Chapter 12- Vader's Discovery, Destruction, and Leaving Tatooine
A/N: This is where Vader discovers Lena's background and relationship to him.
Darth Vader sat in front of the computer port in his chambers on the Death Star, holding the picture of Lena, Leia, Bail, and Cail Organa in his hands. The Jedi princess looked back at him, with a smile on her face. It was still like seeing Padme after all of these years. And of course the name Lena Skywalker was enough to jolt the part that was still Anakin. Vader then typed in the name Lena Organa. The facts about her were pretty mundane.
Her height was Padme's as was her brown hair and facial structure. Her eyes were a dark shade of blue. Vader then worked to remove his helmet. He had to see the girl with his own eyes and he could survive a couple of minutes without his helmet. Vader looked at the girl, feeling the tears come to his eyes. His eyes looked right back at him. Searching his feelings he know knew. Princess Lena Organa was his daughter; the baby he had thought had died. Of course he had wanted her to be named Leia Shmi Skywalker after his mother, but Lena was Padme's choice for a girl also. She said the name Leia was too common. Vader was inclined to agree as the princess he had just tortured was named Leia.
"Lena Shmi Skywalker," Vader said to himself as he put his helmet back on. Vader felt a rush of happiness as he looked at his daughter again. Knowing his daughter had been brainwashed by the Jedi, she would come looking for Leia. His daughter and the princess were cousins and Lena would never forgive herself if something happened to her. Vader felt anger come at him as he looked at the man who had dared to steal his daughter. Cail Organa would pay with his life for taking his daughter. Vader then had a thought.
"Tell me everything you can give me on his royal highness, Cail Organa," Vader said. The information came quickly. During the Clone Wars the man had been on Ryloth in negotiations. When the war had ended he had come back to Tatooine, adopted a war orphan whose parents had been killed by the Empire, and married a member of the nobility on Naboo, named Cena Tanaka, her father's brother being Padme's pilot.
Vader had a feeling this information was false and ran Cail's picture through the database. It took 15 minutes this time to get what he suspected. Cail Organa was a fiction created when the war ended. Vader felt as if he could have kicked himself. As Anakin Skywalker he had known all the Padawans at the Jedi Temple. Including Master Plo Koon's Padawan, Talon Orran. Granted he wore royal robes and his hair had been cut, but now Vader could remember the serious Padawan who was always with Jocasta Nu and Saks Miron in the Jedi library or Talon playing with the younglings. Vader and the other Jedi had teased Talon about how he'd make an interesting mother considering all the younglings loved him. Vader remember often seeing a Twi'lek child and Rodian child on his lap and a human child on his shoulders. It wasn't a far stretch that Talon had stolen his daughter and raised her with the three that Cena Tanaka had given him.
"My Lord, this just came from a cantina on Tatooine," a soldier said, handing Vader a disc and bowing. Vader popped it in and felt his breath hitch slightly as he saw his daughter use a Jedi lightsaber and remove a tusked alien's arm. So the Jedi traitor Orran had trained her in the ways of the Jedi much farther than Vader had thought. Vader now knew he had to find his daughter. She would be told the truth and trained by him. As her father she would respect and do as he said.
Vader managed to get his helmet back on and managed to compose himself before going to give Tarkin a report. Leia Organa was stubborn and she had resisted the mind probe as good as any Jedi. In his heart Vader knew that Leia would never betray the Rebel Alliance. He even thought that his daughter, Lena, wouldn't either. She had butted heads with senators often. When it came to that she had the Skywalker tenacity to push back if shoved. That was something she had gotten from Anakin, not Padme. Padme would have looked for a way to negotiate.
Vader came onto the observation deck where Tarkin stood there mulling, his hand over his mouth. "Her resistance to the mind probe is considerable. It'll be some time before we can extract any information from her," Vader said as he paced.
"The final checkout is completed. All systems are operational. What course shall we set?" a soldier at a console asked.
"Perhaps she would respond to an alternative form of persuasion," Tarkin said with grim humor.
"What do you mean?" Vader asked sharply. Tarkin was known for his cruelty and the fact that he gloated over what he did to his victims. He would break Leia Organa and then gloat over the pain.
