Vader's hand shook, which, considering it was fully cybernetic, was a bit obnoxious. Surely a cybernetic hand could be programed to dispatch with such a human failing.
He'd taken the girl's blood, and now he had to acquire his own, which required he enter his hyperbaric chamber.
He pressed a hypo against the palid skin of his shoulder. Now he had two samples, which might or might not be the undoing of everything he had believed.
He chided himself for his hesitation and ran the comparison. It took only moments. He had his answer.
His child had survived.
He replaced his armor but kept his mask off, blinking in the rich atmosphere, replaying what Kenobi had said when last they spoke.
For Kenobi had done this. He'd stolen the child, and arranged for Padme to be buried as though she were still with child. Vader had watched the Holo footage of his wife's funeral on Naboo countless times. He could see the perfect roundness of her belly when he closed his eyes. He'd lost his wife, and his child, and there had been nothing left but vengeance.
Kenobi's cruelty was suffocating. Had he not understood Anakin would do anything for those he loved? Had he thought that Vader was incapable of caring for his own daughter?
Clearly that was exactly what Kenobi thought, for she'd grown up with another family, utterly unaware to whom she belonged.
He was of half a mind to storm down into the medical wing and rip Kenobi's head off. Or better yet, wake hip up, confront him with his lies, and then rip off his head.
But he remained motionless as the chamber cycled, disinfecting his mask, and checking the health of the systems he required to live.
And even when they were done he remained, achingly unsurehow to move forward from this point.
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Pain from an old bond roused Ahsoka from her sleep. She woke, springing to her feet as if under attack. But she heard nothing but the hum of a large ship in hyperspace and her quarters bore no sign of an intruder. She reached out in the Force finding Luke's Force signature and no sign of danger at all.
She pulled her robe around herself and stepped out of her quarters hoping a walk would calm her. The night cycle was the best time to get exercise on Home One. During the day she got far too much attention, not only as one of the few remaining of her species, or for being a Jedi, but also for what people thought they knew of her history before and during the war. In the day, the minds of the curious blared loudly with thoughts and rumors about just who she was and what she had done.
She wondered why she had woken this night, what new disruption in the Force was pulling on her, and what it meant for the galaxy at large. Jedi were makers of change, and now that there were so few of them left she felt that change all the more abruptly.
Now that she was awake she tried again to seek out the Force presence of Obi-wan Kenobi, who, Bail had informed her, had sacrificed himself so that Bail, Breha, and Luke, could make it to safety. Clearly, Obi-wan hadn't changed since last she'd seen him. He'd made the best move for the galaxy and left no hope for himself. She thought she would know if Obi-wan had died, and the Force told her, oh so softly, that he yet lived.
She had a vague memory of being visited by Obi-wan during her most recent exile. She still wasn't sure if it had really been his voice she had heard, or if it had just been the Force trying to get her moving once again. That could happen, if you were alone long enough, your own thoughts would speak to you with the voices of old friends. So she'd come back to the Alliance, once again, and found Anakin's son very much in need of a teacher. Clearly it had been the will of the Force, whether or not Obi-wan had actually been involved.
Luke had been despondent since learning the truth about his father. She was giving him a few days to sulk, he deserved that much, now that so many deceptions had been laid bare.
She pitied him, for just as Anakin had been deeply attached to his own mother, all those years ago, his son had been attached to the idea of Anakin Skywalker. Now that Luke understood how his father had fallen in to darkness he was afraid to touch the Force. Ahsoka understood that feeling all too well. The Force could be a burden more than a gift, and it was a singular moment for every young Jedi when they realized how close the darkness lingered to the light.
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Leia had been alone for several days. The tiny pin prick on her arm had healed and the mark had disappeared but the confusion of that event lingered on.
Vader had taken her blood. First he had asked her about her parents, then he'd taken her blood. But what did he care if she had been adopted? Was Force sensitivity a genetic trait? Did that mean Vader had a suspicion about her biological parents? Perhaps that was it, but she still wasn't sure why it would matter so much to him.
He hadn't told her why he was keeping General Kenobi alive in stasis. He'd been cagey about that, even though he'd freely given her a lot of other information. She now knew the Deathstar plans were in the hands of the Alliance and her parents were safe. That was of immeasurable comfort to her. Even if she had no life beyond these rooms there was still hope of destroying the Deathstar, which meant, and in this she agreed with Vader, that her mission had been a success. The Deathstar was a planet killer and they'd sought its complete plans at the cost of many lives. If they could take the emperor's greatest weapon out of play, well, there would still be the Imperial Navy, but even a planet under attack would have a chance to fight back or call for aide. Yes, she'd sacrifice her life twice over if it meant the Deathstar could be taken out of existence.
