha usually found Ahsoka's ability to find humor in everything endearing, but not today. Not when she was sure that the emperor's top enforcer now had her in his sights.

"How can you joke about such a thing?" Breha demanded. "Don't you know it's worse that there hasn't been a bounty. It means that you have his attention. It means that he wants to deal with you personally. And you know what happens when Vader decides to hunt someone down."

"You don't have to remind me. I've been trying to keep Jedi out his grasp for years now."

"Then why aren't you worried. Why are you so sure he won't come after you?"

"What makes you think I'm sure about that?"

"Because if you thought he was trying to track you down, you wouldn't have come here and risked leading him to Luke and Leia."

Ahsoka didn't answer, her face a carefully blank mask. She always wore a blank mask, reacting coolly, calmly, and rationally to most news. Grim, when she needed to be. But that was in public. Ahsoka didn't wear that mask in private. Not with Breha about most things. Certainly not when it came to the twins. Even if she didn't want to talk about it, Ahsoka usually showed when something was bothering her.

"Ahsoka, what aren't you telling me?"

"There are a lot of things I don't tell you, Breha. Just like there are a lot of things you don't tell me."

"What aren't you telling me about Darth Vader?"

Ahsoka took a long gulp of her wine, cleverly hiding whatever expression it was that she hadn't been able to keep herself from making. When she brought the glass back down again, the mask was gone. Breha knew that look. A look that was somehow angry, sad, and longing at the same time. A look Breha knew was reserved only for Anakin Skywalker. Breha assumed Vader killed him like he had the other Jedi, maybe eve to give Ahsoka and Padmé a chance to escape. It would explain why, though Ahsoka never admitted to it, she'd been present when Padmé gave birth and had the children with her. But that didn't explain why she wasn't worried about Vader. Nor would it explain why the look she normally only made when Anakin Skywalker was mentioned crossed her face when Darth Vader was mentioned. Especially that longing. Why would she...

"You know Vader," Breha stated. Then she added, "You know who Vader is. You knew him before he was Vader. And he knows you. He's not putting a bounty on your head because he doesn't want anyone to catch you."

It made sense, and it didn't. If anything, Ahsoka knowing who Vader was before was more of a reason for him to come after her. Part of the mystery around Vader, part of what made him so terrifying, was that no one knew what he was. Knowing Vader was just a man might give people more incentive to join the rebellion. Because a man or a woman could be defeated, Force powers or not.

"You're jumping to a lot of conclusions today."

A non-answer. Neither a denial nor an admission. With Ahsoka, it could mean either one.

"Ahsoka, I swear to Mother Alderaan herself—"

Ahsoka held up her hand, cutting Breha off.

"I'm not going to insult your intelligence by lying to you, Breha. Truthfully, I've wanted to tell you for a while. It's just… it's dangerous. But it might be more dangerous for you not to know."

Breha frowned, not sure if there was a way to prepare for what Ahsoka was getting ready to reveal to her.

"You can't tell anyone. Just telling you is a risk, but I trust you. And lies and secrets between people who were supposed to trust each other are what got us into this mess."

"Ahsoka," Breha breathed.

"You have to promise," Ahsoka said firmly. "Promise on Mother Alderaan."

Ahsoka wouldn't ask Breha to make such a vow if it wasn't serious, so she took the last gulp of her wine, set it to the side, and said, "I promise. I promise on Mother Alderaan."

Ahsoka inhaled and exhaled deeply before she said, "You're right. I do know Vader. I knew him before the end of the Clone Wars. Before he was Vader. He was a good friend."

"Who was he before he was Vader?"

Ahsoka stayed silent, and Breha feared the answer. A good friend. Ahsoka didn't have many people she considered good friends before the end of the Clone Wars. Especially among the Jedi. Breha knew that from the sparingly few times Ahsoka did talk about them. Breha was even sure the reason for her renouncement of the faith had something to do with how they'd cast her out when she'd been framed and whatever happened between them taking her back and their destruction.

Unless she was good friends with a powerful Force user outside the Jedi, that left a very short list of who Darth Vader could be.

Then she remembered that look earlier. The look Ahsoka only made when she was thinking about her Jedi master.

Kriff.

"Ahsoka," Breha whispered, despite knowing this was probably the most secure place in the palace. Breha made it that way. "Who was Darth Vader?"

"I think you already know."

Lifelong lessons of class and dignity about the words a queen should utter flew from Breha's mind as she yelled, "What the kriffing kriff?"

"Breha."