"I think it is time we demonstrated the full power of this station. Set your course for Alderaan," Tarkin said, not failing to disappoint Vader. It didn't take a Sith or Jedi to know what he was planning. If the Death Star was complete he would make a demonstration on Alderaan.
"With pleasure," the soldier said with barely concealed malice.
Luke, Lena and Obi-Wan left the cantina, Lena and Obi-Wan concealing their faces with the hoods of their robes. "You'll have to sell your speeder," Obi-Wan commented.
"That's okay. I'm never coming back to this planet again," Luke said. Lena wondered if she should tell Luke that chances were that he might. Granted, a rebel base never be built here, but if Anakin Skywalker could come here like her father had said he had, then Luke could too. It didn't take long to sell the speeder, but it wasn't a much as Luke had wanted for it.
"All right. Give it to me. I'll take it," Luke said in grudging acceptance of the deal.
"Luke, you'd better hide that. We don't need pickpockets," Lena said, looking around. The Force was sending warnings down her spine. Something didn't feel right and she felt as if they were being watched. Luke grabbed a gray tunic and put it on.
"Look at this. Ever since the XP-38 came out they just aren't in demand," Luke grumbled showing the credits to Obi-Wan and Lena.
"It'll be enough. My father and uncle will pay the rest like I said," Lena said, keeping her had firmly on the hilt of her lightsaber as they went to get Artoo and Threepio.
"If the ship's as fast as he's boasting, we ought to do well," Obi-Wan said after they had collected the droids and entered the docking bay. Chewbacca was at the door and greeted them with a growl as he led them to the ship/ Lena felt her insides writhe. This was a fast ship? It looked like an accident about to happen! Judging from the look on Luke's face he felt the same way.
"What a piece of junk!" Luke exclaimed, echoing what Lena was thinking. Han came out and looked positively insulted.
"She'll make .5 past lightspeed. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. I've made a lot of special modifications myself, But we're a little rushed, so if you'll just get on board, we'll get outta here," Han said, ushering them into the ship.
"Hello, Sir," Lena heard Threepio say to Han and Artoo whistled.
"Stop that ship! Blast them!" Lena heard a mechanical voice say from her spot going up the ramp. Lena turned to see a squad of stormtroopers come into the hanger. Pulling out her lightsaber, Lena deflected a bolt as it went past Han and both ran into the ship, Lena keeping her lightsaber blade glowing.
"Chewie, get us out of here!" Han bellowed as thy ran down the corridor and into the cockpit, Luke and Obi-Wan behind them. Lena disengaged her blade and sat down with her brother, the droids, and Obi-Wan as the ship shook.
"Oh, my. I'd forgotten how much I hate space travel," Threepio moaned fretfully as the ship lifted and shook violently.
The ship steadied and Luke, Obi-Wan, and Lena got up to go to the cockpit. "Stay sharp. There's two more comin' in. They're gonna try and cut us off," Han said as they entered and he was getting in the pilot's chair.
"Why don't you outrun them? I thought you said this thing was fast!" Luke complained as they got on either side of Han's and Chewbacca's chairs.
"Watch your mouth, kid, or you're gonna find yourself floating home. We'll be safe enough once we make the jump to hyperspace. Besides I know a few maneuvers. We'll lose 'em. Here's where the fun begins," Han said as lasers hitting the ship, shook the ship.
"How long before you can make the jump to lightspeed?" Obi-Wan asked.
"It'll take a few moments to get the coordinates from the navicomputer," Han said, pressing buttons on a machine behind him.
"Are you kidding? At the rate they're gaining?" Luke asked in surprised impatience and irritability.
"Traveling through hyperspace ain't like dusting crops, boy! Without precise calculations we'd fly right through a star or bounce too close to a supernova and that would end your trip real quick, wouldn't it?" Han asked sarcastically as an alarm sounded.
"What's that flashing?" Luke asked, pointing at a console.
Han slapped Luke's hand away. "We're losing a deflector shield. Go strap yourselves in. I'm gonna make the jump to lightspeed," Han said as the three of them got up and strapped in. Lena called on the Force to calm down. Apparently with Han Solo one needed the Force to calm down. He was way too reckless. He would never have made it as a Jedi with his ways.