She reached out in the Force, finding Obi-wan Kenobi's diffuse presence, and next to it, Darth Vader's. He was aware of her too, she sensed suddenly, though she could not decipher his mood let alone his thoughts. He was moving now, and in a matter of minutes he had entered her cell and stood watching her, arms crossed over his chest.
Leia stared back at him, more curious than afraid. The knowledge that her mission had succeeded felt like a kind of armor. No matter what happened to her, that success could not be undone, and she hoped someday her contribution would result in the Empire's complete collapse. It was a steadying thought. She might not live to see it, but she had done everything she could.
When several minutes had gone by marked only by Vader's breathing, she spoke, "Did you find what you were looking for in my blood?"
"Yes." Vader replied in a monotone.
"My biological parents?" She asked, not particularly caring if she were the spawn of the emperor himself.
"Yes." Vader said again, completely unforthcoming.
Leia deliberately shrugged, "When I was twelve I wanted to send my blood to the Imperial database, in case I had any relatives, but my father, my adoptive father Bail Organa, forbade it. I understand, now, that the Inquisitors would have come and taken me away. They would have done to me whatever it is they do to Force-sensitive children. But my father didn't explain any of that. He just begged me to trust him, that there were no answers for me there, that I was entirely Alderaanian."
"Your Force-sensitivity would have been detected, yes." Vader agreed. "Unfortunate that it was not."
"I had a good life." Leia stated plainly, noticing but not caring that she'd used the past tense.
"Then you understand, now, that life is over?" Vader asked, his Force presence roiling.
Leia looked up at him steadily, "I don't think you are going to let me leave this ship alive."
"Then you are beginning to understand. You are not yet twenty years old, but you will find life is punctuated by these moments when the past dies so that the future may be born. Your father died so the Empire could rise."
Leia frowned, what was that supposed to mean? "And my biological mother?"
Vader shifted very slightly, "She died trying to prevent that from occurring."
"You knew them?" Leia clarified. "Were they on opposite sides of the war?"
Vader did not reply immediately, he merely watched her maddeningly from behind his mask. "I believe you have already stated that it does not matter to you in the slightest.
Leia crossed her own arms, "It seems to matter a lot to you."
Vader seemed to consider that. "It confirms for me that you could be powerful indeed if you are properly trained."
Leia let her shoulders slump, "You've made it clear I don't have a choice about that."
"Surely you wish to continue, now that your powers have begun to emerge."
Leia shrugged. She would gladly trade her Force powers for a ticket off of this ship and away from Vader. But she'd been given no opportunity at all to make that happen.
"What's in it for you, Lord Vader?" She asked, suddenly realizing the strangeness of it, that the second in command of the Empire would devote so much time to training his enemy.
Another long silence unfolded between them with only the hiss of Vader's respirator audible. "I will train you until you surpass the emperor himself in power. Then, together, we will destroy him."
Leia merely raised an eyebrow at this declaration of treason from the emperor's most loyal henchman. "Oh, well, why didn't you say so?"
"You do not believe me." Vader stated, not a question.
Leia smiled, clearly dubious, "If you truly opposed the emperor you would have killed Tarkin yourself."
"I allowed you to do so." Vader answered swiftly.
Leia shook her head, "Lord Vader, there is nothing I would like better than to kill the emperor, but I've never been in the position to do so. You, however, have been, repeatedly, and yet you have made no such attempt. Instead, you enjoy unprecedented power in the Empire precisely because of your unwavering loyalty to Sheev, kriffing, Palpatine."
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Vader left his daughter's presence feeling uncomfortable in a way that no being currently living had made him feel, except perhaps for Obi-wan Kenobi. He'd been wise not to tell her the truth of their connection.
Of course she hadn't believed him about his intention to destroy the emperor. He had served loyally for her entire life. He was the last person anyone would expect of treason. He was the one who put the disloyal to death…
But all Sith wished to destroy their masters. Vader certainly had since the moment he'd first knelt at Palpatine's feet. But he hadn't risen up at the height of his power as a Sith, and, after Mustafar, he knew he was not capable of it. His would not be able to withstand a single burst of his master's lightning. He would die for nothing, or worse still, he'd survive as Palpatine's slave twice over.
So he had done nothing.
He could think of only one gesture he could make that the girl might possibly understand, but he was loath to make it. He did not want not lose her, not now that he knew everything she was, and what she could become.