"Don't you dare try to placate me like you're talking to one of your children, Ahsoka Tano," Breha snapped loudly. "You just told me… You want me to believe…"

But it made sense. A terrifying amount of it. Her refusal to even utter Anakin Skywalker's name. The nonchalant manner she reacted to Vader not having a bounty on her. How she'd just managed to escape Vader's clutches twice over. Once when she'd fled Sheba, and again a few days ago.

"He's the twins' father." Breha didn't need her confirmation. "Does he know?"

Ahsoka nodded. "Alderaan's in no more danger because of that fact. It's actually in a lot less."

"He knows they're here."

"He strongly suspects."

"Kriff," Breha muttered. "I'm way too sober for this conversation."

Ahsoka used the Force to levitate the bottle to her hand and poured more into Breha's glass when she held it out.

"Wait… does he know about the rebellion?"

"He knows that I lead it. He gives me tips sometimes."

So he was Ahsoka's high ranking informant.

"Wait. So who did you really fight a few days ago?"

"Vader."

"But… was it real."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes and said wryly, "Yeah. It was real. We have different ideas about the place the Jedi have in the galaxy."

To Breha's growing horror, Ahsoka laughed a little. Like her fight with Vader had been some run of the mill petty disagreement.

"That's not funny. He tried to kill you."

"He wasn't trying to kill me."

"He fought you. He broke your ribs and fractured your leg."

"And grabbed me by the neck," Ahsoka added. "Only because I got in his way. Nothing some strong bacta didn't fix. And trust, he's got his fair share of injuries too." Ahsoka shrugged. "We'll argue about it a little the next time I take the twins to see him, and then it'll be water under the bridge."

"You let him be around the twins!"

"He won't hurt them."

"How can you know that? If he's willing to hurt you, knowing you're their mother, how do you know he won't hurt them when they start getting older and begin disagreeing with him. If they decide to fight back against him."

Ahsoka didn't immediately answer that. Instead, she looked down and studied her empty wine glass. Finally, after agonizing seconds that felt like minutes to Breha, Ahsoka looked up at Breha with that steel in her eyes that Bail said reminded him of Anakin Skywalker. Of the man Ahsoka had just admitted was Darth Vader and who could have killed her a few days ago.

"He won't," Ahsoka assured.

"Who are you trying to convince? Me or yourself?"

"I'm not trying to convince anyone. It's the truth."

"Are you listening to yourself? Do you realize what you just told me?"

Ahsoka's gaze softened. She took Breha's wine glass and set it aside with her own, before curling up in the space next to Breha, scooting so close there was no space between them.

"I know how all this sounds. I know Vader is a dangerous man, and I have no illusions who and what I'm dealing with. But it's a lot more complicated than it seems, and there are powers involved beyond your comprehension."

The Force, Breha guessed.

Ahsoka continued, "I didn't tell you this to worry you. I told you this because you're my friend, and I don't want to keep secrets from you. But you're going to have to trust me on this. He's not going to kill me, and he's not going to hurt the twins."

Breha was very aware that Ahsoka wasn't assuring her that Vader wouldn't hurt Ahsoka too. But she supposed when you were on different sides (Maybe? Vader was her informant after all), them getting into physical fights were an occupational hazard.

Finally, Breha replied softly, "Until he does."

"He's not going to," Ahsoka assured again. "But if I think he is, you'll be the first to know." Then she smiled and said, "Now. Sucky teenage romance holomovies that hit just the right spot of childhood nostalgia."

Breha wanted to argue with her further, but she knew Ahsoka would say no more no matter how much she tried by the abrupt change of subject. If Breha pushed too hard, Ahsoka would just get irritated and leave.

Still, Breha couldn't help but continue to wonder what the hell was going on between Ahsoka and Darth Vader that had inspired Ahsoka with so much certainty in and loyalty to the terrifying enforcer.


AN: There are clearly going to be a lot of varying opinions on Ahsoka's and Vader's relationship. But I think the distance gives different perspectives. Breha is very clearly worried that this is a type of abusive relationship. And Ahsoka's and Vader's relationship absolutely has the hallmarks of an abusive and toxic relationship on both ends. Vader for sure (the I hurt you because of something you did is a classic abuse tactic), but Ahsoka's demonstrated that she can be just as cruel with words and egg him on when she wants to. I purposely write their relationship that way. I know what it looks like, and I'm under no illusions that Ahsoka and Vader have a healthy relationship, and I want to make sure that's obvious.

Anywho, thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed. Review please!