But he found he no longer had the resolve to break her. If he could not have her willing cooperation, then there was nothing she could do for him. All that remained was what he could do for her.
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Obi-wan Kenobi was in his body, he knew this because it felt heavy and sickly warm. Corporeality was overrated, he thought wryly. He flexed his feet experimentally, pleased they still served him. It meant he hadn't been unconscious so long as to loose much muscle tone. That was good. That mean he had a chance to get out of this absolute fiasco.
He opened his eyes, expecting a medbay, but found himself in a simple cell. He was dressed only in a medical gown, but his original robes, which he'd worn from Tatooine to Alderaan, up to the day of his surrender, sat in a pile at his feet.
He got up slowly, trying to gain his bearings. He put on his Jedi robes, though on Vader's ship he might well be less conspicuous in the medical gown. He stood, blinking in the cell, then reached out into the Force.
He was astounded to sense a luminous presence very near by. Definitely not Vader. Automatically he walked to the cell door, then chided himself for expecting it to open. He used the Force to cause the door to snap into its casing, surprised that Vader would make such a mistake as to put a Jedi in an ordinary cell.
The corridor beyond was empty of guards which was also extremely suspicious. This was probably a trap. He would play along. That had always been their way. Spring the trap.
He took a few steps orienting himself to the other Force user, who was, curiously, located in the opposite cell.
He palmed the door release, not really expecting it to be that easy.
The door slid open, revealing a simple room with a bed, a desk, and Leia Organa staring at him in utter shock.
"Hello there." He found his voice raw from disuse.
"General Kenobi?" Leia asked, eyes panicked. Her hair had been cut short but Obi-wan would have recognized the girl anywhere.
"Yes, it's me." He said, taking in the room. "Put those boots on, we need to get out of here."
Leia then did something which nearly made his heart stop, she reached out in the Force, her expression puzzled. Then her face blanked and she nodded tightly. "Let's go."
Obi-wan led her out of the deserted detention level, then called on the Force to guide him.
Painstakingly they made their way down one corridor and up the next, somehow managing to avoid Vader's personnel. Obi-wan could hardly believe it when then reached a docking bay, which was fortunately unguarded.
"Can you fly one of these things?" Leia whispered, eyes darting over the three ships which were housed in the otherwise deserted bay.
"Nominally." Obi-wan chuckled, opting for a modest shuttle that was Hyperspace capable. They got in and he had it on warm up when he bothered to check the status of the Devastator. It was in a Hyperspace jump. Oddly, the jump had only minutes left. The Force was with them.
Leia had ensconced herself in the co-pilot's seat, her face stormy. "Where are we going?" She asked, in a voice that spoke of an inner fight for composure.
"First thing is to get off of this Star Destroyer." He quipped.
Leia gave him a princely look of condescension. "We can't jump directly for the Alliance, there may be trackers on the ship. Not to mention they will have vacated our most recent base by now."
"Nemoidia then." Obi-wan decided, unsurprised to see the princess shrug.
"As good as any place, I suppose."
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Leia leaned into the flight seat, feeling weary and ill-footed. It had all been too easy. The Devastator had just happened to drop out of Hyperspace exactly when they needed a quick exit. They'd had no interference at all, despite their theft of a small ship. They taxied out on sub-light until they could make a jump. It was exceedingly obvious that she was being set free, and she didn't know what to think of that.
The ship was probably crawling with trackers. For all she knew she had them in her clothing or under her skin. She couldn't just go back to the Alliance like this, it was all too neat to be anything other than a some form of deception.
The Nemoidia jump took three hours. Luckily General Kenobi knew a place they could hunker down, though clearly his information was a bit out of date, for the flophouse he remembered was now a brothel. She didn't care. It was somewhere that wasn't the Devastator, and if Imperial Stormtroopers appeared to retrieve them, well, shutting down a place like this would be more than acceptable.
She gave Kenobi her Alliance codes and he left her alone, disappearing into the underbelly of the city, and returning an hour later with food, clothing, a scanner, and reassurances that help was on the way.
She showered and scanned herself as thoroughly as she could, finding no trackers on or under her skin. She put on the simple clothing Kenobi had found for her, then vacated the fresher so the old Jedi could conduct the same process.
She slept, somehow, in the dim room which felt unaccountably alien after so many weeks in her cell.
When she woke, it was to a disorienting conversation going on between Kenobi and another, very familiar voice.
"Father?" She whispered. Then Bail Organa's arms were around her and she was crying as she hadn't done since she was eleven years old.
"You are safe now." Bail whispered to her, then drew back, looking her over. "We should get you home."
She didn't ask where. Home obviously meant Home One now.